"De javu" with the Chevrolet Optra

When Pinky Colmenares, motoring editor of the Bulletin, and I met at the Thai Airways Royal Executive Class Lounge of the NAIA prior to our flight last September 17, we could only smile and say almost in unison that it was going to be a "de javu" of a trip. After all, exactly a week ago we were bound for the same destination with the same route of flying in to Bangkok to be followed by an hour and a half shuttle to Pattaya for the same purpose — a test drive.

But I guess the similarities of the trip stopped there. Although we still had the Inquirer’s Tessa Salazar waiting for us in Bangkok, as she opted not to do a "lagare" or a back and forth trip, our group now had no less than the young and dashing STAR motoring editor Dong Magsajo with us and my own Baby Gamboa, STV senior VP and Head Writer (although she was there as a "civilian") all to be taken care of this time by "father hen" and group leader, Bobby Shaw, manager of product planning development and marketing services of General Motors Automobiles Philippines — our hosts for the GM ASEAN Media Ride & Drive of the Chevrolet Optra.

Prior to a day of test-drive and ride sessions, our day of arrival was capped with a sumptuous dinner that was highlighted with a Thai cultural presentation. This was held at the Orchid Ballroom of the plush Royal Cliff Beach Hotel, one of the best and most luxurious in Pattaya, our home for the next two nights. No less than the president and managing director of General Motors Thailand, William "Bill" Botwick — a recent Manila visitor when the Optra was launched at the Glorietta in Makati, welcomed all the thirty-nine motoring journalists from Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines.

After an early 6 am wake up call and a quick but filling al fresco breakfast at Royal Cliff’s Larn Thong restaurant, which offers a fantastic over the cliff view of the long beach front of Pattaya, the motoring media’s working day begins. All wearing the suggested and provided for "Chevrolet polo shirt" a behemoth tourist bus brings us on a 45-minute ride to the GM Rayong Plant.

The GM Rayong Plant, representing a US $700 million investment, where the Optra, together with the Chevy Zafira MPV and pick up trucks that are differently badged depending on the country of export are being manufactured, is located on the Eastern Seaboard Industrial Estate, 150 kilometers from Bangkok. It is modeled after GM’s plant in Eisenach, Germany, which is ranked among the most efficient automotive facilities in the world. Its state-of-the-art technology makes it the most advanced car assembly in Thailand and one of the most advanced facilities in the Asia-Pacific region and worldwide. The plant currently employs over 2,000 people.

Considering that we were allowed to bring in all our video paraphernalia and encouraged to freely take whatever footage we wanted, the plant tour did not turn out to be just one of the many that most of us have had. However, this time, aside from the hard hats, we were also required to wear safety shoes. No wonder they asked for our shoe sizes way ahead, which made me bring a pair less that what I usually bring to a trip, and so did Pinky — right sweetheart? Nicky Mariano, the top honcho for marketing of General Motors Automobiles Philippines, who graciously invited us to this trip, will never hear the end of this story once Pinky and I start with it.

After the plant tour and briefing, Dong Magsajo and myself had an Optra 1.8 automatic all to ourselves for a drive and ride experience for the next 200 kilometers. The night previous we were all asked what our preference would be, given the choice of Optra 1.6 (manual or automatic) or Optra 1.8 (automatic). The Pinoys had a common denominator — the more powerful automatic. This was simply because we had to drive a right-hand car on the left side of the road all the time. The previous week’s experience taught me to make my life less complicated in such a test drive. With the Optra 1.8 automatic we would have the power we desire without necessarily fumbling with the gear shifting with our left hand.

Dong took the first stage, which was from the GM Rayong Plant to our luncheon destination — the Tamnanpar Forest Restaurant. The theme of the place was like having a meal in the middle of a tropical forest surrounded by trees, waterfalls and a very lush ambience. It was indeed a hearty lunch of crabs, prawns and other delicious seafood dishes. My motoring editor who’s allergic to any seafood that’s shelled had to look like he "grudgingly" settled for the deep fried garupa. It didn’t work; we all knew that it was one of the grand specialties of Thailand. Dong had to share that with us too. But that was actually not a problem as there was a real abundance of food. And did we have our share too of the very sweet tasting Bangkok lanzones — meaning even that of the next table’s.

After the tummy-busting lunch I took the wheel for the last stage of the "drive & ride" and got carried away — deliberately I must admit — forgetting about the speed limits. To begin with, I could not read the Thai alphabet, so how can I know the speed limits. Of course, I know that alibi won’t stand despite my being part of the international motoring media. Whatever, being so confident with the multi-lane highway, I made the Optra hit 180 kph and felt no apprehension at all as I felt the car could take it. I knew I could go faster, but what the heck, 180 kph without any vibrations and with a purring engine are more than what a motoring journalist can bargain for in a test drive of a passenger car — the Optra was unquestionably driving and running great!

After the test drive was a de-briefing or a Q&A session with the journalists. Both Bill Botwick and John Thompson were very patient to answer all the questions fielded, a few of which were admittedly not as smart as they were made to sound. But in the end the Chevrolet Optra came out of the Asean Media Ride & Drive with flying colors.

We’ll give you the Chevy Optra as seen up close next week.

Pit Lane Notes

As always the US Grand Prix was another sleep-robbing experience. It started a little before 2 am Monday early morning and ended way past 4 o’clock, a far cry from the usual 7 or 8 pm Sunday evening run. A real boost to the common Monday morning blues, that is, if you can still wake up in the morning instead of noontime.

Defending champion Michael Schumacher of Ferrari must have successfully cloned "lady luck" as he had quite a hefty share of her on every turn of the Indy circuit for a clear win in the weather-influenced penultimate leg of the year’s series. Contrastingly Williams-BMW’s Juan Pablo Montoya’s Xerox machine may run out of ink as not even the blurred image of "lady luck" ever showed up for him. An un-called for "stop-and-go" penalty for what the race stewards considered an "avoidable accident" with Ferrari’s Rubens Barrichello literally robbed him of this year’s driver’s championship.

McLaren-Mercedes young ace Kimi Raikkonen’s salvaging of a timely 2nd place win prevented an anti-climactic record setting 6th World Driver’s Championship win by Schumy before the actual end of the series.

Still to look forward to is the Japanese Grand Prix in Suzuka on October 12 to determine the year’s World Champion Driver — but now, instead of an exciting 3-cornered fight, it’s only going to be between Schumy and Kimi.

Motoring Tip Of The Week

It may be a very practical idea to have a roll of electrical tape in your vehicle all the time. Aside from its use for electrical purposes, like wrapping up wires that may be dangerously exposed to cause short circuits and mess up your whole electrical system, the electrical tape can be utilized as a stopgap measure for leaking hoses. A cracked water hose can be temporarily made to work by just using an electrical tape. This is also true for break hoses with leaking fluid or hydraulic hoses with air leaks that need to be plugged until a replacement is acquired. If you don’t have one now you can easily buy a roll of electrical tape even from a small store. Go for it, you’ll never know when it can really come in handy.

Happy Motoring!!!

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