Third-generation Mazda Atenza/6 (GJ)

It's 2012, ten years since the first Mazda Atenza (Mazda6) went on sale in 2002. Hard to believe it's ten years since the Atenza broke cover for the world ahead and served as the birth of Mazda's Zoom-Zoom slogan. For the Hiroshima-based carmaker to celebrate the car's 10th year, they have a little present for the Atenza...its regeneration.

2013 Mazda Atenza

Yes, welcome everybody to the all-new, third-generation Mazda Atenza, the fourth chapter of Mazda's SKYACTIV Technology. That's right. This is the fourth Mazda to be fitted with SKYACTIV Technology, a new measure where performance and fuel efficiency together at long last. The first SKYACTIV model was the Demio back in Summer 2011 which introduced the world with its SKYACTIV engine. The second one was the Axela, which revolutionized the world not just with the SKYACTIV engine but also the SKYACTIV-DRIVE dual-clutch transmission. The third SKYACTIV was the CX-5, which I've tackled earlier this year, which the SKYACTIV-D clean diesel engine sets a good example. For this new model though...let's find out...

Previous generations of the Mazda Atenza have three body styles; the sedan, the Sport Wagon, and the Sport liftback but for this new model, it's now a much sensible two. Yep, two body styles; Sedan and Wagon. The liftback version, the only one with a manual transmission, was axed although no such reasons told about the discontinuation of the liftback model. Despite mourning about the liftback model's death, the design of the all-new Atenza looks very fascinating. It's as fascinating as a swimming instructor in her racing swimwear. Oops, sorry about that. What I'm saying is that it looks just like the Takeri Concept as seen at last year's Tokyo Motor Show, I mean the new design language, Kodo - Soul In Motion -, really made the Atenza very sexy. Look at the rear view of this new model, it does look like a good-looking version of the new Lexus GS. There's no style for style's sake here but for me, I think this is much more sexier than the Hyundai i40.

2013 Mazda Atenza interior

What makes the all-new 2013MY (US2014) Atenza/6 so unique is the features never before applied on other Mazda models. First up, we're expecting an all-new 2.5L SKYACTIV-G engine (PY-VPR) engine that produces about 188PS of power and 250Nm of torque. A 2.0L SKYACTIV-G engine (PE-VPR) is also offered in both sedan and wagon models as well as the SKYACTIV-DRIVE dual-clutch gearbox but we're not talking about that. What I'm talking about is some new stuff on the third-generation Atenza such as this so listen up, these are new;


2.2L SKYACTIV-D (SH-VPTR) clean diesel engine

Another part of the SKYACTIV-D clean diesel lineup is the SH-VPTR engine. Hmmm...wait a minute, it's about the same 2.2L clean diesel engine from the CX-5 but what differs is that while the SH-VPTS diesel engine we saw on the CX-5 has some blue paneling on it, the new Atenza's SH-VPTR engine doesn't have the blue cover on it. While the CX-5's SH-VPTS engine generates about 175PS of power, the new Atenza's SH-VPTR engine generates about the same power! Whoa there...

Anyway, while the CX-5 trumped the fuel economy ratings with the class-leading 18.6km/L, the new Atenza's SH-VPTR engine trumped a fuel economy of about 20km/L (22.4km/L with the all-new SKYACTIV-MT transmission), making it a class-leading midsize sedan of this magnitude. If I said SKYACTIV-MT, let's move on to the next topic...


SKYACTIV-MT

The all-new Mazda Atenza is the first-ever Mazda to be fitted with this new type of manual transmission. Not all manual transmissions are made to be the same and with this new generation of manual transmission, this is a bit more than that. What to expect on the SKYACTIV-MT is simple, it provides you a light and crisp shift feel like a sportscar thanks to its compact size and reduced weight. This gearbox feels very light and it's much more enjoyable to shift gears freely. It feels like I'm driving a Mazda Roadster of some sort and this new SKYACTIV-MT will change the way manual transmissions behave forever the only Mazda you can enjoy the first-ever SKYACTIV-MT is the all-new Atenza. With the Atenza fitted with the first ever SKYACTIV-MT, the SKYACTIV Technology portfolio is now complete. We now have the complete lineup of SKYACTIV models but the journey doesn't stop there because pretty soon, Mazda will expand the SKYACTIV Technology story even further

i-ACTIVSENSE

The new Atenza sees the introduction of the first-ever i-ACTIVSENSE system. How does it work? Let's see...i-ACTIVSENSE is a series of Mazda's advanced safety technologies designed to aid the driver in recognizing hazards, avoiding collisions, and reducing the severity of accidents when they cannot be avoided. From Radar Cruise Control, Forward Obstruction Warning, Lane Departure Warning, Rear Vehicle Monitoring, High-Beam Control, Adaptive Front-lighting, Smart Brake Support, Smart City Brake Support, and Acceleration Control for AT models, this new i-ACTIVSENSE takes safety to a different level. The More You Know...

i-ELOOP

Heads up, there's a new technology applied on the new Atenza, and here's a new kind of Regenerative Braking System called i-ELOOP. It's a capacitor-based regenerative braking system. Wanna know how it works? Here's an excerpt from one of their press releases;

Mazda's regenerative braking system is unique because it uses a capacitor, which is an electrical component that temporarily stores large volumes of electricity. Compared to batteries, capacitors can be charged and discharged rapidly and are resistant to deterioration through prolonged use. 'i-ELOOP' efficiently converts the vehicle's kinetic energy into electricity as it decelerates, and uses the electricity to power the climate control, audio system and numerous other electrical components.

That is very simple and very clever...I like that...

With everything loaded on it and with tons of firsts for Mazda, the all-new Mazda Atenza is now ready to show who's the boss. Such new technology is what brought Mazda Zoom-Zoom to greater heights. It's now on sale in Japan and coming soon in the rest of the world...Oh, and I almost forgot, the new SKYACTIV-MT is available only on variants carrying the 2.2L SKYACTIV-D clean diesel engine.

Welcome to the new age of Zoom-Zoom. Are you ready?

Available Colors: Soul Red Premium Metallic, Blue Reflex Mica, Jet Black Mica, Meteor Grey Mica, Snow Flake White Pearl Mica, Stormy Blue Mica, and Aluminum Metallic.

PRICE LIST:

Sedan
20S - 2,500,000 Yen
25S L Package - 3,000,000 Yen
XD 6-speed Manual - 2,900,000 Yen
XD 6-speed Auto - 3,026,000 Yen
XD L Package - 3,400,000 Yen

Wagon

20S - 2,500,000 Yen
25S L Package - 3,000,000 Yen
XD 6-speed Manual - 2,900,000 Yen
XD 6-speed Auto - 3,026,000 Yen
XD L Package - 3,400,000 Yen

 Photo: Mazda Motor Corporation

Let's Do The News! (November 20, 2012)

River's Diary

Right, what's the news today you spoiler-laden TARDIS journal?

NASCAR-Ford EcoBoost 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway

The Ford EcoBoost 400 held at Homestead-Miami Speedway, just a few blocks away from places karate-chopped by Sandy last month, served as the finale of this year's NASCAR Sprint Cup season. Even though Jeff Gordon won the race, the overall champion of this year's season goes to Brad Keselowski in his #2 Dodge Charger, which this car will be retired after this season. Seems that Keselowski did made a proper send-off to the Dodge Charger because this car's going to exit this race after the overall win. Beside's it's his first championship win though...

Brad Keselowski #2 Blue Deuce Dodge Charger

Macau Grand Prix

I've heard something that two racers lost their lives during the Macau Grand Prix. There was the Hong Kong racer named Phillip Yau who was killed in the race when his Chevrolet Cruze crashing at high speed and catching fire before rolling to a halt. Some say the tragedy comes after Portuguese motorbike racer Luis Carreira was killed in one of two serious accidents at the Chinese territory's street circuit on Thursday. Shocking! Two deaths in two days in Macau in the world of motorsport! Whether four-wheeled or two-wheeled, I sincerely considered their loss.

Scoop: http://motoring.iafrica.com/motorsport/828039.html

Powerful Jaguar XFR-S teased

Jaguar XFR-S teaser

Jaguar teased the upcoming Jaguar XFR-S super saloon which will be unveiled at this year's Los Angeles Auto Show and go on sale next year. Not sure what powers it but I think it might have the same engine used on the Jaguar XKR-S...Stay tuned, sweetie.

Scoop: http://carscoop.blogspot.com/2012/11/new-2014-jaguar-xfr-s-world-premiere.html

2014 Mercedes-Benz E-Class range facelift teased

Another teaser! This time, Mercedes-Benz teased the minor change of the W212 E-Class family, showcasing the minor change model's revamped headlights.

Scoop: http://carscoop.blogspot.com/2012/11/mercedes-benz-video-teases-2014-e-class.html

The Good Whovian

If you were a Whovian found something that turns out to be a classified document containing stuff for future Doctor Who episodes, what would you do? For a loyal Whovian I've heard, what she did is returned the classified documents, which turned out to be scripts for some Doctor Who episode, to the Doctor Who staff. Well, she isn't a Whovian I'm afraid but she's a student from Cardiff, Wales, who returned the top secret DW script to the staff. A good samaritan indeed.

Source: http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/need-to-read/2012/11/16/top-secret-doctor-who-script-found-by-student-in-taxi-on-night-out-91466-32246578/

In case you missed BBC Children in Need 2012

BBC's yearly Children In Need occurred last week. In cased you missed this, here's a quick sum-up;

- Famed boyband One Direction began their opening salvo

- Chris Moyles reunites Morecambe and Wise

- Team Great Britain from the Olympics dances to the groove of Basement Jaxx's Do Your Thing. For a treat; the equestrians of Team GB did Gangnam Style

- Sir Terry Wogan attempts Gangnam Style

- The Great Detective, the prologue to Doctor Who's 2012 Christmas Special.

- A trailer of Doctor Who 2012 Christmas Special, titled The Snowmen. The Doctor, along with his old allies Madame Vastra, Jenny, and Strax, as well as his newest companion, Clara, are on a journey to Victorian London to stop a threat on this Christmas Special, airing Christmas Day 2012.

- Pudsey, the mascot of Children in Need, meets Pudsey the dog

- Strictly Come Dancing Children In Need 2012 special

- Lord Alan Sugar meets EastEnders

- Geri Halliwell & Misery Bear in How Pudsey Got His Bandana

- Girls Aloud perform Something New

- Call the Midwife Christmas Special

- BBC Newsreaders take on Top Gear's Star in a Reasonably Priced Car challenge

- Tim Minchin performs...

Mercedes-Benz GL 63 AMG (X166)

2013 Mercedes-Benz GL63 AMG

Hello, what's this? A high-performance SUV? This is not just a high-performance utility vehicle, it can be somewhat be, and excuse me for the RR analogies we're using, a Bass Cruiser. I'm using that term to describe a sports utility vehicle that was once used for offroad practicality turned into a very dynamic performance utility vehicle. I don't mean that Cayenne because it's not suitable to be a Bass Cruiser because it's a bit slop-sided for me to classify it, what I'm checking here is the first ever GL63 AMG, the high performance version of the latest version of the GL-Class X166.

Seems that the producers got a bit of a rush about my word regarding the Bass Cruiser stuff because to me, I think of a SUV spiced and beefed up for racing performance in mind but forget about that because the GL63 AMG feels more of a Bass Cruiser rather than being a heavy rhinoceros in business attire with running shoes and ahem, no time for Judoon stuff. Don't know? It's from DW, Judoon are a bunch of aliens who look like rhinos but they're like law enforcers. Anyway, no time for some wibbly-wobbly timey-wimey stuff, because what I'm speaking is that this new GL63 AMG may look like well you get the idea but when you listen to the noise of the M157 5.5L V8 twin-turbo engine, the kind of engine you may expect on most AMG models, especially the SLS AMG GT, that changes everything. From its revs to acceleration, the M157 engine planted on the GL63 AMG really sounds nasty, VERY VERY nasty. That sound fits perfect for a high-performance SUV that was been made to crush down everyone who stands in its way.

0-100kph is under five seconds and top speed normally limited to 250kph while mated with the AMG Speedshift Plus 7G-Tronic. It maybe heavier than any other serious performance utility vehicles, it maybe thirstier, it maybe trickier to drive, but it's still a massive wonder that you can be indulged for minutes, not days.

Price? That's pricey-wicey if I'm asking. It costs 130,305 Euros and that's about less expensive than the upcoming Porsche Cayenne Turbo S but because it's heavier, I would go for that turbocharged Porsche Cayenne which is, I'm afraid, a bit as ugly as the fly's metamorphosis. For a heavy but shouty beast like this, I think the GL63 is definitely a bass cruiser set to be almost a dynamic monster. If you were driving one of these in the richest cities in the world, people think that you're...um...well I was gonna say something something but I think I'll end this case here.

Photo: Mercedes-Benz

Forza Motorsport 4: 2008 Lamborghini Reventon

So exclusive, you're gonna need an entourage for that!

Unveiled at the 2007 Frankfurt Motor Show and limited to 20 units, costing about two million dollars each, the Reventon is one of the rarest and most unique Lamborghini models ever made, using some of the components from the Murcielago LP640. It was named after a fighting bull famed for the death of Mexican bullfighter Felix Guzman in 1943 and heavily inspired the design from the fighter jet.

The 6.5L V12 derived from the LP640 Murcielago gave a 10HP boost, therefore it has 650HP of power and 660Nm of torque. When it was driven somewhere in Dubai, it achieved 356 kilometres per hour (221.2 mph) of top speed.

Of 20 of these ever made, 10 were delivered to the United States, 7 to Europe, 1 to Canada, and 2 to Asia. Notable owners include Khalid Abdul Rahim of Bahrain, Chechen president Ramzan Kadyrov, and Ken Lingenfelter who is a car collector in Michigan.

Goin Bulilit goes to Malaysia Part 2

On the part 2 of Goin Bulilit Malaysia special (November 18, 2012) episode, our Bulilit kids still making trouble over the most beautiful tourist spots of Malaysia, such as...

- gags in Legoland Malaysia

- Miss Philippines and Miss Malaysia are arguing which of these countries is the best

- More gags at Legoland Malaysia

- Adventures of Chacha and her maid Mutya in Berjaya Times Square

- Identity crisis!

- Abner Mechado investigates about TNT's in Malaysia hiding from the government in Kursunada.

- The corniest jokes in I'M CORNY!

- Sketch courtesy of Moose Gear

- Chacha as Nora the Explorer explores more about Malaysia

- Ready Get Set Goin in Fan Fan Fan Under The Sun!

...and that concludes Goin Bulilit Malaysia special! Hope they had fun in this wonderful country and its culture!

Forza Motorsport 4: 1988 Lamborghini Countach LP5000 QV

The White Bull

Launched in 1985, the 5000QV (QV stands for quattrovalvole, four valves in Italian) is the improved version of the Lamborghini Countach, the supercar that was launched in 1974 as the successor to the legendary Miura. For this model, it carries a 5.2L V12 engine and given four valves per cylinder. For better breathing of the car, the carburetors were moved to the top of the engine but the once poor rear visibility made it worse to nothing, therefore, the LP5000 QV has no rear visibility.

A US-Spec model was produced by the factory with styling differences made to meet US federal standards. Not only that, the 5.2L V12 was changed due to standards, providing 420 PS (309 kW; 414 hp), rather than the six Weber carburettors providing 455 bhp (339 kW; 461 PS) used in the Euro-spec model.

Forza 4 Head to Head: Which Miura is the Miura?

There are two Miuras!

Let's face it, I loved playing Forza Horizon all day long but despite that, I'm still breaking out my copy of Forza Motorsport 4 because if I want to get to know the car, always turn left. Turn Left? Sorry, it's too wibbly wobbly timey wimey about this but anyway, about the Miura.

It has been the basis of modern supercars of today and the Miura that was from the 60's, served as the good example of what supercars are made of. With the 4-litre V12 engine mounted sideways at the middle and the doors shaped like the bulls of the horn, it has been the most outrageous classic car I have ever seen.

What we're looking now are two kinds. There was the 1967 Lamborghini Miura P400 and the 2006 Lamborghini Miura Concept. Question is, which Miura is the Miura? Let's start with the one from the decade Lamborghini was born.

1967 Lamborghini Miura P400

Like I said, this is the genesis of what supercars evolved through the years. We always dream about it, some kids have these as a bedroom wall pinup, die-cast, auctions, whatever, this is still Lamborghini's own Mona Lisa painting. When Richard Hammond reviewed this on Top Gear back in 2003, the year when Lamborghini celebrated its 40th year, he said that because of such old-schoolness, it's not practically an easy car and it's HARD TO DRIVE! But frankly, as a car enthusiast, I couldn't care how challenging the Miura's handling is because driving the Miura as well as hearing the sound of the 4-litre V12 engine always tell you how Lambos are made. They really are the maddest car company of them all. Lamborghini loves to throw everything they've got to create such amazing masterpieces. No wonder Jamiroquai front runner Jay Kay, the dude who's gone crazy as Tom Cruise in Oprah when he beat Simon Cowell's lap time in Top Gear Season 11 finale, has one but in SV trim. Anyway, enough analogy for now, START THE CLOCK!!!

The Miura did it in 1:30.891.

2006 Lamborghini Miura Concept
Walter de Silva, who is responsible for Volkswagen's design DNA of today, was the man responsible of conceptualizing the Miura with this 2006 concept car as seen in the 2006 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Michigan. Although it is strictly a concept and no plans for production because Lamborghini doesn't have time to "turn left" to the past and "turn right" to the future, the Miura Concept really is a modern take to the iconic Lambo we've adorned through the years. No one really knows what powered the Miura Concept but in the game, it was powered by a 6.5L V12 engine from the Murcielago LP640. 0-60? Nobody knows! Top Speed? Nobody knows! Lap time on the Top Gear Track? Let's find out!



The Miura Concept did it in 1:20.132, over ten seconds quicker than the classic Miura.

The Miura Concept maybe fast but you can't have one because it's a concept car. However, despite the classic Miura is slower than the modern 2006 concept car, it's still a wonderful Lamborghini. This car passed the baton to the Countach, then Diablo, then Murcielago, and then the current leader of Lamborghini, the Aventador LP700-4. Without the Miura, there is no Lamborghini and we wouldn't have the world's most insane carmaker based in Italy. We could have sucked with Ferraris and Paganis.

Formula One 2012 US GP Update

F1 2012

Despite McLaren's Lewis Hamilton dominated the US GP in Austin, Texas, word from Red Bull Racing is that they've won the 2012 Constructors' Championship. Red Bull Racing is the fourth team in history to score three successive Constructors' titles. Sure, RBR won the Constructor's Championship but the title of being the best F1 racer of 2012 is on its climax. With Sebastian Vettel in 273 points, Ferrari's Fernando Alonso in 260pts, and Lotus' Kimi Räikkönen in 206 points, the F1 2012 finale held in Brazil this November 25, 2012 will decide who will be crowned as the victor...See you soon...

PRESS RELEASE:


Race - Hamilton king of America as title fight rages on 18 Nov 2012
       
The last time Formula One cars raced in the US McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton scored a brilliant victory, and he repeated that on the series’ return in a spectacular shootout with Sebastian Vettel in the first United States Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas on Sunday.

Hamilton lost out, as expected, by starting on the dirty side of the grid and exited the first corner third behind the Red Bulls of Vettel and Mark Webber. But after disposing of Webber on the fourth lap after a previous try hadn’t quite worked out, he then got the hammer down and reined in the other Red Bull.

Vettel proved a tougher nut to crack, and after getting the gap down to less than a second Hamilton began to lose ground just prior to his pit stop on the 20th lap. After the switch to Pirelli’s harder tyre, however, he began closing in again, and finally made a move stick as he used DRS to pass Vettel down the back straight on the 42nd lap, the Red Bull having been delayed slightly by traffic in the esses earlier in the lap. The German tried all he could to stick with him, but just didn’t quite have the McLaren’s pace, and as Hamilton had discovered, following was a whole lot harder than leading.

Behind them, and after a bit of tactical trickery by Ferrari, another superb drive from Alonso kept the Spaniard in play for the world championship.

Before the start much was made about the state of the track on the left-hand side of the grid, particularly by Hamilton who qualified second. Ferrari were so concerned, with Alonso due to start eighth, that they deliberately broke a seal on Felipe Massa’s gearbox so that he would get a five-place grid penalty that would move Alonso to seventh, on the clean side.

The ploy worked to perfection. Alonso jumped up to fourth behind the Red Bulls and Hamilton, closing out Michael Schumacher in Turn One, and thus immediately put himself in the lowest position he needed, assuming that Vettel won, to keep the title battle open. He rose to third when Webber’s car stopped after 16 laps with alternator failure, and stayed there to the flag, secure in the knowledge that Massa had climbed back up to fourth after his enforced grid penalty and thus had his back. It was a noteworthy run by the Brazilian.

Behind them, Jenson Button hauled his McLaren to fifth after starting on the harder tyre and running until the 32nd lap before changing to the mediums. He conquered the Lotuses of Kimi Raikkkonen and Romain Grosjean, both of whom looked strong at one time. The Finn seemed a possible podium contender for a while, while the Frenchman recovered from an early spin and pit stop.

Force India's Nico Hulkenberg ran fifth for some time before the Lotuses hit their stride, and stayed in the points to take eighth despite attack from both Williams. Pastor Maldonado rubbed wheels in the first corner with team mate Bruno Senna on the 52nd lap as he squeezed through on the inside for ninth, and they were the final points’ scorers.

It was a poor day for Sauber, as a disappointed Sergio Perez didn’t have the car beneath him to deliver better than 11th place to the thousands of Mexicans who made the trek to Texas, while Toro Rosso’s Daniel Ricciardo, who ran strongly in fifth place at one stage while running out of sequence in the pit stops, was 12th. Nico Rosberg brought his Mercedes home an uncompetitive 13th ahead of Kamui Kobayashi’s Sauber, while Force India’s Paul di Resta clung on after an unhappy race to beat Schumacher home.

Vitaly Petrov led the newbies home in his Caterham, as Heikki Kovalainen very narrowly fended off Timo Glock’s Marussia for 18th and Charles Pic brought his MR01 home next. Both HRTs finished, with Pedro de la Rosa leading Narain Karthikeyan throughout.

Besides Webber, the only non-finisher was Vergne after damaging his Toro Rosso’s front suspension again during a fight with the Mercedes.

Vettel now leads Alonso with 273 to 260 points, and 25 is up for grabs in Brazil. And though Red Bull lost the race, Vettel’s second place was sufficient to clinch them the constructors’ championship for a third successive year.

Scoop: http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2012/11/14079.html

"May dala akong pang-meryenda!"

On the November 16, 2012 episode of Bubble Gang...

- Sampal gags

- Whose employee does he trust?

- Hey Security Guard! What time will you go home?

- Sketch courtesy of Mister Donut's Chunky Bavarian Donuts.

- Meet an expert albularyo who can heal you in an instant!

- Hospital arrest? Banned from entering a different country? Sorry sir but that's your problem right now...

- May dala akong pang-meryenda! Bubble Gang does Jollibee Crispy Wings by spoofing this ad as JONIBEE CRISPY WINGS!

- Trust me, you wouldn't enjoy having a conversation with a MAMA BELLAS...

- You may now divorce the bride...

- A sales agent promoting beauty products for those men who think they're women...

Let's Do The News! (November 17, 2012)

Pudsey takes over Peugeot logo

And now, on that bombshell, it's the news and in case you're wondering what's going on with the Peugeot logo being replaced by Pudsey the bear, it's because it's to commemorate BBC Children in Need 2012. I know, here in Great Britain, Children in Need is the best day ever because this is a festival for a cause.

What cause?

As I see, here in Britain, there are so many establishments and even schools which were selected as Children In Need's contributors. Their proceeds will go to help underprivileged children worldwide, those who are sick, mentally-challenged, cancer, disability, poverty, you get the idea. I mean come on, this is the best day ever.

Why?

I've seen some high-school teens having fun cosplaying themselves for a cause. Then, I've seen ladies having their nails painted to look like Pudsey's for Show Your Spots,  one-off special episodes from one of BBC's best shows, newscasters taking on Top Gear's Star in a Reasonably Priced Car, the best concerts from some of the biggest stars, especially the famed One Direction, and...

Wait, hold it! The biggest thing to happen on BBC Children In Need 2012 is the prologue and trailer to this year's Doctor Who Christmas Special. Right?

Oh yes. On that event, the prologue to this year's Christmas Special, titled The Great Detective, sees The Doctor meets up with some old allies, as seen on A Good Man Goes To War.

Old allies? Who are they?

Let's see, there was this Silurian named Madame Vastra, her sidekick Jenny, and a Sontaran named Strax. These guys who helped The Doctor rescue Amy at Demon's Run and now they're back. Roll the clip!

My...word...

Great, isn't it? And now, in BBC Children in Need 2012, they've featured the first trailer for this year's Christmas Special. Officially, the name of the Doctor Who 2012 Christmas Special is titled The Snowmen, and this is the first time we see Jenna Louise-Coleman in action.

Ahem, this is her second time.

Oh yeah, her second time because she was the souffle girl from the Series 7 opener, who turned into a Dalek. Who was she again?

Oswin Oswald.

Right. So here in The Snowmen, this is a different Jenna Louise Coleman we're expected.

And...the name which Jenna Louise Coleman served as The Doctor's latest companion is Clara.

Clara?

Yeah. It's confirmed by the BBC. Jenna Louise Coleman is Clara, the latest companion to The Eleventh Doctor (Matt Smith). Roll the clip...



(cheers and applause)

That is simply great. The Doctor and the gang as well as his newest companion, who is Clara, are facing the biggest threat occurred in Victorian London. Question is, is The Doctor responsible for bringing bad dreams to the children of Victorian London? Or was it someone else? Find out this Christmas 2012!

Yeah! Absolutely brilliant! Makes me wanna say GERONIMO!

Indeed. (laughing) Now let's move on while waiting for Christmas to experience the fun with The Doctor and his newest partner. Ahem. A couple of weeks ago, Nissan launched the updated version of the GT-R supercar with sharper engine response, improved driving stability, improved chassis, and something something something

2013 Nissan GT-R

(audience laughing)

Anyway, Nissan said that they want to put the GT-R to the Nurburgring again to see if any improvements worked and guess what? 7 minutes and 19.1 seconds!

What?

7 minutes and 19.1 seconds! That makes it the ninth-quickest street-legal vehicle in history around the famous Nordschleife circuit!

So that's...

Faster than the 2012 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 or even the 2009 Dodge Viper ACR but a few seconds slower than the Donkervoort D8 RS.

Scoop: http://www.caradvice.com.au/199112/2013-nissan-gt-r-sets-ninth-quickest-nurburgring-lap-time-in-history/

Unbelievable, it seems that every year, the GT-R keeps on improving and improving and improving until they had enough and let it either die or regenerate to a different one, but I think this is a wonderful achievement that Nissan made to their supercar.

Yeah, seems that Godzilla's getting stronger and stronger until he's aged and retired or regenerate like Doctor Who...

(audience laughing)

Hush now buddy don't be so timey-wimey about it. Anyway, Mercedes-Benz is going to exhibit a different kind of vehicle, I mean, what I'm saying is that there was a design contest in Los Angeles, challenging other carmakers to design a car set in the near future and for Mercedes-Benz, this is their entry to this year's Los Angeles Design Challenge. Take a look...

Mercedes-Benz Ener-G-Force concept

What's this?

This is what they called it the Ener-G-Force concept but what I think that this is somewhat a future G-Class set in the year 2025, which is the main basis for the LA Design Challenge.

Scoop: http://www.autoblog.com/2012/11/16/mercedes-benz-ener-g-force-concept-is-a-g-class-for-the-future/

Yeah, this is what a future-set Mercedes offroader feels like. I thought it would be something a bit futuristic, something like...well you get the idea. I wonder if this look perfect if this was in a dystopia...

(audience laughing)

Hey buddy, enough of the jerky stuff right now because here in the 2012 LA Auto Show, Fiat will exhibit an electric version of the 500 supermini. Here it is...

2014 Fiat 500e

It's called the 500e and it's an electric 500 which will arrive next year. Some people say that this is somewhat a competitor to the Mitsubishi i-MiEV, which is also an electric car for the masses. Sadly not much info yet right about now.

Hey, one thing that bothers me that this electric 500 has some different bumper which is white. What's this? Some car with a shaving cream on its face?

(audience laughing)

This is a bawdy looking car! Looks like this car needs some shaving on it!!! Maybe this car had a beard on its bumper!!!

(audience laughing)

Shhh...Shut up fat bloke. Listen. While we're on the subject on the #amalyaer lady who yelled at the lady guard a few days ago, do we think that we have learned something during the #amalayer fiasco?

#amalayer?

The rude passenger who yelled at the lady guard caught on video and then became viral and then now recognized on TV sets. Paula Jaime Salvosa, that's the name of the Amalayer lady, which is a word for "I'm A Liar?", who became an overnight sensation through a one-minute footage. I wonder what's going on?

Seems that this reputation made her shut off her social media accounts and now facing herself as the laughing stock of the crowd.

Oh...

Wonder if this could happened again? At least this whole #Amalayer story is now becoming popular. Even Vice Ganda does that on Showtime. Amalayer? Amalayer!!! May pinagaralan ako! I'm just returning the favor!

(audience laughing)

Guess this is even more better than AM I BOVVERED... (laughing) And oh, if you're in the US, then Twilight Saga Breaking Dawn Part 2 is now showing and this is the last ever Twilight movie we'll ever see. The final moment for Bella and Edward Cullen, who is a vampire, facing their final fate. Seems that the war between Vampires and werewolves have now reached to its climax.

Awww...Seems that with Twilight series gone for good, guess vampires and werewolves are now seriously uncool by many. Like when wizards are now seriously uncool when the Harry Potter series ended with The Deathly Hallows Part 2 last year.

That seems sad but hey, there's The Vampire Diaries and Teen Wolf. These TV shows will keep vampires and werewolves cool, which is now zombies are sub-zero thanks to The Walking Dead.

Sub-zero? You mean that zombies are the coolest? Sigh...Thanks to The Walking Dead, zombies are becoming much of a trending topic. I heard that there's going to be a summer film next year called World War Z about a scientist trying to stop the zombie pandemic.

Another thing which is sub-zero is the upcoming Hobbit, which stars Martin Freeman from Sherlock, then The Hunger Games, which the second chapter, titled Catching Fire, is due next year or so. There's also time travel coolness, which make it sub-zero courtesy of Doctor Who.

Is the Sherlock Holmes coolness being part of it?

Well, that works. Sherlock Holmes, Sherlock, Elementary, well that's S.H. coolness. That's what we think. And on that bombshell, that's the news! Wanna eat at Speedy's?

Would I? Sure, I'll come.

Forza Horizon: Are Camaros are better than Mustangs?

Road trip with the new ZL1

Although, it is difficult to say why would some muscle car enthusiasts agree that Camaros are better than Mustangs but to me, how come there are a handful of people thinking that the Chevy Camaro, the unsuccessful one in the muscle car era, is much better than the Ford Mustang, the successful one in the muscle car era.

Take this for example, the Chevrolet ZL1 Camaro which I am driving on Forza Horizon. This car maybe over a hundred horsepower less than the 2013 Shelby GT500, which is America's most powerful car ever made, but how come there are so many loyalists to this car rather than this? Wait a minute...

I once read an article from the ZL1's chief engineer about the advent of the 662HP 2013 GT500 and he said that even with a hundred horsepower increase for the Blue Ovals, the 2013 GT500 will still not match the technology and sophistication of the 2012 Camaro ZL1. Really? I don't think so because...horsepower is king in the world where "no replacement for displacement," are gone. 2013MY GT500 is king, Ford Motor Company is king. The end...

Oh, anyway, while the arguments will remain in every car enthusiasts' brains, the ZL1 tries to shake off its image thanks to its standard Magnetic Ride Control, standard Performance Traction Management, and standard track-capable equipment such as a rear-differential cooler, brake cooling ducts, and an engine and transmission cooler.

Kia The New K7

GENTLEMAN CLASS

2013 Kia K7

Having been around for about three years, the Kia K7, the first of the Kia K-series of sedans, gets some minor refreshments on the outside and hey, would you look at that, The New K7 kinda looks like its bigger brother, the flagship K9 premium sedan.  Look at the front face, it seems that the trademark Tiger Nose has been retouched and refreshed to give this signature Kia look a fresh leaf to move around in the streets of Gangnam. What surprises me is the interior...

2013 Kia K7 interior

The interior too would be familiar by many because the refreshed interior kinda looks like it was borrowed from the K9 so you maybe expecting some of its luxury amenities that the K9 had as well as this lovely analog clock for some added luxuriousness. Not only the new interior made it even more luxurious, it even comes with the uvo telematics system. Don't know? Here's a good recap:

This telematics sytems allows the driver to start the car remotely using a smartphone. Also, you can have uvo immobilize the new K7 just if someone unexpectedly stole your car. That's questions get information.

Understood? Good. Now, back to the subject to the K7 because for this model, we are expecting four engine types available such as the 3.3 GDi, 3.0 GDi, 2.4 GDi, and 3.0 LPi. Three GDi's and one LPi engine, good luck smuggling these models. Anyway, the one with the 3.3 GDi engine is the most powerful K7 ever with a power output of 294PS while the most fuel efficient K7 was the one with the 2.4 GDi engine that promises a combined fuel economy of 11.3km/L. Most of these are mated with a 6-speed automatic transmission in case you're wondering.

So, how can I sum this car up? Well, this is the best looking K7 ever since its 3-year tenure when it was launched in November 2009. Those who are trying to be a big-shot would be somewhat want to drive one of these because it's fully loaded with some of the most luxury components that European luxury saloons have. However, don't be so excited yet because pretty soon, with the K7 minor change out now in South Korea, other countries may follow shortly soon such as the Middle East, Peru, Brazil, China, and a few countries were K7's are sold as Cadenza. Yes, they're very few countries and they are made only in left-hand drive. Uh-huh, left-hand drive markets exclusively. Period.

Available colors: Snow White Pearl, Bright Silver, Satin Metal, Platinum Graphite, and Aurora Black Pearl.

PRICE LIST:


2.4 GDI 프레스티지 - 30,400,000 Won
2.4 GDI 프레스티지 스페셜 - 31,600,000  Won
2.4 GDI 기본형 - 29,350,000  Won
3.0 GDI 프레스티지 - 34,500,000  Won
3.0 GDI 프레스티지 스페셜 - 37,100,000  Won
3.3 GDI 노블레스 - 42,200,000 Won




Photo: Kia Motors