F55 Mini Cooper & Cooper S 5-Door Hatch Prices and Quick Overview

Mini 5-door hatch - won't it look weird? One of the biggest "wanted" features of a Mini Cooper, be it the R53 or R56, is to have it with extra doors. Previously, the closest thing you could get is the Mini Countryman, but that car looks whacked and nothing like a what a Mini should be. For those who desire the Mini hatch look with approval from the missus and extra brownie points for family practicality, meet the Mini F55 5-door hatch.

The base F55 5-door hatch looks pretty slick like its 3-door brother. Powering the Mini 5-door hatch is a 1.5-litre turbocharged 3-cylinder engine that produces 136 PS at 4,400 rpm, and 220Nm of torque at just 1,250 rpm. All this power is channelled to a 6-speed automatic. Despite being just 1.5-litres, the Mini 5-door hatch does the 0-100km/h sprint in 8.1 seconds, with a top speed of 207km/h. service package. Perhaps the best part is the fuel consumption, as it is rated at 100km/5.0 litres, or 20km per litre of fuel. On the other hand, the 5-door Cooper S comes with a 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbocharged engine that produces 192PS and 280Nm of torque, controlled by a 6-speed auto. 0-100km/h is done in a blazing 6.8 seconds, with a top speed of 230km/h. Noticeable faster than the 1.5-litre variant, but if you don't need the extra oomph both are equally enjoyable! Fuel consumption for the Cooper S is slightly higher at 100km/5.5 litres or 18.2km/litre.

Does adding extra doors make the F55 Mini 5-door hatch into a family car?
While it is roomier than the standard 3-door hatch Mini Cooper, the rear seats sit 2 adults comfortably instead of the suggested 3 seater. Think of it has a Mini 3-door hatch with easier access to the rear seats, and more legroom.

Standard on the Cooper and Cooper S is the push-start button, cruise control, and Mini radio with 6.5 inch display with bluetooth connectivity. The 5-door hatch comes with 4 airbags, DSC, DTC (Dynamic traction control), and electronic diff. locks.  The 5-door Mini hatch comes with a 2 years unlimited mileage warranty and 3 year or 50,000 km Mini

F55 Mini Cooper & Cooper S 5-Door Hatch Specifications
Engine: 1.5-litre 3-cylinder turbo (Cooper) 2.0 litre 4-cylinder turbo (Cooper S)
Horsepower: 136 PS (Cooper) 192 PS (Cooper S)
Torque: 220 Nm (Cooper) 280 Nm (Cooper S)
Acceleration 0-100km/h: 8.1 seconds (Cooper) 6.8 seconds (Cooper S)
Top Speed: 207 km/h (Cooper) 230km/h (Cooper S)
Fuel Consumption: 20km/l (Cooper) 18.1km/l (Cooper S)

F55 Mini Cooper & Cooper S 5-Door Hatch Prices
Mini Cooper 1.5-litre turbocharged from RM189,000
Mini Cooper S 2.0 litre turbocharged from RM238,888

F55 Mini Cooper & Cooper S 5-Door Hatch Pictures / Gallery

Modified 2014 Honda City with Vossen rims and blacked out lights, grillesand logo

2014 Honda City with smoked headlights and Vossen rims

The 2014 Honda City looks quite good already in my opinion, but being a car enthusiast I thought it lacked certain things. I wondered how the 2014 Honda City would look with modified Vossen rims, blacked out Honda emblem, grille, smoked headlights, and darker tint.

This was the end result! It looks like an Ah Beng version of the 2014 Honda City, but I quite like it. Please excuse my poor photoshop skills, I make do with what I have! 

Buying a 2014 Perodua Alza 1.5 Advance Edition?

The 2014 Perodua Alza comes across as one of the cheaper MPVs available in Malaysia, with a price starting from RM52,000 for the basic 2014 Perodua Alza standard in manual transmission. The 2014 Perodua Alza has also just undergone a minor facelift as well, so potential buyers will b getting a sleeker MPV.

In terms of fuel consumption, based on research the Perodua Alza can give you 10-12km/L in 50% city and 50% urban, and up to 14km/L for highway cruise. Pretty decent! Everything is looking great for the Perodua Alza!

Lets focus on the best of the range though, the 2014 Perodua Alza Advance Edition, priced at RM64,000. What is so advance, and does it justify the extra RM9,000 over the standard Perodua Alza automatic transmission variant?

The full potential of the Perodua Alza unleashed. This is as good as it gets!

Looks a bit like a Volvo wagon from the rear. 

For the extra money, you'll get:

Oops! Sorry wrong picture. I mean you'll the following instead:

• Body kit
• 6 inch multimedia touch screen system
• GPS navigation
• Reverse camera
• Leather seats

Some finer touches here and there:

The interior looks pretty decent, however for those who are expecting to seat 7 comfortable you might get a little disappointed. The last row of seats in the Perodua Alza are probably suitable for kids or stunted adults only. On the plus side, there are nifty item holders tucked away conveniently.

New 2013 Nissan 370Z pricing and overview

The 2013 Nissan 370Z has been revealed for Europe; starting from £26,995 (around RM124,200) onwards, while the Nissan 370Z Nismo edition will cost from £36,995 (RM170,300).  If only we can get such great pricing in Malaysia, it will be a dream come true won't it? 

Back to the 2013 Nissan 370Z. It will ship with a 3.7-Litre V6 engine, producing 328PS and 363Nm of torque for the base line spec. The flagship 2013 Nissan 370Z Nismo edition will produce 344PS, 16PS more than the standard baseline Nissan 370Z. The 370Z Nismo edition will also include a more aggressive body kit, uprated suspension, stronger brakes, and also a sportier exhaust note. 

The 2010-2012 Nissan 370Z does 0-100km/h in 5.3 to 5.6 seconds, so we can expect similar performance from the 2013 Nissan 370Z. The top speed for the 2010-2013 Nissan 370Z is 249km/h or 155mph. 

The 2013 Nissan 370Z will also feature daytime running lights, which seem to be getting more and more common as every manufacturer slaps their new models with one.

The full price list. Note: to convert to Malaysian Ringgit, £1 = RM4.60. 

Body	Grade		Transmission		OTR
Coupe	370Z		Six-speed manual		£26,995
Coupe	GT		Six-speed manual		£31,995
Coupe	GT		Seven-speed automatic		£33,445
Coupe	Nismo		Six-speed manual		£36,995
Roadster	GT		Six-speed manual		£36,495
Roadster	GT		Seven-speed automatic		£37,945

New 2013 Isuzu D-Max, exactly like the Chevrolet Colorado but cheaper?

The all-new ISUZU D-MAX is developed alongside its brother the Chevrolet Colorado. As such, they share a related chassis and interior design, which is a great thing! The interior and ride comfort will make you feel like you are in a sedan car, instead of a pick-up truck. Ideal for carrying Ikea furniture or boosting your ego, the ISUZU D-MAX is great value for money! 

The all-new ISUZU D-MAX shares its body construction, chassis platform, mechanical component and interior design such as the dashboard, centre stack, steering wheel and doors with Chevrolet Colorado. Chevrolet Colorado owners should rejoice as spare parts will, without a doubt, be much cheaper due to the cross-model sharing and usage of parts. The main differentiation factor will be the ISUZU D-MAX's aggressive angular front fascia with upswept headlights and a more conventional grille design, compared to the Colorado's upmarket appeal.

ISUZU's iTEQ 2.5-Litre engine now produces 87kW with 280Nm of torque and 101kW with 320Nm of torque thanks to the usage of the VGS turbo.

ISUZU Malaysia's pricelist for the Isuzu-D-Max

Isuzu D-Max 2.5-litre Direct Injection Diesel Turbo 4×2 Double Cab (MT): RM69,799

Isuzu D-Max 2.5-litre VGS 4×2 Double Cab Hi RIDE (MT): RM79,899

Isuzu D-Max 2.5-litre VGS 4×4 Double Cab (MT-L): RM85,499

Isuzu D-Max 2.5-litre VGS 4×4 Double Cab (MT): RM94,619

Isuzu D-Max 2.5-litre VGS 4×4 Double Cab (AT): RM100,689

New 2013 Porsche 911 Turbo, even better!

Faster, strong, and better! This basically sums up the new 2013 Porsche 911 Turbo. The New Type 991 generation of Porsche’s 911 Turbo and Turbo S gets an all new all-wheel drive with active rear axle steering, adaptive aerodynamics, and full LED headlights.

Perhaps the main highlight will be the new Porsche 911 Turbo S, which produces 560hp (412kW) from the 3.8-Litre flat 6-cylinder twin-turbocharged engine, while the 911 Turbo without the S gets 520hp. Controlling the power is the famed 7-speed dual clutch transmission (PDK), and the Porsche 911 also comes with auto stop-start function. The chassis has also been revamped, and is now 100mm longer.

In terms of raw performance figures, 0-100km/h (0-62mph) is done in just 3.2 seconds for the Porsche 911 Turbo, and 3.1 seconds for the Porsche 911 Turbo S. Top speed is a stellar 317km/h.

For the first time, the new Porsche 911 Turbo models will receive The PorscheDynamic Chassis Control (PDCC) active anti-roll system, which increases the dynamic performance potential of the Porsche 911’s handling characteristics. This system is standard equipment on the 911 Turbo S, together with the Sport Chrono Package Plus incorporating dynamic engine mounts, and Porsche Ceramic Composite Brakes (PCCB). These are also each available on the 911 Turbo.

Porsche 911 Turbo meter cluster

As a consequence, the 911 Turbo S shortens the benchmark lap time around the Nürburgring-Nordschleife to well under 7 min 30 sec – naturally on standard production tyres. The standard ‘sound symposer’ intensifies the driving experience further still; transmitting induction sounds of the turbo engine to the passenger compartment via a speaker diaphragm.

The Nissan Leaf is now better and more affordable!

The Nissan Leaf is now better and more affordable!

While all these might not be available for the Malaysian market, the British made version of the Nissan Leaf has received quite a number of improvements; over 100 in fact. There is also a battery leasing option, with three new trim levels. The best part will be the enhanced battery warranty.

A new pricing structure has been introduced to reflect the three trim levels and the battery-leasing options now available – but things are far from complicated. Cars bought with leased batteries will be known as 'Flex' models and buyers will be able to get behind the wheel of an entry-level Visia Nissan LEAF on that basis for £15,990 (after receipt of the Government's £5,000 plug-in grant).