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Mazda will make 1,100 restoration parts for the NA MX-5 Miata

Many people who own a Mazda MX-5 Miata keep it for a long time. It’s the sort of car that comes into your life and you never want to part with it because of the pleasure it gives everytime you are behind the wheel.

Typical of Japanese cars, the MX-5 has not been a difficult car to maintain but after 30 years, some parts of the first generation NA model would be worn out and need replacement. For enthusiasts, the search for replacement parts becomes a weekend pursuit. Thankfully, with the internet, it is possible now to order parts online from other countries where stockists may still have them, or from specialists who fabricate them.

Understanding that there are many owners of the very first generation who need replacement parts, Mazda will now make Restoration Parts Program for the model. Generally, carmakers are obliged to offer replacements parts for up to 10 years after production of a model stops but now Mazda is going to produce some 1,100 parts for those who want to restore a model it produced 30 years ago.

As a fan-first brand, Mazda consulted specialty shops and Miata clubs to better understand which restoration parts were needed most. The parts will be made in Japan and while they will have the perfect fit and finish of those that were sold in the 1990s (as well as the look and feel of that era), Mazda says it will also use modern manufacturing techniques that will produce higher quality than what was possible before.

One example: a newly developed fabric soft top that uses the same rear screen material from the original version. Enkei Wheels is reproducing aluminium wheels designed like the original, but through current technologies so that it will be lighter and with a more protected finish. Essential in the maintenance of almost any classic MX-5, many moving parts – from the roller for the side windows to the brake piston caliper – that are likely in need of replacement will be offered.

“There is a pure feeling of joy when it comes to driving a Miata, of any generation,” said Masahiro Moro, Chairman & CEO of Mazda North American Operations. “Our unique Jinba-Ittai – ‘horse and rider as one’ – engineering philosophy has allowed for the engaging and exhilarating driving dynamic that has remained constant over the years, helping make the Miata an important vehicle for the brand and our fans. By helping prolong the life of MX-5 NA models, Mazda is committed to supporting the roadster culture and looks forward to seeing these historic vehicles on the road – and on the track – for years to come.”

Visit www.mazda.com.my to know more about the latest Mazda MX-5 and other models available in Malaysia.

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Fuel Prices For November 16 – 22, 2019

Aston Martin Wings Series is a world of beauties

Some manufacturers around the world have close ties with the world of aviation and the latest Aston Martin Wings Series is a complete catalogue of the brand’s many endeavours in the world of aviation, especially with UK’s Royal Air Force (RAF). Their celebration involves the unveiling of a new logo and plans for more special limited-edition models in the future. Yeah! (more…)

This is the 800hp McLaren Elva – no roof, windscreen or windows!

There’s a new McLaren ‘Ultimate Series’ roadster and it’s called the McLaren Elva. This is the very first McLaren road car that comes with an open cockpit and offers an entirely new dimension to their Ultimate Series line-up. The Elva is a very special and limited model indeed as only 399 examples will be made for global consumption. (more…)

Global debut of all-electric Ford Mustang Mach-E this Sunday (w/VIDEOS)

In just two days, at an event in Los Angeles, Ford will unveil the much-anticipated Mustang Mach-E. It carries the name of the iconic sportscar but will be entirely different under the bonnet – an all-electric powertrain instead of a petrol engine.

The event will be streamed on YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter, with actor Idris Elba helping to introduce the latest addition to the Mustang family. Aiming to build up its order bank early, the company will accept bookings immediately after the broadcast (which would be around 10:30 am in Malaysia on Monday morning) at Ford.com.

Customers can pre-order the Mustang Mach-E by placing a refundable deposit (subject to terms and conditions). Ford says that timing will be critical, especially for a limited First Edition. Those who wish to pre-order a car can select their desired specification of the Mustang Mach-E, create a Ford account, select their preferred Ford dealer, and enter their credit/debit card details and address. The pre-ordering is available to customers in the USA and certain other regions.

1971 Ford Mustang Mach 1 — *The ‘Mach’ name was used for fastback variants of the early Mustangs and were the biggest Mustangs ever .*

Little is known about the Mustang Mach-E but it is said to have crossover SUV genes as well. ‘Mach’, which refers to the speed of sound, was used for fastback variants in the earlier generations. Recently, at the SEMA show, Ford unveiled a fully electric Mustang Lithium with over 900 bhp and 1,356 Nm of torque. But that was an ‘edge-of-the-envelope’ project and the Mustang Mach-E won’t reach such output levels.

Mustang Lithium 2019 — *Mustang Lithium prototype displayed at the 2019 SEMA show recently.*

However, from one Ford microsite, we learnt that the car is claimed to have a range of 480 kms and scheduled maintenance costs are estimated to be 38% lower costs versus comparable vehicles. Using a 150kW DC fast charger, a 10-minute charge is claimed to be able to give a range of 75 kms.

Drop by PISTON.MY for more details when we have them on Sunday night.

Want to buy a traditional Mustang to keep as a collector’s item? Sime Darby Auto ConneXion has some units for sale. Visit www.sdacford.com.my for more information.

Sabah’s SMK Tamparuli is tops in 19th edition of Toyota Eco Youth programme

Since 2001, UMW Toyota Motor Sdn. Bhd. (UMWT) and the Malaysian Ministry of Education have been jointly organizing the Toyota Eco Youth (TEY) Programme to educate Malaysian youth on the importance of conserving the environment and also inspire them to act responsibly towards the environment, ensuring a sustainable future.

The programme, one of UMWT’s annual Corporate Social Responsibility activities, aims to cultivate environmental awareness and instill good environmental habit in young Malaysians as they are the future caretaker of the environment.

“Our corporate social responsibility is to help educate and instill love and care for the environment in the nation’s youth.”
Ravindran K., President of UMW Toyota Motor

In its 19th edition this year, TEY carries the theme ‘Be the Superhero to Save the World’. It incorporates elements from the Toyota Environmental Challenge 2050, a global initiative by Toyota Motor Corporation which aimed at going beyond zero environmental impact.

“Our business is not just confined to make ever better products that are safe and environmentally friendly. We also see it as our corporate social responsibility to help educate and instill love and care for the environment in the nation’s youth. One of the initiatives is the Toyota Eco Youth programme which have been running since 2001,” said Ravindran K., President of UMW Toyota Motor.

This year, 12 secondary schools from around Malaysia participated in the programme which began in August this year. Students and teachers from the schools attended a 3-day ‘boot to learn Toyota’s 8-Step Problem-Solving Methodology. This is an approach practiced by UMWT employees to solve various types of problems, including those involving the environment.

Each school received a RM2,000 grant to kick off their project. Drawing on what they had learnt, they had to go through a market validation phase where their ideas – in the form of a product or service – were implemented and tested with the community of choice, impacting the beneficiaries.

In the final phase, each team made their final presentation and pitched their ideas to a panel of judges comprising representatives from UMWT, the Ministry of Education and myHarapan. After reviewing each presentation carefully, the best submissions by 4 schools were announced with SMK Tamparuli from Sabah picked as the Champion.

For their impressive efforts, they received prizes ranging from RM10, 000 for the Champion; RM7, 000 for second prize; RM5, 000 for third prize and RM3, 000 for the fourth prize. There was also a consolation prize of RM1, 000 as well as other prizes of RM500 each for the best video presentation and best-supporting teacher.

To date, UMWT has spent almost RM7 million on the TEY programme which has seen participation of 258 schools and 2,000 students. Commenting on the achievement of the TEY, Mr. Ravindran said it is clear that continuation of the programme can help in environment-related issues that affect not just today’s generation but also those in the future.

“We will certainly continue to run the TEY annually and as we gain feedback and experience each year, the programme will evolve accordingly so that it addresses appropriate issues,” he said.

Visit www.toyota.com.my to read more about UMW Toyota Motor’s other CSR activities.

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Ferrari reveals fifth (and final) new model of 2019 – the Roma

Misfortunes in Formula 1 notwithstanding, this has been a busy year for Ferrari and before 2019 comes to a close, a fifth model has been announced and displayed at an exclusive client event held in Italy’s capital.

The new model is the Roma, a new mid-front-engined 2+2 coupe. It is said to also represent the pinnacle of performance in this category, thanks to its turbocharged V8 from the family of engines that has won the overall International Engine of the Year award for 4 years running.

In this version, the3.85-litre engine has been tuned to produce around 612 ps/760 Nm. Mated to the engine is a new 8-speed DCT gearbox that was introduced on the SF90 Stradale. Claimed 0 to 100 km/h time is 3.4 seconds with a top speed over 320 km/h.

With its distinctive flair and style, the 4656 mm long car is a contemporary representation of the carefree, pleasurable way of life that characterized Rome in the 1950s and 1960s, Ferrari said in its short news release.

More details will be available at a later date and for now, the price is also not being mentioned (although someone who intends to purchase the Roma is unlikely to need to know).

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Updated Volvo XC90 SUV launched – From RM373,888

Volvo Car Malaysia has announced that their best-selling Volvo XC90 SUV now comes in an updated version for the Malaysian market and those who are interested can start viewing in from this month onwards. Labelled as the brands top-of-the-line flagship model, the XC90 marks the company’s next step into electrification. (more…)

More Petronas Auto Expert service centres now in Klang Valley

The Petronas Auto Expert service centre which has been developed by Petronas Lubricants Marketing Malaysia Sdn Bhd (PLMMSB) and launched last April is now seeing a rapid growth in numbers around the Klang Valley area as part of their development plan. (more…)

Mazda CX-30 is the safest model tested by Euro NCAP to date

The New Car Assessment Programmes (NCAPs) of various countries and regions are conducted by independent organisations and though the scores awarded are not required by authorities in any country for a vehicle to be homologated for sale (provided the vehicle meets regulations). However, consumers pay attention to NCAP scores so as to be better informed when they are considering a vehicle to buy.

Since the mid-1990s, Euro NCAP has been conducting such a programme which includes crash tests. Over the years, the organization has progressively raised its standards and the criteria has evolved, challenging carmakers to make their cars safer and safer. Achieving the maximum of 5 stars and high scores in the various categories of testing can help a model’s sales in the market where buyers are increasingly concerned about safety.

CX-30 has near-perfect score
In its latest series of tests on new models sold in Europe, Euro NCAP’s results show that the new Mazda CX-30, a subcompact crossover between the CX-3 and CX-5, achieved a near-perfect 99% score for Adult Occupant Protection (AOP), besides the maximum of 5 stars.

The model, which shares much of its DNA with the all-new Mazda 3, now tops the list for this part of the assessment against Euro NCAP’s 2018/2019 protocols. The highest ratings on record have been at the 98% level with the Alfa Romeo Giulia, Mazda3, Volvo XC60 and Volvo V40.

The CX-30’s impressive AOP score was gained by getting maximum points in the different impact tests (side, pole and barrier). Many vehicles don’t perform so well in the pole test where the vehicle is sent sideways smashing into a pole.

The report said the passenger compartment remained stable in the frontal offset test, with good protection of the knees and femurs of both the driver and passenger. A similar level of protection would be provided to occupants of different sizes and to those sitting in different positions.

The standard autonomous emergency braking system or ‘Smart Brake Support’ (SBS) performed well in tests of its functionality at the low speeds, typical of city driving, at which whiplash injuries often occur. With collisions avoided in all test scenarios, the CX-30 scored full points in this part of the assessment.

Reducing pedestrian injuries
The protection offered to the head of a struck pedestrian was good over almost all of the bonnet surface and adequate over much of the rest. Good protection was provided to pedestrians’ legs by the bumper and protection of the pelvis was also rated as good at all test locations.

The SBS can detect vulnerable road-users like pedestrians and cyclists, as well as other vehicles. In tests of its reaction to such road-users, the system performed adequately, with collisions avoided or mitigated in most scenarios.

CX-30 for Malaysia?
Bermaz Motor has confirmed that the CX-30 will be available for the Malaysian market but when it will be in showrooms is not known yet. Given the high demand for the new CX-5 (in Malaysia as well as other markets) which is assembled at the Mazda Malaysia plant in Kedah, it seems unlikely that the CX-30 will be assembled locally. This could mean it will be somewhat expensive with the high taxes imposed.

Visit www.mazda.com.my to know more about Mazda products and services available in Malaysia.

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