Latest Insights

Mazda: Our Aim Is Not To Build Cheap Cars, We Focus Only On Car Lovers

Insights

Hans  |  October 11, 2017

On paper, the Mazda CX-5 sits in the same class as the Honda CR-V and Subaru Forester, not forgetting similarly priced 7-seaters like the Mitsubishi Outlander, real world experience with the actual car tells a very different story.The badge might say...

Ford Thailand Shows You How To Load Your Pickup Properly

Insights

Aswan  |  October 04, 2017

While pickup trucks may offer a huge amount of boot space and lots of flexibility in terms of how you load your cargo, there are still a lot of ways this can go wrong. You see it from time to time, with objects strewn by the side of the road after...

This Twin Steering Wheels Lexus Is Saving Enthusiast Drivers From Driverless Cars

Insights

Hans  |  October 02, 2017

Autonomous driving is the automotive industry’s buzzword these days. With non-automotive companies like Google and even China’s Baidu threatening to muscle into the automotive space by leveraging on their knowledge in artificial intelligence to build...

Get To Know The New CEO Of Proton – Dr Li Chunrong

Insights

Arvind  |  October 02, 2017

Towards the end of what was a lengthy and insightful press conference, punctuated by pressing questions about his mid- and long-term plans for Proton and brand of leadership that he will bring to the table.Dr. Li Chunrong, the first Non-Malaysian CEO of...

Honda City And Jazz Hybrid: Difference Between Hybrid and Non-Hybrid Models

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Eric  |  September 21, 2017

Honda Malaysia recently introduced two new hybrid models based on the new City and Jazz. Both these models adopt the company’s new Sport i-DCD hybrid set up, featuring a new 1.5-litre DOHC i-VTEC engine paired to a seven-speed DCT.From the exterior, as...

Honda Sport Hybrid, Is It Expensive To Maintain?

Insights

Eric  |  September 19, 2017

“Hybrid, you sure you want to buy a hybrid? Maintenance very high lah.” Yeah, that is the mindset that Honda Malaysia wants to eradicate with the introduction of its new hybrid lineup. Easier said than done, however, stigma remains ingrained in...

Malaysia Day Special: The Who and Where Of Malaysia’s Car Industry

Insights

Hans  |  September 16, 2017

When the late Tunku Abdul Rahman proclaimed Malaya’s independence from the British empire in 1957, our local roads were mostly travelled by imported British cars. There was no vehicle assembly or manufacturing plant in the country.The nearest was Ford...

How GM Pioneered Airbags And Then Lost It All To Mercedes-Benz

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Hans  |  September 03, 2017

Thirty years ago on this month of September, at the 1987 Frankfurt Motor Show, Mercedes-Benz introduced a W126 generation Mercedes-Benz S-Class fitted with a front passenger airbag – claiming it to be a world’s first. The same W126 model had also...

What goes into a VTEC Turbo?

Insights

Aswan  |  August 30, 2017

For a lot of car enthusiasts growing up in the 80s and 90s, the word VTEC was synonymous with high-performance engines from renowned Japanese manufacturer, Honda. Over time that acronym, which stands for Variable Timing Electronic Control, has been found...

50 Years AMG: Oliver Weidenmüller - The High-Flying Engine Builder

Insights

Kon  |  August 30, 2017

The heart and soul of every high performance vehicle by Mercedes-AMG is its engine. Every working day, AMG’s cherished engine builders clock in for duty at three different locations across Germany – Affalterbach, Mannheim, and Kolleda - to painstakingly...

BMW M5 (F90) – How Does It Compare Against The G30 M550i xDrive

Insights

Kon  |  August 23, 2017

BMW has just launched its all-new F90 M5 flagship, but this isn’t the only high performance version of the G30 5 Series on offer. Sitting just below the M5 is the M550i xDrive that was introduced together with the rest of the G30 range last year.At a...

That One Time BMW Got Sued For Making Too Many Cars

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Kon  |  August 23, 2017

You can get sued for a variety of things in the United States including, as BMW found out first hand, making more cars than you initially promised. This happened in 1991 when a group of E28 M5 owners filed a class action lawsuit against the Bavarian car...

New 2017 ASEAN NCAP Rating System Explained – Side Impact, Assist Tech Gain Importance

Insights

Kon  |  August 18, 2017

The New Car Assessment Programme for Southeast Asian Countries (ASEAN NCAP) has announced a new single rating system for the purpose of clearer communication to consumers.The new single rating system replaces the existing dual rating system in use since...

Why The Toyota Gazoo Racing Vios Challenge Is Important, For Now and The Future

Insights

Aswan  |  August 16, 2017

With the first leg of the Vios Challenge over and done with, it’s time for a little bit of reflection. We’re big fans of the street circuit concept, a welcome change from Sepang International Circuit being the sole venue for every major motorsport event...

50 Years Merc-AMG: Ten Coolest Cars In AMG History

Insights

Kon  |  August 14, 2017

From the moment Hans Werner Aufrecht and Erhard Melcher began fiddling with Mercedes cars in their covert backyard workshop, AMG has produced some real barnstormers in its existence. Throughout its 50-year history, AMG has made driving performance an...

How Honda Dummy-Proofs The FK8 Civic Type R’s Short Shifting 6-Speed Manual Transmission

Insights

Hans  |  August 11, 2017

As you might have already know, the all-new FK8 Civic Type R is available only with an ‘old school’ three-pedal 6-speed manual transmission, an increasingly rare option these days.While most other manufacturers have abandoned the conventional dry...

FK8 Honda Civic Type R: Making Automatic Rev-Matching Work

Insights

Hans  |  August 11, 2017

As you might’ve already read, the FK8 Civic Type R is only available with a 6-speed manual transmission. If you can’t handle three pedals, then you would just have to move along to either the Volkswagen Golf R or Mercedes-AMG A45 – both use dual-clutch...

The Faster, 3-Door FK8 Civic Type R That Honda Won’t Build

Insights

Hans  |  August 11, 2017

From the time when Honda’s red Type R badge made its debut in the Japan-only NSX Type R, officially known as NSX-R, Type R models are usually either two-door coupes or three-door hatchbacks.Apart from the FD2 and FK2 generation Civic Type R, four- or...