Gran Turismo 6: What's Z11SN?

If you made it on Stage 3 of the annual Nissan GT Academy, you may have noticed that you are behind the wheel of a never-before seen vehicle for the first time in Gran Turismo 6 while trying to set a qualifying lap round Spa-Francorchamps. What you're looking at here is the Zytek Z11SN, specifically it's a #42 Greaves Motorsport Zytek Z11SN driven by GT Academy graduates Lucas Ordonez and Jann Mardenborough, alongside veteran racer Michael Krumm.



Used in the 2013 24 Hours of Le Mans, this Z11SN is powered by Nissan's race-spec version of the no-longer-available-in-their-Japanese-cars VK45DE 4.5L V8 engine, lifted from race-spec GT-Rs used in the Super GT500 class of the Super GT, but accommodated with a new ECU and custom intake/exhaust materials, to comply with the rules that all LMP2 class cars must have mass-produced production engines.

This #42 Greaves Motorsport Zytek Z11SN was an important milestone between Nissan and Gran Turismo because aside from racing veteran Michael Krumm, GT Academy graduates Lucas Ordonez and Jann Mardenborough were behind the wheel of this LMP2 prototype and it placed 4th place in the LMP2 category, making it the fastest out of the Zytek entries. Not bad for their results.



For a limited-time, during the course of the Nissan GT Academy 2015, you can participate Round 3 and drive at least one full timed lap to acquire this new machine in game while gunning for a lap time that will take you to the final round of the Nissan GT Academy 2015 next month where you'll be driving a never-before seen vehicle and your chance to be part of the professional racing programme courtesy of Nissan.

Orphan Black Original Television Soundtrack & Original Television Score

Orphan Black Original Television Score

Orphan Black Original Television Soundtrack

Aired on BBC America since 2013, Orphan Black is a pulse-pounding sci-fi drama series revolves on the tale of Sarah Manning (played by Tatiana Maslany) as she sets on a deadly mission to uncover her origins upon witnessing the death of a woman who looks like her at a subway. This is the series that turned Tatiana Maslany from a newbie actress into one of the most fiercest females on television not just for being Sarah but also the clones such as the desperate housewife Alison Hendrix, intellectual Cosima Niehaus, the very lethal Helena, and Rachel Duncan, among many others. However, it's not just the actress who managed to pull off multiple roles at the same time, it's the explosive storyline that delivers an estranged cast of characters, the most suspense, the most thrills, the most plot twists, and the most fans who called themselves the Clone Club. Everyone's got in the edge of their seats upon watching the hit TV series, knowing what's next for Sarah and the other surviving Project Leda sestras.

For the first time, two soundtracks from the hit BBC America TV series have arrived. First, there's the Original Television Soundtrack which features the Orphan Black theme tune by Two Fingers as well as the compilation of songs as heard from the series. Second, there's the Original Television Score featuring the background musics from the TV show made possible by Trevor Yuile himself.

These two soundtracks from Orphan Black will get you through like piercing Rachel's left eye with a pencil or torturing Donnie with a glue gun so enjoy your oophorectomy...no wait...I mean, enjoy your easy listening because "you're damn right" about enjoying these two soundtracks from the show. Get it? You're damn right.

Orphan Black airs on BBC America. Check local listings.

TRACK LISTING (Soundtrack):

1. Theme From Orphan Black – Two Fingers (0:36)
2. Rain Of Gold – Young Empires (3:16)
3. It Ain’t You – The Ettes (2:23)
4. Earthforms – Matthew Dear (3:33)
5. Mon Ton Ton – Humans (4:38)
6. Shuggie – Foxygen (3:21)
7. Bitch – Merideth Brooks (4:13)
8. Blame Fiction – The Belle Game (3:51)
9. Live In The Bedroom – Tim Moxam (4:53)
10. Head Over Heels – Tears For Fears (4:15)
11. Crazy – Diana Salvatore (3:14)
12. When I Was Abroad – Daniel Romano (2:16)
13. West End Sky – Elliott Brood (2:39)
14. Love Is All Around – The Troggs (3:01)

TRACK LISTING (Score):

1. Orphan Black Theme – Two Fingers (0:38)
2. Previously On (1:07)
3. Kira’s Cue (1:47)
4. We Meet Helena (1:48)
5. Organic Eggs (2:32)
6. Duncan’s Demise (2:00)
7. Unconditional Surrender (2:07)
8. Kira & Intervention (3:06)
9. They’re Killing Us (1:42)
10. An Honour (2:55)
11. Cosima’s Treatment (1:45)
12. Alison Kills (3:20)
13. Marriage of Helena (2:14)
14. I Killed Ainsley (0:49)
15. Seqeunce of Events (1:32)
16. Cosima’s Dying (0:57)
17. Farewell Thomas (1:17)
18. Rachael Meets Duncan (1:31)
19. Maggie Chen Crime Re-enact (3:58)
20. Rachael’s Home Videos (1:40)
21. Endless Forms Most Beautiful (7:19)

Doctor Who Series 8 Original Television Soundtrack

The eighth series of BBC's phenomenal TV show, Doctor Who, sees the maiden voyage of Peter Capaldi as the 12th Doctor alongside Jenna Coleman reprising her companion role as Clara Oswald and over the course of the eighth series, which aired late last year, we seen them taking on a bigger threat at Victorian London, encountered a Dalek with a different personality, teaming up with Robin Hood, delving deeper on Danny Pink's past and future selves, staging a robbery at the Bank of Karabraxos, saving Coal Hill from the Skovox Blitzer robots, uncover the monster lurking in the moon, stopping the mummy from terrorizing the futuristic Orient Express, solving the mystery behind the walls, going through the London wilderness, and it all ends with a face-off against an army of Cybermen and a mysterious woman named Missy, who is revealed to be none other than The Doctor's arch nemesis, The Master. Oh, and there was last year's Christmas special where The Doctor and Clara had a fateful encounter with Father Christmas himself.

The eighth season really is a brilliant start for the 12th and so is the music prepped for the whole series. Now, you can finally listen to Series 8 background musics whenever you like with the original soundtrack where most of the music was crafted by the BAFTA-winning Murray Gold himself and performed by the ever-talented BBC National Orchestra of Wales. This three-disc compilation is a must have for every Whovians who witnessed the 12th Doctor's maiden voyage from saving Victorian London to his encounter with Santa Claus.

You have everything you need so, as what the Twelve says, shut up. Buy this OST anytime you want.

For UK customers: https://silvascreenmusic.greedbag.com/buy/doctor-who-series-8-original-tel-0/

Let's Do The News! (May 19, 2015)

- The trial over the negligence charges of sacked Thai PM Yingluck Shinawatra has begun and during the brief hearing, she has pleaded not guilty on her charges but if found guilty, she will face over 10 years of imprisonment.

- Onto the Greek debt crisis, the nation's finance minister Yanis Varoufakis said that the debt deal with the nation's international creditors is due next week. Greece's bankruptcy is imminent and they are due to make a payment of 1.5 billion euros to the International Monetary Fund on the 5th of June.

- US Secretary of State John Kerry mulls that the US and China are discussing the imminence of further sanctions against North Korea.

- The Japanese government wants the US to explain what caused the US Marines' MV-22 Osprey aircraft to crash-land in Hawaii on Sunday. The accident killed one person and wounded 21 others.

- Continuing on the investigation on the burnt slipper factory in Valenzuela, the city's government issued a provisional business permit to Kentex Manufacturing Corp, despite lacking the fire permit from the Bureau of Fire Protection. Last May 13, 72 people died when the factory burned down by accident.

- Veteran actor Robert De Niro revealed that he and his partners from Nobu Hospitality are planning to open the Nobu Resort in Manila in the near future. He was in Manila during the inauguration of the Nobu Hotel in City of Dreams Manila yesterday.

- The Lamborghini Aventador LP750-4 SV lapped round the Nurburgring at 6:59.73, making it the only Lamborghini that can break through the seven-minute barrier round the Green Hell.

- Subaru announces a hybrid version of the Impreza Sport hatchback which is powered by a 2.0-liter SUBARU BOXER engine, coupled with a hybrid electric drive system. It's set to go on sale this Summer 2015.

2016 Subaru Impreza Sport Hybrid

- Uzuki Shimamura from THE iDOLM@STER CINDERELLA GIRLS gets her very own Nendoroid courtesy of Good Smile Company! She's set to go on sale this September for 3,900 Yen.

Nendoroid Uzuki Shimamura

- DID YOU KNOW? There's going to be a spin-off from the Disney Channel TV show Jessie coming soon and it's called BUNKD.

TTFN!!!

Let's Do The News! (May 18, 2015)

- Shia militias backed by Iran are going to recapture the city of Ramadi, which was taken over by the Islamic State terrorists on Sunday. About 500 people were killed when the Iraqi military left their posts in the city, 70 miles west of Baghdad.

- Nine people are reportedly killed and at least 100 arrested after a shootout between rival biker gags in Texas. The carnage occurred at the Twin Peaks Sports Bar and Grill in a shopping area called the Central Texas Market Place.

- An MV-22 Osprey aircraft from the US Marines crash-landed in Hawaii, killing one person and injuring 21. According to the Marines, 22 personnel are aboard the aircraft when the accident occurred.

- The ancient ruins of Palmyra, a UNESCO World Heritage site in Central Syria, is in danger as ISIS militants have seized part of the city at one point.

- Japanese figure skater, Mao Asada, announced her return to the figure skating competition after her one-year break.

- Philippine President Benigno Aquino III met up with the House of Representatives twice over the weekend to ensure the passage of the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law as the chamber's ad-hoc committee votes today on a revised version that retained or reworded several key provisions that were unconstitutional.

- The all-new, sixth-generation, Chevrolet Camaro, has been unveiled and it features new improvements over the previous model and three new engine configurations; a newly-developed 2.0L turbo, a 3.6L V6 engine derived from the upcoming Cadillac CT6, and a 6.2L LT1 V8 engine from the C7 Corvette.

2016 Chevrolet Camaro

- The #28 Audi Sport Team R8 LMS driven by Christopher Mies, Nico Müller, Edward Sandström and Laurens Vanthoor is the winner of the recently-ended 2015 Nurburgring 24-hour endurance race, leaving the #25 BMW Team Marc VDS Z4 GT3 placed 2nd and the #44 Falken Porsche 911 GT3-R placed 3rd. These podium finishers were at the top-rank SP9 class. This is the third time Audi emerged as the winner of the Nurburgring endurance race.

- The female idols from The iDOLM@STER had their fun. Now, it's the boys' turn to sizzle the center stage as there will be a first live concert to commemorate the first year of service on THE iDOLM@STER SideM mobile game. The concert is titled "THE IDOLM@STER SideM 1st STAGE ～ST@RTING!～" and it will be held at the Maihama Amplitheater this December 6, 2015. The concert features the boys from Jupiter, DRAMATIC STARS, Beit, and High x Joker.

- For the 2017 season, all Formula One cars will be faster and have mid-race refuelling back on the strategy as well as loud engines, just to bring back the spark to the fans.

TTFN!!!

Driving Music (What is the name of the song on car commercial?) Vol. 68

Hi, person who's busy searching for commercial songs,

Due to a copyright claim, your search query has been blocked in some countries. This means it's time now for another round of DRIVING MUSIC, but it will be limited to my choosing.

Search query: 2015 mazda 3 commercial song
Includes: Audio content
Claimed by: the commercial itself

Why this can happen:
 - Your search query might contain copyrighted content.
 - Copyright owners can choose to block your query that contain their content.

10) Ah by Superfly - from the 2014 Honda Odyssey commercial

9) Ombra Mai Fu by Jackie Evancho - from the 2015 Honda Odyssey commercial

8) Winter song ~dancing Snowflakes Version~ by Dreams Come True - from the 2005 Honda Odyssey M Aero Edition commercial

7) It's Not Unusual by Tom Jones - from a 2001 Honda Odyssey commercial

6) Alphen (Beach Groove Mix) by Nausicaa - from the 2005 Hyundai Verna commercial

5) Niji by RIP SLYME - from the 2003 Toyota Ipsum commercial

4) The Big Country Main Theme by The Philharmonia Orchestra - from the Toyota TOYOTOWN "Mr. Hybrid Harrier" commercial

3) Sky Symphony - from the Toyota Curren commercial

2) 5 Years Time by Noah and the Whale - from the VW USA Golf Sportwagen Commercial

1) Abdelazer Suite・Rondo - from the 2014 Daihatsu Move 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.

VW Golf Alltrack, GTD Variant, and R Variant

The latest-generation Golf Variant maybe more of a new Golf with some added luggage space big enough for your thrift shop hauls that can't stop you from hoarding some more but if you think the normal Variant's not your taste, there are so many Golf Variants to choose from but which one suits you?

2015 VW Golf Alltrack

Well, not exactly one of these. Yes, this is the Golf Alltrack and what this is is a Golf Variant with some added ground clearance and some tough cladding to think this is as tough as...your dad's harsh mouth when he talks you back.

This is like a normal Golf Variant, you get the same Golf interior, the same Golf looks, the similar cargo space from the Golf Variant, and the choice of engines. There's a 1.6 TDi engine produces 110PS of power, and a 2.0 TDi engine with two configurations with the latter producing a more powerful 184PS of power output. 

While the Golf Alltrack, like any other hatchback-based crossovers built only for city use, has front-wheel drive standard, some models (especially more powerful ones) come with a nifty four-wheel drive layout and a 6-speed double clutch gearbox which shifts faster than normal manual gearboxes but can be somewhat complicated for the joyous ones.

The idea of having a Golf Alltrack is because you wanted a so-called sport utility vehicle but you can't afford either a Touareg or a Tiguan or the upcoming Passat Alltrack, which is just like the Golf's only a little bigger, and thanks to its 30,200 Euros starting price, you can really afford one than any of those VW sport utilities. However, because it's available with a diesel-only lineup, there's no sense of fun while driving one or is it?

2015 VW Golf GTD Variant

This is also a diesel-powered Golf Variant but this is the Golf GTD Variant, the big-booted version of the Golf GTD, which is known as the GTi's diesel cousin. Now, if you were sitting here and asking why VW didn't made a GTi version of the Golf Variant and there's a really good reason for this one. Although the Golf GTi has always been the king of front-wheel drive cars, VW doesn't have the time to spawn a Variant version of the GTi but instead use its diesel cousin to spawn why? Could this be another one of their automotive conspiracies? Oh well, but still the GTD Variant comes with the same 184PS TDi engine from the normal GTD hatch and can be mated with either a 6-speed manual or a double-clutch gearbox.

The GTD Variant, like its hatchback equivalent, balances performance and fuel efficiency in a not-so-difficult matter, It can do 0-100kph in 7.9 seconds and a top speed of 231kph, so this is a fast diesel-powered wagon for a stop. Handling wise, the GTD Variant is more fun to drive than the Alltrack thanks to its XDS+ E-diff lock, ESC Sport function which makes the car more sharper in the bends, and progressive steering which makes steering a lot more easier than normal Golf Variants. Oh and before you can spout a word, yes, it still roomier inside boot space remains as usual for a Golf Variant.

 

Price? You can have one for 31,975 Euros and while this is almost 2,000 Euros more than the Alltrack, this hot station wagon is just the right car for the job because it can be convenient to drive on the day-to-day basis, it can be fun in the open roads, and overall, it's better or is it?

2015 VW Golf R Variant

This is the most powerful station wagon in the VW range and this is the Golf Variant that can really blow almost every Golf Variant in the range. It's called the Golf R Variant and this station wagon is made with only one purpose in mind; POWERRRRRRR....

It's got a 2.0L TSi engine that produces 300PS of power, it's got a 7-speed double-clutch gearbox, and it's got four-wheel drive. These performance figures transformed the R Variant from a normal, soccer-mom friendly station wagon, into a super wagon that likes to lick the apex and because of being a new Golf, we are becoming extremely jealous because...how come we don't ride the latest versions even though the lucky ones just had?

It's not about the expensive 42,925 Euro pricing but it's because of the fun factor that we're somewhat lacking due to market reasons, mostly Americans. When VW launched this one at the LA Auto Show last year, the Americans thought they want to have one but sadly, VW pointed out that this one's not for sale. What just happened? Why would they launch a car in the location that is not made to be sold in the first place? That's another conspiracy but hey, since this is a German car built in Germany, it sure knows how to speak German in terms of its character. It maybe prone to understeering but it feels so accessible in the corners and it really gets you through like sipping a bottle of Red Horse Beer upside down.

So, there you are. These three utterly different versions of the Golf Variant maybe feel different but they really are the same cars. The Alltrack maybe focused to be a cheaper alternative to VW's list of crossovers while the GTD Variant balances performance and efficiency at the same time and the R is all about performance in different angles. If you have to choose between these three, which one?

Photo: Volkswagen AG