Let's Do The News! (November 4, 2015)

- Chinese president Xi Jinping and his Taiwanese counterpart, Ma Ying-jeou, are to hold talks in Singapore this Saturday, their first since Taiwan and mainland China split in 1949. The aim for the meeting between these two nations is to maintain and promote the peaceful development of relations across the Taiwan Strait.

- The chief of Japan's Self-Defense Forces and the US top military commander agree to further boost the nations' bilateral alliance. According to the chief of the SDF, the security situation in the Asia Pacific region is tense, therefore raising the degree to which the US-Japanese alliance contributes to peace and stability in the region.

- Egyptian government says experts are analysing the flight recorders retrieved from the Russian passenger plane that crashed landed in the Sinai Peninsula last weekend. So far, 196 people have been recovered and no signs of life. Based on the recordings, there was some unusual sounds occurred on the aircraft before its untimely crashed. It could be the work of Islamic State militants but officials claim that the IS weren't capable of taking down a plane at an altitude of about 9,400 meters.

- Suspected gunmen from the armed terrorist group Abu Sayyaf demanded a billion peso ransom for two Canadians and a Norwegian taking hostage somewhere in the southern part of the Philippines. It is the biggest ransom the Muslim terrorists sought for yeas. Army Brig. Gen. Alan arrojado said that their government maintains a no-ransom policy, meaning that they will not give in to their demands to secure the hostages' freedom.

- Senator Grace Poe admitted that the two DNA tests she underwent to verify her kinship with probable biological relatives both turned out to be negative. According to her interview from a radio station, the persons who were tapped for the medical procedure didn't match her DNA.

- Mercedes-Benz renamed the flagship SUV GL-Class into the ultra-luxurious GLS-Class, packed with improved dynamics, better range of engines, and more luxurious features.

2017 Mercedes-Benz GLS-Class

- Hyundai announced that Genesis will be spawned into a luxury brand with a G-based naming structure. It will be expanded into six products by the next five years.

- In case you missed the recent Eat Bulaga Kalyeserye, the Kalye's Angels received a letter from Tia Bebeng saying that she's coming, hoping that they will not do what the letter told, including what the Kalye's Angels, Alden, and Yaya Dub are doing most of the time. Minutes later, Yaya Dub's missing! Where did she go? Find out next time and find out.

- According to the widow of the late veteran actor Robin Williams, he committed suicide because of dementia, not depression.

TTFN!!!

Forza Motorsport 6: Know your Bond Car - BMW Z8

MI6 Tanner to Forza 6 players,

As you may know, some of the Bond Cars recorded from the MI6's Q-Branch have been featured in Forza Motorsport 6, the latest installment in the highly-successful Forza franchise available exclusively on the XBOX One. I'll be briefing you with some of the most iconic Bond Cars featured in FM6.



The BMW Z8 is an open-top grand tourer heavily inspired from the legendary BMW 507 of the 1950's.  As a production car, the Z8 features a combination of aluminum space frame and aluminum paneling. It's retro-inspired design was penned by Henrik Fisker who would later work for an Aston Martin DB9 before going on to create his own now-defunct car company behind the Fisker Karma PHEV.

Powering the Z8 is the similar 5.0L V8 from the BMW E39 M5, producing 394HP of power and 368.8ft-lb of torque, while mated with a 6-speed manual gearbox. 0-100kph takes about 4.7 seconds.

It was first revealed in the 1999 Bond film, The World is Not Enough, starring Pierce Brosnan, although its only shot to fame is when it went backwards for a few yards, fired a missile, and gets split into half. Later on, it was featured in Bond games such as 007 Racing, where a selection of Bond cars are featured in different missions, and 007: Agent Under Fire, a first-person shooter game.

In one episode of Top Gear, Jeremy Clarkson thinks that driving the Z8 feels like driving a Scania truck, so a tuned version, the Alpina Z8, was featured and when The Stig drove one, it set a lap time of 1:29.0.

We asked our Q-branch experts to send the Z8 round the Top Gear Test Track to see if this is as fast as the lap time set by The Stig several years ago.



After a lap round the Top Gear Track, our expert did it in 1:27.586, which is around two seconds faster than the lap time set by The Stig, which is quite an amazement for a Bond car that was underappreciated by some after watching it got split into half in a Bond movie.

MI6, end of transmission.

Need For Speed (2015 game)

Need For Speed (PS4)

Need For Speed (XBOX One)

The longest-running hardcore car racing franchise is back and now, the latest Need For Speed game delivers the ultimate definition of car culture where everyone can express their love of cars not as a car enthusiast but as a driver who live out driving as their personal hobby.

Drivers are welcomed in the nocturnal open-world landscape of Ventura Bay as they are free to do whatever the heck they want with their rides. In the new NFS, there are many ways to enjoy Ventura Bay you like as demonstrated by the biggest names in the car culture scene. You can race against your rivals, outrun the cops, perform stunts, customize your ride to make it unique, and form alliances so you'll never race alone.

From Japanese street tuners, European saloons, American muscle cars, to supercars, every car in Need For Speed is unique to the driver and to make them even more unique, they can customize it any way they like.

Yes, customization is mentioned and in Need For Speed, you now have many ways to customize your ride from visuals to performance upgrades. 

On the visual side, drivers can personalize it with body kits, wheels, aero parts, and of course, paint jobs. Although the new feature feels a bit limited, creating paint jobs for their favorite cars adds a nice impression to show the world your favorite car looks like. As for performance, feel free to upgrade whatever suits the situation such as adding more power, making it more driftable, more easier to handle, whatever floats you boat but remember, all cars differ to their performance so experiment upgrading with different rides and find out which setup fits your next race or which is great for escaping the cops.

Thanks to next-generation gaming, the graphics never felt more realistic than ever before and the way you play NFS is nothing like you've ever played before. That's an upside for this game as well as the customizations and many others but the downside goes to the choice of cars. Sure, you might have early access to future machines such as the all-new Ford Focus RS and the BMW M2 Coupe but while the current NFS car lineup is a great start, it feels somewhat lacking. Let's hope some DLC will remedy it but its too early to tell so you have to make do with all the rides offered in-game.

Another downside is when playing off-line, single-player gameplay is allowed but if you want to connect to multiplayer, you need subscription to either PlayStation Plus or XBOX Live Gold to do so, which is kinda lame because we miss the split-screen multiplayer goodness where you and your friends can enjoy this game anytime.

Although this may not be one of the best racing games of 2015, the newly reborn NFS game is a sure fire way to attract car lovers who share their passion for the car culture scene and with car culture is the key essence of this game, this is definitely the NFS game you want to have if you're a series veteran or newcomer alike.

Need For Speed is now available on the PS4 and XBOX One, and coming Spring 2016 for the PC.

F1 2015 - Mexican GP

Photo: Getty Images

After over two decades of hiatus, the Mexican Grand Prix has returned on this year's season and although everything's changed at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in Mexico City, its glorious past still remains the same, even though with numerous F1 drivers who are new to this track.

In the end, Nico Rosberg feels like he's back on the road after his gratuitous win at the Mexican GP, sending his teammate (and rival) Lewis Hamilton to 2nd place, due to downforce problems. That's another 1-2 finish for the Mercedes team. Williams' Valtteri Bottas placed 3rd.

Onto the overall standings, Lewis Hamilton still in 1st place with 345 points while Nico Rosberg, thanks to his win, sent him back to 2nd place with 272, and Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel dropped back to 3rd with 251 points.

The semi-finals of the F1 2015 season will take place in Brazil on the 15th of November.

Let's Do The News! (November 3, 2015)

- ASEAN defense ministers started their two-day talks in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, following reports of an American destroyer vessel sailed within 12 nautical miles of a Chinese-made island in the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea last week. This meeting hopes to gain support for their countries' stances in the ongoing maritime tensions in the South China Sea.

- According to a US State Department spokesperson, the United States will lift sanctions on Iran after monitoring its adherence to the international deal curbing Iran's nuclear development as the relevant nations have started necessary precautions. If the International Atomic Energy Agency verifies that Iran completed the necessary steps, the sanctions will be lifted.

- The first batch of bodies retrieved from Saturday's plane crash in Egypt has arrived in St. Petersburg in Russia. Last weekend, an Airbus A321-200 crashed in the Sinai Peninsula while on its way to the Russian city. Reports told that all 224 people onboard have died.

- Senator Alan Peter Cayetano files complaint  against DOTC Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya and NAIA execus at the Office of the Ombudsman over the alleged tanim-bala scam that has been plaguing airline passengers everywhere. This scam involves some security officials who allegedly insert live rounds in the luggage of passengers and ask them for money in exchange of dropping charges of illegal possession of ammunition.

- A crossfire at a nightclub north of Lebanese capital city, Beirut, killed eight people including two officers and two members of a notorious crime family, according to reports,

- Available tomorrow on Forza Motorsport 6 for the XBOX One Console is the eBay Motors Car Pack featuring motorsport legends such as Senna's McLaren MP4/4, Lancia Corse Beta Montecarlo Turbo, Swiss Team MC Trofeo, Holden Torana A9X, Datsun 2000, Mazda SpeedSource Lola B12/80, and rather unique Plymouth Prowler. Car Pass owners can get it for free.

- W Motors, the Arab-based supercar company behind the Lykan Hypersport, is teasing their next supercar prior to Dubai International Motor Show, called the Fenyr Supersport.

- Earlier, a group of hackers, presumably the Hacktivist group Anonymous Philippines, hacked the official Twitter account of Maine "Yaya Dub" Mendoza, Now, Anonymous PH issued a public apology over the hacking of the popular EB presenter, famous for her AlDub antics on TV.

- Nolyn Cabahug, the leading tenor of the Philippines, passed away due to renal failure he was diagnosed six years ago.

TTFN!!!

Let's Do The News! (November 2, 2015)

- 11 people are reportedly killed in a hotel attack in Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia. Local police say a car rigged with explosives rammed into the hotel's entrance on Sunday and exploded. It is believed to be an attack caused by an Islamic militant group.

- The first-ever Japan-South Korea summit in three years became meaningful as the two leaders, Japan PM Shinzo Abe and South Korean president Park Geun-hye, sought to solve historical issues and improve bilateral ties.

- The Turkish ruling party, AKP, vows to form a single-party government on their own after winning a majority in the country's general elections. They've won 316 seats in parliament, well over the majority.

- US Secretary of State John Kerry met up with his counterparts from five Central Asian nations to discuss ways to combat terrorism. The foreign ministers agreed to cooperate in monitoring the movements of WMDs amid the increasing activities of Islamic State militants infiltrating the region from Afghanistan.

- Two hosts of Eat Bulaga, Joey de Leon and Tito Sotto, got offended by the Filipino Muslim community ever since they wore Arab garbs in the variety show's Halloween special last Saturday.

- Another teaser for the third-generation Buick LaCrosse flagship saloon was showcased prior to this month's LA Auto Show premiere.

- Check out this Amazon Fire TV commercial starring former Top Gear host, now host for Amazon original motoring show, Jeremy Clarkson.

- New Pokemon XY toys on the radar! In celebration of the latest chapter of the XY saga, titled Pokemon XY & Z, Takara Tomy announced new toys based on the latest season. On the Moncolle side, there is now Zygarde Core, Ash-Greninja, and Zygarde 10% Forme. They'll be out this December in time for Christmas. Be on a lookout for the Zygarde Special Pack featuring four forms of Zygarde from the Core, 10% Form, 50% Form, and the Complete Form. They'll be out this December for 3.800 Yen.

There's also a stuffed toy of Zygarde Core itself with a feature that it crawls when you wind up. Available this December for 2,000 Yen.

And now, a little something for everyone. The Pikachu Talk plush where you can talk with Pikachu and it responds with feelings. Want to know what in the world Pikachu says? A special device featuring our favorite archnemesis Meowth can explain what Pikachu says! Yours for just 4,200 Yen when it's on sale this December.

- Seiyuu Miyu Matsuki died on the 27th of October at the age of 38 due to an illness, according to her talent agency. Back in July, she announced that she'll be taking a break from her seiyuu career to focus on treating her pneumonia. Matsuki was known for her roles as Isumi Saginomiya from the Hayate the Combat Butler series, Magical Sapphire in Fate/kaleid liner Prisma Illya, and many others.

TTFN!!!

Fourth-generation Kia Sportage

2016 Kia Sportage

Shortly after its debut at the 2015 Frankfurt International Motor Show, this all-new, fourth-generation, Kia Sportage managed to slip in through Korean dealerships following its world premiere to the massive motoring public in Europe and for this new model, this new model claims to be more attractive than the previous model with its new look, new tech, and greater quality.

2016 Kia Sportage

2016 Kia Sportage interior

To getting to know more about the Sportage, first, let's get to know more about its design and for this new model, feels like there's some mixed results involved here. From the front view, it looks like an oversized version of its little brother, the Soul, while the side view looks oddly similar to its previous-generation Sportage, while on the back, it looks like they've stole it from the not-for-Japan Toyota RAV4. The new exterior looks very questionable, right? And now, let's take a look on the interior and some might jump through conclusions that it was plagued by its uniformity that most interiors of present-day Kia models had but take a closer look and be the judge of it. Practicality-wise, the new Sportage promises to be more convenient than the last one thanks to rear folding seats, 1,492 litres of boot space, and seating variations that will accommodate any luggage-related scenarios. It even has high-tech features such as the UVO II telematics system, smartphone connectivity, and a smart tailgate.

2016 Kia Sportage

Bear that in mind that the new Sportage uses the same underpinnings as the latest-generation Hyundai Tucson, meaning that the engine choices offered in the Sportage are the same as the Tucson such as the e-VGT R2.0 diesel engine connected with either a 6-speed manual or automatic as well as the smaller e-VGT U-II 1.7L diesel engine that develops 141PS of power and 34.7kg-m of torque,  mated with a 7-speed double-clutch gearbox. Fuel economy for the 2.0L model is expected from 12.4 to 15.0km/L while the 1.7L model can expect 15.0km/L of fuel consumption, although driver verification is strongly advised to figure out how fuel efficient is these variants.

 

One thing that drivers will notice is the Drive Mode Select button which allows the driver to switch between three driving modes; SPORT, NORMAL, or ECO. When in SPORT mode, it firms up the suspension and makes it sharper to handle but for a car like this, let's call it as sharp as your recently-sharped pencil rather than a knife. Other things you might be keen about are the 4WD Lock button and the Idle Stop and Go system which turns off the engine while pulling at a set of lights.

For added safety, the new Sportage comes with driving aids such as Auto Emergency Brake, Blind Spot Detection, Electronic Stability Control, Lane Departure Warning System, Static Binding Light, and Advanced SPAS which allows this one to park hands-free.

The MSRP for the new Sportage starts at 21,790,000 Korean Won, which sounds like a lot less compared to the Tucson even though they got the same stuff, but anyway, it's a smart buy for a crossover well-tailored for any occasion.

Photo: Kia Motors