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F1 (Round 12) – 2019 Hungarian Grand Prix Starting Grid

Race starts at 3:10 pm in Hungary/9:10 pm in Malaysia

♦ Max Verstappen will start from pole position with Valtteri Bottas alongside. It’s the first F1 pole position for the 21-year old Aston Martin Red Bull Racing driver.

♦ The 4.38-km circuit is often referred to as ‘Monaco without walls’ because of the tight and twisting layout. This is not good for the Ferraris as their downforce is not as strong as the leading rivals.

♦ Improved aerodynamics on the Williams cars have helped George Russell perform better. This is especially important on the Hungaroring circuit’s flowing sequences of slow and medium-speed corners and frequent changes of direction. The teams are using the highest levels of downforce seen all year at a purpose-built track to Hungary.

♦ The Ferrari team is concerned about tyres. The circuit layout also places relatively high lateral loads on tyres and that, allied to often high track temperatures, means that rubber is put under some stress. Sebastian Vettel expects it to be a very difficult race today in terms of tyre management and given the characteristics of the car.

♦ This will be the last round before the teams take a summer break. The next race will be in Belgium on September 1.

♦ As the team managers enjoy their holiday break, they will also be thinking about the driver line-up for 2020. Although there are rumours of Verstappen moving to Mercedes-AMG, this is unlikely to happen and the team’s boss will be looking at retaining Bottas or letting current reserve driver Esteban Ocon partner Lewis Hamilton.

Infiniti gets award for adoption of advanced high-tensile steel in new QX50

Weight has long been known as something that must be reduced as much as possible in a car. Lowering the weight brings benefits to fuel efficiency and handling, two important aspects that engineers keep trying to improve all the time. However, back in the days before computer-aided engineering (CAD), it was difficult to achieve weigh reductions and manufacturing technology then was also not able to handle advanced steel materials.

The advent of high-tensile steel was a big leap forward for the auto industry. This type of steel has high strength but the greater strength does not require extra weight. In fact, compared to conventional steel, high-tensile steel is lighter yet stronger.

Stronger steel produces a number of clear benefits for the customer. The overall weight reduction improves fuel economy, while the increased strength builds on existing safety. Since the steel is stronger, the sections become smaller and more interior space is available, producing environments that are more open for the driver and passengers.

Use of advanced high-tensile steel gets award
When creating the latest QX50, engineers at Infiniti, Nissan’s premium brand, went into molecular detail to ensure it was the best it could be in every aspect, and the science behind a more advanced high-tensile steel used in the QX50 has just received a prestigious global award.

One of the challenges of very high-tensile steel is it can be difficult to work with in the manufacturing process, limiting the complexity of parts and adoption in a new vehicle. In order to make this world’s first steel compatible for mass production, engineers worked directly with a steel supplier to formulate a brand new, high-strength, lightweight and highly formable steel for the model.

980 MPa steel supersedes 590 MPa steel
The new 980 MPa steel, created using a specially developed formula, has superseded the traditional 590 MPa steel. As part of the work around the new steel, an academic paper on ‘The application of 980 MPa advanced high strength steel with high formability’ was chosen for The SAE/AISI Sydney H. Melbourne Award for Excellence in the Advancement of Automotive Steel Sheet. It is awarded by SAE International, a global nonprofit organization based in the USA, which has more than 128,000 participating engineers and researchers working in aerospace, passenger car and commercial vehicle industries.

Around 27% of the QX50 body is made from special steels – an increase of 21% over the previous generation – resulting in a 23 kg mass reduction overall. Within the front of the car alone, the adoption of high-tensile steel has provided a 13 kg weight reduction, while frontal energy absorption improved by 10%.

With the QX50 being the first car in the world to use 980 MPa steel, Infiniti will look into adopting it in more applications in coming years. The goal is to achieve 25% or more of the vehicle weight made from advanced high-strength steel, benefiting customers with reduced weight, improved fuel economy and enhanced levels of safety.

Visit www.infiniti.com.my to know more about the models available in Malaysia.

Red Cross Experts Push New Land Rover Defender Prototype To The Limits In Desert Testing

The all-new Land Rover Defender will have its world premiere later this year. In the past, when Land Rover was developing its new models, it would do most of the real-world testing on its own, using its own experienced personnel. Perhaps that was partly to keep details of the new model under wraps till launch.

These days, however, the carmaker must find it also useful to let outside parties check out prototypes. This is especially so if the outside parties operate in extreme conditions and have specific requirements for the transport vehicles.

One such organisation is the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) which was visited by the team carrying out the latest stage of its global testing programme of the new Defender.

IFRC fleet experts put new Defender to the test
A prototype vehicle visited the IFRC global fleet base in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Land Rover engineers demonstrated the vehicle’s breadth of capability to their IFRC counterparts both on and off road. Then the IFRC fleet experts took to the wheel to test the vehicle for themselves on the region’s desert sand dunes and the twisty tarmac of Jebel Jais highway in temperatures over 40 degrees C. The Defender also climbed the tallest mounting in the UAE and reached an altitude of nearly 2,000 metres.

The dunes around Dubai were the perfect place to confirm that this is the most capable Land Rover ever made. It sits on tyres with an overall diameter of up to 815 mm, resulting in a very large contact patch. Coupled with a bespoke traction control system, which monitors and adjusts for a large variety of terrain, this makes the new Defender highly capable on sand and incredibly smooth on road as well.

Global partnership since 1954
The test in Dubai coincides with the renewal of Land Rover’s global partnership with the IFRC – a relationship that dates back 65 years, to 1954, when the first specially adapted Land Rover entered service in the region as a mobile dispensary.

This year marks the humanitarian organisation’s centenary as it celebrates ‘100 Years of Hope’. Over the next three years, Land Rover will support disaster preparedness and response initiatives in locations including India, Mexico and Australia.

“The Red Cross supports millions of people in crisis every year, working in almost every country in the world. We operate in some of the most hard-to-reach places on earth, often working in very difficult terrain, so our teams have to be able to cope with anything. That’s why we’re proud to have partnered with Land Rover since 1954, and to be putting their new Defender to the test, as together they help us reach vulnerable communities in crisis, whoever and wherever in the world they are,” said Ilir Caushaj, the IFRC’s Team Lead For Global Fleets And Logistics.

The session with the IFRC fleet experts complements the global testing programme which has seen prototypes covering more than 1.2 million kilometres in all kinds of conditions. Various activities have also been arranged to give the public a sneak preview of the vehicle, including a dynamic appearance at the 2019 Goodwood Festival of Speed in England.

354hp Porsche Macan S officially available now – RM625,000

Sime Darby Auto Performance (SDAP), the official custodian of the Porsche brand here in Malaysia, has officially announced that their latest Porsche Macan S version is now available for purchase. The unveiling was held in conjunction with their first ever Porsche Sportscar Together Day held at the Sepang International Circuit. (more…)

Fuel prices for August 3 to August 9 2019

HardKhor Motorsports Report: Malaysian racers at events in China and Belgium

2019 CHINA ENDURANCE CHAMPIONSHIP Round.2, TIANJIN
This is China’s domestic GT racing endurance championship and Round 2 was run on the V1 Auto World Circuit in Tianjin last weekend. Malaysian GT driver, Melvin Moh in the ABS Project M Racing Team’s #77 AMG GT3 won Race 1 convincingly but sadly didn’t finish in Race 2. Last time out in round 1 in Ningbo, the team won race 1 and placed 3^rd in Race 2 so they should be up there in the overall points for the championship.

About the Tianjin V1 Auto World Circuit: Opened in 2018, this is another Hermann Tilke-designed circuit (he also designed many of the F1 tracks around the world, including Sepang) located in Wuqing between Tianjin and Beijing.

It has a novel feature of being able to be extended out onto public roads around the track and thus also offers a ‘street’ layout, apart from its permanent circuit. The other feature of this circuit is its ‘Z’ shaped pitlane which can accommodate the two layouts.

As an International FIA Grade 2 circuit, it can be 4.28 kms long or 3.7 kms as a Grade 3 circuit. The cars run counterclockwise around 15 corners.

2019 24-HOURS & INTERCONTINENTAL GT CHALLENGE CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND, SPA (Belgium)
Shanghai and Sepang-based Absolute Racing, Sepang-based Modena Motorsport, China-based Open Road and Taiwan-based HubAuto Corsa teams were the few Asian teams that took part in this prestigious endurance race for GT3 cars.

HubAuto Corsa deserves special mention as they won the previous and opening round of the IGTC in Laguna Seca 8-Hours in March. Unfortunately, a crash just 26 laps into the Spa event meant the #27 Ferrari 488 GT3 was out of contention.

Also significant is that this front-running team in the Intercontinental GT Challenge Championships has 5 Malaysian technicians, the most of all the Asian teams who are running in the Spa 24-Hours.

The event was run at the Circuit De Spa-Francorchamps which is nestled in the Ardennes hills. It consists of fast sweepers, uphill and downhill stretches and parts of it is still on public roads. The original Spa circuit had a reputation for being very fast (average speed of 240 km/h!) and was unforgiving. It was one of the most feared circuits as many drivers and even track marshals lost their lives there.

The present and ‘safer’ circuit is now 7 kms long, compared to 15 kms before. It still has fast stretches where speeds in excess of 330 km/h can be reached. A round of the F1 championship is held there regularly.

Malaysian drivers and technicians head to Korea
We’re into August and this month, our Malaysian GT drivers and race technicians will be in Yeongam, Korea for Round 5 of the Blancpain GT World Challenge Asia and also for Round 4 of the Lamborghini Super Trofeo Asia.

In the PRO/AM division of Blancpain Asia, Melvin Moh and Singaporean Daniel Au will once again be behind the #55 Craft Bamboo Mercedes AMG GT3, H.H Prince Abdul Rahman Ibrahim(Jefri) will be joined by Aussie Shane Van Gisbergen in their #888 Triple Eight Racing AMG GT3 whilst in the PRO category, Weiron Tan will be piloting the Audi Sport Asia Team Absolute Racing #12 Audi R8 LMS GT3.

For the Lamborghini Super Trofeo series, Malaysian Afiq Yazid and Japan’s Ochiai in PRO/AM leads the points going into this round in Yeongam. Afiq has been the standout driver in this series in his Japan-based Hojust Racing Team this season. Aylezo Motorsports East Malaysian and gentleman racer Zen Low will also be racing this weekend in the Super Trofeo.

I’ll bring you the results next week.

Four Toyota Vios awarded to ‘As Never Before Bonanza’ campaign winners

UMW Toyota Motor Sdn Bhd (UMWT) held the ‘As Never Before Bonanza‘ campaign where those who booked any new Toyota models stand a chance to win four brand new Toyota Vios. Thousands joined the festivities where attractive prizes were handed out each month, but four lucky winners took home the new Vios 1.5G. In other words, they got two Toyota models for the price of one! (more…)

All-electric BMW i3s now available – RM278,800

BMW’s first-ever production electric car, the BMW i3s, first made its Malaysian debut last year at Kuala Lumpur International Motor Show (KLIMS) 2018 where it caught a lot of buzz. To live up to its hype, BMW Malaysia announced that it is now available for purchase at RM278,800 (OTR price without insurance). (more…)

Proton rises to No.2 position in overall monthly sales faster than expected

Pending official data from the Malaysian Automotive Association later in the month, Proton has announced that it has risen to No.2 position in overall sales in July 2019. The last time the carmaker was in a similar position was March 2016, while the last calendar year it finished in second was in 2015.

The ascent to the second overall position came with the delivery of 8,590 vehicles during the month, providing a positive start to the second half of the year. It is also the seventh consecutive month of growth and Proton is the only brand to have such momentum in 2019.

47% improvement in 12 months
The brand’s market share for the month is estimated at 16.5% with a Total Industry Volume (TIV) estimated at 51,960 units. Based on cumulative sales for the year, Proton’s overall market share should be around 15% on a volume of 52,269 units. This time last year, Proton’s cumulative sales had reached 35,561 units so it’s a 47% improvement.

12 months ago, automotive sales in Malaysia received a boost when a tax holiday was implemented from June to August. Proton, like all the other brands, posted its best numbers for 2018 during that 3-month period. In 2019, even without the benefit of the tax holiday, Proton’s sales have continued to show positive growth although not as spectacular as the year before.

“For the rest of 2019, we intend to consolidate our position to finish the year

ranked second for the first time in 4 years.”

Dr. Li Chunrong, Proton CEO

Ahead of schedule
“Proton’s return to second place overall in the Malaysian automotive market has happened ahead of schedule. The growth in demand for our products show we are on track to meet our long-term targets and for the rest of 2019, we intend to consolidate our position to finish the year ranked second for the first time in 4 years,” said Dr. Li Chunrong, CEO of Proton.

“With the launch of the updated 2019 Proton Saga set to take place shortly and our other product introductions in the pipeline, the company is quietly confident of even better results in the future,” he added.

On the performance of the various models, Dr. Li said the Persona is now the sales leader in a segment that is ruled by Japanese products. “The Proton Saga is still a popular choice amongst first-time car buyers looking for a safe, reliable and economical vehicle. Even the Proton Iriz has seen a surge in demand, with sales growing by over 50%, so the company is humbled by the trust Malaysian car buyers are putting in our brand,” he said.

Visit www.proton.com to know more about the models available and where to view, test or purchase them.

Piston.my

Archive

F1 (Round 12) – 2019 Hungarian Grand Prix Starting Grid

Infiniti gets award for adoption of advanced high-tensile steel in new QX50

Red Cross Experts Push New Land Rover Defender Prototype To The Limits In Desert Testing

354hp Porsche Macan S officially available now – RM625,000

Fuel prices for August 3 to August 9 2019

HardKhor Motorsports Report: Malaysian racers at events in China and Belgium

Four Toyota Vios awarded to ‘As Never Before Bonanza’ campaign winners

All-electric BMW i3s now available – RM278,800

Proton rises to No.2 position in overall monthly sales faster than expected

“For the rest of 2019, we intend to consolidate our position to finish the year

ranked second for the first time in 4 years.”

Dr. Li Chunrong, Proton CEO

Perodua Aruz waiting time cut down to only a month

Michelin Malaysia Expands Portfolio, Unveils Premium Bicycle Tyres

smart #1 Officially Launched From RM189k With Attractive Packages

Volvo Sisma Auto Sungai Besi 3S Centre Opens as Malaysia’s Largest Volvo Showroom

Hyundai Ioniq 5 ASEAN Tour Covers 2,751km Route Across Southeast Asia

Upgraded Tesla Model 3 ‘Highland’ Sets Sail for Malaysia, Arrival Expected This Weekend

BYD Unleashes Sea Lion 07: A Challenger to Tesla’s Model Y

West Coast Expressway Section 6 Opens – Toll Free Till January 2, 2024

Zeekr 007 Officially Revealed With 870km Range, 636hp

Car Repossession Nightmare: The Illegal Market for Recovered Vehicles

The HiPhi A: China’s Electrifying Triumph in High-Performance EVs

Archive

The New Mercedes-AMG GT 43: 421hp, 500Nm; 0-100km/h in 4.6 Seconds

Honda Unveils Next-generation Ye EV Series for China – P7, S7, GT Concept

Kelantan Receives RM83.5 Million for Road Infrastructure Maintenance

BYD Atto 3 2024 Launched For RM150K – New “Black-Dark Blue” Interior

Ferrari 12Cilindri – Mid-Front-Mounted Naturally Aspirated V12, 819hp, 633Nm Torque

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