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When BMW first introduced the F10 M5, many complained about the relative lack of exhaust noise as compared to its V10-powered predecessor. Sure, it may give one less aural pleasure, but the performance gains more than made up for it. However, in terms of aesthetics, BMW still has some way to go before the F10 could look anywhere near as good as its grandfathers.
Happenings

BMW Updates The M5 For 2014!

IN BMW, M5, Competition, F10, 5-series, V8, Turbo

BMW’s flagship performance sedan gets a nip and tuck


So what did BMW do to improve on the excellent 5-er? As with any self respecting German Automaker, BMW added more luxurious features and a lot more power to the car. The turbocharged V8 in the 550i makes 45 bhp more than the outgoing 5-er. The extra power means that the car is capable of launching itself towards the horizon and hit 100km/h in just 4.5 seconds, which is not too far off what the M5 can achieve. All engines are mated to an eight-speed auto, although a six-speed manual is offered as a no cost option on some models. Keeping in tune with downsizing trends, BMW has inserted a new, entry-level diesel powerplant in the F10 shell. The turbocharged 2.0-liter 4 cylinder in the 518d produces 143 bhp and 360 Nm of torque.
Happenings

BMW Refreshes The 5-Series For 2014

IN BMW, Facelift, 5-series, F10

BMW adds a diesel, refines its interior


The
Happenings

What The F?

IN Lexus, GS, F-SPORT, Kirk Edmondson, Borneo Motors, LFA, IS-F

We sit down with Kirk Edmondson, General Manager - Brand Management for Lexus Asia Pacific Division, and chat about what Lexus is doing with their F-SPORT range.


Happenings

A 'Selfish' Celebration

IN Lamborghini, Bull, 50, Anniversary, Birthday, Gift, Egoista, Selfish, V10, De Silva, Concept

The Raging Bull turns 50 this year. We weren’t expecting it when the Veneno was unveiled at Geneva, and we certainly weren’t expecting this, the Egoista.


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.


Called the Jetta Special Edition, the car gets a full bodykit for the front, rear and sides, 18-inch Preston alloy rims, chrome tailpipes, tinted windows and aluminium pedals. Mechanically it’s identical to the Jetta and Jetta Sport, with a choice of 122 or 160 bhp 1.4 TSI engines, mated to the familiar 7-speed DSG gearbox. The $10,000 CEVS rebate applies for the Jetta SE too.
Happenings

Hitting The Gym And Working Out

The Jetta’s always been a competent performer, with this sporty new variant, Volkswagen is hoping to enhance its appeal and win new hearts.


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!


Exterior-wise, the car looks pretty much looks like a mix of the Grand Turismo and a shrunken Quattroporte; the combination has produced a car that is dotted with sleek lines and sexy curves. The same cannot be said about the car’s rear end; the Kia Cerato-esque lights just do not fit the curvature of the Maserati bodyshell.
Happenings

Ghibli Is Ready To Take On The Middle-Weight Champs!

IN Maserati, Ghibli S, Diesel, Quattroporte baby, Luxury,

Maserati shrinks the Quattroporte and slaps in a V6 diesel.


Happenings

Mercedes' New AMG is a 'CLA45' Act!

IN Mercedes, Benz, CLA45, CLA, AMG, Coupe

The CLA gets a powerful 4 cylinder engine and all wheel drive to turn it into a mad, track munching beast.


On the outside, it may look like very little work has been done. But look a little closer, and you will realise that Kia has lengthened the Soul, tweaked its headlights and front bumper, and smartened up its rear end. The rear taillight cluster has been replaced by a much smarter and more modern unit, while the rear tailgate has been widened and is now made up of a single piece of glass, with the centre decked out with a piece of body-coloured trim.
Happenings

Kia’s Got A New Soul!

IN Kia, Soul, New, Supermini, New York

Kia ditches the ‘boy-racer’ look and goes for a more matured look in the facelifted Soul.


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.
New

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.


As before, two engine options will be available, with a choice of 6-speed manual or 7-speed PDK gearboxes. The base Cayman has a 2.7-litre flat 6 with 275 bhp, while the S shares its 3.4-litre engine with the 991 Carrera, albeit in a different state of tune, producing 325 bhp. Thanks to stop-start and direct injection, Porsche claims a 15% improvement in fuel efficiency, bringing the figures to 7.9km/l and 8.4km/l for the base and S models.
Happenings

Arrival Of The New Cayman

IN Porsche, Cayman, S, PDK, Boxster, Coupe

Evolution is once again the name of the game at Porsche, with the launch of the 2nd-gen Cayman and Cayman S.


No need to hunt for a parking lot or wonder where to go, the Basement 2 car park is dedicated to receive you. Just pull up at the service reception bay and a service advisor will attend to you promptly. He will then run through the areas that your car will be worked on for the day, and proceed to give you a cost estimate.
Happenings

Audi Service Excellence 'Test Driven'

IN Audi, Audi Centre, Aftersales, Service, Premium Auto

They could have sent out a press release saying that they've got a great aftersales service program. But Audi went one better and invited us to experience it for ourselves.


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.


The Cascada looks to be a serious contender to some of its more established German rivals. Cheaper, more practical and with arguably better looks than an A5 Cabrio, GM has an ambitious target in its sights. Sure, with an A5, you can brag to all your friends that you have an Audi, and granted, the Vauxhall/Opel Badge is not as desirable as an Audi one. But which do you prefer? A large, well made, good looking and practical car with some extra cash left over from the purchase of the car or a slightly smaller, well made Audi, with nothing left in your pocket? The choice is yours.
Happenings

Topless Vauxhall Unveiled!

IN Opel, Vauxhall, GM, Cascada, Convertible, Cabriolet

Vauxhall builds Astra and Insignia-based 4 seater convertible.


Of course, the car is nothing more than a concept at this point in time. That said, if the Provo ever entered production, how much of the radical design would actually make it into the final product? The car in its current form is certainly quite striking though, thanks to the contrasting roof color, one-piece headlight and taillight housings, and oversized wheel arches paired with radical wheels.
Happenings

Hot Korean Model Rivals The British And Germans

IN Kia, Provo, Concept, Geneva, Hybrid, Sports

Kia’s Provo Concept is set to be serious contender in the compact car category. MINI, watch out!


The stats, though, really do make for quite some startling reading. The 6.3-litre V12 is a development of the unit from the F12 Berlinetta, but massaged to produce 790 bhp at a screaming 9000 rpm. Coupled with Ferrari's HY-KERS (HYbrid-Kinetic Energy Recovery System), the LaFerrari manages a grand total of 950 bhp and 970 Nm of torque, eclipsing the McLaren by about 50 bhp, and murdering the Porsche's 785 bhp. As a result, 0-100 km/h is done and dusted in less than 3 sec, 0-200 in less than 7 and 0-300 in 15 sec. The mighty Bugatti Veyron SS, with around 200 bhp more, can only manage those benchmarks in 2.5, 6.7 and 14.6 sec respectively.
Happenings

The New LaFerrari - LaAwesome, Or 'Come On lah'?

IN Ferrari, LaFerrari, Geneva, Hybrid, Hypercars

Years of planning, research, testing and teasing have led to this. The War of the Hypercars is upon us and Ferrari wades into battle with the biggest arsenal. It's gonna be an exciting year ahead...


The 3.8-litre V8 engine, although smaller than the previous flagship's 4.7-litre, is built to deliver 18% more power and 39% more torque, while having a 20% reduction in emissions. 530 bhp is available if you're gunning it all the way to 6800 rpm, but a hefty 650 Nm of torque starts to warm you up from as low as 2000rpm. Oh, and this can be overboosted to 710 Nm from 2250 rpm, enabling the car to hit 100 km/h in 4.7 seconds!
Happenings

Private Preview Of The All New Maserati Quattroporte

IN Maserati, Quattroporte, V8, V6, Sedan, Twin turbo

Maserati's all new Quattroporte received a warm welcome by the media recently at a private preview held by Hong Seh Motors, distributors for the italian marque.


The new Mazda 6 has adopted the 'KODO – Soul of Motion' design theme the most. Inspired by the movements of the cheetah in the wild, the new model features the signature wing grille, the new family face of Mazda. Headlamps incorporate LEDs and a new halo ring light, while linking the face to the side character lines and onwards to the signature tail lights.
Happenings

Mazda Launches The New Sexy 6!

IN Mazda, 6, SkyActiv

The Mazda TAKERI and SHINARI (sounds like sushi) concept cars were great. The actual car while not as wild, is certainly a worthy interpretation. But will it sell as well as its predecessors?


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?



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