Fast Lane
Stamford Tyres partners Pirelli, Audi unveils hybrid super-wagon, Xpeng G6 available as Cat A COE
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Stamford Tyres' outlet at 400 Jalan Ahmad Ibrahim is the company's 15th branch in Singapore.
PHOTO: STAMFORD TYRES
DeeperDive is a beta AI feature. Refer to full articles for the facts.
Stamford Tyres’ first Pirelli-branded outlet
Global tyre distributor Stamford Tyres has opened its first outlet branded with Italian tyre brand Pirelli. Located at 400 Jalan Ahmad Ibrahim in the Caltex petrol station, this is Stamford Tyres’ 15th branch in Singapore.
The outlet carries Pirelli’s latest tyres, including the high-performance and speciality models such as the Scorpion Zero and Cinturato P7. It is open from Mondays to Saturdays, 9am to 6.30pm.
To mark the opening, the first 150 customers buying Pirelli tyres at the outlet will receive a Lego Speed Champions set.
The official opening on Feb 28 follows the launch of Stamford Tyres’ flagship outlet in Johor Bahru in January.
Audi’s first plug-in hybrid RS
The Audi RS5 is the first RS model to employ plug-in hybrid technology.
PHOTO: AUDI
Audi’s newly unveiled RS5 is a plug-in hybrid for the first time in the German brand’s RS model history. Combined with a 130kW electric motor, the 2.9-litre twin-turbo V6 has a system output of 503hp.
With the demise of the A4 range, the new car comes in both saloon and station-wagon form, effectively replacing the RS4 Avant wagon.
Paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission, the car gets to 100kmh from rest in 3.6 seconds.
The all-wheel-drive system features a new centre differential with electro-mechanical torque vectoring that uses an electric motor to split drive between the rear wheels. This is a faster solution than previous fully mechanical set-ups, aiding agility.
With its exaggeratedly flared wheel arches and lowered ride height, the RS5 looks significantly more aggressive than the standard A5 models, complete with a pair of very large exhaust pipes sited near the middle of the rear diffuser.
The Audi RS5 is expected to arrive in Singapore in the second half of 2026.
Xpeng’s first Category A COE model
The Xpeng G6 Air is the Chinese EV brand’s first Category A COE model.
PHOTO: XPREMIUM BEV
The Xpeng G6 mid-sized electric sport utility vehicle is now available as a Category A certificate of entitlement (COE) version, the China brand’s first model in that category.
With power rated at 110kW, which is the threshold to qualify for Category A COEs, the G6 Air has a 68.5kWh lithium iron phosphate battery, giving it a range of 470km.
In contrast, the G6 Pro Long Range – a Category B COE model with 218kW and a larger 80.8kW battery – can travel up to 525km on a single charge.
Visually, the Air looks identical to the Long Range, other than a different wheel design.
Including COE, before applicable discounts, the Xpeng G6 Air is priced at $213,999, while the Pro Long Range costs $235,999.
F1 season flags off
New regulations for 2026 will result in F1 cars looking very different from the previous seasons.
PHOTO: REUTERS
The first race of the 2026 Formula One season flags off on March 8 at Albert Park in Melbourne, Australia.
Newly introduced technical regulations make it more difficult than in past seasons to predict how teams will perform. Rule changes will result in the cars being slightly smaller than before, with wings that look different and narrower tyres.
The engines, while still being 1.6-litre V6 turbo hybrids, are required to rely more on the electric motor for their power. This is to make the technology more road relevant, which will influence the development of production cars.
