Story by Ronnie Trinidad of Sprocketph.com
Red Bull driver and 2005 Formula D Champion Rhys Millen invaded the streets of Manila last April 30, 2012 as part of the world's biggest energy drink's “Action Attack on the Philippines” event to launch the brand in the country. While thousands of spectators, a couple dozen security officers, and a handful of hired extras were able to watch the 39-year-old New Zealander burn up some rubber up close, I was one of the few lucky people who were able to personally meet the man himself.
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Features
After 12 months, the Car Awards Group Inc. (CAGI) is once again ready to crown a new Car of the Year for 2011 - 2012. Scheduled on the opening day of the 8th Manila International Auto Show, the awards night will be held on March 29, 2012 at the Philippine Trade Training Center (PTTC) in Pasay City.The entires are open to all new passenger and commercial vehicles introduced between November 1, 2012 and October 31, 2011. This year, a total of 36 cars in 13 different categories are vying for the title as the 2011 - 2012 Car of the Year Philippines (COTY-P) and range from as small as a basic mini car to a full-sized luxury SUV.
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Car of the Year
26 March 2012
The Porsche World Roadshow: A day with 10,000 horsepower
Words by Ferman Lao | Photos by Christopher Kho
Ok, perhaps it's not exactly 10,000, but with the least capable vehicle available for testing producing almost three times more than your typical subcompact, while the most powerful easily over 500, to it's easy be lulled into thinking that the day's selection had a total power output was within that region... or a bit more. In fact, the experience could undoubtedly be the automotive equivalent of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey's “The Greatest Show on Earth.” This, ladies and gentlemen, is the Porsche World Roadshow = a day wherein every model in the Porsche catalog are driven in the manner they were designed to be driven, made possible only by Porsche AG and PGA Cars Inc.
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Features
20 March 2012
Can E-Jeepneys solve Manila’s transport woes?
Words by Niky Tamayo | Photos courtesy of www.ejeepney.org
It may seem hard to believe, considering the state of the economy, but there are now nearly seven million motor vehicles registered in the Philippines. While the sheer numbers should make for greater mobility and productivity for our workforce, there is the little issue of all those vehicles being on the road at the exact same time, causing massive traffic jams. As they still burn fuel when sitting still in traffic, this situation costs us billions of Pesos every year in oil imports, as well as cause massive air pollution. And that's where the E-Jeepney comes in.
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Features
16 February 2012
The Chinese car doppelganger invasion
Words by Jose Carlo R. Sapera
After the Spanish, Japanese, and Americans invaded the Philippines over the past centuries, it's now the Chinese who are keen on invading our country, not to claim new territories, but rather to dominate the local automotive industry. These new Chinese car manufacturers have been around for a few years now and have been making waves in their own different ways. But because they're still relatively in an infancy stage as compared to the Koreans and long-established Japanese, some have yet to rid themselves of their bad habit of coming up with tongue-twisting names and very peculiar designs. And to tickle your thoughts, here are some of the most intriguing look-a-likes we've found.
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Features
03 February 2012
Car names defined
Words by Christopher Kho and Jade Lu
Car makers across the globe name their latest models after elaborate words from the English dictionary (except for the Europeans who use a labyrinth of letters and numbers) to somehow reflect its prominent characteristics and dazzle their patrons over its obscure moniker. But after a multitude of brochures, advertisements, test drives, and car reviews, have we really given some thought what some of these nameplates really mean? Thankfully, the internet - and notably the guys at Dictionary.com - has put together a list of definitions for some of the most prominent and memorable car models ever to grace this planet.
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Features
26 January 2012
You park like an &*#^$@: Bad parkers beware!
Words by Leslie Sy
Don't you just hate it when you finally find a parking slot on the street or in a mall, you discover that you can't fit your car in because the car beside it is parked badly? What's more frustrating is that you can't teach its driver how to park properly without potentially getting into a heated argument and then some. Well, you should be glad to know that there are now websites out there so that you could teach these bad parkers a lesson or two.
In the online-dependent world we live in today, the internet once again comes to the rescue with websites such as www.youparklikeanasshole.com. The site offers downloadable notice forms or stickers for you to place on the offending cars’ windshields to teach their drivers a lesson. You can even specify the violation, whether it's parked over the painted lines, parked over two spots, or fraudulently parked in spaces reserved for handicaps, so that the parking delinquent can look up the site, find out what he or she has done wrong, and learn how to properly park their cars.
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Features
07 December 2011
Taking the plunge with the Isuzu Alterra
Words and photos by Kris C. Lim
I considering it such a blessing that my profession indulges my passion to travel. From fuel-economy runs to out-of-town road trips, we motoring journalists have the privilege to test out the latest on four wheels from different car manufacturers and drive them to places we've never been to. Quite frankly, it takes something really special to impress your average motoring hack, but to our delight, Isuzu Philippines gave us just that in our recent excursion to down south.
A few weeks ago, I received an invite from Isuzu PR Supervisor Ronald “Isuzu Joe” Baladad to join their last leg of Isuzu Road Trip event. Dubbed “For the Journey that Matters,” we took the plunge at the last leg of the Isuzu Road Trip event - a trek that would involve driving down the beautiful and historical province of Quezon in the Isuzu Alterra Urban Cruiser.
After a sumptuous breakfast and casual media briefing to jumpstart the day, we took off from the Alabang Town Center and headed out for the long day ahead. But to prep us for the trip, we made a quick pitstop at the Caltex service station in Mampalasan, Laguna, where we grabbed snacks and refreshments courtesy of Isuzu. Our destination: Villa Sariaya, a 130-kilometer drive south of Manila.
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Road Trip