Tailgated by a “Chihuahua” Saga FL

I’ve been meaning to blog about the new Saga FL or, rather, the not so new Saga FL, now that it’s been out for several months already. But I kept putting it off.

I didn’t quite know whether to love it or hate it more than the old “new” Saga.

The Saga FL looks more masculine, what with its sharper, more angular headlights.

And because of that, some people perasan gila (get dreams of grandeur), like the dickhead who souped up his Saga FL and tailgated my Kia Forte 2.0SX.

One upside to that is, I get the motivation to blog about the Saga FL and how it performs when souped up.

In one word? Fast.

I don’t know what the guy did to his Saga FL, but the thing was like a little Chihuahua on steroids. Come to think of it, it looked like one too, what with the sharper, “meanie” looks of the Saga FL.

More importantly, each time my Forte was held up by fast-lane road hoggers, almost in the blink of an eye, the dickhead caught up in his “Chihuahua” Saga FL and tailgated me some more.

Of course, outrunning the thing was not a problem for my 2.0L Forte. Despite under-revving and slowly accelerating, I pulled ahead of the dickhead by as much as 500m or more.

Then, road hoggers would slow me down and, there it was, the “Chihuahua” Saga FL fully in my rear view mirror. It was so close to my Forte’s rear I could almost see the white of the eyes of the dickhead behind its wheel.

So, what did I do? Move aside? No way.

I gunned my Forte’s engine as soon as the fast-lane cleared and left the “Chihuahua” Saga FL behind yet again.

And so, that was how it went, until the dickhead driving the “Chihuahua” Saga FL decided to hang left into a via-duct and tailgated someone else.

One thing’s for sure, I have a newfound respect for the Saga FL. Too bad its manufacturer Proton still has a stinking reputation of producing cars of lesser quality, a reputation it has yet to shed fully because of decades of shoddy workmanship or build-quality of Proton cars.

And let’s not forget, all Proton cars are overpriced.

Also, the Saga FL’s more masculine looks make it less than suitable to girls or women drivers. I can’t seem to reconcile “meanie car” with “cutie behind the wheel”.

Ah, well. Maybe it’s just me, but if girls or women were truly the target market, I think the old “new” Saga’s more feminine looks did a better job at catering to them.

Primax 95 xtra - A Fuel that Even Performance Cars Can Use

If you’re not partial to RON 95 fuel or think that it’s really not very good, then check out PETRONAS’ Primax 95 xtra. It may just change how you feel or think about using RON 95 fuel.

Having driven around at high speeds using the old Primax 95 (yeah, I get into pissing competitions quite a bit), I can personally attest to the fact that the new Primax 95 xtra gives added performance that you can feel.

Specifically, my Kia Forte 2.0SX is punchier at all gears and is actually quite “slippery”. What do I mean by “slippery”? Well, let’s just say, my Forte tends to go faster than I intend it to, thanks to Primax 95 xtra.

In fact, feedback from friends and acquaintances who are owners of BMWs has been largely positive. Most say that the new Primax 95 xtra actually makes BMW engines run smoothly.

While it may not provide the kind of punch that Primax 97 would give, the cost savings that come from using Primax 95 xtra is well worth it.

Still, don’t just take their word for it. Try the new fuel out for yourself and see for sure. It may turn out well for you too.

If it doesn’t, well, you can either go back to using the more expensive RON 97 fuel or buy a new car that can actually make the most of RON 95 fuel.

In any case, the new Primax 95 xtra promises additional savings due to its new and improved detergent additive.

That is to say, with less engine friction, you need less fuel to move your car.

Kia Forte is Debut Model of 2011

Kia Forte has been awarded Debut Model of the Year at the 2011 Frost & Sullivan Malaysia Excellence Awards. For Forte enthusiasts, this is quite an ego boost.

It’s like a big “yes” to our purchase decision. It affirms the fact that the Kia Forte is great looking and dependable, two fundamental reasons why it’s so popular with car buyers.

Never mind that the car has poor rear shocks and springs.

Now, if only the hybrid version is available, it may end up being a popular choice as well.

Unfortunately, there are still issues pertaining to Approved Permits for bringing hybrids into the country, and I can’t help but think that it has to do with protecting Proton again.

Goodness, if that’s true, enough already! It’s high time that Proton comes out with it’s hybrids. If it’s slow to do so, then consumers should not be made to suffer.

The F1 Race Weekend that Was

Sigh! What another disappointing F1 race weekend for the Mercedes GP PETRONAS Formula One team. I don't know exactly why the team keeps losing, but we can reasonably deduce two things.

One, drivers Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg are NOT LOSERS because, well, they both have had their fair share of the limelight at the podium, especially Schumacher.

Two, the cars they’re driving appear to be holding them back. That is to say, despite the prestige that comes with the three-pointed star Mercedes, the F1 cars fielded by the Mercedes GP PETRONAS Formula One, thus far, are being outgunned by those that sport the Renault engine.

You could see the difference between them, especially on the straights in Sepang. The Mercedes F1 PETRONAS cars don’t seem to have the same punch as Redbull’s Renault powered cars.

As a racing enthusiast, there’s nothing more frustrating or humiliating than a car that can’t run as fast as the competition. While corners and s-bends require skill to negotiate, there’s no skill involved in driving fast on straights. And if that’s where you lose out, well, there’s really no point in all that skill on corners and s-bends.

Oh, well. Better luck next time. Hopefully, the engineers of Mercedes F1 PETRONAS Formula One team come up with a car with a better engine next time round.

PETRONAS News - PETRONAS kicks-off 2011 Grand Prix Ground Promotional Activities

With barely a week to the 2011 Formula 1™ PETRONAS Malaysia Grand Prix on the weekend of 8 to 10 April, PETRONAS kicked off its ground promotional activities on 2 April 2011. The centre of the company’s activities is at the 2011 Formula 1™ PETRONAS Malaysia Grand Prix Showcase at Suria KLCC with a host of daily programmes.

The highlight of the activities at the showcase was the special onstage appearance by the MERCEDES GP PETRONAS Formula One Team drivers, Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg on Wednesday, 6 April 2011 from 5.30p.m. Both drivers also indulged their fans in an autograph signing session that afternoon.

In addition to daily trivia activities that offer participants the chance to walk away with attractive prizes, visitors can also participate in a simulator challenge. The showcase also includes the retailing of exclusive range of PETRONAS Motorsports and MERCEDES GP PETRONAS Formula One Team merchandise as well as the retailing of MERCEDES-BENZ’s range of premier items for the first time.

Visitors can also view the exclusive range of timepieces by MERCEDES GP PETRONAS Formula One Team partners, Graham London and the range of lubricant products by PETRONAS’ retailing arm – PETRONAS Dagangan Berhad.

Also on display at the showcase are the MERCEDES GP PETRONAS Formula One Team’s MGP W02 race car and Mercedes-Benz’s top of range version of the marquee’s four-door coupe; the CLS 63 AMG road car.

The 2011 Formula 1™ PETRONAS Malaysia Grand Prix showcase will end on Sunday 10 April 2011. For more information on PETRONAS’ activities visit http://www.petmos.com.my/ or onfacebook page: www.facebook.com/PETRONASMOTORSPORTS

Teana - A Nissan that Grows On You

Dang! It's been two months since I last blogged on my favourite subject.

To all my readers, my sincerest apologies for my lack of new entries. Just switched jobs; had to get into the groove at the new office; new expectations - that sort of thing.

In that time, however, I've had a lot to think about when it comes to cars. At the top of my head is the realisation that you don't have to spend a bomb on a car just to feel like you've made in the world. Driving an expensive, prestigious marque may impress your peers, but at the end of the day, you can still get a lot of driving pleasure from less expensive marques.

That realisation dawned on me at a recent Golf Tournament that I helped to organise. Almost all the VIP guests came in "wowie" cars, befitting their stature.

But as I took a walk in the golfing club's car park, I realised that many of the VIP cars weren't all that fantastic, especially those whose upkeep have been neglected by their VIP owners.

Some looked old and even run down. And for some of those cars, their interiors don't look half as impressive as their external looks.

And this brings me to my main point - don't spend so much on an expensive car when cheaper cars these days can give you almost as much comfort and driving pleasure as those expensive, prestigious marques (if not as much or even more).

Don't believe me? Having spent several months driving a Kia Forte 2.0SX, I've gotten quite familiar with its interior comforts. Then, I got into a BMW 525 and was surprised to find its interior as less than impressive.

That got me thinking - RM95,000+ vs RM230,000+. Yes, the BMW 525 is impressive looking on the outside, but since we're going to be spending far more time inside of a car, is it really very smart to pay more than twice for something similar in a far cheaper car?

OK, so you don't think that a Kia Forte would go very far with your peers. No problem, just settle for a stylish Mazda 6 at RM170,000+. Its interior will still be cheaper to own and will be just as impressive as a BMW 525, if not more.

Alternatively, you can go for the stylish Nissan Teana. Don't laugh. It's not the old-man's car that some may think it to be.

Yes, I'll admit, I was one of those who thought that the Teana was an old-man's car when it first came out. After being conditioned to prefer cars that have the fire-ant, upward-sweeping rear looks, anything that went the other way or looked like the Teana's drooping rear looked weird.

"Bontot roboh, macam orang tua," I said (translated from Malay to mean the shrunken ass of an old man).

But then, if one can be conditioned to like something, then one can get used to the Teana's rear looks, and even prefer it over time. And to my surprise, I actually started looking forward to seeing the Teana on the roads.

After that, the rest of the car's looks just grew on me. What can I say? I love it now. Never mind the faux wood panelling that sometimes makes me think that I'm driving part of a display cabinet - I hope they'll get rid of that in future variants of the Teana.

And judging from the many that have been sold already, many other car enthusiasts love the Teana too (the cheapest being the 2.0L variant at RM140,000+).

Would I drive it to a golfing club if I were to be a VIP someday? I don't see why not. OK, it's no Mercedes Benz or BMW, but it's good looking enough and its interior prestigious enough to hint to my peers that I've got my money tied up elsewhere.