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

The big news today...

Tropical depression Zoraida

Even when the Philippines was still reeling from the massive destruction caused by Yolanda, PAGASA warned that there will be four to five more typhoons heading to the Philippines before the year ends. One of them is the latest entry, the Tropical Depression Zoraida. PAGASA said that Tropical Depression Zoraida made landfall in Caraga town as of 9:00 AM and based on the 11:00AM bulletin released by PAGASA, it's now slightly weakened and now packing  maximum winds of 52kph near the center. It's moving northwest at 30kph.

Due to Zoraida, the following areas have been placed under public storm warning signal number 1:

Cuyo Island
Palawan including Calamian Group of Islands
Siquijor
Southern Cebu
Bohol
Negros Oriental
Negros Occidental
Antique
Iloilo
Guimaras
Dinagat Province
Siargao Island
Agusan del Norte
Agusan del Sur
Surigao del Norte
Surigao del Sur
Davao Oriental
Compostela Valley
Davao del Norte
Samal Island
Bukidnon
Misamis Oriental
Misamis Occidental
Lanao del Norte
Lanao del Sur
North Cotabato
Camiguin Island
Northern Zamboanga del Norte
Zamboanga del Sur

DRIFT MUSCLE PHILIPPINES



A mystery special guest is coming at The Drift Muscle Philippines this December 7 to 8 at the Quirino Grandstand, Manila but who could that be? The clue is "DRIFT KING" but who? Find out soon...

CT 200h minor change at Guangzhou Motor Show

2014 Lexus CT

The Lexus CT hybrid hatchback has been around for two years since its January 2011 debut in Japan and for this year's Guangzhou Motor Show, the minor change model will be officially showcased and it features the brand's signature Spindle Grille first applied on last year's Lexus GS.

Report: http://lexusenthusiast.com/2013/11/11/updated-2014-lexus-ct-200h-to-debut-at-guangzhou-motor-show-in-china/

No Nurburgring on FM5?!

Much to the dismay that only 200 cars will be featured in the XBOX One launch title, Forza Motorsport 5, there are some reports that series creator Dan Greenwalt explained that classic real-world tracks needed light updating, and some of them needed heavy updating. Well, while the fan favorite Nurburgring is not included in FM5, that's worth a shocker.

Report: http://www.autoblog.com/2013/11/10/forza-motorsport-5-fewer-cars-tracks/

KuroBas threat suspect caught on cam

Investigators on the Kuroko's Basketball threat letters case announced that a CCTV feed caught a possible suspect on tape last year and the suspect described as a thin male wearing all black.

Report: http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2013-11-11/kuroko-basketball-threat-suspect-caught-on-camera-last-year

TTFN!!!

BMW X5 F15

2014 BMW X5

The BMW X5 is the forefather of the luxury brand's Sport Activity Vehicle segment and even though this is just nothing but a marketing ploy, the X5 tries to be the German equivalent of our favorite SUV, the Range Rover. Now that the Range Rover's fully updated for today's generation, it seems that the BMW X5 wants to play hide and seek because there is now a new version.

The brand new third-generation BMW X5 truly states that instead of starting over from scratch, they want to make some big changes around here and overwrite it to keep it updated for today's generations. However, there's something peculiar about the new model and that is from the way it looks. What you can expect here is a design that is as weird as Richard Armitage reading bedtime stories on Cbeebies and just like the 3-Series, one end of the headlamp is stuck to the edge of the kidney grille. That doesn't seem right to me, more like west of weird even though the X5 was imported from America like its rival, the Mercedes-Benz M-Class. And then because this is as big as the Palace of Westminster, I was expecting for the ride to be more...Vanessa Feltz-ish but not made for fooling everyone. So, what else?

Although it maybe more of a torpedo belly fired from a belly button, the new X5 features different suspension settings to choose from such as the Comfort, the Dynamic, and the all-of-the-above Professional which allows the driver to make it comfortable or sportier thanks to its adaptive suspension package. If you opt for the M Sport package, the suspension settings will be much more sportier than the standard model but if you have a member of the Parliament riding at your back, chances are he may fire you because you're going to mess up his coffee break.

2014 BMW X5

Most models do come with BMW xDrive intelligent all-wheel drive (except on the BMW X5 sDrive25d) system which makes this full-size SUV not just capable on most roads but also on rough roads but for the first time, there is now a rear-wheel drive version of the new model, meaning you can opt for a four-pot, 2.0-litre diesel with RWD. Sadly, however, because its heavy, drifting in one of these is highly impossible because if you do that, you may end up getting rolled out unexpectedly and when its raining or snowing, this RWD X5 is a no-no and it might be best to stick to the X5 with the xDrive feature because that's the way the cookie crumbles, apparently.

Engine choices, the new X5 is offered with the N57D30 3.0L straight-six diesel engine which generates 258PS of power, does 0 to 100kph in 6.9 seconds, and fuel economy of 14.5km/L, and the high-performance N63B44 V8 petrol engine which generates 450PS of power, 0-100kph of 5 seconds and fuel economy of 9.6km/L. In terms of power, the V8 model is the top pick but when it's fuel economy you're after, then it's the diesel model but be warned though, because most of the engines are Euro 6 compliant, set to be implemented in 2015, we can't have it in the Philippines because we're a Euro 2 country set to be Euro 4 in 2016 and most of our fuels are still dirty and still in the case of manganese, which remains harmful to the engines, theoretically.

2014 BMW X5 M50d

If you want a balance between performance and fuel economy, there's the new M50d model courtesy of BMW M Performance. The N57D30S1 3.0L diesel engine generates 381PS of power, 0-100kph time of 5.3 seconds, top speed normally limited to 250kph, and fuel economy of 14.9km/L. Although this is worth of a balance, the M50d model is one heck of an impolite feat because why would they make slightly high-performance diesel SUV that delivers the same power output of a V8 with the fuel economy of a compact car? That maybe morally incorrect but the M50d feels like English Mustard to me. It maybe on the same spicy level as wasabi and Tabasco but when these two spit out and cry like a baby, it truly is the last one standing. The only thing worse than that is a certain kids song currently stuck on your head. Shake it up real hard with these and you're in a yanking menace to forget it.

2014 BMW X5 interior

2014 BMW X5 interior

Apart from the way the new X5 F15 behaves, it's still a flagship SUV in its own right. It even has bigger space inside. The rear sets split 40:20:40 for added capacity and there's even dual TV screens on the back so when they got bored, they can watch movies on the go. That sounds posh but as for now the X5 is available only in 5-seater while a 7-seater model is still a possibility. Despite that, the interior is more comfortable and quieter. It feels like a 7-Series bimmer in Richard Armitage's facial expressions.

2014 BMW X5 

With prices start at around 62,700 Euros, the new X5 is almost 10K more than its rival MB M-Class but it's still the one to buy if you're looking for something that puts a new spin in the Sports Activity Vehicle genre. Even though it's more expensive than the M-Class, it's still more hushed, plush and smooth no matter where the new X5 takes and because of the quality, comfort, and refinement upgraded for the third-generation model, I should be saving some cash to buy one of these unless its Vatalihootsit Day.

Photo: BMW AG

Driving Music (What is the name of the song on car commercial?) Vol. 59

Information about your query "opel insignia commercial song"

Dear, idiot responsible for this unnecessary search query (in case I warned everyone you can't use chatty questions as search queries and I also warned that they should not turn the search engine into a chat box),

Your query "opel insignia commercial song" may have content that is owned or licensed by whoever copyright holder behind the song as heard from a car commercial. Speaking which, this whole Opel Insignia commercial song you're looking for is just an original song used exclusively for this commercial. I tried using the special app to detect songs heard in that commercial but nothing worked. Sorry.

Your claim is not penalizing your search browsing status. Acknowledge or dispute, welcome back to the segment where solves every car enthusiasts' questions about the title of the song of car commercials...with the risk of MATCHED THIRD PARTY CONTENT on their status. Acknowledge or dispute, it's your choice. This is DRIVING MUSIC on Leopaul's Blog.

Before they can say "Dispute Rejected, Claim Reinstated", here are another set of five Driving Musics that is worth "matched third party content"...

5) We've Only Just Begun by The Carpenters - from a Toyota Vista Ardeo commercial

4) Part I by Keith Jarrett - from the Honda Legend debut commercial since 1986.

3) Photomation by Jabberwocky feat. Wildstars - from the Peugeot 208 "Pinocchio 2.08" commercial 

2) Save Your Soul by Jamie Cullum - from the Toyota Alphard Hybrid "Garage" commercial

1) 風は西から by 奥田民生 - from Mazda BE A DRIVER commercial.

So, there you go. Another set of five Driving Musics waiting for you to get a copyright notice every time when you get a hold on those driving musics. 

Driving Music from Leopaul's Blog is the segment where solves every car enthusiasts' questions about the title of the song of car commercials...with the risk of MATCHED THIRD PARTY CONTENT on their status. Acknowledge or dispute, it's your choice.

SUPERSTORM YOLANDA: US kids sell lemonade to raise funds for Yolanda victims

There are some foreign countries, usually the USA, willing to give a helping hand to the Filipinos affected by Superstorm Yolanda, especially this pic that went viral recently...

Lemonade Ice Tea to help Typhoon Families

Twitter user @ShekinahEden snapped a photo of two kids selling lemonade where their profits will proceed to Superstorm Yolanda/Haiyan victims, two hours after she posted another tweet, expressing sympathy with those who survived typhoon Yolanda. That's very thoughtful, indeed, even foreigners were very kind enough to express sympathy for the victims.

Report: Interaksyon 

SUPERSTORM YOLANDA: Death toll now 1774

The NDRRMC placed the partial and official number of casualties due to super typhoon Yolanda at 1,774. 1,660 were from Region 8 alone with the remaining dead distributed over Regions 4A, 4B, 5, 6, 7 9 and 13. This partial and unofficial count may be more than what last year's Pablo/Bopha claimed in Mindanao but the clock is still ticking for this one because search-and-rescue operations are still ongoing and with this the number of recovered dead could still rise.

Report: Interaksyon

Thor: The Dark World

2013 has been proven to be a great year for two of the Avengers Iron Man and Thor. A couple of months ago, we witnessed Iron Man 3 and based on what I see, this movie was definitely worth spectacular but with the ending that is worth questioning what comes next for businessman Tony Stark.

Now it's the turn of the God of Thunder who wields the Hammer of the Gods and making a re-THOR-N (pun intended) on the big screen is pretty much of a gimmick right now because...how can the sequel stack up?

Thor: The Dark World

Chris Hemsworth reprises back his role of an avenger is worth of a challenge but on this sequel, things are getting a lot more challenging as he'll be facing against a malevolent force threatened to conquer nine realms into darkness. That enemy we're talking about is Malekith, the ruler of the Dark Elves, who was played by former Doctor Who lead actor Christopher Eccleston, and which is kinda surprising though because what we have here is Thor facing up against some sort of a evil villain who kinda look like a Teletubby but in expectation, played by the man who used to be Doctor Who. Kinda more of a twist that we never saw it coming but to make things a lot more expecting, Natalie Portman returned to the film as human ally Jane Foster while a Brit name Tom Hiddleston made a comeback as Thor's evil brother Loki.

Although the flow of the story may seem to be a mediocre at first but when it gets further, this sequel tries to show its true self, showing how cool this movie's going to be but for not fooling everyone. It's fine if you want to watch this movie with the whole family and friends but when things started to get a little chatty, I'd expect that this is not quite the movie recommended for your taste and best to watch this movie by yourself but still, even though the storyline is messy, you can be forgiven with tons of special effects as well as the fight scenes that will put our favorite God of Thunder to the test.

Better still, if you watched the original two years ago, it takes time to appreciate the sequel before its ready to be recommended but if I have to rate this movie, I'd say I'll give it a 3 out of 5 because while this movie is worth the wait, there are some downsides to this sequel. No matter what, this movie is definitely a must-watch for Marvel fans many.

Nissan Skyline V37

2014 Nissan Skyline

Welcome everyone to the new Nissan Skyline and when I say new, I mean, it's REALLY new.

This is the 13th-generation of one of Nissan's legendary names and for almost six decades, the Skyline legend has been the pinnacle of the Nissan history. There has been numerous tales regarding one of the oldest Japanese car names in its existence but for the brand new, 13th-generation Skyline, the legend puts a new spin because why? On the front, it has an Infiniti emblem on it while on the back, there's no logo on it. Just the garnish that says SKYLINE spelled out on it. Quite a bizarre feat, isn't it?

So what's new in the 13th Skyline even though the front now has an Infiniti badge on it? It has a new Direct Adaptive Steering which delivers precise handling and quickly communicates road surface feedback to the driver. There's also the Active Lane Control which uses a camera to detect direction of the vehicle based on the lane markers to help fine-tune the tire angle and steering reaction force. Also, it comes with the world's first Predictive Forward Collision Warning that detects possible collisions ahead and triggers and alert to the driver with a visual warning and audible buzzer.

There's more because in the past, bigger engines usually meant to be more power but for today's trends; bigger isn't better so when the engineers created the new Skyline, the big twist is that the brand new Skyline is now a hybrid but not what you expected to be because the hybrid system was derived from the flagship Fuga and Cima. It's a 3.5L V6 engine connected to an electric motor and a lithium-ion battery, making the new V37 Skyline delivering 364PS of power, that's more than the old model's 3.7L V6 engine it replaces and then there's the 7-speed Intelligent Dual Clutch Control hybrid transmission that delivers maximum torque and a more sportier drive than the CVTs most hybrids commonly have.

2014 Nissan Skyline interior

2014 Nissan Skyline interior

Inside, the new Skyline features dual monitors mounted on the dashboard which makes a certain yuppie feel more of a techie. It also comes with a proper wood trim inspired by the traditional Urushi painting technique called "Fuki-urushi" and "Kacchu". The added craftsmanship to the new interior truly adds a nice touch to this luxury sports saloon and once more, it even has increased rear knee room which is 20mm more than the previous model.

2014 Nissan Skyline

On normal roads, the Skyline feels more luxurious and the ride feels more like its European rivals. However, most of the improvements do come with the price and the new Skyline costs from around 4,496,100 yen to 5,537,700 yen, including consumption tax, and it goes on sale late February 2014 at Nissan dealers throughout Japan, meaning you have to wait longer for this new model.

But still, the Nissan Skyline has long been a rival to the Lexus IS but since it's much more sportier and more responsive to drive than its rival, the Lexus IS 300h, I find this to be more enjoyable but there's a catch; with the 3.5L V6 hybrid powerplant and the 7-speed gearbox, fuel economy is 18.4km/L, that's less than what the IS 300h had but let's remember, the IS 300h is less powerful and less exciting than this. As a matter of fact, the new V37 Skyline always love to feel at home at a more crowded part of Japan. This car is a game changer in its own right. You can enjoy driving one at a winding road without leaving you all the drama that caused you the hassle.

Despite donning the Infiniti badge, the new model still retains the good Skyline name, even though the new model do really made a huge spin in the Skyline history.

Available colors: Hagane Blue, Premium Brown, Crystal White Pearl, Garnet Black, Brilliant Silver, Dark Metal Grey, Radiant Red, and Super Black.

Photo: Nissan Motor Company