Third-generation Porsche Cayenne

When Porsche launched the Cayenne over a decade and a half ago, it became the first sports car company to launch an SUV, much to the dismay of purists everywhere who believes that Porsche should only make proper sportscars like the 911 and Boxster and nothing else. Despite being an SUV, it still behaves like a Porsche and it was made for the men who have everything or nothing. Get it? It's everything or nothing and with the arrival of the new, third-generation model, the newly regenerated Cayenne is ready for another round.

2018 Porsche Cayenne

For the man who's got everything or nothing, the new Porsche Cayenne promises to have the same fundamentals as the previous models in history but with a new packaging that will keep Porsche's first SUV prepared for whatever lies ahead in deceit. So, what's new with the new Cayenne anyway? Well, let's look at the design first and some may call it completely new, it was still slightly new by the looks of it because it has the same shape as the previous Cayenne, except for the back end which has the same rear lamp as today's Panamera. Overall, the design is almost as basic as every other Porsche in the lineup and for non-Porsche fans, a tad ugly.

2018 Porsche Cayenne interior

2018 Porsche Cayenne interior

Step inside and on the driver's side, you will notice that the dashboard almost lost all of the buttons in favor of touch panels which is rather nice but when your fingers gone smudgy after having some chips and crisps at the petrol station, you'd better pack some industrial-sized hand sanitizer or you'll make a mess on those touch panels. Bad mark for Porsche there but despite the complicating dashboard that sacrifices buttons for touch panels, there's still room at the back as well as ample boot space for your everyday stuff, which is rather nice for a family car but don't call it a family car because with prices start at 74,828 Euros plus OTR costs, it's very expensive. If the new Cayenne is too expensive to be a family car, what can you use it for? Escorting a VIP, of course! Isn't what the Cayenne is made for? For the man who has everything or nothing? This is everything.

2018 Porsche Cayenne

Despite its near-outdated looks, Porsche says the new Cayenne is all-new from the ground up and it now utilizes a lightweight chassis construction similar to high-performance SUVs in the Volkswagen Group, meaning the new Cayenne now behaves like what a Porsche should be, combining classic Porsche sportscar handling and SUV ruggedness into one unique package and to supplement the improved dynamics of the new Cayenne are rear-axle steering, Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control, and three-chamber air suspension, most are programmed via 4D Chassis Control.

As long as you're not fiddling with anything, these new supplementary dynamics made the new Cayenne fit enough to get through the most out of any situations. It can be either a civilized luxury car or an ideal getaway vehicle if you're trying to escape from a collapsing lair in the desert just to get a train ride with destiny. Also, it's got the first ever surface-coated brake which not only makes it last longer than other brakes but also works responsively to deliver the ideal stopping power.

Under the hood, the new Cayenne is powered by a choice of a 3.0L V6 turbo for the base Cayenne, a 2.9L V6 Twin Turbo for the Cayenne S, and the 4.0L V8 Twin Turbo engine for the Cayenne Turbo which delivers 550HP of power and 770Nm of torque with 286 km/h of top speed, all mated with the more responsive eight-speed Tiptronic S gearbox. Of course, if you're going with the Turbo model, you can expect the air brake and a adaptive rear spoiler for the first time in an SUV, which is nice but that spells trouble if you're on a public highway.

So, while the new Cayenne is truly an exciting SUV to drive for almost any situations, it can be downright bothersome for Porsche enthusiasts because like the latest Panamera, the new Cayenne carries a wide array of safety tech such as adaptive cruise control, park assist, anticipatory pedestrian protection system, night vision (which isn't military grade), Lane Keeping Assist, traffic sign recognition, and many other that seems rather nice for a normal SUV like this but for a sportscar, that will drive them a bit mad because it can control your driving experience like the one I'm familiar with.

So, what can I say about the new Cayenne? Well, despite the near-stale looks and the safety tech that drives them mad, the improved dynamics thanks to its new chassis and new platform, not to mention the power-hungry engine lineup, really knows the "sport" in the SUV and for the drivers who have everything or nothing, this Cayenne is for them.

Photo: Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG

THREATS FROM NORTH KOREA: Rival parties to continue talks aimed at reaching budget

Top ranking officials from the ruling and two major opposition parties held talks in last-minute efforts to narrow their gap over 2018 budget.

The meeting between the floor leaders of the three political parties came after the opposition-led parliament missed the legal deadline to pass the government budget bill, which fell on Saturday.

National Assembly Speaker Chung Sye-Kyun has extended the budget session to Monday for now. Whether a plenary session will be held to vote on the spending bill largely depended on the outcome of the meeting between the floor leaders.

The parties largely remained apart over the government plan to greatly increase the number of public employees by over 12,000 in next year alone.

Source: Arirang News

Let's Do The News! (December 4, 2017)

- The Department of Health is ready to face any class action suit amid the controversial dengue immunization that was suspended due to health risks.

- The Malacanang Palace expressed hope that the Congress and the Senate would be able to set aside over the 2018 budget.

- Senator Leila de Lima filed a resolution calling for the probe on the government's 8888 hotline. De Lima, in a statement, asked the Senate to "look into the purported failure of the hotline in accommodating concerns and complaints about corruption in government offices."

- The US government remains committed to reach a resolution that would allow the return of the Balangiga Bells to the Philippines, according to US Ambassador to the Philippines Sung Kim.

- 66th Miss Universe winner Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters is coming to the Philippines.

- US President Donald Trump could be forced to testify on sexual harassment allegations and if they found out that if he lies under oath, he could face impeachment.

- Toyota Motor Corporation uncovered the next-generation of Toyota Safety Sense suite of driver assists, which is set to be rolled out on production models starting next year. The Pre-Collision System has now been upgraded to detect pedestrians both day and nighttime as well as cyclists during the day. Also added is Lane Tracing Assist, Lane Departure Alert, and Road Sign Assist.

- At the LA Auto Show, America has a new hybrid supercar called the Aria FXE. Made from a company behind carbon fiber body panels in some cars as well as building concept cars, the Aria FXE combines a V8 engine with an axial-flux induction electric motors, resulting to 1,150HP of total power output.

Aria FXE

TTFN!!!

Project CARS 2: Viva Ferrari

In honor of Ferrari's 70th anniversary, Project CARS 2 introduced fans of Slightly Mad Studio's critically-acclaimed racing simulation game the world of Ferrari and it's an honor to have the Prancing Horse joining the ranks of PC2's car roster everyone can master on different race tracks offered in-game and I get to know what's what about the Prancing Horse's debut on PC2.



Here, I'm driving what it seems to be a GT3-spec version of Ferrari's latest midship supercar, the 488 GTB, around one of the most dangerous tracks in the world, namely the Autodromo Dino e Enzo Ferrari, better known to you and I as Imola. You know, the track with the corner that killed Ayrton Senna since the early 1990's? Maybe we should get going now...



The 488 GT3 is based on the 488 GTB that was tuned to compete in IMSA's GTD class and many other GT3-class races. It uses the same 3.9L V8 Twin Turbo engine as the normal 488 GTB but unlike the normal 488, it features wider wheel arches that accomodate racing slicks, a massive carbon fliber splitter on the front, large rear diffusers, large rear wing, and many other racing modifications made to accommodate GT3 specifications.

Imola is a very unforgiving racetrack to master for beginners but the Ferrari manages to hang in there like bread and butter on a full English breakfast and while I'm busy getting to understand the car as well as the infamous racetrack that claimed many of drivers, including the legend himself, let's get to know about the best racing machines from the Prancing Horse because this is Ferrari's 70th anniversary after all.



Prancing Horse fanatics should be familiar with this legendary racing machine because this here is Ferrari's legendary Le Mans racer, the 330 P4. Its P3 predecessor was meant to be the trump card against Ford's GT40 Mk.II but failed when Ford claimed its first win at the 1966 Le Mans. This is known to be the uprooted version of the said car. The design looks similar to the P3 but it was given an improved engine and a tail section, turning into the changed car you're toying with now. It won the 1967 24 Hours of Daytona race for a photo finish in response to Ford's Le Mans win a year ago.



Based on the 365 GTB/4 grand tourer, which earned the unofficial Daytona moniker by some, this Competizione version features a lightweight bodywork courtesy of its aluminium and fiberglass panels, with plexiglas windows. In later models, the V12 engine that powers it was tweaked with the highest producing 456PS of power output in 1973. Although Ferrari never raced with these machines, it was bountiful for private racing teams that flourished it to Le Mans success where in 1972, it took the first five places in the GT class.



Made to compete in the likes of IMSA's new World Sports Cars class, which replaced the GTP class, the 333 SP marked Ferrari's return to sports car racing after a two-decade hiatus. It was built by Dallara and later Michelotto for such regulations and in its lifespan, it participated 144 races with 56 wins and 69 pole positions. Powering the 333 SP is a 4.0L V12 engine mounted in the middle, which is the same engine that powers the 1990 Formula 1 car, producing over 600HP of power and mated to a 5-speed sequential manual gearbox.



The 488 GTE racing machine may look similar to its GT3 counterpart but it was tweaked to compete the GTE-Class of endurance racing, meaning the downforce is increased tenfold due to the less restrictive limits on downforce, as hinted by its large front lip spoler, fixed rear wing, and three-part diffuser. It made its debut at the first round of the 2016 WeatherTech SportsCar Championship at the 24 Hours of Daytona and it finished 4th in the GTLM class. Months later, a Risi Competizione 488 GTE placed 2nd at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

So, now that I'm getting familiar with Imola and some of Ferrari's racing legends, do I have some substantial favorite, the one I considered the best Ferrari racing legend for 70 years? If I do, maybe it wants to stand a chance against the GT3-spec 488, which is amazingly one of the hero cars of Project CARS 2, for a time attack round Imola. Of course, there are so many Ferrari racing legends around here but for my consideration, because this is Ferrari's 70th birthday after all, my pick goes to...

 

...Ferrari's endurance legend, the 330 P4, and now this legend wants to take on one of the young jumpstarts on a time attack round Imola. This should be exciting as the past and the present ready to dish out what they're made off all for 70 years of Ferrari. Let's see how much they've evolved through the years...



After a brave lap round Imola, here are the results;

1967 Ferrari 330P4 - 2:06.8
2016 Ferrari 488 GT3 - 1:58.686

70 years of Ferrari and such result never fails to impress me, in the 488 GT3's case that is, but I had high respects on the P4 because apart from being an improved version of the P3, the one that was obliterated by the Ford GT40 at Le Mans, its legendary status should not be taken for granted because cars like this is what Ferrari's capable of.

It's an honor for Project CARS 2 to add Ferrari in the game and with seven decades of the Prancing Horse's greatness, there's so much to love about Ferrari in this game.

FIA Formula E Season 4: Hong Kong ePrix

The FIA Formula E Championship is back for its fourth season and it begins with a two-part season premiere at the streets of Hong Kong where new and returning drivers have been gathered to experience the thrill of the world's premiere zero-emission racing series ever witnessed.

With chaos in every corner because of the narrowness this city course possesses, it's hard to predict the outcome for the drivers and all they need to do is to survive the narrow course or get caught up in a jam of shame.

In the first part of the race, DS Virgin's Sam Bird starts the season with a first place victory followed by Jean-Eric Vergne from TECHEETAH and Nick Heidfeld from Mahindra. In the second part of the race, meanwhile, Felix Rosenqvist from Mahindra wins while Edoardo Mortara from Venturi placed 2nd and Mitch Evans from Panasonic Jaguar Racing placed 3rd.

HIGHLIGHTS:



Although Hong Kong proved to be a chaotic way to start this season, there's more to expect in the fourth season of the FIA Formula E Championship as the next race will commence at Marrakesh, Morocco, on the 13th of January, 2018.

Forza Motorsport 7: Opera, Art, and Doughnuts...sorta

As the world awaits the second season of Amazon Prime's original motoring program, The Grand Tour, how about a little flashback? Because Jeremy Clarkson's annoyed by the appearance of Richard Hammond and the 707-horsepower Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat, he went to Mugello to teach Hammond a very painful lesson on speed. With Mugello back at Forza 7, how about I'll recreate that memorable Grand Tour moment from that certain episode?



First, let's talk about the cars first, starting with the Aston Martin DB11. Although the V12 engine is now smaller and turbocharged, the power output it produces is rather smooth indeed because this is how grand tourers do. 608HP of power, 700Nm of torque, 0-60mph in less than 3.9 seconds, 200mph top speed, the DB11 wasn't unfazed by its performance figures because all it matters for this car is to cruise around the open road on a bright sunshine and while it was heavily focused for comfortable driving in mind, it can be downright decent on the track making this beauty a beast to behold in the eyes of the driver.



The Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat maybe based on the old Chrysler 300C underneath, which is based on the 1990's Mercedes E-Class, but putting a 707HP supercharged V8 engine on it is a complete madness. Although it was superseded by the limited-edition Challenger Demon by about a hundred and thirty-three, the Hellcat remains one of the most outrageous muscle cars ever to come out from the world's most powerful country that is now ran by an orangutan and his minions. So, outrageous, it can make a trip through historic places in Italy into a complete disaster because the roar of the supercharged engine and the endless squealing of tires. I know, this happened on that episode and you can't hide from the Hellcat's fury. Saturdays will be completely ruined thanks to the Hellcat.





In that episode, Jeremy lapped the DB11 at 2:18.79 while Billy Bob Hammond's Hellcat did it in 2:35. All I have to do is to do better than the GT folks while witnessing the very moment that the DB11 taught the Hellcat a very painful lesson. Let's roll the tape.


At the end of the flying lap, here are the results of my Grand Tour reenactment on Forza 7...

Hellcat - 2:22.648
DB11 - 2:15.469



Hey, history repeats itself as the "brown" Aston minced the Hellcat like crazy, although that didn't stop Richard Hammond from doing ridiculous things with the Challenger Hellcat. Still, it's great to have Mugello back on Forza 7 because without it, I couldn't recreate that classic Grand Tour moment in honor of the upcoming season of Amazon Prime's original series. They may be evolving but they never growing up. Get it?

Unexpectedly Yours

Unexpectedly Yours

Megastar Sharon Cuneta and action star Robin Padilla returns on the big screen but this time they star in a rather unusual rom-com about a fateful reunion after so many years have passed in a rather unexpected way they never saw it coming.

Directed by Cathy Garcia-Molina, the film Unexpectedly Yours stars Sharon and Robin as former high school friends reunited but only this time, they're neighbors and their kids are starting to turn their lives around. It also stars Julia Barretto and Joshua Garcia, among many others.

A rom-com with some values...that is very unheard of compared to every Filipino rom-coms you are familiar with and such values shouldn't be overlooked upon and this film really onto something here. Sure it has some above average bits that is rather typical in Filipino rom-coms but Unexpectedly Yours really does it rather nicely to give cinemagoers a value they will cherish it once the film ends.

Although nothing special to expect from a film that brings back two of the best stars in the industry, this rom-com is worth relaxing to watch and above all, it's rather good in so much ways.

My rating: 3.5 out of 5.

US Senate passed Tax Cuts and Jobs act

File Photo

Early Saturday morning at the U.S. capital of Washington, the Senate has passed the controversial Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, 51-49, which brings closer to become law before the year ends.

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act slashes the corporate tax by 20%, repealing the individual mandate of the Affordable Care Act, which critics say will leave 13 million Americans uninsured by the next decade, and lowers tax rates for most Americans until 2026. When signed into law, it would dramatically increase economic growth, wages, and take-home pay and simplify the tax code.

There are some last minute changes to this highly controversial tax plan which involves altering the state and local tax deduction - repealing the income tax deduction and capping the property tax deduction at $10,000 (about over 500.000 Philippine Pesos in today's money) as well as 23% deduction to pass-through businesses that don't pay the corporate income tax.

URL: https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2017/12/2/16720052/senate-republicans-pass-tax-bill

SIDE NOTE: The highly controversial tax reform some say that it puts the burden of tax to the poor rather than the rich but a handful of experts say that such criticisms are off the mark as hardworking families will be the biggest winners of the Tax Cuts and Jobs act, says Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform.

Could it be that America's Tax Cuts and Jobs Act has a similar undertone from the Philippines' Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion? Maybe but unlike the PH's TRAIN, there isn't any excise tax on everyday objects like cars, fuel, and sweetened beverages (although some US states did). Still, this tax reform repeats the trickle-down economics during the Reagan years but with a modern twist to make it sound complicating for some.

Bubble Gang - December 1, 2017 #BGPigilanSaAirport

On the December 1, 2017 episode of Bubble Gang...

- Pigilan sa airport gags

- A family of pageant goers

- The closer at the office

- Mr. Assimo gets disturbed at home, at a group photo, and at a wake

- Welcome to the coolest spa in town. Just punch it.

- Free stuff!

- Fact boy steals some chicharon

- Barangay mental mission with the fake psychiatrists

- Basa-basa-pik!

Lexus CT and NX (2018 minor change)

Lexus's compact offerings, the CT hybrid hatchback and the NX crossover, have been facelifted for the 2018 model year featuring new faces, new interiors, and added safety tech to keep these luxury compacts prepared for the road ahead.

But first, let's delve deeper on the CT hybrid hatchback...

2018 Lexus CT

2018 Lexus CT interior

The Lexus CT has been with us for six years now, that's over a half a decade for now for Lexus's hybrid hatchback made for city pleasure in mind and although today's hatchbacks are evolving, the Lexus CT feels like it's been left behind when it comes to following today's trends.

Sure, the exterior has been mildly revised while the interior now boasts a longer screen on the dashboard but when it comes to performance, it still feels pretty much the same as the previous facelift three years ago or perhaps is it?

The suspension now boasts some performance dampers on both front and left to make handling even more emotional than ever and while it sounds nice, it still feels like it was slightly improved at all and while it retains the Drive Mode Selector, it delivers some mixed driving feels. ECO, NORMAL, or SPORT, it 2018MY CT feels like pretty much the same as last time and that's it.

Performance still pretty much the same as ever as you still have the 2ZR-FXE 1.8L engine connected to a 3JM electric motor and the conventional nickel metal battery. Running on engine alone, it produces 99PS of power and 142Nm of torque while running on electric motor alone, it produces 82PS of power and 207Nm of torque. Fuel economy is still 30.4kmpl by JC08 Mode standards, although now irrelevant due to WLTC Mode standards.

The biggest change for the CT on this 2018 minor change is the implementation of Lexus Safety System + featuring a Pre-Collision System with Pedestrian Detection Function, Lane Departure Alert, Automatic High Beam, and Radar Cruise Control. With tech like these, the CT is starting to be as intelligent as a a college student taking an Associate's Degree.

2018 Lexus NX

2018 Lexus NX

2018 Lexus NX interior

Now, let's talk about the Lexus NX and onto its 2018MY minor change, the NX has gained a new face which is agressive in F SPORT variants whereas the interior gained a much longer screen on the dashboard but the style is not the concern because the 2018MY NX is the first to bear Lexus's revised nomenclature for turbocharged models as the old NX 200t is now renamed as NX 300.

Renaming aside, the NX 300 still bears the same 8AR-FTS 2.0L 4-cylinder engine, which is also the same engine that powers the facelifted Toyota Harrier a few months ago, producing 238PS, 350Nm of torque output, and it's mated with a new 6-speed AT with G AI-SHIFT. Fuel efficiency has gone up to 13.0km/L by JC08 Mode standards. Also, there's the NX 300h with the 2AR-FXE engine connected to an electric motor and an old-school nickel metal battery. With the E-Four variant, an additional 50kW electric motor is bolted to the back, which makes the NX not only feels capable on any road condition but also efficient as well. The CVT gearbox is standard for the hybrid model and as always, 21kmpl of fuel economy is plenty for the front wheel drive NX300h.

Like the CT, the new NX comes with Lexus Safety System + as mentioned above to give this crossover a much prepared stance for the drivers navigating through different traffic conditions.

The 2018MY CT starts at 3,770,000 Yen while the 2018MY NX starts at 4,400,000 Yen for the NX300 and 5,040,000 Yen for the NX300h. So, which Lexus compact will you pick? If you are onto something, you'd better be with the turbocharged NX300 but if you're on a long journey ahead, go for the hybrid variants. While not essentially enjoyable to drive by luxury car standards, these compacts are well-mannered enough to enjoy the urban landscape as much as any other luxury cars on the road right now.

Source: Toyota Motor Corporation

THREATS FROM NORTH KOREA: US, China hold low-key talks amid NoKor tensions

US and Chinese generals engaged in an unusual set of security talks on Wednesday just hours after North Korea's most powerful missile test yet, focused on how the mighty American and Chinese militaries might communicate in a crisis.

As US President Donald Trump greeted the North's recent missile launch with familiar demands for China to get tougher with its ally, the low-profile talks at the National Defense University in Washington was taking place amid signs China is more willing at this time to discuss how the two world powers would manage an even worse emergency on the divided Korean Peninsula.

The Pentagon stressed the talks were scheduled long before North Korea's surprise missile launch in the early hours Wednesday in Asia. Officials insisted the dialogue wasn't centered on North Korea or anything else in particular.

In a phone conversation with Trump on Wednesday, Chinese President Xi Jinping reiterated his desire for a diplomatic resolution to the standoff with North Korea.

Source: Associated Press

Let's Do The News! (December 1, 2017)

- The Department of Health placed the dengue vaccination program on hold following the analysis that the vaccines used by the government pose risk to people without prior infection.

- Despite protests supporting the Duterte administration's plan for a revolutionary government, even though President Rodrigo Duterte nixed that idea days ago, the recently-launched pro-Duterte group "Tapang at Malasakit" Alliance has yet to "take a collective position" on calls for Duterte to declare an extraconstitutional revolutionary government.

- ASEAN and EU on Wednesday held their second policy dialogue where both agreed to promote and protect human rights amid issues hounding Southeast Asia ranging from the Philippines' war on drugs, the Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar, Thailand's military junta rule, and more.

- Philippine Ambassador to the US Jose Manuel "Babe" Romualdez presented his credentials to US President Donald Trump as part of the diplomatic protocol.

- US President Donald Trump mulls firing Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and replaced by CIA Director Mike Pompeo.

- Pope Francis demands "decisive measures" to resolve the causes of the mass exodus in Rohingya Muslims from Myanmar, breaking his recent silence over what the United Nations has declared to be a textbook case of “ethnic cleansing.”

- As sexual harassment allegations hounding the US Congress, House Democrats on Thursday delivered their strongest rebuke yet with calls for Michigan Rep. John Conyers' resignation, while those in the Senate reserved judgment for their embattled colleague, Minnesota Sen. Al Franken.

- The third-generation Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class was unveiled at the LA Auto Show, featuring a new design, new interior, and a new range of engines.

2019 Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class

- Toyota showcased their FT-AC Concept at the LA Auto Show that comes with numerous cameras capable of livestreaming video and uploading content via cloud.

Toyota FT-AC Concept

- Sauber F1 team brings back the Alfa Romeo sponsorship for the F1 2018 season.

- Actress Kathryn Newton will cast for the live-action Detective Pikachu film.

- Disney has named the actress to play as Mulan for the live-action rebirth. They've named Chinese actress Crystal Liu as the lead actress for the said film.

TTFN!!!