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ICC case against Xi to ‘stress a point’

By Vann Marlo M. Villegas
and Arjay L. Balinbin, Reporters
JUSTICE SECRETARY Menardo I. Guevarra said the communication filed against Chinese President Xi Jinping before the International Criminal Court (ICC) “was more of a political statement than a true legal action.”
Mr. Guevarra said he believes the communication filed by former foreign affairs secretary Albert F. Del Rosario and former Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales was “not with the hope” of winning in the ICC due to issues on jurisdiction and legal standing.
“I believe that the complaint was filed not with the hope of a favorable judgment by the ICC…but probably to impress upon China that if the Philippine government is not willing to vigorously assert its West Philippine Sea (WPS) arbitration victory at this time, there are Filipinos who are unwilling to defer further action to enforce the arbitral ruling,” he told reporters in a text message.
“Private citizens or groups can say or do something to influence public opinion or affect state action pertaining to matters of public interest, but not necessarily aligning themselves with mainstream political aggrupations in the partisan sense,” he also said.
Mr. Del Rosario and Ms. Morales on March 15 sent the communication to the ICC, days before the country’s withdrawal from the court, as they sought a preliminary examination against Mr. Xi and other officials over harassment of Filipino fishermen in the West Philippine Sea.
In the cover letter of their communication dated March 13, they said Chinese officials “committed crimes within the jurisdiction” of the ICC as they implement a “systematic plan to control (the) South China Sea.”
They noted that despite the Philippines’ withdrawal from the ICC, the international court still has jurisdiction over crimes in the time the Philippines was a member of the Rome Statute from November 2011 to March 17, 2019.
The justice secretary also said: “The complaint may also have been filed to stress a point: that our withdrawal from the ICC was a mistake, as this is one forum where enforcement action in the WPS may actually be sought.”
He added that he “trust(s) that the President has the greater interest of the country in mind in pursuing his kind of foreign policy, and for that reason we ought to give him all the leeway and flexibility he needs.”
The Philippines effectively withdrew from the ICC on March 17, a year after the Philippines submitted its withdrawal to the United Nations secretary-general following the ICC’s announcement that it will conduct a preliminary examination on the “war on drugs.” Despite that development, the ICC has said the examination continues.
SANTIAGO’S ELECTION ‘VOID’
In another development related to the ICC, Malacañang on Monday said the election of late Senator Miriam-Defensor Santiago as the first Filipino judge in the court was “void” from the start, saying the country has never been a member of that body. Presidential Spokesperson Salvador S. Panelo said at a news conference at the Palace on Monday that Ms. Santiago “never knew” that the Rome Statute, which established the ICC, was never published in the Official Gazette.
“If the position is we’ve never been a state party [to the ICC], then logically, it is void,” Mr. Panelo said.
“Unless, the International Court says it is not, because it is a legal issue. As far as we are concerned, they never assumed jurisdiction over us. As far as they are concerned, they assumed jurisdiction because there was a treaty,” he added.
Mr. Panelo further said that in spite of the fact that there was a treaty, “the Constitution was not followed, so it’s a legal issue.”
“Obviously, she never knew — knowing her to be a lawyer, she never knew that there was (no) publication on the Official Gazette or a newspaper of general circulation,” he said.“Had she known that, knowing her, I’m sure she would have raised that as an issue.”
Ms. Santiago, who succumbed to cancer in 2016, was elected to the ICC in 2011. She was the first Filipino and first Asian to be elected as judge of The Hague-based organization that investigates and tries individuals charged with the gravest crimes of concern to the international community. She stepped down in 2014 after nearly three years in the position, citing health reasons.
Raul C. Pangalangan, a former dean of the University of the Philippines-College of Law, currently serves as a judge of the ICC. He was elected to the ICC in 2015.
Mr. Panelo said, when asked if the Philippines will have to pull Mr. Pangalangan out of his post, “We don’t have to pull out anybody.”
“If the position is we never (were) under the jurisdiction of the court, then it behooves whoever is there to do something for himself,” he added.

More than half of towns and cities in hotspot list

THE PHILIPPINE National Police (PNP) has identified a total of 941 election hotspots that comprise 57.60% of the 1,634 cities and municipalities nationwide. Of the total, 570 are categorized as election areas of grave concern (Red Category), 238 under immediate concern (Orange Category), and 131 are areas of concern (Yellow Category). There are no areas under the Red Category in the National Capital Region and Ilocos region. PNP also said that Cotabato City and Daraga, Albay are areas under the control of the Commission on Elections. — Vince Angelo C. Ferreras

Palace leaves probe on PCSO’s Cam to Ombudsman

PHILSTAR/MIGUEL ANTONIO DE GUZMAN

MALACAÑANG ON Monday said it will not be conducting an investigation on Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office Board Member Sandra M. Cam’s alleged undeclared properties, saying that she is already being probed by the Ombudsman. Detained Senator Leila M. de Lima last Sunday challenged President Rodrigo R. Duterte to fire Ms. Cam for allegedly “amassing properties worth hundreds of millions of pesos, including an island.” “I dare you, Mr. President, to fire Sandra Cam or at least order a bona fide investigation into her alleged amassing of properties worth hundreds of millions of pesos, including an island,” she said in a statement. Sought for comment at a news conference at the Palace on Monday, Presidential Spokesperson Salvador S. Panelo said “From what I understand, somebody has already filed a case in the Ombudsman. So that’s the Ombudsman call now… the Ombudsman has the power to suspend, I think we will let it do the process,” he explained. “We will not be duplicating any investigation.” — Arjay L. Balinbin

Fuel prices continue climb this week

OIL COMPANIES are raising the prices of gasoline, diesel and kerosene this week to reflect the movement of prices in the international market. Gasoline will rise by P0.65 per liter (/L), while diesel and kerosene will increase by P0.10/L. For most of the oil companies, the price adjustment will take place at 6:00 a.m. on Tuesday, March 26. Last week, oil companies raised the prices of petroleum products, with gasoline increasing by P1.45/L, one of the biggest price hikes in recent months. — Victor V. Saulon

Cops linked to murder of QC deputy prosecutor ordered to comment on CCTV footage

THE DEPARTMENT of Justice (DoJ) has ordered the respondents in the complaint over the killing of Quezon City Deputy City Prosecutor Rogelio A. Velasco last May 11, 2018 to submit their manifestation within five days over the closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage showing the moments before the crime. Among the respondents are Senior Police Officer (SPO) 2 Rodante S. Lalimarmo, PO3 Arthur Y. Lucy, and PO1 Jose L. Mercado. The CCTV footage showed that Mr. Velasco was followed by a vehicle and a motorcycle, then his car was blocked by another vehicle from which unidentified gunmen alighted and shot at his direction. The crime took place in front of a restaurant along Don Antonio St. in Barangay Holy Spirit, Quezon City. Mr. Velasco was brought to the East Avenue Medical Center but was declared dead on arrival. The DoJ also asked the legal counsel for Mr. Velasco to submit their reply to the manifestation of the respondents within five days upon its receipt. — Vann Marlo M. Villegas

Davao Oriental says no to mineral reservation near UNESCO heritage site


THE PROVINCIAL board of Davao Oriental is now working on a resolution that will formalize the local government’s stand against the declaration of an area in General Generoso town as a mineral reservation site. In a statement, Gov. Nelson L. Dayanghirang said the proposed mining area is “in close proximity to Davao Oriental’s crown jewel, the Mount Hamiguitan Range Wildlife Sanctuary which is Mindanao’s first and only World Heritage Site declared by the UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization).” Following a two-day consultation with stakeholders and officials of the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) last March 12-13, Mr. Dayanghirang said the province’s municipal governments as well as barangays have also agreed to issue local resolutions opposing the plan.
MINERAL RICH
The proposed mineral reservation area, according to the MGB, covers around 8,497 hectares that survey results indicate have rich deposits of chromite, nickel laterite, and copper. The area is also home to several watersheds which have “water quality classified as Class AA.” During the consultation, MGB’s Noel Angeles assured that any decision for a declaration still rests on the local government and the people. “If there’s no support from the community to push for the declaration, the proposition will not move,” he said.
IMPACT
Mr. Dayanghirang said while mining would provide an economic boost to the province, the cost on the environment and communities in the surrounding areas is far greater. The mayor said the provincial government is working on bringing in more investments in other sectors such as agriculture and tourism, which would provide a more sustainable development. “The foreseen financial income or revenues purported to be gained through mining operation in the site could not equate with the value of the destruction of the area such as the would-be forgone ecological values of the biodiversity as well as the biological assets like the local watersheds and scenery which would all be negatively affected by eventual mining operation,” he said, “What’s important is that we preserve our natural resources for the next generation.”

Iloilo hospitals, city gov’t prepare alternative water sources amid dry spell

Federico Roman Tirador Sr. Memorial District Hospital
ILOILO.GOV.PH

THE ILOILO City government has started prepositioning 39 water delivery trucks in anticipation of reduced water supply amid the prevailing dry spell that is expected to continue until June or August. Mayor Jose S. Espinosa III said in an interview Friday that these trucks will be deployed to the identified 38 “susceptible barangays.” The city government is now planning the distribution scheme as well as sources for the potable water supply, including private companies and the fire brigades. Mr. Espinosa also appealed to the public to be more prudent on water use even if there is no shortage yet. “Save on water,” he said.
HOSPITALS
Meanwhile, government hospitals in the Western Visayas Region have also started looking into alternative ground water sources even if the current supply remains normal, according to the Department of Health regional office (DoH-6). “Mambusao District Hospital and Tapaz District Hospital in Capiz, Gov. Valeriano Gatuslao Memorial District Hospital in Himamaylan, Negros Occidental and Gustilo District Hospital in Escalante, Negros Occidental are seeking ground water sources to prepare once their supply runs out,” said DoH-6 Medical Officer Eduardo Fillaro Jr. He said most of the government hospitals in the region source their water from deep wells, surface water, and the water utility in their respective areas. — Emme Rose S. Santiagudo

Central Visayas tops patent filing among regions

REGION 7, or the Central Visayas, filed the most number of patent applications among the country’s regions in 2018, according to the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL).
In a Monday statement, IPOPHL said its Cebu-based Intellectual Property Satellite Office (IPSO), which services the region, saw patent filings rise 6.6% to 210 last year from 197 in 2017.
Patent filings cover inventions, utility models (UM) and industrial designs.
UM filings in the region, mostly from research institutions and universities, stood at 188 and accounted for nearly 90% of all patent filings in Central Visayas.
“This indicates an increasing abundance of innovation, particularly from research and development institutions & higher education institutions from Central Visayas,” the statement read.
Cebu Technological University was the top UM applicant and was followed by Capiz State University.
UMs protect innovations that may or may not be sufficiently inventive to meet the inventive threshold required for standard patents application.
However, it must meet other requirements such as “practical utility,” “industrial applicability”, and “novelty.”
The UM is an industrial property right intended to accommodate small enterprises and local industries, given it is less costly and easier to obtain than a patent.
With the recorded rise of interest for intellectual property (IP) protection in Central Visayas, IPOPHL Director General Josephine R. Santiago said the agency will continue to provide support to stakeholders in the region by making services more available and accessible through IPSOs, which are tasked to launch information programs outside Metro Manila.
There are currently 14 IPSOs nationwide.
Activities conducted by IPSOs include basic orientation seminars, consultation, coaching or mentoring sessions, patent drafting workshops and capacity-building seminars.
The IPSO in Cebu served as many as 1,114 micro, small and medium entrepreneurs in 2018 through these activities.
“Moreover, the strategic support given by IPOPHL to our Innovation and Technology Support Offices (ITSOs) in patent search and drafting in 2018 helped capacitate academe members to concretize their intellectual capital into patent applications. Rest assured, we will sustain this support to regional universities, considering the wealth of scientific innovation and creativity they contribute,” the IPOPHL chief added.
ITSOs are in-house patent libraries of universities and research institutions that are developed jointly by the institution and the IPOPHL.
Patent filings in ITSOs account for 193 or 41% of the 464 local patent filings in 2018.
Recently, IPOPHL concluded its third five-day mandatory continuing legal education (MCLE) focused on giving an orientation on and developments in IP and related laws.
The MCLE, a first in Cebu, aimed to expand IPOPHL’s education drive to IP practitioners in the Visayas.
The IPOPHL is slated to conduct two more MCLEs within the year. — Janina C. Lim

Nation at a Glance — (03/26/19)

News stories from across the nation. Visit www.bworldonline.com (section: The Nation) to read more national and regional news from the Philippines.
Nation at a Glance — (03/26/19)

Ranging from P2-4 million: 20 SUVs that show you’ve made it (Part 1)

By Ulysses Ang
SPORT utility vehicles or SUVs have gone a long way. From vehicles known for their utility and practicality, they’ve become symbols of success. True enough, pickup-based SUVs, like the Toyota Fortuner, Mitsubishi Montero Sport, Ford Everest, Nissan Terra, and Chevrolet Trailblazer, have become the top choice of vehicle, displacing midsize executive sedans in the process.
But what if you want to stand out from the sea of Fortuners and Monteros? What if you’re ready to plunk down several thousand grand more in your down payments and monthly amortizations? What else is out there?
In the Philippines, there are 20 or so SUVs in the 2 million to 4 million-peso price range — and all of them have something unique to offer. Here is part one of the list in alphabetical order:

Audi Q2 & Q3


Tagged as “untaggable,” the Audi Q2 is a premium urban crossover that fuses Audi’s progressive design with great driving dynamics and high-levels of functionality. It’s the smallest of Audi’s Q family, yet it keeps all of the brand’s hallmark design from the Singleframe Grille to the LED headlights. Inside, the simple cabin layout ensures excellent outward visibility. Dynamically, the Q2 is more sporty hatchback than SUV borrowing elements like the S3 sport sedan’s steering. While it gets Audi’s smallest engine — a 1.0-liter 3-cylinder engine, 100 km/h still arrives in about 10 seconds and top speed is at an impressive 193 km/h.
Compared to the youth-oriented positioning of its baby brother, the Audi Q3 goes for a more premium market. Boasting coupe-like lines and the characteristic wrap-around tailgate, the design is more expressive but never shouty. Meanwhile, the interior strikes a balance between sportiness and comfort with a clean, ergonomic cabin and practical luggage space. With a 150 hp 1.4-liter engine, the Q3 is never short on power: the century mark arrives in less than nine seconds and top speed reaches past 200 km/h. More than just power, its chassis is fine-tuned thanks to lower wishbones and a subframe made of forged and cast aluminum, respectively.

BMW X1


BMW broke the mold when they created the Sport Activity Vehicle or SAV segment with the X line in 1999. By doing this, they created SUVs which were not just capable off road, but are really good on it as well. The X1 may be the smallest among them, but it remains every inch a member of the BMW X line. Design-wise, it looks like a traditional BMW, but it’s underpinned by a platform that emphasizes space and practicality. Not only does the X1 have commendable grunt from its 2.0-liter turbodiesel engine (190 hp and 400 Nm of torque), but its near 50/50 weight distribution and xDrive all-wheel drive make for one fun-to-drive SUV (or SAV if you prefer the BMW term).

Ford Explorer


THE most popular midsized SUV in the US, the Explorer also enjoys having one of the youngest buyer demographics: men aged 35 to 44 years old. Understanding this, Ford has to keep the Explorer’s design and tech suite up a high level. Largely unchanged since 2016, the 2019 model does have some cosmetic tweaks such as the new front bumper and grille insert. At the back, the sportscar-like 365-hp Sport is easily identifiable with its quad-tip exhaust pipes. Inside, it receives an updated dashboard with a stitched leather insert and the award-winning SYNC 3 infotainment system. There are two drivetrains available, the front-wheel drive Limited with 280 hp and the aforementioned all-wheel drive Sport.

GAC GS8


THE brand may sound unfamiliar, but Guangzhou Automobile Motor Corp. or GAC Motor is known as China’s safest car brand with its entire lineup certified with a perfect 5-star safety rating by the China New Car Assessment Program or C-NCAP. The GS8 serves as the flagship SUV. It prides itself with its “Light and Shadow Sculpting 2.0” design language, mixing a boxy silhouette with finely executed detailing.
Inside, this three-row, 7-seat SUV has a spacious and comfortable interior. The GS8 is powered by a 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine that makes a healthy 200 hp and 320 Nm of torque. More importantly, it has four-wheel independent suspension and six driving modes for excellent drivability no matter the terrain.

Hyundai Santa Fe


HYUNDAI is serious about moving upmarket and their intention is shown off by the latest Santa Fe SUV. Featuring a bold, award-winning design, the Santa Fe is expressive with its split-level Composite Light design and trademark cascading grille. Inside, it’s filled with premium materials with nifty touches like the floating center screen, diamond-quilted leather seats, a premium infotainment system, and a built-in Qi wireless charger.
The largest Santa Fe ever, the latest one also emphasizes space and dimensionality across all three rows of seats. Coming with Hyundai’s venerable 2.2-liter diesel engine mated to an 8-speed automatic, it’s never short on power.

Jeep Wrangler


ENHANCED and digitized, the Wrangler remains the undisputed symbol of American freedom and the most capable SUV right off the showroom. The heritage-inspired design remains and like previous Wranglers, can be converted to an open-air adventure machine. The body-on-frame platform is traditional, but the use of aluminum body panels, added safety equipment, and the first-ever turbocharged gasoline engine mated to an 8-speed automatic makes for a truly modern experience.
The interior remains water resistant and the floor is washable, but nifty touches like Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and smart keyless entry come standard in a car interior that’s made to withstand condensation for up to 24 hours.

Kia Sorento


EXTENDING Kia’s appeal to the upscale market, the Kia Sorento features a strong exterior style characterized by its signature Tiger Nose grille and bolder on-road presence. This feel is carried over to the aeronautically inspired cockpit, too. The Sorento may share its basic drivetrain with the Santa Fe — a 2.2-liter diesel engine with 200 hp, but unlike its Hyundai counterpart, the Kia is the only one to offer the security of all-wheel drive.

Lexus UX & NX


DUBBED the “gateway to Lexus ownership,” the UX is the Japanese premium brand’s first-ever subcompact crossover. Blending fresh and contemporary style with luxury and dynamism, the UX is imaginative, different, and youthful. With 13 exterior and eight interior color combinations to choose from, the UX is highly reflective of today’s culture of wanting to stand out and be different.
Powered by a new-generation 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine with 168 hp, it’s underpinned by Lexus’s new platform, which exhibits high structural integrity and low center of gravity making for a fun-to-drive experience.
Moving up a notch is the NX, Lexus’ entry into the highly competitive premium compact SUV market. Marrying a bold, dramatic design with a platform “engineered with the help of racers,” the NX is a performance-oriented crossover. The spindle grille and L-finesse design dominate the exterior, while inside it feels like stepping inside into the cockpit of a sportscar.
Yet, it’s a smartly packaged vehicle that offers plenty of room and cargo. With Lexus’ first power-folding rear seats, the NX can swallow golf clubs with ease. The best part is that the NX is available in two flavors: the first is a conventional gasoline-engine setup and the second is a fuel-efficient hybrid.

Audi Q8: Crossover Qandy


Text and photos by Kap Maceda Aguila
CAN an SUV be both large and fun? This seems to be the question that German carmaker Audi sought out to answer when its designers worked on the Q8. The first-ever in its lineage, the full-size luxury crossover SUV debuted in the market last year — with a regional unveiling in October by way of the Audi Brand Experience (ABE) Singapore.
The ABE, held in over 8,100sqm of the Sands Expo and Convention Center of the Marina Bay Sands, was a definitive, one-stop destination for everything about the Ingolstadt-headquartered brand. Audi fully showcased its growing portfolio, including glimpses of the near future. Even then, the brand touted the Q8 as “(uniting) the elegance of a four-door luxury coupé with the practical versatility of a large SUV than can be used for both business and leisure.”
But, truthfully, this claim is neither unique nor easy to make. The utilitarian ethos that comes with being large usually squeezes the fun factor out. So maybe, the correct question is: Where does the Q8 fit in the growing Audi stable?
The first thing one needs to understands is that the SUV now unseats the Q7 as the flagship of the Q family. Car and Driver Magazine makes mention of the Q8 sharing the platform of its older sibling, while shedding the third row in favor of dedicated cargo room. With seats folded, the vehicle offers up to 1,755 liters of space under its powered rear hatch. This capacity is reportedly lower than the Q7’s but the new sibling makes up for it with better legroom for passengers seated astern. Compared to the Q7, the Q8 is three inches shorter in length and squatter by about an inch. If we use that “flagship” status as a barometer, then we can infer what Audi is possibly striving for — and moving towards.
The aforementioned article agrees, offering the view that the Q8 “best defines the Audi brand,” especially for people who are looking beyond sedans. “With more style and little sacrifice in utility compared to most SUVs and the performance of a luxury sedan, the Q8 offers a compelling alternative to both,” concluded Jeff Sabatini. Indeed, squint while looking at the curvaceous Q8 and you might mistake it for a very large hatchback. It’s probably one of the truest, fullest interpretations of a crossover you can get.
An expansive Singleframe octagonal grill is fringed by aggressive-looking headlamps. Two hood furrows run from the windscreen area down to two corners of the octagon to give an additional dynamism. A sail-shaped C-pillar is a not-too-subtle homage to the original Audi Quattro, while its liftgate is marked by a lighted rear strip that connects the two rear-lamp assemblies. Standard LED headlights are fitted on the Q8, with an option to upgrade to HD Matrix LED.
The Q8’s roofline gently slopes in the rear with slightly inclined D-pillars and rests against the “quattro blisters” above the wheel arches.
Under the hood dwells a turbocharged 3.0-liter V6, good for 335hp and a torquey 500Nm. Similar to the other newer models, the SUV receives a 48-volt belt-alternator-starter hybrid system, equipped with a battery. This so-called mild hybrid feature can recover up to 12kW of power during braking and course back into the battery. “The MHEV technology enables long coasting phases with the engine deactivated and a start-stop range that begins at 22kph,” says Audi.
The Quattro reference isn’t whimsical, as the Q8 boasts this beloved Audi feature. “Mechanical center differential transfers the forces to the front axle and rear axle at a ratio of 40:60 as standard. When required, it transfers the majority to the axle with the better traction. That plus as much 254 millimeters of ground clearance, short overhangs, and hill descent control means the Audi Q8 can keep going even after the pavement ends,” explains the company. “The suspension with damper control is standard. Audi offers the adaptive air suspension with controlled damping as an option, with either comfort or sport setup. It adjusts the ride height depending on the driving situation and the driver’s preference by as much as 90 millimeters.”
Steering in the Q8 is “standard progressive,” which makes the ratio direct the further the steering wheel is turned. All-wheel steering is optional — a feature that increases agility at lower speeds and stability at faster rates.
Audi is a brand very much known for, and proud of, its technological innovations. The Q8 doesn’t disappoint. An MMI-predicated infotainment system has Navigation Plus, and includes the Audi connect data transfer module with the LTE Advanced standard and a Wi-Fi hotspot. The navigation system learns and recognizes the driver’s preferences based on past trips and therefore can make intelligent suggestions. The online services from Audi connect add predictive features to the route-planning process.
A 12.3-inch, high-resolution instrument cluster known as the Audi Virtual Cockpit makes a welcome appearance, of course. Two general modes can be set via the multifunction steering wheel. An optional Plus version includes a third, particularly sporty view. A head-up display function projects pertinent information such as detailed lane guidance onto the windshield for easier operation.
A Bang & Olufsen Advanced Sound System serves up 3D sound with “height information” to all five occupants, and the company claims the “music unfolds exactly how it was recorded in the concert hall.”
The Audi Q8 is top-notch with respect to sound and connection quality thanks to the Audi phone box and voice-over LTE. The same applies to the Bang & Olufsen Advanced Sound System. It delivers fascinating 3D sound with height information to all five seats. The music unfolds exactly how it was recorded in the concert hall.
As of the end of last year, Audi had sold 10,543 units of the Q8. As the SUV continues to roll out in various markets around the world, it’s safe to say that number should rise significantly.
Surely, for Audi, that would be fun.

The Evolution of the Hypercar — featuring Pagani


Words and photos by Kevin C. Limjoco
FOUNDED IN 1992, Pagani Automobili S.p.A, or simply better known as Pagani, named after its founder and master carbon-fiber manufacturer, Horacio Pagani, has been building, what I would like to describe as, the redefinition of the supercar, in very measured numbers. As much as I champion and embrace fully electric and alternative fuel vehicles, I am still from the old school of thinking that a car is more than the sum of all its parts. The supercar standard was arguably first established with the Lamborghini Miura in 1966. That new standard was the alchemy of melding exotic design with extreme dynamic performance in all measures.
Many argue that these supercars, which helped create an even higher new genre, the hypercar, serve no practical purpose to the general consumer given their mostly unattainable costs and unexplorable abilities.
These critics would be incorrect. It would be very easy to make such a sweeping statement without understanding how these halo cars, especially for full production manufacturers, accomplish many additional duties beyond outright supreme performance, where the results and technologies do find their way to the general consumer; from design to safety and efficiency.
But for small houses like Pagani, a new critical turning point is clearly in hand.
Since its inception, every Pagani supercar and hypercar has been famously powered by bespoke Mercedes-Benz V-12 AMG engines. So, what will happen when they inevitably transition to full electrification like what Porsche, Audi, Bugatti, Aston Martin, and even Ferrari are doing?
I presume that quad-exhaust signature will transform into a logo on the car for continued representation. It will work too since Pagani has been cleverly capitalizing on that signature from the very beginning with apparel, brand-building marketing efforts, toys, hi-fi audio systems, and even in horology. I assure you that Horacio is a genius who has already been working on the next-generation hypercar car to replace the current Huayra series and will have a fully electric all-new model by 2024.
Back in the day, while most people around the world, including the motoring world, had never heard of Pagani and the Zonda (Pagani’s first iconic model series), the Sony PlayStation console game Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec, in 2001, can be credited for planting the seed of awareness. I was one of those gamers who fell in love with the Zonda’s unique shape, how it performed in the game, and loved its signature central quad-exhaust. I initially thought it was yet another concept vehicle that may never see reality until I saw the Zonda in the flesh and met Horacio Pagani for the first time in Monaco in 2005.
From that serendipitous meeting, our two groups would synergize over the years (C! Magazine reviewed the Pagani Zonda C12S, Zonda S Roadster, Zonda F, Zonda Cinque, and the Huayra) culminating with Pagani entering the Philippines with the Autohub group in 2018 after almost three years of negotiations from the time I hosted a series of meetings with multiple interested parties that included the Manila Sports Car Club. Some key notes from that presentation included an expanded new factory in Modena, Italy to cope with the massive worldwide demand for the most exclusive and most exquisite supercars/hypercars on Earth,
All Pagani Huayra’s have been spoken for, while the upcoming new Huayra Roadster had almost been completely sold out before it even debuted. Delivery times have been reduced to less than 18 months depending on the extent of customization.
The Mercedes-Benz AMG M158 engines used in the Pagani cars are completely bespoke and exclusive to the brand yet with at least 720 bhp at your disposal, even 87-octane fuel can be used without any issues. All pre-sold cars since 1992 have considerably appreciated resale values, and Pagani is still privately owned by Horacio Pagani himself, which makes the products even more desirable.
Supercars, in all their forms are special. The Zonda was one of them. I can tell you all about the staggering speed, ethereal handling, and otherworldly braking that challenge your eye sockets all day but these kinds of cars are still more than that. For motorheads they are all life-defining separated by the slightest of dynamic measures. Their individual performance characteristics, aesthetics, and how each owner interacts with them are what essentially differentiate them.
Hypercars like the Pagani Huayra take these parameters and raise them even higher. A Pagani engages both your heart and mind like no other car on the planet while it challenges physics. Form and function at extreme standards that define themselves.
There is a price for all this ability, beauty, engineering and craftmanship, and it is certainly a high one. Like a Rolls-Royce, every Pagani is bespoke and tailored specifically to its owner. Most car brands do have variable degrees of customization services for their customers, but to my knowledge only Rolls-Royce and Pagani offer the very most, limited only by your imagination and depth of your financial seas.
So from my experience and his reputation, Horacio Pagani’s upcoming new electric-powered hypercar will definitely be even more capable than his already coveted creations while he harnesses new technologies in a design which would once again define the genre. His cars may never be mass-produced or enjoyed beyond the few people who can afford them, but I will forever be thankful that he and his company exists.
Accomplished gentlemen like Horacio Pagani push us all to dream and passionately strive for excellence with absolute integrity. He is one of the very last of his kind in the industry and it has been a genuine honor and privilege to know the man and be allowed to drive and critique his masterpieces.

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