Auto Profile | Mikael Phillips

Member of Parliament Opposition Spokesman on Transport and Works.

What is your favourite destination to drive to in Jamaica and why?

I love driving to Blue Mountains because there are lots of off road tracks and it tests your driving skills. Plus you get the opportunity to know what your 4 X 4 vehicle is made of.

What was the first vehicle you owned, and what type of trouble was it known to give?

It was Lada, the SUV type. At the time it was a really popular vehicle in Jamaica, the only issue is that it would constantly overheat. Sometimes I had to stop at the side of the road just to let it cool down.

When did you develop a love for cars and what was the first car that you loved?

My love for cars started at about age 11, when I was in high school. The first car that I fell in love with was the Jaguar XJ 6, it just looked so distinguishable.

What is your dream vehicle?

I have never owned a car, so it has to be something SUV related. I think the new Toyota Land Cruiser is a beautiful machine. Couple years ago, I bought my father's old Land Cruiser and once I stepped in it, I wasn't interested in anything else.

If you had to choose two high-profile friends, who are amateur drivers, to represent you in a circuit race who would you choose and why?

Hmm, I would go with two of my long time friends from high school, Nigel Winter and Leon Beckford. Even though they were not professional drivers, they loved cars and always did different things to modify the engines.

What is one auto activity you would love to do with your child when he/she gets older?

I would like to take my last daughter, Gabriela to watch a Formula 1 race in Europe, she loves races like me. She is always asking me questions when we are watching races.

What foreign country would you like to drive on and why?

Because my obvious preference is off road, I would want to go to Senegal for the Dakar race.

What is your favourite car movie and which character would you play in it?

The Transformers franchise is nice, it shows the masculine side of the big vehicles. I don't know the name of the characters, but I would be one of the army type vehicles.

If you are at an Adventure Park and had the opportunity to: drive a go kart, ride an ATV or race a canoe, which would you choose and why?

I'll always go for the ATV. When I was a teen I used to own a Honda CR 150, which is a two-stroke off road motorcycle. When I was younger we used to race at Dover and Portmore.