Thinking Cars?

The Honda R&D Center located in Tochigi, Japan, which is a 3-hour bus ride from Tokyo that offered novel urban and provincial roadside sights, was indeed an awesome experience for all of us motoring journalists as it gave us a chance to have a wealth of technical info that we can all bring back to our readers or viewers, depending on the medium we represent. But it was a bit frustrating too, as we were not allowed to take footage — still shots for print or video for television in many areas, except for the crash test demonstration.

The excursion was one of the two side trips, which our hosts Honda graciously afforded all the motoring journalists that they invited to attend the 2003 Tokyo Motor Show. The other was that to Twin Ring Motegi — Honda’s "motor sports Mecca", which we took the next day.

As I mentioned in this column last week, it was in this R&D Center that I had the opportunity to test drive vehicles that were equipped with CMS or Collision Mitigation Brake System and the E-Pretensioner, two modern day state-of-the-art technological breakthroughs from Honda that can predict rear-end collisions and assist brake operation to reduce impact on occupants and vehicle damage. It was also here that I saw an actual "crash test" that had a Honda Fit (remember the name, you just might see a whole slew of them running on Philippine roads very soon) colliding right fender to right fender with a Honda Accord. The expensive demonstration was made to highlight Honda’s new "crash compatibility body" that employs a front-end frame structure that reduces the potential concentrated force of an impact.

Aside from he CMS and E-Pretensioner equipped Honda Inspire that I personally test drove to validate Honda’s claims of pre-collision warning and brake assistance, there was also this HIDS equipped Accord that can also be regarded as a "thinking car" from Honda, which we were allowed to experience in their testing oval.

The HIDS or Honda Intelligent Driver Support System is part of Honda’s Pre-crash Safety Technology. The system’s aim is to lighten the workload of the driver by providing assistance in maintaining the vehicle within its lane. The system, which includes an on board camera that discerns and memorizes the lanes, would immediately tug on the steering when the vehicle wanders off.

The technology also allows the vehicle to lock into the speed of the vehicle in front and determines the distance between the two vehicles and have it banked into its memory. When the speed of the vehicle in front is reduced or the distance narrowed, the HIDS will immediately come to work by its own speed reduction.

A pleasant surprise for us Pinoy motoring journalists was one unit of the FCX, Honda’s fuel cell car that’s equipped with the new Honda FC Stack, a remarkable compact, next generation fuel cell stack that has fewer components but with more than double output density as it increased driving range by 40 kilometers yet with a 10 percent improved fuel economy. That particular Honda FCX came in left-hand drive. With all the cars we were test driving with right hand steering wheels and left hand gear shifts, this one was a real April shower — so much welcomed on a hot summer day.

A day at the track for any true-blue motoring journalist is always a party. And a party it was really for us as we moved from one test drive site to another within the huge Honda R&D complex. At the short but twisty handling track a whole slew of sports cars were all for the picking, including my top favorite — the Honda S2000 together with other chosen picks like the NSX, the Integra Type R and the Civic Type R. Late in the afternoon our final stop was the longer outer track for the varied line up of Honda mini or sub compact type — City (Fit Aria in Japan), Fit (watch out for it), Mobilio, Spike, Life and Element.

Driving all those cars, many of which may never see the light in Philippine roads, can get one’s mind off taping schedules, script deadlines, column deadlines and the like. Though they are not chores to people like me who love doing them, a break once in a while can be a tuyo or a daing in a daily routine of steak and lobsters.

Thank you Honda Cars Philippines for having us.

Lifestyle vehicles for those who have "arrived"

Do we see a trend in the local automotive market — multi vehicle launches?

Considering how active the industry is nowadays, this could be a welcome practice for super busy motoring journalists who would have to really find the precious time to be present in all these launching events. It can be a more practical approach too for the auto firms as a multi vehicle launch definitely ends up cheaper and more cost effective.

Well, the latest to join the bandwagon was Toyota Motor Philippines. But of course I’ll never think that they did because they were trying to scrimp.

"Toyota’s Mobile Lifestyle" — the new Land Cruiser Prado, the new Previa and the improved RAV4 were presented in an exclusive media launch the other week at the Makati Golf Club, that new very golfer-friendly driving range.

As Toyota’s "sharp-looking" ladies’ man Ariel de Jesus was busy making that the very pretty models were in perfect position, beside the cars that is, top marketing honcho Danny Isla was confidently telling the motoring media about Toyota’s eminent success in targeting the upper echelon of the market as this 1-2-3 punch of these high performance and versatile vehicles will definitely fit their lifestyles.

You can already check out the trio at any of the Toyota showrooms located all over the country as I await my chance to test-drive any of these beauties.

Dodo Ayuyao Sampaguita Rally

I always look forward to this yearly motor sports event organized by the AAP, Automobile Association of the Philippines (formerly Philippine Motoring Association) to honor its late president who served the association longest and who was also a true advocate and exponent of the Sampaguita Rally. The eagerness is mainly because it’s only the AAP and STV, Sunshine Television Ventures through Motoring Today that presently run such event. While I disqualify myself from events that I organize, I didn’t hesitate at all to have myself counted when Tony Mapa, current president of the AAP came to the office to personally invite me to join this year’s staging.

Scheduled this Saturday, November 15, the route that’s presumably plotted by rally veteran Jun Espino will cover Rizal and Laguna via the Manila East Road and other back roads passing through the towns of Antipolo, Baras, Tanay, Pangkil, Pakil, Lumban, Majayjay, Pagsanjan, Liliw, etc.

The Sampaguita Rally is not a race but an "on time all the time" rally, which requires precision driving and navigation rather that entirely brute speed. That’s why participants may not worry about their vehicles being damage or having undue wear and tear on a normal run. Besides all participants are required to be within legally allowable speeds during the entire rally under the pain of exclusion from the event should any be found not in compliance.

We in Motoring Today have successfully organized two major Sampaguita Rally events that registered the biggest starting line up seen ever since its inception in the 60s. The first one was in Tagaytay and the second in Subic. I hope to have a third one, which was postponed this year due to sponsorship problems, scheduled during the summer of next year. But right now the Motoring Today Team (composed of STV cameraman Matt Mallari, supervising producer Arrin Villareal, vp for production Jenny Bleza as navigators and myself as driver) is all geared up to enjoy our run this Saturday — of course winning the rally would be a bonus.

Happy Motoring!!!

For comments: motoring/today-star@sunshine-tv.com.