In the time our editors spend reviewing hundreds of cars a year, we run across features we simply can’t live without. The features that make us whine when we don’t have them aren’t high-end, expensive gadgets but little conveniences that make a high impact on everyday usability and comfort. Here are our 10 favorites:

One-Touch Power Windows

Sure, one-touch up/down windows only save three seconds, but that’s three seconds you can use to get out your checking deposit slip at the bank teller’s window. And if there’s a person you don’t want to delay, it’s the one who handles your money. The 2010 Toyota Camry has the one-touch up/down feature on all four windows.

USB Input

With a USB input, you can tuck the MP3 player out of the way, let it charge and control your 10,000 songs through the stereo, which is much better than the more common MP3 jack. Bonus points go to stereos that recognize older iPods — some won’t — as well as searchable song lists. Interfaces that aren’t alphabetically searchable make it agonizing to turn the dial a hundred times to get to your Weird Al Yankovic collection.

Telescoping Steering Wheel

Telescoping steering wheels not only give you more adjustability for finding a comfortable seating position, but they also help keep drivers in a safe position if the airbag deploys. The feature is available in every class of vehicle, so a model that doesn’t have a telescoping steering wheel is at a competitive disadvantage.

Backup Camera

Backup cameras make navigating parking lots infinitely easier and can pay for themselves by preventing even one parking lot fender bender. Our favorites have lines on the screen that preview the vehicle’s backup path. However, we’d still like to see more backup cameras as a stand-alone option rather than tied to an expensive navigation package.

Steering-Wheel Controls

There’s probably nothing you have more interaction with in a car than the steering wheel and stereo, so having controls for both in the same place cuts down on the time your hands are off the wheel. Even better are steering wheels with cruise control buttons — a separate cruise control stalk almost always gets mistaken for the turn signal at some point.

Trip Computer

A trip computer with mileage readouts can be an easy, no-cost way to improve fuel economy. By looking at the instant mileage, you can tailor your driving habits for the best results. Also included in some trip computers is an outside temperature gauge. Although we can’t change the weather by looking at the gauge, it’s quantitative proof that the weather forecaster is making stuff up.

Smart Cupholders

Fast-food drinks and jumbo-size coffees are more satisfying when they’re not all over your car’s carpet. The best cupholders are deep enough to keep cups from tipping over and accommodate different-sized drinks — from small coffees to Super Big Gulp Slurpees — using adjustable feelers and grips.

Heated Seats

This quintessential winter feature makes dealing with subfreezing temperatures as easy as hitting the heated seat button to “on.” Heated seats start warming before the car’s heat is able to blast at 90 degrees, and they can be fitted on cloth or leather seats.

Height-Adjustable Seats

Seats that adjust vertically are so critical to sitting comfortably that when a car doesn’t have more than four-way adjustability, it seems grossly outdated. Six-way adjustable seats should be the bare minimum; anything less should have been left in 1996.

Three Sets of Latch Connectors

Just because a big SUV has three rows of seating doesn’t guarantee there will be more than two sets of Latch connectors for child-safety seats. SUVs that have three sets of Latch anchors or more, like the 2010 Honda Pilot, offer more flexibility for larger families.

PETALING JAYA: The bigger your car, the more you will have to pay for petrol from May 1.

This is because the Government is going to change the way fuel is subsidised.

It is planning for a fuel pricing mechanism that will ensure only targeted groups, particularly those from the lower-income, will receive fuel subsidy.

Also, foreigners who drive into the country to fill up their tanks will not be eligible for subsidy and will have to pay more for fuel.

“The bigger the engine, the higher petrol will cost,” Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said yesterday.

The move was based on the assumption that those in the lower income group would normally drive a car with a lower engine capacity and thus be eligible for the subsidy, he said.

“For RON95 petrol, the subsidy is 30 sen per litre. The current price of RON95 petrol is RM1.80 compared with the actual price of RM2.10.

“Malaysians who are not eligible are those who drive a higher engine capacity car or non-Malaysians. They will have to pay RM2.10 or more for RON95,” he told a press conference after launching the new corporate identity of the F&N soft drinks division here yesterday.

Besides introducing the new structure, the ministry also plans to make the use of MyKad compulsory when buying petrol.

“There are some Thai nationals who drive into Malaysia to fill up their tank because petrol is such an expensive commodity in their country,” he said.

In Muar. Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said the Government was in the final stages of drafting a policy on the fuel subsidy which will be a “win-win situation” for both the Government and the people.

He said that the new policy would identify people who were eligible for subsidy.

Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin had previously broached the subject about giving petrol subsidy to the right people. He said the subsidy must reach only the people who needed it most and giving subsidy across the board was a misallocation of funds.

On the subsidies for flour, sugar and gas, Ismail said they would be retained.

“Although the price for sugar has been increased by 20 sen, the Government is still providing subsidy for the commodity,” he said.

Ismail food outlet operators should not take advantage of the increase in sugar price to mark up the price of their products.

“Food outlet operators should not regard this as an opportunity to raise prices,” he said.

Via : The Star

The first race will be at Suzuka Circuit this coming March.

In term of size, this outlet is big and larger than Eneos in Damansara !

The workshop at Ground Floor

Recaro anyone ?

Wheel..wheel…you can buy 1 pc if you like…

Recaro again, its new….

The steering area….

They also supply Tein Suspension

Many choices of performance exhaust

I saw Petronas on the rack….

They sell used car as well….

Toyota Prius, hybrid car with Tein Suspension…

Fujitsubo had a roadshow that day…

He also DIY the Mazda Front logo with a 3M carbon sticker.

Maybe the owner of Mazda5 in Malaysia will now start thinking on how to get those kits.

Simple yet Excellent exterior

This is Rays Engineering G2 Forged Wheel, and its 20″

The rear spoiler….

HKS Legamax  Premium Race Exhaust, a genuine titanium ….

Endless 6 pot braking system …

What do you think of this mod ?

All this machine comes with huge difference in term of horse power Lets see how the lower hp machine beat the monster. It will be great if they can add in GT-R in the race.

As usual many participant of the Tokyo Motor Show 2009 has started to unveil the line up for this coming motor show at Makuhari Messe, Chiba City.

The Subaru Impreza WRX STI Carbon is based on the A-Line model equipped with the 5-speed automatic transmission and comes with a carbon fiber roof that lowers the weight of the car and it’s center of gravity. The interior of the Subaru Impreza WRX STI Carbon is covered in suede.

We share with you some photos of the WRX Sti Carbon.

Other line up from Subaru is as follows :

1. SUBARU HYBRID TOURER CONCEPT (Concept car)
2. Plug-in STELLA feat. BEAMS (Display model)
3. IMPREZA WRX STI CARBON (Display model)
4. LEGACY B4 GT300 (Display model)
5. EXIGA 2.0GT tuned by STI (Display model / Scheduled for market launch in Japan)
6. LEGACY TOURING WAGON 2.5i S Package (Production model)
7. LEGACY B4 2.5GT SI-Cruise (Production model)
8. LEGACY OUTBACK 2.5i L Package (Production model)
9. FORESTER 2.0XS BLACK LEATHER SELECTION (Production model)
10. Lineartronic (CVT) cutaway model (Technology exhibit)
11. EyeSight featured in EXIGA 2.0GT EyeSight model (Technology exhibit)

iQ, the world’s smallest four-seat production car, is already a head-turner on the street with its thoroughly contemporary and compact styling. Now Toyota is revealing the car’s potential for customization, with street-cool body kits and vibrant interiors.

Toyota iQ Collection

iQ Collection focuses on the cabin, with the white pearl finish of the body carried through to trim details such as the center console, instrument binnacle and door panels. The leather upholstery is a matching white shade, with a central seat panel design exclusive to the show model. The fully glazed roof makes for an exceptionally light and bright interior.

Toyota iQ for Sports

iQ for Sports is all about urban street style with a bespoke body kit that accentuates iQ’s broad stance, powerful geometry and clean, sweeping lines. The car rides on custom-made 18-inch alloys and features aero-headlamps with high-intensity LED driving lights for an unmistakable “look-at-me” appearance. There is also a rear roof spoiler and a trapezoidal central exhaust, further emphasising iQ’s potential for personalisation.

The radical styling continues on the inside with illuminated door handles, a swivelling spotlight on top of the dash, an illuminated iQ logo and trim panels crafted in raw nickel and aluminium.

The seats are finished in bright green and grey upholstery, with contrasting bolsters in a matt-black scuba-style polyurethene, and the headlining is also a vibrant green. On-board entertainment and navigation are controlled by a 10-inch LCD touch-screen, with DVD playback and music library functions.

Download it here.

We not got new petrol grade today. No more RON92 in the market but only RON95 and RON97. In April last year, the then Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Shahrir Samad said the Government was considering the use of petrol with higher research octane number (RON) to reduce fuel subsidies without hurting the lower-and-medium income groups.

RONS95 is met EURO2M specification, which is less polluting. With this new RON95 in the market, RON92 has been phased out as its usage was only 5% of the total petrol sales in the country.

The new price for our petrol is as follows :

• RON95 : RM1.80
• RON97 : RM2.05 (upgraded as a premium product)

Domestic Trade, Co-operative and Consu-merism Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said the new prices were decided based on the current automatic pricing mechanism and the government subsidising 33.81 sen per litre (of RON95) which is equivalent to RM304mil monthly and RON97 for 42.72 sen per litre.

The cost for RON95 went up 102% from US$40.75 (RM143.79) per barrel to US$82.30 (RM290.40) in December last year and in August respectively.

STILLEN have announced they have prepared a Nissan GT-R rally car to compete in the Targa Newfoundland race. The STILLEN Nissan GT-R rally car is powered by the standard engine which has been modified to deliver 620 hp at 15psi. This GT-R capable to sprint from 0 to 60 mph sprint time of 2.9 seconds.

Performance Numbers (As Set Up For 2009 Targa Rally)

• Horsepower: ~620 @ 15psi (91 Octane Pump Gas)
• 0-60mph: 2.9 seconds **
• 1/4 Mile: 11.0 seconds at 127.9mph **
• 0-130mph: 11.4 seconds **
• Lateral Grip: 1.1G+ **
  ** (as tested by Road & Track)

Performance

• STILLEN Downpipes
• STILLEN Secondary Cat-Delete Y-Pipe
• STILLEN Race Exhaust w/Center Rear Exit
• STILLEN Intake System w/K&N Filters
• Turbosmart e-Boost Street 2-Stage Electronic Boost Controller
• Turbosmart Dual Port Blow Off Valves
• COBB Tuning AccessPORT
• Dodson Motorsports Transmission Cooler
• Red Line High Performance Synthetic Motor Oil – 0W40
• Red Line High Performance Synthetic Gear Oil – 75W140
• Red Line WaterWetter

Suspension

• High Performance Coil-Overs – Adjustable Bump & Rebound, Ride Height – Eibach Race Springs
• STILLEN Adjustable Sway Bars
• STILLEN Adjustable Endlinks

Brakes / Tires

• STILLEN / AP Racing Carbon Ceramic Brake Rotor Upgrade
• STILLEN / AP Racing Brake Pads
• STILLEN Brake Cooling Package
• STILLEN Stainless Steel Brake Lines
• AP Racing PRF High Performance Brake Fluid
• Bridgestone RE070R 255/40ZRF20 Front Tires
• Bridgestone RE070R 285/35ZRF20 Rear Tires

Interior

• STILLEN Designed & Built Custom Chromoly Roll Cage
• STILLEN Designed & Built Custom Seat Frames
• Status Racing Seats
• Status Racing Harnesses
• Monit Rally Computers
• ChaseCam On-Board Video Camera System
• Nordskog GPS Speedometer (KPH)

Exterior

• STILLEN Urethane Front Lip Spoiler
• STILLEN Urethane Side Skirts
• STILLEN Urethane Front Canards
• Password:JDM Dry Carbon Fiber Custom Race Hood
• Password:JDM Dry Carbon Fiber Trunk Lid
• Password:JDM Dry Carbon Fiber Wing
• Password:JDM Dry Carbon Fiber Engine Cover
• Password:JDM Dry Carbon Fiber Radiator Shroud
• Password:JDM Dry Carbon Fiber NACA Ducts
• Password:JDM AeroCatch Flush Mounting Plates
• APR Carbon Fiber Side Mirrors
• BASF Carizzma Orange Sherbet Pearl Paint

Watch the youtube here :

If you think our PDRM’s Evo X is fast enough or one of the sophisticated police car, you should see what Humberside Police has in their garage. They just received a 5.0l V8 Lexus IS-F !The delivery of IS-F is in order to make life more difficult than ever for those looking to travel to the region to commit crime.

Specially trained officers spent 12 months evaluating a number of high performance vehicles that are set to replace the current Subarus which have proved highly successful in enabling the Roads Crime Section to target organized criminals in the area. Following a stringent evaluation process the decision was taken to purchase the Lexus IS-F after the vehicle proved to be exceptionally capable of remaining stable in high speed operational policing environments, despite carrying the extra weight provided by the £30,000 worth of on-board computers and communications equipment.

Sergeant Mike Peck of the Humberside Police Roads Crime Section said: “The purchase of the vehicle was far from an easy decision and involved research and advice from the force fleet manager,finaancial managers and a vehicle dynamics expert. The Lexus was tested during a 12 month period along with similar vehicles and proved itself to be ideally suited in providing a dynamically safe high performance chassis along with an electronically stable platform for the computer equipment. In the past this equipment has placed huge demands on vehicles but the Lexus IS-F easily met with our requirements. The final product provides a most formidable package and is undoubtedly one of the most advanced police vehicles in the world which in turn enables my officers to deal with the criminals who use the roads for serious and organized crime.”

The Lexus IS-F has a performance tuned 5.0-litre V8 engine capable of reaching 62mph in 4.8 seconds and a top speed electronically limited to 168 mph and was supplied by Steve Kelly, Centre Principal at Lexus Hull who has been working closely with the Humberside police regarding the sale.

Check out Subaru’s new Legacy Super GT program in HD. The Subaru Legacy GT300, based on the B4 version of the model will compete in the GT300 category of Japanese Super GT series. The Legacy has a DTM-like aero kit with wider fenders, an extremely low profile, air vents and a monstrous wing.

Subaru has released the following video on their race car, however no details on the car spec was released.