Carma (April 2008)

ISSUE 39 CARMA • APRIL 2008

ISSUE 39 • APRIL 2008 • S$5.00

RETURN OF THE KING

WIN!

FO R M U L TI C K E T A D R I F T S G O O D I EA N D S

The new Toyota Corolla Altis is bigger, but is it better?

TESTED

PLUS! * Crazy, sexy, cool – at the wheel of a new Mini Cooper Clubman * Our resident Ah Beng defends his classic Honda Civic * Tech secrets of the BMW Hydrogen 7 * Behind the scenes – the training of Singapore’s F1 officials

Audi A8 Jaguar XJ6 Volvo V70 T6 Chrysler Sebring Cabriolet Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X SST Volkswagen Passat 1.8 Turbo

SPH MAGAZINES PTE LTD

GET THE DRIFT Two special Silvias, two talented pilots – ready to take on Formula Drift Singapore!

MICA (P) 136/05/2007

VROOM! minimag inside – go faster, look faster, accessorise all the way! coverApril08-.indd 1

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CONTENTS

INCARMATHIS APRIL2008 MONTH 06

EDITOR’S NOTE

08

MAILBOX

10

LOCAL NEWS OF THE MONTH

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MAIN EVENT Toyota Corolla Altis

22 24 26

MOTORMOUTHS Up! Up! And Away…

Chitty Chitty Beng Beng Formula Straight Up

28 30 32 33 34 36

WHEELSPINS Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X SST Jaguar XJ6 Audi A8 Volkswagen Passat 1.8 Turbo Chrysler Sebring Cabriolet Volvo V70 T6

44 TECH-KNOW Elementary Combustion 46 IN GEAR 49 VROOM! 98 CARMA CONTEST & PROMO 100 CARMA SUBSCRIPTION

FEATURES 38 Join The Club’ 42 Carma Driveaway – Genting Highlands

■ Good carma doesn’t get any better than this, the cutting-edge Fisker Karma hybrid prototype – read all about it on page 48 ■ Volkswagen Up! concept – check it out on page 22

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Carma April‘07

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EDITOR’S NOTE

MICA (P) 136/05/2007

Group Editor-In-Chief

Caroline Ngui | nguislc@sph.com.sg n EDITORIAL Chief Editor

David Ting | davidt@sph.com.sg Editor

Tony Tan | ttch@sph.com.sg Contributing Editors

Shreejit Changaroth Lynn Tan Art Director

Johnny Tan | johnnyt@sph.com.sg Editorial Support Manager

Alice Tay | tayaha@sph.com.sg Senior Editorial Coordinator

Fitriyanti Iyon | fitri@sph.com.sg Managing Director

Allen Loh | allenloh@sph.com.sg

t i r i p S T ing

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he nose hair trimmer – less popular than the electric shaver, more painful than the good old nail cutter, but nevertheless an important implement for personal grooming. This little device not only improves your sense of wellbeing, it also makes you look a bit better. How many times have we talked to a guy and got totally distracted by an unsightly black thicket sticking out from his nostrils? It’s so ugly that it makes pimples appear as cute as dimples.

Right after every nose hair trimming session, I feel like a new man, and one of the first things I like to do after that is to sink my face into the lush fur of my pet Momo and enjoy her relaxing musk. It’s a pleasant pungency that delights dog lovers like me.

I also savour anew the sweet scents of freshly-pressed clothes, new bedsheets, old books and piping hot coffee.

With my nostrils clean and clear, even my four-year-old vehicle interior smells unusually nice. The seat fabric and dashboard

CORB

SMELLS LIKE

O IS PHOT

General Manager

Sharon Wang | swang@sph.com.sg n ADVERTISING SALES Acting Ad Sales Director

Annie Tan | tanjla@sph.com.sg Associate Account Director

Alvin Chan | alvinc@sph.com.sg Senior Account Manager

Albert Loh | bertloh@sph.com.sg Account Manager

Jason Seah | jasons@sph.com.sg n SPECIAL PROJECTS Associate Director

Pang Lee Cheng | panglc@sph.com.sg n BRANDING & PROMOTIONS Director (Regional)

Cherie Ng | ngsyc@sph.com.sg Team Head

Angelina Choo | angiec@sph.com.sg

plastics are almost aromatic, there is a strong whiff of driving excitement from the steering wheel leather, and the exhaust fumes are perfume to this enthusiast. Pumping petrol becomes a nasal pleasure again as I get high on the 98-octane vapour seeping from the pump nozzle and my car’s fuel tank. Throw in a bouquet of burnt Bridgestone rubber, on top of roads redolent with the odour of countless transporters in all shapes and sizes, and it’s a twisted nirvana.

Indulge yourself in this issue with the new car smell of the Toyota Corolla Altis, the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X SST, the facelifted Jaguar XJ6 and Audi A8, the Volkswagen Passat 1.8 Turbo, the Chrysler Sebring Cabriolet, the Volvo V70 T6 and the Mini Cooper Clubman. Also have a sniff around the breathtaking Mod Jobs we’ve lined up for you – two Nissan S15 Silvias, a Bentley Continental GT and a BMW 325i.

Inhale, exhale, inhale, exhale…

David Ting Chief Editor

Manager

Laura Lau | lauralau@sph.com.sg Executive

Eileen Chen | eileenc@sph.com.sg n PUBLISHING SERVICES Director

Leong Tscheng Yee | leongty@sph.com.sg Manager

Alice Chee | siewyuen@sph.com.sg Coordinator

Zacky Wu | zackywu@sph.com.sg

Chief Executive Officer

Loh Yew Seng | lohys@sph.com.sg Business Development Director

Foong Seong Khong | foongsk@sph.com.sg Legal & Corporate Communications Head

Angeline Lee | leespaj@sph.com.sg Senior Human Resources Manager

Irene Lee | leebl@sph.com.sg Carma is published by SPH Magazines Pte Ltd 82 Genting Lane, Media Centre Level 7, Singapore 349567 Tel: 6319-6319 Fax: 6319-3038 E-mail: magcarma@sph.com.sg Company Registration No. 196900476M All rights reserved, ©2007 by SPH Magazines Pte Ltd. No portion of this publication covered by the copyright hereon may be reproduced in any form without the written consent of the publisher.

Opinions expressed in Carma by contributors and advertisers are not necessarily endorsed by the publisher. Unsolicited material may not be returned unless accompanied by a self-addressed envelope and sufficient postage.

Printed in Singapore by Times Printers Pte Ltd. Company Registration No. 196700328H Distributed by Singapore Press Holdings Ltd. Carma subscription: hotline 6388-3838, e-mail circs@sph.com.sg

Visit carma at www.carma.com.sg

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MAILBOX

STARTING YOUNG…

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ver since my boy laid his hands on an issue of Carma (he was just 9 months old then), I have not been worried about him not having something new to read every month. He will insist (in his own adorable ways) that he is the first to flip through the pages whenever we receive the latest issue. Even before he turned one year old, he could identify the major parts of a car (steering wheel, boot, exhaust pipes, etc) and the logos of many car brands. Carma has also ‘taught’ him several actions; for example, he learnt how to fold his arms across his chest and pose for a photo just by copying Shreejit and Tony! I am sure Carma will always be one of his favourite reads for a long time to come. Keep up the good work, guys (and girl)!

Ken

RAH, RAH…GT-R! Your sister magazine, Torque, just featured the new Nissan GT-R as their cover story and I am hoping that you guys are going to do the same and make it your next Main Event. I have spotted this supercar on the road a few times and it looks great; a mix of manga magic and modern styling.

I think it makes a Ferrari look boring. I don’t know how it drives yet, but I’m sure that it is going to be awesome; worth more than double what I paid for my 350Z. Well done, Nissan.

Serene Nah

e d , n

KARMA, COMING? The Feature on the Fisker Karma is brilliant and what a car! I do hope that someone brings it in. The Feature also mentioned that it would cost some 20 percent less than the Lexus LS600h in the US. I wonder if the same price differential will apply in Singapore, should the car land on our shores.

o r

e d r d

Henry Han

This issue’s best mail wins a $20 SPC petrol voucher and SYNACE – Fully Synthetic Servicing Package worth $105 (GST included).

Send in your mail – bouquets, brickbats, baby photos, etc – to carma@sph.com.sg – right now to win these fantastic prizes.

Prizes are kindly sponsored by SPC – Speedy Care: Auto Service Centre where Every Car Deserves A GOOD SERVICE...

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GUYS LIKE IT ‘SMALL’ I refer to Lynn’s recent column on men who like their cars big. I beg to differ - I actually like my cars small.

Generally, the bigger the car, the heavier and thirstier it is, which in today’s climate of ever-rising fuel prices is a waste of money. I’ve been driving for more than 10 years now and the largest-capacity car I’ve ever owned is a 1.3-litre Honda Fit. After my girlfriend got her driving licence, I sold the Fit and bought a Subaru R1 for her and an off-peak Mitsubishi i for myself. We are very happy with our two kei cars because of their fuel efficiency, cute looks and amazing flexibility. So forget about big cars, guys; go small and you will never go big again.

S L Ang

MOD JOB MECCA? Your Special Report on the Tokyo Auto Salon in last month’s issue was a tad disappointing. Its title gave me the impression that I was going to see more coverage than just 3 pages. I expected more details and more photos and the girls – the Auto Salon is all about these lovely race queens and the best you could muster was one page of them. Please, next year, can we have more?

WHY WORK?

It has never failed to amaze me that road works tend to sprout from the most unexpected places and during the most bizarre of timings.

Although time and money is of concern when it comes to road making and maintenance, I sincerely hope that the issue of safety is foremost on the minds of those who authorised these road works.

Take for example a busy cross-junction at a HDB estate. Traffic is high and there are many pedestrians. Yet I have seen many instances where road works are carried out at these places during the peak hours. Not only is this disruptive, it is also downright dangerous.

And I’m sure we have all encountered traffic jams along our expressways, only to find out that it was caused by workers pruning trees along the median. What were they thinking?

Ideally, I feel that works of any sort should be done during times were traffic is minimal e.g. between 10pm and 5am. That way, the potential danger posed to all concerned (motorists, pedestrians and workers) is kept to an absolute minimum.

Poh Woon Deng

Race Queen Search

IS IT LEGAL?

“PLEASE TAKE CARE OF MY CAR”

As a Nissan Silvia fan, I read with great interest the Mod Job review - “Sidewinder Missile”

by Carma Editor, Tony, in last month’s issue. The featured S15 would be similar to how I would do-up my dream Silvia stock-looking on the inside but packing a punch on the inside. However, I am sure that the Cusco roll cage is illegal to the best of my knowledge. The only road-going car homologated in Singapore with a factory-fitted roll cage is the Porsche 911 GT3 RS. Or am I wrong?

In your last issue, Queenie Toh wrote about the ‘black sheep’ among the local motoring journalists in her Motormouth piece - Press Clubbed.

As far as I am concerned, these journalists should be banned by the local car companies. Recently, I heard about a motoring journalist who crashed a half-a-million-dollar sports car which was on loan to him. The time and venue of the accident seemed to suggest that he was doing more than just evaluating the car. I strongly feel that the car company in question should take him to task and hold him responsible for the damage.

C K Foo

Tommy K

COOL MODS! I love your Mod Job reviews in the VROOM section (March 2008 issue). The layouts were sensible, the reviews were easy to read and the photos were simply wonderful. I love photos that spread over 2 pages and they were quite a few nice ones. I have just one request - can you include more information such as power, torque and the all-important 0 – 100km/h timing in the future? It will make the stories much more meaningful to read.

Peter Ho April ‘08 Carma

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words David Ting

LOCAL NEWS OF THE MONTH

AMERICAN

EXPRESS ■ GM ODC boss Kittichai Jarusrojpoka with his company’s pride and joy, the Chevy Corvette C6

G

eneral Motors has brought in a racy red 2008 Chevrolet Corvette C6 for a three-month rolling tour, with America’s signature sports car slated to appear in local Chevrolet showrooms and at special roadshows in Causeway Point, Suntec City and IMM. Check out the car’s schedule of appearances at www.chevrolet.com.sg. The Corvette’s last Singapore stop will be No.3 Ubi Road 4 and it will be shipped out at the end of May. Highlights of the sporty Chevy Corvette, the Stateside equivalent of the Porsche 911, include a 430bhp 6.2-litre small-block V8, a

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six-speed paddle-shift auto transmission and composite body panels with removable roof.

The latest Corvette C6 is capable of 190mph (over 300km/h) and accelerates from nought to 100km/h in just 4.3 seconds, but there won’t be any local road test of the left-hand drive vehicle.

In conjunction with its high-profile Corvette showcase, General Motors launched a 108-page book called The Chevy Love Affair.

Nicely produced in Singapore and distributed free to all new and existing Chevrolet owners, the easy-to-read book tells the tale of Chevrolet from its 1911 founding to its future, with a

section dedicated to the brand’s success in Singapore and cheekily titled “Can Chevy find love in one of the smallest, most expensive and complex markets in the world?”

This inspired marketing campaign is believed to cost General Motors $200,000.

At the launch event, GM Overseas Distribution Corporation managing director Kittichai Jarusrojpoka said, “With The Chevy Love Affair book, we hope that we can give Singaporeans a very real sense of what it means to own a Chevy, and who knows, perhaps begin their own love affair with Chevys too.”

Carma April ‘08

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words David Ting

LOCAL NEWS OF THE MONTH

IN THE SHOWROOM NOW MAZDA 5 Mazda’s under-rated “6+One” rival to the Stream and Wish has been updated for 2008. Compared to its predecessor, the new-spec 5 offers slightly sharper styling, superior interior features and better-resolved dynamics.

Key new upgrades for the car are twin power-sliding rear doors (with remote operation), a five-speed automatic transmission (previously four gears), rear stand-alone air-con vents and an improved cockpit with classier instrument meters, tidier switchgear and a built-in six-CD MP3 player with a convenient auxiliary jack. On the move, the renewed 5 benefits from effective suspension revisions which noticeably improve its ride, handling and refinement.

The Mazda newcomer is priced at $77,988 including COE.

CITROEN C4 PICASSO Another new compact MPV in town is the five-seater version of the C4 Picasso, a smaller and more stylish alternative to its sister model, the Grand C4 Picasso.

Still faithful to Citroen’s ‘visiospace’ concept, which creates an airy and roomy cabin, the non-Grand Picasso is the perfect size for a household of four or five and its family-friendly features include generous interior space, excellent peripheral visibility, versatile modular seating and high levels of on-board comfort. Prices for the newly-arrived C4 Picasso are marginally lower than for the Grand C4 Picasso and start from $97,988.

JAGUAR XF Malayan Motors finally has an all-new Jag to sell, in the slinky form of the mould-breaking XF saloon. A bold new chapter for the British marque, albeit with S-Type mechanicals and XK suspension, the new XF advances the art of modern Jaguar design and hits its German rivals where it hurts. Especially impressive is the stylish XF cockpit, whose nicest features include a cool rotary knob for the six-speed autobox, a dramatic start-up sequence, a terrific touch-screen dashboard display and JaguarSense, a sophisticated proximity control system that activates the cabin lights and opens the glovebox with a Jedi-like wave of your hand. Real wood, luxurious leather and aluminium aplenty complete the interesting interior. On-the-road prices for the exciting new XF are $175k for the entry-level 3-litre V6, $207k for the premium 3.0 and $295k for the flagship SV8 with a supercharged 416bhp 4.2-litre V8.

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MAIN EVENT

BETTER BREAD AND BUTTER New and improved, the honest-to-goodness Toyota Corolla Altis is all the family car you need words Tony Tan, Lynn Tan, Shreejit Changaroth photos Tan Meng Choon

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April ‘08 Carma

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MAIN EVENT

THE PRACTICAL FACTOR TONY TAN

Tony is Carma’s Mr Practicality, Mr Hi-Fi and Mr Accessories all rolled into one. He is also a big-time dog lover who owns some of the cutest canines we have ever seen.

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■ The new double-deck glovebox is very useful

IN TERMS OF STANDARD EQUIPMENT, THE LATEST COROLLA ALTIS OFFERS SIGNIFICANTLY MORE THAN ITS PREDECESSOR…

T

his 10th generation Corolla (Altis) is the largest yet – 10mm longer and 15mm broader, with wider front and rear tracks. These increased dimensions, plus the cabin’s rear flat floor, have made the interior much more airy and roomy.

A dinner trip with four friends in the new car confirmed this – my three buddies (averaging about 1.7m and 72kg) were pleasantly surprised by the amount of ‘freedom’ they had on the backseat, and this was immediately after our sumptuous buffet dinner. A subsequent detour to Parkway Parade for retail therapy also revealed a cavernous boot – it measures 475 litres, enough to swallow 10 shopping bags with space to spare However, it’s not the increased spaciousness that captured my attention at my first meeting with the new Corolla Altis. It’s the improved design and greater number of standard features. While the previous model had a rather bland-looking cabin with basic amenities, its successor has upped the ante with an interior that is stylish and equipped with a long list of specifications.

Let’s start with the cockpit design first.

Hard plastic still dominates the dashboard, particularly the areas around the centre console and gear lever. However, the mixedtone colour scheme makes it look quite classy.

Also contributing to this ‘feel-good’ factor are the curved surfaces of the upper dash, which are nice to run your hands over. Even the door panels have been given a rework and they look more attractive now.

■ Backseat space and comfort have been improved noticeably

Finding a good driving position is a cinch, helped by the multi-adjustable seat and the new telescopic/tilt steering wheel, the latter a nice touch in a car of this class. The Corolla Altis also scores well in the stowage department, with compartments of all types spread thoughtfully around the cabin. These include front cupholders, deep door pockets, a flip-down rear armrest with another two cupholders, a two-tier centre console box with a slide-type armrest, a small drawer under the rightmost air vent and a utility hook alongside the front passenger footwell perfect for takeaways. The glovebox is a really practical affair, being a commodious doubledecker with individual lids.

In terms of standard equipment, the latest Corolla Altis offers significantly more than its predecessor. Top of the list is the factory-fitted touch-screen hi-fi system. I wager that this 2-DIN head-unit is the first thing you notice when you get into the driver’s seat. Its crystal-clear LCD displays colours brilliantly, while its clearlymarked icons, as well as the pushbutton controls, make operating it very easy. Making it even more convenient are the buttons on the steering wheel for adjusting the volume and choosing the source input, i.e. FM, DVD and Auxiliary.

The all-new climate control panel sits below the head-unit and is headlined by a circular set of buttons featuring a shiny chrome surround and angled indication lights which illuminate when the respective buttons are depressed. Like for the hi-fi, mastering the functions of the air-con system is as easy as ABC. Speaking of buttons, there is another one – “DISP” – on the steering wheel that lets you select the driving data you require to be shown on the multi-information display, which is conveniently located within the Optitron tachometer. This useful on-board computer shows pertinent performance figures such as instantaneous fuel consumption, average fuel consumption and distance to empty, plus time of the day, outside temperature and warning messages.

The car comes shod with sporty 15-inch alloy wheels wearing 195/65 R15 Bridgestone Turanza ER300 tyres, which are noted for their quietness and ride comfort as well as their all-weather performance. For the two days I had the car with me, it was raining buckets on one of the days and blazing hot on the other, and the tyres held up well all the way, making driving the new Altis comfortable and predictable throughout.

On the safety front, the new Corolla Altis offers the protection of driver and front passenger airbags, all-round disc brakes with anti-lock and Brake Assist, an impact-absorbing body structure and a newly-specified three-point seatbelt for the rear centre passenger in place of the previous two-point lapbelt.

April ‘08 Carma

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MAIN EVENT

THE ORLANDO BLOOM FACTOR LYNN TAN

Lynn is Carma’s resident girlracer, but she is otherwise gentle and soft-spoken.

Her occupation is Architect and her preoccupation is Driving Enthusiast.

Lynn is the only active female editor in the local car magazine scene.

W

hat do the new Corolla Altis and Orlando Bloom have in common?

If not for the recent television commercial that has been airing on local channels, you probably will not associate the two. But both the star of Lord Of The Rings and Pirates Of The Caribbean fame and the world’s top-selling passenger car have risen to stardom from humble beginnings, and both still maintain an unassuming disposition despite being international stars in their own right. It is not the first time that Toyota has engaged a Hollywood celebrity ambassador to push a new car. Before Orlando Bloom there was Brad Pitt, who was featured as a high-flying

executive whose source of relaxation was a drive in his (previous) Corolla Altis. It is evident that no expense has been spared when it comes to marketing Toyota’s bread-and-butter model.

Such big-budget campaigns have paid off and helped reap sales figures of over 30 million units across 143 countries worldwide.

The Corolla has enjoyed over 40 years of success since its first generation was launched in 1966. It says a lot about a car when the launch is graced by the Chief Engineer rather than the Chief Designer. But for a car that is synonymous with hard traits such as quality, durability and reliability, its soft side, as far as design is concerned, does not pale in comparison.

■ The new steering wheel features a set of multi-function buttons

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BEFORE ORLANDO BLOOM THERE WAS BRAD PITT, WHO WAS FEATURED AS A HIGHFLYING EXECUTIVE WHOSE SOURCE OF RELAXATION WAS A DRIVE IN HIS (PREVIOUS) COROLLA ALTIS…

The exterior of the all-new Corolla Altis is based on what is termed the “Sweep Cut”. It sounds like some hair salon technique – Blunt Cut, Bob Cut, Clipper Cut etc – but it is basically a process of removing excess bulk off the exterior surfaces to create a more sculpted and streamlined appearance. The 10th generation Asian Corolla sports two creases on either side of the bonnet – one extends upwards from the front grille, while the other continues downwards from the A-pillars. These two sets of sweeping lines come together in a tenuous coupling that almost interlocks but not quite to create a dynamic waltzing movement. The halogen headlamps have an almost human-like,

benevolent character. They taper off towards the top outer corner and continue past the door sills along a chiselled jaw-line by the side of the car.

This new ‘baby Camry’ is 10mm longer, 55mm wider and 15mm lower than before, giving it broader shoulders and a lower stance and thus creating an overall sportier appearance. In the right colour with the right rubber and rims, this supposedly sedate sedan may just surprise you.

These days, seductive curves and flashy performance seem to steal all the limelight and the new Corolla Altis seems every bit the unlikely star. But if all this predictability is beginning to bore you, all you need to do is just imagine Orlando Bloom in the seat next to you.

■ Optitron meters add a premium touch to the ergonomic cockpit April ‘08 Carma

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MAIN EVENT

THE DARWIN FACTOR SHREEJIT CHANGAROTH

Shreejit is an overgrown boyracer at heart and a walking encyclopedia of automotive technology.

He is also a sucker for fast cars and good booze, but not both at the same time and place, of course.

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harles Darwin (1809-1882) theorised that populations evolve over the course of generations through a process of natural selection. He used the term “evolution” to define the natural process and mechanism where any species will retain and modify characteristics and traits that guarantee survival, and at the same time degenerate and eventually eliminate those traits that are detrimental to continuance. Darwin should have been around today to witness a perfect example

■ The revised four-speed automatic is smooth and responsive

of his Theory of Evolution – the Toyota Corolla.

In the year 1966, Toyota introduced a small but good-looking sedan no larger than today’s Yaris. They called it the Corolla and no one (except perhaps Darwin if he were alive and Toyota themselves) could ever have imagined at the time that this little car built around simple mechanicals (rear-drive live axle, push-rod engine, four-speed manual gearbox) would become the world’s favourite family saloon. Now in its 10th generation, the Corolla is still a bestseller around the world and still based on tried and tested automotive design. So while you will just about notice the all-new wider, longer body and the totally restyled interior, the drivetrain and chassis have undergone a Darwinian type of evolution, which means the best parts of the Corolla’s anatomy are carried over with detailed modifications.

The 2008 Corolla Altis is powered by the same smooth 1.6-litre four-cylinder 16-valve engine as the previous model. The 109bhp sounds rather meager, but with performance characteristics tuned for family duties, this trusty engine is quick to respond to the throttle in the normal driving range of 1500rpm to 5000rpm.

Part of the package is of course the four-speed automatic gearbox which plays the engine’s perfect partner, changing ratios smoothly and responding to the driver’s right foot with immediacy. As a result, the Corolla feels much quicker than the on-paper figures might suggest.

Toyota obviously knows that no buyer of this model is ever likely to extract maximum performance, but he nonetheless expects some level of eagerness to comfortably keep pace with the rest of the traffic. We probably drove the car with much more vigour than most Corolla owners ever would, revving the engine to its 6400rpm redline frequently and taking off from lights quicker than the rest of the flow, yet the average fuel consumption (as displayed by the on-board computer) never dropped below 11 kilometres per litre.

There is nothing fancy in the chassis department – MacPherson struts in front, torsion beam at the rear, four-wheel disc brakes. It’s all comfort-oriented and designed to provide safe and easy handling. The power steering with electric assistance is extremely light and lacks feel, but this is an integral part of the

driving experience expected by Corolla owners because twirling the steering wheel three-anda-half turns from lock to lock is an effortless task, making parking a real breeze. Although the suspension is essentially inherited from the earlier generation, the 2008 Corolla feels more softly sprung, which is good for a comfortable ride but not so for outright handling, yet the car handles with better precision than before, exhibiting less understeer and ultimately more grip. The new car’s braking system now includes EBD (Electronic Brake-force Distribution) to modulate front-to-rear brake balance under different situations and Brake Assist, which supplements the stopping force during sudden, panic braking situations.

The genetic origins of Toyota’s new Corolla Altis are unmistakable, but the highly effective evolution that has taken place is equally indisputable.

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THE GENETIC ORIGINS OF TOYOTA’S NEW COROLLA ALTIS ARE UNMISTAKABLE, BUT THE HIGHLY EFFECTIVE EVOLUTION THAT HAS TAKEN PLACE IS EQUALLY INDISPUTABLE…

SUMMARY TOYOTA COROLLA ALTIS 1.6 (A) PRICE $68,388 including COE LENGTH 4540mm WIDTH 1760mm HEIGHT 1465mm WHEELBASE 2600MM KERB WEIGHT 1195kg TYRES 195/65 R15 Bridgestone Turanza ER300 ENGINE 4 cylinders in line, 1598cc DOHC 16V POWER 109bhp@6000rpm TORQUE 145Nm@4400rpm GEARBOX 4-speed automatic 0-100km/h 12.2sec TOP SPEED 175km/h FUEL CONSUMPTION 7.7L/100km combined cycle

X Logical improvements, practical interior, comfortable ride, adequate amenities

Z Predictable redesign, ordinary dynamics, limited levels of motoring excitement

■ Moving the Roomster is a hardworking 1.6-litre four-cylinder hooked up to a quick-thinking Tiptronic six-speed automatic April ‘08 Carma

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by Justin Lee Chen-Chung

MOTORMOUTH

UP! UP! AND AWAY… Volkswagen returns to its roots with the rear-engine, rear-drive Up! concept car, which brings this writer back to his automotive design days

“N

ecessity is the mother of invention” – a proverb that many know but seldom acknowledge to be the crux behind some of the greatest and most progressive car designs. The original Mini, the Volkswagen Beetle (again, the original one), for example, and also the current scrambling to find alternative sources of fuel to power our vehicles.

Towards the end of 2007, the launch of two city cars – one a prototype and the other a new production model – brought home this golden truth in a resounding and clear voice. The remarkable thing is that these two cars are from disparate and different origins, as well as being from different parts of the world.

The first is the Up! city car concept from

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Volkswagen, which was shown as a three-door at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September, as a five-door in Tokyo a month later and as a fuel-cell hybrid in Detroit at the beginning of this year. After wholeheartedly abandoning the rear-engine, rear-drive (RR) configuration that dominated its line-up for much of the ’50s, ’60s and ’70s, the “People’s Car” company had returned to the original concept that Ferdinand Porsche developed for Adolf Hitler just before World War II. In fact, so convinced that the RR format was ‘wrong’ and its then-new frontengine, front-drive (FF) configuration was ‘right’, the good Germans from Wolfsburg developed an entire family of cars, from the little Lupo to the hugely popular Golf, based on this layout.

In the early ’90s, when I was about to

graduate from Art Center College of Design and car companies were coming in to view the students’ portfolios, it was the suits at Volkswagen who were particularly critical of my two rear-engined proposals – one a compact city car and the other a mid-engined rotary sports sedan. If memory serves me right, the comments were that “there is no future in rear-engined cars”, and “it’s impossible to make it work as a package”. Wisdom indeed from the VW design studio head at the time.

Why the about-face from VW 20 years later?

Perhaps they have realised, as I had as a student in the late ’80s, that Ferdinand Porsche’s original concept for the Beetle was for a very compact engine, like a horizontally-opposed unit (or a rotary Wankel), and this actually does free up

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a tremendous amount of interior room for the passengers within a very compact footprint on the road.

This is why the original VW had a lightweight magnesium engine limited to 1-litre cubic capacity. As the demand for more power and performance grew, this forced the engine size up to a portly 1.6 litres before the Beetle’s demise in the late ’70s. And mind you, all this additional weight is behind the rear axle. This is also why I still maintain that the Porsche 911’s flat-six, no matter what everyone else says, is still in the wrong place!

But more than just space efficiency, it is cost that has driven VW back to the RR configuration. According to its bean counters, an RR car is actually cheaper to produce than today’s FF models, and this is vitally important to VW because of its largely Eurocentric production base. So even though the new Up! will share very little mechanically with the Golf or any other member of the VW family, the costs saved and the car’s expected popularity in South America, India and China will more than justify its bespoke configuration.

Almost as if to confirm Volkswagen’s findings about how to produce a cost-efficient yet characterful small car by reviving RR,

WHEN I WAS ABOUT TO GRADUATE FROM ART CENTER AND CAR COMPANIES WERE COMING IN TO VIEW THE STUDENTS’ PORTFOLIOS, IT WAS THE SUITS AT VOLKSWAGEN WHO WERE PARTICULARLY CRITICAL OF MY TWO REAR-ENGINED PROPOSALS…

Ratan Tata showed off the Rs 1 lakh (roughly US$2500) Nano at the New Delhi Auto Expo just a few months ago. Driven to develop the most affordable car in the world, against the judgment of various naysayers from Suzuki and Toyota, is it no surprise that the Tata Nano is also a rear-engine, rear-drive ultra-compact, a 7/8 scale VW Up! in so many ways? Tata already has the Indica, a Fiat-derived FF five-door hatchback, but to produce the Nano, a car that is even more cost-effective to produce, a radically new solution had to be sought – and it is a return

to RR! Without a doubt, the moment the Nano hits the market, it will be snapped up, not just by the Indian middle class but also by every car company to be thoroughly studied. General Motors has already said that it will attempt to develop a rival to the Tata Nano.

So will the VW Up! and Tata Nano spawn a revolution, just as the original Beetle did in the ’50s and ’60s? I certainly hope so. The future certainly looks bright for compact car design, thanks to these two small wonders.

April‘ 08 Carma

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by Yang Quan Fa

MOTORMOUTH

CHITTY CHITTY BENG BENG

The classic Honda Civic, Ah Bengs’ magical car, has a great believer in this writer

BEING THOUGHT TO HAVE AH BENG CHARACTERISTICS LENDS AN OTHERWISE DULL PERSON AN AURA OF DANGER, SUAVENESS, COOL, COLOUR…

“C

ivic?! So Beng!” If I get a buck for every time someone says that to my face after I tell them what I’m driving, I would have saved enough to buy a KFC Family Feast – only because I don’t have that many friends to say that to me, and I’m not disposed to reveal such details to people I’ve just met.

“Beng” – why do some people say it like it’s a bad thing? And does one mean to imply that the Ah Beng – the son of the soil in the local context (though Singapore is all-concrete) who, according to local social commentators, likes to squat by the roadside, suck noisily and speak Hokkien, showing an unaffected middle finger to the world behind his every unstudied gesture – drives a Honda Civic? Hard to imagine, when the recent generations of the Civic are so civilised.

The choice mode of transport… no, the de rigeur mode of transport for any Ah Beng of substance (tinted hair, loud mouth and all) modified to the full extent of his comics-fuelled imagination (Wind And Cloud, not Archie) and tackily brash sense of style, is not quite like the lamb that first rolled off the showroom floor.

After an Ah Beng is done with his Civic (not unlike how many women imagine they will change their men, though the Ah Beng-Civic conversion programme swings in the opposite direction,

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not in bringing refinement but taking it away), it will have a cannon exhaust, crazy doublestacked rear spoilers like IKEA shoe racks, a rumble like Ah Beng’s dad hawking phlegm, and springs cut off at the knees so the car can hug the road like a mutant Hoover, comfort be damned. At the very, very least, if the budget does not allow such major mods, it would have stickers. Quite a few of them.

In this way, the classic Civic has become a requisite Ah Beng accessory, as much as the trophy Ah Lian girlfriend who is the perpetual passive co-pilot. Okay, I’m being a little unfair with “trophy”, because quite a few of these guys marry their secondary school Ah Lian sweethearts and have kids, whereupon they seal their dreams and future in a sevenseater Stream. So sweet! And likewise in the public imagination, the Ah Beng has forever become chained to the cult of Honda, creating quite a marketing nightmare for the Japanese automaker.

Now my plea, for Honda to recreate an affordable fast car for Ah Beng and friends.

Make it frugal to run too. Cos say what one likes,

while being an Ah Beng smacks of low class in some quarters, being thought to have Ah Beng characteristics lends an otherwise dull person an aura of danger, suaveness, cool, colour.

Why else would half a dozen senior newspaper journalists declare in lengthy articles that they are actually Ah Bengs at heart (even the women confessed to being Ah Lians, so romanticised was the notion) when the newspapers did a massive feature on the Ah Beng phenomena some years ago (as some national culture tribute thing, if I remember correctly)? Why else would a car boss go on local radio sounding like the Ah Beng he isn’t, to sell more cars? Ah Bengs got character lah.

Am I an Ah Beng then? Of course I am. I drive a Civic, don’t I? ‘Brack corour’ some more.

Carma April ‘08

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PHILIP Ads 08.indd 1

28/03/2008 6:06:32 PM

by Lynn Tan

MOTORMOUTH

FORMULA STRAIGHT

UP

Formula 1 is definitely the biggest motorsports event ever to hit Singapore and everyone wants a piece of the action, but how you want to enjoy it is entirely up to you

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he words “long-awaited” have never been more heartfelt than where Formula 1 is concerned. A few years ago, it seemed nothing more than just a far-fetched dream. One year ago, it became a very real possibility as the government and various stakeholders engaged in discussions and we petrolheads kept our fingers crossed.

Most news headlines are forgotten in a matter of days, weeks at best – well, it has been some 11 months since the official announcement that Singapore will host a leg of the Formula 1 2008 World Championship race series, but the level of interest has not waned the least bit.

In fact, with race day less than six months away, everyone is getting more excited than ever and everybody wants to be part of this unprecedented event in the history of motorsports in Singapore. Just look at the overwhelming response to the launch of the corporate hospitality packages and the first phase of the general ticket sales and you have an indication of how much Singaporeans and the rest of the world are looking forward to this. And judging by the many members of the public who have registered for a chance to become a race marshal, we know that there is a sizeable group of us out there whose hot-blooded passion for the pinnacle of motorsport cannot be satiated simply by being a spectator.

A group of us were fortunate enough to be selected as senior officials and given the opportunity to undergo our first round of training at Adelaide’s Clipsal 500, Round 1 of the V8 Supercar Championship, Australia’s largest domestic motorsport series. This event has been held in Adelaide on a shortened version of the former Formula 1 street circuit for 10 years now, after the Australian Grand Prix moved to Albert Park, Melbourne in 1996. Besides V8 Supercars, there are also support races such as Formula 3, Australian GT Championship and V8 Utes. The training was conducted by the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport (CAMS), appointed as the official race organisation consultant for the 2008 Formula 1 SingTel Singapore Grand Prix, and we received both textbook knowledge as well as hands-on experience over the four-day

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■ Lynn has the hots for the Iceman, Ferrari pilot Kimi Raikkonen

the best ever. Never mind the challenges of this being our debut race, of it being the first night race in Formula 1 history, the first F1 street spectacle in Asia and one of three races in the 2008 F1 calendar to run anti-clockwise. If we put our hearts into it and work as a team, like all other great Singaporean endeavours, we will succeed.

To work the ground and be involved as a race official or to sit back and just soak up the race as a spectator, you choose how you want your Singapore shot of Formula 1 served, similar to how you would order a drink. For us officials, we are having ours straight up..

TO WORK THE GROUND AND BE INVOLVED AS A RACE OFFICIAL OR TO SIT BACK AND JUST SOAK UP THE RACE AS A SPECTATOR, YOU CHOOSE HOW YOU WANT YOUR SINGAPORE SHOT OF FORMULA 1 SERVED, SIMILAR TO HOW YOU WOULD ORDER A DRINK…

photo: Harjit Singh & Henry Fung

course at the Clipsal 500. We were exposed to as many aspects of officiating and organising a race as possible as we shadowed our Australian mentors and learnt first-hand their specific roles and duties. These officials and marshals come from all over Australia and many have been volunteering for 10, 20, even 30 years. Apart from the expertise and experience which they selflessly and patiently imparted, their sporting spirit and love for what they do is something that we Singapore officials really admire. Even after decades in this line of work, their dedication, passion and fervour is still infectious and shall be a great source of inspiration and encouragement to us as we embark on our maiden journey as race officials.

Beyond the invaluable learning experience, there was the thrill of watching 29 600bhp V8 racecars barreling their way around the circuit and taking corners at speeds in excess of 200km/h. We were also treated to a parade of Murray Walker’s Extreme Machines comprising dream cars such as the Bugatti Veyron, Ford GT, Pagani Zonda and the Lamborghini Murcielago.

And for the guys, there was a feast for their eyes in grid girl paradise. Most importantly, the Singapore contingent thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to gather with a group of like-minded motorsport enthusiasts. Despite our diverse backgrounds, we share a common passion for motor racing and are chasing a common goal in performing our roles to the best of our ability to make Singapore’s inaugural Formula 1 race

■ Staging the inaugural Singapore Grand Prix is as complicated as this F1 steering wheel, but it will be a success for sure come September 2008

■ The enthusiastic senior race officials of the 2008 Formula 1 SingTel Singapore Grand Prix trained Down Under for their big day

April ‘08 Carma

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words & photos Yang

WHEELSPIN

SUPERSONIC TRANSPORT Mitsubishi’s much-anticipated twin-clutch gearbox makes its debut in the Evolution X, taking the flying Lancer from hero to superhero faster than you can say “SST”

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ompromise is usually a good thing – a neutral ground where the parties involved can be equally happy. However, there might come a time when, let’s say, you want to buy that hot new driving machine and your other half can’t handle a manual transmission. Do you flip a coin? Or put up with a black-faced girlfriend while giving your wrist muscles a workout for the rest of your relationship? Or succumb to pressure and buy a car with a slushbox?

Mitsubishi had both the Evo VII GT-A and Evo IX wagon available in automatic guise, but let’s face it, the taunting you had to endure from your hard-core boyracer friends just isn’t worth it.

Thankfully, with the introduction of Mitsubishi’s latest six-speed TC-SST (Twin Clutch Sport Shift Transmission), your auto-only chick can now drive your new turbo toy and yet you don’t have to accept any performance disadvantage associated

with the loss of a clutch pedal.

Actually, there are two clutches in this car and the SST system selects two gears at the same time by putting odd (1st, 3rd, 5th) and even (2nd, 4th and 6th) gears on separate input shafts, each connected to an individual clutch.

While one gear is engaged by one of the two electrohydraulically-operated wet multi-plate clutches, the other is pre-selected, awaiting engagement. Gear changes are made when the clutches are ‘swapped’ simultaneously, allowing extremely fast, smooth and lag-free gearchanges with no interruption in power delivery.

Technical babble aside, how does it perform in real life? There are three modes to select from – Normal, Sport and S-Sport – via a toggle switch located next to the shift lever. In Normal mode and with the manual-style shifter in “D”, the Evo X SST drives like a typical automatic. The gearshifts are smooth and all one feels is the

change in engine note as the transmission works its way through the gears. This mode is perfect for the daily traffic grind and when you’re feeling lazy. There’s even forward ‘creep’ built-in like a real automatic. In Sport mode, things get more interesting as the gearshifts are much faster, yet still seamless, and the system now ‘senses’ when you’re charging hard and then employs a sportier shift-map that will cause the transmission to downshift more aggressively so that you’re always in the correct gear for maximum acceleration out of anywhere.

With the car stationary, hold the SST toggle for three seconds to go into S-Sport mode. Maybe this is Mitsubishi giving the driver a sense of occasion when selecting this no-holds-barred gearbox mode. Push the lever over to the rightside gate to select manual mode (you can play with S-Sport in D too) and hang on! Gearshifts in S-Sport mode are performed in double-quick

Gearshifts in S-Sport mode are performed in double-quick time without any hint of transmission shunt…

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SUMMARY MITSUBISHI LANCER EVOLUTION X SST 2.0 ■ Magnesium alloy paddle shifters and a manual-like gear lever control the terrific Twin Clutch Sport Shift Transmission

PRICE $159,988 including COE ENGINE 4 cylinders in line, 1998cc DOHC 16V turbo POWER 280bhp@6500rpm TORQUE 422Nm@3500rpm 0-100km/h 5.2sec (estimated) TOP SPEED 180km/h (limited)

X Awesome transmission, even more accessible acceleration

Z Price, no extras to differentiate it from the non-SST model

time without any hint of transmission shunt, which is truly amazing. The uncanny thing here is the speediness when downshifting as well.

Just pull back on the silver paddles located ergonomically behind the steering wheel – or if you prefer, nudge the shift lever forward/back to shift down/up – and full-bore gearchanges are performed faster than you as a manual driver can ever achieve. And because you don’t have to let up on the accelerator, there is no turbo lag from the same 280bhp all-alloy 4B11 engine found under the five-speed manual Evo X. Having an additional ratio also means the rpm drop between shifts is now smaller, taking the Evo’s

accelerative prowess to yet another level.

The manual Evo X is no slouch, but the SST-equipped version just feels so much livelier and punchier. It gives new meaning to the term “point-and-shoot performance”. You arrive at corners faster than ever and downshifts – complete with stabilising throttle blips – are performed without having to remove your hands from the steering, thus permitting 100 percent control and maximum commitment to the task at hand. Oh, and if you’re feeling brave, ASC can be totally deactivated (press and hold) or left in nanny mode (press once). We suggest letting ASC keep one eye open on public roads.

So what’s the bad news? Being Singaporean, we all know that there has to be a catch somewhere. Well, it’s the price and also the question of gearbox longevity. All SST-equipped Evo Xs will be full-spec cars boasting Blistein dampers, lightweight 18-inch BBS forged alloy wheels and front brake discs with floating hubs.

Damage to your wallet? The wrong side of $150k and a whopping $22k more than the manual Evo X. And since Evo owners are known to fettle their cars, we wonder if the SST six-speeder is up to the task of handling another 140bhp or so. Then again, you don’t buy a pregnancy test kit when you pick up the latest ultra-thin condom, right?

April ‘08 Carma

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words Shreejit Changaroth photos Yang

WHEELSPIN

THE ‘ARISTOCAT’ SPORTS A NEW LOOK Jaguar’s XJ flagship benefits from styling tweaks and subtle revisions to keep it fresh for at least another couple of years

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ags, particularly the XJ models, are bought by loyalists who are most probably long-time enthusiasts of the ‘leaping cat’. They usually replace one Jag with another, prefer wood over carbonfibre and find German car interiors “uninviting”.

Brand loyalty is one thing, but automakers like Jaguar need to create a product that not only continues to satisfy the existing customers but also entices defectors from other brands. When the all-aluminium XJ (model code X350) was launched in 2003, the overall consensus was that while it retained traditional Jaguar styling, it had lost the sleek elegance of the original 1968 XJ6 which was arguably the finest-looking saloon of its time. Still, the modern flagship’s larger dimensions and lightweight aluminium body offered significant improvements in cabin space and performance respectively.

The XJ has just been through a facelift, mainly to freshen its appearance, but it is obvious the styling changes have been aimed at giving the XJ a sportier character. So perhaps the company is at last beginning to revamp the image of Jaguar cars, harking back to the early glory days

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It is obvious the styling changes have been aimed at giving the XJ a sportier character… of “Grace, Space, Pace”. Despite their opulence, Jaguars through the ’40s, ’50s and ’60s were very much about performance too and with some degree of optimism, we are expecting the next generation of Jags to be genuine sports-luxury sedans. For the moment, a restyled front end with body-coloured grille and a gaping lower airdam in the completely new bumper, plus those neat vertical vents behind the front wheels, all work pretty well. And apart from the wire-mesh inserts (in plastic, by the way), there is not much shiny chrome at the front anymore. Yes, the improved

XJ now looks like a sporty luxury saloon.

Under the bonnet of the XJ, the existing six- and eight-cylinder engines soldier on, but they are decent powerplants anyway. The entry-level 3-litre V6 that we test here produces 240bhp, which was well above average in 2003 but now eclipsed by German and Japanese rivals. However, the XJ still has an edge thanks to the bonded and riveted aluminium chassis and body that give it a kerb weight, even in this long-wheelbase version, of just 1545kg when the average for the class is closer to 1.7 tonnes.

Performance therefore is better than you would expect, and while it is not likely to qualify for the hot four-door category, sharp throttle response in combination with well-matched gear ratios and a quick-acting six-speed automatic make the best of the 300Nm. We all know, of course, that there are V8 and supercharged V8 XJs to satisfy the Jag-man with grippy driving gloves.

A mere 125mm extra in the wheelbase (which thus spans 3160mm) is what you get in the XJ LWB, but you would think there is twice that much if you sat in the rear. There are also redesigned seats that further enhance the

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SUMMARY JAGUAR XJ6 LWB 3.0 (A) PRICE $285,000 including COE ENGINE 6 cylinders in vee, 2967cc DOHC 24V POWER 240bhp@6800rpm TORQUE 300Nm@4100rpm 0-100km/h 8.1sec ■ It’s a luxurious lounge in here, all wrapped in soft-grain leather

spaciousness in front and more so in the rear.

Passengers being driven will have no complaints then on the level of comfort this car has to offer.

They will also be treated to the exquisite aroma of soft leather that the seats and much of the door pads are upholstered in.

Where the cabin disappoints is in the design, build and layout of the dashboard. It needs more style, more quality, more Jaguar character; not just newly-specified Bluetooth connectivity.

More round gauges, for a start. The driver will nonetheless have little difficulty finding a perfectly comfortable seating position and then when the car starts moving, he will be oddly curious at the way the Jaguar ‘floats’. It makes for an extremely comfortable ride for sure, but gives the driver an impression that it will roll and lurch around corners. Fortunately, this is just the way Jaguar’s Computer Active Technology Suspension (CATS) works, because the moment you throw the XJ into a corner, the suspension takes on a different character. The car stays flat and grips with all four tyres, absorbing surface disturbances without upsetting its composure.

In fact, it turns out that this gentle Jag is a surprisingly agile animal.

An excellent ride, a comfortable cabin, classic good looks and surefooted handling – a true Jaguar then? To find out for sure, we asked Bernard Baker to try the renewed XJ6 and share his thoughts on the new big cat. Mr Baker is an avid Jaguar fan and possibly Singapore’s foremost expert on the marque. He has owned six Jaguars so far and still has his first, a oneowner 1962 Mark 2. We can all guess what his

■ Dated dashboard needs a major overhaul, the sooner the better

seventh will be! Wrapping up this Wheelspin are Mr Baker’s words of wisdom on the 2008 XJ6…

“The new XJ is truly a sight to behold. Ian Callum and his design team have pulled off nothing short of a miracle in this area. This may be Jaguar’s baseline XJ6, but the car is no sluggard. Acceleration is brisk, with the most wonderful growl rising from the mechanicals as the revs pass the 4000rpm mark. Steering is pin-point accurate. While I would personally have preferred a slightly firmer ride, the current compromise achieved by the wizards in Jaguar’s engineering department will please most drivers.

Rear legroom rivals the business class cabins of the world’s better airlines…”

“Any criticisms? Yes. Why does the steering creak when being adjusted electrically for reach?

Why is the insignia, known as the ‘growler’, on the steering boss so ugly now? Instead of looking like the face of a Jaguar about to spring on its prey, it reminds me of a rather old, sad and gaunt lioness, well past her prime. Why do you feel minor tremors through the steering when the engine is idling with the transmission in D? Perhaps I’m too used to the old XK, AJ6 and AJ16 engines. I criticise only because the car is a Jaguar and one expects nothing less than perfection from it…”

“When all is said and done, Jaguar owners can be an emotional lot. Once you get behind the wheel of a product from this legendary manufacturer and peer over the beautifully long sculptured bonnet down to the chrome leaping mascot, you cannot but say to yourself, so what about the little niggles, this is a Jaguar, my Jag!”

TOP SPEED 233km/h

X Effective facelift, great ride and agility, cabin comfort, Brit grit

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■ T M

Disappointing dashboard, old-school J-gate gearshifter, average V6

April ‘08 Carma

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words & photos David Ting

WHEELSPIN

INTERESTING LIMOUSINE The 2008 Audi A8 is one of the best luxury saloons that money can buy, but traditional towkays probably still cannot comprehend this fringe flagship

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f Mercedes-Benz flagships are for the old-school moderate, then the best of Audi is meant for the new-age radical. After all, the A8 was the world’s first luxury fourdoor to employ exotic, lightweight aluminium construction and it continues to stand alone in the premium segment as a high-tech yet low-profile transporter with the works. Recently revised, the A8 now provides an even more compelling counterpoint to the S-Class and 7 Series, hugely popular but predictable choices in corporate Singapore.

Even before its standard 19-inch wheels start turning, the renewed A8 has already beaten its big BMW and Benz rivals by being more handsome from every angle. Clean and effortlessly classy, the aluminium bodywork flows stylishly from that dramatic new familyfront grille to the equally new LED-lit rear. And the 130mm stretch in the wheelbase of this “L” version has been accommodated smoothly by the designer exterior. Viewed vis-à-vis the A8, the 7 Series is overstyled, the S-Class is clumsy and the Volkswagen Phaeton just looks lost.

You won’t lose your way in this Audi because GPS navigation is now standard equipment, together with an in-car cinema complete with analogue TV reception (Channel 8 preferred, of course), two 6.5-inch LCD screens built into the front headrests, a six-DVD changer and a pair of headphones. In the unlikely event that the Bose hi-fi with digital radio and 370 watts output fails to measure up to your expectations,

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you can specify the full-blown Bang & Olufsen super sound system with 14 loudspeakers and 1000 watts of amplification, a whopping $28k option. The cabin is configured as a deluxe fourseater for the Singapore market, but strangely un-deluxe is the loose action of the thumb-scroll switches on the steering wheel.

Prominent in the cockpit is Audi’s intuitive infotainment controller called MMI (Multi Media Interface), whose myriad functions include setting the excellent adaptive air suspension that underpins the A8. The ‘safe’ mode is “automatic”, which provides an agreeable compromise between luxury and agility in all driving conditions, while “comfort” and “dynamic” modes offer further options for the driver. Audi claims to have made the ride quieter by improving cabin insulation, but tyre rumble is always noticeable and the chassis continues to be a bit busy over roads which are not totally smooth. There is a good trade-off though in the form of capable handling, made possible by the naturally grippy quattro four-wheel drive and the surefooted suspension. This large car seems to shrink in high-speed corners, tackling them with surprising nimbleness for a loaded limousine.

Acceleration, of course, is great thanks to the lusty 4.2-litre FSI V8 and its responsive six-speed Tiptronic automatic, the latter matched well with the slightly peaky powerplant.

So listen up, local towkays – the 2008 A8 is a highly interesting limousine worthy of your time, attention and transport allowance.

SUMMARY AUDI A8 L 4.2 (A) PRICE $320,700 including COE ENGINE 8 cylinders in vee, 4163cc DOHC 32V POWER 350bhp@6800rpm TORQUE 440Nm@3500rpm 0-100km/h 6.3sec TOP SPEED 250km/h (limited)

X Simply more stylish than the competition, nicely equipped, drives well

Z Unsettled ride quality, too understated for most bosses, cheap steering switches

Carma April ‘08

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words & photos David Ting

WHEELSPIN

EXEC SCIENCE No prizes for guessing that the latest 1.8 Turbo version of the Volkswagen Passat is a good choice for the value-conscious executive

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f Volkswagen is the Toyota of Germany, then the Passat is a German Camry. Ample in exterior size and interior space, excellent in equipment and trustworthy on the road, the Volkswagen Passat is an automotive all-rounder for the executive Everyman. This new model you see here replaces the previous 2-litre naturallyaspirated Passat.

The newcomer offers better performance on all counts, thanks to its turbocharged 1.8-litre engine. Compared to the defunct 2.0 FSI, the 1.8 TSI unit is a little more powerful (160bhp versus 150bhp), a lot more torquey (250Nm versus 200Nm) and yet more economical (on the combined cycle 8.2 litres per 100km versus 8.7).

Unsurprisingly, acceleration has been sharpened, with the century sprint dispatched in nine seconds flat, over a second faster than the twoyear-old 2.0 model. Top speed has also increased marginally to 215km/h.

The Passat 1.8 Turbo is most impressive on the expressway, where its healthy mid-range makes light work of heavy overtaking. The engine sounds good too when spooled up. Taking care of gearshift duties is a smooth six-speed automatic that responds readily to pedal push-down, but

the transmission stumbles a little when dropping into first gear as the car comes to a quick stop.

The ride is well-balanced between firmness and quietness, while the handling carries good speed and stability through corners. The Passat steers smartly too, although the steering rim feels a bit odd for a leather-wrapped wheel.

The Passat’s performance isn’t perfect, however, because there is some lag when trying to speed away from a standstill. This initial hesitation makes cutting across a traffic junction quite precarious at times, but you soon learn to solve this small problem by dialling up at least 3000rpm on the tachometer to allow the blower to perform at its best.

The rest of the Passat package is as convincing as they come. The laser-welded body tastefully trimmed in chrome is built tight and styled right, the split-fold boot is big with 565 litres of cargo space, the cabin is roomy and the on-board amenities are quite complete.

These include classy and very comfortable Alcantara-cum-leather seats with 12-way electric adjustment for the front pair, keyless “Press & Drive” ignition, an electronic parking brake, digital dual-zone air-con, an enjoyable eight-speaker six-CD MP3 hi-fi system, automatic headlamps, rain-sensing windshield wipers, multiple airbags, convenient cruise control and even external courtesy spotlights. Brushed aluminium inserts decorate the dashboard. The only obvious

SUMMARY VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT 1.8 T (A) PRICE $114,800 including COE ENGINE 4 cylinders in line, 1790cc DOHC 16V turbo POWER 160bhp@5000rpm TORQUE 250Nm@1500rpm 0-100km/h 9sec TOP SPEED 215km/h

X Efficient and effective drivetrain, spacious and well-appointed cabin, value for money

Z Noticeable turbo lag, distracting door lock engagement, no xenon headlights

omission from this executive sedan is HID illumination, which really ought to be standard.

The Passat 1.8 Turbo’s nearly $15k premium over the Toyota Camry 2.4 is a lot more dough, but you also get a lot more style, substance and performance, making it a truly value-driven Volkswagen for the executive Everyman.

April ‘08 Carma

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words David Khoo photos Yang

WHEELSPIN

AIR AMERICA We shoot the breeze while enjoying a spot of topless cruising in the new Chrysler Sebring Cabriolet, the latest American car to hit Singapore shores

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ost of us enjoy the prospect of owning a handsome car that boasts a level of street credibility that evokes rubber-necking in onlookers.

Sporty coupes and convertibles in particular have a magnetic impact on pedestrians and other motorists alike, so does having a hard-top convertible mean having the best of both worlds?

Chrysler has been enjoying some success in Singapore with the 300C gangsta transporter and the Grand Voyager MPV. Unlike Chrysler’s domestic market, it’s not enough for the brand to be American, since that has come to mean precious little in the automotive industry, especially with stellar offerings from the Europeans and Japanese vying for prime positions in our local marketplace. The marque’s

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latest model to jump into the mix takes the form of the Sebring Cabriolet, a muscular hard-top convertible that lets the owner transform the car from sun-worshipping automobile to cool cocooned coupe at the touch of a button.

The 18-inch sports rims and athletic aesthetics give onlookers the impression of performance, yet it retains a distinctive and unmistakable family resemblance to the sedate Sebring sedan, particularly around the front egg-crate grille and sculpted bonnet. Jut-jaw bumper protrusions do detract a little from the car’s overall styling and like the other hardtop convertibles in the same niche segment, the posterior of the open-air Sebring is more prodigious in proportions than J.Lo’s most prominent body part. However, it is less bottom-

heavy than rivals like the Peugeot 307 CC and the Renault Megane Coupe-Cabriolet, yet like the two French cars, the Sebring Cabrio is a competent two-plus-two that is able to accommodate four adults in relative comfort.

Boot space is also good, even with the metal folding roof stashed away.

Unfortunately, the Chrysler’s roomy cabin can be considered old-fashioned, which is a real shame considering the car’s modern exterior.

For instance, the handbrake isn’t even leatherclad but is a rather plasticky affair, which is bad form considering one uses this ‘instrument’ quite often – after parking and before moving off. The ‘classic’ fonts used for the instrument meters do complement the cabin to a T though, while the standard electronic compass continues

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The Sebring Cabrio’s roof is the kind you need to park by the roadside to deploy and enjoy…

■ The cabin is commodious and comfortable, but might be a tad traditional for some to be a quirky Chrysler staple. An analogue clock takes pride of place on the mantelpiece of the dashboard console and seems to be the dressiest part of the interior. The seats are snugly contoured, with manual adjustment for the front passenger and semi-electric for the driver. Faux tortoise-shell trim decorates strategic parts of the cockpit, including the steering wheel that steers lightly.

At the heart of the Sebring Cabrio lives a 2.7-litre V6 that sings to the tune of 188bhp and 260Nm. This is a car that sounds a lot better than it goes – coupled to the 1800kg kerb weight, the outright performance is rather lacklustre, even though it makes quite a nice note on the move, which is most noticeable with the hood down. The engine is mated to a six-speed automatic transmission that boasts closelygeared ratios for brisk acceleration, but never make the mistake of thinking it can be a bruiser on the road, because the Sebring Cabrio is better suited for cruising and striking a pose in, as

opposed to winning traffic junction Grand Prix.

In motion, there’s quite a fair bit of scuttle shake with the roof down, but it’s nothing terminal. Top up, the chassis feels rigid enough to absorb most of the road’s imperfections, which it does well enough to ensure the comfort of the occupants. Despite its ample American dimensions, the car proves surprisingly easy to manoeuvre in town.

The Sebring Cabrio’s roof is the kind you need to park by the roadside to deploy and enjoy, but due to the rather leisurely pace of the roof operation (nearly half a minute to stow or to show), trying to ‘beat’ the red lights will be tight, as is racing with the rain.

Certain car buyers aren’t as concerned with the product per se as they are with exclusivity on the road and in carparks. The fact that the new Sebring Cabriolet commands a higher rarity factor compared to the popular French coupeconvertibles should be a big plus to consumers looking for one of these.

SUMMARY CHRYSLER SEBRING CABRIOLET 2.7 (A) PRICE $154,000 including COE ENGINE 6 cylinders in vee, 2736cc DOHC 24V POWER 188bhp@5500rpm TORQUE 260Nm@4000rpm 0-100km/h 9sec TOP SPEED 210km/h

X Spacious interior, big boot, comfortable ride, Chrysler-style character

Z Archaic cabin architecture, laid-back dynamics, esoteric exterior design

April ‘08 Carma

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28/03/2008 11:16:34 AM

words & photos David Ting

WHEELSPIN

WARM WELCOME WAGON Fast, plush and perfectly practical, the Volvo V70 T6 is clearly the most complete estate in town right now

S

tation-wagons used to be utilitarian workhorses. Useful, not beautiful; practical, not particularly desirable. The new Swedish station-wagon you see here, however, is useful, beautiful, practical and desirable. Far from being a utilitarian workhorse, this fancy new estate has turned the chore of shifting stuff into an art form.

But you have to be quick to catch this automotive work of art, because it has 285bhp and 400Nm on tap, courtesy of a turbocharged 3-litre transverse straightsix. This is enough juice to accelerate the 1.9-tonne machine from nought to 100km/h in a short 7.2 seconds and keep it sprinting until almost 250km/h shows up on the speedometer. Tune it up to, say, 300bhp and 440Nm, slap on some spoilers, sharpen the suspension, quicken the steering and we have the overdue V70 R replacement! In theory at least,

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because the new V70 T6 is actually the successor to the previous V70 T5, whose performance it replicates despite the extra power available now, probably due to the new model’s higher weight.

More important is the quality of the performance and this is where the V70 T6

delivers. Already sampled in last month’s issue under the bonnet of the S80, the T6 engine is boosted by a compact twinscroll turbo that efficiently divides the exhaust gas inflow into two lots of three cylinders each, with a well-oiled sixspeed Geartronic automatic transferring the output promptly to all four 18-inch wheels. The end result on the road is a smooth spread of strong torque across the tachometer scale, a solid mid-range great for overtaking, and serious pointto-point performance for a big wagon with the works. It sounds good too, the engine having a nice metallic zing as it revs up hard.

In handling terms, this wagon is merely grippy rather than sporty per se, with the serious roadholding of the 245/40 R18 Pirelli P Zero Rossos and the disciplined damping both offset by the strangely inert steering. You can choose from three different levels of power assistance

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Personal Car Communicator, the Volvo superkey that confirms your car’s lock/unlock/alarm status and employs a Rainbow Six-style in-car heartbeat sensor to check whether there is an intruder hiding inside, all from a safe distance away – up to 100 metres if you are kiasi.

Safely ensconced in the V70, you can enjoy the many relaxing features of the car, which include highly ergonomic chairs, a coolly logical cockpit, gently luxurious upholstery, classy aluminium trim, allergy-tested interior materials, idiot-proof Bluetooth connectivity, helpful Park Assist, effective auto air-con and a glorious hi-fi system with a built-in six-CD changer, 12 Dynaudio loudspeakers, Dolby Pro Logic II surround sound, a 5x130W amplifier, easy MP3 playback and unbelievable radio reception.

Compared to the S80 T6, saloon which costs the same, the new Volvo V70 T6 is more useful and more unique, with loads of character to boot, so buy this warm welcome wagon with complete confidence.

■ The V70 interior is a fantastic place for cargo and people alike

via the console menu control, but the rack remains uninspiring even at its heaviest setting.

Having said that, the V70 T6 tracks true consistently in corners and always feels properly planted over undulations.

The driver’s seat, by the way, is a tad slippery in sharp turns because of its ventilated, perforated and buffed leather.

Inside the V70’s handsome body – whose subtle dual tailpipes and small “T6 AWD” hatch badge are the only exterior clues that this estate is something special – is one of the best cargo holds in the business, accessible through a convenient powered tailgate. Outright boot space can be easily expanded from the standard 555 litres to an IKEA-ready 1580 litres, thanks to the well-designed 40/20/40 split-fold backseat combo. Roof rails, a luggage net, a tonneau cover and various hooks and eyelets make the V70 even more versatile for the multi-tasking lifestyle practitioner. Freight fanatics can indulge themselves further with the factory options catalogue, which offers an array of accessories to add excitement to every shipment, including nifty bike holders inside or outside the vehicle,

SUMMARY VOLVO V70 T6 3.0 (A) PRICE $205,000 including COE ENGINE 6 cylinders in line, 2953cc DOHC 24V turbo a steel safety grille behind the rear headrests, a removable tow bar below the rear bumper and even a large vinyl liner for the whole boot that protects against dirt, grime and water – in other words, reservist residue from three weeks of in-camp training.

World-class safety is of course standard in this new wagon from the masters of motoring well-being. Airbags galore, proven impact protection, a tough safety cage, a clever variety of dynamic driving aids and all-round laminated windows (a first for wagons) are only the beginning, with this Volvo adding in close succession extra safety gadgets like Driver Alert Control, Lane Departure Warning and the Blind Spot Information System. And the paranoia starts even before you get into your V70, thanks to the

POWER 285bhp@5600rpm TORQUE 400Nm@1500rpm 0-100km/h 7.2sec TOP SPEED 245km/h

X Excellent performance, hugely practical boot, comfortable cabin, superb safety

Z Big price tag, fussy tailgate styling, makes us think of the old V70 R April ‘08 Carma

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words David Ting photos Yang

FEATURE

JOIN THE CLUB’ Your existence is humdrum, your looks are so-so and your friends are few, but you can still get a life, courtesy of the cool Mini Clubman – we show you how in seven easy steps!...

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Your bachelor pad will be more popular than ever with shiny happy people, thanks to your happening Clubman…

STEP 1 PROCURE A MINI CLUBMAN The new Cooper Clubman is your $115k ticket to social success, the automotive antidote to your painfully boring existence. BMW Mini’s innovative interpretation of the classic Traveller and Countryman is less cute than the regular hatchback, but it’s also a lot more quirky and a little more practical, making it ideal for arty types who love to indulge in arty-farty activities like teaching others how to get a life using a new Mini Clubman. Remember to order yours in Hot Chocolate, the lovely shade of brown reserved for this alternative Mini.

GET DRESSED FOR SUCCESS Short of dangling your car keys from your ears, you should declare to all and sundry that you are now the proud owner of a nice new Mini.

So hit the in-house boutique, which offers a wide variety of apparel and accessories, all designed to make you look as stylish as your pride and joy. T-shirts, sweaters, jackets, bags, shoes, watches and even eyewear – you name it, they got it, but don’t expect Giordano prices. Separate collections for women and children, plus toys for boys underaged and overgrown, round off the Mini lifestyle shop where instant chic beckons.

STEP 2 ?”

ke me look good too

ks good, but will it ma

t loo ■ “This $66 T-shir

April ‘08 Carma

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FEATURE

GRAB A MINI-BAR You definitely need one of these, because your bachelor pad will be more popular than ever with shiny happy people, thanks to your happening Clubman. Called Urban Chill Box, this funky Mini fridge can hold up to 18 cans of beer for your buddies, with the orange interior sporting the cheeky note “PARKING RESERVED FOR BEVERAGES ONLY”. Complete the Mini makeover of your humble abode by adding Mini Loungers, Mini Cuckoo Clocks and a bedroom garage jam-packed with Mini miniature models, which range in size from 1:87 scale to 1:12 scale. Your favourite model car, of course, would be the playful 1:1 scale Clubman parked outside your home.

STEP 3

■ From one coolbox to another – check out the Clubman’s terrific ‘cupboard’ tailgate

h it in the ■ Fold that Dahon fast, stas Clubman and we’re good to go!

It’s a lifestyle support system for the junior jet set, it’s something special for an otherwise ordinary commute, it’s a live wire on wheels designed to rescue boring lives…

STEP 4 RIDE A NICE BICYCLE “Four wheels good, two wheels also good”, according to Mini’s online tagline for its bicycle holders. With the Clubman’s boot space expandable to 930 litres by folding down the split backseats, do you still need those bike carriers? Yes, actually, because the compact Clubman trunk still cannot accommodate a full-size two-wheeler, unless you dismantle the thing to fit. An easier and trendier way to go cycling with the Clubman is to ride a Dahon, the leading brand in foldable bicycles. As demonstrated here by Dahon devotee Alex with a Matrix 26-inch mountain bike, folding one of these is fast and easy, after which stowage in the Clubman is a no-brainer. Best of all, with a high-spec performance Dahon like the $1400 Matrix (available at www.speedmatrix.com.sg), the clever quick-fold function doesn’t detract from your riding enjoyment and it also boosts the Clubman’s street cred.

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■

STEP 5

ADOPT A DOG OR TWO

N t re

Put two pooches into the back of the Clubman and turn it into a ‘shooting brake’ that recaptures the glory days of Great Britain’s landed gentry.

Beautiful girls would swoon over you, even though your puppies are hopeless hunting dogs, you don’t own any big game gun and the only real estate to your name is a small condo in Punggol.

d

dog-tire och here is ■ One po ot n er is and the oth

STEP 6

DO A KIDDIE TAXI Show off your fatherly side by driving your nieces and nephews around, which would fire up the maternal instincts of attractive acquaintances and winsome distant cousins, who would then want to mate with you, thereby establishing your reputation as a stud in a Club’ and allowing you to stop your kiddie taxi service and start scoring with hot chicks, bolstered by your hard-earned new repute as a player par excellence.

■ Jovi and Lucy roa d-t

est the Clubman’s su

STEP 7

rprisingly roomy ba

ckseat

■ Delightful DJ Amanda Li ng with a sadly tone-d eaf David Ting

and Vell cialites Agri ■ Sweet so ter w t erswee ri with the bitt

GO CLUBBING IN THE CLUBMAN Mini parties are some of the best in the business, with the one for the new Clubman held in Old Bukit Timah Fire Station, an offbeat venue really reflecting the unconventional character of BMW’s latest bohemian bombshell. The launch party also proves yet again that Mini is more than just a modern mode of transport – it’s a lifestyle support system for the junior jet set, it’s something special for an otherwise ordinary commute, and most importantly, it’s a live wire on wheels designed to rescue boring lives. Join the Club’ and liven up your existence once and for all.

■

April ‘08 Carma

■ Past andSec1:41 present 38-41Feature.indd

Saab models are proudly exhibited side by side in the well-thought-out museum

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28/03/2008 11:34:50 AM

■ The Saab 92 with i

words Laura Lau photos David Ting, Laura Lau

FEATURE

CARMA ‘ESCAPE WITH DRIVE’ TO GENTING HIGHLANDS POWERED BY YOKOHAMA The Carma crew successfully organised a 3D2N driving holiday to Malaysia’s City of Entertainment up in the clouds

C

arma ‘Escape with Drive’ to Genting Highlands took place from 8 to 10 March. All participants, sponsors and staff gathered at SPC Tuas station in the wee hours of the morning for our final briefing and flag-off. There was a rumour that there would be a massive traffic jam at the Second Link due to the school holidays, the Malaysian General Election and the hunt for Mas Selamat. Indeed, it took us more than two hours to clear Customs and embark on our road trip proper.

Even though the terrible traffic jam made everyone a little lethargic, it did not dampen our spirits at all, judging by the enthusiasm from our participants the moment we started our convoyed drive to our destination. The lush greenery and scenic mountainous views along the way made our collective cruising all the more enjoyable and participants soon immersed themselves in the joys of a long road trip. This is definitely one of the reasons why these enthusiasts joined Carma’s team of petrolheads on this driveaway.

On the second day, everyone was well-rested and re-energized for a fantastic day ahead. Some participants joined in the treasure hunt around Genting Highlands Resort planned for them, while others chose to explore the place on their own and enjoy the many famous entertainment

options available, such as outdoor and indoor theme parks, full-blown casinos, shops and restaurants. The Carma crew, in the meantime, made final preparations for the gala dinner, which would be a great night of games and interaction with our participants.

As one of the highlights of this driveaway, the gala dinner brought everyone together for a sumptuous buffet spread of local delights, followed by an exciting evening of stage games that kept the participants’ excitement sky-high throughout the entire three hours. The interesting Yokohama and Carma games, designed for young and old alike, were very popular with the sporting

■ Flag off for the journey to begin

participants. Celebrities Le Yao and Zhang Yao Dong were present to glam up proceedings and help create a night to remember for everyone involved. A lucky draw with fabulous prizes brought the joyful night to a close.

The next morning was the final day of this delightful driving holiday and nobody really wanted to head home! But return we must, so our Carma convoy made its way back to Singapore, with a short stopover in the historical town of Malacca for another delectable experience of Malaysian cuisine and last-minute local shopping.

Indeed, time flies when you’re having fun, as proven perfectly by this driving holiday. The logistics and execution of this event, we have to admit, wasn’t easy, but the happy smiles and cherished memories of our dear participants made it all worthwhile. This driveaway strongly boosted Carma’s aim to be an entertaining car publication that engages our readers positively.

The Carma team hereby would like to extend a very big thank you to all participants and sponsors of this big event. We are now newly motivated to do even more, so do look out for our next driving holiday!.

■ All geared up and ready to go at SPC Tuas Station

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n playing ■ Childre heroes’ the ‘Super game

■ ‘Peace-out’ till the next driveaway ■ Celebrities and participants taking part in table games together

■ Scenic roads were aplenty

■ Thumbs-up fina

le of the gala di

nner

■ Eve ryone

rooting fo

■ YHI staff, celebrities and Carma crew

r their fa vourite

team to

win

PLAYING GOLF Powering up and down the slopes of Genting Highlands in the Golf GT Sport renewed my respect for the heartwarming hatchback

■ Celebrities Le Yao and Zhang Yao dong

■ On route ba ck

to Singapore

g

t showin rticipan ■ A pa te ple d his com a puzzle m a Yokoh

from Malacca

T

his 1118km round trip (including delicious detours) made me appreciate anew the driving dynamism of the Golf GT, Volkswagen’s brilliant quite-hot hatch. Central to its enthusiast appeal is the 1.4litre Twincharged powerplant, both supercharged and turbocharged, which produces a solid 170bhp and 240Nm put through a speedy six-speed DSG transmission. And the terrific performance is accompanied by good fuel economy and great cruising comfort, all proven on this driveaway.

Getting there was half the fun, with the Golf GT cool at 22 degrees Celsius inside, calm at a cruisecontrolled 120km/h and collected at the occasional 200km/h. The engine sounds good when spooled up for action and recedes into silence when coasting, allowing the many MP3 tunes from the hi-fi to soften the cabin ambience and possibly shorten the journey too. Arriving at the foot of Genting Highlands late in the afternoon, with luggage in the boot and two important passengers on board, I decided to do my informal road test the next day.

The Golf GT delivered beautifully come morning, its Twincharged performance boosted

by the cool climate of Genting Highlands. Flicking through second-third-second gears in rapid succession, the car gripped every corner with gusto and humbled even the sharpest turns, and it accelerated nicely on the brief straights connecting the seemingly endless bends.

And sweet was the engine/exhaust soundtrack bouncing off the mountain walls like music from a funfair.

Indeed, the Golf GT was great fun all the way.

Thanks again, Volkswagen, for lending us your Golf GT Sport together with a Jetta ‘GTI’ and a Touareg Classic. The three support cars helped make this event a success.

David Ting

For more photos of this event, please turn to page 99.

April ‘08 Carma

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words Shreejit Changaroth

TECH-KNOW

ELEMENTARY COMBUSTION BMW’s high-tech bi-fuel Hydrogen 7 runs on either petrol or liquid hydrogen, providing another future ‘escape route’ on the roadmap of sustainable mobility

Encased in a superinsulator, the cryogenic tank is capable of storing ice for more than 10 years without melting any of it…

44 Carma April ‘08

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■ Bi-fuel internal combustion V12 that runs on either hydrogen or ordinary petrol

■ Fuel tank for the liquid hydrogen ■ Conventional tank for the petrol

H

ydrogen, chemical symbol H, is the lightest and simplest known element on earth, each atom consisting of one electron (negatively charged particle) and one proton (positively charged). In its gaseous state, hydrogen is extremely flammable and exists only as a diatomic gas, meaning the hydrogen atoms exist in pairs. When combined with oxygen, hydrogen forms water which as we all know has the chemical symbol H2O. If electricity is passed through water, H2O breaks up into H and O. This is a relatively simple task, and even with wires from the two terminals of a battery dipped into water, there will be a small amount of the two gases that will emerge around electrical wires – hydrogen at the negative wire and oxygen at the wire connected to the positive terminal of the battery. But you cannot simply pump hydrogen gas into a tank of oxygen and hope to get water because the formation of water from its elements is a more complicated chemical process than that.

In a fuel-cell, hydrogen gas combines with the surrounding oxygen in the presence of a platinum catalyst. The reaction produces electricity and results in the formation of H2O. The subject today, however, is not the generation of electrical energy in a fuel-cell but the liberation of heat energy through the combustion of hydrogen in a conventional internal combustion engine.

Compared to petrol, hydrogen has three times the energy per unit mass, but this does not mean that an internal combustion engine fuelled by hydrogen can produce three times the power compared to petrol. This is because hydrogen, being a gas at any temperature higher than -253°C, has a density approximately 1/100th of liquid petrol at 25°C. In theory, hydrogen requires 34 times its weight of air for complete

combustion (compare this with petrol which needs an air/fuel ratio of 14.7:1), but hydrogen’s high flammability means it can combust with much higher proportion of air or in other words “lean mixtures”. Hence, even a low mass hydrogen entering the combustion chamber can be ignited by the spark plug, but power output would be drastically reduced. On the other hand, internal combustion of hydrogen with air in the theoretically correct ratio results in temperatures high enough to cause the nitrogen (air consists of 75% nitrogen, remember) to form oxides which are pollutants. To prevent the formation of NOx, hydrogen-fuelled internal combustion engines must operate on lean mixtures (as much as 80:1), with the inevitable consequence of reduced power output compared to the same engine running on petrol.

BMW’s productionised version of the hydrogen car is driven by a piston engine which can operate on hydrogen or commercially available petrol. The engine is based on the 760i’s V12 and in the Hydrogen 7 is rated at 256bhp, although the regular 760i produces 445bhp.The de-rating of the Hydrogen 7’s power output is for the reasons mentioned above, and while the 12cylinder Valvetronic engine with a displacement of 5972cc is comfortably able to deliver the 400odd brake horsepower when running on petrol, it is tuned to produce the same lower power with

either fuel so that there will be no perceptible difference in performance when the engine switches to either fuel system on the run.

Supplementing the conventional 74-litre fuel tank is a pressure vessel that sits in the boot and holds 8kg of hydrogen. In gaseous state, 8kg of hydrogen would require a storage tank of roughly 100m3 or 100,000 litres volume! But the BMW’s H-tank is a mere 113 litres because the hydrogen inside is stored in its high-density liquid state at a temperature lower than its boiling point of –253°C. The cryogenic tank (anything below –73°C is a cryogenic substance) is probably the most fascinating aspect of the Hydrogen 7.

Encased in a super-insulator, the tank is capable of storing ice for more than 10 years without melting any of it. As you can imagine, the high flammability of the hydrogen gas means the tank is also designed to withstand an impact without sustaining a puncture or leak from its inlet/outlet nozzles.

The liquid hydrogen from the tank is allowed to evaporate and pressurise the H-gas lines to the engine. Electronically-controlled hydrogen injection in the Valvetronic head is direct into the combustion chamber, so filling efficiency is higher than if the air-fuel mixture was formed in the inlet manifold. The combustion that takes place when the spark plug fires gives no audible indication that it is not conventional liquid petrol, but go to the rear of the car, hold a cup to the exhaust and what you get is water vapour that eventually condenses to water. Drinkable? Well, yes in theory, but since the engine still uses an oil-based lubricant, small traces of oil that seap into the combustion chamber will inevitably burn when the hydrogen is ignited and find its way out of the exhaust pipe. The quantities of these emissions, however, are negligible enough to say that when running on hydrogen, the BMW Hydrogen 7 is a zero-emissions car.

■ The Hydrogen 7 rides and drives like a regular luxury car April ‘08 Carma

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IN GEAR HOT

SHARP SHOOTER The new Canon EOS 450D is an improved successor of the EOS 400D but with a 12.2 megapixel CMOS sensor and DIGIC III imaging processor that captures high definition images with true-to-life colours at amazingly fast processing speed. The EOS 450D is also the first EOS DSLR that uses the Secured Digital (SD) card thus making it compact and light. Other features include Live View shooting mode which allows the user to shoot images using the 3-inch LCD monitor instead of using the optical viewfinder, a continuous shooting speed of approximately 3.5 frames per second, and the EOS Integrated Cleaning System which incorporates 3 techniques that work in tandem to eliminate dust particles with the self cleaning sensor unit.

LOUD AND CLEAR The quality of 3D sound is an integral part of gaming enjoytment and the Sennheiser HD 201 Gaming headphone is able to replicate fine nuances of sound to a degree that the gamer will feel that he is ‘in’ the game!

Dark blue with chrome fittings, the HD 201 Gaming fits around the ear, but its closed back design provides better protection from external noises. Full stereo sound and good bass response add more realism, and the soft-leatherette cushioning, and 165-gram weight means absolute comfort; even during long gaming sessions.

A TRUE MUSIC PHONE The W980 Walkman phone is designed to playback music as it should be heard; with clear stereo and tight bass, even at higher volumes. These features combine with the premium Stereo Portable Handsfree HPM-77, to deliver music that sounds as true as possible to the original recording. Or you can unplug the headphones and let the music flow through the integrated stereo speakers for all to enjoy. The 8GB memory allows you to store up to 8,000 songs – or tune in to your favourite radio station with the in-built FM radio. You can also tailor you listening pleasure with 8 equaliser presets and the Walkman controls, which are replicated on the outside of the clamshell means that you do not have to open the phone to enjoy the music.

The iconic Fiat 500.

www.fiat.com.sg 46

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SURE SOUNDS Developed by Shure, the Music Phone Adapter (MPA) is a sleek modular accessory that converts Shure Sound Isolating Earphones into a stereo headset and allows Apple iPhone users to switch seamlessly between listening and communicating.

The MPA utilises the Shure’s innovative modular design to bridge from personal listening nirvana to other communication activities that converged devices such as the iPhone offer. By combining a VoicePort Microphone with a control button that allows users to answer and end calls without touching the phone, the MPA enables users to incorporate the premium sound quality of Shure Sound Isolating Earphones into mobile phone conversations.

TINY, WIDE-ANGLED WONDER The world’s smallest, 24mm ultra-wide angle, 10 mega-pixel digital camera, Samsung’s NV24HD incorporates a wide range of features that will attract the savvy compact camera buff.

The ultra-wide angle Schneider-KREUZNACH lens offers a wider shooting range within a short distance for the greatest versatility in both indoor and landscape shooting while the 720p video resolution with a maximum frame rate of 30 frames-per-second together with the camera’s in-built movie stabiliser and 3.6x optical zoom enable users to capture quality scenes at a distance. View images and videos on the AM OLED screen with its 100 percent colour reproduction, wider viewing angle and faster response time compared to conventional TFT-LCD screens. Complementing the NV24HD’s industry leading technologies is its stylish and hardwearing brushed black, stainless steel body.

SLIM, LIGHT AND POWERFUL Lenovo‘s ThinkPad X300 notebook PC is the thinnest and lightest full-function notebook in its class and measures less than 19 millimetres at its thinnest point, and has a starting weight as low as 1.33kg. The ThinkPad X300 combines a number of leading technologies such as solid-state drive (SSD) storage, a LED backlit display, ultra-long battery life and enhanced wireless connectivity including WLAN and GB Ethernet. The 33.8 cm LED backlit WXGA+ high resolution display provides brighter and more energy-efficient performance than LCD displays and the notebook also comes with the latest Intel Centrino with vPro technology, up to 4 GB memory and Lenovo’s ThinkVantage Technologies.

HUMANLESS’ CONFERENCING The Creative inPerson system enables business executives to enjoy a high resolution video and audio multi-party call with multiple offices participating from around the world at a fraction of the cost of other video conferencing systems. Each party can join a Creative inPerson conference from a Creative inPerson system, through a PC with the Creative inPerson inVite, and even from a mobile phone for voice call. They will be able to experience high-resolution video display on the system’s seven-inch screen with high-quality audio on its built-in speaker, or output to a large screen LCD or plasma display.

Some little things are magic.

383 Sin Ming Drive TTS Centre Singapore 575717 Tel: 6842 2222

46-48nGear.indd Sec1:47

20 Ubi Road 4 #01-01 Ubi Automart Singapore 408622 Tel: 6462 1111

28/03/2008 5:39:05 PM

IN GEAR COOL

CARRY, UNFOLD AND CYCLE At only 8.7 kilos (19.4 lbs.), the Dahon Mu SL is the world’s lightest production folding bike.

Patented Fusion technology and custom-drawn Sonus tubing add up to one of the stiffest folding bike frames on the market. Equipped with rocket-fast Kinetix Pro wheels with a front suspension hub, Syntace VRO adjustable handlebar, custom Schwalbe Stelvio Light tyres, and SRAM X9 components, the MuSL folds in just 15 seconds.

A SHOE FOR YOUR PHONE Crocs o-dial mobile phone cases are designed to share the look and feel of the popular Crocs Beach shoe model. Far from being a novelty item, the Crocs(TM) odial phone cases offer patent pending features like an adjustable strap concept for security and carrying convenience, along with a strong plastic clip for easy attachment to a waistband, belt or backpack, each case comes packaged with a lanyard for yet another way to carry the product everywhere. Available in eight colours: black, silver, red, grape, fuchsia, celery, cotton candy and turquoise. They are also Jibbitz charm ready that’s what the holes are for!

CLOSE AND COMFY SHAVE With the Gillette Fusion Power Phantom, once the power button is turned on, it delivers soothing, micro-pulses that help to improve razor glide – so much so, that you barely feel the blades. The Gillette Fusion Power Phantom also features a 5blade Shaving Surface that distributes the shaving force optimally, resulting in significantly less irritation, and the single Precision Trimmer blade which allows the easy trimming of sideburns, shave under the nose and shape facial hair with control and precision.

SLEEP LIKE A BABY Beauty and function take on a smooth, sleek form with TEMPUR’s Combi series of Royal Mattress. This newest member of the family comes with a completely new version of the unique TEMPUR material, known as the TEMPUR RVE (Reticulated Visco Elastic). It has larger cells than the regular TEMPUR material, thus permitting a higher flow of air to circulate freely through the mattress. In addition to its pressurerelieving capability, the highly advanced airflow system brings the ventilation layer closer to your body’s touch points, creating a better sleep climate for you.

STYLISH EYEWEAR The Burberry Autumn/Winter 2007 Eyewear Collection draws on the edgier mood of the catwalk collection using hardware detailing of metallic studs, rivets and beading. The iconic check design has been reinterpreted in micro crystals. The crest logo featuring the equestrian knight device appears on metal plaques on the temples.

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Perfecting Your Pursuit

– Lexus IS250 Fitted with Toms Body Styling – Also available performance parts for the Lexus IS, GS, SC & LS models – Enhance the look, improve the ride!

176 Sin Ming Drive #03-12 Sin Ming Autocare Singapore 575721 Tel: (65) 6546 2022 Fax: (65) 6747 1810 Email: info@trd.com.sg www.trd.com.sg www.lovemycar.com.sg

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DRIFT KINGS These two souped-up Nissan Silvias will be flying our flag high at Formula Drift Singapore

P62 Beautiful Bentley Continental GT P68 P74 P80 P86

CFeb08-Vroom Cover.indd 1

Bespoke Bodykitted BMW 325i Coupe Loud and Proud Toyota Vios 1-2-3 SLIDE...at Formula Drift Singapore Porsches Go Racing at Sepang

PLUS!

SPECIAL REPORTS AND OPTIONS

GALORE

31/03/2008 10:19:27 AM

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VIBE Audio Pro Shop

words Tony Tan photos Tan Meng Choon

MOD JOB

DRIFT KINGS

These two Silvias are all set to put on a ‘sideways’ show at Formula Drift Singapore!

Nissan has made some really awesome and memorable sports cars. Iconic cars like the Datsun 240Z, Nissan 300ZX, and Nissan Skyline GT-R have massive followings among performance and motorsports enthusiasts, and these cars have appeared everywhere; motorshows, tuner shows, magazines, TV and movies.

However, when it comes to drifting, a form of motorsport that has taken the world by storm, a certain Nissan two-door has earned its wings as the ride of choice among many aficionados; especially here in Singapore.

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The car in question here is the Nissan Silvia.

It is available in many models and variants - 180SX, 200SX, 240SX, S13, S14 and S15, to name a few and any would-be drifter would love to own one of them.

The reason?

They are rear-wheel-drive, highly tuneable and there are many, many aftermarket components available; mainly from the Silvia’s, and drifting’s, land of birth - Japan.

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MOD JOB

Take these two sleek beauties you see here. Both have been extensively modified on the inside and outside, and both, with their experienced owners at their respective helms, will take to the smooth and expansive tarmac grounds at the Changi Exhibition Centre at the inaugural Formula Singapore Drift.

The white Binter Silvia S15 you see here belongs to Ivan, a seasoned drifter with many years of competition experience. From the outside, it looks fairly stock save for the A-Tech alloy wheels and the Blitz intercooler peeking out from the bumper. However, stock it is definitely not as Ivan has armed his car with a list of mods that will send any drift junkie straight into heaven.

The 2-litre SR20DET residing in the engine bay has been boosted with the addition of a number of Tomei performance parts - 8446 turbocharger, 740cc fuel injectors, Poncams camshafts, cocker arm stopper and 1.2mm metal head gasket. Throw in a Sard fuel pump and fuel pressure regulator, Spec S throttle body,

HKS exhaust complete with a large diameter tailpipe, and last but not least, an Apexi Power FC engine management system, expertly tuned by Rhommel of JuzzForPower, and this S15 churns out close to 400bhp!

Transmissions duties are ably handled by a 5-speed manual gearbox straight out of the S14 with the addition of a Kaaz 2-way LSD and Ogura clutch to ensure that power is transmitted to both rear wheels as efficiently as possible.

A good drift car has to have a great suspension and undercarriage setup and Ivan has not left anything to chance by fitting some of the best components that money can buy for his S15.

Cusco caster rods, toe arms, camber arms and, front and rear sway bars, coupled with Tein tie rods and tie rod ends ensure that there is minimal flex all round while a set of Tein super drift coilovers, and Nissan Skyline GTR (R33) Brembo brakes complete the suspension and undercarriage transformation.

■Red Silvia + White Silvia = 700bhp‌at least

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Drifting is about speed and precision; and a good set of wheels and tyres can make a huge difference between winning and losing

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MOD JOB

To ensure that he feels most a home when drifting his S15, Ivan has fitted an East Bear bucket seat, Worksbell Rapfix II kit joined to a Nardi Deep Corn steering wheel, and a Tomei Duracorn gear knob.

These items ensure that once the drifting starts, Ivan is in the perfect setup to be in full attack mode!

Next to Ivan’s subtly-styled and clean-looking S15, Colin’s C-West kitted red S15 with its colourful decals and enormous carbon fibre wing, looks like it just drove over from the set of The Fast And The Furious – Tokyo Drift!

With such an extroverted exterior, Colin had to make sure that his S15’s interior had the oomph to match and so in went a Sparco Pro 2000 bucket seat, KTS Deep Corn steering wheel, Blitz gear knob, a host of gauges from Defi and DoLuck, and last but not least, a KTS 7-point roll cage.

The extensively modified 2-litre SR20DET features an ARC front mount intercooler, Greddy breather tank, Blitz DD blow-off valve, and HKS goodies such as a short ram intake, oil cooler, and an exhaust manifold which leads

to a gargantuan Fujitsubo RM-O1 exhaust. Ensuring that everything works in unison to wring every last ‘horse’ out of the engine is a combination of a Blitz R-Vit and Greddy Profec boost controller.

A Nismo R200 2-way LSD and Ogura twin plate clutch ensures that power is fed to the wheels as efficiently as possible and speaking of wheels, a sporty (and expensive) set of Blitz Silver Z2 alloy wheels, 17 inches in the front and 18 inches at the rear, shod with equally prodigiously-sized tyres, are sight to behold when the drifting and ‘smoking’ begins.

Cusco and Nismo components dominate the undercarriage and these include Cusco anti roll bars, front strut bar and caster rods, and Nismo Powerbrace, rear strut bar and C-pillar support bar.

Suspension duties are taken care of by Circuit Sports short stroke coilovers while Lockheed and Project Mu disc brake rotors and brake pads always give predictable and immediate braking performance.

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Colin’s red riding hood is the quintessential, loud and proud, mod-mobile while Ivan’s white stallion is the epitome of an understated high-performance car

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MOD JOB

There you have it; two Silvias which started life looking and driving exactly the same but not anymore. Ivan’s white stallion is the epitome of an understated highperformance car while Colin’s red riding hood is the quintessential, loud and proud, mod-mobile.

However, despite their obvious differences, these two cars still share a common purpose; to go sideways like no car can!

Ivan’s Binter Silvia S15

SPECS LIST INTERIOR/EXTERIOR STYLING • East Bear bucket seat • Worksbell Rapfix II boss kit • Nardi Deep Corn steering wheel • Tomei Duracon gear knob • The Eternal Amphibious Machine drift knob • Nismo speedometer cluster • Defi Link gauges

• Spec S throttle body • HKS exhaust

ENGINE • Apex’i Power FC engine management system • Greedy Profec boost controller • Tomei 8446 turbocharger • Tomei 740cc injectors • Sard 280l/h fuel pump • Sard fuel pressure regulator • Tomei Poncams camshafts • Tomei rocker arm stopper • Tomei 1.2mm metal head gasket • Blitz intercooler kit • Greddy Type RS blow off valve • Blitz radiator • Trust oil cooler

CHASSIS/BRAKES • Cusco caster rods • Cusco toe arms • Cusco camber arms • KTS traction rods • Nismo Powerbrace • Tein tie rods and tie rod ends • Tein Super Drift coilovers • Nissan Skyline GTR (R33) Brembo brakes • Cusco sway bars

TRANSMISSION • Kaaz 2-way solid type LSD • Nissan Silvia (S14) 5-speed transmission • Nismo engine and transmission mountings • Ogura clutch

WHEELS/TYRES • A-Tech 17-inch alloy wheels • 225/45/17 tyres (front) • 245/40/17 tyres (rear)

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Colin’s Nissan Silvia S15

SPECS LIST INTERIOR / EXTERIOR STYLING - C-West Widebody bodykit - C-West Type II carbon fibre wing - Sparco Pro 2000 bucket seat - Sabelt 4-point harness - KTS Deep Corn steering wheel - Blitz gear knob ENGINE - Blitz R-Vit - Apex’i RSM - Apex’i turbo timer - Do-Luck boost gauge - Greddy Profec boost controller - ARC front mount intercooler - Koyo 40mm aluminium radiator - Greddy breather tank - HKS short ram intake - HKS exhaust manifold - HKS oil cooler - Fujitsubo RM-01 exhaust system - Blitz DD blow off valve - Defi gauges

TRANSMISSION - Nismo R200 2-way LSD - Ogura twin plate Clutch - Kazama aluminium subframe bushings CHASSIS/BRAKES - Cusco strut bar (front) - Nismo strut bar (rear) - Cusco anti roll bars (front and rear) - Nismo Powerbrace - KTS 7-point roll cage - Nismo C-pillar support bar - Circuit Sports short stroke coilovers - Cusco caster rods (front) - OrT toe rods (rear) - Dmax camber arms (rear) - Lockheed disc brake rotors (front) - Project Mu disc brake rotors (rear) - Project Mu brake pads WHEELS/TYRES - Blitz Silver Z2 17-inch alloy wheels (front) - 235/45 R17 tyres (front) - Blitz Silver Z2 18-inch alloy wheels (rear) - 235/40 R18 tyres (rear)

Polarised Paint-Protection System

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MOD JOB

■ APEX’i RSM is the brains behind all of that brawn

■ KTS Deep Corn steering wheel is popular with drifters

■ Sparco Pro 2000 deep bucket seat grips the body in all the right places

■ HKS short ram intake feeds the engine with ample cool air

■ Slick shifting gearbox topped off by a Blitz gear knob

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A closer look...

■ NISMO instrumentation meters match the understated interior

■ East Bear bucket seat and Nardi Deep Corn steering wheel are interior highlights

■ Sard fuel pressure regulator ensures that fuel supply is optimised

■ Nissan Skyline GTR (R33) Brembo brakes are predictable and very powerful ■ Defi Link boost gauge sits in a neat customised A-pillar mount

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BinterAds(April).indd 2

31/03/2008 12:28:19 PM

BinterAds(April).indd 3

31/03/2008 12:28:24 PM

SERVICE CENTRE & SHOWROOM GOODYEAR EAGLE STORE (NEW LOCATION) No. 9 Kaki Bukit Road 1, #01-10 Eunos Technolink.

Singapore 415938 • Tel: (65) 6280 2778

RICARDO AUTO CENTRE PTE LTD No. 6 Kung Chong Road, Singapore 159143 • Tel: (65) 64752112

words Tony Tan photos Tan Meng Choon

MOD JOB

BLUEBLOODED

This Bentley Continental GT is truly a marvellous example of luxury, power and road presence

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Think Bentley and images of large, super-expensive luxobarges comes instantly to mind. Even the smallest Bentley, the Continental GT, commands more road presence, and attention, than 10 highly-modified Japanese sports cars travelling in convoy down Orchard Road.

A Bentley is a Bentley; expensive and luxurious, and in every context, the nirvana of car ownership. The Bentley Continental GT is, in my opinion, the quintessential, ‘unselfish’ sports coupe.

Why ‘unselfish” you may ask?

A Ferrari 599 GTB, Lamborghini Murcielago and Porsche Turbo are more than a match for the Continental GT in the area of performance and driveability.

But none of these can carry four with supreme comfort and still be able to clock a top speed of 320km/h.

Need I say more?

In its original form, the Continental GT is a very stylish coupe and most owners will not meddle with anything, let alone install an aftermarket bodykit.

However, the owner of this gorgeous dark blue beauty thinks differently. And who could blame him after KBS Motorsports, located in Sin Ming Autocare, introduced him to ASI – a Japanese tuner specialising in bodykits for luxury cars.

Ok, I know what most of you are thinking - what does a Japanese company know about making non-Japanese cars look good?

In ASI’s case, plenty.

A browse through their website (www.asi-as.com), filled with colourful examples of their work, reveals a company which has a distinct feel for what looks great. And this is nowhere more evident than the bodykit that is fitted to this Continental GT. This multi-piece bodykit comprises a front bumper spoiler, rear bumper spoiler, side skirts, rear bootlid spoiler and front under grille. The craftsmanship is superb; smooth surfaces are matched with consistent lines and profiles,

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MOD JOB

and the usage of carbon fibre keeps the weight down without sacrificing performance and durability.

The front and rear deserves special mention as this is where this coupe looks the most special.

The front bumper spoiler and front under grille features wire mesh that mimics the bespoke grille and the protruding lower lip gives the impression that the coupe is sitting low on the road, making it looks so much more purposeful. The rear bumper spoiler does likewise as the front, with wire mesh and those oh-so gorgeous fins that sit just below each taillight cluster.

The subtle bootlid spoiler adds a touch of sportiness to the rear and also endows the coupe with added downforce during high speed runs while the quad tailpipes are the perfect finishing touches to a truly standout rear profilz With such a gorgeous bodykit, it would be a shame if the wheels did not match its stylishness so on went a set of multi-piece (and multi-expensive) two-tone alloy wheels complete with super-wide ultra-high-performance Toyo Proxes T1-R tyres. These deep-dished WORK LS alloy wheels feature black spokes, shiny lips and exposed bolts; a perfect partner to the bodykit.

With an enormous twinturbocharged 6-litre W12 powerplant churning out 560bhp and 650Nm, a 0 -100km/h timing of just 4.8 seconds and a top speed of 320km/h , this Bentley Continental GT has always had the “GO”. And with the addition of this customised ASI bodykit and WORKS alloy wheels, it now has the “SHOW” as well!

A Bentley is a Bentley; expensive and luxurious, and in every context, the nirvana of car ownership

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■ Humongous WORKS LS alloy wheels measure 20 inches across!

■ Bespoke vertically stacked exhaust tips are truly unique

■ Every component in the interior is opulently made, and put together

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MOD JOB

■ Carbon fibre bootlid spoiler ensures sufficient downforce during high-speed cruising ■ ASI rear bumper spoiler with mesh inserts and fins looks really great

SPECS LIST INTERIOR/EXTERIOR STYLING • ASI front bumper spoiler • ASI front under grille • ASI rear bumper spoiler • ASI side skirts • ASI rear bootlid spoiler ENGINE • WORK LS 20-inch multi-piece alloy wheels (front & rear) • TOYO Proxes T1-R tyres (245/35 R20 - front) and (285/30 R20 - rear)

■ ASI side skirts feature mesh-covered inlets to help cool the brakes

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A closer look...

■ Six-speed transmission is silky smooth and lighting quick

■ Strong brake calipers are complemented by 16-inch diameter rotors

■ LEDs integrated into the ASI front bumper spoiler look mesmerising at night!

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words Tony Tan photos Tan Meng Choon

MOD JOB

STOP AND STARE! Fitted with a one-of-a-kind bodykit, this BMW 325i Coupe looks fast, turns heads, and makes faces go green with envy 68

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MOD JOB

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In my opinion, the current BMW 3-Series Coupe is the most stylish model in the latest range of BMW cars. While the 3-Series Sedan looks a little ‘funny’ in certain areas, the Coupe is one sleek and handsome car; whichever angle you look at it from.

Hence, to make it look even better than it already is, is not something that is easy to achieve.

Tuners and companies specialising in BMW dress-up accessories are in abundance but not all of them make bodykits that look good.

I concede that the topic of looks is very subjective but there are some cars (bodykitted or otherwise) that are universally pleasing to the eye, like the Hamann Gallardo Spyder, Aston Martin DBS, Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing and McLaren F1,

just to name a few.

You can add this jet black BMW 325i Coupe you see in these pages to the list of good-lookers and although it costs a fraction of the supercars I mentioned above, it looks like ‘a million bucks’.

This can be attributed to Lumma Design, a German-based tuner, specialising in BMW cars.

Distributed by JuzzItUp at Sin Ming Autocare, Lumma Design may be a relatively new name in the tuning industry but their work is impeccable and their products look fantastic.

The bodykit chosen to ‘transform’ this 325i Coupe is named “CLR 350RS”. I am not sure what the name means but if I were to hazard a guess, I would say that it refers to the more powerful 335i Coupe.

The CLR 350RS bodykit comprises a front bumper with enlarged air dams and wire meshing, rear under spoiler with twin exhaust exits and a centrallymounted scoop with wire meshing, side skirts with full-length fins ending in scoops, bootlid spoiler and roof spoiler.

Matched perfectly by the lowered stance (as a result of the H&R lowering springs) and those droolworthy 19-inch Breyton alloy wheels, this 325i Coupe looks like it can ‘slice’ through the wind, turn the heads of passer-bys, and make the faces of other cars owners green, all at the same time.

Inside, everything has been left original bar a set of Lumma Design pedals.

To make sure that this sleek 325i Coupe has the zoom to match

its ‘fast’ looks, a Gruppe M carbon fibre induction system, Brisk racing spark plugs, Tune Kit power pedal, and Sebring quad exhaust system has been installed. Ensuring that everything runs smoothly while optimising power and torque is a custom-tuned E-Rom DME control unit.

As can be seen from the pictures, this BMW 325i Coupe has been subjected to the eagle-eye examination of a rolling dynamometer (courtesy of JuzzForRace) but I cannot reveal the figures (owner’s request). It is not because is a secret or anything; it is just that there are more mods to come and this is only JUZZ the beginning…

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■ Sporty rear valence includes exits for quad tailpipes (two on each side)

■ 19-inch Breyton Race GT alloys mimic those used by BMW touring cars

■ LUMMA – remember this name if you love stylish BMW bodykits

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MOD JOB

A Gruppe M carbon fibre induction system, Brisk racing spark plugs, Tune Kit power pedal, and Sebring quad exhaust system has been installed

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SPECS LIST INTERIOR/EXTERIOR STYLING • Lumma Design CLR 350RS bodykit • Lumma Design pedal kit ENGINE • Gruppe M carbon fibre induction system • Brisk racing spark plugs • Sebring quad exhaust system • E-Rom DME control unit • Tune Kit power pedal CHASSIS & WHEELS/TYRES • H&R lowering spring kit • 19-inch Breyton Race GT alloy wheels • Toyo Proxes T1-R tyres (235/35 R19 - front) and (265/30 R19 - rear)

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Words Tony Tan Photos Tan Meng Choon

ICECOOL

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LOUD AND PROUD! It does not matter whether you are sitting inside this car or standing outside, this Vios’s ICE setup will blow your socks off!

H

For most ICE aficionados, having a comprehensive setup for in-car enjoyment is a must; it is a stress-reliever after a hard day’s work and an excellent companion on long drives.

But what happens after you have arrived at your destination and you still want to continue listening to your favourite songs or radio station? Or you may even want to get your friends and family involved so that they too can groove to the beat.

If these requests are high on your list of priorities (and you do not want to lug around a portable hi-fi system), then you may want to have your car done up exactly like this Toyota Vios you see here.

Designed and installed by S-M-T Trading, located at Sin Ming Industrial Park, this family sedan is owned by one of its staff and it is

the pride and joy of the company.

This Vios also doubles up as their demo and show car during exhibitions and events.

At the heart of any good ICE system is the headunit and one of the best is the Sony XAV-W1 DVD receiver which as its name implies, can play DVD as well as a whole range of media including MP3, CD, SACD and even JPEG files which can be viewed on its crystal clear 7-inch touchscreen LCD motorised display.

Looking around the cabin, the other noteworthy addition is a DLS UR6i 3-way component speaker system comprising tweeters, mids and woofers, which are mounted on the A-pillars and doors respectively.

These 6 speakers are powered by a DLS CA-41 4-channel amp putting out 4 x 70 watts of pure power.

Another DLS CA-41 amp

powers a DLS RS6 2-way component speaker system, which sits on the underside of the bootlid, together with a 7-inch Necvox LCD display.

The component speaker system, comprising two tweeters and two mids, and the LCD display, are mounted in a customised, metallic blue-coloured, fibreglass enclosure, and the entire setup can be seen when the bootlid is opened.

Speaking of the boot, in it you will find a third amp - a DLS CAD 11 monoblock amp, two bad-ass 12-inch DLS MW-12 subwoofers, and two Stinger 1Farad digital capacitors.

All of these ICE goodies are beautifully mounted in another customised fibreglass enclosure (same colour), with additional fans for cooling purposes, and gorgeous

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■ The setup in the boot makes this one seriously loud, mobile sound machine

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ICECOOL LED lights which give off a soft yet unmistakably stylish glow; especially at night.

With a feature-laden setup like this, I was eager to hear what it sounds like and after playing a myriad of songs from musicians as diverse as the Eagles, Beatles and Michael Buble, I can safely say that while it plays vocals and classical tunes fairly well, it is best suited to pump out heavy, bass-filled songs, LOUD!

While playing “Sweet Child of Mine” from the hard rock legends, Guns N’ Roses, with the boot open and volume cranked up, the bass was so strong that I could feel the pulses, coming from the subwoofers, time and time again.

Talk about blowing your socks off, this is one true-BLUE, mobile disco on wheels, and a great looking one to…boot!

EQUIPMENT LIST HEADUNIT • Sony XAV-W1 DVD receiver with 7-inch touchscreen

Sweet-sounding DLS UR6i tweeters and mids are skilfully installed into the A-pillars

SPEAKERS/SUBWOOFERS • 1 x DLS UR6i 3-way component speaker system • 1 x DLS RS6 2-way component speaker system • 2 x DLS MW-12 12-inch subwoofer AMPLIFIERS • 2 x DLS CA-41 4-channel amplifier • 1 x DLS CAD11 monoblock amplifier ACCESSORIES • 2 x Stinger 1-Farad digital capacitor • Necvox 7-inch TFT LCD monitor

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BMW M – SPORT KIT AVAILABLE FOR:

3 SERIES E92

3 SERIES E90

JCW Carbon Hood

JCW Strut brace

5 SERIES E60

JCW Strut Spoiler

Mirror Cover Union Jack

Armrest

R107 GP 18’’

Other brands available:

KBS MOTORSPORT PTE LTD 176 Sin Ming Drive, #01-14/15 Sin Ming Autocare, Singapore 575721 Tel: +65 6451 5333 Fax: +65 6452 5333 Email: chloe@kbsmotorsport.com.sg, patrick@kbsmotorsport.com.sg

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ICECOOL

Words Kelvin Lee

■ An ultra-efficient Class D amp, the Kenwood KAC-8103D is designed for maximum output, minimum heat, and reduced stress on a car’s electrical system

WATTS UP! Amplifiers are a must in any ICE setup and here is a rundown on what there is to know about these ‘boxes’

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When it comes to in-car entertainment (ICE for short), amplification takes a very important role. No matter how simple or complicated an ICE setup is, to sound any good, amplifiers must always be present.

The role of the amplifier is straightforward; increase the power or amplitude of an audio signal and control the output to the speakers.

As you may already know, all headunits come with built-in

amplifiers, so why do we need additional amplifiers? This often asked question can be answered in just one word – power.

Good quality speakers are equipped with large magnets and these magnets require power to drive them; more power than any headunit can ever muster on its own.

So this is where amplifiers come in. There are different classes of amplifiers and they

■ VIBE BlackBox Stereo 2 is a high-quality 2-channel amp that should be paired with a good set of component speakers

■ VIBE BlackBox Bass 4 is a power-packed monoblock amp well suited for ‘juicing up’ subwoofers

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■ The Blaupunkt THA475 PnP is a compact, 4-channel amplifier which can be easily installed in just 15 minutes

NEED-TO-KNOW

are differentiated by the way they amplify audio signals. The common ones are the Class A, Class AB and Class D amplifiers. Amplifiers have power ratings which are measured in watts.

As a general rule of thumb, the more power, the better. A common myth is that more power equates to louder sound; this is not true. More power means that the speakers will function better and the speaker cones will not get damaged.

Class A amplifiers generate tremendous amounts of heat and are not commonly used. If they are used at all, they will normally drive tweeters (small, high range speakers). Class AB amplifiers are often used to drive the mids (mid range speakers).

Class D are equipped with very efficient power supplies, which

■ FLI Loaded 800 is a good value-for-money 4-channel amplifier for the ICE aficionado on a budget

switch on and off automatically, and they produce much less heat.

Hence, they are best suited to power subwoofers (large, low range speakers) which only require high power supplies during certain sections of a song. They are also quite compact which makes them ideal for installation when space is a premium.

Most amplifiers feature metal bodies, on which you will find fin-like structures, called heatsinks. Heatsinks are important as they help to dissipate heat and prevent overheating.

The next area of importance is the mounting of the amplifiers and this can be done in many different ways. For simple ICE setups (e.g. co-axial speakers and a small 4-channel amplifier), the amplifier can be mounted below the front

seats. For more complicated setups (e.g. multiple speakers, including subwoofers, and at least two amplifiers), the amplifiers are can be mounted on an MDF board which is then fitted onto the back of the rear seats. This is cost-effective but can look quite unsightly, especially if the amplifiers are quite large and the wires and cables are exposed.

In this case, a customised installation is the best solution.

In a customised installation, the amplifiers, subwoofers and other components (if any) are installed in the boot, with unsightly wires and cables hidden from the naked eye.

This type of installation requires a lot of carpentry work and even the use of Perspex and LED (or neon) lights, as well as auxiliary fans, to make the whole setup look, and keep really cool!

Headunit - a rectangular-shaped component fixed into the dashboard which is commonly equipped with a CD player, radio tuner and other functions MDF - an engineered wood product formed by breaking down softwood into wood fibres, combining it with wax and a resin binder, and applying high temperature and pressure Watt - unit of power, equal to one joule of energy per second. A human climbing a flight of stairs is rated at 200 watts. An automobile engine produces 25,000 watts (about 33.5bhp) when cruising. A typical household light bulb uses 25 to 100 watts Speaker magnets - the larger the magnet, the better the response and hence, performance of the speaker Co-axial speakers - speakers comprising a mid range speaker and a tweeter, in one unit. The tweeters are normally placed above the centre of the mid range speake Perspex - commonly called acrylic glass or simply acrylic, it is used as a glass substitute as it is transparent, cheaper, easily processed, and lighter LED – abbreviation for light-emitting diode. An electroluminescent, small area light source, often used as small indicator lights on electronic devices and increasingly in higher power applications such as flashlights and area lighting.

The come in many different colours.

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RPM

SLIDING AND SMOKING… AND IN CONTROL! After the exciting planes from the Singapore Airshow, the action stays ‘hot’ at the Changi Exihibiton Centre; but this time, at ground level Event: Date: Location: Drivers:

Formula Drift Singapore Sunday 27 April 2008 Changi Exhibition Centre Top drivers from the Formula Drift series and the best from the region

Wa n t to w in a Fo r mu la D r if t S ing a p o re b u n d le c o n si s t in g o f a p a ir o f t ic k e ts Fo r mu la D to c atch r if t S ing a p o re , a n d c a p s wo rt t wo h a to ta l o f $50? S e m a il yo u im p ly r f u ll n am e , IC n um d ate o f bir b e r, th, addre s s and con n um b e r, to tac t : M agC a r m a_p rom c om .s g by o @sph .

16 Ap r il 2008.Th e 20 b u n d le re a re s to b e g iv e n away. and cond (Te r ms it io n s a pp ly)

Competition Format Based on drifting’s traditional “head-to-head battle” format, 34 drivers will complete one warm-up run, followed by two judged runs. The total score from the judged runs will determine the top 16 drivers who will move on to the next round called the “Sweet Sixteen” round. In that round, the 16 drivers will be paired off and each pairing of drifters will go headto-head until the top 5 remain.

After this, the competition takes on a new level as these 5 drifters will be joined by 3 professional

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■ Formula Drift drivers are among the best drifters in the world

Drifter Extraordinaire 32-year old Ryuji Miki (born 14 June 1975) hails from Tottori Prefecture, Japan and his greatest achievement to date was winning the 2004 D1 Grand Prix (D1 GP) championship, while driving his

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USA, Miki switched to a Nissan Fairlady Z (Z33) which was modified by top Japanese tuner, Top Top Secret Nissan Silvia (S15). Due Secret, and powered by a RB26 to his exciting drifting style, he is engine from a Nissan Skyline GT-R. nicknamed “Doki-Doki Kun”.

As the car was still in its developRyuji Miki started competing mental stages when the competiin the D1 GP series in 2001, in his tion began, his best result was a own Nissan Silvia (S14), before 6th position in the second switching to a Top Secret modified round at Odaiba. This Nissan Silvia (S15) for the 2002 was to be his last season season. During the 2004 season, in D1 GP and his last Miki scored his first ever D1 GP win win was at an exhibition at Odaiba, and this enabled him to event at Silverstone in win the championship and in the his trusty Silvia (S15) process, beat another top driver, Last year, Miki Nobuteru Taniguchi, by 28 points, started competing in which is a series record. the Formula Drift seFor the 2005 season, following ries in a white Mazda the opening round in Irwindale, RX7 (FD3S) with the ■ A crowd favourite wherever he goes

■ Drifting is a favourite of many photographers

drivers from Formula Drift in the “International” round which is also a “head-to-head battle”. This will go on i.e. 8-4-2-1, until the first ever Formula Drift Singapore champion is crowned.

APEX’i team. At the start of the season, he had trouble adapting to the left-hand-drive car but by the last few rounds, his results started to become impressive as he finished in the top 16 in 4 rounds.

Look out for Miki at Formula Drift Singapore as he drives his APEX’i Mazda RX7

■ His mega-powerful APEX’I Mazda RX7 has more than 400bhp on tap!

31/03/2008 10:47:00 AM

The two most important people credited with bringing top-class drifting in the form of the inaugural Formula Drift Singapore to our shores is Marcus Lim, General Manager, Binter & Co Pte Ltd, and Jim Liaw, Co-Founder/President, Formula Drift Holdings LLC. Jim is the first person to take D1 GP outside of Japan, and into the USA. This ultimately led to the creation of the Formula Drift championship which is the first and only sanctioned professional drifting series outside of Japan.

Now 31 year old, Jim resides in Huntington Beach, California with

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■ Jim Liaw is the ‘brains’ behind Formula Drift; and he owns the company, of course! wife Angela, and we spoke to him about a subject close to his heart; yes, you guessed it, drifting.

Why is drifting so popular, both to competitors and spectators?

Drifting is so visually exciting especially if you are watching it live; thrilling and exciting. And you don’t have to be an engineer, or even a car enthusiast for that matter, to appreciate it. I mean, watching a driver skilfully oversteer the car, smoking its tyres, and sliding it centimetres from a concrete wall is what drifting is about! If my mom can become a fan (and it is not because I am running the show), then I know drifting can be enjoyed by everyone.

USA in 2003. Over 16 D1 GP professional teams competed and this set the benchmark of what professional drifting should be about. From there, we started the Formula Drift championship in 2004 and this year will be our fifth season.

What are the similarities and differences between the drift scene in Japan and USA? The main similarity is camaraderie. The friendship and support between the drivers, despite their different sponsors, backgrounds and teams, is very good. We have also incorporated many fan-friendly elements and a centralised structure for driver development. This combination has enabled Formula Drift to reach out to fans, far and wide, and to many companies and organisations. This has resulted in large corporations such as EA Games, Circuit City and Mazda, becoming long-term sponsors.

What do you hope to achieve with Formula Drift?

This question is answered in two parts. Firstly, we are focused on safety and professional sanctioning which is extremely important for the growth of Formula Drift, and professional drifting as a whole. Secondly, we have a pseudo motto and it is – products used by Formula Drift teams and drivers can be used by all. For example, tyres from Firestone, Goodyear, Cooper and Kumho, which are used on the drift cars, are street legal and can be purchased at local tyre shops.

■ The head-to-head battle will be a definite highlight!

How did the idea of Formula Drift Singapore come about?

Singapore is an ideal place for Formula Drift’s starting point in Asia. Everyone knows that Singapore is the focal point of international business and trends in this region. Moreover, Singaporeans are getting more and more involved in motor sports, and nowhere is this more evident than the Formula 1 race in September. In 2007, Marcus approached us about bringing Formula Drift here. From our first meeting, his desire and passion, backed by his knowledge and insights of the tyre industry in both USA and Asia market, won us over. We are really excited to have Binter on board and Formula Drift Singapore was officially announced during our annual press conference at SEMA, Las Vegas.

What should the spectators look out for during the event?

Judged on execution and style, rather than who finishes in the fastest time or crosses the

finish line first, we are sure that the spectators will have a great time watching the cars fight it out in single qualifying runs, and the super-exciting head-tohead battles. With drivers from all over Asia and the three from the Formula Drift series, it will be great fun to see the different drift styles. More importantly, it will give Singaporeans a chance to cheer on their own home-grown talents such as Ivan Lim and Colin Teo. As an added attraction, the pits and paddocks will be open to the spectators who will be able to get up-close with the drivers, crews and most importantly, the awesome drift machines!

Last but not least, is there anything you would like to convey to our readers?

I would like all Carma readers to come out to Formula Drift Singapore and experience drifting live. Trust me, you will not be disappointed!

How did Formula Drift start?

Competitive drifting started when we brought D1 GP to the ■ Marcus Lim (centre), and his Binter-sponsored drift drivers

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words Joe Yeo photos Winston Chuang

SPECIAL REPORT

MAXMIUM SHINE AND PROTECTION This company specialises in paint protection and the usage of infrared lamps to bond the applied protective coat to the paintwork

■ Infrared rays bond the protective coating onto the paintwork of this Audi TT

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At first there was a deluge of grooming companies offering ‘top-notch’ services using the best waxes that money can buy. Then paint protection came into the scene and once again, everyone jumped on the proverbial bandwagon and in a matter of months, companies offering various kinds of paint protection started sprouting up

all over the place.

So with all of these companies to further confuse the car owner, how do you choose the best one for your car?

The answer to this question is two-fold – longevity and relevancy.

Master Touch has been around since 2003 and this makes them one of the first companies to offer paint protection. As for relevancy, while other paint protection systems are formulated for usage in temperate countries, Master Touch’s ProGuard is formulated to withstand the tropical conditions commonly experienced in South East Asia; like the monsoon rain and humid heat which is prevalent Singapore.

ProGuard is a Paint Protection System (PPS) which is different from conventional wax, polish and sealants. It is specially formulated for maximum protection and optimised shine on any kind of automotive paintwork. ProGuard is solely distributed by Master Touch in Singapore.

After the application of the protective coat, thermal heating, using infrared lamps, is utilised to ‘cure’ the application i.e. bonding the protective coat to the paintwork permanently. The paintwork is now protected by a layer of durable and high-gloss coating from oxidation, acid rain, watermarks, bird droppings and many other types of potentially damaging substances.

Master Touch employs a painstakingly tedious 12-step process which includes the removal of light blemishes, and the application and ‘curing’ of the protective coating. Also included is the cleaning of the engine bay and the application of medical fumigation to rid the interior of unwanted smells and odours.

Master Touch has an impressive track record and they are manned by five dedicated staff, including their Marketing Manager, Rajoo. So look for them if you need your car ‘paint-protected’.

ABOUT POLISH Polishes remove contamination, swirl marks, scratches and other imperfections from the paintwork. Polishes penetrate the paintwork and they are classified based on how abrasive they are. A rubbing compound, which is like fine sandpaper, will remove heavy scratches and oxidation, while commonly available polishes is used to remove light oxidation, fine scratches, as well as light imperfections such water spots and ‘spider web’ marks. Glaze is the finest polish and it is very mildly abrasive so it is only able to enhance surface gloss and shine.

Master Touch Professional Auto Grooming Centre 176, Sin Ming Drive #02-16, Sin Ming Autocare Singapore 575721 Tel: 6452 1152 Email: rajoo@mastertouchpps.com www.mastertouchpps.com

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We specialise in genuine carbon fiber laminations for all car interior and exterior

Genuine Black Carbon Fibre

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50 Bukit Batok Street 23, #01-20 Midview Building Singapore 659578 Tel: (65) 6515 1204 Fax: (65) 6515 1257 Website: www.robson-design.com Operating hrs: Mon-Fri - 10am to 7.30pm, Sat - 10am to 6pm Sundays/Public Holidays Closed

Warranty on Manufactural Defaults • Exterior 6 months • Interior 24 months

28/03/2008 5:42:23 PM

words Joe Yeo photos Winston Chuang

SPECIAL REPORT

“SMILE…YOU’RE ON CANDID CAMERA” This ingenious device is what you need to really deter would-be thieves and vandals

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It almost happens to everyone – finding a deep scratch on your car after having it parked overnight. As some might say – you never own your car’s exterior. The first thing you’d probably say when you see the unsightly blemish on your car’s paintwork is “Who did this and why?” But the reality is that you’re unlikely to apprehend the culprit unless there was a witness.

Well, now you can thanks to Prestige Security’s Cybercam Plus which is a newer and superior system when compared to its popular predecessor – the Cybereye Mobile Cam. Up to four small cameras can be fitted to the system for a full 360-degree view from inside the car. The cameras are so tiny that the unsuspecting culprit will hardly notice the ‘eyes’ recording his every move. Despite their size, the cameras can record at speeds of up to 30 frames per second in colour in the day, and black/white at night. The video footage is

recorded and stored into the unit via a Compact Flash (CF) card.

You can then choose to view the video on its crystal-clear 2.5-inch TFT LCD display, or you can hook it up to a TV and watch it. Moreover, the footages are recorded with date and time stamping for you to determine the precise time the incident took place.

For vandalism cases, catching the culprit on video means you can press legal charges against him and who knows, you might even find out that it’s the work of someone you know. Other than vandalism, Cybercam Plus can also be used to deter break-ins and thefts as well as evidence for hit-and-run accidents when the vehicle is parked. For accidents on the road, Cybercam Plus can also be used for supporting evidence in insurance claims if the need arises. For the track day enthusiast, you can even use Cybercam Plus to record your best laps on the track for analysis and improvement.

■ Tiny cameras can be mounted anywhere inside the car; away from prying eyes Power comes straight from the car’s battery and it has also been designed to be extremely intuitive and user friendly. With the Cybercam Plus, you can have extra peace of mind thanks to extra ‘eyes’ looking after your car 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

ABOUT PRESTIGE SECURITY Prestige Security Pte Ltd is a home-grown company that specialises in security monitoring systems for office, home and automotive applications. Their Cybereye Mobile Cam, which was launched in 2003 (which is also the year the company started operations), was their first product designed specifically for automotive usage and it has proven to be very effective. In a landmark court case, video evidence recorded on the Cybereye Mobile Cam installed in a lady’s car was used to prosecute her neighbour who had slashed her car’s tyres with a blade. The accused was eventually fined $2,000 and jailed for a day. Most importantly, the accused was also ordered to pay damages amounting to the total cost of the system and two new tyres.

Prestige Security Pte Ltd Blk 3, Ang Mo Kio Industrial Park 2A #02-01, AMK Tech 1 Singapore 568050 Tel: 6484 1588 Email: sales@prestige-security.com.sg www.prestige-security.com.sg

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28/03/2008 12:43:05 PM

TUNED IN

PORSCHE CARRERA CUP ASIA BEGINS WITH A BANG H

Germany’s Christian Menzel and China’s Team StarChase took victory in the opening round of the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia, which was held on Saturday 22 March 2008, an official support race to the Formula 1 Petronas Malaysian Grand Prix. Second was Marchy Lee, racing for Team BetterLife in his first full season with the series, ahead of fellow Hong Kong driver Darryl O’Young of Team Jebsen.

Defending Champion Tim Sugden of GruppeM Racing had pushed Menzel to the limit throughout the race, while at the same time holding off a determined Lee, but a puncture in the final lap saw him limp across the line in 5th.

In Class B, Malaysia’s Tunku Hammam took the win ahead of Australian newcomer Paul Tresidder and Hong Kong’s Philip Ma. Off the start, Sugden and Menzel were two abreast in seconds, with the latter gaining the advantage at the first turn. Behind them, drama struck the Class B

field with a racing incident at turn four involving PCS Racing’s Mok Weng Sun, Ringo Chong of Team Kangshun and Melvin Choo of ThunderAsia Racing. Hammam then took the lead ahead of Tresidder and Ma, and crossed the line with an impressive margin.

Meanwhile, at the front of the pack, O’Young, who had started from 4th on the grid, got by Lee to go 3rd, before his spin put him back down to 7th (albeit not for long), behind Christian Jones of Team Opes Prime, who was only just able to race after suffering with a virus, and SC Global Racing’s Matthew Marsh. As O’Young climbed back up through the field, he set the fastest lap of the race.

Menzel, Sugden and Lee were tightly packed together, with Sugden reeling the German back in every time he tried to pull out a gap, and the determined Hong Kong driver keeping both well within his sights. The gap between the leading pair was down to 0.172 seconds at one stage. O’Young had climbed

RESULTS – ROUND 1 (TOP 10 ONLY) Pos. Comp No. Driver 1 99 Christian MENZEL (GER) 2 8 Marchy LEE (HKG) 3 55 Darryl O’YOUNG (HKG) 4 18 Christian JONES (AUS) 5 88 Tim SUGDEN (GBR) 6 7 Matthew MARSH (HKG) 7 6 Dilantha MALAGAMUWA (JPN) 8 11 Alain LI (HKG) 9 51 Tunku HAMMAM (MAS) 10 23 Paul TRESIDDER (AUS)

Class A A A A A A A A B B

■ Gerald Teo in his gorgeous ‘Singapore’ Porsche 911 GT3 Cup back up to 4th by the middle of the 10-lap race, but was never able to challenge the leading trio.

With spectators on the edge of their seats, the final lap spelled disaster for Sugden and, having put up a tremendous fight for the lead for almost the entire 10 laps, the Briton did well to nurse his car across the line at all.

Entrant Team StarChase (CHN) Team BetterLife (CHN) Team Jebsen (HKG) Team Opes Prime (AUS) GruppeM Racing (CHN) SC Global Racing (SIN) Speed Sri Lanka (SRI) Sunseeker Asia (HKG) Tunku Hammam (MAS) Paul Tresidder (AUS)

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■ Veteran Ringo Chong (9) keeps Greg Ward (38) at bay

■ The winners of Round 2 celebrating on the podium

Round 2 was held the following day on Sunday 23 March 2008, and Team Jebsen’s Darryl O’Young took the Class A victory ahead of Round 1 winner Christian Menzel of Team StarChase and Team Opes Prime’s Christian Jones.

In Class B, Malaysia’s Tunku Hammam took his second win of the weekend, with Philip Ma once again on the podium. Melvin Choo of ThunderAsia Racing crossed the line 3rd, having taken Australian series newcomer Greg Ward on the final lap.

Menzel got away from pole well, but O’Young stole the march on Lee and moved up to 2nd. When Menzel ran wide on lap one, O’Young took the lead and never looked back, opening up a gap of 2.670 seconds by the chequered flag.

Further down the field, Speed Sri Lanka driver Dilantha Malagamuwa, Alain Li and Hammam were dicing for position. The Sri Lankan eventually got by the Sunseeker Asia driver, leaving him with the trio of Hammam, Mok Weng Sun of Team PCS Racing and Ringo Chong of Team Kangshun furiously trying to get by.

In the searing heat, Li not only had to keep his wits about him to hold the chasing pack behind him, but concentrate on the track ahead.

He held firm to take 7th overall, ahead of Hammam, Mok and Chong.

Hammam, who overtook both Dilantha and Li at one stage, enjoyed mixing it with the Class A drivers, but wasn’t about to jeopardise precious Class B points.

RESULTS – ROUND 1 (TOP 10 ONLY) Pos. Comp No. Driver 1 55 Darryl O’YOUNG (HKG) 2 99 Christian MENZEL (GER) 3 18 Christian JONES (AUS) 4 8 Marchy LEE (HKG) 5 7 Matthew MARSH (HKG) 6 6 Dilantha MALAGAMUWA (JPN) 7 11 Alain LI (HKG) 8 51 Tunku HAMMAM (MAS) 9 33 MOK Weng Sun (SIN) 10 9 Ringo CHONG (SIN)

Class A A A A A A A B A A

Entrant Team Jebsen (HKG) Team StarChase (CHN) Team Opes Prime (AUS) Team BetterLife (CHN) SC Global Racing (SIN) Speed Sri Lanka (SRI) Sunseeker Asia (HKG) Tunku Hammam (MAS) Team PCS Racing (SIN) Team Kangshun (CHN)

■ Darryl O’Young is lying in 2nd place overall after Rounds 1 and 2

Car

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TUNED IN

FIAT EXPERT AT TTS EUROCARS H

If you own a Fiat and truly love the experience, then remember the name Sergio Scotese.

No, he is not a car designer nor is he someone who makes big decisions at Fiat. Sergio is a personable, 47 year old Italian who lives, eats and breathes Fiat and he is very knowledgeable about them too. The fact that he lives just 13km from Fiat’s birthplace, Turin, makes it that much more special.

Segio is the newest addition to the TTS Eurocars family (he joined them last year), and his task is simple.

Run the workshop like it was ■ Singapore’s most experienced his own and make sure that Fiat aficionado all Fiat cars passing in and

out of the workshop are lovingly taken care of, so that their engines are always on song, and they are in perfect working order.

Sergio is a trained automotive engineer and he has been tinkering with Italian cars since 1992. Ask him what his favourite Fiat cars are and he has two; one past and one present. He loves the limited production Fiat 131 Abarth Rallye (500 units worldwide only) with its 2-litre 140bhp engine; which is a lot of ‘horses’ back in 1976!

And his heart stops a beat each and every time he looks at, and drives, the all-new Fiat 500 which has taken the world by storm and should be making its much-anticipated appearance on our roads real soon.

At TTS Eurocars, Sergio is in-charge of 50 staff in their expansive workshop at Sin Ming and he trains and guides them on the latest technologies and equipment for exclusive use on Fiat cars. As such, he visits Turin two to three

times a year to undergo advanced training; especially when a new Fiat is launched.

His constant ‘companion’ at the workshop is his trusty “Examiner”, which is a state-of-theart diagnostic computer specially designed for used on Fiat cars.

This R2D2 sized mobile computer on wheels is amazing; just plug into any Fiat car and it will read out a host of information and if there is something wrong with the car, the “Examiner” will display it in a flash so that the proper rectification, and repair if necessary, can be done straightaway.

TTS Eurocars has 5 units of the “Examiner” which costs a cool $25,000 each! The inclusion of Sergio, and the “Examiners”, is testimony to the company’s quest to make Fiat car ownership, an exciting, and most importantly, stress-free experience.

Buongiorno, amico!

■ Sergio with one of his favourite Fiat cars – the Bravo GT and its 1.4-litre 150bhp powerplant

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BMW E60 Bodykits

BMW DIVISION

AC Roof Spoiler (ABS)

AC Kit

M5 Kit

AC Pedal Pad

M5 Side Fender Grille

Carbon Attachments Front & Rear

M5 Power Fold Mirror

AC Trunk Spoiler

Eagle Eyes M5 LED Tail Lamp (red-smoke)

M5 Front Grille

M Tech Kit

AC Kit

AC Roof Spoiler (ABS)

AC Trunk Spoiler (ABS)

LIGHTING

BMW E90 Bodykits

M Tech Kit

M Tech Kit

Carbon Grille

Carbon Attachments Front & Rear

Eagle Eyes LED Tail Lamps (clear & smoke)

LED Escort Lamp

Carbon Mirror Cover

LED Ring Marker E90

LED Room Lamp

LED License Plate

M5 Front Grille

HID Headlight Bulb E60

HID Headlight Bulb E90

PERFROMANCE

E60 Ring Marker (Also available for 6 Series)

AC Pedal Pad

McWell Ventures Pte Ltd

TUNING

51 Ubi Ave, #01-05/06 Paya Ubi Industrial Park, Singapore 408933 (65) 6844 4640 fax: (65) 6844 4641 international@mcwellventures.com website: www.mcwellventures.com tel:

email:

opening hours:

Tuning for E60 and E90

Mon - Sat: 10.30am - 7.30pm Sun/Public Holidays: 11.00am - 6.00pm

TUNED IN

NICO ROSBERG ‘ LOSES’ TO A LOCAL ■ Nico tried his hardest…

Justin Kwan, 18, emerged the champion of the Singapore leg of the RBS Grand Prix Challenge with a winning time of ■ Nico Rosberg (centre), flanked by the top 1 minute 11.785 4 finalists, and Alan Goodyear (right), RBS seconds. Justin beat South East Asia, General Manager & Head of three other finalists as Global Banking and Markets well as AT&T Williams driver Nico Rosberg in today’s to Raffles driver, Nico Rosberg, who clocked One Grand grand final.

Place a time of 1 minute 12.936 seconds. Prix, which is An avid Formula One fan, from 10 As the winner of the Singapore the world’s first winner Justin Kwan said, “Meeting March to leg of the RBS Grand Prix night race, the an F1 driver in person would 14 March Challenge, Justin Kwan won two RBS Grand Prix make any fan excited, but I had 2008. tickets worth $1,388 each to Challenge was ■ …but still lost to 18-year old the opportunity to race against The four watch the historical Formula One extended over Justin Kwan one – that is truly an unforgettable finalists Singapore Grand Prix from some of three weeks experience. Thanks to RBS for visited the RBS F1 simulator the best seats in town. this year. making it happen for me and of religiously over the three week Singapore is the second city in The state-of-the-art F1 racing course, for giving me a chance to period to practice and compete Asia to ever host the RBS Grand simulator was located at Ngee Ann watch the Singapore Grand Prix.” against each other for the Prix Challenge and as a tribute City, Civic Plaza from 27 February opportunity to race against F1 to Singapore’s inaugural Formula to 6 March 2008 and then moved

H

FERRARI FLIES WITH NEW PARTNER H

■ Kimi Raikkonen (left) and James Hogan, CEO, Etihad Airways

Etihad Airways has signed a major new sponsorship deal with the Ferrari F1 team, the current Formula One world championship holders.

The airline’s chief executive officer James Hogan signed the three-year deal ahead of the opening Formula One race of the season in Melbourne on Sunday 16 March.

The Abu Dhabi-based airline’s name will feature prominently on the rear wing and turning vanes of the world’s most famous red cars throughout the 18-race 2008 Formula One season.

Mr Hogan explained: “Ferrari is already developing a close association with our Abu Dhabi

home base, through an exciting new theme park being built, so this deal represents a natural partnership for Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates. We share similar ambitions, to be the best in our respective fields.

The iconic Ferrari racing brand is set to open a USD$600 million,

2,500 acre theme park in 2009 that will include 24 attractions. The highlights of ‘Ferrari World’ will include a 70-metre tall G-Force Tower, the world’s first F1 branded twin roller coaster ride which will allow races between carriages, simulator rides, a race track, luxury hotels, apartments, villas, a golf course and dozens of restaurants.

■ The rear diffuser speaks volumes of this new sponsorship

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PIT STOP AT THE PADANG Transsyberia cruising along Orchard Road on route to a spectacular ‘Pit Stop’ at the Singapore Cricket Club. Visitors and guests enjoyed a stunning close-up view of the cars on display and were also among the first in Singapore to set eyes on the new Cayenne GTS and the new 911 GT3 Cup racecar.

The first ever Porsche Kids Driving School, took place from 2.00pm to 4.30pm at the Padang.

Many children, aged between five to ten years old and driving Porsche 911 pedal cars, had fun time

learning about basic traffic rules and good road manners.

The kids were also rewarded with a ‘Porsche kid’s driving license’ as well as other goodies that have been prepared specially for them.

The Porsche Pit Stop Singapore concluded with the official Porsche Carrera Cup Asia Season 2008 press conference, where media guests met the teams and drivers, and learnt more about the season up ahead.

■ The convoy of Porsches created quite a stir; especially when zooming down Orchard Road!

H

The Porsche Pit Stop Singapore which was held on 14 March 2008 at the historic Singapore Cricket Club brought together Porsche Asia Pacific, Porsche Centre Singapore and the Porsche Club Singapore for a celebratory occasion.

Its exciting programme

line-up included Singapore’s firstever Porsche Commemorative Drive, and the Porsche Kids Driving School.

The Porsche Commemorative Drive comprised about 100 contemporary and historic Porsches, including a Carrera GT, a 911 GT3 RSR and the Cayenne S ■ Future Porsche owners, perhaps?

24

Months All rounded Warranty Against Paintwork Oxidation and Fading

PROMOTION OFFER FOR LIMITED PERIOD ONLY! CALL MASTERTOUCH FOR APPOINTMENT NOW!!!

Leather cleaning & conditioning

Interior steaming with anti viral, anti bacteria disinfecting solution.

MasterTouch Grooming Centre now offer infra-red thermal heating as part of its wide range of services. Acrylic coating needs high temperature to cure the layer for a maximum gloss effect and longer lasting shine.

Revolutionary new high tech formulation creates maximum shine and protection for paintwork.

MASTER TOUCH 176 Sin Ming Drive #02-16 Sin Ming Auto Care Singapore 575721 Tel: 6452 1152 • Fax 6451 0427 • Hp: 93894390 Email: sales@mastertouchpps.com

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OPTIONS AIR INSIDE is BBS’s latest technology which features hollowed inner and outer shoulders, and spokes which lower weight without sacrificing strength and performance. The AIR II CK (left) and AIR II CY are multi-piece wheels which feature this unique technology. They are also fitted with rim protectors to protect against hard kerbing.

SOUTH EAST TYRE CO, TEL: 6241 7665/6844 2288

PRECISION AND PERFORMANCE Forging is the best technology available for alloy wheel manufacture as can be seen by its extensive usage in high-level motorsport such as Formula 1 and World Rally Championship. The LeMans (left) and RS-GT are forged, multi-piece wheels which mimic designs of motorsports wheels and they are extremely lightweight yet strong.

SOUTH EAST TYRE CO, TEL: 6241 7665/6844 2288

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RaceTech April08(done).ai

3/26/08

4:40:59 PM

A prestige subsidiary of Fong Kim Exhaust System Pte Ltd

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– Forged 6 Pistons Aluminium Ultra-Light Caliper – 2 Piece 330mm or 355mm Cross Drilled or Slotted Disc Rotor – Teflon Coated Rotor Sides – Teflon Street Braided Hoses – 550 Degrees Racing Pads – Min 17 inch to clear (286mm) – Min 18 inch to clear (303mm)

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VTTR SPORT BRAKE PAD 50°c - 550°c

VTTR SUPER BIG 6-POT FOR E90

VTTR REAR DRUM FOR SUZUKI SHIFT

Front Camber Kit Civic EG

Front Camber Kit Civic EK

Front Camber Kit Civic ES/DC5

Reinforced Silicone Radiator Hoses

Nissan 3502 Front Camber Kit with Pillow Ball

Lexus IS 200 / 300 Front upper Camber Kit (Harden Rubber)

Civic EK Front Upper Camber Kit

Lancer/Virage 01-05, Rear Toe Control Arm

Civic 01-05, Acura RSX Rear Camber Kit Pillow Ball Bushing

Civic 01-05 Rear Camber Kit Pillow Ball Bushing

Rear Trailing Arm Bush (Pillow Ball)

Hunter Pro Alignment Machine USA!!!

– The most sophisticated and accurate alignment machine on earth!

Super Camber and Toe Adjustment For all Racing Application!!!

– Track & Racing – Drag/0-400 Sprints – Super Sprints – Street Specs – OEM Specs

51 Ubi Avenue 1 #01-02 Paya Ubi Industrial Park Singapore 408933 Tel: 6844 4644 Fax: 6844 4244 Website: www.racetech.com.sg Email: sales@racetech.com.sg Business Hours: Mondays to Saturdays: 10.00am-8pm, Sundays: Strictly by Appointment Only. We accept Cash, Nets & Credit Cards from all Major Banks. *Citibank & HSBC Instalment available. Term & Condition Apply

OPTIONS

AIR ‘GULPER’

ENGINE STYLING

This stylish semi-open filter features alloy construction and a carbon fibre-adorned chassis provides a ‘cool’ route for air into the engine. Designed for the Suzuki Swift (1.3/1.5/1.6), it not only looks good in the engine bay but it will endow the engine with better performance.

CLASSIC AUTO DECO PTE LTD, TEL: 6471 2925

The cam cover and spark plug cover looks boring and dull in most cars i.e. normally black. Cubic Printing or spray painting allows you to customise its colour and design, thus making it look stylish.

Instantly noticeable every time you pop the bonnet open.

CLASSIC AUTO DECO PTE LTD, TEL: 6471 2925

GREAT SIDE VIEWS

RACECAR-LIKE BRAKES

Carbon fibre is lightweight, strong and looks great. Hence it is used in many performance and motorsport applications. These carbon fibre covers install directly on the side view mirrors of the Suzuki Swift and Swift Sport, instantly transforming the exterior outlook of this sporty hatchback.

CLASSIC AUTO DECO PTE LTD, TEL: 6471 2925

Project Mu is a name synonymous with motorsports and performance, and this brake kit is among the best that money can buy. Huge 4-piston calipers, dinner plate-sized slotted disc rotors, and performance brake pads make this a great choice for the motorsports aficionado.

STAMFORD TYRES MEGAMARTS

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OPTIONS

STOP ON A DIME

PEDAL TO THE METAL

Designed for the Lexus IS250, this performance braking set comes with original Lexus 4-pot calipers and 335mm slotted rotors. Fits nicely within the IS250’s factory alloy wheels and endows the car with immediate braking response and strong braking performance.

TEAM SPORTIVO PTE LTD, TEL: 6546 2022

This three pedal set (brake, accelerator and foot rest) is manufactured from high-quality aluminium alloy. Featuring durable rubber inserts and grips, you will never slip of these pedals even with wet footwear. Also enhances the beauty of the interior of your Lexus IS250.

TEAM SPORTIVO PTE LTD, TEL: 6546 2022

BANISH BRAKE FADE

‘HUGGING’ THE ROAD

Goodridge steel-braided brake hoses are made in UK and are certified by many of the world’s top testing agencies such as TUV, FMVSS, and DOT. Reduces sponginess and improves brake feel and performance. Bolt-on fitment and available for the Lexus IS250, GS300, RX, and Mercedes-Benz A, B, C and E Class.

TEAM SPORTIVO PTE LTD, TEL: 6546 2022

Developed specifically for Toyota and Lexus cars, TTE lowering springs are designed to be used with the factory dampers and reduces ride height by 30mm. Results are improved handling and sportier looks. TUV Approved. Available for the Lexus IS, GS, and RX (even the RX400h).

TEAM SPORTIVO PTE LTD, TEL: 6546 2022

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CONTEST & PROMO

www.carma.com.sg

DRIVE A DECAL

GET SPOTTED AND WIN POLISHING PACKAGES

We spotted you with our decal!

Congratulations to the owner of SJB3428B. Please write in to carma@sph.com.sg by 30 April 2008 to claim your prize.

SJB3428B Drive around with a CARMA decal prominently displayed on your car and you could win attractive prizes when your car gets spotted!

Up for grabs now is a polarized car paint treatment worth at least $350.

Monthly winners, updates and details on DRIVE A DECAL contest will be published in the upcoming issues of CARMA. Never miss an issue so subscribe now!

For more information on this contest and ways to collect your CARMA decal, please email carma@sph.com.sg.

Terms and Conditions • Winning car plate number will be published in CARMA. • Winner must write in by above stated date or prize will be forfeited.

• Proof of car ownership must be provided by winner for prize to be claimed.

• Prizes must be taken as provided and are not transferable or exchangeable for cash.

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....Continued from pg43

CARMA ‘ESCAPE WITH DRIVE’ TO GENTING HIGHLANDS POWERED BY YOKOHAMA

■ Participa nts at winning tabl the e checking out the priz es they won

ssed car...

st dre ■ The be

■ Grand prize winner receiving his prize from Ed Chua of Advan Syn

its ■ ... and

nts with ■ Participa ong D Ya Zhang o

winner

■ Our chief marshal verifying a participant’s answer

■ Young and old participating in the games ■ Raymo nd Cha giving a sp n of YHI eech

ding hood’

ed ri ■ Little ‘r

■ Cruising down the highway

■ Our participants with celebrities, Le Yao and Zhang Yao Dong

99driveaway.indd Sec1:99

■ Participants taking part in table games

31/03/2008 11:43:10 AM

CARMA SUBSCRIPTION FORM

YES!

I would like to subscribe

Carma 1 year subscription

Carma 2 year subscription

S$48.00 (12 issues)

S$96.00 (24 issues)

YOUR DETAILS

SUBSCRIBE TO CARMA NOW! Enjoy 20% off the usual price

NAME:

GENDER:

Male /

First 20 subscribers this month will receive Fridge-to-go portable refrigerator which chills its contents for up to 8 hours

Female

NRIC: Colour of actual product may vary from picture

DATE OF BIRTH: ADDRESS:

OR ONLY F

20 FUIBRSSCRTIBERS!

POSTAL CODE:

S

CONTACT NUMBER: (H) (HP)

Please mail your subscription form along with your cheque/draft to:

(O)

SINGAPORE PRESS HOLDINGS LTD Circulation Department (Subscription Services) 82 Genting Lane, Media Centre, Level 2, Singapore 349567

EMAIL: OCCUPATION:

For credit card payment, please fax your subscription form to: 6744 4875 or 6746 1925

MODE OF PAYMENT I WOULD LIKE TO PAY BY CHEQUE/DRAFT NO. for $ To be crossed and made payable to: SINGAPORE PRESS HOLDINGS LTD

CREDIT/DEBIT CARD VISA

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carma-subscription-MAR07.indd 100

EXPIRY DATE

Terms and Conditions • Please allow three to four weeks for your order to be processed and for delivery of your first issue.

• No official receipt will be issued for payment by cheque/credit card.

• Subscription is non-refundable and non-transferable.

• Notification letter will be sent for collection of subscription gift.

• Subscription gift is for first 20 subscribers of April only.

• 1 year and 2 year subscribers are entitled to the same subscription gift.

• Subscription gift is to be accepted as provided and are neither exchangeable in kind nor in cash.

• The management reserves the right to replace subscription gift of up to equal value.

• Subscription promotion is valid till 30 April 2008.

• Subscription rates are applicable to Singapore addresses only.

31/03/2008 11:46:52 AM

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