CONDOLENCE: Toyota chief test driver Hiromu Naruse

I Jeff Lim, owner and editor of this Blog, would like to extend my Condolence to Naruse san who passed away recently.  His death will be a Great loss to Toyota and the Automotive industry. 

 Here's the article reporting the death of Naruse san. 

Source:

http://paultan.org/2010/06/24/toyota-chief-test-driver-hiromu-naruse-dies-in-lfa-crash/

Toyota chief test driver Hiromu Naruse dies in LFA crash

June 24, 2010 at 10:08 am By Danny Tan Filed Under International News, Toyota

 

Toyota has confirmed reports that its chief test driver, 67-year-old Hiromu Naruse, has has been killed in a head-on collision near the Nurburgring. Naruse was driving the Lexus LFA Nurburgring Edition when he collided head on with a BMW. The German car’s test driver and his passenger were seriously injured.
Reports from Germany say that the prototype Lexus (said to cost 1.5 million euros) veered into oncoming traffic. Police are investigating the crash and have yet to determine its cause.

Naruse joined Toyota in 1963 in the Vehicle Evaluation and Engineering Division, and had been involved with Toyota Motorsports since 1970. He was heavily involved with the Lexus LFA project, the classic Toyota 2000GT from the 1960s and all sporty Toyotas in between. His death will be a big loss to Toyota, including chairman Akio Toyoda, who had Naruse-san as his personal on-track driver.

Here's a link to the crash site near Nurburgring, Germany:
http://www.rhein-zeitung.de/video.html?bcpid=52682620001&bclid=52470201001&bctid=101406801001

Shahriza Hussein (1943 ~ 2010)

ARTICLE PARTLY EXTRACTED from MOTOR TRADER Website. By Chips Yap.

"One of Malaysia’s first generation of motoring journalists, Shahriza Hussein, passed away last weekend, two months short of his 67th birthday. He left us peacefully, with no pain and suffering, something which I feel is the 'reward’ a person gets for having been good during his life on earth – and Shahriza was certainly a good man, kind and fatherly to the rest of us in the fraternity.

Shah, as everyone called him, was the publisher and editor of Auto International which started in 1976 but he probably never expected to be one. His early years of working were spent in the Malaysian education service as a teacher, examinations specialist and curriculum consultant.

However, in the mid-1970s, he decided government service was not for him and moved into the private sector to start Auto International (AI), which was the second motor magazine in Malaysia after Asian Auto which had started in 1973 (the AAM magazine is 'older’ but it has been circulated only to members). Although he also had other magazines, among them one which covered his other passion – hifi audio systems – AI was the one that took up virtually all his time.

By 2005, Shah decided that it was time to retire and stepped away from an active role in producing the magazine every month.  He led a quiet life at home...  Nevertheless, thanks to e-mails circulated among the fraternity, we all 'heard’ from him on and off. He also wrote some articles for a newspaper in which he related his childhood years and that was great reading. "

END OF SOURCE;
1) http://www.motortrader.com.my/NUS/articles/article_2320/page_m.asp 

My (Jeff Lim's) opinion:

In 2008, he published a NOVEL Entitled "LEGACY".  I haven't read the book but a check with the Internet shows that His book is ON SALE in Australia, New Zealand, Japan, USA and others...  Critics sang praises to his book...

AL-FATIHAH Allahyarham Shahriza Hussien.  Though you've passed away, I have this to say, you are my ROLE MODEL.   I had been READING your Magazine since 1988!  I was only 9 years old back then when I picked up and actually READ my 1st issue of Car Magazine.  It was a 1988 issue of AUTO INTERNATIONAL.   The Cover I remembered back then was a MITSUBISHI GALANT Super Saloon.  From October 1989 to 1994, I've been religiously FOLLOWING your Magazine.  In  1995, I followed my Dad to Hong Kong to Continue my Year 10 (form 4) over  there...   DID NOT read your magazine until my return from Hong Kong in October 1999.  I Enjoyed your magazine until 2005, I presumed you RETIRED as a FULL TIME editor.  

The Magazine Content DETERIORATED since 2005.  It's so BAD that by Mid-2006, the Auto International was SUSPENDED for 6 issues. The magazine changed its editor 3 times!  There were NO MORE detailed "SPECIFICATIONS" and 8 page featured car review.  Auto International goes from "1 of the BEST" Magazine in 2005 to "1 of the WORST MAGAZINE" in 2009.   

To Current Editor of Auto International.  Please bring back the OLD Review format which has DETAILED Specifications.  Currently, your Review is "SUPER BRIEF", photos were "ULTRA SMALL" and NOT Technical AT ALL.  EVEN, Weekly News Straits Times' CARS.BIKES.TRUCKS Pullout is MILES BETTER than today's Auto International.  At LESS THAN 60 pages including cover  and priced at RM8.80, it's NOT WORTH the Asking price.My advice, if you want to CONTINUE WRITING this WAY, please cut the Price to RM5.  Else, BUCKLE UP and BRING US 2004 writing format, picture quality + specifications please...

Jeff Lim signing off! -SOBBING- in between...

IN MEMORIUM: Mazda 323 Astina (M), 1992

In MEMORIUM, 1992 Mazda 323 Astina (Manual). My sister's previous car.

In this blog entry, I'm reviewing my sister's Previous car, a white 1992 Mazda 323 Astina 1.6 (Manual). She owned the car from April 2003 to August 2007. My dad bought this "Kuching no. Plate" Astina from a dealer (Soon Meng Auto) which used to located at Jalan Universiti, Petaling Jaya for RM21,000 Cash.


The Mileage when we sold off the Astina stood at 217,521km.

What's so special about the car?

This car's AHEAD of its times... Firstly, it's the "Unique" Pop-up headlights, then the 60:40 split seats coupled with Hatchback body = Versatile.

Also, 4 Disc brakes (not bad for a 1990 technology), 4 power windows, Semi-bucket seats (see photo below), CD (Coefficient of Drag): 0.32 (Again, note that this is 1990 technology).


Of course, there's downside, namely the REAR HEADROOM's VERY POOR. I'm only 5 feet 9 and my head touched the "ceiling" of the car. Also, the SPARE PART'S Difficult to find (eg. Rear Brake discs mechanism). Maintenence higher than say, a Corolla SE-G. It Drinks petrol (for a Manual car).

The Suspension setup is "High-technology" 4x Independent MacPherson struts suspensions with fr and rr anti-roll bars, Like the Ford Laser TX3, the rear suspension is Ford patented "twin trapezoidal dual-linkage (TTL). The improved version is seen in Today's Ford FOCUS...

What happened over the 4 years under the hands of my sister. Let's see... 4x Absorbers changed once, tyres changed twice (front) and once (back) to Goodyear Ducaro GA, 2x battery change, 4x brake pad changed, serviced rear brake discs + rear wheel bearings, Cooling system changed TWICE (Radiator, water-pump etc...), Air-conditioning's faulty (Not cold, 4x trip to workshop), Minor Accident 3 times, twice almost at same spot, bumper "remoulded back to original shape", front nose (knocked back). Thank God the "Pop up headlight" mechanism not affected, if not $$$.

REAR BUMPER's TOUGH. At the 2nd time accident, a Proton Iswara crashed into the Bumper of our Astina, the Proton's front 1/3 gone, (bonnet became "A" shape) while the Astina's bumper just paintwork peeled off and minor scratches.

Oh! As for the fuel consumption, it averaged 8.7km/L (best 10km/L, worst 7.9km/L), . Note that this car's SOHC 16-valve Carby car (NOT Fuel injection). Also, performance: 0-100km/h in 11 seconds flat. Top speed unknown, but at 110km/h, the tachometer shows 2400rpm only. I guess it's around 180km/h.

For your information We sold it back to the same dealer we bought from in September 2007 for RM5,000 only.

Well, there's a saying a picture's worth 1000 words, here's some photos...


Nice Dashboard Layout. The Air-cond is special, comes with "Economy" mode...


Above: The engine bay. Code: B6. Cylinder 4-in-line, 1.6 SOHC 16-valve Single Carb FWD. 5 speed manual. It generates 64kw@6000rpm of max power, Torque: 125Nm@3100rpm.


Above: Unique Pop-up headlights. BELOW: Nicely sculpted Dashboard.


Before I sign off, here's a Parting shot... (Side profile)


An Original Jeff Lim's Production (My Original Work). Thanks for having the time and patience to read this...