BMW 1M Coupe production extended until mid-2012

2012 BMW 1-Series M Coupe

As we all know that the BMW 1M Coupe is truly a hardcore version of the 1-Series Coupe. We were kinda worried that production of the 1M Coupe will end at the end of 2011 but there is some good news that production of the BMW 1M Coupe has been extended until the second half of 2012, according to one report from Top Gear Philippines because of the increasing demand. Talk about an encore performance!

Scoop: http://www.topgear.com.ph/news/bmw-reveals-plan-to-launch-3-vehicles-in-2012

Centennial-aged man's secret to happiness

We saw this on YouTube. It's a long Coca-Cola commercial about a 100-year-old man from the Philippines, whose name is Lolo Mario, shares his secret to happiness. That clip made us touched after learning the 100-year-old man's secret to happiness.

R230 SL-Class tuning by PP Exclusive

PP Exclusive R230 SL-Class

The R230 SL-Class still has a little months left before the next SL-Class arrives this year so to make things up for the R230, the tuning experts from PP Exclusive prepped up a souped-up R230 SL-Class to cater its short lifespan for fun, turning yourself a clumsier and more annoying driver at the Autobahn. It comes in either 20 to 23-inch rims equipped in Dunlop tires, lowered suspension, new exhaust system, White Nappa leather seats with black stitching, and some wood trim covered with piano lacquer to make it more luxurious. This kind of tuning is not giving up on this kind of SL.

Scoop: http://auto.de.msn.com/magazin/tuning/pp-exclusive-verj%C3%BCngt-alten-mercedes-sl-8

A GT5 Mini Countryman/Crossover Getaway

Song played in my Personal BGM: リゾラ by Iori Minase (CV: Rie Kugimiya)

From the album: THE IDOLM@STER MASTER ARTIST 2 -SECOND SEASON- 01 Iori Minase

This is freaking sweet. I've never tried the MINI Countryman (known in Japan as the MINI Crossover) before but thanks to Gran Turismo 5's 3rd DLC, it made me possible to try out the all new MINI Countryman/Crossover on this game and this car's about to say "Hey Diddle Diddle" because this cow's about to jump over the moon! Or maybe just throw it.

Hey Diddle Diddle! This Countryman's about to
jump over the sun! Or maybe just throw it.

Not bad driving at the snow...

Despite being an FF car, the MINI Countryman can perform well on dirt and snow because the SUV look really make it up to its name. However, despite it's offroad fun, the Countryman finds it struggling on wet courses and a little Scandinavian Flick won't do a thing either. Remember, don't overcook it unless you're a professional MINI Countryman owner at GT5 because the handling is too delicate to overcook it or it will ruin it.

Mini Countryman meets the original Mini Cooper S

What makes the MINI Countryman differ to the 2011 Mini Cooper S is its weight. You see, the 2011 Mini Cooper S weighs 1140kg, the MINI Cooper S Countryman weighs about 1310kg, that's 170kg heavier than the original despite they're both equipped with the 1.6L engine that produces 181HP of power and 177.2ft-lb of torque.

Stig takes a day-off with the Mini Countryman in Italy

Yes! Stig's coming home!

For a pint-sized crossover, the MINI Countryman is all about being adventurous and with that being featured in Gran Turismo 5, I wonder what adventures will the Countryman take, especially when it takes on the top speed at Special Stage Route X or set a lap time at the Top Gear Test Track! When your online players saw your Countryman, they'll think you're more annoying than orange! 

I'm glad that this is the first time driving the MINI Countryman right here on GT5, and that made me as adventurous as an explorer. MINI's first 4-door crossover is definitely big reason why you're calling it the "Hey Diddle Diddle" because you just want to find a dirt course to make a leap for it. Sadly though, this MINI Countryman is not track-ready and it needs some professional care to make it more fast and agile as the original MINI but a bit more sensible to annoy your pals.

Peugeot announces Le Mans withdrawal

Peugeot 908 HDi FAP - Team Peugeot Total

This is surely a bad news for those who are big fans of the 24 Hours of Le Mans because PSA Peugeot-Citroen announces its withdrawal at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, effective now, because of the financial troubles. It's a shame that the European Debt Crisis really put a massive toll on the French carmaker that is famous for its 908 HDi FAP Le Mans Prototype that won the 2009 24 Hours of Le Mans against the Audi R10, following with another win with the 908 at the 2010 24 Hours of Le Mans.

PRESS RELEASE:

Peugeot brings down the curtain on its endurance programme so as to ensure the success of its numerous launches in 2012

After 14 victories in the last 16 races, including a double at the Le Mans 24 Hours 2009 as part of the ILMC championship won by Peugeot two years running, in 2010 and 2011, the Brand has decided to close its 2012 endurance programme and will not be taking part in the next Le Mans 24 Hours.

This decision has been taken against the backdrop of the challenging economic environment in Europe coupled with a particularly busy year for the Brand in terms of new vehicle launches. In this context, Peugeot prefers to concentrate its 2012 resources on its commercial performance and, in particular, ensuring the successful launches of the 208, 3008 HYbrid4, 508 RXH, 508 HYbrid4 and 4008 which will take forward the Brand's strategy of moving upmarket and extending its global presence. In keeping with its social responsibility obligations and as part of the GPEC (forward management of jobs and skills) agreement signed by 5 trade unions, all of the employees concerned will be offered redeployment solutions within the Group thanks to a special system set up to oversee and lead occupational training/retraining as well as internal mobility.

Scoop: http://www.autoblog.com/2012/01/18/peugeot-exiting-le-mans-racing-effective-immediately/

*Photo shown for illustrative purposes only

Leopaul's Heaven and Hell: SOPA Bill. Why do we hate this...

Wikipedia Blackout

Earlier, a popular website, Wikipedia, was one of the websites that commenced a blackout is part of the protest against the most terrifying bill that if once passed, could destroy the internet for real. That bill was known to be the SOPA (Stop Online Piracy Act) Bill.

The SOPA Bill and the PIPA (Protect IP Act) Bill are the kind of bills that can destroy the internet and lose more jobs quickly when voted by the Senate this January 24. I don't exactly know what are these but these two bills made me scared and if implemented, my blog would become extinct and I could get locked up in jail just like a bunch of Japanese people who got jailed for unauthorized downloads via Share file-sharing software. Still, it could be worse, I want to get out from the USA and hide myself from the law.

Here's a clip of how SOPA or PIPA works:

Scary, right? Especially YouTube is not safe here. For instance, I upload some video in YouTube, then I often leave a message saying "NO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT INTENDED", it's still not working even with that magic word and this whole "Matched Third-Party Content" is annoying especially for a car addict like me who loves car commercials. It's true. SOPA and PIPA destroys free speech and it is the violation of the First Amendment, the right of free speech.

SOPA and PIPA could make the world economy even worse. The Strong Yen, Euro debt crisis, SOPA and PIPA bills can't solve those and that's why these bills won't work in the fight against online piracy. This is a load of rubbish, ladies and gentlemen. This would be much worse than a bunch of MMDA men demolishing shanties around the metro. Pretty soon, The Stig will have nothing to hear it when he was testing new cars round the Top Gear Test Track, as long as the new car has a stereo on it.

That's why I'm one of the million people who hates SOPA and PIPA bills as long as we keep fighting. All is not lost for us and we still have plenty of time to stop it.

Take action at: https://www.google.com/landing/takeaction/

We're hoping to have the very best we can't to save the internet from the dreaded SOPA and PIPA bills that if once passed, would cause the internet to become extinct and economies will took on a nosedive. What's worse, it will not solve the Euro debt problem. Thank You and keep on fighting.

Hyundai i40 Saloon

2012 Hyundai i40 Saloon

Last year, Hyundai released the i40 at South Korea, in station wagon form only. It is believed that the i40 serves as the wagon alternative to the Hyundai YF Sonata even though the i40 is essentially based on the YF Sonata. With two engines available such as the GDi 2.0L engine and the 1.7L CRDi-VGT diesel engine, it's hard to say that the Hyundai i40 is clearly not available in the Philippines because there are two reasons; the diesel engine is fit for Euro V countries and it's unfit for a Euro II country like the Philippines and the GDi 2.0L engine is unfit for the Philippines' dirty fuel.

To make matters worse or better, Hyundai Motor Company launched the sedan version of the Hyundai i40 dubbed as "Hyundai i40 Saloon" (한글: 현대 i40 살룬). Would that be possible for a country like South Korea to sell both the YF Sonata and the i40 Saloon? Don't worry though, while the YF Sonata is available only in Theta-II 2.0L MPi and GDi 2.0L turbo engine, the i40 Saloon is available only in GDi 2.0L engine and the 1.7L CRDi-VGT diesel engine, the same engines you'll get from the wagon version.

The i40 Saloon still features a 6-speed automatic transmission and based on Hyundai's observance, the GDi 2.0L engine produces 178PS of power, 21.6kg-m of torque, and 13.1km/L of fuel economy while the 1.7 VGT engine produces 140PS of power, 33kg-m of torque, and 18km/L of torque.

Like the wagon counterpart, the Hyundai i40 Saloon still comes with nine color variations such as White Crystal, Sleek Silver, Titanium Silver, Stone Gray, Red Merlot, Eco Beige, Blue Spirit, Blue Passion, and Total Black.

My comment:

The same features you'd get from the i40 wagon, now in a stylish and luxurious sedan look that will serve as an alternative arrangement to the YF Sonata. Because there is no such thing as a diesel Sonata in Korea, the i40 Saloon will bridge the gap to the lineup and yes, it's all about decisions. Sad to say, both the i40 wagon and the i40 Saloon are NOT AVAILABLE in the Philippines. Sorry, but it's the rule. No i40 in the Philippines. Gray market imports are truly annoying but not recommended. Sorry Filipinos, you can't get those.


Photo: Hyundai Motor Company

The Aventador in Gran Turismo 5

Song played in my Personal BGM: arcadia by Chihaya Kisaragi (CV: Asami Imai)

From the album: THE IDOLM@STER MASTER ARTIST 2 -FIRST SEASON- 05 Chihaya Kisaragi

Are we doing that again, Stig?

Welcome to the first all-new Lamborghini for over a decade, the Aventador. Premiered at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show, the Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4 served as the replacement of the Murcielago and served as the Lamborghini flagship model. With the success of the past Lamborghini V12 cars that span a half of century such as the Miura, Countach, Diablo, and the Murcielago, the new Lamborghini Aventador comes equipped with an all-new 6.5L V12 engine, the first in almost 5 decades, producing 700PS of power and 690Nm of torque. It is the first that features a new 7-speed Independent Shifting Rod transmission that has the fastest gear change time of 50 milliseconds and a new push-rod suspension that handles like a F1 car. This is the ultimate Lamborghini ever built because their customers asked for it. As a matter of fact, when it was premiered at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show, a full-year supply was already sold out, making it the most successful model ever made. In the Series 17 finale of Top Gear, the Aventador scored a lap time of 1:16.5, 0.3 seconds slower than the McLaren MP4-12C.

An epic battle between
Aventador vs. Godzilla

A true Lamborghini heritage passed on
from generations.

The Aventador is now a fan favorite and nearly a few video games featured this car and now, Gran Turismo 5 started the year 2012 with a bang by adding the Aventador on their 3rd DLC Car Pack. This is just good news and since there was a Speed Test Course Pack available now, players can now find out the Aventador's true self in the new racetrack called "Special Stage Route X", a new proving ground that can test their cars' top speed. This is very crucial because this is the place to judge how fast is your car is. What bothers me that this new Aventador is much quicker than the 2012 Nissan GT-R. Simple, I have two stock cars; one is the Aventador and the other is the 2012 Nissan GT-R. I used the "Route X" course and when it started, the Aventador rocketed ahead and it stayed on to the very end.

The Aventador relaxes in Japan

Venta's gone full throttle!

Unbelievable for a car that has a 0-60m time of 2.9 seconds and 217mph top speed and this Aventador is the ultimate thriller on this game. It will get you into trouble quickly and it will leave you a cheeky smile on your face. That's what this does, everything.

Welcome Back: 2009 Volkswagen Scirocco GT

The new VW Scirocco. It's explosive.

In one episode of Top Gear, Jeremy Clarkson and James May come up with ideas to create a TV commercial for the diesel version of the new Volkswagen Scirocco. That Top Gear "Ad Men" challenge was undeniably one of my favorite Top Gear moments I've ever seen and it's definitely funny to watch that segment over and over again. Surely their attempts to create that commercial were failed, even with some explosions, mother-in-law jokes, man who lost an arm from an accident, being overtaken by the Mazda RX-8 and Alfa Romeo Brera, man committing suicide, and a funeral with a hint of a woman in a black bikini and some explosions at the end. At the end, Jeremy and James creating their own ads but instead of showing it to the ad agency because they'll reject those, they've showed it at the Top Gear studio and let the audiences decide which ad is better. James May come up with a plant ad while Jeremy Clarkson come up with a Poland mass exodus ad with the tagline "Berlin to Warsaw in one tank".

The return of the 2009 Volkswagen Scirocco on Forza Motorsport 4 is truly a deserving treat since we already tried it in the previous installment but this Scirocco featured doesn't do "Berlin to Warsaw in one tank" because it has a 2.0 TSi engine on it. Despite that, it's still has "Power with responsibility". It doesn't stink as James May's failed advert jingle attempt. LOL

Subaru Impreza Sport spotted nearby!

This is the 2012 Subaru Impreza Sport. I recently spotted this kind of model just a few walks in my house and I'm sure know that this really is the new, 4th generation model of my absolute favorite Subaru.

I guess this new model looks better than the Mazda Axela but the front view needs a bit more styling because that looks rubbish. However, it's still a great value.

How Hard Can it Be? It's hard being Clarkson!

Jeremy Clarkson

It's hard being Jeremy Clarkson, from BBC Top Gear presenter into a social pariah, you wouldn't know that this presenter at his 50's really took the raps from various groups. Recently, he offended most Indians during the Top Gear India special. So what? Most people around the world HATES Jeremy Clarkson! The Indians, the Arabs, the Mexicans, the Morris Marina owners club, The Stig, gosh he's more annoying that what you might think!!

Anyway, UK's Telegraph listed the 10 Clarkson mishaps that offended the global scale, making him the most annoying human being of the world.

1) The Mexicans (February 2011) - BBC apologized to the Mexican Ambassador over the comments from Top Gear saying that Mexican cars are "lazy, feckless, flatulent oaf with a moustache, leaning against a fence asleep" just like the Mexicans, well that's what Hammo said. The Mexican government demanded a formal apology to the BBC because what Top Gear said to the Mexicans are derogatory, cruel, xenophobic, discriminatory, and racist.

2) Special needs (just like Budoy) (August 2010) - In one episode of Top Gear, Jeremy Clarkson commented on the Ferrari F430 Speciale (which in fact, the Ferrari SP1 made for the Japanese client) and he said that this care is a "simpleton" and this should have been called the Ferrari F430 "Speciale Needs", which in fact made the National Autistic Society angry.

3) Muslims (July 2010) - Jeremy Clarkson claims that burkas and lingerie are the biggest distractions on the roads. The burka part wasn't a good idea for him and while he got out from the taxi at Piccadilly, a woman in burka tripped Clarksie on the pavement. Besides, most countries in the Middle East are not included in the 170 territories where Top Gear's been broadcasted.

4) Black Muslim lesbians (October 2009) - One issue of Top Gear Magazine made readers so angry about when Clarkson is accusing the producers of being fixiated with having "black Muslim lesbians".

5) British Prime Minister Gordon Brown (February 2009) - Back when Gordon Brown is UK's prime minister, Clarkson's "one-eyed Scot" comment really made Gordon Brown angry during an Aussie press conference.

6) Truck drivers (November 2008) - Lorry drivers are the British term for truck drivers. In one segment about truck driving, Clarkson described about the truck's gear change. "Change gear, change gear, change gear, check mirror, murder a prostitute, change gear, change gear, murder. That’s a lot of effort in a day.” Clarkson called those truck drivers as murderers and that's very offensive.

7) BBC;s governing body (July 2008) - The Top Gear Polar Special sparked fury by the BBC when Jeremy Clarkson caught drinking liquor while he and James May are driving the Toyota Hilux all the way to the North Pole.

8) The anti-smoking movement (October 2007) - Jeremy Clarkson's idea of lighting up a Porsche Design pipe caused anger by the anti-smoking movement. Also, he was accused of breaking a law but puffing on the pipe in the Top Gear studio.

9) Malaysians (October 2007) - In Clarkson's DVD titled "Heaven and Hell", Jeremy Clarkson destroyed the Perodua Kelisa, which is made in Malaysia. Clarksie said that this Malaysian micro-mini is the worst car in the world and he said it was made by "jungle people who wear leaves as shoes". Ouch!

10) Germans (December 2005) - One part of some Top Gear episode made Jeremy Clarkson does a Nazi salute to the BMW and he commented that one of the cars needs to have a navigation system that "only goes to Poland". What with? Berlin to Warsaw in one tank?

Scoop: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/celebritynews/9010164/Top-10-Jeremy-Clarkson-gaffes.html

Verdict: Yes I know. It's bad, I'm sorry. It's hard being a Jeremy Clarkson when your comments sparked fury among race, sex, gender, and most of it. Pretty soon, if parents caught their kids watching Top Gear, they should said that this show is a bad influence to them because of Clarkson. Rubbish!

Opel Zafira Tourer

2012 Opel Zafira Tourer

Like the Nissan Lafesta Highway Star, the Opel Zafira Tourer does not replace the 2nd generation Opel Zafira (although renamed as Zafira Family). This is somewhat a spin-off to the brand's mainstream minivan but still it looks more like an enlarged Meriva minus the suicide doors. This minivan stays true to the 2011 Zafira Tourer Concept car as seen at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show and this design really shake it up to this category. The Zafira Tourer has much more better design than its rival, the Volkswagen Touran and it seems that Opel's design language really pushed it even further for the love of cars.

2012 Opel Zafira Tourer interior

Aside from its attractive design, the new Zafira Tourer offers first-class interior comfort fit enough for the whole family and it comes with various seating arrangements under the Flex7 seating concept. The second row seats are now changed and it can slide longitudinally by 210 mm (100 mm forwards, 110 mm backwards) independently of each other and can be folded flat. That's a nice touch for that. Also, it features the new Lounge Seating System that transforms from three seats at the 2nd row into two seats with extended legroom for first class comfort. What completes the feel is the panoramic sunroof that gives you a clear full view of the sky and the stars.

At the start, the new Zafira Tourer comes in four available petrol engines such as the 1.4 Turbo 120PS engine, 1.4 Turbo ecoFLEX 120PS engine, 1.4 Turbo 140PS engine, and the 1.4 Turbo ecoFLEX 140PS engine. Other engines such as the 1.8L and the 1.6 CNG turbo ecoFLEX engine may follow later. For now, the 1.4L Turbo ecoFLEX variant comes with an idling stop function that allows the engine to shut off automatically when stopped at the red light, reducing carbon emissions and providing combined fuel economy of 15.9km/L (6,3 L/100 km). On the diesel side, 2.0 CDTI 110PS, 2.0 CDTI 130PS, 2.0 CDTI 165PS, and 2.0 CDTI ecoFLEX 165PS are offered while the 2.0 CDTI ecoFLEX 130PS may follow later. Depending on the variant, the Zafira Tourer is equipped with either a 6-speed manual or a 6-speed automatic. The FlexRide suspension equipped on the Zafira Tourer allows excellent riding comfort while maintaining excellent vehicle stability on any condition.

The Opel Zafira Tourer is available in 10 colors such as Schneeweiß, Royalblau, Powerrot, Graphitschwarz, Argonsilber, Karbongrau, Fresh Mint, Silbersee, Ozeanblau, and Mahagonibraun.

My comment:

The Opel Zafira Tourer is like the Nissan Lafesta Highway Star, it doesn't replace the outgoing model and it was served as the spin-off model. The overall design is just perfect enough for a minivan like this and there is a feature that you can carry up to four bikes at the back, which makes it a perfect outdoorsman for the job. The Volkswagen Touran would become upset against this!