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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
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