Nissan Philippines recently invited us to test the 2024 Nissan GT-R and the all-new 2024 Nissan Z at the Clark International Speedway (CIS). It's their two newest sports cars to enter the Philippine market. But aside from the usual rack test, the Japanese automaker also had a racing simulator available for us to get familiar with virtual versions of their vehicles before we took them out on the track. Think of it like the Gran Turismo movie, where Jann Mardenborough became a pro racing driver be

Disclaimer, GAC Philippines lent us the GAC Emkoo GE with a full gas tank for 15 days with access to its two RFID cards. The GAC Philippines debuted the 2023 GAC Emkoo at the 2023 Manila International Auto Show. It's part of the brand’s growing crossover portfolio in the Philippines as it seeks to take a bigger piece out of the local market with Astara Philippines backing it up. The new Emkoo brought futuristic styling to the motor show, turbocharged power, and many new features to attract the c

Local automakers got a big shot in the arm after the Philippine government extended the timeframe of its ₱27-billion program to boost domestic car manufacturing. The Private Sector Advisory Council (PSAC) announced in a May 2023 press statement that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has approved a five-year extension to the Comprehensive Automotive Resurgence Strategy (CARS) Program. PSAC is composed of business leaders and experts across six main sectoral groups: Agriculture, Digital Infrastructur

Many carmakers often use “mules” to test their own prototype components under complete secrecy. In some cases, they go to even greater lengths by utilizing the bodyshell of a car from another brand. For instance, Jaguar famously tested the turbocharged V6 engine of its XJ220 supercar by shoving it into the back of an old Ford Transit van – creating one of the fastest commercial vehicles in the world in the process. It seems that automakers are back to the same old tricks, as Carscoops reported o

Slated to be formally launched in the Philippine market by the end of this month, the updated 2023 Mitsubishi Xpander Cross features a host of interesting improvements. This is largely based on the updated Mitsubishi Xpander Cross launched during the Gaikindo Indonesia International Motor Show last year. Judging from how it looks, there’s much to look forward to as it promises to be better than the previous model. Apart from the numerous improvements on the exterior and interior, one of the aspe

Rightly or wrongly, we’ve always thought about Jaguar cars as designed for the older, more mature segment of car buyers. Despite its deliberate transformation into a more dynamic, modern, and chic luxury brand in the last few decades, Jaguar has yet to outgrow this stigma with its cars. So when it decided to enter the fast-growing SUV segment in 2016, the F-Pace was supposed to be its ticket to bite into the then-growing pie. SUVs are highly sought-after vehicles among all car brands, and with t