Forza Motorsport 5 - 2014 Renault Spark SRT_01E at Silverstone GP Circuit

A few days ago, I tried out the Spark-Renault SRT_01E on Forza Motorsport 5 and I was very amazed that for a quiet racing machine like this, this zero-emission racing machine is proven to be serious enough to be part of the newly-established FIA Formula E championship. I might expect spectators getting bored watching this race because of the silence provided by these electric racers but who cares?



Now, it's time for me to go to Silverstone for some further experiments on how track-worthy is this silent machinima of a racing machine is and because I will journey through real-world racing courses provided by Forza Motorsport 5, the SRT_01E is the prime specimen for my long-term experiment; which is the shakedown for the newborn zero-emission racer.



And now, the video of the SRT_01E's simulation at Silverstone;



So, Silverstone isn't a bit of a challenge for the SRT_01E, eh? Next time, let's go to the Circuit de la Sarthe's Bugatti Circuit for further experimentations. Good bye!

#BGLasingSaGotohan

On the September 5, 2014 episode of Bubble Gang...

- IKAW AT ANG INA takes on...too much liking on posts!

- "Lasing sa Gotohan" gags

- Lala Ytera tries to be supportive...NOT!

- The story of Dexter the BINATILYA continues as he gets a new look that displeases his dad.

- Bubble Gang does Pond's White Beauty by spoofing this commercial as FOND'S WHITE BEAUTY!

Bubble Gang does Pond's

- Everyone's favorite kontrabida, Antonietta, still has some teleserye cliches to spoil for the televiewers and faces off with a familiar face!

- More wise words from Tata Lino!

- ANG BAGONG DATING DOON INTERNATIONAL welcomes all your questions here and around the world!

Someone from the Cayman Islands told if there's something about good shepherds in Baguio. Their response: AIN'T NO RULES, AIN'T NO VOW. WE CAN DO IT ANYHOW. EYE AND EYE, WE'LL SEE YOU THROUGH. CAUSE EVERYDAY, WE PAY THE PRICE. WITH A LITTLE SACRIFICE. 'TILL THE JAM IS TRUE. OH YEAH! ALL RIGHT! WE'RE JAMMIN'. I WANNA JAMMIN' WITH YOU. WE'RE JAMMIN, JAMMIN, AND HOPE YOU LIKE JAMMIN' TOO. OOH BABY!

A PM from someone living from Kawit told where is the "hotspot". A personal hotspot can be found...in the middle!

A PM from someone living from Angeles City told if there are any wrong terms and these are the wrong terms;

• Dinuktor - It's a word for forging but the "doctor" word in the dinuktor word? Only doctors can forge documents? That's wrong though, next time, use the word "pineke" because the "pineke" word really means forgery a lot.
• Ginisa - Ginisa is Tagalog for grilled but when you read the tabloids saying "ginisa sa Senado", is there something grilling at the Senate? Mmm....Sounds delicious but it's preferable to use the word inihaw.
• Sinabon is also wrong because...who would rather use a soap on a worst-case scenario? Instead of sinabon, why not use the word pinagalitan?

Someone told if who's that friend in the You Got a Friend song. The response; YOU JUST CALLED OUT MY NAME AND YOU KNOW WHEREVER I AM, I COME RUNNING TO SEE YOU AGAIN. Another response goes like; YOU AND I MUST MAKE A PACT, WE MUST BRING SALVATION BACK, JUST CALL MY NAME ALVIN TENG. Boom! There's the name!

- Cocktails named after girls...does it make your gal feel jealous?

Akumajo Dracula Lords of Shadow 2

Akumajo Dracula
Lords of Shadow 2 (PS3)

Akumajo Dracula
Lords of Shadow 2 (XBOX 360)

Four years ago, Konami and developer Mercury Steam wanted to give the secret origin of Dracula a powerful revision in Castlevania Lords of Shadow (日本名: キャッスルヴァニア ロード オブ シャドウ). After Gabriel Belmont, the one-time member of the "Brotherhood of Light", battled Satan in the underworld and at the end of the previous story, Dracula's secret origin and his connection with the Belmont clan was revealed. Welcome to the sequel: Akumajo Dracula Lords of Shadow 2 (日本名: 悪魔城ドラキュラ ロード オブ シャド2)

The sequel to the 2010 reboot, available on the PS3 and XBOX 360 consoles, delivers new twists, action, adventure, and challenges, as players take on the role of Dracula, the lord of the vampires, only this time he must take on the ultimate evil while taking on a new world; a modern world. Most of the familiar faces in the Dracula story returned and looks like fans wanted to expect this game to be far beyond compare against its predecessor...and it did, just.

First and foremost, you might think that it's simple to play than the last one but once you progress further, it gets harder and harder but when you get through the hang of it, it will be more rewarding and take advantage with all of the skills to survive through the last battle.

Similar to the light and dark magic from the first installment, Lords of Shadow 2 gives players another tactic to master; mastering void and chaos magic. Depending on the enemy you're facing, mastering the void magic and the chaos magic will give you an edge on the battle. You can also absorb the enemy's void or chaos magic as well and then use it wisely in the heated battle. This is just like the electrolytes from Metal Gear Rising Revengeance. To be more powerful,, give everything you got to survive to the very end.

As you defeat numerous enemies, you'll gain experience and you'll need experience to spend on key items or even artwork from the game.

No Dracula game will ever be complete without ever-challenging boss battles that test the mettle of your battle-proven tactics. In LOS2, boss battles require your precise combat skills, either direct or area attacks, as well as guarding. If you want to unleash more powerful attacks, try for the chaos magic but if it's health restoration you're after if you're not in the time for healing items, void magic will help you. Make use of these and you can defeat even the most menacing of foes as you fight your way back to the castle.

Don't think you're done with this because even when you finished this game, there's still work that needs to be done because there are numerous achievements to complete and some difficulty settings to master. Once you've done this in the most difficult setting, you are worthy of it but if you want more challenges, you can also purchase the "Story of Alucard" DLC. In this DLC, you can take on the tale of Alucard, a vampire who wanted to end his bloodline.

The concluding tale of the Lords of Shadow story is definitely one of the must have for your PS3 or XBOX 360 and if you're a hardcore gamer, look no further.

I'm very happy that with this game, looks like there's hope for the franchise but there is one bit of problem because even with LOS2, looks like the future of this Castlevania franchise is in doubt right now. Some of the people involved in the development of the Castlevania franchise moved down south for numerous reasons and today, of course, it's hard to tell the future of the franchise because pretty soon, there won't be any other Dracula game for the next generation. And that made me sad...

Let's Do The News! (September 5, 2014)

Things we learned so far...

- Looks like our very own GILAS Pilipinas will bag their souvenir from their 2014 FIBA World Cup match because a miraculous OT brought the Philippine national basketball team bagged their first win after their 81-79 win against Senegal.

Photo: FIBA.com

- US President Barack Obama and British PM David Cameron joined forces in the fight against the Islamic State In Syria or ISIS.

- Frenda Seivelun and Shizuri Mugino from To Aru Kagaku no Railgun S anime series gets the Beach Queens treatment from Wave. Both of these figures are set to arrive this February with the MSRP of around 6,200 Japanese Yen.

Beach Queens Shizuri Mugino

Beach Queens Frenda Seivelun

- CMC's Jaguar Mark II resto-mod, designed by Ian Callum, has been approved for limited production!

Classic Motor Cars' Jaguar Mark II

- Only one Koenigsegg Agera hypercar has been recalled by the NHTSA for its TPMS problems.

Koenigsegg Agera

-The C7-spec Audi A6 range has been given a minor change with new looks and new powertrain.  For added good news, the Multitronic CVT gearbox from the FF models has been dropped and replaced with S-tronic double clutch gearbox.

2015 Audi A6

- The Peugeot Exalt Concept from the Beijing Motor Show will make its Paris Motor Show debut next month, only this time, a different look on it.

2014 Peugeot Exalt Concept (Paris Motor Show model)

- The Divine DS Concept from Citroen previews a luxury compact car or rather...signalling an imminent sign that the DS from Citroen is becoming a stand-alone brand in its own right.

2014 Citroen Divine DS Concept

- BOO FOR BMW! BMW plans to launch six FWD models until late 2017.

2015 BMW 2 Series Active Tourer

- The members of the Air Force Academy men's gymnastics team were punished because of their underage drinking and rude behavior. No one knows what behavior was but there were no allegations of sexual abuse and drug abuse involved.

TTFN!!!

Let's Do The News! (September 4, 2014)

Things we learned so far...

- The GILAS Pilipinas team faced another loss against Puerto Rico at the score of 77-73 win at the 2014 FIBA World Cup in Spain. Even when GILAS kept losing, the Philippine national basketball team is still very happy to take on the world stage and they'll keep on playing for the sake of experience.

Photo: Youtube/FIBA

- The new Land Rover Discovery Sport was unveiled and this new crossover is served as the replacement to the ageing Freelander. The next-generation crossover boasts a wide array of electronics and seating for seven people, for the first time in a Land Rover.

2015 Land Rover Discovery Sport

- Revealed at this year's Salon Prive, the Morgan SP1 is a special machine handcrafted by the British carmaker's Special Projects division. The special machine features an ash wood frame combined with African Bubinga red hardwood, aluminum panels, sculpted wooden seats, and much more. It's powered by a 3.7L Ford V6 engine developing 280HP of power.

2014 Morgan SP1

- Nissan Motor Company's Andy Palmer is named as the new CEO of Aston Martin.

- Attention all Love Live fanatics! The folks from Good Smile Company unveiled a set of Nendoroid Petite figures featuring all nine μ's members wearing their stage outfits from the opening theme song "Sore wa Bokutachi no Kiseki'. Coming this January, each NenPetite costs 741 Japanese Yen (plus tax) and you have a chance to collect all nine μ's members; Honoka Kousaka, Umi Sonoda, Kotori Minami, Hanayo Koizumi, Rin Hoshizora, Maki Nishikino, Nico Yazawa, Eli Ayase, and Nozomi Tojo. There's even one secret figure as well!

Nendoroid Petite Love Live!:
Sore wa Bokutachi no Kiseki Ver.

- The South Korean government said that they would create a joint army between the South Korea and the United States, aiming to take out all North Korea's nuclear weapons in the event of an all-out conflict.

- Ayman al-Zawahiri, the chief of the terrorist organization Al-Qaeda, launched a new branch of global Islamist extremist movement to reinvigorate and expand its struggle in the Indian sub-continent.

- The Sandiganbayan rejected the transfer of Senator Ramon "Bong" Revilla Jr. to a regular jail because of the lack of merit. Revilla, an actor-turned-politician, was accused for plunder over the PDAF scam.

- A clip from the FOX ADHD block introduced us a new word; PROD. What is PROD? Sad, but happy, but sad. Watch this clip and see for yourself!

- Arup Raha, the chief marshal of the Indian Air Force, states that they can't allow any delays on the $25 billion deal on the Rafale fighter aircraft.

TTFN!!!

25 Years of Mazda Roadster

The Mazda Roadster (MX-5 Miata in the world market) is now 25 years old. It grown up, it matured, but the secret formula for the Roadster's success never change; providing exhilarating thrills in a lightweight package, and that's good. While the Roadster was a Japanese sports car for the masses, it always goes under the influence of what true British sports cars do; aerodynamics over performance. As the late Colin Chapman from Lotus says that adding power makes you go faster on the straight line but subtracting weight makes you go faster everywhere. The Mazda Roadster is like that, being a lightweight car that makes you go faster everywhere.

Let's rewind the best 25 years of the Mazda Roadster with the best of what the past three generations have pulled together;

1) Eunos Roadster, we presented

The first Roadster (1989-1998)

The first Roadster (designated as NA) debuted in 1989 under the name, Eunos Roadster. which of course, Eunos is one of the brands from Mazda aside from Efini and Autozam back then. If you're new to the world of Japanese cars, let me get this straight; At the end of the 1980's, Mazda tries to diversify the Japanese car market by introducing three different marques. This is just like Toyota, Honda (with their Primo, Verno, and Clio marques), Mitsubishi, and Nissan from their heydays. The three marques are; Autozam (comprised of affordable entry-level cars), Efini (the exclusive luxury brand where the FD RX-7 is sold), and Eunos. Eunos is an upscale brand from Mazda and it's naming comes from the Greek word "eu" meaning "good" and "nos" referring to the abbreviation to the word "numbers".

For the list of Eunos cars aside from the Roaster, click here.

Anyway, The Eunos Roadster was exported worldwide as the Mazda MX-5 Miata. It was hugely popular among enthusiasts because of such lightweight chassis. The Eunos Roadster is powered with either a B6-ZE 1597cc 4-cylinder DOHC engine that produces 120ps/6500rpm of power or the BP-ZE 1839cc 4-cylinder DOHC engine that produces 130ps/6500rpm of power. There are so many special editions of the NA Roadster, including the S-Special, V-Special, or the J Limited. The first Roadster is all about choice.

2) ROADSTER, Reborn

The second Roadster (1998-2005)

In 1998, the arrival of the New Roadster came into reality. It even exported worldwide as the second-generation Mazda MX-5. The positive aspect about the NB Mazda Roadster is that it retains the styling from the Eunos Roadster, only this time, the retractable headlights from the NA Roadster has been replaced by the fixed headlights, providing the essence of style. This generation offers a 1.6L or a BP-ZE 1.8L 4-cylinder engine that produces either 145/160ps of power.

3) One car. One driver. One feeling.

The third Roadster (2005-2015)

In the year 2005, the Mazda Roadster (MX-5 Miata) received another full model change and gained the designation of NC. By November 2005, the NC Roadster won the 2005-2006 Japan Car of the Year.  When it first arrived in August 25, 2005, it became a sensation because the Mazda NC Roadster was just a miniature version of the Mazda RX-8 but the 3rd Roadster retains the 2-seater capacity from the previous two generations. The standard engine is the LF-VE 1998cc 4-cylinder DOHC engine that produces 170ps/6700-7000rpm of power and torque of 19.3kgf-m/5000rpm. Being an FR sportscar seems to be more enjoyable but for the Roadster, its about looking at its best. The concept of "One car. One drive. One feeling." really serves the point about the NC Roadster, even though in the year 2005, when the car was released, it gained a huge success and earned the title of being 2005-2006 Japan Car of the Year.

That's the end of it. These are the previous generations that helped shaped the Roadster image over the past two and a half decades and now, the moment of truth has arrived because Mazda finally showed the world the brand new 2016 Mazda Roadster (ND).

2016 Mazda Roadster

Set for its 2015 release, the new, fourth-generation, Mazda Roadster still retains the same Roadster legacy while gaining its new look and new features, although details remain scarce for now. With the KODO design language and SKYACTIV Technology in place, the ND Roadster will become the best Roadster the world has ever witnessed.

So thank you and happy 25th birthday, Mazda Roadster!

Renault Samsung New SM7 Nova

2015 Renault Samsung New SM7 Nova

The second-generation SM7, Renault Samsung's flagship saloon, has been around since it was launched in South Korea in August 2011 and has been around for three years here and in the People's Republic of China as the Renault Talisman. Yes, it's three years from now and it's time for the SM7 to get a minor change.

For the 2015MY minor model change, it's now called the "New SM7 Nova" and while it looks the same as the pre-facelift model, the New SM7 Nova features a brand new front face that, in my mind, looks better than the old one and this new look adds a dynamic flair for Renault Samsung's flagship saloon.

Although the interior looks the same as the outgoing model, there have been some minor updates to its hardware and for the fun of it, the "smart mirroring" system is introduced. The "smart mirroring" system uses Wi-Fi connectivity to link smartphones with the car's infotainment system. Best of all, it's standard on most variants.

2015 Renault Samsung New SM7 Nova

Like its pre-facelift model, the New SM7 Nova still comes with either a 2.5L or 3.5L V6 petrol engine while mated with a 6-speed automatic gearbox. The 2.5L V6 petrol engine develops 190HP of power, 243Nm of torque, and a fuel economy of 10.2km/L. The 3.5L V6 petrol engine, on the other hand, produces 258HP of power, 330Nm of torque, and 9.4km/L of fuel economy.

The SM7 Nova starts from 30,400,000 up to 38,700,000 Korean Won.

Photo: Renault Samsung Motors