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It’s definitely a weird statement to proclaim, but I can’t wait to have a go in the new Prius once it arrives on our shores. Fortunately, I managed to get a sneak peek at this year’s rendition of the Tokyo Auto Salon.

The Prius shown here isn’t exactly stock, adorning an aftermarket body kit from Modellista which will probably not make it to the actual production model. But, it still gives us good insights as to what the Prius will look like when Toyota decides to roll it out.

Happenings

Up Close And Personal With The All-New Toyota Prius

IN Toyota, Prius, Reveal, 2023, Tokyo, Auto, Salon

Toyota’s upcoming Prius took the world by storm when it debuted, with journalists around the world praising its futuristic styling.

Land Rover is known for two kinds of cars. The first which you can depend on when scaling even the most treacherous terrain, wading through knee-deep water, or traversing the Sahara by land.

The other kind, denoted as Range Rovers are, well, commonly bought by football players and have heaps of luxury that flaunt to other road users that you made it in life. That’s not to say all Range Rovers are bad. They just do not have the same tough-as-nails, unshaved demeanour that traditional Land Rovers are famed for. Is that really a problem?

Well, I took the new Range Rover First Edition out for a spin to find out.

Party in the back

Happenings

Range Rover First Edition - Exceedingly Opulent

IN Range rover, Range, Rover, First, Edition, Land, Singapore

Want to feel like a king on the roads? Take a seat.

Happenings

Komoco Holdings Is Alfa Romeo's New Singapore Distributor

IN Komoco, Alfa Romeo, Stellantis

April 2023 will see things kick off with Alfa Romeo making a comeback after a temporary hiatus

It’s been 16 years since the Nissan R35 GT-R made its debut back in 2007. Not many cars survive that long of a production run, but the boffins at Nissan surprised the world again with the launch of the 2024 GT-R model year, after revealing earlier in 2022 that the R35 GT-R will be ending production.

Ageing chassis infrastructure did not stop engineers from chucking both mechanical and cosmetic improvements to the GT-R. For starters, the biggest reaction from the crowd at its launch was the inclusion of new daytime running lights (DRLs), making the GT-R’s front fascia look more futuristic.

Happenings

The GT-R is back! 2024 Nissan GT-R Unveiled With Two Special Editions

IN Tokyo, Auto, Salon, 2023, 2024, Nissan, GT-R, NISMO

The R35 GT-R doesn’t seem to want to retire, and Nissan proudly unveiled their latest 2024 edition to the world at the Tokyo Auto Salon 2023.

Has the horsepower arms race ended yet? If cars like the car tested here are anything to go by, Subaru could well be at the leading edge of a new movement. Yet, the surprise is that it might not be a bad thing. The Subaru Forester e-Boxer 2.0i-S Eyesight Hybrid as the car tested here is called in full makes all of 150hp and 194Nm of torque. Quite a long way off the heady days when the mighty 2.0XT made up to 240hp less than a decade ago.

The downside of the XT however, was its woeful fuel efficiency as it came with a four-speed automatic and needed a heavy weight engine oil and had to be fed high octane petrol. Add all-wheel drive into the mix and you’ve got a recipe for a proper guzzler.

These days, when fuel prices being what they are, the Forester needs to work smarter, not harder to stay relevant in the market.

To this end, Subaru has done exactly that.

To kick things off, the new Forester is literally a green car in more ways than one…

New

2022 Subaru Forester e-Boxer Punches Above Its Weight

IN Subaru, Forester e-Boxer 2.0i-S Eyesight Hybrid

New styling, better fuel efficiency, improved features and a noticeable improvement in quality makes the (literally) evergreen Subaru Forester more relevant than ever

Here it is in all its stunning glory, the G81 M3 Touring. With 510hp and 650Nm of torque, 0-100km/h is dispatched in just 3.6 seconds while offering enough space for that Ikea and Giant shopping run. What's not to love? This will likely be the swansong of the pure internal combustion engine (ICE) M3 though, so strike while the iron is hot.

Subaru WRX Sedan & Wagon

Happenings

11 Petrolhead-Apropos Highlights of the Singapore Motorshow 2023

IN Singapore Motorshow, 2023

We're glad to see our local Motorshow back after a three-year hiatus, still with offerings for the hardcore petrolhead

The Consumer Electronics Show or CES is a big annual affair in Vegas. Those who follow tech-YouTubers would have found their notifications inundated by coverage of the latest and snazziest tech gizmos at CES. These days, automotive manufacturers are also getting in on the exhibition due to the proliferation of in-vehicle technology, and the famous Bavarian manufacturer known for introducing technology to their cars in a huge way with iDrive is no exception. According to BMW Group, their future “is electric, circular and digital”, and the i Vision Dee concept is dedicated to the ‘digital’ aspect of the triumvirate. Can’t wait to see what the ‘circular’ concept will look like.

Happenings

BMW unveils i Vision Dee Concept at CES in Las Vegas

IN BMW, I Vision Dee, Concept, CES, 2023, Las Vegas

Not everything that happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, as the i Vision Dee concept proves…

The Kia Stinger first made its debut way back in January 2017, and it took the world by storm. A Korean sports sedan that wants to challenge the likes of other prominent German brands, were they insane? Oh yes they were, and it truly paid off.

Designated as a performance liftback sedan, the Korean model actually became a worthy opponent to some more well-known German cars. Think something something S5, M5 and E43 .

Even with impressive performance figures and practicality, sales of the Stinger were lacklustre worldwide. Competitive pricing by others meant the Stinger never got the spotlight it deserved, and the fact it has a “Kia” badge on the front didn’t help either.

Happenings

2023 Kia Stinger Tribute Edition Marks End of Production Run

IN Kia, Stinger, Tribute, Edition, Final, 1000

Limited to 1,000 units, say goodbye to one of the most underrated sports sedans on the market.

Valentino Rossi certainly needs no introduction. He is a nine-time motorcycle world champion, and is one of the most successful motorcycle riders of all time and has a whole roster of records to his name.

His successes on the racetrack and his personality have quite rightly made him a living legend.

Some may not know this, but Rossi has also proved that he is an excellent driver too. He has since shown that car racing has become his second motorsport home. Now, swapping his two wheels for four, he will be joining the BMW M Works driver roster for their 2023 season.

Happenings

Valentino Rossi Set to Become New BMW M Motorsport Works Driver

IN Valentino Rossi, Valentino, Rossi, BMW M, Works, Driver squad, 2023

Valentino Rossi, one of the greatest MotoGP riders ever in existence, will be joining the BMW M works driver squad for the 2023 season.

Anyone who has heard of the Gymkhana series has definitely heard of Ken Block. The lighthearted, cheerful driver was a gem to many, and he was best known for one thing: Driving like an absolute madman.

Throughout the last decade, he has produced some of the best videos and driven some of the coolest cars on the planet, performing some of the best stunts the world has ever seen. Each new iteration topped the previous spectacle, and it was all a matter of “hmmm, what else can we do now?”

Happenings

Hoonigan Star Ken Block Pronounced Dead In Accident

IN Ken, Block, Ken Block, Accident, Death, Hoonigan, Star, DC, Monster

It’s a sad, sad day for all Gymkhana fans.

The first-ever International MotorXpo Hong Kong (IMXHK) which happened in 2021 was an overwhelming success, attracting over 160,000 visitors, 160 different exhibitors, and amassed 60 brands and more than 150 vehicles.

Happenings

On The Ground: International MotorXpo Hong Kong 2022 (IMXHK)

IN IMXHK, International, Hong Kong, MotorXpo, 2022, Automotive, Exhibition

The International MotorXpo Hong Kong (IMXHK) was an action-packed weekend of exciting activities for automotive enthusiasts of all ages.

Hot on the heels of the first two Lamborghini Spotify playlists that blends the sounds of the V12 engine of the Lamborghini Aventador and the V10 engine of the Lamborghini Huracan Tecnica, the celebration of Lamborghini internal combustion engines finishes off with a final curtain call.

This time, the playlist harmonises the bubbling V8 engine residing in the new Lamborghini Urus Performante.

Happenings

Final Curtain Call To Lamborghini’s Engine Songs

IN Lamborghini, Engines, Songs, V8, Music, Urus, Performante

The third installation of Lamborghini’s “The Engine Songs” features a V8 compilation inspired by the sonorous pounding of the Urus Performante.

Amongst most inner automotive circles, whether they be of professional or pop-culture variety, the R33 Nissan Skyline, produced between 1993-1996, is somewhat referred to as the ‘black sheep’ of the Skyline family.

Critics often compare it to a toned-down passive version of the R32 which preceded it, and then it was made worse by the model which superseded it - the legendary R34, probably the most renowned Skyline model of all time.

Happenings

A JDM Gem And The Shoes It Wears - Nissan R33 GT-R 400R

IN Nissan, GT-R, R33, Nismo, 400R, Bridgestone, RE71

The Nissan R33 GT-R 400R was produced in extremely limited quantities, and it showed the world that apart from sensible and frugal cars, Japan could produce some incredible monsters as well.

Happenings

Audi's House of Progress Comes to Singapore in 2023

IN Audi, RS6, RS7, Q8 e-tron, Q8 e-tron Sportback, House of Progress

Let's be futurists while drooling at Audi's flagship ICE swansongs in 2023 at the exhibition.

To celebrate the unique sounds of its internal combustion engines, which include the naturally-aspirated V12 and V10 and the twin-turbo V8, Lamborghini has launched three 24-track playlists on Spotify. Yes, you heard me right.

The Engine Songs is a curated collection by music producer Alex Trecarichi created in collaboration with Lamborghini’s sound engineers, delivering psychoacoustics and sensory immersion in the most complete and all-encompassing driving experience. Basically, in layman terms, good music in your ears.

These playlists, one for each engine variant, include covers created by graphic designer Vasjen Katro. These songs juxtapose the sound of the emotive and unleashed engine with songs tuned scientifically to its roar and vibrations.

Happenings

The Engine Songs: A Spotify Playlist Tuned To… Lamborghini Engines?

IN Lamborghini, Engines, Songs, V12, V10, V8, Music

Like Lamborghini engines and always wished for them to conveniently be within earshot at all times? Now you can, albeit with The Engine Songs.

But, this wasn't what Volkswagen did. They quietly launched this - the new face-lifted Arteon. Most people won’t realise this is new, even if it's sitting pretty right in front of you in the showroom.

Ironically, this new facelift actually makes for quite a compelling upgrade over its predecessor, and I feel the Arteon should receive more love in that regard.

New

2022 Volkswagen Arteon : Regal-Line

IN Volkswagen, Arteon, Review, Singapore, R-Line, 2022

In order to drum up as much publicity as possible, automakers tend to launch new facelifts to tons of fanfare, even though most of the time there are barely any changes to the existing model.