Let's Do The News! (December 15, 2016)

- According to the Department of Tourism secretary Wanda Corazon Teo wants direct flights from Manila, Philippines to Phnom Penh, Cambodia. There are flights to Siem Reap, a resort town in northwestern Cambodia known for the Angkor Wat temple complex, from the Philippines but none to and from the Cambodian capital. In a press briefing in Cambodia, plans for direct flights will bring tourist arrivals of Cambodian people to the Philippines.

- Satellite imagery shows that China appears to have constructed point-defense capabilities at each of its outposts in seven of the Manila-claimed islands of the Spratlys in the South China Sea. A Washington-based think tank reported that China has built large AA guns and CIWS in the Spratlys.

- President Rodrigo Duterte is ranked 70th in the 74 Most Powerful People according to Forbes Magazine. The top spot remains to Russia's Vladimir Putin while second placer goes to US President-Elect and business tycoon Donald Trump, 3rd goes to German Chancellor Angela Merkel, 4th for China's Xi Jinping, and 5th for Pope Francis. Japan PM Shinzo Abe is 37th, North Korea's Kim Jong Un is 43rd, US President Barack Obama sank to 48th, Mexico's Enrique Pena Nieto is 54th, and Canada's Justin Trudeau is 66th.

- According to a Harvard university law professor, as many as 30 Republican members of the Electoral College are willing to reject US President-Elect Donald Trump when the Electoral College will meet on the 19th of December to decide the next leader. If 37 Republicans managed vote against him, Trump will never get the 270 target needed to become the 45th president. Meanwhile, a bipartisan coalition of Americans wrote an open letter to the electors for the last-ditch effort to stop Trump. The full letter can be read here.

- Meanwhile, Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk, a key opposition by the fossil fuel giants, was handpicked by US President-elect Donald Trump for advisory committee. Uber CEO Travis Kalanick also joins President's Strategic and Policy Forum.

- Over one billion Yahoo user accounts has been hacked. The announcement follows the IT giant's disclosure in September that hackers had penetrated over 500 million accounts. The combined number makes the thefts one of the biggest data leaks from a company ever. Yahoo officials said on Wednesday that the latest attack took place in August 2013. Hackers stole names, birthdates, email addresses and telephone numbers but passwords and credit card numbers weren't affected.

- Minions, rejoice! Former supervillain Gru, Lucy, his three adopted girls Margo, Edith, and Agnes, and his Minions are back in Despicable Me 3 as the teaser trailer went live before it hits theaters in the summer of 2017. In the latest film, Gru and Lucy takes on a powerful supervillain named Balthazar Bratt, played by South Park creator Trey Parker.

- The first episode of the PokeMon anime series aired on TV Tokyo since 1997. 2017 marks the anime series' 20th anniversary and next year's film will be a retelling of the original saga, which is named after the very first episode of the show, titled "Pokemon, I Choose You!". The retelling film will be shown in theaters this 15th of July.


- Biohazard (Resident Evil) Vendetta, the third 3DCG animated film based from  Capcom's popular survival horror franchise, hits theaters on the 27th of May. The latest film sees Leon S. Kennedy, Chris Redfield, and Rebecca Chambers race against time to stop a world-renowned terrorist.

Biohazard: Vendetta

TTFN!!!

Toyota C-HR

2017 Toyota C-HR

Meet the new Toyota C-HR, the newest addition to the ever-growing crossover segment and Toyota's decent opponent to the likes of the Nissan Juke, Honda Vezel, and many others in this category. With crossovers becoming the trending topic of the motoring world, the C-HR wants to appeal customers with its coupe-like styling, eco-car efficiency, and not to mentioned dynamics inspired from the Nurburgring, although theoretical in the eyes of many. So, what's it all about the C-HR?

2017 Toyota C-HR

C-HR stands for Coupe High Rider and because this crossover has a coupe-like styling, some people believe that it's a sportscar with a high ground clearance. For a concept-turned-reality design, the C-HR looks somewhat pleasing for some, although it's five door layout is what made them notice. It maybe a coupe but it's essentially a five door crossover as hinted by those secret rear doors that has been a common mischief by most carmakers to confuse customers into thinking that they are coupes but in reality, they have four (or five) doors because of that common mischief as done on the Nissan Juke, DS 4, Alfa Romeo Giulietta, and others. Still, no matter what happens, the design is a clear reminder why Toyota wants to stick to the concept looks, despite the added consequences.

2017 Toyota C-HR interior

The interior is basically futuristic by the looks of it and while it resembles more like the Peugeot 208 if you squint your eyes a little bit, it's basic, simple, and regular by crossover standards. It can seat up to five people, you may ask, the rear seats can be folded for extra cargo carrying versatility on the weekends or errands, various ways to place your stuff, whatever stuff you can do inside the C-HR before you leave.

2017 Toyota C-HR

There is a well known theory that the C-HR's development took place in the Nurburgring to further demonstrate its sportscar-like handling for a compact crossover of that size but in general, this is basically a Prius underneath it because the C-HR uses the same TNGA platform as the latest Prius. Yeah, the TNGA platform is about as earful as a Tenga toy on a night market in Hong Kong but for the C-HR, it's a different experience that is still as earful as the platform it uses. Apart from the platform, the C-HR features brand new MacPherson struts in the front and double wishbones in the back, featuring Toyota's first urethane upper supports on the shock absorbers.. Couple that with the aluminum-cast upper support housing and the way the C-HR handles is not too shabby at all, although it could be better when its Nurburgring-honed dynamics aren't meant to be taken very seriously.

Two variants are offered on the C-HR such as the one with the turbocharged 1.2L petrol engine with four-wheel drive and the other, and obviously the odd one out, a 1.8L hybrid with front-wheel drive. The one with the turbocharged 8NR-FTS engine produces a modest 116PS of power and 185Nm of torque while the one with the same powerplant as the Toyota Prius promises 30.2km/L of fuel efficiency based on JC08 Mode standards. That's a lot more compared to the Kia Niro and the hybrid variant of the Honda Vezel but even though its efficiency is the deciding factor for the C-HR, both the Vezel and the Niro can left the C-HR out in the cold due to its CVT gearbox that upsets the C-HR. Sure, the turbocharged one also has a CVT but it's a Super CVT-i with seven-speed manual mode that makes it even more complicating and noticeable when you try.

No matter which variant, the C-HR comes with Toyota Safety Sense P, which features active safety tech such as Pre-Collision System with Pedestrian Detection function and Lane Departure Alert with Steering Assist function. There are a lot of safety tech offered in the C-HR but there's one feature that will upset anyone looking at your car from their rear view mirror and that's the Sequential Turn Lamp. That's about as hideous as the sequential rear turn lamps on the Ford Mustang, which remains one of the scariest cars to look on the road because of its back and because it's the front that will panic oncoming drivers, there are many reasons why putting sequential turn lamps are downright terrifying.

Now, should you buy one? The C-HR starts from 2,516,400 to 2,905,200 Japanese Yen but even if your're rushing to buy one, you will get hampered by the extremely long waitlist because of the crossover's extreme demand. No wonder the C-HR is a strong seller even in Japan. For a strong-selling newcomer, the C-HR wants to be the center of this category with its efficiency, styling, and tech that will edge out any competitor in the segment, although its Nurburgring-honed dynamics are extremely questionable from the performance it offers.

Available colors: White Pearl Crystal Shine, Metal Stream Metallic, Black Mica, Sensual Red Mica, Dark Brown Mica Metallic, Yellow, Radiant Green Metallic, and Blue Metallic.

Photo: Toyota Motor Corporation

FH3 Blizzard Mountain: FORZA! ON ICE!!

Yes. You heard that right. It's Forza! On Ice!! Because for the first time in Forza history, snow has arrived and with the arrival of the brand new Forza Horizon 3 Blizzard Mountain expansion, drivers like you and me can taste snow for the very first time in a decade of Forza-ness while taking on the King of the Mountain event where you can take on several challenges, earn stars, and become the King of the Mountain in the end.



For my first outing in the brand new Blizzard Mountain expansion, I've gone for this. It's the Subaru WRX STi VT15R Rally Car, but this is the #199 car. This rally-spec WRX STi is run under the guise of Vermont SportsCar Racing. Founded by veteran rally car builder and former co-driver Lance Smith, Vermont SportsCar Racing founded the Subaru Rally Team USA ten years ago following its official support with Subaru. Since then, the team racked up nine Rally America championship wins in 2006-2009 and most recently from 2011-2015. This #199 WRX STi rally car that competed in the Open Class races this year was driven by the legendary Travis Pastrana. Even though he enjoyed his fierce rivalry by the rally ace, David Higgins, both Subaru's Rally America aces are very skilled to defend the honor of Subaru Rally Team USA's longstanding reputation in America's premiere rally championship and such reputation brought both Higgins and Pastrana back for the 2017 season of the Rally America National Championship.



Better take serious precautions on this one though because here in Blizzard Mountain, be on the lookout for extreme weather conditions because severe winter storms not only make the road much worse for your driving pleasure but also impairs visibility to near zero so you're going to need some serious skill to survive extreme icy conditions.

Also, to make cars prepare for the snowy conditions, snow tires are offered in almost all cars in your garage. A few cars have snow tires equipped but you are more than welcome to equip your favorite car with snow tires to get yourself ready on this frozen onslaught. Exotics are mostly welcome here as long as the tires are studless (and advisably four-wheel drive because it would be intimidating to drive a rear-wheel drive monster in the snow).

Lastly, the King of the Mountain challenges. Rather than fans, drivers need to earn stars in either bucket list challenges, PR stunts, and races. Races aside, the King of the Mountain challenges is more than just winning a race because to get three stars, you need to do a specific skill before winning a race. Skills involve jumps, drifts, wreckages, anything. So, now that you get the idea,

So, with the Blizzard Mountain basics now onto anyone's heads now, time to get my first dibs on the Blizzard Mountain expansion with this Subie that Pastrana drove in this year's season.




The snow may be as harsh as reality and so is the infamous Game of Thrones dialogue that winter is here but I got my survival instincts up and running to snag my first win and proceed to the next round of the King of the Mountain. With so many challenges going on in Blizzard Mountain, the only way to survive through this extreme icy conditions is to win through different challenges and become King of the Mountain. That's the only way I can survive Blizzard Mountain with a big smile on my face. Now, hurry. With all that snow going on around here, nothing can stop us from clearing those new challenges because (ahem) this is Forza on Ice and together, we are born to make history! Wait, what did I just said?!

THE IDOLM@STER LIVE THE@TER FORWARD 01 Sunshine Rhythm

THE IDOLM@STER LIVE THE@TER FORWARD 01
Sunshine Rhythm

With the success of past CD ranges inspired from THE IDOLM@STER Million Live mobile game, Lantis brought fans of the popular sub-brand from the legendary IDOLM@STER franchise a brand new LIVE THE@TER FORWARD CD range that promising fans to get some attention to the 765 Million Stars from the Million Live game.

For the first installment of the brand new LIVE THE@TER FORWARD CD range, the star group of this album is Sunshine Rhythm, consisting of Tsubasa Ibuki (CV: Machico), Emily Stewart (CV: Yu Kahara), Hinata Kinoshita (CV: Nao Tamura), Minako Satake (CV: Eri Ozeki), Elena Shimabara (CV: Asuka Kakumoto), Iku Nakatani (CV: Akari Harashima), Noriko Fukuda (CV: Nana Hamasaki), Anna Mochizuki (CV: Shiina Natsukawa), Rio Momose (CV: Rikako Yamaguchi), Kana Yabuki (CV: Ibuki Kido), Nao Yokoyama (CV: Yui Watanabe), and Roco (CV: Atsuki Nakamura). In here, the highlight song of this first album of the range is サンリズム・オーケストラ♪ but before you can listen to this song, you have to listen through the first four songs as well as drama parts of the song highlighting what's what with the Cancer, Leo, Libra, and Capricorn sub-units of the Sunshine Rhythm group.

Hopefully, with the launch for the new LIVE THE@TER FORWARD CD range, fans of THE IDOLM@STER franchise should have some little love to the Million Live sub-franchise as much as the other sub-franchises of Bandai Namco's legendary idol-raising franchise that has been with the fans for over a decade now.

TRACK LISTINGS:

01 ドラマ1「開演のご挨拶」

02 ランニング・ハイッ

03 ドラマ2「MC01～その頃舞台裏では」

04 ゲキテキ!ムテキ!恋したい!

05 ドラマ3「MC02～その頃舞台裏では」

06 Bonnes! Bonnes!! Vacances!!!

07 ドラマ4「MC03～その頃舞台裏では」

08 NO CURRY NO LIFE

09 ドラマ5「MC04～その頃舞台裏では」

10 サンリズム・オーケストラ♪

11 ドラマ5「終演後～その頃舞台裏では」

Let's Do The News! (December 14, 2016)

- Today marks the 12th death anniversary of the legendary action star Fernando Poe Jr, Senator Grace Poe, the daughter of the late action star and 2004 presidential candidate, reiterated that she is not open to transferring her father's remains to the Libingan Ng Mga Bayani in Taguig City. Poe said there were suggestions to transfer FPJ's remains to the said cemetery due to its national artist status but Grace disagrees with these. FPJ died in December 14, 2004, seven months after he lost the presidential election to Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo despite his hard-fought campaign.

- President Rodrigo Roa Duterte left yesterday for state visits to Cambodia and Singapore for further ties between the Philippines and the entire ASEAN member states. Duterte said it is important to gather insights from his neighboring countries in preparation for the Philippines' chairmanship of next year's ASEAN summit.

- December 26, 2016 and January 2, 2017 are declared special non-working holidays in the Philippines, according to a Palace official. Christmas Day and New Year's Day both fall on a Sunday and are regular holidays.

- Senior foreign ministry officials from Japan and South Korea have reaffirmed that they are committed to implementing an agreement on those referred to as wartime comfort women. Japan's Kenji Kanasugi and South Korea's Chung Byung-won held talks in Seoul, agreeing that their leaders have reaffirmed that the deal needs to be carried out steadily.

- The Islamic State militants claimed responsibility from last weekend's explosion at a church in Cairo, Egypt, that killed dozens of people. The blast during Mass at a Coptic Christian cathedral left 25 people killed and 50 hurt. The victims included civilians.

- Russian leader Vladimir Putin will visit Japan starting on Thursday for talks with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Putin will arrive in Yamaguchi for a summit meeting with Abe, then in Tokyo on Friday. Putin told Japanese media earlier this month that Russia believes it has no territorial issues.

- The Syrian rebel forces has announced it will withdraw from the northern city of Aleppo. The Syrian government is expected to soon declare that it has seized total control of the city.

- To honor Ferrari Japan's 50th year, a special, limited-to-10, 488 Spider has been made to honor the occasion. Called the J50, this latest creation from the Ferrari Special Projects department brings back the targa body look reminiscent of past Ferraris of the 70's and 80's. 10 will be made for the discerning Japanese clients and it will be tailored specifically to the customer's requirements.

Ferrari J50

- The new Mercedes-Benz E-Class Coupe has been officially unveiled, featuring the world's first welcome feature tail lamp, new four-cylinder diesel engine, full smartphone integration, and more.

2017 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Coupe

TTFN!!!

Subaru Chiffon

By surprise, Subaru managed to borrow the current-generation Tanto compact minivan from Daihatsu, which is now under the control of Toyota Motor Corporation, just to sell it from the dealership as the new Chiffon, a sweet named for a borrowed Tanto kei minivan.

2017 Subaru Chiffon

2017 Subaru Chiffon Custom

As you may know, the new Subaru Chiffon borrows the recently facelifted Daihatsu Tanto for this and just like the Tanto, the Chiffon offers two different styles that suit their individualities. There's the standard Chiffon for the basic and then there's the Chiffon Custom for those who want to express themselves anywhere.

2017 Subaru Chiffon interior

2017 Subaru Chiffon Custom interior

Whichever Chiffon they would choose, they would still be welcomed by the tall and wide space for the interior that is tall enough for a basketball player to get in without compromise. There's even the pillarless sliding door on the passenger side just like the Tanto, which allows freedom to get in and out of the car without compromise. With practicality mainly focused on this car, the Chiffon, despite its sizing, can be a decent family car full-stop for those who got recently married and had kids for the very first time, or a car fit for a night out on a town with your mates who want to see some concerts, movies, any nightlife-related stuff they know about.

2017 Subaru Chiffon

Just like the Tanto, the new Subaru Chiffon's 660cc engine comes with the latest e:S Technology from the Pleo+, which is a borrowed Daihatsu Mira e:S, capable of bringing a fuel economy of 28.0km/L based on JC08 Mode standards. As for the Custom models, everyone knows that variants like these are offered with an exclusive turbocharged 660cc engine for 64PS of power output, nippy enough for the people on the go.

And then goes to the safety part of the car and just like the Tanto, the Chiffon is offered with SMART ASSIST 3, which improves the previous SMART ASSIST II features by giving it the world's smallest stereo cameras that can detect moving objects even more accurately without interfering with the driver's view and overhead space. It even comes with a collision warning function, lane departure warning, false start suppression control function, preceding vehicle start notification, and auto high beam. Just so you know.

The new Subaru Chiffon starts at 1,285,200 Yen for the base model while the Chiffon Custom starts at 1,617,840 Yen. Sounds reasonable for a Subaru-badged Daihatsu Tanto sold at most Subaru dealerships.

Photo: Fuji Heavy Industries, Ltd.

Forza Horizon 3: All about the Centenario

Hold it. You thought I forgot about this one, do you? Man, since I got all soaked up with all that work in driving the best cars on the Land Down Under, I forgot about the chance to talk about the star car of Forza Horizon 3, although there are two cover cars shown but let's focus on one of the star attractions of this game, which is none other than the Lamborghini Centenario LP 770-4.

So, what's it all about the Lamborghini Centenario and why did they name this car even though Lamborghini was founded almost five and a half decades ago? Well, they name this special car in commemoration of Ferruccio Lamborghini's 100th birthday when the founder was born in 1916. If Ferruccio was with us and celebrated his 100th birthday, this is the car he would let its tailpipes blow his candles awesomely.

Premiered at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show, this Aventador-based special machine demonstrates Lamborghini's innovative design and engineering competencies. It uses the same 6.5L V12 engine as the Aventador's, only now it produces 770PS of power, making it capable of going from 0-100kph in 2.8 seconds, .1 less than the normal Aventador, and onwards to 350kph. Because the car weighs 1,520kg, it has a weight-to-power ratio of just 1.97kg/hp.

With Lamborghini's commitment to "form follows function", the Centenario's design makes it one of the most aerodynamic hypercars ever made, and coupled with carbon fiber materials used on its bodywork, this car is a masterpiece that was made to be driven for the desired few. Shortly before the announcement of this car, all 20 coupes and 20 roadster variants are officially sold out, each costing 1.75 million euros plus tax.

It's hard to explain why the Centenario, just like the other special machine called the Veneno, got sold out quickly before unveiling it to the global audience at a major motor show. That remains a total mystery how a special machine got sold quickly before its world premiere but with Forza Horizon 3, that question holds no meaning because even though we never have the keys to the Centenario in real life, we still got the chance to drive it in the fantasy roads of the Land Down Under. Whether on the beach or the metropolis or the forests or the outback, every road is a story for the Centenario to tell, and how you live it up to the status of the Centenario being the star of the show is up to you.

Believe it or not, because I am so happy that I got my first dibs on Lamborghini's special machine, the Centenario, I even get the chance to see what is like to drive it in-game as I shall now demonstrate it with this clip I made. Roll the tape!

Well, I may have some slight mishaps while driving it but after having my first dibs with this car, it's fair to say that I am glad to have this kind of experience at hand.



The Centenario may be one of the latest examples of how cars like these sold out before launch but with a game like Forza Horizon 3, you are free to do whatever you like as long as this car is with you, no matter how good or bad you're going to do with it.

Besides, I have something special in store for the Centenario...



Behind closed doors, this Centenario is going to have the sweet spots it deserves as well as its looks just to rise for the occasion. Take a guess, folks. I'm sure the Centenario I'm working for is well-trimmed for a very special occasion. So, what's it going to be like for the Centenario? You'll find out really soon right after doing some more work around Down Under.