Volvo S80 T4

After my surprising episode with the Volvo V60, I should have expected the S80 to be yet another surprising car, but as I took delivery of it at the dealership on Alexandra Road, the classic squarish Volvo lines crippled my enthusiasm, and even with a beige leather interior that made the car feel bigger and more welcoming, I  couldn't shake my eyes off of the dull-looking rectangular air vents

and the unexciting centre console. Gone was the driver oriented, clear and welcoming centre console design that I found so nice on the V60, taking the pleasant aluminum designs that ran along the interior of the doors along with it. The S80 set right away a very different mood, a more classic corporate atmosphere that brings it to the same playground as the Renault Latitude, with the exception that this car offers you a COE category B architecture for a Category A price thanks to its smaller 1.6L turbocharged power plant. With the actual skyrocketing COE prices, that's a whopping $20K in savings.

This being the entry price version of the S80, the car doesn't feature certain elements such as the dual-zone air conditioning (which, in my opinion is no big loss as I always found this option highly overrated), GPS, and the steering does not have any gradual speed assist to make the steering more manageable at high speeds. Luckily, the Volvo is still equipped with auxiliary line in and USB port to have the sound system entertain your ears with your own playlists during the ride. In this case, the S80 is equipped with the same steering-wheel control system as the V60 which makes browsing your songs easy and intuitive. One thing I like about Volvos is the two de-cluttered control handles that sit behind the wheel and fit comfortably in your fingers for easy operation. The S80's steering wheel is quite chunky and quite comfortable as it fits snugly in your hands. For man's hands, that is as I fear it might not be as comfortable for smaller ladies' hands.
Aside from that, the Volvo's interior lives up to the expectations of a vehicle of this class, offering ample leg room in the rear, comfortable seats and a deep boot that can engulf 480 litres of luggage.

I then woke up the small engine with the start/stop button and slowly drove out the big frame of the S80 to the first traffic light in search of something exciting to set my eyes on in the car, but nothing managed to grab my sliding stare, and the S80 was definitely heading to the "dull" corner of my classification. Until the light turned green and I stepped on the gas. And Volvo's magic kicked in: the S80 suddenly came alive and surged forward with a tiny tyre screech, leaving the other cars to shrink in the rear view mirrors, and I wasn't even hitting the metal!

The T4 engine sitting under the hood is kept in the same tune as the V60, with the turbo spooling up slightly after idle, at around 1,500-2,000rpm, unexpectedly kicking the car forward. Thanks to this and the T4's 180hp, the S80 becomes fun to drive and can surge forward easily to get you out of spiky situations. As dull as its looks might be, what saves the S80 is the drive which will make you smirk as you set out in your wolf in sheep's clothing. In addition to the fun engine, the chassis and suspension give a very smooth ride that will confuse you into believing you are driving at 50kph when the speedo shows 90kph. As fun as the kick in the ass the S80 delivers is, it sometimes gets a bit tricky when trying to drive smoothly, making low-speed operation of the car a bit jerky.

High-speed cruising is a game the S80 excels at and only the unassisted steering mentioned earlier will make you lift your foot as the car tends to get twitchy when going fast. As much as the suspension does an amazingly good job at soaking up the road's irregularities, it also satisfies by not giving a soft, sickening handling when hitting the B-roads.

On the twisties, it's the tyres, struggling under the weight of the car, that will limit your pace. Hopefully, both the squealing rubber and the chassis' behavior will warn you before the Volvo suffers from understeer and the electronics have to kick in to save the day.

Although the S80 is more of a cruiser thanks to its capacity to smoothen any road it drives on, the life that inhabits the car is such that, after driving it for a little while, it will lead you to take the fun way home, and if it wasn't for the dull looks, the Volvo would be a winner in most categories. The great work done by the T4 engine propels the heavy frame so well that the more expensive 2.0L turbocharged engine offer becomes less attractive, especially for Singapore roads and the current ridiculously high COE prices; so if you are ready to overlook the unexciting lines, this car will satisfy you. If you are looking for an inconspicuous-looking ride that doesn't make your banker put a reward on your head yet deliver enough performance to stand out of the crowd, the S80 T4 will definitely be your best bet.

Singapore: Sales of Infiniti range to start 4th quarter of 2011

Wearnes Automotive, Infiniti’s Singapore dealer, will commence sales of the initial Infiniti range which includes the luxury performance sedan M37, the stylish G37 sports convertible and the highly distinctive FX37 & 50 sport crossover in Q4 2011. Wearnes Automotive will start taking pre-launch bookings from 1 July 2011.

As the newest premium automotive brand in Singapore, Infiniti offers a stunning range of truly dynamic vehicles. In a matured automotive market with a strong demand for premium cars, Infiniti will deliver a unique proposition of vehicles with distinctive design, high performance drivability and progressive luxury.

Toru Saito, Corporate Vice President and Leader of Infiniti Business Unit said, “Infiniti has appointed Wearnes Automotive as the official dealer in Singapore. Leveraging on their rich expertise in managing premium automotive brands, we are confident that Infiniti will be well represented in Singapore. This is an important step to underline Infiniti’s growing focus on South East Asia. We are confident that Infiniti will bring a fresh, new luxury alternative to satisfy the high expectations of Singaporean customers, offering inspired performance and attentive customer quality care and hospitality. Infiniti is not about doing what everyone else is doing. It is not about copying traditional, conservative notions of luxury. We will not try to be all things to all people but everything to some people. “ Andre Roy, Group Managing Director, Wearnes Automotive, adds, “Infiniti was established in North America more than 20 years ago. We are pleased that right-hand drive Infiniti cars are now available. We look forward to launch the new model line-up which offers consumers stylish choices befitting their needs and lifestyles. Combining strong design cues and the highly regarded VQ37 engine, Infiniti vehicles will provide customers with excellent handling and an exhilarating driving experience.”

Works are underway to create the Singapore Infiniti Centre, which will feature a unique 11-metre tall illuminated exterior façade that will become the beacon of Singapore’s premier automotive belt. Located at 45 Leng Kee Road, alongside other premium marques established by Wearnes Automotive, the Singapore Infiniti Centre will be a one-stop destination, fully integrating the sales, service and parts departments. The interior of the Singapore Infiniti Centre will be reminiscent of a boutique hotel, with avant-garde art pieces, bespoke furnishing and a fresh and inviting ambience. The centre is expected to be officially opened in last quarter 2011.

The recent appointment of Formula One World Champion Sebastian Vettel as Infiniti’s first ever Global Brand Ambassador further reinforces the team’s passion and dedication for performance. The first customers to book an Infiniti will be treated to a once-in-a-lifetime Red Bull Racing Team Paddock experience at the 2011 Formula 1 SingTel Singapore Grand Prix. Customers will get to feel the pulse of the race with an exclusive VIP tour of the Red Bull Racing Team garage, as well as get to meet the Red Bull Racing team while indulging in an evening of first-class cuisine.

All interested parties can register their interest at www.infiniti-singapore.com to receive priority updates and pricing information. Alternately, they can call our Infiniti Brand Ambassadors at +65 6378 2623 or email infiniti.sales@wearnes.com to find out more.

McLaren MP4-12C Launch

In 1992, the automotive world was rocked by what is even today seen as one of the very best car in history: the McLaren F1. This supercar, which earned in 1998 the title of the fastest production car on Earth, kept breaking barriers, and some even said that it was unlikely for a faster and better car to ever be built.

Nineteen years later, McLaren Automotive is launching their new weapon: the MP4-12C.

The second of June 2011 was a day that I had underlined, circled and highlighted on my agenda as a date not to be missed, as it was going to be my first encounter with a car that, if it could keep up with its predecessor, would spark a revolution in the industry.

Entering the Red Dot Design Museum, banners stating the special attention to technical details that the MP4-12C has enjoyed during her long four years development were teasingly placed along the way to the veiled car. 

More than just the unveiling of a car, this event showcased the laborious and precise development the McLaren had gone through, showcasing the car in the bone with a stripped chassis, dressed simply with the wheels, a steering wheel, driver side bucket seat and the gem of an engine that is McLaren's very own twin turbo V8 that boasts 592bhp @ 7,000rpm and a mind-blowing 600Nm of torque between 3,000 and 7,000rpm, which has the 1,434kg MP4-12C beat the 0-100kph in 3.3 seconds on the standard Pirelli PZero's. 

Seeing the bare chassis is the best way to enjoy the high-tech yet so simple-looking chassis that grows around the carbon fiber MonoCell "tub" that protects the driver and passenger, but also the low-positioned engine that helps keeping the centre of gravity as low as possible.

Developing such a supercar surely is the most important part of the lifetime of the project, but selling it is also paramount to its survival, thus the launch room was also equipped with two computer stations where future owners could design their personalized MP4-12C, from the body color to the high-performance, carbon-fiber goodies and interior upholstery (the black interior with red seats and console is just wicked!).

The attention was then called to the veiled car, and everybody quickly gathered to listen to Mr. Ian Gorsuch, Regional Director of McLaren Automotive, for a bit of history about McLaren Automotive and how the new MP4-12C came to be, followed by Mr. Andre Roy, Group Managing Director of Wearnes Automotive, who shared the history of the partnership between the two companies. 

A video of the test drive that was conducted by Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button for the final stages of development was then shared with us, and upon seeing the two F1 drivers leave at the wheel of the MP4-12C's, everybody turned to see the veil being lifted, and the stunning lava orange beauty revealed her lines.

Personally I am not fond of the color orange, but I think that this metallic, almost iridescent paint that plays with the design cues of the car with tones of light, almost yellow highlights, to dark, burnt orange depths, making the car look alive and revealing all those little body details that would otherwise go unnoticed. And these are important, as this car is all about details; although it may not be the most stunning looker around, the MP4-12C, just like the F1, is a car that mostly values function over form (with the exception of the signature gullwing doors, which are just pure cosmetic porn).
Note that special attention seems to have been given to design the rear, with the blacked-out LED lights and the twin exhaust, which is understandable when considering that the rear is the part of the car any contender is ultimately going to end up seeing, very probably disappearing on the horizon.

Among the notable functional details are the rear spoiler, that doubles as an air brake by tilting 90° and gives a much more efficient and stable breaking by preventing the car to pitch to the front during heavy breaking. The side air-intakes are also purely functional: they have been specially engineered to feed the most air to the radiators of the mid-engined McLaren, and when the designers asked to modify them for aesthetic purposes, they were shot back by the engineering crew that no alterations would be considered as it would compromise the engine cooling performance. The design was thus kept this way, and it now allows for the MP4-12C to be thrashed under the United Arabic Emirates' hard sun and then immediately stopped and left under the sun without respecting any cooling time without any damage done to the engine.

Surprisingly, the McLaren comes equipped with normal cast-iron brake discs and not the expected ceramic composite high-performance package (which is available in option). The reason behind this is that McLaren managed to develop cast-iron discs that are lighter than their ceramic counterparts all the while providing a highly efficient and trustful braking experience.

Mr. Denis Lian, the Motorsports Manager at Wearnes Automotives shared that, after driving this car and with his racing driver's experience, the McLaren lives up to expectations and even exceeds them, greatly out-weighting any other contender in the market. The MP4-12C provides physically impossible performance thanks to its electronic assists that stay discreet enough to give the driver a true mechanical feedback and an outstanding steering feel. “You drive it in a corner at speeds that are much too high for any physics to manage and when you expect to get all the under-steering you can handle the nose dives in the corner and beats physics to clip the apex without losing grip,” states Denis. This is all thanks to McLaren’s Brake Steer which works the same way as a torque-vectoring differential, but is 20kgs lighter.

Thanks to this and an army of very high-tech yet discreet features, the MP4-12C’s drive is so good it’s considered as cheating, but honestly, isn’t what evolution is all about?

Special thanks to the teams at Wearnes Automotive and at SPRG!