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Proton’s cumulative volume for 2021 goes past 100,000-unit level for third consecutive year

In spite of being a challenging year for the auto industry, 2021 will still see Proton staying above the 100,000-unit level for the third year in a row. In fact, even with one month left, the Malaysian carmaker has already reached a cumulative total volume of 100,566 units. This has been achieved with a sales volume of 14,187 units (domestic + export) during November

Another month of growth
With the market on the upswing, Proton too has enjoyed revived interest by car-buyers, with a 6.2% increase over October sales. This would be the third consecutive month of growth. And looking back at a year ago, November 2020 sales were 24.3% lower.

*Volume for 2021 is from January – November.

The market share of the Malaysian market for the month is estimated to be 24.5% and for the 11-month period, the share has grown by 1.9% to an estimated 22.8% at the end of November 2021.

Saga remains bestseller of the brand
The evergreen Saga remained the brand’s bestseller and had its best sales month since December 2020. 5,666 units were sold nationwide, placing it at the top of the A-segment sedan class, a position the company is hopeful it will retain to the end of the year.

The younger X50 also had a record month in November with 4,010 units delivered. That is significantly better than its previous high of 3,839 units set in October. Its bigger brother, the X70, remained in high demand and gained 1,901 new owners in November, also giving it leadership in the C-segment SUV class.

TOP THREE PROTON MODELS IN NOVEMBER

The Exora MPV is still dominant in the C-segment MPV market and saw a fourth consecutive month of growth 434 units sold. There is demand for the other models but, as with many carmakers, Proton has experienced component supply issues for the Iriz and Persona. This has limited their production volumes and only 642 and 1,534 units, respectively, were available for delivery to customers.

Limited by supply, not demand
“November was a good sales month for Proton though overall industry numbers continue to be limited by supply and not low demand. Crossing over the 100,000-unit threshold with a month to go is a high point for us after another year disrupted by COVID-19,” said Roslan Abdullah, CEO of Proton Edar.

“We are humbled by the achievement and are now confident of ending the year with an increase in total sales. This will make Proton the sole national brand to grow sales and market share this year and give us a strong base heading into 2022 as we look to consolidate and improve our ranking both domestically and overseas,” Encik Roslan added.

Proton’s new Gallery of Inspiration shows carmaker’s past, present and future

WayRay Holograktor – Metaverse on Wheels

Switzerland may be a small country – around 340,000 new vehicles sold annually before the pandemic – but it has had one of the major international motorshows, the Geneva Motor Show. It is also home to a number of specialist companies in auto design and engineering. One of them is WayRay which describes itself as a ‘deep-tech’ company and it is the only company capable of designing and manufacturing complex Deep Reality Display technology. It also has expertise in rendering the AR content in real-time around the car using a proprietary True AR Rendering Engine software.

Metaverse device on wheels
It has now applied the advanced technologies to Holograktor, is the first car designed around True AR technology and a new ride-hailing business model. WayRay calls it the very first ‘Metaverse device on Wheels’.

Backed by early investments from companies like Porsche, Hyundai, and Alibaba, WayRay is using the Holograktor car to emerge from its ‘Deep Tech’ automotive supplier status into the world of new mobility models.

“The idea is that you can choose Uber Black, Uber SUV, or Uber Holograktor. And if you choose the Holograktor, your ride will be subsidized by sponsored content, so the price will be much lower,” said WayRay Founder & CEO Vitaly Ponomarev.

Connecting virtual and real worlds
With the seamless connection of the virtual and real worlds, there can be greater safety, comfort, services, and entertainment. The 3-seat Holograktor can either be driven conventionally or by remote control via a 5G and satellite internet connection to a qualified driver. That left the question of what to do with the disengaged steering wheel in the remote mode. WayRay solved it by sliding it forwards and simply fitting it into a groove in the dashboard.

The interior has been designed around a novel 2+1 seating arrangement. The front seats are pushed wide apart to provide all three occupants with a clear view of holographic displays engineered around WayRay’s technology. Its unusual single rear seat ‘throne’ layout was inspired by data showing that more than 80% of Uber trips were for one person only

The entire car was also designed to showcase the holographic technology. Each passenger will have access to several holographic Deep Reality Display HUDs in front and on the side, with each seat fitted with joysticks for gaming and interacting with the content.

The AirKnife system creates a barrier that separates the air between passengers and cleanses the air throughout the cabin. It works together with the air-conditioning system to control the climate, filter the air, and keep passengers safe. That’s something which will be most welcome in these times.

Exterior design
The Holograktor was designed by hypercar designer Sasha Selipanov, Head of Design at RAW Design House and chief designer on the Holograktor project in collaboration with WayRay’s in-house team of designers. Selipanov’s design work includes the Lamborghini Huracan, Genesis Essentia, Bugatti Chiron, and Koenigsegg Gemera. He was trained at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California, before being taken in by the Volkswagen Group.

Selipanov came to work on the Holograktor car in an appropriately modern way — via an Instagram message. “I saw a message from Vitaly on Instagram in my Inbox that said: ‘Hey! Would you like to catch up and brainstorm about a potential collaboration? Outside of being obsessed with sportscars, I’m a science geek and a bit of a physics nerd, and the fact that his company was playing around with deep-tech ideas and bringing them to customers around the world was hugely exciting. I thought that as far as non-lap-time-setting cars were concerned, this project was probably as exciting as I was ever going to find!”

At the core of the Holograktor’s design was the challenge of combining the concept car’s enormous interior space with a well-proportioned exterior, all while staying in line with all current and approaching regulations.

“We wanted to create a visual language for WayRay that took Russian constructivism as the base. If you have those early Soviet posters in mind, you can see those brightly coloured geometric shapes of triangles and blocks. Coincidentally, the triangular form is reminiscent of a prism, like the Pink Floyd “Dark Side of the Moon” album cover,” explained Selipanov.

It is a light-ray aesthetic that comes with the triangularity and the prism-like effect, which is just perfectly appropriate for a car built to highlight holography. Beyond that, the strong triangular shapes and solid stance are nods to the Russian backgrounds of WayRay’s founder and the designer.

That triangular theme is integrated everywhere, from the 22-inch wheels to the laser headlights and taillights and even to the shrink-wrapped form of the roof itself. While the front doors of the futuristic car open conventionally with a slight upward angle, the rear doors contain an integrated B-pillar and open rearwards and upwards, providing easy access to all 3 seats.

The Shrimp
The boxy shape on the roof of the Holograktor has been nicknamed ‘The Shrimp’ (though why that name was chosen is not explained). The shape makes it clear that the car is very different from any other car on the road and houses the holographic system for the rear passenger.

‘The Shrimp’ in its current location is, in fact, inevitable, as packaging and ergonomics constraints have led the design team to place it on the roof. It needs to be there because it contains an enormous amount of high-end technology, and it has the ideal focal length for the rear-seat passenger.

Even with the holographic system needing less than 3 litres of volume instead of the 20+ litres required by conventional HUDs, it was decided to prioritize the ride-hailing capability over hiding the technology. There is no Shrimp for the front passengers, though, as the True AR technology sits within the dashboard, aiming up at the windscreen, where the Shrimp’s projections aim down from the roof.

R RYZR concept is a driving machine you ‘wear’

Project MAYBACH – a tribute to the late Virgil Abloh

With Project MAYBACH, Mercedes-Benz pays tribute to the late Virgil Abloh who passed away recently. Designed as a showcar to inspire the next generation, it is being revealed at the wishes of Abloh’s family.

The artist, architect, creative director, fashion designer and philanthropist, who was also artistic director of Louis Vuitton menswear, had collaborated with Gordon Wagener, design chief of Mercedes-Benz, for this design study. It interprets Mercedes-Maybach’s luxury identity with a new design language and pushed the boundaries of function, style, and collaborative creativity.

Inspired by the great outdoors and recontextualizing a traditionally urban brand within a distinctly off-road environment, the 2-seater, fully-electric off-road coupe combines huge Gran Turismo proportions (almost 6 metres long), large off-road wheels and distinctive attachments. Under the transparent surface of the showcar’s bonnet are solar cells that increase the imagined range of the Project MAYBACH.

Like Project Gelandewagen in 2020, Project MAYBACH is a design unlike anything that has been developed by Mercedes-Benz, with every element built from scratch. Key for both Abloh and Wagener was a responsible vision of future design. Complete creative freedom – unlimited by production requirements – enabled the design teams to conceptualize what the future of electric travel could look like.

The X-Factor nature of Project MAYBACH results not only from its imposing – almost 6 metres long – and characteristics, but also from its unique contrasts. ; most notably through how naturally authentic Mercedes-Maybach design elements are harmoniously combined with a new Outdoor Adventure design motif.

Project MAYBACH channels Abloh’s passion to challenge the status quo and re-write the rulebook of aspirational design. The power of his work is not only from the product design, but also the exploratory conversations that his work ignited. Whilst the showcar was inspired by how one could explore nature within a uniquely luxury context with Maybach, the Mercedes-Benz teams thank Virgil Abloh for the inspiration to explore every day the power of cross-industry dialogue to imagine a better, more inclusive future.

*Project Gelandewagen, another car from Virgil Abloh, which was inspired by the G-Wagen.*

Concept Mercedes-Maybach EQS for the new generation of customers

Vaccination does not make you immune to COVID-19 infection. You can still get infected and although you may not show symptoms, you could spread the coronavirus to others. Do not stop taking protective measures such as wearing a facemask, washing hands frequently and social distancing.

Hennessey Performance’s Project Deep Space is a 6-wheel drive Hyper GT!

John Hennessey, the founder and CEO of Texas-based Hennessey Performance, is a man who loves powerful cars and his company has been ‘making fast cars faster’ since 1991. His work covers not only musclecars but also trucks and SUVs, with notable recent models like the 700-bhp Velociraptor F250 and a ZL1 Camaro nicknamed ‘The Exorcist’ with 1,000 bhp.

In 2017, he started Hennessey Special Vehicles to develop even faster cars, with the Venom F5 being of hypercar status and the first road car capable of achieving more than 480 km/h. The Hennessey team developed an all new, twin turbo V8 engine that can deliver 1,817 bhp which sits on a lightweight chassis enclosed by an all carbonfibre body.

*The Exorcist, a Camaro ZL1 with 1,000 bhp (above) and the Venom F5 are just some of the superfast cars from Hennessey.*

The F5’s combination of light weight, low drag and massive horsepower is claimed to enable an acceleration time from 0 to 300 km/h in less than 10 seconds, making the new Venom quicker than current Formula 1 racing cars.

Project Deep Space

Now Hennessey Special Vehicles is taking things further with a strategic product plan to introduce 3 all-new vehicles over the next 10 years. Project Deep Space, the codename for one of the vehicles, will be the world’s first 6-wheel drive Hyper-GT.

During the next 10 years, electrification will be permeating through the industry and Hennessey is going with the change by making the hyper-GT run only on electric power, generated by 6 motors. With a 50% increase in surface contact over traditional 4-wheeled vehicles, the performance of the hyper-GT will be astonishing.

Fitted with dramatic gullwing doors, Project Deep Space will be constructed with an ultra-lightweight carbonfibre chassis and body panels. The car will be a unique, ultra-luxurious, Grand Tourer that can transport 4 adults in comfort along with 4 sets of golf clubs, plus luggage.

Diamond=shaped seating layout

The distinctive diamond seating arrangement places the driver in a central position and the rear offers lie-flat seating. The interior will be fitted with the highest quality materials and for the asking price, customers will be able to add whatever they want to personalize their hypercar.

“I’ve been building some of the world’s fastest accelerating vehicles for decades, yet they have always been performance-limited by mechanical grip. Six-wheeled electric propulsion is the solution. The technology is unprecedented in this segment – both forward-thinking and innovative. Our design and engineering team is excited about embracing the future,” said John Hennessey.

World’s most expensive EV

Full specifications for Project Deep Space are yet to be announced, but Hennessey has confirmed that pricing will start at US$3 million (RM12.6 million at today’s exchange rate) which will make it the world’s most expensive EV (unless Bugatti or someone else comes out with a rival model). Only 105 hypercars will be built with production planned to begin in 2026.

Hennessey produces World’s Fastest and Most Powerful Pick-up Truck – the MAMMOTH 1000 TRX

Fuel Price Updates For December 2 – December 8, 2021

Stellantis plant in Kedah begins rolling out new Peugeot 2008 for Malaysian and ASEAN markets

The first units of the new Peugeot 2008 have left the production line at the Stellantis manufacturing plant in Gurun, Kedah. The production is meant for the Malaysian market as well as for export to neighbouring countries. Sales will start in Thailand this month and there will also be lefthand drive versions produced for markets such as the Philippines.

“Built in ASEAN for ASEAN, we’re proud to announce that the first locally-produced new Peugeot 2008 vehicles will be on their way to customers in Southeast Asia in the coming months,” said Christophe Musy, Senior Vice-President, ASEAN & General Distributors at Stellantis.

“This is an important step in our plan to enlarge the Stellantis manufacturing footprint in the region and the first example of our ambition to expand the portfolio of Stellantis vehicles built in Southeast Asia,” said Mr. Musy.

The 2008 comes with Full LED Headlights, Peugeot’s signature 3-claws Light, the new Peugeot i-Cockpit 3D, 3D Quartz Cluster and 7-inch HD Touchscreen with Toggle Switches. It also has the latest Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) that include Automatic Emergency Braking, Driver Attention Assist 3, and Active Blind Spot Detection + Lane Keep Assist.

Peugeot engineers have done extensive endurance and quality testing in local conditions, with up to 200,000 kms around Malaysia in the diverse local climate and environmental landscape to ensure it is suited for Southeast Asian conditions.

Despite forced closure of the plant for an extended period (due to government actions to fight the pandemic), the Stellantis manufacturing team in Malaysia was able to keep to production timelines. By utilizing dynamic online tools and methodologies, they virtually collaborated with colleagues in China and Europe.

“What we’ve been able to achieve at the Gurun plant in Malaysia over the past few months is a great achievement, and we are now focused on continuing the momentum to keep up with the increased customer demand for locally-manufactured Peugeot vehicles in the region,” said Mr. Musy.

*Besides the 2008, the plant in Gurun also assembles the latest Peugeot 3008 and 5008.*

Stellantis (a merger between the Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and the French PSA Group) acquired the NAZA Automotive Manufacturing Sdn. Bhd. plant in October this year. Over 170 employees have returned to work and the company is working with more than 50 local suppliers with production ramping up for the remainder of 2021 to meet local demand. The plant assembles the 3008 and 5008, besides the 2008.

To know more about Peugeot models and aftersales services in Malaysia, visit www.peugeot.com.my. Peugeot owners in Malaysia are urged to provide their contact details to Bermaz Auto Alliance Sdn Bhd which is the new distributor for the brand.

Chrysler (FCA) ‘re-marries’ to form another mega corporation with Groupe PSA

SDAC year-end promotion for Ford owners – save money and get free merchandise when servicing vehicle

Malaysians are on the roads again, motoring all over the country after having been stuck in their own states for a long time due to cross-border travelling not being permitted. While it was unpleasant and even distressing, it was necessary to try to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus.

With the end of restrictions, we can now go anywhere we want (unless a specific area is under an Enhanced Movement Control Order) and with the end of the year coming up as well as the festive season starting, many will be on the highways.

Such long-distance travelling means that the vehicle should be in a proper running condition to avoid breakdowns that can really spoil a holiday or balik kampung journey. A breakdown will cause delays and inconvenience, but failure of brakes could result in an accident, which will be serious.

To ensure that the vehicle is in good running condition and for peace of mind, Sime Darby Auto ConneXion (SDAC) is having its year-end and Chinese New Year service promotion for Ford owners. The promotion starts from December 1, 2021 and continues until February 15, 2022.

Up to 20% Savings
Ford owners who book a service during the campaign period will enjoy savings of up to 20% on parts and 10% on labour fees for lubricants, brake and timing belt packages in addition to selected parts.

All vehicles brought to the authorised service centre for servicing will go through a 27-point inspection, conducted by Ford-certified technicians. This inspection covers many areas related to safety and will ensure that the vehicles are in tip-top condition for the long journey.

Genuine Ford Parts with warranty
When servicing at any Authorised Ford Service Centre nationwide, vehicle owners can rest assured that only original genuine Ford parts are used. These parts are made to the highest standards of quality, fit and finish and designed specifically for Ford vehicles. In the event of problems with the parts installed, there is a warranty of 12 months or 20,000 kms (whichever occurs first), excluding wear and tear parts.

Free merchandise
Vehicle owners who top up on lubricant packages with an additional RM40 spend on any parts or service will receive a free exclusive Ford-branded face mask. For brake and timing belt packages, those who spend an extra RM500 on parts or service will get an exclusive denim woven bag in addition to a Ford face mask. All merchandise will be available while stocks last.

“With travel restrictions now eased, people are looking forward to travelling back to their hometowns or taking weekend trips this holiday season. Our service promotion is timely for this occasion and Ford customers can take advantage of this service and maintenance promotion to stay safe on the roads while enjoying more savings,” said Turse Zuhair, Managing Director, Sime Darby Auto ConneXion.

How to make an appointment
Ford owners can easily book a service appointment online via the Ford website at their convenience, anytime and from anywhere. They can specify an authorised dealership or choose one closest to them anywhere in Malaysia. The real-time e-Service appointment booking option available allows owners to immediately know available time slots as well as select and confirm their preferred schedule (up to one month in advance).

The authorised service centres are Ford Ara Damansara, Ford Petaling Jaya, Ford Juru, Ford Butterworth and Ford Kuching. To make a service appointment booking online, click here.

For more information regarding the promotion or about Ford vehicles and services in Malaysia, visit www.sdacford.com.my

No charges for scheduled servicing during first two years of Ford Ranger ownership

BMW Concept XM – preview of the most powerful BMW M car ever to go into volume production

At the Art Basel 2021 Miami Beach show in Florida this week, BMW M will present the Concept XM as a look ahead to the most powerful BMW M car ever to go into volume production. It also provides a first glimpse of the new front-end design for BMW’s forthcoming luxury-class models with its distinctive take on BMW X model design.

The new design language
The slim and iconic daytime driving lights (DRLs) and the contour lighting of the emotive kidney grille are the main focal points. The horizontal grille sits prominently between the headlights and tapers towards the outer edges, producing a near-octagonal outline that emphasizes the front end’s dynamic character. The black kidney grille elements are enclosed within an intricate surround and appear almost to be floating freely within a high-gloss black surface. M-style double bars within the grille add to the perception of width.

The boldly sculpted bonnet extends the contours of the kidney grille back in the form of two power domes. A pair of air intakes in the bonnet mimic the appearance of the LED searchlights in the roof and framing the statuesque body at its lower edge are the clean-cut black surfaces of the front apron. Triangular body-coloured blades at the outer edges accentuate the vertical air intakes while emphasizing the sporty and robust stance.

The visually expressive silhouette exudes presence with its size and the design language uses strikingly sculpted surfaces and extravagant lines. The two-tone paint finish further accentuates its distinctive lines, with the upper section in matt gold-bronze, while the lower section sports the Space Grey metallic shade.

Below the window graphic, a broad, High-gloss Black line – the ‘black belt’ – separates the two exterior colours. The signature M exterior mirrors give the car a clean-cut and technical, sporty edge. Throughout the side view, deliberately short character lines, which start off boldly before fading softly, accentuate the car’s agile, modern feel.

The expressive rear lights extend well into the car’s flanks and create an eye-catching transition into the rear. The black cladding typical of BMW X models above the wheels and on the sideskirts is very clearly defined and gives the body an elevated appearance.

The glasshouse of the Concept XM rises vertically and the colour of the roof contrasts with the black finish of the A-pillars. The windscreen seems to have an even heavier rake as a result, injecting modern dynamism into the front end. Slim LED searchlights have been incorporated into the roof above the A-pillars, adding to the SAV (Sport Activity Vehicle) image.

At the back, the rear window is inserted almost seamlessly into the rear end. The fresh interpretation of the design can also be seen in the arrangement of the BMW logo, which is laser-etched into the window below each of the two rails. This is a stylistic reference to the BMW M1, to date the only example of a standalone model developed exclusively by BMW M (and that was back in 1978).

Lower down, dominating the rear apron, are the characteristic twin tailpipes of BMW M models. The dual-branch, twin-tailpipe exhaust system reduces backpressure for the engine and also generates the emotionally rich M-typical soundtrack accompanying the engine’s imposing power delivery. The vertical arrangement and hexagonal interpretation of the tailpipes are a new take for this classically iconic feature.

PHEV only
The production model will have only a plug-in hybrid powertrain (PHEV) and it will be BMW M’s first electrified high-performance model. In the Concept XM, the powertrain is a M Hybrid drive system which combines a V8 engine and a high-performance electric motor to develop maximum output of 750 ps and 1,000 Nm. More detailed technical information is not available at this time but there is a claim of up to 80 kms running on just electric power.

Driver-focused cockpit
Like other M models, the cabin of the Concept XM has a driver-focused cockpit design. The lines and surface design of the instrument panel, centre console, door trim and seats give the ambience in the front compartment a progressive feel with their powerful geometry and high-quality materials. A bold trim element provides clear visual separation between the driver’s area and the other sections of the car.

The new BMW Curved Display screen grouping positioned creates a neat balance between traditional driver focus and modern digitality. Red accents on the steering wheel and centre console are M-specific references, while a trio of vertical elements presented in the three colours of the BMW M brand logo form the heart of the centre console.

The M Lounge
The rear area is referred to as the ‘M Lounge’, with special materials and expressive details for the seats along with black-tinted rear side windows. The large rear seat bench with its deep seat recesses forms an inviting space to relax. Only the diamond-shaped area of the head restraints – which provides the supporting function familiar from BMW M Sport seats in other models – is leather-trimmed. The lower sections of the seats offer high comfort and an exclusive couch character with their luxurious velvet upholstery and diamond quilting.

Illuminated and sculptural headliner
The visual highlight of the cabin is its headliner with a 3-dimensional prism structure. A combination of indirect and direct lighting produces a relief-like structure which showcases the headliner as an exclusive work of art. Together with the ambient lighting, it highlights the Concept XM’s blend of luxury and comfort to extremely striking effect. The ambient lighting can be activated in the three BMW M colours.

Production from end of 2022
The production model – the BMW XM – will be built from the end of 2022 at BMW’s factory in the USA which was also where the company first SAV, the X5, was built in 1999. The US market is a big market for BMW SAVs and is expected to be the most important sales market for the new high-performance model.

The BMW M1 has so far been the only example of a standalone model developed exclusively by BMW M (in 1978). This picture shows one of the 453 cars built at the end of a race in Malaysia’s Batu Tiga circuit in the 1980s.

First models of revived Ralliart brand debut at Thailand International Motor Expo

As mentioned in May, Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (MMC) is reviving Ralliart, the motorsport brand of the company. No details were given as to what the scope of the revival would be but an image of a Triton with Ralliart treatment was shown in a presentation on the carmaker’s FY2020 financial results that were made public.

At the 38th Thailand International Motor Expo in Bangkok this week, the first models of the revived Ralliart brand will be unveiled. These are the Triton Ralliart and the Pajero Sport Ralliart as special editions, based on the popular pick-up and SUV models made at the factory in Thailand.

No performance upgrades yet
For now, it appears that the special editions do not have any performance upgrades and are essentially differentiated from the standard models by Ralliart-themed cosmetics reminiscent of the historic cars in rallies.

Both models feature iconic side decals with red, silver and black stripes, and mud flaps with the Ralliart logo. The front grille and alloy wheels are painted black to differentiate from the standard trim. As for the interior, the floormats have the Ralliart logo and red-accent overlocks are specially fitted.

Exclusive accessories
The Triton Ralliart is based on the low-rider variant of the Triton Club Cab (Mega Cab) and Double Cab. For these two models, in addition to the common cosmetic features are front bumper garnish with a red accent and bedliner with the Ralliart logo. In addition, the two-tone model features black door mirrors, black door handles, black rear gate handle and black rear bumper.

The Pajero Sport Ralliart has front and rear under garnish with red accents and the Ralliart logo. Exclusive to the two-tone colour model are black fender arch moldings, black roof rails, black shark fin antenna and black tailgate spoiler. Two exterior colour options are available – a two-tone exterior with a White Diamond body and a black roof, and Jet Black Mica.

“We are truly honoured to bring back the Ralliart brand products to the fans of Mitsubishi Motors and Ralliart,” said Takao Kato, president and chief executive officer, MMC. “Starting from these Ralliart special editions in Thailand, we are planning to introduce more of the attractive items sequentially. We are also considering some exciting activities in the near future, so that the fans can feel and enjoy our Ralliart spirit. Please stay tuned with our revived Ralliart… there is more to come!”

The Ralliart special editions will be available from Mitsubishi Motors’ dealerships in Thailand but no word on whether other markets will get them. Quite likely, distributors in other countries like Mitsubishi Motors Malaysia may offer Ralliart accessories first and then progress to fully-equipped models at a later stage.

To know more about the Triton and to test-drive one, visit www.mitsubishi-motors.com.my for the location of an authorised dealer in Malaysia.

Mitsubishi Motors to revive Ralliart

All-New Porsche GT3 Debuts in Malaysia – Prices Start from RM1.76 mil!

Sime Darby Auto Performance (SDAP), the importer, distributor and custodian of the Porsche brand in Malaysia, today introduced the all-new Porsche GT3.

The GT3 can trace its roots back to back 1999 when Porsche needed a road going version of its race car for homologation purposes – and thus the GT3 was born.

Back then the GT3 offered the purest unadulterated driving experience a road car could offer. It was the closest a road driver could get to driving a race car.

Nothing has changed today as the GT3 is still hailed as the ultimate bridge between road and track.

Over seven editions later, the all-new GT3 offers one of the most advanced technologies available in a road legal race car.

It is lighter, faster and smarter and this results in a car that laps the legendary Nurburgring Nordschleife a full 17-seconds faster than its predecessor.

In Malaysia, the all-new GT3 made its debut at the Sepang International Circuit (SIC).

At the heart of the GT3 lays a naturally-aspirated 4.0-litre, six-cylinder engine that features individual throttle bodies for each of its six-cylinders.

This is unusual for a road car, but quite normal for a race car. And that is because the engine of the all-new GT3 is actually based on the race based 911 GT3R.

As such the new GT3 is puts out an astonishing 507hp and 470Nm of torque. This takes the GT3 to 100km/h in just 3.4 seconds and onto a top speed of 320km/h. Making the engine one of the most powerful naturally-aspirated engines ever produced.

As for the transmission, owners can choose between a 7-speed PDK dual-clutch gearbox, or a 6-speed manual GT sports gearbox that is about 20kg lighter than the auto box.

The all-new GT3 seems to have perfected a seemingly perfect package.

It not only offers a race-derived engine, but also offers race-derived handling.

For example, the front suspension of the GT3 consist of a double-wishbone layout taken from the Le Mans-winning 911 RSR race car.

Then there is the new swan-neck rear wing mounting and diffuser than are also from the 911 RSR. This allows for 50% more downforce without increasing drag.

The all-new GT3 also features a manually-adjustable rear wing and diffuser elements that can be set to increase downforce by up to 150% for maximum cornering speed.

The best thing about the all-new GT3 is that it is available with a Touring Package at no additional cost.

The Touring Package rids the car of such dramatics as the swan-neck rear wing, and offers the same exterior paint work all over.

Porsche (and SDAP) says the new Touring Package “is perfectly suited to sports car connoisseurs with a passion for understatement and classic driving pleasure”.

And so it may ride the GT3 of that massive carbon-fibre rear wing, but in place of the fixed wing, the 911 GT3 gets an automatically extending rear spoiler which offers the necessary downforce at high speeds.

As for the interior, the GT3 benefits from a a design that is in-line with the current 992 generation but GT3-specific instrument cluster that features a central rev counter that goes up to 10,000rpm, and is flanked by two high-resolution 7-inch displays featuring a new track screen.

As with all other 992 generation 911 models, the all-new GT3 also gets a centred high-resolution 10.9-inch touchscreen display with the latest Porsche Communication Management system with only navigation and Porsche Connect Plus.

This also supports the Porsche Track Precision App that helps drivers maximise their track sessions and improve lap times by providing detailed driving data, including live displays and video analysis.

The all-new Porsche GT3 is now available at all Porsche centres nationwide with prices starting from a cool RM1,766,244 with SST exemption.