My GT7 Log: Know Your Legends - The Fairlady Z S30

Let's get to know about the legendary cars that are hard to get in Gran Turismo 7's Legend Cars not only because of their extreme rarity that appears once in a blue moon but also their outrageous price tag that takes almost forever to save one. Today, let's get to know about the first-generation Nissan Fairlady Z, the beginning of the Z-car story.

Launched in 1969, the Nissan Fairlady Z signaled the beginning of the Z-car story and the 432 is the top tier course of the S30 Fairlady Z. It's powered by an S20 DOHC straight-6 engine lifted from the Prince R380 with 4 valves per cylinder, 3 twin-choke carburetors, and twin camshafts, hence the name, delivering 158HP of power and 130.1ft-lb of torque. Not only is the S30 Fairlady Z a real head-turner on the roads but also in safari races and international rally events such as the Monte Carlo Rally. Today, it remains one of the all-time greats, especially when it was featured in Wangan Midnight as the Devil Z, the monster machine Akio Asakura's brave enough to drive in the series.

The S30 Fairlady Z will lap through the Goodwood Motor Circuit but how fast will it go? Let's roll the tape.

It did it in 1:44.183. Quite an astonishing performance for this ancient JDM legend.

What other hard-to-get legendary cars should I drive next? Stay tuned for more.

2022 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship - Lexus Grand Prix

The 2022 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship continues in Mid-Ohio for the Lexus Grand Prix, and as good as the world say, it's getting spicy at Mid-Ohio.

Screengrab from IMSA

The #10 Wayne Taylor Racing Acura DPi is crowned the winner of the Lexus Grand Prix while the #81 DragonSpeed Oreca LMP2 07 wins the LMP2 class, the #54 CORE Autosport Ligier JS P320 for the LMP3 class, and the #70 Optimum M Sport McLaren 720S GT3 for the GTD class.

The next event will be the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by LEAR this June 3-4.

2022 NASCAR Cup Series - AdventHealth 400

The 2022 NASCAR Cup Series continues in Kansas Speedway for the AdventHealth 400.

As the green flag waved, the action in Kansas is on with Stage 1 saw the #9 car perform two passes in one move, and a close call for the #99 following oversteer. As Kyle Busch wins Stage 1, Stage 2 saw tire trouble for William Byron while struggling to maintain his lead. As Kurt Busch wins Stage 2, the sibling rivalry commences, Chase Elliott spun, and the sibling rivalry reaches its rough climax.

Screengrab from NASCAR

After an intense sibling rivalry, Kurt Busch wins the AdventHealth 400 of the NASCAR Cup Series!

The next race is the big one; it's the NASCAR All-Star Race at Texas Motor Speedway this May 22. Don't miss it!

ABB FIA Formula E S8 - Berlin ePrix

Berlin's Tempelhof airport has transformed into a battlefield for the Formula E drivers as the ABB FIA Formula E Season 8 continues with the two-part Berlin ePrix where intense moments await.

Screengrab from Formula E

The first part of the race saw Edoardo Mortata's great start followed by Stoffel Vandoorne's racing skills, Jean-Eric Vergne's late lunge, and the duel for first place. Mortara beats JEV in the first part of the Berlin ePrix while Stoffel Vandoorne finished 3rd.

The second part, meanwhile, saw a charge from Nyck De Vries and Stoffel Vandoorne while the climax saw an intense contact between the #13 and the #4. In the end, De Vries is the winner while Mortara finished 2nd and Vandoorne finished 3rd.

After Berlin, Vandoorne remains in the lead with 111 points while Mortara advanced to 2nd with 99 points and Jean-Eric Vergne drops to 3rd with 95 points.

The next race is the first-ever Jakarta ePrix this June 4th.

NTT IndyCar Series 2022 - GMR Grand Prix

IndyCar has arrived in Indianapolis Motor Speedway and no, this isn't the Indy 500, and they're not racing in the oval segment. They're racing on the road course for the GMR Grand Prix.

Screengrab from IndyCar

Although weather and road conditions are experiencing wet conditions, which caused the delay of the race start, the cars have been equipped with rain tires and the action kicked off. This condition is very unheard of for an IndyCar race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. As the action heats up, Josef Newgarden's incident triggered a full course of caution and as the race restarted, Devlin De Fran and Rinus Veekay crashed each other, and after another restart, Pato O Ward and Felix Rosenqvist got into trouble. The race is now a timed race with 21 minutes left and as the race is approaching a premature end, Scott McLaughlin lost his lead under yellow.

The race came to a premature end with Colton Herta the winner while Simon Pagenaud finished 2nd and Will Power finished 3rd.

The next race is the big one; the 2022 Indy 500 this May 29th. Don't miss it!

Let's Do The News! (May 14, 2022)

                                                         

Your daily round-up of today's news:

- North Korea reported 21 new deaths and 170,000 new cases of COVID-19. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un called it the greatest disaster to ever hit the country, according to state media.

- India banned wheat exports with immediate effect. The announcement blamed the heatwave across northern India, which caused production to slump by as much as 50% in most parts of the country.

- A US-based think tank claims that Ukraine won the battle for its second city.

- Russia says it has no hostile intentions towards Finland and Sweden but warned that their NATO participation could spell militarization of the Baltic region.

- US President Joe Biden hailed a new era in relations with Southeast Asia during a summit in Washington with ASEAN leaders.

- McLaren Racing is joining the ABB Formula E World Championship from the start of the Gen3 era.

TTFN.

Hyundai Staria Lounge Limousine

The long-awaited arrival of the Hyundai Staria Lounge Limousine promises to pick up where the old Grand Starex Limousine left off in a major way by delivering first-class comfort for wealthy clients from Seoul to Busan while offering the same experiences as its normal equivalent.

2023 Hyundai Staria Lounge Limousine

2023 Hyundai Staria Lounge Limousine

Starting at 57,920,000 Korean Won plus additional costs, the Staria Lounge Limousine is the replacement for the aging but ultra-luxurious Grand Starex Limousine that promises to pick up where its predecessor left off. Like the normal Staria, it's front-wheel-drive, meaning it's less enjoyable to drive than the old Grand Starex Limousine but who cares. While the normal Staria is built for family use, the Limousine variant is all about catering to celebrities, VIPs, and influencers like a true professional. Whether it's a Blue House politician or a K-celebrity, the Staria Lounge Limousine fits the bill.

For starters, it looks like the Staria Lounge but the Limousine features a high roof, sidestep, and 18-inch wheels, making it easier to differentiate it from the normal Staria Lounge, although it still looks regular when parked in fancy hotels. As for the interior...

2023 Hyundai Staria Lounge Limousine interior

2023 Hyundai Staria Lounge Limousine interior

...it still packs the same minimalist dashboard as the normal Staria Lounge but the Limousine is loaded with luxurious features that will keep them occupied such as a movable console positioned between the second-row ottoman seats, a starry sky lamp above, and a rear entertainment system where you can screen mirroring stuff with your smartphone and others. It is offered in a choice of either a seven or a nine-seater.

The Staria Lounge Limousine is available only with a 2.2L VGT diesel engine that produces 177PS of power and 44kgf-m of torque. Mated to an 8-speed automatic, it has a combined fuel economy of a questionable 10km/L.

As expected, the Staria Lounge Limousine is prepared for the worst thanks to Hyundai's Smartsense range of safety tech.

The Staria Lounge Limousine is the ideal alternative for the now-defunct Toyota Alphard Royal Lounge because even though the Alphard trumps the Staria Lounge Limousine, it's going to be the next favorite for those who are looking for luxury minivans.

Before you ask, no. As of now, the official Hyundai distributor in the Philippines, HARI, has no plans to introduce the Staria range at the moment, although smugglers managed to smuggle the Staria without HARI's consent, giving headaches to the Bureau of Customs trying to catch the smuggled luxury cars scattered across Philippine roads. Unless HARI decides to bring the Staria to the Philippines to replace the Grand Starex, don't even try smuggling this Staria to the Philippines or the Bureau of Customs will crush it for sure.

Photo: Hyundai