Cool Cars of the Philippines

     The Volkswagen Polo Notch, Volkswagen's subcompact entry sedan, spotted parked around Novaliches. The clean sedan was at its simplest form, plain, unsophisticated and basic for its level of trim, made for a market where pricey cars aren't so commonplace.      The Polo Notch was launched by Volkswagen in the Philippines in 2013 after the carmaker's return to the local industry. It was sold to compete with other subcompact sedans in the market such as the Honda City and the Hyundai Accent. The car, essentially based on the Polo hatchback but with its wheelbase stretched an extra 17 inches, was sold at a price of ₱950,000 before being taken off the market in 2018 due to low sales and increased trade relations with China (which is a story for another time). The Polo Notch was then replaced by the Volkswagen Santana.      The little sedan was fitted with a 1.6 L I4 engine, capable of producing up to 104 brake horsepower. Surprisingly, it gets...

      The Isuzu Crosswind Sportivo, a large black truck parked in the grass on a sunny Sunday morning. Once the second best-selling vehicle in the market, the aging locally-built mammoth of considerable size in its class still stayed strong without a sign of weakness and fault.      The Isuzu Crosswind, or the Isuzu Panther as it was called in most of the countries it was sold in, originated in Indonesia and was sold in the developing Southeast Asian market. This durable SUV was produced domestically from 2002 all the way to 2017, before being phased out due to stricter emission standards made by the government.      Built at its local manufacturing plant in Santa Rosa, the main reasons why the Crosswind was produced for so long were due to its highly efficient engine, tough body, and its easily obtainable spare parts, according to the president of the Isuzu Philippines Corporation, Hajime Koso.      The Sportivo name, giv...

     A classic E36 was seen sitting right outside in the sun on a Tuesday afternoon. Despite its age, the shiny coat of paint, the clean and dent-free body of the old Beamer gave it a look like it just came out of the assembly line three months ago.      The BMW E36 was produced by the German carmaker during the years 1990 to the year 2000. It was sold in many different variants, such as the sedan, the coupe, the convertible, the wagon, the hatchback and the rare 4-door convertible which was only available for a short amount of time.      A few of these variants, such as this sedan, were made locally as semi-knocked down kits, with the parts imported from abroad then assembled here in the country. These domestically made vehicles were built at BMW's own Santa Rosa plant in Laguna. However, due to the tumultuous times of the 90's, specifically the Asian Economic Crisis, BMW was forced to pull out of the country, permanently halting the local p...

     This menacing-looking Caddy Escalade was seen parked next to a Filipino food joint around Quezon City. The SUV's chrome trims, aggressive wheels, and dark tinted windows created a sinister tone.      This rap-lyric-ridden truck, a full-sized luxury SUV, was produced by General Motors from the years 2001 to 2006. It was built on GM's GMT800 chassis, the same foundation used by the previously shown Hummer H2. Its kind came as a rear-wheel drive per standard and was built to a 5.3 L V8 engine, creating up to 295 brake horsepower, perfect for its three ton weight.      Escalades, or Cadillacs in general, were never officially sold here. They were transported and brought here through the grey import market policy, and for such a big brash car, it certainly would've costed a ton. And for a car with such adornments, it came with leather bucket seats, a Bulgari-branded clock, chrome trims all around, and an option for a touchscreen-navigated GPS...

       The classic Nissan Silvia, found next to the curb in a shaded neighborhood. The slick red car was equipped with custom rims, a splitter, and a carbon fiber hood, right above its carbon fiber fenders. Even at a standstill, it looked like it was in motion.      The Silvia came in many different monikers, depending on where it was exported to. In its domestic Japanese market, it was named the 180SX. In its other export markets, such as the United States, Australia, and New Zealand, it was called either the 200SX or the 240SX. All its relatively recent models were assembled in Kanda, Fukuoka, in its own Nissan assembly plant.      The Silvia, including the S15 featured here, was never sold here in the Philippines. All of its kind were exported here through the grey market, through over 3000 kilometers of rough seas, before being converted as a left-hand drive model and finally getting driven all the way back here to Quezon City. ...