The Cars of 2014 GTi Meeting

In case someone really missed the 2014 GTi Meeting last week, let's meet the cars as seen from this annual show hosted by the Volkswagen Group, showcasing how cool these VW group-derived machines are;

1. Audi A3 Clubsport Quattro Concept - This hyper concept sedan uses the A3 sedan as its basis and it features an unbelievable 5-cylinder TFSi engine developing a supercar-like 525HP of power output.

2. Seat Ibiza Cupster Concept - this concept convertible celebrates the Seat Ibiza's 30th anniversary and it uses the Ibiza CUPRA as its basis as well as rigged with a 180PS TSi engine and a DSG gearbox.

3. Skoda CitiJet Concept - This concept car uses the CitiGo minicar and it has no roof on it. It's now turned into a two-seater convertible for those who like to make an effort.

4. Skoda Yeti Extreme - Ain't no ordinary Skoda Yeti here but the Extreme concept shows how off-road worthy this SUV is by adding some rally-inspired looks that represents its tough character

5. Volkswagen Amarok Power Concept - This concept pickup based on the VW Amarok comes with its own party piece in the bed; a host of stereos and some DJ equipment that turns it into a mobile DJ for the party goers who like to throw a party without letting the neighbors know they're making some noise.

6. Volkswagen Golf GTi Wolfsburg Edition - This Golf VII GTi was tweaked by interns and it produces 380PS of power output.

7. VW Golf Variant Youngster 5000 - A group of six interns worked together to create a modified version of the Golf VII Variant straight from VW's Zwickau plant.

8. VW GTi Roadster Vision Gran Turismo - This is the star attraction of the show; Volkswagen's entry to GT6's Vision Gran Turismo concepts. It will be featured on Gran Turismo 6 this mid-June.

Top Gear USA: American Muscle

A new episode of Top Gear USA went on air last night on HISTORY and it starts with American vintage street muscles restored and modified to go faster than they were ever was. Tanner chose a 1967 Mustang Shelby GT500 while Rut's on the 1972 Dodge Charger SE and Adam chose a 1968 Chevrolet Camaro. Three muscle cars from Detroit's big three have gathered to settle their differences and only two will take part in the Gatornationals drag race.

The first challenge took place at an airstrip where they put their cars' reaction speed to the test. Get it wrong and they'll get jolted with a nasty shock. At the end of the challenge, even though Rut got shocked numerous times, he wins that round.

Second challenge involves cones...and a box full of insects inside! That serves as the test for the driver's concentration. Lowest BPM wins. While Tanner and Adam panicked while driving, Rut takes things calmly, prompting him to win this challenge.

On the final challenge, the drivers will dare to make their cars some noise so loud enough, civilian vehicles will sound their alarms but they have to act fast though because...people are watching and only Adam and Tanner will face. After Tanner made several car alarms blaring, only Rutledge Wood and Tanner Foust will take on the NHRA Gatornationals.

For the Gatornationals event, the Dodge Challenger Drag Pack and the Ford Mustang Cobra Jet are provided for Rut and Tanner. Tanner goes for the Cobra Jet while Rut goes for the Mopar Challenger and they'll take on a best-of-3 match at the drag strip but first, these two are trying to figure out how to use these drag monsters.

After hours of warm up, it's showtime. Tanner and Rut in a best-of-3 duel and they'll have to give everything they got to prove who's the fastest. In the first round, the Challenger Drag Pack's high torque caused it to lift high, prompting Tanner and the Cobra Jet to win. In the second round, Rut and the Challenger got things right and won the race against Tanner.

In the final round, you won't believe what Rut did to the Challenger! He send this Dodge flying high! Awesome but it's a disaster for Rut as Tanner Foust won the drag race by a huge margin! That's it! Another Tuesday night, another Top Gear USA awesomeness.

Metro Manila free Wi-Fi reportedly possible?

There is a report going on that there is a high possibility that Metro Manila will soon get free wi-fi according to the Department of Science and Technology (DOST). According to the agency, it's possible to turn Metro Manila into a free wi-fi zone but there's a catch; it will take about a billion pesos worth of government money and a year to sort things out. Even if Metro Manila is now a wi-fi zone, the Philippine government must pay attention for various cyber crimes possible such in the case of cyber bullying, online piracy, cyber pornography, and many other cybercrime stuff.

Report: http://n5e.interaksyon.com/top/DC5D125149054E8/1001/free-wi-fi-sa-metro-manila-puwede-na-dost

Forza Motorsport 5: 2014 Corvette Stingray vs 2012 Vanquish at Long Beach

While I'm very impressed about taking a spin on the brand new 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray on Forza Motorsport 5 via the Bondurant Car Pack, I guess I would like for this machine to take on some of the finest machines of its class so what it's like for this car to take on a car that is so different, it will make comparisons a little more exciting...

 

This Aston Martin Vanquish should do the trick because both of these machines are categorized in the Class A category of cars and this should be a perfect sparring partner for the C7 Corvette.



Remember, the Vanquish has a four-cylinders more than the C7 Corvette and its a hundred horsepower more as well but the C7 Corvette is about 400lbs less than the Vanquish so it should have the upper hand on how fast can it get round the corners. Of course, since both of them are rear-wheel drive, I might expect some oversteering woes but mostly, it's the C7 Corvette that slides back while the Vanquish has little signs of oversteering.

In this technical place like Long Beach, both these machines will have to work through the tightest corners if they need to achieve the fastest time possible but at least the city backdrop makes it a nice touch to these modern grand tourers.



After their session at Long Beach, California, I had the result;

1:42.270 - Corvette C7 SR
1:42.828 - AM Vanquish '12

Here in this beautiful Long Beach track, looks like American engineering defeated the British revolution by a 1/4th of a second!

Impul gives Nissan's Cima Y51 hybrid saloon a workout

The Cima Y51, which is a long-wheelbased version of the Nissan Fuga (formerly Infiniti M, now called Infiniti Q70), received some styling upgrades courtesy of Nissan specialist, Impul. Although it is a luxury hybrid saloon that is well focused on being a luxury saloon, this Impul-modified version makes it more of a luxury saloon...minus the luxury...on the outside.

The front bumper comes with some LED lighting on it and it costs 165,000 Japanese Yen for it while a rear bumper costs 105,000 Yen, a rear spoiler costs 60,000 Yen, and a set of sports ducts costs 48,000 Yen. Aside from the aero kit, Impul will provide available bespoke rims, suspension upgrades, mufflers, and other accessories for reasonable prices.

URL: http://www.impul.co.jp/products/model/HGY51_CIMA.html

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

The big scoop today...

- IN CASE YOU REALLY REALLY MISSED IT: After Chevin and Axel, the next person to be evicted from the Pinoy Big Brother house is none other than the Cutie Crooner ng Paranaque, Jacob Benedicto.

- PETER GRIFFIN NEEDS YOUR HELP! There's a special limited-time event on Family Guy: The Quest for Stuff app game going on and in this special event, a mysterious pyramid unexpectedly appeared on Quahog and only you can find out what's inside that pyramid! Unlock limited edition goods, his old pal Cleveland (our favorite black pal, isn't Stoolbend good enough for you anymore?), and a special outfit for Peter! Collect "moon idols" for some limited-time stuff! Isn't it more fun than having Peter humming the opening chase scene from Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade?

- It's Miami Heat vs. San Antonio Spurs...again as these two teams meet again to take on the best-of-7 match of the NBA Finals. Game 1 starts at Thursday at 9PM Eastern on ABC. It's on!

- After over five decades, the traditional American pastime of Saturday morning cartoons is now sadly extinct as the Vortexx programming block on The CW will be replaced by One Magnificent Morning block which features educational and inspirational shows targeted for youth and parents, beginning September 2014.

- Actor Blakdyak was arrested...for the "nth" time.

- Most netizens are condemning against Erika Padilla's Pinay tattoo on her thighs as seen on the FHM magazine. What's going on here...you'll find out by clicking here. Be warned. This stuff is SPG.

- Embattled businessman and fugitive Cedric Lee warned that there could be someone raped by Vhong Navarro. Let's find out what's going on...

- Peter Sunde, the co-founder of the notorious Pirate Bay file-sharing site, was arrested in Sweden last week after hiding from the law for two years. Sunder has been on the Interpol's watchlist since he was sentenced for copyright infringement two years ago.

- CHECK IT OUT: Here is the official music video of Call It Whatever, the latest song from former Shake It Up lead actress Bella Thorne.

 

- The Audi RS7 Sportback  has been updated for the 2015 model year, new look...same old RS7.

2015 Audi RS7 Sportback

- A NEW WORLD, A NEW HORIZON: Turn 10 Studios announced Forza Horizon 2 coming late 2014 for the XBOX 360 and XBOX One. The sequel will feature the new Lamborghini Huracan LP610-4 as the hero car as you'll be taking on the south of Europe in speed and style.

Forza Horizon 2

TTFN!!!

Disney's Maleficent

The villain from a Disney classic Sleeping Beauty, Maleficent, is notorious for being the most fearsome of all the Disney villains and she really demanded fear and respect from fans alike. Because of her reputation as the most feared Disney villain of all time, the folks from Disney wanted to make a live-action movie uncovering the secret origin of Maleficent, about what's the purpose on putting the curse on Princess Aurora that puts her to an eternal slumber. Let's find out.

Maleficent

For a Disney villain that demands fear and respect from fans for her unrivaled originality, the latest Disney movie, titled Maleficent, takes us the hidden world of Sleeping Beauty. This demon of a movie will make you her prisoner on your first encounter out and with actress Angelina Jolie portraying the role of Disney's most feared villain, that is Maleficent, and Elle Fanning as Princess Aurora, you can see that from every angle of the film will make you tremble with fear and get enchanted with the wondrous fantasy familiar to every Disney fans many.

Of course, by discovering the secret origin of Maleficent, she was once a kind woman who live in a forest kingdom until an invading army threatens her land. Now, her kind heart transformed into a cold-blooded enemy who seeks vengeance to the kingdom that threatened her and she's taking on against the king's successor by putting an evil curse on the newborn Princess Aurora. As years pass by, Maleficent knows that only Princess Aurora is the key to bring harmony back to the kingdom as well as regaining her former self.

One of the reasons why Disney's Maleficent is so special is its compelling storyline and although it has bits from the classic Sleeping Beauty, this movie rediscovers what lurks behind Maleficent and Princess Aurora. Then, there's the special effects which is kinda okay for us but it feels so overrated when it comes to show off its monstrous side of the film. Lastly, it's the background music which really connects to what happens on the film.

Disney fans never watched this kind of movie which is as astonishing as this or as well contrasted. It's simple, elegant, and in every fantasizing way, this is better than any other live-action Disney fantasy movies but there's something missing. Something that can't be measured, something that can't put your finger on. There's no...joy and soul. There's nothing wrong with it but there's no heart. You get the sense that with was written by a sophisticated few and styled by those who has the sense of fashion, which it probably was.

My rating would be a 3.9 out of 5.

Gran Turismo 6: Mitsubishi's XR-PHEV Evo

After Mercedes-Benz and BMW revealed their Vision Gran Turismo concepts, and while we're still waiting for the VW GTi Roadster concept to arrive by mid-June, it seems that Japanese carmaker, Mitsubishi Motors, revealed their entry to the list Vision Gran Turismo cars you can find on Gran Turismo 6. What could that be? Let's find out...



This Concept XR-PHEV Evolution Vision Gran Turismo incorporates Mitsubishi Motors' involvement in the world of motorsports while utilizing their PHEV know-how to create a rally monster that has its performance and efficiency in perfect harmony. Well, that's Mitsubishi's claim by the way.



This Vision GT concept is heavily based on the XR-PHEV concept car as seen from the 2013 Tokyo Motor Show. The XR-PHEV is Mitsubishi's prediction to what is rumored to be the next-generation RVR compact SUV and it incorporates Mitsubishi's PHEV breakthrough with a downsized 1.1 GDi MIVEC turbo engine. For this Evo version, you can't really tell what improvements this compact rally mongrel had but based on the preliminary sketches...it's powered by a 3.0L V6 Twin Turbo MIVEC engine connected to a high-powered electric motor and an 8-speed DCT. It comes with Mitsubishi's Super All Wheel Control system as applied on the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X as well as its ultra-light and aerodynamic body that weighs to a featherweight 1,350kg, over 200kg lighter than the LanEvo X.

To find out how good this XR-PHEV Evo is, I took on a special challenge where you can keep Mitsubishi's Vision GT concept as a prize just by participating and set a lap time regardless of whether the lap time was valid or not. The venue is Matterhorn Rotenboden and what I am going to do is aim for the Gold target time of 1:34.000.



The Rotenboden segment of the Matterhorn is by no means one of the most challenging tracks in GT6 because of its terrifying elevation where in the downhill part of the track requires an adequate footwork to survive the downfall or face a messy consequence. Upon driving the XR-PHEV Evo, it feels like it's a mashup between a rally-car and a track toy thanks to its 4WD powertrain and its incredibly light bodywork. I believe that this is one of the best handling concept cars I have ever tried on GT6 and I have to say, such lightness comes with a price if you're not paying attention.

As I spent numerous laps round and round this challenging track, I finally managed to beat the Gold target time and I did it in 1:32.721. Not the best so far but this is how I demonstrated how good the XR-PHEV Evo is.



Now for my impressions; although this is more of a hyper crossover that is shaped like a running shoe, the athletic stance of the XR-PHEV Evo really behaves like any other Mitsubishi rally machines from the past and even though Mitsubishi no longer part of the rally community, not to mention that RALLIART scaled down their operations four years ago, this machine still evokes the "Spirit of Competition" both on and off the road. Speaking of offroad...



Yes, the XR-PHEV Evo still making the rounds on dirt courses because this concept car still has the roots from Mitsubishi's rallying past from WRC to Paris-Dakar. You can have so much fun playing dirty in such a very compact car just like playing a game of Snap with a shaolin monk and you win. Like a shaolin monk, the XR-PHEV Evo's reaction times are second to none but it's up to the skill of the driver to brave through its uncanny agility of this bite-sized chunk.

The Mitsubishi XR-PHEV Evo VGT is available on the Version 1.08 Update of Gran Turismo 6 on the Playstation3 so best to update now to get this machine!

MITSUBISHI CONCEPT XR-PHEV EVOLUTION VISION GRAN TURISMO

Make: Mitsubishi Motors
Country of Origin: Japan

Drivetrain: 4WD
Max Power: ???
Max Torque: ???
Weight: 1,350kg

Corporate General Manager Executive Officer Design Office:
Tsunehiro Kunimoto

General Manager/Styline Director Design Department:
Masaki Matsuhara

Senior Expert Public Relations Department:
Hiroshi Masuoka

General Manager Public Relations Department:
Manabu Yamanishi

Expert Public Relations Department:
Takashi Kiuchi

Manager Strategic Management Office:
Shigeru Tsuyuki

Expert Technology Policy Planning Department:
Yasuo Tanaka

Expert Aerodynamic Engineering Development Group:
Masahiro Yoshida

Assistant Manager Strategic Management Office:
Kunitoshi Itagaki

Public Relations Department:
Nobuhiro Kudo

Expert Design Department:
Norihiko Yoshimine

Expert Styling CAD Design Department:
Yuichi Ishikawa
Keiji Takebayashi

Assistant Manager Design Department:
Shusaku Kumagai

Assistant Manager Modeling Design Promotion Department:
Taichi Kawasaki
Junji Nakajima

Design Department:
Shuichiro Yamamoto
Yuichiro Ishizuka

Styling CAD Design Promotion Department:
Atsushi Osada
Masataka Nakamura
Hiroyuki Mashima

Coloring Design Department:
Nozomi Ohkubo



Stay tuned on GT6 for the visit of another Vision GT concept!

Wow Mali Pa Rin - June 1, 2014

On the June 1, 2014 episode of Wow Mali Pa Rin...

- ANO BA YAN CENTER - If your water bill's too expensive, we pay you with a gallon of water!

- THE VOICE...OVER! - Interested on applying for a job? Don't let someone's voiceover know you're lying!

- MYNAH-KAKULONG - Parrot's telling you some crazy things!

- SADAKO PAROON - Something's scary going on in the ladies' restroom!

- INVISIBLE ROPE - Can you get through the rope that is really invisible?

- MYNAH-MIMILOSOPO - The parrot from the veterinary is back...and this time, he's making a mess on the exams!

- HORNY CHAIR - Behold! The chair that honks when you seat!

Sewol Tragedy: SoKor's wanted fugitive - where is he?

Yoo Byung Eun, South Korea's most wanted fugitive who was allegedly to have ties to the operator of the sunken Sewol ferry, has eluded arrest for several weeks, leaving authorities having their head scratching where are the possible whereabouts of the wealthy Korean now targeted by the law. Because of his reluctance to appear in public; Byung-Eun is labeled as the "millionaire without a face". His children's whereabouts were also unknown.

Earlier this week, South Korean authorities put a bounty on Byung Eun's head, saying that the reward for information for the capture of this fugitive businessman has been raised by almost half a million dollars and about a hundred thousand dollars for the whereabouts of his eldest son.

Will justice prevail? It's a long road until South Koreans, mostly victims of the deadly maritime disaster, will speak up for the truth.

Story: http://www.cnn.com/2014/05/28/world/asia/sewol-yoo-manhunt/

Super GT 2014 - Autopolis

Looks like with summer officially starts in Japan and in the third round of the Super GT 2014 season, summer doesn't get even hotter than this! With 24,400 spectators arrived at Autopolis for this round, the racers' tension never felt even more suspense than ever.

HIGHLIGHTS:

In the end of round 3, the winner of the GT500-class race is the #23 MOTUL AUTECH GT-R driven by Tsugio Matsuda and Ronnie Quintarelli while in the GT300-class race, it's a win for the #55 ARTA CR-Z GT driven by Shinichi Takagi and Takashi Kobayashi.

Now, it's time for the overall driver rankings and on the GT300-class, looks like GOODSMILE HATSUNE MIKU Z4 driven by Nobuteru Taniguchi and Tatsuya Kataoka were in the lead by 40 points while in the GT500-class, it's the #12 CALSONIC IMPUL GT-R driven by Hironobu Yasuda and J.P.L. De Oliveira that sits in the top of the leaderboard by around 42.

Next time, can summer racing get even hotter on Sugo on the 20th of July?

Honda Stream discontinued - last 1.8L engine-powered JDM Honda dies

Farewell to the Honda Stream (2000-2014)

The last of the 1.8L engine-powered Hondas to be offered in Japan, the Honda Stream, is sadly extinct. The Japanese automaker pulled the plug on Honda's Civic-based compact MPV and in addition to the discontinuation of the Stream, it signals the end of the era of 1.8L engine-powered Hondas offered for the Japanese market.

R18A engine

Of course, you can have a 1.8L Honda in countries outside of Japan but in this blog, remember; if there's a car not offered on its home country, I don't tackle it. So anyway, it's a sad farewell to the R18A engine from Honda. It has been around since it was launched at the final-generation JDM Honda Civic since late 2005, for 9 years. Our Japanese Honda fans will surely going to miss this 1.8L i-VTEC engine.

(Details on the R18A engine: http://asia.vtec.net/Engines/R18A/)

Anyway, there's going to be a replacement for the Honda Stream coming this year and even though there are rumors that it will be called "JADE" after the Jade Concept as seen on the 2012 Beijing Motor Show, this replacement is believed to come with the same 1.5L hybrid+7-speed DCT setup as seen from the latest-generation Fit and the Vezel. There's also rumors that Honda's newly developed 1.5L VTEC TURBO engine will be on the cards but about the rumored hybrid model, it's going to take a lot of work for Honda to rework the 7-speed DCT ever since it had problems with the owners of the new Fit Hybrid and Vezel Hybrid, prompting Honda to recall those models.

The first Stream was launched in late 2000 and uses the EP Civic as its basis. The second-generation model was launched in 2006 and it's based on the FD Civic (the last Civic to be offered in Japan).

Source: http://car-research.jp/honda/stream-10.html