Do Car Spoilers Really Work?

For the rest of us who have to be content with a Mitsubishi Lancer, Honda City or Toyota Vios, spoilers simply aren’t going to pump up the car’s performance
By Samuel Ng

MODIFYING one’s ride is the “in” thing right now, as exemplified by the sale of body kits and side skirts that continue to hit record heights. Car spoilers fall into this same category and while, aesthetically, they add depth to a car’s look, do they really boost a car’s performance and handling?

It’s a commonly held theory that a car spoiler mounted on the car’s rear will help to jack up that vehicle’s handling and performance. Why is that so? Well, it boils down to performance racing circuits like Formula One and NASCAR where we see all these cars that have been fitted with auto spoilers and we drool over the grip and traction their tyres seem to have on the track.

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How To Improve Your Car’s Audio

Install a capacitor and electronic crossover — they allow you to maximise the potential of car stereo without compromising on clarity
By Samuel Ng

AS WITH car detailing, car modifications and the buying of car accessories, getting the best audio system one’s budget can allow for should be part of the priority list for any self-respecting car enthusiast.

We all want our cars to be fitted with the latest top-of-the-line audio system and the bigger the wattage, the better it is.

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Groovy, Baby!

If it isn’t broke, why fix it? To make it better, perhaps? This was apparently the case for the second generation MINI. 88DB took the new top-of-the-line MINI Cooper S for a spin and gives you the low down of this feature-rich automobile.

Taking its cue from the legendary MINI designed by Sir Alec Issigonis, the new MINI was an instant hit when it first hit the roads in 2001. It was not quite the fuel-sipper its predecessor was but it quickly became a fashion icon.

Hopping in the car quickly changed our personality. We were suddenly morphed into attention-grabbing, fun-loving people. And we were glad that it hasn't changed much from the first generation MINI. So what exactly has changed?

Cosmetically, changes can be easily missed to the undiscerning eye. BMW (the owner of MINI) claims that the entire body is brand-new and nothing can be swapped with the first generation MINI.

If you look hard enough (side by side, no less), you will notice that the new MINI is slightly taller, wider and longer. A dead giveaway could be the addition of the rear fog lamps.

Under the hood, the engine is completely new. The whiney Cooper S supercharger power plant makes way for the more efficient turbocharger unit. Now for it’s interiors, it’s as plush as you would expect from a BMW car (and a car of this price) but the MINI adds a tinge of fun to it. To name just a few: the driver-controllable ambient lights has 5 colours to choose from, it sports old-style toggle switches and a humongous speedometer that would work against you if you were ever caught speeding. While we were content with the earlier model, we are certainly not complaining about having a better car around the block. The new MINI Cooper S has swung us around and we are in love, baby.

The engine put out 175bhp and some 240Nm of torque starting at 1,600rpm, bringing the MINI Cooper S to 100km/h in a fraction of over 7 seconds. But you would be missing the point if you were expecting faster numbers. The Cooper S isn't about raw speed or power. We found this out quickly (no pun intended!) when we tossed it into the back-roads and turns. Calling it a plush go-kart on steroids is apt.