Interesting Car Spotting PH: A virtual avenue for local car enthusiasts

The local car culture is no stranger to the COVID-19 catastrophe. From a community frequently exposed to events like Yabangan Nights, Legends of the 90s, and Manila Auto Salon, the Philippine car scene truly died down in the past year. Not only were millions of people mandated to stay home and therefore leaving hundreds of potentially interesting cars in garages, but public gatherings like car meets were banned as well.

Founded in November 2020, the Facebook Group Interesting Car Spotting PH shed a much needed light for Filipino car enthusiasts who have been on the lookout for local content. It introduced car spotting—a hobby of those from Los Angeles, Dubai, Monaco, and other places much richer than the Philippines, where one takes photos of cars they spot. More interestingly, it offered something far from the typical 90s economy car tuning scene that most can witness through make-and-model-specific Facebook Groups.

Lexus LFA Nürburgring edition. 1 of 50 worldwide.
Image Source: Miguel Cenon | Interesting Car Spotting PH

“Naturally as a car guy, I took hundreds and thousands of photos of interesting cars I saw on our roads. Now, I didn’t have a lot of friends that were car enthusiasts and I saw no point posting these photos on my own timeline since no one would understand the significance of it. That’s when I decided I’d start a group where fellow enthusiasts would share their sightings and discuss with each other,” says Jun Kaile Yamauchi, founder of Interesting Car Spotting PH.

“I started the group lightheartedly and I honestly didn’t expect it to grow this much in such a short time. But then I should’ve, since surprisingly there weren’t any groups with the same purpose back then,” he says further.

Interesting Car Spotting PH does not just provide a platform for uploading car photos, but a place for the car community to get along and discuss as well.

The likes of Botchi Santos, Top Gear PH writer and owner of one of the most recognizable Supras in the Philippines, make for more interesting browsing as he shares his knowledge and stories in the group. Most members, whether famous or not, don’t hold back in sharing their thoughts and opinions either. It’s typical within the group to find stories of a certain car’s previous owners, former versions, and sometimes, even accidents it suffered.

Hypercar Holy Trinity

Arguably some of the most interesting posts in the group is the Hypercar Holy Trinity: the Ferrari LaFerrari, Porsche 918 Spyder, and McLaren P1 —the most superior production cars in the world. With its extreme rarity, not to mention its exclusivity as only a handful were allowed by the manufacturers to purchase this at sticker, not a lot of people expected these cars to be on Philippine soil. With prices going up to PHP 190 million and power outputs reaching 949 hp, these truly are some of the most interesting cars both worldwide and local.

Ferrari LaFerrari. One of five Ferrari halo cars with only 499 units produced worldwide. The first unit to arrive in the Philippines before allegedly getting sold to a buyer in Hong Kong.
Image Source: Street Customs PH | Shared in Interesting Car Spotting PH

Porsche 918 Spyder. Possibly the first in PH, hinted by its conduction number ending in 001. Porsche produced only 918 units of this hypercar.
Image Source: Kit Stephen Agad | Interesting Car Spotting PH

McLaren P1. Teased by Jworks Unlimited. Only 375 units worldwide.
Image Source: Jworks Unlimited | Shared in Interesting Car Spotting PH

90s JDM Legends

The group also showcases sightings of legendary Japanese sports cars from the 90s like the Toyota Supra, Nissan Skyline GT-R, Mazda RX-7, and Honda NSX—cars featured in iconic series like Initial D and Fast and Furious. Considering most of these had to be imported, typically from Japan, a true gearhead wouldn’t hold back in wearing their fanboy hats. Some samples even remain right-hand drive, proof of how rare it is in the Philippine market.

Toyota Supra MKIV. Posted by a previous owner’s relative.
Image Source: Myko Escondo | Interesting Car Spotting PH

Left to right: R32, R35, R34, and R33. 4 out of 6 of Nissan’s legendary lineup.
Image Source: Productivv Crew | Shared in Interesting Car Spotting PH

Mazda RX-7 VeilSide Fortune. Made famous by Han of The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift.
Image Source: Arthur Esguerra | Interesting Car Spotting PH

Honda NSX converted into an NSX-R. Believed to have been featured in the original Fast & Furious movie before getting imported back to the Philippines in 2004.
Image Source: Juan Miguel Lacson Jimenez | Interesting Car Spotting PH

Founder’s Favorite

All enthusiasts have their own dream car(s). Some may dream of those from their childhood posters, while others may simply dream of inheriting the family hauler. Having been the man behind this masterpiece of a Facebook Group, one might wonder, what car does a Jun Kaile Yamauchi dream of?

“I’m more biased towards European cars and the Audi RS3 in particular is my absolute dream car,” he says.

Audi RS3 in Glacier White. The Audi A3’s brother on steroids.
Image Source: Kyle Fauston Ang | Interesting Car Spotting PH

“When someone posted a photo of it, I reacted instantly,” he added. A beast in its own right, spinning all four wheels from 0-60 mph in 3.7 seconds, the RS3 truly is a machine worthy of all the praise and glory.

The pandemic’s end may not be within hand’s reach yet, but things like Interesting Car Spotting PH help us get through each day. For most, cars are mere machines that take us from point A to B and back; but for some, these are works of art and years’ worth of labor. We can only hope for better days to come, with better cars to see.

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