2016 Geneva Motor Show - My Pick

1. This is the new Bugatti Chiron and is already officially the world fastest production car!  It is the replacement decade old Bugatti Veyron.  It has 1500hp from the updated W16 engine!  0-100km/hr 2.5 sec with topspeed is electronically limited to 420km/hr.   Bugatti will only produced 500 units and will cost your pocket a mere Euro2.4millions only. If we convert it with today's exchange rate and our 35% car import tax it will cost us a whopping BND$5.2millions!!!!

 

 2.  Koenigsegg Regera, the only hypercar that can rival the topspeed of Bugatti Chiron.  It packed a twin-turbo V8 engine with EV that pump out 1500hp brute power! The car doesn't has a traditional manual or auto transmission, instead it is connected to Koenigsegg Direct Drive Transmission.  (If you want more info on that please go and watch it on Youtube!)

 3.  Lamborghini Centenario.  If you follow the Geneva show for the past few years you will see this coming for Lamborghini to show case an ultra limited edition model with expensive price tag to match.  There will be 20units coupe and 20units roadster with a price tag of Euro1.75millions bucks!  Oh, did I mentioned they already sold all 40units?

 4.  The long awaited replacement for DB9,  this is the newest model design from ground up, Aston Martin DB11!  Under the hood comes fitted with a 5.2litre twin-turbo V12 engine that produced 600hp and push you back to your seat from 0-100km/hr in 3.9sec!

 5.  Porsche 911R. For the Porsche purist!  This car is basically a GT3-RS without the PDK gearbox!  The body livery pay tribute to the original 911R produced back in the 60s!  This model is limited to 991 units only and yes all of them already found a new home.

 6. Maserati Levante.  Another supercar company jumping into the SUV bandwagon.  I am sure this car will be very common sight in Brunei roads once its released.

 7.  Mercedes Benz AMG C43.  For people who can't afford the AMG C63, this is Mercedes take to compete with BMW M435i  I am really digging it, looks like the mini version of S-Class coupe

 8.Toyota C-HR.  Toyota version of taking on the Nissan JUKE.  I personally would like to see this car when it is release in Brunei.  I like Toyota way of design interpretation.  Pretty sure this will be a big hit in Brunei like the Nissan Juke.

 9.  Subaru XV Concept.  The current generation is such a big hit and I am pretty sure this evolution model will be another great model for the Brunei market.

 10. Honda Civic Hatch Concept.  I have yet to see the latest Honda Civic in Brunei.  I have no idea what kind of marketing strategy our local Honda agent have in their sleeve.  They seriously are loosing out on this market.

11.  Audi Q2, the smallest SUV from the Q range.  This will go up against the BMW X1 and Mercedes Benz GLA.

My Very First Drive!

Yeah everyone love this question.  Which was the first car that you driven?  Well for me, its the Mitsubishi Starwagon in 1997.  I was still back in Perth, Western Australia doing my high school.  I got my license at the age of 16 years 9 months(the legal age for license in Perth!).

At that time, this was my only family ride and my parent have to use this car to teach me my very first lesson.  The car, well, it was crap.  LOL!  Nevertheless, it was a first time thing and the experience was memorable.  After the following year my parent sold the car and bought two Toyotas. Sigh, I really miss my Aussie life.

p.s - sorry for not posting much lately, will post more very soon!

My Love For HEMI V8....

Hi readers,  just want to confess my new found love of American V8 engines.  Particularly V8s that has HEMI stamped on the engine cover.   Avid reader will remember my love for DODGE products,  sadly my Dodge Journey doesn't come with a V8, instead I got half of the number of cyclinders.  LOL

I am still a JDM gashead but recently with the new arrival of Chrysler and Chevrolet imported by G.H.K got my adrenaline pumping.  During my recent visit, I was told they are importing full range of Chrysler products into Brunei.  By "full" range I am referring to Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and SRT.  SRT which stands for Street & Racing Technology,  all high performance cars coming out of Chrysler group will go to this umbrella, such as SRT Viper, SRT Challenger, SRT Jeep and so on.

I am still not sure which SRT models they will be importing but it is a good start for the American muscle car fans in Brunei(such as me!).  I was told Dodge Challenger will be coming soon too.

On another note, G.H.K already announced in the showroom that the 2014 Chevy Camaro will be coming to Brunei!!!  We just have to see which engine spec they will be importing!  Is it a V6 or V8?  Time will tell!

My Dream Machines....That Got Away.....

I am sure all the car lovers out there has certain car that they wish they can own. We are not talking about supercar class here,  we are talking cars that you and me can actually afford.  We all been there before, seeing your favorite machine drove pass you and you asking yourself  "Damn I wish I can have you!"

For me, Toyota Supra and Dodge Nitro are the two machines that gave me this feeling.  The first time when I saw a Toyota Supra it wasn't even a real car.  It was a 1/24 scale plastic car model that I discovered in a hobby store back in Perth Australia when I first started out car modelling,  It was 1993 at that time and yes that is 20 years ago and the car still look amazing!  Toyota Supra no doubt age very well with its look.  I have a big heart for this car but sadly I never had the chance to sit in one yet! To find a prestine condition in Brunei is very hard.  Last I remember one for sale in some website for below BND$40k!

Next up is the DODGE NITRO. 

When it was imported back in 2009 I was still working for my parent and couldn't afford this beast.  The car is no longer available in Brunei now that I can afford it!  DAMN!  When I was out searching for my family car last year, this is the car that top the list!  I am a big MOPAR fans and seeing this on the road give me the chill down my spine.

I don't why but Dodge models always give me that WOW factors compare to other brand.  Maybe because their car is big and bulky and their design very much sum up the whole car itself.

 

 

I do not know how many units were imported in Brunei but it is very very rare to see one in Brunei road.  Finding a used one is near impossible because I had never seen one for sale!  The price for a brand new Nitro at that time was around BND$70K.  Cheap consider the price hike now due to increas in Custom Vehicle Tax in Brunei.

 

Sigh! I really would love to own these two beauties here.  Just like the Daihatsu Materia that I had before, it is one of my must get car in my list.  Sadly it didn't last 1 year. LOL

My Next Dream Machine! JAGUAR F-TYPE!

There is a new cat in town!  JAGUAR is back in Brunei!  One of my customer from CH-Toynation email me that he had recently moved to a new car company called INDERA MOTORS, which is the new Jaguar parent company of Brunei.  Jaguar used to be licensed to Premier Motor.

At the same time, JAGUAR also just launched their latest GT model called the F-TYPE in this year Paris Motor Show.  When I first glance at the pictures you see here, I immediately fall in love with the beauty of the car.  Look at it!  It is so beautiful!  I want one!  I will just wait for this beauty to land in Brunei, and if the price is right, who knows I might have one in my garage *_*

The F-Type will be release in 2013 as a MY2014.  As of press release from Jaguar,  the current model is only available in Convertible.  The Grey-colored coupe you looking at here is a prototype but I am sure it will be joining the Jaguar lineup very soon.  There are three engines to choose from 340hp V6 Supercharged, 380hp V6 Supercharged(S-Model) and the almighty 495hp V8!  It only come with 8 speed automatic gearbox. 

Please God, let this car be affordable!

 

Fuel Consumption, Take It For Granted ?

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Good evening! Just want to put a few words out. I had been doing full time work from 10am till 9.30pm ever since my CH-Toynation was officially opened. So my daily routine practically is drive to work, parked the car, drove back home after work. Talk about boring routine~.

My ER34 had been my regular work horse due to some issue with my Boxster S(which I will further explain when it is fixed). Being a weekend car in the past, it was driven no more than 5 times in a month! Now, I had it driven daily for the pass few weeks....


Recently, I noticed the fuel consumption on ER34 is going through the roof! For a full tank of petrol(BND$29.00) it will only last me about 6-7 days!, whereas for the Porsche Boxster S, with a full tank of petrol(BND$30.00) will last me 14-15 days on the same route!


I think there are several reasons for the big differences in fuel consumption. Firstly, ER34 is a modified car. Big horsepower equal lousy mpg in return! Being a 11years old car, the technology then and now was drastically different. Boxster S do have the latest technology DFi(Direct Fuel Injection) to minimize fuel consumption. Given the sky rocketing price on fuel around the world, Porsche is pushing hard for lower fuel consumption on all their cars hence their new slogan "Porsche Intelligence Performance".



ER34 bonnet vents sure didn't save me any fuel consumption :P


OK, I am not here to complaint about how much I spent on petrol, as a matter of fact our gas is one of the cheapest in the world and at just BND$0.53 per liters, who am I to complaint? And who should we thanks? Of course the Brunei Government for the subsidizing !

I don't really remember how much it was subsidized but roughly around 80cents to 90cents per litre? But I can tell you many locals(even cross border) are taking these subsidy for granted! Remember the Fuel Subsidy awareness that our government put up last year on May 2011? Read here! Personally I think the government should have it for 1 week or 1 month to really hit the awareness in these people mind!



Petrol in Brunei is really dirt cheap and we should appreciate what we have. Always remind yourself that whenever you are about to pump your car! Across the pond, other countries are not as lucky as us. For example, Australia petrol cost about AUD$1.60(BND$2.00) per litre and some place in Europe such as Germany cost well over Euro$1.60(BND$2.70) per liter!!!

Petrol price comparison for ER34(60litre) and Boxster S(65litre):-


Nissan Skyline ER34

• BND$29.00 - Brunei
• BND$120.00 - Australia
• BND$162.00 - Germany

Porsche Boxster S

• BND$30.00 - Brunei
• BND$130.00 - Australia
• BND$175.00 - Germany

I am sure you guys can work out the maths above. You guys can also click here to check out the gas price in Europe. Appreciate what we have now !!!

New parking spot for ER34 ?

DODGE, my view.....

Today I would like to talk about my current all time favorite Automotive brand, I am sure a lot of our readers have their own favorite preferences. For me, there are a few brands such as Pagani, Porsche and Lamborghini. But these are Supercar territories which I don't think in my life time I will ever own one(apart from my Boxster).

I am talking about mass Production Manufacturer (Nissan, Ford, Fiat and etc), I do have a few favorites but for all time it has to be DODGE! The memory of the the first production Dodge Viper still stunted me for more then two decades.

2011 Dodge Emblem

Old Dodge Emblem


Why DODGE?
Well firstly, it is an American car. As a car enthusiast, I do wish to drive many different cars from different countries. I always wanted to own an American muscle car but a decade ago it is impossible to purchase any American brand automobile. Thanks to GHK Motor, Bruneian are now able to purchase Chrylser, Jeep, Cadillac and Dodge in right hand drive form!!!

Dodge Nitro (my all time favorite SUV)


Secondly , check out the their 2010 models line-up. Their car is just so awesome. When I first saw their Dodge Nitro at our local showroom, I was so impressed with the front facial. The car just scream " GET OUT OF MY WAY!!! even at standing still.

Dodge Charger (all time favorite sedan muscle car)


Dodge Challenger (super all time favorite American Muscle)


Thirdly, it has to be the engine, American manufacturer are famous for their big displacement engine. Take for example Dodge Challenger SRT8 (above pic), it's 6.1litre (370cu in) HEMI V8 has 375hp raw muscle power at your disposal!

Dodge Durango (new model but sadly for American market only)


Dodge Journey Crossover
I just checked out this model two weeks ago, exterior is what you expect for a Crossover model. For BND49K, I think it is good value for money as it come with 7 seats.


I do hope that GHK Motors will import more American models to Brunei. We seriously need more variety models for our road! Yes I do know that due to the current economy we cannot ask for everything.....