Shifting in 9th Gear

Dear friends and readers,

I believe this is the first time I am writing something that doesn't directly concern cars, but Gordini's Pit Stop is going to undergo some changes.

After six months of hard but oh-so-enjoyable work bringing this blog to life, my skills have caught the attention of a car magazine, and I am now moving to be the Assistant Editor of 9tro and BLACK magazine.

Fear not though, even if most of my write ups will be published in print, I will still find time and events to fuel these pages, although at a lower rate.

I also wanted to thank all of you that I know and that I don't know for your support during all these months, and I will now move up in the Automotive Media World to continue bringing you the best I can about our common passion.

See you soon in print!

Ben

Mid-May Mini Meetup with M Commodities

The mid-may Mini meetup was somewhat different from the usual car meetup as this time M Commodities decided to step in the organization of the gathering and treat the Mini Club of Singapore with a special dinner at the Seafood International Market & Restaurant at East Coast to kick off the beginning of the import of a new range of exhausts.

M Commodities is a company catering for aftermarket needs of conti brands, but with a special dedication to Mini, as it is one of the main provider for Original Factory Mini and JCW parts in Singapore and Malaysia

With they own dedicated zone in the carpark in front of the restaurant, a selection of 14 Minis made it down, bringing together people from all walk of life whose definition of a good car includes fun, go-kart handling and pocket size. The colorful gathering featured all types of modifications, from sane, stock Coopers to insanely but tastefully enhanced pocket monsters, and all the degrees of dementia in-between.

When the stomachs began to rumble as loud as modified exhausts, the small crowd was ushered to the Seafood International M&R's specially reserved dining room, where everybody enjoyed a tasty seafood dinner, during which M Commodities revealed the reason behind their sponsorship of this meetup. 

M Commodities is now bringing in Innotech Performance Exhausts. These aftermarket exhausts can be fitted on a wide range of continental cars including, of course, Mini, but also Mercedes, BMW, Porsche, Lamborghini and more European supercars (with an exception made for the GTR R35), have two very specific features that make them all the more interesting: the first is the F1 Valvetronic system, a remote activated bypass valve which helps freeing more power (power gains backed up by dyno testing) by allowing the exhaust gases to take a shorter way out of the piping, which leads to the second feature: a high-pitched exhaust note reminding of the F1 cars scream. These exhausts come in stainless steel or titanium and their design architecture is such that you could hang one in your living room as a decorative element, although that would be a total waste as it would be much better to keep it under your car, where its form meets its function. Then again, that's just my humble opinion.

For those of you who legality is an issue, M Commodities is has currently submitted the Innotech exhausts for LTA approval, so don’t hesitate and check out M Commodities for your high-pitch exhaust fix, MINI goodies and more!

Enjoy the gallery!

BMW Asia partners with Esplanade, a leading performance arts centre in Asia Pacific

 A partnership designed to drive creativity, innovation and excellence

Singapore - BMW Asia announced a strategic partnership with Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay, a melting pot of cultures in Singapore and the region.

BMW Asia understands that a magnificent performance results from innovation derived from passion and dynamism refined by elegant grace. Its new relationship with Esplanade has been forged through a mutual dedication to invoke excellence, creativity and innovation, among artists, aficionados and drivers alike. Through this sponsorship, BMW will be making a significant contribution to Esplanade’s efforts in presenting a diverse range of quality arts and cultural programmes for all to enjoy.

As an architectural icon in the heart of Singapore, and one of the world’s busiest performance arts centres, Esplanade is host to a rich annual calendar of arts programmes encompassing all genres from music to dance theatre and visual arts. Esplanade stands at the forefront of efforts to promote the appreciation of the arts. BMW Asia’s relationship with Esplanade was forged when it came on board as the Principal Sponsor for the acclaimed Berliner Philharmoniker’s performances under Esplanade’s Classics programme series in November 2010.

In 2011, BMW Group celebrated 40 years of international commitment to culture. Modern & contemporary design, art, and performance share many similar characteristics with every BMW automobile and the heritage and passion behind the brand. The true beauty in every great work of art is its ability to inspire, create and spread pure joy - this is exactly what every BMW vehicle has been designed to deliver.

As part of this collaboration, selected spaces at Esplanade will function as exclusive venues for discerning BMW clientele as it hosts special events over the year. Visitors and motoring enthusiasts alike can also look forward to exciting BMW automobile showcases starting from 1 July 2011.

“BMW has a long standing commitment to the arts, and is excited to work closely with Esplanade in the coming year,” said Lito German, Marketing Director of BMW Asia. “This unique partnership reinforces BMW’s global commitment to cultural institutions and provides art aficionados and visitors with the opportunity to experience some of the best cultural and art performances from across the world. It will also enable us to reach out to a niche group of target consumers with an appreciation for the finer things in life”.

Commented Mr Benson Puah, CEO, The Esplanade Co. Ltd, “We are happy to have on board with us as an Esplanade Partner, BMW Asia, who shares with us the values of creativity, innovation and above all, excellence. While BMW exemplifies their dedication to these values through its premium automobiles, its partnership with Esplanade supports us in doing the same through the arts, allowing us to inspire even more lives through quality programmes.”

Welcoming over 7 million visitors, with more than 2,700 performances presented there last year, Esplanade hosts some of the most renowned artists and enthusiastic visitors from all over the world. Through the partnership, BMW Asia will be associated with leading arts programmes and performances presented at the centre spanning different genres including the da:ns series presentation of Memoires d’Oubliettes and Sehnsucht, a double-bill by the Nederlands Dans Theater I on 8 and 9 July 2011, as well as American indie rock band, The National and fellow-American trumpeter Chris Botti’s performances under the Mosaic Series later this year.

For four decades, the BMW Group has initiated and engaged in more than 100 cultural cooperations worldwide. The company places the main focus of its long-term commitment on modern and contemporary art, jazz and classical music as well as architecture and design. Within the arts the BMW Group is involved in long-term collaborations with cultural institutions and artists around the world, including projects such as the new BMW Guggenheim Lab, the Preis der Nationalgalerie für Junge Kunst and the Art Cars.

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.