Kawasaki ER6-N Review

No other motorcycle released in recent years in our country has changed the landscape of motorcycling as much as the ER-6n. When it was introduced in 2008, it created a sensation with it's sub RM30k price tag. In a country where the tax structure is severe on big bikes, and where the majority of motorcycles on the road are mopeds - the 650cc naked was a breath of fresh air. You no longer needed to be part of senior management at a multinational company to own a proper motorcycle. Now, you could be a young executive, or maybe a well paid blue collar worker, and still be able to fulfill your dream of owning a cool motorcycle. That's why this bike is so important to the Malaysian biking scene, and to Malaysian bikers. The ER-6n sure isn't a Ducati 1198, but it's capable enough to fulfill the needs of the majority of motorcycle riders.
Since it's introduction, rumour has it that the ER-6n sold so well that it even outsold the iconic Ninja 250r.

At one point, the waiting list to get one of these bikes was up to four months, although now - Kawasaki has managed to step up supply to meet demand.
For the 2009 model year, the ER-6n has gone through tremendous improvements. It is still the practical daily commuter for the daily trip to the office, but improved brakes and suspension now make it more competent as a weekend bike for the blast up Genting Highlands and make it easier to keep those guys on their ZX-6s and 10s in sight.
It is a tremendous improvement over the previous model year, and you notice the changes right away. Steering is more precise, and the frame feels more composed under hard braking and gives you the confidence to take those tight corners.
The exhaust is the same, and the bike still makes the same uninspiring blatting sound whenever the engine is revved.

The engine is similar to the previous model - and the bike tops out at about 200km/h flat out.
While the bike was designed with beginners in mind, it will also appeal to more experienced riders. It can charge through the corners with ease. With a short wheelbase of just 55.3 inches the bike corners almost like a pure sports bike, despite it's relatively simple swing arm set up. The upright sitting position gives a feeling of control over the bike, and there is no doubt that a new rider on a ER6-N will make much quicker progress on this bike compared to a more difficult to master 600cc inline four supersports.
Despite this, I find it a bit odd that a lot of newbies here are ignoring the ER-6n when they go shopping for big bikes. Some people tend to look down on the ER-6, terming it just a commuter - and prefer to aim for more glamourous bikes like the ZX-6s and 10s.

While these motorcycles are no doubt terrific machines, it takes a great deal of skill and experience to fully utilise their capabilities.
They are also a great deal more expensive. A 600cc in-line is almost double the price of the 650cc parallel twin. So if you want to get the best bang-to-the buck ratio - the ER-6n is probably it.
One reason why the ER-6N is so easy to ride quickly is because of how the power is delivered.
The ER-6 produces - 43.1 ft-lbs at 7200 rpm, which is surprisingly even more than a ZX-6R churns out at its peak at 12,000 rpm.
This torque translates into strong acceleration on the road - and because you are not gunning the engine at sky-high rpms - it is much easier to use it practically.
The Dunlop Roadsmart tire provided with the bike are adequate for most riding conditions.

However, if you plan to go around scrapping your knees and getting down dirty with the supersports - an upgrade to better tires is advisable.
The ER-6n chassis is pretty capable - and you will find out that the bike is capable of a lot more with better tires.
Ground clearance is good, although the highly placed foot-pegs will cramp some of the taller riders.
While most of the bike is sensible and well-designed, the meters are rather difficult to read.
While it is still possible to read - with much difficulty - the odd anologue speed meter, the digital bar that represents the rev-meter flickers so quickly that I found it nearly impossible to read the rpms - especially during fast acceleration.
It would have been much better if Kawasaki reversed the layout and used a digital speed meter and analogue rev-meter instead.
However, this minor annoyance hardly detracts from the fact that the 2009 model ER-6n is probably the best bike you can get in this price range right now.

Suzuki Swift 1.5 GLX introduced

Suzuki Malaysia Automobile, the distributor of Suzuki cars in Malaysia has launched the new updated version of their highly popular Suzuki Swift with a new variant which is the 1.5 GLX version.
This is basically some updates and upgrades on the cosmetics of the Swift and is still the current version and not a replacement model.

The 1.5 GLX comes with the same engine as per the current fleet where it is powered up with the 1.5 litre M15A VVT DOHC engine paired with a 4 speed automatic transmission gearbox. Basically, the main difference between this version and the currently selling ones are on its outside where you get more sporty side skirts, a new designed grille which is slightly lower and the front bumpers that curves in a little more. Inside the car, most of the equipments are maintained.


With 5 colours to choose from namely Superior White, Supreme Red, Serene Silver, Tranquility Black and Bayside Blue, you will also get a new engine cover as well as a new spoiler design. It is sold for RM75,788 on-the-road with insurance which is about RM2k more than the current one while you can for about RM6k more you can get the add-on package that comes with V-Kool tints and leather seats among others.

New Peugeot 4008

French carmaker Peugeot has revealed its entry in the compact SUV / crossover segment, the new 4008 that will make its world premiere at the Geneva Motor Show next March before it goes on sale in the second quarter of 2012.
Positioned under the larger 3008 and 4007 in Peugeot's lineup, the 4008 (previously thought to be named 2008) is based on the Mitsubishi ASX, which you may also know as the Outlander Sport in the USA, and RVR in Japan and Canada. The PSA Peugeot-Citroën group had announced the agreement with Mitsubishi in early 2010.
Peugeot new crossover model measures 4,340mm long (295mm shorter than the 4,635 mm 4007), 1.800mm wide and 1.630mm tall, and has a 2,670mm long wheelbase.

The new Pug will be available with four engines, including two gasoline and two diesel units. The petrol range is comprised of a 1.6-liter unit delivering 116HP and 152 Nm (112 lb-ft), and a 2.0-liter with 150HP and 198Nm (146 lb-ft). Both engines are offered with a five-speed manual gearbox as standard, with a CVT auto being an option on the 2.0-liter unit.

The HDi turbodiesels are a 1.6-liter unit with 112HP and 270 Nm (199 lb-ft) of torque and a 1.8-liter with 150HP and 300Nm (221.2 lb-ft) of torque, both exclusively available with a six-speed manual gearbox.

The 4008 comes in both front- and all-wheel drive derivatives. The AWD system has three modes: 2WD, in which power is directed only to the front wheels, 4WD and LOCK. In the last two, torque is directed to all four wheels and its distribution is controlled electronically according to the road conditions.

Peugeot said the new compact crossover will be sold in Europe only with the diesel engines and four-wheel drive, while other markets around the world will have access to front-wheel drive and gasoline editions as well.

Ex-BMW exec

Lotus has the right products, great products, but is not selling enough cars as it should. This is the assessment of former top BMW exec Karl-Heinz Kalbfell, brought in late last year to mentor Lotus CEO Dany Bahar. The plan is to boost sales over the next 18 months, according to Autocar UK.
In its UK home market, Lotus is struggling. The Proton subsidiary sold just 272 cars in the first eight months of 2011, 24% less than 358 in the same period last year. The overall market is down by 6%.
“The brand is well known but the products are not. We are focusing on a new range of cars, but we must sell more cars now,” Kalbfell said, referring to Lotus’ spectacular five-year plan that will yield the new Esprit, a luxury GT and a four-door car, among other models.
“We have some great cars in our range, like the Evora. Many car companies would love to have the Evora in their range. Now the point must be to get the car on the shopping list of buyers,” he added.

To address this, Lotus has Frankfurt debutant Evora GTE. It’s the most powerful Lotus road car ever built, with a 444 PS V6, revised chassis, carbonfibre body parts, and a sticker price close to £120k. This will help pave the way and prepare customers for the new Esprit, which will surely be priced above £100k.
“We cannot just jump buyers up from the Elise to the Esprit,” said Kalbfell. Another such “bridging” model is the £40k Exige S that also debut in Frankfurt. “With 350 bhp and 1080 kg, who else has such a hot performance model at this price?” said Kalbfell.
On a different note, word is that Gerard Lopez’s Genii Capital, owners of Lotus Renault GP, is looking at buying into Group Lotus

Source : www.paultan.org

2012 Ferrari 458 Spider

In our November 2011 issue, we anointed the Ferrari 458 Italia the year's Best Driver's Car after running it back-to-back against 10 of the greatest sports car on the planet. After hot laps at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, road drives between Monterey and Los Angeles; and loads of instrumented testing and seat time; we concluded that there is no better combination of ride, handling, and outright performance in the world than the Ferrari 458 Italia.
At least until now.
Welcome to the Ferrari 458 Spider, the world's first hardtop convertible mid-engine supercar, and arguably the finest road-going conveyance money can buy.
Say what? Well, just look at it.
Every Ferrari oozes sex (well, except perhaps the California), but the Spider? She jumps on your lap, grabs you by your ears, and practically demands that you barchetta her curvy bits. And that's with her top up

Push a little button on the tunnel between the seats, and an elegant 14-second striptease begins with the retraction of the two side windows. The rear deck clamshells skyward while the aluminum roof separates into a large forward section and smaller rear sliver. These pieces flip 180 degrees and stack on top of each other (headliner up) in a cavity behind the cabin shared with the engine bay. As the windows rise and deck closes, two black caps pop out to connect the triangular buttresses to the B-pillar, completing the look.
And what a look it is. Roof up, the Spider looks longer and leaner than the Italia, with a cab-forward yet fastback silhouette. Dropping the top opens up the profile and puts greater emphasis on the dramatic back-sloping buttresses. And they aren't just stylistic devices -- the buttresses protect occupants' skulls should the Spider flip on its back.
This folding roof is an engineer's dream; a stunningly elegant solution to a fiendishly difficult problem Ferrari engineers have been working on since 2004. The time and attention to detail are apparent everywhere; for instance, Ferrari claims the hardtop system weighs 55 pounds less than similar softtop mechanisms. To accommodate the folded roof, the intake and exhaust system had to be repositioned and retuned. Air intakes moved from just behind the coupe's side glass to the back end of the car, while exhaust baffles and resonators were added and tweaked.

Not only is it achingly beautiful, top up or down, it is practical, too: Behind the seats is a surprisingly voluminous cargo bench that can accommodate one full-size golf bag on or two overnight bags.
The only stylistic loss is the ability to see the fantastic mid-mounted V-8. Ferrari admits a clear deck lid could have been used, but the sight of an upside-down hardtop folded over the familiar red valve would have been ugly. And Ferrari just doesn't do ugly.
Such beauty does come at price. Despite reinforcing the side sills and bulkhead between the cabin and engine, Ferrari admits the Spider gives up 30 percent in chassis rigidity to the Italia, while gaining approximately 100 pounds and a touch of aerodynamic drag. This means the Spider is about a half-second behind the Italia around Ferrari's Fiorano test track and clearly not the better-performing 458. But here's the thing: It is nearly impossible to discern such deficits on the street -- especially while receiving such toe-curling aural pleasure.
Ferrari sent us motoring around the tight country roads of Italy's famous Emilia-Romagna region, and the sensations were eerily familiar, even if the roads were not. This is the 458 I remembered from our Best Driver's Car laps in Monterey and runs through the canyons of central California -- that fingertip control of the steering wheel, the instant response from pedal and paddle, and the flash of those fantastic shift lights. Could I feel the extra 100 pounds? No, not even close. The Spider rips through time and space with just as much passion and alacrity as its brother. How about the 30 percent reduction in torsional stiffness? I thought I would notice it, but even over broken tarmac, numerous speed bumps, and a couple of American-sized potholes, there was never any distinct chassis flex or quiver -- and nary a squeak nor rattle to be heard.

What can be heard, without the prophylaxis provided by a solid roof, can only be described as eargasmic. Raw, lusty, and willing to rev, the Spider's 557-horsepower V-8, essentially unchanged from the Italia, wails into the open at the slightest suggestion of throttle. Flat-foot upshifts from the dual-clutch seven-speed transmission are a delight, particularly in Race mode, but it's the piercing crispness of the impossibly quick downshifts that send follicles -- among other things -- standing on end.
More impressive is that this audio-erotic stimulation comes without guilt. Ferrari equipped the Spider with Wind Stop, a retracting rear window ("Like in a 4 Runner," one journalist snarkily observed) between the buttresses. With the top up, this window can be fully opened to allow the heavenly reverberations to enter the cabin unobstructed. Top down, the window retracts by two-thirds to a position Ferrari determined, via wind-tunnel testing, that minimizes buffeting to driver and passenger. (Put it all the way up, and turbulence actually increases.) And indeed, even when rocketing at triple-digit speeds, there is surprisingly little top-down turbulence.

But does all this really make the Spider more appealing than the planet's Best Driver's Car?
Yes, it does, and Ferrari basically admits as much. Its research indicates that the Italia guy -- and they are almost exclusively men -- is primarily interested in top-tier performance and bleeding-edge technology. He loves driving fast, primarily on the weekends when he goes for short, aggressive solo blasts through canyons and B-roads. He may or may not track his car, but he's certainly not interested in any sort of performance compromises.
The Spider owner is a different beast; he too loves the performance and racing credentials, and the swagger that comes with the prancing horse badge. He is more likely to drive his 458 daily, and his trips are longer and more often there's someone in the passenger seat. Spider customers are also willing to pay more (roughly $60,000 more) for their steeds, and traditionally buy more of them than the coupe guys. What does that mean?
The Spider was purpose-built for the guy more interested in experiencing all of the pleasures, aural and otherwise, the world's best driver's car has to offer.

2012 Ferrari 458 Spider
Base Price $257,000 (est)
Vehicle layout Mid-engine, RWD, 2-pass, 2-door convertible
Engine 4.5L/557-hp/398-lb-ft DOHC 32-valve V-8
Transmission 7-speed twin-clutch auto
Curb weight 3550 lb (mfr)
Wheelbase 104.3 in
Length x width x height 178.2 x 76.3 x 47.7 in
0-60 mph 3.3 sec (MT est)
EPA city/hwy fuel econ 12/18 mpg (est)
Energy consumption, city/hwy 281/187 kW-hrs/100 miles (est)
CO2 emissions 1.37 lb/mile (est)
On sale in the U.S. January 2012


Read more: http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/exotic/1110_2012_ferrari_458_spider_first_drive/#ixzz1aRTdYOlq