sgCarMart’s Julian Kho prefers to go unnoticed by other drivers.
Choice of colour is everything when it comes to your car, says Julian.
I’ve always been a boring guy when it comes to colours. From my shirt and shorts to my socks and even my briefs, I prefer only a handful of colours – black, white and grey. And these are pretty much the only three colours I’ll ever want for my cars, too.
It’s not so much about the feng shui, even though I can be quite traditional and superstitious. It’s more of just… not wanting to draw unnecessary eyes to me when I’m on the road.
In other words, nothing bright and nothing fancy. That also means if I ever have the money to buy a Ferrari F12berlinetta, it sure as hell wouldn’t be in red.
That goes without saying why I would much prefer the all-new Skoda Octavia RS in white. There are a total of five colours to choose from, it seems, and the only two colours that in my pocket are black and white (unfortunately, grey isn’t available).
So, when I had the choice of driving either the red or the lovely white-coloured sports sedan, I took the latter without any hesitation.
Of course, the new sports sedan, with its 241bhp and 370Nm of twisting force sent to the front wheels via a super quick 7-speed dual-clutch gearbox, also drove in a manner that was without any hesitation.
However, that wasn’t the only thing that made me happy. The colour of the car did. I’m sure the red car that Jeremy drove made him happy, too. Red, after all, symbolises good health, love, and courage, which was perfect, since it’s the Lunar New Year and all.
But for me, the white one just makes more sense. It symbolises cleanliness, a fresh start and simplicity. And if all these aren’t appropriate for the Lunar New Year, I don’t know what will.
Anyway, appropriate or not, Lunar New Year or Christmas, one thing’s for sure – if I ever decide to get the all new Skoda Octavia RS, it sure as hell won’t be in a bright colour.
Torque‘s Jeremy Chua feels that sports cars should attract attention by nature.
Jeremy says a sports car should come in a dynamic colour.
If you drive an Octavia RS, it should come in the hue that reflects its red-hot performance: Velvet Red.
Ironically, I don’t like wearing red. Like Julian, I’m also boring when it comes to fashion, preferring colours such as navy blue, black and charcoal grey. But a Velvet Red Octavia RS looks right.
Combined with gloss black components such as the window frame, boot lid spoiler and “Skoda” badge, the car oozes athleticism even when it’s standing still.
Now, if the RS was black, it would look boring. Black paintwork with black badges – where’s the contrast? If the car was white or grey, it would look like a regular Octavia. That’s fine if you like sleeper cars or like Julian, prefer to go unnoticed while driving.
I’ll admit that this has its advantages. Other drivers probably won’t try to challenge you or cut you off, and the Traffic Police and LTA might even ignore you altogether.
However, the point of owning and driving a high-performance car would be lost, because by nature, such machines are designed to attract attention. Why subdue them?
In a way, red is also a “safe” colour for a sports car. In overseas markets, the Octavia RS is available in a hue called Hyper Green, which resembles the same shade as a yellow highlighter.
That is a tad extreme. There is a difference between attracting attention and attention-seeking. This colour is the latter. And depending on the car, you may or may not find it difficult to resell in the future.
It may be cliche but red symbolises passion because it’s the colour of fire. When you unleash the Octavia RS’ power, your heart rate rises, sending blood (and petrol) surging through your veins. There’s no other colour that reflects that.
Click here for our first drive of the Skoda Octavia RS
