There are few places quite like Singapore during Formula 1 week. The barriers go up, engines echo between skyscrapers and seemingly every building within sight of Marina Bay discovers an enthusiasm for chequered flags. For a few days, the city centre becomes a rather glamorous celebration of going very quickly in circles.

This year, Marina Bay Sands is leaning into that atmosphere even further. The integrated resort has extended its partnership with Scuderia Ferrari HP, expanding a collaboration that began in 2023 with a new series of experiences surrounding the 2026 Singapore night race.

From 25 September to 25 October, The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands will host Asia’s first Ferrari Lifestyle boutique.

Rather than selling cars, the temporary store will showcase the marque’s increasingly expansive world away from four wheels, including ready-to-wear fashion, accessories, collectables and design pieces.

Under creative director Rocco Iannone, Ferrari has spent recent years developing its fashion and lifestyle business around the same themes that underpin its cars: performance, craftsmanship, Italian design and exclusivity.

The Marina Bay Sands boutique represents another step in that expansion, following dedicated Ferrari retail destinations in cities including London and Milan, with New York also set to join the list.

“The Singapore Grand Prix provides a unique backdrop to showcase not only the excitement of Scuderia Ferrari HP, but also the wider Ferrari lifestyle universe. Together with Marina Bay Sands, we look forward to welcoming fans and visitors to experiences that reflect the passion, craftsmanship and innovation that define our brand.”

Lorenzo Giorgetti, Ferrari’s Chief Racing Revenue Officer

From 28 September to 11 October, Marina Bay Sands will launch its destination-wide Home of Champions campaign. The programme will bring together dining, entertainment, luxury retail and exclusive experiences across the integrated resort during Singapore’s race season.

Its most visible element, however, will happen after sunset. Beginning at 7pm each evening, Marina Bay Sands’ three hotel towers and the ArtScience Museum will be illuminated in Ferrari red, creating a nightly tribute to Scuderia Ferrari HP and reflecting the familiar colour across Marina Bay.

For the committed tifosi, there is an SF21 to admire. For those interested in Ferrari as a luxury marque, there is fashion and design. And for everybody else wandering around Marina Bay during race week, there will be three enormous red towers ensuring they are unlikely to forget which team is in town.

For a few weeks, at least, Singapore’s most recognisable skyline will be wearing Rosso Corsa.

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Typically, when a company aspires to make a faster version of an already fast car, they give it more power, make the suspension harder, or throw in some carbon fibre bits. Stick a letter on the bootlid, preferably something from the sporty end of the alphabet, then ask customers for more money.

The Aston Martin Vantage S initially appears to follow this recipe.

There is an S badge. There is more power. There are new bonnet blades, a larger rear spoiler and various pieces of carbon fibre available if your idea of discretion involves making sure people in the next postal district know you bought the expensive one.

Yet the funny thing about the Vantage S is, none of that is what makes it special.

Under the bonnet is the same 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8 as the regular Vantage, driving the rear wheels through an eight-speed ZF automatic gearbox mounted at the rear.

Here it produces 670bhp and 800Nm of torque. That is 15bhp more than the standard Vantage, while the torque figure remains unchanged. The century sprint is done and dusted in 3.4 seconds, and if you’re brave enough, you can hit 325km/h.

There is huge shove almost wherever you ask for it. Press the fun pedal and the long bonnet rises fractionally as the Vantage gathers itself before hurling the scenery towards you. The sensation is less about chasing a screaming redline and more about having an enormous reserve of force permanently waiting under your right foot.

All of this sounds fantastic… until you realise the standard Vantage was hardly underpowered to begin with. An extra 15bhp in a car already producing north of 650hp is a little like ordering an extra shot of espresso after your sixth coffee.

The S is only one tenth of a second quicker from rest to 100km/h, and its top speed is unchanged. So why bother?

Turns out, the engineers bothered quite a lot, and the answer pops into your brain the first time the road stops being straight.

The Bilstein adaptive dampers have been recalibrated and the suspension geometry has been revised. The rear subframe is now rigidly mounted to the aluminium body instead of being isolated by rubber bushes, while the transmission itself sits on slightly softer mounts to compensate.

The rear spring aid has been softened, too, in an effort to improve low-speed ride quality. There is even a new throttle calibration, with Aston Martin altering pedal weighting and response so the engine reacts more precisely to inputs.

This is the sort of engineering people tend not to discuss over a dinner date, and nobody has ever approached a stranger at a petrol station and said: “Nice car. Tell me about the rear spring aid stiffness.” But these are the changes that transform the S.

The regular Vantage is already an enormously fast machine, but there is so much engine squeezed into such a relatively compact chassis that the car can occasionally feel like it is trying to negotiate with its own horsepower.

The S feels as though the negotiations have concluded. The steering is clearer and more communicative, and the car settles itself better over difficult surfaces. There is still proper weight to the controls, but there is a greater sense that the front tyres are telling you what they are doing.

You can lean on it harder without constantly wondering whether 800Nm is about to arrive with a strongly worded complaint, and that does wonders for confidence.

Aston Martin has also resisted the temptation to turn the S into some sort of road-going punishment device. It would have been easy to make everything harder, lower and less forgiving in the name of performance. Instead, the suspension changes actually improve the Vantage’s low-speed behaviour while sharpening it when the pace rises.

You might argue with this logic, but most sports cars spend a distressingly large proportion of their lives doing 50km/h.

Another reason why the Vantage S feels unusual is that it is quintessentially remarkably simple.

Not mechanically, obviously. Any modern car capable of travelling at 325km/h while keeping its occupants alive is a complicated object, but the basic recipe is there.

A big V8 at the front, two driven wheels at the back, no hybrid nonsense and no all-wheel-drive system shuffling power around. Just an internal-combustion engine, a gearbox, rear tyres with a stressful job description, and just enough electronics to keep the expensive bits pointing the right way.

There is character in having to work with the car rather than merely instruct it. The Vantage S is enormously capable, but it does not make its driver entirely redundant.

There is theatre whenever you drive it too. The vibration, the rising note from the exhaust. The sensation of the gearbox punching through another ratio. The tiny corrections at the steering wheel as the rear tyres attempt to convert torque into forward motion.

You can feel it working, and that is a trait the engineers preserved succinctly in the Vantage S.

Best of all, you have a lavish front row seat to enjoy all of it.

The current generation Vantage interior feels properly bespoke, and you are cocooned in a brilliant mix of leather, alcantara, and metals.

A 10.25-inch digital instrument display sits ahead of the driver, accompanied by a 10.25-inch central touchscreen running Aston Martin’s own infotainment system.

Wireless phone charging is standard, and Apple CarPlay Ultra is available if you decide to spot cops on Waze.

Hellalujah, there are still actual buttons for the bits you love. Want to wake the neighbours after a cold start? The button for the exhaust is right there. Much better than granny fingering your way through a maze of digital menus.

Your neighbour won’t mind anyway once they catch a glimpse of the Vantage S. It looks menacing, gaining centrally mounted bonnet blades, a new front splitter, revised side details and a full-width rear decklid spoiler.

Some of the aerodynamic pieces can be specified in carbon fibre, because evidently nobody has yet discovered the upper limit for carbon fibre on expensive cars. Plus, the changes provide genuine aerodynamic benefit rather than existing purely for Instagram.

The visible additions can generate around 40kg of downforce at maximum speed, with changes beneath the car like splitters contributing considerably more.

Still, they look good, and that is enough.

Aston Martin has not fundamentally changed what the Vantage is. Rather, it has concentrated on making the existing ingredients cooperate better. In doing so, they have not only made it a faster car, but a more enjoyable one too.

Progress does not require reinventing anything. Sometimes, it just requires finishing the job better.

Technical Specifications

Aston Martin Vantage S

Engine: 4-Litre Twin-Turbocharged V8
Drivetrain: Rear-Wheel Drive
Power: 670 bhp
Torque: 800 Nm
Gearbox: 8-speed (A)
0-100km/h: 3.4 seconds (claimed)
Top Speed: 325 km/h
Fuel Economy: Why bother when you’re having fun?
Price: POA

Photo Credits: Sean Loo (@auto.driven)

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Take something already rather fast, sharpen it, make it lighter where possible and give the driver a little more reason to take the long way home.

The latest recipient is the Aston Martin DBX S, which has now arrived in Singapore as the new flagship of the British marque’s SUV range.

It builds upon the already formidable DBX707 with 727PS and 900Nm of torque, while introducing chassis, aerodynamic and weight-saving changes intended to make this large luxury SUV behave rather less like one. No electric motor. No hybrid battery. Just a twin-turbocharged V8.

Output rises to 727PS, while maximum torque remains a substantial 900Nm. The result is a claimed 0-100km/h time of 3.3 seconds and a 310km/h top speed. Those are absurd numbers for something with five doors, a generous boot and enough cabin space to perform school-run duties.

But absurdity has always been part of the appeal of the high-performance SUV. The sensible family car and the sports car used to occupy opposite ends of the showroom. Machines such as the DBX S suggest there is no particular reason they cannot share a parking space.

Aston Martin has achieved the additional performance without adding an electric motor or battery pack. Instead, the DBX S remains powered solely by its V8, with turbocharger technology derived from the forthcoming Valhalla supercar helping improve response and performance towards the upper end of the rev range.

Simply adding power would have been the easy part. Aston Martin says the DBX S follows the philosophy traditionally associated with its S models, meaning changes are intended to improve the entire driving experience rather than merely produce a larger number on the specification sheet.

The chassis has consequently been retuned, with revised suspension calibration aimed at improving responsiveness while retaining the comfort and everyday usability expected of the DBX. Its nine-speed multi-plate wet-clutch transmission and all-wheel-drive system have also been specially tuned to complement the uprated V8.

Which explains the next part.

Customers can specify a series of lightweight components that reduce the DBX S’s mass by as much as 47kg compared with the DBX707.

Optional 23-inch magnesium wheels reduce both unsprung and rotational mass. There is also a new carbon-fibre roof, which lowers the centre of gravity, helping a tall SUV resist the natural tendency to lean through corners.

The visual changes leave little ambiguity about where the DBX S sits within the family.

There is a dramatic new front grille, a redesigned rear treatment and quad stacked exhaust outlets, along with optional carbon-fibre exterior components.

Inside, the DBX S receives its own performance-oriented detailing, with Alcantara and leather finishes available alongside the craftsmanship expected of the marque.

The intention is to preserve the luxurious character of the regular DBX while adding enough sporting detail to remind its occupants that this is the serious one.

For those wanting a closer look, one DBX S is currently available in Singapore for viewing and test drives, finished in Onyx Black with a Phantom Grey interior. Factory orders are also being accepted, with deliveries estimated to begin from the first quarter of 2027.

Prices start from S$980,000 before COE and options.

That is an enormous amount of money for an SUV. But approaching the DBX S purely as an SUV misses the point. This is Aston Martin attempting to squeeze sports-car character into a taller, more practical shape without abandoning the noise, response and theatre of a large combustion engine.

Sometimes the old recipes endure for a reason.

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Ferrari has unveiled the 296 GT Modificata, a new track-only model developed exclusively for customers taking part in the marque’s Club Competizioni GT programme.

Derived from the 296 GT3 Evo, the new car follows a relatively simple brief: take an already highly developed racing machine, remove the limitations imposed by motorsport regulations and see how much further the hardware can be pushed. Quite a bit further, as it turns out.

The rear-mid-mounted 2,992cc twin-turbocharged V6 now produces 730cv, some 130cv more than the 296 GT3 Evo. Ferrari says the car is capable of lapping Fiorano around three seconds faster than its competition sibling.

It will be built in extremely limited numbers and is intended solely for non-competitive track use, with owners gaining access to the Club Competizioni GT programme rather than conventional racing.

More power, because there are no rules saying otherwise

The 296 GT Modificata retains the same basic 120-degree V6 architecture as the 296 GT3 Evo, but Ferrari has revised a number of key components to free up considerably more performance.

Changes have been made to the cranktrain, camshafts, induction system, intercoolers and turbochargers. The turbos retain the same external housing geometry as those fitted to the GT3 Evo, but use bespoke internal components developed specifically for the Modificata, drawing partly on experience gained with the 499P Modificata.

The fuel system has also been upgraded to cope with the increased flow requirements, while a new exhaust arrangement has been developed for the car. Power peaks at 730cv at 7,500rpm, with 800Nm of torque at 5,000rpm. Specific output stands at an impressive 244cv per litre.

That power is sent through a six-speed sequential gearbox with a carbon clutch, using new ratios designed specifically around the engine’s broader operating range.

Aero with a proper racing pedigree

Ferrari has also reworked the aerodynamics extensively. At the front, the 296 GT Modificata gains a redesigned wing, referred to internally as the Slotted Splitter, together with a new bonnet layout. These changes improve airflow management beneath the car and increase overall downforce.

The extra power naturally creates more heat, so the bonnet now features a larger central opening and a dedicated vane that redirects hot air exiting the radiator away from the intercoolers. Additional cooling work has also gone into the venting near the base of the windscreen.

The rear receives an entirely new wing architecture. This includes a single centre pylon, a larger 5mm Gurney flap and new structural endplates inspired by Ferrari’s 499P endurance prototype. The changes improve vortex control while maintaining the correct aerodynamic balance as overall performance increases.

If the GT3 Evo is designed to go racing within a rulebook, the Modificata is what happens when Ferrari’s engineers are allowed to use the same ingredients without having to keep one eye on Balance of Performance regulations.

More stopping power to match

The brakes have not been left untouched either. The 296 GT Modificata uses an evolution of the braking system found on the 296 GT3 Evo and 296 GT3 Biposto, with new ventilated steel front discs and improved cooling.

An additional lower front air intake directs more air towards the braking system, while redesigned cooling ducts increase airflow efficiency. Ferrari says the upgrades improve thermal management, consistency and reliability during prolonged circuit use.

The ABS calibration has also been tuned to make the car more approachable across a wide range of driver abilities, even on circuits that place particularly heavy demands on the brakes.

Approachable, of course, is a relative term when discussing a 730cv track-only Ferrari.

Two seats, not one

One of the more interesting aspects of the Modificata is that Ferrari has deliberately retained a two-seat cabin.

The passenger seat allows owners to share the experience, but also enables instructors to sit alongside during coaching sessions. Ferrari has modified the roll-bar structure accordingly, while the passenger receives a dedicated footrest and both occupants can communicate through an integrated intercom.

That makes the car particularly well suited to the Club Competizioni GT environment, where improving driver technique is as much part of the experience as chasing lap times.

The car also comes standard with equipment that would otherwise be optional on the 296 GT3 Evo, including the Data Acquisition System Step 1&2, VideoBox Premium, Rear Camera Premium, IRTPMS Step 2 tyre monitoring, professional harnesses and additional cabin cooling.

Owners can still specify further options, including rear radar and personalised liveries selected from Ferrari Design Studio colours.

Built for Club Competizioni GT

Every 296 GT Modificata is intended for Ferrari’s Club Competizioni GT programme, which gives customers access to non-competitive track events at major international circuits.

Purchase of the car includes participation in two years, or 12 rounds, of the programme. The 2027 calendar includes Jerez, Misano, Fuji, Indianapolis, Paul Ricard, Spa-Francorchamps and the Finali Mondiali Ferrari.

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Picture an Aston Martin, and you will likely envision a long bonnet, a sumptuous cabin, and an engine making noises sufficiently antisocial to upset the neighbours. Plus, thanks to more than six decades of cinema, perhaps a machine gun or two hidden somewhere behind the headlights.

Unfortunately, Aston Martin Singapore would probably like its demonstrator returned intact, so the latter was off the table when the new Vantage S officially made its local debut.

Beneath the familiar silhouette is the most performance-focused version of the current Vantage yet, a car Aston Martin has spent considerable effort making faster, sharper and more engaging than the already rather potent machine upon which it is based.

The Vantage S sits above the regular Vantage as the sharper member of Aston Martin’s front-engined sports car family. Aston Martin’s use of the ‘S’ designation can be traced back to the DB3S of 1953, and it has subsequently appeared on some of the marque’s more focused machinery.

At its heart remains the familiar hand-built 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8, but output has climbed to 680PS while torque stands at 800Nm. Power heads exclusively to the rear wheels through a rear-mounted ZF eight-speed automatic transmission and electronic differential. Deploy everything correctly and 100km/h arrives from rest in 3.4 seconds.

Keep your foot buried (preferably somewhere that isn’t Singapore), and Aston Martin says the Vantage S will eventually reach 325km/h. Certainly enough performance for chasing down international villains.

Adding another 15 or 20 horses to an already enormously powerful sports car is easy enough. Making the entire car feel better is considerably harder, which is why the most interesting changes to the Vantage S aren’t necessarily found underneath its bonnet.

The throttle pedal has been specifically recalibrated, with revised weighting and software mapping designed to deliver greater precision. The Bilstein DTX adaptive dampers have also received bespoke tuning, while changes to the suspension hardware and powertrain mounting are intended to improve agility and feedback.

At the rear, Aston Martin has mounted the subframe directly to the body rather than using the rubber bushes found on the regular Vantage. These are details designed primarily to excite engineers at dinner parties, but their purpose is straightforward.

Removing that layer of isolation creates a more direct connection between the rear axle and the structure of the car, allowing the driver to better understand what those enormous rear tyres are doing. Useful information when they are responsible for deploying 680PS. Aston Martin has also worked on the Vantage S’s suspension calibration to retain enough compliance for real roads rather than simply making everything stiffer in pursuit of impressive-sounding numbers.

Contrary to popular belief, a harder sports car isn’t automatically a better sports car. Even Bond has to drive home eventually.

Naturally, Aston Martin has made sure you can tell the S apart from an ordinary Vantage.

You’ll find a pair of centrally mounted bonnet blades up front, available in gloss black or carbon fibre. These help extract hot air from the engine bay while giving the Vantage S a little more visual aggression.

A new full-width decklid spoiler stretches across the rear, adding another dose of visual theatre while contributing genuine aerodynamic performance. There are also discreet ‘S’ badges dotted around the car.

The same approach continues inside. Those familiar with the latest Vantage will recognise the cabin immediately, but there are S-specific touches to remind you that you’ve selected the more serious version.

A combination of Alcantara and leather forms part of the unique interior treatment, while embroidered ‘S’ detailing appears on the seats. Buyers can also specify red or silver anodised finishes for the rotary drive-mode controller.

The latest Vantage S also incorporates Apple’s CarPlay Ultra technology, which extends the familiar CarPlay experience beyond the central infotainment screen and more deeply into the vehicle’s displays and functions. Aston Martin was the first car manufacturer to introduce the system.

Perhaps not quite an ejector seat button. But Q would probably approve.

With the Aston Martin Vantage S now officially launched in Singapore, local buyers have another choice at the sharper end of the sports-car spectrum.

It isn’t a wholesale reinvention of the Vantage, nor should it be. After all, you only live twice. The Vantage S only needs to make you feel alive once.

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For the arrival of the new Vantage S in Singapore, Aston Martin Singapore decided that a conventional launch would not quite do. Instead, a distinguished assemblage of guests were invited to spend an entire weekend immersed in the world surrounding the car, including an overnight stay at The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore accompanied by curated experiences from ELEMIS and Glenfiddich.

If the Vantage S represents a more focused interpretation of Aston Martin’s sports car, then perhaps the best way to understand it is through an equally considered experience.

The letter ‘S’ has always carried extra significance throughout Aston Martin’s history. In the case of the new Vantage S, it signifies the sharper end of the current Vantage range.

Out on Singapore’s roads, the Vantage S does not need long to remind you that there is still something wonderfully theatrical about a front-engined, rear-wheel-drive sports car. Singapore is not exactly overflowing with Alpine passes, and exploring the upper reaches of 680PS on public roads would be both irresponsible and a rather efficient way of attracting unwanted attention.

Aston Martins have always occupied an interesting corner of the sports car world. They are expected to be fast, but outright aggression has rarely been enough. There must also be elegance, occasion and enough comfort that reaching your destination does not feel like punishment for enjoying the journey, which made what happened after the drive more relevant.

Park the Vantage S and the weekend changed gears dramatically. Out went turbochargers and tyre temperatures. In came skincare.

ELEMIS was one of the partners for the Experience Vantage S weekend, giving guests a closer look at the British skincare brand and its approach to personal care.

On paper, placing high-performance skincare beside a sports car sounds like something dreamed up during an especially adventurous marketing meeting. Spend some time with both, however, and the connection becomes clearer: it is about refinement through detail.

Both concern themselves with materials, conditions and getting small details right. Different engineering departments, admittedly, but this same philosophy was also part of our previous Aston Martin experience, where ELEMIS featured alongside a deeper exploration of Aston Martin’s design process.

If ELEMIS represented precision and personal care, an intimate whisky tasting offered a different lesson in craftsmanship.

Whisky is one of those things that becomes considerably more interesting once someone knowledgeable starts explaining what you are actually tasting.

Suddenly, what was simply a glass of whisky becomes a discussion about ingredients, maturation, time and the decisions responsible for the final character. One session later, and everyone leaves with the minute knowledge of being a connoisseur.

Likewise, nobody looks at an Aston Martin and thinks about the millimetres shaved from a surface during development, the countless suspension calibrations or the debate over exactly how heavy an accelerator pedal ought to feel. You simply experience the finished product, and revel in it.

Good craftsmanship often works that way. The enormous amount of effort underneath should disappear once everything comes together. The driver shouldn’t be thinking about damper calibration while threading through a corner, just as someone enjoying a whisky shouldn’t need to picture the years it spent sitting quietly in a cask.

The work has already been done. Your job is simply to enjoy it.

And that is quintessentially the essence of the Aston Martin Experience.

An Aston has never really sold itself solely through numbers. There will always be another machine capable of accelerating harder, producing more downforce or setting a quicker lap time.

Instead, much of Aston Martin’s appeal exists in the space surrounding those figures: how the car looks when you approach it, how the cabin feels beneath your fingertips, the noise it makes when you start it and, perhaps most importantly, how it makes an otherwise ordinary journey feel rather less ordinary.

Individually, these are disparate experiences. Together, they paint a coherent picture of what Aston Martin wants ownership to represent. And apparently, sometimes it means skincare and a dram of whisky.

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The Chevrolet Corvette Stingray is unique, although perhaps not for the reasons you might expect. Yes, it has a 6.2-litre V8. Yes, the engine sits behind your head. And yes, from certain angles people will look at it and go “wow what a cool Ferrari!”

But, the really surprising thing about the eighth-generation Corvette is how little effort it demands from its driver.

Corvettes have traditionally been big-engined, front-engined things with enough torque to interfere with continental drift. Yet the C8 Stingray is refined, composed and startlingly easy to drive. Growing up, apparently, comes for everyone.

The Corvette has been around since 1953, but Chevrolet spent decades flirting with the idea of putting the engine behind the occupants before finally doing it with the C8 in 2020.

That decision fundamentally altered the car. Instead of having a large V8 somewhere near the front bumper, the C8 carries its 6.2-litre naturally aspirated LT2 V8 just behind the cabin, driving the rear wheels through an eight-speed dual-clutch gearbox. There is no manual gearbox, which will give traditionalists something to grumble about between discussions of carburettors and how music was better in 1974.

In current specification, the engine produces 495 horsepower and 630Nm of torque. The century sprint is dusted in only 2.9 seconds, which gives onlookers just enough time to catch the digits on your license plate.

An old-fashioned Corvette could sometimes make its driver feel as though he had accidentally joined a rodeo. The C8 is different.

Putting the engine in the middle gives it a 40:60 front-to-rear weight distribution, and the result is a car that feels far more balanced and predictable than its predecessors. Its steering is accurate, its responses are clean, and both ends of the car seem to agree on where they are going, while still retaining enough personality to punish clumsy mid-corner decisions.

With the available Magnetic Selective Ride Control that comes with the Z51 Performance Package, the Stingray can soften itself considerably for ordinary roads. Which is useful, because most journeys do not involve clipping apexes. They involve traffic lights.

For all the C8’s newfound sophistication, Chevrolet did at least remember to install the important bit.

The LT2 is a naturally aspirated 6.2-litre V8, which feels almost rebellious in an age when manufacturers are busy removing cylinders, adding turbochargers and attaching electric motors to everything that stays still long enough. It does not have the manic top-end theatrics of the old Corvette Z06’s smaller flat-plane-crank V8, but the Stingray’s engine is about effortless shove.

There is plenty of torque, plenty of speed and, crucially, no waiting around for turbos to decide whether they feel like participating. Put your foot down, and the Corvette simply gets on with scaring your passenger.

The eight-speed dual-clutch gearbox deserves some credit here, too. It shifts rapidly and is clever enough that you can largely leave it alone, although paddles are there for occasions when you would like to feel more involved.

The only oddity is that the Corvette can actually be quieter than expected from inside. A mid-engined American sports car with a 6.2-litre V8 sounds like something that should frighten wildlife several postcodes away. Instead, the C8 is surprisingly civilised at cruising speeds, with wind and tyre noise from inside the cabin sometimes more noticeable than the engine itself.

Speaking of inside, Chevrolet has been taking notes from the Europeans. Older Corvettes could occasionally feel as though all the development money had been spent by the time Chevrolet reached the interior. The C8 is considerably more convincing.

Materials are better, the digital displays look contemporary, and the driving position makes you feel properly embedded in the car rather than merely seated inside it. The optional front-axle lift system is fantastic – the fastest I’ve tested in any supercar – with location memory and a forward-facing camera to help preserve expensive bodywork from kerbs.

Then there is the famous wall of buttons. a long strip containing the climate controls runs along the centre console between driver and passenger. It looks dramatic and puts a great many physical switches within reach, which is commendable in an era when manufacturers seem determined to make adjusting the air-conditioning resemble filing an online tax return.

The downside is that it divides the cabin rather too effectively. The driver feels cocooned. The passenger feels as though immigration formalities may be required before crossing to the other side.

Still, the cabin now feels expensive enough to belong in a car with genuine supercar performance, and you can now actually put things in it.

Because the engine sits in the middle, there is storage at both ends of the car. Combined cargo capacity is around 357 litres, which means the Corvette can accommodate considerably more luggage than its silhouette suggests.

The coupe also has a removable roof panel. Remove it, and you have something approaching a T-top sports car without having to buy the convertible. The catch is that the panel has to live somewhere, and storing it consumes much of the rear luggage area.

Still, the very fact that we are discussing luggage capacity in a mid-engined V8 sports car tells you how practical the Corvette can be.

Of course, the Corvette has always made most sense in America, where its combination of performance and price has traditionally made Europeans look faintly unreasonable.

Things become rather less straightforward once taxes and import costs enter the conversation, but the basic achievement remains impressive. Chevrolet has built a car that no longer needs the usual Corvette qualifications.

You do not have to say it is good for an American car. You do not have to make excuses for the way it handles because it is inexpensive compared with a European exotic. The C8 can finally be judged simply as a sports car, and it is a brilliant one.

That, however, does create a small philosophical problem. In civilising the Corvette, Chevrolet has removed some of the rough edges that gave earlier versions their peculiar charm.

The C8 is more accurate, more refined, more comfortable and vastly easier to exploit than the cars that came before it. Objectively, it is a much better car, although some of the old Corvette’s unruliness has inevitably disappeared in the process. Whether you consider that progress depends on why you liked Corvettes in the first place.

But make no mistake. If you wanted a V8-powered caricature of America, built to rival Europe’s best sports cars without charging European-supercar money, this is it.

Technical Specifications

Chevrolet Corvette Stingray (C8)

Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Drivetrain: Rear-wheel drive
Power: 495 bhp
Torque: 630 Nm
Gearbox: 8-Speed (A) Dual Clutch
0-100km/h: 2.9 seconds
Top Speed: 312 km/h
Fuel Economy: Do you even care about this part?
Price: POA

Photo Credits: Sean Loo (@auto.driven)

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Formula 1 may ultimately be decided by tenths of a second, tyre strategies and several hundred people staring intensely at computer screens, but enjoying the spectacle need not be quite so complicated.

Throughout September, Audi Singapore is transforming its Audi House of Progress at 18 Cross Street into a motorsport-themed destination, with activities ranging from racing simulators to exclusive merchandise customisation and, most notably, an Audi R26 show car on display.

A closer look at Audi’s Formula 1 car

The centrepiece arrives on 12 September. From then until 28 September, visitors to Audi House of Progress will be able to see a full-scale display model of the Audi R26, the car representing Audi’s new chapter in Formula 1.

The showroom itself will receive a motorsport makeover, with racing-inspired visual elements and interactive activities intended to highlight both Audi’s performance heritage and its future in the sport.

Finished in Audi’s Titanium, Carbon Black and Audi Red colour palette, the show car gives visitors an opportunity to study the design language and visual identity associated with Audi’s debut Formula 1 season without needing a paddock pass.

The R26 will be displayed during the Audi House of Progress’ opening hours from 10am to 7pm.

Think you can go faster?

For those who would rather race than look at a racing car, there is the Audi Singapore Time Attack 2026.

Held at the GT Bar within Audi House of Progress on 12, 13 and 26 September, the competition puts participants behind the wheel of Audi racing simulators and challenges them to set their fastest lap.

Sessions run from 11am to 6pm, with final registration at 5.15pm. The quickest drivers will stand a chance to win prizes, including a curated dining and race-viewing experience for two at the Singapore Night Race.

Formula 1 fashion gets a personal touch

On 5 and 7 September, customers purchasing an Audi Revolut Formula 1 Team jersey at Audi House of Progress can have it customised at an exclusive on-site embroidery station by adidas.

The complimentary service will operate from 11am to 2pm and 3pm to 6pm on 5 September, followed by 11am to 2pm and 4pm to 7pm on 7 September.

It forms the lifestyle component of a wider September programme that Audi says is intended to make its Cross Street venue more than simply somewhere to display cars.

Between an R26 to inspect, a racing simulator to attack and a Formula 1 jersey to personalise, Audi House of Progress will spend September looking rather less like a conventional showroom, and more like a motorsports home.

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Taking place on Thursday, 8 October 2026, the Thursday Pit Lane Experience offers a rare behind-the-scenes glimpse into race preparations before the Circuit Park officially opens for the race weekend.

Up to 4,500 fans will have the chance to explore the pit lane, view the various team garages and cars up close, and soak in the atmosphere as teams gear up for the action ahead.

In addition to the pit lane walk, attendees will be able to explore the Zone 1 F1 Village and enjoy interactive activities available on the evening.

The ballot is open to all Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents, and participants do not need to be ticketholders to enter.

Each successful applicant will receive a pair of tickets to the event, making it a fantastic opportunity for motorsport fans and newcomers alike to experience the excitement of Formula 1® from within the Marina Bay Street Circuit.

The Thursday Pit Lane Experience ballot opens on 2 September 2026, 10:00am and will remain open until 18 September 2026, 11:59pm (Singapore Time).

For more information on #RevUpSG activations and to enter the ballot, visit singaporegp.sg/en/revupsg.

*All photos are credited to Singapore GP Pte Ltd

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Japan’s already busy motorsport calendar is about to gain another championship, and this one promises plenty of downforce.

Radical Japan has confirmed that the inaugural Radical Cup Japan will take place in 2027, bringing the British sports car manufacturer’s established one-make racing format to the country for the first time.

The championship will feature the Radical SR3 XXR and SR3 XX, with drivers competing in identical or closely matched sports prototypes designed specifically for circuit use.

Radical Cup championships currently operate across 14 countries, with competitors ultimately able to progress to the Radical World Finals. The Japanese series will follow the same basic philosophy: lightweight machinery, substantial aerodynamic grip and close wheel-to-wheel racing.

Four rounds, eight races

Organised directly by Radical Japan with technical and operational support from Craft-Bamboo Racing, the inaugural season is scheduled to begin in May 2027.

Four rounds are planned between May and September, with each event comprising two races for a total of eight across the season. The provisional calendar includes some familiar names. Sportsland SUGO, Mobility Resort Motegi, Tsukuba Circuit and Okayama International Circuit are all expected to host rounds.

Racing begins before 2027

Two track days originally scheduled for late 2026 have been transformed into what Radical Japan describes as prologue events ahead of the championship.

The first is the Radical Japan Exhibition Race, scheduled for 3 November 2026 at Okayama International Circuit. It will effectively serve as a dress rehearsal for the championship, with practice and qualifying followed by two exhibition races.

A second event, the Radical Japan Training Day, will take place at Mobility Resort Motegi on 12 December 2026.

Rather than concentrating solely on racing, the Motegi programme will place greater emphasis on driver development. Participants will receive track time and Time Attack sessions, alongside professional driver feedback and educational opportunities including lectures on vehicle data analysis.

Entries for both events are open to the public. Existing owners can participate with their own SR3 XXR or SR3 XX, while Radical Japan is also offering prospective competitors access to new, in-stock and pre-owned cars, as well as rental opportunities.

A race-ready SR3 XXR package

Radical Japan is also attempting to lower one of the more obvious barriers to joining a new racing championship: getting the correct car onto the grid.

To mark the manufacturer’s official arrival in Japan, it has introduced a limited 10-unit SR3 XXR Launch Package.

Priced from ¥22,833,800 including tax, each car is supplied in a race-ready specification that meets Radical Cup Japan eligibility requirements from the outset. This includes a 1,500cc engine upgrade and the mandatory cockpit safety structure.

For those who would prefer to sample the machinery before committing more than ¥22 million to one, there is another option.

Radical Japan has introduced a test-drive programme costing ¥110,000 including tax, providing prospective competitors with a tailored 30-minute circuit session in an SR3 XXR demonstrator at selected circuits around Japan. Should the participant subsequently purchase a car, the test-drive fee will be refunded as cashback.

A new route into prototype racing

The arrival of Radical Cup Japan adds another avenue for drivers looking to move beyond conventional production-based racing.

The remaining details – including the final 2027 calendar, entry fees and sporting regulations – will be announced at a later date.

More information and pre-entry details are available from Radical Japan’s official website.

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