By Tessa R. Salazar
Philippine Daily Inquirer

OH, you lucky devil, mister or miss sole winner of the biggest lotto jackpot in this small corner of the world. Two hundred forty nine million pesos is truly a mind-boggling amount, and we’re sure you’d want to do a million things with that moolah. But we’re also equally certain that the first thing you’d want to buy with your “hard-earned” cash is some decent wheels, wouldn’t you?

So, before you run to the nearest showroom and clean out everything that’s on display, check out first the latest cars introduced by the leading carmakers. Hey, Inquirer Motoring won’t tell you to save your money (you’d probably laugh your head off if we said that), but what we could probably help save you is time.

The new Honda Accord and the new Mazda 6 — direct competitors and both former grand winners of Car of the Year Philippines — have been launched by their respective manufacturers Honda Cars Philippines and Mazda Philippines.

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By Relly Carpio
INQUIRER.net

MAZDA has revealed the all-new Mazda MX-5 Retractable Hard Top (RHT) that combines the comfort and convenience of a hard top with the exhilaration of a convertible. The new MX-5 is inspired by the Japanese phrase Jinba Ittai that literally means “oneness between horse and rider.”

Check out the video I took.

Sarah Meier, model and MTV VJ, was on hand for the revealing. Eric Malimban, the marketing manager of Mazda Philippines, expressed his excitement about the third-generation Miata, saying, “the Mazda MX-5 RHT is the epitome of Mazda’s stylish, innovative brand essence and the realization of the Zoom-Zoom spirit Mazda is known for.”

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By Aida Sevilla-Mendoza
Philippine Daily Inquirer

DOES the Mazda CX-9 deserve superlatives? Yes, in the sense that it is Mazda’s biggest passenger vehicle, has the largest engine ever in a Mazda and the longest wheelbase in the crossover/SUV class. Moreover, it won the Motor Trend Sport Utility Award for 2008 and was included by Automobile Magazine in its All Stars 2008 list of the 10 Best Cars aside from being voted the North American Truck of the Year by 45 motoring journalists at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

The CX-9 also deserves superlatives for its good looks. Sleek, stylishly sculpted and sensuous with a sharply raked windshield, it defies the boxy tradition of its class yet retains the stance and substance of a sport utility vehicle. For me, the four 20-inch tires shoved right to the corners are the CX-9’s most eye-catching feature, revealing its zoom-zoom capability and adding muscle to an already powerful package.

Built on the same platform as the Mazda6 sedan and launched on the market in 2007, the CX-9 has been upgraded for 2008 with a bigger engine displacement, from 3.6 liters to a 3.7-liter 24-valve DOHC V6 with variable valve timing. The upgrade increased horsepower from 263 to 273 bhp and upped max torque from 249 lb ft to 270 lb ft/4,500 rpm, a welcome boost for the CX-9’s size and weight exceeding two tons.

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