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As one of the ways of showing its support for our national badminton team in the Final Rounds of the KL 2000 Thomas and Uber Cup Championship, EON has produced a special ‘Thomas Cup Edition’ of the popular Proton Wira 1.6XLi sedan.

The car, to go on sale on May 3rd, was unveiled this morning at Stadium Putra in Bukit Jalil by the wife of the Prime Minister, Datin Seri Dr Siti Hasmah Bt Mohd Ali in a simple ceremony attended by Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Hishamuddin Tun Hussein, EON chairman Tan Sri Datuk Seri Mohd Saleh Sulong, officials from the International Badminton Federation, Badminton Association of Malaysia, the National Badminton Squad, Goldbridge Engineering & Construction Berhad and the management of EON.

The Wira ‘Thomas Cup Edition’, finished in a special metallic blue colour, will be offered at the same price as a normal Wira Sedan with metallic finish, ie RM63,182.67 (on-the-road with insurance) but comes with a leather-wrapped steering, new door trims and a combination of leather-fabric bucket seats. Additional features include a new front end skirting, tinted windscreen band, distinctive stripes, the Thomas Cup Logo badge, ‘darkened’ headlamp treatment and ‘bee-sting’ antenna on the roof.

EON and Proton are the two largest corporate sponsors of the KL 2000 Thomas and Uber Cup Championships, having committed US$250,000 (RM950,000)…


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Students at various Malaysian institutes of higher learning showed that when it comes to designing cars, creativity is not lacking at all. This was clearly evident in the quality of entries for the ‘Ford of the Next Millennium’ Design Contest which was run at the end of last year by Ford’s Malaysian distributor, AMIM Holdings Sdn Bhd, and endorsed by the Malaysian Design Council.

The winning entry was a concept vehicle called the Ford Salamander, a futuristic 4WD vehicle equipped with a black-box system and smartcard technology. It was the brainchild of four students from Universiti Teknologi MARA.

The students, led by group leader Ahmad Nazrin bin Hamzah, are third year students and are currently pursuing an industrial design course at the university in Shah Alam, Selangor, They got the idea for the vehicle from the salamander, an amphibian which can adapt itself to different living environments.

“Like the animal, the Ford Salamander is also adaptable, but to different driving situations,” said Ahmad Nazrin. “With hydraulic suspension fitted to the vehicle, the height of the vehicle can be adjusted according to individual driving needs.”

The other team members included Syarul Amizul bin Azizan, Rozaya bt Munsidik and Mohammad Aidil Farizal bin Nazeri, all of whom will share an all-expenses paid trip to the Ford Design Centre in Melbourne, Australia, as well as a cash prize of RM3,000.

Other teams from UiTM also won the second and third prizes. The second prize was awarded to the group that conceptualised the Ford Willy, a two-seat vehicle aimed at solving the problem of limited parking space in the future (it’s a problem we already have now!).

“Land will be scarce in the future and as such, we designed a vehicle with a narrower but longer body-size which requires less parking space,” said Farah Suhaiza bt Saaya, the group leader. “The Ford Willy makes use of an anti-magnetic system with a larger wheel at the rear end. It is designed for urban usage and requires a special track to run on.”

Farah Suhaiza and her group, comprising Norzita bt Mat Nor, Afnand bin Mohamad Nasir and Mior Ahmad Rozaini bin Idris received Amazon.com gift certificates worth a total of RM2,000 and a total of RM,6000 cash.

Ford Twins, the ‘City Car’ of the new millennium with a hybrid system, won third place. The team comprised Che Mohd Ujang bin Che Mohd, Mohamed Izhar bin Mohd Zain, Amran bin Mamat and Sunizah bt Hj Ali, and received Amazon.com certificates worth a total of RM1,000 and a total cash prize of RM4,000.

More than 160 students and individuals between 17 – 25 years of age took part in the contest which was held over a period of four months. 47 submissions were received out of which 46 were group efforts and one was an individual submission. The group efforts came from institutes of higher learning such as the LimKokWing Institute of Creative Technology, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia and Universiti Teknologi Petronas.

Commenting on the submissions received, Richard L. Canny, Managing Director of AMIM Holdings, noted how it was clear that Malaysia did not lack automotive design talent. “We are confident that some of the participants have the talent to become world-class designers in the future,” he said.


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If you are one of those people who intends to enter a contest and then forgets to do so till the closing date has passed, EON has been thinking of ‘forgetful’ people like you. It has extended the ‘Guess The Number Of Shuttlecocks Contest’ to 21st May 200 to enable contestants from all corners of Malaysia to participate.

“The second phase to display the shuttlecock-filled Proton Wira at Stadium Putra during the championship will allow many of the out-of-town spectators the opportunity to attempt the contest with a full view of the fully-laden car,” said EON public relations manager Fauziah Abdul Aziz.

The shuttlecock-filled Proton Wira, currently on display at the EON headquarters in Glenmarie, Shah Alam, Selangor, is scheduled to be displayed at the Stadium Putra in Bukit Jalil, Selangor, during the Final Rounds of the PROTON-EON Thomas/Uber Cup KL 2000 championship from 11th May until the end of the finals on 21st May.

Currently, the official contest postcards are available from various participating EON showrooms, authorised dealers, service centres and service dealers nationwide. From 11th May onwards, the contest postcards may also be obtained from the ticketing counters at Stadium Putra during ticketing hours.

For the convenience of spectators, drop boxes for the contest postcards will be located at strategic points in Stadium Putra. Alternatively, contestants may also send their entries by post. Only official contest postcards are accepted for this contest.

The “Guess The Number Of Shuttlecocks” contest, organised and sponsored by both EON and PROTON, will close at 9.00 pm on the night of the finals 21st May 2000. The results are scheduled to be announced the following week.

The grand prize is a Proton Wira 1.6XLi automatic and there are ten other consolation prizes of RM1,000 each to be won.

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EON recorded the highest sales volume since the 1998 recession with 12,053 units sold in April 2000. The figure reflects a 118% increase against the April 1998 figures of 5,529 units when the auto industry experienced its worst downturn.

According to EON managing director Datuk Adzmi Abdul Wahab said: “The positive sales trend demonstrates a return to the pre-crisis days when EON averaged 12,000 units a month in 1997, with total sales hitting an all-time high of 140,963 units for that year. Today, we see the return of this bright and healthy trend in the sales of the national car, a clear sign of a robust Malaysian economy.”

The automotive industry has always been regarded as the barometer of consumer confidence and economic health in Malaysia. The worst for the automotive industry came in January 1998 when sales plunged by 62.3% against the 1997 figures.

EON’s motor business was severely affected in the 1998 economic downturn when the average monthly sales recorded stood at 5,633 units a month including an adverse low of 2,330 units in February.

However, the government measures to boost the automotive industry and to stimulate the economy as well as the innovative steps undertaken by the EON management to drive sales, are now resulting in a healthy return to the pre recession days.

“Our performance up to April this year of 40,164 units continues to be within our expectations. This compares well against the same period in 1999 which saw 34,105 units sold reflecting a 17.8% increase,” said Datuk Adzmi.

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EON recorded the highest sales volume since the 1998 recession with 12,053 units sold in April 2000. The figure reflects a 118% increase against the April 1998 figures of 5,529 units when the auto industry experienced its worst downturn.

According to EON managing director Datuk Adzmi Abdul Wahab said: “The positive sales trend demonstrates a return to the pre-crisis days when EON averaged 12,000 units a month in 1997, with total sales hitting an all-time high of 140,963 units for that year. Today, we see the return of this bright and healthy trend in the sales of the national car, a clear sign of a robust Malaysian economy.”

The automotive industry has always been regarded as the barometer of consumer confidence and economic health in Malaysia. The worst for the automotive industry came in January 1998 when sales plunged by 62.3% against the 1997 figures.

EON’s motor business was severely affected in the 1998 economic downturn when the average monthly sales recorded stood at 5,633 units a month including an adverse low of 2,330 units in February.

However, the government measures to boost the automotive industry and to stimulate the economy as well as the innovative steps undertaken by the EON management to drive sales, are now resulting in a healthy return to the pre recession days.

“Our performance up to April this year of 40,164 units continues to be within our expectations. This compares well against the same period in 1999 which saw 34,105 units sold reflecting a 17.8% increase,” said Datuk Adzmi.

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After having its plans disrupted by the economic crisis, Lotus Cars Asia Pacific Sdn Bhd (LCAP) – a unit of Proton – is optimistic that it will sell between 60 and 80 units of the Lotus Elise in Malaysia this year. To date, nearly 40 units of the exclusive sportscar have been sold since it was introduced in February 1999.

“We had some big plans for the car when we began assembly at the Proton plant in late 1998 but by the time we got price approval and began marketing the Elise in early 1999, people were not in the mood to buy cars!” LCAP Deputy General Manager Oh Kah Beng told AUTOWORLD.COM.MY recently.

According to Mr Oh, besides the 38 units sold in Malaysia, another 11 were exported to Singapore. In the past 12 months, LCAP also sold 11 units of the Lotus Esprit GT3 V8 imported from the factory in UK.

While most of its efforts will be focussed on selling the RM198,000 Elise which is assembled on a special line at the Proton plant in Shah Alam, LCAP is also taking orders for the new Lotus M250.

“Following the announcement at the Geneva Motorshow this year that the M250 will go into production, we are taking orders but the customer will still have to wait at least three years for delivery,” Mr Oh said. He added that the car’s price before Malaysian import duties would be around £40,000; this would make it around RM850,000 (after taking into account current import tax and exchange rate).

He also revealed that there are confirme orders from two Malaysian buyers for the limited-production Lotus 340R, of which only 339 units will be available for sale. LCAP is also taking orders for the car but acceptance will be subject to availability; at present, demand has already exceeded supply.

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There are various ways you can legally boost the performance of your car, ranging from expensive modifications which involve adding a turbocharger or ‘low-cost’ options like using after-market additives which are mixed with the petrol. From customer surveys, Shell has found that there is a segment of motorists in Malaysia who want an extra bit of performance from their engine and are willing to pay for that edge.

For such motorists, Shell Malaysia has introduced a third choice at its pumps known as Formula Shell V-Power. Positioned above its two other unleaded fuels, this new product costs, on average, 15 sen more than premium 97-octane Shell petrol.

The new fuel contains Vaporon ‘energy boosters’, additives which “unleash extra energy to provide more power the instant you step on the accelerator – just like turbocharging your engine’, claims Shell Malaysia.

But the additives are not the main reason why Formula Shell V-Power provides the performance enhancement (although Shell regards it as a ‘re-engineered fuel’); the real secret, which was developed by the engineers working on fuels for the Ferrari’s Formula 1 racing cars, is the refining process to get the fuel. During the refining process, the fuel created is more dense and as the amount of power generated is really a result of the mass of the fuel and air that is used in the combustion process (rather than the volume), this in effect allows the new Shell fuel to ‘contain’ more potential power.

It’s the same principle as using a turbocharger or having extra valves – to force more of the air-fuel mixture into the combustion chamber. In this case, there is no use of hardware and the fuel itself is made more dense to start with.

The 97-octane Formula Shell V-Power is also said to offer other similar benefits as the other Shell fuels, ie engine cleansing, maintenance of engine cleanliness, etc, thanks to the advanced additive package its formulation contains.

The new petrol has been thoroughly tested in Shell’s UK laboratories and also in a test vehicle run on Malaysian roads for an extended period. It is compatible with other petrols but if mixed, Shell warns that the benefits may be reduced. No side effects are expected at all and the petrol will not have any effect on catalytic converters which chemically convert the toxic elements in the exhaust gas into harmless carbon dioxide and water vapour.

The same product has been introduced in some other countries (where it is marketed under other names such as Formula Shell XO and Optimax) and is available at over 230 stations in Peninsula Malaysia.

Shell Malaysia is confident that Malaysian motorists will accept the extra charge for the new petrol, which is necessary because it costs more to make, because they will notice the improvement in performance immediately. After all, many have already been spending a bit extra putting in additives to get extra performance so now Shell Malaysia is doing the same thing for you in every litre of Formula Shell V-Power.

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TD Cars (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, the Malaysian company which makes the classic TD 2000 sportscar, is aiming to sell around 120 units this year. The number will be for both domestic and export sales.

The company made this forecast during a signing ceremony for the appointment of a dealer on the East Coast, Aman Razak Saga Holdings. The dealership agreement was signed by TD Cars (Malaysia) Managing Director Edward Teo and Aman Razak Saga Holdings Chairman Datuk Othman Abdul Razak.

To date, TD Cars (Malaysia) has sold about a dozen cars in Malaysia. Besides the Malaysian market, TD Cars (Malaysia) is looking at many overseas markets including those in the ASEAN region, Australia, New Zealand, Hongkong and even Japan, Exports to Singapore will commence shortly.

The car, which costs between RM170,000 and RM183,000, is built at Automotive Conversion Engineering Sdn Bhd, a subsidiary of EON which specialises in customising cars (it makes the Proton Limousines). The TD 2000 uses a 2.0-litre Toyota 4A-FE engine and has a bodywork made of fibreglass.


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A reader wrote in to tell us to warn motorists of thieves posing as perfume salespeople who ask you to sniff their ‘product’ and then rob you after you are knocked out. Apparently, the ‘perfume’ is chloroform or some similar type of liquid.

The reader said that a few cases are known to have happened in Kuala Lumpur, mainly in the deeper basement carparks but also in open-air carparks. As there are also salespeople who come up to offer windscreen cleaners or polishes, you should be careful and not wind down your window at all. Also, be sure to quickly lock your doors the moment you have entered the car, especially if you are alone.

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BMW and Auto Bavaria will soon be offering advanced driving courses at the Sepang Circuit. The day-long courses will be offered to BMW owners but Auto Bavaria will supply the cars. Full details will only be available after the media preview on July 23rd but it is likely that the courses will be based on BMW’s Driver Training Courses in Germany and Japan.

In Germany, BMW’s courses are held at a specially designed site on the edge of Munich airport and there are various packages ranging from half a day to a couple of days. A standard full-day course costs 890 Deutschmarks (about RM1,800). Participants typically receive instruction on driving dynamics and have lots of hands-on exercises that teach them about braking and handling.

Besides Germany, there is also a similar type of BMW course in Japan and at certain times of the year, special events are organised where participants drive great distances. BMW’s own instructors (which include former rally driver Rauno Aaltonen) also travel to other countries occasionally to conduct courses organised by local importers.

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