Are you the 2013 Lexus RX minor change?

Some Minkara blogger, mercilessly scanned a brochure that what would the 2013 Lexus RX minor change would look like. Check out the scans that you may found out that there's a high possibility that IT IS the 2013 Lexus RX facelift.

2013 Lexus RX brochure scans

2013 Lexus RX brochure scans

2013 Lexus RX brochure scans

2013 Lexus RX brochure scans

2013 Lexus RX brochure scans

Based on this leaked brochure done by an Minkara blogger, the 2013 Lexus RX facelift will feature Lexus's new trademark SPINDLE GRILLE that was last seen on the all-new 2013 Lexus GS. On the interior, a new steering wheel design takes place and for the first time, Lexus will be offering an optional rear seat entertainment system on high-range models. Also new for the 2013 Lexus RX is the F-Sport variant.

Based on the scans, it should come out in Japan this April 2012.

Source: http://minkara.carview.co.jp/userid/556631/car/481148/2977698/photo.aspx

"Capture the Island Experience"

What just happened at the February 10, 2012 episode of Bubble Gang?

- Those Bubble Gags ruined too much Valentines dates...

Fresco Bar & Resto

- The woman explains what's going on at the church...

- Imagine life on the household if its "too tight" to handle...

- Cheche is writing a Valentines Day card for her dad? Really?!

- Bubble Gang does Boracay Rum by spoofing this commercial as BAROCAY RUM. Capture the island experience with Barocay Rum.

Bubble Gang does Boracay Rum

- Some say Dahon faces a new rival named Bungo, and even the tamed pickupista, Boy Pick Up, is no match for Regine Velasquez. All we know is it's called PICKUP LINES!! And we're off!

Bungo

1) Meron bang droga ang mata mo? Kasi, nakakalason ang titig mo!

2) Di baleng may asthma ako. Basta lips mo ang nebulizer ko.

3) Tatakbo ka ba sa pulitika? Kasi, botong-boto sa'yo ang pamilya ko.

4) Pag-ibig ko sa'yo parang presyo ng fish ball. Kasi, hindi nagbabago.

5) Para sa'yo, ako na ang mas bobo. Kasi, akong BOBOO ng buhay mo

6) Alam mo, nakaka-in love yung mga mata mo. Kasi, ang A, B & C, ay number 2 sa keypad.

7) Kung magiging superhero ako, hindi ako si Batman, Superman, o si Spiderman. Kasi, I'm your man, magpakailanman.

8) Alam mo ba, kakaiba ka? Kasi, ang capital ng Burgundy ay BOOJUMBURA! (?)

- Mr. Assimo at the fast food chain

Mr. Assimo

- Special guest, Mikey Bustos explains the brighter side of us, Filipinos, out there.

Mikey Bustos

- The cupid is going to the jail.

- IyoTube in Britney Spears' Stronger with some female guesting alongside the Moymoy Palaboy duo.

Welcome Back: 2009 Ford Fiesta Zetec S

Fiesta WRC rally car on its shakedown test!

Who's better at hooning? Ken Block or The Stig?

There was one part of Top Gear where Jeremy Clarkson turned an ordinary Ford Fiesta test drive into a hilarious adventure, and that was none other than the "Sensible" Fiesta test. Clarkson tries to address a complaint from someone named "Mr. Needham" because Mr. Needham complained that why Top Gear never do a decent test drive just like the old Top Gear. Trust them, on Top Gear, clouds go backwards, sportscars smoking through the test track, metaphors got tortured, and they last for about five or six minutes but for Top Gear's Sensible Fiesta Test, that was way too much adrenaline and too much rush. However, I really love the Sensible Fiesta Test because this is the best Top Gear moment ever because it included a chase scene between the Ford Fiesta vs. the Chevrolet Corvette at the shopping mall and the part where the Ford Fiesta takes part at the Royal Marines' combat training as a beach assault craft!

"So there you are Mr. Needham! The most thorough test of a car ever undertaken on British television! Fiesta's come through with flying colors!" - Jeremy Clarkson, Top Gear

...and if that wasn't enough of this Top Gear Sensible Fiesta Test, what about in the USA? Top Gear USA's Tanner Foust astonished us with his "indoor speed record" of 87MPH in his Ford Fiesta Rallycross and when The Stig tried it round the TGUSA Test Track, it set an astonishing lap time of 1:19.5 (although this isn't a road car).

The Ford Fiesta returned on Forza Motorsport 4 and it tries to be more sensible on this game. What's even more sensible that those Ken Block Monster liveries made for the Fiesta are truly the best-sellers round the Forza Motorsport 4 storefront. Hey, I can see plenty of Ken Block liveries on the FM4 storefront frequently because of such popularity for the boy-racers in mind. The outlook was good, no wait, the outlook was very good for the Ford Fiesta.

As for me, I personally like the Ford Fiesta not only because it is popular not just in the USA, Europe, the Philippines, ASEAN, and the rest of the world, but it is because it holds a special place in Top Gear history.

Chicago Approach

The 2012 Chicago Auto Show is open to the public this February 10 to 19 at the McCormick Place, Chicago, Illinois. Here are some of my hand-picked cars you might want to approach on this venue, making them a perfect Chicago Approach.

2013 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 Convertible

This here is the 2013 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 Convertible. In celebration of SVT's 20th anniversary, the revised convertible version of the hardcore GT500 Shelby that comes with the most powerful V8 engine in its class; a 5.8L V8 engine that produces a Camaro ZL1-crushing 650HP of power.

2012 Kia Trackster Concept

Kia Motors imagines what would their Mini Cooper rival look like with the Trackster Concept, a 3-door sports concept car that was based on the popular Soul crossover. Kia Motors America chief designer, Tom Kearns, said that the Trackster is made to be tough looking like a bulldog. Hmmm...tough like a bulldog, got that idea from the Honda City Turbo II.

2013 GMC Acadia

GMC's Acadia crossover gets a minor change for the 2013 Model Year but despite being a minor change, there is somewhat an oddity that behind the new front, most of the body panels were really derived from the defunct Saturn Outlook. This is a first from General Motors to save production costs.

2013 Acura ILX

The production-spec Acura ILX made a world premiere at the 2012 Chicago Auto Show and it will be on sale in North America this spring 2012. Of course, this is a much luxury version of the 9th-generation "NOT MADE FOR JAPAN" Honda Civic. There's going to be much TRANSACTIONS with this entry-level sedan and also, if come on sale in Canada, it will replace the Civic-based CSX once and for all.

2013 Hyundai Avante Coupe (subject to change)

Lastly, this is somewhat the Hyundai Avante MD that goes "more fun, less doors". Yes, we're looking at the Hyundai Avante Coupe (subject to change), or what the Americans called it the "Elantra Coupe". This car is a celebration of the Avante's 2012 North American Car of the Year win and this would be a fluidic alternative to the Kia Forte Koup.

New Nu 2.0L CVVL engine, effective on 2013MY YF Sonata and K5

Hyundai YF Sonata

Kia K5

Effective on the 2013 Hyundai Sonata (쏘나타) and the 2013 Kia K5, they are equipped with the new "Nu 2.0 CVVL" engine that replaces the Theta 2.0 MPi engine. The all new "Nu 2.0 CVVL" engine produces 172PS of power and 20.5kg-m of torque. This will provide a maximum fuel economy of 14km/L but if you come with an "IDLE STOP & GO" option, it will achieve 14.8km/L of fuel economy. This is going to be the first Korean-made vehicles to come with a Continuous Variable Valve Lift technology ever to be on sale in South Korea.

Nu 2.0 CVVL engine

Scoop:

1) http://www.kia.co.kr/about-kia/prcenter/news-view.aspx?idx=1578

2) http://blog.hyundai.com/frontoffice/html/blogview.aspx?category=30&pidx=890

Idolm@ster-itasha versions of Prius, Ractis Verso, and Wish coming at Amlux this February

Toyota WISH -THE IDOLM@STER- Version

Toyota Prius -THE IDOLM@STER- Version

Toyota Ractis (Verso-S) -THE IDOLM@STER- Version

   

Some say, it happened again but this is different from last year. All we know is, THE IDOLM@STER returns to Toyota's Amlux this February! That's right, petrolheads in Japan. They're back, and this time, Amlux will feature Idolm@ster itasha versions of the Toyota Prius hybrid, Toyota Ractis (Verso-S) hatchback, and the Toyota Wish MPV from February 11 to March 31, 2012.

For about 1,000JPY, visitors can have a one hour test drive in either the Prius or the Ractis Verso while listening to the original IDOLM@STER radio program but those must be reserved in advance.

For some who haven't known, last October 2011, Toyota displayed some IDOLM@STER itasha versions of the Toyota Prius Alpha (Prius v or Prius+) MPV and the Toyota Vitz/Yaris hatchback and it lasted 'till late November 2011.

Guess those IM@S fandom really turned us into petrolheads...

Scoop: http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/interest/2012-02-08/idolm@ster-prius-to-be-displayed-at-tokyo-showroom

The Ferrari California (if you're a bloke or a girl)

California drifting in London

When this kind of Ferrari debuted at the 2008 Paris Motor Show, what can I say about this Ferrari California (フェラーリ・カリフォルニア)? Is this a convertible? A long distance cruiser? A supercar? And still be a Ferrari? We're not diddling about this like what Vicki Butler-Henderson reviewed on Fifth Gear but this Ferrari California is stubbornly different than the other Ferraris ever made. Enzo Ferrari will be turning in to his grave when he encounters this kind of Ferrari but this is not some kind of a long distance grand tourer and a supercar all rolled into one. The California is Ferrari's first ever FR sports cabriolet that comes with a first retractable hard-top that can be opened or closed in less than 14 seconds. It is the first to come with the first fuel-injected 4.3L V8 engine that can go 0-60m in under 4 seconds and a top speed of 310kph. This car marks the start of Ferrari's commitment to reduce emissions and it will yield more women with the California. It has CO2 emissions of 305.6 g/km while the combined fuel economy is 13.1 l/100 km, which are bad numbers for a supercar. It even comes with the new 7-speed double-clutch paddle shift transmission, which is a first for a Ferrari road car.

Stig remembered that this car is
driven by Vicki Butler-Henderson

It maybe somewhat a Ferrari convertible you may fall in love it but because of the car's firsts, this car made me feel like a jerk. I felt like I'm ending up on the same league of Tiff Needell, Vicki Butler-Henderson, and the rest of the Fifth Gear presenters, but I don't want to be like them because a show like Fifth Gear is really really boring. By the way, it was featured on Jeremy Clarkson's 2009 DVD titled "Duel", where Clarkson's Aston Martin Volante battled against Vicki's California and it all ended on a "Dead Heat". Not only that, the people behind the Gran Turismo series were responsible for the Ferrari California's promotional video that was seen at the special Ferrari website, way before its Parisian debut since Autumn 2008.

This California only live twice...

Having the Ferrari California featured on Gran Turismo 5 is somewhat an ambitious act to follow but when I drove this thing the first time after watching the duel between Clarkson and Vicki Butler-Henderson, I love it. I think this car is might have been a whole new romance but when I corner around the sharpest of corners, well, let's be honest, let's say difficult. Despite that, the California is more fun and I am going to be bonkers, just as women in the motoring journalism drive me mental.

Edo Competition modifies the Panamera Turbo S up to 340km/h!

Edo Competition Panamera Turbo S

The Porsche Panamera Turbo S may be the most powerful Panamera ever built but if you found out that's not enough, don't worry because the boffins from Edo Competition modified the Panamera Turbo S to reach a top speed of 340kph and it's all thanks to modifying the turbocharged V8 engine that gives this modified Panamera Turbo S over 700PS of power, 880Nm of torque, and naught to 60 in 3.5 seconds. When it comes to styling, it comes served with 22-inch rims in Carbon-Look.

Scoop: http://www.auto-news.de/tuning/anzeige_Porsche-Panamera-Turbo-S-von-Edo-Competition_id_31634

2011 HSV E Series 3 GTS says, "Call me Vauxhall VXR8 GTS"

Some say, we saw this car on Top Gear's original video called "Top Gear at the Movies" where it overtook the Ford Mustang Boss 302. Some say, we last seen this one on the internet when The Stig blown up the caravan in celebration of BBC Top Gear's 10 million Facebook likes. All we know is...wait, what? Why are we doing this?

Outta my way, Germans!

Oh, now I see the point. The February ALMS Pack, now on sale, for Forza Motorsport 4, featured the latest version of the Commodore-based GTS saloon car from Holden Special Vehicles (HSV). Like other European 4-door sports cars like the BMW M5 and the Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG, the HSV GTS is the kind of saloon that you would probably go bonkers. That car was made from the country that hadn't signed up to the Kyoto Protocol. Take note that the latest version of the HSV GTS is sold in United Kingdom as the Vauxhall VXR8 GTS and it was featured at the Top Gear original video titled "Top Gear at the Movies" where Richard Hammond imagines what if Bullitt had to be remade. Surely, the Boss 302 Mustang is a lot faster but when the VXR8 GTS overtook the Boss 302 after a spinout, the VXR8 GTS stayed ahead to the very end.

"If Bullitt had to be remade, Steve McQueen will be driving a Vauxhall" - Richard Hammond, Top Gear

A peek inside the HSV GTS

You should know that this car is sold in Britain
as a Vauxhall VXR8 GTS

Another fast fact that the 2011 HE HSV E3 GTS won last year's Fleet World MPG Marathon where it scored a fuel consumption of 11.4km/L (32.14 MPG UK), a 53% improvement to the factory-rated fuel consumption of 7.4km/L (21.0 MPG UK). Bear that in mind that in real life, a driver's habit is the key to a better fuel economy rather than focusing on the factory-derived fuel economy, especially the EPA rating or the JC08 mode test cycle. But that's not we're talking about. When I tried this car on Forza Motorsport 4, I am very impressed about the sound of the 6.2L V8 derived from the Corvette. That 4-door executive saloon car has the noise of the American muscle car! Oh, thanks General Motors.

It's a spindle grille! That's what matters...

This car drove me mental because the HSV GTS is completely insane on the corners and you'll have much chances of getting yourself thrown out unless you fit this car with the right performance parts in terms of handling. I once bought a suspension part and I made it stiffer. Also, I bought some anti-roll bars and some Sport Weight Reduction. My HSV GTS lapped the Top Gear Test Track in 1:25.9. I was on par with the BMW Z4 M's lap time from the show but no matter. This car is a great value because while the BMW M5 F10 costs 90,000 CR while the Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG costs 100,000 CR, the HSV GTS cost about 65,000 CR! Outta my way, Germans!

If you were the 10 millionth Facebook fan of BBC's Top Gear, this car is for you because The Stig drove it while blowing up the caravan with some explosions.

I AM GIULIETTA. I'M AT FORZA MOTORSPORT 4

Alfa Romeo Giulietta in Japan

Here's a completely true story happened to me. You see, back in the summer, I pre-ordered Forza Motorsport 4 at Gamestop's Westfield Southcenter branch because most people who pre-ordered Forza 4 at all Gamestop branches will receive a Alfa Romeo Giulietta as a pre-order bonus they can use it on the game. On the date Forza Motorsport 4 arrived, I came back to Gamestop Westfield Southcenter to pick it up. I was going to try the Giulietta but then, hours later, the receipt where the code for the Giulietta is written is gone. My chance to try out the award-winning Alfa Giulietta had been wiped out. Now, wherever I see a Giulietta on my sight, I felt completely traumatized after a loss of my receipt but until now, when the Launch Bonus DLC made to be available for the public, I felt completely relieved and I finally got the chance to try out the Alfa Romeo Giulietta on Forza Motorsport 4. Guess I owe them a thank you letter for them.

Anyway, about the Giulietta, it was revealed at the 2010 Geneva International Motor Show and it was on sale in Italy since May 2010. There was a commercial for the Giulietta starring Uma Thurman and that line, which turns out to be one of Shakespeare's quotes, really suits both the actress and the car itself. However, this here is the hardcore Quadrifoglio Verde variant of the award winning Alfa Romeo Giulietta hatchback. This variant comes with the 1750 TBi engine that produces 232HP of power and 340Nm of torque. This helps the Giulietta QV to go from naught to 60 in 6.8 seconds and a top speed of 150mph.

The Giulietta is Alfa Romeo's most emotional hatchback ever made and it garnered most awards and accolades.

Matt LeBlanc overtook Mr. Bean as the fastest "Star in a Reasonably Priced Car"

Back in Series 17 of Top Gear, Mr. Bean, or should we say Rowan Atkinson, rattled the Top Gear Test Track in 1:42.2, making him the fastest star in a reasonably priced Kia. However, on Series 18 Episode 2 of Top Gear (the one with The Stig's Chinese cousin on it), a celebrity named Matt LeBlanc stepped in, lapped round the Top Gear Test Track and, if you're sitting down, overtook Mr. Bean's lap time, making Matt LeBlanc the current leader of Top Gear's Star in a Reasonably Priced Car with the lap time of 1:42.1! Unbelievable! Mr. Bean's going to be upset about Matt LeBlanc's lap time!

Although, we can't show the S18Ep2 clip due to constraints, here's the behind the scenes footage of Matt LeBlanc roared through the corners of the Top Gear Test Track.

If you can't see the clip, visit this link:

http://transmission.blogs.topgear.com/2012/02/05/all-the-post-show-discussion-from-episode-2-plus-behind-the-scenes-with-matt-le-blanc/

Z34フェアレディーに、改良

2013 Nissan 370Z

To be showcased at the 2012 Chicago Auto Show, coming this February 10 to 19, this revised 2013MY Nissan 370Z (Fairlady Z) Z34 features some mild updates such as a new front bumper that is somewhat derived from the old Z33, red reflector added to the rear fascia, revised 19-inch rims, new 18-inch rims, red-finished brake calipers, dark-finish fuel gauge trim, and Euro-tuned shock absorbers. This keeps the Z34 more updated when this model arrived in Japan since December 2008.

Although no pricing was given, sales for the revised Z34 will start in the USA this Summer 2012. No word when will Japan get this revised model...

Further Reading: http://www.netcarshow.com/nissan/2013-370z/