Start Them Young: Gab Hari-Ong Is Living The Dream

A passion for the drive starting from an early age, Gab Hari-Ong is living the dream of driving a true Japanese beast, the Nissan GTR.

Powered by a twin-turbo V6 engine and partnered with advanced technology features ss well as aerodynamic design, the Nissan GTR is an iconic driving machine.

From toy cars to driving your dream car, dreaming big is not an impossible feat.

Hitting our twenties is saying hello to adulthood. That’s where we bid adieu to childish antics and put on a more mature attitude as we try to tackle and navigate the world. At 23 years old? Most of us have just graduated or, as cliché as it sounds, off to start a new chapter.

But this 23-year old has different things in mind. Meet Gab Hari-Ong. At 23, he has his own GTR. That’s right, a GTR. You may say, for someone so young, what does he know about cars? Well, he doesn’t just know cars, he loves them.

Igniting The Passion

Gab’s love for cars started from his very first Christmas gift. Unboxing his first car toy didn’t just give him a new thing to play with but something more. It sparked his interest in anything 4-wheels.

And this further developed as he grew up, traveling with his parents going around the world and discovering just how diverse the car universe is. If we identify all the cars he’s seen, this article would go on for 50 more pages. 

While Gab’s parents have the practical sense when it comes to cars, Gab simply cannot deny the passion. Being exposed to the car culture locally, Gab developed his favorites and inevitably, became a proud owner of an ultimate driving machine.

The Godzilla of Cars

With so many car options, why a GTR right? Ask the youngins what their dream car is and most answers you’d get would be a Ferrari, a Lamborghini, a Porsche and of course, a GTR.

For Gab, besides the given angas you get with this beast of a car, it roots back to him being a fan of the Skyline era.

To add to that, his favorite country to visit is the very homeland of the beloved GTR. You guessed it – Japan. Take it as hitting two birds with one stone, you get to visit your favorite country and at the same time, ponder on the Godzillas in motion. If that isn’t a perfect combination, I don’t know what is. 

Having a GTR is unique, not everyone gets to control its beastly purrs. Being able to own one at 23? Iconic. And that’s just Gab – unique and iconic. He added a few modifications on his GTR such as body kits and exhaust in his own unique taste, but still retaining that classic and iconic style for a timeless look. And we agree completely – a car as iconic as the GTR doesn’t need much, just an eager driver. 

And that’s probably what Gab aims to be. Owning his dream car means taking care of it, sometimes even more than yourself.

He takes care of it so much, he keeps it tucked in the garage, in pristine condition and taking it out only on special occasions. A car event? A special date? A Sunday run? Sure. But if the GTR could talk, Gab knows just what it would say, “Gab, gamitin mo naman ako!”. So to Gab, you know what to do, bro. 

Keeping It Real

At this point, you might still be asking, just how did he do it? Gab has some advice, and it’s as simple as it could get. Study hard, party harder. It’s the 2024 version of work hard, play hard but in a smarter sense.

It’s not about going to parties and getting extremely wasted (we know that happens) but more on partying for the right reasons, say, meeting new people and building connections or network. Actually learn valuable life practice from people who’ve made it and apply it to yours.

Pretty solid advice if I must say. So better turn your party nights to a productive one, right? Be smart and have fun. Cheers to that!

Not sold with Gab’s advice? Besides owning a GTR, Gab loves wearing his Rolex Daytona. It’s his favorite daily arm candy since it’s light and easy to use. So, there. See you at the next party at BGC.