Welcome Back: 2005 Ford GT

Jeremy Clarkson's Ford GT!

Produced as a limited edition model, the Ford GT is their first bonafide supercar and a modern take to the legendary Ford GT40 race car from the 60's. First appeared as a concept car in 2002, Camilo Pardo, the head of Ford's "Living Legends" studio, is credited as the chief designer of the GT and worked under the guidance of J Mays. Carroll Shelby was brought in by Ford to help develop the Ford GT; which included performance testing of the prototype car. While the project was still secret, it was called Petunia.

It was powered by a supercharged 5.4L V8 engine that can go 0 to 60 in under three seconds and top speed of 212 mph (341 km/h). It comes with a Ricardo six-speed manual transmission featuring a helical limited-slip differential.

In Series 3 opener of Top Gear, Jeremy Clarkson drove a pre-production Ford GT concept in America. Then in Series 4 Episode 8 of Top Gear, Clarkson drove the production model of the Ford GT and when handed to The Stig, it set a lap time of 1.21.9 at the Top Gear Test Track. Later on, Jeremy Clarkson drove the Ford GT on the Supercars Do France episode of Top Gear while Richard Hammond's on the Pagani Zonda and James May's on the Ferrari F430.

Fun fact that Jeremy Clarkson was one of the notable owners of the Ford GT but however his Ford GT seems to be broken and failed to start. Also for a bad news, his Ford GT won Top Gear's Gas Guzzler of the Year award in 2005, thirstier than a burning tanker!

Beach Queens Lyrical Nanoha StrikerS Teana Lanster

So, wanna guess what did I bought something?

Nope you're wrong! Because, Ladies and gents, it's the Beach Queens Lyrical Nanoha StrikerS Teana Lanster!

By the looks of it, this Beach Queens interpretation of Nanoha StrikerS' Teana looks absurdly feisty in every angle. That gave me chills...

Better be careful with that thing.

That looks better in her sides.

I was expecting a better view at the rear but sadly though, it doesn't.

Now, how about a little something?

Ooh, now that was unexpected to see that.

The Beach Queens 1/10 scale PVC figure of Teana Lanster sure is as fun to look at as the other Beach Queens figures.

It was released in July 2010 and priced at about 3990 Japanese Yen.

Toyota Porte Mk2 and Spade

2013 Toyota Porte

Say hello to the all new, second generation, Toyota Porte (トヨタ ポルテ), a compact car with a sliding door that I never really liked. I'd never know that even in this second-generation, the Porte still retains the single sliding door at the left side of the car while on the right side comes two traditional doors. This unique door can be opened and closed using a wireless key or by the touch of a button from the driver or rear seats.

Also, the second-generation Porte introduced its new twin which is a bit more different by its looks but still the same as the second-generation Porte; the Spade (トヨタ スペイド).

2013 Toyota Spade

What is the difference between the Porte and the Spade? Well it's simple really. The new Porte is sold at Toyota and Toyopet dealerships while the Spade was sold at Corolla and Netz dealerships. The new Porte looks more like a oversized version of the Daihatsu Tanto while the Spade looks like a miniaturized version of the first-generation Toyota Voxy or a Toyota Sienta DICE. Both were made from the Higashi-Fuji Plant at Toyota Motor East Japan Inc.

If you're living from Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, or even Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, or in Pakistan (one of my perennial enemies because of their obsession to older generation cars), might be best that this car is NOT for you because these cars are available ONLY in Japan. ONLY AVAILABLE IN JAPAN. Don't even think about smuggling one for personal use. Okay?

2013 Toyota Porte interior

2013 Toyota Spade interior

Anyway, as for the interior, it seems to be a bit too small and a bit too plastic. Look at the instrumental panel, it's been positioned at the middle and how bad was it? It seems that the interior design for both of the new Porte and the Spade is a bit too poor, it's a bit like the...Toyota Passo for so many ways but to think about it, it has to be the worst looking interior for me because...it's a bit too targeted for the Japanese women in their 20's to 30's, which unfortunately I am not. I'm sorry to say that this new interior is a bit too pointless, just like someone I know who keeps spamming me on Facebook by sharing me some photos which are pointless.

Both the new Porte and the Spade comes with the highly versatile 1.3-liter 1NR-FE engine or an improved 1.5-liter 1NZ-FE engine, mated with the Super CVT-i (Continuously Variable Transmission-intelligent) automatic transmission for a smooth ride and high fuel efficiency. There was an optional SMART STOP system on the 1NZ-FE engine that shuts the engine off when stopped and the start again when the foot is on the pedal, promising about a fuel efficiency of 20.6 km/L under the JC08 test cycle (equivalent to 113 g/km of CO2 emissions) of the Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT). Those engines were qualified for Japan's ECO CAR GENZEI system in case you'd never heard of it.

The new Porte comes with eight colors such as White Pearl Crystal Shine, Silver Metallic, Black Mica, Super Red V, Dark Brown Mica Metallic, Cream Beige, Air Green Pearl Crystal Shine, and Light Blue Mica Metallic.

The Spade, on the other hand, has eight colors such as Citrus Mica Metallic, Dark Violet Mica Metallic, White Pearl Crystal Shine, Silver Metallic, Black Mica, Super Red V, Dark Brown Mica Metallic, and Light Blue Mica Metallic.

My comment:
As I warned you that if you were a JDM enthusiast living in Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, or even Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, or in Pakistan, you CAN'T GET ONE because the cops will think that you've smuggled it. Anyway, to sum up them, neither of these two will impress me. The new Porte is all about simplicity and the Spade is all about style but for me, I wouldn't like to drive one because even when I'm driving either of these, it feels like I'm a passenger here. No offense on the unique sliding door on the left side though.




Photo: TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION

Meanwhile in Hockenheimring...

Meanwhile in Hockenheimring...Ferrari's Fernando Alonso is rising to the top from his win at the German GP, which made him 1st place at the standings for 154, leaving two Red Bull Racing racers Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel 2nd and 3rd.

Race - masterful Alonso triumphs at Hockenheim 22 Jul 2012

     

Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso drove an absolutely faultless race in Germany on Sunday afternoon to become the first three-time winner of 2012. Alonso was under consistent pressure, first from Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel and later from McLaren’s Jenson Button, both of whom got within less than a second of the Ferrari at times. But the Spaniard never put a wheel wrong nor lost his nerve and pulled away in the closing stages as Button faded and was repassed by Vettel.

It looked for a long while like a race McLaren could - should - have won, but Button never managed to get close enough to use DRS to find his way by going into the hairpin and as his tyres eventually went off he had to give best to Vettel.

However, the manner in which the world champion passed him going into the hairpin on the 66th lap was subsequently investigated by the race stewards as he went outside the track limits. Vettel argued that he was just giving Button room and that he couldn’t be sure where he was. Button disagreed.

The stewards eventually decided in the Briton’s favour and handed Vettel a 20-second time penalty, which moved the German down into fifth in the race results and promoted Button into second, Lotus’s Kimi Raikkonen into third and Sauber’s Kamui Kobayashi into fourth. 

All of the leaders made two pit stops, including Raikkonen who didn’t make a late charge this time but enjoyed a strong race, and the duelling Saubers of Kobayashi and Sergio Perez. They started on different tyre strategies, however, with the Japanese driver holding his position as the Mexican came under pressure from three-stopping Michael Schumacher who finished just a second behind for Mercedes.

Red Bull’s Mark Webber was an unusually subdued eighth, with the three-stopping Force India of Nico Hulkenberg salvaging only ninth after a mighty fight with the Saubers early on. Paul di Resta in the other Force India was again on a different strategy, and by the end his tyres were too worn after only two stops to fend off Mercedes’ Nico Rosberg who climbed from 21st on the grid to take the final point from the Scot.

Ferrari’s Felipe Massa collided with Daniel Ricciardo at the start and thus compromised his race and had to fight back to 12th place, fittingly passing the Toro Rosso of Ricciardo right at the end. Behind the Australian, team mate Jean-Eric Vergne was 14th ahead of Pastor Maldonado, who looked a threat for Williams early on before dropping back.

Vitaly Petrov drove a feisty race for Caterham to beat team mate Heikki Kovalainen quite comfortably. The latter finished 19th as Williams’ Bruno Senna and Lotus’s Romain Grosjean, both delayed by first lap incidents, took 17th and 18th. Charles Pic was never challenged by Marussia team mate Timo Glock, and they were separated by the feisty Pedro de la Rosa in his HRT, with Narain Karthikeyan bringing up the rear in the second Spanish car.

And Lewis Hamilton? His 100th race was a disaster as he cut his left-rear tyre on some of the Massa/Ricciardo debris on the third lap and dropped to the back of the field. A very long - 28-lap - stint on medium Pirellis helped him to climb back and later he played a key role in Button’s race as he caught and passed his team mate and Vettel to unlap himself and was chasing Alonso when the latter stopped for the last time. Vettel was not amused and spoke with harsh criticism afterwards. Hamilton’s pace was to no avail as he eventually became the only retirement with mechanical problems after a dismal day.

The result puts Alonso even further ahead in the title chase with 154 points to Webber’s 120 and Vettel's 110. Raikkonen takes fourth from Hamilton, 98 to 92, with Rosberg sixth on 76 and Button seventh on 68. In the constructors’ stakes, Red Bull have 230 points to Ferrari’s 177, McLaren’s 160 and Lotus’s 159.

Scoop: http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2012/7/13627.html

So, Ferrari's coming back but will they hang on or is it Red Bull's taking revenge? Find out more in Hungary this July 29, 2012, the day where the London 2012 Olympics occur.

NEVER BEFORE SEEN ON TV: Break for the German Border

BBC Top Gear posted a "never before seen" clip from the CHEAP SPORTS SALOONS episode. It's the one where the boys have to get through the German Border, which is in Poland, using just 13.5 litres of petrol, each using very different cars - a Ford, a Merc, and a BMW. Here's the catch; if whoever ran out of gas and didn't make it, THEY WILL GET SHOT! Will they make it? Better watch those clips!

PART 1:

PART 2:

Let's Do The News! (July 22, 2012)

Unbelievable....

What is it?

You said that you want this F12berlinetta better than the Aventador. Why?

This new guy has more power than the LP700-4!

But however, as you said, it's 10kph slower than the Aventador, as you think.

Whatever that is. But still I like this car better because when you stack them up, you'll never know which comes on top.

Oh...So can we do the news then?

Right and oh, have you seen last night's Maalaala Mo Kaya episode? The July 21 episode about the true-to-life story of Maria Venus Raj?

Indeed I am because that episode served the true struggle of the beauty queen in her major major challenges from her career to her major major problems on her life and her family.

That episode was truly inspirational and Venus Raj's potential is all about struggling your every major major problems and that's what it got me. I will never forget that episode.

Right. So anyway, how's the streets?

Bad trip, pal. Too much floods probably because of the storm Ferdie. Can't believe the roads in Metro Manila got flooded and oh my, too much traffic! That gave me a total headache for us!

(audience laughing)

Oh great. There goes that feeling again that most of the finest Philippine colleges got turned into a water world in case of the heavy rain. 

(audience laughing)

Inevitably, it's the weirdest moment we have ever faced! Can't believe this is the feeling that Ferdie got us through!

Besides, even when Ferdie's gone, it's still raining uncontrollably. It appears that there's no stopping to this rain thing. Nothing. No word when will the sun shines in the Philippines.

Oh don't worry. There's a one-in-a-million chance for the sun to shine.

(audience laughing)

Anyway, enough of this conundrum and move on because, hey, still remember the Colorado Dark Night Rises massacre? Yep, it's bloody gruesome when you think about it.

Yeah, the worst moment ever to happened because...I don't really know why did someone like James Holmes would want to murder such a thing? A dozen people lost on that massacre and how bloody horrible was that? Hmmmm....the horror....the horror...the horror....

Bloody horror indeed. But this isn't terrorism happened on that Colorado theater. Nope. This guy isn't one of Bin Laden's or Al Qaeda. He's not even...um....what is it? But anyway, the cops called that murderer James Holmes that he went for some "killing spree". Yep, a killing spree. Psychos killing without reason. It kinda reminded me of last year's Norway massacre but hey, it's different in some ways.

Yeah, different in some other ways. Anyway, should we not talk about those massacres? I think everybody's getting traumatized from those.

Okay, right. I heard you've finally got the tweaked Jaguar D-Type. The one from last month's Autumn Fallout CBH event against F1SH0.

Yeah. Can't believe it took us a few weeks to wait for this car. Well, better late than never! Anyway, because it was here, let's see how this guy does well round the Top Gear Test Track...

Anyway, this tweaked D-Type I got did it in 1:22.345. Good job though.

Yeah, it maybe late on arrival but we're very happy to drive one. This is the best D-Type we ever drove on Forza Motorsport 4. Anyway, have you guys seen this?

(audience laughing)

What is this? Poor man's Evoque?!

Yeah...nearly because it's just a Tata Safari modified to look like the Range Rover Evoque. Weird isn't it? And it says here, it's called MOON ROVER!

Scoop: http://www.autoblog.com/2012/07/21/big-daddy-customs-turns-tata-safari-into-land-rover-evoque/

I couldn't realize that someone out here hasn't got the funds to buy an Evoque, so what he did here is have his Tata Safari souped up and take some Evoque inspiration to make an Indian ripoff of the Evoque. It may look like the Evoque but it's a bit cheap and a bit awkward.

(audience laughing)

Heh, it pays for Tata, an Indian carmaker, that owned Jaguar Land Rover, to get what it deserves and look what happened! Indian-British relationships! How weird was that?

Mega mega weird.

(audience laughing)

Anyway, let's forget about this and moving on. Remember the Bugatti Veyron Super Sport? The one that was hailed the world's fastest car, faster than the SSC Ultimate Aero? Guess what, the car that was featured on Top Gear, the one that achieved the 268mph record, known as the World Record Edition, was on displayed at the Mullin Automotive Museum in Oxnard, CA.

Scoop: http://www.autoblog.com/2012/07/20/bugatti-veyron-16-4-super-sport-world-record-edition-visits-the/

(audience laughing)

Wow, what an achievement. We really impressed to see the crowning glory of Bugatti finally on displayed on some automotive museum and hey, it's all fun when we drove it.

Yep. All fun while it lasted. As of now, the Bugatti Veyron SS is the fourth fastest at the Top Gear Test Track, behind the Aventador, the MP4-12C, and the undefeated Ariel Atom V8. Speaking of Ariel Atom...

What?

The Ariel Atom gets a new model, it's the Cup Racer variant.

The car that once ruined Jeremy Clarkson's face and yelled "I AM AN ALIEN!!!", it weighs just 1,125 pounds - about 800 pounds lighter than a Lotus Exige - and it will sprint from 0-60 mph in just 3.1 seconds! It still comes with the Honda Type R engine on it that churns out 245HP of power.

Says here, the Atom Cup Racer will be used on the Atom Cup race next year.

Scoop: http://www.autoblog.com/2012/07/21/ariel-atom-gets-new-cup-racer-series-in-uk/

Wait...a new one-make race starring the Ariel Atom? Makes me wonder that most of the blokes are willing to ruin their faces in the Ariel Atom. I wonder if this would work on the Top Gear Test Track, where the V8 Atom is the king here...

Sounds good but I think it's too complicated.

Yeah...you're right....

Anyway, on that bombshell, that's the news!

Ferrari F12berlinetta

2013 Ferrari F12berlinetta

The story about the rivalry between the Prancing Horse, that is Ferrari, and the Raging Bull, that is Lamborghini, have been baffling around for years. When Lambo launched the LP560-4 Gallardo, which was proven to be quicker than the Ferrari Scuderia, Ferrari combated with the utterly magnificent 458 Italia that packs more power than the LP560-4. Then Lamborghini responded to them with the LP570-4 Superleggera, which has similar power than the Italia, and the Aventador, which packs more punch than the Ferrari 599 GTO! Now however, the Prancing Horse revealed their brand new flagship which will surely hit the Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4 where it hurts...speed.

Welcome everybody to the all new Ferrari flagship that ushers in the new generation of the Prancing Horse's V12 engine and it has more power than the outgoing 599 GTO and the Enzo. The all new, all powerful Ferrari F12berlinetta is all focused on power that the Prancing Horse deserves. This new flagship once said it lapped faster in the Fiorano Circuit than the outgoing 599 GTO, making it the most powerful road-legal Ferrari ever made. At first glance then, the F12berlinetta is a bit more like the Ferrari FF taking some Viagra but all that Pininfarina styling is what made the F12 dramatic. And by dramatic, I mean of course, more pantomime than physics lesson.

For the cream of the crop, let us introduce to Ferrari's all new 6.3L 65° V12 engine, which is now hailed as the most powerful naturally aspirated engines...in the world. Wait, hold it...Is it really the most powerful naturally aspirated engine in the world and is it well enough to kick the Lambo Aventador where it hurts? Is the engine good enough for the late Enzo Ferrari to kick Ferruccio Lamborghini's buttocks? Let's see...

The 6.3L V12 engine on the all new F12berlinetta produces about 740PS of power, more than the Lamborghini LP700-4! That's one point for this one. Anyway, for the torque, they possess the same torque output of 690 Nm. So that's a draw for both the F12 and the LP700-4. For the transmission however, that's a challenge. While the LP700-4 has a 7-speed single clutch transmission, the F12 has only...6 gears but its an F1 dual-clutch transmission, which has closer gear ratios developed specifically for this car's performance. Well, double clutch is better than single clutch so it appears that they're neck to neck.

So, what about how they weigh? While the Aventador weighs only 1.575 kg, the F12 weighs about 1.630 kg but with the LP700-4's power to weight ratio is 2,25 kg/PS, the F12's ratio is 2,20 kg/PS, making it an impressive advantage because of its 740PS V12 engine.

Now, this is gets real. The Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4...0-100kph in 2.9 seconds and top speed of 350 km/h. On the new Ferrari F12berlinetta though...oh dear...0-100kph in 3,1 seconds and top speed of 340km/h. It's about 10kph slower than the LP700-4.

My comment:
This is awkward. 10kph slower than the LP700-4 isn't the least of the F12's problems but still, I will respect this car more than the LP700-4 because when it comes to big power in the new V12 engine, the F12berlinetta is my winner. This is the cream of the crop, a true Pininfarina masterpiece. Sure, it lapped quicker than the 599 GTO at the Fiorano test track but I'm afraid unlike the LP700-4, it doesn't even win my heart until I got the chance...to drive it. If I have the chance to drive it, I have the chance that I'm going to like this car more than the 458 or the FF.

Photo: Ferrari

A massacre happened during Dark Night Rises premiere...

The Dark Night Rises is the final chapter of Batman's prequels since Batman Begins and The Dark Night. It was premiered earlier and most fans are highly thrilled about the latest Batman adventure. However in Century 16 Theater in Aurora, Colorado, something bad occurred during the premiere.

There was that guy wearing a gas mask, a body armor, something black, and fully armed with different weapons caused so much terror and tragedy, that 15 people were killed during the Dark Knight Rises premiere killing. His name was James Holmes, some student.

Wait a minute, guy wearing a gas mask but caused so much killings at the theater....Did he ever portrayed the antagonist named Bane? Sure, Bane is a madman with a gas mask on that film who caused havoc in Gotham City but could this premiere attack be linked?

Scoop: http://www.interaksyon.com/article/38091/terror-and-tragedy-mark-batman-on-screen-and-off

Bubble Gang pays tribute to Dolphy

Of course! Who would forget the Bubble Gang? Perhaps their very own Boy2 Quizon always remember his grandfather so much, we surely miss the Comedy King so much. That July 21, 2012 episode of Bubble Gang pays tribute to Dolphy. Even though this episode is all Dolphy style, it even introduced a completely new logo of this show!

New Bubble Gang logo

Anyway, what's what happened on the PIDOL STYLE episode of Bubble Gang?

- John en Marsha gags

- A completely new Facifica Falayfay

New Facifica Falayfay

- A tribute on John en Marsha. JOHN EN MARSHA KUNO...

John en Marsha Kuno

- Bubble Gang does Argentina Corned Beef by gagging this commercial as VIRGENTINA! Welcome to the Kapuso Virgentina! Basta may Virgentina, may Kapuso!

- Ka-Gerry's back to introduce new kinds of fruits such as BANANANANANANANA, CHICOHOL, ALANAMAN, DRINKING STRAWBERRY, PAKTU, BARA UBAS, BLUE, and BLACK MANGO

- Taglish VIDEOKE by using the song Narda

- Sumbong Sumbong kay Bonggang Bonggang Bongbong tackles some of the most annoying stuff to do such as big fat women trying to pose sexy in a photo, people wearing silly bands, and establishments giving away raffle tickets that has very small space to fill in!

...That episode has some Dolphy clips on it and that's fine by us because that glorious years is what made him great.

Getting to know about the "little giants"

The United States of America - land of the gas guzzlers, where the big engines with bigger displacements rule right until the Energy Crisis broke out in the mid-70's where America tries to rethink the automotive industry by providing fuel-efficient compacts because back then, gas prices cost like a bag of pretzels. That decade also introduces Japanese cars to the American market as well.

The producers sent me a Forza 4 challenge held at this month's Community Monthly Rivals event titled DON'T BE FUELISH. Turn 10 dev, phREDESIGN, issued us a challenge to take on him for this week's Community Bounty Hunter event, where we will beat phREDESIGN's lap time at the DON'T BE FUELISH event. More info here; http://forums.forzamotorsport.net/forums/1/5577333/ShowThread.aspx

The AMC Pacer, Gremlin, Ford Pinto, and the King Cobra are the cars you'll be using on the Don't Be Fuelish event. Because the restrictions said that it has to be in the F-Class, tuning for these cars are allowed, so you can manage its power, weight, and others, as long as its not exceeding the F-Class limit of F/200. Surely, they want to tune the listed cars up to F/200, but for decision making, were not really sure which of these cars are recommended to beat phREDESIGN's time. To sum up, I drove these cars and observing how are these cars behave. Let's begin with the King Cobra...

1978 King Cobra

The 1978 Ford Mustang King Cobra...as told that the second-generation Ford Mustang is hailed as the worst car in America as told from Top Gear USA's Worst Cars episode but this King Cobra though...this is more like a properly dressed version of America's worst car. Surely I prefer the first generation Mustang because it has class and glamour. It even reminded me of the car Steve McQueen drove on the Bullitt movie, which in fact, the first generation Mustang became pop culture stardom as are the legendary car chase on that film.

This though, this is a bit too rubbish, Mustangs are supposed to be cool but this second-generation though, this is a bit rubbish right until 1979, where the third-generation Mustang broke loose and lost all of its muscle car biceps. This King Cobra is more of a final special edition of the second-generation Mustang and it's limited to 4,313 units made, complete with a deep air-dam, stripes, and a "Pontiac Trans-Am style" cobra snake decal on the hood. Under the hood lies a heavy 4.9L V8 engine that produces 139HP of power and 250lb-ft of torque.

This may have more power than the Pacer and the Pinto but less than the Gremlin. With the F/174 class, tuning is very limited for choices and it's not easy to find the right setup for the King Cobra. As for the handling, it's hopeless to beat phREDESIGN's lap time because it's too dynamic thanks to its rear-wheel drive and its oversteering risks. I would not recommend this car for this challenge...

Gremlin

Now if you watched last year's Cars 2 movie, you might remember that the AMC Gremlin inspired the character named Grem, who was one of the bad guys on Cars 2. For the more mature people, the AMC Gremlin loves to pick the fight against the Ford Pinto. Back in 1977, the AMC Gremlin costs $2995, cheaper than the Ford Pinto Pony's pricing of $3099. The Gremlin lists for less but gives them more. Both have bucket seats but Gremlin has a fold down rear seats and a rear hatch. When they stacked them up, the Gremlin comes on top, true to its slogan: THERE'S MORE TO AN AMC.

Sadly, there's no Chevy Vega on FM4 and if they did put it here, we can all have a good fight between the Vega, the Pinto, and the Gremlin. This will be fun but not now. Anyway, the one I have here on FM4's July Car Pack is powered with a heavyweight 304 cu in (5.0 L) V8 engine that churns out 151HP of power and 245lb-ft of torque. This guy may have more power than the King Cobra but unfortunately, It's difficult to tweak it up. You can't fit it with racing tyres because it may exceed the requirement for that challenge. Wait, you can fit it with racing tires in any races but no, not in the DON'T BE FUELISH challenge. You can lose its weight, you can tweak its power, you can tweak its handling as long as the car is in the required limit but I'm afraid that the Gremlin won't work on this challenge. To be honest, it's too twitchy and sluggish to handle the Gremlin because of its weight, no matter how many weight loss pills you're taking on this car.

Pacer

Hmmm...I already talked about the AMC Pacer two months ago but I'm not sure if this car's up to the challenge but to me, it's got potential because of its F/104 class and you can feel free to tweak Acer as long as it not exceed the F/200 limit. You can put it with racing tires, weight loss, power upgrades, anything but not exceeding the limit. Surely, it maybe the heaviest of the competition but with genius tuning, you'll never know what you can throw next on the Pacer. Being "the first wide small car" seems to be a big deal but I believe that it's just wasn't quite enough to beat phREDESIGN's time.

Pinto

Despite having the reputation of being the most dangerous car ever built because of the fuel tank mounted at the back, the Ford Pinto is highly the recommended car for the challenge. It may have the least power of the required cars but with the F/100 class, you can tweak it up with racing tyres, weight loss, more power, anything, as long as it not exceeds the limit. The lightweight body truly is the "ace in the sleeve" and it shouldn't be a problem cornering through the short spaghetti turns of Positano. If tuning the Pinto for the challenge by yourself isn't enough to beat phREDESIGN's time, try picking up the tuning setup by fat burns, whose lap time was 1:04.934.

As I checked the leaderboards, most people who come on top of this DON'T BE FUELISH challenge are driving Pintos. From top 10 to 100, they're always driving the little carefree car from Ford because the lightweight body makes it a joker in the card game.

I'd recommend the Pinto because most people came on top used this car no matter what setup they're using. The rules is simple, beat phREDESIGN's time and you'll get the RX-7 Spirit R unicorn car to use in the game. If you already have the RX-7 Spirit R, it may be optional to disregard this notice or take it for a spare one. It's your choice but for those looking for some easy money might consider taking this challenge using a tuning setup bought from some guy who made it in the first place. 

I already have two Spirit R's so I'm confident that I won't be needing to take phREDESIGN's challenge but I would rather take this challenge to boost my cash, my experience, or my affinity level. Those Community Bounty Hunters are those kind of challenges made by the producers to make players getting to know more about the car's true talent.

Anyway, you have until 8AM Pacific Tuesday July 24 to beat his time! Don't forget that if you want to get the Spirit R in case you haven't have one!

Toyota REBORN commercials takes you to the Olympics!

Now, the London Olympics are nearly there and we are almost excited for the big day. TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION, proud supporter of the Japanese team for the London Olympics, kicked off two REBORN commercials that takes them to the London 2012 Olympics!

First off, there was a commercial about three women from the Basara period but later reincarnated as three ordinary girls driving a Toyota Yaris/Vitz in the streets of London, for the excitement of the LONDON 2012 OLYMPICS. Those girls were played by Yuriko Yoshitaka, Reina Triendl, and AKB48's Atsuko Maeda.

Watch the clip: http://youtu.be/eOpU0UQldtY

Then, there was that ad that grown up Doraemon, Nobita, and the gang, all played by Jean Reno, Satoshi Tsumabuki, Asami Mizukawa, Naoya Ogawa, and Tomohisa Yamashita, are watching the Olympics on TV but they need the Japanese flag for supporting the Japanese team so, Doraemon and the gang time traveled to Japan in the 1960's. Kohei Uchimura was one of the athletes representing Japan for the London 2012 Olympics.

Watch the clip: http://youtu.be/4p-rDRMZiSU

Those two TOYOTA Reborn Commercials, they really brought the Olympic spirit for the Japanese. As always told, TOYOTA is a proud supporter for the Japanese athletes in the Olympics.

Blast from the Past: R170 vs. X100

British heavyweight versus German lightweight

By reminiscing  back to the past, or to the late 1990's, I can only remember that both the R170 Mercedes-Benz SLK200 and the Jaguar XK (X100) were just chalk of jeans, back to the days when televisions were standard definition, back when there was my childhood memory of addiction to TV shopping, one when I have to sleep properly when it's 9:00 PM and back when Top Gear was just a boring motoring magazine show with Tiff, Vicki, Quentin, Steve, and other Top Gear presenters from the past, even Andy Wilman who was a presenter back then before he was the producer of the 2002 reboot of Top Gear, which became the flagship of BBC.

In today's world, I have driven the latest versions of the SLK and the XK and I have to say that comparing a car with big power and a lightweight car is a bit of a conundrum for them but looking back to them when they were launched in the late 1990's seems so intriguing. It's like going to the TARDIS to see how are they look like from the past. Anyway, where do we start? The R170 or the X100?

I have a coin. If heads, I'd start with the R170 but if tails, then it's the X100. I spun the coin and I grabbed it, and it was tails so I'd start with the first generation Jaguar XK (X100).

This car tries to stay classy

So, the first generation XK. This was launched in 1996, back when Jaguar is owned by Ford Motor Company, and the first model was dubbed the XK8 in coupe or convertible styles, fitted with a 4.0L V8 engine. Some people said that the XK is more of a modern-day equivalent of the legendary Jaguar E-Type and this was known to be one of the most luxurious high-performance sports cars in the world. It's more of a grand tourer than a sportscar and you can drive it in the winding roads for some rest and relaxation.

The one I have here is the XKR version, the cherry at the top of the cake that what made the XK superb and this powerful version is using the same 4.0L V8 from the original but fitted with an Eaton-developed supercharger, generating 400HP of power and 408ft-lb of torque. Armed with the 6-speed AT, it can go 0-100kph in 5.2 seconds and top speed limited to 250kph.

What made this car unique was the CATS electronic variable damper control system that adjusts the damping force depending in various speed and road conditions and it was perfect when you're driving the twists and turns. Like the original XK8, it's still a gran tourer. With the 6-speed AT, refined suspension, and the luxurious interior, it's just so feels more like a premium sedan in a coupe body. Nice touch to that.

It's cool to drive this car at night....

If power is what comes in my mind on the Jaguar XKR, I have to move on to something a bit lightweight, something that already gave its rivals a headache back in the late 90's. This is the R170 model, the first generation Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class. The SLK stands for SPORT LIGHTWEIGHT COMPACT, meaning that this two-seater roadster is on the lightweight division. As a general rule, it used the platform derived from the C-Class and it has a folding roof, which called them VARIO ROOF back then. With the roof closed, it has the presence of a sports coupe but with the roof off, all that breeze is coming right in front of me.

That reminded me of a prize car of some promo held by some cigarette brand. Is it Philip Morris? Yes it is because back in 2000, there was a promo from Philip Morris where anyone with the Philip Morris 100's won either a 2000 Mercedes-Benz SLK, 80,000 US Dollars, 24K Gold Bars (12,000 US Dollars each), or a trip to Gold Coast, Australia (4,000 US Dollars each). I really wonder what just happened to the guy who won the SLK on that promo? Did he sold off his car from something rubbish or did he crashed? I don't know but I wanna find out soon.

Anyway, what I have here comes with the supercharged 2.3L 4-cylinder engine that generated 193 HP of power and 207ft-lb of torque. It was mated with a 5-speed automatic transmission. 0-100kph in 6.9 seconds and top speed limited to 231kph.

So, now I met those cars from the past, I decided to lap these two round the Top Gear Test Track to find out if a car with bigger power or a lightweight car is proven to be a worthy contender. On the Jaguar XKR Coupe, I did it in a measly 1:24.652. Kinda love the exhaust sound though as for the cornering, it was fine for a car with big power and noise.

Then, I got off from the XKR and into the SLK230K. The handling's not bad for a car that weighs less than the XKR but it did it in 1:33.529, slower than the XKR Coupe! Huh, it's still the power over displacement principle that makes all cars competitive. The XKR is powerful than the SLK230K but the SLK230K's lighter but doesn't matter to me because these two are more like bowties and fezzes. The XKR is more of a bowtie but the SLK230K....that's like fezzes. They're cool though, don't worry about it.