To know more about BMW M Performance Automobiles, read our earlier post here and here.

Below is a draft copy of Yamin Vong's editorial for this Sunday's issue of Cars, Bikes and Trucks, complimentary with every copy of New Sunday Times. It is still work in progress and readers are welcomed to share their opinions and feedbacks.
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China‘s Nanfang Daily reported that China’s automobile export last year totaled 814,300, a 49.45 per cent increase over 2010’s figures.

Of the total figure, Chery exported 160,200 vehicles, a 73 per cent increase, while Great Wall Motors managed 83,117 vehicles.

While China’s main export markets in 2010 were Algeria, Vietnam, Egypt, Syria, and Chile, the recent political instability in the Middle East region has forced many Chinese automobile companies are refocusing their efforts on South America. 

Viability of the Euro is now a hotly debated topic within Europe. There is a new informal economic acronym created - PIIGS, referring to the beleaguered economics of Portugal, Italy, Ireland, Greece and Spain. Germany alone is propping up the entire Eurozone and Chancellor Angela Merkel has firmly said that Germany can no longer afford to continue funding the EU. But without continued support from Europe's strongest economy, the Eurozone is in danger of collapse. For German car makers like Audi, continued support for the Euro is paramount in ensuring continuity of its business.

Toyota further cemented its lead in global sales of hybrid vehicles by delivering its 400,000th hybrid model in Europe, an Auris Hybrid. The car was delivered to a Belgian customer.

Ford Malaysia enjoys a record year, Toyota re-adjusts its sales forecast, Honda might bring in the Hybrid Jazz and BMW finally introduces its Diesel M division.
 

As the wise old racing adage goes “horsepower sells cars, but torque wins races”, and BMW decides that there couldn’t be a better time to sell diesel powered torque monsters wearing the famous M-badge.

We suspect that a healthy serving of EfficientDynamics mantra was involved somewhere along the thought process.

Seeing that more than half of all buyers for Volkswagen’s new up! city car will opt for having an extra pair of doors behind the front pair, Volkswagen has launched the four-door version of the Up!

Priced at 10,325 Euros in Germany (RM41,300), the four-door variant of Volkswagen’s smallest car is just a mere 475 Euros (RM1,900) over the two-door variant.

Like the two-door, the four-door up! will be available with two petrol engine variants (59hp and 74hp) and five different trim levels ( take up!, move up!, high up!, black up!, and white up!).

It is said that Thailand's national car brand is Toyota, with a 40 percent market share in a 800,000 units a year car market, Toyota's dominance is one of the highest by any single make in any single country market in the world. As a result, it is extremely difficult for any newcomer brand to make significant inroads into Thailand, even more so for a non-Japanese or a non-German luxury brand.

 

When you are already going to be shelling out RM2.6 million for an entry-level Rolls-Royce, chances are you want to make it look different from everybody else’s million dollar symbol of British automotive excess.

It comes as no surprise then when Rolls-Royce reports that more than half the Rolls-Royce Ghost and Ghost Extended Wheelbase models sold worldwide last year had some form of bespoke design.