NISSAN GT-R 2012 in GT5

Song Played in my Personal BGM: Spring Has Come!! by Hinagiku Katsura (CV: Shizuka Ito)

From the album: HINA2 Spring Has Come!!

It seems that the Nissan GT-R R35 often has its own checklist kept when it came out 4 years ago. Later on, it went for a duel against the Lexus LFA twice, then it beat most of the world's fastest sports cars in a World's Greatest Drag Race. When it was featured in Top Gear, it was proven to be faster than the Shinkansen, broke Jeremy Clarkson's neck when he was testing it on Fuji Speedway, and it even made a drag race with the Jaguar. It was also featured on Jeremy Clarkson's DVD titled Thriller. Yes, the folks from Nissan are running out of ideas to fill it on the GT-R's list to do. With the facelifted GT-R appeared on GT5 via DLC, we were surprised to see this new version came out in the open and we are very happy to try it on our own hands.

Soon, your neck will be broken, just like Jeremy Clarkson...

This is the first time I ever get my hands on the 2012MY model. When the facelifted GT-R come out in late 2010, it made Godzilla even meaner than before thanks to the newly improved VR38DETT engine that churns out 530PS of power. The black paneling on the VR38DETT engine has been replaced with the red color to make it more unique. It even comes with an all new Dual Clutch Transmission for easier shifting and best of all, improved fuel economy. On the 2012 Model, the VR38DETT engine that was once improved, improved again with a 20PS increase. The Spec V is gone, replaced by a special "For TRACK PACK" variant that is engineered for track racing in mind.

The Stig is listening to Rock the Casbah in Algerian!!!

I wouldn't guess that the GT-R is focused on Top Speed and Acceleration but when it comes to handling, it's a struggle even though it comes with 4WD drivetrain. You know, if I'm driving this in real life at UK, I could lost my driver's license because of the 60mph speed limit. What's worse, I could break a neck like what Jeremy Clarkson happened while he's testing it at Fuji Speedway.

Challenging against the elevations of Spa-Francorchamps
in Belgium

"...if my children are watching this now...don't worry, your Dad's not having a stroke...he's driving a Nissan." - Jeremy Clarkson, Top Gear

What would The Stig do with the 2012 Nissan GT-R?!

GT-R R35 from the past meets the present

I can see it clearly now. The 2012 Nissan GT-R is much more better than the previous model because of its improved engine and the new 6-speed dual clutch transmission but clearly there are some blanks that need to be filled on this sportscar. The GT-R's creator wanted to keep the GT-R's promise by providing as much engineering as they can and this is the best Nissan ever driven without compromise. Guess featuring the Nissan GT-R 2012 model in Gran Turismo 5 is definitely the best idea ever happened. 

New Vauxhall Astra GTC

2012 Vauxhall Astra GTC

The GTC is always a fan favorite for the Astra fan and the all new Vauxhall Astra GTC is no exception for the enthusiast who want a three-door hatchback that competes against the likes of the Volkswagen Scirocco and the Renault Megane Coupe.

The new Vauxhall Astra GTC has no relation to the current generation Vauxhall Astra and Vauxhall Astra Sports Tourer because this new model comes with an unique design that stays true to the 2010 GTC Paris concept. According to Mark Adams, Vice President of Vauxhall/Opel design, the Vauxhall Astra GTC wants to be the ultimate expression of Vauxhall's design philosophy but they didn't want emotion to slip past against functionality. With this, the new GTC features a dramatic styling that makes it more aggressive enough to feel what it means to be a three-door hatchback.

2012 Vauxhall Astra GTC interior

From the equally dramatic exterior, the same Astra interior comes into play. Customers who are with the Vauxhall Astra GTC Sport may get features like Active-safety front seat head restraints, CD 400 CD/MP3 CD player with stereo radio, Digital Audio Broadcast stereo receiver, and USB connection with iPod control. For the Astra GTC SRi, the flagship variant, they may get most of the features from the Sport variant but with added extras such as Sports front seats and Multi-function trip computer.

Most variants come with a standard 6-speed manual transmission, which is great for the the enthusiasts who love to drive cars with three pedals on it. Anyway, the GTC offers a choice of engines such as the 1.4i 16v VVT Turbo, 1.6i 16v Turbo, 1.7CDTi 16v, and 2.0CDTi 16v engine. Most variants, except the 1.6i 16v Turbo, come with the idling stop system that allows the engine to shut off automatically when stopped at the red light, making it essential to reduce emissions.

It comes with 9 exterior colors; Power Red, Summit White, Flaming Yellow, Seashell, Carbon Flash, Sovereign Silver, Technical Grey, Silver Lake, and Silky Shadow.

My comment:
This new Astra GTC looks great enough to enjoy some Saturday night in downtown London. With such dramatic styling cues, impressive performance, and stunning interior, this maybe a good alternative to the Volkswagen Scirocco and the Renault Megane Coupe.

[Obituary] Tyron Perez

Another young celebrity died and yes, that name's Tyron Perez.

Reports told that he was found dead at some "abandoned car" in Valenzuela. It happened since December 29.

Tyron Perez is a Tarlac native who was a part of GMA's reality show, Starstruck, but later defected to ABS-CBN's Star Magic. He was appeared in dramas such as Momay and Mula Sa Puso.

RIP, Tyron Perez...

Scoop: http://www.pep.ph/news/32410/%20UPDATE-%20Tyron-Perez-found-dead-in-Valenzuela

Top 40 2011 Cars

The year 2011 brought several troubles such as the Middle East uprising, the March 11 earthquake and tsunami that destroyed Japan, the European Debt Crisis, death of Osama Bin Laden, the Fukushima Nuclear Crisis, death of Steve Jobs, death of Gadaffi, death of Kim Jong Il, historical car crash involving luxury sports cars at Chugoku Expressway,Thai Flood, Typhoon Sendong, the first MMFF entry to be disqualified due to changes to the script, among many others. That year brought significant wonders such as the arrival of the Nintendo 3DS, the year Angry Birds became popular, the arrival of the iPad 2, the arrival of the iPhone 4S, the arrival of the PSVita, the year the anime titled Madoka Magica became popular, the launch of the world's most fuel-efficient gasoline-fed car (not the Demio Skyactiv, not the Daihatsu Mira e:S. but the Suzuki Alto Eco), PSA Peugeot Citroen unveiled the world's first diesel-electric hybrid car, among many others.

As the year 2011 has come to an epic close, I am listing the Top 40 cars of 2011, and this could be the best memorabilia ever made for a car aficionado.

40) Daihatsu Mira e:S - This is Daihatsu's most fuel efficient kei car ever built. It was great until its fuel economy reign was overtaken by the Suzuki Alto Eco.

39) Volkswagen up! - The new Volkswagen up! is the replacement for the Fox and this is going to be the cheapest of VW range. Klein ist Gross!

38) Honda Fit Shuttle range - This is what happens when the Honda Fit/Jazz got ended up in an ugly oversived wagon look. Still, I would take that for reconsideration.

37) Honda N BOX range - Honda's answer to the Suzuki Palette and the Daihatsu Tanto. It comes with an all new engine that was part of the new EARTH DREAMS TECHNOLOGY and it was the first Honda to come with idling stop function.

36) Subaru Stella - Now, the second-generation Subaru Stella is now based on the TNP27 Daihatsu Move.

35) Volkswagen Jetta - The VW Jetta is now on its 6th generation and still this is somewhat a poor man's Passat for sure...

34) Hyundai Accent Wit - This is the 5-door cousin to the Hyundai Accent Wit. I really like the one with the CRDi engine on it. Hope this one will reach the Philippines soon...

33) Kia Pride/Rio UB - The new Pride/Rio is now even stylish than ever. It comes in sedan and hatchback variants. Unlike the Accent, the new Pride/Rio doesn't come with a CRDi engine on it. It only has a 1.4 MPi and a 1.6 GDi engine.

32) MG6 GT and Magnette - The MG brand is back in the UK with the MG6. It comes with the GT hatchback and Magnette sedan. Sadly, when it came out, no one got it. Seems that their underpants went brown because only a few bought it.

31) Toyota Prius α - This has to be known as the larger side of the Toyota Prius. This is definitely the best hybrid MPV to relax, unwind, and be quiet. This is the first Toyota to come with a Lithium-ion battery but that's applicable to the 7-seater variant.

30) Toyota Aqua - Toyota's answer to the Honda Fit Hybrid is proven to be more fuel efficient than the Prius. Fact is that it was built from the Tohoku region, the region where it was heavily destroyed by the March 11 disaster. This is Toyota's road to recovery. The car the Tohoku people stood up and man up.

29) Peugeot 508 - This is one of the best looking sedans from Europe. It looks better than the Renault Fluence but not as gorgeous as the Citroen C5.

28) GM Korea Chevrolet Orlando - The first Chevy to be sold in South Korea. This MPV is made to be sold globally but not in USA and Japan. We saw this during the Chevy Motorama.

27) Nissan Lafesta Highway Star - Today's Lafesta is yesterday's Mazda Premacy.

26) Hyundai Veloster - Correct. You probably seen this car on the City Hunter Korean Drama starring Lee Min-Ho. I kinda love it's 6-speed Dual Clutch Transmission though. Sadly, this car is not intended to come in the Philippines but direct importers got those for grabs.

25) Hyundai i40 - The Hyundai i40 has got to be one of the best looking station wagons ever made. It looks better than the Honda Accord Tourer and the Toyota Avensis.

24) Hyundai i30 - I bet this is what happens when the Europeans admit one thing...

23) Suzuki MR Wagon/Nissan Moco - Looks weird on the outside but on the inside, the new "Touch Panel Audio" makes it addicting if you love music.

22) Renault-Samsung SM7 - Now all-original and no longer based on the Nissan Teana. Guess what? It was featured in an episode of Top Gear Korea.

21) Dodge Charger - This new model is now meaner and badder than before. The SRT8 version is even more aggressive.

20) Range Rover Evoque - The best Range Rover ever built because it acts like the original, the ride's better, and the interior design is perfect. Too bad it's hard to access at the back if you have the Coupe version and the door mirrors are too big.

19) Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class - The car that invented the "4-door coupe" genre, reloaded.

18) Suzuki Swift Sport - Yes it's back. The Swift Sport's back and now even menacing than ever.

17) Honda CR-V - the 4th generation Honda CR-V is now much more intriguing. The face is much more intriguing. The rear kinda looks like the Volvo XC60. The interior is somewhat borrowed from the Kia Sportage. What's next?

16) Subaru Impreza Sport and G4 - No longer an rally icon and it's now focused on safety and fuel economy.

15) GM Korea Chevrolet Captiva - The whole world realized that this is the facelifted version but in South Korea, it's their debutante. It replaced the Daewoo Winstorm as part of reorganization.

14) Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Roadster - this sports car sacrificed its gullwings for a soft-top roof.

13) Mercedes-Benz C-Class Coupe - The facelifted C-Class sparked the arrival of its newcomer, the coupe version.

12) Audi A6 - This new model looks better than the old one. Even technological as well...

11) Toyota Alphard Hybrid and Vellfire Hybrid - The Alphard Hybrid is back and the Vellfire now gets a hybrid version.

10) BMW 6-Series - The new 6-Series is now made even more better and the design is just strikingly perfect. It even made an appearance on Mission Impossible Ghost Protocol.

9) Citroen DS5 - Definitely one of the best looking Citroen ever made. That makes it revolutionary is the HYbrid4 drivetrain that was lifted from the Peugeot 3008 HYbrid4.

8) Citroen DS4 - This Giulietta-killer is much better to look at, better to drive at. Might be a luxurious alternative to the Citroen C4.

7) BMW M5 F10 - Gone are the V10 engine and the manual transmission in favor of a powerful twin-turbo V8 engine and a double-clutch flappy-paddle gearbox. This new M5 is somewhat easier to drive, scarier to look at, better to brag against your rivals.

6) Aston Martin Virage - This new Aston Martin slots between the DB9 and the DBS. Looks the same but it claims to be all-new.

5) Ford Focus - The third-generation Ford Focus is now made to be a global-class vehicle that is part of the One Ford Approach. Next year, the Asians get it.

4) Porsche 911 - the 991 is the first sportscar that comes with the world's first 7-speed manual transmission. I just wish RUF will make their own version of the Porsche 991...

3) Lexus CT 200h - One of the best handling hybrids ever made.

2) Ferrari FF - this is the first time Ferrari made a 4WD hatchback with four seats. Amazing!

The number one car of the year 2011 is...

THE LAMBORGHINI AVENTADOR!!!

This is my pick because what Lamborghini made is very powerful indeed. It even comes with the all new 6.5L V12 engine, which is the first for over 50 years. I expect great things to be happened at the Aventador for the year 2012, which includes adding a convertible variant or a more powerful version.

That's it! This is my Top 40 cars of 2011. The Aventador is my pick and that's how I'll conclude the year 2011 with a bang. I expect the best 2012 ever happened in the car industry and I hope this would be the best year for the automotive industry, I think...

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL!!!!