English Archives

Piston.my

English

What BMW works drivers are doing during #STAYHOME

#STAYHOME – this applies to BMW works drivers as well. Instead of competing in the various race series in the real world, they are currently spending their time at home. But they are by no means sat idle and relaxing; even during this unusual period, the drivers have a full schedule. This ranges from fitness training and sim racing, through time with the family, to pursuing old and new hobbies.

Keeping fit
The works drivers are using the time to keep fit so that they are as well prepared as possible for the first races, whenever that will happen. Two-time DTM champion Marco Wittmann, for example, regularly invites his fans to take part in his training sessions at home via his social media channels.

“At the moment, I really am doing a huge amount of exercise – be it endurance training, strength, coordination, or mental training,” he revealed. For Lucas Auer, new to the BMW DTM squad, sport is his main focus as it is for almost everyone. “I do two sessions a day. It keeps you fit and you feel good. I have a treadmill, an ergometer and an arm crank for my endurance training here at home. I am doing all my specific neck, core and other exercises that I need to stay fit.”

The drivers are being supported with their training at home by Formula Medicine and are being given specially devised training plans. For example, BMW Motorsport Junior Dan Harper, who is currently at home with his family in Northern Ireland. He trains four to five times a week using a training plan that he received from Formula Medicine.

Bruno Spengler, who is contesting with BMW Team RLL in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, is even using his training at home for competitions. He cycles at home and can do it with friends using Swift. “We compete against each other in races online. These online races are really difficult, but are so much fun,” he said, adding that there is also the strength training which he does in the small gym at home.

BMW DTM driver Sheldon van der Linde also set up his own training equipment at home in South Africa. “I’m fitter now than I ever have been and feel even better prepared for the season than I have in previous years. The break has meant that I have used my time to work consistently on my fitness and to focus on it,” said van der Linde.

Preparing for real-life, virtually
There is one discipline that is taking up a lot of time for almost all the works drivers: sim racing “It is currently experiencing an incredible boom in the present situation,” observed Martin Tomczyk, a BMW works driver in GT racing. “Almost every works driver has a simulator at home these days, and anyone who hasn’t got one yet will probably be buying one in the next few weeks.”

The simulations are of a very high standard now, and the race series that are organised by the various promoters are incredibly popular. “Everything is so realistic these days that you really feel the motivation as a racing driver and are ecstatic when you get a win. Set-up work, discipline, concentration and teamwork are factors here as well,” said Tomczyk.

Sim racing not only keeps the drivers in ‘race mode’; it also keeps them in contact with the fans. “Despite the break, we can still put on a show that the fans can follow live. It’s really great, there are different livestreams during the races and everyone really enjoys it. I also think it’s great that BMW is getting so involved in sim racing,” said Spengler.

A positive aspect of the current situation for many BMW works drivers is that they are now able to spend a lot of time with their families, and they are doing so across the whole world. GT driver Augusto Farfus (BRA), for example, is with his wife and children in Brazil. “It’s great that I am with my family. This hasn’t been the case for the past 20 years of my life. Unfortunately, it’s because of something that is by no means pleasant, but at least I get to spend a lot more time close to my parents and my family than usual,” he said.

Old and new hobbies
Aside from fitness training, sim racing, family life and home schooling, the BMW drivers are also using the current break to do everyday things. “For example, gardening, or sweeping the driveway – all the things that you usually squeeze into your schedule when you’re at home,” explained Wittmann.

Glock has discovered a new hobby – one which many around the world would also have found. He is getting into cooking and doing an online cookery class. “I’ve been meaning to do it for a while. Now I’ve finally got around to it,” said Glock. “It’s a lot of fun, but it’s a big challenge and uncharted territory for me, but it’s working out quite well!”

De Phillippi has branched out in a totally different direction. While he is waiting to get back to the IMSA series and the Nordschleife, he is dabbling in stock exchanges and financial markets. “I’ve developed a great interest in it during this period. I’ve read a lot about shares, bonds and ETFs to learn how they work together so it’s kind of a new hobby for me. You have to read a lot, and there are a lot of complicated aspects, but I’m really interested in anything to do with numbers.”

BMW Drivers Will Be Racing At Super Sim Saturday With Races All Around The Virtual Globe

UMW Toyota Motor reopens selected service outlets

Following the activation of the Movement Control Order (MCO) in Malaysia on March 18 2020, all businesses except those related to essential services were required to stop operations. Service centres were among the businesses that had to remain closed, although emergency assistance services were permitted.

After the extension of the MCO until April 28 2020, MITI has given permission for car companies to resume aftersales services at selected outlets, with certain conditions to be followed. UMW Toyota Motor Sdn Bhd (UMWT) has received approval from MITI to re-open selected authorised Toyota service centres which will operate for emergency and urgent service requirements only, at minimum capacity.

Toyota owners are advised that the services are by appointment only. Customers should first contact the nearest service centre to their home to check if the outlet is in operation and then plan a suitable appointment time/date.

Click here for the list of authorised Toyota service centres to contact regarding operating status

Every effort will be made to ensure the safety and protection of customers when they visit the service centres who will continue to practice social distancing and remain at least 1 metre or more apart to avoid possible transmission of the virus.

With regards to those vehicles purchased from UMWT or their authorised dealers with existing warranties that are valid and expiring during the MCO period, the company announced earlier that there will be a 30-day extension calculated from the last day of the MCO.

The company will continue to provide all customers with assistance for any emergencies or enquiries during the MCO period through its existing helplines. Customers may contact the following numbers throughout the duration of the MCO:

“As we always place customer care as a top priority, all Toyota vehicles sent to our service centres will receive a thorough inspection to ensure they are in good running order. However, we also urge customers to adhere to the regulations of the Movement Control Order and help to stop the spread of the COVID-19 virus,” said Ravindran K. President of UMW Toyota Motor.

Increase in traffic to be expected as more sectors are permitted to resume operations

Secrets of the Audi V10 engine

At its 8,700 rpm limit, each one of the pistons found in the 10-cylinder Audi R8 engine is traveling approximately 27 metres every second. Or you can put it another way: adding up all 10 cylinders’ worth of work, the engine’s pistons can cover more than 950 km/h. That’s about as fast as your standard domestic commercial aircraft. Each piston outpaces those found in today’s Formula 1 cars.

The 90° 5.2-litre V10 Fuel Stratified Injection (FSI) engine was born from the necessity that its performance exceeded the greatest expectations of a supercar customer while still providing refinement and smoothness. Its FSI system was refined through development in Audi’s original Le Mans endurance cars.

Compared with a V8 engine of similar size, the V10 has smaller, lighter pistons, allowing it to rev more freely. Compared with a V12, it has fewer moving parts, reducing complexity and internal friction.

For the US market, the current street-legal R8 V10 Performance is able to generate up to 602 ps at 8,100 rpm and 560 Nm of torque at a 6,700 rpm. That speed and the firing pattern of the cylinders – 1 – 6 – 5 – 10 – 2 – 7 – 3 – 8 – 4 – 9 – give the R8 a hissing tenor exhaust note that builds to a crescendo. Where in turbocharged engines, a turbocharger can act as a sound muffler in the engine, the naturally aspirated V10 wails, with its exhaust baffles opening at higher rpm for full effect.

The V10 engine went into production in 2009, initially making 525 ps and serving as a higher engine option for the R8. Like the entry 4.2-litre V8 engine at the time, which made 420 ps, it was developed by what is now Audi Sport GmbH, the performance sub-brand of Audi.

Like the V8 of the era, the basis of the V10 engine could be found in other Audi models, such as the S6 and S8 sedans. Unlike its sedan counterparts, however, the V10 in the R8 had a different engine crank, designed for a lighter weight, freer-revving engine and adopted dry-sump oil lubrication, which eliminated the need for a traditional oil pan.

In its place, the R8 had and continues to have a baffle plate below the engine that collects outgoing oil and serves as a reservoir for cycling oil through the engine. The oil pump module consists of a suction and feed pump for filling the oil reservoir and a suction and pressure pump for supplying oil to the engine.

This allowed engineers to mount the engine lower, which drops the centre of gravity of the car. It also allows the engine to withstand higher lateral forces as the oil pump will never be starved from cornering too aggressively. An oil cooler is run from the left-side air intake blade to keep the engine running cooler.

The dry-sump lubrication system is identical from the road-going R8 to the R8 LMS GT3 racing car, which can see much higher G-forces on tracks like Daytona and the Nurburgring due to extreme banking, slick tyres and aerodynamic changes increasing downforce.

Extensively re-engineered from the first to the second generation, the current R8 V10 performance engine still retains 40 valves (two intake and two exhaust valves per cylinder), but its springs and the roller-type rocker arms are now made of ultralight and ultra-high-strength titanium, versus steel alloys in previous applications, among other modifications.

The latest V10 also features cylinder on demand (COD) technology, which also contributes to the engine’s efficiency. Under low to intermediate load conditions – when one of the four upper gears is engaged – it shuts down the cylinders of one bank by deactivating their injection and ignition processes. The driver does not notice the transition; at stronger acceleration, the cylinder bank is activated again immediately.

The gripping story of Audi’s quattro all-wheel drive system

Covid-19 — *Fighting COVID-19 is our joint responsibility. Protect yourself and others: make these 6 simple precautions your new habits.*

Ford Mustang is bestselling sportscar in the world – for the fifth consecutive year

When sportscars are mentioned, those of Italian or German brands often come to mind. But when it comes to the most widely sold sportscar in the world, it’s from America – the Ford Mustang. Now in its 56^th year of production, the Mustang has again captured the best-selling sportscar title for the fifth consecutive year and it’s also been America’s best-selling sportscar for the last 50 years.

According to the most recent new vehicle registration data from IHS Markit, 102,290 units of the Mustang were sold worldwide last year. During this period, the model’s sales in Germany increased 33% while in Poland, sales rose by nearly 50% and, in France, they nearly doubled.

Ford Mustang — *With this generation having righthand drive variants, Sime Darby Auto ConneXion has been able to offer the Mustang in Malaysia.*

Greatest-ever Mustang performance line-up
In addition to continually adding personalization and technology options, Ford keeps up the Mustang momentum with this generation having greatest-ever performance line-up. Since making its debut in 2015, the Mustang range has expanded to 12 versions globally and more significantly, righthand drive variants are also available.

The Mustang variants include EcoBoost and GT models each with two Performance Pack options, Mustang BULLITT, Mustang Shelby GT350 and Handling Pack, Shelby GT350R, plus Shelby GT500 with Handling Pack and Carbonfibre Track Pack options.

Fastback and convertible bodystyles are available and depending on the market, the powertrains customers can choose from are a 2.3-litre EcoBoost 4-cylinder (291 ps) and 5-litre V8 (449 ps).

The special edition Mustang BULLITT featuring an enhanced 460 ps 5.0-litre V8 engine is offered in fastback body style with a choice of Shadow Black or classic Dark Highland Green exterior colours, and unique exterior and interior details.

“We’re proud of our growing Mustang stable and performance variants,” said Jim Farley, Chief Operating Officer, Ford Motor Company. “From Sweden to Shanghai, more and more driving enthusiast are enjoying the feeling of freedom and the American open road in these new Mustangs. We are honoured to serve our owners, enthusiasts and fans for 56 years and counting,” he said.

Visit www.sdacford.com.my to know more about the Mustang and availability in Malaysia.

2020 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 is the most powerful Mustang yet

Volkswagen Passenger Cars Malaysia shows appreciation for efforts of frontliners

To show appreciation to the nation’s frontliners in the War against COVID-19, Volkswagen Passengers Cars Malaysia (VPCM) has updated its ‘Welcome Back’ aftersales campaign announced earlier. The frontliners refer to the government hospitals doctors, nurses and administrators, personnel of the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) and Malaysian Armed Forces as well as RELA and Malaysia Civil Defense (Angkatan Pertahanan Awam).

For this brave and dedicated group of Malaysians, there are additional benefits if they are Volkswagen owners. The benefits are a small token of appreciation to ease their burden and offer peace of mind.

The additional benefits include priority booking, complimentary car sanitization and a 10% discount off the total bill (terms and conditions apply). Volkswagen owners who are frontliners are required to indicate their respective occupational areas when registering online, and a Volkswagen representative will be in touch for verification.

Once verified, the additional benefits will be credited into their Volkswagen Cares App wallet and will be ready to be used for their pre-booked appointment. The appointment must be made within 30 days after the Movement Control Order is lifted.

The ‘Welcome Back’ campaign, announced earlier, offer Volkswagen owners a gift and an additional RM50 engine oil voucher (for owners not redeeming their free maintenance service and non-Volkswagen Cares Plus members).

To register and book an appointment, visit www.volkswagen.com.my where the Volkswagen Cares mobile app can be downloaded to enjoy the benefits.

Volkswagen prepares to welcome back owners in Malaysia after MCO ends

Increase in traffic to be expected as more sectors are permitted to resume operations

Over the past week, there have been remarks on social media by motorists who have become frustrated by what seems to be the increasing number of vehicles on the road. This is in spite of the Movement Control Order (MCO) restricting a large portion of the population to their homes. This being the case, it is expected that the traffic volumes should be less.

However, it has to be noted that the MCO does not stop people from travelling if they wish to go to the supermarket to buy essential items or to pick up food orders. So there will still be many vehicles on the road daily and their occupants (should be one person in the vehicle) are not breaking the law.

70% of motorists are in essential services
What the police have found is that 70% of the vehicles on the road are those being driven by people in essential services – those who work in banks, hospitals and telcos, for example. And as additional sectors have been allowed to resume operations, there will be more and more vehicles on the road in coming weeks when the companies receive their approval letters and recall their employees for daily work.

The other thing to also remember is that the roadblocks will inevitably create a queue. On the Federal Highway between Kuala Lumpur and Petaling Jaya, for example, three lanes are closed off and traffic is directed to a single lane. Each vehicle has to stop and be checked which requires a bit of time. It may be helpful of the police have two lanes instead but manpower may be an issue as they have had to set up roadblocks nationwide.

Travel during off-peak hours
From the police studies, about 25% of the motorists are those who are buying essential items or doing other permissible things such as going to a hospital. Of course, there are also those who travel for invalid reasons which is why the checking is needed, and those who are found to be doing so are likely to be arrested and have to pay a RM1,000 fine as well as spend time in jail.

The police recommend that those who are out buying stuff travel at non-peak hours which would be after 9 am or before 5 pm. In this way, there will be less traffic on the road so those who are working in the essential services can proceed with less delay.

Less crime, less accidents
Meanwhile, it has also been found that crime and road accidents have fallen significantly. Since the MCO started on March 18, the number of road accidents has dropped by almost 70%, with a total of 10,382 accidents recorded between March 18 to April 14.

However, the reduced traffic on many roads has also led some motorists to ignore laws. There have been complaints of speeding and even more dangerous, not stopping for red lights at junctions. Yes, it’s nice to drive around but you still need to adhere to laws.

The police and army personnel are manning the roadblocks day and night, in the hot sun and lately in the rain. If you wish to do so and can afford it, drop off a box of water or drinks for them on your way home after buying your essentials. Let’s show our appreciation to these frontliners.

Face mask not compulsory
Incidentally, wearing a face mask is not compulsory when out of the home (unlike in Singapore now). So if you choose not to wear one while driving, you will not be committing any offence. Of course, for the personnel at roadblocks who have to check thousands daily, it would make them feel more comfortable if the driver has a face mask on but there are no grounds for being detained if he or she does not wear one.

All other earlier regulations relating to travel remain in force and we are not aware of any changes. The authorities have clarified that those who have to travel beyond the 10-km range because they have to go for specialised medical treatment are permitted to do so. Of course, they should have documents to prove their need to travel further. The police are not insensitive to genuine cases and what angers them is people who tell lies or simply refuse to follow the basic instruction to #stayathome.

Limited activities in auto industry permitted in final (hopefully) phase of MCO

Shell Rimula campaign offers free face masks to truck drivers

While most Malaysians are staying at home during this period of the Movement Control Order (MCO), there are also many who are in essential services who are working daily. Apart from the brave and dedicated frontliners in the healthcare services, there are also those who ensure that supplies of food, equipment, materials and other essential items are not disrupted.

These are the truck drivers who have to collect the goods from the port or warehouses and then drive long distances across the country. No doubt their journeys are different now with less traffic on the roads but the driving is still the same, perhaps with completion in a shorter time.

Recently, as part of the Shell Rimula #HeroKami campaign, Shell Malaysia has been distributing face masks to the truck drivers to provide them with protection against the possibility of getting infected by the virus.

The distribution has been done in the Port Klang, Selangor area and so far, some 20,000 face masks have been given out. The masks were handed over at selected participating truck service centres and the Northport.

War Against COVID-19: Shell contributes to frontliners, the nation’s heroes

#DrawDrawDraw – and you might attract the attention of Nissan’s designers (w/VIDEO)

It all starts with a single line.

That is the message from Nissan’s global design team as it looks to connect a worldwide community of artists through the new #DrawDrawDraw social project. The carmaker is offering 23 newly created, downloadable colouring pages featuring Nissan’s classic and current models, futuristic concepts and even some ‘cult classic’ ones such as the Figaro and ChoiMobi.

Nissan designers from around the world created the pages over the last few weeks, a time during which many people have been staying home because of the global coronavirus pandemic.

“To draw, draw, draw, in our world, is one of the best ways to close the gap between wonderful creative impulses in your head and making it a reality – especially as we face this global pandemic together,” said Alfonso Albaisa, Nissan’s Senior Vice-President for Global Design. “Our team of designers, worldwide, are using this time to breathe, to draw, to dream creatively. I know that some of their best work will come from the challenges that we’re facing now. So we thought: ‘Why not give everyone a chance to express themselves creatively and share it with those who will appreciate it?'”

Click here to download the sketches

Albaisa is launching this effort with a video from his home and, with input from his two young sons, showing what he is currently drawing and why. Designers from his team will post additional videos in coming weeks to talk about their design inspirations, what they are drawing, how they became car designers, and tips for those looking to break into the business.

“Our inspiration for this project came from Nissan designer Giovanny Arroba, the creative mind behind the recently unveiled Ariya Concept car,” said Albaisa. “Gio was asked for advice on becoming a car designer. He said, simply and beautifully: ‘Draw like crazy. Draw, draw, draw.'”

Nissan asks individuals to hashtag their drawings – from sidewalk art to napkin sketches to the downloaded colouring book pictures – with #drawdrawdraw. The drawings can be posted on their social media platforms.

“We’re looking forward to celebrating passion and creativity,” said Albaisa. “Don’t be surprised if you see a Nissan designer comment on your drawings and artwork!”

This Lego Nissan GT-R Nismo is what you’ll want in 2020

Lotus shows more views of its Evija all-electric hypercar via a configurator

Only 130 people in the whole world will get to own the Lotus Evija all-electric hypercar. With production of the 2,000 ps car set to start later in 2020 (now dependent on the lockdown situation in Britain), customers will soon be able to specify their personalisation requirements.

The exclusive nature of the Evija means every customer’s car will be unique. Requests for personalisation on every aspect – from striking exterior paint colour combinations to highly detailed interior trim – are all part of the enhanced ordering process.

The starting point for every car’s specification is an all-new touchscreen configurator. Designed especially for Lotus, its ultra-powerful graphics processor creates stunning high-definition ‘photo-realistic’ images and animations. Developed using advanced gaming software, these allow the buyer to build and personalise their own car from the ground up and visualise it from every angle, inside and out.

Thanks to an advanced imaging technique known as ray-tracing, they can even place their Evija into multiple environments around the world to see how localised sunlight levels will affect their choices. The final element is the creation of a fully personalised ‘360-degree fly-through’ film exclusive to each customer.

Lotus has released a series of all-new images of the Evija captured from the configurator. They show a car set inside the Lotus Design studios and finished in stunning Atomic Red with Carbon Black accent pack. They are accompanied by a new animation which additionally reveals the car in Solaris Yellow and Carbon Black.

The configurator is just one element of the Evija experience. At regular intervals during the purchase process, each customer will receive from Lotus a unique gift to reflect the exclusive and technical nature of the Evija. That will culminate in a beautiful handcrafted build book, packed with stunning imagery of the customer’s individual car during key moments of its assembly. The book will be presented to the customer with their Evija key as part of the handover celebrations.

“We know every customer journey will be unique and our highly experienced customer relations team is ready to support any requests. With state-of-the-art digital tools such as the new configurator, we can accommodate customer preferences and requirements from anywhere in the world at the touch of a button,” said Simon Clare, Executive Director for Global Marketing at Lotus.

Lotus Evija prototypes complete high-speed testing as electric hypercar debuts in China (w/VIDEO)

‘Talking’ tyres for future vehicles will improve motoring safety

The world is extensively connected today and wherever you are on the planet, you can almost easily connect to someone else in another location. In recent years, there’s also been another type of connectivity taking place in cars where development is underway for cars to be able to ‘talk’ to each other.

This is not only useful for improving driving safety today but also tomorrow when autonomous vehicles are moving around. By communicating their position, other vehicles can avoid them if they are not visible or have been immobilised due to an accident.

Now Goodyear is also working on connected tyres which can communicate with the vehicle. With sensors embedded in the tyres, the tyre and road condition can be relayed to the vehicle’s ‘brain’. initial studies have shown that such connected tyres can reduce stopping distance lost between a new and worn tyre by 30%.

With the evolution to electric and autonomous vehicles, connected tyres and the impact they can have on stopping distance, communication with the vehicle will only increase in importance. The connected and intelligent tyre system continuously measures and records tyre-derived information, which is paired with other vehicle data and connected to Goodyear’s cloud-based proprietary algorithms.

Goodyear has been conducting road tests and field trials and its test fleet has covered 4.8 million kilometres, collecting valuable data to refine and improve the concept. The intelligent tyres can measure tyre wear, load, inflation and temperature, along with road surface conditions, in real time, allowing the vehicle to adjust and respond to these measurements and optimise vehicle performance.

“Consider someone driving on a slick, curvy road in wet conditions. The driver adjusts his movements by slowing down, tapping the brakes or avoiding sudden steering,” said Chris Helsel, Goodyear’s Chief Technology Officer. “But what happens when nobody is behind the wheel? The tyre is the only part of the vehicle that touches the ground and it can communicate vital information to the vehicle, enhancing safety and performance.”

There’s no time-frame for the introduction of connected tyres but Goodyear is continuously testing them extensively with automakers, start-ups and other groups.