Turbo Zone

 

Known for its commitment to precision, accuracy and form, Volvo has launched the Perfect Drive in 2013, a series of tournament participation in various golf events across the country.

To kick off this year’s activities, the car company partnered with Mizuno for the Mizuno Scramble Golf Classic for the back-to-back golf events held last February 15 and 16, 2014 at Valley Golf and Country Club, Antipolo and the Orchard Golf and Country Club at Cavite. Winners for the Perfect Drive hole went home with the latest Premium Mizuno Yoro Craft Golf Bag.

In addition to showcasing the most accurate drive in each tournament, the Volvo Perfect Drive is also the company’s way of thanking current Volvo owners through providing complimentary Valet Service every tournament as well as providing reserved parking slots for those who would bring their Volvos to the event.

Volvo’s Perfect Drive simply reinforces the attributes of power, precision and perfect form both in the fairway and the highway. These same attributes are what you’ll appreciate whenever you get behind the wheel of any of the new breed of Volvo vehicles.

To know more about exclusive ownership options, visit Volvo Makati, Volvo Alabang, Volvo North EDSA or Volvo Cebu dealerships.

 

While every car manufacturer is going for market share, Ferrari is doing the exact opposite – they limit their global sales output to only 7,000 units per year. To put into local perspective, that’s less than the average monthly – repeat, monthly – sales of Toyota in the Philippines.

After reaching ‘Peak Ferrari’ in 2012 with a record 7,318 sales, the Italian brand decided to limit sales in order to boost exclusivity and in the process help protect margins and residual values for customers.

Ferrari has now revealed that it sold 6,922 cars in 2013, which was down 5.4 percent on 2012’s figure. Despite the decrease in sales, revenue actually rose 5 percent on the previous year at around $3.16 billion. The company also ended 2013 with $1.87 billion in the bank, its highest net cash position ever.

No wonder British research firm Brand Finance named Ferrari the world’s most powerful brand for the second year in a row, putting it ahead of much larger firms such as Apple and Google. The brand rating not only takes into account financial metrics, such as average revenue per customer and investment, but also a complex array of other parameters, including brand affection and loyalty, client management and human resources.

Going for quality sales instead of quantity ain’t a bad thing, it seems. And this is why the most expensive vehicle in the planet right now is a 1964 Ferrari 250 GTO which sold at $52M in a recent auction.

While they already have presence in the Philippine roads, Chinese car brands still endure the stigma of low quality among motorists. However, in the recent turn of events in the global arena, perhaps it is time to stop underestimating the Chinese carmakers.

This week, PSA Peugeot Citroen and China’s Dongfeng have agreed a capital tie-up amounting to more than $4 billion that brings the troubled French carmaker new leadership, more time to turn its business around and an end to two centuries of family control.

Peugeot, Dongfeng Motor Group Co Ltd and the French government have signed a non-binding outline agreement, China’s second biggest carmaker. Under the memorandum of understanding, Dongfeng and the French state will each pay about $1.10 billion for a 14 percent stake in a reserved share sale and a rights issue, Dongfeng said in a statement published on the Hong Kong stock exchange website.

The rescue deal and an expected new lending partnership with Banco Santander will help Peugeot survive the expiry next year of 7 billion euros in state guarantees keeping its lending arm afloat.

Dongfeng is not the first Chinese carmaker to end up the hero. Zhejiang Geely Holding bought Sweden’s Volvo Car in 2010 and SAIC Group acquired South Korea’s SSangyong.

Peugeot has limited market penetration in Southeast Asia. Last year it sold about 6,500 cars in Malaysia, its biggest regional market, accounting for just one percent of that country’s car sales, according to research firm LMC Automotive.

Will this deal trickle down to our market and see Eurobrands, Peugeot’s distributor in the Philippines, merge with Dong Feng? There are several dealerships of the Chinese brand here already. Let’s see what happens.

Amid the impending traffic hell that will be encountered by motorists for at least two years, government officials are proposing a car-less day in EDSA.

While most Metro Manila cities already implement number coding, there are still certain hours where “coded” vehicles can still ply the roads, dubbed “window hours.” Under the proposed scheme, however, the window hours will be eliminated (such as in Makati and Las Pinas), which means the car owner can’t use his vehicle for virtually one whole day.

If implemented, will this provision impact the vehicle sales in the country?

Last month, auto companies posted a decade-high in sales. Data from the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines Inc. (CAMPI) revealed that its member-companies sold 15,642 units last month, increasing from 12,303 units in the same month last year.

According to CAMPI President Rommel Gutierrez, the month of January has always been a slow month as it comes on the heels of a hectic sales period during the holiday season. “If the January sales performance is an indication of things to come, we can expect another record setting year as the industry gears up for more new product launches and bigger activities, such as the much awaited 5th Philippine International Motor Show in September,” Gutierrez said.

However, if the government pushes thru with the car-less day, will Pinoys still be encouraged to buy brand new vehicles?

Globally, a number of countries are already implementing this scheme, or are planning to. Germany, known for its love for cars, is studying ways to eliminate autos by 2034. There are already a handful of car-free communities around the world, but they’re typically small and often focused on tourists seeking a quaint throwback in time. Examples include Michigan’s Mackinac Island or Sark island off the English Channel coast of the U.K.; perhaps the largest is Venice, which simply has no way to open up roads linking its network of small islands.

Meanwhile, Beijing, Shanghai and some other Chinese cities, have been enacting rules to reduce the number of new vehicles that can be sold and registered.

The idea of banning, or at least reducing, the use of automobiles in city centers has become an increasingly hot topic among urban planners, as countries deal with issues as diverse as congestion and smog. According to a new study by IHS Automotive and Groupe Futuribles, congestion will cause annual auto sales to be trimmed by 30 million vehicles annually by 2035.

However, according to website CarFree.com, simply banning automobiles won’t be a quick fix. “The challenge is to remove cars and trucks from cities while at the same time improving mobility and reducing its total costs,” it says.

How about you, Kapuso? Do you think car-less day will be the key to eliminate traffic congestion in our streets?

It is now official that Porsche, through its US office, issued a stop-sales order for the latest 911 GT3 due to reported five incidents of the car catching fire. With the RS version coming out soon, will this affect the image of the model?

Ferrari is perhaps the best-known brand for the impromptu cookout, it seems Porsche may be having a bit of an issue with its latest 911 GT3 acquiring rather more temperature than its design specifications intended.

Nick Twork, manager of product communications for Porsche Cars North America, said they have asked dealers to stop selling the 911 GT3 until the carmaker can analyze reports of engine problems in a very small number of vehicles.

At least five different fires have been reported in recent weeks in Europe, reports Axis of Oversteer.

Accordingly, Porsche is said to have issued a stop sale on the new GT3.

The issue, if it exists, is thought to originate with the engine in the new 911 GT3, though exactly what that issue might be is unknown.

An even-hotter (ha!) 911 GT3 RS is due to arrive this summer, and is expected to sport a lighter curb weight and more race-ready setup among other upgrades.

Closer to home, let’s see what our local Porsche distributor, PGA Cars has to say about this and if they will issue the same stop-sales order.