Saturday, June 28, 2014

Let's Do The News! (June 28, 2014)

Things we learned today...

- Enjoyed the premiere episode of Girl Meets World? Yes. We do love that new show starring new tween sensations Rowan Blanchard as Riley and Sabrina Carpenter as Maya. Two BFFs trying to take on the world. Well, the next episode isn't due until July 11th but for verified users of the WATCH Disney Channel app, available on the App Store, you can get an early access on the next episode! Verify to watch the next episode!



- Aston Martin's official entry to Gran Turismo 6's Vision GT concepts, the DP-100, has finally revealed on Goodwood and it's set for next month's update!

Aston Martin DP-100 Vision Gran Turismo

- Four new recalls have been announced by the embattled General Motors and over 507k units were heavily affected.

- The sinkhole in the National Corvette Museum at Bowling Green, Kentucky, drawn 60% of the visitors and the committee decided to keep it. Let's consider that as a blessing from the unexpected.

- AM I A GOOD MAN? Season 8 of Doctor Who, starring 12th Doctor Peter Capaldi and Jenna Coleman as companion Clara, are all set this 23rd of August on BBC One and BBC One HD!

- The US Navy began their 20th Annual CARAT Exercise at Subic Bay. CARAT Philippines is part of the broader bilateral exercise series the US Navy conducts with nine partner nations from Asia to address maritime problems, especially those from the South China Sea.

- Philippine lawmakers want investigation on malpractices done from emission-testing centers, mostly the "ghost-testing" of vehicles.

- Actress Marian Rivera defended her crown as one of the sexiest women according to FHM Philippines.

- US Astronauts shaved their heads while in the space station after losing a bet over a FIFA World Cup match.

TTFN!!!

BMW M3 (F80) and M4 (F82)

2015 BMW M3 and 2015 BMW M4

For many years, the BMW M3 has been the German muscle of our generation. From its humble beginnings since the E30, its numerous regenerations, new breakthroughs, involvement in the motorsport world, the 3-Series with the muscle is one of the most iconic high-performance German machines in the history of mankind and here we are, the new chapter of M3 is finally unfold and this is not like any other M3s we remembered because starting now, the M3 is now available exclusively as a sedan while its coupe version now gets a new name...M4.

This is all part of BMW's revised naming strategy of using odd numbers for saloons and even numbers for coupes with some minor exceptions to the rule. If the naming is least of our problems, the chassis codes now come with a plot twist that we never expect to happen. 3-Series models bear the F30 code while 4-Series models bear the F32 code but the new M3 now bear the F80 code while it's F82 for the M4. Why? Anyway, there has been some conspiracy theories going on about why the chassis code for the new M3 and M4 are way different than the regular 3-Series sedan and 4-Series coupe. Some say...it's different in uses of various materials as the regular F3x models are made of steel while F8x features a combination of high-strength steel and carbon composites. Other possible theories state that this ludicrously new codes reflect the change on how the corporate office manages the finance books on those models. This is still a conspiracy but we'll let that one on the running. Anyway, the car...

2015 BMW M3 and 2015 BMW M4

By the looks of it, they're look identical to each other but the only main difference are the doors themselves. The M3 opens four doors while the M4 opens only two doors. Simple as that. What's also change is the fun factor because the previous model's V8 engine sounds more baritone, a bit more muscle car in the noise stakes. For those new models, the magnificent V8 engine has been thrown away to the trash can and replaced by the 3.0L straight-six twin turbo engine. When you listen to that, it sounds like your average sportscar and I'm not quite down to the big upset because there's the same stuff you find on the current M5: something that fires a synthesized exhaust note from the speakers. Sinister but cheating.

Although the new straight-six engine maybe a bit of a problem for us but there's an upside to this one; this engine produces 431PS of power output and 550Nm of torque, that's plenty than the old model's V8 engine. With the 7-speed DCT equipped, both the M3 and the M4 can do 0-100kph in 4.1 seconds and top speed normally limited to 250kph or 280kph with the available M driver pack. Plus it's now more economical than ever because both of these can accumulate 12.05km/L of combined fuel economy and CO2 emission of 194g/km. This engine is Euro 6-compliant.

Thanks to the use of high-strength steel and carbon components, they've managed to shave off 83kg of weight, resulting to a perfect weight distribution and a little reminiscent from the E46 days. As for handling, it's not quite bad even though these two now come with power steering for the first time. I'm not a fan of power steering though because they feel less communicative when cornered. Be warned though because while it maybe a good car to thrash about, commuting in one of these can be very drastic thanks to the fact that the suspension has been stiffened. Despite setting this one to the comfort setting, it doesn't feel as comfortable as your parents' van on a turnaround part where it leads you all the way to the top of the parking area.

2014 BMW M3 interior

2015 BMW M4 interior
Should you buy it? Well, let's calculate their starting price first because the M4 will cost you 72,200 Euros while the M3 costs 71,500 Euros, a 700 Euro difference. Even though the new M3 sedan is cheaper than its M4 coupe equivalent, they're still very expensive to own unless you have enough funds to invest in these Bimmers. If there's something I would love about these two; it's all in the styling, interior, the handling that you can really thrash around when the timing's just right, and being light on weight. Things I hate would be the lack of throttle response, redundant straight-six noise, power steering and wait for it...the pricing. But still I hate the M4 more than the Corvette C7 Stingray.

Why I hate the new BMW M4? Well, remember the whole thing happened to the Chevrolet Corvette C7 Stingray? Well, I'm proven wrong many times by those idiots and just when I though that the C7 Corvette's going to be Gran Turismo-exclusive, looks like someone done a little extortion to feature it on another racing game because they're just too jealous to feature. Jealousy forces them to steal what is supposed to be Gran Turismo exclusive and here I am, traumatized by that situation when some of the Gran Turismo exclusives got trafficked to other video games like human trafficking.

2015 BMW M3 and 2015 BMW M4

If there's one thing you need to know for those in charge of racing video games, you'd better not to lay a finger on the BMW M4 because of its Gran Turismo exclusivity and it wishes that it should not end up on the same mistake as what happened to the Chevrolet Corvette C7 Stingray. I would repeat this once and only once that the BMW M4 is Gran Turismo-exclusive and no other game should lay their hands to extort it for the sole purpose of featuring it on another racing video game. That means you Forza. Feature this and let Sony sue Microsoft for unfair competition on showing a Gran Turismo-exclusive car. Guess I'll just leave this one in the running while our new M3 friend is awaiting its own verdict from the driving gods.

The BMW M4 should stay with the other rest of the Gran Turismo exclusives like the Autobianchi, the Deltawing, the Dome Zero, Tommykaira ZZ-S, Group C Le Mans from Toyota and Nissan, and any other cars I've mentioned that are Gran Turismo exclusive. That's a direct order and that is the end of it.

Photo: BMW A.G.

"Spice up your day!"

One the June 27, 2014 episode of Bubble Gang...

- "Makikipaghiwalay" gags

- Why a picture of your wife is worth a memorable...

- IKAW AT ANG INA takes on...selfies of you raising your armpits!!!

- A teenage boy revealed that he's gay.

- More wise words from Tata Lino.

- Bubble Gang does McDonald's McSpicy Shake Shake Meal by spoofing this commercial as WCSPICY SHAKE SHAKE MEAL! Spice up your day!



- Istambay, Istambay Sa Looban, May taong dumating sa tambayan, ang lahat ay kanyang inoperan, promise niya sila day ay...YAYAMAN?!

- Brod Pete and pals are back and ANG BAGONG DATING DOON's going international!

Bella Padilla asks "ang pera po ba, may mata?". From the pages of Salapi 1:25 - Bata Batuta, Isang Perang Muta. Wala akong nakuha, misingkong duling.

Someone from San Jose, California asks if there are any wrong terms and Brod Pete knows more of them. Remember the word black board? That's wrong because...why is the black board is colored green? It's supposed to be called a green board! Black eye's also a wrong word because the color's a bit dark bluish or purple. Black box is also wrong because it's colored orange. No wonder they got confused on finding it on a plane wreckage...

Someone from China asked if there's a writing about how successful Chinese businessmen are and guess what? It goes like this: "Tong tong tong tong, tong tong tong tong, tong tong tong, pakitong kitong, alimango sa dagat, malaki at masarap, mahuli ang mahirap, sapagkat nangangagat". Alien? Alien!

- An overtime crisis as a man in the office encounters a bomb in his seat!

Friday, June 27, 2014

Peugeot 108

2015 Peugeot 108

2014 is going to be the year of the superminis because the French are unleashing their new wave of superminis, those compact cars that look small in size but for their lack in size, they make up with their new blend of wit and attitude to appease the driving gods.

The new Peugeot 108 is the definite start to this year's trends and as far as I concerned, this new model is a direct replacement to the old 107, completing Peugeot's naming strategy that all good cars end with the eight as its third digit. One zero could refer to something city car-ish while two zeroes could refer to something sport utility-ish...well you get the idea but hey, Peugeot's new city car now sports the familiar design language that the whole Peugeot family tree are wearing. With this new design, the new 108 never looked even more attractive than ever and there's more because before customers driving their own 108, they can personalize it with a host of personalization methods. They can even opt in for a canvas roof variant, called the TOP, as well if they want to spend their summer driving with the top roof opened.

Personalized or not, from every angle you can see that the new 108 is worth the beauty of its own right and I have to say that this city car is a head turner. I'm pretty sure you'll never forget the first moment you saw one but because being a city car, it starts at a cheap 10,150 Euros for the 3-door version while the 5-door version starts at 10,650 Euros, that's about five hundred more for two extra doors but whatever.

2015 Peugeot 108

2015 Peugeot 108
On the inside, it's still has the same quality like you expect from budget compacts but with the right funding, you can provide the new 108's interior some gizmos suitable for your next trip. In top-of-the-line variants, you are welcomed with the 7-inch screen, which serves as the interface for the audio system, the trip computer and for vehicle settings. There's more too because with the new Mirror Screen, your satnav will serve as the mirror of the compatible smartphone connected. Quite a nifty gadget, right? But this is only fun when you're at a stop at the parking space, waiting for your friends. I know driving is all hard work and there's simply no time for your gizmo grabbers on the road. Hopefully, someone next to you would understand how it works and enjoying it on the go.

2015 Peugeot 108

The Peugeot 108 is available in either a 1.0L VTi, a 1.0L e-VTi or the new Puretech 1.2 VTi engine which delivers a class-leading CO2 emission of 99g/km. Most models do come with a 5-speed manual but if you go for the 1.0L VTi engine with 68PS of power output, a 5-speed automatic is optional. Yes, 68PS of power output is not what you call powerful but because it weighs 840kg, the power-to-weight ratio is around 12.35kg/PS. That engine would do a 0-100kph time of 14.3 seconds and a top speed just shy around 157kph so it's not what you called quick but thanks to the use of pseudo McPherson front axle and a deformable rear beam made from a shaped tube in the suspension setup, the handling is just jolly enough to put a smile on someone named Grumpy...barely.

2015 Peugeot 108

So...what should you go for? It might be best to go for the 1.0L model because while it maybe short on the power stakes, it should be enough to keep you smiling over and over and over and over until you're back at being grumpy. To avoid? The TOP with the canvas roof on it because even when you close the roof off, you can expect some few winds slip through or the noise from within. On the upshot, that canvas roof model is worth an accessory barely well spent.

The Peugeot 108 is the city car that just getting started with this whole revolution of little cars because while they maybe short in size, they're already big in their characteristics.

Photo: PSA Peugeot Citroen

Broke my 4S, got replaced by a 5C


This is the iPhone 4S. I have this one since early January 2013 when me and my family decided to switch networks from T-Mobile to AT&T. Don't know why but hey, it's all for a good cause right. I spent a year and six months enjoying my iPhone 4S until...that fateful moment came...

The Outlet Collection, Seattle

It was the 18th of June, 2014, when our cousin, Grace, wants us to spend some time shopping at a familiar place known as The Outlet Collection, Reason why it was familiar to me because I've been there last summer with one of our cousins, named Christian. With my sister Elise spending time in the Philippines with her baby Irvine, me, my sisters Bea and Cecille, mom, dad, and Grace spend some time shopping in a small and quiet shopping mall that has less people than any mall I can remember...

Photo: first time here! #shopping

The photo in question is my last ever selfie I have ever done using my iPhone 4S. Wanna guess what happened to my 4S? Yep, I accidentally dropped it and when I picked it up...the screen has gone all stripey and unreadable. The software's fine but the screen is officially broken and I've panicked. I told the truth to my parents and they knew it. They said I should bring it to the Apple store at Westfield South Center and that made me skeptical because...it will cost around $199 to fix an iPhone but I'll talk about that later.

Anyway, back at The Outlet Collection, I'm in panic mode right now, knowing what should I do with my broken 4S while my family's taking a break in a boring manner. Yes, I know. That place is so boring, there's nothing else to shop...unless there's a Hot Topic branch in case you need to know.

After spending hours at The Outlet Collection, we went to Westfield South Center and then, rushed to the Apple store to fix my iPhone 4S but suddenly, one of the clerks told that the appointments are full and I'm totally desperate to have my phone fixed in time so I saw some mechanic and when I'm going to spend less than a hundred dollars to have my iPhone fixed to some techie in question, my dad came and he got very angry. So angry, I got his iPhone back and my hundred grand while I'm persuading my dad to calm down but believe me, my dad's so angry, he can't be contained.

Gosh, I hate my dad when he's angry and while meeting my mom and my sister Cecille at the Daiso branch in South Center, I explain about the situation to my mom and she told me that we can set an appointment on the Apple store on the next day and I agreed.

Having agreed on that decision, me and my mom went back to the Apple store and we asked one of the store clerks to set next day's appointment to have my iPhone fixed. Of course, I had finals for my math class in Seattle Central College, I decided that I should have mom and dad to go to the Apple store at the appointed time to have it fixed.

The next day, I went to the Seattle Central College to take the final exam for my math class while Mom and Dad went to South Center at the appointed time. While I was busy finishing the exam (which is kinda more of a recap to the last three quizzes as well as that final homework I took), my parents arrived an hour before the appointed time at South Center. Moments later, they went to the Apple store and it seems that with a broken screen, the Apple technicians can't fix it and instead they provided a replacement to my broken phone.




So what they did is they replaced my broken 4S with an iPhone 5C, a similar scenario that what happened to my iPod Touch when its screen was broken. Looks like the Apple idea was when a screen is broken, they can't fix it but instead a replacement is provided. Good thing I backed up most of the stuff from my broken 4S and I carried over to my new phone. All the stuff were here...well sort of because my hard work from playing that School Idol Festival app is gone for good! NO!

Oh well, I'm not kinda interested on that game anyway, but still, with my stuff from 4S now carried over to my new 5C, I'm glad things are back to the way things are but the only downside is that when I connect it to the computer, the iTunes keeps showing up that "unknown error" (-54) stuff. Don't know why and that's why it's called an "unknown error".

So, is Apple's idea of providing you a replacement when a screen is broken is worth it or is it just a waste of cash? Gosh, those technicians should learn how to fix a broken screen next time if they want to save their iPhones. A broken screen from your iPhone is like a total wreck on the car. When totalled, that's it. It's over.

Gran Turismo 6: Goodwood 2014

Goodwood Hillclimb 2014

In time for today's Goodwood Festival of Speed, looks like the Goodwood Hillclimb track on the PS3-exclusive Gran Turismo 6 has been updated with the new central feature within the game. That "Central Feature" for this year's Goodwood FoS is made possible by this year's hosting carmaker, Mercedes-Benz, reflecting the German luxury car company's 120 years of motorsports involvement.

Believe it or not, the series creator, Kazunori Yamauchi, gets to drive the Mercedes-Benz 300 SLS - one of the two 300SL roadsters tweaked for the National Sportscar Championship in the 1950's up to the famous Goodwood Hill Climb.

With the Goodwood Hill Climb in tune with the times, looks like most of our Gran Turismo 6 stars are welcomed to take on the Goodwood FoS just the way they like. It's like a red carpet premiere where celebs get their photos taken before going in the movies.


Goodwood Hillclimb 2014_1Goodwood Hillclimb 2014_2Goodwood Hillclimb 2014_3Goodwood Hillclimb 2014_4Goodwood Hillclimb 2014_5Goodwood Hillclimb 2014_6Goodwood Hillclimb 2014_7Goodwood Hillclimb 2014_8Goodwood Hillclimb 2014_9Goodwood Hillclimb 2014_10Goodwood Hillclimb 2014_11

And here's the results on how they do well on GT6's very own Goodwood:

C7 Corvette - 0:54.750
NSX Concept - 0:52.108
M4 - 0:53.828
MB AMG VGT Racing Series - 0:47.461
Mario Andretti's 1948 Hudson - 1:06.134
FT-1 - 0:51.085
X2014 Fan Car - 0:34.462
BMW VGT - 0:46.816
Lotus 97T - 0:44.407
Concept XR-PHEV Evo - 0:48.453
VW GTi Roadster VGT - 0:45.872

Questionable? Oh well, those results don't really matter. What matters is, these cars are having fun down at Goodwood.

FIFA World Cup 2014 - Day 15


The Group Stage of the FIFA WORLD CUP Brasil is finally over and the countries participating for the Round of 16 match are Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Uruguay, France, Nigeria, Germany, Algeria, Holland, Mexico, Costa Rica, Greece, Argentina, Switzerland, Belgium, and the USA.

Anyway, on the 15th day, we see Portugal finished the feud with Ghana after the 2-1 score, the Germans won the war against USA at the score of 0-1, Belgians gave South Koreans a good kicking at the score of 0-1, and the fight between Algeria and Russia ended in a draw, with one goal each.

But no matter though, the remaining 16 nations eligible for the Round of 16 match are vowed to do their best to keep playing to the end.

Round of 16 begins on June 28, 2014, 13:00 Brazil time with Brazil vs. Chile and Colombia vs. Uruguay.

Let's Do The News! (June 27, 2014)

GSV YRT HXLLK GLWZB...

- According to a Balitang Amerika report, there was an American journalist spending hours watching programs from ABS-CBN's The Filipino Channel. Jonathan Block, a journalist from New York, told that even though he doesn't understand Tagalog, he's one of the many foreigners who love the Filipino culture.

- Peugeot revealed their special 208 GTi 30th Anniversary edition on Goodwood Festival of Speed. This special pays tribute to the 205 GTi and it features an uprooted version of its 1.6L THP engine.

Peugeot 208 GTi 30th Anniversary

- IT'S THE NEW FOCUS ST! Well, sort of. The Ford Focus ST has a new face while still retaining the same 247bhp 2.0L EcoBoost engine. Actually, there was one addition to the Focus ST but unfortunately, because this is a Euro-only variant, I can't tell you what's what but I can tell you that classified engine running on the d-word is 63hp less than its petrol equivalent.

2015 Ford Focus ST

- Director Guillermo Del Toro announced that there's going to be a Pacific Rim sequel in the works but that's not all because the hit mecha robot movie will spawn a cartoon series.

- Just before Season 3 hits the airwaves, Nickelodeon's hit animated action series, The Legend of Korra, gets its very own video game and Platinum Games is in charge for development of this fall's video game which set after Season 2.

- Solaire goes airborne as the Philippines' premier integrated resort and casino is collaborating with Air Asia for their breakthrough branding project.

- Due to the upcoming earthquake drill set by the Makati City Hall on June 30, 2014, business transactions will end so employees will take part of it.

- Moments after the launch of the New Mini F56 in the Philippine market, official distributor British United Automobiles inaugurated their own Cebu dealership.

- YOU'VE WAITED BUT HERE IT IS: Part of celebrating the 20th anniversary of the hit fighting franchise, Tekken, the folks from Kotobukiya have pulled the wraps on...wait for it... a 1/7th scale PVC figure of one of Tekken's femme fatales, Nina Williams. Set for its November 2014 on-sale date, it costs 7,200 Japanese Yen and pre-orders are open for booking. A perfect addition to one of your Tekken bishoujo figure collection.

- SweetyHigh's SweetBeat TV takes us behind the scenes of the second season of Nickelodeon's hit comedy series, The Thundermans.

TTFN!!!

Thursday, June 26, 2014

FIFA World Cup 2014 - Day 14

In Day 14 of the FIFA WORLD CUP Brasil, four games were occurred and while those three showed excitement for the fans, the latter is proven to be rather disappointing and a waste of time and money spent for the tickets.

In the Nigeria vs. Argentina match, the Argentinians advanced to the Round of 16 match against Nigeria after the score of 2-3 while Bosnia and Herzegovina prevented Iran's all out attack and finished at the score of 3-1 then the Swiss shown no mercy against Honduras and ended in the score of 0-3 and finally, the Ecuador vs. France match. You can really tell why it was a very disappointing match because not one single team managed to score one!

Tomorrow, which of the last eight countries to advance on the Round of 16? There's Portugal vs. Ghana, USA vs. Germany, South Korea vs. Belgium, and Algeria vs. Russia, vying for their position to the Round of 16 match.

Let's Do The News! (June 26, 2014)

The big scoop today...

- LeBron James was opted out of his contract from Miami Heat, moments after their bitter loss from the 2014 NBA Finals, to become an unrestricted free agent.

- According to Philippine President Benigno Aquino III, Japan promises to analyze Metro Manila's subway system.

- Love the new Godzilla movie? Bandai Namco Games announced a new Godzilla video game coming this winter!

- Aston Martin is going to reveal their entry to the Vision Gran Turismo lineup at this week's Goodwood Festival of Speed.

- Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla's guesting at the Pinoy Big Brother house stirs mixed comments and some problems inside the house, especially when housemate Jane Oineza finally met with her, face to face, baring all the truth behind her.

- Toyota revealed their fuel-cell vehicle set for next year's on sale date.

Toyota FCV


- Ariel Motor Company reverts back to their two-wheel roots by unveiling the Ace motorcycle, set for this week's Goodwood debut.

Ariel Ace

- Senator Bong Revilla refuses to enter plea in plunder case at Sandiganbayan.

- To boost the country's military defense, the Philippine government announced that they'll be supplying 21 choppers and 50,000 M4 assault rifles by this year.

- The new Chinese map detailing more on the South China Sea claims is just a "drawing" according to Malacanang Palace officials.

TTFN!!!

Some say: Toyota Crown to get 2.0L turbo from Lexus NX

Toyota Crown Athlete

One possible conspiracy theory going on in the world of Toyota is that if that newly developed 8AR-FTS 2.0L 4-cylinder twin turbo engine, as seen from the upcoming 2015 Lexus NX compact crossover, is proven to be worth it, this engine will soon replace the 4GR-FSE 2.5L V6 engine from current and upcoming models. Even the current Lexus IS would follow suit as well.

Word from the mouth is that the Toyota Crown, the current 13th generation model, is going to follow the downsizing trend as for next year's minor change, the 2.5L V6 engine will be dropped from the lineup and be replaced by the turbo 4-pot engine.

Let's do the math; the 4GR-FSE 2.5L V6 engine develops around 203PS of power and 243Nm of torque while the upcoming 8AR-FTS 2.0L 4-cylinder engine develops a theoretical 238PS of power and 350Nm. The result; about 35PS more than the 2.5L V6 so that's a conspiracy worth happening.

Top Gear USA: Snow Show



The boys of Top Gear had no time to "Let it Go" in this frozen episode about snows and a school bus as they're on a mission to create a school bus snow plough, usable on imminent winter storms. Using a Chevy short bus as the foundation, Tanner's idea involves performance while Rut wants close-range snow removal and Adam prefers some long-range snow removal.

With their ideas, the ultimate snow plough school bus was born but only one idea will stand out from their creation. With Rut's plowing idea failed and Adam's long range snow clearing ideas went kaput, Tanner's performance idea is the winner and...

Tanner gets to put the Nissan GT-R in the race against the Arctic snowmobile at the snow-covered Wyoming.

At the end of this frozen face-off, looks like the GT-R came second with the snowmobile blitzing through the finish line.

Wednesday, June 25, 2014

FIFA World Cup 2014 - Day 13


It's the 13th day of the FIFA WORLD CUP Brasil and on this day, the Italy vs. Uruguay match ended with Uruguay that pinned down the Italian heavyweights at the score of 0-1. Then, the Costa Rica vs. England match ended in an utter disappointed because none of the teams scored just one goal. In the Japan vs. Colombia match, looks like Japan was shunned from their loss against the Colombian footballers at the score of 1-4. And in the Greece vs. Ivory Coast match, the Greeks shown no mercy against the Ivory Coast after the score of 2-1.

In tomorrow's match, four games will be occurring with Nigeria taking on Argentina up to Ecuador vs. France. Which country will advance to the Round of 16? Find out soon...

Mitsuoka Ryugi

2015 Mitsuoka Ryugi
Your eyes can't deceive you. At first glance, it looks like a classic saloon but when you notice the name Mitsuoka on the detail, you would ask that this boutique Japanese car maker made a faux classic car out of an ordinary city car and yes, this is true. What you're looking at is the replacement to those old, tenth-generation Toyota Corolla-based, Galue 2-04 and Nouera 6-02. It's called the Ryugi and it's not to be confused with the Ryoga, which is based on the final-generation Nissan Primera per se. Oh no, this is a new boutique compact saloon for some people would say owning a neo-classical vehicle would be classy but it's not so classy when you heard this...

Underneath, it's based on the eleventh-generation Toyota Corolla Axio. Yes, you guessed it. It's a neo-classical machine based on a commoner vehicle that is made in Japan so just deal with it.

 2015 Mitsuoka Ryugi interior

2015 Mitsuoka Ryugi interior

On the inside, it still has the same comforts that you'd expect from the eleventh-generation Toyota Corolla and depending on the variant, you can expect some optional extras to spice up your Ryugi just the way you want it. You can hardly imagine if this is your ride to your next prom per se.

The Ryugi comes with either a 1NZ-FE 1.5L petrol engine or a 1NZ-FXE 1.5L petrol engine connected to a 1LM electric motor. Yes, this Mitsuoka offers a hybrid model for the first time. In petrol models, it can be mated with either a CVT or a 5-speed manual gearbox but on the hybrid model, it's available exclusively with a CVT gearbox.

In terms of handling, the Ryugi, like the Corolla, drives cheaply because of its rack and pinion steering, MacPherson struts on the front, and torsion beam coil springs at the back.

2015 Mitsuoka Ryugi
The base 15ST model is priced at 2,214,000 Japanese Yen (around $22,140) while the HYBRID model with the optional seat heater will cost you 3,110,400 Japanese Yen (around $31,140). There are 10 trim models to choose from while the petrol models do come with available four-wheel drive. So, fancy a Toyota Corolla in a Rolls-Royce getup?

Available colors: White Pearl Crystal Shine, Silver Metallic, Black Mica, Blackish Red Mica

Photo: Mitsuoka Motor Co., Ltd.

Let's Do The News! (June 25, 2014)

The big scoop today...

- There has been some scandal going on in Japan recently. There were news about Tokyo Assembly Member, Ayaka Shiomura, who was sexually harassed by an assemblyman. After the recent scandal, Ayaka Shiomura decided to turn her scandal as a motivation to improve the situation for working women in Japan.

- Nissan to display a scale replica of the Concept 2020 Vision Gran Turismo concept car at this week's Goodwood Festival of Speed.

Nissan Concept 2020 Vision Gran Turismo

- FROM CONCEPT TO REALITY: Jaguar announced that Jaguar's F-Type Project 7 will be limited to 250 units, with production scheduled for next year.

2015 Jaguar F-Type Project 7

- THIS IS THE NEW FORD EDGE: Ford unveiled the second-generation of their Edge crossover, which now gains its global status. It's the first model to have EcoBoost engine standard and it's scheduled to go on sale next year.

2015 Ford Edge

- Check out the latest trailer for the Lupin the Third live-action movie starring Shun Oguri as Lupin the Third. Yes, he gets to drive the classic Fiat 500 just like his anime counterpart do.



- A faster Range Rover Sport is coming...and it's coming real soon.



- Polyphony Digital Inc., the studio behind Gran Turismo, announced a long-term collaboration with the FIA.

- G. Hannelius from Disney's Dog With a Blog shows some show-inspired nail art tutorial!

- The Department of Science and Technology mulls about launching their own satellite for the Philippines in 2016. Codenamed "DIWATA", this planned satellite, approved by the government, contributes the observation of the Philippines in terms of geology, weather, navigation, and so on. The Philippines is continue collaborating with other nations, especially Japan, for this project.

TTFN!!!

Gran Turismo 6: Toyota's TS030 Hybrid

One of the cars I've demanded to be on Gran Turismo 6, which is the Toyota TS030 Hybrid, has arrived and to me, this is the first time I've ever take on Toyota's return to the world of endurance racing after their decade-long absence.

  Circuit de la Sarthe 2013_4

So, what's it all about the TS030 Hybrid anyway? In theory, this hybrid LMP succeeds where other Toyota Le Mans cars, especially the GT-One, left off, but there's a bit more to that.

Circuit de la Sarthe 2013_2Circuit de la Sarthe 2013_1

This machine served as Toyota's return to Le Mans since the GT-One of 1999. It was equipped with Toyota's hybrid system-racing system developed by their production hybrid development team and the East Fuji Research Lab's motorsports division. It comes with a race-spec 3.4L V8 engine connected to a Denso electric motor built to the rear gearbox while power is sourced from its double-layer capacitor. In theory, it develops around 529HP of power and it was mated with a 6-speed sequential gearbox with mechanical locking differential.

Aside from the power, the TS030's bodywork is made out of carbon fiber and aluminum so in theory, it has a similar weight to its GT-One predecessor. For handling, the suspension setup is an independent double wishbone pushrod system for the added feel while maneuvering through corners.

In its first year, in 2012, it was supposed to make a debut appearance at Spa-Francorchamps but the chassis was damaged after it was crashed at Paul Ricard during testing sessions. On June 2012, the TS030 debuted at Le Mans but 82 laps later, one of the units, piloted by Anthony Davidson, sent this LMP flying after a crash with a Ferrari, badly injuring Davidson from the tragedy. Well, you get the idea about what just happened but this machine had a rough start in its debut appearance but when it took part in the 2012 World Endurance Championship season, its biggest accomplishment is when it won races from Sao Paulo, Fuji, and Shanghai. It placed 2nd overall in the 2012 season.

Circuit de la Sarthe 2013

Despite its flaws, the TS030 is truly a work of genius, it's one of the reasons why Toyota stuck to their "FUN TO DRIVE, AGAIN" slogan as well as the whole DRIVING KIDS WITH TOYOTA nonsense but forget about that because it has been an honor to take on the TS030 in the world of Gran Turismo. Everybody agrees on that but there's something missing...Ah!


Gemasolar

Looks like it's comparison time because with the TS030...it's time for this LMP to fulfill its wish as well as mine by comparing this to its predecessor, the GT-One. Where should I compare these two? Oh yes! Fuji!

Fuji Speedway F_3

Fuji Speedway! I'm going to settle these two racers once and for all and like I always do, fastest time wins. The game...IS ON!

Fuji Speedway F_2Fuji Speedway F_1

Both machines weigh 900kg but there's a catch because while the TS030 is a hybrid racer, the GT-One relies only on fossil fuel and nothing else. The TS030 lasts longer than the GT-One but the GT-One is more powerful than the TS030. That's 599HP versus a theoretical 529HP, meaning that the TS030 has a lot of catching up to do...or is it?

After a lap round Fuji, the GT-One finished at 1:32.882 while the TS030 finished at 1:35.847, about three seconds slower than the GT-One but it's closer than I thought.

Fuji Speedway F

So, there you go, the TS030 is truly one of Toyota's accomplishments in the field of motorsports and despite not being as quick as the GT-One, it participated more races and scored more wins than its predecessor can do...well, sort of.

At least, that's our wish come true.