By Danny Er
10.11.2006
The eight biennial Singapore Motorshow officially opens this morning with a bevy of new launches, new brands and a focus on hybrid cars.
The Minister for Transport and Second Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Raymond Lim who was on hand to officially open the event emphasises the importance of Motor shows in putting the region in touch with green technologies like hybrid cars.
Besides a 'Green Technologies Area' at the Singapore Motorshow, this year's premier motor event showcases a plethora of auto inventions and is also the first of many firsts.
Auto makes like Chrysler, Dodge, Fiat, Geely, Lifan. Mitsuoka will be making their first appearances at the motorshow and the event will be a good showcase for still relatively unknown makes like Lifan ( A Chinese manufactured car) and Mitsuoko (a new Japanese make that has cars similar in classiness to the Rolls Royce at a less costly price).
The premier auto event will be opened to the public from November 10 till November 19. Adult tickets are priced at $10 per ticket with child tickets at $4 per ticket.
Other highlights to look out for at the Singapore Motorshow
Concept Car zaZen by RinSpeed (Level 6)
Catch the RinSpeed upclose on Level 6. Known as the 'automotive enlightment' on four wheels, its famous Swiss designer and Rinspeed founder, Frank M.Rinderknecht designed it with a holographic brake lamo and smoothly contoured, transparent, one-piece roof dome make up of high-tech Makrolon® polycarbonate by Bayer MaterialScience.
It also is covered by a hardtop that looks like it is floating airily above the chunky body. You may not really see the crystals, but its body is coated with tiny pieces of precious Swarovski crystals that gives it a 'crystal skin' finish.
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P2 by Prodrive (Level 4)
Check out the P2 at the Subaru booth on Level 4. P2 is a concept turned reality with the combination of of Subaru's Impreza STi engine that is modified for the roads as well as Prodrive's innovative performance-enhancing technologies - ALS (Anti-Lag System) and ATD (Active Torque Dynamics).
Prodrive, the motorsport and automotive specialist in UK had both practicality and performance in mind when designing P2. While having the comforts of any car, it has a performance of a sports car and, acelerates fast and reaches 100kph from standstill in less than 4 seconds.
Mazda's MX-5 Roadster Coupe (Level 4)
It is covered by the world's fastest electrical operated roof opening and closing retractable hardtop that takes only 12 seconds to retrace as compared to a conventional 25 seconds.
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The Honda Civic Hybrid in the Green Technologies Area (Level 6)
The new hybrid has a highly-efficient 1.3-litre engine, which has an electric motor that runs the car at fuel consumption rate of 21.7km per litre. Of course, the car costs more than a normal petrol run car of the same engine size. Not just the engine, but the way it's designed with its wings helps to lower drag and saves fuel.
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Subaru's tribeca - A Crossover 7 Seater Sports Utility Vehicle
(Level 4)
This is something new in SUVs. It is the first to utility vehicle that has crossovered with a six-cylinder, horizontally-opposed boxer engine that is a seven-passenger limited model with stylish exterior.
YZF-R1 - MotoGp inspired bike (Level 4)
Inspired by the YZR-M1 MotoGP bike, the R1 has incorporated technology that improves on cornering by responding exactly to rider input. and even increases the rear-wheel force for extra traction. It has the Yamaha Chip-Controlled Intake air funnels for better rev and acceleration.
Concept car Orochi by new Japanese make Mitsuoka (Level 6)
