Enter the Red Button: Honda S2000

It's about time, but it's finally sinking in that the s2k's no test car :)

The process of hitting the red starter button and experiencing the eruption of the car to life still continues to thrill me.

There's almost 800km on the odometer and the roof still hasn't come off, so I've yet to use this switch...



After driving the car a little more, i've realised this has to be one of the best gear-shifts in the business. Firm, precise and authoritatively notchy.

I've mentioned it before, but I'll have to rave about it again: Considering the limited range of seat adjustment, it's quite clear this is a car that enthusiasts built for enthusiasts.

The seat complements the steering wheel (fixed), pedal placement and gear-lever to provide me with an optimum driving position, and this applies to people of different shapes and sizes as well, not just my modest proportions LOL.

On so many other roadsters, it takes takes lots of adjusting before you're satisfied with the driving posture.

I learnt something new after hooking up with a fellow S2K owner today:


(S2k geddering, with emphasis on '2') lol

Thanks V., i never knew about the 'other' storage compartment! And i was wondering where S2k owners stowed their assortment of knick-knacks!

After all the good stuff, i'm still bugged by the flat spot in the rev band at light to moderate throttle inputs. There's a discernible hesitation as the car crosses the 3000rpm mark.

This doesn't occur when the pedal is pressed to the metal but it does get annoying at lower speeds especially when I'm pulling out of junctions or making u-turns.

Hopefully, it'll be resolved after the first service.

D*mn-lerchrysler SL gets f**ked by D*mn-hot Ferrari Spyder

surely something like a Merc SL, even a 'lowly' 350, is a special car for special occasions, but when i saw tis particular SL350 in fullerton parked behind a frigging ferrari 360 spider, the merc suddenly looks cheap and just a bit underwhelming...

so wat if it's got tat fancy steel roof n performs a mechanical ballet wen putting it up or down? the SL stops being a 'Merc'-have once a ferrari spider, any spider, even a broken-down spider with just three legs and no sting, is anywhere in the vicinity!

(*angsty entry contributed by the irrepressible TINGTANK)

Monday Blues: VW Golf R32 & Honda S2000

Still enjoying the STUK, although a minor fracas with a kerb yesterday evening left me with one blemished rear left rim :(

We have TWO BLUEs under the porch this evening. the second? VW's Golf R32.



Yes it looks simple and sedate, practically no different from any other FSI Golf out there, but this is the crazy R32. It's animated by the same 3.2L V6 found under the hood of the Audi TT, and it features 4Motion 4-wheel drive as well for even better grip.

Chrome grille, exhaust pipes, larger rims and the 'R32' badge on the backside should be warning enough to potential challengers.

dials are wicked looking too!



This version is slightly different from when the car was first launched: it now features Recaro front race seats for even better grip and support while cornering.

Chunkie Munkie certainly had no complaints and seemed to enjoy the snug fit!



The inside of the VW showroom may currently look like this:


... but that isn't going to stop us from having fun with this one today!



VW's OE (Original Equipment) Recaro seats may be a $10,000 upgrade option, but IMHO, they come nowhere close to the special Recaro beauties found in the Subaru Impreza WRX STI S204. reclinable with carbon-backs... Yummy!



Don't be deterred by the fact that the R32 is a 3-dr...


...since there's plenty of space for four big buffaloes on board, even in the back.


The R32 is deceptively fast, unlike the brarrp brarrp antics of the Golf GTI, and some might even regard the V6 as unsuited for the golf's boy-racer image, in very much the same way the 2L Turbo FSI engine seems so juvenile in a car as sophisticated as the Audi TT, which better deserves the silky smooth V6.

but when all is said and done, it doesnt change the fact that this REALLY sounds like a ROCKING motor! Nail the throttle when you're entering a tunnel with the windows and moonroof wide open... :) Yes, i'm well aware the video quality sucks but that's not the point, LISTEN to that exhaust note!



Fast Facts: VW Golf R32
Engine: 3189cc, V6
Maximum power: 250bhp at 6300rpm
Maximum torque: 320Nm at 2800rpm
Transmission: 6-speed DSG
LxBxH: 4246x1759x1465mm
Wheelbase: 2578mm

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...