Sunday, December 23, 2012

What's in our Car Town garage today? (December 23, 2012)

2011 Fisker Karma

Fisker Automotive is an American carmaker based in Anaheim, California, founded in 2007. The maiden car for the brand is a plug-in hybrid sports saloon car known as Karma. As a pure series hybrid car, it was powered by a pair of 120 kW (161 hp) electric motors that get their power from a 20 kWh lithium ion battery supplied by A123 Systems. If the driver engages Sport mode or if the battery's out of charge, the 2.0L petrol engine kicks in, generating 260HP of power.

2011 Fisker Karma

2011 Nissan Juke

With a name so awkwardly weird, Nissan seems to be quite so serious when it comes to making this ROCK 'N SMALL compact crossover, which was designed in Britain and produced at its Oppama plant in Japan. It was the first model in the lineup to come with their newly developed 1.6 L MR16DDT Turbo I4 engine that churns out 190PS of power, mated to an XTRONIC CVT.

2011 Nissan Juke

2011 BMW Z4

"Actually it doesn't feel like a pair of turbos at all. This is like a pair of testes! Big, meaty ones!" Jeremy Clarkson from Top Gear explains how the twin turbos on the E89 BMW Z4 feels like and it is...sort of. It maybe more of a civilized hardtop roadster that was now made even more comfortable but don't be fooled by how it feels because on the road, the Z4 E89 really likes to take things very seriously.

2011 BMW Z4

Some Say: Next Mazda Axela/3 may come end of next year, diesel engine possible?

2012 Mazda Axela

Fresh off the rumormill, or what in some issue of MagX said, seems that the Mazda Axela (known in the world market as the Mazda 3) is going for a full change at the end of 2013 or first half of 2014 and some say, this will be the third car to be fully integrated with SKYACTIV Technology since the CX-5 and the third-generation Atenza (Mazda 6). They are speculating that the next model will be fresh with Mazda's new signature design philosophy, KODO -Soul in Motion- and it may come with either a 2.0L petrol or a 2.2L diesel engine, again all SKYACTIV stuff here.

Here's an excerpt:


フルスカイアクティブ第3弾として登場
トヨタやホンダのハイブリッド攻勢に危機感をもったマツダが、限られた経営資源をエンジンやトランスミッションの効率向上に注ぎ込み、その成果を「スカイアクティブ」として発表したことはご存じだろう。

スカイアクティブ技術を投入したクリーンディーゼル搭載のCX-5は、国内で高い人気を獲得。続くフルスカイアクティブ搭載モデルのアテンザ(写真右上)が2012年11月に正式発表されたことも記憶に新しい。

次に登場するモデルは、より量販が見込めるデミオとアクセラ(写真右下)。アクセラは2011年秋の一部改良でエンジン(ガソリン2L直噴)とATがスカイアクティブに切り替わったが、次期モデルでは前述の2モデル同様、シャーシやボディも含めフルスカイアクティブへと進化する。

パワートレインは、アテンザの販売動向次第で、同車に用いられる2.2Lディーゼルターボが採用される可能性もある。ガソリンエンジンでは、国内仕様のアクセラで販売量の多い1.5Lユニットも、スカイアクティブGになる公算が大きい。これでスカイアクティブガソリンユニットは、1.3L、1.5L、2L、2.5Lが揃うことになる。

エクステリアは、アテンザと同様にマツダの新デザインテーマ「魂動(こどう)」に沿ったものが採用される。曲面が多用される流れるようなデザインや、切り立った5角形グリルと切れ長のヘッドランプが印象的なフロントマスクなど、アテンザ譲りの遠くからでもひと目でマツダ車とわかる意匠が与えられるに違いない。登場は2013年冬、遅くても14年前半になる見通しだ。

Scoop: http://www.carsensor.net/contents/newmodel/_21163.html

Saturday, December 22, 2012

"#1 WALA NANG IBA"

On the December 21 episode of Bubble Gang

- Christmas shopping gags

- Customer Service made even more complicating even in person

- You want to take a picture with Santa Claus? Or you're just doing something else?

- Susi Problems. Girls just wanna have fun.

- Anong gagawin para makakain ng Lucky Vi Pancit Canton? Bubble Gang does Lucky Me Pancit Canton by spoofing it as LUCKY VI PANCIT CANTON. #1 WALA NANG IBA.

- Who rules? Men or women? DEDEBATIHIN KITA!

- ANG BAGONG DATING DOON with Brod Pete and friends. You got complicating questions, they got answers.

- How does people shortening their sentences to make it sound fancy?

- IyoTube in Feliz Navidad

- Ang cute cute mo!

2013 Subaru Stella

2013 Subaru Stella


In response to Daihatsu released the facelifted 2013 Move lineup complete with improved e:S technology that propelled them to 29kmpl of fuel economy based on JC08 Mode standards and a new safety system called "Smart Assist" which also comes with an auto-braking feature similar to Volvo's and Subaru's, it seems that here comes an "emergency facelift" for the Subaru Stella twin, therefore, all the technology and the impressive fuel saver gizmo applied on the 2013 Move are bolted in the Subaru Stella compact kei car, which is essentially a rebadged Daihatsu Move when it was launched in May 2011.

Although, the Stella and its Stella Custom stablemate has a very different face than the 2013 Daihatsu Move, it still comes with the newly improved e:S Technology with CVT Thermo Controller that helps get their fuel economy up to 29kmpl and also the SMART ASSIST system that comes with the auto-stop feature that can automatically brake the car in a near-collision scenario.

Sales start at January 2013 across Japan.

URL: http://www.subaru.jp/stella/stella/

Thursday, December 20, 2012

A NEW TARDIS?!

A couple of weeks ago, BBC showcased a teaser photo for what some say this could be the new look inside the TARDIS.

???????

We were confused about this and we kept asking "Is this the new look inside the TARDIS?". We also heard that prior to the DW 2012 Christmas Special, there's going to be a brand new version of the Doctor Who theme song. Puzzling, isn't it? Now, BBC revealed another photo of the NEW TARDIS as well as the Eleventh Doctor's new (and questionable) costume...

New TARDIS interior and Eleventh Doctor's new costume

What's so cool that the console's now revamped, bringing it back to its roots. The new Eleventh Doctor costume is kinda puzzling. It becomes more classical, more vintage, but still more Who factor for our time lord hero.

See the full view on the Doctor Who Christmas Special "The Snowmen", Christmas Day at these times:

UK - 5:15pm on BBC One
US - 9/8 central on BBC America (U.S.)
Canada - 9E/6P on Space (Canada)
Australia - Boxing Day, Wednesday 26 December 2012 at 7.30pm on ABC1.


Image: BBC Worldwide

Miss USA is 2012's Miss Universe

Miss USA is 2012's Miss Universe
Image: Reuters

Does everyone watched this year's Miss Universe? If you did, you might heard that USA's Olivia Culpo took home the crown and glory as Miss Universe 2012 while our very own Miss Philippines Janine Tugonon is 2nd place while Miss Venezuela Irene Sofia Esser Quintero placed 3rd, Miss Australia Renae Ayris placed 4th, and Miss Brazil Gabriela Markus placed 5th.

Seems that these beauty queens got the looks, the finesse, the moves and the guts to answer questions the Miss Universe committee can throw at them. To those who made it to the top spot, I just wanna say congratulations. As for you, Miss Philippines, even though you were placed 2nd, I'd expect great things coming for you. Great things...

Scoop: http://ph.omg.yahoo.com/news/miss-usa-wins-miss-universe-2012--miss-philippines-takes-first-runner-up-031507480.html

Daihatsu Move Fifth-Generation Minor Change

A couple of months ago, Suzuki Motor Corporation just launched their most fuel efficient Wagon R ever complete with new fuel-efficient features that propelled its fuel economy to 28.8kmpl. Some people say that this fuel economy is sure enough to outwit the Daihatsu Move's 27kmpl fuel economy based on JC08 Mode standards. In such response, Suzuki vs. Daihatsu, the battle for fuel economy supremacy, rages on because in response to the new Suzuki Wagon R's antics, Daihatsu waged everything they've got to make something even more fuel efficient than the new Wagon R.

2013 Daihatsu Move

2013 Daihatsu Move Custom
I mean yes, this is the Daihatsu Move. It's still the fifth-generation Daihatsu Move, the kei car that set a benchmark for fuel economy figures and the car that staged a fight against Suzuki in a war of fuel economy. However, this is no ordinary Move because this is the minor change model for the fifth-generation Move. Even though it's a facelifted model, Daihatsu added some new features, something that no other kei car in Japan comes close. What I heard is that this facelifted version of the Move now comes with SMART ASSIST. My thoughts exactly, folks. This is the first time a kei car has applied this; a braking system similar to Volvo's City Safety and Subaru's Eyesight Ver. 2. Meaning that the facelifted version of the Move can now brake by itself in a near-collision scenario. Don't ask how...

Forgive me, ladies and gentlemen, because this is a very serious first look to this new version of the Move and you know me, I'm wasn't quite serious enough getting to know new cars but for this new Move, things are going to be wibbly-wobbly timey-wimey for now.

Where was I? Oh yeah! You know that in the previous fifth-generation Move, it bears the TNP27 slogan because of its 27kmpl fuel economy thanks to its idling stop feature and CVT. For this updated version can you guess what is the fuel consumption of the 2013 Daihatsu Move? Who says 27? Wrong. 28? Nope. 28.8 like the Suzuki Wagon R? Wrong again, you're getting warmer. It's now 29kmpl! The 2013 Daihatsu Move now returns up to 29kmpl based on JC08 Mode standards! How's that possible?

To tell you why, that's because Daihatsu implemented an updated version of e:S Technology first applied on the Mira e:S. I said it "updated" because they've added CVT Thermo Controller for the first time in a kei car. I have no idea how does the new CVT Thermo Controller works in the 2013 Move but what I heard that this new feature maintains the engine temperature. That's it. Don't tell me how it works...again. That's not my responsibility.

However, with their newly improved idling stop system and newly improved e:S Technology implemented so successful, they've even placed it on the turbocharged Move Custom RS version. In a turbocharged version available only on the Move Custom, this gives about 25.2kmpl of fuel economy.

2013 Daihatsu Move interior
2013 Daihatsu Move Custom interior
So far, so good but we're not out in the woods yet. In terms of pricing, the 2013 Move starts at 1,070,000 Japanese Yen for the X model up to 1,591,000 Japanese Yen for the Move Custom X "Limited SA" model with 4WD powertrain on it. Better take note, idiot boys; IT'S AVAILABLE ONLY IN JAPAN. That's it.

Photo: Daihatsu Motor Co., Ltd.