Broadly speaking, buyers of electric cars in Singapore at this point in time can be lumped into three main camps—namely, the early adopters, the Elon Musk ‘give me electric or give me death’ zealots and the criminally insane.
Of course, it could also be argued that all the above groups are one and the same, but that’s another discussion for another time.
And with that demographic firmly in mind, electric car manufacturers have tried to pander to them, with some form of gimmickry put into their cars. The BMW i3 with its controversial sci-fi egg silhouette, the Jaguar I-Pace with its near-vertical tail and the Tesla Model X with its articulated ‘falcon-wing’ doors.
And... in rolls the Audi e-tron, which is conspicuously shorn of gimmicks, design or otherwise (save perhaps for those optional insect-eye wing mirror cameras that sadly aren’t available here yet), a clear sign it’s trying to preach to people other than the figurative choir. It looks about as inoffensive as inoffensive gets, virtually identical to the carmaker’s other full-sized SUV, the Q7. The only real clues to its electric nature are some safety-orange accents, a blanked-out grille and its lack of tailpipes.
You see, the purpose of the e-tron, the carmaker’s first mass-produced electric car isn’t to shock (pun intended, obviously) but to appeal to as many people as possible by looking and driving as close to a ‘regular’ car as possible.
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WATERWORLD
In a world of environmental disaster, political turmoil, economic crisis, social upheaval and public health emergency, is the logical next step for humanity the construction of floating maritime communities? Or is so-called seasteading just an extravagant passion project for paranoid tech bros and alt-utopian dreamers?
CANCELLED
The prolific public embrace of ‘cancelling’ disgraced or accused celebrities means the erasure of certain parts of our shared cultural history. But how, Huw Walmsley-Evans wonders, can we separate the art from the artist?
Present In The Past
Award-winning Singaporean writer O Thiam Chin’s latest novel, The Dogs, chronicles history will always stay with us even as time passes.
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The Body Perfect
The theatre might have been closed for the better part of the past year, but that hasn’t stopped Etienne Ferrère from refining his craft. The Singapore Dance Theatre principal artist shares what goes into making ballet look effortless.
In For The Long Run
In a market saturated by neon-hued synthetic activewear, Boston-based running brand Tracksmith aims to restore grace and timelessness to an ageold sport, writes Mitchell Oakley Smith.
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The digital watch turns 50.
Making Money Moves
Money can’t buy happiness, but it sure does help to alleviate stress and uplift moods, even if it may be deemed temporary. But is retail therapy just a fancy excuse to shop, or does it actually work?
Posthumous Fashion-ism
The works and names of late artists live on and gain multiple reincarnations via a medium that has often been derided as ‘not art’, writes Asri Jasman.
The Life Of Brian
It wasn’t long ago that Rich Brian was just a tween creating skit videos in the suburbs of Indonesia. Five years later, with two albums under his belt, Brian puts out 1999, a deeply personal EP. It’d appear that he has finally grown up and if so, is it a good thing?
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Find more things to read, in more ways, and more people to discuss them with
Intake 2020 Audi S4 FIRST DRIVE
Cars like the Audi S4 have a complicated set of responsibilities. They have to be fast, high-tech, comfortable, well-built, efficient, safe, and satisfying to drive—not to mention good-looking. Personally, I prefer the looks of the old car, but that doesn’t mean the new car isn’t handsome enough to satisfy those who can afford the $50,895 starting price.
2021 Audi A3 Sedan
Sedans are sailing against serious headwinds these days, but Audi isn’t ready to give up.
As We see it – Hi-fi Arcana I
Some Stereophile readers will surely remember—some may even have in their collections—Christian Marclay’s 1985 vinyl release Record Without a Cover, surely one of the oddest records ever, right up there with the dying-rabbit record and the seven-inch single that’s tinted yellow by the band’s actual urine.
Ready to Rock
The Audi RS 6 is a station wagon, sure, but it doesn’t feel like one behind the wheel
Dealer Of Dreams
Want to get behind the wheel of a bentley, lambo, or bugatti? Manhattan car guy Brian Miller is here to help.
Take Control Of Your Audiobooks
Rip, convert, and stream your audiobook collection to any device, with Nick Peers
Wider Net
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As the carmaker plays catch-up on EVs, Chinese consumers are turning away
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This super-scale street machine is ready for driveway DTM action