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The Toyota Celica is back!

Thierry Dombreval, vice president of sales and marketing of Toyota France, has confirmed that the Toyota Celica will make its return in 2010. This will be the 8th generation of the rear-wheel drive sports coupe and Toyota will be developing the new Celica in collaboration with Subaru. The old Celica was a banging good car and I bet the new one will be even better.   The standard GT version will come with a 1.8-litre engine which produces 140bhp, the GTS version will showcase a 1.8-litre 180bh

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The future of motoring

This is the real deal. It is NOT a hybrid. This is the Honda FCX Clarity. It is powered by a hydrogen fuel cell which generates energy to run the electric motor so the only emissions coming out from the exhaust is, water. The 'new' Prius is now obsolete. If you wanted to make a real fashion statement Mr Di Caprio, you could have just bought one of these instead of 3 'Priuses'.     Of course Singapore doesn't have one of these yet but this car drives as any Honda would, and it looks better

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Facelifted Ford Galaxy receives power 'Boost'

The subtly facelifted Ford Galaxy MPV that will be making its world debut at the 2010 Brussels Show in January 2010. More significantly, the revised MPV marks the debut of Ford's all-new 2.0-litre EcoBoost turbocharged petrol engine, which is highly efficient.   The new 2.0-liter EcoBoost STCi engine employs turbocharging and direct injection technologies. It pumps out 203HP at 5,500 rpm with a maximum torque of 300Nm, delivered across a broad 1,750-4,500 rpm range.   Linked to a standard d

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How hard is it to sell a lesser known car in SG?

The year's coming to an end and it caps off a great 10 plus months for me in driving the newest cars injected into the market in 2009.   But looking back, it just makes me realise how somewhat 'traditional' the local market is, that brands like Skoda and Renault have been given the coldest of shoulders when buying a car. And it's even more troubling that apart from the usual suspects of impression makers like Audi and Volkswagen, Skoda was actually the other brand that stood out from the rest.

Ragingbull

Ragingbull

 

Audi A1 teaser

This is Audi's idea of a teaser shot of their upcoming subcompact A1. While most automakers like to shroud the car in a sea of black with just the headlights on, or drape a cloth over the entire body to reveal just the grille, Audi have decided to vandalise walls.   The teaser shot doesn't say very much; the signature Audi front grille seems very much unchanged except at the edges, a prominent front end and Audi's bold design is nothing new. To me its like they were more interested in seeing

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2011 BMW 3 Series spied!

The king of compact luxury sedan is set to be reborn in about 2 years' time. Expect exceptional aerodynamics with a Cd figure of around 0.24. Turbocharged units will be in full circulation at BMW by the time the new 3 Series hits the streets. We may see a 1.5L three-cylinder petrol turbo engine delivering about 150hp (112kW) while their diesel counterparts are likely to offer around 300Nm of torque. The 8-speed automatic gearbox that makes its debut in the 7 Series will find its way into the upc

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Malaysia imposes a 20 litre cap at petrol kiosks...

If you haven't been keeping up with the news lately, Malaysia just started a new rule for foreign registered cars. From today onwards, foreign registered cars will not be allowed to pump more than 20 litres of petrol within 50 kilometres of border areas. Put a cap on those tear ducts because it's not all that bad.   Unless the Malaysian authorities have found a way to measure the amount of petrol you've pumped, you can just easily pump 20 litres at this petrol station then go on to the rest t

911fan

911fan

 

Toyota Wish - Parallel Importers vs Authorised Dealer

For those who are considering the latest Toyota Wish that was recently launched from Borneo Motors, there might be some things you should take note before you sign on that cheque book.   Although the Borneo Motors (BM) Wish does come with seemingly better interior equipment, when you go chassis deep, it might be a different story.   The BM Wish might come with higher quality leather and a high-end audio system but transmission wise, it is equipped with a 4-speed automatic while the Toyota

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2010 Nissan Qashqai facelift

Here's a first look at the revised Nissan Qashqai, launched about 3 years ago. Most of the cosmetic changes concern the front end. Such as the hood, bumper, fenders, grille and headlights to give it a more aggressive look. There are also two new exterior colors, revised tail lights with LED technology, and newly designed 17-inch alloy wheels. Better quality materials can be expected with improved NVH levels. The engine lineup remains unchanged.   I took a look at the Qashqai when it was of

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The silent performer

Bridgestone just launched their new flagship touring tyre, the Turanza GR-90, in Bangkok. The GR-90 is the successor to the critically acclaimed GR-80. Touring tyres are essentially comfort biased.   The GR-90 has Intelligently designed rounded corners, combined with ideal construction rigidity to provide superior handling over a wide range of roads. The tread design features rows of low and high-angle winding grooves and flexible construction to deliver outstanding traveling dynamics and bet

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Lamborghini Ankonian Concept

This will probably be the coolest looking 'environmentally friendly' Lamborghini the world has ever seen. Its a concept of the new Lamborghini Madura which is scheduled to be Lamborghini's first ever supercar attempt to please tree-huggers. Its downsized, sophisticated aerodynamic slimmer body means that the Madura is slated to be more environmentally friendly than its other fuel guzzling counterparts.     Known as the Lamborghini Ankonian concept, this mid-engine supercar features special

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Audi R8 Spyder

There was always a group of people who thought the Audi R8 looked a little odd, disproportionate, and boring when put side by side with its cousin the Lamborghini Gallardo. It drives brilliantly, has a Lamborghini engine but those blokes still thought, nah.. its still just an Audi.   I think Audi has silenced those critics with this one.   The Audi R8 Spyder is simply gorgeous with a much better looking side profile without those 'awful' carbon fibre blades. Instead, they have been replaced

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2010 MB E-Class convertible unveiled

Mercedes-Benz is completing the E-Class family with the introduction of a convertible model that will replace the outgoing CLK drop top. It will compete head on with the BMW 3-Series and Audi A5 cabriolets.   Unique to the 2010 E-Class Convertible is a retractable wind spoiler located on top of the front windshield. Called an 'Aircap', the system works in conjunction with a rear deflector to help to direct wind over the passenger compartment. The convertible also gets an electrically operated

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Upcoming Korean "battleship"

If the success of the latest Kia Cerato Forte has caught the attention of the Japanese, they better be well prepared for the next assault in the form of the all new 2011 Hyundai Elantra (or Avante in our Singapore Market).   The coupe-like roofline of the new Elantra echoes the design philosophy of the new Sonata. Expect the new Elantra to be powered by a new 1.6-litre gasoline direct injection engine, mated to the group's latest six-speed automatic transmission.   Certain Japanese 1.6-litre

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Official Honda CR-Z brochure leaked

Here's the official brochure of the new Honda CR-Z, hailed as the successor to the CRX of the late 1980s.   The brochure confirms that the CR-Z's hybrid drivetrain will comprise of a 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol unit and an electric motor, with power being transferred to the front wheels via a six-speed manual gearbox. The petrol engine delivers an output of 113bhp at 6,000rpm and a peak torque of 145Nm at 4,800 rpm. The electric motor, on the other hand, delivers 13.4bhp at 1,500rpm and 78N

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The Alfa Romeo Giulietta (aka the New 147)

Alfa's car christening department has gone a little mad.   First, with their MiTo, now the Giulietta. Bringing back the illustrious and beautiful name from the 70s.   I'm not saying it's a bad thing. I think the name is brilliant! It's just a feeling that they were trying a little too hard with the Mito. But the Guilietta.. that sounds fantastico!     The 147's replacement will be showcased at the 2010 Geneva Motor show and this will only be available with 5 doors. So obviou

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2010 Maserati GranCabrio

Prepare some tissue paper. Just in case you start drooling..   This one is definitely a looker.   Normally you'd see a middle aged man who suddenly realises that he has a wad of cash in his back pocket and doesn't know what to spend it on. Strangely, a Maserati would appear in his garage the next day. Maseratis are the relatively cheaper alternatives to the Ferraris and the Lambos. The problem is, while people in their 20s and 30s buy the Horses and the Bulls, the Trident badge is neglected!

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Tricked out Mclaren SLR '999'

This is what happens to a car when its owner has too much money and hails from the land of Ricola sweets.   The Mclaren SLR alone costs a bomb, US$495,000 to be exact. This incredibly garish, pimped out SLR on the other hand costs US$4.5 million on top of the base price because of its 24 carat gold accents. It is all thanks to Swiss designer Ueli Anliker. The Mclaren now looks more like a Pussycat Doll's handbag than a car..     Check out the plush gold seats and trim.. This car has mor

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VW extends it's global domination

VW has announced today that they've bought a 19.9% stake in Japanese carmaker Suzuki.   I think it's brilliant. Suzuki, as of recently, has been churning out cars that have actually been worth the mention like the Swift which have a few awards in it's pockets and even the SX4 which handles like a dream. Both companies will be sharing their tech knowledge and working together on things like fuel-efficient and low-emission vehicle technologies. I'm quite excited with this prospect...with such a

Ragingbull

Ragingbull

 

You call that a facelift? Come on BMW, you can do more!

Spyshots of the 2010 BMW M3 facelift were posted onto the web last week. If you were expecting those aggressive looking contour lines that appeared on the hood of the 2009 BMW 3 series sedans, you can forget it. The Bavarian manufacturer didn't bother with those. The flagship M3 only received minor changes to its front bumper and a new LED tail-light arrangement. Most changes were made on the inside with better trim, improved iDrive system and better interior lighting.   BMW designers seem to

911fan

911fan

 

Tata Nano now individualised!

[extract] Can you imagine a phalanx of Tata Nanos all travelling in the same direction with little to distinguish them from one another besides the different shades of colours? You can

911fan

911fan

 

BMW's new 5-er looks so much better without Bangle

It's only been a couple a months since Chris Bangle, infamous for designing what everyone dubbed "bangle butt" on the BMW series of vehicles, left the famed German company. Since then Adrian van Hooydonk has been hard at work slimming the profiles and softening up the lines on their cars.   A beautiful example of their hard work is in their new 5 Series. The team has kept the looks of the car in-line with their current 3 Series, but predictably stretched, certainly staying true to how they use

Ragingbull

Ragingbull

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