Happy NewYear 2012

We at Ilham Editorial Services would like to wish all readers of Sam Auto Scoop (SAS) a very happy  and prosperous New Year and we would also like to wish that the global automotive industry speedy recovery from the tsunami and terrible flooding in Thailand.

We are working on several exciting plans for SAS in order to give readers a more satisfying experience and the latest news as soon as it happens.

Please keep coming back to find out what new things you can expect from SAS in 2012

VIDEO: Conclusive proof that baggy pants are dangerous to your health

Software designer's Iswara is the latest Proton VIP Extreme Makeover candidate

That's RM50K worth of restoration work your car will be getting

It is a good year to be an owner of a Proton with a good story, to date two lucky owners have had their car rebuilt from the ground up by the talented boys at the carmaker's R3 division and now it is the turn of software engineer Norzamzarini Mohd Bajuri to hand over his car for an extreme makeover.

We spoke to Tengku Djan Ley, Malaysia's Drift King and head of engineering at R3 about the level of work that goes into these restorations and he said, it would be cheaper to get a new car than to restore.

This is very true and most classic car owners know that restoration is very time consuming and expensive and typically run a bill that would make a brand new Proton Inspira cheap.

Djan said that after the first restoration a customer actually called up to find out how much it would cost for R3 to do a full restoration and after tallying up parts, labour and everything else it was determined that they would have to charge around RM50,000 for the work.

LEAKED: 2013 Kia Forte sketches escapes to the wild

The Kia Forte turned the fortunes of the Korean carmaker, it gave buyers new confidence in the reinvigorated brand and now it is time for a follow-up act and KiaWorld.net has leaked this sketch which they claim is the replacement of the current model.

It is a good looking car that clearly develops on the current design theme, we cannot wait to see more of the car.

JJ Lehto to serve time for speedboat accident

Former F1 driver and twice Le Mans winner, JJ Lehto will find himself behind bars if his appeal against a conviction for a speedboat accident that caused the death of one of his friend isn't overturned.

A court in Finland found him guilty of driving the speedboat under intoxication when it struck a bridge support at high speed in a canal.

Lehto's defense is simple, he wasn't driving the boat the time of the accident but the court inclined to disagree with his version of events and has convicted him to two years and four months jail time.

JJ Lehto started his F1 career with the shortlived Onyx team before moving on to Sauber and Finally as Michael Schumacher's partner in Benetton in 1994.

He injured his neck in a testing accident before the start of the season and had to sit it out until the San Marino grand Prix, the one where Roland Ratzenberger and Ayrton Senna was killed.

Ratzenberger was his close friend and they had dinner the night before the accident and this affected Lehto's comeback state of mind.

Things got worse  for him during the weekend as Lehto's Benetton stalled at the start and was plowed by Pedro Lamy's Lotus.

He later made a name for himself in GT racing, winning the 1995 Le Mans in the Team Kokusai Kaihatsu McLaren F1with Yannick Dalmas and Masanori Sekiya.

He won the event again in 2005 in the the Team ADT Audi R8.

VIDEO: What happens when you pour a very large bucket of water on your car?

VIDEO: Lada Niva across England, entirely offroad

I didn't think it possible for me to want a Lana Niva but this Fifth Gear video has made me want one, I mean really want one.

Here is a tough, solid as nails 4x4 crossing England from west to east, entirely off-road.

Of course the Niva was on sale in Malaysia for a brief moment in the late 1980s and early 1990s but it didn't catch on, pity.

Video after the jump

VIDEO: Civic Air - Honda's first flying car

Steve McQueen's million-dollar racing suit

If you want to know what a million-dollar racing suit looks like, this is it. And it is not even a real racing suit, it is a suit that Steve McQueen wore when filming Le-Mans.

It seems that fictional racing suits are just as valuable as one that has seen the heat of battle on the body of a real race driver.

The price paid for this Gulf-Oil coloured suit at the Profiles in History auction was USD984,000.
The price went beyond the auctioneers estiamte of between USD200-300K. 

Hyundai snares BMW designer Chris Chapman

• Chapman responsible for X5, X3, Z4 and 1-series at BMW
• Expect accelerated design maturity at Hyundai as we have seen at KIA with their ex-Audi design guru, Peter Schreyer

Champan's first concept. Isuzu XU1
Tokyo Motor Show 1993

Hyundai America Technical Center, Inc. (HATCI) announced that Christopher Chapman has been named chief designer of the Hyundai Design Center in Irvine, Calif. Chapman will be responsible for new vehicle and concept design for Hyundai.
"With over 22 years of experience in the industry working on esteemed automotive brands, Chris provides a level of talent that will help further our design portfolio," said SukGeun Oh, Head of Design, Senior Executive Vice President Hyundai Design Center.

Spyshot: BMW i8 Hybrid supercar out and about under camo

Brenda Priddy via Autoblog

Did Mini dump WRC for BMW's DTM assault?

Would you believe that the Mini WRC team did not have enough money to pay for a driver? We are talking about a factory supported works team not having money to sign up a driver here.

Apparently Mini WRC has released Chris Meeke from his three-year contract and the team has failed to meet the sign-up deadline for the 2012 World Rally Championship, simply unbelievable since the outfit is run by the most consummate of rally professionals, Prodrive.
It seems that BMW's decision to take on the DTM championship in Germany has meant they have very little left for the little car.

It is no secret that the DTM series is probably second only to Formula One in terms of the cost of running the season and BMW has been out of the game for a long time, leaving rivals Mercedes-Benz and Audi to slug it out.

DTM is so expensive that only two German car companies can afford to field works teams.

Washington finally ends corn ethanol subsidy

Corn-based ethanol is a controversial form of biofuel because it competes with food production and yet for the last 30-years the American Congress listened to the corn lobby and continued to pay subsidy for it just to make sure that the vast farms of the midwest continues to be profitable.

Finally this year, Washington decided not to continue with the ethanol subsidy.

While this may seem like an inconsequential blip on the environmental radar of most people, it is a significant development as it helps to separate edible oils and food-based ethanol from the fuel industry and help to reduce price pressure on essential grains like corn.

Lotus Exige R-GT passes first rally shakedown

LOTUS MOTORSPORT HIT MAJOR MILESTONES

Success in Italy with the first IndyCar engine fire-up and Exige R-GT Rally shakedown


Whilst most sensible people prepare to wind down for the festive period, the hard working Lotus Motorsport team are busy celebrating the fruits of their labour over the past 12 months following the first successful engine fire up in the Lotus IndyCar chassis AND the first proper Exige R-GT rally car shakedown all within the space of 24 hours.

Honda starts scrapping flood-damaged cars

Via autoblog


Thailand's worst flood in 50 years claimed the lives of 610 people and caused billions in damage, but with the waters slowly receding, the extent of the damage is coming into focus.

Among the tens of thousands of businesses affected by the disaster, Honda hasn't been spared - its factory in the Ayutthaya province was hit hard, and in an effort to assure that damaged vehicles never make it to consumers, the Japanese automaker has begun to scrap over 1,000 vehicles damaged during the flood.

Honda workers have begun disposing of row upon row of Brio and City subcompacts submerged during the flooding using construction equipment and vehicle crushers to demolish the 1,055 vehicles. The tragic yet oddly beautiful gallery above chronicles the aftermath and resulting destruction.

KIA launches Optima K5 flagship

• Naza Kia confident of doubling sales in 2012
• At RM143,888, the Optima K5 closes price gap between Korean and Japanese D-Segment to nearly zero

Kia Optima K5 Launch: (From left to right) Mr Thomas Oh,
Senior Executive Vice President & COO of Kia Motors
Corporation, Mr SM Nasarudin SM Nasimuddin, Joint Group
Executive Chairman of the Naza Group of Companies,
Mr S P Choi, President for Asian Operations for Kia 
Motors Corporation, and Datuk Hafiz Syed Abu Bakar, 
COO of Naza Kia Malaysia at the launch 
of the all-new Optima K5.

2011 will be remembered by Naza Kia as a year of many achievements which saw them launch three key models that has brought the brand to within earshot of mainstream Japanese marques in terms of mindscape presence and value.

The all-new Kia Optima K5 was priced smack in the heart of Japanese D-Segment  territory, forcing motorists to consider the car in the same light as segment leaders, Toyota Camry and Honda Accord.

Compared to the Camry, which is priced from RM144,990, the price differentiation with the Optima is 0.06 per cent and when compared with the Accord which is priced from RM142,800, the OPtima is actually RM1,088 (0.07 per cent) more pricey than the base model Japanese.

Naza Kia COO, Datuk Syed Hafiz Abu Bakar says it is not hard to sell the striking new Optima K5 at that price because the car is highly equipped and easily matches the Japanese in terms of the technical specifications.

"Our goal for this year is to reduce the price gap between Kia and Japanese models to between five and 10 per cent and from next year onwards we want to reduce the gap further to between zero and five per cent." he said.

The second step in Kia's move up the value chain has happened with the Optima K5 which is clearly selling on specifications rather than outright price advantage against the more established players in the segment.

European Honeymoon over for Hybrid and Electric cars?

The Europeans are considered the biggest fans of all things green and environmentally friendly and they supported the idea of biofuels, electric cars, hybrids and ultra high efficiency internal combustion engines.

With the European economies suffering the fallout of the American sub-prime ponzi scheme and facing the very real prospects of collapse of the Euro, many Governments are no longer keen to dish out subsidies on green technology.

For car companies, only ultra-efficient internal combustion engines - both petrol and diesel - are the only economically viable options and they can continue without any subsidies and this dramatic change in the subsidy landscape will have massive effect on the electric and hybrid car market in Europe.

FIRST OFFICIAL PICTURES: Proton Exora Bold and Prime

Two new variants for Exora Turbo

• 1.6 Standard MT   RM 59,998
• Bold 1.6 Executive MT RM 70,998
• Bold 1.6 Executive AT   RM 74,998
• Bold 1.6 Premium CVT  RM 79,998
• Prime 1.6 Premium  RM 88,998

After nearly a year of rumours and increasign frequency of leaked photographs and spottings on the road, the official photographs of the Proton Bold Premium and Exora Prime are finally here.

These to variants are specially packaged for the high performance Campro Charge Fuel Efficiency engine, which is a turbocharged 1.6-litre unit that will sort out any issues related to power or torque which may arise before.

Buyers can also opt for the standard trim if these new premium variants are not what they are looking for.

Why did Khazanah lie to Tun Dr Mahathir about DRB-Proton deal?

SM Nasaruddin and SM Faliq spotted at the lobby of Khazanah Nasional Berhad earlier today

Last week Proton adviser, Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad surprised the market when he said that DRB’s proposal for purchasing Khazanah’s holding of the national carmaker’s equity was the best among the three that was submitted.

Apparently that was the briefing he received from Azman Mokhtar and co on the issue and the former Prime Minister told the Media what he was told.

My first thought was why Khazanah did not shed more light on the proposals they received because transparency is crucial in a deal involving such a huge national asset and the people should also be informed as to what factors helped sway Khazanah’s decision towards Tan  Sri Syed Mokhtar al-Bukhary’s DRB-Hicom.

The whole week was spent calling people here and there, snooping and trying to nose what is actually happening behind closed doors.

TDM’s statement needed close scrutiny because many people consider the former Prime Minister an inseparable part of Proton and any deals that would involve the company must get his blessings first.

His statement last week was seen by the market as the blessing that DRB-Hicom needed to move forward with the deal and since Tun is regarded as a statesman that considers his words carefully the market also thought that the briefing Khazanah gave him was a fair representation of the facts.

In fact sources close to TDM said that the former PM thought that Khazanah had given him a fair briefing on the subject and that was why he made the statement.

“You have to understand that Tun is also frustrated with Khazanah’s reluctance to invest further in Proton so that it can grow further and finding a new and more cooperative owner may not be such a bad thing," said our source.

Trouble is, the briefing by Khazanah is a sham, nothing more and nothing less.

How to use an Opel Corsa to tear down a large wall

There is really nothing to say here, just watch the video

World's most expensive crash?

A weekend outing turned bad after 12 supercars smashed into each other on Shimonoseki Highway, in Japan on Sunday.
A total of 14 cars were involved in this multiple pile-up.

Kimi returns to F1 in a Lotus Renault

Ice-man Kimi Raikkonen will be back in the building next year and he has chosen to sit in the Lotus Renault GP office.

The 2007 World Champion left F1 in 2009 to pursue his interests in rallying and now he is back to Formula One.

Lotus Renault has managed to snare quite a driver and this can only be good news for them.

With Mercedes Petronas having Michael Schumacher on their roster and Lotus calling on the talents of another world champion, the only thing missing for the Malaysian-linked efforts in Formula one is a champion or at least a few wins next year.

Press Release after the jump

VW Jetta is the perfect construction hauler

Remember this photo?

Did you guys think it was a fake photoshop or did you think the guy is a complete idiot?

Apparently this is all very true and very spossible.

Mythbusters ran a short test of the situation and proved that a VW jetta is a very plausible construction material hauler and 3,000 pounds on the roof will do it very little harm...

I think VW should turn this video into one of their Made in Germany ad.....

Video after the jump

Motorsports: Hot Sepang 1K race snuffed out favourite

Proton R3 lead pair of Faidzil Alang and James Veerapen bowed out half way with mechanical failure

After a hot race, in terms of ambient temperature and competitive temperament, the Proton R3 team had to be happy with a 4th place for Syafiq Ali and Syahrizal Jamaludin while their lead pair of Faidzil Alang and James Veerapen was sidelined after 4 hours 30 minutes with mechanical failure.

Proton had qualified first and third and started as race favourite but mechanical failure of their lead car put paid to their chances as the second pair could not keep pace with the race leader.


Commenting on the race, the Head of PROTON Motorsports Datuk Abdul Razak Dawood said,”We are happy with the 4th place result in what was a very challenging race. i would like to congratulate our R3 team for their tenacity and drive in their commitment to win and dedication for this race.”

“We are of course disappointed with the retirement of one of our cars, but racing is an unpredictable sport with many variables that can change the outcome of a race. Overall, we ran a good strong race and will take back with us plenty of new technical data to prepare for the race season in 2012."

"A strong 4th place finish in an endurance race such is still a great result, as just finishing the event is considered a victory for everyone." said John Chacko, Director of PROTON Group Marketing, Branding and Motorsports.

"We were also very encouraged as more than half of the competitors were participating in Proton cars which is testament to not only the sporty nature but durability of our cars."


"We will be back in the national race series next year and will always be committed to winning all our races" he added.


ProtonPress

NEWS RELEASE


PROTON FINISHES GRUELLING SEPANG 1000KM RACE IN 4TH




TEAM R3 PROTON finishes 4th overall and 4th in Class 2 in the Sepang 1000km (S1K) with the pair of Syafiq Ali and Syahrizal Jamaludin with a time of 8 hours and 50 minutes.  This is the 3rd edition of the S1K with 28 competitors starting the race on a hot afternoon.  The S1K is an event specially catered for cars up to 1600cc(Class 2), and up to 1900cc(Class1).


Conditions were extremely hot as the drivers lined up on the grid for the start. There was no relief from the heat as the expected rain stayed away for the duration of the race.  


Not just a test of machinery, drivers not only had to battle with in-car temperatures hovering around 50 degress celcius but with other competitors as well. Although an endurance race, there were many pitched battles right from the start resembling a sprint race as drivers fought hard for track position.


It was an especially satisfying result for Syafiq and Syahrizal as brake problems early on in the race meant an extra long pitstop to fix the problem and seeing them drop down the order to 7th and 2 laps behind the leader.


For R3's other pair of Faidzil Alang and James Veerapen who started in pole position, luck was not on their side as they were forced into retirement with mechanical problems after 4 hours and 30 minutes of racing on lap 96. 


Fadizil Alang, the newly crowned Malaysian Super Series Champion was one of the favourites to win this event and was leading the race by 1 lap over its nearest rival before retiring.


The tough conditions during the race eventually saw more than a quarter of the competitors who started, retire during the course of the event.


Commenting on the race, the Head of PROTON Motorsports Datuk Abdul Razak Dawood said,”We are happy with the 4th place result in what was a very challenging race. i would like to congratulate our R3 team for their tenacity and drive in their commitment to win and dedication for this race.”


“We are of course disappointed with the retirement of one of our cars, but racing is an unpredictable sport with many variables that can change the outcome of a race. Overall, we ran a good strong race and will take back with us plenty of new technical data to prepare for the race season in 2012."


"A strong 4th place finish in an endurance race such is still a great result, as just finishing the event is considered a victory for everyone." said John Chacko, Director of PROTON Group Marketing, Branding and Motorsports.


"We were also very encouraged as more than half of the competitors were participating in Proton cars which is testament to not only the sporty nature but durability of our cars."

"We will be back in the national race series next year and will always be committed to winning all our races" he added.

PROTON POSTS RM35 MILLION PROFIT IN Q2 2011/2012

Lotus spending saps Group's Q2 profit at RM47 million compared to RM185 million recorded in the corresponding period last financial year.

PROTON Holdings Berhad announced an unaudited Group profit before taxation of RM35 million in the second quarter of its 2011/12 financial year, driven by an increase in sales and stronger demand for higher margin models.

During the quarter under review, the Group registered revenue of RM2.26 billion compared to RM2.24 billion recorded during the corresponding period in the previous financial year.

The Group's profit before taxation for the six months ended 30 September 2011 however, was lower at RM47 million compared to RM185 million recorded in the corresponding period last financial year. The lower profit was largely attributed to higher spending by Lotus Group International Limited (LGIL), mainly on capability enhancement, infrastructure development and marketing costs, in line with its five-year business transformation plan.

Proton takes MTCC Crown (1.6-litre class)

Seasoned campaigner, Faidzil Alang drove a textbook race in the fifth and final round of the MTCC to take the crown of the 1.6-litre category of the Malaysian Touring Car Championship and hand Proton another notch on their 2011 Motorsports pole.

Syafiq Ali  in the Proton Gen2 sealed a PROTON 1-2 in the championship with the two drivers concluding what has been a dominant performance all year long.


The results today conclude what has been a triumphant year for PROTON in motorsports, particularly for the Satria Neo that has excelled in both circuit racing and international rallying," said PROTON's Director of Group Marketing and Branding John Doody Chacko.

 More news after the jump

Proton Saga gets CVT in FLX SE form

The Proton Saga is a major product from the Malaysian carmaker and it accounts for the biggest chunk of their sale and for good reason, it offers good interior space, decent engine and great value for money.

In today's competitive market, these are not enough as buyers also want the latest specifications.

Proton has updated their Saga FL with a continuously variable transmission (CVT) and called it the FLX SE.

With the new fuel-saving transmission, the FLX SE is now priced at RM49,449


The combination of the 1.6-litre Campro IAFM engine with the CVT automatic transmission delivers better torque, four percent better acceleration, and reduces fuel consumption by an additional four percent compared to the current 1.6-litre Saga.

Priced RM2,900 above the current selling 1.6-litre automatic Saga FL, the Saga FLX SE features eight and three exterior and interior changes. The car is fitted with 15” inch alloy wheels, an all round factory-fitted body kit, fog lamps and smoked finishing rear lights. The cabin is trimmed in leather which comprises the seats, steering wheel, door ornament, parking brake and gearshift lever.



Available in two colour choices - Solid White and Fire Red - the Saga FLX SE comes with a three-year or 100,000km warranty (whichever comes first). Customers who have ordered a Saga and are still waiting for their car to be delivered can opt to change their booking to the Saga FLX SE at the respective showroom in which the booking was originally made.

Dato’ Sri Haji Syed Zainal Abidin expects the new Saga FLX SE to sell in the region of 500 units per month. PROTON’s target is to sell some 78,752 units of the Saga in its current 2011/12 financial year.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

PRESS RELEASE

PROTON LAUNCHES SPORTIER SAGA FLX SE

SUBANG JAYA, 30 November 2011 – To provide car owners with greater excitement and driving pleasure, and more performance and fuel economy from an affordable vehicle, national car company PROTON Holdings Berhad today unveiled a new Saga variant, the Saga FLX SE.

Powered by a 1.6 litre Campro IAFM engine and available only with CVT automatic transmission, the Saga FLX SE is priced from RM49,449 (Peninsular Malaysia). Car buyers can view the new model at all PROTON showrooms from 1 December 2011.

“The introduction of the Saga FLX SE effectively expands the range of the Saga model by providing customers with a vehicle that has a higher engine capacity while at the same time, reaffirming the Saga as the people’s car given its exceptional affordability and value for money attributes that include better fuel economy, greater performance, and superior ride and handling characteristics,” said PROTON Holdings Berhad Group Managing Director Dato’ Sri Haji Syed Zainal Abidin Syed Mohamed Tahir.

Dato’ Sri Haji Syed Zainal Abidin added that the Saga FLX SE is also a model that was designed to appeal to the younger generation of car buyers who now have the option of owning an entry-level vehicle which offered not only affordable ownership and upkeep, but exceptional performance – in line with PROTON’s brand promise of “Committed to be Better.”

The combination of the 1.6-litre Campro IAFM engine with the CVT automatic transmission delivers better torque, four percent better acceleration, and reduces fuel consumption by an additional four percent compared to the current 1.6-litre Saga.

Priced RM2,900 above the current selling 1.6-litre automatic Saga FL, the Saga FLX SE features eight and three exterior and interior changes. The car is fitted with 15” inch alloy wheels, an all round factory-fitted body kit, fog lamps and smoked finishing rear lights. The cabin is trimmed in leather which comprises the seats, steering wheel, door ornament, parking brake and gearshift lever.

Since the Saga was first launched in January 2008, there are already a total of 274,469 units of Saga on the road with PROTON receiving some 331,768 bookings. The Saga remains PROTON’s best selling model to date and in 2010 rose to being ranked the second top most selling car in Malaysia. The Saga has also won five prestigious awards within three years of its introduction, which includes being named Best Model of the Year in 2009 by Frost & Sullivan, and crowned Best Passenger Car of the Year in 2010, also by Frost & Sullivan. On average, PROTON sells about 6,500 units of the Saga per month.

Dato’ Sri Haji Syed Zainal Abidin expects the new Saga FLX SE to sell in the region of 500 units per month. PROTON’s target is to sell some 78,752 units of the Saga in its current 2011/12 financial year.

Available in two colour choices - Solid White and Fire Red - the Saga FLX SE comes with a three-year or 100,000km warranty (whichever comes first). Customers who have ordered a Saga and are still waiting for their car to be delivered can opt to change their booking to the Saga FLX SE at the respective showroom in which the booking was originally made.

           ON-THE-ROAD PRICES

	Pen M’sia	East M’sia	Labuan	Langkawi
Solid	49,449	52,049	47,449	47,349
Metallic	49,899	52,499	47,899	7,799

Proton open Medan Platinum Showroom

Medan is a key market for Proton and they are strengthening their position there by opening a new Platinum Showroom to better service the Indonesian market which has given the Malaysian carmaker a very warm welcome, especially for the Exora MPV.

Proton models have been enjoying a growing popularity in Indonesia. The Exora Star, which is the base line variant for Proton Exora, recently won an award from MobilMotor magazine’s ICOTY (Indonesian Car of the Year) under the Best Small MPV 2011 category. The Exora Star was also awarded the ‘Best Budget MPV 2011’ earlier this year at Indonesia Automotive Award.

The rest of the news and official Press release after the jump

First sketches of new Volvo XC-90 is out

The Volvo XC-90 is the Swedish company's best car, in fact it was named Sweden's export of the year recently but it is exceedingly dated and desperately needs an heir. These are the first sketches of the replacement model.

As first sketches go these are very conservative and this may have something to do with the company's caution when it comes to replacing their best seller.

We do hope that their designers will push the envelope more as ideas of the new XC-90 develop further.

Three variations of the rear are after the jump

Audi to release R8 LMS Ultra to customers for 2012

The Audi R8 has been doing rather well in the Le Mans and GT3 series  and to help improve customer team performance, Ingolstadt is releasing an upgrage called the LMS Ultra for next year.

"Our customer teams provided us with valuable suggestions and stated their wishes for the various fields in which the car is used," says Werner Frowein, Managing Director of quattro GmbH.

"We have close ties to our customers and analyzed their suggestions and wishes worldwide, and subjected the R8 LMS to further development in many details. In the R8 LMS ultra we consistently implemented all the performance measures which ensure that we'll be able to continue to offer an intercontinentally competitive and attractive race car in the future."

More details and Press release after the jump

The Ultra gets new doors made of CFRP (carbon fiber reinforced plastic) and new PS1 safety seat developed by Audi.

It also gets an updated transmission, a new exhaust system equipped with race catalytic converters and updates on the V10 mid-engine so it can draw on even higher torque at lower engine speeds.

The 5.2-liter unit delivers a power output of up to 419 kW (570 HP), depending on restrictor regulations and still good for 20,000 kilometers of racing.

Better cooling with larger engine oil cooler and transmission fluid cooler, an oil cooler for the steering hydraulics that used to be installed at the front is now located in the vehicle's mid-section to help with weight distribution.

The characteristic side blades of the Audi R8 enable enlarged air vents for the cooling system in the new R8 LMS ultra for improved thermal management. At the same time, air supply to the radiator at the front of the vehicle has been improved, as has the interior ventilation.

The chassis of the Audi R8 LMS ultra was updated in several steps. At the front 12-inch, instead of 11-inch, wheels are now used.

Optimized brake cooling at the front wheels improves the durability of the braking system. Instead of the previous silent rubber mounts the transverse control arm mounts now feature uniball joints.

Aerodynamic improvements complement the changes for 2012. The wider front hood has been optionally provided with louvers, subject to permission by the homologation rules for the various racing series.

The new rear wing has been widened and now features larger end plates. Work in the Audi wind tunnel has led to a yet more efficient position of the wing for maximum downforce and minimized aerodynamic drag. The improved air flow and larger effective area increase downforce on the rear axle. A new front plate with optimized diffusion under the front end guarantees perfect aerodynamic balance.




PRESS RELEASE
-------------------------------------------------------------

2011/11/17
Audi R8 LMS ultra to be launched in 2012

- Deliveries of new vehicle to start in March 2012
- Next generation of successful customer sport race car
- Further technical development for even better performance

Ingolstadt, November 17, 2011 – In 2012, the Audi R8 LMS ultra will succeed the successful R8 LMS GT3 sports car with which R8 LMS customers have won 115 races and 12 national and international titles in the space of just three years.

Improving a totally successful vehicle yet again: This was the challenging task specified for the engineers of quattro GmbH. Audi's wholly owned subsidiary that has been responsible for the customer sport program as of this season pursued a clear aim for this project. "Our customer teams provided us with valuable suggestions and stated their wishes for the various fields in which the car is used," says Werner Frowein, Managing Director of quattro GmbH. "We have close ties to our customers and analyzed their suggestions and wishes worldwide, and subjected the R8 LMS to further development in many details. In the R8 LMS ultra we consistently implemented all the performance measures which ensure that we'll be able to continue to offer an intercontinentally competitive and attractive race car in the future."

Romolo Liebchen, Head of Customer Sport at quattro GmbH, and his development team focused on several central areas. New doors made of CFRP (carbon fiber reinforced plastic) in combination with high-energy absorbing new crash foams not only help reduce the race car's weight even further but also result in another increase in passive safety. The new PS1 safety seat developed by Audi, which is now part of the standard equipment, serves this purpose as well. It offers perfect protection and clearly surpasses the mandatory minimum requirements under extreme loads.

An updated transmission provides additional reserves on long-distance runs. In the past season, the Audi R8 LMS had already made its mark as an excellent long-distance expert and achieved overall victories at the Bathurst (Australia) 12 Hours, the Spa and Zolder 24 Hours and GT3 class victory plus third place overall at the Nürburgring 24 Hours.

A new exhaust system equipped with race catalytic converters helps improve the engine's characteristics. The V10 mid-engine can draw on even higher torque at lower engine speeds. The 5.2-liter unit delivers a power output of up to 419 kW (570 HP), depending on restrictor regulations. It is still based on the production engine produced at Audi's plant in Györ, Hungary. Mileages of up to 20,000 kilometers were certainly typical in customer operations before and continue to be easily achieved.

The optimized cooling system of the race car successfully combines several objectives. In addition to a larger engine oil cooler and transmission fluid cooler, an oil cooler for the steering hydraulics that used to be installed at the front is now located in the vehicle's mid-section. The characteristic side blades of the Audi R8 enable enlarged air vents for the cooling system in the new R8 LMS ultra for improved thermal management. At the same time, air supply to the radiator at the front of the vehicle has been improved, as has the interior ventilation.

The chassis of the Audi R8 LMS ultra was updated in several steps. At the front 12-inch, instead of 11-inch, wheels are now used. As of the next season, development partner Michelin will be offering wider – 30-65/18 – tires, which allow more consistent lap times to be achieved. Optimized brake cooling at the front wheels improves the durability of the braking system. Instead of the previous silent rubber mounts the transverse control arm mounts now feature uniball joints. Weight-reduced compression and rebound-adjustable gas dampers with optimized characteristics from partner Bilstein complete the chassis package and represent the latest state of development.

Aerodynamic improvements complement the changes for 2012. The wider front hood has been optionally provided with louvers, subject to permission by the homologation rules for the various racing series. The new rear wing has been widened and now features larger end plates. Work in the Audi wind tunnel has led to a yet more efficient position of the wing for maximum downforce and minimized aerodynamic drag. The improved air flow and larger effective area increase downforce on the rear axle. A new front plate with optimized diffusion under the front end guarantees perfect aerodynamic balance.

As of 2012, all new vehicles will be equipped with the evolution stage described above. For the existing vehicles, quattro GmbH offers conversions to the 2012 evolution stage.

In addition, Audi is pursuing a subsequent homologation for individual aerodynamic improvements to include the 2011-generation vehicles. This ensures that the current model continues to be competitive with slight modifications.

"We're convinced that the Audi R8 LMS ultra will continue the successes of its predecessor," stresses Romolo Liebchen. "With over 40 customer sport vehicles delivered, the first generation of the R8 LMS was already a sporting and commercial success."

The selling price of the Audi R8 LMS ultra is EUR 329,900.00 plus VAT. Deliveries will commence in March 2012.

Alfa Romeo to build Mazda MX5 challenger

According to British magazine AutoExpress, Alfa Romeo is working on a car to challenge the Mazda MX-5 which is the reigning small, simple, fun sports car champion.

Seeign as how Mazda has had the big blue ocean to itself for the last two decades, it is about time someone gave them a run for their money.

The goal is to come up with a STG25.000 two seater to replace the Brera Spyder and some suggest that it could be based on the 2uettottanta  concept by Pininfarina.

More details after the jump

EXCLUSIVE: Johor may get second race track

A section of the newly completed test track at
Lotus HQ in Hethel

During a dinner with bloggers, Dato’ Izzaddin Idris, Group Managing Director / Chief Executive Officer of UEM Group Berhad talked about their development plans for Nusajaya, the new high-tech township that is supposed to attract foreign investors and high-technology companies away from Singapore and into Johor.

In passing he mentioned that they are planning to build an auto city in Nusa Jaya and immediately I thought that the Group is being painfully cliched and boring.

Then Izaddin said that their autocity would have a special attraction to make it different, they would be a test track on site so you can test your sportscar or supercar or family sedan to your hear's content without the dealer worrying about police summons or insurance claims by other motorists.

Being a motoring hack, I saw an opportunity to make a case for Malaysian Motorsports and suggested that UEM shouldn't muck about building a silly test track and should instead build a proper FIA approved racing circuit.

It could be a compact circuit in the way of the Lotus test track facility in Hethel which is also FIA certified so it can be used to hold FIA-Sanctioned motorsport event. Think Ferrari cup, or Porsche cup or other one make series that do not need large facilities like Sepang.

Since they wanted to make the whole autocity area a bonded area then Singaporean and other foreigners could buy their favourite track car, keep it on site and come down on weekends to have a bit of fun.

That way UEM can collect rental, have their own first Motorsports-themed exclusive residential development and possibly a high-end motorsports development facility that will help to improve Malaysian motorsports as they service the rich clients' weekend outing.

Izaddin thought it was a good idea and said he would definitely look into it.

Don't hold your breath though. Right now it is just a plan for a test track but if our suggestion takes root and the numbers make sense then maybe Johor will get a second race track.
(Don't forget Izaddin is still an accountant who has to make money for his company)