Search CarGuide.PH

Showing posts with label Track Day. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Track Day. Show all posts

May 31, 2013

Shell Introduces Philippine Student Contigient to the 2013 Eco-marathon Asia

Photos by Ulysses Ang
They say the first automobile race happened right after the second car rolled off the assembly floor. The spirit of competition has always been innately human, but even more so when it’s a combination of man and machine. And though motorsports has commonly been about which car can run faster, brake shorter, and handle better; there’s another kind of competition—one that takes into account the concept of smart mobility, environmental-consciousness, and innovative thinking. This is the Shell Eco-marathon.

May 28, 2013

A Date with M: BMW Driving Experience 2013

Photos by Ulysses Ang
Even if we were clothed in the most casual clothes imaginable (and the occasional Sketcher’s Shape-Ups), we felt like a million bucks when our ‘shuttle service’, a fleet of BMW 7 Series limousines arrived just to bring us to the Clark International Speedway. We certainly felt every bit like that British super spy, sans the Vodka-Martini and the suave accent. Nonetheless, with our good looks intact, we couldn’t wait for our date with M. And when we talk about ‘M’ here, we don’t mean a frumpy, grumpy middle-aged woman boss; what we’re referring to is the most sacred letter to any car enthusiast: the BMW M line.

April 12, 2013

Mercedes-Benz Driving Experience 2013: The Video


CATS Motors, Inc., the official distributor of Mercedes-Benz passenger cars in the Philippines recently held the 2013 edition of the Mercedes-Benz Driving Experience. This half-day track event is designed not just to bring the different Mercedes-Benz passenger cars through its paces (including the SLS AMG) but also to teach invaluable lessons to the driver, especially when it came to emergency maneuvers.

April 10, 2013

Mercedes-Benz Driving Experience 2013: Better Driving Through Training

Photos by Ash Mahintay. Courtesy of CATS Motors, Inc.
Better driving skills can make a world of a difference for everyone on the road. Mercedes-Benz approaches the skill of driving from a holistic point of view. State-of-the-art Active and Passive systems need to be complemented by the necessary driving skills in order to ensure better protection for drivers and passengers, even pedestrians.

February 11, 2013

An Experience Like No Other: The Audi Driving Experience


There are track days, and there’s the Audi Driving Experience—a track day unlike any other, allowing mere mortals to flog cars with more than 500 horsepower on a race track. The Audi Driving Experience is a carefully crafted immersion experience into the world of Audi and everything the company stands for, namely: performance engineering.

September 19, 2012

First Drive: 2012 Toyota Fortuner & Hilux with VNT

Photos by Ulysses Ang
Toyota Motor Philippines seems to be taking “kaizen”, the Japanese word for continuous improvement, to the next level. Often, kaizen is associated with the manufacturing and production process, but it seems it extends to their product line-up. Take for instance the Toyota Fortuner and Hilux, two of the three vehicles developed under the Innovative Multipurpose Vehicle (IMV) program. It has already seen at least two major upgrades since their respective launches, responding to the ever-changing demands of customers. And now, both the Fortuner and Hilux show off their biggest change yet: an all-new heart.

May 30, 2012

Mercedes-Benz Actros Takes to Batangas Racing Circuit


CATS Motors, Inc. (CATS) introduces the new Mercedes-Benz Actros in an exclusive driving event at the Batangas Racing Circuit.

Two Actros truck variants were available for test drive during the event: A 6-wheeler 20-ton 310 Hp Actros 3 and 10-wheeler 26-ton 350 Hp Actros 3. Guests, composed of the motoring press and haulers, were able to experience the power, safety and capability of the new Mercedes-Benz trucks for the first time.

May 21, 2012

Mercedes-Benz Driving Experience: The Video

Ok...this happened a year ago already, but we still can't get over it! Here's a video of the Mercedes-Benz Driving Experience that happened at the Subic International Airport. Enjoy!

April 5, 2012

Volvo S60 Participates in PLDT Alpha Track Day


Volvo Philippines proudly displayed its cars’ prowess on the tracks at the recently concluded PLDT Alpha Track Day on March 26, 2012 at the Clark International Speedway in an all-out race competition. This annual event hosted by the PLDT Alpha Enterprise brought together the country’s top executives for a car-filled day with the dynamic new breed of Volvos as the main cars for the track run.

After the karting activities in the morning, the Top 40 drivers progressed to practice their skills on the track with the powerful Volvo S60s. They were given the option to “choose their weapon” and drive either the 1.6L S60 T4 or the 2.0L S60 D3 turbodiesel. Both cars delivered superbly on track much to the delight of the car aficionados present. Guests enjoyed the pulling power of the S60 D3 Turbodiesel  -- a powerhouse that pushes the limits with low emissions, 400Nm of torque, and quick, sure power. It ensures immense driving pleasure while enjoying the fuel efficiency of up to 22Km per liter. The single turbocharged engine infuses the drive with the composed feeling of being in control in all situations without compromising on the fun of driving. The S60 1.6 T4 with its 180Hp and 240Nm of torque also delivered top performance and had the drivers fling it around with ease and confidence. The S60’s advanced multi-link rear and McPherson spring strut front suspension mounted on a rigid body with a low center of gravity translate into a feeling of being in command and in safe control. The front and rear suspensions also interact to provide stable braking and crisp steering.

December 20, 2011

Test of Man and Machine: Ford Focus Endurance Challenge


Photos by Mikko David
It just piques your interest when you receive an invitation from Ford labeled ‘Top Secret’; after all, it always implies something exciting. So with the giddiness of a 10-year old kid, I clicked ‘open’ and lo and behold: it’s an invitation to race—to race for 12 non-stop hours behind the wheel of a Ford Focus TDCi. With thoughts of the glitz and glamour of the 24 Heures du Mans (‘24 Hours of Le Mans’ for the non-French speakers out there), I immediately did my best impression of Steve McQueen, replied yes and encircled my June 4-5 with a big, bright red circle.

December 8, 2011

Passport to Punishment: Mercedes-Benz Driving Experience


Photos by Ulysses Ang
We car journalists are a spoiled bunch. We’ve been through countless track exercises both in the Philippines and abroad which are supposedly meant to test the car’s abilities. The problem is, most of the time, they’re meh. They’re designed to keep the cars safe more than anything else. So after a while, these things get boring. And tedious. And repetitious. So it’s not hard to imagine what happens when you receive yet another driving experience event invitation. Granted it’s from Mercedes-Benz, the idea of babying multi-million peso cars through a snoozer of a course isn’t exactly something to look forward to. Plus, the drive to Subic and the cost of toll and fuel means it won’t come cheap. But here we are at the sprawling Subic International Airport, having dragged ourselves from bed just three hours ago. Are we ready to sleep again, but this time behind the wheel?

November 30, 2011

Race Driver 101: Driving the TRS-Ford Focus PTCC Race Car

Photos by Ulysses Ang

It’s not everyday you get the opportunity to jump from a virtual race car to a real one without the hard work and perseverance. Ask any racing driver and he or she can tell you that those years of training pays off at 0.1 of a second at a time. So what happens when you place me—a totally “green” racer but hardcore Playstation driving champion behind the wheel of a Philippine Touring Car-spec Tuason Racing-Ford Focus race car? Not the utter disaster that you’d expect, but not the fairy tale ending either. Let’s just say, I won’t be climbing aboard a race car any time soon.