Exclusive Preview of the New BMW i8 Ad
This is BMW's new ad for the BMW i8. The film was shot in the desert near Almeria, in southern Spain by acclaimed film director Tarsem.
The BMW i8 is a plug-in hybrid sports car. The car combines BMW eDrive technology and a BMW TwinPower Turbo 1.5-litre, 3-cylinder petrol engine.
The BMW i8 is a plug-in hybrid sports car. The car combines BMW eDrive technology and a BMW TwinPower Turbo 1.5-litre, 3-cylinder petrol engine.
Luke Aker’s 1996 Nissan Maxima
It was so good, Nissan actually decided to buy it and later restored it to it's former glory and will be displayed at their North America’s headquarters.
Nissan came out with an equally funny video to mark the occasion:
Auto companies do have a sense of humour.
Rejuvenating an old car - repairs on a Proton Wira 1.3 M
He calls luxury cars, houses on wheels because with the price of some of the cars, you can actually buy a house.
He is really fond of the car and I am not surprised. The car has only done 127,800 Kms and recently had timing belt in the engine changes. He proudly mentioned that the car has not broken down even once and starts up immediately.
However, I was sure that the aging car was bound to have some problems and this was confirmed when I recently had it serviced at the local Proton Edar service centre near my house (SENAXIS Sdn Bhd). One of the tyres needed to be changed immediately as it was nearly bald. They also pointed out that several parts need to be replaced and even suggested that it be better to actually buy a new car. However, my dad was not having any of it - his reasoning was that the estimated total cost of the repairs was about RM1000 but to buy a new car would cost at least RM45000 for the Proton Persona 1.6 M version. This was because he does not want a small car and does not like the look of the Saga. I guess he does have certain preferences.
Anyway we decided to go ahead with the repairs and overall a total of 27 parts were replaced (big and small) and the overall damage came to RM1642.80 including tyre allignment (RM40), labour (RM250) and 6% tax (RM15).
The major parts included:
1. Insulator assys x2 = RM188.24
2. Rubber bump x 2 = RM151.56
3. Link control assy LH and RH = RM127.53 x 2
4. Shock absorbers assy RR, RH and LH = RM102.12 x2
5. Strut FR suspension LH and RH = RM185.07 x 2 (the costliest parts).
Other minor parts included rubber bumps, pads, tyre nuts, bushing coils, rubber stabilizers.
I know that official car service centres are more expensive but I choose to go there because I wanted genuine parts.
Do you think we could have got them cheaper elsewhere?
Anyway, I think we have extended the life of the old car for a few more years.
DeLorean fan's amazing creations
Proton Surprima S Standard launched
However, in making this car more affordable, a number of safety features present in the Executive variant have been removed - the new car model has only 2 air bags. The side and curtain airbags have been removed. It also loses the TC (Traction Control), ESC (Electronic Stability Control) and hill hold features. I wonder whether their ad may be misleading as removal of all these safety features may result in different NCAP ratings. Fortunately ABS With EBD is present. The touch screen and GPS are gone and the steering wheel does not have paddle shifters or radio controls.
The headlights are no longers LEDs but the normal bulbs and you would have to adjust the side mirrors manually. Somtimes I am amazed to remember that these features were standard on my more than 10 years old Volvo S40, which I used to own in the UK.
What message is Proton trying to tell its customers?
This will definitely not improve the perception that most consumers have about the national car brand.
Don't get me wrong. I have been a long time supporter of Proton and I even did my MBA dissertation on the national car. They have come a long way but still in no position to compete with other brands if the Government policies were removed.
The price is still not cheap and we recently bought the Proton Preve Premium version with all the features - all the bells and whistles - at almost the same price. With the cars getting cheaper and the variety of choices in the market, I forsee Proton coming up with a number of promotions to try and get rid of unsold stock in the near future.
The engine is still the same CamPro 1.6 Turbo engine with 7-speed ProTronic CVT. The car runs on 16" alloy wheels fitted with 205/55 tyres.
This new variant is available in five colours: Tranquility Black, Solid White, Genetic Silver, Atlantic Blue and Fire Red.
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