Photos by Ulysses Ang and Toyota Press

Jason Choachuy (Car No. 37) of Toyota Balintawak dominated Round 2 of the 2014 Toyota Vios Cup at the Clark International Speedway last Saturday, July 26 with a stunning back-to-back win in Race 3 and 4. With changing weather conditions in the days leading up to the race, everyone was expecting a wet weekend for all 28 Toyota Vios Cup Racers. The traffic situation on NLEX brought on by the Inglesia ni Cristo Centennial proved to be of little worry as thousands of speed freaks still filled up the grand stands to watch the action in the One-Make Race.

With dynamic ability, comfort, elegance and a host of innovations designed to further enhance a luxurious driving experience, the new BMW 5 Series once again raises the bar for the premium executive sedan segment. It has sealed its position as the global leader in its class with over one million units sold, earning a unique status in the segment. A new chapter dawns in its impressive success story with precise modifications to the cars’ design, and innovative additions to the range of available equipment. Two (2) models of the New BMW 5 Series, namely the BMW 5 Series Sedan and the BMW 5 Series Gran Turismo, are now available in the Philippine market.

Chery Cars Philippines has recently introduced its latest automobile offering that should capture the imagination of young, upwardly mobile Filipino professionals: the Chery Fulwin2.

The Subaru Palm Challenge: Philippine Leg is back again to find the 10 contestants to represent the Philippines in the Subaru Palm Challenge - Asian Face-Off. Take part in one of the three legs and get a chance to win an all-expense paid trip to Singapore:

Car enthusiasts in Manila can now view the latest Suzuki automobiles as Suzuki Philippines opens its latest showroom in SM City San Lazaro, Manila. The new store, a satellite showroom for Suzuki Auto U.N. Avenue, will feature Suzuki’s latest automobiles such as the Swift 1.2 hatchback and the Ertiga compact family car.

Considering that the “Ghost Month” has just set in, we figured there wouldn’t be any new car launches until the third of week of August. Therefore, consider this as our “late for July” but “early for August” Philippine Car Price Guide. For this update, we have the following additions/changes:

• BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe
• Chevrolet Malibu LT (new variant)
• Chevrolet Spin (price adjustment)
• Honda CR-V Cruiser Edition (new variant)
• Honda Jazz
• Kia Picanto (price adjustment)
• Kia Sorento (price adjustment)
• Kia Soul (price adjustment)
• Kia Sportage (price adjustment)
• MINI Cooper / Cooper S
• Mitsubishi Adventure (price adjustment)
• Suzuki Ertiga
• Suzuki Swift 1.2 (new variant)
• Tata Manza Aura (new variant)
• Tata Vista Ignis (new variant)

There are also some models that have bitten the dust, but we will just let you find them for yourselves. Happy hunting!

Photos by Ulysses Ang

The Subaru WRX STI—it’s one of those cars that need little introduction. However, in case you do need a refresher (shame on you); they represent the pinnacle of Subaru’s technical know-how. Borne out of the World Rally Championship, they’re fitted with a massaged turbocharged Flat-4 engine and all-wheel drive as standard from Day One. They are, in short, the automotive equivalent of Thor: the God of Thunder and Lighting with biceps (or fender flares, if you prefer) to make even the manliest man swoon. However, for all the space it occupied on bedroom walls and laptop wallpapers, it had one big problem: they weren’t for the faint of heart. They were like driving a sledgehammer with four wheels and a windshield. Thankfully though, Subaru and the engineering gurus at Subaru Technica International or STI have rectified that erratic behavior in the all-new model. Not only is this the best handling WRX STI ever. This is the most refined WRX STI ever.

Photos Courtesy of Dux Carvajal of Ford Press

Tailgating—it’s the quintessentially American Male thing where groups of bros hang around in parking lots (typically during a big game) with hot food sizzling on a grille and cold drinks chilling in a cooler. Although you can try doing that here in the Philippines, you’ll earn the irk of security guards even before you could unfold your bench out. So what’s the best thing you can do? Go out of town, to the middle of nowhere (preferably where trail meets road), and then whip out the grille. Of course, you need a very capable go-anywhere, do-anything vehicle and a group of the manliest men in the motoring beat to drive out of the comforts of Manila and cook burgers. And so, that’s exactly what happened with the Ford Ranger Tailgate Challenge.

Asian Carmakers Corporation (ACC), the official importer and distributor of BMW vehicles in the Philippines, continues to dominate the Philippine luxury vehicle segment as it reached first half of 2014 with a total of 352 units sold, accounting for a total of 36% over-all market share. BMW’s core model, The 3 Series, is recorded as ACC’s top performer, closely followed by its most popular SAV, The BMW X3, contributing to a 6% increase in total sales compared to the same period last year. This correlates with BMW’s global performance, which saw a 10.2% YTD growth versus last year.

Asian Carmakers Corporation (ACC), the official importer and distributor of BMW vehicles in the Philippines is keen on setting a new benchmark in design and innovation with the launch of the all-new 4 Series Gran Coupe. The first-ever four-door coupe in the premium mid-sized segment, the 4 Series Gran Coupe seamlessly blends the unmistakable look of a sports coupe with the practicality and functionality of a four door sedan.