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What makes an Alpina different from one of BMW’s own M models, you might ask? Well for one, they don’t have such a hardcore bent on driving dynamics despite having comparable power figures to M cars, leaning more towards luxury and cruiseability instead. Alpinas also have a very distinctive, yet subtle look thanks to some trademark styling touches, such as unique decals (Alpina calls them ”Deco Sets”), mild bodykits and massive 20-spoke rims (good luck cleaning them!).
Happenings

The Untouchables

IN Alpina, BMW, Munich Automobiles, Tuner, V8, Anniversary, Edition, Edition 50, German, Launch, B5, B6, 5 series, 6 series, Launch

Legendary BMW tuner Alpina celebrates its 50th birthday with a brace of exclusive limited editions.


New

Renault Clio dCi 1.5T | French Revolution

IN Renault, Clio, DCi, Diesel, Clio dCi, Renault Clio dCi, Diesel Clio, Wearnes Automotive

No, France is not waging a new war but instead it is revolutionizing how a compact hatchback should be


Dr Co’s daily drive is a Jaguar XF S Diesel 3.0, which is undoubtedly a rather unconventional choice. The reasons for this choice? “Hands down, the brilliant fuel economy and torque available that drew me to the car”. For the curious, this diesel XF has 275 bhp and a whopping 600 Nm worth of torque on tap, does the 0 to 100 km/h run in 6 seconds and has a top speed of 250 km/h. All that coming from a 3-litre 6-cylinder turbodiesel powerplant mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission.
The Pit

The Caltex Techron — Burnpavement Reader Survey

IN Caltex, Chevron, Caltex petrols, Caltex Singapore, Diesel, Caltex Diesel With Techron D, Techron, Techron fuels

Our first panelist samples Caltex’s Diesel with Techron D, and here are his findings


Officially, the M4 GTS is still a Concept, but don't let the moniker fool you; BMW's recent history is littered with dozens of 'concepts' that are nigh on identical to their eventual production versions — this latest one should be no different.
Happenings

Changing 4tunes — BMW M4 GTS Concept

IN BMW, M4, 4-series, GTS, Track, Concept

Two's company and three's a crowd; four's a party and five’s not allowed — if this saying is anything to go by, the latest special edition M car should be quite the hoot…


The production-based, 330 bhp concept car is assembled in accordance with TCR Regulations and is intended to allow Volkswagen to evaluate a possible customer racing programme as of the 2016 season. In order to accelerate the development process, the new Golf will be tested under competitive conditions in the TCR between now and the end of the season.
Motorsports

TCR-prepped Golf wins at its debut race.

IN Singapore, Golf, TCR, Touringcar Racer International Series, Volkswagen, Pol Rosell

The race Golf we reported about last week made headlines by winning its debut race, claiming its first victory at the Touringcar Racer International Series (TCR) in Austria.


Based on the SLS, the GT S is lighter and has room in the boot for golf bags and luggage. It doesn't have gullwings though and has been designed and priced to go head-to-head with the Porsche 911, instead of the more exotic kind like its predecessor did. But the 911 seats four (well, sort of), while the GT S is a two-seater. Oh well, we'll know more when (and if) we get to drive one.
Happenings

Mercedes-AMG GT S and C 63 S Rumbles Into Town

IN Mercedes-AMG, GTS, C63, AMG, V8 Bi-turbo, Mercedes Benz, Daimler Chrysler, Cycle & Carriage

With more than 1,000 bhp between them, the new Mercedes-AMG GT S and Mercedes-AMG C 63 S flex their twin-turbo V8 muscles for their official launch at the Grand Hyatt.


Which was why, historically speaking, Volvo’s XC90 was once the people’s champion; every family men and soccer mums loved it. It has the cabin space of a 5-room HDB flat, the pace of an executive sedan (you have the option of a 2.5-litre turbocharged and 4.4-litre V8) and best of all, an easy to drive demeanour. Volvo’s renowned safety and reliability summed up the package.
New

Making Good Sense | BMW X5 xDrive35i

IN BMW, X5, SAV, SUV, XDrive35i, XDrive, Beemer, BMW Asia

The new X5 was introduced last year with a rather big V8 engine and that made its popularity limited, but now with a more sensible 3.0-litre engine will it be more appealing?


In selecting the S-Class as the winner of Women’s World Car of the Year 2014, Sue Baker, Chairman of the Southern Group of Motoring Writers and UK judge of WWCOTY, commented, “This is an outstanding accolade for a car which encompasses everything women want in a vehicle, namely a high calibre driving experience, impeccable safety credentials, top-notch comfort and high build quality, all at a justifiable price.
Happenings

Women Have Made Their Choice

IN Women's World Car Of The Year 2014, WWCOTY, 2014, Mercedes-Benz S-Class, Mercedes, S-Class

The supreme winner of the Women's World Car Of The Year 2014 is…


The car retains its original paper stickers on the alloy wheels as well as its first tax disc and original key fob. So well preserved is the car, even a complimentary service voucher from the original dealer that was never redeemed is included. A high spec model, the Mini also has rare features such as an electric sunroof. CCA\'s Auction Manager Joe Watts said, “We are delighted to be selling this last of the line Mini in our first ever sale. This rare find is in amazing, untouched condition and is surely an exciting prospect for all Mini collectors out there.”
Happenings

Rare Mini Up For Auction

IN Mini, Cooper, Rover, Rover Mini Cooper, CCA, Silverstone, Longbridge

A brand new classic car auction house, CCA, will be auctioning a very special, last of the line Rover Mini Cooper at Silverstone circuit on March 3rd


“We have certainly been pleasantly surprised by the number of visitors to the Singapore Motorshow. Breaking our record for the 2008 show which was held over ten days is a fantastic achievement for everyone involved,” said Glenn Tan, President of the Motor Traders Association of Singapore. “We also made the effort to make this year’s Motorshow more family-oriented by working with our various sponsors and exhibitors to bring in different activities and they have certainly paid off.
Happenings

Singapore Motorshow 2015 Saw More Than 52,000 Visitors

IN Singapore Motorshow 2015, Singapore, SG, Motorshow, 2015, Motorshow 2015

More than 52,000 visitors (children excluded) came to experience more than 150 cars on display at the recently concluded Singapore Motorshow 2015.


The car we shall talk about today is the Panamera S e-hybrid. Then again, some of you avid Burnpavement readers may question why on earth we’re reviewing a hybrid Panamera again, because we’ve done it before.
New

Electro Magneto | Porsche Panamera S e-hybrid

IN Porsche, Panamera, E-hybrid, Porsche Panamera e-hybrid, Hybrid

A revised version of Panamera’s tree hugger silently made its way here


The BMW 2 Series Convertible will be available with a choice of four engines, including a new 2.0-litre diesel for the 220d and, for the first time in a BMW convertible, an M Performance variant, the M235i. Fuel economy improvements over the previous model average 18 per cent. The 2 Series Convertible also brings significant improvements in passenger space and access, acoustic comfort, style, dynamism and equipment, while the ConnectedDrive services for the first time include wireless updating of navigation data.
Happenings

Meet BMW's New 2 Series Convertible

IN BMW, 2 Series, BMW 2 Series Convertible, Convertible, 220i, 228i, M235i, 220d

You have to wait for the first half of 2015 to get one though; Sport, Luxury and M Sport trim levels will be made available to broaden appeal


It features a 5.2-litre V10 engine with 610 hp, reaches a top speed of over 325 km/h, and accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.2 seconds. The power generated by the ten-cylinder is delivered to the road via the new 7-speed dual-clutch transmission “Lamborghini Doppia Frizione” (LDF) and an all-wheel drive that also features a new hydraulic multi-plate clutch. Three different driving modes, spanning from road to race track, can be selected using a drive select switch in the steering wheel. The system is called ANIMA —  Adaptive  Network  Intelligent Management - and impacts the engine, transmission, all-wheel drive and the ESC handling system as well as other dynamic systems.
Happenings

Huracan LP610-4 Finally Launched In Singapore

IN Lamborghni, Lambo, Huracan, Huracan LP610-4, Gallardo, Lamborghini Singapore, EuroSports Auto,

Gallardo replacement made its official Singapore debut; highlights include new 7-speed dual-clutch transmission, Lamborghini Doppia Frizione (LDF)


The GFRP spring (left) next to a 'traditional' steel type Whereas a steel spring for an executive class model weighs nearly 2.7 kilograms, a GFRP spring with the same properties weighs approximately 1.6 kilograms. Together, the four GFRP springs reduce the weight by roughly 4.4 kilograms, half of which pertains to the unsprung mass, helping the suspension to react more quickly to changes in the road surface and to absorb imperfections more effectively.The core of the springs consists of long glass fibres twisted together and impregnated with epoxy resin. A machine wraps additional fibres around this core - which is only a few millimetres in diameter - at alternating angles of plus and minus 45 degrees to the longitudinal axis. These tension and compression plies mutually support one another to optimally absorb the stresses acting on the component.The GFRP springs can be precisely tuned to their respective task, and the material exhibits outstanding properties. It does not corrode, even after stone chipping, and is impervious to chemicals such as wheel cleaners. Last but not least, production requires far less energy than the production of steel springs.
Happenings

Newsflash: Audi's New Lightweight Springs

IN Audi, Vorsprung durch Technik, Lightweight springs, Glass fibre-reinforced polymer, GFRP

Audi is investing heavily in travelling lightly to boost efficiency with new polymer suspension springs


Which makes it a little bit of a problem for BMW. Because a product like this is so out-of-the-box, not everyone would want to embrace it wholeheartedly. Trust us, we’ve done our questionnaire and not many would like to sign up for this Bavarian hot-hatch. After all, us hot-hatch fans grew up with front-wheel drive, manual transmission type. So a wholeheartedly complete hot-hatch should remain that way; Renault’s Megane RS is the finest example.
New

Director's Cut | BMW M135i

IN BMW, M, BMW M, BMW Asia, M, M135i, BMW M135i

We've driven the M135i last year and it even made it to Burnpavement’s ‘Surprises of 2013’ list; this time, we sample a kitted M135i. Sound the alarm...


Well, they may not be your average supercars, but they are all sporty enough to give any big-engined, bank-breaking engineering feats on four wheels quite a hard time on our roads. Simply put, a lot of performance for not a lot of money. Meet (in clockwise direction) the BMW M135i, MINI John Cooper Works, Volkswagen Touareg TDI R-Line, Volvo V40 R-Design, Mercedes-Benz A45 AMG and Audi S3 Sportback. That’s a combined 1,592 bhp and 2,350 Nm of torque…
New

Surprises Of 2013

IN 2013, Surprises, BMW, MINI, Volkswagen, Volvo, Mercedes-Benz, Audi, M135i, JCW, R-Line, R-Design, AMG, S3, A45, V40, Touareg, Clubman

An exciting and unforgettable year it was, made even more memorable thanks to the arrival of these wheels


Armed with the previous generation 3.0-litre V6 turbocharged diesel unit, the engine in the S350 might not be new, but it has been revised to produce more power, more torque, a lower CO2 figure and improved economy. Packing 258 bhp and a hefty 620 Nm of torque, the S350 will hit 100 km/h from standstill in 6.8 seconds, and peak at a limited 250 km/h top speed. Best of all, it behaves completely like a petrol car; it is quiet, smooth and completely rattle-free. The only way to tell that it is diesel is by driving it - because the car pulls like a train!
New

Dawn Of A New Star | Mercedes-Benz S 350 L BlueTEC

IN Mercedes-Benz, S350, S Class, V6, Diesel

We drive the 'entry-level' Mercedes-Benz S-Class and find no signs of it's diesel-powered nature. Instead, this luxury saloon just oozes pure and creamy power!


Happenings

NXP Brings The World’s First Solar Powered-Family Car To Singapore

IN NXP, Stella, Solar Powered

NXP Semiconductors N.V.'s Stella, the world’s first solar-powered family car, recently made its debut in Singapore.


The Golf gained a total of 504 points, the highest ever for an import model. It also scored 131 points more than the second-placed car. At the award ceremony, Shigeru Shoji, the President of Volkswagen Group Japan, commented: “We are very much pleased that the Golf becomes the first import car which gained the grand prize in 34 years of Japan Car of the Year history. This honour has been awarded to all the people who supported Volkswagen in Japan over the past 60 years.” Among numerous other awards, the new Golf has also won the Car of the Year, World Car of the Year, and Golden Steering Wheel titles this year.
Happenings

The Golf Captures The Japan Car Of The Year Award

IN Volkswagen, Golf, Japan Car Of The Year

For a country that prides itself on manufacturing some of the world's best cars, the German made Golf has made history by being the first non-Japanese car to win this award.


Up close, the 5GT actually looks huge, both in length and height. My wife's first impression was that seemed to be in a similar class as the 7 Series. At almost 5 meters long, the measurements are not far off. Subtle changes to the front face and rear sharpen the look a bit. A set of large and sexy 20-inch wheels also add to the new modernized look. Smoothened and curvier lines help make the car look less chunky, and refreshed adaptive LED headlights are now standard on both the 528i and 535i.
New

BMW 5 Series GT 535i

IN BMW, 5 Series GT, 535i, Performance Motors

Ever been in a situation where you found someone more attractive only after getting to know her/him better? Well, that was certainly the case with my encounter with the 5 Series GT, or 5GT for short.



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