Update (with pictures): R35 GT-R catches on fire after colliding with a Volkswagen MK6 Golf GTI

For the earlier part of the story, as well as the video of the crash, head on over to my previous blog entry.

More pictures can be found at the bottom of this entry

Thanks to information passed from friends of the R35 GT-R owner, there were no casulties nor injuries. The incident did indeed happen on a stretch of road near Kuala Klawang. There is however, differing views on how the two cars came into contact.

Story A
This information is from an R35 owner who knows some of the members of the GT-R convoy. Two groups of cars were traveling on opposite lanes in an area near Kuala Klawang. The Golf GTI was part of a group that was coming back from a drive in Bukit Putus. They were traveling from the direction the video was taken. The two cars met with a collision and the GT-R came to rest in the brush whereupon it caught fire. Fortunately the occupants were able to disembark and save themselves from the proceeding confulgration.

Story B
According to a mechanic friend of the owner of the burnt R35, the car had been on a spirited run a few hours before the accident. Upon being hit in the rear by the Golf GTI, the car came to a full stop at the side of the road. The GT-R's hot exhaust pipes then came into contact with the local foliage (dry leaves) and this started a fire. A puny fire extinguisher that they had at the scene was not sufficient to put out the blaze, which eventually went on to consume the whole car.

Pictures courtesy of Zerotohundred member Convict:

R35 GT-R catches on fire after colliding with a Volkswagen MK6 Golf GTI

Not sure too sure as to what actually happened but judging from the absence of any other damaged vehicles in the video, it is most likely that the Golf GTI collided with the Nissan R35 GT-R and that set off the resulting inferno. 

Speculating
It looks like the GTI could have perhaps gone too fast and understeered onto the next lane, clipped the R35 from the opposite direction, and the GTR spun out and hit the tree and exploded.



The road does bear some resemblance to the locales in and around Bukit Tinggi but a friend says it happened somewhere near Kuala Klawang. Anyway, hope no one was hurt.

Bukit Tinggi (pictures courtesy of Eu Jin)

Kuala Klawang

For Sale: Used Volkswagen MK5 Golf GTI Brembo Front Kit

I've got up for sale a set of genuine Brembo 4 pot front calipers (with 50% used pads) including mounting brackets, brake lines plus 330 x 28 mm perforated rotors. These parts are in excellent condition and the rotors have never been skimmed. The brake kit has been in use for less than 6 months.

The reason behind the sale is that the brakes work too well. The owner's wife finds them too difficult to modulate in stop and go traffic, to the point where she finds the Golf GTI near impossible to drive.

Price: RM3,900

Location: Sunway

If you are interested, please leave your contact details in the comment section of this entry.
 

Golf R description on Forza3 website is wrong!

Anyone notice the Golf R description on Forza3 site is wrong....

"Supercharger with a turbocharger" ??

Right...

Autocar UK takes the new Polo GTI for a proper spin

Autocar UK is one of the first few magazines to drive the all-new Polo GTI. It sports a 132kW engine, a super-quick 7-speed DSG and weighing in only at 1200kg - this baby GTI clearly has the necessary ingredients to make for a hot little hatch but whats the initial verdict?

“There’s enough ground-covering pace – grip levels are par for the course and traction is very good thanks to an electronic differential lock. The steering, though, for all its accuracy, delivers little back to the driver and there’s little adjustability in the chassis.

The Polo will only ever partly allow disengagement of its stability control and even on the road it’s easy to trouble it. The GTI rolls a bit, grips, reaches its limit, the tyres squeal so you know about it, the body is a bit unsettled, an ESP light flashes, then you just sit it out until the corner ends and you head off again. Competent, but very sterile.”

I think they are being overly critical here - this was the same criticism that the MK6 Golf GTI copped from journalists when it was first released. I reckon if one were to mod the car with some nice performance bits (remap, suspension etc), you'll have one heck of a track / weekend car. Rumour has it that the car will retail at around the RM150k price range when launched in November and this will just blow away the competition (Alfa Romeo's Mito).

Anyway, I will reserve judgement till the car arrives on Malaysian shores. In the meantime, you can watch the video review below or have a read of the text version by clicking on this link.

Wait for the Volkswagen Golf R or get the MK6 Golf GTI / Scirocco 2.0TFSI?

I've been mulling over this throughout the weekend (pics courtesy of oneshift.com).

After having sat in a Stage III Volkswagen MK5 Golf GTI, I've come to the conclusion that unless Audi / Euromobil introduces the Audi S5 / RS5 or TTS / TT RS any time soon, I'm going to swap the 350Z out for either MK6 GTI or a Golf R (R20). And before someone asks why the Scirocco R was not included, the answer is simple, all wheel drive (AWD). Due to Malaysia's tropical rainstorms, front wheel driven cars are handicapped when the roads are wet (wish the Rocco R came with AWD damnit).

As far as I can tell, the R20 will not be arriving in Malaysia until the end of the year. Hence, the MK6 GTI is the I-can't-be-bothered-to-wait-for-the-R20 option. Basically any non-engine upgrade that was available for the MK5 will be applicable to the MK6. ECU upgrades are already out, and engine upgrades are starting to trickle in.

Now, if you were to think long and hard, the car to get is the R20 - beyond a doubt. Why? There is only a 125KG weight penalty this time for the Golf R over the GTI (as compared to the 200KG in the R32 vs MK5 GTI) and the R20 has the S3's engine. It can be pushed even further for less $ and that AWD system will simply destroy the GTI in acceleration.

A MK5 Golf GTI with Stage III upgrade is pretty expensive (Stage III w/ intercooler, fuel pump, air intake and full exhaust). This will give you 285KW and 450NM and allow the car to do 0 to 100 in around 5.6 seconds. It is also recommended that you upgrade the suspension and brakes, which will increase costs.

So for the price of a Stage III GTI (without the brake/suspension upgrades) you could technically get a Golf R. It only has 200KW/350NM but because of the AWD it will do 0-100 in 5.5 seconds. The car also already comes with better suspension and brakes. With a ECU update it will easily do 240KW/435NM and finish the 0 to 100 sprint in close to 5 seconds, maybe even under!

To wait or not to wait - that is the question. Bleh.


Disclaimer: The tropical spec "R" engine is rated at a lower 256hp & 330Nm which roughly translate to a 5% drop in hp & 6% drop in torque. As such all "R" exported to hot weather countries are tropicalised. Hence the 0 to hundred in 5.7 seconds rather than 5.5 seconds.

Audi Q5 Test Drive

Actual Malaysian Base Model Q5 (Picture Courtesy of Motor Trader Malaysia)

I had the pleasure of test driving Audi's brand new Q5 this week, courtesy of the friendly people at Euromobil Glenmarie.

Cost

Standard Spec

Nett selling price RM 297,916.40 Registration & Inspection fees RM 650.00
Road Tax RM 433.60
OTR Retail Price without insurance RM 299,000.00

S-Line Spec (adds 19 inch five spoke rims, Milano full leather sport seats, sports steering wheel with S-Line badging & headlining in black cloth)

Nett selling price RM 323,916.40
Registration & Inspection fees RM 650.00
Road Tax RM 433.60
OTR Retail Price without insurance RM 325,000.00

Colors Available at Launch:
Base model - Ibis White, Ice Silver, Phantom Black (by opting for the S-Line package, buyers will have more color options)

Optional Accessories
Bang & Olufsen sound system RM 6,000.00
Panaromic glass roof RM 10,000.00
Electronically opening & closing tailgate RM 6,500.00

Technical Information

The Q5 shares the same platform as the B8 A4 and is powered by a 155kw two-litre turbo engine (211 hps / 350 Nm of torque). The car does 0-100 100 km/h in 7.2 seconds. This engine is not an updated version of Volkswagen’s popular MKV Golf GTI 2.0 TFSI (147kw). It is actually a new power plant of the "EA888" generation of engines which powered the GTI Edition 30, a special model released to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the GTI. Also, unlike the front wheel drive Golf, the Q7's little brother comes with Audi's signature quattro permanent four wheel drive system. Another interesting titbit is that the Q5’s front suspension is borrowed from the A4 and its rear from the A6/A8 line. Lastly, the Q5's engine is mated to Audi's 7-speed S-Tronic twin clutch transmission.

Exterior

Ever since I saw the car in the flesh at this year’s Melbourne International Motor Show, I always thought that the Q5 was a handsome car. This perception was only reinforced when I walked up to my test unit which was parked outside Euromobil's Audi hanger. From the car's futuristic LED headlight cluster, to the rakish design of its tail lights - the car just oozes masculinity. I did notice though that when looking at the Q5 side on, it looked a bit 'tubby' but this was probably due to the solid white color (Ibis White). I'm sure the S-Line version with 19 inch rims and a darker metallic paint option will sort this problem out!

Bottomline, I personally think that Audi's baby SUV looks much better than BMW's X3 (both the current & future model) and Volkwagen's Tiguan.

The Q5's LED Headlight Cluster & Rear Tail Lights (Picture courtesy of Motor Trader Malaysia)

Ibis White Audi Q5 at test launch - base model with 19 inch rims (Photo Courtesy of www.oneshift.com)

Interior

The interior was bedecked with supple black leather and I was able to find a comfortable driving position, thanks to the Q5's electronic seats (complete with lumbar support). The red dials on the speedometer, a Audi trademark, is clear and quite pleasing to look at. Like most Volkswagen AG cars, the driver's information screen is sited between the rev-counter and speedometer. It always shows the current selected gear and the driver is able to access information about the car by utilizing the steering wheel buttons.

The Audi sales rep gave a brief demonstration of the MMI system by slotting a SD Card into the centre dash and played some music tracks at the touch of a button. The Malaysian model is equipped with Audi’s Symphony radio and sound quality was pretty darn good. The Euromobil employee also connected his mobile phone via the Bluetooth prep system and it was all rather simple and easy to use.

My previous ride was a Volkswagen and there is a marked difference in terms of cabin quality. The Audi felt more upmarket. This should be the case anyway since even though VW and Audi are under the same corporate umbrella, they target different segments of the driving public. Overall the cabin was just about right - airy and well built. The car's luggage capacity is 540 litres and spacious enough for the needs of a young family. The rear seats are comfortable as well, according to a friend of mine who came along for the ride. As for those people who love being in a position of control or authority - not to worry, the Q5's SUV height gives you a throne from which you can lord over other road users!

On The Road

Before leaving Euromobil, I had already begun to fiddle with Audi's Drive Select system. While making my way out of the tight small lanes of Kawasan Perindustrian Temasya, the Q5 in Comfort mode was supple and the light steering wheel setting, made for easy manoeuvring. There was little body roll, even during sharp turns. Pot holes and road irregularities were soaked up by the cosseting ride. Upon reaching Jalan Lapangan Terbang Subang Jaya, I switched to Auto mode and you could already feel a difference in terms of power delivery and ride - pick up had improved and the car felt more planted. The steering wheel began to feel 'meatier' too.

As I passed Saujana Golf & Country Club, I swapped to Dynamic and after making sure that there weren't any other road users near me, began to move the car from side to side while at cruising speed and the Q5 felt unbelievably solid. The steering wheel felt so direct and meaty yet never too heavy. You just had to point at where you wanted the car to go and it went! The ride was slightly more on the firm side, so some people might find it a bit too harsh for daily driving (but that’s what Comfort mode is for isn't it?). I reckon that Dynamic is just perfect for a blast down the highway or for some spirited driving on nice stretch of winding road. Prior to returning the car to Euromobil, I couldn't resist doing a standstill launch to see if the 7.2 seconds figure was accurate. Needless to say, thanks to the engine, the quattro four wheel drive system and the lovely gearbox, the car is capable of doing just that (not to mention making me smile with the sudden rush of unadulterated speed!).

Conclusion

Try to imagine the Q5 as a large hot hatch and you would probably have a good idea of what the car is all about. It definitely isn't an A4 on stilts. Despite weighing in at a hefty 1730kg (unladen), the car is fast, handles well (for a SUV - feels more like a premium sports sedan) and isn't so large as to make the task of driving it around town a chore (try parking a Q7 on a weekend and you'll see what I mean). Some people might argue that buyers are better off purchasing Volkswagen's Tiguan rather than spending RM50,000 more on the Q5. Having driven the Tiguan (which is based on the MKV Golf chassis - meaning its smaller than the Q5), I would say that if you could afford to spend fifty grand more, you might as well get the Audi. By doing so, you get the S-Tronic / DSG gearbox (Tiguan has a regular 6 speed transmission), a much more powerful engine (the VW's powerplant puts out 147kw and does 0-100 in 8.5 seconds) and the Q5 will have a longer shelf life since its European launch was in November 2008 (the Tiguan was launched in Europe in November 2007).