Hybrid Morbidities

We’ve got some kind of world record here though not exactly the flattering type.

According to the AG (Auditor General, not Attorney General mind you), a government owned Proton Perdana is indirectly a world class fuel guzzler worthy of mention in, at the very least, the Malaysia Book of Records.

It manages a monstrous fuel consumption figure of 17.34l per km, or 0.06km (that’s 6cms) for every litre.

(The Hummer H3, the smallest Humvie, is said to get around 6 km per every litre in city driving conditions.)

The above figure is based on the assumption that the Perdana went full throttle at its supposed top speed of 205km/h during the record setting feat between 12.14pm and 12.15 om on Dec 14, 2008.

(Either that or the pump attendant (what self service?) didn’t put the nozzle in the right hole when pumping in the RON97 into the Perdana’s fuel tank.

Are you thinking what I am thinking? Now which hole did the fuel go into, eh? Wicked! )

My take is that it was (still is?) indeed a record breaker as the same Perdana managed the same feat a few days later on Dec 19. And so on.

Wow.

The now-in-abeyance-but-formerly-the-state-government of Perak (and Terengganu, too) so badly wanted to offload their Perdana V6s in place of Toyota Camry’s on the pretext that it’s one high maintenance car.

On hindsight: they got it Wrong, Wrong, Wrong.

Look at it this way:

By continuing to use the Proton Perdana, these state governments (and others too) would be helping the economy grow with frequent fuel purchases (provided, that is, they all fill up at Petronas who is one of our country’s main financier) as well as injecting some needed boost to the car servicing industry.

Methinks these people never heard of the phrase “trickle-down-effect”. Dumbos.

Sadly that last phrase refers to me too.

I have since given up my nationalistic tendencies in helping push through this “trickle-down-effect” thingy with the selling of my Proton Gen2.

Now, I no longer contribute with frequent fill-her-ups at the pumps (Petronas, of course!), or the equally frequent visits to either Proton, approved vendors or the under-the-tree mechanics for the bi-tri-or-more-monthly maintenance / repairs / whatcammacallit, as well as boosting the tow-truck industry every now and then.

I am so (blipping) sorry for my lack of patriotism. Really am.