29/03/2026

theSunday Special XVI ON SUNDAY MAR 29, 2026

UMW Toyota Motor (UMWT) is going racing regionally with the establishment of TGR (Toyota Gazoo Racing) Racing Malaysia that will compete in the GT4 class of the 2026 Thailand Super Series, running Toyota GR Supra GT4 Evo2 machines. The team will operate with a long term view of competition and develop ment, building on experience gained through eight seasons of the local Toyota Gazoo Racing Vios Challenge. Under the series, UMWT has devel oped local driving talent, technical capa bility and race operations expertise, founding the basis of TGR Racing Malaysia. GT4 is a category featuring race cars derived from production models and homologated according to specific tech nical regulations. The regulations utilise Balance of Performance (BoP) to equal ise cars from different manufacturers and varying power output to level the playing field. All five rounds of the Thailand Super Series GT4 season will be contested with an all-Malaysian driver line-up, com prising Shaun Thong, Weiron Tan, Nazim Azman and Putera Adam. TGR Racing Malaysia will field two GR Supra GT4 Evo2 race cars, prepared Buckle up!

in accordance with Thailand Super Series GT4 regulations. The GR Supra GT4 Evo2 is developed and produced by TGR Racing Europe as part of Toyota’s global customer racing programme. As the name suggests, the Evo2 incor porates a series of updates focused on performance, reliability and drivability, including improved braking perform ance, revised damper settings, enhanced cooling and refined ABS calibration. The Thailand Super Series kicks off with a pre-season test from April 22-23 at the Chang International Circuit in Buriram ahead of the opening round from May 21-24 at the same circuit. Round 2 will be from July 1-5 and held in conjunction with the 20th Anniversary celebration of the Bangsaen Grand Prix international street racing festival in Chonburi. Rounds 3 and 4 will give Malaysians an opportunity to support the home team as the series shifts to the Petronas Sepang International Circuit from Aug 21-23 and Sept 18-20 respectively, with the finale returning to the Chang International Circuit from Oct 30-Nov 1. Toyota Gazoo Racing Malaysia takes on Thailand Super Series with GR Supra GT4

New Class all-electric 3 Series BMW has officially revealed the all-new 2026 BMW i3 (NA0), the brand’s first fully electric 3 Series and the second model under its Neue Klasse platform. At launch, the i3 will be offered as the i3 50 xDrive, featuring a dual-motor all wheel drive setup combining an electri cally excited synchronous motor (EESM) at the rear and an asynchronous motor (ASM) at the front. Total system output is rated at 469PS (345kW) and 645Nm. Driving range is claimed at up to 900km (WLTP), enabled by BMW’s sixth-generation eDrive technology and new cylindrical battery cells. Charging supports up to 400kW DC, with BMW claiming up to 400km of range can be added in just 10 minutes. Despite its EV underpinnings, the i3 retains a traditional sedan form with BMW’s new 2.5-box design language, featuring a long wheelbase, short over

Quintessentially British

hangs and a more upright silhouette. Dimensions are 4,760mm, 1,865mm, 1,480mm, and 2,897mm in length, width, height, and wheelbase respec tively. This makes it larger than the G20 BMW 3 Series. Key exterior elements include a rein terpretation of BMW’s front end with integrated lighting and grille elements, a shark-nose profile, flared wheel arches and up to 21-inch wheels. The i3 debuts BMW’s new “Heart of Joy” high-performance control unit, which manages drivetrain, braking, steering and energy recuperation. BMW says the system operates up to 10 times faster than previous architec tures, enabling more precise handling and smoother driving responses. Production of the new BMW i3 will begin in August 2026 at BMW’s Munich plant, with market launch in Europe expected later in the year.

MINI MALAYSIA has launched the Mini Paul Smith Edition, a special edi tion (offered in limited number) based on the all-electric Cooper SE, priced from RM 222,222 (OTR without insur ance). With the Mini Service & Repair Inclusive (MSRI) package, which includes a four-year warranty and service coverage, the price increases to RM 228,522. Power comes from a front mounted electric motor producing 218PS and 330Nm, enabling a 0 100kph sprint in 6.7 seconds and a top speed of 170kph. A 54.2 kWh battery provides up to 402km of range (WLTP). Charging supports up to 11kW AC and 95kW DC fast charging, with a 10-80% charge taking under 30 min utes. Visually, the Paul Smith Edition fea tures Nottingham Green accents on the side mirrors, grille and hub caps, along with a matching roof finished

with the designer’s signature stripe across the rear section. It rides on 18-inch Slide Spoke alloy wheels finished in Nottingham Green with Dark Steel accents and Paul Smith-branded centre caps. Other details include Black Blue Mini emblems and “Paul Smith” lettering on the tailgate. Inside, the cabin features JCW Sports seats in Vescin upholstery with a Shadow Stripe knit design, along with a Paul Smith label. The dashboard also incorporates the Shadow Stripe theme, inspired by the designer’s signature motif. Other bespoke details include a ‘hello’ puddle light projection, embroi dered rabbit motif on floor mats, sig nature stripe textile band on the steering wheel and exclusive infotain ment display themes designed by Paul Smith. The Mini Paul Smith Edition is offered in two colours which are Inspired White and Statement Grey.