MY FH5 Log: THE S7AMPEDE

Having completed the Asphalt Racers' mission, all Forza Horizon 5 players who took part in the Horizon Race-Off series update earned themselves the keys to the all-new seventh-generation Ford Mustang.

Before getting excited to drive the 7th-gen 'stang, let's get to know more about what's known to be the last true muscle car of the new normal.

The seventh-generation Ford Mustang continues the muscle car's legendary story while being peppered with modern touches to adapt to the "new normal". 

Although similarly styled compared to its predecessor, the seventh-generation Mustang features two engine choices such as the 2.3L EcoBoost engine with Modular Power Cylinder, producing 315hp of power and 350lb-ft torque, and the fourth-generation 5.0L Coyote V8 engine that produces 486HP of horsepower and 418lb-ft of torque, not to mention the secret Remote Rev feature that allows you to rev the engine with your remote car key. All engines are mated to either a 10-speed automatic or a 6-speed manual gearbox.

While retaining the independent rear suspension and line lock from its predecessor, the seventh-generation Mustang features an updated MagneRide Damping System as well as selectable Electric Power-Assisted Steering with three settings. It even comes with the signature Drift Brake shaped like a conventional handbrake.

With its legendary performance, the seventh-generation Mustang is the last word in American performance. With its competitors gone extinct, this Mustang means forever even until the end of time itself.

The Mustang community has been demanding to have the seventh-generation Mustang featured in the game since it went on sale last year and now that it's here, just in time for the Mustang's 60th anniversary celebration, there are plenty of reasons to celebrate the seventh generation Mustang's arrival in the world of Forza. 

Although not the first, it's starting to feel at home in the game. It showed potential in Supercars, NASCAR, IMSA, and Formula Drift. Now, it plays a key role in FH5's Horizon Race-Off series update alongside the Ford F-150 Raptor R.

As I'm enjoying the all-new Mustang in the game, two uninvited guests are crashing the Mustang's party.

These uninvited guests are the 1967 Shelby GT500 from the game's Acceleration Car Pack, the classic muscle car popularized from the movie "Gone in 60 Seconds", while the other one is the prize car from the Horizon Race-Off Dry Season playlist, the 2003 Ford Mustang SVT Cobra, the one with the supercharged 4.6L Terminator V8 engine with 390hp of power. Both of these snake beaters have been highly demanded by Forza fanatics since the beginning of time.

The all-new Mustang is primed and ready to teach these "snake beaters" a lesson they will never forget in a one-lap time attack around festival grounds. Roll the tape.

And now, the results...

Shelby GT500 '67 - 1m30.073s

Mustang SVT '03 - 1m27.187s

Ford Mustang '24 - 1m19.730s

Looks like Kikay Matsing ate the twin snakes for tea. Snake Eater.

Built for norm-breakers breaking dullness, boredom, and cliche, the all-new seventh-generation Mustang is the wake-up call for those ready to get up and feel the freedom, full send. 

With its aggressive, sleek, and chiseled design worthy to be called beautiful, as well as its sound that gets your heart racing, if you have the urge to drive before driving the car itself, it's easy to prove that you have Mustang in your blood. Just cause.

Now that the all-new seventh-generation Ford Mustang and the Ford F-150 Raptor R finally gathered, the real Horizon Race-Off begins. Which one stands tall? Find out soon.

Let's Do The News! (April 16, 2024)

                       

Your daily round-up of today's news...

- The Bank of the Philippine Islands notified its customers that their services are temporarily unavailable, particularly ATM withdrawals, CAM deposits, debit card purchases, BPI app, BPI online, and third-party apps.

- The second day of the transport strike organized by Manibela and PISTON groups is underway.

- Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has officially stepped down and been replaced by his successor Lawrence Wong.

- Donald Trump testifies in his first criminal trial over his "hush money" accusations.

- US experts say all oceans are affected due to record heat as evidenced by coral bleaching.

- Police in Sydney say they are treating a knife attack at a church, which injured four people, as a "terrorist act". The stabbing attack occurred days after the mall attack that killed six people before the suspect was killed by the police. A 16-year-old boy was arrested after a bishop, a priest, and churchgoers were attacked during mass at the Assyrian Christ The Good Shepherd Church.

- Alfa Romeo renamed the Milano crossover into Junior because of the Italian government law prohibiting the presentation of a foreign-made product as coming from Italy.

2025 Alfa Romeo Junior

- Abarth unveiled the Classiche 1300 OT which is based on the Alfa Romeo 4C. Only five will be made.

Abarth Classiche 1300 OT

- The first-ever Maserati GranCabrio Folgore was unveiled, offering the same 750bhp electric powertrain from its hardtop equivalent but now with an open-top setting.

2025 Maserati GranCabrio Folgore

- Action star Keanu Reeves will voice Shadow the Hedgehog in the upcoming Sonic the Hedgehog 3 live-action movie. Krysten Ritter, Alyla Browne, James Wolk, Sofia Pernas, Cristo Fernández, and Jorma Taccone are joining the cast.

- WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert is "pretty confident" the league will expand to 16 teams by 2028 and that the goal is to bring in a 14th team for 2026.

- Longtime New York Yankees radio voice John Sterling, age 85, announced his retirement.

- Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the armorer who loaded a gun for actor Alec Baldwin before the fatal Rust film set shooting, was sentenced to 18 months.

TTFN.

My FH5 Log: SCARY FAST

Having proved that being Pro-Offroad is better than being Pro-Asphalt, all Forza Horizon 5 players who took part in the Horizon Race-Off series update earned themselves the keys to the scary fast off-roader, the brand-new Ford F-150 Raptor R.

Before riding shotgun with this scary fast off-roader, let's get to know more about the ultimate F-150.

The Ford F-150 Raptor R is the most powerful production off-road vehicle that Ford has ever manufactured. It has a supercharged 5.2L V8 engine that generates 700 horsepower and 640 foot-pounds of torque. The engine is coupled with a 10-speed automatic transmission.

The F-150 Raptor R has a monstrous performance, but that is not all. It comes with 37-inch BFGoodrich All-Terrain tires that were optional in the standard V6-powered Raptor. It also has Fox Live Valve shocks and recalibrated coil springs to handle the vehicle's monstrous performance.

The Ford F-150 Raptor R is the offroad equivalent of the Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing from several moments ago. You take something cool but dreary from the start and make it extreme enough to prove its worth. By jamming the cool but dreary F-150 Raptor with the V8 engine from the Mustang GT500, the R transformed the Raptor into an off-road muscle car, making every day like that bad guy from Mad Max said "a lovely day". WHAT A LOVELY DAY!

To prove the F-150 Raptor R's offroad dominance, it's time to take on its pasts in the middle of the Baja Circuit. The ideal scenario to demonstrate its scary-fast offroad capability that boldly goes where no off-roader has gone before.

With three generations of F-150 Raptor lined up and my dietary intake full of sweet and tangy desserts, my own Operation Desert Storm is underway. Let's see how much the F-150 Raptor has evolved from the SVT original to the scary-fast R. Roll the tape.

And now the results...

F-150 SVT Raptor - 1m38.482s

F-150 Raptor - 1m34.561s

F-150 Raptor R - 1m28.655s

Based on my experiment, it will take about ten seconds for the F-150 Raptor to evolve from the original SVT one based on the 12th generation model to the scary fast R based on the 14th generation model.

700 horsepower, 640ft-lb of torque, 37-inch tires, and Fox Live Valve shocks. This is the Ford F-150 Raptor R and it is SCARY FAST.

You're glad to experience something scary fast from the moment you got one for supporting the Offroad Racers' mission in the Horizon Race-Off. 

Let's wait for the Asphalt Racers' choice, the all-new seventh-generation Mustang, to make its entrance in a few moments. When the time comes, the real Horizon Race-Off begins.

In the meantime, let's all enjoy Ford's SCARY FAST off-roader like we're in the middle of a Rated R movie.

The Ford F-150 Raptor R. SCARY FAST.

Let's Do The News! (April 15, 2024)

                      

Your daily round-up of today's news...

- The Bangsamoro region has gained eight new cities or towns after the majority of 72,358 residents of 63 barangays in Cotabato province voted in the plebiscite to ratify the Bangsamoro Autonomy Act Nos. 41 to 48. The eight new cities or towns established in the Bangsamoro region are named Pahamuddin, Kadayangan, Nabalawg, Tugunan, Ligawasan, Malidegao, Old Kabakan, and Kapalawan at North Cotabato.

- Former Ilocos Sur Governor Chavit Singson said he will try to mediate former PH president Rodrigo Duterte and current president Bongbong Marcos to fix the mess in their relationship.

- The Department of Foreign Affairs expressed concern about rising tensions between Israel and Iran. The DFA calls on countries not to make the situation worse and to resolve their issue.

- Israel minister Benny Gantz says the country will "exact price" from Iran in "timing that is right for us" during the war cabinet meeting assessing the situation after Iran launched over 300 drones and missiles towards Israel.

- The man who went on a stabbing rampage in a Sydney shopping center appears to have targeted women, police say. Joel Cauchi, 40, sent the crowded Westfield Bondi Junction complex into panic on Saturday when he began stabbing people with a long blade. Five of the six people who died were women. Several others, including a baby, were injured.

- The UN warns the Middle East is on the brink of a full-scale conflict. Israel's ambassador to the UN said Iran had crossed every red line. The UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, was speaking at a Security Council emergency meeting on Iran's missile and drone attacks on Israel.

- Haiti's main political parties urge the outgoing prime minister, Ariel Henry, to speed up the installation of a new transitional council.

- NBC, CNN, and Fox News joined nine other outlets urging Donald Trump and US President Joe Biden to commit to election debates. "There is simply no substitute for the candidates debating with each other, and before the American people, their visions for the future of our nation," the statement reads.

- The Italian government says it's illegal for Alfa Romeo to produce the recently unveiled Milano crossover outside the country in Poland. The government refers to the 2003 law stating it is illegal to present a foreign-made product as coming from Italy. Stellantis defends its decision to build the Milano in Poland, saying it will slash 10k euros off the crossover's retail price which starts at under 30k euros.

- Park Bo Gum, Suzy, and Shin Dong Yup are back as presenters of the 60th Baeksang Arts Awards happening this May 7th.

- SBS announced a new sports-inspired competition show for males titled Universe League, coming soon.

- Scottie Scheffler wins the Masters after closing with 4-under 68 over the final 18 holes to finish at 11 under for the tournament, beating Ludvig Aberg by 4 strokes. Max Homa, Collin Morikawa and Tommy Fleetwood tied for third at 4 under.

- GMA-7's TV drama Black Rider casts Angeli Khang as Nimfa, the last virgin of Isla Alakdan.

TTFN.

2024 NASCAR Cup Series - AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 400

The 2024 NASCAR Cup Series continues in Texas Motor Speedway for the AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 400. The ideal race to conclude the week-long Spring Break.

As the green flag waved, the Spring Break-ending NASCAR race is on. The first stage saw fire on the pit road going through Ty Gibbs' pit box, and Jimmie Johnson spinning in turn 4 on Lap 50. 

As Kyle Larson won Stage 1, Stage 2 saw a Lap 101 disaster for Christopher Bell, Alex Bowman, and John Hunter Nemechek as they spun on track while Lap 114 saw Carson Hocevar spinning on track, followed by Josh Berry on Lap 121 and got banged to the wall on Lap 137. Michael McDowell spun and crashed in turn 4 on Lap 143.

With Ross Chastain winning Stage 2, the final stage is chaos. Lap 181 saw Nemechek get into the wall while Ryan Blaney spun into the wall, Nemechek into the wall on Lap 229, Reddick to the wall on Lap 246, and Larson wreck on the restart on Lap 260. Two overtimes were triggered.

Screengrab from NASCAR

As Ross Chastain wrecks after contact with Brad Keselowski on the backstretch, Chase Elliott wins the AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 400 of the NASCAR Cup Series!

The next race is at Talladega Superspeedway for the GEICO 500 this April 21st.

My FH5 Log: A true heir to the Scuderia's throne

The SF90 took over the F8 as the newest V8 masterpiece of the Ferrari stable. Although it's similarly sized to the F8, the LaFerrari-inspired hybrid drivetrain and the PHEV setup made it too extreme to fit into its shoes. Ferrari created a lesser version of the SF90, eschewing its 4WD layout, sizing it to 488 proportions, and chopping two cylinders off.

The result is the Ferrari 296, a V6-powered hybrid supercar that's part of Forza Horizon 5's Italian Exotics Car Pack. It's supposed to be the successor to the Ferrari F8 Tributo, but it has the same know-how as the SF90 and is sized for both road and track.

The Ferrari 296 is the second series-production PHEV from Ferrari after the SF90 Stradale. It is also Ferrari's first V6-powered model in nearly half a century. The 296 has a 3.0L V6 twin-turbo engine coupled with an electric motor with MGU-K, which produces a combined output of 830PS and 740Nm of torque. This configuration enables the 296 to accelerate from 0 to 100kph in just 2.9 seconds and attain a top speed of 330kph. In testing, the 296 lapped the Fiorano circuit in just 1:21. 

In addition to its electrified performance, the 296 features eSSC, eTC, eDiff, a brand new 6-way Chassis Dynamic Sensor, a new brake-by-wire system, and ABS evo.

The Assetto Fiorano package includes adjustable Multimatic shock absorbers derived from GT racing, high downforce carbon-fiber appendages on the front, and various lightweight materials throughout the vehicle. It is even offered in a special livery inspired by the 250 Le Mans.

I've been itching to drive the 296 because of its appearance not just on the road, but on GT3-class races from the DTM to IMSA. It even won the 2023 Nurburgring 24-hour race as well. I can't wait to get behind the wheel and feel the power of this hybrid supercar for myself. Because it's here, I have plenty of reasons to enjoy Ferrari's newest masterpiece judging by its brake-by-wire system, the race-derived dynamics, the V6 PHEV powertrain, and its overall Ferrari-ism. Although not as cool as its V8-powered predecessors from the 458 to the F8, it's more than enough to thrill me into bits.

To prove that the 296 is the true heir to the Scuderia's throne, I've lined up against the F8 Tributo, the ultimate V8 masterpiece Ferrari has ever made. With the stadium grounds the main venue, it's time to see if the V6 PHEV horseman can topple its V8-powered predecessor. Roll the tape.

And now, the results...

F8 - 1m04.531s

296 - 1m02.830s

A near-two-second gap between them, proving that the V6-powered 296 can be as good as its V8-powered predecessors such as the F8. That's downsizing done right. You can sacrifice your size without sacrificing performance.

The Ferrari 296 is a true thoroughbred that was tried and tested on the road and track. It proves that Ferrari still kept its head in the game despite costly sacrifices in the pursuit of performance. It showed its worth at the world's most demanding racetracks and here in Horizon Mexico, it shines bright as the sun undergoing a solar flare.

EPILOGUE

Having been pleased with both the F8 and the 296, it's time to give these two Ferrari supercars their moment to shine in a series of exhibition races I've prepared for them. But first...

After doing a little angelus prayer, the F8 Tributo prepared its...you guessed it...fortune carat for the role of Prichan idol Anju. As for its successor, the 296...

The Ferrari 296 is proudly wearing its...how should I say this...Solar Crown as it plays the role of PriMagista Jennifer. Like I said, the toughest ones are always in the Ferrari and Ferrari is the alpha male of the supercar realm. Two Ferrari supercars as the two final bosses from the Pretty Series. Touche...

With the makeover done, the Angelus and the Regia Solis are performing against a pack of fans who can't wait to get their hands on these two Ferrari machines. The F8's going underground against a pack of street racers blasting outside Festival grounds while the 296 battles against a pack of expendable drivers uphill. Let's roll the tapes.

The Angelus or the Regia Solis? Who performed better? Can't say...

The F8's Perfect Finale and the 296's Lux Aeterna. The Angelus and the Regia Solis performed like they've never performed, and watching these two Ferraris showcasing their Ferrari-ism made me fired up for more.

Think you're up against these Ferraris? I'm looking forward to seeing you try.

Dismissed.

ABB FIA Formula E S10 - Misano ePrix

There has just been a proper circuit race in Formula E history as Formula E's 10th-anniversary celebrations continue in Misano for its first real circuit racing.

Screengrab from Formula E

In the first part, Antonio Felix Da Costa won, but he was disqualified from the race because his throttle damper spring wasn't found in conformity with the regulations. As a result, Oliver Rowland, who finished 2nd, was promoted to 1st place. A first win for Nissan. 3rd placer Jake Dennis is now in 2nd,  and 4th placer Maximilian Gunther's now in 3rd.

In the second part, meanwhile, it's redemption time for Porsche driver Pascal Wehrlein as he puts his misfortunes from the previous race behind him and wins his second race of the season, ahead of Jake Dennis and Nick Cassidy.

After Formula E's first real circuit race, Pascal Wehrlein is in the lead with 89 points, neck-and-neck with Jake Dennis, and Nissan's Oliver Rowland is in 3rd with 80 points.

The next race will be the Monaco ePrix this April 27th.