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Motorsports

Let's R4CE | New BMW M4 GT4

To continue its run of success in the internationally established GT4 category, BMW M Motorsport has released the new BMW M4 GT4.


If you're not familiar with the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, or simply Pikes Peak as it's known to petrolheads worldwide, it is one of the most challenging motorsports events in the world. Consisting of 12.42 miles (20km) and 156 turns of serpentine mountain roads with an average gradient of 7%, and with a finish line that's 14,115 feet (4,302 metres) above sea level (remember, aircraft cabins are pressurised to only 8,000 feet), this 'hill' climb's challenges of corner complexities, weather conditions, and altitude changes push both driver and machine to extremes no other racing event can match. Don't take my word for it - here are some examples of unintended excursions at Pikes Peak... And not forgetting the one in a Tesla Model 3 by the famous Randy Pobst: While doom and gloom are par for the course where thrills and spills are concerned, Lamborghini, together with Pirelli test driver, hill climb champion and 2018 rear-wheel drive Pikes Peak
Happenings

Pikes Peak SUV Record Smashed by Lamborghini

IN Lamborghini, Urus, Facelift, Pikes Peak, Record

Facelifted Urus' bellows reverberate through the Rocky Mountains like a war cry


It's no secret that the BMW Active Tour was a big hit when it first arrived back in 2014. As a compact MPV it pretty much ticks all the boxes of being well-built, spacious and, well, a BMW.
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BMW 2 Series Active Tourer 218i M Sport

It's a good thing that the new 218 Active Tourer is very good, because, with COE prices this high, you'll want the bang for your every buck.


That explains why, even in the sunset of the car’s life, the brand has just unveiled special editions of pretty much its entire model range. With no significant mechanical improvements on the horizon for the Mini family, this is a quick and simple way to keep the cars in the headlines and generate some buzz over them. Paint-and-sticker specials they may be, but that doesn’t mean you should just write them off as just a cynical marketing exercise. Mini Cooper S Pat Moss Edition
Happenings

Mini launches quartet of special editions across model lineup

IN Mini, Hatch, Cooper S, Clubman, Countryman, Special edition

Unique colour and trim specials keep interest up as we await an all-new Mini generation


It’s just been launched in Singapore, the third in the Mercedes-EQ portfolio of EV models, after the EQC and EQA SUVs. Two variants are available, the EQS450+ at S$527,888, and the AMG EQS53 at S$753,888, both with COE.
Happenings

The Mercedes-Benz EQS EV heralds a new kind of luxury in Singapore

The Mercedes EQS is the electric equivalent to the S-Class and pushes the EV game on to new heights


Jaguar Land Rover Singapore has just launched the new fifth-generation Range Rover in Singapore, with prices starting from S$765,999. That’s a pretty punchy figure (even for a brand new luxury car) until you realise that a top-spec model could easily cost you seven figures - but more on that later.
Happenings

The new Range Rover is the ultimate luxury SUV. Here's why.

IN Land Rover, Range Rover, Luxury, SUV, Luxury SUV

The latest version of the SUV that started it all is now on sale here, starting from S$765k.


This new FL5 is the 6th generation of Civic Type R after the EK9, EP3, FD2/FN2, FK2 and FK8, and is based on the 11th-gen Civic that was launched last year. The reveal comes after plenty of teasers with camouflaged prototypes, and a video of the car setting a new FWD lap record around Suzuka Circuit, 0.8 seconds faster than its predecessor: Other than that though, Honda has disappointingly not made any performance claims nor given any engine specs, only stating that it has “an even more powerful” iteration of the K20C 2.0-litre turbo i-VTEC engine, and that it’ll be the fastest Civic Type R ever.
Happenings

FL5 Honda Civic Type R breaks cover

IN Honda, Civic, Type R, Civic Type R, Hot hatch

6th generation Civic Type R aims to be the hottest of hot hatches


Ok, so it isn’t a full-fat M car like the M3 or M5, but rather a warmed-over M Performance model, like the M340i and M440i. Hence the double digit number in the M badge, and the demure bodywork. Still, with the ease with which electric drivetrains develop power, the i4 M50 is the brawniest model in the 3/4 Series range… For a very short while at least. One of its driving modes is called Sport Boost, which unlocks the car’s full 400kW/544hp and 795Nm of torque for up to 10 seconds at a time, a fair bit more than the M3 and M4 Competition’s 510hp and 650Nm. Otherwise, the i4 M50 normally puts out 350kW/476hp, and 730Nm.
Happenings

BMW i4 M50 launched in Singapore

IN BMW, I4, EV, BMW M

The first all-electric model from the company's performance sub-brand made its local debut at the BMW M Driving Experience


510hp and 650Nm straight-six twin-turbo with M xDrive all-wheel drive. 0-100km/h in just 3.7 seconds, and 0-200km/h in 13.1 seconds. $563,888 with COE at the time of this article. These are the headline figures of the topless version of BMW's bonkers M4, now with sky's-the-limit convertible soft top. But why a drop-top M car? Well, given how there are buyers who want to sometimes just cruise lazily and enjoy the open air while at it, a convertible M4 makes sense. It's still only got two doors, for those who don't want four, and the roof opens up in just 18 seconds, allowing occupants access to open-top motoring on-demand. Behold...
Happenings

Available In Singapore: BMW M4 Competition Convertible

IN BMW, M4, Competition, Convertible

#DropTheTop


If you’ve never been to the United States, California would be a good place to start your American experience. Many first-timers might gravitate to the adrenaline-filled joy rides that Southern California is known for; Disneyland, Universal Studios and Hollywood – you get the idea…
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Discovering California: Land Rover Discovery R-Dynamic S

IN Land Rover, Discovery, R-Dynamic S, California

The multi-faceted Golden State proved to the be perfect setting to put Land Rover’s most versatile SUV through its paces


‘Streamliner’ indeed. The Hyundai IONIQ 6 is a sleek and attractive sedan that appears to have the BMW i4 and Tesla Model 3 squarely in its sights. More importantly, it closely resembles the Prophecy Concept from 2020, and here’s a reminder of what that looks like:
Happenings

Hyundai Ioniq 6 EV saloon breaks cover

IN Hyundai, Ioniq, Ioniq 6, EV

After being baited by a sketch, we finally get to see what the new IONIQ 6 looks like, and take a peek under the hood. And to say it puts the ‘six’ in… ‘sexy’ would be an understatement. Geddit… okay,


The question was not without merit. Sales of the outgoing Toyota Crown had dwindled to just 21,000 units. A far cry from the heady days where the Japanese automaker sold 200,000-plus units at the peak of the Crown era in 1990. It would take nothing short of a complete reboot to stop the decline of interest in sedans around the world.
Happenings

SHOCK: Toyota Crown sedan splits up into four-strong model lineup for 2023

IN Toyota, Crown, SUV, Luxury sedan

16th generation Toyota Crown becomes an SUV, wagon, and lifted sedan; to be sold globally starting from Autumn 2022 in Japan


But first, let me backtrack a bit. No doubt you’re here reading this because you saw the main picture and were intrigued by it. You’re probably wondering: why the heck would anyone want to bring a family MPV to a trackday, the least sporty kind of car imaginable?
Motorsports

I brought a 7-seater MPV to Sepang Circuit and didn’t die

IN Mitsubishi, Grandis, MPV, Sepang, Trackday

It’s not what you drive that matters, it’s how you drive it


Peugeot is the first mainstream car manufacturer to join the series after a sweeping revamp of the technical regulations, and made its competition return this weekend at the 6 Hours of Monza, the 4th round in the 6-race 2022 WEC season. Its weapon of choice? The new 9X8 Hypercar. Here’s a video of its very first lap in action: It was initially hoped that the 9X8 could make its live debut at the 2022 Le Mans 24h, but the newly-formed Team Peugeot TotalEnergies elected to skip that and instead focus on further testing to ensure the car’s race-readiness. This included a 15,000km test session and a marathon 36-hour endurance run to put the crew and their processes through their paces before wading into battle.
Motorsports

The Peugeot 9X8 is the next Le Mans Hypercar contender

IN Peugeot, 9X8, Le Mans, WEC, Hypercar, Motorsports

The radical wingless racer made its race debut in the WEC this past weekend at Monza


Briggs Automotive Company (BAC) has announced that Singapore and Malaysia will be the latest markets to receive its ultra-hardcore Mono track monster. NB Auto, which also imports Morgan cars, has joined the global network of dealers that can now be found in 47 territories across the world. In response to questions from Burnpavement, Douglas Ng, director of NB Auto, clarified that his dealership is positioning the BAC Mono as a “trackway lifestyle car”. We are assured that more details will follow with a full media briefing once it arrives in “Q3 of 2022”. If you think a Lotus Elise or Caterham is too compromised but believe the theory that the less seats a car has, the better it is to drive, then BAC takes this philosophy to the extreme. The aptly-named Mono is the only model line from the Liverpool-based outfit, and is available in two variants. The Mono R is a limited-production extreme evolution of the car's original concept, featuring a 2.5-litre naturally aspirated Ford engine fettled by Mountune, a prominent British Ford tuning company. It revs to 8,800rpm, produces 343hp, and will blitz the 0-100km/h sprint in under 3 seconds. The updated regular Mono on the other hand, has a new engine, a 2.3-litre turbocharged Ford unit also tweaked by Mountune. It puts out 330hp and over 400Nm of torque (a third more than the older NA version), and boasts pretty much the same performance figures. Whatever the engine, the Mono is more race car than road car, with just a single seat, a spaceframe chassis, carbon panels, pushrod suspension, and a kerbweight not far north of 500kg, giving a power to weight ratio in the region of 600hp/tonne.
Happenings

Track use only: 3 reasons why the BAC Mono will not be road legal

IN BAC Mono, Singapore

The BAC Mono single-seater track car is coming to Singapore and Malaysia. Unfortunately, it won’t be seen on the road here. Here’s why...


Anyone personally familiar with this author knows that his eyes light up when the topic of estate cars aka station wagons comes up, especially when the conversation inevitably leads to performance estates. Heck, his first ever review at Burnpavement was an estate! Which then brings us on to the topic of the day... BMW's latest iteration of its bonkers M3, the G81 M3 Touring. But first, a trip down memory lane. Estates, or Touring in BMW-speak, are not unfamiliar to the M-division boys and gals. Back in the mid-1990s, they brought us the very first M car in estate guise, the E34 M5 Touring.
Happenings

BMW's M3 Just Became Much More Practical

IN BMW, M3, Competition, G81, Touring, Estate, Station wagon

Wagon lyfe yo!


With seven hybrid models in its stable at the moment, Toyota has the largest lineup of full electrified cars (so not counting mild hybrids) in Singapore, making it perhaps the best-placed car brand to support such an initiative. These models span almost the entire range of body styles and sizes, from the compact Yaris Cross SUV, to the Camry sedan, to the Harrier and RAV4, and the Prius+ and Alphard MPVs. By the time the programme launches next year, the hybrid range will be bolstered by something altogether more eye-catching: the Toyota bZ4X SUV, the company’s first EV, which was previewed during the MoU signing event.
Happenings

Toyota’s first EV is coming next year, but you can’t buy it

IN Toyota, BZ4X, EV

Instead, the Toyota bZ4X will be part of a car sharing scheme in Tengah New Town


With a dearth of knowledge in Singapore on EV systems in general, the students faced a bigger challenge building the R22e than usual. While the teams in charge of the chassis, aerodynamics, and suspension tuning had the benefit of their predecessor’s experience and data to guide them, those in charge of the electric powertrain found themselves thrown in the deep end. From programming the motor controller to even proper safe handling procedures for high-voltage electrical components, there were a lot of lessons learnt in the R22e’s journey, which has implications not just for NUS’s FSAE team, but eventually for the automotive sector in Singapore, particularly once the students enter the workforce.
Happenings

Say hello to Singapore's first home-grown electric race car

IN NUS, FSAE, Motorsport, EV

The NUS FSAE team’s R22e is more than just a speed machine, it’s a stepping stone to building EV know-how in Singapore’s auto sector.


What other body style gives you both car-like driving dynamics and all the practicality a car owner could possibly need? None. Nada. Only a wagon can.
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Perfection | Skoda Octavia Combi RS 2.0 TSI

I start all my wagon reviews by saying this: “If you’ve been reading Burnpavement articles for some time now, you’d know that I’m a wagon fan.”


And it’s getting serious, with many of the biggest car manufacturers throwing their hat in the ring. Take Porsche for instance. Back in 2017, it made the decision to leave the World Endurance Championship, which it had dominated for the prior three years, to focus on Formula E. And aside from running its two Porsche 99X Electric Formula E cars, it even has the Taycan Turbo S performing safety car duties for since the start of this season.
Motorsports

Here’s five reasons why you should check out Formula E

IN Formula E, Porsche, Motorsports, EV

A weekend with the TAG Heuer Porsche team at the Jakarta Formula E race taught us a thing or two about how this engine-less series is more exciting than you expect.



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