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Happenings

Tyrexpo Asia 2011

IN Tyres, Tyrexpo Asia, 2011, Rims

Held for three consecutive days from 29th to 31st March at the Singapore Expo Centre, Tyrexpo Asia 2011 featured more than 160 exhibitors worldwide in the region's longest established trade event.

On the move, the driving characteristic of the MiTo isn’t what it seems to be. You may opine initially that the ride sways more towards the soft side, but when you set its DNA system from “Neutral” to “Dynamic”, you can feel the MiTo stiffen up and provide a reasonable amount of grip that is both sharp and rather precise. Pity the factory-fitted Bridgestone Turanza ER300 tyres that don’t seem to cooperate as they tend to screech and struggle for grip when pushed hard, killing your enthusiasm when shooting in hard into a corner. When it comes to the brakes, the anchors on the MiTo — standard with ABS and EBD - are assuring and offers respectable stopping power with no feeling of brake fade which is useful at hauling all that 1,145kg to a complete halt.

New

Ciao Di Nuovo | Alfa Romeo MiTo Multiair TCT

IN Alfa Romeo, MiTo, TCT

If you are a loyal fan of hot hatches, you would have noticed how this particular car segment is sometimes on a roll, but in most instances just plain quiet.

Motorsports

Biggest Field In History For Porsche Carrera Cup Asia

IN Porsche, 911, Carrera, PCCA, 2011

The Porsche Carrera Cup Asia is set for a record-breaking ninth season with an unprecedented 28 drivers signed for the region’s most prestigious GT championship.

The last time that a Red Bull Racing showcar performed in Singapore was back in February 2008 as a special item in that year’s Chingay Parade. It was the first time that the Singapore public had experienced the thunderous engine note of a F1 car, months before the inaugural Singapore night race took place in Marina Bay.

But even then, it was a mere sneak peek as the F1 car segment lasted barely five minutes before the Chingay Parade proper. This time round, the Red Bull Speed Street events will be fully fledged standalone showcar events lasting about an hour each, in which the public can expect manoeuvres such as short sprints, burnouts, engine breaks and donuts, which one won’t get to see often in actual F1 races.

This will mark the first time that Red Bull is organising a F1 showcar event in Malaysia as the blue and silver Red Bull was previously unavailable for sale in the country. The showcar event in Malaysia will take place along the entire stretch of Jalan Bukit Bintang starting from the Pavillion Mall to the Jalan Pudu junction, while the Singapore event will stretch from the Orchard Link junction to the Buyong Road intersection near the Istana.

The Austrian energy drink company, which is fast gaining in popularity amongst F1 aficionados thanks to the double championship winning feat of Red Bull Racing in 2010, is expecting crowds upwards of 100,000 spectators to line the 1km stretches along both shopping streets. To ensure that the safety of the audience is not compromised, safety measures and precautions will be in place in accordance with Red Bull Racing’s safety team.

A series of pre-event activations and tie-ups with retailers and malls in both countries can also be expected in the lead up to the events. Red Bull is also working closely with Singapore Grand Prix, Singapore Tourism Board (STB) and Orchard Road Business Association (ORBA) to organise the event in Singapore.

Happenings

Red Bull Racing's F1 Showcar To Race Down Singapore And Malaysia

IN Red Bull, Racing, F1

Red Bull Speed Street events in April featuring former F1 driver David Coulthard will mark the first time that Orchard Road and Jalan Bukit Bintang will be closed for a motor sports event.

But I think your car has strabismus. Your engineers said that it helps to provide better aerodynamics and apparently they are the only ones who think so. And I reckon I’m right because your blokes at Malvern Link rectified the eye problem four years ago. We were all spot-on except you because being cross-eyed was never a gift especially when you have a recessed nose. It makes driving in the night a grueling task and you can’t have auto headlights as a factory option. That’s the precision you get with hand-built cars.

Readers' Rides

Oh Morgan! | Morgan Aero 8

IN Morgan, Aero 8

Our writer pens a 'letter' to Morgan as he reflects on his encounter with their bespoke supercar, the one and only, defectively flawless, Morgan Aero 8.

From the diagram above, we can now see why Car One is more likely than Car Two to hit X and this hypothesis is taken with the assumption that the driver has a normal average reaction time. If the driver is distracted or driving under the influence of alcohol, then he or she will have a longer than average reaction time to knock X down without having any chance of applying brakes at all.

Happenings

The Dangers Of Speeding

IN Speeding, Traffic Police

Have you ever wondered why speed traps and covert operations conducted by the Traffic Police are in place? That is because inappropriate speed is a danger on public roads.

Cool, trendy and extravagant — all good things come in threes with the new ABT A1. This is because the innovative yet traditional company offers precisely this many different design versions.

Happenings

The Next Big ABT Is Also A Small One | ABT A1

IN Audi, A1, Autovox, ABT

It is the new big ABT. “With the new A1, premium quality can now be experienced in all classes”, says Hans-JÃ¼rgen Abt.

Happenings

Maserati's Road Racer Shows Up

IN Maserati, GranTurismo, MC, Stradale, GT4, Trofeo

As part of its Asian tour, the hardest-core road-going Maserati makes its appearance in Singapore.

Upon getting into her and turning her on, she comes alive immediately, purring with great pleasure, her raspy engine note serenading to you in sweet seduction. Sitting in the electric sports seat shod in luxurious and supple Nappa leather, it sets you up for an intimate feeling of being in perfect harmony with the RCZ. On the move, this lioness with her turbo charged engine mated to a smooth shifting six speed automatic transmission churning out 156 horses and 240Nm worth of torque sends you into sheer automotive ecstasy in nine seconds with strong in-gear acceleration. And should you try to be blatantly unfaithful to her on the road by attempting to chase down an even more beautiful Italian 'super model', she shows her displeasure with her caterwauling engine screaming

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Peugeot's Belle Ã‰poque | Peugeot RCZ

IN Peugeot, 1.6 Turbo, RCZ, Coupe

The date was set for a rendezvous, a tryst that bordered on sheer adultery. As I got on my way, a thought came to mind, how can something so wrong feel so right?

The Crossfire's striking exterior is the epitome of Chrysler's corporate styling DNA, sharing traits that can be found on the PT Cruiser. One particular highlight of the car is its central spine which runs from the front bumper, via the grille running all the way through the long bonnet, roof line and into the rear bumper - a signature design of the Crossfire that has worked to great visual effect.

Readers' Rides

Caught In A... | Chrysler Crossfire

IN Chrysler, Daimler, Crossfire, SLK

A stunning looking car that looks gorgeous from any angle, the Chrysler Crossfire has certainly won Susan and Mark over. But why?

Yes, you got that right — both husband and wife own a BMW each. Mind you, these BMWs are not ordinary ones at that. The husband goes around in his fire breathing 507bhp M5 sedan, while the wife settled for a demure and rare, (probably the only one in town) - BMW 135i Cabriolet. The colours individually chosen by them can also come across as the culmination of Yin and Yang - not exactly black, more of dark blue actually for the M5 and in the 135i's case white, but you get the idea.

Readers' Rides

Double The Fun, Even In The Sun | BMW M5 & 135i Cabriolet

IN BMW, M5, 135i

The husband drives an M5, and the wifey drives a rare 135i Cabriolet — truly a match made in heaven, for both owners and their cars.

Conceptually, the XL1 represents the third evolutionary stage of Volkswagen’s 1-litre car strategy. When the new millennium was ushered in, Prof. Dr. Ferdinand PiÃ«ch, who is today Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Volkswagen AG, formulated the visionary goal of bringing to the market a production car that was practical for everyday use with a fuel consumption of 1.0 litre per 100 km. In the new XL1, Volkswagen is demonstrating that this goal is now within reach.

Happenings

Two-seat XL1 Brings Vision Of The 1-litre Car Close To Production Maturity

IN VW, Volkswagen, XL1, 1 Litre

Vision becomes reality as Volkswagen’s “Formula XL1”: Volkswagen XL1 prototype consumes just 0.9 l/100 km!

The races will commence in April this year, the venues being Malaysia, Korea, Indonesia, China, Singapore and India. JK Racing Asia Series will consist of 18 races on six weekends in the 2011 season. On three occasions the JK Racing Asia Series will support Formula One Grand Prix, in Malaysia, Singapore and the newly built circuit in India. The remaining three weekends will be part of the Asian Festival Of Speed in Korea, Malaysia and Indonesia. JK Racing Asia Series will feature an ultra-modern standard specification race car. The Formula JK Tyre Pacific car is made of carbon-fibre Kevlar, which has been proven to be of the highest safety standards. The 140bhp, 1.2litre BMW engine provides a maximum engine speed of 9,250rpm with a top speed of 230km/h. The race car will run on JK tyres. The series is in sync with JK Tyre’s philosophy of identifying and developing young racing talents to become future world champions. The JK Racing Asia Series is for the most talented drivers rather than just the most financially healthy to succeed. It is for this reason that both the car and the training programme have been devised so that little if any advantage can be obtained by extra investment. Viewers in over 100 countries will receive great TV coverage of the JK Racing Asia Series where 185 programmes with 10,850 minutes of coverage are broadcast to a total potential viewership of over 612 million.

Motorsports

JK Tyre & Industries Launches The JK Racing Asia Series

IN JK Tyres, JK Racing Asia Series, Formula JK Tyre Pacific

The Series will be christened Formula JK Tyre Pacific and will run on JK tyres, making this motor sports endeavour JK Tyre’s biggest in recent times.

Mr Gilbert Kwek, Vice President, Sales and Marketing, Mercedes-Benz Singapore said, “Mercedes-Benz has always been at the forefront of technology and the first to offer our customers unique experiences in tandem with their latest lifestyle. Similarly, by equipping our sales team with the iPAD, we are able to capitalize on the benefits of technology and provide our customers with the most up to date information and data on our wide array of sophisticated products. They will also have first hand access to the cars’ product features via the responsive high resolution multi touch display. For example, they will be able to see the selected colour combination for the upholstery and trim instantly” More than 55 sets of the Apple iPad have been distributed to the sales team to enhance the Mercedes-Benz vehicle purchasing experience.

Happenings

Customised Application Mercedes-Benz iShowroom Debuts In Singapore

IN Mercedes-Benz, IPAD

From now onwards, Mercedes-Benz sales personnel are equipped with the Apple iPad to serve the customers better.

The season is set to be the best in years, with very strong interest from new teams and drivers and a close cooperation with HKAA in three of the six events. Motorsport Asia has received applications from Teams running Chevrolet’s and BMW’s as well as varied entries from the usually popular Honda’s. The Series’ will get underway on 20th March with its first ever visit to the Guangdong
International Circuit, located in the Guangzhou province. It will then continue with four races in May at two Asian Festival Of Speed events. Rounds 3 & 4 will be held at the Korean International Circuit for the AFOS season opener before heading to Malaysia at the end of May for the next two rounds. ATCS will take a one-month break before meeting up again in Sepang for Rounds 7 & 8. The 2011 ATCS Season will end in Indonesia where the drivers are excited to make a return
to the very challenging and resurfaced Sentul International Circuit.

Motorsports

Motorsport Asia Announces 2011 Asian Touring Car Series Calendar

IN ATCS, Touring Car, Motorsport Asia

Motorsport Asia unveils the Asian Touring Car Series which is set to visit five nations competing in a total of 10 championship rounds before finishing the season at the Macau GP.

Happenings

Optima-stic New Kia Arrives In Singapore

IN KIA, Optima

The new Optima K5 looks set to be the next rising sun.

No bigger than the average family sedan, it has 340hp from in-line 3.0L 6-cylinder engine with M TwinPower Turbo and 450Nm of torque that can be increased to 500Nm with overboost. While it can do 0-100km/h in five seconds, BMW had to rein in this rocket's top speed at 250km/h. All that power is shifted through the six-speed manual gearbox for that purist feel. Inside, the 1-series M offers body-hugging sports seats in Boston leather as standard. Other than little hints of orange on the trim and M-logos, the cabin's shrouded in a sea of black in order not to distract the driver from the pleasure of driving, according to BMW. On the outside, it'll only be available in Alpine White, Sapphire Black and the exclusive Valencia Orange metallic.

Happenings

Bimmer's Baby M-onster Sighted!

IN BMW, M, 1 Series, Coupe

The latest entry into the M range has it's roots in the original E30 M3, according to BMW.

Tengku Djan said, “It is a great feeling to have won the overall Asian Championship, although it would have been better to finish with a win in Malaysia.” He crashed out at the first elimination round of the final 32 drivers, clinching the overall title with just 28 points ahead of Non Saranon.

Motorsports

Tandem Assassin Crowned 2010 Formula Drift Asian Champion

IN Formula, Drift, Malaysia, 2010, Asia,

It was a tense moment for Tengku Djan (aka “Tandem Assassin”) at the Goodyear Formula DRIFT Malaysia, the final round of the three-leg Formula DRIFT Asia series.

The Lotuses have been looking gorgeously attractive and I’m extremely pleased with Proton for keeping their in-house designers off the Exige. And thus the Elise and the Exige have been two different cars and so is the Gen-2. That’s a good job, well done! Hence that it is not really the same after all. The lover this time is Vee, a hopeless romantic who in all probability, graduated from the Shakespearian School of Technological Locomotive Behavioral Physics (yeah, you wished!) and he decided that some irrepressible obsession he has with his beloved crusader could be conserved with passing time.

Modified

Cool Runnings | Lotus Exige S

IN Lotus, Exige, Orange, Cryogenically Frozen

A cranky old beer-gulping uncle at the coffee-shop might have told you that any coupe with two doors and piercing body shades would be characterized as a sports car. Not true.

In summary, of course there are other grouses that we could pick on such as the sound quality right down to the performance tuning, but those aside, it is the incredibly detailed imagery of the game that keeps us addicted as well as the fact that we are just hardcore racing gamers, and we're glad that nothing has diluted the pure racing experience. There’s no denying that the beautiful GT5 has set the bar for racing sims to an all-new high and we are looking forward to more nights of racing in the comfort of our office lounge.

The Pit

Gran Turismo 5 | Only The Hardcore Need Apply.

IN Gran Turismo, GT5, Sony, Playstation 3

It has been years since Gran Turismo 4 stormed the racing simulator world in 2004.