HYUNDAI COUPE

Coupe with the looks
by Y.S. Khong

THE Hyundai Coupe is a two-door sporty-looking coupe that seats up to four adults, and is an eye-catcher, especially in red. Priced at RM128k, it is one of the most affordable two-door coupes that you can get in Malaysia, and it comes with airbags, ABS and ESP (Electronic Stability Programme).

Local distributor Hyundai-Sime Darby Motors Sdn Bhd is importing only the 2.0-litre model although there is a 2.7-litre model available.

A few units of the 2.7-litre model were brought in but it seems the current distributor has decided to focus more on the 2.0 model, which is a more viable value-for-money package for the Malaysian motoring public.

In terms of looks, the Hyundai Coupe is indeed attractive and eye-pleasing.

The 2.0-litre engine is a 16-valve, four-cylinder unit with CVVT, the Hyundai equivalent of variable valve timing. It produces 143PS at 6,000rpm, and has a maximum torque of 186Nm at 4,500rpm.

This is a respectable figure insofar as 2.0-litre engines are concerned, but not one of the higher figures.

Mated to a four-speed automatic transmission that delivers power to the front wheels, the performance is adequate, but not exhilarating.

Of course, if you really like the Hyundai Coupe shape and want something better, you could always ask for the 2.7-litre model, which has 167PS from the V6 engine.

We had one test unit courtesy of Hyundai-Sime Darby Motors, and we drove it around Petaling Jaya for a couple of days to get a feel of it.

As far as the power delivery was concerned, the Hyundai Coupe does drive quite well, due to its relatively low final drive ratio of 4.407:1.

The four-speed automatic is, like all current four-speed automatics, a little short in performance, especially when it comes to the gaps in-between gears.

But gear changes are smooth enough, thanks to the excellent electronic controls.

A five-speed gearbox would be better, although it means one would probably have to pay a little more for it.

As it was, we managed a top speed of around 180kph on a short stretch of open highway before traffic conditions made it necessary to slow down.

On the road, the Hyundai Coupe is quiet enough when driven at normal road speeds of between 80kph and 120kph.

After that, the engine has to work a little harder, and under hard acceleration, the gears drop down, sometimes to second, and that is when you will notice the engine noise building up as the revolutions climb.

Due to the low ratios, the revolutions will hold right up to the red line at 6,500rpm before the gears change, unless you lift off and release the pressure in the gearbox.

Overall handling is decent, from the four-wheel independent suspension made up of MacPherson struts in the front and a multi-link arrangement at the rear.

The suspension is set to be on the firm side of comfortable, and driven in anger, the Hyundai Coupe will be able to give a reasonably good account of itself.

However, once the speed builds up, it cruises easily, and you can keep it at around 160 to 180kph the whole day if you so wish to.

Overall, the Hyundai Coupe does offer a viable option for those who want a sporty-looking yet affordable car, and are not looking for brute performance.

SOURCE: http://www.sun2surf.com

Curtains for pirated Windows

By STEVEN PATRICK

PETALING JAYA: From today, those with pirated copies of the Windows XP Professional operating system in their computers that are Internet-capable could find their screens going black and the icons vanishing as Microsoft Corp gets tough.

There are 8.6 million users of Windows XP Pro in Malaysia and about three million are expected to suffer the “blackouts”, according to Microsoft Malaysia.

To continue working, users will need to reset the machine’s desktop background. All will return to normal, but only for 60 minutes before another blackout occurs.

The only “cure” is to get a licensed copy of the operating system fro
m a Microsoft reseller or going online at www.microsoft. com/malaysia/genuine. Each licence costs RM580.

The initiative is part of Microsoft’s anti-piracy campaign, dubbed Windows Genuine Advantage, aimed at educating users on the benefits of using genuine software, Microsoft Malaysia client business group director K.T. Ng told The Star yesterday.

SOURCE: http://thestar.com.my

F1 DRIVER

F1 driver Massa revives title bid with European GP win

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Felipe Massa revived his world title challenge Sunday when he won the European Grand Prix and erased bad memories of his explosive exit from the last leg of the F1 championship in Hungary three weeks earlier.


The 27-year-old Brazilian had been forced out of the race in Budapest while leading with three laps to go when his Ferrari's engine blew up.
But this time, despite a strong challenge from second-placed Briton Lewis Hamilton in his McLaren-Mercedes, he was able to complete the 57 laps distance and take the chequered flag for the fourth time this season..
"I am so glad, so happy, after such a bad result in Hungary and the way it ended there," said Massa.



"Everyone did a fantastic job for me and it is a great result for the team.

"To take pole, to win the race and to clock the fastest lap, you cannot ask for more than that after such a bad experience in Budapest."



Hamilton, 23, said he felt ill through the weekend and was glad to win eight points for second place and stay in the lead in the title race after a tough race.

He now has 70 points, to Massa's 64, at the top of the championship with six of this year's 18 races remaining.



But Massa was dragged into a retrospective controversy when he was asked about his second pit stop which saw him rejoin the fray following an 'unsafe release' from the pits.

"I don't know anything about it," he said. "As far as I am concerned I did nothing wrong. It is more about Adrian Sutil than me."



In the incident, Sutil was released before Massa who came out alongside him in the pit lane and had to ease off when they approached a wall.

Race stewards held an inquiry into the incident which could have seen Massa have his victory taken away from him but in the end the Ferrari man escaped with a caution and a 10,000 euros.

In a second incident, a Ferrari mechanic was injured during Finn Kimi Raikkonen's bungled second pit stop. This also was announced as being under investigation.



Hamilton said he was glad to collect his eight points and remain on top in the title race.

"We have great reliability and a great package and no worries about any of that," he said, adding that he felt pain from his neck throughout the race.



"I woke up early on Saturday morning and had a spasm in my neck," Hamilton explained.

"At one point, I did not think I would recover and be able to race, but I had injections and I made it.

"I felt it during the race and it was tough for me, but I don't think I lost any time. The team had Pedro (De la Rosa, the reserve driver) waiting to race and of course he wanted to because he is Spanish.



"I felt bad from the start of the weekend, with low energy, fevers every day and the spasms in my neck. Luckily I have a great doctor and trainer and we got through it."



Poland's Robert Kubica who finished third said he had suffered problems as well when a white plastic bag flew across the track and under his car, causing him to lose his steering controls briefly.

"It came back after a little while, but I lost confidence and it affected me," he said.

"We got this third because of our great qualifying performance on Saturday."



The win was the ninth of his career and was achieved in exemplary fashion as he drove from pole position to the chequered flag without a worry apart from a problem at his second pit-stop.

In another incident, his Ferrari team-mate defending champion Finn Kimi Raikkonen was involved in a disastrous pit stop that left a mechanic injured two laps before his engine blew and forced him to retire.



Hamilton's McLaren team-mate Heikki Kovalainen of Finland came home fourth ahead of Italian veteran Jarno Trulli in a Toyota and 21-year-old German Sebastian Vettel who was sixth for Toro Rosso.



Timo Glock of Germany was seventh for Toyota and another German Nico Rosberg eighth for Williams.

SOURCE: http://www.nst.com.my