Balitang Six Six for May 8, 2014

Breaking news from the Balitang Six Six segment from the May 8, 2014's Banana Nite!

- Man catches his babe from the swimming pool...with painful results!

- Drunk lady pole-dances at the wedding party...and falls...

- Man does stunts with his bike...with a painful surprise from below!

- Girl tries treadmill...treadmill spits girl away!

- Man follows horse...and horse kicks man!

- Man left the van...but van left by itself!

Meanwhile...more tips to do when bored in another BORED MEMBER such as...

- If you're bored from walking...how about self-protest?

- If you're bored...why not cut your hair by your own?

- If you're bored while waiting in line...why not rob the line and then you say "sorry"?

Forza Motorsport 5: The one with the M157 engine

This is the M157 5.5L V8 BiTurbo engine. It's the mainstream in most Mercedes-AMG models bearing the 63 moniker. With the combination of direct injection and turbocharging, it delivers more exceptional power than the M156 6.2L naturally-aspirated V8 engine it replaces and it's 25% more fuel efficient as well. In 2011, most AMG models wearing the M156 engine had them replaced with this and three years from now, no racing video game is brave enough to feature any AMG model with such engine...until now...



Yes, this is the facelifted Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG. It's now on Forza Motorsport 5 via the Alpinestars Car Pack, available now, and for the first time in racing game history, a Mercedes-AMG model with the M157 5.5L V8 BiTurbo engine made its appearance but just how good is it?



I am one of the many people who played the Forza franchise since the first one and I am very desperate to have a Mercedes-AMG model using the turbocharged V8 engine. Three years ago in FM4, I've enjoyed the pre-facelifted E63 AMG because it feels and sounds like an American muscle car...except this isn't a muscle car, it's a German premium sedan with washboard abs. Of course the C63 AMG Black Series and the SLS AMG has this engine but because of the abundance of the 5.5L V8 BiTurbo engine in any other AMG models, it seems that a game like this never seen it that way. They're much more stay outdated rather than update with the times.

With the addition of the facelifted E63 AMG, the dream of having a video game featuring a Mercedes-AMG model with the M157 V8 engine has became a reality and I'm glad I'm not the only one whose been trying out the new version for the first time.



However, this particular E63 AMG is not the AMG we've expect, it's the S-Model, and you know what that is, right? The S-Model adds more power on the M157 engine and this time, it's four-wheel drive. What a twist!



When you get your foot down, you really know that the torque in this saloon is just too unpredictable but by getting off from the start, it doesn't get that catastrophic wheelspin that most high-powered rear-wheel drive cars most do. As for the exhaust note...well, not every exhaust note is textbook but as far as I can say...it is as close as the real thing as I can get...or is it?

With the added power, it seems that the E63 AMG's four-wheel drive is not so bad but the main problem to this car is its catastrophic understeer. I know, right? Because of its electric power steering that most modern cars do get combined with the 4WD drivetrain, it feels like you're struggling to follow through the right lines and it feels like...um...getting a small hard ball dropped to your sensitive foot and you can feel the pain from within.



But despite the woes with the power steering and with the understeering issue, the four-wheel drive system is no mumbo-jumbo here and it really catches up against its rivals from a good corner and finding a way to its problem requires an unflinching commitment and this car's no exception because to see how good this car is, I've invited some neighbors from Germany...



This is the Audi RS7 Sportback. Like the E63 AMG S-Model, it has four-wheel drive and it has a turbocharged V8 engine except it's smaller.

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And this is the latest BMW M5. Often criticized by its fakey exhaust note fired at the stereo on the inside, its hydraulic steering, rear-wheel drive, 4.4L V8 turbo, and its all-rounder personality makes it a clever contender.

I sent those three German saloons at the Top Gear Test Track and whichever's the fastest to lap is the winner. Here goes...




Like the E63 S-Model, the RS7 is all about the grip and a bad case of bad-understeer-itis when it faces a tight corner. It's like getting suffocated by two fat ladies squeezing you like a sandwich in a subway. The M5 has no risk at all because of its hydraulic steering and its rear-wheel drive layout, although it may have a risk getting spun out from a corner in a dynamic fashion. Since all of them are rigged with a double clutch gearbox, the shifting feel is gapless and it can't be matched with any other gearbox in the world but it can be a bit too messy if you're more on the fun factor. Let's not forget that the E63 has more power than the RS7 and the M5 but will it be enough to take down the opposition from its compatriots?



After a lap round the Top Gear track, here are the results;

RS7 - 1:24.032
M5 - 1:24.353
E63 - 1:23.382

So, there you have it, the new and improved E63 AMG is the victor of this comparison, proving that this German 4-door saloon is still doing the rounds on the track with the added power and its unquestionable grip but only just.



Well I'm glad I'm driving the one with the M157 engine that no other game featured it just yet...

Car commercials vs. Godzilla

Godzilla doesn't like the Fiat 500L

With the 2014 reboot of Godzilla draws near, it might be best for me to take a look at some of the car commercials that come face-to-face with the one-and-only "king of monsters". Quite an interest I got there, huh? This is science, after all...

- First up, there's this Japanese commercial of the Daihatsu Opti Beex kei saloon since 1998 and this kei car tries to escape from the wrath of Godzilla.



- Meanwhile in South Korea, it seems that even a stomp from the mighty Godzilla is no match from a tough body of a Daewoo Matiz compact car in this commercial...



- And recently, Fiat USA collaborates with the upcoming Godzilla movie to promote the five-passenger Fiat 500L. Looks like Godzilla doesn't like the taste of the 500L, after all...



Godzilla opens in theaters next week and it stars Breaking Bad's Bryan Cranston, as well as Ken Watanabe and Elizabeth Olsen. THE KING HAS RETURNED! Time to cue the iconic Godzilla roar if it kills me...

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

Things we learned today...

- Just when you thought that the normal Ariel Atom 3.5 isn't well enough to shred your face off with its formidable speed and agility, look no further because they've unveiled the Ariel Atom 3.5R. Using the Atom 3.5 as its base, the R model adds 11% more power from 310bhp to 350bhp while mated to a brand new six-speed sequential gearbox sourced from Sadev.

Ariel Atom 3.5R

- So, looks like the hit Disney cartoon Gravity Falls is coming back sooner than we think and word from the PR is that actor Nathan Fillion will be guesting on this show as Pacifica Northwest's dad.

- Actor Zoren Legaspi was charged by the Bureau of Internal Revenue for tax evasion.

- On the topic of over 200 schoolgirls kidnapped by Islam extremists in Nigeria, Malala Yousafzai, a survivor from a headshot by the Taliban, said that those schoolgirls kidnapped by the extremists as her sisters. The Islam extremist group, Boko Haram, doesn't understand Islam and has not studied the Koran according to the survivor. She also said that the kidnappers misused the "Islam" word because it means "peace".

- Embattled businessman Cedric Lee and his ex-wife asked the Department of Justice to dismiss the so-called PhP194-million tax evasion complaints filed against them by the BIR.

- The Pokemon Company announced a reboot of 2003's Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire GBA games as Pokemon Omega Ruby and Pokemon Alpha Sapphire. It will be launched on the Nintendo 3DS and 2DS this November 2014 worldwide. Yes, it's time to revisit the Hoenn region again but not in a way you think. Looks like the world of Pokemon's getting more exponential as I expected.

TTFN!!!

Sewol Tragedy: Revisions on the missing and rescued people

Continuing on the latest updates on the sunken Sewol ferry disaster at the southwestern coast of South Korea, the search for the missing 35 people still goes on despite the weather's continue to get even worse. As of now, the death toll from the Sewol tragedy is currently at 269. The Coast Guard revised the number of the missing people from 33 to 35 because there are two Chinese added to the list after reviewing through their credit card records. The number of people rescued has also been revised from 174 to 172 because one person is listed under two different names and the other was reported in error.

Source: Arirang Radio

Let's Do The News! (May 7, 2014)

Things we learned today...

- Fiat Chrysler Automobiles unveiled their most ambitious 5-year plan yet for the expansion of their brands such as Fiat, Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Alfa Romeo, Maserati, and Ferrari.

- The BMW M5 celebrates its 30th birthday by launching a 30th anniversary special edition with added power, special equipment, and limited to 300 units globally.

BMW M5 30 Jahre M5

- Check out the first trailer of the upcoming FOX TV drama series, Gotham, which explores the hidden story behind Gotham City.



- Season 4 of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic reaches its most gripping climax yet and this Saturday, May 10 (check local listings), this two-part finale sees Twilight Sparkle take on a villain who escaped from Tartarus...with a little help from our favorite bad guy, Discord. This is a must-watch for every Pony fans because this is worth gripping...and nail-biting if you know what I mean.

- Controversial actress, Rosanna Roces, wants to get rid of her breast implants.

- Deniece Cornejo finally surrendered to the public and she poses for mugshots.

- About 125 people were killed by an Islam attack on a Nigerian market town.

- The Google Maps app is now on its Version 3 update and on this update, it features lane guidance and quick access to route overview, navigation mode, the ability to save offline maps to a custom list, transit results, filter search results, "Places to review" list, and route option comparison with the separate Uber app.

- Now available on Forza Motorsport 5 is the last DLC Pack to be covered in the Season Pass. The Meguiar's Car Pack features the best of vintage machines from all over the world. The latest May DLC Pack includes;

2013 BMW M Performance M3 Racing Car
1986 Alfa Romeo GTV-6
2011 Aston Martin V12 Zagato (Villa d'Este)
1958 Aston Martin DBR1
1957 Chevrolet Bel Air
1967 Chevrolet Chevelle SS-396
1968 Dodge Dart HEMI Super Stock
1940 Ford De Luxe Coupe
1966 Ford Lotus Cortina
1973 Mazda RX-3

TTFN!!!

GT6: Cars that are Gran Turismo exclusive - Citroen 2CV

Today, it's the unorthodox classic from Citroen. It's the 2CV, a product of a post-war France and it was known to be one of the most successful models at that moment in time. From 1948 to 1990, Citroen produced 3,872,583 units of this oddball in numerous countries not only France but also from Belgium, United Kingdom, Argentina, Uruguay, Portugal, and Chile.

This 2CV will run through the Goodwood Hill Climb but at what time will it post?




It posted a 2:16.717 lap time!

It maybe pathetically slower and less powerful than a wheelchair rigged with fire extinguishers but magnifique! It managed to get the job done in a slow and steady pace but not for the fun of it. Only the world of Gran Turismo lets you drive this post-war French classic and no other game does it. Period.

Citroen 2CV - A GRAN TURISMO EXCLUSIVE CAR.

AC/DC frontman Brian Johnson to star in a 6-part Cars That Rock series

Brian Johnson stars in Cars That Rock

The frontman of AC/DC, Brian Johnson, is a dedicated car enthusiast. He has a vintage pre-war Bentley machine he called it "Thunder Guts" and he's a familiar face when he guested on Top Gear; whether he was a Star In A Reasonably Priced Car...twice, and got beaten in a drag race with James May at the wheel of the Fisker Karma PHEV saloon. Now, he stars in his own six-part serial called Cars That Rock and on this mini-series, Brian explores more about his passion of cars from movies that made these cars the stars and the celebrities who, like him, love cars. It's not all about glitz and glamour but over the course of this mini-series...the AC/DC frontman is pushing himself to the limits as he takes on the world's challenging racetracks and on the final part...it's all about engineering connections.

The first of the 6-parter series begins on Thursday, the 8th May, at 9:00PM on Quest, available on Freeview channel 38, Sky channel 167 and Virgin Media channel 172.

BBC warns Clarkson that if he messes up again, it's over for Jezza

Jeremy Clarkson

It looks like the BBC is turning up against Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson ever since his latest scandal, regarding some mysterious behind the scenes from the Toyota 86 review as well as the "slope" scandal from the Burma Special earlier this year. Jezza says that if he messes it up big time, again, the BBC will fire him once and for all. Looks like the fate of Jeremy being the Top Gear presenter is on the line now even though he made numerous international incidents that people don't want you to know.

Report: http://www.autoblog.com/2014/05/05/jeremy-clarkson-bbc-warning-nword/

Sewol Tragedy: Death toll now 260

Continuing on the Sewol Tragedy story; the official death toll from the submerged ferry has now risen to 260 with 42 people remained missing so far. The divers completed the initial search of 61 compartments out of 64, where most of the passengers are expected to be found. The rescue team plans to expand the search to the ferry's cargo compartments as well as the first and second floor of the decks beginning on the 15th of May, 2014, if all the bodies are not recovered until then.

Source: Arirang Radio

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

Things we learned today...

- Our friends from Disney streamed the full trailer of the upcoming Disney XD animated series, Star Wars Rebels. Made in collaboration between Disney and LucasFilm, this new series highlights teenage boy named Ezra, a con artist who's going to be part of the rebellion, fighting for the greater good against the Empire. This new series will be airing this Autumn 2014 exclusively on Disney XD. Check out the official page at http://disneyxd.disney.com/star-wars-rebels. Those Star Wars fans are going to be thrilled!

- Former head of PSA Peugeot Citroen, Jean-Marc Gales is now appointed as the new CEO of Group Lotus.

Jean-Marc Gales

- IN CASE YOU MISSED IT; Jessie's Debby Ryan spent Sunday, April 27, to took part in the Kidz Expo sponsored by Children’s Hospital at Erlanger. The SweetyHigh Blog post has this story.

- Every year when it's May the 5th, we noticed that Tekken creator, Harada, is a huge fan of iDOLM@STER's Iori Minase and he even changed his profile pic to Iori Minase on Harada's official Twitter page (@Harada_TEKKEN). In a special Famitsu interview with Harada-san, the Tekken God explains why he's an iDOLM@STER fan and what he's looking forward on the upcoming PS3-exclusive THE iDOLM@STER ONE FOR ALL video game.

Harada

Harada's illustration of iM@S' Iori Minase

- In this week's Jay Leno's Garage webcast, Jay Leno revisits the 90's with the Lamborghini Diablo.

 

- This week, expect simpler but smarter vehicle license plates to arrive.

- It will take about two months for the new equipment, useful for the ongoing search for the missing MH370 plane, to arrive.

- Moments after the canonization of Blessed Pope John Paul II and Pope John XXIII as saints by the Vatican, there's a report told that Pope Paul VI will be beatified, following the validation of a miracle attributed to his intercession. Will this be the next Blessed Pope to be named as the saint?

- Too much maritime disasters happened this 2014 and this time, there was a Chinese cargo ship submerged outside Hong Kong after it crashed with a container vessel, leaving eleven crew members missing in action.

TTFN!!!

Super GT 2014 - Fuji

In the second round of the Super GT 2014 championship, it seems that Fuji Speedway's jam packed full of spectators as they witness the best drivers from the GT300 and GT500 class slugging against each other to show who rules Fuji Speedway.

In the GT500, the winner is the #12 Calsonic Impul GT-R driven by Hironobu Yasuda and J.P. L. De Oliveira while in the GT300 class, the winner is the otaku-favorite #4 GOODSMILE HATSUNE MIKU Z4 driven by Nobuteru Taniguchi and Tatsuya Kataoka.

Check out the short highlights from this round:



The next race will be at AUTOPOLIS this June 1st.