Eat At Shakey's and Peri-Peri Charcoal Chicken & Sauce Bar and Win a BMW X Series SUV!

Have you been eating pizza, pasta, chicken or mojo's lately? Feeling a little lucky? If not, you should, because Shakey's and Peri-Peri Charcoal Chicken & Sauce Bar is making this 2024 a lot better with their SuperCard Super Cars Monthly Grand Giveaway! This is not a drill!

And yes, these are not ordinary cars they are giving away but 3 brand new spanking BMW X Series SUV's, it's certainly a dream to have one! To join, one must have an active SuperCard enrolled at supercars.mysupercard.ph. Then every Php 300 spend on meals when you dine in, take out or delivery (in house) would earn you one entry. You can spend these on either Shakey's, Peri-Peri Charcoal Chicken and Sauce Bar or R&B outlets nationwide! (doesn't apply to grabfood or Foodpanda). The promo is already running til April 15th of this year (so you've got 3 chances to win!). What are you waiting for?! Go get those BMW S Series SUV's because the first raffle day is near!

Hurry to supercars.mysupercard.ph to know more about it!

AutoDeal Releases 13th Insights Report

Getting a car these days are doubly hard and with the war happening in Ukraine, oil prices have skyrocketed in the past few weeks. This shouldn't be the case especially when purchasing a car, wether for business or family use. It should be seamless, and be adept to conditions like this pandemic - as everything should be personalized, so customers get what they need when they need it most.

Top online automotive market place AutoDeal has been in the business since 2014 and has been the go to place to buy, compare cars, and get offers on the latest models on the web. Daniel Scott, AutoDeal CEO and Co-Founder says "As car sales go through digital channels, AutoDeal is getting tons of inquiries per day gearing more sales for our partners even during these times. AutoDeal transactions amount to Php 28 Billion last 2021 from 24,835 transactions, and that's amazing."

They also released consumer reports and insights on the industry from the platform which gives valuable data that can helo it grow on a business and market standpoint. They've been doing it every year and has been analyzed by experts. The 13th edition includes performance metrics as the industry recovers from the troubles of the pandemic. This includes leads that specify location, brand, buying trends which would be helpful for car companies and consumers. This also includes the motorcycle market which has become a pretty significant market. You may visit bit.ly/2021ADInsights and download AutoDeal Insights Volume 8 for it. AutoDeal is currently partnered with 16 car/motorcycle brands and currently holds top spot as far as market sales volume is concerned in the country. You may visit autodeal.com.ph for your car and bike needs and visit their social channels for more information.

TOYOTA Launches New Sporty Variant Toyota Vios GR-S

Missed this earlier because my YouTube account wasn't viewing the livestream, but the good people at Toyota sent us important information about the new Toyota Viios GR-S variant. This was built with their TOYOTA GAZOO Racing brand (who developed guided its creation) in mind and yes, it looks absolutely impressive. The passenger car gets an upgrade and they made it motorsports worthy.

According to Toyota Motors Philippines President Atsuhiro Okamoto, he says "In the country, there are over 340,000 owners of the VIOS model. They know these are the most reliable, tried and tested which serve as their companion in their daily lives.  We want every ride to be more pleasurable hence the Vios GR-S. Whether on the track or on the road, this will give you the thrill in your everyday drive."

It's going to be available on March 15, 2021 and if you haven't seen it yet in person, maybe a visit to your local dealership would be fine while observing protocols. As for aesthetics, this has a more sporty look hence the striking exterior, especially the front bumper, grille, aerokit and spoiler. Aside from that, the interiors look immaculate with the stitching and suede material on its seats. The 10-speed CVT transmission variety also has 7 airbags + clearance sonars with your safety in mind. It comes in White Pearl Crystal Shine, Super Red V or Black 1 colorways. SRP is around Php 1,020,000-1,035,000.

You can watch the online public launch on March 13, 2021 (Saturday) at 6PM via their Facebook and YouTube channel. If you think this is your drive, you can find out more information at toyota.com.ph.

Toyota Launches New Corolla CROSS

Their call is “Cross into the Future” and this is a nice day to unveil a new car. Perfect for urban dwellers, they present a new Hybrid car called the new “Corolla Cross”.  

Toyota CEO Atsuhiron Okamoto say “We made this the inspiration for this new car, the all new Corolla Cross. This is a sleek crossover of our product available in Hybrid, quality, reliability plus Toyota safety features. We can’t wait for you to see this. Get ready to cross into the new age!”  This will reinvent how people will travel in the Philippines.

Dizo Kameyama who leads engineering says "This new car knows that this is the greatest selling car family in the world. 48 Million cars worldwide, always ahead of its times. This is an SUV, feels premium, urban tough, but remains affordable. With a new torsion beam design, it brings comfort in drive, it is your partner, just asking where you will go tomorrow.  The world’s largest selling car has been reinvented now, this is going to be an SUV to be loved even more by Filipinos. Women want something that looks good, feels well while driving. A hybrid option means a gas engine and two electric motors. It will make your fuel consumption and emission less that regular cars. This also has a gun metallic grill, designed well in standards. The stability is good, has a blind spot monitor, power adjustable seat (available in leather), usb ports, plus a 7 inch display on the dashboard. The SUV’s also come in two variants, it costs 1,285,000 and the other is 1,650,000. It is also available in Metal Stream Metallic (Silver), Red Mica Metallic, Platinum White Pearl Mica  and Attitude Black Mica colorways."

The new excise tax rules also got the it less 50% because it is a hybrid variant. Pretty good way to save money and keep the purchase price down.   The sedans and the cross have interior parts shared. It also uses the TNGA platform, tuned the rear suspension, now with Apple Car Play and Android Auto. 

Maintaining a hybrid vehicle is just the same with regular gasoline or diesel fed engine. The oil changes, checking, is all done the same way except for a few things that will be inspected in the hybrid part, which is easy because they have service centers nationwide! They are targeting over 100 units, perhaps more in the next few years. This Corolla Cross will be available in the Philippines starting at the end of this month (August 26). 

Mr. Okamoto adds “This concept of combination hybrid technology is not changing, many to be improved especially the cost of materials and fuel efficiency. Hopefully we will have more affordable cars in the future. We will improve that.”  Nico BravantenVP for Product Planning says “We want a nice price, design, and specifications hence it took time to launch this. Same hybrid power train as the Altis, we have the 1.8 on the new Corolla Cross. It also has 7 bags, and is manufactured in Thailand.” 

Here is the press conference earlier!

Looks promising, watch out for the official launch of the Corolla Cross at the Toyota Motors Philippines Facebook Page today with Moira Dela Torre at 6pm!

This is just the tip of the iceberg.

Which is better, gasoline or diesel?

Motorheads have various opinions on which is better to have: a gasoline-powered or a diesel-propelled vehicle. Some would say the former has a lot more benefits than the other, and others, vice versa. So we listed down some points to consider if you’ll be getting either a diesel or a gasoline-fed vehicle.

MILEAGE

This would be the biggest consideration for many. Since everyone—and we do mean everyone—experiences long hours in traffic jams, getting a motor vehicle that would not guzzle up its fuel should be a priority. While there are lots of gasoline-powered vehicles in the market now that claim they have a high fuel-efficiency rating, most of the time, it’s the diesel-engined vehicles that take the cake. Carmudi reported that diesel engines are more fuel-efficient than its gasoline counterparts: some 25-30 percent more if based on figures. On an average, vehicles will be driven at about 48,000 kilometers in a span of three years. Based on Carmudi’s calculation two years ago, at an average price back then of P30 per liter on diesel and P40 on gas, one would have spent some P213,999 on petrol versus the P120,000 only on diesel.

PERFORMANCE

Diesel engines nowadays—thanks to its common-rail direct injection and turbocharging features—can provide more power and torque even at low RPMs, so there is no need to push the gas pedal harder to get that little more oomph. Gasoline-fed motors can provide equally-powerful figures in terms of power and torque, but unlike the diesel engines, it needs higher RPM to put out such numbers.

RESALE VALUE

We all know that all vehicles depreciate in value in time, that is why many owners tend to sell their vehicle after a few years. If you are that type of person,, then diesel engine is good for you. Go to both our new cars and used cars’ page and you will see that the prices of diesel-powered vehicles are usually higher compared to those propelled by gasoline. However, if buying price would be of consideration, petrol engines are much cheaper, meaning, they’re much easier to acquire compared to diesels.

CLEANER EMISSIONS

Without a doubt, gasoline trumps diesel engines on this. Usually, gasoline is more refined than diesel. Over time, smoke coming from diesel engines tend to be darker, especially when using low-grade diesel; CRDi are especially very sensitive to fuel quality. This is the reason diesel fuels need special additives and lubricants to maintain its healthy state. Gasoline, on the other hand, is easier to maintain and leaves lesser carbon footprints.

CONCLUSION

Truth is, it all depends on your preference. Getting a vehicle that fits your lifestyle, where you will be using it without undermining your financial capability, should dictate the vehicle that you will be having. Scout and get your preferred vehicle here.

Love Die Cast Toys for the Big Boys

My fascination with cars started at an early age and part of it is because I adore having one, whether it be the real thing or not especially when I started receiving gifts from the usual birthday parties and special occasions.

The Classic Jaguar XJ6 Series

All that changed when I was 10 years old when I received my first ever Classic Jaguar XJ6 series die cast model car. It’s 1:18 scale size and looks that would never go out of style introduced me to a whole new world of possibilities because if I couldn’t have the real one at my age back then I felt this would definitely suffice. This car is still kept at my toy cellar, tucked away with my other classic toys which I hope will increase value in the next few years or perhaps be passed on to my kids in the near future. It wasn’t easy to actually do that because the urge to actually feel it in my hands and enjoy it was great but thinking how it could be better to have in the future was even greater. It’s like the real thing, in mint condition, no scratches or dents, in matte green and metal body.

After that gift, I thought of getting new ones but only wanted to stay in classic cars so it was a tough and arduous process to actually see one in toy conventions but I knew I had to find more. It’s limited quantity and licensing means it’ll cost much more than what a 10-20 year old could afford but I skipped lunch and snacks in high school so I could keep the money and pay for it. I now have die cast owner of other classic cars, then moved on to Tonka trucks in an even smaller 1:8 scale.

The construction vehicles pretty much kept me sane in online stores, auctions and even thrift shops in Manila. Most of the public don’t even know the value of these diecast models and I would like to keep it that way so I could get them all at a fair price. Don’t get me wrong I mean I’m not just keeping it for myself and even though I know how expensive it is, I felt it was worth every penny. You won’t believe what I have in my coffers because I’m trying to hold on to them for a few more decades before I do dispose of them. It appreciates in value and I have set my eyes on other diecast vehicles.

NScale Models of Trains in 1:150 scale

A fellow blogger and friend started a new hobby - and got his own lovely diecast trains. I felt envious, suddenly felt a wind to get ones that move or engines with my cars so I could at least have them different. If I have their doors open up, trunk included or the whole thing move, that means it gets more expensive because of its functions. Now imagine expanding my build to actually do a whole community, with real scaled houses and car ports too. It’s a big undertaking, but dreams are made so you have a goal, so it may come true.

I have high hopes drivers, car lovers and enthusiasts like me would start to appreciate these things, and find that no matter how expensive it is, that it’s worth every penny.

I adore my lead and zinc pieces, they get better with age, I’m sure it’s prices will go up in a few years. I may have skipped meals and all but the memories of actually getting the things that I have right now made me realize how even more precious they are to me. This is one of the reasons why I still keep them, the value increase is just a bonus. The happiness I get is insurmountable, priceless, and if you could get more of these model cars and vehicles in your life, you’ll never regret why you started to love die cast toys for the big boys.

KUMAGCOW
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The Mini Cooper and Shelby AC Cobra from JSPGC: The Perfect Christmas Gift For Boys and the Big Boys

I've been reminded so many times of my childhood as I was writing about this. In some way, this is what I dreamed of. The technological advancement in the toys these days really impressed me and when the chance to write about cars was in the midst, I immediately said yes. I've been wanting something like this since I can remember and it's even in the type of car I want now. Well, let's just stop the theatrics and let me show you "The Perfect Christmas Gift For Boys and the Big Boys!".

The Mini Cooper

The Mini Cooper has been the iconic British car since the 60's. It was the coolest one ever. Back from it's shag days and internationally fancied appeal, the Mini Cooper has been immortalized in toy form by the good people of JSPGC. It's a race car designed by John Cooper. He initially found potential in the car and made it for circuit races back in the days. It's futuristic counterpart was made in the 90's to 2000's and people immediately fell in love with it again. JSPGC actually has been in the trading business since the year 2000. They want you to experience real energy and imagination in their products. They've been trusted and licensed now by many brands to distribute those that can make their most important clients happy, the children.  

Now this isn't your ordinary plastic car usually found in malls. It's built with sturdy hard plastic which I can actually compare with those handy tables and chairs you have at home.

As for the looks, it does actually capture the new Mini Cooper. Theirs is a convertible so your kids would fit in it. The sturdy car can carry approximately until a 9-10 year old kid, or perhaps older when their frame is smaller. 

When I said this is the perfect gift for the BIG BOYS too, I wasn't joking. The Mini Cooper from JSPGC doesn't actually work with pedals, this is actually powered by electricity and runs like a small golf cart if that makes sense.

It comes with a remote control and realistic keys so you could either drive it manually or save your kids from dangerous places by controlling it with this remote. I was clueless at first to actually start it but when I found the keys and a key slot right beside the steering wheel, I turned it on and said WHOA!

It looked like a car and sounded like a car, then it also got these lights on much like the real thing. Impressed, gasped, I was so excited to take it around town and drive it on our garage. I also took it out on the street and had several people approach me because they saw me controlling it with a remote. I think it can go further but I chose to just drive it around nearby so it won't bump against real cars, I don't want to damage it of course. Perhaps it went around 10 meters or so, still you have to take a good look at it so you can watch your kids.

As for the controls, it's pretty simple. There's a button you can flip to go forwards, there's also a high and low speed control, then there's also one you can use to make the car go on Manual Operation or Remote Control. If you see the big circle on the left beside the three red flick switches, that's the key hole where you can put the physical key that comes with the car. You need to turn it like a real key!

The steering wheel is very detailed too. Those buttons aren't there just for display, but it sounds off when pressed. You don't have to worry about crowds crossing the street because it's like real car's horn. I can imagine taking this on the street and stop on corners, you would get the envy of the hood!

If you look closely, that's the only pedal you need to operate while driving. You don't need to break as the thing stops when this isn't pressed. 

The wheel is also made of hard plastic, it can probably carry the weight as I mentioned earlier. I must tell you, I even rode it once to test if it would move... and it did.

The seats aren't upholstered leather but it's going to be comfy if it's just for kids. It's made of the same hard plastic material the car has for its body.

 

Realistic? Yes, super realistic because it's even got those fancy doors which you can open and close by pushing buttons on the outside. It's pretty amazing craftsmanship and ingenuity, that probably made this really work.

All you need to do before actually driving this around is to charge it for a couple of hours (I think it was recommended 4 hours on the manual) before you could actually enjoy driving this around for hours too. Make sure you don't overcharge it so you can extend the lifespan of the battery. Just take care of it and pass it on to another generation. I'm sure it'll last that long and who knows, it might be enjoyed by your children's children too.

It's a dream to have this for your little boys at home and also a dream to get one for the big ones. If it's not enough to impress you, they went ahead and made an even fancier one. Ladies and gentlemen, meet JSPGC Toy's very own Shelby AC COBRA.

Rewarding Christmas Shopping with "Your BMW on us!" Raffle Promo

It's been a while but we're back to give you some good Christmas news! Are you still in the process of finding that perfect Christmas gift? Well look no further because if you've got your own Citi card, you can make your Christmas shopping more rewarding with Citi's "Your BMW on us" raffle promo. From the 26th of October to January 31, 2016, Citi, Shell and BMW will come together to give you One Thousand Shell Fuel Vouchers and three brand new BMW Luxury vehicles for all you lucky Citi card holders. It's gonna be two units of BMW 2 Series Active Tourer Pure Edition and one BMW 3 Series Anniversary Edition Sedan, 1000 pcs. of 2,000 peso worth of Shell fuel vouchers will be given away. You can only win once of course so make sure you go swipe that card really good while you're in the mall. I practically do that and don't carry around cash and pay my bills.

What's even better is that if you use your card to gas up in Shell stations is, you'll get more entries instead! Double your entries by registering now at www.citibank.com.ph/bmw. You can also check out the promo details on the same website so go hurry! First raffle draw will be held on th 27th of November, the next one will be on December 28th, and the third one will be on February 15, 2016. 

Remember! Every swipe counts! 

Fresh Blogs Fast!

KUMAGCOW

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An Inspiring Story of Nilo Omillo from Vista Land

 We all have dreams. As Filipinos, we find ourselves all asking it up unto the heavens and hope that the one above answers it. A few days ago, we met a man named Nilo Omillio. He used to fish in his hometown Leyte in order to live by. He went to Manila at the very young age of 17 and didn't know how he'd put food on the table as education was not in his portfolio. He went on being a tricycle driver, a stevedore, a baker and a janitor. It was really hard and he was already thinking of giving up until a friend approached him and gave him an advise to become a real estate broker for Camella. He was then equipped, trained and given seminars to educate him about selling courtesy of the good folks from Vista Land. Then he went on to do sales activities and open subdivisions. He did this with the hope of selling a house. Then a couple more as the months go by. He decided to take the Real Estate Broker Licensure Exam in 1991 and sure enough... he passed! 

The proud "Waray" then put up a humble office in Libertad, Pasay. With sheer determination and a small amount of money to run this joint, he became part of the esteemed top brokers of Camella in 1992. He also bagged the Young Top Awardee and the respect of his management and colleagues. Now, he's a very successful Real Estate Broker and his meager dream that came to reality was not forgotten. He has inspired people in and out of the company and with this, Vista Land President and Senator Manny Villar rewarded him with a brand new Mercedez Benz E series. 

He also adds "These traits provide a benchmark to all employees of Vista Land. Whoever they are, where ever they come from, they too can reach Nilo’s success as long as they are willing to apply the twin virtues of hard work and determination- "Sipag at Tiyaga" in reaching their dreams." It's something that Mr. Villar isn't a stranger to. He also came from this predicament and I think he's paying forward. This kind of treatment, plus above average rates and incentives for sellers and brokers is but a normalcy in Vista Land and this is part of his dream. Nilo now has his own home, savings for his retirement, traveled to destinations here and around the world, sent his children to good schools, his own building constructed for his own personal business... the possibilities are limitless. This also goes with their vision of fulfilling every Filipinos dream of owning a home and uplifting the Filipino quality of life.

Watch how he did it on this video. This is so inspiring!

For more information about their company:

Vista Land

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http://www.vistaland.com.ph

The Icon Is Back: The New Volkswagen Beetle!

It's time to share some great news. Vehicle lovers in the Philippines are rejoicing about the communique that the third generation Volkswagen icon is back. Yes, you heard that right! April 2, 2014 officially marks the return of the graven imaged BEETLE. The occasion was graced by Ayala Auto Holdings Corporation (AAHC) and Automobile Central Enterprise, Inc. (ACEI)'s Chairman Fernando Zobel de Ayala, his brother Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala and CEO John Philip Orbeta (shown on photo above). This great unveiling happened at the newly opened Philippine showroom at Bonifacio Global City with a lot spanning 6,000 square meters. It also has adapted a fully automated digital interactive showroom application that makes use of tablets and interactive monitors within the premises - making it likely to be the first in the country. 

 When they started manufacturing these Beetles in 1939, they were proud to have this represent what the brand embodies as the "People's Car". Up until 1997 they have rolled out around 21.5 Million of these units and only got redesigned in the second half of 1998. With celebrities and the popular crowd going for the more modern design, it sparked a comeback and Beetle Mania happened all over again. In 2010, they had had sold more than one million cars with the final edition of the Beetle series. Now they position themselves with a car that is going to be seen as new, modern and futuristic. A car of the 21st century and would encompass generations to come.

As Fernando Zobel de Ayala puts it, “No other car evokes as much nostalgia, tradition, and heritage as the Beetle. As such, I am especially pleased and excited to launch a car as iconic and celebrated as the one we have launched tonight”. That statement alone puts it in a class of its own. It's the car that has been told in countless stories whether in your home or in Hollywood. It might have taken shape as the bug with the same name but today it will be bolder, dynamic and engineered for play.

Design wise, you can see how it differs from the original one. The improvements are all astounding to see and feel. The new Beetle has now got an impressive sports appeal showing off its extended bonnet, a more modern swept-back windscreen plus an extended wheelbase among its many modifications. You can also feel how much room it now has with the roof space increased in the layout.

The iconic Beetle is back and its models Beetle 1.2 TSI has got a torque of 175 Nm at 1400 rpm, a power of 105 Ps at 4500 rpm and 6-speed M/T. This is pegged at a price of Php 1,590,000.00. The other Beetle 1.4 TSI model has got 240 Nm at 1500-4500 rpm torque, 160 Ps at 4500 rpm power and a 7-speed DSG transmission. It's priced at Php 1,790,000.00 if it's other colors and Php 1,840,000.00 if you want the Oryx White. Please do not hesitate to visit them at the Volkswagen Showroom in BGC located at the 28th Street City Center. They are open Monday to Thursday from 8am to 6pm, Friday and Saturday 8am to 7pm and Sunday from 9am in the morning to 6pm in the evening. You'll never experience the Beetle the same way again. The nostalgia will definitely be there, but you'll definitely appreciate the new modern look that can beset you in generations to come. For more information, please check the channels below.

For more information about their cars:

Volkswagen PH

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http://www.volkswagen.com.ph