Torque magazine's 25th anniversary: On the move for 25 hours

Car magazine Torque stages marathon event to mark 25th anniversary

The 25-hour Torque On The Move treasure hunt had 160 participants in 80 cars.
The 25-hour Torque On The Move treasure hunt had 160 participants in 80 cars. PHOTO: KELVIN YAN

What can a motoring magazine do these days to mark a quarter century in the publishing business?

The editors at Torque, Singapore's oldest paid-subscription motoring publication, thought: "How about a 25-hour treasure hunt?"

And that was exactly what the SPH Magazines title did: stage a 25-hour Torque On The Move. One hundred and sixty participants in 80 cars signed up - one of the biggest turnouts in the six-year history of the annual event.

Mr David Ting, editor of Torque, said: "Our title's signature event scaled new performance heights this year with the supersized 25-hour edition.

"It's a great way to mark the 25-year milestone of Torque."

It started at 8pm on Aug 28, with participants given 25 Torque Bonus Challenges on social media. The 80 teams checked in at 10am the next day at SPH Media Centre in Genting Lane, where they were flagged off to find the five compulsory Torque Junctions and try to score more points.

For instance, they had to memorise 15 watch functions and recite them within 25 seconds. This took place at the Tissot shop in Marina Square.

In the Hyundai Challenge, teams had to name eight features of the Hyundai Sonata within 21/2 minutes. They had to pick the correct features from the decals that were pasted on the car in the Hyundai showroom.

After 25 hours, the event concluded with the three topscoring teams on the winners' podium. The second runner-up was Team 32, with Mr Benjamin Yap and Mr Jared Lim, while the runner-up was Team 29, with Ms Ho Yizheng and Ms Olivia Cheong.

Team 3, with Mr Justin Mai and Mr Rayson Yim, clinched the top spot. They won a pair of Tissot T-Race MotoGP watches, a set of Goodyear Assurance TripleMax tyres, a driving-simulator party at KTI GP Centre for 16 people and a week-long drive in a selected Hyundai passenger car.

In all, the top prize was worth $9,000.

Mr Mai, 24, an undergraduate, said: "The event was enjoyable and well planned. The Torque Junction clues were challenging and it was great fun."

Torque consulting editor and The Straits Times senior correspondent Christopher Tan said the event "literally took the Torque brand on the road" to engage readers beyond the pages of the magazine.

Ms Pang Lee Cheng, general manager in the Men's & Special Interest division of SPH Magazines, said: "Since its debut in 2010, Torque On The Move has brought our staff, readers and advertisers together in a yearly automotive telematch that is unique, exciting and memorable."

Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.

A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on September 05, 2015, with the headline Torque magazine's 25th anniversary: On the move for 25 hours. Subscribe