Search Result

We have carefully selected and picked six different cars that we feel are truly special in 2013. Individually, they all answer to different classes of consumers, but when you look at them closer, they are all cars that were built also to provide the most fun for their respective price tags. We have it all here: from a 1.6-litre all the way to a monstrous 4.4-litre. Without any further delay, here they are, Burnpavement's Best Picks of 2013 (left to right, clockwise direction): BMW M5 Competition Pack, Mercedes-Benz CLA200, Lexus IS F-Sport, Renault Megane RS265, Volkswagen Golf GTI, Porsche Cayman.
New

Best Picks Of 2013

IN Best Picks of 2013, 2013, Best Picks, Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen, Renault, Lexus, Porsche, BMW, Audi, M, M5, RS, RS4, GTI, Golf GTI, CLA, RenaultSport, RS265, Cayman

So 2013 was an eventful year for the local motoring industry: An introduction and implementation of new policies, changes in classification of new cars, and the list goes on.


Then there is the space. The front bucket seats are rather huge and do eat into the rear legroom, but they still leave enough margin for three adults to be seated comfortably. As a wagon though, the boot space is substantial and it will swallow up a whole lot of things.
New

RS Is For Rudolf's Sled | Audi RS 4 Avant 4.2 FSI

IN Audi RS4, Audi Singapore, Premium Automobiles, RS, Avant, V8, 4.2 FSI, Christmas

Audi's RS 4 Avant is one cracking wagon. An astonishingly fast car that is the epitome of 'vroom and room'. But how does it perform as Santa's helper? We put some antlers on and find out.


The Golf gained a total of 504 points, the highest ever for an import model. It also scored 131 points more than the second-placed car. At the award ceremony, Shigeru Shoji, the President of Volkswagen Group Japan, commented: “We are very much pleased that the Golf becomes the first import car which gained the grand prize in 34 years of Japan Car of the Year history. This honour has been awarded to all the people who supported Volkswagen in Japan over the past 60 years.” Among numerous other awards, the new Golf has also won the Car of the Year, World Car of the Year, and Golden Steering Wheel titles this year.
Happenings

The Golf Captures The Japan Car Of The Year Award

IN Volkswagen, Golf, Japan Car Of The Year

For a country that prides itself on manufacturing some of the world's best cars, the German made Golf has made history by being the first non-Japanese car to win this award.


Okay back to the car… the 458 spider. It is ridiculously good, for the first time that after giving the car back, my Jag suddenly feels like it has lost a few cylinders. I was having pretty bad withdrawal symptoms for the next few days.
New

N.GINE Archives | Ferrari 458 Spider

IN Ferrari, 458, Spyder, Ital Auto

The already sexy Ferrari 458 goes topless! Dr Kevin Co takes it for a spin to see if anyone notices the difference.


Essentially an A-Class underneath, the CLA looks like it had gone to a trendier tailor than its hatchback sibling. The four-door coupe is pretty avant-garde in styling, to say the least. The result is that some will like it, some will loathe it. That said, I've met more who find it 'progressively attractive'. Which is another way of saying
New

Mercedes-Benz CLA 200 Urban

IN Mercedes-Benz, Mercedes, A-Class, CLA, 200, Urban

The CLA is well-priced and promises to be a car that doesn't conform to the norm. Is that necessarily a good thing? We find out.


BP: Some people have said that the best racing drivers didn’t pass their driving tests on the first try - Jenson Button for example. How many attempts did you take to obtain your driver’s licence? Alain: I did the test when I was 18 years old, the normal age at the time, and passed on the first try. (chuckles) BP: What was your first car, and what’s your preference for your road cars you drive? Alain: I never liked driving sports cars. When you’re driving in Formula 1 you want something a little more comfortable. The first car I bought was an Opel Kadett GT/E, which was a rally car. Unfortunately, that was the only car I had an accident with. I was going quite slow to be honest, but it was on gravel, and my friend and I ended up going 30m down the (side of a) hill. I’d only had the car three weeks, so that was quite a bad experience! BP: I understand that your son is currently a test driver for Lotus. How is he going with that? With Kimi moving to Ferrari, might there be a spot for him next year? Alain: It is never impossible, because he has done a good job in the last two years, and spent a lot of time on the simulator. But being a development driver, he is very focused, and it is a different way of working and it is very good for the team. Being a race driver is going to be another different thing, with qualifying one lap or doing the start, (or) even if he races in endurance or other types of races. So it is two different things and I realised it and he knows it himself that it will be difficult for him to be chosen by the team but you never know. BP: All the best for that!
Happenings

A Meeting With The Professor

IN Renault, Alain Prost, Wearnes

Racing drivers live and breathe motorsports throughout their careers, but have you ever wondered what happens when they stop?


Albeit a tad simplistic in treatment whereby the storytelling gets pared down to the feature of a over indulgent spoilt brat with an overly aggressive approach to racing and a pedantic and extremely focused racer who might appear extremely standoffish; the 1970s rivalry between these two Formula 1 race car drivers is a story of two opposing forces driven by a passion for success. The only difference is the way they make their ascent to the peak. RUSH opens in cinemas on 26 September 2013.
The Pit

RUSH

IN RUSH, F1, Cathay, Racing, James Hunt, Niki Lauda

Set against the sexy, glamorous and spectacular golden age of Formula 1 racing, RUSH portrays the exhilarating true story of two of the greatest rivals the world has ever witnessed.


From the onset, the car impresses with its dashing good looks. The pre-facelift model was already a looker, but Mercedes obviously felt that the staid quad-headlamp setup was getting old, so they've revamped it with a modern and sleek singular design with integrated LEDs, while the rear tail lamps also get a refresh with new LEDs. Very nice.
New

Sexy Star | Mercedes-Benz E-Class Coupe E250

IN Mercedes-Benz, Mercedes, E-class, Coupe, E250

We've been driving some really good cars lately. But few look as good as the new E-Class Coupe.


Building on the success of the acclaimed Continental GT V8, the new GT V8 S models feature a more powerful version of Bentley’s high-efficiency 4-litre, twin-turbo V8 engine developing 521 bhp at 6,000 rev/min and an immense peak torque of 680 Nm at a mere 1,700 rev/min. Delivered via a close-ratio ZF 8-speed automatic transmission, the increased power provides effortless, exhilarating high performance with breath-taking acceleration and imperceptibly smooth power delivery. Switch into S mode via the gear selector and the V8 S rewards the spirited driver with a sharpened throttle response while gears are held for longer with faster shifts.
Happenings

New ‘S’ Models Sharpen The Continental GT's Sporting Edge

IN Bentley, Continental, GT

The appeal of the world’s most stylish, luxury grand tourer is enhanced with the introduction of the new, sporting Continental GT V8 S.


But that's not all. Also found in the Limited Edition Car Pack are five new cars that are already destined for legendary status. Each car in the ‘Forza Motorsport 5’ Limited Edition Car Pack will feature a Limited Edition livery and will be tuned to the top of its respective class. Some of the cars in the ‘Forza Motorsport 5’ Limited Edition Car Pack include: • 2013 McLaren P1 – The successor to McLaren’s legendary F1, the McLaren P1 is an automotive highlight reel: technological innovation, gorgeous contours, and pure, unapologetic performance. Epic, legendary, astounding – words tend to fail when describing this car’s limitless potential. • 2011 Audi RS 3 Sportback – More than a mere grocery-getter, the RS 3 Sportback marries performance with practicality. The result is a 340-horsepower grin-generator that will paste your head to the back of the seat and not crack a single egg in the process. • 2012 Aston Martin Vanquish – As comfortable on the track as it is on cozy country lanes, the Aston Martin Vanquish is equal parts refined style and snarling, road-taming grit. • 2013 Ford M Shelby Mustang GT500 – While the GT500’s aggressive lines suggest raw power and straight-line speed to spare, the sound of that big 5.8-liter V8 simply screams, “Get out of the way!” • 2013 SRT Viper GTS – The return of the Viper has been celebrated by automotive fans worldwide. With an 8.4-litre V10 that’s capable of pushing the GTS to a top speed north of 200 mph, the 2013 Viper GTS has once again firmly entrenched its spot near the top of the American Muscle hierarchy.
The Pit

Forza Motorsport 5 Limited Edition

IN Forza Motorsport 5, Microsoft, Xbox, Gaming

Microsoft and Turn 10 Studios has announced details for the Limited Edition version of ‘Forza Motorsport 5’.


Working hard at appealing to the car’s intended target segment in a bid to cajole them to eschew their dowdy appearance of batik shirts, black man bags and thick gold chains, Mercedes-Benz has place great effort in making the new E-Class more stylish.
New

Like A Boss | Mercedes-Benz E200 Sedan

IN Mercedes-Benz, E-Class, E200, Sedan, Saloon

The perennial favourite of ‘towkays’ gets a makeover.


The first fruit borne of this effort is the little i3 electric city car. And we do mean little – at 3,999 mm in length, 1,775 mm in width and 1,578 mm in height, the i3 is 326 mm shorter, 10 mm wider and 158 mm taller than BMW’s smallest model, the 1-Series. Unlike most EVs, it’s light too. Thanks to an aluminium chassis, and the world’s first mass produced carbonfibre-reinforced-plastic (CFRP) monocoque body, the i3 weighs in at a relatively paltry 1,195 kg. This means that fewer batteries are required to provide propulsion for the car, which has the knock-on effect of reducing weight further still. The inherent strength of carbonfibre also means that the i3 can afford to do without a B-pillar, combining with the suicide rear doors to make a massive aperture.
Happenings

i Will Be Green - BMW i3

IN BMW, I3, Electric, EV, BMW i

After a fairly short gestation period since its initial unveiling in 2011, the final production version of BMW’s i3 city car has been revealed.


Then the flood came. And again. Suddenly, buying an SUV makes so much sense. Jokes aside, most SUV drivers made the decision to get one because of the simple fact that it provides the ability to look further ahead in congestions; a sense of security, in other words.
New

Practically Speaking | Hyundai Santa Fe GDI 2.4

IN Hyundai, Santa Fe, GDI, Komoco Motors, Hyundai Santa Fe

The Santa Fe returns with a classier and bolder look, showcasing the Korean’s new upmarket identity; question is, does it drive as good?


A mismatch though it may be, the engine is still a great unit. It produces just 94bhp, which admittedly isn’t fantastic, but makes up with 230Nm of torque. That’s more pulling power than some NA 2.4-litre engines! An even bigger selling point though, is its cleanliness – just 99g/km of CO2. Perhaps this why only this engine is being imported here – it gets the maximum $20,000 CEVS rebate, a useful saving in Singapore’s problematic car market. And naturally, being a diesel, fuel consumption is excellent too; I managed just under 17km/l over 370km of not-particularly-economic driving.
New

Call Of The Jungle… | Peugeot 208 e-HDi

IN Peugeot, 208, 1.6 e-HDi, Diesel

… The urban one, that is. Peugeot’s latest baby has landed and, curiously for this end of the market, it’s a diesel!


Combine that brief with Tilke's characteristic safety features and tarmac run-off areas (less exciting for professional racing, much safer and friendlier for trackdays), and everyone's a winner. As a car enthusiast in Singapore caged by endless rules and taxes, this news comes at a perfect time to give us hope and take our minds off the recent ridiculous trends in our car industry. If you'll excuse me, I've now got to start saving for my own trackday monster...
Happenings

FASTrack Iskandar Appoints Hermann Tilke As Track Designer

IN FASTrack, Iskandar, Johor, Malaysia, Track, Racetrack, Motorsports, Trackday

Motorsports fans and petrolheads rejoice. After news of the Changi Motorsposrts Hub's demise left car enthusiasts disappointed, there now seems to be hope for the local motorsports fraternity.


Now, I can bet with you that Lamborghini would like to be known as the manufacturer that makes wild supercars again. At the Geneva Motor Show, they made sure that that nickname stuck by launching the Lamborghini Veneno. Underneath the radically styled carbonfibre body, lie the chassis and the running gear of the Aventador.
Happenings

Ultra Rare Aventador-Based Supercar Launched!

IN Lamborghini, Veneno, Anniversary, V12, Geneva

Lamborghini builds the insane Veneno to celebrate its 50th anniversary.


The difference is not only cosmetic. The new DB9 gets more poke too. That said, this is no Vanquish; the new DB9 is heavier than the Carbon-Bodied Vanquish. Anyways, back to the topic. The new DB9 is powered by Aston Martin's trademark 6.0-liter V12.
Happenings

Aston Martin Facelifts The DB9

IN Aston Martin, DB9

The DB9 is the latest Aston to receive a facelift. So how did its little surgery turn out?


Built near Milano where the company is based, the quality in the manufacturing and finish is nothing short of staggering. From the A-pillar backwards, the new exterior body panels are hand-shaped in steel – including the roof, new wider rear wings, and the internal reinforcements of the complete rear section of the car.
Happenings

Eurosports Auto Unveils Bespoke Bentley Continental Flying Star

IN Bentley, Eurosports Auto, GTC, Bentley Motors Limited, Touring Superleggera, Flying Star

It will roughly cost the price of three Bentleys and only 19 will be made. This Bentley built by italian coach builder Touring Superleggera is indeed reserved for the discerning few.


Happenings

2014 Nissan GT-R Engines Get Enhanced

IN Nissan, GT-R, Turbo, GTR, New, 2014

As if it needs more power and 'improved throttle and acceleration feel' - the Nissan GT-R still gets it anyway. That, and an aluminum nameplate with the name of the engine constructor.


Happenings

MINI John Cooper Works Paceman

IN MINI, Cooper Paceman, Paceman, John Cooper Works

MINI's first compact Sports Activity Coupé gets the full John Cooper Works treatment with a punchy 218 bhp power-plant!



© 2015 BURNPAVEMENT