Question time! What’s chunky, boxy, stylish, fun-sized and has its sights to become the top dog small-sized SUV of the year? If your answer is the Volvo XC40, you’d be half right because while the Volvo is, admittedly, the benchmark to beat, BMW’s latest X1, chassis code U11, is now set to challenge the Swede’s […]
Read more "Chunky, Chonky (not so little) runabout: Driving the BMW U11 X1 sDrive16i"While I did relish my time spent trawling through the vast halls of Makuhari Messe during the Tokyo Auto Salon, one of the most enjoyable moments of my trip to Tokyo was actually spent in a cosy, warm and tastefully curated shop located a stone’s throw away from the book district of Jimbocho. Going by […]
Read more "Tokyo Auto Otaku 2023 – Visiting Crank Tokyo and the streets of Jimbocho"Yes, she’s back! Well, technically she’s been back for over a week now but yes, the Mark II finally had her Ito-Auto Service rear rump fitted and painted by the excellent people over at Revol. She looks so much better with a rear aero kit fitted. No more naked butt look. The only thing left […]
Read more "Project Mark II: Baby got back"I know! It’s been quite some time since I last updated on Project Mark II. Now that I’m finally back after two lovely trips to Japan. I’m happy to report that well, not that much has happened (yet), but just before I flew over, I managed to finish up whatever I wanted to do on […]
Read more "Project Mark II: Not so overnight(ish) from Japan"In a rather shocking but perhaps unsurprising move just a day ago, the Singapore government’s latest attack on automotive enthusiasts has just reached yet another unprecedented level with a massive increase in car taxes yet again. With higher-end luxury cars taking the biggest hit with a massive 320% tax on their OMV (Open Market Value, […]
Read more "It has finally happened again… cars are even more expensive in Singapore."Well, sort of, because technically I’m already back in Singapore. But with hundreds of photos to sift through, sort out and edit, it’s going to take a while before starting on my TAS highlights on CarsnKopi.com. Sadly, while I wish I could present to you extensive tales of my Tokyo automotive excursion, I was unfortunately […]
Read more "Tokyo Auto Otaku 2023 – Hello from the 2023 Tokyo Auto Salon!"We’re back! Though not without some slight hiccups. I was planning to head over to Toyosu market early this morning for breakfast, but after 2 years of being away, I’ve forgotten just how overwhelming Tokyo can be and as you’d expect, totally underestimated just how exhausted I would be after spending an entire day out […]
Read more "Tokyo Auto Otaku 2023 – Back in Japan!"Now that the festivities, feasting and revelry have more or less concluded, I figured it’s time to wish everyone a Happy New Year and a blessed 2023. What a year 2022 was, from the lifting of Covid-19 restrictions, the resumption of leisure travel and the return to a sense of normalcy for many of us. […]
Read more "Class of 2022: CARS & KOPI Winter 2022."Carved, cast, or excavated from a single piece of material, the Monolithic design ethos is a purposeful one, born of strength, power, presence, and solidity. Eschewing delicate lines for sharp chiselled edges, soft curvatures for strong bold surfaces, and unnecessary visuals for a clean minimalist visage. Whilst BMW’s current design philosophy isn’t debuting on their […]
Read more "Monumental Monolith: Driving the BMW G70 i7 xDrive60i"I guess by now you would have noticed from the images that no, Project 2002 will not be done by the end of 2022. It is unfortunate, but these things do happen and it’s all good. While the car still looks like a hot mess, the main issues that require sorting out really have to […]
Read more "Project 2002: Time Extended"
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