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Uwe Gemballa’s son to launch his own sportscar soon

Marc Philipp Gemballa, the son of Uwe Gemballa who founded the tuning company with his name 30 years ago, has embarked on the development of a new car of his own, codenamed ‘Project Sandbox’. This will see the creation of a sportscar that is off-road capable and inspired by the legendary Porsche 959 rally era. Based on the all-new Porsche 992 Turbo S, the production run will be limited to 40 units, with the first 10 already sold.

Limited production volume of 40 units
Gemballa sees a new market opportunity in the creation of special design lead vehicles in a small production volume – inspired by the core of his father‘s success in creating holistic masterpieces – combined with a new fresh design and technology-focused approach, leaving the era of tuning behind, and ultimately achieving a USP position in the market. It is described as ‘a hybrid between a modern-day sportscar with all its comfort and day-to-day practicality, combined with off-road capabilities’.

*Porsche 959 – world’s fastest street-legal production car when it was introduced in 1986.*

Collaboration with RUF and Akropovic
Gemballa’s company (different from the Gemballa company founded by his father) is collaborating with Porsche engine specialist and vehicle manufacturer RUF Automobile for Project Sandbox. RUF is handling the engine upgrades for the 6-cylinder boxer engines to deliver up to 750+ bhp and 930 Nm.

Another important partner in the project is Akrapovic, the well known exhaust system manufacturer. Akrapovic has developed a bespoke titanium exhaust system specially for the car, focusing on enhanced performance, light weight, design and a unique sound experience.

While the young entrepreneur’s team focused on the exterior design of the system, which resulted in two unique tailpipes – Akrapovic concentrated on creating a unique sound experience, which would be as special as the design of the entire sportscar itself.

Unique soundtrack from exhaust system
Discussing the partnership, Gemballa said: “Since we are following a holistic approach with our new project, making extensive changes to all areas of the base vehicle, we knew we had to come up with something really special when it came to the sound of the vehicle. The exhaust system is one of the most essential factors in triggering emotions. Hence, it’s vital that the sound touches the heart of the driver and helps them to truly feel and connect with the vehicle.”

Besides RUF, which his father’s company had a close relationship with, Gemballa has also invited other companies that his father also worked with. These include suspension technology partners KW Automotive & Reiger Suspension, Michelin, engineering partners VELA Performance, and aerodynamic engineers KLK Motorsport.

Besides a 992 Turbo S donor car, the conversion costs are expected to be not less than €500,000 (about RM2.52 million). The world premiere of Project Sandbox will be in the near future.

RUF’s Porsche-looking Rodeo Concept for off-roading

The National Vaccination Program in Malaysia is free of charge.

First images of 5th generation Kia Sportage which will debut in July

Kia Motors will soon be launching a new generation of the Sportage, one of its older SUV models which dates back to the early 1990s. The new model will make its debut in South Korea in July, followed by launches in other markets in the months after that.

‘Opposites United’
The brand’s most popular SUV will use its ‘Opposites United’ design philosophy with inspiration taken from nature and modernity. Revealed earlier this year, ‘Opposites United’ is Kia’s new design language. The images released today show an assertive and cutting-edge design paying homage to nature’s perfection and simplicity whilst connecting with the brand’s new design direction. This follows the carmaker’s recent rebrand that aims to create sustainable mobility solutions for customers by revamping all facets of its business.

“Taking inspiration from an ethos we created where nature meets technology, the all-new Sportage challenges the norm with an adventurous and contemporary exterior and a carefully conceived, beautifully detailed interior,” said Karim Habib, Senior Vice-President and Head of Global Design Centre. “With the all-new Sportage, we were fully focused on challenging ourselves and pushing our fifth-generation SUV to a new level.”

*Current Sportage has been in the global market since 2016.*

Emotive front end
The all-new Sportage will have a muscular stance with a strong and refined silhouette. Notable details include crisp, taught character lines that ripple across the surfaces. Not shown but said to be emotive, the front has a detailed-orientated black grille graphic spanning the width of the face. At the rear, muscular shoulder lines drop gently to meet slim daytime-running lamps, which flank the new Kia logo and Sportage emblem.

The interior design sketch reveals a driver-oriented dashboard with an integrated curved display that occupies half the dashboard. It’s likely to be a fully digi-graphic panel, with the possibility of a Head-Up Display on some variants.

Technical details are not available yet, but it can be expected that the SUV will still be offered with petrol and diesel engines, along with a mild hybrid powertrain.

To be assembled in Malaysia?
Given its popularity in the Malaysian market, this could be one of the models that the new representative of Kia – Bermaz Auto (BAuto) – will have assembled locally next year. A subsidiary of BAuto, Dinamikjaya Motors Sdn Bhd (DMSB), will act as the sole distributor of the Korean vehicles. Newly-formed Kia Malaysia Sdn Bhd, a subsidiary of Kia Motors, will manage the assembly operations which will be at the Inokom plant in Kedah.

In the meantime, Kia owners are urged to provide their contact details to DMSB so that they can be contacted in future. This is especially important for those who have vehicles that still have warranties in effect (which will continue to be honoured). To register contact information, click here.

Bermaz Auto takes over Kia business in Malaysia, with local assembly to commence in 2022.

EXTREME E | ROUND 2 – Ocean X Prix in Dakar, Senegal

The Rosberg X Racing team was victorious again in the second round of the Extreme E series, this time held at Lac Rose on the coastline of Dakar, Senegal. The crew of Johan Kristoffersson and Molly Taylor faced intense pressure from rival teams during the two days of the event which was known as the Ocean X Prix.

While the Desert X Prix, the first event in April, was run in dry desert conditions in Saudi Arabia, this round was along the beach fronting the Atlantic Ocean. High drama in the Grand Final saw two of the four cars retiring at the first corner, which left Rosberg X Racing to extend their championship lead and Veloce Racing to snatch a surprise result, bouncing back from their disastrous Desert X Prix.

Sandy but very different from Saudi Arabia
The Extreme E drivers loved the tight and technical Ocean X Prix course which made for close racing and had several options for alternate routes as drivers made their way over sand dunes.

“The race format here has been a big step forward from Al-Ula in terms of development for race excitement – but it’s still early stages and there’s still a way to go. One needs to analyze again, and I think we keep on seeing more and more glimpses of such awesome motor racing and this will continue to evolve into a super spectacle the more we go on. Remember, nobody’s ever done this before, and you have to be open-minded and accept that you are going to learn and make it more and more exciting each time,” said Nico Rosberg, Founder and CEO of Rosberg X Racing.

“I love this whole championship and being in the role of team principal – I’m still as competitive as hell even though I’m not actually driving. Anyway, we have the two best drivers in the car who are doing a much better job than I could – and I couldn’t be happier!” the former F1 driver added.

Races on the beach
A Shoot Out saw three top teams face off in spectacular fashion. Segi TV Chip Ganassi Racing, Andretti United Extreme E and ACCIONA | Sainz XE Team had all endured mechanical gremlins plaguing their qualifying runs.

Timmy Hansen stole the advantage into the first corner with Sara Price and Carlos Sainz in hot pursuit. The Spanish rally driver patiently waited for his opportunity and wrestled the lead away from Hansen before entering the switch zone.

At the driver swap, Laia Sanz ran into trouble failing to successfully connect her communications cable. Nonetheless, Sanz re-joined in the lead and looked to have the edge but Kyle LeDuc had other ideas. The 39-year old fired out of the switch zone in third place but quickly set about closing the gap to the top two. LeDuc showed his mettle by slicing through the gap to Catie Munnings and claiming second place, followed quickly by a spectacular move on Sanz to claim victory in the Shoot Out.

Drama unfolded before the first corner in the Ocean X prix Grand Final as GridPlay winners Veloce Racing opted to start on the third grid slot, but the advantage was quickly lost as Stéphane Sarrazin was squeezed out at the first gate dropping back to last position.

JBXE’s Mikaela Ahlin-Kottulinsky picked up rear-wheel damage before she even reached the first corner and inevitably was forced to retire the car, as was Cristina Gutierrez in the X44 car who came to blows with the Rosberg X Racing ODYSSEY 21 – in an incident reminiscent of the two Formula 1 World Champions on-track disputes in 2016 – at turn one and ended her day on the sidelines.

Molly Taylor and Sarrazin were therefore left to fight it out for the lead, with the Frenchman closing the gap throughout the lap and ending his stint hot on the heels of the 2016 Australian Rally Champion.

To ensure officials could safely clear the stricken X44 and JBXE cars, a brief red flag was deployed, as the intense battle for the lead was put on hold whilst the drivers made their way into the switch zone. A standing start restart was initiated as Jamie Chadwick and Johan Kristoffersson prepared for an all or nothing, one-lap showdown.

A close-fought drag race down to the first gate ended with light contact between the two ODYSSEY 21s handing Kristoffersson the advantage. Once he had reached the technical section of the course, the three-time FIA World Rallycross Champion began to stretch his legs opening up a 15-second advantage to win Rosberg X Racing’s second Extreme E X prix in succession.

“It’s so fantastic to have won today! Coming here, it felt like we had a lot of work to do over the weekend, and it certainly didn’t come easy. But with every session, we just kept our heads down and just saw where we needed to improve, and everything totally paid off in the end,” said Rosberg X Racing’s Taylor.

Sailing to Greenland
With the conclusion of the Ocean X Prix, the Extreme E fraternity and vehicles return to the championship’s floating paddock – the St Helena. This specially configured ship is being used to provide transport to each venue to reduce carbon emissions and also serve as a scientific laboratory for researchers accompanying the event. The next round will be the Arctic X Prix in Greenland on August 28/29.

The other side of EXTREME E

Apart from being an exciting motorsport series, Extreme E is using the power of sport, and the excitement of motor racing, to inspire fans to take practical steps on climate change. At each of the race locations, various environmental activities will be carried out to help local communities as well as create awareness.

In Dakar, Extreme E has teamed up with local NGO, Oceanium, to plant one million mangrove trees in Senegal. In addition, Extreme E will support the EcoZone Project, a living lab that addresses the Lac Rose community’s primary needs while preserving the environment through experiential learning, regenerative agriculture and a circular economy.

The Oceanium project, which Extreme E has identified in partnership with TO.org, will focus on five areas totalling 60 hectares – the equivalent of around 112 football fields – with the aim of reforesting mangroves, providing education to local populations and improving social cohesion.

Mangroves are one of the richest ecosystems in the world, providing essential goods and services and playing an important role in the life of coastal communities in countries like Senegal. In addition to being an excellent carbon store, they reduce flooding and erosion from storms, act as nurseries for fish and filter salt and pollutants from water.

Senegal has around 185,000 hectares of mangrove estuaries in the regions of Casamance and Sine Saloum but unfortunately, these are disappearing very quickly. Between 1980 and 2000, 25% of Senegal’s mangroves and 35% of the world’s mangroves were lost due to droughts and deforestation. The loss of mangroves is having a negative impact not only on the environment, but also on local communities that depend on them for their livelihood, making it so important to restore these degraded areas.

After Formula E, Extreme E will take electric cars into off-road competition

External designers create Virtual Interiors for Lexus LF-Z Electrified concept

Lexus, like the Toyota brand, is headed along the electrification road and more fully electric models will be added to the range in coming years. This next chapter has been started by the LF-Z Electrified, concept vehicle which made its world debut at the end of March this year. While a model looking exactly like the LF-Z Electrified might not be in showrooms, the concept car suggests the direction of the evolution of Lexus styling.

The interior of the concept car was developed by Lexus’ own designers and has many futuristic elements, as would be expected. Now, in a new approach, the brand has introduced the LF-Z Electrified Virtual Interior series to create a synergy between art, fashion, lifestyle, and technology that challenges the status quo of the automotive space. Conceived as a platform for collaboration, it brings together ambitious and innovative talent across a range of creative practices.

2021 Lexus LF-Z Electrified Concept — *The LF-Z Electrified concept and the interior developed by Lexus designers (below).*

For the Virtual Interior series, Lexus has partnered with three pioneering artists and designers to re-imagine the concept car’s interior. Star footwear designer Salehe Bembury, digital artist Ondrej Zunka and Japanese fashion label Hender Scheme bring virtually rendered interiors with future-inspired design, Japanese heritage and takumi craftsmanship, and an enhanced human-machine connection.

“LF-Z Electrified embodies the future of the Lexus brand, so it is exciting to see that future represented by such diverse talent across the design space,” said Brian Bolain, General Manager at Lexus International. “Each of the collaborators brings a fresh energy that not only reinterprets the interior of the LF-Z but also examines the themes of Lexus’ next chapter.”

Salehe Bembury
Kicking off the series is award-winning footwear designer Salehe Bembury, whose interior design concept embraces the future. Bringing his nature-inspired design approach to the LF-Z Electrified, Bembury conceptualized a virtual interior that blends both a futuristic aesthetic with organic materials alongside his signature use of bright colour.

His concept interior uses colours inspired by sandstone landscapes and other natural tones, setting aside traditionally futuristic materials in favour of natural materials like cedar, cork and granite. These natural materials sit alongside textiles and patterns that reference Bembury’s background in sneaker design, such as a ‘hairy’ suede used on the seatbacks, and a fingerprint motif that is often found in the designer’s work, applied here for a personalized control panel.

Ondrej Zunka
Forgoing traditional notions of car design and transporting the LF-Z Electrified further into the future, Ondrej Zunka’s cabin concept features space-age mechanisms, sci-fi materials and multidimensional hues that transcend both time and space.

“This interior design is purely speculative, so I allowed for free associations and pure imagination and creativity,” explained Zunka. “I wanted to make the interior feel as if it wasn’t made by humans, but maybe designed by a sophisticated Artificial Intelligence. I wanted to go past any known language and design concepts and forget about what is usually used in automotive interior design.”

Looking at Lexus’ commitment to intuitive technology, Zunka, through the lens of his digital art practice, renders a virtual interior that pushes the boundaries of functionality and design. The tech-forward interior imagines intelligent lighting along the car’s panels that emit an entirely visceral sensation that subtly regulates mood. Translucent silicone seat cushions with memory foam-like properties and a panoramic ceiling, crafted from brushed chrome, complete Zunka’s hyper-futuristic vision for the Lexus LZ-F Electrified.

Hender Scheme
With their deep focus on the natural material characteristics of leather, Tokyo-based fashion label Hender Scheme was a natural fit to reflect Lexus’ Japanese heritage and takumi craftsmanship. For virtual interior, Hender Scheme imagined an entirely leather interior juxtaposed with the concept vehicle’s groundbreaking technology. The untreated, organic material will develop a ‘patina’ over time, deepening in colour and becoming unique to each vehicle. The concept reflects the passage of time and the driver’s relationship to the vehicle.

In a process that mirrors the 60,000 hours of experience required of a Lexus takumi craftsman, the design is rooted in the work of specialty craftsmen. At the beginning of the process, leather requires trained eyes to identify its natural material characteristics for use on the project such as thickness and elasticity. From there, molding methods would be introduced to shape the leather to the roof, doors and dashboard, beautifully finishing these sculptural parts.

Lexus LF-Z Electrified Concept

Full-width displays on dashboard coming soon to more cars

The vehicle dashboard – that area below the windscreen at the front of the cabin – began with one side being dedicated to the driver (and associated with the ‘cockpit’ of an aircraft) and the other for the front passenger. It was generally like that for decades, the surface of the dashboard punctuated by various controls, switches and other ornamental decorations.

As more electronic systems were installed and more information could be presented on displays, the cockpit area widened. Then came infotainment, when more than just a radio or CD-player provided entertainment; as connectivity grew, the dashboard came the be used to house various systems which even passengers used and even wider displays appeared.

From pillar to pillar
Now, as we have seen with some of the latest Mercedes-Benz models, huge displays extend the full width of the dashboard to provide all kinds of information for the driver and other occupants. Fifty years ago, such an idea may have been seen only in concept cars but are now becoming a reality in production models the public can buy.

*Dashboard of a Mercedes-Benz S-Class in the 1950s and dashboard in the latest Mercedes-EQ EQS (below).*

The concept won’t be limited to a few brands as Continental has developed a pillar-to-pillar display and it is available to any carmaker. In fact, one global vehicle manufacturer has already placed a major order with Continental and will have the super-wide display in a production model in 2024.

Continental’s display that extends across the entire width of the dashboard is an integrated display solution from one roof pillar to the other at the front, providing space for a growing number of vehicle functions, digital services, as well as communication and infotainment applications. The solution makes the display the central visual interface between the driver, front passenger and digital driving experience.

Milestone in evolution of the car
Its launch in a high-volume production model marks another milestone in the evolution of the car into a smart device as part of the internet of things (IoT). Whether it is navigation, warning signs, movies, news, social networks, office applications or booking apps to plan the route, the information will be shown and easily viewed. Continental adds that the content will be ‘fully immersive and offers drivers and passengers a completely new user experience’.

“A driving experience that is digital and safe is becoming the most distinctive feature of modern cars. The size of the displays and their intuitive operation play a central role here. In short, what used to be horsepower is now screen diagonals and user experience,” said Dr. Frank Rabe, Head of the Human Machine Interface business unit at Continental.

“With the user experience, we already create value today. Each year, we supply a total of around 120 million products for human-machine interaction, equipping one in four cars worldwide. With the increasing significance of automated driving, the way in which we spend our time in cars is becoming even more important. As a result, there is also a growing need for solutions and services for the in-vehicle user experience.”

From pointer instruments to digital displays
Speedometer, tachometer, fuel consumption gauge – the time of the classic instrument panel is over. In view of the multitude of new vehicle functions and digital services that are pushing into cars with increasing connectivity, traditional pointer instruments and centre consoles are now too rigid and inflexible. The switch to vehicles with electric powertrains also changes some of the running information that has to be shown.

An exclusive focus on the driver is also no longer appropriate for the wide range of communication and infotainment services now available for vehicle occupants. Therefore, displays have been getting bigger and bigger for years. This also poses design challenges which, over time, have resulted in different shapes: from flat displays to curved displays that fit seamlessly into the cockpit, into V, C, L or S-shaped displays, accommodating both the driver and the front passenger, so that they can be reached with minimum effort.

As the size increases, several displays are connected under one surface to form a single unit. Creating invisible transitions is not the only crucial aspect here. Sensors and cameras that record driver behaviour can be seamlessly integrated. Convex and concave shapes are also increasingly being used so that the user can perceive the operating elements intuitively.

Transforming vehicle electronics architecture
Whether it is 3D without special glasses or pillar-to-pillar displays, Continental has been a pioneer in this digital cockpit evolution. In addition to the further development of screen solutions, the company is also driving forward the transformation of the vehicle electronics architecture with concepts such as the high-performance computer for the cockpit. In view of the fact that a few high-performance computers will replace the previous large number of dedicated control units in the future, the pillar-to-pillar display is the next evolutionary step and an expression of the increasing convergence of the car to a mobile data centre.

Mitsubishi Motors Malaysia contributes Triton to INSAF Malaysia

Non-profit organisations (NGOs) carry out a lot of work which involves travelling to and in areas where the roads may be poor, or may not exist. Typically, they will bring various forms of aid, especially food for those who are victims of poverty or natural disasters. INSAF Malaysia is one such NGO which runs several programs to transport food items.

To help them with their mission, Mitsubishi Motors Malaysia recently contributed a Triton 4×4 pick-up truck to INSAF Malaysia. The pick-up truck, a popular model in the market, will be useful for the distribution of food bank, lunch box and rice bags to orphanages and welfare homes, as well as ‘Meals on Wheels’ where food is distributed to old folks who have been abandoned or live alone. The NGO also builds shelter homes for those hit by natural disasters and urgently need a roof above their heads.

Promoting sustainable economy, society and environment
“Our CSR vision for this year is ‘Inspiring Lives Today for a Greater Future’. While our missions are to implement CSR activities that provides aid to support underprivileged children, and to collaborate with NGOs in promoting a sustainable economy, society and environment. So when we found out that INSAF Malaysia’s humanitarian efforts is constantly striving for voluntarily action, we want to support their work by contributing a Triton pick-up truck in hopes that the NGO can go beyond the distance and to help more underprivileged families,” said Tomoyuki Shinnishi, CEO of Mitsubishi Motors Malaysia.

After receiving the Triton on behalf of INSAF Malaysia, its President and Founder, Ishak Bin Abdul Kadir, said: “We have been witnessing a dangerous trend from the number of people suffering from malnutrition and food insecurity, especially during this pandemic. Hunger is on the rise in Malaysia as we’ve seen lot of breadwinners lose their source of income which leads to the inability to put food on the table. We are doing all that we can to make sure children or families don’t go to bed hungry hence we are so glad to have companies like Mitsubishi Motors reach out to us to offer help. The contribution of the Triton pick-up truck is timely, practical and very much appreciated.”

Popular pick-up truck
The Triton provided is one of the six variants available, all imported from Thailand in CBU (completely built-up form). The model has been among the popular pick-up trucks in the Malaysian market for many years. Early last month, the Athlete version was introduced which takes over from the Adventure X as the flagship of the range. In Peninsular Malaysia, prices start from RM100,200 for the variants with 4×4 and RM79,890 with 4×2.

Visit www.mitsubishi-motors.com.my to know more about the Triton, and the locations of authorised dealerships.

Mitsubishi Triton Athlete takes over as flagship of range from Adventure X

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Uwe Gemballa’s son to launch his own sportscar soon

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Full-width displays on dashboard coming soon to more cars

Mitsubishi Motors Malaysia contributes Triton to INSAF Malaysia

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