- Pandi, Bulacan Mayor Enrico Roque was released two days before Christmas.
- Congressmen who are members of the Makabayan bloc have asked the House leadership to immediately take action on the impeachment complaints filed against PH Vice President Sara Duterte.
- 15 volcanic earthquakes were recorded around the Kanlaon Volcano, according to PHIVOLCS.
- The Armed Forces of the Philippines is tightening its intel monitoring this holiday season.
- Syria's new leader says armed factions will come under state control. Turkey says there's no room for Kurds in Syria's future.
- Germany promises a thorough investigation into the Magdeburg attack.
- The MF Ghost TV anime will return for its third season soon.
- Honda, Mitsubishi Motors, and Nissan have signed an MOU “to advance discussions among the three companies.”
- JTBC gives a sneak preview of its 2025 drama lineup coming soon on the said channel
- Senate Majority Leader Francis Tolentino supported the production of new polymer bills of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas.
- House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez defended the allocations for aid programs contained in the 2025 national budget.
- The Regional Task Force/Inter-Agency Coordinating Cell is set to present the Contingency Plan in relation to the ongoing eruption of Kanlaon Volcano.
- Volkswagen ended production of its VR6 engine. First debuted in 1991, this engine powered cars like the Golf, Passat, and the Corrado. Over 1.87 million units were produced.
- The ONE PIECE TV anime series will return on April 6 with new episodes and will air on an evening timeslot on Sundays at 2315 hours JST. In addition, Subaru Kimura will take over the role of Franky.
- The final season of My Hero Academia will air this Autumn 2025, but before that, the Vigilantes prequel anime will air this April 2025.
- The Chainsaw Man movie's Reze Arc will hit cinemas this 2025 with Reina Ueda joining the cast as Reze.
First emerging in 1954, the SL rewrote the rules of grand touring for seven decades from the gullwing-doored first-generation W198 model to the current-generation Mercedes-AMG SL W232 range. How does it start and go? Let's find out.
For seven decades, the lineage of the SL, ranging from W198 to W232, has epitomized the enduring legacy of one of Mercedes-Benz's most celebrated grand touring automobiles. This remarkable journey highlights the impressive design evolution and engineering prowess of the SL and its unwavering status as a symbol of luxury and performance.
The Mercedes-Benz 300SL, codenamed W198, was introduced in 1954 as a coupe with fascinating gullwing doors and later an open roadster. This car is a softened road-legal version based on the company's successful 1952 race car, the W194. It comes with the 3.0L M198 SOHC I6 engine fitted with a Bosch mechanical gasoline direct injection system that generates about 212-222 hp. It was mated with the 4-speed manual transmission.
What about the W232 model? No longer called the Mercedes-Benz SL-Class, the first-ever Mercedes-AMG SL continues the SL lineage in a new approach. Sized and styled to AMG GT standards, the Mercedes-AMG SL is powered by the same 4.0L V8 Twin Turbo engine as the said model. In the SL63, it produces 585PS of power and while mated to an AMG Speedshift 9G and 4MATIC+, it does 0-100kph time of 3.6 seconds and 315kph of top speed.
I'm going to the sandy Bahia de Plano to see how much the Mercedes-Benz SL has evolved from the W198 to the W232. Let's roll the tape and find out!
Here are the results...
300SL (W198) - 1m14.908s
SL63 (R232) - 0m57.741s
According to my Forza Horizon 5 standards, it took over 17 seconds for the Mercedes SL to evolve from the W198 300SL to the Mercedes-AMG SL63. Impressive, I dare say.
The Mercedes-Benz SL has been around for a long time, and it's one of the longest-running nameplates in Mercedes history. As I've said before, the SL rewrote the rules of what a grand tourer should be in terms of elegance and performance. The W232 Mercedes-AMG SL is the pinnacle of the SL lineage, and with its elegance and performance inherited from its ancestors, the star is reborn after all.
With the SL's evolution check sorted, it's time for my little surprise for the Mercedes-AMG SL63. As I said before, my brain just hatched an idea. What role will the Mercedes-AMG SL63 4MATIC+ play in Horizon Mexico? It's long overdue but here goes...
Ight, this is what happens when you let an AiPri character, Airi Mitsuba of Quartet STAR, overcook my SL63 with power similar to today's SL63 S E Performance but with less torque and added anti-lag trickery to shoot some flames from its exhaust. This is like the time she called her cleaning robot Samba. Thanks, Airi-chan.
With trickery provided by Airi-chan, my SL63 is taking on an EventLab creation by AndyPsBack. It's based in the Playa Azul area but with some added high-speed straights and stuff inspired by the Singapore Marina. This player called his EventLab invention "Azul Bay" and I'm here to sample it. Roll the tape.
I guess this is what the journey to the mind of Airi Mitsuba feels like. Arriba!
There you have it, folks. The SL of the new normal. The Star is Reborn. I have nothing else to say but right now, if you have a backstage pass, now's the time to get one.
It's nice to see prize cars in FH5 permanently stay in the game's Backstage Shop, where you can spend your Backstage Pass for one prize car from past updates. The list updates regularly just so you know.
- A magnitude 4.4 quake hits Laoang, Northern Samar. Earlier, an M4.3 quake hits Sarangani's Balut Island.
- Five were killed and over 200 hurt when a car hit crowds at a Christmas market in Magdeburg, Germany.
- The US House of Representatives passed a revised bill to fund the government, a crucial step to avert the midnight shutdown.
- Isack Hadjar will race for the VCARB F1 team alongside Yuki Tsunoda in the F1 2025 season.
- The second season of Jigokuraku TV anime will air this January 2026.
- The Sonic the Hedgehog 3 live-action movie premiere broke the Guinness World Record for the largest shadow project.
- The third season of the SPYxFAMILY TV anime will air this October 2025. In addition, a new stage play will run in seven cities this September to December 2025.
- Street Woman Fighter contestant Monika announced her marriage and pregnancy.
- GMA-7's Lolong TV series' 2nd season will air this January 2025.
Sonic and friends are back on the third live-action movie outing based on the megahit video game franchise. This time, Sonic's up against his ultimate arch-nemesis; Shadow.
Sonic The Hedgehog 3
Sonic the Hedgehog 3, the third installment of the live-action Sonic movie series sees Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles up against the ultimate threat; Shadow the Hedgehog. What's worse is that Dr. Eggman Robotnik joined forces with his pops Dr. Gerard Robotnik. With the threat of world domination imminent, this latest adventure is Chaos...Control. Get it? Chaos Control!
This installment is another shocker for fans of the Sonic series with John Wick actor Keanu Reeves lending his voice as Shadow the Hedgehog in this movie. Like Wick, Sonic's greatest arch-nemesis always leaves his signature trails of destruction. With a hedgehog as fast as Sonic but hellbent on revenge, this is the showdown fans have been waiting for since the days of playing Sonic Adventure 2 a few decades ago.
Of course, like past movies, it still packs a high-speed blend of action, comedy, and drama. Seriously, the comical parts made Sonic wish he would play Super Smash Bros. and beat Pikachu, Mario, and Luigi. GAME!
The ultimate showdown that fans have been eagerly anticipating is finally here. From beginning to end, this movie promises to be the biggest Sonic adventure to hit the cinemas.
Fortunately, it won't be the last, as the world's fastest blue hero continues to delight audiences with his antics. Never stop, Sonic! Never stop!
The Toyota Alphard and Vellfire minivans in the H40W generation now offer a plug-in hybrid variant. This is the first time a Japanese minivan has been provided with a plug-in hybrid powertrain.
2025 Toyota Alphard PHEV
2025 Toyota Vellfire PHEV
Based on the range-topping Executive Lounge variant, the first-ever Alphard and Vellfire PHEV variants still feature the same nooks and crannies as expected in most variants, but now in a six-seater setting.
These minivans still come with a super-long overhead console, power side sunshade for rear seats, universal steps positioned at the sliding doors for easy access, a one-touch seesaw switch on the sliding doors, and the 5:5 split two-position space-up seats where the third-row seats can be flipped up for extra space.
Apart from numerous luxury amenities, including a rear entertainment system for your binge-watching pleasure while stuck in Tokyo traffic, the PHEV variants come with an exclusive Ultrasuede roof headlining, offering a refined, smooth texture and excellent durability. Exclusive to the Alphard is the four-seater Spacious Lounge variant tailored for VIPs.
It uses the same 2.5L A25A-FXS petrol-hybrid powerplant from its normal hybrid equivalents, but combined with a powerful electric motor generator, the new Li-ion battery mounted under the floor, and the enhanced heat pump HVAC system, it delivers 306PS of total power output. The CVT gearbox has 16.7km/L of combined fuel economy based on WLTC Mode standards and 73km of EV driving range, enough to travel from your fancy Susana Heights mansion to Okada Manila to home again.
Like the normal ones, the PHEV variants are built on the TNGA platform and feature front MacPherson struts, rear double wishbones, and ventilated disc brakes. They offer a luxury car experience, providing a refined level of silence and comfort that will impress VIPs in the rear seats. Additionally, both models come equipped with Toyota Safety Sense and Toyota Teammate, enhancing safety during driving and making parking worry-free. It’s best to avoid asking your boss about these features.
The Alphard Executive Lounge PHEV starts at 10.65 million Japanese Yen, while the Vellfire Executive Lounge PHEV starts at 10.85 million Japanese Yen. Additional costs are included.
Attention, high-rollers in the Far East! The latest, most powerful versions of the Alphard and Vellfire have arrived, offering unmatched style and comfort. Guests at premier casino resorts like Okada, Newport World Resorts, Solaire, City of Dreams, and Hann will be excited about these luxurious PHEV 4WD minivans.
- According to PHIVOLCS, a magnitude 5.3 quake with a tectonic origin at a depth of 17 km rattled San Policarpo, Eastern Samar, early in the morning.
- The US House of Representatives failed to pass a bill backed by President-elect Donald Trump that would avert a government shutdown.
- UK Labour peer Lord Peter Mandelson is expected to be named as the new UK ambassador to the United States.
- Luigi Mangione, the suspect behind the killing of the UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in New York, is set to be extradited from Pennsylvania to New York to face murder charges.
- The Teamsters union launched a strike against Amazon, affecting several California facilities and locations in Queens, New York; Skokie, Illinois; and Atlanta, Georgia.
- YouTube says they're cracking down videos with clickbait titles and thumbnails, starting in India. The rollout starts in the coming months.
- Suzuki previews its Solio range's minor change ahead of its Tokyo Auto Salon 2025 premiere.
- Production of the third-generation Dodge Durango range, including its V8-powered variants and the Hellcat, will continue in 2025.
- The Dan Da Dan TV anime is renewed for its second season coming this Summer 2025.
- The live-action Sonic the Hedgehog movie series is getting a fourth installment expected to hit cinemas this 2027, according to reports.
- Rockstar Games' Grand Theft Auto V is named Twitch Recap 2024 Global Game of the Year, racking 1.46 billion views. The upcoming GTA VI is named the "most anticipated game of 2025".
- Song Kang Ho is confirmed to make a special appearance in the second season of the Netflix original series Beef.
- Philippine girl group BINI will hold their World Tour this 2025.
- The TV variety show IT'S SHOWTIME will continue airing on GMA-7 in 2025.
