Good news to the peeps from down south! The StreetWise Auto Show is coming up on the 12th of May, 2012, at SM Center Las Pinas.

They say people down south have a more “laid-back” lifestyle. Let’s see how this culture translates over to their rides as we check out some of the most awesome cars the south side of Manila has got to offer. Custom Pinoy Rides will be there to catch the action. See you there!

Custom Pinoy Rides will be heading over to the 21st Trans Sport Show coming up from April 18-22 at SM Megamall to take some awesome coverage of the event. Check back with us soon to see what’s hot on today’s car tuning industry.

To find out more about the 21st Trans Sport Show, check out the press release below.

The 21st Phoenix TRANS SPORT SHOW ushers in a new generation of car enthusiasts

What separates a car lover from a car enthusiast? “Passion with knowledge will always set them apart” says Sophie delos Santos, President of Tradeshow International and organizer of the oldest running car show in the country, the TRANS SPORT SHOW. “We have been staging this annual event since 1992 purposely to serve as a gathering of finely-restored show cars for competition . And because the show has become a breeding ground for car enthusiasts, we feel responsible for keeping their passion alive and setting the proper direction as far as car appreciation and knowledge is concerned”, delos Santos said. Come April 18-22, the 21st Trans Sport Show will happen at the SM Megamall’s Megatrade Halls and is being presented for the second time by Phoenix Petroleum Philippines, 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 21st 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. Awarding will be on April 21 at 6PM.

Part of Trans Sport Show’s tradition is to educate the public on automotive history hence, a special highlight will be the “50th 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 include a talk about “Collecting Vintage Cars” on April 21, Saturday at 4PM 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. There will also be exhibitor related activities namely the WWW.AUTOINDUSTRIYA.COM GT 5 CHALLENGE with qualifying rounds fromApril 18 – 21 and awarding on April 22. DKT Philippines will have the PREMIERE MAX BLACK JACK & PREMIERE VIXENS SEARCH MODELS . Online voting activities from April 19-21 include Most Popular Online Babe via www.topgear.com.ph, Best Car Display via www.tsikot.com and Best Booth Display via www.kotse.com. For Facebook users, you may upload your most creative picture taken at this year’s event in Trans Sport Show’s official Facebook page at www.facebook.com/pages/TRANS-SPORT-SHOW.

The 21st 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. Show tickets are already available in all SM Ticket Cinema outlets or buy onsite on the showdates.. For more details, call Tradeshow International, Inc. at 6713122, 6718381-82, 09175322637 and 09175322648.

Hi, I’m Philip Aragones, and as an introduction to myself here in CustomPinoyRides.com, let me introduce you to the 2013 Hyundai Genesis.

CustomPinoyRides rode to Clark, Pampanga to get a taste of what this beast had to offer. With 345 horsepower under its hood, 39 more than its predecessor, this sleek ride is certainly no slouch. The prominent frontal design elements seen in the Tucson and the Veloster are now seen in the new Genesis Coupe, and it doesn’t disappoint.

This is of course just a teaser. Come back as we give you more photos, and get inside the car, in an in-depth review of the 2013 Hyundai Genesis Coupe. Stay tuned!

I would have to apologize to you guys for the lack of new posts the past couple of days. I try to post some new stuff everyday, but have been really busy on preparations and doing the actual shoot – the biggest commissioned shoot we’ve had to-date.

Last Saturday, the 25-Feb-2012, we’ve shot over 180 cars, along with their respective owners, together with a handful of gorgeous and sexy models, in 12 hours straight. I don’t know how it happened, but it was hella fun! This was during Ford Club Philippines’ 10-Year Anniversary at Bonifacio Global City.

Since we have about a thousand photos to sift through, it might take the next few days for me to post things up here at CPR. So in the meantime, let me leave you with a teaser – the result of our photoshoot of the All-New Ford Fiesta.

We’d like to thank Ford Group Philippines President Randy Krieger for giving us the opportunity, and for lending us some of their lovely models. And of course to Ford Club Philippines for believing in our talents, and trusting us to cover the prestigious 10-Year Anniversary. We are deeply honored.

Would also like to thank my very talented colleagues Philip Aragones and Andy Rodriguez for joining me on this shoot. More to come!

Watch out for the awesome photo coverage of the event. Stay tuned!

Related Stuff:
- See the rest of our ongoing series: With Great Cars Come Great Women
- See more coverage of stuff from Ford Club Philippines
- See more customized and tuned Ford Fiestas here

Photos by Car Photography Club Members THE aSTIG, Philip Aragones, Karl San Luis, and Andy Rodriguez

Better late than never. We did a ton of shoots last year of different car clubs and groups, and have a whole lot of adventure stores to tell about it. We did this so we can give back to the automotive community by offering something they can hang on their walls to remind them everyday of the fun and camaraderie involved in being part of a car club.

It took a while for us to finish designing the calendar layouts and to make the photos match, as it was our first time in doing this and we found that it was harder than we had expected. But now that we got the hang of things, rest assured that this will be the first of many many more to come. And I promise we will be more timely on our future endeavors.

Our first calendar release is for the LanEVO Club Philippines. There is a story behind how the club came to be, and you can read about on our previous feature here. But let me tell you our story of how this calendar came about.

It took the combined efforts of 4 extremely talented Car Photography Club members whose names you see above. There’s Karl San Luis, who is probably best known in the motorsports community for his work gracing the pages of the best drifting resource on the planet – Drifted.com; Andy Rodriguez, who is almost like a politician when he is seen in automotive events, as he is known by just about everyone in the industry, and he also shoots for C! Magazine as well as Power Wheels; Philip Aragones, who is my photography partner-in-crime covering events for CPR, and is undoubtedly the most talented Photoshop retoucher amongst us; and then there’s me, THE aSTIG (I only give my real name to those I meet in person), founder of Custom Pinoy Rides, as well as the Car Photography Club.

Well, to cut the story short, it doesn’t mean that you have a multitude of talented photographers working on a project at the same time, that you will have the greatest output ever. Lesson learned, it is difficult to combine different shooting styles and preferences into one single calendar with various photos, and make it look “harmonious”. Some of us shot at warmer color temperatures, while some cooler; some preferred natural light, while some used off-camera flash; some produced photos with a more traditional look, while others produced shots with a more edgy style to it.

It took countless hours of time spent sitting in front of a huge computer screen blending the colors and carefully selecting the photos that would go together with each other. The result is something we’re damn proud of. This is probably one of the most awesome car club calendars ever made. And we’re sure you won’t regret hanging this in your room or on your garage wall. Note that this is not a calendar that is mass-produced. You can only get this by order (see email below), hence maintaining exclusivity.

What’s even better is that now that we’ve got the hang of this, we now know the ins and outs of how things should work. So the Custom Pinoy Rides crew is ready to take on custom projects for y’all in the automotive and motorsports community. From personalized photoshoots for individuals and companies to calendars to event coverage to car photobooths (a photobooth big enough to fit a car and it’s owner for club EB’s and events) to large-scale prints, we’re ready to take the challenge. If you’re interested in working with us, shoot me an email at custompinoyrides@gmail.com and I will get back to you as soon as I can.

In the meantime, see better close-ups of the LanEVO – CustomPinoyRides 2012 Calendar below! Check it out…

Related Stuff:
- See more features from the LanEVO Club here.
- More custom Lancer Evolutions here.

Our very own Japanese-Pinoy drifter Toni Arakaki laid down some rubber during Round 1 of the 2012 Okinawa Motor Festival last January 28-29. He comes back with some awesome coverage of the event showcasing the drifting scene in Japan. Check it out! Take it away Toni…

Toni Arakaki driving his Nissan S14 Silvia competition drift car.

The Okinawa Motor Festival 2012 Round 1 was a great experience for me as well as the Okinawan Drift Scene as it prepares to lift the bar this year for the upcoming D1 MSF Shootout Invitationals towards the end of the year!

The judges were headed by D1 driver Masayoshi Tokita, Kazama Auto’s Toshiharu Kazama and MC Bomber Yamamoto. Main Sponsors of the event was GoodYear Racing Japan, Toyota Okinawa, D-Stage, Kazama Auto and etc. And of course Drift Tengoku was present this time around along with their head editor Kawasaki san.

This was only my 3rd time driving the new TD-06 set up so I was a bit weary about it. The weather seemed to be in wet conditions til early Saturday morning, then all of a sudden the rained stopped and gave us a sunny day from 8 in the morning, the track condition was horrible at first since it left us with wet spots that threw off most of all the drifters!

The event was a two day event just like the actual D1 GP set up, at Saturday’s event was the “Tanso Banchou” or the best single run, Sunday featured the main event where “Tsuiso” or tandem runs were held and the actual point system of the series applies!

This year’s set up was a lot different from last years since from 60 cars they cut it down to the Top 16 at once, talk about gearing up and just gunning for it. I didnt make it to the top 16 but I am sure I was close to it, just need a little more time to get the hang of the car. It was a great experience for me and great practice time as I prepare for the Drift Muscle Series in March.

I was lucky to have the chance to talk with Drift Tengoku’s Magazine editor Mr. Kawasaki, I was repping ROTA and the Pinoys all throughout as you could see on my pictures, hopefully all the shots they took will make it to publishing of next months edition!

I was also lucky to be interviewed by Okinawa’s local car magazine “Car Ciao” during the festivities.

Team Special of Okinawa, dominated the competition, they placed more drifters at the top 16 than any other teams. Suprisingly, the local D1 drivers got knocked off early at the tandem battles.

In the beginner class there were about 12 entries….. And guess what, a Pinoy was repping us! With his Red AE86, Rainero Macapinlac or “Mac” from Team PURE SEDUCTIONS…

Okinawa has a busy schedule all year round with Okinawa Motor Festival Rounds on January, April, July, September, and December. While Okinawa Super Drift Series has 3 rounds total on March, August and November… talk about a busy year… yeah and adding up my schedule at Drift Muscle series… Man thats a jam packed year all throughout….

Well, that’s it for now. I’ll check back with you guys later on. In the meantime, enjoy the rest of the photos from the event!

Which do you like better? Angry eyes or not?

S15 Silvia with a Toyota 2JZ Engine

Representing Team Rota, Custom Pinoy Rides, and the Philippines!

I got Pinoy Pride yo! Car P*rn, Custom Pinoy Rides, together with Drift Tengoku.

They say that everything that happens in the past makes you who you are today…

Looking back, 2011 had been a SMASHING year for us! We’ve gained 5,000 Likes on our Facebook Page, more than doubled our readership from 2010, and have grown a lot in terms of bringing you some badass cars and taking some of the sickest photos of them.

I’m very grateful to have met a lot of awesome new friends, groups, and companies in 2011, and am very grateful that a lot of them have chosen to work with us on a professional level (that officially makes us professional photographers) through car photography services as well as website sponsorship.

Of course, Custom Pinoy Rides would not be what it is today if not for you, yes you, dear readers and loyal followers. And I promise to give you more awesome cars and photos in 2012. Oh, and how would you like a “Reader’s Rides” series we can show off your very own Custom Pinoy Rides? Would you like that? Leave your thoughts in the comments.

Meanwhile, here’s a round-up of the Best of Custom Pinoy Rides Photos that we’ve personally captured in 2011 using our continuously improving photographic talents. Pilipinas Got Talent yo! Check these out…

On the photo, model Legendair Baluyot shows off her figure while peering into the magical engine bay of this Lancer Evolution VIII.
Photographed by one of my partners in crime during our Car Photography ventures – Philip Aragones.
Original article: LanEVO Club Philippines

Legendair Baluyot posing with twin Tommi Makinen Edition Evo VI’s.
Photo by Andy Rodriguez.
Original Article: Evo VI Tommi Makinen Edition. Collect It or Drive It?

Manila Auto Salon’s “Best Body Kit” awardees for the past two years. The Nissan R33 Skyline to R35 GT-R Conversion which bagged the 2010 award, and the Hyundai Genesis Amuse which won in 2011. Both cars created by none other than Atoy Customs.
Photo by Philip Aragones.
Original article: Atoy Customs’ 2010 and 2011 Manila Auto Salon Best Body Kit Awardees

Old School Mercedes at one of the Stance Pilipinas meets.
Photo by Philip Aragones.
Original Article: Stance Pilipinas Meet at Mckinley Hill – Dec 18, 2011

HKS Super Oil Promotion.
Photo by me, THE aSTIG.
Original Article: HKS Super Oil. Now Available in the Philippines!

Ford Focus ST, fresh from a muddy fun run with the FunRun Forum.
Photo by me, THE aSTIG.
Original Article: Focus On This Ford, And Tell Me What You See…

Subaru Impreza STi, fresh from a muddy fun run with the FunRun Forum.
Photo by me, THE aSTIG.
Original Article: The Subaru Impreza STi: Mud is simply Icing over the Cake.

Mercedes Benz C63 AMG, fresh from a muddy fun run with the FunRun Forum.
Photo by me, THE aSTIG.
Original Article: Why Dirty Up A Mercedes-Benz C 63 AMG?

Rolling Shot of Ezik Ulanday’s Nissan S14 Silvia.
Photo by me, THE aSTIG.
Original Article: Ezik Ulanday’s Nissan S14 Silvia

Rolling Shot of Calvin Marwood’s R34 Nissan Skyline
Photo by me, THE aSTIG.
Original Article: Rolling Shots Never Suck: Calvin Marwood’s R34 Nissan Skyline

Marlon Mercado’s 1993 Mazda MX-5.
Photo by me, THE aSTIG.
Original Article: Big Black and Manly Miata: Marlon Mercado’s 1993 Mazda MX-5

Kevin Carlos’ Vertex/Rocketbunny Nissan S14 Silvia rollin’ on ROTAs.
Photo by me, THE aSTIG.
Original Article: Kevin Carlos’ Vertex/Rocketbunny Nissan S14 Silvia rollin’ on ROTAs

Mazda Face-Off: CX-7 vs Tribute
Photo by me, THE aSTIG.
Original Article: Mazda Face-Off: CX-7 vs Tribute

Joby Tanseco’s Porsche 911 GT3 (I heard that as of this writing, this car has already been sold, and replaced with something more expensive haha!)
Photo by me, THE aSTIG.
Original Article: Joby Tanseco’s Porsche 911 GT3

Rota Grid Type-X on a Daihatsu Feroza
Photo by me, THE aSTIG.
Original Article: ROTA Wheels: Turning Simple Cars into Forms of Art (Grid Type-X on a Daihatsu Feroza)

Atoy Llave’s (of Atoy Customs) Daily Driver: R34 Nissan Skyline by Atoy Customs
Photo by me, THE aSTIG.
Original Article: Atoy Llave’s Daily Driver: R34 Nissan Skyline by Atoy Customs

Atoy Customs Genesis Amuse Vestito Wins Wildest Extreme Body Kit and Best Import Car in the 2011 Face Off 3 Car Show.
Photo by me, THE aSTIG.
Original Article: Atoy Customs Genesis Amuse Wins Wildest Extreme Body Kit and Best Import Car in the Face Off 3 Car Show

Allan Palmos’ Cosworth/Runstop Mazda 3 tuned by Speedlab.
Photo by me, THE aSTIG.
Original Article: Allan Palmos’ Cosworth/Runstop Mazda 3 tuned by Speedlab

Engine Bay of Allan Palmos’ Cosworth/Runstop Mazda 3 tuned by Speedlab.
Photo by me, THE aSTIG.
Original Article: Allan Palmos’ Cosworth/Runstop Mazda 3 tuned by Speedlab

Rolling shot of Vincent “Teng Block” Rivera’s Ken Block Ford Focus replica.
Photo by me, THE aSTIG.
Original Article: Teng Block’s Last Hurrah. Goodbye Ken Block Ford Focus Replica.

Thanks for supporting us! We look forward to bringing you guys more kick-ass photos in 2012. Stay tuned!

In the meantime, how about you guys tell us what you guys want to see at Custom Pinoy Rides this 2012? Share it on the comments below! Cheers!

I had swung by on the last day of the Face Off 3 Car Show at SM Megamall Megatrade Hall last December 23, 2011, to do a quick photoshoot of the Atoy Customs Hyundai Genesis Amuse car, and was fortunate to arrive in time for the awarding ceremony. Well, guess what? The Atoy Customs has done it again, winning the Wildest Extreme Body Kit, and Best Import Car awards!

When this body kit was first unveiled in the 2011 Manila Auto Salon, it featured SeaOil Livery and some yellow Concept One wheels. This latest edition showcased a clean white and black (more of 3M dry CF film) car, free of any livery. This was meant to showcase the lines and curves of the Atoy Customs Genesis Amuse Body Kit, and how it flows with the styling of the sleek Hyundai Genesis. Additional updates also include new front fenders that have “gills” similar to that of the Amuse rear bumper, and some all-new Concept One wheels.

Check out the gallery below to see how the rest of the car looks like…

If you’re interested in getting the Atoy Customs Genesis Amuse body kit for your very own Hyundai Genesis, contact Rob at custompinoyrides@gmail.com or via mobile at 0922-8433275.

Related Stuff:
- See more updates about the Atoy Customs Genesis Amuse body kit here.
- See more coverage of the Face Off Car Show here.
- See more awesome creations by Atoy Customs here.
- See more custom Hyundai Genesis cars here.

Once again, Filipino-Japanese drifter Toni Arakaki of Team Suicidal is back to compete, and this time with a vengeance. With recent updates to his competition S14 Silvia, what better way to hit 2012 than with more hp!

Please support the 2012 season of The Drift Muscle, and our own Filipino-Japanese drifter Toni Arakaki, who will, as always, be sporting the Philippine Flag. Proud to be Pinoy baby!

Check out the schedule below…

Toni Arakaki at The Drift Muscle 2011

Team Suicidal has been stepping up the game lately, joining various Drift competitions across Japan this 2011. And in 2012, they’ll be raising the bar and starting the year with a bang, with impressive updates to their competition drift cars.

Check out Toni Arakaki’s S14 Silvia and Matt Rawls’ A31 Cefiro as they showcase their vehicle updates for 2012, tuned by none other than Japan’s famous Speed Factory tuning shop…

R102 w/ ROTA S14 Specs (Toni Arakaki)

Greddy TD06L2-20G boost@1.3
HKS Exhaust manifold
Greddy Waste gate
Z32 air flow sensor
550cc injectors
Apex’i Power FC
Nismo Coppermix Clutch
Greddy Oil Pan
KTS engine mount
Tomei Poncams
Tomei Rokcer Arm Stoppers
KTS Engine Damper
HKS Sports Catalytic Converter
Tein Super Drift Suspensions
KTS Traction Rod
KTS Rear Upper Arm
KTS Toe Control Rod
Aftermarket Pillow Tension Rod
3UP Knuckles
KTS Tie Rod
ROTA P45R 18×9.5+20
NEXEN/PINSO Tires 235/45/18
Custom Oil Catch Tank
Custom Transmission Oil Catch Tank
KTS LSD Oil Catch Tank
Cusco 9pt Roll Cage

A31 RB25DET (Matt Rawls)

r33 rb25det
greddy td07 25g turbo
greddy twin scroll top mount manifold
greddy type c wastegate
tomei poncams
tomei metal headgasket
sard 850cc inj
hks Fcon Vpro engine management
custom welded throttle body
Unknown diff brand, 4.3 final gear
kts coilovers
ikeya formula tie rods
custom knuckles
tein tension rods
control arms custom welded by Sobe speed & machine shop (JP)
kts traction rods
kts rear camber arms
cusco 7 point roll cage
SSR professor wheels
Pinso tires
uras aero

Watch out for Toni Arakaki in the upcoming 2012 Drift Muscle series, and Matt Rawls in the upcoming Drift Matsuri at Ebisu.

More updates to come!

Related Stuff:
- More articles about Team Suicidal here.
- More custom Nissan Silvias here.
- More custom Nissan Cefiros here.