• Let's start with those shiny custom wheel covers. I marveled at how he still managed to source for such retro-looking wheel covers, and that's when he revealed to me that they were actually frying woks! How ingenious and utterly creative!
    DOCUMENTED: 26.06.2012 | 09:08 GMT +8 | 0 COMMENTS

    Kei Class Classic | Daihatsu Hijet S100

    A frying wok for wheel covers? You better believe it. This classic Daihatsu Hijet S100 kei van went through a 5-month restoration process and came out looking all clean and funky!

    Photos: Low Fai Ming We don't normally feature vans in Burnpavement.com, but this classic Kei-class van was too adorable to miss ... MORE

    ARCHIVED IN : Kei, Daihatsu, Hijet, Classic, Van
    • Let's start with those shiny custom wheel covers. I marveled at how he still managed to source for such retro-looking wheel covers, and that's when he revealed to me that they were actually frying woks! How ingenious and utterly creative!
    • Obviously pretty handy with the tools, the front bumper signal lights lenses, rear brake light units, front and rear number plates were installed by the owner too, as were some engine bits like the front radiator cover that was missing when he bought the van.
    • Step inside and the sliding door and rear panel windows all around too, were custom-fitted - he made a cargo bed area with a 1-inch plywood, painted the interior and laid a checkered design vinyl on the floorpan to spice thing up inside.
  • <strong>MG Type Y Saloon</strong></p> <p>The MG
    DOCUMENTED: 06.06.2012 | 08:05 GMT +8 | 0 COMMENTS

    Classic Cars In Singapore - Do You Know Them? (Part 2)

    We bring you two more classic cars from - where else - our little island!

    Photos: Low Fai Ming   In our first part of 'Classic Cars In Singapore', we featured two historically important Amer ... MORE

    ARCHIVED IN : Classic, Classic Cars, Vintage Cars, MG, Singer, British, MG Type Y Saloon, Singer 4AD Roadster
    • <strong>MG Type Y Saloon</strong></p> <p>The MG
    • This 1950 4-seater deviated from MG's traditional offerings of sports vehicles, paving the way into the more family-orientated saloon market. It had an extremely high standard of interior furnishing and finish, in accordance with the best British Traditions.
    • Find it familiar? It once ferried the leading characters in MediaCorp's productions, such as the period drama
  • <strong>Ford Five-Window Coupe</strong></p> <p>An American engineer, Henry Ford, had a dream to build a car for the masses. The company he founded went on to mass-produce automobiles for 109 years and counting.</p>
    DOCUMENTED: 04.06.2012 | 10:47 GMT +8 | 0 COMMENTS

    Classic Cars In Singapore - Do You Know Them? (Part 1)

    In this exclusive vintage-only series, we bring to you some classic cars that are still running around our sunny little island

    Photos: Low Fai Ming   Classic cars may not interest most of you, but if you think about it again, the entire evolution of m ... MORE

    ARCHIVED IN : Classic, Classic Cars, Vintage Cars, Ford, Ford Mercury Convertible, Ford Five-Window Coupe
    • <strong>Ford Five-Window Coupe</strong></p> <p>An American engineer, Henry Ford, had a dream to build a car for the masses. The company he founded went on to mass-produce automobiles for 109 years and counting.</p>
    • This 1935 Five-window Coupe was one of the first Fords to feature its very own mass-produced performance V-8 engines.
    • It also sports a
  • DOCUMENTED: 21.02.2012 | 09:38 GMT +8 | 0 COMMENTS

    Back To The Old Skool AGAIN | Toyota Celica TA22

    When we featured this Celica 2 years ago, the internet community went wild. The photos were shared across the globe and the article has grossed the highest hits on our website. Anyone for seconds?

    Photos: Joel Tam Since then though, this awesome Celica has gone through some added tweaks and mods. Her owner makes it a point to m ... MORE

    ARCHIVED IN : Toyota, Celica, TA22, Classic, 1974
    • One of the few things we miss is the previous set of SSR Speed Star wheels. Those made way for the 14
    • The car was resprayed (yet again) to achieve a more accurate shade as the original green available on the Celica back then.
  • DOCUMENTED: 11.07.2011 | 17:22 GMT +8 | 0 COMMENTS

    Subaru WRX GC8

    If there is one name that ALL car enthusiasts will surely know, it is the Subaru WRX. Such has been the success of this road-going rally-bred machine. It all started with the GC8...

    Photos: Low Fai Ming Seven, that's how many versions the Subaru WRX has gone through, three less than its direct competitior, th ... MORE

    ARCHIVED IN : Subaru, WRX, GC8
    • Packing 240 bhp and 300 Nm in the early 90's from a stock car was a pretty mean feat. Those specs enabled the 1,220 kg car to propel to 100km/h in 5.9 secs.
    • Not only could it go fast, the front and rear brake rotors were ventilated discs that boasted awesome stopping power as well.
  • With the help of this important, yet least known designer, most of the prolific cars from the 50s had input from this man. From Alfas to Ferraris this man was in the midst of it all. Yet the Spitfire was almost never built because of the collapse of the Triumph-Standard company. If not for the fact that the car was spotted by the new management under dust covers in the corner of the factory, the Spitfire would have been long forgotten.
    DOCUMENTED: 02.03.2011 | 10:28 GMT +8 | 0 COMMENTS

    A Love For Music And One Car | Triumph Spitfire

    It’s not often that you get to meet a man in love with his car. One car, with no temptations to sell it or store it away. This car in particular, a Triumph Spitfire Mark IV.

    Photos: Syed Ahmad I’ll be honest, I’m not a big fan of the British Leyland era. The management inefficiencies, the constant ... MORE

    ARCHIVED IN : Triumph, Spitfire, British
    • With the help of this important, yet least known designer, most of the prolific cars from the 50s had input from this man. From Alfas to Ferraris this man was in the midst of it all. Yet the Spitfire was almost never built because of the collapse of the Triumph-Standard company. If not for the fact that the car was spotted by the new management under dust covers in the corner of the factory, the Spitfire would have been long forgotten.
    • The Triumph Spitfire then went from strength to strength (despite initial models having a few problems). Going from the first generation through to the fourth generation. Making a total of 314,332 cars over a period of 22 years. That is no small feat for such a specialised British B-road roadster. The Mark IV incarnation weighed just 779kg with a small efficient 1296cc engine. The big improvement? Increased low end torque, the synchromesh gearbox and a vastly more stable rear end (earlier generations were known to be skittish in fast corners).
    • Danny initially wanted to buy a Suzuki Jimny, luckily for us a friend intervened and showed him to Brian Chan of the David Works Garage, a restorer of the classic in Singapore. It was here that Brian showed him to a customer’s Spitfire which was for sale. It’s no surprise that Danny instantly fell in love with it, with it’s long swooping lines, the topless nature of the car, the thin chrome strips reminiscent of the period and the classic wood interior brought him back to simpler times.
  • On local shores, we hardly recognize it as the DeLorean. My mum recalls it as that time-machine from my favorite time-traveling trilogy. While I’m having a crack at summoning 1.21 “jiggawatts” of nuclear power to go back in time, it is all but fictional. However, the fictitious DeLorean Time Machine brought back fond memories of the past, including my maiden visit to a cinema when I was slightly younger. Back To The Future was the first ever movie that I caught on the big screen with my mum after copiously threatening to burn my school books if she didn’t bring me to watch it. I was barely 10, and I was in love with The Time Machine, one of the sporadic relationships I had that she did not protest against. The tickets were modestly priced at $3.50 for a child and you even get a short screen break at the hour-mark of the movie to visit the washroom. My mum was my first date, I’ll always tell my friends. Shortly after the movie, I made up my mind that I was going to buy myself a two door coupe with butterfly wings and a hooked fishing rod at the top and wait for lightning to strike. I seriously wanted to do 88 miles per hour and break the time-barrier.
    DOCUMENTED: 10.02.2011 | 12:10 GMT +8 | 1 COMMENTS

    Back To The Future! | DeLorean DMC-12

    Our guest writer travels back in time for some nostalgic revision of his childhood.

    Photos: Low Fai Ming The Doc said that the Flux Capacitor was what made time travel possible. I’ll be glad to have that in my car, pr ... MORE

    ARCHIVED IN : DeLorean, DMC-12, Michael J Fox
    • On local shores, we hardly recognize it as the DeLorean. My mum recalls it as that time-machine from my favorite time-traveling trilogy. While I’m having a crack at summoning 1.21 “jiggawatts” of nuclear power to go back in time, it is all but fictional. However, the fictitious DeLorean Time Machine brought back fond memories of the past, including my maiden visit to a cinema when I was slightly younger. Back To The Future was the first ever movie that I caught on the big screen with my mum after copiously threatening to burn my school books if she didn’t bring me to watch it. I was barely 10, and I was in love with The Time Machine, one of the sporadic relationships I had that she did not protest against. The tickets were modestly priced at $3.50 for a child and you even get a short screen break at the hour-mark of the movie to visit the washroom. My mum was my first date, I’ll always tell my friends. Shortly after the movie, I made up my mind that I was going to buy myself a two door coupe with butterfly wings and a hooked fishing rod at the top and wait for lightning to strike. I seriously wanted to do 88 miles per hour and break the time-barrier.
    • Very soon I grew up, along with ridiculously rising costs. I had to settle for an Integra without the wings. The sad part was having to live with my Integra without the ‘R’, but I was happy driving it with my fishing rod in my boot. However without any caution, lightning turned into flashes of light and struck not once, but thrice. I did over 88 miles per hour and smashed the speed barrier. In my defense, I admitted to possessing a profound love for the Time Machine as a result of my childhood experiences, along with some mistimed elaboration on 'why-I-sped-because-I-possess-godlike-driving-skills'. I was adamant but they were worse because they insisted that it was a speed trap and not a time barrier. I later realized that they were more concerned with my passion for hitting 88mph. I sat defiant in my car, scouting the streets for inspiration that could liven up my mood. That’s when I saw The DeLorean.
    • And the mere sight of it is breathtakingly picturesque, with the littoral sunset flushing on the Giorgetto Giugiaro-designed DeLorean paneled with unpainted and brushed SS304 stainless steel. This iconic machine has a GRP fiberglass under-chassis, and is ultimately the solitary production car ever manufactured by the now-defunct DeLorean Motor Company. Uplift the Flügeltüren (German for gull wing doors), and the pleasing portes papillon are delightfully inviting. These heavy doors are supported by cryogenically preset torsion bars developed by Grumman Aerospace to survive endless assaults by inquisitive kids while you are trying to keep your doors shut. The makers have brilliantly restricted the doors’ clearance range to 264mm, far less as compared to conventional side-hinged doors.
  • The good people from Noble have managed to extract an astonishing 425bhp from a three litre Ford Duratec V6 mid-mounted engine that is sometimes awfully squandered on the Ford Mondeo ST220. It has modified fuel injectors, high-lift camshafts and twin turbo-chargers, making it a roaring feature on the track. The superb power-to-weight ratio of 400bhp/ton suggests how it should be named and you can’t be too wrong about that. The German Getrag six-speed manual with Quaife LSD transmission is clearly the trigger and what you would call, a better playmate than your Gran Turismo gamer.
    DOCUMENTED: 27.01.2011 | 11:18 GMT +8 | 0 COMMENTS

    Noble Intentions | Noble M400

    A year ago, I was on the verge of being reduced to combating for reserved seats on the public transport because I was left with three points on my driving record.

    Photos: Joel Tam I was plagued by horrific dreams every night because I had to drive like a trainee in the army truck every day. Eventua ... MORE

    ARCHIVED IN : Noble, M400
    • The good people from Noble have managed to extract an astonishing 425bhp from a three litre Ford Duratec V6 mid-mounted engine that is sometimes awfully squandered on the Ford Mondeo ST220. It has modified fuel injectors, high-lift camshafts and twin turbo-chargers, making it a roaring feature on the track. The superb power-to-weight ratio of 400bhp/ton suggests how it should be named and you can’t be too wrong about that. The German Getrag six-speed manual with Quaife LSD transmission is clearly the trigger and what you would call, a better playmate than your Gran Turismo gamer.
    • But the Noble M400, is not quite the same. You can’t possibly slobber at the sight of it because it’s uncommonly rare and you don’t get to see it all the time, so no one bothers to call himself M400 anyway. You can’t quite crash the car literally because of its GRP (Glass-reinforced plastic) fiberglass chassis and there’s only one left in Singapore.
    • For its stunning looks, the Noble M400 opens up like a half-blooming Decepticon with ruthless performance. Its ventilated 330mm discs are embraced by the endearing AP Racing brake-kit. The jacquard fabric black Sparco racing seats were specially aligned 15mm towards the centre-line of the car for improved weight distribution and circuit execution. The track-bred M400 uniquely combines excellent road handling capabilities with raw and untamed power with its well-cultured body composure. The dynamics of its road-holding attributes make the car predictably controllable even at high speeds.
  • They not only anchored a quirky 1.3L engine in its bay, the car gulps on petrol like how a deprived Asiatic elephant does to a river. You have little time to realize that you are coughing up nearly two dollars for every six kilometres, and you are rivaling in proximity to that black Chrysler cab.
    DOCUMENTED: 30.12.2010 | 12:30 GMT +8 | 0 COMMENTS

    Rotary Heaven | Mazda RX-7 FD3S & FC3S

    Our freelance writer laments at the practicality of RX-7s of old, but celebrates the fact that they were never made for that anyway!

    Photos: Joel Tam I have a serious problem. I cannot commercialize my appraisal of an automobile. This is because of my uncontrollable ad ... MORE

    ARCHIVED IN : Mazda, RX-7, FD3S, FC3S, Rotary, 1.3, RX-8, Efini
    • They not only anchored a quirky 1.3L engine in its bay, the car gulps on petrol like how a deprived Asiatic elephant does to a river. You have little time to realize that you are coughing up nearly two dollars for every six kilometres, and you are rivaling in proximity to that black Chrysler cab.
    • But it is an RX-7 and I’ll just ignore how impractical it is, because it doesn’t matter. Which clown would try to fit a quartet in a stunning performance coupe anyway? So tell me about it.
    • The 1992 Mazda Efini RX-7 (FD3S) was utterly gorgeous with those stimulating curvatures. In fact, it was an exquisite piece of moving street art spanning until 2002 when Mazda decided to lay it off and settled for the uninspiring RX-8 in 2003. The 13B-REW Wankel Rotary engine presented a sequential twin-turbocharger setup that dispatches a powerful output from a light and compact system.
  • Instead, it was Keiichi Tsuchiya, the Japanese Drift King who took it sideways around the corners and popularized it with such reverberating fanaticism which transformed the fortunes of what was once an underground sport. Drifting in modern days has become a worldwide culture. Without Tsuchiya, Takumi might be transporting his tofu in a Nissan Silvia S15. But what is so special about these automotive antiques?
    DOCUMENTED: 13.12.2010 | 08:52 GMT +8 | 0 COMMENTS

    Riders On The Storm | Toyota Trueno And Levin

    Riders on the storm, riders on the storm, into this house we're born, into this world we're thrown...

    Photos: Low Fai Ming The first one is significant because that’s the year my missus was born and it would be suicidal for me to ... MORE

    ARCHIVED IN : Toyota, Trueno, Levin, AE86, Hachiroku
    • Instead, it was Keiichi Tsuchiya, the Japanese Drift King who took it sideways around the corners and popularized it with such reverberating fanaticism which transformed the fortunes of what was once an underground sport. Drifting in modern days has become a worldwide culture. Without Tsuchiya, Takumi might be transporting his tofu in a Nissan Silvia S15. But what is so special about these automotive antiques?
    • What I am going to tell you next is even more remarkable because you get grown-up men yelling about it, and it’s not even female. Because in 1983, the Toyota AE86 was born. For those who gave credit to Takumi Fujiwara (that tofu-delivery boy) for making the AE86 such a phenomenon in recent years, they are clearly missing out on the real deal.
    • 27 years ago, Toyota built the AE86 generation of the Corolla and produced two variants of the two-door coupe, them being the Toyota Corolla Sprinter Trueno and the Toyota Levin. They were referred to as the Hachi-Roku twins, where Levin and Trueno stood for “Lightning” and “Thunder” respectively. In Japan, there were differing trims such as the GT, GT-APEX and GTV, all bearing the DOHC 4A-GEU engines. The doppelgangers were nearly identical, except for the flat and rectangular headlights of the Levin as compared to the nostalgic pop-up lights for the Trueno.
  • The two-door soft-top roadster sits two, and was in production from May 1991 to February 1996. I have to say that it is not particularly handsome for a cabriolet, but if you do realise where I’m coming from, the Keis were meant to be cute and friendly. Four bright color variants are available in white, yellow, red and silver. The limited edition Version F and Version C comes in metallic green and blue, respectively. Mechanical upgrades like ABS and LSD were optional features on the Version Z.
    DOCUMENTED: 07.12.2010 | 16:03 GMT +8 | 0 COMMENTS

    On The Beat | Honda Beat

    I went online hoping to rediscover one of the fascinating Kei cars in the 90s. My search returned with a Marian Rivera on a two-wheeler arousing my fantasies of topless riding. Well, not really...

    Photos: Low Fai Ming There is the other namesake that gives you the liberty of driving it with or without the top. For a start, the Honda ... MORE

    ARCHIVED IN : Honda, Beat, Kei, 660, Convertible
    • The two-door soft-top roadster sits two, and was in production from May 1991 to February 1996. I have to say that it is not particularly handsome for a cabriolet, but if you do realise where I’m coming from, the Keis were meant to be cute and friendly. Four bright color variants are available in white, yellow, red and silver. The limited edition Version F and Version C comes in metallic green and blue, respectively. Mechanical upgrades like ABS and LSD were optional features on the Version Z.
    • Tipping at 656cc, it offers good bargain in terms of regulatory taxes against rising transport costs. The miniature rear mid-engine was developed based on a near obsolete E07A MTREC (Multi Throttle Responsive Engine Control) platform that compliments sensitive throttle control and better torque. It would be impressive to know that the specific output is 96bhp per litre despite running on SOHC and 12 valves. In simple engineering terms, it is as efficient as your neighbour’s Integra GSR.
    • And I assure you, the electronically limited speed limit of 134km/h will not affect the optimal ranges of your local overhead gantries. Honda’s ideology of naturally aspirated supremacy suggests that the Beat would be bold enough to harass the under-660cc forced induction technologies of today a little. For starters, the car weighs 100 kilograms lighter than its counterparts, has a five-speed gear stick ahead of those four-speed automatic transmissions and all-wheel discs for better braking control. The mid-engine placement and independent Macpherson struts for the front and rear makes for some good nimble handling.
  • The stock 3.6-liter engine is rebuilt to displace 3.82 liters. The engine has been recreated with premium components successfully developed and proven through Ninemeister’s racing exploits. The Singer 911’s engine achieves its displacement with Ninemeister 103mm pistons and cylinders, the 76.4mm crankshaft of the 997 GT3, and the 132mm lightweight titanium connecting rods. The large bore, short stroke combination can spin to 8000 rpm, but offers a broad, flexible torque curve.
    DOCUMENTED: 04.11.2010 | 17:25 GMT +8 | 0 COMMENTS

    A Modern Vintage | Singer 911

    Earlier this year, American company Singer Vehicle Design restored, reimagined and rebirth-ed a Porsche classic - putting new technology into an all-time favourite. This is the Singer 911.

    The Singer 911 is a re-interpretation and rebirth of the early performance-focused 911’s. The new vehicle is the result of a fusion be ... MORE

    ARCHIVED IN : Singer, Porsche, 911, Orange, Original, Modern
    • The stock 3.6-liter engine is rebuilt to displace 3.82 liters. The engine has been recreated with premium components successfully developed and proven through Ninemeister’s racing exploits. The Singer 911’s engine achieves its displacement with Ninemeister 103mm pistons and cylinders, the 76.4mm crankshaft of the 997 GT3, and the 132mm lightweight titanium connecting rods. The large bore, short stroke combination can spin to 8000 rpm, but offers a broad, flexible torque curve.
    • Ninemeister’s individual throttle body induction provides maximum tunable power to each cylinder with eye-popping throttle response, and most importantly perhaps, the sweetest 911 exhaust growl imaginable. More importantly, the engine will be managed by an advanced Motec M800 ECU that also adds launch control, traction control, data logging capability - all electronic features never seen on the original 911’s.
    • Singer will have a tune producing about 360hp with a broad torque curve. For higher performance, a more track focused state of tune offers 425 hp and 340 lbs. ft. of torque. A 997 GT3R oil pump moves oil through the Singer 911’s high capacity dry sump system will be improved with an enhanced fan-assisted cooling system. Race-car spec stainless steel braided hose and fittings are used throughout the Singer 911.
  • DOCUMENTED: 27.09.2010 | 05:16 GMT +8 | 0 COMMENTS

    Porsche 904/8 Carrera GTS First Time In South East Asia

    A legendary car, integral in Porsche’s illustrious history in motorsports was flown in to Singapore from the Porsche Museum in Stuttgart. Here's what we got while the 904/8 Carrera GTS was in town.

    Photos: Joel Tam The Porsche 904, also known as the Porsche Carrera GTS, was designed by Ferdinand Porsche and introduced in 1963. GT Ho ... MORE

    ARCHIVED IN : Porsche, 904, Stuttgart, F1, Singapore, Racing
  • DOCUMENTED: 27.09.2010 | 04:09 GMT +8 | 0 COMMENTS

    Porsche Type 804 Formula 1 Race Car Visits Singapore

    As part of the F1 festivities, the classic Formula 1 Grand Prix-winning 1962 Porsche Type 804 was in town. If you didn't manage to catch it, here's a look at the iconic race car.

    Photos: Joel Tam When the engine capacity for Formula 1 cars was reduced to 1.5-litres in 1961, this change of regulations helped to moti ... MORE

    ARCHIVED IN : Porsche, Type 804, Stuttgart, F1, Singapore
  • DOCUMENTED: 14.09.2010 | 02:48 GMT +8 | 0 COMMENTS

    Road Star | Mazda Miata MX-5 (NB series)

    Second Generation Mazda MX-5 still a sexy little thing to behold, but the real beauty is in the way it drives.

    Photos: Joel Tam "Jinba Ittai". A Japanese term used in the development inspiration for the Mazda MX-5. The term means that the ... MORE

    ARCHIVED IN : Mazda, MX-5, MX5, Roadster, Silver, Convertible
  • DOCUMENTED: 19.05.2010 | 11:08 GMT +8 | 3 COMMENTS

    Honda Prelude 2.3A

    She's a pretty 18 year-old with a curvaceous hot body and a voluptuous rear-end. They sure don't make coupés like they used to.

    Photos: Joel Tam Back in the old days, in the early 90's to be more precise, there was a gorgeous coupé called the Honda Prelude. ... MORE

    ARCHIVED IN : Honda, Prelude, Coupé
  • Original colour code for this Deep Green Toyota paintwork was sourced for and meticulously sprayed on over weeks - the outcome is a rich and glossy job that is capable of turning one green with envy. Front bumper sports a reproduced TRD chin spoiler (TRD turns 35 this year by the way - Ed.).
    DOCUMENTED: 05.04.2010 | 11:31 GMT +8 | 3 COMMENTS

    Back to the Old Skool. Toyota Celica TA22

    Classic cars are a rare sight in modern Singapore, even rarer is this beautiful example of a 1970's Toyota Celica TA22. Restored to a gorgeously pristine state, it's arguably the best unit around.

    Photos: Joel Tam Built during the muscle-car era, the first generation Celica had styling cues that paid homage to the all-american ... MORE

    ARCHIVED IN : Celica, Green, Retro
    • Original colour code for this Deep Green Toyota paintwork was sourced for and meticulously sprayed on over weeks - the outcome is a rich and glossy job that is capable of turning one green with envy. Front bumper sports a reproduced TRD chin spoiler (TRD turns 35 this year by the way - Ed.).
    • Set among equally old shophouses along Joo Chiat, the car looks right at home.
    • Car is lowered by 30mm using Kings Springs. SSR Mk-II deep dish wheels are 15x7 at the front and 15x8 at the rear.