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Modified

Singapore's Best Suzuki Swift Sport | Entry Four (4)

IN Suzuki, Swift Sport, Singapore, Caltex, Competition, Champion Motors

All charged up and ready to bruise. This blue supercharged Swift Sport has power from the word go!

Modified

Singapore's Best Suzuki Swift Sport | Entry Two (2)

IN Suzuki, Swift Sport, Singapore, Caltex, Competition, Champion Motors

Blue and green? One thing's for sure, this Swift Sport is a definite eye-catcher. Judging from our Facebook teaser shot, you guys like it too!

Johan van Tongeren's Impreza began its life in early 2000. But as the white paint fouled up after ten years, Johan decided to spruce it up himself and gave it a name:

Readers' Rides

The Barracuda | Subaru Impreza WRX GC8

IN Subaru, Impreza, GC8, Holland

Johan's Barracuda isn't just a rolling art display, it is built like a tank with all the firepower too!

It's funny how some cars define their owners' character. Locally, being in an E-Class earns you the

New

E for Eco | Mercedes-Benz E250 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY CoupÃ©

IN Mercedes-Benz, E250, CDI, BlueEFFICIENCY, Coupe

How well will svelte coupÃ© style blend with diesel power? We just had to find out.

With only 74 bhp on tap, this car is no GTi. But the 180 Nm of torque it musters is not bad. You do have to spin the engine with a foot-full of revs though, but at least you know it WILL go if you really need it to.

New

Stubbornly Frugal | Volkswagen Polo BlueMotion

IN VW, Volkswagen, Polo, BlueMotion, Caltex, Techron, Techron D, Diesel

Keep the revs high on this diesel supermini and you'll find that fun doesn't always have to a come at a price.

It might look similar to the sedan, but the coupÃ©’s roof is slightly lower. Like the sedan, it has B-pillars — though we would prefer not having it, like the more expensive E-Class coupÃ©. Other than that little niggle, it is hard to fault the C-Class coupÃ© in the looks department. Mercedes-Benz has pulled off a bold look that isn't brash and elegant without being overly swoopy. Plus, those 18-inch AMG wheels just looks perfect!

New

What Took Them So Long? | Mercedes-Benz C 250 BlueEfficiency CoupÃ©

IN Mercedes-Benz, C, 250, BlueEfficiency, Coupe

Mercedes-Benz has gone all-out to promote the new C-class to the younger buyers.

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

Happenings

Drivers Wanting To Go Green With Diesel Hampered By Special Tax

IN Diesel, Caltex, Techron D,

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

After being grouped, we were first sent off to do a hot lap on the South Track in the Samoa Orange-hot Audi R8 GT. Because of its rarity - with only 333 units to be built - we were not allowed to drive it. With the track still wet from the rain, it was interesting to see what Daryl could do with 560 hp...

Happenings

The Audi Sportscar Experience

IN Audi, Sportscar, Experience, R8, GT, V10

After the roaring racing action faded away at Sepang, it was time for a few to experience an exhilarating drive on a closed course.

Modified

Singapore's Best MINI | Entry Six (6)

IN Mini, Cooper, Countryman, Clubman, S, Singapore, Mini Habitat, Cooper S, Competition, JCW

This Clubman is a funky blue number with sinister black wheels and matching racing stripes. Add some handling bits and you have one sleek and clean contender!

Now let's talk about what it has. The MC Stradale generates 10 bhp more from the 4.7-litre V8 engine than the GranTurismo S. Torque is also up with a further 20 Nm improvement at 510 Nm. This allows the car to accelerate from nought to 100 km/h in 4.6 seconds, all the way to a 300 km/h top speed. Let this be official - this car is FAST! Maybe it's the sound that enhances the sense of speed, but the MC Stradale accelerates angrily through every gear and every rev input given.

New

Gentleman's Racer | Maserati GranTurismo MC Stradale

IN Maserati, GranTurismo, GT, MC Stradale

While the term 'Gentleman's Racer' might sound like an oxymoron, that's exactly what the MC Stradale is. Maserati's edgiest drive is hardcore yet still perfectly chivalrous around town.

The unique A-shaped body allows Plantronics to incorporate three microphones. The call button is located at the top, and the voice recognition button is in the middle. Even though these buttons are flush with the overall design, they are fairly easy to press, and are far enough apart that you won't mistake one for the other. This headset is slightly thick, but it is light enough not to be noticed. A small selection of ear gels and a clear plastic ear-loop provides a comfortable fit for most ears.

The Pit

Plantronics Savor M1100

IN Plantronics, Savor, M1100

Add a touch of class to your phone with this suave Bluetooth headset.

Modified

Singapore's Best MINI | Entry One (1)

IN Mini, Cooper, Countryman, Clubman, S, Singapore, Mini Habitat, Cooper S, Competition, JCW

This rare Ice Blue MINI Cooper S is one cool ride. Clean and tastefully modded with a generous splash of JCW bits, its blue-black theme speaks of cool aggression.

But can it handle as well as its elder sibling? With a chassis that is not as well-balanced as the Golf GTI's, the Polo GTI does seem a bit suspect in handling when we drove it through the twisty bits. The steering of the Polo GTI as compared to its lesser Polo siblings feels a lot more weighted, giving you decent feedback, but for a car with sporty aspirations, it does seem a bit lacking. Steering the car is easy, with the car responding to directional inputs in a perfunctory manner with nary a hint of enthusiasm. This lack of enthusiasm I am afraid is unbecoming of a hot hatch. Also, with the spirited swerving came the slight body roll which can be a tad unnerving, but to be fair, the Polo GTI managed to fight the initial lean and stayed on course as directed ably. The same can also be said of the car's braking, which can be improved on as it felt 'under servoed', I am not expecting a dentures popping kind of braking, but a little more initial bite on the brakes can't go wrong for this car.

New

Polo-roid Pictured | Volkswagen Polo GTI

IN VW, Volkswagen, Polo, GTI

Volkswagen's entry level hatch gets imbued with the GTI badge of honour.

Last but not the least, we introduce the Black Vue, a

The Pit

Gizmos Galore At Wow! Gadgets

IN Black, Vue, Vehicle, Black, Box, Wow! Gadgets, Wow!, Security Alarms

Looking for nice accessories for your car? Here's one that will satisfy all your needs.

The wet tyre is used in case of heavy rain, while the intermediate is for a damp or drying track. The supersoft provides plenty of speed at the expense of durability, while the soft tyre lasts a bit longer but is still more biased towards performance. The medium tyre is a balanced compromise, while the hard tyre is the most durable of all. Seeing how the teams use the different characteristics of these tyres as part of their strategy will provide a vivid spectacle this year, designed to please the crowds.

Motorsports

Pirelli Shows Its Colours Heading To Australia

IN Pirelli, Tyre, F1

Italian firm Pirelli embarks on the first season of a three-year agreement to supply Formula One with tyres, has revealed the six different tyre colours that will be used throughout the season.

Modified

Singapore's Best Mitsubishi Evo | Entry Three (3)

IN Mitsubishi, Evo, Cycle & Carriage, Singapore, Evo 9, Evo X, Evo 10, Turbo

Drive your blues away with this neat and clean Evo X. Pampered with a long list of parts to make it stylish without being loud, 'understated aggression' sums up this blue entry the best!

The kit's extent of the performance increase is dependent on the selected shift mode of the automatic transmission. In “Eco” mode the maximum power output of the engine remains unchanged but peak torque jumps from standard 620Nm to 690Nm between 1,600 and 2,400rpm. Upon switching to “Manual” or “Sport” mode the increase in torque is accompanied by an increase in maximum power output from 258hp to 313hp at a low 3,600rpm.

Happenings

Brabus Eco PowerXtra D6S Meets Euro VI Standards

IN Brabus, Eco, PowerXtra, D6S, Mercedes, Euro VI

Can you make an eco car faster? Brabus, a high-performance aftermarket Mercedes tuning company, can.

Modified

Singapore's Best Mitsubishi Evo | Entry One (1)

IN Mitsubishi, Evo, Cycle & Carriage, Singapore, Evo 9, Evo X, Evo 10, Turbo

Here's a drool-worthy entry to kick things off for our sure-to-be-awesome Evo competition - a fully decked-out Evo X with a refreshing colour theme. It's yummy inside and out!

Happenings

Mercedes-Benz SLK

IN Mercedes-Benz, SLS, AMG, Mercedes, SLK

Mini SLS AMG anyone? Mercedes-Benz's new SLK roadster may not have gullwing doors, but it does have a neat trick up its sleeve.

The Plantronics Savor features three microphones, two of which pick up voice and cancel out background noise under normal usage. The third microphone is activated in extremely noisy situations, to help improve vocal clarity while maximizing battery life.

Happenings

Plantronics' Latest Headset Listens To You

IN Plantronics, Headset, Savor, Bluetooth

The Savor raises the bar for headsets with voice controls.