Sunday, July 20, 2025

FIA World RX 2025: World RX of Hungary

The 2025 FIA World RX Championship continues in Nyirad for the World RX of Hungary. As the summer season continues to heat things up, the drivers are keeping their cool to get through the RX weekend by all means necessary.

FIA World RX 2025: World RX of Hungary
Screengrab from World RX

This race marks the second win of the season for Johan Kristofferson as his second win of the season reignited his championship title fight. Ole Christian Veiby, meanwhile, finished 2nd, and Timmy Hansen finished 3rd.

The 2025 FIA World RX Championship will continue in the KymiRing for the World RX of Finland this August 23 to 24, 2025.

WRC 2025: Delfi Rally Estonia

The 2025 World Rally Championship continues with the Delfi Rally Estonia, and this rally weekend features the unexpected in the heat of the summer season.

WRC 2025: Delfi Rally Estonia
Screengrab from WRC

Oliver Solberg, a rising star from the Solberg rally dynasty, achieved a remarkable victory in Estonia. He capitalized on Thierry Neuville's penalties and outperformed hometown hero Ott Tanak, securing his first-ever win in the World Rally Championship (WRC). This victory also marked Toyota's 100th win in the WRC.

The next event is the Secto Rally Finland this July 31 to August 3, 2025.

Super Formula 2025 - Round 6-7

It's the first two-part event of the 2025 Super Formula season at Fuji Speedway, and the drivers are entering the second half of this season with high hopes in the summer heat.

Super Formula 2025 - Round 6-7
Screengrab from Super Formula

The first part saw Sho Tsuboi the winner, with Tomoki Nijiri the second placer, and Ayumu Iwasa finishing 3rd. In the final part, meanwhile, it was Kakunoshin Ohta who won the race against Iwasa and Tsuboi.

The 2025 championship continues in Sportsland SUGO this August 9-10, 2025, for Round 8.

2025 Formula DRIFT Pro Championship - CROSSROADS

The streets of St. Louis, Missouri, became a battleground for drifters with the fifth round of the 2025 Formula DRIFT Pro Championship called CROSSROADS.

Screengrab from Formula Drift

James Deane has been declared the winner of CROSSROADS by unanimous decision, defeating Jack Shanahan in the finals. This victory marks Deane's second win of the season and ends a four-round streak of different winners. With this win, he strengthens his chances for the title. Fredric Aasbo finished in third place.

The next event will be in Washington State's Evergreen Speedway for THROWDOWN this August 8-9, 2025.

My GT7 Log: Summer Like It's 2008

When you think of 2008, what comes to mind? The Beijing Olympics? The global financial crisis? Barack Obama? It could be anything as long as it is associated with the memorable events of the year 2008. However, in the Peugeot catalog, there is a car not made in a year 2008. It's a car that was named the 2008. THE PEUGEOT 2008. Here in Gran Turismo 7, I got the chance to drive one, the second-generation Peugeot 2008.

Peugeot 2008 Allure '21

Launched in 2020, the second-generation Peugeot 2008 eschews its sleek looks that draw resemblance to the 208 for a sleeker design that is utterly mistaken for its big brother, the 3008.  The new model offers a choice of a 1.2 petrol and a 1.5 diesel engine, as well as the first ever electric powertrain that can go up to 320km on one full charge according to WLTP standards. The model featured in Gran Turismo 7 is the one with the 1.2L petrol engine with 129HP of power and 170ft-lb of torque, mated to a 6-speed manual gearbox.

Like its predecessor, the second-generation 2008 is front-wheel drive only by default, but the Advanced Grip Control makes it more capable on either tarmac, gravel, or snow.

Peugeot 2008 Allure '21

To test out the capabilities of the FF-only Peugeot compact crossover, I went to Brands Hatch for a one-lap time attack. It may not be as exciting as such, but I need to keep it active. Let's roll the tape.


My performance in 2008 at Brands Hatch resulted in a time of 2m05.466s. While it may not be particularly exciting, it clearly demonstrates what this front-wheel-drive Peugeot compact SUV is capable of.

Peugeot 2008 Allure '21

As I noted some time ago during my first encounter with the second-generation Peugeot 2008, it's a modern crossover that may not be worth the wait for everyone, but it's certainly worth considering for those seeking space, technology, eco-friendliness, performance, and versatility. Its inclusion in Gran Turismo 7 may also not be worth the wait, but it’s definitely worth a try.

Peugeot 2008 Allure '21

A Peugeot crossover named after the year the Beijing Olympics took place, the world financial crisis struck, and Barack Obama became US President... Just don't call it a 2008 Model Year Peugeot car. Just call it the Peugeot 2008. That's it.

Saturday, July 19, 2025

Kimetsu no Yaiba: Mugen Jyo-hen Chapter I

The final battle kicks off with the first chapter of the Kimetsu no Yaiba: Mugen Jyo-hen trilogy, which aims to achieve the same level of success as the original Star Wars trilogy. Tanjiro Kamado and his friends are ready to face the seemingly impossible challenges ahead.

Kimetsu no Yaiba: Mugen Jyohen
Chapter I

The first chapter of the Kimetsu no Yaiba: Mugen Jyo-hen (Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba - Infinity Castle arc) trilogy begins with Tanjiro Kamado, his sister Nezuko, their friends, and the remaining members of the Demon Slayer Corps embarking on an impossible mission. They will face the most powerful demons located within the Infinity Castle. This marks the beginning of a high-stakes final gambit.

This truly marks the beginning of an all-or-nothing final gambit. From the start to the gripping cliffhanger, no character is safe from some of the most explosive moments this film offers. The thrilling fight scenes, heart-wrenching tragedies, and classic "Demon Slayer" moments are what made the first "Infinity Castle arc" movie a must-watch of the summer. After experiencing the first film from the beginning to the cliffhanger scene, audiences will find this movie to be a conversation starter that’s impossible to ignore.

The final battle begins. Get your breathing exercises ready because nothing can prepare you for the start of the impossible mission.

DS Automobiles N°8

2025 marks DS Automobiles' 10th Anniversary, and the French luxury brand of Stellantis is celebrating the occasion with...an all-electric coupe-crossover serving as the brand's flagship.

2026 DS N°8
2026 DS N°8

DS Automobiles has introduced its latest flagship model, the all-electric coupe-crossover known as the N°8, priced at €59,500. The name N°8 signifies a new beginning for DS Automobiles, which has been in operation for a decade. It's high time for the brand to adopt a new naming structure, as previous names like DS3 and DS9 have caused considerable confusion. Some models ended up being associated with the Dark Souls series, while others were mistakenly linked to Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.

2026 DS N°8
2026 DS N°8

Beginning with the exterior, the N°8 is the first to don DS Automobiles' new design language, judging by the implementation of the new DS logo on the front grille and the DS AUTOMOBILES lettering at the back. Although the front is as sharp as any other DS vehicle you come across, the side profile and the rear view can be easily mistaken for the Kia EV4. Long story short, but you get the point.

2026 DS N°8
2026 DS N°8 interior

Inside, the N°8 showcases the brand's reflection on French contemporary art in motion. Although it looks more like an abstract painting than a typical interior, the N°8 features an X-shaped steering wheel, bespoke center console, and a 16-inch integrated central display powered by DS IRIS SYSTEM 2.0, not to mention the panoramic glass roof and FOCAL Electra 3D Hi-Fi sound system. True to the DS mantra, the passenger space showcases its "out-on-a-limo" feel while offering boot space up to 620 litres.

2026 DS N°8
2026 DS N°8

The N°8 is the first all-electric vehicle from DS, incorporating the expertise of the DS Penske Formula E team. It is available in Front-Wheel Drive (FF) and All-Wheel Drive (4WD). 

The Front-Wheel Drive Short Range variant, with 258 PS and a 73.7 kWh lithium battery, offers a driving range of 550 km. In contrast, the All-Wheel Drive Long Range variant delivers 375 PS and features a 97.2 kWh lithium battery, providing a range of 664 km. This variant accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in just 5.4 seconds, outpacing many standard Japanese cars and current Volvo models.

Although not as exciting to drive as expected, the comfort-tuned dynamics gave the DS N°8 a similar driving feel to a German luxury saloon, and being a French-made car full-stop, even with AWD, it feels exceptionally comfortable everywhere, even on tarmac, gravel, or snow, courtesy of its DS ACTIVE SCAN SUSPENSION system. 

The DS N°8 features a one-pedal mode for drivers, allowing them to accelerate or brake without using the brake pedal. Regenerative braking is advantageous for this feature.

Being the most technologically advanced DS model to date, the N°8 is packed with night vision, digital rear vision, DS PIXELVISION, and DS DRIVE ASSIST 2.0, among others.

While it may seem disappointing that luxury car brands' first EVs are crossovers, the DS N°8 stands out in this trend. As another luxury EV crossover from Europe, the N°8 marks a bold beginning for DS Automobiles in its 10-year history. This is the DS that deserved to be auto-focused because it's a DS. Not those Dark Souls or Star Trek Deep Space nonsense, simply DS.

Available Colors: Bleu Topaze, Noir Perla Nera, Gris Palladium, Cristal Pearl, and Blanc Albatre.

Photo: DS Automobiles