How to Win a Subaru Crosstrek by Sheer Will and Just Staying Still
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It’s been four years since Motor Image Pilipinas, the country’s distributor for Subaru, last held its highly anticipated Subaru Car Challenge. The annual contest tests the body and spirit of individuals by making them go through a tough, tiring, and energy-sapping series of challenges for a chance to compete in Singapore on November 4 to 5 for the regional finals.
There has never been an Filipino challenger who took home first prize. This year, Joy Paguntalan, the sole woman, made it as one of the five finalists who will go on to compete in an all-expense-paid trip to Singapore and get a chance to drive away with the grand prize, a Subaru Crosstrek i-L EyeSight. Paguntalan is the second female to be a finalist in the Philippine leg of the challenge. Coincidentally, the first female’s name was also named Joy—her full name was Apple Joy Lee Balibado—who was a finalist 14 years ago. Aside from Paguntalan, the four other finalists are Chrisley Adelan, Cyrus Corpuz, Alex Neblasca Jr., and Reggie Purugganan.
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The Philippine leg of the Subaru Car Challenge was held last October 28 at the Festival Mall in Alabang from 10 a.m. to around 5 p.m. The event, which the Japanese brand calls a “static endurance marathon,” is much harder than it looks and isn’t just about simply putting one’s palm over the part of a Subaru vehicle with a printed hand palm sticker. Participants had to endure fatigue, muscle ache, soreness and much discomfort as they ensure they do not break contact between their palm and the car to avoid being eliminated.
Aside from using their palm placed squarely on various designated parts of the car, they are subject to 6 elimination challenges and made to do certain tasks like the “Simon Says” game, having to stretch one arm with a bag full of bottled water for a few minutes, or standing on one leg, all of which further test their endurance.
The event started with some 60 participants and after close to seven hours, only 5 contestants emerged as finalists. Several participants are veterans to this endurance challenge and you can actually spot them wearing loose and very comfortable shirts and shorts and in sandals.
The finalists were all awarded with roundtrip tickets and a four-day stay in Singapore to join the regional finals against other countries in Asia. Aside from the finalists from the Philippines, other participants will come from Singapore, Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam.
In addition to the Subaru Car Challenge event, the event also featured a display of its model lineup as well as a pop-up tent for car enthusiasts eager to explore the brand's latest technologies to experience firsthand Subaru’s Advanced Technology Drive (SATD).
The venue, which was an enclosed parking lot, was converted into a test track lined up with some obstacles to simulate rough off-road conditions to show the technical prowess of Subaru’s Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive (SAWD), the rigidness and toughness of the Subaru Global Platform (SGP) and safety features of EyeSight 4.0 Advanced Driver Assist Technology.
