10th Man Made wonder of the World

Billboard Chart Toppers

Performance car ownership can be a tricky affair. When people splash the cash on their desired automobile, it doesn’t really have to make much sense. We jolly well know that the financial pressure and burden does not necessarily equate to the level of thought when putting pen to paper on the dotted line. The salesman will deliver his usual sales pitch. Your other half will wonder how your latest acquisition will affect her shopping habits. Some friends will challenge your buying decision. But what element of the car causes the dissolving of inertia and external factors, and is so enticing that shuts the outside world, leaving only you to know why you made that purchase?

I’ve narrowed down two reasons for acquiring a performance machine. Aesthetically pleasing cars will definitely favor the hearts of many, and your social circle will be expanded, no matter how sorry this truth will be. You walk in the showroom, zoom in on a car that you’ve been researching on YouTube for weeks, and request for a test drive. But how many times have you stepped out of the car feeling unimpressed? It ticks all the right areas in terms of driving involvement. It steers well and responds to your input, but does the engine note match up to how it looks and feel? In my opinion, that’s the key. They might not know what made them purchase it, but at the back of their minds, it could very possibly be the soundtrack that was responsible for the increase in pulse rate during the stingy 10-minute drive.

Does engine size really matter? Some might argue that more cylinders attached under your bonnet equate to microphones of better quality, but I beg to differ. Engines with Vee configurations will emit a rumbling effect, but too many cylinders responsible for the bark will disrupt the rhythm. The R8 V10, with her stylish dual rear pipes, could never sing as well as her younger sister with smaller lungs. The V8 variant’s oral expression seems more purposeful, with the quad setup revealing a voice that seems like it was pitched a few notches higher than the chart topping AMG V8 album, and this is by no means a bad thing. Remove 2 speakers and we are in the familiar V6 category. The MkV R32’s bent 6 will always remain as my perennial hero, but I wouldn’t ignore the S4’s hyperactive supercharged 6-potter. The way it hides the grumpy supercharger whine behind the glorious engine note is definitely worthy of Houdini’s attention, and now we wonder how the VAG family prepares such sweet sounding cars.

Compress the cartons and I will be analyzing straight and flat six 6 configurations. 2 manufacturers come straight to our mind. The BMW brand, responsible for the M Division, has been synonymous with creating cars that darts round corners like ballerinas, and never associated with adrenaline stirring engine notes when compared to equally illustrious Germans. The E46 M3’s 6 on part throttle sounds cagey, but when exhaust flaps free up and air flows into the pipes under full pressure, we will be greeted with a resonance that is unique only to straight 6 engines. On another "note", Porsche's flat 6 might be named this way, but sounding "flat" has never been in the Stuttgart automaker's dictionary. Porsche’s GT3 RS’s scream is the closest thing to a racecar that we can hear on our roads. I’ve been seeing a couple roaming around town, and the manual gearbox certainly adds to the sensation, when drivers tend to drag the 2^nd gear during gradual right handers, while passersby stand rooted to the ground and stare intently in awe. It’s this sort of sound that make us Singaporeans wish for an extension to the Marina Bay F1 Street Circuit contract, due to expire next year.

These cars sound brilliant, but in reality, people still buy them based purely on looks, and realize only after a few months that they were actually acquiring a piece of art with branded speakers to match. Why not make a more informed decision before giving yourself the green light? Please do not let your eyes do all the talking. Don’t forget to prompt your ears to listen, and guide your heart to go with what your hearing senses tell you to, and this will definitely add up to the value of performance car ownership. =)

S-line modifications

Equipment laden German hauler

Managed to snap a few shots of a friend's "Meteor Grey" Audi S4.
This 335i-rivaling family saloon is certainly no slouch, with a beefy reworked engine that can cause boy-racers to think twice about late night traffic light sprints with this wolf in sheep's clothing.
















Emblem placed at the side reminds onlookers of its massive heart under the bulbous hood.
















A 333bhp supercharged V6 hurls the 4dr saloon to 60mph in a staggering 4.9 seconds.
















Neatly assembled engine bay, with engineers doing it in typical German fashion.
















Subtle S4 badges differentiate itself from the B8 A4.
















Potential customers are usually swayed by Audi's superb cabin quality.
















Steering mounted scrolls for the MMI are easy to handle and extremely tactile.
















When it comes to interior styling, no other manufacturer come close to Audi.



















Red is the colour of choice when it comes to enhancing the aesthetics of sporty automobiles.
















Pirelli P7 was chosen as the S4's stock tires, and they should complement Audi's rear-wheel biased Quattro all wheel drive system to perfection. This car is all about immense grip round sweeping corners.
















Nicely bolstered seats ensures that driver and passenger remain confidently tucked in during spirited runs.

Battle of the compact executives

Mercedes unveils the face lifted C class to keep up to date with the sleek 3 Series and luxurious A4.

I'd still have the Beemer. Who needs an infotainment system when you can enjoy B roads with direct steering, RWD and 50-50 weight balance.

650hp against the rest

Enzo Ferrari doesn't need to worry.

Pardon my extremely late post on my moth long trip to Suzhou and Shanghai in June.

Car spotting add vibrancy to any trip as always.

No overly impressive sightings but some interesting ones might catch your attention.

Enjoy! =)
















Cutesy car found on day 1
















Yes this has no relevance but I need Ken Block to spur me on in times on boredom
















Spent 5 hours traveling westwards in a Grand Voyager. Very impressed with its passenger pleasing abilities. Thumbs up.
















Tinge of Italian flair for you, Sir?
















I don't think the Chinese find the name Jetta appealing.
















4s getting drenched.
















No clue what it meant but it caught my eye!
























German invasion on Chinese soil.
















Mini peekaboo

















Plenty of A6 in China, mostly driven by chauffeurs.
















2.0 Roc without identity
















This 7 shouts "get out of my way!"





















Gas guzzler testing her cornering abilities.























Plenty of Touran cabbies mainly for the Shanghai Expo.
















She's loud. Nuff said.

















Sitting pretty right smack on a street in CBD.
















5 Series GT crossover. Trying hard to fit into a niche market?
















Italy's pride? Maranello would beg to differ.















Last but not least, a car close to my heart. =)

After a month long hiatus from car blogging, I should have plenty of info to share.

Flashy cars in China aren't in abundance as compared to Singapore but there's still a handful of Supercars roaming Shanghai's business and shopping district.

I will touch on car sightings in the near future but I would love to share a video by the Russian VAG society named"VAGBURG". They produce awesome videos with stunning automobile content to match.

Have a look at their VAG festival held this year.

Enjoy! Nice music too.

VWFestival 2010 Russia | www.vagburg.ru from VAGBURG on Vimeo.

Plenty of Golfs from the Iconic mk 1 to the latest mk 6.

Very impressed with the tastefully modded mkIVs.

VAGburg gathering in Russia

Massive car gathering in Russia featuring VW, Audi, Porsche, Saab and many more from the VW group.

Cars range from the iconic mk1 Golf to the R8 Supercar.

Stylish deep dish rims, customized paint jobs, flushed rides and pimped up engine bays were ever present.

Take note of the electronically controlled toy mk5 Golf at 1:27. =)

VWFestival 2010 Russia | www.vagburg.ru from VAGBURG on Vimeo.

An immense amount of effort must have been put in to organize such a well planned event.

A Rainy Sunday

Had nothing to do so on a lazy Sunday so went down to join the rest at Kallang.

Headed down to Changi New Water Plant for some rolling shots and then convoyed to T3 for another photoshoot.


Lining up for moving shots.


Helpful Ahmad organising the photoshoot. Finding a safe way to lean on this sexy spanking new A5 Sportback.



Shawn's custom blue 3dr GTI. A Golf Can't look much better than this.



Apokolip's GTI with Milltek turboback exhaust, 18" Advan RS, Porsche bbk, Oettinger air intake and countless more.



A5 3.0 TDI: the Torque Monster.



Nice road for learners.



Shawn's bucket ensures that he watch his diet.

Thank you Ahmad for organising this Photoshoot.

Do view the rest of the pictures in the Photo Album below.

16 May VAG Photoshoot