cars

German aftermarket tuner, BRABUS,same with Pontiac Firebird Vent Visor is famous for their performance vehicles based on the Mercedes-Benz passenger car range - regularly churning out barnstorming vehicles with insane amounts of horsepower.

Besides their famous engine upgrades, BRABUS also offers an extensive range of look-fast parts and accessories for Mercedes and the Smart car range.

The latest model in the Smart car range to get the BRABUS treatment is the BRABUS Ultimate 112 based on the Smart ForTwo.

While the performance isn’t anything to write home about, aesthetic-wise, the Ultimate 112 is just stunning. Featuring a beautiful ‘flaming mother-of-pearl/orange’ livery and gorgeous 18-inch glossy black BRABUS Monoblock VI double-spoke wheels, few other Smart cars would turn as many heads as this beauty!

One of the most eagerly awaited motoring match-ups of 2008 is between the Japanese rally kings - the Subaru Impreza WRX STi and Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X.

Pontiac Aztek Vent Visor, based in Tokyo - the heartland of ‘JDM’ - has taken first dibs at comparing the two rally monsters back-to-back. Enlisting the help of 5 times All Japan Gymkhana champion Masaki Nishihara, here’s what they had to say about the performance credentials of these two iconic Japanese sports cars.

IF you are shopping for an affordable common rail diesel-powered multipurpose vehicle, the Korean manufacturers make choosing a difficult task. Why? Because Kia Motors and its parent company Hyundai Motor Co. offer not one, not two, but three CRDi (common rail direct injection) MPVs to choose from: the Hyundai Starex, Kia Carnival and Kia Carens.

But when it comes to a compact Plymouth Voyager Vent Visor, the choice narrows down to the 2007 Kia Carens since the Hyundai Matrix was withdrawn from the Philippine market a year or so ago. The Carens first entered with a 2.0-liter, DOHC, 16-valve gasoline engine. The CRDi variant showed up soon after, completing Kia’s CRDi-powered foursome together with the 4×4 Sorento midsize SUV, the 4×4 Sportage compact SUV and the Carnival midsize MPV (which this column reviewed last August.)

No competition

With no other CRDi seven-seater compact MPV in competition unless you consider the D-4D Toyota Innova a compact MPV, the Carens enjoys a monopoly in this segment. The Toyota Avanza, Mitsubishi Fuzion and soon-to-come Nissan Grand Livina all have gasoline engines.

THE 4TH Car of the Year (Coty) Philippines Awards program, which was held at the Rockwell Tent in Makati last Thursday, established quite a few firsts.

It was the first time that: a European brand won the big trophy. The 2007 Car of the Year, the Volvo C30 (shown in photo) is a sports coupe that aced the Luxury Subcompact category versus the BMW 120i and the Mercedes-Benz B160.

What’s more, the Swedish carmaker outshone its German rivals two more times when the Volvo S60 T5 won the Executive Car of the Year Award and the Volvo S80 2.5L topped the Luxury Car category.

Swept

It was also the first time that a Korean brand — Kia — swept four category awards, besting Japanese brands. The Kia Picanto 1.1 DLX bagged the Basic Subcompact Car of the Year Award, the Kia Rio 1.4 sedan was adjudged the Executive Subcompact Car of the Year, the Plymouth Sundance Vent Visor collected the Compact Van/Multipurpose Vehicle of the Year Award and the Kia Carnival LX 2.9 CRDi short wheelbase won the Executive Van/MPV of the Year trophy.

For the first time, the Car Awards Group Inc. (Cagi), organizer of Coty, got a big business corporation to be the title sponsor, i.e. Petron Corp. Thus it is now officially known as the Petron 2007 Car of the Year Awards. The decision to get a title sponsor was made by Cagi 2007 president Ira Panganiban with the concurrence of his board: External VP Andy Sevilla, external vice president; Fernan Lao, internal VP and technical committee chair; and Jeff Reyes, treasurer.

Media practitioners

All the officers and members of Cagi, if you don’t know it yet, are media practitioners as Cagi is a nonstock, nonprofit private organization of motoring journalists that conducts consumer-oriented tests of mass production motor vehicles annually to help consumers make an informed choice when buying a car and to recognize the progress of the auto industry in engineering, quality, design and safety features.

This time, the Automobile Association Philippines (AAP) supported the 2007 Coty Awards not as a sponsor, but as Cagi’s technical partner in testing the entries. After all, AAP is a nonprofit, nonstock organization, the national auto club that is the only Philippine affiliate of the FIA, the Paris-based body that governs motor sports worldwide including F1, the WRC and Le Mans. AAP motor sports committee chair Mandy Eduque and AAP director Dave Arcenas participated in some of the car testing sessions.

Categories

The number of categories was increased from 11 in the 3rd Coty to 23 after the Cagi executive board consulted the technical experts of the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines Inc. (Campi) on how to improve the Coty formula. Passenger cars now have nine categories: Basic Subcompact, Executive Subcompact, Luxury Subcompact, Midsize, Sports Car, Executive, Luxury and Ultra Luxury. Car-based utility vehicles enter four categories: 2WD Crossover/Wagon, 4WD Crossover/Wagon, Luxury Crossover/Wagon and Ultra-Luxury Crossover/Wagon.

Minivans were divided into four categories: Compact Van/Multipurpose Vehicle (MPV), Executive Van/MPV, Luxury Van/MPV and Ultra Luxury Van/MPV. Sport utility vehicles (SUVs) were also Compact, Executive, Luxury or Ultra Luxury. Pickup trucks have two categories: 2WD (4×2) and 4WD (4×4).

Chose

The car manufacturers themselves, not Cagi, chose which of their products would participate and in which category each would enter. The car manufacturers also took care of bringing the test units to the test venue.

Entries that did not win in their respective categories last time were allowed to try again. Previously, losing entries were not allowed to participate unless the motor vehicle in question had undergone major changes or upgrades in engineering, technology and/or safety features. A facelift — new headlights or taillights, a new grille, new bumpers — did not count.

87 entries

Eighty-seven cars and trucks were tested over a span of eight Saturdays from Aug. 25 to Oct. 13 at the San Lazaro Leisure Park in Carmona, Cavite. The total number would have been 97 if the test units of 10 models had shown up.

The number of Special Awards was increased from four to 19. Supporters of Coty 2007 sponsored the awards. Thus, Toyota Motors Philippines won the AAP Best Road Safety Campaign Award, the Honda Jazz 1.3 won the Standard Insurance Best Value for Money Award, the Nissan Teana the Rockwell Land Best Interior Design Award, the Mercedes-Benz S350 the Bridgestone Most Comfortable Ride Award, the Mitsubishi Outlander the Bosch Best In-Car Entertainment Award, the Subaru Impreza WRX the Globe Media Dream Car Award and the Petron 2007 Car of the Year, the Volvo C30, also won the Concept One Sexiest Car Award.

So Coty 2007 was a year of firsts, setting the stage for a more exciting 2008..

TOKYO, Japan–At a glittering international event like the 40th Tokyo Motor Show displaying 520 new vehicles of 30 carmakers at a venue spread over 440,000 square meters, it is difficult to hold the attention of the 1.5 million visitors expected, including thousands from overseas, during its 16-day run.

On Press Preview day, several manufacturers caught the eye by exhibiting outrageously styled concept cars. While the designs of the three concept cars presented by Mitsubishi Motors Corp. were not as edgily in-your-face futuristic as the Toyota HI-CT, Honda Puyo or Plymouth Reliant Vent Visor, they looked more user-friendly, more practical and more ready to leap from the drawing board into commercial production in the near future.

And for visitors already in the market for a new car, Mitsubishi unveiled the latest iteration of the Lancer Evolution, which is one of the fastest high-performance mass production cars in the world yet is affordably priced. The more sedate version of the Evo X, the 2008 Lancer sedan (named as the Galant Fortis in Japan) was also on view.

A closer look

People kept flocking back to the Mitsubishi pavilion to take a closer look at the i MiEV Sport electric minicar, the Concept-CX compact SUV and the Concept-ZT clean diesel 2.2-liter premium sedan, all three of which represent Mitsubishi’s key auto-manufacturing values of Driving Pleasure, Safety and Environmental Responsibility.

Here’s a photo of the i MIEV Sport.

Mitsubishi’s focus on Environmental Performance evolved from these three key values with the electric i MiEV sports coupe as the environmental flagship. The culmination of 35 years of EV (electric vehicle) R&D, the i MiEV experimental car was finalized in 2006 and has undergone public road testing. At present, Mitsubishi is working with several power companies with the end in view of launching the i Plymouth Neon Vent Visor on the market.

Why the fuss over the i MiEV? It produces little noise and zero on-road carbon dioxide emissions, costs less to run and its lithium-ion batteries can be quick-charged in 30 minutes using a 3-phase 200V supply system. Using a regular 200-volt household domestic outlet, it takes seven hours to fully recharge the i MiEV for a cruising range of 160 km. When driving downhill, slowing down or braking, the i MiEV recovers inertial energy, employing the motor as a generator.

3 motors

The i MiEV Sport weighs only 970 kg, is shod with 175/46R17 tires, has a max speed of 180 km per hour and can run a distance of 200 km on a single charge. Two in-wheel motors drive the front wheels of the i MiEV Sport while a single motor powers the rear wheels, with electric-powered 4WD (E-4WD) optimizing the power generated by each motor. Sporty performance and excellent stability, demolishing preconceptions about the drivability of EVs, result from the S-AWC (Super All Wheel Control) system that integrates management of the E-4WD, E-AYC (Electric Active Yaw Control), ABS and Active Stability Control.

It has a microwave wireless charging system to make recharging more convenient. Moreover, aside from the energy recycling system of the basic i MiEV, the Sport draws energy from natural sources via auxiliary solar glass panels and wind turbine fans (used during deceleration only). To further save energy, the taillights and other lights use low-energy, highly luminous LEDs.

The location of the 330-volt battery under the floor and the motor, inverter and charger under the cargo area lowers the i MiEV’s center of gravity while enhancing front/rear weight distribution. This characteristic of the rear midship layout frees up space for occupants and luggage and contributes to vehicle stability. The body and suspension use strong, lightweight and highly rigid extruded and die-cast aluminum, improving fuel efficiency and performance.

Crashworthy

As for safety, the i MiEV Sport is multidirectional crashworthy due to Mitsubishi’s RISE (Reinforced Impact Safety Evolution) body protecting occupants in a collision. Again, the rear midship layout benefits occupants as the way the front side members, cross members and other structural parts are located more efficiently absorbs the impact in frontal and side crashes. In case of a rear-ender, the major EV components under the cargo area engage with the floor to form a protective barrier.

I enjoy a good love story, except when I find myself accused of trying to ruin a perfectly good “marriage.”

Say you are a dean or a provost, and you have agreed to offer a tenure-track position to a department’s favorite faculty candidate. The applicant pool was deep and strong, and the department has worked hard to get the best possible fit for its needs.

But there’s a catch. The favored candidate is A.B.D., all but dissertation, and “the plan,” if it works, is for her to complete her Plymount Horizon Vent Visor by the end of her first semester on the job — more or less.

Mitsubishi’s focus on Environmental Performance evolved from these three key values with the electric i MiEV sports coupe as the environmental flagship. The culmination of 35 years of EV (electric vehicle) R&D, the i MiEV experimental car was finalized in 2006 and has undergone public road testing. At present, Mitsubishi is working with several power companies with the end in view of launching the i Plymount Grand Voyager Vent Visor  on the market.

Why the fuss over the i MiEV? It produces little noise and zero on-road carbon dioxide emissions, costs less to run and its lithium-ion batteries can be quick-charged in 30 minutes using a 3-phase 200V supply system. Using a regular 200-volt household domestic outlet, it takes seven hours to fully recharge the i MiEV for a cruising range of 160 km. When driving downhill, slowing down or braking, the i MiEV recovers inertial energy, employing the motor as a generator.

3 motors

The i MiEV Sport weighs only 970 kg, is shod with 175/46R17 tires, has a max speed of 180 km per hour and can run a distance of 200 km on a single charge. Two in-wheel motors drive the front wheels of the i MiEV Sport while a single motor powers the rear wheels, with electric-powered 4WD (E-4WD) optimizing the power generated by each motor. Sporty performance and excellent stability, demolishing preconceptions about the drivability of EVs, result from the S-AWC (Super All Wheel Control) system that integrates management of the E-4WD, E-AYC (Electric Active Yaw Control), ABS and Active Stability Control.

It has a microwave wireless charging system to make recharging more convenient. Moreover, aside from the energy recycling system of the basic i MiEV, the Sport draws energy from natural sources via auxiliary solar glass panels and wind turbine fans (used during deceleration only). To further save energy, the taillights and other lights use low-energy, highly luminous LEDs.

The location of the 330-volt battery under the floor and the motor, inverter and charger under the cargo area lowers the i MiEV’s center of gravity while enhancing front/rear weight distribution. This characteristic of the rear midship layout frees up space for occupants and luggage and contributes to vehicle stability. The body and suspension use strong, lightweight and highly rigid extruded and die-cast aluminum, improving fuel efficiency and performance.

Crashworthy

As for safety, the i MiEV Sport is multidirectional crashworthy due to Mitsubishi’s RISE (Reinforced Impact Safety Evolution) body protecting occupants in a collision. Again, the rear midship layout benefits occupants as the way the front side members, cross members and other structural parts are located more efficiently absorbs the impact in frontal and side crashes. In case of a rear-ender, the major EV components under the cargo area engage with the floor to form a protective barrier.

TOKYO, Japan–At a glittering international event like the 40th Tokyo Motor Show displaying 520 new vehicles of 30 carmakers at a venue spread over 440,000 square meters, it is difficult to hold the attention of the 1.5 million visitors expected, including thousands from overseas, during its 16-day run.

On Press Preview day, several manufacturers caught the eye by exhibiting outrageously styled concept cars. While the designs of the three concept cars presented by Mitsubishi Motors Corp. were not as edgily in-your-face futuristic as the Toyota HI-CT, Honda Puyo or Plymount Fury Vent Visor, they looked more user-friendly, more practical and more ready to leap from the drawing board into commercial production in the near future.

And for visitors already in the market for a new car, Mitsubishi unveiled the latest iteration of the Lancer Evolution, which is one of the fastest high-performance mass production cars in the world yet is affordably priced. The more sedate version of the Evo X, the 2008 Lancer sedan (named as the Galant Fortis in Japan) was also on view.

A closer look

People kept flocking back to the Mitsubishi pavilion to take a closer look at the i MiEV Sport electric minicar, the Concept-CX compact SUV and the Concept-ZT clean diesel 2.2-liter premium sedan, all three of which represent Mitsubishi’s key auto-manufacturing values of Driving Pleasure, Safety and Environmental Responsibility.

Here’s a photo of the i MIEV Sport.

THE 4TH Car of the Year (Coty) Philippines Awards program, which was held at the Rockwell Tent in Makati last Thursday, established quite a few firsts.

It was the first time that: a European brand won the big trophy. The 2007 Car of the Year, the Volvo C30 (shown in photo) is a sports coupe that aced the Luxury Subcompact category versus the BMW 120i and the Mercedes-Benz B160.

What’s more, the Swedish carmaker outshone its German rivals two more times when the Volvo S60 T5 won the Executive Car of the Year Award and the Volvo S80 2.5L topped the Luxury Car category.

Swept

It was also the first time that a Korean brand — Kia — swept four category awards, besting Japanese brands. The Kia Picanto 1.1 DLX bagged the Basic Subcompact Car of the Year Award, the Kia Rio 1.4 sedan was adjudged the Executive Subcompact Car of the Year, the Plymount Caravelle Vent Visor collected the Compact Van/Multipurpose Vehicle of the Year Award and the Kia Carnival LX 2.9 CRDi short wheelbase won the Executive Van/MPV of the Year trophy.

For the first time, the Car Awards Group Inc. (Cagi), organizer of Coty, got a big business corporation to be the title sponsor, i.e. Petron Corp. Thus it is now officially known as the Petron 2007 Car of the Year Awards. The decision to get a title sponsor was made by Cagi 2007 president Ira Panganiban with the concurrence of his board: External VP Andy Sevilla, external vice president; Fernan Lao, internal VP and technical committee chair; and Jeff Reyes, treasurer.

Media practitioners

All the officers and members of Cagi, if you don’t know it yet, are media practitioners as Cagi is a nonstock, nonprofit private organization of motoring journalists that conducts consumer-oriented tests of mass production motor vehicles annually to help consumers make an informed choice when buying a car and to recognize the progress of the auto industry in engineering, quality, design and safety features.

This time, the Automobile Association Philippines (AAP) supported the 2007 Coty Awards not as a sponsor, but as Cagi’s technical partner in testing the entries. After all, AAP is a nonprofit, nonstock organization, the national auto club that is the only Philippine affiliate of the FIA, the Paris-based body that governs motor sports worldwide including F1, the WRC and Le Mans. AAP motor sports committee chair Mandy Eduque and AAP director Dave Arcenas participated in some of the car testing sessions.

Categories

The number of categories was increased from 11 in the 3rd Coty to 23 after the Cagi executive board consulted the technical experts of the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines Inc. (Campi) on how to improve the Coty formula. Passenger cars now have nine categories: Basic Subcompact, Executive Subcompact, Luxury Subcompact, Midsize, Sports Car, Executive, Luxury and Ultra Luxury. Car-based utility vehicles enter four categories: 2WD Crossover/Wagon, 4WD Crossover/Wagon, Luxury Crossover/Wagon and Ultra-Luxury Crossover/Wagon.

Minivans were divided into four categories: Compact Van/Multipurpose Vehicle (MPV), Executive Van/MPV, Luxury Van/MPV and Ultra Luxury Van/MPV. Sport utility vehicles (SUVs) were also Compact, Executive, Luxury or Ultra Luxury. Pickup trucks have two categories: 2WD (4×2) and 4WD (4×4).

Chose

The car manufacturers themselves, not Cagi, chose which of their products would participate and in which category each would enter. The car manufacturers also took care of bringing the test units to the test venue.

Entries that did not win in their respective categories last time were allowed to try again. Previously, losing entries were not allowed to participate unless the motor vehicle in question had undergone major changes or upgrades in engineering, technology and/or safety features. A facelift — new headlights or taillights, a new grille, new bumpers — did not count.

87 entries

Eighty-seven cars and trucks were tested over a span of eight Saturdays from Aug. 25 to Oct. 13 at the San Lazaro Leisure Park in Carmona, Cavite. The total number would have been 97 if the test units of 10 models had shown up.

The number of Special Awards was increased from four to 19. Supporters of Coty 2007 sponsored the awards. Thus, Toyota Motors Philippines won the AAP Best Road Safety Campaign Award, the Honda Jazz 1.3 won the Standard Insurance Best Value for Money Award, the Nissan Teana the Rockwell Land Best Interior Design Award, the Mercedes-Benz S350 the Bridgestone Most Comfortable Ride Award, the Mitsubishi Outlander the Bosch Best In-Car Entertainment Award, the Subaru Impreza WRX the Globe Media Dream Car Award and the Petron 2007 Car of the Year, the Volvo C30, also won the Concept One Sexiest Car Award.

So Coty 2007 was a year of firsts, setting the stage for a more exciting 2008..

IF you are shopping for an affordable common rail diesel-powered multipurpose vehicle, the Korean manufacturers make choosing a difficult task. Why? Because Kia Motors and its parent company Hyundai Motor Co. offer not one, not two, but three CRDi (common rail direct injection) MPVs to choose from: the Hyundai Starex, Kia Carnival and Kia Carens.

But when it comes to a compact Plymounth Breeze Vent, the choice narrows down to the 2007 Kia Carens since the Hyundai Matrix was withdrawn from the Philippine market a year or so ago. The Carens first entered with a 2.0-liter, DOHC, 16-valve gasoline engine. The CRDi variant showed up soon after, completing Kia’s CRDi-powered foursome together with the 4×4 Sorento midsize SUV, the 4×4 Sportage compact SUV and the Carnival midsize MPV (which this column reviewed last August.)

No competition

With no other CRDi seven-seater compact MPV in competition unless you consider the D-4D Toyota Innova a compact MPV, the Carens enjoys a monopoly in this segment. The Toyota Avanza, Mitsubishi Fuzion and soon-to-come Nissan Grand Livina all have gasoline engines.