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JDM, Euro and Exotic sports cars For the uninitiated, sports cars consist of 3 main categories: JDM, Euro, and Exotic. These sports cars come in a bunch of varying specifications. Let me give you some examples. The Renault Megane RS is a 4-cylinder turbocharged, manual, front-wheel-drive Euro sports car. Likewise, the Mclaren 720S is a V8 twin-turbocharged, automatic, rear-wheel-drive exotic sports car. Last but not least, we have the iconic JDM street-legal rally car – The Subaru Impreza WRX, a 4-cylinder turbocharged, all-wheel-drive sports car that is available in both the manual and automatic transmission. The list goes on and on, but you get my intention, don’t you? With dozens of offerings for sports cars of varying specifications, there is always an ideal sports car for you, no matter the specifications you require and whether you can afford it. Why 2030? Unless you have been living under a rock, you would have encountered the Electric Vehicle (EV) craze surrounding us lately. According to the SG Green Plan 2030 (SGP 2030) announced during Budget 2021, we will be looking at significant changes to the status quo. Nope, I am not talking about the rise in petrol duty rates. I am referring to the phasing out of Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) vehicles by 2040, driven by these three aspects of the SGP 2030: Cessation of new diesel cars and taxi registrations from 2025 Requirement of newly registered cars to be of cleaner-energy models from 2030; and All vehicles to run on cleaner energy by 2040 What does it mean for us? The SGP 2030, coupled with our beloved COE system, is the perfect formula for phasing out ICE cars in Singapore. Unfortunately, this will spell the demise of JDM, Euro and Exotic sports cars alike. From 2030 onwards, the supply of ICE sports cars will be what we currently have in the market. As such, does this mean that the low supply of ICE sports cars drives its market value up? If you wish to drive your dream Nissan GTR, BMW M4 or Lamborghini Aventador in the future, you better pray hard that its current owner renews its COE. Then again, it would be best to consider the maintenance and upkeep cost required for these ageing cars before purchasing them in the future. Similarly, manual transmission cars will be phased out eventually. Here's why. EVs have an electric motor in place of an ICE vehicle’s “engine” by using a single-speed transmission that regulates their electric motor. Except for the Porsche Taycan, which uses a Two-Speed gearbox. As such, EVs come only in automatic transmissions, and the phasing out of existing manual transmission ICE cars means the demise of manual transmission cars. Electric Sports Cars Yes, they are insanely fast. Yes, it produces instantaneous torque. But can we consider them as true-blue sports cars? Aside from the speed and torque, car enthusiasts also seek the pleasure of high engine revs, the burbling exhaust sound and, most importantly, the liberty to modify various car performance components – None of which an electric sports car is capable of fulfilling. Furthermore, the single-speed transmission that regulates its electric motor seems like a bore that takes the fun out of driving compared to manual gear shifts or the quick gear shifting of DCT transmissions. For those Gen Y & Z car enthusiasts out there, I will do one for you. — Here’s a plea to those of you that currently own any sports car; please renew your COE so that the future generations of car enthusiasts will have a chance to own the car of our (childhood) dream someday. Last Thoughts The golden question here is, will a manual (class 3) license still be relevant in the near future? If it is irrelevant and deemed obsolete, this will remove any segregation between the community’s existing “Class 3 vs 3A” mentality. If you are unaware of the "Class 3 vs 3A" commotion, read the article below: --- Thinking of selling your car? sgCarMart Quotz guarantees the highest selling price for your car. We’ll even give you $100 cash if you find a better offer elsewhere! Get a free quote to find out how much your car is worth today!

According to a latest Straits Times article, local labour union National Trade Union Congress (NTUC) aims to help low income workers upgrade their live-hood and monthly income range by providing subsidiaries of up to 90% to obtain a Class 3 or 4 driving licences. People whom obtain them can apply for better paying jobs in the transportation industry. A Class 3 licence can cost up to $2,000 yet under the new scheme, qualified and successful applicants only end up paying $200. This scheme is only for all Singaporeans and Permanent Residents whom are seeking or considering jobs at the transport and logistics industry, which is seeing a severe shortage of manpower. To qualify you must be currently earning less than $1,700, or below $1,400 per household member a month. All successful applicants will also receive a training allowance and can finish the course in a faster pace of nine months. Jobs including delivery, dispatch or bus drivers will be offered after successfully obtaining their licences. NTUC aims to place 5,000 locals or PR's in transport and logistics based jobs that pays more than $1,500 by the year 2015 and wants to attract mainly the locals and PR's in an industry largely dominated by foreign workers.