Bubble Gang pays tribute to Dolphy

Of course! Who would forget the Bubble Gang? Perhaps their very own Boy2 Quizon always remember his grandfather so much, we surely miss the Comedy King so much. That July 21, 2012 episode of Bubble Gang pays tribute to Dolphy. Even though this episode is all Dolphy style, it even introduced a completely new logo of this show!

New Bubble Gang logo

Anyway, what's what happened on the PIDOL STYLE episode of Bubble Gang?

- John en Marsha gags

- A completely new Facifica Falayfay

New Facifica Falayfay

- A tribute on John en Marsha. JOHN EN MARSHA KUNO...

John en Marsha Kuno

- Bubble Gang does Argentina Corned Beef by gagging this commercial as VIRGENTINA! Welcome to the Kapuso Virgentina! Basta may Virgentina, may Kapuso!

- Ka-Gerry's back to introduce new kinds of fruits such as BANANANANANANANA, CHICOHOL, ALANAMAN, DRINKING STRAWBERRY, PAKTU, BARA UBAS, BLUE, and BLACK MANGO

- Taglish VIDEOKE by using the song Narda

- Sumbong Sumbong kay Bonggang Bonggang Bongbong tackles some of the most annoying stuff to do such as big fat women trying to pose sexy in a photo, people wearing silly bands, and establishments giving away raffle tickets that has very small space to fill in!

...That episode has some Dolphy clips on it and that's fine by us because that glorious years is what made him great.

Getting to know about the "little giants"

The United States of America - land of the gas guzzlers, where the big engines with bigger displacements rule right until the Energy Crisis broke out in the mid-70's where America tries to rethink the automotive industry by providing fuel-efficient compacts because back then, gas prices cost like a bag of pretzels. That decade also introduces Japanese cars to the American market as well.

The producers sent me a Forza 4 challenge held at this month's Community Monthly Rivals event titled DON'T BE FUELISH. Turn 10 dev, phREDESIGN, issued us a challenge to take on him for this week's Community Bounty Hunter event, where we will beat phREDESIGN's lap time at the DON'T BE FUELISH event. More info here; http://forums.forzamotorsport.net/forums/1/5577333/ShowThread.aspx

The AMC Pacer, Gremlin, Ford Pinto, and the King Cobra are the cars you'll be using on the Don't Be Fuelish event. Because the restrictions said that it has to be in the F-Class, tuning for these cars are allowed, so you can manage its power, weight, and others, as long as its not exceeding the F-Class limit of F/200. Surely, they want to tune the listed cars up to F/200, but for decision making, were not really sure which of these cars are recommended to beat phREDESIGN's time. To sum up, I drove these cars and observing how are these cars behave. Let's begin with the King Cobra...

1978 King Cobra

The 1978 Ford Mustang King Cobra...as told that the second-generation Ford Mustang is hailed as the worst car in America as told from Top Gear USA's Worst Cars episode but this King Cobra though...this is more like a properly dressed version of America's worst car. Surely I prefer the first generation Mustang because it has class and glamour. It even reminded me of the car Steve McQueen drove on the Bullitt movie, which in fact, the first generation Mustang became pop culture stardom as are the legendary car chase on that film.

This though, this is a bit too rubbish, Mustangs are supposed to be cool but this second-generation though, this is a bit rubbish right until 1979, where the third-generation Mustang broke loose and lost all of its muscle car biceps. This King Cobra is more of a final special edition of the second-generation Mustang and it's limited to 4,313 units made, complete with a deep air-dam, stripes, and a "Pontiac Trans-Am style" cobra snake decal on the hood. Under the hood lies a heavy 4.9L V8 engine that produces 139HP of power and 250lb-ft of torque.

This may have more power than the Pacer and the Pinto but less than the Gremlin. With the F/174 class, tuning is very limited for choices and it's not easy to find the right setup for the King Cobra. As for the handling, it's hopeless to beat phREDESIGN's lap time because it's too dynamic thanks to its rear-wheel drive and its oversteering risks. I would not recommend this car for this challenge...

Gremlin

Now if you watched last year's Cars 2 movie, you might remember that the AMC Gremlin inspired the character named Grem, who was one of the bad guys on Cars 2. For the more mature people, the AMC Gremlin loves to pick the fight against the Ford Pinto. Back in 1977, the AMC Gremlin costs $2995, cheaper than the Ford Pinto Pony's pricing of $3099. The Gremlin lists for less but gives them more. Both have bucket seats but Gremlin has a fold down rear seats and a rear hatch. When they stacked them up, the Gremlin comes on top, true to its slogan: THERE'S MORE TO AN AMC.

Sadly, there's no Chevy Vega on FM4 and if they did put it here, we can all have a good fight between the Vega, the Pinto, and the Gremlin. This will be fun but not now. Anyway, the one I have here on FM4's July Car Pack is powered with a heavyweight 304 cu in (5.0 L) V8 engine that churns out 151HP of power and 245lb-ft of torque. This guy may have more power than the King Cobra but unfortunately, It's difficult to tweak it up. You can't fit it with racing tyres because it may exceed the requirement for that challenge. Wait, you can fit it with racing tires in any races but no, not in the DON'T BE FUELISH challenge. You can lose its weight, you can tweak its power, you can tweak its handling as long as the car is in the required limit but I'm afraid that the Gremlin won't work on this challenge. To be honest, it's too twitchy and sluggish to handle the Gremlin because of its weight, no matter how many weight loss pills you're taking on this car.

Pacer

Hmmm...I already talked about the AMC Pacer two months ago but I'm not sure if this car's up to the challenge but to me, it's got potential because of its F/104 class and you can feel free to tweak Acer as long as it not exceed the F/200 limit. You can put it with racing tires, weight loss, power upgrades, anything but not exceeding the limit. Surely, it maybe the heaviest of the competition but with genius tuning, you'll never know what you can throw next on the Pacer. Being "the first wide small car" seems to be a big deal but I believe that it's just wasn't quite enough to beat phREDESIGN's time.

Pinto

Despite having the reputation of being the most dangerous car ever built because of the fuel tank mounted at the back, the Ford Pinto is highly the recommended car for the challenge. It may have the least power of the required cars but with the F/100 class, you can tweak it up with racing tyres, weight loss, more power, anything, as long as it not exceeds the limit. The lightweight body truly is the "ace in the sleeve" and it shouldn't be a problem cornering through the short spaghetti turns of Positano. If tuning the Pinto for the challenge by yourself isn't enough to beat phREDESIGN's time, try picking up the tuning setup by fat burns, whose lap time was 1:04.934.

As I checked the leaderboards, most people who come on top of this DON'T BE FUELISH challenge are driving Pintos. From top 10 to 100, they're always driving the little carefree car from Ford because the lightweight body makes it a joker in the card game.

I'd recommend the Pinto because most people came on top used this car no matter what setup they're using. The rules is simple, beat phREDESIGN's time and you'll get the RX-7 Spirit R unicorn car to use in the game. If you already have the RX-7 Spirit R, it may be optional to disregard this notice or take it for a spare one. It's your choice but for those looking for some easy money might consider taking this challenge using a tuning setup bought from some guy who made it in the first place. 

I already have two Spirit R's so I'm confident that I won't be needing to take phREDESIGN's challenge but I would rather take this challenge to boost my cash, my experience, or my affinity level. Those Community Bounty Hunters are those kind of challenges made by the producers to make players getting to know more about the car's true talent.

Anyway, you have until 8AM Pacific Tuesday July 24 to beat his time! Don't forget that if you want to get the Spirit R in case you haven't have one!

Toyota REBORN commercials takes you to the Olympics!

Now, the London Olympics are nearly there and we are almost excited for the big day. TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION, proud supporter of the Japanese team for the London Olympics, kicked off two REBORN commercials that takes them to the London 2012 Olympics!

First off, there was a commercial about three women from the Basara period but later reincarnated as three ordinary girls driving a Toyota Yaris/Vitz in the streets of London, for the excitement of the LONDON 2012 OLYMPICS. Those girls were played by Yuriko Yoshitaka, Reina Triendl, and AKB48's Atsuko Maeda.

Watch the clip: http://youtu.be/eOpU0UQldtY

Then, there was that ad that grown up Doraemon, Nobita, and the gang, all played by Jean Reno, Satoshi Tsumabuki, Asami Mizukawa, Naoya Ogawa, and Tomohisa Yamashita, are watching the Olympics on TV but they need the Japanese flag for supporting the Japanese team so, Doraemon and the gang time traveled to Japan in the 1960's. Kohei Uchimura was one of the athletes representing Japan for the London 2012 Olympics.

Watch the clip: http://youtu.be/4p-rDRMZiSU

Those two TOYOTA Reborn Commercials, they really brought the Olympic spirit for the Japanese. As always told, TOYOTA is a proud supporter for the Japanese athletes in the Olympics.

Blast from the Past: R170 vs. X100

British heavyweight versus German lightweight

By reminiscing  back to the past, or to the late 1990's, I can only remember that both the R170 Mercedes-Benz SLK200 and the Jaguar XK (X100) were just chalk of jeans, back to the days when televisions were standard definition, back when there was my childhood memory of addiction to TV shopping, one when I have to sleep properly when it's 9:00 PM and back when Top Gear was just a boring motoring magazine show with Tiff, Vicki, Quentin, Steve, and other Top Gear presenters from the past, even Andy Wilman who was a presenter back then before he was the producer of the 2002 reboot of Top Gear, which became the flagship of BBC.

In today's world, I have driven the latest versions of the SLK and the XK and I have to say that comparing a car with big power and a lightweight car is a bit of a conundrum for them but looking back to them when they were launched in the late 1990's seems so intriguing. It's like going to the TARDIS to see how are they look like from the past. Anyway, where do we start? The R170 or the X100?

I have a coin. If heads, I'd start with the R170 but if tails, then it's the X100. I spun the coin and I grabbed it, and it was tails so I'd start with the first generation Jaguar XK (X100).

This car tries to stay classy

So, the first generation XK. This was launched in 1996, back when Jaguar is owned by Ford Motor Company, and the first model was dubbed the XK8 in coupe or convertible styles, fitted with a 4.0L V8 engine. Some people said that the XK is more of a modern-day equivalent of the legendary Jaguar E-Type and this was known to be one of the most luxurious high-performance sports cars in the world. It's more of a grand tourer than a sportscar and you can drive it in the winding roads for some rest and relaxation.

The one I have here is the XKR version, the cherry at the top of the cake that what made the XK superb and this powerful version is using the same 4.0L V8 from the original but fitted with an Eaton-developed supercharger, generating 400HP of power and 408ft-lb of torque. Armed with the 6-speed AT, it can go 0-100kph in 5.2 seconds and top speed limited to 250kph.

What made this car unique was the CATS electronic variable damper control system that adjusts the damping force depending in various speed and road conditions and it was perfect when you're driving the twists and turns. Like the original XK8, it's still a gran tourer. With the 6-speed AT, refined suspension, and the luxurious interior, it's just so feels more like a premium sedan in a coupe body. Nice touch to that.

It's cool to drive this car at night....

If power is what comes in my mind on the Jaguar XKR, I have to move on to something a bit lightweight, something that already gave its rivals a headache back in the late 90's. This is the R170 model, the first generation Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class. The SLK stands for SPORT LIGHTWEIGHT COMPACT, meaning that this two-seater roadster is on the lightweight division. As a general rule, it used the platform derived from the C-Class and it has a folding roof, which called them VARIO ROOF back then. With the roof closed, it has the presence of a sports coupe but with the roof off, all that breeze is coming right in front of me.

That reminded me of a prize car of some promo held by some cigarette brand. Is it Philip Morris? Yes it is because back in 2000, there was a promo from Philip Morris where anyone with the Philip Morris 100's won either a 2000 Mercedes-Benz SLK, 80,000 US Dollars, 24K Gold Bars (12,000 US Dollars each), or a trip to Gold Coast, Australia (4,000 US Dollars each). I really wonder what just happened to the guy who won the SLK on that promo? Did he sold off his car from something rubbish or did he crashed? I don't know but I wanna find out soon.

Anyway, what I have here comes with the supercharged 2.3L 4-cylinder engine that generated 193 HP of power and 207ft-lb of torque. It was mated with a 5-speed automatic transmission. 0-100kph in 6.9 seconds and top speed limited to 231kph.

So, now I met those cars from the past, I decided to lap these two round the Top Gear Test Track to find out if a car with bigger power or a lightweight car is proven to be a worthy contender. On the Jaguar XKR Coupe, I did it in a measly 1:24.652. Kinda love the exhaust sound though as for the cornering, it was fine for a car with big power and noise.

Then, I got off from the XKR and into the SLK230K. The handling's not bad for a car that weighs less than the XKR but it did it in 1:33.529, slower than the XKR Coupe! Huh, it's still the power over displacement principle that makes all cars competitive. The XKR is powerful than the SLK230K but the SLK230K's lighter but doesn't matter to me because these two are more like bowties and fezzes. The XKR is more of a bowtie but the SLK230K....that's like fezzes. They're cool though, don't worry about it.

Let's Do The News! (July 20, 2012)

You were thinking that you like the prefer the new BMW M6 more than the Jaguar XKR-S, am I right?

Yeah but it appears this new M6 is a bit of a hassle like the Jaguar XKR-S. 4.4L V8 with 560PS of power vs. 5.0L Supercharged V8 with 550PS of power. With the available M Driver's Package, it will trounce the Jaguar XKR-S in the straights.

Oh really?

Not sure. I'm not an expert of anything...

(audience laughing)

Anyway, let's do the news!

Right and most of you people already heard the mega bad news about the Nurburgring as the GREEN HELL filed for bankruptcy, which made us sad that the legendary racetrack has been succumbed to the Euro Debt Crisis.

Scoop: http://blog.caranddriver.com/nurburgring-bankrupt-whats-happening-at-the-nordschleife/

Courtesy: SAVE THE RING

Oh my. Poor Nurburgring! Can't believe that the world's ultimate racetrack has gone bust! Everyone had a lot of memories on this racetrack, even Top Gear, where the Ford Transit van, driven by Nurburgring genius Sabine Schmitz, tries to beat Jeremy's time set by his diesel-powered Jag of nine minutes and 59 seconds but she failed and her best in the Transit was 10 minutes and eight seconds.

Ah the memories at the Ring... 

Nurburgring

Nurburgring

Yeah. Good memories indeed but anyway, in case you want to know what just happened to the Nurburgring since the filing for bankruptcy, here's a link for some Q&A at:

http://mikefrison.com/1666

Here, you'll learn something about...well...what I said...Nurburgring since it went bust. But that reminds me...because the Nurburgring filed for bankruptcy, will the famed racetrack be closed? Some say...

Probably not, because the Ring earns money only when kept open. But it might be under control of the insolvency administrator or a private owner thereafter.

Yep, business as usual even the track went bust. Anyway, moving on...

Now, you may probably heard the rare case of how did someone survived miraculously after getting their heads pierced by some long stuff, especially javelins. On that news I found, I heard that a teenage girl from Japan miraculously survived after her head got pierced by a javelin.

(oooohhh)

Scoop: http://news.yahoo.com/japan-schoolgirl-speared-head-javelin-092817316.html

Would that be scary? When I think when someone accidentally thrown a javelin on someone else's head, would they die.

Well yeah. Most people died when they got their head pierced by some unsuspecting object. Remember the head shot thing? A shot in a head will be called a one-shot kill. But on this javelin story...Can't believe that she's lucky enough to survive a life-threatening situation.

Yeah, what luck. Imagine if you got survived when your head got shot by a bullet.

(audience laughing)

Anyway, while the Formula One 2012 season is getting wilder than what we think, Codemasters, the game brand behind the Formula One video games, is making a new game which combines Mario Kart gameplay with super deformed Formula One stars especially Sebastian Vettel, Lewis Hamilton, Fernando Alonso, Nico Rosberg, Bruno Senna, and all of our favorite F1 stars.

Really? A new Formula One video game does Mario Kart? LOLZ.

(audience laughing)

What's it called?

It's called F1 RACE STARS.

Scoop: http://www.autoblog.com/2012/07/19/mario-kart-meets-f1-in-new-codemasters-game/#continued

This new game packs fantasy versions of real F1 tracks but because this is just like Mario Kart, there are some power ups along the way to blast the competition. It kinda reminded me of some video game I had...

Really? What is it?

It was DIDDY KONG RACING from the Nintendo 64.

Diddy Kong Racing? Wow, you got some childhood memories out there...

I love that game when I was a kid. By land, air, or sea, Diddy Kong Racing is a bit of a childish race because of the different characters and different powerups that you can trounce your opponents. Ah those memories I've remembered when I was a kid....

Ahem, enough childhood memories for now and let's move on. 

Right, as some anime fans remember Akemi Kanda as the seiyuu behind Negima's Asuna Kagurazaka, which is one of our faves. Guess what? We heard that Akemi Kanda...um....

What?

(murmuring)

What did you said? I heard something!

(murmuring)

Right! She got married!

Scoop: http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/interest/2012-07-19/voice-actress/singer-akemi-kanda-gets-married

Why are you murmuring Clarks?

Don't regret it. As seiyuus come and go, they're moving on for bigger and better things? Life after Negima can be a bit complicating...Even Miss Akemi Kanda announced that she got married with some normal people I'd never know...

Don't get upset pal. As heard, she'll continue her job even her married life you know...

E he he he....

Anyway, Series 2 of the Seitokai no Ichizon anime is coming this fall 2012 and we just heard that there's going to be some cast changes around here...

What?

Some say...Yuka Saitou, who originally played Chizuru Akaba in the first series, is being replaced by Mina (Heaven's Lost Property's Sohara Mitsuki, Is This a Zombie?'s Kanami Mihara). Yuki Horinaka, who originally played Mafuyu Shiina, will be replaced by Iori Nomizu (Heaven's Lost Property's Nymph, Cat Planet Cuties' Antonia).

Scoop: http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2012-07-19/new-seitokai-no-ichizon-anime-changes-2-castmembers

Cast changes can be a rarity for any anime series but hey, it's kinda weird that every time when there's a new season of a certain anime coming, it's a rare thing that there's going to be some cast changes and that's very very rubbish. Cast changes are seriously uncool unless some conditions like when a seiyuu got some health concerns.

(oooohh)

Indeed you're right pal. Cast changes are seriously uncool unless some conditions like when a seiyuu got some health concerns. Better not forsake the late Tomoko Kawakami. Remember, she died last year. Don't let her down.

(calmly) Uh....okay....

Right, now anyway, on to the subject of the upcoming AFA INDONESIA, the first ever Anime Festival Asia event to held in Indonesia. Check out the ticket prices...

I Love Anisong Special Offer” :

- 2 Day VIP Pass: Rp 1.000.000

- 2 Day Standing Pass: Rp 600.000

- Standing Pass: Rp 350.000/day

- VIP Pass: Rp 600.000/day

- Exhibition: Rp 50.000/day

- Exhibtion + Stage: Rp 125.000/day

And wait! We heard that there will be big guests coming on this event such as...

Such as what?

- Akatsuki Tsukasa - guest cosplayer from Taiwan

- KANAME☆ - AFA cosplay ambassador

- 7!! (pronounced as ‘seven oops’) - JPOP band behind “Fallin Love” as a theme song for the movie “High School Debut”, “Lovers” for the anime series Naruto: Shippuden , and “Bye Bye” for Kimi to Boku.

- Sea☆ A - girl group, currently recruiting for new members, will be performing hit songs from anime series such as CardFight! Vanguard’s “Dream Shooter” and Toriko‘s “Deli-Deli Delicious”.

- KOTOKO - you remember her from opening theme songs from Hayate, Shana, and Accel World. It's her first time in Indonesia to please the fans.

- Ichiro Mizuki - he was been in AFA for 4 years and this legend will perform some of his legendary anisongs from the past such as Captain Harlock, Mazinger Z and Kamen Rider.

- LiSA - Angel Beats fans will remember her as Yui from the Girls Dead Monster band.

- Stereopony

Scoop: http://sgcafe.com/2012/07/afa-indonesia-press-conference/

Now that's big! A selection of big stars are coming and I have to say, KOTOKO is probably one of the best guests on that event.

Why?

Remember the closing theme song from Tweeny Witches? KOTOKO did that. Gosh I want that song so much because the song's a bit too catchy and repetition of this song is extremely high. I wanted this song more than any other.

(audience laughing)

1000th Aventador

Anyway, the Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4, it made a milestone for this car because 1,000 units were made and the the 1,000th Aventador was owned by Bavarian architect Hans Scheldecker, who was from Germany, and this 1000th Venta is colored in Arancio Argos.

Scoop: http://www.autoblog.com/2012/07/19/lamborghini-celebrates-assembly-of-1-000th-aventador/

I have to say, congrats to the 1,000th Aventador owner. Glad that he's German. He he he....

(audience laughing)

And on that bombshell, that's the news! For a quick reminder though, President Noynoy's SONA will be in July 23, 2012, this Monday. Wonder what promises did this President achieved or failed?

BMW M6 Cabrio (F12) and Coupe (F13)

2013 BMW M6

So, the latest version of the BMW M6, in coupe and cabrio versions...It may have went for some downsizing issues such as replacing the V10 engine from the old model in favor of twin-turbo V8 that powered the M5 F10 but can this new model bested the old M6 even though in its newly regenerated look?

First of all, it does look like the latest incarnation on the BMW 6-Series that we saw last year but with this powerful version, it's getting a bit too shouty. Look closely at the kidney grilles, did you see the M6 badge on the right side of the kidney grille? Yes, we know it's an M6 but why would they put the M6 badge on one side of the kidney grille? Those BMW M models I know doesn't have that but for this new M6? Hello? We can distinguish it by its signature body kit and quad exhausts, as well as the M6 badge on the back. It's unnecessary to put the M6 badge on the kidney grille because...that's a lot of nonsense. Yep, that's a lot of nonsense.

2013 BMW M6 Coupe

Whatever, let's forget the shouty exterior look of the all new M6 but anyway, because the engine's downgraded from V10 to twin-turbo V8 engine, do we think that they downgraded the power? I'm afraid not because unlike the old V10 it replaces, the twin-turbo V8 engine that powered the BMW M5 F10 generates about 560PS of power - that's about 10 more than the Jaguar XKR-S! But seriously, how does the new M6 stack up against the XKR-S?!

Well in terms of crucial areas, not well. When the new BMW M6's 4.4L twin turbo V8 engine generates 10PS more than the Jaguar XKR-S' 5.0L Supercharged V8 engine, putting these two on the benchmark is a disaster. While the XKR-S' 0-100kph time is 4 seconds, the new M6's 0-100kph time is...let's say 4.2 seconds. Just .2 seconds slower than the XKR-S.

Then there was the top speed; while the M6 is limited to 250 km/h (155 mph), the XKR-S is limited to 300 km/h (186 mph), meaning that while in the Autobahn, the XKR-S can easily overtake the new M6 to the max.

So what about the weight? While the XKR-S Coupe's curb weight is 1,800kg and the XKR-S Convertible's curb weight is 1,850kg, the new BMW M6 Coupe's curb weight is 1,924kg and 2,056 kg for the Convertible. There has to be some simple reason why this new M6 weighs more than the Jaguar XKR-S is because of several features added on the new M6, especially the new 7-speed double clutch transmission, which the XKR-S doesn't have because it's a 6-speed AT that finds it a bit difficult.

But wait! If you think the M6 is a bit slower than the XKR-S in terms of limited top speed, think again because for the new M6, you can have the optional M Driver's Package that pushes the M6's top speed up to 305 km/h (189 mph)! 305kph? That's about...5kph more than the XKR-S! That's staggering but I still don't know if I have to appreciate this new M6 more than my favorite Jag?

Unlike the Jaguar XKR-S, the new M6 comes with the idling stop system that shuts the engine off when stopped and then start again when the foot's on the pedal - to save petrol.

Handling wise, the new M6 is a bit too twitchy to drive than the Jaguar XKR-S because the M6's heavier than the XKR-S, as I said. Handling the XKR-S is as delicate as a piano but its as harsh as...drinking whiskey for some commercial shooting that drive the producer very angry. Did I said that line? Anyway, the new M6 though, it takes some skill to master the handling even though this new guy comes M-specific chassis technology, Dynamic Damper Control, M Servotronic, and DSC with M Dynamic Mode. You can think of it like sonic screw-driving a very complicated giant safe that contains two people freezing themselves to death. Hey! Ralph called! (vomitting)

Available colors for the all new BMW M6 are; Saphirschwarz, Havanna, Silverstone, Spacegrau, Imperialblau Brllanteffekt, Singapur Grau, Sakhir Orange, San Marino Blau, and Alpinweiß.

2013 BMW M6 Cabrio

My comment:

Choosing between those two cars is not easy. Surely the Jaguar XKR-S is a bit too delicate from its looks but wild on performance while the BMW M6 is all too shouty even though for the first time I saw a badge placed on its trademark kidney grille. Sure, the BMW M6 and the Jaguar XKR-S may have some flaws on it but when you compare these two, you'll never know which stacks up either on the track, on the streets, or Amy Pond's eyes but for me, on balance, I would choose the shouty German sports car instead...

Photo: BMW A.G.

It reminded me of all the hard work I've done...

Trying to give this car back to life...

This looks like the one I have in my old GT2 video game, back when my sort of antique was a PSOne. Although I have to be honest that this is the Alfa Romeo 155, the one that is famous for being a touring car years ago. You'd never know that all that glory came to this car is what made the Alfa 155 special even though it was just a replacement of the Alfa 75.

While the V6 TI racer was been in some museum, the old 155 sedan was left to rot until Forza Motorsport 4 rediscovered this car via the ALMS Car Pack and now, I decided to give this car one final mission.

Back at the fast lane

I'd never realize that I got the chance to drive this car again. This takes me all back to my childhood memories. The Tahiti, the sunset, Rome, Seattle, the ovals, everything. That takes me all back. Anyway, the car...

The 155 served as the replacement to the Alfa Romeo 75 and despite it has more dimensions than the 75, the 75's rear wheel drive system has been ditched in favor of front wheel drive system because of cost cutting issues. That seems to be odd but this FF layout, according to Alfa fans, spoiled the sporting pedigree of the Alfa Romeo brand.

This car tries to show its racing pedigree

There it is again, a normal family saloon car!

That seems to be odd but aside from the FF layout, Alfa Romeo did offered a Q4 variant, which comes with the 4WD layout derived from the legendary Lancia Delta Integrale, the one that won six WRC races in the trot. Under the hood lies a turbocharged 2.0L engine that produces 137 kW (190 PS) of power and 291 N·m of torque. It can go 0-60 in 7 seconds and top speed of 225 km/h (140 mph).

When I handle the 155 Q4, the grip makes it feel like I'm driving a Lancia Delta Integrale in so many ways and it's just so easy to drive so you don't need to worry about messing around with the steering because the 155's handling understands what you're saying. What I'm looking now is a Delta Integrale in Alfa Romeo's notchback clothing and I was very impressed with it. There is always a reminder that you can't be a true petrolhead without driving an Alfa Romeo and we all kinda stick to it, even in Forza Motorsport 4.

Just like old days....

Despite tarnished reputation, the 155 joined numerous touring car challenges to further enhanced its reputation via the the Supertouring-homologated GTA and the V6 TI for the DTM. Between 1992 and 1994, the 155 managed to take the Italian Superturismo championship, the German DTM championship (both with Nicola Larini at the wheel), the Spanish Touring Car Championship (with Adrián Campos), and the British Touring Car Championship (with Gabriele Tarquini). The most iconic was the 155 V6 TI because it has a record of 38 wins (plus 3 other non championship races). The victories were obtained by seven different drivers: 17 (+1) Nicola Larini, 13 (+1) Alessandro Nannini, 2 Stefano Modena, 2 (+1) Christian Danner, 2 Michael Bartels, 1 Kris Nissen and 1 Gabriele Tarquini.

That sounds convincing but I want to give the normal 155 the honor it has to be deserved just like the 155 V6 TI racer. I want to give this to The Stig...

...and across the line!

There we are, the Alfa Romeo 155 has the recognition it deserved and my car did it in...1:33.029, not bad for a car that gained a 38 win record to enhance its image that was tarnished because of its FF layout that was disliked by most fans because they still prefer the 75 over its FR layout. The unsung hero finally got the recognition it deserved...

Honorable mentioned by Top Gear