1st Philippine International Motor Show

[ghosthunter]

Car show girls...

[ghosthunter]

Some more car show girls ...

[ghosthunter]

Nissan Skyline GTR R34

[niky]

Entrance fee = 50 bucks.

They could just require people to show their tickets or stamps when approaching the test-drive area... the test-drive flowchart is ridiculous!

1. Go outside to see what's available.

2. Learn that you have to sign up inside (there's no banner stating this).

3. Go to the booth inside, sign-up.

4. Get gate-pass.

5. Wait for an SA to come back from the testing area.

6. Go out with SA.

5. Get in line outside, sign-up again. (SA either waits for you or goes back in)

6. Test-drive.

By the way... lots of limits. Mitsubishi - only inside the CCP complex... no high speed stability tests or driving in traffic. Everyone else - only on Macapagal towards SM MOA, and straight back. With some, you can't get on EDSA-MOA, but are directed to the back road, and are supposed to loop straight back. A test drive with four straights and three turns... wow... tells you a lot about the car...

7. Go back inside to sign the logbook (for some manufacturers)

... for others, the SA has to wait for you, gets your reactions on a survey form and talks to you, then goes back inside... the whole time, the SA cannot handle other customers... a potential choke-point.

8. Go to the next manufacturer to ask about test-drives for competing unit on your buy-sheet (for example, if you're comparing the Sorento to the Captiva, or the City to the Vios). Repeat step #3.

Okay, so maybe the procedure is meant to discourage joy-riders (like myself... but I seriously did want to see the Captiva to assess whether it was a viable alternative to the Santa Fe that we're still buying), but I saw quite a few people get discouraged and just plain leave when they found out how complicated it all was.

I prefer the more relaxed style of test-drives we have at Ford events, the previous Honda tests (with a laid out slalom) or even the MIAS... those produced lots of sales for some people, and the easy-going nature of the events probably helped solidify those sales. ;)

Even with a constrained test-route, you can lay-out braking areas, acceleration areas, slalom cones (for a little low speed fun) and a rumble-strip to show off how good your suspension and NVH-deadening is (as Honda and Ford do at their drives). For most of the drives this weekend, the route was too homogenuous and short to tell you much. At least at the MIAS, the bumps and heaves on Roxas Boulevard (especially at the side of the Buendia overpass) could give you a good idea on how the cars behaved over big bumps. I reckon the MIAS test drives were the longest and best at any show... with a good mix of traffic, rough and smooth roads, and high speed (down Macapagal back to the WTC), which told you a lot about the car's comfort and abilities.

The one plus factor at this show was the concept cars and car launches (although it was the same old song-and-dance stuff)... but the food was just too darned expensive... (40 bucks for a canned softdrink? are you nuts? ).

(edit out... may X-Trail nga pala)

-----

Overall, a good show... but I kind of miss the way things were last season, when everybody went to the same show... if 2008 becomes a season of mutually exclusive shows, that's bad for everyone... as everyone spends more money on marketing to lesser effect.

[MAXBUWAYA]

Nice Pics Mr. Ghosthunter

[numbah5]

for the captiva test drive, the chevy driver allowed us to make a sharp u-turn to test the body roll... and i drove the captiva like there a no cars around me, i accelerated it until the needle hit 120km/h... i started from 0 km/h after the u-turn before EDSA.. the one who made the sharp u turn was my uncle who test drove it after me...

[ghosthunter]

Nice Pics Mr. Ghosthunter

Thanks. I was trying to get nice angles to make the cars come off better in the pics.

[myxtlplyx]

i'll be there 2moro at the test drive area of chevy. i'll take some pics and post it here..

[OTEP]

BTw, here is Sorento's secret weapon!



a hidden 3rd row!

According to the price list, the Sorento's price did not change. So I guess it's just like getting the gnome-sized third seats for free with seatbelts and all the necessary hardware?

The second row of the Sorento also had to be modified into a fold-and-slide affair (like the Alterra) instead of the previous lift-cushion-and-fold-seatback type. Good or bad? Depends on your intended use, I guess.

[3kster]

GH, thanks for the uploads!

Hindi ako makapag uplaod, ambagal ng connection ko.

Andami ng Pics and details provided by GH, Drey, Niky and Carlo, pero I just want to add/re-state some items ;

1. The testdrive procedure was .... sorry, but I just had to say this, parang gubyerno, daming red tape!

2. Driving a bumpcar is even more exciting than the test drive....daming ngang limitations, pero pag ginawa mo naman na, di na makakahirit yung SA

3. Ganda nung Lancer!

4. Ganda nung Lancer!


5. Ganda ng Captiva at Grand Starex!

6. Ganda ng Vios!

7. Ganda ng Vios!

8. Ganda ng Babes!

sorry, carshow fever.

[carlocaraddict]

saw pawsicat, mamichula, gerardtagayty, m2, m2k, kupaloids, drey, afrasay and mommy tess in the show this afternoon.

[carlocaraddict]

GH, thanks for the uploads!

Hindi ako makapag uplaod, ambagal ng connection ko.

Andami ng Pics and details provided by GH, Drey, Niky and Carlo, pero I just want to add/re-state some items ;

1. The testdrive procedure was .... sorry, but I just had to say this, parang gubyerno, daming red tape!

2. Driving a bumpcar is even more exciting than the test drive....daming ngang limitations, pero pag ginawa mo naman na, di na makakahirit yung SA

3. Ganda nung Lancer!

4. Ganda nung Lancer!


5. Ganda ng Captiva at Grand Starex!

6. Ganda ng Vios!

7. Ganda ng Vios!

8. Ganda ng Babes!

sorry, carshow fever.

bitin yung route ng captiva test drive. medyo pahirapan nga mag test drive. sana sa labas nalang lahat ng pag sign ng test drive para hindi na labas pasok mga tao. Meron din yung hindi mahagilap yung taong may hawak ng keys ng mga cars, lalo lang natatagalan at lalong humahaba yung pila.

[carlocaraddict]

2. Driving a bumpcar is even more exciting than the test drive....daming ngang limitations, pero pag ginawa mo naman na, di na makakahirit yung SA

this is true, di ba niky? hahahah!

[eggman]

The show was really good...

[niky]

this is true, di ba niky? hahahah!

Me: "Hello, my name is... "

Sales Agent: (puts on seatbelt... grips armrest tightly)

Me: "Oh, you know who I am, already? I guess that makes it easier."

Sales Agent: (whimpers)















But seriously, I only pushed the cars when they allowed me to, and I picked the back roads of SM MOA (the deserted part on the side) to test cornering (mostly low speed 1st and 2nd gear stuff).

[carlocaraddict]

grabe yung haba ng pila kanina ah. bad trip yung traffic paglabas ng WTC, dun sa may test drive area. blame on the wrong lane for entrance and exit. Nababara ng mga cars na papasok ng WTC coming from macapagal yung mga palabas ng WTC.

[eVo-XTreme]

Im quite disappointed with the interior of the Grand Starex... bakit blackish kasi yung interior na nakita ko, sabi nila top of the line yung nakadisplay. Or meron bang iba yung kagaya nung nakita ko sa isang website na may beige interior? Sana naman merong beige interior nito pag nilabas na toh! Di kasi namin natanong yung sales agent about sa mga variants dahil sa dami ng taong gusto din magtanong bout sa Starex... pero 1 thing for sure sa October may Grand Starex na sa kalsada from HARI. Hehe!

Maganda naman... yun nga lang mas gusto namin bilin yung beige interior kung meron man...

Sana nga meron din nito eh! How i wish! Grand Starex Limousine!

[eVo-XTreme]

eto yung interior ng grand starex... looks so basic... errr

[OTEP]

For Korean market lang ata Grand Starex just like the earlier Grand Starex.

Iba top of the line ng new Starex. Baka yung nasa show ay yung intended top of the line for the local market.

[eVo-XTreme]

And look what i found parked next to our car...





Kala ko nga may nakadisplay na Subaru, Mazda, tsaka Mercedes-benz dun sa car show eh... Yun pala sa parking lot lang... LOLZ!