PGA Cars to Go Appointment-Basis Only for Both Sales and Service

On Monday, May 18, 2020, the official and exclusive importer and distributor of Porsche, Audi, Lamborghini, and Bentley in the Philippines resumes physical sales and service operations of the four premium automotive brands as COVID-19 quarantine restrictions in some parts of the Philippines are eased.

PGA Cars, Inc. marks the resumption of Porsche’s, Audi’s, Lamborghini’s and Bentley’s physical operations with a strict compliance to health and sanitation protocols as it places priority on the health and safety of its clients, guests, and workforce. The restart of physical operations is complemented by the brands’ established virtual operations, some aspects of which have been recently bolstered by digital tools in response to new market conditions.

Besides continuing to observe hygienic measures practiced in Porsche, Audi, Lamborghini, and Bentley dealerships long before the quarantine—such as regular disinfection of facilities and vehicles, and providing hand sanitizers to all personnel—some of the steps to be taken during the restart are that servicing of vehicles will be done by appointment only, and that all vehicles accepted will be immediately disinfected upon arrival, as well as prior to releasing.

Also, all guests and employees entering the brands’ premises must first wear a mask, undergo a thermal check, remove their outer clothing, submit a health form, wash their hands, and go through a foot bath. Social distancing will be practiced as well, with the guidelines announced in signage around the facilities.

Clients who wish to visit the brands’ showrooms will have to book an appointment.

The re-opening of PGA Cars’ physical facilities for Porsche, Audi, Lamborghini and Bentley follows the four brands’ resumption of manufacturing operations in their home markets.

Upon the restart of PGA Cars’ brands’ physical operations, clients can check out the latest models from Porsche, Audi, Lamborghini, and Bentley. These models are properly documented and covered by the manufacturer’s warranty, as well as supported by world-class aftersales services with work performed by factory-trained and -certified technicians who have access to the latest equipment and necessary software updates.

Bentley Enters Sim Racing Championship for the First Time

Bentley Motorsport has stepped into the world of esports by announcing entry into its debut sim racing championship, the SRO E-Sport GT Series, a six-round series held by the organizers of many of the manufacturer’s real-world GT3 races.

This will see Bentley field squads in the ‘Pro’ class race for real-world racers and the ‘Silver’ class race for elite sim racers, and show support for all Continental GT3 drivers, including Bentley colleagues and fans around the world, in the ‘Am’ class events.

To celebrate the announcement, the 2020 works team livery, worn by the Bathurst 12 Hours race-winning Continental GT3, will be available for all Assetto Corsa Competizione users to download.

“Whether a real-world racer, a pro sim racer or a gamer who races for fun, if you choose to race in the Continental GT3, you are part of our esports family. To support this growing family, we have entered as a manufacturer for the SRO E-Sport GT Series, and engaged our real-world race team to assist drivers with set-up and social media promotion

“We have chosen to step into the huge sim racing arena with our trusted partners at SRO and take a very focused and targeted approach. We entered the SRO E-Sport GT Series Charity Challenge a few weeks ago and were incredibly impressed with the quality of the production and the racing. This is definitely the right place for us to be competing—it caters for our incredible loyal fans who have raced the Continental GT3 in the Assetto Corsa Competizione game for the last few years, while also enabling our real world racing fans to join us as we step into the world of esports.”

The six-round series mirrors events in the GT World Challenge Europe, the real-world series in which Bentley Motorsport has competed since 2014, taking championship and race wins along the way.

Calendar for the ‘Pro’ and ‘Silver’ races:

• Round 1 - Silverstone - 26 April
• Round 2 - Total 24 Hours of Spa - 10 May
• Round 3 - Nürburgring - 17 May
• Round 4 - Barcelona – 31 May
• Round 5 - Track to be decided by public vote – 14 June 
• Round 6 - Grand Final - TBD

While the Pro and Silver classes have restricted entry for professionals, all Assetto Corsa Competizione gamers are invited to enter the ‘Am’ class series. The final competitors will be decided by an open hot-lap qualifying that runs from 26 April to 10 May, with the fastest 40 earning their spot on the grid.

Pre-registration is open now, with further details and race formats for the inaugural SRO E-Sport Championship set to be revealed next week.

Calendar for the ‘Am’ races:

• Round 1 - Silverstone – 16 May
• Round 2 - Total 24 Hours of Spa - 23 May
• Round 3 - Nürburgring - 30 May
• Round 4 - Barcelona – 6 June
• Round 5 - Track to be decided by public vote – 13 June 
• Round 6 - Grand Final - TBD

This Timepiece Celebrates the Longest Collab Between a Watchmaker and Carmaker

Marking the longest-running partnership between a watch brand and a car manufacturer, Breitling has come up with this: the Breitling Premier Bentley Mulliner Limited Edition.

Celebrating 17 years of collaboration, this special edition watch is limited to just 1,000 pieces worldwide. The chronograph is said to echo its namesake, the Bentley Continental GT Mulliner Convertible, particularly the Breitling clock installed on the dashboard.

The 42-mm stainless steel case is presented on a blue alligator leather strap—similar to the car’s very own Imperial Blue leather, while its elegant silver dial recalls the Bentley Continental GT Mulliner Convertible’s dashboard clock. The watch boasts blue sub-dials—a 30-minute counter at 3 o’clock and a small seconds subdial at 9 o’clock—an indication of the Breitling Manufacturer Caliber 01, with an impressive power reserve of approximately 70 hours.

The dial features a white tachymeter scale on a blue inner bezel around the dial, with a red tachymeter inscription. The red second hand and centered 60-minute scale mirror the red stitching found throughout the interior cabin of the Bentley Continental GT Mulliner Convertible. The links between the watch and the Continental GT Mulliner Convertible clock are further strengthened by their complementary sets of Arabic numerals: the dashboard clock features the numerals at 12, 3, 6 and 9, while the watch has them at 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 8, 10 and 11. Sharing these numerals across these two pieces is a nod to the design DNA they share.

On the left side of the case is a plate with an engraved “Bentley” inscription, whose design is based on the engine spin dashboard found in historic Bentleys. Around the watch’s transparent sapphire caseback is an inscription saying “MULLINER EDITION – BREITLING – ONE OF 1000”. The Breitling Premier Bentley Mulliner Limited Edition is a COSC-certified chronometer.

Two versions of this limited-edition watch is available, the difference merely limited to strap lock—one is a folding clasp, while the other is a tang-type buckle. As for the price, it starts at USD 8,000 (~ P 423,770).