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Interstate travel restrictions will be eased from June 1, 2020 although the Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO) remains active. There had been a ban when the Movement Control Order MCO) started in March, and in the period leading to Hari Raya, the prohibition was strictly enforced. Balik kampung journeys were not permitted as a measure to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

Today, Senior Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob, spokesman for the National Security Council, said that interstate travel can be allowed for emergency cases as well as for spouses to visit their other halves who may be in another state. The latter was already mentioned by the Prime Minister earlier.

Additionally, those who work in another state can also cross borders but in all cases, police approval must first be obtained. “Interstate travel is not allowed unless it is for emergencies such as deaths or for medical reasons. We also allow those who need to travel between states for work. For instance, if you live in Seremban but work in Putrajaya,” he said.

During the CMCO prohibition on interstate travel, the police have set up 147 roadblocks nationwide to check on vehicles. Over 240,000 drivers were queried and those without valid reasons were made to turn around. In some cases, summonses were also issued for not complying with the CMCO, for which there is a fine of RM1,000 and possible jail term of 6 months.

The police have also been looking out for those who crossed borders without permission during the Hari Raya period and are now trying to return home. Roadblocks have been set up even on rural roads and many motorists have been caught trying to sneak through.

On another note, the Director-General of the Ministry of Health has said that use of facemasks is recommended when in crowded places. However, when travelling alone in the car, it is unnecessary to wear the facemask.

Although things seem like they are back to ‘normal’, the CMCO is still active and people are expected to remain at home as much as possible. Gatherings and visiting friends are still not permitted and as you will probably have already experienced, social distancing is now a requirement at public outlets. The authorities urge those who dine at restaurants to complete their meal as soon as they can and depart, rather than stay on at the table to chat.

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After about half a year of intensive development work, the BMW M4 GT4 is set to make its virtual debut on the sim racing platform iRacing next month. To make sure that the BMW M customer racing car is as realistic as possible, iRacing developers are working as intensively with the BMW Motorsport engineers as if they were working on a real racing car.

In just a few days, the M4 GT4 will be another current BMW racing car after the M8 GTE to make its sim racing debut on the iRacing platform. When the users contest their first races in June, the iRacing developers and BMW Motorsport engineers will have a phase of intensive collaboration behind them.

iRacing BMW M4 GT4

Important project for BMW Motorsport
“I can’t wait for it to get started,” said Kevin Bobbitt, Director of Marketing at iRacing, emphasising “The openness with which BMW Motorsport met us in this project is fantastic. The communication channels were very short, and you could tell by their involvement that this project is really important to them.”

For some time now, sim racing has been one of the pillars in the BMW Motorsport portfolio. Those responsible had identified the potential of virtual racing before it experienced a boom during the current break from real-world racing. “BMW Motorsport knows the difference between a standard racing game and a real racing simulation, and values it,” said Bobbitt. “A simulation as realistic as this also benefits the manufacturer, because many more people can test the cars and in the best-case scenario might even go on to buy one.”

iRacing BMW M4 GT4

As head of vehicle development, Rudolf Dittrich is also responsible for the field of sim racing at BMW Motorsport. He confirms the strong customer focus behind the M4 GT4 project. “We want to give our customer teams the opportunity to experience the BMW M4 GT4 virtually,” he said, explaining the advantages: “They can upload and use their own liveries with their own sponsors. Their drivers can also practice on their own in the current break. And potential new customers might even develop a taste for it and think about racing with a BMW M4 GT4 in real life.”

How the collaboration works
Maximum authenticity requires the virtual car to be as close as possible to its real-life counterpart which was the joint mission of BMW Motorsport and iRacing. What do you need for that? “We need three things from the car: the laser scans, the CAD data and photos as a reference,” explained Brian Simpson, Senior Art Manager at iRacing.

iRacing BMW M4 GT4

Explaining the data transfer process, Dittrich said: “Everything starts with the licence agreement, which is the basis for the transfer of confidential data. Then the developers receive two large data packages of several gigabytes each. Firstly, the CAD data with all the specifications of the car parts. That is exactly the same data that a supplier gets from us to produce the real component. iRacing also scanned a real car, in this case the Turner Motorsport BMW M4 GT4.

“The second large data package contained all the information on driving dynamics. We use the same data set to do a lap time simulation or to operate our BMW Motorsport simulator, for example. This data includes damper curves, engine performance curves, axle kinematics, weight distribution, aerodynamic values: any figures that we had calculated for the car we passed on to iRacing,” he said, concluding that ‘iRacing now know as much about the car as our customer teams do’.

iRacing BMW M4 GT4

Real vehicle driving dynamics
“The more real vehicle data we receive, the closer we get to the real driving dynamics. In the case of our BMW M4 GT4, the initial feedback from people who have driven the real car is very positive,” said Steve Reiss, Senior Vehicle Dynamics Engineer at iRacing.

It goes without saying that the driving dynamic plays the crucial role in user satisfaction, but even the most minute of details are important for realism. “First, our designers parse the data provided and use it to make the basic car. Once we’ve got that, it’s time for the details such as spinning wheels, displays and much more,” explained Simpson. “

“In that respect BMW Motorsport is incredible. They even sent us information on in which situations which lights on the steering wheel come on, and what information is displayed when, which buttons the driver presses when, and what happens when they do. I really enjoy working on those displays right down to the last detail,” he added.

iRacing BMW M4 GT4

Ready to race
At the end of a continuous development period of about 6 months, BMW Motorsport inspect the virtual car which is also no different from reality. “The idea is to inspect the virtual car in exactly the same way as a real car,” said Dittrich. “This ranges from the external appearance, through handling, to details such as cable routing in the interior, light or texture of the dashboard. After all, we are ultimately responsible for the virtual BMW M4 GT4 meeting all the requirements that we and our customers have for a real racing car.”

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BHPetrol RON95 Euro4M

‘Mach 1’ – the speed of sound – would sound like a good name for any performance car, and Ford did just that for its high-performance variant of the Mustang when it was still in its first generation. The iconic fastback coupe debuted during the first golden era of musclecars, about 4 years after the Mustang was born.

The ’Mach 1’ badge was used only for the Sportsroof bodystyle, which was the name term Ford used for the fastback shape. Although having the same wheelbase as the other variants, the Mach 1 had extended front and rear overhangs and was longer than the other bodystyles.

1969 Ford Mustang Mach 1

“Mach 1 has always been that bridge between base Mustangs and the Shelby models,” said Ted Ryan, Heritage Brand Manager, Ford Archives. “From a style and handling perspective, the original Mach 1 managed to stand out as unique, even in the Mustang line-up – and as the name implies, it could really move.”

It was available during the first two generations of the Mustang line-up between 1968 and 1978 and then disappeared until the fourth generation offered a Mach 1 variant in 2003 and 2004.

Perfrmance-oriented limited edition
In early 2021, Ford will bring back the Mach 1 as an additional performance-oriented variant of the Mustang which is the world’s bestselling sportscar. It will have a naturally aspirated 5.0-litre V8 and be track-ready. From the pictures of the prototype, it appears that the new Mach 1 won’t have its own bodystyle but Ford says it will be a limited edition.

2021 Ford Mustang Mach 1

“Mach 1 has a special place in Mustang history, and it’s time for this special edition to claim the top spot in our 5.0-litre V8 performance line-up and reward our most hardcore Mustang enthusiasts who demand that next level of power, precision and collectability,” said Dave Pericak, Director, Ford Icons. “Like the original, the all-new Mustang Mach 1 will be true to its heritage, delivering great looks and as the most track-capable 5.0-litre Mustang ever.”

2021 Ford Mustang Mach 1

Like the earlier Mach 1 generations, the new model is expected to deliver performance and improved dynamics. Those early cars had upgraded suspension and brakes and it is likely that the 2021 Mach 1 will also have upgrades like Brembo brakes to uphold its performance legacy.

The latest Mustang is available in Malaysia at Sime Darby Auto ConneXion. Visit www.sdacford.com.my for more information

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Coinciding with its re-opening in mid-May 2020, the Mercedes-Benz Museum created a video of the premises and displays using drones. The mini-drones, weighing less than 100 gms and carrying high-resolution 4K cameras with them hovered through small openings whilst filming – including through open doors and even into the interiors of classic Mercedes-Benz vehicles!

Viewers can ‘fly’ through the open gullwing doors of the legendary Mercedes-Benz 300 SL ‘Gullwing’, for example, or follow the drone through the passenger compartment of the colourfully painted LO 1112 bus from Argentina. The change of camera perspectives is also impressive. From a bird’s-eye view, the flight takes you through every level of the museum: from the roof terrace you go into the building through every Legend and Collection room right up to ‘Fascination of Technology’ and finally back outside via the doors of the entrance.

Filming during museum closure
The Mercedes-Benz Museum team and filmmakers Daniel Wagner and Andre Jung from minidrone.studio did the filming during the time the museum was closed due to the coronavirus. Right from the start, it was clear that, in addition to the inside and outside shots, there should also be impressive flights directly through the vehicles themselves.

It was a bold idea to try given that the assets exhibited at the museum are worth millions. But, at the same time, it was an opportunity to present the museum from viewpoints that have never been seen before. The video is shown in the museum’s social media channels.

The green light for filming was given under the proviso that the vehicles would be protected from being damaged at all times. That’s why the filmmakers practised the particularly tricky shots intensively in advance with real obstacles and also made use of digital simulations.

Mercedes-Benz Museum by drone

Mercedes-Benz Museum by drone

The filming was done over 3 days and then slick editing was done to create the dynamic, exciting flight through the museum. The work involved in making this 4-minute video wasn’t quite as light and playful as the final result appears, say the filmmakers. Did they fly especially slowly in tight spots in order to be able to navigate precisely and then speed up the video in the edit? No, it was precisely the opposite: only a rapid flight ensured nice, flowing tracking shots. This required a lot of experience and practice.

In the finished video, the speed of the recording was in many places digitally slowed down somewhat in order to achieve an optimum speed for the viewer. For example, for the steep turn in the Legend 7 room with the racing and record vehicles of Mercedes-Benz.

Four types of drones
“In total, we used four different types of drone for filming,” said Wagner. “Such drones are not available to buy ready-made; we adapted them precisely to suit our needs, using various components.”

Mercedes-Benz Museum by drone

Mercedes-Benz Museum by drone

The light drones, around the size of the palm of one’s hand, were used in order to fly through even the smallest of openings. The outside shots were used with a heavier aerial vehicle that could withstand the wind. The latter can also be operated from a distance by a pilot, who steered the drone by remote control and used video eyewear for orientation.

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Although there is still a Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO) active, Malaysians are able to return to their working places and also travel around freely (except to other states which is prohibited). As motoring routines return, more people will be visiting the petrol stations and to welcome customers back, Shell Malaysia is offering extra rewards through its latest campaign, #AkuRindu.

The campaign will take place at all Shell stations nationwide for 4  consecutive days – from Monday, June 1 to Thursday, June 4, 2020. During this campaign, there are 4 special offers at Shell retail stations nationwide. The extra rewards will help customers on their journey.

On the first day, customers will get 5X BonusLink Points when they swipe their BonusLink Card and purchase any Shell fuels. The second day will have 50% discount on any Shell Advance AX7 Motorcycle Oil, limited to the first 10 customers per Shell station.

Shell Rewards 1

Shell rewards 2

On the third day and fourth days, customers can purchase either a Cornetto Ice Cream (Vanilla or Chocolate) or Goodday Milk (Full Cream or Chocolate, 250 ml) for only RM1.00 each at Shell Select stores nationwide, while stocks last. Additionally, customers will also enjoy a ‘Buy 1-Get One Free’ offer at all Deli2go outlets, for the Hexagon Doughnut Deli2Go pastry  and the Sardine Puff Deli2Go pastry (while stocks last).

“COVID-19 has been a challenging time for everyone, impacting all aspects of our lives including our health, travel, lifestyles, and most importantly our livelihoods. Now as the nation inches closer towards recovery, we see signs of Malaysia coming back to its feet as people become acclimatised to the new normal. At Shell, we would like to say, ‘Welcome Back!’ to all Malaysians, and we are offering a few special rewards at all Shell Stations nationwide to thank customers for their support. We hope our #AkuRindu campaign helps customers recharge, renew, and reap extra value so they can go well on all their journeys, wherever they may go,” said Shairan Huzani Husain, MD of Shell Malaysia Trading Sdn Bhd and Shell Timur Sdn Bhd.

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