Seat Mii

2012 Seat Mii

The Seat Mii...

This car may sound like Konori-senpai from To Aru Kagaku no Railgun but this is the cheapest of the SEAT lineup. What you have here is the Spanish cousin of the Volkswagen up!, which is the replacement for the VW Fox. Although the exterior may be different from the up!, it's still the same thing because it's part of Volkswagen Group New Small Family (NSF) series of models.

Konori-sempai is powered by a 1.0L MPi petrol engine that produces 44 to 55 PS of power and 95Nm of torque. It can go 0-100km/h in 14.4 to 13.2 seconds and flat-out the up! can go as much as 160 to 171km/h. It is mated with 5-speed manual transmission only. If that wasn't enough, the Ecomotive variant for her will get a CO2 figure of just 97 g/km.

Konori-sempai comes in four variants; Reference, Style, Style Chic, and Style Sport. She comes in five colors; Tribu, Negro Deep, Plata Reflex, Rojo Tornado, and Amarillo Sunflower.

My Comment;
If only Jeremy Clarkson watched "A Certain Scientific Railgun", he will most likely to blurt out the Seat Mii as "Mii Konori", or if Jeremy Clarkson making his own Mii on his Wii, same situation here. The Seat Mii may be cheap but it may not be cheerful. This low-cost Seat is all about being General Patronage but no, it's too rubbish...

Photo: Seat

The Final Encore...

So, I guess this is goodbye...

Goodbye to the year 2011...

That year made it more memorable because it made trends that made this year memorable. This is the year when Angry Birds became popular. It is the year when the iPad 2 was launched. It is the year when the Nintendo 3DS was launched. It is the year that Gadaffi died. It is the year that Bin Laden was killed. It is the year when Kim Jong Il died. It is the year when Daewoo was phased out in favor of the Chevrolet brand in Korea. It is the year 100 Days to Heaven was proven to be a hit. It is the year when Jolina Magdanal and Mark Escueta got married. It is the year when the very first Metro Manila Film Festival entry titled Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow got disqualified due to script changes. What's remembering that this is the year when Ryan Bang got kicked out for being the Hurado at Showtime. This is the year when Gandang Gabi Vice premiered. The year when the world's most fuel efficient petrol-fed car was launched and no. It's not the Mazda Demio Skyactiv. It's not the Daihatsu Mira e:S. It's the Suzuki Alto Eco with the fuel economy of 30.2km/L based on Japan's JC08 mode test cycle. What's also, this is the year Mazda introduced SKYACTIV technology, starting with the Mazda Demio, then later the Mazda Axela. There are so many milestones happened in the year 2011...

And now, the final encore...

Bye, Bye, 2011. Bye, bye.....

Leopaul's Heaven and Hell: Limited Edition PSP Games in Japan

The arrival of the PSVita is the sign we are going to wave goodbye to the old PSP but in Japan, they decided to give it another go because most PSP video games inspired from anime series will come out next year with a limited edition bundle that includes a figure. Next year, you should expect the Madoka Magica PSP game with the limited edition that includes the Madoka figma, and the new Milky Holmes 2 PSP game will include a Nendoroid.

PSP games and Good Smile Company are now "hand in hand" and GSC often creating exclusive figmas and Nendoroids that are synonymous to PSP games in the future.

They don't really let go of the PSP, aren't they? Despite the arrival of the PSVita, there still be new PSP games in Japan for the year 2012! Of course, most Japanese will expect arrivals of a new Oreimo PSP game, Heroes Fantasia, or even the Nendoroid Generation game that stars none other than, Nendoroids!

Here in America, the PSP is almost dead and it's nearer to call it "endangered species" when the PSVita will go on sale this February 22, 2012. I checked on the Gamestop website and the list of PSP games for 2012 is few. There will be Hakuoki, MLB 2K12, and Gungnir. I'm sorry to say that the PSP is now an endangered species but don't worry. You can play PSP games on the PSVita but instead you have to buy it at the PlaystationStore.

I have no idea why a country like Japan giving the PSP a second chance in life because of upcoming PSP games in Japan. Over the years in Japan, we see limited edition PSP games with bundles that is far more than what you called "Exclusive Taste". Wonder what happen if there will be limited edition PSVita games that has a figma or Nendoroid bundled on it? Not happened...yet, but soon, it will become a reality and PSP is officially dead in the eyes of gamers.

That concludes my another "Heaven and Hell" story...

WALD C218 Black Bison

WALD C218 Black Bison

The C218 Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class might be the second chapter of the world's first 4-door coupe but the guys at WALD INTERNATIONAL stop at nothing modifying the second-generation CLS-Class to be part of the Japanese tuning firm's Black Bison series.

The WALD C218 Black Bison uses the CLS63 AMG as its foundation and it comes with a carbon fiber body kit, bigger rims, DTM exhausts, and lowered suspension.

Made for the "cruising" scene...

URL: http://www.wald.co.jp/parts_acce/carrange/benz/cls-class/c218/c218.html

OH MY GOD! There it goes again!!!

Top Gear India Special

The Middle East Special of Top Gear caused an uproar because of the "Boys in Burkas" part and the Baby Stig that offended religious groups. Now, the Top Gear India Special has offended Indians because of Jeremy Clarkson's offensive remarks about Indian culture. So far, the BBC received complaints about the India Special.

Really, this is just another Clarkson misfits gone wrong...

Scoop: http://www.autoblog.com/2011/12/30/latest-group-that-jeremy-clarkson-has-offended-indians/

NISSAN GT-R 2012 in GT5

Song Played in my Personal BGM: Spring Has Come!! by Hinagiku Katsura (CV: Shizuka Ito)

From the album: HINA2 Spring Has Come!!

It seems that the Nissan GT-R R35 often has its own checklist kept when it came out 4 years ago. Later on, it went for a duel against the Lexus LFA twice, then it beat most of the world's fastest sports cars in a World's Greatest Drag Race. When it was featured in Top Gear, it was proven to be faster than the Shinkansen, broke Jeremy Clarkson's neck when he was testing it on Fuji Speedway, and it even made a drag race with the Jaguar. It was also featured on Jeremy Clarkson's DVD titled Thriller. Yes, the folks from Nissan are running out of ideas to fill it on the GT-R's list to do. With the facelifted GT-R appeared on GT5 via DLC, we were surprised to see this new version came out in the open and we are very happy to try it on our own hands.

Soon, your neck will be broken, just like Jeremy Clarkson...

This is the first time I ever get my hands on the 2012MY model. When the facelifted GT-R come out in late 2010, it made Godzilla even meaner than before thanks to the newly improved VR38DETT engine that churns out 530PS of power. The black paneling on the VR38DETT engine has been replaced with the red color to make it more unique. It even comes with an all new Dual Clutch Transmission for easier shifting and best of all, improved fuel economy. On the 2012 Model, the VR38DETT engine that was once improved, improved again with a 20PS increase. The Spec V is gone, replaced by a special "For TRACK PACK" variant that is engineered for track racing in mind.

The Stig is listening to Rock the Casbah in Algerian!!!

I wouldn't guess that the GT-R is focused on Top Speed and Acceleration but when it comes to handling, it's a struggle even though it comes with 4WD drivetrain. You know, if I'm driving this in real life at UK, I could lost my driver's license because of the 60mph speed limit. What's worse, I could break a neck like what Jeremy Clarkson happened while he's testing it at Fuji Speedway.

Challenging against the elevations of Spa-Francorchamps
in Belgium

"...if my children are watching this now...don't worry, your Dad's not having a stroke...he's driving a Nissan." - Jeremy Clarkson, Top Gear

What would The Stig do with the 2012 Nissan GT-R?!

GT-R R35 from the past meets the present

I can see it clearly now. The 2012 Nissan GT-R is much more better than the previous model because of its improved engine and the new 6-speed dual clutch transmission but clearly there are some blanks that need to be filled on this sportscar. The GT-R's creator wanted to keep the GT-R's promise by providing as much engineering as they can and this is the best Nissan ever driven without compromise. Guess featuring the Nissan GT-R 2012 model in Gran Turismo 5 is definitely the best idea ever happened. 

New Vauxhall Astra GTC

2012 Vauxhall Astra GTC

The GTC is always a fan favorite for the Astra fan and the all new Vauxhall Astra GTC is no exception for the enthusiast who want a three-door hatchback that competes against the likes of the Volkswagen Scirocco and the Renault Megane Coupe.

The new Vauxhall Astra GTC has no relation to the current generation Vauxhall Astra and Vauxhall Astra Sports Tourer because this new model comes with an unique design that stays true to the 2010 GTC Paris concept. According to Mark Adams, Vice President of Vauxhall/Opel design, the Vauxhall Astra GTC wants to be the ultimate expression of Vauxhall's design philosophy but they didn't want emotion to slip past against functionality. With this, the new GTC features a dramatic styling that makes it more aggressive enough to feel what it means to be a three-door hatchback.

2012 Vauxhall Astra GTC interior

From the equally dramatic exterior, the same Astra interior comes into play. Customers who are with the Vauxhall Astra GTC Sport may get features like Active-safety front seat head restraints, CD 400 CD/MP3 CD player with stereo radio, Digital Audio Broadcast stereo receiver, and USB connection with iPod control. For the Astra GTC SRi, the flagship variant, they may get most of the features from the Sport variant but with added extras such as Sports front seats and Multi-function trip computer.

Most variants come with a standard 6-speed manual transmission, which is great for the the enthusiasts who love to drive cars with three pedals on it. Anyway, the GTC offers a choice of engines such as the 1.4i 16v VVT Turbo, 1.6i 16v Turbo, 1.7CDTi 16v, and 2.0CDTi 16v engine. Most variants, except the 1.6i 16v Turbo, come with the idling stop system that allows the engine to shut off automatically when stopped at the red light, making it essential to reduce emissions.

It comes with 9 exterior colors; Power Red, Summit White, Flaming Yellow, Seashell, Carbon Flash, Sovereign Silver, Technical Grey, Silver Lake, and Silky Shadow.

My comment:
This new Astra GTC looks great enough to enjoy some Saturday night in downtown London. With such dramatic styling cues, impressive performance, and stunning interior, this maybe a good alternative to the Volkswagen Scirocco and the Renault Megane Coupe.