Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 3 May 2007
  A1 Team Malaysia driver, Alex Yoong, makes the switch from the open-wheel
A1GP car to the larger sportscar prototype racer this weekend, competing at
the Le Mans Series event in Valencia, Spain, in a six hour endurance race. 

  Yoong joins A1 Team Czech Republic driver, Jan Charouz for the second of the
six rounds in the Series, and along with two American events, and the famed
Le Mans 24 Hours race.  The duo expects to contest each event in a new Lola
Judd LMP1 B07-17 (A1GP calendar permitting). 

  The amphitheatre style circuit at Valencia, which allows spectators to view
the entire track from any vantage point, is a favourite for drivers and fans
alike. The Le Mans Series makes its first visit to the track this year and
with a forty six car grid - the maximum capacity for this facility - the 4
kilometre track will be a busy place on Sunday afternoon. 

  A1 Team Malaysia's busy winter schedule of A1GP competition hasn't allowed
Yoong to test the prototype sportscar prior to his first race weekend, but
the experienced driver will quickly adapt to this style of racecar. The Lola
Judd is over 300 kilos heavier than the A1GP car at 925 kilogrammes versus
600 kilogrammes and is longer and wider too. Although the horsepower is
greater in the sportscar, the additional weight slows it down, so the
overall speed of the two different types of machinery is similar, with the
sportscar having 700 bhp horsepower to the A1GP's 520. 

Yoong says of changing cars, "I don't see this as a problem as I had the
same situation last year when I was driving with the Racing for Holland
team. I have to change my driving style slightly and the mental approach is
different, as you can't attack quite so much with the endurance style event.
Car set-up also differs and although you still drive flat out in the
sportscar, just as you do in the A1GP car, there's a conservative tinge, as
it's such a long race."

 Despite a lack of pre-event testing of the sportcars Yoong is looking
forward to this weekend, "We've seen that this car is quick, so we can
battle with the best in Spain, and with such a long race, our goal will be
finish the race. The car is brand new though and only completed one event so
far, so it hasn't done much mileage and the most important factor is
reliability. If the car can go the distance, there's every chance of a
strong result."

 "As well as being a race in itself, this weekend is also a testing ground in
preparation for Le Mans 24 hour race, the next event for us after Spain.
It'll be very important to get as much information as possible about the car
which we can use to help in our goal of a Le Mans win."

 Yoong was forced to miss the first round of the Le Mans Series due to a
clash with the Shanghai A1GP event, but while Yoong was sampling the
high-tech Chinese track, the Charouz team were pounding the historic Monza
circuit finishing ninth in the LMP1 class. 

 The Le Mans Series 1000km of Valencia race weekend starts on Friday with
free practice, followed by further practice and qualifying on Saturday with
the race starting at 1.30pm on Sunday 6 May.

   Proton should remain in Malaysian hands, says Tun Mahathir.

   In a remark made to the press, Tun Mahathir urged the government to reconsider selling Proton to the highest foreign bidder and instead, find a resolution with a local buyer instead. He then goes on to comment on the state of the current management, citing the performance of the past management as a proven track record.

  “Remove the management and put back the old management who have been able to do well,” he added.

source: Reuters

   Mercedes is prepping for a mid-life facelift for three of its ‘chic’ models. The SLK, SL and CLS are getting an overdue nip/tuck to keep things tight and fresh. With the CLS, Mercedes hasn’t done very much. Besides, it already looks great, so why change something that already works? What’s new is a CL-like grille. That paired to a fresh set of light clusters and a new bumper will give the CLS an overall tauter look. For the SL, Mercedes have decided to do something extreme. The new boomerang headlamps have been inspired by the CLS and is expected to look smashing on the new SL. Mechanically the SL will still remain the same – since the mild tweak was done just last year – and so will the choice of engines.

  The SLK is has been given the most minor of facelifts, with only the head and tail light being altered slightly, plus a new set of bumpers. If Mercedes decides to do a set of LED pilot lights, that would do wonders for the SLK’s high-street appeal.

  These cars are expected to go on sale in Europe by 2008, so Malaysia should be seeing these trio by late 2008 or early 2009.

 Click Read More To View Photos

  No, it’s not going to look as green us our cover car the GT3RS. Expected in 2009, the Panamera has been caught testing all over Europe. Porsche isn't holding back on the Panamera range. The first batch to go on sale will be fitted with the 4.8-litre V8 from the new Cayenne and pack a hearty 400bhp, which is a pretty meaty starting point for its first saloon. Expect 0-100km/h times in the region of 4.5 seconds and a true 275km/h top speed. However, the turbo will be serious business; equipped with 520bhp and 700Nm of torque, it'll be gunning for the M5 and giving other supercars a run for their money.  But there’s something else. And this is where it starts to get interesting. 

  In 2011 we will see two special variants of the Panamera. One that houses a proper four wheel drive system and  another which is expected to have a hybrid engine under the hood. The 300bhp V6 Hybrid engine will be provided by Volkswagen and should be reworked with an electric motor, so it can run in zero-emissions mode around town - or when your mood beckons, pump out an extra 100bhp for short bursts. 

  There will be two types of transmission on offer: a six speed manual and a tricked out 7 speed DSG gearbox derived from Volkswagen. Porsche only expects to shift around 20,000 Panameras for 2008, something which we clearly believe is truly short of what this car is capable of achieving. 

Click Read More To View Photos

Not one to take flak from another neighboring motoring manufacturer sitting down, BMW has decided to tackle Mercedes’ uber-saloon, the CLS, head-on. The Concept CS will share underpinnings with the next-generation 7 Series and will come in at just over 200 inches in length, and a huge 78 inches in width, but interestingly enough, only 53.5-inches in height. In an attempt to take the 4-door coupe market by storm (against the upcoming Porsche Panamera and Aston Martin Rapide), the CS will be endowed with a proper powerplant. 6.0 litre V12 and 600bhp to be exact. From the photos we can tell that the new CS will be a real work of art. Now, if only BMW decides to put those gorgeous 19inch rims on the new M3.

More Photos After The Jump