Named after its creator and chief engineer at the time, Rudolf Uhlenhaut, one of only two prototypes of the Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut has been sold at an auction for a record price of 135 million Euros (approx. RM627 million) to a private collector – making it the most valuable car in the world.

“The 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupes are milestones in sports car development and key historical elements that have shaped our brand. The decision to sell one of these two unique sports cars was for a good cause. The proceeds from the auction will fund a global scholarship programme called Mercedes-Benz Fund,” says Mercedes-Benz Group, CEO, Ola Källenius.

The “Mercedes Benz Fund” will be divided into two sub-categories: University Scholarships in order to connect, educate and encourage students to realise/conduct research on environmental science projects and School Scholarships focussing on pupils to realise local environmental projects in their communities.

RELATED: Mercedes-AMG’s 55th anniversary model for the GT 63 S E Performance is called… F1 Edition

The sale of the 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupé took place earlier this month at an auction held at the Mercedes-Benz Museum in cooperation with renowned auctioneer RM Sotheby’s. The invitees were among selected Mercedes-Benz customers and international collectors of cars and art, who share the corporate values of Mercedes-Benz.

The 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupé sold was part of the non-public vehicle collection belonging to Mercedes-Benz Classic, comprising more than 1100 automobiles from the invention of the automobile in 1886 until today.

“The private buyer has agreed that the 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupe will remain accessible for public display on special occasions, while the second original 300 SLR Coupe remains in company ownership and will continue to be displayed at the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart,” said the company.

GALLERY

Illegear has recently unveiled an external liquid cooling system that is designed to increase the CPU and GPU cooling capability for selected gaming laptops. Aptly called Flow, the company claimed that this cooling solution requires a very minimal setup given its plug-and-play nature.

This is made possible by the self-sealing quick-release connector that has been equipped to the tubes on the Flow. Inside its enclosure, the Flow also carries a 120mm x 25mm fan and a 120 x 27mm aluminium G1/4 12-pipes radiator alongside a pump that has a head pressure rating of 2.3 meters as well as a flow rate of 220 litres per hour.

Illegear has also noted that the Flow uses distilled water as its cooling fluid and is powered directly by the laptop’s power supply. Furthermore, it does not occupy any of the laptop’s I/O ports as the liquid cooling system is controlled wirelessly via Bluetooth.

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Once connected, users can check out the Flow’s fan and pump status inside Illegear Command Center software. From there, they can also tweak the fan’s performance profile as well as the system’s RGB LEDs.

When it comes to performance, Illegear claimed that the Flow can help shave between 15C to 20C off the usual operating temperature. The reduced temperature would also lower the workload faced by the laptop’s fan and allows them to operate at a slower speed.

Illegear said the fan speed can be reduced to as low as 50% when a compatible laptop is plugged into the Flow. Subsequently, a slower fan speed also means a lower noise level as well.

At the moment, the cooler is only compatible with Illegear Onyx G and Selenite X models that have 12th Gen Intel Core processors in them. Available directly from the company’s website for RM599, you can obtain it for slightly less at RM570 if you pay by cash over at its showroom in Oval Damansara, 1 Tebrau Johor Bharu, and Bay Avenue Penang.

Licensed homestays allowed in Penang

Aston Martin Kuala Lumpur has introduced a customised version of the Vantage for its customer called ‘The Bohemian Edition’.

Stand out features on the Vantage includes a silver vaned front grille paired with the Arizona Bronze exterior paint colour. The colour was inspired by the light sand of the Arizona desert.

According to Aston Martin Kuala Lumpur, it’s the first time ever in Malaysia that such a colour has been specified. The standard Vantage starts from RM 698,000 while the Vantage “Bohemian Edition” is priced at RM 890,000.00 (both prices stated exclude duties and taxes).

RELATED: Aston Martin Vantage “Hunter Edition” arrives in KL

Alongside the limited-edition release, Aston Martin Kuala Lumpur also announced that some features previously optional in the Vantage are now standard. They include keyless entry, blindspot monitoring, auto park assist, touchpad and glass switches which are bundled under the Technology Pack. Also standard are quad-exhaust tips and a 360-degree camera.

The Vantage is home to a 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8 with 510 hp and 685 Nm, paired with an 8-speed ZF transmission to drive the rear wheels. 0 to 100 km/h is obliterated in just 3.6 seconds.

RELATED: The new Aston Martin V12 Vantage is a 700 hp swan song to mark the end of an era

GALLERY

Qualcomm officially launched the follow-up to its current Snapdragon 8 Gen1 flagship: the Snapdragon 8+ Gen1 SoC. In addition to the new flagship, it also launched an all-new Snapdragon 7 Gen1 chipset series.

Starting with the 8+ Gen1 and as the follow-up act to its similarly named predecessor, the chipset comes with all of the fixtures and fittings one would expect from a high-end and premium-tier SoC, but clearly at more efficient and faster speeds. On paper, we’re looking at up to 10% faster speeds with almost 30% power reduction, and that’s just in gaming scenarios.

Specs-wise, the 8+ Gen1 retains Qualcomm’s chipset, dubbed the Artificial INtelligence Engine (AIE). It comprises Qualcomm’s Kryo octa-core CPU, Adreno GPU, and Hexagon Processor, which itself is made up of a multiple components that include a Fused AI Accelerator architecture, Vector eXtensions, Scalar Accelerator, and even a Tensor Accelerator.

Other details include Snapdragon’s X65 5G Modem, support for Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3, and of course, its suite of aptX codec support, plus the company’s Aqstic noise cancellation technology.

For imaging purposes, the 8+ Gen1’s Image Signal Processor (ISP) is capable of supporting a triple camera arrays with sensor sizes of up to 36MP, dual camera modules up to 64MP+36MP, and single sensor main arrays between 108MP and 200MP.

For display support, the 8+ Gen1 can support a maximum resolution of 4K60Hz or QHD+ at 144Hz, while the resolution via an output to an external display is limited to 4K60Hz. Oh, and it also supports HDR10+.

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Moving on to the Snapdragon 7 Gen1, the new SoC series is also another follow-up, but to the 700 series SoC. Much like the 8+ Gen1, the series uses the Qualcomm AIE, featuring CPU cores with clockspeeds of up 2.4GHz, and a new Adreno GPU. It also comes with several Snapdragon Elite Gaming features, including the Adreno Frame Motion Engine, and the ability to support mobile displays at resolutions of QHD+.

Additionally, the 7 Gen1 SoC can also boast Qualcomm’s 7th generation AI Engine that includes Deep Learning Face Detection, even while wearing a mask. Performance-wise, Qualcomm says that this new intelligent feature should come with up to 30% improvement in facial recognition capabilities via AI.

Display-wise, the 7 Gen1 supports resolutions ranging from FHD+ at 144Hz and QHD+ at 60Hz.

Last but not least, the 7 Gen1’s ISP is capable of supporting a main camera setup with up to three sensors capable of supporting sensor sizes up to 25MP, 64MP+20MP for dual-sensor devices, and between 64MP and 200MP.

At the time of writing, Qualcomm says that both its Snapdragon 8+ Gen1 and 7 Gen1 chipsets should start appearing in the devices of several partner brands during the second quarter of 2022.

(Source: Qualcomm [1] [2] [3]

The cost of developing the Gurney Wharf waterfront project has increased by 12 per cent to RM200 million.

According to Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow, the project’s cost has been increased by RM24 million to RM200 million and it could rise further in the future due to escalating costs.

The Gurney Wharf project, which will be built on reclaimed land near the state’s most famous tourist destination, Gurney Drive, was first mooted six years ago.

Spanning nearly 5km eastward from the foreshore of Gurney Drive, a total of 52 hectares (ha) of land were reclaimed in 2019, with 20ha set aside for Gurney Wharf.

Tanjung Pinang Development Sdn Bhd, a subsidiary of Eastern & Oriental Bhd, reclaimed the foreshore as part of a deal to reclaim Seri Tanjung Pinang (STP) Phase 2 further up north.

Gurney Wharf broke ground last week. Penang Chief Minister Inc owns the project, which is expected to be completed in early 2025.

According to Bernama, Chow said it would become the state’s newest attraction, adding economic value and spillover.

“The Gurney Wharf development initiative began in 2016 with engagement sessions with all stakeholders including Penang residents to obtain views, input, and feedback in terms of needs as well as the recreational component required by the community in the state.

“The project will be a promenade with a beautiful sea view and a recreational park, hawker centre, parking, and other facilities for the entire family to spend quality time and for a better quality of life for the people on the whole,” he said after the Gurney Wharf ground-breaking ceremony.

Johor-based Teto Engineering Sdn Bhd has been selected as the project’s principal contractor.

Work on the landscaping, skate park and playground, maritime engineering, and steel roofing would be done by subcontractors.

“Those involved in the project will protect the environment and marine areas. A traffic flow plan, including pedestrian walkways, is being studied as we expect the wharf to receive high traffic throughout the day. We hope the project, when completed, would be the state’s new attraction,” Chow said.

Chow said next year would see the completion of a green park, a playground, a skate park, and a viewing deck.

A hawker centre, a multi-story parking garage, a water taxi jetty, and a man-made beach would be built in the next two years.

The Gurney Wharf project supports Penang 2030’s vision of a ‘Family-Focused Green and Smart that Inspires the Nation.’

State Housing, Local Government, Town and Country Planning Committee chairman Jagdeep Singh in his speech, stated that if not for the Covid-19 outbreak, the project would have been completed by now.

“It is going to happen,” he said.

Source: NST Online

Volkswagen Passenger Cars Malaysia (VPCM) announced that all its authorised dealerships/service centres in the country are now either 3S or 4S centres. This is part of the company’s Volkswagen Cares initiatives to enhance the ownership experience for its customers.

There are currently 17 Volkswagen dealerships and one service partner, which are strategically located in key regions across the country, to provide customers with sales and aftersales services.

14 of these dealerships are 4S centres (Sales, Service, Spare Parts, and Body and Paint services), whereas three are 3S centres (Sales, service, and Spare Parts), while the remaining one in Kuching is a 2S centre (Service and Spare Parts). Volkswagen ensures that all dealer groups are equipped with the expertise and facilities to handle body and paint services.

Recently, Volkswagen has been busy introducing new models to the Malaysian market. They include the Tiguan starting from RM 175k, the new Golf GTI starting from RM 211k, the Arteon R-Line from RM 258k, and the Passat from RM 183K.

realme China has announced that it will be releasing yet another device to its tablet lineup this year. Unlike the company’s prior two releases, the new slate known as the Realme Pad X will be a high-end offering and is set to officially launch in the country next week.

The announcement also included a launch teaser which provides a first look at the tablet’s design. The new realme Pad X is shown to feature a similar design as its siblings, complete with a flat-edged frame and a display with high screen-to-body ratio. What sets it apart is its rear case, which features a protruding island with a single camera setup. In addition, the company says the device will sport a slim profile of only 7.1mm in thickness.

While realme is still tight-lipped regarding the upcoming tablet’s hardware specifications, Chinese online retailer JD.com has shared some additional information via its pre-order page for the Pad X. According to the store, the new device will be available in three colour choices and two memory configurations. The colourways include Star Grey, Sea Salt Blue and Bright Chessboard Green, whereas the memory options include 4GB + 64GB and a 6GB + 128GB configurations. 

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Meanwhile on the unofficial side of things, well-known tech insider Digital Chat Station suggests that the realme Pad X will be equipped with a high-end Snapdragon 870 chipset, which will also enable it to support 5G connectivity. Besides that, it is said that the tablet will also come with a QHD+ LCD display with 2520 x 1680 pixel resolution and 120Hz refresh rate, as well as massive battery capacity of 8,360mAh. Unfortunately, the specifications for its front and rear cameras are still unknown at this time.

Based on both official and unofficial information, it appears that realme is banking on its upcoming high-end tablet to go up against rivals such as the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 and Xiaomi Pad 5. The realme Pad X is slated to launch in China next week on 26 May 2022 at 2pm local time. Naturally, we’ll only find out more regarding its details such as pricing and so on by then.

(Source: realme China [official website] / JD.com / Digital Chat Station [Weibo])