BYD F0 proves its mettle on the racetrack

The BYD F0 posted decent times during the recently concluded Time Attack segment of Circuit Showdown held at the Batangas Racing Circuit last weekend.

The vehicle, which was piloted by Keith Bryan Haw, last saw action also at the Batangas Racing Circuit (BRC), where it finished second in the Philippine Micro Series category on its very first outing.  On their second appearance, Haw and the BYD F0 astounded spectators when they raced against the clock and posted times on BRC’s short course that were competitive against cars with bigger displacement engines and more horsepower.

As the F0 was the only participant in the Micro Series category, it was made to compete in higher classes, specifically, Bracket D and Bracket G.

According to Mark Tieng, managing director of Star Corp., authorized importer and distributor of BYD cars in the Philippines, “We finished third in Bracket D, which is four classes higher than the Philippine Micro Series, and third in Bracket G, which is one class higher.”

Tieng further explained, “In Bracket G, the F0 was out of its league against the Honda Civics, Mitsubishi Lancers, and Honda Jazz, but still managed to finish third. A lot of people doubt the quality of our products, but if you take a look, we’ve been running on the track, racing and practicing, for the last two months, and so far we’ve not made any major changes on this vehicle. Yet, performance-wise, we’re right up there with the 120-hp vehicles—foul weather and all.”
Haw, who was personally chosen by Tieng to drive the F0 in the Philippine Micro Series, said before he took to the track, “The weather is uncooperative but I’m still hoping that my time is good, especially now that the car and I are performing better than in the previous race. It’s actually different this time because we’re racing against the clock.  In an event like this, you don’t know how fast you’re going, so you just have to concentrate, drive fast and hope for the best.”  Haw’s effort landed him in third place in Brackets D and G—an achievement he attributes to the car. “It’s fun to drive. For a 68-hp car, it’s fast and stable at high speeds,” he shared.

Tieng, meanwhile, said that: “Racing has been something very close to me as a car enthusiast.  It’s a very good test for cars, a very good opportunity to prove how well our cars perform on the track.  These performance advantages are passed on to consumers on the street.  In the next coming months, expect to see us in the malls and test drive opportunities where you can experience how BYD cars perform.”