This coming Chinese New Year will start the Year of the Rat, which is also the beginning of a new cycle of the Chinese zodiac. For those who are planning on buying a new car, this could be a good time to join the BMW or MINI family.
BMW Group Malaysia is having Chinese New Year offers which include cash rebates with financing solutions to make it easy to purchase a new BMW or MINI model. The offers are available at all authorised dealerships nationwide.
Deals for BMW Until March 31, 2020, customers can obtain attractive financing interest of 1.38% for the 530e M Sport, and 1.88% for models including the 330i M Sport, 530i M Sport, 520i Luxury, 740Le xDrive LCI, 630i GT, X1 sDrive20i, X3 xDrive30i Luxury and X3 xDrive30i M Sport.
During the promotion period, new owners of the BMW 330i M Sport will also receive a complimentary BMW Ultimate Protection Programme for one year. It is described as a first-of-its kind insurance plan that covers both the owner and their BMW vehicle. Owners of other models mentioned will also enjoy the same benefit, with the added advantage of a one-year complimentary BMW Comprehensive Insurance.
BMW ChargeNow card provides easy access to public charging stations in many locations across Malaysia.
Additionally, those who choose the 530e M Sport or 740Le xDrive LCI and have it registered by March 31, 2020 will receive a complimentary BMW i Wallbox and BMW ChargeNow card. The former will enable recharging of the battery pack to be done at home while the latter will provide easy access to public charging stations in many locations across Malaysia.
If you prefer a MINI
MINI Malaysia’s ‘Springs Into Action’ campaign has festive offers which will be available up to the end of March 2020. These include monthly instalments starting from RM2,388 and cash rebates of between RM8,000 to RM22,000 on selected models.
Take a test-drive at an authorised MINI showroom in Malaysia and you will receive limited edition MINI Chinese New Year Ang Pao packets (while stocks last).
Additionally, for the first 20 owners of the MINI 3 Door or MINI 5 Door (during the campaign period), there will be an exclusive invitation to the exciting MINI Track Driving Experience. This will enable a new owner to immediately understand why the MINI has been so highly regarded for its go-kart handling.
Carlos Sainz collected his third his Dakar Rally victory, this time with yet another team. Having previously triumphed with Peugeot (2019) and Volkswagen (2016), he presented MINI with its fifth overall victory in what is described as the toughest race in the world.
For MINI and MINI Motorsport partner X-raid, this was the first success since their winning run together, which lasted from 2012 to 2015. Sainz, with co-driver Lucas Cruz (also from Spain), drove a John Cooper Works Buggy. He finished 6 minutes 21 seconds ahead of last year’s winner, Nasser Al-Attiyah after completing roughly 7,500 kms through Saudi Arabia’s deserts.
Dakar record winner Stephane Peterhansel and his co-driver Paulo Fiuza finished third, 9 minutes 58 seconds behind Sainz and Cruz, to round off an impressive performance from the two JCW Buggies. The two JCW Buggy crews each won 4 stages, while MINI vehicles went fastest on a total of 9 of the 12 days. Seven of the 9 MINI crews that started the rally reached the finish in Al-Quiddia, 4 of them in the top 10.
The 42nd edition of the Dakar Rally this year was held in Saudi Arabia for the first time. The route took competitors from the shores of the Red Sea in Jeddah, around the canyons and mountains of the western part of Saudi Arabia, over the dunes of the Empty Quarter and all the way to the Qiddiya Sports and Culture Complex near the capital Riyadh.
237 out of the 342 vehicles (59.3%) that started the rally in Jeddah were classified as finishers. A further 19 vehicles withdrew from the race but reached Qiddiya under Dakar Experience rules. Over the 7,500-km route through deserts, there were 12 competitive stages which totalled approximately 5,000 kms.
2020 DAKAR RALLY OVERALL WINNERS IN CAR CATEGORY
1. CARLOS SAINZ/LUCAS CRUZ – Bahrain JCW X-Raid Team
2. NASSER AL-ATTIYAH/MATTHIEU BAUMEL – Toyota Gazoo Racing
3. STEPHANE PETERHANSEL/PAULO FIUZA – Bahrain JCW X-Raid Team
4. YAZEED AL RAJHI/KONSTANTIN ZHILTSOV – Overdrive Toyota
5. GINIEL DE VILLIERS/ALEX HARO BRAVO – Toyota Gazoo Racing
6. ORLANDO TERRANOVA/BERNARDO GRAUE – X-Raid MINI JCW Team
7. BERNHARD TEN BRINKE/TOM COLSOUL – Toyota Gazoo Racing
8. MATHIEU SERRADORI/FABIAN LURQUIN – SRT Racing
9. YASIR SEAIDAN/KUZMICH ALEXY – Race World Team
10. WEI HAN/MIN LIAO – Geely Auto Shell Lubricant Team
Apart from putting to rest the long-standing question of whether PLUS, the highway concessionaires, will be sold off by the government, it has also been announced that toll charges will decrease by 18% – but only on for private-registered vehicles and only on PLUS- operated highways.
Unfortunately, the reduction will only begin from February 1, 2020, so it won’t be in time to benefit those who will be travelling during the Chinese New Year holidays. However, there are likely to be discounts offered by highway concessionaires, the usual practice during major festive periods.
Bernama reports that, besides the toll reduction, the statement from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) also confirmed that there will be no change in toll rates on PLUS highways until 2058. This is in consideration for the concession period being extended by 20 years beyond 2038. PLUS is expected to carry out highway maintenance and operational activities without depending on the government, the statement added.
PLUS is expected to carry out highway maintenance and operational activities without depending on government funding in future.
What does 18% mean to the motorist?
The 18% reduction lowers the toll rate on the North-South Expressway – the longest among PLUS highways – to 11.15 sen per km from the present 13.6 sen per km. Travelling from the Jalan Duta toll plaza in Kuala Lumpur to Alor Setar in Kedah would be RM45.50 or RM10 less than what it costs now. The savings from the same departure point in Kuala Lumpur to Skudai in Johor would be RM8.50.
The government will not be compensating PLUS for lowering the rate, and has cancelled the earlier concession agreement which provided for gradual increases in toll rates. The government will save RM42 billion as it does not have to pay compensation, and the money can be used for other development purposes. It also believes that PLUS will remain in a sound financial position to carry out its obligations for the next 58 years.
With up to 720 bhp and weighing just 1,300 kgs for a power-to-weight ratio of a supercar to achieve a top speed of 230 km/h, the Laffite G-Tec X-Road is claimed to be the first all-terrain street-legal supercar.
It has been developed Laffite Supercars, a multi-national company (based in Valencia, Spain as well as Los Angeles and Miami in the USA) which specialises in automotive design. Racing engineer Philippe Gautheron engineered the chromium molybdenum steel rolling chassis while the Team Virage Group tested and fine-tuned it for several years.
GM V8 powertrain with electric option
The G-Tec X-Road is powered by a 6.2-litre V8 from General Motors which is mated to a 5-speed sequential or 6-speed automatic transmission, depending on customer requirements. The drivetrain is only rear-wheel drive but the company is willing to develop an electric powertrain for customers who are more eco-conscious.
17-inch suspension travel will allow drivers to jump and fly the 4.3-metre long car like a Dakar rally racer in the desert or navigate the freeway and local streets in comfort. Interior appointments can be customised to personal preference with high quality materials and high-tech accessories.
Only 30 units available
Final assembly of the 30 units to be available will be done in Los Angeles and the car can be registered for road use in California. Being able to conform to vehicle regulations in California would enable it to meet regulations in other markets.
Customers will get their cars towards the end of 2020 after paying retail prices that start from US$465,000 (about RM1.9 million) with the electric version costing at least US$545,000 (about RM2.21 million).
Laetitia and Bruno Laffite, owners of Laffite Supercars
About Laffite Supercars
The company creates concept cars and road-ready vehicles in limited runs, and also works on confidential projects for customers wishing to acquire unique and exceptional road-ready supercars.
The owners are Bruno and Laetitia Laffite and Bruno is the nephew of 6-time winner Formula One racing driver, Jacques Laffite, and competed for more than 15 years in numerous racing events in the 1990s. Laetitia has driven and tested many sportscars, spent 15 years in the art industry and is also as an exclusive art dealer in the prestigious Monaco Yacht Club.
Ever since petrol stations began accepting payments electronically, using credit cards or debit cards are the pumps, motorists have enjoyed greater convenience when refuelling. While the use of credit cards has not required a ‘hold’ of RM200 on the related account, those who use a debit ATM card from a bank are subjected to this inconvenience for up to 3 days. That’s certainly an unnecessary burden, especially for a motorcyclist who may buy just RM2 of fuel.
MyDebit and the 22 participating banks are putting consumer interests first by doing away with this practice. Related to this initiative, Payments Network Malaysia Sdn Bhd (PayNet) has announced a collaboration with Petron to accept payments using ATM cards at all Petron station self-service fuel pumps with no RM200 hold.
“With 42 million ATM cards in circulation, virtually every customer carries an ATM card which they can use to pay for their fuel purchases,” said Peter Schiesser, Group CEO of PayNet, the operator of the MyDebit card scheme. “As Malaysia’s national debit card scheme, our priority is the rakyat. MyDebit is the only card scheme in Malaysia that does not hold RM200 at petrol pumps.”
“When a petrol chain accepts MyDebit payments, consumers can select the amount of fuel that they wish to purchase and only that amount is blocked during fuelling. If consumers refuel less than the amount selected at the start, all excess amounts are credited back to their bank accounts immediately after fuelling is done,” explained Mr. Schiesser.
Motorcyclists especially will be happy that there is no RM200 ‘hold’ for 3 days when they purchase just a few ringgit of petrol.
The announcement was made in conjunction with the launch of ‘FUEL-YoooH MyDebit Je with your ATM Card!’ recently at a Petron station in Bandar Baru Kulim, Kedah. The move, which supports the government’s aim to develop a cashless society, enables Petron customers easier, faster, more seamless and convenient cashless payment using their ATM cards at the fuel pumps.
To commemorate the roll-out of MyDebit ATM Card at Petron stations, PayNet and Petron have a campaign that rewards motorists who use their ATM cards for fuel purchases. Until March 13, 2020, any fuel purchases at Petron pumps using ATM cards issued by banks in Malaysia with a minimum spend of RM5 will provide a chance to win prizes that include 2 Grand Prizes of Proton X70 SUV. Besides a total of 84 prizes, there are also four RM500 Petron Gift Cards to be won weekly.
Legacy Racing will make its GT World Challenge Asia debut this year with an Am class-entered Mercedes-AMG GT3. The Malaysian team is run by Tedco Racing, which has previously competed in national championships but will now make its pan-Asia debut with two familiar faces – Leona Chin and Tengku Djan Ley.
The team will begin its GT World Challenge Asia campaign on home soil at the Sepang International Circuit on March 28/29 and then continue to Thailand, Japan and China for the other rounds of the 11-race championship.
The ‘Prince of Drift’
Tengku Djan’s racing career spans 24 years, with participation in Japan’s Super GT series as well as back-to-back Merdeka Millennium Endurance victories at Sepang. However, he didn’t earn the nickname ‘Prince of Drift’ for nothing – he was crowned Formula Drift Asia champion in 2009 and 2010, and finished seventh in last season’s FIA Intercontinental Drifting Cup.
“I’m looking forward to a great season with a new, all-Malaysian team,” he said. “We hope to be competitive in the Am class, but both Leona and I are new to GT racing. And it’s not going to be easy as GT World Challenge Asia has the highest level of competition in the region.”
First GT3 drive for Leona Chin
As for Leona, her racing experience includes stints in the Mini Challenge Asia Series, Renault Clio Cup China and Malaysian Championship Series, where she finished second in the last season. “It was always a dream to race in any GT championship so to now have an opportunity in Asia’s most prestigious GT series is pretty amazing,” she said.
“It’s going to be a tough and challenging year as it will be my first time racing a GT3 car, let alone the beautiful Mercedes-AMG. But I’m also very excited about visiting new circuits that I’ve never previously raced at. Competing in GT World Challenge Asia will provide me with great experience at a very high level of racing,” Leona said.
Team boss Kelvin Liang acknowledges that they are newcomers to GT World Challenge Asia and GT racing. “Generally, we will need to dig deep to catch up with the rest of the established teams and drivers. Success, however, will be sweeter being an all-Malaysian team of drivers and crew,” he said.
Following two seasons that surpassed all expectations, GT World Challenge Asia’s format and regulations – originally based around the British GT Championship’s – will remain largely unchanged in 2019, albeit with one key difference. The series brings together a mix of GT3 and GT4 machinery, while GTC cars are also eligible to compete at the 12 hour-long races.
The Land Rover Defender was a motoring icon in its time and its successor, the New Defender unveiled last September is destined to achieve similar fame in the 21st century. To celebrate the reimagining of the Defender as a motoring icon for this century, the automaker has worked with Zenith to create a special edition watch.
Like the legendary SUV that inspired it, the Defy 21 Land Rover Edition – as this watch is known – is modern, durable and highly desirable. It will be exclusive as only 250 pieces will be available for sale worldwide. Prices will vary depending on the country and exchange rate, but each watch is likely to cost the equivalent of RM60,000 at least.
The Defy 21 Land Rover Edition is the latest result of a 4-year partnership between Land Rover and the Swiss watchmaker. Zenith and Land Rover have previously collaborated to create the El Primero Range Rover, Chronomaster El Primero Range Rover Velar and Defy Classic Evoque watches.
“For the next chapter in our partnership with Zenith, we wanted a timepiece that captured the essence of the new Land Rover Defender: modern, durable and highly desirable. With subtle details that capture the character of new Defender, this for me is the best timepiece we have created with Zenith,” declared Professor Gerry McGovern, Land Rover Chief Creative Officer and guardian of Land Rover’s design DNA.
The Defy 21 Land Rover Edition represents a complete makeover of Zenith’s resolutely 21st century chronograph with a raw and minimalistic look. Crafted in a special micro-blasted titanium case that absorbs light from all angles to better accentuate its faceted surfaces, it is both eye-catching and stealth-like.
Like the El Primero and its numerous versions through the years, the Land Rover Defender now enters a new era with a bold and distinctive character. The Defy 21 Land Rover Edition chronograph also reinterprets the past in a forward-looking way, with an emphasis on durability, precision, comfort and bold design.
The dial appears as one with the case with its muted matte grey colour, offering a very different look to the open-dial standard versions of the Defy 21. Orange and white painted markers add legibility and contrast to the display, as do the specially shaped skeleton hands.
A first for the Defy 21, the power reserve display for the 1/100sec chronograph is executed in the form of a liner window instead of a hand. Through the specially engraved case back, the display offers a view of the El Primero 21 1/100sec movement with a custom oscillating weight, in the form of a miniaturized 5-spoke Land Rover wheel.
Like the different modular packs offering Defender the perfect adaptability to different driving needs, the Defy 21 Land Rover Edition comes with two straps: the ‘Adventure’ strap with an all-terrain textured rubber, and the ‘Country’ featuring a grey rubber strap with a fabric effect and orange stitching.
When Touch ‘n Go began providing alternative locations (besides the toll plazas) to top up the balance in the electronic toll payment card, there was a 50-sen charge for each transaction. Over time, the charge was waived by some outlets although there are still some that still do it.
Shell Malaysia believes every bit counts in the long run and to help Malaysians save some money on living expenses, the company has announced that effective today, 27 of its stations along the North-South Expressway (NSE) will waive the RM0.50 top-up fee.
“Shell understands the challenge Malaysians face against the rising cost of living. We know it can be difficult to save when there are inclining necessary expenditures like food, transportation, utilities and education, which form a huge part of one’s expenditure. This drives us to help Malaysians save more and ultimately, get more out of their journeys. Hopefully, forgoing the Touch ‘n Go top-up charges at all stations along NSE, as a start, will give our customers one less worry when travelling or fuelling up at Shell during long journeys,” said Shairan Huzani Husain, MD of Shell Malaysia Trading Sdn Bhd and Shell Timur Sdn Bhd.
He said that Shell Malaysia is always looking at ways and means to reward its customers. Throughout 2019, Shell launched several campaigns that gave away prizes from cars to loyalty points. Back in September, Shell gave away 3 BMW X3s through its WIN 3 BMW X3 campaign. This was followed up with the offer of 10x BonusLink points collection with every one litre of fuel purchased as well as a 50% rebate for BonusLink points redeemed.
The current campaign is ‘Nak Ekstra RM20,000?’ which runs until February 9, 2020. Malaysians have a chance to win weekly grand prizes of RM20,000 and 20 consolsation prizes of RM1,000. These cash giveaways aim to enable Malaysians to be a step closer to fulfilling needs and dreams for themselves and their loved ones.
“These initiatives represent our commitment towards Malaysians and their journeys on and off the road. We at Shell are equally passionate for creating life-enriching opportunities for Malaysians, just as we are about providing high-quality fuels and products that help our customers get more out of their journeys,” Encik Shairan said.
To know more about Shell Malaysia’s current campaigns, visit www.shell.com.my.
Oval Racing, a popular form of motorsport that has been run for many decades in America, will have a championship series in Malaysia this March. Known as the US Legend Cars Malaysia Championship, there will be 6 rounds to be held at Perak’s T-City Gopeng Motor Speedway – currently the only purpose-built oval circuit in Malaysia.
First introduced in Malaysia in 2018, this is the first time the Legend Car and Bandolero Car classes will be run as a full-fledged championship. This will feature an Arrive-and-Drive Legend Car class for amateur and professional drivers, and the Bandolero class for children between the ages of 8 and 15.
“Oval circuit racing is still in its infancy in Malaysia as well as the Asian region but the level of interest has kept increasing since the series was first introduced in 2018. The first two years has been about enabling local drivers to become more familiar with the concept of competing on oval short tracks, and over time, the level of competition has grown by leaps and bounds with the series today particularly popular with both professional local drivers as well as young drivers,” said US Legend Cars Malaysia Principal, Ben Tan.
“Both the Legend Car and Bandolero Car classes provide a level and competitive playing field, and the cost of participation is not prohibitive making it an ideal ground for those who aspire to start racing as well as those who want to hone the skills of a new motor-racing discipline,” he added. While Malaysia and Asia do not have a heritage in oval racing, Tan is optimistic that it has tremendous potential in the region as an inexpensive entry into motor racing across all disciplines.
Three categories
The Legend Car class will be divided into 3 categories for novice, national and international drivers, while the Bandolero Car class will strictly be for novice drivers. To date, the championship has attracted entries from Malaysia, Australia, China and Hong Kong.
The Arrive-and-Drive Legend Car class will see drivers competing in identical racing cars with a minimum car and driver weight of 590 kgs and powered a factory-stock Yamaha FJ1200 engine rated at 132 bhp. The Bandolero class for children will feature cars powered by 30 bhp 570cc Briggs & Stratton Vanguard engines with a minimum combined car and driver weight of 340 kgs. The power-to-weight ratio of the cars make them extremely quick and agile compared to racing a traditional saloon car and competing on a 240-metre asphalt oval circuit almost guarantees close and fierce competition from start to finish.
Officially sanctioned
All Legend and Bandolero cars are manufactured by US Legend Cars International, Inc. and the Malaysian championship is sanctioned by INEX Malaysia, an affiliate of INEX which is the international governing body. Like NASCAR, INEX supports, promotes, and manages all sanctioned racetrack and racing programmes. INEX sanctions more than 2,500 races at more than 300 different tracks throughout the world in the USA, Europe, Asia and Australia. Since its inception in 1995, it has sanctioned more than 60,000 races on both asphalt and dirt ovals as well as road courses.
First introduced and raced in 1992, the Legend and Bandolero Car series was conceptualized to provide an affordable class of racing. The cars are 5/8 scale replicas of popular vintage American cars, with fibreglass bodies encasing specially-constructed space-frame chassis. This makes for ideal competition on small tracks and presents drivers with lower maintenance costs. Today, the series is held in more than 30 countries and has established itself as a sound stepping stone for those who aspire to move up the ranks of oval circuit racing to as high up as NASCAR.
The entry fee for the arrive-and-drive Legend Car class is RM3,000 per round, and includes preparation and rental of the racing car, fuel, tyres, brake pads as well as other consumables, technical support and access to the hospitality suite. The entry fee for the Bandolero Car class is RM2,000 per round, also inclusive of all the above mentioned items.
Perak’s T-City Gopeng Motor Speedway – currently the only purpose-built oval circuit in Malaysia.
US Legend Cars Malaysia Championship Dates Round 1 – March 13 | Round 2 – April 17/18 | Round 3 – June 19/20 Round 4 – July 17/18 | Round 5 – August 21/22 | Round 6 – September 25/26
