Forza Horizon 4: Prelude to a...

Having fought my way through the Spring Seasonal Events, I got my hands on this Spring Season's prizes; one is a JDM classic emerged from the early years of the Heisei era and the other is a pumped-up bug made for rallycross purposes.





On the top, this is the fourth-generation Honda Prelude, a "futuristic specialty" front-wheel drive sports coupe that likened by Ayrton Senna just like in the TV commercials. From its futuristic dashboard display, unique styling, and its 2.2L 4-cylinder DOHC engine, the fourth-generation Prelude is one of the most noticeable JDM cars in the early years of the Heisei era.

Below, there's the VW Beetle GRC, the result of what happens whey they took the 21st Century Beetle and turned into a rallycross monster. It has a race-spec 1.6L 4-cylinder turbo engine producing 544HP of power and has a 0-60 time of just 2.1 seconds. Drivers like Tanner Foust and Scott Speed took part in this machine during the Global Rallycross matches.





So, now that I got these machines, it's time to take these beauties for a spin in separate ways as the Prelude goes street racing on British roads while the Beetle GRC kicks some dirt at Fortune Island.







Job well done, there's nothing else I can say.

Enjoy your new ride!

GT SPORT: Classic little guys

The original Mini, the original Beetle, and the original 500; three iconic little cars emerged from the 20th century and no matter how much pop culture stardom these cars possess, their classic tastes never go out of style, especially when you take these three for a spin at GT SPORT.



Ah, the classic trio of city cars. When you look at these three together, it's like three good-looking senior citizens hanging out at the pub for a nice draft, chatting about the good old days in a rather friendly manner and it's great to see these three together again in GT SPORT.

There are different reasons why these three looked so popular probably because of the star factor they posses. Most like the original Mini because Mr. Bean drove one as well and it's not just Mr. Bean, the original Italian Job movie and The Bourne Identity gave a shine and scratch over the legendary British icon.

For the Beetle, you should thank Disney and Hasbro for its stardom because if it weren't for this car, Herbie and Bumblebee wouldn't exist and speaking of Bumblebee, it's great to bring the classic Beetle back for the Transformers prequel film starring, you guessed it, Bumblebee. Expect bringing some tissues, folks.

As for the 500, well, the only thing that took a shine on the Cinquecento is Lupin the Third and a character from Disney-Pixar's Cars. I'm talking about you, Luigi.



What we have here, ladies and gentlemen, is the three pillars of stardom; Mr. Bean, Herbie, and Lupin the Third. I know, it's not in order but such stardom really made these cars special even in today's times and here in GT SPORT, I'm driving these three icons to see which fared well. Having second thoughts, I traveled to Tsukuba and checking these cars out in a Best MOTORing method.



Okay, let's remember this right away because I've done this twice but if you need a quick refresher, get this; out of the three, the Mini has the most power while the Beetle is the heaviest of the three and the 500 is the lightest so on paper, their driving style do vary and while the Mini shows no problems in the handling department, the Beetle, because being the heaviest, can be slightly struggling to get round the corner, and the 500, because with so little power in so very light car, feels like it almost doesn't need a brake when it gets round the corner.

I know that the slow and steady will win the race but since this is GT SPORT, the rules of survival of the fastest shouldn't be ignored and with that, let's cue the tape.



After a quick lap round Tsukuba, here are the results;

Mini Cooper - 1:21.940
VW 1200 - 1:32.684
Fiat 500 - 1:42.259



History does repeat itself but it's undeniable that the original and British-made classic Mini Cooper is by no means the most iconic of the three timeless classic due to its motorsports pedigree and a very high popularity among car enthusiasts and historians. I appreciate how these three classic icons handle, although the 500 was the most surprising of the three (with thanks to Lupin the Third), but in the end, looks like Mr. Bean always wins the day. The untalkative weirdo has bested the Transformer and the master thief by a large margin and that really is a bombshell to end this day.

Forza Motorsport 6: March of the V-Dubs (Part 1)

Now, when we heard the news that the upcoming Forza Horizon 3 will no longer feature Volkswagen in the lineup at launch, we were saddened by the shocking announcement that the iconic German car company will be missed out on its Australian journey on the next Forza Horizon game. Don't know why they exclude it but probably due to the ongoing scandals that VW faced so far, in fact, it's becoming not quite healthy for the scandal-stricken VW to be featured on video games, well almost.



It's a shame really because while we had fun driving the Golf VII R on FM6, it's sad to say that it won't be appearing in FH3 as well as the other VWs but because it's on an Australian landscape, maybe you can make V-dubs have a little taste of Australia...sort of. Well, since I'm on Bathurst, which is in Australia, I'd decided to give those V-dubs a little Australian vacation before their little farewell party.

In this first part, the 20th century masters of V-dub are having a little free time round Mount Panorama, Bathurst.



The classic Volkswagen Type 2 Sambabus, the minibus that became popular with the hippie crowd.





The original VW Beetle. As many cars go, this "people's car" remains one of the world famous cars in the history of motoring. It even got starring roles such as the original Bumblebee from the Transformers cartoons and Herbie from the wonderful world of Disney.





The first-generation VW Scirocco, which remains one of the most important VW hatchbacks to date and one of the finest specimens designed by the renowned Giugiaro.




The VW Rabbit GTi. Although this is an Americanized VW Golf Mk.I GTi, it's still one of the forefathers of the hot hatch realm.




The second-generation VW Scirocco. An evolution to the first one and the last Scirocco sold in the North American market.




The VW Gold GTi Mk.II, a second iteration of VW's hot hatch icon which takes its hot hatch level a little further.




The VW Corrado VR6, one of the rarest specimens on the road and already a classic in its own right when it stopped production two decades ago.




The VW Golf GTi Mk.III, a third chapter of VW's Golf GTi saga and it comes with the more potent VR6 engine sourced from the fallen Corrado.


Seeing those 20th century hits from VW, it's like living to its last toes while trying to fulfill what's on their bucket list today. From classic icons like the Beetle and the Sambabus, to hatchback favorites like the Scirocco and the Golf, those 20th century masters are living it up to the fullest like there's no tomorrow and because VW won't be coming back on FH3, presumably, feels like they're having a farewell party. Of course, they're all having a farewell party for VW's 20th century hits but what about the best of the 21st century from VW?

To be continued...

Gran Turismo 6: Timeless Classic Icons

The Mini Cooper, the VW Beetle, and the Fiat 500, classic icons that changed the automotive world through the years and now, it's time to find out which of these three timeless classic icons is the most iconic.

The place? Brands Hatch. The layout? The short Indy Circuit. The rule? Fastest time wins.

The Mini Cooper is a product of Sir Alec Issigonis and remains a purists' favorite over the Germanized modern Mini while the classic VW Beetle is the worldwide phenomenon that gave Volkswagen the reputation of being the "people's car" and the Fiat 500 is...well, it's one of Italy's contribution to the world. Mr. Bean drives a Mini, the Beetle is Herbie the Love Bug, and Lupin the Third drove a Fiat 500. They're all part of the pop culture craze but still, this is a GT6 science experiment and we're finding out whose the most iconic.

Although the Mini has the highest power of the three, it's heavier than the Fiat 500 but lighter than the Beetle, so it's a well-balanced classic city car that not only it looks good on the city streets but it's a good track-day car because the classic Mini has a racing pedigree. From the racetrack to the dirttrack, the Mini is always the David that trumps all the Goliaths in the motorsports history. The Fiat 500 may have a very low output but because it weighs over 500kg, you can find this car to be more maneuverable and more enjoyable to turn thanks to its lightweight bodywork. The Beetle though...it maybe the best of both worlds but even though it has more power than the old 500, it's heavier than the old 500.

After a lap round the Brands Hatch, here come the results...

1:06.219 - MINI

1:15.592 - Beetle

1:22.898 - 500

It's proven that the original and British-made classic Mini Cooper is by no means the most iconic of the three timeless classic due to its motorsports pedigree and a very high popularity among car enthusiasts and historians. Maybe that's why most purists prefer this more than the modern Mini that is made by BMW.

 

VW The Beetle Cabriolet

The 21st Century Beetle from Volkswagen is a modern take to the iconic people's car with many names. Although it doesn't have any luck finding car racing games to feature this modern take of an iconic classic, the 21st Century Beetle tries to impress the crowd with its modern features while retaining the decade-old legendary heritage that shapened the Volkswagen brand for years.

Most car enthusiasts told me that they didn't like the 21st Century Beetle because those headlights look gawdy even when they put some eyelashes on it. Get it? Those Beetle headlamps with some eyelashes on it can be somewhat a terrible rubbish and because they're men, they prefer to turn left. Turn left as in going backwards, way way back to the Beetle of the 60's because for those men, classic is better than modern. Really? Perhaps that's why there are no console racing games of today would have featured the 21st Century Beetle? Comments? They said the G-word that composed of three letters, starts with G and ends in Y, two consonants and one vowel. What's that word? Never mind about that...

2013 Volkswagen The Beetle Cabriolet

Thing is though that Volkswagen launched an open-top Cabriolet version and...um...would you look at that, the Beetle that some say it was made for girls now even more girlier with the roof opened. I just can't think of any word that best describes this Beetle Cabriolet. No no no...don't call it New Beetle Cabriolet cause there's going to be some confusion between two different generations. Anyway, the car...

It's like the 21st Century Beetle, it has the same styling features as the hardtop model, the same "would-be-perfect-for-girls" look that feels like it can put some makeup on it and show off to your friends at Beverly Hills 90210 but because this is a cabriolet version of The Beetle, it's an open-top west coast cruiser where girls just wanna have fun, even Barbie...(laughing)

Even though it has a soft-top roof on the girl-laden Beetle, there's this dreary switch which opens this dreary top for just a dreary 9.5 seconds and you'll have to wait for 11 seconds to close it. Dreary? Oh wait, I often said this word a couple of times. What's dreary, anyway? No clue why I used that word. Perhaps I must look that up to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary and find out...

2013 Volkswagen The Beetle Cabriolet

Well, since I am too far from the Merriam-Webster dictionary, let's talk about more from The Beetle Cabriolet. Well, prices start from around 21,350 Euros and engine choices consist of a 1.2 TSi, 1.4 TSi, 2.0 TSi, 1.6 TDi, and 2.0 TDi. If you were given a choice, I think that the ones with big power is a bit too much and therefore, might be best to pick the smaller one. A 1.2 TSi petrol enigne would be enough for a start so it's best not to bother the ones with the bigger power on it. That's a bit too dry.

As for the handling, well, like the hardtop equivalent, it's a bit nicer to drive but only if you are a girl who are aged 20 or 30. This works well if you are in a posh place like, for example, Beverly Hills, Milan, Paris, Tokyo, or any other posh place a girl might know about.

Perhaps no wonder most console racing games of today often rejected the idea of featuring the 21st century Beetle in a racing game but it if was such thing as a racing game that features this kind of Beetle, I would be delighted to have one but no thanks, I think I got this...

For a day-to-day basis, The Beetle Cabriolet is not much of an attention grabbing but if you see a male driving this kind of car, the only thing you're embarassing is yourself. It's much worse as wearing a speedo on a beach. Loincloth? No no no....That's also much worse than a speedo. (laughing)

Sadly for me, I don't think this 21st Century Beetle Cabriolet is not the ideal car for me. It's a girl's car only Barbie would have wished for and then place some eyelashes on it. Now if you would mind, I'd better off to some talks about why the 21st Century Beetle hasn't got a chance to be on video games...

Photo: Volkswagen

21st Century Beetle tuning by B&B

B&B Beetle

Renowned VW tuner, B&B, gets down and dirty to get Volkswagen's 21st Century Beetle it's first modifications and this modified Beetle is all about speed because of the three-stage process. In Stage 1, the power output to the Beetle's 1.4L TSi engine will improve, giving it 210PS of power and 285Nm of torque. In Stage 2, revised air induction and air ducts will provide 225HP of power. Lastly, on Stage 3, a special turbo will give this modified Beetle about 240HP of power.

What about the 2.0L TDi engine? B&B says that the modification will result into a massive 320PS of power output, so that's a shocker for this modified Beetle that can outrun the law.

Scoop: http://auto.de.msn.com/magazin/tuning/320-ps-pistensau-vw-beetle-von-bandb-13

The 21st Century Beetle from Volkswagen

It became an iconic phenomenon since its first made in the 1930's and it garnered tons of nicknames such as Kafer, Fusca, Bug, Buba, Kabuto-mushi, or Pendong, This car made it as part of pop culture as Herbie or the original Bumblebee from the old Transformers cartoons. It even spawned its own version for the younger generation in 1997 as the New Beetle. Now, the arrival of the 21st Century Beetle truly shocked the world that the bug is back to stand out the crowd. This "new" generation Volkswagen Beetle is no longer your grandparents' Beetle of yesteryears and now, this new bug's ready to go to work.

2012 Volkswagen The Beetle

2012 Volkswagen The Beetle

The exterior design of the 21st Century Beetle looks scrumptious, juicy, tender, crispy, and more like a Porsche 911 Carrera. Once you look at the outside of the 21st Century Beetle's exterior, you can't resist its temptation of its cool beauty. That cool beauty comes from its cue design that is somewhat inspired from the 2005 Volkswagen Ragster Concept car and it uses the PQ35 platform lifted from the Volkswagen Jetta. With this platform, the 21st Century Beetle is now longer than the previous "New Beetle" because of the 4,278mm length.

2012 Volkswagen The Beetle interior

The previous New Beetle's interior looks somewhat rubbish and I don't like the way how I feel inside. It's like watching daytime television or letting kids watching cartoons on Saturday evenings. Now, on the 21st Century Beetle's interior, it looks more like its ready for some Saturday Night Live! It packs pace, shows character, and above all else, it looks luxurious. The best part about the 21st Century Beetle's interior is the new Fender Sound System. You probably familiar about Fender as the brands behind the mega popular Jazz Bass and Mustang. Yes, you should be familiar that these guitars are popularized on the anime K-ON! About the Fender Sound System, it produces clear sound quality and it was so clear, we recommend listening to character songs of K-ON's Mio Akiyama and Azusa Nakano while driving the 21st Century Beetle at the Shutokou, Autobahn, or Route 66. I mean hey, this is the best time to sing "Don't Say Lazy" while taking a road trip with the 21st Century Beetle!

The 1.2L TSi engine equipped on The Beetle produces 105PS/5,000rpm of power output and 175Nm/1,550rpm of torque output. This helps the car reach 0-100kph in 10.9 seconds and achieving the top speed of 180kph. Meanwhile, the 2.0L TSi engine equipped on The Beetle produces 200PS/5,100rpm of power output and 280Nm/1,700rpm of torque output. This helps the car reach 0-100kph in 7.5 seconds and achieving the top speed of 223kph. On The Beetle 1.2L TSi variant, it is equipped with a 6-speed manual transmission but on The Beetle 2.0L TSi variant, it is mated with the 6-speed DSG transmission packed with Manual Mode. These engines were only the beginning because the 1.4L TSI, 1.6L TDi, and a 2.0L TDi engines will follow shortly.

The Beetle offers host of driving aids that help the driver navigate correctly and safely such as Bi-Xenon headlights, Electronic Stability Program, and ParkPilot for effective reverse parking.

Depending on the variant; Beetle, Design, and Sport, The 21st Century Beetle comes in 11 color variations such as Candy-Weiß, Denim Blue, Saturn Yellow, Schwarz, Tornadorot, Moon Rock Silver Metallic, Platinum Grey Metallic, Reef Blue Metallic, Reflexsilber Metallic, Toffeebraun Metallic, and Deep Black Perleffekt.

My comment:

No longer the old Beetle from your grandparents' ages, the 21st Century Beetle is now made to be more retro-futuristic because of its seductive looks, refined interior, Fender Sound System that yells "Don't Say Lazy" while driving, list of engines, and the sizing that made it obvious to have one if you had it with the previous model.

I'm impressed that this new model always stick to its global market availability we're hoping that the 21st Century Beetle will hit the Philippines soon and thanks to Ayala Group gearing up for Volkswagen's return to the Philippines, we might have a chance but let's be patient...

Photo: Volkswagen

Welcome back, Beetle!

2012 Volkswagen Beetle

The 21st century Volkswagen Beetle is here...

This bug's all grown up to take on all comers!

The iconic people's car just got even better!

Mean exterior, new interior!

It's their way of saying "Welcome back" to the world!

Slated for U.S. and Europe sales at the 4th quarter of 2011!

If only Volkswagen is back at the Philippine market, we, Filipinos, want to indulge on this 21st century Beetle. (-_-)