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First of 50 customers to get Nissan GT-R50 by Italdesign in late 2020

After being approved for limited production, work began on the production version of the Nissan GT-R50 by Italdesign which was shown in June last year. While Italdesign, which has a history that goes pack as far as 1968, developed and engineered the model, Nissan’s design centres in the UK and California worked on the exterior and interior designs.

“Designers dream of creating from a blank canvas, but with GT-R, it is a canvas that has been shaped by an adventurous history, a heart powered by NISMO, and a soul reflecting 50 years of dreams of engineers, designers, artisans, developers, racers and leaders,” said Alfonso Albaisa, Nissan’s Senior Vice-President of Global Design. “The best of Japan and Italy combined with help from our California and London studios are painting on the best canvas any designer can possibly have!”

The production version will go on display at the Geneva Motor Show in March next year and the first customers should receive their cars before the end of 2020. Customer demand has been strong, with a significant number of deposits already taken based on a starting price of 990,000 euros (equivalent to RM4.58 million) for each o the 50 cars that will be produced. Each unit can be personalised to the customer’s requirements.

Meanwhile, fans can see the prototype model at the 2019 NISMO Festival which is on this Sunday. It will subsequently be shown at Nissan Crossing in Tokyo’s Ginza district for the rest of the month, and at the Tokyo Auto Salon in January 2020.

“Our customers have relished the personalized experience provided by Italdesign, who have a long tradition in the exclusive field of ultra-rare, bespoke high-performance vehicles,” said Bob Laishley, Global Sports Car Program Director at Nissan. “Their experience with the GT-R50 has been incredible and I can say first-hand that each car will certainly be a standalone masterpiece.”

Powering each GT-R50 by Italdesign is a NISMO-tuned 720 ps/780 Nm hand-built 3.8-litre twin-turbocharged V6 (VR38DETT). The engine draws on Nissan extensive GT3 competition experience and knowledge. The E-TS ATTESA all-wheel drive system will deliver power to all four 21-inch wheels. The suspension will be revised with the Bilstein DampTronic system and an upgraded Brembo braking system will be installed for stronger stopping power.

At the time of writing, Nissan says that there are still ‘a limited number of reservations’ left so if you want one, you need to contact Italdesign quickly. The address for e-mail is aporta.gtr50@italdesign.com.

22nd NISMO Festival this weekend celebrates 50th anniversaries of Nissan GT-R and Fairlady Z

GVE Asia Group continues business operations of Volkswagen Sg Besi

The GVE Asia Group joins the Volkswagen dealership network in Malaysia as a new business partner of Volkswagen Passenger Cars Malaysia (VPCM). The group has experience in retailing luxury and premium models and operates used car dealerships, sales and aftersales and other automotive related services.

It has acquired the existing Volkswagen Sg. Besi outlet in Kuala Lumpur which was previously operated by Wearnes as its first entry into the Volkswagen network. The outlet is a full-fledged 3S dealership so Volkswagen owners can get everything they need for their vehicles at one location.

With built-up area of over 75,181 sq. ft. on two floors, the showroom can display up to 9 vehicles. The aftersales facilities in accordance with Volkswagen’s global standards and customers can relax in a comfortable waiting lounge complete with cable TV, Wi-Fi and cafe.

“We thank Wearnes for being part of the Volkswagen family. We’ve seen many years of growth, and their service to the brand has been invaluable,” said Erik Winter, Managing Director of VPCM. “At the same time, it gives me great pleasure to welcome GVE Asia Group into the network. I look forward to a fruitful partnership as we continue to build the Volkswagen brand together and to meet the needs of our customers.”

To know more about Volkswagen products and services or to locate other authorised dealerships in Malaysia, visit www.volkswagen.com.my.

Volkswagen owners can get more with VIP

Lexus Malaysia invites you to UNWRAP AMAZING this weekend

It’s that time of the year when the festivities to celebrate the end of the year start. If it was a good year for you, then there’s reason to celebrate and if it was not good, there’s also reason to celebrate because it’s going to end, and a new year is just around the corner.

At Lexus showrooms throughout Malaysia, there’s definitely a festive mood with ‘UNWRAP AMAZING’, an event to be held from 10 am to 4 pm this weekend (December 7, except Lexus Centre Ipoh which will be on December 14).

A special Christmas doorgift is presented to all visitors to the Lexus Centres and it will certainly set them in the mood to UNWRAP AMAZING. Within the showroom, Amazing Experiences await them with the liberal use of high-tech digital innovation and technology to elevate all the five senses, creating the unparalleled Lexus experience.

For those who want to understand why Lexus vehicles have been so highly regarded all over the world, the best way to do so will be to go for a test-drive. Whether they have a preference for a SUV, sedan or sporty coupe, there’s a Lexus model available to experience. As a token of appreciation, guests will receive a gift after their test-drive.

All Lexus models have the latest Active Safety technology with the Lexus Safety System, keeping occupants safe on all journeys. There are systems to automatically brake the car in an emergency, alert the driver when the car deviates out of its lane, maintain a safe distance from the vehicle in front and of course, airbags all around the cabin to give added protection during accidents.

At Lexus Mutiara Damansara in Petaling Jaya, Selangor, there will also be additional festive activities. Visitors can join in the Ginger House-Making workshop and enjoy special performances by Wilson Jong & Thomas Phillip Musical at various times of the day.

The renowned standards of Lexus are inspired by the Japanese tradition of omotenashi (hospitality) which every visitor to any Lexus centre will experience, right from the time he or she enters the refined environment of the showroom. Whether going for a test-drive or enjoying a cup of coffee from Café Richard, customers are always at the centre of the Lexus Amazing Experience.

While at the showroom, visitors can also find out more about Lexus Malaysia’s Corporate Privilege Programme. The programme is available with the purchase of any new Lexus model, from the luxurious ES to the RX SUV that blends practicality and prestige, to the NX that pushes the boundaries of a crossover. Qualified customers can receive discounts and free service packages along with enjoying a 5-star lifestyle marked by Amazing Experiences.

For the locations of Lexus Centres in Malaysia, visit www.lexus.com.my.

2019 Lexus ES & RX officially launched in Malaysia – From RM299,888

Three BMW dealerships to host BMW Year-End Expo 2019

Quill Automobiles, Ingress Auto and Wheelcorp Premium, which represent the BMW and MINI brands in the Klang Valley, will transform The Marquee at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre into the largest BMW and MINI dealership in the city centre this weekend (December 6 – 8). Billed as ‘a one-of-a-kind event’, the BMW Year-End Expo 2019 will have over 90 vehicles on display from both brands from 10 am to 7 pm each day.

As would be expected, the dealers will have special offers for those who want to shop for a new car to have in the porch or garage this Christmas or for the new year. The offers will include a special 6 Years and 5 Years Unlimited Mileage Warranty programme; special financing rates from 0.33% (terms and conditions apply); and complimentary one-year BMW Comprehensive Motor Insurance.

They will also be able to find out about BMW M Performance Parts which enhance the sportiness of a BMW and of course, check out the lifestyle items from BMW and MINI.

Your future Ford will have parts made from coffee bean skins!

Ford Motor Company has long been making car parts from discarded materials that can be recycled. In one example, old jeans were used as sound insulation material for the first generation of the Focus. Besides plastic bottles, recycled resins are used for various other parts, supporting the company’s sustainability agenda.

Now, working with McDonald’s in the USA, coffee beans will also be used in vehicle parts such as headlamp housings. Every year, gigantic quantities of coffee chaff – the dried skin of the bean – naturally comes off during the roasting process. Together, Ford and McDonald’s can use a significant portion of that material rather than just throw it away.

The companies found that chaff can be converted into a durable material to reinforce certain vehicle parts. By heating the chaff to high temperatures under low oxygen, mixing it with plastic and other additives and turning it into pellets, the material can be formed into various shapes. . This is the first time Ford has used coffee bean skins to convert into selected vehicle parts.

The chaff composite meets the quality specifications for parts like headlamp housings and other interior and under-bonnet components. The resulting components can be about 20% lighter and require up to 25% less energy during the molding process. Heat properties of the chaff component are significantly better than the currently used material, according to Ford.

McDonald’s is expected to send a significant portion of its coffee chaff in North America to Ford to be incorporated into vehicle parts. This will help Ford as it progresses toward a goal of using recycled and renewable plastics in vehicles globally, with an increasing range of sustainable materials.

“McDonald’s commitment to innovation was impressive to us and matched our own forward-thinking vision and action for sustainability,” said Debbie Mielewski, Ford senior technical leader, sustainability and emerging materials research team. “This has been a priority for Ford for over 20 years, and this is an example of jump starting the closed-loop economy, where different industries work together and exchange materials that otherwise would be side or waste products.”

Planning to buy a Ford vehicle in Malaysia? Visit www.sdacford,com.my for the location of the nearest showroom.

1999 Ford Focus — *First generation of Ford Focus had sound insulation materials made from old jeans.*

Ford uses 1.2 billion plastic bottles for auto parts each year

Bermaz Motor sells Mazda vehicles and also provides humanitarian aid and medical relief

To the Malaysian public, Bermaz Motor is associated with Mazda vehicles, distributing them nationwide and providing aftersales services to the increasing number of owners. However, there is also another side to the company which provides humanitarian aid and medical relief to the under- privileged and also actively supports communities and organisations requiring assistance.

To achieve these aims, it recently hosted its 7th Mazda Charity Golf Tournament for the Mazda Medicare Fund (MMF). This year, the charity tournament was held at the Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Golf & Country Club in Shah Alam, Selangor and received tremendous support from 150 participants. The event raised a total of RM447,550 for the MMF, which came from generous golfers, donors and sponsors.

The MMF was established in 2015 and is jointly managed with Prima Merdu Sdn Bhd and in collaboration with B. Braun Avitum Renal Services to provide life-saving haemodialysis treatment for end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients with financial constraints. As of today, there are 12 B. Braun’s dialysis centres operating nationwide and eligible patients can receive subsidies for haemodialysis treatments. Over the past 5 years, the MMF has contributed a total of RM2.4 million which has supported more than 176 patients throughout Malaysia.

Additionally, the MMF has also supported various communities such as old folk’s homes, orphanages, people with disabilities and Down Syndrome children by providing financial aid. The communities are carefully selected and vetted by the MMF Team to ensure that all donations will be put to good use.

Sponsors — *The MMF gets donations from individuals and corporate sponsors, and the funds are distributed to communities that need aid (below).*

The MMF Team consists of volunteers from within the Bermaz organization so there are no additional costs involved in its operations. This will allow the full amount of donations received to go where it really matters – to the people in need.

Another approach taken to raise funds is through the Mazda Privilege Card (MPC). In a tie-in programme with MMF, all sign-up fees will serve as funds donated by Mazda Owners. The introduction of the MPC has been well received with heart-warming support for its noble cause.

Aside from contributing to the society, owners of the MPC can also enjoy a 15% discount on Mazda genuine spare parts and official merchandise, along with a 5% discount on labour charges (applicable at Mazda showrooms and aftersales service centres operated by Bermaz Motor and Prima Merdu).

Bermaz Motor believes that one of the good ways to contribute to the society is by partnering with the community and the Mazda Medicare Fund (MMF) is one of the corporate social responsibility (CSR) projects to bring about a society and enrich the lives of those who are in need. The company is grateful for the unwavering support from customers, business partners, donors and sponsors to the MMF initiative.

For information relating to the Mazda Medicare Fund, you can send email to mmf@mazda.com.my. To know more about Mazda and Bermaz Motor, visit www.mazda.com.my.