Forza Horizon 2 - Barn Find #08: Maserati Tipo 61 Birdcage

Upon my arrival to the next Horizon Hub at Saint-Martin, I've received a barn find rumor regarding an abandoned Maserati lurking somewhere in the posh town of Nice.

The barn find is located over two miles from the Nice Horizon Hub or over 600 yards from the West Nice Speed Trap. I quickly grasp to that location by myself and visually. Because of the offroad path of West Nice is heavily exposed, with a few trees in sight, searching for the legendary Maserati is like threading a needle.

After moments of waiting, here it is!

The legendary Maserati Tipo 61 Birdcage is now ready for action! Sorry but my eyes are tearing up looking at a restored beauty but this is the eighth barn find I found and drove. There are two more out there.

Maserati was heavily involved in the world of motorsports since the dawn of time but as the famed Italian carmaker is struggling with their finances, their involvement in motorsport reached their climax and they made this. The Tipo 61 is their final attempt as it struggled to balance the expense of racing with profitability. It comes with the same 2.0L 4-cylinder engine from the 200S and it was positioned at 45 degrees to lower ride height and its center of gravity. For strengthening and weight loss purposes, one of the engineers designed the car's latticed space frame composed of small diamter tubing which shaped like the birdcage.

Stirling Moss and Dan Gurney were one of the aces that drove the Birdcage to victory at the 1960 Nurburgring 1000 in extreme weather conditions.

Anyway, that's enough history lesson but since I found the Birdcage Masis, it became my most valuable car in the game, eclipsing my McLaren P1 that I'm saving it for later. Amazing for a legendary machine to become one of the most valuable cars in the game right?

Speaking of which, I got myself another barn find. It's the ninth one! The second to the last! Will I find it? Nah, let's save the finding for later but for now, I got a race to attend to. See you later!

Let's Do The News! (November 11, 2014)

Welcome back, here's your current sitrep:

- Returning to the Sewol Tragedy, South Korean judges are up to decide whether the captain of the Sewol ferry which sank in April, killing over 300 people, should face a death penalty. Lee Joon-seok is the captain of the submerged Sewol ferry and among the 15 crew responsible of one of South Korea's most tragic maritime disasters.

- Xi Jinping, the president of the People's Republic of China urged the Asia-Pacific nations to speed up economic integration, on the second day of the APEC Summit.

- Somewhere in Nigeria, a suicide bomber, dressed as a student, set off explosives hidden in a backpack during an assembly at a high school, killing 48 people and injuring 79 others.

- A stream of slow-moving lava burned a rural Hawaii town that has been observing this approach for months.

- Senator Bong Revilla, one of the accused suspects from the PDAF scam, has asked Sandiganbayan to allow him on an overnight checkup at St. Luke's Medical Center in Taguig.

- The boss of Mazda has confirmed that the rotary engine is gone forever as Masamichi Kogai, the CEO of Mazda, said "We don't have that kind of vehicle in our future product plan. If you increase the number of segments, then the resources we can allocate to each will decline and that will prevent us from developing truly good products.". Bummer but since they're focusing more on SKYACTIV Technology, might as well make do with the future Roadster ND.

- Bandai Namco Games announced Ace Combat 3D Cross Rumble + for most Nintendo 3DS hand held consoles (from the old 3DS, 2DS, old 3DS XL, new 3DS, and new 3DS XL). While not much to tell, it's ready for takeoff at the end of January 2015. There's going to be a bonus Super Mario-themed F-22A Raptor plane in the game. Since this game launches next year, this is just their first taste for the Ace Combat series' 20th birthday.

Ace Combat 3D Cross Rumble +

- The Hunger Games will spawn a stage play in Summer 2016!

- Check out the latest trailer for The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies, which is the final chapter for The Hobbit trilogy.



TTFN!!!

F1 2014: Brazilian GP

F1 2014 Brazilian GP

In the second-to-the-last GP of the Formula 1 2014 season, it looks like the battle between Mercedes' Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton are in the blazing point as these two teammates decide who's superior. In the end, it was Rosberg who took the checkered flag. His fifth win of the season really gives Rosberg a fighting chance in the finale but for Hamilton, who placed 2nd, it's not over yet. Now that the finale is set on the 23rd of November at Abu Dhabi's Yas Marina Circuit, who will be crowned the world champion? Is it Rosberg or Hamilton? Find out soon!

Report: http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2014/11/16616.html

Image: Top Gear

Daihatsu Wake

2015 Daihatsu Wake

Well, this is new. This is a brand new kei car from Daihatsu and it's called the Wake. Looks like the kei car world is getting a wake-up call from Daihatsu's newest entry and for the Wake, it ushered a brand new category in the world of kei cars, although the Wake is served as the replacement to the aging Atrai. Ah, time flies...

So, what is it then?

This is unlike any other kei car you've ever seen because this box of a compact focuses more on space for those who like to take a weekend break or a holiday vacation. With the overall height of 1,835mm, this kei car is a lot taller than the Daihatsu Tanto. This is probably the tallest kei car on the market today and because it's so tall, you can fit anything you have.

What kind of people will buy such a tall thing?

The Wake's target audience is people who like to have an outdoor lifestyle. When it's day off, people like to go camping, fishing, climbing, cycling, surfing or skiing, whichever floats their boat. To accommodate such leisures, the Daihatsu Wake offers several options, which fits their lifestyle, in the form of a two-stage adjustable deck board with fixed hooks, utility hook, luggage compartment floor hook, and many others. That is called the Leisure Base Pack and that's an optional extra. Also, if you opt for the optional extra luggage board, storage gets more efficient as well.

It looks a bit boxy...

2015 Daihatsu Wake

Between you and me, yes, this car's very boxy in the design stakes but the Daihatsu Wake draws inspiration from last year's Deca Deca Concept. You know, the one we saw from the Tokyo Motor Show last year. The only thing that differs between the Wake and the Deca Deca Concept is the front face because it kinda looks like a Kia Ray in so many ways.

What about inside?

2015 Daihatsu Wake interior

Because of its tall exterior, the interior is indeed roomier enough to raise your hands at ease. On the driving position, it's like you're driving an LCV at some point but even though it's a tall kei car, the legroom is somewhat okay just as long as you don't let someone interfere with the front seats. If you notice that there's a tray on the passenger side, then yes. There's a tray that you can raise when you're going to take your lunch, play your gadgets, doing your homework or whatever you're doing on the go. Sadly, there's only one tray inside so you might expect your kids arguing for this. Bad mark for Daihatsu there.

Does it act like a city car?

2015 Daihatsu Wake

Even though it's a car made for outdoor purposes in mind, the Wake still acts like a city car especially when it's powered with a very fuel-efficient 660cc KF engine, which delivers 25.4km/L of fuel economy with the help of Daihatsu's game-changing e:S technology. The steering is rack and pinion, has MacPherson struts on the front, torsion beam at the back (for FWD models because 4WD models come with three-link), it still work as a city car and you can have as much fun as you want. It's like riding in a bumper car for some reasons but for safety reasons, it's loaded with Smart Assist, Vehicle Stability Control, and TRC. In case of what's what, Smart Assist comes with low-speed range collision avoidance support brake function, false start suppression control function, and preceding vehicle start notification function. Pretty smart, eh?

Price?

The Daihatsu Wake starts at 1,350,000 up to 1,873,800 Japanese Yen (around 14,000 to 19,000 Dollars) so it's expensive than the Tanto but you should know that the Wake's the tallest around here so you'll get what you'll pay for. Of course, there's one problem; it's Japan-only so if you want one, go pack your bags and move to Japan if you want to have one.

Available Colors: Pearl White III, Tungsten Grey Metallic, Black Mica Metallic, Plum Brown Crystal Mica, Tonico Orange Metallic, Festa Yellow, Offbeat Khaki Metallic, and Blue Mica Metallic.

Photo: Daihatsu Motor Co., Ltd.

Let's Do The News! (November 10, 2014)

Welcome back, here is your current sitrep:

- Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe finished his talks with Xi Jinping, the president of the People's Republic of China during the APEC Forum in the Chinese capitol of Beijing.

- Chinese and Russian companies signed a memorandum on a new pipeline route to send Russian natural gas to the People's Republic of China. The China National Petroleum Corporation and Gazprom from Russia have signed the document as the two leaders, Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin, looked on.

- Back at the Ukraine Crisis, the rise of Pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine raised concerns from the US and the European Union. There has been a heavy fighting at Donetsk airport followed by an overnight artillery bombardment, shaking an already fragile ceasefire. Russia denies claims that it is supplying the separatists.

- Several earthquakes occurred earlier in the Philippines. There was a M4.2 quake jolted Cebu followed by a M5.5 quake in Surigao.

- Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte personally gave the P1 million reward he promised to those who cooperate on the arrest of slain racing driver Enzo Pastor's alleged gunman.

- THIS IS THE F-15E GARUDA. In model kit form perhaps. Hasegawa will start selling this limited-edition model kit based on the hero plane from Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation next month. The F-15E Garuda model kit aircraft is based on the F-15E Strike Eagle with the same dark grey color scheme used by the Emmeria Air Force 8th Air Division 28th Fighter Squadron that fought alongside a large army in the game. Named after a mythical bird-like creature from the Hindu mythology, the Garuda Team was known for destroying the enemy aerial fleet.

Pair this one with the Su-33 Strigon plane and you can recreate every single dogfight from the game.

F-15E Strike Eagle Ace Combat Garuda

- Following the success of the movie, Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy will spawn a cartoon show on Disney XD next year!

- THIS IS THE NEW HONDA LEGEND. The latest generation of Honda's flagship premium sedan is now powered with the same hybrid drivetrain from the upcoming NSX. That's right. It now comes with the Sport Hybrid SH-AWD, which combines three electric motors with a 3.5L V6 engine equipped with Variable Cylinder Management. It's mated with a 7-speed double-clutch gearbox which sounds nice. It is the first to come with the first ever Honda Sensing system which comes with Collision Mitigation Braking, Road Departure Mitigation, Lane Keeping Assist, Adaptive Cruise Control, and Traffic Sign Recognition. Sales start on the 22nd of January next year, which is great because 2015 marks the Honda Legend's 30th anniversary.

2015 Honda Legend

- A group of former Israeli Intelligence unit members, now founders of Argus Cyber Security, announced that they've remotely hacked a car that contained an aftermarket device with some major security problems. Called Zubie, it was originally built to keep cars safe but this device, when hacked, can manipulate vehicle functions. The researchers said that security loopholes would have allowed them to remotely control the car from anywhere in the world.

- Star Wars Episode VII has now been officially named Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

- Yes. Disney and Pixar announced a fourth Toy Story movie coming in summer 2017!

TTFN!!!

Big Hero 6

Big Hero 6

This is one of the most unique Disney superhero movies since...well, The Incredibles. From the studio behind the successful Wreck-It Ralph and last year's Frozen, comes Big Hero 6, a brand new computer-graphic animated Disney movie that is a sure fire fit for the imminent holiday season. Before creating this unique Disney movie, the people in charge of this film are drawing inspiration from the Japanese pop culture, from anime, mecha, and whatever Japanese-y, they've studied Japanese pop culture, which served as the inspiration for this anime-inspired superhero flick for the whole family.

Set in the fictitious and futuristic town of San Fransokyo (think San Francisco meets Tokyo), it's all about a young boy named Hiro Hamada. Moments after the disappearance of his brother Tadashi, Hiro is caught in the middle of a sinister plot from the evil organization, which threatens to take over the city. With his trusty inflatable robot pal, named Baymax, on his side, Hiro Hamada must assemble a group of six crime-fighting superheroes on a mission to save their hometown. Teaming alongside Hiro and Baymax are Honey Lemon, Go Go Tomago, Wasabi, and Fred, a dude who can turn himself into a fearsome kaiju.

If you're a little kid, to you, this movie is all about action packed adventures that fulfill your fantasy. You can enjoy watching it to your heart's content without bothering to tell about the movie's storytelling because...so what? Kids say the coolest of things and that's it. They get to see the sights of sounds of the futuristic town of San Fransokyo in their own eyes and witness super cool scenes as the movie builds up to the most intense moment yet.

If you're a grown up, this movie is pretty much lacking to your own personal tastes. While the originality is fine, the storytelling just doesn't fit for this movie but because with all the anime and mecha inspiration drawn through the making of this movie, you'll start getting used to this movie more than the other successful CG-animated Disney films.

In essence then, Big Hero 6 may not be a good film for the thrill-seekers but this is probably one of the best family-friendly superhero flick for the imminent holiday season. Parents, if your kids are free, tell them to take them to the theaters to watch one. This movie isn't half bad, although the only thing that bothers me the most is...why is Baymax kinda look like the Michelin Man or that Stay Puft Marshmallow Man from Ghostbusters?

My rating: 3.8 out of 5.

Doctor Who Series 08 Finale

Doctor Who Series 08 Finale

Great to see everyone watching the series 08 finale of BBC Doctor Who and this finale is a matter of life and destruction, albeit a costly one. This is definitely the episode that will decide their fate as The Doctor (Peter Capaldi), with the help of UNIT, risk everything to thwart the Cybermen rising and Missy (Michelle Gomez), or The Master to be more exact.

One of the most shocking moments on this episode include Missy/The Master killing Osgood (Ingrid Oliver), and the one when Danny Pink (Samuel Anderson) became a Cyberman who spared Clara Oswald (Jenna Coleman).

We did experience some heartbreaking moments on this episode but when the decisive battle come full circle, it was Danny Pink who sacrificed himself to lead him and the Cybermen to the cloud, which is known to be the Cyber Pollen. Looks like P.E. fought himself to his last breath.

After Danny's sacrifice, Missy, or The Master to be more exact, has been annihilated by a Cyberman who saved Kate Lethbridge-Stewart from the plane explosion.

This episode sure is a fun drive for the fans but for now, let's all take a well-deserved rest...and some BTS from the Series 08 finale:

Oh...and in case you missed it, there will be this year's Christmas Special coming on Christmas Day. On this 2014 Christmas Special, The Doctor meets Santa Claus for the very first time!



Looking forward for this year's special. Dismissed.