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The emotional design of the BMW i8 Concept, which is on display in Singapore, ensures its qualities are clear for all to see. Its dynamic proportions give the BMW i8 Concept the appearance of surging forward before it even turns a wheel and lend visual form to its extraordinary performance. The sophisticated concept behind the upward-swiveling doors fixed to the A-pillars underlines the car’s sporting capability and opens up access to the front and rear seats at the same time.

A series of air inlets allow the air to flow through and around the vehicle to optimum effect, ensuring extremely low drag. They also add visual emphasis to these advanced aerodynamics. Airflow plays an extremely important role at the rear of the vehicle as well. Intakes behind the passenger cell and at the rear provide a cooling flow of air through the engine compartment, while outlets in the rear diffuser and the flow of air around the rear wheels ensure the car is extremely efficient in terms of lift and down force at both axles.

The BMW i8, meanwhile, is designed from the outset as a plug-in hybrid sports car, with the emphasis on agile performance and outstanding efficiency. Pairing an exceptionally lightweight, aerodynamically optimized body with cutting-edge BMW eDrive technology, a compact, highly turbocharged 1.5-litre BMW TwinPower Turbo petrol engine and intelligent energy management, the BMW i8 marks the next stage in the evolution of the Efficient Dynamics strategy. It can operate solely on electric power, which means zero tailpipe emissions, and offers the dynamic performance of a sports car, with an expected 0-100km/h sprint time of 4.5 seconds. The BMW i8’s 231 hp petrol engine sends its power to the rear wheels, while the 131 hp electric motor powers the front wheels.

Happenings

All-electric BMW i3 Makes South East Asia Preview

BMW Asia recently showcased the production-ready all-electric BMW i3 and the BMW i8 Concept sports car at the BMW i: The Future of Mobility, Singapore Showcase 2013.

First debuted in April 2013 at Auto Shanghai, the leading auto show in Asia, the new Panamera is more efficient, sporty, comfortable, and elegant. Part of the Porsche Principle is increasing power and performance while maintaining efficiency and sustainability – a concept that seems to go against logic but is brought to life in the new Panamera range. This idea led to the development of an entirely new engine based on the notion of downsizing – a V6 engine with a three-litre displacement and bi-turbo charging.

Happenings

Thrilling Contradictions - The All New Panamera

IN Porsche, Eurokars, Panamera

The sports car that unites contradictions without compromises, the new Panamera makes its debut in Singapore.

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’.

Flanked in the Maranello marque’s range by the multi-award-winning 458 Italia and 458 Spider, the new mid-rear-engined V8 berlinetta was designed to boost both performance and driving emotion to unprecedented levels, yet simultaneously guarantee smooth, effortless control in all kinds of situations.

Having lavished meticulous attention on the power unit that was named 'Best Performance Engine' at the International Engine of the Year Awards for two consecutive years, Ferrari has now built its most powerful naturally aspirated V8 ever (605 cv) with an extraordinary specific power output of 135 cv/l, the highest ever achieved by a road-going naturally aspirated engine.

Happenings

The Ferrari 458 Speciale To Debut At Frankfurt

IN Ferrari, 458, Speciale

Extreme technology for an uncompromising new V8.

The new Gallardo Squadra Corse is very close to the race cars. Both share the same V10 engine, which is used in the racing version with no modifications. Likewise, the Squadra Corse has the same rear wing for greater aerodynamic load — achieving, under the best aerodynamic conditions, three times the load of the Gallardo LP 560-4 — for increased dynamic stability during tight, high speed driving. Another element taken directly from the racing version is the removable engine hood with quick-release system. Both the rear wing and the hood are made from carbon composite material, as are a host of other components on the Squadra Corse.

Happenings

Lamborghini Gallardo LP 570-4 Squadra Corse

IN Lamborghini, Gallardo, Squadra Corse, LP 570-4

The Squadra Corse brings race track emotion to the road.

With its official combined fuel consumption of 16.6 km/L, the Jetta Sport 1.4 TSI was a natural choice for the Shell FuelSave Challenge. Its 1.4 TSI Twincharger engine with 160 bhp and 240 Nm of torque blends dynamic performance with outstanding fuel efficiency.

Happenings

More fuel economy records for the Jetta and Shell

IN Shell, Volkswagen, FuelSave

The Volkswagen Jetta Sport 1.4 TSI proved its impressive efficiency in the real world last weekend, with a record 20.8 km/L achieved at the Shell FuelSave Challenge 2013.

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.

You can't look good and go fast without some creature comforts can you? Packed into this svelt sedan are 12-way adjustable ventilated front sports seats upholstered in Nappa leather, a 10-speaker Dynaudio in-car entertainment system, Dynamic Chassis Control, Park Assist with Rear Assist rear-view camera, Easy Open sensor-controlled boot opening and an electrically-operated rear sunblind. All that for a launch price of S$197,800 with COE. I'd drop by VW for a look-look CC if I were you.

Happenings

Volkswagen Launches CC R-Line

IN Volkswagen Group Singapore, Volkswagen, VW, CC, DSG, R-Line

The already sexy Volkswagen CC now comes in a bolder and sportier version.

In a short presentation to the local motoring journalists, Wing Commander Andy explained about the lead up towards being a land speed record holder, as well as his ambition to break his own record - a project which is currently in the works. The aim is to set a new record of 1,000mph (1,609km/h)in comparison to his current record of 1,227.99km/h which he set back in 15th October 1997 in the Thrust SSC.

Happenings

Bentley Visionary - Andy Green

IN Andy Green, Bentley, Visionary, Land Speed Record

Wing Commander Andy Green of the British Royal Air Force (RAF) recently made a return trip to Singapore as a guest of Bentley Singapore.

Apart from just renting out the supercars, the club also wants to be a platform that will allow its members to network and mingle, facilitating the social aspect of the club by organizing driving tours, trackdays and exclusive social gatherings.

Happenings

Rent-a-Supercars 'R Us

IN Gran Superdrive, Supercar, Rental, Club

Always wanted to drive a supercar but never had the means to own one? Well now you can, and it doesn’t involve a life of crime!

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.

On a separate note, the A250’s suspension system seems to have been set with the enthusiastic driver in mind. If you’re expecting C-Class level, the A250’s rather stiff setting might need some getting used to. It could just be yours truly, but when going over bumps, there’s that uncanny feeling the rear’s independent suspension has been mated to a stiffer pair of spring compared to the fronts.

New

A+ For Effort | Mercedes-Benz A250 Sport

IN Mercedes-Benz, Mercedes, A-Class, A250, A250 Sport, Sport

So the A250 Sport is marketed as the sportiest A-Class, with promising on-paper digits — but overcoming the looks, does it fall into hot-hatch territory?

The V40 was unveiled last year as an in-between successor of both the S40 and V50, but for some reason we only received the jacked-up Cross Country version. Now though, local dealer Wearnes Automotive has followed up on its success and launched the V40 R-Design, a lowered, sportier version of the car.

Happenings

Volvo Range Revamped

IN Volvo, V40, S60, V60, XC60, S80, R-Design, Facelift, Wearnes

It’s part-way through its models’ life cycles, and Volvo updates not one, but four of its models, as well as introduces the V40 R-Design to Singapore.

With that, the new Accord’s focus is definitely on comfort and refinement. Even though the overall dimensions have shrunk slightly compared to the old one (90 and 25mm shorter in length and wheelbase respectively), interior space is claimed to have grown, particularly in terms of legroom and boot space. The cabin features a full colour 8-in touchscreen display for the 16GB audio and navigation system, Bluetooth functions, and reverse camera. There is also an Active Noise Control system that emits background sounds at certain frequencies via the speakers to cancel out engine and road noise.

Happenings

Latest Honda Accord Launched In Singapore

IN Honda, Accord, Launch, Kah Motors

The 9th generation of the Accord aims to bring a touch of luxury to the large sedan class.

The LF-LC’s main styling highlight is its one-piece glass roof, which incorporates both the front and rear windscreens and is supported by a lightweight, cantilevered pillar inspired from modern architecture. Framed by a
deep aluminium surround, the ‘spindle’ grille’s mesh pattern gives it a 3D effect, while the L-shaped daytime running lights with vertical fog lamps suggest a sense of movement. A rear deck spindle grille design echoes the front of the LF-LC, with L-shaped tail lamps utilising inner lighting (inspired by a jet’s afterburner) creating a sense of depth and width.

Happenings

Lexus Showcases the LF-LC Concept Car In Singapore

IN Lexus, LF-LC, Hybrid, Concept, Display

Lexus dealer brings in its stunning LF-LC concept car for a limited time.

First up, the engine lineup will remain the same as before. That means a turbo'ed 2.0-litre in the sDrive20i and sDrive 28i, and a twin-turbo 3.0-litre straight 6 in the sDrive35is. Transmission options are an 8-speed ZF automatic for the 20i and 28i, and a 7-speed DCT for the 35is (although we'd totally recommend asking the dealer to indent you a car with the slick 6-speed manual).

Happenings

Facelifted BMW Z4 Arrives In Singapore

IN BMW, Z4, Performance Motors, Roadster, Sports, Convertible, Facelift

BMW’s roadster receives a slight nip-tuck and some new equipment options.

The Auris is an altogether more intriguing proposition, one that some of you readers might recognize as having a more European flair. It joins the growing number of designed-in-Europe cars like the Hyundai i30 and i40, Nissan Juke and Qashqai, and FN Honda Civic Type-R. This is great news, because cars bound for Europe are usually engineered to a higher degree, thanks to their stricter quality demands.

Happenings

The New Toyota Auris And Vios

IN Toyota, Auris, Vios, UK, Thailand, Launch, Revamp

Two new models are launched; one to carry the torch passed on by its predecessor, the other seeking to make inroads in a new sector of the market.

Pricing for the Wraith starts from $1,258,888 without COE, before options. First deliveries to local customers are expected to commence in the last quarter of 2013.

Happenings

Don’t Be Spooked…

IN Rolls-Royce, British, V12, Wraith, Luxury, Coupe, Rolls

For decades the Rolls-Royce name has been a byword for luxury, opulence and comfort. With the new Wraith, the British marque is gunning for sportiness too.

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.

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.