Robb Report Ultimate Drives

Fifty VIP guest drivers got up close and personal with these eight automotive beauties at Robb Report Ultimate Drives presented by Tayrona Capital.

A recap of Robb Report Singapore’s flagship automotive event, from classic cars to today’s cutting-edge models.

“I really love the combination of sports cars with SUVs, making Robb Report Ultimate Drives a really interesting experience. That’s what I’ve been really looking forward to.”

– James Ordonez, president, Tayrona Capital

Aston Martin Vantage

Pitched as the sportiest member of the Aston Martin range, the Vantage’s racy intent is evident in its compact proportions, but more evident in its suspension modes. Where the DB11 has a GT mode, the softest setting in the Vantage is Sport, through Sport Plus, and going all the way up to the self-explanatory Track mode, which its 510hp, fourlitre V8 will no doubt make short work of.

The Vantage is also full of clever aerodynamic details – a series of ducts behind its expansive front grille channels cooling air to the engine and under the car to the rear diffuser. Along with the ducktail rear spoiler and side strakes, the Vantage remains positively stapled to the road. As you would expect it to.

“It has an amazing exhaust note.”

– Nicholas Xie

“My favourite thing about the Aston Martin Vantage is its smooth and powerful engine. Compared to other luxury sports cars, it’s easy to drive and it also has a very large boot that you can put golf bags in.”

– Michael Lim

Jaguar F-Pace SVR

Jaguar's full-sized SUV, the F-Pace, already has a fearsome reputation as one of the finest handling vehicles in its segment thanks to its winning combination of a deft chassis, accurate helm and punchy turbocharged engines. However, there was room for improvement, and after having been massaged by the good men and women at Jaguar's Special Vehicle Operations division, the F-Pace is now a bona fide sports car masquerading as an SUV. Dubbed the F-Pace SVR, the big cat packs a five-litre supercharged V8 with 550hp and will get from 0-100km/hr in just 4.1 seconds. However, straight-line speed isn't the only thing the extremely spicy F-Pace will do. Bodywork unique to the F-Pace SVR ensures the car remains nailed to the tarmac all the way up to its top speed of 283km/hr and it'll gladly eat up corners too, what with its performance-oriented suspension set-up and a Dynamic drive mode that's unique to the F-Pace SVR.

“I like the power and price of this F-Pace.”

– Chan Kok Weng

“It’s so easy to drive and incredibly comfortable.”

– Lim Swee Lin

“I like the roar it makes.”

– Johnny Lam

Maserati Ghibli

When Maserati resurrected the Ghibli nameplate after a 15-year hiatus in 2013, it decided to do something completely different. Where the first- and second-generation models were two-door coupes, the third-generation Ghibli has grown up, sprouting an extra pair of doors and looking a little like a junior Quattroporte. However, like all Ghiblis before it, the third-generation model is rather capable when the roads get twisty. Its twin-turbocharged three-litre V6 engine develops 350bhp and is mounted well behind the front axle for better weight distribution. It is, for all intents and purposes, like a mid-engined supercar. Extensive use of aluminium in the Ghibli's exterior body panels (plus boot lid) and suspension components keep things light because a lighter car is a better-handling one. The new Ghibli may look different from its forebears, but you can be sure it's just as nimble, and with advances in modern chassis technology, it's probably the best it's ever been.

“I like the Maserati Ghibli because it offers a funfilled experience, and it’s a performance car that gives you power as and when you need it. And of course, it’s a very practical family car as well.”

– Garrett Teo

Porsche Macan

Unlike the Cayenne, the Porsche Macan's bigger brother, and the uncertainty surrounding whether or not the world could accept an SUV that carried the Porsche badge, everyone knew the Macan would be a roaring success. In the five years since the car was launched in 2014, the Macan has been a consistent money-spinner for Porsche, accounting for over a third of the 256,255 cars it shipped last year. And why not? It's an SUV, which is already a crowd-pleasing body style, and paired with the fairy dust of the Porsche badge along with the carmaker's trademark sharp handling, it's easy to see why it does as well as it does. New to the Macan are some mild updates to its styling, including four-point LED daytime running lights and a horizontal light bar running the width of its rump. Tweaks to the three-litre V6 in the Macan S see it produce 354hp, which grants it sports car levels of performance. And again, why not? After all, Porsche says each of its cars - SUVs included - has the soul of a sports car.

“My favourite thing about the Macan is that it’s exactly how I like a car to drive. It’s solid, responsive, manoeuvrable with good road-holding. The steering was amazing, so it was really very nice to drive.”

– Philip Izaac

“It may be a baby Cayenne, but it has all the

technology available to the Cayenne.”

– Michael Lim

“It’s a great all-round sports car. I would agree if this car was nominated as one of the best

drivers’ cars of 2019.”

– Hendrik Soewatdy

“It has a lot more character than its predecessors. I love its handling and the sound it makes.”

– Elaine Lim-Chan

Porsche 911 Carrera 4S

So, here it is then, the eighth outing for what is arguably the world's most storied and recognisable sports car. As with its predecessor, turbocharging is now a staple across the model range. However, unlike before, all models will have the wide body that was once only available on Carrera S models and above. As before, the cosmetic changes are pretty tough to spot, unless you're the sort of rabid 911-spotter who can recognise the new flushed door handles, squared-off bonnet, rear horizontal light bar, full-width rear spoiler and larger tailpipes, much of that inspired by 911s of yesteryear. While the exterior and the shape of the dashboard is retro-inspired, the rest of the interior is dripping with technology, featuring a mass of screens, including the touch-sensitive buttons on the 'black panel' centre console, central infotainment touchscreen and configurable digital instrument cluster. However, all you really need to know is that this is a new 911, and that alone should provide more than enough reason for rejoicing.

Range Rover Sport HST

Occupying a happy middle ground between the entry-level Range Rover Sport HSE and the complete 575hp insanity that is the Range Rover Sport SVR is the Range Rover Sport HST. You're probably confused by all the acronyms flying around right now, and we don't entirely blame you, but all you need to know is that the HST is good, very good in fact. It has a new three-litre inline-six engine with 400hp. The new engine is buttery and paired with the now-familiar eight-speed automatic gearbox and 550Nm, it'll pull cleanly from anywhere in the rev range. The HST, as with any Range Rover, will make short work of anything you could care to throw at it, whether it's carting the family around, long highway cruises or even thrashing it off-road. And lending more credence to it being a halfway house to the SVR is how the HST variant has some carbon fibre trim on its exterior panels and glossy black wheels for that menacing, sporty touch.

“It has good handling.”

– Alfred Chua

“There are three things I like about the Range Rover: unbelievable performance, a touch of elegance and a

legacy that no other car in the fleet here has.”

– Shivah Singh

“This car was my favourite, mostly because it’s super fun. It has plenty of gadgets inside that just scream Elon Musk and it’s a great drive, too. It’s luxurious, it’s sporty, it’s fast

and most importantly, it’s silent.”

– Amanda Leong

Tesla Model S P85D

If you can believe it, Tesla's first clean-sheet model (its first car, the Roadster, was based on Lotus Elise underpinnings) is now six years old, having made its debut in 2012. But we suppose it's a testament to its futuristic, minimal design that it still looks current even today. And this forward-thinking, future-proof engineering is evident in the car's performance. Early variants could boast an electric-only range well over 300km, along with power and acceleration numbers comparable to thoroughbred sports cars. As the years went on, Tesla added more range, more power and more electric motors to the Model S. Take the P85D here. The `P' stands for 'performance', the '85' denotes its 85kWh power rating and the D', for its dual electric motors powering the front and rear axles. It has an electric range just shy of 500km, but more than that is its power output. The pair of electric motors fore and aft develop a total of 463hp, catapulting the car from rest to 100km/hr in 3.3 seconds. For its good looks, searing performance and modernist interior (that giant vertical tablet that forms its infotainment screen), it's difficult to describe the Tesla Model S as anything but, well, electric.

“It’s an iPhone on wheels.”

– Adrian Ooi

Volkswagen Touareg

Volkswagen's flagship might be the most important car of the 2000s, bar none. In its own quiet way (very fitting for Volkswagen), it is almost single-handedly responsible for the SUV explosion in the new millennium, especially in the luxury space. The first-generation Touareg was a joint project between Volkswagen, Audi and Porsche, spawning the Q7 and the cash cow that is the Cayenne. In the fullness of time, the current third-generation Touareg would also share underpinnings with the Bentley Bentayga and Lamborghini Urus. And while previous generations of the Touareg felt like they couldn't quite compete in the luxury space, the current one is completely different. In addition to an interior with quality best described as bulletproof and sharpened exterior styling, the new Touareg also brings with it a whole host of features once only found in cars far more expensive. A fully digital dashboard, a touchscreen infotainment system, adaptive air suspension and all-wheel steering (for greater agility at high speeds and improved manoeuvrability at low speeds) are just a few of the top-shelf goodies on the new Touareg. But the proof, as they say, is in the tasting and once you've sampled its delights, we're sure that you would, like us, agree that the new Touareg is indeed the ultimate Volkswagen.

“My favourite feature is its advanced interior.”

– Kent Liu

“I like the Touareg a lot because it’s a good family car. It’s powerful, it’s very comfortable and it has a lot of space at the back.”

– Tony Yeo