Sunday, June 28, 2015

AutoExe creates aero parts for new Roadster ND

ND-05 by AutoExe


The new Mazda Roadster ND is a great and affordable sports car you can start with but for some owners, they like to make it more stylish to please the street crowds. To address such situation, AutoExe, makers of finest aerokits for Mazda models, introduced the ND-05 customization kit for the new Roadster ND.

The Styling kit for the ND-05 customization features a new front spoiler (priced at 45,000 Yen), rear wing (priced at 74,000 Yen), and a rear under panel (priced at 31,000 Yen). For functional parts, AutoExe will provide tuning parts for the new Roadster ND such as a low-down spring, street sports suspension kit (KIJIMA-SPEC), adjustable stabilizer ring, sports stabilizer, strut tower bar, floor cross bar, member plate set, air filter replacement, center dual sports exhaust, and other parts to bring the best out of the new Roadster.

URL: http://www.autoexe.co.jp/car/nd.html

Gran Turismo 6: Goodwood 2015 and SRT Tomahawk

Goodwood Hillclimb 2015

Coinciding with this year's event, the Goodwood Hill Climb on Gran Turismo 6 has been updated for 2015 and to match this year's event, a sculpture featuring the Mazda 787B and the LM55 Vision Gran Turismo has been featured. With this year's Goodwood FoS kicked off for the weekend, looks like this will be the ideal place to showcase some of the cars appeared from numerous updates but first, let's bring our very own VIP guests...

Goodwood Hillclimb 2015_1

Well, this is one of them. This is the latest addition to the Vision Gran Turismo lineup; the SRT Tomahawk.

The Tomahawk Vision Gran Turismo is the two-decade vision of Chrysler's Street and Racing Technology division to deliver performance unlike any other. It's a single-seat MR-AWD (midship-engined all-wheel drive) created on a purpose-built composite chassis and designed around an aggressive powertrain. It's a hybrid racing machine armed with a 6.98L V10 engine and two Pneumatic Power Units; one is a Variable-Fin Quad-Stage in the front and a similar one connected to the V10 engine. This is the most powerful of the Vision GT cars because of its over-thousand HP of power output and that's not the end of the story because the Tomahawk comes with three versions;

Goodwood Hillclimb 2015_2

This is the S model which is the entry-level version and considered as a beginner-level machine suitable for those who want to get to know more about the SRT Tomahawk in the first place before getting ready for more advanced versions like the GTS-R and the X versions. Despite being an entry-level model, it still has insane power-to-weight ratio capable enough to outpace even the feistiest of the racing machines.

Goodwood Hillclimb 2015_3

Next is the GTS-R model, which is a track-focused version of the Tomahawk with increased power output, reduced weight, and increased handling grip. Because of such improvements, the driver needs to wear a special G-suit, provided as a gift after the update, to counteract the physiological effects of extreme lateral g-forces. The GTS-R's aerodynamics are enhanced with a dual-element version of the active rear wing and to avoid any high pressure buildup in the wheel wells, each of the four fenders in the car is vented.

Goodwood Hillclimb 2015_4

Lastly and notably the most extreme of all the Vision GT cars, is the Tomahawk X. With over 2,000HP of power output and the cornering force of a fighter jet, this is the ultimate vehicle for the chosen elite because its performance completely shattered the laws of physics as well as the human reflexes.

The biggest party piece of the X is the low-drag mode and when you hold down the R1 button, all of the X's panels are retracted and seal against the body. This is handy when you're going on the straights and catch them by surprise.

With the three Tomahawks introduced, I sent them to the Goodwood FoS to see which one is the quickest but a word of warning for these three is because of such inhuman performance, drivers need some precise skills and talents to master the Tomahawk trio. Whichever Tomahawk you're driving, you need to be very careful about handling with Vision GT's most powerful machines because there might be some run-offs and run-offs can be very messy and painful if you're not careful. Anyway, not time for advice-giving because I managed to set these three some lap times round the Goodwood FoS and here are the results;

Tomahawk S - 0:44.304
Tomahawk GTS-R - 0:36.074
Tomahawk X - 0:32.117

Based on these results, it's no wonder why these three are like stages of manhood. You started off as a boy, then you work your way up to become a real man. Useful bit of science there but this is no Problem Solving here, this is the appliance of science with the SRT Tomahawk. You start mastering the essentials with the S and work your way up to master the extremely difficult but highly amusing X.

Anyway, with the Tomahawk trio done their thing, it's time for the other cars to let loose and enjoy Goodwood like they never done before!

Goodwood Hillclimb 2015_5Goodwood Hillclimb 2015_6Goodwood Hillclimb 2015_7Goodwood Hillclimb 2015_8Goodwood Hillclimb 2015_8Goodwood Hillclimb 2015_10Goodwood Hillclimb 2015_11Goodwood Hillclimb 2015_12Goodwood Hillclimb 2015_13Goodwood Hillclimb 2015_14Goodwood Hillclimb 2015_15Goodwood Hillclimb 2015_16Goodwood Hillclimb 2015_17Goodwood Hillclimb 2015_18Goodwood Hillclimb 2015_19Goodwood Hillclimb 2015_20Goodwood Hillclimb 2015_21Goodwood Hillclimb 2015_22

At the end of the day, here are the lap times they've posted at my very own GT6 Goodwood Festival of Speed;

TS030 - 0:45.140
Concept 2020 - 0:48.300
DP-100 - 0:46.029
GT-R Nismo - 0:51.074
FT-1 VGT - 0:46.065
M4 M Performance - 0:54.625
VIZIV GT - 0:49.924
Chaparral 2X - 0:38.354
Infiniti Concept - 0:50.781
LM55 - 0:40.356
Clubman VGT - 0:49.157
LF-LC GT - 0:45.510
Alpine VGT - 0:47.464
Alpine VGT Race - 0:46.954
GTI Supersport - 0:45.604
Z11SN - 0:47.313
Peugeot VGT - 0:43.112
GT-R LM NISMO - 0:45.148

You know what, these lap times didn't matter here. What matters most in Goodwood is the pride of the cars themselves and it's a great way to represent a carmaker to a much greater audience for the greater good. That's why the Festival of Speed is made; not just for setting lap times but also impressing the crowd with its own visuals, vocals, and dances.

Saturday, June 27, 2015

Same-sex marriage is now legal in the US



A historical 5-4 ruling in Obergefell vs. Hodges has led the US Supreme Court officially declared that same-sex marriage is legal all 50 states. That's right. Gay marriage, which is the most important civil rights case in a generation, in the USA is now well and truly LEGAL, because those politicians who supported it pointed out that marriage equality is part of the equal protection clause of the 14th amendment.

It's not just the politicians who supported marriage equality that prompted the USA to legalize gay marriage, it's the LGBT community that rejoiced the historic decision, saying that "Love has won".

I'm amazed to see that a nation that was once referred to as the world superpower has welcomed the new age of equality as the ruling to make same-sex marriage constitutional would bring a greater good for the LGBT.

Congratulations America for making gay marriage constitutional nationwide.

#BGGayStorm

- More line-infuriating with Aling Mary!


- Basketball gags

- Expect delayed reactions from the office workers.



- Typhoons with gay names?! Good idea!

- IKAW AT ANG INA

- Spoof trailers!

- Love at first sight...sorta.

- Naming a dog after your rival may not be a good idea.

- Desiree the Binatilya takes on the bikini open!



- Tsugi or Churva questions!

  • Isang Prinsesa Nakaupo sa Tasa - Kasoy
  • Si Maria ang panganay na anak ni Jose. Jose ang ___ ng tatay ni Maria. - Pangalan

Friday, June 26, 2015

Let's Do The News! (June 26, 2015)


- The top European Union leaders have agreed to relocate tens of thousands of migrants who have arrived in Italy and Greece, part of the ongoing efforts to resolve the ongoing migrant tragedy. Summit chairman Donald Tusk said about 40,000 migrants would be relocated to other European states over the next two years but no mandatory quotas for each nation. The Greek debt crisis was also on the agenda but after talks on Thursday, Greece and its international creditors remain deadlocked.

- French interior minister Bernard Cazeneuve ordered a ban on the low-cost car-sharing service UberPOP after a day of nationwide protests by taxi drivers. He said that the service was "illegal" and ordered police and prosecutors to enforce its closure.

- The US Supreme Court has upheld a lower court ruling allowing subsidies under Obamacare to continue as it handed down the ruling that affirms the healthcare law introduced by US President Barack Obama that allows health insurance affordable for low-income people through government subsidies.

- Davao city mayor Rodrigo Duterte confirms that he's not running for president in next year's elections.

- Her Majesty Queen Maxima of Holland is scheduled to arrive at the Philippines on Monday, June 29 to July 1 in her capacity as the United Nations Secretary-General's Special Advocate for Inclusive Finance for Development.

- The monster crossover with the GT-R engine is back as the Nissan Juke-R 2.0 Concept is set to debut at this weekend's Goodwood Festival of Speed.

2015 Nissan Juke-R 2.0 Concept

- The first trailer of the upcoming documentary film titled He Named Me Malala, the story of Malala Yousafzai, the girl who stood up for education and was shot by the Taliban, is now here. Check it out and why you should be inspired by this upcoming documentary.



- A 1969 Dodge Charger replicated as the iconic General Lee from The Dukes of Hazzard series owned by actor John Schneider, who played Bo Duke from the series, is now up for auction.

TTFN!!!

Forza Horizon 2: Back to the RC

When the Lexus RCF arrived in Forza Horizon 2 via the Top Gear Car Pack, I was given the opportunity to try it out on a Monthly Rivals event just to see how this high-caliber Lexus can do for me and the result is obvious that the RCF is not Lexus' finest hour when it comes to creating a two-door super saloon that can compete with the likes of the BMW M4 and the Audi RS5. There's also another problem with the RCF and it's obvious that some people in the real world bought an RCF because, I might get a point here, they couldn't afford a Nissan GT-R or the Toyota 86 is not quick on its own right.

I'd reckon that things might change if I made the Lexus RC F a star in its own right and to find out, I signed this car on a championship targeted for Super Saloons at Sisteron and find out the RC F is still a wonderful super saloon to drive or not. But first...







Quite a rude joke, isn't it? But anyway, it's now themed after that little girl from THE IDOLM@STER series, Yayoi Takatsuki, and having one in your RCF is what you called a cost-conscious petrolhead-slash-producer.

You see, in Japan, the RCF was priced at 9.53 million Yen, which is a million yen less than the BMW M4, making it a bargain to buy for a cost-conscious petrolhead who can't afford a BMW M4.

Another reason why a cost-conscious petrolhead chose the RCF is because the 5.0L V8 engine that powers it develops more power than the BMW M4's 3.0L six-cylinder turbo engine and it's better sounding too than the artificially-tuned exhaust note of the M4 as well. Hmmm, quite a rough choice but is it cost-effective? Let's see...



Well, it's obvious that even though it has more power than the BMW M4 or the Audi RS5, it's still hard to master the RC F's unclever handling characteristics and it's difficult to keep up when its opponent is on a one-sided fight to the finish.

You need to take a lot of time to master the RC F and get things right to have the upper hand against the opposition but no matter how bad the RC F resulted, it's still part of thriving a good example of JDM passion in the world of Forza Horizon 2. It may not have the striking looks nor the European car-like precision but the RC F is all about enjoying it to the fullest. Unpleasant but it takes time to getting used to it.

Thursday, June 25, 2015

What's a leap second?



In case you REALLY, REALLY, REALLY missed it or if you were sleeping in the pancitan, there's going to be a leap second that will occur at the end of June (or the beginning of July, depending on where you're on), where an extra second will add so instead of 23:59,59 becoming 00:00:00 GMT, it's 23:59,59 becoming 23:59.60 GMT. Scary isn't it?

So, what's a leap second anyway? Little did you know that the planet Earth, as a clock, loses about 0.6 of a second every year as it fluctuates randomly. The first leap second occurred sometime in 1972 and there were about 25 leap seconds to be added to the calendar.

This little clip will sum everything up about what is a second and why leap seconds occured:



Another possible reason why Earth's losing seconds is because of the motion of the planet and according to some researchers that a powerful earthquake struck Japan in March 11, 2011 made the Earth speed up, shortening the day by just two microseconds. There's a little experiment about a man-made quake where a 50,000+ crowd asked by some presenter to jump at the same time during a certain concert. Here's a little clip that sums everything up;



Could it be that the recent quake struck Nepal months ago have shortened the day within a few microseconds? For me, I'm not so sure but some handful of geniuses have to find out for themselves but in the meantime, the leap second timetable;

Tokyo Time: 15/7/1 08:59:60
Los Angeles Time: 6/30/15 16:59:60
Manila Time: 7/1/15 07:59:60
London Time: 1/7/15 00:59.60

*Concerning London Time and Los Angeles Time, the actual start may differ from those due to "Daylight Saving Time" and "Summer Time" changes.

Renault Kadjar

2016 Renault Kadjar

This is the brand-new Renault Kadjar and although the name sounds like it came from the bits from what you often listened on Love Radio, this is Renault's idea of a active lifestyle vehicle, something you would take it on a long summer holiday, but it's more than that because the new Kadjar served as the replacement for the old, odd-looking Renault Koleos, which the the first full-fledged crossover made by Renault from scratch, and this new model surely wants to pick up where the Koleos left off.

2016 Renault Kadjar

It's basically a Nissan Q###### (sorry, some letters covered for search query reasons) underneath so you might think that the Kadjar feels like the un-Japanese Japanese crossover that some parts of the world get except for Japan and as a matter of fact, it is. Because this is the Renault-Nissan alliance we're talking about and you can expect the same engine choices as the Nissan Q-crossover (which for search query reasons, I can't mention the whole car name to you) such as the turbocharged 1.2L petrol, 1.5L diesel and the 1.6L diesel engine.

2016 Renault Kadjar interior
The design isn't half bad for an active lifestyle vehicle but you can think of the Kadjar like the oversized Captur with a hint of Japanese stuff underneath its French looks. It's not bad too look at its profile but it's not quite a looker when you drive through an urban landscape. On the inside, the Kadjar's becoming more crude to the eyes of the driver even though its seating capacity of five people and ample boot space are good because just like what happened to the new Espace, you won't be needing your CD collection anymore thanks to its new-generation Renault R-Link telematics system with USB and BlueTooth connectivity as well as some other tech. Quite a harsh reality, eh?

2016 Renault Kadjar

In the real world, the Kadjar may not be the most exciting rides you can drive on the long weekend but it's surprisingly civilized, clever, and an all-rounder. If you opt for the 1.6L diesel variant with four-wheel drive, the Kadjar behaves like what a leisure activity vehicle should, although driving one off-road is somewhat a so-so. Let's not forget that the 1.6L variant produces the same power output as the turbocharged 1.2L petrol but it has the highest torque output of all the trim models with 320Nm.

However, if efficiency is you're after, the 1.5L diesel variant is the best bet because of its combined fuel consumption of 3.8L/100km even when it comes with the iffy dual clutch gearbox like you get from the hot Renault Clio.

Price-wise, the Kadjar starts at 22,990 Euros which is somewhat a reasonably priced lifestyle activity vehicle for a start but you would need some more cash to spec it out into something likable with some tech and more oomph.

Photo: Renault

How to dress as the emotions of Inside Out

Image: Disney

We all love the latest Disney Pixar flick called Inside Out and this animated movie pull all the right emotions just like the emotions themselves. From Joy, Sadness, Anger, Disgust, and Fear, it has been one heck of an emotional rollercoaster from start to finish. Because we've enjoyed watching this animated family flick, we wonder what's like to be one of the emotions and find out how to be like them. Well, worry no more because it's time to list down the things you need to dress as your favorite emotions from Inside Out.

As Joy:

- First, your hair needs to be blue and short just like her's. If possible, shop for some short blue wigs which is essential for your Joy cosplay.

- Her outfit; she wears a lime-ish sleeveless one-piece dress. It takes luck to find a one-piece sleeveless dress similar to her's but if you shopped for one, congratulations.

- Joy doesn't wear shoes so good luck going barefoot, which is weird but this is the only way to bring out the best of your Joy cosplay.

As Sadness:

- Her hair is blue, just like Joy, but unlike Joy's, Sadness' blue hair is somewhat semi-long so it will be difficult to find a semi-long blue wig or better yet, improvise it.

- The tricky part to pull a Sadness cosplay or any other emotions that I will talk about it later is the body color. For Sadness, her body color is blue so you need is a blue body paint to cover your face and your hands.

- Sadness wears round eyeglasses but feel free to use any eyeglasses if you like.

- For the top, you need to have a white plain sweater which is similar to Sadness'. For the choice of trousers, your blue jeans straight from the closet might be your best bet.

- You can wear any shoes you like as long as the color is blue.

As Anger:

- Your head is going to be a liability for your Anger cosplay if you have hair but no matter. If you have a red body paint, you can splat it all over your head and your body. If you had hair, paint it red with a dye bought from your nearest beauty store. No worries.

- For the top, you need to wear some light red polo shirt and a necktie. You can use any necktie you want as long as their as reddish as Anger's. For the trousers, find something that is dark red.

- You can wear any kind of leather shoes as you like as long as their dark in color.

As Disgust:

- Ladies, the first step to dress as Disgust is her hairstyle and because Disgust's all green, the first thing you'll need is a green wig. Any size will do as long the color matches Disgust's.

- Yes, a green body paint really is a disgusting choice but if you want to be Disgust, there's no other way to do it. You need to have your entire body covered in green in order to bring out the best of your Disgust cosplay.

- Disgust's fashion style involves a fuschia-colored scarf to wrap on your neck, a green one-piece dress, a green waist belt to match your dress, some green trousers, and some purplish shoes. Have these in your shopping list, ladies.

As Fear:

- Like the Anger cosplay I've mentioned, the head is the tricky part for the Fear cosplay and so is the body paint because it's difficult to find a body paint that is purplish. If you can mix both the red and blue body paints, you can improvise your very own purple body paint, which is exactly what you need to paint some parts of your body purple. If you have hair, which is somewhat a problem, don't worry. Color it purple!

- Fear's outfit is somewhat intellectual ranging from a long-sleeved purple polo shirt, a black and white vest, a red bowtie, a dark purple trousers, and some dark leather shoes. Be sure to shop for one of these items if you need to dress as Fear.

And there you have it. As long as you dressed as your favorite Inside Out emotions, the key point you should need to do when it comes to dress as your favorite emotions; act according to their emotions! 

That's all. Dismissed.

Let's Do The News! (June 15, 2015)


- Talks focused more on the ongoing Greek debt crisis will resume in Brussels, the capital city of Belgium, as Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras has to negotiate with the international creditors to find a solution to end the debt crisis or face default and possible exit from the Eurozone.
- The US government raised concerns over China's cyber activities, as two days of talks between the two nations has finished. President Barack Obama urged China to act in order to reduce tensions.
- Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, the man behind the Boston Marathon bombing two years ago, apologized to the victims and their loved ones for the first time Wednesday before the jury sentenced him to execution.
- Today marks the 65th anniversary of the outbreak of the Korean War as thousands of people attended the ceremony to commemorate the battle between the two Koreas in a stadium in Seoul. Among the attendees were veterans, diplomatic envoys and citizens who have not forgotten the war.
- Optical Media Board chairman Ronnie Ricketts was charged with graft by the Office of the Ombudsman for allegedly allowing the pull out of seized pirated DVDs that would served as evidence against suspected counterfeiters.
- The management of the Valkyrie resto-bar at Bonifacio Global City issued an apology after stirring outrage from numerous personalities over the high-end nightclub's "anti-crossdressing policy" that refused the entry of international fashion designer Veejay Floresca days ago.
- After years of waiting, the long-awaited Alfa Romeo Giulia saloon was officially unveiled and its flagship variant, the QV, has a V6 motor that develops a massive 510HP of power output. The Giulia is the first Alfa Romeo to bear carmaker's new logo.
2016 Alfa Romeo Giulia

- The second-generation Chevrolet Cruze has been officially unveiled with sleeker looks, new tech, and 250lbs of weight lost, resulting to an improved fuel economy than the previous model.
2016 Chevrolet Cruze
- A Supreme Court ruling and the response to the Charleston church killings ordered that the infamous Confederate Flag will be removed from specialty plates with Confederate emblems in some states including Virginia, to Dukes of Hazzard merchandising including toy cars modeled after the General Lee car.
TTFN!!!

Wednesday, June 24, 2015

Let's Do The News! (June 24, 2015)


- According to the WikiLeaks website, the National Security Agency (NSA) spied on former French presidents Jacques Chirac, Nicolas Sarkozy, and current leader Francois Hollande. It cits top secret intel reports and technical documents from the NSA and a French official said that spying between allies was unacceptable.

- Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras is to hold talks with the nation's creditors as he tries to secure an urgent deal on Athens' debt. Greece must repay 1.6 billion euros to the IMF by the end of June or else, face default and possible exit from the European Union.

- South Korea reported four new cases of MERS, bringing the number of people infected with the disease to 179 with the death toll remaining at 27. Out of the 179 people infected so far, 67 have been discharged from the hospital following full recoveries.

- The Department of Transportation and Communications has assumed Malacanang that the prototype model of the MRT 3 will arrive at mid-August of this year.

- A 19-year-old Filipino-American teen was arrested in Morganton, N.C., after he allegedly help the armed terrorist organization Islamic State for their plan to kill a thousand Americans.

- For the 14th DLC Catalog on the PS3-exclusive THE IDOLM@STER ONE FOR ALL, now available, Cinderella Girls' New Generations trio returned to perform the song お願い!シンデレラ. Also, four new songs are added such as THE IDOLM@STER 2nd-mix, 思い出をありがとう, エージェント夜を往く, and 9:02pm.

- Lexus will be attacking this week's Pikes Peak Hill Climb with their RC F GT Concept.

- Tom Holland is named as the newest actor who will play as everyone's friendly neighborhood Spider-Man following the announcement from director Jon Watts, who's in charge for the upcoming Spider-Man flick in the next two years.

- Aston Martin unveiled a more powerful version of the soon-to-be-retired DB9, called the DB9 GT, which 6.0L V12 engine has been pushed to 540HP of power, while mated with a 6-speed Touchtronic II gearbox.

- A few days ago, crossdresser and fashion designer Veejay Floresca denied entering the Valkyrie resto-bar in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City, sparking anger from the LGBT community against the said resto-bar's "anti-crossdressing policy". Right now, TV personality Vice Ganda is making a statement regarding the whole "anti-crossdressing policy" issue.

TTFN!!!

Tuesday, June 23, 2015

F1 2015: Austrian GP

Photo: AP

Despite Lewis Hamilton's pole position during qualifying rounds, it looks like his teammate, Nico Rosberg ruled the Austrian GP with an iron fist thanks to a five-second penalty imposed on Hamilton after his poor pit exit. There has been numerous disasters occurred during the race, with both McLarens throwing in the towel with Fernando Alonso's spectacular failure with Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen on the first lap. Mechanical troubles prompted Romain Grosjean, Carlos Sainz, and Will Stevens to leave the race immediately.

So far, on the driver's standings; Hamilton and Rosberg had a 10-point gap between them while Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel maintains his 3rd place with 120 points.

The next race will occur in Silverstone on the 5th of July, 2015.