SINGAPORE – Media OutReach – 6 December 2021 – Homegrown automotive manufacturing start-up, Catalyst Motors, is one step closer to launching its made-in-Singapore sports car after a round of performance testing for its 1960s classic-style two-door sports car held several weeks ago.
Artist impression of Centre of Automobile and Industrial Design
The vehicle was put to a high-speed test in a circuit at Changi Aviation Park to evaluate its road-holding, driving and manoeuvring performance – especially in the areas of structural rigidity and torsional stability.
The firm completed the built of the rolling chassis in 2019, with its frame assembled in-house by hand using aircraft and automotive-grade aluminium. Modular in nature,
Catalyst Motors intended for its rolling chassis design to be easily applied to other types of cars. In addition to the retro-themed sports car, the company intends to build a sport utility vehicle (SUV) and supercar in the future as well.
Founded in 2014 by entrepreneurs Lionel Lau and Anthony Parks, two automotive enthusiasts who have known each other for 22 years, the duo also enlisted the help of three engineering instructors from the National University of Singapore (NUS) — Lim Hong Wee, Hozefa Husainne and Kenneth Neo — who have prior experience in building cars thanks to their involvement in NUS’ Formula Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) race car project.
Since the Covid-19 pandemic broke out, plans for the fully private-funded sports car have been slightly derailed, with a shortage of manpower in the automobile manufacturing industry and factories. From the onset, Catalyst Motors envisioned a project team complete with local talent and embarked on a Singaporean-strong plan, curating a bevy of local partners to work with. Catalyst Motors aim to produce a car model that offers personal transportation in both neo-classic and utilitarian forms and is functional with modern personalised connectivity and individual styles and needs, offering owners the opportunity to determine various elements of their vehicle.
Strategic Collaborators
Sealing an exclusive partnership with local timepiece label Lytt Labs, whose watch designs will be the inspiration of the vehicle’s dashboard, expect to see elements such as the odometer resembling the dial of Lytt Labs’ signature Inception V1.0 watch.
Helmed by Edwin Seah, an international entrepreneur with a penchant for cars and watches; who also owns Lytt Labs, Global Dynamics, based in China, will be assisting in sourcing suppliers and logistics for Catalyst Motor’s operations.
An industrial designer with a strong interest and fresh ideas for car designs, Song Wei Teo graduated from Automotive Design at Coventry University, United Kingdom.
Song Wei contributes to Catalyst Motor’s design processes with his belief that a car’s design must be lightweight, employing the practical use of design to enable manufacturing methods and materials to fit form and function – and making them work seamlessly.
Meisterform’ Bryan Wong and Jake Lin specialises in forged wheels manufacturing and lends their expertise to Catalyst Motor’s kinetic and suspension development with their engineering experience in motion symmetry, kinetics and travel-surface telemetry, to facilitate the crucial road-going properties of the vehicles.
Aaron Koh, concert producer, sound specialist and owner of Sound Image Productions helms Catalyst Motor’s car cabin acoustics and sound design, customising the most optimum sound system in each vehicle.
An industry veteran with over 25 years of experience and branches in Vietnam and Japan, Robson Design, founded by Tommy Wong, specialises in carbon fibre and interiors for automotive parts and will be supporting Catalyst Motors with the fitting-out of its bespoke vehicles, providing leather, interior finishing and fabrication needs.
In Catalyst Motor’s planned intelligent and future-ready production design, Vincent Wong of HHT Automation will consult on the company’s high-tech manufacturing needs through robotics and automation and play an important role for the Centre of Automobile and Industrial Design upon its completion. Production and manufacturing processes will be geared up to suit the fast-changing and evolving engineering landscape of today.
Lionel Lau shares that “durability, manufacturability and ease of assembly when designing a commercial roadworthy car is of utmost importance. We understand the challenges we are going to face and we are prepared to meet them head on as we are confident of the outcome of our project. We are pleased to assemble a truly Singaporean team and with the launch of our vehicle, we hope to be a testament that there’s creative talent everywhere in Singapore, in so many different design and manufacturing disciplines.”
The completed rolling prototype chassis – the integral form of the vehicle’s engineering base, will be sent to Britain in late 2021, to be certified and validated for the next step of its manufacturing progress.
Currently in the pipeline, Catalyst Motors, together with local architects and fabricators, is also working on the development of an automobile focused design and industry outreach facility, the Centre of Automobile and Industrial Design (CAID) by 2023, to promote academic and technical training, co-learning as well as to garner more interest and cultivate talents in the local automotive scene among youths.
#CatalystMotors
Services
Stakeholder mapping, analysis, engagement and communication needs to be detailed to avoid business losses or even worse, a crisis. How can you do this effectively to prevent failure? ...
Data-driven business decisions have never been as crucial, especially in this era. MGBF leverages off, technology, experience and market presence to aid businesses in making accurate decisions. ...
MGBF provides comprehensive strategic advice and results-focused solutions to solve clients' problems in business-government relations so they can focus on their core business. ...
A critical business challenge is meeting the right decision-makers and potential buyers through the best channel and platform. How will you improve your business competency? ...
Upcoming Events
In this episode of 'A Working Lunch with Nordin', MGBF's Nordin Abdullah and regional commentator Eddin Khoo will discuss the biggest threats and opportunities for businesses as we look to manage change in the South China Sea.
This MGBF Roundtable will feature thought leaders form Japan, Australia, Singapore and Malaysia dealing with the critical issues of manipulation of public listed companies and government and their financial impacts.
A series of networking sessions with various business associations and trade organisations exploring high-value opportunities for business leaders and entrepreneurs looking to build the relationships that matter.
This integrated event will include a forum, dedicated business matching, site visits, a gala dinner and a round of golf. Aptly themed, the focus will be on regional food security issues and trends in the context of the supply chain, agriculture technology and trade regulations and policies.
MGBF In The News
Planet QEOS and China Machinery Engineering Corporation (CMEC) are interested in investing RM10 billion to co-develop advanced Megawatt peak (MWp) agrovoltaic in Baram, to further boost Sarawak’s green energy initiative and food security. Sarawak Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg was briefed on Friday by both the […]
Last week SPM results came out, 373,974 aspirants who have been waiting patiently over the last few months would now know their fate. Some 10,109 have received all A’s, the golden standard of academic success and the ticket to those looking to study the “more advanced” subjects in university. Proudly, […]
The classic knee-jerk reaction is to say, fire the coach, change the leadership of associations, and reduce the funding till they start performing better. This kind of negative reinforcement may work for kindergarten children, but we are dealing with high-performance adults – individuals much further along in their psychological and […]
Since its earliest tea plantations in 1929, Cameron Highlands has grown to become a key player in the agricultural landscape of Malaysia, producing 40 per cent of all vegetables grown. Despite Malaysia shifting its economic focus away from agriculture, the industry remains imperative for food security and the livelihoods of […]
Although at first glance the travel industry and the agricultural sector appear to have nothing in common, they actually share more than meets the eye. The economic benefits of tourism to the agricultural sector can be multiplied several times over. “Tourism brings the end consumers closer to the source, which […]
The Malaysia Global Business Forum (MGBF) recently held a high-level roundtable themed ‘Designing the Future of the Digital Economy’, attended by industry leaders and business associations. The guest of honour was Yang Berhormat Syerleena Abdul Rashid, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Bukit Bendera in Penang. The MP’s Special Session […]
The Malaysia Global Business Forum (MGBF) will be hosting a roundtable on ‘Designing the Future of the Digital Economy’ on 23 February 2023. It is the culmination of the first three MGBF Exclusive Roundtable Series titled ‘The Evolving Threat Matrix in the Digital Economy’ held throughout 2022. According to the […]
The Founding Chairman of the Malaysia Global Business Forum (MGBF), Nordin Abdullah, today spoke on Bernama TV’s leading English talk show, The Brief, hosted by Jessy Chahal, on the topic of a stable political reality and what that means for the Malaysian economy. Nordin said, “The first thing that it […]
More than 1,100 years ago, Muhammad ibn Musa al-Khwarizmi was developing the mathematical formulas that we know today as algorithms which now have become so intertwined with the business fortunes of global media giants and the very fabric of geopolitics. A series of recent high level international reports have revealed […]
KSK Land has been recognised by the Malaysia Global Business Forum (MGBF) for its role in attracting high net-worth individuals to Malaysia post-pandemic. The first challenge in investor attraction is “selling” the country. In the context of Asia, Malaysia is competing with some very established investment destinations. The second […]
Malaysia, in particular Kuala Lumpur, continues to position itself as a regional centre to do business, educate a family and enjoy a global lifestyle. One company, KSK Land, has taken the lead in positioning itself and the city of Kuala Lumpur as a property investment destination for the global citizen […]
The upcoming budget represents an opportunity to build resilience in the critical sectors that will form the backbone of the country’s future-facing economic ambitions. This however needs to be achieved in the context of managing the community sectors most impacted by COVID-19 over the past two years. The Keluarga Malaysia (Malaysian Family) […]
Malaysia Global Business Forum (MGBF) has moved to support the creative economy as the overall economy moves into a recovery phase following the COVID19 pandemic. As a step in the direction of normalcy, the MGBF has agreed to host the art exhibition “I Know You’re Somewhere So Far” by one […]
Congratulations to Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob for taking up the mantle of the ninth prime minister of Malaysia. There is nothing normal about the situation; it could not have been scripted but it has kept the spectrum of media, mainstream and social, gripped. The first order of business for […]
In a stirring speech to the nation, President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. stamped his brand of leadership on the presidency, in his first act as the 46th president of the United State of America, it signaled several shifts. Perhaps the weather was foreboding with snow falling before the ceremony that […]
KUALA LUMPUR, 6 July 2022 – As the global economy continues to deal with unprecedented levels of disruption caused by the pandemic and the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, the convergence of energy security and food security issues has become a front-of-mind issue faced by policy makers and consumers alike. […]
KUALA LUMPUR, 23 June 2022 — Malaysia Global Business Forum (MGBF) ties up with scoutAsia to ensure that businesses are equipped with deeper regional insights. The past two years has seen a massive shift in the way businesses are conducted with digitisation, digitalisation and automation continuously being adopted to improve […]
KUALA LUMPUR, 25 May 2022 – The Malaysia Global Business Forum (MGBF)’s exclusive roundtable on ‘Security Concerns in Critical Value Chains’ was held in a hybrid setting yesterday at the Eastin Hotel Kuala Lumpur. The guest of honour was Yang Berbahagia Tan Sri Dato’ Seri Rafidah Aziz, former minister of […]
We live in the age of crisis. At the heart of any crisis is the threat of rapid change. Change too deep or too wide that the current coping mechanisms for an individual, corporation or government are unable to remain resilient. An unwelcome paradigm shift, like the proverbial spider, that […]