Friday, September 15, 2023

Go Green with Mercedes-Benz

This is a recollection of Mercedes-Benz's recent showcase of its vehicles at Raffles City Shopping Centre with a clear vision for making a switch to eco-friendly commuting.

Click here for more information at www.mercedes-benz.com.sg




 

Welcome!

Be part of a new era of mobility: take our electric
models for a test drive, get involved in a series
of workshops, and be inspired by eco-friendly
art installations that centre around
environmental responsibility.


The EQS 450 SUV


The EQS 450 SUV


The EQS 450+


The EQS 450+

My best takeaway from the showcase are the following Mercedes-Benz replicas with a message to go green and the need to keep innovating to make this Earth sustainable in the future to come.


Mercedes-Benz EQS 
(Scale 1:87; Limited Edition)


Mercedes-Benz EQA
(Scale 1:18)


Click here to view various models of Mercedes-Benz.


Wednesday, September 13, 2023

Car sighting: Porsche 718 Cayman S

It was such a good omen to catch sight of this rare and gleaming pink-black Porsche 718 Cayman S on a Wednesday morning.











Saturday, September 2, 2023

Snippets of Car Culture in Singapore

In Singapore, you have to pay for a Certificate of Entitlement (COE), which is valid for 10 years, as well, on top of the usual related expenses (e.g. road tax and insurance) of owning and driving your car.

As of this time of writing, the latest COE prices in SGD are as follows:-

[Image credit & Source: Automobile Association of Singapore]

This is a significant hoop of car ownership in Singapore, but even if you are car-less you would still be able to get to your destinations with ease using the extensive network of MRT subway trains as well as other public transport like buses, taxis and cars driven by PHDs (private hire drivers).

What then is the scene of car culture like in Singapore?

The following 2 clips by Hagerty would provide some insightful snippets as we go for a ride.





Click here for 
Crazy Rich Asians & SECRET Car Collections | Capturing Car Culture 





Click here for 
America has it EASY: The INSANE struggle of owning a car in Singapore | Capturing Car Culture



Diecast Expo 2023 in Singapore

Good news for Diecast Car collectors or enthusiasts as the SG Diecast Expo 2023 is happening on 9 to 10 September 2023 at Great World City, Singapore.














Thursday, August 31, 2023

Chevrolet Corvette Z06

The Corvette C8 Z06 was on the cover of Car and Driver of Nov/2022 edition as per the following extract:-



The paraphrased verdict of the C8 Z06 is resounding: it drives like a ferocious beast of sports car on a race track, but can transform seamlessly into a grand-touring cruiser for you to drive cross-country comfortably; makes you wanna put on a racing helmet and feel like Tony Stark in an Iron Man suit.

According to Wikipedia, these are the generations of Z06:

Chevrolet Corvette C2 Z06 (1963)
Chevrolet Corvette C5 Z06 (2001-2004)
Chevrolet Corvette C6 Z06 (2006-2013)
Chevrolet Corvette C7 Z06 (2014-2019)
Chevrolet Corvette C8 Z06 (2023-) 


Click here for A to Z06: Tracing the History of Chevy's Race-Bred Corvette.

Corvette C7 Z06


Corvette C7 Z06


Click here for Is a used C7 Corvette Z06 the BEST sports car VALUE with supercar performance?

Click here for All NEW 2024 Chevrolet Corvette SHOCKS the Entire Industry

Immortalising Karl Benz and Mercedes Jellinek

In order to understand how things have emerged or evolved such as the brand name "Mercedes-Benz", we need to look at its history for insights on the persons involved as well as the confluence of circumstances.

About Karl Benz

According to Wikipedia:-

"Carl Friedrich Benz; 25 November 1844 – 4 April 1929), also Karl Friedrich Benz with the same pronunciation, was a German engine designer and automotive engineer. His Benz Patent Motorcar from 1885 is considered the first practical modern automobile and first car put into series production. He received a patent for the motorcar in 1886, the same year he first publicly drove the Benz Patent-Motorwagen.

His company Benz & Cie., based in Mannheim, was the world's first automobile plant and largest of its day. In 1926, it merged with Daimler Motoren Gesellschaft to form Daimler-Benz, which produces the Mercedes-Benz among other brands.

Benz is widely regarded as "the father of the car", as well as the "father of the automobile industry".


About Mercedes-Benz and Mercedes Jellinek

As sourced from Wikipedia:-

"Mercedes-Benz traces its origins to Karl Benz's first internal combustion engine in a car, seen in the Benz Patent Motorwagen – financed by Bertha Benz's dowry and patented in January 1886 – and Gottlieb Daimler and their engineer Wilhelm Maybach's conversion of a stagecoach, with the addition of a petrol engine, introduced later that year. The Mercedes automobile was first marketed in 1901 by Daimler Motoren Gesellschaft (DMG).

Emil Jellinek-Mercedes, a Jewish-Austrian automobile entrepreneur who worked with DMG, registered the trademark in 1902, naming the 1901 Mercedes 35 hp after his daughter Mercedes Jellinek. Jellinek was a businessman and marketing strategist who promoted "horseless" Daimler automobiles among the highest circles of society. At the time, it was a meeting place for the haute volée of France and Europe, especially in winter. His customers included the Rothschild family and other wealthy clients, but as early as 1901, he was selling Mercedes cars in the "New World" as well, including to billionaires Rockefeller, Astor, Morgan, and Taylor. 

At the Nice race he attended in 1899, Jellinek drove under the pseudonym "Monsieur Mercédès". Many consider that race the birth of Mercedes-Benz as a brand. In 1901, the name "Mercedes" was re-registered by DMG worldwide as a protected trademark. The first Mercedes-Benz branded vehicles were produced in 1926, following the merger of Karl Benz and Gottlieb Daimler's companies into the Daimler-Benz company on 28 June of the same year."

With the above insights as well as other sources of information, we will gain a deeper appreciation of the rich history of Mercedes-Benz and the collective efforts of people and companies who have helped built the brand.

While you are still dwelling on "Mercedes-Benz", here is a sample for your refreshing:


Mercedes-Benz SL 280
Diecast car by ScaleMini
(Limited Edition: 033/299pcs)
 

 
Diecast cars by Hot Wheels from left to right:
                           1) Mercedes-Benz 300 SL
                           2) Sauber-Mercedes C9 
                           3) '16 Mercedes-AMG GT3
                       


Mercedes-Benz S450L 9 G-tronic



Saturday, August 26, 2023

Matchbox Vehicles with Moving Parts

One of the unique feature of some Matchbox diecast cars is that they have moving parts like doors, bonnet (hood) and boot (trunk). 

The downside to this is that the moveable parts are more susceptible to accidental damage when moved frequently. 

The following is a sample which looks great even when the moving parts are kept under wrap.





Pagani Huayra Roadster


Lamborghini Centenario


1955 Porsche 550 Spyder 


2020 BMW M4 Cabriolet


'80 Porsche 911 Turbo


1982 Datsun 280 ZX


Click here for 40 Basic Parts Of A Car Explain With Name & Diagram


Ferraris (1:64) by Tarmac Works

Here is sample of Ferraris (1:64) by Tarmac Works which you may wanna consider adding to your collection. Click here for diecast cars by T...