Top stories from the June 26, 2013's Banana Nite's Kandila!

Top stories from the June 26, 2013's Banana Nite's Kandila!

- One drunk driver was reported to the cops as part of this mewly established law...but we're forgetting the memo about a drunk policeman.

- School bullying is strictly prohibited in all schools and those who didn't follow were suspended...unless when a certain school principal is a bully.

- Aiza Seguerra and Charice join together for a concert...and what just happened to the two of them?

Meanwhile in Laugh Three, here are some three tips on what to do when your boss caught you nappin on the job, as told by Alex Gonzaga...

1) Pretend you're praying!

2) Be alert and prepare to make-up a dream!

3) If you're sleeping, be sure that you have cash on your desk!

What's in our Car Town garage today? (June 27, 2013)

What's in our Car Town garage today?

1936 Alfa Romeo 12C

In the past decade, Alfa Romeo is one of the greatest racing team ever existed. Right before Ferrari was founded, Enzo Ferrari started his racing career back there. Anyway no time for history lesson but moving on to the legendary racecar that scored eight different wins during its tenure. Designed by Vittorio Jano before he left the company because of its flaws, the 12C or Tipo C is a Grand Prix car that uses either a Roots supercharged 4.1L V12 on the 12C-36 or a Roots supercharged 4.5L V12 engine in the updated 12C-37. The 12C-36 version racked eight victories from the 1936 Penya Rhin Grand Prix up to the 1937 Genova Grand Prix.

1936 Alfa Romeo 12C

2013 Navistar Hobbs' MXT

Federal agent Luke Hobbs is always preferring to some tough and rugged offroaders. In Fast Five, he drove a Gurkha while on the pursuit against Brian and Dom in Brazil. Now, in Fast and Furious 6, this agile, rugged, and tough military vehicle based on the MXT truck was Hobb's choice while assisting Brian, Dom, and the crew in pursuing against Shaw. Navistar Defense's MXT was made with a rugged, light frame rail system for off-road capability on rough terrain and its 4WD performance and MRAP-like protection from explosions really give Hobbs a very tough offroader that suits him very well.

2013 Navistar Hobbs' MXT

1990 RWB Pandora One 964

Akira Nakai was heavily involved in the Japanese tuning scene when his wide-body-conversion Porsches were spreading like wildfire and that's how RWB (RAUH-Welt Begriff, which can be translated into "Rough World Perception") was born. RWB is a Japan-based Porsche tuner that provides wicked wide body kits only for classic incarnations of the 911. One of them is the RWB-tuned Porsche 964 and for over 20,000 US Dollars, the wide body kit conversion for the 964 involves on the bumpers, side rockers, wide fenders, GT2 or 3.8-type rear spoiler, and other small parts included. For 5,500 US dollars, customers are offered with RWB Suspension Packages courtesy of Aragosta.

1990 RWB Pandora One 964

Kris Aquino, IHAW NA!

Kris Aquino returns in a very special IHAW NA segment in the June 25, 2013's Banana Nite! For the second part, we hear about her commercial endorsements, which TV role suits her best, life for Bimby and something else just for her.

Meanwhile, a sketch that goes "if he's still in his pants, he will never ever do any favors". Yeah right. See if she'll take off his pants just so he can do the favors she asked...

Kris Aquino, IHAW NA!

On the June 24, 2013's Banana Nite's IHAW NA segment, the queen of all media Ms. Kris Aquino was the guest of the day in a totally unexpected kind of way. She's busy talking about her hiatus in her showbiz career so she can focus on her family time with her Bimby... Of course, this was part one, there's more from Kris Aquino on Part Two the next day...

Meanwhile, we examined what would a Sosyal and Di Sosyal do such as buying a cellphone, drinking water, sipping soup, and putting a deodorant.

2014 Nissan Fairlady Z NISMO

Yes, the March NISMO was made to be a beginner's car suitable for track day weekends but for the upperclassmen of the track day scene, there's also another NISMO out there and it seems that the newly reborn NISMO brand is becoming what AMG does to Mercedes-Benz, M Power does to BMW, and SRT does to Chrysler brands.

2014 Nissan Fairlady Z NISMO

Part of the ever-expanding NISMO brand is the 2014 Nissan Fairlady Z NISMO, which is now more of an ultimate version of the speedo boy favorite Nissan FR sportscar with some added genes of Nissan's involvement in the world of motorsports. For the 2014 model, the Z NISMO now sticks with the new Nismo design theme with distinctive new exterior and interior accents which was applied in the Juke and March models.

First of all, it looks like the Version NISMO model that was launched in 2009 and based on the Z34 model but because of the rename from "Version NISMO" to just "NISMO", the main difference for the new Z NISMO is the upgraded aerodynamics, sharper handling, sports tires, rigid body, increased stopping power, and the upgraded version of the VQ37VHR engine.

Wait a minute, the Version NISMO didn't notice it but for the Fairlady Z NISMO (remove the "Version" stuff), NISMO provided a special dual exhaust system with equal-length exhaust manifolds and a new ECM (tuning computer) so the VQ37VHR's power output is now up from 336PS to 355PS of power while being mated with either a 7-speed auto or a 6-speed manual gearbox with SynchroRev match system in which the revs match the gearbox.

2014 Nissan Fairlady Z NISMO interior

There's more to this because while most NISMO models are driver-focused cars complete with driver-focused interiors, the Z NISMO is no exception on the inside, the Z NISMO receives a similar NISMO treatment to make it more driver-focused while keeping it luxurious for the fancy businessmen who wanted to be more flashy. There are the special combinations of seats made with genuine leather and suede-like fabric, the steering wheels wrapped in Alcantara, a special genuine leather shift knob, some red stitching, a special number plate, and a special NISMO instrument cluster in which we can find a speedo that reads up to 280kph! Smart move but this was all in the name of being a high-performance version of a high-performance sports car.

2014 Nissan Fairlady Z NISMO

With all of this special equipment, the pricing is now up to 5,218,500 Japanese Yen, which is kinda expensive for a hot version of the Z but judging from its combat gear that makes it a proper track weapon, it's like munching every menu from the 5-star restaurant while adding the most daring flavoring that no normal person can survive against. It takes a Merc with the Mouth to describe this in an insane kind of way that you'll never ever understand but still it's worth the fun. I know, it's worth the fun during track days but as an everyday car, it's kinda harsh and if you were taking a date with someone to a 5-star restaurant, pretty soon, your date might just steal it. Oh well...

Available colors: Brilliant White Pearl, Brilliant Silver, Diamond Black, and Vibrant Red

Photo: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.

Nissan March NISMO (K13)

The major problem about having a Nissan March K13 is that it's a bit tad boring, it's too vanilla-ish, and it's only for someone who lives by eating a galunggong. There's also one big problem about the Nissan March K13 and that is...why this car hadn't been featured in the world of Gran Turismo? Sure, ranging from GT4 to GT5, only the K11 March and the K12 March were featured, and sadly, no K13 March on sight. Seems that the Gran Turismo staff kinda forgot the memo that there was a K13 March out there but its too late. The Nissan March K13 showed up in Forza Motorsport 4 as one of the starter cars so what went wrong for a Japanese eco car not featured in the world of Gran Turismo? Now though, there is a hot version that will tempt the Gran Turismo committee to feature it just for you to drive it.

2014 Nissan March NISMO

Yep, it's the Nissan March NISMO and this is just another one of the everyday Nissan cars getting the NISMO treatment since the Juke Nismo a few months ago I had my fingers crossed that this could be the one thing the upcoming Gran Turismo 6 would going to feature it if they had the manpower to feature it. So, what do you think about this potential GT6 candidate?

For starters, it was based on the recently facelifted Nissan March K13 which was built by the Thais but now, it's added some NISMO genes on it, employing every single bit of motorsports DNA in this nippy little car, serving as the target to the Toyota Vitz RS and the Suzuki Swift Sport.

Starting on the outside view, the once bland Nissan March K13 look is starting to look even meaner and sportier thanks to some NISMO-prepped modifications including a special body kit, special front grille, daytime running lamps, and the red side mirrors which seem to be idiotic like a clown at a birthday party, except he was not here to give a birthday boy some laughs but instead traumatizing the birthday boy. Ouch...

2014 Nissan March NISMO interior

Also new for the NISMO-fied version of the Nissan March K13 was the interior and because NISMO has the genes of motorsports, the interior needs to be more of a track day-ish and built for the clubmen who are starting their track days in let's just say Tsukuba, Fuji Speedway, Twin Ring Motegi, or in Suzuka. So, the NISMO March's interior is themed with the name of track days in mind and you can expect some sports seats, a leather/Alcantara wrapped steering wheel that looks like it came from the Juke but with a red center mark on it, and joy of joys...the speedo now reads up to 220kph, although it is not necessary to take a video of your speedo while driving the Nismo March because five seconds later, you'll end up crashing and when cops trying to find the source of the crash, the main evidence is your smartphone set in Camera mode, serving this a lesson.

For the first time, there are two kinds of NISMO March models to choose from ranging from different tastes and demographics suitable for each model. First is the entry-level model which comes with the HR12DE engine mated with the XTRONIC CVT, which is a bit of nonsense for performance-oriented enthusiasts but good enough to be flashy in the streets of Shibuya and get this, the driver-focused March NISMO S model which comes with a HR15DE engine specially tuned for this model, producing 116PS of power and 156Nm of torque, while mated with a (!) 5-speed manual gearbox.

So what we have here are two different March NISMO models that suit your desires. The base March NISMO model is made to be a flashy fashion item to the crowd while the March NISMO S model which comes with unique stuff, the 1.5L engine, and the manual gearbox, is suitable for the clubmen who are trying to enjoy their track day duties for the first time. Although it may not quite be called a hot hatch, this March NISMO is definitely a beginner car for the track-day boys who want to start honing their skills on the track.

Well, when I said honing their skills, perhaps some of the beginner cars can do better than that because even though the NISMO tuned suspension for the March NISMO was made to be somewhat smooth enough to eat a corner or two, on normal roads, it feels a bit too fidgety, which goes the same for those common hot hatchbacks tuned enough to be track-focused instead for everyday uses. Maybe.

For pricing, the CVT-rigged March NISMO costs 1,540,350 Yen while the March NISMO S with the 5-speed gearbox and the 1.5L engine costs 1,770,300 Yen. Whoa hang on...a March NISMO with the 5-speed gearbox costs more than the Toyota Vitz RS and the Suzuki Swift Sport? Oh well, if this is a price worth paying, it's the price worth paying for the hot March model but still, I really want the committee to consider the new March NISMO to be part of the GT6 lineup. I had my fingers crossed!

Oh yeah, this hot model will be available in Japan this December 2013, in time for the holidays.

Available colors: Pure Black, Brilliant Silver, and Brilliant White Pearl

Photo: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd

Nissan March K13 minor change

2014 Nissan March

Wow, that is quite an unpredictable scale that this opportunity might come and it seems that having been on the roads since its debut in July 2010, just three years had passed, the Nissan March K13 gained its minor change since its premiere at Bangkok Auto Show a few months ago. Of course, this is still made in Thailand but even with the new look, it's still the same eco-car March we know. It's still the car that you can afford if you were in a world where you live to eat galunggong and pancit canton for the rest of your life.

What's for this minor change? Well, obviously not well because what they did is revising the bonnet, the front wings, the headlamps, and the front bumper with a new grille. Also, the rear bumper and the LED rear lights had changed.

2014 Nissan March interior

Inside, the 2014 Nissan March is offered in available suede-like cloth and door sheets complete with silver stitching which gives it a touch of class. Also, the dashboard gained a gloss piano black finish to make it even more classier. Bonus but this isn't all about the "sugar crush" as expected.

2014 Nissan March

Despite the added changes for the 2014 model, the performance and ecology remains the same. You still have the HR12DE engine complete with XTRONIC CVT and idling stop function, giving you the JC08 Mode fuel economy of 23kmpl whatsoever. So, that's not quite as efficient as the Mitsubishi Mirage but think of the Mitsubishi Mirage as a pancit canton while the Nissan March K13 as a galunggong because the pricing is just affordable. It's like in the days when pancit canton is more affordable than a kilo of galunggong and such pricing is related to those because the 2014 March now starts at 1,042,650 Japanese Yen, that's a 44,650 Yen more than the new Mitsubishi Mirage but like the galunggong that priced more than a pack of pancit canton, it's still a bit quite tasty to have one.

Available colors: Nadeshiko Pink, Olive Gold, Crystal Lilac, Sunlight Orange, Night Bell Purple, Radiant Red, White Pearl, Brilliant Silver, and Pure Black.

Photo: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.