December 6, 2006

Unfortunate slick cars

Filed under: My blog

Together with the rest of horseracing fans, I was disheartened when a young horse named Barbaro got injured at his run in the Kentucky Derby. I was, even though I didn’t bet on him.

The injury was described as career-threatening and for the first time in his illustrious life in the public eye, the once formidable Barbaro received looks of pity at his unrealized potential. After the tragedy, he ceased to be a racehorse and became merely a stable horse.

Most people thought so. But, in rehab, Barbaro showed horseracing fans the same heart that won him admirations in the racetrack. He rose above his tragedy. And, maybe because I was at one point or another felt how it was to rise above one’s self, I cried, and felt like a sissy.

It was the same feeling I got when I saw millions of Filipinos rally out into the streets and save their nation from a supposedly corrupt president. They fought, and knew how it was like to fight but still braved it.

It was the same feeling I got when Brian O’Conner (Paul Walker) pushed his 1995 Mitsubishi Eclipse, nearly blew up the car, but still fell short of beating Dominic Torreto (Vin Diesel). The car was in a condition in which only a small part of the engine could be salvaged, but O’Conner laughed at the end of the race, knowing how close he got at beating Torreto.

The 1995 Mitsubishi Eclipse, in the following scene, got peppered with bullets and blew up. At that time I thought if there might be a similarity between racehorses and souped-up cars. Well, it isn’t for nothing that they call engine power horsepower.

I watched the film again and tried to figure out for myself what happened to the cars of the protagonists by the end of the film. Here’s what:

1995 Mitsubishi Eclipse

The 1995 Mitsubishi Eclipse of O’Conner gets sprayed with bullets, explodes when its nitrous tanks leaks.

Dodge Charger R/T

This great hot rod, unfortunately, is destroyed in the movie, when Torreto hits smack-dab into a semi-truck. Fortunately it is only a movie!

Volkswagen Jetta

Toward the end of the movie, this Volkswagen Jetta, owned by Jesse, suffers gun shots, along with its owner.

Toyota Supra RZ

One of the handful slick cars with major role in the film that survived, along with Torreto. It breaks cover anew in The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift.

November 29, 2006

Crazy for “Fast and Furious”

Filed under: My blog
The Spanish word aficion was originally used to describe the feeling of devotion to bullfighting. Those who have aficion are called aficionados.

Fanatic, on the other hand, came from the Latin word fanaticus, meaning enthusiatic, inspired by a god. Modern-day manifestation of these phenomenon are glimpsed in show business and regenerative sports like football, basketball, or motor racing, where fans root for a city, or a team.

Pretty much like in bullfighting, interests in such industries, and the industries themselves, stand the test of time on account of the aficionados and fanatics who patronize them.

These men and women who have aficion don’t need any economic interest. Just the sheer joy of seeing their favorite stars and athletes rise above themselves and face the challenges of their professions.

But, no matter how hard we wish for it, there may never be another Ali, Schumacher, Pele or Garbo that can put nations at a standstill. That may be so, but for those who have aficion, the wait is unnecessary, and a worthy sacrifice for the next real thing.

In the meantime, however, we can look back and show our affection for those athletes and artists that have in the past inspired us. Dedicated to the subculture that has inspired the film called The Fast and the Furious, this blog seeks to provide the lowdowns on car technologies featured in the film. And when the next real advancement in car mods comes, we can perhaps see that the present can be as glorious as its past.