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■ Ducati’s genre- crossing Diavel


Ducati, AMG announce partnership as Diavel debuts


DUCATI Motor Holding and AMG, the tuning arm of Mercedes-Benz, have announced a special partnership to “develop common marketing activities.” The agreement, formal- ized at the recent Los Angeles Auto Show by Ducati President and Chief Executive Officer Gabriele del Torchio and AMG Chief Executive Officer Ola Kallenius, calls for AMG to sponsor the Ducati MotoGP Team as the Official Car Partner from 2011 onwards. In selected events, participants will also be able to test- ride Ducati motorcycles and test- drive AMG high-performance cars. Needless to say, it’s a match made in motoring heaven. “We are especially proud to


UP


Hyundai promises ‘game-changing’ qualities in its newly introduced Accent


ability and the car’s aerodynamics. The carmaker cited the Accent’s Alternator Management System, its front bumper lip that avoids any air vortices that may disrupt the car’s aerodynamics as it accelerates, and a deflector placed ahead of the rear tires that purportedly improve airflow, as key components in the Accent’s Blue Drive traits. Safety is another aspect Hyundai— based on its presentation—paid close attention to in designing the Accent. The carmaker noted that its new model’s structure protects occupants and the car’s fuel tank by spreading energy on the vehicle body’s outer frame during a crash. Also, the top variant has two airbags for the passengers in front, and knee protec- tion pads for the driver help in cushioning against a nasty impact. In its cabin, the new Accent Blue is dominated by what Hyundai bills as “X- design fascia,” which in simpler terms means that some of the car’s instruments plus air-conditioning and audio controls are at placed at the center of the dash— like they usually are. The company also cited the automatic “Supervision” illumination of the car’s gauges, as well as the vehicle’s seats that are “engineered with artisan-crafted cushions to prevent repetitive strain injuries while cosseted in soft fabric or leather,” the former for the Accent with a manual gearbox and the latter for the variant with an auto- matic transmission.


Regarding the top-model Accent, the car has a console between the front seats, an additional headrest in the backseat and numerous cubbies every- where. The model also gets an upgraded audio system that reads MP3 files and has a dock for portable music players and a USB port.


Hyundai pegs the new Accent’s prices at P588,000 for the 1.4-liter manual transmission version and P808,000 for the 1.6-liter automatic. That means that the base model of the new car is cheaper while the top variant is pricier than the outgoing Accent that they’re replacing— which, by the way, was powered by a 1.5- liter engine. So apparently, Hyundai is hedging its bet this time around by splitting the Accent to cover two engine segments—at competitive price tags, too. And that speaks well of the Accent’s game-changing intents.


■ The Ducati Diavel alongside a high- performance AMG.


have AMG as one of our sponsors for the Ducati MotoGP Team,” said del Torchio. “I am also very pleased that our joint marketing activities are well under way. In AMG we have found a partner who perfectly reflects our brand values of high performance, motor sport, excitement and our sense of unmistakable style and design.” Kallenius echoed del Torchio’s


view, noting that AMG and Ducati “ideally complement” one another and that both companies share the same passion for racing. “This long- term cooperation will help us to jointly access new customer groups,” Kallenius said. The partnership’s announcement


came at the heels of the introduc- tion of Ducati’s new Diavel, a genre- crossing mix of muscle, cruiser and street rod bike that seems like a mix between the company’s Streetfighter and iconic Monster models—but with plenty more attitude. The Diavel packs a 162- horsepower, 1200cc Testastretta L- Twin engine that sends power to fat 240-section rear tire. It’s the first step into a completely new market for Ducati, an apt move considering its equally new partnership with AMG. FAST TIMES


»METROBANK EMPLOYEES PLANT TREES IN TOYOTA FOREST Employees of Metrobank and their families, who are members of Metro Manila


Area 15 (MMA15) Shining Jewels, recently planted trees at the Toyota Forest inside the 82-hectare Toyota Special Economic Zone in Santa Rosa City, Laguna. The Shining Jewels is a chapter of the Purple Hearts Club, the employee volunteerism organization of Metrobank that’s engaged in community-building and raising environmental awareness. The forest and its tree nursery is maintained by Toyota Motor Phils. Foundation (TMPF), the socio-civic arm of Toyota Motor Phils. (TMP). In the last 20 years, TMPF has actively spread Toyota’s ecological advocacy through seedling donations and environmental awareness campaigns to communities where it operates and to other organizations. At the tree-planting activity are (from left) TMPF Coordinating Officer and Education Sector Head Ronald Gaspar, MMA15 Shining Jewels Chapter Head Amiel Fuentes, Metrobank First Vice President Josephine Yap, TMPF President Dr. David Go, TMP First Vice President Blesilda Rodriguez and TMP Section Manager Danilo Peñaflor.


»HONDA OFFERS AS TOP PRIZE TRIP TO TWIN RING MOTEGI AS part of its 20th anniversary celebration, Honda Cars Phils. Inc. (HCPI) said it is holding the


Honda Heritage Raffle Promo that has for the grand prize a trip to the Twin Ring Motegi circuit in Japan. Twin Ring Motegi is Honda’s multipurpose facility that houses racetracks, the Honda Collection Hall that features about 350 restored automobiles, motorcycles, power products and racing machines, and the Hello Woods and Fan Fun Lab, according to HCPI. It added that the prize also includes a visit to Honda’s headquarters in Tokyo, where


contest winners can see ASIMO, the world’s most advanced humanoid robot. Besides the Japan trip, HCPI said the Honda Heritage promo also offers ecological


adventure trips to Donsol, Sorsogon, as well as loads of free fuel cards. The promo runs until December 15. For more information, visit any of HCPI’s 28 dealership nationwide, check out the HCPI Facebook account or log on to www.hondaphil.com.


■ Some of the stars at the 2010 Manila Auto Salon are these (from far left) Toyota Hilux that won Best Sport Truck, BMW 3 Series that took Extreme Tuner honors and Honda Civic that was named as Best Custom. Below is a Nissan GT-R clone that was voted for having the Best Exterior.


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■ A service technician competing in Ford’s Skills Olympics.


● AWARDS ● SPECIAL PROMOS ● ANNOUNCEMENTS ● MILESTONES


»FORD PHILS. HOLDS ANNUAL SKILLS OLYMPICS FORD Group Phils. (FGP) announced it recently held its Annual Sales and Service


Skills Olympics at its headquarters in Santa Rosa, Laguna, where more than 100 employees from the 21 Ford and seven Mazda dealerships battled for the top spot in seven categories. Mazda Phils. is an FGP subsidiary. FGP said the competition covered areas of product knowledge, customer handling,


operations management and technical competency, and it recognizes the company’s best sales consultant, service manager, dealer customer relations center manager, service advisor, technician and parts and warranty personnel. “We realize the importance of our teams’ development in ways that enhance their


product knowledge, technical competency, process adherence and self-confidence in their field of expertise,” said FGP Vice President for Customer Service Operations Dave Macasadia. “Through the Skills Olympics, we are able to motivate and challenge our dealer network, ultimately highlighting the importance of customer satisfaction in everything we do. We also look forward to this annual event as it allows us to come together in a fun and educational manner as the FGP family.” Now on its 10th year, FGP said its Skills Olympics is testament to the company’s


commitment, along with the dealership network, to provide the best products and service to Ford and Mazda customers. FGP added that it develops challenges that simulate real-life scenarios so it could measure its personnel’s adherence to quality processes that lead to consistent customer satisfaction.


gloveBOX YES SCRUBS


PERFORMANCE PARTS • TOOLS LITERATURE • ACCESSORIES


MOTHERS Auto Detailing and Car Care introduces three types of professional cleaning brushes that promise to scrub cars’ carpet, undercarriage and bodywork clean. The Carpet and Upholstery Brush is a


market industry MAS organizers said the panel of judges


that chose the winners was led by Minoru Goku, an engineer and instructor at Nihon Automobile College in Japan, Ferman Lao, Pepon Marave, George Apacible, Elson Carpio, Mike Potenciano, Charlie Cruz, Nilo Escalona and Sophie de los Santos.


lightweight and ergonomically designed with stiff bristles that loosen dirt and debris, making it easier to scrape away accumulated dirt. The Detail Brush is perfect for cleaning trim, emblems and other small, hard-to- reach places on the car’s bodywork. While its bristles are firm to scrape away dirt, they are also soft enough so as not to scratch paintjobs. It also has a unique rubber seam-cleaning tip for those awkward spots—like the bottom of a door handle. The Brake Dust Brush has scratch-free bristles that loosen dust and dirt on


brake pads, discs and drums, keeping them clean and effective. These professional cleaning brushes are available at all Blade outlets, Han’s


Tools Shangri-La, True Value, S&R and SM Ace Hardware. For more information, call Mothers at 744-5875 or visit its shop at 322 Santolan Road, San Juan, Metro Manila. You may also log on to www.hartintl.com.


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