When the 2020 Mercedes-AMG A35 4Matic (RM 366,785 OTR 0% SST) was launched it only had one competitor and it is the out-going and no-less fun Volkswagen Golf R. We all know that with the dated features the Golf had to offer, it doesn’t come close to the A35. But come July, with the arrival of F40 2020 BMW M135i (RM 355,646 OTR 0% SST) to our shores, the A35 now has a worthy competitor. So, how do these hot hatches compare in terms of specs? Exterior There is no denying that the BMW M135i cuts th
Jul 28, 2020
Ketika Mercedes-AMG A35 4Matic 2020 (RM 366,785 dengan cuti cukai SST) dilancarkan, ia hanya mempunyai satu pesaing iaitu Volkswagen Golf R yang luar biasa dan menyeronokkan. Namun, kita semua tahu Golf R agak ketinggalan dari segi spesifikasi yang ditawarkan. Maklumlah, dah tua. Kini, BMW baru sahaja melancarkan BMW M135i F40 2020 (RM 355,646 OTR dengan cuti cukai SST) di Malaysia, dan ini bermaksud A35 kini mempunyai pesaing yang layak. Dalam rencana ini, kita akan membuat perbandingan ringkas
Aug 6, 2020
What you’re looking at is the future. Literally. Polestar, the electric vehicle (EV) joint venture between Volvo and Geely has announced that the Polestar Precept will be seeing production in around 3 years’ time. The four-door electric grand tourer concept was supposed to be unveiled publicly at the 2020 Geneva Motor Show before it got canceled. The Precept was a showcase for the ambitious Chinese-Swedish brand in both design and the use of sustainable materials. The design got so much rave rea
Sep 28, 2020
Porsche is more than just a maker of an uber fast version of the Volkswagen Beetle, it’s an innovative carmaker. Look at the Taycan, it has a name that sounds like a monster that blasts lightning from its mouth with tech that sounds better than Tesla. But Porsche has quite a few interesting concepts throughout history from an environmentally-friendly hatchback in the 1970s that has a body made out of wires to its own idea of a car designed for the then growing Chinese car market in the 1990s. Ev
Nov 15, 2020
BMW SUV customers in Indonesia have racier options to look forward to as BMW Group Indonesia officially unveiled the 2020 X3 M Competition and the 2020 X4 M Competition via a virtual event. These are the most powerful variants of the X3 and X4 SUVs. Apart from platform and general look, that’s about all that’s similar with their regular counterparts. On the outside, they're already much sportier than the standard variants thanks to lots of M goodies. Both cars have their iconic kidney grilles fi
Jul 17, 2020
The Hyundai i30N is the third best-selling hot hatch in Europe, according to data compiled by Jato Dynamics’ analyst Felipe Munoz. In the first half of 2020, Europe’s performance/hot hatch segment remains overwhelmingly dominated by the Volkswagen Golf GTI, which sold 5,640 units in the first six months of 2020. Following far behind is the Mercedes-AMG A35, with 3,611 units delivered. Trailing closely behind the A35 is the Hyundai i30N, with 3,425 units delivered. The BMW M135i and Ford Focus ST
Aug 17, 2020
A few weeks before, I wrote about 5 cute Kei sports cars from the Japanese Bubble Era. As I had teased in one of the captions, this time, it’s the turn of the little Kei hot hatches. The idea of a Japanese hot hatch wasn’t an entirely new concept. There was the Nissan March Super Turbo, the Honda City Turbo II, and the Toyota Starlet Turbo S Limited but those were powerful on their own and free from the strict regulations of a Kei car. Yes, even the City, despite its small looks, wasn’t technica
Aug 16, 2020
Do you know the Incredible Hulk? All it took was a boatload of gamma radiation, and the once soft-spoken, unimposing Dr. Bruce Banner was suddenly a rage-filled green killing machine. In a way, that’s what Volkswagen is too. Hear me out; I’ve not gone off my rockers just yet. See, talk about VW and you’ll most probably think of sedans (swoopy or otherwise) and maybe some SUVs, but they generally have that serious German doctor demeanour about them. Once or twice in its history, VW has poured wea
Aug 16, 2020
Now the BMW 8 Series is even more powerful! Hot off the launch of the BMW X5 M and X6 M, BMW M introduces the BMW M8 Gran Coupe. The new BMW M8 Gran Coupe is powered by a 4.4-litre V8 engine with M TwinPower Turbo. The car produces 600 PS and 750 Nm of torque. The V8 engine is paired to an eight-speed M Steptronic transmission with Drivelogic and M xDrive all-wheel-drive system linked with M Differential. This allows the M8 Gran Coupe to make that century sprint in just 3.3 seconds and has a fue
Oct 9, 2019
Beberapa minggu lepas, kami pernah menulis tentang 5 kereta sports Kei yang comel dari Bubble Era Jepun. Seperti yang kami nyatakan diatas, kali ini kami mahu bercerita tentang ‘hot hatch’ Kei pula. Idea bagi ‘hot hatch’ Jepun bukanlah konsep baru sama sekali. Dahulu kita ada Nissan March Super Turbo, Honda City Turbo II, dan juga Toyota Starlet Turbo S Limited. Tapi, kereta-kereta ini memang berkuasa dalam kelas mereka yang tersendiri dan bebas daripada undang-undang ketat kereta Kei. Ya, malah
Aug 25, 2020
Anda tahu Incredible Hulk? Hanya dengan pancaran radiasi gamma, dan Dr. Bruce Banner yang begitu lembut akan secara tiba-tiba menjadi si pembunuh hijau yang penuh dengan kemarahan. Jadi apakah persamaan Incredible Hulk dengan Volkswagen Beetle ini? Sebut saja Volkswagen, kemungkinan besar anda akan memikirkan sedan (sport atau sebaliknya) dan mungkin juga beberapa SUV tetapi umumnya mereka mempunyai sikap doktor Jerman yang agak ganas. Sekali atau dua kali dalam sejarahnya, Volkswagen menumpahka
Aug 17, 2020
In an era when SUVs are booming and cars’ performances are continuously rising, BMW M GmbH has unveiled the third generation BMW X6 M and X6 M Competition. Under the bonnet of the BMW X6 M sits the latest iteration of the 4.4-litre twin turbo V8, also found in the F90 BMW M5, producing 600 PS and 750 Nm of torque. And if that isn't enough for you, the Competition model takes the output to 625 PS while torque is maintained at 750 Nm. All of that power goes through an 8-speed M Steptronic transmis
Oct 7, 2019
2020 is not holding back with surprises so what’s another, right? The jack-in-the-box this time is the BMW 128ti, BMW’s new hot-hatch that’s ready to pinch sales from the VW Golf GTi. The Bavarians are also looking to cure a Hyundai i30N-sized headache. BMW going up against Hyundai? Wait till you hear what's next... It’s front-wheel drive (sorry, purists), but wait, it’s far from humbug. There’s a four-cylinder, turbocharged 2.0-litre mill putting out 265 PS paired to an 8-speed Steptronic (auto
Sep 17, 2020
The BMW i4 has been confirmed a while ago and recently, Autocar reported that the BMW M4 Gran Coupe is in the works as well. But funnily, since they both share the same 4 Series Gran Coupe body, the M4 won’t be the most powerful in the 4 Series lineup, the i4 will be. Yes, the BMW i4 will be the most powerful 4 series yet, with 530 PS and over 800 Nm from the electric motors. 0-100 km/h takes around 4.0 seconds and it will accelerate to over 200 km/h. The upcoming BMW M4 on the other hand, is ex
May 13, 2020
** This article is the personal experience of a 2013 Volkswagen Golf GTI Mark 7 owner and does not necessarily reflect the views of WapCar. Facebook: Suhanesh Chandra The term GTI has always carried a strong heritage with it. Ever since the first Volkswagen Golf Mark 1 GTI launched in 1976 till the latest Golf GTI Mark 8 that was unveiled recently, this model from Volkswagen has always been the benchmark for the hot hatches and other automakers have always been trying to surpass that benchmark.
Sep 4, 2020
NZ Wheels Sdn Bhd, a subsidiary of Naza Group and an authorised dealer for Mercedes-Benz in Malaysia, expands their coverage in Klang Valley after acquiring the Setapak dealership. The NZ Wheels Setapak Autohaus sits on 13,866 sq ft of land and boasts a built-up area of 9,200 sq ft, housing five mechanical work bays and one wheel alignment bay. The service centre is capable of handling up to 250 vehicles a month for both general and specialized repair. It is manned by 10 highly-trained personnel
Oct 8, 2019
Another week, another new BMW M car. BMW M GmbH has unveiled the all-new BMW M8 and BMW M8 competition. Both of which comes in coupe or convertible form. Power is served by the flagship 4.4-litre twin turbo V8 producing 600 PS and 750 Nm mated to an 8-speed M Steptronic transmission, and the engine’s power is channelled to all four wheels. The Competition model bumps the power up by 25 PS, making a total of 625 PS. 0-100km/h is completed in 3.3 seconds for the Coupe and 3.4 seconds for the Conve
Oct 9, 2019
BMW Group has announced new plug-in hybrid variants for the BMW 3 Series and BMW 5 Series for the European market - the BMW 320e and BMW 520e. Both the BMW 320e and 520e feature an identical powertrain that makes a combined output of 204 PS and 350 Nm of torque. The 2.0-litre 4-cylinder petrol engine alone makes 163 PS. Drive is sent to the rear wheels via an 8-speed ZF automatic transmission. The BMW 320e will have an option for xDrive to power all four wheels. The BMW 320e Sedan does 0-100 km/
Jan 27, 2021
It’s a very sporty month for BMW Malaysia as they launch yet another M Sport equipped car - the 2019 BMW X3 xDrive30i M Sport. The kitted up X3 is now available for sale for RM328,000. Kulim will only be building 120 units of this variation of the X3 so if you’re a fan of M Sport, you do not want to miss this opportunity. On the exterior, the 2019 BMW X3 M Sport gets new 20-inch M light alloy wheels in Double Spoke Style 699 M along with M Aerodynamic body styling like the rear bumper with gloss
Sep 27, 2019
With the upcoming 2020 BMW M3 and M4 set to launch in Sept, BMW is slowly trickling info to set tongues wagging. This week's properly juicy - we have the top M engineer offering insights into the new M cars' development process. Dirk Haecker, BMW M’s head of development shares his views on the cars as he races around Sachsenring. It’s a pretty technical track, and it bodes well for M fans as he says the car offers improved overall driving performance over its predecessor. The new upcoming perfor
Aug 31, 2020
BMW Malaysia recently unveiled the X1 Life Cycle Impulse (LCI, facelift in BMW lingo), alongside the new 320i. Let’s take a closer look at the new X1 LCI versus the model it replaces. Starting with the front end of the new BMW X1, the X1 LCI gains a new trapezoid kidney grille, surrounded by new LED headlights with more angular integrated LED daytime running lights. The mid-life update for the X1 also gives the compact luxury crossover new full LED tail lights. Furthermore, unlike the earlier mo
Jan 20, 2020
As you know, BMW has officially discontinued the BMW i8. The last of the i8 will roll out by 16th June. And to commemorate the occasion, BMW custom built 18 special edition of their first PHEV sportscar. Each i8 is painted in a unique colour previously not available to any other units. All of the 18 custom-built units are fitted with Alcantara seats and steering wheels, special trim strips and custom-built digital instrument panels. All changes are purely cosmetic, as it is still powered by the
Jun 29, 2020
It is not every day that you would get a car designer doing a critique of another designer’s work. Most of the time designers would be either working their drawing hand to the bone or staring at mood walls. There aren’t enough hours in the day for them to throw shade at one another. However, having left the car design world and with everyone locked at home, designer Frank Stephenson has started his own YouTube channel. On his channel, Stephenson goes into detail about the inspiration behind some
Aug 11, 2020
The Toyota and Subaru partnership has turned out to be joyfully fruitful one for enthusiasts, because, well, we got two generations of the Toyota 86 and Subaru BRZ twins. Now, they want to do it again, this time creating an all-wheel drive (AWD), rally-bred hot-hatch. So what do we know? First things first, it's vital to know the Impreza nameplate covers both sedans and hatchbacks. Meanwhile, the WRX model line-up is reserved only for sedans. That said, the third-generation (GRB) Impreza was the
Feb 10, 2021
A common practice for manufacturers when it comes to differentiating their model trim or specification level is to have different wheel sizes. Higher rung models often have larger wheels thus having lower profile tyre, and the general consensus is that larger wheels look better. But are there actual benefits of having larger wheels? First, let’s take a brief through what exactly is the profile of a tyre. It refers to the gap or distance between the edge of the rim and edge of the tyre, it is ref
Apr 13, 2020
Yesterday, we published the leaked prices of one of BMW’s upcoming additions to the G20 3 Series range, the plug-in hybrid 330e. Today, we got another leaked pricing of the high-performance BMW that will be launched alongside it, the M340i. According to a source, the 2020 G20 BMW M340i will cost around RM 423,000 including SST. Exempted from SST, the M340i will start at around RM 403,000 which will be valid until 31-December 2020. That sounds like big bucks but with that pricing, it’s very close
Oct 21, 2020
In BMW Malaysia’s current line-up, the company offers two variants of the G20 3 Series – the BMW 320i and BMW 330i. To recap, BMW Malaysia introduced the locally-assembled (CKD) 330i M Sport late last year, followed by the more affordable 320i in early-2020. But how do you differentiate the BMW 320i from the more expensive 330i? Let’s take a closer look. Exterior – Pay close attention At a glance, both the 320i and 330i may appear identical, but there are several tell-tale differences. Starting
Jul 9, 2020
BMW Indonesia has launched the 2021 BMW 5 Series facelift (LCI). Two variants of the BMW 5 Series LCI are available in Indonesia – 520i M Sport and 530i Opulence priced at Rp 1,109m and Rp 1,279m respectively. Exterior kit in the 520i M Sport include BMW Laserlight, 19-inch M Y-spoke Style 845 wheels, and of course the M Sport exterior treatment. The 530i Opulence gets Luxury Line trim, 19-inch W-spoke Style 663 wheels, and the Laserlight as well. Both are powered by a 2.0-litre turbocharged eng
Apr 12, 2021
BMW Thailand has launched the locally-assembled (CKD) 2021 BMW X7. It’s offered in one variant – the xDrive30d M Sport, priced at 5,999,000 baht (around RM 810k). Previously, the BMW X7 was imported from USA. The Thai-CKD BMW X7 xDrive30d features a 3.0-litre twin-turbo inline-6 diesel engine that generates 265 PS and 620 Nm of torque, mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission. Power goes to all four wheels using the BMW xDrive all-wheel drive system. On the outside, there’s the massive grille
Feb 15, 2021
BMW 1M, M1, M2, M3, M4, M5, M6, and M8. See what number is missing there? BMW has made an M model for just about every Series except for one – the 7 Series. BMW said the ‘M’ adds a track element and there may not be a lot of demand for the 7 Series on the track. But there was an M7 back in the 80s, kind of, in South Africa. It was the first BMW 7 Series that came about in 1977, codenamed E23. The range-topping variant was the 745i which came with the M102 turbocharged 3.2-litre straight-six engi
May 17, 2020
Honda HR-V
Perodua Alza
Honda City
Honda City Hatchback
Toyota Yaris