Showing posts with label Car Freak. Show all posts

I really like the look of the new BMW G20 generation.. To my eyes, it is the most beautiful BMW 3 series ever produce.. I'm not just tal...

I really like the look of the new BMW G20 generation.. To my eyes, it is the most beautiful BMW 3 series ever produce.. I'm not just talking about the exterior.. The interior is mind blowing as well.. Thought not as flashy as the latest generation of Mercedes, but I find it really pleasant to look at.. 


The one thing that bug me whenever I see this car is the big and shiny chrome kidney grill.. It just looks weird to my eyes.. The 320i in Malaysia came in the Sport variant with black out door frame and the big chrome grill just looks awful.. So naturally, this will be the first mod that I did for my car..









I chose the design grill design that is similar to the original instead of the M3 or M340i style grill.. Actually, I regretted getting this as the insert can be taken out.. If I bought the M3 style grill, then I will have 2 different design for the grill.. But can't complaint much as I don't think I will have the time to keep changing the design.. This is basically mod and forget.. 


The size for both grills are actually the same.. Just the angle of the pic making the black one looks a lot smaller.. The black out version looks so much meaner comparing to the chrome version.


This is 100% original before any mod done to it.. 









After changing to the black out version.. Really transform the looks of the car.. In my opinion, it should leave the factory with the black out version as standard! Luckily this is something that is easy to do.. Those interested to change it can search from Youtube on the steps of dismantling it.. Is a very easy job which takes around 15 mins.. But the outcome is priceless.. 

Been driving around in the latest BMW 3 series codenamed G20 for the past 8 months or so.. So far I got nothing but praises for it.. My G20 ...

Been driving around in the latest BMW 3 series codenamed G20 for the past 8 months or so.. So far I got nothing but praises for it.. My G20 is the base 320i Sport variant.. Not the 330i or the full blown M340i that was launched recently.. But no complaint so far.. However, those that know me personally will most probably know that I got a disease that is call 'ICLMCS' which translate to 'I can't leave my car standard' disease'!! 


Did some small mod here and there and so far I'm loving it.. Didn't go crazy with the mod yet as the 5 years unlimited mileage warranty is still intact.. Don't wish to void the warranty because of all the mods.. Most of the mods I did so far were mainly cosmetic.. Did something to the engine as well but that is plug and play.. No crazy ECU flashing at this moment.. 




Since our Pug is out of warranty, I've decided to do some minor modification to it... Nothing fancy as this is my queen daily ride a...


Since our Pug is out of warranty, I've decided to do some minor modification to it... Nothing fancy as this is my queen daily ride and it need to be as comfortable and original as it can... Don't think I can use the modification word here as I'm merely changing the original parts to some aftermarket one... First thing to go is the restrictive air filter... Normally I don't do drop in (usually go with open pod for the extra oomph and not forgetting nicer intake sound!!!) but in order to make the car looks as original as it can, this is the only route to go... Off goes the original paper air filter and in goes the 'K&N'... 

Second thing that needs to be replace is the spark plugs... The factory fitted spark plug on the 'Pug' is 'NGK Platinum' series... Instead of Platinum, I opt for Iridium spark plug which is a tad better.... Initial feel after replacing these parts is actually quite promising... The car is definitely smoother and pulls a little harder especially at night... Even my queen realize about it... She told me the car is more powerful after replacing these parts... These aftermarket parts is definitely worth your dough if the time is up for changing it as these parts need replacement sooner or later... Next item that need replacement is the absorber... Custom 'Titan' adjustable or 'Bilstein B14'??? Probably go for 'Titan' as all my other car using it and I'm really happy with it... Till then...

I've decided to create a new labels for my blog... Previously, I will put all my '308 Turbo' update under 'Car Freak'...


I've decided to create a new labels for my blog... Previously, I will put all my '308 Turbo' update under 'Car Freak' which is a general label for all things related to cars... So just like what I did to 'FrankenBenz', I'm creating a dedicated label just for my '308 Turbo' and I name the label as 'Woeful 308 Turbo'!!! I'm sure most '308 Turbo' owner out there will agree to this label...

I really like the '308 Turbo' when it is behaving nicely... But the problem is, throwing tantrum is what it's good at!!! And quite frankly, it is driving me up the wall sometimes... It is a nice drive but maintaining it is a pain in the ass!!! 

Recently I got a special gift from it... Throwing two error code simultaneously!!! The dreaded 'Depollution System Error' is back after fixing it some time back... Last time the error code pop up because of a faulty turbocharger... This time round I'm still not too sure what causes it... Another error code is the infamous 'Gearbox Faulty' code which almost all '308 Turbo' owner with 'AL4' gearbox will get... Luckily with the error code on, I'm still able to drive it... Just that it restrict the gear to 3 only instead of 4 forward gears... 

Send my car to the workshop and after 1 week, it is finally fix... But what is the main problem remain a mystery!!! The mechanic change two of the solenoid in the gearbox and the problem still exist (the solenoid is the most common problem that causes gearbox faulty error in the 'AL4' gearbox... so normally mechanic will change these two solenoid first before doing anything else)... But after changing these two solenoids, the car will sometimes show the error code... So the mechanic decided to unplug all the wiring loom and rewired it back together and also cleaning the throttle body (which I'm not sure why he does that)... After doing all these, the car is back to normal... Even the 'Depollution System Error' code is missing!!! So if you ask me what is the main culprit for these two error code, I really can't tell you... Even my mechanic is puzzled by it... But deep down, I'm very sure the code will reappear again... Is inevitable... Is just a matter of when!!!

Is almost 4 years since we bought the 'Pug' and we have our high and low with it... Frankly speaking, problems are inevitable.....


Is almost 4 years since we bought the 'Pug' and we have our high and low with it... Frankly speaking, problems are inevitable... I think every 'Pug' owner will agree with me on this... There are a few common problems that almost all '308 Turbo' owner that I know of got it... Namely the famous 'Depollution System Error'!!! This is a horrifying error because it does not specify on a specific error... It can mean anything and mine is a malfunction turbo while a lot of my friends having trouble with the timing chain...

If your car is the older model that came with the 'AL4' four speed gearbox then beware as this gearbox is famous for throwing tantrum!!! I got my first experience when I drove her up 'Genting'... And now she will throw tantrum occasionally when she sees fit... The problem with the gearbox is it refuse to shift to second gear smoothly and it can be nerve wreaking sometimes!!! Since our car is long over warranty, we will need to wait and see the situation as getting it fix is not cheap... After asking around, it seems like there are 2 solenoids that are giving this problem and changing them will apparently solve this problem... I'm no mechanic but sometimes I'm wondering whether is it the weather that causes this... So I'm actually thinking of fitting a 'ATF' cooler if it doesn't come with one or changing it to a bigger one if our 'Pug' already have it... 

Recently, I found that 'FrankenBenz' is handling weirdly and not forgetting dangerously!!! The whole car seems to move around qui...

Recently, I found that 'FrankenBenz' is handling weirdly and not forgetting dangerously!!! The whole car seems to move around quite a lot and the rear is really prone to skid especially during the rain... I didn't suspect the tyres as I've just change is less than 3 months ago... I'm suspecting some bushes or arm link that might be broken or maybe the alignment is out...

Have a peek at the rear tyre and I'm shock to see that both rear tyres are completely bald!!! It looks exactly like a slick tyre!!! I'm scratching my head as why this happen because it is less than 3 months old!!! Have a look at the front and I'm equally shock... Still got a lot of thread wear in the middle but one is bald on the outside while the other is bald on the inside... That means I'm running on negative camber on one side and positive camber on the other side... Although still got a lot of thread wear on the middle part, but these two tyres are consider useless if you ask me... 

Can't really afford to keep buying expensive tyres I decided to try 'Achilles' tyres which originated from 'Indonesia'... Those into motorsports might be aware of this brand made famous by 'Japanese' drifter 'Daigo Saito'... 

I tried one of their best selling tyre which is the 'ATR Sport'... I don't expect much from this tyre as it is really cheap compare to the likes from 'Japan' or 'European' counterpart... I can buy two of these with the price for one well known 'Japanese' brand tyre!!! But surprisingly I'm amaze at what it's on offer... I find it rather comfortable and quite quiet... Other than that, I can't comment much as I still don't have the time to give it a good thrashing!!! Under normal driving, the grip is good even during the rain... So initial impression is good!!! Noise level is not too bad also... 


As for the rear, I've decided to give semi slick a try... I didn't go for 'ATR Sport' as it doesn't have the size that I want... For the front, I'm still running with 225/40 and the rear I'm sticking to 255/35... 'ATR Sport' only have 245 or 265 section tyre... Since I got a good price on the '123S', I'm thinking to myself why not give semi slick a try as I've never driven on semi slick before... There are two models available which is the '123' and '123S'... The only difference is the thread... 'S' is suppose to be use for drifting as there's more thread compare to the normal '123'... So what it means is it will last longer compare to normal '123'... 

Once they fitted the tyres back to my car, the rear end transform instantly in terms of look... So much more aggressive compare to the 'ATR Sport'!!! I really regretted to opt for the 'ATR Sport' for the front as it looks so docile in comparison... Wanted to change the front to '123S' but it doesn't come with 225 section tyre... Only have 235!!! Damn as 235 will hit the fender when goes over undulation... Going to make my suspension a lot harder so that I can go for 235 section tyre in the future!!! No comment on the driving yet as well as I've just change it recently... 

Okay, tyre issue solve... So now back to the question on why my rear tyres ended up bald in less than 3 months time??? One of the rear arm link bush is gone as well as the alignment, camber, toe and castor!!! Everything's out!!! Spend a small fortune just to get it back to spec (more expensive than a piece of tyre god damn it!!!)... And now 'FrankenBenz' is handling well and no more twitchy rear end... What I'm hoping for now is that the rear tyre can last much longer after what I've done!!!


To be continue...

Recently changed all four of my 'FrankenBenz' tyres to a more pocket friendly brand... Quite frankly I've never heard of th...


Recently changed all four of my 'FrankenBenz' tyres to a more pocket friendly brand... Quite frankly I've never heard of this particular brand before... It was recommended by the tyre shop owner saying that this tyre is very good as the price is cheap and the performance is above average...  All these while, I only used top brand tyres as I believe a good tyre is really important as it is the only contact you have with the road...  Unfortunately, my wallet is complaining about the high prices that the branded tyre command!!! So I got no choice but to try out the cheaper alternative...

The tyre that I've changed to this time is call 'N3000' and it is from 'Roadstone' (never heard of it!!!)... Upon a closer inspection, only I realized that this brand is actually a 'Nexen' tyre which is from 'Korea' (and I've heard of it!!!)... Frankly speaking it does boost my confidence up a little bit when I know that the tyres are actually from 'Nexen'... 

The tyres are really cheap and I save around RM800++ for all four tyres... Each tyre is around RM200++ cheaper compare to my previous 'Dunlop' (which is not the most expensive in the market!!!)... So looking at the price, I did not have very high expectation from the tyres... 

After using the tyres for a while, I'm beginning to like it a lot!!! The ride felt more pliant and road noise is definitely lower compare to the 'Dunlop'!!! Turn in is about the same and I don't really feel any difference in out right grip right now as I don't really push my car hard!!! So sometimes it is kind of waste to use high performance tyres!!!  The 'N3000' is doing a really good job currently keeping my car on the road... So the next test will be a round up 'Genting'!!!  That's all for now and I will do an update on the tyres when I found something be it pros or cons...  Till then...


To be continue...

I'm very sure almost everyone knows about the iconic 'Mini' of the past... Fast forward a few years ( quite a number of year...


I'm very sure almost everyone knows about the iconic 'Mini' of the past... Fast forward a few years (quite a number of years in fact!!!), we have the new 'Mini' which won a lot of praises due to it's go kart like handling characteristic...

Recently, I'm privileged enough to test drive a supercharged version of the 'Mini Cooper S' (older version of the 'Cooper S') and I'm really ecstatic about it!!! There are a lot of first time for me so I'm really looking forward to it... This will be my first time driving a new 'Mini Cooper S'... Also my first time driving a supercharged car and not forgetting my first time driving a six speed manual gearbox (always wanted to try this!!!)...

So how's it like??? The handling is just superb... Steering is very direct without any lag and not forgetting the short wheelbase contributing to the agile feel to it... Damping is also spot on if you ask me... Corner almost flat and the suspension still manages to iron out almost all irregularities!!! Quite magical... The suspension never crashes and is pliant enough for everyday driving...

The supercharged engine is a gem as well... No lag at all unlike my 'FrankenBenz' (which is already quite lag free!!!)... Just point the steering and step on the accelerator and the 'Mini' sped off quite dramatically... If compare to our 'Pug', the 'Cooper S' is way more powerful!!! The gear changes is not something that I like... The throw is on the long side and the gear knob is just too BIG for my liking!!! The shift is too notchy if you ask me... No matter how bad is the shifting quality, I will still opt for a manual gearbox over any auto/twin clutch/CVT gearboxes!!! I'm a purist if you must know...

But sad to say, no matter how good is the 'Mini' I will never buy one as I don't really see the point in it... The car is small but it comes with a BIG price tag!!! And you know what is the BIGGEST problem??? I always believe the 'Mini' is a girl's car!!! So no you won't see me driving one as my daily drive... A short test drive yes, but not my everyday car!!!

Some update on our beloved 'Pug'... Two days ago, our 'Pug' is officially out of warranty coverage!!! Isn't it ...



Some update on our beloved 'Pug'... Two days ago, our 'Pug' is officially out of warranty coverage!!! Isn't it fast that our 'Pug' is already three years old... And it is officially not a virgin anymore when it comes to 'Genting'!!! I drove it up this morning but too bad the condition is not ideal as it was raining cats and dogs... So I tone down my driving a little bit but I'm really impressed at the grip that it produced (tyres play an important role as well)... Really confident with the way it handles... Definitely much more powerful when compared to my ex-daily driver which is none other than my trustee 'Proton Gen2 MME Edition'... Although much more powerful, the thrill or driving it compare to my 'Gen2' is like night and day difference!!! 'Gen2' is so much nicer in terms of handling!!! So what about comparing it to 'FrankenBenz'??? Frankly the 'Pug' feels super slow now!!! The last time I drove 'FrankenBenz' up 'Genting', I'm using only one gear... Gear three all the way up!!! Although much more powerful, I don't find it entertaining as well as 'FrankenBenz' is way too heavy for this kind of driving... 






Since the warranty coverage is over, I must take extra care on our 'Pug' starting from now... And you know what, it decided to give me a heart attack moment this morning when I drove it up 'Genting'... I'm using the tiptronic all the way up changing gears manually... When I was about to reach 'Genting', the gearbox decided to go in neutral but the display says that it was in gear three!!! Step on the accelerator and the car's not moving... Shifted it back to auto and still it won't move until I heard a loud 'clunk' sound (my heart almost stop moving), and 'Pug' was moving again!!! I can't imagine what might happen if I really abuse it this morning... Luckily it was raining and hopefully no damages done to the gearbox!!!

The sound of this beast is just awesome!!! You need to heard it to believe it... Saw this insane 'Nissan GTR' at 'G...


The sound of this beast is just awesome!!! You need to heard it to believe it...


Saw this insane 'Nissan GTR' at 'GT Auto' the other day... So what is so special about this particular car... It looks ordinary enough just like any other 'GTR' on the road... You can spot some visual difference such as the carbon fiber spoiler and different tail pipe... Nothing more... But I was told that this car is having a full engine built from 'AMS Performance' which is famous for tuning 'GTR' to insane power... This particular car is fitted with the 'Alpha 10' package which enable it to have more than 1000whp!!! When I was there, they are running in the engine and it was putting out more than 600whp...

And now the car is ready and it churns out an official power of 1070whp!!! Crazy!!! And what is the cost of this??? According to 'AMS Performance' site, it cost from USD64,000 for this conversion... A lot of money for sure but much less compare to buying a 'Ferrari/Lamborghini' but you can smoke them for breakfast, lunch, dinner and even supper... Another crazy thing is this car spot a 'Thai' registration plate and they send it all the way from 'Thailand' just to get it mod and tune!!! 

After fixing the alternator and long shaft problem, 'FrankenBenz' has another problem waiting for me to tackle!!! Radiator giving...

After fixing the alternator and long shaft problem, 'FrankenBenz' has another problem waiting for me to tackle!!! Radiator giving me problem again even though I've just change to a new aluminium one!!! Luckily I have the habit of checking the water level almost everyday cause I'm shocked to see the water level on that day... Almost half of the tank empty and when I poured water in, I realized there was a pin hole leak from the bottom of the radiator!!! I got no choice but to drive it around as the leak was still okay for short distance driving... Just need to top up the water after every drive... Drove around searching for a radiator repairer that can fix aluminium one but it seems like it was not something easy... Searched the net and forum and this product caught my attention...

'Bar's Leak - Radiator Stop Leak'!!! You don't have to guess the purpose of this as it was written all over it!!! At first I was a bit sceptical trying out something like this as I got mix reviewed from the net... Some claiming wonders while some advise to stay away from it... I was sceptical because this product will stick to the radiator and block the leak... So if it can stick to the radiator, can you imagine where else can it stick to!!! A lot of places I'm afraid... But still I bought it and pour half bottle in my radiator... From the instruction, pour half a bottle in if your car is a four cylinders one and whole bottle if your car is six cylinders or more... Although 'FrankenBenz' is six cylinders, I decided to pour just half bottle as I don't want it to mess with my system... Start the car and let it idle for 15 minutes or more and you know what, it works!!! 

Next morning before starting my car, I did my routine job of checking the radiator for water and to my horror the water level was low again!!! In my mind I was thinking of $$$ flying off again as I might need to replace the whole radiator... Since I got nothing to lose, I took the remaining half bottle of 'Bar's Leak - Radiator Stop Leak' and poured it in my radiator... Top up the water and let it idle... Obviously, the leak stopped after a while... 

Fast forward a few weeks later, I believe the stuff works as my radiator is working fine now... No more leak... So if your radiator has a small leak, you might wanna give this product a try but make sure to pour the whole bottle in if you're driving a six cylinders car!!! 

I believe I'm really unfortunate when it comes to motoring life as I'm always plagued with different kind of problems... This was...

I believe I'm really unfortunate when it comes to motoring life as I'm always plagued with different kind of problems... This was definitely not the first time I've experienced a cracked windscreen... In fact, this would be my fourth time since I started driving...

It started with a tiny spot right beside the 'AMD' sticker... My darling don't really remember when she got hit on the windscreen but we decided to get it repair after having breakfast... And you know what happened after our breakfast???


It started to cracked almost half the length of the windscreen!!! We got a shocked of our life when we saw it... So off we go searching for a windscreen repairer urgently... We managed to find one called 'Dr Cermin' located in 'Setapak'... When they saw our windscreen, their first thing they told us was the windscreen need to be replace... No point repairing it as the cracked was way too long...

But we decided to repair anyway as our insurance coverage was not enough to replace a third party one let alone original... Third party one cost around RM1200 and original one cost around RM3000!!! We were going to wait till we renew our windscreen insurance and pay more premium for the windscreen so that we are able to change to a original one... That was the plan...


They obliged to our request but they won't guaranteed that it would work as the cracked was really too long to begin with... We decided to gamble with it and give the go ahead...



They started by drilling a tiny hole at the end of the crack... The reason they did this was because they were going to inject the sealant in through the tiny hole so that the sealant will flow along the crack and seal it... That's the objective...


 Applying sealant...


 The tools for making this work... 



After applying the sealant, the crack area was covered with a thin piece of plastic and drying process began...


 After a while, they started peeling off the plastic cover...


The end result!!! Still managed to see the crack nearer to the 'A pillar' but those nearer to the center was gone!!! Definitely better than before...

This was done before 'Chinese New Year' and you  know what happened two months later??? It begin to crack again... No choice but to replace the whole windscreen as the crack span more than half the length of the windscreen!!! So based on my experience, if your crack is small/short, faster get it done and you can basically forget about repairing those crack which is longer than four inches long!!! Not worth the money spend because most probably it will start cracking again just like what is happening to us!!! And now I know why I usually don't win when I gamble, cause I sucks at it!!!

Is time to change the brake pad for my 'Peugeot 308 Turbo' again!!! Front brake pad can last only around 40,000++km and the rear p...

Is time to change the brake pad for my 'Peugeot 308 Turbo' again!!! Front brake pad can last only around 40,000++km and the rear pad can last up till around 80,000++km!!! This is the fastest wearing brake pad car that I've ever drove... Not forgetting the disc rotor!!! The front need replacement real soon...

This time round, I didn't opt to use back original brake pad from 'Peugeot'... Since the original one wears out easily, I decided to give some other brand a try and not forgetting saving some hard earned cash as well... 'Valeo' is one of the biggest OE manufacturer around so I presume that the quality is on par with the original one... 

After bedding in the brake pad, I'm amaze with the stopping power from the new 'Valeo' brake pad... The brake quality is actually on par with the original one and the best part is both front and back 'Valeo' brake pad cost less than the front original brake pad alone!!! Crazy right but is true... The only drawback is the spongy feel of the brake pedal... But this occur even when I use the original brake pad... The only thing I can do to eliminate this is change to steel braided hose... But let's just wait till the warranty period is over!!! 

Finally!!! After all these months of torture, I'm happy to announce that our beloved 'Pug' is back to it's healthy state....

Finally!!! After all these months of torture, I'm happy to announce that our beloved 'Pug' is back to it's healthy state... No more 'Depollution System Faulty' error message and the engine check light is off for good!!!

But how long can this last??? This is the BIG question that keeps lingering in my mind... This problem exist since June and this is an on and off kind of problem... Whenever we sent our car in for diagnosis, they managed to solve this problem... But after a while (the longest is around 1 week time), the problem came back and it is really frustrating... So I'm really keeping my finger cross and hopefully they solved the problem once and for all!!!

 Technician diagnosing our car... 



I can't remember how many turbo solenoid and dump valves they have change... At least 3 for each if I'm not mistaken... After sending our car in for two weeks, the technician can't seems to solve the problem as well... Before this, they have diagnosed the car and told me that the turbo is faulty and it need to be replace... I'm more than happy to hear this because judging from the turbo, it is indeed in a very bad state as I can see oil covering the turbo... So we took our car back and waited patiently for the turbo to arrive... 

Finally when the turbo arrived, we made an appointment and send our car in and I was greeted with all sorts of nonsense... The service advisor said they need to re-diagnose the car before they can start changing any parts... This is really stupid as they have all the records saying that our turbo is faulty... Why do they need to start doing this all over again... The first time they diagnose they change the dump valves but the problem still exist... Then they diagnose again and this time the error code shows that the turbo solenoid is faulty and they change the solenoid again!!! But still they can't solve the problem... 

So my darling cannot 'tahan' anymore and called them almost everyday talking from the service advisor to the manager in charge... In the end they decided to change the turbo as they believe that the turbo is indeed faulty!!! If they change it in the beginning, it will save us at least one and a half weeks of our time... But looking at the bright side, at least we got a new turbo and the irritating error message code is finally off!!! Luckily they managed to solve our car this time because I'm thinking of writing a complain letter to 'Peugeot France' and told them how incompetent 'Nasim' is!!! I guess this letter will have to wait!!! 

Woo hoo another 'Lotus' for me to test drive... This time is non other than the famous 'Lotus Elise S'!!! The 'Lotus ...

Woo hoo another 'Lotus' for me to test drive... This time is non other than the famous 'Lotus Elise S'!!! The 'Lotus Elise' is a car that change the rules on low kerb weight sports car... With a bonded extruded aluminium chassis and a body made from fiberglass, the 'Lotus Elise' managed to keep weight as minimal as possible... This is a 'Lotus' so obviously the handling is what made this car so special and it won numerous awards for its handling ability... Some even called the 'Elise' as a overgrown go-kart!!!

The 'Lotus Elise S' that I'm testing is actually a second generation of 'Lotus Elise'... Much nicer to look at and definitely a little bit more habitable... 


 'S'



In terms of looks, the 'Elise' is a much better looking car as compared to the 'Lotus Evora IPS' that I had the privileged of testing a few weeks ago... It looks more butch although it is not as wide as the 'Evora IPS'... Overall it just looks meaner compare to the 'Evora IPS' which in my opinion is a very docile looking car whereas the 'Elise S' looks more like a track day refugee to me...


Much bigger air intake as compare to the first generation of 'Elise'...




 Very nice looking rear light arrangement... 


The whole backside is so much nicer compared to the 'Evora IPS'!!! Nice looking diffuser that managed to make the car so much meaner...


Puny twin exit exhaust... Although it is much smaller compare to the one found on the 'Evora IPS', the sound that it makes will actually made the 'Evora IPS' weep in terror!!! 


 In order to keep weight to the bare minimum, everything is manually operated including the side mirror...


If you are looking for a comfortable car, you can forget about the 'Elise S'... No creature comfort or whatsoever... There is no power steering here and this is a manual only car... You get a very basic sound system and a very basic air conditioning... When they first launch the 'Lotus Elise', air conditioning is an optional item!!! But in Malaysia, all Lotus car came equip with air conditioning... 

As you can see from the picture above, there is no carpeting to cover up the aluminium chassis and you can forget about sound deadening!!! None at all... When you depress the clutch, you will hear a metallic clank because there is nothing to stop the clutch pedal from hitting the chassis... Not even a rubber stopper!!! 

If you are a lady and you own a 'lotus Elise S', you can start throwing away all your skirts... I mean all of it because you can't wear it when you drive the 'Elise S'... You can actually wear if you don't mind those awkward upskirt moment happening!!! Getting into this car require some dexterity and if you are a plus size people, you can also forget about this car... Once you manage to get in, try getting out!!! Much harder if you are not use to it... But luckily I have years of experience climbing in and out from full bucket seat!!! 


Once your in the car, the car feels really claustrophobic and the view out is something I need to get use to... 


 The gear change is really nice... One of the best manual that I've ever tried... 


Front twin pot brake is more than enough to stop this car... The 'Elise S' weight only 895kg!!! My 'FrankenBenz' is around one tonne heavier!!!


The 'Elise S' uses a 1.8 liter four banger from 'Toyota' with VVT-i that can be found on cars like 'Toyota Celica' and also 'Toyota Wish'!!! The engine produces around 140bhp and 170Nm of torque... Very small numbers but on an 'Elise S', this means that the car is capable of sprinting from 0 - 100km/h in a mere 5.8 seconds!!!


If you are going on a road trip, you can also forget about this car because the maximum allowable mass in the luggage compartment is not more than 50kg!!!


Just look at the space they provide for your luggage!!! I don't blame them because this car is not designed for carrying things!!! It is design to devour the roads!!! That is the main purpose of this car!!!



Once you drove the 'Elise S', the driving experience will stuck in your mind for days and even weeks for my case!!! I'm still thinking about it till now!!! This is the most raw car that I've ever driven... Something like a track car if you must know... Once on the move, you can actually feels all the road imperfection with your butt and your hand... You will feel every surface and camber changes!!! The steering is full of feel and there is absolutely no slack at all... The steering is also very direct and quick...  

The driving experience is completely different compare to the 'Evora IPS'!!! The 'Elise S' is very noisy and when you hit 100km/h, you can actually forget about talking to your occupant... Road noise, engine noise, induction and also exhaust noise to be precise!!! Actually can but you will need to shout... So you know why they install a very normal sound system in this car... And when you are gunning this car, the induction sound is really intoxicating!!! You will purposely change down a gear just to hear the induction noise... I can't imagine if this car came equip with individual throttle bodies!!! 

The ride is firmer compare to the 'Evora IPS' and definitely not as comfortable... But who cares about comfort when you are in a car like this... In my opinion, few car come close to the 'Elise S' ability in terms of handling and bringing joy to the driver... For me, this is the car that I will choose over the 'Evora IPS'... I really won't mind driving it everyday but I know a lot of people bought the 'Elise S' as their weekend car... But I guess I can live with it in a daily basis... I really hope more car manufacturers can come out with cars like this... Very basic without all the electronic to spoil the driving experience...

If I struck lottery one day, I know what car I'm getting for myself and it definitely won't stay standard for long!!! In fact, I already came out with a list of modification that I'm planning to do to it...