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Q1 data is out. Toyota (+Lexus) still top the chart but total sales downed by over 50% vs Q1 2009. Worst hit is Honda, downed by 65%. Top performer is Audi which almost doubled its sales and into top 10. VW is next with 81% gain. Kia is now No. 2 with Merc 3rd. The total market shrink by 30%. Poor performance by the Japs and good result for almost all the Contis.

BERLIN (AFP) -

With the COE boomz , wonder if the show room is crowded or not this weekend? Anyone went car shopping this weekend care to share?

It's been over five years since the E90 BMW 3 Series was introduced, and according to Automobile, the all-new bread-and-butter Bimmer is set to hit the market in 2012. Codenamed F30, the next 3er is reportedly set to employ the F20 1 Series' front strut layout instead of the 5, 6 and 7 Series double wishbone arrangement. But the new underpinnings aren't the real news. Five body styles will make up the 2012 3 Series: The standard sedan, wagon, coupe and convertible (each coming out about six months after the former's introduction), along with a Gran Turismo model in 2013. The slant-roof five-door we've reported on previously will take cues from the 5 Series that shares the same name, but will feature a one-piece hatch unlike it's bigger brother's two-piece unit. Automobile also reports that the next two-door will feature bespoke sheetmetal with a more canted windshield, lower roofline and sculpted flanks, while the convertible will continue to use a retractable hardtop instead of a canvas roof. Naturally, the M division is hard at work on the next M3, and it's likely to drop the 420-horsepower V8 in favor of a twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter inline six putting out around 450 hp. There's a slight

Shortly after the next-generation Mercedes-Benz B-Class launches in 2011, it has been reported that the United States will receive its own version of this car. Now, a new report from Automotive News suggests that an AMG-tuned version of the diminutive B-Class could be in the works, as well, set to rival European hot hatches like the Audi S3 and Volkswagen Golf R. The tuned-up B-Class will be the cheapest AMG offering, in an attempt to attract younger enthusiasts to Mercedes-Benz showrooms. AN reports that the smallest AMG will likely be powered by the all-new 5.5-liter, twin-turbo V8 a specially tuned four-cylinder engine and, like all AMG models, will feature slightly revised body work, better brakes, a sportier suspension and revised interior trim. Expect the AMG B-Class to launch in Europe around early 2012. No official timing for the U.S.-version of the B-Class has been set, but 2012 seems like a safe bet for that, as well.

If you build it, they will come. That's our advice to Porsche regarding a production version of the 918 Spyder Concept that wowed attendees at the Geneva Motor Show earlier this month. Somehow, though, we'd imagine that the German automaker would want a more solid business case than our personal opinions. Good news, then. Rumor has it that Porsche is actively working with its dealers to find enough buyers ready and willing to plunk down their hard-earned dollars on the next halo car from the quintessential sportscar maker. Porsche R&D chief Wolfgang D

Last month, Toyota recalled 133,000 2010 Prius models due to a braking issue that could cause a momentary loss of stopping power. However, in many of the claims filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the vehicle's cruise control was brought into question, with drivers stating that they had difficulty getting the system to turn off when the brake pedal was depressed. According to Ward's Auto, 11 percent of all 2010 Prius complaints filed with NHTSA cite this issue. Toyota is now starting to look deeper into these complaints, and believes that the majority of them are the result of driver confusion over the Dynamic Radar Cruise Control (DRCC), which is an option on the top-rung Prius V trim. In talking with Ward's, Toyota spokesperson Dave Lee says that drivers are confusing the Prius' adaptive cruise control for unintended acceleration. Lee states that when drivers use the cruise stalk to adjust vehicle speed, the rate of acceleration is much higher than when the gas pedal is pressed

British mag Auto Express is reporting that Daimler executives have a plan in place to close the door on Maybach. The ultra-luxury brand, purchased by Daimler-Benz in 1960, was restarted as an automotive brand in 2002 following the 1997 introduction of the Mercedes-Benz Maybach concept in Tokyo. Maybach was founded as a heavy-duty engine production company in 1909 by Wilhelm Maybach, a former technical director at Daimler. The company's first concept car debuted in 1919, and began assembly of extravagant vehicles two years later. The company halted automotive production in 1940, when they began building engines for German tanks in World War II. Car manufacture stalled for 60 years. Sales at Maybach have flatlined since 2007, and were made worse by the global economic downturn. Further, Daimler may be looking to block Maybach from cannibalizing sales within their house brand, as the Mercedes-Benz S-Class is scheduled for release in 2014. The S-Class is set to be a top-shelf car with an impressive touch screen that lets the user control most interior functions with hand gestures. As we previously reported, Maybach's short-term plans include a facelift only, and no new engines. A redesign will include LED daytime lights, new grille, freshened bumper, and a hood with a new look. The facelifted Maybach could get a debut in April at the Beijing Auto Show.

Due to the ongoing NHTSA investigation and several lawsuits involving Toyota, the automaker's in-car "black box" data is coming into the spotlight. However, the Associated Press has conducted an investigation of its own, finding that Toyota has, for years, blocked access to event data recorder (EDR) information, and that the automaker has been inconsistent in revealing exactly what these devices do and do not record. In this investigation, AP found that Toyota has frequently refused to provide information crucial to crash victims and survivors, and that in some lawsuits, the automaker has routinely provided printouts with key information missing. What's more (this much we knew already), AP reports that Toyota's EDRs use proprietary software (meaning it can only be read by Toyota), and that until just recently, there was only one computer in the entire United States that contained the software needed to rear EDR data. In a statement to AP, Toyota outlined exactly what information its EDRs collect, including vehicle speed, gear shift position, angle of the driver's seat, whether the seat belt was used, and the accelerator and brake pedals' angles. In the coming months, we'd expect that Toyota starts to make more of this information readily available, especially with its committed cooperation to ongoing safety investigations.

There probably isn't a day that goes by when an automaker isn't being sued for something. Some suits are extremely serious, while others peg the needle on the frivolity scale. And while Hyundai is flying high on the sales charts right now, the Korean automaker apparently isn't immune to a trip or two the local trademark infringement court. At question is a Hyundai Sonata commercial that debuted during the Super Bowl that linked the company's new-for-2011 sedan to all things luxurious. About four seconds into the spot, a brown basketball with gold symbols is shown. Forgive us if we didn't immediately notice that the design of the ball is strikingly similar to the colors and symbols of Louis Vuitton, but the world-famous couture company caught on right away. So... are they excited about the free press during the Super Bowl? Not so much. The Car Connection reports that Louis Vuitton is suing Hyundai because the French purse maker says the Korean automaker tried "to benefit commercially from the fame and renown of the LVM Marks by creating a false association between Louis Vuitton and its automobiles." So, what does LV want for Hyundai's alleged trademark infringement? How about "triple damages, punitive damages, a halt to the alleged infringement, and other remedies." Sounds a lot more expensive than a Louis Vuitton handbag, eh? We aren't really up to speed on the legal ramifications of trademark infringement, so we aren't about to guess as to whether or not Hyundai will end up paying any fines or settlements. We do think it's a sweet-looking basketball, though, and Louis Vuitton should talk to Hyundai about borrowing that design so they can sell a few $2,300 balls.

Hi bros, do check out today Straits Times Pg2 on the write up on Toyota Starlet. Cool...... Anyway I will scan a copy of it tonight and post it up.

http://www.fridae.com/newsfeatures/2010/02...lesbian-remarks

Hi Guys, I received a charge letter by SAF. Do I have to report in uniform? I have not worn one for almost a decade Fellow Tio Charge regulars, please advice

I was involved in an accident and the other driver lied in the accident report. not much damage and I don't have to make a claim but I'm not happy that he lied and put the entire blame on me. Is there a heavy penalty if it was proven that he is lying in his report? Anyone managed to prove that the other driver lied?

My car kena scratch by motor bike on the road. Horn him also ignore me and drove away. How can i report this to TP?

Kimi Raikkonen has signed an "outline agreement" to kick off a second tenure with the McLaren team beginning in 2010, the Mirror newspaper reported on Sunday. The British newspaper said the 29-year-old Finn, who raced with the Woking based outfit between 2002 and 2006, must first reach an agreement with Ferrari, with whom he is under contract for one more season. The Mirror cited "paddock sources" in claiming that Raikkonen is prepared to vacate his contracted Ferrari seat in 2010, but only if the famous Italian outfit pays "all of his 2010 ... salary". The newspaper estimated Raikkonen's 2010 Ferrari contract at nearly $49m USD. The report also said the news ties in with Nico Rosberg's link with Brawn and the Brackley team's burgeoning relationship with Mercedes-Benz. The German manufacturer Mercedes was said to be pushing for Rosberg to replace Heikki Kovalainen at McLaren, but may now have resolved to push the German driver to Brawn and increase its involvement with the Ross Brawn-led outfit.

The Electric New Paper : http://www.tnp.sg/news/story/0,4136,214715,00.html? Accident victim gets insurance shock He says taxi driver admitted fault, but insurance report claims he was responsible WHEN Mr K Shashi's Jaguar was rear-ended by a taxi, he thought he would have no problems claiming insurance for the damage. By Zaihan Mohamed Yusof 24 September 2009 WHEN Mr K Shashi's Jaguar was rear-ended by a taxi, he thought he would have no problems claiming insurance for the damage. After all, the taxi driver who hit him had admitted fault on the spot. But the accident report turned out to be different. The report from the cabby's insurance company read that the cabby had claimed in his 'statement' that Mr Shashi was at fault. When Mr Shashi confronted the cabby, the latter said the accident report was not written by him. All he did was sign on a blank form. Someone else had filled in the details, the cabby claimed. So was it a false statement or was it a mistake? Mr Shashi still doesn't know. The accident happened on 31 Jul. Mr Shashi said he had just exited the expressway at East Coast Parkway and stopped at a slip road to give way to a vehicle on Fort Road. Jolt from the rear It was about 11pm and visibility was clear. All of a sudden, he felt a jolt from the rear as a taxi hit him. According to Mr Shashi, the cabby, whom we will not name due to an ongoing investigation, apologised. So Mr Shashi thought all he needed to do was to make a third party insurance claim against the cabby. It wasn't to be. The repair on his Jaguar was eventually delayed for more than a month. The reason? The cabby's accident report stated that Mr Shashi had cut into the taxi's lane, causing the taxi driver to jam his brakes and hit the Jaguar. Said Mr Shashi, 35, a financial adviser: 'If I had cut into the taxi's lane, like what was said in his report, the damage to my car would have been different. I was stationary when I was hit.' He confronted the taxi driver on the telephone, and was surprised when the cabby said that the report was wrong. The 38-year-old taxi driver told The New Paper: 'I never said that he had switched lanes at the last minute.' Asked why then did the report state otherwise, he said he did not know the reason. He added: 'I know I should not have signed a blank report, but I was in a hurry to attend a class. If I had known this would have caused so much trouble, I would have read it before signing.' The cabby said he had lodged the report at his company's workshop the day after the accident. He claimed the report was written by a 'non-Singaporean' workshop staff. 'I think there was a miscommunication. He may have misunderstood what really happened,' said the cabby. He told The New Paper he planned to see his insurance company about this. But he later sent a text message to us to say he had been sacked. This could not be independently verified. In the meantime, Mr Shashi said he had only received permission to proceed with the repairs on 7 Sep, after making numerous calls to the cabby's insurance company and workshop. Said Mr Shashi: 'I feared that if the insurance company did not believe me, then I would have to foot my car's repair bills. 'There is something wrong here. As far as I know, accident reports must be truthful, and not something that can change like the weather. I just want to find out who filed the wrong report.' The repair bill, assessed by Mr Shashi's workshop, came close to $10,000. Recorded conversation To get proof that the cabby had agreed with Mr Shashi's version of how the accident had happened, Mr Shashi even recorded their conversation. He also made a police report. Two lawyers The New Paper talked to said that Mr Shashi did the right thing by lodging a police report. At present, there is no deterrence for making a false report in accident cases, said lawyer Satwant Singh. But if a police report is made, the cabby's account may form part of the evidence that a false report had been filed with an insurance company, he said. Said Mr Singh: 'I strongly believe that all accidents should be reported to the police because people will think twice about twisting the truth. 'Most importantly motorists will pay close attention to what is written in the accident reports.' Lawyer Chris Fam said in the last week of this month he came across similar cases. In one case a driver claimed 'the other side put in a false story'. Another said 'somebody else filled inaccurate statements for me', said Mr Fam. When contacted, a spokesman for the General Insurance Association said the association was 'looking into the matter to ascertain the details in order to offer the required assistance to Mr Shashi'. 'As such, it may not be appropriate for comments to be made at this point,' the spokesman added. Both the taxi and insurance companies did not return calls.

Direct from source, in great detail, http://www.mom.gov.sg/publish/momportal/en...ical_Table.html You can view by profession and age group within your profession here: http://www.mom.gov.sg/publish/etc/medialib...ages_table5.xls So are you above the median for your age or profession? Summary below from salary.sg, where I first saw this ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.salary.sg/2009/professionals-an...ove-the-median/ If you

say u report to the police. what would u do next? and how will the service providers know ur hp is lost/stolen?

went with an unknow group of total 10 cars to this durian farm at Segamat ( Tangkak ) early July, total distance is about 400km+ to and from. Price for the buffet RM22 (eat all u can for diff grade of durian, except MSW, but the owner open a few MSW for us to try on that day), buy back for MSW RM20 and other at RM8 per KG. Whether it worth or not worth, it all depend, for me is the driving part and can burn some carbon .. hehe by the way, durian season for this farm had end on the 20/07 and wl have to wait until next year .. notice there are quite a number of Sporean go there for the buffet .. when i was there there is 3 coach of people there for the durian buffet. attach some photos to share have to pass by this red mud road .. durian waiting for us .. yummy Owner daughter - purple and pink the owner Mr Gan free flow of mangosteen u see how they open durian .. what we bought back ..

Just now a car while making a turn hit my rear passenger door while my wife is entering the car. The driver not stopping and make a turn and hit the door before my wife close it. I din see any damage to the door but the impact quite big and shook the whole car. After some arguing with her husband whom come down later we cannot come to a conclusion. I propose to let my workshop inspect if got damage then I send it to his workshop to check before any repair if there is any internal damage to the door. He agreed at first but after I draft the agreement he refuse to sign and go back on his word and ask me report insurance. What should I do? I dun see any visible damage but the impact is quite big and it shook the whole car.

So report to who in weekends? Where workshops are closed...

Good afternoon, fellow brothers Please flame me all you want. But before doing so, let me just declare that I am not related to SGH, the suicidal victim or any other involved party. As you may have chanced upon in the Straits Times over these past two days, a visiting Dutch national, Filip Lou, has been hailed as a public hero in rescuing a depressed victim from drowning. I salute him for his noble and selfless act. However, what puzzles me is his apparent disappointment over the hospital bill in the management of his abrasions (sustained while saving the broken-hearted lady). The Straits Times seems to suuport his cause by claiming that of all the restructured hospitals, only AH may offer reimbursement of his treatment charge after evaluating his case on a case-by-case basis, whatever that means. I ask you this, if faced with such life-threatening circumstance, would one whine over a petty sum of $90? What right does one have in asking the hospital to pay for one's act? At the end of the day, the Samaritan is responsible for his own injuries. Saving a life takes guts and sacrifice so why is Filip Lou whining over $90? And why is Straits Times wasting so much publication space to highlight this mundane issue i.e. HOME PAGE 1, 18 Feb and HEADLINES, 19 Feb when recession looms in everyone's mind? Mentioned in the papers today is another far greater hero, NOR AZHAR ABDUL RAHMAN . He did what was usually featured in the movies: He rescued a suspect on the run and assisted the police in pinning him down. NOR AZHAR is doubly good and yet he is mentioned in a much shorter column in the Straits Times, as compared to the comprehensive coloured articles on Filip Lou. Any kind soul, please enlighten me.. I can't help but question over the Straits Times' priority in reporting. Have a nice day (I'm cool. Start the flaming )

What would you do if you realised that your share broker used your account to trade without your permission and profitted. You received the profit statement and he calls to explain. 1. Would you report to the authority eg, brokerage house, Singapore exchange because you do not want to be involved in any of his wrong doings that could be illegal eg insider trading, etc 2. Listen to his explaination and forgive.

Read news SIONG! MSK back to haunt us