Crashing scores span ages

In a head-on smash, what would you prefer to be driving - a brand-new Chinese utility or a 50-year-old Yank tank?

Newer should be better given that even the most elemental safety system, the three-point seatbelt, was in its infancy half a decade ago, but I'm not so sure.

On the strength of outcomes of recent crash-tests from the United States and Australia, it's debatable whether the 'new' utes from Great Wall Motors offer that much more protection than a Detroit dinosaur from the long-gone age of chrome and mile-high tailfins.

The American exercise first. Figuring a celebration of 50 years in the business called for something more special than a booze-up and a bimbo bursting out of a cake, the guardians of US road safety instead did what they do best - but with a twist.

The Insurance Institute of Highway Safety ran a crash test between a brand-new car and one from 1959, the year of the organisation's formation, as a never-been-tried-before 'then and now' exercise.

The 40mph (64kmh) impact between two popular Chevrolets of their respective eras, a 2009 Malibu and a '59 Bel Air, puts to rest anyone who says classic cars are safer because "they are built better."

Indeed, those who think a solid old all-metal car will stand up a medium pace strike against a pile of plastic and poncy aluminium are ... well, dead wrong, basically.

Our photos, and YouTube video footage (just look for 'Bel Air crash') that shows the impact from all angles and in slow motion - eerily, without sound - will leave classic car buffs cringing. The Bel Air was an absolutely pristine example. Was.

However, the big hit conducted exactly to standard testing procedure, an offset driver's side strike, certainly shows the merits of modern safety systems.

We can't claim Malibu man would have emerged from the driver's side smack entirely unharmed. While the passenger compartment was completely intact, investigators reckon he sustained a minor injury to the left foot. No broken bones, just a bruise or two.

Bel Air bloke should be so lucky. If this were a real person, his next stop would have been a pine box.

Said the institute's report: "The dummy's head struck the steering wheel rim and hub and then the roof and unpadded metal instrument panel to the left of the steering wheel.... The windshield was completely dislodged from the car and the driver door opened during the crash, both presenting a risk of ejection. In addition, the front bench seat was torn away from the floor on the driver side."

Results on the Malibu are much better. "A high acceleration was recorded on the left foot, indicating that foot injuries would be possible."

Interestingly, back when the IIHS was founded, crash-testing wasn't even dreamt of. In fact, it wasn't until 1972 that the institute began collecting objective data on insurance losses. It didn't start slamming cars into walls, concrete blocks and other cars until 1992.

Of course, these days crash tests are routine for all new cars - manufacturers conduct all manner of pre-release activities and then, once the vehicles are on sale, the independent authorities, the most relevant in this part of the world being the Australian and European NCAPs, have a go.

Volvo and Renault take particular pride in being able to offer complete ranges of cars that achieve maximum five star scores in the European NCAP regime.

But it's not just the elite end Euros that do well. Your garden variety Holden Commodore, Ford Falcon, Subarus, Mazdas and many Toyotas also score as well, and the advances in crash integrity in small cars has definitely lifted their image with customers.

Of equal relevance is that some commercial vehicles are getting into the game; some vans and utilities are gaining commendably strong scores. A Mercedes-Benz van recently gained a top five-star ranking - a first for the market - and Holden also recently announced its Commodore ute would be the first Aussie-made hauler to get stability control and curtain airbags across the range.

But it's not all sweet. Only this week the Australian NCAP organisation, whose findings are adopted by the NZ Transport Authority, announced poor scores for Great Wall Motors' V340 and SA220 dual-cab petrol utes, the first Chinese-made vehicles in the New Zealand market.

The rigs are selling here with clear price advantage over their opposition, but you'd be hard-pressed to argue they carry the same weight for safety. Even the V340, which has dual airbags, did no better than the airbag-less SA220, both scoring just two stars out of a possible five in a frontal impact test.

ANCAP chairman Lauchlan McIntosh, said the results were of great concern, particularly since commercial vehicles are now more commonly rating four and even five stars.

A two star score is probably a stronger rating than the Bel Air fetched, but that's just conjecture. The difference in scoring makes it hard to directly compare apples, and the Aussies smash vehicles into a deformable barrier, rather than car versus car, to simulate an offset head-on collision.

However, a two-star score spells bad news for occupant survivability.

"Crash statistics show that occupants of one or two stars vehicles have twice the risk of receiving life-threatening injuries in a crash, compared with four or five-star vehicles - at a time when four and five-star ratings are becoming increasingly available for new car buyers," Mr McIntosh said.

Another budget ute not sold in New Zealand, the Malaysian-made Proton Jumbuck, fared even worse that the Chinese takeaways, with a one star result.

But it was noted that the Jumbuck had been in production for seven years, and is set to be replaced in 2010, whereas the GWM products are new models to the market.

ANCAP said both the Proton Jumbuck and the Great Wall Motors SA220 tested lacked potentially life-saving airbags that can reduce the amount of injury resulting from a crash. All three vehicles tested lacked electronic stability control, which can help a vehicle recover from a skid by sensing a loss of control and individually braking wheels.

Mr McIntosh suggested the airbags in the V240 were not performing their job of protecting occupants. "The V240 has dual airbags but these failed to protect the driver and passenger from injury in our crash tests."

A spokesman for Great Wall Motors said an engineer from the Chinese car-maker was present at the ANCAP tests, and the company would use the results make changes to its vehicles to improve their crash performance.

"Great Wall safety engineers have been hard at work analysing data from the recent ANCAP tests from the moment it was made available, and are confident that Great Wall will continue to make significant progress with enhancements to the safety of their products," said the spokesman.

What this means to you: Safety sells and there's plenty of opportunity to buy into a well-sorted vehicle at any price.

Podium finish vital for F1 business

The 2009 Malaysian F1 Grand Prix getting underway in April

The newly established 1Malaysia F1 Team Sdn Bhd (1MF1T) is a dream driven by entrepreneurs with a passion to be in the F1 business. But passion in itself is not going to be enough.

They need the right car, an experienced driver who also has to be an international name, and enough money to sustain a business that drains cash.

While the overall cost of getting into the grid is relatively lower than in previous years, bear in mind that seasoned players like Toyota and Honda have opted out. So can this new kid on the block pull through?

�Our target is to be the best of the new teams, like being in the 9th or 10th place. Then we are looking to reach mid levels but we are not here to come last. So I hope in three to five years we will be up there (at the podium).

�We are certainly not here to throw Malaysia�s name away,� 1MF1T team principal Datuk Seri Tony Fernandes said recently at the Singapore F1 Grand Prix.

The first race for the 2010 season begins in Bahrain and F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone expects 14 teams to start next year even though one or two teams may drop off, in contrast to the 10 teams this season. �The honeymoon will be over (if we continue to come out last),� Fernandes said.

He is a man who dares to dream and does not want to get up at 55 only to regret that he should have gotten into the F1 business. His sentiments were shared by the late Tan Sri SM Nasimuddin SM Amin of Naza Group. The two met 1� years ago before the passing of the motor czar.

In July, a proposal was put forth to the Government, which gave its blessings but would not put in money for the venture. Getting slots was not easy and 1MF1T got it at BMW Sauber�s expense.

BMW Sauber, which was sponsored by Petroliam Nasional Bhd (Petronas), is out of the next season. 1MF1T wants Petronas to back its Lotus F1 team since the oil giant has not selected a team to sponsor for next season.

Fernandes and his long-time business partner Datuk Kamarudin Meranun hold a 60% stake in 1MF1T. The remaining 40% is held by Nasimuddin�s son SM Nasarudin in his personal capacity.

Britain�s Litespeed is coming in and the eventual shareholding structure would be 55:35:10 respectively.

This is a business that needs to be right from the start; there cannot be any favouritism, and the driver and the engine both need to be par excellence, according to an observer.

Cosworth is an old engine but Fernandes said �a new one is being built.�

A lot of work is going on at Norfolk where Lotus is based, and by February the Lotus F1 car will be tested at the Malaysian grid. Reports suggest that power to the rear wheels is provided by Cosworth and Litespeed is said to be working on the chassis.

But why Lotus? �Lotus is one of the greatest racing brands,� Fernandes explained.

He believes the Lotus name, even though it has been out of F1 for several years, can still command the clout some great racing names have.

But the sceptics don�t share his enthusiasm, noting that it will be a real challenge for the new team. The late racing legend, Ayrton Senna, was associated with Lotus.

Now the Proton group owns Lotus cars, and there will be spillover effects from this venture onto Proton.

Making money in the first year would not be so difficult with the right sponsors; the seed capital needed is RM168mil while the estimated annual budget will be RM308mil.

The biggest cost will be people, according to Fernandes. 1MF1T plans to hire 225 people.

�We have not done any business not making money. We will make money in the first year and still get (somewhere on the tracks),� Fernandes reckoned.

Nasarudin added that �it must give good returns even though there are risks.� F1 creates new jobs and innovators will emerge from this exercise while the spillover effects are enormous.

The F1 fever has gone to some schools in Malaysia and this is where the young can be nurtured into innovators and drivers of the future.

Malaysia is scaling new heights with its entry into one of the most challenging motor sports.

The ultimate goal should be a place at the podium.

Should you trade in your old banger?

By Rebecca Atkinson    Last Update: Tue, 29/09/2009 - 09:27

The car scrappage scheme is to be extended, with an additional £100 million cash injection to enable a further 100,000 drivers to swap their old bangers for a discounted new vehicle.

Lord Mandelson today announced to delegates in Brighton that the scheme, which was launched in May, will receive additional government funds to cope with demand from drivers. It will now run until February 2010 or until funding runs out.

When launched, the scheme allowed drivers who had owned a car that was more than 10 years old for at least 12 months to trade it in for a new vehicle. In return, they received a £2,000 discount on a new car.

However, as part of the scheme’s extension, the age qualification has changed by six months – meaning eligible cars must have been registered on or before 29 February 2000 (V registration).

The scheme will also be extended to include van owners whose vehicles are eight years old rather than 10. This means eligible vans must have been registered on or before 28 February 2002 (Y registration).

Originally expected to cost £300 million, Mandelson today said the scheme has paid out £400 million across 400,000 vehicles.

“The sector has been strongly affected by the recession, but the scrappage scheme has delivered a boost to manufacturers and the supply chain,” the business secretary said.

The £2,000 discount will continue to be met 50/50 by the government and vehicle manufacturers.

Janet Connor, managing director of specialist insurer RIAS, says its research shows almost one million eligible drivers would be interested in taking part in the scheme – despite limited funding.  

“In the continuing economic downturn the £2,000 scrappage incentive remains an attractive option for people looking to buy a new vehicle, and who are concerned about their motoring costs,” she adds.

It should also help support businesses. Paul Everitt, chief executive of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, says: “[The extension] will help to stimulate demand, giving more consumers access to it, and create a bridge to a period when economic growth is strengthened and more sustainable.”
 
How to take advantage of the vehicle discount scheme

DirectGov, the government’s consumer website, advises people interested in taking part to contact their local dealer to check it's involved and whether you are eligible or not.

Once a sale has been agreed, the dealer will take care of the paperwork and arrange for your old vehicle to be scrapped. The 2,000 discount will be deducted from the cost of your new car and will be shown on your invoice.

The manufacturers

Allied Vehicles, Bentley, BMW, Chevrolet, Citroen, Daihatsu, FIAT, Ford, Honda, Hyundai, Isuzu, Jaguar, Kia, Land Rover, London Taxis International, Mazda, Mercedes Benz, MG Motor, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Perodua, Peugeot, Porsche, Proton, Renault, Rolls Royce, SAAB, SECMA UK, Subaru, Suzuki, Toyota, Vauxhall, Volkswagen, Volvo, Koelliker UK Ltd, Iveco Ltd, Chrysler, Renault Trucks UK.

The rules

In order to qualify for the scheme your current vehicle must be a car or small van weighing up to 3,500kg that was first registered in the UK on or before 29 February 2000 or 28 February 2002 respecitvely.

The vehicle must also have been registered in your name with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency for at least 12 continuous months. The address on the registration certificate must be in the UK, and the vehicle must have a current MOT certificate in place.

In order to claim your £2,000 discount, you must buy from one of the manufactors taking part in the scheme (see above). You can only claim the discount on a car or small van weighing up to 3,500kg, that was registered in the UK on or after mid May 2009. In addition, the vehicle must be registered in the UK as having no former owners.

Should you take advantage?

The scheme has attracted criticism, with concern mainly arising from the financial impact of new car depreciation. According to uSwitch.com, the £2,000 discount will be wiped out in just 88 days. The average car, meanwhile, will lose £8,321 in value in the first year.

If you are considering taking advantage of the new scheme, you should also find out how your insurance premiums could change as a result. New cars are generally more expensive to insure - uSwitch.com says it can cost 30% more to insure a new model compared with a vehicle that is 10 years old.

Mark Monteiro, insurance expert at uSwitch.com, says: “Any motorists tempted to take advantage of the car scrappage scheme should research the cost of insuring their desired new vehicle as a matter of priority, as the cost could be significantly higher than they are currently paying for their old banger."

For example, a 40-year-old male driver with nine years no claims would pay around £154.66 a year for insurance on a 1999 Ford Focus Zetec.  If he were to trade this in for a 2009 Ford Focus Zetec, his insurance would increase by 29.9% to £200.98.

Monteiro also warns that drivers may have to pay a fee to cancel their current insurance or move it over to a new vehicle. And, many insurance companies will not replace a new car with a like-for-like vehicle if it is written off in an accident within the first 12 months.

If you are considering taking advantage of the new scheme, the advice is to find out how much your insurance premiums will rise as a result, and work out the real depreciation cost of buying a new vehicle.

You should also make the most of the current climate and haggle with the dealer – just because you are getting a £2,000 discount doesn’t mean you can’t negotiate to lower the price.

If you need to borrow money to finance the car, then do your research in advance. Although interest rates on personal loans haven’t risen dramatically during the economic downturn, there can still a big difference in price between different providers. A loan isn’t the only way to finance a car purchase – read more here.

Once your decided how much you can afford to spend on a new car, and taken the £2,000 discount into account, make sure you stick to your budget.

"The introduction of the vehicle scrappage scheme is a great incentive for motorists to step back onto forecourts across the UK and upgrade their older cars for new ones - but they should still do their homework, shop around and haggle for the best deal possible,” says Mike Pickard, head of risk and underwriting at esure.  

"The make and model of your car, its value and insurance group will all have an impact on your insurance premium, so motorists must make smart decisions when deciding on the right car for them and have a clear budget in mind at the outset."
 

Dutch, Malay venture to build all-electric cars

Dutch, Malay venture to build all-electric cars 29 de septiembre de 2009

Malaysia's national car maker Proton and a Dutch company signed a $555 million deal Monday to make zero emission electric cars that they said would be more powerful than any existing model.

Four-door will be exported to U.S., Europe; priced at $23,000 to $33,000. Malaysia's national car maker Proton and a Dutch company signed a $555 million deal Monday to make zero emission electric cars that they said would be more powerful than any existing model.

Detroit Electric and Proton Announce Strategic Partnership to Produce Affordable and Practical Pure Electric Vehicles

Detroit Electric to produce and market full line of innovative Pure Electric vehicles in US, UK, EU and China beginning 2010

KUALA LUMPUR, March 30, 2009: Detroit Electric Holdings Ltd and PROTON Holdings Berhad today announced a strategic partnership to mass produce Pure Electric Vehicles. Detroit Electric will integrate its patented electric drive systems into the vehicles.

Under the agreement, Detroit Electric will license two Proton vehicle platforms and contract the company to assemble the electric vehicles that will be marketed under Detroit Electric’s brand.

This agreement will provide Detroit Electric with its first manufacturing base. The announcement came at a signing ceremony officiated by Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

“The agreement with Proton will put Detroit Electric on the fast track to bring a full line of innovative, practical and affordable pure electric vehicles to the global market,” said Albert Lam, Detroit Electric’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. “We chose Proton due to its state-of-the-art production facility, commitment to research and development, cost efficiency, and stable, high-quality workforce.”

By 2012, Detroit Electric plans to sell more than 270,000 Pure Electric Vehicles in Europe, UK, China and the United States. The vehicles will be priced between USD 23,000 and USD 26,000 for the city range model and between USD 28,000 and USD 33,000 for the extended range model. Styling changes will distinguish Detroit Electric’s vehicles from Proton’s existing line-up.

The vehicles will be based on Detroit Electric’s unique, patented electric drive system that greatly reduces the electric motor’s size and weight. The underlying Magnetic Flux Motor Technology and well-proven Lithium Polymer Battery Technology allow pure electric vehicles to achieve a single-charge range of 180km (111 miles) for the city range model and 325km (200 miles) for the extended range model.

Detroit Electric is in the final stage of setting up two subsidiaries: Detroit Electric Energy, which will produce the battery technology, and Detroit Electric Advanced Propulsion Lab, which will manufacture the motor and controller.

The Detroit Electric Advanced Propulsion Lab and Manufacturing Plant is targeted to be in Malaysia close to the vehicle assembly facilities of Proton. By 2012, the two production plants will produce more than 400,000 electric drive systems, creating thousands of jobs and supporting Detroit Electric’s internal demands as well as third-party OEM’s needs.

Proton, which currently produces a total of 270,000 vehicles of various models in Malaysia, edged out a host of international brands when its popular Persona was named Malaysia’s Best Model of the Year in the 2008 Frost & Sullivan ASEAN Automotive Awards. The company is also Malaysia’s largest investor in research and development, spending USD 1.2 billion (RM4.6 billion) between 1993 and 2003.

“We are proud to be able to integrate our electric drive systems upon one of the best cars out of Asia. Our customers around the world will enjoy the level of quality and comfort offered by Proton, an award-winning manufacturer,” said Lam.

Detroit Electric will be responsible for the homologation of the vehicles and for vehicle certification in the U.S. and European markets, where models are targeted to be sold in the first quarter of 2010 EU, UK, China and closely followed the US. Detroit Electric will assume all warranty and liabilities for the Electric Vehicles, while Proton will warranty the vehicle’s build and standard components.

“Our vehicles will be reliable, meet all quality and safety requirements, and quite simply outperform internal combustion engine vehicles of the same class. They will be affordable as we look at the competitive market and come without the polluting carbon emissions,” said Lam.

Today’s agreement also initiates the test and validation program in which Proton will evaluate Detroit Electric’s electric drive system with the intent to license the rights to distribute, market and sell vehicles under the Proton brand in Asia.

Detroit Electric is looking to repeat similar contract production partnerships with manufacturers in Europe and the United States. This will allow the company to extend its range of models very quickly to meet demand in the different automotive segments in these markets.

“When you are trying to redefine the automotive industry, you need to bring many partners along,” said Lam. “Our contract manufacturing business model will breathe new life into current manufacturers, leveraging existing unutilized global resources and accelerating the technological advancement of pure electric vehicles.”

On the current global downturn in automotive markets, Lam expressed confidence that Pure Electric Vehicles will attract a diverse base of consumers despite the tightening credit market, lowered consumer confidence, unstable oil prices and stricter fuel economy regulations.

“Our target audience are those who purchase practical and affordable vehicles. This makes our products fit the pockets of a very wide audience – from professionals and executives, to mothers, students and small business owners.”

About Detroit Electric:

Detroit Electric Holdings Ltd is one of the leaders of the electric car revolution. We manufacture efficient and environmentally friendly, high performance, long range Pure Electric Vehicles and drive-systems to the global marketplace. Detroit Electric's product plans range from high performance sports cars to stylish sedans capable of driving over 320 km / 200 miles in a single charge.

Detroit Electric Holdings Ltd invented and patented the Magnetic Flux Motor Technology for the motor drive train. The company also owns the intellectual property for the Motor Controller Program. Since its launch, Detroit Electric has been dedicated to developing new technologies and establishing strategic partnerships that leverage existing manufacturing capacities in the marketplace.

About Proton:

PROTON, established in 1983, is Malaysia's largest manufacturer of automobiles. With operations in key market centers from UK and Western Europe to the Middle East, and across South-East Asia and Australasia, PROTON produces cars to suit a range of consumer demands and preferences. The offerings include versatile and reliable four-door family vehicles, two-door hatchbacks for the young-at-heart, luxurious and stylish executive sedans, as well as the world-renowned sports cars from Lotus.

PROTON’s inception as a key driver of national development has seen the brand accelerate its learning curve through technology transfer with strategic partnerships and technical collaborations. PROTON cars are now steadily on track to achieving the mission for the future, gearing up to achieve the promise of a marque which build cars with passion and soul; cars which are a delight to drive and a pleasure to own.


detroit-electric.co.uk/

Proton, GWM utes fare poorly in NCAP crash tests

NCAP Crash Testing. Great Wall and Proton Photo: Bob Seary

The Proton Jumbuck ute scored a dismal one-star rating in the latest round of independent NCAP crash tests, which also criticised the newly arrived Great Wall Motors utes.

A cheap trade ute has scored the worst-ever crash test result for a vehicle currently on sale in Australia, prompting calls for consumers to avoid buying commercial vehicles that perform poorly in independent safety tests.

The Proton Jumbuck, a $15,000 two-seater ute made in Malaysia and on sale in Australia for almost seven years, has received only one star out of a possible five after it was smashed into a deformable barrier to simulate an offset head-on collision, the independent crash safety watchdog announced today.

The Australasian New Car Assessment Program also released the crash results of the first two Chinese cars on sale in Australia — the Great Wall Motors SA220 and V240 dual-cab utes — awarding them two stars out of a possible five.

ANCAP was critical of the sub-standard crash protection offered in utes. Many traditional “tradie” utes have fallen behind passenger cars in terms of crash safety, with some makers stripping out features that could reduce injury in a crash in order to make prices more attractive to commercial buyers.

Both the Proton Jumbuck and the Great Wall Motors SA220 tested lacked potentially life-saving airbags that can reduce the amount of injury resulting from a crash. All three vehicles tested lacked electronic stability control, which can help a vehicle recover from a skid by sensing a loss of control and individually braking wheels.

“The (GWM) SA220 and the (Proton) Jumbuck lack airbags and other safety features that are expected as standard equipment by new car buyers,” said ANCAP chair, Lauchlan McIntosh, who indicated the airbags in the more expensive GWM ute were not performing their job of protecting occupants.

“The results for the Great Wall vehicles were particularly disappointing as these are new models to the market. The V240 has dual airbags but these failed to protect the driver and passenger from injury in our crash tests.”

The Australian arm of the world’s most authoritative independent crash test organisation also criticised the Australian Design Rules, saying they were not up to the standard modern consumers expect.

“Crash statistics show that occupants of one- or two-star vehicles have twice the risk of receiving life-threatening injuries in a crash, compared with four- or five-star vehicles - at a time when four- and five-star ratings are becoming increasingly available for new car buyers,” said Mr McIntosh.

“New vehicles that achieve only a 1 or 2 star ANCAP rating - while meeting the ADRs - are a cause for concern.”

A spokesman for Great Wall Motors said the V240 had scored a “high” two-star result. He said an engineer from the Chinese car-maker was present at the ANCAP tests, and the company would use the results make changes to its vehicles to improve their crash performance.

“Great Wall safety engineers have been hard at work analysing data from the recent ANCAP tests from the moment it was made available, and are confident that Great Wall will continue to make significant progress with enhancements to the safety of their products.,” said the spokesman.

Proton Cars Australia managing director John Startari questioned ANCAP’s motives in selecting the Jumbuck — due for a replacement mid-way through next year — for a crash test.

“We’re a bit confused as to why that vehicle was selected for a test,” Mr Startari said.

“[The Jumbuck] is the last of the models on the old Mitsubishi platforms ... it’s not really fair because one car is a 1990s platform and the other one is a new car.

 “[ANCAP] obviously tested Great Wall and were looking around for a comparable test, and there’s not too many light commercial [vehicles] around with no airbags.

 “Obviously we’re a company that takes safety very seriously,” he said.

The new Jumbuck will feature improved safety measures including “multiple” airbags, Proton says.

Until it is replaced, the current-model Jumbuck joins the Mitsubishi Express commercial van as the only two new vehicles currently on sale in Australia to have been independently crash tested and receive a one-star crash rating (not all vehicles are independently crash tested).

ANCAP said the Jumbuck’s crash test score fell below that of the Express van, making the ute Australia’s worst-performing vehicle.

Some commercial vehicle makers were lifting their safety standards, with a Mercedes-Benz van recently gaining a top five-star ranking  — a first for the market — once buyers spent an extra $800 on potentially life saving head-protecting side curtain airbags.

Holden also recently announced its ute would be the first on the market to get stability control and curtain airbags across the range.

Proton Satria Neo 1.6 Sport

Proton Satria Neo 1.6 Sport

Sep 27 2009 Patrick James

Proton Satria Neo 1.6 Sport

PROTON's sporty Satria, has been around for some time but you cannot fail to be impressed with the performance and handling.

That handling is courtesy of the iconic Lotus brand owned by Proton and gives this sporty supermini something of an edge when up against some of its competitors.

The car can be moved around with abandon, rarely getting out of shape and for the most part, feeling like it corners on rails while the steering is direct and responsive.

The excellent handling does have a trade-off however, with a firm ride that can be uncomfortable over poor road surfaces.

The car has moved on in terms of quality from what at best could be described as basic to something a little nearer European standards.

It is up against some pretty hot competition in the hot supermini segment of the market and unfortunately it is not cheap, even the base model comes in at a fiver under 10 grand while the Sport model test is just under £11,000. So the car needs to offer a little more in other areas.

Fortunately it does. Despite being sporty, it is also very economical and relatively cheap to insure.

The Sport, with the double stripe from bonnet to boot unashamedly appeals to a younger market on a budget.

It has a neat, streamlined profile with double cats-eye shaped headlights and a tapering body. The test model was shod with eye-catching, spiral shaped alloy wheels, wide, muscular wheel arches and a snazzy, centrally-located exhaust tailpipe that gives the car a look designed for performance.

This is also reflected with the figure-hugging leather seats with the Satria insignia stitched into the fabric. These hold driver and front passenger firmly and are fully adjustable, but seating for the rear passengers is cramped.

On the inside the car has a harsh, plastic feel. But this does not feel cheap, it is clearly hardwearing, but luxury touches are at a premium.

The binnacle and dash, what there are of them, are minimalist, with three rotary dial controls for heating and climate control, and a neat Blaupunkt radio/CD player discreetly situated above.

The dials inside the binnacle are clear and concise and all the trim levels offer a decent range of standard equipment.

The 1.6-litre 111bhp engine offers plenty of pace in such a small car, but does have to be worked hard through the five-speed manual box. The big plus, surprisingly is the economy. Official figures suggest a combined cycle figure of 42.8mpg.

The 0-62mph sprint takes what appears to be a pedestrian 11.5 seconds, but it does feel quicker.

The car is well equipped with electric windows, door mirrors, climate control, rear parking sensors, alarm and immobiliser.

For safety there is anti lock braking and driver and passenger airbag.

FAST FACTS

Proton Satria Neo 1.6 Sport 3dr

Price: £10,995

Mechanical: 111bhp, 1,557cc, 4cyl petrol engine driving front wheels via 5-speed manual gearbox

Max speed: 118mph

0-62mph: 11.5 seconds

Combined mpg: 42.8

Insurance group: 7

CO2 emissions: 157g/km

BIK rating: 22%

Warranty: 3yrs/ 60,000 miles

Alister Mcrae To Make Proton Debut In Place Of Karamjit

September 28, 2009 19:16 PM

Alister Mcrae To Make Proton Debut In Place Of Karamjit

By: Ramjit

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By Neville D'Cruz

MELBOURNE, Sept 28 (Bernama) -- One of the best-known names in World rallying will join with Proton for an assault on the next round of the Asia Pacific Rally Championship (APRC), the Rally of Indonesia.

Australian-based Scotsman, Alister McRae will be the latest rally star to get behind the wheel of Proton's exciting new S2000 rally contender, the Proton Satria Neo.

Proton Australia told Bernama, McRae, now living in Perth, will drive the Mellors Elliott Motorsports prepared Satria Neo S2000 on the next round of Rally Indonesia, scheduled for October 3-4.

McRae will replace Malaysian rally star Karamjit Singh who gave Proton their APRC debut in Malaysia last month before crashing out in the early stages.

The former Hyundai works driver and brother of 1995 World Rally champion, the late Colin McRae, Alister will be partnered by Australian co-driver Bill Hayes.

The Rally of Indonesia is the sixth round of the Asia Pacific Rally Championship but only the second rally for the Proton R3 Malaysia team.

The McRae surname has been synonymous with rallying for over three decades and Alister has over 20 years of experience including a British national championship to his name.

McRae's recent achievements include a class win in the Targa Tasmania in Australia last year.

"I have had the opportunity to test the Satria Neo S2000 in England recently and am very pleased with the performance of the car," said McRae.

"I will certainly be looking forward to competing in the Proton at the Rally of Indonesia against some of the best drivers in the region."

Proton meanwhile will be relying on the single entry of British front-runner Guy Wilks in the penultimate round of the Intercontinental Rally Championship in San Remo in Italy, as the development of this all-new car, the Satria Neo S2000, continues apace.

With the team's experience of the car growing through every kilometre, expectations are high for more points to come their way after a sensational performance in the IRC round in Russia recently and after showing competitive stage times throughout the season.

The result is an astonishingly small and agile car, which boasts an attractive, and aerodynamic homologated body kit complimenting the eye-catching Satria design.

The Proton S2000 in full rally trim has the smallest frontal area and the lowest roof height of any S2000 car currently homologated even at rally ride height settings.

In a unique concept, both the driver and co-driver seat positions have been fixed at the rearmost possible mounting points to maximise the car's weight distribution with the pedal box and steering column being adjustable to suit different crew requirements.

-- BERNAMA

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Malaysia needs $129 million for F1 team

Malaysia needs $129 million for F1 team

(AFP) – 6 hours ago

KUALA LUMPUR — Aviation mogul Tony Fernandes said on Monday it will cost about 450 million ringgit (129 million dollars) to put Malaysia on next year's Formula One grid and to complete the 19-race schedule.

"We need 100 to 150 million ringgit to put the car on the grid. And we need (a further) 300 million for the whole competition," he told reporters.

The ebullient 46-year-old Fernandes, the founder and CEO of Southeast Asian budget carrier AirAsia, is at the forefront of the return to the sport of Lotus, which announced its intention to race again last week.

The team is backed by 1Malaysia F1 Team Sdn Bhd, a public-private partnership involving a string of top local entrepreneurs, as well as national automaker Proton.

Fernandes, who is the team principal, said the Malaysian team would hire 225 people including aerodynamic experts and engineers with mechanical and electronics know-how.

He said the Malaysian F1 car would ready for trials at the Sepang circuit outside the capital Kuala Lumpur in February.

The first race will be in Bahrain on March 14 and Malaysia will host the third race on April 4.

Asked if he was confident of finding sponsors for the team, he said: "Have we failed so far?" in reference to the success of AirAsia which since its launch in 2001 has become the world's 12th largest airline.

Lotus is making its return to F1 after competing in the event from 1958 through to 1994. Malaysian national carmaker Proton bought a controlling stake in the company in the mid-1990s.

The team will initially be based in Norfolk, England, near the Lotus Cars factory at a facility built by Toyota for its initial Formula One programme and then used by Bentley for its successful Le Mans programme.

But the team's cars will be designed, manufactured and tested at Malaysia's Sepang International Circuit outside the capital Kuala Lumpur, which has hosted a Formula One race since 1999.

Government mulls Benz, BMWs as Proton delays new Perdana

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 28 — Despite the moribund economy, the government is mulling the use of imported luxury cars for the Najib administration and top civil servants to replace its leased fleet of ageing Proton Perdana V6 Executive vehicles which are no longer in production.

The cars — Mercedes Benz S class, BMW 5 series, Toyota Camry and Honda Accord — are likely to be leased for four years from Spanco Sdn Bhd, which has a 25-year concession with the government ending 2018 that is now worth RM80 million a year.

The Malaysian Insider has learnt that the judiciary has decided on using the Mercedes Benz and that perk could extend to ministers.

"The Mercedes Benz cars are already being assembled now in Pekan in anticipation of the lease," a government source told The Malaysian Insider, referring to the assembly plant in the prime minister's constituency.

The new cars could raise heckles as Barisan Nasional (BN) lawmakers had objected to Pakatan Rakyat (PR) administrations in both Perak and Selangor for opting to use Toyota Camrys over the Perdanas, accusing them of being unpatriotic and disloyal to the national carmaker.

The BN government that ousted PR in Perak later put the Camrys on the auction block early this year.

The BN government in Terengganu also raised eyebrows last year when it ordered 14 Mercedes Benz E200 Kompressors for RM3.43 million to replace the Perdanas, citing costly maintenance for the national car.

Proton is already looking at a new model next year to replace the flagship Perdana, which was launched in 1995 as the badge-engineered version of the seventh-generation Mitsubishi Eterna. The current Proton Perdana V6 Executive used by the government is 10 inches longer than the standard model.

Another government source said the new cars had competitive lease rates, reducing initial costs but he reckoned Spanco can turn in a tidy profit from maintenance charges.

"The lease for each car is four years and maintenance charges are a bit high but they do everything from A to Z. So on paper, it's worth it for the government," he told The Malaysian Insider.

The government stopped buying cars for the administration and senior government officers since January 1994 by agreeing to lease from Spanco which initially provided Mercedes Benz and Volvo models.

But the Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad administration stopped that in 1997 under its austerity drive during the height of the Asian financial crisis.

Deputy Finance Minister Datuk Kong Cho Ha told Parliament last year that apart from cars for official government use, Spanco also leased saloon cars for the various ministries and federal departments.

"Under the agreement, Spanco is responsible for supply, maintaining and repairing all cars leased by the government.

"In return, the government pays for the cost of rental, maintenance and repairs to Spanco on a monthly basis based on the number and type of cars leased," he said in reply to Lim Kit Siang (DAP-Ipoh Timur) who wanted to know the cost and benefits of leasing Proton Perdana V6 as official cars of the government.

He said until July 2008, a total of 8,341 cars were leased of which 105 were for use by members of the government administration.

"The average yearly maintenance cost (not including repairs) for the Perdana V6 cars was RM2,373, which was 55 per cent less than RM3,693 for the standard yearly maintenance cost of a Mercedes," he said, adding that the government found using the Perdana V6 to be very practical as it seldom had serious technical problems.

Apart from the Perdana as a standard car for government servants, Spanco also provides the Proton Waja.

Spanco was given the contract to lease and maintain vehicles for the government for 25 years as part of the government’s privatisation exercise. It was seen a good deal as many government departments, such as the police force, had thousands of cars, and leasing and maintenance was not Spanco’s core business.

In 2004, the Finance Ministry asked Coopers & Lybrand to review the Spanco deal in the belief that the government had paid too much. The contract sum was then reduced by 20 per cent from RM100 million a year to RM80 million a year.

The decision to renegotiate the Spanco contract came after the then Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said that the government would look into lopsided concessions.

Najib, who succeeded Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi as prime minister last April, had added the government would learn from its mistakes to ensure that it did not get the short end of the stick when negotiating deals with the private sector.

BMW 135i M Sport convertible

Here’s what he says: “We realised a long time ago that what you make people feel is just as important as what you make”.

Bang on. You can buy a cheap car that takes you to work economically and you may be pleased with the savings you’ve made. But saving money is never joyful. It is mean-spirited and demonstrates that you have a heart of coal. If you wish to lead a joyous life, you should always spend 10% more than you earn.

Joy in a car can come from many quarters. It can come from the “feel” of a button on the dashboard. It can come, such as it does in a Porsche Boxster, from that spine-tingling noise the exhaust makes at precisely 5200rpm. It can come from the way a car turns into a corner or, as you will find in a Nissan 370Z, from the way the engine blips on down changes. Joy can come from a nicely flared wheelarch, from good graphics on a sat nav screen, from the surge you feel when you accelerate. Sometimes, as is the case with the Aston Martin DBS, it can come from so many places, all at once, you are left feeling a little bit light-headed. Even the stitching on the seats made my heart feel all gooey and warm.

I’ve never been able to put my finger on quite why I don’t like cars made by Proton and so on. But now I do. They are not joyous. They are built purely to shore up an emerging nation’s balance of trade, and you will never find any joy in anything where every single part has come from the lowest bidder.

Joy, contrary to what BMW would have us believe, does not make us smile. Even in the aforementioned DBS, I do not gurn like a mad person as I drive along. But joy does make us happy and content and satisfied. In a car, joy is more important than an airbag.

Strangely, however, the one car company that rarely gives me any joy is BMW. It’s why I would never buy one of its cars.

That’s not to say its cars are no good. The new Z4 is marvellous and the M3 is one of the most perfectly balanced machines ever created by man. It makes an F-16 fighter jet look ungainly and lumpen.

However, you always get the sense with a BMW that science has ruled the roost throughout the entire design process; that anything with a bit of flair or panache has been ditched to make way for another equation. And as for the line, “We realised a long time ago that what you make people feel is just as important as what you make”?

Lotus says its new car will be ready by December for 2010 Formula ...

Lotus says its new car will be ready by December for 2010 Formula One entry

By Chris Lines (CP) – 2 hours ago

SINGAPORE — Lotus, one of the new Formula One teams for next season, says its first car will be ready by December, giving it a full off-season of testing before its appearance in Bahrain next March.

The new team revives one of the grand names of motor sport, with Lotus having won seven F1 constructors' titles in its previous incarnation.

The rebirth is a Malaysian venture, backed by the national government and to be based at the Sepang circuit outside Kuala Lumpur.

"We are estimating that to get the car on the grid will cost us between 20-30 million pounds (C$35-52 million), which will be equity financed by the shareholders, and we estimate the running costs of the team to be around 55 million pounds (C$96 million) - that will be the bottom end of the budgets," team principal Tony Fernandes said.

"This budget will come through sponsorship, and obviously there are a lot of Malaysian sponsors now who want to get involved. We will raise that money."

Fernandes, the chief of AirAsia, will remain in management control but hand over the running of the outfit to a full-time team principal, who will have a say in choosing the drivers.

"(What would be) ideal would be an experienced driver and a rookie, but there is no name that I can drop this very moment," Fernandes said.

PIT LANE POP STARS: Beyonce Knowles, in Singapore to perform Saturday at the F1 Rocks concerts, caused quite a stir in the paddock when she arrived to visit McLaren driver Lewis Hamilton and F1 boss Bernie Eccelstone.

Minutes later, Nicole Scherzinger of the Pussycat Dolls, Hamilton's girlfriend, showed up and Knowles, Scherzinger and Hamilton held hands and walked over to the McLaren pits as photographers and cameramen scrambled to get a picture of the trio.

Asked if she was an F1 fan, Knowles replied: "Yes, I am, obviously."

She declined to say who her favourite team was.

WHITE FOR NIGHT AS FERRARI DROPS RED: There is no more recognizable trademark in motor sport than the scarlet Ferrari, which makes the latest F1 fashion statement all the more curious.

While the cars will be in their familiar livery, team members are getting around the Singapore paddock dressed in white.

"We wanted to do something different for the night race," Ferrari explained on its website.

Like it or not, Ferrari's fashions were preferable to the clothing predicament at Renault.

The hasty withdrawal of major sponsor ING - after Renault was found guilty of fixing the 2008 race - meant the name of the insurance company had been taken off the cars and removed from various signs around the garage and motor home.

However, there was no time to arrange alternative clothing for the mechanics and technicians, who are sheepishly still wandering the paddock emblazoned with the name of the sponsor who walked out.

NOT SO FAST ON PIQUET - OK?: There are mixed signals coming out of 2010 team Manor GP over whether it would consider signing Nelson Piquet Jr. as a driver for next season.

The F1 newcomer has not announced its driver lineup and is one of a number of teams linked with the Brazilian, whose reputation was left in tatters when he admitted deliberately crashing in the 2008 Singapore race to help then-Renault teammate Fernando Alonso win.

Manor team principal John Booth was quoted in the English press as saying he would be interested in Piquet, describing him somewhat cheekily as a "smashing little driver."

However, Manor's key sponsor, Virgin, which is defecting from Brawn GP, is less than keen on the young Brazilian.

"What I can say is that, as a director of the main board of Virgin, I can assure you that we would never have anybody in a team sponsored by us who cheats," Virgin's Alex Tai told Autosport.

Former F1 drivers Anthony Davidson and Christian Klien have both held talks with Manor.

Associated Press Writer Alex Kennedy contributed to this report.

Exclusive Q&A with Lotus's Tony Fernandes

He came into Formula One racing through sponsorship and, like Force India's Vijay Mallya, Air Asia boss Tony Fernandes realized the beauty of the sport. Now he plans to revive one of Britain's most iconic F1 names: Lotus. After winning a slot in the 2010 FIA Formula One World Championship, the Malaysian entrepreneur is throwing himself into the project with the aim of bringing together English racing heritage and Malaysian racing passion. And Fernandes is convinced that the cocktail will work...

Q: Tony, what do the names Colin Chapman and Jim Clark mean for you?
Tony Fernandes: Well, a wonderful heritage. I grew up listening to those names, I grew up watching Jim Clark on the track in all the cars that Colin Chapman put together. It evokes a lot of heritage and pride.

Q: A Malaysian company trying to revive a British racing legend. How did that happen?
TF: I got involved with Formula One through the Williams team and my sponsorship with them with Air Asia. I saw a tremendous amount of assets Malaysia had built up in F1 over the last five years and then I found Proton and Lotus - which to me seems to be a marriage made in heaven. To others this might sound odd and difficult, but when you see the brand being rolled out you will see that the heritage will be very much protected. I had a fantastic meeting with Clive and Hazel Chapman on the Goodwood Sunday and we got a car from them, in fact - Ayrton Senna's car that took the last race win by Lotus. So we feel very obliged to build on that heritage - and hopefully with the management of Lotus's road car division one day they should again be in the same vein as Ferrari with Ferrari cars and the Ferrari Formula One team. That sounds like lots of work to do, but at least there is a plan and a vision behind it - and there is a dream.

Q: What is it that you want to achieve?
TF: There are two aspects to what we are trying to do. First of all we want to show that Lotus and Proton can be world class - to revitalize Lotus and show that they can compete with the top marques in the world, and to show Proton that their cars are great technology and great engineering, made in Malaysia. From my side it's providing the software. In all the years Malaysia has been involved in Formula One there were only a handful of engineers coming out of the country, and not many Malaysian drivers or management. I want to help develop that and show that Malaysia has more to offer than construction of tall buildings. I envisage bringing our people to Formula One standard - to have more innovation, greater thinking and to show our kids that they can compete with the rest of he world. Now if you go to the Malaysian Grand Prix I see my people wearing Ferrari shirts - one day I want to see them wearing something Malaysian.

Q: Promoting two car companies - Lotus and Proton - via Formula One racing seems to be a costly exercise given that we've seen some of the global players withdrawing recently...
TF: Yes, it is a costly thing - but good things cost. I started my airline with two planes and built it up to 82 planes - and now it's a wonderful brand. My saying is that you pay for what you get: Formula One reaches enormous audiences, motivating enormous masses of people. There are not many sporting events that can create that, so the bottom line is that you pay for what you get. If you are successful the rewards will be 50 times more then the investment. The question is if we will be successful - that's on everybody's mind. I started my airline with $250,000 and everyone said 'he's nuts and mad'. So I got used to these kind of notions. I think we will have a good run and in years to come we will slowly build ourselves up.

Q: But when was it that you really got hooked on the idea of having an F1 team?
TF: Well, the guys who put in the first application - from a Formula Three racing team called Litespeed - approached me just before Silverstone and since then it's been a very fast development.

Q: You've said that you will run the team for the first few months but then hand it over to an experienced team principal. Do you have somebody in mind?
TF: No, not yet. I said that I will establish the framework, the brand, make sure that we deliver what we said that we would deliver, but in the long run it has to be managed by a fulltime professional - my job is to run Air Asia. I am not here for the glamorous part. I want to show that my country can do it and that my people can do it. We have that gap between now and Bahrain that I will oversee, and I am very proud of what we have already achieved in four months. Give us another four months and eventually we will find someone fit to take over from me.

Q: You have teamed up with Mike Gascoyne - a very familiar face in Formula One racing. How is that working?
TF: Litespeed had teamed up with Mike and we struck up a very quick relationship in Silverstone. I like his style, I like his honesty. He has worked phenomenally hard, he is very passionate - and I think he's very good at mixing with Malaysians. I think we found a good guy.

Q: Budget is a key issue in bringing a car to the grid. What will the Lotus budget be?
TF: We are estimating that to get the car on the grid will cost us between £20-30 million, which will be equity financed by the shareholders, and we estimate the running costs of the team to be around £55 million - that will be the bottom end of the budgets. But I keep telling people that it's not about money but all about having the right people and being smart - as Vijay has shown. This budget will come through sponsorship and obviously there are a lot of Malaysian sponsors now who want to get involved. We will raise that money.

Q: Drivers are always a key element to a successful team. Do you already have an idea of where to look?
TF: We are starting to do that now. There is no point thinking about drivers when you don't have a slot on the grid. But now that we have a plan, that we have an engine, that we start hiring people we can think about drivers. Ideal would be an experienced driver and a rookie, but there is no name that I can drop this very moment.

Q: So coming to the crucial questions: how far away is the car and what is in the factory at the moment?
TF: The car is going through wind tunnel tests and we are scaling up rapidly. We should have a physical car ready in late December, the engine will be Cosworth, and we will be ready for testing in January - like everybody else. I took a big gamble because we started to build the car before we had the slot. Had we not been given the slot I would have ended up with some very nice pictures - very expensive, computer graphic pictures. But life is a gamble. You have certain shots in life - either you grab them or you try to be risk averse and wait forever. I decided to take the chance, and the risk paid off. Maybe the risk paid off because people like Bernie or Max (Mosley) saw our passion - and maybe saw something different. Maybe they fell for the idea that you have to have teams outside of Europe.

RM168 Million Start-Up Capital For 1Malaysia, Annual Budget ...

September 25, 2009 20:54 PM

RM168 Million Start-Up Capital For 1Malaysia, Annual Budget Estimated At RM308 Million

By: Ramjit

-->

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 25 (Bernama) -- 1Malaysia F1 Team will have a start-up capital of RM168 million while the team's baseline annual budget is estimated at RM308 million.

In a statement, the team said Proton Holdings Bhd will licence its Lotus brand to the 1Malaysia F1 Team (1MF1T).

The partnership licence will include a variety of benefits for both Lotus and Proton involving technology transfer, marketing rights and employment opportunities, both within the national F1 Team, at the team's technical centre in Sepang and its satellite base in Norfolk, United Kingdom, it said.

1MF1T is a privately-funded project and jointly owned by Tune Group, Naza Group and Litespeed UK.

Tune Group is jointly-owned by 1MF1T Team Principal Datuk Seri Tony Fernandes and 1MF1T Director Datuk Kamarudin Meranun. Other Directors of 1MF1T are SM Nasarudin SM Nasimuddin, the Chief Executive Officer of Naza Group and Zahri Ismail of 1Malaysia F1 Sdn Bhd.

The government holds no equity in the project, either directly or indirectly, through any of the government-linked companies.

The team will collaborate with Universiti Teknologi Malaysia and Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS to help realise the aspiration of creating a growing class of high-technology and knowledge-intensive human capital for the country.

Composites Technology Research Malaysia (CTRM), a leading composites manufacturing expert, will also be part of the project, the team said.

Plans are in the advanced stage to develop the 1Malaysia F1 Team technical, research and development and manufacturing centre on a eight hectare site at the Sepang International Circuit.

Fernandes described the team as a lifetime achievement for all Malaysians.

"Other countries have been bidding hard for this spot but Malaysia, through our concerted effort and strength in the true spirit of 1Malaysia, managed to pull it through.

"This will be an excellent opportunity for Malaysian corporates to share this dream that has finally come through," he said.

Fernandes said the project would help Malaysia move up the value chain by emphasising on innovation and technology.

"Having been involved in Formula One, we are very excited at Malaysia owning a Formula One team and the amazing benefits it will bring the country," he added.

Fernandes also said the team was delighted to be partnering Proton in a way that allowed both to focus on its core businesses yet share the benefits of the collaboration in a mutually beneficial manner.

"I am equally pleased too that we are able to announce that every day we are deepening our relationships with CTRM and SIC, with UTM and UTP. It's an immense privilege to be working with institutions that have embraced the spirit of the Prime Minister's 1Malaysia vision," he said.

In short, Fernandes said the programme was specifically designed to strengthen Malaysia's industrial base, inspire students to focus on a wide variety of skills, boost the country's image as a tourist destination and provide a competitive advantage for the nation on the world stage.

Proton's Managing Director Datuk Syed Zainal Abidin Syed Mohamed Tahir said the company as very excited and supportive of the Malaysian initiative.

"Through the impending licencing arrangement between Lotus and the team, the brand association will be beneficial to both Lotus and Proton would definitely heighten global brand awareness," he said.

Similarly, Syed Zainal said the Proton Group also hopes to capitalise on this opportunity from a technical and engineering aspect.

"The exposure to be obtained from Formula 1 racing is invaluable, especially when Lotus is a renowned sports car manufacturer and a respectable engineering firm," he said.

The team will rapidly integrate a Malaysian technical and pit crew totalling some 200 people managed by one of Formula One's most respected and accomplished Technical Director, Mike Gascoyne.

The team has already recruited a core team of international experts with proven track records in the many and various engineering, design and manufacturing disciplines.

This is to ensure the 1Malaysia F1 team is of international standard, readiness and capable of competing with the world's greatest racing marquees on the world's most prestigious racing stage.

The 1Malaysia F1 Team project takes its name from the "1Malaysia - People First, Performance Now" policy mooted by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak earlier this year.

The policy aims at unifying Malaysians in celebrating the co-operation amongst its multi-ethnic, multi-cultural and multi-religious society for the betterment of the nation.

--BERNAMA

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Rallye Sanremo - Preview

From Jouni Tikanen [ 6/13/2001 ]. Click to read all other Rally News.
 

This introduction is meant for both those who don't yet know World Rally Championship but can also give something to more experienced fans. It is a complement to the Rally Glossary in which certain things are explained in depth.

The WRC

If you're new to the FIA World Rally Championship (acronym: WRC), this

article is a perfect place to start with. Since I don't believe that too many genuinely new people find their way first into my site, I try to include a bit of more advanced material into this too. So unless you're real expert you might find something interesting here. Also note that while this article covers some basics, more info can be found at glossary of rally terms and if you still have questions after reading these, don't hesitate to ask on via the general message board. There will surely be someone there that will be glad to answer your question.

What is it all about?

Rallying is a form of motorsports that is run over ordinary roads rather than in specialized circuits used in Formula One or off-road environment used in endurance events like Paris-Dakar.

In distinction to rallycross in rallying drivers compete against the clock, not directly against the other drivers.

And in distinction to rally-sprints, stages used in rallying are much longer (up to 40 to 50 km, average being 10 to 30 km) and special co-drivers are used to call pace notes.

Under current rules, each competitor starts into the stages with two minute intervals (applies to works drivers only, private drivers start with one minute intervals) so under normal circumstancies competitors see each others only at the start and finish of the stage.

Who runs the show?

There are four important parties involved. First one is FIA, the ruling body. It's the same body that makes also rules for Formula One, for example. Their role is only to make rules and govern, they do nothing else. Commercial rights to the WRC has been sold to International Sportsworld Communicators (ISC) which is owned by David Richards. They do all promotion, filming and distribution in relation to whole championship.

Thirdly there are manufacturers or teams, who design, build and run cars in the championship.

They are required to enter two cars in every event (but can enter more if they wish) but may name different drivers in each event. There are rules for new teams who have option to contest 25% of events in their first year, 50% in second year and all in third and subsequent seasons. Fourth party are event organizers who are independent organisations around the world and it is their job to organise event under FIA rules. There are as many ways of accomplishing this as there are events, some are free for the spectators while some use tickets. Some attract up to 150 entries while some are restricted to 60 entries (a trend for smaller entries is FIA's current wish).

Click here to read the next page

 

Smaller Isn't Always Better: Catalyst Simulations Could Lower Fuel ...

Smaller Isn't Always Better: Catalyst Simulations Could Lower Fuel Cell Cost

September 22, 2009

Imagine a car that runs on hydrogen from solar power and produces water instead of carbon emissions. While vehicles like this won't be on the market anytime soon, University of Wisconsin-Madison researchers are making incremental but important strides in the fuel cell technology that could make clean cars a reality.

Materials science and engineering assistant professor Dane Morgan and Ph.D. student Edward (Ted) Holby have developed a computational model that could optimize an important component of fuel cells, making it possible for the technology to have a more widespread use. Essentially, they investigate how particle size relates to the overall stability of a material, and their model has shown that increasing the particle size of a fuel cell catalyst decreases degradation and therefore increases the useful lifetime of a fuel cell.

Fuel cells are electrochemical devices that facilitate a reaction between hydrogen and oxygen, producing electrical power and forming water. In the type of fuel cells Morgan is researching, called proton exchange membrane fuel cells, or PEMFCs, hydrogen is split into a proton and electron at one side of the fuel cell (the anode). The proton moves through the device while the electron is forced to travel in an external circuit, where it can perform useful work. At the other side of the fuel cell (the cathode), the protons, electrons and oxygen combine to form water, which is the only waste product.

Though the premise sounds straightforward, there are multiple hurdles to producing efficient fuel cells for widespread use. One of these hurdles is the catalyst added to aid the reaction between protons, electrons and oxygen at the cathode. Current fuel cells use platinum and platinum alloys as a catalyst. While platinum can withstand the corrosive fuel cell environment, it is expensive and not very abundant.

To maximize platinum use, researchers use catalysts made with platinum particles as small as two nanometers, which are approximately 10 atoms across. These tiny structures have a large surface area on which the fuel cell reaction occurs. However, platinum catalysts this small degrade very quickly.

"The stability of bulk versus nanoparticle materials can be understood intuitively by thinking of cheese," says Morgan. "When you leave a large chunk of cheese out and the edges get crusty, the surface is destroyed, but you can cut that off and there is still a lot of cheese inside that is good. "But if you crumble the cheese into tiny pieces and leave it out, you destroy all of your cheese because a larger fraction of the cheese is at the surface."

Rapid catalyst degradation means the fuel cell doesn't last long, and the U.S. Department of Energy estimates fuel cells must function for 5,000 hours, or approximately seven months of continuous use, to be practical for automotive energy solutions.

Morgan and Holby, who are working in collaboration with Professor Yang Shao-Horn from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, have found a possible solution to the rapid degradation problem: When it comes to catalyst particle size, sometimes smaller isn't better.

Their modeling work, which is funded by 3M and the U.S. Department of Energy, shows that if the particle size of a platinum catalyst is increased to four or five nanometers, which is approximately 20 atoms across, the level of degradation significantly decreases. This means the catalyst and the fuel cell as a whole can continue to function for much longer than if the particle size was only two or three nanometers.

The research into the fundamental physics of particle size will be useful as scientists extend their platinum studies to exploring platinum alloys, which can reduce platinum consumption when used as fuel cell catalysts. Morgan is beginning to research models to study size effects on the stability of platinum alloys, such as copper-platinum and cobalt-platinum catalysts.

"Fuel cells are just one of many energy technologies — solar, battery, etc. — with enormous potential to reduce our dependence on oil and our carbon emissions," says Morgan. "Computer simulation offers a powerful tool to understand and develop new materials at the heart of these energy technologies."

SOURCE: University of Wisconsin-Madison

2010 Mitsubishi Outlander EX spotted testing in China

Hello there! If you are new here, you might want to subscribe to the RSS feed for updates on this topic. Powered by WP Greet Box

The original Mitsubishi Outlander was produced in China via the Beijing-Mitsubishi tie up, but this has since gone out of production and has been replaced by the newer imported Outlander. The 2010 Outlander, complete with gigantic grill, is expected to launch in China in the new year. The 2010 version is expected to be a 2.4l 4 cylinder to 3.0l V6 model. Mitsubishi has raised power of these particular engines by around 10%, giving the 3.0L V6 a total power of 169kw/230bhp.

The 2010 version has already been spotted out testing in China:

The 2010 is expected to formally launch in mid to late October this year.

You might find these other posts of interest:

Investor claim Lotus F1 venture commercially viable

Datuk Kamarudin Meranun (left) says his and Datuk Seri Tony Fernandes� involvement in the F1 venture is on a personal capacity.

Proton, meanwhile, will have the opportunity to re-position Lotus on the F1 platform after the British subsidiary�s exit from the race in 1994.

�This is a smart partnership between the GLCs (government-linked companies) and entrepreneurs in the true form of one Malaysia,� Kamarudin added.

Kamarudin, who is also deputy chief executive officer of AirAsia Bhd, said his and (AirAsia CEO) Fernandes� involvement was on a personal capacity and �has nothing to do with AirAsia�.

Their investments would not impact AirAsia�s current sponsorship of AT&T Williams, another F1 team, as that collaboration was purely on branding, he said.

An initial amount of �10mil (about RM57mil) had been invested for the development of the Lotus F1 vehicle, as the car had to be approved by the International Automobile Federation for next year�s race, he added.

He acknowledged more investment would be required but declined to disclose the amount, saying that the project was still in its infancy stage.

Meanwhile, most automotive analysts expect the initiative to benefit Proton the most in terms of publicity and marketing leverage as F1 is the most watched sports in the world.

MIMB Investment Bank analyst Rosnani Rasul said the investment size could be insignificant in comparison to the leverage that the country and Proton could gain from the sport.

�The Sepang F1 Circuit, for example, has already recouped its investment after three years. We�re sometimes too cynical to see the intangible benefits,� she said.

Given that Proton was aggressively moving into Indonesia, Iran and Australia, this could be one way to publicise the brand and put it on the global landscape, Rosnani said, adding that it was the right step in the right direction.

OSK Investment Bank analyst Ahmad Maghfur Usman, meanwhile, said Proton�s investment portion might be limited to advertising and promotion activities.

�So far, there is no indication that Proton would be funding it, as it�s supported by the Government and several entrepreneurs,� he said.

Rosnani said even if Proton need to provide funding, it was unlikely to be an issue as it had a huge budget for research and development, or it could source from Lotus.

A head of research, noting that Lotus was known for making performance-driven cars, said: �If Lotus could regain its old fame, it could derive value for Proton, which it could cash on later.�

Proton officials, when contacted, declined comment.

Related Stories:
Malaysia is entering a team for F1 next year; what is the purpose?

Lotus F1: World's most expensive paddock club pass?

SEPT 20 — Alex Yoong. What is the first thing that comes to mind when you see the name? If you’re anything like the average Malaysian, Yoong’s name will have become practically synonymous with an internationally broadcast debacle.

Which is a bit of a shame, really. Although Yoong did not make a very strong case for himself in that, the pinnacle of motor racing, he’s actually quite a handy racer. His numerous wins in touring cars are testament enough to his skill and talent behind the wheel. Make no mistake, Yoong was good. Just not good enough for F1.

I admit I was one of those baying for blood after I watched a struggling Yoong — running sixth in a Melbourne GP that looked more demolition derby than Formula One — meekly make way for seventh place Mika Salo, surrendering without a fight what would have been the sole championship point of his career. That was simply too much.

From then on, Yoong’s Formula One career was one embarrassment after another. It came to the point that television commentators, usually quite reverent of F1 drivers, began ridiculing him. The ignominy of it all...

After Yoong lost his F1 drive, I thought he would be consigned to oblivion. Who would want to be associated with a virtual emblem of failure? To his credit, Yoong persevered. For a time, he languished on the sidelines, with part-time drives in minor series, before he finally redeemed himself with a stellar showing in A1GP.

I’ve grown to respect the man. Not for what he did in Formula One, but for what he’s done since. A lesser person who have been crushed by the negativity of an entire nation weighing on him. Enough to maybe make peace with god before going down on a 12-gauge. Not Yoong; he got on with life, got on with the job.

Many, probably most, still associate Yoong with his craptacular performance in Formula One. That’s how life is: when you do good no one remembers, when you do bad no one forgets. And that’s also probably why the upcoming Lotus/1 Malaysia/<insert name here> Formula One team has been so poorly received.

And I don’t even begin to blame them. Politics and innuendos of public monies being railroaded to fatten some crony’s pockets aside, Formula One is no free ride in the park. So far, we’ve heard figures ranging from RM160 million to RM1.6 billion being talked about as the annual cost of running the team.

The higher end is, of course, what it costs for the teams that want to win. The lower range is, unfortunately, what it’ll take just to come along for the ride. Remember also that this number is only what it will take to run the team. To set it all up, well, that’s going to be quite a bit more.

So where do we want the team to be? Actually challenging for victory or are we happy if we don’t end up holding the wooden spoon? Which then begs the question: If we’re not in it to win it, why are we even doing it at all? Just to be there? To simply make up the numbers? If that’s the case, I can’t see how it would be positive to have Malaysia associated with also-rans, unless that’s what the government is planning to market the country as: mediocre at best.

Because Proton is involved, there’s also talk of “technology transfer”. But seeing as A) they already own Lotus and B) the only thing an F1 car has in common with a road car is they both have four tyres and a steering wheel, you’ve got to wonder just what kind of technology is going to be transferred. Probably the kind that makes better badges — “Handling by Lotus F1”, that’s got to be worth another couple of thousand cars a year at least.

You know how all the companies that sponsor F1 (even if it’s just some sticker on a driver’s helmet) will tell you how their products have “F1 technology” or are developed from “experience earned on the race track”? Not to put it too bluntly, it’s all bullcrap. Nothing in F1 gets into your car, and nothing from your car is used in F1. It’s all chalk and cheese.

I have no idea how much money this entire exercise will cost Proton, but when comparative giants such as Honda and BMW cannot justify the expenditure, can Proton really do so? Also consider that these companies sell on a global scale, so they’ve got even more reason to be there. Proton, well, I guess we’re about due for another Special Edition...

Right now, the details are still sketchy so it’s too soon to point the finger of death at Lotus/1 Malaysia/<insert name here> F1. Maybe it’ll all get going without the risk of us having to read about a RM12 billion Lotus/1 Malaysia/<insert name here> F1 scandal a decade from now.

Maybe they’ll actually figure out some way to get up to speed without putting Alex Yoong at risk of losing his status as the butt of every joke involving a Malaysian F1 entry. If they do, they could probably sell the blueprint to Toyota, god knows they could do with one.

Right now, however, I can’t help but think the happiest man in the world goes by the name Alex Yoong.

Proton pleased with Spain improvement

From Jouni Tikanen [ 6/13/2001 ]. Click to read all other Rally News.
 

This introduction is meant for both those who don't yet know World Rally Championship but can also give something to more experienced fans. It is a complement to the Rally Glossary in which certain things are explained in depth.

The WRC

If you're new to the FIA World Rally Championship (acronym: WRC), this

article is a perfect place to start with. Since I don't believe that too many genuinely new people find their way first into my site, I try to include a bit of more advanced material into this too. So unless you're real expert you might find something interesting here. Also note that while this article covers some basics, more info can be found at glossary of rally terms and if you still have questions after reading these, don't hesitate to ask on via the general message board. There will surely be someone there that will be glad to answer your question.

What is it all about?

Rallying is a form of motorsports that is run over ordinary roads rather than in specialized circuits used in Formula One or off-road environment used in endurance events like Paris-Dakar.

In distinction to rallycross in rallying drivers compete against the clock, not directly against the other drivers.

And in distinction to rally-sprints, stages used in rallying are much longer (up to 40 to 50 km, average being 10 to 30 km) and special co-drivers are used to call pace notes.

Under current rules, each competitor starts into the stages with two minute intervals (applies to works drivers only, private drivers start with one minute intervals) so under normal circumstancies competitors see each others only at the start and finish of the stage.

Who runs the show?

There are four important parties involved. First one is FIA, the ruling body. It's the same body that makes also rules for Formula One, for example. Their role is only to make rules and govern, they do nothing else. Commercial rights to the WRC has been sold to International Sportsworld Communicators (ISC) which is owned by David Richards. They do all promotion, filming and distribution in relation to whole championship.

Thirdly there are manufacturers or teams, who design, build and run cars in the championship.

They are required to enter two cars in every event (but can enter more if they wish) but may name different drivers in each event. There are rules for new teams who have option to contest 25% of events in their first year, 50% in second year and all in third and subsequent seasons. Fourth party are event organizers who are independent organisations around the world and it is their job to organise event under FIA rules. There are as many ways of accomplishing this as there are events, some are free for the spectators while some use tickets. Some attract up to 150 entries while some are restricted to 60 entries (a trend for smaller entries is FIA's current wish).

Click here to read the next page

 

S'pore PR abducted, robbed, beaten in JB. Robber says: Robber says ...

A ROUTINE courier delivery from Johor Baru to Singapore turned into a harrowing 2 1/2-hour nightmare for a Singapore permanent resident (PR) early Friday morning.

Mr Shankar (not his real name) was abducted, robbed of his car and money, and beaten up by at least four men.

He was bundled into the boot of his car, then told he would be stuffed into a bag and thrown into the sea off Pasir Gudang.

The 50-year-old had clinched a contract earlier this month to deliver mail for a courier service between JB and Singapore.

Mr Shankar (we are not publishing his real name as he fears the incident could affect his courier business) was to send packages from the company's warehouse in Paya Lebar to another warehouse in Tampoi, JB, at night.

He would then collect another batch of mail for the return trip the next morning.

On Friday morning, Mr Shankar stopped his four-year-old Hyundai Sonata at a traffic junction near the Johor warehouse at about 6.15am when a motorcyclist stopped next to his car.

'He waved a pair of handcuffs at me and motioned me to stop by the side of the road,' recalled Mr Shankar, who has been in the courier business for more than 20 years.

'He was wearing a cap with the letters 'Pol' underneath his helmet, so I thought he was a policeman.'

Not suspecting anything, Mr Shankar stepped out of his car.

'Immediately, a Proton Wira drove up to us. Two men got out of the car,' said the Kuala Lumpur native, who has been a Singapore PR for the last 15 years.

Mr Shankar claimed that the two men forcibly handcuffed him before bundling him into their car.

'They said 'I suspect you, follow us back to the police station' in Bahasa Melayu. But when I asked them what they suspected me of, they just said 'You speak to my tuan (sir in Bahasa Melayu)',' he said.

Mr Shankar was sandwiched between the two men in the back seat as a third man drove for about 20 minutes towards Pasir Gudang.

The car then made a right turn. That made him suspicious.

'I saw a road sign that directed drivers to turn left to the police station, but the driver turned right onto a dirt track instead,' he said.

'I asked them why they are turning right and one of them said 'We are going behind the police station to settle this'. I thought they were taking a different route to the station and did not question them further.'

About 10 minutes after the right turn, the men stopped the car at an isolated area.

They took Mr Shankar's ring, his watch, about $300 and RM3,000 ($1,200), which was meant as a Hari Raya advance for his Malaysian staff.

'I asked them why they are taking my wallet, my ring and my watch, and one of them said 'We are just going to keep it first',' he said.

A fourth man then arrived in Mr Shankar's car.

Covered his head

One of the men put a sack over Mr Shankar's head and shoved him into his own car.

The men continued to drive for another 10 minutes or so before they made a second stop. Mr Shankar is not clear how many men were in the car at the time, or if the Proton followed them.

'When they took the sack off my head, I saw that we were near the sea. I could see the wharves in the distance.'

The men emptied four bags of courier mail from MrShankar's boot and shoved him into the compartment.

'It was very dark and I couldn't breathe, so I shouted at them to let me out. After about 10 minutes one of them opened the boot, hit me on on the nose with a pipe and told me to shut up.'

The men continued talking for several minutes before opening the boot and demanded the PIN of his Malaysian credit card, which they found among his belongings.

'One of them opened the boot and said 'Tell me the PIN or we will put you into a sack and throw you into the sea',' Mr Shankar said, cringing at the recollection.

'I kept telling them that I forgot my PIN. That was when another person found my bank book and told them 'No point hitting him, he only has RM28 in his account'.

'That probably saved my life, as they closed the boot and continued driving.'

When they stopped, his abductors took off his handcuffs and tied his hands with three cable ties they found in his car. They pushed him into a building with the sack still over his head, and left.

The 50-year-old managed to wriggle out of his bounds, trekked through the jungle to the main road where he hollered for help.

Mr Shankar only reached Singapore at around 7.30pm last night with his wife, brother and brother-in-law, after making a police report and getting temporary travel papers.

He had his injuries treated at the Singapore General Hospital (SGH).

Recounting the incident, his wife Madam Vani (not her real name) told The New Paper at SGH on Friday night: 'The first thing he said (over the phone) was 'I have been robbed, I have been beaten up'.

'I was really traumatised as I did not know the extent of his injuries. I have read reports of people being robbed and beaten up in Malaysia.'

Mr Shankar suffered a broken nose bridge, bruises on his right arm, right thigh and the back of his head. He was warded for observation and was discharged at about 7am yesterday.

When The New Paper visited their home at Potong Pasir yesterday afternoon, it was clear that Madam Vani was still shaken from the incident.

'When I had time to let everything sink in, I felt really bad about the whole incident. It was such a close shave,' said the 48-year-old civil servant, wringing her hands nervously.

'You always read about such incidents in the papers and you never think it could happen to you.

'I have to thank God for bringing him back alive, especially after what the men said about throwing him into the sea.'

After his ordeal, Mr Shankar is hesitant to continue with the night courier service.

He said: 'I have to honour the contract for this month and I haven't decided if I should ask my workers to take over the duties, as I don't have a car or passport now.

'I may also pass on the contract to other companies from next month. I don't know yet.'

 

 

How he escaped

HE was bound, beaten and bleeding, but he was determined to get home alive.

When Mr Shankar was thrown into a room and locked up by his captors, he waited for about five minutes after they left before trying to escape.

'The cable tie they used to tie me up had smooth edges, so I was able to wriggle out of them,' recalled the courier.

After he removed the sack over his head Mr Shankar realised that he was held in a power substation building, with generators and power cables around him.

'They did not latch the metal gate properly from the outside and I managed to rock the gate open after a few minutes,' he said.

The gutsy man did the same to the main gate of the compound and fled to the woods, fearing his captors would return.

'I hiked about a kilometre in the woods because I was afraid that they would come back for me,' he said.

'When I reached the main road, I managed to hail a passing motorcyclist who gave me a ride to a nearby town.

'But he could not help me further as he said he had to rush to work. I managed to hail a taxi, which brought me back to the courier company's warehouse in Tampoi.'

He reached Tampoi at about 8.30am and explained his ordeal to the staff there, before calling his wife Madam Vani (not her real name) in Singapore.

Madam Vani said: 'I was at work at the time but I immediately took time off work to go home and grab my passport, his birth certificate and PR papers.'

The 48-year-old civil servant also called her brother and brother-in-law. They met up with Mr Shankar at a Johor police station at about noon.

'He was pretty badly injured, walking with a limp, with dried blood on the face. But he did not want to see a doctor,' said Madam Vani.

'He just wanted to get his papers so that he could leave Malaysia. He did not even have any food until about 5pm on Friday.'

After recording his statement and obtaining his temporary passport, the group then made their way back to Singapore in Mr Shankar's brother's car at around 7.30pm.

They headed straight to their two-storey home at Potong Pasir, where the couple's three children - aged 23, 18 and 15 - were waiting.

First words: I'm alive

'Once he reached home, his first words to the children were 'I am alive'. And he broke down in front of them,' said Madam Vani.

'I have never seen him cry before.'

Recalling his trauma, Mr Shankar said: 'When they threatened to throw me into the sea, I thought 'This is it, I am not going to survive', and that was why I was so emotional when I got to see my children again.'

After the reunion, Mr Shankar went to a private clinic, where he was referred to the accident and emergency ward at the Singapore General Hospital (SGH).

He was discharged yesterday morning, pending a further medical examination next week.

- Lim Say Heng

 

 

'Just drive straight to police station'

INSIST on seeing the authority cards of those claiming to be policemen.

That's the advice Johor police chief Mohd Mokhtar Mohd Shariff has for motorists who are stopped.

But Mr Shankar disagrees. After what happened to him, he feels it is better to drive to the nearest police station instead of stopping.

Said Mr Shankar: 'Even if they say they are policemen and show their identification cards, just don't stop your car, don't open your doors or windows to these people.

'Just drive to the nearest police station and see if they follow you. At the station, if they question you for not stopping, just explain that you are worried after reading about what happened to me.'

A day before Mr Shankar was attacked, Johor police had nabbed seven suspects who masqueraded as policemen to stop motorists and rob them.

Mr Shankar's wife Madam Vani said: 'We want to warn Singaporeans to be more careful as these robbers are getting more creative.

'My husband has always been very careful, but it still happened to him. So it can happen to anyone.'

- Lim Say Heng

This article was first published in The New Paper.

 

F1 entry – good timing or big risk?

BMW Sauber Formula One crew pushing Nick Heidfeld�s race car past stacks of tyres at the Sepang International Circuit during the F1 race in April.

As the United States and countries across Europe and Asia are still trying to revive their economies, why would Malaysia choose this time to join one of the world�s most expensive sports? More importantly, who is forking out the money?

Let�s talk money

F1 is well known for its huge spending. The reported 2008 team budgets ranged from US$45mil to US$445mil (RM158mil to RM1.6bil) for sponsorship, supplier deals, prize money, team owner contributions, tyre provision and supply of customer engines.

In May, the Federation Internationale de L�Automobile (FIA), the ruling body of F1, decided to cap the budget for 2010 to �40mil (about RM228mil) in a bid to prevent more teams from dropping out and to encourage the entry of new contenders.

Datuk Seri Tony Fernandes, the AirAsia Bhd boss and one of the investors in 1Malaysia F1 Team Sdn Bhd, which owns the Lotus F1 team, told CNN in a recent interview that the budget cap, coupled with the huge F1 following, made it �a good time to join F1�.

His co-investor, as well as partner in AirAsia, Datuk Kamarudin Meranun concurs, calling the venture �a commercially viable one�.

While Lotus F1�s budget remains sketchy for now, Kamarudin reveals that an initial investment of �10mil (RM57mil) has been made to start the construction of the vehicle. �We�re starting mid-way. So we need to be quick to get the approvals for the car,� he says.

While FIA�s capped budget covers team expenditure, it does not include marketing and hospitality, remuneration for test or race drivers, fines or penalties imposed by the FIA, and engine costs, which may come up to few hundred million ringgit more.

It also does not include the setting up of the new headquarters at the Sepang International Circuit (SIC), for which 8,000ha to 12,000ha of land have been allocated.

An SIC official says the two- to three-year development cost for the state-of-the-art facilities for the new HQ could reach millions, or perhaps billions, of ringgit.

The funding of F1 teams is usually supported by sponsorship. Companies form tie-ups with the teams in various capacities for brand-building purposes.

Sir Richard Branson�s Virgin Group, for example, took up a substantial sponsorship deal for Brawn GP in March this year (Virgin�s involvement, however, ends in November).

Fernandes is not new to such arrangements since his low-fare carrier has a three-year partnership with the AT&T Williams team as its official airline since 2007.

The Lotus F1 team, one suspects, will follow the same marketing trend of searching for potential corporate sponsors. Since its entry is supported by the Government as an opportunity to profile the 1Malaysia theme, government-linked companies are likely to be roped in.

F1 a nationalism symbol?

Talking about country profile, motor racing started out as a country-based competition and eventually evolved into a commercial sport involving independent teams and car manufacturers.

The existing F1 teams do not have specific country identity, with the exception of Force India, which used to be Spyker F1 team before it was sold to a private consortium comprising Indian millionaire Vijay Mallya and successful European e-businessman Michiel Mol in late 2007 for 88 million euros.

Force India�s main sponsor is Kingfisher, the flagship brand of Vijay�s beer and aviation businesses. His conglomerate, the UB Group, has annual sales of over US$4bil and a market capitalisation of US$12bil. Forbes puts Vijay�s net worth at US$1.2bil, one of the richest in India.

The team uses an Indian flag in its logo but the drivers are non-Indians � Adrian Sutil is from Germany and newly promoted driver, Vitantonio Liuzzi, is Italian. The team is solely driven by its private-entity owners and does not involve any Indian government initiative.

Similarly, India�s hosting of the F1 Grand Prix in 2011 is also an initiative driven by individuals. The project owner, JPSK Sports Private Ltd, owned by the Jaypee construction conglomerate, is funding the circuit construction costs.

The Malaysian entry, in contrast, has the Government�s backing, although the idea of Lotus F1 was mooted by both Fernandes and Kamarudin.

�There�s an opportunity to participate (due to the spot vacated by BMW Sauber) and so we went ahead to conceptualise the idea of our own team, roped in SM Nasaruddin SM Nasimuddin (executive chairman and chief executive officer of Naza Group) and Proton, and approached the Prime Minister for his blessing,� explains Kamarudin.

�The concept of 1Malaysia is not limited to people. My view is that it should be extended, to encompass the partnership of the private sector and the Government.�

Separately, Fernandes says the entry is �great for Malaysia� as it will further utilise its �hardware� at SIC while developing �the soft side � drivers, engineers, management�.

But what about risks?

As with any investment, there will be financial risks. In this case, the millions of ringgit that will be spent to set up the F1 team is at stake. Some argue that the huge investments are well worth the money because of the brand recognition gained internationally.

National oil company Petronas claims its annual cost of sponsoring F1 is less than 5% of what it would cost to gain similar exposure. Last year, its exposure via F1 was valued at about RM1bil.

But Petronas� involvement is different as it does not run an F1 team. It supports BMW Sauber as its lubricant sponsor, and rightly so, since it�s in the oil business.

(It is uncertain if the national oil company�s sponsorship of BMW Sauber will continue since BMW has withdrawn from the team and Sauber does not have a firm entry for next year�s race.)

Aside from financials, there could also be the intangible risks. A poor performance may bring more detrimental publicity than the desired high profile.

Note that Malaysia�s first F1 driver, Alex Yoong, drove for the Australian-owned Minardi F1 team back in 2001 and 2002. Yoong only managed to finish five races out of the 11 in 2002, because of setbacks like engine, hydraulics and gear box problems.

Lotus technical director Mike Gascoyne is, nevertheless, confident of Lotus� future performance. He told the British press recently that Lotus F1 was �a very substantial team.�

Gascoyne has over 20 years� experience in the sport, having worked with Force India, Toyota, Renault and Jordan Formula One teams.

Still, it remains to be seen how Malaysians would feel, watching with millions of viewers worldwide, when Malaysia�s team finishes weakly, or perhaps not even completing races.

Lotus no newcomer to F1

The association of Lotus and F1 is not foreign. In fact, Lotus was a well-known participant in the glamorous sport in the 1960s. Between 1958 and 1994, the original Lotus team achieved 73 grand prix wins, 102 pole positions, six drivers� world titles and seven constructors� crowns from 489 starts, with illustrious names of the calibre of Jim Clark, Graham Hill, Sir Stirling Moss, Emerson Fittipaldi, Jochen Rindt, Mario Andretti, Ronnie Peterson, Nigel Mansell, Ayrton Senna, Nelson Piquet and Mika Hakkinen in its roll call of drivers.

Its success track record is mainly linked to founder Colin Chapman, who remained passionate about the sport until his death in 1982. Lotus� last F1 race was in 1994.

The Lotus company, meanwhile, had been struggling with financial difficulties and had different shareholders trying to revive its finances. Proton has been the major shareholder since 1996, but it has long been rumoured that it wants to divest its stake.

OSK Investment Bank, however, said Proton had no urgency to sell Lotus Cars as the subsidiary had returned to profitability since 2008 with net earnings of �1.5mil.

While the Government�s involvement in the Lotus F1 team is via Proton, analysts do not expect the national car company to offer financial support. Proton�s role in the F1 venture will mainly be as the coordinator for Lotus, says an analyst in a recent report.