To celebrate its 6th anniversary of existence, Tsikot.com in cooperation with Decal Republic, a firm specializing in staging special events, is presenting a grand autoshow-eyeball-street party event entitled “Autoberfest ‘08” on October 25, 2008, Saturday, at the Hobbies of Asia, Diosdado Macapagal Boulevard in Pasay  City.

The event is to mark another milestone in the history of Tsikot.com, the biggest and fastest growing online community of Filipino car lovers in the country and worldwide, now with over 55,000 members.  “Autoberfest 08”, one of the most anticipated automotive events of the year with over 200 car entries from not less than 80 car clubs, car organizations and auto-related shops within Metro Manila and beyond, will eventually become an annual event of the community.“Autoberfest 08” will be a four-part event designed to entice and attract not only the car enthusiasts but the avid party crowd as well: 1) Ingress Party and Car Club Meet; 2) CarShow, a motoring event spectacle with categorized competitions among the different car clubs, organizations, shops and owners; 3) DB Drag, a sound-based competition with various categories, acknowledged as the fastest growing and highly followed autosport in the country; and 4) a Street Party, a fitting way to celebrate the annual Oktoberfest season.

With its extensive reach online and a fast-growing membership base, Tsikot.com has become the unchallenged leader in online automotive communities in the Philippines.  The community has more than 5 million page views and 400,000 unique visitors a month.  In addition, Tsikot.com is also in partnership with CubeTv for Tsikot.Tv (Channel 67 Skycable) and has an alliance with StopLight TV (Studio 23) for some airtime over two TV channels.

Come one, come all and be a part of this highly-anticipated event!

Official sponsors of this event are Chevrolet Alabang, DirectLink Car Insurance with Uno Magazine, Yehey.Com, Tsikot.Tv and StopLight TV as official Media Partners.

]]> http://www.tsikot.com/tsikot-autoberfest-08/feed/ http://www.tsikot.com/anti_smuggling-group-car-firms-team-up-against-smugglers/ http://www.tsikot.com/anti_smuggling-group-car-firms-team-up-against-smugglers/#comments Fri, 10 Oct 2008 03:33:01 +0000 Tsikot http://www.tsikot.com/?p=669 The Presidential Anti-Smuggling Group (PASG) and the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines, Inc. (CAMPI) signed recently an agreement to form an alliance against motor vehicle smugglers.

PASG chief Undersecretary Antonio Villar Jr. said the memorandum of agreement (MOA) would help protect the local automotive industry which has been losing billions of pesos due to what he described as unabated smuggling of motor vehicles.“With the signing of this MOA, I see no reason why vehicles smuggling in the country could not be contained. PASG now has a potent ally in the war against this type of smuggling,” Villar said in a statement.

CAMPI president Elizabeth Lee hailed the MOA signing saying “the industry is now assured of an ally that will protect its interest and likewise that of the government.”

“CAMPI benefited much from the successful operations by PASG against big-time car smuggling syndicates last year which prompted President Arroyo to issue a directive banning the importation of second hand vehicles,” a PASG statement said.

“The successful operations likewise put Villar at loggerheads with several politicians suspect to have something to do with the unabated car smuggling in the country that led to a controversial call in the House of Representatives for the abolition of PASG,” the statement said.

Under the agreement, PASG and CAMPI will share information on suspected vehicle smugglers and together, carefully plan anti-smuggling operations as part of the goal to promote the growth and development of the country’s automotive industry.

CAMPI will also provide a team of experts to help PASG on the technical side of scrutinizing seized vehicles.

“We will provide the law enforcement aspect and CAMPI the technical aspect. With two heads now in the war against vehicle smuggling, there is reason to believe everything will be okay in the local automotive manufacturing industry,” Villar said.

Last year, the PASG made a high-profile destruction of millions of pesos worth of smuggled luxury vehicles and sports cars to dissuade syndicates from continuing their operations.

By Paolo Romer, Philippine Star Online

The Petron E10 Premium Run consisted of four legs — a CannonBall Run through Metro Manila, a Sampaguita Run on NLEX, a Speed Trap at SCTEX, and a Navigator’s Run in Subic. Each leg of the Petron E10 run was judged on a point system, with a triumphant Nissan Sentra driven by Lester Dizon (Motorcycle Magazine) and Dino Directo (Manila Standard Today) finishing as overall champion. Garnering silver honors was a Toyota Altis captained by the team of John Nieves and Val Villamar of Gadgets Magazine. Taking the bronze medal was a Honda City piloted by the team of JR Langit (Kasangga Mo Ang Langit, IBC 13) and Cristy Dailo (DWIZ-Aliw Broadcasting Corporation Auto Radyo). Coming in at fourth place was a Mitsubishi Lancer driven by Ferman Lao (Kotse.com) and Charles Custodio (Top Gear Magazine), while in fifth place was the Nissan Livina of Angelo Almonte and Ricky Velasco (DZMM Radyo Patrol).All four vehicle manufacturers provided a total of 21 automobiles for the Petron E10 Premium Run. Honda fielded its popular Honda City and Honda Civic, while Mitsubishi countered with its stylish Mitsubishi Lancer and hulking Mitsubishi Outlander. Not to be outdone, Toyota presented its best-selling Toyota Altis and Toyota Vios, while Nissan showcased their Nissan Grand Livina, Nissan X-Trail, Nissan Serena and Nissan Sentra.

“This run was geared towards proving how Petron’s E10 Premium performs in different driving conditions, and in various makes and models of cars,” explains Joselito De Jesus, Petron’s general manager for marketing services. “It was good that Honda, Mitsubishi, Nissan and Toyota trusted the Petron brand and partnered with us in the run. With their support, we were able to prove that the superior performance of Petron E10 Premium is a perfect match for their equally superior cars.”

A mixture of 10% fuel grade ethanol and 90% unleaded gasoline, Petron E10 Premium is a specially-formulated, high-performance, 95-octane fuel which responds to the call of environmental awareness and meets and exceeds the requirements of the Philippine Biofuels Law. Ethanol (or bio-ethanol) is alcohol derived from sugar cane and other agricultural products such as corn, cassava and sweet sorghum - providing a greener and more renewable source of energy. With a special fuel additive which clears an engine of unburned hydrocarbons, Petron E10 Premium ensures cleaner combustion and heightened engine performance. Most importantly, as proven in the run, Petron E10 Premium can be used in most fuel-injected vehicles, regardless of make or model, without any need for any engine modification.

Cheaper than regular unleaded gasoline, Petron E10 Premium is now available at a growing number of Petron service stations nationwide — simply look for the green pump and the distinctive Petron E10 Premium logo.

Petron Fuels Success Media Release

The availability of the second generation Jazz in the market demonstrates how a small car can amazingly encompass considerable amount of space, spirited yet fuel efficient driving performance and muscular dynamic styling that perfectly meet the demands of modern lifestyle. Just-recent owners of the new Jazz could not agree more as they share a remarkable sense of joy out of the Jazz’ ingenious harmony of form and function.

In an answer to the market’s growing concern on fuel prices, the new Jazz still bear fuel efficient qualities but now matched with even more optimized power output with the i-VTEC engine. It also maintains the same versatility with the ULTRA seats that enable loading of almost anything– be it long, tall or any utility items.

Truly, the All-New Jazz is an economical and fun-filled passenger car in the market today. It is now available at a special introductory price, starting at Php 707,000. Check it out and visit any Honda dealership near you. Be sure to schedule a testdrive and experience first-hand the sprightly demeanor of the All-New Jazz. For more information, you may visit www.hondaphil.com.

Honda Media Release

Data from the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines (CAMPI) showed that car sales jumped 10.4 percent as the industry sold 10,937 units in September.

“I think it’s really entrepreneurship. We would have wanted a stronger growth, but compared with other markets, we are still lucky because they are really down,” CAMPI President Elizabeth Lee said in a phone interview.With new models coming out, Lee said consumers are also taking advantage of the lower price of old inventories as car manufacturers have started hiking prices to reflect higher logistics and raw material costs.

“Increases in car prices have been held off since early this year. So far, the industry is on target to reach the forecast of 125,000 units for 2008,” Lee added.

Bulk of the sales were posted in the commercial vehicles segment, which accounted for 64 percent of the industry’s market share for the month.

“Fleet sales deliveries, timely stock arrivals and new models introduced helped boost sales in the segment. Sales of the popular multi-use Vans, pick ups and Asian Utility Vehicles remain the backbone of commercial vehicle sales,” Lee said.

Most of the other vehicle segments also posted sales growth in September.

Year to date sales of light trucks, however, declined by 17 percent in September compared to the sales in the previous month due to “unavailability of stocks.”

GMA News TV

Do you spend much time indulging in the fun and active lifestyle with friends?  Do business meetings and running errands form part or your weekdays? Say yes and Mazda’s got the vehicle that‘s both practical and suited for you.

Mazda Philippines will be launching its newest entrant in the market—the new Mazda BT-50–a vehicle that’s a perfect fit for those who lead an independent and active lifestyle.  The new Mazda BT-50 is the pick-up that’s designed for work, leisure and outdoor activities.  Mazda engineers have built in the Zoom-Zoom spirit into the new Mazda BT-50, balancing sporty styling with some hints of ruggedness.

Since it was launched in the global market, the new Mazda BT-50 has been reaping numerous awards and recognition namely: Car of the Year 2008: Best 2,500cc Raised Pickup Truck and the Best Car Award for the Two-Wheel both given by the Grand Prix International Group in Thailand, Ute of the Year Award given by the Australian 4WD Monthly Magazine, the Off-road Car of the Year for 2007 in Russia, the Ute of the Year 2007 given by the Driver Magazine in New Zealand. The new Mazda BT-50 has seen 110,000 pick-ups sold in Europe and well over 3,000,000 worldwide.

Capable and rough yet sporty and stylish – these are the words to describe the core of this new pick-up soon to be unveiled to the public. Styled with standard accessories and boasting a ride that makes you think you’re riding in a sedan, the Mazda BT-50 delivers outstanding handling, ride, load capacity and safety in any driving condition.

Watch out for the new Mazda BT-50. It will soon be available for viewing at the Showrooms of Mazda Alabang, Mazda Greenhills, Mazda Makati, Mazda Quezon Avenue, Mazda Pampanga,  newly opened Mazda Batangas, and Mazda Cebu, Mazda’s first dealership outside of Luzon. You can start scheduling a test drive of the all-new Mazda BT-50 by calling the Mazda Hotline at tel. no.85-MAZDA (85-62932) or by requesting on-line at www.mazda.com.ph.

Mazda Philippines Media Release

Seaoil president and chief executive Francis Glenn Yu said they have forged an agreement with SK Networks, a major South Korean trading house, for the supply of Euro-5 diesel over the next six months.

At present, diesel being sold in the Philippines is only at Euro-2 standard.SK Networks, a member of SK Corp., one of the biggest South Korean global conglomerates, is a leading player in the global trading of oil, gas, coal, steel and chemical products.

Yu explained that the European emission standards consist of sets of requirements defining the acceptable limits for exhaust emissions of new vehicles sold in the European Union member states.

These standards specify the progressive introduction of increasingly stringent fuel regulations requiring a minimum of 10 parts per million sulfur content and diesel cetane number (CN) of 51.

Reduced sulfur is a key enabler in realizing reduced tail pipe emissions while CN is a measure of the combustion quality of diesel fuel during compression ignition or the fuel’s ignition delay. Thus, the higher the CN, the shorter the ignition delay period.

Generally, diesel engines run well with a CN from 40 to 55. Hence, higher speed diesels operate more effectively with higher CN fuels.

Yu said Euro-5 diesel would further boost Seaoil’s product line that already boasts of several pioneering efforts.

“The company started the use of biofuels and other alternative fuels in the country with the introduction of the use of ethanol as a gasoline blend,” he added.

In 2005, it made the first ethanol-blended gasoline, or E10, available to the public, two years ahead of the implementation of the Biofuels Act.

The law states that all fuel products must be two-percent blended with biofuels within the year, increasing to a 10-percent mix by 2011.

Seaoil currently offers a 10-percent blend of ethanol in all its gasoline products as well as a one-percent blend in all its diesel products.

By Ted P. Torres, Philippine Star

The Montero Sport’s urban styling is a sharp departure from the boxy styling of conventional 4×4s. Its muscular presence and high-ground clearance projects an image of rugged durability, yet the sleek profile hints at its passenger-car like performance. Though large in dimensions, it still offers nimble handling and parking maneuverability.This Japan-built SUV has a strong front end and burly image, deriving its rightful heritage from the bigger Pajero. Multi-reflector halogen headlamps and fog lamps offer excellent illumination while the vertically slanting grill with chrome accent reinforces its sophisticated urban look.

The low floor height and cabin increases practicality, which delivers passenger-car like driving posture and access. And at the same time, this lower stance also promises stability. The crisp lines, bulging curves and low overall height create a unique functional design that looks striking whether parked in your garage, cruising the city, or carving the twisty back roads.

From the genuine leather seats to the intelligently laid-out switches and controls, the interior of the 2009 Montero Sport 4×4 exudes luxurious comfort from an SUV. Seats can be configured variably to accommodate most hauling requirements.

For hi-fi entertainment, the Montero Sport has Mitsubishi Motors Audio Design that can play MP3s, CDs, USB-ready plus a Bluetooth devise pairing for hands-free function complemented with six speakers.

The Montero Sport’s heart is the 4M413200 cc turbocharged 3.2L Common Rail Intercooled Turbocharged DI-D diesel engine, which has a maximum output of 163PS at 3,500 revolutions per minute (rpm) and torque of 343N-m at 2,000 rpm.

Aside from being durable and dependable, this engine has been noted to be quiet, responsive and economical. Its transmission boasts a powerful INVECS-II 4-Speed A/T with Sportronic Mode.

The smooth car-like ride of the Montero Sport can be credited to its front double wishbones sprung by torsion bars and the rear’s 3-link suspension on coil springs. Both ends of the Montero Sport are fitted with stabilizer bars to reduce body roll during cornering.

Anchoring this SUV to a quick stop are Vacuum Brake Booster at the front and 16″ Ventilated Dis. Braking action is always checked by its Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) which works in tandem with the Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD) that regulates brake bias in the front and rear as load changes.

The Montero Sport’s body was designed and built to assure a high level of safety in the event of a collision. Passive safety items include the leading and trailing areas of the ladder frame chassis that are designed to crush progressively to absorb collision impact.

Front occupants reduce the risk of being injured in a collision thanks to its dual SRS (Supplemental Restraint System) Dual Stage airbags and 3-point ELR with Pretensioner, Force Limiter and Adjustable Anchor seatbelts. The second row is equipped with 3P ELR X2 Seatbelt and 2P Lapbelt while 3rd Row is armed with a 3P ELR x2 type.

The 2009 Montero Sport 4×4 comes in two variants: Montero Sport 3.2 DSL 4X4 GLS and Montero Sport 3.2 DSL 4X4 GLS SE.

Mitsubishi Media Release

Simply visit www.hondaphil.com and fill out the CAREmittance Application form located within the CAREmittance link.  Interested buyer may acquire one’s ideal Honda vehicle through cash or financing payment terms.  For financing applications, just submit online the completely accomplished application form, together with Employment Certificate, Income Tax Return and Remittance Receipt.  Once approved, applicant may send payment through BPI and RCBC remittance centers located in key cities around the globe.Honda recognizes the significant contributions of our modern day heroes, the Filipino OFWs.  As such, Honda offers special package for successful CAREmittance applications.  Package includes free 3-yr. LTO registration, Hydrophilic Paint Protection, Platinum Tint, seat cover, floor mat and other premium items.

Since its introduction in 2006, Honda CAREmittance Program has received warm response from the market and has converted inquiries into successful deliveries.  Upon receipt of application, Honda keeps in constant touch with both the applicant and the beneficiary for status updates.  Honda even sends the applicant photos of the beneficiary receiving the brand new car to capture such memorable fulfillment.

Honda CAREmittance Program eliminates distance barriers and offers ease of application in our fast-paced times.  Through this pioneer program, Filipinos overseas can buy a Honda vehicle even while they are away.

The Honda CAREmittance mall tour display kicks off at the Upper Ground Floor Building A of SM Megamall from September 25- October 1.  Display also features the All-New Honda Jazz and the CR-V.

For mall tour updates, log on to www.hondaphil.com or email caremittance@hondaphil.com.

Honda Media Release

“We will surpass our initial forecast because the first eight months have been good,” TMPC executive vice president Rommel T. Gutierrez said in an interview at the sideline of the launch of Toyota ’s IMV (Innovative Multi-purpose Vehicle) series.Latest figures indicate that TMPC’s sales from January to August surged 11 percent compared to the previous year.

“With the introduction of the new Innova, Hilux and Fortuner, we expect Toyota to grow even more,” Gutierrez added.

The IMV segment makes up a third of TMPC’s total sales.

TMPC president Hiroshi Ito said with the introduction of the new variant, they expect to sell 100 more Hilux pick-up units per month, from the current sales of 200 units per month.

For the Fortuner, Ito said they expect to sell 500 units per month while they are targeting monthly sales of 1,000 units for the Innova.

The new Innova, Ito said, is more sophisticated and offers more comfort while the new Hilux  is tough, sophisticated and modern.

The Fortuner, meanwhile, is expected to continue dominating the SUV market as it is marketed as powerful, luxurious and sporty.

“In our local market, the introduction of the IMV line-up more than three years ago effectively helped transform the automotive scene. Aside from being catalysts of sales growth in their respective segments, the Hilux, the Fortuner and the Innova injected new life in how we perceive these commercial vehicles,” Ito said.

“We would not say that Toyota started a revolution, but rather, the IMV helped change our customers’ lifestyles,” he added.

For his part, Kaoro Hosukawa, chief engineer of the IMV series of Toyota, said the Philippines plays a major role in the IMV market as the Innova is assembled locally and the country is exporting auto parts.

“The Philippines plays an important role for the IMV’s performance globally. In terms of production, TMPC locally manufactures the Innova as one of its biggest volume models. Toyota Autoparts Philippines also produces and exports IMV parts to various countries all over the world,” he said.

By Ma. Elisa P. Osorio, Philippine Star