Words by ElainE lara PhotograPhy by jama ramos
shot at markus P
atissEriE & bistro
120 toP gEar PhiliPPinEs^ WWW.topgear.com.ph
SHOW-OFF
What made you choose a car from the
popular British marque?
Ever since I saw the movie The Italian Job, I
wanted to get a Mini. They are fun to drive.
This Clubman always makes me smile during
and after driving it. It’s certainly an iconic
car and it still looks classy up to now. Owning
a Mini is like being part of its rich racing
heritage. But more important, the design is
appealing to different generations.
You’re right. It has an appealing design.
We’re sure there’s a fascinating story
about you and your ride.
Once while we were at the gasoline station at
NLEX, I was in Starbucks, then I looked out
of the window and to my surprise, there were
people in front of my car taking pictures. I just
find it interesting that Minis, even if they are
small cars, can attract people from different
walks of life.
What other cars do you have in your
stable to play with?
As much as I want to use this Mini every
day, it became a show car. It’s difficult to use
on a daily basis because we just can’t go to
areas where we’re not sure of the roads and
environment. I have an FJ Cruiser which is the
perfect driver when the weather is bad. It’s
very capable for off-roading. But my dream
car has always been a Ferrari. It’s still a dream,
though—at least for now.
How about modifications? What
improvements or changes did you make?
I changed the rims to 18 -inch BBS alloys
shod with Nitto tires, and used NM lowering
springs. For the engine modifications, I
changed the intake air charge and discharge
pipes for the turbo and had it tuned by Evolve.
What is your day like with a car as funky
as this?
All smiles.
THE GARAGE
Randy yap
manila
‘I looked out of the
window and there
were people taking
pictures of my car’
Quirky and fun
2012 R55 MInI ClubMAn S
a british car and heavy
downpour in one just
photo. how fitting