Fast Lane: Xiaomi, Hyundai, Aston Martin, Land Rover
No child's play: The Xiaomi SU7 will be available on the Gran Turismo 7 driving simulator game on the PlayStation console. PHOTO: XIAOMI
First Chinese EV on Gran Turismo
The Xiaomi SU7 Ultra will be the first Chinese electric vehicle (EV) to be featured in the Gran Turismo racing simulator game for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 gaming consoles in a future update.
In the real world, the SU7 Ultra is a three-motor EV with a combined output of 1,138kW that is capable of getting from 0-100kmh in under two seconds. The car holds the lap record on the Nurburgring Nordschleife circuit in Germany with a timing of 7min 4.96sec , beating the Porsche Taycan Turbo GT (7min 7.55sec).
Mr Lei Jun, founder and director of the Xiaomi Group, said that with the rapid growth of the Chinese automotive industry, he hopes more Chinese cars will appear in Gran Turismo games in the near future.
Mr Kazunori Yamauchi, game designer and producer of the Gran Turismo series, said he had sincere respect for the Chinese electronics appliance company that has made the leap from making smartphones to producing wearable devices and cars. 'I am deeply moved by its courage, inquisitiveness, passion and the industriousness to make it happen,' he added.
Children's workshop at Singapore's only car factory
Play with food: Children learn about food origins at this 60-minute workshop at the Hyundai plant in Singapore.
PHOTO: HMGICS
Every weekend from June 21, the Smart Food Lab will hold sensory workshops for children aged between three and six, where they can enjoy hands-on exploration of food origins and innovations.
The programme is an addition to the existing Discovery Tour hosted by the Hyundai Motor Group Innovation Center Singapore at its plant in the Jurong Innovation District. On the tour, families can harvest and taste produce grown at its Smart Farm.
The 60-minute Smart Food Lab sessions, which cost $15 a child, are held on Saturdays and Sundays from 10 to 11am and from 4 to 5pm, for up to eight children a session. Find out more at hyundai.com/sg
Le Mans-spec track toy for sale
Track toy: Buyers of the Aston Martin Valkyrie LM will get special training by coaches and engineers at special track-day events.
PHOTO: ASTON MARTIN
British sports car brand Aston Martin is selling a special version of the racer it is fielding at this weekend's 24 Hours of Le Mans in France.
Limited to 10 units, the Valkyrie LM uses the same 6.5-litre V12 engine and other technologies as the Valkyrie Hypercar racer. These include the seven-speed sequential transmission and special suspension set-up.
Buyers can either take their new car home or have Aston Martin take care of it. The owner can simply turn up at the various track events on the Aston Martin calendar for a customised driver training programme that offers 'the ultimate top-flight motorsport experience'.
The company will supply the driving coach and experts, even providing data and on-board video analysis. This is similar to what Ferrari did with the FXX programme in 2005.
Valkyrie LM deliveries are slated to begin in the second quarter of 2026.
Infotainment upgrade for Defender
Mild upgrade: Updated Land Rover Defender gets better infotainment and new off-road driving technology.
PHOTO: LAND ROVER
An updated Land Rover Defender will be available in Singapore in the first quarter of 2026. The exterior is almost unchanged from 2020, other than a slight tweak to the design of the lights and a new wheel option.
The infotainment system has been upsized to 13.1 inches, from 10 inches previously. It now sits flush to the climate control panel.
The off-roader is also supposed to be more capable now, with the introduction of an adaptive off-road cruise control that maintains the car's speed when driven on off-road trails, leaving the driver to concentrate on steering.
Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Business Times
4 hours ago
- Business Times
China didn't just survive decoupling, it turned it into strategy
WHEN the first Trump administration pushed for decoupling from China, it was framed as a geopolitical warning shot. Decoupling was meant to be a chokehold – a way to cut China off from capital, consumers, and core technologies. However, Beijing did not panic, it treated the move as a strategic signal. Rather than resist, China began quietly reconfiguring its global economic footprint. Washington thought it was cornering China. US President Donald Trump thought he held the cards, controlled the chips and set the rules. But he missed one inconvenient truth: Most of those cards were printed, packed, and shipped from factories in China. No grand speeches. No drama. Just deliberate moves: Diversifying supply chains, investing abroad, and pushing local tech to close the gap. While American legislators staged hearings, Chinese firms inked deals. While one side debated restrictions, the other redrew its map. The result? A calibrated diversification of supply chains, not as an act of retreat, but of repositioning. Supply chains with Chinese characteristics Over the past five years, Chinese firms have accelerated investments across South-east Asia, particularly in Vietnam, Indonesia, and Malaysia. These moves weren't just about evading tariffs; they reflected something deeper – the private sector's instinct to escape the involution of domestic competition. Rather than grind through China's crowded and laser-thin margin markets where capital quickly pile into the same trends, many entrepreneurs sought arbitrage abroad. Lower labour costs, less stiff competition and higher margins. In other words: less involution, more unfair advantage (over the local players in the overseas markets) . 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 But this wasn't a solo act. Beijing provided the scaffolding – through bilateral free trade agreements, infrastructure lending and sometimes diplomatic cover. It's market-driven, but state-supported. A relay race between private initiative and public policy. The numbers are telling. China's foreign direct investment into Asean nearly tripled, from around US$9 billion in 2016 to over US$25 billion in 2023. Bilateral trade with Asean grew from US$486 billion to nearly US$700 billion over the same period. And critically, much of this new value chain – from intellectual property (IP) to logistics to upstream components – remains under Chinese control. What's emerging is not just offshoring, it is a China-centric supply chain, just not physically in China. Washington turns inward, Beijing looks outward While China was expanding outward, the US focused inward. Rather than competing through innovation or strengthening ties, Washington's toolkit leaned heavily on bans and restrictions – cue TikTok, Huawei, WeChat, DJI. Legislative energy went into hearings and symbolic gestures. Meanwhile, Chinese companies opened factories, expanded exports, and deepened market ties. Firms like Midea acquired global assets such as Germany's robotics maker KUKA and Spanish appliance manufacturer Teka Group. BYD set up electric vehicle (EV) plants in Hungary and Brazil, while Wuling manufactured their mini EVs in Indonesia. Consumer names such as Mixue, Luckin Coffee and Chagee have also become household names across South-east Asia in recent years. Industrial giants such as the likes of CATL, Trina Solar, and Sungrow now dominate global energy supply chains. Technological independence under pressure Despite export bans and semiconductor restrictions, China has made visible progress in core technologies. Domestic players have achieved 7nanometre (nm) chip production and are pushing into DUV (deep ultraviolet) and potentially EUV (extreme ultraviolet) lithography. AI chips are now a top priority for firms like Huawei and SMIC. In aviation, Comac's C919 took flight, further reducing dependency on Airbus and Boeing. In rare earths, China has not only consolidated upstream and midstream operations but also introduced tighter controls and oversight. This has significantly strengthened Beijing's ability to enforce export restrictions and wield rare earths as a strategic bargaining chip in ongoing trade negotiations. Early signs of strategic payoff Recent trade data shows that China's preparations since Trump's first term are bearing fruit. In May 2025, despite a sharp 35 per cent drop in exports to the US, overall exports rose 4.8 per cent year on year. This plunge in exports to the US was somewhat cushioned by strong performance in Asean (15 per cent), the European Union (12 per cent), and Africa (33 per cent). Germany and Vietnam both saw a 22 per cent jump in imports from China. Over the past month, the US now accounts for just 10 per cent of China's total exports. From being China's largest trading partner, it is gradually becoming just one of many customers and, arguably, not a very reliable one. The decoupling irony The more ironical part of all this is that by seeking to isolate China, the US may have isolated itself. Supply chains rerouted. Markets matured. Chinese firms globalised. The geopolitical chessboard shifted, without much fanfare, but with deliberate execution. For foreign investors and policymakers, the lesson is clear. While one side drew lines, the other built bridges. One end of the world conducted a bi-partisan witch-hunt while the other silently reinvent themselves. And in doing so, China has turned decoupling from a defensive stance into a strategic advantage. The ship hasn't just sailed – it's already halfway to its next destination. The writer, a seasoned economist, adviser and entrepreneur, is an affiliate lecturer at Singapore Management University
Straits Times
6 hours ago
- Straits Times
Why Hunan cusine, or xiangcai, has risen in popularity in China and beyond
The flavours of Hunan cuisine, or xiangcai, have grown on Chinese and Singaporean tastebuds alike. ST PHOTOS: LIM MIN ZHANG - In the bustling capital of central Hunan province, Western chains from Starbucks to McDonald's – and even big-name Chinese brands such as HeyTea – take a back seat. Instead, what are drawing queues are Hunanese versions of street food such as black spicy-and-sour smelly tofu, deep fried sugar-coated glutinous rice balls, as well as Chayan Yuese, a line of milk tea sold mostly in Hunan. Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Business Times
13 hours ago
- Business Times
Shein's planned Hong Kong listing to benefit from wider capital pool, analysts say
[SYDNEY] Shein's planned listing in Hong Kong will help the online fast-fashion retailer avoid sharp investor scrutiny of its supply chains while tapping into capital from the mainland and emerging market investors, analysts said. The Singapore-headquartered company has turned its public market debut ambitions to Hong Kong after failing to win Chinese securities regulatory approval to proceed with a London initial public offering (IPO), Reuters reported last month, citing sources. While a listing, if successful, would be a big boost for Hong Kong, the move would cast a cloud over the company's efforts in recent years to gain legitimacy as a global, rather than Chinese, company. Shein, which sells products including US$5 bike shorts and US$18 sundresses, has faced political and environmental group pressure in the UK over its cotton sourcing and supply chain practices. It has also faced allegations that its clothes contain cotton from China's Xinjiang region, where the US and NGOs have accused the Chinese government of human rights abuses and forced labour. Beijing denies any abuses. The company, which moved its headquarters from China to Singapore in 2022, has previously said it has a zero-tolerance policy for forced labour and requires its contract manufacturers to only source cotton from approved regions. 'If it is the only option now open to them, the Hong Kong market does make sense as a place where you could list a global business with a mainland supply chain,' said Eliot Fisk, a Hong Kong capital markets consultant and former JPMorgan banker. 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 Shein did not respond to a Reuters request for comment. Before its attempt to list in London, Shein had pursued a listing in New York. The China-founded company had also faced regulatory hurdles and pushback from US lawmakers in its attempt to list in the US. 'Listing in Hong Kong would also likely dodge the protests and political pushback it might face in the UK,' said Craig Coben, former Bank of America co-head of capital markets in Hong Kong. While it is not known whether Shein plans to seek any waivers for a potential Hong Kong listing, several waivers, including disclosure-related waivers, can be sought by large IPO hopefuls in the Asian financial hub, according to capital market lawyers. A Hong Kong listing would also allow Shein to eventually be added to the city's Stock Connect, scheme which gives easier access for mainland and Hong-Kong-based investors to buy shares on each country's respective markets more easily. Shein would easily meet the market capitalisation and other criteria for inclusion in the connect scheme and for attracting mainland investment, said Hong Kong-based advisory firm Emmer Capital Partners CEO Manishi Raychaudhuri. There was a 255 per cent year-on-year increase in average daily turnover in the first three months of the year in Southbound trading – mainland investors buying and selling Hong Kong stocks – the Hong Kong Exchange said in its first quarter results. 'Hong Kong would have a dominant presence of Asia and emerging market-focused investors. London on the other hand, would have a significant presence of global and developed market investors,' Raychaudhuri said. 'The supply chain issues would have been a more important consideration for the latter set of investors.' REUTERS
