In Between All Of That Traveling

In Between All Of That Traveling

I have to apologize to you readers out there. I have been extremely busy with life these days. Over the past month or so I have been occupied with traveling and a whole bunch of stuff. I was in Penang early last month. I was also in Raub, Pahang thrice. I was in Fraser's Hill twice. I was in Ipoh once. I was basically everywhere except in front of a computer typing out stuff. In between all of that traveling. I had to work. I had cars to service. I also had to chill out with friends to talk about man/boy stuff. In short, writing has taken the last seat on a very long bus filled with countless of other activities that requires my time. I sometimes wish time does not fly as fast as it does these days. It my be age catching up and suddenly overtaking yours truly as I find my self trying to do so many things in a week. Now back to the topic of cars.

I seem to have acquired a fleet of cars over the past couple of months. The Subaru has been a very reliable workhorse and recently had its cracked front windscreen changed. I have no issues with the car and it has only left me stranded once due to a leaking water pump hose. But throughout the seven and a half years of ownership it has performed admirably and at times punches above its weight. The Proton Wira is like any 1.6 automatic Proton Wira out there. Very cheap to maintain and very dependable. After sorting out its overheating issues it has been a decent, albeit a slightly boring ride. The Suzuki Alto 1.0-It has been to the Suzuki service center twice in the last 6 months. This is because somehow, the service booklet suggests that you service it every 3 to 4 months or 5,000km. In order to keep its warranty intact I am doing just that although it hasn't crossed 4,000km to date.

The reason this car was chosen over a Perodua Viva or another Myvi is that it drives better than both and my mum likes the way it looks. I like the way it looks. My mum takes it to be shops in front of her house and to a few places in and around her neighbourhood. I have a warranty claim to make from Suzuki thought, the key cylinder at the steering column is a little sticky and according to Suzuki, a replacement cylinder is in order. A rare occurrence according to Suzuki. So rare that it has to be ordered from India, the place where the Alto is made. Sometimes, you get issues with cars that aren't made by Proton (this little statement is for those that think you can't get issues with cars other than Proton). Now aside from that, everything has been peachy with the tiny Suzy. The Perodua Myvi is trusty and dependable. The Missus isn't complaining about having to drive a car that has consistently headed the Malaysian car sales list over the past few years. It may have a trashy ride and a slightly hollow feel to it but it serves its purpose and competently does what its supposed to do. Its looks do not offend me (unlike the Proton Saga BLM) and it is nippy around town (which is very important when traffic is bad these days). Coupled with the mods I've done on it. It's actually quite good to drive. I've added another one to the list. A brand spanking new Mercedes Benz C180 CGI BlueEfficiency. Yes folks, I've basically decided to satisfy my lust for the three pointed star. Expect some sort of write-up on it soon. If my hectic life allows me to do so.

Our spy photographers have captured the most revealing images to date of the Mercedes-Benz CLS63 AMG Shooting Brake ahead of its anticipated unveiling at September鈥檚 Paris motor show. The CLS Shooting Brake is based on the brand鈥檚 second-generation luxury four-door 鈥榗oupe鈥? and inherits the sleek lines of the Mercedes-Benz CLS Shooting Brake concept that debuted at the 2010 Beijing auto show. Previous spy photos have already given us a sneak peak at the CLS Shooting Brake in standard trim, and from today鈥檚 shots it鈥檚 clear the CLS63 AMG version won鈥檛 simply blend into the crowd. Like the CLS sedan range, the AMG Shooting Brake benefits from a more aggressive grille, front fascia and headlights, and also scores five-spoke AMG alloy wheels, bigger brakes and quad exhaust outlets. The CLS63 AMG Shooting Brake will feature the same 386kW/700Nm 5.5-litre twin-turbo V8 as the CLS sedan, which should see it launch from 0-100km/h in well under five seconds (the sedan does it in 4.4 seconds). The Shooting Brake鈥檚 specifications and features are likely to carry over from the four-door model. Mercedes-Benz Australia鈥檚 David McCarthy said he was hopeful the CLS Shooting Brake range would arrive in local showrooms before the end of the year, but admitted its launch could push out to early 2013 depending on availability from Germany. He confirmed Australia鈥檚 CLS Shooting Brake line-up would include the 195kW/620Nm CLS350 CDI diesel and the flagship CLS63 AMG. The petrol-powered CLS350 and CLS500 have not been signed off yet, but McCarthy expects those two to also join the range to mirror the sedan line-up. Mercedes-Benz Australia has sold 304 CLS sedans in Australia since the model鈥檚 local launch in June 2011. McCarthy said the company had already taken a number of expressions of interest for the Shooting Brake variant.