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BP: Some people have said that the best racing drivers didn’t pass their driving tests on the first try - Jenson Button for example. How many attempts did you take to obtain your driver’s licence? Alain: I did the test when I was 18 years old, the normal age at the time, and passed on the first try. (chuckles) BP: What was your first car, and what’s your preference for your road cars you drive? Alain: I never liked driving sports cars. When you’re driving in Formula 1 you want something a little more comfortable. The first car I bought was an Opel Kadett GT/E, which was a rally car. Unfortunately, that was the only car I had an accident with. I was going quite slow to be honest, but it was on gravel, and my friend and I ended up going 30m down the (side of a) hill. I’d only had the car three weeks, so that was quite a bad experience! BP: I understand that your son is currently a test driver for Lotus. How is he going with that? With Kimi moving to Ferrari, might there be a spot for him next year? Alain: It is never impossible, because he has done a good job in the last two years, and spent a lot of time on the simulator. But being a development driver, he is very focused, and it is a different way of working and it is very good for the team. Being a race driver is going to be another different thing, with qualifying one lap or doing the start, (or) even if he races in endurance or other types of races. So it is two different things and I realised it and he knows it himself that it will be difficult for him to be chosen by the team but you never know. BP: All the best for that!
Motorsports

A Meeting With The Professor

IN Renault, Alain Prost, Prost, Wearnes,

Racing drivers live and breathe motorsports throughout their careers, but have you ever wondered what happens when they stop?


The Renault Megane RS 265 did that to me. You see, I have an affinity for Renault’s modern hot-hatches; they’re special and unique, and you need to drive them (hard, most times) to truly appreciate these finely tuned cars. The first Megane RS I drove - yes, that oddly shaped one - was a blast and definitely began my whole entire love affair with hyper Renaults. Then came the hotter R26 — a few laps around Sepang made me wonder how on earth did Renault put together such a brilliant car.
New

Go, Go Power Ranger | Renault Megane RS 265

IN Renault, Megane, RS, RS 265, Renault Megane RS 265, Wearnes Automotive

What to do when you want to keep your sweet handling hot-hatch ahead of the competition? Well according to Renault, you add more powaaaaaah…


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.


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.


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!


Motorsports

TimeToAttack Final Round

IN Zerotohundred.com, TimeToAttack, Event, Sepang

2012 ened with a huge bang as Zertohundred.com closed their TimeToAttack series with a final round at the Sepang International Circuit.


In Singapore, with a dominant market share, Borneo Motors is currently the leader in hybrids, offering the widest range of hybrid models in various segments. The Prius C, being the leader in the hybrid segment, topping the charts with 33.6% market share since its launch in Feb 2012 and has grown the segment.
Happenings

Toyota Reveals Line-Up For 2013

IN Toyota, Borneo Motors, 86, RAV4, CEVS, Auris, Yaris, Avanza

Toyota shares with us their host of new exciting models and wallet-friendly cars for the year ahead.


New

Rock of Ages | Volkswagen Golf 7 Drive

IN Volkswagen Group Singapore, Volkswagen, VW, Golf, 1.4 TSI, TDI, DSG, Mk 7, 7, 2.0 TDI

The seventh-generation Golf is out, and the first batch of cars will roll out of the factory in November. We get behind the wheel of the class-leading model to find out if it the new one still rocks.


Modified

Singapore's Best Suzuki Swift Sport Results

IN Suzuki, Swift Sport, Singapore, Caltex, Competition, Champion Motors

The results are out! After two months of showing-off our eight cars meet at the Suzuki Singapore showroom and face-off!


From all walks of life. Cars line up for transponder testing.
Happenings

Zerotohundred.com TimeToAttack 2012 Round One

IN Zerotohundred.com, TimeToAttack, Event, Sepang

As the official media for Singapore, we were proud to witness some of the fastest cars around Sepang at the first round of Zertohundred.com's TimeToAttack, two of which flew our local colours.


Like the BMW 6 Series Convertible, the M6 drop-top has the “fin” architectured soft-top roof. It also features a heated, vertical glass rear window, which is situated just behind the rear seats, and retracts independently of the soft-top itself. The automatic opening and closing process for the roof can be activated both at a standstill and while on the move at speeds of up to 40 km/h using a button on the centre console.
Happenings

BMW M6 Convertible Preview At The Singapore Yacht Show

IN BMW, M6 Convertible, BMW Asia, Munich Automobiles, M

The new BMW M6 Convertible makes its first Asian preview at the Singapore Yacht Show 2012, its second public appearance after its global debut at the New York International Auto Show.


Happenings

McLaren Singapore Showroom Officially Opens

IN McLaren Singapore, McLaren Automotive, Singapore, MP4-12C, Showroom

The sleek showroom with a fully equipped service centre and customer care facilities will house the MP4-12C and McLaren's range of cars in years to come.


Our casual but very insightful chat concluded with Oliver sharing with us how this is the truly the future for KW Suspension,
The Pit

Interview | KW Suspension Export Sales Director Oliver Scherbaum

IN KW suspension, KW, Volkswagen, DDC, Oliver Scherbaum, Autovox

KW's Export Sales Director Oliver Scherbaum shares with Burnpavement.com the company's exciting new range of products that will take suspension tuning to the next level.


We tank up our cars with Techron 98 Platinum petrol at Caltex's Jurong West station. It's a perfect place to start off any trip up north as it is within close proximity to Tuas checkpoint.
Happenings

Performance Drive Recce Trip | Part One

IN Performance, Drive, Event, Burnpavement LIVE!, Cameron Highlands, Volkswagen, Caltex

Come March 2012, Burnpavement.com, with the help of our good sponsors Caltex and Volkswagen, will be organising an epic Performance Driving Holiday to the twisty hills of Cameron Highlands.


All that hard work has shown its results. To date, Elfaeza is among the few Malay artists from Suria to cross over to MediaCorp's English channel, Channel 5. For now, you can watch her in the legal-eagle drama series 'The Pupil' on Channel 5, alongside more established actors Adrian Pang and Lim Kay Tong. In this drama, Elfaeza plays Nisa Muhammad Nor, a young, intelligent and steadfast lawyer.
New

Celebrity's Dream Car | Elfaeza with MINI Cabrio

IN Elfaeza Ul-Haq, Elfa, MINI, MINI Cooper Cabriolet, Cooper, Cabriolet, The Pupil

She was once involved in a serious car accident, but survived, and now clearly supports good driving - meet Elfaeza Ul-Haq from TV's 'The Pupil'.


The Fiesta ST Concept combines eye-catching, muscular and sporty styling with a dynamic sports chassis and a high-performance powertrain capable of delivering impressive fuel economy with low CO2 emissions. A global Fiesta ST would continue the proud, 35-year Fiesta history of delivering high performance thrills to small car customers. Iconic past models have included the Fiesta XR2 and XR2i, Fiesta RS1800 and RS Turbo.
Happenings

Is A 'Fiesta ST' Coming Our Way?

IN Ford, Ford Fiesta ST, ST, Fiesta ST, ST Concept, IAA Frankfurt

Ford unveils exciting new Fiesta ST Concept at 2011 IAA Frankfurt Motor Show, indicating the future direction for a high-performance Fiesta


Seductive looks indicate the next evolution of Jaguar’s bold design direction.
Happenings

Jaguar Debuts The C-X16 Concept At Frankfurt

IN Jaguar, Concept, C-X16, Frankfurt

This Oh-so-beautiful sports concept is the hybrid that marks a new chapter for Jaguar. Inspiring new advances in design, the C-X16 combines searing performance with gorgeous styling.


Hand assembled at the company's global headquarters in Gaydon, England, the V12 Zagato is based on the highly acclaimed V12 Vantage and features a beautiful 'handcrafted‘ aluminium and carbon fibre body. Combining traditional craftsmanship and high technology, the V12 Zagato also boasts Aston Martin's most dynamic bonded aluminium platform and the power of the company's acclaimed 6.0-litre V12 engine producing 510 bhp, and 570 Nm of torque.
Happenings

Road Going Aston Martin V12 Zagato To Debut At Frankfurt

IN Aston Martin, Aston Martin Zagato, V12 Zagato, IAA Frankfurt

A pair of Zagato will be displayed; sales to begin after.


While the first Continental GTC was elegant and understated, the sharper radii and assertive stance of the new model delivers a more contemporary and muscular presence. Advanced manufacturing techniques produce aluminium front wings without the need for seams or welds creating the look and feel of a coach-built car. Twenty-inch wheels are now standard with three styles of 21-inch wheel, a first for GTC, available as an option, reinforcing the distinctive, sporting stance of the new Bentley.
Happenings

The New Bentley Continental GTC Convertible

IN Bentley, Continental, GTC, Convertible

The second generation of Bentley's iconic Continental GTC convertible will debut at next month's International Automobile Exhibition (IAA) in Frankfurt.



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