Fast Lane: Porsche artwork, BMW, Arctic Trucks, Motor Sports Singapore

Life-size Porsche sculpture

After debuting at Milan Design Week in 2022, a handcrafted wireframe sculpture inspired by the Porsche 934 racing car was sold in January via an online auction for £201,000 (S$339,000) to a collector based in Asia.

The creation of London-based artist Benedict Radcliffe is a homage to the competition version of the Porsche 911 Turbo from the late 1970s.

Mr Edward Lovett, founder and chief executive of the Collecting Cars auction site, called the 934 – in the distinctive orange of the Jagermeister racing team – one of the most iconic racing cars of its type.

Before being put up for sale, the sculpture had been exhibited in Beijing and Shanghai, in partnership with Porsche China.

Limited-edition and facelifted BMWs

BMW has unveiled its first M3 CS Touring, an even more tuned-up version of the M3 station wagon.

Identified by its yellow daytime running lights, the CS’ upgrades over the regular M3 also include a carbon-fibre bonnet, front splitter, air intakes and rear diffuser. These components are said to be worth 15kg of savings on the scales, bringing its weight down to 1,850kg.

The inline-six, 3-litre, turbocharged engine remains unchanged, but boost pressure has been cranked up, bumping power to 550hp from 530hp. Against the stopwatch, the CS gets to 100kmh from rest in 3.5 seconds, 0.1 of a second quicker than the M3 Touring.

BMW has been very selective in applying the CS badging. To date, there are only seven CS cars in Singapore – a mix of the M3 CS saloon, M4 CS and M4 CSL, which was launched here in November.

Only two units of the M3 CS Touring have been allocated to Singapore and they are expected to cost more than $700,000 each with certificate of entitlement (COE). The regular M3 Touring Competition is currently priced below $630,000 with COE.

BMW also announced updates to the iX, its large electric-only sport utility vehicle. New light and bumper designs freshen up its look, while the cabin features the latest generation of BMW’s iDrive digital infotainment system.

Expected to arrive in June 2025, the iX will be available in Sport and M Sport variants. Its price with COE is estimated to be between $460,000 and $480,000.

Singapore Touring Car Challenge

The Singapore Touring Car Challenge has been confirmed as a support race at the Motul Sepang 12 Hour Endurance Race, to be held from March 13 to 15 at the Sepang International Circuit in Selangor, Malaysia. This is the first circuit race organised by Motor Sports Singapore (MSS) since 2015 at the Pasir Gudang Circuit in Johor, Malaysia.

Open to Singapore race licence holders, the competing cars must comply with international safety standards.

Giti Tires, a Singapore-based tyre manufacturer, is supplying the control tyres for the event. This means that all competing cars have to use the GitiCompete GTR2 street tyres. MSS says this keeps the cost of entering the competition more affordable and makes the race accessible to more enthusiasts.

MSS is the official governing body for motorsports in Singapore. Those keen to compete can go to mss.org.sg for more information.

Super-cool Land Cruiser

Arctic Trucks from Iceland has unveiled the AT37, a toughened up version of the latest Toyota Land Cruiser Prado.

The suspension system has been modified to increase the sport utility vehicle’s ground clearance by 40mm, along with increased travel. Rugged 37-inch tyres, in either all- or mud-terrain specifications, wrap 17-inch alloy wheels. The wheelbase has been extended for better clearance, comfort and stability over rough terrain.

A 10-piece bodykit that includes wheel arch extensions completes the exterior makeover.

The company was founded in 1990 as Toyota’s special vehicles division. It is now an official Toyota partner in various parts of the world, and the AT37 will be available through some Toyota dealerships.

In Singapore, the Prado is available only through parallel importers.