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In a short presentation to the local motoring journalists, Wing Commander Andy explained about the lead up towards being a land speed record holder, as well as his ambition to break his own record - a project which is currently in the works. The aim is to set a new record of 1,000mph (1,609km/h)in comparison to his current record of 1,227.99km/h which he set back in 15th October 1997 in the Thrust SSC.

Happenings

Bentley Visionary - Andy Green

IN Andy Green, Bentley, Visionary, Land Speed Record

Wing Commander Andy Green of the British Royal Air Force (RAF) recently made a return trip to Singapore as a guest of Bentley Singapore.

Apart from just renting out the supercars, the club also wants to be a platform that will allow its members to network and mingle, facilitating the social aspect of the club by organizing driving tours, trackdays and exclusive social gatherings.

Happenings

Rent-a-Supercars 'R Us

IN Gran Superdrive, Supercar, Rental, Club

Always wanted to drive a supercar but never had the means to own one? Well now you can, and it doesn’t involve a life of crime!

We were very impressed with the latest seventh-generation Golf when we tested it both abroad in Italy and on home ground. Back then though, the car we managed to get a drive in was the 140 bhp Sport model. We find out this time, how the base model 1.4 TSI with 122 bhp fares.

New

The Real Thing | Volkswagen Golf 1.4 TSI

IN Volkswagen Group Singapore, Volkswagen, VW, Golf, 1.4 TSI, DSG, Mk 7

Every Coke has its Pepsi, every iPad, its Galaxy Tab (cue flame war). But only one name has the qualities that make it 'The Real Thing'. When it comes to hatchbacks, the Golf is that name.

The V40 was unveiled last year as an in-between successor of both the S40 and V50, but for some reason we only received the jacked-up Cross Country version. Now though, local dealer Wearnes Automotive has followed up on its success and launched the V40 R-Design, a lowered, sportier version of the car.

Happenings

Volvo Range Revamped

IN Volvo, V40, S60, V60, XC60, S80, R-Design, Facelift, Wearnes

It’s part-way through its models’ life cycles, and Volvo updates not one, but four of its models, as well as introduces the V40 R-Design to Singapore.

“With the latest development in car ownership, we understand that Singaporean drivers are seeking to maintain their cars for as long as possible. Bosch offers advanced competencies in diagnostics to improve the accuracy in identifying faults within a vehicle, thus enabling technicians to make more well-informed repair work,” said Neo Chee Cheong, Regional Director of Workshop Concepts for Bosch in Asia Pacific. “With Bosch Car Service capable of serving the vast majority of car makes and models, we are confident that motorists will appreciate the availability of quality automotive maintenance and repair solutions coupled with the accessibility of Caltex service stations.”

Happenings

First Bosch Car Service Workshop Now At Caltex East Coast Station

IN Caltex, Bosch, Service, Workshop, Station

Motorists in Singapore the first in Southeast Asia to experience Bosch’s Premium Car Services at Caltex

The whole 'alternative-fuelled cars' fever is pretty much still going on, and if there’s one car company that you have to thank for it all, well, it has to be Toyota. They may not be the first to mass-produce hybrid cars, but they definitely did a good job at commercialising this concept and also making it the way forward.

New

The Electric Co | Audi A1 e-tron

IN Audi, A1, E-tron, Audi A1 e-tron, A1 e-tron, Ingolstadt, Audi Future Lab, Audi TSC

Audi let us briefly sample their innovative electric A1

The natural trade-off though, is in its ability to carve a corner. Despite how tall the Forester is, body roll is less prevalent than expected, no doubt thanks to the Boxer drivetrain’s low centre of gravity, but unless you really enjoy feeling a car at its limit no matter how easily reached it is (which I do), there’s not much reward to be gained from hustling it. The tyres are designed for low rolling resistance and hence give up very easily, running out of grip at even moderate speeds, while the electric steering, though light and easy to twirl at parking speeds, has a vague, non-linear response during the first few degrees of lock. On initial turn-in the steering feels overly light but after that it firms up, with nice weighting and progression through the rest of the turn.

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The Family Rocketship | Subaru Forester 2.0XT

IN Subaru, Forester, XT, Turbo, X-mode, AWD, Review

With the next generation of WRXes and STIs still at least a year or two away, it’s up to the 4th-generation Forester to uphold the turbocharged mantle in the Subaru stable.

BP: So what kind of emotions did you experience inside the car as you finally set the record?
AG: As I came out of the measured mile, through the final timing lights, I knew that we had set the record. However, it’s not over at that point — I’m still travelling at 1,200 km/h and the car needs to stop safely. There’s also a small chance that the timing gear didn’t work — so no celebrations yet. Once the car has stopped, about 10 kilometres and 90 seconds later, the timings come through on the radio — our second run was supersonic and within the required one hour time window, and now we know we’ve done it, time to shut down the car, climb out, and join the celebrations — we’re the world champions!

Happenings

Sonic Boom!

IN Andy Green, BLOODHOUND project, Supersonic, Land speed record, Singapore Science Centre

Andy Green, the fastest man alive, tells us more about going supersonic at a recent meet at the Singapore Science Centre.

The EP200 and EP850 will be launched in September and December respectively. Sizing and prices will be announced closer to the launch dates.

Happenings

Can Black Be Green?

IN Bridgestone, Tyres, Thailand, Ecopia, Green, Test, Unveil

With Bridgestone poised to expand its range of Ecopia tyres, we head up to Thailand for a sneak preview at what these new rubbers have to offer.

Other than the obvious, what makes the 4 Series different from its 4-door 3 Series sibling? Not much. The cabin is pretty much the same as the 3 Series, with slightly less room and 1 less seat.

Happenings

4 Is The New 3 (Coupe)

IN BMW, 4-series, Coupe, New,

BMW ditches classical 3 series nameplate in favour of the 4 series nameplate for their new compact luxury coupe.

Unveiled to clients and family during Vanishing Point 2013, the International Pagani gathering, the Revolucion would be the ultimate Zonda. Just like the Cinque and the R, the Revolucion has a Carbo-tanium central monocoque which weighs it in at 1070 kg. This lightweight shell is pushed around courtesy of an 800 bhp 6.0-liter V12, resulting in an impressive 748 bhp per tonne.

Happenings

The Last Of Its Kind

IN Pagani, Zonda, Revolucion, R, V12, Track

Pagani builds the ultimate Zonda to celebrate the end of its production run.

The Auris is an altogether more intriguing proposition, one that some of you readers might recognize as having a more European flair. It joins the growing number of designed-in-Europe cars like the Hyundai i30 and i40, Nissan Juke and Qashqai, and FN Honda Civic Type-R. This is great news, because cars bound for Europe are usually engineered to a higher degree, thanks to their stricter quality demands.

Happenings

The New Toyota Auris And Vios

IN Toyota, Auris, Vios, UK, Thailand, Launch, Revamp

Two new models are launched; one to carry the torch passed on by its predecessor, the other seeking to make inroads in a new sector of the market.

The AVH-X8550BT is Pioneer's top-of-the-line system. It's a double DIN multimedia receiver that has a full touch screen 7-inch panel. It features a VGA display with LED backlighting for a sharp and bright playback. Like most modern systems, it plays a wide range of media formats and more! The list includes DVD, DVD-R/RW, CD-R/RW, MP3, WMA, AAC (iTunesÂ®), DivXÂ® and DolbyÂ® Digital Decoder.

The Pit

Pioneer Leads The Car Audio Game With Unparalleled Connectivity

IN Pioneer, Car audio, ICE, Multimedia receiver, MP3, IPhone, Mobile phone, Andriod, DVD, Bluetooth

It's been about 2 weeks since I've had the Pioneer AVH-X8550BT multimedia receiver in my car, and all I can say is that it's a pretty amazing piece of kit.

Happenings

SPARKâ„¢ Car Care's SPOT, SNAP & WIN Program!

IN SPARK, Decal, Contest, SPARK Car Care

Since May 2103, we've been partnering SPARKâ„¢ Car Care in an awesome car decal program that put 16 SPARKâ„¢ cars on the road. Have you spotted any?

The B-Select outlet at Beng Heng Tyres Batteries in Sin Ming is the second in Singapore, and is well equipped to make the customer’s experience as hassle-free as possible. There is a lounge area with refreshments that allows customers to view the happenings in the workshop area, while friendly staff is at hand to provide answers and advice on the various tyre models, purchasing and maintenance.

Happenings

Second Coming For Bridgestone’s B-Select Service Outlet

IN Bridgestone, Tyres, Singapore, B-Select, Opening

A year after the B-Select tyre service outlet concept made its debut, Bridgestone has opened its second outlet.

Thanks to its lightweight construction (composite body panels on top of a tubular spaceframe chassis), the Twin’Run weighs just 950kg, and can hit 100km/h in 4.5s before topping out at 250km/h. The car sits on 18-in wheels, with double wishbone suspension and Ohlins shock absorbers all around.

Happenings

Run For Miles

IN Renault, TwinRun, Concept, V6, Race

This is the French at their loony best, stuffing a big V6 into the rear of a tiny car. And what did they do with it after that? Thrash it round a track, of course!

When BMW first introduced the F10 M5, many complained about the relative lack of exhaust noise as compared to its V10-powered predecessor. Sure, it may give one less aural pleasure, but the performance gains more than made up for it. However, in terms of aesthetics, BMW still has some way to go before the F10 could look anywhere near as good as its grandfathers.

Happenings

BMW Updates The M5 For 2014!

IN BMW, M5, Competition, F10, 5-series, V8, Turbo

BMW’s flagship performance sedan gets a nip and tuck

So what did BMW do to improve on the excellent 5-er? As with any self respecting German Automaker, BMW added more luxurious features and a lot more power to the car. The turbocharged V8 in the 550i makes 45 bhp more than the outgoing 5-er. The extra power means that the car is capable of launching itself towards the horizon and hit 100km/h in just 4.5 seconds, which is not too far off what the M5 can achieve. All engines are mated to an eight-speed auto, although a six-speed manual is offered as a no cost option on some models. Keeping in tune with downsizing trends, BMW has inserted a new, entry-level diesel powerplant in the F10 shell. The turbocharged 2.0-liter 4 cylinder in the 518d produces 143 bhp and 360 Nm of torque.

Happenings

BMW Refreshes The 5-Series For 2014

IN BMW, Facelift, 5-series, F10

BMW adds a diesel, refines its interior

Happenings

What The F?

IN Lexus, GS, F-SPORT, Kirk Edmondson, Borneo Motors, LFA, IS-F

We sit down with Kirk Edmondson, General Manager - Brand Management for Lexus Asia Pacific Division, and chat about what Lexus is doing with their F-SPORT range.

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Beetle Juiced | Volkswagen Beetle 1.4 TSI

IN Volkswagen, Beetle, 1.4 TSI, Supercharged, VGS

With some added power, the otherwise cute Volkswagen Beetle is now quite the road beast.