Sparkle, shimmer and shine!

I've posted up reviews for the Spark to two outlets. Obviously, different target markets, but it's interesting to see the differences:

http://bigbigcar.com/boards/default.aspx?g=posts&t=4563

http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2011/08/review-2011-chevrolet-spark-1-2-global-spec/

To the American market, the Spark is just another rubbish small car. Too slow, too small, too cheap. In a more global sense, in emerging markets like the Philippines, it's spacious enough, it's more than cheap enough, and the fuel economy benefits are more than worth the sacrifices in size.

A fundamental difference in requirements... one that reflects the reasons why manufacturers struggle to have a relevant line-up wihtout having a huge variety of models, and also why "Carmageddon" hit the US harder than us.

Hyundai Accent: Domination!

Now tell me... why do we need compact cars, again?

The Deadly Consequences of The Lack of Consequences

More precisely, it's when the consequences of one act outweigh the consequences of not doing it. It's a gamble that many bus drivers make... but you can play Russian Roulette for only so long before your luck runs out. As it did for one unfortunate driver last Tuesday as he lost control of his bus in the rain, flew off the Skyway and fell four stories to the ground below.

Much has been said about the "boundary system", which requires the drivers to do more trips than humanly possible simply to break even on a day's worth of work.

While there's nothing inherently immoral with a quota system for service jobs... the level of the boundary is of much debate. Simply: the number of trips a driver can make is constrained by traffic. Hence, drivers try to make up for lost time by driving faster once out of traffic.

Drivers are always aware of the consequences of not making their boundary. It weighs on their every thought as they go home bone-weary and hungry, and as they wake up in the morning, even hungrier. But do they ever think of the consequences of their actions on the road?

I firmly believe that these drivers' inability to properly weigh the pros and cons of their actions stems from a lack of proper driver's education and training. Doing 130 km/h (the bus's estimated speed) on a crowded freeway in a bus is reckless. Doing the same in the rain is insane.

But drivers never really think about it. They think of it as allowing them to do just one more trip on the day, to earn more money.

How much time do you save? Over the 10 kilometer length of the Skyway, overspeeding by 50 km/h nets you a three minute saving. That's six minutes per round trip. Given the traffic and terminal time, and that a driver might be able to do only four or five round trips in an entire day working double-shifts (depending on the length of the route, if it's Manila to Batangas, make it three to four), that's a total of half-an-hour saved. Not even enough to complete half a trip. To make one extra trip a day, drivers have to maintain at least 140-160 km/h on both the regular highway and the Skyway. And some actually do.

All to earn a little more money. And since there are no consequences for overspeeding except a small fine and a confiscated license, drivers have little reason not to try and hit that golden turn-around time.

It's obvious that bigger disincentives than confiscated licenses are required. How about impounding? A driver breaks the limit by over 40 km/h, the entire fleet gets grounded for a day and the bus in question gets impounded for a week, and the driver's license gets revoked for a month. The driver loses out, but the operator loses out even worse. This then creates consequences for the operator, which forces them to review their policies and boundaries. Because if the only incentive for companies to change policy is the one-in-a-thousand accident rather than the one-in-ten overspeeding incident, then there will still be a thousand overspeeding, swerving and racing buses plying the roads for every bus taken off of it.

LTO Emissions Center Quota?

Heard a rumor today, that certain emissions centers have instituted a daily quota. One is limiting itself to 160 cars.

Yes... they are only allowed to do tests on 160 cars a day. Apparently, they're too efficient.

How efficient?

A customer complained that he passed by after lunch, and they were closed for the day.

Let's recap: You open at 8:00 am. You manage to drive a car into the booth, attach the testing equipment, get the probes warmed up, do the emissions test (which requires the car to be revved through a simulated driving cycle... instead of idling for a few seconds), take a picture, detach the probes, drive the car out of the booth, print out the test results and collect payment in just two minutes? Either LTO testing centers have managed to breed a new class of supermen who can catch speeding bullets with their teeth, or there's something scwewy going on.

A time-motion study has convinced embattled LTO Secretary Virginia Torres that there's something fishy about all of this, and she's been closing down centers that process cars way too fast.

Unfortunately, the testers have found a way to not trigger alarm bells. Just get it all over with in the morning and take the rest of the day off.

Makes sense, right?

Commonwealth... common sense...

It saddens me no end to see report after report of death and dismemberment on the most useless road in the country, Commonwealth Avenue.

It makes no sense... not here... to have a road that's sixteen lanes wide with no clear lane-segregation markers and no safety.

Simply put... for pedestrians and small vehicle users, this vast sea of concrete is a deadly place. It's impossible to cross on foot, and the pedestrian bridges are few and far between. Public utility vehicles, private cars and scooters, zip across several lanes to enter a U-turn slot, then merge right several lanes on the other side, all in one motion. Buses weave in and out of lane with impunity... the wide expanse of concrete encouraging drivers to push a little faster than they would on the narrower roads of the metro.

Let's face it... we don't have the manpower for active enforcement... what we need are better designed roads, with clear lane demarcation and maybe even islands separating the inner and outer lanes. No... not the "pop-up-in-the-middle-of-nowhere" islands and fences that Bayani Fernando tried to institute on EDSA, but honest-to-goodness continuous islands down the length of the avenue.

Not only for this road, but also for the Quezon Circle, which is also a very difficult place for pedestrians, cyclists and small vehicle operators to navigate.

All it takes is political will. Or maybe more well-known personages dying. But you and I know that the latter is the more likely trigger...

Is 2 liters 2 much?

Yes, I started updating again. Yes, it's been a loooong time. So sue me... it's easy to lose photos in the morass of data I have stuffed into my laptop, and with the magazine starting up and BBC undergoing a change of status, it's hard to know where to start.

I know most people won't find two liters excessive. In fact, for some, it's probably a bare minimum requirement for interesting cars... others might even see it as inadequate.

But your basic commuter... the person most likely to buy cars like these... doesn't really need the power to overtake semis on the highway. Or to hit 200 km/h. Or the ability to do scandinavian flicks...

Okay... so WE like cars that'll swing wide under trail-braking, but then people like us don't buy gray cars, right? Right?

There's sometimes a deep-seated disconnect between what car manufacturers sell and what buyers want. In this case, I think both shots are pretty wide off the mark.

The Last Airbender: Unfortunately, it won't be

As a homage to the cartoon series, The Last Airbender falls woefully short.

As a movie that stands on its own merits, M.Night Shyamalan's latest opus stands as a reminder to all budding film-makers as to how NOT to make a movie.

It all could have been so much better. The actors themselves show some promise. Noah Ringer does a decent job as Aang, the last airbender (his "Air Nomad" clan is extinct), the new avatar whose mastery of the mystic powers of "bending" make him the target of the imperialistic "Fire Nation", who are intent on conquering the "Water Tribes" and the "Earth Nation". Nicola Peltz is also authentic and believable as Katara, his "water-bender" companion.

And that's it. Jackson Rathbone's inability to deadpan his way through Soka's (Katara's brother) comedic antics surely left a lot of the humor on the cutting room floor and Dev Patel (Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation) looks unsure of himself in this role and lacks the intensity and fire required. A big shame, as this character is probably the true star of the cartoon series, more so in later seasons. It's an incredibly deep, complex and difficult role... and I wish Dev would grow into it.

Let's not blame them for all that is wrong with the movie. Clumsy narrative exposition interspersed with sporadic fight scenes and set-pieces fail to immerse you in the fantasy world that the design department so lavishly creates for Shymalan. At points, the movie presents you awesome vistas that show in short flashes between excrutiatingly long close-ups of actors looking dazed and confused. For a children's movie, the absolute lack of humor is a capital crime. Where the odd joke actually manages to avoid being cut from the final film, it falls flat due to the lack of comedic timing by both director and actors.

It's a shame that some of the fight scenes are so good. Because they merely serve to draw attention to the clumsy camerawork and cutting. There are flashes of brilliance, mind you, in the intricate choreography between Prince Zuko and Aang, but as these parts are lifted mostly whole from the source material and rely on excellent performances from the actors themelves, it's hard to credit Shyamalan with this feat.

Near the end, Shyamalan brings the move to a crashing close with a big set-piece battle. Hundreds of Fire nation ships sit idly by while dozens of extras flail their arms at each other in shots reminiscent of 70's popcorn Kung-Fu flicks. In the midst of this, we find Dev Patel looking perplexed in his final confrontation with his arch-nemesis, General Jao. Perplexed, surely, because the script asserts that this important piece of the story never actually happens... a change akin to having Gandalf face the fiery Balrog in the Mines of Moria and walking away while a wandering band of dwarves hack the hoary monster to bits.

At the end, Aang saves the day, in a display of power that promises much, but falls oddly impotent, washing away as the Fire Nation fleet and most of the audience flee in disgust. Some parents may leave with the feeling that they've given their kids a good show, but all the kids I've talked to so far hate the movie even more than I do.

As the movie ends with the half-hearted smirk of Aang's future antagonist, the Fire Princess Azula, who seems to be just as fearful as the audience at the thought of a sequel, we're left with the uneasy knowledge that it's a sure thing. And as Shyamalan is not only the director and writer of the film, but also the producer, it is almost certain that he'll remain be at the helm, to steer it even further off course than he already has.

Driving in Inclement Weather

Now that the dust has settled from Typhoon Basyang, it's probably time to address the issue of what to do when it's stormy out. Here's some tips:

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Before you drive:


1. If you know that a storm is coming and can avoid going out, stay in. Park the car in a spot where it is safe from flooding and falling branches or electrical/telephone poles. If you cannot find a high spot, disconnect the battery and jack up the front end to keep the engine and engine electronics as high as possible. If the rear carpeting on your vehicle gets wet, that's an inconvenience. If the electronics get wet, that's a problem.

2. If your trip is necessary, plan your route and know which streets are less prone to flooding. Also bring contingency money in case you get stuck somewhere and either have to wait it out or call for a tow.

3. Check your car before you leave. Ensure that you have more than enough fuel to make the trip, even if you get stuck in gridlock. Make sure that your car is in good condition, with a complete set of tools. Having a 24-hour tow service number saved on your (fully charged) cellphone is also a good idea.

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During the drive:


1. Drive slowly, drive gently. You can't avoid a falling tree at 140 km/h in the dark.

1. You should always, always know the flood-fording capacity of your vehicle.

If the fording height is not available from the manufacturer, lift your hood and find your airbox (where the air filter is). Look at the tubes connected to it. The the tube from the airbox that is open to the air is called the snorkel or intake tube.

The height of this tube indicates the theoretical maximum height of water you can ford in the car. A good rule of thumb is to NOT cross water that is less than six inches below the snorkel height, as bow waves from passing trucks and buses can raise the water level to the intake level.

Many people have bought SUVs assuming they can ford deep water... only to be sorely disappointed when their car dies in the middle of a crossing that the carbureted taxi in front of them successfully completed.

2. When in doubt, don't. If you are not sure how deep the water is (because no one else is crossing) or are unsure if your vehicle will make it through, back out and find another way. Saving yourself a few hours of waiting is never worth destroying your vehicle or endangering your life.

3. A note for trucks with high ground clearance and/or snorkels. Just because you can ford water that's three feet deep, doesn't mean you should. If a drainage canal or river sweeps over a bridge, it may have the power to carry you off the bridge and out into the water. Your SUV may weigh two tons, but guess what? The passenger cabin is full of air, and that makes it float. Anything that floats can be carried away by a strong current.

4. If you are stuck in traffic or a low-lying area and it becomes obvious that the water will cover the car, disconnect the battery (and, if you can, remove the ECU (electronic control unit)), and make for higher ground. Having the battery disconnected will help prevent a short circuit caused by water penetration from frying your ECU. Congratulations, you've just saved around fifty thousand bucks in repairs.


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After The Flood

1. If your car forded the water successfully and experienced no cabin leakage, check all fluids and suspension parts. Water can still leak into your engine oil or gear oil, and it can contaminate bearings and CV Joints.

2. If your car has been inundated by flood, do not attempt to start it. Have it inspected by a mechanic or electrician. Change all fluids and dry out all electronic sensors and systems thoroughly before even attempting this. Some vehicles have water resistant ECUs. Others don't. But even if the ECU is water sealed, there's no guarantee that everything else is. This includes sensors in the engine bay, electronics in the dashboard and various electrical couplings throughout the vehicle.

3. You may also want to take apart your seats and carpet and lay them out in the sun to dry. If the flood water contained mud, you will want to take the vehicle to a professional to disassemble the dashboard and doors to clean out everything thoroughly.

Automotive Market Recovery is Both Encouraging and Depressing

Sales figures are in for the first half of 2010, and it appears that the market is starting to recover.

CAMPI stats page

US sales, first half, 2010


Sales are good for many manufacturers both locally and in the US, which is a good sign... but depressingly... worryingly, most of those sales are... you guessed it... for big vehicles.

Not that I'm against people needing or buying big cars. It's your money. Do what you want. But the plain fact of the matter is: People don't seem to have learned their lesson. Fuel economy matters. Fuel prices are not going to stay at this low level for long... and when oil goes back to the $100 per barrel level, as the Chinese economy picks up steam again, people are going to start panicking and bitching about it. Get over it. It's your own damn fault.

Just look at US sales. The Honda Jazz/Fit is down. The hybrid market is showing a small downturn. In local sales... the top three spots are all taken up by SUVs... one of which wasn't even available in diesel at the start of its run (the Tucson).

First Quarter Sales, Philippines, 2010

The electric contingent also seems to have lost some steam. Tesla just released its IPO this week. It went up and down faster than you can say "What-the-..." Not that Tesla has ever been more than two steps above vaporware, but general sentiment and interest in alternative energy vehicles is not as bullish as it once was.

I wish I could say that we've learned our lessons from the disaster that was 2008-2009. But apparently we haven't. And we seem bound to repeat this vicious boom-bust cycle all over again. Will people ever learn?

So... did you sleep through the 2010 F1 European GP at Valencia?

Red Bull's Mark Webber sure did, snoozing off the starting line and falling far back... before executing an airborne assault on a hapless DHL sign off the back of Hekki Kovalainen's Lotus.

I'm sure Fernando Alonso wished he had, after the heartbreak of being one of the only two drivers caught behind the resulting safety car. (The other being his Ferrari team-mate Felipe Massa). Needless to say, the Spaniard was livid, especially since McLaren's Lewis Hamilton, just a second ahead of him, took time out of deciding whether or not to pass the safety car to wag his tail at him. Just to, you know, piss him off. Because we all know Lewis and Fernando just love playing with each other.

Other than that, and an almost race-ending clash between the two wonder boys, Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel and Hamilton (boy, did he have an eventful race), it was the typical Valencia snooze-fest. To the point where people are talking about overhauling the circuit for next year. And not just people, but, y'know... people.

The most excitement, actually, was generated when Fernando Alonso had an apoplectic attack on air as Ferrari told him that finally, the stewards had decided to penalize Lewis for his borderline illegal overtake of the safety car (it would have been legal if he hadn't spent an extra millisecond mooning Alonso), and that Lewis's penalty had lost him exactly zero places.

And it only got worse, as other drivers who sped under the safety car got a mere 5 second penalty for this action. Alonso's fair-minded and faithful following of safety car rules landed him in ninth... promoted slightly to eight after the penalties were assigned. Maranello was not amused.

As Ferrari and Fernando continue a conspiracy theory assault on the ears of all and any who will listen, the FOTA looks at clarifying safety car rules... but really... the whining has got to stop. As if Fernando or Ferrari are completely innocent of racing shenanigans in their long and colorful (but separate) histories in F1...