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Now revived thanks to a new dealer (the same people who brought in the Chery brand), the Spanish brand’s foothold in the local automotive scenery seems positive. The dealer has gotten it all sorted — they’ve hired a PR agency, the publicity tactic looks (and sounds) properly thought out and most importantly, a good product range.With us today is the 5-door family hatchback.
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Quick Bite: SEAT Leon 1.2 TSI

IN SEAT, Leon, 1.2 TSI, SEAT Leon 1.2 TSI, Spain, Hatchback, Family hatchback, Manual, SEAT Centre Singapore

The Spanish brand is now available locally again, and the aggressive product assault means consumers are the big winners; this Leon is at the forefront


As if Volkswagen’s product assault isn’t enough, the German brand recently added two new models to spoil local buyers even more: Meet the new Caddy and Caddy Maxi. Volkswagen consider these two new models ‘MPC’, or multi-purpose car; but come on Volkswagen, an MPV is an MPV…
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Road Trip With VW's People Carriers

IN Volkswagen, VW, Veedub, MPV, Wagon, MPC, Touran, Sharan, Golf Variant, Golf Sportsvan, Caddy, Caddy Maxi, People Carrier, Volkswagen Centre Singapore

We headed up North to Melaka with the range of people carrier in Volkswagen's local line up


In a unique partnership with 3M Singapore and supported by taxi operators ComfortDelGro Taxi and SMRT Taxis, quotes from taxi drivers are affixed on the bumpers of 500 taxis and will include road safety messages and also personal tips on what constitutes good RoadSense.
Happenings

Taxi 'Cabtains' Promoting Good RoadSense

IN Cabtain, Cabbies, Taxis, Cabs, Singapore, Traffic Police, TP, National Taxi Association, ComfortDelGro Taxis, SMRT Taxis, MDTs

The Traffic Police and National Taxi Association comes together, initiating a new road safety campaign


To make it even worst for Honda, the local Mazda dealer then aggressively marketed the 3; this in turn became another success story, and so whenever the general public looked into this segment, the Corolla Altis, Jetta and 3 were the obvious choices. Even the Fit/Jazz audience who wanted an upgrade looked elsewhere - if in the past they would trade it in for a Civic, the parallel-imported Vezel was the model they would go after instead.
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Repeating History | Honda Civic VTEC Turbo

IN Honda Civic, Honda, Civic, Civic sedan, 10th Generation, 10th-gen Civic, VTEC Turbo, VTEC, Turbocharged

Expectations are high with the 10th-gen Civic, so now that it's here, can it regain what its predecessor had lost?


The R8, when first revealed back in 2007 was a gorgeous and technologically-advanced piece of machinery. Audi had outdone themselves with the 1st generation car.
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GR8 Expectations | Audi R8 5.2 V10

If you're hoping for the same 'wow' factor as when the first R8 was launched, you'd be disappointed. But dial back your expectations a little and the new Audi R8 is an awesome car.


The weight of the NSX project laid mostly on your shoulders. What are the three things that inspired you while engineering this car?Certainly I’m the large project leader, but the nice thing about working on this project is that I work with a group of passionate people around me. So I think the ‘weight’ is nicely distributed, giving me confidence everyday.The three things that inspired me? Well, I think people tend to look at the NSX as ‘just a product’; but actually it’s a concept created by Honda, the brand’s pinnacle sports car at that. I met the original team behind the original NSX, and that meeting alone inspired me to recreate the core essence of the NSX — we needed to bring that back, along with new technology. The second thing that inspired me was meeting certain people within the organization; without the need for any proof, they just jumped into this crazy project, with brand new technologies, and sticking to the timeline. It’s just inspiring to see these people take up that challenge.Lastly it’s meeting the NSX owners group and observing how passionate they are. They’re a diverse bunch — at the same time, very open-minded, encouraging us to make something new and world-class.
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One-to-One: Ted Klaus, Chief Engineer, NSX project

IN Honda, Honda NSX, NSX project, Ted Klaus, Chief Engineer, New NSX

Burnpavement spoke to the man behind the new Honda NSX, finding out the challenges he faced - and we found out he has a Honda S2000 too!


How has development of the car, in terms of both aerodynamics and engine, have been for you this season?It is great. To be honest the position we were in last year, that was not where we wanted to be. I think we’ve worked on a lot of issues over winter and throughout this season, and now we’ve put ourselves in a position where we are ready to fight for points at every race. Definitely, we are a step forward here and that to me is very impressive. The Honda engine has improved a lot — its deployment is giving us an advantage.For the aerodynamics, we have given it a lot of work too, which is why, overall, I’m very happy.
Motorsports

BP Exclusive: 10 Minutes With Alonso

IN Fernando Alonso, Alonso, McLaren-Honda, McLaren, Honda, Formula One, F1, 2016 Formula 1 Singapore Airlines Singapore Grand Prix, Singapore, 2016

A rough 2016 season for the Spaniard so far, is Fernando Alonso losing his spark?


What is this?Meet the new convertible Cooper S. It’s the fourth variant - in the current F56-generation MINI line up - to be introduced here, after the Cooper S, Cooper S 5-door and Cooper S Clubman.
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Quick Bite: MINI Cooper S Convertible

IN MINI, Cooper S, Convertible, BMW, MINI Cooper S Convertible, Cooper, Turbocharged, Eurokars Habitat, BMW Asia

Without a solid metal roof, can the Convertible provide equal driving fun?


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Slimming Pill | Mercedes-Benz C180 Coupe

IN Mercedes-Benz, Mercedes, Merc, C-Class Coupe, C-Class, C180 Coupe, C180, Coupe, Cycle & Carriage Industries

The C-Class Sedan took a slimming pill and the result is rather satisfying


It’s the same with this Lexus IS 200t, particularly in F-Sport guise. I reckon both designers and engineers all had it nice and dandy while working on this car - because everything felt right, more so after you compare it next to the current German offerings.
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So, So Pleasant | Lexus IS 200t F-Sport

IN Lexus, IS, 200t, Turbocharged, Lexus IS 200t, F-Sport, IS 200t F-Sport, Lexus Singapore, Borneo Motors, Sedan

While looking at the A4, 3 Series and C-Class, did you overlook the turbocharged IS?


But between the 207 and the 208, there was a rather long pause for a successful Peugeot model. And during that period, two generations of the Honda Jazz hit our market and succeeded, COE prices went up and 10-year loans are no longer possible.
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Could This Be The Magic? | Peugeot 208 1.2(A)

IN Peugeot, 208, 1.2, Pug, Peugeot 208 1.2, Compact hatchback, Hatchback, 5-doors, French hatch, AutoFrance

The diesel 208 that debuted in 2013 struggled in terms of local sales, but could this updated petrol version change Peugeot's luck?


The new face kept things pleasant, with new headlamps featuring an LED strip to keep up with the current trend that was first started by Audi. Paired to an aggressively styled front grill, surprisingly this new face somewhat grew on me after spending almost a week with the Elantra. At the rear, it gets a pair of newly designed tail lamps; taking cues from its bigger Sonata sibling, this resembles a, well, pair of eyes looking down on you especially at night...
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Ignore Me Not | Hyundai Elantra Elite

IN Hyundai, Elantra, Elite, Elantra Elite, 1.6-litre, Hyundai Elantra, Korea, Sedan, Saloon, Family sedan, Komoco Motors

Yes it’s no attention grabber but the updated Elantra still impresses in other ways


This isn’t the first time Porsche is digging into its classic catalogue of model names. The 2008 Boxster had a special edition model dubbed the RS 60 Spyder - which was based on a 718 RS 60 Spyder that competed in the 1960 12 Hours of Sebring.
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Porsche 718 Boxster S 2.5 PDK

Faster than ever and still brilliant to drive. But has the new Boxster compromised? We tell you


Recently, Porsche hosted the Porsche World Roadshow 2016 at the Sepang International Circuit in Kuala Lumpur, with more than 280 participants from across Asia provided with a unique Porsche driving experience — us included. During this one-day programme, we put the array of Porsches through braking, slalom, vehicle handling exercises, and an off-road experience.
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BP Was There: Porsche World Roadshow

IN Porsche, Porsche World Roadshow 2016, PWRS, 2016, Sepang International Circuit, SIC Sepang, Porsche Asia-Pacific, 911, 718 Boxster, Panamera, Cayenne, Macan

We went (a little) mental in the upgraded Sepang track with a bevy of Porsches


Back then Audi launched the 1.8-litre TFSI variant alongside the 3.2-litre V6 quattro first, before they decided to quietly introduce the 2.0-litre TFSI quattro.
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Periodic Table | Audi A4 2.0 TFSI quattro

IN Audi, A4, Audi A4, B9 A4, TFSI, Quattro, Audi A4 TFSI quattro, 2.0 TFSI, Audi Singapore, Premium Automobiles

This bigger-engined A4 comes with all the bells and whistles you'd need, surpassing Mercedes-Benz's and BMW's offerings


It didn’t take long for this car to garner attention. At the first bus stop after exiting the local dealer’s showroom, teenage boys were pointing at the car. Ahh… Looks like I have some celeb moments to look forward to. On top of that, taxi drivers were whipping out their smartphones, taking photos of this car whenever the light turns red at junctions.Unfortunately the fairer sex seem unimpressed, probably because of how oddly styled the i3 is. It looks like a small MPV + hatchback + mini fridge all rolled into one; so gentlemen, don’t expect to attract ladies with this car. Unless you’re Channing Tatum or Ryan Gosling…
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Living With The BMW i3

IN BMW, I3, I, BMW i3, BMW i3 Range Extender, Electric cars, Performance Motors Limited, BMW Asia Group

All that talk about electric cars got us very curious — we tried living with one over a weekend


Out on the expressway, the refinement level is definitely at an all-time high. Unwanted noises, particularly from the engine, are very well masked out of the cabin. Then to make things even better, VW slapped on a set of premium Dynaudio speaker system. If one of VW’s major intentions here were to provide an enjoyable cabin for all occupants, then it must be said they’ve done a swell job.
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More Than A 6-Pack? | Volkswagen Passat Variant R-Line

IN Volkswagen, VW, Veedub, Passat, Variant, Passat Variant, Volkswagen Passat Variant, Wagon, 2016, R-Line, 2.0-litre, TSI, DSG, Volkswagen Centre Singapore

It's cheaper than an E-Class equivalent, but delivers almost similar quality with a friendlier price tag - is the wagon Passat's job already done, and VW has nothing to worry about for this class?


Happenings

718 Reasons to Love the new Boxster

IN Porsche, Boxster, 718, Boxster S, Stuttgart Auto, Porsche Singapore, Launch

The brand new Boxster and Boxster S make their local debut, as Porsche harks back to the past with the latest evolution of the entry-level roadster.


It’s no surprise that they are saying the same thing about the latest 911 too. Because the mid-life facelift on the 991-generation has gone through some major mechanical changes and is now turbocharged. Yes, all of them will be force-induced and we can all say goodbye to the days of naturally-aspirated 911s.
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May The Force Be With You | Porsche 911 Carrera S

IN Porsche, 911, 991, Turbocharged, Stuttgart Auto, Porsche Singapore

There’s a reason why the Porsche 911 is still one of the most desirable, iconic sports cars of all time; it never sits still.


Yes, you’ve probably read our previous review of the more affordable 1.5-litre Cooper version; in local context, that would outsell this Cooper S version just based on economical reasons (cheaper road tax, insurance and fuel economy).
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New Club In Town | MINI Cooper S Clubman

IN MINI, Mini, Clubman, Cooper S, Cooper S Clubman, MINI Cooper S Clubman, 2.0-litre, 4-cylinder, Turbocharged, Eurokars Habitat, BMW Asia

There's an additional door gained but with bootspace still smaller than a regular wagon, could the 2.0-litre turbocharged engine be its saving grace?



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