Uncategorized | LENSPEED

S Class Coupe lands in Singapore

By Team Lenspeed

For those who do not require the extra legroom at the back like what you’ll get in the new 7 Series, Mercedes Benz is here to offer you the perfect package – the S Class Coupe in S 500 guise. The hulking sport luxury coupe features a V8 biturbo motor beneath the hood, good for 455bhp and 700Nm. And it comes with a host of safety features, just like the ones you’ll enjoy in the S Class.

If this car is not bespoke enough for you, Mercedes Benz serves up the option of equipping the headlamps with 47 Swarovski crystals. It has come a long way since its inauguration of large Mercedes coupes way back during post-war years in 1952. But the intent remains the same – to provide the best motoring experience for the world’s elite. Ready to grab the chequebook for one, yet?

Not until you take a peep at the options list. A Mocha Black Metallic paintwork will set you back SS$10,600, while black lacquer trims will cost S$3,800. And if you are keen to reignite your hearing senses, Burmester offers a 3D surround system upgrade for.. yes.. S$24,500. Now we’re talking…

[The S Class Coupe S 500 is priced at S$613,888 with COE]

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Lightroom 6’s magic touch

A little late into the game of photo editing, but here we are armed with Adobe’s Lightroom 6! We had been using Lightroom 4 for a couple of years now and it hasn’t disappointed. But with Lightroom 6, you’re able to get clearer, sharper images with similar edits. Some of the photographs were dull straight off the DSLR, but a little tweak here and there gave a new lease of life to these images! Give it a try and reignite your love for photography!

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Quick spin: FD Honda Civic 1.8 Manual

I recall a couple of years ago when I managed to try a FD Honda Civic equipped with an automatic gearbox, and came away thoroughly impressed by how relevant this engine/gearbox partnership was for local tarmac. Now, we sample the same engine version, but with a 5-speed stick shift – did we like it?

Given that the car is 9.5 years of age, this FD Civic feels extremely fresh, with interior trimmings and leather all well in tact, apart from understandable wear and tear from the gear knob and handbrake lever. It has clocked 162,000km – a fair figure taking into account its age. But to be honest, we weren’t expecting the motor to be as creamy as newer units. But we were wrong! Just like any other Honda engines, this R18 unit feels very eager to rev. It might be torque-lite, but its flexibility spurs you on to push the needle clockwise, and you’ll be rewarded with a purposeful, linear surge from 3000rpm.

It might be lacking in tech gizmos, but it makes up for these with an honest driving experience, which is key (for us at least!) to put a wide smile on our face. With a character so undiluted, it endorses our stand that tech-laden cars are losing its focus on the driver, and concentrating on other aspects that target the tech-savvy public. But at Lenspeed, we prefer to turn back time to be involved with less complicated, more engaging cars just like this FD Civic – an emotive tool without compromising on family practicality.

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Techno Infiniti

By The Lenspeed Team

Lenspeed was thrilled when Infiniti invited us to come by for their drive experience last weekend. As one of the younger brands in Singapore, we were keen to learn what their cars were all about. After all, there must be something about the cars which contributed to the 384% year-on-year growth in vehicle registrations in Singapore for the brand. Granted, it started from a low base, but that is still a stunning figure.

At the admittedly early start to Saturday, we got to sample the Q50, Q70 and QX70 – but it really was the Q50 2.0t model which we were most interested in, since this is the model that has found most favour among Singaporean buyers, according to Infiniti.

The line-up of cars at first sight wasn’t a disappointing view. With cars in various hues, some from Singapore and some from Malaysia, sitting resolutely next to each other, it was a better wake-up call than caffeine.

Step inside the swanky indoor lounge area and you’ll be greeted by a setup that has completely transformed the area into an Infiniti aficionado’s dream. We of course gravitated towards the cars on display, the Q50 and Q70. As it was the first time we have ever seen a Q50 up close, we slowly laid our eyes on its swept bodywork and appreciated the lines. It is no doubt a good looking car, with wonderful proportions that hint of a rear-wheel drive chassis, thanks to wheels that are pushed to the edges of the car. The result is definitely arresting, but we are not sure if it is a design that will stand the test of time 15-20 years down the road.

Jumping into the interior, we were pleasantly surprised by the classy padded leather lining the door panels, a much better execution than the gathered leather style of some rivals. The centre console layout is alright but not inventive by any margin, and we did note that we preferred the classic Infiniti design of the Q70’s centre console with an iconic “hump”.

With that initial introduction to the car, we were more than ready to hit the road.

The drive experience consisted of testing the Around View Monitor (Infiniti’s version of a 360-degree camera), demonstrating Direct Adaptive Steering (DAS), doing an Avoidance Test and finally a road tour.

Around View Monitor

To be brutally honest, this technologically is not a novelty by any measure. From Volkswagens to BMWs, area view cameras have been around for quite some time now, assisting worried drivers all over the world when they park in tight spaces.

But this experience really demonstrated the accuracy and dependability of the system well, with climbing into a blacked-out cockpit of a QX70 being the first step of the exercise.

You will be disarmed and even confused, as you will be instructed to start driving without having any view of the road in front at all.

But Infiniti’s AVM is wonderful, working like a charm on the carefully laid out obstacle course. Sometimes, you will not put in enough steering lock, but the guidance lines on the screen will ensure you will drive with pinpoint accuracy and correct yourself.

It’s brilliant. Other than cutting off every 4 minutes or so as an automated function, the exercise really showed that one day, these cars can probably drive themselves because it’s so easy to do so.

But in order not to overstate it, we would say it is a good marketing exercise rather than showing anything revolutionary – it’s tried and tested technology after all.

Direct Adaptive Steering (DAS)

While initially looking like a gymkhana course, one instead was asked to experience a Q50 equipped with the DAS system and one without.

This was a very telling exercise, as you got to try both cars back-to-back.

In isolation, you would never notice DAS is there.

But when you try the Q50 without DAS, you will realise quite acutely how much the system assists you in your sharp turns. Having sampled both systems, we would say that if you haven’t tried DAS, you are unlikely to feel like you’re missing out on anything. However, if you do try it, you will probably want it in your Q50. We’re happy to drive one without though, as the non-DAS setup does feel more predictable and conventional, and thus perhaps more comfortable to use.

Avoidance test

This is the part of the experience where you’ll be able to accelerate the car the most, having an opportunity to feel how the car tackles an emergency lane change situation.

This is where the car impresses the most. Although offering all the luxuries of a full-fledged sedan, the car is sharp in its responses, with the electronic safety systems reigning the car in admirably even in extreme situations. In my first try I was a bit too quick with my steering, yet the car remain composed and stable. In my second try I tried a gentler approach, and the car took it even better.

However, we did note that with the 2.0t engine, the car seemed to be able to handle a lot more torque than what it currently has. We quickly realised this too when we brought it out on the road.

Road tour

Although we had a test route that was too short, at least to Lenspeed, it was enough to discover some nuances about the Q50 which we never knew about.

For instance, before you move off, you depress a foot handbrake which seems a little old school in what is supposedly a high-tech sedan!

The steering also feels artificially heavy, although when changed to normal mode it was much better.

The engine and gearbox are both items straight from Mercedes, which is a selling point oft quoted by would-be buyers. However, in isolation they are good, but not fantastic. The engine is smooth and sounds quite good if you push on a little harder, but it does seem to lack some torque. Where the previous 1.8T in the W212 Mercedes was a little too peaky in its delivery, the 2.0t feels a bit too leisurely. There is no mistake though that the car is fast; it just doesn’t feel that way, maybe because of its linear delivery.

There was no chance to test out the fuel consumption or indeed the finer intricacies of the ride quality, but do look forward to a more comprehensive test of the Q50 here on Lenspeed when we take the car out for an extended period after the drive experience.

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With all of the technologies above, we found every single one of them to be directly applicable for Singapore driving, which is a boon, as some technology can find its way into cars without ever being used.

They all work in the background and are only called upon when you need them, which is how it should be. If the implementation of the future of technology in cars are all done like Infiniti’s execution, motorists should be very glad indeed.

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Citroen DS3 100,000km report

It took us only four years to pile on a six-digit mileage, and yes, that comes as no surprise because the DS3 has always been the preferred family car of choice, even when we had the VW MkV R32. Comparatively, it’s more efficient, lighter and arguably more fun thanks to the 6-speed stick shifter.

The ownership experience wasn’t entirely smooth sailing to begin with.. a couple of hiccups with the battery and one major incident involving the high pressure fuel valve led us to call for the tow truck three times in total. It was during those “dark days” where we felt that the DS3 has serious reliability issues. But once we got it sorted, it proved to be a decent hauler – it hasn’t skipped a heartbeat for one full year. Pretty impressive!

The 100,000km servicing included an engine oil, brake oil and gearbox oil change, over and above a rotor swop and air filter change next week. The experience these four years has been bittersweet so far, but I’m leaning towards a greater liking for the car, especially when the running costs are not extravagant. It consistently managed 14.5km/l on a full tank (600km for 41 litres).

We’ll report back in for more updates!

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SMSA Gymkhana Series Round 2

We just returned from Round 2 of SMSA’s Gymkhana Series over at Aviation Park Road. It’s pretty enjoyable to notice such a close-knit bunch encouraging each other to better individual lap times. Yes, it’s a battle against the clock, but we reckon that gaining a feel of your car on the limit is more satisfying than focusing on improving lap times. That would indirectly translate to faster times if the fundamentals are dealt with. Will Lenspeed ever partake in a future Gymkhana Series? Why not!

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Driven: Suzuki Solio

Text and photos by The Lenspeed Team

A recent trip to Japan unraveled that Solios are actually all the rage there. With Tokyo being one of the largest urban metropolises in the world, this makes sense. As it would in our small, cramped island. The Solio is a Big car packaged in a Ultra-small car. It’s very, very clever, and would make you feel very smug indeed. If you’ve bought one, you’d know. OK, it’s not actually a new car per se – the Solio in Japan has been soldiering on for a while now, but only very recently have movements in COE prices allowed for the Solio to gain some ground in Singapore. But we can’t stop raving about it, just because it’s that good for Singapore conditions. Highly recommended. Let’s explore why:

You’d have even more interior space than some full-fledged sedans. In fact after the test drive I constantly marveled just how much larger the car felt on the inside, when compared to how it looks on the outside. You get an aircraft-style tray table behind the front seats, cupholders everywhere, a fully foldable rear seat that will yield to a flat floor, and comfy, giant rear seats that recline to pretty swell angles. The automatic rear sliding doors are a real boon. A magnificent one – getting out of tight car park spaces has never been easier.

You get a frugal 1.2-litre engine that puts the Solio comfortably in Category A. We managed to hit 23.2km/l on just a casual spurt on the highway, and we are confident that an average of 13km/l in the real world is entirely achievable (even with an arctic cold A/C). Although it has a small fuel tank, it still has a healthy range. The CVT gearbox pairs very well to the engine too, delivering performance that hints of a van on a hurry.

Overall length of 3.71m and width of 1.62m means the Solio is one of the shortest and narrowest cars you can buy. So tight car parks are never an issue while you see S-Class drivers struggling to get their cars to fit in the lots. It’s the Solio’s natural environment. You also get paltry 165 width tyres, which are quiet, light on the earth and surprisingly grippy.

At 1.77m high, the Solio is taller than it is wider – rare in the car world, but par for the course for the commercial vehicle world. So you get all of the benefits of a van, and all of the benefits of a normal car too. We can’t seem to find a drawback.

A 5-year warranty means you’d get an added peace of mind, as if Suzukis aren’t already reliable!

You get Bluetooth, navigation, xenon lights, expensive looking alloy rims, electric doors – yet this is one of the cheapest cars in the market!

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Mercedes-Benz Museum

By Team Lenspeed

Even if you’re not a diehard fan of the Stuttgart-based company, a step into the Mercedes-Benz Museum will widen your perspective about cars, and allow every car fanatic to understand the evolution of the automobile right from the very start. Nestled in a compound that also houses the Daimler HQ, Research and Development Centre and testing facilities, it gives guests a first hand glimpse of how far it has come even before the invention of the steam engine. If you’re in Stuttgart and apportioned a great deal of time for this museum, I reckon that you would not be disappointed. You would be greeted with a museum architecture that is futuristic, serving as a perfect contrast to the timeless contents within that would be worth millions by modern standards. Enjoy the pictures!

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Driven: VW Scirocco 1.4 TSI

Thoroughly competent coupe takes to the open roads in Singapore

By Team Lenspeed

We’re huge fans of modern Volkswagens, not from a driver-centric standpoint, but we appreciate its ability to be effective on literally any type of traffic condition. Even in base-spec VWs, these force induction 4 potters produce more than sufficient punch to pull you out of sticky situations. Now, the Scirocco is the latest car in the family to utilise the 122bhp 1.4-litre TSI motor. How will this pan out for a car that sits comfortably in the Category A COE bracket, while boasting head turning looks especially in this Flash Red hue?

First things first. This is the facelifted Scirocco, and you could tell it from a couple of aesthetic changes. The headlights are largely unchanged apart from the LED contour beneath the xenon light, and the front air intakes are now accompanied by what Volkswagen label as “aerodynamic blades”. Over at the rear, you’ll notice a slightly revised rear bumper. But what’s important here is the VW emblem that now doubles as a boot latch just like the Golf – a neat touch taking into account that you had to unlock the boot from the driver’s seat in the predecessor.

It’s interesting to note how well specced the Scirocco was at least for our test unit. There’s a panoramic sunroof, bi-xenon headlights with separate LED daytime running lights and a rear view camera. And we’re told that these are only available for the “Equipment Pack” (EQP) variant for a cool S$15,500 premium (for a grand total of S$141,800). Don’t get too excited yet if you’re scrolling through the interior pictures, because the triple gauge cluster and DCC (suspension setting) is only available in the test unit. But you’re still getting the flashy 18” rims, a flat bottom steering wheel and a “RCD 510” radio – that’s still pretty well equipped for a base-spec Roc. And we reckon that this is as good as it gets in terms of equipment levels, as I’m sure the product specialists at VCS would have done their homework to fit the Scirocco into the appropriate target segments.

How does it drive, then? To be honest, it drives very similarly to other Volkswagens. The power delivery is consistent throughout the rev range, with the low-end grunt of the 1.4-litre TSI unit gathering a peak torque of 200Nm way under 2000rpm. That’s not a stratospheric figure, and it won’t set your pants on fire if you put pedal to metal. But allow the light pressure turbo to spool and you’ll be covering ground at a respectable pace. You’ll be disappointed if you treat it as an out-and-out sports car, but the Scirocco (at least in VCS-spec) was never intended to be that hardcore right from the get-go. If you dial it up a notch, you’ll find that it’s a pity VCS didn’t include DCC as standard. Because the Scirocco’s character is best suited when left in “Comfort” setting, as it soaks up bumps much better than “Normal”. The sportiest suspension would be best left untouched if you’re pottering about ripped tarmac.

We’ve managed over 400km on local roads over the course of three days, and its safe to say that we’re more surprised by its eco-friendly credentials, although it looks far from green-centric. Interestingly, the Mk7 Golf 1.4 TSI comes with a “Coasting” function that reduces “mechanical drag” by decoupling the engine from the transmission to save on fuel. Not for this Scirocco. But we’re not really complaining if it can rake up more than 750km per tank – impressive number given that its running on rather broad 235/40R18 rubbers.

There are not many competitors in this segment for the Scirocco, especially at this price range if we factor in style to accompany performance numbers. And we reckon that’s why the predecessor was such a massive hit. But the game has changed significantly over the past four years with loan restrictions playing a major factor in consumer buying habits. Would you splash the cash on a brand new Scirocco? That boils down to how much you’re willing to sacrifice practicality for a perceived increase in style. Opt for the Golf 1.4 TSI with EQP if you prefer to play it safe. But this Scirocco won’t be bad a choice either if you want a quirky touch as a daily drive.

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The lost art of stick shifts

As the industry moves towards full-fledged automation, Lenspeed laments the dying art of self-serviced satisfaction

Team Lenspeed

Manual gearboxes are an increasingly rare option in Singapore. To put things into perspective, there’s absolutely no reason why drivers nowadays should opt for the old school stick shift to go about their daily commute. It requires the coordination of two more limbs, hinders your movements when you style your hair at 50km/h and yes, it holds you back from answering the phone on the move.

Couple these with cars that are primarily fitted with automatic gearboxes as standard when we look into the local context. You can opt for a manual, but that would come at a hefty cost at point of indent. Automatic cars allow the driver to “hoon” the car faster, too. Simply put pedal to metal, and let the electronics settle the rest. And with the proliferation of smooth, fast and efficient automatic transmissions, there is no way a manual gearbox can match them – pound for pound.

So, it’s a lost cause for the stick shift, yeah? Not really. Majority of the German population are still opting for the old school approach when acquiring modern cars. You might argue that the autobahns require less shifting action than congested Singapore, but other than cost savings, the manual gearbox is the preferred choice for most Europeans – ladies included!

Why then, is a manual gearbox favoured? In my opinion, nothing can replicate the feeling when you shift through the gates, managing the clutch and biting point along the way. You can gather a deeper sense of communication with the car, too. I call this an intrinsic feel – a sensation only a traditional petrolhead can understand as those who haven’t driven a manual will only marvel at the prospects of faster, better technology. But are they necessarily more fun? I beg to differ.

Fun can be had with mainstream cars, too. An aging car with a couple of years left on the COE cycle can be more fun than a new, tech-laden car. If your sense of appreciation for the stick shift spans way beyond technological advancements, you’ll understand where I’m coming from. And this, I reckon, is the beauty behind the more traditional way of driving.

While manual gearboxes keep you dialed in the action, this can translate to the need for more concentration behind the wheel, too. And yes, having no hands for the smartphone is a good thing – even when Whatsapp is crying out for your response!

But that does not mean fun will be entirely diluted without a physical shifter. The BMW i3 focuses on the future; even the gear knob is located on the steering column, integrated with the ignition button in its bid to save space on the centre console. In spite of the tech-centric focus, there’s genuine fun behind the wheel to keep keen drivers engaged, with the chassis, tyres and battery working in unison to supply instantaneous, authentic excitement. We’d still opt for a stick shift in an i3 but that wouldn’t be possible!

The next time you’re on the hunt for a daily drive, keep an open mind and place a couple of cars with a manual gearbox on your shortlist. For all you know, you might be smiling more than ever during every commute – for the self-serviced satisfaction can never, ever be overpowered by a smarter machine.

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