It’s finally here in Thailand! The 2021 New Honda City Hatchback has made its world debut at Thailand International Motor Expo 2020. Everything almost looks the same with the sedan version until you see the rear of the car. The hatchback body style features a longer roofline to meet the roof spoiler, which is placed above the tailgate with a rear window that looks similar to the Honda Jazz or Honda Fit. For the market in Thailand, the City Hatchback is selling in three variants, S+, SV, and RS. S+ is the most basic variant that is priced at 599,000 baht, SV is the mid-spec variant that is selling 675,000 baht, and the top-ranging RS is priced at 749,000 baht. These three variants features the same 1.0 litre (998 cc) three-cylinder VTEC Turbo engine which produces 122 horsepower and 173 Nm of torque. It’s more than enough for a light-weight B-Segment car. Other than City Hactchback, we also see City e:HEV Sedan and Civic RS Turbo version. Here’s the full video of Thailand International Motor Expo 2020.
As you can see from the video, the most eye-catching car at the Toyota area is no doubt the Toyota GR Yaris and the Toyota GR Supra. Toyota GR Yaris is not the ordinary Yaris where we often see on the street, this three-door pocket rocket features a G16E-GTS 1.6 liter turbocharged three-cylinder engine producing 261 PS and 360 Nm of torque. It takes only 5.5 seconds to rocket from 0 to 100 km/h and all the way to the top speed of 230 km/h. It’s definitely something exciting to see in today’s automobile world.
As for Mazda, we see Mazda 2, Mazda 3, Mazda CX-30 100th Anniversary Edition. These three cars come in special white and they are fitted with Mazda’s 100th Anniversary badges on both the body and seats. On the other hand, Porche launches the New Porsche Panamera as well as Porsche Taycan Turbo. Details can be found in the video too. As for Audi, the most attractive car is the green Audi RS 4 Avant Quattro. This is a family car yet with sport cars heart. The rest of the highlights at this Motor Expo are all-new Ford Ranger, Lexus IS 300h, MG EP, MG HS PHEV, 2021 Nissan Skyline GTR R35, Nissan Kicks e-POWER, All New BMW 4 Series Coupe (G22), Mercedes-AMG GT R, Tesla Model X and others. Of course, there are also a lot of beautiful car model at the motor show as usual, because this is Thailand, the land of smile!
Author: Angelina Soul
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Drive to Thailand: In A Classic Mini Cooper
This is a story written by Koh from Penang Malaysia and submitted to MalaysiaMiniLover.com. It’s a 1,000km road-trip in a 1993 MK6 Classic Mini Cooper. The full story goes here:
As a Mini lover, I’ve been driving a classic Mini for at least 18 years and also the BMW Mini Cooper for 10 years. Couple years ago, I drove a 2005 Mini Cooper to Thailand and clocked a few thousand miles during that trip. You may read the full story here if you are planning to drive to Thailand from Malaysia. This time, the journey is more or less the same, however, I made in with a 1993 Classic Mini Mayfair.
The purpose of this trip is to test the limit of a classic Mini Cooper. There are many people in Malaysia who are interested to buy a classic Mini. However, they always have a lot of concerns which hold them back. “Is this old car really reliable?”, “Can I use it daily?”, “Can this car travel far?”, “Will the fuel consumption high for such an old car?”, “How’s the maintenance? Is it expensive?”… These are the most commonly asked questions when someone has the wish to buy a classic Mini. The Mini Timeline & History could be a good start for those who are new to classic Mini.
This is a Japanese-specification Mini where it comes with a 1275 SPi engine, with built-in air-conditioning. Basically, the car is in stock condition except a Lukey exhaust silencer (some called it muffler, while some called it tip exhaust tip cover). Before the journey begins, I’ve replaced 2 engine mountings, subframe mountings, steering rack, tires, and some other wear and tear items. The radiator is flushed and filled up with new coolant. On top of that, 5-liter of engine oil has been replaced too. Everything is set and the journey is begin! See also: BMW Mini Cooper vs Classic Mini Cooper.
The journey begins at 4,136km according to the odometer. Don’t be surprise because it has been reset to 0 during the last service. The classic Mini fuel tank capacity is 5.5 gallons which is approximately 20 liters. For 1 and a half tank of RON95 petrol, which is 30 liters, I was able to travel 391km. In conclusion, the real-life fuel consumption for a classic Mini with a 1275 SPi engine under the hood is 13.03 km/l (30.65 mpg). My 2005 Mini Cooper R50 is 12.53km/l (29.47mpg). Compared to many modern cars on the street today, I would said the classic Mini with a 90s engine is considered a very economical car. What do you think?
After reading the story, will you consider to buy a Classic Mini then? LOL
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MK1 Mini with Toyota 4AGE Engine
This is a 1968 MK1 Mini with the heart of a Toyota, the legendary 4A-GE engine which uses in many Toyota cars from the 80s. The 4A-GE engine was first introduced in 1983 by Toyota. It was used on a Toyota AE86 that produces 112 hp at 6,600 rpm and 131 N·m (97 lb·ft) of torque at 4,800 rpm. It’s an impressive engine with high revving ability in the ’80s. With so many advantages, this is the first time we see a car enthusiast actually put this engine into a Mini shell.
Look at that engine bay! This MK1 Mini Cooper is located at Oudtshoorn, South Africa. The owner built the car from the ground up over a period of more than a year. Well, it’s not easy to put a Toyota engine into a small classic Mini Cooper. Without a doubt, loads of money and time must have gone into the car. See the 1966 Crazily modified Austin Se7en Van then you will know what we mean.
The exterior of this car is in black and cream. Windows has been modified to wind-up type (Note that MK1 Mini is using sliding window). Inside, it features full roll cage, leather bucket seats, reupholstered black interior, custom dash board.
Front loader, 3000 watt amp, 12-inch sub-woofer, fiber-glass flip front, fiberglass boot lid, 13 inch TSW mags with 175/50/13 Yokohama tyres are a few other parts you can find on this cute little Mini.
There are also extra mods such as duel pot brake master setup with adjustable brake bias, VW vented drilled disks and VW calipers front, VW drilled disks with BMW calipers back, Hi/lo adjustable suspension front and back, rubber cones in the back and imported coils in the front. As you can see from the photo, the 4AGE is also married a Honda Civic Radiator.
Under the hood, this Mini features a fully rebuilt 3rd Gen Toyota 4AGE 1.6 16V Motor. This engine has the silver cam covers with the words only written in red, hence the nickname “red top”. The compression ratio is from 9.4:1 to 10.3:1. Paired with a Corolla 5 speed gearbox with Button Clutch, Twin Dellorto 40mm side draught carbs, and custom intake and exhaust manifolds. It is estimated the power has at least 125 PS (92 kW; 123 hp) at 7200 rpm with a torque of 149 N·m (110 lb·ft) at 4800 rpm. Very impress, isn’t it?
From all the photos we have, this Mini is definitely one of a kind. For those who are interested to buy, the owner Simon is letting it go! This is a good chance to own a Toyota powered Mini Cooper.
How does it sounds? Have you ever heard how a Toyota AE86 sounds? -
Top 10 Most Common Problems for The 8th Generation Honda Civic FD (2006-2011)
Back in 2011, a 2007 Honda Civic FD car owner, Ashley, contacted our crew to run a detail check on her car. During that time, her car’s odometer has just surpassed 100,000 km (approximately 62,136 miles). However, everything looks very new for a 5-year-old car. The car smells new and runs very smooth when we hit 160km/h (100 mph). Read Honda Civic: It still smells new after runs for one hundred thousand km in five years for the full story we wrote 6 years ago. It really surprises us because we didn’t expect the car to perform just like it was new.
Today, another 5 years has passed and Ashely once again contacted us to review on her car. Currently, the car’s odometer has just surpassed 135,000 km (approximately 83,885 miles). The owner didn’t use the car that much compared to the first five years. Although the car hasn’t run that much, Ashley told us that she has replaced at least 10 parts on the car including wear and tear parts. According to her experience and a few opinions from other Honda Civic’s owners, we have created a list of top 10 most common problems for the 8th generation Honda Civic FD (2006-2011). The list here will be very helpful to those who are considering to buy a used or second-hand Honda Civic made between 2006 and 2011.
1. Motor Mount
This is a very common problems for Honda Civic FD. The engine will vibrate when you put the gear selector to Reverse (R). The vibration also will not happen when the engine is heated up. Ride side motor mount is made of rubber thus it will wear out over time. The part no is 50820-SNL-T01. Check out the detail story here at Honda Civic Engine Vibrates in Parking Reverse Transmission.2. Air Conditioner Compressor Clutch
According to a Honda workshop in Thailand, they mentioned that Air Condition Compressor Clutch is an common issue for the eighth generation Honda Civic FD as well as Honda Accord.3. Power Steering Pump
At about 120,000 km (approximately 74,565 miles), Ashley’s car power steering pump starts to leak. Every morning, a few drops of power steering fluid can be seen on the floor. Whining sound can be heard when the steering wheel is turned. It is either to replace a new power steering pump or to replace the seal.4. Honda VTEC Solenoid Valve
Also at about 120,000 km (approximately 74,565 miles), Ashley’s realize the engine oil level on her car is gone after a few weeks. The engine oil leak from the VTEC Solenoid valve. It is either to replace a new VTEC Solenoid valve or just to replace the seal.5. Valve Cover Gasket
Other than the VTEC Solenoid valve, the valve cover gasket is another reason that cause the engine oil level goes down.6. Starter
When the car serves about 132,000 km (approximately 82,020 miles), the starter of the car RIP. Before that, you can feel the car is hard to start.7. Rear Wheel Bearing
Also at the same mileage, (approximately 132,000 km/82,020 miles), both the rear wheel bearing is giving an annoying sound when the car reaches about 70 km/h or faster. This is also a very common problems for Honda Civic as well as Honda Accord.8. Shock Absorbers and Struts
When the car reaches 138,000 km (85,749 miles), it starts to give some noises especially run over a bumpy road. That’s when you need to replace the shock absorbers and struts. This is a common wear and tear issue and it happens to the popular Toyota Corolla Altis too.9. Radiator
The radiator is falling at 138,000 km too. It has to be replaced with a new one because the old one cannot be fixed. The entire job include a set of new water hose and new coolant. Engine flushing is a must too. According to a study, a car radiator usually will last for at least 8 to 10 years if it is well-maintain according to the basic car maintenance schedule. Thus, it is very reasonable to replace a new one after 10 years.10. Transmission Oil Leak
At the same mileage, transmission oil is leaking from the gearbox. It can be seen clearly from the bottom of the engine bay. We brought Ashley’s car to a Honda dealer nearby and found another 2007 Honda Civic is sitting inside the workshop, having the same problem too. Perhaps this is also another common problems for the eighth generation Honda Civic?11. Relay & Fuses
For an aged car, regardless of Honda or Toyota, relay faulty or burned fuse is common problem. A bad relay could cause your air conditioning stop working or car won’t start. Therefore, always diagnose your car problem start with the relay or fuse if it is related to electricity. See also: Honda Civic Fuse Diagram and 2007 Honda Civic Fuse Diagram.12. Ignition Coil
The ignition coil is not in good working condition if you feel your Civic shakes, hesitates when accelerating or hard to drive. That’s another well-known issue on an aged Honda Civic.Other than the top 10 common problems, Ashley also replaced a lot of wear and tear parts including brake pads, brake discs, Wiper blades and others. Are you also an eighth generation Honda Civic owner? Please share your personal experience with Honda cars at the comment section below. We would like to hear them!
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A Beautiful 1999 Mini Cooper 40th Anniversary
Happy New Year! First of all, thank you for supporting MalaysiaMiniLover.com for the past 9 years. In 2017, we are 10th Year Anniversary! It’s been 10 years! While we are saying goodbye to 2016, let’s check out a unique 1999 Mini Cooper 40th Anniversary Special Edition. This is the car we are going to use to welcome the New Year!
Among all the special edition Minis, this is one of the most sought-after models for all Mini collectors. If you read the complete Mini Timeline & History, you will find out that this model is actually the last generation before the Mini were replaced by the BMW MINI.
In 1999, Mini produced only 250 Mini 40th Anniversary for the UK market. It has become very precious in the car market today due to the limited production. The Mini 40th Anniversary is based on a Cooper model, however, it features Gold “Mini 40” bonnet badge, anniversary decal on the body sides, chrome “GB” on boot, color-matched leather seats with contrasting piping, alloy dashboard, chrome-detailed instruments, and a leather facia top, handbrake, and gear knob.
In General, there are four colours available, they are Island Blue (BU5), Mulberry Red (CDM – BLVC1274), Old English White (WT3), and Tahiti Blue Metallic. The one we are having here is Mulberry Red. For other colours, see: 1999 Mini 40 Anniversary, Island Blue Mini 40 LE, Mulberry Red Mini 40
Under the hood, it is powered by a 1275 cc MPi (Multi-Point Injection) engine.
It costs £10,995 for a new one in 1999. The price is definitely a lot higher for a genuine one today. On the same year, we also see the production of Mini Cooper S Touring, Mini Cooper S Sport 5, Mini Cooper S Works, as well as Mini John Cooper. It was an amazing year that marked all the special edition MK7 Mini Coopers.
