New Perodua Alza Facelift 2014 Specs Leaked

It is the new Perodua Alza 2014 we are after. Many leaked photos of the facelifted Alza SE/AV has found their ways to internet lately. It is hardly surprising as Perodua Alza is one of the most popular MPV in Malaysian market. Nearly every streets has one. It has become a default choice for the household, even when the family size is hardly growing. Newly weds, 1-kid small family all opted for this mini-MPV, especially after its first 2 years of launching. I just don't know why, but I too was one of them.

Perodua launched this sub-MPV late in 2009 and now time has come for Perodua Alza facelift. It will be introduced in January next year as a 2014 Perodua Alza, with a rationalize model line-up from the base to the top-line Perodua Alza Advanced.

Perodua announced yesterday that the new Perodua Alza 2014 will be available from January. Teaser is up too in the websites. Tagged as "The Alza For Everyone", clearly the 2014 Perodua Alza is set to receive a revised cosmetics, enhanced equipment level and more practicality, such as split folded 3rd row seat.

Thanks to the leaked sales material (all sources can be found at the end of the post), we now know that there is going to be 3 version of 2014 Perodua Alza, namely Perodua Alza Standard, Perodua Alza SE and Perodua Alza AV. The Alza S will be discontinued and thus one can expect the new facelifted Perodua Alza Standard to receive a very competitive pricing.

As for the exterior, all variants will receive new bumper design, revised headlight graphic, revised tail gate garnish, new rear bumper and revised rear combi coloring. The version seen above based on leaked photo is the top-line 2014 Perodua Alza Advanced, sporting exclusive new alloy wheels, all around skirting, clear lens rear combi and rear spoiler. Perodua Alza Standard will have none of those, but the chromed front grille will remain.

For the interior, from the earlier leaked photo we already know that Perodua has re-engineered the 2011 Perodua Myvi gearknob to fit into new Perodua Alza gear console. They have revised the paneling surrounding it too, encompassing a garnished surfaced for both gear console and airconditioning control panel. The car seen above is 2014 Perodua Alza AV. The new Perodua Alza SE will feature red-theme fabric upholstery as seen in Perodua official teaser covering both seats and door trims. The new steering wheel from 2011 Myvi introduced earlier will remains, although only Alza AV will feature the steering wheel button.

The new features however is the change of cabin color for 2014 Perodua Alza Standard, the interior will be two-tone, with beige lower portion, including the seats! Seems Perodua has taken the leaf out from its owner in offering beige cabin in the cheaper variant. 2014 Perodua Alza SE and AV will be monotone black cabin. The automatic version will get new armrest with storage space, while the ISOFIX slot, 50/50 split 3rd row seat will be standard across the board. Roof mounted DVD player is Alza AV spesific, so is the leather upholstery. Multimedia touch screen audio system is available on all bar the Alza Standard.

Safety wise, apart from the aforementioned ISOFIX, all variants will get dual SRS as standard. Opting for Alza SE and AV buys your ABS with EBD. The new Perodua Alza can now be booked at your nearest Perodua outlet and will be delivered starting from January.

In case you find the write-up is too long and can't be bothered to read, the leak specification can be found in the following source:

Source 1
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New Lease of Life for Mazda Rotary Engine

The fame rotary engine of Mazda is now part of the electric vehicle with range extender gasoline engine. Displacing mere 330cc, the rotary engine has an advantage of super compact packaging which enable it to be installed beneath the boot floor of the compact car, the Mazda2, or Demio as it is known in Japan.

For the technology demonstrator, Mazda has equipped the car 75kW electric motor powered by lithium-ion battery pack. The electric power unit is mounted at the front of the car engine bay, while the rotary engine is installed at the rear, beneath the boot. This is primarily because the engine flat in nature and can be packaged in a horizontal layout. Other advantage of the rotary engine is its quietness, 87dBA at 3,000rpm instead of up to 96 dBA with other type of engine. Displacing 330cc, the engine is connected to 9L fuel tank and can produce up to 25kW of power.

Photo source: Carwatch

Mazda CX-5 2.5L Now On Sale, From RM165,000

Mazda CX-5 fan rejoice. The popular Mazda SUV with super-long waiting list is now available with 2.5L engine. Mazda CX-5 2.5L can now be have with the Skyactiv 2.5L engine similar to the one powering the similarly sold-out Mazda6. The 2,488cc in-line 4 engine produces 184hp@5,700rpm and 250Nm@3,250rpm of power and torque, channel the drive via Skyactiv Drive 6AT to either the option of front wheel drive or AWD.

Compared to the CKD Mazda CX-5 2.0L, the 2.5L gets Bose sound system with 9 speakers, electrically operated sunroof both of which were previously available on the CBU version of the 2.0L CX-5. Additionally, the CX-5 2.5L is equipped with the I-Stop functionality. These all are on top of the current accessories offered with the top line CKD version currently on sale.

Curiously, the 2.5L Mazda CX-5 is a Japan CBU, although all the series of engine available for this SUV are currently being assembled in Kulim. Indicative pricing is RM165k for the FWD and RM175k for the AWD.

Lamborghini Huracan LP610-4 : 610hp, 3.2s to 100km/h, 12.5L/100km

The Lamborghini Gallardo is finally bowing out after 10 years in production and some 14,022 units has found it home round the globe. The successor, Lamborghini Huracan has been officially unveiled and it is set to bring the "entry-level" Lamborghini to an even greater height. Rumoured to be called Cabrera, and was previously rumoured to be a productionized Sesto Elemento Concept, both bulls are bulls as Huracan takes a complete voluminous shape not unlike its bigger Aventador brother.

Lamborghini Huracan adopts a similar design language to that of the Lamboghini Aventador. But it takes the surface crisp precision to a new height with the line that starts off from the hood leading edge before expanding into the hood line before breaking up into a tear drop shaped glass house opening and merging back post the rear pillar. The shape of the headlight and front bumper intake sets carry the lineage of the current Lamborghini. Headlight inner structure is avantgarde, with its geometric light bars arrangement.

 
The rear end is characterized by slim, inward sloping rear light with distinctive graphic. In tune with the rest of world's supercar, the rear fascia is dominated with air outlet. Sharply creases surface and quad exhaust setup completes the rear end.

The side profile emphasize the compact silhouette. The sharp intertwined surfacing with blistered of surface by the air intakes does lightened the overall visual mass. This is further helped by relatively large glass fraction and slim wheel spokes.

The heart of Lamborghini is the engine. Lamborghini Huracan uses a development of the last unit powering the Gallardo. Retaining the V10 architecture and displacing 5.2L, with the direct and indirect injection system in presence, the engine produces 610hp at 8,250rpm and 560Nm at 6,500 rpm of power and torque. Coupled to 7 speed double clutch transmission, transmitting the traction to all four wheel, this is sufficient to propel the 1,422kg car to 100km/h in 3.2s and top speed of 325km/h. The lightweight figure is achieved thanks to a hybrid structure of aluminum and carbon fibre.

Three drive modes are available; Strada, Sport and Corsa. They alters the setup of engine and gearbox response, exhaust, stability control and four wheel drive power distribution and said to give a distinctive driving experience between them. Carbon ceramic brakes are standard, but the variable steering ratio and magneto rheologic damper system are cost option.

The interior is less rakish than the Aventador, but still contains several innovative touch. Dominating the fascia is 12.3" TFT color screen which acts as a meter binnacle as well as the infotaintment system for the car. Among the trims available include Nappa and Alcantra upholstery.

Lamborghini Huracan will be officially unveiled in Geneva Motorshow, where the pricing will be announced. More photos after the jump.

Interior Photos of Proton Perdana Limousine

 

The Prime Minister of Malaysia launched the new Proton Perdana last week for the consumption of the government officials and of course, himself and his deputy included. The car comes in both 2.0L and 2.4L version as it is in its previous life as Honda Accord. The exterior styling change is very mild, concentrating on the new front bumper and grille assembly while the trunk lid trimmings has been suitably updated. The detail change of the exterior can be seen in MMN previous post, HERE.

As for the interior, Proton has put its own emblem on the steering wheel while the rest is carried over wholesomely from the Alor Gajah's made Honda Accord. The instrument panel, centre console, gear panel and pretty much everything is familiar. Where Proton works their art is for the limousine version for the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister.

Similar in trend with Proton's previous limousine, the rear passenger compartment is isolated from the chauffeur. Proton has inserted the "dashboard panel" to the rear compartment housing the the airconditioning vent and perhaps the sound system too. It looks like the lower part of the dashboard as in the front of the car. There's no fancy gadget and extreme opulence here so perhaps this is just the initial mock-up as it is quite bare.The extended window panel is actually opaque, and it housed the speaker. The legroom is humongous.

The rear seat is strictly for two, and the arm rest panel houses all the controls, presumably for the audio and other comfort item. The seat and door trim are upholstered in two-tone theme. We are still trying to get the details of the extended Proton Perdana such as the detail dimensions and more photos but it does not seem to be possible. 

New Proton Perdana Revealed, Limo Included

Proton today has handed over the first batch of the new Proton Perdana to the Prime Minister in a special event, and set to replace the ageing outgoing model which has been in service since last decade. As the whole world know, the "new" Proton Perdana is a redevelopment of the previous 8th generation Honda Accord from the year 2008. The Honda Accord has been reinterpreted with Proton design touch which include new front grille, new front bumper with heavily chromed front bumper insert ( a bit like the facelifted large Saab) while the rear end retains the old bumper, but the inner reflector on the trunk lid has been removed (ala pre-facelifted US Accord) with the chrome bar intact and the license plate area has been heavily garnished with chrome too. 

For the Prime Minister of Malaysia and the Deputy Prime Minister, Proton has stretched the 8th-gen Honda Accord by significant amount to be a proper limo. However, it is obviously an unseamless stretched job as the the different in height of the front door trailing edge and rear door leading edge can clearly be seen and it is matched with the splintered panel. We don't know how long the wheelbase is extended, but it looks as if it is more than 300mm. The chrome finish on the window surround is removed too.

Also unleashed on the same day is the standard wheelbase version for the new Proton Perdana for other government official use. The standard version is more akin to your cooking Honda Accord although it too receives the similar front and rear end updates. More details after the jump.

Is this Perodua Alza SE?

There is a new photo of the new version of the ageing Perodua Alza, confirmed to be Perodua Alza SE from the rear badging. This is another leaked from the factory, in addition to the one we've seen before HERE.

From here we can see the new front bumper which features a new bumper with swept up outer edge fog lamp housing. The upper radiator grille is chrome trimmed while the headlight is carried over from the 2009 car. At the back, the rear light is all-clear item instead of partially, while the license plate garnish is all is a full-width item. SE badging can be seen clearly. The rear bumper too is an all-new, and it features a vertical reflector, which is now becoming a design trait of Perodua SE series.

Full photo can be seen here:

http://rahmanheman.blogspot.com/2013/12/perodua-alza-2014_3.html

BMW Engine Starts Powering Toyota Cars

Remember the deal announced years ago on collaboration between BMW and Toyota in the product development? The agreement covers the adaption of BMW excellent turbo diesel engine to Toyota cars, synergy of hybrid powertrain development which is a forte of Toyota and jointly develop sports car for both marque. Now the first product has hit the production stream.

Starting from January 2014, Toyota Verso MPV can be spesified with the BMW-sourced 1.6L diesel. The mill is currently used in the likes of Mini One D and BMW 114d. In this application, the 1,598cc mill produces 111bhp@4,000rpm and 270Nm of torque from 1,750 - 2,250rpm. 

Packaging the engine in the chassis it was never destinated to go is quite a challenge. The team has developed new gearbox housing to match the RFOB (rear face of block) of BMW engine block, and insert the dual mass fly wheel while on the go. The chassis also has received a modified engine mountings and it was mentioned about the optimization of NVH can only go as far as the chassis allows. Toyota also engineered a new idle-stop system for this new powertrain application.

Volkswagen Golf Mk7 Cut Model at KLIMS2013 - A Demonstration of German Engineering

Volkswagen took a prime floor space at KLIMS 2013, a vast portion of the hall previously occupied by Proton in the KLIMS 2010. It brings the whole lot of its car together with the yet-to-be launched CKD Volkswagen Polo hatchback. However, the item that really catch my eyes is the cut model of the Volkswagen Golf, a car that won accolades of awards, triple award I would say; European Car of The Year, World Car of The Year and Car of The Year Japan. Award does not fall from the sky, so this car ought to be quite something.

The cut model of Volkswagen Golf Mk7 is very fascinating to look at. It is the free demonstration of Volkswagen engineering design which is very useful to be benchmarked. After all, Volkswagen Golf Mk7 is significantly 100kg lighter than the model it replaced. The savings are achieved via 3.0kg lighter electrical system, 12.0kg of car's equipment, 22.0kg from engine, 26.0kg from the drivetrain and a whopping 37.0kg from the body structure. The culmination of the savings is the result of finite element analysis which optimize the load path and reduce the redundant structure. The main structure is a hybrid of high strength steel with hot formed steel among other conventional materials.

Lets start with the front. While I don't bring the gauge to check the thickness, I am pretty sure it is quite a standard thickness as far as the hood inner and outer panel is concern. However what can be seen is the hood inner panel is quite mainstream in the design and generously structured near the cowl section. In addition to the hood inner beaded section close by, the hood outer is further augmented by stiffener, so even the rearward right section alone is supported by 3 reinforcements.

The section below shows the front bumper assembly consists of bumper fascia, bumper beam and its foam insert as well as the lower radiator grille louvre design. Also consistent with the current trend, the bumper itself is very thin, around 2mm and usually can't support its own weight is disassembled. Bulk of the loading is taken by the beam, while the yield can be support by the fascia, the springback is aided by the foam.

Moving further downward, one can clearly see the floor is fully covered to aid aerodynamics. The fairing covers even the lowest point of the car which is the oil sump, which seems to be insulated this this example. The next photo shows the main body structure of Volkswagen Golf Mk7, which is the side structure, a structure that envelope the occupants inside the car. The A, B and C pillar are exposed here, although only the critical section of B-pillar is cut out for us to see. 

Closer inspection through the web reveals the B-pillar inner panel is off the TWB type, i.e Tailor Weld Blank which means the panel comes as multi thickness along the length. This is particularly useful in saving weight as it isolates the need for an additional reinforcement of metal sheet to add strength, which also requires spot weld. For TWB, the sheet is rolled in the desired thickness at desired location, the concept which is as per illustrated. This technology is nothing new, as our local grown Proton Saga BLM employs the same technology in its door panel. More details after the jump.

Proton Persona SV Launched - Just RM44,938

Proton today launched Persona SV, essentially a super-value version of its running Proton Persona with the price on the decrease and equipment level  increase. The price starts from RM44,938 for the manual, solid version and increasing to RM48,388 for the metallic paint version with 4AT transmission. This is about RM2,500 cheaper then the Proton Persona Elegance Standard, which was the sole version remaining on sale after the introduction of Proton Preve.

For the price cut, you'll lose, er nothing, instead you'll get dual SRS airbags (instead of one in the Persona Standard), disc brake all around (instead of rear drum) combo with ABS+EBD. There's no unpainted exterior trim part, whereby the trunk lid garnish and door outside handle is finished in matte silver. 15" alloy wheel is standard fixture too. The side mirror (color coded) is manual operated, and there is no door visor and exhaust garnish.

Thus, for the price of Perodua Myvi which by the way is just 3.6m long and has 200L boot space and powered by 1.3L engine, you can opt to buy a full sedan body with 430L of boot space, powered by 1.6L engine and suspension by independent suspension all around, which is a rarity in the segment.

Admittedly it is an old model, originally launched in 2007. It was based on 2004 Proton Gen2, which Proton heavily re-engineered the body structure for the notchback insertion and total makeover of the interior. Based on the experience in the flesh, the car does feel a bit ageing and quite outdated, but this is quite common with all Malaysian makes regardless of either Proton or Perodua. Gallery can be found after the jump. 

Petronas Patented Water Injection Engine?

Toyota last month openly said that it will buck the engine downsizing trend (and turbocharged) and instead will focus on developing an efficient large capacity gasoline via the optimization of Atkinson cycle, a knowledge it has honed to perfection in developing the pairing to its hybrid series. It was also mentioned in the source that Toyota will venture in the innovation of water/steam injection to enhance engine efficiency. Now this is breakthrough as engine typically breathes air and fuel, mixed for combustion.

Wow people said. It is indeed a novel concept with curiosity, as for the layman understanding, how can you ignite a fire and then spray water to it? Contradicting it may sound, but if you go to the SAE paper database, a place where all automotive engineers breath, eat and drink car, you'll found plenty of invention of water being injected into the cylinder. There's even a six-stroke concept.

What strike my eyes is the technology has also been patented by our local hero. Do you know Petronas has patented such technology years ago? Check it out here in Google Patent, Espacenet and SAE technical paper. While we don't know what Toyota technology is all about apart from injecting water/steam into combustion chamber, according to patent W02010036093 A1, Petronas novel internal combustion aim to maximise the heat generated by fuel combustion to expand water into steam which in turns utilized the heat that is otherwise wasted. The water expansion into steam exert the force in the power stroke instead of purely forced by the ignition of compressed air and fuel mixture. The low combustion efficiency currently occurring in our current engine results in un-burn hydrocarbon which goes to the exhaust line. There is an attempt to increase the combustion efficiency, but the high heat release in doing so could result in Nitrogen  Oxide (NOx) formation which started to happen at around 2000K combustion temperature.

In the normal internal combustion engine, of all the fuel combusted, two-third comes out as heat, which is then absorbed by the cooling system recirculating around the water jacket.  In a typical engine system, the jacket is located inside the cylinder block and cylinder head and it goes around collecting heat and dissipate it in the radiator system. Figure below shows the cooling jacket residing in your engine block, photos courtesy of RGBSI. In terms of energy, this is energy wasted.

In Petronas patent, water is injection post the fuel combustion and to capitalize on the heat via clever, patented system. In doing so, not only less heat is emitted as, well heat, it also will reduce the engine temperature when the excess heat is converted into energy. Energy conservation remember? So the cooling system potentially can be reduce, resulting in smaller radiator. The exhaust gas too is cooler and this in turn reduce the thermal loading applied to the exhaust manifold (also cylinder block and head) which means overall engine is subject to a reduced thermal stress. Of course there is an additional combustion load which would negate the structural savings due to thermal, but this can be optimized further, at least this my interpretation of all these things. The schematic shown on this patent of Espacenet is as below, you can go through the claim to understand the concept. It is far too long for me to read!

With the engine technology resides under Petronas umbrella has been sold to DRB HICOM, could this be one of it? Whatever it is, which ever way Toyota might be doing what it said in the news, you've got to know our locals has been there as far as innovation is concern. 

Disclaimer: All the items written are based on the information available in public domain i.e patent and open, paid automotive literature. 

Toyota Revamped 2014 Prius C - 37km/L

When Toyota Aqua, or Prius C was launched at the end of 2011, it has a fuel mileage of 35.4 km/L, a feat that no other hybrid in the world manage to beat. However, the new generation Honda Fit/Jazz Hybrid stole the throne when Honda ditched the old IMA system to match the advanced Toyota hybrid system, the new Jazz/Fit Hybrid achieved 36.4 km/L.

Not quite satisfied to be beaten, Toyota has upped the ante by improving the efficiency of its THS-II system in the form of quicker engine turn off during idling and a reduction in resistance upon a restart. It yields small improvement, but sufficient to beat the fellow Japanese maker at 37 km/L.

Is it part of the improvement introduced to Toyota Aqua/Prius C which will be on sale next week in Japan. Apart from the improved drivetrain unit, the revamped Prius C also features a retune suspension and upgraded sound insulation. New shade of purple color also has been added to the color scheme, making 11 shades available in total.

There's also new variant added to the family, called Aqua G. As can be observed above, Toyota Aqua G comes with an exclusive front and rear bumper, smoked headlamp, funky LED DRL in the lower lip and 17" alloy wheel. What can't be seen is the added bracing and spot welding to improve chassis rigidity to augment the retune suspension. The interior is an all-black item with sporty touch sprinkled over.

With the hybrid incentive in Malaysia is rumoured to be retract for CBU cars, it would be pity if we primitively missed the next round of Toyota Prius C enhancement. With no local facilities set up for this model, UMW can opt anytime to stop importing, especially if the price become prohibitively high for a small vehicle like this.

Proton Persona SV - Cut Price Sedan Coming

Taking the leaf out from ultra successful Proton Saga SV, the 6 year-old Proton Persona is set to receive similar treatment. Currently only available in standard guise at only RM47,533 for manual and RM50,533 for the automatic version, it is about to be joined (or superceeded) by the Persona SV variant.

We don't know the details on how far the car is going to be re-specced, as the current Persona Standard is already been pared down with the equipment level and unpainted part and sitting on wheel cover, covering the 15" wheel with drums brakes at the back, and we know Proton does not compromise safety device anymore these days, so your guess is as good as ours in this new variant specification.

In June, Proton Holdings launched Proton Saga SV, which became the cheapest sedan on sale at mere RM33k. Sales soared to over 22,000 unit within four months so similar trend is expected for the larger Persona.

It is coming your way in a few days time. Stay tune.

Middle Class SUV Challenge:Mazda CX-5 vs Ford Kuga vs Honda CR-V

SUV segment is hotly contested in Malaysian market. It has evolved from the off-roader ancestor like Isuzu Trooper and Mitsubishi Pajero to the likes of soft roader, thanks to Honda CR-V back in mid 90's. This year, you can have it almost every sizes, from small to big luxury ones. Among the hottest option for middle class right now is Honda CR-V, now in fourth generation and hot in its heel is the turbocharged Ford Kuga and super stylish Mazda CX-5. Paultan compares them in the DRIVEN. Check it out below.

(Updated Gallery Inside) 4th Generation Honda City Unveiled - Roomier, 1.5L Petrol & Diesel

The all new Honda City has arrived!!Happened in India just a couple of moment ago, the fourth generation Honda City has been previewed to the media. Is very, very clear to see the new model is actually a gentle evolution of the current one. Critics will labelled it as a facelift, but it is actually a deeper improvement than that.

From the photos above, the side profile looks just like the current one, especially around the A-pillar. The front end adopts the new radiator grille concept seen on the new Honda Jazz/Fit, with the angular nose made an appearance, accentuated at the front bumper edge.

The rear end is however looks like the current one with the new tail light slapped on. The new tail light is much wider than before as it extends more into the trunk lid instead of sitting at the side structure panel like the current one.

The car has changed slightly in terms of dimensions. Overall length is only retained for facelifted Honda City at 4,440mm, the wheelbase has been extended by 50mm, making it 2,600mm. The car is a bit taller by at 1,495mm, while width is retained at 1,695mm. The interior is said to be roomier, with leg room and knee room on the up by 60-70mm, with 40mm more shoulder space. Boot space grows slightly to 510L.

In India, the 4th-gen Honda City will be offered with two 1.5L engine, one is petrol powered while the other one is diesel lump, similar to what found underneath of Honda Brio Amaze. Chassis architecture is similar to before with McPherson strut at the front and torsion beam at the back.

The interior design has been inspired by the larger Honda Civic, particularly the facelifted US Civic. The fascia has a flat surface, trimmed with silver lining, with silver bar running across the front passenger area. The centre console has been modernize with LCD touch screen and touch screen aircond control like the recently introduced in latest Honda Jazz/Fit and Honda Odyssey. The meter binnacle is blue surround. There's also bluetooth connectivity and aircond outlet for the rear passenger.

The dashboard is upright just like any small Honda. With the details as explained in the paragraph above, Honda has attempted to raise the interior perceived quality compared to the barebones of the current one. The slab panel with silver paint is now gone, and in comes a more sophisticated looking fascia. The audio unit blends well with the glossy black panel although one might feel a vast empty space overthere due to the lack of switches in the low end car like this. Naturally, the steering wheel comes from Honda Jazz/Fit, in fact the whole centre console screams the hatchback sibling. The main differentiators between the two are the fascia in front of the driver and passenger.

The rear cabin space is visibly spacious, with a completely flat rear floor as an added bonus. There is also rear air conditioning outlet as seen above. This could be in response to the move by Hyundai who is one of the earliest to put this premium feature in a mainstream car. The door trim features large chunk of fabric insert, embedded in one-piece moulded trim part.

More photos can be found after the jump.

Hottest Mercedes-Benz S Class Arrived : S65 AMG

The hottest Mercedes-Benz S Class has arrived, the S65 AMG. Packing a rather significant 1000Nm of torque under the hood from a lowly 2,300rpm, the new S65 AMG is capable to sprint to 100km/h in 4.3s despite weighting more than 2 tonnes.

Powering the high performance super saloon is 5,980cc V12 forced fed with twin turbo produced by AMG. The engine produces 630bhp available from 4,800 - 5,400 rpm and the aforementioned 1000Nm of torque from 2,300 - 4,300rpm. Drive is channeled to the rear wheel via AMG Speedshift Plus 7G-Tronic. The gearbox has 3 driving modes on offer; Controlled Efficiency (C), Sport (S) and Manual (M) which offers a thrilling mood especially on the latter two when there is a cutback in injection and ignition during the upshift under full load which in turns shorten the gear change and change the audible tones. Switching to C meanwhile initiate the ECO start/stop function. 

Despite the scorching performance, S65 AMG is most fuel efficient V12 saloon, returning 11.9L/100km and fulfilling EU6, which is not yet enforced until 2015. In terms of visual aura, S65 AMG takes the kit from S63 and then some more. The addition comes in chrome piece, which is sprinkled across the grille, side grille and sills. Driving aids on board include Magic Body Control, speed sensitive variable ratio steering, 20' forged alloy wheel and optional composite brake system. It will the most expensive S Class on sale at EUR232,050 and will be showcased at Los Angeles and Tokyo Motor Show.

Spyshots: Proton Rebadged Honda Accord

Proton Perdana replacement has had a very turbulence gestation period. The replacement model has been in the planning since the days of Proton MSX when the replacement was intended to look like a sedan version of the aluminium crossover. Of course it never happen. Then we started seeing a Mitsubishi 380 with Proton badge, and even the latest Mitsubishi Galant in 2006. Then came the Nissan Fuga thing and finally the freshest of them all is the rebadged Honda Accord. 

So, based on this sighting at Paultan, the government officials are set to drive the recycled Honda Accord. Proton has added their badge the normal place - front grille, steering wheel boss, and the rear fascia. We don't know yet if there's any restyling, but it should be very minor. What do you think? Is it worth it to design the car only to serve government officials? Two more photos after the jump.