In response from the previous installment, it seems most Canadians are asking about the song heard from the Chevy Trax commercial and thanks to some generous contributor, guess I'm going to add that to another set of five driving musics (car commercial songs).
5) The Water Is Wide by Jens Lysdal Hugo Rasmussen - from Kia K9 2013 Korean Commercial
4) Lil Red Riding Hood by Laura Gibson - from Volvo USA S60 "Little Red" TV Commercial
3) Beep Beep Beep by Bobby Day - from Kia Motors America Sorento "Folding Mirrors and Power Liftgate" commercial
2) SIXTEEN GOING ON SEVENTEEN by Daniel Truhitte/Charmian Carr - from Toyota "ハイブリッド 未来はこれから" Japanese commercial
1) Booty Swing by Parov Stelar - from Chevrolet Canada Trax "Midnight" commercial
And there you are. If you have questions regarding car commercial songs, be sure to leave a comment below or contact me via e-mail!
Monday, March 18, 2013
Let's Do The News (March 18, 2013)
JM: Now, let's do the news and if I have to ask, has anyone's been on Red Nose Day since Friday? Raise your hands...
(audience raising hands)
RH: Aw man! You guys didn't see that thing coming!
JC: What is it about?
RH: I mean, I just saw Miranda Hart and French and Saunders....
JC: Yeah, what?
RH: On that part, I saw Miranda Hart kissing Dawn French, Dawn French kissing Jennifer Saunders, and then Miranda Hart kissing Davina McCall...
(audience raising hands)
RH: Aw man! You guys didn't see that thing coming!
JC: What is it about?
RH: I mean, I just saw Miranda Hart and French and Saunders....
JC: Yeah, what?
RH: On that part, I saw Miranda Hart kissing Dawn French, Dawn French kissing Jennifer Saunders, and then Miranda Hart kissing Davina McCall...
 |
| The kissing at RND 2013 |
(audience laughing)
JC: Oh my gosh. This really is an outrage I have ever seen in my life. Girls kissing each other in front of a live audience...I mean how bad was that?
JM: Well, I think it was part of the final challenge for Miranda Hart's Mad March for Red Nose Day 2013 and such outrage rosed her donations to over a million pounds.
JC: Speaking of which, who asked Miranda Hart to do such an outrageous final challenge?
RH: Uh...I think it's none other than The Eleventh Doctor...
(audience laughing)
JC: (spitting) What?!
RH: Matt Smith, you know, The Eleventh Doctor, that's when he's the person who asked Miranda to organize a wedding plan that leads to the live audience where...Miranda kissed Dawn French, French and Saunders kissed, and this whole baloney really is a bombshell that shocked Miranda and French & Saunders fans everywhere. My gosh...
JC: Yeah...It's so shameful that Catherine Tate couldn't make it...
RH: I know...it's so sad that Ms. Tate's not on the venue. That reminds me...Why is Catherine Tate's not in RND 2013?
JC: Spoilers....
(audience laughing)
JC: Okay, speaking of Doctor Who, seems that the BBC's announcing the names of the remaining episodes of Doctor Who Series 7, where The Doctor meets up with a brand new companion by the name of Clara Oswin Oswald.
RH: Really?
JC: Yeah. As announced, only four out of the eight episodes for Series 7.2 were announced and the names are...
S07E06: The Bells of St. John
S07E07: The Rings of Akhaten
S07E08: Cold War
S07E09: Hide
Here are the official artworks, which sticks to the theme of being "cinematic":
(wow)
JM: Looks cinematic, right?
JC: Uh-huh, they're really as cinematic as watching a flick with your friends...
(audience laughing)
JC: Now last year, we talked about the Honda sedans and as of now, the Accord is the only sedan in the Honda lineup since the discontinuation of the Civic, the Inspire, and the Legend for the Japanese market. Seems that now, there's an announcement that the next-generation Accord will be...um...wait a minute...wait a minute...wait a minute...
JM: What is it? What's the outcome for the next generation Accord?
JC: Says here that the next generation Honda Accord will be available in Japan this summer 2013 as a...hybrid.
(audience laughing)
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| Honda Accord PHV |
JM: What?
JC: Says that the ninth-generation Honda Accord will be hybrid-only and it will be offered also with the PHV model shortly. Well, long story short, hybrids and eco-cars are becoming the new JDM because of the eco-car genzei system applied from the Japanese govermnet and it seems more and more Japanese are buying hybrids more than petrol-powered cars. Anyway, let's not make it a bit longer because this will make it more complicating for the Japanese car industry.
JM: So, the Japanese carmakers, which is famous for having their car's speedos read up to 180kph, why was...
JC: Shhh...Shhh...Shhh....Guess this is the new JDM. Eco and Hybrid. The new JDM...
(audience laughing)
JC: Anyway, the piece of tidbit about the upcoming hybrid-only Honda Accord is that it will be the first of the Sport Hybrid lineup, a lineup which will replace the existing iMA system for future Honda hybrids. This will be the first to have Intelligent Multi-Mode Drive (i-MMD).
RH: i-MMD?
JC: i-MMD or Intelligent Multi-Mode Drive is part of the SPORT HYBRID powertrain which comes with three distinct driving modes to choose from; EV Drive allows the car to run on pure electric mode, Engine Drive that is suitable for medium to high speeds. and Hybrid Drive lets both the electric motor and the gasoline engine join forces in case of heavy acceleration and stop-and-go city driving. I'm guessing Honda's going to be a game-changer when it comes for hybrids. Pretty soon, they will feature a next-generation Honda Fit with a hybrid model fitted with a 7-speed double clutch transmission rather than CVT. Would you rather want one?
RH: Uh...no...
(audience laughing)
JM: Uh, hey, you know the news that Daniel Padilla got a new Dodge Challenger as his birthday present, right? Now it seems that we got reports that Dodge is recalling 2013 Dodge Challenger V6 models over fire risks and advises owners not to drive one.
RH: Yeah, something fishy about this...could Daniel Padilla's Challenger had a V6 engine?
(audience laughing)
JC: I don't know but if it has, guess Daniel Padilla's million peso birthday gift is ruined by flames...
(audience laughing)
JC: I mean if this would happen, I'm thinking it could be much worse than me listening to his song which was part of the Himig Handog P-Pop Love Songs...What was that title again?
(audience murmuring)
JC: Na Sa Yo Lang Ang Lahat! That was the song I often listen to all the time! Seems I'm getting a bit of the "Last Song Syndrome".
(Audience laughing)
RH: Wait a minute...What's LAST SONG SYNDROME?
JC: It's something when a certain song stuck in my head, like those songs heard from kids shows, especially the ones from Disney...
(audience laughing)
JC: True fact, some songs straight from Disney kids shows like Special Agent Oso or Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, they're really got stuck in my head and I always hum on those...
RH: (laughing) Really?! Your brain got stuck by some Disney kids show musics? Oh my! Guess you wouldn't recite most of the Disney theme songs, would you?
JC: Uh nope. Only songs from Disney shows targeted for pre-schoolers stuck in my brain...
(audience laughing)
JC: Anyway, Sakura-Con 2013's coming at Washington State Convention Center this March 29 so we might be bumping to some people cosplay as their favorite characters or personality. If I had a camera, which I always brought one, I might be guessing that there more and more cosplaying as fresh ones on the trot. So, in my views, I might had a chance of seeking some lucky girl at the convention who dressed herself as Doctor Who's souffle girl...
(audience laughing)
RH: Yeah, way to common. But what about that woman from The Walking Dead who has a katana. What was her name?
(audience murmuring)
JC: I forgot but I might had a chance of finding someone who dressed as the crossbow-wielding Daryl Dixon from The Walking Dead because Daryl's a fan favorite. Possible?
(audience laughing)
JM: What about the characters from Sword Art Online? Sure, it was 2012's most talked about anime series and by luck, I might catching up someone who dressed as their favortie SAO characters, especially Kirito or Asuna.
JC: Well, that works too, James. But, since because of Metal Gear Rising, I might be catching someone dressed as Raiden or the MGR baddies such as Mistral, Monsoon, Sundowner, or Sam. Any takers?
(audience murmuring)
RH: Also, I might be seeing someone dressed as Connor from Assassin's Creed 3 or Aveline from the Liberation spin-off. Any chance of finding one?
JC: Uh...I don't know, Richard. I'm not an AC fan but let's give it a shot...
JM: Hmmm...I might expect someone dressed in a Sarif Industries Armor from the Deus Ex series, Agent 47's suit from the Hitman series, or Rico Rodriguez's outfit from Just Cause. Oh! I might expect someone dressed as the new Lara Croft from the 2013 reboot of Tomb Raider, the new one where Lara Croft emerged as a battle-scarred survivor.
RH: That's nice. What about someone who dressed as a younger Dante from DmC? You know, the 2013 reboot of Devil may Cry. Any chance of finding one?
JC: Hmmm....
SEVERAL MINUTES LATER...
RH: (snoozing)
JM: Guess the search talks are taking too long, eh?
(audience laughing)
JC: Oh yeah! We must have ran out of time after talks! Anyway, and on that bombshell, that is the news!
Tenth Generation Chevrolet Impala
Let's talk about the Chevrolet Impala because ever since it came back in 1999, the Impala is now well known as being a rental car or Chevy's answer to a bunch of old Ford Crown Victoria taxis that you can expect in most US States. It maybe an ideal car for the fleet business in terms of taxi or rental but as an everyday driver's car, the Impala's a bit bland and when compared to the Taurus, the Impala's just shying away from its rivals. Now, if I might make a suggestion, it seems that this car is quite unattractive, obese-looking, and bland. Seems that the current Ford Taurus really took a hard beating over the Chevy Impala in terms of style, quality, performance, and convenience...
...but now, what Chevrolet claimed that they made it even better for the Impala's full model change. First and foremost, the bland looking design from the previous model has now been thrown away and made the new Impala a more robust and dynamic stance as what Chevrolet might think about it for you. Also, having learned its lesson from the facelifted Traverse SUV, the traditional Chevy look of other Chevy's has been ditched and gave it a bit more...questionable front which, in my opinion, will spark some criticisms over Chevy loyalists. On the rear view, seems that Chevrolet is looking at the Lexus GS, Hyundai Sonata, or the Mazda Atenza for some inspiration. Imagine when this new Impala parked among those cars I've mentioned, this would lead to some serious guess knowing which of these backs came from and can't tell which of these cars is theirs.
While the outside is not quite as nice looking as its rivals from the block, get inside and what you found out is an interior design that will make you noticed. First of all, the traditional steering wheel of other General Motors cars is not here and the new Impala comes with a steering wheel that seems to be as obvious as a futuristic cruiser as well as its futuristic sci-fi-looking instrumentals, a bigger room space than the previous model, available Chevrolet myLink, and also, a secret compartment hidden behind the sat-nav where you can store your belongings. Sounds intriguing but what it feels like when sitting down in the new Impala has the same feeling when...you're sitting at a nice and comfy seat at your auntie's house in Quezon. It's like you want to come at a house where the sala's large, the other room has another TV, a long straightway to the dining room, and you really wanna wish you want to come back to your auntie's house.
So, the interior is about as comfy as your auntie's house somewhere in Quezon, the engine that powers your so-called auntie's house will get you noticed. It's a 3.6L DOHC V6 DI engine with Variable Valve Timing which produces 305HP of power, meaning that's a lot of power than the Ford Taurus Limited or a V6-powered Chrysler 300. Also, this engine available as of launch time can do zero to 60mph in 6.8 seconds. It's not what you called quick but the new Impala really shake of its fleet car image or taxi car image. Guess this is not your taxi driver's Impala anymore.
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| 2014 Chevrolet Impala |
.jpg) |
| 2014 Chevrolet Impala interior |
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| 2014 Chevrolet Impala |
So, the interior is about as comfy as your auntie's house somewhere in Quezon, the engine that powers your so-called auntie's house will get you noticed. It's a 3.6L DOHC V6 DI engine with Variable Valve Timing which produces 305HP of power, meaning that's a lot of power than the Ford Taurus Limited or a V6-powered Chrysler 300. Also, this engine available as of launch time can do zero to 60mph in 6.8 seconds. It's not what you called quick but the new Impala really shake of its fleet car image or taxi car image. Guess this is not your taxi driver's Impala anymore.
Because it uses the same chassis applied on the Buick LaCrosse, which is the most beautiful American luxury sedan I have seen in my whole life, and the biblical terrible Cadillac XTS, I was going to expect that this car will fall into pieces every time when it sees a corner...but NO! Because the ride's low and the body's stiff, with the addition of some premium electric rack-and-pinion steering system, it seems that the new Impala's ride really doesn't make the baby move its eyeballs to some shaking stuff from the rear view mirror. It feels more relaxed as your kid taking a nap at his mother's lap after a hotdog day at the theme park and even though when it corners, your kid's still asleep...unless you bump into a speed hump but never mind about that...
Because this is a brand new car, the starting grade for the launch, a 2LT model, will cost you $30,760 (plus tax, title, license and dealer fees). That's about a price of three Nissan Latios as I speak but if you're urged to say "shut up and take my money", well fine. Just ignore the exterior design because this is far too obvious but it's a major improvement from the previous model.
So the verdict then is simple, the Impala may have a nice cabin but the exterior's not quite good looking as it seems to be. If you want a good-looking Chevy sedan, get yourself a Malibu but because of such issues...let's just pause this for a while until someone has the real verdict for the new model because for a car that was once a car made for rentals and taxi drivers...this is just too obvious...It's as obvious as your mom and dad watching a teleserye and blabber all the way at the end of the episode.
Available colors: Silver Ice Metallic, Red Rock Metallic, Summit White, Black, Ashen Gray Metallic, Blue Topaz Metallic, Silver Topaz Metallic, Champagne Silver Metallic, Blue Ray Metallic, Crystal Red Tintcoat, and White Diamond Tricoat.
Photo: General Motors
F1 2013 Australian GP
The first round of the Formula 1 2013 season really shows that even the race ends, this is just the beginning of a new Formula 1 season and the start really ends with a win from Lotus' Kimi Raikkonen while Fernando Alonso from Ferrari placed 2nd place and Red Bull Racing hero Sebastian Vettel placed 3rd.
PRESS RELEASE:
Race - Raikkonen and Lotus triumph in Australia 17 Mar 2013
Kimi Raikkonen put himself on top Down Under with an emphatic and unexpected victory for Lotus in the 2013 Formula 1 Rolex Australian Grand Prix on Sunday.
After qualifying everybody had expected Red Bull domination, but that went wrong right from the start. Sebastian Vettel led confidently, but Mark Webber immediately fell from second to seventh as the Ferraris of Felipe Massa and Fernando Alonso exploded into second and third places ahead of the Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg which sandwiched Raikkonen’s Lotus.
The Finn soon disposed of the silver arrows, and began his chase of the three breakaway leaders.
Vettel was the first of them to change his supersoft Pirelli tyres, on lap seven, followed by leader Massa on lap eight, then leader Alonso and Raikkonen on nine. That left Hamilton in the lead and he stayed there until lap 12, whereupon Rosberg led briefly before Adrian Sutil, who had started 11th for Force India on medium compound tyres, seized the initiative. For the second race in succession, a Force India led.
The German, making his first start since 2011, stayed there ahead of Vettel, Massa, Alonso and Raikkonen until pitting on the 21st lap. Vettel did likewise, and Massa a lap later. But crucially, Alonso had stopped on the 20th, and was thus able to leapfrog the group ahead of him - Sutil, Vettel and Massa - when they made their stops. He thus took over second place when Hamilton stopped again on the 31st lap. By then Rosberg had dropped out with electrical problems. Massa, meanwhile, left it too long and dropped from first to seventh when he pitted on the 23rd lap.
Now Raikkonen led, and it soon emerged that Lotus had chosen a two-stop strategy - as opposed to the popular three-stop strategy of the other leading contenders - and were able to make it work. He clung on up front until the 34th lap, which then put Alonso and Vettel into the top two places, and soon the Ferrari was leaving the Red Bull behind. Vettel found his car good for a couple of laps on new rubber, but after that it began to destroy it. Red Bull might have owned qualifying, but Lotus and Ferrari had the upper hand in the race.
Soon after Vettel stopped for the third time on lap 37, and Alonso on 39, Raikkonen caught and passed Sutil on the 43rd, and that was the crucial point for him. In clear air he could now control everything. Even when Alonso quickly moved in on the Force India, it became evident that the Lotus was a better package with which Raikkonen could dictate the race.
Behind them, Vettel had nothing left and had to settle for third, as Massa climbed back to fourth. He was a little disgruntled about his earlier pit stop, but fourth was a solid result on a circuit that doesn’t favour his style which relies heavily on traction.
Hamilton looked racy early on as his Mercedes went 12 laps on the supersofts, but though his lap times were competitive at times, the F1 W04 lacked the sheer pace to run with the big boys. He was able to reel in Sutil, however, as the German struggled for the final 12 laps on the supersofts.
After his disaster, an unhappy Webber fought back to sixth, setting some fastest laps on the way, and he also passed Sutil in the closing stages. Sutil clung on for seventh after a great comeback, as team mate Paul di Resta looked threatening until a moment on the final tour dropped him back.
McLaren had a deeply troubled outing, and Jenson Button was the first to swap from supersofts to mediums as early as the fourth lap. He ran in the lower midfield, fighting with Lotus’s Romain Grosjean for much of the race after the Frenchman made a terrible start. They crossed the line within 1.1s of each other, as the Lotus driver battled to hold off Button’s team mate Sergio Perez. Toro Rosso’s Jean-Eric Vergne, who set the second fastest lap after a late tyre stop, was also in this fight after a feisty race, but dropped down to 12th after a move on Grosjean failed to come off.
Esteban Gutierrez was Sauber’s sole runner after Nico Hulkenberg had to vacate 11th place on the grid because of a fuel system problem which prevented him from starting. The Mexican kept out of trouble to take the rookie honours from Valtteri Bottas, who did what Williams team mate Pastor Maldonado failed to do by keeping his FW35 on the track.
Fellow rookie Jules Bianchi drove a great race for Marussia to beat his Caterham rivals; Charles Pic finished a lap further down than his fellow Frenchman. Behind them, Marussia’s Max Chilton and Caterham’s Giedo van der Garde had a mighty scrap over 17th place, the English rookie finally beating his Dutch counterpart comfortably.
Besides Hulkenberg and Rosberg, Maldonado failed to finish after beaching his Williams and Daniel Ricciardo’s race ended with a broken exhaust on his Toro Rosso.
After one race, Raikkonen leads the drivers’ world championship with 25 points from Alonso on 18, Vettel on 15, Massa on 12, Hamilton on 10, Webber on 8, Sutil on 6, Di Resta on 4, Button on 2 and Grosjean on 1.
Ferrari lead the constructors’ points with 30 to Lotus’s 26, Red Bull’s 23, Mercedes and Force India’s 10 and McLaren’s 2.
Source: http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2013/3/14365.html
Remember, this is ONLY the beginning of the F1 2013 season. Next race is one Sepang, Malaysia this March 24th and the end of the first round really is a test for new and returning F1 race stars who are vying for the top. You'll never know how much drama you'll expect on this year's season...
PRESS RELEASE:
Race - Raikkonen and Lotus triumph in Australia 17 Mar 2013
Kimi Raikkonen put himself on top Down Under with an emphatic and unexpected victory for Lotus in the 2013 Formula 1 Rolex Australian Grand Prix on Sunday.
After qualifying everybody had expected Red Bull domination, but that went wrong right from the start. Sebastian Vettel led confidently, but Mark Webber immediately fell from second to seventh as the Ferraris of Felipe Massa and Fernando Alonso exploded into second and third places ahead of the Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg which sandwiched Raikkonen’s Lotus.
The Finn soon disposed of the silver arrows, and began his chase of the three breakaway leaders.
Vettel was the first of them to change his supersoft Pirelli tyres, on lap seven, followed by leader Massa on lap eight, then leader Alonso and Raikkonen on nine. That left Hamilton in the lead and he stayed there until lap 12, whereupon Rosberg led briefly before Adrian Sutil, who had started 11th for Force India on medium compound tyres, seized the initiative. For the second race in succession, a Force India led.
The German, making his first start since 2011, stayed there ahead of Vettel, Massa, Alonso and Raikkonen until pitting on the 21st lap. Vettel did likewise, and Massa a lap later. But crucially, Alonso had stopped on the 20th, and was thus able to leapfrog the group ahead of him - Sutil, Vettel and Massa - when they made their stops. He thus took over second place when Hamilton stopped again on the 31st lap. By then Rosberg had dropped out with electrical problems. Massa, meanwhile, left it too long and dropped from first to seventh when he pitted on the 23rd lap.
Now Raikkonen led, and it soon emerged that Lotus had chosen a two-stop strategy - as opposed to the popular three-stop strategy of the other leading contenders - and were able to make it work. He clung on up front until the 34th lap, which then put Alonso and Vettel into the top two places, and soon the Ferrari was leaving the Red Bull behind. Vettel found his car good for a couple of laps on new rubber, but after that it began to destroy it. Red Bull might have owned qualifying, but Lotus and Ferrari had the upper hand in the race.
Soon after Vettel stopped for the third time on lap 37, and Alonso on 39, Raikkonen caught and passed Sutil on the 43rd, and that was the crucial point for him. In clear air he could now control everything. Even when Alonso quickly moved in on the Force India, it became evident that the Lotus was a better package with which Raikkonen could dictate the race.
Behind them, Vettel had nothing left and had to settle for third, as Massa climbed back to fourth. He was a little disgruntled about his earlier pit stop, but fourth was a solid result on a circuit that doesn’t favour his style which relies heavily on traction.
Hamilton looked racy early on as his Mercedes went 12 laps on the supersofts, but though his lap times were competitive at times, the F1 W04 lacked the sheer pace to run with the big boys. He was able to reel in Sutil, however, as the German struggled for the final 12 laps on the supersofts.
After his disaster, an unhappy Webber fought back to sixth, setting some fastest laps on the way, and he also passed Sutil in the closing stages. Sutil clung on for seventh after a great comeback, as team mate Paul di Resta looked threatening until a moment on the final tour dropped him back.
McLaren had a deeply troubled outing, and Jenson Button was the first to swap from supersofts to mediums as early as the fourth lap. He ran in the lower midfield, fighting with Lotus’s Romain Grosjean for much of the race after the Frenchman made a terrible start. They crossed the line within 1.1s of each other, as the Lotus driver battled to hold off Button’s team mate Sergio Perez. Toro Rosso’s Jean-Eric Vergne, who set the second fastest lap after a late tyre stop, was also in this fight after a feisty race, but dropped down to 12th after a move on Grosjean failed to come off.
Esteban Gutierrez was Sauber’s sole runner after Nico Hulkenberg had to vacate 11th place on the grid because of a fuel system problem which prevented him from starting. The Mexican kept out of trouble to take the rookie honours from Valtteri Bottas, who did what Williams team mate Pastor Maldonado failed to do by keeping his FW35 on the track.
Fellow rookie Jules Bianchi drove a great race for Marussia to beat his Caterham rivals; Charles Pic finished a lap further down than his fellow Frenchman. Behind them, Marussia’s Max Chilton and Caterham’s Giedo van der Garde had a mighty scrap over 17th place, the English rookie finally beating his Dutch counterpart comfortably.
Besides Hulkenberg and Rosberg, Maldonado failed to finish after beaching his Williams and Daniel Ricciardo’s race ended with a broken exhaust on his Toro Rosso.
After one race, Raikkonen leads the drivers’ world championship with 25 points from Alonso on 18, Vettel on 15, Massa on 12, Hamilton on 10, Webber on 8, Sutil on 6, Di Resta on 4, Button on 2 and Grosjean on 1.
Ferrari lead the constructors’ points with 30 to Lotus’s 26, Red Bull’s 23, Mercedes and Force India’s 10 and McLaren’s 2.
Source: http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2013/3/14365.html
Remember, this is ONLY the beginning of the F1 2013 season. Next race is one Sepang, Malaysia this March 24th and the end of the first round really is a test for new and returning F1 race stars who are vying for the top. You'll never know how much drama you'll expect on this year's season...
Forza Horizon: Barn Find DB5
 |
| A Special Agent infiltrating Horizon? |
Ever since the iconic Bond car, which is the Aston Martin DB5, made a stunning comeback in the Bond film, SKYFALL, which stars Daniel Craig reprising his role as Agent 007 James Bond, the world really amazed a surprising reunion with the best secret agent in the world and what we think of it as the best Bond car for over five decades. Well, I guess that's how the Bond 50th anniversary really made it special by bringing back the best Bond car on the best Bond movie with an Academy Award winning theme song by Adele.
If you have already found the DB5 as a barn find, you'll be glad to know that you are driving the best Bond car in the decades. Just don't tell everyone that you became a secret agent trying to infiltrate the underbelly of the Horizon Festival!
Sunday, March 17, 2013
Opel/Vauhxall Cascada
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| 2013 Opel Cascada |
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| 2013 Vauxhall Cascada |
So what's in the name? Well, originally this would be the additional lineup of the Astra range but Opel or Vauxhall managed to consider it a spin-off to the Astra J (which now consists of the GTC, a high-performance model, a 5-door hatch, a station wagon, and a sedan not available in right-hand drive markets) and they called it Cascada. Don't know why but it rhymes like cicada to me...
Anyway, it's like a normal Astra J hatchback but with the roof that can be opened or closed at the push of a button. You can still expect a host of engine choices such as a 1.4L Turbo Ecotec I4 petrol, a 1.6L Turbo Ecotec SIDI I4 petrol, or a 2.0L Turbo Ecotec CDTI I4 diesel engine. The 1.4 Turbo engine, equipped with a 6-speed manual, offers a combined fuel economy of 6.5L/100km, meaning this is the fuel efficient of the petrol range while the 2.0 CDTi engine with the 6-speed manual will have a combined fuel economy of 5.2L/100km, meaning this is the frugal of the diesel lineup as of now. Yes, most of the engine types come with a 6-speed manual but some models do come with a 6-speed automatic if you want something for a bit of easy-driving on the outdoors.
As for the pricing, the Cascada starts at around 29,545 Euros, which is about thousands cheaper than its main rival, the Volkswagen Eos. That makes it great value for money, meaning that if you can't afford a Volkswagen Eos should consider this. It's also much more good-looking than the Eos as well.
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| 2013 Opel Cascada interior |
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| 2013 Vauxhall Cascada interior |
In terms of being an everyday driver's car, the Cascada seems to be friendly to the driver. It's like being as posh as a large cup of caramel macchiato or when you're stressed, you might as well eat some chocolates to calm you down. On the open road, well when you set it on Sport Mode, the moment when you finished eating your chocolates at midnight is over and then your sugar rush kicks in and with the roof open, this would be an enjoyable feast.
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| 2013 Opel Cascada |
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| 2013 Vauxhall Cascada |
I know, it's an enjoyable open-top cruiser for a reasonable price but despite being a new model, I think the Cascada is not quite enough to change the image of Opel or Vauxhall because they still have a mountain to climb. The Cascada works well as a weekend car but sometimes, the Cascada might sometimes had a few chances to slip through the wrong path. If you are the kind of lover boy who use this on a date with a special someone, that's fine because the Cascada has the gentleman's manner but if you're a Sir Chief and then you park this car at the casino in Monte Carlo, I'm afraid that you're going to make an embarrassment out of yourself. Not quite as posh as other posh convertibles but the Cascada really shows how glamorous would be if some metro boys in pink shirts had one. Hmmm...
Photo: Opel/Vauxhall
Six Nations 2013 finale
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| Wales v England |
Let's forget the fact that Italy defeated the Irish at Stadio Olimpico and the French beat the Scottish in Stade de France. Let's focus on an epic battle between Wales vs. England and...whaddya know? A miracle in 2013 Six Nations occurred as the Welsh finally prevented the England Rugby from snagging their Grand Slam title at the score of 30 to 3. That's 30 points for Wales and 3 points for the England Rugby, therefore Wales finally made it! The Welsh has won the Six Nations 2013!
PRESS RELEASE:
Wales stun England to defend RBS 6 Nations crown in style
Alex Cuthbert's blistering double saw Wales defend their RBS 6 Nations crown with a thumping 30-3 victory at the Millennium Stadium, crushing England's hopes of the Grand Slam.
Heading into the match needing to win by eight points or more to deny England the title, Wales stopped Stuart Lancaster's men dead in their tracks, winning the arm wrestle up front and scoring the two tries of the match in a thoroughly convincing win.
Rob Howley was captain when Wales rained on England's Grand Slam parade in 1999 - and 14 years on he masterminded a repeat performance, inflicting a first away RBS 6 Nations defeat on Lancaster.
Leading 9-3 at the break with three Leigh Halfpenny kicks to one from Owen Farrell, Wales cranked it up in the second half and England had no answers to the hosts' intensity.
Cuthbert went over twice as England could not hold the red tidal wave at bay and saw their hopes of a first Grand Slam in a decade drift away.
Both sides showed early intent to play the game with the ball in hand and roared on by a partisan home crowd, it was Wales who had the better of the frenetic opening exchanges.
England gave away just five penalties in 80 minutes against Italy but at the Millennium Stadium they had reached that tally in the first quarter - the Welsh refusing to give an inch at the breakdown.
One early England foray into the Welsh half saw Manu Tuilagi knock-on with men outside and Dan Biggar's boot downfield saw the hosts camped upfield for a sustained period.
England defended resolutely but Welsh patience paid off when they were awarded a tenth-minute penalty - Halfpenny booting his side into the lead.
Wales were in the ascendancy and had England on the ropes and Chris Ashton and Tom Youngs both gave away penalties - the latter within Halfpenny's reach and the full-back made in 6-0 on 17 minutes.
Back came England almost immediately however and Farrell, with the help of the right-hand post, halved the deficit after Sam Warburton was penalised for putting his hands in the ruck.
On 23 minutes Wales were awarded another penalty and Halfpenny was on target again before Farrell missed a chance to respond in kind soon after when Jamie Roberts was the offender at the breakdown.
The intensity continued - one hit from Richard Hibbard on Joe Marler shook the Millennium Stadium to the rafters - but after weathering the early storm, England began to exert their authority.
They won another penalty within Farrell's range but instead England flexed their muscles and kicked to the corner.
Now it was Wales' turn to defend but they almost had the first try of the match when Biggar intercepted a Ben Youngs pass and the ball was swiftly moved to George North who pinned back his ears and set off for the try-line.
He looked certain to win the foot race with the covering Tom Croft but a last-ditch tap tackle from Mike Brown came to England's rescue.
Brown then found himself in space after a superb grubber kick through from Farrell but when posed with either taking the hit or going inside, he did neither, fumbled and Halfpenny booted clear.
There was no relenting as the half wore on and again North broke down the left, only for Farrell to make the tackle and force the knock on.
With a ferocious half drawing to a close, Biggar almost extended Wales' lead but his long-range drop goal drifted just wide as the hosts went in at the break 9-3.
After the break there was no let-up and Wales continued to exert their dominance at the scrum, earning a number of penalties and prompting England to replace Marler with Mako Vunipola.
Wales then found themselves knocking on the door and Roberts almost went over in the corner. The hosts continued to go through the phases just in front of the England line but some formidable defence from the Grand Slam chasers ensured their was no way through.
Referee Steve Walsh had already awarded the penalty however and Halfpenny again made no mistake with his kick, putting Wales to the top of the virtual table, courtesy of their nine-point lead.
And on 56 minutes came the decisive moment of the match. Wales' forwards turned the ball over in the middle of the pitch and Mike Phillips spread the ball to Jonathan Davies, who in turn found Cuthbert, who beat Brown to the right-hand corner.
Halfpenny missed the conversion but soon after, Farrell was off target with a penalty attempt after Toby Faletau was pinged for a high tackle.
Back came Wales, profiting from their dominance up front and making it count in terms of possession, pinning England back in their own 22.
After a number of phases, Biggar extended the lead to 20-3 with a shrewd drop goal and on 66 minutes, the Millennium Stadium faithful were sent into rapture.
Warburton made a blistering break down the middle and with England ragged and Wales rampant, Tipuric burst down the right and fed Cuthbert, who had the simplest of finishes in the right-hand corner - Biggar notching the conversion from the touchline.
Still Wales would not let up and Biggar rubbed salt into the wounds with his first penalty of the match before England spurned their best chance of a try late on - Toby Flood making the break but Danny Care overcooking his chip over the top when seeking Tuilagi on the left.
Wales looked for the try that would put the icing on the cake but while it was not coming, the RBS 6 Nations title, which looked a long way away after an opening defeat to Ireland, was theirs to celebrate.
CONGRATULATIONS, WRU! The Welsh truly deserve the RBS 6 Nations Title and that wouldn't done it without the support from the fans because you did what that kid from the advert said! WE MADE IT!!!!
Forza Horizon: Joss JT1 reward
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| Here she is, waiting for you |
I guess this is it. This is the final Season Pass bonus car to be offered on Forza Horizon and it's some Australian prototype dream machine known as the Joss JT1. I heard that the development takes a long long time but hey, they're Australians making the dream so it takes time until they found some investors to develop their dream machine that will mark history as the pride of The Land Down Under.
Until then, I still have to try out the up-and-coming pride of Australia in a driving heaven known as Forza Horizon and see if the Australians are ready for the great supercar race...
Saturday, March 16, 2013
EnviroPop
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| EnviroPop |
Called EnviroPop, this new puzzle app for the iPhone/iPod Touch is a wondrous collaboration between Applabs Digital Studios and the World Wildlife Fund Philippines. In fact, this is the first time I've seen a puzzle app made in collaboration with an organization dedicated to conserve and protect endangered species from harm. The objective then is simple, to save our undersea pals, you have to tap at least three hazards and swipe them away with your fingers. You have to match three same hazards and then swipe them away. The more hazards you get rid of, the more points you'll get but if Chi-Chi the Giant Panda is beside a hazard chain, which is a rare treat on this puzzle app, your score will be multiplied five times.
You only have one minute to play this game and if you're happy with the score after one minute, feel free to share your scores on Facebook just to brag your pals for a challenge but it's for fun.
The full app game will cost you $0.99 and proceeds will go to the WWF-Philippines' marine conservation programs. What it is, with that sort of cash, is an fun and addictive app game for a cause. This is a great game if you want to be part of the environmentalists dedicated to help save little sea critters from hazardous wastes and illegal practices such as trawling and dynamite fishing.
I'd recommend this puzzle game not just for those who want to ease the boredom with some puzzle games but also for the nature lovers who are pledged for a clean environment.
EnviroPop Website: http://enviropopapp.com
EnviroPop Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/EnviroPopApp
EnvrioPop Twitter: http://twitter.com/EnviroPopApp
EnviroPop Lite Version: https://itunes.apple.com/th/app/enviropop-lite/id595946060?mt=8&ign-mpt=uo%3D2
EnviroPop Full Version: https://itunes.apple.com/au/app/enviropop/id595868152?mt=8
YouTube: http://youtu.be/DAE49hXNguw
Red Nose Day 2013
March 15, 2013, it was the day Red Nose Day (Comic Relief) 2013 started and it celebrates its 25th anniversary with some laughs, some dares, some musics, all in the name of helping out the children in need. Yes seriously, this Red Nose Day was the BEST RND ever than the 2011 RND and gets better because most of the fans really anticipated over One Direction's One Way or Another, a new song made for Red Nose Day 2013. I know, lots of 1D fans always posting up their dares days before RND 2013 using the hashtag 1D4RND.
Also, singer and judge of The Voice UK Jessie J dared to shave her hair off on this venue. As a result, I kinda accepted Jessie J's new look minus the hair because she shaved it all without a trace.
Then, famed comedian who starred at Call the Midwife as Chummy and in her own sitcom, Miranda Hart completed her Mad March, a series of challenges Miranda takes on in various cities in Great Britain, despite she injured her knee on the first day of Miranda's Mad March.
What's more, comedian Ricky Gervais revived his main character role in a special Office sketch. Yes really, it's the man who played David Brent, the main character boss from the original UK TV version of The Office. Then, Little Britain's David Walliams showed a sketch alongside the likes of supermodel Kate Moss, football player Frank Lampard, Hollywood stars Gwyneth Paltrow and Hugh Grant and veteran comedian Ronnie Corbett.
On BBC Radio 2 on that same day, the famed comedianne duo Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders showed up and they're familiarising themselves with the station's schedule and presenters. Good to say welcome back you two...
There has been several fun moments in Red Nose Day 2013 apart from the much awaited One Way or Another by One Direction. There has been some special sketches, fun and activities, music, and more. Plus, Matt Smith from Doctor Who is welcomed in RND 2013. There was a Call The Midwife-Doctor Who crossover sketch as well!
As of that, Red Nose Day 2013 has raised a record-breaking 75 million pounds worth of donations and...what can I say? This year's RND really was a success! Not only they bring laughs to all but to help the underprivileged children from here and the UK. It's all for a great cause...
Also, singer and judge of The Voice UK Jessie J dared to shave her hair off on this venue. As a result, I kinda accepted Jessie J's new look minus the hair because she shaved it all without a trace.
Then, famed comedian who starred at Call the Midwife as Chummy and in her own sitcom, Miranda Hart completed her Mad March, a series of challenges Miranda takes on in various cities in Great Britain, despite she injured her knee on the first day of Miranda's Mad March.
What's more, comedian Ricky Gervais revived his main character role in a special Office sketch. Yes really, it's the man who played David Brent, the main character boss from the original UK TV version of The Office. Then, Little Britain's David Walliams showed a sketch alongside the likes of supermodel Kate Moss, football player Frank Lampard, Hollywood stars Gwyneth Paltrow and Hugh Grant and veteran comedian Ronnie Corbett.
On BBC Radio 2 on that same day, the famed comedianne duo Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders showed up and they're familiarising themselves with the station's schedule and presenters. Good to say welcome back you two...
There has been several fun moments in Red Nose Day 2013 apart from the much awaited One Way or Another by One Direction. There has been some special sketches, fun and activities, music, and more. Plus, Matt Smith from Doctor Who is welcomed in RND 2013. There was a Call The Midwife-Doctor Who crossover sketch as well!
As of that, Red Nose Day 2013 has raised a record-breaking 75 million pounds worth of donations and...what can I say? This year's RND really was a success! Not only they bring laughs to all but to help the underprivileged children from here and the UK. It's all for a great cause...
THE BEST RND EVER!
Forza Motorsport 4: 2010 Joss JT1
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| Why I haven't seen this Aussie fellow? |
While most of the supercars are made in Europe, it seems most countries outside Europe, including the United States are joining the supercar fray. A country that is Australia is not alone because they too are joining the supercar fray.
Joss Development, under the directorship of Matthew Thomas and Laurajean Thomas, dedicated this project to create what has been known to be Australia's first supercar while using the know-how learned from races such as Formula One, Le Mans, and other forms of motorsports here and around the globe.
The Joss pre-production concept made an appearance at the 2004 Melbourne International Motor Show in March 2004 and it gathered massive praises from the public and went on to also show at Adelaide and Sydney Motor Shows at the same year.
The test vehicle was powered by an all aluminum 6.8L V8 engine that develops 440bhp of power and 420lb/ft of torque while mated to a Porsche Carrera 2 G50 transaxle 5-speed manual with reverse via linkage system.
In terms of bodywork, the test prototype wears epoxy based GRP for the main body while carbon fiber and kevlar reinforcement were used for strengthening needs. All that bodywork leads to an estimated curb weight of 940kg.
Because of its light body combined with a big V8 engine, 0-100kph takes about three seconds and an estimated top speed of over 300kph.
As of now, Joss are still looking for partners to invest funding in the project but if that project come to fruition, this will be the pride of Australia the world will appreciate for.
Forza Motorsport 4: 2010 Devon GTX
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| The Dashing Debonair |
Unveiled at the 2009 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, the Dodge Viper-based Devon GTX is the initial product of Devon Motorworks and it was conceived by Swedish designer Daniel Paulin and Devon Motorworks founder Scott Devon.
The noticeable design features of the GTX comes with an aircraft-quality carbon fiber body, "up and forward" articulating doors, two-tone wheel surrounds, minimal front/rear overhangs, dual center exhaust ports and carbon fiber racing seats.
The GTX comes with the 8.4-liter (510 cubic inches) V-10 engine that produces 650 horsepower (484.7 kW) at 6100 rpm and its mated to a six-speed manual transmission.
Former Ford executive engineer Andy Benedict was in charge of the product development for the GTX while assembly and manufacturing are headed by Clive Hawkins, founder of the Aria Group. Dr. Joseph Katz, Chairman of the Department of Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics at San Diego State University, supervised the aerodynamic testing for the Devon GTX.
In vehicle validation and testing, courtesy of former 24 Hours of Le Mans champion Justin Bell, the Devon GTX set an unofficial lap record at California's Willow Springs Raceway.
It maybe scheduled to produced in 2010 but recent economic downturns shelved the car's hopes for production.
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