2012 Honda Integra to come with 700cc engine and twin clutch gearbox – yes, it’s a bike not a car!

OCTOBER 26, 2011 AT 5:49 PM BY PAUL TAN FILED UNDER BIKES

Honda is bringing back the name Honda Integra to one of its products, but unfortunately it’s not the sports coupe with the screaming high-revving engine that we used to know and love. The 2012 Honda Integra is actually a motorcycle with a scooter-ish riding position which puts the rider’s feet further forward than a motorcycle.

The new Honda Integra uses a 51 hp water-cooled 700cc inline-two engine, which Honda says offers the compact dimensions of an inline engine and the character of a V-twin thanks to a 270 degree throw crankshaft. It’s a long-stroke engine, with a 73 mm x 80 mm bore-stroke ratio for its cylinders, so this should generally mean an engine designed to provide lots of low to mid end torque instead of being a screamer, which should suit this kind of bike.

The Integra also gets a second-generation Dual Clutch Transmission which is lighter and more compact than the version first used in the VFR1200F. It has a simplified hydraulic circuit, among other design enhancements. A learning function has been added to each selected running mode to detect a variety of riding environments from city streets to mountain passes and automatically performs the most suitable shift logic. You can also stick to a 6-speed manual if you want.

Honda estimates a fuel economy of 27 km/L for the Integra. Being a bike instead of a car, the new Honda Integra will debut at the 69th EICMA International Motorcycle Exhibition instead of the upcoming Tokyo Motor Show.

Honda CR-Z set for November introduction in Malaysia

OCTOBER 17, 2011 AT 2:35 PM BY ANTHONY LIM FILED UNDER CARS, HONDA, HYBRIDS AND ALTERNATIVE FUEL, LOCAL NEWS

It’s confirmed – the photo snapped of it last week suggested its arrival was on the cards, and now Honda Malaysia has announced that the CR-Z will be introduced to the Malaysian market in early November, making us the first country in Southeast Asia to launch the vehicle. No word with regards to specs and pricing on the three-door hatch though.

The CR-Z, which is equipped with a 1.5 litre LEA i-VTEC four-cylinder mill and Honda’s Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) hybrid-electric system, with 122 hp and 174 Nm for output numbers, will be the second Honda hybrid currently available here, following the Insight, which was launched at KLIMS in December last year. Until next month, then!

MINI Coupé launched – only in 1.6 Cooper S form, RM250k

OCTOBER 21, 2011 AT 10:52 PM BY ANTHONY LIM FILED UNDER BMW, CARS, LOCAL NEWS

BMW Malaysia today introduced the all-new MINI Coupé – the car arrives in a single engine form, in this case the Cooper S guise. No surprises with the 1.6 litre turbocharged car’s output figures, with 184 hp at 5,500 rpm and 240 Nm at 1,600 to 5,000 rpm, with overboost taking this to 260 Nm at 1,730 to 4,500 rpm.

It’s the brand’s first model to adopt a three-box body structure, with a strikingly stepped rear end setting it apart from the rest of the MINI family, with the low-slung silhouette and expressively styled “helmet” roof adding to things. Speaking of the roof, it’s painted in a contrasting colour as standard; a new take on Sport Stripes is among the additions available as an option.

Elsewhere, an active rear spoiler, fitted for the first time on a MINI, is also integrated in the boot lid. The spoiler pops up automatically when the Coupé reaches a speed of 80 km/h, with the four-part control mechanism returning the spoiler to its rest position at speeds of under 60 km/h. This visually striking mechanism serves to reduce lift at the rear axle, optimising both aerodynamic balance and grip levels of the new MINI Coupe.

Inside, the Coupé – which sits on 17-inch Conical Spoke alloys – features typical MINI style cues, among them the large centre speedo and a rev counter positioned directly behind the steering wheel, and the interior comes finished in a Carbon Black shade, replete with a Black Chequered interior surface.

Oval recesses in the roof liner help create extra headroom for taller drivers; the absence of a rear seat bench means you get more in the way of boot space – the boot features a 290 litre capacity, with a large, high-opening tailgate and a high through-loading system that can also be opened from the driver’s or passenger’s seat.

A host of exterior paint finishes are available for the Coupé, eight in all, these being Chilli Red, Pepper White, Spice Orange, Midnight Black, British Racing Green II, Eclipse Grey, Lightning Blue and White Silver, while the roof is painted as standard in a contrasting colour, with a choice of Jet Black or Pure Silver to pick from.

The retail price (on the road, without insurance, with the MINI Tender Loving Care service package) for the MINI Cooper S Coupe is RM 249,888.

There’s also an optional MINI Connected package, which allows iPhone users to stay connected when on the move. An onboard monitor allows passengers to receive RSS news feeds as well as Facebook and Twitter posts, displaying them on the on-board monitor and have them read out using the MINI Connected voice output function.

Included in the RM14,988 MINI Connected package is a 10-speaker, 480 watt DPS amplifier Harman/Kardon HiFi loudspeaker system and Radio MINI Visual Boost with a 6.5-inch high-resolution colour LCD screen.

Marco Simoncelli dies in Sepang after MotoGP crash

OCTOBER 24, 2011 AT 12:23 AM BY PAUL TAN FILED UNDER BIKES

Honda rider Marco Simoncelli died today in a horror crash during the Malaysian MotoGP in Sepang. He was pronounced dead at 4:56pm today at the SIC medical centre.

The accident happened just minutes after the race began where the Italian’s bike went into the path of Colin Edwards and Valentino Rossi on turn 11.

Everyone who saw the incident knew this was not going to be good when it was observed that Simoncelli’s helmet got knocked off in the collision. He suffered serious trauma to the head, neck and chest.

“When our medical staff got to him he was unconscious. In the ambulance because there was a cardiac arrest they started CPR (cardiac pulmonary resuscitation). Immediately in the Medical Centre, with the help also of the Doctor of our staff at the Clinica Mobile and local Doctors, he was intubated and it was possible to take off some blood from the thorax. The CPR was continued for 45 minutes because we tried to help him for as long as we thought it was possible. Unfortunately it was not possible to help him and at 16:56 (local time) we had to declare he was dead,” said MotoGP Medical Director Michele Macchiagodena.

Colin Edwards, who was also involved in the crash, had a dislocation of the shoulder and had it fixed under anesthesia. According to Macchiagodena, he is doing fine.

Mazda Takeri – broad hints of the new Mazda6 emerge

OCTOBER 25, 2011 AT 1:53 PM BY ANTHONY LIM FILED UNDER CARS, INTERNATIONAL NEWS,MAZDA

Mazda has released the first images of its Takeri next-generation midsize sedan concept, which is set to make its global debut at the Tokyo Motor Show. The vehicle, which effectively showcases the design direction the new Mazda6 will take, will feature a full array of SkyActiv tech.

With lines based on the company’s new Kodo design language, the Takeri is said to express “an intuitive sedan identity” and contain “an overwhelming emotional beauty,” aside from of course also being the latest platform to highlight SkyActiv.

It will wear a 2.2 litre SkyActiv-D turbodiesel engine and feature an i-stop idling stop system and Mazda’s first regenerative braking system among its kitbag of tech. The company says that the concept will deliver a balance of vigorous performance and a supremely comfortable ride feel as that desired in a sedan. That’s all the flowery spiel for now; expect more details on the rakish car when Tokyo comes about.