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In what is a world first amongst any automotive manufacturer, customers, fans, and dealer partners can now virtually specify any of Aston Martin’s breathtaking product range within the high-performance setting of a Formula 1 pit garage.

Launched ahead of the second Grand Prix of the season in Saudi Arabia, the new digital environment displays Aston Martin’s AMR23 challenger within the garage, allowing customers and fans to take inspiration from the pinnacle of motorsport engineering and design when bringing to life their bespoke interpretation of an Aston Martin.

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Aston Martin welcomes customers and fans inside its Formula 1 pit garage to spec their dream car

IN Aston Martin, Customers, Fans, Formula 1, Pit garage

Aston Martin launched an all-new environment on its online configurator, welcoming customers to spec their own car within the Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant Formula One garage.

Main concerns

Topping the list were beliefs that EVs are difficult to charge and lack of range as compared to their petrol-powered brethren.

Despite this, an overwhelming 87% of respondents indicated reduction in carbon emissions as a key benefit of EVs. 65% noted increasing number of government incentives, and 59% pointed to the financial savings when compared to using petrol.

“It is encouraging to see the growing appetite for electrified vehicles, and that Singaporean drivers understand the benefits of owning an EV,” said Ms Preeti Gupta, Corporate Affairs Director & Sustainability Lead, BMW Group Asia. “With a 27% increase in EVs purchased in 1H 2021 compared to all of 2020, it is clear Singaporean drivers are ready to integrate electrified vehicles into their daily lives. However, based on our research, we still have work to do when it comes to educating consumers on charging and range.”

What drives EV adoption rates

64% of respondents pointed at a longer warranty period of up to 10 years, while 58% noted good aftersales service would motivate them to purchase an EV for their next car.

Following closely behind were performance at 55%, build quality at 43% and technological features at 42%.

Government incentives and EV uptake

72% of respondents said government incentives and access to public charging facilities were most likely to influence their purchase of an EV, while 70% noted access to home-charging being important.

The usage of EVs was more predominantly weighted toward running daily errands with 62% of respondents, while 40% would commute to and from work and 33% would enjoy weekend leisure trips in an EV.

“Today’s electric vehicles have more than enough range to support daily driving needs,” said Ms Gupta. “The average Singaporean drivers commutes 55km/day, and many electric vehicles allow them to drive anywhere from four to eight days without requiring a recharge.”

Happenings

Almost half of Singaporean drivers want to buy electrified vehicles …

IN BMW Group Asia, Study, Survey, PHEV, EV, Electrified vehicles

… a study by BMW Group Asia shows.

This isn’t an all-new car of course, nor is it even a facelift (that comes next year, when the Countryman gets new headlights and Union Jack-themed taillights just like the rest of the Mini range, as well as new digital displays). But though it looks no different, the 2020 Countryman JCW’s updates run far deeper than facelifts conventionally do.

With 306hp and 450Nm now on tap, the new Countryman JCW has made gains of 75hp and 100Nm over the 2019 model - a full one-third more power and torque than before. That’s all courtesy of an updated version of the B48 2.0-litre turbo engine, which is now in the same spec as you’d find in the BMW M135i, M235i, and X2 M35i.

As a result, the 0-100km/h time drops from 6.5 to 5.1 seconds, and it’s powerful enough flat-out to warrant a 250km/h electronic speed limiter. It’s rather a different beast to drive now, and finally feels special enough to justify its existence (and its price tag).

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Rally the Troops | Mini Countryman John Cooper Works

IN MINI, Countryman, JCW, John Cooper Works, MINI Countryman, MINI John Cooper Works

The biggest and most expensive Mini you can buy gets a lot more power for 2020, finally giving it performance that’s worthy of the JCW name.

Happenings

Get Ready For A Quiet Revolution...

IN GMC, Hummer, EV, Electric Vehicle, Electric, Truck,

Yes, you've read that right. The Hummer is back as a fully electric truck with more than 1,000 hp and both on- and off-road capabilities.

Well, to be honest though, all of us here at Burnpavement.com had gotten our fair share of … ahem… run-ins with the law while finding the limits of a performance car in our possession; after all, we need to learn as much as we could and then report it for your reading pleasure. Sometimes however, getting back to ground and throwing our biasedness — because we love that certain car, what else? — proved to be a mega challenge. (Somehow we still managed to.)

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Ford Mustang EcoBoost | My (Not So) Little Pony

IN Ford, Mustang, EcoBoost, Turbocharged, Ford Mustang EcoBoost 2.3L, Ford coupe, America, Ford Malaysia, Auto Connexion

We went up north to sample the turbocharged Mustang in its natural habitat, and here’s what we’ve found (yieehaaw)…

Happenings

Boxster Goes Turbo

IN Porsche, Boxster, 718, Four-cylinder, Downsize, Turbo, Stuttgart, Roadster, Sports car, Convertible, Cabriolet

Just 4 years after its launch, Porsche’s Boxster gets a refresh to make it leaner, meaner and more powerful than ever.

Yup, that's right — with the introduction of the facelifted 991 generation (or 991.2 for short), the naturally aspirated Porsche 911 Carrera is no more. Out go the 3.4 and 3.8-litre engines from the base Carrera and Carrera S respectively, and in comes a bi-turbo 3.0-litre flat six shared by both models.

Happenings

Auf Wiedersehen, Saugmotor Carrera

IN Facelift, Porsche, 911, PDK, Turbo, Carrera

Let us bid a fond farewell to the naturally aspirated 911 Carrera, as Porsche straps on a pair of turbos to the facelifted model.

And on top of that, it has a maximum speed of 80 km/h; adequate for our roads that has a maximum speed limit of 70 km/h, and 90 km/h on all expressways anyway.

Happenings

Renault Twizy Arrives, LTA Undecided

IN Renault, Twizy, Renault Twizy, Renault Sport Technology, Wearnes Automotive, LTA

So the electric Twizy is here and local Renault distributor, Wearnes Automotive, is eager to launch it - problem is, they could not…

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.

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.

The Golf GTI Driving Experience was held from 17th to 21st July with Pirelli as the official tyre partner, allowing participants to test the GTI’s performance in a straight line as well as through the corners.

Happenings

Getting There Immediately - VW's New GTI Preview

IN Volkswagen, VW, GTI, Golf, Launch

Another Golf, another GTI. But first impressions matter, so the Mark 7 GTI’s launch let it shine in its natural environment — on the track.

But I have a feeling BMW is thinking more 'mean' than 'green' here. You see, manufacturers have also found that slapping a battery does produce a useful dose of extra power and torque for the car, which almost always ends up with them marketing the car as a bit of a performance car as well. Which has always been our slant here at Burnpavement.com anyway. Well, we're happy to say that the ActiveHybrid 7 is a rather enjoyable 'barge' to drive, BMWs in general tend to be.

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Seventh Heaven? | BMW ActiveHybrid 7

IN BMW, 7 Series, Performance Motors, Hybrid, Active Hybrid, 740i

BMW's answer to Lexus' LS600hL is the ActiveHybrid 7, a large premium hybrid that offers both luxury and performance. From our time with the car, it seems to have succeeded in fulfilling both claims.

Happenings

MINI Goes to Santa Claus

IN MINI, Countryman, MINI Habitat, Cooper S, BMW Asia, Christmas

MINI sets a world record approved by Guinness World Recordsâ„¢ for the longest wish list ever delivered to Santa Claus.

A typical drive in smooth traffic will usually take the trip from Jakarta to Bandung only two hours. Guess what: the convoy was stuck in traffic for a good two hours instead. It really tested the driver’s patience, alertness and of course, bladder.

Happenings

Jakarta, Bandung And Back In BMW's 335i

IN BMW, 335i, BMW 335i, BMW Asia, BMW Indonesia

BMW's fastest 3 Series on one of Asia's busiest roads? Might sound interesting for a change...

Happenings

The New Face of Lexus

IN Lexus, Borneo Motors, GS, LF-LC, Singapore

Over an intimate breakfast session at the Shangri-La Hotel Singapore, Lexus shared with the media what the future holds for the luxury Japanese brand, and the new face that will front the marque.

Happenings

Kah Motor Announces The Honda CR-Z

IN Honda, CR-Z, Hybrid

The 2012 Honda CR-Z has officially landed in Singapore, featuring sleek styling, sporty handling and a unique hybrid powertrain, its a unique proposition in the sports coupe segment.

On the bright side however, diesel engines are able to use 100 per cent biodiesel as their fuel, unlike petrol engines, which can so far use a mix of 95 per cent fossil fuel and 5 per cent ethanol as an alternative. Biodiesel can be made from used cooking oil, palm oil, Jatropha oil, and in many research and development projects using algae. Recently in March, Neste Oil opened its largest biodiesel plant in Singapore. Capable of producing 800,000 tonnes of renewable fuel from palm oil, the plant was built on a budget of about S$970 million.

Happenings

Drivers Wanting To Go Green With Diesel Hampered By Special Tax

IN Diesel, Caltex, Techron D,

With the increasing awareness of the environment, comes the desire for consumers to conserve fuel as they drive.

Despite the scorching weather, more than 1,000 enthusiasts flocked to the event with their families in tow. Mihai Boldijar, Regional Director, Automotive Aftermarket (Southeast Asia) of Robert Bosch (SEA) Pte Ltd said, “this year, we are taking the opportunity to do something meaningful for the community, coinciding with the celebration of the 125th anniversary of Bosch and continuing our 88 years of presence in Singapore.”

Happenings

Bosch Automotive Carnival 2011

IN Bosch, Automotive, Carnival, 2011

Find out what drew more than 1,000 people to this year's event!

“This vehicle will mark the launch of the first volume-produced car featuring bodywork largely made of carbon. It’s a revolution in automotive design,” stressed Klaus Draeger, Member of the Board responsible for Development. The application of this new CFRP technology allows a weight reduction, compared to a conventional electric car, of between 250 and 350 kilos, and that means more dynamic handling coupled with a greater range. The BMW i3 does the 0 to 100 km/h sprint in less than eight seconds, while a high-speed charger achieves an 80% battery charge in just an hour.

Happenings

BMW Group presents mobility of the future

IN BMW, BMW Group, I3, I8, Electric, Mobility, Concept

BMW Group showcases its visions of future mobility in the shape of the BMW i3 Concept and BMW i8 Concept studies, due to be launched as the BMW i3 in 2013 and the BMW i8 in 2014.

From the early stages during the off-season, the team’s Formula One car is developed entirely in Siemens' NX software, based on functional requirements and the ever changing Formula One regulations. The model proceeds to outline structure where the Red Bull Racing design team has approximately 150 workstations running NX, to develop geometric part models for the entire vehicle. The NX system gets even more crucial during the race season, as performance-enhancing modifications to the car have to be produced in as little as one week.

Happenings

Siemens PLM Software And Red Bull Racing

IN Siemens, PLM, NX, Teamcenter

While drivers battle on the race track, what gives race teams the overall upper hand?