From ‘Down Under’ and back

I just flew back in last Sunday night from that beautiful land down under – Australia. It was a trip hosted by one of the world’s biggest tire companies, Michelin, which now owns the BFGoodrich Tires brands. The event, dubbed as "BFGoodrich Got to Drive Challenge," was the Asia-Pacific launch of BFGoodrich tires "g-Force" and "Sport T/A," where over 400 tire dealers, media celebrities and motoring journalists from this part of the global village were invited to the Gold Coast.

Brian Afuang, a young and very knowledgeable motoring journalist who writes for THE STAR’s Motoring Section, completed our two-man contingent to the event where the performance features of the tires being launched, together with that of other BFGoodrich tire models, were demonstrated by way of some demanding driving exercises and events, which were participated in by the invited international motoring journalists.

The events were so well-picked to highlight the unique design of each tire being used for each exercise and how it helped achieve each tire’s specific expertise. Two most appropriate sites were chosen for these technical demonstrations – the Mount Cotton Training Center and the Ipswich Motor Precinct, two well-designed training grounds that offered a wide array of driving lessons from the most basic to the most advanced, including competition racing techniques. And they were being run by some of the most accomplished motor sport enthusiasts and competitors that Australia could best offer.

One of the demonstrations required us to take 4wd vehicles up a very steep, unforgiving incline that really looked insurmountable at first but felt like a piece of cake while going through it with BFGoodrich Mud-Terrain T/A tires. The exercise also required us to go through deep waters and mud and these we did without missing a single rev.

The two tires that were really made to bask in the spotlight during the event were the g-Force Sport and the Sport T/A – scheduled to hit Philippine roads by April this year.

The g-Force is touted to be the flagship tire for high performance as it delivers unbeatable grip and steering control at max G’s. It’s actually named after the scientific g-force measurement for change in speed, which is experienced when a driver accelerates, decelerates and/or turns from side to side.

The Sport T/A is hyped to combine comfort, mileage and grip to deliver total control and fun on the road in all weather conditions, a shoe-in for the kind of unpredictable weather prevailing in the region.

To my recollection, this event marks one of the most serious efforts made by an international tire maker to target the Asia-Pacific market, a possible signal indicating the kind of commitment BFGoodrich has lined up for it.

Elain Tay, BFGoodrich’s brand manager, confirmed this when she said, "This is the first major event in the region where we have brought together all our key Asia-Pacific markets. This event marks a new beginning for BFGoodrich here. We are 100 percent committed to this market which can be evidenced by the launch of these new products and the huge marketing investments we will be undertaking in the region."

I personally feel that more serious efforts to explain the vital role that tires play in transport and motor sport should be exerted in these markets where the initial consideration of buyers is price. It is the absence of awareness on the other more important aspects that should be considered in the decision-making process before buying or using tires that limits the buyers to the sole factor of price. I just hope that this launching and the events that went with it would pave the way for more similar efforts to further educate the markets in the region.

An assurance was given though by BFGoodrich communications manager for Asia-Pacific Rebecca Lee that indeed more efforts would be exerted toward this goal. The aim is to make buyers aware that there are more important aspects, other than price, to consider in choosing what tires to buy for what particular use. And this launch only marks the start of the more focused efforts.

Meanwhile, to create a competitive flavor and thus heightened interest among the participants in the tire demos, teams were formed among the invited motoring journalists and the Philippines was grouped together with the Malaysians and Indonesians. No, we didn’t bring the country shame as we registered quite well and consistent in our team’s standings. Brian was 1st in the second day’s standings and was 2nd in the first, while I came in 3rd in the first day and 4th in the final day. (Come on, I should already make way for the younger generation. Right?) Brian promised to have a more detailed account of the exciting proceedings of the event. Don’t miss it.

Our Tuesday (Feb. 25) almost eight-hour flight to Australia actually landed us first in Sydney, where we took a more than an hour domestic flight to Brisbane. We were picked up in the airport for an-hour-and-50-minute car ride to the Gold Coast with a lady driver on the wheels. I immediately thought that our Pinay drivers, many of whom are no mean divers themselves, should start considering this kind of job.

It was not my first trip Down Under. My first one was with Motoring Today TV co-host Pocholo Ramirez, the living legend himself, when we went there to cover one of the last Formula One races in Adelaide way back in 1991, that is, if my worsening memory is serving me right. Another trip brought me with other local motoring journalists to Alice Springs when Ford gave us a taste of the exciting Australian Outback aboard some of the finest Australian-built Ford SUVs and pickups. Then there was the trip hosted by Honda for the 2000 Australian Grand Prix Race in Melbourne. And in all these trips I have been awed no end with the road system of Australia.

Except for always keeping in mind to stay on the left side of the road, driving in Australia is always a pleasure. Brian and I made sure we would experience this by actually renting a car (a little over P2,000 for a day’s use of a current year Nissan Pulsar) for our last day’s stay at the Gold Coast, a day made free for us by our hosts. Renting a car was a breeze. As long as you have a valid driver’s license and the money (cash or credit card) to pay for it, you could drive off the parking lot as fast as you got into one.

The roads are all well-paved (save for those in the Outback, of course) and signs in the highways are never wanting. Not really a guarantee against getting lost, but they help quite a lot in reaching one’s destination with ease. Australian drivers are generally courteous and abide by traffic rules despite the lack of visible presence of traffic cops. There are quite a number of speed radars in the highways though, I was told.

Well, after returning for two days just to tape for our weekly TV shows, off I am again to the exciting land of the Aussies tonight – this time for the opening race of the 2003 World Formula One Series in Melbourne.

Asian Honda, through Honda Cars Philippines, has invited a couple of local motoring journalists to see for ourselves if the new rules that have been adopted by the FIA would bring back the excitement of F1 in the light of the boring dominance of the Prancing Horse Team last year. Our good friend Arnel Doria, the highest ranking Filipino executive of Honda Cars Philippines, would also like us to experience with them the hopeful positive effects of a more focused involvement of Honda in Formula One, now supplying engines exclusively for the BAR-Honda Team.

Happy Motoring!!!

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