There many automotive / car shows held every year in countries across the globe. Some of these shows are immensely successful leading to the event occurring every year. Good examples are the SEMA show in Las Vegas, Tokyo Auto Salon, Tokyo Motorshow, Paris Motorshow and Frankfurt Motorshow. These car shows usually display cool new upcoming concept cars, new technology and show cases the history or motorsports pedigree that the car manufacturer has.
The same cannot be said about motorshows or car shows held in Malaysia. The Malaysian motorshows are a complete let down as the shows only display cars that are already sold in showrooms across the country and display very little flair in how the vehicles are exhibited. For shows that display tuned or modified cars, the organizers spend little effort to promote the event leading to very poor visitor turn out.
For the traditional motorshows the layout is extremely important as it is meant to provide optimum visibility for all exhibitors. In the case of Malaysia where there aren't any good exhibition halls capable of hosting large motorshows organizers are left with no choice but to use the out of date Putra World Trade Centre as the venue which spans across several medium sized halls on various floors. This is less than ideal for any motorshow as the visitors are expected to walk across exhibition halls that are scattered all over the place. The Kuala Lumpur International Motorshow is by far one of the worst organized in Asia.
The poor organizing also has led to many car manufacturers boycotting the motorshow all together. Some of the car manufacturers who boycott the event were BMW, Mercedes Benz and Audi. How do you have a motorshow when key manufacturers boycott the event?!
The recent Hot Import Nights in Kuala Lumpur which was organized by an Indonesian company was a complete failure. The visitor turn out was way below the expectations of the exhibitors despite 2 other large non automotive exhibitions taking place at the exhibition halls next to the Hot Import Nights event hall. Greedy organizers were to blame as the entry fee was RM10 per person and having such a small exhibition display visitors were left fuming over the lack of exhibits for them to see. Exhibitors were also upset by the low visitor turn out which mean little exposure for their brand or products.
Malaysia is in serious need of an international standard exhibition hall capable of hosting large international scale motorshows and good organizers who are able to create the interest for the public to visit the shows.
Thursday 20 December 2012
Tuesday 18 December 2012
Tyres and Malaysian public perception
Having known many tyre distributors in Malaysia it was very interesting to learn an interesting fact about Malaysian consumers. From a survey conducted by an international research company it was discovered that the Malaysian consumers use these top 3 factors to determine their tyre purchase:
1. Brand
2. design
3. OE - meaning original fitment tyre from car factory
Price was not even in the top 3 which is very surprising considering that the cost of tyres are increasing every year but yet the Malaysian consumer focuses more on these 3 key factors. These facts have pushed the big tyre companies to focus their marketing efforts on brand building to keep brand visibility and brand awareness as strong as possible.
The design factor is a subjective one as not all consumer are familiar with tread pattern design with many still thinking that a noisy tyre is lousy but forgot that a V tread unidirectional tyre will naturally be noisier than a straight grooved design tread.
Landing an OE supply deal for tyre companies is not easy and some tyre companies supply tyres to car companies at cost price making practically no profit but hope to make far more profit on tyre replacement.
1. Brand
2. design
3. OE - meaning original fitment tyre from car factory
Price was not even in the top 3 which is very surprising considering that the cost of tyres are increasing every year but yet the Malaysian consumer focuses more on these 3 key factors. These facts have pushed the big tyre companies to focus their marketing efforts on brand building to keep brand visibility and brand awareness as strong as possible.
The design factor is a subjective one as not all consumer are familiar with tread pattern design with many still thinking that a noisy tyre is lousy but forgot that a V tread unidirectional tyre will naturally be noisier than a straight grooved design tread.
Landing an OE supply deal for tyre companies is not easy and some tyre companies supply tyres to car companies at cost price making practically no profit but hope to make far more profit on tyre replacement.
korean car engine performance claims
I have noticed of late that Korean car companies such as Hyundai and Kia have been publishing very good performance figures in their brochures.
The Hyundai Elantra 1.6 petrol engine pushes out 138hp and 167Nm which is higher than Japanese counter parts such as Toyota which it's 1.6 litre engine in the Altis only pushes out 120hp and 158Nm. This is the same for the Kia Carens 2.0 litre pushing out 177hp and 211Nm. This again is higher than the Honda Accord's 2.0 which pushes out 150hp and 198Nm.
The question now is whether these claims are accurate. Car companies have a tendency to publish engine horsepower rather than on wheel horsepower as the figures are higher. Transmission losses will result in lower figures. Only a handful of companies only publish lower figures than the actual which were the horsepower on wheel, BMW being one of them.
Hyundai recently was sued in the US for falsifying fuel consumption claims by over stating the figures. I have a gut feel that this may be true for the engine performance claims too. The suspicion came about from the slower acceleration times compared to Japanese rivals. This of course could be due to poorer transmission efficiency however Hyundai and Kia have moved on to better transmission systems which employ 6 forward gears vs Japanese rivals who are still using 4 and 5 forward gears transmissions.
The claims should be verified by Governing institutions as to qualify the accuracy of the figures. This is would eliminate the possibility of the car manufacturer misleading the consumer.
The Hyundai Elantra 1.6 petrol engine pushes out 138hp and 167Nm which is higher than Japanese counter parts such as Toyota which it's 1.6 litre engine in the Altis only pushes out 120hp and 158Nm. This is the same for the Kia Carens 2.0 litre pushing out 177hp and 211Nm. This again is higher than the Honda Accord's 2.0 which pushes out 150hp and 198Nm.
The question now is whether these claims are accurate. Car companies have a tendency to publish engine horsepower rather than on wheel horsepower as the figures are higher. Transmission losses will result in lower figures. Only a handful of companies only publish lower figures than the actual which were the horsepower on wheel, BMW being one of them.
Hyundai recently was sued in the US for falsifying fuel consumption claims by over stating the figures. I have a gut feel that this may be true for the engine performance claims too. The suspicion came about from the slower acceleration times compared to Japanese rivals. This of course could be due to poorer transmission efficiency however Hyundai and Kia have moved on to better transmission systems which employ 6 forward gears vs Japanese rivals who are still using 4 and 5 forward gears transmissions.
The claims should be verified by Governing institutions as to qualify the accuracy of the figures. This is would eliminate the possibility of the car manufacturer misleading the consumer.
Opel Ampera - the future of electric cum hybrids?
While many car makers are busy working on their hybrids and other fuel efficient technologies such as engine Stop/Start, GM have been quietly perfecting their own version of hybrid technology.
GM's Ampera works on the concept of using the gasoline engine to power the batteries instead of powering the wheels directly. This essentially is a far more efficient way than the typical Hybrids used by Toyota and other manufacturers. When the gasoline engine is used to drive the wheels and the battery recharging is done during braking this means that the charging duration is very short as cars spend more time accelerating than braking. The Ampera's technology is at least 50% more efficient in usage of fuel than other hybrids. The Ampera also produces a healthy 370Nm of torque which makes it very lively to drive.
For electric / hybrid cars the focus is more on torque rather than horsepower as electric motors produce near instant torque which is good for getting off line and is able to over come weight without much difficulty. With the on-board range extended generator the Ampera can offer a range of up to 500km which is far better than a normal electric car. This reduces the range anxiety problem faced by many electric car owners.
Ampera also uses the current Lithium-ion battery which is also more efficient and more compact than the Nickel Metal Hydride batteries used in the Toyota Prius. The Ampera can be charge at home in 6 hour using a 240V 10Amp household plug.
The Ampera is definitely the right direction in terms of electric / hybrid car development. It is not ugly compared to other hybrids or electric cars and offers decent driving range.
GM's Ampera works on the concept of using the gasoline engine to power the batteries instead of powering the wheels directly. This essentially is a far more efficient way than the typical Hybrids used by Toyota and other manufacturers. When the gasoline engine is used to drive the wheels and the battery recharging is done during braking this means that the charging duration is very short as cars spend more time accelerating than braking. The Ampera's technology is at least 50% more efficient in usage of fuel than other hybrids. The Ampera also produces a healthy 370Nm of torque which makes it very lively to drive.
For electric / hybrid cars the focus is more on torque rather than horsepower as electric motors produce near instant torque which is good for getting off line and is able to over come weight without much difficulty. With the on-board range extended generator the Ampera can offer a range of up to 500km which is far better than a normal electric car. This reduces the range anxiety problem faced by many electric car owners.
Ampera also uses the current Lithium-ion battery which is also more efficient and more compact than the Nickel Metal Hydride batteries used in the Toyota Prius. The Ampera can be charge at home in 6 hour using a 240V 10Amp household plug.
The Ampera is definitely the right direction in terms of electric / hybrid car development. It is not ugly compared to other hybrids or electric cars and offers decent driving range.
Race of Champions
I was fortunate enough to visit the Race of Champions event in Bangkok last weekend. Awesome event that featured the best drivers from around the world against each other on a level playing field. As we all know motorsport is never a level playing field as different teams have different resources for development.
The Race of Champions event saw drivers race against each other using identical cars on the same track doing 2 laps each. It was purely down to driver skill and car control. The track layout was set inside a stadium so it was naturally going to be narrow and short.
After watching the Race of Nations where teams from several countries raced against each other. It was very clear to see how much the American drivers struggled against the Europeans. The American drivers just didn't have the speed to match the European drivers. The Asian drivers represented by China, Thailand and Japan fared better and managed to win some heats.
The cars used for this event were: Audi R8 LMS, KTM X-Bow, VW Scirocco R, Euro Racecar (similar to Nascar), ROC buggy, Toyota GT86 and Lamborghini Gallardo Trofeo. The drivers will swap cars for each race making it very interesting to see how well the drivers adapted to the different handling characteristics of each car.
Top notch Formula One drivers really showed their skill when they were the ones to beat.
In the Race of Nations Sebastien Vettel and Michael Schumacher won it for Team Germany. No other team even came close to beating Team Germany. It was very clear to see that the Formula One drivers and WRC drivers were among the best.
The individual driver's title was closely fought between the Formula One drivers and the DTM touring car drivers. Interestingly enough Michael Schumacher was beaten in the semi final by the eventual winner Romain Grosjean who was the Lotus Formula One team driver.
Veteran 500cc champion Mick Doohan and World Superbike champion Jorge Lorenzo were also present to try their luck. Having being a master of two wheels did not make any impact on four wheels. Both Doohan and Lorenzo struggled against WRC and Formula One drivers who were able to maximise the performance of their machinery.
Overall it is unique event where top drivers from different motorsports meet to race against each other. There is no other event like it in the world. Definitely worth watching live!
The Race of Champions event saw drivers race against each other using identical cars on the same track doing 2 laps each. It was purely down to driver skill and car control. The track layout was set inside a stadium so it was naturally going to be narrow and short.
After watching the Race of Nations where teams from several countries raced against each other. It was very clear to see how much the American drivers struggled against the Europeans. The American drivers just didn't have the speed to match the European drivers. The Asian drivers represented by China, Thailand and Japan fared better and managed to win some heats.
The cars used for this event were: Audi R8 LMS, KTM X-Bow, VW Scirocco R, Euro Racecar (similar to Nascar), ROC buggy, Toyota GT86 and Lamborghini Gallardo Trofeo. The drivers will swap cars for each race making it very interesting to see how well the drivers adapted to the different handling characteristics of each car.
Top notch Formula One drivers really showed their skill when they were the ones to beat.
In the Race of Nations Sebastien Vettel and Michael Schumacher won it for Team Germany. No other team even came close to beating Team Germany. It was very clear to see that the Formula One drivers and WRC drivers were among the best.
The individual driver's title was closely fought between the Formula One drivers and the DTM touring car drivers. Interestingly enough Michael Schumacher was beaten in the semi final by the eventual winner Romain Grosjean who was the Lotus Formula One team driver.
Veteran 500cc champion Mick Doohan and World Superbike champion Jorge Lorenzo were also present to try their luck. Having being a master of two wheels did not make any impact on four wheels. Both Doohan and Lorenzo struggled against WRC and Formula One drivers who were able to maximise the performance of their machinery.
Tuesday 4 December 2012
sodium battery for Hybrids
The latest development in the Hybrid / electric car battery evolution is the break through in sodium battery technology discovered by Toyota engineers. This technological break through means that the power and range of a hybrid or electric car is no longer limited to 200km on a single charge. The sodium battery is expected to provide 3 to 4 times more driving range than conventional nickel metal hydride batteries and also much smaller and more powerful. Being smaller and lighter also means the car designers have greater flexibility with car design for better aesthetics and aerodynamic efficiency.
This break through will change the way people perceive electric cars. Instead of driving the car within city limits where charging can be more accessible, the sodium battery powered electric cars will be able to drive between cities and be less of a burden to owners who wish to drive beyond 300km on a single trip. This will also make the electric cars more practical for daily use and also potentially increase the acceptance of electric cars.
The battery and driving range of the electric car has always been its Achilles heel and there was no solution for this problem until now.
This break through will change the way people perceive electric cars. Instead of driving the car within city limits where charging can be more accessible, the sodium battery powered electric cars will be able to drive between cities and be less of a burden to owners who wish to drive beyond 300km on a single trip. This will also make the electric cars more practical for daily use and also potentially increase the acceptance of electric cars.
The battery and driving range of the electric car has always been its Achilles heel and there was no solution for this problem until now.
Sunday 2 December 2012
Hennessey Venom GT2 - totally outrageous
There are sportscars, then supercars and now hypercars. The terms have changed over the decades as the cars evolved. 200hp was once considered a big figured but now 200hp is available in many family saloons and even numerous small cars have this kind of horsepower. Family saloons like the mannered BMW 5 series easily muster over 300hp in the 535i now.
In the early 1990s Mclaren introduced the F1 which was a first of its kind to offer over 500hp. In fact this car had 600hp and was the pinnacle of sportscar development. It was actually the first supercar so to speak. The car combined massive horsepower and a very light weight body. This means awesome performance and this performance figure stood for more than 1 decade before any other car could even come close to matching it.
In terms of car jargon, a sportscar is something that produces anything up to 350hp and could achieve a 0-100km/h acceleration time of about 5 seconds. Top speed would be 250km/h to 280km/h. An example would be Porsche Boxster / Cayman, BMW Z4 or Honda S2000.
A supercar is something that produces around 550hp and could achieve a 0-100km/h acceleration time of under 4 seconds. Top speed would be 300km/h to 320km/h. An example would be Mclaren MP4-12C or Ferrari 458.
A hypercar is something that produce from 550hp onwards to well over 1000hp and could achieve a 0-100km/h acceleration time of around 3 seconds or less.Top speed would be 330km/h and above. An example would be Lamborghini Aventador or Bugatti Veyron.
Now we have hit an era of crazy development where certain boutique car manufacturer's such as Hennessey have gone all out to develop psycho hypercars. They have basically taken the term hypercar and tore it apart. Why is that? The latest Hennessey Venom is nothing short of phenomenal in terms of performance. The Bugatti Veyron has 1001hp but it weighs over 1600kg! the Hennessey Venom has 1500hp but weights less than 1,000kg!! Imagine the acceleration of this car and you will realize that your internal organs may protest violently when you put your right foot down.
The performance of the Hennessey Venom is nothing short of staggering. It has more power per tonne than a Formula One car and it can be driven daily.
Where is the limit to hypercar development? Is 1000hp the new 500hp from 10 years ago?
In the early 1990s Mclaren introduced the F1 which was a first of its kind to offer over 500hp. In fact this car had 600hp and was the pinnacle of sportscar development. It was actually the first supercar so to speak. The car combined massive horsepower and a very light weight body. This means awesome performance and this performance figure stood for more than 1 decade before any other car could even come close to matching it.
In terms of car jargon, a sportscar is something that produces anything up to 350hp and could achieve a 0-100km/h acceleration time of about 5 seconds. Top speed would be 250km/h to 280km/h. An example would be Porsche Boxster / Cayman, BMW Z4 or Honda S2000.
A supercar is something that produces around 550hp and could achieve a 0-100km/h acceleration time of under 4 seconds. Top speed would be 300km/h to 320km/h. An example would be Mclaren MP4-12C or Ferrari 458.
A hypercar is something that produce from 550hp onwards to well over 1000hp and could achieve a 0-100km/h acceleration time of around 3 seconds or less.Top speed would be 330km/h and above. An example would be Lamborghini Aventador or Bugatti Veyron.
Now we have hit an era of crazy development where certain boutique car manufacturer's such as Hennessey have gone all out to develop psycho hypercars. They have basically taken the term hypercar and tore it apart. Why is that? The latest Hennessey Venom is nothing short of phenomenal in terms of performance. The Bugatti Veyron has 1001hp but it weighs over 1600kg! the Hennessey Venom has 1500hp but weights less than 1,000kg!! Imagine the acceleration of this car and you will realize that your internal organs may protest violently when you put your right foot down.
The performance of the Hennessey Venom is nothing short of staggering. It has more power per tonne than a Formula One car and it can be driven daily.
Where is the limit to hypercar development? Is 1000hp the new 500hp from 10 years ago?
Tuesday 27 November 2012
Politics and cars
In my recent trip to China I had the opportunity to talk about the car industry with some locals who are in the automotive industry. China's automotive industry boomed since 2002 and it has not slowed down since then. Anyone and everyone wants a car as no one really wants to ride a bicycle anymore.
The interesting fact is that in the recent case of China's spat with Japan over some tiny island off the coast of Eastern China has had a direct impact on the sales of Japanese cars in China. Most of us living outside China had no clue how great the impact was as the news reported are usually not accurate. It turns out that the Chinese are very patriotic and since the news broke out about Japan buying the islands, a lot of Chinese have stopped buying Japanese cars, some have stop going to work at Toyota factories in China and some even refused to go to work at Toyota dealerships in China.
Many Chinese have also started selling off their Japanese cars as they didn't want to be seen driving a Japanese car. The impact of this political tension between the countries have serious consequences for Japan. Japan's economy is already in bad shape and offending a major trading partner like China where almost 40% of all Japanese cars are sold is not a smart move. The repercussions are not limited to cars of course, all other items suchs electronics, food products and etc are all effected.
If no action is taken to resolve the tension between the two countries, Japanese car makers will suffer tremendously. European, Korean and American car makers are now enjoying bumper sales at the expense of the Japanese.
In ASEAN the situation is quite different. Despite Japanese occupation in the 1940s people in Malaysia still love to buy Japanese products. Often the Japanese made cars are viewed as good quality, reliable and easy to maintain with good residual value. Same goes for the Thais and the Indonesians. The political impact is more domestic rather than cross border. There is rumours of an imminent shake up in the automotive industry in Malaysia as the Malaysian people are eagerly awaiting for the upcoming General Election. If the Opposition Party wins, taxes on cars will be reduced creating massive change in the automotive industry. The direct impact will be on residual values and affordability of new cars. Have ridiculously high taxes imposed on cars and having an inefficient public transport system the Malaysian public are basically forced into buy cars. This is often questioned if the inefficient public transport system is deliberate to help the Government generate billions of dollar through tax revenue. We shall see come 2013 if there will be a change.
The interesting fact is that in the recent case of China's spat with Japan over some tiny island off the coast of Eastern China has had a direct impact on the sales of Japanese cars in China. Most of us living outside China had no clue how great the impact was as the news reported are usually not accurate. It turns out that the Chinese are very patriotic and since the news broke out about Japan buying the islands, a lot of Chinese have stopped buying Japanese cars, some have stop going to work at Toyota factories in China and some even refused to go to work at Toyota dealerships in China.
Many Chinese have also started selling off their Japanese cars as they didn't want to be seen driving a Japanese car. The impact of this political tension between the countries have serious consequences for Japan. Japan's economy is already in bad shape and offending a major trading partner like China where almost 40% of all Japanese cars are sold is not a smart move. The repercussions are not limited to cars of course, all other items suchs electronics, food products and etc are all effected.
If no action is taken to resolve the tension between the two countries, Japanese car makers will suffer tremendously. European, Korean and American car makers are now enjoying bumper sales at the expense of the Japanese.
In ASEAN the situation is quite different. Despite Japanese occupation in the 1940s people in Malaysia still love to buy Japanese products. Often the Japanese made cars are viewed as good quality, reliable and easy to maintain with good residual value. Same goes for the Thais and the Indonesians. The political impact is more domestic rather than cross border. There is rumours of an imminent shake up in the automotive industry in Malaysia as the Malaysian people are eagerly awaiting for the upcoming General Election. If the Opposition Party wins, taxes on cars will be reduced creating massive change in the automotive industry. The direct impact will be on residual values and affordability of new cars. Have ridiculously high taxes imposed on cars and having an inefficient public transport system the Malaysian public are basically forced into buy cars. This is often questioned if the inefficient public transport system is deliberate to help the Government generate billions of dollar through tax revenue. We shall see come 2013 if there will be a change.
Monday 19 November 2012
Driving a Lamborghini Aventador vs Mercedes SLS
While visiting the SEMA show I dropped by Exotic Racing in Las Vegas Motor Speedway to drive the Lamborghini Aventador and the Mercedes SLS. Here is some insight into my experience.
Lamborghini Aventador-
This car is a very sophisticated piece of machinery with 4WD and a massive 6.5L V12 screaming engine. The car's interior is like a fighter jet cockpit with the fancy start button in the middle of the centre console and the LCD instrument cluster. The car itself was very easy to drive as the 4WD system is able to put the power down very efficiently and without too much drama. The real fun began when I well full throttle and push it all the way to the 9000rpm redline. Changing gears at full throttle is violent to say the least. you can literally feel the car's acceleration pause momentarily when the right shift lever was pulled. The handling was sharp as it can ever be with the car being so low on the ground and with massive front and rear tires. The grip was astonishing as you would never imagine a car this big could handle this well. Lamborghini engineers obviously worked very hard to keep the weight as low as possible to help with handling and speed.
The Aventador is very much like a Ginzu knife. It is sharp, agile and precise.
Mercedes SLS-
This car is one of a kind as it is truly a German muscle car. I won't call it a supercar as it does not really behave like a supercar. Most supercars are very sharp, agile and fast. In the case of the SLS it is no doubt fast but it not as agile as say a Ferrari 458. It is however very brutal as its huge 6.3L V8 churns out a tonne of torque that seems endless. Having only rear wheel drive the car is a bit liary to drive at the limits. The big block V8 has one of the best engine notes for a muscle car or a supercar. It is not a screaming engine like the Aventador or the Ferrari 458. It has the real sound of a true muscle car. The deep rumble and roar of the engine is highly intoxicating. The car itself is fast enough on the track but to drive it at the limit requires a bit of skill. Put your right down a bit too early mid corner you will find yourself going sideways out of the corner.
Both cars are a lot of fun on the track. The Lambo is more flashy with it bright color and outrageous V12 engine while the Merc has a more subdued look until you open the fancy gull wing door. Both cars can be driven daily but I think if you like behaving badly from time to time, I would recommend the SLS. It is just a hooligan inside waiting to escape.
Lamborghini Aventador-
This car is a very sophisticated piece of machinery with 4WD and a massive 6.5L V12 screaming engine. The car's interior is like a fighter jet cockpit with the fancy start button in the middle of the centre console and the LCD instrument cluster. The car itself was very easy to drive as the 4WD system is able to put the power down very efficiently and without too much drama. The real fun began when I well full throttle and push it all the way to the 9000rpm redline. Changing gears at full throttle is violent to say the least. you can literally feel the car's acceleration pause momentarily when the right shift lever was pulled. The handling was sharp as it can ever be with the car being so low on the ground and with massive front and rear tires. The grip was astonishing as you would never imagine a car this big could handle this well. Lamborghini engineers obviously worked very hard to keep the weight as low as possible to help with handling and speed.
The Aventador is very much like a Ginzu knife. It is sharp, agile and precise.
Mercedes SLS-
This car is one of a kind as it is truly a German muscle car. I won't call it a supercar as it does not really behave like a supercar. Most supercars are very sharp, agile and fast. In the case of the SLS it is no doubt fast but it not as agile as say a Ferrari 458. It is however very brutal as its huge 6.3L V8 churns out a tonne of torque that seems endless. Having only rear wheel drive the car is a bit liary to drive at the limits. The big block V8 has one of the best engine notes for a muscle car or a supercar. It is not a screaming engine like the Aventador or the Ferrari 458. It has the real sound of a true muscle car. The deep rumble and roar of the engine is highly intoxicating. The car itself is fast enough on the track but to drive it at the limit requires a bit of skill. Put your right down a bit too early mid corner you will find yourself going sideways out of the corner.
Both cars are a lot of fun on the track. The Lambo is more flashy with it bright color and outrageous V12 engine while the Merc has a more subdued look until you open the fancy gull wing door. Both cars can be driven daily but I think if you like behaving badly from time to time, I would recommend the SLS. It is just a hooligan inside waiting to escape.
Nascar Driving experience
I was recently in Las Vegas to attend the world famous SEMA show. Any guy who is into cars should visit the SEMA show at least once in their lifetime. While in Las Vegas I took the opportunity to drive a Nascar at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway with Richard Petty Driving Experience.
After having spent about 30 minutes in the briefing room I was ushered to the track side to get ready to drive the Nascar. Having driven a Formula race car, a WRC rally car and other various types of racing cars I was quite eager to try out the Nascar. Being a non American I seldom seeing Nascar on TV it was kind of interesting to see why the Americans love Nascar so much.
One of the good things about the Nascar driving experience was that the organizer did not water down the experience by giving you a tuned down car. The car I was going to drive was actually a full scale race prepared Nascar with the full 600+ hp with full slick tires and roll cage. Getting into the car itself was a bit of a challenge as I had to climb through the window (lucky I am not a very big guy). Having climbed into the car getting the car moving was simple enough as the clutch on the car was surprisingly soft. Once on the track the aim was to position the car to hit the painted markers on the track surface as this determined the ideal position where the car should be on the track.
Driving the car was actually far more simple than I imagined and required little skill. Going fast in the car was merely to follow the markers, lift off the throttle at the entry of the turn and putting your foot down again mid way through. All of this is done in 4th gear so there is minimal gear changing. Unlike the movies, the drivers do not really shift gears while zooming around the track. The real action is in the overtaking as all you need to do is draft behind another car and wait for the opportunity to overtake on the straights.
The fun for the spectators is in the overtaking and accidents. Being alone on the track is easy but when you have 30 other cars on the track it can be quite crowded making driving fast a real challenge.
I can sum it up as an interesting driving experience but not one that I would repeat as it was rather boring. Having spent so much time in a racing go-kart, the Nascar experience is really just not challenging enough and does not put your driving skills to the test.
After having spent about 30 minutes in the briefing room I was ushered to the track side to get ready to drive the Nascar. Having driven a Formula race car, a WRC rally car and other various types of racing cars I was quite eager to try out the Nascar. Being a non American I seldom seeing Nascar on TV it was kind of interesting to see why the Americans love Nascar so much.
One of the good things about the Nascar driving experience was that the organizer did not water down the experience by giving you a tuned down car. The car I was going to drive was actually a full scale race prepared Nascar with the full 600+ hp with full slick tires and roll cage. Getting into the car itself was a bit of a challenge as I had to climb through the window (lucky I am not a very big guy). Having climbed into the car getting the car moving was simple enough as the clutch on the car was surprisingly soft. Once on the track the aim was to position the car to hit the painted markers on the track surface as this determined the ideal position where the car should be on the track.
Driving the car was actually far more simple than I imagined and required little skill. Going fast in the car was merely to follow the markers, lift off the throttle at the entry of the turn and putting your foot down again mid way through. All of this is done in 4th gear so there is minimal gear changing. Unlike the movies, the drivers do not really shift gears while zooming around the track. The real action is in the overtaking as all you need to do is draft behind another car and wait for the opportunity to overtake on the straights.
The fun for the spectators is in the overtaking and accidents. Being alone on the track is easy but when you have 30 other cars on the track it can be quite crowded making driving fast a real challenge.
I can sum it up as an interesting driving experience but not one that I would repeat as it was rather boring. Having spent so much time in a racing go-kart, the Nascar experience is really just not challenging enough and does not put your driving skills to the test.
Wednesday 24 October 2012
Android system for car head units
The smart phone craze has hit the world hard and anyone who is tech savvy will want to buy one. The smart phone concept works well for people on the move and want connectivity all the time. The Android and IOS system works well on tablets and smart phones but is it practical for cars?
Some car head unit manufacturers have started to make head units using the Android platform as they predict will be a trend. Having seen numerous Android powered head units I start to question if this is really practical!
Android system allows the user to download Apps (short for applications) onto their head unit but in reality in the scenario of a car one would need only the main few functions such as Radio (or satellite radio in some countries), CD player (soon to be obsolete since people are downloading songs), GPS navigation system, USB / SD card input (for media storage and playback), Smartphone connectivity to allow media playback on the head unit from files stored on the smartphone. Android OS have over 600,000 Applications available for download and only a handful would be applicable for use in the car.
Applications such as Youtube or other video archive playback apps would only work well if the car is stationary and have a 3G or Wifi connection. It also won't be practical to play games while driving and the passenger playing the games would most likely suffer from motion sickness.
I personally feel that the Android system for car head units is just over kill.
Some car head unit manufacturers have started to make head units using the Android platform as they predict will be a trend. Having seen numerous Android powered head units I start to question if this is really practical!
Android system allows the user to download Apps (short for applications) onto their head unit but in reality in the scenario of a car one would need only the main few functions such as Radio (or satellite radio in some countries), CD player (soon to be obsolete since people are downloading songs), GPS navigation system, USB / SD card input (for media storage and playback), Smartphone connectivity to allow media playback on the head unit from files stored on the smartphone. Android OS have over 600,000 Applications available for download and only a handful would be applicable for use in the car.
Applications such as Youtube or other video archive playback apps would only work well if the car is stationary and have a 3G or Wifi connection. It also won't be practical to play games while driving and the passenger playing the games would most likely suffer from motion sickness.
I personally feel that the Android system for car head units is just over kill.
Tuesday 23 October 2012
Car tuning and so called forum experts
These days there are lots of automotive forums on the internet these days and thousands of people will voice their opinion on tuning and modifications. Some of the opinions are based on real life experience while many are based on things they read on the internet but without real world experience. These the so called "arm chair" tuners who will use the power of the internet to influence people but may not have the necessary experience to back it up.
There are also many forums which do offer good technical advise as the materials are written by professionals or tuners with years of experience. Some of course will have their vested interest to market their company's services or products.There are also some who will be happy to educate or impart their knowledge to readers. There is no definitive answer to who is right and who is wrong. The basis of the technical postings should be based on experience and technical background of the person posting their comments.
American tuners, Japanese tuners and European tuners all have different approach to tuning. Europeans usually will be more subtle in their approach and keep the car looking relative sedate while the Japanese will be more daring with their extreme body kits and outlandish color schemes. The Americans will go for out right muscle by putting in turbos, super chargers or NOS kits. All this makes the tuning industry very interesting and ever changing.
Every year the SEMA show in Las Vegas will show case some of the best examples of tuned cars. Some will be for aesthetics while others will be for performance and audio. In the tuning industry, stock is boring! everything can be modified and will be modified.
Famous tuning magazines such as Option, Hot Imports, Fast 4s. Hot 4s and etc have a huge following worldwide as they appeal to the car owners with the itch for tuning.
These magazine have extensive technical information and also tips from professional tuners.
There are also many forums which do offer good technical advise as the materials are written by professionals or tuners with years of experience. Some of course will have their vested interest to market their company's services or products.There are also some who will be happy to educate or impart their knowledge to readers. There is no definitive answer to who is right and who is wrong. The basis of the technical postings should be based on experience and technical background of the person posting their comments.
American tuners, Japanese tuners and European tuners all have different approach to tuning. Europeans usually will be more subtle in their approach and keep the car looking relative sedate while the Japanese will be more daring with their extreme body kits and outlandish color schemes. The Americans will go for out right muscle by putting in turbos, super chargers or NOS kits. All this makes the tuning industry very interesting and ever changing.
Every year the SEMA show in Las Vegas will show case some of the best examples of tuned cars. Some will be for aesthetics while others will be for performance and audio. In the tuning industry, stock is boring! everything can be modified and will be modified.
Famous tuning magazines such as Option, Hot Imports, Fast 4s. Hot 4s and etc have a huge following worldwide as they appeal to the car owners with the itch for tuning.
These magazine have extensive technical information and also tips from professional tuners.
Wednesday 3 October 2012
Extreme engine downsizing
The European car manufacturers have been adopting the engine downsizing for the last 6 years and with great effect. Now they have taken this concept one step further by reducing the engines even more and strapping on larger turbos to provide adequate performance.
BMW recently launched their 1 series with a new 1.5 litre 3 cylinder turbo engine capable of producing 180ps and 270Nm! It is lauded as a very bold move considering that none of the luxury car makers have tried to adopt a 3 cylinder engine. Car manufacturers resisted using 3 cylinder engines as they were not as smooth revving as the 4 cylinder engines and 3 cylinder engines were also noisier. BMW proved this all wrong with their new engine that was capable of very smooth revving and produced astonishing performance with good fuel economy. BMW is now considering to put it in an entry level 3 series to increase the usage of the engine and also promote better fuel economy for its range of cars.
In the past car makers such as Daihatsu and Suzuki have developed 3 cylinder engines for their K-Cars (super compact cars) but their engine capacities ranged from 660cc to 1,000cc. None of these engine were used on bigger models similar to the 1 series size as the engines lacked the performance to match the car's weight.
Ford also took engine downsizing to the extreme when they launched their 1.0 litre turbo engine. It was initially thought that this engine was meant to be used in the Ford Fiesta and Focus however, Ford took this one step further and put it in a Mondeo. The Mondeo is not exactly a small car and putting a 1.0 litre turbo engine took many motoring observers by surprise. The question is whether the consumers will accept this idea considering that the engine is so small and the car's physical size is of a mid size saloon that weighs around 1400kgs. The impressing thing about this 1.0 litre turbo is that is capable of producing 130hp and 200Nm making is very similar to a naturally aspirated 2.0 litre engine.
It is amazing how the high cost of fuel can drive engineers and car makers to think out of the box to create innovative products.
BMW recently launched their 1 series with a new 1.5 litre 3 cylinder turbo engine capable of producing 180ps and 270Nm! It is lauded as a very bold move considering that none of the luxury car makers have tried to adopt a 3 cylinder engine. Car manufacturers resisted using 3 cylinder engines as they were not as smooth revving as the 4 cylinder engines and 3 cylinder engines were also noisier. BMW proved this all wrong with their new engine that was capable of very smooth revving and produced astonishing performance with good fuel economy. BMW is now considering to put it in an entry level 3 series to increase the usage of the engine and also promote better fuel economy for its range of cars.
In the past car makers such as Daihatsu and Suzuki have developed 3 cylinder engines for their K-Cars (super compact cars) but their engine capacities ranged from 660cc to 1,000cc. None of these engine were used on bigger models similar to the 1 series size as the engines lacked the performance to match the car's weight.
Ford also took engine downsizing to the extreme when they launched their 1.0 litre turbo engine. It was initially thought that this engine was meant to be used in the Ford Fiesta and Focus however, Ford took this one step further and put it in a Mondeo. The Mondeo is not exactly a small car and putting a 1.0 litre turbo engine took many motoring observers by surprise. The question is whether the consumers will accept this idea considering that the engine is so small and the car's physical size is of a mid size saloon that weighs around 1400kgs. The impressing thing about this 1.0 litre turbo is that is capable of producing 130hp and 200Nm making is very similar to a naturally aspirated 2.0 litre engine.
Wednesday 26 September 2012
Will the Malaysian Govt really reduce the Excise duty on cars?
Traditionally excise duties are imposed on controlled or restricted items which the Government of the country want to control importation and distribution of. In the case of Malaysia the Government imposed excise duties on cars which to most people is complete absurd as cars should not be classified under controlled items similar to tobacco and alcohol. After signing the AFTA (Asean Free Trade Agreement), the Malaysian Govt had to comply with the agreement to reduce import taxes on cars manufactured in the ASEAN region. By doing this it meant that the Govt will lose tax revenue and could not protect Proton and Perodua. In the attempt to protect the local car industry, the excise duty was introduced as a way to gain back tax revenue and also continue to protect Proton and Perodua.
All this has resulted in sky high car prices which has hurt the Malaysian public. With a poor public transport network the Malaysian public have no choice but to buy a car and be saddled with a loan stretching almost 1 decade! Now with the emergence of the Opposition Party to challenge the currently ruling political Party and the pledge that the Opposition Party has made to reduce excise duties for car has put tremendous pressure on the ruling Party to follow suit.
The question now is whether this will materialise. Many are hoping that it will as it will help reduce the burden on new car owners but on the other hand the existing car owners will suffer heavy losses as their car's residual value will drop significantly. The banks or finance companies and used car dealers will also suffer losses. If the reduction is gradual the impact will not be quite as severe and if tax rebates are given to these companies to absorb some of the losses the effect will be cushioned. The Opposition Party's proposal is to gradually reduce the excise duties over 5 years which sounds very reasonable.
After 5 years of reducing excise duty, the resulting tax structure will be 10% sales tax and a maximum of 30% import duty (non ASEAN made cars). A car that once cost RM150,000 will be less than RM70,000 making car ownership less of a burden and the consumers will have a lot more disposable income.
New Zealand implemented such tax reductions in the 1990s and the reduction was also done gradually over several years. NZ now has one of the lowest car prices in the world.
I am hoping that this will materialise in Malaysia so we can avoid paid crazy prices for cars.
All this has resulted in sky high car prices which has hurt the Malaysian public. With a poor public transport network the Malaysian public have no choice but to buy a car and be saddled with a loan stretching almost 1 decade! Now with the emergence of the Opposition Party to challenge the currently ruling political Party and the pledge that the Opposition Party has made to reduce excise duties for car has put tremendous pressure on the ruling Party to follow suit.
The question now is whether this will materialise. Many are hoping that it will as it will help reduce the burden on new car owners but on the other hand the existing car owners will suffer heavy losses as their car's residual value will drop significantly. The banks or finance companies and used car dealers will also suffer losses. If the reduction is gradual the impact will not be quite as severe and if tax rebates are given to these companies to absorb some of the losses the effect will be cushioned. The Opposition Party's proposal is to gradually reduce the excise duties over 5 years which sounds very reasonable.
After 5 years of reducing excise duty, the resulting tax structure will be 10% sales tax and a maximum of 30% import duty (non ASEAN made cars). A car that once cost RM150,000 will be less than RM70,000 making car ownership less of a burden and the consumers will have a lot more disposable income.
New Zealand implemented such tax reductions in the 1990s and the reduction was also done gradually over several years. NZ now has one of the lowest car prices in the world.
I am hoping that this will materialise in Malaysia so we can avoid paid crazy prices for cars.
Tuesday 28 August 2012
Cars and flooding
With our ever changing weather patterns it looks like flooding in big Asian cities are here to stay. It started in Thailand last year with the massive flood that destroyed thousands of cars. Philippines recently got hit by 2 typhoons and 1 huge tropical storm resulting in mass flooding covering 50% of Metro Manila. Highways and main roads were damaged or swept away by flood waters.
Advanced cities such as Singapore was also not spared in 2010 when a huge flash flood hit the city and Singaporeans experienced their first serious flood problem. Numerous luxury cars and supercars were damaged by the flood as flood waters seeped into basement parking lots.
We all know that cars and water don't mix. Do we start buying small inflatable rafts to keep at home? or buy ramps to elevate our cars? It is little wonder why the sales of SUVs and pick up trucks have risen in the last 10 years. People in Thailand love their SUVs and pick up trucks, like wise in Philippines and Indonesia. Bad road conditions coupled with frequent flooding has pushed people to buy these cars. Running cost of SUVs and pick up trucks are higher than that of normal passenger cars but the added convenience and sense of safety have offset the additional running cost.
With the rising popularity of SUVs and pick up trucks, a whole flurry of accessories have also hit the market. The infamous snorkel is now very popular as it will allow the SUV or pick up truck to drive in deep waters in flood situations or drive through river crossings. It really looks like a practical choice to have a SUV or pick up truck at home as a back up vehicle.
Advanced cities such as Singapore was also not spared in 2010 when a huge flash flood hit the city and Singaporeans experienced their first serious flood problem. Numerous luxury cars and supercars were damaged by the flood as flood waters seeped into basement parking lots.
We all know that cars and water don't mix. Do we start buying small inflatable rafts to keep at home? or buy ramps to elevate our cars? It is little wonder why the sales of SUVs and pick up trucks have risen in the last 10 years. People in Thailand love their SUVs and pick up trucks, like wise in Philippines and Indonesia. Bad road conditions coupled with frequent flooding has pushed people to buy these cars. Running cost of SUVs and pick up trucks are higher than that of normal passenger cars but the added convenience and sense of safety have offset the additional running cost.
With the rising popularity of SUVs and pick up trucks, a whole flurry of accessories have also hit the market. The infamous snorkel is now very popular as it will allow the SUV or pick up truck to drive in deep waters in flood situations or drive through river crossings. It really looks like a practical choice to have a SUV or pick up truck at home as a back up vehicle.
Friday 17 August 2012
Hybrid Sports car - are they the way to go for the future?
The word hybrid seems to be the hot topic in the automotive industry in the last 5 years. Apart from producing daily run about hybrid cars the car makers have started to develop Hybrid Sports cars. Not all car makers have gone down this path but many are already working on a development car of some sort. The question is whether this is just a trend or is it really here to stay?!
Here are some examples of currently under development hybrid sports cars / super cars:
- Toyota / Lexus - the next super car (not the LFA) is going to be a hybrid. Supposedly to be a Supra replacement but nothing can be confirmed at the moment. Toyota has been seen testing their hybrid motor in Le Mans which could mean that it may be included in their new super car.
- Honda - The new NSX is expected to have 3 electric motors, 1 for each front wheel and 1 main unit that works with engine. The concept has been displayed since 2011 but there are no official release dates at the moment.
- Porsche - The new 918 is expected to be one of the most powerful hybrids. The prototype of this model has been seen under testing phase.
- Ferrari - now working on a new a hybrid super car. Expected to be launched in 2014.
Sports cars / super cars are often regarded as the show piece of an automotive manufacturer and they would usually pour all their resources to make the car the best that it can be. Having a hybrid sports car / super car seems like a big juggling act because on one hand the car is expected to be as powerful as possible and yet the hybrid system is trying to make it as fuel efficient as possible. Power comes at a cost in terms of fuel. With the hybrid system the extra power and torque boost will come from the electric motor however this cost comes in the form of weight of the batteries. Hybrid batteries are notoriously heavy and this has an impact on performance as well as the balance of the car which in turn will effect the handling.
In some cases the hybrid motor only acts as a performance booster.
Right now there are no hybrid super cars available yet. Once the first one is officially launched, we shall then be able to see how well it stacks up against traditional super cars with only a combustion engine.
We have seen electric sports cars like the Tesla and Fisker. These are different from the hybrid super cars that Toyota, Honda, Porsche and Ferrari are developing.
Here are some examples of currently under development hybrid sports cars / super cars:
- Toyota / Lexus - the next super car (not the LFA) is going to be a hybrid. Supposedly to be a Supra replacement but nothing can be confirmed at the moment. Toyota has been seen testing their hybrid motor in Le Mans which could mean that it may be included in their new super car.
- Honda - The new NSX is expected to have 3 electric motors, 1 for each front wheel and 1 main unit that works with engine. The concept has been displayed since 2011 but there are no official release dates at the moment.
- Porsche - The new 918 is expected to be one of the most powerful hybrids. The prototype of this model has been seen under testing phase.
- Ferrari - now working on a new a hybrid super car. Expected to be launched in 2014.
Sports cars / super cars are often regarded as the show piece of an automotive manufacturer and they would usually pour all their resources to make the car the best that it can be. Having a hybrid sports car / super car seems like a big juggling act because on one hand the car is expected to be as powerful as possible and yet the hybrid system is trying to make it as fuel efficient as possible. Power comes at a cost in terms of fuel. With the hybrid system the extra power and torque boost will come from the electric motor however this cost comes in the form of weight of the batteries. Hybrid batteries are notoriously heavy and this has an impact on performance as well as the balance of the car which in turn will effect the handling.
In some cases the hybrid motor only acts as a performance booster.
Right now there are no hybrid super cars available yet. Once the first one is officially launched, we shall then be able to see how well it stacks up against traditional super cars with only a combustion engine.
We have seen electric sports cars like the Tesla and Fisker. These are different from the hybrid super cars that Toyota, Honda, Porsche and Ferrari are developing.
Thursday 16 August 2012
Car manufacturer's sense of responsibility towards consumers
Every now and then we see car manufacturers make recalls for cars to rectify problems that they discover in their cars after the cars have been sold to customers. No car maker is immune to this as the production process and sourcing of parts from a large number of suppliers make it virtually impossible have full control of quality. Naturally, car manufacturers will put a lot of emphasis to ensure that the components and parts are up to their expectation and are sufficiently tested. Occasionally the testing is insufficient and flaws start to appear causing problems or premature failure of the component.
Each car having hundreds of thousands of parts, some moving and some static means that to ensure optimum quality the stringent evaluation process has to start very early during the new model development phase. Even simple items such as carpets and floor mats have to be designed and tested but yet occasional problems occur like in the recent case of floor mats for the Mercedes M Class sold in US.
Large car companies such as Lexus, Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Ford, Mercedes, BMW and Porsche are quick to acknowledge problem when it arises and will quickly issue recalls to rectify the problems. This cannot be said for companies such as Proton which has over time produced shoddy quality cars which they take no responsibility to rectify. The very common case was the exploding front windscreen for car assembled before year 2000. The front windscreens were not laminated and numerous cases of exploding windscreens were reported after the cars were parked under the hot sun. Some cases happened when the cars were being driven on the road. Other common issues were the power windows that wouldn't close or jammed while being closed. This led to many Proton owners opting not to open the windows but to open their doors instead to take parking tickets or pay tolls. Proton did not issue a recall on this and left thousands of Proton owners in a lurch. Having this kind of attitude it is little wonder why the average Malaysian who can afford to buy a car other car Proton will immediately buy a non-Proton car.
Some car makers will even shun warranty claims. In a recent case in UK, a lady owner of a Hyundai i20 wanted to claim warranty for the replacement clutch for a 4 month old car. Hyundai in UK did not acknowledge that it was a problem with the component and denied the warranty claim considering it as a wear and tear item. Under normal usage, it is almost impossible to completely wear out a clutch in 4 months and Hyundai demonstrated that they lacked the responsibility towards the customer. All this when it hits the media is bad press for Hyundai. Hyundai should have investigated when the clutch was worn out in 4 months and check the quality of the component with their supplier or manufacturing arm. Such bad press will not bode well for reputation and also it quickly can turn ugly especially when it will cause potential customers to lose confidence in their warranty system.
Having the right sense of responsibility towards the customer makes a huge impact on repeat sales. Customers in general can accept the odd recall and that the car maker was responsible enough to acknowledge the problem and take the action to rectify it. The customers would likely return to buy another car from the same car maker (if the ownership experience is satisfactory). Margins for selling cars these days have dropped tremendously with fierce competition and rising manufacturing costs. Customer retention is now more important than ever before.
Each car having hundreds of thousands of parts, some moving and some static means that to ensure optimum quality the stringent evaluation process has to start very early during the new model development phase. Even simple items such as carpets and floor mats have to be designed and tested but yet occasional problems occur like in the recent case of floor mats for the Mercedes M Class sold in US.
Large car companies such as Lexus, Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Ford, Mercedes, BMW and Porsche are quick to acknowledge problem when it arises and will quickly issue recalls to rectify the problems. This cannot be said for companies such as Proton which has over time produced shoddy quality cars which they take no responsibility to rectify. The very common case was the exploding front windscreen for car assembled before year 2000. The front windscreens were not laminated and numerous cases of exploding windscreens were reported after the cars were parked under the hot sun. Some cases happened when the cars were being driven on the road. Other common issues were the power windows that wouldn't close or jammed while being closed. This led to many Proton owners opting not to open the windows but to open their doors instead to take parking tickets or pay tolls. Proton did not issue a recall on this and left thousands of Proton owners in a lurch. Having this kind of attitude it is little wonder why the average Malaysian who can afford to buy a car other car Proton will immediately buy a non-Proton car.
Some car makers will even shun warranty claims. In a recent case in UK, a lady owner of a Hyundai i20 wanted to claim warranty for the replacement clutch for a 4 month old car. Hyundai in UK did not acknowledge that it was a problem with the component and denied the warranty claim considering it as a wear and tear item. Under normal usage, it is almost impossible to completely wear out a clutch in 4 months and Hyundai demonstrated that they lacked the responsibility towards the customer. All this when it hits the media is bad press for Hyundai. Hyundai should have investigated when the clutch was worn out in 4 months and check the quality of the component with their supplier or manufacturing arm. Such bad press will not bode well for reputation and also it quickly can turn ugly especially when it will cause potential customers to lose confidence in their warranty system.
Having the right sense of responsibility towards the customer makes a huge impact on repeat sales. Customers in general can accept the odd recall and that the car maker was responsible enough to acknowledge the problem and take the action to rectify it. The customers would likely return to buy another car from the same car maker (if the ownership experience is satisfactory). Margins for selling cars these days have dropped tremendously with fierce competition and rising manufacturing costs. Customer retention is now more important than ever before.
Monday 13 August 2012
electric cars... are they really practical?
Electric cars seem to be the buzz these days in the motoring media. Nissan has the Leaf model, Hyundai has the Elantra EV, Mitsubishi has their Miev and etc. The real question is whether these models are really practical in daily use conditions. Lets consider the strengths and weaknesses of the electric car.
Strength:
Good instant torque and power for brisk acceleration. Will be able to move 3 passengers and 1 driver with ease since the torque available is higher than a small capacity combustion engine.
Weakness:
Very short driving range which limits the distance the electric car can travel on a single charge. Can be very annoying to have to charge the car every 150km if you are planning traveling 400km.
Based on the strengths and weaknesses lets consider how it will fair in the two main driving conditions.
City driving:
the stop-go traffic conditions and short traveling distance is good for the EV since the EV's usual range is not more than 200km. The city is also more sensitive to exhaust emissions and air pollution. If the city is well planned, charging stations will be accessible every 10km to 20km, or car parks may have charging points.
Highway driving:
not suitable since EVs are not good for highway cruising like a diesel engine. EV's range is far too short for long distance driving. With an average range of 200km in a single charge, the short range can be a real bummer for people who want to drive intercity. Most of the electric cars either use a CVT transmission or a single gear transmission which inhibits real high speed driving. Driving at high speeds also drains the battery power very quickly as the single gear transmission will be turning at very high speeds.
In the real world in order for the electric car to be successful they must first address the fundamental issue about driving range. If it is able to achieve a driving range of over 350km on a single charge, it would make a huge difference in terms of overall practicality. The Japanese car makers also need to look at switching to better batteries such as Lithium Ion or Lithium Polymer which are able to hold far more power, more compact and has a better recharge rate than the out of date Nickel Metal Hydride batteries currently used in the Prius and other hybrids.
Strength:
Good instant torque and power for brisk acceleration. Will be able to move 3 passengers and 1 driver with ease since the torque available is higher than a small capacity combustion engine.
Weakness:
Very short driving range which limits the distance the electric car can travel on a single charge. Can be very annoying to have to charge the car every 150km if you are planning traveling 400km.
Based on the strengths and weaknesses lets consider how it will fair in the two main driving conditions.
City driving:
the stop-go traffic conditions and short traveling distance is good for the EV since the EV's usual range is not more than 200km. The city is also more sensitive to exhaust emissions and air pollution. If the city is well planned, charging stations will be accessible every 10km to 20km, or car parks may have charging points.
Highway driving:
not suitable since EVs are not good for highway cruising like a diesel engine. EV's range is far too short for long distance driving. With an average range of 200km in a single charge, the short range can be a real bummer for people who want to drive intercity. Most of the electric cars either use a CVT transmission or a single gear transmission which inhibits real high speed driving. Driving at high speeds also drains the battery power very quickly as the single gear transmission will be turning at very high speeds.
In the real world in order for the electric car to be successful they must first address the fundamental issue about driving range. If it is able to achieve a driving range of over 350km on a single charge, it would make a huge difference in terms of overall practicality. The Japanese car makers also need to look at switching to better batteries such as Lithium Ion or Lithium Polymer which are able to hold far more power, more compact and has a better recharge rate than the out of date Nickel Metal Hydride batteries currently used in the Prius and other hybrids.
Thursday 2 August 2012
Fuel Economy claims
When we see new car advertisements in magazines or newspapers often we see claims on fuel economy figures published in bold to attract prospective car buyers. It is good way to promote the car's fuel economy but is it realistic? can it really be matched in the real world?
Japan and Europe each have their own way to test fuel economy and will result in different claims. All car manufacturers will naturally try to get the best result possible and publish the lowest figure. However, it is very often that we drive in less than perfect conditions to enable us to match the claimed fuel economy figures as claimed in the publications.
Several key factors contribute to us not be able to match the claimed fuel economy figures:
- using air conditioning
- driving with under inflated tyres (very common problem)
- carrying more weight in your car than you should (meaning you have your golf bag and other items in the trunk)
- driving faster than the ideal fuel economy speed
- getting stuck in heavy traffic often
- high ambient heat
- brisk acceleration
Fuel economy claims should be used as just a rough guide only. It does not necessarily mean that you will be able to achieved the claimed fuel economy. In an ideal world with ideal conditions there is the possibility of achieving the claimed figures but we don't live in an ideal world with ideal driving conditions.
Honda in US was recently sued over false fuel economy claims. The fuel economy claims were far lower than what was actually achievable by an ordinary driver. This law suit set an example and a warning to car manufacturers to not simply claim fuel economy figures and only state a realistic fuel economy figure. To be fair to the motoring public, only a very small percentage of drivers will even attempt to drive according to best fuel economy practices on a daily basis.
Japan and Europe each have their own way to test fuel economy and will result in different claims. All car manufacturers will naturally try to get the best result possible and publish the lowest figure. However, it is very often that we drive in less than perfect conditions to enable us to match the claimed fuel economy figures as claimed in the publications.
Several key factors contribute to us not be able to match the claimed fuel economy figures:
- using air conditioning
- driving with under inflated tyres (very common problem)
- carrying more weight in your car than you should (meaning you have your golf bag and other items in the trunk)
- driving faster than the ideal fuel economy speed
- getting stuck in heavy traffic often
- high ambient heat
- brisk acceleration
Fuel economy claims should be used as just a rough guide only. It does not necessarily mean that you will be able to achieved the claimed fuel economy. In an ideal world with ideal conditions there is the possibility of achieving the claimed figures but we don't live in an ideal world with ideal driving conditions.
Honda in US was recently sued over false fuel economy claims. The fuel economy claims were far lower than what was actually achievable by an ordinary driver. This law suit set an example and a warning to car manufacturers to not simply claim fuel economy figures and only state a realistic fuel economy figure. To be fair to the motoring public, only a very small percentage of drivers will even attempt to drive according to best fuel economy practices on a daily basis.
Wednesday 25 July 2012
Performance air filters vs original paper air filters
Car owners who love extra performance will often explore getting more power via an air filter upgrade as it is commonly believed that a faster flowing air filter will yield more power. More air entering the engine at a faster speed does help improve combustion which in turn helps to increase power. However not all after market performance air filters live up to their expectations. Switching to after market performance air filters can yield up to 10hp for certain vehicles while others may yield only 1 or 2 hp. Turbo charged and super charged engines will benefit the most from higher flow air filters as forced induction needs fast flowing air supply. For naturally aspirated engines swapping to higher flow performance air filters will only yield at most 3hp as the nature of the engine can only benefit a limited amount of extra air.
When people talk about performance air filters most layman who knows a thing or two about car performance parts will know K&N. It is by far the most well known after market air filter brand in the world.
It is without a doubt good product but it is only good when it is brand new. Its concept of using a cotton based air filter is definitely better than the original factory fitted paper air filter which is not washable and is easily clogged. K&N air filters offer good filtration and coupled with the fact that it is made from cotton it is a lot more durable and last much longer than any paper air filter. The problem with K&N air filters come when you have to wash it and re-oil it. K&N uses oil to trap the finer particles of dust that the cotton filter may not trap. The oil has its advantages and disadvantages. Advantage is when the air filter is brand new, the oil is very effective in trapping dust and the oil is evenly applied at the factory. The big disadvantage is when you wash it and have to re-apply the oil which done by hand is extremely difficult to apply evenly. Lumps of oil will congregate at certain parts of the air filter and most people will apply too much oil which leads to blockage of the air filter and also over time it will foul up the air mass sensor.
Other variants of performance air filters are also available such as sponge or stainless steel. The famous sponge type air filter is available from HKS and Piper Cross. The sponge filters do not last as long as cotton as once it gets wet, it will break into tiny bits over time and enter the engine which can potentially cause problems to the engine.
The last variant is the stainless steel type which is far more durable than all other earlier types but is more expensive and needs regular cleaning for optimum performance. Stainless steel type of air filter is quite rare and only a small handful of manufacturers produce this type of air filter.
Air filter shape and design also plays a part in performance of the engine. A typical engine will usually have a flat panel air filter and after market suppliers offer cone or cylindrical type air filters. It is not guaranteed that upgrading to a cylindrical or cone type air filter will yield the necessary power gains as expected. For certain cars such as the VW Golf Gti, changing the original flat panel air filter to the cylindrical type will see power loss at low RPM as the absence of the air filter box means that when the throttle is open, there is no immediate air available and the air filter has to suck in air to feed the engine. This causes a lag and low end response suffers. The cylindrical type air filter in this case will only yield power gains at higher RPM.
When people talk about performance air filters most layman who knows a thing or two about car performance parts will know K&N. It is by far the most well known after market air filter brand in the world.
It is without a doubt good product but it is only good when it is brand new. Its concept of using a cotton based air filter is definitely better than the original factory fitted paper air filter which is not washable and is easily clogged. K&N air filters offer good filtration and coupled with the fact that it is made from cotton it is a lot more durable and last much longer than any paper air filter. The problem with K&N air filters come when you have to wash it and re-oil it. K&N uses oil to trap the finer particles of dust that the cotton filter may not trap. The oil has its advantages and disadvantages. Advantage is when the air filter is brand new, the oil is very effective in trapping dust and the oil is evenly applied at the factory. The big disadvantage is when you wash it and have to re-apply the oil which done by hand is extremely difficult to apply evenly. Lumps of oil will congregate at certain parts of the air filter and most people will apply too much oil which leads to blockage of the air filter and also over time it will foul up the air mass sensor.
Other variants of performance air filters are also available such as sponge or stainless steel. The famous sponge type air filter is available from HKS and Piper Cross. The sponge filters do not last as long as cotton as once it gets wet, it will break into tiny bits over time and enter the engine which can potentially cause problems to the engine.
The last variant is the stainless steel type which is far more durable than all other earlier types but is more expensive and needs regular cleaning for optimum performance. Stainless steel type of air filter is quite rare and only a small handful of manufacturers produce this type of air filter.
Air filter shape and design also plays a part in performance of the engine. A typical engine will usually have a flat panel air filter and after market suppliers offer cone or cylindrical type air filters. It is not guaranteed that upgrading to a cylindrical or cone type air filter will yield the necessary power gains as expected. For certain cars such as the VW Golf Gti, changing the original flat panel air filter to the cylindrical type will see power loss at low RPM as the absence of the air filter box means that when the throttle is open, there is no immediate air available and the air filter has to suck in air to feed the engine. This causes a lag and low end response suffers. The cylindrical type air filter in this case will only yield power gains at higher RPM.
Wednesday 18 July 2012
Tropicalization of cars
The climate conditions vary severely across the globe and car manufacturers previously made cars for specific countries based on their climate conditions without realizing that with globalization the cars do get exported out from the country where it was originally meant for sale in.
Cars made in Europe used to be designed for European climate which were cooler and dryer than sub tropical Asian countries where temperatures can exceed 40C and have humidity over 80%. The direct impact of exporting a car designed for the European climate to Asia meant that the cars were not able to function at its best. There were many examples of cases where the cars would over heat as the cooling system was not suitable for the sub tropical climate. The radiators were far too small and other components were not able to cope with the high humidity leading to premature failure. Some BMWs, Alfa Romeos and Audis that were imported to Asia from Germany or UK struggled to cope with the heat. Many of these cars could barely travel 100km across an Asian city without overheating.
Some interior components also started to fade and peel off as the coatings and linings were meant for dry climate conditions.
The car manufacturers only realized this in the late 1990s and started to do global scale testing during the development phase.
The global testing meant that the cars would be sent to the Artic circle for extreme cold weather testing, Arizona desert for extreme heat testing and also to sub tropical countries like Thailand for high humidity testing. The car manufacturer will produce standard specification cars that will allow it to be sold globally and would not risk premature component failure.
In Asian countries where heat and humidity is high, the other condition to take into consideration is traffic congestion. Traffic congestion means that the car would experience greater heat that normal as the car is not moving and very little air is passed through the radiator. The radiator fan and the cooling system has to be sufficient to cope with the high temperatures. Furthermore the air conditioner load on the engine also adds further stress.
The Asian weather also is notorious for thunder storms where huge volumes of rain water can suddenly appear in a very short space of time. The car's engine components also need to be able to cope with sudden changes in temperature from extreme heat over 40C and a sudden cooling to 24C. Components that are not designed to handle such sudden temperature changes will fail very quickly. The humidity aspect also play a huge impact on the electronics. It is extremely difficult to completely isolate electronic component from humidity.
Till today some car companies still struggle to truly tropicalize their cars and do sufficient aging tests to handle humidity. Humidity is a silent killer as the moisture slowly creeps into the components and premature aging will appear within 3 years instead of the intended 5 years.
Tropicalization is not just for car components but also tyres. Previously tyres from Europe struggled in extreme heat and humid conditions in Asia. Many started to blister after only 6 months of use.
Globalization means that almost everything can be sold and shipped across the globe easily, tropicalization has become very important aspect of car design and manufacturing.
Cars made in Europe used to be designed for European climate which were cooler and dryer than sub tropical Asian countries where temperatures can exceed 40C and have humidity over 80%. The direct impact of exporting a car designed for the European climate to Asia meant that the cars were not able to function at its best. There were many examples of cases where the cars would over heat as the cooling system was not suitable for the sub tropical climate. The radiators were far too small and other components were not able to cope with the high humidity leading to premature failure. Some BMWs, Alfa Romeos and Audis that were imported to Asia from Germany or UK struggled to cope with the heat. Many of these cars could barely travel 100km across an Asian city without overheating.
Some interior components also started to fade and peel off as the coatings and linings were meant for dry climate conditions.
The car manufacturers only realized this in the late 1990s and started to do global scale testing during the development phase.
The global testing meant that the cars would be sent to the Artic circle for extreme cold weather testing, Arizona desert for extreme heat testing and also to sub tropical countries like Thailand for high humidity testing. The car manufacturer will produce standard specification cars that will allow it to be sold globally and would not risk premature component failure.
In Asian countries where heat and humidity is high, the other condition to take into consideration is traffic congestion. Traffic congestion means that the car would experience greater heat that normal as the car is not moving and very little air is passed through the radiator. The radiator fan and the cooling system has to be sufficient to cope with the high temperatures. Furthermore the air conditioner load on the engine also adds further stress.
The Asian weather also is notorious for thunder storms where huge volumes of rain water can suddenly appear in a very short space of time. The car's engine components also need to be able to cope with sudden changes in temperature from extreme heat over 40C and a sudden cooling to 24C. Components that are not designed to handle such sudden temperature changes will fail very quickly. The humidity aspect also play a huge impact on the electronics. It is extremely difficult to completely isolate electronic component from humidity.
Till today some car companies still struggle to truly tropicalize their cars and do sufficient aging tests to handle humidity. Humidity is a silent killer as the moisture slowly creeps into the components and premature aging will appear within 3 years instead of the intended 5 years.
Tropicalization is not just for car components but also tyres. Previously tyres from Europe struggled in extreme heat and humid conditions in Asia. Many started to blister after only 6 months of use.
Globalization means that almost everything can be sold and shipped across the globe easily, tropicalization has become very important aspect of car design and manufacturing.
Sunday 15 July 2012
Big brand tyres vs smaller brand tyres
Buying tyres can be a difficult task if you are on a budget and want to get the best for your money. Buying a branded tyre usually cost a lot more than less well known brands. The reason for this is the big brands invest heavily in motor sports sponsorship and their numerous marketing campaigns world wide. This indirectly effect the cost of the tyres. This was particularly evident for Michelin and Bridgestone when they were involved in Formula One. Motor sports is used as part of tyre development as well as marketing but the costs involved are trickled down to the consumer.
Buying famous brand tyres may not necessarily mean that you are buying the best. There have been cases where famous brands produce tyre models that are not as good as expected. The reason for this is unknown. An example is Michelin where their Pilot Sport Preceda 2 was a better performing tyre than the successor which was more expensive and based on driver feedback, they all preferred the Pilot Sport Preceda 2 for it outright grip in the wet and dry and steering feel.
Big brands such as Michelin, Pirelli, Bridgestone, Continental, Yokohama, Goodyear and Dunlop are now being challenged by smaller brands that offer similar quality and similar performance tyres for less money. Brands such as Kumho, Hankook, Federal, Maxxis, Cooper and GT Radial have all taken significant bites out of the market share of the big brands. This is especially so when the gloomy economic situation makes the consumers more conscious about their spending.
In a recent tyre review, the GT Radial HPY model out performed Yokohama, Falken and several other more established tyre brands in a series of tyre tests. The price of this tyre was 30% cheaper than the competing brands. This basically makes it a good choice as a replacement tyre with better performance at a cheaper price.
The price different between a big brand tyre versus a smaller brand can be as much as 50%. This has a direct impact on buyer's choice. The smaller brands have seen significant growth especially with the current economic situation more consumers are willing to try smaller brand tyres. Once they try the smaller brand tyres and find the performance acceptable the consumer is very likely to stay with the smaller brand as it offer better value for money. Saying this, it won't put big brand tyres out of business but on the replacement market the big brands will lose more and more market share to the smaller brands. The big brands will still take the lead as the OE tyre supplier to car manufacturers based on reputation and history.
Recently we have even seen owners of Mercedes Benz S-Class using tyres made by Nexen or Hankook. Changing to smaller brand tyres is no shame and it is by no means a poorer tyre choice. The technological difference is not as big as it once were. Many engineers from established tyre companies are often recruited by smaller tyres companies to learn trade secrets.
Die hard fans of certain brands will not change and will be loyal to specific brands based on historical experiences and brand pedigree.
Buying famous brand tyres may not necessarily mean that you are buying the best. There have been cases where famous brands produce tyre models that are not as good as expected. The reason for this is unknown. An example is Michelin where their Pilot Sport Preceda 2 was a better performing tyre than the successor which was more expensive and based on driver feedback, they all preferred the Pilot Sport Preceda 2 for it outright grip in the wet and dry and steering feel.
Big brands such as Michelin, Pirelli, Bridgestone, Continental, Yokohama, Goodyear and Dunlop are now being challenged by smaller brands that offer similar quality and similar performance tyres for less money. Brands such as Kumho, Hankook, Federal, Maxxis, Cooper and GT Radial have all taken significant bites out of the market share of the big brands. This is especially so when the gloomy economic situation makes the consumers more conscious about their spending.
In a recent tyre review, the GT Radial HPY model out performed Yokohama, Falken and several other more established tyre brands in a series of tyre tests. The price of this tyre was 30% cheaper than the competing brands. This basically makes it a good choice as a replacement tyre with better performance at a cheaper price.
The price different between a big brand tyre versus a smaller brand can be as much as 50%. This has a direct impact on buyer's choice. The smaller brands have seen significant growth especially with the current economic situation more consumers are willing to try smaller brand tyres. Once they try the smaller brand tyres and find the performance acceptable the consumer is very likely to stay with the smaller brand as it offer better value for money. Saying this, it won't put big brand tyres out of business but on the replacement market the big brands will lose more and more market share to the smaller brands. The big brands will still take the lead as the OE tyre supplier to car manufacturers based on reputation and history.
Recently we have even seen owners of Mercedes Benz S-Class using tyres made by Nexen or Hankook. Changing to smaller brand tyres is no shame and it is by no means a poorer tyre choice. The technological difference is not as big as it once were. Many engineers from established tyre companies are often recruited by smaller tyres companies to learn trade secrets.
Die hard fans of certain brands will not change and will be loyal to specific brands based on historical experiences and brand pedigree.
Lexus, Infiniti and Acura
Many of us today know of Japanese luxury car brands such as Lexus, Infiniti and Acura. These 3 luxury brands were created by Toyota, Nissan and Honda respectively in the attempt to move their cars further up the luxury chain in the US. Toyota did a good job marketing Lexus in the US making it the top luxury brand in the US for more than 10 years straight. Nissan and Honda followed a few years later with their Infiniti and Acura brands with decent success.
The question I always wonder is whether the extra sticker price really justifiable. In Japan the Lexus brand was not introduced until 2005, it took the Japanese market some time to really accept the Lexus brand as a premium brand of cars. The Japanese public always viewed Toyota as just a ordinary car marque without the luxury tag. With the introduction of the Lexus brand Toyota took the extra step to create a luxurious image for themselves.
Toyota has always been regarded as a car manufacturer that produced reliable cars with solid residual value but did not create any luxury brand value to make their brand sought after. However, in the eyes of a avid motoring fan the Lexus brand is no doubt a luxury brand but it is also regarded as nothing more than a better built Toyota with more functions and features. This the same for Infiniti and Acura. A classic example is how a Toyota Celsior in Japan is actually the same as the Lexus LS430. The build quality is similar and the functions are also almost the same. Why would you want to pay more for a different badge?! Shouldn't the cars be better built in the first place?
This is similar for the Nissan Fuga in Japan is the same as the Infiniti M35 but with a different badge. I somehow cannot get over the fact that some people are willing to pay extra for the Infiniti badge!
Are these companies taking the consumers for a ride? Merely changing the badge on the car and hiking up the selling price does not sound like making the car a luxury car.
I firmly believe when selling a luxury car, the car ought to be developed from ground up rather than just a rebadging job. Toyota, Nissan and Acura can easily develop models for their Lexus, Infiniti and Acura that look completely different and also developed from the ground up which can then be firmly regarded as a true luxury model worthy of the luxury badge.
Motoring journalists (those with true honest opinions) have not given any glowing reviews for any models (apart from the Lexus LFA which is on a totally different league as most people cannot afford to buy one) from Lexus, Infiniti and Acura as they all know that these cars are ordinary models with a different badge.
The question I always wonder is whether the extra sticker price really justifiable. In Japan the Lexus brand was not introduced until 2005, it took the Japanese market some time to really accept the Lexus brand as a premium brand of cars. The Japanese public always viewed Toyota as just a ordinary car marque without the luxury tag. With the introduction of the Lexus brand Toyota took the extra step to create a luxurious image for themselves.
Toyota has always been regarded as a car manufacturer that produced reliable cars with solid residual value but did not create any luxury brand value to make their brand sought after. However, in the eyes of a avid motoring fan the Lexus brand is no doubt a luxury brand but it is also regarded as nothing more than a better built Toyota with more functions and features. This the same for Infiniti and Acura. A classic example is how a Toyota Celsior in Japan is actually the same as the Lexus LS430. The build quality is similar and the functions are also almost the same. Why would you want to pay more for a different badge?! Shouldn't the cars be better built in the first place?
This is similar for the Nissan Fuga in Japan is the same as the Infiniti M35 but with a different badge. I somehow cannot get over the fact that some people are willing to pay extra for the Infiniti badge!
Are these companies taking the consumers for a ride? Merely changing the badge on the car and hiking up the selling price does not sound like making the car a luxury car.
I firmly believe when selling a luxury car, the car ought to be developed from ground up rather than just a rebadging job. Toyota, Nissan and Acura can easily develop models for their Lexus, Infiniti and Acura that look completely different and also developed from the ground up which can then be firmly regarded as a true luxury model worthy of the luxury badge.
Motoring journalists (those with true honest opinions) have not given any glowing reviews for any models (apart from the Lexus LFA which is on a totally different league as most people cannot afford to buy one) from Lexus, Infiniti and Acura as they all know that these cars are ordinary models with a different badge.
Thursday 5 July 2012
Mid model life cycle face lifts
These days it is very common to hear that a car company is face lifting a particular model mid way through the model life cycle. The usual model life cycle for Japanese model is about 5 years and for European models is 7 years. Usually mid way through the model life cycle approximate 3 years after the initial introduction of the model, the car will receive some sort of alteration.
The usual alterations are as follows:-
- cosmetic changes to the bumpers, head lights, tail lights
- tweaks in the ECU for more power (not all car companies do this)
- minor changes in the interior (maybe colour tone or upgrade in audio system)
- addition of Day Time Running LED lights (seems like everyone is copying Audi)
- change in wheel design
- upgrade of ECU program to eliminate earlier bugs
- alteration of traction control system (rarely happens)
The objective of having a mid model life cycle face lift is to freshen the look and remind the consumers that the car is now newer looking. The plan is to attract back the buyers to the showroom. Nearly all car companies just do cosmetic facelifts as this is much easier to do and it isn't expensive in terms of development cost. Most car companies they have already planned their mid model life cycle when they launch the car, some will even have ready ECU program upgrades to increase performance just to make the face lifted model more exciting and interesting. Competition in the car market is very fierce and once the car model starts to look old and newer models are introduced by competitors, the car companies have to think ahead to capture back the sales.
A car is like any other product, it will start to look old or dated when something new is introduced. Keeping up with the competition is always a difficult task.
It is rare to see a car company face lift their car models twice but in the case of Peugeot, that just happened. Underneath the cosmetic changes the car model is still the same.
Another company that also did two face lifts during the model life cycle was Nissan (Tan chong in Malaysia) which did it for the old Nissan Sentra. This model was first introduced around year 2000 and has gone through more than 1 face lift. This same model is still current available for sale making it one of the longest running model on sale in Malaysia. The question why this model is still for sales after so many years is down to the distributor's aim to maximise their returns on assembly line capital investment. Doing multiple facelifts over a long production period could mean two things. 1. the model is very boring and old; 2. the model is practically bug free since the model has been in production so long that any and every possible bug has been rectified.
The usual alterations are as follows:-
- cosmetic changes to the bumpers, head lights, tail lights
- tweaks in the ECU for more power (not all car companies do this)
- minor changes in the interior (maybe colour tone or upgrade in audio system)
- addition of Day Time Running LED lights (seems like everyone is copying Audi)
- change in wheel design
- upgrade of ECU program to eliminate earlier bugs
- alteration of traction control system (rarely happens)
The objective of having a mid model life cycle face lift is to freshen the look and remind the consumers that the car is now newer looking. The plan is to attract back the buyers to the showroom. Nearly all car companies just do cosmetic facelifts as this is much easier to do and it isn't expensive in terms of development cost. Most car companies they have already planned their mid model life cycle when they launch the car, some will even have ready ECU program upgrades to increase performance just to make the face lifted model more exciting and interesting. Competition in the car market is very fierce and once the car model starts to look old and newer models are introduced by competitors, the car companies have to think ahead to capture back the sales.
A car is like any other product, it will start to look old or dated when something new is introduced. Keeping up with the competition is always a difficult task.
Peugeot 308 - first face lift
Peugeot 308 - second face lift
It is rare to see a car company face lift their car models twice but in the case of Peugeot, that just happened. Underneath the cosmetic changes the car model is still the same.
Another company that also did two face lifts during the model life cycle was Nissan (Tan chong in Malaysia) which did it for the old Nissan Sentra. This model was first introduced around year 2000 and has gone through more than 1 face lift. This same model is still current available for sale making it one of the longest running model on sale in Malaysia. The question why this model is still for sales after so many years is down to the distributor's aim to maximise their returns on assembly line capital investment. Doing multiple facelifts over a long production period could mean two things. 1. the model is very boring and old; 2. the model is practically bug free since the model has been in production so long that any and every possible bug has been rectified.
Monday 2 July 2012
Collaboration between Toyota and BMW
This new announced collaboration between Toyota and BMW is an interesting one but I see Toyota benefiting more than BMW.
Here are the reasons:
- Toyota will be able to get hold BMW's awesome turbo diesel technology
- Toyota will learn BMW's engine down sizing technology
- Toyota will learn BMW's suspension setup and chassis technology
Toyota currently does not have the best turbo diesel engine for passenger cars and this has an impact on their sales in Europe where more than 50% of new cars sold are turbo diesel. Acquiring this technology will enable Toyota to have better market penetration in Europe.
All these technology from BMW are currently at the forefront of automotive engineering. It is not that Toyota is unable to develop similar technology but by collaborating with BMW they can short cut the development time and learn from the industry leader of such technology.
BMW will benefit in some ways by collaborating with Toyota if not they wouldn't collaborate.
Here are some of the potential areas they can benefit:
- BMW can learn about Toyota's small car and compact engine technology
- gain better understanding of Toyota's hybrid technology
Ultimately the collaboration is aimed at lowering development cost of new engines and new technology.
In the previous case of BMW's collaboration with Peugeot, the one that benefited the most was Peugeot as the 1.6 Prince engine co-developed by both companies were used in more Peugeot models than BMW models. BMW only used it for the Mini and the 116i model while Peugeot used the same engine for their 308, 408, 508, 3008, 5008 and RCZ.
Here are the reasons:
- Toyota will be able to get hold BMW's awesome turbo diesel technology
- Toyota will learn BMW's engine down sizing technology
- Toyota will learn BMW's suspension setup and chassis technology
Toyota currently does not have the best turbo diesel engine for passenger cars and this has an impact on their sales in Europe where more than 50% of new cars sold are turbo diesel. Acquiring this technology will enable Toyota to have better market penetration in Europe.
All these technology from BMW are currently at the forefront of automotive engineering. It is not that Toyota is unable to develop similar technology but by collaborating with BMW they can short cut the development time and learn from the industry leader of such technology.
BMW will benefit in some ways by collaborating with Toyota if not they wouldn't collaborate.
Here are some of the potential areas they can benefit:
- BMW can learn about Toyota's small car and compact engine technology
- gain better understanding of Toyota's hybrid technology
Ultimately the collaboration is aimed at lowering development cost of new engines and new technology.
In the previous case of BMW's collaboration with Peugeot, the one that benefited the most was Peugeot as the 1.6 Prince engine co-developed by both companies were used in more Peugeot models than BMW models. BMW only used it for the Mini and the 116i model while Peugeot used the same engine for their 308, 408, 508, 3008, 5008 and RCZ.
Redefining the sports car
Toyota has traditionally been known to be a conservative car maker being famous for making very safe but boring cars such as the Toyota Camry, Toyota Corolla Altis and rugged Hilux models. Toyota left a long gap between sports car models such the MRS which was not really considered a true sports cars as it did not have the real performance nor the handling that sports car enthusiasts were looking for.
After almost 10 years since the last Supra rolled off the production line, Toyota finally introduced the GT86 which created quite a stir in the motoring industry. This is especially so when most car makers were obsessed with power and speed. The average new sports car now comes with 300hp or more and is capable of 0-100km/h in under 5 seconds. Toyota went back to the roots of sports car dynamics and made a car that made everyone remember how a real sports car is suppose to be like. Light weight, nimble, good handling, and sufficient power to have fun with.
The new GT86 is all that with good handling, sufficient power and have the correct front engine rear drive layout to enable the drive to get the tail out to have some serious fun. This car plugs the gap between the Mazda MX-5 and more powerful sports cars. The Mazda MX-5 have gotten a bit too large and too heavy as its dimension kept growing with the introduction of each new model. For the GT 86 some might argue that the car needs more power since it only has 197hp which is relatively low for a sports car in this current era. However with a low body weight the 197hp is sufficient to have fun with. For those who want more power there are always tuning kits from Japan which have already emerged.
The GT86 also filled a void where there were no sports car model in the Toyota stable for the mass market. Their next sports car, well actually a super car was the Lexus LFA which is cost more than 10 times more than the GT86 and is out of reach for 90% of the population. Making an affordable and simple sports car makes good sense for a time like this where people still want to buy a sports car but do not want to shell out over US$50,000 for it.
In the Malaysian context, selling this car may be an uphill battle for Toyota as the pricing (after tax) is not in their favour. At RM243,000 (for the manual version), it is competing in the same league as the VW Scirocco 2.0 Turbo, VW Golf R, Renault Megane, Civic Type R, Subaru Impreza STi and of course a used Porsche Cayman S (2006 model). All these cars offer more power and torque. I believe the GT86 will be reserved for a selected few who are true enthusiasts.
After almost 10 years since the last Supra rolled off the production line, Toyota finally introduced the GT86 which created quite a stir in the motoring industry. This is especially so when most car makers were obsessed with power and speed. The average new sports car now comes with 300hp or more and is capable of 0-100km/h in under 5 seconds. Toyota went back to the roots of sports car dynamics and made a car that made everyone remember how a real sports car is suppose to be like. Light weight, nimble, good handling, and sufficient power to have fun with.
The new GT86 is all that with good handling, sufficient power and have the correct front engine rear drive layout to enable the drive to get the tail out to have some serious fun. This car plugs the gap between the Mazda MX-5 and more powerful sports cars. The Mazda MX-5 have gotten a bit too large and too heavy as its dimension kept growing with the introduction of each new model. For the GT 86 some might argue that the car needs more power since it only has 197hp which is relatively low for a sports car in this current era. However with a low body weight the 197hp is sufficient to have fun with. For those who want more power there are always tuning kits from Japan which have already emerged.
The GT86 also filled a void where there were no sports car model in the Toyota stable for the mass market. Their next sports car, well actually a super car was the Lexus LFA which is cost more than 10 times more than the GT86 and is out of reach for 90% of the population. Making an affordable and simple sports car makes good sense for a time like this where people still want to buy a sports car but do not want to shell out over US$50,000 for it.
In the Malaysian context, selling this car may be an uphill battle for Toyota as the pricing (after tax) is not in their favour. At RM243,000 (for the manual version), it is competing in the same league as the VW Scirocco 2.0 Turbo, VW Golf R, Renault Megane, Civic Type R, Subaru Impreza STi and of course a used Porsche Cayman S (2006 model). All these cars offer more power and torque. I believe the GT86 will be reserved for a selected few who are true enthusiasts.
Monday 25 June 2012
VW Passat 1.8T vs Toyota Camry 2.5
Toyota recently launched their 2012 edition Camry with the 2.0 litre and 2.5 litre engine models. this new model promises more refinement, better handling and better space. The new Camry is without a doubt a good car and Toyota has been improving this model for decades to bring it close to Lexus level.
The biggest threat to Toyota is now the VW Passat 1.8T rather than the traditional Honda Accord as the current Honda Accord model is getting old and is due to be replaced in 2013. Why is the VW Passat 1.8T a serious competitor to the Camry? The reason is simple. The cars are of similar size, similar price but both are engineered differently hence the interesting comparison.
Here is a direct head to head comparison:
Engine:
Toyota Camry 2.5: 181ps and 231Nm.
VW Passat 1.8T: 160ps and 250Nm
Transmission:
Toyota Camry 2.5: 6 speed automatic
VW Passat 1.8T: 7 Speed DSG
Vehicle Weight:
Toyota Camry 2.5: 1480kg
VW Passat 1.8T: 1517kg
Acceleration 0-100km/h:
Toyota Camry 2.5: 8.7 secs
VW Passat 1.8T: 8.5 secs
Fuel consumption:
Toyota Camry 2.5: 8.5 litres/100km (estimated)
VW Passat 1.8T: 7.0 litres/100km
With the statistics listed above it is very clear that engine downsizing works wonders for fuel economy and performance. The VW Passat is easily 20ps down on the Camry but the higher torque figures and better transmission efficiency pays dividends for the Passat despite the slightly heavier body weight.
VW has utilized the engine downsizing and ultra efficient DSG transmission to great effect to make the Passat a great contender for this segment of the market. Positioned as a mid size sedan, VW was able to bring the best of both worlds with good handling, solid highway stability, good fuel economy and ride comfort at a price cheaper than the new Camry 2.5.
In Malaysia VW offers 5 years warranty while Toyota offers 3 years warranty. The competition in this segment of the market just got hotter and Toyota has something to seriously worry about. The competition is no longer just with Honda Accord, Hyundai Sonata and the Nissan Teana. VW has joined the party with a strong contender and having a European badge with a similar price it may just swing many buyers over. For similar money, would you buy Japanese, Korean or German?
The biggest threat to Toyota is now the VW Passat 1.8T rather than the traditional Honda Accord as the current Honda Accord model is getting old and is due to be replaced in 2013. Why is the VW Passat 1.8T a serious competitor to the Camry? The reason is simple. The cars are of similar size, similar price but both are engineered differently hence the interesting comparison.
Here is a direct head to head comparison:
Engine:
Toyota Camry 2.5: 181ps and 231Nm.
VW Passat 1.8T: 160ps and 250Nm
Transmission:
Toyota Camry 2.5: 6 speed automatic
VW Passat 1.8T: 7 Speed DSG
Vehicle Weight:
Toyota Camry 2.5: 1480kg
VW Passat 1.8T: 1517kg
Acceleration 0-100km/h:
Toyota Camry 2.5: 8.7 secs
VW Passat 1.8T: 8.5 secs
Fuel consumption:
Toyota Camry 2.5: 8.5 litres/100km (estimated)
VW Passat 1.8T: 7.0 litres/100km
With the statistics listed above it is very clear that engine downsizing works wonders for fuel economy and performance. The VW Passat is easily 20ps down on the Camry but the higher torque figures and better transmission efficiency pays dividends for the Passat despite the slightly heavier body weight.
VW has utilized the engine downsizing and ultra efficient DSG transmission to great effect to make the Passat a great contender for this segment of the market. Positioned as a mid size sedan, VW was able to bring the best of both worlds with good handling, solid highway stability, good fuel economy and ride comfort at a price cheaper than the new Camry 2.5.
In Malaysia VW offers 5 years warranty while Toyota offers 3 years warranty. The competition in this segment of the market just got hotter and Toyota has something to seriously worry about. The competition is no longer just with Honda Accord, Hyundai Sonata and the Nissan Teana. VW has joined the party with a strong contender and having a European badge with a similar price it may just swing many buyers over. For similar money, would you buy Japanese, Korean or German?
Thursday 21 June 2012
BMW 520d vs Peugeot 508 2.2 Hdi
Not all car manufacturers are created equal and all have different levels of engineering. This is due to their history, philosophy and their approach to design and engineering.
Companies such as Toyota are very conservative and but they constantly introduce various new technologies as they go along. Their rate of technology introduction is not as fast as they strive for out right reliability before allowing the technology to be part of their new car. Then there are companies such as BMW are more dramatic and always introduce some new technology with every new model launched. This naturally puts them ahead of most of their competitors and make them look like serious innovators.
The major car manufacturers invest hundreds of millions of dollars in engineering and research and development every year to improve their cars. I shall discuss an example of the different levels of engineering for 2 different car companies with similar classed models.
BMW - F10 520d - this model is the entry level model for BMW's 5 series range. Putting out 184hp and 380Nm, this car promises refinement, good handling, comfortable ride and very good fuel economy. At present the 520d is one of the top selling 5 series model for BMW. It is able to accelerate from 0-100km/h in 8.1 seconds while consuming just 5.2 litres per 100km of diesel.
Peugeot 508 2.2 HDi - this is a flag ship model for Peugeot with good interior space, decent ride and handling and good exterior looks. The performance of this car is also good for a diesel engine with performance figures standing at 201hp and 450Nm. This car is able to accelerate from 01-00km/h in 8.2 seconds while consuming 5.7 litres per 100km of diesel.
These two cars are of similar size and weight but both car companies demonstrate the different levels of engineering. The BMW is still superior in engine and transmission technology as their 520d model is able to out perform the Peugeot in terms of acceleration and fuel economy. Overall the performance difference between the 2 cars is very close. It is not that the Peugeot is not good. It is just not as good as the BMW overall. One would argue that both cars are in a different league because of price however price should not be a factor as these two cars are of similar size, weight and category. On paper the Peugeot has more power and torque but why is it not translated into real world performance? At a glance, one would expect the Peugeot to easily out perform the BMW as the Peugeot has 17hp and 70Nm advantage over the BMW. The difference is in the transmission system and how the power is put to the wheels. Having high performance engines is good but having a weak or inefficient transmission will really take the bite of the advantage from the engine.
Companies such as Toyota are very conservative and but they constantly introduce various new technologies as they go along. Their rate of technology introduction is not as fast as they strive for out right reliability before allowing the technology to be part of their new car. Then there are companies such as BMW are more dramatic and always introduce some new technology with every new model launched. This naturally puts them ahead of most of their competitors and make them look like serious innovators.
The major car manufacturers invest hundreds of millions of dollars in engineering and research and development every year to improve their cars. I shall discuss an example of the different levels of engineering for 2 different car companies with similar classed models.
BMW - F10 520d - this model is the entry level model for BMW's 5 series range. Putting out 184hp and 380Nm, this car promises refinement, good handling, comfortable ride and very good fuel economy. At present the 520d is one of the top selling 5 series model for BMW. It is able to accelerate from 0-100km/h in 8.1 seconds while consuming just 5.2 litres per 100km of diesel.
Peugeot 508 2.2 HDi - this is a flag ship model for Peugeot with good interior space, decent ride and handling and good exterior looks. The performance of this car is also good for a diesel engine with performance figures standing at 201hp and 450Nm. This car is able to accelerate from 01-00km/h in 8.2 seconds while consuming 5.7 litres per 100km of diesel.
These two cars are of similar size and weight but both car companies demonstrate the different levels of engineering. The BMW is still superior in engine and transmission technology as their 520d model is able to out perform the Peugeot in terms of acceleration and fuel economy. Overall the performance difference between the 2 cars is very close. It is not that the Peugeot is not good. It is just not as good as the BMW overall. One would argue that both cars are in a different league because of price however price should not be a factor as these two cars are of similar size, weight and category. On paper the Peugeot has more power and torque but why is it not translated into real world performance? At a glance, one would expect the Peugeot to easily out perform the BMW as the Peugeot has 17hp and 70Nm advantage over the BMW. The difference is in the transmission system and how the power is put to the wheels. Having high performance engines is good but having a weak or inefficient transmission will really take the bite of the advantage from the engine.
Wednesday 20 June 2012
Malaysia's National Automotive Policy
Every country has their own national automotive policy to cater for their own domestic market. Some of the policies are skewed towards Going Green to help the environment and some are designed to promote and protect local manufacturers, and some are there to help overall growth of the automotive industry domestically.
In Malaysia, the National Automotive Policy is more flawed than a pothole ridden road. The National Automotive Policy (NAP) has been designed specifically around the protection of Proton and Perodua, and to aid the well connected businessman who are within the close circle of government ministers with the seriously flawed Approved Permit (AP) system. This AP system was subject to abuse and made many government linked businessmen very rich by only selling import permits for US$15,000 each. To make matters worse, these businessmen where making it difficult for car distributors or even car manufacturers to import their own cars. This AP system was initially planned for abolishment in 2010 but until today this system is still being used as the government linked businessmen were able to lobby for further extensions. This has meant that imported car prices will remain one of the highest in the world. For the sake of enriching a few businessmen the country continue to suffer. Loss of jobs, loss of foreign investment and burdening the public with high priced cars.
Over the years the Malaysian government has changed their NAP to try to evolve with the times however it has always fallen short of anything significant and this has frustrated many car manufacturers. This has led to many of them opting to invest heavily in Thailand and Indonesia instead. The loss of foreign investment is well over US$200 million in direct capital investment and massive opportunity cost in terms of employment and local parts supply business. One foreign business report estimated 200,000 potential jobs would be created if the automotive industry was open. Foreign car manufacturers are constantly confused with the policies tabled in the NAP. Many don't know found that the policies were not fair and they simply did not have the confidence to invest in Malaysia.
Proton is a poorly managed car manufacturer that is like a baby that refuses to grow up. Surviving on government protection, Proton's days are numbered. As the Malaysian government has been under tremendous pressure from neighbouring countries and other trading partners to liberalize the automotive industry. As each NAP is tabled the Malaysia automotive industry is slowly opening up. It is still a positive step considering how slow it takes for any significant changes to be seen. The changes in Malaysia's NAP is still seen by many as a half baked attempt to pacify trading partners and foreign car manufacturers.
Having made Proton a private company again, the Malaysian Government may not necessarily protect Proton as much as before and this could spell some positive changes to the automotive industry. Whether this will happen is still questionable.
The current political scene in Malaysia is a hot debate as the Opposition party has garnered tremendous support. With the ruling party being the one behind the NAP and Proton, if the Opposition wins the next upcoming elections, there is a possibility for car lovers in Malaysia to rejoice as the NAP will be completely different and the AP system will most likely be scrapped with immediate effect. The NAP will probably see a much more open automotive industry to stimulate more foreign investment, creation of jobs and promote more local supply business opportunities.
As far as I know, all Malaysians would wish to have more affordable cars and not be saddled with crazy car loans stretching up to 9 years! Owning a car should not be a luxury but a right to a basic necessity.
In Malaysia, the National Automotive Policy is more flawed than a pothole ridden road. The National Automotive Policy (NAP) has been designed specifically around the protection of Proton and Perodua, and to aid the well connected businessman who are within the close circle of government ministers with the seriously flawed Approved Permit (AP) system. This AP system was subject to abuse and made many government linked businessmen very rich by only selling import permits for US$15,000 each. To make matters worse, these businessmen where making it difficult for car distributors or even car manufacturers to import their own cars. This AP system was initially planned for abolishment in 2010 but until today this system is still being used as the government linked businessmen were able to lobby for further extensions. This has meant that imported car prices will remain one of the highest in the world. For the sake of enriching a few businessmen the country continue to suffer. Loss of jobs, loss of foreign investment and burdening the public with high priced cars.
Over the years the Malaysian government has changed their NAP to try to evolve with the times however it has always fallen short of anything significant and this has frustrated many car manufacturers. This has led to many of them opting to invest heavily in Thailand and Indonesia instead. The loss of foreign investment is well over US$200 million in direct capital investment and massive opportunity cost in terms of employment and local parts supply business. One foreign business report estimated 200,000 potential jobs would be created if the automotive industry was open. Foreign car manufacturers are constantly confused with the policies tabled in the NAP. Many don't know found that the policies were not fair and they simply did not have the confidence to invest in Malaysia.
Proton is a poorly managed car manufacturer that is like a baby that refuses to grow up. Surviving on government protection, Proton's days are numbered. As the Malaysian government has been under tremendous pressure from neighbouring countries and other trading partners to liberalize the automotive industry. As each NAP is tabled the Malaysia automotive industry is slowly opening up. It is still a positive step considering how slow it takes for any significant changes to be seen. The changes in Malaysia's NAP is still seen by many as a half baked attempt to pacify trading partners and foreign car manufacturers.
Having made Proton a private company again, the Malaysian Government may not necessarily protect Proton as much as before and this could spell some positive changes to the automotive industry. Whether this will happen is still questionable.
The current political scene in Malaysia is a hot debate as the Opposition party has garnered tremendous support. With the ruling party being the one behind the NAP and Proton, if the Opposition wins the next upcoming elections, there is a possibility for car lovers in Malaysia to rejoice as the NAP will be completely different and the AP system will most likely be scrapped with immediate effect. The NAP will probably see a much more open automotive industry to stimulate more foreign investment, creation of jobs and promote more local supply business opportunities.
As far as I know, all Malaysians would wish to have more affordable cars and not be saddled with crazy car loans stretching up to 9 years! Owning a car should not be a luxury but a right to a basic necessity.
Tuesday 19 June 2012
Triple Turbo diesel
Turbo charging is nothing new in the automotive industry and many car manufacturers use it as a way to boost performance and efficiency. Until end of 2011, traditional turbo setups are either single or twin turbos. BMW took the first step to be the very first company to introduce a production car with triple turbos. This was never thought to be possible before because of the complicated plumbing associated with a triple turbo. Nevertheless, BMW managed to perfect it and made it reliable. BMW recently introduced their M550d, X550d and X650d. Keeping their proven 3.0 litre inline diesel engine and coupling it with the triple turbo setup, the net result was an amazing 381hp and 740Nm. This was ground breaking for any car company as no one has ever seen so much power and torque from a 3.0 litre production engine. The beauty about this design is that the car is very easy to drive and have monstrous power at your disposal and very good fuel economy. Power and fuel economy has never gone hand in hand as you need fuel to generate power. However, when it is applied in the case of a turbo diesel engine the efficiency of the engine goes up.
This brings a new level of sportiness to diesel engines. Diesels were never known for being sporty in the past but in the recent 10 years and the heavy development of turbo diesel engines, it has gone to prove that turbo diesel cars can be fun to drive and sporty at the same time. The turbo diesel craze seems to be concentrated mainly in Europe as the Europeans drivers can appreciate the superior torque and fuel economy of a diesel engine. European car manufacturers have gone so far as to prove their diesel technology on the race track with convincing wins in LeMans and touring car championships.
In countries such as Japan and USA, most drivers still prefer their gasoline engines. Many of the drivers still think that diesels are for trucks and commercial vehicles. They really don't know what they are missing out on.
This brings a new level of sportiness to diesel engines. Diesels were never known for being sporty in the past but in the recent 10 years and the heavy development of turbo diesel engines, it has gone to prove that turbo diesel cars can be fun to drive and sporty at the same time. The turbo diesel craze seems to be concentrated mainly in Europe as the Europeans drivers can appreciate the superior torque and fuel economy of a diesel engine. European car manufacturers have gone so far as to prove their diesel technology on the race track with convincing wins in LeMans and touring car championships.
In countries such as Japan and USA, most drivers still prefer their gasoline engines. Many of the drivers still think that diesels are for trucks and commercial vehicles. They really don't know what they are missing out on.
vehicle grooming and hygiene
It is fascinating to see how much a car lover will spend to detail or groom their car. A buddy of mine owns the most exotic car detailing centre in South East Asia. He often charges over US$1000 for detailing jobs. His attention to detail is so incredible that you can shave your face from the reflection off the paint work. This is one extreme and is usually reserved for the hardcore car lover. The grooming aspect is mainly reserved for cosmetic aspect rather than overall health. Yes, a cleaner car should be more hygienic however, for people with children, washing your car's exterior and vacuuming the carpets and seats are not enough.
Literally millions of bacteria linger in the car's ventilation and air conditioning system and no one bothers to clean this part. They don't clean it because they don't know how to and they have no clue that the air that they are breathing in everyday is harmful.
You can often find a car with immaculate exterior paint work but the interior is not as clean. Many people forget to thoroughly clean their car's interior. It is also more difficult to clean the car's interior as there are more nooks and crannies which make it extremely difficult to reach.
The car's air conditioning system is notorious for harbouring harmful bacteria as the hot and cold working environment creates a breeding ground for bacteria. When the air conditioning system is switched off, the cool air condenses and forms into water droplets which will stay in the ducting, couple this with the car occupants sneezing and coughing, the bacteria will manifest itself. Mold spores will also start to form and this usually leads to respiratory problems.
The next time you send your car for your regular car wash, I highly recommend treating your car's air conditioning (if available). Consider a service similar to this: http://www.bactakleen.com/index.php/products-a-services
Literally millions of bacteria linger in the car's ventilation and air conditioning system and no one bothers to clean this part. They don't clean it because they don't know how to and they have no clue that the air that they are breathing in everyday is harmful.
You can often find a car with immaculate exterior paint work but the interior is not as clean. Many people forget to thoroughly clean their car's interior. It is also more difficult to clean the car's interior as there are more nooks and crannies which make it extremely difficult to reach.
The car's air conditioning system is notorious for harbouring harmful bacteria as the hot and cold working environment creates a breeding ground for bacteria. When the air conditioning system is switched off, the cool air condenses and forms into water droplets which will stay in the ducting, couple this with the car occupants sneezing and coughing, the bacteria will manifest itself. Mold spores will also start to form and this usually leads to respiratory problems.
The next time you send your car for your regular car wash, I highly recommend treating your car's air conditioning (if available). Consider a service similar to this: http://www.bactakleen.com/index.php/products-a-services
Wednesday 13 June 2012
Hybrid car vs Normal car resale mismatch
Hybrid cars are the current wave and the buyers who were willing to try out new technology bought hybrid cars. In Malaysia it can be seen as an upcoming trend however there is a gross mismatch.
What I mean by mismatch? I mean the mismatch in resale of the hybrid cars versus resale of normal gasoline powered cars. The problem here in Malaysia is with the used car dealers. The new car dealers are busy promoting hybrid cars as it helps them boost their monthly sales but they also need the used car dealers to do the trade-in for older cars. This is not a problem when the car to be traded in is a normal gasoline powered car. The problem comes when the car to be traded in is a hybrid. This also applies to people trying to sell their hybrid cars.
Used car dealer usually refuse to accept used hybrid cars or offer very low trade in values for hybrids because they do not want to bear the risk of a hybrid car with a dying hybrid battery or a hybrid battery that is due for replacement. As we all know the cost of replacing a hybrid battery can run anywhere between US$2,000 to US$3,000. This will effect the profitability of the used car and also whether the buyer of a used hybrid car is willing to bear the risk themselves. This is an ongoing debate and very serious impending problem.
Many people may not realize this now but when they try to upgrade or buy a new car by trading in or selling their current hybrid car will face this problem. My question is, how long will it take before the used car market will accept hybrids without the massive reduction in residual value? And for those car owners who are very concerned about residual values, will this make them think twice about buying a hybrid car?
What I mean by mismatch? I mean the mismatch in resale of the hybrid cars versus resale of normal gasoline powered cars. The problem here in Malaysia is with the used car dealers. The new car dealers are busy promoting hybrid cars as it helps them boost their monthly sales but they also need the used car dealers to do the trade-in for older cars. This is not a problem when the car to be traded in is a normal gasoline powered car. The problem comes when the car to be traded in is a hybrid. This also applies to people trying to sell their hybrid cars.
Used car dealer usually refuse to accept used hybrid cars or offer very low trade in values for hybrids because they do not want to bear the risk of a hybrid car with a dying hybrid battery or a hybrid battery that is due for replacement. As we all know the cost of replacing a hybrid battery can run anywhere between US$2,000 to US$3,000. This will effect the profitability of the used car and also whether the buyer of a used hybrid car is willing to bear the risk themselves. This is an ongoing debate and very serious impending problem.
Many people may not realize this now but when they try to upgrade or buy a new car by trading in or selling their current hybrid car will face this problem. My question is, how long will it take before the used car market will accept hybrids without the massive reduction in residual value? And for those car owners who are very concerned about residual values, will this make them think twice about buying a hybrid car?
Monday 11 June 2012
Lotus - a burden or asset to Proton?
Proton purchased Lotus in 1996 and have not done much to capitalize on the engineering expertise of Lotus.
Lotus was saddled with a lot of debt and Proton ultimately lost a lot of money keeping Lotus afloat by continuously pumping money into Lotus. Lotus has not since made any profit and has stayed in operation solely from the financial support from Proton. Proton only benefited from some basic suspension and chassis engineering for the Proton Perdana V6 model, Satria Gti and the later Gen 2, Persona, Satria Neo, Exora and Preve models. Having a decent chassis and suspension does not necessary mean better sales when the engine, transmission and build quality is substandard! Until today Proton is still losing a lot of money due to Lotus and it is a big financial burden.
In 2009 Lotus took a bold step and engaged Dany Bahar which attempted to turn the company around with a flurry of new models which were due to be released over the next 5 years. Sadly, the direction which Lotus took was wrong. Under his leadership, Lotus planned to release numerous new sports car models with 1 luxury sedan model. In the current global economic climate, it would not make sense to keep making sports cars as the old product to sell. Lotus had the brand pedigree, engineering know how and also the motorsports heritage to build and sell non-sports car models.Lotus in reality should re-look at their business model and consider how they are able to turn the company around. Surely in our current economic climate
sponsoring the Lotus Renault F1 team in consideration of the company's financial situation, it does not make logical sense to indulge in such expensive branding exercise. Lotus cannot survive on selling Elises, Evoras and Exiges only and sponsor a major Formula One team.
Lotus should develop a mid range sports sedan similar to a BMW 5 series size and a sports SUV to their model range. These two models will be able to capture buyers who are looking for a car with the Lotus branding, racing heritage and engineering and yet carry 4 adults comfortably. Building such models by no means dilute or bring down the brand image of Lotus. It just widens the customer base across all countries. Being able to sell more cars naturally mean more revenue for the company. Lotus should take some notes from Porsche that did what many people did not expect them to do by introducing the Cayenne and Panamera. It just seems like Proton never capitalized on Lotus's abilities and Lotus never took the step in the right direction to make itself profitable. It appears that Lotus is destined to be the burden for Proton until something drastic is done to turn the company around. I believe if Lotus was sold a China car manufacturer, they would be able to turn the company around and capitalize on Lotus's capabilities just like how they did for Rover and Volvo.
In comparison, in 2004 Porsche was smart enough to introduce the Cayenne and 2009 the Panamera which are currently its most popular and profitable models in their model line up. This move was in anticipation of economic changes and moving in a different direction to create a wider customer base. Porsche being one of the most traditional sports car companies in the world took a bold step in a direction that many people were very critical of them but it has paid of handsomely. Porsche did not invest in Formula One as a branding exercise. They focused instead on product development and expansion into key emerging markets such as China, South America, Russia and Nigeria. I do apologize to readers who wonder why I keep comparing many companies with Porsche and their models. The reason for this is that in this current economic climate, Porsche has done extremely well with their new models and has made more money than many other companies. They had the right strategy and good models to match.
Lotus was saddled with a lot of debt and Proton ultimately lost a lot of money keeping Lotus afloat by continuously pumping money into Lotus. Lotus has not since made any profit and has stayed in operation solely from the financial support from Proton. Proton only benefited from some basic suspension and chassis engineering for the Proton Perdana V6 model, Satria Gti and the later Gen 2, Persona, Satria Neo, Exora and Preve models. Having a decent chassis and suspension does not necessary mean better sales when the engine, transmission and build quality is substandard! Until today Proton is still losing a lot of money due to Lotus and it is a big financial burden.
In 2009 Lotus took a bold step and engaged Dany Bahar which attempted to turn the company around with a flurry of new models which were due to be released over the next 5 years. Sadly, the direction which Lotus took was wrong. Under his leadership, Lotus planned to release numerous new sports car models with 1 luxury sedan model. In the current global economic climate, it would not make sense to keep making sports cars as the old product to sell. Lotus had the brand pedigree, engineering know how and also the motorsports heritage to build and sell non-sports car models.Lotus in reality should re-look at their business model and consider how they are able to turn the company around. Surely in our current economic climate
sponsoring the Lotus Renault F1 team in consideration of the company's financial situation, it does not make logical sense to indulge in such expensive branding exercise. Lotus cannot survive on selling Elises, Evoras and Exiges only and sponsor a major Formula One team.
Lotus should develop a mid range sports sedan similar to a BMW 5 series size and a sports SUV to their model range. These two models will be able to capture buyers who are looking for a car with the Lotus branding, racing heritage and engineering and yet carry 4 adults comfortably. Building such models by no means dilute or bring down the brand image of Lotus. It just widens the customer base across all countries. Being able to sell more cars naturally mean more revenue for the company. Lotus should take some notes from Porsche that did what many people did not expect them to do by introducing the Cayenne and Panamera. It just seems like Proton never capitalized on Lotus's abilities and Lotus never took the step in the right direction to make itself profitable. It appears that Lotus is destined to be the burden for Proton until something drastic is done to turn the company around. I believe if Lotus was sold a China car manufacturer, they would be able to turn the company around and capitalize on Lotus's capabilities just like how they did for Rover and Volvo.
In comparison, in 2004 Porsche was smart enough to introduce the Cayenne and 2009 the Panamera which are currently its most popular and profitable models in their model line up. This move was in anticipation of economic changes and moving in a different direction to create a wider customer base. Porsche being one of the most traditional sports car companies in the world took a bold step in a direction that many people were very critical of them but it has paid of handsomely. Porsche did not invest in Formula One as a branding exercise. They focused instead on product development and expansion into key emerging markets such as China, South America, Russia and Nigeria. I do apologize to readers who wonder why I keep comparing many companies with Porsche and their models. The reason for this is that in this current economic climate, Porsche has done extremely well with their new models and has made more money than many other companies. They had the right strategy and good models to match.
Sunday 10 June 2012
Problems with Porsche Hybrid system
It appears that Porsche is starting to have problems with their hybrid system on the Cayenne. This was initially thought of as a rumour but after hearing a personal account from an owner of a Cayenne Hybrid the car seems to have problems with the hybrid system. The problem is not catastrophic and will not render the car not drivable. The problem lies in the system's activation when on the highway during hard acceleration. Normally when the driver full throttles the car, both the supercharged gasoline engine and the hybrid electric motor will work together to provide maximum power and torque. The problem occurred the hybrid system failed to activate under full throttle and it also failed to activate while driving at city speeds.
The system seemed to work initially in the first 6 months of car ownership (as claimed by the owner after owning the car for 15 months) but in the last 6 months the hybrid system seems to work intermittently and after several attempts to rectify the problem, Porsche Malaysia has failed to offer him a suitable explanation for this.
Thinking that this problem could be an isolated case, several similar cases were reported in Singapore and Malaysia. Is the problem due to our excessive humidity? or did Porsche rush into introducing a hybrid system that is not completely ready and bug free?
In my opinion the problem could be in the software as the car's hybrid system is controlled by the ECU.
The system seemed to work initially in the first 6 months of car ownership (as claimed by the owner after owning the car for 15 months) but in the last 6 months the hybrid system seems to work intermittently and after several attempts to rectify the problem, Porsche Malaysia has failed to offer him a suitable explanation for this.
Thinking that this problem could be an isolated case, several similar cases were reported in Singapore and Malaysia. Is the problem due to our excessive humidity? or did Porsche rush into introducing a hybrid system that is not completely ready and bug free?
In my opinion the problem could be in the software as the car's hybrid system is controlled by the ECU.
car development and over conservatism
Each year new models are introduced and many car manufacturers would step forward to display the new technologies and innovations they have developed. This is usually the case for German car makers such as BMW, Audi, Mercedes, VW and Porsche. The Koreans have also started to follow in this route and with good success. However this is not always the case for Japanese car makers. Companies such as Toyota has always been conservative with their approach to this and is often late to introduce massive changes to their popular models such as the Toyota Camry.
Toyota has also adopted the "if it is not broken, don't fix it" motto and kept their introduction of new technologies a step behind and watched while the others rush to show off their new technologies. Adopting this approach is good and bad. Good in the sense that you can see the errors made by the competitors and bad is that the competitors would be seen as technological innovators.
This can have a positive and negative effect to the sales of their cars. Positive in the sense that customers who are conservative and want a reliable car with good residual value will buy a the car. Negative in the sense that it will not deter younger buyers or buyers who are keen to have the latest technology in their car.
the launch of the latest Toyota Camry is a good example of how Toyota did not introducing anything new with this model. The 2.0 litre model still comes with a 4 speed automatic in comparison to Hyundai which is offering a 6 speed automatic transmission with their Sonata 2.0. The engine power also has not increase from 148ps while a similar Honda Accord 2.0 offers 155ps and a Hyundai Sonata 2.0 offer 163hp. Toyota's logic to this is that majority of the buyers are corporate customers and they are looking for reliability and comfort rather than technological advancement. However, this attitude will eventually see sales be eroded as the benchmark shifts forward and the comparable Toyota model will look like serious laggard. Customers perceptions and wants will change over time and reacting only when you notice changes in customer wants will be too late.
The key technology that Toyota has pioneered in the last decade has to be the Prius Hybrid. Having taken the lead in introducing this technology, Toyota was able to take a big bite out of the market and is currently the market leader for hybrid car sales. Saying this, Toyota currently does not offer the most advanced hybrid system in the world. Companies such as BMW, Mercedes Benz, Nissan and Hyundai have all caught up and some have been seen to have over taken Toyota in terms of outright technological advancement in this field.
Toyota will not lose sleep over the other competitors catching them as their market position and brand position is solid.
Toyota has also adopted the "if it is not broken, don't fix it" motto and kept their introduction of new technologies a step behind and watched while the others rush to show off their new technologies. Adopting this approach is good and bad. Good in the sense that you can see the errors made by the competitors and bad is that the competitors would be seen as technological innovators.
This can have a positive and negative effect to the sales of their cars. Positive in the sense that customers who are conservative and want a reliable car with good residual value will buy a the car. Negative in the sense that it will not deter younger buyers or buyers who are keen to have the latest technology in their car.
the launch of the latest Toyota Camry is a good example of how Toyota did not introducing anything new with this model. The 2.0 litre model still comes with a 4 speed automatic in comparison to Hyundai which is offering a 6 speed automatic transmission with their Sonata 2.0. The engine power also has not increase from 148ps while a similar Honda Accord 2.0 offers 155ps and a Hyundai Sonata 2.0 offer 163hp. Toyota's logic to this is that majority of the buyers are corporate customers and they are looking for reliability and comfort rather than technological advancement. However, this attitude will eventually see sales be eroded as the benchmark shifts forward and the comparable Toyota model will look like serious laggard. Customers perceptions and wants will change over time and reacting only when you notice changes in customer wants will be too late.
The key technology that Toyota has pioneered in the last decade has to be the Prius Hybrid. Having taken the lead in introducing this technology, Toyota was able to take a big bite out of the market and is currently the market leader for hybrid car sales. Saying this, Toyota currently does not offer the most advanced hybrid system in the world. Companies such as BMW, Mercedes Benz, Nissan and Hyundai have all caught up and some have been seen to have over taken Toyota in terms of outright technological advancement in this field.
Toyota will not lose sleep over the other competitors catching them as their market position and brand position is solid.
Wednesday 6 June 2012
The Korean force
The Korean car makers are taking massive steps in engine development and also innovation in automotive technology. They are the one to be reckoned with in the next 2 to 5 years as they have moved in the direction similar to the Germans while keeping their production costs low.
While the Japanese have been working hard on their hybrids and EV cars, the Koreans have been working on engine down sizing, diesel engines, hybrids and EV cars. Their emphasis on massive development will pay dividends in the near future as they will be able to offer a wide variety of engine options compared to the Japanese and yet be cheaper than the Germans.
In a recent trip to Korea to visit a motorshow, Hyundai displayed their impressive new 1.6 Turbo engine (gasoline) that promised good power delivery from low RPM and coupled with a twin clutch gearbox. Instead of following the Japanese option of using CVT (which is a flawed transmission), Hyundai followed the Germans to use the far superior twin clutch gearbox for their new Sonata 1.6T. This new 1.6 Turbo engine uses the latest Gasoline Direct Injection technology to boost efficiency and the net result is an impressive 204ps and 265Nm.
The Europeans have been pushing engine down sizing for the last 5 years and it has been paying dividends as their engines all fuel efficient and powerful at the same time. By following this route the Korean will be able to further promote their gasoline engines to be just as fuel efficient and yet powerful. The Korean hybrids are also taking a knock at the Japanese as the Koreans are now using Lithium Ion batteries which are far superior and more efficient than the Nickel Metal Hydride batteries used by the Japanese car makers. The Lithium Ion batteries are more compact and more powerful than the Nickel Metal Hydride variant.
The Korean EVs are also much better looking than the Japanese EVs (such as Nissan Leaf and Mitsubishi Miev) . Instead of designing the EV to look different from conventional models, the Koreans have adopted existing designs to be EVs. This makes a lot of sense as the cars do not necessarily have to look ugly to be EVs.
The Japanese may have currently have the lead in terms of total market share of car sales around the world but the Koreans are a major force to be reckoned with. Hyundai's aim to be in the top 3 in terms of total world market share is highly possible at their current rate of development.
While the Japanese have been working hard on their hybrids and EV cars, the Koreans have been working on engine down sizing, diesel engines, hybrids and EV cars. Their emphasis on massive development will pay dividends in the near future as they will be able to offer a wide variety of engine options compared to the Japanese and yet be cheaper than the Germans.
In a recent trip to Korea to visit a motorshow, Hyundai displayed their impressive new 1.6 Turbo engine (gasoline) that promised good power delivery from low RPM and coupled with a twin clutch gearbox. Instead of following the Japanese option of using CVT (which is a flawed transmission), Hyundai followed the Germans to use the far superior twin clutch gearbox for their new Sonata 1.6T. This new 1.6 Turbo engine uses the latest Gasoline Direct Injection technology to boost efficiency and the net result is an impressive 204ps and 265Nm.
The Europeans have been pushing engine down sizing for the last 5 years and it has been paying dividends as their engines all fuel efficient and powerful at the same time. By following this route the Korean will be able to further promote their gasoline engines to be just as fuel efficient and yet powerful. The Korean hybrids are also taking a knock at the Japanese as the Koreans are now using Lithium Ion batteries which are far superior and more efficient than the Nickel Metal Hydride batteries used by the Japanese car makers. The Lithium Ion batteries are more compact and more powerful than the Nickel Metal Hydride variant.
The Korean EVs are also much better looking than the Japanese EVs (such as Nissan Leaf and Mitsubishi Miev) . Instead of designing the EV to look different from conventional models, the Koreans have adopted existing designs to be EVs. This makes a lot of sense as the cars do not necessarily have to look ugly to be EVs.
The Japanese may have currently have the lead in terms of total market share of car sales around the world but the Koreans are a major force to be reckoned with. Hyundai's aim to be in the top 3 in terms of total world market share is highly possible at their current rate of development.
Thursday 24 May 2012
Transmission efficiency and performance on paper
For a long time car manufacturers have claimed impressive power and torque figures in their product brochures. One would really wonder how this will be translated into real world driving experience and also how efficient the engine really is. This is why test driving a car before buying is critical. Test driving is not only for those who are buying a used car (to check for damage and other related issues), but it is also important when it comes to buying a brand new car. Buying a car based on the specs on the brochures will often leave the car buyer with a sense of dissatisfaction as the car usually does not live up to their expectations. Test driving the car will enable the car buyer to ascertain if the claims printed on the brochure lives up to expectations.
Having 200hp and 300Nm printed on the brochure but with a vehicle weight of 1800kg, it may look like the car will have decent performance but test driving the car will enable the potential buyer to see if it lives up to expectations. The test drive also will determine the overall experience that cannot be described in the brochure. The other key point is the transmission. On the brochure it maybe printed with 6 speed automatic but is the automatic transmission good? is it efficient? Test driving the car will show its true potential.
For example, to make a simple comparison between a Peugeot 308 1.6 Turbo and a VW Golf 1.4 TSI, both offer 160ps and 240Nm however the performance figures are very different. The Peugeot does the 0-100km/h sprint in 9.6 secs while the VW Golf does it in 8 secs. Why the big difference despite having the same power and torque figures? The simple answer is the transmission. The transmission loss between the two cars is the key difference. The Peugeot's 6 speed automatic being a traditional automatic usually loses about 20% to 25% of power while the VW's DSG transmission only loses 10% of power. This also has a direct impact on the fuel consumption as greater transmission efficiency means that the engine does not need to work as hard to deliver the required performance.
Korean cars in the past were also known to have poor transmission systems which really hampered its performance. Kia was notorious for having poorly designed transmission that high transmission losses which resulted in poor fuel consumption and overall performance. Having changed their design philosophy and investing a tonne of money into better research and development, I am glad to say that Kia has made some good progress over the last 3 years. I still have my reservations about the fuel consumption claims made by Hyundai and Kia because in the past their cars were not known for good fuel economy. Claims made in other countries based on their local tests are also inaccurate as the driving condition differ from that of our country plus the fact that in the tropical climate the air conditioning is used all the time and this has a big impact on average fuel economy figures.
My suggestion is to never buy a car purely from the brochure. Take the time to test drive it to get a real feel for the car. You may just discover a few things that you really dislike or like about the car that may affect your final decision.
Having 200hp and 300Nm printed on the brochure but with a vehicle weight of 1800kg, it may look like the car will have decent performance but test driving the car will enable the potential buyer to see if it lives up to expectations. The test drive also will determine the overall experience that cannot be described in the brochure. The other key point is the transmission. On the brochure it maybe printed with 6 speed automatic but is the automatic transmission good? is it efficient? Test driving the car will show its true potential.
For example, to make a simple comparison between a Peugeot 308 1.6 Turbo and a VW Golf 1.4 TSI, both offer 160ps and 240Nm however the performance figures are very different. The Peugeot does the 0-100km/h sprint in 9.6 secs while the VW Golf does it in 8 secs. Why the big difference despite having the same power and torque figures? The simple answer is the transmission. The transmission loss between the two cars is the key difference. The Peugeot's 6 speed automatic being a traditional automatic usually loses about 20% to 25% of power while the VW's DSG transmission only loses 10% of power. This also has a direct impact on the fuel consumption as greater transmission efficiency means that the engine does not need to work as hard to deliver the required performance.
Korean cars in the past were also known to have poor transmission systems which really hampered its performance. Kia was notorious for having poorly designed transmission that high transmission losses which resulted in poor fuel consumption and overall performance. Having changed their design philosophy and investing a tonne of money into better research and development, I am glad to say that Kia has made some good progress over the last 3 years. I still have my reservations about the fuel consumption claims made by Hyundai and Kia because in the past their cars were not known for good fuel economy. Claims made in other countries based on their local tests are also inaccurate as the driving condition differ from that of our country plus the fact that in the tropical climate the air conditioning is used all the time and this has a big impact on average fuel economy figures.
My suggestion is to never buy a car purely from the brochure. Take the time to test drive it to get a real feel for the car. You may just discover a few things that you really dislike or like about the car that may affect your final decision.
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