The MediaCorp Subaru Challenge 2012 – The Asian Face-Off came to a sensational close today, with 42-year-old Singaporean Gan Yu Shen Tholmas taking top honors in a grueling 78 hours 30 minutes face-off, clocking the second longest winning time in the 11 years of the Challenge.

The three-time participant, Mr. Gan, was a direct entry contestant who was selected from an online competition organized by Motor Image on the “I Love Subaru’ Facebook fan page.

A late afternoon heavy downpour today brought welcome relief to contestants who braved the unusually hot weather conditions for more than 50 hours in the MediaCorp Subaru Challenge 2012 – The Asian Face-Off.  

The rain renewed optimism among the remaining 36 contestants in the 11th annual event - 25 from Singapore and 11 from nine regional teams, facing off at Ngee Ann City Civic Plaza for the top prize of a Subaru car. 

In any family, there’s always a degree of sibling rivalry going on. Whether it’s comparing which one shoots hoops better or aces more tests, pitting siblings in what seems to be a head-to-head grudge match is almost unavoidable in any family. Naturally, this comparison is much more heated when you’re talking about twins—people typically comment that one is more handsome or smarter than the other.

The heat and humidity ignited the fighting spirit in contestants today at Asia’s biggest endurance challenge.

As an added incentive to spur the contestants on, organizers declared an additional cash prize of S$5000 for the second place winner.

As the contest entered its second night, in what is expected to be an arduous face-off to win the top prize, 80 contestants remain, with 30 from the regional teams and 50 from Singapore.

The high heat and humidity did little to lower spirits yesterday at the start of Asia’s biggest endurance challenge.

The Mediacorp Subaru Challenge 2012 – The Asian Face-Off, now in its 11th year, kicked off at 1pm yesterday at Ngee Ann City Civic Plaza, with 400 participants from 10 countries across the region vying to win a Subaru car.

Asia’s most anticipated endurance challenge kicked off at 1pm sharp today at Ngee Ann City’s Civic Plaza, with 400 participants from around the region vying to win a much coveted Subaru Car.

More than 900 competition hopefuls thronged the event site this morning, some as early as 7am, for the chance to take part in the final qualifying round and go into what is expected to be an arduous, four-day face-off to win the top prize of a Subaru car, additional titles and cash prizes.

Change is about to happen at Smokey Mountain as Caltex’s latest social investment initiative, Driving Change with Caltex, makes a stop at Manila’s once dumpsite with the goal of providing the children in the community an avenue where they can play and rebuild the childhood joys they had missed out on due to poverty. 

Driving Change with Caltex is the company’s latest reality community project show, in partnership with Fox International Channels (FIC), which harnesses the power of social media to embark on regional social efforts, from October 5 to November 4, 2012, spanning five Caltex markets in Asia—Malaysia, Hong Kong, Thailand, Philippines, and Singapore.

Volkswagen AG, Europe's largest car maker, has chosen to partner with one of the Philippines' largest and most respected business groups, Ayala Corporation. In a statement issued from its headquarters in Wolfsburg, Germany, Volkswagen announced the appointment of Ayala's wholly owned subsidiary, Ayala Automotive Holdings Corporation, as the Philippines distributor of Volkswagen passenger vehicles. This distributorship agreement brings together two premiere corporate names to compete in an industry with high growth potential.

Ferrari recently set a record-breaking parade of 964 Ferrari cars during the Ferrari Racing Days at the Silverstone Circuit in the UK. The event has been officially entered into the Guinness Book of World Records. Having previously set a record of 385 cars at Silverstone in 2007, the record was then transferred to Japan in 2008 with a parade of 490 Ferrari cars at the Suzuka circuit. Ferrari, together with the Ferrari Owners Club of Great Britain, were determined to take the record back in style and have now raised the bar to heights that will take some beating; at one point in the parade when all the cars were moving simultaneously, there were only less than 250 meters or 820 feet separating the lead car from the tail of the parade, meaning that the entire 3.66-mile Silverstone Grand Prix circuit was filled with Ferraris, three wide across the track.

Photos by Ulysses Ang

For the life of me, I can’t seem to understand women and their almost-infinite choice of clothing styles. More than once, I’ve been accused of not paying attention to what my wife wears when she readily points out that her blouse today has got wider stripes compared to the one she wore yesterday. I mean, stripes are stripes. But the tables are turned when it comes to cars where I can readily point out each make and model based on a particular view, part, or sometimes even just by the engine sound. So when I drove up in the all-new Honda Civic, the first thing she asked? So what’s new?

Honed and perfected through more than a century of experience, Peugeot automobiles have become a synergy of style and technology epitomized by its tag line of “Motion & Emotion”. What started out as a manufacturer of bicycles has become Europe’s second largest selling automobile brand and the world’s leading producer of diesel engines. With such a reputation, Peugeot is surely a force to be reckoned with, and all they need is the best local partner to grow the business in the Philippines. That partner has arrived through Eurobrands Distributors, Inc. and now they are setting their sights on leading the luxury car segment.

Ford Philippines celebrated the continued expansion of its nationwide dealer network with the opening of Ford Cainta, the first of 12 new authorized dealerships the company will open over the next six months.

The additional 12 locations will expand Ford’s dealer network by 50 percent, bringing the total number of authorized Ford dealerships to 35 in the Philippines.

With three test weekends down, qualitative testing for the 2012 - 2013 Car of the Year Philippines (COTY-P) has been as much a mix of vehicles as of respective reactions. Various configurations of four-wheeled personal transport - from the pint-sized, front-wheel-drive Hyundai EON to the mechanically-balanced, four-wheel-drive Subaru Impreza sedan to the mobile-boardroom Chrysler Town and Country minivan - have been put through their paces through either the North or East Triangle loop of Quezon City, always departing from the bright, expansive, and well-secured staging area provided by the official test venue ETON Centris, located at the busy corner of EDSA and Quezon Avenue.

Help pick the final 12 winners by voting from over 500 qualified entries to the Hyundai POPArt Contest.
   
Official voting period runs from October 16 to October 28 at Hyundai Philippines’ official Facebook page. You may vote for as many entries as you like. However, only one vote per entry is allowed daily. Fifty lucky voters will win exclusive Hyundai merchandise. Popularity of choices consists 20% of the final judging criteria.

The 12 winners will receive a cash prize of Php 50,000 each and a chance for their artwork to be part of Hyundai Asia Resources, Inc.’s (HARI) 2013 Hyundai Calendar and limited edition merchandise.
The Hyundai POPArt Contest, launched by HARI is a competition that brings together aspiring Filipino artists in its advocacy to promote home-grown talent and to showcase the beauty and uniqueness of Filipino art and culture.

Honda Cars Philippines, Inc. (HCPI) will offer Accord buyers big savings and attractive financing options this month of October. Accord buyers can choose either a low interest or low down payment scheme through UnionBank. At the same time, all-in and zero discount packages will also be available. In addition, Honda will provide a Special Financing Assistance that Accord buyers can apply to any of these financing options to get added savings. For cash buyers, special discounts can be availed.

The Honda Accord provides its owner with a commanding presence, powerful yet fuel efficient driving performance, spacious interior and high level of safety. With this new offer from Honda, owning an Accord just became easier.

This offer is available until October 31, 2012 only. For more information, customers may visit any of the 28 Honda authorized dealerships or UnionBank branch nationwide or log on to www.hondaphil.com.

Volvo Philippines goes full throttle as it now offers performance tuning for late-model Volvo gasoline and diesel turbocharged engines. The tuning is not limited to any single car and this makes the power boost available for a wide variety of old and new Volvos. Volvo works closely with its official motorsports partner, Polestar, and its team of engineers who have run Volvo official motorsport since 1996. Together, they developed the technology to ensure exhilarating driving wrapped in world-renowned Volvo safety.

The Association of Vehicle Importers and Distributors, Inc. (AVID) announced its January to September sales record of 21,762 units, up by 20% from 18,086 units in the same period last year. Both the Passenger Car (PC) and Light Commercial Vehicle (LCV) categories saw positive growth. In the same period, PC sales maintained a robust pace with 38% growth to 12,931 units sold as opposed to 9,343 units sold. Leading the pack of gainers for this period were British United Automobiles, Inc. (MINI), The Covenant Car Company, Inc. (Chevrolet) and Hyundai Asia Resources, Inc., posting 35%, 26%, and 15% growth respectively. Likewise, the LCV category saw a 1% rise to 8,831 units sold versus 8,743 units sold in the first nine months of 2011.
For the month of September, while total sales fell by 9% year-on-year on the back of supply setbacks in the PC category, LCV sales rose by 31% to 1,005 units sold from 770 units sold on strong consumer demand.

Korean culture is taking the entire world by storm. Everything from food to pop music to soap operas is enjoying tremendous success, catapulting them to mainstream culture. The latest one to cross the oceans from Seoul to the rest of the world is PSY and his addictive song, “Gangnam Style”.

Gangnam refers to a district in Seoul where people are generally considered trendy, hip, and classy. You can liken it to their version of Beverly Hills in the US or Bonifacio Global City here. Cool and chic as the people are from Gangnam though, they never proclaim that they are, hence the comedic value of the song. In that sense, the all-new 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe is a true citizen of Gangnam. It’s not a luxury pretender. It’s cool and classy, down to its diesel-fed soul.

So what's it like to drive an endurance race car on the streets? Let the guys at MotorHEAD and the legally-registered Porsche 962C in Japan show you how it's like. See the iconic Group C race car do the most mundane things like getting gas, buying something from the convenience store, and even a bit about its history. This is a perfect way to start the week!

BMW Philippines has announced the 2012 edition of its BMW Xpo event at the Bonifacio Global City from Friday, October 19 to Sunday, October 21. The 4-day event which culminates another successful year for the German luxury automaker (posting a 29 percent market share) will be held at 30th Street corner 9th Avenue.

The BMW Xpo this year will feature BMW Premium Selection Vehicles and Executive Vehicles (certified pre-owned and used cars) as well as special pricing packages for brand-new vehicles. Aside from BMW automobiles, BMW Motorrad motorcycles will also be on display and will also feature special prices during the weekend.

The BMW Xpo will also feature the BMW xDrive Ramp which is specifically designed to display the abilities of the brand's X Series and its xDrive all-wheel drive technology. Clients and guests will be able to experience it with the help of professional BMW drivers.

Sealing the deal with this new partnership is Viking Cars Incorporated First Executive Vice President, Miss Roselyn M. Dimalanta and Megaworld Corporation Division Head Mr. Kevin Tan. A chance to win a brand new Volvo S80 Executive Sedan or a Volvo C30 Sports Coupe awaits valued patrons of Megaworld Lifestyle Malls. From October 2012 to January 2013, customers automatically earn entries to the promo with a minimum spend of P2,000 in single or accumulated receipts in any Megaworld Lifestyle Mall establishment.

Honda Cars Philippines Inc. (HCPI), in partnership with Unionbank, launches the Honda Financing Option for its entire model line-up. With the Honda Financing Option, buying your Honda just became easier.

Unlike the financing schemes of other brands that offer huge discounts but eventually recover this through astronomical interest rate, the Honda Financing Option provides customers with true savings through low down payment and low interest rates.

In addition, City buyers who purchase through the Honda Financing Option get a free 1-year comprehensive Honda Insurance through Malayan or BPI/MS Insurance.

The Honda Financing Option is offered until October 31, 2012 only. For more information, customers can visit any of the 28 Honda authorized dealerships or UnionBank branches nationwide or log on to www.hondaphil.com

Hyundai Asia Resources, Inc. (HARI) wrapped up the third quarter with overall sales rising to 15%. The company registered a total of 17,156 units sold from January to September this year as opposed to the 14,883 units sold in the same period last year. The positive performance is due to Hyundai’s impressive sales of Passenger Car (PC) models which grew by 48% to 10,652 units sold for the first three quarters of this year versus the 7,217 units sold in the same period last year. Sales gains of the PC segment were attributed to the Accent, Elantra, i10 and the newly launched Eon respectively.

Meanwhile, September this year saw the Light Commercial Vehicle (LCV) segment bounce back with an 11% rise to 709 units sold, compared to the 636 units sold in the same month last year. This improvement is due to initial sales of the all-new Santa Fe. However, global supply limitations affected Passenger Car (PC) sales, resulting in an overall 12% year-on-year drop in September sales.

Toyota Motor Philippines Corporation has announced that it will voluntarily recall 22,000 units of vehicles sold between 2006-2010 over fire risk coming from faulty power windows.

In a report from InterAksyon says Rommel Gutierrez, TMPC vice-president said that the recall covers the Camry, Corolla Altis, RAV4, Vios, and Yaris models manufactured in Japan and Thailand.

Gutierrez will start identifying the affected vehicles and will notify owners through mail.

This recall is part of the larger 7.43-million vehicle recall that Toyota is doing worldwide. It's the largest recall of vehicles since Ford in 1996.

Source: InterAkyson

UPDATE: Here's the official statement from Toyota Motor Philippines

“In line with our commitment to produce safety and quality, Toyota has initiated a Special Service Campaign (SSC) for Camry (except Camry 3.5Q), Corolla, RAV4, Vios and Yaris models produced from 2006 to 2010. For the affected vehicles, the sliding electrical contact point in the driver’s side Power Window Master Switch may experience a “notchy” or sticking feeling during operation which causes the button to get stuck. If vehicles are serviced in non-Toyota dealer and commercially available lubricant is used, melting of the switch assembly may occur. As a preventive measure, we will inspect the Power Window Master Switch and apply specialized grease or replace specific component if deemed necessary, at no cost to the customer. This program will be offered at all Toyota dealers only.” – Atty. Rommel Gutierrez, VP Corporate Affairs, Toyota Motor Philippines.

If you have been experiencing any of these inconveniences with the Power Window Master Switch, please contact your nearest Toyota dealer to schedule your appointment.

For more information, please contact the TOYOTA CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE CENTER (CAC) at (02) 819-2912 or email: customerassistance@toyota.com.ph. 

HARI Foundation, Inc., (HFI) the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) arm of Hyundai Asia Resources, Incorporated (HARI), official distributor of Hyundai in the Philippines, and Gawad Kalinga (GK) held a ground breaking ceremony of the Hyundai Center for Green Innovation (HCGI) at the Enchanted Farm of the GK Center for Social Innovation (GK-CSI) in Barangay Encanto, Angat, Bulacan. 

Ford Philippines today reported its best monthly performance of the year, with September retail sales jumped 68 percent from the previous month to 964 units – representing one of the company’s all-time highest sales months in the Philippines.

September sales were given an extra boost with the first full month of availability for all four newly launched Ford vehicles in the Philippines, including the all-new Ranger, the all-new Explorer with EcoBoost, all-new Focus and the iconic Mustang sports car.

Photos by Ulysses Ang

Pick-up trucks, by nature, serve a single purpose: they’re workhorses. They’re the modern day equivalent of “beasts of burden”—rarely beautiful, but highly prized for their durability and dependability. But as consumers are introduced to much more sophisticated fare, how can this lowly beast of burden remain true to its humble origin, and yet, serve its new, pickier generation of masters?

This is the world's lowest car (or Lowest Roadworthy Car in the World to be specific) according to the 2013 edition of the Guinness Book of World Records. Constructed by students and teachers at the Okayama Sanyo High School in Asakuchi, Japan this single-seater car stands at just 452 mm. The Mirai, as this car is called is powered by a battery.

Don't be deceived by the looks though, this car can actually navigate through parking ramps and even has a complete set of headlights, tail lamps, and signal lights!