Volkswagen up!

2012 Volkswagen up!

Nope, this isn't the title of a Disney Pixar animated movie titled "UP!", this is the Volkswagen up!, a new compact car which is part of the Volkswagen Group New Small Family (NSF) series of models, consists of this, the Skoda Citigo, and the Seat Mii (now why they name it after the avatar made from Nintendo Wii or also Konori-sempai from Railgun?).

Never mind, the Volkswagen up! is the production version of the concept car as seen from the 2007 IAA Frankfurt Motor Show in Germany. However, this is not what you expected. Originally the concept version was Porsche-inspired RR layout but for the production version, it's just a hopeless FF layout because it makes a hassle. Still, a clean and powerful design really fits for Volkswagen's latest eco car built for the masses and it was built from Bratislava, Slovakia, along with its Czech and Spanish cousins. On the interior view, it looks clean and simple, but it's cool if you're a woman from 20's to 30's of age.

The up! 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.

The up! is available in four colors; white, red, light silver metallic, and black pearl. There is also a limited edition "black up!" and "white up!" as well.

My comment:
The VW up! has a good design that is fit for a box car and for a rule of thumb, the new up! is the replacement to the Brazilian-made Fox because the Fox is simply too rubbish for its own right and the up! takes the pace. Is there a possibility for the new up! to come in the Philippines? Not sure but looks nice. It can be a good seller in Europe against the Toyota iQ.

Photo: Volkswagen

BANANA SPLIT CLOWN IN A MILLION UPDATE 12/3/11

The suspense has just begun because on the December 3, 2011 episode of Banana Split, finding the top 5 at Clown in a Million is tough. The remaining six; James Caraan, Mimi Aringo, Leo Priscilla, Onse, Super Tekla, and Karen Dematera undergo some stand-up comedy act with the theme "malapit na ang pasko".

Officially official! 

The Top 5 Clowns are: 

1) Mimi Aringo

2) James Caraan

3) Karen Dematera

4) Super Tekla

5) Onse

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE TOP 5! Now, I wonder which of these five is the winner. Be sure to watch Banana Split for more Clown in a Million!

Nissan Leaf is 2011-2012 Japan Car of the Year!

2011 Nissan Leaf

BREAKING NEWS! At the public day of the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show held at Tokyo Big Sight, the winner of 2011-2012 Japan Car of the Year has announced and this is none other than...

THE NISSAN LEAF!

What a surprise, we never thought that the car that was launched last year deserved today's award and with this outstanding recognition, we see electric cars no longer a niche market but now as a commoner. Of all the cars such as the Toyota Prius Alpha, Honda Fit Shuttle, Mazda Demio Skyactiv, Daihatsu Mira e:S, Volkswagen Passat B7, Mercedes-Benz C-Class, BMW 1-Series F20, Peugeot 508, and Volvo S60/V60, this electric vehicle stands out the crowd.

Wonder how to commemorate the Nissan Leaf's win?

Scoop: http://carview.co.jp/news/0/157748/

THE INTERCEPTOR

Song played in my Personal BGM: STAR RIDER by KAT-TUN

From the album: BIRTH

Detective Stig reporting for duty!

The 1970's are a decade when detective shows are proven to be a popular. We see them in their muscle cars and exotics but almost none of them drives a Jensen Interceptor. Perhaps the styling that resemble more like a hatchback is quite dull and unpopular for the TV heroes of yesteryears. Imagine, I'm driving this Jensen Interceptor and I was the star of a detective show from the 1970's. Whoops! Mentioned from a Top Gear episode about the Jensen Interceptor...

Chasing against karting hooligans at
some indoor kart track!

Anyway the Jensen Interceptor is a classic car you can hardly find it on Gran Turismo 5's Used Car Dealer. It's hard to classify the Interceptor's true form because some say that this one's a classic exotic vehicle because it was powered by a 7.2L engine but this one's the Interceptor MkIII. The Interceptor MkIII is powered by a 7.2L engine that produces 385HP and it is capable to reach 0-100kph in 6.9 seconds. Flat out, this model can do 225kph. A hotshot who plays GT5 would tune the Interceptor as much as 703HP and 1368 of weight. Once driven with assists off, this gets twisty for this old chap that is proven to be not "detective" material in the 70's. This classic is not a good car to try and that's a load of rubbish, what a load of rubbish but still it looks fun to drift.

Japan's Jensen Interceptor Owners Club, maybe...

It may not be a good detective car from the 70's but the Jensen Interceptor is all about being nostalgia but being nostalgia is not good enough especially if someone has a liking over classic exotics. Once I drive the Jensen Interceptor, it feels like...feels like....feels like....

TOP GEAR'S MAKING A TITLE SEQUENCE OF SOMETHING THEY CALLED IT THE INTERCEPTORS!

The One and Only climax

It all goes to this ending of 2012 Camry's web drama, titled The One and Only, starring Lee Min Ho. Enjoy watching it and be sure to have interest on the reinvented 2012 Toyota Camry, now on sale at your nearest Toyota dealers!

Suggested retail price is 21,995 US Dollars for the entry level L variant while the high-end Hybrid XLE costs 27,400 US Dollars! You'll be glad that most Camry models come standard with 10 airbags.

It's ready, are you?

URL: http://www.toyota.com/camry/

Lancia Voyager

The Lancia Thema is not the only one which is a Chrysler 300 in Lancia's clothing. Here comes the Lancia Voyager, based on the facelifted Chrysler Town and Country, that makes it the Italian brand's flagship minivan because this minivan will end up being on the same level as the Nissan Elgrand and Toyota Alphard. This luxury minivan is always focused to be more premium because this will transform the status of the Lancia brand forever.

2012 Lancia Voyager

2012 Lancia Voyager interior

The exterior design for the new Lancia Voyager is top-notch and it really knows how luxurious the outside is thanks to its elegant grille at the front and the rear details are just perfect, perfect enough to be called the king of European minivans. Thanks to the Voyager's one-touch entry, it can provide easy access at the touch of the button. On the interior, it accommodates seven passengers and best of all, they can be folded within various situations. Let's say that you can fold the second row seats to provide access to the third-row seats, or how about turning the Lancia Voyager into an affordable Royal Lounge by stowing the entire second row. This Stow N Go is all business, especially the interior is all business. It's like an office on wheels. The rear-seat dual DVD entertainment system can be somewhat accommodating and entertaining to the passengers. Think watching a movie at the second row while watching news at the third row.

Two available engines are offered on the Lancia Voyager; first is the 3.6 V6 VVT 24v engine that produces 287PS of power and 344Nm of torque, capable of reaching 0-100 in 8.6 seconds, top speed of 209kph, and combined fuel economy of 9.3km/L (10.8L/100km). Lastly is the 2.8 CRD 16v diesel engine that produces 163PS of power and 360Nm of torque, allowing this minivan to reach 0-100 in 11.9 seconds, top speed of 193kph, and combined fuel economy of 12.7km/L (7.9L/100km). The message then is clear, the Lancia Voyager's 3.6 V6 VVT engine is more powerful than the Nissan Elgrand, Toyota Alphard, or the Toyota Vellfire. However, this petrol version doesn't arrive soon so you have to make do with the diesel version.

Available in four colors; Stone White (Bianco Pastello), Bright Silver (Grigio Chiaro), Brilliant Black (Nero), and Dark Charcoal (Grigio Scuro).

My comment:
This Lancia Voyager, the Chrysler Town and Country's Italian cousin might become the King of European minivans because of its premium status that has a quality of Japanese luxury minivans. The interior of the Lancia Voyager is like a well-tailored suit and it is well equipped to please the customers who are looking for a well-mannered minivan loaded with luxury features to entertain the guests at the back.

Photo: Lancia Automobiles - Fiat Group Automobiles S.p.A.

YouTube revamps

When you log in to YouTube, you will be greeted by its new look. That new look made "Channels" occupy the middle column of your YouTube page. At the right, you can see recommended videos based on your uploads, likes, and favorites. Seems that channels are now playing bigger role on this refresh and as of now, there are new analytics that can check your uploaded video's stats.

Scoop: http://www.interaksyon.com/infotech/youtube-redesign-emphasizes-content-channels

Further info: http://www.youtube.com/t/new