Volkswagen to Build Cars in Malaysia, will Start with the Passat from 2011

The Volkswagen Group on Tuesday signed an agreement with Malaysia's DRB Hicom auto group for local vehicle assembly as the Wolfsburg-based automaker seeks to expand its operations in Southeast Asia under the Strategy 2018 growth program. The announcement came after VW abandoned alliance talks with Malaysian state-owned carmaker Proton earlier this year for undisclosed reasons.

The one billion ringgit ($318 million) deal with DRB Hicom will see VW beginning the assembly of Passat models from the end of 2011 with an initial annual capacity of "several thousand vehicles." The German carmaker said it plans to build further models for the Malaysian market on the basis of a local full scale production in a second expansion phase from the end of 2012.

"Developing the market potential of the ASEAN region is of major significance for the Volkswagen Group’s long-term growth strategy," said Christian Klingler, Member of the Board of Management of Volkswagen AG. "We will be using existing structures and capacities at the DRB Hicom plant in Pekan to systematically extend our presence in the Malaysian market of the future."

The Malaysian joint venture will be Volkswagen's second in the Asean region, as the German company set up assembly operations in Indonesia for the production of the Touran in 2009

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Lotus CEO Says Concept City Car will Enter Production in "October 2013"

It appears that Aston Martin won't be the only British sports car maker to have a controversial small city car in its range. Lotus chief executive Dany Bahar told Car magazine that the Concept City Car, which was previewed at the recent Paris Motor Show alongside five sports car studies, has been approved for production. The comapny's CEO said the car will be manufactured in cooperation with Lotus parent company Proton and an undisclosed third party.

"Our city car has been confirmed and will be launched in October 2013," Mr. Bahar told the British magazine. "We are doing this together with Proton and another OEM [original equipment manufacturer, or car maker]. We will build three versions: one for the Asian market, one for Europe and a sportier one."

The Lotus flavored Concept City Car is based on one of the three Giugiaro-penned Proton EMAS design studies, which were first shown in Geneva earlier this year.

Built on a platform that was designed in-house by Italdesign Giugiaro, the EV concept model features a 45 kW (75kW peak power) electric motor that can be recharged by a 1.2 liter 3-cylinder engine. The hybrid plug-in drive system was developed entirely by Lotus. Unlike the front-wheel drive iQ-Cygnet, British supermini gets a rear-wheel drive setup.

With a total vehicle weight of less than 1400 kg [3,086 lbs] and 240 Nm [177 lb-ft] of torque instantly available, the City Car concept is said to complete the 0 - 50 km/h sprint in 4.5 seconds and the 0 - 100 km/h [62 mph] in 9 seconds, when operating as an EV under battery power. The top speed is pegged at 170 km/h, [105mph] with a charge sustaining top speed of 120 km/h [63 mph].

The pure electric drive range is 50 km or 31 miles, but can be extended to a total of 500 km or 311 miles when the petrol engine kicks. Lotus claims that the drivetrain returns CO2 emissions of 60 g/km.

Mr. Bahar did not say if the production model will keep the concept's extended-range hybrid drivetrain or if Lotus will offer the car with a traditional petrol engine as well.

Source: Car magazine

Lotus City Car Concept Specifications

Layout: 3-door, 4-seater, rear-wheel drive
Drivetrain Series hybrid drivetrain
Range extender engine 35 kW, 1.2-litre, 3-cylinder engine
Engine fuel Flex-fuel (methanol, ethanol and petrol)
Battery Capacity 14.8 kWh
Power/Torque 162 kW peak (54 kW continuous)/240 Nm, 0-50 km/h 4.5 seconds, 0-100 km/h 9.0 seconds
Top speed 170km/h
Range 500 km
EV range 60km
CO2 emissions 60g/km on the ECE-R101 cycle
Weight Less than 1400 kg
Transmission Single-speed transmission

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New Proton Inspira: The Malaysian Lancer Officially Launched

Proton has officially unveiled its Mitsubishi Lancer-derived Inspira mid-sizer, after its soft launch to the public and media in late October. Since then Proton has received over 1,800 bookings from customers around Malaysia in anticipation of its market launch this month.

The new model is the result of an OEM collaboration (the word "rebadge" sounds nastier...) between PROTON and Mitsubishi Japan, the latter providing the mechanical and design basis and the former tweaking the model for the Malaysian market.

Among those changes are the signature Proton grille and -according to the Malaysian company- the incorporation of Lotus DNA in the Inspira's ride and handling.

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Proton Rebadges Mitsubishi Lancer and Calls it Inspira. Too bad it isn't an EVO..

Proton, Malaysia's national carmaker and owners of Lotus, has taken the wraps of its latest model. No, you aren't looking at a cheesy Photoshop and this isn't an April Fools joke come six months late: this is the firm's new mid-sized Inspira sedan.

For those of you fooled by the *cough* deceptive *cough* restyling Proton has done, the Inspira (from the Bahasa Malaysia word 'Inspirasi' which means 'Inspiration') is based on the current generation Mitsubishi Lancer.

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SPESIFIKASI Proton Neo S2000 Versi Rally

SPESIFIKASI Proton Neo S2000 Versi Rally

Latest Neo Proton has the same exterior design with S2000 cars Proton Rally Team had a decrease in the arena of APRC and IRC.
You can change the look of Neo CPS rally cars like these. Let's review what sophisticated features in a car peg Proton S2000 mainstay in the event that Rally.

Proton Neo S2000 name implies is a super letter S, while the 2000 is the engine capacity is already a 2000 cc.

This rally car using a capacity of 2000cc four-cylinder engine based on the Proton Waja 1.8. This machine can produce power at 278 hp at 7600 rpm. The great thing is that big power can be achieved without the help of the turbo.

While the standard capacity Neo CPS engine is 1600 cc with power output of 125 hp.

Engine with an output power that big four-wheel coupled with the transmission system specially designed by Xtrac for S2000, which uses a six-speed sequential gearbox with three-plate limited slip differential.

Big machines will be useless if it is not necessarily balanced with good suspesnsi. Proton uses MacPherson strut and wishbone suspension designed by MEM and using dynamic Dampers, and anti-roll bars front and rear.

Change the body design on a more aerodynamic with a larger rear spoiler to increase downforce while eating trajectory rally. Overall, the original design still feels Neo CPS, only difference lies in the fenders that appear more extreme.

While brake system, Neo S2000 is using materials alloys 4 pot calipers and ventilated brake appendix, thus any extreme maneuvers could be controlled by the maximum.

Fun, along with the launch of the Proton Neo CPS, the Proton distribution Indonesian journalists and invited guests to sample the rally cars it.

Proton Exora Turbo 2010

At Universiti Putra Malaysia during "Proton Exora - Making" seminar, the Proton has launched its Prestige Proton Exora Turbo prototype. The 1.6-liter powerplant based CamPro with a bolt on turbo systems. Prestige Concept is said to produce up to 270 horsepower with a torque figure which valued at approximately 350Nm. Proton has sent a group of engineers to.

Lotus, UK to develop this turbo charged engine. The first result is expected to be out in 2010 or 2011. One of the reason to have turbo charged engine is the cost to


develop another 2,0 campro will cost them a bomb. So the fast and easy solution is to add turbo on its 1.6 campro which capable to deliver power equivalent to of a 2.0l powerplant. It wipe out one major issue that the current Exora has, which is a lack of go.




Nice a simple air scoop.
Head cover should be in red colour. Red mean racing spirit.
All malaysian will like this engine. Trust me.