Audi Q2

If Mercedes had their own baby crossover called the GLA, then Audi had their own take on such thing by giving birth to a sport utility variation of the A1 called the new Audi Q2. As if the crossover trend continues to grow, altering its form, and strengthening perpetually through the years, the new Audi Q2 is just one of the basic examples of why crossovers, no matter how big or small they get, are still everywhere on the roads.

2017 Audi Q2

As stated, the Audi Q2 is basically an Audi A1 with some added ground clearance on it and while it looks more robust and as tough as a high school jock, what this car feels is no jock itch here because it feels more of a compact hatchback rather than being a crossover utility vehicle that was made to go through several trips to the thrift store later. It's more like a Nissan Juke in so many levels, if you ask anyone driving it.

2017 Audi Q2 interior

2017 Audi Q2 interior

The inside job is very similar to the Audi A1 which is based upon and while being small in size, it's still rather nice to sit upon and fiddle around with its toys while you're not moving about. Spacing-wise, the Q2's boot is big enough to fit a macho box and some other thrift store haul while the rear seats are folded. With the rear seats present, it's good enough to fit today's stuff you bought from the grocery or at the mall. Whichever comes first, the Q2 is a practical crossover that knows what the anyone's doing on their daily routine, be it going to work, hanging out with friends downtown, or taking a stroll on your day off.

If anyone's going for the Technology selection & Sound Paket, the Q2 will come equipped with some gadgets to fiddle around such as the Audi Virtual Cockpit instrumental panel, Bang & Olufsen surround sound system, MMI Navigation Plus with MMI touch, and smartphone interface that works with your iPhone (Apple Carplay) or Android phones (Android Auto), among many others. Now that's smart for a jock on the road.

2017 Audi Q2

What lies under the hood of the Audi Q2 is a choice of either a 1.4 TFSI, 1.6 TDI, or a 2.0 TDI engine. The quickest variant of the Q2 will be the 2.0 TDI quattro S tronic which gets up from 0 to 100kph in 7.3 seconds and the most economical variant will be the 1.6 TDI 6-speed manual that promises 120 - 114 g/km of CO2 emissions, although I should talk about that diesel stuff later on because of the ongoing fiasco happening on with the diesel engines from the VW family tree.

Anyway, because this is basically an Audi A1 underneath, the Q2 is more of a city car than an SUV and the way it behaves as a luxury compact crossover is comparable to the Mercedes-Benz GLA-Class because they can be all-weather compacts for anyone who are feeling under the weather, they're both city cars that like to breathe around the metropolis, they're both luxury cars with a slightly luxury price which is unheard for both luxury car makers. And if you're willing to ask the price difference between those two, better prepare for some questions because the Q2 starts at 22,900 Euros, which is almost five grand less than the Mercedes-Benz GLA. Sounds like a bargain, right?

Yes, the pricing is what sets the Q2 apart but if you can dare to ask what to like about the Q2, chances are is its sizing, its value for money, its tech, and pretty much about it but if you're not afraid to ask what not to like, it could be the enjoyment that you can take it along on a trip and if you got kids, delete it from one of your choices for your next car because that might not be enough to be classified as a family car or two.

Available colors: Brillantschwarz, Ibisweiß, Vegasgelb, Quantumgrau, Florettsilber Metallic, Gletscherweiß Metallic, Korallenorange Metallic, Mythosschwarz Metallic, Nanograu Metallic, Tangorot Metallic, Daytonagrau Perleffekt, and Arablau Kristalleffekt.

Photo: Audi AG

Forza Horizon 3: Age before beauty, please.

I am now down to just one barn find left on my journey in Australia and the last barn find I discovered was none other than this...

It's the mythical Maserati A6GCS/53 Pininfarina Berlinetta and because it's mythical, there were about four of these ever made by the hands of Pininfarina. It was heavily based on the Maserati A6 chassis that spawned different lineages such as the A6 1500, A6G 2000, A6GCM, and this. Under the request of Roman representative of Maserati, Giuglielmo Dei, Pininfarina was behind the handcraft of this car from the inside out, just because they don't want to mess up with Ferrari at that moment in time since Pininfarina was Ferrari's exclusive coachbuilder of choice.

It uses the twin overhead camshaft version of the 2.0L six-cylinder engine used in the A6GCM racing machine, producing 170HP of power. Apart from that, this machine is fitted with a tubular chassis, double wishbones, live rear axle, and large hydraulic drum brakes, among many others bolted to its mythical machine.

Anyway, no time to explain more because you wanna see how I managed to hunt down this fantastic beast, right?

Oh, and apologize for the switch of cars because I was just busy working on something while waiting for this mythical Maserati to be reborn for driving use. Speaking of which...



While waiting for the Maserati to be rebuilt for driving, I worked with some of my favorite Aston Martins in-game, the V12 Vantage and the Vanquish.



Way when the V12 Vantage was launched years ago, I was very aware that it was just a V8 Vantage with four extra cylinders on it, to make it look and feel like it was part of the family. This is the hardcore version, the Vantage GT12, and finally, all the motorsport know-how that Aston Martin experienced has been applied to this hot V12 Vantage model and while this is basically a hardcore version, there's still bits of luxury a driver shouldn't care about.

Although the car is more powerful and slightly lighter than the normal V12 Vantage S, it can be somewhat slower in the straights because of that massive wing that can be somewhat distracting for an Aston but because it was inspired by its motorsport pedigree, the GT12 is an extreme track toy that shows its strength through the bends and corners with sharp instrumental skills and it takes the driver some time to unleash its full potential.

Being an exclusive car with a limited number of 100 units made and sold, I was more than happy enough to try out the Vantage GT12 by myself. In fact, I had a little quiet filming with this car even when themed after one of my favorite IDOLM@STER characters, Chihaya Kisaragi, as you can see up here. Nothing's better than having its V12 engine singing it loud to the great outdoors, huh?



The Aston Martin Vanquish has been around the road for four years now and despite its age, its position as the company's flagship grand tourer is still a sweet soiree to drive even if you're not fast enough to break its limits. I've been in love with this machine since I drove this one in the first Horizon game years ago and now, here I am, still standing on this beauty that is too beautiful to ignore.

Yes, it's too beautiful to ignore the Vanquish, but time is relative to me because I need to film these two Astons while waiting for the Maserati to be fixed for me to try it. With the GT12 themed after Chihaya and my Vanquish themed after Love Live Sunshine's Riko Sakurauchi, they're looking picture perfect on the events they'll be taking on and if I am going to idolize one of these, that will be my problem right now.

Anyway, time to roll the tapes!



After their shooting schedule's been cleared, the Maserati A6GCS is ready to be driven and I can't wait to see what it's like to drive in one of the most valuable vintage cars ever made.


So, with all the barn finds found throughout the journey, deciding which barn find is the best is no easy task because if you are in possession of 15 barn finds in the game, experimenting with different styles and behaviors can be a challenge and when you find which one is best for you, you'll have full responsibility while driving your personalized barn find of your choosing.

Man, I'm glad this whole treasure-hunting gig for barn finds is well and truly over but I'm still not done tackling the whole map because my schedule's still full of what cars to drive, what paths to carve, and what rivals I'll be challenging at until I get the whole picture of how great this is.

The journey continues...

The Kalyeserye Wedding

After a whole year of witnessing their split-screen escapades with none other than the world famous AlDub, they finally got the happily ever after they deserved as the most awaited wedding even on live television, which is the Kalyeserye wedding of Alden Richards and Maine Mendoza, became successful, only just.

Long before the wedding starts, everyone's just wondering that which one that will "not happen" as mentioned yesterday and it turned out to be a "honeymoon" at a foreign country but some rearrangements have been made so their honeymoon would take place somewhere else and that sounds like a relief.

With every principal sponsors in place, with a special participation from veteran actress Helen Gamboa and news reporter Mike Enriquez,  this wedding became one heck of a historical event for the AlDub Nations everywhere who witnessed the big event. Just when we thought that Lola Nidora stopped Maine in the middle of the "kiss" part, we thought it's going to be ended on a "to be continued" note but that's just a minor setback for Lola Nidora and everything goes as planned. With everything's normal after that, AlDub got kissed! It's the kiss seen round the world!

Watch the whole story unfold:

Well, that was some kind of a predicament happening here but still, the wedding is a success, spectacularly, and massive congratulations to AlDub for their historic wedding as seen on TV.

Best wishes, Alden & Yaya Dub!

Bubble Gang - October 21, 2016 #BGTarantaro

On the October 21, 2016 episode of Bubble Gang...

- Sundo gags

- A doubtful day for a doubtful man...

- Another Buhay ng Bakla session

- Mas Pinabonggang Sumbong Sumbong kay Bonggang Bongbong is back for more cases such as women posting stuff at the mall, men posting stuff in the dermclinic, and people tagging others on posts about other people doing things.

- Taran Taro, Bubble Gang's own version of Piko Taro, is back for more PPAP spoofs!

- The Jungle Belles became the target of the hunters!

- More news for moms in Balitang Ina

- A workshop for would-be criminals

- Basa-basa-pik!

Let's Do The News! (October 21, 2016)

- As of this report, about 12 people died in the aftermath of Supertyphoon Lawin, which ravaged through the northern part of Luzon yesterday.

- After his China visit that made him announced his departure from long-time partnership with the US and into the newly defined partnership with the Asian superpower for the Philippines, President Rodrigo Duterte will visit Japan on the 25th to the 27th of October for boosting ties. During his visit, Duterte will meet up with Japan PM Shinzo Abe to discuss matters of mutual interests to both countries, according to officials.

- Meanwhile, President Duterte wants to reinvestigate the Mamasapano clash, which left around 70 Filipinos dead and derailed the peace negotiations with Moro rebels. Duterte said he would like to know where the $5-million reward for tips who helped security forces track down high-terrorists went as well as the details of the operation, which remained secret even from some Cabinet and police officials.

- South Sudan opposition leader, Riek Machar, says his country's peace deal has collapsed and his rebel forces will continue their armed resistance. He said that in the absence of a political process to bring back the peace agreement, the rebels must continue their resistance to defend themselves.

- Five survivors of the atomic bomb blast in Hiroshima and Nagasaki say people around the would need to work for a ban on nuclear weapons. They were on a global tour to campaign for a nuclear-free world. The trip is being organized by a Tokyo-based non-governmental group.

- Nissan officially announced its purchase of Mitsubishi Motors and appointed CEO Carlos Ghosn to be the chairman of Mitsubishi Motors. This new partnership will result to shared vehicle platforms and technology, joint purchasing, and shared manufacturing.

- The newly established Lynk & Co. by Geely uncovered their Volvo-based SUV concept that is made solely for ride-sharing purposes. Designed and engineered in Sweden for the global market, their first car will be on sale in China next year, followed by Europe and the US.

Lynk & Co 01 Concept

- Nintendo unveiled their new hybrid gaming console platform called the Switch, which allows gamers to take their gaming from home wherever they go thanks to its modular components as well as single-and-multi player gameplay. The new hybrid home/hand-held console will go on sale on March 2017 worldwide.

TTFN!!!

Forza Horizon 3: Keeping the FD3S

Consider this the penultimate car to pink slip it because this is the third out of the four Midnight Battle cars to win if you can get through it. This here is an FD3S Mazda RX-7, one of the cult favorite tuners that speedo boys love to take it out not just for show but for the thrill of it. With the unique sound of its rotary engine, no one does it better than the iconic legend in the JDM street car realm speedo boys have cherished it ever since they play one on racing games of the past.

So, like to see how I got to this ride?

This is like a one-way admission ticket to one of the greatest JDM tuners a speedo boy would love and while this is plainly an all-show car that you can impress the crowd, the RX-7 is definitely an all-go car that loves to let loose its rotary revolution to the driver and because this is just one of the JDM sports cars coveted by speedo boys everywhere, there's no stopping to customizing it, even if it comes with a new Rocket Bunny kit to make it look more of a show-off rather than a car that loves to take it very seriously.

Sure, the Rocket Bunny aerokit for the FD3S RX-7 looks cool but I'll be sticking with some normal aero parts because they look very stylish that way and for me, I want to find something that inspires me to drive this machine.

Like talking on a spirit medium after a rough day's work, I've channeled my inner Tokyo driver by letting the RX-7 behave like... one of the formidable foes in the world of Shutokou Battle, specifically the White Charisma, this time the one you saw on Shutokou Battle X (Import Tuner Challenge). Speaking of which, I bought this design by someone who really pays tribute to the defunct racing franchise and this will be a hard time talking about this to the customs. He he he...

So, let's see how much magic this White Charisma will woo me out for a night out on the road...

That was a rough one but I managed to win one anyway. So, with three out of four Midnight Battle cars owned, the road to getting the last Midnight Batter is nigh for me and while I'm taking my day off from my festival duties, I'm going to tear down every street around Down Under until the last Midnight Battle car is mine for the taking.

For now, I have to give thanks to the fan who summoned the White Charisma car for me.

Lexus IS (XE30) - 2017MY minor change

The Lexus IS luxury midsize saloon is now on its 2017 model year and it received a minor change having been around on the road for around three years now. So, let's see some minor updates to Lexus' competitor to BMW's 3-Series, Audi's A4, and Benz's C-Class.

2017 Lexus IS

2017 Lexus IS

First up, the exterior design has been slightly revised and you can see a rather bizarre front face that looks even more eccentric than the pre-facelifted model. Although eccentric, some people might just squint their eyes to look like a decent luxury car but the new look is still noticeable from its bizarreness even when you squint at it from far away. And then, there's the revised taillamps which is still looks rather similar to the pre-facelift model. Overall, it's still a similar story.

2017 Lexus IS interior

On the interior, the biggest changes occurred in this minor change is the size of the display screen which has gone up from 7-inches to 10.25 inches. There's a new enter button located at the right side of the Remote Touch Interface on the center console for easy access as well as new stitching and new interior colors to choose from, making it very discerning for the user. In terms of tech, the 2017 Lexus IS now comes with the Lexus Safety System +, an array of safety tech featuring a Pre-Collision System with Pedestrian Detection Function, Lane Departure Alert, Automatic High Beam, and Radar Cruise Control.

2017 Lexus IS

The lineup's been drastically changed as well and due to the success of the turbocharged IS 200t model, which comes with the 8AR-FTS engine that produces 238PS of power and 350Nm of torque output while mated to an 8-speed AT, the one with the 2.5L V6 engine has been kicked out from the range and in return, the 2017MY IS now consists with the IS200t, IS350 (the one with the 3.5L V6 petrol engine), or the IS300h with a 2.5L 4-cylinder hybrid powerplant that promises 23.2kmpl of fuel economy as measured by JC08 Mode standards. Apart from the shift in the engine lineup, the 2017MY Lexus IS features an updated suspension, which results to a better handling and better ride compared to the pre-MC model. Talk about a major improvement, though.

The 2017MY Lexus IS starts at 4,700,000 Japanese Yen for the IS200t while the IS300h starts at 5,150,000 Japanese Yen.

Photo: Toyota Motor Corporation