Driving Miss Jessy
(in an equally stunning Lotus Exige S)
Sitting kingly ( or queenly, if you will) on the white showroom floor of Lotus Cars Manila along Ortigas Avenue, I swear that the Lotus Exige S almost taunts us malevolently. Its Toxic Green complexion is made even more luminous by the afternoon sunlight filtering through the glass wall. When she first arrives at the showroom, our guest’s eyes widen at the sight of the two Lotuses. Then she breaks into a smile and an audible “wow.” Nothing like a Lotus to break the ice.
Later, with the cameras on, she declares with that sweet smile of hers: “I’m a late bloomer.”
It’s hard to believe that Jessy Mendiola – at the obvious peak of her showbiz game for some time now – is but 23 summers young. The Abu Dhabi- born celebrity started on the road to the fame by modeling at the age of, gasp, three. But wait, she considers herself a late bloomer?
“I only learned to drive about two years ago,” she continues. Ah.
Jessy narrates that she went through driving school, and was subsequently coached further by her driver to further hone her skill at the wheel. Still, she confesses that driving is something that does not really interest her. “I’m not really the type who’s into that stuff. Of course, here in Manila, it’s really hard to drive because of the traffic. There are just so many vehicles on the road. Mahirap makipagsabayan (It’s hard to keep up).” It didn’t help, either, that the SUV she was driving then was rear-ended.
Despite misgivings, Jessy ventured to acquire the skill in the first place because, well, the lady is all about conquering fears, scoffing at limits and, yes, breaking the mold.
“I always like to challenge myself,” she underscores. Jessy narrates of
a time she did the teleserye Paraiso where she had to swim – even if she didn’t know how. She buckled down and learned to. “Before, I figured that I probably wouldn’t be able to drive since I always had a driver,” she narrates. “Then I realized, why not?
Marunong na nga kong lumangoy (I already knew how to swim), driving pa kaya?”
From there, Jessy just kept doing things that she never figured she would: scuba diving, kayaking (in the middle of the ocean, no less). “You only live once, and there are things that you can do safely. Remember there’s always a first time for everything. Hindi naman pwedeng
magaling ka na agad ( You can’t be skilled right away). So practice makes you better, makes you learn more, and makes you feel at ease with whatever you choose to pursue.”
Jessy shares that she’d rather go to the beach than the mall on weekends. She loves the water and the sun and the outdoors. Indeed, today, the mestiza has an obvious tan.
Today’s another first for Jessy, and she savors the moment to check out the Exige S. Lotus has been known for being no-nonsense vehicles bred for the track. The portfolio leverages on the brand’s considerable motorsports heritage to present unadulterated beasts whose sole purpose is to communicate that experience to rest of the population blessed with the inclination (and the dough) to purchase said Lotuses.
Let me throw you the numbers on the Exige. Its mid- mounted, supercharged, 3.5- liter V6 pumps out 345hp and a rich 400Nm of torque. That might not be exceedingly impressive on its face, but these numbers only need to motivate a lightweight, extruded-aluminumbonded chassis that tips the scales at a svelte 1,000 kgs. Its whistle-bait figure is a worthy match to our Wheels guest.
Performance- wise, Lotus says the Exige S can knock your socks off to the tune of zero to 100kph in four seconds ( 3.9 seconds on the automatic). Although we weren’t able to even scratch the surface of its vaunted performance, the number of double-takes and gaped mouths made the mid-afternoon snarl we found ourselves in still worthwhile.
The Exige is exceedingly impatient in crawling traffic. Well, traffic can snarl up the entire metropolis and I’d be fine. That means I can talk to the lady across me looking cool and comfy in her bucket seat.
Jessy Mendiola is one of the names floated being considered for the much-talked-about role of Darna for its forthcoming screen adaptation. “I’m very lucky to be considered as one of the choices,” she admits. “When your name comes up if people think about Darna, it’s very humbling because out of all the actresses out there, I’m being considered.
Bihira lang talaga yun (It’s a rare opportunity).”
These days, Jessy can be regularly seen on two shows, the primetime teleserye You’re
My Home, and the Sunday gag fest Banana Sundae. She relishes the opportunity to be able to do very different genres. Mendiola isn’t averse to doing her own stunts, too. “I get scratches when I snorkel; it’s no big deal. I think it’s just liberating to do stuff like that. That’s an achievement.”
“Whoa!” Jessy exclaims as the Exige lurches forward like it wants to ingest the vehicle in front of it. I apologize. “What did you do? Did you floor the pedal?” She looks at me with mild fascination. No, I didn’t! I just, well, stepped on the gas a little heavier. Just a little. Ha-ha.
“This is really a race car,” she says. “Simple and sleek… pogi.”
Obviousl y , it’s hard to compete with this Lotus, and so I just continue to interview Jessy Mendiola, and enjoy the moment with her and the Exige. I love my job.