The World of Toyota

It was Thursday afternoon and we went out to spend the whole day off. While my mom and my Ate Elise are heading to SM Mall of Asia to visit the Vitapops Inventor's Lab to waste their time with Baby Irvine, me and my dad went to World Trade Center Manila for this...



Yes, it's the World of Toyota. A motorshow hosted by Toyota Motor Philippines. It's held at the World Trade Center Manila from August 10 to August 18, 2013 and this Toyota-hosted motorshow is made to celebrate the good times Toyota has done to the Philippines.



The tickets cost 25 pesos per person so that sounds cheap. Very good though.



A trio of tuned Toyota 86s were featured but more specifically, the Rocket Bunny 86's. Can't believe that the Toyota 86 is a new generation tuner car made by speedo boys for speedo boys who want a cheap and reasonable sports car for the fun of it.



Takumi Fujiwara's Toyota Sprinter Trueno GT-APEX AE86, the tail-happy, rubber-burning star of Initial D. With the manga ended, there's going to be a new movie and the final season in the works right now but despite its finish line, Takumi's AE86 is still one of the icons.



Step inside to The World of Toyota!







This is the all-new Toyota RAV4. It may not arrive in Japan sometime until 2014, although I'm not so sure why is this new model hasn't been arrived in Japan as of now but some say, when this new RAV4 reaches Japan next year, it could either be hybrid-powered or come with the long-rumored 2.0L turbo 4-cylinder engine. That's a theory, I think. Anyway, I had the time to look around with the new model which you can expect to arrive in Japan next year.







The current-generation Camry. Remember, in Japan, it's available only in hybrid but in most markets, it can either be available in petrol or hybrid. In the Philippines, only the petrol-powered Camry models are available.



Here in Japan, it's called Aqua but in the world market, this is called the Prius C, a hybrid compact car more cheaper and more fuel efficient than the normal Prius.





The third-generation Toyota Previa. Here in Japan, it's called Estima. This generation's been around for a couple of years but I have to say that it's still looking fresh through the years.







The Toyota Alphard luxury MPV. It's one of my favorite MPVs because of its commanding presence and this one's the top model with a 3.5L V6 engine under the hood. It maybe too much on the pricing trends but it's still an ideal executive minivan for the rich and famous.



Oh look! It's DJ Carla!



A Toyota FCV-R concept car on display.









The best of Toyota classics. Sometimes that oldies can be goldies, right? Old-school rules!



Now, let's head over to the Lexus booth!



Now look at that beauty. That's the Lexus LF-LC Concept Car. Looks sexy for a concept car like this, isn't it?





Goodness gracious! Could that be...? It is! It is the Lexus LFA supercar! Let's remember that production ended in December 2012 with the last LFA rolled off the assembly line in white color and in Nurburgring Package. The one in display is a white one, normal one perhaps. But still, I was very pleased to see a Lexus supercar on display.









Revisiting an old friend, the 2013 Lexus GS350 F-Sport. Let's recall that this car went on sale in Japan since January last year while its hybrid equivalent showed up in March 2012. The exact model, the GS350 F-Sport did showed up on XBOX 360's Forza Motorsport 4 via the August Playseat Car Pack. Ah, the memories...





The facelifted 2013MY Lexus LS...







Yes, in The World of Toyota, the all new 2014 Lexus IS was featured, although I'm not quite happy about its new look because...it's too extreme for its own good but this model, the IS350 F-Sport, is probably my pick. In Japan, it's available in 2.5L IS250, the 3.5L IS350, and the hybrid-powered IS300h.





That's the Toyota Century, Asia's only V12-powered executive saloon car used by the Japanese government officials, even those from the Diet. I bet that the Emperor has one.



The Toyota Sports 800. This classic small wonder is famed for its nickname; Yota-Hachi.



The Toyota 2000GT, Japan's first supercar as it claims.












Look at all those racing Toyota machines. Makes my adrenaline pumping hard...



With the biggest and the brightest Toyotas ever featured, I have to say that up until August 18, The World of Toyota has been a phenomenal success for Toyota fans across the Philippines and hey, this is probably the best Toyota-hosted car show I have ever been in ages.

Oh but wait!



You thought I forgot about this, eh? Yes, that's the Toyota 86. This is Toyota's reborn sports car made in collaboration with Subaru. It has a 2.0L boxer engine, 6-speed manual, and rear-wheel drive. Fast fact that to make the 86 less grippy, it's been fitted with skinny tires from a Toyota Prius and the results are sensational. You can be Ken Block in every runabout and you can break traction without breaking the speed limit. The 86 is made by enthusiasts for enthusiasts.

So...um...that pretty much sums it up. That's the end of my cover-up with The World of Toyota. If you've been there, what's your favorite part of The World of Toyota?

OUTTAKES:

Sometimes, taking pictures by myself at The World of Toyota can be a bit rubbish and boring. So I had to mess it up. Don't tell the bookies.

Hyundai Avante/Elantra 2014 minor change

2014 Hyundai Avante

Having been on the block since its arrival in the summer of 2010, the current-generation Hyundai Avante (known globally as the Elantra) has been given a minor facelift via revised bumpers, redesigned lamps, new rear lamps, new 17-inch two-tone alloy wheels and chrome molding on its belt line, and yes, it's 20 mm longer than the 2010-2013MY pre-facelift model.

2014 Hyundai Avante interior

On the interior, see any changes? Well, there's some. You can expect a 3.5-inch OLED display, ventilated seats, and that's it. Also, it's now made even more tech-savvy than ever because not only The New Avante comes with a heavily enhanced version of Smart Parking Assist System (SPAS), but also integrated with Hyundai's BlueLink telematics system that has a nifty feature where your smartphone serves as a carkey where you can open, close, or even start the engine. Clever, isn't it?

2014 Hyundai Avante

Well, you can expect the Gamma 1.6 GDi petrol engine which churns out 140PS of power and fuel economy of 14.0km/L but for the 2014 model, there's now a U2 1.6 VGT diesel engine added and for this one, this produces about 128PS of power, almost 20 less than the petrol equivalent, and promises a fuel economy of 16.2km/L. Not bad for this one.

Oh yeah, Flex Steer is added on the new Avante and for this one, FLEX STEER has three modes labeled ECO, NORMAL, and SPORT, each affects its driving style at the touch of the button.

As for pricing, The New Avante starts at 13,950,000 Korean Won for the entry level model up to 20,900,000 Korean Won for the top-of-the-line model with  the 1.6L VGT diesel engine.

Available colors: Creamy White, Sleek Sliver, Hyper Silver, Stone Blue, Tangerine, Tropical Blue, Brilliant Red, and Phantom Black.

Photo: Hyundai Motor Company

"Trusted by doctors and mothers like me"

On the August 16, 2013 episode of Bubble Gang...

- "Ayaw mag-start" gags

- Woman admits she has a curse...

- Is she trying to proof if her husband's committed a crime?

- Tata Lino aids everyone with his advices in life;

1) Pag biruan sa lasing, wag lang sa airport tungkol sa bombing

2) Ang sabi ng iba; ang tunay na lalaki marunong maghintay. Ang sabi ko; ang tunay na lalaki, mahirap ma-identify.

3) Ikaw ay unique kagaya ng iba.

4) Kaya naimbento ang salitang "monthsary" dahil marami sa relationship, di umaabot sa anniversary.

- Bubble Gang does Tempra by spoofing this commercial as TEMPLA! Trusted by doctors and mothers like me.

Bubble Gang does Tempra

- Ang Bagong Dating Doon with Brod Pete and pals are here again to answer your big questions;

1) May nasusulat po ba tungkol sa pagtakbo ng Senado? Before answering that question, just to remind you that the right way to pronounce the word SENATE is "se-net", not "se-neyt". Also, SENATOR is pronounced "se-ne-tor", not "se-na-tor". Anyway... "To dream the impossible dream. To fight the unbeatable foe. To bear with unbearable sorrow. To run where the brave men not go. To reach the unreachable star."

2) A PM from someone at Makati says what is the V in the Michael V name? Simple, it's VITOY or VUVVLE GANG.

3) A PM from someone at Jeddah asking if there any other wrong terms and yes, there's more wrong terms to discuss in Ang Bagong Dating Doon like for instance the "Outside Shot" in the basketball. That's not right because when it's an "outside" shot , it does not count when it shoots in the basket. "Homework" is also wrong because...do we have a paid job at home? That's wrong. Instead, let's call it "Home Study". "Workbook" is also wrong as well and it should have been called "studybook" so the kids in the school won't be confused.  What about the word "workshop"? Do you get paid "working on the shop"? Not quite but what about the CALABARZON acronym? That's not right because when some acronyms start at the first syllable of the place, how come the ZON in the CALABARZON name was from the last syllable of the name QUEZON? Next time, it's CALABARQUE.

4) May nasusulat po ba tungkol sa mga pekeng naglalakad sa baga? "This girl is on fire. She's walking on fire. Everybody stands as she goes by cause they can see the flame that's in her eyes. Watch her when she's lighting up the night. Nobody knows that she's a lonely girl in the lonely world. She's going to let him burn baby burn.

- Mr Assimo in the theater

- The adventures of Ruffa Mae Kwento in...lifeguard!

- Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No! It's SUPER BUNTIS!

- The adventures of Ruffa Mae Kwento in...the court!

- Highlights for Bagong Gang auditions and for this highlight, we get to know more about the remaining eight contestants and why they want to be part of the Bubble Gang.

Denise Barbacena

Abel Estanislao

Joyce Ching

Juancho Trivino

Nicole Borgonia

Jan Manual

Arny Ross

RJ Padilla

Let's Do The News! (August 17, 2013)

James: And now, the news and hey, just a word of the mouth from everyone in America, how was the Phineas and Ferb crossover episode with Marvel's The Avengers and Spider-Man?

Jeremy: Well, I love it. Seems epic but hey, it's good old "Phineas and Ferb" fun especially with added Marvel-ness on that special. Kinda love Perry the Platypus dressed as a superhero, though.

James: What about you Richard?

Richard: Huh? Uh...no. I didn't watched it.

(audience laughing)

James: Where were you?

Richard: I was in a busy schedule right now, covering up stuff so....I didn't watched it.

(audience laughing)

Jeremy: Okay, enough about that now, you know the whole pork barrel scandal going on around the Philippines? Anyway, it's all news about someone named Janet Lim Napoles, who was behind the whole pork barrell scandal that costs the whole Philippine government billions of pesos. Now, what interests me is about the cars which she and her brother had and if it happen if they see one of the cars that Janet Lim Napoles owns, they'll just contact the NBI hotline any time. Okay, the cars Napoles had...

James: What are they?

Jeremy: Let's see...There's a BMW with a license plate of BMW 35, a white Porsche Cayenne with a license plate of CYN 78, a grey Chevy Tahoe with a plate number of ZAG 827, a pearl-colored Isuzu with a plate number of XPK 562, a Mitsubishi pickup truck with a plate number of ZJB 235, a red Ford E150 with a plate number of JLN 128, a white Ford E150 with a plate number of JLN 18, a blue Honda Civic with a plate number of ZDX 319, a CR-V with a plate number NSO 245, an Isuzu with a plate number of PQU 993, a Mitsubishi L300 with a plate number of XDC 963...man, that's a lot! Can't believe that Napoles is a car enthusiast!

(audience laughing)

Jeremy: How come she has the money to buy some cars?

James: Probably because of the pork barrel money she stole from the government.

(audience laughing)

Jeremy: Well, theoretically yes. Could be. She could be using the cash she stole from the government. Worse than someone with benefits.

(audience laughing)

Jeremy: Anyway, you know SPEED Channel? It's the TV channel dedicated for all things motorsports especially NASCAR, which is the thing I sometimes dislike the most.

(audience laughing)

Richard: Well, I love NASCAR a lot because of its roots, its simple redneck motorsport fun, and the fan service it deserves.

(audience laughing)

Jeremy: Anyway, it's a shame that by tomorrow, SPEED channel is no more and to be replaced with FOX Sports 1, which is essentially, another kind of sports channel just like ESPN. Awkward, isn't it?

James: Yeah, and what's gonna happen to the motorsport coverages SPEED TV has done for them?

Jeremy: Says here that FOX Sports signed a 3-year contract with the MotoGP World Championship and that's not all, despite the new transition, they will be also covering up Monster Energy Supercross, ARCA Racing Series, Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge, Lucas Oil Motocross, Rolex Sports Car Series. Oh! The Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Auctions also had FOX Sports covered. Don't worry about that.

James: What about the Nurburgring 24HR or the Formula One or Le Mans or WRC or whatever?

Jeremy: That, we don't know...

(audience laughing)

Jeremy: Probably some other networks are doing their thing.

(audience laughing)

Jeremy: Anyway, Microsoft. They announced that instead of Microsoft Points, transactions on XBOX will soon take place using your local currency and you know what that means?

James: Let me guess, Microsoft's trying to be competitive against Sony and Nintendo?

Jeremy: Possibly but says here that after the next XBOX 360 update when they next choose to initiate a purchase or redeem a Points card or code with your Microsoft account, Microsoft will put into their account an amount of currency equal to or greater than the marketplace value of their Microsoft Points. Which means, Microsoft Points will be retired, and they’ll immediately be able to use their new funds, in addition to other current payment methods available in their region, to purchase content from your favorite Xbox stores – or the Windows Phone Store on Windows Phone 8.

Richard: I think that's more convenient because look around us. We've been spending cash on MSP for goodies but now with MSP gone, real money is used instead! Seems Microsoft's trying to be more...customer friendly, I think?

(audience laughing)

Jeremy: I don't think "customer friendly" is best used for this. Oh! BMW showcased their replacement to the M3 Coupe at Pebble Beach. Here it is...

2013 BMW M4 Concept

Jeremy: Not much info at the moment but this is the concept version of what will their high-performance version of the 4-Series would be and yes...I have a clue; it's named after one of the worst motorways in Britain.

James: Oh wait...is it the M4?

(audience laughing)

Jeremy: Like a cat in a tin-foiled roof, yes. I mean look at that color, it feels like BMW's made a Brainiac out of it!

(audience laughing)

Jeremy: And you know what a Brainiac loves to do best?

Richard: Uh...blowing stuff up?

(audience laughing)

Jeremy: Yeah. You're right Richard. Since you were involved here, I'd suggest that when a production model comes, you do the rest if it's Brainiac-colored.

(audience laughing)

Richard: Oh and Cadillac showcased a concept car at Pebble Beach also. Here it is...

2013 Cadillac Elmiraj Concept

(ooohh)

Richard: It's called the Elmiraj and it's powered by a twin-turbo V8 engine which churns over 500bhp of power and I think it looks stunning to look at. What bothers me that this concept car showcased a new logo for Cadillac. See anything missing?

James: Probably the laurels are missing from the Cadillac logo. Do you think that this concept car signalized the new logo for Cadillac?

Richard: Well, frankly yes. And since there's going to be an announcement about the next-generation Escalade, I might think that this could be the first production car to wear the new logo as seen on the Elmiraj Concept.

James: Oh yeah! That reminds me. It's the BMO app. It's now been updated. Anyone heard? I bet everyone heard about it and for Version 2.1, I heard that Marceline was added on the soundboard, ringtones are added, and that's it.

(huh?)

Richard: That's it?

James: Oh! Wait! There are available add-ons for the BMO App! Each add-on costs about $0.99 by the way.

Jeremy: So...what are the add-ons?

James: First, there was the GAMES add-on which adds Kompy's Castle and our favorite...CONVERSATION PARADE.

Jeremy: Conversation Parade?

Richard: Oh wait! That's the one that goes...(ahem) ♫What do you think about the stars in the sky?♫

James: It's okay, I guess.

Richard: ♫That is an interesting response.♫ See?

(audience laughing, then cheers and applause)

James: That's not all. There's the MUSIC add-on where you can make some music out of BMO's inner circuits, and there's the WALLPAPER add-ons in which it features pre-loaded wallpapers for keeps. Let's remember that each add-on pack costs $0.99.

Jeremy: Yeah. Don't forget that and...that's the end of the news!

Cars GT6 Should Put (Volume 5)

Everyone knows that more and more car gamers everywhere are willing to prefer the upcoming Gran Turismo 6, coming this winter exclusively on the Playstation3 console, than the upcoming Forza Motorsport 5, coming this autumn exclusively on the new XBOX One console. However, despite the 1200-car lineup, there are some cars GT6 should put...

Cars like...

1) Toyota Alphard 350S '11

WHY: For an added mix, why not have GT6 feature minivans? I mean, back in GT4, they did featured a third-generation Honda Odyssey back then so, how about the other JDM minivans? How about adding the ultra-luxurious Toyota Alphard MPV? It may not be a good car to drive on GT6 but with such luxurious looks, it fits well in a middle of Photo Travel. With numerous owners modified this from top to bottom, I wonder if we can do the same thing if this car reaches GT6.



2) Toyota Vellfire 3.5Z '11

WHY: Although it may have the same specs as the Alphard, the Vellfire looks visually different because it is essentially an Alphard with some aggressive credentials. Here's a thing; while the Alphard is sold at Toyopet dealerships, the Vellfire is sold at Netz dealerships but annoyingly, the Vellfire is commonly smuggled in Asean countries such as Thailand, Indonesia, and Malaysia. That begs the question, if the Vellfire's too popular for its own good, why not feature it on Gran Turismo 6 for a change?



3) Chevrolet Impala '67

WHY: A black 1967 Chevrolet Impala muscle car served as a hero car for Sam and Dean in the hit TV series SUPERNATURAL. I hope this car will be featured on GT6 so Yamauchi-sensei, please do it for the sake of Supernatural fans.



4) Ariel Atom V8 '11

WHY: With the power-to-weight ratio of almost a thousand horsepower per ton, this V8-powered Atom is twice as powerful as a Bugatti Veyron or an Enzo Ferrari. So powerful, it can even rip your face off. When this car debuted on Top Gear Season 16, it set the fastest lap of 1:15.8. For a track-day car like this, I sure hope this racer will have a spot on Gran Turismo 6 soon.



5) Pagani Huayra '11

WHY: This is the replacement for the decade-old Zonda hypercar and this latest Pagani hypercar caused a stir in the motoring world since its debut at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show. When it made a debut in Top Gear Season 19, it became the fastest car to lap round the Top Gear track in 1:13.8, beating the all-time favorite Ariel Atom V8. I believe that this new Pagani will have a spot on GT6 because...this is what we Gran Turismo fans want.



The results please? So, if Polyphony's still on the rethinking process whether these cars I've mentioned will be featured on Gran Turismo 6, whether in game or as a DLC, you can't say that I didn't had a bit to do with that.

Take that to Kaz Yamauchi!

Threats from North Korea - A Week in Review (August 17, 2013)

And now, the week in review of what's what at the Korean peninsula...

August 12, 2013

- In the face of a looming energy crisis, Korea's energy minister said the government is doing all it can to secure sufficient power reserves.

- Just four days after announcing it was overhauling the nation's tax code, the government was backtracked.

- With the scheduled talks coming this week, all eyes are on whether the North will show a change in its attitude.

August 13, 2013

- Two SoKor civic groups will visit North Korea on Saturday to monitor the distribution of their aid supplies.

- President Park made it clear that SoKor will never tolerate any attempt by foreign forces to hurt its national interest and sovereignty over its territorial disputes.

August 14, 2013

- The two Koreas pledged not to repeat any work stoppages at the Kaesong industrial complex as they reached an agreement which also includes securing the safety of workers and assets in the complex, developing it into an international one, and establish a joint committee to discuss the running of the Kaesong factory. Both North and South Korea promised to cooperate to normalize Kaesong.

August 15, 2013

- At the seventh round of working-level talks between South and North Korea, the formation of a joint committee to over see the management of the Kaesong COmplex was one of the agreements reached.

August 16, 2013

- Seoul's unification ministry said today that it has offered to meet with North Korea for Red Cross talks next Friday on the South Korean side of the truce village of Panmunjon to discuss range of humanitarian issues.