Honda Malaysia, using its Facebook presence, is organizing an action adventure for its motorsports fans to Hulu Langat this coming weekend. Costing RM120 per pax, which is inclusive of a buffet lunch and drinks, participation can be registered at the Honda Racing Malaysia Facebook page (www.facebook.com/HondaRacingMalaysia).

A series of physical activities, which includes negotiating obstacles on ropes over 30-ft high, and an orbing challenge in what’s dubbed the ‘Orb Olympics’ are lined up for the adventure buffs, with Grand Stand tickets for the upcoming Super GT Sepang 2010 on 20 June amongst the rewards offered to motivate participants. Orbing is an exercise where participants are strapped inside a huge inflatable ball and rolled down a slope. Other activities include an archery and a ‘Fear Factor’ type challenge.

It all started in 1994, when a bunch of 140 Volkswagen Beetle owners, led by the late Nash Nasihin Ali, got together to organize the first gathering of their cars in Malaysia. That first Bugfest, Bugfest 94, took place at Penang, and was quickly adopted by the Penang state government as an official Tourism Event for the state. As a result, the second edition, Bugfest 95 was also held at the island state.

After a one-year hiatus in 1996, the Bugfest shifted to Johor Bahru, following the appointment of Nash as the General Manager of Crowne Plaza JB. Three successive Bugfests were held at the southern city before the year 2000 edition saw the event renamed to Bugfest Malaysia 2000. By then, the event had already attracted a huge following with participation coming from as far as Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines and Indonesia.

The last Bugfest was held in 2004, which coincided with the 10th Anniversary of the event. Themed ‘A Decade of Love Affair … Another Century to Share’, Bugfest Malaysia 2004 attracted the a 403-strong participation, which included entries from the US, UK, Germany and China. Bugfest had at that time became one of the major tourism events in Johor over the years, sanctioned by the Johor State Government, Tourism Malaysia and the Johor Tourism Action Council.

Nash’s passing in 8 Sept 2005 saw the Bugfest die with him, but Kelab Pemilik Volkswagen Johor Bahru (KPVWJB), organizers of past Bugfests since 1997 has decided it is time to revive the Bugfest legacy, with ‘The Return of Bugfest’ in Bugfest Malaysia 2010. Tentative dates for the event is currently set on 4 – 6 June 2010, with the Sutera Mall, Johor Bahru being the selected venue.

A charity tie-up for the event is also planned, with The Princess Elizabeth School, Spastic School of Johor, and Rumah Barkat amongst notable beneficiaries of fund raising activities to be held in conjunction with the Bugfest.

The participation fee for Bugfest Malaysia 2010 stands at RM50 per person, with an optional RM90 charged per person for a night in the Puteri Pacific Johor Bahru on a first come first served basis. Included in the RM50 participation fee is a goodie bag and also a seat in a planned gala dinner for one person.

Further inquiries can be made to Kelab Pemilik Volkswagen Johor Bahru with the following contact details:

Suite 22-06 Menara Landmark,
Mail Box 204, Jalan Ngee Heng,
80000 Johor Bahru,
Johor D.T.,
MALAYSIA
Tel : +607 2222206
Fax : +607 2212206
Mobile : +6016 7155517
Email : kpvwjb2010@yahoo.com

KON

See also: BugFest Malaysia 2000 in Johor – by Chips (18/8/2000)

Talk About It: The Return Of Bugfest 2010

For the third successive year, the country’s best selling car is now also the best quality compact car, according to J.D. Power at least. The Perodua Myvi finished top in the Compact Car segment for J.D. Power Asia Pacific’s 2009 Malaysia Initial Quality Study. Topping the survey outright is the rugged Isuzu D-Max pickup, while the likes of the Honda City, Toyota Corolla Altis, and Toyota Innova also returned results that were above industry average, beating rivals in their respective segments.

Now in its seventh year, results for the 2009 edition of the study were compiled based on feedback from 2,874 owners of new vehicles purchased between Sept 2008 and May 2009. Participants of the survey, which owned a combined 52 different models, were interviewed from March 2009 to July 2009, and were asked to provide feedback 200 problem symptoms covering eight vehicle components: vehicle exterior; driving experience; features/controls/displays; audio/entertainment/navigation; seats; HVAC; vehicle interior; and engine/transmission.

From the gathered feedback, the various models were then ranked against each other by the self descriptive term problems reported per 100 vehicles (PP100). The industry average for Malaysia is 136 PP100 in 2009. That’s not very good from a consumer perspective, as it means that on average, something is bound to be faulty when you take home a new car.

The results by segment, extracted from J.D. Power’s website, are as follows:

Compact Car Segment

1. Perodua Myvi (127 PP100)
2. Proton Savvy (154 PP100)
3. Perodua Viva (186 PP100).

Entry Midsize Car Segment (B-segment)

1. Honda City (76 PP100)
2. Toyota Vios (107 PP100)
3. Proton Saga (158 PP100)

Midsize Car Segment (C-segment)

1. Toyota Corolla Altis (80 PP100)
2. Honda Civic (103 PP100)
3. Nissan Sylphy (109 PP100)

MPV/Van Segment

1. Toyota Innova (85 PP100)
2. Nissan Grand Livina (89 PP100)
3. Toyota Avanza (100 PP100).

Pickup Segment

1. Isuzu D-Max (66 PP100)
2. Toyota Hilux (94 PP100)
3. Mitsubishi Triton (101 PP100).

Perodua comments

Yesterday, Perodua issued a press release announcing their recipient of the IQS results from J.D. Power. At a prize presentation held in Perodua HQ, Rawang, J.D. Power Asia Pacific GM Taku Kimoto said, “For the customers, good fuel efficiency is the main reason to purchase a Myvi in addition some (respondents) quoted the attractiveness of the design and the roominess of the cabin.

Since its launch in May 2005, the Myvi has went on to be the country’s top seller with over 378,000 units sold since. In 2009, it once again topped the nation’s sales charges with some 91,000 units sold.

Also present to receive the award from J.D. Power was Perodua MD En Aminar Rashid Salleh, who said, “This is a very proud day for us as the Perodua brand has earned the trust of the Malaysian public yet again. On behalf of Perodua I would like to thank all Malaysians for choosing Myvi as their car of choice.”

KON

Just one month into the job, the new MD and CEO of Honda Malaysia, Mr Toru Takahashi, is left with no doubt on how massive a pair shoes he is filling in here. His predecessor, Mr Atsushi Fujimoto, signed off his reign in Malaysia by spearheading HM to a tremendous 46% quarter-on-quarter growth for the first quarter of 2009, despite a 10.5% shrink in market size.

Recently, Honda has announced sales figures for March 2009, which saw them sell 3,905 cars. That significant figure represented not only a 55% year-on-year increase from 2008, but also showed Honda capturing an impressive 10% share of the total industry volume (TIV).

“In view of the current market situation, it is truly a momentous experience for us to be reporting a series of vibrant results, in fact, from the beginning of the year. And for that, we have no one else to thank but our supportive customers,” remarked Takahashi.

“At Honda, we constantly adhere to our principle of providing products of the highest quality at a reasonable price, which makes our products relevant to the market regardless of the surrounding circumstances. And we are pleased to learn that, given the circumstances, consumers are reconsidering their priorities when purchasing a car. Brand credibility and product reliability are more crucial now. They want to be assured that the car they buy today would not become a liability in the near future,” he added.

The cornerstone of this success is none other than the new Honda City, launched December last year to critical acclaim, and now to commercial success. The new City accounted for 2,342 units sold that month, representing 60% of their sales volume. Customers looking to book their cars now will be joining a waiting list featuring no less than 4,000 names.

New City accounted for 60% of Honda Malaysia’s total sales.

Meanwhile, the Honda Civic contributed 471 sales, with a further 1,500 customers waiting for their cars after the launch of the facelifted version. In response to the increased demand, Honda Malaysia’s plant in Pagoh is working on full capacity, increasing production of both the City and the Civic.

Takahashi correctly remarked that it is a momentous experience to be reporting such impressive growth in sales despite a shrinking market. Honda has put in a lot of hardwork in their brandbuilding to ensure a loyal following from their customers, and they genuinely deserve a pat in the back for their efforts. The challenge for them now, is to sustain this success and keep it going.

Facelifted Civic brings in 1,500 bookings.

Figure 1: Total sales breakdown by models for the month of March, 2009.

I know, I know, its an ugly little car isn’t it.

tata-nano.bmp

I mean the Smart wasnt exactly good looking, but the Nano was clearly drawn to be easy to build. The designers gave it all five minutes for asthetic considerations and then went on to other more important things.

But if you can get the looks, which I would prefer to describe as extrreme utlitiarianism, there is a lot of qualities in the Nano that will make it a hot seller.

The car goes for USD2,500 which means that it is less than RM10,000 after profits. I do wonder how much it actually costs ex-factory…USD1750? USD 2,000?

So imagine this tiny four seater ending up on our shores for RM15,000. Would youbuys one? I would. It’s dirt cheap, the monthly payments will be like abike’s and it’s going to be a doddle to park. I would not even care about the lack of power as long as it is fitted with an air conditioner.

It would simply take the place of motorcycles and that alone should be reason enough to bring it here. If we have less mtoorcycles on our roads, mroe of our fellow Malaysians will be out of the sn and rain when they commute, that should make it them safer and more comfortable.

The only thing that will hold back the sales of the Nano is the price, or rather the high duties here.

I do wonder if local assembly is an option?

Better still, maybe Proton or Perodua can come up with out own version of the Nano. I think there is a huge market for cars like this. Almost everyone likes a cheap and cheerful car, it can even become a trend.

Right now, their onine booking site is down due to high traffic. How’s that for popularity? I don’t think any other car launch can use up bandwith like this.

Hopefully we will see more future green steps

The Government recently announced that the new fuel regime which consist of RON97 for premium petrol buyers, RON95 replacing RON92 for motorists on a budget or driver of older cars and Euro 2M grade diesel replacing the current DERV standard.
Of course this is still pie in the sky because we have heard this announcement many times in the past few years, only to be told that some obstacle or other is in the way of its implementation.
I hope that the wind of change that is sweeping through our political landscape will strengthen the Government’s resolve to give us better quality fuel so that the environment suffers less from our motoring and transportation needs.
RECAP
For those who have not read about this new rule, this is how it works: RON97 is suppose to float according to market price while RON95 will get subsidies to keep it stable, Diesel Euro 2M will be sold at the same price as the current oily fuel.
The six-month waiting period is apparently normal as fuel companies need time to work out the correct formulation at the local refinery and mixing plant and build up stock for roll out.
With the introduction of this new fuel regime we certainly hope that the Government will continue to take incremental steps to implement higher environmental standards for our cars and trucks.
While we are talking about the environment, I hope the RM5000 scrapping policy will be a permanent feature of our automotive industry and not just a recession mode.

OK, it is born a bit premature. The accident that is the global depression forced the Government to deliver it less than fully formed but at least we can now entertain the prospect of ridding our roads of dangerous, polluting and wasteful jalopies and join the ranks of environmentally responsible developed nations.

Since it is a rather less than a fully formed policy, the Government is taking the path of least resistance and minimal complication by allowing only Proton and Perodua to enjoy the benefits of scrapping rebate.

But I am quite sure that Naza, which is also a certified national car maker,  will soon climb onto the bandwagon.

According to an industry insider, the MAA had proposed the implementation of the scrapping policy in the past but their proposal allowed all brands to enjoy the rebates.

“At that time maybe there was no real political will to implement scrapping but now there is a need to stimulate the industry, we are finally seeing the policy implemented, but in a different form,” said the insider.

This scrapping policy will help the country modernise the cars that are clogging our roads and with new and more modern engines and technology, Malaysia will likely see a noticeable reduction in national fuel consumption.

SF Schmidt automotive research says that the Government should encourage new and more efficient fuel consumption technology to enter the market and use the scrapping policy as the carrot.

“They can emulate the Japanese practice of requiring car companies to charge a cost for recycling onto the price of every new car sold and the amount is dependent on the car’s recyclability and ease of recyclability,” says their senior researcher Faiz Al Shahab.

“This way we can encourage domestic and foreign carmakers to sell only environmentally sound vehicles to our market.

“We are in the cusp of becoming a developed nation, it is time that the country adopts the outlook and practices of developed nations and start looking at ways we can be more responsible to the environment.

“Numerous studies have shown that being environmentally sound will not only help us preserve the planet for the future but it is also economically beneficial. After all efficiency is the greatest hallmark of envvironmental friednliness.

“Being green means being more profitable, in many cases,” says Faiz.

Generally good for everyone, but classic car fans may have a gripe 

Muhyiddin: Incentive to boost local car market

When the Malaysian Automotive Association announced that January sales had plunged 17.5 per cent, it certainly looked like the Malaysian car market is suffering more than expected.

Late last year many industry leaders who were polled said they expected the market to shrink between 10 and 15 per cent, while a few went so far as to predict a 20 percent shrink.

MAA’s figures may not be far off the mark but things are not likely to look up anytime soon as February numbers are expected to be dismal as well but for a different reason, it was a very short working month, with public holidays punctuating sales effort.

GONE: Old, unsafe and environmentally unfriendly cars can be taken off the road and crushed 

International Trade and Industry Minister, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin suggested a blanket RM5,000 incentive for owners of cars that have been on the road 15 years or more.

While details of the proposed scrapping mechanism is yet to be properly explained, it is expected to run along similar veins of systems already in place in countries such as Japan and Singapore.

BOOSTER: Taking old cars off the road gives room for growth in the Malaysian automotive indsutry 

It is expected to work like this; Upon purchase of a new car, the Government will give owners a rebate of RM5,000 for the old car that they hand over and the money is expected to help them with the price of a new car.

While the RM5,000 will help boost new car sales, it is also possible to use the mechanism to reduce the number of smoking and unsafe jalopies from our roads.

CLASSIC GRIEF: Enthusiasts may find old cars and their cheap source of cannibalised parts disappearing

However classic car enthusiasts may be affected by this ruling as old cars which used to be an inexpensive source of parts may begin disappearing.

I say it is OK as long as the Government does not ban old cars from our roads, the incentive of RM5,000 is probably set just about right to encourage owners to get rid of really old, dirty and unsafe cars which typically change hands at these price range.

I suspect the incentive may also have an effect of used car prices, as cars exceed the 10-year limit, they may start losing their charm very quickly as owners realsie they have a bankable value with their car and not bother to put it up for sale, preferring instead to just send it to the graveyard.

Funnily enough I think that the majority of Malaysians will have RM5,000 as the baseline value for all mass market cars as they reach 15 years of age.

The incentive system will drag down used prices of mass market models appraoching a certain age but may help better quality cars to maintain their value with owners knowing that they have a RM5,000 safety net, in case they change their mind.

 According to Business Times, the Government has briefed oil companies about the move but then again teh oil companies weer also briefed about implementing cleaner diesel some two years ago but we still ahve to buy dirty DERV.

Anyway, if this is true, then we may finally have a system that reflects the real cost of fuel. For a time, If the current economic depression continues to move south, Ron 97 may be cheaper than the other fuels, if just for a few months.

US oil consumption continues to decline in January so expect crude to fetch less this month and next as weather improves and the need for heating oil evaporates with rising spring temperatures. US oil demand rises again in summer to take care of air conditioning needs as well as covering demands for increased holiday travel.

However, if the US economy fails to respond to teh USD800 bilion stimulus package, RON97 may be cheaper than the other regulated fuels… strange but true.

Below is the Business Times article.

Business Times Story

RON 97 petrol price to be floated
By Mustapha Kamil
Published: 2009/02/19

THE price of premium grade petrol RON 97 will be floated according to international oil prices from July.

It is understood that oil companies briefed their retailers this week that there will also be changes to grades of fuel sold at pumps.

Several retailers said the “regular” grade RON 92 fuel would be phased out and a new grade, RON 95, would be introduced, in addition to RON 97.

The retailers said there would be a subsidy on the price of RON 95 fuel used by a majority of cars in Malaysia.
Diesel would be upgraded to European standards, most probably the Euro 2, allowing the introduction of more vehicle models with advanced diesel engines in Malaysia, they added.

While it remains below the Euro 4M class of diesel fuel, the Euro 2 diesel has significantly lower sulphur content.

National oil company Petronas is expected to lead the way in selling biodiesel fuel.

The other oil companies are expected to follow later.

Malaysia spent some RM40.5 billion on fuel subsidies from 2005 to last year.

The government has been working on a formula to reduce the amount of government subsidy on petrol while keeping negative impact from the swaying international crude oil prices to the minimum.

The retailers said it was also possible that taxes imposed on the premium grade fuel would be used to subsidise the RON 95 price.

As BMW gears up for the launch of the latest 7-series here in Malaysia, let’s take a look back at the history and heritage of the Munich firm’s flagship model. 

1. E3 (1968 – 1977) 

Back in the 1950s, BMW was on the verge of bankruptcy. The folks at Munich won’t want you to know this, but in 1959, BMW was just a whisker away from being sold to, of all companies, Daimler-Benz. Since then, the Bavarians went on to introduce the iconic New Class line, of which the famous 2002 was a member.

The success of the New Class enabled BMW to grow from strength to strength, and they went to challenge Mercedes head on with the New Six product line, which were a series of six-cylinder engine sedans and coupes. The coupes were known internally as the E9, while the four-door sedans were designated as the E3.

Although the E3 is recognised as the ancestor of the 7-series, they were not known as such yet. Initially, it came in two versions, the 2500 and 2800 – no prizes for guessing the engine size, such is the extent of German naming creativity. Even back then, the E3 had set the stage for BMW’s long-running battle against Merc, beating the equivalent S-class in powerplant smoothness, but losing out in interior space.

Having set its sights to gun down Merc, BM had furnished the E3 with a comprehensive spec list, offering disc brakes and independent suspension all-round as a statement of intent. The bulletproof M30 powerplant debuted in the E3, but remained in service all the way to the mid-90s, powering the likes of the 535i and 735i.

Notable versions of the E3 include the US-only BMW Bavaria (which was a 2500 specced with the 2800’s engine), and the long wheelbase 3.3Li – curiously badged as so, considering the engine only displaced 3,188cc.

  
The BMW E3

2. E23 (1977 – 1986)

In 1972, the BMW 5-series was launched to replace the New Six sedans. Designated as the E12, it started BMW’s three-digit nomenclature for naming its models, and was powered by a series of four-cylinder engines from the New Class and six-cylinder engines from the New Six. It was actually smaller than the E3, which meant that the latter continued service until 1977, when the E23 was launched to replace it.

The E23 slotted above the E12 5-series, and was dubbed the 7-series. It was powered entirely by inline-six cylinder engines, most of them carried over from the E3. It moved the game on from the E3 with advanced features such as ABS, fuel injection, power seats, power windows, and power sided mirrors.

In left-hand drive markets, there was the top-of-the-line 745i powered by a version of the M30 engine displacing 3,205cc, boosted by turbocharging to churn out 249hp @ 5,200rpm and 374Nm @ 2,600rpm. In 1984, the engine grew to 3,430cc, but had turbo boost reduced from 0.69bar to 0.41bar, with BMW quoting identical output figures. This setup never saw light in RHD markets, because the turbocharger could not be configured to fit in the engine bay for RHD versions.

Of course, in Malaysia, if you do see one, chances are it’s running with a Nissan or Toyota engine under the hood.

E23 BMW 7-series

3. E32 (1987 – 1994)

BMW retired the E23 after 10 years of service, replacing it with the E32. The fabled M30 straight-six engine continues to see action here in the 730i and 735i, displacing 2,986cc and 3,430cc respectively. Moving further up the food chain, BMW introduced V8 and V12 engines in the 7 for the first time.

The 5.0-litre V12 M70 powerplant debuted in the 750i in 1987, while the V8 M60 engines only appeared in 1992. The M60 came in two guises – the 3.0-litre M60B30 and the 4.0-litre M60B40. The M70 block served as the basis for the S70/1 6.1-litre V12 used in the McLaren F1. However, the M60 had a less glorious history, with its Nikasil engine linings susceptible to corrosion when used with high sulphur fuel. BMW eventually had to replace many of the affected engines using Alusil as a substitute material.

Like the E28 from the E3, the E32 was also a far more advanced car compared to its predecessor. The upper mountings of the seat belts self-adjust when you adjust the seats front and back. The window seals are engineered to press the rubber on the glass when the window is closed and loosens when the window is open. Forgot to close your windows after locking your car? No worries, stick your keys into the door handle, twist to ‘lock’ hold it there, the windows go up themselves. It even pioneered projector headlights.

All it did not do was fly… oh, well…

The E32 – owners, don’t get funny ideas…..

4. E38 (1995 – 2001)

The E38 was launched to replace the E32 after seven years of service. It was the first 7-series offered with a diesel engine in the 725tds, offered alongside the petrol-powered V8 variants 730i, 735i, 740i, and also the V12 750i. Eventually added to the lineup were the 728i, 730d and 740d.

In 1996, BMW debuted its now-famous Steptronic semi-automatic transmission in the 750i while upsizing the 740i’s V8 from 4.0-litres to 4.4-litres. Inside, the electronically adjusted driver’s seats have memory functions, and features Active Comfort Seats which BMW claims to reduce fatigue in both driver and passengers.

5. E65 (2002 – 2008)

Despite being labelled by many as such, the E65 7-series was not Chris Bangle’s first creation at BMW, though it was the one that made him the most famous (or infamous) designer of the car world. Can you name the chief designer of Honda, Toyota or Mercedes? I suspect not.

Bangle attempted to revolutionise the styling language of BMW for the new century, and this first attempt at that effort was horrible. Even after six years, it’s still ugly. Like in previous 7-series, BMW engineered many revolutionary features in this car. The infamous iDrive made its debut here as BMW attempted to re-write the driving rulebook.

In place of a gear lever, is an electronic steering mounted gear stalk controlling outputs to the 6-speed auto from ZF. The car was so laden by electronics that early units were plagued by software failure. BMW has never managed get the measure of the S-class, and in the E65, they never stood a chance.

6. F01 (2009 – )

The F01 7-series made its world premier in September 2008, and will be officially launched in Malaysia on 14 Jan 2009. As of Saturday 10 Jan, a long wheelbase 740Li was parked in Auto Bavaria Bukit Bintang showroom. Currently, only three models are available – 730d, 740i and 750i.

Watch out for more details on AW after the launch.

The F01 – coming real soon.