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Charming looks, go-kart handling, and a cabin that delivers on usability mean the MINI One should be your ideal companion for the road Finding a life partner is no easy feat. It is only natural to look for someone who's sensible because household expenses can quickly spiral out of control with inflation rates the way they are today. But on the flip side, a fair amount of zaniness is also warranted, for added flavour during those holidays and weekends out. And of course, the fact that he/she is pleasing on the eyes is always a welcome bonus. Finding your ideal car is not much different. Low running costs, high driving enjoyment, and a sheet of appealing metal on the exterior form the start of a motorist's long list of requirements. Thankfully, searching for your ideal car need not be difficult, because there's always the MINI One 3-Door and MINI One 5-Door. To love and cherish It really doesn't take much to fall in love with this MINI. Not when it looks like this. With its unique round head lights and that boxy hatchback silhouette, this MINI One is still an instantly recognisable successor to Alec Issigonis' 1959 original. And especially so if you opt for the charming MINI One 3-Door, finished in Zesty Yellow like the example in the photos. But sit in and drive either MINI One and you'll find that it's a car whose charms are more than skin-deep: There are also mighty capable underpinnings here that mean you'll continue to cherish every drive for years to come. Consider for example, the fact that its 1.5-litre TwinPower Turbo engine is paired with a slick and quick-shifting seven-speed dual-clutch transmission and puts a total of 101bhp and 190Nm of torque to the road. This means you'll get plenty of power to pull all that sheet metal off the lights, and keeping up with traffic will be a breeze. To have and to hold And you'll also easily be able to rein all this power in with the MINI One, perfect for those days when you're craving a little more adventure. With both the MINI One 3-Door and 5-Door offering compact exterior dimensions and that fabled, go-kart-like handling, you're sure to find driving pleasure aplenty whether you are café hopping down the hilly sections of Gillman Barracks, or navigating the narrow streets of Singapore's historical districts. But despite its fun-loving disposition, the MINI One can still deliver sensible drives as well. This makes it perfect for all those days where you'd rather relax and just have a comfortable, uneventful drive back home from work. Aiding affairs here is the 8.8-inch infotainment display, complete with in-built navigation and the MINI Driving Assistant, always ready to warn you of any congestion or hazards on the road ahead. There are also comfortable seats to luxuriate on while you make your way home. And you can opt to have these with the Chester Malt Brown seat upholstery as seen on this MINI One 5-Door, which pair perfectly with the MINI One's gorgeous interior lights and fine detailing to make for one sophisticated cabin. Furthermore, if you have children to ferry about, this MINI One 5-Door will not only allow easy access to the rear seats, but also comes with 278 litres of boot space, so you'll be able to grab along the entire week's groceries without any trouble. For all the days And if you opt to take things easy, the MINI One can play the part of a fuel sipping saver as well, helping you keep those household expenses in check. To start, both the MINI One 3-Door and MINI One 5-Door fall within the A2 banding of the VES scheme, netting you a $15,000 rebate. There's also of course, a handy complimentary five-year MINI Servicing, three-year Warranty, and an attractive overtrade offer to get you closer to owning your dream MINI One. And once you're on the road, both the MINI One 3-Door and MINI One 5-Door will also offer a fuel economy of 19.2km/L, critical these days, where petrol prices are so high. Do you? Are you still looking for that right mix of fun-loving cheekiness and everyday sensibility in your next vehicle? This MINI One could be the one you have always been looking for.

The last time we had a 1.6-litre BMW 3 Series on sale in Singapore was in the 1990s during the E36 era. The wait is finally over as the above electronic poster which is downloaded from BMW Asia Insider Facebook signals the imminent arrival of the 2013 BMW 316i. Just like the latest 116i, the 316i is powered by a 1.6-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine that pushes 136bhp and 220Nm of torque through an eight-speed automatic gearbox. According to BMW, the 316i sprints from 0 to 100km/h is 9.2 seconds which is only 0.1 second slower than the 116i. The 156bhp Mercedes C180 CGI BlueEfficiency reaches the century mark at a much quicker 8.5 seconds. However, BMW fans need not be disappointed as a more powerful 318i, which borrows the 170bhp 1.6-litre unit from the 118i, is said to be in the pipeline. The EU combined cycle fuel consumption for the 316i is claimed to range between 5.8 and 5.9L/ 100km.

[extract] BMW has already introduced the new 3-series in Singapore. Soon, there might be a new variant making its way here, the 316i. Like the 116i, the new entry level 3 series is powered by a 1.6-litre engine that features turbocharging and direct injection technologies. BMW

[extract] For those who wants to own a piece of the new BMW 3 series but would not want to fork out extra dough for the 328i, here

[extract] Recently, Ford introduced the 1.0L Ecoboost 3-cylinder engine in the Ford Focus. If you are surprised at how a 3-cylinder lump can power a car the size of a Focus, you may fall off the chair to learn that the new BMW 3 Series could get 3-cylinder engines in the next couple of years according to BMW

The new BMW 1-Series gains a fresh batch of engines. These new variants, presented in Europe, are the diesel-powered 125d and 116d EfficientDynamics Edition, and the petrol 125i. Of more interest to the Singapore market would be the gasoline-powered 125i. It has a 2.0L petrol engine with TwinPower Turbo Technology. It produces 215 hp and 310 Nm of torque, enabling the 8-speed automatic version to sprint from 0 to 100km/h in 6.5 seconds, which is 0.1 seconds faster than its close rival, the Golf GTI E35. The 125i has a top speed of 245km/h. It is rather environmentally friendly and returns a fuel efficiency of 6.6 L/100km with CO2 emissions of 154 g/km. Up next is the 125d powered by a 2.0L turbocharged four-cylinder diesel producing 218 bhp at 4,400rpm and 450Nm of peak torque. It sprints from 0 to 100km/h in 6.5 seconds when paired with either the 6-speed manual gearbox or the 8-speed automatic transmission before hitting a top speed of 240km/h. It averages 4.9 L/100km with CO2 emissions of 129 g/km. The 116d has a 1.6L four-cylinder diesel engine with 114 hp and 260 Nm of torque. It is connected to a six-speed manual transmission which allows the car to run from 0 to 100 km/h in 10.5 seconds and hit a top speed of 195 km/h. Thanks to an aerodynamic body kit and low rolling resistance tires, the 116d returns an impressive fuel economy of 3.8 L/100km with CO2 emissions of 99 g/km. The BMW 1 series M Sport package will include an aggressive body kit, a sports suspension with 10mm reduced height and either 17 or 18-inch alloys. On the inside, the driver/occupants will be pampered with fabric/Alcantara sports seats. Other highlights include a leather-wrapped steering wheel, aluminum door sill plates and lots of

[extract] On the 22 Oct 2011 edition of the Straits Times, the BMW 520i has been officially launched in Singapore. I was surprised at how quickly the model made its way here as it went on sale in Europe just a few weeks ago. Perhaps, the Singapore market is gaining BMW

The German based automaker, BMW, has finally revealed a series of engine updates for their 2012 5 Series model year, namely the 520i, 525d and 528i. For Singapore buyers, perhaps the 520i is the most interesting model to keep a lookout. Currently, the base BMW 5 series model on sale in the Lion City is the 523i, powered by a 2.5 liter straight 6 unit. It generates 204 bhp and propels the luxury sedan from 0 to 100km/h in 8.2 secs. Providing propulsion power for the new 520i is the 2.0 liter TwinPower Turbo, featuring direction injection and Valvetronic technologies. In this iteration, it generates 184 bhp between 5000 to 6250 rpm and helps the 520i to complete the century sprint in 8.0 sec when mated to an eight speed automatic transmission. Compared to its arch rival, the Mercedes E200 CGI BlueEfficiency, the 520i takes 0.2 sec shorter to reach the 100km/h mark. However, one has to note that the E200 looses about 200cc to the 520i in terms of engine capacity. The E200 also manage to produce the same 184 bhp as the 520i, despite being a 1.8 liter. In terms of gearbox technology, the E200 trails behind the 520i by being equipped with only a 5 speed automatic transmission (Source: http://www.mercedes-benz.com.sg). Although the 520i loses to the 523i in terms of horsepower figure, the new base model reaches 100km/h faster, so there is nothing to be ashamed of. The new 528i uses the same 2.0 litre TwinPower Turbo, albeit in a different state of tune. It produces 245 bhp and 350Nm of torque, which is a whopping 80Nm more than the 520i. These translate to a century sprint figure of 6.3 sec. Both the 520i and 528i are happy to drink just RON 92 fuel, if potential buyers are concerned about rising pump prices. The detailed specifications can be found below.

[extract] BMW has unveiled the brand-new 3-Series codenamed F30. The sixth generation of its compact luxury sedan will be available to markets worldwide from February 11, 2012. The sixth generation BMW sedan has grown considerably compared to its predecessor, measuring 93 mm longer in total length. The increase in dimension promises to address one of the previous model

BMW is designing its upcoming family of diesel and petrol engines to share more standardized parts. These new engines, in 1.5 liter, 2.0 liter and 3.0 liter capacities, will share a common engine block design and other parts. "Our goal is to have 60 percent of components shared between engines based on fuel type, and 40 percent commonality between gasoline and diesel engines," said BMW's head of development for inline engines, Harald Unger, at a press event recently. This initiative should help to reduce cost of production. Parts and design features to be shared included fuel intake, variable valve timing mechanisms, injectors, turbochargers and exhaust systems as well as mounting points for both longitudinal and transverse configurations. BMW's new family of engines will also be highly-standardized in terms of displacement, adhering to a paradigm of 500 cc (cubic centimeters) per cylinder with the same standard engine block design. The displacements of the engine family will be 1.5 liter (3-cylinder), 2.0 liter (4-cylinder) and 3.0 liters (6-cylinder), for both petrol and diesel units. The new standardized paradigm will not apply to the larger engines such as the V8, V10 and V12 units, which will continue to have individual characteristics. The new crop of power plants will also feature TwinPower Turbo technology. TwinPower technology features twin-scroll turbocharging coupled with direct-injection and variable valve management that delivers greater output and efficiency from a smaller engine. The technology debuted back in 2009 on the 3.0 liter inline six-cylinder gasoline unit fitted to the 5-Series GT. The technology is also used on other models and larger displacement power plants.

BMW has announced that it wants to bring its TwinPower turbo technology to smaller displacement engines, including 4-cylinder and 3-cylinder power plants. The technology debuted back in 2009 on the 3.0 liter inline six-cylinder gasoline unit fitted to the 5-Series GT. The technology is also used on other models and larger displacement power plants. TwinPower technology features twin-scroll turbocharging coupled with direct-injection and variable valve management (Valvetronic system) that delivers greater output and efficiency from a smaller engine. A few months ago in January 2011, BMW introduced the X1 xDrive28i with a new 2.0 liter turbocharged engine featuring the TwinPower turbo system. In this application, the power plant has an output of 242 bhp and 350 Nm of torque. The all-wheel drive X1 xDrive28i returns a fuel-economy figure of 7.9 liters/100 km on the EU test cycle. There has been rumours that BMW is developing a 3-cylinder engine, which it now says will also get TwinPower technology. These 3-cylinder engines will power the next-generation MINI as well as new entry-level compact BMWs. BMW has plans for both diesel and petrol 3-cylinder and 4-cylinder units as its highest volume engine groups. Among German automakers, it looks like BMW is taking the direction of downsizing to a whole new level. I just hope that the 3 cylinder power plants will not have any vibration issue.