2014 August ~ KL Supercar Hunt

Hello viewers, I’m back!

August has been busy at the same time a fantastic month, maybe even the best so far for 2014, because I have some really fast and beautiful cars to show and tell from my KL (Kuala Lumpur) trip. Unfortunately it was only a 4-day trip so I did not; sadly, get as many pictures as I wanted. The main reason, firstly, I had this trip was to visit my relatives and some friends living there and secondly, of course, is to hunt and snap for some exotic machines and share it with you all.

During the trip, time was always against me even though I planned the schedule ahead. Another thing you have to know about KL is everywhere it’s far and it really was time consuming even if you drive fast on the highways. And some of the showrooms I intended to visit like the Lamborghini and McLaren showrooms were not accessible to me at that time. Most the pictures were taken from the Pavilion Mall and NAZA. And lastly, I had to spend time with my big family whom I had an awesome time with.

And really before I go through some of the cars I must give a big shout out to my friend Alvin who has been the one driving me around to find these cars and also for some good food. Without him, none of these pictures and experiences will be possible!

Day 2 was the day where we had most of the pictures shot. We headed out to the Pavilion Mall because my Aunt and cousin decided to treat us for some amazing ramen. There we explored the underground car park and the famous Pavilion valet car park where there were a couple of Porsches, Ferrari and this bizarre VW in chrome blue. Sadly, we were there before lunch time and it was a Friday working day so we did not see as much as we wanted. We also went to the Bentley showroom which was in the Mall itself to see several models like the new V8 GTC and the GT Speed.

After the lunch and some awesome gelato we split up and headed to NAZA. To be honest I was really tired that day and had a nap while Alvin was at the wheel. I can tell you how my energy charged up immediately when Alvin woke me up. From my eyes, I saw a blur of bright yellow and as my eyes settled suddenly there was epic bright yellow Ferrari 458 Italia right in front of our car. I wish you could see my reaction that moment. I was seriously wide awake…better than the coffee!

NAZA’s complex was massive so we started at NAZA Italia where it’s the official showroom for Ferrari & Maserati. One the ground floor is where they hold Ferrari cars and the upper floor is where they hold the Maserati cars. Sadly yet again when I was there, the Maserati MC12 and the Ferrari Enzo were sent away for service so I did not get the opportunity to snap. There were a number of Ferraris mostly F12 Berlinetta-s and 458s. They have the usual selection of colors especially red. There were two Ferraris that really caught my attention from the epic floor. One was this tangerine orange Ferrari F12 Berlinetta, next a full white Ferrari 458 Spider, then a black Ferrari 458 with a “Kuching” license on it and lastly a customized Ferrari 458 Speciale. I am not allowed by the sales people to post this unique car because it hasn’t reached the customer but I must say it looks epic. I’ll describe it. It is painted in a two tone matte black and white with a nice red and black strip and at the front intakes they were painted chrome red and it is surrounded by ribbons. I was told this car is bought as a birthday present. How I wish it’s me because it looks fantastic and because it’s the Speciale. For your information all Speciales are sold out in the whole of Malaysia. On the Maserati floor, we had the usual Gran Turismos, the new Quattropotte and the Ghiblis. The highlights were the MC Stradale in white as well as this Maserati in beautiful matte blue. It really looks good with the indoors and sun light.

After Italia, we went to the main NAZA hall where it was renovated specially for NAZA Swedish Motors where they are the official dealer for one of the fastest manufacturers in the world, Koenigsegg. There they had a black Koenigsegg Agera S. Unfortunately yet again; we could not see the whole car as it was under the cloth. We also had a look at the BMW M6 Gran Coupe, Audi R8 V10, Bentleys, the new S63 AMG and some superbikes like Ducati and Aprilia which I am not really interested in. I guess my favorite part was the trying the only-2-in-Malaysia limited edition Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera LP570-4 in this lime green paint. We also happened to meet and have a good chat with the manager about the sales of this car and learnt a great deal manager’s experience with the cars. He was really kind to let us have a go at the Lamborghini and, my goodness, the sound it makes is so different compared to the normal Gallardo LP560s. I barely floored the gas and it set up a blast throughout the hall and even stunned some of the people both customers and employees nearby. I know to many the new Lamborghini Huracan is the new replacement and many are chasing and even buying it now but personally I don’t think I will ever like it. I believe the Gallardo Superleggera is still the better car, it looks more of a supercar, it sacrifices all the practicalities to perform faster and to save weight, it looks more insane andit is a supercar that is built purely for driving fun. The Huracan in my eyes is more of after plastic surgery Audi R8 with more horsepower and I also think the design is a little boring. But maybe it’s just me! The Gallardo holds a special place in my heart even when it first came out.

I just wish my timing was better and my trip was longer. It was an epic trip! I had tons of great fun with my relatives’ and friends and even though there were unfortunate moments with the cars, it was really worth it! I did at the very least take quite a number of pictures and explore the cars.

For more pictures, do like and follow me on my new Facebook page for this blog. I promise I will bring up more news in the future! Cheers!

28th June 2014 - Mercedes AMG

Mercedes CLA AMG

Germany is home to numerous brands of manufacturers and divisions for fast cars. One of the most popular brands of them all is Mercedes together with their hardcore division known as AMG. Over the past few years AMG has been known in making hardcore and beefed up versions of current selling models like the Mercedes C, E, S class models and many others. These cars are well known to have massive engines like the V12 and V8 Bi-Turbos (twin-turbocharged). Now they have introduced a newer version known as the CLA45 AMG.

It was unexpected as there was no official unveiling but the CLA45 AMG was in Kuching about less than a week ago. It was 28^th of June on a Saturday which was my birthday so my Dad and I went to have a look at the new CLA.

 I think this car is one of the prettiest cars Mercedes is currently producing. In the front it looks completely new and modern. But at the back I think it looks even more exquisite with the wavy brake lights together with the curvy body. With the CLA45 you get all the AMG packages such as the multi-spoke alloy wheels and red accents on the side mirrors and the radiator grill. Overall I think it is a very pretty car and I think it looks even better when you encounter face to face instead of looking at it through your laptop or smart phone.

In the interior, it looks pretty straight forward; you don’t get a spaceship console with so many buttons which I quite like. You also have contrasting red stitching to the black interior which gives a nice sporty and young touch. In the front it is quite easy to get into especially if you are an average height Malaysian like me so goes the same to the back seats but you have to duck a little as you get in because of the curving structure.

I think the most intriguing thing about this vehicle is the engine. Usually we know Mercedes AMG builds massive engines like the over 6-litre sized V8s and V12s. The CLA45 AMG however has just a 2 liter turbocharged engine (hand-built) which breathes out 360 horsepower and 450Nm of torque. The 0-100kmph is said to be staggering 4.7seconds. It does have a lot of power for a considerably small heart compared to its other brethrens. With the aid of the AMG sports exhaust it still sound and feel like an AMG-tuned Mercedes, that brutal, angry, growling noise. In Malaysia, the calling price is around Rm390,000 which to be honest I would say “cheap” for an Mercedes AMG because I was expecting it to be at least half a million ringgit.

It has also been brought to my attention that the CLA is doing very well in Malaysia especially the standard CLA200. In Kuching alone, there are currently over 30 orders within a month since its official unveiling. The CLA45 AMG on the other hand around now 3 said by the salesman. In addition, the CLA200 has currently a very long waiting list which can last almost a year.

Until when I can get you an official test drive will I return with more details of the CLA whether it is the 200 or the 45 AMG model. For now I think what I really love most about the CLA is the fresh new look. It has this elegant and modern feel to it when you see it. The CLA would be an ideal car to have in the towns like Kuching as it is decently sized and a big boot and decent occupancy for four people.  I just love the design of this car. It is just a very pretty thing!

If I do buy such a car I think silver is just not the right color for such a young sporty sedan. I think this car will look good in bright violet or in pacific blue and with black contrast to the Mercedes emblem and grills. But that is just me!

7th July 2014

Bentley Flying Spur – Kuching

Bentleys are popular in little towns like Kuching here. I guess they are more manageable and also a better car to drive especially in Kuching with bumpy roads and a lot of potholes.

It has been a couple of months in Kuching I spotted this new white Bentley Flying Spur in town. Usually I would pick dark ocean blue or even candy apple red for these kind of Bentleys but to my amazement it looks pretty good white.

Personally, I am more of a Rolls Royce fan but a Bentley is without doubt still one of those luxury prestige cars you would love to just drive around in town at the same time draw some eyes to you yourself.

Next update: Mercedes CLA45 AMG.

24th June 2014

Porsche Panamera

So today, Tuesday, it is an unexpectedly lucky day. A good friend of mine who has returned from Melbourne for a short break called me during breakfast, if you have read the previous post on the Panamera he was the one who owned the white Panamera which we got busted by a speed camera. It was very kind of him to drive me yet again in his Panamera while we were hanging out and catching up.

This time I paid closer attention to the way the car performs.  I am not sure what model this one is but it is a naturally aspirated (I believe it is a V6). Even though I have gone faster before this car’s acceleration really stuns me due to the fact that it is a really big and heavy car, I will admit I was trying to hold my bladder each time my friend floors the gas, the excitement does physically draw things out. Most of the Panameras I know in Kuching are pretty quiet even if they accelerate fast but in this Panamera my friend got the sports exhaust. Bless him! I mean what is the point of a fast car when you don’t have the noise.

The guess the only thing I am still not used to is the number of buttons on the center console, having so many buttons makes it feel like as though we are an actual speed rocket which probably what Porsche was trying to make us think it is. On the good side the buttons are not messily placed about and they are easy to press and despite being rather sophisticated it does look to impress. It is elegant and very posh.

It was fun; the only sad thing was the traffic and the fear of speed cameras which slows us down. Hopefully one day I could get the chance to test drive a Panamera. I’ll be sure to bring up a review on that.

Thowback – 2013 Porsche

Porsche Panamera Turbo

In Kuching, one of the most popular luxury fast cars is the Porsche Panamera. I can say I can spot at least one Panamera without fail in a week. Most of them are brown and personally I find that to be of an odd color for a sporty fast car. I was fortunate enough to get into the Panamera twice. One was last time when my friend took me for a spin in his white Panamera and it what really stunned me was for a considerably big car it can really fly! I mean we hit around 170kmph in just seconds. I know there are supercars that can do way faster but what an incredible acceleration for a big car with quite a big boot, four seats, a big engine and a roomy cockpit. I was at one point “OH MY GOD!” and holding tight in my seat with adrenaline rush when my friend was accelerating hard and manually shifting the smooth dual-clutch gears. That was indeed fun and that fun ended up with a speeding ticket. I guess we were going so fast that we didn’t spot the police behind the bush with the annoying speed camera with a 70kmph limit on a nice stretch. The stock Panamera is said to be very quiet even though it has a big powerful engine but my friend nailed that problem thanks to a custom exhaustand so that is a good thing.

The second time where I got to actually have a detailed look was last year around August where I was having a barbeque party at my friends house and her Dad happened to own another Panamera, which is another brown. So my friend was kind enough to lend me the keys to have a look and take some photos of the big but immensely fast German car. When I first saw it on the Internet the pictures and the prints the car looks really low and sleek, it looks amazing, however when I got to actually meet it face to face it is actually big and quite bulky. If I’m honest it is not one of the best looking four door cars since Porsche announced this car is designed to be like the 911s. The front looks fine but the back somehow looks very round like the end of a loaf of a French loaf. I mean there are many other cars that you can buy that looks better, sportier and even more elegant than this car for example like what they showed in Top Gear of the Aston Martin Rapide and the beautiful Maserati Quattropotte.

However, the Panamera is overall cheaper and in my case less expensive than the Aston Martin and the Maserati. It is also proven faster and more powerful than the two. The main thing I like about the Panamera is that it is actually a proper Porsche which when you first look at the design of the exterior it has the distinguish Porsche looks. Inside, it is very well made and sophisticated. It is easy to access in or out of the car; you just have to mind your head especially the back doors because of the curve structure. I guess the main problem I was not used to when I was sitting on the front seats were the numerous buttons on the center console. For any normal car we have the air conditioning, radio and some safety feature buttons which are friendly and distinguish to operate, but the Porsche I did get quite a few question marks in my head what some of the buttons do. I guess if you are going to own one do read the manual first before driving it.

Overall, the Panamera is a good everyday car if you’re the one who loves driving fast and if you would like some room to move about. As a plus, this car has a big boot so it means if you are the shopping type you can plenty of space to put your shopping bags or your groceries. It’s around 15 cubic feet of space there! On normal mode, the Porsche really is comfortable thanks to the adaptive suspensions. Hopefully the next time when I do get to test a Panamera I’ll definitely post something about it.

P.S. Please stay tuned as I have a surprise mostly about supercars this coming two months. I’ll try post them as soon as possible. Cheers and Happy Saturday!

9th May 2014- Dream Supercar

I have been asked a couple of times by friends to family members. The question is what is your favorite supercar? I will admit it is a quick answer – Ferrari 458.  It doesn’t matter whether it is a coupe or the convertible AKA the Spider because I have been a Ferrari fan since I was a little boy and I have been a fanatic of this dream machine since it was unveiled and reviewed by Top Gear, Fifth Gear and the other motoring shows. I personally think it is one of the most stunningly beautiful Ferraris ever made by Ferrari and designed by Pininfarina. I love its other brothers like the F40, 599 GTO, 355, 360, 430 and of course the Enzo but this Ferrari 458 for me is just something I really have a heart for. I have seen this car in showrooms and on the road a number of times and from the day it was born until today I am still deeply in love with this dream car. I just love the noise it makes from stationery to speeding; I love the seductive triple exhaust pipes which makes the noises of a wild ferocious animal, I love the front where it has that modern mean, angry and aggressive looks with the two front “mustache” winglets, I love the craftsmanship of the 4.5 liter V8, I love the entire exquisite body which has that modern Italian artistic touch to it and lastly, of course, I love its world famous emblem which is the Prancing Horse. This car is said to be based a lot on science for incredible performances and they designed it in such a way to that it is so beautiful to the eye and it drives confidence in you that you would proudly park it in front of a hotel or a casino or at least to yourself at your home with a lot of good lighting for you to sit down just to admire the amazing art and work by Ferrari.

.And the second frequently asked question is how would you like your 458 to be IF I do buy one? I would get the Ferrari 458 Spider; it has the same performance as the Italia coupe with just a 4mph lower top speed difference. I know the Spider is more expensive than the Italia coupe but why not spend a bit more to open the top and just listen to the noises this monster, no, ANGEL makes! I will definitely want to customize it especially the engine cover which you can’t see the engine unlike the Italia coupe. I would like to add the famous Scuderia shield on both sides of the car, I would add the Italian flag stripes on the driver’s side mirror, I would prefer to change the rims maybe by Vorsteiner in just black or else black chrome, I would prefer a custom exhaust which enhances the noise of this machine, I would like the color to be a two-tone which the top is glossy black and the body which I would give it the famous striking red or else colors like satin blue or purple, I would love the interior to be black with the red stitching as the contrast all over the car and lastly if possible I would have the car in stock performance or if possible tune it slightly higher but not too much.

I’m going to hit 21 on the 28^th June which is soon and my birthday wish is to get a Ferrari 458 Spider in the future if God permits and grants me the possibilities to buy one. If not then I would just love to just give it a good drive or the very least have someone drive it for me for a few hours. I love this car, I really do. If let’s say I am only allowed to have one supercar in my life, this is my answer and I will stand by that. It is a stunning piece of engineering. There are many cars out there I love but this one has a special place in my heart. I will be waiting for that special day where I can have a special encounter in this car. Amazing car. 

Throwback – Sunday, 30 June 2013

Hills Mall Supercar Show, Kuching 2013

There are many memorable moments in my car-obsess life especially the car shows. I love car shows. The big noisy & excited crowds from the young to old, the beautiful models, the photographers and most importantly are the supercars filled brutal noises and plenty of horsepower. I was in my exam week with the last paper coming up in a few days so I decided to just take the afternoon off to de-stress myself and really was it worth it. 

Car shows are the perfect time to just feast your eyes upon these amazing cars and meet & talk to friends or even strangers all about cars. The one thing I love most about car enthusiast meeting another car enthusiast is it establishes relationships rather quickly. It is like conversing in another language and it is just all about the interest the two parties share in common.

Kuching is a pretty small city so to have a supercar here is quite rare and also hard because there are no official supercar showrooms and it is not easy to find maintenance for these expensive machines and because the import tax are high. Kuching unlike the capital city, Kuala Lumpur or Singapore is not your typical place to look for supercars even though the number has been climbing a lot the past few years.

During that car show, two new supercars joined the Kuching Supercar Owners Club fleet which were a Maserati Gran Turismo and the brand new Aston Martin Vanquish.

I guess the highlight of the show were the Lamborghinis, it was just a large crowd trying to view around the car and taking pictures. It was unsurprising for the Lamborghinis to steal the show. We had the rare (and it was the first time I saw it) Verde Ithaca Aventador, the Arancio Atlas Aventador, the full black Murcielago and of course the Gallardo LP560.

Next in line, we had the WALD R35 GT-R, a blue Audi R8 V8, a yellow F430 Spider and a two-tone red/black Ferrari F430 coupe. Then we have a couple of cars like the Porsche Caymans, the Bentley Continental Supers and the Continental GT.

I only stayed until the middle of the event where the photo-taking session was taking place with the beautiful models posing next to the cars. It was nice to see Asha, a beautiful Kazakh who was studying the same subject with me in Swinburne, with the modelling team.

For me I really had a good time during that car show. The exciting atmosphere and the amazing cars put together. Yet again, it was not the full fleet of the Supercar Owners Club, some did not attend which was pity but either way it was nice to see these cars especially the Aventadors and the beautiful Aston Martin Vanquish. These two cars were the big boys with their massive V12 engines that caught my attention. The Aston the star for in eye, it is the latest car in the fleet and because the Aston Martin is up to now one of the most stunning supercars I have ever seen; it has such a beautiful design from the outside to the inside. It is a very good looking car, no second thought on that! I was really impressed too with stunning upholstery. Sure did I remember it took my breath away just to see the detail of this car.

Personally for me I really love car shows, it is a nice to time just concentrate on one’s hobby and it also acts as a motivation to work harder and smarter to be able to afford these cars. Maybe one day, who knows?

P.S. Thanks once again to the Kuching Supercar Owners Club for making this special occasion an awesome one.