Test Drive: Toyota Celica 1.8 ZZT230

Wah lau eh!?!

Finally got chance try out 7th Generation Toyota Celica on JB roads... Steady lah! The 7th Generation Toyota Celica (ZZT230) is powered by an economical 1.8 litre, 4-cylinder, 140 hp engine but since it was introduced in 2000, it's not "new model" so of course the ZZT230 that I was driving got mod one lah. My friend never tell me what are the mods... He just say sure can pass LTA inspection. Haha!

Toyota Celica ZZT230 with bodykit really look fierce wor...

Anyway, this hong chia really very ho huah... Maybe because it is manual version - so lagi power!

Woodlands Checkpoint bo chia leh... Hosay... Must buy Toto!

I started my journey in the morning... Check One Motoring Web Site - Wah! First time I see Woodlands Checkpoint don't have jam one - I thought must buy Toto liao (Not Brother Rando's dog, Toto but the real Toto... Haha!) Sekali after the Woodlands checkpoint, past the old Johore checkpoint, turn left, turn right then up the mountain (not yet down the hill) then I saw this!?!

So many hong chia... So little time... Wah piang oei!?!

See already I also stun sia! I thought should be wait long long one but heng-heng ah... It didn't take long to get Passport stamp and move on. Hosay!

As I want to try the power and handling, I used to Danga Bay coastal road - Wah... The feeling macham playing "Outrun" like that because the road was quite clear and the sun was not so bright. Just tekan the accelerator a bit already kena 150km/h - song ah! The ZZT230 handling also quite smooth, maybe also because my friend got lower the suspension and did something to the undercarriage.

Road is clear - bo chia -what are you waiting for?

Many times I was tempted to loot even more but was afraid kena Traffic Police out looking for Ang Pow so tahan a bit. Sekali beh peoh boh ah nee choon... Choy! Choy! Choy! Anyway, there was a Traffic Police further down the road but that was because there was really an accident involving a motorcycle and a car.

I drove the ZZT230 around the outskirts of JB town and then after visiting some relatives and friends, decided to go back earlier to avoid jam at the Causeway. Then I thought I kay kiang a bit... Usually Woodlands sure jam one so I decided - 2nd Link - sure no jam one!

I take highway towards Tuas, loot all the way past Gelang Patah to the last Rest Stop and then top-up at Petronas. Driving other people's car so I never try anything past 180 km/h but one thing for sure is that even though the handling is good, I feel it's not as zai as the RX-8 when travelling at high speeds. Another thing about the Celica is that you cannot heard rough engine sounds - it remains very smooth even though you are running about 180km/h... Maybe it's because of the VVTi engine?

I reached the Rest Stop in a flash! Wah! Usually the KFC bo lang, pah bang but today muah-muah one... So many people! The food centre next door was quite deserted in comparison so I decided to eat there. (Maybe most Singaporean scared eat "roadside food" will kena lau sai or maybe they think cheapo food is bad for health. Anyway, I just sup whatever I can find because hungry already lah...) Food in Malaysia - so cheap but also so good. I wish my Kampong Kawan also come along then we can sit around sing pantun and whack the satay campur-campur with babat!

What is tea break without teh terik? After my makan, I order my teh, sit back, relax, drink and watch all my fellow Singaporeans arrive, look at my black "Silly Car" like it's on "car show" then walk to KFC, quickly makan then go next door pump petrol. Why so hurry?

Pump petrol another Singapore story... Esso muah-muah one... Shell also muah-muah one but Petronas not so muah... Why? Malaysian petrol tak boleh ah? Haha! I heck care the rest, pump Petronas full tank, then chiong towards the "Touch N Go" toll and then chuah all the way back to Tuas checkpoint.

Sekali even before I reach the middle of the bridge, I see this!?! Argh!?! Simi tai jee? I see cars from left lane go centre lane, from centre lane go right lane - back and forth... Wah lau eh!?! Got Lang gah ah?

Here jam, there jam... Really is Gong Xi Fa Cai!

All along the trip I was comparing the Celica with the RX-8. I found another thing the Celica was better than the RX-8... The clutch not so heavy unlike the RX-8. So if I caught in this kind of jam driving the RX-8, I think I will MC one week or need to switch to "auto" car for one week . The Celica's clutch was much lighter and quite like driving a normal car. Hosay!

Sitting inside the ZZT230, listening to standard-issue JB songs, I look to my left and I saw this chilli red-hot Ferrai... Haha!

Steady lah! Ferrari also kena jam... Haha!

I thought I drive "semi" sports car kena jam sueh ka cow peh... Then I see the "Big Brother" of all sports car also in the same jam as me, I also a bit sim liang-liang. Anyway, I was caught in the jam for two hours - heng I took super heavy tea break and stock up some drinks in the car. By the time I got to Seng Kang, time for dinner liao!

Anyway... Happy New Year to all AoTLM readers... Huat ah!