Best Car Singapore Issue1 Preview by Comm Pte Ltd

JAPAN’S NO.1 CAR MAGAZINE TURNS INTO SINGAPORE!

S$6.00 DECEMBER 2010

BEST DEBUTANT

JUKE, FIT, LEXUS CT 200H… BEST SHOWDOWN

ELGRAND SQUARES OFF WITH VELLFIRE

The Egoist Arrives With

BEST SCOOP

TOYOTA’S ENGINE EVOLUTION, PRIUS G, HYBRID NEWS…

Trailing Clouds Of Glory

BEST REPORT-O!

JUKE, ELGRAND, MARCH…

BEST WHIZBANGS

BEST FEATURE

LATEST CARS AESTHETICALLY RANKED… Serial Feature: History

プラ

i45 MAKEOVER, IN-CAR AV SYSTEM AND WHAT TO PLAY ON IT

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Of Japanese Lightweight Sports Cars

BEST RUNWAY

P.112 JAPN’ASIAN CARS, BEAUTIES, Free Gifts! AND FASHION

PUBLISHER’S 創刊によせて

N OT E

aizen. That’s Japanese for constant improvement. It’s the philosophy of the automobile industry in Japan. They improve, then they improve some more. It is not just about being the best. Sure, beating the competition feels great, but there is more to it than that. It is about improving for the sake of improvement, bettering oneself, challenging oneself creatively and productively, to scale greater heights, and achieve a vantage point that allows one to look around and realise, the challenge is its own reward.

Kaizen is also the philosophy that COMM takes to its media offerings. Our beginnings as a media company were humble. Although we were an international movers company, we published a telephone directory. It was solely for the Japanese community in Singapore. Today, we are online, we are on the airwaves, and we are on the newsstands, throughout Southeast Asia. We see ourselves as a platform to represent Asia to Asians. We believe there is an opportunity here, to showcase the best of Asia, be it cars, lifestyle, or culture, in the best light. It deserves nothing less.

“DEZAINẶ” NEO AIK SING

For now, Best Car is a niche magazine. We are perfectly content to start small and count on Kaizen’s mileage. Mikio Mori (森幹雄),

PAUL “MANẼJẶ” DE KRETSER

“HENSHỮ” LIM SAY LIANG

REONA “SHACHÔ” MORI

MIKIO “KAICHÔ” MORI

CONTENTS

TA B L E O F

The Egoist has landed

12 31 スクープ

BESTSCOOP 8

BESTDEBUTANT

WHATCHA LOOKIN’ AT?

TOYOTA RETURNS TO THE WORLD RALLY CHAMPIONSHIPS

The Auris will be developed to compete against the Golf. 16

DAWN OF THE HYBRIDS

Toyota’s rivals want in. 22

ALTEZZA LIVES

Environmentally friendly cars can be a bit of a bore.

TOYOTA’S CLASSIFIED EVOLUTION

Toyota is not only developing the next generation Auris with the VW Golf as its benchmark…

We Are Looking...

NOT JUKE WARM

Nissan Juke looks like it will hit the road running.

The Egoist has landed. 12

デビュー

PREVIEW: LEXUS CT 200H

Chief Engineer Osamu Sodakata calls it “the best of both worlds”. We concur.

レポート

HONDA CONTINUES TO SURPRISE

RACTIS GALORE!

BESTREPORT-O!

Small is beautiful, says the newly crowned Greenest Automaker. 40

The second generation Ractis will get a facelift and other changes for its November release.

If you have a story to tell, or would like to contribute to Best Car, drop us an email at bestcar@comm.com.sg.

HOT WHEELS?

Kazuhito Mimoto, motor critic of 50 years’ experience, put this season’s latest cars to the test.

FUN CAR LABORATORY

Terry Itoh drives French?

スクープ

e just cannot get enough of this car. The original version stunned the world with its Ferrari-like performance for half the price of a base Porsche 911. Then along came the Spec V and Club variants, stripped out and even more hardcore. With the kind of sales that the GT-R delivers, it is no surprise to anybody that they have more variants in development. We have been probing Nissan really hard and we finally got our hands on an image of their new GT-R variant. You might already know about the GT-R Club Edition. It is lean, mean and probably

the most track-oriented variant Nissan will develop for sale. Here is what we know so far about the new GT-R luxury variant. Unofficially unveiled after the launch of last year’s Spec V, Kazutoshi Mizuno, the GT-R’s chief engineer, confirmed the development of a luxury variant of the GT-R to insiders: the “Spec M”. Given that the previous R34GT-R had a luxury version known as the “M Spec”, this new model should follow the Spec V’s naming system and be known as the Spec M. The moniker “Spec M” was used in Nissan’s in-house documents, but their documents also revealed that the car might go by an

alternative name, the GT-R Egoist. After much debate, they chose the “Egoist”. Not exactly the most charming of names, but this GT-R emboldens its driver with its impressive performance, upscale styling, and hefty price. Only 10 units will be produced a month, with delivery starting next year. We are not sure if the Egoist will make it to our shores, but it will definitely not be a common sight. Our source in Nissan confirms that this variant uses LED lights embedded in the front bumper and the fin. It will come with a striking new black rim design that uses 10 lightweight spokes and it will be built as a luxury model complete with bronze piping. Other exterior

NEW GT-R VARIANTS PRICE* COMPARISON

*Price based on prevailing exchange rates at time of print not inclusive of COE

GT-R

$136,100

GT-R BLACK EDITION

$145,700

GT-R PREMIUM EDITION

$148,000

GT-R SPECV

$250,500

GT-R EGOIST

$219,200

DECEMBER 2010

BEST DEBUTANT デビュー

RACTIS

GALORE! Sporty Type | S

The second generation Ractis will get a facelift and other changes for its November release. The concept, similar to the first Ractis, features a ride with an overall length of less than 4-metres, a compact body, and flowing roofline.

THREE DIFFERENT MODELS

EXTERIOR DIMENSIONS

The Sporty “S” Model has smoked headlamps and a larger grille. Throw in the fog lamps and you can see a slight rally influence here. The suspensions and paddle shifts have been specially tuned to European specifications, ensuring an exhilarating drive experience with this car. The L’epice, on the other hand, is targeted at women. The steering and shift knobs had been intricately designed to match the stylish exterior. Who says only men indulge in cars?

The overall dimension is 3995x1695x1585mm. This means that the new car is 40mm longer and 55mm lower than its previous model. However, the width remains the same. The shorter height lowers the centre of gravity, and should help in improving handling.

EXTERIOR DESIGN The Ractis now offers three different models, the Standard “G/X”, the Sporty “S” and the stylish “L’epice”, and each with two different frontal designs. Following the footsteps of the Passo (available locally through parallel import), the Ractis comes with a +Hana version. The idea was to have the car to appeal to men and women, similar to Daihatsu’s strategy for mini vehicles.

INTERIOR DIMENSIONS The three independent meters and centre console looks sporty and of high quality.

The stereoscopic seats ensure comfort at high speeds.

BEST CAR ISSU E 0 1

The new Ractis’s interior height has been lowered by 55mm to 1310mm, and unless you are Yao Ming, this should not be a problem. After all, the Ractis is still 20mm higher than its rivals such as the Honda Jazz (Fit), Nissan Note and Toyota’s own Yaris (Vitz), granting it the highest interior height in its class. The new Ractis is also longer. With length of 2690mm, it is one of the longest in

this class. Combine these measurements with a wide head clearance, and you can truly appreciate the spacious interior of this car.

INTERIOR DESIGN The dashboard, with three floating meters and unique center console design, looks very sporty and sophisticated, a rarity in this segment and price point. Even the seats have a stereoscopic shape to pamper you during high speed driving. Luggage space is not compromised either, as the new Ractis holds a class standard for a whopping 429-litre boot. Loading and unloading is easy thanks to its large opening. Among the new Ractics lineup, the 4WD (available only in 1.5-litre) is drawing much attention. Replacing the old 4-speed automatic transmission with a CVT enables the car to reach a fuel consumption of 18.4km/l, a respectable 24 percent improvement from the previous model allowing it to enjoy the benefits of Japan’s eco tax benefits.

DRIVING EXPERIENCE Overall, the Ractis provides an easy drive thanks to its light weight, which benefits fuel consumption too. Its aerodynamic body and use of a rear spoiler helps the car achieve a best-in-class aerodynamic drag (Cd) of 0.3. It shares the same 1NR-FE 1.3-litre engine

S S S S S S SBEST S REPORT–O! S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S レポート

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LABORATSORY

The glass roof of 3008 looks fantastic from the rear seat. You can enjoy the panoramic view of the sky. Japanese automakers should try to emulate this.

I have te sted tw o cars fr Peugeo om Peu t fan, I o geot. A wned 1 automa sa 06 once ker, eve and fav n thoug since I o our this h it has wned on been e. Can o cars inv ther auto ten years oke suc h nosta makers lgia? ’ new 50

BEST CAR ISSU E 0 1

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TEXT • TERRY ITOH

can only imagine what a great experience it must be to drive on an Alpine mountain road or cruise the streets of Paris. Today, I have tested two Peugeot cars. I had a fetish for Peugeot cars since I bought my Peugeot 106 Rally and I stalked the new Peugeot 3008 since it was launched in France last year. The performance of the 3008 is impressive. I was surprised at 3008’s performance, which rivals that of the Nissan Qashqai (Dualis). With its 1.6-litre, 16-valve in-line 4-cylinder and Twin-scrolled turbocharged engine, it delivers a satisfying performance. At first glance, it is a little tricky to categorise.

BEST SHOWDOWN ĺŻž ćąş

of the There are minivans for families, there are minivans for soccer teams. Meet the Toyota Alphard variant, Vellfire, and the new Nissan Elgrand (Quest). They are neither. Beyond mere function, they provide a much-needed sting.

Elgrand 350 Highway Star Premium

BEST CAR ISSU E 0 1

Vellfire 2.4Z

BEST FEATURE 特集

THE RY HISTO NESE A P A J OF

日本ライトウ

ェイトス

T H G I L T H G I WE S T R SPO S R A C

ポ

ツ

史

here is a reason why Japanese cars have a special place in many of our hearts. They are just special. Even with stiff competition from the rising Korean car manufac turers and the well established European marques, the reputation of Japanese cars still strike a chord for many of us here and in other parts of Asia too. Heck, it is the reason why Best Car even exists.

DECEMBER 2010

BEST WHIZBANGS > LIFESTYLE ガジェット：ライフスタイル

N O S A E S E H TIS T

TO BE FAMILY

The universa l theme for th e upcoming holidays is fa Why participa mily—again. nts, me and Have you ever you, are grat wondered wh eful for a tim portray differe y it never ge e of the year nt filial relatio ts old? to celebrate nships. They loved ones? are at once We did. The fo varying and llowing films similar.

Zhang Meng’s The Piano in a Factory (the only Chinese-language film to compete at the 23rd Tokyo International Film Festival) is a poignant piece about the lengths a middle-aged father (played by Wang Qianyuan) goes to for the custody of his daughter (Qin Hailu, who is also the film’s producer). When she declares that she will be living with the parent who acquires a piano for her, her retrenchedfrom-a-steel-factory father attempts to fulfill her wish, by building a steel piano by hand. A series of comical—and at times emotional—trials follow. 94

BEST CAR ISSU E 0 1

Yamada Yoji’s About Her Brother is pays homage to Kon Ichikawa's Otouto (1960). It highlights traditionalism and conservatism, and unearths the bond between adult siblings. While the rest of the family has long since given up on Tetsuro, the alcoholic youngest brother, his widowed sister, Ginko, continues to stand by him until he makes a scene at her daughter’s wedding reception. The separation proves painful since the siblings have always been very close, and Ginko finds herself torn between persisting in her coldness toward Tetsuro and forgiving him as she has always done in the past. The push-and-pull tension that Ginko finds herself in is beautifully executed.

The Rhyth m of C h o p st i c k s

Ta i p e i E x c h a n g e s

Taipei Exchanges, directed by Hsiao Ya-chuan, tackles the relationship between two sisters running a café. Though considerably younger than About Her Brother’s siblings, the trust the sisters share is evident in the manner in which they repeatedly confide in each other. Yet what makes this film intriguing is how one of the sisters desires to broaden her experiences and does so by introducing a system involving the exchange of unwanted personal items in her café, prompting cutaway storytelling scenes. They widen her perspective as well as her sister’s, and add “texture” to their relationship.

Director Seo Se-Weon’s The Rhythm of Chopsticks deals with a familiar love-hate relationship between mother, Young-Choon (played by Park Mu-Young) and daughter, Ji-Sook (Ha Hyeon-Ju). The mother has taken to running and singing at a small bar (“YoungChoon Ok”) to make ends meet. The daughter scoffs, thinks them superficial, and resolves to escape her predicament by applying herself to her studies. Matters begin to become complicated at the restaurant as the richest guy in town propositions Young-Choon: he wants a son. Soon, increasingly strange people turn up at the bar. We saw that coming. It is Korean Cinema.

A b o u t H e r B ro t h e r

F l o w e rs

Taking a complete departure from his debut offering, Gachi Boy, Koizumi Norihiro puts out Flowers. The original idea for the melodrama came from ad-agency creative director while shooting shampoo ads. The tagline went: “Japanese women are beautiful.” And in Flowers, they really are. Yu Aoi, Yuko Takeuchi, Rena Tanaka, Yukie Nakama, Kyoka Suzuki and Ryoko Hirosue flatter the cameras from one beautiful scene to another. Gorgeous stuff. By the way, the film is about the lives of six women over three generations.

T he Pia n o I n A Fa ct o r y

TEXT • CARISSA CONSING

JAPN’ASIAN STARS

HARDER THAN GAGA

Once upon a time, before Gaga-mania, Pop was a simple genre. Thumpin’ beats, an attitude and polyester stage costumes were all it took. Now, ever ybody’s got to raise their game. These albums made us sweat for no good reason. And we love them. T E X T • TA N C H I AW H U E I

Mandopop

GARY CHAW, BACK IN CONTROL

Mandopop

ELVA HSIAO, MISS ELVA (DVD Repack Edition)

Cantopop

K-Pop/J-Pop

EASON CHAN, TASTE THE ATMOSPHERE

KARA, JUMPING

Candid storytelling and skilled musicianship are why Gary Chaw is not written off yet. The Malaysian-born singer-songwriter’s success story sounds familiar— he set out to realise his dreams in Taiwan’s music industry, only to be rejected by record companies. One hit single, “Only You in the World” brought him fame. Another classic hit, “Superman” still garners strong radio airplay. His demise is also familiar. Last year, he was involved in a drunken brawl with Justin Lo in public. With Back in Control, the award-winning artist hopes to start anew. The track, “Clown”, showcases Chaw at his best: him infusing his music with strong soulful vocals, gospel-tinged pop overtones and evocative lyrical poetry.

Taiwanese pop diva Elva Hsiao remains unapologetic about her success by laying on the glitz and glamour of previous album Diamond Candy. The new album’s first single and music video, “Miss Chic” sees Hsiao donning Gaga-inspired outfits and dance choreography. The album also mixes up Korean-pop influences with ballads such as “The Wrong One”. It reminded us of “Familiar Stranger”, which first catapulted Hsiao to fame. Here she worked with award winning composer Showan and lyricist David Ke for the first time, wrote five and produced three songs. Her offerings often carry tongue-in-cheek themes of romance and self-empowerment, such as “Two Faced Goddess”, a more notable, edgier track on ‘Miss Elva’. The album comes repacked with a DVD of music videos in commemoration of her 11th year in the music industry.

Known for his resilient work ethic and endless streak of accolades in the Asian entertainment industry, Eason Chan shows no signs of slowing down with his new EP. It features collaborations with Karen Mok on “My Cup of Tea”, Sa Dingding on “Welcome to the Future” and Rowena Cortes on “He Says, She Says”. This EP explores more eclectic sounds; a blend of rock and bossa nova (“IP MAN in the Wind”); and R&B influences (“My Cup of Tea”). Those in need of a change of pace will find Taste the Atmosphere a perfect for the holiday season.

Korean dance-pop sensation, Kara is heating up the Asian music scene—not that we are surprised given that more young artists are breaking through. But Kara manages to deliver energetic R&B and dance music numbers while cleverly recreating their videos to suit different themes, as well as the nuances of each member. The title track is a catchy Japanese dance anthem, an introduction to their yet to be released fourth mini-album. The record comes with photocards, a music video DVD and another new track, “Burn”. Unlike most dance numbers, Jumping lets strong vocals lead rather than drowning listeners in electronic samplings.

J-Pop

UTADA HIKARU, SINGLES COLLECTION VOL. 2

As the Japanese singer-songwriter prepares to take a break from music in 2011, now would be the best time to grab Utada Hikaru’s latest compilation. Not to mention there are five bonus tracks. Besides her distinctive falsettos and catchy R&B melodies, indulge in favourites such as “Prisoner of Love”, “Beautiful World” and “Passion”. New tracks include “Can’t Wait ‘Til Christmas” and a cover of Edith Piaf’s “Hymne a l’amour”.

DECEMBER 2010

BEST RUNWAY ファッション

CHERY A3 • VERTEX AUTOMOBILE PHOTOGRAPHY • KENNETH CHOO ART DIRECTION • NEO AIK SING FA S H I O N S T Y L I S T • F U M I [ K L O O ] H A I R S T Y L I S T • N A S H I K I [ S H U N J I M AT S U O ] M A K E U P A R T I S T • B R A N D O N K A R L U N D TA N T E X T • L I M S AY L I A N G

liste ni n g i n 耳を傾ける

BEST CAR ISSU E 0 1

Ma na mi Iwata ni, 26, has been in Singapore for three months, hosting a Japa nese radio progra mme on Tuesdays a nd Wednesdays, between 7: 00a m – 9: 00a m. Over 35,000 listeners in Singapore start their day by tu ning in to XF M 96. 3, a significa nt nu mber of the m local. She hopes her listeners start the day on a bright note, with enthusiasm, by doing the sa me herself. Back in Japa n, Ma na mi started her day traveling between Chiba a nd Tokyo. On the train, she penned a diary.

YURIA AND MANAMI’S TOP & BOTTOM • BYSI Y U R I A’ S S H O E S • C H A R L E S & K E I T H HEADPHONES • SONY MDR-PQ1 M P 3 P L AY E R • S O N Y WA L K M A N E 4 5 0

THE REGENT 1 CUSCADEN ROAD, S(249715) TEL: 6733-8888 2

Ring in the holiday season with festive treats from SomethingToGo, The Regent’s gourmet drive-thru delicatessen. Go for the gift-shaped Festive English Fruit Cake enveloped by an elegant baby blue marzipan wrapping with chic silver stars. “This year, we are presenting a modern approach to our Christmas cake. Symbolic of “unwrapping” a present and receiving an English fruit cake,” said Phillip Lee, the Regent’s pastry chef. Meanwhile, the silver-stars studding the “gift wrapper” are deliciously edible. “I got the idea of adding stars to the Christmas cake in one of my dreams! For this reason, our Christmas cake this year is embellished with 3-D silver stars. They are actually made of chocolate and dusted with edible silver powder,” said Lee.

This Christmas, Singapore Marriott shares the joy with SINGAPORE heavenly treats and celestial delights. Experience the MARRIOTT HOTEL warm hospitality and American festive tradition with their 320 ORCHARD ROAD, collection of yuletide cakes and pastries. Toast to the S(238865) season’s joy and happiness, with the Cranberry Cham TEL: 6831-4708 pagne Log Cake—a perfect bubbly blend of champagne 3 mousse, raspberry jam and fresh red currents. For a classic Christmas log cake with a twist, the Marriott’s pastry chefs have created the Yoghurt Black Forest Log Cake. Made from top-grade Greek-style yoghurt, this creamy delight is folded in with rich chocolate mousse and cherries. Lastly, take in the Christmas nostalgia with creamy French roasted chestnuts intermixed with soft chocolate coffee ganache in the Ivory Mocha Chestnut Log Cake.

Parking: $4.50 for first hour; $1.50 for subsequent ½ hour. No additional charges for weekends.

Parking: $3.00 for the first hour from 7am-6pm; $2.00 for subsequent ½ hour. The Regent also boasts of Singapore’s only “drive-thru delicatessen”, SomethingToGo.

Parking: On-site parking $3.00 per hour. Complimentary valet parking. No additional charges for weekends. DECEMBER 2010

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