New cars in Singapore

Well, today I am going to introduce to you two new cars. One car is from Germany, and the other one is from Britain.

The first car I am going to introduce to you is the new Opel Insignia. It is a well-crafted Insignia that ends the brand's era of obscurity.



It has a 2-litre turbo engine - tax-friendly, efficient and helluva punchy. It has a six-speed automatic transmission, which is suited to the turbo's behaviour.

This car, when driving, is very smooth. Overall, it is a well-executed design that stands out quietly from sinilar sedans like Toyota Camry, and the Volkswagen Passat. Besides, the Insignia's chassis is very well sorted. This car has thrown in three-mode drive select, which allows you to modify throttle, damping, steering and shifting at the touch of a button.

The cabin is well insulated and room is adequte but not exceptional. This cabin is also pleasantlyfree from overpowering new-car smell, something that dogged previous Opels.

It is clearly more of a driver's car than models such as the Camry, Honda Accord and Nissan Teana, which are soft cushy carriages that are hard to beat in terms of space. Also, it is also better equipped and furnished than the Passat.

Price of this car will be $128,888 with COE.

The 2nd car I am going to introduce to you is the Aston Martin Rapide.



The Aston Martin Rapide is a four-door, high-performance sport saloon, which British luxury marque Aston Martin plans to introduce in early 2010 to compete with the Maserati Quattroporte and Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class, along with the upcoming Audi A7, Porsche Panamera, and Lamborghini Estoque. It was first presented as a concept car at the North American International Auto Show in 2006. The Rapide name is a reference to the Lagonda Rapide, a saloon car produced by Lagonda, now part of Aston Martin. The car is based on an Aston Martin DB9. The base price for the Aston Martin Rapide is $735,000 without COE and is scheduled to be available in April 2010.

Aston Martin has announced that the Rapide will be built at a dedicated plant at the Magna Steyr facility in Graz, Austria. Production will start in 2010 and the factory plans to build 2,000 per year. The production version will feature a full-length glass roof and LED light bars on the rear end, two firsts for Aston Martin.

For luxury and convenience, the Rapide's standard features include a tilt-telescoping steering wheel, bi-xenon headlamps and LED taillamps. Leather and walnut trim are standard, with metallic accents; power front seats with memory and heating; Bluetooth; satellite radio; and USB and iPod connectivity. The production version of the Rapide was shown at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show.

Below is a video about Rapide. Enjoy!

News: Hyundai Halts Sonata(i45) Sales



I previously introduced to you the new Hyundai i45. Now there is bad news about it, and this car has to stop sales in America. Read more below...

A defective door-lock module that may lock passengers inside temporarily prompts the automaker to cease sales. Replacement parts should reach dealerships on Wednesday.

The Sonata is Hyundai's biggest-volume vehicle, with 2009 sales of 120,028 cars. The 2011 model went on sale only two weeks ago. There are currently only about 5,000 cars in U.S. inventory, and about 1,300 have been sold.

It is unclear how many of those have the faulty locks or how Hyundai will notify owners to bring in the cars for inspection.

Malfunction occurs only in situations where front-seat passengers try to open their doors from the inside while simultaneously holding down the lock button. In that circumstance, the interior door handle will not return to its normal position, and passengers cannot get out of the car. If they press the lock button again, the handle will correct itself and allow the door to open.

Hyundai engineers were trying today to determine whether the malfunction even warranted notification to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which governs product recalls.

The Sonata repair will consist of replacing the front door-lock mechanism. The replacement parts will begin reaching dealerships tomorrow, and the stop-sale will be lifted as soon as repairs are made.

Cross-Country on TODAY LIVE, @ Hwa Chong Institution

I was very excited to run in a Cross-Country, because it is my first time running for a long distance - 4km.

It was a tiring distance, I was thinking that I was unable to cope.

The race starts, and the whole bunch of runners started to run, starting from the representatives of each class, followed by the others.

I was quite fine while running the first half of the race, then my legs started to ache at the second half. However, I still continued to run despite my body was already quivering with all the sweat on my face.

Our class, very fortunately, got second, which is a silver, in the whole Secondary One classes. I felt very proud of myself, and the representatives, like Jia Yi, Sebastian, and Yi Heng, who done our class proud.

Then, all of us went to drink Milo van to drink Milo. Being very thirsty, I think I drank ten cups of Milo. It is cold and very refreshing. I drank too much, because I was very full when I already drank the 6th cup.

Much more interesting about this event is that saga seeds started to drop on us, and my head. I then started to collect saga seeds. In the end, I collected more than ten seeds. Then I gave my classmates, until I was left with 9 seeds!

That's the end of the Cross-Country. I must cherish this event, because next will not hold this event, because the MRT is doing a project on making the Downtown Line.

Special Quattroporte coming to Geneva
Maserati Sport GT S Awards Edition glitters for reveal.



The Maserati Quattroporte Sport GT S Awards Edition will be revealed at the Geneva motor show. Maserati is celebrating six years of awards and raves for the sport sedan with its own special edition.

The car is covered in a Quarzo fuso finishing, which is a striking metallic grayish gold color, accented by 20-inch multi-trident dark grey rims.

The brake system comes from the Quattroporte Sport GT S and is upgraded with hand-polished chrome calipers.

Inside is leather and Alcantara combined in a new pattern, as well as brushed aluminum doors sills and piano black satin-finish wood moldings. There's also a special Awards Edition plate on the sheetmetal.

The car goes on sale in the latter half of this year as a 2011 model.

Here is a video about that Maserati Quattroporte.



McLaren Unleashes its New Round of MP4-12C Test Prototypes



McLaren released film on Tuesday of two versions of the new testers, called the XP8 and the XP10, which it says are in the "beta phase" of development. They move the project closer to production guise with a new version of the M838T twin-turbo engine, transmission with new gear ratios, an improved cooling package, new suspension geometry and upgraded electrical architecture. The 3.8-liter V8 is expected to make about 600 hp and work in tandem with a seven-speed, dual-clutch gearbox. The weight should come in at less than 3,000 pounds. The car goes on sale in 2011.

Below is a video for you to watch - the 2011 Mclaren MP4-12C.

The differences and similaritiy between 'Lamb To The Slaughter' and 'The Way Up To Heaven'

*This is nothing to do with cars!*

In LTTS, Mary Maloney killed her husband by murdering after knowing that he does not love her anymore. Patrick shows no love for his wife anymore. The time taken for the murder was much story than the other story, 'The Way Up To Heaven'. Mary kills her husband in one blow with the lamb leg.

Mr. Foster died worse than Patrick - hence Mrs Foster is more cruel than Mary Maloney, because Mrs Foster let her husband die slowly after he was trapped in the lift, instead of calling the technician.

I think the similarity between the two stories is that both wives are cruel - however, the wives actually loved their husbands, but the male characters showed little or no love to them. the wives just do not care how much love they gave, or how well they treated themselves, the wives still love them. However, both of them also initiated the murder, and they do not love their husbands anymore - the conflict has totally changed.

New Hyundai i45



i45 represents a modern approach to the traditional mid-size sedan segment incorporating Hyundai's new 'fluidic sculpture' design and luxury features, combined with Hyundai's value proposition.

In the U.S., the all-new mid-sized sedan, built at Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama, is setting new standards in the mid-size car category, with best-in-class fuel economy rating thanks to the new 2.4-litre Petrol Direct Injection (GDI) four-cylinder engine, new six-speed manual and automatic transmissions and highly refined aerodynamics.

The car is already setting the standard for residual values in North America. The entry trim model fitted with the six-speed automatic transmission received an impressive 36-month residual value of 54 percent of manufacturer's suggested retail price (known as Manufacturer's List Price in Australia) from Automotive Lease Guide (ALG), the U.S. benchmark for residual value estimates, and a leading provider of data and consulting services to the automotive industry.

The residual value of the all-new Hyundai mid-sized sedan topped popular competitive 2010 models from Toyota, Nissan, Ford, and Chevrolet, in addition to premium brands such as Lexus, BMW and Mercedes, representing the lowest depreciation in the U.S. mid-sized car segment.

The Hyundai outperformed Honda,depreciating US$640 less over a three-year period than a comparably-equipped 2010 model year Accord. Strong residuals add to the value equation, indicating higher trade-in value for buyers and lower monthly payments for lessees.

Australian bound i45s will be produced in South Korea.

"We are very excited to be launching the all-new i45 mid-sized sedan in Australia in the coming months, said Oliver Mann, Hyundai Motor Company Australia's Marketing Director. "Already breaking records in South Korea and receiving awards in the U.S., i45 is going to make a considerable impact in the competitive Australian mid-sized segment."

2010 Hyundai Tucson (Already selling in Singapore)



Hyundai has given its compact SUV an all-new face for 2010.

With more and more consumers shying away from gas-hungry, full-size sport-utility vehicles, almost every carmaker is jumping on the crossover bandwagon, causing the segment to swell in number of offerings faster than, well, the SUV segment did back in the early '90s when fuel efficiency wasn't even a blip on most car buyers' radars.

To keep its Tucson fresh amid a sea of capable competition, Hyundai has grown the smallish utility vehicle in overall size and given it an efficient 2.4-liter 4-cylinder engine that's good for up to 31 mpg on the open road. Throw in optional all-wheel drive and the choice of a 6-speed manual or automatic transmission and the Tucson is well-worth the $18,995 base price (US dollars).

Inner Space


Excellent leather seats provide space for up to five occupants, and there's plenty of room behind the rear seats for cargo.


You'll find plenty of room inside for a driver and three passengers — four if they know each other really well. The Tucson boasts 101.9 cubic inches of passenger space, which is just a little more than what's available from the more expensive Honda CR-V.

New cars in Singapore

1. BMW 5-series (535i)



The all 535i is considerably longer and wider but not as tall as the previous model. Its wheelbase is 2968mm.

Its sheet metal poses no surprises - no zanny kinks or dramatic swishes on the car to distract the eye from its sporty and sleek design. It looks more formal as compared to the older model, and for the first time, the 5-series does away with the conventional handbrake for an electric switch. Unlike the current 335i, 535i's unit has just one turbo featuring something called twin-scroll design to do the same job without burning as much fuel.

Specifications

Engine: 2979cc 24-valve inline-6 turbocharged
Transmission: 8-speed automatic with manual select
Power:306bhp at 5800rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1200-5000rpm
0-100kn/h: 6.1 seconds
Top speed: 250km/h
Fuel Consumption: 8.4 litres/100km (city-highway)

2. Audi A1



This car is by 3950mm by 1740mm of stylishly pressed metal. It can have an ultra-efficient 1.2 TFSI, or a 1.4 TFSI. This supermini can be equipped with automatic stop-start, brake recovery and S-tronic transmission.

3. Porsche 911 Turbo S



Just months after it unleashed the 911 Turbo, Porsche surfaces the 911 Turbo S This is model is fully equipped: seven-speed PDK transmission with paddle shift, dynamic all-wheel-drive, dynamic engine mounts and PTV (Porsche Torque Vectoring) witha mechanical limited rear differential.

4. Renault Megane Coupe-Cabriolet



This looks like another design coup for the French marque. It has forward position windscreen and a fixed glass rear reflector. Besides, it also has a stiffer chasis, new electric power steering system and dua-clutch transmission.

5. Audi A8



The new A8 challenges establishment with shove and gadgety. Its 4.2-litre V8 turbo diesel and a massive 800Nm of torque. The TDI model clocks 5.5 seconds, while the FSI clocks 5.7 seconds. Its top speed is electronically limited of 250km/h. The fuel consumption of the TDI will be 10.2-litres, while the FSI will be 13.2-litres per 100km. Transmission will be 8-speed Tiptronic.

6. Ford Galaxy GHIA 2.3



The price of this car is $110,000 with COE. It has a 2.3-litre, 2261cc 16valve inline 4 engine, and 6-speed transmission. The top speed will be 191km/h and the speed for 0-100km/h is 11.7 seconds. 13.8-litres/100km is the fuel consumption for the car(city).

The Toyota Vios and Corolla Altis will also be faceliftedthis year. Beyond minor cosmetic changes. The Corolla will have a dual-VVTi engine, giving it even more efficiency.

News of cars

1. Mazda2 Will Get an Upgraded Interior



The automaker unveiled the interior of the five-door hatchback at the Canadian International Auto Show in Toronto.

Compared to the current European edition, the North American model will have an upgraded audio head unit, higher-grade climate control knobs, and seats with higher-grade fabric and stylish piping. The look and feel of the top of the instrument panel appears to be less plasticky.

2. Audi Will Use e-tron Name For Its Electric Cars



Audi plans to use the e-tron designation for its electric vehicles.

Audi cars will carry the e-tron logo on their rear, similar to the way models now bear the "quattro" designation.

Audi plans to produce an initial run of 100 units of its e-tron electric sports car at its factory in Ingolstadt, Germany, in 2012. The car was unveiled at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show.An expansion of this small production volume to 1,000 units is planned. No decision has yet been made on where the vehicle will be built long term.

3. The 2011 Volkswagen Touareg Rolls Out With a New Hybrid Powertrain

Volkswagen is banking on the fuel-saving properties of a new gasoline-electric hybrid and what it describes as a wholesale improvement in quality levels to bolster North American sales of its second-generation Touareg.

This new Touareg represents VW's first foray into the premium-hybrid-SUV market, which includes gasoline-electric entries from BMW, Lexus, Mercedes-Benz and Cadillac, among others. Further competition will come from a similarly powered version of the new Porsche Cayenne, alongside which the new Touareg was developed.

4. Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid Race Car Revealed



Porsche will bring its latest hybrid know-how to the racetrack in the form of the new 911 GT3 R Hybrid, revealed for the first time prior to a planned public premiere at the Geneva Motor Show in early March.

Based on Porsche's recently revealed 911 GT3 RSR, the R Hybrid eschews conventional hybrid technology for an advanced new electro-mechanical flywheel system. Porsche sources said that the company is considering the system as a means of boosting the performance of its future race cars, and that the technology could end up on selected road cars, including a planned hybrid version of the 911. The new hybrid technology forms part of a broader program that goes under the name Porsche Intelligent Performance.

The next top 4 cars at the Chicago Auto Show, 2010

Continued from the previous post about the top cars at the Auto Show.

The next car will be the DeltaWing IndyCar Concept. You've never heard of this before, but when you see the design, you will think of a ultra-F1. It looks like a cross between a dragster, landspeed racer and, well, a crime-fighting jet car. It weighs 1,000 pounds including the driver and has a very slippery 0.24 coefficient of drag. This combination allows the car to reach a top speed of 230 mph using a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine, instead of the 650-horsepower 3.5-liter V8s currently in use. It will be set to debut in 2012. Below will be the picture of the DeltaWing Concept.



Toyota has recently taken a beating in the press lately, but that didn't stop the Japanese automaker from showing off its restyled - inside and out — 2011 Avalon here in Chi-Town. Power is still supplied by 3.5-liter V6 engine sending 268 horsepower through a 6-speed automatic transmission. Below shows the picture of 2011 Avalon.



Minivans are boring, but you can't deny their utility. At Chicago, Honda introduced the 2011 Odyssey Concept, a minivan that aims to create a new, hipper image without sacrificing utility. Details are sketchy at this point, but Honda says V6 power with Variable Cylinder Management will return, and fuel economy will improve to an estimated 19 city/ 28 highway. Here will be the picture for you to look at.



The last car will be the Kia Ray Concept. The Kia Ray is a compact plug-in hybrid sedan designed and engineered for maximum efficiency. Made of lightweight and recycled materials, the body eliminates side mirrors and door handles to reduce drag and uses a glass roof with solar cells that help power the vehicles' climate-control system. Below shows the picture of the environmental-friendly car.



That will be all about the Chicago Auto Show 2010.

Top cars at the 2010 Chicago Auto Show

Some of the cars may not be shown earlier, because the car may be already launched.

Firstly, one of the tops will be the 2011 BMW Alpina B7. The independent tuner Alpina has been tweaking BMWs since the 1960s. In Chicago, it unveiled the second-generation BMW Alpina B7, which is as close to an M7 as we'll likely ever see, to the North American market. The B7 features a 500-horsepower 4.4-liter twin-turbocharged V8 engine that vaults the car from zero to 60 mph in just 4.5 seconds. It has an adjustable suspension with active roll stabilization and shorter springs that lower the ride height. Below picture shows the BMW Alpina B7.



Capability is the name of the game in the heavy-duty pickup market, and the 2011 Chevrolet Silverado HD is ready to deliver. The Chevy truck is built on an all-new frame with a new asymmetrical rear leaf spring design. An optional 6.6-liter Duramax turbodiesel V8 engine is available that can run on B20, a blend of 80 percent standard diesel fuel and 20 percent biodiesel. New features include Hill Start Assist, mobile wifi, and a smart exhaust brake that varies resistance based on load and grade. Below shows the picture of the truck.



Next car would be the 2011 Ford Shelby GT500. After unveiling new V6 and V8 engines at previous shows, Ford took the wraps off a 2011 Shelby GT500 in the Windy City. The new all-aluminum, supercharged 5.4-liter V8 is 102 pounds lighter than the outgoing engine and delivers 10 more horses than its predecessor for a total output of 550 horsepower. Fuel economy is also improved, eliminating the gas-guzzler tax. Below shows the picture of Shelby.



Here are the top 3 cars of the Auto Show. Now I shall show you the other top 4 cars in the other post.

2010 Chicago Auto Show (Part 3)

Pickups OK; SUVs, Not So Much

Trucks continue to shine brightly in Chicago, while full-size SUVs have all but disappeared.

Trucks and SUV cars by American cars have came out. The trucks have shone, but the SUV have not.

In fact, approximately 50.6 percent of the 16.8 million vehicles sold in 2002 were light trucks (including pickups, SUVs and vans). The Ford F-Series accounted for an amazing 813,000 sales that year, while the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra combined for 754,000 sales and the Dodge Ram netted 396,000 sales. It was a time when full-size trucks were not just work vehicles. Inside, they had become quieter and more luxurious, and with the crew cab option, more and more buyers were using them as everyday transportation.

Leaving the 'bad' news alone, I will show you some pictures of those vehicles.


2010 Ford F150


2011 Chevrolet Silverado HD


2010 Dodge Ram 3500


2010 Chevrolet Traverse


2010 Ford Explorer


2011 Ford Edge


2010 Ford Flex

There will be perhaps 1 more post for Chicago Auto Show, and that will be the overall top cars at the Chicago Auto Show.

*Note that these cars may not be sold in Singapore.

Chicago Auto Show 2010 (Part 2)

The 2010 Chicago Auto Show has arrived. And there are quite a number of cool cars in there.

Although that there is news previously saying that there was airbag problem in Honda cars, there will be the all new Honda Odyssey Concept. Come and have a peek at the next-generation Honda Odyssey minivan.





With all of the positive press Hyundai has received for its rear-wheel-drive Genesis sedan, it's easy to overlook the Korean company's other luxury-sedan offering, the Azera. To help its forgotten child gain a little spotlight, Hyundai revealed an updated 2011 Azera at the Chicago Auto Show.



There is also the Kia Ray Concept. Here are some pictures of this futuristic hybrid on display at the Chicago Auto Show.







Above picture shows the interior of the Kia Ray Concept. It is very spacious, isn't it? I think that the interior is extremely well-done and I really like the design of this car and also the other Korean cars, and this car is absolutely a concept car.

Also, there will be an updated version of this popular crossover from Ford - the 2011 Ford Edge. Here are some pictures to look at.

\



I also like the design of this car, as it looks like a very luxurious SUV.



This is the interior of that car, but that design is not what I have expected. It is quite a nice design, but I think that it could be better.



However, even though there is good design, the interior is quite crammy inside and it is not luxurious enough. What do you think about that?

Nissan also introduces a limited edition of the legendary Z car for its 40th anniversary. It's been more than 40 years since the first Z sports car landed in North America on Oct. 22, 1969. The 240Z single-handedly turned the automotive world on its head with its combination of performance, reliability and affordability. To celebrate the Z car's ruby anniversary, Nissan is rolling out a limited-edition 370Z 40th Anniversary model.





There will be a Part 3 coming now, or sooner.

Chicago Auto Show 2010 - 2011 Ford Shelby GT 500

It is the latest version of this high-powered Mustang puts out 550 horsepower. Here are some pictures of the 2011 Ford Shelby GT 500.

*This is only just the arrival of the auto show, that's why I can only show you one car only.









The above two pictures is the convertible model, while the top two pictures is the coupe model.



What's that above? It's a cobra!

Honda airbag recall adds to Japan auto sector woes.

Honda, Japan's second-biggest carmaker after crisis-hit Toyota, Wednesday recalled more than 400,000 vehicles to fix airbags that it said can explode and spray out potentially deadly metal shards.



The recall, the third related to the defect since late 2008, includes Honda Accord and Civic cars sold in the United States and Canada as well as models marketed in Japan, Mexico, Taiwan and Australia, the company said.

Honda said the defective air bag inflators could rupture, resulting in metal fragments passing through the airbag cushion material and possibly causing injury or fatality to vehicle occupants.

It said it knew of 12 incidents involving the defect and one fatality, but added that there had been no new reports since last year.

Honda's expanded recall of 437,763 vehicles worldwide -- most of them in North America -- is the third over the airbag problem that brings the total number of cars affected to more than 900,000.

It includes 9,227 vehicles in Mexico, 1,361 in Taiwan and 703 in Australia.

The affected models are 2000 and 2001 versions of the Honda Accord, Civic, TL, CR-V, Odyssey, Pilot and CL in North America and the Inspire, Saber and Lagreat models sold in Japan, and last month Honda announced a global recall of some 646,000 Fit/Jazz and City cars after reports of fire breaking out in the models' power-window switches.

Wow! That was quite scary and I could not believe the news. I thought that Honda is a more reliable car, but however, there is a problem in the airbags, which can cause fatal deaths. I remember that last time, perhaps 1 year ago, in the Chinese newspaper, there is a news saying that a Honda CR-V's airbag suddenly explode and hit the driver, and the driver died, if I am not wrong.

News: Problems in Toyota of the brake acceleration.

Toyota denied on Friday it had covered up safety problems with its cars and said they were safe to drive, as it began to repair some of the millions of vehicles recalled due to faulty accelerators.



Company president Akio Toyoda, in his first press conference on the crisis, said he was "deeply sorry" for the string of quality issues that has tarnished the group's reputation and triggered a class action lawsuit in the United States.

The Japanese automaker, staring at a two-billion-dollar bill from the recall of more than eight million vehicles around the world, was facing "a moment of crisis", admitted Toyoda, scion of the car-producing family.

Hours earlier, Toyota said it had begun repairing gas pedals in the United States, where it faces a lawsuit alleging it knew about the unexpected acceleration issue "for several years" -- a suggestion the company strongly denies.

Toyota cars are not that reliable because problems of part of the car will come at any time, even though as I said earlier that Japanese cars are more reliable than other cars made from other countries. Here my story of my father, which happened when I was quite young :

My father was a previously driving a Toyota Corrolla (the old one). but one day, I think there is a problem in the engine, so he went for repairing. The car which have been given "on loan" was not comfprtable at all, and I feel like vomiting when I sit on that car, which is also a Toyota. So after he changed his car to a Mazda 3 (old one also, but newer than the Toyota), our family thinks that Toyota is not reliable.

Truly, Mazda cars are absolutely much more reliable than Toyota cars. My dad drove that Mazda 3 for about 5 years, and did not have any problems, but just that me as a child that time kept on complaining that the car is not spacious enough, so the year end of 2009, my dad replaced his car by the new Nissan Latio (premium).



I stopped complaining because the interior was spacious, even though it is small, and has only a 1.5-litre engine. I encourage people to buy more reliable brands such as Mazda (although fuel comsumption is high) and Nissan because it is safer and the pricing is quite reasonable.