A few photos from the Sepang 1000km endurance race

INTERVIEW WITH DRIVERS AND TEAM DIRECTOR AFTER THE RACE

Tengku Ezan Ley, driver of Car 26

It was a challenging race as it was really hot during the day and we had some issues with the brakes that slowed us down a bit. All in all, we did make a slight mistake towards the end which costed us a bit of time, had some body damage (to the rear end of the car) and we dropped from fourth (place) to finish at fifth place. However, we managed to maintain the pace throughout the race. We are quite happy with the results, especially as it was our first race.

We came in as a new team, with no previous data - everything is new, from the car to the chassis, and it is a good result to come in at fifth place. We are definitely happy with the results, it was above our expectations. A lot of development went into this car and it has improved so much. We look forward to next year to make the car even faster.

In a race, the first thing is to start the race and then to win the race. Unfortunately we did not get a podium (finish). Fifth place is very close to podium status and we look forward to next year.

Aaron Lim, driver of Car 17

After the testing and qualifying, we knew the car had potential to win the race. We proved that with the pace the car had over a long run. It's a bit disappointing when the car had a second "stint" (return to pit) but I guess that is racing, so we just have to look forward to the next race.

We have one of the fastest lap time, if not the fastest. If the problem had not happened, I think we have a good chance to win the race for sure. Our strategy was good, but then again, until we do it, it is difficult to say. The most important thing is that we understand the car a lot better now (seeing that this is our first year). We look forward to next year with even more confidence. 

Akkbar Danial, Team Director of Honda Malaysia Racing Team

It's a debut for us for S1K. I am very happy with the results. We managed to finished the race with both cars, and the second car (Car 26) managed to go up until fifth placing. It was well above our expectations. Both the cars did absolutely great although one car had problem in between. We managed to solve it by getting some parts from other cars. This problem solving skills and thinking on their feet was evident even though we didn't have a lot training on this and the preparation was very short. They have managed to overcome the challenges faced during this race.

We saw that the team and challenging spirit is well and alive in each member today. We hope this challenging spirit will keep burning after this. We are coming back for the next race and the podium is our target!

HONDA MALAYSIA RACING TEAM (HMRT) LIVES THE CHALLENGING SPIRIT IN THE 2012 SEPANG 1000KM

After a brief period of inactivity due to some unforeseen circumstances, we are please to resume our regular updates. Following is the official press release from Honda Malaysia on their recently successful debut of the Honda Jazz in the local 1000km endurance race at the Sepang circuit earlier this month.

Petaling Jaya, 10 December 2012 – The Honda Malaysia Racing Team (HMRT) once again lived up to Honda’s challenging spirit in the local endurance race last weekend – the Sepang 1000KM (S1K) Race. The team completed the race with its two race machines, the Honda Jazz Car 26 and 17 which came in at fifth (5th) place and twentieth (20th) place in the 1.6 category.

Praising HMRT’s hard work and team spirit in the race, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Honda Malaysia who is also the HMRT Team Principal, Mr. Yoichiro Ueno said, “The S1K Race was a very challenging 9-hour race for the team. Despite the results, the team is still a winner. Their victory is in their complete independence this year without any technical help from Japan or external engineers.”

“It is one step closer to our ultimate wish to achieve a one-make race in five years’ time. HMRT has demonstrated Honda’s Challenging Spirit to the hilt.”
 

On top of that, I am very pleased to note that the Honda Jazz was used as a race machine for the first time by us in Malaysia. Even though we did not win the Class 1.6 Category Championship this time, I am very proud of the whole team and the challenging spirit that the team has demonstrated on the track and in the pit. I believe that HMRT members gained a lot of technical know-how in car engineering as well as developing their problem solving skills and teamwork throughout the preparation process leading up to race day.”

Following the announcement of producing Jazz Hybrid locally this year, Honda Malaysia has selected Jazz as the race machine for the S1K Race. The team worked hard since June this year and they took only 4 months to modify two Honda Jazz and turned them into race cars No. 17 and 26.

“The Honda Jazz is a well-built compact car with proven stability and outstanding handling. I am glad to see that the team was able to work quickly to overcome all obstacles in order to put the race cars on the tracks. I hope HMRT can do better next year,” Mr. Ueno added.

The HMRT was first established in 2003 with the aim to improve technical knowledge and skills of Honda associates through participation in the local motorsports scene. After a oneyear hiatus, the HMRT members geared up to further challenge themselves in the S1K Race this year.

A total of 33 Honda associates from Melaka and Petaling Jaya office took part in HMRT this year. Two Honda associates, Tengku Ezan Ley and Farriz Fauzy competed in the race with Car 26. Returning drivers, Eddie Lew and Aaron Lim drove Car 17. One of the new drivers for HMRT who is also a Honda Malaysia associate, Tengku Ezan Ley commented, “The biggest challenge for this year was the newly built race machine. It was the first time we put Jazz on the racing tracks. We did not have any records from previous years to help in the tuning of the car and its performance. Despite these challenges, the fully Malaysian team succeeded in completing the race car and did a very good job at it. Being new to HMRT, I am thankful to all the HMRT members who have been very helpful. This is possible because everyone in HMRT believe that winning the race is never a one man’s effort. It requires a strong team spirit and collaboration within the whole team.”

Motorsports has always been deeply rooted in Honda’s DNA. Racing fuels our passion to challenge our limits. It is Honda’s Reasons to Exist. Honda’s Challenging Spirit and racing heritage will ensure that HMRT will go all out in embracing the challenges in the next local endurance race.

Honda Malaysia will continue to commit to racing activities and continue to put our resources and utmost support towards HMRT to strengthen the brand positioning of Honda Malaysia in the local circuit and share its excitement with Malaysians.

Honda Jazz price in Malaysia goes below RM100k

Honda Malaysia just launched a new variant of the Honda Jazz for Malaysia, the 'Jazz S' with a selling price of just below RM100k. This is a move much needed to restore the competitiveness and popularity of the Jazz here in Malaysia. The previous 1G Jazz was a huge seller here. It was a superb overall package with a good engine, incredible utility and huge interior space. Recently when I had the new 9G Civic Hybrid for review, passengers who was in the rear actually commented that they thought the rear interior of the 1G Jazz was slightly more spacious than even the 9G Civic, a thought probably heavily influenced by the generous headroom in the Jazz.

The 2G Jazz sought to continue on the strengths of the 1G Jazz. But it was hampered by a critical disadvantage - price. The cost of import from the Thailand factory forced Honda to price the 2G Jazz at a level that was significantly higher than when the 1G Jazz was introduced, in fact quite close to that of the 8G Civic 1.8 i-VTEC. In addition, those (1G Jazz'es) were actually from Japan which made the price differential even more glaring. Consequently, for much of its lifespan, sales of the 2G Jazz, in the words of a Honda Malaysia marketing person was 'hardly moving'. The deletion of the CVT gearbox also had a minor impact as the CVT is considered by the more knowledgeable auto fan to be a more advanced technology. Unfortunately the bout with the 'start clutch' fiasco and the lack of appreciation/technical knowledge of the general auto buyer prevailed. Honda Malaysia had continuously sought to push the price of the 2G Jazz down to make it more appealing. Finally, with this new variant and a price tag below the crucial 100k level, the 2G Honda Jazz finally looks set to regain back some of its success.

The basic mechanical specifications of the Jazz remains for the Jazz S, with the same 120ps 1.5l i-VTEC engine and the 5AT gearbox. Still no return of the CVT for the Jazz. Features and furnishings will be the main areas that are changed in order to drop the price by such a large margin. With this new pricing, it is hoped that the 2G Jazz will start to regain back some of its past success. Not a moment too soon as the new 3G Fit/Jazz is expected to hit the JDM next year.

The full Honda Malaysia press release for the Jazz S is below.

HONDA MALAYSIA INTRODUCES THE JAZZ S
 

Petaling Jaya, 8 August 2012 – Honda Malaysia Sdn Bhd today introduced the Honda Jazz S variant. The practical and stylish Jazz S maintains the essential features of the popular 5-door compact hatchback.

The Jazz S is a Completely Build-Up (CBU) unit from Thailand. With the original concept of “Man Maximum, Machine Minimum”, the Jazz S continues the legacy of maximizing the space available for humans and minimizing the space occupied by mechanical components. This is aimed at creating an ideal compact car that combines spaciousness, utility, fuel efficiency, refinement, comfort and safety all into one attractive package.

Honda Malaysia Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Yoichiro Ueno said, “We are pleased to offer the S variant of the Honda Jazz to Malaysians. The Jazz has always been well received in Malaysia and we are delighted to introduce another version of the stylish compact car to Malaysians. We believe the Jazz S will appeal to young professionals who are interested in a compact yet practical vehicle that caters to their fun driving and active lifestyle. It is also targeted at young urban families who demand a
spacious interior for their daily lifestyle needs.”

Exterior wise, the Jazz S comes with a 15” alloy wheel and a new dynamic front and rear bumper with 3-tier tail lights. The black mesh grille maintains the stylishness while the fog lights ensure better visibility during misty conditions. The Jazz S is also equipped with front and rear mudguards for additional protection. The Jazz S is powered by the 1.5L i-VTEC engine, Honda’s signature technology. The 5-speed Auto Transmission combines with the signature i-VTEC engine to offer excellent drivability, performance and fuel efficiency. The Drive-By-Wire (DBW) technology controls the engine with the 5-speed automatic transmission to give smoother shifting and reliable acceleration and linear driving performance at regular speed range.

The Jazz S retains the key features of the Jazz such as the Ultra Seat and a large boot space that emphasizes great practicality and space. The ever-dynamic Ultra Seats, which is now in blue-black, can be folded in one swift action. It can be transformed, flipped and adjusted easily to different modes for different purposes. Additionally, the unique central fuel tank layout, which is located underneath the rear seats, creates a larger legroom for both
front and rear seat passengers.

The Jazz S is not only geared to deliver exciting performance, but also capable of keeping its driver and passengers safe while minimising harm to pedestrians outside. The G-force Control Technology (G-CON) helps to disperse crash impact. Its Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA) controls unexpected situation and stabilises the vehicle. Additionally, the Dual SRS Airbags, 3-point Emergency Locking Retractor (ELR) safety belts, Anti-lock Braking System (ABS), Electrical Brakeforce Distribution (EBD) and Brake Assist (BA) are featured in the Jazz S.

 
The Jazz S is available in Brilliant White Pearl, Polished Metal Metallic and Crystal Black Pearl. It is now available in all Honda Malaysia showrooms. Honda Malaysia targets to sell 210 units by the end of this year. 

The practical, stylish and compact Jazz S comes with an affordable on-the-road price tag of RM 99,800.00. Customers can test drive and place their booking for the Jazz S at any authorised Honda dealers nationwide. For more information, please call Honda Toll Free number at 1-800-88-2020, or log on to www.honda.com.my.