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Honda Bags Two Autocar Asean Awards
teamcar -The eighth generation Honda Civic 2.0S has been declared the winner of two categories in the inaugural Car of The Year Awards by automotive magazine, Autocar Asean.
The Honda Civic beat 41 other rivals for the title of Overall Winner for "Car of the Year 2005/2006" and the Winner of the Midsize Sedan/Hatchback by the magazine in their October 2006 issue.
In a statement here Monday, Autocar Asean editor Denis Wong said the Civic fulfils every requirement of a practical family saloon but also has the desirability and cool factor synonymous with the brand."It is by no accident that a Honda has won two out of the three overall Car of the Year titles awarded by us in the last three years," he said.
"That the all-new model was adapted for local assembly so soon after its worldwide launch speaks volume for Honda Malaysia's resolve to offer the newest products at the most attractive prices," said Wong.
Nicky Hayden MotoGP World Champion
teamcar - The ‘Kentucky Kid' is now the 2006 MotoGP World Champion. Nicky Hayden has taken on the best riders in the world and triumphed in what has been a gruelling 17-race season spanning the globe – the toughest task in motorcycle racing.
But here at Valencia, Spain the 26-year-old has achieved his life ambition and taken the greatest prize in two-wheel racing.
Nicky's two wins and 10 podiums, combined with his 16/17 points scoring finishes have made him the first American rider since Kenny Roberts JR in 2000 to lift the biggest prize in bikesport. Nicky's consistency has been his greatest strength this year.
Even when the Repsol Team has struggled to adapt his development Honda RC211V to a certain track, his sheer grit and refusal to yield to circumstance has ensured he has scored points when a lesser rider might have crumbled.
Nicky's competitive urge and the huge amount of experience he has gained over four seasons of premier class racing have finally come together to give the bike-crazy Hayden family it's first World Champion
Upgrading For Kuala Lipis-Gua Musang Road
teamcar - The Kuala Lipis-Gua Musang Road, at a stretch of which a fatal accident occurred early Thursday, will be upgraded under the Ninth Malaysia Plan, Works Minister Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu said Thursday.
He said upgrading work was expected to begin in June next year.An accident occurred at Km66 of the Jalan Lipis-Merapoh stretch of the road at about 1 am Thursday involving a car and an express bus.
The driver of the car died in the mishap while three passengers of the car were injured and admitted to the Kuala Lipis and Gua Musang hospitals."The area is not classified as a black spot by the JKR (Public Works Department)," Samy Vellu in a statement here.
He said he was informed by the JKR that police investigation showed that the car veered to the opposite lane and collided with the bus.Samy Vellu expressed his condolences to the family of the dead driver.
Alonso champ, Schumacher making the headlines
teamcar - Fernando Alonso may be champion, but the world's press converged in congratulation as Michael Schumacher bowed out of F1 in Brazil.
"If you saw this race," said Spanish TV broadcaster Telecinco, "it is hard to believe that this man does not have more to offer this sport."Did his time really come, or did he have to stop?"Italy's La Gazzetta dello Sport said: "Alonso is world champion, but Schumi is a legend. He leaves Formula One like a king.
"Why must a 37 year old man go into pension, when the joy he experiences is that of a young boy? For his race at Interlagos there are no words. The master left by giving one last lesson.
La Repubblica, meanwhile, says that Ferrari 'hopes he stays around as a manager', while Spain's Sport claims that 25-year-old Alonso is a 'worthy successor' for the multiple world champion.
The Marca daily says: "Alonso will be remembered as the successor of the most successful driver in history."El Mundo Deportivo contended that Interlagos 'confirmed that the Alonso era has begun', but 'Sport Barcelona' reckons 'it will be difficult to find another Schumacher'.
September new car sales in Malaysia drop
teamcar - NEW car sales dipped nearly 8,000 units to 42,884 units year-on-year in September from 50,542 units registered in the same month last year, the eighth consecutive month of decline.
Sales volume will not get better this month, according to the Malaysian Automotive Association (MAA).Sales for September was 9.1 per cent or 4,305 units lower than in the previous month, MAA noted in its interim sales and production data released yesterday.
MAA said sales volume for October is expected to be lower than September. This is due to the short working month because of the festive holidays.The sales decline in September was in line with MAA's forecast of a 6 per cent contraction of the total industry volume for the whole year.
MAA had said 520,000 units of cars, vans and sports utility vehicles (SUVs) would be sold this year, lower than the 551,042 units sold in 2005 and also fewer than its original forecast of 565,000 units announced in January.Analysts said tough market conditions, coupled with low used car value and tighter loan procedures, had caused domestic car sales to drop.
Rising inflation, slower economic growth and cautious consumer sentiment were also to blame.
Roads, highways to go fully on-line, says Samy
teamcar - Major roads and highways in Malaysia may soon be controlled electronically to speed traffic flows while vehicles to the smallest car, the Perodua Kancil, could be fitted with the Global Positioning System (GPS) to guide motorists to their destinations.
The idea may seem far-fetched in Malaysia, at least for now, but for Works Minister Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu, it could be made possible with the implementation of the Intelligent Transportation System (IRS) Master Plan soon.
"We are studying to use the ITS on a larger scale. Now, it is more on an ad-hoc basis like the electronic toll collection system and the variable message signs (VMS)," he said Sunday.
While the GPS system was readily available in many high-powered vehicles in Malaysia, its usage has not been widely accepted due to lack of technological infrastructures.
Belted Rear Seat Passengers Can Protect Drivers In Accidents
teamcar - Rear seat passengers who wear the safety belt can prevent themselves as well as the driver and front seat passenger from being killed when a car is involved in a road accident, according to an expert on road safety.
Prof Dr Radin Umar Radin Sohadi said the impact during an accident could be "very harmful" to the people not wearing the safety belt."
During the impact, rear seat passengers can not only be killed (if they do not wear the safety belt) but they can even cause the deaths of the people in the front seats because the impact during a crash can be equivalent to two tonnes," he told Bernama Monday.
Radin Umar, who is deputy vice-chancellor (Academic and International Affairs) of Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), said that during a crash, the weight impact would increase tremendously and this could be harmful to the passengers not wearing the safety belt.
Therefore, he said, it was advisable for the rear seat passengers to wear the safety belt although it was not mandatory for them to do so at the moment. Currently, only the driver and the front passenger are required to wear the safety belt.
Man pays RM200,000 for car license plate, sets local record
teamcar - A man has paid 200,000 ringgit for a car license plate bearing his surname, the highest bid in the country for such an item, an official and news reports said Friday.
The "TAN" license plate went to an ethnic Chinese businessman, identified only as Tan, The Star newspaper said, quoting Road Transport Department director-general Emran Kadir.
An official at the department's Kuala Lumpur office, who requested anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media, confirmed the bid.
The Star quoted Emran as saying the three-letter combination in the license plate was followed by a single digit, which further increased the value of the plate. The report did not say what the number was.
The first letter on a number plate indicates the state that issues it, and the successful bidder obtained it from Terengganu state. The bidder is not a native of the state, The Star said.
The previous record was set when 166,000 ringgit was paid for a plate reading "JJJ1."
Tan is a common surname among Malaysia's minority ethnic Chinese, who make up a quarter of the nation's 26 million citizens.
The Malaysian government does not allow personalized plates, such as those issued in the United States, but auctions off license plates bearing specific numbers or letters sought by customers.
Proton Will Collapse Without a Foreign Partner, Mahathir Says
teamcar - Proton Holdings Bhd., Malaysia's biggest carmaker, will collapse unless it finds an international partner such as Volkswagen AG, said former premier Mahathir Mohamad, who set up the company more than two decades ago.
``At the rate it is going, it's not going to last long,'' said Mahathir, 80, who became an adviser to the Shah Alam, Malaysia-based automaker after stepping down as prime minister in 2003. ``Proton is reporting losses all the time, and they still have a lot of cars which they cannot sell.''
Proton has been losing market share to overseas rivals including Toyota Motor Corp., and needs to gain new technology and designs to compete. Volkswagen ended talks with the Malaysian carmaker in January because the two sides couldn't agree on issues including control of the company.
Proton, which produces eight car designs under its brand and two types of Lotus sports cars, has been seeking a foreign partner since Mitsubishi Motors Corp. and Mitsubishi Corp. ended more than two decades of investment in the company in January 2005. (MORE ON
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Honda wins new car buyer survey
teamcar - A survey of new car buyers in the United States shows that Honda Motor Co. customers are the most satisfied with their purchases.
Strategic Vision Inc. polled more than 64,000 people who bought new vehicles from October 2005 to March 2006, 90 days after purchase, to see if they thought they got their money's worth.
Honda emerged, again, as the most satisfying full-line automaker, with its Civic, Ridgeline, Accord and Pilot topping their classes.
Toyota Motor Corp., which had seven segment winners in 2005, took three categories in this year's study.
South Korea's Hyundai Motor Co. had three winners, Azera, Kia Optima and Kia Sedona, while its Tucson tied General Motors Corp.'s Saturn Vue for top-ranked small sport utility vehicle.
Alonso wins as Schumacher goes up in smoke
teamcar - Michael Schumacher had just exited the pits for the second time whilst leading the 53-lap Japanese Grand Prix when his title hopes took a massive dive as the Ferrari V8 failed half way around the lap. Alonso soon picked his way through the smoke and cruised to the chequered flag and a ten point advantage heading to the season finale in two weeks time in Brazil.
Schumacher took over the lead early in the race from Pole-sitter Felipe Massa while Alonso soon worked his way up from fifth on the grid to run third behind the two Ferrari drivers. Massa would lose position to Alonso after losing time having exited the pits for the first time and found himself behind Nick Heidfeld who quite rightly did not yield. It was unfortunate for Massa who was forced to pit a little early due to a suspected puncture.
Schumacher continued to lead but the massive Bridgestone advantage displayed yesterday in qualifying did not translate in the race and Schumacher was forced to work very hard to keep the gap to Alonso at five seconds. 17 laps from the end of the race and it was all over for Schumacher as the engine failed in dramatic style. Alonso is on the verge of back-to-back titles and now needs just a single point in Brazil. (
more pictures in photo gallery)
Proton scores highly in customer satisfaction survey
teamcar -According to a recent study by consumer data experts Wegener DM, Proton Cars UK is in the top five car manufacturers when it comes to customer satisfaction.
The Malaysian manufacturer achieved a rating of 68% in the 'very satisfied' car owners section placing it fourth out of 28 manufacturers.
Customer satisfaction has always been of high importance to Proton and this latest result is backed up by the recent NFDA Dealer Attitude Survey where Proton dealers also showed their support for the manufacturer.
Simon Park, General Sales and Marketing Manager at Proton Cars UK said:"At Proton we continually strive to deliver a high level of customer service from our first-rate sales and after-sales service from dealers and head office, combined with a comprehensive warranty package and reliable vehicles.
"It is a positive time for Proton Cars UK with an increase in sales figures every month this year compared to last, and with a new model, the 3 door Satria, due to be launched in early 2007.
UMW Toyota may miss 100,000 units sales target
teamcar - UMW Toyota Sdn Bhd, the assembler and distributor of Toyota vehicles in Malaysia, believes it will not be able to achieve its target of selling 100,000 Toyota vehicles by year-end because of the lacklustre vehicle market.
Its managing director, David Chen, said the company was not confident of achieving its target due to the slowdown in vehicle sales in the market this year.
“The target looks a bit dimmer than before and not within reach right now. But we are going all out to maintain our 17% market share (in all vehicle sales),” he said.
Chen was speaking at a media preview of the upgraded Toyota Avanza 1.3E variant and the new Avanza 1.5G vehicles in Subang Jaya on Oct 3.
For the first eight months of the year, the Malaysian Automotive Association reported total industry volume sales fell 5.1% to 339,519 units from 357,807 units, with passenger car sales dropping 5.9% to 254,980 units from 270,830 units.
Tyre aftermarket to grow 9.7% to RM1.3b this year
teamcar - The Malaysian tyre aftermarket (tyre replacement market) is expected to see a 9.7% growth in revenue to US$353.6 million (RM1.3 billion) in 2006 from US$322.3 million (RM1.19 billion), driven by the launch of new car models and growth in the used car market, global consulting company Frost & Sullivan said.
Frost & Sullivan said the Malaysian tyre aftermarket would likely reach US$388.2 million (RM1.43 billion) in revenue in 2007 and US$627.5 million (RM2.31 billion) in 2012.
It said the launch of new car models and growth in the used car markets have been one of the most significant factors in driving demand for the Malaysian tyre replacement market.
Frost & Sullivan automotive and transport Asia Pacific research associate Brijesh Sheregar in a statement yesterday said the Malaysia tyre aftermarket was in the growth stage and has the potential to expand further.
“Opportunities for market participants are increasing in tandem with better product and value offerings to customers,” he said.
Sheregar said the passenger car segment, which includes sports utility vehicles (SUV) and multi-utility vehicles (MUV), generates nearly half of the revenues in the tyre aftermarket.
(source-the edge daily)
2006 Paris motor show opens with 65 new models
teamcar - The 2006 Paris World Motor Show opened Friday with over 65 new products to be unveiled over the next two weeks.
The show, open to the public from Sept. 30 to Oct. 15, has attracted more than 400 brands from 26 countries, including Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Peugeot, Ford and Toyota.
More than 65 new models are to be given their world premieres in front of a predicted total audience of 1,500,000 people.
The show also has an area devoted to automotive history. Visitors will be able to check out the "Incredible Collection" featuring the 60 most beautiful cars from museums and manufacturers' collections.
The Paris Motor Show is held every two years. As the state-of-the-art showcase for the automotive industry worldwide, the show brings together manufacturers of private cars and utilities, designers and engineering firms, manufacturers of equipment and accessories, new energy developments, and service providers.
Michael Schumacher wins Shanghai classic!
teamcar - The 56-lap Chinese Grand Prix will undoubtedly go down as one of Michael Schumacher’s most important victories in his long and illustrious career. Against the odds the Ferrari star took the chequered flag three seconds ahead of arch rival Fernando Alonso. It was in fact a race that Alonso should have won were it not for two critical mistakes.
As Michael Schumacher beamed on the podium, Alonso gave a wry smile despite well aware of the fact that he has now lost the lead in the championship to Schumacher. With equal points at the head of the drivers’ table, Schumacher takes the lead courtesy of his seven wins to Alonso’s six.
It was a great race for Formula One. As the teams pack up and head to Suzuka for next weekend’s Japanese Grand Prix, it could hardly be closer.
teamcar - The ‘Kentucky Kid' is now the 2006 MotoGP World Champion. Nicky Hayden has taken on the best riders in the world and triumphed in what has been a gruelling 17-race season spanning the globe – the toughest task in motorcycle racing.
teamcar - Fernando Alonso may be champion, but the world's press converged in congratulation as Michael Schumacher bowed out of F1 in Brazil.
teamcar - NEW car sales dipped nearly 8,000 units to 42,884 units year-on-year in September from 50,542 units registered in the same month last year, the eighth consecutive month of decline.
teamcar - Major roads and highways in Malaysia may soon be controlled electronically to speed traffic flows while vehicles to the smallest car, the Perodua Kancil, could be fitted with the Global Positioning System (GPS) to guide motorists to their destinations.
teamcar - Proton Holdings Bhd., Malaysia's biggest carmaker, will collapse unless it finds an international partner such as Volkswagen AG, said former premier Mahathir Mohamad, who set up the company more than two decades ago.
teamcar - A survey of new car buyers in the United States shows that Honda Motor Co. customers are the most satisfied with their purchases.
teamcar - Michael Schumacher had just exited the pits for the second time whilst leading the 53-lap Japanese Grand Prix when his title hopes took a massive dive as the Ferrari V8 failed half way around the lap. Alonso soon picked his way through the smoke and cruised to the chequered flag and a ten point advantage heading to the season finale in two weeks time in Brazil.
teamcar - UMW Toyota Sdn Bhd, the assembler and distributor of Toyota vehicles in Malaysia, believes it will not be able to achieve its target of selling 100,000 Toyota vehicles by year-end because of the lacklustre vehicle market.
teamcar - The 2006 Paris World Motor Show opened Friday with over 65 new products to be unveiled over the next two weeks.
teamcar - The 56-lap Chinese Grand Prix will undoubtedly go down as one of Michael Schumacher’s most important victories in his long and illustrious career. Against the odds the Ferrari star took the chequered flag three seconds ahead of arch rival Fernando Alonso. It was in fact a race that Alonso should have won were it not for two critical mistakes.