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Happenings

California Girls

IN Ferrari, California, Turbo, Singapore, Launch

No bikinis or sun-kissed skin here, but the new California T is certainly a mighty fine lady indeed.


When the facelifted 5 Series arrived in our market, the local BMW dealer also quietly brought in another variant: the diesel 5 Series, the 520d. This, in my opinion, is the variant to get if you want to stand out from the rest of the 5 Series crowd. Or besides the fact that you are still skeptical about hybrids (yes, I am referring to the ActiveHybrid5 that costs $350k)…
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D-Cup | BMW 520d

IN BMW, 5 Series, 520d, Diesel, 5 Series sedan, Luxury sedan, Performance Motors

Big is good for some… err, we’re talking about engines here. But BMW proves that in reality, a medium- sized turbodiesel with refinement is all you need


Yet, the stupendous power of the Turbo S is jaw-droppingly massive. Like the C4, it is equipped with 4WD and inspires confidence even when you building us crazy speeds. Porsche's excellent 7-speed PDK dual-clutch gearbox is the sole transmission available on the Turbo and Turbo S. You could use the flappy paddles to switch gears, but we left the gearbox to its own devices and focused on coming back to the pits in one piece.
Happenings

Porsche Driving Experience 2014

IN Porsche, 911, Carrera 2S, Turbo, Turbo S, Eurokars, Porsche Driving Experience

Porsches are meant to be driven hard. So that's exactly what we did when we got to Sepang for the Porsche Driving Experience 2014.


The fifth generation 911 GT3, a completely new development, has a power-to-weight ratio of 3.0 kg/hp and the ability to achieve a top speed of 315 km/h. It accelerates from zero to 100 km/h in a mere 3.5 seconds and completes a lap at Nürburgring Nordschleife in just under 7:30 minutes. As a technical highlight, it features the first active rear-wheel steering in a production Porsche, as well as optional full-LED headlights. The powertrain consists of a 3.8-liter boxer engine yielding 475 bhp at 8,250 rpm, a Porsche dual-clutch transmission (PDK) and a high-traction rear-wheel drive.
Happenings

Welcome To Singapore, 911 GT3 And 911 Turbo!

IN Porsche, 911, 991, GT3, Turbo, Turbo S, 911 GT3, 911 Turbo, 911 Turbo S, Porsche Centre Singapore

Porsche today launched the new 911 GT3, 911 Turbo and 911 Turbo S at the Porsche Centre Singapore.


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The Grand Solution | BMW M6 Gran Coupe

IN BMW, M6, Gran Coupe, M6 Gran Coupe, M, Munich Automobile, 6 Series

Panamera Turbo too mainstream for you, Sir? Then meet the other solution…


Let's take a look at this not-so-subtle Edition One-specced A45. With it's rear wing, side canards and matt black livery, this little car looks fast without even moving, if a little ostentatious. That said, without the Edition One add-ons, the A45 could pass off as a regular A-Class with a Sport kit. Only upon closer inspection, will you notice the
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A Star | Mercedes-Benz A45 AMG

IN Mercedes-Benz, A45, A Class, Hatch-back, AMG

The A45 is Merc's entry-level AMG model. But there's nothing basic about this premium hot hatch at all.


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?


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.


Setting the R apart from other Golfs are different bumpers front and rear, as well as a diffuser and quad chrome-tipped tailpipes. 18-inch ‘Cadiz’ wheels are standard, 19s an option, and the R gets a unique paint colour called Lapis Blue metallic. Inside, you get sports seats trimmed in alcantara or Nappa leather, stainless steel pedals and door sills, as well as a smattering of R badges throughout the interior, including on the leather-wrapped steering wheel.
Happenings

Rated R for Rapid

IN Volkwagen, Golf, R, VW, Hot hatch

Not long ago, the Golf R32/Golf R had its corner of the market to itself, its power and price elevating it above tamer hatches. But with new rivals from premium brands, is the Golf R still the daddy?


With McLaren’s thirty years’ experience working with carbonfibre (first carbonfibre chassis in Formula One and first all carbon-bodied road car, the F1), it comes as no surprise that the P1 is entirely constructed from the black weave – right down to its central load-bearing structure, the MonoCage tub. And since carbonfibre is moulded, the body panels could be shaped in far more complex and extreme ways than if they were made of steel or aluminium. Indeed, it is a real treat to witness and examine the P1 in the flesh, where you can’t help but marvel at how sculpted the car looks. Pictures alone do not do it justice.
Happenings

McLaren P1 Makes Southeast Asian Debut

IN McLaren, P1, Wearnes, McLaren Automotive, Hypercar, F1

Singapore is the first stop for the P1 as it makes its way around the region


The natural trade-off though, is in its ability to carve a corner. Despite how tall the Forester is, body roll is less prevalent than expected, no doubt thanks to the Boxer drivetrain’s low centre of gravity, but unless you really enjoy feeling a car at its limit no matter how easily reached it is (which I do), there’s not much reward to be gained from hustling it. The tyres are designed for low rolling resistance and hence give up very easily, running out of grip at even moderate speeds, while the electric steering, though light and easy to twirl at parking speeds, has a vague, non-linear response during the first few degrees of lock. On initial turn-in the steering feels overly light but after that it firms up, with nice weighting and progression through the rest of the turn.
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The Family Rocketship | Subaru Forester 2.0XT

IN Subaru, Forester, XT, Turbo, X-mode, AWD, Review

With the next generation of WRXes and STIs still at least a year or two away, it’s up to the 4th-generation Forester to uphold the turbocharged mantle in the Subaru stable.


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Beetle Juiced | Volkswagen Beetle 1.4 TSI

IN Volkswagen, Beetle, 1.4 TSI, Supercharged, VGS

With some added power, the otherwise cute Volkswagen Beetle is now quite the road beast.


To be fair though, the Audi TT Ultra Quattro Concept isn’t all max power and unhinged lunacy. In fact, the thinking behind it is fairly inspired – using Audi’s racing experience to shed massive amounts of weight: the car weighs just 1,111kg, 300 less than the TTS on which it’s based.
Happenings

Superleicht

IN Audi, TT, Quattro, Concept, Worthersee, Festival, Lightweight, TSI

Like a Superleggera, but German. The Audi Audi TT Ultra Quattro Concept makes Lamborghini's (and indeed everyone else's) efforts at a lightweight special seem completely inadequate.


With a top speed of 300 km/h, the car also is equipped with huge brakes. In order to slow down the GTI, Volkswagen uses ceramic brake discs all around with 380 mm discs in front and 356 mm at the rear. The are housed behind fat 20
Happenings

Volkswagen Design Vision GTI Concept

IN Volkswagen, Design Vision GTI, Concept, W12, Golf

Wolfsburg builds a 503 bhp monster! Dubbed the Design Vision GTI, it's giving us flashbacks of a certain 650 bhp Golf.


Already distinctive and rather good to look at, the new 3 Series is made even more desirable with this aggressive bodykit. While the stock 3 has design cues that resemble the bigger 5 Series, the added M kit seems to lend well to help the 316i carve its own identity, which is definitely a good thing.
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Less Can Be More | BMW 316i M Sport

IN BMW, 3 Series, 316i, 335i, M-Sport

Last to the 3 Series family, the 316i may pack the least power, but it's so affable, it may just leave its middle siblings neglected by the crowd.


Enter the new Forester XT. With a 2-litre ‘Direct Injection Turbo’ flat-four putting out 240 bhp and 350 Nm, the car will sprint to 100 in 7.5s and top out at 221 km/h. And, this being a crossover, the long-travel suspension should be able to soak up the bumps quite decently. The perfect replacement for newly minted dads needing something more family-friendly than their hopped-up WRXes?
Happenings

A Real Trailblazer

IN Subaru, Forester, XT, Turbo, X-mode, AWD

No, not that honking great GM SUV; Subaru’s latest offering has the pace to be a real scorcher.


The exterior of the Fiesta ST has several alterations that include a large grille (that may have been inspired by a certain British Marque) that dominates the front fascia, a new front splitter, and a rear fascia shaped to resemble a rear diffuser. To further distinguish the ST from the normal Fiesta, the ST has a dual exhaust outlets, a new rear wing and tricked out 17 inch alloy wheels. Of course, a hot hatch is meant to scream in your face, and what better way to do it then to paint it in a bright Orange specifically made for the car?
Happenings

‘Hot’ Fiesta Launched!

IN Ford, Fiesta, ST, Hot, Hatch, Manual

Ford bolts a turbo on a Fiesta and turns it into a Euro-hatch killer. Let's hope it makes its way here!


Stomp on the pedal from standstill and the new GTI will accelerate to 100 km/h in 6.5 seconds and reach a top speed of 246 km/h. The GTI Performance will edge ahead a little at 250 km/h and 6.4 seconds for the sprint to 100 km/h.
Happenings

New Volkswagen Golf GTI To Grace Geneva Motor Show

IN Volkswagen, Golf, GTI, Geneva Motor Show

Following the news on Volkswagen's GTD diesel hot-hatch, their iconic GTI has officially been announced and will make an appearance at the Geneva Motor Show.


When coupled together, the total output is good for producing upwards of 900 bhp and 900Nm of torque, while emitting less than 200g/km of CO2. The electric motor is not only for boosting power though, the car can be driven as a pure EV. That said, the range is not exactly what you would call ‘adequate’, but the 9.6 km range would probably be enough for one to drive to the nearby shops and back. The 96kg battery can be charged either the engine or by a plug-in charger, which will take it from empty to full in two hours.
Happenings

Production McLaren P1 All Set To Show!

IN McLaren Singapore, McLaren Automotive, Singapore, P1

McLaren’s halo car is set to be a tough competitor to its Ferrari rival. Watch out Maranello!


Aside from the ActiveHybrid badges, it's pretty much the same on the outside, what you get on a regular 3 Series sedan is what you'll find on the AH3. Our test car did come with some silver aluminum inserts and trimmings, the signature kidney grille for example, has its slats finished in silver instead of chrome. Another quick way to differentiate the AH3 from the regular 3 Series is to look at the wheels (provided they aren't spinning). The rotor-styled wheels are unique to the AH3, and along with its bigger brethren, the AH5 and AH7, complete the range of propeller-design wheels on the ActiveHybrid series.
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Mean & Green | BMW ActiveHybrid 3

IN BMW, 3 Series, Performance Motors, Hybrid, Active Hybrid, 3

How do we save the world without any super powers? BMW has the answer. Packing 335 bhp and 450 Nm, the ActiveHybrid 3 is both mean and green!



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