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Dream Car Performance Garage is the latest member of the PETRONAS AutoExpert network

Dream Car Performance Garage, which had its official opening today, is the latest member of the PETRONAS AutoExpert network in Malaysia. Located in the Temasya Industrial Park at Glenmarie, Shah Alam, Selangor, the service centre is a full-fledged auto service provider with experience in high-performance and high-end models.

The PETRONAS AutoExpert concept is an initiative by PETRONAS Lubricants Marketing Malaysia (PLMM) together with PETRONAS Lubricant International (PLI) which was introduced in Malaysia in April last year. It aims to establish 100 centres in Malaysia, with more to be opened across 30 countries in the next 5 years.

The idea behind the PETRONAS AutoExpert service centre is to allow customers to enjoy PETRONAS’ technical expertise, particularly in the area of lubricants. Business partners like Dream Car Performance Garage will offer value-added services that are usually associated with under-warranty care only.

Dream Car Performance Garage PETRONAS AutoExpert — *The service centre offers a range of PETRONAS lubricants especially formulated for high performance engines.*

As a PETRONAS AutoExpert service centre, Dream Car Performance Garage has specially trained mechanics utilizing the latest tools and technology to conduct vehicle inspection, engine diagnostics, oil change and other services. It also has access to systems and tools that help facilitate a more efficient service, with PETRONAS providing support such as training, marketing advice, effective trade programs and consultancy for future business development, as well as leveraging on PETRONAS as a leading global brand.

Click here for other news and articles about PETRONAS at PISTON.MY.

90 options for the Porsche Taycan owner who wants a more personalised car

For some time to come, owning a Taycan – Porsche’s first all-electric sportscar – will already be something special. But there will be owners who want a higher degree of personalisation and for these customers, Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur offer up to 90 exclusive options to choose from. The special equipment packages for the exterior and interior are hand-finished with high-quality components so they are of the same standard as the rest of the car.

The highlights among the exclusive options offered by the company’s own manufactory include the Sport Design package in three variants and 21-inch Exclusive Design wheels with carbon aeroblades.

Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur has extended its capacities to coincide with the launch of the Taycan. The factory space was expanded by a third to 2,000 square metres and 4 new lifting platform workstations were added. 150 square metres of storage space was also created and the vehicle logistics were optimised with a direct connection to the finished vehicle loading facility. The team has also grown with the additional vehicle finishing experts.

Exterior options
Three variants of the Sport Design package are available, all giving a more dynamic look. They differ with respect to the inlays in the lower front apron, in the sill panels and in the side fins of the diffuser. Depending on the package, these are painted in the exterior colour or in Black (high-gloss) or are made of carbonfibre.

The LED matrix headlights with Dynamic Light System Plus are available with a 3-dimensional circuit board graphic in the headlight housing as well as daytime running light elements in Glacier Ice Blue. The 21-inch Exclusive Design wheels with aeroblades made from forged and milled carbon combine excellent aerodynamics with lightweight construction: The weight reduction per wheel set is more than 3 kgs compared with a similar wheel variant.

Sporty, high-quality interior
The Carbon interior package is inspired by motorsports. Large areas in the front and rear doors as well as trim elements on the sides of the centre console are finished in matt carbonfibre. The accent package also offers a choice of contrasting colours in the interior, with the front and rear door trims painted in the exterior colour.

The Taycan’s sporty character is accentuated by the seatbelts available in the colours Graphite Blue, Truffle Brown, Lime Beige, Crayon, Blackberry, Meranti Brown, Slate Grey and Bordeaux Red.

About Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur
The customisation of production vehicles is the core competence of Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur. The more than 30 employees have access to an extremely wide range of visual and technical customisation options for the exterior and interior.

Added to this is a wide range of special colours and high-quality materials such as leather, carbonfibre, aluminium and elegant wood finishes for interior elements. Even customer wishes that are not covered by the 600 order options in the customisation programme can be realised by Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur for selected models. The requirements for quality, technology, road safety and full compliance with international laws are all met.

The facility has specialised in personalisation work since 1986. Besides the special customer cars, Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur also manufactures limited production runs, such as the recent 911 Turbo S Exclusive Series. As part of the Heritage Design strategy, Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur works together with the Style Porsche design department on designing exceptional vehicle concepts which combine the footsteps of history with the contemporary cars of today. The objective is to give exclusive sportscars the finishing touch using contemporary interpretations of design elements from past icons from the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s and 1980s.

Star Wars theme for Porsche Taycan debut in Asia-Pacific region

First SUV in Genesis range targeted at North American market

Genesis, Hyundai Motor’s luxury division, has unveiled its first SUV, targeting the North American where it will be in showrooms from mid-2020. The new model introduces a variety of firsts for the brand, including responsive electronic control suspension, active road noise cancellation, and an active motion driver’s seat.

“GV80 is our proof of concept that we infuse the spirit of youth and wonder into everything we do,” said Mark Del Rosso, CEO, Genesis Motor North America. “We developed GV80 by looking inward and asking ourselves how Genesis brand DNA could differentiate our very first SUV. I’m overwhelmed by the bench strength at Genesis and what the design, engineering and development teams have accomplished with the GV80.”

The production GV80 realizes the vision of the GV80 Concept first shown at the 2017 New York auto show. It joins the line-up of G70, G80 and G90 sedans with more than a common thread of design identity.

Signature Genesis design elements are immediately visible on the GV80 from every vantage point. The Crest Grille emphasizes gravitas consistent with the positioning of GV80. The Parabolic Line runs smoothly along the side with precise execution, accentuated by power lines above each wheel emphasizing stance and presence. The Quad Lamps, which flank the Crest Grille, are made possible with sophisticated lighting technology.

Unique signature of Genesis design
“The Quad Lamp graphic will become the most recognizable, unique signature of Genesis design, as the simplest of lines communicate a distinct identity,” said Luc Donckerwolke, Executive Vice-President, Chief Design Officer of Hyundai Motor Group. “Two lines will come to define Genesis.”

The G-Matrix pattern that appears in light fixtures throughout the exterior is inspired by orchids seen when diamonds are illuminated by light. The pattern also appears on the available 22-inch wheels.

The body structure of GV80 is enhanced with hot-stamped, high-strength steel, as well as lightweight aluminium used on the doors, bonnet, and tailgate that allow it to achieve competitive curb weight.

Luxury in space
The interior focuses on ‘the beauty of white space’, characteristic of the elegant South Korean architectural philosophy. The concept of ‘luxury in space’ defines the open feeling of the cabin of GV80, with the G-Matrix pattern as a motif.

“The concept of the ‘beauty of white space’ is a hallmark of Korean design. We were able to express a luxurious feel for the interior of GV80 through reductive design and channelling the Korean roots of the Genesis brand,” explained SangYup Lee, Senior Vice-President, Head of Genesis Design.

The width of the cabin has been emphasized through the design of sleek, thin air vents that run across the passenger compartment. A 14.5-inch, split-screen infotainment display sits front and centre atop the dashboard. The number of hard buttons and switches was intentionally kept to a minimum, both for aesthetic purposes and ease of use. In up-level variants, soft materials cover every surface, from the inside of the door handles to the quilted knee pads that line the lower sides of the console.

The ornate centre control unit on the middle console covers an electronic, shift-by-wire transmission base with dial-style shift. Handwriting recognition through the Genesis Integrated Controller helps users set a destination or enter data without having to operate a keyboard on the navigation screen — simply by using handwritten letters on the writing recognition control system.

A mobile ‘oasis’
The GV80 features the world’s first application of Road Active Noise Cancellation (RANC) technology, which dramatically reduces road noise while driving. Based on the science of digital signal processing, RANC overcomes the limitations of existing noise control technologies that rely on physical technology, such as materials and body structures, to quiet the cabin. RANC generates sound waves of opposite phases in 0.002 second by analyzing road noise in real-time, dramatically reducing irregular, simultaneous road noise.

Another world-first technology is an active motion driver’s seat that contains 7 air cells. This feature is said to reduce fatigue during long hours of driving. One-touch comfort control, adjustable from the front row, allows for limousine-level relaxation in the second-row seats with heating and ventilation available in the first two rows.

RWD drivetrain
As an ‘authentic’ Genesis, the GV80 sits on a unique rear-wheel drive platform, with all-wheel drive an option. Two turbocharged petrol engines (2.5-litres and 3.5-litres) will be available for the North American market, each paired with an 8-speed automatic transmission. All-wheel-drive models will be equipped with an electronically-controlled Limited Slip Differential at the rear axle.

Electronically controlled suspension with road preview is another Genesis first. This contributes to optimal ride comfort by recognizing information on the road ahead in advance via the front camera.

Advanced safety with world firsts
The GV80’s advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) including several world-first technologies, starting with Smart Cruise Control with Machine Learning (SCC-ML). SCC-ML advances the science and engineering behind smart cruise control. It is an artificial intelligence-based intelligent navigation technology that enables the car to independently learn the driving characteristics of its drivers and implement autonomous driving similar to that of human drivers.

Highway Driving Assist II (HDA II) is a system that assists the driver in a wider variety of situations than before, including lane-change when the turn signal is used, and helping to merge in congested situations.

There are no less than 10 airbags around the cabin. This includes a centre-mounted airbag between the front occupants to reduce injuries that may occur as the front occupants’ bodies are subjected to lateral forces during a collision at the side of the car.

Unfortunately, the potential volume in righthand drive markets is not as large as for lefthand drive regions and from a business perspective, it would not be cost-effective to develop and produce a RHD version. So Genesis will focus on LHD versions only.

Dewan Bandaraya KL offers special rates for compound fines for traffic offences if settled before March 3, 2020

In conjunction with Federal Territory Day this year, Dewan Bandaraya Kuala Lumpur (DBKL) is offering special rates for summonses. Owners or operators of motorcycles, cars and heavy vehicles can pay a compound fine of RM15 if they settle by March 3, 2020.

The offer is intended to encourage settlement of overdue summonses so that blacklisting does not occur. The rate is only applicable for traffic offences and is not applicable to cases which are already undergoing court proceedings or blacklisted vehicles/owners.

Payments can be made at all DBKL and Pos Malaysia branches and counters. Payments online can also be done via DBKL’s app Mobis (available at Google Play Store or Apple App Store), or MyEG.

According to Khairul Azmir bin Ahmad, Director of DBKL’s Corporate Planning Department, of the total number of summonses that have not been settled, DBKL has brought 107,547 cases to court and as at December 31, 2019, 4,914 cases have been blacklisted by the JPJ.

Today (February 1) is also the last day of the offer by the Traffic Police to settle summonses with a 50% discount. You don’t have to rush to the police station as they accept payments online via MyEG and Rilek.com.my.

It’s discount time again! Pay 50% less if you settle your summons between January 18 and February 1.

Lower toll rates on PLUS highways start after midnight today

If you are travelling on a PLUS highway tonight, don’t forget that after midnight, toll rates will be 18% lower. So pull over at a R&R for a teh tarik and delay your exit till after midnight. If you’re coming from Juru in the north and exiting at Jalan Duta in Kuala Lumpur, you can save almost RM8. You might get a special welcome from the PLUS people too as they are gathered there tonight for a symbolic ceremony to mark the occasion.

The PLUS-operated highways which will have toll reductions are the North-South Expressway (NSE), the New Klang Valley Expressway (NKVE), the North-South Expressway Central Link (ELITE), the Malaysia-Singapore Second Crossing (LINKEDUA), the Seremban-Port Dickson Highway (SPDH), the Butterworth – Kulim Expressway (BKE), the East-Coast Expressway 2 (LPT2), and the Penang Bridge.

The 18% reduction follows an agreement with the Ministry of Finance in exchange for an extension of the concession another 20 years until 2058. The reduction applies to all Passenger Vehicles (Class 1), Taxis (Class 4) and Buses (Class 5) and will remain unchanged until the concession ends. Toll charges for lorries (Classes 2 & 3) will also remain unchanged until the end of the concession in 2058.

PLUS has agreed to make the reduction as well as maintain the highways without any compensation or further funding from the government. Thus, apart from savings for the average of 1.7 million highway users each day, taxpayers will also not be paying for the upkeep of PLUS highways. PLUS has given assurance that its services and operations will not stagnate and aims to provide improvements as the years go by, as well as enhance the travelling experience on its highways.