IT’S all go for the introduction of Michelin’s new set of special SUV tires next week as it holds the “Give It Some Latitude” on April 25 in Zhuhai, China.

The world-class Zhuhai International Circuit will be the venue of the special launching where invited media representatives from all over Asia will be treated to a whole day of “ride and drive” at the racetrack using the special Michelin tires—the Latitude Sport and the Latitude Tour HP.

On the agenda for the whole-day event are workshops on the racetrack such as dry handling and a hot lap with Latitude Sport and wet handling with the Latitude Tour HP. There will also be a on- and off-road hands-on experience using Latitude Tour HP on a private island.

More on this when I get back next week. I have to pack my bags first to catch the plane, huh!

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THE appetite of those in the south for good cars and motoring will surely be whetted when a major three-day motor show kicks off next month.

Dubbed as the Second Calabarzon Motorshow, the event will be held from May 25 to 27 at the sprawling car park of the Robinsons Place in Lipa, Batangas. The project, which is a fundraiser for the out-of-school youth as well as for the Nuestra de la Solidad Cathedral Church will have several activities such as test-drive of the various latest car models, car competition, bike competition, brand-new car display, seminar on road safety, slalom, off-road race, drifting, go-kart racing and the Search for the Miss Calabarzon Motorshow 2007.

There will also be a live band entertainment throughout the three-day event while awards and daily raffle prizes will be given out to the participating exhibitors. What makes this appealing to all is that the event will be open to the public for free.

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THERE’S this one after-market company that is slowly but surely being noticed nowadays. And this is the Autoplus Sportzentrium Philippines, which is the local distributor of the world-renowned Motul Oil in the country today.

Carlos Gono, chief of Autoplus, took time out with the media recently to present an amazing racecar, the No. 22 Pitwork Skyline GT-R R34 (nicknamed Godzilla) that ruled Japan’s GT racing circuit in 2003, which they entered in the recent Manila International Auto Show.

As one of the country’s top tuning firms and the exclusive distributor of Motul Oil and Lubricants, Autoplus shipped the car driven by M. Kageyama and R. Lyons in the 2003 JGTC GT500 series as a testament to Motul True Performance. With the racetracks of the world as its proving ground, Motul has come up with a formulation for the ultimate engine protection and innovative lubricant that delivers both performance and reliability which is the Double Ester technology found in Motul 300V Line.

“Double Ester technology unleashes a car’s true performance by carefully balancing the ratio of complex ester with the newly developed macromolecular high-polymer ester of Motul. 300V delivers excellent performance enhancements while retaining superior reliability. By way of maintaining the proper amount of oil thickness and pressure for the engine’s internal parts, oil resistance is then decreased, hence maximizing the output of the car. It also retains stable viscosity under extreme driving and high temperatures, a factor which is beneficial for a tropical country setting and for individuals who know the true performance of their car,” Gono explained.

He added that “aside from the 300V, Motul also has a vast array of oil products like the specific CRDi oil engineered for advanced Common Rail Direct Injection diesel engines. Motul also have specific LL-01 oil for BMW valvetronic engines and 100-percent synthetic brake fluid with the highest official boiling point in the market today famous for racers called RBF 600.”

Motul lubricates the engines of some of the biggest race teams in the world that include the Subaru World Rally Team, Nismo and NSX in the Japan Grand Touring Championship, Team Perscarolo Sport in the Le Mans 24 Hours, JMB Racing in the FIA GT series and America Le Mans Series, and BMS Scuderia in the FIA GT series.

“Well, 150 years of development brought Motul a very long list of products. Through the years Motul has dedicated to manufacture high-quality lubricants, although it’s not an oil-refinery giant that considers oil as byproducts they have to sell. I sincerely hope our motoring public would just try Motul and I can attest they will notice genuine improvement. Remember, right oil plus the right application equals true performance,” Gono said.

The Motul-Pitwork Skyline GT-R, which weighs only 1,100 kg because of its carbon-fiber body kit, was displayed alongside the country’s first 1,000-hp Skyline GTR owned by  Autoplus, the Autoplus Ford GT, the Porsche 997 Turbo and the Porsche 997 GT3. All these cars run on Motul 300V and Motul products.

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THE 2007 Philippine Touring Car Championship Series starts this Sunday at the Subic International Raceway with a bevy of new and veteran drivers participating in the six-leg event, which runs up to October 14.

The first four legs will have the Subic track as its venue, while the fifth leg will be raced on the streets of Manila. The championship on October 14 will be held at the Batangas Racing Circuit.

 Defending champion Jody Coseteng is gunning for his 11th-straight touring car crown, but the scenario now becomes even more complex with the emergence of young drivers moving up from the Group 3 division. The elite field in the Group 1 division includes mainstays Kookie Ramirez and Don Pastor, who are still tagged as Coseteng’s toughest title rivals; Dennis Uy, Philip Alvendia, Renan Morales, Carlos Anton and privateers Dominic Bon and Cebu-based driver Jonathan Buxton. Joining them are the new faces such as last year’s Group 3 champ Uly Maningding, Nico Montinola and former AF3 driver Gaby de la Merced.

Group 3 includes Jeff Borja, Peewee Mendiola, lady drivers Lory Uy and Menchie Francisco, JP Cariño, Angelo Tambo and Bingo Valero, Judge Banny Vargas and two comebacking drivers—Chris Guevarra and former Rookie Driver awardee Jon Mark Ong. Among the new faces in the touring car scene this year are PBA analyst and former La Salle Archer Dominic Uy, Doby Atillano, Alvin Santos and William Tan.

THERE was a time when the Kia brand was synonymous with cheap and low quality.  Things have changed since then and the Korean carmaker has boldly taken great strides over the years to polish its act. Now, it is safe to say that Kia manufactures some of the best automobiles in the world.

Mitsubishi Motors Philippines spices up the SUV segment with the introduction of its three new and exciting models, the all-new Mitsubishi Outlander, Mitsubishi Endeavor and Mitsubishi Pajero. These new SUVs will definitely thrill the market considering their advanced features and exceptional styling.

TO demonstrate its best-in-class capabilities, including durability, reliability, fuel efficiency and versatility, the all-new Ford Ranger recently embarked on a 23-day run across the archipelago. Dubbed “Fearless: The Ford Ranger Extreme Drive,” the trip began on April 17 with a flag-off at the Ford Group Philippines headquarters at Santa Rosa, Laguna.

IT’S all go for the introduction of Michelin’s new set of special SUV tires next week as it holds the “Give It Some Latitude” on April 25 in Zhuhai, China.

“FELIPE’S weekend was fantastic and this was due to his capability—and to the car of course.” That’s how Ferrari’s technical director Mario Almondo summarized Felipe Massa’s win in Sunday’s Bahrain Grand Prix, but both Almondo and sporting director Stefano Domenicali paid tribute to the Brazilian’s ability to turn around his performance following a poor start and losing the Malaysian Grand Prix to Fernando Alonso the week before.