WALD Panamera Black Bison

WALD Panamera Black Bison

Another modified luxury saloon that is part of WALD's Black Bison lineup. This time, the Porsche Panamera's deserved the Black Bison treatment. With a new aero kit, new set of rims, rear spoiler, fender panel, DTM Sports Muffler, and a Velour Floor Mat, this modified Panamera would stop at nothing to be more...annoying.

URL: http://www.wald.co.jp/parts_acce/carrange/porsche/panamera/panamera.html

Yes I know, it's bad, I'm sorry

Megaupload

Seems that the protest against SOPA and PIPA became highly recognizable and successful but feds can't keep up. Seems that the penalty for a successful protest leads to the closure of a file-sharing site you've already familiar with...MEGAUPLOAD!

Today, Megaupload, one of the world's popular file-sharing service, was shuttered and the founder of Megaupload is charged of facilitating millions of illegal downloads of films, music, and other content. Some say, that caused over $500 million of damages and the creator of Megaupload, Kim Dotcom, as well as other employees were apprehended in New Zealand by request of U.S. officials.

Yes I know. It's bad, I'm sorry...

Scoop: http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/story/2012-01-19/megaupload-feds-shutdown/52678528/1

Ford Focus ST-R meets Tanner Foust

Racer and Top Gear USA presenter, Tanner Foust, visits the Homestead-Miami Speedway to check out the Ford Focus ST-R in motion. We sure know that this race-ready Focus is just one of the things Tanner Foust's been excited about. Check out the clip:

Korean Toyota Camry CF ditches Lee Min Ho in favor for Kim Tae Hee?!

Kim Tae Hee meets
the 2012 Toyota Camry

Last year, when the 2012 Toyota Camry came out in North America, there was a special 4-episode web drama titled "The One and Only" which stars Lee Min Ho as a man who lost his memory races against time to save his loved one from his twin brother who was an ex-convict. That web drama features the many features of the 2012 Toyota Camry but that only work on Asian Americans. I should know that the USDM 2012 Camry arrived in South Korea this January 2012 and this is somewhat different. There was a Korean TV Commercial for the US-sourced Camry and that starred none other than IRIS celeb, Kim Tae Hee. I can't help myself but this Korean TV commercial really ditched Lee Min Ho in favor of Kim Tae Hee. That seems to be inappropriate but fun to see.

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.