Fast Lane
BYD’s first plug-in hybrid wagon can get to Koh Samui from Singapore without refuelling or recharging
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The BYD Seal 6 DM‐i Touring features a 1.5-litre engine and a plug-in hybrid drivetrain to give a maximum range of up to 1,400km.
PHOTO: BYD
BYD’s 1,400km plug-in hybrid wagon
The BYD Seal 6 DM-i Touring plug-in hybrid has a 1,400km range – enough to drive from Singapore to Koh Samui’s beaches on a single tank and full charge, with roughly 200km to spare.
This is the first estate-bodied BYD for Singapore, and the underpinning technology is similar to that of the Sealion 6 DM-i launched in mid-2025.
It pairs a 19kWh battery, good for around 100km of electric driving, with a 1.5-litre engine that drinks from a 65-litre fuel tank. Depending on driving conditions, either or both powertrains are deployed.
In addition to the Touring, the car is available as a four-door saloon.
The BYD Seal 6 DM-i range is priced from $191,888 with certificate of entitlement.
Porsche Museum celebrates volcano-scaling prototype
The Porsche Museum dedicates a special exhibition to the 911’s altitude world record, open until June 28.
PHOTO: PORSCHE
Two off-road prototypes based on the Porsche 911 sports car scaled the Ojos del Salado volcano in Chile on Dec 2, 2023. One of them made it to 6,721m above sea level, a record for a car.
Marking the feat, the Porsche Museum in Stuttgart, Germany, is holding a special exhibition until June 28.
At the show, a digital ribbon guides visitors through the expedition, showing the route forged by the cars.
Porsche also released a short film on May 9 as part of its Raceborn Moment series, which dedicates each month of the marque’s 75 Years Of Motorsports to a chapter in the brand’s competitive history. Catch the 15-minute film at str.sg/oNQ2t
Tiny Bentley Supersports
Bentley has launched a limited-edition collection of scale models celebrating Supersports: Full Send, a film featuring professional athlete Travis Pastrana.
PHOTO: BENTLEY
Bentley has launched two scale models of the powersliding sports car that starred in its brand movie, Supersports: Full Send, on its online merchandise store. The 1:43 scale model costs £100 (S$172) and the 1:18 version £350.
The livery of the scale models faithfully replicates the design on the real car by graphic artist David Gwyther (@deathspray), a British contemporary artist known for his graphic works in racing culture.
The car’s interior has also been recreated in the models – down to the hydraulic handbrake lever.
Alongside the scale models are two artistic prints (£100) of the Bentley Supersports. One shows the car doing a burnout, while the other shows it powersliding through the factory.
The miniaturised models and prints may well be the only way for car lovers in Singapore to get close to the Bentley Supersport. Limited to 500 units worldwide, the stripped-back, two-seater 657hp rear-wheel-drive grand tourer will be available in only a handful of countries, including Australia, Malaysia and Japan.
Go to the online store at str.sg/87Cu. Prices exclude delivery charges.
Touch-sensitive “breathalyser”
Aumovio and trinamiX integrate blood alcohol measurement into the vehicle cockpit.
PHOTO: AUMOVIO
Rather than blow into a breathalyser, all it takes to know your blood alcohol level is to rest a fingertip on a sensor integrated into the car’s cabin. The result is shown in seconds.
The creation of German automotive technology firm Aumovio and TrinamiX, a biometric-imaging specialist, the solution is intended to improve road safety.
The sensor emits invisible light pulses into the tissues under the skin of the fingertip to detect ethanol molecules. It derives the level of alcohol content in the blood by analysing the reflection of the light.
Besides being tested in a clinical study, the technology’s creators say the hardware can be discreetly integrated into existing cabin architecture to maintain a clean design.
