The land area of Bonifacio Global City is only 2.4 square kilometers. Yet it has more than 10 car dealerships, and over half are of car makers that are associated with luxury. We recently checked out four of the top models in some of these luxury carmakers’ showrooms. When we say ‘within easy reach’, we only mean geographically speaking.
All of these cars except one have a technology called ‘air suspension’. With a touch of a button, the chasis of a car can be lifted up by at least 5 centimeter, which makes riding over the high humps outside The Mind Museum a non-issue.
Lexus LS500
In the Lexus showroom at 34th Street, we were told that LS500 was their top model. It was launched in 2016. A 3500 c.c. sedan that is turbo charged so that it has the power equivalent to a 5000 cc engine, Lexus LS500 combines comfort with decent performance. It has a 12-speaker sound system, and more cameras than we could count to help the driver park.
A hybrid car, Lexus LS500 has both gasoline and electric engines, but the electric engine is charged by the driving power of the car, and cannot or does not need to be plugged in. So it is a car that is fuel economic and friendly to the environment without the hassle of having to find charging station.
Lexus SL500 is focused on the driver, as the front two seats have massage mechanism, while the back seats do not have this feature.
The rear door is powered and has a kick motion sensor, so that when your hands are carrying a lot of stuff and you need to put them in the trunk, you just need to wave your foot below the trunk and the rear door will open!
There are so many features for comfort and entertainment that we felt we could just live in the car, had it come with a shower and toilet. At P9 million, it is on par the value of a 1-bedroom condo unit in BGC, except that LS 500 can bring you to different places, while your condo can’t.
Mercedes Maybach S560 Long
The current showroom of Mercedes is about 8 minute walk from Lexus’.
Mercedes is usually synonymous with the old rich, people who are conservative in style and mindset. However, the Maybach has a more youthful allure.
Like all Mercedes, the exterior of an Maybach does not make you scream, but once you open the door, you know the car has class. Just from the appearance you can tell that the seats are soft and contoured for luxurious comfort. The LED light that lines some edges tell you that this car is compatible with tech savvy owners.
Air suspension increases the height of the chasis by 5 cm in 2 seconds. It has 4 zone climate control, massage seats for all passengers. Night vision camera. Dual screen display.
This version of Maybach has a long body, over 5 meters, in order to give a lot of space for the rear seat passengers. At P17 million, it costs the same as a small two bedroom condo in BGC or McKinley Hill.
Ferrari Portofino
In the showroom there were a Ferrari Portofino and a Ferrari Tributo. Even though the Tributo is the more popular car, with its race car appearance, we decided to check out the Portofino, simply because Portofino is newer, and we like to watch its top opens and closes.
Portofino, a hard-top coupe, has a V8 turbo 3,855 cc engine. It can go from 0 to 100 km/hour in 3.5 seconds, not the fastest model in Ferrari line-up, but good enough for 5th Avenue in BGC.
Ferrari cars pride themselves as a performance car with exquisite workmanship, and do not care too much about comfort and entertainment, so there are not much fancy features to tell you about. Each car is customized to the client’s preferences and built in its factory in Italy. If you drive a Ferrari, it means you want to tell the world that you are somebody.
Rumor has it that you can get one for under P30 million, which is about the price of a 1-bedroom unit in the Seasons Residences under construction near Grand Hyatt. But such comparison is meaningless, as no one would dream of taking a nap in a Ferrari.
Maserati Q4 Levante
In the same showroom, we found Maserati’s Levante, an elegant SUV with engine built by Ferrari. Since it is a Ferrari company, Maserati adopts the same philosophy as Ferrari, in that each car is built to the specs of individual owners. If you are a fan of aqua man, this car is even more appealing (see the trident?).
You can choose every detail, even the style of stitching, so this is the car for people who enjoy micro-managing. However, no massage seats, as engine performance is the top priority of the brand. So if you are looking for the fastest SUV, and a car that you can pick the design down to the smallest detail, Maserati is the brand for you.
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