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aren't any good exhibition halls capable of hosting large motorshows organizers are left with no choice but to use the out of date Putra World Trade Centre as the venue which spans across several medium sized halls on various floors.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?
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