Hardcore New Impreza WRX STI Reveals All

Subaru has at last revealed details of its hardcore new Impreza WRX STI which is substantially different to the non-turbo five-door models now being delivered to first customers.

And with a heavily-revised new 296 bhp turbocharged 2.5 liter 'boxer' engine, totally new platform and suspension plus even more advanced symmetrical all-wheel drive system, the World Rally Championship look-alike is sure to satisfy Subaru traditionalists.

At the rear, four exhaust pipes twinned in pairs at either side of the body not only give a distinctive look but reduce exhaust air-flow resistance by 38 per cent, increasing power and reducing noise.

Comfort With Agility

The new Impreza WRX STI boasts a much plusher interior than before, offering leather/Alcantara-covered sports seats as standard with Recaro seats as an option. Curtain airbags are standard and the audio system has been upgraded.

The braking system has been developed in conjunction with Italian specialist, Brembo, and features four-pot calipers at the front and twin-pot at the rear - both ventilated discs.

A multi-mode Vehicle Dynamics Control System allows the driver to select the best setting for the prevalent road conditions. For example, it can be turned off altogether or set to 'Traction' which delays artificial interference.

More Power, More Driver Involvement

The award-winning 2.5 liter horizontally-opposed 'boxer' engine benefits from a thorough revision which includes a larger and more efficient intercooler which increases power.

The new STI also boasts stronger low to mid-speed torque thanks to variable-valve timing for the intake and exhaust system and a fast-warm catalytic converter for reduced emissions.

Power is now 296 bhp at 6,000 rpm with torque of 300 lb-ft at 4,000 rpm.

The much-praised six-speed manual transmission has been revised, with a shorter-throw gear-change and lighter movements, especially from neutral to 1st and 1st to 2nd gear thanks to a revised synchromesh.

A firm favorite with existing STI owners, the Driver's Control Centre Differential has been improved, giving even more choice of handling characteristics.

The DCCD is operated via a switch in the centre console, allowing the driver to manually select the torque distribution front to rear, reverting to automatic mode every time the ignition is switched off.

For example, he or she can choose between having a sharper cornering turn-in or more stable straight-line running.

In Manual Mode, the driver can adjust the front to rear torque distribution through varying degrees to suit different road conditions such as loose gravel or soft snow.

Now, for the new Impreza WRX STI, the DCCD switch also allows the selection of three different types of 'Auto' Mode.

1: Auto Mode is selected when the engine is started and covers most road conditions.
2: Auto+ Mode places the emphasis on traction for slippery roads, sharing out the torque more evenly between all four wheels and enhancing straight-line stability.
3: Auto- Mode increases agility by enhancing steering response through less torque-split interference.

Subaru Impreza 2.5 STi

Source : rsportscars.com

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Proton Gen.2 To Be Assembled In Iran

TEHRAN, Dec 23 (Bernama) -- Proton Holdings Bhd's Gen.2 model will be assembled in Iran from April 2009 in a deal with a local partner.

Proton and Zagross Khodro inked an agreement here Tuesday for the supply of automotive parts that allows the latter to assemble the Gen.2 through a completely-knocked-down (CKD) arrangement at its assembly plant in Borujerd city, southwest of Iran.

The signing was witnessed by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Malaysia's Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi who is on a four-day official visit to Iran.

Currently, Proton is exporting completely-built-up (CBU) Gen.2 to this country of over 70 million people.

This is the third of a series of agreements aimed at enabling Zagross, Proton's sole distributor in Iran, to assemble the Gen.2.

Signing the dotted line for Proton was its managing director Datuk Syed Zainal Abidin Syed Mohamed Tahir while Zagross was represented by its managing director, Siroos Gholami.

Also present were Proton chairman Datuk Mohammed Azlan Hashim and Zagross chairman Dariush Gholami.

The previous two agreements were on licensing and technical assistance and purchase of equipment.

"This agreement signifies Proton's continued commitment to the vast Iranian market and is part of its overall export market strategy," said Mohammed Azlan.

He also disclosed that Proton, Malaysia's first car manufacturer, would open an office in Iran in March 2009.

With the CKD operation in Iran, Proton will be able to price its cars more competitively in the local market and more importantly improve on its after-sales service in the country, the company said in a statement.

The collaboration between Proton and Zagross began in 2001 when the latter became the sole assembler and distributor of the Proton Wira in this Islamic republic.

Zagross had previously imported CBU units of Proton cars into Iran, a market viewed as a potential for Proton in view of its large population.

Established in 1996, Zagross is the largest private automotive company in Iran with the capability of selling 50,000 cars a year.

Source : BERNAMA [Read more!]

Perodua NAUTICA 4WD - Review

Perodua NAUTICA 4WD
The new Nautica SUV which was launched mid of year 2008 signals a new phase in the evolution of Perodua. This is the first time that Perodua is not building its own model and instead importing it as a completely built-up unit (CBU) from Japan, a move that critics say is a departure from its original mission and also not appropriate for a national car company.

Perodua estimates that the successor to the Kembara would draw about 200 buyers a month at most and while making 2,400 units a year locally is possible, the question is whether it will be worth the investment and whether it will be a CKD assembly approach or manufacturing (which means stamping body panels). There are companies which do assemble less than 3,000 units a year but their plants are geared towards smaller volumes than what Perodua today produces.
The first thing most people will remark is that the Nautica looks like the Toyota Rush and yes, it is a shorter version. From various conversations with Perodua, Daihatsu and Toyota engineers, the Daihatsu BeGo/Terios from which the Nautica is derived is the ‘standard’ wheelbase model and Toyota adapted the platform to use for the Rush for Asean in order to get a 3-row SUV (and also uses the same platform for the Avanza).

Dimensional differences are therefore visually noticeable since the Rush has to accommodate three rows of seats. The wheelbase is almost 100 mm longer while the body is about 300 mm longer but the width is the same for both models. However, Perodua’s marketing people do not regard the Rush as a direct rival since that is aimed at a more family-oriented target group which needs a 7-seater. So if it is not competing with the Rush, then the Nautica is actually in a segment on its own as other 2-row SUVs are larger and cost more with the exception of the Chery Tiggo from China.
The Nautica has a 1.5-litre (1495 cc) DVVT petrol engine with a DOHC, 16-valve aluminium cylinder head and cast iron block. This is the largest engine now offered by Perodua as the Rusa van, which had a 1.6-litre engine, is no longer in production.

The compression ratio of the engine is around 10.0:1 but it is tuned to run on RON92 petrol without problems. In this state of tune, it produces 80 kW/108.8 bhp of power at 6000 rpm and 141 Nm of torque at 4400 rpm. DVVT, the variable valve-timing mechanism, enhances driveability throughout the rev range which, in turn, helps in fuel economy and promotes more complete combustion for less toxic emissions. Only a 4-speed automatic transmission is available but the drivetrain is a full-time 4WD, like the Kembara’s. The use of 4WD in small models is not new in Japan and many of the manufacturers have provided it as a means to improve stability on slippery surfaces like ice and snow, and not for off-road capability. Thus the 4WD in the Nautica is essentially a ‘mild’ system that will come in useful on wet roads and also for casual off-road driving. Don’t expect it to perform like a Toyota Land Cruiser just because it has 4WD and in any case, the Dunlop Grandtrek tyres (215/65R16) are not intended for extreme conditions.

Moving inside the Nautica, it will be immediately evident that it is very different from the Kembara. The earlier SUV was small and the cabin was compact but the Nautica offers a lot more space with its wider body. Those who felt the Kembara’s seating made them too ‘intimate’ with their passengers will be pleased with the extra elbow room and also the larger seats. The driver’s seating position is high, like in the Kembara, something which was a major reason for many people buying the SUV.
Whether the Malaysian public will accept a Perodua that costs RM89,900 remains to be seen and it really depends on the strength of the brand image today. Much has gone into brand building in recent years to try to get away from the cheap image that it started off with and make it a brand of choice. Given the serious and consistent efforts to raise build quality and after-sales service, Perodua has succeeded to some extent.

The Nautica will be a good test of how Malaysians regard Perodua today and besides that, by offering a model at this price will enable the company to more easily adjust its prices later on if and when the government decides to remove all special privileges for national carmakers and their prices will need to be revised upwards.

Perodua NAUTICA 4WD [Read more!]