Blue Film: Honda S2000

yummy! it's finally here!



Mebbe it's one of the pitfalls of the job but when i first caught sight of this vision in Blue, i wasnt exactly bouncing off the walls with excitement. my subconscious was probably telling me it was just another test car.

That impression quickly changed...

I slipped into the driver's seat and found the driving position to be perfect.



The red starter button adds to the sense of occasion too!



But it wasn't until i was on the open road that i started getting the heebie-jeebies and the euphoric 'high' that accompanies taking over a new car!

At last, my very own personal 'long termer'! No gritty politics, no alleged insurance red-tape, no BS...

:)

A HUGE shout-out to all the good folks at Kah Motor for helping me turn my dream into a reality: Kheng Hwee, Vincent and Anthony. Thanks!



Another gratuitous shot! Thanks to tingtank for the photo



Fast Facts: Honda S2000
Engine: 1997cc, 16-valves, DOHC VTEC
Maximum power: 240bhp at 8300rpm
Maximum torque: 208Nm at 7500rpm
Transmission: 6-speed manual
LxBxH: 4135x1750x1270 mm
Wheelbase: 2400mm

Axed-Caliber: Dodge Caliber

It's hard to understand the appeal of American cars. Well, the Dodge Caliber 'hatchback' was our transport over the weekend. It certainly has a bold and commanding presence and draws all eyes to it, especially with the loud stickers that have been plastered around the car.

A rainy saturday afternoon saw us travelling to clementi central in search of the elusive 'tanglin halt chicken cutlet' (past trips have seen us arriving on a) the wrong day and b) after they closed). so we were gratified to find them open for business when we showed up.

Back to the caliber: inside the cabin, it's easy to discover how the yanks have managed to cut costs even further. there's plastic everywhere, hard, crusty, tacky, and precious little in the manner of aesthetics. a let-down considering how the japanese and europeans have worked towards cabin embellishment and view cars as something more than A-B transport.

Dodge vehicles are targeted at the young and hip, but i wonder if it will see much success in this demographic. i don't remember the PT Cruiser featuring similar standards of build quality. the materials used in the PT were actually quite decent.

The engine works hard under pedal-to-metal acceleration but the caliber never feels like it is going anywhere fast despite the rev-needle climbing high (the CVT ensures the revs never fall during upshifts) and a raucous engine note as accompaniment.

In the words of my better half, "it's making a lot of noise, but we don't seem to be moving anywhere fast!"

Fast Facts: Dodge Caliber SXT

Engine: 1998cc, 16-valves, 4-cyl

Max power: 158bhp at 6400rpm

Max torque: 191Nm at 5000rpm

LxBxH: 4414 x 1748 x 1534 mm

Wheelbase: 2635mm

Too SX-y 4 my...?: Suzuki SX4

i wasnt terribly enthused when i first caught sight of the SX4. it's dumpy and looks too practical for words, although the chunky styling, funky colour and pert rump does create a pleasant effect to our senses. with the roof-rails, it bears an uncanny, and some might say 'unfortunate', resemblance to the popular Hyundai Matrix though, but this should bode well for matrix-upgraders, since this is still a japanese car.

it's compact and easy to hustle around. the rev-happy engine has decent power on tap for town driving. the auto box is a little too reluctant to kick-down though, regardless of whether you've knocked it down a gear, or merely jabbed the accelerator pedal. the steering feel is a little artificial, though.



at night, the red illumination works a treat and the functions are similar to the 2wd Vitara we last drove. multi-function steering wheel (great for toggling the repeat function for that techno-happy 'butterfly' song) and a multi function trip computer are cool additions, especially with my recent fixation on fuel consumption. (11.7km/L, for those who're interested!)



the upholstery though, has been unflatteringly compared to cheap PVC and the two tone leather treatment with the 'SX4' stitching on white inserts of the front seats is an eyesore, quite a disappointment considering the car's cool exterior aesthetics. i doubt its Fiat counterpart will commit a similar faux paus (the SX4 is a collaboration between Suzuki and Fiat). build quality is good and the cabin feels tightly put together.



the car is cosy with two in front, and the rear leg-room is decent enough in spite of the car's compact dimensions.



the sx4 ain't no sexpot, but driving it around will certainly inject a fizzy dose of pizzazz into your life.



Fast Facts: Suzuki SX4
Engine: 1586cc
Max power: 101bhp at 5600rpm
Max torque: 140Nm at 4000rpm
LxBxH: 4135x1755x1605 mm
wheelbase: 2500mm

(rear) Driving Miss Suzie: Suzuki Vitara 2WD 2L

Ive been living off a steady succession of test cars and official suzuki distributor, Champion Motors has been kind enough to let me sample the new 2WD Suzuki Vitara 2L (a first for the suzuki vitara range).

Now before you get on your soapboxes to rant about how inappropriate a 2wd platform is for something that looks as rugged as this, it's certainly a far cry from the other 2wd soft-roadies like the hyundai tucson and kia sportage since in this case, it's REAR-wheel driven! (like the 2wd version of daihatsu's compact SUV, the Terios)

it's certainly a revelation to have the tail of a big boy like this step out, under power no less, when the roads are slightly damp and acute steering angle employed. no traction control adds to the entertainment factor. and it's benign enough that you can gather it up, all the while keeping a cool, collected expression on your face so bystanders will think it was 'deliberate'. yeah, rite.

but i have a feeling there could be an increase in the number of 'incidents' occuring in HDB's multi-storey carparks, since many motorists seem to enjoy flooring the pedal at the top and bottom of the carpark ramps. slick floors, a kinked steering wheel, rear wheel drive and no traction control? no joke considering a friend has actually witnessed a suzuki jimny losing control in a wet carpark!

sounds like Champion's body shop could potentially be kept busy during the wet season.

despite the giggles, the fuel consumption for the car is appalling, considering this vitara is (1) 2wd and (2) 2L.

practically on par with the 2.4L honda CR-V 4WD, this Suzuki only manages an average of 7.7km/L over 350km covered. (no morning breakfast trips up to Punggol though :))

4dr VTEC Mayhem! : Honda Integra Type R 4-dr

after the demise of my classic integra DC2R, a friend has been kind enough to loan me the DC2's more 'sedate' brother, the DB8 4-dr Type R. like my earlier ride, this is a 98spec car, but offers so much more versatility with the additional 2 rear doors.



frameless windows (not just a Subaru trademark) score big points with me, and the engine has recorded only a mere 70,000km. one lady owner previously, totally un-modded! all that's been added is a fruity and bassy mugen twin loop silencer exhaust system and Varis carbon fibre bonnet from my old car. and that's all it needs. really!

the only bugbear are the 'blue' rear seats thanks to constant sun exposure over the years, resulting in the black 'suede' seats fading to the current kinky indigo hue. it does make me miss my car even more though!

the best part, compared to the sportier dc2R coupe-hatchback, the db8 looks normal enough to really shock people when it hits 'tec, especially through the bukit timah tunnel. and to answer all the usual barrage of questions: Yes it's a 'real' type R, Yes the Recaro seats are standard, Yes it revs to kingdom come and Yes that's 10,000rpm on the counter!

and bizarrely enough, considering how rare the db8 is on our roads, a visit to our favourite char siew joint in stirling road threw these TWO other db8s up, parked practically alongside one another.



Fast Facts: Honda Integra '98Spec Type R (DB8)
Engine: 1797cc (B18C)
Max. power: 200bhp at 8000rpm
Max. torque: 186Nm at 6200rpm
Transmission: 5-speed manual
LxBxH: 4525 x 1695 x 1365 mm
wheelbase: 2620mm

Little Green Friend: Mitsubish iCar

this little tyke was our companion for a foray into clementi for food tonight. Highway trawls are comfortable and the 660cc turbocharged 3-cylinder engine is more than adequate to cruise with ease in this lightweight kei-car.

the styling is cute and compact and really embodies the japanese culture: innovative packaging, thoughtful ergonomics and kawaii styling. It even seats 5 with ease and is unique enough on our roads. what more can you ask for in the S$50k price segment?

don't listen to morons who insist on perpetuating inaccuracies involving the inadequacies of sub-1Litre cars to hustle with any urgency. Acceleration is brisk enough and anoraks might like to know that the iCar is rear-wheel drive and features a rear mounted engine (just like Porsche 911s and the original VW Beetle). it's the ideal city runabout on the busy urban streets of downtown singapore.

Tanglin Halt Western Food was our target, so it was a bummer to find it closed when we got there. We headed over to the Clementi branch of Botak Jones instead to satisfy our western food cravings.

Short queue, but when it was our turn to order, we were rather brusquely told that inexplicably enough, they had run out of buns, so all burger meals would come without buns. Oh well, fish and chips comes in a close second i guess...

this is a montage created with pictures from an earlier iCar photoshoot.

V(8) for Victory!: Audi Q7 4.2 V8 & Volvo XC90 V8

big engines gooood! after the V8 powered Lexus LS460 over the weekend, this week started off with a pair of V8 SUVs.

now who in their right mind (in Singapore at any rate) would buy one of these behemoths, considering the high road taxes and fuel bills they're sure to attract.

well, the luxury limousine segment has slowly fragmented with buyers considering slightly more 'offbeat' choices like luxury SUVs as substitutes. in the slightly lower executive segment, SUVs like the bmw x5, lexus RX and mercedes-benz ML make credible substitutes for the 5-series, ES/GS and Eclass respectively.

with contenders like the porsche cayenne S storming around our roads, the time has never been better for audi and volvo to unleash their own V8 examples to take the fight to the porker. these 2 examples provide motorists with alternatives to the A8 and S80 limousines respectively.

the duo seat 7 (the longer wheelbase Q7 has the more generous 3rd row) and are appointed with premium amenities. brakes on the q7 (6pot(f)/4pot(r)) are stupendous and the audi emits the most glorious soundtrack of the pair on the drive-by even though it is so well insulated it's muted inside the cabin.

on the other hand, the volvo makes all the right noises inside the cabin, but sounds disappointing from the outside.

have a listen and decide for yourself...

Smoked Out: BMW 325i Coupe (again)

this marks the end of another day spent in the bavarian coupe. the tranny reacts rather sluggishly and swift progress is best accomplished in 'Ds' mode. The taut and well-controlled chassis never fails to remind you this car could do with so much more power at its disposal than the 2.5Litre. the venerable 6-cylinder revs cleanly and screams almost VTEC like towards its redline though.

even with the second stage DSC disabled (hold down the DSC button for 6 seconds) the car proves safe to drive enthusiastically. the wayward tendencies of the E36 3 series seem to have been bred out of the latest cars, but it didnt stop us from having a little bit of fun.



driving around like a hooligan over these few days (with the occasional highway trawl) returned a fuel consumption of about 7km/L. Two days was all it took to whittle the full tank down to a mere quarter.

haughty coupe-ture: BMW 325i Coupe

so i get a shot in the 325i Coupe and get to play 'wu lui kia' or 'got money kid' for a couple of days complete with derisive sneer on face as i pull up alongside some 'lesser' vehicle at the lights. (kidding, KIDDING!)

but after the drive in the 335i Coupe in Austria mid last year, this smaller-hearted variant feels lacking in the oomph department.

the 1.7tonne car is sluggish on move off, and the car's 218bhp and 245Nm is really taxed to the max. compared to the blistering sub-6 seconds sprint time to 100km/h of the turbocharged 335i, the 325i is leisurely in contrast and seems more appropriate as a tool for posturing around in, seeing as it turned quite a number of heads during my foray into the orchard road/shenton way areas in the day time.

Fuel consumption averaged 6.9km/L. before you go on about how appropriate this is for a 'performance coupe', bear in mind the Lexus LS460 luxo-barge manages 7km/L (or 14.3L/100km)! that's 4 over litres of potent V8 power in a long wheelbase chassis. and it whips the 325i coupe in the 100km/h sprint to boot!

VS

brakes, steering (thankfully, NON active steering) and controls are nicely weighted and damped. the suspension is dynamic firm and not at all crashy over the horrible stretches of tarmac along bartley road and paya lebar.

at just under S$190,000 for the entry level spec 325i coupe, one could also consider the alfa romeo GT coupe, but that's a front driver even if it does ooze chic italian flamboyance. even the Z4 Coupe may pose a more entertaining drive and a better head-turner than this car.

great news for those not terribly fond of the rear pinched-eyed look of the sedan. the coupe has inherited face-lift 7-series-esque tail-lights, which give the car a sportier and elegant character. the coupe sits squat and strong with muscular flanks to give it some bulk.



here's a clearer day shot of the back-end from the international launch of the 335i

On the other hand... : Honda CR-V 2Litre

after bellyaching about the fuel consumption on the 2.4-litre, i had a chance to sample the 2litre CR-V.

ok, the lack of urge in contrast to the 2.4-litre is noticeable, but this is only from a standstill. once the car is in motion, it picks up speed readily and proves quite agile. some of the niceties are missing though, like electric seats, factory leather, Xenons, moonroof and a snazzy factory-fit hi-fi unit.

the part that won us over was the fact that without trying hard, fuel consumption figures of 11km/L and higher were easily achieved in mixed traffic conditions.

and the fact is, considering the pose factor and flash value of soft-roaders like the CR-V, many can do without owning the top of the line 2.4Litre and instead, luxuriate in decent fuel figures yet enjoy the rugged appeal of the CR-V. but this hefty honda has stern competition, in the form of the recently launched 2WD 2-litre Suzuki Grand Vitara, which retails for under $70,000. but don't forget that this 'entry-level' CR-V is also 4WD.

quite unlike the CR-V 2.4Litre, where even 9km/L was a struggle (and a lot of the time was spent pussy-footing around and holding up container trucks).

you can maintain a decent cruising pace in the 2-litre without seeing fuel consumption sky-rocket. a steady gas-foot is all it takes.