Normally concept cars are things of pure imagination: outrageous lights, wheels, doors, and what have you. But once in a while, there comes a concept car that seems almost ready to cross the line between design studio to showroom floor. Once such example is the Volkswagen Golf R 400—a car which, as it says on the tin, pushes out 400 horsepower. Concept car my a**!

One of the most successful premium SUVs, the Volkswagen Touareg has been given a timely nip-tuck and has been shown to the public at Auto China in Beijing. The changes to the Touareg are both comestic and mechanical and will only be a matter of time before we see this updated premium SUV roam the streets of Manila.

It seems reports of Subaru ditching the tall-riding wagon look for the all-new Outback are greatly exaggerated as the company unveiled the fifth-generation model at the New York International Auto Show. Like its predecessors, the all-new Outback is instantly recognizable as a tall-riding Legacy, something that has attracted a fiercely loyal clientele since the first generation launched in 1995.

Subaru has a long and successful history in the world of rallying and they’re about to right a new chapter using, what else, the all-new 2015 Subaru WRX STI? Using the New York International Auto Show, Subaru has showed off its new Global RallyCross Championship competitor.

Piloted by Bucky Lasek and Sverre Isachsen, Subaru has previewed its new GRC competitor which features a wide body kit with a carbon fiber roof scoop, side mirrors, and rear wing. The wheels are provided by Method. And like all other GRC competitors, the tires are Yokohama. Subaru of America will reveal more details of its GRC competitor in the fall.

Aside from the GRC, Subaru has also announced that the all-new WRX STI will compete in the Rally America Championship with Travis Pastrana and David Higgins driving. That racing WRX STI should arrive later this year.

Based on the design brief that will “elevate your experience”, Nissan unveiled the third-generation Murano at the New York International Auto Show. Based off the Resonance Concept, all-new Murano has the unmistakable Nissan family look: the V-Motion front-end, boomerang lights (with available LED headlights), and the floating roof treatment.

Although much of the hype surrounding Honda’s presence at the New York International Auto Show centered around the all-new Fit (Jazz), the company also showed off their newest sub-compact crossover destined for the US: the 2015 Honda HR-V.

Keeping up with the Chevrolet Camaro and Ford Mustang, Dodge revealed a series of changes for its own muscle car, the Dodge Challenger at the New York International Auto Show. The 2015 model promises to have best-in-class horsepower and the segment’s first eight-speed automatic transmission.

One of the main highlights of the New York International Auto Show is the announcement of the World Car of the Year. And without making you guess (or even click to find out which automobile won), the Audi A3 walked away with the prestigious award for 2014.

The third-generation Audi A3 overcame 23 other cars including the BMW M4 and Mazda3 to win the title. World Car of the Year is voted by an international jury comprising of 69 top-level automotive journalists from 22 countries around the world. This is not the first time the “brand with four rings” won the accolade. It won it in 2005 with the Audi A6.

Other winners in the 2014 World Car of the Year awards are: BMW i3 (World Green Car of the Year, World Car Design of the Year); Porsche 911 GT3 (World Performance Car of the Year); Mercedes-Benz S-Class (World Luxury Car of the Year).

Everyone just got a glimpse of AMG’s new Porsche fighting high-performance automobile, the Mercedes-AMG GT through its sensationally appointed interior.

The last time everyone got excited about a chassis unveil, it was when Subaru showed off the BRZ Architecture in 2013. Now Mazda is doing the low-winded striptease of their all-new MX-5 starting off with its chassis which made its debut at the New York International Auto Show.

Kia has taken the wraps off its all-new Sedona (local market Carnival) at the 2014 New York International Auto Show. The debut of Kia’s large MPV means that the Peter Schreyer transformation of the entire Kia range (at least in the US) is now complete.

Ford Motor Company has revealed that its compact car, the Focus, remains the world’s best-selling nameplate according to Polk Automotive’s new vehicle registration data for the 2013 calendar year. This growth has been fueled by markets such as China which has seen Focus sales grow as much as 50 percent. And not wanting to rest on their laurels, Ford has unveiled a refreshed version of their four-door model at the 2014 New York International Auto Show.

The odd four-door MINI, the Countryman gets a slight makeover this year, showing off some new exterior and interior detailing which can escape the untrained eye.

In the midst of this summer car buyers and automobile enthusiasts will have the opportunity to conveniently see up close and test drive all brand-new models of BMW, BYD, Chevrolet, Ford, Honda, Hyundai, Isuzu, Kia, Lexus, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Peugeot and Toyota as they get together at the Mall of Asia’s Concert Grounds for the Caltex Auto Focus Summer Test Drive Festival.

Take advantage of the 20% discount on parts and labor during the Mazda Summer Service Promo when you bring your Mazda in to any Mazda authorized dealership for Preventive Maintenance Service and General Jobs during the month of April and May 2014.

Mazda Motor Corporation has announced that global production of its three full-SKYACTIV vehicles, the Mazda CX-5, Mazda6 (known as Atenza in Japan) and Mazda3 (Axela in Japan) has surpassed one million units, reaching 1,040,000 units as of the end of March 2014. All three models adopt the full range of Mazda's SKYACTIV technologies. The milestone was achieved approximately two years and four months after production of the Mazda CX-5 began in November 2011.

Showing that Chevrolet and its Camaro’s a class act, the Bowtie brand has sent a birthday greeting to the Ford Mustang which is celebrating its 50th birthday this coming April 17. The intense rivalry between these two so-called “pony cars” has been intense as of late to the point that Chevrolet’s been comparing them to other great rivalries outside the automotive industry. If these two great rivals could get along once in a while, why can’t we all?

Hyundai Asia Resources, Inc. (HARI), the official distributor of Hyundai vehicles in the Philippines, experienced 19% growth in March to a total of 2,030 units compared to February sales of only 1,710 units. March’s gains pushed three-month sales to grow modestly by 1% to 5,983 units from last year’s first quarter sales of 5,951 units.

As the only and the biggest Filipino fuel refiner, Petron takes pride in its capability to formulate world-class products for Filipino motorists. Having served the fuel needs of the country for more than 80 years, Petron has a deep understanding of the driving conditions on Philippine roads, with its R&D team constantly creating fuels that will deliver optimum efficiency for every type of vehicle. Whether you are driving a luxury sports car, a family van, a cargo truck, a motorcycle or a public utility vehicle, Petron has a fuel designed to meet your motoring needs with the best value.

Photos by Ulysses Ang

Normally, you launch a new vehicle in the relative safety of a hotel ballroom before inviting motoring journos to flog them on a racetrack or let them loose on public roads. Not so with Mazda. From the company that promises zoom-zoom, the best, and perhaps the only way, to prove your product’s mettle is to drive it 600 kilometers from Manila to Baler, Aurora and back. It’s a baptism by fire—one that not only proves that the Mazda3 is a class-redefining sports compact, but one that clearly says that Mazda’s back big time. (For the complete specs and press release click here or how it stacks up against the competition).