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Where the Ur E9-generation BMW 3.0 CSL was actually built in 1972 as a homologation special, to enter the European Touring Car Championship of the time, the new car celebrates five decades of racing expertise from BMW M GmbH concentrated in a highly emotional package. The ‘C’ and ’S’ in CSL stand for ‘Coupé’ and ‘Sport’ respectively, while ‘L’ stands for Leichtbau or lightweight. To make the original 3.0 CSL lightweight, the monocoque was made of thinner steel, trim and soundproofing were removed, the doors, bonnet and boot were made of aluminium alloy and the side windows were made of Perspex. Altogether, these features helped the 1972 original weigh in at just 1,270kg.
Happenings

The Batmobile Is Back - BMW 3.0 CSL

IN BMW, 3.0 CSL, Batmobile, 2023 BMW 3.0 CSL

Rear-wheel drive via a 6-speed manual makes us go: "na na na na na na na na".....


The last time National Bikers Weekend Singapore was held was in 2019. Then came a pandemic-enforced two-year hiatus. Thankfully, NBWSG is back! Here's some highlights of what you can expect from 4th to 6th November 2022 at D'Marquee Downtown East (Begonia Carpark entrance from Pasir Ris Drive 3). Once in the carpark, follow the marshals' instructions on where to park your bike (or car). The first thing you'd notice is a rather large tentage right outside D'Marquee, hosting some exhibitors, such as Eni, where deals are to be had with their lubricants.
Happenings

National Bikers Weekend Singapore Returns After 2-Year Hiatus

IN National Bikers Weekend Singapore

NBWSG is back with a vengeance! Two-wheeler fans are set for a weekend of excitement.


With 30 years of competitive experience, Sauber is one of the most renowned and traditional teams in Formula 1. The Swiss racing team is currently in a partnership with Alfa Romeo. Sauber will be responsible for planning and executing race operations during the Formula 1 season. With its new collaboration with Audi, the power unit will be developed at Audi’s Motorsport Competence Center in Neuburg an der Donau, while Sauber will produce the Formula 1 car at its site in Hinwil (Switzerland). Development of the power unit, which consists of the MGU-K, battery, control systems and a V6 hybrid engine, is already in full swing at Audi’s racing facility.
Happenings

Audi Partners Sauber For Formula 1 Entry

IN Sauber, Audi, Formula, 1, New, Team, 2026, Partnership

Following the announcement of its entry into Formula 1 at the end of August, Audi has now confirmed its new partner in the sport.


As with all previous generations, the new GranTurismo is still predominantly a gran tourer, combining the performance of a sports car with comfortable long-distance travel capabilities. Quintessentially, it still maintains its hearty Italian charm alongside new technological upgrades.
Happenings

Maserati makes a smashing return with the new GranTurismo

IN Maserati, Granturismo, Folgore, New, 2023

Car enthusiasts rejoice! The stylish and well-known Maserati GranTurismo is finally back with a new rendition, albeit with some caveats.


For the uninitiated, the Mono is a single-seat track weapon from the UK that's more Formula racer than road car. Yet despite how it looks, it's actually road legal… everywhere except Singapore that is. The Land Transport Authority, in its Infinite Wisdom, has deemed it unsuitable for our roads - something to do with it not being right-hand drive or some such triviality…
Happenings

BAC Mono now on sale in Singapore and Malaysia

IN BAC, Mono, Track toys, Supercars

Selfishness, meet ultimate driving purity


There used to be a time, up until the early 2000s, or thereabouts when you could tell you were driving a BMW just by how the steering felt and how the car handled. It didn’t matter which model you were behind the wheel of; 3, 5, or 7 Series, maybe even a Z4 or early X5, every model was united by an unmistakable steering feel and way the controls fell to hand.
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BMW M240i rolls back the years

IN BMW, 240i

This sporty two-door shows that the Bavarian automaker hasn’t forgotten how to make a great driver’s car


The Singapore Grand Prix aka F1 is one of the biggest highlights on our country’s annual events calendar, but was sadly cancelled for the past two years due to the COVID-19 restrictions which plagued the country. But now that restrictions have eased off, the night race and extended festivities happening from 30th September to 2nd October are back in full swing! The Singapore GP is renowned as one of the best races on the calendar for off-track entertainment, and this year more than 40 music acts will be performing over multiple venues dotted around the Marina Bay street circuit. Whether you’re visiting the venue to catch the fast cars and races, or to indulge in the headline concert acts, here’s a helpful guide to help you get the most out of this weekend. 1. Plan your itinerary in advance
Happenings

F1 RETURNS: Burnpavement’s TIPS ON SURVIVING THE SINGAPORE GRAND PRIX F1 WEEKEND

IN Formula 1, Singapore Grand Prix

After a long two-year hiatus parked on the sidelines, the Formula One (F1) Singapore Grand Prix is finally back in action!


The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in the cancellation of the two previous Singapore Grand Prix, but finally after a long hiatus, the Formula One circus is back on our shores! Depending on which side of the fence you’re on, you either love the fact the race is back or dread the fact that you won’t be able to drive into some parts of town. The Singapore Grand Prix festivities will be held over the last weekend of September, starting on the Friday of 30 September and concluding on Sunday, 2 October. Similar to previous years, the roads around Marina Bay and Padang will begin to close in order to facilitate the race circuit. These closures will begin from 12:01 am on Wednesday, 28 September for the organisers and support crews to begin setting up the necessary infrastructure, and will last for 7 days. All roads will be fully reopened by 530 am on Tuesday, 4 October. To ease peak hour traffic, some roads will be temporarily opened during the morning and evening rush hours. Here is the list of roads provided by the Land Transport Authority (LTA): 28 - 29 September, 5.30 am - 10 amTowards Orchard RoadCollyer Quay > St Andrews' Road > Stamford RoadTowards Shenton WayNicoll Highway > Esplanade Drive / Stamford RoadTowards Marina BoulevardRepublic Boulevard > Raffles Avenue > Bayfront Avenue30 September, 5.30 am - 10 amTowards Orchard RoadCollyer Quay > St Andrews Road > Stamford RoadTowards Shenton WayNicoll Highway > Esplanade Drive / Stamford Road3 October, 5.30 am - 10 amTowards Shenton WayNicoll Highway > Esplanade Drive / Bras Basah Road > Nicoll Highway > Esplanade DriveTowards ECP (Changi Airport)Bras Basah Road > Raffles Boulevard > Republic BoulevardTowards Marina BoulevardRaffles Boulevard > Temasek Avenue > Bayfront Avenue3 October, 5 pm - 8.30 pmTowards Shenton WayNicoll Highway > Esplanade Drive / Bras Basah Road > Nicoll Highway > Esplanade DriveTowards Orchard RoadEsplanade Drive > Nicoll Highway / Stamford RoadTowards ECP (Changi Airport)Bras Basah Road > Raffles Boulevard > Republic Boulevard / Bayfront Avenue > Raffles BoulevardTowards Marina BoulevardRaffles Boulevard > Temasek Avenue > Bayfront Avenue
Happenings

2022 SINGAPORE F1 GRAND PRIX ROAD CLOSURES

IN Formula 1, Road Closures

The Singapore Grand Prix is finally back in action, but with the race comes a number of expected road closures.


In the run-up to the 2022 Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix, McLaren Singapore is hosting its first-ever Time Attack Challenge, based on the official F1 22 video game developed by Codemasters. Participants will be given 3 laps to clock their fastest time in the McLaren Formula 1 car around the Marina Bay Street Circuit.
Happenings

McLaren Singapore kicks off F1 season with Time Attack challenge

IN McLaren, F1, Formula 1, Sim racing, Events, Singapore Grand Prix

Weekly prizes to be won, including Klipsch wireless earphones


We start with a name and a style that’s all too common in the modified car scene these days: Pandem/Rocket Bunny. They’re a line of wide body kits by a company called TRA Kyoto, brainchild of a certain Kei Miura. He designs, builds and sells kits for a huge variety of cars, from classics like the Nissan Fairlady Z and BMW E30, to JDM favourites like the Nissan Silvia and Toyota 86/Subaru BRZ, to modern stuff like the Toyota GR Supra and Yaris, and even the C8 Corvette!
Happenings

Retro Havoc 2022 Highlights Part 1: Hunting for Speed

Retro Havoc: Encore Edition was our first car show in over 3 years, and boy was it great to be at one again. In this 3-part series, we bring you our highlights from the show, starting with the cars th


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...


The SUV in question is the Škoda Kodiaq vRS. The latter suffix is the Czech carmaker’s performance sub-brand, not unlike BMW’s M division or Mercedes-AMG. Perhaps, Škoda parent company Volkswagen’s GTI range might be closer to the concept of vRS. Speaking of which, vRS apparently stands for “victory Rally Sport” and the other fun fact is that the vee in vRS is actually supposed to be silent! So it’s simply referred to as, ‘RS’. In fact, in Škoda’s official communications, the the v is omitted altogether. It seems that not only is the ‘v’ silent, it’s invisible, too.
New

Bear market: Skoda Kodiaq vRS review

IN Skoda, Kodiaq, RS, VRS, SUV, Performance SUV

Skoda’s renown vRS performance line expands to its flagship SUV


The 911 SC is the second of four special “Heritage Design” 911s that will be made by Porsche Exclusiv Manufaktur, all limited edition and each paying tribute to a different iconic decade of Porsche style. The first was 2020's 911 Targa Heritage Edition (below, right), which was a throwback to the 1950s and the Porsche 356, while the SC here takes inspiration from the early 911s of the ‘60s and early ‘70s. The next two models are due in 2024 and 2026.
Happenings

The Porsche 911 Sport Classic is the retro manual RWD 911 Turbo of your dreams

IN Porsche, 911, 911 Sport Classic, 911 Turbo, 911 SC, Savethemanuals

This limited edition model by the Porsche Exclusiv Manufaktur programme is the most powerful stick shift Porsche 911 ever made


Asian cars like the Toyota Alphard/Vellfire, Lexus LM and Hyundai Staria have largely had this potentially lucrative sector of the market to themselves thus far, but now Audi wants in on the action too. Say hello to the Audi Urbansphere.
Happenings

The Audi Urbansphere is a self-driving luxury EV MPV for designed for Asia

IN Audi, Urbansphere, Concept car, EV, Autonomous car, MPV

Audi’s new “urban mobility concept” previews a future where cars become a “well-being sphere” for relaxation, leisure or productivity


Toyota also revived the Supra to much acclaim, but although it’s the flagship of a now thriving Gazoo Racing sub-brand, one thing about it stood out compared to its lesser brethren: it was not available with a manual transmission.
Happenings

Toyota GR Supra to get manual transmission

IN Toyota, Supra, GR Supra, Gazoo Racing, Save The Manuals

Toyota goes doubles down on the #savethemanuals movement, but what does this mean for BMW?


If you think that Audi’s SQ7 jumbo SUV is too large on pace and in size, the compact Q3 is too small, and the Q5 Sportback is just right, but needs more power, then worry no more. Meet the SQ5 Sportback, newly launched, and available for the first time on our little red dot. Since we have already covered the Q5 Sportback in a previous review, let’s focus on what makes this top-of-the-Q5-heap variant worthy of its S badge.
Happenings

2022 AUDI SQ5 SPORTBACK 3.0 TFSI: ROARING INTO SINGAPORE

IN Audi, SQ5 Sportback, Singapore launch

Prices for this SQ5 start from $398k if you feel the need for pace AND space


And now, they’ve made a new one, though sadly, it’s also to be the last V12 Vantage Aston says they’ll make. And you can’t buy one either, because they’ve already sold every single one of the 333 cars they’re making. Still, not like you or I could ever have afforded one anyway, and the fact it’s all snapped up doesn’t detract from this being probably one of the last pure-ICE new cars we’ll ever be celebrating.
Happenings

The Aston Martin V12 Vantage marks the end of an era

IN Aston Martin, Vantage, V12, Supercar, GT

Not only is this the final time we’ll see a V12 in an Aston Vantage, it’ll sadly also be one of the last times we’ll see a car maker cram a bit engine in a small car.


Say hello to the Polestar O2. It's a 2+2 seater EV roadster concept that Polestar's CEO Thomas Ingenlath calls
Happenings

Live out your racing video game fantasies with the Polestar O2

IN Polestar, O2, Electric vehicle, EV, Roadster, Sports car

The Polestar O2 is an all-electric roadster concept with its own self-tracking drone


For me though, the Golf GTI has always been a bit of a letdown. Granted, most of my experience has only been with the Mk7 and Mk7.5, but for all the myth and legend surrounding those three letters, and the accolades heaped upon it by automotive media everywhere, most of my encounters with a GTI has left me feeling distinctly unenthused. As an unabashed lover of fast driving, hot hatches are definitely right up my alley, but the Mk7.5 just didn't serve up enough thrills. It didn't help that it debuted in something of a renaissance period for hot hatches, with the FK8 Honda Civic Type R, Hyundai i30N, Mk4 Renault Megane RS, and even its corporate cousin the Skoda Octavia RS245, all muscling in on the GTI’s turf.
New

1 Step Forward, 2 Steps Back: Volkswagen Golf GTI Mk8

IN VW, Volkswagen, Golf, Golf GTI, Hot hatch, Hatchback

Amongst hot hatches, it’s always been the VW Golf GTI that’s left BP’s resident racer, Jon, the coldest. Can the feistier new Mk8 change his mind?


Find a twisty road however, and it doesn’t take long to unearth the RS’s other talents. Whack the DCC up into sport, and the car becomes a highly effective, if slightly clinical, road devourer. The meaty yet quick steering is confidence-inspiring and makes accurate placing of the car an intuitive affair, and the body control lent by the DCC is exceptional. As with the RS245 and Mk8 GTI though, the crowning glory is the limited-slip differential, which mitigates any trace of untidy wheelspin as you power out of corners, a trait which the old GTI sometimes frustrated me with.
New

First Drive: 2022 Skoda Octavia RS

IN Skoda, Octavia, Octavia RS, Hot hatch, Sports saloon, Skoda Centre Singapore

The Skoda Octavia RS is back, and continues to offer the same incredible value and practicality. We take it out for a brief taster to see what it’s like



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