Citroen C4 II

2011 Citroen C4

The previous C4 wows the crowd because of two undeniable answers; the participation on World Rally Championship and the advertisement that the C4 transforms into a robot for coolness. Does this answers sounds cool? The C4 is no longer a rally car because the DS3 take place for the next WRC season, and for that, the outdated C4 is finally reborn in a fresh new second-generation basis. Welcome to the all-new, second-generation, Citroen C4.

The new C4's exterior truly celebrates to its name thanks to Citroen's design DNA and the front view is somewhat similar to the GTbyCitroen concept, providing the sportiness on this hatchback that does not need to be called eccentric or strange. It is a shame that the 3-door version of the C4 is not offered, but on the lighter side, it will be replaced by the sportier version of the C4, the DS4, to be launched next year. It seems odd that the DS4 is not a 3-door version of the C4 because of the secret rear doors offered. In the meantime, the new second generation C4 needs to be told first.

The new C4's exterior is truly a sports car in the making, but the new interior feels like a premium luxury sedan because of the luxurious features offered to keep the driver interested for more. What I personally like about the new C4 is the refreshed front seats because it resembles more like the seats commonly found on most sports cars. The leather upholstery adds a touch of class and perfects how the new C4's interior should be.

At the start, the new C4 carries various engines available; the diesel-fed 1.6-liter HDi, the 2.0-litre HDi, 1.6-litre VTi petrol engine, 1.4-litre VTi, and the range-topping 1.6-litre THP engine that comes with a turbocharger. Do not forget the new micro-hybrid 1.6-litre e-HDi engine. This new engine was made to be more of an eco-car because of its micro-hybrid technology. Most people looking for power may go for the 1.6L THP variant because of its turbocharged performance that it makes it worthy to be called a hot hatch, but for those looking for fuel efficiency may go on the 1.6L HDi 90 FAP variant because of less fuel consumption and less CO2 emissions. Depending on the variant, the available transmissions they will get is either a 5-speed MT, 6-speed MT, or 6-speed AT with Paddle Shifters (available on the new C4 e-HDi). The new C4 may be equipped with safe features such as Intelligent Traction Control, ESP, Lane Departure Warning, xenon dual-function directional headlamps, blind-spot monitoring system, cruise control, and speed-limiter.

My thoughts about the C4:
If this hatchback made a close encounter with the Opel Astra, Mazda Axela Sport, Lancia Delta, Kia Forte Hatchback, Hyundai i30, or even the Mitsubishi Galant Fortis Sportback, expect a huge dogfight on these hatchback rivals because neither a single car addict know the differences of these hatchbacks. The previous generation C4 may be good because of the Transformers-like ad, but the new second-generation Citroen C4 is now evolved from bland to glamor because of its premium features. This premium hatchback offered from Citroen has a unique taste most men would take granted for because this premium hatchback is made for their personal preference. Should you go for this or wait for the DS4? The choice is yours. The new C4 has a positive power within reach.



Photo: PSA Peugeot Citroen

More than a broken vow...

Hey! I got some weird news coming out from the Playstation Blog that the much anticipated racing game, Gran Turismo 5, has been delayed, again.

Ugh! That announcement made me as MAD as Bertong Siga! (you know, the Bubble Gang sketch years ago about a super tough guy terrorizing the men in the sari-sari store, then another tough guy challenges Bertong Siga, then Bertong Siga gay punched the tough guy and the tough guy cried like a baby)

I wonder what the guys said, this holiday season? What is it? I don't get it...

Future Gazer

Future Gazer by fripSide

Future Gazer debut! As a special treat before the To Aru Kagaku no Railgun (日本名：とある科学の超電磁砲) OVA goes on sale this late October, Geneon Universal pleased to announced that the OVA theme song titled Future Gazer, sung by fripSide, is now here as a maxi single CD, allowing Railgun fans to listen to the theme song on the upcoming To Aru Kagaku no Railgun OVA. Of course, the ending theme song Special "ONE", sung by Elisa (you know her for singing two closing themes from Railgun) coming very soon late this October.

About this song, Future Gazer sounds good, it kinda felt like the two Railgun opening songs; only my railgun and LEVEL 5 -Judgelight-. The tune seems to be more of a techno and this truly lives it up in either fripSide or Railgun fashion. If you're sure now, there is a new song coming up from fripside, titled fortissimo-the ultimate class. Anyway, I'm not kind of familiar about the fortissimo song, but best to stick with Future Gazer, because this is how you get started before the Kagaku no Railgun original video animation arrives this late October.

LIMITED EDITION: The limited edition not just packs the music CD, but also a bonus DVD containing the music video of Future Gazer, plus behind the scenes footage on fripSide going to Egypt for the shooting of the Future Gazer music video. This thing's getting hotter but hurry up because the heat's losing up fast, or in other words, LIMITED AVAILABILITY! So better buy it before the heat's gone.

If Index gets its own PSP game, will Railgun gets it own?

With the success of the second season of To Aru Majutsu No Index, titled To Aru Majutsu no Index II, it seems we are getting anxious to watch more of Index II or even better, waiting for the PSP game of Majutsu no Index this winter.

Yes I know, this winter, To Aru Majutsu no Index fits straight to PSP, as a fighting game. Do we otakus really really like it?

For fans of the recently ended anime, now waiting for its OVA release, To Aru Kagaku no Railgun, the question they asked is, "Will Railgun get its own PSP game as Index did?"

As of that, a certain 2channeler posted some magazine photo with a page containing the details.

A certain 2channeler photographed some magazine page about the Railgun PSP details

A certain 2channeler could be right. Kagaku no Railgun for PSP could be rather more of a visual novel game, with the decisions up to the player. Kinda like Misshitsu no Sacrifice, even better. On the teaser site, commercialization for this game starts this Spring 2011.

Hope I'll catch up to both of these!

Everyone's going to like them both because of Mikoto "Biribiri" Misaka!

Melai's tips to defend yourself, or self defense that is

On the October 9 episode of Banana Split, Balitang Siksik Showbiz Edition spices it up some showbiz news from the real to gagged, jokes fit straight to your newspaper, a sketch on getting a coffee to your boss in one minute, the Filipinos, Italians, and Japanese people come laughing with us in another Tongue Tarang Tongue, Ryan Bang shows us what's the meaning of Tae Kwon Do (and Tak Bow Na) in another Kaalamang Nakakahibang, some dances, John Prats explains what if the People's Champ take on new jobs, and of course, saving this before closing this show, a game called "Huwag Kang Lilingon!"

Oh and we forgot that our favorite wise-cracking advise giver, Melai Cantiveros, shows up for tips on how we defend ourselves, or self defense for short, in M3: Melai Mo Magwork. Melai shows us five crazy tips on self-defense. Weird but who knows, Melai Mo Magwork.

5) Rub your eyes to scare the hold-upper with SORE EYES?! (Ewww)

4) If you were from the province, when you're hold-upped, tell him that there's something behind him, put a bayong on the hold-upper's head and attack him the way you move. (Where's the bird?!)

3) Do a flying kick when you're hold-upped but don't attack the hold-upper yet. The super stinky socks will scare the hold-upper because of its super stinky scent. (Ewww)

2) Copycat the holdupper's words until he quits.

1) When you're hold-upped, show the hold-upper a scary photo on your wallet to scare the hold-upper away!

Thanks, Melai! ROFL

If we Filipinos love everything Korean, why GMA made a drama titled "Koreana"?

OK, we admit it. We Filipinos love everything that comes from South Korea. We like everything Korean like for instance K-Pop (Korean Pop) music, the Korean actors and actresses we saw on Korean TV dramas, Korean surplus TV sets, Korean foods such as kimchi, Korean-made Common Rail Diesel engines (CRDi, R-engine, e-VGT engine, those diesel engines coming out from those Kia or Hyundai models), Korean surplus vans such as the Grace, Starex, Besta, and Pregio, and others that are truly Korean.

If we Filipinos like us love everything Korean, then why did GMA decided to create a daytime TV drama titled Koreana?

Coming to air this Monday after Trudis Liit, Koreana centers on a tale of a young girl named Jenna, played by Kris Bernal, a Korean-Filipina who has a hope to return to her homeland to find her real family. There are two men who are revolving the story of a Korean-Filipina. First, there's Benjo, played by Rocco Nacino, and then, there's a half-Korean named Joshua, played by Steven Silva.

Expect everything Korean in this GMA-made daytime TV drama as it airs this Monday. If we Filipinos enjoyed everything came from South Korea, would we enjoy watching this new daytime drama?

Last night packs a bunch of cave people! (and some KTV gags)

Last night's episode of Lokomoko U packs not one, not two, but three parts of the sketch called "B.C. Bisihan" (remember since the Oct. 1 episode, where the cave people's invention of ladder gone jerked?) Well, last night, the cave people made up with the tawiran, the comb, and the invention of the fan. Seems that prehistoric never been this funny.

Aside from that, there were some gags at the Karaoke Bar, the eggs from the Usapang Itlog segment pokes fun about the days of the week (guess eggs hate Fridays because they're cooked!), a maid told her master that his cat was killed, and another round of Pinoy Brainless with JC De Vera and Rainier Castillo.

Oh, and I almost forgot about an episode of the Lokomoko U mini-drama titled Bahaw Ikalawang Hain, where Blue (played by Empoy) and the three blue-colored girls (Luningning, Milagring, and Mariposa) went to some bar that has Blue's name on it. On that part, Empoy, as Blue, sang his version of Don McLean's American Pie, called American Blue. Will Blue find life anew as a folk singer? Find out next week on Bahaw on Lokomoko U!

You guessed it, it's Cheche Bureche again.

On the October 8, 2010 episode of Bubble Gang, there was some boxer gags, the stunt man, ordering a bucket of beers, a Bubble Gang sketch takes on Survivor Philippines, titled Sure Bubble (no wonder Jackie Rice was the slowest), planting some ill feelings (sama ng loob), having fun with Moymoy Palaboy and Roadfill, a manlier martial arts training for men, and three drunk men.

Before the start of episode six of Cheche Bureche, I saw this message:

"Mula sa tradisyon ng mga mag-kaaway na kambal sa Philippine Television gaya ng Luna Mystika at Ilumina...

Narito na ang pinaka bagong bangayan ng half sisters na sina Cheche at Bureche!"

or in English:

"From the tradition of the twin rivalries of Philippine Television such as Luna Mystika and Ilumina...

Here comes the newest rivalry between the half sisters named Cheche and Bureche!"

Sounds catchy? What the fudge is Luna Mystika and Ilumina? I see, they're both TV dramas from GMA. OK, now on to this Cheche Bureche episode:

Cheche (Ogie Alcasid) is watching cartoons, while Bureche (Michael V) tries to slap Cheche, then Dad (Antonio Aquitania) comes home with some painting set for the half sisters. Dad said if whoever has a nice painting, deserves an ice cream.

With dad away, the two start painting art.

Look at Bureche's drawing:

Bureche's drawing

LOL, to think about Bureche's mean personality, she (he) drawn a picture of two tombstones? What the fudge? Bureche's drawing made me laugh!

How about Cheche's drawing?

Cheche's drawing

Cheche said it's so peaceful. So what? That's Cheche's personality, sweet and kind. But suddenly, Bureche does not like Cheche's drawing, so Bureche wants Cheche to ruin her drawing. Then, Dad is back, checking out the half sisters' paintings. Dad thinks that Bureche's drawing is too scary because of the dark color. Now, Dad wants to see Cheche's painting. Cheche can't because of the ruined painting, but she showed it up to Dad. Dad liked Cheche's ruined painting because of the artistic thing kids called it "Finger Painting" for sure.

Cheche's ruined drawing, liked by Dad

Cheche deserves a SPOONFUL OF ICE CREAM! Another week, another AAARRRRGGGGHHHH for Bureche! Makes me wonder if Cheche tries to said "but", Bureche says "wag ka nang mag but-but, i-but-but-but-in kita!"

No wonder Bureche's a mean person.

CR-Z or WRX STi 4-door? For me its...

Honda's first hybrid sports car, the CR-Z

and Subaru's return of the WRX STi 4-door

Both of these cars were JDM, both are sports cars, and both targeted for thrill-seekers. But as for me, which would I rather prefer?

CASE ONE: Since I was getting irritated by the noise coming out of those heavily modified Honda Civics, the CR-Z could be my perfect companion. Most men don't like the CR-Z because of its hybrid drivetrain, sports mode not good enough, and the question of "whatever happened to Honda's sport and specialty cars?" As for me, I like this sports car because its quiet. I don't want to modify this sport hybrid because with those, it will make the CR-Z too noisy and the noisy Hondas irritate me like a disturbed sleeper. I want to keep the CR-Z simple. Even when this sports car is boring, I still going to enjoy it because of its manual transmission. While Honda Cars Philippines has yet to decide when will this car hit our shores, I hope that Emperor Motorsports got the memo and bring the CR-Z as a grey market. If I own it, I promise not to mess it up, because the noise keeps it worse for me, especially the HKS Supercharger for the CR-Z.

CASE TWO: I am a huge fan of the Subaru WRX STi because of its boxer engine, Symmetrical AWD, manual transmission, and everything Scooby fans has to offer. I used to have fun with the WRX STi hatchback because this is fairly unique, but now with the return of the 4-door, things have change. The hatchback version's getting too old for me as the new 4-door version truly kicks it up! With the Nurburgring lap time of 7:55:000, there's no doubt that this is the fastest Subaru ever built. If I had one, would I keep the wing or not? You see, the huge spoiler on the WRX STi sedan truly shows its true self, while the WRX STi 4-door without the wing can be a total blah blah blah, but represents its luxury status.

Verdict: I only like the CR-Z because of its silence but I strongly prefer the WRX STi 4-door because of its awesome performance. I guess when someone reads this, he/she may go for the WRX STi 4-door because its fun to drive than the CR-Z. But let them decide. Its their call.

Honda Fit and Fit RS facelift (GE6/GE7/GE8/GE9) and new Fit Hybrid (GP1)

2011 Honda Fit G/X/RS/Hybrid

Back in 2007, in the wake of the Tokyo Motor Show, Honda unleashed the second-generation Fit (known in other countries as the Jazz) to please Japanese consumers with its compact size good enough to do whatever this car wants. In October 8, 2010, the Honda Fit we once know is now on its second phase, or in JDM terms, Kouki, as we say it. Not only this Kouki Fit showed up in the blue, the wake of the new hybrid version has just arrived to be more fuel efficient than the latest Nissan March K13.

There are four different styles offer for the new Fit/Jazz, allowing consumers to choose which Fit variant fits them based on their qualifications. The Fit G and L offer a simple taste as an entry-level grade, suitable for beginners everywhere. The Fit X offers an enhanced style that looks more of a luxury car, perfect for those who are not enough with the Fit G. The Fit RS is built for precision because of every sporty detail equipped on the sportiest Fit variant built for adrenaline-seekers. The new Honda Fit Hybrid offers the hybrid power train as offered from the Insight and the CR-Z. Do not expect this hybrid version coming to the North American market because the reason remains unknown for now.

On the entry-level Fit variant (G and L), a 1.3L i-VTEC engine is offered for a good fuel efficiency of about 17.2 to 24.5km/L. The 1.5L i-VTEC engine (found in Fit X and RS) offers an increased power output of 120 PS and the fuel economy of about 16.4 to 20km/L. The new Fit Hybrid, on the other hand, is equipped with the MF6 hybrid engine. This engine is 1.3-liter and it is readied with Honda's innovative Integrated Motor Assist. It is capable enough to release an outstanding fuel efficiency of 30km/L that puts the shame on the Nissan March K13's 26km/L fuel efficiency. This means, the Honda Fit Hybrid is the winner in this category when it comes to fuel efficiency. Most Fit variants are equipped with the 5-speed automatic, 5-speed manual, or even CVT. The Fit RS comes with either a 6-speed manual transmission or CVT with Paddle Shifters.

My thoughts about the Fit and Fit Hybrid:

Assuring that the entry-level Fit G and L variants are good enough for the budget-conscious, it would be a good try to take it for a spin. If style was a necessity, the Fit X could be good enough to bring out its star power within reach. The Fit RS is good enough to bring some noise in the neighborhood because of the sporty features and the new 6MT or Paddle Shifters. If someone owns this, the owner will try to bring some high volume noise because this Fit is fun to tune as the Honda Civic! With the Fit Hybrid, designated as "Honda Green Machine 004,” I am glad that this hybrid compact made a warm welcome to the Japanese consumers because the fuel efficiency outperformed the Nissan March K13. Hope all of these Fit variants arrived in the Philippines soon, but not the Fit/Jazz Hybrid because Honda Cars Philippines does not have an announcement to bring Honda Green Machines to our shores. I think the Fit RS could be good enough to have an owner put some Soshinoya badges everywhere because its a JDM!

Which Fit will you drive?

Devotion

Shizuka Ito's first mini-album, Devotion

You remember Shizuka Ito right? She was the seiyuu of one of the sexiest roles in both anime and game such as Hinagiku Katsura from Hayate the Combat Butler, Misa Kakizaki from Mahou Sensei Negima, Kaori Kanzaki from To Aru Majutsu no Index, Tamaki from ToHeart, or even Olga from Misshitsu no Sacrifice.

Seems that she got her first mini-album, titled Devotion, now on sale, with her voice so sexy, you might want to go hear this mini album for another time, especially if you were one of the lucky Shizuka Ito fans who had the special DVD containing a music clip of Shizuka Ito's song titled Last Order, plus behind the scenes footage.

About this mini album, it contains six songs all sung by the seiyuu behind the sexy roles. It consists of the following titles:

1) Yasashii Ryoute
2) Last Order
3) IIdesho
4) Refrain
5) Happy Ending
6) Aikotoba

For me, nothing's too special about those, but the song Last Order sounds too good for me. But let the decision to the rest of the fans.

Subaru Legacy viral campaign pokes fun at some old Kia Optima...

That's odd...

Upon Facebook-ing myself for some Cafe and Mafia, I notice some weird ad about "Mediocrity". I clicked it and it sends me to some site about a very weird old Kia Optima/Magentis labeled Mediocrity. Even the TV ads take part of it.

I checked it out, roaming around stuff, and boy, isn't it weird? Everything beige? What Mediocrity? So when I clicked at some part, it sent me to this:

Subaru Legacy B4

Fight Mediocrity. That's the slogan for the Subaru Legacy from U.S. I mean seriously, manual, Boxer engine, Symmetrical AWD, and not a single speck of beige, is that it? Hmmm... guess Subaru of America got us again!

Mark it as an epic fail because Kia countered it with the new Kia Optima/K5.

Kia K5/Optima (Euro-Spec)

With this new look, I'm sure the Subaru Legacy will be the other Mediocrity, for now. Gotta admit it that both the Subaru Legacy B4 and the Kia K5/Optima are superb and cool. Most 4WD fanatics would go for the Legacy but for those who are interested in Korean cars (like us because of the CRDi engine) would go for the Kia K5.