What can be more hardcore than the Porsche 718 Cayman GT4? A new big brother – the 718 Cayman GT4 RS. This will become the new top model of the 718 family when it makes its global debut in November. It will be the first 718 to carry the RS badge.
Although the launch is just two months away, the engineers want still more tests to be run and final testing and evaluation drives are being conducted on twisty mountain roads and on the racetrack.
Porsche has released some footage and information from these exercises with brand ambassador and development driver Jorg Bergmeister showing off the car’s dynamic potential on the 20.832-km Nurburgring-Nordschleife circuit. Driving a lightly disguised production car, he clocked a lap in 7:09.300 minutes. On the shorter lap, the 718 Cayman GT4 RS completed the lap, which had previously served as the benchmark, in 7:04.511 minutes – 23.6 seconds faster than its little brother.
To protect the driver, the mid-engined sportscar was equipped with a racing seat. The tyres fitted to the car were Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R, which will be optionally available to customers.
“During development, we gave the 718 Cayman GT4 RS everything that characterizes a genuine RS: lightweight construction, more downforce, more power and, of course, an even higher level of responsiveness and feedback to driver inputs. The fantastic lap time of the Nordschleife is impressive proof of how clearly noticeable these improvements in driving dynamics are,” said Director GT Model Line, Andreas Preuninger. “Our customers can look forward to a pure driver’s car that makes a thrilling driving experience an absolute priority.”
“The 718 Cayman GT4 RS is an uncompromising driving machine. It feels as nimble as a go-kart on mountain roads, yet is impressively stable and well-balanced on the racetrack. Otherwise, such a lap time wouldn’t even be possible,” said Bergmeister, who has spent more than 500 hours driving the car as part of the development program. “The GT4 RS is one of the sharpest cars Porsche has ever developed. And you really have had to experience the breathtaking noise it makes for yourself,” he said.
GoCar Malaysia – an on-demand app-based platform that offers ‘mobility-as-a-service’ – is running the GOLADIES campaign which provides free GoCar Garage trials with upgrade options to encourage more women drivers to experience the benefits of its digital car service and maintenance solution.
Using the GoCar App, the first 300 women customers to apply the relevant promo codes will receive a free or upgradable pit-stop oil change service (only premium Total or Shell branded oils).
The promo codes are as follow:
“PITSTOP1” for Mineral Oil service package, totally free (normal price RM98)
“PITSTOP2” for Semi-Synthetic Oil service package for only RM30 (normal price RM128)
“PITSTOP3” for Fully-Synthetic Oil service package for only RM100 (normal price RM198)
They can also enjoy having their car serviced without needing to take time off work or leave their homes. GoCar’s GoValet door-to-door delivery service will be available for free during the campaign period. Other benefits include free 2-hour use of a GoCar vehicle, free car wash and sanitisation and a free 31-point vehicle inspection to ensure their vehicle is in tip-top condition. This would be particularly useful now that many people are keen on making long trips after over a year of restrictions.
The one-time-only promo codes must be used between October 21 and November 30, 2021, but customers will have until December 31, 2021 to make their service appointments. The GOLADIES campaign is available only within the Klang Valley area. Vehicles will be serviced at the GoCar Garage Hub in Petaling Jaya, Selangor.
“GoCar Garage is the latest offering in our increasing focus on mobility-as-a-service to harness technology to improve customer experiences. We understand that car servicing is generally not an enjoyable experience, and the prospect of unexpected costs can be unsettling. For women, there also tends to be greater concerns about being overcharged or taken advantage of, which is why our GoCar Garage solution is ideal for them,” said Wong Hoe Mun, CEO of GoCar Malaysia.
“With our seamless end-to-end platform, they can complete the entire servicing process with just their mobilephones. Furthermore, they can be assured of OEM-level service excellence as our technicians are trained to work on any make and model of passenger vehicle,” Mr. Wong added. “More importantly, we are the only third-party car service centre to provide upfront quotations for pre-approval so they can rest assured of full transparency in our pricing.”
Through the GoCar mobile app, customers can easily schedule and confirm their service appointments, select or request required services, make payments and arrange for door-to-door delivery, anytime and from anywhere. In addition to the 45-minute oil change, other services include battery inspection and replacement, tyre services, air conditioning repair and maintenance, brake repair and maintenance, engine cooling system and replacement, electrical diagnosis as well as body and paint repairs.
The mobile app tracks all requested services and generates quotations to mitigate any possibilities of unapproved mark-ups. Furthermore, these cost breakdowns will only be generated if the technicians think a procedure is required after inspection. Work will only begin after customers give their confirmation and approval.
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This year’s TOYOTA GAZOO Racing (TGR) GT Cup ASIA 2021 Regional Finals saw 21 national qualifiers – from Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, India, Taiwan, and South Korea – competing against each other in the popular simulator racing event. They were battling it out not only for the attractive prize money but also a chance to represent Asia and compete alongside world players in the TGR GT Global finals to be held in December.
In the second running of the e-sports competition, Chou Yi Teng (Taiwan) and Nathayos Sirigaya (Thailand) opened the regional finals with leading positions in the first race for their respective groups. In the final round where the top 15 racers competed on the circuit used for the 24-Hour Le Mans race, Yi Teng steadily held his leading position through 5 laps to land first place, with other finalists racing closely behind him including defending champion Muhammad Aleef (Singapore). Overall, Nathayos – who placed third last year – clinched the winning spot. Yi Teng came second while Aleef came in third.
“I didn’t think I had a good shot at winning when I started in the fifth position in the final race, so I am very humbled for the win,” Nathayos said after his victory. “It has been an amazing experience racing alongside the best e-Motorsport racers in Asia. I’m taking away with me important learnings and experiences that will be immensely valuable heading into the Grand Finals. I am grateful for the opportunity provided by Toyota to pursue my passion for racing in the virtual world.”
The Regional Finals featured 3 races run on different circuits from around the world. The fight for the championship started with a semi-final race, where the 21 entrants competed in two groups using the GR Yaris. This was along the Tokyo Expressway – obviously not a circuit that would be used in real life!
Nathayos led the race and eventually took victory in the final seconds of the last lap for Group A. Trailing right behind him was fellow teammate Thanaphat Pungphat, as both Thai drivers stuck with each other throughout the race.
“The plan was to stick together in the qualifying round and work together to get to the finals,” Nathayos mentioned. With their plan playing out perfectly, the duo saw a total of 32 points in the team standings after the first round. For Group B, Chou Yi Teng (Taiwan) earned first place.
The top 5 racers from each group in the semi-final round proceeded to the third and final race, while the remaining 11 racers competed in the second race at the Fuji International Speedway. In this consolation race, 5 racers competing in the GR Supra captured the last 5 seats in the final race, with Andika Rama Maulana (Indonesia) finishing in first place.
After the exciting first two races, the third and final races were run at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit in Belgium with the new GR 86 model, and then on the famous Circuit de la Sarthe which annually hosts the 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race. The car used was the 1000 ps Toyota TS050 Hybrid which has won the event many times.
“We are overwhelmed by the support for GR racers in our second year of TGR GT Cup Asia. We are excited to see more countries participating, increasing the competition intensity. It was thrilling to see Nathayos and Aleef returning to battle it out for the global final entries,” said the Vice-President of Toyota Marketing Asia, David Nordstrom.
A first for the tournament, prizes were also awarded for the top 3 country teams. Team Thailand took home the winning team honour with 131 points, followed by Team Malaysia in second place with 84 points, and Team Taiwan in third place with 83 points.
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The Total Industry Volume (TIV) for the month continued to rise for a third consecutive month, September being the first full month of business after the long forced suspension of activities. The TIV increased by 153% compared to August sales, translating to a volume difference of 26,775 units.
Of the 44,275 units, 38,315 were passenger vehicles (excluding pick-up trucks) while 5,960 units were commercial vehicles (including pick-up trucks). Pick-up trucks account for between 65% to 70% of commercial vehicle sales.
Compared to the same month in 2020, however, the TIV in 2021 was 23% lower. The gap for cumulative sales over 9 months was smaller at 7%; in the same period last year, 344,019 vehicles were sold whereas in 2021, the total number reached only 318,874 units.
According to the Malaysian Automotive Association, some companies are affected by the global chip shortage and are having delays in deliveries to customers. This situation affects CBU models as well as those that are locally assembled although not equally at different plants.
Production nevertheless has been climbing in the same manner as sales numbers, with most plants able to operate at full capacity. The government allows those factories with a minimum of 80% of their workforce fully vaccinated to carry out operations with full attendance.
The total production volume for September was 229% greater than the output in August, with 45,972 vehicles assembled. Of this number, 42,556 units were passenger vehicles.
Cumulative production from January to September reached 303,996 units, 4% lower than the 315,863 units that were assembled over the same period in 2020.
The MAA expects October sales to show continued increase as output of vehicles is pushed as much as possible, while the companies are doing their best to meet 2021 targets if possible. There are still a few new models that will be launched before the end of the year so customer interest will be high. And of course, towards the end of the year, there will also be promotions that will entice many to buy a new vehicle.
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Shinya Ikeda has been appointed to the position of Chief Executive Officer of Mitsubishi Motors Malaysia (MMM), taking over from Tomoyuki Shinnishi who returns to a new role at the Mitsubishi Corporation headquarters in Japan. Prior to this new role, Mr. Ikeda was General Manager in Mitsubishi Corporation’s automotive business field since 2019. He is, however, no stranger to Malaysia as he served as its Chief Financial Officer and General Manager of MMM between 2009 and 2012.
Mr. Ikeda started his career in Japan in 1995 and joined Mitsubishi Corporation in 2008. His first assignment was to manage the automotive business investment in Malaysia. He has since held various leadership roles and has been involved in automotive and finance businesses within Mitsubishi Corporation and other markets such as Japan, Indonesia, Russia, and Germany.
“I am excited to join Mitsubishi Motors Malaysia’s team. The company has grown from strength to strength and has now become one of the nation’s leading automotive brands. As announced in the Mitsubishi Motors Corporation Mid-Term Business Plan last year, MMC will continue to focus on the ASEAN market and particularly Malaysia as the country is one of the most important markets in the world to expand the Mitsubishi brand presence. I look forward to working with the team to contribute with the knowledge and experience that I’ve had. I am also happy to be back in Malaysia as the country is home to various diversified food and culture and also people with enormous talent and potential,” said Mr. Ikeda.
Mr. Shinnishi, who joined MMM in 2016, has taken the company further during his 5-year tenure. In that time, the company introduced new models such as the new Triton and XPANDER 7-seater MPV, the latter being assembled locally in Pahang. Though its range is not large, MMM has the best-selling non-national MPV and the Mitsubishi Motors is also among the country’s top three non-national brands.
To know more about Mitsubishi Motors products and services in Malaysia, visit www.mitsubishi-motors.com.my.
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