Sunday, October 13, 2013

Audi RS Q3 and VW cross up!

2014 Audi RS Q3

What Audi did is take an ordinary Q3 on the nightclub, strip out most of its dignity like watching and paying for girls dancing, and then the result for all of those beer breath hangover is this; a crossover running from the law like what teenagers running away from the public with a bag snatched from a lady, some drugs hidden in his pants, and remain as anonymous as Guy Fawkes. This, ladies and gentlemen, is the brand new Audi RS Q3.

The normal Q3 is made for the sort of people who realize that they are the sort of geek or nerd trying to think smart and act smart, like any dorky high-IQ morons in their skinny jeans, suspenders, polos, and dorky glasses. Whoever came here gets the bulls from the bullies and later on gets flushed down to the toilet. We're not talking about that but the Q3 really suits the description well because it's just one of the tall hatchbacks many people wanted to buy for no reason. This whole crossover trend, those fakey and phoney hatchbacks claim to be SUVs, it always here to stay and that really creeps me out. Anyway, what's this all about the RS version?

This is like when you turn a nerd into a ladies' man by giving him lots of adrenaline, not by steroids but taking him on a wild ride on a theme park like roller coasters, bumper cars, anything highriding that thrills him. That's true, it is an adrenaline-induced tall hatchback made by the skunk works lurking through the bowels of Quattro GmBH.

2014 Audi RS Q3 interior
Audi claims that this is the first ever SUV to get the RS treatment by quattro but to me this isn't an SUV indeed. The thing is though that the whole idea of having a high-performance SUV is by turning it from a family-friendly car into a car only selfies want to start some bar brawls by night. Think of it like Patrick Swayze's Road House in a mindless kind of way. Road House...

Under the bonnet, the RS Q3 is powered by the same sort of engine you'd expect from the old 2012 Audi RS3 Sportback. It develops 310PS of power and 420Nm of torque. 310PS of power...that's about 8PS less than the Lexus IS350 but still, the RS Q3 has a 0-100kph time of 5.5 seconds and top speed normally limited to 250kph. That sounds like a countdown to a disaster, much more like, well you know...

What about the way it handles? For a crossover like this, the RS Q3 really is worth a juvenile streak and because it's 4WD, handling never felt so...so...well, modest. It doesn't want to kill you like most high-powered sportscars do but still, it's worth a smile indeed to the driver's senses. Think of it like...salad preparation, the Brainiac way. You're making a salad with the use of pencil sharpener, a guillotine, and a paper shredder. Hmmm...convincing if you ran out of knives for chopping but it leaves out with some paper shreddings and pencil shavings. Ick!

If by ick, I mean of course, it's worth terrible to drive one of those if you were in the middle of a trip to groceries or to the mall because if you do, people might think you're just another one of people who spent the government's pork barrel for no reason at all and the authorities might get you noticed. There's another problem with the RS Q3 because hey, while it's worth exciting to drive, it's definitely not quite the weekend car for a treat and because Audi spent so much making it too sporty, being a weekend car is a bit of a contraband because it makes you upset more than your Photoshop teacher in class. Ouch...

But still, the biggest problem for the RS Q3 is of course, the price and since it starts at 54,600 Euros, twice as expensive as the regular Q3 but as a general rule, it's the most affordable RS model for now because when you look at the price list for Audi models, the RS Q3 costs less than the present Audi RS model. The most expensive so far was the very serious RS7 Sportback with the pricing of 113,000 Euros.

So yes, the new RS Q3, it maybe more of a value than any other Audi RS but what you get for what you pay for is a Q3 with too much power that doesn't make any sense. Too much power for a crossover? Hmmm... Where did I get that idea? Never mind about that, but if I want more fun out for the buck, it might be best not to have one of these but instead, I should be getting one of these...

2014 Volkswagen cross up!

2014 Volkswagen cross up! interior

Yep, just another tall hatchback but this time in the form of the Volkswagen up! compact car, the small car worth enjoyable enough if you want to play a game of badminton out of it. It's called the cross up! and this model starts at around 13,950 Euros and you don't need to have too much stuff that the Audi RS Q3 had. Sure, the RS Q3 maybe a crossover which has the strength of a crossbow but it's a bit too much and with the cross up!, you're not the sort of person who spends most of the pork barrel, you're just a busy man out with some casuals for casual Friday. Since it's not Friday, it's a bit of a casual everyday if I'm honest.

With the 1.0L engine from the normal up! compact, it develops about 75PS of power, extremely less than the RS Q3 but unlike the RS Q3, it's not very thirsty indeed because it has about 21.3km/L of fuel economy. Not bad though, not bad. Even though it's too small and it's too slow, the cross up won't definitely kill you more than the RS Q3.

So, in conclusion, the RS Q3 is worth the fun but if it's too much, better downgrade yourself to the cross up! instead because sometimes, the smallest can rest easily on the road like a baby carried by a stork. Quite a tearjerker to end this impression here...

Saturday, October 12, 2013

Cars GT6 Should Put (Volume 13)

In a galaxy far far away, just off our backyard, lies Leopaul's Blog; boldly pushing the boundaries of car culture because there's some CARS GT6 SHOULD PUT.



Cars like...

1) Mitsubishi Outlander 24G '12

WHY: The past Gran Turismo games featured the old Airtrek crossover but for GT6, I want to see the latest-generation Mitsubishi Outlander just for comparison's sake. Do please, feature it while you can!

三菱 アウトランダー カタログ画像1

2) Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV '12

WHY: Don't forget also the PHEV version because when both of these showed up on GT6, I get the chance to drive both the petrol and the PHEV version of the same car, also for comparison's sake.

三菱 アウトランダーPHEV カタログ画像1

3) Mazda Axela Sport 20S Touring '13

WHY: Back in GT5, the first-generation Mazda Axela was featured by I wish GT6 to feature the next-generation model, complete with SKYACTIV Technology and KODO Design. So far, no existing video feature a SKYACTIV Mazda model but I really want GT6 to be the first to feature it. Come on, a Mazda with SKYACTIV Technology needs to have a digital debut.

マツダ 新型アクセラハイブリッド・ディーゼル 新型車解説 -マツダ初のハイブリッド、燃費は「30.8km/L」-/渡辺陽一郎

4) Mitsubishi eK Custom '13

WHY: Never wished a Mitsubishi on this segment but maybe the latest Mitsubishi eK Custom would do. I wonder if this car fare up against any other kei cars in its class in the game? Let's hope that GT6 should feature it so I can compare this to the defunct Suzuki C_rv_ kei car.

三菱 eKカスタム カタログ画像1

5) Mercedes-Benz S63 AMG (W222) '13

WHY: There's a new version of the Mercedes-Benz S-Class out there and there's also the high-performance S63 AMG launched as well. Hopefully, GT6 should feature the latest S-Class AMG model and that will make me very happy. So far, the only AMG model with the 5.5L V8 BiTurbo engine to be featured on GT6 is the E63 AMG (the facelifted model). Hopefully, we need more of those...

メルセデス・ベンツ S63 AMG 海外試乗レポート/飯田裕子

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!

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

The big science tonight or today or this morning:

- Enjoyed 2013's Pac-Man cartoon? Yes, 2013's re-imagining of one of NAMCO's famous video game mascots, called Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures, is quite a spectacle since it was aired globally (with the exception of Japan) moments after its E3 2013 announcement last June 2013. Now, the TV show's popularity made Namco Bandai pushed its 3DS game  ahead of November 5, 2013. Also, it will be making its console debut on the XBOX 360, PS3, Wii U, and PC (via STEAM) on October 29th. There's a booth in this week's 2013 New York Comic Con, until Sunday, where the game's multiplayer mode is featured. Isn't it nice to welcome Pac-Man back?

Pac-Man and the Ghostly
Adventures

- Hyundai Motor America unveiled its next addition to its Zombie Survival Machine concepts in collaboration with THE WALKING DEAD (Season 4 starts on AMC this Sunday, check local listings). This here is the Maxcruz (Santa Fe LWB) armed to zombie-proof perfection by a lucky Walking Dead fan and it's on display at the 2013 New York Comic Con, until Sunday.

Hyundai Maxcruz Zombie Survival Machine

- FYI: Also on display at the 2013 New York Comic Con is a specially prepped C1 Corvette driven by SHIELD agent Phil Coulson (played by Clark Gregg) in Marvel's The Avengers and its brand new TV drama, Agents of SHIELD. Whatever you do, Don't Touch the Lola.

- There was one part on the episode of the latest season of South Park making joke about the Tesla Model S electric sports saloon, calling the throttle the P#$%Y PEDAL.

- OFWs in Saudi, beware: Protests by the Muslim Brotherhood, responsible for ousting Egyptian president Morsi, will occur during the Hajj pilgrimage, Saudi Arabia has tightened security for the annual event.

- As we all know that November 23, 2013 will celebrate the 50th year of BBC's Doctor Who, but DYK that November 23rd will be known by many One Direction fans as 1DDAY? No one told me that...

- There's nowhere to hide, Facebook users. The latest Privacy Policy from Facebook leaves users nowhere to hide for good. No matter the privacy settings, you can still be caught unaware but Facebook says that the new change will only impact a single-digit percentage of its user base.

- US Government Shutdown reaches Day 11 and House Speaker John Boehner draws mostly sympathy, support back home. So far, no agreement has been made and the October 17 deadline draws near as well as the doomed default.

- All major US parks and recreations, closed during the government shutdown, will be reopened after states agreed to fund them temporarily, officials said.

- India is now on red alert as one of the most powerful typhoon ever recorded nears the east coast of the country.

- The use of thermometers and manometers using the mercury chemical will be banned by the World Health Organization by the next decade. This announcement follows the adoption of a mercury ban called the Minamata Convention at a UN conference that ended in Kumamoto, southwestern Japan.

- Toyota Motor Corporation working on next-generation driving aids under the Automated Highway Driving Assist (AHDA) banner.

TTFN!

"100% dandruff-free FOREVER"

On the October 11, 2013 episode of Bubble Gang...

- Tarzan gags

- Ikaw at ang Ina knows about...your gibberish phone calls.

- A nurse takes very good care of her patient.

- An argument broke loose...

- Bubble Gang does Head & Shoulders by spoofing this commercial as HEAD & SHONGGALS! 100% dandruff-free FOREVER.



- Tata Lino helps other people solve life's problems...

- Different kinds of FACIAL EXPRESSIONS are examined.

- Tambays making chitter-chatter about a woman...

- More big questions answered by Brod Pete and the gang at ANG BAGONG DATING DOON.

SYRIA UPRISING: Syrian rebels call Peace Prize 'premature'


The awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to those investigating the use of chemical weapons in Syria has been welcomed by Syria's Ruling Party, which claims it gave the government credibility, but Syrian rebels call Peace Prize "a premature step".

Story: FRANCE24

THREATS FROM NORTH KOREA: The story so far (10/11/13)


The story so far from the Korean Peninsula:

- South Korean president Park Geun Hye, during her Jakarta visit, reaffirmed this goal and said that the two nations should take specific actions to meet their target.

- Kenneth Bae, who's been detained in North Korea for almost a year, reportedly met with his mother after having gained permission from the authorities for a visit.

- World Bank president Jim Yong Kim has warned emerging markets to be prepared for the US Federal Reserve's tapering of massive bond-buying stimulus program.

Friday, October 11, 2013

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

The big science today or tonight or this morning:

- US Government Shutdown reaches Day 10 and Republicans offer Obama short-term debt extension.

- The 2013 LA Auto Show will be held this November 22 to December 1, overlapping with the auto shows in Tokyo, Japan (November 23 – December 1), and Guangzhou, China (November 21 – 23). There will be 22 world premieres in the show but what could those be? New MINI? New Porsche crossover? New Nissan crossover? 2015 Escalade? More to come later...

- Some say, he's The Stig but he isn't. He's The Stig's Digital Cousin and some say, you can beat him if you got the courage to challenge against Digital Stig. XBOX ONE's Forza Motorsport 5 gives players a chance to challenge against The Stig. Only Forza 5 gives you great Top Gear content to fans everywhere, from the Top Gear Track, Top Gear-inspired challenges, and voiceovers from Clarkson, Hammond, and May.

- BEWARE: With Santi now a Typhoon, PAGASA reported that several areas in Luzon are under Signal No. 3 such as the provinces of Aurora, Isabela, Quirino, Ifugao, Nueva Viscaya, Benguet and Nueva Ecija. Signal No.2 are in effect in La Union, Pangasinan, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Cagayan, Apayao, Kalinga, Abra, Mt. Province, Tarlac, Zambales, Bulacan, Pampanga, Northern Quezon, and Polilio Island. Areas in Signal No. 1 are Metro Manila, Calayan Group of Islands, Babuyan Group of Islands, Bataan, Rizal, Cavite, Batangas, Laguna, Lubang Islands, Rest of Quezon, Marinduque, Camarines Sur, Camarines Norte, Albay, and Catanduanes.

- Ford Philippines teams up again with Avon Philippines for the fight against breast cancer through their Kiss Goodbye to Breast Cancer campaign.

TTFN!

THREATS FROM NORTH KOREA: The story so far (10/10/13)


The story so far from the Korean Peninsula:

- South Korean president Park Geun-hye arrived in Jakarta, Indonesia for a 3-day state visit aimed at boosting economic cooperation with the world's fourth-populous nation rich in energy and resource.

- Any revision or deletion of the 2007 inter-Korean summit transcript occurred while former president Roh Moo-Hyun was in office, state prosecutors said, a finding that could re-kindle political wrangling over who gave such an order.

- Bank of Korea raised its outlook for the current account surplus this year to 63 billion US dollars, up 10 billion from its July estimate.

Thursday, October 10, 2013

Let's Do The News! (October 10, 2013)

The big science tonight or today or this morning...

- Never mind about that upcoming Hyundai Maxcruz (Santa Fe LWB) Zombie Survival Machine made by a lucky Walking Dead fan for this week's NY Comic Con, ATOY CUSTOMS made one of their own zombie survival machine using the, yes you guessed it, Hyundai Tucson iX as the basis.

Photo courtesy of Top Gear PH Facebook page

- When it comes to Liam Neeson taking action thrillers a bit seriously since the two TAKEN movies, there's more thrills in store for him because Warner Bros. begin filming for his next thriller movie, Run All Night.

- US Government Shutdown is now on Day 9.

- Libya’s Prime Minister Ali Zeidan has been abducted in Tripoli

- BIR is filing a tax evasion case against Jeane Napoles, the daughter of the infamous "pork barrel queen" Janet Lim-Napoles, who is accused of colluding with lawmakers over the pork barrel scam.

- #STARBUCKSDRAKEHANDS, now a trending meme.

- The post-apocalyptic teleserye, Genesis, starring Dingdong Dantes, Rhian Ramos, and Ms. Lorna Tolentino, along with TJ Trinidad, Jackie Lou Blanco, Ronnie Henares, Carlo Gonzales, Luanne Dy, Betong, and many others, premieres October 14, 2013 on GMA. It's directed by Joyce Bernal and Mark Reyes and written by Aloy Adlawan.

- In an effort to reduce smog, Beijing shuts down most highways and airports.

- Top Gear PH reports that there's going to be an Indian carmaker to land on Philippine soil and that Indian carmaker is none other than Tata Motors. Pilipinas Taj Autogroup is the distributor of Tata Motors in the Philippines and reports say, it will arrive next year.

- The all new 2014 Lexus IS is officially named Esquire Car of the Year.

2014 Lexus IS

- 2014 Opel/Vauxhall Meriva facelift announced with the addition of a new 134HP 1.6L diesel engine that provides fuel economy of 22.7km/L and a 0-100kph time of over nine seconds.

2014 Opel Meriva

TTFN!!!

THREATS FROM NORTH KOREA: The story so far (10/9/13)


The story so far from the Korean Peninsula:

- Koreans celebrate the 567th anniversary of the Hangul, the Korean alphabet proclaimed by King Sejong the Great back in the mid-15th century.

- South Korean president Park Geun-Hye, who arrived in Brunei on Tuesday on the second leg of her ASEAN trip, took part in the Korea-ASEAN summit this Wednesday.

- North Korean leader Kim Jong Un recently visited a military-run livestock breeding station.

Wednesday, October 9, 2013

The Geekdom's Guide to Bacon Pancakes

image
Making Bacon Pancakes

Most of the Adventure Time fanatics will remember one sure fire thing that goes stuck in their cerebral cortex and yes, you guessed it, BACON PANCAKES. That kind of thing Jake the Dog cooks in one episode of the show.

Bacon pancakes, makin bacon pancakes. Take some bacon and I'll put it in a pancake. Bacon pancakes, that's what it's gonna make...BACON PANCAKES!!!♪

Yes you got that right, find some bacon and a pancake mix at your nearest supermarket. Tell your parents to add those to their grocery shopping list if they have enough grocery allowance. Question is how will you going to make the most mathematical breakfast known to AT fans? Well, you may have followed the directions on making a pancake courtesy of the pancake mix's cooking instructions and then cooking up the bacon but sadly, we're a bit unsure about the whole Bacon Pancake serving...but never mind.

Since you're done with the bacons and pancakes, feel free to stack them like a sandwich. Don't care which. There are so many variations of bacon pancakes, especially the one where slices of bacon are inside the pancakes. Feel free to do some research on the internet and experiment with different variations of the most mathematical breakfast known to AT fans and in no time, you'll thank Jake The Dog for this...

Bacon pancakes, makin bacon pancakes. Take some bacon and I'll put it in a pancake. Bacon pancakes, that's what it's gonna make...BACON PANCAKES!!!♪

The Geekdom's Guide to Bacon Pancakes.

Let's Do The News! (October 9, 2013)

The big science tonight or today or this morning if you woke up this morning...

- US Government Shutdown now in Day 8 and US President Barack Obama stepped up pressure on Republicans as he warned against the consequences of a possible debt default and called for an end to the federal shutdown, saying he would not let the government be held “ransom”. He also said that he told Republican Speaker John Boehner in a phone call that he's willing to negotiate but not under threats of defaults and continuing the shutdown.

- Swiss-based game developer Gameloft announces GT Racing 2, the sequel to the hit GT Racing game developed in partnership with Mercedes-Benz. Featuring 67 cars and numerous real-world tracks, the new game will surely become more addicting than ever. It will hit this fall on iOS and Android for free with in-game app purchases.

GT Racing 2

- New on PS3's iM@S CHANNEL's SHINY TV game is Mini Album 03: Mystic, a Takane Shijou-dedicated DLC pack for THE iDOLM@STER SHINY TV game. Like the first two mini albums for SHINY TV, it costs 1,500 Japanese Yen.

- 2014 is the Year of the Horse, and according to some feng shui experts, the year 2014 is not the ideal time to get into relationship, tie the know, invest or start a new business. Go with the flow is the best time for the year 2014.

- According to an NHK TV Program, there's a new Pikachu-dedicated game from The Pokemon Company is in the works. Yes, Pikachu is one of the most famous Pokemons ever featured since the game, the anime series, the merchandise, yes, yes, whatever. Don't worry folks, no matter which version, especially when you're saving up for the latest Pokemon X and Y versions for the 3DS, Pikachu is always here to stay and always with us. There's even those Pikachu-dedicated games such as N64's Hey You, Pikachu, Gamecube's Pokemon Channel, and many other Pikachu-dedicated games in the past.

Pikachu


- Is our AT fandom a little bit more flammable? Jessica DiCicco, the CV behind our favorite flammable Adventure Time character, Flame Princess, will be on this week's 2013 New York Comic Con!

- Season 2 of Cartoon Hangover's Bravest Warriors web cartoon premieres October 17 but if you need a bit of an itch for catch-up of if you're new to the BW craze, fear not because all Season One episodes are rolled up into one video courtesy of Cartoon Hangover for you to watch.

- Trivia: During the course of the first season of Bravest Warriors, there are 13,537,384 unique visitors watching the whole season. Yes, over 13 million bravest fans can't be wrong.

- One of the producers of BBC's Doctor Who, Marcus Wilson, twitted that they've finished filming the 2013 Christmas Special, which signals the end of The Eleventh Doctor, Matt Smith.


- Meanwhile, Matt Smith will be playing the role of a killer named Patrick Bateman in a London stage musical adaptation of American Psycho, presented at Almeida Theater from December 3, 2013 to January 25, 2014.

TTFN!