Tabla de contenidos para September 2017 en Torque

Carros is a dream come true for automotive businesses, car enthusiasts and vehicle owners. Located along Jalan Lam Huat off Kranji Road, Carros sits on a 500,000 square foot site and offers 2.3 million square feet of built-up space. This freehold strata-titled industrial development by Kranji Development Pte Ltd, a subsidiary of BS Capital Pte Ltd, is Singapore’s largest automobile hub. The eight-storey mega complex, which includes a basement level and houses 383 units for sale and lease, is the fruition of BS Capital founder, Mr Raymond Ng Ah Hua’s vision to consolidate the automotive industry under one roof. Mr Ng, who is also the Executive Chairman of Enviro-Hub Holdings, believes that bringing car marts, workshops, body shops, spare parts shops and other car-related trades together will result in greater…

The Hyundai Sonata started out as a conservative family saloon, but it has evolved over the years to meet the demands of buyers in one of the most competitive automobile segments. Like the musical sonata form that develops a lyrical theme over various movements, the latest “movement” in this automotive Sonata is a midlife facelift of the seventh-generation Sonata. To use the term “facelift” is a gross understatement because the latest Hyundai Sonata marks a completely new design approach. The dramatic changes that have been made, as well as new technology and safety features, rival that of a new model. In front, the signature Cascading Grille and vertical LED daytime running lamps give the new Sonata a sportier and more contemporary appearance. The narrower headlamps project a purposeful expression with…

 Drivers have always wanted a tyre that helps reduce their running costs. But many ecofriendly tyres that can accomplish this usually do so at the expense of roadholding and wet weather grip. “THE ECOPIA EP300 IS THE PERFECT TYRE FOR TODAY’S DRIVERS WHO WANT IT ALL.” Bridgestone’s latest ECOPIA EP300 tyre, however, delivers everything that motorists want – without any compromises. At the core of the ECOPIA EP300 is Bridgestone’s cutting-edge compound, NanoPro-TechTM , which not only improves wet grip, but lowers rolling resistance as well. How exactly did Bridgestone deliver all these advantages? Let’s take a closer look at the ECOPIA EP300 and find out. HIGHER EFFICIENCY Energy loss in a tyre causes it to have a higher rolling resistance. This means that it takes more power to turn…

“THE COOPER S CONVERTIBLE CANNOT GO OFF THE BEATEN PATH, BUT IT SURE DOES AN IMPRESSIVE JOB OF ZIPPING ALONG STYLISHLY IN THE CONCRETE JUNGLE.” THE term “beatnik” is defined by Oxford Dictionaries as “a young person in the 1950s and early 1960s belonging to a subculture associated with the beat generation”. Basically, a beatnik is someone with artistic leanings who defies convention. One of the most offbeat brands in the automotive world is Mini. When it was first introduced in 1959, it surprised many with its innovations. The little hatchback was small on the outside and surprisingly spacious inside. It had a transversely, rather than longitudinally, mounted engine that drove the front wheels instead of the rear wheels, when rear-drive was more common at the time. Even after BMW…

IT is often said that when it comes to creating cars meant for fashion-conscious motorists, nobody comes close to the French and Italians. The French and Italians have a flair and talent for design that other carmakers cannot match. Even MINI’s handsome Convertible (pg 34) seems a bit ordinary when compared to the two hatchbacks gracing these pages. Although the DS 3 Cabrio and Fiat 500C are both billed as convertibles, they are technically targas, for they can only go “topless” by sliding their cloth soft-tops rearwards, and their cabins are never fully exposed. The newer of the two cars is the DS 3 Cabrio. DS is Citroen’s standalone premium brand, launched in 2015. In line with its upmarket positioning, the DS 3 Cabrio doesn’t resemble any Citroen model. Its…

LONG before I learnt about the fearsome Nurburgring in Germany, I had already heard about the legendary 24 Hours of Le Mans. This race, which is part of the FIA’s World Endurance Championship (WEC), takes place every June at the Circuit de la Sarthe in France. To some folks, racing for 24 hours straight is sheer insanity. To fans, it is a brilliant demonstration of what engineering, teamwork, tenacity and perseverance can achieve. Yes, the Nurburgring circuit is at least 100 times more challenging, and to race there for 24 hours is infinitely more diffi cult. But there is something so mythical about Le Mans that it seems like winning this race is more important than winning any other event on the WEC calendar. Many manufacturers are strongly associated with…

HONDA CR-V FROM $149,999 ON THE ROAD Honda’s fifth-generation “Comfortable Runabout Vehicle” has arrived to make life uncomfortable for the Mazda CX-5 and official Toyota Harrier, both of which made their local debuts in July. The new CR-V has a turbocharged 1.5-litre engine shared with the current Civic, but with a higher output (193bhp and 243Nm). The newcomer is available as a five-seater or, for $10,000 more, a better-equipped three-row seven-seater. RIVAL : TOYOTA HARRIER AUDI R8 SPYDER FROM $882,000 O N T H E ROA D Audi’s highest performer is also its windiest and priciest model right now. The mid-engine 5.2-litre V10 convertible produces 540bhp and 540Nm, powers from zero to 100km/h in 3.6 seconds and reaches a top speed of 318km/h. The Audi’s least speedy aspect is the…

AMERICA’S RAPTORS American automobile maker Ford has a model called F-150 Raptor, and American aircraft maker Lockheed Martin has a model called F-22 Raptor. Both companies went on a joint sortie for charity, creating a one-of-a-kind F-22 F-150 Raptor that raised US$300,000. The unique truck features styling and cabin design details inspired by the F-22 fighter jet that serves in the US Air Force, plus partial carbon fibre bodywork, custom wheels, upgraded brakes and ultra-bright off-road exterior lighting. The Ford truck’s “afterburning turbofan” engine is a 3.5-litre twin-turbocharged EcoBoost V6 with 545 souped-up horsepower, and there’s a 1500-watt audio system to provide a “sonic boom”. ELECTRI-CITY CAB Britain’s iconic London Taxi has been transformed into an electric taxicab called TX. Built by a UK-based subsidiary of Chinese automotive giant Geely,…

MODEL cars have fascinated me since I was a kid. I’m told that as a toddler, I was never without a Matchbox car or two in hand, even in bed or at mealtimes. On a trip to England when I was five, my parents took me to visit Shakespeare’s house, and I promptly got us almost expelled from the premises when I whipped out my toy cars and proceeded to run them over the Bard’s centuries-old dining table. Through my school days, I would save up my allowance to buy a new Tomica model every few weeks. This indulgence, plus the weekly Beano comic and monthly car magazines, left me with almost nothing for recess. It’s a pity most of these toys have been lost or ruined, because mint-condition Tomicas…

If you’re shopping for a new car, then chances are you’ve come across the term “rightsizing”. You may have seen the word in ads or heard about it from friends. Most dictionaries define it as “to convert something into an appropriate or optimal size”. For carmakers, rightsizing means engineering models that are just the right size for their segment, and ensuring that each one is powered by just the right engine. Naturally, this is easier said than done. Who can say for certain how big or small a particular model in a segment should be? And who can determine for sure how much performance it should have? One thing you can’t argue with, though, is the fact that when it comes to hatchbacks, the Volkswagen Golf is the benchmark. SEGMENT…

AH , the Mazda MX-5, through the generations the very definition of driving pleasure, distilled. It is the rapturous laughter of your best buddy, the radiant beam of your sweetheart’s timeless smile. It is the essence of joy, the reason the sky was formed and roads were built. How do I know this? I bought one! A standard soft-top version, as the gods of motoring intended. Minimum fuss, maximum pleasure. Now though, there is a hardtop version called Retractable Fastback (RF). At the cost of 45kg added to the MX-5’s obsessively achieved super-light construction, Mazda has affixed a piece of metal origami atop the platform that, in theory, transforms the dinky, noisy little sports car to a weather-proof and knife-wielding-thief-proof machine for the mature sunseeker. To get the big question…

“PORSCHE ANTICIPATES 20 PERCENT OF NEW PANAMERA SALES TO BE THE SPORT TURISMO.” SPORT Turismo – not wagon, nor shooting brake. That is what Porsche would like its third model in the Panamera range to be known. The Panamera models hitherto have been the fastback saloon and the long-wheelbase Executive. I asked Andreas Jaksch, director of the Panamera Sport Turismo model/product line, whether the new Porsche is a shooting brake (a car bodystyle, popular in Europe, which is a luxury estate based on a saloon). With a smile, he replied, “It is a Sport Turismo.” Released 10 months after the second-generation Panamera, the Sport Turismo variant was designed in parallel with the fastback. That being the case, Porsche missed a golden opportunity to shoehorn a proper three-seater rear cabin into…

HOW often do I need to change my car’s battery? With stop-start systems, is there more wear on the battery and starter motor? Generally, car batteries should last at least one year, although neither car manufacturers nor battery-makers ever declare a battery’s lifespan. Try to replace your car’s battery with a maintenance-free battery which has an indicator showing its state of charge, so that you can be aware of its health. If you seldom open your car’s bonnet, then the best advice is to replace your car’s battery every year, but that does not mean car batteries have a lifespan of only 12 months. These days, many cars come with stop-start systems, which demand more electrical energy. Such cars have more efficient alternators, heavy-duty starter motors and specially designed batteries.…

BATTERIES MAKE OR BREAK THE MODERN CAR CHRISTOPHER CHOW The current age of motoring has brought a lot of modern conveniences, with plenty of cool electronic features. However, these features – such as cameras, USB charging, phone-linking to our audio system, GPS, etc – have also resulted in greater demands on our car batteries. These, and the stop-start function. Said function improves the car’s fuel consumption significantly by killing the engine. However, this requires more cycles from our batteries, and more drivers are complaining that the battery has to be replaced annually instead of every two or three years. Even worse, some cars simply died in the middle of the road. With a new battery costing up to a few hundred dollars, the question is whether we are penny wise…

THE most beloved Volkswagen model in the world is also its most well-known one. With more than 21.5 million units produced over 60 years, it doesn’t take a petrolhead to figure out that the car I’m referring to is the Beetle. Enthusiasts and ordinary folks alike were (and continue to be) drawn to the Beetle’s bulbous, bug-shaped body. Though there were numerous updates to the car throughout its life, the Beetle’s iconic design remained unchanged. But when Volkswagen unveiled the car’s successor – the New Beetle – in 1998, the world was taken by surprise. Although the car’s design is clearly inspired by the classic model, the New Beetle’s cute and cuddly looks polarised opinions. While many women were drawn to the styling, most men found it to be too…

THE family runabout was once a no-frills saloon that was relatively spacious and effi cient. Buyers today, however, have come to expect more than just these basics, and carmakers have duly responded. The newest contender in this story is the Subaru Impreza. Utilising a new platform, the model is roomier and more comfortable than before. Apart from these attributes, Subaru also promises a more dynamic driving experience compared to its predecessor. Trying to be more impressive than the Impreza is the Hyundai Elantra in Elite spec. We’ve always been impressed with this Korean saloon, which has an upmarket feel, an ergonomic cabin and a well-tuned suspension. It was recently updated, and now has a Euro 6-compliant engine. But can the Korean car beat its two Japanese rivals here? The strongest…

Party animals who want to rub shoulders with Formula 1 drivers, celebrities and supermodels should definitely head to The Podium Lounge, the most exclusive F1 after-party that will take place from 15 to 17 September 2017. Groove to the beat and dance the night away with tunes spun by special guest DJs such as Pixie Geldof and former Ferrari F1 driver Giancarlo Fisichella, who will also be co-hosting the event with Richard Gutierrez (right), host of E! News Asia. Guests will also be entertained by Grammy-winning artists Macy Gray and Coolio. Petrolheads will have lots to see, too. Apart from the new Lamborghini Aventador S on display, they can bid at this year’s charity auction, which will feature a selection of rare Formula 1 memorabilia. Tickets and VIP tables can…