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The Ghibli is smaller, shorter, lighter, more dynamic, less expensive and more economical than the flagship Quattroporte and provides a cornerstone in Maserati’s plans to build 50,000 cars a year by 2015.

Happenings

Maserati’s All-New Ghibli Unveiled

IN Maserati, Ghibli, Quattroporte

The all-new Ghibli marks a turning point in Maserati’s history.

Pirelli has currently more than 200 homologations for the Volkswagen Group, in sizes that range from 15 to 21 inches. Another 250 homologations are currently under development, many of which will go into production within the next few years.

The long list of models currently equipped by Pirelli include prestige cars such as the Porsche Carrera, Boxster, Cayenne and Panamera, as well as the Lamborghini Aventador and Gallardo, the Bentley Continental GT and Flying Spur as well as the Audi A3, A4, A5, A6, A7, A8, Q3, Q7, RS5, RS6 and TT, plus the Volkswagen Tiguan, Touareg, Phaeton and Golf.

The partnership between Pirelli and the Volkswagen Group is not just limited to the European market but also covers other territories such as Latin America, Mexico and China. Pirelli and the Volkswagen Group are also engaged in joint business development in Russia and the United States.

Happenings

Pirelli Named Global Champion By Volkswagen Group

IN Pirelli, Tyres, Volkswagen

Pirelli has won the 2013 Volkswagen Group Award, the coveted prize that the international carmaker awards to its best suppliers.

The all-new Lexus IS will be available in three key models — IS 250, IS Hybrid and IS F SPORT. The IS 250 is powered by a smooth 2.5-litre V6 engine providing 208 bhp, while the IS Hybrid is powered by a 2.5-litre inline four-cylinder engine, boasting of 223 bhp. An all-new F SPORT package will also be available for both models.

Happenings

All New 2013 Lexus IS Range Unveiled

IN Lexus, IS, IS250, Hybrid, Petrol, F Sport, Launch

The third generation all-new IS model range was recently unveiled at the new Lexus Boutique.

Guest-of-Honour Mr Jose Raymond, Executive Director of Singapore Environment Council, who officiated the send-off, said:

Motorsports

Flying Our Flag At The Shell Eco-Marathon Asia 2013

IN Singapore, ITE, NTU, Ngee Ann polytechnic, Shell, Eco Marathon, Green, Sustainable, Energy

The future looks green as students from tertiary institutions compete for Eco-glory.

Happenings

V Is For Victory

IN Aston, Martin, Aston Martin, Vanquish, Volante, Convertible, V12

Aston Martin’s 100th anniversary celebrations continue with another V12 beauty

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.

New

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.

First up, the engine lineup will remain the same as before. That means a turbo'ed 2.0-litre in the sDrive20i and sDrive 28i, and a twin-turbo 3.0-litre straight 6 in the sDrive35is. Transmission options are an 8-speed ZF automatic for the 20i and 28i, and a 7-speed DCT for the 35is (although we'd totally recommend asking the dealer to indent you a car with the slick 6-speed manual).

Happenings

Facelifted BMW Z4 Arrives In Singapore

IN BMW, Z4, Performance Motors, Roadster, Sports, Convertible, Facelift

BMW’s roadster receives a slight nip-tuck and some new equipment options.

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.

Launched in Singapore on the 14th of June 2013 at the Ritz Carlton Hotel, the Agera S is the most powerful production car to grace Singaporean streets. Equipped with Koenigsegg’s 5litre twin turbocharged V8 that pushes out 1030 bhp, the car is not only the most powerful, but, thanks to its lightweight shell and huge power output, the fastest vehicle on local roads as well. Although the 0-100 km/h time is a pretty brisk 2.9 seconds, its 0-200 km/h time is even more impressive. Unlike lesser vehicles that accelerate a lot less slowly beyond the 100 km/h mark, the Agera S continues accelerating at a more or less even pace to 200 km/h, completing the sprint in just 7.8 seconds.

Happenings

Koenigsegg Agera S Launched!

IN Koenigsegg, Agera, S, Sweden, CC, Fast, Speed, Record

Swedish hypercar the most powerful vehicle ever to grace our streets.

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.

Pricing for the Wraith starts from $1,258,888 without COE, before options. First deliveries to local customers are expected to commence in the last quarter of 2013.

Happenings

Don’t Be Spooked…

IN Rolls-Royce, British, V12, Wraith, Luxury, Coupe, Rolls

For decades the Rolls-Royce name has been a byword for luxury, opulence and comfort. With the new Wraith, the British marque is gunning for sportiness too.

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!

What makes it even more significant locally is that the E-class is the bread-and-butter of a range that’s topping the charts of a shrinking new car market. That success isn’t likely to stop soon, based on what we’ve seen of this new, facelifted version.

Happenings

E Stands For Evolution

IN Mercedes-Benz, Mercedes, E-class, Wagon, Launch, E200, E250

It's a strange country we live in, where Mercedes is the best-selling brand, ahead of all the ordinary car makers. And this, the E-class is its most important model.

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.

New

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.

Not quite enjoying the same full-fledged performance status as its R models, R-Line is instead more akin to BMW’s M-Sport: appearance packages for its ordinary models to look like their more sporting stablemates. As such, the Tiguan R-Line features body-coloured front, rear and side skirts with a purposeful looking rear diffuser, as well as a roof spoiler and new 19-inch ‘Mallory’ alloys with beefy 225/40 tyres.

Happenings

Two Special VW SUVs Land Here!

IN VW, Volkswagen, Tiguan, Touareg, R-Line, R, SUV, Edition, X

Both the Tiguan R-Line and Touareg Edition X arrive to mark significant milestones in each model’s history.

Happenings

A 'Selfish' Celebration

IN Lamborghini, Bull, 50, Anniversary, Birthday, Gift, Egoista, Selfish, V10, De Silva, Concept

The Raging Bull turns 50 this year. We weren’t expecting it when the Veneno was unveiled at Geneva, and we certainly weren’t expecting this, the Egoista.

To be fair though, the Audi TT Ultra Quattro Concept isn’t all max power and unhinged lunacy. In fact, the thinking behind it is fairly inspired — using Audi’s racing experience to shed massive amounts of weight: the car weighs just 1,111kg, 300 less than the TTS on which it’s based.

Happenings

Superleicht

IN Audi, TT, Quattro, Concept, Worthersee, Festival, Lightweight, TSI

Like a Superleggera, but German. The Audi Audi TT Ultra Quattro Concept makes Lamborghini's (and indeed everyone else's) efforts at a lightweight special seem completely inadequate.