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BMW i4 eDrive40 review: A 4gone Conclusion?

IN BMW, I4, Saloons, Luxury saloons, EVs, Electric cars, Reviews

The i4 is BMW’s first EV saloon, but is it worth a look compared to its other four-door rivals?


But while the T1’s performance was otherworldly (supposedly able to pull 3Gs of downforce at 240km/h), sadly it suffered a raft of high-profile reliability issues at the worst possible moment: when the demonstrators were in the hands of the media (most memorably on Fifth Gear and Top Gear). Caparo had intended to make 25 T1s a year, but in the end only 15 were ever sold.
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Here are 3 more road cars spawned from the world of F1

When road cars are "inspired by F1", it's usually just lip service. Here are three that take the claim very seriously


Billed by Bridgestone as a semi-slick tyre and its first-ever dedicated tyre for trackdays, it’s nonetheless homologated for road use. But as you can see from the photos, it has an extremely aggressive tread pattern which you probably wouldn’t want to get caught with in the rain.
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Bridgestone heats up trackdays with new Potenza Race tyre

IN Bridgestone, Potenza Race, Tyres

Bridgestone’s new Potenza Sport has already proven faster than main rivals in independent testing; Potenza Race to go even quicker


Now, it's looking to make a revival of sorts of that golden era, with the Prodrive P25. That’s a reference to the number of years since the Subaru Impreza World Rally Car (the 2-door one, not the 4-door Impreza 555 Group A car) hit the stages in 1997.
Happenings

22B, or not to be? That is the question, as Prodrive previews 400hp Subaru Impreza 22B STi restomod

IN Subaru, Impreza, STI, 22B, Prodrive, WRC

The Prodrive P25 will be a modernized tribute to Subaru's '90s widebody icon


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.
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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


We mused a couple weeks ago about exactly which variants of the Supra would get the stick, and now we have our answer. Unfortunately despite the 2.0L Supra’s B48 four-cylinder engine being sold with a manual in some of BMW’s 30i models, that won’t be repurposed for the Toyota Supra. Instead, the new manual will only be available on the 3.0L version.
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Toyota GR Supra 6MT: Full specs and details revealed

IN Toyota, Supra, Gazoo Racing, Sports cars, Coupes, #savethemanuals

The long-rumoured manual transmission Toyota Supra finally breaks cover. Question is, will it come to Singapore?


The Lotus Emira is a 2-seat mid-engined sports car in the same vein as the Evora. Its main competitors are obviously the Porsche Cayman and Alpine A110, although peripherally the BMW M2 and Toyota Supra are there in the mix as well.
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Lotus Emira order books now open in Singapore

IN Lotus, Emira, Sports car, Launch

Last ever petrol-engined Lotus is set to close a new chapter almost as soon as it begins.


Porsche has made itself a leader in this space, but there are plenty of other car brands that can benefit from this technology. Has there been any interest from anyone else in the car industry that has reached out to you to potentially partner on this? Or is it only Porsche and the private sector at the moment? There are some talks with other car and motorcycle manufacturers who are interested in such fuel, but in the beginning we will not have the volume to support the world. In principle there is interest, and although we see ourselves as pioneers in this direction, we hope that others will follow.
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Everything you need to know about how Porsche wants to save combustion engines with eFuels

IN Efuels, Synthetic fuels, Porsche

Porsche has just invested S$100m to produce synthetic fuels in Chile, with additional plants planned for USA and Australia.


This comes a few weeks after its mechanically-related compatriot, the Kia EV6, scooped the award for European Car of the Year 2022.
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Hyundai Ioniq 5 wins big at the World Car Awards 2022

IN Hyundai, Ioniq 5, EV, SUVs, World Car Awards

Hyundai next-gen EV scoops 3 titles including Best Car In The World; Audi, Mercedes-Benz and Toyota win other categories.


With my curiosity seriously piqued, I headed to my two favourite B-roads at night, and this was when my eyebrows nearly joined the pole star (that’s the one in outer space, not the one from Sweden). Firstly, there is the Polestar 2’s seeming incomprehension of the concept of understeer. There were a couple of instances where I was pretty damn sure I’d overcooked my corner entry, but no, the car pretty much sailed into the bend once I lifted off the brakes - not even a moment’s hesitation waiting for the front tyres to regain their grip. Even with deliberately over-aggressive throttle application when exiting corners, the car settles into more of a four-wheel drift instead of washing out at the front end.
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[Opinion] The Polestar 2 completely changed my mind about EVs. Here's why.

IN Polestar, 2, Polestar 2, EV, Sedan, Opinion

For BP’s diehard and handling-obsessed petrolhead, the future of cars in an EV-only world looked bleak; but the Polestar 2 might just be his guiding light


But alas that’s not to be. As we covered recently, the Subaru WRX STI is gone. Dead. Finito. Thankfully however, Toyota has taken that same rally-inspired recipe and - as celebrity chefs like to say - gone and given it its own little twist, and it is as glorious as the STI’s demise is sad. Say hello to the Toyota GR Corolla.
Happenings

The Toyota GR Corolla is the WRX STI that Subaru won’t build

IN Toyota, GR Corolla, Gazoo Racing, Corolla, Hot hatch, Manual

The latest addition to the Gazoo Racing family is the rally-inspired manual hot hatch of our dreams. But will it come to Singapore?


Where the electric dream short-circuits I’m no scientist myself , but it’s highly unlikely that all our mobility needs can be met by electricity alone. Car makers might be diving into electrified vehicles in a big way (spurred on by legislation of course), but it’s far from a catch-all solution. Flaws include its low energy density (by weight/volume), making the technology unsuitable for most heavy duty transport applications. Lorries, planes and ships would require such large battery packs that they’d be essentially useless at hauling cargo.
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Could synthetic fuels be the carbon-neutral power source we need?

IN Efuels, Synthetic fuels

“Electric power good, internal combustion bad” seems to be the popular thinking now, but electricity alone is very far from ideal. Can carbon-neutral synthetic fuels be the realistic solution the worl


In case you're wondering what a north-easterly Mediterranean wind has to do with anything, fun fact - since 1963, Maserati has taken to naming some of its sports models after wind-names. Mistral - strong, cold, stormy, northwest wind that blows from the south of France to the Mediterranean coast Ghibli - the Libyan Arabic name for the Sirocco, is a wind that can move a huge quantity of sand Bora - a very strong and cold wind that blows from the northeast onto the Adriatic region Khamsin - a hot, violent gust, blowing in the Egyptian desert and Israel for fifty days a year Karif - an incredibly strong, hot wind that blows from the southwest across the Gulf of Aden in Somalia with gale force Shamal - the Arabic word for “north” and is a hot and dry summer wind that blows from the north in Iran, Iraq, and the Arabian Peninsula Levante - a warm, easterly wind that blows in the western Mediterranean Sea In the same tradition, we now have the Grecale, named after the north-easterly Mediterranean wind; it's a Porsche Macan-rivalling SUV that sits under the Levante in the lineup.
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The North-Easterly Mediterranean Wind Blows: Maserati Grecale Launched

IN Maserati, Grecale, SUV, Hybrid, EV

Conventional internal combustion engine, mild hybrid and full-electric SUV line-up to come


The new-gen 2022 WRX will not be getting an STI version, a shock announcement by Subaru USA has revealed. As has been the case for most of our favourite cars and nameplates being culled or unrecognisably altered in recent years, electrification is to blame.
Happenings

The Subaru WRX STI is dead

IN Subaru, Impreza, WRX, WRX STI, RIP

Fans of the legendary Boxer burble, look away now.


1932 Alfa Romeo P3 Tipo B
Classics

Be mesmerised by priceless classics drifting on a frozen lake at ICE St Moritz

IN Concours, ICE St Moritz, Classic cars, Drifting

A gazillion times better than Disney On Ice


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.
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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?


Factor in the current COE price of $82k and the M340i comes within striking distance of the $376,581 Audi S4, also an all-wheel drive 3-litre turbocharged sport sedan that makes 353hp and 500Nm of torque. Altogether, that’s good for an electronically-limited 250km/h top speed and 4.7 second sprint from 0-100km/h. Compelling? Moreover, even though it still sports a straight-6 turbo engine, the M340i is now available in Singapore only with all-wheel drive, or xDrive as BMW calls it. Cue moans and groans from hardcore BMW enthusiasts. Since the regular G20 has already been covered in a previous article, we’ll simply focus on what makes this an M Performance vehicle. The Important Bits The M340i features bulging intakes up front, which sets it apart from the regular 3er and makes that front-end look sharper and meaner. Don’t be deceived by those slim headlights though – they’re up there with the best that we‘ve tested.
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BMW M340i xDrive: Formerly known as Prince

IN BMW, M, M340i, XDrive

True commitment to (most of) BMW’s traditional values is needed


So, to embrace this (unavoidable) future of electric mobility, we rocked on down to electric avenue EV Weekend. Held at The Forum in Resorts World Sentosa, the event is Singapore’s first-ever EV showcase with ten cars on display. Happening from now untill 12th December both physically and virtually, you can either pop over to RWS or visit the brands’ virtual showrooms here. The event not only showcases the latest EVs under one roof, but also includes information corners on how you can transition from an ICE vehicle to an EV. You can also learn more about Singapore’s upcoming EV infrastructure, and the future of electric mobility in Singapore. The road to the future is electric, and here’s what we saw when we took a stroll down it: BMW iX
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We Rock Down to Electric Avenue

IN EV Weekend, EV, Electric Vehicles

Ok, catchy title aside, it’s actually Singapore’s first-ever EV Weekend. We check out ten hot electric vehicles, including the latest BMW iX!


A good starting point is the driving position. This is of course highly subjective as the driver’s size and body type makes a big difference. For this writer’s 1.8-metre frame at least, the front seats are perfectly supportive. More crucially perhaps is how the car’s most crucial touchpoints – the steering wheel, gear lever, as well as the pedals – fall readily to hand and feet. Like putting on a tailored jacket, the driver immediately feels comfortable, familiar, and ready to go. This imparts a sense of confidence to explore the limits of the car. The positioning of the steering wheel and gear lever is underscored by also being nicely weighted for feedback that feels sweet and positive.
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Sweet spot for entry performance | Suzuki Swift Sport Hybrid

IN Suzuki, Swift, Swift Sport, Suzuki Swift, Suzuki Swift Sport, ZC33, ZC33S, Champion Motors

The entry point for performance driving begins with this supermini. Does its mild hybrid drive hinder or enhance the experience?


For the longest time, the Volkswagen Golf has been the benchmark for hatchbacks, and if our impressive drive in the new Golf Mk8 was anything to go by, I’d say it still holds the crown, for now.
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Gloves off | BMW 1 Series 116i Luxury

Luxury brands like BMW and Mercedes have been criticised from time to time for ‘lowering’ their standards when making entry-level models. Is this one of them?



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