Home - Piston.my

Gymkhana on a budget with a Subaru Impreza

We are sure you’ve heard of Ken Block, the rallying/rallycross racer and adrenaline junkie who’s known all around the world for his amazing gymkhana stunts videos. In them, Block executes some pretty amazing stunt maneuvers/driving while getting from point A to point in the most flamboyant way possible. It’s a more extreme take on gymkhana racing.

Unlike Block, most of us do not have the resources nor the expertise to have a specifically built gymkhana track and a supped up rally car to drive on it. Well, that’s where our story begins today. Tyler Witte, a Youtuber, has taken it upon himself to show the rest of us that you don’t need sponsorship backing to have fun on a gymkhana course.

The stunts in this video, which was reported by motor1 and car throttle, depicts some seriously entertaining action as Witte thrashes his modified first generation Subaru Impreza Coupe on a DIY gymkhana course setup at a construction site. Granted, the stunts aren’t as daring as those attempted by Block, but they are entertaining enough to show us car nuts that you can have motorsports-like fun on a budget. All you need is some ingenuity, technical know-how and enough open space to indulge in your own gymkhana shenanigans.

Little is known about what’s under Witte’s Impreza’s hood, but the first generation Impreza was produced in 1992-2000 and came with a number of engines ranging from the docile 1.5-litre EJ15 boxer to the high displacement 2.5-litre EJ25 – all of which, were flat four engines. The 2.0-litre and 2.2-litre engines came as turbocharged variants which offered impressive performance figures at the time. These engines were mated to either a 4-speed automatic or a 5-speed manual transmission.

The most coveted of the first generation Impreza cars was the coupe version called the Impreza 22B STI. Produced between March and August 1998, the 22B was built to commemorate the automaker’s 40th anniversary and to celebrate Subaru’s third consecutive manufacturer’s title in the FIA World Rally Championship. Compared with the standard car, the 22B received significant changes in design and mechanical upgrades, making it a vehicle with exceptional power and handling characteristics, but we digress.

Take a look at the video, then let us know what you think. And if it appeals to you, we will publish more content like this in the near future.

Source: motor1, car throttle

Porsche teams up with WTA

Porsche has teamed up with the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) by committing to a multi-year partnership. This agreement will see the German automaker become the official and exclusive automotive partner of the WTA and the new title partner of the Porsche Race to Singapore”.

The Porsche Race to Singapore which is a leaderboard, used to be known as the Race to Singapore, and will, for the whole season, display the names of eight of the most successful singles and doubles players competing in the 57 tournaments that make up the WTA. The best results of each player from each tournament will play a part in determining if they qualify for the WTA finals in Singapore. Each tournament represents one lap on the leaderboard and the respective tournament is given its own ‘pit lane board’ displaying the lap number or in this case the number of the tournament with respect to the total for the season.

The player that heads this leaderboard with the most points at the end of the ’57th lap’ race will win a place in Singapore for the finals and will also be awarded a new Porsche 911 Carrera GTS Cabriolet.

“The title sponsorship of the Porsche Race to Singapore contributes to the internationalization of our engagement in women’s tennis. It intensifies our successful partnership with the WTA and enriches it with a new attractive element,” said Detlev von Platen, member of the Executive Board responsible for Sales and Marketing at Porsche AG. “Alongside our national activities and the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix’s worldwide presence, this new element provides value and visibility throughout the entire year in women´s tennis.”

Currently, the Porsche Race to Singapore is being led by Czech Karolina Pliskova, with victories in Brisbane and Doha. Caroline Wozniacki occupies second place after finishing runner-up in Doha, Dubai and Miami. Johanna Konta, the Miami winner, is third.

We will need to watch the entire season to see who finally drives home the shiny new Porsche 911, but expect some tough battles as players vie to be crowned champion at the end of the season.

Perodua Bezza launched in Mauritius

Perodua has introduced the ever popular Bezza to the car market in Mauritius, making the country the second export market for Perodua’s eco sedan. It will be sold by Perodua’s authorized distributor, Raouf Dushmohamud & Co Ltd along side the Axia and Alza.

The launch ceremony was held at the authorized distributor’s sales showroom at Port-Louis, which is Mauritius’ capital and was hosted by the distributor’s Managing Director, Raouf Dusmohamud.

Perodua and Raouf Dushmohamud & Co Ltd’s partnership date back to 1996 and since then, it has helped the Malaysian automaker sell more than 2,000 vehicles in Mauritius. The Viva has been the best selling model in the island nation with 711 vehicles sold between 2008 and 2014. Since the partnership began in the mid 1990s, Perodua has sold the Kancil, Rusa, Kelisa, Kembara, Myvi, Viva, Axia, Alza and Bezza in the island of Mauritius.

“Mauritius is a strategic destination for us as this country is one of the most popular tourist destination spots in the world and having the Perodua Bezza here would give it the global exposure that it needs,” Perodua President & Chief Executive Officer, Datuk (Dr) Aminar Rashid Salleh said.

Versions of the Bezza that are available to order over there include the Bezza 1.0L (Automatic and manual transmission) and the Bezza 1.3L Premium X (automatic and manual transmission). The Bezza 1.0L Manual is priced at 562,884 Mauritian Rupees (RM70,405.35) while the Bezza 1.0L automatic is priced at 589,268 Mauritian Rupees (RM 73,705.45).

The Bezza 1.3L Premium X Manual is priced at 657,699 Mauritian Rupees (RM 82,264.78) while the Bezza 1.3L Automatic is priced at 684,990 Mauritian Rupees (RM 85,678.33). If you would like to know more about Perodua’s latest offerings, visit the automaker’s local website.

Subaru appoints new Operations Director for UK

Subaru is in the news again, but this time, it isn’t for a car launch or to tout quarterly sales figures. The Japanese automaker has announced the appointment of William Brown to the position of Operations Director.

Brown, will vacate his position as Operations Director of Isuzu UK, to join Subaru, which will include responsibilities for Subaru’s sales strategy as well as the day-to-day operations of the company. Subaru considers Brown a much needed addition due to his experience at his previous job. He helped rebuild the Isuzu brand in the UK and allow for better cohesion between the manufacturer and its dealers.

Speaking of his appointment at Subaru, William Brown, said, “I’m delighted to be appointed Operations Director at Subaru and look forward to bringing my experience with Isuzu to the role and grow the franchise.”

Later, Paul Tunnicliffe, Managing Director, Subaru UK commented “William brings an exemplary track record to this role from his time in re-building the Isuzu brand. Subaru still has much more to give to us and its dealers, and William is absolutely the man to deliver it.”

Expect more from Subaru as it begin to ramp up operations to secure its position as an established automaker in the United Kingdom.

Sir Patrick Stewart to race at Silverstone Classic

Sir Patrick Stewart, a legendary hollywood actor, will be taking part in the upcoming Silverstone Classic. The 76-year old who has starred as Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek and Professor Charles Xavier in the X-Men films has just passed his official ARDS racing drivers’ test.

This means that he is now eligible to compete in a special Celebrity Challenge Trophy Race at Silverstone in July of this year. Drivers will be piloting competition-prepared Austin A30 and A35 sedans harking back to the late 1950s. The race will be split into two parts, the owners of the Austins will qualify on Friday and race on Sunday. The celebrities on the other hand, will go wheel-to-wheel in their classic rides on Saturday.

The reason why these classic cars were adopted for this racing series a few years ago by the Historic Racing Drivers Club (HRDC) as a cost-effective route to historic racing. More than 50 cars have been built so far, which should make for an exciting race come July.

Speaking of passing his driver test, Sir Patrick Stewart, said, “It was a lot of fun. For someone who has followed motor racing since being a teenager, to drive around Silverstone and negotiate such legendary corners as Becketts and Stowe is just such a thrill.”

Other celebrities who will be taking part in the Silverstone race include Olympic gold medalists Mark Hunter MBE, Jason Kenny CBE, Greg Searle MBE, Jonny Searle MBE and Amy Williams MBE, bike racing world champions Wayne Gardner and Freddie Spencer, former England test cricket captain Mike Gatting OBE, Dragon’s Den TV star Theo Paphitis, former Top Gear presenter Tiff Needell, Wheeler Dealer’s Ant Anstead and adventurer Charley Boorman.

Silverstone in July will be amazing for those living in the UK, and hopefully, for Sir Patrick Stewart as well. Stay tuned and we will let you know more as soon as we find out.

Škoda produces 1.5 millionth Octavia

Today is a very important day for Škoda because it marks the production of the 1.5 millionth third generation Octavia. Based on the Volkswagen MQB platform, the car shares its underpinnings with the Audi A3 Mk3, SEAT Leon Mk3 and Volkswagen Golf Mk7.

“With the Octavia, the rapid development of our company really gathered pace from 1996,” said Michael Oeljeklaus, Board Member for Production and Logistics. “It has been an important pillar of the Škoda portfolio for over two decades. With the third generation of our bestseller, we have seamlessly built on the success story of the first two editions. Much of the credit for the success of the OCTAVIA and the Škoda brand goes to our motivated and highly skilled workforce, which now has 1.5 million reasons to be proud of its achievements.”

The first generation car was a stalwart of the Škoda line-up from 1996 to 2010 bringing in a total sales of 1.4 million cars. The Czech automaker launched the second generation car in 2004 but sold the original alongside it till 2010. And, by the time the mk2 car had been phased out in 2013, Škoda had accumulated a total sales figure of 2.5 million vehicles sold. Its successor joined the line-up in 2012 and by the end of 2016, almost 1.4 million vehicles were produced.

The facelifted version started rolling off the production line in February of this year and is manufactured in the Czech Republic, China, India, Russia, Ukraine and Kazakhstan. It is being offered as a hatchback and an estate version. The front and rear sections of the facelifted car differ from that of the pre-facelift version, which gives rise to a wider track and a more streamlined body.

The new car brings with it a number of improvements in terms of interior space, functionality, technology for safety and comfort as well as value for money. Power outputs of the petrol and diesel engines range from 85bhp to nearly 245bhp and some of these can be ordered with a DSG gearbox and all-wheel drive.

In total, Škoda has sold more than 5 million Octavia vehicles since the launch of the original car in 1996 and it hopes that those numbers will continue to grow larger as the years pass.