FIA Formula E 2015-2016 FINALE

The two-part London finale at the 2015-2016 season of the FIA Formula E Championship really ends this season with a major twist unheard of in the world of motorsports as Sebastien Buemi and Lucas di Grassi ended up not finishing the last race but thanks to the "fastest lap" tiebreaker, Buemi wins and he is named as the FIA Formula E 2015-2016 champion.

That was quite a twist in the world of motorsports when everyone noticed that two top drivers ended up in a crash but settled in a fast lap tiebreaker to determine this season's champion.

Highlights:

And that concludes this season of the FIA Formula E Championship and for the upcoming 2016-2017 season, there will be big changes for this championship as well as the addition of the questionable RoboRace. Wonder how will the next season unfolds for the future of zero-emission motorsport like this? Only time will tell...

Let's Do The News! (July 6, 2016)

- Typhoon Butchoy has intensified further as it maintained its speed and direction as of 1100 hours local time, according to PAGASA. Butchoy packed maximum sustained winds of 195 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 230kph while its estimated rainfall amount is from moderate to heavy within the 550km diameter of the typhoon. Signal No. 1 was issued over the Batanes Group of Islands.

- President Rodrigo Duterte extended his greetings to Filipino Muslims as they commemorate Eid'l Fitr, the annual feast which marks the end of Ramadan, the Islamic holy month. In his message to Filipino Muslims, Duterte describe this year's Eid'l Fitr as "timely and relevant" given the change of leadership.

- Philippine National Police chief Director General Ronald Dela Rosa said the three police generals linked to illegal drugs have reported to him and have already been turned over to the NAPOLCOM for formal investigation.

- Onto the race to the White House for the November 2016 elections, US President Barack Obama has joined presumptive Democratic presidentiable Hillary Clinton on her campaign for the first time at a rally in North Carolina on Tuesday. Clinton praised Obama, saying he was the president who knew how to keep America safe and strong. Republican presidentiable Donald Trump, meanwhile, harshly condemns Clinton over her controversial email scandal. Trump referred to the FBI's decision not to file charges against her for using a private email server while she was secretary of state, which the agency called her handling of classified information "extremely careless". Of course, the FBI says it will not press criminal charges against Clinton over her e-mail scandal following last week's interview because the agency did not find clear evidence that they intended to violate the law and there was no "intentional misconduct".

- Brazil has increased security in venues to be used in the Rio 2016 Olympics and other public spaces before next month's games are open. Justice minister Alexandre de Moraes spoke at the Olumpic security forces' launch ceremony before 1,000 personnel.

- Although the Islamic holy month of Ramadan has ended, countries remain on high alert following multiple terrorist attacks during the month. During the holy month, deadly attack were carried out in countries including Turkey, Bangladesh, and Iraq.

- Aston Martin unveiled the AM-RB 001 hypercar in collaboration with Red Bull Racing. Combined with ultra-lightweight materials as well as its V12 engine, it claims to have an impossible 1:1 power-to-weight ratio, just like the Koenigsegg One:1. Deliveries will commence this 2018.

 

- An open-top version of the Ferrari LaFerrari hybrid hypercar has been uncovered prior to its Paris Motor Show debut this fall. Before its announcement, all of the units have been officially sold out.

TTFN!!!

F1 2016: Austrian GP

Photo: Getty Images

Despite a rainy weather in Spielberg, Austria, the rivalry between Mercedes-AMG's F1 aces, Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg, heated the Austrian GP of the F1 2016 season and as demonstrated by their last-lap contact between them at the finish line, it's anyone's guess how long will this cat-and-mouse game will last until the end of term. Of course, with Hamilton winning the Austrian GP following Rosberg's "incident", the gap between them is now reduced to 11 points in the overall standings. Following Hamilton's win, Red Bull rookie Max Verstappen taste another podium finish after holding off Kimi Raikkonen to secure third place while Sebastian Vettel's 2nd place finish is not too shabby for Ferrari, either.

The next race is set at Great Britain on the 10th of July.

Juno probe successfully reached Jupiter

After a five-year journey, NASA's Juno probe has successfully reached Jupiter.

Launched in August 2011, Juno completed entry into Jupiter's orbit at around 0353 hours UTC, making it the second probe to enter Jupiter since the Galileo in 1995. It will orbit Jupiter over the next 18 months and conduct observations from an altitude of 5,000km - the closest a probe has reached the planet's surface.

With Juno, NASA scientists will be able to discover more about the planet Jupiter.

Further reading: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/amp/36710768

*Creative visualization

Let's Do The News! (July 5, 2016)

- A typhoon named Butchoy has entered the Philippine Area of Responsibility Tuesday afternoon. Although not expected to make landfall, the typhoon is expected to enhance due to habagat in the next few days. The eye of the typhoon, according to PAGASA, was located at 1,440km east of Baler, Aurora.

- President Rodrigo Duterte named the five high-ranking officials from the Philippine National Police allegedly involved in illegal drugs. During his speech at the Philippine Air Force's 69th anniversary, Duterte warned officials involved in illegal drugs and named PNP Deputy Director General Marcelo Garbo Jr., former NCR Police Office chief Director Joel Pagdilao, Western Visayas regional director Chief Superintendent Bernardo Diaz, Quezon City Police District director Chief Superintendent Edgardo Tinio, and retired police general Vic Loot.

- Vice President Leni Robredo, meanwhile, will hold a leadership position in the Liberal Party as stated by the rules of the political party. Robredo said the LP has yet to meet formally after President Duterte's first SONA on the 25th this month.

- Onto the Brexit aftermath, UKIP leader Nigel Farage, one of the spearheaders of the successful campaign to leave the European Union in the referendum last month, says he is stepping down from his position. Farage told reporters that he has done his bit, and couldn't possibly achieve more than he did in the referendum. He will remain as a member of the European Parliament and continues to work with other European lawmakers skeptical of the EU.

- Onto the Istanbul airport attack, Turkish authorities suspect a network of former Soviet extremists may be behind the attack. Reports told that the organizer behind the attack was Akhmed Chatayev from Chechnya, southern Russia. He is believed to be a leader in the Islamic State group.

- People across the United States of America have celebrated Independence Day under maximum security against potential attacks. Traditional festivities such as fireworks displays and parades are held every year on the 4th of July in honor of America's independence from British tyranny from 1776.

- The iconic Mount Panorama circuit in Bathurst will be having a second layout to the Eastern part of the track soon. The Bathurst Regional Council has secured the land needed to make the proposal. The project is expected to cost 50 million dollars, not including the cost of securing the 32-hectare plot of land.

- Cardcaptor Sakura's 20th anniversary celebration continues with two new Nendoroid Co-de variants of Sakura Kinomoto, They're both available to order for 2,778 Yen plus tax and arrives this November.

- Jyushimatsu and Todomatsu from Osomatsu-san joins the Nendoroid range. They're now available to order starting at 3,241 Yen plus tax and deliveries will start this November.

TTFN!!!

The Cute Wall (Volume Fourteen)

Now, the moment of truth is time because it's now time to do...THE CUTE WALL!



It's back, ladies and gents, and today's CUTE WALL is a very special one.

What special?

What? Don't know anything?

No. What is it?

Because of this!

Wait...are these Aqours?!

Aqours it is and who saw the pilot episode of the new Love Live Sunshine anime? Raise your hands...

(audience raising hands)

That's a lot because almost anyone around here watched the new show and I think they're getting warmed up for the Aqours craze.

Yeah, the same way what...μ's did five years ago. So, whose Aqours member should we go first? Chika Takami?

Correct. Chika Takami it is. So, any thoughts about her?

Chika is...um...what can you say about her anyway?

For me, Chika is like Honoka but with a million times more manageable, in my mind.

(audience laughing)

Like Honoka, do you really think Chika's going to be the cutest of the Aqours members?

For me, yes. And I know where to put our new favorite school idol girl in this wall.

Where? Is it...NAKAKA...

Nailed it. It's NAKAKAGIGIL.

(audience laughing, then applause)

All righty, then. So, who's next?

Riko Sakurauchi. The former Tokyo girl who now resides to Uchiura and you can really tell that she used to reside from Tokyo is on her...

(static)

~MINOR TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES. PLEASE STAND BY...~

I see. But did you notice more about her when Chika saw her took her clothes off?

(audience murmuring)

Hey. What's up with them?

When Riko took her clothes off and showed off her...um...swimsuit, the fans got their pants wet during bedtime. No. That's only the first episode because pretty soon, there's one Aqours members that will surely wet their pants once and for all during bedtime and that someone really is You.

Me?!

Not you, You Watanabe. The diver of a swim club. If you see You wearing her speedo, that's where the fans' reactions really kicked in as they'll going to wet themselves in bed upon remembering her. Believe it or not, You Watanabe in her speedo is a million times more bedwetting than...(ahem)

Kanan Matsuura in her wet suit?

(audience laughing)

I know that sounds disgusting but she's kinda cute in a normal sort of way while she's not in her speedo.

Same thing goes to Kanan, right?

Not sure about that but oh well.

Hey. Now that we mentioned Riko, You, and Kanan, care to guess where we should put them?

Riko? Well, I'll put her on...NOT CUTE.

(audience laughing)

Seriously?

Uh-huh. You? CUTE for her.  As for Kanan, CUTE!

(audience laughing)

Who's next?

Dia. Dia Kurosawa.

And who is she?

She's the student council president, just like my beloved Elichika.

(audience laughing)

Sadly, unlike Eli Ayase, Dia's quite an aggressive person that you couldn't count on even when she's part of Aqours for one main reason that I can't tell you about it and believe it or not, she has a sister named...

Ruby?

Correct. Ruby is...ahem, a rather opposite of her big sister Dia. She may be timid but she's very reluctant to take things seriously. She's a great friend of Hanamaru Kunikida, a member of a choir band.

Hanamaru looks kinda friendly and nice, by the way, and I agree with the chemistry between Hanamaru and Ruby because they look kinda cute when they're together.

For freshmen students like them, they're quite admirable, I'll give you that.

So, where will you put them?

It's a CUTE for Ruby and Hanamaru. As for Dia...NOT CUTE.

(audience laughing)

NOT CUTE?!

I don't like Dia's personality. Her aggressive demeanor is not well suited enough to be called cute so it's a NOT CUTE for me.

Who's next?

The rich girl. Mari Ohara.

Mari Ohara?

Yes. She's a rich girl whose father is a foreigner and runs a hotel business. You can really tell Mari's the rich girl just by noticing her personal mode of transport.

Judging by her appearance, I'm glad Aqours had a member who is a rich girl just like Maki Nishikino.

Yes, but Maki and Mari are typically different because Mari's got...class. She's classy and elegant, unlike Maki Nishikino, who often gets her hand sweaty on different situations.

(audience laughing)

But whatever the heck Mari is, let's seal her fate in the CUTE spot just in case. So, with eight of the Aqours members had their spots on the wall, that leaves us with...oh no.

What's wrong?

Our worst nightmare.

What is it?

Yoshiko Tsushima.

(audience laughing)

Oh my...

(audience murmuring)

What's wrong with them?

These guys noticed just how scary Yoshiko...er...Yohanne is and why we called her Yohanne because she wanted to be called Yohanne the little devil rather than her real name because some say, she's the walking disaster.

More like a walking time bomb if you ask?

Shhh....You're trying to make it worse. Ever seen her hand pose when they do jankenpon? That's not paper that Yohanne did...that's just...I can't tell what's what but it's got to be scary.

(audience laughing)

Shhh... (whispering) Where should we put this demon in the wall?

(Whispering) Tell you what. To avoid any mishaps that this little devil's going to cause on us, we have to seal her in...the SERIOUSLY NOT CUTE position.

(Whispering) Okay.

TIME FOR THE RECAP!

SERIOUSLY NOT CUTE:

Raichu

Whisper

Minion

Nico Yazawa

Takane Shijou

Azusa Miura

Makoto Kikuchi

Anzu Futaba

Croagunk

Touma Amagase

Shota Mitarai

Hokuto Ijuin

Teru Tendo

Kaoru Sakuraba

Tsubasa Kashikawa

Kyouji Takajou

Minori Watanabe

Kyosuke Aoi

Yusuke Aoi

Shiki Iseya

Haruna Wakazato

Hayato Akiyama

Jun Fuyumi

Natsuki Sakaki

Rui Maita

Chio Hazama

Jiro Yamashita

Treecko

Jill Valentine

Rebecca Chambers

Claire Redfield

Ada Wong

Ashley Graham

Sheva Alomar

Helena Harper

Sherry Birkin

Moira Burton

Natalia Korda

Osomatsu

Karamatsu

Choromatsu

Ichimatsu

Jyuushimatsu

Todomatsu

Miyabi Fujiwara

Risa Shirakaba

Rin Kurosawa

Mia Fey

Rayfa Padma Khura'in

Buttercup

*Yoshiko Tsushima

NOT CUTE:

Dopey

Kwazii

Minion

Amethyst

Rin Hoshizora

Hibiki Ganaha

Minami Nitta

Ranko Kanzaki

Miku Maekawa

Kion

Fuli

Beshte

Bunga

Ono

Pierre

Scraggy

Bulbasaur

Squirtle

Cyndaquil

Turtwig

Sumire Hikami

Juri Kurebayashi

Nono Daichi

Hime Shiratori

Tsubasa Kisaragi

Yuzu Nikaido

Yozora Kasumi

Maya Fey

Pearl Fey

Ema Skye

Trucy Wright

Kay Faraday

Athena Cykes

Blossom

Mirai Kasuga

Shizuka Mogami

Tsubasa Ibuki

Shiho Kitazawa

Umi Kousaka

Julia

Megumi Tokoro

Yuriko Nanao

Serika Hakozaki

Anna Mochizuki

Kana Yabuki

Nao Yokoyama

*Riko Sakurauchi

*Dia Kurosawa

CUTE:

Pichu

Plusle

Minun

Pachirisu

Emolga

Dedenne

Mokona

Mog

Catbug

Bashful

Froakie

Fennekin

Harukasan

Stuffy

Tunip the Vegimal

Minccino

Piplup

Sylveon

Queen Delightful

Axew

Jibanyan

Minion

Serena's Pancham

Umi Sonoda

Eli Ayase

Hanayo Koizumi

Maki Nishikino

Nozomi Tojo

Miki Hoshii

Yukiho Hagiwara

Iori Minase

Ritsuko Akizuki

Anastasia

Kanako Mimura

Chieri Ogata

Miria Akagi

Rika Jougasaki

Kirari Moroboshi

Riina Tada

Rin Shibuya

Mio Honda

Komasan

Komajiro

Grizz

Panda

Ice Bear

Clefairy

Jigglypuff

Chansey

Eevee

Tepig

Snivy

Chikorita

Charmander

Totodile

Torchic

Mudkip

Chimchar

Hinaki Shinjo

Madoka Amahana

Kokone Kurisu

Nina Dojima

Yume Njino

Rola Sakuraba

Laala Manaka

Bubbles

*You Watanabe

*Kanan Matsuura

*Ruby Kurosawa

*Hanamaru Kunikida

*Mari Ohara

NAKAKAGIGIL!!!:

Pikachu

BMO

Bijou

Poof

George

Happy

Chespin

Doc McStuffins

Mabel Pines

Sofia

Cottonee

Minion

Oshawott

Star Butterfly

Honoka Kousaka

Kotori Minami

Haruka Amami

Yayoi Takatsuki

Chihaya Kisaragi

Ami Futami

Mami Futami

Uzuki Shimamura

Noibat

Togepi

Squishy

Ichigo Hoshimiya

Aoi Kiriya

Ran Shibuki

Akari Ozora

Braixen

*Chika Takami

Independence Day Resurgence

The year 2016 marks the 20th anniversary of Independence Day, the movie that crafted the sci-fi disaster flick by storm and who can ever forget the iconic scene when an alien ship destroyed the White House with a powerful beam as well as Will Smith's iconic role as one of the pilots who bravely resisted the alien invasion? In honor of the film's 20th anniversary since the movie premiered in 1996, a brand new Independence Day film has arrived but is it worth waiting?

Independence Day Resurgence

Independence Day Resurgence brings back familiar faces from the 1996 film such as Jeff Goldblum, Bill Pullman, and Vivica A. Fox, as well as new ones such as Liam Hemsworth, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Maika Monroe, Joey King, Jessie Usher, and Sela Ward. Sadly though, Will Smith was not present in this sequel, which makes us very sad. Anyway, in this film, while Earth was reeling from the massive alien attack 20 years ago, the planet has been invaded once again by aliens, only this time, they're getting more and more powerful and growing in numbers that can outnumber Earth's forces. Thanks to newly recovered alien weaponry, world leaders initiated a multiscale defense effort to save Earth but nothing can prepare us for the massive extraterrestrial onslaught and only a handful of heroes can repeat the victory that liberated Earth from its invaders 20 years ago.

Although this movie is more of a 20th anniversary offering to the 1996 flick, Resurgence feels somewhat lacking compared to the original. Even with returning favorites as well as disaster flick master Roland Emmerich directed it and the endless use of special effects to make this movie as awesome as any sci-fi flick we know, it still won't make the cut to bring the magic that the 1996 Independence Day flick had. The lack of Will Smith means that the sequel feels somewhat odd, a bit tad old-fashioned, and a bit tasteless like sipping a cup of water. However, in terms of getting glued till the end of the movie, Resurgence remains its thrilling feel as the original and with some massive earth-shaking moments and cool space-age dogfights in store, this is just enough to blow a cake to Independence Day's 20th birthday.

To conclude, although the sequel lacks the original's formula, it still capable enough to blow anyone who got glued watching it until the film's ending.

My rating: 3.1 out of 5.

Top Gear S23 Finale

The Series 23 finale of "brand new" Top Gear gives a fresh send-off to the revamped show with cars, cars, and cars, starting with Chris Harris tries out the new Honda NSX and then handed to The Stig to set a 1:17.6 lap time round the Top Gear track. Then, Rory Reid checks out the brand new Ford Mustang. Meanwhile, Matt LeBlanc tries out Porsche's hardcore 911R with enthusiasm. And lastly, Chris Evans tastes nostalgia with restored and modernized MGB vintage sports car.

In Star In A Rallycross car, comedian Greg Davies and racing driver Patrick Dempsey lapped round the track in 2:27.1 and 2:12, all in wet conditions.

Because this is the season finale, the finale ends with the presenters trying to leap the rallycross Mini the longest in tve high-jump part of the rallycross section of the track.

Well, after six episodes aired, it's hard to say whether the "brand new" Top Gear is acceptable than the old one but due to Chris Evans' "unacceptable" behavior, feels like the future is shady for BBC's hit motoring show but with Rory Reid and Chris Harris spicing up the show and a plethora of cool cars shown, the new Top Gear feels not so bad to look at but not good enough to be patched from Evans' behavior.

Good thing is that after the show, Chris Evans announced that he's leaving Top Gear for good, meaning that with Evans out of the picture, the future looks bright for the "brand new" Top Gear for the next few terms but for how long? Only time will tell...

28th Annual Pacific Northwest Historics Vintage Races

The roar of nostalgic past has swept through the Independence Day weekend at the Pacific Raceway in Kent, Washington, for the 28th annual Pacific Northwest Historics VINTAGE RACES, which was presented by BMW Northwest dealership. It was held from the 1st and 3rd of July, 2016, and in this event, they've honored the 50th anniversary of Corvette Racing as well as the 70th anniversary reunion of the legendary Cooper Racing Cars.

Anyway, I managed to take some snapshots during the event just to have the fun of it...



Full Gallery: https://www.flickr.com/gp/leopauldelr/rr0D4L

My video:

Let's Do The News! (July 4, 2016)

- President Rodrigo Duterte's first Executive Order was issued on Monday in which seeks to reengineer the Office of the President. Duterte cited Presidential Decree 1416 which provides that the president shall have continuing authority to reorganize the administrative structure of the national government. The 12 agencies are tasked to evaluate existing poverty reduction programs and formulate project that seek to improve people's lives of the most important sectors of the society.

- Vice President Leni Robredo made a courtesy visit to President Rodrigo Duterte in Malacanang Palace on Monday afternoon. This is the second time the two new top officials met together since the AFP turnover ceremony last week.

- The Federal Bureau of Investigation have interviewed presumptive Democratic presidentiable Hillary Clinton over her use of a private email server while she was Secretary of State. The 3-and-a-half hour interview took place on Saturday at the FBI HQ in Washington. Later, in a telephone interview with US media, Clinton is welcomed to do the FBI interview, which her side described as voluntary,

- The terrorist attack at a restaurant in Dhaka, Bangladesh, is drawing condemnation from the international community. Last Friday, an armed group attacked the restaurant and about 20 bodies were found at the site, including seven Japanese people, nine Italians, an American, and an Indian, reports told. An organization claiming as an affiliate of ISIS claimed responsibility.

- French police have used an explosive to blow up a car parked illegally near a stadium where France and Iceland met for the Euro 2016 quarterfinals. The officers searched the car after the blast but nothing found. The blast near Paris caused jitters among fans arriving at the Stade de France stadium for the key game on Sunday.

- Turkish authorities have decided to hold 13 suspects in connection with the Istanbul airport attack last week. The suspects include three foreigners, who were among the 29 people captured after the bombing and shooting that killed 44.

- 125 people died at a car bomb attack in Baghdad, Iraq. The bomb exploded on Sunday morning in the Karrada district, where many Shia Muslims live. The Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack.

- Russia's Olympic Committee has appealed a ban on its athletics team from the upcoming Rio de Janeiro Olympics over doping. The legal department head of the committee told Russia's state-run news agency on Sunday that her organization and 68 athletes filed the appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

- 2013's hit anime series, Attack on Titan, returns for a brand new season this Spring 2017.

- D3Publisher announced a new and rather bizarre game titled Idol Death Game TV. Why not? Because this PSVita game, slated for its October 20 release, is an action adventure game about idols ended on a battle royale for the center position.

TTFN!!!

Disney's The BFG

Forged by the collaborative efforts of Roald Dahl, Walt Disney, and Steven Spielberg, the classic tale of "The BFG" has come to life in this whimsical mix of live-action and CGI effects that will captivate the whole family in the long summer weekend.

Disney's The BFG

Starring Mark Rylance, Ruby Barnhill, Penelope Wilton, Jemaine Clement, and Rebecca Hall, The BFG is about a little orphan girl named Sophie who had a chance encounter with a giant and then set off to an adventure that is far beyond our imagination. Throughout their adventure, their newly found friendship are tested when she heard that giants like him are flush-bunking off to her world to devour a few nice children and it's up to the unlikely duo to stop them once and for all.

Because The BFG is based on the works of children's books author Roald Dahl, the man behind other fantasy greats like James and the Giant Peach, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and Matilda, fantasy is the forte of this film as this film wants to capture young children with some unforgettable moments that will touch the hearts of many. It's like they're living in a fairy tale but it's beyond a grander scale for the whole family to witness it. With the combination of Disney and Steven Spielberg, this one-of-a-kind collaborative movie brings "movie magic" to a whole new meaning and The BFG never fails to impress as a family-friendly movie big enough to become one of the most heart-warming family movies of the summer. Watch this film until the very end and you will never deny just how beautiful this fantasy movie is.

Thanks to such a unique collaboration, Disney's The BFG is going to be an instant classic for those who have witnessed the story of a little girl and a big friendly giant setting off to humongous adventures big enough to be captivated by kids and by kids once upon a time.

My rating: 4.3 out of 5.

Cadillac CT6 and XT5

With Cadillac now taking a bold new approach with thanks to the man who used to shaped Nissan's Infiniti to its former glory, General Motors' luxury brand introduced us with two new machines that signals the rebirth that erases our minds from thinking that they're made only for senior citizens since...well, you know.

2016 Cadillac CT6

I'll begin with Cadillac's brand new flagship saloon, the CT6, and if the name takes a beating on you, that's because Cadillac's using a brand new naming structure similar to Renault-Samsung's. They'll be using the CT-prefix for saloons and XT-prefix for crossovers, but let's not talk long about it because let's focus onto the new CT6, the new flagship saloon from Cadillac. From the start, it looks closely similar to either a E-Class fighting CTS or a lackluster fleet-capable XTS but what this car looks like, it would be both because all that Art & Science philosophy is pouring into this saloon and from every angle, the CT6 rethinks the way Cadillac is meant to be, as an American flagship capable to tackle the likes of BMW's 7-Series, Audi's A8, Benz's S-Class, even Lexus's LS and Genesis' EQ900 as well.

One thing that sets them apart is the price because the CT6 starts at 53,495 US Dollars, which makes it a BMW 7-Series in 5-Series money. Now, that's a bargain but what do you get for a flagship saloon that is less expensive than the luxury flagships from Europe and Asia?

2016 Cadillac CT6 interior

Outside, the CT6 is a well-shaped saloon that balances style and performance at the same pace despite its big size. On the inside, you will notice the new Cadillac interior that will soon to apply in upcoming models within the end of the decade and it combines craftsmanship with technology that sets its class apart from the opposition. In my mind, the new Cadillac interior looks gorgeous by detail but it's not just the design that shaped the interior. It's the tech that revolutionized it and with the CT6, every nook and cranny has been well-shaped to give owners a much office-like feel on the road. Getting accommodated with the CT6's interior sounds nice but trying to learn more about the high-tech stuff is going to be a challenge, especially if you're not a big fan of technology.

2016 Cadillac CT6

What about driving? Since this is an entirely new car, the CT6 features a brand new platform as seen on the Chevrolet Camaro. Called the Omega platform, this platform uses a combination of steel and aluminum materials, resulting to a car that weighs less than BMW's 5-Series. That sounds great, as are the dynamics that feel great to drive but it's a bit tad old-fashioned if you know what I'm saying.

Then, there's the choice of engines. The CT6 comes with a choice of three engines; a 2.0L turbo, a 3.6L V6, and a powerful 3.0L V6 Twin-Turbo engine producing 404HP of power and 542Nm of torque. all mated with an 8-speed automatic gearbox. Word from the mouth is that there's going to be a turbocharged V8 model coming soon but don't expect this to be a more exciting addition to it because even though it packs more oomph, the turbo's main purpose of better fuel economy might get the drop out of you.

And there's more because while the CT6 promises tech for a luxury saloon of this size, it comes with a rather bizarre feature called the Super Cruise autonomous driving feature which allows hands-free lane following, braking, and speed control. That feels scary but this is the future we're living it and autonomous driving tech will be all over even before the end of the decade, which sounds not so bad but would will be the end of fun driving as we knew it? It's too early to tell but in the meantime, hope you're not so stupid about taking advantage of its autonomous driving feature because while this is the future, this feature has a big fine print that drivers like you should be aware of. If things get wrong, it's no one's guess.

The CT6 is the first of the eight new models Cadillac will be launched before the end of the decade and the second of what I mentioned will be a crossover called the XT5.

2017 Cadillac XT5

2017 Cadillac XT5

2017 Cadillac XT5 interior

Served as the replacement of the SRX, the new XT5 features similar looks as the CT6 as well as its 3.6L V6 natural aspiration engine mated to an 8-speed gearbox. This engine is good for having 310HP of power and 367Nm of torque so that sounds sporty for a good V6 engine that has been around in most Cadillac models in its portfolio but don't get too confident on its power because this comes with the platform used on the China-made Buick Envision, so you may have high doubts about how it performs not just on the city centers but also on the open roads if you have a schedule to go to the country club to play golf.

Speaking of golf, because this is a crossover, the XT5 features a much spacious cabin that can accommodate various lifestyles you see fit because the XT5 isn't just a crossover, it's a lifestyle that deserves to have a lifestyle check before setting off.

So, with Cadillac's new CT6 flagship saloon and the new XT5 crossover, the luxury division of General Motors has started its major overhaul and how will Cadillac fare better against the opposition from Europe and Asia is all up to its customer satisfaction that requires clear thinking and clear judgment to settle things once and for all.

Photo: General Motors