For the very first time, a supercar has emerged from the Philippines built by Filipinos and sourced from Filipino material.
The first ever Filipino supercar carries the name, The Aurelio, designed and built to join the world’s supercars in the league of the Ferrari, Maserati and Lamborghini.
The Aurelio was presented at the recently concluded 2015 Trans Sport Show at the World Trade Center in Manila where it won 2nd and 3rd places in the Custombuilders Class.
The Aurelio packs a powerful Honda B16A DOHC VTEC 16-valve engine and a Mitsubishi 4G63T 2.0 liter turbo intercooled DOHC 16-valve engine. It can reach a top speed of 290 kph and can run from 0 to a 100 kph in just 10 seconds.
The super car has a handmade chassis with an interior fortified with lightweight FRP (fiberglass reinforced plastic), firewall and carbon fiber components. It also sports a VR4 front and rear suspension systems, 18-inch Rota wheels and scissor-lift doors that gives it a slick, mean look.
The Aurelio is currently priced at PhP1.6 with orders coming not only from Filipinos but from Hollywood actors and foreign film directors as well.
The Aurelio is the design of Brendan Aurelio of Aurelio Concepts Inc. who has partnered with Sonny Garcia and Peter Sy to make the supercar vision a reality.
Aurelio, an architect by profession, says he started the supercar dream as a backyard hobby in 2004. After ten years of development, the car was first presented to the public in 2014 with Aurelio then-partnered with brothers Bryan and Kevin Factor.
In a media interview Aurelio and current partner Garcia said that now the dream of making a Filipino supercar has been achieved, their next step is to get Filipinos and the world to recognize the Filipino supercar. They also aim to have students design other supercars and to collaborate with them.
In the same interview posted online Aurelio clarified, “Ako ang gumawa ng AURELIO, isa akong Filipino, at lahat ng kasama/katrabaho ko ay 100% Filipino. Gawa dito sa Laguna ang Body, Chassis, Suspension, at ang mga salamin naman ay gawa sa Caloocan. Ang interior naman ay gawa sa Mandaluyong. Ang mga ilaw naman ay gawa sa Katipunan Q.C. Makina, magwheels at gulong ang hindi gawa rito sa bansa natin.
(I made Aurelio, I am Filipino and everyone I work with is 100% Filipino. The body, chassis, suspension, glasswork are done in Caloocan. The interior is made in Mandaluyong. The lights were made in Katipunan, Quezon City. Only the engine, magwheels and tires are not made in the country).”
Statements from Aurelio indicate that although team wanted to make the supercar all-Filipino, the required quality engine and tires were not available in the Philippines and so they opted to modify foreign engines and source foreign tires.
The Aurelio may soon be seen racing alongside Ferraris and Lamborghinis, if not on the track but at least for supercar branding. The first Filipino supercar is a testament to how Filipinos can compete with these big names. A combination of Filipino passion, art and ingenuity completed with detailed engineering, the Aurelio is truly a source of Filipino pride.
