My FH5 Log: Sea Breeze Flowing To the Stars

Have you heard the story of the sea that loved the moon? Of course, you do. I mean, everybody's familiar with the Legend of the Moon and the Sea. It's a love story a thousand years in the making and making the most out of the "Sea and Moon" vibe, I decided to let Forza Horizon 5's finest grand tourers do the singing and dancing.

If you are in the middle of a drive from the sea to the moon, which GT car is your pick? The Aston Martin DBS Superleggera? The third-generation Bentley Continental GTC? Or the BMW M8? This is exactly the question this game was designed to answer but first, let's get to know the GT cars.

Beginning with the Aston Martin DBS Superleggera, this potent version of the DB11 is the ultimate grand tourer designed from the ground up. Underneath its muscular shape and seductive curves, the DBS Superleggera carries the same 5.0L V12 Twin Turbo engine as the DB11 but uprooted to produce 725PS of power and 900Nm of torque while mated to an 8-speed automatic gearbox, it can get from 0-60mph in three and a half seconds and onwards to 211mph. It even comes with torque vectoring, a mechanical LSD, and F1-inspired aerodynamics to make it more track-honed while retaining its grand tourer status.

The Bentley Continental GT's styling is inspired by the EXP 10 Speed 6 Concept, giving it a fresh new take on Bentley's iconic two-door grand tourer. The third-generation Continental GT runs on the same platform as the second-generation Porsche Panamera and is powered by a brand new 6.0L W12 TSI engine producing 626HP of power and 900Nm of torque. With the 8-speed DCT and 4WD system it does 0-60 mph in 3.6 seconds and onwards to 207mph. The GT Convertible follows the same recipe as the hardtop variant but has a roof that can be opened or closed in 19 seconds even while traveling at residential speeds.

The BMW M8 Competition Coupe is the coupe version of the BMW M5 F90. It has the same 4.4L V8 turbo engine and 8-speed automatic transmission. It produces 625PS of power and 750Nm of torque, and can go from 0 to 100kph in up to 3.2 seconds. The top speed is electronically limited to 250kph, but an optional extra can raise it to 305kph. Like the M5 F90, the M8 comes with an M xDrive all-wheel-drive system with M Dynamic mode that behaves like a rear-wheel-drive car.

These three grand tourers were proven to be the ideal contenders when you want to take a long drive from the sea to the moon just like the legend itself but if The Sea and The Moon witnessed them, which one is worthy to be a favorite for the ancient couple?

Blessed by the power of The Sea and The Moon, the three grand tourers are in the middle of a one-lap time attack to see which one is the best. Don't worry, nobody's drinking three pints of water just like that Grand Tour episode where they're driving around the racetrack while holding the urge to pee. There's your reference point for you but anyway, let's go!

And now the results...

DBS SL - 56.139s

Continental GTC - 58.959s

M8 - 57.207s

The rear-wheel-drive DBS with its 725PS 5.0L V12 Twin Turbo engine crushed its 4WD opposition but judging by the palindromic results, it's close. Still, these three did a great job pleasing The Sea and The Moon in style and comfort.

The sea breeze flowing to the stars while driving in these grand tourers is a clear reminder of a sad story I just remembered. The DBS Superleggera marked the end of Aston Martin's V12 supremacy, and Bentley ended their 12-cylinder story with cars like the Bentley Continental GT. I don't know what fate's in store for a car like the BMW M8, but some say, it's not going to last long. Whatever the reason, they fought hard until the endgame, and while stories like these plunged speedo boys into an ocean of heartache, they should be thankful to have grand tourers with happy endings worth remembering forever.

That is the sea breeze flowing to the stars. The legend of the sea and the moon is revisited by three dying grand tourers fulfilling their dying wishes to the sea and the moon.

BONUS CHAPTER:

With Hibiki and Michiru done their job, it's time for my Continental GTC to have a one-car show to demonstrate its Bentley-ism. I know this because I got this car from the European Automotive DLC Pack and I loved it, despite its convertible taste.

Before getting its one-car show, some makeover has to be done...

After some extensive makeovers, the Continental GT Convertible is portraying the role of, you guessed it, Shiori from Aikatsu Planet. Suits its personality.

Feeling pleased with this makeover, the Continental GT Convertible is awakened for the clash of the land and the sea with the competition waiting to get a good look at this Bentley. Let's roll the tape.

From the clash of the land and the sea, the Bentley is the summit of its endgame.

Bentley's decision to end the production of the legendary W12 engine has me in an ocean of heartache, just as I was when Aston Martin ended its V12 hierarchy. But bittersweet aside, I'm glad I had a blast playing around with these British-built 12-cylinder wonders alongside a German V8-powered grand tourer nearing its euthanasia while revisiting the legend of the sea and the moon, in my mind.

OK, so we've done our little storytelling. Who wants bream from the Caspian Sea? How about some moonlight cookies or sea fairy cookies?

My FH5 Log: Community Day Classic (PART 1)

The Community Choice series update in Forza Horizon 5, running through the whole month of January,  features fan-voted events and challenges as well as a cesspool of returning cars from past installments. What a way to kick off the new year with a blast from Horizon's pasts.

So, the Hot Season Playlist of the FH5 Community Choice series update features an old McLaren supercar and a Bond car. What are these, you may ask?

First up is the McLaren MP4-12C, which can be yours after hitting 20 points on the Community Choice Hot Season Playlist. It's the first all-new McLaren model since the F1. Purely McLaren inside and out, the 12C is powered by a 3.8L V8 Twin Turbo engine that produces 592hp and 442ft-lb of torque while mated to a 7-speed SSG. Apart from the engine, the 12C features Carbon MonoCell, a first in a segment, as well as a Proactive Chassis Control system, double wishbone suspension with coil springs, a Brake Steer, and many others. If you have seven and a half minutes to spare while taking a break at the Ring, this is the McLaren for you.

Lastly is the Aston Martin DBS, which can be yours after hitting 40 points on the Community Choice Hot Season Playlist. Based on the DB9, the DBS is the replacement of the V12 Vanquish that is powered by a six-liter V12 engine producing 510hp and 420ft-lb of torque while mated to a 6-speed manual gearbox. Inside the world of 007, the V12-powered DBS appeared in Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace, starring Daniel Craig as James Bond.

Let's give these classic supercars a quick spin with the 12C battling against other modern supercars in a re-enactment of the streets of Cairo, Egypt, while the Aston Martin DBS drives through the touge roads at the dead of night without rolling over just like what happened in Casino Royale. Let's roll the tapes.

Job well done to these two, that's all I can say.

Next week, let's tackle the Koenigsegg CCX and the Lykan HyperSport at the Storm Season Playlist of the Community Choice update. Insert Fast and Furious joke at the latter, please.

Aston Martin DBS Superleggera Volante vs. McLaren 720S Spider

Last year, Aston Martin brought back the DBS as the balls-out, amped-up version of the luxurious DB11 that blends comfort and performance at the same pace and with the new Volante version, the DBS gets even better-looking with the roof down, meaning there's plenty of cruising to do with the most powerful open-top Aston Martin ever made.

2020 Aston Martin DBS Superleggera Volante

The 247,500 Pound Aston Martin DBS Superleggera Volante delivers the same excitement as the hardtop equivalent, only this time, with the top opened. Unlike the DB11 Volante, which is available only with the AMG-derived 4.0L V8 Twin Turbo engine, the new DBS Volante carries the same 725PS 5.2L V12 Twin Turbo engine as the hardtop equivalent and while it weighs slightly more than the hardtop equivalent, it still goes from 0-60mph in three and a half seconds and onwards to 211mph, which is surprisingly impressive in a car that blows its Vanquish Volante predecessor in hard water.

Unlike the coupe, the DBS Volante features numerous aerodynamic tweaks that differ from its hardtop equivalent because of the clear difference what happens when the roof is opened or closed and with that, the downforce is about 3kg less than the coupe but despite that, it is still as savage and lairy the coupe of course. It maybe a super grand tourer, it maybe quiet, and it maybe as classy as a woman in track suit doing zero gravity stuff but it is heavenly addicting to drive. You'll find plenty of reasons to enjoy the new open-top DBS any time you want.

The DBS Superleggera Volante is still a slice of heaven to drive even with the roof open but while this is all about heavenly shades of glory, the DBS Volante should better watch its back because in about a second, it might get yanked by a certain joker out of nowhere and there's one...

2019 McLaren 720S Spider

This is the new 720S Spider, the open-top version offers the same thrills as the hardtop equivalent, only with the roof opened. Although it is priced ten grand cheaper than the DBS, the 720S Spider will surely toy around the DBS for fun.

It carries the same 720PS 4.0L V8 Twin Turbo engine as the coupe but thanks to McLaren's skillful engineering, the weight has only gone up to 4%, meaning it can still do 0-60mph in almost three seconds and onwards to 212mph, just like its coupe equivalent.

Although different than the coupe in terms of performance and looks, the 720S Spider still behaves like a proper open-top hypercar. Still comes with the same high-tech wizardry as well, making the 720S Spider more of a toy rather than a car. It's like an iPhone for milky jokers but aside from being a claws-out, gung-ho, high-tech supercar, the 720S Spider can act like a grand tourer on its own right one switch at a time and like the coupe, the 720S Spider is an all-rounder, meaning it has all the speed, the comfort, the drift, and the space fit for a sportscar like this.

It's easy to fall in love with the joker than a little slice of heaven even though both of these cars were deemed to be challenging to get off the starting line. The DBS is very exciting to look at for a Super Grand Tourer, the 720S is all about a mentalist that delivers all the right stuff to entertain wealthy owners into driving one. These two British open-top sportscars may be in a different class but they can deliver the best driving experience drivers can't get enough of.

Photo: Aston Martin/McLaren Automotive

Forza Horizon 4: Beautiful is Absolute

Riddle me this: I'm a British sportscar, I have twelve cylinders, and my name doesn't mean Dragon Ball Super. Who am I?



If your answer to this riddle is the Aston Martin DBS Superleggera, then you are exactly right because it is one and since I won this car from the recent playlist of this FH4 update, it might be the ideal moment to talk about my new prize.



So, what's it all about the DBS Superleggera? Hailed as the replacement to the Vanquish and based on the DB11, the newly reborn Aston Martin DBS Superleggera is the ultimate grand tourer designed from the ground up. Underneath its muscular shape and seductive curves, the DBS Superleggera carries the same 5.0L V12 Twin Turbo engine from the DB11 but it's been uprooted to produce 725PS of power and 900Nm of torque while mated to an 8-speed automatic gearbox, it can get from 0-60mph in three and a half seconds and onwards to 211mph. It even comes with torque vectoring, a mechanical LSD, and F1-inspired aerodynamics to make it more track-honed while retaining its grand tourer status.



Sure, the DBS doesn't have the most sophisticated interior ever made, the automatic gearbox is less responsive at high speeds, and the V12 engine doesn't roar like a Ferrari 812 Superfast but when you let this ultimate grand tourer act like a loose cannon, it feels alive, intimidating, and downright enjoyable to get yourself behind the wheel but when you're driving in your bladder, things get really messy and you could be in pinch. The struggle is real but since I've been longing to get my hands on the new DBS, it's time to do some science to see how exciting the new DBS is but first...





Well, like they said. It's your show, your time. IT'S SHOWTIME! Anyway, enough about that because with the DBS got peppered with the heavenly perfume of its sexiness, it's time to do some science but since every single part of Britain's occupied a few moments ago and with some busy schedule ahead at Fortune Island, I went to LEGO valley to see what's like to experience the new Aston halo car of the moment.



Yes, I know, the Aston Martin would not behave as what the drivers want, especially in icy conditions, but since this is its show, its time, might as well make the most out of it. Roll the tape.





And there you have it. The Aston Martin DBS Superleggera is by far the most exciting Aston Martin I have ever driven in the game. Although the performance doesn't match supercar standards, the DBS really made drivers drive some more because this car will never stop its driver until he or she is fully satisfied with their experience.

Speaking of which, I want to keep driving the DBS for more because it's starting to be my new personal favorite Aston at the moment. Until then, keep on driving!

Aston Martin DBS Superleggera

The DBS name that was used on the Bond car that rolled over on Casino Royale is back and although it's no longer the Bond car we all adorned in the past, the all-new DBS Superlegerra from Aston Martin is basically a DB11 dances to the grace of the Milady with the swing of an axe and some grenade rounds to make it ready for action all day, all night long.

2019 Aston Martin DBS Superleggera

Hailed as the replacement to the once majestic Vanquish S, the DBS Superleggera is the newest flagship sportscar that carries an ultra-expensive pricetag of 225,000 Pounds, which is about as expensive as a fast Italian supercar, so while the pricing is worth a break in the deep pockets, what do you really get for your six-figure pricetag sportscar?

For starters, it looks a lot like a DB11 from top to bottom but for the DBS, they made it even more aggressive and sexier that makes it look like it's ready to get into the masquerade ball while carrying a big axe and a grenade launcher, which sounds illegal but it's all about the hearts of the drivers this DBS can steal from. On the inside, it's still looks and feels like a normal DB11 and with every Mercedes bits and bobs on it, it's hard to describe its inner German tech lurking from this brawny beauty Brit that likes to tangle through different roads and tracks with pride, prestige, and brawns.

The DBS Superleggera is powered by the same 5.2L V12 Twin Turbo engine from the DB11 but it was ticked to produce 725PS of power and 900Nm of torque and while mated to an 8-speed automatic gearbox, it can get from 0-60mph in three and a half seconds and onwards to 211mph, meaning when compared to one of its Super GT rivals, the Ferrari 812 Superfast, it's not enough to eat the Prancing Horse alive, and while the DBS's performance is not an ideal alternative to Ferrari's V12 powerhouse, there goes the dynamics.

Yes, the DBS maybe more aerodynamic, it has a clever suspension setup, it has a limited-slip differential, new CCB carbon discs, and so on, but when you get your foot down, that massive amount of torque is worth intimidating at wheelspin start and while it's surprisingly worth a graceful dancer on the road, the DBS Superleggera always swings its axe and launch a few grenade rounds, demonstrating just how savage and how lairy this car is when driven on the track to the max. That Milady has a lot of things of its sleeves and unless you have a degree to this machine, best to bid yourself "adieu" when you get spun out at a corner. That said, this car needs the elegance of a skillful dancer and the image of Fawkes to master the DBS Superleggera's character regardless of how fast and how careful you're driving this car.

That said, the DBS Superleggera is one heck of a super grand tourer that combines legendary Aston Martin beauty with savage performance and dynamics that carries the specter of its predecessors. It may not be one of the best Super GTs on the road but that performance will make you either come back for more or be downright jealous. As a matter of fact, we're in the latter and one look of it will make us so jealous enough, we just want one for ourselves. Come on, world, we're waiting.

Photo: Aston Martin

Forza Motorsport 6: Know your Bond Car - Aston Martin DBS

MI6 Tanner to Forza 6 players,

As you may know, some of the Bond Cars recorded from the MI6's Q-Branch have been featured in Forza Motorsport 6, the latest installment in the highly-successful Forza franchise available exclusively on the XBOX One. I'll be briefing you with some of the most iconic Bond Cars featured in FM6.



Today's Bond car is the Aston Martin DBS, which is featured in two Bond films such as Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace, as well as Bond games such as Blood Stone and 007 Legends, driven by James Bond actor Daniel Craig.

The DBS is essentially a high-performance version of the DB9 and although it uses the same V12 engine the DB9 carries, the DBS develops about 510HP of power and 569Nm of torque. 0-60 takes about 4.3 seconds and a top speed of 191 mph (307 km/h) and 183 mph (295 km/h) with Aston Martin's TOUCHTRONIC 2 transmission.

There is a well-known tidbit about the DBS when it was featured in Daniel Craig's first Bond movie, Casino Royale, back in Autumn 2006, regarding the scene where Bond violently swerves to avoid Vesper Lynd and then accidentally rolled over seven times. The stunt drivers rehearse the scene using a second-hand BMW which is easier to roll but when they provided a prototype model, in the form of a modified DB9, they figured out that its aerodynamics made it difficult to roll. One person suggested that they should fit a cannon somewhere...and it did. By the time the Aston was totalled, it had set a new record for the most number of rolls in a car stunt.

Two years later in Quantum of Solace, Ben Collins, who was The Stig on Top Gear back then, is hired as a Bond stunt driving instructor and he was a double for Daniel Craig in the opening high-speed chase.

When Daniel Craig was not in the middle of Bond movies before Skyfall, he and the DBS were involved in Bond games as well. In the 2010 Bond game, Blood Stone, the DBS was featured in driving missions involving chasing against a suicide bomber targeting the Acropolis, where the world leaders are stationed for a meeting, chasing down rogue industrialist Stefan Pomerov in Siberia, and chasing down Nicole Hunter, played by singer Joss Stone, in a climactic car chase from Monaco to the Millau Viaduct. Two years later, in 007 Legends, the DBS takes place from the V12 Vanquish on a chase through Gustav Graves' cargo plane in Die Another Day.



When the DBS was featured in Top Gear, The Stig set a lap time of 1:23.93, which is faster than the old Aston Martin V12 Vanquish S. We decided to give it to one of our experts and have it compared against its real-world lap time set by The Stig.



Sadly, our expert from Q-Branch couldn't beat The Stig's lap time because he did it in 1:26.364, which is around three seconds slower than The Stig's.

MI6, end of transmission.

Forza Horizon: Can you find thrills on Horizon?

An open world driving game called Forza Horizon can sometimes be a thriller because most players have a million ways to get themselves a thrill in Colorado such as racing against each other or tunnel runs or car chases or I-70 runs or whatever they want to get them thrilled. That's how a gamer wants but what cars made some thrills on Horizon? Can you get thrills on driving the fastest supercars on Horizon? I'm not sure but there are some candidate for thrillers out there...

A true V8 road runner

Hmmm... I drove the Maserati Granturismo S coupe on Horizon and that seems fine for a V8 road runner that feels as sublime as a fancy restaurant but for sheer thrills, the Granturismo doesn't offer that. Sure, I once read stories about the Maserati history, about how the racing career became historical, and everything related to Maserati but sadly though, in the Granturismo though, it feels like it's a well-civilized being, feels like there was some university life going on around here. It was made as a grand tourer, not a thrill seeker that tickles my fancy. Sorry.

A true thoroughbred

What about the Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione? This maybe a candidate for a thrill seeker. With big brakes, carbon fibre body, the same V8 engine that powers the Maserati, double wishbone suspension, and the fact that it was built on the same factory as the Maserati Granturismo, the Alfa Romeo 8C seems to be a thrill-seeker's preference but as I drove one on Horizon, (sigh) it doesn't made me feel the thrill. I mean look at it, the skies, the mountains, the roads, ruined by this car. Even though it was classified as a supercar, it doesn't feel a bit supercar-ish. It reacts, feels, and sounds like an American muscle car and sometimes, this car seems to be too uncomfortable enough to tickle my fancies. Despite its faults, the 8C is still one of the best Alfa Romeos ever built.

Pure Elegance

This is the car I found on the December IGN Car Pack. The Aston Martin DBS. Even though this is an invalid choice because the new 2013 Vanquish is supposed to be on Horizon, not this, this is still a proper thoroughbred car. Let's not talk about the faults okay? Not even the Volvo-sourced sat-nav system, okay? What it feels here on the DBS is pure thrills. Sure, it has the same German-built 6.0L V12 engine as the DB9 but the engine output produces 510HP of power while being mated with a 6-speed manual transmission. Also, I can expect the same architecture as the DB9 as well.

Despite the fact that it's just a DB9 that has been on breast implants, the DBS really shivers my excitement. Thanks to its Pirelli P-Zero tires developed specifically for the DBS, this car dances excelentlly and with the reworked suspension, the DBS sure seems to be more fun to drive than the 8C or the Granturismo.

I know, the Aston Martin DBS brought me more thrills than the Maserati and the 8C but in overall thrills, you can do better. There are so many thrills to find on Horizon, just not this car, okay? Take your time, the thrills are all around you and feel free to enjoy.

Welcome Back: 2008 Aston Martin DBS

Keira Knightley in Puff Diddley's jewerly

The interior is all marvelous. The gear lever
really looks like a Power Ranger's leg

Aston Martin claims that the hardcore DBS is a 6-litre hard-driving lightweight thoroughbred but in Top Gear's point of view, it's not a thoroughbred but this is the best Aston Martin ever made despite it's not as fast as the hardcore version of the Aston Martin V12 Vanquish in the straights, not as prettier as the DB9, and it's more expensive than the DB9. Those Top Gear wazzocks rate this car as "UNCOOL" (See Top Gear Cool Wall app in your iPhone) and described that the Space Shuttle looks a bit rubbish in comparison. Who cares? This Aston Martin was been featured in two Bond films from Casino Royale (2006) to Quantum of Solace (2008) as the car of choice for Bond actor, Daniel Craig.

When it lapped round the Top Gear Test Track courtesy of The Stig, it hailed as the fastest Aston Martin on the track with the lap time of 1:23.93, eclipsing the likes of the Aston Martin Vanquish S and the DB9. Even the Aston Martin newcomer, the Virage, couldn't fight off because as James May told, the DB9 has 450HP, the DBS has 510HP, and the new Virage has 490HP. Get it?

The Aston Martin DBS V12 is my personal favorite because of Bond movie appearances and I'm glad it's back on Forza Motorsport 4. I like this more than the new Virage but I'm afraid that I found myself climbing out after a short while and summing up the car although I accidentally become Daniel Craig.

It is a very likable, very brilliant Aston but let's be honest, if you pull outside the casino in Montenegro in one of these, the doorman, I'm afraid, will ask you to go away. Still, Bond loses it all but Bond wins it all.

A curious case of "Goodbye, Mr. Bond"

Aston Martin DBS Carbon Edition

Two Aston Martin DBS Carbon Edition models will be coming at the 2011 IAA at Frankfurt, Germany and the latest will be offered in two new color variations such as Flame Orange and Ceramic Grey along with the Carbon Black.

The DBS Carbon Edition is all about being unique thanks to its unique color variation and a unique interior plus some carbon fiber parts installed on this special edition to make it more lighter than the standard DBS.

It also has a 10-spoke rims with the optional diamond turned or full-gloss black finish, black brake calipers with optional colors such as yellow, orange, red, or grey, a black colored front grille and smoked headlamps.

It really was a case of "Goodbye, Mr. Bond"

Scoop: http://carscoop.blogspot.com/2011/09/iaa-2011-aston-martin-dbs-carbon.html

Aston Martin DBS - Forza 3 Owner's View

The Bond Car from Casino Royale and
Quantum of Solace

This Cecilia Alcott itasha option looks
fit on you, Mr. Bond!

FINAL IMPRESSION: Indeed the Aston Martin DBS is Daniel Craig's Bond car of choice because Daniel Craig, as James Bond, drove it on 007: Casino Royale since 2006 and 007: Quantum of Solace since 2008. It seems that James Bond got himself another mission and this time, he takes on Forza Motorsport 3, using the Aston Martin DBS as a playable car.

Sadly, the Aston Martin DBS' Performance Index is on the S range, meaning that it does not being welcomed to a game of Tag or Last Car Standing. What it makes up is the class S races. Despite that, players are very happy trying out this kind of Bond car at all directions. The Aston Martin DBS is one heck of a fun-to-drive Aston Martin because it has the potential of being a Bond car.