27 December 2012
City Kart Racing Makati to say its final farewell on Dec 31
According to Managing Director Jean-Marc “Jeff” Freihuber, City Kart Racing's go-kart track located at the 7th level car park of Park Square 1, Makati City will be no more come 2013. No, they haven't gone out of business. Instead, Ayala Malls have finally decided to demolish the historic mall in January which forces City Kart Racing, and all of its tenants, to find a new home.
While Jeff is tight-lipped over the matter, he did tell us that they're now busy working on opening two new tracks in the near future. They will re-open in a new location that's also within Makati by the 1st quarter of 2013. Meanwhile, City Kart Racing's second track will be situated in Alabang and should be up and operational in one or two months time. There are still no details on where exactly these two new go-kart tracks will be put up, but Jeff did say that at least one, if not both tracks will have awesome features such as a bridge, giant LED screen, and new engines.
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26 December 2012
Traffic rerouting scheme for Makati's 2013 New Year countdown party
If you work, live, or pass through Makati City, then you should take note that they're holding their traditional New Year's Eve Countdown Party on the corner of Ayala Avenue and Makati Avenue once again. This means that as early as 12:01AM of December 29, 2012 (Saturday), both directions of Ayala Avenue (from Paseo de Roxas to Parkway Drive) and Makati Avenue (from Dela Rosa Street to Paseo de Roxas) will be closed to vehicular traffic until January 1, 2013 to make way for stage construction, equipment placement, and fireworks display preparation.
So to avoid the hassle, here's the traffic rerouting scheme that will be implemented (see map for reference):
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17 December 2012
Unioil now pumps EURODiesel IV in all stations nationwide
Words by Christopher Kho
It goes without saying that diesels are dirty (at least here in the Philippines, anyway). And yes, I'm referring to both the fuel and the engine. Okay, there are some newer cars out there that run on cleaner and newer diesel technology, but in reality, most of the ones that ply our roads don't. Our government, or more specifically the Climate Change Commission (CCC), actually has plans to rehabilitate some 500,000 PUVs that will reduce soot emissions by up to 80%, but that project will cost us P26 billion. So what if I tell you there's a way to get the same result without spending an extra penny? That's right, the answer is cleaner diesel fuel, and it's called EURODiesel IV from Unioil.
While the Department of Environment and Natural Resources's (DENR) mandate to use Euro IV fuel is still three years away, all Unioil stations nationwide now carry EURODiesel IV - the cleanest and most advanced diesel fuel in the country.
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13 December 2012
MMDA lays down 12 new Christmas Lanes to help you avoid traffic jams
In the Philippines, the spirit of Christmas just ins't complete without Simbang Gabi, parols, Noche Bunena, and up until recently, holiday traffic jams. Thus, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) has laid out 12 new alternate routes you could use to avoid the rush.
MMDA Chairman Francis Tolentino is encouraging the public to use these so-called “Christmas Lanes” which was formally opened yesterday, December 12, 2012. Not only should it help you shave from a couple of minutes to a few hours in your travel time, but also prevent nasty cases of road rage. The 12 new routes lead motorists to and from major shopping centers in Makati, Pasay, Quezon City, San Juan, Manila, and Marikina while avoiding congested major thoroughfares.
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You better watch out; you better not cry. The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) is keeping the festive mood in free flow by postponing digging and excavation projects in all Metro Manila road rights-of-way from December 10, 2012 to January 4, 2013. With the increase in vehicular and pedestrian traffic during the holiday season, MMDA figured these projects would add to the traffic congestion - and headaches - in the Metro.
So for a good few weeks, we shouldn’t see much of those ‘slow men at work’… errr… “SLOW DOWN, MEN AT WORK” signs around. Exempt, however, are the flagship government projects like emergency leak repairs or breakage of water lines of Manila Water and Maynilad. Sure, those pipe laying projects can still be quite the speed bump when trying to get to work or school on time, but at least there should be less of these obstructions for a while.
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07 December 2012
JD Power finds the Chevy Sonic as most APEAL-ing subcompact in US
Words by Christopher Kho
Hands down, the all-new 2012 Chevrolet Sonic is currently the most APEAL-ing subcompact in the US - that's according to J.D. Power's 2012 US Automotive Performance, Execution, and Layout (APEAL) study.
The win speaks a lot about the Sonic's attributes. Apparently, new vehicle buyers in North America are beginning to find smaller cars just as appealing as larger ones they previously owned. The study shows that today's subcompact and compact cars are just as “APEAL-ing” as midsized cars four years ago. And the biggest factor associated with this trend is the better fuel economy offered by these new small cars. Runner-ups for the category were the Fiat 500 and Ford Fiesta.
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06 December 2012
LTO bares plan to change license plate designs by 2013
Words by Leslie Sy
Did you know that the Land Transportation Office (LTO) has plans to all change license plate designs with a new standardized version by January 2013? An illustration of what it would probably look like was shown on an Facebook fan page of the LTO. Although not yet final, this gives us a clear idea of what the new plates will look like. And the main reason behind the change is an attempt to improve safety.
The new license plate designs, made for motor vehicles, motorcycles, and public utility vehicles (PUV), includes several security features to prevent tampering. In theory, this should stop unscrupulous individuals from either transferring plates between vehicles or making fake duplicates.
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Words by Christopher Kho
Well waddya know. Contrary to popular belief, the The Toyota 86, and its fraternal twin the Subaru BRZ, apparently is not the best car to come out from the land of the rising sun this year. Beating it by 45 votes is the all-new Mazda CX-5 which earned the coveted title of 2012 - 2013 Car of the Year Japan.
According to the Japan Car of the Year (JCOTY) committee, the 86 and BRZ did impress with its “thrilling rear-wheel-drive handling, high-revving boxer engine, and reasonable price. But it was the CX-5's “revolutionary SKYACTIV technology, great handling, and economical clean diesel engine” that impressed the jurors the most.
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