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By Iceland, I mean Reykjavik, the Golden Circle route and the like.

Driven In 140 Char: 2014 Honda Odyssey 2.4 EXV-S (CVT) ‘Driven In 140 Char’ delivers itemized driving impression in (more or less) 140 English alphabet characters (just like Twitter!). It proffers of an alternative to run-the-gamut mainstream with a no-holds-barred altitude and drivel perspective. Fast action drivers will love the quickie read. So, seat back. Pop the soda. Chill. Enjoy the ride. Driven on 15 April, 2014 What is it? Fresh minted off factory floor, this is Honda’s popular MPV nameplate in its fifth outing and the first with sliding rear doors. Underpinning Be assured you aren’t catching a rerun because the fifth-generation Japanese-built Odyssey rides on a brand new ‘ultra-low-floor’ platform. Ride & Handling A softly-sprung and quiet chassis (but it will fidget on broken surface) cradles Baby to a smoothing doze. Plus, speedy thrills around bends wouldn't interrupt Little Snoozing One as the Odyssey exhibits good body control. NVH It’s polished, comfortable and quiet riding just as sweet vibes from Honda’s Earth Dreams are enough to delight a keen driver even as the wife engrosses herself in Odyssey EXV-S’s parody OSIM chairs. Powertrain Honda has built a drone-less simulated 7-speed CVT tranny. It’s found on the Odyssey. And they have thrown in a pair of steering rim-mounted paddle-shifters for good measure. Cabin Dash: Level of quality inside the EXV-S is nearly up there with European offerings of its class. The high set dash cowl fools driver into thinking he’s behind the wheel of an Accord. Driving position and ergonomics are impeccable; wood-effect plastic trim is ACCEPTABLE! Controls: Center stack’s touch sensitive controls duplicate smartphone experience; powered driver seat takes chore out of car-sharing with spouse. Odyssey’s spacious third row seats are fiddly to stow. Space: With one-touch electric dual sliding rear doors, 7 seats and kiddo-friendly ingress and egress why bother in a full-size Toyota Alphard? Walk-through flat floor is the clincher for the EXV-S. Design Honda’s in-your-face concept car bling nose job (embellished with OTT chromeworks on range-topper EXV-S) is let down by Odyssey’s prosaic and frumpy body style all the way round the back. Why, Honda?! Bottom Line Not everyone routinely agree on Nina Davuluri. Which is why the new-for-2014 Odyssey EXV-S is, in my opinion, Singapore’s best mid-size people carrier of the year. What's in store Price: $198,900 (as tested), Power: 174hp, Torque: 225Nm, 0-100: 11.5s, Kerb weight: 1,855kg, Fuel economy: 12.7km/l, CO2 emission: 187g/km Gallery

Recently I came across another one of these mad videos where this particular owner posts videos of him doing gravel rallying, burnouts, drifts and the likes. Pretty mad stuff in my opinion. Makes me wonder why one would do that to their cars. Maybe the owner is sick of the cars? Or perhaps he is sick of people commenting that supercar owners can’t drive? On another note, you have owners who don’t even drive their cars (think of the collectors). I was recently at this local club and there was a string of nice assorted supercars parked nearby. I couldn’t help but to stop and digest what was in front of me. But that lasted only for a good three seconds because I thought it would be brilliant if these cars were barrelling down our F1 street circuit instead. (On a side note, organisers, please let us have a go at the street circuit.) I can understand why owners do not want to trash their cars or even drive it often. It may hurt its value, see. But leaving it at home or driving it to the nearby pub/club and then back does not give these supercars much justice. These sexy cars aren’t meant to be furnitures, see. So my question to all readers out there: If you were rich enough to own a supercar, would you drive it or just admire it?

Hi, Anyone test-driven the Toyota-Corolla Altis 1.6 launched last weekend? Any comments please... Thanks

Started this poll mainly because i saw two different honda civic cutting lanes dangerously all in one single day. One along CTE, the other along Upper Paya Lebar Road. Both narrowly avoided accidents with the cars in front, one almost rear ended me... Not saying all honda civic drivers are the same, just so got two in a row on one single day. V-tec power eh? Hate the attitude of not signalling and cutting dangerously. How hard it is to push on the signal lever? Wait till they got cut and crushed by heavy vehicles without signaling then they know how it feels

Test drove the bmw active hybrid 5 earlier today. Set out below is my summary. First thing to note is that it is badged as "535" but the volume of the combustion engine is in fact 3.0 litres and it alone pushes out 306 horses. The electric power train, which is nicely tucked away behind the rear passenger seats, dishes out about another 30 horses. The total power output is therefore about 336 horses. Funny thing is that i did not feel as if i was in a car with 336 horses. The usual century acceleration, on paper 5.9s, did not feel quick. In fact, my existing bmw 330, with century sprint of about 7 s, feels faster (i understand of course it is a 3 series). It did not feel agile, but to be fair it was not lethargic either. Boot size was severely compromised because of the electric powertrian sitting right behind the rear passenger seats. The power train is fitted vertically, and this may be sensible than the horizontal mounting found in other hybrid cars. Anyhow, the restricted boot size means the ability to slot in a couple of golf bags requires some creativity. A full decent size luggage is not likely to fit in either. The steering wheel was slightly big for me, but this is because my existing car has a smaller steering and I might be unconsciously biased in this regard. Importantly, the steering response is not as great or engaging as the 328 I recently test drove. While I understand that 535 hybrid is skewed towards the luxury market, the fact is that other luxury cars of the same class seem to have a better steering response. Anyhow, it is not bad and a person with a 'can do' attitude should find it acceptable. But in comparison to the fuel version, the latter comes out tops. Throttle response was also surpringly not as good as the fuel version or even the current 328. This took out the 'active' in 'activehybrid', and made the car non exhilarating. I was of course driving on comfort mode but even then I would prefer something more lively and engaging. I felt bland while driving it. Needed to push the padel deeper to provoke an engaging response. Cabin was of superb quality, no different from the current 5s, but soundwise it was not quiet enough on the pull. I attributed this to the audio of the twin turbo doing their work. However, given the specific market bmw intends to serve, further insulation is welcome. Again, a 'bolek lah' attitude will dispense with this irritation. Suspension and shock absorbers did their jobs while going over humps, but surpringly kept silent when driven over manholes. I actually felt the manholes on my a**. It was rough and noisy, as if a minor explosion had taken place. Given that there are infinite awkwardly positioned manholes on our roads, this would pose a huge concern for someone who wants a truly smooth ride. I could hear 'cronk' each time I went over a man hole. The 328's ability to deal with this is on the other hand extremely superior. It went over humps and absorbed man holes and debris quite easily. Finally, the CO2 emission is greater than the fuel version and i have my doubts over whether mileage is any better. This is sufficient against a hybrid purchase; I would rather have the petrol version. Overall, I think its acceptable if one is not particular. For those who feel that paying a premium implies unencumbered satisfaction, the hybrid would not be an immediate choice. The fuel equivalent or even the current 3 series lineup may be more engaging and a better car overall. I came away with the impression that this car is more of a show case for bmw regarding its new "active hybrid" technology.

What top speed you ever driven outside S'pore safely ? 1) Top speed : ? km/hour 2) Which car model : ?

I drove my friend's ford Expedition LIMITED, (of course not in Singapore), extremely dream journey this is I have ever driven biggest car 5.7 L V8 SOHC Engine, 310 HP / 5100 rpm 6-Speed Manual Transmission Tyres: P275/55R 20 All Season 20

Smallest:--- Mine my sis's Viki 700cc... Really tiny. Many years ago. Cheapest:--- a 1000cc old passenger 7-seat van:- $6500... Still running today

zonda killer

The market-driven pricing approach taken by the government has contributed to cost in Singapore rising so rapidly, beyond the rate of growth of incomes of Singaporeans and beyond the rate of growth of company profits, Member of Parliament (MP) for the Ang Mo Kio GRC Inderjit Singh said on Tuesday. He noted that the government has often been quick to increase its various charges, allowing costs to escalate, immediately upon a recovery from an economic recession. 'Each time this happens, we bring the cost base higher without having an opportunity for cost reductions. This has led costs to unrealistically increase faster and more than profit and income growth,' Mr Singh said. An example was in 2008, when property prices rose despite the recession because of 'liberal policies on capital inflows'. 'While the government should not interfere in the private market except to curb speculation, it could have done a lot for the HDB market had it not pursued market driven pricing,' Mr Singh said. 'Also market driven pricing has created huge cost burdens and will potentially edge out many of our SMEs because of squeezed margins,' he added.

Apologies for the noob question, but as above, can anyone assist to clarify? Just need to be sure and not incur an unwarranted offence of driving without e-day license..Much appreciated.

I had the pleasure of driving one of these over the wkend, here are my impressions...., (& my own personal views, i'm not an authority of these matters, just an enthusiastic driver :P ) Read more here (cos its really long): http://www.bmw-sg.com/forums/member-rides-...35i-driven.html or http://garage36.blogspot.com/2010/08/drive...w-f10-535i.html

hi bros in the house....me recently bought a SIR and thinking of installing a cone filter (K&N)....but seen the filter on the website....there are actualli 2 types..(correct me if i am wrong).....one is short ram type...the other is CAI type....any bros (pros) can tell me which one beta???...IMO....the CAI is quite long and may extend until need the bottom of my car....is tt true???...me worry abt rain water...or water from the road leh....but some say it is beta as draws cold air....as for the ram type...its short and will rest in the engine bay...(neber seen both in civics...so dunno whether my dimension correct or not).....but the bad part is the ram type suck in hot air from the engine and thus affecting low end power...but gd thing is no worries of water from road or rain....will a heat shield actualli help for the short ram type???....anyone seen or have a SIR with a CAI type installed???....will it actually be tt long and extend till the bumper????pros??? bros???...englightenment???

BMW's current generation X5 has been with us for a number of years already since the tail-end of 2006. Early this year, BMW revised the X5 with some very subtle aesthetic enhancements, some less subtle tweaks under the skin and a new branding scheme. What used to be the BMW X5 3.0 is now the BMW X5 xDrive35i. Visually you'd be hard pressed to spot the difference. Some of these minute changes include a revised front bumper and airdam and a more pronounced front grille and bonnet treatment. Over to the back, the rear lamps, now come with two banks of LEDs. To be honest, it's really hard to tell the difference. The X6-alike front grille does give it a more masculine stance but overall, the X5 still retains its restrained look. Next to the slightly off-beat X6, the X5 cuts a more mature profile. It is this profile that allows the X5 to be a much more usable vehicle, interior room is fantastic, visibility is great and the double tail-gated rear hatch is a fantastic addition for those trips to Ikea or even for your puppy. Under the bonnet though is where the biggest change happens, nail the throttle and hear 306 horses come to life from its 3.0-liter in-line six-cylinder heart. With over 2 tonnes to shove about, you'd need some torque, 400Nm's of the good stuff is readily available just above idle (1200rpm), able to propel this luxury SUV from 0-100 in a scant 6.8 seconds. That's proper quick. A Porsche Cayenne in similar price range does the sprint in 8.5 seconds, or 7.5 if you prefer to do the shifting. If you style of driving is slightly less enthusiastic, the X5's 8-speed autobox allows for relaxed comfortable cruising down the expressways in top gear. Overtaking maneuvers are as easy as spotting a gap in traffic, applying more throttle and next thing you know, your ahead of everyone else. It really is effortless but if you require really really rapid progress, hit "Sport" mode, drop a couple of cogs and engage warp. As mentioned interior space is vast and airy with great all round visibility, a massive glass roof for those Sun worshippers and an optional third rows of seats are available for those needing to ferry their extended family around, those seated in the back get their own array of climate control knobs and buttons allowing them to enjoy in cool comfort the mightily impressive sound system. How does this massive 2tonnes of engineering handle around the tight and twisties? I've had my time with the X6 and the way that SAV carved corners was almost out of this world. The X5 does almost just as well but without that trick Torque-Vectoring system on the X6, just falls short slightly. But unless you are really pushing it, you wouldn't notice. With the added visibility over the X6, you'd adapt to the wide stance of the X5 much quicker and allows you to place the car on the road with more confidence. This SAV is still heavy though, and the weight of the X5 as it goes from left to right can be felt, but body control is tight and allows you to keep the car well within limits through feedback from the steering, seat and various blinky lights from the dashboard. Like the X6 before, the X5 drives almost like a sportscar. You just sit in a much higher position. I've had the pleasure of driving a diesel powered version of the X5 down some rural roads in Bali and it was a truly enjoyable experience. I had wrongly expected the X5 to be a handful around Bali's tight backlanes but it turned out to be a really easy drive. Active steering helps alot to shift a 2tonne monster around the small roads. Overall, the X5 xDrive35i brings together a very very good package, it looks good, handles brilliantly, has considerable firepower under the bonnet and at the same time, is comfortable, really spacious and so very very usable (Something which cannot really be said of the more niche X6). A new one might be coming out in the not so distant future bearing BMW's new design language, but the current X5 should not be overlooked. Linkback: http://garage36.blogspot.com/2010/12/tripl...35i-driven.html

they have already clocked 140k miles. goodbye to taxis and insurance when it does! http://techcrunch.com/2010/10/09/google-car-video/ http://techcrunch.com/2010/10/09/google-automated-cars/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OEbudwM3evk...player_embedded

Nowadays car ownership in Singapore has gotten a little more expensive due to the Certificate Of Entitlement (COE) fee moving slightly upwards. Those that wanted a S$60,000 car may find that it costs S$70,000. Add this fact with rising ERP charges, the parking charges and an economy that is still reeling from a global meltdown the total cost of owning a car has risen. Some would walk, take public transport but to those who still yearn to own their personal set of transport would still browse through car magazines, internet motoring portals (like this one) and push their faces into the glass in front of a car showroom. Drooling at that car that they could afford a few months ago but cannot afford it with the jump in car prices. But of course this occasionally happens. So those that remember or those that keep track of COE fluctuations just say that it is a fact of life in the Lion City. But to those that need a car to purchase in the near future, the increase in price would have to be overcome regardless of the price hike. So what are your options then? You buy the cheapest car in the market. This may mean that you end up buying a car that is made in China. This is actually a bad thing in my opinion. The reason is that the cars are really what they are. Cheap cars. I recently sat in a Chana (one of those million or so Made in China brands around) and I have to say that the plastics were all hard, switches have the tactile feel of something from the mid80s, the fittings are slightly crude and it looks unbalanced with a large body on caster wheels. So its not worth it to rush out and go crazy about owning one. Of course a Chery sports (or coupe as Chery says) hatch looks its part but it ain't there yet. Now it has a small 1.6liter engine, with a heavy 1300kg body to move. This actually does nothing to help fuel economy and handling. You get a 'coupe' that isn't fast too. And add the fact that you want something cheap but actually isn't in the long run it would be a bad purchase. Unless you just buy it for the looks that is. So you now jump to a Malaysian car. You look at a Proton Saga. I suggest you don't look at a Saga. It looks dumpy with its funny proportions and high roof line for a sedan. While it is cheap, spacious for its price you need a bit of looks to at least feel good about yourself when you're driving it. And if you're driving it you have to look at that drab looking hard plastic dashboard and steering wheel. You also have to sit on seats that are flatter than the runway at Seletar airport. What you do need to consider in the budget car range is a Perodua Myvi. Of course it has been around for a while and that its cousins the Toyota Passo and the Daihatsu Sirion/Boon has recently been upgraded in Japan. And the point that it is a cousin of the Passo and the Sirion means that it is actually a Japanese car built in a factory in Rawang, Malaysia. This is a good thing. You get the same people in charge of quality handing down the operating procedure on how a car should be made. The fittings in a Myvi is pretty good and panel gaps are decent too. The quality of the dashboard (slightly redesigned from the Passo), while slightly thin to the touch is surprisingly good. The switchgear feels tactile (for its price) and everything is within reach. As you get into a Myvi you find that it has a high hip point. This means that you just step in and out of the car with ease. The doors are big and open wide, the hatch is easy to use and rear seats fold down making space for you to go shopping at IKEA and load up those large items. Oh yeah. The dash looks good when its lighted up at night. When you look at the design of the Myvi you find that it has more rounded front and rear bumpers that actually make it look less chunky than the Passo or the Sirion. It looks better in my opinion. In fact the Myvi looks like the newer generation of the cars mentioned due to this so if you buy one it is still contemporary looking. As for ride and handling, it is pretty good. The car is naturally light (sub 1000kg) and this shows in its nippy handling. Don't treat it like a Honda Civic Type R though, as it isn't. It would understeer early due to its 175/65/14 sized tires and that slightly too tall body (somehow all new hatchbacks seem to be a little MPV like). But it is nimble and easy to maneuver on city streets. However hustle it around corners and you will find out that the seats are flat and you have to hold on to the steering wheel for dear life. Do not put leather or those P.U seat covers as this would make it worse. The 1.3liter engine it comes with has 85bhp or so and it adequate to get you places. Crusing at 110-120km/h is very possible and still economical. The brakes are on the spongy side and lacks feel but does its job. This is the only real gripe I have with the Myvi as I do a lot of highway driving and it isn't that confidence inspiring for me. But it would do okay for a city car. I think the Perodua Myvi is worth the purchase as you get Japanese engineering, good build quality (if not fantastic material quality), reliability and unlike the other cars mentioned above, it feels more sorted out. It is a cut price Toyota or a cut price Daihatsu. And this is a good thing if you want something cheap and something decent to own for the next 5 years. Just don't listen to that guy called Clarkson in that BBC TV program where he rants and complains about the Myvi. That guy does not have to suffer with COE and ERP like you do.

The Volkswagen Golf GTI concept called the Golf GTI Excessive has been displayed at the annual Worthersee Show in Austria recently. The Worthersee Show started out as a gathering for Golf enthusiasts has now become an international gathering for Volkswagen and to a certain extent other cars within the Volkswagen-Audi Group. As such, this latest concept GTI follows a Volkswagen tradition of unveiling concept cars at this event. The Excessive is a concept Golf GTI intended to showcase the latest prototype range of accessories for the iconic hot hatch. It showcases a bodykit for aerodynamic and visual 'upgrades' and some mechanical modifications too. The add-ons claim to make the stock GTI into a more focused driver's car. And should they get a favourable response, Volkswagen will incorporate the new items into the latest list of accessories that a Golf GTI owner can buy for his or her car. The Excessive now has a lower front splitter, new look left and right air intakes that protrude further out, a new rear diffuser, titanium exhaust tips and arches. All purportedly make the Golf GTI slightly more aerodynamic than the stock version. Oh, those arches are not filled out very large 19inch BBS rims and tires, which should increase grip over the standard 17inch rims and tires setup. New spring and dampers round the handling package up. The earlier stated titanium exhaust tips aren't just hiding a stock system. The tips are part of a lightened sports exhaust system which somewhat add about 3ps to the 210ps that the stock Golf GTI makes. There are no other engine mods for this concept Golf. There are new sports seats added to this Golf Excessive, and some trimming. But nothing really out of the ordinary when it comes to the interior. Having driven a standard Mark 6 GTI recently I have to say that the modifications done by Volkswagen towards making the Golf GTI into a more focused car seems to be getting the car to handle the power, especially the torque the 2.0turbocharged engine produces. In the standard DSG equipped car the 280Nm of torque it produces does overwhelm the standard 17inch tires causing lots of wheelspin if you simply boot it out of a low speed tight corner or a junction. You have to be feed in the power to be smooth if not the traction control warning light simply flickers away as you brutally stomp on the throttle and power on out through a junction. More so in the wet. It however gives straight line thrills especially when flooring it at the traffic lights. The rest of the stock GTI is a very good piece of kit. It is stable at high speeds and directional changes and makes driving fast feel safe and confident when attacking corners. since as I stated it does overwhelm the front wheels. A front wheel drive with a lot of power does this. It is thrilling but pretty inefficient in laying down the power unless you feed it in gradually as stated above. I think that Volkswagen agrees with this fact as the more powerful and more torquey Golf R is all wheel drive. So, 19 inches rims and tires and the upgraded suspension would make the GTI able to reel in the turbocharged torque even better. It may make the GTI less thrilling with less wheelspin, but its a good thing when you're attacking tight corners than require you to be in the lower gears. These manufacturer upgrade items are the things that I'll be looking for if ever Volkswagen includes it in a package for the GTI. And I'd add that body kit too as the GTI is too subtle for me. Personally that is.

lol cant stop watchin this video

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091113/ap_on_..._lagoon_bugatti

as above ..anyone ?

Was thinking of driving there, but not too sure of the route and which hotel to stay? Any recommendation ? tks

Hi everyone, Just wondering, amongst our vast number of fellow forumers, which luxury or expensive cars have we driven? Ok ok... test drive and other short-term driving experiences is also counted here! Please share your experiences. Cheers!

saw this on the web... read 3rd paragraph, hahaha http://www.brainskills.co.uk/CopingWithADHD.html Ritalin belongs to a class of drugs related to amphetamines called stimulants. These drugs are not addictive and do not make the child feel high. They help children to focus and function better at home, at school and while socialising. This can be a godsend to families that were disrupted by ADHD and the improved ability to focus on schoolwork may influence the child's whole future, including his career prospects. He may be less likely to suffer from emotional problems and addictions later. Wonder Drug or Cocaine for Kiddies? The highest rates of Ritalin prescription are in Singapore, where academic achievement drives society. In some parts of the US 1 in 10 schoolchildren are taking Ritalin. In the UK it's closer to 1 in 100, and rising. Some groups, such as certain religious fundamentalists are strongly opposed to what they call "cocaine for kiddies". They feel that ADHD causes "tunnel vision" in the system, so that the context of behavioural problems can sometimes be ignored, and the attitude of a "pill for life's problems" can be encouraged. Sceptics question the objectivity of academics whose research is funded by the drug companies that have profited hugely from ADHD. But most experts agree that Ritalin is effective and pretty safe. It can transform the existence not only of a suffering child, but also of parents and siblings when it's used appropriately. The main disagreement is over where to draw the line in the question of who really needs it. Side effects range from common sleep disturbances to rare heart problems. Nobody wants Ritalin to become a way for pushy parents to improve the achievements of a normal child. According to some this has already happened. What About Other Treatments? In most cases, both the child and family benefit from counselling and a variety of other interventions can also be helpful. These include psychotherapy, behavioural therapy, social skills training, support groups and parental skills training. Is there Anything I can do to Help my Child? Yes. Experts agree that parents can help with simple behavioural interventions. ADHD children need consistency. For example, help him to organise. Have a fixed daily routine, including homework time, mealtime, bedtime and playtime. Write out a schedule of activities, stick it up on the fridge, and if there's a change, make it in advance if you can. Make a fixed place for all his things like clothes, bags, schoolwork, pencil case and make sure that those things are kept in their places. Remind him to write down homework tasks and bring home needed books. Try to have clear, consistent rules, for example, about TV watching and rudeness. Try to reduce disruptions and distractions like TV or siblings in the room at homework time. Work together with school or nursery teachers on coping strategies for everyone. What About the Future