Welcome Back: 2009 Dodge Challenger SRT8

Made by people who love cars...

In Top Gear's USA Muscle Car Road Trip episode, Richard Hammond bought a Dodge Challenger SRT8 with a 5-speed AutoStick automatic transmission. The reason why Chrysler didn't provide Hammond a test unit is because of their bad taste for American muscles. Because it has a 5-speed AT, his Challenger is proven worthless but on the Bonneville Salt Flats challenge, he tried hard to beat the 150mph target when the grille is covered in duct tape and the tire pressure's lowered. He learned that from a salt flat expert.

The Dodge Challenger SRT8 is made by people who love cars to people who love cars who can outrun people who don't care about cars. With its 6.1L HEMI V8 engine that churns out 427HP of power and 420lb-ft of torque, this muscle car is all about the noise that brings back the golden days of muscle cars, even the classic Challenger from the past.

It maybe not as powerful as the Mustang and the Camaro but with this car, I felt like that I am a secret American man, just like Richard Hammond because deep down inside, he's a secret American because he's a big fan of muscle cars.

Welcome Back: 2007 Porsche 911 Turbo

Another Porsche turbo....

This is another Porsche turbo. In the past, a 911 was a one-way ticket with no stops at the pearly gates but this is the 2007 Porsche 911 Turbo, part of the Porsche Expansion Pack on Forza Motorsport 4. Porsche managed to tame this machine with the right combination of big power and putting the engine in the wrong place.

Back in Forza 3, Porsche sold us a wild ride in the shape of the GT3 or the biblical terrible GT2, which is the 2WD bouncy evil handling version of the Turbo. What this is though is the best of the Porsche 911 range. This comes with the 3.6L B6 engine with two variable geometry turbos, generating 473HP of power distributed through all four wheels. Couple that with the most advanced driving aids and carbon brakes, you have absolute security and stability no matter how fast you are and I am indeed to be...very fast...

The old path to the Old Mulsanne

...because this is where I'm heading, to the Old Mulsanne version of the Le Mans Circuit de la Sarthe. A place where you can take your car, no matter what it is, to the max. In the 911 Turbo though, that should be quite a thrill...

That's a hundred miles per hour...

This about a hundred miles per hour now. If I was in Britain, they would take away my license, lose my job, my house, kids take up rugby sniffing, and then locked in jail. Oh wait, I don't have any kids. Anyway, this doesn't seems to be dangerous. So....let's up the pace, shall we?

Porsche says that the top speed is 193mph but they always throw side of caution. I reckoned with the right wind and path, we might be able to hit 200mph...186...190!

Come on! This is the top speed now, 193!

COME ON, SPECK IT!

COME ON!!!!

200MPH!!!

There it is! 200mph!

I love to tell you that I've never been this faster on the Old Mulsanne but I have actually. This is somewhat what life is when Jeremy Clarkson pushed the 911 Turbo to 200mph at the Autobahn from his 2008 DVD, Thriller!

"This has been Medifacts for Polidont!"

On the July 6, 2012 episode of Bubble Gang;

- SWAT gags

- Meet a principal whose nose got some overgrown hair...Some nosy and hairy jokes occur...

- Mr. Assimo on a date...

- Ogie Alcasid's explaining the plus points of having a big belly...

- Umuuga ba ang pustiso mo kapag kumakain? Bubble Gang does Polident Denture Adhesive Cream by spoofing this commercial as POLIDONT Denture Adhesive Cream. This has been Medifacts for Polidont!

- PICKUP LINES with Sukli (with back up LOOSE CHANGE), Dahon (with back up Kasuy), and Boy Pick Up and Boy Pack Up!

- Something even more advanced than 3D or 4D...10D!

- Sumbong Sumbong kay Bonggang Bonggang Bongbong tackles on the most annoying everyday doings such as...tambays at the coffee shop making beso-beso, idiots hanging keys on their pants, and personalities have their yayas hanging their designer bags.

Honda N BOX Plus

Last year, Honda revealed their answer to the Daihatsu Tanto and the Suzuki Palette, which is known as the N BOX. In standard and Custom variants, the Honda N BOX became the first of Honda's EARTH DREAMS TECHNOLOGY, that is that they were the first Hondas to come with idling stop function that allows the engine to be shut off automatically when stopped. Ideal to reduce carbon emissions.

2013 Honda N BOX +

2013 Honda N BOX + Custom

Here it is and this time, both the N BOX and the N BOX Custom now made it even better and daintily called the N BOX+ (Plus) and the N BOX+ (Plus) Custom. Although they may look the same as the original and still comes with new engine developed specifically for the N BOX, which is known as the S07A engine, but once you get inside, you'll be notice that there's a very unique feature that the standard N BOX doesn't.

2013 Honda N BOX + Multi Space System

The N BOX+ models come with the MULTI SPACE SYSTEM in a form of three boards that makes it very practical. First of all, you can use a multiboard as a stand where you can put something above the board and put something below the board. It can be heightened or lowered depending on your stuff you have.

Not only that, you can use it as a bed just by folding down all the seats and take advantage of this multiboard. Perfect if you want to relax during your summer break in Japan.

Then, you can fold down the rear seats and take advantage of this foldable board to store something under and you can have some space above to fit one 42-inch TV with some space below to fit your folded trolley.

Then, another foldable feature on the N BOX+ was the board where you can conveniently place your bike in a form of a SLOPE MODE. There's an available aluminum slope where you can easily put your two wheeled vehicles inside the N BOX+. What you see here was the Universal Bridge system that includes a retractable aluminum slope to make it easier to load and unload heavy items on wheels such as a small motorbike and can be easily tucked inside.

Like the original, the N BOX Plus comes with the S07A engine, in turbo of NA flavors, linked to a CVT and front- or all-wheel drive versions.

Exclusive to the N BOX+ is the 2-Tone Color Style variant that comes with a stylish two-tone color.

URL: http://www.honda.co.jp/Nboxplus/

Volkswagen's got Porsche!

2012 Volkswagen The Beetle

2012 Porsche 911 Carrera

It's finally official, ladies and gentlemen. After several mishaps, it appears that German automaker Volkswagen is all set to close the deal to acquire Porsche.

Scoop: http://www.autoblog.com/2012/07/05/volkswagen-finally-really-taking-over-porsche/

What's your comment with VW taking over Porsche? 

Welcome Back: 1989 Porsche 944 Turbo

There are many ways to find some thrills at Forza Motorsport 4; you can drive a Bugatti Veyron Super Sport at the Old Mulsanne or you can even spend 360 hours racing against your buddies.

It's an E-registered Porsche 944 Turbo!

Or you can buy one of these; it's a 1989 Porsche 944 Turbo which is part of Forza Motorsport 4's Porsche Expansion Pack. It's very important that you would try not to be confused with the old 924 because that has the engine from a van, a price tag from Mars, and a top speed of a horse. This one has a proper Porsche engine; a turbocharged 2.5L engine that produces 220HP of power and it has the size of Sheffield. 

We're thinking that this is the car that destroyed
a double-decker bus...

This car feels like the Ford Sierra Cosworth and it's just so easy; gearbox is mounted at the back for better weight distribution and the steering's very precise and accurate but the only drawback to the 944 was it's turbo lag. If you worked it hard, it can go 0-60mph in 5 in a bit seconds, flatout in 150mph, and it had retractable headlights that no car has anymore these days.

There are many other things from the past that we don't want back such as the BetaMax, VHS, Cassette Player, Walkman, Black and White TV, analog TV, Polaroids, or even phones that has this revolving thing on it. But retractable headlights are cool!

This is a great car; fast, agile and today in terms of bangs for your bucks; extraordinarily valuable. Here in Forza 4, a Porsche 944 Turbo can be fun and thrilling if you use your imagination.

In Jeremy Clarkson's 2008 DVD, Thriller, he bought a used E-registered Porsche 944 Turbo that cost him five grand and he's very appreciated about this car. Later on, Jeremy Clarkson made a rocket launcher for the 944 Turbo and he takes it for a spin to blow away a speed camera, highway patrol vehicle, or even a double-decker bus.

The car that defeated the steam train from Top Gear...

In Series 13 opener of Top Gear, a letter from a viewer was sent to Top Gear and says here that what would Top Gear be look like when they were in 1949 and yep, Jeremy, Richard, and James take up for the big challenge. It's the 1949 episode. An epic 1949 race between the Jaguar XK120, the world's fastest on that time, the Vincent Black Shadow, which is the fastest motorbike on that time, and something that is bit 1949-ish but modern, a Peppercorn Class A1 60163 Tornado steam train. Jeremy Clarkson took part on the A1 Tornado while James May is in the Jaguar XK120 and Richard Hammond, in his leather romper suit, rides on the Vincent Black Shadow in a race from King's Cross, London, to a bar in Edinburgh. In the end, the Jaguar XK120 defeated the A1 Tornado steam train while the Vincent Black Shadow motorbike is dead last because of problems.

The world's fastest car from the late 1940's

This is how Forza feels like when it's 1949

So, the Jaguar XK120, what made it very special that when this car was launched in 1948, it hailed as the world's fastest car from that era. The roadster version as seen at the 1948 London Motor Show was actually a pre-production model and its positive reception propelled Jaguar founder and design boss William Lyons to put it into production. As the name implies, it is capable of 120 mph (193 km/h) of top speed, which in 1948, hailed as the fastest car in the world courtesy of its 3.4L DOHC Straight-6 engine that generates 160 bhp (119 kW; 162 PS) @ 5000 rpm of power.

Back then, this car costs 1200 Pounds in 1948 but in today's world, that's about 35,000 Pounds. It's a Bugatti Veyron with the price of the 5 Series.

In the old days, XK120 units with standard 8:1 compression ratio were exported to the world market but in Britain, a 7:1 low compression version was provided with decreased power because of the post World War II austerity measures.

Most of the XK120's come with the independent torsion bar front suspension, semi-elliptic leaf springs at the rear, recirculating ball steering, telescopically adjustable steering column, and all-round 12 inch drum brakes that can be easily broken or Alfin (ALuminium FINned) brake drums that has low chances of getting it broken. 

In 1951, an improved version, the XK120 SE (Special Edition) was launched with wire wheels, increased power, stiffer suspension and dual exhaust system. Therefore, the SE model produces 180 bhp (134 kW; 182 PS) of power but the one we have on Forza Motorsport 4 via the July Car Pack was actually the XK120 SE (C-Type Head) that comes with the improved 3.4L engine that churns out 210 bhp (157 kW; 213 PS) of power.

Off to kick some steam train rails...

During its tenure, the XK120 was heavily involved in motorsports beginning with its first victory at the Daily Express-sponsored One-Hour Production Car Race held on 30 August 1949 at Silverstone Circuit, England. From 1949 to 1954, the XK120 shines through various races such as the Le Mans, Targa Florio, Mille Miglia, Silverstone Production Car Race, Tourist Trophy, Mount Druitt 24 Hours Road Race, and we're not joking, NASCAR where Al Keller won the first NASCAR road race, held at Linden Airport, New Jersey, on June 13, 1954.

Nice view with this car!

Even in old days, cars are better than trains. Most Top Gear episodes always proving that cars are better than trains. The Aston Martin DB9 is better than the train heading to Monte Carlo, the Nissan R35 GT-R is better than the Shinkansen, and this...the Jaguar XK120 is better than the Peppercorn Class A1 60163 Tornado steam train. I'm glad that this car showed up on Forza Motorsport 4 and I'm loving it not only because of the noise and its heritage but this really is the car that this shows that even six decades ago, in post-WW2 era, cars are better than trains! It pays to be a Top Gear fanatic.

BEAT THAT, CATHEDRALS EXPRESS!!!