VIDEO : Honda Malaysia's presentation at the KLIMS 2013

This is the video of Honda Malaysia's presentation at the KLIMS 2013 during their media presentation on Nov 14th 2013 which is the preview and media day of the event. The video starts a little bit after the beginning where the formalities are and covers all the displays at the Honda Malaysia booth plus the presentation for the launch of the new 5G Honda Odyssey for Malaysia.

2013 KLIMS Coverage : Honda Malaysia Booth

Finally I have the time to begin my coverage of the 2013 Kuala Lumpur International Motor Show which began yesterday (Nov 15th 2013) at the Putra World Trade Center and will run for another 8 days until November 24th. As expected, I begin my coverage by looking at the Honda Malaysia booth.

The photo above is a panoramic shot of the Honda booth. For this show, Honda's official press release says that they are showcasing their latest 'Advanced, Everyday, Efficient' technologies. A total of 5 vehicles are on display at the spacious booth so there will be plenty of space to move around. The 5 vehicles covers a nice mixture of niche and mainstream - new models, enthusiasts, motorsports, future technologies.

The centerpiece of the show is the new EV-STER concept car, a slightly larger than K-car sports convertible, a modern day Honda Beat. Hardcore Honda fans will know by now that this concept car has now grown to become the new S660 sports convertible which Honda will launch in the near future (it is being shown at this year's Tokyo Motor Show). The EV-STER provides a nice glimpse into an enthusiast-centric, future model from Honda. 

However, the 'star' of the Honda Booth is the new 5th generation Odyssey which Honda Malaysia is launching here, barely two weeks after it's world premier launch in Japan. This is of course what is hidden behind the curtains at the center of the panoramic shot above (of course the display structure itself is already a giveaway). We will provide details of the new Malaysian market 5th Gen Odyssey in another article later.

In between the EV-STER and the Odyssey is the Mugen CR-Z RR (or Honda CR-Z Mugen RR as Honda Malaysia prefers it to be called). This is the actual vehicle from Mugen (M-TEC) in Japan, shipped down specially for this show. I had tried to take close up photos of the car thinking to prepare a nice article about it but was rejected when I asked to open the bonnet/hood. Reason given was that the car was on loan from Mugen/M-TEC and if they gave me the preference to open the bonnet/hood, then everyone will want to do that. So, sorry, no special coverage of this well known car. However, towards the closing of the show, I happened to try the doors of the car and found they were unlocked so I did take a few photos of it close up. The photos will be published later.

On the other side of the Odyssey booth is the HMRT (Honda Malaysia Racing Team) Honda Jazz (Fit) that competed in the S1K or the Malaysian Sepang 1000km endurance race, Honda Malaysia's exhibit for the motorsports arena. HMRT originally built two cars for the competition, using standard chassis from the factory. The actual builders of the cars were a mixture of a local tuning shop and Honda Malaysia staff. The engines powering both cars are surprisingly the original '1st Gen' L15A, i.e. using the 12V-16V SOHC i-VTEC system. Why chose this over the (very) slightly more performance oriented '2nd Gen' L15A which is full 16V with a normal and hot cam profile on the intake side ? Thanks to the fact that one of the tuners is a friend, I was told that the 2nd gen L15A is less 'tuneable' due to its integrated header (i.e. header is built into the cylinder head with provision for the attachment of the catalytic converter directly onto it) whilst the 1st gen L15A can be fitted with a specially designed race header. So there is more avenue for tuning with the 1st gen. I understand the valve train was modified and the 12V-16V system was (as expected) no longer used. ECU used is Mugen and tuned by Mugen engineers, fine-tuned on the Sepang race track itself.

One engine was built by Mugen and the other built by the local tuning shop. In absolute terms, seasoned Honda fans will know that the power potential of the LSeries engine is rather limited when in NA mode. Still the car delivered reasonable results in its first outing at the S1K last year. However I do not know the details of this year's entries as I did not participate in any of the PR events from HMRT.

The final vehicle on display is the full electric Honda Accord PHEV, the new 9Gen plug-in electric Accord. For Honda, this car represents the future as we move away from total dependence on fossil fuel to 'renewable' sources of energy. To complement this futuristic display, Honda also has their 'Honda Smart Home System' (HSHS) which is Honda's vision of a comprehensive energy management system for the future household. 

In follow-up articles, we will provide first an overview of KLIMS itself, followed by coverage of selected booths from other manufacturers. In the meantime, more photos of Honda's exhibits will be gradually uploaded to our TOVA Facebook page over the next few days.

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.

HMRT Jazz for the Sepang 1000km endurance

Honda Malaysia Racing Team, lead by Honda Malaysia's CEO Ueno-san and team director Akkbar will be racing their newly prepared Honda Jazz in the annual Sepang 1000km endurance race at the Sepang circuit tomorrow. The team has prepared a video and uploaded it into youtube which is embedded above. This is the car that I featured some 'scoop' info on in my TOVA facebook (www.facebook.com/TOVAsia - please do visit us and 'like' us). 

HMRT prepared two cars though it looks as if only one will be raced tomorrow. One Jazz, probably the one to be raced tomorrow will be powered by a Mugen special, up-sized to 1.6l to meet the regulations and featuring custom Mugen tuning for the Sepang 1000km challenge.