Angie Mead King on the cars she loves, modding, and the automotive industry

Out of all the vehicles in her collection, King says her favourite is the Ferrari 458 Spyder. “Ferrari, for me, invokes prosperity, passion, performance, and beauty,” quips King. But what sits closest to her heart are her RWB Porsche 911 GT3 Type 997 and RWB Porsche 911 Turbo Type 993. “These are cars that I’ve personally built and conceptualised. They’re a representation of myself,” she shares.

Despite having a massive motor pool, King still has her dream cars. Should money be no object, she wishes to have a McLaren F1 GTR LM or a Ferrari F40 LM, each costing over USD 22 million and USD 1.5 million, respectively. “These cars are so expensive. They’re attainable, but it would cost too much to buy and maintain them,” says King.

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King urges those who want to dive into the world of cars to take advantage of information. YouTube videos, car clubs, and asking experts for their thoughts are essential for a novice. “Start with what you have. Some people would inherit a car from their parents and want to upgrade or repair it on their own. I consume a lot of YouTube content and there’s a ton of information there. The next best thing is to meet new friends in the industry. Ones that are really passionate about cars,” shares King.

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As an avid automobile tuner, King warns those who want to modify their cars to be careful. “It’s an endless money pit where you cannot recover any of your expenses—most of the time. Sadly, the Philippines doesn’t really give value to car modifications. It’s mostly a losing proposition when you throw money into modding your cars. Some people will use it against you to bring the price down if you want to sell it, but if you find someone who values all your modifications, it’s well worth selling to the next person. The Philippines isn’t a big community for car modders because people don’t understand how it works. Some car shops take shortcuts.” 

Those who remain adamant despite the risk should consider the four pillars of modifying cars—performance, safety, reliability, and aesthetics. “Performance adds horsepower—basically, more speed for your car. Safety is essential—things like brakes, fire extinguishers, a roll cage, etc. Then you have reliability; you can’t just focus on your horsepower. You need to consider the longevity of your vehicle. Finally, you have aesthetics. The way it looks and how aerodynamic it will be,” adds King.

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King wholeheartedly supports the transition to electric vehicles (EVs). The only factor slowing it down is the lack of proper infrastructure. “If you’re puttering around the city, bringing out a gasoline-powered engine doesn’t make much sense. But because charging stations aren’t that accessible, we’re forced to do so—I don’t have a charging port at home, so I have a hybrid, instead, for city driving,” shares King.

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The Philippines' automotive landscape has challenges but looks promising, according to King. On the one hand, the community is small, and we lack reliable car shops for modifications. On the other, the interest of the younger generation grows. “Sadly, most of the people I see who have supercars just bring it to breakfast, and only a few take it to the racetrack and use the car to its maximum potential. But it’s nice to see 16-year-old kids going around BGC on a Sunday to take photos of cars—and they know every single model! I never saw this growing up, so I feel like the future of the car industry in the Philippines is safe,” says King.

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