Saturday, August 31, 2013

Cars GT6 Should Put (Volume 7)



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) Lamborghini Veneno '13

WHY: Built to celebrate Lamborghini's 50th anniversary, the Lamborghini Veneno is probably one of the best Lamborghinis ever made and of course, unlike the one-off Lamborghini Aventador J as seen on the 2012 Geneva Motor Show, only three units of these 50th anniversary special machines were made and shortly before its announcement, all three units had been accounted for. Let's hope that this million euro Lambo had a spot on GT6. Hoping but not expecting...


2) Volvo S60 R-Design '13

WHY: There should be a latest-generation S60 in GT6 because in the previous GT5, only the first-generation S60 was offered so PD, don't hesitate to add the latest S60 on this game.


3) Subaru Forester 2.0 XT '12

WHY: The fourth-generation Subaru Forester. In the Japanese commercial titled "Forester Live", the latest Forester traveled around the world to check out its true capabilities. It's still a work in progress for the whole "Forester Live" but hopefully, GT6 should feature this new model, probably the one with the FA20 DIT engine on it. If that showed up, it would be FORESTER LIVE GT6 STYLE so we don't need to go around the world to try out the newest Forester.


4) Kia K3 KOUP '13

WHY: Gran Turismo 6 should feature Kia Motors for the first time and if that came to fruition, how about the all new Kia K3 KOUP? For the new model, it's now turbocharged and it tries to be a better front-wheel drive sportscar. So, how about it Yamauchi-sensei? Can you please get a license to feature Kia Motors in Gran Turismo 6?


5) Jaguar F-Type S '13

WHY: 5 decades since the E-Type, Jaguar launched its modern-day successor to the legendary machine called the F-Type and this is the first time Jaguar made a sportscar that behaves beautifully like what its predecessor does. I just hope that Gran Turismo 6 should feature this timeless modern-day beauty here because when the F-Type does showed up, it would look great especially on Photo Travels.


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!

What's in our Car Town garage today? (August 31, 2013)

What's in our Car Town garage today?

2009 Fiat Punto Abarth

Based on the Punto Evo, the Abarth version of the Punto Evo tries to be a better hot hatch in a world where these kinds are no longer the norm. Why bother? Because with the 1.4 Multiair petrol engine with the fuel-saving Stop-Start function, this hot hatch tries to be an eco-car in disguise even though with this function, it saves 10% of fuel consumption and emissions in the urban cycle. Of course, with Abarth has rally racing roots, the Punto Evo Abarth comes with the Gear Shift Indicator that provides a signal on the instrument panel, telling you if this is the right time to shift gear.

2009 Fiat Punto Abarth

1969 Pontiac GTO

One of the most iconic GTO models at that time is the GTO Judge model. It maybe as flashy as its exterior color but The Judge was born in the age when factory performance does mean a lot and this model became the norm by which their performance were measured. If you had one of these since that time, you really are The Judge in the eyes of drivers and when it's judgement day at your local drag strip, this muscle car packs a huge threat against its opposition.

1969 Pontiac GTO

2011 Fiat 500 Abarth Assetto Corse

The 500 Abarth Assetto Corse is a track-prepped version of the very popular Fiat 500 Abarth hot hatchback. Even though it comes with the same 1.4L turbocharged engine as the normal 500 Abarth, the Assetto Corse version has all of its essentials stripped out and became a single-seater racing machine capable for setting blistering lap times during track days. Only 49 of these were made.

2011 Fiat 500 Abarth Assetto Corse

Threats from North Korea - A Week in Review (August 31, 2013)


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

August 26, 2013

- President Park Geun-hye pledged to make sure necessary reforms are made within the nation's spy agency, as the opposition's demanding.

August 27, 2013

- South Korean government offered October 2 as the date to hold working-level talks with North Korea over the reopening of the Mount Geumgang resort to South Korean tourists.

August 28, 2013

- Ambassador Robert King, the US Special envoy for North Korean human rights issue, will travel to Pyongyang on Friday at the invitation of the North Korean government.

- An advanced team of technicians and admins crossed over to North Korea to check the venue that will be used to hold reunions of families separated by the Korean War

August 29, 2013

- The two Koreas will convene a first meeting of their joint committee on the management of the Kaesong Complex on Monday.

- Preparations for the upcoming reunions of families separated by the Korean War are in full swing.

August 30, 2013

- A series of joint military drills between South Korea and USA ended today, marking one of the largest computer simulation exercises in the world involving troops across the Pacific.

Infiniti Q50

The Infiniti G, the car that was known to be Infiniti's answer to the Lexus IS as well as its German rivals like the BMW 3-Series, Audi A4, and the Mercedes-Benz C-Class. So far, there has been numerous people interested in this car despite the fact that the G in the Infiniti range was just an Stateside version of the Japanese car we all love, the Nissan Skyline. Last year, with Infiniti proposed their new naming scheme that has all cars start with Q and QX, the first car to implement Infiniti's new naming scheme was this...

2014 Infiniti Q50

This is the Infiniti Q50. It costs 36,700 US Dollars and on paper, Infiniti's answer to the Lexus IS and the Germans is starting to get even more clever than its replacement. First and foremost, it is available in either a high-performance 328HP 3.7L V6 carried over from its G37 predecessor and for the first time ever, a hybrid powerplant that incorporates the Infiniti Direct Response Hybrid system with Intelligent Dual Clutch Control as seen on the Infiniti M35h. The combined output of 360HP of power channeled from its 3.5-liter V6 and compact laminated lithium-ion battery design with an innovative one-motor/two-clutch motor control is just one thing why the hybrids of Infiniti aren't like any other hybrids you'd expect. You would expect this to be dull and boring just like any other hybrids I know but for this one, it isn't. Despite its hybrid powerplant, the Q50 sure knows how to behave like its Euro enemies and I had to say that this is worth a try against the petrol-powered Lexus IS350. Thumbs up though.

2014 Infiniti Q50 interior

2014 Infiniti Q50 interior
The drama isn't just the powertrain of the Q50 because on the inside, it's as cutting-edge as your Samsung Galaxy smartphone and the craftsmanship isn't just limited on the outside because every nooks and crannies of the Q50 is well-mannered and it took several resources such as leathers, fabrics, metals and glass. It's also come with two screens just like what 2013's Hondas and Acuras got but this isn't because on the top, this is what I called the display zone and on the bottom, this is what I called the command zone because on the bottom, the driver can choose whatever apps it offered from its hard drive just a few fingers away and that's iPad stuff if you know what I mean.

Don't forget that even though you can have either a 3.7L V6 or a 3.5L V6 hybrid in which it has more than the former I told, the Q50 is available in either a rear-wheel drive and four-wheel drive. Oh yeah, if my pick was the rear-wheel drive, I wonder what is like to handle this? Well, the answer, you can. Even if you act like a Brainiac, you can corner this car and get out alive because of its clever suspension system. It's a good thing it doesn't act like the Germans or the Lexus IS or the Toyota Crown but that's just the tip of the iceberg because there's this world's first Direct Adaptive Steering technology which allows independent control of the Q50's tire angle and steering inputs, transmitting the driver's intentions to the wheels faster than a mechanical system. Well, that's new.

2014 Infiniti Q50
The G37 is probably the hardest act to follow but the all new 2014 Infiniti Q50 really pulled it off quickly like a magician pulling a rabbit out of the hat. It drives well, it looks well, and it doesn't lost most of its J-dorama quirkiness. It has some of the elements that its Japanese rivals like the Toyota Crown and the Lexus IS can't. This sedan, well I was gonna say another kind of culture shock, has still got its gentleman manner hidden beneath the heart of the bravest warrior. Cars like the Crown and the IS is still just a bit of a drama nowadays even when they put smaller engines and hybrid powerplants in the name of JC08 fuel economy but for this one, it still has the right elements. It's amazing that for this Q50, it tries to show that the only thing more sexier than that is taking a peek at teenage girls in their racing swimsuit rather than the rather nonsense stuff about a swimming club with boys in their biceps. It's a sure fire thing that with this Q50, something so wrong feel so right all along with it.

Friday, August 30, 2013

Crown Athlete ReBORN PINK

Toyota Crown Athlete ReBORN PINK

Last Christmas 2012, Toyota launched the all new 14th generation Crown and then there's a TV commercial showcasing a pink-colored Toyota Crown Athlete that actor Jean Reno drove. The viewers shocked about this pink-colored Crown made specifically for the commercial until now, the pink-colored Crown Athlete is now available as a limited edition "ReBORN PINK" model.

The base for the ReBORN PINK model is the G model with Toyota's newly developed 2AR-FSE 2.5L direct-injected engine together with Toyota Hybrid System II. With the combination of both the new 2AR-FSE engine and the 105kW electric motor, it develops about 220PS of combined power while developing a class-leading fuel economy of 23.2km/L based on Japan's JC08 Mode standards. Yes, I said about that but the special ReBORN PINK model is enveloped with a special "Momotaro" exterior color. Yes, it's pink and we all heard the whole Momotaro story.

On the inside, the seats are all white genuine leather, the wooden panel's black, the carpets a black with some pink linings on it, the engine start button's pink, and when you start it, the opening screen will feature the Crown logo with something pink on it. There are 7 PINK SURPRISES as Toyota claims it and the starting price for the ReBORN PINK special costs 5.7 to 6 million yen.

URL: http://toyota.jp/crownathlete/pink/

Source: Toyota Motor Corporation

Porsche 911 991 GT3

One day, I was heading to the nearest EO Executive Optical at some mall in Alabang for some eye checkups. Yes. Some eye checkups because as we know, we all need eye checkups every year. Several minutes later, the eye doctor told me to pick some glasses. Of course, wearing normal glasses will make everyone think you're geek or a nerd perhaps sunglasses will make you look cool. Science tells us that it takes 7 pairs of sunglasses to make the wearer not seeing any light at all. Well, it's I Can Do Science Me stuff you know. After choosing the glasses of my choice, I had to pay a very expensive price and then left EO.

Anyway, enough about the whole eyeglasses stuff because what I'm going to tell you about today's treat. If this was Tekken, it would be Xiaoyu. If this was Ridge Racer, it's the Himmel EO. If this is iDOLM@STER, it would be Azusa Miura. Except this isn't but it's fairly close to those. Richard Hammond, eat your heart out.

2014 Porsche 911 GT3
This, I believe, is the brand new 911 GT3. The ultimate version of what Richard Hammond claims to be the perfect car, although it's an agreement for Porsche fans everywhere. The GT3 is the stripped-out model that took Porsche decades of German engineering that brought into this and like its normal model, the 911 GT3 provides some stylish design and spartan driving manners. Some say that with its organic bodywork, "mild" driving feel, and a decade-old philosophy, the brand new GT3 sure knows how to rack up the points on track and on the road. Running in all walks of life, the brand new 911 GT3 provides timeless pleasure and always sing to the sound of speed unlike any other.

2014 Porsche 911 GT3

Well, don't get to excited about this one because there are a couple of chinks behind this knight in shining armor and to explain what I'm on about, I want you to visualize something a bit more...BRAINIAC-ish. Think about, putting a figure of Xiaoyu on the microwave however that figure I just mentioned is not yet on sale until this fall so for a substitute...how about...a figure of Azusa Miura instead? Of course, as Richard Hammond might say before this; "STOP! The following experiment is dangerous. Do not try this at home. No really, DON'T!". Since PVC is another form of plastic, a certain Brainiac would need something to blow this off such as CD, light bulb, christmas lights, alcohol, anything metal and then he closed the door of the oven.

Imagine you are in a drag race between the new GT3 against the microwave waiting to explode. Which is faster? Well, as the GT3 and the oven starts, it starts. The all new GT3, it does 0-100kph in 3.5 seconds, faster than the old one, and top speed...315kph, 3kph more than the old. I suspect that it should have more firepower and more speed thanks to its 3.8L flat-6 engine mated with a 7-speed PDK gearbox but just before it reaches 0-100mph, the microwave explodes, blowing poor little Miura-san alongside with it.

It maybe not quite quick enough to outrun an exploding microwave oven but what else does it do for the new GT3? Like I was saying, the new GT3, being a stripped-out 911 for track days, has some spartan driving manners so it will take some manners mastering the grip of this German engineering beauty. Mild driving feel? Yes. Very. It maybe another ugly machine for those who doesn't like Porsches but it's still renowned for the exuberance it brings to anyone who owns one.

Thing is though, you might like the 9,000rpm rev-limit because reaching through here is the exact moment when a microwave full of junk explodes without warning. If a Brainiac drives one, it would be proper comedy to abuse such a German sportscar with cutting-edge technology. However, there's just one thing I'm not particularly fond of and it's the 7-speed PDK because past 911 GT3 models are rigged with manuals because shifting with these is the ultimate expression of freedom as an enthusiasts but for the new one, it's flappy paddle or nothing. The same thing happened to the brand-new hot Renault Clio. The manual gearbox has been removed in favor for the rather tasteless dual-clutch gearbox but as they say, "Responsibility Demands Sacrifice" because making it faster demands a lot of sacrifice.

2014 Porsche 911 GT3 interior

In the new GT3 though, sacrificing a manual gearbox in favor of a new kind of PDK is no ordinary task because this one shifts as low as 100 milliseconds in "Race Track" mode. With close-ratios, this PDK makes the GT3 feel as fast as thoroughbred supercars and shifting through the paddles is like trying blow more microwaves one by one by one. Brainy!

2014 Porsche 911 GT3 interior

So, the verdict. Although, the new GT3 lost some of the things that "purists" love but it's still a fast one. It's still the ultimate version as we know it even if it has a bit of a problems with it and being lost by an exploding microwave oven with lots of flammable stuff. If Richard Hammond drove this one, I'm awaiting his reaction about the new model's double clutch, its new cutting-edge technology, its mild driving feel, and the organic bodyline that has been around since the beginning of time itself. But still, I'm not willing to have one, even though with an ultra-expensive 137,303 Euro pricing because for me, it's still the kind of sportscar that took me trips to Executive Optical.

Photo: Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG

Let's Do The News! (August 30, 2013)

The mad, the bad, and the downright stupid. The biggest scoops in the world ahead...now;

- GOOD NEWS! After a year of hiatus, WOW MALI, the longest running prank show for all ages, returns on TV5 this September. With WOW MALI back next month, what sort of pranks will this show pull up next? Let's hope for something more hilarious and more...WOW for your buck.

- Janet Lim Napoles, a fugitive businesswoman responsible for the pork barrel scandal, is finally in government custody after weeks of evading arrest. The Malacanang Palace confirmed Napoles' surrender. The statement says "At 9:37 p.m on August 28, Janet Napoles surrendered to President Aquino. Napoles is wanted on charges of serious illegal detention arising from the alleged kidnapping of Benhur Luy," Full story here.

- Word to James May...GREAT NEWS! Because a new, updated, version of the Dacia Duster is coming at the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show next month! Excellent!

2014 Dacia Duster

- Volvo will showcase their Coupe Concept at this year's Frankfurt Motor Show. Although, no plans to build it, the Coupe Concept proves to be a worthy successor to the legendary P1800 sports coupe.

Volvo reveals SPA coupe concept
2013 Volvo Coupe Concept

- Good Smile Company announced a Nendoroid version of one of the popular characters from the 2013 hit anime, Attack On Titan. Yes, that's right. It's Mikasa Ackerman! It should be arriving this January but pre-orders are opened for a limited time only. Get one now! This is the second AOT Nendoroid ever announced since the Colossal Titan.

Nendoroid Mikasa Ackerman

- There's a new addition to the Nintendo DS family and this isn't the kind of DS you might be expecting soon. It's called the 2DS and true to its name, it doesn't had 3D stereoscopic, which is fine by us. But here's a thing, the upcoming 2DS can play both DS and 3DS games! It should be out this fall.



- BREAK TIME! Here's a short cartoon made possible by Frederator Studios' CARTOON HANGOVER. It's called Bee and PuppyCat. Enjoy watching this short web cartoon and oh, don't stab yourself in the gut with your umbrella or even your BF's hot dogs.