After moments of speculations, it's official that the BBC announced that radio DJ, not to be confused (and no relation) with the actor of the same name, Chris Evans, is named as the new presenter of the hit motoring TV show, Top Gear.
Serving as one of the replacements of the ousted trio of Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May, who left the BBC after the scandal last March, Chris' knowledge and passion for cars as well as his personality might push the famed TV show to the top. The BBC also confirm that shooting for the new Top Gear will commence within a few weeks but in the meantime...
The extended, never-before-seen, Series 22 episode of Top Gear, featuring the ousted trio, will air on BBC Two on Sunday, June 28. The first clip will see the trio driving classic roadsters while the second clip will pit them into driving second-hand SUVs with the finale where the loser faces a much embarrassing punishment.
This is the Lotus Exige S, and it's the fastest and most powerful Lotus ever made thanks to its combination of big power and light weight that is uncanny for most British lightweights. It maybe 500lbs more than the old Exige but it has a Toyota-derived 3.5L V6 engine with added superchargers which develops 345HP of power and 295lb-ft of torque. It does 0-100kph in under four seconds and onwards to 274kph.
Back in the original Horizon, I started to fall in love with Lotus' finest masterpiece not because of its combination of power and lightness but also the agility and the precision it delivers if the setting's left untouched, probably, and it's the same story goes when I drove it on FM5 where all of its goodness starting to come unraveled in most parts of the world. In the world of FH2, it's starting to feel at home when I take it round the parts of the Southern Europe. It's like if love moves in mysterious ways and oh! Speaking of "mysterious", looks like the Exige deserves a special treatment I came up with...
Now here's the little scamp that I came up with and because I'm still in the process of celebrating THE iDOLM@STER's 10th birthday, the theme for my Exige S in FH2 I made is...yes, you've guessed it, Takane Shijou. It's a bit of a "Secret, Secret, I have a secret" thing but trust me, this theme deserves to be persevered because even though she's more of an arrogance and her mysteriousness really keeps you guessing like a nude Irene Adler appeared, you're most likely to spend some time with her until you're fully seduced by her witty charms.
That's why I chose this for my special treatment because this car moves in unpredictable patterns but only when left untouched. On its own, the Exige S is a wonderful car to drive full stop but because it fell onto the category dominated by cars whose power-to-weight ratios eclipsed the almighty Bugatti Veyron, the Exige finds it to be difficult to stick through its opposition and when I improved this car around to Ariel Atom territory, it feels more sensitive when it faces to corner. As a rule, you would never want to max out this car to compete with ultra-light machines because while it's fast on the straights, cornering it can be very nightmarish, and I shall demonstrate it with a championship I've booked for this car.
See? I told you it's much difficult to drive the Exige when maxed out to Ariel Atom levels but still, I've managed to survive all the way to victory. Looks like I won't be doing that again after all this but driving this Exige never made me so thrilling because I had fun driving a Lotus that combines big power and light weight into one unique package and the way it moves is unpredictable. Yes, it's as unpredictable as the design I made for the Exige.
Last year, the BMW 1-Series Coupe has been replaced and renamed as the 2-Series Coupe following BMW's new naming structure where all saloons bear odd numbers while two doors bear even numbers but despite that, the 2-Series name, which is reserved for use with the 1-Series' 2-door equivalent, has been used for their minivans in the case of the front-wheel drive Active Tourer, which caused mayhem for Bimmer fans too many. Anyway, there's now a convertible version of the coupe version of the 1-Series, which is great on your weekend getaway but is it any good?
Under the bonnet lies the same choices from the hardtop equivalent such as the 136PS 1.5L engine from the 218i, 2.0L turbodiesel engine for the 220d, up to the top-of-the-line M235i whose 3.0L turbo engine develops 326PS of power. That's about the same as its hardtop and its M135i hatchback equivalent but even though it delivers the same stuff from its cousins, the cabriolet version is a hundred kilos heavier than its hardtop equivalent so, in the range-topping M235i model, it can do 0-100kph in 5.2 seconds (0.2 slower) and top speed normally limited to 250kph.
So, the cabrio may not be as fast as its hardtop equivalent but how about the way it moves? Well, despite the added weight, the cabriolet model behaves like the hardtop model. If you're in ordinary models, it feels good enough to cruise your brows all the way while in the range-topping M235i model, you can still enjoy the same thrill you'd expect from the hardtop equivalent. It may be as bland as a supermarket hotdog but it still has some taste that you can't get enough of or for better, you might expect some guilty pleasures not by driving in one of those but also by arriving in one of those. Hmmm...
As for value, this car is most likely to be passed out by some because the 2-Series Cabrio model is priced at 32,200 Euros, which is almost five grand more than its hardtop equivalent or a grand more than its chief rival, the Audi A3 Cabriolet, but you should know that the non-quattro models of the A3 Cabriolet are not as engaging to drive as the 2-Series Cabriolet so despite the one-grand-price gap between the 2-Series Cabriolet and the A3 Cabriolet, it's more fun to own than the Audi.
- The top Islamist who staged an attack on an Algerian gas plant in 2013, named Mokhtar Belmokthar (a former senior figure in al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb), has been killed in a US air strike according to officials. He and the other militants were killed in the eastern city of Ajdabiya, Libya, but there have been false reports of his death in the past. The Pentagon continues to analyzing his situation for now...
- A top commander from the National Liberation Army (ELN), Colombia's second largest guerrilla group, has been killed according to the Colombian army. The name is Jose Amin Hernandez Manrique, known as Marquitos, and he was killed in the north-western province of Antioquia.
- The death toll from MERS in South Korea has been risen to 16. So far, there has been 150 cases reported overall.
- North Koreatest fired three short-range missiles from a position near Wonsan on the nation's eastern coast.
- Technology provider Smartmaticappealed its disqualification by COMELEC from the public bidding for the lease of 23,000 optical mark reader machines to be used in next year's elections.
- In Game 5 of the NBA Finals, Golden State Warriors are in the lead by 3-2 after the score of 104-91 against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
- To celebrate the upcoming launch of Halo 5: Guardians on XBOX One this late 2015, Ford teamed up with Galpin Auto Sports, Microsoft, and developer 343 Industries to create an F-150 Sandcat truck themed after the Sandcat battle truck on the upcoming installment of the hit video game franchise. It will be displayed at E3 2015.
Ford F-150 Sandcat
- Renaultunveiled the Alpine Celebration Concept during the 2015 24 Hours of Le Mans competition and this concept car previews the revival of the legendary Alpine brand that was started by the legendary A110 berlinette.
Renault Alpine Celebration Concept
- "The demon born from the round table". The F-15C Cipher and the F-15C Pixy from the video game Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War spawned themselves limited edition model kits courtesy from Hasegawa Hobby Kits. Priced at 3,000 Yen plus tax, hobbyists can take home and build their own "Demon Lord" as well as Galm 2 "Pixy" and recreate their Belkan War moments. The F-15C Cipher arrives at stores on the 23rd of June while the F-15C Pixy arrives on the 7th of July. "Yo, Buddy. You still alive?"
This year's 24 Hours of Le Mans have seen numerous twists, before, during, and after the race because this year sees the appearance of the world's first front-wheel drive LMP1 prototype, the Nissan GT-R LM NISMO, but sadly, all three GT-R LM NISMO racing machines faced numerous setbacks, proving that Le Mans is not welcomed to front-wheel drive machines. Another twist in this year's Le Mans is that Audi's reign as the king of Le Mans is well and truly over as Porsche's improved 919 Hybrid, specifically the #19 919 Hybrid, snagged Audi's crown and helmed as the winner of this year's Le Mans.
When Ferrari created the F12berlinetta, the Italian carmaker wanted to make a sportscar that can match against the likes of the Lamborghini Aventador as well as the Aston Martin Vanquish but in reality, it wasn't made to be a hypercar but rather a powerful grand tourer that incorporates Ferrari's know-how in the realm of motorsports. Sure, it lapped round the Fiorano test track faster than the Enzo but this is in a totally different league.
The F12berlinetta was born to be a purebred race machine with its throaty 6.3L V12 engine which excites most car enthusiasts worldwide. It is a product of Ferrari's passion for motorsports and it's one way of saying "we're the stars of Italy's sportscar realm and Lamborghini must exit here". Well, Ferrari worked so hard to improve their reputation and no matter how many times Lamborghini trying to outpower Ferrari with new and exciting machines that can defect even the most of Ferrari's followers, this carmaker learns how to fight back and for the F12, it knows how to kick back from its opposition.
When I drove this one in the original Horizon, I am already having a great time driving the F12berlinetta despite its handling characteristics that kicked me back like a bottle of Red Horse Beer. Here, in the world of Forza Horizon 2, it's the same story all over, only this time, a little reminiscent of its predecessor that is going to kill me with its car kung fu. Despite its character, the F12berlinetta is a fun car to drive and even novices can unleash its hidden potential from its Italian flair. Even though this is a serious car, this car promises the driver to kick back against his or her opposition as they're trying to reach their goals.
The thing is though, driving the F12 can be a lot of fun if you use your imagination...
What we have here is an F12 that is themed after one of our favorite buttkickers in the world of iDOLM@STER, Makoto Kikuchi, and the reason why I'd picked her for the design that I'd made because upon driving the F12, I'm getting the "kicking" experience while unleashing its power during races and while this is essentially a raw grand tourer that can kick through any rivals it see fit, it will take time for the driver to calm itself down before getting through corners. Its tough personality really reminded me of her's and every time I remember her...I gone into bedwetting mode in my sleep. Ha ha ha...
Anyway, to see how much "fight back" the F12 is, I booked this car for a championship somewhere over San Giovanni, and with some major improvements to make it competitive, the F12's starting to come alive.
Well, that was quite a messy progress but I managed to survive while driving the F12 without getting my pants wet when this car kicks me through. Better still, it was quite an accomplishment that with the F12, Ferrari knows how to fight back.
As I find out, even with the F12 making quite an accomplishment, it signals the end of the traditional V12 powerplant because in the future, all V12 Ferraris will be hybrids, just like the powerful LaFerrari, and while this announcement shocked the world, I am very glad that I made the so-called "last of the V12s" happy. I've finished my run and as the car ticked itself, I knew that its work is done.
The finale of Disney's hit TV cartoon show, Phineas and Ferb, titled Last Day of Summer, did ended the best cartoon show with a spectacular thriller that has been one heck of an adventure for Phineas, Ferb, and the gang, as well as Perry (Agent P) and Doof.
I don't want to tell what's what, but all I can say to everyone who witnessed the finale is...I've never felt so happy upon watching the finale. Yes, I may be sad to have my ever-favorite Disney show end, but I'm very happy that the ending is worth remembering.
This epic finale to a great show deserves a toast for spoons, oranges, or capri pants (what your mom's wearing now). When I said toast, I mean cheers. Yes. We deserve a big cheers for a great finale.
I just wanna say thanks for your wonderful adventures since your rollercoaster and please stay to our hearts and minds forever!
The Jurassic Park films are all about survival against dinosaurs on a much larger scale and the first three films captured our imagination over our obsession over the primeval monsters that were once wiped out from history but became part of the pop culture geekdom. After years of waiting, a new Jurassic Park film has arrived and this time, it's the biggest since the last three films. Welcome to Jurassic World.
The world of Jurassic World is a theme park where thousands of people attended for some sight-seeing with the dinosaurs as well as other recreational stuff. When the park featured a new attraction, the spectators were surprised but when the new attraction becomes a dangerous thing, mayhem ensues, and only a brave group of individuals must survive this primeval mayhem on a large-scale.
With Steven Spielberg returned as the executive producer of this film, the biggest, long-awaited, installment promises to be the most thrilling film in the summer because Jurassic World blows their minds away with its plethora of primeval thrills that will leave moviegoers, even the whole family, jump out of their seats right until the moment the T-rex roars in a spectacular fashion, just like what you expect from the past films.
This movie feels like everything else but there are some drawbacks. First of all, it's the casting because while dinosaurs became the spotlight of Jurassic World, the human characters feel a bit too shoddy, they just can't make a name on this film. Also, this movie is just nothing but a product placement for a luxury car maker known as Mercedes-Benz. In the past, you saw a Jeep Wrangler (not an MB but from a time when Mercedes' parent company, Daimler, used to be called Daimler-Chrysler) in the first film while in The Lost World, you saw a first-gen MB M-Class. Now on this film, you'll find the offroad-conquering G63 AMG 6x6 making a name for itself on the film. What is this? You'll expect petrolheads to salivate an offroader appeared on the film?!
Anyway, despite its faults, Jurassic World is still a great film to watch and when it comes to find a film that delivers the biggest thrill this summer, look no further because this is truly one of the best films you'll watch this summer.
- Days after hackers accessed personal info from US federal government employees, it appears that they've accessed sensitive data on US intelligence and military personnel, according to American officials. Details of a major hack emerged last week but officials have now given details of a potential cyberattack.
- Shares on European stock markets have fallen despite reports that senior EU officials discussed a possible default in Greecefor the first time,
- The US House of Representatives blocked the passage of the so-called fast-track trade bill. If this had passed, it would have given US President Barack Obama greater authority in negotiating the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade pact.
- 13 senators signed a resolution declaring the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreementbetween the Philippines and the USA as invalid. Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago, responsible for this resolution, said that the validity of EDCA should be ratified by the senate.
- Ford announced their return to Le Mans next year with their new Ford GTracer.
- German tuner Brabus spices up the Mercedes-Maybach S-Class flagship with some added power from their 6.3L V12 engine developing 900HP of power, 1500Nm of torque, and over 350kph of top speed.
- Actress Toni Gonzaga and Paul Soriano get married and celebrating their eight year anniversary as a couple.
After years of waiting, German's finest sportscar maker, Porsche, is back in the world of Forza thanks to the Porsche Expansion pack in Forza Horizon 2. This pack is the result of an agreement between Porsche, EA, and Microsoft to provide XBOX One players an unprecedented Porsche experience unlike any other and it's not just FH2, it's also the upcoming Forza Motorsport 6 as well, so Porsche fans, rejoice.
The first Porsche I'll try in the Porsche Expansion pack is this, the 991-spec Porsche 911, or to be more precise; the 911 Turbo S, the powerful version of the 991-spec 911. The Turbo is what happens when you have big power in a 3.8L flat-six engine mounted in the wrong side of the car. Truth be told, the latest version is the fastest 911 ever made, but is it the best Porsche you'll ever try in this extension?
First and foremost, the 911 Turbo S's 3.8L flat-6 engine, which is mounted at the back of the car, produces 552bhp of power and 516lb-ft of torque. Because of is low center of gravity, 4WD powertrain, and its 7-speed PDK, this car does 0-100kph in 2.9 seconds and a top speed of 318kph, so on paper, this car is faster than almost everyone. Can't believe that even the most powerful version of the Nissan GT-R, which produced more than this, has lost to this. Ha ha ha...
The 911 Turbo S may have the firepower to blitz through any sportscar in the straights but when it comes to handling this car, it feels very mild to get it through the corners and I can blame its electric power steering and its 4WD powertrain which resulted to be a grip-worthy machine that feels like it's not in the mood to oversteer even with the traction control off. You can't compare this to the GT3 because while the GT3 is focused more on handling terms, the Turbo feels as sensitive as a big breasted 20-year-old woman trying to do things at her own pace but despite that, the 911 Turbo S has some quality you can trust. It may have some spartan driving manners but it takes time to uncover its hidden potential.
You know what, my brain just hatched an idea. Remember what I said that the 911 Turbo feels as sensitive as a big breasted 20-year-old woman trying to do things at her own pace? Guess what? I just cooked up a little something for the 911 Turbo S.
This is more like it! What I have here is a 911 Turbo S that I've just themed after that big breasted 20-year-old woman trying to do things at her own pace. In short, Azusa Miura from THE IDOLM@STER. Don't ask why but this is just part of celebrating THE IDOLM@STER's 10th birthday this year.
If I was her producer, I would try protect her and keep her happy, but because of her ditzy nature, taking care of her can be a ridiculous experience. Whatever, since we have the car, the theme, and the championship signed up for this car, this will be like Azusa Miura in her wedding gown, only this time, she was getting chased by people she encountered on the streets. That's right, time to dive into the fireworks! Wait, did I said fireworks? Oh dear...
Road Trip:
Race highlights:
Well, even with some improvements, I still can't manage to handle the 911 Turbo S at its own pace but in the end, the 911 Turbo S feels as fresh as Azusa's wedding gown wrapped with flower petals when she ran through a bouquet of flowers. Guess I made her happy but...
...but even though the 911 Turbo S is the quickest 911 you can drive, it's sad to say that this is not one of the best Porsches you can try in this expansion. There are any other Porsches you can try in this expansion but if you're interested with the 991, you're more than welcome to drive it. You're more than welcome to find the Azusa Miura-themed 911 Turbo S that I made.
- Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbotthas defended the use of "incredibly creative" approaches to prevent asylum boats from entering the nation but he refused to comment on reports than an Australian navy ship paid the crew of one vessel with 65 people on board to return to Indonesia.
- The United States spends over nine million dollars per day against the Islamic State and has poured 2.7 billion dollars into the bombing campaign since the start. The US-led coalition carried out over 4,100 air strikes in Iraq and Syria.
- An ethnic minority militant group in Myanmar known as the Kokangs has declared a ceasefire in its combat against government forces following the apparent request from China.
- Four more cases of MERS has been reported in South Korea, bringing the count to 126.
- Senators Tito Sotto and JV Ejercito, two allies of Philippine Vice President Jejomar Binay, said they will support Senator Grace Poe-Llamanzares if she runs for either presidency or vice-presidency in next year's elections, making it more complicated for the opposition standard bearer.
- Today marks the celebration of Philippine Independence and PH leader Benigno Aquino III praises DILG secretary Mar Roxas in his Independence Day speech.
- A clip from The Sunday Times newspaper sees resigned Top Gear host James May test drives the new Ferrari 488 GTB supercar in Italy.
- A year has passed since the murder of Pinoy racing driver Enzo Pastor and the folks from TG Philippines interviews Enzo's parents as they open up a year after their son's brutal death. Read the full story here.
- New Pokemon XYtoys on the radar! This month, Takara Tomy will release plush toys of legendary Pokemons Latias and Latios as well as the star of next month's Clash of Ages film, Hoopa (with two variants such as the normal one and the talking plush one)! On the MonColle figure line, the legendary Giratina (in its normal Alternate Form) is listed for 950 Yen. There's a special "Hoopa and the Clash of Ages" first set bundle where it features MonColle figures of Lugia, black Rayquaza, Arceus, Latias, Latios, and Hoopa itself. The set costs 2,500 Yen.
