Category: Photography

As far as we have shot, this is possibly one of the loudest rides we have rubbed shoulders with late last year. In fact, just a few days shy of the new year, and we didn’t time on purpose such that we could literally send 2014 out with a loud (exhaust) bang.

This is an eight year old 6.0L V12 naturally aspirated stallion that doesn’t look his age at all. The Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano has been one of our favourite cars as far as we can remember, and like all fine wine, it is maturing into a genuine front-engine supercar. Well, not exactly front but still front enough to be considered one. To be precise, the mighty engine is positioned just behind the front axle. The owner has replaced its iconic Ferrari red with an electrifying matte blue wrap that is one of a kind in Singapore, a perfect complement to the black trims.

Like little boys, we were frenetic the moment we saw the first shot fired on our camera preview screen. The unmistakable outline of a Ferrari of this stature and expense needs presence, and the 599 does not fall short.
With florescent light from the tunnel ceiling bouncing evenly off its heavily stylised exterior, the long bonnet that stretches all the way back to the cabin and tail is even more pronounced now.


This version of the 599 is equipped with an F1 automated manual gearbox that discharges gear changes for as low as 100 ms, almost eliminating power interruption and amplifying full acceleration. Luxury swathed the cabin in a mix of leather, carbon fibre, high quality aluminium and a full high spec sound system comes standard.

As we celebrated into the 12th day of Christmas and the new year of 2015, this was one blessed 2-hour session with the Ferrari 599 GTB we wished time had stood still.

As the Mitsubishi Evolution X officially follows the plight of the Woolly Mammoth, JDM lovers flocked to the used car market to snap up pieces of the 2.0L turbocharged 4-cylinders for some boost action. The owner of this mean machine is one of them.

The Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution has evolved to its tenth version with over 4 rich generations of street rally motorsport heritage. Undoubtedly, the marque has attained an unquestioned legendary status in Japan, if not the world.

It is a shame that Mitsubishi is unable to refresh and present the next generation of Evolution to bridge the current outgoing model in time. With motor head fans left dangling in uncertainty and disappointment, it is effectively killing the brand, judging from the past success the Evolution has brought to the world stage.
We digress. Back to the subject of our photoshoot, this X is fitted with the ever popular Varis kit, and its muscular body in custom frozen blue paint. With 19″ Vossen rims fitted snugly within 1.5 inches of the wheel arches and twin HKS hi-power exhaust pipes sticking menacingly out of the rear diffusers, it is looking outstandingly clean and sharp while she rolled through the tunnel.


It is getting incredibly difficult so pardon us while we go to a corner to observe a minute of silence, perhaps shedding a tear or so for a hero gone…

We are fortunate that the owner is able to provide us an exhaustive list of modifications. These are the lightweight items installed.

– Lightweight Spec C 50-litre fuel tank
– Lightweight Odyssey PC680 battery, relocated to under passenger seat
– Lightweight HKS front subframe brace
– Lightweight L’aunsport carbon fibre side mirrors
– Girodisc 2-pc rotors for front and rear

This is the list of unseen modifications installed towards chassis and suspension optimisation:

– STI aluminium lateral links with pillowball bushings
– CarLabs X-brace
– Zero/Sports front roll centre adjusters
– TSS Fab tubular front subframe with roll centre correction
– MSI tubular rear subframe with roll centre correction

According to the owner, things have also been removed from the car and this is the separation list.

Impressive might be a word too mild for this modified STI because superficially, it does not extrude any hint of it. With that, we decide to confer it with the “Sleeper” award, given the irony that it is a sports sedan to begin with.

This is a recent update from the previously shot S5 post. We revisit this upgraded RS5 grille Audi sports coupe with some exhilarating night scene and chase shots. 

 

As we transit from the exterior form factor to within, Audi continues to show why they are at the top of their game when it comes to interior design.

Steering from beginning adapts progressively according to your pick up and handling seems to have gotten a boost by the extra length of the wheelbase. The ride is smooth and firm at the same time. Firm being rooted to the ground during wild cornering, and smooth in a way how the car magically soaks up the irregularities on the tarmac. It was a short affair with the S5 and we couldn’t get enough of it frankly. It’s time to bid farewell, too soon.

As we slowly uncover the bull’s form factor, accompanying us for the photo shoot is Vanessa, the svelte racequeen who will be posing diligently for the camera. It is no mean feat for the angelic faced lady to manage our pose requests and sometimes, the car’s difficult angles under the growing heat of the morning sun.

With the top down, one couldn’t help but notice the impeccable leather works of the Gallardo Spyder’s dash and cockpit. Considering it to have existed for almost three quarters of a decade and possibilities of being weather beaten by the elements, its current condition is almost flawless to the naked eye.

The starting point of Lamborghini’s design language for the Gallardo Spyder is considered outrageous back in 2007 when the supercar was first launched. It has since paved the way for the current and future generation of Lamborghini’s cars that sees the likes of Huracan and Veneno.

Under the clear night sky dotted with glittering stars, a beastly tuned 620bhp supercharged BMW M3 sat tranquilly, seemingly enjoying the companionship of a beauty and the peaceful surrounding. This E93 convertible is the last of the naturally aspirated V8 engine fitted to an M power plant and clearly, car lovers are not exactly pleased, now that high-revving engine notes will soon be a thing of the past.

No longer will there be extreme heart skipping and head turning moments when you put your foot to the pedal. According to the German marque, forced induction or also known as turbocharging will now take over the NA for the sake of mankind’s future (add sarcasm).

Small sadness aside, we got on with our work, approaching the M3 like a sacred object. This is no ordinary M3. It is the official safety car for Sports Car Club Singapore, or SCCS in short, and is fitted with one of the sexiest body kits you can find for this car – a Vorsteiner GTRS5 wide body kit limited to just 40 worldwide.

Also fitted to this mean machine are 20 inchers BC Racing forged rims with fully customised orange crystal colour. Along with decals and running LED lights, this fully complete a totally badass, legit safety car look. Words aside, we’ll leave you to enjoy the rest of the photos.

sgCarShooters vrooooming out!

Inspired by Singapore Airlines’ Light Up the Night Carnival, we revisited the F1 pit in the middle of the night for a photoshoot with Gavriel and his Mercedes Benz C180 luxury sedan, against the familiar Marina Bay skyline that was stunning as usual.

The photo shoot brief was to create a corporate and professional outlook for Gavriel with this new ride. With the thunderstorm looming on the horizon, we knew outdoor time was precious and had to execute the shoot with precision before shifting to our backup location.

This is Gavriel, after warming up to the camera. With his tall physical frame and meticulous wardrobe, it was easy to create that CEO-calibre looking scenario.  

As for the car, the Mercedes Benz C180 Kompressor is no stranger to the road scene in Singapore. It was the class leader for luxury sedan sales, overtaking the BMW 5 series executive sedan a year after it was introduced here in 2008. Comfortable, refined and well built with a touch of class, definitely the right car for the right owner.

Shot by resident photographer: Joey

Today, we come face to face with a white specimen from a Japanese legend that has her six generation of family history spanning all the way back to 1969.

The Nissan GT-R.

This monster of a ride is not called a Godzilla by many for nothing, for it is shamelessly built with one hulking purpose – Speed.

And just when you think it can’t get any better for the horsepower per dollar, along comes a full suite of goodies that no other cars in its class can match. The handling, drive-train and cabin electronics involved here are pure wizardry. It is no wonder the GTR platform by default, is the flagship of Nissan motor performance to showcase many of its state-of-the-art technology.

The GTR strikes fear in the minds and hearts of other astronomically priced supercars, and often, it is used as a benchmark to gauge performance excellence in many other car manufacturers. This breezy morning, we had the opportunity to bring this white Godzilla from its sleepy slumber to shake up the entire forest.

Under the bonnet houses a vicious 3.8L V6 twin turbocharged engine, producing a factory output of 480bhp. On top of it, the owner has upgraded the internal organs with HKS Legamax premium exhaust system and HKS intercooler kit, proudly tuned by GarageR.

With such a setup, this unassuming, stock-looking Godzilla now has nearly 600 willing brake horsepower at its disposal. There is a marked improvement in air flow but the mufflers managed to keep its noise at bay at just a fraction louder than stock.

Within the cabin, the GTR looks like a high-tech science laboratory. With Japanese characters printed on those buttons, it makes the whole experience even more authentic, awaiting the driver to tap on its vast nuclear energy.

Combined with the car’s all-wheel drive system, its super quick automatic 6-speed dual clutch transmission and an all-time favourite launch control, the Godzilla is sent powering its way to a 3+ seconds 0 to 100km/h run.

In the spirit of friendly competition, we sent our crew’s Mitsubishi Evolution X for a short race with the Godzilla and was well, truly humbled (Captain Obvious!)

sgCarShooters bowing out.

Okay, we were just as excited as you. Who isn’t?  This is the colour you either instantly fall in love with or one that naturally causes your eyes to roll back with a huge curse under your breath. Even the owner admits the polarity of reactions. Well, haters gonna hate, lovers gonna love. The sky will always be blue and sgCarShoot will still deliver.
 

The subject is a 5.2L V10 year 2010 Lamborghini Gallardo LP570-4 Superleggara – which also translates to 570 metric brake horsepower, an all-wheel drive system and a super light body weight of 1,340kg, achieved with carbon fiber extensively used inside and out. Although officially in its last year of production with the last Gallardo rolling out of its company’s production line in Sant’ Agata, this baby lambo has set a record with a total of 14,022 units sold in the past 10 years.

The LP570-4 is the more powerful version of the LP560-4, sharing the same bloodline as the previous Superleggera, and the lightest production Lamborghini in its model range. Performance has also been improved for a lighting fast 3.4 seconds century run, delivering maximum torque at 8,000rpm and topping out at a speed of 325km/h.

This is the ultimate crowd magnet and it doesn’t help when the shoot assignment was happening on a bustling weekend afternoon. All you wish for was just a split second of crowd dispersion and grab the chance with zero error tolerance.
 

As we head out into the familiar Central Business District route peppered with iconic architecture, all eyes were on the sleek striking pink ride screaming across the tarmac.

 

Beyond the LP570’s aerodynamic body sculpture, the interior is also incredibly beautiful. The entire cabin is almost swathed in black Alcantara, including the seats. Other fine touches include the aluminium pedals, leather strap door pulls, and dashboard and flat-bottomed steering wheel wrapped in luxurious suede. More photo closeups on this impeccably crafted Italian masterpiece.