Let's Do The News! (July 12, 2013)

River's Diary

Ugh. With tomorrow, some Seattle residents are getting some power interruption for 6 hours, thanks to some maintenance courtesy of Seattle City Light, I guess I need to rethink what I'm gonna do tomorrow. While I'm still enraged from the announcement that the legendary Goodwood Hill Climb will be featured on the upcoming Gran Turismo 6 game, I wonder what's going on around here?

- There's been a new kind of internet trend going on around here and it involves teens making videos of their stuff (or swag they call it) they bought from the mall or something else (especially me). That was called "Haul Videos" and what was that all about. Let the Doof explain why...

DOOF'S HAUL 2013: SWAG, CELEBS AND MISERY on Disney Video

- The staff behind the Ace Combat series launched a teaser site for their new game. What could that be? The message from the teaser says

"That day our sky fell, the heavens split to create new skies."

What could that be? Stay tuned...

- BBC America's Anglophenia now has another one of "Doctor Who How To Dress As" articles, just before this year's San Diego Comic Con starts. Now, they had an article about How To Dress Like Clara Oswin Oswald but unlike any articles about how to dress as your favorite Doctor Who characters, this is a little bit vague. Why don't you check it out and find out how to dress as The Impossible Girl?

- Pacific Rim is showing tomorrow in US theaters and if some people think this is another one of must-miss movies of Summer 2013, some people think it's going to be a smash hit because of giant robots saving humanity against giant alien monsters. I was expecting to be super good, so good, I might be saying “Man, they would love this in Japan”. Speaking of which, check out this Pacific Rim movie poster I saw on the internet, Metal Gear style. Why? Because it was illustrated by Metal Gear's Yoji Shinkawa.



- Jeremy Clarkson, host of Top Gear, reviewed the MG6 Magnette in one of his columns from The Sunday Times and he said bad things about this car, especially the one that he said about the idling stop system “It’s not bad, its hysterically terrible.” MG Motor UK made a statement from the China Car Times, defending the MG6's views. Here's one of the excerpts:

The styling of the car was led by talented British Design Director Tony Williams- Kenny, educated at none other than Coventry University, England and the engineering team lead by fellow Brit Dave Lindley. It has taken years of hard work to secure over £500m of long term inward investment into the UK and the creation of 400 jobs (on a site where we all know back in 2005 there were suddenly none) in the Birmingham design, engineering and assembly facility. This new investment in automotive design, engineering and assembly at this point in the economy is something Britain should celebrate. So why does the Sunday Times promote trying to undermine this?

 - In the midst of her controversy, the now-lesbian Charice is ranked no. 1 in THE ALTERNATIVE Autostraddle Hot 105: Hotties You Will Like Who Also Like Girls.

What's in our Car Town garage today? (July 12, 2013)

What's in our Car Town garage today?

2012 Honda N BOX + Custom

Launched in 2011, Honda's first ever tall kei wagon, the N BOX is the first ever Honda to be implemented with Honda's newly developed EARTH DREAMS TECHNOLOGY. It was the company's first model to be equipped with an idling stop function that shuts the engine off when stopped and the starts again when it sets off. Two styles are available such as the normal model and the stylish Custom model which adds style to the N BOX. The + (Plus) variant sees the addition of the MULTI SPACE SYSTEM for added conveniences.

2012 Honda N BOX + Custom

2012 Nissan Dai Yoshihara's FD S13

For the Formula Drift 2012 season, Daijiro Yoshihara's drift-spec Silvia S13 was revamped with a new engine, ECU, and data system. The suspension's also revised in compliance to the rule change as well as the transition to narrow 255 tires.

2012 Nissan Dai Yoshihara's FD S13

2009 Nissan GT-R

The 2007 Tokyo Motor Show sees the return of the legendary Japanese sports icon, the Nissan GT-R. With the Skyline name dropped, the R35 GT-R is Nissan's bonafide supercar built from scratch while incorporating most of its GTR heritage and motorsports involvements in one unique package. It's powered by Nissan's newly developed VR38DETT engine, which generates 492PS of power and 588Nm of torque, transferred through all four wheels.

2009 Nissan GT-R

Let's Do The News! (July 11, 2013)

(cheers and applause)

2014 Porsche Panamera

2014 Aston Martin Rapide S

2013 Maserati Quattroporte

JC: So, which of these four-door supercars do you like most. Richard?

RH: Well, since I'm a Porsche guy, I would go for the Panamera.

(audience laughing)

JC: What?

RH: Yeah, all right. Even though Porsche deleted its manual gearbox on its lineup, it's still works its magic and the Turbo model really is my pick. I still go for it no matter what.

JM: Well, I'd go for the Rapide S because I'm impressed that it's no longer made by the Austrians anymore. It's now built in Britain anymore via Aston Martin's Gaydon plant and hey, it really is as vicious as Sid Vicious from Sex Pistols, although I'm not sure about that whole story anyway...

(audience laughing)

JC: Well, my pick goes for the Maserati because well even though it's not quite as quicker as those two but its still got some character building traits on it. I don't care about those demerits. I love it because that's what matters to me now.

RH: Uh...yeah. Not bad about the new Quattroporte though. We find both the Rapide and the Quattroporte quite enjoyable to drive and enjoyable to do powerslides. Oh, good noise as well!

JC: Yeah, right. Good noise for the Maserati and the Aston. Still, I don't like the Porsche though...

(audience laughing)

JM: Anyway, it's the news and it's GOOD NEWS! Namco's Namjatown is officially REOPENED!

JC: Oohh!!

(cheers and applause)

JC: How long has it been since its 7 month renovation?

JM: Well, it's a long story short but hey, since it's reopened, there's going to be a special event down at the Namco Namjatown in collaboration with...(ahem)...some sequel of a horror game.

JC: Wait, could it be Corpse Party?

JM: Yes it is, Jeremy. It's Corpse Party Tortured Souls. They had an event from now until the end of September. Also, and this is something we're avoiding for...

(audience laughing)

RH: Oh wait! I know this! There was a special event in collaboration with Uta no Prince-sama Maji Love 2000% from July 19 to September 16, 2013.

(audience laughing)

JC: Whoa. Don't wanna go to that kind of event. He he he... Anyway, Konami, there's some news going on around here that over 35,000 user accounts on the company's "KONAMI ID portal site" may have been compromised. 

(huh)

JM: Wait, over 35,000 users?

JC: Yeah. The worst-part scenario was that there's a possibility that most of the users' real names, addresses, emails, date of birth, gender, and phone numbers could have been accessed. I'm not sure but that case was similar from Nintendo when they had noticed that 23,926 accounts on its "Club Nintendo" fan site may have been compromised between June 2-9. You know, my idea for not doing this again, well because this is Konami, makers of Metal Gear series, they should have military-grade security like what most armies do to their networks!

(audience laughing)

JM: Really?

JC: Yeah. Because Konami's very good at making too much Metal Gear stuff, they should better beef up their securities in the event that such case won't be happened again. Think about it, since Konami knows that video games are their weaponry, they should better be more heavily armed! Heavily armed, I said!

(audience laughing)

RH: Anyway, coming up now is this year's Goodwood Festival of Speed and this event is jam-packed with the finest machines from past to present to take on the Goodwood Hill Climb every year and oh! There's going to be premieres on this event like this...

2014 Caterham Seven 620R

(ooohh)

RH: That's the new Caterham 620R, that's the brand's most extreme model to date. Costs 49,995, comes with a 2.0L supercharged Ford engine, 310hp of power, 0-60 in 2.8 seconds. Incredible! This is even more better than the R500 a few years before.

JC: Yeah, I agree with you. That is even more staggering for a car like that...

RH: Which you can't fit in because the room's too small for you...

(audience laughing)

RH: I think this would fit you...

2013 Jaguar Project 7 Concept

(ooohh)

JC: Uh, that's an F-Type, right?

RH: Yeah but this is a concept machine made specifically for this event. It's called the Project 7 and what this is is a combination between the F-Type and the D-Type. It has the same supercharged 5.0L V8 engine from the F-Type, 550PS of power, and hey! I think it looks beautiful in personal.

JC: Well, at least it's not quite as dweeby as the Caterham.

(audience laughing)

JM: Hey, Hammond. You once did a review on the 208 GTi, right? Well, here's what you've been missing because there's a hot version of the RCZ coming and it's called the RCZ R. Here it is...

2014 Peugeot RCZ R

JM: It's the most powerful production model ever made by Peugeot, 270bhp of power from its 1.6L engine, 0-60 in less than six seconds, and you have to wait till next year to buy one.

(audience laughing)

RH: Well, perhaps that didn't see it coming. A more powerful Peugeot ever made and it's a sheer sign that Peugeot's stepping out from making dull cars despite the signs of the times. 

JC: Oh! Oh! Citroen! They've announced another debut for the Goodwood Festival of Speed. Here it is. Concept car for the moment...

Citroen DS3 Cabrio Racing Concept

JC: This is the DS3 Cabrio Racing but sadly no writings as seen on the hardtop equivalent. All I can see some red lines on its matte grey color.

(audience laughing)

JC: It's 25kg more than the hatchback but still has the same THP 202 engine as the hatchback model and I think I like this one better than the Fiat 500 Abarth Convertible you drove two years ago.

RH: Oh come on...

(audience laughing)

JC: Anyway, before we end the news, I just heard that because of Gran Turismo going to be involved in the event, the upcoming Gran Turismo 6 game will feature the famed Goodwood Hill Climb on this game! I can't believe that Gran Turismo's going to feature this place and that's unfair. It's officially official. I hate Goodwood.

(audience laughing)

JC: And that's the end of the news.

Porsche Panamera minor change

All Porsches in the world are ugly and the Porsche Panamera looks more like a mangled ape. You might think that the ugliest Porsches of all would alienate buyers to its rivals, especially the Aston Martin Rapide and the Maserati Quattroporte but you were wrong because back in 2011, it seems that United States sold more Panameras than any other countries where it sold while the US city that sold the most was Los Angeles with 890 Panamera units sold. I can't believe that why rich wealthy American playboys took into consideration of buying one but never mind about that because what I heard, the ugliest Porsche of them all...gets a makeover and I'm not sure what's the outcome for this...

2014 Porsche Panamera

Well, for this minor change, the premium design that looks like a mangled ape, still looks like a mangled ape even though the Panamera minor change gained some new front and rear bumpers and some internal changes occurred for the updated model.

Let's start at the S variant because in the pre-facelifted model, it carries a 4.8L V8 which generates 400HP of power and a top speed of 177mph but for the new Panamera S model, as well as its 4WD derivative, the 4S, downsizing is now a thing of a present because now, the 4.8L V8 has been thrown away for good as well as its 6-speed manual transmission and inject it with a smaller 3.0L V6 twin turbo engine mated with a 7-speed PDK gearbox so the main things you'll be noticing on this downsizing are these: 20hp more power and 20Nm more torque, but up to 18 per cent better fuel economy compared to the V8 engine in the previous model.

Not bad for a downsized engine but I still find it disappointing that the 6-speed gearbox as seen on the old model has been thrown away for good so where's the fun at with this double-clutch gearbox? Although, this gearbox provides quicker shift times than the old manual, it's still just not worth it and yes, there's going to be a major trouble around here in the event of parking this car.

2014 Porsche Panamera

There are other updates for the new model as well such as the base model's 3.6L V6 model which now produces 310HP of power, annoyingly less powerful and slower than the new Maserati Quattroporte S Q4's 3-litre V6 engine. Then, the stripped-out GTS version gets a 10HP up to its 4.8L V8 engine while mated with a 7-speed PDK, developing a top speed of 179mph. Lastly, and the only powerful of its range for now, the Panamera Turbo's 4.8L V8 twin turbo engine gained a 20HP increase and the top speed is now 190mph, that's the same top speed as the Aston Martin Rapide S.

There are no changes to the diesel model, which has a 3.0L V6 turbodiesel engine that develops 250HP of power, 550Nm of torque, 152mph of top speed, and 166g/km of CO2 emissions.

2014 Porsche Panamera

For the 4S and Turbo models, there's now, for the first time, a long wheelbase version called the Executive and for this model, it adds 150mm of its wheelbase, making the rear legroom a little bit longer, which is ideal is some countries, especially China because in the Chinese car industry, space in the back matters more than anything else and, while this is only a hunch, those who bought these prefer to be chauffeured.

Yes, the Executive model of the Panamera is built for those who cares about space in the back and prefered to be chauffeured but since being chauffeured is not part of the new Panamera's character-building traits, let's find out more about its driving dynamics and find out what's like to be a driver's car.

When someone calls you that they don't like looking at your car, you'll be on a great shock that you'd notice that you've been driving such an ugly car on the streets and even if you want to make some noise in the tunnels, it seems a bit more quiet even when you make some revs. Seems that Silence has fallen with this one, if you know what I mean? Yep, Silence has fallen for the new Panamera when it comes to be a head-turning sports saloon but in terms of track days, when you are against the new Maserati Quattroporte and the Aston Martin Rapide S, it's really not that bad. I know, its 7-speed PDK maybe a royal pain in my fingers but it's still worth a fun to drive premium saloon car and when this car gets it right, it can easily eat both the new Quattroporte and the new Rapide S in terms of setting a lap time.

2014 Porsche Panamera

Most Porsches are ugly and they're not exciting to look at but they are durable and tough and that wins in the end and in the new Panamera, although it may look like a mangled ape, it may not look durable and tough because of its risk of recalls but because of its 911 inspirations, it behaves more like a track weapon rather than a car built for those who want to be chauffeured. It maybe a big car but its a definite wild car for those who want to fool around all day long.

Mind you, the new Panamera still comes with an almost perfect weight distribution, the lowest center of gravity of any big saloon and its lighter than any premium saloon rather than the featherweight Jaguar XJR. It even comes with magnesium window frames to keep the lard at bay. With all that and in the corners, it's an unfair science fair redux but that's just another story. I mean, even if it has flaws, it doesn't matter. I think I'm going to like this more than the BMW M5 and because it has a turbocharged V8 engine in the lineup, I am well impressed by its stunning behavior as well as its footwork needed. Despite the 6-speed MT is gone for good for this facelift, it's still a wonderful chemistry.

Be warned though, even if its fast car, you'll never gonna win in a race against an incoming parcel. I'm just saying...

Photo: Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG.

Aston Martin Rapide S

It's been awhile since Aston Martin launched their first-ever four-door premium saloon car, the Rapide, and even though it's not quite as aggressive as either the DB9 or the DBS, it's still worth it for a four-door saloon car that is quintessentially British, despite the fact that it's been made by the Austrians. Really? Austrians? Says here it's made in Graz, Austria, so this isn't quite British at all but happily though, there's a brand new version that is even more British than before...

2014 Aston Martin Rapide S

The brand new Aston Martin Rapide S looks pretty much the same as the old model but take note that everything's changed for the new model aside from the new front grille that looks unorthodox for the Rapide S. I don't know why but I think that new front view kinda spoils the beauty of this car. The new front grille kinda looks like...and I'm not joking...like a Hyundai because come to think of it, it looks more hexagonal shaped like any other current Hyundais and it seems that some of the designers had gone a bit succumbed to hallyu or the Korean wave.

Although with the stupid Hyundai-esque grille that spoils the new Rapide S' looks, there's some good news that this car is no longer made in Austria because it's now made to the home of the Aston Martins and in the same factory where they made the new Vanquish. Wanna guess where?

What I have here is an ATLAS and what I'm gonna do is flip the pages, and then when I see Europe, I head to United Kingdom, and one part of United Kingdom is Warwickshire, and one part of Warwickshire is a small village called Gaydon. That's right, it's now built in Aston Martin's Gaydon plant in Warwickshire, England and this is a great call because it's no longer been made by the Germans because if it does, it feels like a British was revealed to be a traitor and he came from its German opponents. We're talking about Anglo-German wars back there and if this was happened again, I don't really know what's going on in a great island we called Great Britain.

2014 Aston Martin Rapide S

Anyway, enough about WWII jokes because anything more than that and it's game over for us. Let's move on to the way it drives and how it feels to be as a driver's car. Anyway, while this is an updated model, there's something else about its dynamics and let's start at the engine. Like any V12-powered Astons of today such as the DB9 and the Vanquish, the Rapide S still has the same 6.0L V12 engine but now, it's boosted from 477HP to 558HP of power output while torque output is now 457lb-ft of torque. 558HP of power... That's about 35HP more than the new Maserati Quattroporte GTS' 3.8 V8 and of course, it still has the same 6-speed flappy paddle gearbox which is just right rather than the overloaded 8-speed gearbox from the new Maserati Quattroporte. It's also 38HP more than the Porsche Panamera Turbo but let's not forget that in the straights, the Panamera Turbo can easily smoke both the Rapide S and the New Quattroporte by a margin and on the track, ditto.

In terms of top speed, the Rapide S was now improved from the old model's 188 mph to 190 mph, which is quicker than the old model but as a warning, it's 1mph short than the Maserati Quattroporte GTS and annoyingly, matches the same top speed as the facelifted Porsche Panamera Turbo which comes with a double-clutch transmission which is unpronounceable in German. What was that called? Dopple? Dopplekupling...um...doppelkupplungsgetriebe? Oh yeah! Doppelkupplungsgetriebe! Anyway, Rapide S, like any other Astons, doesn't had that because it sticks to its TOUCHTRONIC 2 6-speed flappy paddles.

2014 Aston Martin Rapide S interior

What's annoying about the Rapide S is its weight gain and because it spends too much dinner parties, it now weighs 1990kg, 40kg more than the old Rapide, but despite the added weight, it's still as vicious to drive as the late punk rock icon Sid Vicious, who was from Sex Pistols. With the right weight distribution, low centre of gravity, double wishbone suspensions, and with lower polar moment of inertia, it still works just as fine and for the real fun, you might spend the whole hours performing burnouts on an open space. This is exactly what it feels like when Sid Vicious died from overdose at his young age and if those tires got blown, you know what this is, don't you? He he he...

2014 Aston Martin Rapide S interior

And like any other Aston Martins, it's quiet and comfortable and the new Rapide S really drives beautifully, making it one of the most epic 4-door grand tourers made for everyday uses. You can use it while going for a dinner party, going to the shops, on a date, or you just wanna do anything for business and leisure. After all, because with all of the tweaked stuff for the new model, the Rapide S from Aston Martin is definitely one of the best four-door supercars ever made, probably because of its promising theory that it can provide the comfort of a luxury car with the dynamism of an exotic. Still, if you're a selfie, you just really wish you want to drive one of those...

Photo: Aston Martin

Maserati Quattroporte VI

Once, Maserati is a Italian sportscar maker specializes in cutting-edge grand tourers such as the GranTurismo, but by a twist from the noughties gave them a 4-door premium sedan that is a worthy contender against the Germans such as the S-Class, the 7-Series, and the A8.

It's called the Quattroporte and Quattroporte is Italian for four-doors when you're not surrendering. Now, you may remember that the Quattroporte was tested in Top Gear three years ago and even though it's not as fast as the Aston Martin Rapide or the Porsche Panamera, it's still one of the most interesting 4-door supercar ever made and that noise in sports mode really hits the spot. It's also more fun to drive and you can ever do some powersliding in here.

2013 Maserati Quattroporte

But now, let's move to the brand new and even more interesting Maserati Quattroporte. It's the newest incarnation of Maserati's 4-door supercar that we all like and at first glance, it's still more like The Godfather Part II but with some added...um...added...hey, what was the name of that HBO drama series that was ended a few years ago? Sopranos? Okay, it's still more like The Godfather Part II but with some added Sopranos on it.

2013 Maserati Quattroporte

How? Well, enough about mafia stuff, let's talk about the design. For starters, the front looks more of the same but it feels like Fidel Castro's face being squished  by several pliers. Also, two kinds of Maserati badges showed up in the front. One in the hood, one in the grille. Same as the Maserati GranTurismo but really? Do you need two badges on the front? And then there's the back view which feels like it came from the Kia K7. Go ahead, when you see a Kia K7, park near to it and you might notice that both of their backs look more of the same. Hmmm...

2013 Maserati Quattroporte interior

Now, what about the interior? Judging by its new interior, it's pretty much well crafted and well tailored like an exotic Chinese dress for the long-legged or maybe is Angelina Jolie's gown as seen in Mr. and Mrs. Smith, perhaps? Well, whatever that is, it's still looking nicely for the brand new interior of the new Quattroporte. Also, there's this stereo system in which when you had some spare change, you can opt in for the Bowers & Wilkins Premium Surround System which features 15 speakers, 5 x 25mm aluminium dome tweeters, 5 x 100mm Kevlar midrange drivers, 2 x 165mm Kevlar bass/midrange drivers, 2 x 165mm Rohacell bass drivers, 1x 350x200mm racetrack subwoofer 16 channel Class D amplifier with a combined output 1,280W, and QuantumLogic Surround Sound processing. 

Sounds wonderful though, and what's amazing though that is has an available WLAN technology that effectively turns it into a rolling Wi-Fi HotSpot. With this, your boss at the back will spend most of the trips doing Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram with some hashtag nonsense. Yeah right, you might wanna leave as much hashtags you can while on the trip to Monte Carlo. He he he...

2013 Maserati Quattroporte

So, what about driving? If you were on the top-spec GTS version, it's still a a great car to drive on the open roads and on normal roads, as long as you're not fiddling with anything, it's still a comfortable premium saloon car. It was interesting but sadly, the fun doesn't last for long because the ride and handling doesn't have that "Ah!" factor so how about adding an extra ingredient? Four-wheel drive!

STOP: Four-wheel drive versions of the Quattroporte are available exclusively on the Left Hand Drive markets. Yes, really, the Quattroporte S Q4 is available only for selected Left Hand Drive markets.

The S Q4 version of the Quattroporte provides this 4-door supercar four-wheel drive so you can reach amazing angles and still rescue it but for a price, the 3.8 V8 engine was downgraded to a 3.0 V6 engine, which delivers 410PS of power, does 0-60 in 4.9 seconds and a top speed of 176mph. Still, it was worth a shot against premium luxury German saloon cars with a top speed limited to 155mph so no worries for this one. Anyway, with the four wheel-drive, it becomes more forgiving and more enjoyable in the corners but sadly, it feels a bit more milder. It's too mild for a Quattroporte with four-wheel drive so you don't get the sensation flowing through your adrenaline so for a real challenge, let's go back to the GTS model because it has rear-wheel drive, 3.8L V8 engine that develops 530PS of power, and some added dynamism for some added challenge.

But still, whichever which version you're on, whether if its a rear-wheel drive GTS variant with a V8 engine or a four wheel drive S Q4, an 8-speed flappy-paddle gearbox is the only gearbox available for the new Quattroporte and although still a single-clutch rather than the too-common double clutch, it's worth on par with the best sport/luxury sedans in this segment but sadly, nothing's too perfect for this gearbox because it's still as complicating as the other Chrysler Group sedans wearing the same gearbox. Sigh...

Even though the gearbox is a bit of an issue for the new model because it's too much and the suspension noise that's more terrible to notice than checking your door for a power interruption notice on the next day, the new Quattroporte is still one of the most top notch premium sedans ever made and it sets a blistering pace against any two-tonne saloon that has any right to. It's still worth a try for a mafioso hitman to drive one or a chauffeur who turns out to be a former special ops.

Available colors: Nero, Bianco, Grigio Metallo, Bronzo Siena, Champagne, Nero Ribelle, Blu Passione, and Rosso Folgore.

Photo: Maserati

AD: TUNER FEST

If you're on the itch of finding one of the best tuner car shows in the Metro Manila, you might wanna consider TUNER FEST.

That's right, folks. TUNER FEST is known to be the BIGGEST and BADDEST car show in the north and it's coming at the Quezon City Circle this July 27, 2013. It's going to be fully loaded with some of the meanest modified cars as well as the mantra where "competition meets culture".

On this venue, three lucky participants will win an overnight stay for two at Coco Beach Island Resort at Puerto Galera.

Entry fee costs 1,500 Philippine Pesos.