Volume 1 Issue 3 - Automobile Association Philippines

THE QUARTERLY MAGAZINEOF THE AUTOMOBILE ASSOCIATION PHILIPPINES VOLUME 1ISSUE 3TEST DRIVESFORD FIESTATOYOTA COROLLA ALTISCHEVROLET CRUZESTREET EDITIONMITSUBISHI ASXNISSAN SENTRA 200FLIGHT OF THEPHOENIXT H E M E R C E D E S B E N Z S L S A M GBURNING RUBBERSTOCK JUST AIN’T ENOUGHThe Aftermarket Tuning GuideTHE THE PERFORMANCECAR ROUND-UPCAR ROUND-UPPAGE 44An Intro to Motorsports

PRESIDENT’S NOTEGus LagmanPRESIDENTBY the time you get hold of this issueof AQ , the festive mood of theChristmas season would already beupon us. But then, traffic on the roadwould also be intolerable. That is, ifthe government hasn’t come up yetwith an ingenious solution to thisperennial problem.Not too long before I wrote this piece, theMetro Manila Development Authority (MMDA)announced plans to revive the Odd-Even schemeto regulate the number of vehicles on the road. Thescheme is fairly simple: If your car’s plate numberends with an odd number, then you can only use it onMondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. If it ends with aneven number, then you’re free to use it on Tuesdays,Thursdays and Saturdays. If fully enforced, the schemeexpects to reduce vehicles on the road by half.The Odd-Even scheme was implemented years agoand was declared a major failure. Those with only onecar protested to high heavens saying that it’s not fairfor the government to disallow them - taxpayers afterall - use of the roads half of the time. Those with extramoney to buy another car did just that to be able to drivea car every day.So how do you solve this complex problem we calltraffic? I don’t have a fool-proof answer but I have sixsuggestions particularly on the main thoroughfare thatcuts through the metropolis, the road we call EDSA.1. Get illegal vehicles out of the road. This is a nobrainer:If a bus or a jeepney doesn’t have a franchise,then it has no business being on the road. Authoritiesestimate that about 30 percent of buses on EDSA arecolorum or illegal. If these buses are removed, thentraffic will ease up substantially and buses with legalright to ply EDSA would earn more. You must havenoticed that even during the rush hour, buses areusually only some 30-40% full. But because accordingto some people, these colorum buses are ownedand operated by ex-generals and policemen, gettingthem off the roads will need a lot of political will –something, fortunately, that the new administrationapparently has. Remember the “no wang-wang”?2. Where feasible, set up loading/unloading bays alongEDSA, but instead of how it is set up now, wherethe bays eat up one or two lanes of the road, theyshould be recessed from the road. Observe where thetraffic choke-points along EDSA are and you’ll findthat they are almost always at the loading/unloadingareas for buses. These areas make the already tightroad even tighter because they eat up lanes from themain carriageway. (I understand that the DPWHis planning to implement this scheme along the nationalroads.) An option would be to use side streetswith the appropriate configuration, as loading/unloading bays. Buses can turn to these side streetsSolving Trafficto load/unload, turn left twice, then turn right,back into EDSA (like going through three sides of arectangle). There may be some sections along EDSAwhere this scheme is feasible.3. Move the terminals (stations) of provincial buses toareas near the end-points of the MRT/LRT. Thosewould be in the Monumento and Bonifacio Drive areasfor the north-bound buses; and Baclaran, for thesouth-bound buses. For the latter, the Food Terminal(FTI) is actually ideal, but I suggest that the LRT beextended to reach it to make it more readily accessibleto the riding public.4. Invest on mass transportation. This is the long-termsolution to traffic. Nobody wants to sit in the carthat crawls through EDSA. We all want to get toour destination the fastest, easiest, and cheapest waypossible. And subways and trains are the only way togo. With modern tunnel-boring machines, subwaysare no longer as expensive to build as they used tobe. In the meantime, let’s increase the number ofcoaches on the MRT. I understand it can carry a fewmore of those, for which reason, the LRT will lendto the MRT four of its coaches.5. Eliminate the “boundary” system. This system is theroot of our problems with buses and jeepneys, but itis also most difficult to eliminate. In many countries,drivers (and conductors) are salaried employees. Underthe “boundary” system, which is the most popularscheme in our country, the drivers don’t earn apeso until he meets a certain minimum amount that’sdue to the operator. It is therefore no small wonderwhy drivers try to out-maneuver each other on theroad to grab passengers. And they’d stop anywhereto wait for passengers. In most other countries, it’sthe passengers who queue up to wait for the buses,which arrive exactly at pre-scheduled times.6. Assign only one lane for buses, but operate themunder a unified dispatching scheme, so they prettymuch simulate a train system. There will be complications… like when buses coming from other pointsmerge with those along EDSA. But this situationexists in other countries, too, so obviously the problemis not insurmountable. I must admit, though thatthis scheme can only work if Scheme 5 above canalso be implemented.Solving traffic is a major social, technical, andeconomic exercise. We need thinkers to regularly assessour situation on the road and come up with innovativesolutions. The above suggestions are just that – they’relogical ideas that need to be studied, validated, andtested. But we should pore over them – and others –more seriously, instead of recycling old formulas thatnever really worked in the first place.Merry Christmas to all!For comments or suggestions, email me at info@aap.org.ph .2 AQ MAGAZINE PERFORMANCE

CONTENTSCOVER STORYNEVER THE SAME AGAINDriving the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG 32FEATURE STORYAQ TEST DRIVESFord Fiesta, Toyota Altis, Chevrolet Cruze, Mitsubishi ASX, Nissan Sentra 21ON DAYS LIKE THESEThe AQ Magazine Performance Car Roundup 42BURNING RUBBERThe different forms of automobile racing 56VROOM WITH A VIEWThe AAP Laguna Caravan 844 AQ MAGAZINE PERFORMANCE

CONTENTSFEATURE STORYMOTORSPORTS ROUNDUPTouring cars, hillclimbs, slaloms, drags, karting 72RACE OF CHAMPIONSConcept One powers a reunion event for Philippine racing greats 94MINI MANIAThe first Philippine Classic Mini Track Day 80REGULARSSOLVING TRAFFIC 2Gus LagmanFAST WOMEN 12Aida Sevilla-MendozaMY AUTO-BIOGRAPHY OF PERFORMANCE CARS 14Mandy EduqueCONFESSIONS OF THE UNSCHOOLED 16Tito F. HermosoLIFE THROUGH THE KOOKIE CUTTER 18Iñigo S. RocesWEEKEND WARRIOR 101 20Andre Palma6 AQ MAGAZINEPERFORMANCE

SHOWROOMReaders of sport autoaward eight prizes toThe readers of sport auto, a Germanautomotive magazine, declared the AudiR8 Spyder best in its class in the “SportiestCars of 2010” survey. All in all, Audi tookeight awards. The Audi R8 Spyder left itscategory’s competitors in the rear-viewmirror by capturing 17.3 percent of readers’votes. This high-performance sports carfeaturing a lightweight soft top dazzlesthanks to the synergy of its technologies –such as an ASF body made of aluminumand carbon fiber; quattro permanentall-wheel drive; LED headlights; and aninnovative seat-belt microphone.AudiIn addition, three Audi models finished in second place. TheAudi A5 Coupé 3.0 TDI quattro, the TT RS Roadster and the AudiR8 4.2 FSI quattro all won silver medals in their respective classes.Further impressive achievements: the Audi S3 2.0 TFSI, the RS 6,the TT Roadster 2.0 TFSI and the Audi TTS Coupé 2.0 TFSI camein third, respectively.In the “Sportiest Cars of 2010” survey, 8,674 sport auto readerschose their favorites in 15 categories of series-production vehiclesand ten tuning classes.For more information on the Audi R8 Spyder and other Audimodels available in the Philippines, please contact Audi Philippinesat 727.0381 or visit our showroom at 201 Edsa, Mandaluyong City.10 AQ MAGAZINE PERFORMANCE

ROAD SAVVYFast WomenAida Sevilla MendozaEDITOR-IN-CHIEFTHE women I refer to here arethose who live in the fast lane.Women who compete in motorsports are generally admiredfor their courage and drivingskills but are not expected toparticipate in – much less win –the most demanding, the mostprestigious motoring contests like Formula One or LeMans 24 Hours or the World Rally Championship.The weaker sex, they say, cannot withstand theg-forces that F1 cars, the fastest in the world, inflicton the driver. Driving a Formula One car whoseengine revs at 18,000 rpm with pistons going up anddown 300 times per second and whose small steeringwheel is the most complicated in the world -- withnumerous buttons, switches and paddles that regulateeverything from the differential to the front wing,the brakes, the fuel mixture, the engine settings andthe gearshift – surely, these are not for the femininegender?Neither is the Le Mans 24 Hours an event forwomen, people say, as this is the world’s most famous,most grueling 24-hour endurance race covering up to5,000 kilometers through the French countryside withdrivers reaching speeds of 340 km an hour or more,even in the dark.But whoa! At the 75th edition of Le Mans lastJune, an all-women crew of four led by NatachaGachnang was among the 168 drivers of 23nationalities who competed. The all-female teamdrove a Ford GT. According to the FIA (FederationInternationale del’Automobile), since 1923when the first Le Manswas held, 50 womenhave competed as driversand there have been 22all-female crews. Thehighest position ever fora woman driver in LeMans was achieved in1932 by Odette Siko,who placed fourth overallin an Alfa Romeo 8Cwith a male co-driver. In1951, an all women-crewfinished 15th overall intheir Ferrari 166 MMWomen who compete inmotor sports are generallyadmired for their courageand driving skills but arenot expected to participatein – much less win – themost demanding, the mostprestigious motoring contestslike Formula One orLe Mans 24 Hours or theWorld Rally Championship.Coupe. Michele Mouton, Vice Champion in the 1982FIA World Rally Championship and two other womenwon the 2L prototype class at Le Mans in a MoynetLM75 in 1975.The only lady points scorer in the history ofFormula One to date was the late Leila Lombardi, anF1 driver with March. Lombardi was also the firstwoman to win an FIA World Championship eventwhen she won the 1979 Enna 6 Hours, a round of theFIA World Manufacturers Championship for sportscars. At Le Mans, she finished 20th in 1976 withChristine Dacremont and 11th overall and second inGTP with Christine Beckers in 1977.Desire Wilson, a South African, won the 6Hour races at the Monza and Silverstone FIA WorldChampionship events in 1980. She competed at LeMans in 1991 with Cathy Muller and Lyn St. Jamesas team mates. Muller has also raced in F3, F3000,the World Sports Car Championship and Indy Lightsin the USA. Lyn St. James is just one of five women tosuccessfully qualify for the Indianapolis 500 and thefirst woman to win the Indianapolis 500 Rookie of theYear award.Fast women Michele Mouton, NatachaGachnang and Cathy Muller are actively involvedwith the Women & Motor Sport Commission(WMC) recently organized by the FIA, the Parisbasedfederation that governs all four-wheeled motorsports worldwide including F1, Le Mans 24 Hoursand the WRC. Headed by former World Rally starMichele Mouton, the 19-member WMC aims tocreate a motor sport culture that facilitates the fullparticipation of women, to create strategies that willpromote education and training of women in motorsport and to organize events allowing knowledgesharing on how to increase women’s participation andto collaborate with international organizations onjoint sports projects.At the International Working Group WorldConference on Women and Sport in Sydney, Australialast May, WMC president Mouton reiterated theWMC’s commitment to establish policies that willstrengthen women’s roles in motor sport and increasethe participation of women at the highest levelsof motor sport. As a director of the AutomobileAssociation Philippines, the only FIA affiliate in thecountry, I would like to laud the fast women here andabroad who help to promote the WMC’s objectives bycompeting in motor sport events.12 AQ MAGAZINE PERFORMANCE

CHEQUERED FLAGMandy EduqueCOLUMNISTMy Auto-Biographyof Performance CarsWHEN asked to focuson performance carsfor this issue, I wasinitially somewhatat a loss as to whichcars to write about.Ferraris, Porsches,BMW’s...and so on?Then it dawned on me that I had been driving whatwould have to be considered the truest, purest formsof performance cars for most of my adult life. Exceptthat these were not performance cars for normal,everyday driving. Rather, they were made to performon racetracks and rally roads.These cars would first be stripped of anyunecessary amenities - seats, upholstery and carpeting,airconditioning and sound systems, even windows –to make them as light as possible. Bodyshells wouldbe stripped, lightened, then seamwelded to integralrollcages to maximize chassis stiffness. Standardsuspensions would be replaced by adjustable, heavydutysprings and dampers to be able to keep the carplanted on the roughest roads. Engines and gearboxeswould be tweaked to maximize power and torqueoutput. Finally, install the most powerful brakesavailable and you end up with a car with only onepurpose in life - perform and win.Allow me to wander down my memory lane andrecall the cars I have driven in competition - my Auto-Biography, if you will.The first car I ever drove in anger was the FordEscort RS2000 which I drove in rallies from 1975 to1984. In a way, I was fortunate to start rallying withthe Escort. Compact, light and blessed with excellenthandling, the Escort really taught me how to drive arally car as it was so easy to induce oversteer with it,which was the only way to make the rear-wheel drivecars of those days turn on loose surfaces. In 1979,the Escort and I finished first in Group A in my firstinternational rally - the Asean IV.In that 10-year period, I only ever drove twoother cars, both Toyota Corollas. One was a four-doorDX with a 2TG engine I drove in Malaysia in 1984,the other a 1979 SR I drove in one local event. Whilethe Corollas had the edge over the Escorts enginepower-wise, the latter had the better handling andremains my favorite rally car of that era.The Group B era arrived in 1985 and with itthe Nissan 240RS. I campaigned a Bill Blydensteinprepared240RS in Malaysia that year and, laterthat year, Jun Espino and I placed 8th overall in thefirst Honkong-to-Beijing Rally. As a member of thethree-car official Nissan factory team, we also beatthe factory Audi, Toyota and Opel teams and wonthe Overall Team Award. In retrospect, that was thehighlight of my rally career as we were pitted againstmy rally idols - Mikkola, Waldegard, Kankunnen -and did pretty well.The next year, 1986, I drove another 240RSin New Zealand, this one prepared by Kiwi TonyTeesdale, which I also drove in the 1986 and 1987editions of the Hongkong-Beijing Rally. Whilecertainly more powerful than the Escort and justas well-handling, the 240Rs would eventually beovershadowed by the superior traction of the four-wheeldrive Audis and Peugeots in Group B. But, to my mind,it was the best of the rear-wheel drive Group B cars.In 1987, I decided to try a less powereful GroupN car as I could not afford the equipment to becompetitive in Group B in WRC rallies. So I droveMy last rally hurrah came in1997 when I won the NationalRallycross Championship witha Mitsubishi Lancer Evo2 whichwas even better to drive thanthe VR4 as it had all the VR4’sattributes but was lighter andmore compact.the Olympus Rally of that year in a Group N (read showroomstock) Toyota Corolla AE86. While we fared well with 4thoverall in Group N and 2nd in class, we ended up 21st overall.Driving in Group N was a bit boring. There really is nothinglike power to liven up a rally.I also did another Rally of Malaysia, this time in anamazing Filipino-built car called the Conge. Handbuilt byBinky Victa, it had the innards of a Toyota Corolla 2TG and atotally fiberglass body. It was crude, unrefined and difficult todrive but it was the only locally built car to have ever run in aninternational rally abroad.By now, I was totally convinced that four-wheel drive wasthe only way to go so, in 1988, Jun and I campaigned a SubaruRX Turbo built in the U.S. by Chad de Marco. The first fourwheelerto run in local rallies, it was an eye-opener, particularlyin venues like Pantabangan where traction was critical. It was,however, short on power and we only managed 2nd in thenational championship that year.We went upscale in 1989 and ran a Toyota Celica GT4 inNew Zealand and Australia. It was an improvement over theSubaru but, in Group N form, was a tad heavy. That same year,Ralliart Asia invited us to run local rallies with the factory teamand put us in a rear-wheel, 2-litre turbocharged MitsubishiStarion. That car was hairy to drive as the power was always inone of two modes: off or ohmigod. But it was great driving forthe factory team and not have to worry about anything exceptdriving.In 1990, Ralliart brought in two Mitsubishi Galant VR4’s.Aussie Ross Dunkerton drove one, I the other. I won Driverof the Year that year and, together with Vip Isada, the Shell-Mitsubishi VR4’s totally dominated local rallying for the nextfour years. While it was a large full-size sedan, the bespokesuspension, four-wheel drive and 300bhp engine transformedthe VR4 into a car that was a dream to drive on gravel ortarmac.My last rally hurrah came in 1997 when I won the NationalRallycross Championship with a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo2 whichwas even better to drive than the VR4 as it had all the VR4’sattributes but was lighter and more compact. At the end of theday, this was the best rally car I ever drove. By this time, theSubic track had opened and I was driving mostly Lancers andEvos on the circuit.The car that sticks in my my mind from those days,however, was an ex-German DTM BMW E30 Evolution thatwas so powerful and quick but one needed the reflexes of a cat todrive well. Caught me out more often than I care to remember.There you have it, my Auto-Biography of myperformance cars.14 AQ MAGAZINE PERFORMANCEPERFORMANCE AQ MAGAZINE 15

A SHEEP AT THE WHEELConfessions of the unschooledTito F. HermosoCOLUMNISTWe, like it or not,will have to live withspeed and becausethose with motorsportsbackground embraceit, they know it betterthan the averagedriving school teacher.COMPETITIVE sports area great way to channel men’saggression in between timesof war. As in any competition,tuning and toning up oneselfto a higher performance levelis also the best way to be readyfor the next war. With thesefumbling words, I already betray my disinterest in anykind of sports and ergo, the technique and physiqueof high performance. I have great respect for highperformance, whether man or machine, but I have nodesire to emulate, much less imitate the fans’ superheroes.Which is not to say that I do not appreciatespeed. To me speed is anything faster than walkingpace. Off road? Climbing rocks and rivers at slowerthan walking pace is no fun for me. To the impatient,speed is merely a means to an end. My faith in speedis rooted in engineering and economics. Speed isefficient. Hence the need for it. And the need for bothman and machine to be good enough for it.Put speed and competition together, and you haveever rising benchmarks. As cars and motorsports getfaster and more sophisticated, it is only proper thatpeople’s skills are up to scratch. Happily, our countrytoday is not short of high performance driving schoolsand teachers. Though we may not have many, closedracing circuits are where errors, whether in drivertraining, suspension tuning or performance testing,can be corrected and risks placed under control.Indeed, all that schooling and practice does make forbetter cars and drivers for thepublic road.But what about us whoenjoy speed but not competition?A public road is not a venue forracing. I always back off whensomeone else on a public roadmistakenly spoils for a “fight”(race). Speed is best enjoyedwhen the scenic vistas are wide,the weather good and my car isthe right one and the only oneon the road. There are still places in the world whereone can “legally” do this and the world (and our lives)is none the worse for it.It need not be triple-digit speeds. My mostenjoyable “speed” rides were done in total isolationin the back roads of the provinces. Arcing, unpavednational roads, single track and steeply crowned in themiddle, they get a semi-annual grading and haphazardlandfill once a year. Winding through rice paddies,glistening green or dried haystack amber depending onthe seasons, sharp curves dive into thickets of bamboo.At about the same time, a younger brotherreturned to the home country, after studying underone of the Flying Finns, doing the same thing inWales and Finland, in ‘80s Ford Escorts and Alfasudsinstead of my ‘65 F-350 stake truck and ‘52 1200ccVW Kombi. He, always the sportsman, joined allthe dramatic pre-dawn dust-ups and mud-plugs inPantabangan, Cordilleras, the Sierra Madre, etc. andearned trophies for it. Later on, he taught and sharedall his rallying skills to students in a motorsportsschool founded by his racing buddies. He was intosports so he went to school. I wasn’t so I remained,unschooled. Our driving paths finally crossed whenin mid career, a kind sponsor put me up in his drivingschool. And there, I unlearned all the wrong things Ilearned before.Moral of the story? Whether your objective is togive your offspring a high performance car to makehim/her a budding race car driver or just a betterdriver, send him/her to a school whose teachers have amotorsports background. We, like it or not, will haveto live with speed and because those with motorsportsbackground embrace it, they know it better thanthe average driving school teacher. Indeed, racingimproves the breed.In time, I became a better driver, better equippedto deal with high performance testing of veryexpensive cars on and off track. But the sports bugnever bit me. Proof of this is that the next sponsoreddriving school lesson I went to was for drifting. Nowany motorsports guy or gal will tell you that drifting isnot a sport. Absolutely! Maybe that’s why I thoroughlyenjoyed it!16 AQ MAGAZINE PERFORMANCEAQ MAGAZINE 17

LATERALLY OPPOSEDLife through the Kookie cutterIñigo S. RocesCOLUMNISTCARS and speed practically gohand in hand in this industry.One would think that we hopfrom one car to the next, andsimply relate the experiencewith a matter of keystrokesand pictures. Truth be told,it takes generous doses ofpatience and commitment to move from a Kia Picantoto a Ferrari 575 Maranello.I learned both qualities from the most unlikelyof sources, a race car driver by the name of KookieRamirez. He passed away just last October 28,fighting an up and down battle against the big C.I first met Kookie as a new staff writer for a homegrown car magazine. Newly hired, I thought it wouldbe jumping from one car to another, touching them,driving them, and writing about them would be justlike talking to your fellow aficionado. Of course,being a neophyte, I’d have to prove myself, both inwriting and driving. My career hadn’t launched offthe line like a race car. It stalled at first before slowlyaccelerating.My work at the magazine began, not with a story,but with proofreading and what we called “blurbs”(captions for photos). My work behind the wheel washardly as exciting as well, representing the publicationat fuel economy events where slow and efficient wasthe name of the game.A few months in, a big break came. The staffwere to put together a shoot and story involving aFerrari 575 Maranello, Jaguar XKR and MaseratiCambio Corsa. We had been assigned to research onthe specifications and if we were lucky, could possiblydrive the cars.Of course, one of those tasked to evaluate myskills before I even so much as park one of thesecars was Kookie. The test involved a lap in an MR2.Confident of my own skills, and with Kookieobserving from the passenger seat, I popped theclutch to launch the car. It promptly stalled a meterafter, within sight of the entire team. Presuming I’dbe living down the shame and driving slowly, Kookietook a call and pointed the line every now and then.Foolishly, I tried to redeem myself in one of thehairpins. I poured on the gas, turned in the wheel, andlet the back end slide a little. Kookie could only yell“Not so...” before dropping the phone and correctingthe error with his free hand. Despite my shenanigans,I was allowed to drive all three cars later on, muchmore slowly and ever mindful of Kookie’s instructionsthis time.Another shoot that year pit me, a gamer, againsta racer, Kookie. It would test whether realistic gameslike Gran Turismo could indeed breed future racers.Of course, in real life circuit, driving the same car,Kookie had left me behind with a 4 second gap. In thegame (which he apparently plays a lot), he diminishedmy gap to only a hundredth of a second.Frequent shoots after that allowed us to test driveall sorts of cars. Every time our shoots would endearly, Kookie would gladly hop in a car with us andteach us the finer points of racing. It was a rare honorto see Kookie’s skills in consistently extracting thevery best out of these cars. Even more priceless was theknowledge Kookie would pass on to us to do the same.Some time later, Kookie served as an instructorfor a Porsche event, teaching members of the media,Porsche owners and potential clients how to handlea Cayman in a slalom course. There was no coachingthis time, simply try your best and see your time after.Despite Kookie’s best teachings, the car’s sheer speedwas daunting. I would have clocked the best time wereit not for one pylon I knocked over. Despite that, atthe end of the day, Kookie had handed me an awardfor “Best in Driving Style.”It might be a trivial award to some, but it’sone I cherish to this day. It still stands proudly onmy mantle, reminding me of how patience andcommitment has taken me from test driving lowlycity-bound econo-boxes to the finest of German sportscars.They’re not so different, the world of a racer andthat of publishing. Like any Karting prodigy hopingto make it to F1, or any staff writer hoping to be aneditor, getting from start to pinnacle, as some yearsworking under Kookie taught me, isn’t as simple ashopping from one car to the next. There is no shortcut.It is a responsibility that has to be earned, with eachopportunity a chance to prove yourself. You have togo through every car, page or photo shoot in between,each time exhibiting your very best, not necessarilyfastest performance. With some patience and lots ofcommitment, you WILL get there.It was a rare honor to seeKookie’s skills in consistentlyextracting the very best outof these cars. Even morepriceless was the knowledgeKookie would pass on to us todo the same.18 AQ MAGAZINE PERFORMANCEPERFORMANCE AQ MAGAZINE 19

SCANDY FLICKTEST DRIVESFORD FIESTAAndre PalmaCOLUMNISTSpend money.Go fast. Yawn.Get bored. Seekmeaning oflife. Repeat, adinfinitum.Weekend Warrior 101IT can be said that wisdom is paid for incountless instances of failure. Why elsewould the age-old saying, ‘learning fromone’s mistakes’, make sense? Or better yet,why does ‘learning from the mistakes ofothers’ seem so much more appealing?It is because we know trial and errorcan be a very painful process of learning.So listen to me, ladies and gentlemen. Saveyourselves the humiliation and money. When itcomes to starting to drive competitively in thePhilippines, there can be no greater counsel or guidethan yours truly, or any of the countless others whohave tried to drive and not made the cut. Failure anddisappointment are my given and middle names. Iwonder what their excuses are?If you are like most of us Filipinos who’ve beenbitten by the competitive driving bug, you probablylack the single most important factor to a decent runat motorsports. If the Almighty Peso does not grow ontrees in your backyard, you are going to have problemsracing. Remember that money, not physics, makes theplanet turn on its axis and nowhere else is it more ofa determining factor to success than in racing thesedarned automobiles.Barring a trust fund in your name, you will haveto do what 99.9% of drivers have done before you. Youwill need to make do with what you have. Only theinsanely rich can wave a magic wand and conjure upeven the simplest of racecars. So what does one do inthat case? That means turning your daily driver, orworse, someone else’s automotive pride and joy intosomething that vaguely resembles a racecar.Many tuners and enthusiasts will arguethat turning a daily driver into a simple weekendadrenaline machine is easy. Spend money. Go fast.Yawn. Get bored. Seek meaning of life.Repeat, ad infinitum. Realize thoughthat turning your daily commute into acompetitive racer is slightly more cerebrala task. How so? Isn’t it practically the samething? Well, not really. Remember, this ismotorsport, where rules are our reason forbeing.My advice for dealing with theinevitable rules is simple. Read them.Understand them. Follow them. Do or donot, there is no try.If this process is broken at any point or shouldyou disagree with any part of what makes a particularkind of driving a sport, please do yourself andeveryone else a favor. Move along. Find some otherdiscipline to drive. It is quite possible as well thatformal organized racing isn’t for you. Just stay homeand fiddle with your Play Station. You’ll be happier inthe long run.Only after having dealt with the rules can onebegin to even think of preparing a racecar. And it ishere where so many people make the mistake thatleads to frustration and disillusionment. Rememberthis next sentence because your nascent drivingaspirations are hinged on this single thought. Ready?Here it is: forget about making your car morepowerful. Reflect on that idea for a bit and continue toread on after the urge to bin this magazine leaves you.Think about it. Power without any sort of controlis useless. Many first time racers blow the bank onmore engine power. That is usually the end of that.The image of a raging bull, trying to navigate its waythrough a shop packed with antique porcelain can’t getany better. So much power, yet so impotent. You getthe picture.It is best to begin preparing the car with twothings in mind. Improving the driver interface andmaking sure the car does what the driver wants, whenthe driver wants it. Being in control is what it is allabout. Now, imagine the same porcelain shop, butpicture a cat cavorting through it instead of the bull.Not as much power for sure, but more nimble andaware as heck.Please remember one more thing. There will bea point of no return at some time in your competitivedriving jaunt. It could be giving in to the temptationto remove the last trappings of civilized motoring inyour car, like the radio or heaven forbid, the aircon.Maybe it could be when you realize that maintenancecosts are beginning to outrun the amortization of yourcar, or maybe even your home.It is at this point you need to make a decision.Has your race been run or is it only the beginning?Whatever your answer is, remember one thing. It’sonly a car, my friend. Life goes on. Believe me.2010 Ford Fiesta 1.6L TrendThe GameSTORY:Vince PornelosPHOTOS:Author & FG ReyesChangerI have to admit offthe bat, I’ve neverbeen a big fan ofsubcompact cars.In the past, that class of carhas always been linked tobuilt-in cheapness, low quality, puny engines, barefeatures and, “worst of all, a very uninspiring drive”.Then along comes a gamechanger: the Fiesta.20 AQ MAGAZINE PERFORMANCEPERFORMANCEAQ MAGAZINE 21

TEST DRIVESFORD FIESTAThe guys over at Ford have taken their time to bringthe Fiesta to the Philippines and the ASEAN region, in factit took them 2 whole years to get it here. However, I’m gladthey took their time, as the Fiesta we’re getting is already theredesigned version, available either as a sedan or in hatchbackconfigurations. From the front, there’s plenty of character inthis new Ford, staying quite true to the kinetic design languageintroduced in the Iosis concept car, creating an unusuallyemotionally compelling look in the subcompact class.And then there’s the great interior. While most peoplefocus on the exterior look, it’s really the interior design that thedriver will be immersed in while stuck in traffic. The Fiesta iswell and truly stylish inside, and with plenty of attention paidtowards build quality and interior fit and finish. The fabric seatsin this 1.6L Trend model are simply fantastic, while the controlsurfaces (steering wheel, shift knob, buttons and stalks) feelgreat to the touch and feature excellent ergonomic contours.Powering the new Fiesta are a choice of 2 engines: a 95hp 1.4-liter or a 120 hp 1.6-liter, both being Duratec inline-4,have twin camshafts and 4 valves per cylinder. The 1.6 liter,as tested here, is the better choice of the two, especially withdual camshaft variable valve timing that advances or retardstiming to suit either for economy or power delivery. Theblock, cylinder and head are all made of aluminum to shaveweight, while composite materials are even used for the intakemanifold to further lighten the car and even improve intake airtemperatures (colder is always better).Great as the powerplant may be, it’s in the transmissionthat the Fiesta has a clear leg up over the competition. All ofthem. While most of the its contemporaries use conventional,torque converter automatics, the Fiesta has a highly advanceddual clutch transmission; the first in its class. The technology,usually reserved for high end, high performance machines,makes its way under the hood of Ford’s most affordable car,promising seamless shifts, better gear ratios, a more directdrive and, most importantly, better fuel economy.Taking the car out for the first time, the Fiesta’s powertraindoes live up to the hype. Power delivery is excellent, and thetransmission kicks down a gear or two if you floor it. Havingthe 6-speed breaks up the ratio more effectively for the 120 hpengine to deal with, and at highway speeds, RPM is kept lowfor good fuel economy, upwards of 17 kilometers to the liter. Intown, its literally point and squirt, though the 2nd to 3rd and3rd to 4th gear upshifts need a little work as the Powershifttransmission tends to linger in a lower gear, something youwouldn’t want for fuel efficiency in the city.Where the Fiesta truly delivers is in the driving dynamics.It’s one of those cars that really cut its teeth in the UK and therest of Europe, where the demand for a car that handles itselfin the corners is a must. Toss the car into a mountain passand it feels instantly at home, taking them with a confidenceso rarely found in most locally available cars, regardless ofclass. Steering feels superbly weighted, and overall the drivingmanners exceed that of the Mazda2, the Fiesta’s platformbrother. In terms of NVH, the Fiesta is right up there too, asfor a car that can drive and corner this well, it soaks up therough stuff with ease.Refreshing is one way to describe the new Fiesta. Superbis another. With the new Fiesta, Ford has definitely raised thebar, and set a hard new standard for others to meet.22 AQ MAGAZINE PERFORMANCEPERFORMANCEAQ MAGAZINE 23

TEST DRIVESMITSUBISHI ASXSTORY & PHOTOS:Vince PornelosAhead THE2010 Mitsubishi ASX GLSBack in the 90’s, life was much simpler ifyou were in the market for a new car. Go toany dealership and you can classify mostcars into any of seven distinct categories:hatches, sedans, SUVs, pick-up trucks,sportscars, vans and AUVs.CurveOF Fast forward to today however, and things get a littlemore confusing. It’s not hard to understand why, withdiversified demands and needs of the car shopper. Now thereare so many niches around, with four door coupes, MPVs,sports activity vehicles and urban crossovers, and frankly, itsgetting harder and harder to tell which is which.The ASX is one such car. Introduced earlier this year, theASX, or Active Sport Crossover, is Mitsubishi’s stab at a classof car that hasn’t taken off yet. It’s part sedan and part compactSUV, all rolled into one; literally (almost) a cross between theLancer EX and the Outlander. Again, it’s easy to get confusedwith this car, but lets break it down, bit by bit.For one, it’s strikingly similar to the Lancer EX in terms ofdesign, especially with a face dominated by the aggressive jetfightergrille and the angry, tapered headlamps. Towards the sideand rear of the car, however, it shares more in common with theOutlander with the body of a small SUV and a lift up tailgate.The ASX is finished off with a set of multi-spoke 17 inch alloywheels with wide 215/60/R17 tires.SUV traits are shared with the Outlander, but the ASXis not as large. Branded as a ‘little brother’ to the Outlander,measuring 4295mm in length, 1770mm in width and an overallheight of 1625mm. The ASX, however, rides higher off theground than the Lancer at 195mm, and that’s a good thing, asthe top of the line ASX does feature four wheel drive, thoughthis GLS version is a front wheel drive model.Inside, the basic Lancer EX interior architecture has beenupdated, with fresh fonts on the instrument cluster, as wellas a new dashboard design. There is seating for 5 adults, withthe driver and front passenger having sporty bucket seats. Therear bench has a 40-20-40 folding system, with the center ableto fold down to become an armrest with two cupholders. Forcarrying capacity, the ASX can swallow up to 384 liters ofcargo, along with other versatile storage solutions.Standard on the ASX is a full suite of standard features,beginning with a 6.2-inch touchscreen LCD with DVD, iPodconnectivity and Bluetooth. The airconditioning system is afully automatic climate control system while for convenience,the ASX is equipped with a long list of power featureswith power windows, mirrors, locks and a smart key witha push start ignition system. This GLS model gets satellitenavigation, magnesium paddle shifters, steering wheel audiocontrols and headlamp washers.At the heart of the ASX is the same 4B11 engine foundin the Lancer EX. Along with Mitsubishi’s InnovativeValve Timing Electronic Control, or MIVEC, the enginepumps out a healthy 150 horsepower at 6000 rpm and 197newton-meters of torque at 4200 rpm. Being a GLS variant,the engine is fitted with Mitsubishi’s efficient INVECS-IIIcontinuously variable transmission for efficient, convenientdriving, but has a manual override to function as a 6-speed viathe paddle shifters or the more conventional shiftknob.Driving the ASX is a very familiar experience to that of theLancer EX GT-A. The seating position is more upright like theOutlander’s and gives a better, more commanding view of theroad ahead. However, in terms of handling, it’s quite close to thatof the Lancer with the same suspension set up (MacPherson upfront, multi-link in the back), with a touch more give in terms ofride firmness for a more comfortable ride.Being a good performer on the straights and the corners,the ASX can be easily reined in by 4 powerful disc brakes, aswell as a high level of safety kit with dual airbags, ABS andthe Mitsubishi RISE body as standard, and all comes at apricetag under PhP 1.3M.It may be confusing at first to tell what niche the ASXis filling, but with this new crossover, Mitsubishi not onlycontinues their steadfast rise from the troubles of the past, butgetting ahead of the curve as well.28 AQ MAGAZINE PERFORMANCEPERFORMANCEAQ MAGAZINE 29

TEST DRIVESNISSAN SENTRASTORY & PHOTOS: Vince PornelosOut for Redemption2010 Nissan Sentra 200Let’s face it. The Sentra of the past was neveran outstanding car. It was never really thatstylish nor was it great to drive. Perhaps thenew Sentra 200 will change that.The Sentra 200 arrives as an all newmodel, replacing the local Sentra “i-Style”,otherwise known as the Pulsar N16 in othermarkets. The new model comes with an all newlook, mimicking the design language of USdomestic models such as the Altima and 350Z.To be honest, the new look feels a bit datedwhen compared to the other current modelcompact cars, but nevertheless, looks muchbetter than the outgoing i-Style.I do like the interior design, with a logical,easy to understand layout and straightforwardfeel. The dash resembles the Kia Soul’s (whichI like), and the seats are quite comfortable andoffer up plenty of support for spirited driving.What’s unusual with the Sentra is it’sdrive. On the spec sheet, the powertrain of theSentra seems just right. Powering the Sentra200 is a 2.0 liter, twin cam 16 valve engine,good for 140 horsepower and matched witha continuously vairable transmission. Off theline, the Sentra’s acceleration feels positive, andthe matching CVT is smooth and seamless.The suspension set up, with MacPhersonstruts and an aging torsion beam in backmay seem very underwhelming on the specsheet, but what’s unusual is in the way the carbehaves on the road, feeling much sportierand more engaging to drive than what thespecs would suggest. The ride and drivecharacteristics feel very European for anAmerican market unit.Where the Sentra will have a difficulttime being convincing on the showroom floorhas to be the pricetag. At PhP 1,150,000, it’snot as compelling a sales proposition as I wouldlike, but considering the unexpected surprisehidden in the drive itself, the Sentra 200 isa worthy successor to one of Nissan’s oldestnameplates.30 AQ MAGAZINE PERFORMANCE

COVER STORYSLS AMGNeverThe SameAgainM e r c e d e s -B e n zSLS AMGEVERY time a new supercar islaunched, car enthusiasts the worldover welcome it with open arms.For the Performance issue of AQMagazine, Mandy Eduque, renownedrally driver and Motorsports Director of theAutomobile Association Philippines, takes thenew Mercedes SLS for a spin, and gives us ataste of AMG supercar immortality.32 AQ MAGAZINE PERFORMANCEPHOTOS: Vince PornelosPERFORMANCEAQ MAGAZINE 33

COVER STORYSLS AMGAS this, the third issue of AQ , is devoted toperformance cars, it is entirely appropriate toask the question: what makes a performancecar a supercar? What makes one car standhead-and-shoulders above the other cars of itsgeneration? What makes it stand the test of time and becomean automotive legend, an icon? What sort of automobile seesits market value soar over the years, instead of depreciating?To my mind, such a car must be blessed with severalqualities. Firstly, its performance - measured by its speed,acceleration, handling, stopping power - must be of thehighest level, superior to most, if not all, other automobilesof its era. Then its design and styling should be stunning andtimeless so that decades later, it will be as pleasing to the eyeas it was when first brought into the world. It should possessrarity, a paucity in its numbers, to enhance its desirability.A culture, tradition, heritage of prowess and success on theracetrack would not only add luster, but be indispensable, tothe aura of a supercar. The cover photo of this issue is that ofan automobile that is imbued with all these qualities - theMercedes-Benz SLS AMG.To view the SLS AMG in the flesh is to be inescapablyreminded of another car that made its own debut more thanhalf a century ago - the Mercedes-Benz 300SL Coupe.Codenamed the W194 but thereafter, and for all eternity,nicknamed the Gullwing, the 300SL was very much aproduct of fortuitous serendipity. It was produced, in limitedquantity, only to appease Merecedes-Benz’s North Americandealer at the time who wanted a different kind of Benz to sellto their American customers. Ironically, this 300SL Coupe,which started out as pretty much of an afterthought, went onto become the most iconic and coveted Mercedes-Benz modelof all time.Another bit of serendipity had to do with the SL’sfamous gullwing doors. Due to the initially small number ofunits to be produced, the company decided not to design andbuild the SL from a blank sheet of paper. Instead, they tooktheir already existing SLR racing car and decided to simplymodify it into a passenger sports car. The SLR, however,was never designed to be a passenger car, much less havetwo doors. Being spaceframe in construction, it had onlya network of tubes where doors on a passenger car wouldnormally have been and these tubes could not be removedwithout compromising the SL’s structural rigidity. The onlyplausible solution was to hinge the doors on the car’s roof- hence, the gullwing-like doors that became the definingdesign theme of the 300SL. A perfect example of necessitymothering innovation. Serendipity indeed.The racing SLR, on which the 300SL was based,dominated motorsports in its day, both in circuit and roadracing. While it was victorious in circuits like Le Mans,Nurburgring and Spa-Francorchamps, it was equallysuccessful on road races such as the Mille Miglia and CarreraPanamerica. Its most famous exploit, though, took place in1955 when it won the toughest road race around - the MilleMiglia - with Stirling Moss at the wheel and journalist DenisJenkinson in a hastily improvised passenger seat, reading >>34 AQ MAGAZINE PERFORMANCEPERFORMANCEAQ MAGAZINE 35

COVER STORYSLS AMGThe SLS is the modern-dayincarnation of the Gullwingof the fifties.Moss his notes on the road and turns ahead, the notes writtenon a roll of toilet paper. Indeed one of the greatest racing storiesof all time, with the Gullwing’s racing sibling playing thestarring role.Mercedes-Benz has not built another model of the samestature of the supercar Gullwing since. Its SL-series modelsover the years have been quite capable and well-designedcars, but never as charismatic as the Gullwing. The closestit got was, I would say, when Mercedes collaborated withMcLaren to produce the McLaren SLR. The SLR was,however, always regarded as more McLaren than Mercedesand when the SLR’s production run ended, the big questionon everyone’s mind was not when the tri-star emblem wouldappear on another supercar, but when. For close to 20 years,that question remained unanswered. That is until now...when Mercedes-Benz unveiled its next supercar - the SLSAMG.36 AQ MAGAZINE PERFORMANCEAt its launch in August, Felix Ang - boss of M-Bdistributor, CATS Motors - displayed his silver SLS besidean original 300SL Gullwing in pristine condition. Althoughthe SLS is larger in every dimension, the design heritageis immediately and strikingly obvious. While not a slavishimitation, nor even a retro image of its predecessor, the SLSAMG is clearly intended to evoke the design themes andstyling of the older Gullwing. From the grille, the long bonnet,the side engine air vents, the greenhouse with the (of course)gullwing doors to the sloping rear, the SLS is the modern-dayincarnation of the Gullwing of the 50’s. While a gap of fivedecades does exist between the two SLs, there is virtually nodesign gap between them. They are clearly two peas from thesame Mercedes-Benz design pod. This is where, however, anyresemblance between the two ends.Performance-wise, the newer SLS AMG totally eclipsesthe older 300SL with 571 PS (563 hp) to the older car’s 175.While a top speed of 256kph qualified the Gullwing tosupercar status in its day, it pales beside the SLS’s top speedof 317kph. Zero to 100kph took 7.2 seconds in the originalGullwing, the SLS will do it in half the time: 3.8 seconds.Even by today’s elevated standards, the SLS’s numbers are ingenuinely supercar territory. As well they should be as the SLSis the first car entirely developed by AMG, Mercedes-Benz’sperformance tuner subsidiary.AMG took the already powerful 6.2-litre V8 engine offMercedes’ shelf and turned it into the world’s most powerfulnormally aspirated engine, producing 571bhp and 650Nmof torque. To further enhance its performance, they alsomade the SLS extremely light by constructing the body andsuspension components almost entirely (96%) from aluminum.No component was spared from the almost manic weightreductionexercise. The driveshaft, for example, is madeentirely of carbon fiber and weighs only 50 lbs. This quest for >>PERFORMANCEAQ MAGAZINE 37

COVER STORYSLS AMGlightness has resulted in the SLS being lighter than the M-BSL65 AMG Black Edition as well as even the carbon fiberMcLaren SLR. And everyone knows the formula that sayspower plus lightness equals performance.In addition, the SLS AMG’s weight is almost perfectlybalanced between the front (47.5%) and rear (52.5%),making it the most evenly balanced rear-wheel drivepassenger car today. This was achieved by locating theengine behind the front wheels (thus qualifying the SLS asa mid-engined car), and the double-clutch transmission overthe rear wheels. The SLS is, as a result, blessed with almostmystical handling.I was recently given the chance to drive the first SLSAMG in the country. Ingress into the cozy cockpit wassurprisingly easy in spite of the relatively high door sills. Onelearns the technique for doing so - sit half on the door sill,half on the seat, swing both legs in feet-first and, voilà, youare seated on the comfortable, supportive bucket seat. Closingthe door once you are in may turn out to be somewhat ofa challenge, however, for the short of arm. I am informed,however, that the factory has addressed this problem byaffixing a strap on the door, the same as what they used onthe Gullwing 60 years ago. As the French like to say, plus çachange...Once ensconced behind the wheel, your eye isimmediately drawn to the 360kph speedometer. If you didn’tknow before you saw that speedo that you are in a seriouslyfast car, you certainly know it now. I was pleasantly surprisedat how simple the SLS’s controls and instruments were,especially when compared to many of today’s cars whosedashboards resemble the cockpit of a Boeing 747. Aside fromthe climate control and entertainment system switches, theonly other switches are for Start/Stop, AMG Drive and ESP.So easy, so uncomplicated.Press the Start button and the engine comes to life. Theonly sound from the engine at idle is a high-pitched whine,somewhat reminiscent of a jet-turbine engine. Give theaccelerator a healthy nudge though and Mr. Jekyll turns intoMr. Hyde. The whine becomes a roar, first deep-throated,then increasing in pitch as the revs build up. What a glorious,exhilarating, and intoxicating sound the SLS engine makes.To be sure, the SLS is equipped with a superb state-of-theartsound system, but I hardly ever turned it on. The onlymusic I wanted to hear was the roar of that engine. By theway, the engine backfires slightly on deceleration, somethingI have not heard a car do in ages. Nice touch.What is the SLS like to drive? I would run out ofsuperlatives attempting to describe the experience. Suffice >>38 AQ MAGAZINE PERFORMANCEPERFORMANCEAQ MAGAZINE 39

COVER STORYSLS AMGit to say, nothing short of amazing.The 6.2-litre engine’s response isimmediate, compelling and almostoverpowering, but it’s always smoothand progressive. No lurch or stutter,just a steady, growing pressure asthe acceleration seems to press youdeeper and deeper into your seat. Thereserve of power is huge. At 120kph,the maximum speed allowed on ourhighways, the engine is loafing at only2,200rpm. Considering that redlineis at 7,000rpm, you know 317 km/h isonly a step on the accelerator away... ifyou have the stomach for it.As amazing as the go of the SLSis, so is the slow. The brakes will stopthis car from any speed... pronto.Just as the gas pedal will press youinto your seat, the brake pedal willyank you out of it; only your seatbeltwill keep you in under hard braking.The ride is firm but never harsh. Thehandling is, to put it simply, that ofa no-compromise sports car: neutraleven when pushed, with hardly anySPECIFICATIONSMAKE:Mercedes-BenzMODEL:SLS AMGENGINE: 6.2L DOHC 32v V-8ASPIRATION:NA, Variable Valve TimingMAX POWER:563 hp @ 6800 rpmMAX TORQUE: 480 lb-ft @ 4750 rpmTRANSMISSION: 7-speed AMG Speedshift DCTPOWER TO WEIGHT: 183 hp/tonnePRICE:Priced On Applicationlean or sway. The SLS is plantedon the ground under cornering andalthough I never got to push it thathard, I am certain the SLS will exceed1G. Driven fast or slow, the SLS isalways poised, smooth and undercontrol. Its capabilities will clearlyexceed the abilities of most who willown or drive it.It is meant to be able to handleany situation it may intentionally orinadvertently find itself in and comeout of it cool, calm and collected,That is what I really like about theSLS - it instills confidence in thedriver, making car and driver canthen become partners in the drivingexperience.At the end of my stint behind thewheel of the SLS, I was faced with agood news, bad news conundrum. Thegood news was that I had just had amemorable experience with what may bethe best car I have ever driven. The badnews? Nothing I drive now will ever feelthe same again after the SLS AMG.40 AQ MAGAZINE PERFORMANCE

SPECIAL FEATUREPERFORMANCE CAR ROUNDUPONDAYSLIKETHESE...The AQ Magazine Performance Car Roundupwish we could start all days like this.There we were, having just downed breakfast, sipping coffee and reveling in awe asan inspiring collection of cars gather just as the sun finds its way through the skies.Performance cars, all of them: a bright yellow Chevrolet Camaro, a black CooperS, the proud Lancer Ralliart and the yellow Genesis Coupe comprise a grand total ofover one thousand horsepower at our beck and call. Our destination: to the east, totake on the challenging mountain roads of the Sierra Madre range.It’s the most varied, if not the most international and unusual, collection ofperformance cars around... and we have the keys to all of them.Enough said, coffee done. Are your driving gloves ready?STORY: Vince PornelosPHOTOS: Dux Carvajal42 AQ MAGAZINE PERFORMANCEPERFORMANCEAQ MAGAZINE 43

SPECIAL FEATUREPERFORMANCE CAR ROUNDUPHIGHWAYSTARChevrolet CamaroFloor the throttle from astandstill and the Camaro willlunge forward, hitting 100 km/hin the mid 6-second range.FROM the United States, we have a heavyweight in theChevy Camaro.The Camaro looks mind-blowingly awesome fromany angle. I just love how faithfully GM’s design teamstuck to the Camaro Concept Car with that wide stance,extra high beltline, deep-set front grille, low roof, wickedly rakedwindshield and retro-futuristic styling. Even if you are not a fan ofthe Camaro, the design effort that went into this one is more thanguaranteed to make one out of you.Then there’s the interior of the car. Interiors of muscle cars pastwere quite on the bland side, as the dashes seemed to have just beenlifted off a pick up truck. Not the case with the new Camaro. The cabinis well and truly busy, with unique square gauges, a deep dish steeringwheel, Playstation-like controls for the aircon, and even a quad clusterof auxiliary gauges for water temp, volts, oil pressure and temperature.The seats on the Camaro are great on the back, and probably one of themost comfortable around this lot, even for a wide guy like myself.In all honesty, I was rather disappointed that the Camaro sentto us for testing was the 3.6L V-6 LT RS version and not the full on6.2L V-8 SS variant, but my sentiments shot out the window when Ifired the engine up and took the Camaro for a spin. Under that longhood is the latest powerplant from General Motors: a new 3.6 literV-6 with an excellent output of 312 horsepower. This swelled upfigure is primarily due to the high tech nature of the Camaro’s V-6,as it utilizes the latest gasoline direct injection technology. WithGDI’s high pressure injection, the same 3.6L engine that produces255 horsepower in a Cadillac has been beefed up to make 20% morepower in the Camaro.Floor the throttle from a standstill and the Camaro will lungeforward, hitting 100 km/h in the mid 6-second range. What’ssurprising is the almost continuous pull from the new engine,lending the question on whether the V-8 is still the way to go forAmerican muscle cars. The 6-speed automatic tranny is a greatmatch for it, and even has “paddles” for manual mode.As much as we all love the Camaro’s powertrain, its in thehandling department that it disappoints. The fault is not with thesuspension, as the Camaro does have fully independent arms, decentdamping and wide, 20 inch wheels and tires. The problem lies athow much the Chevy tips the scales.With well over 3700 pounds to huff around each corner,driving it is like trying to teach bigfoot how to dance. In fairnessto the engineers, the Camaro stays quite composed through thepasses, but you’re always reminded of the car’s weight, giving thesuspension a true workout. Compared to the other coupe here thatpunches at the 300hp mark, the Genesis, the Camaro RS would beeasily left behind on these corners.Sure, up here the Camaro could be given a run for its money bythe less powerful Ralliart and the supremely sharp Cooper S, andwould be trailing in the wake of the Genesis, but when it comes tothe feeling of driving satisfaction and style, the Camaro is a toughact to overtake.44 AQ MAGAZINE PERFORMANCEPERFORMANCEAQ MAGAZINE 45

SPECIAL FEATUREPERFORMANCE CAR ROUNDUPGLANCING out onto the small, slit type sidemirrors of the Camaro RS, it’s all too easy to spotthe yellow Hyundai Genesis Coupe hounding theChevy’s tail.Launched early last year, the Genesis Coupeis Hyundai’s tour de force, turning the notion that Hyundai canonly make cheap economy cars and popular family vans right onits head.The Genesis is stunning to look at, taking nearly all the pagesout of the best design books for sports and super cars from Italy.For starters, you have a wide, low slung coupe body, one thatevokes a true sense of performance and pace. Broad shoulders, ahigh beltline, pronounced curves and concave surfaces completethe Genesis Coupe’s aggressive sports car bodywork. The large 19inch sport wheels and rear wing contribute to that demeanor, anddefinitely makes it look fast and angry on the road, even when justsitting still.Hopping from the Camaro to the Genesis Coupe is avery odd experience. Compared to the American, the GenesisCoupe’s interior is quite plain and straightforward. There areno fancy surfaces, gauges, or other touches, but it cannot bedenied that the GenCoupe’s interior layout is incredibly drivercentric. The gauges are clear and concise, while ergonomics aretop rank with a perfectly shaped steering wheel with anatomicgrips, along with the comfortable placement of the shift knob.The center console reminds me of the Honda NSX’s in the wayit was angled, with all the pertinent controls intuitively laid outfor the driver. The seats are the best part, as reclinable bucketsfirmly but comfortably hold the driver in place, perfect for highperformance driving... something that the Genesis Coupe has inspades.At the heart of the Genesis Coupe is the most highperformance engine to come out of Korea that wasn’t installed ona supertanker. With 306 horsepower, Hyundai’s 3.8L LambdaV-6 is indeed the perfect engine to drive Hyundai’s first propersportscar. Along with a 6-speed ZF automatic transmission, theGenCoupe is well capable of acceleration figures in the low sixsecond range.As much as the Camaro wants to just get the corners overwith and nail the long straights, the GenCoupe wants to takeon the twisty stuff all day long. Thanks to a fully sport tunedsuspension system with MacPherson struts up front and a fivelinkarrangement in the back, the Genesis creats true drivinginspiration on initial turn in. By any means, the GenCoupe isnot that light a car, but it can behave like it, and always feelsconfident when taking any corner or series of corners. Whenyou’re past the apex, floor the throttle and the rear tires will lightup, rocketing the Genesis out of the turn with a red bloodedexhaust note at high revs.Of course there are other things like the superb Infinitysound system, the sunroof, automatic climate control and theplethora of safety features (brake control systems, tractioncontrol, stability control and 6 airbags), but those just combineto be the icing on the cake. It’s the inspiring drive that trulydefines the Genesis Coupe, and to top it off, it’s priced at a veryreasonable PhP 1.8M.It’s so unexpected for Hyundai to produce something asexciting as the Genesis Coupe, a car that is a real revelation inthe league of performance cars.SCENESTEALERHyundai Genesis CoupeWith 306 horsepower, Hyundai’s3.8L Lambda V-6 is indeed theperfect engine to drive Hyundai’sfirst proper sportscar.46 AQ MAGAZINE PERFORMANCEPERFORMANCEAQ MAGAZINE 47

SPECIAL FEATUREPERFORMANCE CAR ROUNDUPTHE SMALL PACKAGEGREAT THINGS COME INMINI Cooper SThe Cooper S comes as asmart, sharp little package,and proves that you don’tneed big engines and bigpower to have such a bigsmile on your face.IF the GenCoupe was the way of the future for Hyundai, well,the Cooper S is out to prove that retro is still the way to go.You would be forgiven for having a “What the hell is aCooper doing amongst this lot?” thought bubble right aboutnow, but let me respond in kind: what the hell are these othercars doing with the MINI?In the design front, it’s one of the best lookers of the lot, withan uncanny attention to details and style. The classic Mini outlineshines through after over 50 years since the original. Like theexterior, the cabin is the same way, featuring unusual layout anddesign, with recurring motifs of the brands logo, seemingly oddshapes and controls.Before you start thinking that this MINI Cooper S is justsome retro style statement, think again. It’s a truly red-bloodedperformance car, and there are many obvious cues. The tachometerstares the driver in the face, just behind the steering wheel, justas most racing cars do. The steering wheel is perfectly shaped forvigorous driving, and the seats offer plenty of support. Since BMWowns the MINI brand, there are BMW-style paddle shifters (pushto shift down, pull to shift up to complement the shifter on thecenter console. There are buttons to deactivate stability control andnext to it is the button to activate sport mode for the transmission.These touches are subtle, but to the mind of an performanceenthusiast, they are essential.Being a Cooper S, what lies underneath the retro skin is thepumped up version of the standard Cooper’s 1.6 liter, twin cam,16-valve inline four engine. To boost power, literally, from thestandard 120 horsepower, MINI engineers installed a twin scrollturbo system, bringing the grand total for the powerplant to a veryrespectable 173 horsepower, minus the turbo lag. Nail the throttleand the front wheels madly spin forward, kept in check by thetraction control system. Once they are able to lay the power down,the Cooper S reaches the 100 km/h mark in just 7.3 seconds, andtops out at 220 km/h.While those power and acceleration figures aren’t mind blowingon their own, having them at the heart of a light car car is. The mostapparent comment is that the MINI is the puniest car around here,but at 1200 kilos, the Cooper S is also lightest contender, shaving offa good 300 kilos from the next car, the Lancer Ralliart. And withsuper short overhangs, thanks to having all the wheels pushed out asfar as possible (read: like a go kart), it’s an obvious observation thatthe Cooper S is a definite handler.To match the inherent dynamics in the design, thesuspension has been likewise tuned to deliver supreme handlingand sharpness. It may be a bit bumpy on city streets, but take itout on a mountain road such as this and the Cooper S comes alivelike no other. Turn in and the Cooper remains remarkable flat.Hitting the apex is easy and oddly enough, there’s quite a hint ofoversteer, unusual for a front wheel drive car as the rear exhibits awillingness to play around, and thus shutting off DSC up here isnot recommended.The Cooper S comes as a smart, sharp little package, and provesthat you don’t need big engines and big power to have such a bigsmile on your face.48 AQ MAGAZINE PERFORMANCEPERFORMANCEAQ MAGAZINE 49

SPECIAL FEATUREPERFORMANCE CAR ROUNDUPSTEALTHFIGHTERLancer EX RalliartJust as the Cooper S maxes out, there’s an unmistakable soundcoming up behind, and fast. I take a look at the mirrors and there it is,the Lancer Ralliart.It’s the newest version of the venerable Lancer EX lineup, slottingjust in between the Evolution X and the Lancer EX GT-A. Before Evopurists cast stones at the Ralliart for what is perceived to be a watereddown version of the all-conquering, rally-bred street fighter, allow meto point out that the Ralliart isn’t a diluted Evo, instead, it’s a dailydriveableEvo.Having driven the Evo X before, it’s easy to get carried away bythe performance and the character of the car, but when all is said anddone, the Evo X is a hard car to live with on a daily basis. Things likethe hard suspension and non-existed fuel economy are things youdon’t want on the drive to and from work. The Ralliart seeks to bridgethe gap between the Evo and the Lancer GT-A by providing similarperformance when you demand it and yet the calm and comfort whenyou need it.Unlike the Evolution X with it’s tall wing, aggressive widebody andaero kit, it’s not that easy to spot the fact that this is a high performancevariant of the Lancer apart from the lightweight, vented aluminumhood and the larger, twin tip muffler. There are some little Ralliartaccessories if you look a little closer, like the Ralliart logos on the grilleand trunk, the Ralliart lug nuts and centercaps for the wheels.Inside, its the same story, as the Lancer Ralliart just has a fewsubtle touches on the trimmings. The giveaway that this is a highperformance car is the appearance of the the Evo X’s steering wheel andthe baseball-stitched Twin Clutch SST shifter on the center console, butmore on that later.Beneath the lightweight bonnet is the same engine as the entireLancer range: the 4B11. For more power and performance, Mitsubishioutfitted the engine with a single scroll turbo and an intercooler,giving it a total output of 237 horsepower. Impressive figures indeed,but the engine is really only part of the magic with the Ralliart in thislot, as it is the only one with four wheel drive and the most advancedtransmission with the Twin Clutch SST system.Having the superfast and smooth shifts of the TC-SST system aswell as the grippy nature of four wheel drive gives the Ralliart’s driversupreme confidence to take on the corners. The suspension is an upratedversion of the Lancer GTA’s, and even has improved brakes, but whatsremarkable is the Ralliart’s ability to tone down after a day of harddriving, allowing you to relax on the way home.Compared to the Genesis Coupe, the Ralliart’s on-the-limitturn-in is slower, but once you hit that apex, just punch the throttleand watch the greatness of the engine and drivetrain work for you.Acceleration wise, the Ralliart is one of the most immediate here, asthat turbo does spool up quite quickly and the drivetrain is able to laythe power down better than all the other cars in this group.Like the Evo, the Ralliart does change the way you drive. Youbegin to taunt other fast cars, begging them to think that you’re justdriving an ordinary front wheel drive, 155hp Lancer EX, only to showthem how a 240hp, 4WD Lancer Ralliart will blow them away.Insert evil laugh here.Once you hit that apex,just punch the throttle andwatch the greatness of theengine and drivetrain workfor you.50 AQ MAGAZINE PERFORMANCEPERFORMANCEAQ MAGAZINE 51

SPECIAL FEATUREPERFORMANCE CAR ROUNDUPCAMAROGENESISCHEVROLET CAMARO 2LT RSMAKE:ChevroletMODEL:Camaro 2LT RSENGINE: 3.6L DOHC 24v V-6ASPIRATION: NA, GDI VVTMAX POWER: 312 hp @ 6400 rpmMAX TORQUE: 278 lb-ft @ 5200 rpmTRANSMISSION: 6-speed Hydra-MaticPOWER TO WEIGHT: 183 hp/tonnePRICE: PhP 3,088,888HYUNDAI GENESIS COUPE GLS V6MAKE:HyundaiMODEL:Genesis Coupe GLS V6ENGINE: 3.8L DOHC 24v V-6ASPIRATION: NA, CVVTMAX POWER: 303 hp @ 6300 rpmMAX TORQUE: 266 lb-ft @ 4700 rpmTRANSMISSION: 6-speed Shiftronic A/TPOWER TO WEIGHT: 191 hp/tonnePRICE: PhP 1,858,000COOPERRALLIARTMINI COOPER SMAKE:MINIMODEL:Cooper SENGINE:1.6L DOHC 16v Inline-4ASPIRATION: Turbo IntercoolerMAX POWER: 173 hp @ 5500 rpmMAX TORQUE: 177 lb-ft @ 1600 rpmTRANSMISSION: 6-speed A/TPOWER TO WEIGHT: 142 hp/tonnePRICE: PhP 2,450,000MITSUBISHI LANCER EX RALLIARTMAKE:MitsubishiMODEL:Lancer EX RalliartENGINE:2.0L DOHC 16v Inline-4ASPIRATION: Turbo Intercooler MIVECMAX POWER: 237 hp @ 6000 rpmMAX TORQUE: 253 lb-ft @ 3000 rpmTRANSMISSION: 6-speed Twin Clutch SSTPOWER TO WEIGHT: 153 hp/tonnePRICE: PhP 2,348,00052 AQ MAGAZINE PERFORMANCEPERFORMANCEAQ MAGAZINE 53

SPECIAL FEATUREPERFORMANCE CAR ROUNDUPIGNITION: OFF.I was wishingthat I could startall days like this...I just didn’t wantthis day to end.fter a day’s worth of harddriving, the most unusualcollection of performance carscame to a rest.The Camaro was reallythe one that made us feel likeboys again. The flashy conceptcar looks, both inside and out, made the CamaroRS an instant favorite amongst us, turning headseven though the car itself wasn’t that capable aturner as the rest.Impressive to look and and impressive todrive was the Mini Cooper S. The S may be pricey(PhP 2.45M) for such a small car, but a well sortedchassis, excellent and efficient engine performancefrom a 1.6L and classy, retro style meant that theCooper S is something we want to be behind thewheel of time and again. It’s just that much fun.Then there’s the Lancer’s missing link fromMitsubishi. Bridging the gap between thealmighty Evo’s high performance abilities andthe Lancer GT-A’s comfort and practicality was atough task, though by our assessment, Mitsu hashit the mark. The pricetag is still on the high side(PhP 2.348M), but think of it as a performancecar that you can drive everyday and play with onweekends.So what about the Hyundai Genesis Coupe?It’s hard car to fault on any front. Striking style,a powerful heart, a great drivetrain, high levels ofquality and a surprisingly affordable pricetag for asportscar (PhP 1.858M) make the Genesis Coupea true standout, even amongst such distinguishedcompany.And now, as we head on down the mountainsand back to civilization, I was left to ponder whatI said this morning. Maybe I was wishing that Icould start all days like this, but in reality, I justdidn’t want this day to end.Wouldn’t you agree?54 AQ MAGAZINE PERFORMANCE

FEATURESMOTORSPORTSSTORY: Chris Van HovenPHOTOS: VariousBurningRubberThe Different Forms of Automobile RacingTHERE are a few things in this worldthat come close to the excitement andfulfillment you get from car racing. Thethrill of competition, the adrenaline rushfrom pure speed and the fact that tragedyis one unfortunate slip away all combineto create a sport that is hard to beat whenit comes to sheer exhilaration.Every sense is pushed to its limits, and a tiny mistake spells the differencebetween winning and losing. Former Formula One driver Damon Hill summed itup nicely: “You should never feel comfortable. There is something wrong if youare. You should always feel under threat, on the edge of your seat and pushingyourself. Win one and you want to win more. It’s never ending.”Since the birth of the automobile, different forms of racing have evolved;and while the rules have changed, the cars faster and the drivers more skilled,one thing never changes: the need for speed. But before you grab that helmetand head for the racetrack, here are a few things you might need to know aboutsome of the most popular styles of car racing. Each one requires a different skillset, and naturally, a completely different car set-up. Which one suits you best?56 AQ MAGAZINE PERFORMANCEPERFORMANCE AQ MAGAZINE 57

FEATURESMOTORSPORTSCircuit RacingCircuit racing is one of the more traditional types of automobile racing. With originsdating as far back as the ancient Greeks racing their chariots, circuit racing consists of agroup of vehicles going around a set racetrack. Modern racetracks are usually constructedfrom concrete or asphalt, and drivers must compete for the fastest time around the track,given a set amount of laps.Circuit racing is arguably the most popular form of racing, as everything from theBritish Grand Prix, NASCAR, the 24-Hour Le Mans and Formula One all use it for theircompetitions. That makes circuit racing one of the world’s most televised sports. Race carscome in different shapes and sizes, as anything from touring cars, stock cars, productioncars and open seat cars are used in these races. Since the amount of cars competing canrange from three to over thirty, contact between the cars is a normal occurrence, and cansometimes lead to breathtaking (and sometimes fatal) crashes.DOne of the most popular forms of car racing,drag racing has endeared itself to millions over theyears. Two cars revving beside each other, the tensionbuilding before the starting flag drops, the driver’spride at stake; drag racing is probably the closest thingtwo people will get to a Western sunset duel, minus theactual dying.The objective is simple enough. Two cars startoff side-by-side with one goal: be the first to cross thefinish line while going in a straight line. And whilethat may seem simple at first, there are actually a lotof factors that go on in any drag race. The three mostimportant elements are the driver’s reaction time, thepower of the car and how well the car can plant all thatpower to the ground.The most popular distance for a standard drag raceis a quarter mile, or 402.3 meters. Both cars come froma stationary start and are allowed to move once therag Racinglight turns GO. This is where the driver’s reaction timecomes into play. Once that light gives the go signal,the car has to leave the starting line as fast as possible.Professional drag racers have reaction times faster thanone tenth of a second.The next time measurement that is important tokeep in mind is the elapsed time. This is simply thetime it takes for the car to get from start to finish.Obviously, a more powerful car will get you therequicker, but it’s also important to keep in mind thatif your car has too much power, it’ll be harder to keepthose wheels from spinning. That’s why drag racing carshave the biggest, thickest tires on the wheels where thepower is coming from (usually the rear) and some evenuse wheelie bars to keep the cars from flipping over.If you’re wondering just how fast professionaldragsters go, Top Fuel Dragsters usually hit around500 km/h by the time they cross the finish line.58 AQ MAGAZINE PERFORMANCEPERFORMANCE AQ MAGAZINE 59

FEATURESMOTORSPORTSRallyRally racing, or Rallying, is a form of auto racing that takes place on publicor private roads where drivers have to get from point A to point B in the shortestamount of time possible. As opposed to circuit racing, where the cars drive arounda set race track, Rallying can span over 1,000 kilometers over all kinds of roadconditions, whether tarmac, dirt, gravel, mud or even ice. The whole race course isusually divided into special points or stages, where the driver and navigator must getthe car to each point either as fast as possible, or under a given ideal time, dependingon the format of the race.Most cars used in Rallies are production cars with modifications done toimprove handling, performance, braking and suspension. All-wheel drive cars areheavy favorites for this type of auto racing, as these cars provide better traction foroff-road situations. Interestingly enough, it’s because of Rally racing that the AudiQuattro was born, and that led the way for other manufacturers to come out withtheir own version of all-wheel drive technologies used in a lot of cars seen on theroad today.AutocrossAutocross is a form of auto racing that is quicklygaining popularity simply because it is very easy to setup and participate in. Also, it’s one of the safer types ofmotorsports because average speeds are typically slowerin these kinds of races. Instead, autocross emphasizesa car’s agility, handling and ability to navigate throughtight twists and corners. An autocross racetrack istypically a temporary course marked by pylons or trafficcones, usually held in a wide paved area or parking lot.As opposed to drag racing, where horsepower isgiven a lot of importance, driver skill, reaction time andeven memory skills are put to the test when participatingin an autocross. The objective of an autocross is tocomplete the course as quickly as possible, and autocrosstimes can vary from 30 seconds to under 2 minutesdepending on the size of the course.Autocross is a great motorsport for amateurs sincenot only is it relatively safer than other forms of racingbecause of the lack of solid barriers, obstacles andcontact with other cars, but also because this is one ofthe few ways you can enter a stock or unmodified carand still remain competitive. This means that peoplewho are interested in joining don’t have to pay an armand a leg to compete. A variation of the typical autocrossis called gymkhana, which relies on the same basicprinciples using a might tighter course, with numerous360 degree turns and even greater turning angles. Sincethe course requires a high level of agility from the car,modifications usually extend to the car’s suspensionsystem, since stiffening or lowering the suspension givesthe car a lower center of gravity, giving it the ability tohandle tight corners better.60 AQ MAGAZINE PERFORMANCEPERFORMANCE AQ MAGAZINE 61

FEATURESMOTORSPORTSDriftThe latest form of auto racing to gain popularity isdrifting. Relatively new to the scene, drifting is slowlybecoming the new darling of auto racing because of itshigh level of style, skill and glamour. Many films, TVshows and even cartoons have contributed to its steadyincrease in popularity, and it doesn’t look like the trendis going to stop any time soon.Drifting is a driving technique where the drivingintentionally induces oversteering in a vehicle, causingthe rear wheels to slip and lose traction. Points areawarded to the driver depending on how long hesustains the slide, how fast his entry and exit speed arerelative to the apex, his style factor (amount of smoke,crowd reaction, how close the car is to the wall) andhow big the slip angle is.Because of the unique nature of drifting, thecars are set up in a distinctive way as well. The mostimportant aspect of the car is that it must be rearwheeldriven, as this is where the car will lose tractionto sustain the drift. The engines must also producesignificant power to allow the rear wheels to losetraction in the first place. A mechanical limited-slipdifferential or LSD is also considered to be essential, asany other form of differential will lead to significantlyless impressive results. The clutch of the car also mustbe very durable, as it sustains heavy poundings during“clutch-kicking” to upset the car’s balance. The car’ssuspension is also important to it’s handling ability.Besides having a very high damper rate, sway bars areupgraded, and caster is increased to allow the driverto control the car better during a slide. And lastly,because of the centripetal forces involved, bucket seatsare needed to keep the driver firmly in place duringtight turns.So there you have it. There are plenty of ways to get involvedin motorsports. All you have to do is pick one and see whichone suits your style the most. One thing is for sure, no matterwhat you pick, you’re going to have fun.62 AQ MAGAZINE PERFORMANCE

FEATURESTUNING GUIDESStock JustAin’t EnoughTheTuning GuideSTORY: Angelo B. PuyatPHOTOS: Vince PornelosIt’s all about personalization.In as much as your home is an extension of yourself, thecar you drive also speaks volumes about you. Hence, you’dnaturally want your ride to reflect traits that make you…YOU.Today’s aftermarket scene thrives with more products thanever. Similar to the ubiquitous applications of the iPhone,modifications and upgrades abound catering to your everyneed. Mind you, these aren’t just annoying trinkets with giantbobbing heads glued to the car’s dash.In this issue, AQ has hooked up with two of the mostpopular tuning firms in the business, namely EmperorMotorsports and Speedlab. Offering bolt-on parts for bothshow and go, you’re sure to find your customization fix withthese two. We then fit these goodies to three different vehiclesthat represent varying tastes. From the mild mannered butsatisfyingly torquey Ford Focus TDCi, to the downright sportyMitsubishi Lancer GT-A, then to the purist’s choice MazdaMX-5…here’s to driving with a more personalized touch.64 AQ MAGAZINE PERFORMANCEPERFORMANCEAQ MAGAZINE 65

FEATURESTUNING GUIDEFord Focus Ghia TDCiFor a lot of motorists, the Focus turbodiesel is a unique option as it offers the fuelsavings of a diesel-powered vehicle and thecomfortable packaging of a sedan. Ownerswho find its overall demeanor a bit staidthough have a lot going for them. Speedlabmay well be the perfect stop for thoselooking to add a little more spice to theFocus. Speedlab is a partner of the TuasonRacing School (TRS), which campaigns aFord Focus TDCi in the Philippine TouringCar Championships (PTCC). Withoutdoubt, this tuning shop definitely knows itsway around this car.Customizing the Focus can beginwith a little more muscle under thehood. Speedlab carries K&N air intakesystems that improve engine response andincrease engine output, while they can alsocustomize a freer flowing exhaust systemfor that racier note. Speedlab also installsUnichip, a plug n play piggyback devicethat alters the factory fuel and timingparameters for increased power. This willwork well to extract the most out of theFocus’ turbocharged motor. For the trulypower hungry, Speedlab can accommodatea big turbo upgrade with the requisite largerintercooler for more efficient engine intakecooling.Improved looks can come by way oflarger rolling stock, and Speedlab will behappy to supply you with edgier G-Gamesrims, that will pair well with the in-housecoil-over suspension system. Not onlydo these coil-overs allow for ride heighttinkering, they also return a more controlledride giving the Focus sharper handling.Looking good not only outside but alsoinside is easily achievable, beginning withthe supportive OMP Racing Seats thatreally give off a race-car vibe.The list doesn’t stop there, but like withanything, the more you put also means themore you pay. For more choices, log on towww.speedlab.com.ph. >>66 AQ MAGAZINE PERFORMANCEPERFORMANCEAQ MAGAZINE 67

FEATURESTUNING GUIDEMitsubishi Lancer GT-AEmperor Motorsports initiallygained fame with its affinity for LancerEvolutions. Taking its name from thewell-loved Anime series - Initial D,Emperor has grown its expertise toencompass both JDM and Europeanbrands. When looking to personalize thecurrent generation Lancer, what bettertuning company to approach than thisLancer stalwart?With striking lines and shapesalready built in, it’s not hard to furtherenhance the car’s aesthetics. Emperorsuggests to go with these handsome BBSwheels that bump up the style pointsquite nicely, setting this ride apart fromthe many Lancer’s cruising the streets.Achieving that Need for Speed flair are apair of carbon fiber bits for the hood andchin, which not only look sportier, butalso cut back on weight.Inside the cabin, Defi gauges canbe installed for that high-tech boy-racerfeel. Aside from looking very cool, thesegadgets help monitor vital readings suchas oil pressure and temp. Just like anyproper performance car, bucket seatsare needed to hold the driver in place.For this task, Emperor employs variousbucket seats from brands trusted fordecades. Capping off the interior makeoveris a Ralliart shift knob, remindingthe driver upon every shift of Mitsubishi’srich rally heritage.Emperor certainly won’t forget aboutthe go-fast bits, and for the Lancer thelist begins with an HKS Super Flow airfilter. More air in means more air out, andthis is achieved with a Fujitsubo racingmuffler. Helping the Lancer carve fasterlines is a set of Tein coil-over suspension,adjustable both for ride height anddamper firmness.This is just a taste of Emperor’streats, for the whole gamut of mods logon to www.emperormotorsports.com. >>68 AQ MAGAZINE PERFORMANCEPERFORMANCEAQ MAGAZINE 69

FEATURESTUNING GUIDESMazda MX-5A car as rewarding to driveas the MX-5, not to mention aseye catching, may elicit questionsas to why one would even want totinker with it at all. Well for somepeople, personalization is one thingthey cannot get enough of. For themodification crazy, Speedlab hasexactly what you’re looking for.Making the MX-5 an even betterhandler is a set of XYZ coil-overs,allowing the driver to dial in just theright amount of firmness. It’ll alsogive him or her that versatility to dropthe car, no doubt complimenting theover-all look once those Rota Trackor Rota GT3 rims are mounted. AnUltra Racing Strut bar is also availableto help eliminate that last drop ofundersteer from this ever flickableMazda.Need more speed? Why don’t youget started with a K&N air filter thatgoes nicely with Speedlab’s exhaustsystem. Feel that the MX-5 needsa serious bump in HP? A bottle ofNitrous Express will fit in nicely inthis 2-door’s diminutive trunk, givingit that extra straight line oomph. Oh,and just in case you stay on the nitrousa little too long, Speedlab offersRunstop rotors to enhance the vehicle’sbraking ability. Now stop drooling andlet the personalization begin…70 AQ MAGAZINE PERFORMANCEPERFORMANCEAQ MAGAZINE 71

FEATURESMOTORSPORTSPTCC and PPCCSeries heat up!STORY: Mark DesalesRounds 5, 6, 7 and 8 of the 2010 Philippine TouringCar Championship together with the Philippine ProductionCar Championship series came to a complete success when 17competitors battled all the way up to the chequered flag lastNovember 20-21 at the Batangas Racing Circuit.The four-round PPCC races are organized and promotedby the Automobile Association Philippines (AAP), the onlyNational Auto Club that is affiliated with the FIA, a Parisbasedorganization that governs all Four-wheeled motorsportsworldwide and is co-presented by Concept One Wheels, Nittoand Starfire tires, Seaoil Extreme 97, Mako Lubes and poweredby Aeromed Ambulance Transport, Cut and Paste DigitalDesign, Velocity Motors and Six Fingers and Media partnersChequered Flag, Turbo Time and Power Wheels Magazine.It was an action-packed weekend as novice drivers showedoff their driving skills. Arnel Carlos of DKC Racing Teamgot the pole position followed by his teammate Dean Josonand closely followed by Alvin Ng of the TRS Team. After 10laps of racing, it was Ng who took the chequered flag in thefirst race of the weekend followed by Singaporean MarcusWong and Cyrille Fontaine of the BRE/Chevy Racing. Polesitter Carlos finished in 5th after a 30-sec time penalty for ajump start. In the PTCC, it was a very good weekend startfor Joey Pery taking the pole position followed by Seaoil/Velocity Racing Dennis Uy and JunyBinamira on Third. Perymaintained his lead and pulled away with almost one-secondtime difference between Uy and Binamira crossing the finishline.In Round 6, a red flag was given when an accidentinvolving Arnel Carlos and Diane Montecillo on lap 1forcingthe deployment of the Safety Car.Rounds 7 and 8 in the PPCC were a different story whenBRE/Chevy Racing got their first pole position after enteringthis prestigious circuit racing series this year sending MarcusWong in Second and the newly-repaired damaged car of DKCRacing Arnel Carlos in third. In the PTCC, its still Joey Perywho dominated the day. grabbing the pole position and takingcontrol of the race after Seaoil/Velocity Racing Dennis Uy wasslapped with a 30-sec time penalty for a jump start causing himto drop to 5th place and giving his 1st place finish to Pery inround 7.The championship legs of the 2010 PTCC andPPCC series are all set on January 8-9, 2011 at the newlyconstructed 4.1 kilometer Clark International Speedway.For more inquiries, please contact Mark Desales of the AAPMotorsports Department at 723-08-08 loc 823.MOTORSPORTSROUNDUP72 AQ MAGAZINE PERFORMANCEPERFORMANCE AQ MAGAZINE 73

FEATURESMOTORSPORTSAnton stampsclass in TarlacHillclimb racesMark Young-Yokohama Racingace driver Carlos Anton dominated thefourth and fifth rounds of the HillclimbChampionship held in the hills of San Jose,Tarlac winning both the day and nightstages of the course.Anton led his team to a rare tripledouble with Alfie Concepcion and FrankieDomingo winning both legs in theirrespective Group 4 and Group 2 classes.The fourth round was held in twoseparate day stages while the fifth leg wasraced up the mountain at night to theMonesterio de Tarlac.“All the stages in both rounds werequick, we were on the limiter on fourth gearat one point on that single lane road!” Antonsaid after checking in at 1:29.27 seconds onthe 3-kilometer second stage for an averagespeed of over the120 kph from a standingstart.Danby Yaptinchay finished the stagesecond in an Evolution 3 with 1:33.21seconds.Hornitex-Yokohama-Total teammatesConcepcion and Domingo extended theirlead on the group 4 and 2 championshipswith flawless runs up the Tarlac mountains.They now only need to finish in the points ofthe final leg to clinch their titles.In group 3, Baguio driver RamseyKairuz won leg 4 but faltered in thenight stage to a disappointing 5th placefinish while drag racer Jessie Magat in hisinaugural hillclimb race won 3rd place ingroup 5 during the night stage. BJ Frondosowon both legs in group S.“We prepared the car over the longbreak for these crucial rounds and all thehard work paid off, we are now ever soclose to a 4th title in Hillclimb for Carlosand the Team.” Team owner Mark Youngcommented after a long day of racing. Forfull results go to Hillclimbclub.com.74 AQ MAGAZINE PERFORMANCEPERFORMANCE AQ MAGAZINE 75

FEATURESMOTORSPORTSLuck steers Santosto drag race winA twist of luck pivoted an unexpected victory for PepiSantos of H3 Autoworks to keep snatch his third straightvictory recently in the 2010 Northern Series PhilippineDrag Racing Championships at the Clark InternationalSpeedway.Santos nearly gave up hopes of winning but destinyintervened to hand him the virtual Quick 8 crown ofthis series sanctioned by the Automobile AssociationPhilippines (AAP) and supported by Yokohama Tires,San Miguel Corporation, PAGCOR Sports, Aeromed,Chequered Flag and Stoplight TV.He had a late takeoff at the start of the final showdownagainst JCT-Blanche Racing’s Ed Christopher Go of SanMariano, Isabela who quickly pulled a wide margin in thefirst 300 meters of the quarter-mile course.Santos thought it was the end as he nearly gave upefforts to catch up with his rival. But Go, to everyone’ssurprise, suddenly got haunted by a problem.A nut on fuel injection pump got loose -- causingdrops of oil to leak and a small spark may trigger fire thatcan endanger Go’s life.Seeing Go slowing down, Santos was back on his usualzest and immediately stepped on the gas to drive his Hondahatchback to victory.Santos clocked 11.921 seconds in the crucial triumphto virtually capture the overall Quick 8 crown as he nowholds a total of 45 points.Slowly but surely, Go managed to reach the finishline in 13.030 seconds for the runner-up crown while thecountry’s fastest lady drag racer When When Dagondontook third place.But Go got his share of luck when he ruled thepostponed second leg Pro class showdown against JCT-Blanche Racing teammate Anthony Go.Anthony was more favored being the new Nationalseries Pro champion but lost the match following a red lightviolation as Christopher romped to victory with a fast timeof 11.176.Why Why Dagondon of Vannitec claimed third place.Winning the other titles are Jason Kabigting, SherwinEsguerra and John Gonzales.Kabigting prevailed in the Expert division over AllanArarao and Johans Esperson; Sherwin Esguerra usingYokohama Tires, ruled the Sportsman class anew againstRonald dela Cruz and Arvin Millet while Gonzales toppedthe Hotstreet division over James Esteban and AndrewBlas.76 AQ MAGAZINE PERFORMANCEPERFORMANCE AQ MAGAZINE 77

FEATURESMOTORSPORTSMarcelo earns thirdkarter of the year awardStefano Marcelo of Maranello-San Miguel Corporation-Marcelo Racing pulled off a big sweep to capture the Karterof the Year award in the championship round of the 2010Magnolia Purewater Karting Super Series at the CarmonaRacetrack recently.It was another career milestone for the 18-year-oldAteneo law student who bagged his third Karter of the Yearaward, equalling the feat of Pepon Marave in this eventsanctioned by the Automobile Association Philippines andsponsored by Magnolia Purewater, San Miguel Corp., PetronCorp., Yokohama Tires, Motorstar and Aeromed.He also wrapped up his campaign with a total of 463points or nearly 50 points ahead of closest title rival RobyBenito of Ready2Race (413.5 points).Marcelo also copped the ROK Senior crown against JuhaTuralba of Ready2Race.78 AQ MAGAZINE PERFORMANCEPERFORMANCE AQ MAGAZINE 79

EVENTSMini ManiaPhotos: Lito Madrigal,Gigi Martinez, TonyRufino, Allen Reyes,Dominic Ocampo1st Philippine Classic Mini Track Day80 AQ MAGAZINE PERFORMANCEPERFORMANCE AQ MAGAZINE 81

EVENTSFOR the first time in Philippine history, hundreds ofowners of classic Minis converged in a race trackfor a day of spirited driving, endless talking and raw,high-octane fun which can only be derived fromowning such small-but-powerful motor vehicles.The Clark International Speedway in the former United States Air Force base inAngeles, Pampanga, teemed with well-preserved Minis which came from as far south asLucena City in Quezon province and the nearby province of Nueva Ecija.There was even one participant who came all the way from London to attend the event.According to Solomon Picache, president of the organizing PhilMiniRacers group, atotal of 140 Minis participated in the track day and a total of 350 spectators came to watch.“At least eight groups of Filipino Mini car owners were represented. We were trulysurprised at the big turnout,” he said.The event was patterned after the Mini Action Day of Mini World, the officialmagazine of Minis. It gave Filipino Mini owners the chance to try their treasured pocketrockets in a world-class race track. Track sessions were categorized according to enginetypes, namely 1275’s, 1000’s and automatics.Three Minis broke down on the track, which is a common sight in events like this evenin the United Kingdom where the cars originated.A drag race was held as one of the side events of the day, pitting an A-Series 1275 Minito a Mini that is powered by a Honda engine. The A-Series won, delighting the crowd whichis composed of mostly purist Mini owners.The first Philippine Classic Mini Track Day was made possible through the supportof Mang Inasal, Stavros, The News Today, Topgear Philippines, Tutti Frutti, PLDT/Smart, TV 5, Studio 23, ABS-CBN, Sports Unlimited, British United Automobile TheFort, Castrol BP, Selecta, Miniworld UK, AWS UK, Blue Bonnet Café, Anzhal Paint, andAutomax.82 AQ MAGAZINE PERFORMANCEPERFORMANCE AQ MAGAZINE 83

EVENTSAAP CARAVANVroomwith a ViewONE needn’t travel far away from thecountry to see exotic works of art,priceless artifacts of national heritageor the peerless wonders of nature. A myriadof sites and attractions await the avid motoristjust a few hours away from Manila.The 2nd AAP CaravanText and photos: Iñigo S. Roces84 AQ MAGAZINE PERFORMANCEPERFORMANCE AQ MAGAZINE 85

EVENTSAAP CARAVANExposing the Filipino traveler to these destinations was theobjective of the 2nd AAP Caravan that happened last November27, 2010. Petron Blaze was the official fuel provider of the drivetour mounted by the Automobile Association. AAP membersand motoring journalists gathered at Petron Blue Wave at sunriseto register for the convoy. Joining them would be several AAPsupport vehicles and an AeroMed ambulance.The caravan, which flagged off from Petron MacapagalAvenue in Pasay City, took the Coastal Road to stop at the De LaSalle Museum in Dasmarinas, Cavite. Located inside De la SalleUniversity – Dasmariñas, the museum is designed to recreatethe 19th century illustrado lifestyle of the colonial period. Themuseum features collections of antique family heirlooms such asfurniture, decorative objects, and fine and applied arts.From here, the caravan then proceeded to the GBR Museumin Gen. Trias, Cavite. The dream of Geronimo Berenguer delosReyes, Jr., the venue houses more than 3,000 vintage photographsof key events in Philippine and world history. Owing toBerenguer’s fascination with flight, two of the pavilions displayvarious commercial and military model airplanes, arranged inchronological order.The convoy proceeded further down South, stopping atPetron along Aguinaldo Highway in the Tagaytay Ridge forsome Magnolia ice cream courtesy of Petron Treats. The convoythen moved on to the historic Taal Town to view the famousancestral homes and Taal Basilica and have a hearty lunch atthe Escuala Pia building. There, they were quizzed on what theylearned so far with delightful prizes, including accommodationsat Microtel Hotels in Baguio and Batangas, awaiting those whopaid attention.Next stop was a visit to the Ruins of Old Taal Church inSan Nicolas, Batangas before proceeding to the provincial capitolin Batangas City, where the participants were treated to nativedelicacies. The last pit stop on the way home was Petron Star Toll,capping a most enjoyable day of driving and sightseeing.Participants to the 2nd AAP Drive Tour Caravan wereprivileged to enjoy the ultra-high performance of Petron Blaze,and were able to experience its enhanced benefits in actualPhilippine driving conditions. Owners of high performance andregular cars were assured that the country’s only pure, highoctaneunleaded gasoline would be able to protect their pricelessvehicles.Despite the long drive, there’s no doubt that all participantswere satisfied both gastronomically and culturally what withabundant helpings of both along the way.86 AQ MAGAZINE PERFORMANCEPERFORMANCE AQ MAGAZINE 87

SHOWROOMA FIESTA FIRSTMANILA, Philippines- The all-new Fiestafound its way to the first-ever owner in thePhilippines –Christian Caballes, the ecstaticSan Juan native who couldn’t wait to get his hands onFord’s newest car. This forensic pathologist with azesty taste for fun and adventure was one of the manyexcited faces at last weekend’s Ford Expo, wherefor the first time, the Fiesta was made available toFilipino consumers for test drives.“The first time I got behind the wheels of theFiesta was the moment I decided that this was thecar for me and my lifestyle,” says Caballes. “I feelprivileged to be the first Fiesta owner here in thePhilippines.”The Fiesta is Ford’s globally-popular andmulti-awarded small car that’s big on style, design,drive quality and safety features. Available in asleek and stylish four-door sedan and a bold andsexy five-door hatchback in a total of six variantsand eight sophisticated colors, all are loaded withtechnologically savvy features and an engaginginterior with never-before seen advancements in itscategory. Both the Fiesta sedan and hatchback wereon display and available for test drives at last week’sFord Expo- the largest and most complete consumerexpo that showcased Ford’s complete line-up forvehicles.“The Ford Expo 2010 weekend was the perfectoccasion for us to unveil our entire line-up of classleadingvehicles, to mark the first sales weekend ofthe Fiesta in the Philippines by meeting our first-everFiesta owner- Christian,” says Dino Obias, Ford GroupPhilippines Assistant Vice President for Marketing.“Christian embodies our target audience for theall-new Fiesta. Someone bold and daring, excitingand fun, adventurous and passionate, this is what theall-new Fiesta is truly all about.”Christian actually heard about the Ford Fiestaabout 6 months before its launch in the local market.“Online, I already learned a lot about the Fiesta’sfeatures. I really liked the reviews. So when I heard thatthey were bringing the Fiesta here in the Philippines,I made sure to check out the display at the PhilippineInternational Motor Show, ”says Christian. “Making thereservation for it was the easiest decision I made thatday.”The Fiesta fits Christian’s busy and distinctivelifestyle. He takes it on long road trips to fulfill histhrill-seeking persona and his favorite activities whichinclude rock- climbing, running and hiking. Christianalso uses it for city driving, meeting with friends andgoing to work; all precisely matching the characteristicsof the all-new Fiesta.“What made me decide to buy the Fiesta was firstand foremost, its safety features and not to mention itsgood looks”, says Christian. The all-new Ford Fiesta isequipped with an Anti-Lock Braking (ABS) system withElectronic Brake Distribution (EBD) that is standard inall six variants of Fiesta.“I find that the Fiesta has a very quiet driveand the acceleration is superb,” Christian narrates.All of the Fiesta’s six variants pack powerful engineperformance. The Fiesta Style has the 1.4L 4-doormanual transmission powered by a 16-valve DuratecI4 engine. The Fiesta Trend is available in both a 1.4Lmanual transmission and a 1.6L engine in both 4-doorsedan and 5-door hatchback in Twin independent –Variable Camshaft Timing (Ti-VCT) engine in automatictransmission. The top-of-the-line Fiesta Sport modelpacks the 1.6L 5-door hatch back body with 6-speedPowerShift automatic transmission.Fiesta is Here!The All-New Ford Fiesta makes itsway to twenty-one Ford dealerships allaround the Philippines as consumersare invited to test drive. Forddealerships are located in Alabang,Balintawak, Commonwealth, Edsa,Global City, Libis, Manila, QuezonAvenue and SM Fairview. Provincialdealerships are located in Batangas,Bacolod, Cabanatuan, Cagayan deOro, Cavite, Cebu, Dagupan, Davao,Iloilo, Lipa, Pampanga, San Pablo SMMarilao and Subic.88 AQ MAGAZINE PERFORMANCE

SHOWROOM2010 Isuzu Challengeconcludes withD-MAX legISUZU Philippines Corp. has officially wrapped up its 2010 IsuzuChallenge fuel-economy series with the successful staging of thethird and final leg featuring the D-MAX pickup. The first two legshad showcased the NHR truck and the Crosswind AUV, respectively. Forthe final leg, a unit of the D-MAX ran a total of 1,844 kilometers for afuel-economy rating of 24.26 kilometers per liter. The vehicle took offfrom Matnog, Sorsogon, and passed through the provinces of Cagayanand Ilocos Norte before finally running out of fuel in Barangay San Isidroin Paniqui, Tarlac.The Isuzu Challenge is part of the “Isuzu Diesel Mission,” ayearlong promotional campaign that aimed to demonstrate the fuelefficiencyand environment-friendliness of Isuzu vehicles. One of themain components of Isuzu Diesel Mission was the ‘Isuzu FarthestMission,’ a series of events that included 4x4 driving clinics, mall tours,sales-and-service caravans, and the aforementioned Isuzu Challenge.In each leg of the Isuzu Challenge, a specified Isuzu vehicle wasdriven using only a single tank of Caltex Diesel w/ Techron D. The publicwas then challenged to guess the total distance that each vehicle wouldtravel. The contestant who submitted the right answer (or at least thefigure closest to the right answer) won an actual brand-new unit of theIsuzu vehicle featured in the leg.For the D-MAX leg, Jennie Lyn Tiongson Villanueva of Santa Cruz,Manila, submitted first the exact total-mileage figure, thus winning forherself a tax-free, brand-new D-MAX. The second exact guess wassubmitted by Zaldy Titular Caiga of Ibaan, Batangas, who was rewardedwith a Sony Bravia 40-inch LED HD TV. The third exact figure came courtesyof Ace Galindo Montecalvo of San Isidro, Northern Samar, who bagged forhimself a Canon EOS 550D SLR camera.“I am confident that after three legs of the Isuzu Challenge, wehave been able to convince the commercial-vehicle market that Isuzuvehicles are truly fuel-efficient,” said IPC President Ryoji Yamazaki. “Ibelieve we’ve also shown that our vehicles are very much compatiblewith Philippine roads. Their legendary durability is what makes them verypopular, most especially among overseas Filipino workers, who value theirhard-earned money down to the last peso.”In the first leg of the Isuzu Challenge held in May, an NHR lightdutytruck ran a total of 972.4 kilometers from Pagudpud to Naga City,and Amelita Sison Fernandez won a new NHR unit by submitting a closeguess of 967.9 kilometers.In the second leg held in July, a Crosswind XL unit traveled atotal of 1,190 kilometers from Cauayan, Isabela, all the way to Quezonprovince in Southern Luzon. By some stroke of good fortune, RyanDexter Pinpin Dizon correctly guessed the exact mileage, and won forhimself a brand-new Crosswind.In addition to the mentioned prizes, all winners each received anice-looking Freego polo shirt.The main sponsors of the Isuzu Challenge were Caltex Dieselwith Techron D and Freego Jeans. It was supported by JVC, AVT, CentroManufacturing Corp., Home Depot, Smartlink, Matabungkay BeachResort, Monde Nissin Corp., and Magnolia Fruit Drink Health TeaBeverages. The media partners were The Philippine Star, RMN (DZXL558khz), DWIZ (882 khz), Jam (88.3), Wave (89.1), Magic (89.9), MellowTouch (94.7), Crossover (105.1), DWRJ (100.3), Home Radio (97.9), NURock (107), DWRT (99.5), and Max (103.5).Rollover Protection System(ROPS) standard in the S60THE new S60 is equipped withRoll Over Protection System(ROPS) as standard. Usingadvanced sensor technology. Thepretensioners will tighten the safetybelts and the Inflatable Curtains(IC) will deploy in case the car isinvolved in a rollover. This togetherwith the safety cage will help toreduce the risk of injuries for beltedoccupants in such situations.Collision safety including an improved Inflatable CurtainIn a frontal collision situation, the well-balanced combination of highstrengthsteel of various grades dissipates the impact energy and helps preventintrusion into the passenger compartment. The front body structure of the all-newVolvo S60 is divided into four zones, each of which has a different task in suchevent. The transverse engine installation creates more space for deformationand helps reduce the risk of intrusion into the passenger compartment in frontalcollision situations.The all-new S60 has safety belt pretensioners in all seats. The Pre-PreparedRestraints* (PRS) regulate the airbags and the safety belt load limiters to optimizeprotection depending on the force of the impact.Among its various other safety systems, the all-new sedan model also has anadvanced Side Impact Protection System, seat-mounted side airbags, InflatableCurtains and Whiplash Protection System – one of the market’s most effectivesystems to help reduce the risk of neck injuries in rear impacts.The Side Impact Protection System (SIPS) has been further improved in theall-new S60 to address a wider span of real life situations, such as side impactson either side of the passenger compartment. This has been made possible bycombining information from accelerometers in the vehicle and a world unique useof a gyro measuring yaw rate for controlling the activation of the IC, SIPS airbagand seatbelt pretensioners in such situations.“No previous Volvo model has ever had such advanced safety technology asthe all-new Volvo S60 does. It is a worthy representative of our aim to build theworld’s safest cars – and it marks yet another step towards our vision of a crashfree future and ambition of no fatalities or serious injuries in a new Volvo car bythe year 2020,” says Thomas Broberg.Power and sophisticationin the all-new Nissan TeanaDELIVERING its commitment to provide quality and world-class productsthat suit Filipinos’ needs and tastes, Nissan Motor Philippines, Inc. (NMPI)introduces its latest vehicle model – the all-new Nissan Teana. As thecompany’s flagship model, the all-new Nissan Teana shows Filipino consumers howpower and sophistication translate to a vehicle, packed with features, design, andamenities that clearly make it a cut above anyone else.“We promised to deliver the best products that we can offer, and with theintroduction of Nissan Sentra 200, Nissan X-Trail CVT and now, the all-new NissanTeana, we can truly say we delivered,” said Allen Chen, president and CEO of NissanMotor Philippines, Inc. “We certainly saved the best for last – our new addition to theNissan vehicle lineup, characterized by premium design, performance and comfort,exemplifies how we value the Filipino consumers’ taste and value. It redefinessophistication and reinvents first-rate vehicles to fit their requirements.”Inspired by Infinity’s seamless design, the all-new Nissan Teana boasts of anuncompromising modern design similar to Executive European cars. From the outside,it is a sight to see as its exterior speaks of power, sophistication, and elegance.WORLD-CLASS PERFORMANCEConsistent with the Nissan brand’s promise to give vehicle owners atotal driving experience that they will enjoy, the Teana features world-renownedtechnology like the new generation XCVT (Xtronic Continuous Variable Transmission)to give drivers a smooth “no-shift-shock” driving experience. Providing a smoothgear change regardless of driving condition, the XCVT technology offers a natural andpowerful sensation of acceleration that ensures lesser fuel consumption.Additional enhancements also include the electronic control systemand hydraulic system and the adoption of a high-performance ATF (AutomaticTransmission Fluid) that boosts response and stability.With these features, the CVT ratios about 30% faster than the previous versionas it continuously provides instantaneous response to the driver’s intention, inaddition to a natural feeling of powerful acceleration.Mated to the XCVT technology is one of the best features of the all-new NissanTeana – the powerful VQ-V6 engine that lets drivers rev up smoothly to high speedwith radical reduced level of friction plus improved rigidity. A highly acclaimedengine, the Nissan VQ has been cited for its powerful evolution in line with itsconcepts of simplicity, compactness, low friction and responsiveness. In fact, theNissan VQ engine is the only engine in the world to win a spot on “WARD’s 10 BestEngines list for 14 years running.Providing better fuel efficiency and lower exhaust emission, the Teana’s VQ-V6engine incorporates the world’s first hydrogen-free valve lifter coated with diamondlikecarbon which significantly lessens carbon emission, as well as reduces 40%surface friction.Further raising the bar is the Teana’s New D-Platform that provides drivingcomfort – imagine a smooth and quiet ride around the city with effortless handling.The all-new Nissan Teana’s seats are equipped with vibration absorbingurethane, which ensures that the vibration passed on the seat is reduced by 50%.This model also optimizes points where the shock absorbers are attached andalso adopts a low-vibration body construction, allowing the Teana to cope with thevibration typically experienced on rough surfaces and bumps. This definitely fulfillsthe promise of pleasurable and comfortable ride.Featuring a vehicle speed sensing power steering, the Teana ensures that steeringis always in tune with the driver’s intention. It is also equipped with 3D quiet project thatassures drivers freedom from noise of any source. These allow the driver to enjoy a senseof unity with the vehicle that is free from stress when driving on highways.If these are not enough, the all-new Nissan Teana really shows how style andcomfort put together feels. This model has Ottoman-equipped front passenger seatsthat provide a “welcoming hospitality” appeal. This unique feature features a powerOttoman-style leg rest with power adjustment of the calf-support position to matchindividual physiques and preferences.DESIGNED FOR SAFETYCompleting the whole package are the safety features of the all-new Teana,such as the intelligent key with engine immobilizer/alarm system that allows onetouchlocking and unlocking of doors and trunk, and engine starting. It is interlinkedwith the push button ignition and also enhances anti-theft measures.This all-new vehicle also features top load sun roof to provide a more relaxedand open feeling for the rear seat passengers. Made of stylish glass, the sunroofcomes in front electric tilt and slide with privacy enhanced glass with UV protection,one-touch electric retractable. And because the glass sunroof slides back overthe rook, there is no reduction in rear headroom to ensure optimum comfort for allpassengers even while it is open.For more convenience and comfort, this new model features a high tensile steelbody structure, a FF-L (front-engine, front-wheel-drive, large) platform that attainslevels of driving comfort and operational stability. It has achieved the world’s highestlevel for an FF through its new platform and body construction. The new Teana isalso equipped with six pillar chassis structure that adopts six beams security design,which allows experience shock to spread through the six panel pressure of the load,forming a solid security zone to protect the safety of the occupants. What’s more, theTeana’s rigid body structure is built with 980 MPA Ultra Steel with light weight andhigh strength characteristics similar with French Nuclear submarine.The all-new Nissan Teana is definitely a class on its own with its completesuite of elegant design, all-packed power, and guaranteed safety features.Experience the all-new Teana, available at all Nissan dealerships nationwide: NissanGallery Ortigas, Nissan Gallery Quezon Avenue, Mantrade Development Corp., NissanWestgate Alabang, Nissan Shaw Center, Nissan North Edsa (Balintawak), NissanU.N. Avenue Manila, Nissan Southwoods, Nissan Pangasinan, Royce Motors Santiago,Cabanatuan and Pampanga, Nissan Bacolod, Nissan Cebu Distributors, Inc., NissanIloilo, Nissan Gallery Cagayan de Oro, Davao Unicar Corporation and Nissan NorthEdsa (SM Marilao).90 AQ MAGAZINE PERFORMANCEPERFORMANCE AQ MAGAZINE 91

SHOWROOMNew Porsche Cayenne scoopsawards in Europe and USATHE world’s largest international readerjury has awarded the new PorscheCayenne the “Golden Steering Wheel2010”. Almost 250,000 readers from 23different countries voted on participatingvehicles in Springer-Verlag’s pan-Europeanreader poll, with the Cayenne emergingtriumphant in the SUV category. The latestversion of the successful sporty off-roadvehicle par-ticularly impressed readers withits attractive design and high practical-ity,alongside maximum efficiency and thetypical driving pleasure of a Porsche.For the “Golden Steering Wheel”awards 40 million readers of “AUTO BILD”,“BILD am Sonntag” and 26 other Europeancar magazines were invited to vote for theirfavourites. Porsche had previously won thecoveted award in 2000 with the 911 Turbo,in 2005 with the Carrera GT and in 2009with the Panamera.This announcement virtually coincidedwith the coronation of the new Cay-enne as“Sport/Utility of the Year” by the renownedUS trade publication “Motor Trend”, in thehome country of the SUV. The editorialpanel of experts assessed a total of 15 newDOING a rare repeat of the Auto Focus People’s Choice Award in 2008 when theKia Carens was declared the year’s best car, the Kia Sorento ran away withthis year’s Automobile of the Year Award in the annual selection conductedthrough popular voting. The Sorento, Kia’s Highline Cruiser, bested Hyundai Tucsonand Grand Starex in a spectacular fashion, outpacing the two other finalists with awide voter margin.The Sorento was also the segment winner in the Mid-Size SUV category, joiningthe Kia Carens which was voted as the Mini Van of the year and the Kia Rio as thisyear’s Sub-Compact Sedan. Kia ran away with four awards this year, a feat thattopped the record it established in the 2008 Auto Focus People’s Choice Awardswhen Kia won three major awards for its various car models.Felix J. Mabilog, Jr., President and COO of Columbian Autocar Corporation,exclusive distributor of Kia in the Philippines is ecstatic about the Kia Sorento’sselection as Automobile of the Year. “We had thought all along that we have a winnerin our hands. This award just confirms it.” says Mabilog. “The Sorento is a beautifulcar. It has superb styling. Its design is something to rave about. The performance isbeyond what you could imagine,” exclaims Mabilog.At its market introduction in December 2009, the Kia Sorento received ravedreviews from the motoring editors of the country’s leading broadsheets, majorpublications and TV motoring programs. “Every one of the top editors and TVcolumnists we’ve invited to test drive the Sorento had given it a rating not lowerthan 9/10. One of them even gave the Sorento a 10/10 rating. You can’t top that!”enthuses Mabilog.In the segment awards, the Kia Sorento was also named winner in Mid-Sizemodels in this category according to thesix objective criteria design, technol-ogy,fuel efficiency, safety, value stability andperformance.On top of these accolades, the newCayenne generation is proving a resoundingmarket success worldwide. Particularlyin the guise of the Cayenne S Hybrid model,Porsche serves up its most compellingcombination of effi-ciency and performancefor customers and trade journalists alike,demon-strating what “Porsche IntelligentPerformance” is all about.For more information on the newPorsche Cayenne please contact PGA CarsPorsche Center Philippines at 7270381to 85 or visit its showroom at 201 EDSAMandaluyong City.KIA SORENTO IS 2010 AUTOMOBILE OF THE YEARSUV category, besting the Mitsubishi Montero Sport and the Hyundai Santa Fe. TheKia Carens, the 2008 Automobile of the Year, made a gracious comeback by toppingthe Mini Van category, outpacing rival Toyota Previa. The Kia Rio won the segmentaward as the year’s best Sub-Compact Sedan, winning over Toyota Vios and HyundaiI10.The Kia Sorento on sale in the Philippines comes in either an R2.2 literCRDi VGT diesel engine or a 2.4 liter Theta II gasoline engine, available in 6-speedautomatic transmission and in five- or seven-seater configurations. The all-newSorento gasoline retains the styling touches of its diesel-powered kin. Longer andlower than its predecessor, its sleek exterior lends a futuristic touch to the world ofurban SUV. With its longer front overhang wedge profile, crisply-defined greenhouseand accentuated wheel arch volumes, Kia’s new SUV looks thoroughly modern andsporty. In true sedan-like fashion, the interior is comfortable and stylish, completewith high-tech amenities and versatile seating and storage capabilities that reflectthe Sorento’s cavernous cabin and enhanced dimensions.The Kia Carens meanwhile fuses the utility of the MPV with SUV style. It comesin a 2.0 CRDi diesel engine mated with 6-speed manual and 4-speed automatictransmission for a smooth ride and handling.The Kia Rio comes in a 1.4 liter four-cylinder DOHC 16-valve, fuel injectionpower plant with 94 ps@6,000 rpm horsepower, and a maximum torque of 12.7kg-m@4,700 rpm. It is available in 5-speed manual transmission or 4-speedautomatic transmission. Because the Rio stresses frugality and performance as itsmain selling point, it has become the favorite of first-time car buyers and fleet andtaxi operators.Goodyear Philippines SponsorsTwo Pinoys In Asia’s Most Thrilling Drift Event-‘Goodyear Formula Drift Thailand 2010’GOODYEAR Philippines strengthens its commitment to the drifting sport as it sendstwo Filipino drivers to compete in the second annual Goodyear Formula DriftThailand 2010, scheduled to take place on the 20th and 21st of November, 2010.“As we have mentioned before, Goodyear is strongly committed to drifting,the fastest growing motor sport in the country and in the ASEAN region. From theonset we have dedicated ourselves to building and nurturing talent within the ASEANdrifting community. We are especially excited to see enthusiasm and the level of localtalent growing in the sport and we are proud to be sending two drivers to compete inthe international level,” said Gerry Alava, Goodyear Philippines Managing Director.The DMF Drift team marks its fourth participation at the international Driftevent, having previously competed at the Formula Drift series in Thailand andMalaysia last 2009 and in FD Singapore last April 2010. The team headed by DavidM. Feliciano, holds the distinction of being the first Filipino team to compete in aninternational Formula Drift competition.This time around, Goodyear Philippines will also be sponsoring GoodyearAutocare Dealer and rising drift driver Norman Agojo. Apart from being a seasonedbusinessman, Agojo, is strongly passionate about drifting having secured a spot atthe podium in the recently concluded Lateral Drift competition held this year. Withhis powerful Nissan Silvia RPS13, Agojo sets out for Thailand to secure a title at theprestigious event.Feliciano armed with the “Great White”, his white 1989 Nissan Silvia PS13and Agojo with his Nissan Silvia RPS13 will both be equipped with the Goodyear’sEagle F1 Asymmetric, the multi-awarded ultra-high performance tire known for its‘no-limits’ driving experience. The Eagle F1 Asymmetric was designed with a keenunderstanding of what the ultra-high performance segment needs for faster, morepowerful and heavier vehicles requirements. The tires’ cornering ability plays a vitalrole in drifting because of its Active CornerGrip technology which was developed withthe objective of increasing the tire-to-road contact area by distributing a more evenpressure across the width of the tires’ tread patch thus resulting in better controlespecially in tight corners.David Feliciano narrates “The FDseries made me realize that drifting is notabout slipping and sliding, but about powerand control. I learned that to compete atthis level the choice of tires do matter.You need the right tires with responsive grip and handling to be able to take a wide driftangle using a force generated by 350++ horsepower engines. Goodyear has the perfectwinning tire in the Eagle F1 Asymmetric.”With a rich, 100-year long legacy in racing and as the leading brand ofperformance tires, Goodyear’s strong heritage has been translated into a prestigiousevent - Goodyear Formula Drift Thailand 2010 to be held at the world-class driftingarena, Wonderworld Park, Ramindra, Thailand. The second annual Goodyear FormulaDrift Thailand 2010 marks a highpoint in Goodyear’s history after concluding theGoodyear International Drift Series last 6th and 7th November 2010.92 AQ MAGAZINE PERFORMANCEPERFORMANCE AQ MAGAZINE 93

EVENTSConcept One powers theRaceofChampionsWHILE most automotiveaficionados convergedat the SMX ConventionCenter on the third weekend ofNovember for the 2010 Manila AutoSalon, some of the country’s topmotorsports personalities were busyat the Batangas Racing Circuit forthe second leg of the Concept OneRace of Champions.Photos: Ardie Lopez94 AQ MAGAZINE PERFORMANCE

EVENTSHyundai Asia Resources, authorizeddistributor of Hyundai vehicles in thecountry, fielded two 3.8-liter V6 HyundaiGenesis Coupes on November 20. The silvervariant was shod with 19-inch Concept OneReplica Design wheels with Nitto NT555tires while the yellow variant had NittoNT05 intermediate tires.For the November 21 race, BritishUnited Automobiles, the official importer ofMini in the Philippines, assigned two unitsof the Mini Cooper S that wore 17-inchConcept One Pursuit wheels with AvonZZ3 tires.Thirteen motorsport championsparticipated in the two-day event, includingAAP Motorsports Director Mandy Eduquewho was a champion rally driver in the ‘80s.Former Asian Formula 3 driver Tyson Sytopped the time sheet on both days -- animpressive showing considering that SY hasbeen inactive in the motorsport scene for thepast three years. Other participants in theraces were Vip Isada, Gaby dela Merced andRikki Dy-Liacco. Dy-Liacco took time outof his busy schedule as operations director ofthe Zhuhai International Circuit in Chinaand flew home just to join the race.On November 20, Sy was shadowedby Georges Ramirez who took second placewhile Mike Potenciano could only managethird, no thanks to a minor accident thatgouged the silver unit’s sheet metal. Withthe Mini Cooper S, Sy was trailed overa second behind by second-place finisherEdgen Dy-Liacco followed by PeponMarave in third.96 AQ MAGAZINE PERFORMANCE

EVENTSThe two-day event also honored the laterace car driver Kookie Ramirez. His wife,Menchie, ran a ceremonial lap around thetrack in memory of her late husband beforethe races were officially flagged off.Concept One wheels have proven notonly their street cred but also their racetrackmettle as they have been used in the Raceof Champions (ROC) series, which formspart of this season’s Philippine TouringCar Championship (PTCC), and which issponsored by the Concept One.According to the company, the raceteams and drivers who participated in theROC’s first leg, held on October 3 at theBatangas Racing Circuit (BRC) usingChevrolet Cruze cars, cited the wheels’advanced designs and exceptional buildquality—hallmarks of the brand.“I have been using it since last yearin the PTCC and I’m happy with howit performs at the track,” said race driverDennis Uy. “If it can take the punishmentof racing, then without doubt, it can survivethe potholes and ruts on the streets. Also, itimproves the looks of my car.”For his part, Sammy Liuson, presidentof Concept One distributor Wheel Gallery,said that the ROC has served as an excellentway to gauge Concept One wheels and Nittotires, which Liuson also distributes.“What better way to evaluate ourproducts than by having them driven hardby motor sports experts?” Liuson said.98 AQ MAGAZINE PERFORMANCE

PHOTO OPLOFTY DREAM100 AQ MAGAZINEPERFORMANCEPHOTO: JUNEP OCAMPOThe owner of this Mini which AQ spotted at the Total station on North Luzon Expresswayhas big dreams. Obviously, the guy (or gal) has passion for performanceand he probably is just starting small. Whoever you are, text or email us when yourMini finally grows up. We’ll make another photo story about it.