Race 2 of the 2019 FIA World Touring Car Cup (WTCR) final round in Sepang was a wet one filled with drama, including a fiery crash. The results showcased a final race showdown on the championship title between Race 2 winner, Esteban Guerrieri (ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport) and Norbert Michelisz (BRC Hyundai N Squadra Corse). (more…)
The final round of the 2019 FIA World Touring Car Cup (WTCR) kicked off to a wonderful start for Norbert Michelisz (BRC Hyundai N Squadra Corse) here in Sepang where he emerged victorious in Race 1. Driving the Hyundai i30 N TCR, Michelisz now extends his lead in the driver’s championship with 351 points. (more…)
In October, we revealed that Porsche has very long-term plans for its business, not just on Earth but in galaxies far, far away. To prepare for this, the sportscar maker got together with LucasFilm, the creators of Star Wars, to develop a starship as a first step. Over a period of 2 months, a project team consisting of designers from Porsche and LucasFilm worked together at their respective design studios in Weissach (Germany) and San Francisco to create initial ideas and drafts before finally coming up with a concrete concept.
The fantasy starship, named Tri-Wing S-91x Pegasus Starfighter, is presently in concept form so it is small – just 1.5 metres. While legal requirements impose certain restrictions on creativity in the classic design process for a series-production vehicle, this project opens up a whole new dimension of freedom.
At the same time, the Style Porsche team faced fresh challenges, since creating a purely virtual design is demanding, too. On the screen, the starship is only seen in two dimensions, while classic series-production vehicles appear physically in three dimensions. In addition, starships usually only appear dynamically in the film and are only visible for a brief moment – so the design has to create an impression and be recognisable within a matter of seconds.
Porsche details in the starship
A glance at the details reveals a number of features familiar from the Porsche design style. The front is reminiscent of the so-called ‘air curtains’ (air inlets) that go together with the headlights to create a single formal entity in the all-electric Taycan sportscar. In addition to the 4-point daytime running light typical of Porsche, the so-called ‘blasters’ – long gun barrels at the front – are located at the tip. The rear grid with the louvres and integrated third brake light was inspired by the current 911 generation, and the rear section of the starship bears the brand’s hallmark light bar.
Porsche design criteria have been applied to the interior, too: the instruments in the cockpit are clearly aligned with the driver’s axis, while the low seating position is reminiscent of the sporty ergonomics in the 918 Spyder. All in all, the design follows a basic principle that is characteristic of the brand. All the elements on the exterior have a clear function, and purely visual features have largely been dispensed with.
“The design of the spaceship is harmoniously integrated into the Star Wars film world while at the same time demonstrating clear analogies with the characteristic Porsche styling and proportions,” said Michael Mauer, Vice-President Style Porsche at Porsche AG. “The basic shape of the cabin, which tapers towards the rear, and a highly distinctive topography from the cockpit flyline to the turbines establish visual parallels with the iconic design of the 911 and the Taycan. The very compact layout conveys dynamism and agility, lending emphasis to the Porsche design features mentioned.”
The development process of the starship can be viewed online at www.thedesigneralliance.com. The Tri-Wing S-91x Pegasus Starfighter will make its first public appearance at the film’s special premiere of ‘Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker’ tomorrow in Los Angeles. The global release is set for Thursday, December 19, 2019.
Although Formula E has shown that electric power can be used for racing cars and the appearance of fully electric vehicles (EVs) in some motorsports events has also proven that all-electric powertrains can be very powerful, there are still people who imagine EVs are slow and boring.
Such vehicles were first promoted for their clean technology as they generated no exhaust gases while in use, meaning zero emissions into the environment. They are ideal for personal mobility as well as various forms of transport within cities or even for inter-city travel.
With the current state of EV technology, the range on a fully-charged battery pack has been steadily increasing and so has performance. As it is, the characteristic of an electric motor is that it generates maximum torque virtually from standstill, zipping off the line like a radio-control models car when the accelerator pedal is depressed.
Drifting and electric mobility
And believe it or not, you can also drift an EV, as a professional stunt driver shows with the latest Nissan LEAF. Drifting is usually performed by sportscars with powerful internal combustion engines, but Nissan wanted to try something different. In an unlikely pairing of adrenaline-inducing drifts and electric mobility, the LEAF was shown to produce both maximum torque and force, while delivering virtually silent donuts and burnouts.
The world’s best-selling EV therefore debunked outdated perceptions that electric vehicles are nothing but large golf carts. Throughout the test, the LEAF’s emissions naturally remained at zero – a number symbolized by the vehicle’s donut tread marks.
Try the LEAF yourself
You don’t have to buy a LEAF just to go drifting. Buy it for the driving pleasure that comes from much quieter and smoother motoring, and the satisfaction of doing your part to protect the environment for future generations. And you no longer have petrol costs to worry about too!
The LEAF is available in Malaysia and to locate a showroom where you can learn more about it and take a test-drive, visit www.nissan.com.my.
Honda Performance Development (HPD), a wholly owned subsidiary of American Honda Motor which acts as the technical operations centre for the brand’s high-performance racing programs, has revealed its latest development of the Civic Type R – the race-ready Civic Type R TC racing car.
Priced at US$89,900 (about RM372,000), The Type R TC is designed as a turn-key solution for professional racers, and for skilled Type R enthusiasts who wish to transition from track time in a stock Type R to a fully-built racing car. The specially outfitted Type R joins the TCA-class Civic Si and TCR-class Type R in HPD’s portfolio of Civic-based, turn-key racing machines.
“The successes of Honda Racing Development’s TCA Civic Si and TCR Type R in North American touring car championship series have generated a strong interest in more ready-to-race Honda Touring Cars for North America,” said Ted Klaus, President of Honda Performance Development. “With the introduction of the new Type R TC-class race car, we now offer a complete lineup of turn-key, Civic-based race cars for registered racing customers in North America.”
Specifically for TC-class competition
Designed specifically for TC-class competition, the Civic Type R TC was developed and tested in-house by HPD engineers as a modified version of the production Civic Type R designed exclusively for track use. HPD engineers drew on experience gained from production car and race vehicle engineering, including development of the HPD Civic Si TCA racing car.
Major modifications to the production Type R include a high-flow front grille, a J’s Racing FRP vented bonnet, CSF-designed radiator and oil cooler; an HPD/Borla downpipe and turbo back exhaust; a 6-speed manual transmission with high-strength 3rd and 4th gears; an HPD/Cusco limited slip differential; HPD Girodisk 2-piece front brake rotors and HPD brake inlet ducts; an HPD/Pyrotect bolt-in FIA 16-gallon fuel cell; a welded multi-point racing cage; and an OMP racing seat with 6-point harness.
The HPD-developed Civic Type R race car begins life as a body-in-white from Honda’s UK plant and uses the proven 2.0-litre VTEC Turbo engine which produces between 270 and 330 bhp, depending on the series application.
The Type R TC retains the standard model’s exterior sheet metal, but adds racing components developed in-house and in partnership with select suppliers to build a ready-to-race machine that saves racers the time and money of doing it themselves.
As consumer purchase patterns change and shopping online becomes more popular, some car companies have strived to meet these new developments by offering their products online. Their initial efforts have not been in a big way nor long-term as they want to see the effectiveness first. Proton is among those companies and recently collaborated with Shopee to explore new avenues to connect with its customers.
“Commerce today has changed drastically from what it was even as recently as just 5 to 10 years ago. Proton has to keep up with these changes to remain relevant and while we are pursuing our strategy to increase customer touchpoints via the growth of 3S/4S outlets, we must also utilise technology to drive mobility for the business. Our campaign with Shopee is a good example as it offers ease and convenience for consumers but also puts them in contact with our network of outlets for aftersales services,” said Dr Li Chunrong, CEO of Proton.
Over 200 units booked online
Over 200 units of the X70 SUV were booked in the first few days of the ecommerce platform’s 12.12 Birthday Sale, and as a special incentive, customers using Shopee are able to place a booking for just RM99 instead of the usual RM1,000 booking fee.
The first 50 Proton X70 customers who successfully register their vehicle before December 31, 2019 will also receive RM2,000 of Shopee vouchers and enjoy additional ongoing promotions for the month by Proton.
This isn’t the first time Proton is using the internet to allow customers to book its cars. Prior to its launch on December 12, 2018, the X70 SUV could be booked online from October, contributing to the pre-launch booking of over 10,000 units.
An alternative sales platform in future
A similar campaign was also utilised for the launch of other models in 2019 with the success experienced pointing to the increased importance of the channel. “We started to enable online bookings of our cars since late 2018 and over the next few years, we could expand the use of this as a sales platform. With improved online security and transaction platforms becoming widely accepted, there could be a time when financing could be applied for and approved online so Proton aims to be at the forefront of adopting these new technologies,” added Dr Li Chunrong.
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