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Happenings

Toyota's AE86 Icon Revived With New Hydrogen and Electric Variants

IN Toyota, AE86, Hydrogen, Electric, BEV, Concepts, Tokyo, Auto, Salon, 2023

Gas Gas Gas... but not really. Toyota is showing us once again that saving the planet doesn’t necessarily mean giving up fun and exciting cars to drive, as shown by these AE86 concepts.

With 30 years of competitive experience, Sauber is one of the most renowned and traditional teams in Formula 1. The Swiss racing team is currently in a partnership with Alfa Romeo.

Sauber will be responsible for planning and executing race operations during the Formula 1 season. With its new collaboration with Audi, the power unit will be developed at Audi’s Motorsport Competence Center in Neuburg an der Donau, while Sauber will produce the Formula 1 car at its site in Hinwil (Switzerland). Development of the power unit, which consists of the MGU-K, battery, control systems and a V6 hybrid engine, is already in full swing at Audi’s racing facility.

Happenings

Audi Partners Sauber For Formula 1 Entry

IN Sauber, Audi, Formula, 1, New, Team, 2026, Partnership

Following the announcement of its entry into Formula 1 at the end of August, Audi has now confirmed its new partner in the sport.

This limited edition bike is the second collaborative project between the two brands, both being ambassadors of Made in Italy. The first time these two brands came together was back in 2020, which gave birth to the Ducati Diavel 1260 Lamborghini, inspired by the 820hp hybrid Sián FKP 37.

Happenings

The Ducati Streetfighter V4 Lamborghini is a two-wheeled Huracan STO

IN Lamborghini, Huracan, Huracan STO, Ducati, Streetfighter, Streetfighter V4, Supercars, Superbikes

Italian superbike brand collaborates with Italian supercar brand. Sparks ensue.

The Lexus ES250 F Sport, it would seem, is one answer: take the historically least sporty Lexus saloon - the FWD Toyota Camry-based ES - and apply a racy garnish to it. And in case you thought this was just some cynical window dressing, there’s some legitimacy to it: a couple years ago I interviewed the ES’s Chief Engineer Yasuhiro Sakakibara, who said the current-gen ES was engineered to be a sharper drive than before to cover some of the ground lost when the RWD Lexus GS was discontinued.

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Lexus ES250 F Sport review: Purpose Undefined

IN Lexus, ES, Lexus ES, ES250, Lexus F, Sports sedans, Luxury sedans, New cars

For decades the Lexus ES has been saddled with something of an old-man image; can racier F Sport mods put the spring of youth in its step?

With over 50 bhp more than the previous-generation F36 Gran Coupe, it’s got plenty of poke. Power delivery comes smoothly and elegantly, so much so that you get to license-losing speeds without realising. Non-stop rain plagued the entire duration of our testdrive, but the xDrive all-wheel drive system worked beautifully to put the power down without fuss.

Happenings

We take a sneak peek at the all-new BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe

IN BMW, 4 Series, Gran Coupe, 4 Series Gran Coupe, BMW 4, BMW 4 Series, BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe, BMW Gran Coupe

The BMW coupe with the prominent grille now has more doors for added practicality.

Drive it like a HEV, and the battery charges itself up with regenerative braking. This turns energy typically wasted during braking, into useful electric charge for the battery that can be used in future. Got access to an EV charging point? You’ll also be able to juice the battery up for a bit of extra electric go.

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Bit of Both | Volvo XC40 T5 Recharge PHEV

IN Volvo, XC40, Volvo XC40, Hybrid, Plug-in hybrid, PHEV

Volvo’s latest XC40 Recharge PHEV crossover provides a semi-EV experience, but works best if you have a private charging point.

The car we have here today is no RS model though. In fact, it’s the base model engine spec available for the A4 Avant. This 2.0-litre turbocharged estate pushes out a decent 148 hp and 270 Nm of torque and is the only model available for the A4 Avant.

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A Worthy Wagon | Audi A4 Avant 2.0 TFSI

As much space as a mid-sized SUV, with the driving dynamics of a sporty sedan. There’s lots to like about Audi’s new wagon.

But wafting comes at a cost (usually in excess of seven figures). To make it more accessible to the rich-but-not-as-rich businessmen, premium brands like Mercedes, BMW, Audi and Jaguar have made it their life-long aim to produce flagship models that can emulate that smooth road-yacht feel.

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Magic Carpet Ride | Audi A8 Mild Hybrid 3.0 TFSI

For the longest time, the Mercedes S-Class and BMW 7 Series have topped the luxury barge segment's market share. Can Audi's new A8 steal some sales with this new party trick?

This then, has the all-singing, all-dancing full-blooded AMG powerplant for the family of Mercedes cars that bear the letter ‘A’; A-Class, CLA and GLA.

The 45 series of AMG cars is the entry point to what some might consider as a ‘proper’ AMG as the engines come from a “one-man, one-engine” production line where the finished power unit bears a plaque with the name and signature of the technician who put the mechanical masterpiece together. My compliments then, to Alexander Kasarez who built a fine motor for our test car. In this instance however, it is technically a “one-woman, one-engine” production. Here’s to Girl Power!

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Sense of Occassion | Mercedes-AMG CLA 45 S 4MATIC+ Coupé

IN Mercedes-Benz, Mercedes-AMG, CLA, CLA 45S, Mercedes-AMG CLA 45S

The most powerful 2.0-litre car you can buy adds a touch of practicality to make it a more useable daily proposition.

On the topic of dynamics, one feature stands out in the options list that would be of immense interest to keen drivers: a limited-slip differential, which helps with traction when powering out of corners, as well as makes the car easier to drift. This is only in conjunction with the Adaptive M Suspension, which is standard fitment on the 430i M Sport Pro; it’s not currently clear if this can be optioned on the 420i as well (it gets fixed-rate M Sport suspension instead).

Happenings

New BMW 4 Series noses into Singapore at S$219k

IN BMW, 4 Series, Coupes, New cars, Local news, Launch

420i and 430i models are the launch variants for BMW’s new coupe, which sports a controversially bold new design

This service, which has been described as a sort of Netflix for cars, allows users to get behind the wheel of a BMW without the heavy commitment of a purchase or lease; the service may be used for periods as short as a week or a month at a time.

Happenings

COVID-19: BMW offers discounted car subscription for healthcare workers in Singapore

IN Covid-19, Circuit breaker, BMW, Singapore, Local news

Frontline healthcare workers can enjoy safer, private mobility with Access by BMW, from $50 per day

Part of that has almost certainly got to do with Singapore’s preference for four-door models, which would make us something of a priority market. For all intents and purposes, the 2 GC is essentially a four-door version of the new front-drive-based 1 Series (note: not an elongated version of the rear-drive 2 Series Coupe). And despite the “Coupe” part of its name, there’ll be a good chunk of local buyers who see this as the cheapest entry into a new BMW “sedan”, similar to its arch-rival, Mercedes-Benz’s CLA when it first arrived seven years ago.

Happenings

The BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe arrives in Singapore

218i and M235i variants are available; prices start from S$160k with COE

Positioning itself at the pinnacle of the A6 family with distinct RS features, the new Audi RS 6 Avant is a high-performance station wagon that prophesies performance and practical everyday applications. Can this super-estate give the Mercedes-AMG E63 S a run for the money? We wait in eager anticipation for this model to make its debut, hopefully, end-2020. Can’t resist the pun but we are optimistic that the Audi RS 6 Avant will be an ‘Avant’age in this Avant age.

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The Audi Lineup for 2020

IN Ignitionlabs, Evosg, Evosingapore, Audi, A1Sportback, A4, A7Sportback, Etron, Etronsportback, Q3Sportback, Q7, RS6Avant, RS7sportback

As we wrap up 2019, Audi has its new year’s resolution set with a thrilling line-up of new variants and models.

From the time it was first introduced here some four years ago, the Volkswagen Golf Variant was always only available in R-Line form. Perhaps the sporty trim was specced to help alleviate the age-old perception that estate cars look like hearses? I would never know.

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Sports-wagen | Volkswagen Golf Variant R-Line

I've said it before - I love wagons! Now one of my favourites just got prettier.

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Pint-sized Punch | MINI John Cooper Works

The previous generation MINI John Cooper Works (JCW) we drove five years ago was a real hoot to steer. Is the face-lifted F56 one just as sharp?

Introduced to the UK with a price tag of GBP91,000 (SGD164,000) for the Touring and GBP89,000 (SGD160,000) for the Sedan, both models are the result of thousands of hours of development at Alpina’s R&D centre and on road tests from Death Valley to the Arctic Circle, the new B5Â Bi-Turbo provides a combination of comfort, performance and driving pleasure that the manufacturer believes is unrivalled by any other production saloon or estate.

Happenings

World’s Fastest Production Wagon!

IN Alpina, B5, Bi-Turbo, Touring, Sedan, Alpina B5 Bi-Turbo, 300 km/h club, UK, 2018

The new 322 km/h Alpina B5 Bi-Turbo is launched; Touring variant is expected to be the world’s fastest estate

But that said let me begin by bringing forward one part of this 1.0-litre Golf that I definitely, well, do not find pleasant.

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Volkswagen Golf 1.0 TSI | Miniature Golf

IN Volkswagen, Golf, 1.0, TSI, Volkswagen Golf 1.0 TSI, Golf 1.0 TSI, 2018, VW, 3-cylinder, Turbocharged, Volkswagen Centre Singapore

The Golf now comes with a size ‘S’ engine — so is this the good news for drivers who are sensitive to engine capacity?

$And perhaps, Mercedes has been observing this plot very closely — which is why they\'re giving us a very fast wagon, in the form of this E43 Estate.$