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Watch: Onboard a race-spec Seat Cupra around Sepang Circuit!

The Endurance World Touring Car Race of Malaysia is happening this weekend, and it is shaping up to be quite a spectacle for motorsport fans. Teams from all over the globe are taking part, and if you have never followed any WTCR race, then you know what to do this weekend as it is something to behold.

But in the weeks leading up to the race, we were given special access to a Malaysian team that will also be taking part in the WTCR. But besides that, has also impressed on the global motorsport arena by racing in Road to Le Mans (yes, THE Le Mans in France) in an LMP3 race car.

But the ultimate feather in the team hat is actually winning at the WTCR race at Spa in Belgium. Yes, the all Malaysian team won! So these guys mean serious business and don’t just do it because they have money to throw around. This is serious business for them.

And this time, I found myself sitting next to Douglas Khoo, owner and driver of the team, as we set out in the Seat Cupra, the same car the team will be racing this weekend.

A road going Seat Cupra (pronounced as Si-Yat) is not that impressive of a car, a fine workhorse no less, but not quite a head turner. But in pure race form, it is a mighty race car.

To comply with regulations, the engine has to be kept standard while the sequential gearbox is supplied by Sadev.

Grip is enormous and the car is kept stuck to the tarmac by the masses of aero wings all round the car.

Now I have been around Sepang on plenty of fast cars, but have never quite been flung into a corner the way Douglas did with his Cupra. The bloody thing just did not let up. Well, we did spin once, but that’s probably because I was laughing too loud and encouraging Douglas not to brake as hard into a corner. Terrible passenger, I am.

There is no doubt that Douglas Khoo is one of Malaysia’s finest driving talents. The five-year touring car veteran boasts racing experience in the TCR Asia Series, TCR International Series, TCR Thailand Series, Asian Le Mans Series, Blancpain GT Series, Michelin Le Mans Cup as well as two stints at the Sepang 12-hour Endurance Race. So it comes as no surprise that he was awarded one of the three wildcard entries into this weekend’s World Touring Car series.

Competing against 30 of the world’s best touring car drivers representing seven manufacturers: Hyundai, Seat, Lynk & Co, Audi, Volkswagen, Honda and Alfa Romeo, Viper-Niza heads into the weekend with a serious advantage – home ground advantage.

The team has terabytes of data to rely on, and the proven expertise of its drivers, so the weekend is shaping up to be extremely exciting, and we would like to wish the team the best. We leave you with a short video of our onboard experience with Douglas Khoo and his Seat Cupra.

HardKhor Motorsports Report: Malaysian Team Viper Niza Racing wins TCR race ProAm class in Belgium

Fuel Prices For December 14 – 20, 2019

Up to 50% discount on traffic summonses on December 24 & 26

Each year, the Malaysian police (PDRM) issues millions on summonses to motorists. Many are compoundable, meaning that a fine of up to RM300 can be paid, avoiding the time-consuming process of going to court. Settlement must usually be done within 2 weeks otherwise more serious action will be taken, including blacklisting.

However, in spite of such conditions, the majority of motorists seem to disregard the urgency – or even need – to settle their summons. Over the years, they have found that they can get away with not settling although some are caught if checks are made when they are stopped. Then there’s the annual ‘discount season’ which the police say is a necessary incentive.

Well, it’s that time of the year again, according to a report in The Star, and on December 24 and 26 2019 (8:30 am to 4 pm), the PDRM Traffic Division is offering a 50% discount on fines for summonses. However, not all types of summonses will be discounted and there are 5 types that will have to be paid in full. These include summonses relating to accidents, are non-compoundable, or are subject to court cases. Summonses issued during Ops Selamat are also not entitled to any discount.

So do go and settle the summons next week and start 2020 with a clean record – and try not to get new summonses. Incidentally, during those two days, the PDRM will also be having a ‘Meet the Customers’ event at Dataran JSPT which is located at the police station complex in Jalan Tun H.S. Lee in Kuala Lumpur.

Child car seat: No summonses for first six months of 2020

Exclusive McLaren Senna XP cars pay tribute to one of the greatest F1 drivers

Ayrton Senna was one of Formula 1’s greatest drivers and tragically died in an accident on the track at the age of 34. But he is remembered and honoured in many ways and recently, a McLaren dealer in Beverly Hills, California, unveiled three one-of-a-kind McLaren Senna XP cars. The XP cars were specially commissioned by the dealer from McLaren Special Operations (MSO) and each has a pricetag of US$1,435,328 (equivalent to RM5.95 million).

Only 500 examples of the McLaren Senna were made available globally during the car’s limited production run, and all were snapped up by enthusiasts before production even began in 2018. The XP cars are even rarer, being traditionally the factory experimental prototypes and initial test cars, and then re-built to individual customer specifications after the model program is completed.

McLaren Senna XP — *Photo credit for all images: Robert Grubbs*

Inspired by Senna’s remarkable achievements
The Beverly Hills XP vehicles are inspired by three of the most remarkable achievements in the career of F1 driver. Each car features a fully exposed gloss carbonfibre bodywork with unique paintwork detailing matching the hosting countries’ colours of the corresponding Grand Prix. The flags of these countries are hand painted on the rear wing which, together with the exquisite detail airbrushed onto the interior extended carbonfibre sills, shows the racing exploits of the great man.

These features and the fully bespoke interiors in matching tinted gloss carbonfibre, took the craftsmen and women at MSO 780 hours to create. The finishing touches are bespoke brake calipers, a steering wheel with special 12 o’clock marker, an etched accelerator pedal, headrests embroidered with the nation’s flag and name of theme and a special 1 of 1 dedication plaque.

Master of Monaco celebrates Senna’s six wins, five of which were consecutive victories, at the famous street circuit between 1989 and 1993. Considered by most as requiring more concentration over a single lap than any other circuit, the drivers get closer to the barriers at Monaco than at any other Grand Prix. In 1988, Ayrton qualified on pole by over 2 seconds driving what he later said was “well over something conscious”.

Lap of the Gods pays respect to one of Ayrton’s greatest victories at Donington Park in the UK during the 1993 season. He started from 5th place on the grid to lead the race in the wet and changing conditions by the end of the first lap. Ayrton solidified his status and went to finish in first place over 1 minute ahead of the next car. This incredible drive by Ayrton is widely regarded as the best opening-lap charge in F1 history, and rightfully so.

Home Victory (vitória em casa, the Portuguese translation of Home Victory) pays homage to Ayrton’s home country of Brazil and his first home win in 1991. Against all odds, Ayrton won the race at the Interlagos circuit with only 6th gear remaining through the final laps; with competitors catching up to him, his superhuman effort and great luck led him to victory in the emotional race.

“I only returned to reality when I saw the finish line” he said. “Then I felt happy to be alive, to be in Interlagos, in my homeland, and with my happy compatriots. It wasn’t the greatest victory of my life, but one where I gave everything I had.”

New McLaren 620R brings the track-only 570S GT4 to the streets

Free Perodua Tweckbot inspection available in Sabah before Christmas

As the company which puts the most motor vehicles on the road each year, Perodua knows it has a responsibility to ensure that its vehicles are in the best possible condition while being used. This is especially important during festive periods like the one that is one now, with Malaysians criss-crossing the country on their way to holiday resorts or doing the ‘balik kampung’ thing.

As part of its ongoing Perodua Road Safety Programme, the Malaysian carmaker started its Tweckbot complimentary vehicle inspection service in 2011. To date, over 8,000 vehicles have been inspected.

Next weekend (December 21/22), the Tweckbot service will be available at the ITCC Mall in Penampang from 10 am to 5 pm to offer free inspections of Perodua vehicles.

The vehicle inspection covers over 50 points including the engine, transmission, cooling system, brakes, power steering, clutch, tyres, suspension and electrics. Owners will be informed if any issue is found and such an alert could help them avoid an accident or inconvenience of a breakdown along their journey.

Owners who send their vehicles for the Tweckbot inspection can get a 20% discount voucher redeemable for the purchase of selected parts and accessories at any authorised Perodua service centre (terms and conditions apply).

“As Christmas and the New Year approach, many will be taking to the roads for vacations and to visit family and friends. Therefore it is crucial that their vehicles are in good working order at this time, more so considering the large travel distances in East Malaysia. The Perodua Tweckbot team will thoroughly check your vehicle and give you a condition report for free. While you wait, our friendly staff will engage you in fun activities designed to increase road safety awareness,” said Perodua’s President & CEO, Dato’ Zainal Abidin Ahmad.

“Perodua Tweckbot aims to promote the importance of regular vehicle checks, servicing them at authorised Perodua outlets and only using genuine Perodua products and parts, all in the name of safety. “Most of all, it represents our commitment to always provide our valued customers with quality service and workmanship for their total peace of mind,” added Dato’ Zainal.

Need to have your Perodua serviced? Visit www.perodua.com.my to locate the nearest authorised service centre as well as find out what offers are available.

Finally, RON95 petrol will be upgraded to Euro4M next month

Finally, RON95 petrol will get an upgrade after years of uncertainty. Where progressive upgrading of fuel standards has been concerned, the Malaysian government has been slow to provide the industry with a ‘roadmap’ of when changes would occur. In the years that followed the first introduction of fuel standards in 1995, there was hope that a schedule would be planned so that carmakers could likewise plan their engine production and supply to meet new standards, while petroleum companies could plan their investments as the years went by. A schedule was indicated in 2006 but it was not sufficiently firm and industry players kept asking for more definite time-frames to be given.

RON97 petrol got an upgrade to Euro4M but where RON95 was concerned, its standard remained stagnant for years. Diesel was also kept at Euro2 for a long time until the government allowed the supply of the Euro5 grade as an option for vehicles with newer engines.

The reluctance to upgrade standards would have been largely due to the subsidies being provided. If the fuel standards were upgraded, processing costs would go up and the petroleum companies would not be willing to absorb the cost, so subsidies would have to increase if price levels were to be maintained. As it is, the government had to allow that extra 10 sen for the cleaner Euro5 diesel while RON97 was set at a higher price which could at least cover the extra cost of production.

According to a Bernama report, RON95 petrol will be upgraded to Euro4M from next month, bringing it to the same standard as RON97. Actually, the move would have occurred earlier (October 2018) but the government postponed it to have further discussions with involved parties. However, January 2020 was final because of Malaysia’s international commitments to do its part in protecting the environment.

In Europe, the Euro standards began in 1992 and reached the Euro6 level in 2014 with implementation starting in September 2015. The industry was informed that in 2022, there will be a revised standard – Euro 6d – where new models must pass the real-world test with lower limits, effectively equalling the levels in the laboratory test (with some allowance for the equipment).

The ’M’ in Euro4M identifies it as a Malaysian variation of the Euro4 standard originally established by directives applied in the European Union (EU). From what we understand, certain factors are taken into consideration with respect to local issues and conditions so a modified standard was created for Malaysia, hence the ‘M’ suffix.

Benefits of Euro4M
Going from Euro 2M to Euro 4M isn’t going to mean increased performance although there can be a slight benefit in that aspect. This is because the engine will be able to operate more efficiently as the reduction in the level of sulphur in the fuel drops to 50 parts per million (ppm) from 500 ppm. The lower sulphur content will enable carmakers to introduce engines with more effective emission control systems, reducing the toxic levels in exhaust gases.

The upgrade to Euro4M for RON95 takes place as subsidies for the fuel grade start to be gradually removed, coinciding with the Petrol Subsidy Program (PSP) for specific groups to begin in January 2020. The government has said that it plans to increase the price of RON95 petrol by 1 sen each week until it reaches the level established by the Automatic Pricing Mechanism (APM) which is used to determine pump prices. The plan was announced last month by the Deputy Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister who said it would reduce the burden on the public and prevent prices from spiking once subsidies are removed.

For this week, the APM has established that the real-world price of RON95 fuel should be RM2.36 but it is sold at RM2.08 a litre with a subsidy of RM99.48 million. If the real-world price remained at RM2.36, then with a 1-sen increase each week, the price level would be reached in 28 weeks. Thereafter, the weekly price would be based on whatever the APM determines.