logo
Fast Lane: The Car Expo opens, Category A COE cars from BMW and Maxus, documentary on teen F1 driver

Fast Lane: The Car Expo opens, Category A COE cars from BMW and Maxus, documentary on teen F1 driver

Straits Times02-05-2025

The Car Expo opens on May 3 at 11am. PHOTO: SPH MEDIA
Fast Lane: The Car Expo opens, Category A COE cars from BMW and Maxus, documentary on teen F1 driver
48 brands at The Car Expo
Touted as 'the biggest car show in Singapore', The Car Expo is happening on May 3 and 4 at Singapore Expo's Halls 3 and 4.
Organised by SPH Media, which publishes The Straits Times, there are 48 brands participatin g, including authorised distributorships, pre-owned car dealers, commercial vehicles and accessories. This is the highest number of participating brands since August 2022.
Car brands making their debut at the expo include Deepal, Farizon, Jmev, Proton e.Mas and Riddara .
SPC vouchers valued at up to $1,000 will be given with the purchase of a new or pre-owned car. The first 50 shoppers each day who have purchased at least $80 worth of car accessories will get a $10 SPC cash voucher, subject to conditions.
On May 3, at 2 and 5pm, the organiser will hold a trivia quiz where participants stand to win vouchers.
Doors open from 11am on May 3 and 10am on May 4. Admission is free. Go to thecarexpo.sg for more details.
Category A COE BMW saloon
Baby Bimmer: The second-generation 216 Gran Coupe is available at BMW dealerships.
PHOTO: BMW
BMW has launched the 216 Gran Coupe, the most compact four-door saloon in its line-up. Rated at 122hp, the 1.5-litre engine car qualifies for the Category A certificate of entitlement (COE), joining the ranks of the Audi A3 saloon and Mercedes-Benz CLA180.
Priced at $233,888 with COE, the launch model is generously equipped, with premium features like an online navigation system and the M Sport package, which includes adaptive suspension.
Category A COE people mover
A for accommodations: The commodious Maxus Mifa7 is now available as a Category A COE model.
PHOTO: MAXUS
Maxus has announced a new variant of its Mifa 7 multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) that has been tuned to qualify for the Category A COE with 108kW. This is down from the 180kW Category B COE mode l introduced in Singapore in 2024.
Torque remains unchanged at 350Nm, suggesting that the 4,910mm long seven-seater MPV should still be more than capable on the road. The 0-100kmh timing though has been stretched from nine seconds on the 180kW version to 14.7 seconds.
The car is well-equipped with safety features such as lane-departure warning, a 360-degree camera and adaptive cruise control.
The Category A COE Mifa 7 is available in two trim levels, with prices starting at $204,999 with COE.
Documentary on Mercedes F1 driver
New documentary The Seat reveals private WhatsApp chats behind the biggest driver change in F1 history.
PHOTO: WHATSAPP
The Seat is a 45-minute documentary on how an 18-year-old driver, Kimi Antonelli, got his seat in the Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team.
The film is released by WhatsApp, a partner of the racing team.
In the press statement , Mercedes' team boss Toto Wolff said the team wanted to offer fans insight into the process that led to the Italian teenager being promoted into the top-level race series.
One can assume a significant part of the discussion happened over WhatsApp.
The racer was part of Mercedes-AMG's junior programme in 2019. He made his single-seater race debut in 2021 in the Italian F4 and Formula 4 UAE Championship Trophy Round.
The film will be available on Netflix from May 5. Watch the trailer at str.sg/5eRY
Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Meta in talks for scale AI investment that could top US$10 billion
Meta in talks for scale AI investment that could top US$10 billion

Business Times

time9 hours ago

  • Business Times

Meta in talks for scale AI investment that could top US$10 billion

[NEW YORK] Meta Platforms is in talks to make a multibillion-dollar investment into artificial intelligence startup Scale AI, according to people familiar with the matter. The financing could exceed US$10 billion in value, some of the people said, making it one of the largest private company funding events of all time. The terms of the deal are not finalised and could still change, according to the people, who asked not to be identified discussing private information. A representative for Scale did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Meta declined to comment. Scale AI, whose customers include Microsoft and OpenAI, provides data labelling services to help companies train machine-learning models and has become a key beneficiary of the generative AI boom. The startup was last valued at about US$14 billion in 2024, in a funding round that included backing from Meta and Microsoft. Earlier this year, Bloomberg reported that Scale was in talks for a tender offer that would value it at US$25 billion. This would be Meta's biggest ever external AI investment, and a rare move for the company. The social media giant has before now mostly depended on its in-house research, plus a more open development strategy, to make improvements in its AI technology. Meanwhile, Big Tech peers have invested heavily: Microsoft has put more than US$13 billion into OpenAI while both and Alphabet have put billions into rival Anthropic. BT in your inbox Start and end each day with the latest news stories and analyses delivered straight to your inbox. Sign Up Sign Up Part of those companies' investments have been through credits to use their computing power. Meta does not have a cloud business, and it is unclear what format Meta's investment will take. Chief executive officer Mark Zuckerberg has made AI Meta's top priority, and said in January that the company would spend as much as US$65 billion on related projects this year. The company's push includes an effort to make Llama the industry standard worldwide. Meta's AI chatbot – already available on Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp – is used by one billion people per month. Scale, co-founded in 2016 by CEO Alexandr Wang, has been growing quickly: The startup generated revenue of US$870 million last year and expects sales to more than double to US$2 billion in 2025, Bloomberg previously reported. Scale plays a key role in making AI data available for companies. Because AI is only as good as the data that goes into it, Scale uses scads of contract workers to tidy up and tag images, text and other data that can then be used for AI training. Scale and Meta share an interest in defence tech. Last week, Meta announced a new partnership with defence contractor Anduril Industries to develop products for the US military, including an AI-powered helmet with virtual and augmented reality features. Meta has also granted approval for US government agencies and defence contractors to use its AI models. The company is already partnering with Scale on a programme called Defense Llama – a version of Meta's Llama large language model intended for military use. Scale has increasingly been working with the US government to develop AI for defence purposes. Earlier this year the startup said it won a contract with the Defense Department to work on AI agent technology. The company called the contract 'a significant milestone in military advancement.' BLOOMBERG

More power and improved range: Updated BMW iX now in Singapore, Lifestyle News
More power and improved range: Updated BMW iX now in Singapore, Lifestyle News

AsiaOne

time2 days ago

  • AsiaOne

More power and improved range: Updated BMW iX now in Singapore, Lifestyle News

The updated BMW iX is now in Singapore, and the German luxury electric SUV now features more power and improved range, alongside a minor refresh in its styling. The new iX was unveiled at an event held at New Bahru on June 5, and while the car looks fairly similar to the pre-facelift model externally, there are some slight enhancements to distinguish it as a new model. The most obvious ones are the diagonal LED elements in the headlight design, in place of the previous version's horizontal design. The grille design features diagonal lines within it as well, replacing the previous model's diamond/triangle pattern. It is also framed by the BMW Iconic Grille lighting element as standard now. For the first time, BMW will be offering the iX with an M Sport trim package in Singapore, which includes gloss black front air intakes, 21-inch M Sport rims and vertical reflectors on the lower rear bumper. The standard Sport trim will still be available, and it features more body-coloured design elements like on the lower front bumper for a more streamlined look. However, the main changes to the iX are under the skin. The sole drivetrain variant available is now the xDrive45, instead of the xDrive40 previously. That indicates an increase in power, and the BMW iX now produces a total of 402hp and 700Nm of torque, up from 322hp and 630Nm of torque. As a result, the car can now go from 0-100km/h in 5.1 seconds, one full second quicker than the outgoing model. The battery has now been reengineered, and now delivers a capacity of 94.8kWh, up from 71kWh previously. This means that the new BMW iX xDrive45 now has a range of 602km, a 40 per cent increase over the xDrive40's 425km range. Prices for the updated BMW iX xDrive45 start at $451,888 with COE (as of June 2025) for the Sport variant, while the M Sport version goes for $473,888, inclusive of COE. [[nid:713789]] No part of this article can be reproduced without permission from AsiaOne.

Mercedes, BMW step up response to China export curbs to avoid shortages
Mercedes, BMW step up response to China export curbs to avoid shortages

Business Times

time4 days ago

  • Business Times

Mercedes, BMW step up response to China export curbs to avoid shortages

[FRANKFURT] Automakers in the US and Europe raised concerns about China's export controls on rare earth metals, as Beijing's move threatens to disrupt global car production. Mercedes-Benz Group and BMW are in talks with suppliers to prevent shortages of components containing these materials, with the former discussing stockpiling certain items. Meanwhile, Ford Motor said it's taking longer for some parts to get through China's approval process for exporting rare earths, with shipping costs rising in some cases. 'It just puts stress on a system that is highly organised,' Ford chief financial officer Sherry House said on Wednesday (Jun 4) at an industry conference in New York. The controls mean automakers must find alternative parts or ways to source supplies, she said. Ford had to idle a factory in Chicago producing the Explorer sport utility vehicle for an entire week last month due to a rare earths shortage. While its car factories are operating as usual, parts of BMW's supply network are affected by China's curbs, a spokesperson said, without giving further detail. In response to tariffs from US President Donald Trump, China in April imposed controls on rare earth exports that threaten to disrupt the global supply of key materials widely used in high-tech manufacturing, from electric vehicles to weaponry. Automakers need rare earths such as terbium for motors in electric cars, while others are used in combustion engine vehicles, such as in sensors and electronic systems. China dominates the market for processing these materials. BT in your inbox Start and end each day with the latest news stories and analyses delivered straight to your inbox. Sign Up Sign Up The potential squeeze on rare earth magnets is drawing comparisons to the global semiconductor crisis that disrupted automotive production in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. 'It's a major issue for the industry,' John Murphy, a Bank of America auto analyst told Detroit-based reporters Wednesday at an Automotive Press Association event. 'Like other supply shocks, they are very industrious and are going to find workarounds fairly quickly.' While unlikely to force immediate production stoppages, he said that 'over time, if it's not solved, it's going to become a very expensive problem'. The industry has lobbied the Trump administration to prod China to resume shipments of rare earth materials such as dysprosium and critical components made from them such as magnets. 'Matter of weeks' 'Without swift intervention from the administration, we anticipate this to impact and potentially interrupt US auto production in just a matter of weeks,' the heads of automaker trade group Alliance for Automotive Innovation and Mema, the largest vehicle supplier association, said in a joint letter dated May 9 and addressed to several Cabinet secretaries. While carmakers do not typically purchase rare earth metals directly, major suppliers use them in electric motors and hybrid systems delivered to automakers. 'If you come into such a risk situation, then we are in constant, constant dialogue with our suppliers,' Jorg Burzer, Mercedes' head of production, told reporters on Wednesday at a plant in Rastatt, Germany. 'Naturally, we discuss with them what the best tool is for risk management, so physical buffers play a role.' Elsewhere, Rivian Automotive has been working to educate the Trump administration on the complexity of supply chains, including how challenging it would be to process rare earths in the US, chief executive officer RJ Scaringe said at the UBS conference. 'These are 24-hour days, full-court press. We have a giant team on this,' Scaringe said. BLOOMBERG

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store