Crime Fighter

Words & Snaps by Ben

You've heard it many times before, and you will hear it many more times - a car can tell a lot about its owner. Mood swings, finances, new trends, evolving family situations, or simply different phases of life of a motorhead can influence radical changes in terms of looks or mechanical development of their ride.

Kevin's Cooper S R53 is one of those cars that evolve along with its owner. Back in 2004, Kevin picked up this 6-speed manual supercharged pocket rocket from the dealership and started a 10-year kinship which, so far, has spread across 3 life phases, and that is not ready to end.

The Rhythm of the Beat

Words & Snaps by Ben

If there's one particular car I remember from my childhood watching the WRC, it is the first gen Impreza WRX GC8. And I believe I'm not the only one. 

Let's face it, who in their right mind would have not drooled over the blue and yellow liveried Prodrive/555 all wheel drive monster that used to tear through the World Rally Championship's stages? 

Nicholas sure was one of the droolers, and many years later, his childhood dream came true when he bought this GC8 Version 4 (GC8D) with the aim of turning it into a monstrous little toy. 

Best Cars for First Time Buyers

Having your own car can be one of the greatest feelings in world. You finally have the freedom to go where you want, when you want. However, and you've heard this before, along with that freedom comes some big responsibilities. Like the saying goes, “freedom isn't free.” While that saying comes from a much nobler endeavour, it is also true here.

Not only does a car cost money to buy, they also cost money to maintain. You need money for tax, insurance, MOTs, petrol and maintenance. The average annual fuel cost alone is over £1,500. Hopefully, while thinking about your new car, you have considered these things and worked them into your budget. If you haven’t, now is the time to do it, and make sure that you really can afford a car right now. Depending on the type of car you buy, some of these things will be more important than others.

Paris Je t'aime? Part 5 Le Rendez Vous Toyota

Words & snaps by Ben

So the walk down the Champs Elysées was finally coming to an end. In all honesty, I was feeling rather disappointed with what the car industry was doing. 

Citroën was stuck in the past, Mercedes in a fairy tale, and Peugeot playing with kitchen ware. So far, only Renault had something going with the Dezir concept car, but other than that, they seemed to only know how to make one car.

And here I saw, standing in front of the last concept dealership of the Champs Elysées, the only Japanese manufacturer of the lot: Toyota.

I was definitely feeling positive about it; after all, since the new 86, they seem to be looking at a fun FR future, to all motorheads' delight.

JDM Legends Meet

Words & snaps by Ben

It's often said in our circles: you can tell a lot about someone by the car they drive. Sometimes more so than not, I may add. In Singapore, it is especially easy to tell a car lover when they are driving a COE car.

To limit the population of cars on our small island, the government set the COE (Certificate Of Entitlement) in place. Its value is set by an auction system, which varies according to the number of cars already on the road, the number of cars being taken off the road, and the number of cars waiting to be put on the road. As of today, the COE is valued at around SGD75,000. 

To make things even worse, the COE is valid for 10 years; after which you will have to scrap your car or renew the COE to the rates of the moment.

Renewing the COE can thus be a bet. If it goes low enough, you can renew for a reasonable amount, but if the rate is high, such as these days, you will have to pay probably more of the value of your car just for the piece of paper that will allow you to drive it for another 10 years.

This makes older cars rare in Singapore, and it usually takes a highly passionate person to pay up for another decade.

2013 Retrospective - A Year of POWAA

Hi readers!

POWAA Garage turned a year old last month and since it was founded, it was an awesome race down the motoring road.

We couldn't have done it without you and thanks to your support, POWAA Garage has broken the 20,000 page views today! What a way to start the year!

Looking back at 2013, the POWAA team has covered quite a few features, events, meets, and more, so let's have a quick recap of the highlights with the 6 most popular posts.



First off, the most read post on POWAA Garage was a reader's submitted ride: Kieran's Suzuki Swift Sport, the Battleship Powerhouse.

A popular platform, affordabe with loads of potential, nicely built and with a custom paint job, no wonder you all like it!

Next up, the Black Smoke Maker, Kelvin's VW Caddy.

The in-your-face intercooler sets the tone right away for this clean and functional Caddy. Kelvin loves it, we love it, you love it - everyone loves it, except maybe the environment...

Third in the most read coverage recap, Singapore's Style Society 2013 meet.

Huge and highly awaited meet, with motorheads coming all the way from Malaysia to show off their stance, this meet was nothing but awesome! Looking forward to the Style Society 2014 meet!

#4 in the list, Bernie's Black Fibre Evo X.

The Evo crest speaks for itself, and it seems that a lot of you approve what Bernie did to his!

Another meet made its place in the most read list with 5th place, this time representing the 2 wheelers, with the Vespa pageant, Mama Mia Vespas!

Vespas are, after all, an icon as well as a fashion statement - who wouldn't love them?

Last of the top 6 is a rather recent feature, yet one full of awesomeness - the Datsun B310 of Racing with the Sun.

This car has it all - a history, a nice modification path, a purpose and a real motorhead owner. It is my personal highlight of the year.

You all have sent us a clear message: you like features!
In this light, we'll work herder to give you what you want, and I can tell you right away that we already have some in the works - A boxer is rumbling its way to you, as well as a bit of euro-flavour, so stay tuned!

Don't hesitate to let us know what you want or submit your rides in the comments section, on Facebook or by mail!

On behalf of June, Victor, Darren and the POWAA Crew, thank you and let's hit the road hard in 2014!