Fantastic cars we never got in Singapore: Part 3
Noble M600
British built, composite body panels, an engine from a Volvo SUV, a dial that controls the car’s power output, no ABS, and a traction control switch hidden beneath a cover, (to prevent you from “accidentally” turning your stability aids off). All the above sounds like a rather stellar recipe for a supercar. But when you consider the Noble M600’s 1250kg curb weight and 659hp in maximum attack mode, you’ll know that this car is much more than the sum of its parts. Mind you, you’d have to be really adept at using the car’s 6-speed manual to get the full performance out of the M600. Might’ve been a good thing the M600 never came to Singapore, it would’ve been a caged animal with no way to reach its full potential. And 362km/h top speed.
Volkswagen XL1
Look rather slippery, doesn’t it? Powering this sleek 2-door is an 800cc two-cylinder turbodiesel engine that produces 48 horsepower. However, when combined with the electric motor, the total combined output rises to 69hp. Clearly, performance isn’t XL1’s winning feature. This is a hybrid that has an incredible drag coefficient of just 0.189, which helps it attain a rated fuel economy of 0.9L/100km. Not exactly supercar material, but it sure looks the part. Especially with that teardrop silhouette and those incredible scissor doors. Unfortunately, production was limited to just 250 units, and they’ve all been snapped up by eager buyers outside of Singapore.
Morgan 3-Wheeler
Picture a motorcycle. Now picture a car. Picture them both combined, and this Morgan 3-Wheeler would probably be a dead ringer for that image you've conjured up. It’s barely got a windscreen, it has motorcycle tyres and just one rear wheel. Of course, getting this “car” homologated would’ve been a long shot. But terrifying as it seems, I do wonder what it’ll be like on Singapore’s streets. A 116hp V-twin motor sending power to that single rear wheel, ought to be a riot.
