Singapore and cars

[Filthy GT-P]

I have just got back from two weeks in Singapore and i thought I would share some startling findings with you.

1. I did not see one Ford badged car the whole time I was there.
2. Fortunately I did not see any Holdens either (just a few small Chevy 4 cylinder jobs)
3. Most taxis are manual not automatic
4. You have to purchase the right to purchase a motor vehicle. The document is called a "Certificate of Entitlement"
5. Currently a certificate of entitlement costs are around S$ 18,000 (Exchange rate is currently around AUD$1.00 is equal to SD$1.20)
6. When the system was first introduced the certificates went for as much as SD$80,000
7. An additional restriction on car ownership is the requirement that motor vehicles more than twelve years old, known as 'time expired' vehicles, must either be scrapped, or exported from Singapore, usually to neighbouring countries.
8. most cars are smaller cars
9. this was the most scary thing i learnt there is that the Singapore Government believe that the ideal population for the country is 6 to 6.5 million people.
10. The current population is around 4.5 million people, helped along over recent times by a baby bonus scheme (sound familiar?)
11. The country Singapore measures 683 sq kms. (The state of Victoria measures 227,620 sq km)
    

The one definite thing is that it would be useless to start a Singapore Ford Forums as there wouldn't be very many members.


Regards


Steven

[Scott]

Originally Posted by Filthy GT-P

1. this was the most scary thing i learnt there is that the Singapore Government believe that the ideal population for the country is 6 to 6.5 million people.
2. The current population is around 4.5 million people, helped along over recent times by a baby bonus scheme (sound familiar?)
3. The country Singapore measures 683 sq kms. (The state of Victoria measures 227,620 sq km)
   

Incredible, to put that into context, it's about 25% of the ACT.

[MITCHAY]

Originally Posted by GTP006

Incredible, to put that into context, it's about 25% of the ACT.

Well I'll be farked! :

[XR8-260]

There are very few V8s over there too :(. Apparantly, you have to pay a massive fee or something if you drive a car with a big engine.

[Yellow_Festiva]

Yeah I was there Dec 06 for 2 weeks.

Funny thing is the Island is getting bigger... There was a time when Singapore was only just over 500 (or just over 600??) sq km. They are dredging the ocean, and buying sand from the waters of surrounding countries to make more land.

Santosa island is 100% manufactured I think as well.

They aim to get over the 700sq km size within 10 years as well.

As for cars...... Geeze ill find that link of some of the car prices. 2.5 to 3 times the cost of the same car over here.

http://www.fordforums.com.au/showthr...ight=singapore

Also, around the corner from the apartment I was staying in, there was a house of an Indonesian business man. It was a mansion!

Along one side of his "compound" there was this open carport measuring at least 25m. Parked under that carport was every Top end exotic you could poke a stick at.

I was drooling... a few Ferraris, a few Lamo's I think one or 2 of those Keosegg' thinggos and a Porsche or 3..... I wonder if I took a pic???

Looked like straight out of one of those movies where they raid a drug Barron's place.....

[nobbystang]

Originally Posted by Yellow_Festiva

Santosa island is 100% manufactured I think as well.

Not sure about that. Sentosa was where the Japanese made most of their lookouts during WW2. don't think they would have been planning on filling in the ocean back then!!

Hong Kong was one place filling in their harbour to make more land, you haven't got the two confused have you??? Last time i was in Singapore they were still building inland??

[Yellow_Festiva]

Originally Posted by nobbystang

Not sure about that. Sentosa was where the Japanese made most of their lookouts during WW2. don't think they would have been planning on filling in the ocean back then!!

Hong Kong was one place filling in their harbour to make more land, you haven't got the two confused have you??? Last time i was in Singapore they were still building inland??

I made a boo boo it seems about Sentosa perhaps, but from the pages of Wikipedia:

"Singapore has an on-going land reclamation project with earth obtained from its own hills, the sea-bed, and neighbouring countries. As a result, Singapore's land area grew from 581.5 square kilometres (224.5 sq mi) in the 1960s to 699.3 square kilometres (269.1 sq mi) today, and may grow by another 100 square kilometres (38.6 sq mi) by 2030.[19] Many of the smaller islands have been expanded and joined together through land reclamation in order to form larger, more functional islands, such as in the case of Jurong Island."

[rodderz]

The cars are extremely expensive, even same models that are sold here. So are houses, because of the population vs the size of the country. Basically you have to be a millionaire to buy a unit, which is why most rent.

But the upside is that they make huge wages because of the tax system

[devilracer_01]

I visited Singapore also about 6 weeks ago and had to ask locals about the go with the local car industry as they are all very new, yet he told me it costs $90,000SD for a basic model Toyota Camry.

Alot of Mazda's, Toyota's and Honda's in Singapore, Malaysia naturally is full of Protons, I asked the taxi driver what he thought of his Proton and told me the only good thing is the air-con the rest of the car is rubbish

[coolkid]

when i was there i saw quite a few ferraris but yeah the rest are just toyotas or korean cars, atleast there are near perfect roads to drive on :

[henry 351]

Originally Posted by Filthy GT-P

[*]The country Singapore measures 683 sq kms. (The state of Victoria measures 227,620 sq km)

Steven

To put that in perspective for Melbournites on the forum, Port Phillip Bay is 1930 sq km, so Singapore would fit almost 3 times...

For those who haven't been, it's worth a stopover if you are travelling to Europe or Asia. Super clean and tidy, the shopping is good too.

To think the Poms surrendered Singapore to a vastly smaller Japanese force during WW2....oh well, God got the Poms back with the Leyland Marina. More than fair.

[tex]

Ive just returned from a few weeks in Malaysia, Singapore and HK.

Hong Kong is without a doubt got the most expensive car fleet Ive ever seen, and Ive been to a few countries now. BIG $$$$$$$$$$ everywhere !!

S class Brabus & AMG Mercs, Beemer 6 & 7 series, Porsches of all description, Farraris by the dozen, Lambos, Konisegg ( saw two in three days ! ) and lots of bentley Turbos, Astons, XKR's and I got a 'sit' in a Maybach parked on the street. The driver was a cool guy, was waiting for his 'boss' who was having lunch...........

Even found a dealership in Stanley (other side of HK Island) that had wait for it ........ 4 Maybachs sitting on the floor. Sticker price started at 6100,000 dollars HK = about a million bucks oz.

I am still stunned at the cars they drive, keeping in mind that it costs as much for the right to drive in HK as it does to buy a basic car in Aus.........

[outback_ute]

Originally Posted by tex

Even found a dealership in Stanley (other side of HK Island) that had wait for it ........ 4 Maybachs sitting on the floor. Sticker price started at 6100,000 dollars HK = about a million bucks oz.

What did they say when you asked for a test drive??

[BAturb]

Im going to Singapore for 2 weeks in Oct, anything to look out for sight seeing wise?

[Filthy GT-P]

Originally Posted by BAturb

Im going to Singapore for 2 weeks in Oct, anything to look out for sight seeing wise?

Their zoo is fantastic if you go, get a behind the scenes tour and you get to go where the keepers go. The night zoo is also fantastic, but the highlight for myself and my two daughters was swimming with the pink dolphins at Dolphin lagoon.

[devilracer_01]

Originally Posted by Filthy GT-P

Their zoo is fantastic if you go, get a behind the scenes tour and you get to go where the keepers go. The night zoo is also fantastic, but the highlight for myself and my two daughters was swimming with the pink dolphins at Dolphin lagoon.

I got pulled out the crowd at the show to go in with the pink dolphins:

[Yellow_Festiva]

Originally Posted by BAturb

Im going to Singapore for 2 weeks in Oct, anything to look out for sight seeing wise?

Yeah, go to any tourist info booth and get the leaflets that have "walks" mapped out. Do a few of the walks.

If you are flying Singapore keep your boarding pass, it gives you some very nice discounts for 4 or 5 days after you land.

Shop at Moustafa's (it's very close to little India)

Don't waste a day.

[XR8-260]

Orchard Road is great for shopping.

Originally Posted by tex

Ive just returned from a few weeks in Malaysia, Singapore and HK.

Hong Kong is without a doubt got the most expensive car fleet Ive ever seen, and Ive been to a few countries now. BIG $$$$$$$$$$ everywhere !!

S class Brabus & AMG Mercs, Beemer 6 & 7 series, Porsches of all description, Farraris by the dozen, Lambos, Konisegg ( saw two in three days ! ) and lots of bentley Turbos, Astons, XKR's and I got a 'sit' in a Maybach parked on the street. The driver was a cool guy, was waiting for his 'boss' who was having lunch...........

Even found a dealership in Stanley (other side of HK Island) that had wait for it ........ 4 Maybachs sitting on the floor. Sticker price started at 6100,000 dollars HK = about a million bucks oz.

I am still stunned at the cars they drive, keeping in mind that it costs as much for the right to drive in HK as it does to buy a basic car in Aus.........

Tell me about it... Hong Kong has more Ferrari's than anywhere else in the world. I saw a truck pull up with 5 F430's and an Enzo (this was when F430's were just released). Saw an exotic car auction carpark too - wow.

Something tells me Dubai would be very simular... guess i'll find out in November when i go for the V8 supercars :

[blk_frmnt]

If anyone's going there, don't forget this:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chewing...n_in_Singapore

You'll get your *** thrown in the slammer for highly illegal like that...

[bob^]

Originally Posted by blk_frmnt

If anyone's going there, don't forget this:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chewing...n_in_Singapore

You'll get your *** thrown in the slammer for highly illegal like that...

I had a 2 hour stop over there at the end of last year and I had a full pack of chewy in my wallet. Good thing I didn't get caught then hey lol

[NC 5ltr]

not to mention but you have off peak number plates which are red if memory serves me which means you can only drive from 7pm to 7am.as well i think the power of your car determines the price of your licence!!!

[cowboy]

Spent the last 7 months working in Singapore. The Certificate of Entitlement varies in cost according to engine size, hence most engines are very small. A Harley there will cost you close to 100k on the road. Huge number of high end cars on the road. The 12 year old rule only applies to transfer of reg. If you owned it before it's 12th birthday you can keep it but can't sell it and transfer the reg. I actually saw a McLaren F1 on the road as well as many Ferraris, Lambos, Bentleys etc. You can still buy a Toyota Crown there, and a Nissan Cedric, or maybe you'd like a Toyota Wish.

[SiKoRa_eL_97]

Well i was in singapore for 6 hours and took a bus from the airport to the main strip of shops almond drive or sumthin I DID NOT SEE ONE PETROL STATION!!!??? seriously even coming back i didnt see one where do these people fill up their cars??

[sleekism]

Do you guys visit Singapore on work trips or what?

I wouldn't mind working in Asia when I finish my degree they pay big money for Civil Engineers over there.

I can't believe how restrictive they are!

I remember some Japs visiting and they thought my parents house was a mansion!
They also didn't believe that the staple car was a large saloon with a 3.5 litre plus six.

[XR8-260]

Originally Posted by sleekism

Do you guys visit Singapore on work trips or what?

I wouldn't mind working in Asia when I finish my degree they pay big money for Civil Engineers over there.

I can't believe how restrictive they are!

I remember some Japs visiting and they thought my parents house was a mansion!
They also didn't believe that the staple car was a large saloon with a 3.5 litre plus six.

It's pretty expensive to live there. You'll need about 50 grand to buy the cheapest car. Expect to pay close to half a million for a small 3 bedroom apartment.

[cowboy]

Yeah, back and forth to Singapore for work pretty often. Flst tax rate over there of only 10% so makes a lot of sense for businesses to set up there. Also one of the busiest harbours/shipbuilding centres in the world.

[XR8-260]

I go back to Singapore pretty often. I've got family living there. My cousin drives a 1.3L Proton Wira. When he came here for a holiday he hired a 3.8L V6 Commodore. He kept on telling me how powerful it was .

[sleekism]

Is it true you can buy grog in maccas in Singapore??

[devilracer_01]

Originally Posted by sleekism

Is it true you can buy grog in maccas in Singapore??

Negetive, you can buy grog though from the 7/11 outlets.

Im going back to Singapore in October, love the place, their train system (MRT) puts any Australian suburban train system to shame, it is fast, clean efficent and cheap.