Chevrolet: Bowtie or bust

Fashion-wise, the bowtie probably ranks as the least used clothing accessory for most Filipinos. Mention "formal attire" and most of us whip out our jusis and pina-cloth barongs in a heartbeat.

But in the realm of cars, the Bowtie brand (that’s "Chevrolet" to the uninitiated) is fast becoming a household word. It may not be as widespread as any of the Japanese makes, but Chevrolet is rapidly gaining ground versus the establishment thanks in part to high-profile vehicles like the Suburban/Tahoe/TrailBlazer SUVs but more because of solidly engineered — not to mention strikingly good-looking — cars like the Chevrolet Optra.

Marketing American-branded automobiles in the Philippines is a tricky affair, especially if the brand involves a diverse array of models sourced from different continents. Ford does it with made-in-America Expeditions and Explorers, Thai-manufactured Rangers and I-don’t-know-where-they’re-made-anymore Lynxes, Escapes and Everests.

Chevy has an even trickier job pushing American-made big trucks side-by-side with Thai-made Optras, Korea-made Aveos, China-assembled Ventures and Luminas and Europe-based-but-Thai-made Zafiras (The latter is an Opel in Germany). That’s a whole gamut of automobiles with vastly different looks, feel and even smells — but with one badge adorning their front grilles: Chevrolet..

So while it’s easy to characterize Toyota as a brand that’s "solid and dead-reliable" or BMW as a "sporty luxury brand," how exactly would you describe a typical Chevrolet in one or two words? That has been the exact same question that has stymied me for the longest time. That is, until I test drove the all-new sixth-generation Corvette in the Batangas Racing Circuit (BRC) two weeks ago.

Okay, "test drive" may not be the appropriate words to describe what I did with the fiberglass-bodied Chevy two-seater. "Rocket around" the track is more like it. How else would any car guy drive a 400-hp 6.0-liter V8-powered sports car than with pedal to the metal, right? And play with it, we did.

Time and again, we would shut off the car’s traction control, rev the engine to about 3500 rpm, pop the clutch and boot that accelerator pedal as far as it can and hang on as the car hurtles to 100 kph in four seconds. You’ll see twin black stripes on the pavement for a good 100 meters. Rev the engine any higher before launching and all you get is wheelspin as the big Goodyears go up in blue smoke with the car barely moving an inch. Yes, it is that powerful. And no, we were not abusing the car as this technique is universally employed to get maximum acceleration.

In the time it takes a typical 1600-cc car to reach 80 kph, the Vette is doing 180. And still accelerating. (Its top speed is an absolutely frightening and too-fast-for-BRC 280 kph.) Needless to say, we never near explored that stratospheric speed in this stupefyingly gorgeous one-off example that’s slated to tour other Asian countries after its Philippine jaunt.

But going fast in a straight line is hardly the only expertise of the Corvette. Like its immediate predecessor, the sixth-generation Corvette ("C6" to its fans) is a world-class handler as well. It’s one of the few cars in the world that can pull 1G in cornering force. That’s equal the pull of gravity but sideways! That means you experience the weight of another person equal to yours leaning on you as you make a hard turn in this Corvette.

I tried it with the car’s stability control system on and it was simply breathtaking. The car’s intelligent system of yaw sensors and ABS modules interacts with the brakes and the engine to selectively apply individual brakes or reduce engine power (by retarding the ignition or by deactivating some cylinders) to control over- or understeer to prevent the driver from losing control. To my passenger, however, the Corvette was simply cornering like it was on rails.

I also tried it with the stability control system off and it was just heart-stopping. Stab the accelerator anywhere more than halfway with the car still not pointed straight into the next corner and it will swing its tail around like a wild horse ridden by an inexperienced rider. To be perfectly honest, I’ve never been scared of driving a fast car until I met this Corvette. And I’ve driven all manner of Porsches and can catch a go-kart twitch in the blink of an eye. Modesty aside.

Yes, General Motors’ "plastic fantastic" is way too much for me. Just as it is way too much for Philippine roads. But if there’s one thing it serves — spectacularly, I might add — it’s to underscore GM’s (and Chevrolet’s) second-to-none engineering and design prowess. These guys know how to build a car — even one that can go like a Ferrari at a fraction of its price. And that, my friends, is one heck of a tall order.

So what does "Chevrolet" mean to me? I’m still at a loss. I guess it depends on which Chevy model first enters my mind. It can be friendly, affordable, handsome, tough, roomy, fuel-efficient, and, for a couple of hours one sunny Friday afternoon, brutally and sensationally fast.

I ought to be wearing bowties more often.

Keep those text messages coming in! Backseat Drivers, this is your venue…

I think it would be better to simply arrest and/or fine jaywalkers and illegally unloading/loading PUVs and buses instead of using railings. We’d be disciplining Filipinos and earning for the government at the same time.

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Teresa Street corner Old Sta. Mesa is traffic all the time due to jeepney barkers.

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Is there anything you can do, Mr. Chairman Bayani, to reprimand bus drivers who squeeze motorists at the foot of the Buendia flyover?

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Under the V. Mapa MRT station, a big signboard says, "WALANG TAWIRAN NAKAMAMATAY" but it is still a busy pedestrian crossing. — 09178506357

Honda Cars Philippines Inc’s recall of Civic units is a step in the right direction.

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Can the MMDA do something to remedy the horrendous traffic in Katipunan fronting Ateneo? The school does have other gates that they can open.

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Traffic enforcers at the intersection of V. Mapa and R. Magsaysay Boulevard in Sta. Mesa are ignoring the tricycles plying the main roads.

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The government can collect more money by enforcing traffic rules and regulations, without necessarily charging new taxes. PUVs and tricycles for example, are they exempted from traffic rules?

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It’s about time traffic lights be installed at the intersections of Mindanao Avenue and Road 3 in Project 6, Quezon City.

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Can somebody please put adequate lights in the underpass of Pioneer Street and Boni Avenue in Mandaluyong? It’s very dark and unsafe. — 09189122973

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