For Car Lovers in the ’Hood

Just as the aptly named convenience stores have offered a better alternative to the ubiquitous neighborhood sari-sari stores, Auto Precinct is seen to do the same, promising a better deal than the common neighborhood talyer. (You may get the car fixed in the talyer, but a filthy, greasy steering wheel and seats are likely to be part of the package when it’s time to get the car too.)

Located in Westgate Center in Filinvest Corporate City in Alabang, Auto Precinct offers a whole enchilada of services and goodies to car owners in one complex. Standing shop door-to-shop door are newly-opened car care centers like Minerva Tyre Gallery, where one can find not only an infinite variety of tires, wheels, batteries, lubricants and other auto stuff but also offers a slew of car repair services; and RC International, Auto Shack and Meguiar’s, all of which boast of more services including detailing, the latest auto audio and video equipment and practically all things known to modern man that can be crammed into a vehicle. Also scheduled to open soon are KIDD-B, Cargard, Tracetec and Autocraze which, you guessed it, are all car stuff establishments as well. Meanwhile, a Total Service Station, which has become a favorite haunt of car lovers for the time-honored automotive ritual of Saturday night cruising, is just around the corner, thereby adding to that burnt-fossil-fuel-in-the-air ambience to the place.

During the recent formal opening of Auto Precinct, things were further spiced up with the first-ever holding of AutoRevolution, a weekend affair wherein auto shows participated in by various car clubs — particularly the Philippine Automotive Council and Motoringplus.com — displayed some pretty intersesting Japanese and European cars, sport-utes, motorcycles and scooters. An authentic 1999 Michael Schumacher Ferrari F1 car was showcased during the event too, which, by the way, wasn’t able to escape the tantrums of a tropical depression when it promptly got soaked during a downpour.

Leading auto manufacturers were also present at the affair. Toyota Motor Philippines proudly showed-off its newest baby, the all-new premium compact sedan Vios, which has pop megastar Britney Spears as endorser. The fact that only Britney’s ditties were present during the event did not prevent folks from checking out the Vios — and other Toyota vehicles. For its part, General Motors Philippines had another pop megastar as crowd drawer. Proudly sitting at the GM booth was a World Rally Championship legend, the Subaru Impreza WRX rendered in — what else? — signature blue paintjob.

Of course, not all the stuff that can be found in Auto Precinct are for inanimate, wheeled things. After all, Auto Precinct is located within Westgate Center, which is touted as the newest lifestyle center in the Filinvest Corporate City. Filinvest officers said Westgate, which sits on a 9.5-hectare property, is set to combine destination shopping with dining and entertainment in its open-air streetscape and park-like environment. Presently, Congo Grille, Brother’s Burger, S&R PriceMart, Fitness First and East West Bank keep Auto Precinct company and allows its car-crazy denizens to tackle other mundane non-auto-related yet life-essential concerns.

Come to think of it, Auto Precinct is some sort of a neighborhood talyer, only it sells more stuff and offers loads more services — sans the filthy grease stains. And also if your neighborhood happens to be in and around the posh Filinvest Corporate City.