This year's Virgin Australia Supercars Championship season arrived at Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit for the WD-40 Phillip Island 500 and this race packed a lot of drama in store for the drivers in this double-race event.
Photo: Official VASC Twitter
From witnessing Jamie Whincup colliding with Scott McLaughlin with fears of speeding penalty, pitlane indiscretion, Lowndes touch by Van Gisbergen, and a 200kph clash that cost De Silvestro and Stanaway dearly, there really is some sort of drama happened in this race.
At the end of this two-race drama, one man stand out for a comeback win. Yep, that's Scott McLaughlin. Winning Race 9 and 10 of this season, McLaughlin is back for real and the Supercars championship continues to spice up for more.
Next race is at Perth for the Perth Supersprint on the 4th to 6th of May, 2018.
The 2018 Monster Energy NASCAR Series arrived at Richmond, Virginia, home of the shortest oval track ever made for the Toyota Owners 400 race which began in a middle of a Saturday dusk and there has been surprises in store for that race.
As Joey Logano nicked two stage wins in Richmond, interesting bits happened as in Lap 353, Ryan Blaney and Ricky Stenhouse got caught in a spinning mess while some managed to squeeze themselves through it while Jamie McMurray hit hard through the wall and Ryan Newman's car caught smoke. There's been a feud between McMurray and Larson as well.
The rowdy Kyle Busch wins the Toyota Owners 400 race, marking it his third win in this season.
Next race is at Talladega Superspeedway for the Geico 500 race this 29th.
The latest installment of the STARLIGHT MASTER range, inspired by THE IDOLM@STER CINDERELLA GIRLS Starlight Stage app game, has arrived and this latest installment is about as heavy as metal your ears won't be deceived so listen up loud about this new one.
THE IDOLM@STER CINDERELLA GIRLS STARLIGHT MASTER 16 ∀NSWER
The latest installment is titled ∀NSWER and it's performed by Mirei Hayasaka (CV: Ayaka Asai), Nono Morikubo (CV: Karin Takahashi), and Syoko Hoshi (CV: Satsumi Matsuda), the individuals! Judging by the cover art, it was as intimidating as you are mastering this song from DEBUT to MASTER+ on the Starlight Stage app game but since most of you managed to survive all difficulty settings with this song, have yourself a treat with the extended M@STER VERSION for your listening pleasure. Aside from that, there are two new songs for you to add on your Starlight Stage playlist.
Are you prepared for the latest installment? Good luck listening to it and be sure to keep playing THE IDOLM@STER Cinderella Girls Starlight Stage for more.
TRACK LISTINGS:
01∀NSWER (M@STER VERSION)
02Dreaming of you
03Voyage
04∀NSWER (M@STER VERSION) オリジナル・カラオケ
05Dreaming of you オリジナル・カラオケ
06Voyage オリジナル・カラオケ
07∀NSWER (GAME VERSION)
THE IDOLM@STER STELLA MASTER 03 Soshite Bokura wa Tabi ni Deru
We are here, the last piece of the STELLA MASTER range inspired by THE IDOLM@STER STELLA STAGE video game available exclusively for the Playstation4 has arrived and place yourselves for the happiest song you've ever heard in the game.
The highlight song of this installment is titled Soshite Bokura wa Tabi ni Deru and as pointed out in the cover, Haruka Amami (Eriko Nakamura), Yayoi Takatsuki (Mayako Nigo), Azusa Miura (Chiaki Takahashi), and Yukiho Hagiwara (Azumi Asakura) are the center idols of this song, and when you already experienced this song first hand as a DLC on Stella Stage, now's your chance to listen to the full extended M@STER VERSION of this song for your pleasure. Once more, there are audio drama parts that can take you behind the scenes of this song as well as another one of Shiika's logs about what's going on. Wrapping it up is a bonus track you might like.
With the STELLA MASTER range now all set, feel free to listen whichever installment you might like and see which the M@STER VERSIONS of the DLC songs from the Stella Stage PS4 game is your favorite but you can expect more from your 765PRO ALL-STARS very soon. Even though Stella Stage is now wrapped up after their last DLC Catalog released a few moments ago, there's still more to come for our favorite idols from 765 PRODUCTION. Until then, keep playing, keep supporting, and be prepared for what's next.
- Trump's secretary-of-state nominee, CIA Director Mike Pompeo, is set to receive a committee vote on Monday and then be moved to a floor vote before the full Senate by the end of the week even if he is voted out of committee unfavorably. In addition, on Tuesday night or Wednesday morning local time, the Senat eis expected to vote on 5th Circuit Court of Appeals nominee Kyle Duncan. Both nominees are slammed by critics for anti-gay resentments.
- The Malacanang Palace is issuing a warning on companies who are doing ENDO or End of Contract following President Rodrigo Duterte's signing of an executive order that prevents them from doing so.
- The Renault Sport Megane IV is set to make a video game appearance in The Crew 2.
- In case you missed Eat Bulaga's Super Sireyna Philippines 2018 grand coronation, Nicole Guevarra Flores, the "Liza Soberano" of Olongapo City, won the grand finals with Justin Mascarinas, the "Sarah Lahbati" of Butuan City, Agusan del Norte, placed 2nd, and Angel Montenegro, the "Sanya Lopez" of Davao City" placed 3rd. Nicole will be representing the Philippines in the upcoming Super Sireyna Worldwide segment coming soon.
- As the MNL48 General Elections is heading towards the home stretch, an unexpected occurred as aspirants Eunice and Aria backed out as well as one of the challengers, Kris, for personal reasons. Which means that challengers Mari and Belle are now part of the top 48 while Abby, Seia, and Trixie are this week's top three.
The previous third-generation Renault Sport Megane was by no means one of the most exciting super hot hatches ever built. Sure, it's not as fast as a Ford Focus RS but for lapping round tracks, it minces them alive. As the super hot hatch is becoming more of a "face the change" as 4WD trumps over FF, and while today's Civic Type R becomes the king of hot hatchbacks, they had to made the change for their hot Megane to respond to today's climate.
2018 Renaultsport Megane
2018 Renaultsport Megane
Here it is, the Renault Sport Megane IV and because change has come for the latest generation of Renault's 37,600 Euro hot hatch trump card, here are some of the things starting from the outside and while this is basically a Megane underneath, all of the signature RS treatments are festooned all over the exterior design, including that fog lamps shaped like the new Renault Sport logo. On the inside, there's no escaping the Renault Sport treatment as well the addition of the R.S. monitor that checks how much this car is doing such as lap times, acceleration, g-forces, and so on, which is relevant on the track annoying on public roads. On the MULTI-SENSE, they've added a feature only works on this hot hatch and that is Race mode which shuts down the ESP and recalibrated the 4CONTROL system to make it even more fun to drive.
Yes, the MULTI-SENSE is very high-tech indeed for the hot hatch but for purists, it just rather spoils the Megane's character which is like having a very high-tech fishing rod with a click-and-bait mechanism that puts every fishing rod to shame. While the high-tech malarkey is the least of the problems, what's under the hood is what gets you noticed. The new Megane R.S. comes with the 1.8L turbo engine that produces 280PS of power and 390Nm of torque, which is 5PS more than the previous Megane R.S. 275. What's even more noticing that the engine is polished with DLC (Diamond Like Carbon) for the valve lifters and Mirror Bore Coating for the cylinder sleeves, which are heavily inspired by today's supercars, which is nice.
True to their word, the new Megane R.S. can be fitted with either a 6-speed manual or EDC that propels the Megane R.S. to a 0-100kph time of 5.8 seconds and top speed limited to 255kph. That's pathetically slower than the Honda Civic Type R FK8 if I'm honest but speed is not an issue for the Megane R.S. here. Besides, while an EDC variant sounds good, it's the manual variant that pleases the speedo boys because of its purity this hot hatch truly deserves.
Transmissions aside, there are two kinds of chassis offered on the new Megane R.S. such as the Sport and the more traditionalist Cup which is more stiffer than the first one and comes with an LSD that improves its mild and tangy dynamics by a slightly long run. In other words, it's good on the track but annoying on public roads if you know what I mean. The brakes have been improved for better stopping power and the hidden gem on the suspension known as the hydraulic compression stop really works like clockwork.
Remember what I said that the Cup chassis is annoying on public roads? Well, what's even more annoying for a hot hatch like this is the driver assists such as ACC, AEBS, DW, OSP with TSR, BSW, and Easy Park Assist. Those safety features look good on a normal being but for a speedo boy, he'll just call it quits when he let them all on, which is not a case because they can be switched on or off on the MULTI-SENSE. Thumbs up, speedo boys, if you are driving this new hot Megane with the ADAS off and ESP disabled while going on a hot lap.
So, how can I sum this car up? The all-new Renault Sport Megane wows the speedo boys with its improved performance and the retaining of the six-speed manual gearbox, which has been longing for speedo boys everywhere, but what's not to like about is the EDC option, the Cup chassis not great for public roads, the ADAS that spoils the Megane R.S.'s fun character, and that's it. Now that I told almost everything you need to know, all we can hope for is wait until the new hot Megane has the chance to strike the Civic Type R's Ring record soon. The speedo boys are feeling it as well as the jealousy to drive one someday. Come on, Renault, we're waiting.
Ahem, welcome to Saturday and Sunday Memories Special here on your ultimate racing game featuring the cars of your life, Forza Motorsport 7, and the reason why is because the recent car pack in the game, the K1 Speed Car Pack, is full of oldies which are as old as the oldies music playing almost continuously at DWWW 774. That's why I sounded like this so anyway, enough chit-chat for now because it's time to hit the play button on the jukebox featuring the cars your parents and grandparents truly remembered when they were young. Nyeh.
Cue the Moments to Remember music, ladies and gentlemen, because I will introduce you to one of the cars featured on the K1 Speed Car Pack, a legendary IMSA GT machine known as the GT-P ZX Turbo by Electramotive Engineering.
Made to compete in the IMSA GT Championship, Electramotive Engineering developed the GTP ZX-Turbo for Nissan and competed from 1985 to 1990 in different iterations. As the name implies, the GTP ZX-Turbo is powered by a similar VG30ET V6 engine from the Fairlady Z (300ZX) but is heavily modified for racing purposes. For the chassis, they collaborated with Lola to develop it to such specifications.
In its debut at the 1985-86 season, Nissan placed 7th in the constructor's championship with their best record from Geoff Brabham placed third at Portland. In 1987, the GTP ZX-T became the first to defeat the Porsche 962 at Miami by 11 seconds, and following their first win, Nissan prompted a two-car team for the 1988 season and they dominated Road Atlanta, Palm Beach, Lime Rock, Mid-Ohio, Watkins Glen, and Road America, although the skipping of Daytona and Sebring prompted Porsche another constructor's championship win. In a shocking revelation at the 1989 season, the GTP ZX-T, with Chip Robinson, Geoff Brabham, and Arie Luyendyk behind the wheel, won the 12 Hours of Sebring by two laps.
Winning ten races of the 1989 season, Nissan clenched the Constructor's Championship title and continued until 1990, the final year of the GTP ZX-T's service before being replaced by the NPT-90 machines.
The Forza games had been featuring many IMSA machines lately ever since the partnership and this GTP ZX-T is one of the most iconic IMSA GT machines ever made. While the colors reminded us of any of Nissan's prototype racing machines ever recognized, this one's very different in every single way, and understanding its motorsport success by driving it really gives everyone the feeling of driving the one that trounced the likes of Porsche and Jaguar and became a two-time Constructor's Championship winner. Because this is very advanced for an oldies IMSA GT machine, you need to step your game up to master the raw power of this machine and I shall demonstrate what it feels like with a quick lap around Road Atlanta, one of the tracks this machine faced success and failure.
Sure is intimidatingly fast but I survived spectacularly. Let's play another one straight from Lola's playlist.
Coming up next at Lola's Playlist is the #76 Greenwood Corvette, which made some noise at Le Mans and IMSA.
In the days of the world energy crisis, the C3 Corvette's fame had plummeted but the Greenwood brothers came to the rescue as they transformed them into race cars. John, being the son of a General Motors executive, grew up street-racing at Woodward Avenue in his youth when he decided to try out road racing with the big-block 1968 Corvette and with his success at the SCCA and IMSA races, he even managed to take on FIA endurance racing classes. He even managed to bring the Sebring raceway to life when it lost FIA accreditation.
In that decade, Greenwood's Corvettes dominated every endurance race in Sebring and Daytona as well as Trans Am races in 1975 and 1978. He even managed to clock a top speed of 236mph at Daytona as well.
A famous example is this wide-bodied C3 Corvette. With thanks to GM Design Studio and Zora Arkus-Duntov himself, their widebodied C3 Corvette has a V8 engine that churns out a monstrous 750HP of power output.
While this is a very powerful racing Corvette with some big radial tires, I find that it's very difficult to get around the corner but if you're brave enough to handle this monster of a Corvette, it should be a force to be reckoned with, just like how John Greenwood did when he made some noises in endurance races and Trans Am races. Since I'm near the big apple, how about making some noise around Watkins Glen so the whole New Yorkers can hear?
What a thriller this widebodied Greenwood Corvette is and even if I'm near the Big Apple, they can really hear the rowdy behavior this racing machine possesses. So what's next?
What happens when a race car not only works on a track but is also suitable to drive on the road? The Porsche 906 Carrera 6 is a road-legal racing car made to comply with the homologation requirements of the FIA's Group 4 Sports Car category that led to producing up to 50 units.
Designed as the replacement for the 904, the 906 uses a tubular space frame and unstressed fiberglass body that resulted in 580kg of weight, which is 113kg lighter than the six-cylinder 904 predecessor. Powering the 905 is a six-cylinder lightweight racing engine with carburetors, producing 220HP of power, although some machines come with either a fuel-injected one or an eight-cylinder engine.
In its 1966 debut at the 24 Hours of Daytona, the 906 scored its class wins against Ferrari. Later, it scored another class wins at Sebring and Monza as well as Spa-Francorchamps and Nurburgring. It even managed to score an overall win at the 1966 Targa Fiorio. In the famed 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans, four 906 vehicles placed 4th to 7th behind three Ford GT40s, ending Ferrari's reign there.
This has got to be one of the easiest early racing machines I ever drive in Forza. It may be old, and it may be underpowered, but because it weighs over half a ton, it's about as quick as the track toys I'm familiar with without the slip-up that wets my pants. That's what I'm expecting for a car that is both road-legal and fit for racing. That's uncanny but flattering. Say, would you like to see me go with it around Sebring?
See? No biggie and hey, since this year marks the 70th anniversary of Porsche, the 906 is one of the historic Porsches everyone is learning their lessons from, especially when most gearheads are itching to study 70 years of Porsche. Speaking of which, there's another Porsche you can learn some lessons from as part of Porsche's 70th birthday. Roll the tape.
Served as the replacement for the 914, the Porsche 924 was launched in 1976 and it continues to serve as the company's most affordable offering. It was the first front-engined, rear-wheel drive Porsche ever made and it was the first to be mated with a fully automatic gearbox.
Originally a byproduct of a Volkswagen and Porsche, the project was heavily affected by the 1973 oil crisis, and under their deal, the 924 was made at a former NSU factory in Neckarsulm, located north of Stuttgart, with VW as a subcontractor. When it was launched, it was heavily criticized for its performance but that doesn't stop it from being Porsche's best-seller.
With the success of the 924 models in the 80's, the 924 Carrera GT (later GTS) was released with the hopes of entering certain motorsport. It features an intercooler, increased compression, and other upgrades to its VW-made 2.0L turbo engine. For homologation purposes, they were offered as road cars, producing up to 245HP of power. The Clubsport variant comes with a 280HP power output as well as a factory-fitted Matter roll cage and race seats.
It's true what they say about the 924 because even though it's a rear-wheel drive baby Porsche, it understeers like a front-wheel drive car and that's not right for a Porsche sports car. Yes, the handling is pretty much an issue for the 924 but that didn't stop it from being a best-seller of that time. It's like being a celebrity ignoring mean comments from his or her bashers. Such defiance and speaking of defiance, I tried to give it a go on the streets of Long Beach.
My arms are killing me from handling this Porsche sportscar but anyway, it's now time to play the last oldies song of the playlist and this is going to be a very interesting one because this is what you may call a greatest hit.
This is the greatest hit I'm referring to. It's a Ferrari 166 Inter Sport, one of the legendary racing machines ever to emerge from the end of the Second World War.
The dawn of the Tipo 166 2.0L engine inspired a new range of sports and single models for Ferrari and the 166 Inter Sport is the combination of both machines due to its adaptability for international races for two-seater and single-seater sports cars.
As its name implies, the Tipo 166 2.0L 60-degree V12 engine that powers it produces 130hp of power and has a power per liter ratio of 65hp per liter, while mated to a 5-speed gearbox. The chassis is made out of tubular steel and it comes with an independent front suspension, live rear axle, and drum brakes. Weighing 630kg, the 166 Inter Sport has a top speed of 215kph.
Because the 166 Inter Sport features attachable headlights and mudguards to suit regulations, it really is multi-role in its own right.
Listening to the sound of its V12 engine really takes them back like listening to an oldie song all day long and learning from its simple layout and performance, the 166 Inter Sport is magnificent in every single angle and I shall now demonstrate with a quick run round Lime Rock.
Words? I have no words for it because driving a post-war Ferrari left me speechless.
Love it or hate it, these oldies are what made the Forza franchise your ultimate racing game featuring the cars of your life, which is like DWWW, your ultimate AM radio playing the music of your life, and this K1 Speed Car Pack is clear examples of celebrating the golden years of motoring. Although I am unimpressed with such offerings, I am glad that I'm learning some valuable lessons from driving these machines. Even you had fun with it despite your strong dissatisfaction over these oldies machines.
Historics, and vintage races, that's what kept the motoring world go round and for those who believe that old is better than new, why not sit down and take a trip down memory lane with the racing machines that come straight from the Lola's Playlist they called the K1 Speed Car Pack? You should know that this is the last car pack to be covered by the Car Pass so if you haven't got the Car Pass, now's the time to get one.
This is Leopaul signing off from another day of playing endless oldies' music.
Daihatsu has a wide reputation for making fuel-efficient kei cars in history but in the eyes of speedo boys, none of these cars are worth promising to bring the fun factor to their senses until the year 2014 when they resurrected the Copen kei-convertible to bring the magic back to the speedo boys. With the revived Copen bringing a whole new bunch of fans, it wouldn't take long before they teamed up with GT SPORT to create a Copen unlike no other.
This is Daihatsu's entry to the long line of Vision Gran Turismo concepts that showcase the future of sports cars from the world of Gran Turismo. It's called the COPEN RJ VGT and this is what happens when you turn a Copen Robe into an oversized go-kart fit for track duty.
Made to commemorate the Copen's 15th anniversary when the first one was launched in Japan in 2002 as well as Daihatsu's 110th anniversary since its 1907 founding, the RJ (Racing Jacket) is a demonstration of what a fun Daihatsu should be. The base Copen Robe has a turbocharged 660cc engine that produces 64PS of power but in the RJ, no one knows what powers it especially when it churns out 146HP of power and 149.4ft-lb of torque. Because it weighs 1,323 lbs, which is incredibly the lightest Vision GT car ever offered, the Copen RJ VGT's power-to-weight ratio is around 0.11 horsepower per pound.
Although not much information is given about this heavily tweaked Copen Robe that is made with Gran Turismo in mind, the Copen RJ is one of the key reminders of why Daihatsu will always be part of Gran Turismo history ever since it made its first appearance in Gran Turismo 2 and catered fans with kei cars like the Move, the Mira, and the Midget, not to mention a compact car called the Storia. I really want to know more but now it's time for me to get to the fun part and since the Copen wants to stick to its "LOVE LOCAL" slogan, I went to Suzuka for some sessions.
Designed for those who are new to the Vision GT line of vehicles, the Copen RJ VGT's dynamics are beginner-friendly so there is no effort to get to know about the birthday present for both Daihatsu and their Copen kei-roadster but I do try to warn you that since this is a front-wheel drive roadster, just like the normal Copen, understeer is likely and looks like you'll going to need some painkillers for your arms because the steering is worth spraining your arms when it approaches a corner and understeer. That really is painful but with a little ease, you may find that the Copen RJ is worth fun to drive in the world of Gran Turismo and you will be able to tell the world that you've driven the revived Copen, in RJ guise. Anyway, wanna see how I do?
The tight corners in Suzuka really are a pain in my arms but I managed to finish the whole lap without going out of bounds.
The Copen RJ only exists in the world of Gran Turismo but its presence is a fitting tribute not just for Daihatsu's 110th year but also their Copen's 15th anniversary. It really is a cherry on the top of the cake worth biting for and it's a clear reminder that why Daihatsu is always here to stay in the world of Gran Turismo. It may not be as fast as the other Vision GT machines but for getting started, it really is a stepping stone you can learn something from when you come out of it. That is my bottom line.
The South Korean government is putting the final touches on preparations for next week's inter-Korean summit. On the presidential table today, a hotline will be set up that will link South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
Presidential spokesperson Kim Eui-kyeom said the end of the hotline will be at the South Korean presidential office and on the North Korean side, it will be at the State Affairs Commission, which is an executive body headed by Kim Jong-un.
The Blue House spokesperson said during a pres briefing on Friday working-level officials from the two sides will conduct a trial call before connecting the line today, but the exact time has yet to be set.
- After retiring from his post as PNP Director General, Ronald Dela Rosa is now head of the Bureau of Customs following a successful tour of duty in the police force
- Yesterday, Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano said the European Union Parliament has "crossed the red line" with its “unwarranted and uncalled for actions” against the Philippines that already constitutes interference in the country’s internal affairs. Cayetano’s statement came after the EU adopted a resolution calling on the Philippines to end extrajudicial killings under President Duterte’s war on drugs campaign, release detained Senator Leila De Lima, and remove human rights defenders, including United Nations Special Rapporteur Victoria Tauli Corpuz, from its list of terrorists.
- A criminal complaint was filed yesterday against against Health Secretary Francisco Duque III and 37 others, including former Health secretary Janette Garin over the death of another child who received the anti-dengue vaccine Dengvaxia.
- The Supreme Court is expected to hand down next month the verdict on the quo warranto petition that sought the disqualification and ouster of Chief Justice-on-leave Maria Lourdes Sereno.
- Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is trying to nullify the bipartisan bill that prevents US President Donald Trump from sabotaging Special Counsel Rober Mueller's investigation - even after it;s yielded multiple indictments of high-level Trump associates.
- ICYMI, the Red Bull Global Rallycross series has been ceased for the 2018 season as it deals with numerous unpaid bills in the wake of the closure. The Red Bull-sponsored short-course rally sanctioning body told tracks on Tuesday that it would not promote events this season, ending a tumultuous offseason for the Colin Dyne-owned entity. Several tracks have revealed unpaid vendor bills or revenue share commitments since the conclusion of the 2017 season.
- The first teaser pic of the Brabham BT62 has popped up and details said that it will have a 5.4L V8 engine and 1,200kg of downforce, as well as a power-to-weight ratio of 730PS per tonne.
- The last Forza Motorsport 7 DLC Pack to be covered on the Car Pass, the K1 Speed Car Pack, is now available, featuring a wide array of legendary machines such as the Greenwood Corvette, 166 Inter Sport, 906 Carrera 6, 924 Carrera GTS, GTP ZX-Turbo, as well as the Maserati Levante crossover and a US-Spec Honda Odyssey minivan,
- Veteran actor Julio Diaz was arrested after he was caught using illegal drugs.
- The alleged nude video of actor-singer Mark Bautista went viral on Facebook.
US President Donald Trump said he is doing everything possible to have a "very successful" US-North Korea summit but added he will walk away if its unlikely to bear fruit. He said this in a joint press conference with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Florida.
It was the second and final day of the summit between US President Donald Trump and the Japanese Prime Minister. Much of the press conference covered North Korean issues and what the US hopes to gain from it.
President Trump said he is looking forward to his meeting with Kim Jong Un and that hopefully, the talks are a great success. Trump plans to meet Kim at either the end of May or the start of June to discuss the denuclearization of the peninsula.
