December 01, 2007

QUICK MOTORING NEWS 12/01/07

Cometh the Challenger
Come December 3, orders for Chrysler 2008 “Dodge Challenger” can be made—the new rendition paying adequate homage to Kowalski’s 1970 Challenger. From the high beltline and muscular haunches, to the aggressively serene snout—this new challenger is a beauty. I think this sits a notch above the new Camaro on my “to buy” list, unless of course I come across a 70’s Challenger R/T somewhere in the Philippines…. One can only hope.



















Evil Kneivel dies
. All of us adrenaline junkies have lost a hero. Instead of moping around, let me just show you a few of the things he did (Note that these crash scenes may bring grown men to tears):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYGGCVE2lKY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wsq3dWTrRWA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gg9Hrp0CVms&feature=related

Dubai purchases hybrids (http://www.autointell.com/News-2007/November-2007/nov-4/november-28-07-p1.htm): Probably a massive marketing gimmick but one with good intentions nonetheless. Despite my passion for large, gas guzzling engines, I am actually quite concerned and active about the preservation of our environment. Hybrid technology has gotten to the point where it is a realistic alternative to the common, gas combustion engine. Toyota and GM have made tremendous advances in this field and while the costs are still slightly subsidized by the automotive companies, they are starting to be come affordable for most mid to high income consumers. Unfortunately I doubt these hybrids will be commonplace in the Philippines anytime in the next 5 to 10 years, but it would be nice to see a trickling of them on the streets. For the time being, let us focus on getting rid of the jeeps and tricycles, and replacing them with the slightly less polluting and more efficient—bus.

2 comments:

IzzySquishy said...

It's impossible for the government to rid Manila of jeepneys and trikes. A lot of Filipinos depend on them for income. And no matter how noisy and unsightly these jeepneys may seem, it is still uniquely Pinoy. 'Guess it is time to phase out the old ones, build A/C types, and regulate them in terms of number.

The Jolly Jetsetter said...

Yes, or on a more pragmatic sense- develop a better bus system. A proper bus service will be able to handle more passengers, with less or minimal pollution then both jeepney's and tricycles. When you consider that newer buses are starting to become more environmentally friends in terms of emission (Jeepney manufacturers just do not have that technology), it is a better option for the long run. We would just need to develop the right system to manage the influx of buses.

There are also those ludicrously expensive electric jeepneys.