CNG: Petrol's nicer twin?

The Ecofuel World Tour team is attempting to set a Guinness World Record for being the first team to travel 45,000km, over five continents, in as many countries, running solely on natural gas.

Driving a standard CNG Volkswagen Caddy, they have retrofitted the vehicle with nine additional carbon tanks that give the vehicle a whopping range of 3,000km. Having travelled from Europe through to the Middle East, South Asia and South-East Asia, they still have two remaining legs in Australia and the Americas to go, and are expected to spend at least three more months on the road.

The team is currently carrying out a scheduled pitstop in Singapore for repairs and maintenance after setting off from Germany last October.

AsiaOne caught up with Mr Rainer Zietlow, leader of the Ecofuel World Tour team, at Singapore's pioneer Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) conversion workshop, C. Melchers-Galileo.

How is the Volkswager Caddy performing so far?

It's performing quite well actually. It has a heavy duty chassis which means we can put all of our fully-filled tanks weighing about 600 kg on the car boot, and so far the car is going very well. Consumptions runs about six to seven kg of gas to 100 km, and the engine runs great. No problems so far.

What's the team dynamics like?

I've got a very professional four person team. I do the organising and driving, and I have a mechanic with me who does all the repairs and CNG fillings. We also have a photographer and one video cameraman.

Has it been an eventful three months crossing so many countries?

The Iran border was quite interesting, because when I opened my car boot and they see the tanks, they asked me, "Hey are you tourist or terrorist?"

Anyhow, the tour is on schedule, so far no problems other than one tyre puncture. India is quite a tricky country for CNG because there is only CNG in the west coast, but apart from that, things have been quite good so far.

Do you think CNG will ever over-take petrol?

Probably not overtake, but CNG will play a major role. For example, in Germany we have a 5% market share, and I'm pretty sure it will go up to 20%. CNG is very reliable, it is almost 50% cheaper than fuel and you know it will last much longer. If fuel runs out in 2030 or 2040, we will still have CNG available. Of course, another big factor is that the environment will be better protected.
CNG the way to go for Singapore

AsiaOne also spoke to C. Melchers-Galileo's Business Development Executive, Mr Marc Dass.

On the future of CNG in Singapore, he said: "I think that CNG is moving in the right direction, and it is the way to go for Singapore. We are a country that promotes green living, and CNG improves your lifestyle overall because it is a cleaner fuel, and makes for a cleaner environment, with cleaner air."

So, what can Singaporeans look forward to?

"The first thing they can look forward to is higher cost savings on fuel consumption on the fuel they use because CNG is cheaper than petrol. Also, there is no carbon build up with CNG, so the engine's lifespan is actually extended as a result. So, cleaner car, cleaner environment and fuel cost savings in the future," said Mr Dass.

At the moment, the price for a basic CNG conversion kit starts from $2,000 for a mixer system and goes up two-fold for a sequential version. The sequential kit works the same way as traditional engines, which use a direct-injection system, and will only cause a power loss of roughly five percent. The mixer kit, on the other hand, results in a 15 to 20 per cent loss.

The most obvious perks of converting to CNG are reduced fuel consumption, cheaper fuel and a 40 per cent discount on the Open Market Value (OMV) of the car. It is expected that a car which does 25,000km to 30,000km in mileage annually will break even after 12 months.

A major problem though is that the only filling station is located on Jurong Island. However, plans are in the pipeline for a mainland station to be built, and possibly more to follow.

3 more CNG stations to open by end of 2008

SINGAPORE: Soaring petrol prices have prompted drivers to look for cheaper fuel alternatives.

One alternative is to go for Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) cars. A company selling CNG cars sold 80 of them at a road show on Sunday. It usually sells about 100 cars a week.

To cater to more CNG cars – which are cleaner, greener and cheaper than normal cars – three more CNG stations are due to open by the end of the year.

Bi-fuel petrol-CNG cars are a major draw for motorists. It costs more than S$3,000 to retrofit the car before it can use CNG, but S$10 of CNG can allow one to travel up to 220 kilometres.

New cars fitted with CNG technology benefit from the Green Tax Rebate, which is 40 percent off the car's open market value (OMV).

Valerie Tan, managing director of Pinnacle International, said: "For example, you have bought a car with an OMV of S$30,000, so you have a straight rebate from the government – 40 percent off S$30,000, which is S$12,000 off."

But many motorists still want to know how the CNG fuel would affect the cars' performance.

Melvin Toh, potential petrol-CNG car owner, said: "Before I tested, I thought, 'Would there be any difference in acceleration? Would the ride be smooth? Would there be any loading?'. But after I test drove the car, honestly, I couldn't feel any difference."

"I tested two cars. I found the drive quite smooth, even when you change from petrol to CNG and back again. The car didn't have any jerky movement," said Patrick Wong, another potential petrol-CNG car owner.

But owning a petrol-CNG car in Singapore is not all smooth driving. Besides the fact that the gas tank takes up a large amount of space in the boot of the car, those who own bi-fuel cars and live in the eastern parts of Singapore find it harder to refuel.

At present, there is only one refuelling station on Jurong Island.

Three more stations are due to open this year – one in Mandai by mid-February, another in Jalan Buroh in Jurong by end-February and the third in Serangoon North Avenue 5 by year's end.

There are currently no plans to build a refuelling station in the east because most of the gas pipelines are situated in the west of Singapore.

CNG is listed as a hazardous material, so strict controls are in place and transportation is only allowed on certain roads.

BMW gets in bed with Google Maps for MyInfo

Promising to make automotive navigation systems "easier, faster, and more convenient to use," BMW is (finally) rolling out its Google-partnered "Myinfo" service in North America (Europeans received BMW's similar "ConnectedDrive" late last year). With a click of a mouse from the Google Maps web site on your computer, up to 10 destinations may be automatically sent to the navigation system of the BMW Assist-equipped model (yes, there is no need to use the iDrive controller to painstakingly plug them in). The telemetry may be sent while the vehicle is parked, or while driving if you have shared your Myinfo data with a relative, friend, or co-worker.

BMW is making Myinfo exclusive to the 2008 BMW X6 right now, however it plans to roll it out across the lineup in 2009. Inputting address and destination data into any navigation system has always been grievous, so we welcome any technology that allows remote, one-click, uploading. BMW's system joins the upcoming eNav feature for GM's OnStar service, which works with MapQuest instead of Google Maps.

Hit the jump for BMW's full press release and a brief video of the system in action.

Ford releases specs on new FPV Falcons

Ford is getting ready for a battle in Australia for the hearts and minds of performance enthusiasts. Its new FPV Falcons will go head to head with what HSV offers from Holden, and today the Blue Oval from Down Under released officials specs for its souped up, gnarly-looking rear-wheel-drive sedans. First we have the F6, which is powered by the familiar turbocharged 4.0L straight-six engine now producing 416 horsepower and 417 pound-feet of torque at just 1,950 rpm. That's a 54-horsepower increase over the prior straight six, and matches up surprisingly well with Ford's other engine offering, the 5.4L Boss V8 producing 422 horsepower and 406 pound-feet of torque at a loftier 4,750 rpm. The Boss motor can be had in the GT E, GT-P and GT sedans, as well as the Super Pursuit and Pursuit Ute. The exceptional straight-six meanwhile, is only offered in the F6 sedan and ute.

Let's compare what Ford revealed today with the offerings from Holden's HSV. Currently the Clubsport R8 is HSV's most high-performance sedan, and it's powered by an LS3 6.2L V8 producing 425 horsepower and 405 pound-feet of torque. Ford has pretty much matched HSV in the motor department then, and the new Falcon looks like it might weigh less to boot. But HSV dropped a bomb at the Melbourne Motor Show named the HSV W427, which is a version of the Clubsport R8 powered by GM's LS7 V8 producing 496 horses and 472 pound feet of torque. Hopefully Ford Australia has an answer for that up its sleeves, too.

Mercedes SL65 AMG Black Series details revealed, courtesy of MotorTrend

The online editors of Motor Trend have decided to spill the beans, which allows us to finally confirm the information circulating the interwebs regarding AMG's latest flagship supercar, the SL65 Black Series.

AMG has cranked an extra 66 hp out of the twin-turbo six-liter V12, now boosted up to 670 hp, while stump-pullin' grunt remains the same at 738 pound-feet. Unfortunately, all that torque still needs to be converted through a conventional five-speed automatic. The power boost, however, is only part of the equation that unburdens each horse of 1.6 lbs, now pulling just 6.1 lbs-per-hp instead of the "lesser" SL65 AMG's 7.7 lbs-per-hp. That reduction is thanks in no small part (but many small parts) to an ambitious weight reduction program that does away with the folding hard-top in favor of a fixed carbon-fiber roof, itself shaving 88 of the total 570 lbs cut off the curb weight. That figure is now down to a slightly more manageable 4,080 lbs, which is still in SUV territory for a two-seat sportscar. Carbon fiber is also features on the flared front fenders, hood, rear underbody diffuser and racing buckets. That reduced weight is sprung on fully adjustable coils with an electro-hydraulic Active Body Control suspension and one-piece forged alloys wearing Dunlop Maxx GT tires in 265/35ZR-19 dimensions up front and 325/30ZR-20 out back.

A deployable rear spoiler, flat-bottomed steering wheel and Alcantara-clad interior also factor into the package, which Mercedes says would be capable of hitting 220 mph if it didn't electronically limit it to 186 (300 km/h), but 60 will come in the three-second range. The extra kit is complimented by a lower hood line enabled by the Black's exemption from pedestrian safety regs due to its small production numbers: Only 350 examples will be made in either silver, white, black or red.

2008 Honda Accord Coupe

The 2008 Honda Accord Coupe isn't immune to road rage. Driving back to Brooklyn on the LIE, scrunched forward on the steering wheel with a back seat full of reasonably-priced, but well-designed Ikea flat pack behind, I'm minding my own business in the middle lane, overtaking the law-abiders on the right but not the flouters on the left when suddenly the Accord's rear view mirror is filled with a chrome Isuzu badge. Not content with making the same progress as everyone else, the Forward Cab driver has settled on intimidating those before him in order to ensure he arrives back at whichever depressing industrial estate he's destined for at least 30 seconds earlier than he would have otherwise.

Sebastian, the semi-pro mixed martial artist rolling gently for and aft next to me, holding a stack of galvanized steel planters in his lap as his seat's latches fail to find purchase on the rails, looks on bemused as Mr. Angry charges past in a suddenly open gap on the right. Gesticulating wildly, the Isuzu driver swerves violently at us forcing me swing the Accord quickly into the fast lane; braking hard to avoid hitting the huge SUV that has no idea any of this is happening.

All of this hardly troubled the Accord. In V6 coupe form, the eighth and latest iteration of Honda's mid-size sedan is amazingly capable. Both fast and frugal, the 3.5-liter V6 is the largest and most powerful engine ever to find itself in a Honda passenger vehicle. In the coupe, Honda's ditched cylinder deactivation in favor of out-and-out performance. The 268 bhp is bolstered at the low end by both variable timing for its inlet valves and variable lengths for its magnesium intake manifold. Yes, this middle-of-the-road car now comes with magnesium engine parts.

Of course, Sebastian and I wouldn't have been out on Long Island shopping for fiber board storage solutions if we hadn't had a car we could have fit it all in. The Accord coupe's trunk is amazingly capacious for a two-door and while the rear seats don't fold down flat and the hole in the rear bulkhead is small and impractically shaped it does manage to swallow a surprisingly large amount of furniture named for obscure people, places and fjords in Sweden.

After the Isuzu moves on to torment the next car in a line of traffic stretching all the way back to Brooklyn, Sebastian observes that the driver, someone similar to us in age if not cleanliness, probably wouldn't have acted in such an aggressive manner if he'd encountered us on the sidewalk instead of the street. Bear with me; this car thing is all new to Sebastian, a recent émigré from Berlin, if not to you and I. More used to motorcycles and sports cars — vehicles intimately involved in their surroundings — it's something that I've always heard, but never understood. Until now.

Trapped in the midst of nothing but competence, a vast array of technology working to isolate me from its engineering to the greatest possible degree, I can suddenly understand where road rage originates. Driving down the highway, there's no grand visceral experience to separate me from the realities of moving through traffic. No engine that might not be fueling correctly or a potential stiff spot in my drive chain, there's nothing but the tedious journey ahead of me and those outside my cocoon making it longer. I feel empowered by the Accord's performance but separated from the experience of driving it. Suddenly, I'm not here for driving's sake, but for a destination that's increasingly taking longer to reach.

I could put my foot down — the V6 Accord is faster than anything this side of a Boxster — charging up behind those keeping me from home, safe in the knowledge that they see only its red paint and not my scrawny arms, safely removed from the experience. But something in the back of my mind restrains me. Maybe it's the leaf of the potted plant behind, gently tapping the back of my head, that reminds me that this isolation is only temporary and that soon I'll be back home, once again involved in the world outside.

Exterior Design:**
In places the 2008 Honda Accord Coupe is woefully bland, in others awkwardly edgy. And what's with the rubber strip running across the hood? Having said that, it packs space for five and their luggage into a reasonably svelte shape, we suppose that's something.

Interior Design:**
As seen here in EX-L trim it's possitvly posh. The problem is, the grayish plastic and cornicopia of buttions clash with the nice leather. Too much that you touch is cheap plastic, while what you look at is awkwardly unintuitive. The Sat/Nav screen resides several inches behind a piece of prehensile plastic and can't be viewed anytime the sun is above the horizon. The high waist-line makes for huge blind spots.

Acceleration:****
The 268bhp V6 does 0-60 in 5.7 seconds. That's ridiculously fast for a practical, mid-size car. 15 years ago this would have outrun most Porsches. We just wish it didn't try and light up the front wheels with such ferocity every time your right foot starts feeling heavy.

Braking:***
Everything you'll ever need, provided you don't need an ideal brake/throttle relationship for heel and toeing.

Ride:****
Unremarkable in that you don't notice it as it competently goes about it's job, absorbing all but the worst New York's roads could throw at it.

Handling:**
The biggest problem. Floaty and imprecise at speed, the experience is dominated by understeer if you slow down. Still, it'll get you where you're going safely and quickly, just don't expect to enjoy the experience.

Gearbox:***
As unremarkable as a six-speed manual could be. But, it's not an automatic, and that's something. First gear is ridiculously short, most of the time, second is fine for pulling away.

Audio:****
EX-L trim brings with it every audio function you could want, in an unremarkable and very buttony way that is.

Toys:***
If we could award stars for the number of buttons on the dash, the Accord's would stretch across the page. When you can see it, the Sat/Nav works well, the center mounted dial spinning through menus with ease.

Value:*
Ours was specced up to $31,145 with delivery. We'll take our $30k-ish V6 coupes in 350Z form please.

Overall: ***
You can't question the Accord's competence at everything it sets out to achieve, but you can question its motivations.

All the V6's silly speed does is make us long for a simple, no frills, practical sedan or coupe with solid engineering, good handling, a reasonably sized interior and good build quality.

By the Numbers Special Edition: Now for Some Positive Sales Numbers

TTAC's monthly By The Numbers editorial tracks everything from fuel-sucking SUVs to the gas-sipping Prius. In this month's report, the sales stat were bleak almost across the board. Almost, but not quite. Economy car sales are, as you'd expect, relatively robust. To bring a little joy to readers fed-up with a steady stream of bad news, I decided to chart new car sales for subcompacts and compacts from the "Big 6:" Chrysler, Ford, GM, Honda, Nissan and Toyota). The stats run for all of '07, and year-to-date. Here's how the so-called bottom of the automotive food chain is looking, with review links and inventory levels thrown-in for good measure...

2009 Corvette ZR1 Raptured, Leaves Behind Carefully Labeled Carbon Fiber Clothes

Here's a pretty slick wall display from Plasan, the supplier of the carbon fiber parts for the 2009 Corvette ZR1. Instead of just stacking their stuff on the floor and making a path for people to walk through, like we do in the home office, they decided to utilize the wonders of vertical storage and even went all the way with a clever labeling scheme. Here we find out the weights of all the carbon fiber bits they supply for the mega-Vette.

Bentley wants to slash CO2 by two-thirds

British racing green could take on a whole new meaning if Bentley is able to achieve its goal of reducing CO2 emissions by two-thirds to just 120 grams per kilometer by 2012. Currently, all of its vehicles emit more than 400 g/km, no doubt including the 2009 Bentley Brooklands we drove last week, so the company from Crewe has a long way to go. While we'd expect to see some sort of diesel offering, Bentley remains mum on any real details regarding its future powerplants. We do know, however, that the British manufacturer of ridiculously luxurious transportation is holding out hope for biofuels, which post high well-to-wheel CO2 measurements. When just the tailpipe emissions are taken into consideration, biofuels offer just a little benefit as compared to dino-juice, but when the entire carbon footprint of the fuel is considered, biofuels like ethanol and biodiesel can post significant CO2 improvements.

TAG Heuer unveils eight new driver's watches

Of all the watchmakers out there making automotive-inspired timepieces, TAG Heuer is arguably the leader. The Swiss company has sponsored various motorsports for decades, has been endorsed by some of racing's biggest names and continues to produce some of the most lust-worthy yet attainable driver's watches on the market. At the industry's biggest annual exposition, TAG lived up to the reputation with a whole new collection of automotive timepieces.

Among the watches TAG Heuer unveiled at the Baselworld watch expo are three new editions of its Formula 1 Chronograph: two celebrating Kimi Raikkonen's championship last year and the Indianapolis 500, and a new oversized titanium carbide-coated Grande Date Chronograph. Three new luxurious versions of the innovative Grand Carrera were also unveiled, featuring gold and diamond embellishments. But while the Mercedes SLR McLaren may be nearing its long production run, TAG's headline production timepiece was the new SLR Calibre S Laptimer. Featuring a hyper-accurate mechanism capable of timing laps down to 1/100th of a second, the final SLR chronograph will remain in the company's catalog long after the last supercar rolls off the assembly line. Meanwhile, to showcase its latest technological advancements, TAG Heuer displayed the Grand Carrera Calibre 36 RS Caliper Concept Chronograph, featuring a rotating scale mechanism and a second hand that moves in precise increments of 1/10th of a second instead of the usual full-second movements. The concept timepiece was featured on the dash of former Pininfarina, Porsche and GM design chief Ken Okuyama's KO7 Spyder, which we first caught at this year's Geneva show and was displayed alongside the 36 RS concept watch in Basel.

Follow the jump for more details on TAG Heuer's Baselworld line-up of advanced driver's chronographs, and check out the images in the image gallery by clicking on the thumbnails below.

The Next Tyre for my Super 4

With its high performance in every condition, Metzeler Sportec M3 is the first choice in terms of grip, handling and safety.

Nobody does it better.

With precise steering behaviour it keeps the line, and on top it provides the best feedback which gives the driver a safe feeling plus fun and makes it possible to realize high speed while cornering.

In addition its stylish and effective design makes your motorbike distinguish from the mass.

Precise.
Trajectory precision thanks to reduced oversteering when accelerating out of corners.
Fast corner entry with a progressive cornering behaviour and high speed stability.
Traction and dry grip with full support at highest lean angles.
Technological knowledge, R&D know-how to satisfy higher performance of new Supersport bikes.
Reduced stand-up: the trajectory is not affected by corner braking, improving riding confidence.


Safe.
Excellent overall tyre performance with safe wet performance and extended durability.
Dry grip and performance stability allowing every rider to exploit his bike with high safety margins.
Wet safety, reduced aquaplaning for higher contact feeling when cornering.
Predictable grip limit feedback to exploit power output of modern bikes.
Braking stability for later braking, higher safety at all speed, on all road conditions.


Cool.
State of the art, high-performing tyre with a modern, appealing tread pattern design.
Improved contact feeling that reduce slip and improve wet traction for safe riding.
Longer mileage, Even wear on both normal road and on racetrack use it assure a long mileage.
Performance consistency and balanced behaviour with high mileage.
Feedback: faster and lighter riding, feeling the bike reactions at lean.

Bikeasia

A Regional Trade Show
BikeAsia 2008 is the first international exhibition on bicycle, motorcycle, accessories and components in Southeast Asia. It is a Regional show for a 500 million people who can reach Singapore within 5 hours flight and over a billion people within 8 hours. Thanks to the minimal visa requirements, its location in the middle of Asia and the high number of flight carriers in the area, Singapore is the ideal location to held the first edition of BikeAsia.

BikeAsia will become the new appointment for thousands of lovers and dealers of the 2 wheels sector. In a familiar environment, manufacturers from different countries will mingle together and will share ideas to improve the industry.

A Growing Market
Asia has the largest manufacturing base in the world for bicycles and motorcycles and it is also the largest consumer of these products. As per capita income increases rapidly in Asia, the desire to own better bicycles, motorcycles, accessories and to embody a lifestyle that expresses this new status increases as well. A new acquired conscience for the environment enhances further the interest for bicycles and motorcycles as choice mode of transport to reduce pollution and improve living conditions.

A New Show with an Illustrious Lineage
BikeAsia 2008 is at its first edition yet it can count on the wealth of experience of it's co-organizer partner, EICMA, which organizes the world's largest International Bicycles and Motorcycles show in Milano, Italy.

Thanks to this important contribution, BikeAsia 2008 will be a quality show with selected participants, which will contribute to enhance the image of bicycles and motorcycles in Asia.