Tuesday, October 2, 2012

Leopaul's Heaven and Hell: Concept cars are for motor show purposes only, not for forum show-offing!

2012 McLaren P1 Concept

First and foremost, what is a concept car? For me, concept cars are made for Motor Show purposes, showcasing what would a carmaker be capable of by showcasing the future of the automotive world. A concept can be sometimes be a preview of a new model coming in the near future or sometimes a show car showcasing next generation of car technologies such as next generation of hybrids, car entertainment, performance, and so on.

You know what, there's nothing bad about a concept car but as a rule, CONCEPT CARS are for mtoor show purposes only. You can only see them in car shows held in big cities such as Paris, Tokyo, Geneva, Frankfurt, Detroit, Los Angeles, as well as Concours D'elegance and that's it. I repeat, CONCEPT CARS are made to be showcased in car shows and Concours. That's it.

What bothers me that there are some morons out there thinking that concept cars are not just for show purposes but they think they wanna make what they called it fan art. Uh-huh, a fan art of a concept car that is non-existent by carmakers any. Who would thought of that? Only an idiotic b****** would though of this piece of s***. One such example was this, an idiot imagines what would a concept car be like such as a thinking about what if a carmaker has to revive a dead name or thinking what would a car's next full model change be, thinking about Asean-made SUVs perhaps...Then, what this idiot would do is some chopping, highlighting and shading fully manual using Photoshop CS5 with brush technique and others.

After that, what would he do, is make series of slideshows to put it on websites or worse yet, to the forums saying "hey, this is what a 20XX (name of make) (name of model) concept would look like!" Funny, isn't it? But oh no. This isn't funny. This isn't an official concept car made by the carmakers themselves, this is just a fan art doing absolutely nothing whatsoever. Damn, renders...

When will those idiots face the facts? Who would think that what if a supercar maker participated in a World Rally Champinoship of a kei-car maker participates a Formula One race or Super GT? Who would imagine what if a kei car brand would maker a super kei car with million horsepower? That's just utter nonsense or rather a worthless fan boy's dream came out from his microscopic brain. Did I say microscopic brain? Yeah, those had their IQ physically and mentally dropped after prolonged love for cars. I don't want to explain why but as a general rule, CONCEPT CARS are made to be showcased in car shows and Concours. Need to say more?


Monday, October 1, 2012

Forza Motorsport 4: 2010 BMW M6

Much like taking a break at the Isle of Man




Based on the E63 6-Series, the M6 uses the same V10 engine from the M5 E60, which in the highest setting generates about 500HP of power and 380lb-ft of torque although the top speed is limited to 155mph. It was mated either a 7-speed single-clutch SMG or a 6-speed manual.

Like the E60 M5, the E63 M6 comes with a power button where from ignition it generates 400HP of power but hitting the M button generates the whole 500HP of power.

With carbon fiber reinforced plastic roof as well as thermoplastic front wings, aluminum doors and bonnet and compound boot lid, it weighs 1710kg (3770lbs).

The E63 M6 was the last model to be fitted with the BMW 5.0L V10 engine as production of the E63 M6 as well as its V10 engine ended in 2010 and about 14,152 M6 cars have been built since 2005.

In Top Gear Season 7 opener, the BMW M6 E63 was featured as well as the Porsche 911 Carrera S (997) and the Aston Martin V8 Vantage when Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May compared these three at the Isle of Man.

2012 Super GT Autopolis update

SUPER GT 2012 Round 7

2012 Super GT Round 7 held at Autopolis, Kyushu, just in time before Jelawat rampaged the whole scene. So anyway, who made it before the brink of Jelawat? Let's see...in top 3, reverse order...

GT500 CLASS:

In 3rd place - #19 WedsSport ADVAN SC430 driven by Seiji Ara and Andre Couto

In 2nd place - #32 Epson HSV-010 driven by Ryo Michigami and Yuhki Nakayama

WINNER - #1 S Road REITO MOLA GT-R driven by Masataka Yanagida and Ronnie Quintarelli


GT300 CLASS:

In 3rd place - #33 HANKOOK PORSCHE driven by Masami Kageyama and Tomonobu Fujii

In 2nd place - #911 ENDLESS TAISAN 911 driven by Kyosuke Mineo and Naoki Yokomizo

WINNER - #66 triple a vantage GT3 driven by Hiroki Yoshimoto and Kazuki Hoshino

URL: http://supergt.net/pages/pg:results/device:pc/ln:en/year:2012/round:7/gt_class:gt300/result_menu:race/result_menu_2:total

Next race will be at Twin Ring Motegi Road Course this October 28, 2012.

Bulilit garbage truck

On the September 30, 2012 episode of Goin Bulilit...

- The plastic ban joke

- Garbage truck gags

- Ask Girls Miya Villania and Cheesecake Garcia are here again and they'll talk about what's wrong with other people's outfits.

- A teleserye where characters have very very long names

- Some more corny jokes on I'M CORNY!

Forza 4 Head to Head: Sushi vs. Hamburger

THIS IS SUSHI VS. HAMBURGER!!

We got so many cars in Forza 4 we haven't tried yet on the Top Gear Test Track so instead of putting one car each, why not do a little head-to-head like some other car magazines do?

This is sushi vs. hamburger! He he he, sorry about that. Must have been watching too much Top Gear but whatever, I've watched an episode of Top Gear when Jeremy Clarkson races the Exige against a Ford Mustang, which was driven by The Stig. Anyway, what I have here is the same kind of cars as seen on Top Gear but they're a bit different. What I have here is a 2005 Ford Mustang GT and a 2006 Lotus Exige Cup 240.

First off, the 2005 Ford Mustang GT. When it was launched, this generation ushered a revival of old-school muscle car designs. That was first. I mean look at it, it kinda reminds me of the first Mustang ever made. Because of the fact that Ford never implemented independent suspension to the Mustang, the handling's a bit too challenging. With such an old-school suspension instead of the independent suspension, you can almost feel that the 2005 Mustang is too much dynamic in terms of handling. Dynamic but challenging, that's one of my philosophy when it comes to checking out the car's handling.

Despite being DYNAMIC, what appreciates me is the noise coming out of the 4.6L V8 engine. Just listen to that noise, you wouldn't believe that this is the noise scientists believed that this is going to be far worse to your eardrums but hey, we all like a bonkers muscle.

Anyway, enough chitter chatter, let's see how good is this car...



...the 2005 Ford Mustang GT crossed the line in 1.32.745.

Now, let's move from hamburger to sushi with the Exige Cup 240.

Back in Top Gear, Jeremy Clarkson drove the Exige and he said that it can out-maneuver an Apache helicopter right until to the part that it got locked on and it's over. Later on, he jumped through the Exige S and it defeated the Ford Mustang. This was like sushi vs. hamburger.

Anyway, about this car, the Series 2 Exige, which is a hardcore hardtop version of the Series 2 Elise, was launched in 2004 and it comes with a 1.8L Toyota engine (2ZZ-GE) from the Celica, which produces 190HP of power.

In 2005, a special edition 240R was launched and it was limited up to 50 units, powered by a supercharged version of the 2ZZ-GE engine, which churns out 243HP of power and it was available in yellow or black, representing the colors of Lotus Sport.

Lotus Sport developed track-ready versions of the Exige dubbed as Cup and Cup 240, which were stripped-out versions of the 2006MY Exige, which has no luxury equipement in exchange for uprated clutch, sports exhaust, adjustable suspension, uprated brakes, limited slip differential, switchable traction control, a T45 steel roll-over hoop and Aframe with harness mounts, fuel and ignition kill switches and a fully plumbed in fire extinguisher system.

Anyway, enough analogy for now and into that car. Because this is the Cup 240, the interior's getting some scaffolding and yes, the luxury equipment is gone all in the name of lightweight and for the handling, unlike the Mustang, it isn't a bit too challenging and dynamic. It's just so easy, it's not a hard car. You can brake later, turn harder, and get on the power sooner than the Mustang. Lightweight cars are notoriously fun to drive than heavyweights but let's see how good is this...Exige.



...and the Lotus Cup 240 crossed the line in 1.24.514 so it's better than the 2005 Mustang GT!

NORFOLK - 1   DETROIT - 0

Frankly, the results aren't surprising because stuff sold by gram is always being more exciting than stuff sold by pound. As observed, it seems that small and light cars are more exciting to drive in every different ways. The Exige though, it is the triumph of British engineering.

Sunday, September 30, 2012

REMINDER: Leopaul's Blog to Everything does not involve car repairs




Hi! This is Leopaul, in charge of this blog.

I've received numerous inquires, most of them are related to car repairs such as timing chains, how to change stereo, malfunction of some suspension systems, smoke belching, mirrors, some parts of the car didn't work, and something else that is more about car repairs.

May I remind you that Leopaul's Blog to Everything is NOT a website about car repairs. Please understand that. On this blog...



  • I don't tell how often can you change a timing belt on your car
  • I don't tell you how to remove a radio of your car
  • I don't tell you how can you activate certain parts of your vehicle
  • This is a news site, NOT a site for car repairs
  • I don't tell you about a car's problems
  • I will never tell more about warning lights
  • If your car is broken, don't fix it by yourself. Go see a mechanic, NOT ON THIS SITE, OKAY?
  • Importantly, Leopaul's Blog to Everything does not provide car owner's manual. I told about that and do please if you're looking for an owner's manual online, NOT ON THIS SITE, OKAY?
  • I don't solve engine knocks. If you hear one, go see a mechanic, NOT ME, OKAY?
  • I don't involve sound proofing your car
  • I don't tell if dust is coming on your car's interior
  • REFRAIN FROM USING VERY LONG SEARCH QUERIES! Comment or use the chat box on my blog for questions, okay?!

This is very important. I am trying to maintain my blog as a 100% news and personal experience site and not a site involve on car repairs. I repeat, Leopaul's Blog to Everything  is not a website involve on car repairs so, if you're looking for web sites involve on car repairs, don't bother seeing me, okay? I've warned you, this blog has absolutely NO EXPERIENCE on car repairs.

THIS IS A NEWS AND PERSONAL EXPERIENCE SITE.

Thank You.

For inquires, e-mail me at leopaul_delr@hotmail.com

Let's Do The News! (September 30, 2012)

(cheers and applause)

The end of the Ponds

What? Poor you! You know that Amy and Rory were your favorite Doctor Who characters since Series 5 broke cover two years ago. Well, you know, you're getting Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill's respect from them and now, they're all gone. Vanquished.

Yeah, it maybe the last for Karen and Arthur for Doctor Who but look at the bright side, they're free and moving on to bigger and better things.

Really.

Yeah, look, Karen Gillan will be on the new movie titled NOT ANOTHER HAPPY ENDING while Arthur Darvill take up a role in a West End theater play called OUR BOYS.

And then, this is over...

Uh-huh, so anyway, while getting concerned about the end of the Ponds...can't believe we've wasted my sis' Pond's Facial wash...

(audience laughing)

...let's do the news!

And right the news. And extreme caution for everyone in Japan because today, a powerful typhoon (called Lawin) Jelawat is rampaging through Japan up until the end of Monday.

Scoop: http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120930_01.html

So, typhoon Jelawat, is it really worse?

Uh-huh, it is worse. So worse, we'd expected this one coming, here it is, look...

A Jelawat casualty...


Hang on...is that an itasha?

Yes. It is an itasha. An itasha became one of the casualty of the typhoon Lawin.

(audience laughing)

Kinda shame to the bloke who owned this car got affected by a deadly storm and look, all that hard work modifying his Daihatsu into an itasha has been ended up on this. Weird that this is another time encountering an itasha casualty.

Uh-huh and by the looks of this itasha, does that thing reads CLANNAD?

(audience laughing)

Yeah. It is so anyway, if you have an itasha and if you don't want to end up being like that one, find a safe place so your precious itasha will not end up like the same fate happened to some bloke who had his car blown away from Jelawat. That's a top tip. I promise....

(audience laughing)

Anyway, let's move on to UAAP Season 75 because as I'm sure everyone's been talking about the Final Four in the semis. The semi-finals are getting a bit interesting....

What's interesting...

The Tomasinos won against the blokes from the National University.

(ooohh)

Yep, the University of Santo Tomas Tigers got their one-way ticket to the finals after successfully beating up the National University Bulldogs by 61-57.


I'm amazed...No wonder you have a knack for UAAP basketball.

That's right and yes, on the semis, it's the faceoff that has been languishing through the UAAP for seasons, it's the La Salle Archers vs. the Ateneo Eagles.

Archers vs. Eagles, this is somewhat a legendary rivalry that was been languishing the UAAP for seasons right? So, who made it? Green vs. Blue?

The Blue Eagles. Ateneo. They pummeled the La Salle Archers (again) by 66-63.

(cheers and applause)


So, that's enough UAAP stuff and into something bigger.

Right, because the city that never sleeps, which is New York City, where Amy and Rory spent their last days on The Angels Take Manhattan episode earlier...

(audience laughing)

What?

New York plans a world's biggest Ferris wheel on Staten Island in the southern part of the city.

(ooohh)


So, what the news said that the city that never sleeps are planning the world's biggest ferris wheel? 

Indeed! According to sources, this ferris wheel will be about 190.5 meters tall, more than 25 meters taller than the machine in Singapore, and they'll be complete in about 2 to 3 years following with surrounding complex, including shopping centers and hotels.

Hey, if that works well, I have got to ride one...

(ahhhh)

Anyway, and on that bombshell, that's the news.


Ponds' end...isn't it tragic?


So...Doctor Who Series 7 Episode 5...The Angels Take Manhattan...

When I look onto that episode, I simply can't help thinking that I'm becoming sort of misty eyed and wistful.

I am right. This is very emotional and painful to see the end of Amy Pond (Karen Gillan) and Rory Williams (Arthur Darvill). It really is painful to see them being touched by a Weeping Angel.

This hurts but after Whovians spending two years with the Ponds, they strongly believed that the Amy-Rory couple are the best. Why don't we put it this way? They're the best allies in the Doctor Who history and that's my point.

And on that unusually harmonious bombshell, this ends not just the whole episode but for the whole first half of Doctor Who Series 7. Be cool, The Eleventh Doctor will return for this year's Christmas special and yes, the souffle girl, who is Jenna Louise-Coleman, returns as his new ally and then in 2013, the second half of Series 7 will begin. Until then, have a FANTASTIC life. Take care!

Saturday, September 29, 2012

Jaguar Cars Philippines launched the XKR-S!

2012 Jaguar XKR-S

Well, I'm delighted to say that the time is right because I've just heard that Jaguar Philippines finally launched the most powerful Jaguar ever made, known as the Jaguar XKR-S. This model is available in hardtop coupe and soft-top Convertible variants and what you get is the 5.0 litre V8 Petrol Supercharged AJ-V8 GEN III R engine that blows away 550PS of power and 680Nm of torque. It has a 0-60mph time of 4 seconds and top speed limited to 186mph.

Here's an article from TOP GEAR PHILIPPINES:

Over a year after it was launched at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show, the Jaguar XKR-S has finally arrived in the Philippines courtesy of the British carmaker's authorized distributor in the country, Jaguar Cars Philippines.

For the first time with a series production car, Jaguar has broken into the exclusive '300kph club' thanks to the XKR-S's supercharged 5.0-liter V8 engine that has an output of 542hp and 680Nm of torque, allowing it to sprint from zero to 100kph in 4.2 seconds. Putting the power down to the XKR-S's rear wheels is a six-speed automatic transmission.

If the superb power output and sensation of speed aren't enough to excite your senses, then perhaps the car's performance-oriented active exhaust will with its dramatic, motorsport-inspired aural feedback.

Despite the XKR-S's prodigious power output, Jaguar claims that it is the only car in its class to emit less than 300g/km of carbon dioxide.

The XKR-S sports a unique front-end design to differentiate it from the standard XKR with its twin nacelles, side intakes and carbon-fiber splitter. Helping to emphasize the 10mm lower ride height are the extended side sills. Step around to the rear and you'll discover not just the new rear apron and its carbon-fiber diffuser but also the rear wing and its carbon-fiber center section.

Jaguar has also enhanced the XKR-S’s handling by upgrading both its front and rear suspension systems, reprogramming its active differential control, and fitting it with lightweight forged Vulcan 20-inch alloy wheels.

For its interior, the XKR-S has been subtly refreshed with a host of new trim materials, including ebony soft-feel paint for the switches and gloss black finish to the center console. A new leather-wrapped, multifunction steering wheel has also been added, "providing a beautiful, tactile interface between car and driver," while the new carbon leather accents that cover the seats now feature unique contrast micro-piping and stitching combinations.

The XKR-S is now available in either coupe or convertible form through Jaguar Cars Philippines.

What to see at the 2012 Mondial De l'Automobile?

2012 PARIS MOTOR SHOW


The 2012 Mondial De 'Automobile kicked off in PARIS EXPO in Porte de Versailles, Paris, France from September 29 to October 14, 2012 despite the Euro debt crisis. So, what to see on that venue?

Here's the list of what you may expect on the 2012 Paris Motor Show.


2013 Aston Martin AM 310 Vanquish



2013 Aston Martin DB9


2013 Aston Martin V12 Vantage Roadster


2014 Audi A3 Sportback



2012 Audi Crosslane Coupe Concept


2014 Audi RS5 Cabriolet
2014 Audi S3


2013 Audi SQ5 TDI
2012 BMW Active Tourer Concept



2012 Bentley Continental GT3 Concept
2013 Cadillac ATS
2014 Chevrolet Trax (*NOT AVAILABLE IN THE US)



2013 Citroen C3 Picasso



2014 Citroen DS3 Cabrio



2013 Dacia Logan
2013 Dacia Sandero
2013 Dacia Sandero Stepway
2013 Fiat Panda 4x4
2013 Ford Fiesta
2013 Honda CR-Z
2014 Jaguar F-Type



2013 Kia Carens
2013 Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4
2013 Lamborghini Gallardo LP570-4 Edizione Tecnica
2013 Land Rover Range Rover
2012 Lexus LF-CC Concept



2013 Maserati GranCabrio MC
2013 Mazda 6 Sedan
2013 Mazda 6 Wagon
2013 McLaren MP4-12C Spider
2012 McLaren P1 Concept



2012 Mercedes-Benz B-Class Electric Drive Concept
2013 Mercedes-Benz CLS63 AMG Shooting Brake
2013 Mercedes-Benz CLS Shooting Brake
2014 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Coupe Electric Drive
2013 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT
2013 Mini John Cooper Works GP
2014 Mini Paceman
2013 Nissan Juke Nismo
2012 Nissan TeRRA Concept
2013 Opel Adam
2012 Peugeot 2008 Concept
2014 Peugeot 208 GTi
2013 Peugeot 208 R5 Rally car

Peugeot 208 Type R5 rally car - live at 2012 Paris Motor Show reveal

2012 Peugeot Onyx Concept
2013 Peugeot RCZ Coupe
2012 Peugeot RCZ R Concept
2013 Porsche 911 Carrera 4S Coupe
2013 Porsche 911 Carrera 4 Cabriolet
2013 Porsche Cayenne S Diesel
2012 Porsche Panamera Sport Turismo Concept
2013 Renault Clio
2013 Renault Clio Estate



2013 Renault Clio RS 200



2013 Seat Leon
2013 Seat Toledo



2013 Skoda Rapid



2012 Smart forstars Concept



2012 SsangYong e-XIV Concept



2012 Suzuki S-Cross Concept



2013 Toyota Auris
2013 Toyota iQ EV
2013 Vauxhall Adam
2013 Volkswagen Beetle R-Line
2013 Volkswagen Golf
2012 Volkswagen Golf BlueMotion Concept
2012 Volkswagen Golf GTI Concept
2013 Volvo V40 Cross Country
2013 Volvo V40 R-Design



URL: http://www.netcarshow.com/ncs_paris-2012.htm

MUGEN RZ - Japan-only, limited-to-300 units Supercharged CR-Z

2013 Honda MUGEN RZ

Remember the Mugen Honda CR-Z concept last year? Yes I know, it really was the supercharged version of the CR-Z sport hybrid we really dream of having one but with the arrival of the 2013 Honda CR-Z, that concept became a reality because MUGEN, Honda's sports subsidiary, launched the MUGEN RZ, which really is the supercharged version of the 2013 Honda CR-Z.

2013 Honda MUGEN RZ

What to expect on this spiced-up version of the sport hybrid? For starters, the MUGEN RZ is fully armed with a modified suspension for added grip, hence the height was lowered and rigged with 17-inch lightweight rims. Also, thanks to its superchager, it now produces from the normal 91kW (122hp) to around 130kW (174hp).

2013 Honda MUGEN RZ interior

Sadly though, it's limited to 300 units and available only in Japan. That's it. Prices start at about 4,494,000 Yen.

Honda CR-Z minor change (ZF2)

Most nerdists think that all hybrids are peaceful, calm, and serene because they always hum like happy monks. Hybrids are all about respect, calm, and harmony. We know. But, can a hybrid that we're going to show it to you today can give you adrenaline?

2013 Honda CR-Z

Hybrids are nothing more than eco cars made for the enthusiasts of armpit hair and brown rice but for this one, adrenaline was added. What this is...is a Honda CR-Z. Sure, it may come with some hybrid peripherals such as the display's telling the drivers when the electric motor's running, when the battery's charging, and so on but there's a feature that made them interesting. When the CR-Z's set to ECO MODE and when driving slowly and frugal, the speedometer's colored green. When set to NORMAL and driving in a usual way, it goes blue, and when it was set to SPORT MODE, the speedo's all red and it behaves like a different animal.

2013 Honda CR-Z interior

And for this, the 2013 model year, aside from mild cosmetic changes such as new front bumpers, new lamps, new rims, and so on, power output from the LEA+MF6 combo has now been upgraded from the previous model's 114PS power output to 120PS of power output but how? Sure, the 1.5L VTEC engine (LEA) remains untouched but for the first time ever, the conventional nickel batteries was been thrown away and replaced with the kind of battery that you would normally use on the laptop computer, that is a Li-ion Battery. So then, this is the first ever Honda to come with the Lithium ion battery. Some say that the transition from the soon-to-be-defunct nickel battery to Lithium-ion battery will help hybrid cars improve acceleration and better fuel efficiency as well as increased energy regeneration when braking.

If you say better fuel economy then you're darn right because for CVT variants, it will reach up to 23.0km/L of fuel economy and for 6MT variants, it will go all the way to 20.6km/L.

Also new for 2013 is this interesting feature for those that Sport Mode is not enough to tickle their jingle bells and this one's called the PLUS SPORT mode (S+). When you press the S+ button with your thumb, this new mode sacrifices fuel economy in exchange for sharper throttle response, sharper handling, and about as rough as Paul Phoenix in some sorts.

This new mode though, I think it's fine on most racetracks but on normal roads, it is a bit too nasty and a bit too uncomfortable, if you have a date and when you're driving this one on PLUS SPORT mode, chances to disappoint your date will be likely and it will end up annoying your date badly. That's right, badly.

There is now a new variant for the CR-Z under the banner "α Master Label" and for this spec, the interior comes with handmade and tailored sports seats made of fabric. This is a first-class CR-Z for the privileged few.

IF this is the future, count me in. But to be honest, we're not sure why do we have to have one of these even though it was the world's first hybrid sports car that gives them adrenaline.

AVAILABLE COLORS: Premium Energetic Yellow Metallic, Premium Northern Lights Violet Pearl, Premium White Pearl, Crystal Black Pearl, Milano Red, Polished Metal Metallic, and Horizon Turquoise Pearl.

PRICE LIST (in Japanese Yen):
1.5 ベータ CVT - 2,365,000 Yen
1.5 ベータ 6-speed Manual - 2,365,000 Yen
1.5 アルファ CVT - 2,575,000 Yen
1.5 アルファ 6-speed Manual - 2,575,000 Yen
1.5 アルファ マスターレーベル CVT - 2,630,000 Yen
1.5 アルファ マスターレーベル 6-speed Manual - 2,630,000 Yen

Photo: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.