Yes, fuel is a factor in economical driving

Let me start by saying that I am in no mood to go into a debate regarding this issue — whether with my readers, my peers nor with the experts. I would just like to express my own opinion in response to some of this column’s readers’ persistent inquiries on this matter.

Mr. Steven Tagle expressed in his letter that all these advertising and promotions regarding better driving economy by using a particular brand of fuel is a lot of bull. Sir, you are entitled to your opinion and I respect it.

Ms. Cinderella Jacob of Baguio City inquires whether switching from one advertised brand to another (both unleaded) is advisable is one brand really has better fuel performance and economy than the other.

There is also Mr. Alfredo Castro who even bought some kind of device, which he thinks doesn’t really work as much as it is claimed.

And I still have quite a slew of those questions in my archives from the time I started as one of the first broadcast journalists for motoring some twenty years ago.

Firstly, I believe that there are many factors involved to be assured of economical driving or driving longer distances using less fuel or having more kilometers run on a liter of fuel.

The first and foremost factor is the vehicle — How big is its engine? How many cylinders does it have? What is its total weight? Is the condition of the engine well fine-tuned that it burns all the fuel that it injects?

The next major factor is the driver — Is he or she a "jack rabbit" starter? Is the driver fond of always having the "pedal on the metal" and breaks just when the vehicle is about to hit something or right before the pedestrian lane of every intersection?

Another vital factor is the driving conditions — Is it always "stop and go" traffic?

And then, the fuel — Does it burn easily? Is it added with additives that help it burn easier and cleaner? And here we have to include the source of the fuel — Are the claims really substantiated? Is there truth in its advertising? Are the additives claimed to be added, really added and do they really work as they are claimed to work?

Yes, fuel has something to do with economical driving. But there are questions that I cannot answer even if I wanted to.

The Best of the Dressed-up

If you have had the chance to judge a beauty pageant and found it quite difficult because of the many choices of beauties, try judging an array of dressed up vehicles and you’ll find it a much harder league.

I was part of the panel of judges composed of Speed magazine’s editor and top motoring technical writer Manny delos Reyes, LTO’s Ditas Gutierrez, well-known automotive technologist specializing in alternative fuels, Eng’r. Alexander Loinaz and top executives of Isuzu Philippines Corporation led by its president, Yoshifumi Komura, EVP Kazuhiko Sho and VP for dealer network Ken Takashima to pick the best entry in the Isuzu Inter-dealer Custom car Competition.

The participating Isuzu vehicles included the Alterra, Crosswind and D-MAX and it was a wide line-up of dazzling dressed up vehicles. Aside from the difficulty of judging the participants based on their pictures, which meant that those that were better photographed may have a slight edge, a big part of the dilemma is how to reconcile what is beautiful to what’s functional. There were some entries that were just equipped with every imaginable accessory that’s available in the market for the model while there were those that had only what’s needed for daily and some special needs.

But actually it was Isuzu that came out the better winner as present and future owners could really assimilate a lot of ideas on how to beautifully and functionally dress up whatever Isuzu model there is — kudos to Myrna Gonzales and her group for the well-thought of project.

And here are the winners:

Overall Mixed Competition

1st Place : Alterra c/o IADI Alabang

2nd Place : DMax c/o BMD Bulacan

3rd Place : DMax c/o Gencars Batangas

Best Entry Category

Best in Alterra : BMD Cabanatuan

Best in DMax : IADI Cavite

Best in Crosswind : Isuzu Manila

Honda/Button Victory Party at Sports Den

Honda’s close friends from the Philippine motoring media celebrated last Friday, August 12 up to the wee hours of the next morning for the maiden "top of the podium" finish of Jenson Button and Honda’s first ever victory since its return to Formula One and also since it decided to go solo as a team.

The "Sports Den", the newly opened sports and gaming room cum TV lounge at the plush Valle Verde Country Club located just across the ULTRA in Pasig City was the chosen venue for the affair. Booze and classic Pinoy "pika-pikas" flowed to the motoring journalists’ delight while watching a replay of the Hungarian Grand Prix at the cozy place’s wide screen monitor.

Loud cheers and jeers were heard almost all through out the showing of the race especially during the many highlights of the spectacular race, the most thrilling so far in the year’s series. You can actually tell who of the journalist are partial to which race driver judging on the cheer or jeer but of course it was Jenson and the Honda F1 Racing Team that was the toast of everyone — after all it was our good friend Arnel Doria, newly-promoted division head for marketing of Honda Cars Philippines, Inc. (HCPI) who was taking care of the tab.

"We initially thought of holding the party in a more public place but then now we are glad we decided to have it here at the Sports Den as everybody feels so safe, at ease and at home just boozing & whooping it up the whole night" said the also newly-promoted Tin Tin Reyes, who is now the full-fledged top honcho (Group Head) for corporate communications of HCPI.

James Deakin of STAR, C! Magazine and Auto Extreme was one of those who came early for the party and joined later by Dino Directo of Standard/Rev Magazine, Lester Dizon of STAR/Motorcycle Magazine while SPMJ members who were present included Anjo Perez of Bulletin, Brian Afuang of Manila Times and Ron delos Reyes of Auto Review. There was also the STAR’s top sales account manager Jeff Reyes, STAR’s occasional Motoring section contributor Ayvi Nicolas, STAR’s very own Motoring editor and SPMJ member Dong Magsajo and quiz wizard and top-notched writer Bong Barrameda.

Well-known sports and motoring columnist Al "Sir Paul" Mendoza together with Top Gear chief editor/Manila Times motoring columnist and SPMJ founding director Vernon Sarne did another medley of Beatles hits after the showing of the race.

Monaco here we come, Arnel-san?

Pit Lane Notes

Let me just correct myself about Schumy not having any points after the Hungarian Grand Prix. I wrote last week’s piece right after the race to meet the column’s deadline before the official word of a driver’s disqualification to allow Michael Schumacher to gain one championship point to narrow the gap to only 10 — a top of the podium finish for the German and DNF race for the defending champion shall even things up. Of course, Fernando Alonso would do everything in his power to prevent this scenario from happening. But we have to remember that it’s a combination of "man & machine" mainly and a lot more of other things. Anything can happen in Formula One.

It’s the Turkish Grand Prix that’s up next.

Motoring Tip of the Week

Here’s another sequel to the "keeping up your engine rev" topic in our "Driving Through Floods" series in answer to the letter sent in by one of our readers, Mr. Gary Y. Reyes, who maintains "The exhaust system of a vehicle is always pushing out gases and there is no sucking action so water cannot get in through the exhaust pipe while the engine is running" and I cannot agree with you any much more than what you said. And the most important part of what you wrote in this discussion is the part I had underlined — "while the engine is running".

The reason for the emphasis and the logic on "keeping your engine’s revolution high" is precisely to avoid a possible ceasing. Because once the engine stops, that’s when the sucking action sort of happens and that’s when the water gets into your engine and into your electronics and end of story — you’re stuck.

Auto Focus on Sports Plus

Just to remind you that Auto Focus, where you see exclusively for 60 solid minutes the best and the latest in automobiles and the auto industry airs tomorrow, Thursday at 10 o’clock in the evening on Sports Plus (Channel 34 on Sky Cable).

Happy Motoring!!!

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