April 18-22, 2012, SM Megamall TradeHall – Madlightmedia.com presents to you coverage of the 21st Trans Sport Show. Not all things come in big packages. But small doesn’t necessarily mean its not a good thing. Although this year’s show was smaller compared to previous years, the quality of the cars still remained.

And as usual, I doubt anyone reads this so I’ll just copy and paste the press release after the break, just like making a report in med school.

What differentiates TRANS SPORT SHOW from all other car shows? It clearly is the most resilient of all car shows ( it being the oldest running since 1992) and has been the benchmark for success in car competitions. True car enthusiasts say that if you want to learn car restoration for competition go see Trans Sport Show and use it as your benchmark in achieving your goals in that field. “Over the years, we have awarded 20 Best of Show winners and helped pave the way for most if not all of the successful car restoration shops in the country.”, says Sophie delos Santos, President of Tradeshow International, Inc. and organizer of Trans Sport Show.  Now on its 21^sT year and presented by Phoenix Petroleum Philippine, Inc.

 Keeping true to Trans Sport Show’s tagline as the “Car Show for Enthusiasts by Enthusiasts”, Tradeshow International, Inc. maintains a high standard when accepting cars for show and competition which  will go under scrutiny by a panel of seasoned car enthusiast judges.  “We do reserve very limited slots new players in the field to help fuel up enthusiasm but we select only those who we feel have the passion to begin with or car hobbyists with strong potential to develop into true car enthusiasts. Also, after 20 years, this is the time to usher in the next generation of Trans Sport Show fans”, enthuses de los Santos.   There will be over 15 categories open in the 21^st Phoenix Trans Sport Show Cup with two major awards which are the Best of Show Nostalgic (for vintage and classic cars) and Best of Show Contemporary (for newer cars). This year’s panel of judges is headed by veteran judge Osamu Hasegawa together with Eddie Salonga, Boyer Kalugdan, John Escobar, Nilo Escalona, Pepon Marave and George Apacible.

 Part of Trans Sport Show’s tradition is to educate the public on automotive history hence,  a special highlight will be the “50^th Anniversary of the MGB” display in cooperation with the Manila Sports Car Club and the MG Club. Fifty years ago, in 1962, MG introduced the sports car, which increased its fame in the 60s and 70s. It remained in production until 1980. Accurately described as the most popular sports car, there were more than 500,000 MGBs made from 1962 to 1980.   The display will feature restored MGBs including a GT and a roadster.

 Other event highlights included a talk about  “Collecting Vintage Cars” by members of the Manila Sports Car Club, Porsche Club and the Vintage Car Club.  Get valuable insights on  how to get started in the hobby, maintaining  and enjoying it. The Search for the 2012 Miss Trans Sport Show is open to all the pretty booth attendants in the show and will surely be a must –shoot activity for the photographers. DKT Philippines will have the PREMIERE MAX BLACK JACK & PREMIERE VIXENS SEARCH MODELS .

 The 21^st Phoenix Trans Sport Show is sponsored in part by Solar Sports, Basketball TV, C!, Top Gear, Power Wheels, Radio High 105.9 ,  Crossover 105.1, DZRH 666, DWIZ, 97 Home Radio, RJ 100, DZRJ 810, Inside Motoring, Business Mirror, BusinessWorld, Chinese Commercial News, Daily Tribune, Manila Bulletin, Manila Standard Today, Manila Times, Phil.Daily Inquirer, Philippine Star, Malaya Business Insight, Padi’s Point, Lazer Maxx, Gotcha, Auto Review, Sunshine TV, Motoring Today, Auto Focus, Stoplight TV, Pinoy Extreme, ABS CBN TFC, Autoindustriya.com, Kotse.com , TopGear.com.ph, Tsikot.com, Autopartsmanila.com, Café Puro and Motorola.

Virginia Beach, VA – Springfest 3 held at Virginia Beach Sportsplex where all car lovers get together and show off what they got or check out the competition.  With hundreds of cars in attendance and more spectators then the event host Sumospeed expected we would say it was a great turnout!

Photos by: Kevin Choi

Long Beach, CA – If you love your Toyotas, you probably already know about this annual event- this past weekend we attended Toyotafest at the Queen Mary, a car show organized by T.O.R.C (Toyota Owners and Restorers Club). There really isn’t much to say about this event as the name speaks for itself. The event is a showcase of all Toyotas, past and present- if you’re a Toyota enthusiast, there’s probably a car there that you would appreciate- whether it be the exotic LFA, the infamous Supra, the legendary AE86 Corolla, or the poor-excuse-for-an-S2000 MR2 Spyder (kidding). My personal favorites are the “Japanese Muscle” first generation Celicas- perhaps the greatest looking Japanese cars to come out during the 70′s. A Toyota Century (a Japanese market-only limousine) also made a guest appearance, as well as the star-studded 2000GT (known as James Bond’s car in “You Only Live Twice) and S800 (Toyota’s first production sports car).

Apart from the cars themselves, the show was really made for the community- numerous vendors were on hand, many with hard to find classic wares- whether you wanted an original Toyota katakana logo sticker, a classic shift knob, a reprint of a magazine ad of your favorite car, or a branded umbrella.

All in all, Toyotafest is an enjoyable event with a great atmosphere. It’s definitely worth checking out, and you can always explore the Queen Mary afterwards and go ghost hunting. -Dave Luong, Madlight Media

March 29 – April 1, 2012 – They say home is where the heart is. A lot of things just seem better coming from home, for example home cooked meals. Nothing beats the taste of mom’s chicken adobo. You can even expand that to calling your motherland your home. With the local tourism slogan being “Its more fun in the Philippines”, I have to agree. Jollibee kicks Mcdonald’s ass. Without resorting to name dropping, I have to say that local car shows are better than imported ones. Just check out our coverage of the recently concluded Manila International Auto Show at the World Trade Center in Pasay City, Philippines. The show makes up for that thing that left a bitter taste in my mouth. From the cars in attendance down to the actual floors of the World Trade Center, the Manila International Auto Show is a far cry from shows slapped on with an imported name. Without further ado (and because I doubt anybody really reads this), Madlightmedia.com presents to you the cars and the girls of the 2012 Manila International Auto Show. Check out our coverage after the press release. -Mikey Yan, Madlight Media

Special thanks to Rajiv Kalbit for the video coverage

Manila International Auto Show 2012: Thousands race to the Philippines’ most successful auto show

 For the 8^th year running, car enthusiasts raced to the World Trade Center last March 29 to April 1, 2012 for the highly anticipated Manila International Auto Show (MIAS). “This year’s MIAS is geared to provide an unparalleled auto show experience that only an international trade show can provide,” Worldbex Services International Founder (WSI) Joseph Ang shares. With the theme “Motorsports”, MIAS 2012 turned the spotlight on “Life in the Fast Lane” and the current trend of developing new and updated models of sports cars by different car brands, all designed to outride the competition.

With over 88,600 attendees, MIAS 2012 once again proved that it is the best automobile show in the country with more than 400 cars on display from 500 exhibitors. This year’s MIAS was also made bigger, with companies occupying the WTC, the Philippine Trade Training Center, the adjoining WTC East Wing and the specially constructed WTC East Wing B, with a total exhibit area of 30,000 sqm.  MIAS 2012 featured the best concept cars, hybrid cars and many other automotives that changed the way we look at motoring and driving.

The opening ceremony was attended by distinguished guests, local and international. Present during the opening were MMDA Chairman Francis N. Tolentino, Bureau of Customes Deputy Collector Tessie Roque, BPI Senior Vice President Josephine Ocampo, BPI Sales and Marketing Vice President Noel Altamirano, Car Awards Group, Inc. President Ferman Lao, Embassy of India’s 2^nd Secretary Jose Joseph, Czech Republic Ambassador Joseph Rychtar, MATRADE Trade Commissioner Har Man Amad, US Commercial Service Attache Tyrena Holley, Ford Group President Randy Krieger, WSI Founding Chairman Joseph Ang, WSI Co-founder Levi Ang, WSI Director Marge Poblete, WSI Executive Director Francisco Flameno, and MIAS Co-organizers Alvin Uy and Jason Ang.

The highlights of this year’s MIAS included the Russ Swift Precision Driving Stunt Show, motorsports exhibits, special demonstrations, and many more. Visitors also witnessed spectacular car launches from Ford, Subaru, BMW, Hyundai, Mini, Chrysler, Vespa, Piaggio, and APE. Other notable events were the Top Gear exhibit, which featured top of the line car setups, the MD Juan World II re-enactment using Jeep vehicles, and the Philippines’ most powerful car sponsored by Motul.

Also back is a bolder and bigger amphibian truck, which the Philippine Army, Philippine Marines, and the private sector modified and improved for this year’s show. Strategic spots throughout the venue have also been transformed into bachelor pads where visitors can watch their favorite movies, mingle with the car shows models, and test drive the car of their dreams.

Also held was a Gala Night for the Car of the Year Awards 2012 competition at the PTTC, hosted by the Car Awards Group, Inc. The Hyundai Elantra was crowned the Car of the Year, a big milestone for Hyundai Asia Resources, Inc. MIAS 2012 also awarded BMW as the best booth and Subaru as best in production. Other competitions such as the MIAS Classic and Custom Car Competition, and a car photography contest were also held.

The 8^th Manila International Auto Show is important since it aids in effectively boosting local car industry, especially with BPI Family Bank’s Auto Madness, which offered low interest rates for car buyers during the show.

Metro Manila Development Authority Chairman Francis N. Tolentino affirms, “with the 8th car show that we have, I think we just placed Metro Manila on the right track. Every time you put a world-class exhibition like this, you bring Metro Manila and our country much closer to being a world-class nation.”

Every year, Worldbex Services International outdoes itself with their highly successful events, and the 8^th Manila International Auto Show is definitely proof of WSI’s excellence. Watch out for WSI’s upcoming shows in the Queen City of the South, the Cebu Trio: Philippine Building and Construction Expo (PHILBEX), Cebu Foods and Beverages Expo (CEFBEX), and the Cebu Auto Show this coming May 24-27, 2012 at the Cebu International Convention Center. Like WSI on Facebook at Worldbex Services International (Official Fan Page) or follow them on Twitter (@worldbex) for updates on their upcoming events.

March 25, 2012, St. Giles Hotel, Makati, Philippines – After a hard day’s work covering the recent Hot Import Nights in Manila, we were invited by Ms. Christine Marquez to chill with her at a Pool party hosted by ManilaPink.com, a company that specializes in lingerie and bikini wear. Held at the rooftop pool of St. Giles Hotel in Makati City, other sponsors of the event were SuperStar, Swaggz, WheninManila, and DoveFly. In addition to the pool party, there was also a mini fashion show where Christine Marquez and her friends strutted their stuff clad in a variety of lingerie and bikinis. Other models present were Esjhae Red and Maureen Boholst. More pictures after the jump! -Mikey Yan, Madlight Media

March 24-25, 2012 – Hot Import Nights is a brand name that people in the car tuning industry have come to associate with car shows filled with wildly modified rides, ladies in scantily clad outfits, and booming music. The name that has become popular first in Southern California, which then spread like wildfire across the US, has now reached the far East. The first ever Hot Import Nights was held at the World Trade Center, Manila, Philippines, where people flocked to in order to get a glimpse of what all the hype was about in spite of the local rainy weather.

We have b2bcarshow.com to thank for bringing over the Hot Import Nights name, the same people responsible for the yearly “Bumper to Bumper” car show here in the Philippines. They also brought over all the way from the West Coast what Hot Import Nights has become to be known for: Import Models. MMA Ring Girl Arianny Celeste, Import Models Jeri Lee and Nikita Esco headlined the event, who all flew in to attend and grace the event, signing autographs and posters on stage, basking in the attention of all the show goers who waited patiently in line to get up stage for a few seconds with them.

The event was two days long in order to accommodate the huge turnout who came to view the surprisingly small number of cars in attendance. Other highlights of the event were the VIP Party, where showgoers had to pay extra to attend what was basically a concert by the Mocha Girls, a local girlband, and a bikini contest by local models. The Import Models also strutted their stuff on stage, although they were seemingly nowhere to be found the next day.

So did Hot Import Nights Manila live up to the hype? Why not check out our coverage of the event to find out? Cuz my momma taught me well: if I have nothing nice to say… -Mikey Yan, Madlight Media

Anaheim, CA – This year, Southern California was blessed with its first ever WonderCon! Normally held in the Bay Area, the venue was moved to the Anaheim Convention Center due to renovations being made at the Moscone Center in San Francisco. As a result (and thanks to a professional pass through Danny Chiang at Dated Future Productions- http://www.datedfuture.com/), this meant I finally had an opportunity to cover Comic-Con’s smaller, yet equally exciting sister event!

For those that don’t know, WonderCon and Comic-Con are conventions that deal with all things related to comic books, all sorts of sci-fi genres, movies, tv shows, and related art. These events draw hundreds of thousands every year.  Make no mistake- you may assume that this is a nerd mecca, but it is far from it. There’s something for every body, for all kinds of interests. Whether you’re into steampunk, cosplay (which I will get into later), anime, video games, card games, comic books, Japanese collectibles, horror films, meeting your favorite authors and artists, or looking for the latest scoop on a movie, odds are you found something that brings out your inner fanboy/girl. The main sections of the event includes the exhibit hall, where various companies, large and small display their wares and/or upcoming products. A large section called the Artist’s Alley is dedicated to artists of all backgrounds. And third, one of the most important parts of these conventions are the various panels held throughout the day, where important people will talk about their upcoming works- for example, we were able to watch a special preview screening of 21 Jump Street, and see the ever-so-dreamy Channing Tatum in person. Or perhaps you’re interested in the direction of LGBT characters in comic books. Whatever your interest, there was probably a panel just for you!

As an aside, we usually cover car-related events here- and I’ll just say it straight out- there’s better overall eye candy here in the form of cosplayers (which are generally regular attendees in costumes) than there is at any car show I’ve been to recently. When you have the likes of Jessica Nigri and Linda Le dressed up as your favorite fictional character that you wish were real, you can forget about the girls who think having implants and a skimpy bikini is a recipe for success.  Also refreshing is the lack of pretentiousness of cosplayers- here, they actually WANT to have their pictures taken and will gladly drop their bags of loot for a pose (that’s more than I can say for the recent trend of models sitting behind their booths all day, flanked by some security outfit, hoping you’ll buy an autographed picture of them, or the ones being paraded around by some guy, like a pimp and his ho. I can understand the security issue, but.. it’s not exactly accessible. You don’t get networking potential by projecting the image that you just want to get paid or acting like you don’t even want to be there). There were so many great, ridiculously intricate outfits, that it’s hard to pick just one.. but I have to give huge props to the guy in the WoW paladin T2 outfit wielding Ashbringer.. that $#!t was just amazing.

But I digress- I had a ton of fun at WonderCon, and it was a much more exciting event than I could have imagined.  I was never too interested in attending Comic-Con because I felt it wasn’t relevant to me, but I couldn’t have been more wrong, and I can’t wait to attend this coming summer. Without further ado, check out the pics of some of the wonderful cosplayers and exhibits. Be Jealous, Larry! -Dave Luong, Madlight Media

Irvine, CA – About a week ago, a friend informed me of an upcoming Scion event involving the indoor go-kart racing company, K1 Speed. I knew only good things could come from this- one, I love K1 (although, I would have loved Dromo 1 even more if it still existed), and two, I love Scion because they ALWAYS give out cool free stuff. Sometimes I wonder how their marketing department gets away with all the promotions they do and how it even exists. My room and wardrobe is filled with Scion stuff, and I don’t even drive one!

But I digress. The event itself was full of interesting activities, mainly tailored to showcasing the Scion iQ. Participants of the event could test drive the car itself on a small course outside the facility, as well as do a ride-along with a professional driver inside the go-kart tracks, which was surprisingly very entertaining. Scion also brought out an FR-S to display for those who are not fortunate enough to be part of the aftermarket industry or able to wake up early enough for Cars N’ Coffee. Amenities included free Korean  tacos from the Kogi taco truck, as well as shaved ice from Snow Monkey.  Best of all however, was the fact that go-kart racing was FREE from 11AM to 5PM. Nothing beats free, except more free stuff!

All in all, it was an enjoyable event despite the gloom and rain from the day. I wish other car companies (I’m looking at you, Honda) would actively communicate with its customers the way Scion does, rather than ignore them. I’ve been told that there will be another event showcasing the new FR-S in a few months, so I’ll definitely be there. For the free stuff, of course. Maybe Scion will let me write a test drive article on the FR-S too.. eh?? eh???? -Dave Luong, Madlight Media