Fast Lane: Mass delivery for Kia Cerato early birds

Kia Cerato PHOTO: CYCLE & CARRIAGE
Aston Martin DBS Superleggera PHOTO: ASTON MARTIN
Golf GTI TCR PHOTO: VOLKSWAGEN

Mass delivery for Kia Cerato early birds

Eighty motorists who were first to book the new Kia Cerato took ownership of their cars at a mass delivery event (above) at Sands Expo & Convention Centre on Thursday. They were among 700 buyers who indicated interest even before the latest Cerato was officially launched this month.


Driving 70,000km without fuel

In March 2016, Dutch explorer Wiebe Wakker left Amsterdam in an electric car for the other side of the world. After crossing 33 countries and driving 70,000km without visiting a single fuel station, he reached one of the world's most isolated cities - Darwin in northern Australia. His crowdfunded journey across Europe, the Middle East, India and South-east Asia took 827 days.


Aston Martin DBS Superleggera here

The new Aston Martin DBS Superleggera is on display at Wearnes' showroom till Thursday.

Wearnes says the first customer delivery is expected before the end of the year.

Priced from $1.25 million before COE and options, the new model is a carbon-fibre two-door powered by a 5.2-litre twin-turbo V12.


Volvo pushes more torque to rear

Volvo Cars has introduced a software upgrade that increases torque distribution to the rear wheels of Volvo cars equipped with all-wheel-drive.

The optimisation, developed by Volvo Car Group's new electric performance brand, Polestar, increases the amount and frequency of torque going to the rear wheels, improving steering with enhanced turn-in, better control and engagement when cornering, and improved traction when pulling away, delivering a more engaging drive. Volvo does not say how much torque the upgrade sends to the rear axle, though.


AA's health plan

The Automobile Association (AA) of Singapore is rolling out a health plan for members. Its GetDocPlus has a panel of more than 200 medical providers, doctors, dentists, traditional Chinese medicine practitioners and allied health professionals. With an annual subscription of $12, members will get discounts at selected clinics. Specialist consultation can be up to 15 per cent cheaper, it adds.


Call for Lexus Design Award entries

Lexus is calling for entries for its Lexus Design Award 2019. Since its launch in 2013, the global competition has served as a platform for emerging designers whose work can lead to a better future.

The annual event attracts thousands of upcoming creative talent from around the world. The theme for 2019 is Design For A Better Tomorrow.

Six finalists will be announced early next year. Their work will be developed into functional prototypes, with a total production budget of up to 3 million yen (S$37,260).

The prototypes will be displayed at Milan Design Week 2019, where they will compete for the Lexus Design Award Grand Prix prize.


Deloitte to work on global mobility

Auditing and consulting firm Deloitte has launched a Future of Mobility global solution centre to develop new solutions and assets for the global mobility ecosystem.

In collaboration with the Singapore Economic Development Board, Deloitte will invest in the centre over the coming year.

Based in Singapore, the centre will design and develop proofs of concept, prototypes, eminence and solutions that will generate value to clients in the region and around the globe.

The initial focus will be on three primary areas: electric vehicle analytics, insurance implications and mobility management solutions.


Electrifying Golf GTI

It was all over after exactly 7:57.148 minutes. With Romain Dumas at the wheel, an electric Volkswagen ID R Pikes Peak crossed the finish line in the world's most famous hill climb.

The 19.99km record-breaking sprint in June was, however, preceded by six months of preparation and 4,000km of testing, including in a Golf GTI TCR converted to run on an electric drive system with around 400kW.

This reinforces VW's ambition to roll out a battery-powered GTI in the near future, although it is unlikely to have 400kW.


Security clearance for Elon Musk's Arab deal?

Mr Elon Musk will likely need clearance from United States national security officials for any proposal to take Tesla Inc private with financing from Saudi Arabia.

Bloomberg reported that the deal, if it becomes a reality, would be among the first to be reviewed by US officials since President Donald Trump signed legislation this week that expands the government's authority to investigate and potentially block foreign takeovers of domestic companies.

A review by a panel led by the Treasury Department would complicate Mr Musk's bombshell proposal last week to take Tesla off the stock market. The announcement has already drawn scrutiny by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Mr Musk revealed in a blog post on Monday that Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund first approached him early last year about taking Tesla private.

Tesla's share price fell after a report on Wednesday said the SEC had sent a subpoena to the electric carmaker regarding his claims.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on August 18, 2018, with the headline Fast Lane: Mass delivery for Kia Cerato early birds. Subscribe