Back in 10 : Audi R8 V10

As a taster, just some quick and nasty sound-bytes of the R8 V10 under hard acceleration.

Sounds much better on the outside than it does on the inside... but it's all good nonetheless!







(another slow take-off video of the Blue R8 V10 cos i think it's an interesting colour)

We always felt the R8 V8 was a little 'under-engineered' for a car with the R8's looks; in fact, it would come as no small surprise to find out that the V8 variant was nothing more than a gap-filling, plug-filler to tease the masses ahead of the V10 debut (see 2 Audi V10s mixing it up HERE).

with the V10, the R8 finally feels 'right'. It has the necessary firepower to back up its flash, exoticar looks and could well herald Audi's entrance into the big league.

The R8 V10 is priced smack in used Lamborghini territory. For the Flash Brigade, one has to bear in mind that the fact that there's a smaller engined variant running around will always come as some rain on your parade.

typically, when someone sees a gallardo, straightaway it's 'supercar' or 'v10', so who cares even if you don't drive your car hard and just want pose? at the end of the day, the Lambo still garners more attention.



when someone sees a R8 now, rather than 'AWESOME!', the first question to come to his lips, "is it the V8 or V10?" (of course in the picture above they're both V10s!)

of course this is good if u own a V8, but if u've just plonked down 700 large for the V10, hmmm, i think u might want something more than the small badges, view of the engine through the rear glass, spider-web rims and road tax disc to help set your car apart from its smaller engined sibling.

Sure, some might consider the R8 V10 the thinking man's 'super'-car, where its performance should outweigh all the other petty concerns like recognition for instance, so it should be interesting to see how it will be received by the market.

Fast Facts : Audi R8 V10
Engine: 5204cc, 40-valves, V10
Maximum power: 525bhp at 8000rpm
Maximum torque: 530Nm at 6500rpm
Transmission: 6-speed 'R tronic'
0-100km/h: 3.9 seconds
Top Speed: 313km/h
LxBxH: 4435 x 1930 x 1252 mm
Wheelbase: 2650mm
Kerbweight: 1625kg
Agent: Premium Automobiles, tel.: 65-6566-1111
Price: approx. S$650k

Charging Horses : Novitec Rosso for Ferrari

To celebrate the launch of Ferrari tuning company, 'Novitec Rosso', in Singapore, KBS (Novitec Rosso's partner in Singapore) hosted a launch event where the Novitec Rosso Ferrari F430 RACE was showcased.



Mr. Kelvin Lim, Managing Director of KBS Motorsport, recognised the growing appreciation for performance and individualism amongst the growing numbers of high-end performance car owners, who are generally keen to differentiate their cars from the rest of the 'herd'.


(Mr. Dirk Morsdorf, International Sales Director of Novitec Rosso)

Of this inaugural partnership, Mr. Dirk Morsdorf, International Sales Director of Novitec Rosso said, "Novitec Rosso is very happy to have found an ideal partner in KBS Motorsport. KBS has an excellent track record in automotive engineering. Endowed with well-appointed facilities, KBS possesses the capabilities and competency to take on the uncompromising requirements for the exclusive Novitec Rosso programmes. We look forward to a rewarding collaboration with KBS in bringing the Novitec experience to Ferrari drivers in Singapore."

For more details, please see: http://novitec-rosso.net/

Well Under Par : VW Golf GTI (Mk 6)

* Personally, I Like the new front; looks far more menacing than the Mk 5... and the 6 is more than capable of backing it up with some action too (unlike its wide-eyed predecessor)


Exhaust revisions result in a more aggressive note; tail-pipes are now on either side of the rear under-skirting.


* Engine is a turbocharged 2L, but this isn't the same engine found in the Mk 5. The heavily revised powerplant feels punchier (slightly more horsepower than the outgoing car) and the sound it makes on the move is outstanding (also thanks to the revised exhaust system)! Stupendous low to mid-range punch...


* New steering wheel is even more delightful to hold; Racing red stitching matches the gear-gaiter.


Familiar DSG gearbox; still not a huge fan, but i have to say it makes light work of A-B driving, but occasionally, one feels the gear-box is second-guessing the driver during up (or down) shifts.


The cabin is well appointed and exudes the kind of well-built ambience that so many have come to associate with German brands. Of course, recent times have seen a gradual decline in the average build quality of stalwart brands, but with the mk 6, with the exception of some parts, overall cabin quality seems far higher than the Mk 5.

Although the Mk 6's dash architecture is similar to the mk 5, the quality of materials used is far higher than the earlier car and prove tactile to the touch.




* Even on 18-inch alloys and low profile rubber, the chassis and suspension of the Mk6 GTI has been well-sorted. In fact, in terms of ability, it far surpasses the Mk 5, which could get crashy at times and wheelspun easily with even minor prods of the gas pedal.

Even in 'Sport', the ride is perfectly acceptable; the Mk6 now features XDS, an electronic transverse differential lock, and what a difference to handling it makes: the Mk6 GTI has certainly transcended the realms of the average straight-line warrior.

Corners can now be attacked with a high level of confidence (and speed); previously, one either worried about wheel-spinning if the gas was applied too early or if applied too late, not carrying enough speed out of the corner (before the inevitable comments about 300bhp or 400bhp Mk 5s start coming out of the woodwork, of course I'm talking about stock to stock).

Of course, there's more to chassis dynamics than just adding a trick LSD, since there have been recent FWD cars that have tried to use that as a selling point, even if the results have sometimes been far from satisfactory.

Ultimately, the mk6 GTI shines as a complete package and can be driven hard with finesse. The GTI's steering weight/communication, power delivery and suspension have all been tuned to optimise the LSD, which ultimately enhances the car's handling, stability and poise... and that has made all the difference between this and the Mk 5.


new instruments are easy on the eye.


Familiar wheels to many; unlike the Mk5, 18s come as standard this time around; but thankfully, the chassis of the Mk6 has been well sorted to deliver a firm yet comfortable ride.

With the launch of the Golf R, hardcore enthusiasts have something else to look forward to, where the turbo'd 2L has been boosted to 270bhp and like the R32, will feature VW's latest 4Motion 4WD system for optimised traction (after all, one can only go so far with FWD).

As much as i loved the rasp of the V6 in the earlier Golf V R32, the reality is Singapore's road tax structure, which penalises cars with bigger engine capacities, made ownership of the R32 rather prohibitive, or rather, there were plenty of compelling alternatives (some higher up the brand hierarchy, no less) in that price and engine category that could be enjoyed.

In any case, the Golf R should be making it to Singapore; the only concern is, will the official channel serve up the de-tuned 'hot climate' version?

Anyway, fingers are crossed for the full bhp variant!



Til then, The Miff says 'bye'!



Fast Facts : Volkswagen Golf GTI (Mk 6)
Engine: 1984cc, 16-valves, in-line 4, turbocharged
Maximum power: 210bhp at 5300rpm
Maximum torque: 280Nm at 1700-5200rpm
Transmission: 6-speed Dual Clutch Transmission
0-100km/h: 6.9 seconds
Top Speed: 238km/h
LxBxH: 4213 x 1779 x 1469 mm
Wheelbase: 2578mm
Kerbweight: 1339kg
Agent: Volkswagen Centre Singapore
URL: http://www.vwasia.com/publish/vwasia/singapore/en/company/location.html
Price: S$134,300k (5-dr) / S$130,800 (3-dr)

All Charged Up : Mitsubishi i-MiEV

Everybody is creating a lot of buzz about EVs and Zero Emissions Vehicles, but Mitsubishi seems to be the only one with a reasonably readily available 'working model'.

First off, pictures of the official production i-MiEV have already been shown and key highlights include the LED head-lights and tail-lights, which should smarten up this kawaii contender to no end!

Some quick and nasty pictures first


This is the socket for regular charging. The other end has been modified into the conventional 3-pin plug you find everywhere in Singapore, which effectively means all you need is either an extension cord or a wall-socket to charge the vehicle.



'B' engages the brake regenerative mode which charges the batteries when the car is going down slopes (like a kind of 'engine brake' effect).



A pretty simple instrument cluster that's really quite self-explanatory: left side shows the state of the battery; right side is the trip meter; centre shows speed and the amount of power being generated by the batteries-> i wasn't paying attention but i reckon the needle goes into the blue zone when B is engaged or when the car is using the braking effect to regenerate battery charge. (please correct me if this is wrong)



Flash Symbol for Quick Charge; but the infrastructure isn't available here in Singapore yet, but at least it's easily adaptable thanks to the 3-pin socket.



There's quite a lot to like about the car: it's cute and it drives better than its ICE counterpart (that's Internal Combustion Engine in EV gobbleygook). Versus the regular 660cc iCar, the i-MiEV is capable of quite an indecent turn of speed and due to the configuration of the battery cells, the handling is quite balanced and the car remains reasonably composed and stable while cornering and at higher speeds.

Speaking English : The Official Nissan GT-R (R35)

With the official car finally in at the local Nissan distributor's showroom, GT-R (R35) owners can finally enjoy a complete experience with the car's English interface. (previously, owners of PI GT-Rs were stumped by the Japanese interface.)



At just under S$300k, Tan Chong's GT-R offers full service support from the NHPC (Nissan High Performance Centre), English interface and a high OMV.



With modern cars featuring more complex mechanicals and electronics, having the equipment and special tools is only one part of the equation => a certain degree of familiarity and knowledge is necessary as well, as opposed to a 'trial and error' approach.

Newer PI GT-R owners probably currently enjoy adding on go-faster bits (which are inherently simple 'plug-and-play' by nature), but when it comes to troubleshooting, diagnostics, timely spare parts ordering and general support and maintenance work, it could be an entirely different story completely.

But as they say, " different strokes for different folks," so it is entirely understandable that there will be buyers who are willing to pay the slight premium for peace of mind.











Fast Facts : Nissan GT-R (R35)
Engine: 3799cc, 24-valves, V6, twin turbocharged
Maximum power: 485bhp at 6400rpm
Maximum torque: 588Nm at 3200-5200rpm
Transmission: 6-speed Dual Clutch Transmission
0-100km/h: 4.1 seconds
Top Speed: 310km/h
LxBxH: 4650 x 1895 x 1370 mm
Wheelbase: 2780mm
Kerbweight: 1745kg
Agent: Tan Chong Motor Sales, tel.: 6466-7711
Price: approx. S$300k

Tagged! : New Plates for the 190E

yeah yeah, i know it's cheesy, but hey, how often does 'E' come along to follow 190!?

(these are cloudy due to the protective film! There are people asking me why they look blurred...heehee)

i deliberately got them done in this old school style too; no fancy-schmancy metal emboss jobs and what-not, just traditional white and yellow plastic


Anyway, these are the 2.3-16's new tags; the other combinations considered were 2316 and 201 (chassis code of the 190E is W201), but settled for something straightforward instead.



Got them done with Max (Euro-Plate Design), who's currently at 37 Jalan Rumah Tinggi, #01-405, tel: +65-6479-6100



Quality of these old-school style plates is fantastic! not the cheap brittle kind you get from a lot of the other places.



He shifted from his previous premises along River Valley/Mohd Sultan Road, but he's due to move again in the first week of October09 to the Leng Kee side (Alexia, I hear, but check back again).

It's all in the Head : Nakamichi CD-500

First, a gratuitous photo of the car in day-time with the original rims and a light wash:



Was out til just before midnight last nite sorting out the head-unit (at Ernest Mobile Sound & Accessories along Rangoon Road). The Sony's out (with the vintage CD Changer in the trunk) and the CD-500 is finally in. We didn't finish late becos there were hang-ups, but we started only around 10pm...



Before:


After:


Fast Facts : Nakamichi CD-500
Power Amplifier
Maximum Power Output : 47W x 4 (4 ohms)
Frequencey Response : 15-30,000 Hz +/- 1dB
Total Harmonic Distortion : 0/1% (4 ohms, 1kHz, 3W x 4)
AUX Input Level/Impedence : 1V/50 K ohms
Tone Controls (Bass: 100Hz, +/-11dB; Mid: 1kHz, +/-11dB; Treble: 10kHz, +/-11dB; Loudness: 20Hz, +/-14dB - Volume Level 20)
Output Level : 4V

MP3/WMA Section
Folders : Up to 256
Files : Up to 999
Files per Folder : Up to 256
Folder Layers : Up to 8 layers
Bit Rate: (MPEG1-L3: 32-320kbps; MPEG2-L3: 8-160kbps; MPEG2.5: 8-160kbps; WMA: 64-192kbps)
Sampling Rate: (MPEG1: 32/44.1/48kHz; MPEG2: 16/22.05/24kHz; MPEG2.5: 8/11.025/12kHz; WMA: 32/44.1/48kHz)

Features
FM/AM
CD, CD-R/CD-RW
Detachable Panel
CD Changer Controller
24-bit D/A Converter
0.005% (1kHz) Total Harmonic Distortion