Honda Civic Type R FK2

After five years of absence in the Japanese market, speedo boys car finally rest easily because the Civic has returned in Japan but specifically, the ultimate version of the Civic sourced from Great Britain, the all-new Civic Type R. Speedo boys, rejoice.

2016 Honda Civic Type R

It is weird that this ultimate version is the only ninth-generation Civic available on the Japanese market but no matter what, this Britain-sourced hot hatch marks the return of speedo boy-favorite Type R nomenclature that has been known for their white color, red H badge, unique aerodynamics, and a VTEC engine proud to say "VTEC just kicked in, yo!"

Speaking of "VTEC just kicked in", yes, this VTEC really kick in because for the first time in Type R history, the all-new Civic Type R is powered by the first-ever K20C 2.0L VTEC Turbo engine. This turbocharged VTEC engine produces a massive 310PS of power output and 400Nm of torque, while mated exclusively with a 6-speed manual gearbox. 

That sounds good news to speedo boys too many but it's not just all about big power in a Honda hot hatchback because deep down, the new Civic Type R incorporates some of Honda's racing knowhow learned from its touring car championship experience. From its race-inspired suspension system, Active Damper System, Dual Pinion Assist EPS, and the most advanced aerodynamics developed for this car, it's no wonder the new Civic Type R lapped the Nurburgring in 07:51.42, the fastest lap time for front-wheel drive cars.

2016 Honda Civic Type R

Which means, with that kind of witchcraft involved in this hot hatch, the new Civic Type R is a potent track weapon in its own rights and even though this is suitable for track use, it's also suitable to use on the road and because this is a five-door, it's surprisingly convenient to bring your friends on a joyride. But don't count on being a weekend car just yet because while this suspension is track-honed, you may find it to be very stressful on city streets and you might expect some slight bumpiness when you approach the potholes.

But it doesn't really matter how uncomfortable this car is on city streets because once you pull out at a parking space at a shopping mall or a bar or a cafe, it's a head turner so when people looked on the new Type R, everyone know that you're onto something. Hey, at least most Hondas have a reputation of being every speedo boy's best friend and for the new Civic Type R, this hot hatch is more than enough to start causing trouble on the streets.

2016 Honda Civic Type R interior

2016 Honda Civic Type R speedometer

Should you buy one? The new Civic Type R starts at 4,280,000 Japanese Yen so it maybe sound that much for a Euro-import hot hatch but no matter though because despite the high price, it's money well spent on the new Type R but best to have one while you can because the new Civic Type R is limited to 750 units and once they're gone, they're gone. Good luck with that.

Available colors: Championship White and Crystal Black Pearl

Photo: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.

Let's Do The News (December 22, 2015)

- PAGASA said that the less number of typhoons entered the Philippines this year is due to the presence of El Nino, which affected the track of tropical cyclones. Every year, an average of 19 to 20 typhoons affect the country but for 2015, only 15 entered the Philippines. The names of the more powerful typhoons entered the nation such as Lando (where it reached 9.8 billion pesos of damages and killed 47 people) and Nona (which killed 41 people and cost 4.9 billion pesos of damages) will be decommissioned.

- The Malacanang officials stressed that the Islamic State militants didn't set up training camps in the Philippines. One officials said that what the militant-linked personalities done is to try to link-up with local jihadist/terrorist groups. Reports circulated that the ISIS once set up a camp in the Philippines and as evidenced by a video showing new recruits in the Philippines exercising.

- Japanese researchers warned that if global warming hasn't resolved, the harshest weather conditions will happen more frequently. According to the Meteorological Research Institute, University of Tokyo's Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute, Kyoto University's Disaster Prevention Research Institute, and many others; the Earth's average temperature will rise by over four degrees Celsius over pre-Industrial Revolution levels by the end of this century.

- FIFA banned its President Sepp Blatter and Vice President Michel Platini for eight years over alleged misappropriation of funds. Swiss authorities launched an investigation against Blatter over an illegal payment of over two million dollars, by FIFA to Platini four years ago. Blatter said he will appeal his ban from soccer imposed by FIFA.

- Six American soldiers were killed by a suicide attack near an American air base in Afghanistan. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack.

- With Star Wars: The Force Awakens became a box-office hit, there has been a slew of merchandise in store for fans too many. One bizarre report, however, is the toys when news about a Target-exclusive six toy pack features Finn, Poe Dameron, Kylo Ren, Chewbacca, a First Order Stormtrooper, and a First Order pilot. One character missing in the pack is the movie's heroine, Rey. Gets worse, when shoppers observed the Millennium Falcon set featuring BB-8, Finn, and Chewbacca, no sign of Rey in the toy set. Bizarre. Perhaps that's the problem with today's Disney-related toys these days. One time, the Avengers toy line since the Age of Ultron last summer had Black Widow missing and so is Guardians of the Galaxy's femme fatale Gamora. Does it make it more interesting or less interesting?

- The Nendoroids of Triad Primus from THE IDOLM@STER Cinderella Girls are now complete with the unveiling of a Nendoroid of Karen Hojo. Now available for pre-orders, she'll be arriving to you this June with a starting price of 3,611 Yen plus tax. This Nendoroid is best paired with the currently available Rin Shibuya and the upcoming Nao Kamiya.

Nendoroid Karen Hojo

- From concept to reality: The Toyota 86 GRMN is now a living thing with a limited run of 100 units available exclusively to the Japanese market and priced to 6.48 million yen. Preorders are open next month at the official Toyota website and at select Toyota dealerships in February. The special 86 GRMN comes with upgraded intake and exhaust systems, GRMN-tuned suspension, special ventilated disc brakes, six-speed close ratio manual gearbox, reduction of weight courtesy of carbon fiber roof, hood, and trunk lid, resin-made rear window, special aero parts for added aerodynamics, reduction of rear seats, and available only in White Pearl Crystal Shine color. As a result, the 2.0L boxer-4 engine produces 219PS of power and 217Nm of torque. Remember, this special model is available only in Japan with 100 units available so good luck with that.

2016 Toyota 86 GRMN

- In case you missed the recent Eat Bulaga kalyeserye, with the arrival of Geleen Eugenio, the dance choreographer and a good friend of Lola Nidora's rehearsals for their Christmas Caroling Competition are underway, although looks like Tinidora has some identity crisis to deal with amiga Geleen. So, keep watching Eat Bulaga for more Kalyeserye antics and see if the De Explorer sisters stand a chance to win a new home.

TTFN!!!

Mitsubishi New Delica D:2 (MB36S)

The latest-generation Suzuki Solio, in normal and Bandit models, are rebadged by Mitsubishi as the all-new Delica D:2, in normal and Custom guise. Let's check out the latest model and we thought Mitsubishi had enough of rebadging Suzuki cars ever since the NMKV.

2016 Mitsubishi Delica D:2

2016 Mitsubishi Delica D:2 Custom

Yes, this is broadly similar to the current Suzuki Solio a few months ago and while the badges are the main difference between the two models, it's now taller than the old model, more roomier, and now, a lot more fuel-efficient.

In partial terms of safety, the new D:2 comes with the available dual camera brake support system which detects incoming pedestrians and vehicles and it can even engage an auto brake in an event of a pre-collision scenario. There are other safety features such as Lane Departure Warning, Stagger Alarm Function, Preceding Vehicle Start Alert, Emergency Stop Signal that warns drivers at the back, ESP, and 4-wheel ABS.

The new D:2 is now a mild-hybrid small minivan fitted with a brand new K12C Dual Jet engine producing 91PS of power and 118Nm of torque while coupled with an Integrated Starter Generator, Lithium-ion Battery, an updated idling stop system, and CVT, which is rather unsurprising for an average driver. With these, the fuel economy is now 27.8kmpl based on Japan's JC08 Mode standards.

The normal Delica D:2 starts at 1,787,400 to 2,187,000 Japanese Yen while the more stylish Delica D:2 Custom starts at 1,963,440 to 2,089,800 Japanese Yen. They're both available to buy at your nearest Mitsubishi dealerships across Japan.

Photo: Mitsubishi Motors Corporation

Let's Do The News (December 21, 2015)

- Government agencies across the Philippines are coordinating to deliver relief goods and work on the early recovery of areas hit by the two typhoons Nona and Onyok the past week. According to the National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council, an estimated 59.9 million pesos worth of relief assistance was provided to affected areas as of Friday. The Department of Social and Welfare Development provided 51.3 million pesos while LGUs and NGOs gave 8.1 million pesos and 463,050 pesos respectively.

- The Commission of Elections will release the provisional lists of candidates for the May 2016 elections this Wednesday.

- US Democratic presidential candidate Hilary Clinton stressed her determination to rid the world of Islamic State militants while criticizing Republican frontrunner Donald Trump. At the third televised Democratic presidential debate last Saturday, Clinton states that the most important job of being the leader is to keep Americans safe. She said that Trump might end up being the ISIL's best recruiter due to his outrageous bluster and bigotry to inflame people.

- Indonesian authorities have arrested nine people on suspicion of plotting bomb attacks in the country. About five of the suspects are supporters of the Islamic State militants while the remaing are members of a domestic Islamist group. The suspects plotted attacks on the islands of Java, Sumatra, and Kalimantan this month.

- Drone flights will be banned by the Mie Prefectural assembly over or near the venues of next year's G7 summit. The order that passed the assembly prohibits the flying of UAVs over Kashiko-jima ISland in Shima, where the summit takes places as well as anywhere within 1.5km of the island.

- GT3 race cars racing at the Nurburgring will have their power reduced by 10%, for safety purposes at next year's race following the killing of a spectator this year.

- A second screening for the 2020 Tokyo Games emblems are underway and over ten members of an expert panel of the events' organizing committee began the two-day screening on Monday. About 311 out of the 10,666 entries that qualified for consideration passed last week's 1st round.

- Michael Bay's take on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are back with their upcoming Summer 2016 sequel; Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows. Check out the trailer!

- We all heard the news that Philippines' Pia Wurtzbach was named this year's Miss Universe after an error that caused Miss Colombia stripped off her titled. It was an honest mistake because everyone makes mistakes but there's one candidate who weren't happy with the fiasco. Miss Germany Sarah-Lorraine Reik was dismayed over the controversial result and why she didn't approach Pia Wurtzbach to congratulate her because she said none of them voted for Philippines.

- In case you missed the recent Eat Bulaga kalyeserye, looks like hope's at hand for the De Explorer sisters and Yaya Dub because they'll be joining a Christmas caroling competition where the winner will get a brand new house and lot. Looks like our favorite golden girls and the yaya will start practicing in the hopes for a new home but then, a phone call rang on Lola Nidora. There's someone going to help her but who's going to help? Tune in next time and find out!

TTFN!!!

A crowning mistake led Philippines won Miss Universe 2015

In a rather bizarre turn of events in the recent Miss Universe 2015, looks like there has been a mistake of crowning a beauty queen that led someone garnered the crown and the coveted title. At first, Steve Harvey, the host of this year's beauty pageant, announced that Miss Colombia Ariadna Gutierrez named as the winner, but something's wrong. He must have said it by mistake and he should have called Miss Columbia first runner-up, meaning that the winner of this year's Miss Universe is, and for the first time, Miss Philippines Pia Wurtzbach.

It was one heck of a sudden unintended announcement but feels like Miss Philippines got lucky, knowing that she won the title that could have been at the hands of Miss Colombia until slight announcement errors that turned the tables between beauty queens.

Report: http://www.cnn.com/2015/12/20/us/miss-universe-wrong-contestant-crowned/

Scion iA

Scion's first ever compact sedan, the iA, starts the shake-up of Toyota's youth-oriented brand that sees its reputation lagging by x-named hatchbacks (except for the FR-S), but even though this is an all-new model, there's something underneath this new compact saloon for the youngsters of America.

2016 Scion iA

When I said "something underneath", I really do mean it because the Scion iA is basically a Mazda Demio, making it the first model under Toyota and Mazda's collaboration. The main reason why we got this is because Mazda couldn't sell the latest Demio to the US soil due to poor sales so we got this instead but despite being different to the Demio we knew it, it still behaves just like a Mazda Demio, well almost.

2016 Scion iA

Despite being a Mazda Demio under the influence of Toyota, the iA is powered by a 1.5L petrol engine that generates 106HP of power and 103lb-ft of torque. It can be mated with either a sensual 6-speed automatic or a more enjoyable 6-speed manual gearbox. How great this compact car comes with. Of course, with a MacPherson strut front suspension and torsion beam rear suspension, the iA feels very nimble at the bends but in terms of comfort, it's a bit tad old fashioned. When you turn the steering wheel, you will notice that it feels somewhat soft and skimpy and that's because it comes with electric power steering. Not quite an ideal setup for a steering of that size but whatever, those ideal stuff makes the iA truly a first-timer's car to buy if he or she already got a driving license on their first try.

2016 Scion iA

2016 Scion iA

So in partial terms of driving, the iA isn't half bad for a city car and as for a perfect city car to drive with your mates, the interior feels somewhat sociable, although some eagle-eyed viewers will notice that it looks broadly similar to the Demio's. It comes with a seven-inch display, six-speakers, Bluetooth connectivity, HD Radio, and many other high tech stuff that makes this car feel like an iPhone on wheels. Well, don't get this car wrong, though, because while this is a small car, it still accommodates up to five people and the boot space isn't so bad.

Needless to say, the new Scion iA is a sedan that brings the entry-level market to a surprising surge and while this is the start of reinventing the Scion lineup in America, expect first-time drivers to start something small with the iA because even though it is broadly similar to the Demio, the new iA truly is the ideal starting point for newcomers everywhere. This car starts at a very reasonably 16,495 US Dollars plus the added extras and the insurance needed. Is it a great value for money? The jury's out. Is it worth enjoyable to drive? Well, so and so...

Available colors: Frost, Sterling, Graphite, Stealth, Abyss, Sapphire, and Pulse.

Photo: Toyota Motor Sales USA

Migo and Klea named as Starstruck's ultimate survivors

Over the past few weeks, the sixth season of Starstruck pushed the aspiring hopefuls to the limit, overcoming their weaknesses, uncover their strengths, and showcasing their full potential when it comes to acting. In The Final Judgment of this season, one male and one female are named as the Ultimate Survivors of this season.

Klea Pineda is named as the ultimate female survivor while Migo Adecer is named as the ultimate male survivor. Both of them earned one million pesos, a new house and lot courtesy of Camelia, and a management contract by GMA Network. They even got a chance to be part of an upcoming remake of one of GMA's TV drama classics.

Congratulations to the ultimate survivors and the avengers for dreaming, believing, and surviving till the very end.