Singapore drivers love complaining about petrol prices. In fairness, who can blame us? Between COE, ERP, parking, insurance and maintenance, every trip to the pump feels like another reminder that owning a car in Singapore isn't exactly cheap.
Which is why I've always found one particular behaviour rather amusing: many of us will happily drive past one petrol station just to visit another.
Think about that for a second. We're literally burning fuel on the way to buy fuel. If a non-driv
There was a time when the soul of a car announced itself before the car even arrived.
You hear it first - a deep-chested growl from around the corner, a metallic bark on start-up, a rising snarl as the revs climbed. For generations, the soundtrack of driving was mechanical, dramatic and slightly anti-social. It was petrol, pistons, exhaust fumes and the occasional neighbour fantasising about bashing your head against the bonnet as you start your car at 6:30am.
But today, the world of m
Every Singapore car buyer knows this internal argument.
Your heart wants something low, loud, and dramatic. Something with swollen wheel arches, a naughty exhaust note and the sort of badge that makes you want to park by the side of the road just so people can admire it properly.
Your wallet, however, has other ideas. I would say wife, but that would be pushing it.
Your wallet has been looking at COE prices, petrol bills, road tax, insurance, parking, ERP, servicing, and the cost
Every Singapore driver has had this conversation before.
You walk into a car showroom with a sensible plan. You tell yourself you’re here to look at practical, reliable and economical cars. The kind of cars that make financial advisors smile approvingly. The kind that makes the missus happy.
Your wallet says Toyota. Then, somehow, you find yourself standing in front of a Porsche.
That’s when the trouble starts.
The battle between logic and emotion
Buying a car in Singapo
When Louis Vuitton entered Formula One earlier this year, it felt like just another luxury-brand sponsorship.
Then Balenciaga collaborated with Lamborghini.
Porsche continued its relationship with Aimé Leon Dore.
Puma's Speedcat made an unlikely comeback.
And Lewis Hamilton turned up as a Lululemon ambassador.
Louis Vuitton's arrival in Formula One highlights how motorsport has become a meeting point for luxury, sport and global culture (Image: LVMH)
Individua
Singapore drivers are a fascinating species.
We’ll spend an entire Saturday morning giving our cars a spa treatment. Foam wash, clay bar, ceramic coating, the whole nine yards. We even do a tyre shine so glossy it could probably be used as a mirror. The bill comes up to $200. “Not bad lah,” we say. Then, five minutes later, the ERP gantry deducts $2 from our cash card and suddenly we’re filing a complaint to the United Nations. So, really, how did we get here?
We rather sp
As someone who love driving cars, manual transmissions are something that I truly enjoy. Okay, I don't like being stuck in traffic jams with a manual car lah, but the thing is that there's so much pleasure that can be derived from driving manual cars, especially if you know what you are doing, and especially if the car is something fun or interesting. Rev-matching properly, heel-toe downshifting before entering a corner, choosing the perfect gear for overtaking or conquering a series of bends -
If you’ve ever wondered why owning a car in Singapore feels like buying a small apartment… you’re not wrong.
In most countries, buying a car is a milestone. In Singapore, it’s practically a financial strategy. And yet - despite sky-high prices, world-class public transport, and constant nudges to go car-lite - many still dream of owning one. Why?
Let’s unpack the uniquely Singaporean relationship with car ownership.
The COE: The price of permission
At the heart of it al
Not so long ago, “Made in China” cars were politely overlooked. Functional, yes. Aspirational? Not quite. Fast forward to today, and the narrative has flipped entirely.
Chinese electric cars aren’t just relevant - they’re running the show.
In fact, over 70% of the world’s electric vehicles (EVs) are now produced in China, and more than 60% of global EV sales happen there. That’s not participation. That’s dominance.
So how did we get here?
Phase 1: The quiet build-up
I've just found out that not everyone showers in the morning after seeing some memes and stereotypes online... For someone who sweat a lot, I've always showered plenty throughout the day, and it has never crossed my mind that it isn't exactly a common practice. So, this sent me down a squirrel hole, of asking people what their shower habits are like, and I'm surprised by the different practices and train of thoughts.
Example: It's work from home day, you wake up in the morning and wan
The 2026 Teochew film Dear You has made quite the stir in Chinese circles, from becoming a massive hit in China to accidentally starting a debate in Singapore on dialects and culture at large, and also caused a rush for tickets to watch the Teochew version of the film. After being unable to access the Golden Village website for the first round of extended screenings, my mum managed to snag some tickets for the second round, and so we (sans my dad) went to GV Vivocity on a Sunday to watch it.
It comes as to no surprise that England is the most represented nation in the Premier League by a considerable distance, with France, Scotland, Ireland, and Spain trailing far behind. But what about the smaller nations, or more specifically, the nations with only one representative to have made at least one appearance in the top tier of English football?
For clarity, I will not be covering players who swapped their national allegiance midway through their careers, such as Spanish-born, form
What is it about nostalgia that’s got Gen Z by the throat? As a self-identified Zillenial (someone born between 1997 and 2001, straddling the ever-changing lines between a Millennial and a Gen Z), I see younger people going for devices once declared dead, like music players for various mediums (vinyl, cassette, CDs, or even just digital) or compact point-and-shoot cameras.
I for one would very much like to return to using digital audio players, having used the 7th Gen iPod Nano in secondary
The agents and staff of ERA got to test drive the all-electric cars from IM Motors thanks to Sgcarmart!
Ever wished you could simply test drive a car during your lunch break?
That's exactly what a host of agents from ERA Singapore got to experience thanks to the efforts of Sgcarmart and IM Motors.
Held on the afternoon of 2 July 2026, Sgcarmart's latest collaborative effort saw attendees at the test drive event held at the Union Square Residences Showflat Gallery offered the
I recall my family meeting up somewhat regularly at Suntec City in my teens to watch films in a Golden Village theatre, and it was almost always the blockbuster of the season (I particularly remember walking out after watching The Martian). Arthouse or indie films were not something I explored all that much (I didn’t make it through half of Anthony Chen’s Ilo Ilo soon after its release), and as I grew older I fell into the otaku rabbit hole, so my live-action film-watching was reduced almost ent
There was a time when the idea of a fully electric Ferrari would have felt like heresy. No V12 wail, no turbocharged crescendo - just silence. And yet, here we are. The Ferrari Luce - Ferrari’s first all-electric car - doesn’t just exist, it makes a compelling case for why it should.
Because if Ferrari has decided to go electric, you’d expect them to do it properly. And in the case of the Luce, they didn’t just build an EV. They rethought what a Ferrari could be.
Ferrari goes fully ele
#notsponsored
Ok ok so technically The Bus Collective (the name of the bus hotel that is) opened quite a while ago, but I kinda completely forgotten about it until YouTube served me this video from this gem of a channel.
Not bad ar this presenter - so much info fed to you so quickly. And not one boring moment in the video.
The bus stay looks quite nice as well, its not like you're really sleeping with the familiar interior of the bus all around you.
As long a
It comes as to no surprise that England is the most represented nation in the Premier League by a considerable distance, with France, Scotland, Ireland, and Spain trailing far behind. But what about the smaller nations, or more specifically, the nations with only one representative to have made at least one appearance in the top tier of English football?
For clarity, I will not be covering players who swapped their national allegiance midway through their careers, such as Spanish-born, form
Yes, it's about the ang bao.
How couples decide to celebrate their big day is none of my business. What does concern me is how ang baos have evolved from token amounts to formal/official gifts whose amounts depend on the venue.
I recall one of my colleagues at my previous company asking if I - and my wife - would attend his wedding. I was genuinely happy for him and forgot about my bank account. Without a second thought, I said yes.
Weeks later, I received my invitation to the lun
I'm stating the obvious here, but walking around in Singapore is generally a hot and sweaty affair.
And things are not going to get any better soon, temperature wise, that is. Global warming warnings aside, 2026 is also set to see high temperatures thanks to El Nino.
But for those who don't drive all day - this new (app?) might be the next best thing. Put down Google Maps for a second.
It's called Undercover - and has been developed by Open Government Products so all of you can e
As seasoning, black pepper is so ubiquitous that we sprinkle it liberally over our food without a second thought. We use it for cooking, baking, and marinating. Like salt, it's a staple in both the kitchen and dining table. Without it, dishes would be bland.
So, I was shocked to discover that the spice we never give a second thought about is costlier than we think.
That 80-gram bottle of black peppercorns from NTUC costs $3.66. It's not that I'm unwilling to pay, but I naively thought
Those who attended the latest Mycarforum hangout with Maxus got up close with the MIFA 7 Elite and experienced all that it has to offer!
MPVs are an increasingly attractive option to buyers with big families or those who want more space and comfort. Sometimes, the only way to really find out if a car is for you is to experience it yourself, which is what the lucky few who joined us on 30 April 2026 at the Maxus showroom did.
And with the MIFA 7 Elite toning down a few "bells and whistl
In the never-ending debate about whether Esports are actually 'Sports', here's proof that you can absolutely make anything competitive.
Counterstrike? DOTA? Passé. May I introduce to you: Excel Esports.
Yes, it is almost exactly as quirky and bizarre as you imagine it to be.
On one hand, maybe it shoudn't be at all surprising. I feel like the Venn diagram of people who enjoy computer games and excel at Excel (too obvious a pun to make, sorry) probably overlaps signific
Mention "nuclear disaster" to anyone below 40 years of age and most folks will say, "Fukushima". After all, the most recent nuclear power plant meltdown was 15 years ago, following the earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan in March 2011.
However, the nuclear disaster I'm more familiar with is the one that took place 40 years ago in Ukraine. Back then, it was still part of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, better known as the USSR or Soviet Union.
The Chernobyl power plant
If one were to ask me what games I play, I'd say story-driven games in genres like FPS (Halo) and RPG (Final Fantasy, Persona), though I can get into racing games and rhythm games as well. Enquire which games I spend the most time on, however, and my answer becomes "gacha games".
GACHA! GACHA! GACHA!
A humourous look into the mind of a player who's only in it for the thrill of gambling.
"Gacha" comes from "gachapon" machines, where you pay for toys in capsules. However,
