The 10 biggest celebrity car stories of 2018

See that? That’s Coco Martin promoting his new film and current entry in the Metro Manila Film Festival, Jack Em Popoy: The Puliscredibles. Of course, this being Top Gear Philippines and not a showbiz website, we’d prefer everybody focus on the vehicle he’s riding: an Inkas Sentry Armored Personnel Carrier.

Why bring this up now? Well, because the actor and his badass 4x4 were featured in what was by far the hottest celebrity car story on our website. Cardo Dalisay topped the likes of Yassi Pressman and Kim Chiu’s Manila-proof vans, Aga Muhlach’s motorbikes, and Sofia Andres’s near-emergency in the 2018 Toyota Vios Cup.

On that note, Atoy Customs deserves a quick mention here, too. It’s as if the garage turned into Manila’s tuner for the stars overnight in 2018, transforming celebrities’ vans and SUVs into luxurious homes away from home all year round.

Want to see what other cars and personalities made a dent in show business this past year? Read on:

1) Coco Martin’s Inkas Sentry Armored Personnel Carrier

“We already know that the dude has a passion for big, burly off-roaders—like his intimidating, camouflage-covered Toyota FJ Cruiser and Brabus G63—but to go all out and splurge on what’s practically a tank might be a stretch for him. You can practically run over small cars with this thing.”

2) Even more of Cardo’s cool rides

Coco Martin’s garage is as impressive as celebrity car collections come in the Philippines. His toys include a badass-looking Toyota FJ Cruiser, a Ford Mustang GT, a black Toyota Land Cruiser, and of course, the armored beast mentioned above.

3) Kim Chiu’s Manila-proof van

“Singer and actress Kim Chiu posted photos of her new van on Instagram, and it looks like a damn nice rig to travel around in. Her ride features plush leather captain’s chairs with pillow-like headrests that recline and swivel inside the spacious cabin. The rear side-facing seats are also lined with leather.”

4) Yassi Pressman is now traffic-proof

“As you can see, Atoy’s given Yassi the works. There’s a pair of nice leather captain’s chairs in the center, as well as a folding couch/bed and table toward the rear. There’s abundant blue ambient lighting, a sizeable television screen, and a JBL sound system in there, too—just in case Yassi feels like producing another dance video for her countless fans in the middle of traffic. Oh, and there’s a bathroom in there as well. Because EDSA.”

5) Aga Muhlach asks his wife for permission to ride, too

“Aga’s Instagram feed is littered with photos from his ride up to Pagudpud, featuring hashtags like #thankyoumyloveforallowingme and #wehavetokeeponthankingourwivesforallowingustorideourbikes. Yeah, we’re not entirely sure he knows how hashtags work, but he definitely gets his point across. This is one grateful man.”

6) Sofia Andres’s close call

“Race 2 flagged off at almost 11am. With still three laps to go, cheering spectators spotted Race Car No. 7 crawling to the pit lane. But even before reaching the team paddock, 19-year-old actress and model Sofia Andres stopped the car, opened its door, and started vomiting on the pavement.”

7) Scottie Thompson’s classy Fortuner mods

“It’s a clean and classy mod job, and we wouldn’t have expected anything less from Atoy Customs. Thompson’s Fortuner now flaunts a two-tone paint finish with a white body and a glossy black roof, new foglight housings, a front grille reminiscent of a Lexus SUV’s, and large mags courtesy of Black Rhino Wheels. Not bad at all.”

8) Young stars and their cars

Ah, the lifestyles of the rich and famous. This story features Barbie Forteza’s Toyota Fortuner, Liza Soberano’s pimped-up Hyundai Starex, Ella Cruz’s Jeep Wrangler, and more.

9) Did Jamie Foxx just buy a ‘tank?’

“The 50-year-old actor recently took to Instagram to show off his new ride, which he plans to use whenever he feels like he ‘wanna roll over the bulls***.’ Yikes. You might want to steer clear of Foxx the next time he wakes up on the wrong side of the bed.”

10) Paul Lee owns one sleek Toyota 86

“Lee’s photos of his ride date back all the way to the earlier half of 2016 (see below), so this is definitely pre-facelift (if you couldn’t tell by the subtler foglight housings and old logo on the side). Not content with the car’s stock appearance, he’s equipped it with a bodykit more akin to his moniker: Ang Angas ng Tondo.”