Be in social business.

Finally, finally, finally.



Do something good out of all the metals that will be won. Do something good out of all the power media holds. Do something good out of all the people communication can impact. Do something good.

Help spread the word.

Honda Racing Malaysia.

Just a couple of days ago, we launched a campaign to share the science behind Honda. Today, another one's up to reveal its heart.

Join like-minded individuals and keep in touch with Honda Racing Malaysia here.

ASEAN AUTOCAR's boo boo.

Overlooked - "Up shits are quick and shock free while down shifts are equally good and include a throttle blip"

June 2009 > Cover Story on Audi Q5 > Page 33 > Paragraph 1 > Line 3

Hmm.

I'm sorry, but I think it's quite funny :) Hee...

(p/s: Please don't mistaken, I like the magazine and I love the Q5's dashing looks, but... it is quite funny)

The Greatness Guide.

Business strategies this is not. I think some of the aspects of great leadership skills really popped in this one, especially when it comes to self-leadership. Hey, when you can't get a hold of yourself, you can't get a hold of anyone, right? Right.

I was sent to the seminar a couple of weeks ago and I had the impression that it was one which talks about driving profits up the roof, which... is not. But I have to admit I breezed in without the slightest inkling of Robin Sharma except he's a writer with a pretty sizeable promotional budget. And I was nicely surprised because he talks about being a great person. And when you become a great person and you deal with issues in the bud, everything will just fall into place, including those dark clouds of impossibilities and frustrations at your work place. His messages are grounded on pure simple insights of living, with some relevance to being a leader in a professional environment. I'm glad I didn't take down notes because he was pretty much piping snippets from his book (wouldn't want to waste more paper than I should).

The book was simple (but not written in simplicity) and makes a very easy read. 101 ideas on how to improve your life - so he's talking about balance. Between work and play, relationships and personal space, materialism and self-actualization. I must admit though, after awhile, his optimism and enthusiasm is beginning to irk me. Like how can anyone be so optimistic 101% on every single page?! Well, trust Robin, he can. So I'd recommend this book to anyone who needs an uplifting moment or looks for simple strategies to make the most out of their life (who said anything about being easy?).

In a nutshell. I get him. I really do. But, I don't get get him, get it? I'm not feeling it :/

Look for it here!

Team City OTT and convoy.

Couple of things which puzzle me (in a good way) about car clubs. What drives them (no intention of punning here)? Met up with the Team City club recently for their official meet-up and I'm amazed by the zest they possess when it comes to their club. Whether or not your City is modded (heck, whether or not you drive a City!), they're warm and welcoming towards anyone who's up for casual socialising, talk cars (obviously) or just drive in a beeline (which after some distance, you're allowed to ahem, 'explore' your potential ;) So we went up to Genting Highlands at about 12am, reached there in an hour, which is considered really good time since it was a 12-car convoy from Aman Suria. All necessary safety precautions were taken, complete with marshalls and all (seem pretty professional to me) till hitting a certain base where the 'See you up there' mode takes over. It was my first time. Driving alone to Genting. Midnight. With 11 other cars. In a City. With strangers whom I just met. It was really quite an excitement in the City. But hey, thanks TC for accommodating me.

*Photos from Team City

Test drive - Honda City (E).

Had the car for a couple of days and I must say, I've grown a certain attachment to it.

The 5th generation Honda City is really 'substantial', if I had to find a word to label it. The car felt a little heavier than Vios but it doesn't feel 'draggy' when it runs. Vios' torque kicks in at a slightly lower rpm than the City (141Nm at 4,200 compared to 145Nm at 4,800), so it does feel sprintier and makes an easier drive in the city than the City (can't believe I made that pun). But anyway, the City doesn't lose out on power at all. It takes a bit of time to build up but it will definitely, definitely outrun a Vios (City reaches class leading power of 120PS at 6,600).

Took a drive up to Genting Highlands and it wasn't my first time negotiating corners and bends uphill and downhill with the City, yet the car still surprises me. It felt a lot more go-cart-ish than other comparative models, as it handles the road really well. I mean if that's your version of fun driving; negotiating bends downhill at 100km/h, then all I'm saying is the City can do that. Just make sure you've got the right tyres. The way the City hugs the road is pretty amazing since I really didn't expect that from a 1.5 compact sedan and that ability really brings out the element of Honda's DNA of fun driving. I guess lowering the car 45mm compared to the previous generation model helps a lot in maintaining composure during bends, without compromising on headroom and interior space. Again, let me clarify - DO NOT COMPARE TO ANYTHING MORE THAN RM100k (sorry, just have to set the record straight ;).

In terms of cabin experience, the advanced audio system really does make a difference when you're pumping hits from your iPod while cruising (or stuck in a centipede jam for that matter). Although some people may complain that they feel 'bumpy' (and they blame it on poor cabin insulation), I really beg to differ. The City definitely has tighter steering and harder suspension so yes, you do feel the road a lot more than a Vios because I think that is what that differentiates a driver from a passenger car.

I felt a lot more confidence when driving the City especially during pick up and braking, though sometimes, if you're the kind who likes to manouvre in between cars and tight lanes, it's probably not as nimble compared to Vios (but hey, there is a huge difference between speed and recklessness yea). The only thing which kind of raise my eyebrow a little is the absence of the central auto-locking system. Initially, I thought it isn't a big issue since the first thing most of us do when we get into the car, is to lock it. But I realised that I kept forgetting to lock it and when I did, it doesn't unlock automatically when I pull the door latch. Now, Vios does that and I thought in retrospect, that's a pretty neat touch. However, having said that, I don't think it's something which you cannot get used to, nor decide whether or not to purchase the car. So. Well. You get some, you give some. Personally, I'd definitely go for the looker, central auto-locking system or no.

All in all, I would understand why ladies would prefer a Vios because in terms of comfort, although the cabin space is smaller, you do get that comfortable bubble wrap feeling because of the soft suspension and cushy fabric seats and if you really take care of your wheels, the cabin insulation can be maintained so that you don't feel and hear the road so much. The steering is lighter therefore easier to zip around town and manouvre into parking spots but you can forget about hitting the road at high speed (I've done that before, and yes, the backside starts to wobble at 140km/h). But do the same thing in a City and you'd appreciate the stability of the vehicle even at 160km/h and that is how vehicles in this category in these times, should behave.

In a nutshell, if you're a 'passenger' driver, then pick the Vios because the centre speedometer (something which I still don't get) definitely gets your passengers to play cops, auto-regulating your speed behavior. But if you're a 'driver' driver, then go ahead, feel the road, get personal with speed, and get a City. But then again. That's just my opinion. I could be biased ;)

Honda Advanced Technology.

Discover the science behind your wheels. And it's for everyone, not just car junkies. Layman, not mechanic talk.

T'wasn't a smooth journey to launching the site but hey man, no pain, no gain. I think our team and partners did an amazing job, considering the timeline, although yea... will never dispute that there is always room for improvement (as cliched as it sounds). Watch out for our print campaign and up-coming roadshows. Just in case if you need these info: Kick-off at Gurney Plaza, Penang from 26th to 28th of June, KLCC, KL from 1st to 5th July, Sutera Mall at JB from 31st July to 2nd August and lastly, ending at 1 Utama, Selangor from 5th to 9th August.

By the way, complementing our campaign is also the 'Honda advanced technology' page in Wikipedia. It's amazing just where exploration takes you in social media, but some may question whether Wiki's integrity had been compromised? Well, I think not. We've considered and respect the integrity of Wikipedia's guidelines and conformed to it, we do not 'shamelessly self-promote' instead, read this: we're merely stating the facts in black and white through detailed researches. With no biasness or whatsoever. Do help us to make the article better :) And what's most amazing is, it's appearing as top search in Google without even needing SEO, followed by all other honda.com.my search results. This may look simple to many, but trust me, I've got nightmares of Wiki because of so many tried and tested failures over the past couple of weeks. But hey, we got it done ;)