Banning über is as ridiculous as banning email while we still have post offices

Barely a week after the DOTC and the LTFRB gave the green light on the usage of Uber, Grab car, and other similar ride sharing platforms, along comes Congress to create another unnecessary roadblock on what would have been a landmark decision by any national government agency worldwide; a decision that can put the Philippines back on the map as a forward thinking, progressive country. Instead, thanks to a select few, we run the risk of taking one step forward and a hundred back.

For what reason, I’m not entirely sure. But it is probably for the same reason we privatise the buses and refuse to maintain and expand the MRT, due to a paralysing fear that it may eventually lead to progress. Because as Mark Twain so eloquently pointed out, “If the opposite of pro is con, then the opposite of progress must be…?” Think about it. What other valid reason would a country like ours, which is not only the traffic capital of the free world but home to arguably the worst public transportation system, have to refuse to adopt a ride sharing platform?

Security? I don’t think it can get any worse than it is right now with our cabs. Besides which, Uber is the only platform that requires the mandatory use of a credit card for identity verification and cashless transactions. Taxation? Refer to the previous answer. Regulation? Rinse and repeat the first and second answer, add the word ‘Seriously?’ and apply it to anything Congress throws your way. Bottom line is, Filipinos have embraced Uber and other similar platforms because the government has failed to provide us a safe and reliable alternative. Period. And trying to impose that on the commuter when there’s a better option is like banning the use of cellphones and email to protect the pager and fax machine industry.

We’re on the cusp of a breakthrough. It’s time we put politics aside for the greater good and pave the way for a possible revolution in public transportation––at least on a taxi and private car use level. The Philippines has the chance to make history here. Never before has Uber been given authority to operate in any country on a national level. The DOTC is a national agency. It has already been approved by secretary Abaya, who is now slowly being credited as a forward thinker and a man in search of solutions rather than pointing out problems. And considering the current fiasco surrounding the LTO––an agency that falls under his watch––they could seriously use the PR, don’t you think? Remember the first rule of a hole? When you’re in one, stop digging.

Besides, nobody is asking for taxis to be phased out or banned. All we ask is to be given a safe and more efficient alternative. Let competition take care of extinction. If the cabs can level up, they should have no problem. Right?

This is the future. At least until something just as radical replaces it. And resistance is futile. Imagine if one Uber car replaces 15 private cars in Metro Manila? That would be far more effective than coding. And while it can be argued that one Uber car cannot replace 15 cars on the road at once, it can definitely be applied to the parking situation. But whatever math works for you, it is impossible to deny that it would significantly ease congestion. And once Uber launches Uber pool, which is a ride sharing within ride sharing, you can expect these numbers to only get better.

Just freshly out of Beta phase, the Philippines will be one of the first markets outside the U.S. to experience it. The idea, according to Uber, is to match people who are going the same way as you and give you the option to share your ride. Should you agree, you could save almost 50% off the ride (it won’t be exactly half according to the head of Uber Philippines, Laurence Cua) but it will be close. This means each passenger saves about 40% or so, while the driver earns a little more than normal, making it a win-win-win situation so long as you are willing to share and possibly make a new friend. Think of it like inception for ride sharing.

As it is now, Uber is roughly 40% cheaper than a regular cab ride in San Francisco. With Uber Pool, this makes it almost 80% cheaper. And with enough competition, there’s no reason it can’t be similar in the Philippines. This is just the beginning. There’s a reason why Google Ventures has said that Uber has become the fastest growing company in the history of the Internet, and it comes down to one simple thing. They dared to reinvent the wheel.

So I make a humble plea to those in government that are trying to stop this. Kindly look at the social impact first and work your way backwards to find a way to make this happen. It can be done. It is just a matter of political will. And you now have the chance to make history for yourselves and change the public’s perception of the traditional politician by reinventing your own will.

Land Rover breaks new ice with the Discovery Sport

If it ain’t broke, then just build a sport version of it. At least that’s what the folks over at Land Rover have decided to do with what is arguably the world’s most capable and luxurious SUV. Launched just yesterday in a glitzy affair at the new Axon Green Sun events centre in Makati, the new Discovery Sport aims to create an entirely new entry point to the brand.

Attended by no less than the British Ambassador, the honourable Asif Ahmad, and the Indian Ambassador, the honorable Lalduhthlana Ralte, the launch marked the first time that any car brand made use of the new projection room of the Green Sun events centre in Makati, which used 9 highly advanced projectors to simulate the various incredible landscapes and terrains that only Land Rovers dare to tread.

After the unveiling, LR Phils Motors Inc. Chair and President, Mr. Wellington Soong, addressed the media in his usual warm and enthusiastic tone, stressing once again that “Design excellence and engineering integrity remain hallmarks of every Land Rover model.”

Mr. Soong continued to explain how the all-new Discovery Sport rolls in with a host of innovations, including the next generation multi-link rear axle, advanced pedestrian airbag technology, an all-new touchscreen infotainment system and state-of-the-art high-strength steel and lightweight aluminium body shell for outstanding performance, safety and efficiency, autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB), Electric Power-Assisted Steering (EPAS), Park Assist, Automatic High-Beam Assist, Lane Departure Warning, Traffic Sign Recognition, Trailer Stability Assist, Tow Assist & Tow Hitch Assist, Blind-Spot Monitor & Closing Vehicle Sensing, Reverse Traffic Detection, HD Surround Camera System, HDD satellite-navigation system, automatic headlamps, rain-sensitive wipers and parking sensors.

It all sounds a bit Minority Report, I know, but thankfully, just earlier this year, I was fortunate enough to slip behind the wheel of one during the global media ride and drive in Iceland to make sense of it all.

Here’s my hands on review

With an average of 6 hours of sunlight per day, temperatures sinking as low as -27 degrees Celsius in some parts, random snow storms, volcanic eruptions, and weather as predictable as Kanye West in an awards ceremony, Iceland in January is officially the last place on every single PR director’s list, next to the North Pole, perhaps, to launch anything but an Internet browser to type in the words: “sunny places in Europe in January.”

Yet this is precisely where Land Rover chose to bring over 900 journalists from all over the world to launch what they believe to be the most capable and versatile premium SUV to ever crawl along the face of the earth.

They call it the Discovery Sport, which despite what the name may suggest, is not a variant of the almighty Discovery, but more like the highly anticipated replacement of the much-to-be-desired Freelander 2. It is an entirely new model that comes as a five or seven seater (5+2), features two engine variants (4-cyl diesel and gas), has a 9 speed gearbox, and speaks five different languages, including grass, gravel and snow, mud and ruts, and sand settings for optimum traction and composure.

Just as well. Because we’ll need it to be utterly fluent in all languages, save for tarmac, if we’re going to make it to our hotel which is nestled up on a hill about 45 minutes drive Northeast of nowhere, through gravel roads made up of volcanic rock covered in ice and snow as slippery as a politician with a gold tooth.

Our convoy begins at Keflavík International Airport at around 4:30pm––or as they like to call it out here––night. Sunset started during our descent over an hour ago and it is now as dark as it will be for the next 18 hours. We haven’t seen proof of life since immigration stamped my passport, so I’m now relying solely on the word of our organisers that there is indeed a civilised population out there among the shimmering lights.

“When the wind blows the snow over, you will not be able to see a road. Your headlights will only make this worse, as it will reflect on the snow. You must look to your right for the reflectors on the posts to gauge where the edge of the road is and trust in it.” comes the heavily accented voice over the radio like some kind of announcement you would expect to hear after bomb sirens go off.

“But don’t worry. This is Iceland. If you don’t like the weather, just wait five minutes.”

Yet as crazy as it sounds, it’s the sheer unpredictability of the weather that seems to make up a large part of the charm of Iceland. Sort of like blowfish to the Japanese. You know it could kill you, and that’s the whole point. And if you think that it has been dumbed down for us just because we’re under the corporate care of Land Rover, we were just told that a previous wave of journalists went to a coffee stop and got snowed in and couldn’t leave for 12 hours.

In fact, our own route was changed last minute because of a blizzard or snow slide, or the recently confirmed Iceland sea monster, or the announcement of another album from Björk. Whatever. All we were told was it was a disaster of some sort and they needed to recreate a bespoke path to get us to our next stop––something they figured out in 30 minutes flat.

The route is about as extreme as it comes, with hood-high river crossings, thick snow and black ice, but it feels like just another day at the office for the Discovery Sport. It’s hard to imagine that this is the replacement of the Freelander 2. Don’t get me wrong, the Freelander 2 wasn’t exactly a bad car, it just wasn’t premium enough. Or more importantly, not quite premium enough to be a proper Land Rover. But that’s not to say they didn’t learn anything from that. Far from it. In fact, just as they say you learn more from your mistakes than you do from your success, hell has no fury like a bruised British ego, and after years of biting that stiff upper lip, the Discovery Sport was born.

Now I’ve been fortunate enough to have driven both in polarising extremes, so the simple question is: how does it compare? Well put it this way. If overcompensation came in a shape, it would look like the Discovery Sport.

Everything from the refinement (even on studded winter tires, the cabin remained quieter than the Freelander 2) to the off road capabilities, to the practicality, everything has been properly polished off like a pair of wingtip shoes. And nowhere do you feel this more than the new 9-speed ZF gearbox, the newly developed 8-inch multi-media system with a touch screen as sensitive as your smartphone, the torque vectoring system and the incredible upgrade to the Terrain response, Hill Descent Control and general electronic wizardry that work together fluidly to make the Discovery Sport the most versatile and capable premium SUV out there today.

But rather than just trying to make it more capable, Land Rover engineers worked tirelessly on the overall refinement and doubled the speed of things like Hill Descent Control, to the point that you can barely feel it working. Same goes for the Terrain Response that was continuously, yet seamlessly, working in the background to keep just the right amount of brake and torque distribution to keep the Disco Sport shiny side up even under the most challenging conditions.

They have also reduced the weight by up to 20% by using high strength boron steel and aluminium, as well as a new design that eliminates 17% of the weight of the suspension. This allows much better braking, turn in, handling and overall stability both on and off road.

 

It is the kind of vehicle that you could jump into and literally know nothing about off-roading (like a few in our group) and still hobble along like a seasoned pro. Just point and shoot. But what’s even more impressive, is it does this off the road without losing any of its poise and class on the road, making a seamless transition from when one ends and the other begins.

Discovery Sport now features best in class loading capacity

Plus 2 seating is even better than Range Rover Sport due to the sliding second row

The Discovery Sport should arrive locally around May, and as of this writing, has just received the highest safety rating in the history NCAP for any vehicle. Anywhere.

For the best deals on the Discovery Sport or any vehicle, log on to AUTODEAL for hassle free car shopping and complete online quotes and comparisons.

 

BMW motorcycle enthusiasts earned top honors in the first ever Cannonball 1000 endurance run in the Philippines.

Cementing his reputation as one of the country’s finest professional riders, 68-year old businessman Max Kienle led the individual category on a BMW R1200 GS Adventure LC. The BMW Motorrad-supported Club PK also displayed a stellar performance and finished ahead of their counterparts in the Group of 10 category.

Under the leadership of six-time endurance champion Joey Almeda, the recently concluded Cannonball 1000 surpassed its target headcount and attracted over 600 motorcycle riders and car drivers from all over the country. Participants of the event navigated a route of over 1000 kilometers across Northern Luzon to complete the 24-hour challenge.

The people’s pope uses the people’s car

Starting from Pope Francis’ arrival at Villamor Airbase on January 15, until departure on January 19, His Holiness will use the Volkswagen Touran as one of the official cars.
 
“It’s an honour and privilege for us to become part of His Holiness’ historic five-day visit to the Philippines” said John Philip Orbeta, president and CEO of VW Philippines, the official importer and distributor of VW cars in the country.
 
Orbeta said that VW PH has provided two units of the Touran for the duration of His Holiness’ numerous engagements here in the Philippines. After the papal visit, one of these two vehicles will be donated to a church beneficiary that Pope Francis will later identify.

Upon the Pope’s arrival on January 15 at Villamor Air Base, he will be shuttled to the Apostolic Nunciature on Taft Avenue, Manila. The next day, Pope Francis will be welcomed in Malacañang before leading a motorcade to the Minor Basilica of the Immaculate Conception (Manila Cathedral), which will then be followed by a motorcade going to the Mall of Asia Arena, Pasay City.
 
On January 17, Pope Francis will fly to Tacloban in Leyte, and then be driven to the town of Palo, where he will meet and pray with the survivors of Supertyphoon “Yolanda” as well as survivors of the Bohol earthquake who are invited to Palo, to meet the Pope.
 
A youth meeting at the University of Santo Tomas in the morning will be led by Pope Francis on January 18. Then he will be celebrating Mass at the Quirino Grandstand in the afternoon.
 
Pope Francis leaves for Rome on January 19.
 
“In between these activities, His Holiness would require a reliable and comfortable ride. The Touran fits the bill as it is a no-nonsense people carrier with impeccable engineering credential,” said Orbeta.

2014 Ford Escape 2.0 Ecoboost 10,000 km report card

Last October 27, Ford launched two very significant models with one frustrating little catch: you couldn’t get one until the following year.

One was the almighty Explorer Sport that comes with enough power, kit and style to send a cold shiver down the spine of a Range Rover. The other is the game-changing Ford Escape.

A pretty long strip tease (especially if you count the Escape’s first unveiling in April of last year) but thankfully the ‘following year’ is here and Ford has told us that Escape deliveries will begin February. But just how good are these highly anticipated models, or more importantly, how will these new models perform locally?

Well I haven’t gotten my sweaty little palms on the Explorer Sport yet, but luckily for me, I was able to make Ford an offer on the 2.0 liter Ecoboost Escape display unit they had in the Manila International Auto Show and have just brought it in for its 10,000km service––which means you get the first and only local long term test of the all-new Ford Escape.

First up, problems. Ok, now that I got that out of the way, let me talk about the ownership experience. I’m a little spoiled here because I have the only one of its kind in the country, so I get all the envious glances and an unrivalled feeling of exclusivity that comes with cars wearing twice or thrice the price tags.

But even once deliveries start rolling in, I can still say that there’s a premium to this Escape over anything else in its class simply because of several well-thought out features and benefits. Firstly, the looks. I’ve always felt that if you don’t look back at least once when you walk away from your car after parking it, you’ve made a mistake. And I can happily say that I always toss the Escape a proud glance each time.

Next is the connectivity. Ford just gets it. You walk in to the car and its seamless. It was already outstanding with my iPhone, but now that I have crossed over to a Lumia, the integration between the Microsoft SYNC system and my Windows based OS is just so fluent. Too fluent, perhaps. Especially when it offers to read your text messages for you when there are other people in the car.

But awkward moments aside, just knowing that you no longer have to take your eyes off the road to stay connected and always have voice command to call up a contact, play a song or playlist by name just feels so natural and soon has me looking for it in every test unit I hop in to. To sum it up, it just spoils you. It’s like jumping from LAN to WiFi.

Then there’s that panoramic sunroof, the quality leather and plastics, the soft piped-in mood lighting and that uber cool tailgate that you can open by just waving your foot underneath the bumper when you have the proximity key in your pocket that makes it feel like a baby Explorer.

Speaking of which, it uses the same engine as the 2.0 Explorer. But being much smaller and lighter, it performs like Manny Pacquiao would in the flyweight division at his current weight. Honestly, sports sedans never see you coming. The only disappointment I have in the car is that the manual override of the six-speed gearbox is mounted awkwardly on the gear lever, when it would be much better placed on the steering wheel as paddles.

That said, the ratios are well-spaced, and when driven gingerly, can return as much as 16 kilometres a liter on the highway and 8 in the city––depending on the weight of your right foot, of course. Personally, I’ve averaged just over 7 in the city and 15 on the highway.

Suspension is well sorted and not as floaty as we’ve been used to in American cars, and despite the condition of our roads, has not started becoming vocal about it with strange noises and creaks, despite the low profile tires and 18-inch rims.

As far as compact SUVs, when you compare performance, package and price, nothing comes as complete as the Escape. Rarely do I say this, but in every segment, of every consumer product––be it a car, gadget, whatever––something comes along that doesn’t only move the goal posts, but uproots them and plants them in an entire different playing field altogether. Think Apple under Steve Jobs. And the Escape, like the other One Ford models, has just taken this whole connectivity and user interface thing to a different level––because let’s face it, just like the battle between smartphones, that is what it will be about in the years to come.

We’ve reached an era where anyone can build a good car. It is not rocket science. But it is no longer just about that. Yes they need to be reliable with good performance and economy; that is a given. But cars are no longer just mechanical vehicles that ferry us reliably from point a to b, in the same way that our phones are no longer just a device to make and receive calls and texts. It’s about the whole user experience. And it took another American company to see that.

 

Click here for a full video review

First locally assembled Scania truck rolls off the line: “It was like putting together toy building bricks.”

Scania is now in the Philippines as the first locally assembled truck rolls off the production line. Headquartered in Sweden, Scania is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of trucks and buses for heavy transport applications.

Scania, through its official Sales and Services dealer in the Philippines BJ Mercantile, Inc., is on-track to produce 30 units made up of tractor heads and dump trucks to meet the initial orders when the official showroom opens in February.

According to Engr. Cyril Vizcayno, BJ Mercantile’s Operations Manager, “The vehicle was easy to assemble. The process given was easy to follow and the experience is similar to putting together toy building bricks.”

To ensure quality control and training, Process Engineer Gustavo Caetano flew in from Scania Brazil to supervise and provide technical support. Also, in preparation for the After Sales Service, the technical team headed by Technical Services Manager, Engr. Mark Glenn Pangan recently went to Selangor, Malaysia to attend a System Diagnosis & Preventive Maintenance Training.

“Scania hopes to make a big impact in the local transport sector in terms of safety, reliability and fuel efficiency,” said Leilani Lim Tan, Vice President of BJ Mercantile, Inc., “We are very excited to see the trucks hit Philippine roads soon.”

Scania’s showroom will be located at 1132 EDSA Balintawak, Quezon City. For more information, you may call 361-0088 or send an email to info@bjmerc.com.

In the photo from left to right is the team behind the first assembled Scania truck: Engr. Glenn Pangan, BJ Mercantile Technical Services Manager; Gustavo Caetano, Scania Latin America Process Engineer; Engr. Cyril Vizcayno, BJ Mercantile Operations Manager; Mariano Colombo, Scania Asia-Pacific Exports Market; Leilani Lim Tan, BJ Mercantile Vice President; and Alvin Tan BJ Mercantile, IT Manager.

Out of the blue

So I get this message from Autostrada, the exclusive distributors of Ferrari, Maserati, Land Rover, Jaguar and Aston Martin, that simply says: “Are you available to test drive one of our cars this weekend?”

Now, these are the kind of questions I set up an auto-reply for, but ‘Duh’ seemed a little impolite, so I just swiped a big fat YES in all caps on my keyboard and fired back. Or should I say, back fired.

Turns out, it is a Maserati Ghibli. In––you guessed it––blue. MMDA Blue to be precise. Not necessarily in shade, but in tone. And here’s a Mestizo-looking guy turning bright red as he approaches it.

Now you need to have been hiding under a rock the size of Korina Sanchez’s on-air faux pas to not know the story behind the blue Maserati driver that assaulted the MMDA officer and fled, but as a journalist, I always believe that there are 3 sides to every story. We’ve heard the MMDA officer’s, we’ve heard the driver’s, now it’s time to tell the car’s.

So, filthy looks from enforcers aside, what’s it like driving the hottest car in the country right now? Well, if I had to sum it up in a sentence, I’d say it really packs a punch.

More than just a car, the Ghibli is all part of Maserati’s survival plan. It is the catalyst to go from 6,200 cars a year to 50,000 cars by 2015. It is a goal so bold that the company has so far invested 1.5 billion euros, which includes development of their very first diesel engine as well as a new plant in Grugliasco, which was formerly the Bertone plant, that is capable of punching out 135 cars a day.

The idea is to create an economy of scale that brings the Ghibli into a price range that is only a modest premium over a comparable Mercedes Benz CLS, BMW Six Series Gran Coupe or Audi A7, which in theory is as simple as making a single malt whiskey affordable enough to mix with coke. And at 6.9 million pesos for the 330hp V6, it has done exactly that.

Now it will always be painful when a brand as exclusive as Maserati goes mainstream. The mere thought seems as absurd as Rolex offering digital watches. But the sobering truth is that the brand’s survival, just like Porsche, Jaguar and even Aston Martin, depends entirely on their need to finance their exclusive products for the minority by flirting with the majority. And while there will never be an easy way to franchise your soul to subsidize your heart, honestly, I think the Ghibli is as good as it gets for a first try.

Compared to the Quattroporte, it is a different expression of the same approach–although at just under 5 meters long––as compared to the 5.26 meter long Quattroporte––it has a completely different personality that opens itself up to a much broader palette.

I was given the direct injection V6 that arrives with a beautifully-tuned exhaust note that never got the memo that it was a turbo. Much less a twin. All 330hp is fed through a super slick 8-speed ZF box that allows the Ghibli to cut and slice its way through corners with the grace of cars with half its doors. It doesn’t feel as serious as a 5 series, but it seems to give itself more room to be itself with double wishbones up front, 5 links in the rear, and a perfect 50/50 weight distribution with two-stage dampers that perform far better than skyhook.

Steering is sharp, alive, talkative and communicates well with the chassis. In the Q4 (AWD) version that I drove during the launch last July, steering feel is taxed to pay for the extra grip, but feels like a fair trade. Throw it into a corner, power out, and the Ghibli feeds the power democratically to all four wheels and adjusts the allocation every 150 miliseconds, giving you just enough to get you out of trouble while still giving that rear wheel bias that is an inherent trait of every proper sports car––even though the purists will still appreciate the honesty of an exclusive rear wheel drive.

The interior can still proudly wear an embossed trident on it’s hide, but some may still look and yearn for that opulence that we normally associate with Maserati. Still, it is right up there with anything BMW, Mercedes and Audi can throw at it. Every detail follows a flow, from the design of the analog clock to the brushed aluminium key that carries the theme from the steering wheel. There’s a split cockpit design with a very functional 8.5-inch touch screen, a 1280 watt, 15-speaker Bowers and Wilkins premium sound system and a 60/40 split fold seat that keeps things very sensible.

And unlike the Audi A7, Mercedes CLS and Porsche Panamera, the Ghibli offers a standard fifth seat. And while BMW’s 6 Series Gran Coupe is also a five-seater, the Ghibli offers a lot more headroom and an above average trunk space for its class, making it as practical as it is emotional. And therein lies the rub

The Ghibli is a very sensible car. In fact, it makes more sense than any Maserati before it. But the argument is that we have enough sensible cars. We need more drama. Which is exactly what the Ghibli delivered in bucket loads last week. Just ask the MMDA.

My first Ted X talk

This was my first TedX talk. I wasn’t really sure what to talk about but I just knew it had to be from the heart. So after a bit of convincing, I let myself go and ended up spilling a secret about myself that I’ve been holding in for almost 30 years. It is something I never wanted anyone to know, and it could still harm my future, but so long as it helps or inspires others, then it would have been all worthwhile.

Video: Marlon Stockinger’s first F1 test

After twenty hours of air travel through four countries, my 21-year old chauffeur meets me at the front of Nice airport and leads me to a Porsche Cayenne Turbo that not only has his father and sister riding in it, but is also stuffed to the brim with bags, suitcases, helmets and other personal belongings. It is so full that everything needs to come out and get re-packed for my stuff to fit in, and even then, we were lucky to squeeze a tube of toothpaste in the gaps.

Yet despite being cold, tired and hungry and facing the prospect of spending the next 200 odd kilometers in this Balikbayan box on wheels, given the chance to do it all again, I wouldn’t have it any other way. 

Because asides from the fact that it was completely my fault why I couldn’t pick up my rental car (another Deakinitis story for another time) you would have to have low-grade diesel running through your veins if you were going to turn down the opportunity of being driven to an international race track in the South of France by what could very well be the Philippines’ first Formula One driver. 

Meet Marlon Stockinger. If you haven’t already heard of him, don’t worry, because by the time he gets done driving a Lotus F1 car on the streets of Manila and around the Mall of Asia this May4-5, he will probably be on enough billboards to make the Azkals look camera shy. 

This young Filipino Swiss karting champion, World Series racer and GP3 Monaco winner has been climbing up the ladder of international motor sports for ten years now, and after thrashing his two team mates in the Bernie Ecclestone-owned F1 feeder series last year, was given a proper F1 test last Tuesday in the famed Paul Ricard circuit.

After shoe-horning the last piece of luggage in, we make the two hour drive straight from the airport to the circuit where Marlon met with the engineers of the Lotus F1 team, finalized his seat fitting, went through the complex sequences involved in bringing an F1 car to life, then ended with dinner with the mechanics and a skeleton plan of how the most important day of his career so far will unfold.

I spend my one and only night in Europe in the Grand Prix hotel by the track, and by 7:30am the next morning I was checked out and back at the garage where Marlon was meeting with his chief engineer, Rod Nelson––more famously known for engineering both Fernando Alonso’s world championships in 2005 and 2006. 

Marlon is handed a fifteen page manual on how to perform the very basics of operating an F1 car. This is not one of those patronizing redundant operating manuals you get in your new car that dedicates a whole page to how to use the cigarette lighter or warning you not to drive your vehicle while sleeping, but a mechanical nosebleed of vital information. 

Marlon pores through it with an understanding far greater than what would be expected of any twenty one year old, and by 9:12am, he is finally climbing into the cockpit for his first installation lap. This may be Kimi Raikkonnen’s Grand Prix car, but because it is rebuilt from the ground up, it is basically a brand new car in the eyes of the mechanics so all the fluids need a chance to find their way through the engine and hydraulics before allowing Marlon to turn a wheel in anger.

He does two installation laps on wet tires. Nothing heroic, just more of a systems check really. Although the sun is out, the engineers are worried about putting him on slicks after 5mm of rain had soaked the track the night before. Eventually they give in and Marlon peels out and slowly and starts feeling his way around the famed test track.

He may have raced here before, but with over 167 possible configurations, it makes other tracks seem like an oval in comparison. I pop on a set of team headphones to listen to the broadcast between Marlon and Rod.

“It is frightening at first to just trust the downforce of the car because everything tells you that there is no way you can take a corner at that speed, but amazingly it does.” Marlon’s voice crackles over the radio. And when asked about the brakes, he replies profoundly: “The brakes are just the most amazing (unprintable) brakes I have ever tried.” He finishes off much to the amusement of the team.

Over lunch, Marlon explains that while the acceleration and top speeds are not too far off what he’s used to in his GP3 car and now his World Series car, it is the suffocating downforce and eye-popping brakes that has blown him away. “It is even better than I imagined!” He says while devouring his second plate of pasta. “Everything just happens so much quicker, it is almost difficult for your eyes to keep up” He beams with genuine excitement in his voice. 

The afternoon session arrives and Marlon is a different person. It is almost as if he has matured ten years in the last 3 hours. He hops into the car and there’s a different rhythm to his driving. You can hear the gear changes, the downshifts and the progressive acceleration all developing into its own unique melody. No longer do you hear the hesitation in the engine note that comes from a lack of confidence;  Marlon is driving with a much deeper understanding, squeezing the performance out of the car with measured aggression, and the car is responding beautifully to it. 

You don’t just hear it as he screams around the track, but you can see a visual snapshot smoothening out on the lap tops and monitors around the garage. His application of the throttle and the brakes are more fluid, the power curves more rounded, his steering inputs more committed which in turn, has his team more invested. 

What may have started out as an evaluation is quickly becoming a revelation. Because although no one is formally allowed to talk to the press on these matters, the team seem genuinely impressed with Marlon’s consistency, his feedback, his maturity, and despite it not being a priority, his speed. 

I’m told over and over again that they just want him to get comfortable in the car and that lap times are not important. But telling a racer that his times are not important is like telling a bull not to attack the red cape, and Marlon ends the day 1.2 seconds faster than the reference time set down by Lotus F1 test driver, Nick Prost. Not much is said after. But enough already has.

Video: Test driving the Toyota 86 on a German airfield

It is not as if Toyota need to do anything to promote their 86 (they could actually put a moat of hot coals outside their dealerships and have Gordon Ramsay as their head of customer service and they would still sell them) But amazingly, they decided to do so anyway.

And they didn’t just pick any old race track to do this in; they took us to the epicenter of their motor sports program in Cologne, Germany, to show us the birth place of one of their most iconic models and give us a deeper understanding of the bigger picture.

You see the Toyota 86 is more than just a car. It is a reflection of the entire brand and is everything you need to know about where Toyota is headed. They’re done with the whole reliable-as-a-fridge thing; everyone knows that when the world ends there will be nothing left but cockroaches, styrofoam cups and Toyotas––what they were lacking was excitement, so you cant really blame them for pouring it on thick.

And if anyone knows how to throw a come back party, it is definitely Toyota. They started with a decommissioned military airfield, and well, you can pretty much fill in the blanks from here.

But more than just outright speed, the exercises were set up to demonstrate the incredible balance and handling of the 86. Coming into a fast corner, for example, we were told to hold a speed of 80km/h, which of course once I added VAT and service charge was more like 110km/h, and then hit the brakes hard mid curve. This would send lesser cars into a dangerous spin. But the Toyota just laughed it off with nothing more than a few yellow lights flashing on the dash.

Unlike other systems, Toyota’s vehicle stability Control (VSC) is so advanced, you barely feel it kick in. Rather than an on/off system, the VSC seems to be continuously variable coming in with just the right dosage each time, allowing you to play a little before slapping your wrists.

But as impressive and advanced as the VSC system is, all the fun begins when you turn it off. Throw the car into a corner hard and get ready to grab armfuls of opposite lock and use your right foot to steer. Running on energy saving green tires helps, but all that goodness is coming from the extremely stiff and well-balanced chassis.

So much has been said about the lack of power, considering the potential of that lovely chassis, but Tetsuya Tada, the chief engineer of the 86, tells me that it is because he designed the car to be modified. “I simply wanted to develop a good foundation. I wanted to build a car that is limited only by your imagination”

When asked whether he would prefer a turbo or supercharger, he leans more towards the supercharger, but insists that he has developed a car that he feels can cope with just about anything. He has even developed an app that downloads your data on to a memory card, that when plugged in to a Playstation®, can create a fully animated replay of your lap. Yes, just as you see it in the game.

Best part of it all is that Tada san confirmed that the 86 is just one of three exciting sports cars Toyota will offer in their line up, fueling speculation of a new Supra and Celica.

By day two, after every last ounce of adrenaline was squeezed out of us, we took to public roads for several hundred scenic kilometers of winding country roads and un-restricted autobahns. Amazingly enough, we squeezed a passenger into the back seat, and although he did come out looking a little bit like sushi after two hours, still said that it wasn’t as bad as it looked.

The ride is firm but fair, and combined with that incredibly sharp steering rack that is more talkative than my six year old after eating a pound and a half of chocolate, is just loads of fun to throw around. Tearing up and down mountain roads leaves you with a smile that feels like your face will crack, and you begin to forget all about the lack of power.

After kissing 230 km/h a few times, and flirting with 8,000 rpm on every corner, it was time to reluctantly hand the keys back. There would have been a tantrum of ‘amalayer’ proportions had it not been for the promise of visiting the birthplace of the Toyota 86 on our last day––Toyota Motor sports headquarters, or TMG, which housed a mechanical buffet of F1, Le Mans, Rally, hybrid, touring, Gt and almost every type of racing cars you can Google.

Although the 86 is technically not born in Cologne, it gets all its’ DNA from here. This is where they built their Formula One cars, and all that goodness came trickling down into the 86. Yet despite all their achievements in rally, F1, touring and other mainstream events, they spoke heavily about their hybrid Le Mans car that took the lead in the last 24 hour race, only to be punted off the road, which led more than a few of us wondering if the 86 may one day end up being an electric dream.