What's in our Car Town garage today? (February 9, 2014)

What's in our Car Town garage today?

1999 Nissan Silvia

The S13 Silvia had the slogan of "ART FORCE SILVIA". The Zenki S14 Silvia beared the "EYE HUNT SILVIA" slogan. The Kouki S14 Silvia's was "READY GO, FR", but for the final, 7th-generation, Silvia, it bears the "SPORTS SILVIA" slogan.

1999 Nissan Silvia

1970 AMC Javelin SST Trans Am

The Javelin is American Motors' entry to the muscle car segment dominated by Chargers, Camaros, and Mustangs. While the Javelin hadn't found any mass audience for this muscle car, American Motors entered the Javelin to the Trans-Am with surprise results. With 10 top-five finishes on the podium and winning the manufacturer's championship against General Motors in 1968 and 1969, Roger Penske and Mark Donohue took over the company's Trans Am program for 1970 and the result was the limited-to-100 special edition models.

1970 AMC Javelin SST Trans Am

1980 Renault 5 Turbo Rally Edition

Known as the 5 Maxi Turbo, this French entry to WRC since its 1980 debut found its advantage on the tarmac events because the added bulk in the back sees a huge problem at the unpaved sections of the race. When the WRC's Group B began in 1985, they made the Group B-spec 5 Maxi Turbo and the engine that powers it develops 350HP.

1980 Renault 5 Turbo Rally Edition

Let's Do The News! (February 8, 2014)

Meanwhile in the studio...

James: And now the news and oh! Before we do that, has anyone watched all five "Mabel's Guide To" shorts? Anyone?

(audience murmuring)

Richard: I do...I saw all five this week.

Jeremy: No I don't...

(audience laughing)

Jeremy: What is it?

James: Just another bunch of Gravity Falls shorts, done to keep the fallers hooked for more while this show's not around until further notice from the showrunner himself. You know last year's Dipper's Guide to the Unexplained shorts? Yep, made to keep the fans happy while the show's not around. This year sees the turn of Mabel Pines.

Jeremy: Mabel Pines? (raspberry) Never liked her...

(audience laughing)

Richard: Why?

Jeremy: She's as gross as nerds at schools and her breath smells like...an episode of Brainiac! If you know what I mean?

(audience laughing)

Jeremy: Anyway, what's it all about those recent Gravity Falls shorts? You know? Some GF fun in bite-sized chunks?

James: Well, in random order, there was...Mabel's Guide To Art, and then Mabel's Guide To Dating...

Richard: Well, kinda like that one. It's the one with those!

TOAD-ALLY DATING!

HOOT DO YOU LOVE?!

TOGETHER FUR-EVER

(audience laughing)

Richard: See? Oh yeah, which reminds me...I need you to fill those 9000-question stuff...just to show if you guys are datable or not.

(audience laughing)

Jeremy: What?! 9000 questions? That's too much!

James: Yeah! We don't have time answering those...

Richard: Now or never!

(both): Okay...

SOME TIME LATER...

Richard: Right, I got the results. Jeremy, based on all your answers and at the scale of 5, you are...3 out of 5 so you're DATABLE!

Jeremy: Oh!

DATABLE!

(audience laughing)

Richard: Oh wait! Your dating is limited to widows, female plumbers, and convicts...

Jeremy: What?!

(audience laughing)

SOME TIME LATER, LATER...

James: (sigh)...enough about that. Anyway, back to this week's shorts. There was Mabel's Guide To Fashion, Mabel's Guide To Colors, and Mabel's Guide To Stickers. Speaking of which, what was that?!

Richard: It's my hair topiary!

(audience laughing)

James: But you're a bloke. You don't do that to yourself.

Richard: Well, I got a female member of the audience to do it. So, what does it look like to you?

Female Audience: An ostrich?

Richard: Right! An ostrich! Kakka!

(audience laughing)

Richard: Make sure you fix your hair before you leave.

Jeremy: Anyway, some bad news because last night, there was a bus accident occurred in Bontoc, killing about 14 people when the bus they rode fell on the ravine. That sounds quite tragic but...something shocked us that one of the 14 people died on the incident was a celebrity. Does anyone know who's that celeb?

(audience murmuring)

Jeremy: Well, there's one celebrity involved in the accident and died. It was Tado!

James: Tado?

Jeremy: Tado, yeah, the comedian, Tado Jimenez was one of the casualties in last night's bus accident in Bontoc. That sounds very very sad to us so...REST IN PEACE TADO. We will never forget you.

(awwww)

Richard: Very sad to say goodbye to one of the most notable Pinoy comedians but what's quite remembering that he once had a heavy metal affliction with a classic VW Beetle. See, look?

Photos from Tado Jimenez's Facebook profile

(oooohhh)

James: Sounds interesting though. Who can remember Tado and his love affair with the classic Beetle? Anyway, moving on because...

Jeremy: Shhh...

James: (silently) What?

(audience laughing)

Jeremy: (whispering) I'm afraid that the next topic is going to be quite hurtful for us?

Richard: Like what?

Jeremy: Shhh...

(audience laughing)

Jeremy: (whispering) Whatever you do...don't say the CS word.

James: (whispering) You mean Cardcaptor Sakura?

Jeremy (facepalm)

(audience laughing)

James: What? What was I'm saying?!

Jeremy: That's what we're not supposed to say and since the beans are spilled on us, looks like fans of the anime that caused us a lot of bashers are going to be pleased by this but not us because we had tons of bashers caused by this anime.

(audience laughing)

Jeremy: Anyway, MOVIC's replicating Sakura's Sealing Wand and Star Wand made out of die-cast zinc and each is about 6 inches long. They're part of MOVIC's new Eternal Masterpiece line of collectibles for adults but who cares? Since this anime's ruined our childhood several times, we don't want it.

(audience laughing)

James: Even if those 6-inch replicas cost 34 US Dollars each?

Jeremy: Never. We don't want pieces from the show that ruined our childhood several times.

(audience laughing)

Jeremy: I didn't actually like one of their closing theme songs that goes...Na na na na na na...na na na na na na na...na na na na na na na naaaaahhhhhh....

(audience laughing)

Richard: Well, that's the one I don't really like to hear!

(audience laughing)

Jeremy: It's not all about that...you know the Chevrolet Corvette C7 Stingray? The car we all hate because of all the backstories like for instance...why NAMCO didn't put Punkish Gothic on the PS3 version on THE iDOLM@STER 2 and why Top Gear was revoked from Gran Turismo 6? Anyway, this car's going to appear on CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER as the car of choice from SHIELD'S Black Widow.

(ooohhh)

Richard: Looks quite interesting for a car of choice to one of SHIELD's finest! I must say that Corvettes are quite a rarity for Marvel stuff since Agent Coulson's Corvette called Lola as seen from the Avengers film and AGENTS OF SHIELD TV series.

Jeremy: I know, but still...as a warning to those who keep wishing for a C7 Corvette to be on Forza 5...

Jeremy: Inject this on your brains, Forza Faithfuls! The C7 Corvette is not invited to your Forza Motorsport 5 party because as always told...this car's a Gran Turismo exclusive and that's the end of it!

(audience laughing)

James: Uh, don't you think you should be ending this whole story? I guess you're becoming more of a big head right now because...oh, what the hey? What's the argument about why you're hating this car since no Top Gear in GT6 and no Punkish Gothic in PS3 iM@S 2?

Jeremy: Well, you know what I said. For those who keep asking for a C7 Corvette to be in Forza 5, go back to your Gran Turismo games. You know for the thousandth time that this car stays in Gran Turismo series and always will be and oh, the new Z06 and the C7.R are reserved for future installments so BACK OFF, THAT'S NOT FOR FORZA FANS!

(audience laughing)

Richard: Oh well, once a big head moron, always a big head moron. Anyway, that is the end of the news...

RoboCop (2014 film)

RoboCop

Reloaded, recharged, and now ready for a brand new mission as one of the most classic sci-fi heroes gets a brand new look for 2014 and for this new version of RoboCop, we're not particularly sure that it lives up to the original 1987 version that spawns sequels, TV cartoons, and series of merchandising rights.

Set in the year 2028, at the crime-torn Detroit, when Alex Murphy (played by John Kinnaman), a loving family man and a good cop, is critically injured at the line of duty, seeking this the opportunity from a corporation called OmniCorp, run by the CEO Raymond Sellars (played by Michael Keaton), to create the ultimate peacekeeper to rid the streets of Detroit from crimes. This is how RoboCop, the ultimate law enforcement officer and the program of the OmniCorp, was born.

Like the original, this new RoboCop still lives up to its hardcore. He's got more firepower than Rambo and more lives than the Terminator. Yeah, that sounds a bit more of a cliche but unlike the original, the new 2014 remake of the icon doesn't quite lives up to its roots, if you know what I mean? Yes, it may retain some of the classic elements but purists may find it a bit too lacking that some of the classic RoboCop stuff haven't find a place in it...unless if there's one.

It's cool for those who are new, especially when you see this as a family-fun movie of some sorts but hey, this is more PG-13 so, this subject is out of the picture here, but what about being fun for your barkadas? Well, teenagers doesn't know about the old one, well until one of their parents would tell about the classic RoboCop, but in their young, immature eyes, it's not half bad. Being new to RoboCop is not a bad start right until your parents might tell you why they liked the original better, well you'll be sadly disappointed why you haven't seen the original one...yet.

So, if you haven't heard about RoboCop or in that case, none of your family told you about it, it's best to watch this in theaters now but if you're a purist, this 2014 remake is surely disappoint you for all the wrong or right reasons but either way, it's not a bad movie to watch. It's just one of the movies made to kickstart the year 2014 with a big bang.

My rating for the new 2014 RoboCop would be a fair 3 out of 5.

Sochi 2014 Highlights - Day One and Two

At around 20:14 (8:30 PM) Russian Time since February 7, 2014, the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia under the "Dreams of Russia" theme. It's privet (Russian for Hello) to everyone took part of this year's Winter Games. February 7's Opening Ceremony consisted of 18 separate chapters, all of which amazed the spectators.

Highlights: http://www.sochi2014.com/en/photo-gallery-sochi-2014-opening-ceremony?photoid=0000002652

The day after the opening ceremony, February 8's highlights include a Men's 10km sprint Biathlon, Ladies' Skiathlon 7.5km Classic, Men's Slopestyle, and Men's 5000m Speed Skating, among many others.

The 8th of February, 2014, sees Norway gathered two gold medals; one by Ole Einar Bjoerndalen at the Men's Sprint 10km Biathlon, and one by Marit Bjoergen for the Ladies' Skiathlon 7.5 km Classic + 7.5 km Free. USA got their first gold by Sage Kotsenburg for the Men's Slopestyle Finals while in the Men's 5000m Speed Skating, it's a 1-2-3 finish for the Dutch. Sven Kramer gathered gold while Jan Blokhuijsen earned silver and Jorrit Bergsma won Bronze. Those three are Dutch and as I said, they already did a 1-2-3 finish at the Speed Skating segment of the games.

Full Results: http://www.sochi2014.com/en/daily-schedule-day-2

More to come over the course of the games!

April Mariz Herher, IHAW NA!

On the February 7, 2014's Banana Nite's IHAW NA segment. The guest for the night was April Mariz Herher. Yes, we know that April Mariz is classified herself as a full-fledged tomboy ever since she has fond of boy-targeted toys when she was young and since she declared the grand winner of IT'S SHOWTIME'S That's My Tomboy segment, she's finally well-known to the world and the community really accepted her for who she is...as well as the other tomboys took part of the critically-acclaimed segment of the show.

"Helps provide 100% nourishment!"

In the February 7, 2014 episode of Bubble Gang...

- Closet gags

- Aling Mary continues to infuriate the line...and then some more!

- IKAW AT ANG INA takes on....wait, what?! What's going on here?! Ate Patty's explaining what's what about Ina?!

- Bubble Gang kontrabida Antonietta delivers some teleserye cliches on a car chase!

- Bubble Gang does Lactum by spoofing this commercial as LAFTUM! Helps provide 100% nourishment!

Bubble Gang does Lactum

- More wise words from the wisest man in Bubble Gang, TATA LINO!

- Snake on the basement...whodunit?!

- The Applicant

- IyoTube in I LOVE ROCK N ROLL

- We examine the differences of what do people do in public and private areas.

- James Wang on a rendezvous point with an agent and shows off his moves.

Let's Do The News! (February 6, 2014)

Things we learned today...

- Earlier, almost 700k Seattle residents came out to see the heroes' welcome of the Seattle Seahawks as the 12 PARADE kicked in. Now that the Seahawks won their very first Super Bowl last week, this team is now a force to be reckoned with. We never imagined that such event would happened in the Northwestern part of the USA and it's all throwing Skittles and cheers from the fans of the Seahawks.

- Dusty returns! The crop duster from last year's Disney Pixar's Planes, from the world above of Cars, returns in the brand new sequel titled PLANES: FIRE & RESCUE coming this Summer 2014. Set after the events from the first film, Dusty found out that his engine is damaged and he may never race again. Now, he's joining the ranks of the aerial firefighters and teaming up with Blade Ranger and his team of firefighters devoted to protect the Piston Peak National Park from a wildfire.

Info: http://blogs.disney.com/insider/articles/2014/02/05/just-released-planes-fire-rescue-trailer-2/

- Nissan GT Academy finally landed on India and for its inauguration, Nissan India is hosting the first stage in the series of "Live Event" time trials in malls throughout metropolitan areas of India.

Report: http://www.nissan.in/en-IN/News/GT_ACADEMY.aspx

- The eighth season of USA's hit TV series, Psych, will be the last because the cable TV network bids farewell to one of cable's top five series on Wednesday nights. The series finale will be aired on the 26th of March, 2014, to be followed by an hour-long aftershow with a Q&A session with the cast and crew.

Report: http://variety.com/2014/tv/news/usas-psych-to-end-after-current-eighth-season-1201088165/
'
- Ateneo announced that beginning SY 2015-2016, their school opening will start on August instead of the traditional June opening month that most schools in the Philippines signalling the first month of the school year. UP, meanwhile, announced that beginning this year, their opening will start this August after the Board of Regents approved the shift.

Report: http://www.philstar.com/campus/2014/02/06/1287323/ateneo-move-school-opening-august

- British sportscar maker, Aston Martin, announced a recall on 17,590 cars built since late 2007 because of the use of Chinese counterfeit parts.

Report: http://www.carscoops.com/2014/02/chines-counterfeit-issue-forces-aston.html

- The budget-friendly Citroen C4 Cactus crossover was finally revealed officially and this new model's looks stays true to its concept's looks. It's set to be premiered at the Geneva Motor Show next month.

2015 Citroen C4 Cactus

Report: http://www.topgear.com/uk/car-news/the-citroen-c4-cactus-is-here-2014-02-04

- The X3 F25 gets a minor change and set for its Geneva debut next month. For this facelift, it has a brave new face, four new colors, and fuel-efficient diesel engines ranging from the base sDrive18d which now develops 148HP of power and 57MPG of fuel economy.

2015 BMW X3

Report: http://www.topgear.com/uk/car-news/bmw-x3-facelift-2014-2-5

- Back on the Vhong Navarro case, as the actor and presenter filed a supplemental affidavit to the Department Of Justice and all set for preliminary investigation this 14th of February, 2014.

Report: http://www.pep.ph/news/42254/vhong-navarro-submits-supplemental-affidavit-to-doj-all-set-for-preliminary-investigation-on-february-14

TTFN!!!

Let's Do The News! (February 5, 2014)

Things we learned today...

- Facebook was founded by Mark Zuckerberg since the 4th of February, 2004 in Cambridge, Massachusetts with the help of Eduardo Saverin and Dustin Moskovitz, among many others. 2014 marks the 10th anniversary of this social network and as of now, there are 1.23 billion worldwide users of Facebook. All the relationships, scandals, conspiracies, and other stuff occurred here and so are the social games. So, with the ever-changing times, will this famed social network survive for another decade in the midst of the heated competition?

- Study shows that Filipinos are 3rd among the world's heaviest drinkers, behind South Korea and Russia. Filipinos drink an average of 5.4 shots of alcoholic drinks of any kinds. It seems odd that we never got this dirty reputation since we ranked 15th in the world's top pron-watchers.

- SPECIAL SURPRISE! Forza Motorsport 5 featured a FREE Honda Legends Car Pack and for this free DLC sponsored from Honda, anyone with the X1 and the FM5 game in it will drive three new Hondas such as the latest version of the Honda Civic Si Coupe, the Honda CRX Mugen, and the fourth-generation Honda Prelude.

- Tom Hiddleston, the actor feared and respected for being Thor's evil brother, Loki, is the next actor to take on the Reasonably Priced Car on Episode 2 of Top Gear Season 21.

- Thanks to you and me, Cartoon Hangover's web short titled Bee and PuppyCat is critically-acclaimed for having the most successful Kickstarter campaign since last year. I know we did but as a thank you present for those who propelled Natasha Allegri's web short into greater heights, the folks at Boom! Comics will be releasing Volume 1 of the brand new Bee and PuppyCat comic this May 2014. Here's the preview:





- In an exclusive report from Hollywood Reporter, the boffins from Disney are pondering a live-action feature to one of Disney's memorable characters, CHIP 'N DALE.

- The final two DLC packs for THE iDOLM@STER SHINY TV game via PS3's iM@S Channel were finally announced as well as the addition of the final G4U Volume 9. Mini Album 11 "Future" featuring Ami and Mami Futami are now available while the final Mini Album 12 "Refresh" featuring Makoto Kikuchi will be available on the PlayStation Store this 19th of February, each costing 1,500 Yen.

TTFN!!!

THE IDOLM@STER MOVIE Kagayaki no Mukougawa e! Original Soundtrack

At long last, THE iDOLM@STER franchise, started from video games to the anime franchise, now spawned its much awaited film under the title of THE IDOLM@STER MOVIE 輝きの向こう側へ!

In this brand new movie based on the hit video game franchise, the idols of 765 Productions continue their quest for fame and friendship as they take on their first arena concert. The producer of the 765 Productions happy to announce the girls that there will be some new ones joining the ranks as back-up dancers and in a amusing-but-mind-shattering kind of way, the girls as seen from the Million Live social game such as Minako Satake (voiced by Eri Ōzeki), Kana Yabuki (Ibuki Kido), Yuriko Nanao (Miku Itō), Seriko Hakozaki (Momo Asakura), Anna Mochizuki (Shiina Natsukawa), Shiho Kitazawa (Sora Amamiya), and Nao Yokoyama (Yui Watanabe) were the ones showed up as special guests of the film itself.

The movie is quite interesting but it didn't have the "aha" factor that most iM@S fans wanted since the anime series but hey, thanks to the film, the hit franchise from NAMCO just keeps on growing.

The original soundtrack of the film is now here what you hear in this CD are 36 BGMs as heard from the movie. The music was scored again by Ryuichi Takada.

There's also a two-disc limited edition where for the first time it features a BLU-RAY DISC AUDIO containing 48 tracks and what's this? It's a blu-ray disc recorded with main sound and it's 30 times more capacity than a normal audio CD so we're not kinda sure about this.

TRACK LISTING:

01 泡沫の夢
02 桜の下に眠るもの
03 光に向かって
04 青い風
05 憧れ
06 私たちはずっと...でしょう? (BGM VERSION)
07 輝きの向こう側へ
08 輝き
09 テンションUP!
10 ステージの影で
11 バトルシーン
12 765プロの毎日
13 アイドルを育てる為に!
14 アイドルたちに...
15 新たな絆
16 広がりゆく夢
17 竜宮小町結成!
18 READY!! (BGM VERSION)
19 パニック&ハイテンション
20 黒い影
21 ピンチ!
22 陰謀と策略に
23 はなれゆく想いに
24 さみしさ
25 揺れ動く心
26 春香の葛藤 (LONG VERSION)
27 つながる想い
28 仲間とライバル
29 穏やかな日々の中で
30 CHANGE!!!! (BGM VERSION)
31 まっすぐ (BGM VERSION)
32 Fate of the World (MOVIE VERSION)
33 ラムネ色 青春 (MOVIE VERSION)
34 GO MY WAY!! (SHORT VERSION)
35 M@STERPIECE (SHORT VERSION)
36 虹色ミラクル (SHORT VERSION)

For Blu-Ray Audio disc on the Limited Edition:

01 泡沫の夢
02 桜の下に眠るもの
03 今日も元気!
04 少女たち
05 広がりゆく夢
06 友情
07 光に向かって
08 真剣なまなざし
09 まっすぐ (BGM VERSION)
10 優艶? 一生懸命?
11 新たな絆
12 気乗りしない...
13 なかよし
14 青い風
15 心情
16 レッスン
17 一生懸命
18 想い
19 仲間とライバル
20 憧れ
21 つながる想い
22 うれしい気持ち
23 蒼い鳥 (Piano Instrumental Version)
24 さみしさ
25 みんなとの...　～Piano version～
26 Colorful Days (BGM VERSION)
27 激励
28 アイドルたちに...
29 はなれゆく想いに
30 Jupiterのテーマ その2
31 THE IDOLM@STER (BGM Version)
32 揺れ動く心
33 春香の葛藤 (LONG VERSION)
34 i (Piano Instrumental Version)
35 いつもの空
36 relations (BGM VERSION)
37 READY!! (BGM VERSION)
38 輝き
39 ピンチ!
40 夢見るアイドル
41 私たちはずっと...でしょう? (BGM VERSION)
42 プロデューサー、走る!
43 輝きの向こう側へ
44 Fate of the World(MOVIE VERSION)
45 ラムネ色 青春(MOVIE VERSION)
46 GO MY WAY!! (SHORT VERSION)
47 M@STERPIECE(SHORT VERSION)
48 虹色ミラクル(SHORT VERSION)

Let's Do The News! (February 4, 2014)

The big scoop today...

- Come tomorrow, Forza Motorsport 5 keeps on going with the release of February's Smoking Tire Car Pack. This month's DLC pack mostly feature most of the returning favorites with the addition of one new-to-Forza car. Here are the list:

2013 Abarth Punto Supersport

2000 BMW Z8

1994 Nissan Fairlady Z Version S Twin Turbo

2002 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am Ram Air

2011 Ferrari FF

1968 Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale

1966 Chevrolet Nova SS

2004 Maserati MC12

1992 Toyota Celica GT-Four ST185

1995 Audi RS 2 Avant

Details: http://forzamotorsport.net/en-us/news/fm5_smoking_tire_car_pack

- The Initial D manga may be over but there's still more what's in store for our favorite street-racing anime featuring the AE86. The folks at avex announced that their new Initial D project is the first of their new animated trilogy of films. Time to get our eurobeat on...

Report: http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2014-02-03/new-initial-d-car-racing-anime-teaser-reveals-film-trilogy

- The LTO placed a rather bizarre advisory on the status of new license plates. They said that vehicle license plates for private motor vehicles registered as of 12/31/13 had already been distributed to their district offices nationwide.

Report: http://www.topgear.com.ph/news/motoring-news/lto-publishes-intriguing-advisory-on-status-of-new-license-plates

- Continuing on the Vhong Navarro mauling case, the PNP imposed a 5,000 Php fine on the security agency in charge of the condo, where the Showtime presenter got beaten by men that claimed to be from businessman Cedric Lee, for not reporting the incident to the cops.

Report: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/573570/condo-security-fined-for-not-reporting-vhong-navarros-mauling

- After the launch of the reform project of the Bureau of Customs, a dozen of big traders continue to receive the "special treatment" at the agency, where their misdeclared and undervalued imported goods cost the government billions of pesos in lost revenue every year. A newly appointed BOC official said that smugglers and corrupt personnel are the main causes of the bureau's failure to meet its targets.

Report: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/572994/list-of-big-suspected-smugglers-disclosed

- Sherlock lead actor Benedict Cumberbatch will soon be guesting on the longest-running educational show, Sesame Street!

Report: http://www.bbcamerica.com/anglophenia/2014/02/last-benedict-cumberbatch-met-match/

- IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: All week long on Disney Channel, there's a brand new Gravity Falls short starring our favorite goofball, Mabel Pines in a brand new "Mabel's Guide To Life" shorts. In the first of the five shorts, Mabel's Guide To Dating! Well, you've probably seen that short now but as told, those new shorts will be here all week long on Disney Channel. Check your local listings.

TTFN!!!

Top Gear S21E01

Top Gear S21E01

BBC Top Gear returns for the 21st Series and for the first episode of the new series, 1980's hot hatches were the opening salvo as the boys bought 80's used hot hatches for series of challenges. Jeremy Clarkson opts for the Mk2 VW Golf, while James May goes for the Ford Fiesta XR2i and Richard Hammond opts in for the Vauxhall Nova SRi. The Stig's teenage cousin was introduced in the later parts of the challenge.

Madness ensues in every parts of challenge and nothing's more demented as the police part of the challenge. The one where hot hatches take on Top Gear's long arm of the law in the form of industrial machinery, remote bombs, drones, and military vehicles!

In the end, despite mishaps, the Fiesta won the supermarket challenge while the Golf won the police chase and the Nova won the hill climb. Everybody's the winners...sort of.

Downton Abbey's Hugh Bonneville is the STAR IN A REASONABLY PRICED CAR and he posted a lap time of 1:50.1 in wet conditions.

Six Nations 2014 - Round 1

Six Nations 2014 kicks off with the match between last year's champion Wales (WRU) vs. Italy (FIR) at Wales Millennium Stadium at Cardiff, Wales. With tries from Wales' Alex Cuthbert and Scott Williams, Wales kicked off this year's Six Nations at the score of 23-15 against Italy, nabbing their first win of the match.

Highlights:

\

Full report here.

Aside from Wales winning the first round, France's FFR took down England Rugby at their home turf of Stade de France at the score of 26-24 in favor of the French and the late surge from their youngest player from the FFR, Gael Fickou. Check out the video highlights:



Full report here.

And lastly, there's the match between Ireland's IRFU vs. Scotland held at the Aviva Stadium and with the score of 28-6, the Irish easily beats the Scottish rugby team.



Full report here.

The Welsh, the French, and the Irish were one all after their first round winnings. The next round will be held this February 8 to 9, with IRFU vs. WRU first, while next match is Scotland vs. England Rugby, and Round 2 concludes with FFR vs FIR.

What's in our Car Town garage today? (February 4, 2014)

What's in our Car Town garage today?

2014 Jaguar F-Type Convertible

Following the footsteps of the classic E-Type, the new Jaguar F-Type represents the pinnacle of the Jaguar range, marking the return of a lightweight rear-wheel drive sportscar enthusiasts have been longing for. Although it maybe focused on performance, agility, and driver involvement, the F-Type features a well-tailored interior that every Jaguar always had in most models. It's available with the supercharged 3.0L V6 engine or the supercharged 5.0L V8 engine from the XKR but the V6 model is the most exciting model in the range because not only it feels lighter but the exhaust note sounds off the hook.

2014 Jaguar F-Type Convertible

2009 Toyota Corolla XRS

The Toyota Corolla is heralded as the world's best-selling car of all time and for this 10th generation model, well, it continues the tradition of being a major global player for the world market. The performance-oriented XRS model features a 2.4L DOHC engine with Toyota's legendary VVT-i delivers 158HP of power and an estimated EPA fuel economy of 30MPG highway.

2009 Toyota Corolla XRS

2010 Honda Accord

The eighth-generation Honda Accord introduced a new generation Variable Cylinder Management for V6 models, which operates six cylinders for power and 3 or 4 cylinders for fuel economy. It's no wonder why it's common to see the eighth-generation Accords roaming around in the streets of America these days...

2010 Honda Accord

2008 Ram 1500

Debuted in 2002, the third-generation Ram truck features a new frame, new suspension, new powertrains, new interiors, and a new sheet metal. It's more than enough to keep one of America's pioneering trucks fresh and ready for its work day. For a quick DYK, its Cummins ISB Diesel engine became one of Ward's 10 Best Engines of 2004.

2008 Ram 1500

2007 Chevrolet Silverado

Hard-working Americans prefer the Chevrolet Silverado more than any other pickup on the market because of its best-in-class performance, best-in-class fuel economy, and its legendary reliability that keeps this pickup strong through the ages. For the 2007 model, the Silverado features a brand-new platform for enhanced driving characteristics while armed with the most powerful Gen IV small-block V8 engines on the market.

2007 Chevrolet Silverado

Let's Do The News! (February 3, 2014)

The big scoop today...

- BMW revealed the newest addition to the 4-Series lineup and this one confused us because it's the 5-door version of the 2-door version of the 4-door car. This is the BMW 4-Series Gran Coupe, you get the same specs from the coupe version, only this time with added doors.



- The folks at Rooster Teeth were happy to announced that Volume 2 of the web series, RWBY, is underway for production and should be ready by the Summer of 2014. It will premiere at the RTX2014 in Austin, Texas, this July.



- Oscar winner Phillip Seymour Hoffman, aged 46, was found dead in Greenwich Village because of drug overdose. This actor was notable for his performance in the 2005 film, Capote.



- Nissan's entry to the 2014 Le Mans will be the first to run a lap via electric power before the car's petrol engine gets on. To be powered on the ZEOD RC, their newly-developed 1.5L DIG-T R engine develops 400HP of power and 380Nm of torque and because the ZEOD RC's lighter, it has a better power-to-weight ration than today's F1 cars.

TTFN!!!

41st Annie Awards

Yesterday, the 41st Annie Awards named the best cartoons and the people involved. In case you never heard of, you're not alone. This award is dedicated for cartoons from around the world and for the 41st, it looks like our folks from DISNEY scored big at this year's awards but it's not just all about that because Cartoon Network's hit cartoon show, Adventure Time, hailed as the best animated TV/broadcast production for Children's Audience. Children's audience? Adventure Time maybe a kids show but its made for everyone. Such win is sure to keep our cute little gadget BMO happy...



See?

If that wasn't enough, our new princess from Disney Junior, Sofia the First, is awarded as the Best General Audience Animated TV/Broadcast Production For Preschool Children, beating the likes of Doc McStuffins, and two preschool shows from Nickelodeon's Nick Jr such as Peter Rabbit and Bubble Guppies.



Yeah, yeah, you don't have to rub it in, Your Highness.

Anyway, where was I? Oh yeah, even though this show was restarted by Comedy Central after a long hiatus, Futurama scored a win as the Best General Audience Animated TV/Broadcast Production. Quite a send-off they got here, eh?

The 2013 rebirth of Mickey Mouse as well as the Toy Story special titled Toy Story OF TERROR! scored big at the 41st Annie Awards.

The critically-acclaimed PS3 survival game, The Last of Us, developed by NAUGHTY DOG, won an award as the Best Animated Video Game.

Tom Kenny, a veteran casting voice behind SpongeBob SquarePants, Ice King from Adventure Time, and recently Commander Peepers from Wander Over Yonder, won an award for his Outstanding Achievement for Voice Acting in an Animated TV/Broadcast Production, whereas Josh Gad, the voice of our favorite snowman companion from Frozen named Olaf, won an award for his Outstanding Achievement for Voice Acting in an Animated Feature Production.

Amazingly, The production design team behind Nickelodeon's hit animated action adventure series, The Legend of Korra, hailed an Outstanding Achievement for Production Design in an Animated TV/Broadcast Production.

Even with his retirement, the legendary Hayao Miyazaki was honored for his Outstanding Achievement, Writing in an Animated Feature Production.

For the full list of winners: http://annieawards.org/nominees/#14

SUPER BOWL XLVIII

It was Sunday, February 2, 2014, where the entire American households prepared their snacks, flick their remotes, and tune in to what Americans refer to as the holy grail of American football, the SUPER BOWL. The SUPER BOWL served as the season finale of the NFL football gaming and this 48th season served to be a big one because the Seattle Seahawks and the Denver Broncos faced off at the MetLife Stadium somewhere around the East Coast.

Question is...Will it be “Year of the Horse” for Broncos or will the Seahawks show off their “100% rebel” side? I’m saying 100% rebel because of the number 12. To find out...I'll tell you what's what and don't worry...this is more of a 47 Second Science for us. It's BIG SUPER BOWL EXPLANATIONS in bite-sized chunks.

In the first quarter, Seahawks managed to kickstart the game with the score of 8-0 against Broncos. In the second quarter, the Seahawks never gave Broncos a chance...and I completely forgot what score it was but anyway, Broncos still 0. After the first half, it's the PEPSI SUPER BOWL HALFTIME SHOW where Bruno Mars as well as the Red Hot Chili Peppers performed. The crowd's gone nuts for that halftime concert! After the concert, it was 3rd quarter and even though the Broncos scored its first touchdown, they never stood a chance against Seahawks at the score of 36-8. Even though their ace player, Richard Sherman (#25) was left the field due to his injury in-game, the Seahawks still show off their 100% REBEL side and in the end of the final quarter; that's it...

At the score of 43-8, for the first time ever, Seahawks won the Super Bowl XLVIII. It's their first for this Northwestern-based football team to claim its "world champion" status! It maybe the year of the horse but it's definitely YEAR OF THE 12th! Sorry, jokes intended but still, everyone in Seattle are bewildering with excitement that Seahawks got their first hands on the fabled Vince Lombardi Trophy.

A mighty congratulations to the Seattle Seahawks for winning the Super Bowl! Congratulations!!! Quite lucky to use 12 as a lucky number, eh?

Aside from the heated game, it's commercials, commercials, commercials! Brands spent over a million dollars to have their Big Game Ads played on national television. We seen trailers for new movies, best buds, muscle men, a new spin on a fairy tale, some candid camera for a football fan, there's plenty of those but because I like cars...I should better focus more on Big Game Ads...

Check out the compilation of SB48 car ads: http://www.topgear.com.ph/features/feature-articles/video-here-s-a-compilation-of-11-super-bowl-xlviii-car-commercials

Based on their understandings...most like the VW ad because this commercial gives them wings, Kia for their Matrix spoof, Hyundai because it's...well, nice, Jeep, and Jaguar because of one thing in my mind...

It's the British Villains commercial for the new Jaguar F-Type Coupe. Did you know that in most Hollywood films, all the bad guys were played by British actors? Tom Hiddleston's one of them. He played Loki from the Thor films.

Still, the commercials aired for the Big Game were definitely worth the effort to target wide audiences no matter how absurd or cool or touching or inspiring these ads were. What matters most is...they're all very entertaining. As entertaining as watching the Seahawks going through their path to glory.

That's it folks. Guess my 47 seconds were expired but still, CONGRATULATIONS TO THE SEAHAWKS! Guess 2014 really is 12th's year after all...Which reminds me... Why 12? Well, you know who...

Nissan Elgrand E52 (2014 Minor Change)

2014 Nissan Elgrand

2014 Nissan Elgrand

The Nissan Elgrand E52 has been around for about three-to-four years since its debut in August 2010 and although it's now a front-wheel drive minivan, it's the most luxurious minivan ever made. It's the Nissan Fuga of the minivans...well, as a theory.

Now, the KING OF MINIVAN gets even better than ever and in theory, it's the most intelligent flagship MPV yet because some say, it's been loaded with...so how about some 47 second science to explain more about the new minor change for the E52 Elgrand?

2014 Nissan Elgrand interior

2014 Nissan Elgrand interior

For the brand new model, the E52's face now featured an new grille which is almost as big as a man while the headlamps were kinda heavily inspired from the facelifted Nissan Serena C26. On the rear view, the trademark rear lamps had gotten all chromed up. What bothers me that all the most luxurious updates only occurred on the top-end HIGHWAY STAR models while the entry-level 250XG doesn't so it stays the same. Anyway, while the HIGHWAY STAR model is the main focus here, let's continue...

For the top-of-the-line HIGHWAY STAR Premium model, they've added a brand new interior scheme in the form of Grand Black. Look at the seat design, it's almost as posh as a European premium saloon car. While on the subject on the interior, a few changes were occurred as well as the updated instrument cluster with a new DRIVE ASSIST DISPLAY. The third-row seating has been upgraded so that now, it can slide forward by 240mm to make room for luggage spaces. There's so many new stuff occurred in the interior but we'll leave it for now...

In the issue of safety, the new 2014 Elgrand E52 features a host of world-first features such as MOVING OBJECT DETECTION and the PEDAL MISAPPLICATION PREVENTION system. If you were wondering how does this new PEDAL MISAPPLICATION PREVENTION works, it helps detect potential misapplication and helps reduce accidents when parking.

Engine choices still feature a QR25DE engine and the high-performance VQ35DE engine mated to an XTRONIC CVT-M6 gearbox. For 2.5L models, fuel economy is around 10.8km/L while the 3.5L V6 models can achieve 9.4km/L, all calculated by JC08 Mode standards.

Available colors are Phantom Black, Brilliant White Pearl, Imperial Amber, Metal Grey, and Brilliant Silver. Prices start from 3,123,750 to 5,472,600 Japanese Yen.

Photo: Nissan Motor Corporation

What's in our Car Town garage today? (February 3, 2014)

What's in our Car Town garage today?

2007 Toyota Camry

People say that the Toyota Camry is one of the best-selling midsize sedans in America and it's true. It is but there's more to it than that because this Japanese midsize saloon is well-known to have a wide array of fuel-efficient engines, sporty design, luxurious interior, and loads of conveniences fit enough for drivers to take advantage at it. You might be clever that even though it's Japanese, the best selling car in its class in America is built at Toyota's Georgetown plant in Kentucky, so it's all made sense to us.

2007 Toyota Camry

2008 Scion tC

Shortly after the xA and the xB spearheaded the Scion brand in 2003, Toyota's youth-oriented brand exclusive to the North American market wanted to make a sports coupe capable to give the Honda Civic Coupe a run for its money and the tC does suit well to its qualifications. Although it's made from Japan, the first-generation tC is available exclusively for the North American market and it features a 2.4L petrol engine producing 161HP of power.

2008 Scion tC

2008 Scion xB

The xB, Scion's box car that spearheaded the brand in 2003, underwent a full model change in 2007 as a 2008 model year, it's no longer in the form of a rebadged Toyota bB. It's all original and made to appeal to a younger drivers, mostly those with an immediate driver's license perhaps. It maybe bigger than the first model but the second-generation xB is powered by the same engine as the first tC; a 2.4L petrol engine developing 158HP of power.

2008 Scion xB

2009 Ford Escape

The second-generation Ford Escape, as premiered at the 2006 LA Auto Show, may not be an ideal crossover for looks but it's still quite a popular among soccer moms everywhere. Still using the same CD2 platform as the first model, the second-generation Escape's design was heavily inspired from its bigger brothers and the interior is heavily revamped. It even has Ford's SYNC telematics system. For 2009, the Escape now comes with the 6-speed automatic gearbox on petrol models while the 2.5L engine replaced the small 2.3L engine.

2009 Ford Escape

2008 Toyota Yaris

This stylish compact hatchback from Toyota maybe targeted mostly for women but don't be fooled, the Yaris was made to combine its fun-to-drive factor, fuel efficiency, space, and convenience into this small and nippy package. It's a global compact car sold in numerous countries so you can expect its presence here and around the world.

2008 Toyota Yaris

2006 Toyota Prius

Since 1997, Japan put the hybrid in the automotive lexicon by selling the Prius, the world's first mass-produced hybrid car. Because of its engine connected to a nickel battery and an electric motor and offers different driving modes ranging from petrol, EV Mode, or both, the Prius scored a lot of profits for Toyota and because of the first-generation Prius' success, Toyota worked on the second-generation model. Launched in 2003, the second-generation Prius features an improved hybrid powertrain, more than enough to record its fuel economy of 35.5km/L, as calculated by Japan's 10-15 Mode standards.

2006 Toyota Prius

2006 Honda Civic

Launched in 2005, the eighth-generation Civic takes on a new spin for the Japanese carmaker's signature car, which is a favorite among tuners everywhere. In Europe, it's available only as a hatchback. In Japan, it's available only as a saloon model in petrol and hybrid guise. Here in America, the eighth-generation model is available in sedan (in petrol and hybrid) and the sporty coupe model (along with the enthusiast-focused Si).

2006 Honda Civic

1960 Chevrolet Corvette

The first-generation Corvette, the generation that started the Corvette dynasty, has been updated in 1958 and for this update, it tunes to the times in the age of chrome and four headlamps. Aside from the exterior update, the inside was been revamped by putting the tachometer in front of the driver's eye. With all the updates applied to the C1 Corvette, the engine lineup was offered with a 4.6L V8 engine developing 230HP of power and its fuel-injected version of the same engine developing 290HP of power. For the 1960 update, it features that rarest exterior color that so rate, only 140 were made, and that's the Cascade Green metallic.

1960 Chevrolet Corvette

2000 Honda S2000

The dawn of the new millennium signaled the dawn of Honda's FR roadster that pays tribute to the classic Honda sports cars of yesteryears since the S500. As the name implies, the S2000 is powered by a 2.0L VTEC engine which delivers sharper throttle response while combining cutting-edge technology to Honda's most iconic roadster. Even when production ended in 2009, the S2000 is still remembered as one of the all-time greats.

2000 Honda S2000

2007 Honda CR-V

The third-generation Honda CR-V, the crossover based on the Honda Civic, sees a whole new change to Honda's crossover utility vehicle. With this, the side-opening rear door with the spare tire at the back, as seen in the previous two generations, is phased out and where's it all gone? The new model now comes with the rear liftgate and if that wasn't enough, the K20A4 engine for 2.0L petrol variants was been replaced by a 2.0L R204A engine for added fuel economy and performance figures.

2007 Honda CR-V

What's in our Car Town garage today? (February 2, 2014)

What's in our Car Town garage today?

2013 Ferrari LaFerrari

Succeed where the Enzo Ferrari left off, the LaFerrari is a hybrid engine-wielding hypercar that serves as the pinnacle of the Ferrari food chain. Utilizing the enhanced V12 engine from the F12berlinetta as well as HY-KERS, it develops an astonishing 963PS of power output, making this the most powerful road-going Ferrari ever made. Only 499 of these will be made, just a hundred more than the old Enzo hypercar.

2013 Ferrari LaFerrari

2009 Lotus Elise

The Elise is just one of the perfect examples of what a British lightweight sportscar should be; made from the bare essentials, compact, arm with a small engine, make it more corner-friendly, and more driver-focused. Although it was made to be a hardcore sportscar that was born for track duty, it's still a usable daily car. It even has aircon and stereo as concessions of convenience.

2009 Lotus Elise

1970 VW Karmann Ghia

A classic German grand tourer with Italian flair, the Karmann Ghia is just what happens when you give a VW Beetle some beautiful Italian interpretation courtesy of Ghia. Despite using the same engine as the Beetle, the Karmann Ghia's image looks more of an everyday Italian, paving way for VW to make new cars.

1970 VW Karmann Ghia

1998 Toyota Supra

The Supra is undoubtedly one of the most famous Toyota sports cars ever made and tuners of all kinds loved it for its menacing performance fit enough to turn it into a 10-second car. This is the car that made Toyota one of the coolest Japanese carmakers in history and even though the Supra saga ended in 2002, its remembrance is worth Supra-national.

1998 Toyota Supra

1982 DMC DeLorean

Made famous for the Back To The Future trilogy movies, this classic sportscar became the pop icons of all times and enjoyed its pop culture stardom with many appearances through different medias. The DeLorean has a chassis made by Lotus while the body design is styled by Giugiaro. It was powered by a PRV (Peugeot-Renault-Volvo) SOHC V6 engine delivering 128HP of power.

1982 DMC DeLorean