Mercedes sets new record at Nurburgring
The Mercedes-AMG One is the king of the 20.8km Nurburgring-Nordschleife track, with an officially measured lap time of 6:35.183 minutes – the quickest for a road-legal production vehicle. The record-breaking drive on Oct 28 was done by racing driver and AMG brand ambassador Maro Engel.
The plug-in hybrid car is powered by a 1.6-litre V6 turbo petrol engine and four electric motors to produce 1,063hp. It clocks 0-200kmh in seven seconds and 0-300kmh in 15.6 seconds, with an electronically limited top speed of 352kmh.
Electric cars among top scorers at crash test programme
The European New Car Assessment Programme has released the results for its largest group of cars this year, and all but one of the 16 cars tested achieved the maximum five-star rating.
The cars tested this November include the two full electric vehicles – the Tesla Model S and Nio ET7. The new Toyota bZ4X and its twin, the Subaru Solterra, also garnered top marks. The DS 9, a large family car, achieved four stars, due in part to a penalty in the frontal offset test for being an aggressive impact partner towards other vehicles.
The other cars achieving five-star results include the Hyundai Ioniq 6, Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla Cross as well as the Nissan Ariya and its bigger brother, the Nissan X-Trail.
British start-up unveils 5.5-tonne fuel cell truck
Hydrogen Vehicle Systems (HVS), a new British-based hydrogen vehicle manufacturer, has unveiled a 5.5-tonne hydrogen fuel cell technology demonstrator. HVS says the ground-up design optimises range, payload, weight distribution, direct vision, aerodynamics and ergonomics.
Heavy-goods vehicles are the second-largest contributor to British transport emissions, accounting for 18 per cent of emissions while only contributing 5 per cent of vehicle mileage.
Porsche 911 goes off-road
Porsche has unveiled its most audacious product yet – the new 911 Dakar. It will be the first two-door sports car to offer “outstanding off-road capabilities”.
The model name is a nod to the first overall victory by Porsche in the Paris-Dakar rally. The breakthrough triumph came in 1984 in a modified Porsche 911, which had been fitted with an all-wheel-drive system for the first time.
In testing the car, Porsche drove the car around the world “under extreme conditions”, clocking more than 500,000km, including more than 10,000km off-road.
SPC rolls out high-speed EV chargers
SP Group and Singapore Petroleum Co will be installing Singapore’s fastest publicly available electric vehicle (EV) charger at an SPC service station in Bukit Batok. The 150kW direct current fast charger with two 75kW charging points will be in place by the first quarter of 2023 and allow EV drivers to charge their vehicle in as little as 15 minutes.
This came after both parties announced a partnership to install fast charging points at five SPC stations in an initial phase. The other four stations are in 1351 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 1, Bukit Merah, Sumang Link and Tampines Avenue 4. Each station will have one 50kW fast charging point installed by 2023.
New Ford Ranger Raptor offers four exhaust modes
Ford’s all-new high-performance Ranger Raptor boasts a twin-turbo 3-litre V6 delivering 288hp and 491Nm of torque. An electronically controlled active exhaust system delivers adjustable engine sounds with four exhaust modes to suit different driving scenarios.
Also part of the package are seven selectable drive modes, a re-engineered suspension featuring Ford Performance-developed shock absorbers, and a four-wheel-drive system with an on‑demand two-speed transfer case and locking front and rear differentials.
Singapore Motorshow returns in January
After a three-year hiatus, the Singapore Motorshow will return to Suntec Singapore Convention and Exhibition Centre from Jan 12 to 15, 2023. It is the seventh show presented by the Motor Traders Association of Singapore.
The four-day event will be held across levels 3 and 4 of the Suntec Convention Hall, and some 24 automotive brands will be participating, including first-timer and Swedish brand Polestar. Aside from new cars, there will be performances by British precision driver and three-time Guinness World Record Holder Russ Swift.
Tickets – priced at $12 for preview tickets, $8 for general admission – are available for purchase at Suntec Singapore Concourse Level 3. Admission is free for children shorter than 1.2m.
BMW launches highest billboard in Orchard Road
BMW Asia, in collaboration with the Orchard Road Business Association, has taken over the side wall of Mandarin Gallery to showcase a digital billboard highlighting the new BMW 7-series.
At 100m in height above street level and 18m wide, it is the highest billboard in Singapore now. In November, from 7 to 10pm daily, people as far as 1km away can experience a 45- or 90-second journey through the 7-series in a display using augmented-reality technology.
