Jalopnik: malaysia

Jeremy Clarkson's Most Hated Car Fails As Armored-Car Heist Getaway Vehicle

Murilee Martin — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 14:00:00 EDT

The three robbers in Saujana Impian, Malaysia, had almost all the details worked out for the perfect crime. Almost. They did pretty well with the part involving the hijacking of an armored Toyota van carrying cash for ATMs. And the getaway? Flawless! Then, however, the weak link in their scheme made itself known; their Perodua Kelisa proved too small to fit all the loot, and they had to leave nearly half the cash behind in the van. The Kelisa, you may recall, is the car Jeremy Clarkson described as being "made in a jungle clearing by someone who went to work on an ox," enraging the Malaysian Parliament. Make the jump to see the Kelisa's famous appearances on Top Gear.

First, let's watch Captain Slow's take on the £5,000 Kelisa:

Jeremy Clarkson, however, didn't like the little Malaysian car quite as much:

[Malaysia Star]

Mooove Over, Malaysian Thieves Crash Car With Stolen Cow In The Back Seat

Matt Hardigree — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 15:15:00 EST

If you're like us, you read the New Straits Times religiously. You therefore may have noticed a piece in today's issue about a couple of would-be cattle rustlers that managed to get an adult cow in the back seat of a mid-sized sedan before a group of villagers in the area noticed. When the villagers did finally realize something was awry they gave chase, causing the driver of the vehicle to lose control.

After the sedan hit a tree, the driver and possibly a non-Bovine passenger fled on foot. Unfortunately, the injured cow had to be slaughtered at the scene. Thankfully, a bunch of angry villagers are exactly what you need to slaughter a cow quickly. This goes against something else we read in Straits Times about the poor being too lazy. Not to contradict a Malaysian government official, but anyone who manages to get a cow into the back seat of anything is not lazy. [AP via Google]

Automotive Inbreeding In Action: Europestar RCR

Murilee Martin — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 15:30:00 EST

Reader Franzouse has pulled our coats about this fine automobile from those Malaysian maniacs at Proton. Introducing the Europestar Lotus RCR! It's based on the Gen-2, with a bunch of Lotus poured into the mix to confuse matters; the RCR will be assembed- and presumably sold- in China and gets a mighty 112-horse Campro engine under its sleek British-Malaysian-Chinese hood. [PaulTan.org, LeBlogAuto]

Proton Building An Islamic Car?

Ray Wert — Sun, 11 Nov 2007 19:35:47 EST

Who knew cars could be religious? Apparently Proton's making a car they plan to build in Malaysia, Iran and Turkey — highlighted by an order to supply 5000 taxis to Teheran. Proton's claiming the car they'll be using to fill the order will be an "Islamic car." What makes it so religiously tag-lined? How about that it's fitted with a compass pointing to Mecca and a compartment to store prayer scarves and a Koran. Jeez, if that's what determines whether a car is Islamic, methinks any car with a glove compartment and a broken compass pointing an extra 90 degrees clockwise would also be a follower of the five pillars. [via motoring.co.za]

Two China-Built Lotus Models in the Offing

Davey G. Johnson — Wed, 08 Aug 2007 22:00:00 EDT

While protons may be absolutely essential subatomic bits of your joe-schmoe lotus, who knew that Proton was planning to diversify and outsource its Hethel acquisition's creations? But Malaysia's Proton is doing just that, giving China's Jinhua Neoplan the go-ahead to build two Lotus models, which may be the Europa and the Gen-2 (assumedly rebranded with a moniker beginning with "e" so as to maintain the British marque's alliterative legacy. [China Daily]

¡Vaya Con Vios! Or, Er, The Loch Ness Monster

Davey G. Johnson — Mon, 06 Aug 2007 17:27:13 EDT

If you are a Malaysian sort and find yourself jogging the edge of Loch Ness, a word of warning to all y'all, even if you're roughly a micron-sized percentage of a pinch of our readership — you may end up owning a Toyota Vios. Or being consumed by a controversial lake creature. Your choice, really. [Thanks to Tiffany for the tip.]

The Malaysia government is denying they've...

Ray Wert — Mon, 23 Jul 2007 15:50:00 EDT

The Malaysia government is denying they've got a "subsidy scheme" for Proton car buyers. Nah, they're just giving them money — that's not a "subsidy," right? Oh wait... [Forbes]

Thief Steals and Re-Steals Porsche

Davey G. Johnson — Wed, 18 Jul 2007 20:15:00 EDT

Malaysian authorities are no doubt rather sounding shamefaced yawps over a bungle involving a recovered Porsche. A thief absconded with the German sports car and proceeded to run out of gas, at which point the police recovered the vehicle and towed it to a station. The miscreant then braved the not-so-watchful eye of the law, showed up with a gas can and once again took off in the car. He abandoned it once again when roadblocks were set up looking for him and remains at large. [Thanks to eltonito for the tip.] [Reuters]

MG 7 Ready For Export Soon

Davey G. Johnson — Mon, 25 Jun 2007 15:15:00 EDT

Malaysia, Russia and Britain could be seeing the reborn MG on their roads as soon as the second half of next year. Nanjing Auto — who plucked the marque from a cluster of classic British brands that never truly recovered from the British Leyland debacle — claims that they've passed UK emissions testing and are ready to go. They're also talking about a tie-up with SAIC, who are launching facelifted Rovers under the Roewe brand. At the present time, there are no plans to build the new MG 7s in Blighty. Man, that's kinda gotta smart, old chaps. – Davey G. Johnson

Nanjing Auto to export Chinese-made MG 7 series cars [TechWhack]

The Rain In Sepang Smokes Pole: Switzerland's Jani Loses To German Hlkenberg's Imprecise Driving

Ray Wert — Sun, 26 Nov 2006 15:58:26 EST

After Neel Jani took the pole yesterday and turned it into a win during the sprint race this morning, the race gods decided they'd had quite enough Swiss dominance for one weekend — opening the heavens up half an hour before the start of the feature race, forcing a start behind the ~~pace~~ safety (damn this silly A1GP terminology!) car, and making the Malaysian track slick as the floor of a palm oil processing plant. The water combined with what can only be described as Jani's feckless driving, allowed Germany's Nico H lkenberg to run onto the curb on the inside in the fourth turn on the first lap, passing the slow-out-of-turn-three Neel Jani. After that bit of imprecise driving in the first lap, H lkenberg took a 19 second lead and ran with precision from that point on. Team USA's car, driven by Phil Giebler, continued to suck up the track — coming in at 6th place, but hey, check out the gorgeous stands, tracks, and speed in our gallery below. – Ray Wert

2006 A1GP, Sepang International Circuit, Sepang, Malaysia [A1GP.com]

Nevermind The Neutrality In Sepang: Swiss Steal Pole Position From New Zealand And Germany

Ray Wert — Sat, 25 Nov 2006 20:48:12 EST

A1GP qualifying results are in from Sepang, and A1 Team Switzerland's Neel Jani's sealed his second straight pole position in the Malaysian Grand Prix, beating out Kiwi Jonny Reid and the highly-precise German racer Nico H lkenberg by only two tenths of a second. Team USA's Philip Giebler came in at the middle of the pack, placing 11th in this week's race of the "World Cup of Motorsport." The results determine the starting positions for a 20-minute sprint race starting around 11:00 AM local time tomorrow. If anyone's left who hasn't crashed on the oft-soaked Sepang track — then the results of that sprint race will determine the grid for the 70-minuite feature race set to commence at 3:00 PM local time tomorrow. Wonder if NASCAR should maybe switch to that format — It would certainly be a way to add some excitement, eh? We'll have more coverage pending any spectacular crashes and/or death-defying (or non-defying as it were) racing, as it occurs. UPDATE: Now with updated and correct picture!– Ray Wert

A1GP Sepang International Circuit, Sepang, Malaysia [A1GP]

Related:
Lola 'Surprised' by Champ Car Panoz Choice [internal]

Singapore's Weird Fill-Up Rule

Davey G. Johnson — Mon, 13 Nov 2006 22:15:00 EST

In an effort to placate its neighbor Malaysia, Singapore has imposed a rule that allows cars to leave the state with a 3/4 tank of gas, due to Malaysian complaints that S'pore residents were simply popping over the border and benefitting from the state-subsidized low, low fuel prices. But the crafty people of Singapore, who did a lot with no real resources but a port and some ingenuity (oh, and the caning...don't forget the caning) have figured out how mess with their gas gauges so they read 3/4-full when they're practically empty. Singapore citizens 1, Kuala Lumpur, 0. – Davey G. Johnson

Why are we subsidizing Singapore cars? [maylasiakini]

Related:
GM Says to Dealers: No Gas for You! [Internal]

Proton Appoints New Lotus Acting CEO

Davey G. Johnson — Mon, 15 May 2006 13:00:00 EDT

Kim Ogaard-Nielsen, Lotus Group's CEO for the last two years has stepped down, leaving a void at the resurgent sports-car manufacturer. Who to fill his shoes? None other than Michael Kimberley, marking his second turn at the helm of the company. His last stint was from '83 to '91, which is closely associated in our mind with the last time the company carried the halo of radness until the introduction of the Elise. Lotus' corporate masters at Proton apparently think so too, although the slot is apparently an acting position. That said, it's what was claimed of Steve Jobs at Apple, and it's been nearly a decade now...

Proton appoints acting group CEO for Group Lotus [TheEdgeDaily]

Geely's Freedom Cruisin' in Malaysia on Hold

Davey G. Johnson — Wed, 22 Feb 2006 23:39:27 EST

Oh Geely. We just love you, you ridiculous little chintzy buggers. Your vehicles are plain, yet incongruous. Your press kit in comprehensible. Your grasp on the realities of the American market tenuous, at best. Yet you hang in there. And despite the fact that production of your Freedom Cruiser (pack the bong and crannk the Foghat!) is on hold in Malaysia pending some final decisions on that nation's national auto policty, you remain upbeat. Here's to you and your novel wee anti-collision rods.

China Geely s plans to assemble cars in Malaysia put on hold [Internal]

Proton Dumps Stake in MV Agusta

Davey G. Johnson — Tue, 27 Dec 2005 17:02:48 EST

Oh, how we love MV Agusta's motorcycles. Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous, and they sound wonderful. Friends who've ridden them sing their praises. But the company's bleeding red ink like a stuck pig in a tub of leaches and Malaysian automaker Proton's decided to divest itself of its 57.57% share of the company, which also holds the Husqvarna and Cagiva brands. Proton bought the chunk of Agusta just a year ago, under the enthusiastic watch of Proton CEO Mahaleel Ariff. But Ariff's contract wasn't renewed this year, and neither, apparently, is Agusta's.

Proton Sells MV Agusta [Rubber Magazine]

Related:
Lotus Won't Build Europa in Malaysia [Internal]

Mitsubishi Looks Into Malaysian Production

Davey G. Johnson — Tue, 20 Dec 2005 15:11:20 EST

Can anyone enlighten us on the rules of foreign auto manufacture in Malaysia? We reported that China's Chang'an had entered into a joint effort with a Malaysian consortium to build cars in the country, as rules don't allow foreign manufacturers to sell cars in Malaysia that are actually built there. Now Mitsubishi Motors Malaysia has announced plans to ship disassembled cars to Malaysia and build and sell them there according to Malaysian news agency Bernama, they would include contract manufacture as part of the deal. Mitsu Malaysia's a joint venture between the Japanese automaker and EON are they required to farm out labor?

Mitsubishi Considers Assembling Cars In M'sia By 2007 [Bernama]

Related:
Chang'An to Build Cars in Malaysia [Internal]

Chang'an to Build Cars in Malaysia

Davey G. Johnson — Wed, 14 Dec 2005 20:10:34 EST

Chinese company Chang'an, the fourth-largest automaker in the world's most populous nation, has entered into a joint effort with an mysteriously-unnamed Malaysian consortium to build and sell cars in the country. The state's protectionist trade policies forbid foreign companies to sell Malaysian-built cars in Malaysia, but the joint venture offers a loophole. Chang'an plans to build its CM8 there and license the name to the consortium. You Chang'ans, you're a tricky bunch!

Chang'an Auto to set up venture in Malaysia [Xinhua News Service]

Related:
Bufori to Move Into Luxury Cars? [Internal]

Bufori to Move Into Luxury Cars?

Davey G. Johnson — Thu, 08 Dec 2005 21:14:26 EST

Bufori, an Australia-founded, Malaysia-based builder of retro-looking sports cars, is looking to make a move into the head-of-state/captain-of-industry market. Company founder and managing director Gerry Khouri boasts that the new Bufori saloon/limo will challenge the best car in the world, and offer "security and luxury features that no other car in the world can offer." Uh oh. Somebody's been hanging out with the guys from West Coast Customs again.

Bufori to make top-end saloon cars and limos [The Star, Malaysia]

Related:
Jerry Lee's Excalibur [Internal]

Lotus Won't Build Europa in Malaysia

Mike Spinelli — Mon, 31 Oct 2005 16:12:31 EST

According to the UK's Autocar Lotus won't build the upcoming Europa coupe and other models in one of the Malaysian plants owned by parent Proton. Instead, the center of Lotus's production will remain in the Hethel plant where Lotuses have been built for some forty years. Rumors circulating for the past year indicated Lotus was planning to shift production of some cars — including the next-generation Esprit V8, Europa and new Elise-based GT — to Malaysia, presumably for cost savings and to ease a ramp-up into Asian markets. Now, according to AC, the company is bringing the production materials that have already been moved to Malaysia back to the UK, including fixtures and kegs of Guiness. Still, despite the inauspicious return, the Europa is reportedly set to launch in early 2006.

Europa stays in Europe [Autocar]

Related:
More Info on the Upcoming Lotus Europa [internal]

Lotus's New Europa: Sorting out the Facts

Mike Spinelli — Tue, 16 Aug 2005 17:11:45 EDT

Easy folks, the new Lotus Europa is coming, just not the same one we've heard. According to sources at Lotus, a set of spy photos reportedly of the company's new Europa GT coupe aren't what they appear to be. According to the UK's PistonHeads, sources at the company say the car in question is a version of the Lotus Elise that will be marketed by the company's parent, Proton in Malaysia (and, to court another rumor, will be the next-generation US model, built in Malaysia). The spy car is a twin seater, where the Europa — due at the end of 2007 as a 2008 model — will be a 2+2. What's more, reports have indicated that the Europa would share GM's 2.2-liter Ecotec engine with the Pontiac Solstice, a rumor PH reports is pure fiction; the car will have an equally well-mannered, but far more upscale powerplant.

Lotus Europa spy shots are wrong [PistonHeads]

Related:
Lotus to Go After Porsche Cayman with Europa [internal]