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Porsche 911 GT3 achieves amazing lap times on the Nordschleife

The Nordschleife race track in Germany has become the main proving ground of manufacturers looking to be crowned the king of supercars. Automakers and teams from all over the world head to the the legendary race track with their latest and greatest creations to one up the competition.

Referred to as ‘The Green Hell’by Formula 1 legend, Sir Jackie Stewart, the Nordschleife gained notoriety over the past few decades for punishing driver and car for the slightest mistake and taking the lives of many others who have pushed just a little too hard around several of its merciless corners.

That is exactly why Porsche took its latest 911 GT3 there for a few hot laps. Porsche believes that if you can drive fast on the Nordschleife, you can drive at that speed anywhere else in the world. And after its first day on track, the car achieved a time of 7 minutes and 12.7 seconds, blitzing the record of its predecessor by an astonishing 12.3 seconds. Surprisingly, the new 911 was in stock configuration and had no work done or given performance upgrades before it went on track.

The new 911 is equipped with a 500bhp naturally aspirated engine that is mated to a Porsche 7-speed PDK gearbox. It comes with rear-axle steering and Michelin Sport Cup 2N1 tyres, which allow the car to cling to the road with relative ease.

Speaking of the accolade, Frank-Steffen Walliser, Vice President Motorsport and GT cars at Porsche, said, “By achieving this time, we have emphatically proven that the new 911 GT3 not only provides the best driving experience, but can also deliver an impressive performance on the Nordschleife. The focus was on optimising the driving quality and adapting to the slight increase in engine power.”

This won’t be Porsche’s only outing, expect more record shattering feats from the new 911 in the coming months, which would cause a few sleepless nights for some in Italy.

Mitsubishi offer exclusive deals and cash bonus for festive season

Mitsusbishi Motors Malaysia (MMM), will be offering a number of promotions that include exclusive deals and cash bonuses for the upcoming Raya festive season. Those who buy a Mitsubishi between today and 30th June can expect cash bonuses worth up to RM9,000.

If you purchase a ASX 2WD GL Compact SUV, it will only cost you RM99,000 instead of the original price of RM110,000. The vehicle will also offered with a 5-year warranty. If you opt for the new Triton however, you can expect a cash bonus of up to RM9,000. For the Outlander Limited Edition, customers will get a cash bonus worth up to RM4,000 as well as added accessories which include rear seat entertainment system (with DVD player) as well as Digital Driving Video Recorder and Connected car (with GPS tracking). Lastly, if you get the Standard Outlander, Mitsubishi will give you a cash bonus that is worth up to RM7,000, which should help sweeten the deal quire a bit.

The automaker hasn’t forgotten about current customers for this festive season, as they can expect to take advantage of MMM’s service campaign from 1st June to 15th July 2017. Those who service their vehicles at any authorized Mitsubishi Motors service centre will be given e-vouchers as well as car air fresheners as long as stocks last.

For those who are eligible for the free maintenance package, it covers the cost of engine oil, oil filter, fuel filters, air filters, brake fluid, coolant, differential oil and transmission oil. If you would like to know more, visit the automaker’s local site or head on over to your nearest Mitsubishi dealership.

Maxx ‘N Go app aims to make vehicle maintenance easier for you

MaxxOil Malaysia, an oil distributor in the region has launched a new app that is aimed at simplifying vehicle maintenance and in turn, making it more convenient for its owners. The app, Maxx ‘N Go was launched at the Royal Chulan, KL by its brand ambassador, Datuk Wira Lee Chong Wei and Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, YB Datuk Seri Ir. Dr Wee Ka Siong.

The app was designed and made available online in December 2016 and within a span of a few months, about 15,000 downloads were recorded. The app allows users to schedule an on site oil change service according to their convenience. Once they have selected a time and date, a mechanic from a nearby area will pop on over to your selected location and conduct a routine oil change on your vehicle by utilizing Maxx Oil’s products. This negates the need to take your vehicle to a service centre, instead the service centre comes to you. The app’s services are available for use, seven days a week, which is an improvement over what were are currently used to.

Besides regular consumers, Maxx Oil has also partnered with Grab Malaysia, making Maxx ‘N Go the panel’s service provider. As such, Grab’s driver partners can now get an exclusive discount on services by using the app. This will make it more convenient for Grab partners to get their vehicles serviced as and when they find most convenient.

Another tie up involved Maxx Oil and Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Car Dealer & Credit Companies Association (FMC). Through the use of the app, FMC’s car dealers are entitled to receive a special rate in a commission scheme. This places less of a burden on car dealers who need to ensure that vehicles on their lots are serviced at regular intervals. Instead of taking individual vehicles to service centres, well trained technicians will conduct maintenance work on the dearler’s lot.

As of now, the Maxx ‘N Go app services only covers Selangor and the Klang Valley but in a couple of months, users in Ipoh, Penang, Johor and Kelantan will be able to enjoy the same services described earlier. The app is available for download through the Google Play Store for Android devices and Apple’s App Store for iOS ones.

Ferrari does well in first quarter of 2017

Ferrari has announced that the first quarter of 2017, has been good to them with 2,003 vehicles sold, which is a 6.4% increase compared to the same period last year. The major contributor to this figure was the sales of V12 engine models, which saw a 50% increase in sales compared to the same period last year. The surge in demand for the 12 cylinder engine vehicles off set the 3% decrease in sales experienced by the V8 models. The V12 models that were the most sought after of the lot, where the GTC4Lusso, LaFerrari Aperta and F12tdf.

Besides the sales of fully assembled vehicles, Ferrari is also in the business of selling engines to other manufacturers, racing divisions and Formula One teams. For this quarter, engine revenue increased by 81%, which amounts to RM494 million in total net revenue. This increase can be attributed to strong sales for Maserati models that managed to offset loses due to the termination of an engine partnership between one Formula 1 racing team and Ferrari.

According to the Italian automaker, overall, all regions contributed to its success this year. Market share in Germany, France, Italy and United Kingdom grew at a double digit pace in the first quarter. Ferrari sales in the Americas saw an overall increase of 4.2% with Asia Pacific bolstering sales figures further with a 4.0% increase. China, Hong Kong and Taiwan markets, in total, grew by a commendable 3.2% meaning that demand for Ferrari and sports cars in general, haven’t been hampered by the current uncertain economic climate.

Before this financial year is over, Ferrari plans to ship 8,400 vehicles that include supercar models, which should amount to a net revenue of RM 15.8 billion. Whether or not Ferrari achieves this sales figure remains to be seen, but judging by the current market demand for Maranello’s latest offerings, Ferrari should be able to achieve said targets with relative confidence.

Toyota’s having a special roadshow in May

Instead of waiting for customers to wander into a Toyota dealership, the automaker has decided to take the showroom to them. Called the Toyota Go 2017 Roadshow, UMW Toyota Motor will be having the roadshow event at seven mall locations around the country this month.

The entire line-up which includes, passenger cars, SUVs, pick-up trucks and MPVs will be on display for for the general public to view and experience. Test drives will be available for customers to experience the vehicles’ full potential and find out more about the specifications and pricing.

The roadshow isn’t just a showroom on ‘wheels’ though, because it is actually meant to serve as a one-stop solution for owners and customers a like. The former will have the chance to find out more about the 10-star benefits offered by the company. It includes the Careplus packages for their servicing needs as well as professional repainting and repairing services at Toyota Body and Paint facilities around Malaysia.

It also serves as an opportunity to find out if their vehicles are part of the Special Service Campaigns. In recent times, the automaker had introduced one to replace the infiltrator module of the Takata airbag system of its vehicles.

Customers can meet with advisers to find out more about the various financing packages for hire-purchase loans. Those who prefer to purchase a pre-owned Toyota can meet with advisors from TopMark, which is a subsidiary of UMW Toyota Motor who will inform them on several pre-woned Toyota models and also evaluate the vehicles of those wishing to trade-in their old cars in order to purchase a new one.

There will also be a race prepared Vios that will be on display for the general public. The vehicle is what will be used for a series of one-make races called the Toyota Vios Challenge. It’s part part of the Toyota Gazoo Racing (TGR) Racing Festival.

In certain locations of the road show, popular celebrities participating in The Toyota Vios Challenge will also be present. As of now, the automaker has not divulged much regarding this issue, but we will let you know more as soon as we find out.

Besides these events, Toyota roadshow will also have activities to entertain the entire family which include an Outdoor Night Theater and a Petting Zoo. If you are interested, take a look at Toyota’s schedule below and plan your weekend accordingly.

6-7 May 10am – 10pm Central AEON Mall, Shah Alam

6-7 May 10am – 10pm South Angsana Mall, Johor Bahru

6-7 May 9am – 9pm (Sarawak) Boulevard Mall Outdoor Carpark, Miri

12-13 May 10am – 10pm East Coast AEON Mall, Kota Bharu

13-14 May 9am – 9pm (Sarawak) Sibu Gateway, Sibu

20-21 May 10am – 10pm East Coast Stadium Darul Makmur, Kuantan

20-21 May 9am – 9pm (Sarawak) Travillion, Kuching

Honda announces great sales figures and campaigns

Honda Malaysia has announced that sales figures from January to April of this year have been good and has put the automaker on track to achieve its sales target of 100,000 vehicles. This will it to keep the top spot among non-nationl manufacturers based on total industry volume (TIV) this year.

As of now, Honda has achieved 35% of its sales target with 34,500 vehicles sold at the end of April. Compared to last year, sales has risen by 40% or 9,800 more vehicles were sold. Attributing to that number is the new BR-V that racked up 7,800 orders and the new City which has received 7,200 bookings since its launch in March.

Demand for the Civic has risen too with 840 vehicles sold per month. Prior to the introduction of the 10th gen car, the Civic nameplate was only receiving 50 to 200 orders, which says a lot of the new car’s appeal.

And to ensure that the Japanese automaker keeps up with demand especially with the upcoming festive season, Honda’s two production lines will be adjusted so that waiting periods do not exceed 2 months and that with the increased production, quality control isn’t effected either.

Besides these sales figures, Honda Malaysia also announced new prices for the HR-V and CR-V 2.0 2WD due to re-classification under the new customs tariff code. Pricing for the HR-V 1.8L S is now RM101,100, E is RM110,700 and the V variant is RM121,000. The price of the two-wheel-drive CR-V has been adjusted to RM141,500.

As a means to allure more potential buyers to the brand, Honda will be organizing two campaigns this month. The ‘Nikmati Musim Bonus’ will take place from 1st May 2017 to 31st May 2017. During this period, Honda is offering customers 2 years of free vehicle servicing (parts & labour) or cash options. The second campaign, is a nationwide showroom event which will be conducted in conjunction with Mother’s Day on 13th May 2017.

The event will take place from 10am to 4pm and will feature a whole host of activities for the appreciation of mothers, which include roses and Mother’s Day cards made by their own children in the Honda showroom. Other activities include test drive gifts and lucky draws, which should prove to be fun and enjoyable for the whole family.