smart fortwo & forfour (W453)

2015 smart forfour

2015 smart fortwo

The smart duo compacts, the fortwo and the forfour, have now been regenerated with a brand new look and improved mechanisms that will keep these city cars well-refined for the next generation of first-time buyers but which smart would you want?

If you're single and if you don't have any friends, you might want to go with the fortwo, but if you have friends, well three of them, you can opt for the forfour. Either way, they're now both based on the latest Renault Twingo and just like that latest Twingo, they're rear-engined, rear-wheel drive just like a Porsche 911.

Of course, you might think that being a rear-wheel drive hatchback can be quite as enjoyable as a day at the theme park with your dabarkads but on these two, they're on a totally different story and how you drive these two will provide the same feeling that you felt after your field trip that starts with the boring part and ends with the exciting part.

The fortwo starts at 10,895 Euros while the forfour starts at 11,555 Euros and what do you get from these two are the same choice of petrol engines you can expect from the latest Renault Twingo such as the 1.0L and the 0.9L turbo engine. The 0.9L turbo engine that powers both the smart cars develops 90PS of power and 135Nm of torque.  As for the transmission, you can opt in for either a 5-speed manual or a 6-speed double-clutch gearbox. Yes. There is a manual gearbox on a smart car so praise the driving gods! Sort of...

Although lacking in the power department, these little mice can have as much fun as they want but sometimes, those unswitchable driving aids are going to end your fun preemptively when you keep jamming the throttle. Also, when you go too fast on the corner, these cars tend to understeer and that's odd for these German city cars that had the same drivetrain as the Porsche 911.

For first-timers, they don't really care how problematic its handling is but what will appreciate these smart cars are the best-in-class turning radius and its refinement similar to its front-wheel drive oppositions like the Peugeot 108, Citroen C1, Fiat 500, VW up!, and many other Cozy Coupe-sized chunks.

2015 smart forfour interior

2015 smart fortwo interior

Well, even though they're larger than your baby boy's Cozy Coupe, both of these smart cars are really are cozy and, of course, convenient. You can opt in for some more extras including the one with the satellite-navigation system with hands-free connectivity so you can listen to your favorite playlist while on the go. And depending on the variant, they have enough space for your shopping bags after your weekend shopping spree with your mates.

Evaluating these two microcars are hard because, let's be honest, even though the new fortwo and the new forfour are different to each other, they still have the smart sense not as a city car, but a good car for a stop. These two cars are more than welcome to be part of their garages if spending a day with a ridiculously expensive sportscar is not part of their schedule but be advised for the macho men because driving one of these will make people think you're less matured and more of a Bondying.

Maybe these new smart cars makes you feel like a Bondying if you asked me.

Photo: Daimler AG

Driving Music (What is the name of the song on car commercial?) Vol. 64

NEW HOSTILES ON THE RADAR! According to the radar, I've detected some bandits trying to steal the music industry upon hearing it from a certain car commercial! Such bandits have queries like...

• acura tlx commercial song
• das auto commercial song
• fiat grand finale commercial song
• lexus christmas commercial song
• song used in jeep commercial
• what is the name of the song in the nissan commercial
• who sings the song on the renault advert

Hostiles to the music industry, prepared to be bailed out as I'm going to launch something straight at your conniving faces. I'm talking about...10 MORE DRIVING MUSICS! FOX TWO! Sorry...too much airforce references. Anyway, where was I? Oh yeah!

10) I'm not Like Everybody Else by The Kinks - from an Acura TLX Commercial

9) Pimpin' All Over the World - Ludacris ft. Bobby V. - from an Acura TLX "Whatever Ludacris is Doing Right Now" commercial

8) My Way by Sid Vicious - from the Acura TLX Commercial.

7) Spark the Fire by Gwen Stefani - from the Fiat USA Gran Finale commercial

6) Guts Over Fear - Eminem Featuring Sia - from the Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat commercial

5) Building Steam With A Grain Of Salt - DJ Shadow - from the Chevrolet "Attract Attention" commercial

4) What a Wonderful World by Michael Buble - from the Honda Grace commercial

3) Let It Go by Idina Menzel - from the Honda Cars minivan commercial

2) 踊ろよ、フィッシュ by 山下達郎 - from the Subaru Impreza Sport F/L commercial

1) Mony Mony by Billy Idol - from the Nissan USA Sentra "Spread Your Joy" commercial.

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.

Let's Do The News! (December 6, 2014)

Welcome back. Here is your current sitrep:

- On the situation of Typhoon Ruby/Hagupit:

Latest Pagasa bulletin: (As of 11 AM, December 6, 2014)

Signal # 3:
(Winds of 100 - 185 kph is expected in at least 18 hrs)
Catanduanes, Albay, Sorsogon, Masbate, Ticao Island
Northern Samar, Eastern Samar, Samar, Biliran

Signal # 2:
(Winds of 61-100 kph is expected in at least 24 hrs)
Camarines Sur, Burias Island, Romblon
Capiz, Northern Cebu, Cebu City, Bantayan Island, Camotes Island, Leyte, Southern Leyte, Dinagat Province

Signal #1:
(winds of 30 - 60 kph is expected in at least
36 hours)
Southern Quezon, Camarines Norte, Marinduque, Batangas, Occidental Mindoro, Oriental Mindoro, Antique, Aklan, Iloilo, Guimaras, Northern Negros, Rest of Cebu, Bohol, Surigao del Norte, Siargao Island

 - Officials from the Department of Science and Technology states that this typhoon will make landfall five times on Sunday and Monday. Here are the list of areas where the typhoon will make its landfall:

Sunday (Dec. 7)

2 a.m. to 4 a.m. – Borongan, Eastern Samar

2 p.m. to 4 p.m. – Masbate

8 p.m. to 10 p.m. – Sibuyan Island (Romblon)

Monday (Dec. 8)

2 a.m. to 4 a.m. – Romblon

11 a.m. to 2 p.m. – Mindoro

- The Manila Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office ordered a preemptive evacuation of residents of the capital's coastal barangays by Monday, should Typhoon Ruby hit the NCR, due to the possible storm surge on Manila Bay.

- The chokehold death rally is on its 3rd day as rallyists from all over the USA staged die-ins, blocked roadways, and marched into stores to protests against the New York Grand Jury's decision to not indict a policeman who chokehold a black man to death.

- An all-female theater group has found a great way to save the diminishing theaters in Spain from the nation's sales tax hike is...and they're not joking...selling pornography.

- Shortly after its announcement, the track-only Ferrari FXX K hybrid racer has all of its units sold out. Oh FXXK...

Ferrari FXX K

- Volvo commenced some bizarre experiment on their brand-new XC90 SUV by crashing it to a ditch, just to find out how tough is their new SUV.

- The Ferrari Sergio sportscar, which is based on the 458 Spider, has been revealed and the first out of the six planned units to produced, has been delivered to the SBH Royal Auto Gallery in Abu Dhabi, the capitol of the UAE.

Ferrari Sergio

- The brand new, eighth-generation, Suzuki Alto kei car has been teased and it's going to be revealed this 22nd of December. Although the upcoming model's look can be somewhat odd and boxy with the front view reminiscent of past Altos of yesteryears, this new model will be helmed as the king of fuel-efficient petrol cars. What's the fuel economy? I can't tell but Suzuki warns that this will be a lot higher than its rival, the Daihatsu Mira e:S, by a huge margin. There's also a turbo version coming this Spring.

Teaser for the 2015 Suzuki Alto

- Over 7.7 million copies of Pocket Monsters ORAS have been shipped globally. That's great for being one of the most anticipated 3DS titles of 2014.

Pocket Monsters Alpha Sapphire

Pocket Monsters Omega Ruby

TTFN!!!

#BGBinatilyaBeaucon

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

- Airport gags

- Istambay, Istambay sa Looban, May bagong na namang kalokohan, May nagpapa-audition sa tambayan, baka daw kami ay...MAPALITAN?

- Desiree the Binatilya is joining the beauty contest and he's facing stiff competition against the other bekis!

- Trailer spoofs!

- One of Don Cantoni's associates messed up with him but who?

- IKAW AT ANG INA takes on...Throwback Thursdays!

- Some words to live by from Tata Lino:

• Ang sukatan, hindi lang bait at ganda. Huhusgahan ka rin sa amoy ng iyong hininga.
• Mahirap magpaalam sa mahal mo sa buhay, pero mas mahirap magpaalam kung galit ang iyong ina.
• Ang relasyon na walang pag-ibig na bumubuhay ay parang isang tablet na walang wi-fi.
• Pwede mong kareerihin kahit anong palakasan, pero hindi sport ang katangahan kaya wag mong galingan.

- IyoTube in Wiggle by Jason Derulo feat. Snoop Dogg.

Ford Mustang - Sixth Generation

2015 Ford Mustang

For over 50 years, the Ford Mustang has been the poster boy of the American muscle car craze and even if it's facing stiff competition from Chevy and Dodge from past and present, the Ford Mustang is still on top as the king of American muscle cars and now, the iconic muscle car has been given its much awaited regeneration so let's fire up this new generation Mustang and find out how it's made.

The first thing I want to know about the new Mustang is the design and at first glance, judging the way that Ford still keeps using its Aston Martin-esque grille in most models like the Fusion, the Fiesta, and the Focus, I'm starting to think this is more of an Aston copy rather than carrying the tradition but I was wrong. This car still keeps the classic look alive and with some modern-day touches in it, it looks like it spent the whole day eating Century Tuna for breakfast, lunch, tea, even elevensies. Now that's hot stuff.

2015 Ford Mustang interior

Aside from having the body of a Superbods model, the interior is brand new and look at those silver-colored flickers below the climate control, it's just like the ones I found on the legendary Ford GT supercar and judging from its muscle car atmosphere, the inside is all about being retro-futuristic, although the sat-nav system is a bit of a letdown for me because most Ford sat-navs with the SYNC on it is worthless. Sigh. But that doesn't stop me from like the new interior.

2015 Ford Mustang

2015 Ford Mustang Convertible

Prices start from $23,600 to $41,600 and there are two body styles available on the brand new Mustang such as the hardtop coupe for a more traditional feel and the open-top convertible if you want to go on an open-air spree on the open road. Whichever Mustang you choose, you can be opted for one of three available engines such as the brand new 2.3L EcoBoost 4-cylinder turbo engine, a 3.7 V6 engine, and the top-spec 5.0L V8 engine for the flagship GT model.

While a turbocharged engine maybe a sacrilege for Mustang purists but this is the first ever turbocharged engine since the Mustang SVO of 1985, Ford says that this brand new 2.3L EcoBoost engine develops more power than the V6 variant and it has best-in-class fuel economy of 25 combined MPG. It produces 310HP of power and 320lb-ft of torque when it comes to performance figures. That sounds great but there is one major problem about the Mustang EcoBoost and that's the noise because it has revealed that it uses a system that triggers a synthesised version of the exhaust note through the stereo.

That sounds cheating but there's a bigger problem about this system; this synthesised version of the exhaust note will be gone if the factory-equipped audio has been removed so there's a word of warning though that if you're planning to replace its radio, you're going to lose its fakey exhaust note so exercise extreme caution. So, who would want that kind of Mustang that you can't replace its factory-equipped radio? My best bet would be nobody because speedo boys don't like that kind of thing much like what happened to the latest BMW M cars when they have turbo engines at the cost of exhaust notes.

It seems odd that why there are some modern-day turbocharged production cars doesn't want to sound like a speedo boy's Honda because there's one thing: NO CAR SHOULD EVER SOUND LIKE RICE. That's the reason. They'll do it on their own and that sounds a lot harsh than your Auntie visiting your home and telling your grandparents some bad news.

Anyway, I'm not mind getting one and my choice is the flagship GT version. The 5.0L V8 engine Mustang fans love has been given more power so now, it produces 435HP of power and 400lb-ft of torque. Such added power is done by its bigger intake and exhaust valves and new camshafts with increased lift. Fuel economy maybe a 19MPG combined but meh. This is the one to have if you're a Mustang aficionado and for the hell of it, that noise takes me back.

For the first time in Mustang history, Ford has finally freed from their fear of adding sophisticated suspension to the iconic pony car and now, this Mustang comes with the first ever fully-independent rear suspension and new double-ball-joint front suspension. While Ford says it has less body roll and improved pitch control during hard acceleration and hard braking, driving the Ford Mustang is like memorizing a tongue twister. If the tongue twister gets more slippery, the Ford Mustang shows off its dynamic side and even with the added sophistication that you get from its European foes, it still feels more Americanized and if you get twisty, it's difficult to go back to its normal state unless you're a skilled driver.

No matter which engine I'm choosing as well as the body style, I strongly believe that this new Mustang is now ready to take on the world, be it in Asia, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, or in the Americas. Yes. This car is now ready for its world stage and looks like it will have a cult following in countries that doesn't know the Mustang story yet. It's great for rookies and experts alike and if you want to be part of the Mustang community, there's no better opportunity to do it. Praise the driving gods because this pony car's going global!

Photo: Ford Motor Company

Forza Horizon 2: The Last Barn Find!

Horizon intellectuals told that the final barn find is located at the heart of Southern Europe and what heart of Southern Europe I was talking about? Nope. You're wrong because the heart of Southern Europe and everything in Forza Horizon 2 is the Horizon Festival of course!

Upon my investigation, my witness instincts told me that the final barn find in the game is located less than two miles to the Festival, depending on your navigational skills, and this final barn find is none other than the mythical Lamborghini Miura, the car that gave birth to the supercar craze.

This is it! The last barn find and I'm on my way to complete my barn find collections in FH2! Isn't it awesome! I've finally got ten out of ten barn finds scattered all over the Southern European landscape! It sure is one heck of a ride out there.

There's no need to tell me what in the world is the Lamborghini Miura because this is the mythical sportscar from Lamborghini first introduced the supercar trend. It's styled by the now-bankrupt Bertone and it's powered by a 4.0L V12 engine mounted sideways to keep it compact just like a Mini. When production ended in 1972, over 760 units were made and such numbers is what you called "exclusive".

With the final barn find unearthed and now in my hands, I decided to drive this one for a road trip back to where it all started: Castelletto! Remember, in a road trip, you have a lot of decisions; follow the path from your GPS or take chances by yourself. Since I'm more of a risk-taker in FH2, I decided to take my chances as I cross my way to Castelletto.




Now that we arrived back to where it all started, our journey to the Horizon Finale continues.

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

Welcome back. Here is your current sitrep:

- Typhoon Ruby (Hagupit) continues to strengthen as it continued to track the Eastern Samar-Northern Samar area as of today. It packs maximum sustained winds of 215kph near the center and gusts of over 250kph. So far, eleven areas are under Signal No.2 such as Sorsogon, Ticao Island, Masbate, Northern Samar, Eastern Samar, Samar, Biliran, Leyte, Southern Leyte, Northern Cebu, Bantayan Island, and Camotes Island.

Track of Typhoon RUBY (HAGUPIT)

- The Commission on Elections or COMELEC rejected the petition of several groups seeking to blacklist election technology provider Smartmatic from joining the public bidding for the 2016 election systems.

- Some college in Florida used strippers as admissions officers, forged documents, and coached students to lie on financial forms as it fraudulently obtained millions of dollars in federal money, according to a federal lawsuit filed in Miami.

- Anthropologists said they've found an earliest engraving in human history on a fossilized mollusk shell about 500,000 years old, unearthed in colonial-era Indonesia.

- Polish anthropologists unearthed remains of one of over 2,500 Soviet and Italian soldiers who died in a Nazi German stalag near the city of Przemysl during World War II.

- MMDA Chairman Francis Tolentino urged the Filipino public to secretly record every traffic enforcers' movements and upload it to the official MMDA website.

- The 24th James Bond movie has been named 007: Spectre and it's showing in cinemas late 2015. In preparation for the upcoming Bond movie, Aston Martin created a car exclusively for the movie called the DB10. Its mechanism remains a mystery but this machine is part of Aston Martin's involvement in Bond movies since the DB5 in Goldfinger. They're going to produce up to ten units for this new-age Bond machine as well.

Aston Martin DB10 for 007: Spectre

- McLaren's MSO branch has been expanded into five different categories and we can expect more one-offs from the British supercar maker.

- Episode Three of Cartoon Hangover's Bee and PuppyCat web series is now streaming!

- Dutch supercar maker Spyker files for bankruptcy due to its financial woes. You may remember that Spyker once bought Swedish carmaker Saab in the past but efforts for Spyker to save Saab ended in complete failure.

TTFN!!!