Refreshed Honda Civic Type R to arrive here in April
Honda kicks off the new year with a first look at the updated 2020 Civic Type R. The high-performance hatchback, however, appears almost identical to the car Honda unveiled two years ago.
The tweaked car was shown at the Tokyo Auto Salon last weekend. Other than the additional elements on its front bumper assembly, it is hard to make out what other changes there are. The car is slated to arrive in Singapore in April.
Lamborghini sold 8,205 cars last year
Lamborghini worldwide sales grew by 43 per cent to hit an all-time high of 8,205 units last year.
More than half (4,962) were Urus sport utility vehicles. The Audi-owned Italian brand delivered 1,104 Aventadors and 2,139 Huracans.
Bentley Mulsanne bids farewell with special edition
Bentley's Mulsanne is coming to the end of its life. The Volkswagen-owned British marque is releasing a special edition of 30 cars to sign off the super saloon.
Called the 6.75 Edition by Mulliner, it is supposedly inspired by the 6¾-litre engine - the longest-serving V8 in continuous production in the world.
The Flying Spur will replace the Mulsanne as Bentley flagship. The Crewe-based make will offer hybrid options for all models by 2023. Its Bentayga sport utility vehicle is already available with this option.
Nissan unveils lightweight sound insulator
Nissan has come up with a new lightweight sound insulation material. Called acoustic meta-material, it is a combination of a lattice structure and plastic film, which controls air vibrations to limit the transmission of wide frequency band noises, such as road and engine noises.
Currently, most materials used to isolate this frequency band consist mainly of heavy rubber board. Nissan's new solution weighs one-fourth as much as these, while providing the same degree of sound isolation.
Chevron Singapore awarded BCA Green Mark Platinum certificate
Chevron Singapore, which operates the retail brand Caltex, has launched the industry's first petrol station to be awarded a BCA Green Mark Platinum (Super Low Energy) certificate - one of the highest sustainable building accolades by the Building and Construction Authority.
Located in Jurong West Avenue 1, the station harnesses solar energy and features greater efficiency in water resources management. To clinch the BCA award, buildings need to achieve at least 60 per cent energy savings by adopting energy-efficient measures and on-site renewable energy. The station's rooftop solar panels provide 45 per cent of the building's energy needs.
Subaru, Nissan cars affected by latest Takata recall
Takata has issued another recall of more than 10 million airbag inflators installed in cars across 14 makes in the United States. Ford, Honda, Fiat-Chrysler and Mazda have already announced recalls to replace the fault, which could result in occupants being injured or killed by metal bits when an airbag deploys, according to the Associated Press.
This latest recall follows several others related to faulty Takata airbags since 2010. In all, it has affected 70 million vehicles in the US and many more worldwide. At least 25 people have been killed worldwide and hundreds injured by Takata inflators.
Subaru and Nissan are the latest to issue recalls related to this latest wave. They affect some 500,000 Subaru and 300,000 Nissan cars.
Singapore Motorshow visitor figures drop
The Singapore Motorshow, which ended on Jan 12, was the largest to date. But the number of visitors it attracted has dipped to some 52,000 - from 56,000 last year. This is despite valiant attempts by several brands, including Subaru, to whip up interest.
Christopher Tan
