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Recently a friend of mine was interested in 'upgrading' his Mazda Roadster (that's Miata MX5 to most of you) to a 2+2. Choices included the BMW 320Ci, the Audi A5 and even the Volkswagen Scirocco. We had a small discussion on the cars mentioned above. It made me take a long look at the Scirocco and I realized why I never caught on with its looks or why it didn't make me weak in the knees even though it drove extremely well, had a great sports car driving position and was very well put together. The reason was that the Volkswagen Scirocco is actually a fifth generation Honda Civic EG model from the early to mid-1990s fitted with wider arches. The VW Scirocco is supposed to be a three door coupe. In reality it is as low as the Honda Civic mentioned above. It may be wider than the Civic but if you look carefully, it does have the same side silhouette as the Civic. Take a proper look at both car's C pillars. Imagine the EG Civic with a wide arched bodykit (and slightly smaller rear windows) with different badging and you get a VW Scirocco. This is especially even clearer if you were slightly drunk or on medication. I somehow think that VW missed the boat in styling the Scirocco. It should have been done like an updated version to the VW Corrado (below) instead of a very sporty Golf which it is based on. It should have had a more sloping rear hatch instead of still thinking of being practical and all that. Since VW already has the Golf for practicality I still wonder why VW didn't go the whole hog and make a proper coupe. What VW actually came up with is a recycled Honda Civic EG series with a wider rear end. Imagine what would VW do in about fifteen years or so, a copy of the final Euro Civic type R hatchback with wider rear arches?

When Mercedes Benz launched the CLS model in 2004, it was said to spawn a new styling element that inspired the design of models such as the Passat CC, Audi A7, Porsche Panamera or even cheaper models such as the Hyundai I45. In other words, is the CLS the creator of a new segment of automobile? I have seen the Audi A7 on our road a few times. It was pretty sight to behold. During these encounters, the C pillar of the vehicle reminds me of a much more humble car

When was the last time an affordable, mass market car that was launched managed to get you just that little bit hot under the collar with lust or desire? Personally, I can't recall so it must have been donkey years ago. And for good reason. It has been a long time since there has been a bread & butter car that could inspire even a teeniest bit of motoring soul or passion. In fact, I think it has or will get worse in the coming years. Take a look at the line up of affordable cars today and we would struggle to find one that could make car enthusiasts drool or go gaga over. We have a couple of pretenders to the throne (say the Kia Koup). But, really, it seems that this is as good as it gets for normal average Singaporean drivers. If you don't have more than 150 grand to dish out on a car, you can forget about motoring pleasure, soul, passion & what not. For this, I blame the eco-mentalists and green activists. Their constant badgering for improving emissions standards and fuel consumption have led car manufacturers to focus on chasing these boring old figures rather than focusing on horsepower & handling. For one of the biggest victims of this green focus, we don't have to look any further than Honda. For a car marque that used to be steep in racing heritage and made pretty dang good mass market cars just decades ago, it has now stooped to the level of advertising its technological advancements in hybrid technology! A far cry from its glory days I say! Well, this has gone too far and I had had enough of all these eco-silliness. It is, quite frankly, making the car enthusiast in me feel sick. So my first wish for 2011? For car manufacturers to recognize and acknowledge that we still need exciting cars and to stop sacrificing it all just for some emission figures.

The LA Auto Show is once again round the corner, and with it comes the annual Design Challenge competition. This year, the competition has been extended to Japanese and German design studios, in addition to all of the manufacturer-supported studios in Southern California, making it a much more global contest. The theme for this year's Design Challenge forces designers to envision vehicles that are both kind to the environment yet stylish and exciting to drive. Each concept vehicle must weigh no more than 1,000 pounds, seat four adults, be efficient and safe and provide a rewarding driving experience. Sustainable materials, highly exotic designs and a vision of the future are judging criteria. Nine automakers in total have answered the competition's call, namely General Motors, Honda, Mazda, Maybach, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Smart, Toyota and Volvo. Here are some examples of the entries.. Cadillac Aera Aera's highly advanced body structure utilizes a 3D lattice, mono-formed frame. This polyhedral structure is similar to configurations found consistently in nature, e.g., inside the grouping of bubbles. The structure is formed from unique semi-solid freeform manufacturing, creating a naturally strong and extremely lightweight frame. All major body parts, including interior components, are essentially "grown" into a single part lattice structure. Its 10,000 psi composite air storage tank has ample capacity for a 1000 mile range. Nissan iV The iV is a super-lightweight sports tourer that showcases "organic synthetics," a revolutionary manufacturing technique in which automotive parts are cultivated like agriculture in a 100% sustainable, carbon-neutral process. Featuring an interwoven organic frame, iV's chassis material is synthetically grown and formed into an aerodynamic shape. Derived from fast-growing ivy and re-enforced with spider silk composite, the biopolymer frame is flexible and ultra-light, yet extremely robust. While the canopy collects solar energy, it also provides protective safety and open-air views of the outdoors. Underneath, a slim bio-battery provides stability and a near limit-less range made possible by regenerative super-capacitor technology that recoups 60% of kinetic energy spent. MAYBACH DRS - "Den-Riki-Sha" This MAYBACH is the world

So we now have heard that Audi is about to enter the premium small car market with the Audi A1. The current market leaders of this market segment are the BMW Mini, the Fiat 500 and to some extent the Alfa Mito. These cars allow car manufacturers to charge a whole lot more for the same small package and of course, Audi being the premium marque in the VW-Audi stable is their contender. But after scrutinizing the pictures it is my opinion that Audi is trying too hard with those flowing A to C pillar 'different colour from the body' scheme. It isn't a design cue or anything like that. It's just colour over sheet metal. Imagine the SMART car with its interchangeable panels. Innovative, but the main highlight about that car, or even the Mini, or even any Fiat 500 is the timeless classic design of these cars, which Audi doesn't have. One look at any of the cars mentioned and you can recognize it. The Audi A1 on the other hand looks like any small hatch with an Audi nose stuck to it and those different coloured pillars. The only plus point are those funky looking LED lights, which are really funky. To prove a point, we now have here is the Mitsubishi A1 (a Colt badly photoshopped by yours truly). Stick an Audi grill, paint the pillars, put on aftermarket LED strips (the one like the A4 but not as chic as the A1) and you have something that looks somewhat like the A1. If you consume a couple of Flaming Lamborghini's and then squint a little that is. Okay, it may look exactly like the A1 pictured above, but what I think I've stumbled upon here is a new trend. The supposedly trendy (Ah Beng) like people who like to trick up their cars will now follow the A1's flowing different coloured pillars. And that's about it. The point is, flowing different coloured pillars is just a fad, that will be followed by people till they're bored of it. And then its back to the usual normal coloured A to C pillars for all. But I dig those funky LEDs anyway. This is the actual selling point of the A1 regardless what Audi tells us. - Fiat 500 - Mini One - Alfa Mito