I’m in Europe again visiting family, and I noticed the people here are avid motorcycle users. They ride it every day to commute to and from work, and for their errands. The streets are full of parked bikes waiting for their owners to return.

I also noticed that a lot of the bikes are impressive. Every now and then a superbike will go roaring past, making me do a double take to see if it’s an exotic car. But a lot of them I see just parked on the curb. I may not know a lot about two-wheeled machines, but I know amazing machines when I see them. So out my iPhone came and I snapped a few photos of the bikes when I could.

You have to forgive me if I can’t identify the motorcycles. What I know about bikes is inversely proportional to what I know about cars. You can see the names on some of them clearly, but for the sake of consistency I didn’t label any of them and let the pictures speak for themselves. If you care to enlighten me about these machines, please do. And if, like me, you want to be more informed about motorcycles, watch out for our sister bike magazine called Top Bikes next month.

1. 2.3.4.5.6. 7. And this bike has an interesting anti-theft device on its front disc brake.

8.

Just before Holy Week this year, our House of Representatives did something useful. They finally passed on the third and final reading a bill giving tax breaks for hybrid, electric and alternative-fuel vehicles. And while I’m glad it’s finally approved, it’s a long overdue law.

Toyota Motor Philippines has been waiting for this since they launched the Prius here in our market in 2009. And while still waiting they introduced the smaller Prius C early this year—to the surprise of almost everyone considering how tepid the response to the Prius was. A big reason for the underwhelming market response was criticism for the Prius’ price; an amount that put it squarely above Toyota’s popular Camry midsize sedan. So it’s no surprise that Filipino motorists opted to go for the larger, flashier and more powerful midsize sedan.

Can Camry buyers be blamed? The Prius has a liftback body shape—an automotive body type that has never sold well in our country, regrettably—it’s not particularly fast, it’s comfortable but not luxurious, it’s pleasant looking but not sleek, and a lot of people still don’t understand what a hybrid is.

That’s a shame because we in the Top Gear team, and I believe I speak for most of us, really like the Prius. I won’t go into detail about our fondness for the car, we’ve written several stories about it already. But for me it boils down to it being able to do what we want cars to do, which is to get us from point A to point B, and it does so very well.

Because it’s a hybrid and it utilizes two sources of power, namely a gasoline engine and an electric motor, it moves differently than a regular car. Torque from an electric motor is instant; you get all of its pull instantly. There’s a smoothness and immediacy to its power delivery.

We got reacquainted with this recently when we took the Prius and its Prius C sibling to Baguio for this month’s fun road trip. (Grab a copy of the May 2012 issue now). I’ve driven the Prius several times before but it was the first time I would be taking it up to Baguio; a route that usually tests a vehicle’s power. To make a long story short, the hybrid acquitted itself very well.

But beyond being an interesting mode of transportation, a big part of the Prius’ appeal is still its fuel efficiency, and because of that, its smaller environmental footprint. Now the long-standing reason for this emphasis on saving the environment is that crude oil, that precious black gold that countries have been willing to go to war for, has always been a finite resource. Crude oil is also bad for the planet because the burning of fossil fuels results in carbon dioxide, the infamous greenhouse gas that is a big factor in global warming. And to make things worse, as the resource dwindles, tensions in the Middle East will escalate, the cost of fuel will rise, and this will negatively affect the motoring lifestyle we now enjoy.

However recent developments in drilling have opened up new reserves of crude oil. I read a feature story in an issue of Time magazine that came out early last month. It outlined the new frontiers of oil exploration that have opened up. The catch is, it they won’t be cheap to extract because getting to them is not easy.

The Time article outlined several new ways in which oil is being extracted:

Tight oil – This is crude that is bound to shale, a soft sedimentary rock. Getting to the oil requires fracking. It sounds like a cuss word but it’s a process of injecting millions of gallons of water mixed with chemicals to separate the oil from the rock. These chemicals can contaminate groundwater if the process is done wrong, but no cases have been documented yet.

Arctic offshore – In a bit of irony, because global warming is melting the polar ice caps, areas that were once inaccessible due to ice have opened up for offshore drilling. But it’s still the Arctic, if drilling in the middle of the ocean is hard, try it in an environment filled with icebergs and dangerous storms.

Presalt deepwater – This means drilling deeper for oil to tap reservoirs under thick layers of salt below the ocean floor. It means tunneling through 3,000 meters of water and 1,500 meters of salt. These wells are deeper than the ones involved in the infamous BP oil spill in 2010. No one wants to imagine the consequences of a blowout at that depth.

Oil shale – This is shale that contains something called kerogen. The rock is mined and then heated to separate oil from the shale. The problem is there are toxic byproducts to this method, plus the mining and processing cost is still too high to make it feasible. But the potential payoff is huge. By some estimates there are 800 billion barrels of oil reserves that can be derived from oil shale. That’s three times the size of Saudi Arabia’s current reserves.

Oil sands – In Canada, the bitumen that we use as asphalt for our roads can be further refined into crude oil. But it is a process that leaves large piles of toxic byproducts. The gasoline that can be derived from this has 10 to 15 percent more emissions than regular oil because of the extra energy needed to refine it.

So oil might not be running out after all. It’s just harder to get, which makes it more expensive to source. And so we need smart, fuel-efficient cars like the Toyota Prii more than ever to lessen our dependence on oil. Because the biggest threat isn’t that we’ll run out of fossil fuel, it’s what will happen to the planet if we burn it all with our cars.

The accent of my last name is on the first syllable, not the second. I never asked my family why this distinction was created, but in hindsight one reason is rather obvious. When I was a chubby grade schooler my teacher brought up the etymology of surnames. I cringed and waited for the inevitable teasing.

But it’s been decades since then. And I believe that growing up hearing all the possible permutations of jokes about my last name—and I studied in an all-male educational institution by the way—inadvertently sharpened my wit by learning how to retaliate creatively. If any of you want to learn how to inject more wit and dry humor into your writing, that’s one way to do it.

While I was able to turn the teasing into an advantage somehow, the portly body I’ve had most of my life became a definite disadvantage. At first it was merely embarrassing discomforts: difficulty fastening seatbelts during airplane flights, squeezing into very small city cars (I notice some people watch in fascination when I enter a Suzuki Alto, Kia Picanto or other tiny cars), or event t-shirts being a tight fit.

And when reviewing cars, I suspected the extra cushioning I had was insulating me from the harsher suspensions of some cars. I never found the Toyota Fortuner matagtag for some reason.

But eventually my excess fat led to a more serious dilemma—I developed sleep apnea. I wrote about this extensively in a feature that came out in the magazine in 2007, where I connected sleep apnea in general to drivers falling asleep at the wheel. To make a long story short, the extra fat was affecting my ability to sleep effectively. My doctor recommended, strongly, that I lose weight.

I had to, it was affecting my life and my job. So I slowly cut down on food and tried to exercise more. It’s not easy if you knew the kind of food we’re fed during events and lunches with PR people.

This is the steak I ate in Mamou with Subaru distributor Motor Image.

This is the breakfast buffet in Shangri-La Boracay during the Toyota Innova launch there.

While I wasn’t at my weight anymore circa 2007, obviously there’s still a long way to go.

Recently I had a chance to get a major push in having a more healthy body, as well as a better lifestyle. Late last year I joined other motoring media and motoring executives in a gym-sponsored fitness challenge. It was called the Fitness First Lose It, Lose Big Challenge Motoring Edition. It was a 13-week program supervised by a nutritionist and a physical trainer that will supposedly lead to significant weight loss. The ‘challenge’ part was a contest between those who participated; the one who loses the most weight wins the challenge.

We were asked to choose which Fitness First branch we wanted, and I chose The Fort. My gym buddy was Ian Peña from Motorcycle Magazine. And we were both assigned to Fitness First The Fort’s most engaging trainer, Irene Rafil.

I’ve enrolled in a gym before but I’ve never had a trainer. The closest I’ve had were the power-tripping ROTC officers I experienced in college. But in the course of the program, I learned that the good trainers don’t bark orders and tell you you can do 200 push-ups, the good coaches assess you and push you just to the edge of your limit—and sometimes a little over. At the end of each session, I felt that every ounce of my energy was rightfully expended.

The trainers in Fitness First all have resumes on the wall, and rankings like gold, platinum and so on. The resumes also list what they’re trained to do as well, and our trainer Irene had a list so long—it included sports like boxing and muay thai—I thought she would run out of space on her page.

But she put her wide range of calorie-busting talents to good use. She made us use equipment like the stationary bike, the stepper, the cross-trainer, the row machine and the various weight apparatus. I felt good not so much from the direct weight loss, but because I was becoming more flexible and stronger from the training.

Eventually we tried body exercises like push-ups, burpees, planking (not the pa-cute Internet pose, the grueling endurance exercise), lunges, sit-ups and other exercises whose names escape me at the moment. And there are interesting twists sometimes. Instead of a usual sit-up, Irene asked us to lift our legs to better isolate the abdominal muscles. In other words, it’s a sit-up but much harder to execute. After one set, my stomach muscles froze and didn’t want to budge—I was cramping. It was so pathetic I found it funny, so I laughed and my stomach muscles contracted, which added to the pain which I also found funny. So for a few minutes my face was alternating between laughter and contorting in pain. Now I know what it feels like to be schizophrenic.

Then we moved to stuff like boxing and muay thai, and I learned why boxers do so many stomach exercises. Movement in boxing comes from the abs, not solely from the arm, and definitely not from the wrist. When kicking during muay thai, I realized that the arms serve as a balancing mechanism; a counterweight. Before this I thought the arms were just flair for movie fight scenes.

In the long run I lost some weight but not as much as I hoped. The temptation of Christmas feasts was just too much for my willpower. But I learned so many things about fitness and health after the program. I don’t eat as much now, because Irene told me 70 percent of losing weight comes from the diet. I also don’t stuff myself because I have a very clear idea of how hard it is to lose all the excess fat.

Maybe I’ll come back to the gym when time and budget permits. In the meantime I’ll make more time to bike around my village and take more walks. I still like food a lot and eating is great, but it really is more fun when you don’t have to suffer its ill effects.

We in Top Gear seem to have a tradition of managing editors getting married. Two out of the four lovely women who have held the position for the magazine now have new surnames. Clarissa ‘Conch’ Concio and Carmela Ortiz are now Clarissa Concio-Tiglao and Carmela Ortiz-Kaewdaeng respectively.

And now it’s online managing editor Barbara Lorenzo’s turn. Last week she and our former officemate Mark Caluag tied the knot in a beautiful wedding. As you might surmise, Barb’s love story actually began here in the office. Mark was with Summit Media’s digital group, same as Barbs.

From casual meriendas, their relationship blossomed into a Facebook-certified partnership, and it just kept growing stronger—even when Mark transferred to Singapore for greener pastures. Then Mark surprised Barbs by coming home and not telling her. She was in their alma mater, UST, with some friends when he suddenly appeared and got down on one knee. In her elated surprise all she could say was, “Tayo, tayo!” (“Stand up!”) All Mark could say was, “pero hindi mo pa ako sinasagot.”

Obviously she said yes, because last January 24, 2012, we all took out our coats and neckties from storage and made ourselves very presentable for a change. (You have to understand that what passes for our uniform here in Top Gear is the kind of clothes we wore in college: jeans, plain t-shirts and sneakers). Even associate features editor Sharleen Banzon—whose idea of dressing up for an event is to simply choose more neutral-colored clothes—wore a sheer blue Zara ensemble.

Other than donning a suit and a tie, I had a special role to play in the union of Mark and Barbs. Every wedding needs a wedding car, and after an intense bidding war between Mercedes-Benz, Lexus and BMW (I kid you not), Barbs simply chose the brand that offered first—Mercedes-Benz. And she sweetly asked me if I would be so kind enough to drive it. How could I say no?

So there I was at the lobby of the Dusit Thani hotel in Makati right after lunch. CATS Motors PR manager Grace Enriquez personally lent us a white Mercedes-Benz S300, the flagship model of their range.

It even had special plates.

Someone came down with the ultimate traffic enforcer deterrent: the flowers for the bridal car. I didn’t realize how hard it is to attach those things.

Finally it was ready.

So I waited for the bride to come down.

Before long Barbs came out resplendent in her wedding gown.

The S300 has amazing rear legroom, but fitting a bridal gown and its train put its space to the test.

But soon Barbs was more than comfortable and ready to be whisked to church. No wonder the Mercedes S-Class is a popular bridal car.

At the church we waited by the large main doors while everything was being prepared inside. No wonder women always dream of a grand wedding, so much of the ceremony and celebration is centered on the bride. The wedding simply won’t start until she enters the church.

But first, duty calls. Barbs does some last minute updating of the Top Gear website. Just kidding. She just wrote some lines she wanted to include in her wedding vows.

Finally she’s ready and is positioned for her entrance. I estimated the gown to be three times as large as Barbs in terms of volume. The S300 legroom is amazing.

Barbs smiled in her last few minutes of being single, excited for the journey that awaited.

Here we go.

Cue music and…

I’ll pretend this is a fashion blog and check out what the other people are wearing.

Here’s Sharleen:

Managing editor Stephanie Asi and Mercedes-Benz PR manager Grace Enriquez.

Art director Jaykee Evangelista hams it up with Barbs’ online staff writer, Patrick Tadeo.

And the wedding is over. The new Mr. and Mrs. Caluag are feted with bubbles in lieu of confetti. I also learned that most, if not all, churches don’t allow throwing of rice anymore.

The crowd asks for a kiss.

Meet the Caluags.

The bosses: Neil Palabrica, former digital publisher for Summit Media’s men’s titles websites, and Top Gear editor in chief Vernon Sarne.

At the reception in Blue Leaf, Grace and Steph were joined by BMW distributor Asian Carmakers Corporation’s Pauline Gonzales.

After dinner, Mark came up on stage and said the wedding wasn’t complete if he didn’t sing to his new wife. Mark used to be part of the Manila Chamber Singers, a choir that sang and competed abroad.

Steph is touched and moved to tears. Being a hard-core romantic, she actually looked more emotional than Barbs.

Then came the part that blew us away. The late Steve Jobs was famous for his “And there’s one more thing…” line. That’s the part in his iconic presentations where the audience thought the best introductions were over, but he pulls one more rabbit out of the bag. Mark said he had one more surprise. He knew Barbs’ favorite band is the Itchyworms, and he got them to perform just for their wedding.

Lead vocalist Jugs Jugueta greets the couple.

And they begin with ‘Gusto Ko Lamang sa Buhay’, which is, if you think about it, an awesome motto for a marriage. It’s certainly something I’ll follow.

If this wasn’t ‘their song’ before, it certainly is now.

The party continues.

One last photo before the evening ends.

The guests leave and I stayed behind. I have one more special duty to perform: drive the couple back to their hotel. Post-wedding matters are settled with the coordinator.

I confess it was bittersweet to see Barbs get hitched. Through the years we’ve worked with her, we’ve shared many road trips, planning sessions and countless meals and meriendas in our office pantry. In our team, she was our little sister, our muse, our confidant—she was our Barbs. But we’re all happy for her, because if I know Barbs, she would never have gotten married unless it was with absolutely the right guy. Barbs never seemed like the type of girl who spent her 20s planning the picture-perfect wedding. And she didn’t have to be, because she showed us that the perfect wedding will happen once you find the right person. Everything else, even a surprise live performance by one of the best bands rocking the country right now, was just icing on the wedding cake.

Before we drove to the hotel, the Caluags pose beside the license plate specially made by Mercedes-Benz distributor CATS Motors. Then I drove them to the hotel, for the first night of the rest of their lives.

The great thing about cars is that they can be appreciated on many levels. Most of the time we appreciate them on a visual level, and on this level itself there are numerous ways: motor shows, magazines, websites (ahem), Tumblr (lots of car porn here) and seeing them on fun runs during weekends on the way to Tagaytay. During car shows we can also appreciate the intensity of some car audio setups, allowing us to appreciate automobiles on an aural level.

Via motor sport, cars can also be appreciated on a competitive level. This weekend for instance, many Ferrari fans will hope Alonso finishes high so that Vettel’s dominance can be stopped—or at least put on hold.

But the best way to experience a car is to drive it. In my experience, you don’t even have to drive it to the limit. (And if you do, you better have the skill to back it up.) Sitting in the cabin and feeling how a car responds, how it pampers, how it stops and just how it makes you feel when you’re behind the wheel—this is what appreciating cars is all about.

There are cars we want to drive more than others. For me, it’s an eclectic mix of sports cars, SUVs, coupes and a pickup. So here’s my list of current-production cars that I want to drive, soon hopefully. And once I’ve driven them, you’ll be the first to know.

Cars may be nice to look at, but that’s not what they’re built for.

1. Chevrolet Camaro – My neighbor has a blue one, and there are days when the car made me late because I thought I had a few minutes to spare to stare at it. It’s just a stunning, head-turning automobile. I’ve always wanted to experience a modern muscle car. And yes, as cliché and immature as it sounds, I’m still not over the Transformers connection.
2. Ferrari 458 –Some say it’s the best Ferrari in ages, and that even Ferrari themselves are surprised at how well it turned out. All I know is, anyone who calls himself a car nut has to drive a Ferrari at least once in his life, and this is what I want to drive.
3. Ford F-150 SVT Raptor – There are times when I want a pickup that’s oozing with brawn to handle rough trails and intimidate irresponsible public utility vehicles. A strengthened F-150 pickup powered by a 6.2-liter V8 that puts out 411hp will do nicely.
4. Mercedes-Benz G-Class – For me this is the ultimate SUV. Designed for military standards and capable of handling almost any terrain, the basic design has remained unchanged for more than 30 years, and it still looks damn good. I admit I wouldn’t know how to maximize its off-road capabilities, but learning from our off-road gurus Beeboy Bargas and Robby Consunji is part of the fun.
5. Honda Jazz – I drive a Toyota hatchback now and I love it. But if there came a time when I would have to replace it, I’d probably get another hatchback. And this is one of the candidates.
6. Ford Fiesta M/T – This is the other candidate if I ever have to choose a hatchback. I’ve driven the Fiesta S dual-clutch, automatic version, and the chassis is brilliant to drive. But the transmission was erratic at low rpm, and I was tipped off that the manual variant is better. This I have to see.
7. Audi R8 – It’s amazing how the Germans managed to create something that can turn heads as much as the Italian supercars. Its blend of design and engineering make it the perfect car for tech-savvy playboys or people who want to be noticed when they arrive at the red carpet. I can only imagine what it’s like to drive it.
8. BMW 1-Series M Coupe – This list wouldn’t be complete without a BMW M car, and this is my current favorite (previous M fantasy cars were the E46 M3 and the E90 M3). I’ve driven the 135i with the performance kit and that car is a beast. This should be more challenging to drive, but with a six-speed manual and a twin-turbo inline-six, I want all the time in the world to see if I can tame it.
9. Hyundai Genesis Coupe – This is the car that surprised everyone when it came out. It’s sleek, powerful, rear-wheel drive and most importantly, wore a Hyundai badge in front. It would be nice to experience the car that shifted Hyundai’s character from ho-hum to oh wow.
10. Lexus CT200h – I’m a fan of the Toyota Prius, the most underappreciated car currently on sale now. The combination of Lexus refinement and the silence and technology of a hybrid vehicle makes me itching to take the CT200h out for a spin.
11. Toyota Land Cruiser – I’ve always admired the Toyota Land Cruiser since the 80 Series models appeared on our streets in the mid-90s. Now it’s still the same hulking, intimidating (notice a trend here?) and powerful SUV but it looks more comfortable now and it has a commanding presence on the road. Still, when you need it to, it can climb muddy mountain trails and laugh at potholes on the streets.
12. Mazda MX-5 – Who can resist the appeal of a small, convertible roadster? I imagine going on a road trip in this with an overnight bag in the back, and looking for some mountain roads to play with, then stopping to sleep at the first (affordable) hotel I find. As the sun sets while I’m on the road, I lower the roof, play ‘Tiny Dancer’ by Elton John on my music player, and savor the closest feeling I can get to driving and being one with the outdoors.
13. Porsche 911 Carrera S M/T – Botchi always said Porsches are the best driving cars on the planet. I’m afraid of the 911 GT cars because they can kill you if you get too reckless. I’ll be happy exploring the capabilities of a Carrera S with a stick shift.
14. Volkswagen Golf GTI – This is the car that fuels the European obsession with hot hatches. I want to see what the fuss is all about.
15. Fiat 500 – I saw plenty of these when I was in Rome. They’re like Mini Coopers with an Italian flair. In some ways, they’re even more stylish than the Minis. The interior alone is something to relish just sitting inside.
16. Lamborghini Gallardo 560-4 – A supercar with an Italian spirit built by exacting Germans, the Gallardo is a machine that stirs the soul. Its raw appeal is a contrast to Ferrari’s calculated, sexy image.
17. Nissan GT-R – If Jeremy Clarkson is to be believed, the GT-R accelerates like nothing on earth. This was proven by Motor Trend’s much-posted drag race on the internet. For all of Nissan’s faults here and in the rest of the world, they somehow made up for it by building this Porsche-challenging sports car with Godzilla levels of performance.

I have a confession to make. I fell asleep while watching the first Cars movie. I saw it in Alabang with my friend Binky and Lije, the then 7-year-old son of our mutual friend Jenina. I recall it was during the scenes where Lightning McQueen and Tow Mater were tipping tractors that I dozed off. It must have been weariness from lack of sleep. I don’t know how long I was unconscious, but I remember it was a good movie, although not up to the usual Pixar quality, I thought.

Then I watched it again during a long plane flight, fully awake, and it was a revelation to me. The story was poignant, the music complemented the scenes perfectly, and the movie felt complete. I was actually teary-eyed during the final scene where McQueen pushes Strip “The King” Weathers across the finish line.

So when a good friend of Top Gear’s gave the team free tickets to a Cars 2 screening, most of us trooped excitedly to the Podium cinemas to watch. And the film just blew us away. Throughout the movie our peals of laughter could be heard inside the movie theater, probably making the kids who were watching bewildered at why these immature grown-ups were laughing during “their” movie.

So if you haven’t seen it by now, here are eight good reasons why you should stop what you’re doing and head out to the nearest movie theater—3D or not.

1. It’s a Pixar movie – Director John Lasseter and the rest of the Pixar crew are good at one thing, and it’s not the technical genius of bringing animated worlds to life: They know how to tell stories. This is the main reason why they are the most successful movie studio in the world. No other film company has a better track record. The Pixar films considered “weak” are still veritable blockbusters, raking in profit and basking in critical acclaim. You non-Pixar movie studios listen up, we just want to be told good stories. That’s all it takes to make awesome films. I know it’s a lot easier said than done, but that’s why we fork over our hard-earned money; so you can fill two hours of our lives with enriching images and engrossing story lines—yes, we will pay for good movies and not resort to Manong Dibidi.
2. It has awesome cars – Cars 2 is nothing short of cargasm. Car nuts will have a field day naming the cars on screen and the voices behind them. And the sounds, oh wow. The first Cars only had NASCAR-derived engine sounds because McQueen raced in an American stock car racing series. But now there are other race cars from different motor sports: Francesco Bernoulli, a Formula 1 car; an unnamed rally car that looks like a Subaru Impreza WRX STI; Sir Nigel Gearsley, an Aston Martin DB9 LeMans car; a DTM touring car; Lewis Hamilton, a McLaren MP4-12C race car; and Jeff Gorvette (voiced by Jeff Gordon), a Chevrolet Corvette C6 LeMans car. There are other cars I’m sure the car lovers among you will have fun naming.
3. It’s an espionage movie – Michael Caine voices Finn McMissile, a secret agent investigating an elaborate plot to discredit alternative fuel. His car is a combination of automobiles of onscreen secret agents: a Volvo P1800, a BMW 507 and an Aston Martin DB5. McMissile is fitted with all sorts of gadgets and weapons that reminded me of why I fell in love with James Bond films in the first place; no matter what the situation, Bond has a device or gadget that saves him to die another day. Whereas the first Cars was set in Radiator Springs and the Piston Cup racing world, Cars 2 has a more global perspective. Pixar successfully introduced a new aspect to the Cars universe and pulled it off perfectly. The espionage aspect is so realistic some cars even die, an aspect that surprised me knowing how owner Disney treats character deaths (notice how most Disney villains fall to their demise and not by the heroes’ hands?).
4. Mater is the lead – If you found Mater funny and amusing in the first flick, you will be happy to know he has a more prominent role in Cars 2. He actually gets the lead role and the story revolves around his misadventures as a spy.
5. It doesn’t matter if you watch in 3D or not – Most 3D movies are just a marketing gimmick to charge us more money for a few scenes the studio worked in to justify the 3D badge. In my opinion, the only 3D movie worth watching in 3D was Avatar, because James Cameron envisioned it in that viewing format. But with films as good as Pixar, 3D can be ignored. I watched Toy Story 3 three times, twice in 2D and once in 3D. I enjoyed them equally. Same with Cars 2. The 3D rendering works in that the visuals are enhanced, but if you watch it in 2D you will enjoy just as much—and there’s no loss of brightness from seeing the movie in the tinted 3D glasses. Yes, those glasses diminish the light from the projector. If you’re into 3D, and I know some people are, and you don’t mind forking over more cash, go ahead and enjoy the 3D scenes.
6. The scenery is amazing – Lightning McQueen competes in the World Grand Prix, a race series set in Japan, Italy and England. Lasseter and his team create stunning vistas and city race tracks for the cars to compete in. The Japan race is at night, and Tokyo’s futuristic lights are realistically portrayed (trust me, I know) to a remarkable degree of accuracy. I wish I could see Pixar do its own version of Initial D or Wangan Midnight. In Italy the cars race in the Italian Riviera, a course that snakes through the mountains and the seaside with a little of the Monaco GP track thrown in. The roads here are so beautiful I wanted to drive on them.
7. It’s so much funnier – What do you expect from a movie with Mater as the protagonist? His fish-out-of-water encounters as a lifetime Radiator Springs resident seeing the world for the first time are a rich source of comedy. That being said, one movie critic is right, the first Cars had more heart and drama than this one. And emotional moments are a Pixar hallmark, they’re so good at finding tender moments in their stories. There’s less of that here, but it’s not necessarily a bad thing. Taken for what it is, an espionage adventure around the world set in a three-part race, it’s loads of fun.
8. The short film before the movie is hilarious – All Pixar movies have an opening short film, and here it picks up where Toy Story 3 left off. Woody, Buzz and the gang are in Bonnie’s room while Bonnie is on vacation in Hawaii. Suddenly Barbie and Ken pay them a visit. I just laughed the moment I saw the short film’s title.

Photos courtesy of Pixar

It’s hard for a car company to be cool. Mainly because a car company doesn’t have to be cool to be profitable. Look at the number one carmaker in our country: Toyota. Toyota vehicles are the most reliable cars being made today. But it’s hard to think of what car in their lineup is considered cool. The Camry? Dadmobile. Innova? School bus. Vios? Sales agent transport. I think the Hilux is rather cool in that it straddles the line between ruggedness and style. The Top Gear TV show thinks it’s cool, but only after they tried wrecking it.

If there’s any car company that makes Toyota look over its shoulder, it has to be Hyundai. The past several years saw Hyundai Asia Resources Incorporated (HARI), the official distributor, come out with hit after sales hit. No matter what engine a Hyundai has under the hood, the Starex, the Tucson and the Accent only have one sound to the ears of Hyundai dealers: the sound of a cash register ringing. So we know that Hyundai cars sell, but are any of them cool? The model that comes closest to coolness is the Genesis Coupe. Hyundai sprang a surprise on us when they came out with that RWD 300hp firecracker.

But it’s not cool yet, because this is.

This is the Hyundai Veloster. Yes, those are Philippine plates on it. I saw this in a badminton court parking lot on my way to the office (so pardon the amateur iPhone photography). I’ve been seeing stolen shots on the Internet for the past few weeks now, but seeing it standing still is a sight to behold.

After the Tucson and the Sonata, I thought I already adjusted to the Koreans’ new proficiency in car design, but the Veloster made me tip my hat to their designers once more. I mean look at it, it looks better than anything in Toyota or Honda’s lineup. Hyundai did what the Japanese are increasingly averse to doing, designing cars that take risks in design. Yes this is a design risk. The older baby boomer generation might not appreciate it. They’ll think it’s too avant-garde, too weird, or both. That’s actually some sort of validation that this a cool car. You know what it reminds me of?

Fine, call it blasphemy to compare an exotic supercar to a Korean upstart—no matter how well the design. But do you see it? Here are the other cool style touches.

The headlights are very swept back and there’s a cleft that reminds me of the Aston Martin One-77 face.

The tires even have cool red lines that complement the overall look of the Veloster. I wonder if it matches in the other car colors too.

The rear is kind of odd-looking, but you can’t accuse it of being boring. But that center exhaust is sweet, it reminds me of the one in the Lamborghini Aventador. I know at this point it sounds like Hyundai is raiding the designs of current supercars, but do you really care? At least it’s not wholesale copying like the Chinese are doing.

I spoke to HARI about the Veloster and they said they have no problem bringing it in save for this:

That GDI logo is the issue. It stands for the kind of engine the Veloster has: a 1.6-liter four-cylinder Gasoline Direct Injection motor that generates 138hp. HARI says the kind of fuel we have is too dirty for the GDI engine. They sent samples of our petrol to Korea where it is now being evaluated, to determine if it’s compatible with the Veloster’s only engine variant. Well, this car is obviously running on local fuel, and it seems to be doing okay.

Hyundai proved that they can develop and build a cool automobile, the only thing cooler would be if they can officially bring it in for the Filipino motorist to enjoy.