787B? In Forza 4? Really?

Looking back at the 787B's progress
at Circuit De La Sarthe

Now, if you're one of the Forza Motorsport 4 players who is Japanese, you might be start asking how did the Mazda 787B appeared on Forza Motorsport 4 via the February ALMS Pack, which is on sale now. Yes, this Le Mans race car powered by a rotary engine is highly sacred to the car enthusiasts and most toy and model companies created several 787B diecast models for them to waste their money at. Of course, most video games featured the 787B but at Forza Motorsport 4, this is their first. We're very sure most Japanese FM4 players are getting peculiar about the 787B's Forza 4 debut appearance but this is due to inconsistent public demand by most Forza Faithfuls worldwide.

The one and only rotary engine-powered racer
is historical

Because the history about the birth of the 787B and its first and only win at the 1991 24 Hours of Le Mans is too long and too boring for you to read, I should explain my experience about the 787B on Forza Motorsport 4. Anyway, as I bought this car for about 2,200,000 CR, this is probably one of the best sounding LMPs I have ever heard. Many Forza Faithfuls would be lucky enough to drive this and I always wanted to drive one of these on FM4. The power of the Wankel rotary engine is just absolutely staggering. When I put my feet to the accelerator (or my finger to the RT button), the R26B rotary engine bellows and it feels like I'm back at 1991, the year when Mazda got its first and only win at Le Mans! While the 787B is stationary, it sounds like a bike starting up. That's what makes the 787B so special not only because of its beautiful sound of the R26B rotary engine but this car always has a kindred spirit, setting the template on other rotary powered production cars such as the RX-7 and the RX-8. Sadly, those rotary-powered engines are becoming extinct and rotary engines are becoming a mirage from the past. That makes me very sad. 

Wonder when will they feature this on Top Gear?

Because production of the Mazda RX-8 comes to a complete end this Summer, I can't believe we are going to say goodbye again to the rotary engine that once fueled the "Zoom-Zoom" phenomenon but it doesn't matter. It's important to leave something behind for future generations, especially when most Japanese Forza Motorsport 4 are getting content on playing with the Mazda 787B and enjoy it as if they've enjoyed the 787B from other video games. After summing it up, I found out that the 787B is the best LMP featured on Forza Motorsport 4's February ALMS Pack, rather than the Audi R18 TDi of the present because the Mazda 787B is the only rotary-powered LMP to remember for.

World's largest BMW showroom in Abu Dhabi!

BMW Abu Dhabi showroom

It's Abu Dhabi's time to shine for the world's largest BMW showroom ever built by Abu Dhabi Motors. Abu Dhabi Motors, certified distributor of BMW vehicles in UAE, built this impressive showroom that measures 35,000 square meters and it took three years to built it when this project began in 2009, costing about 62 million Euros. BMW Group said that the Middle East plays an important role for sales because last year, they sold more cars. 

Not just a dealership, this is a shopping mall selling BMW and Mini merchandises as well as original parts and accessories. Wait, there's even a private cinema for new car releases, a cafe, F1 racing sim, and a playground that provides the best customer experience. Wow, wish I could go there...

Scoop: http://www.topgear.com.ph/news/largest-bmw-group-showroom-opens-in-abu-dhabi

BMW M5 F10 tuning by G-Power

G-Power M5 F10

So, it begins. The BMW M5 F10 gets tuned by someone who specializes on tuning BMW cars to the max, G-Power. From here, the 4.4L V8 BiTurbo engine gets tuned into 640HP of power and 777Nm, thanks to the updated ECU and custom exhaust system. This will go 0-60 in 3.9 seconds. For enhanced handling, it provided some coil-over suspension system with nine selectable settings along with the new braking system and 21-inch rims wrapped with Michelin Pilot Super Sport Tires.

Scoop: http://carscoop.blogspot.com/2012/02/g-power-ed-2012-bmw-m5-dances-to-tune.html

Welcome Back: 2008 Aston Martin DBS

Keira Knightley in Puff Diddley's jewerly

The interior is all marvelous. The gear lever
really looks like a Power Ranger's leg

Aston Martin claims that the hardcore DBS is a 6-litre hard-driving lightweight thoroughbred but in Top Gear's point of view, it's not a thoroughbred but this is the best Aston Martin ever made despite it's not as fast as the hardcore version of the Aston Martin V12 Vanquish in the straights, not as prettier as the DB9, and it's more expensive than the DB9. Those Top Gear wazzocks rate this car as "UNCOOL" (See Top Gear Cool Wall app in your iPhone) and described that the Space Shuttle looks a bit rubbish in comparison. Who cares? This Aston Martin was been featured in two Bond films from Casino Royale (2006) to Quantum of Solace (2008) as the car of choice for Bond actor, Daniel Craig.

When it lapped round the Top Gear Test Track courtesy of The Stig, it hailed as the fastest Aston Martin on the track with the lap time of 1:23.93, eclipsing the likes of the Aston Martin Vanquish S and the DB9. Even the Aston Martin newcomer, the Virage, couldn't fight off because as James May told, the DB9 has 450HP, the DBS has 510HP, and the new Virage has 490HP. Get it?

The Aston Martin DBS V12 is my personal favorite because of Bond movie appearances and I'm glad it's back on Forza Motorsport 4. I like this more than the new Virage but I'm afraid that I found myself climbing out after a short while and summing up the car although I accidentally become Daniel Craig.

It is a very likable, very brilliant Aston but let's be honest, if you pull outside the casino in Montenegro in one of these, the doorman, I'm afraid, will ask you to go away. Still, Bond loses it all but Bond wins it all.

"Asahan Mo"

What just happened on the February 17, 2012 episode of Bubble Gang?

- This doctor seems to be very serious...at laughing on his patient's serious condition

- Those Bubble Gags let their men get their ladies out in the car after their date

- From Bubble Gang, comes a story where the protagonist is actually the antagonist and her name is Antonietta

Antonietta

- Bubble Gang does SkyFlakes by spoofing this commercial as SpyFlakes. Dahil maaasahan ka ng pamilya, asahan mo ng SpyFlakes.

Bubble Gang does SkyFlakes

- Bureche is making some prank calls

Bureche prank calls

- Ogie Alcasid provides us some Kontra-Bagot Tips to humiliate others...

- Feels like they're holding nothing but this imagination's getting really to hurt.

- IyoTube in High (Forever You and Me)

- Meet the trash-talking family who spend most of the time, trash-talking and doing bad things, except for one who's doing good.

Modified Audi Q7 by Project Kahn

Project Kahn Audi Q7

Another modification lashed out from the Project Kahn portfolio and this time it's in the form of the Audi Q7 flagship SUV. So, what did Project Kahn do to the Audi Q7? Outside, you can expect ground effects kit, wheel arch extensions, front fender vents, side skirts, roof spoiler, and a rear apron. Also, it comes with Project Kahn's very own 22-inch RSX rims colored in Gunmetal Grey.

Scoop: http://carscoop.blogspot.com/2012/02/project-kahn-wide-body-audi-q7-30-tdi.html

Welcome Back: 2009 Ferrari California

This California is modified to do some
Nurburgring action

Vicki Butler-Henderson's right. When the roof opens,
the back does look like J-Lo after her visit to the pie shop.

Feels like I'm in Tagaytay...

Ferrari's California is definitely the first Ferrari that comes with a hard-top convertible. Not just that, it is the first with the fuel-injected 4.3L V8 engine that produces 453HP of power and 357lb-ft of torque. However, the Ferrari California is seriously uncool if you're a bloke but it's cool if you're a girl. Just ask Fifth Gear's Vicki Butler-Henderson. In Jeremy Clarkson's 2009 DVD titled "Clarkson: Duel", there was a part where which British motoring TV show has the best drivers. Representing Top Gear, there's Jeremy Clarkson and The Stig, and they're pitting against Fifth Gear's Tiff Needell and Vicki Butler-Henderson. The first round pits Tiff and Stig on their Hyundai compacts and this part reveals one of Stig's weaknesses. That is that when The Stig saw a girl with a gun (particularly Vicki holding the paintball gun), he gets to a standstill, resulting to a humiliating loss. On the second round, Vicki Butler-Henderson drives the Ferrari California while Jeremy Clarkson drives the Aston Martin DBS Volante. Because this is Britain, rain is likely to occur and before they race, they have to close the roof but thanks to The Stig's distraction, Vicki had a three-second start. When the race began and after the roofs are closed, the rivalry between Clarkson and Vicki Butler-Henderson fueled their fanatical hatred during the race. The race ended in a dead heat. On the third and final round, The Stig and Tiff Needell will race using the bicycle but unfortunately, The Stig doesn't know how to ride the bike, resulting a win to Fifth Gear.

Just one thing, this Ferrari California was featured in Top Gear Korea, where presenter Kim Jin Pyo is chauffeuring actress Kang So-Ra after her gig at the 2011 Busan International Film Fest. When Kim Jin-Pyo full throttled the California, Kang So-Ra's gown's blowing away due to the speed of the California.

Anyway, enough talk right now because the California returned on Forza Motorsport 4 and it's part of the game's AutoVista feature where you can explore more about this car and hear Jeremy Clarkson's comments about the Ferrari California. Maybe this car does have a point...

Toyota to produce Camry in Taiwan

2012 Toyota Camry

It was announced that Toyota will produce the all new "hybrid-only" Toyota Camry AVV50 with its Taiwan joint partner, Kuozui Motors, Ltd. It will take place at the Kuanying plant in Taiwan. Production of the Taiwan-spec Toyota Camry Hybrid began in February 15, 2012 and it will produce about 7,000 units.

PRESS RELEASE:

Toyota 'Camry Hybrid' Production and Sales Start in Taiwan

Toyota City, Japan, February 16, 2012—Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) announces that its production affiliate in Taiwan, Kuozui Motors, Ltd. (Kuozui), today marked the start of production and sales of the "Camry Hybrid" in Taiwan.

Production of the Camry Hybrid at Kuozui's Kuanying Plant in Taiwan's Taoyuan County began on February 15, making the plant Toyota's seventh hybrid-vehicle production site outside Japan.  Initial annual production is set at approximately 7,000 vehicles, to be the exclusive supply of the domestic market.

Sales of the vehicle, ranging in price from 1,069,000 to 1,399,000 Taiwan dollars, began today.

Marking the development, Kuozui President Haruaki Hoshino said: "We are very proud to begin production of the state-of-the-art Camry Hybrid at our Kuanying Plant.  With environmental and energy-conservation consciousness in Taiwan rising every year, we hope to supply the Taiwanese market with as many hybrids as possible."

TMC considers addressing environmental issues to be one of its most important management tasks and is actively working to promote hybrids and other environment-friendly vehicles.  At the end of 2011, global cumulative sales of TMC-produced hybrid vehicles reached approximately 3.6 million units.

Scoop: http://www2.toyota.co.jp/en/news/12/02/0216.html

Mazda CX-5 (KEEFW/KEEAW/KE2FW/KE2AW)

The success of the facelifted Mazda Demio and Mazda Axela really shows that the new SKYACTIV Technology really provides exceptional fuel economy without sacrificing uncompromising performance. This technology made Mazdas as menthol fresh as a Vicks Inhaler except that now that Mazda had made this...

2013 Mazda CX-5

This is the Mazda CX-5, the most compact yet sparkling new Mazda ever made. This is the first production Mazda that comes with the brand's new design philosophy called KODO -Soul of Motion- as seen on the Shinari Concept. This is the first that come with the new SKYACTIV-D clean diesel engine, first that come with the new SKYACTIV-BODY for excellent rigidity with a lightweight body, first that comes with the SKYACTIV-CHASSIS for superb cornering and finally, the first to come with a system similar to Volvo's City Safety and Subaru's Eyesight ver. 2 system and they called it Smart City Brake Support that automatically stops the car when it seeks an incoming obstacle.

Because this is the first that features Mazda's new KODO (魂動)-Soul of Motion- design language, the new CX-5 is heavily inspired from the Mazda Minagi concept as seen from the 2011 Geneva Motor Show. This look combines the expression of energy pulsing throughout the vehicle with the keen agility to move about freely and nimbly. The Mazda CX-5 expresses the image of a cheetah as it stands with its weight poised on its hind legs, ready to lunge at its prey. It's very intimidating, though.

2013 Mazda CX-5 interior

On the interior, the new Mazda CX-5 has a deep, longitudinally stretched design that resembles a cockpit and produces a sense of forward momentum. On the passenger's point of view, the instrument panel looks ample and solid. Although, it looks smaller than the CX-7 it replaces, it still carries up to five passengers and the rear seats can be folded for spacious situations. Because most Mazda models with SKYACTIV Technology do come with the "intelligent-Drive Master" (i-DM), the Mazda CX-5 has these. The i-DM is the world's first driver aid that supports enjoyable driving while encouraging a driving style that enhances passenger comfort and improves fuel economy. It provides you an overall score based on your driving experience and it gives you some practical advice before you can get off the CX-5. Good mark for Mazda, there.

2013 Mazda CX-5 interior

SKYACTIV Technology promises optimized fuel economy and uncompromising performance, so that's why the Mazda CX-5 has the best of both worlds. First, the 2.0 liter SKYACTIV-G i-stop engine (PE-VPS) engine produces 155PS of power and 196Nm of torque. This is equipped on the 20C and 20S 2WD variants and it provides them 16km/L of fuel economy, making it more efficient than its key rival, the Mitsubishi RVR. For the first time in Mazda history and it's available only on the CX-5 XD (Cross-D) variants is the brand-new 2.2 liter SKYACTIV-D i-stop (SH-VPTS) Common Rail diesel engine that produces 175PS of power and 420Nm of torque. It promises a record-breaking fuel economy of 18.6km/L. Depending on the variant, the new CX-5 comes with an improved 4WD for all round driving with fuel economy of 15.6km/L for the 2.0L petrol variant and 18.0km/L for the 2.2L diesel engine. Most variants do come with the 6-speed SKYACTIV-DRIVE transmission that has good fuel economy, easy start up, direct feel, and smooth shifting, ideal for the world market.

The Mazda CX-5 is the first Mazda to come with the all new Smart City Brake Support that uses a laser sensor to detect a vehicle or obstacle in front and automatically reduces the extent of the brake rotor travel to quicken braking operation. If the driver fails to brake, SCBS automatically activates the brakes and reduces the engine output at the same time. It's like what the Volvo S60 and the Subaru Impreza Sport/G4 does.

The new Mazda CX-5 comes in six exterior colors; Zeal Red Mica, Sky Blue Mica, Velocity Red Mica, Aluminum Metallic, Black Mica, and Crystal White Pearl Mica.

My Comment:
First Mazda to obtain the KODO design language. First Mazda to have SKYACTIV-CHASSIS. First Mazda to have SKYACTIV-D. First Mazda to have SKYACTIV-BODY. And first Mazda to have Smart City Brake Support. With pricing begin at 2,050,000 Japanese Yen, consider this your first because the CX-5 is the best of both worlds. Is it just me or are we underpaid? Ah, but there's a bit of a problem. Nope, sorry, The Mazda CX-5's not coming to the Philippines because SKYACTIV technology is not fit for the Philippine market. Sorry but that's FGP-Mazda's rule, and also the Euro 2 compliant policy.

Photo: Mazda Motor Corporation

Those Pommy Bas.....

2012 Honda Civic

Ahem. Obviously, they picked up their gauntlet, so welcome, everybody, to the ninth-generation, NOT FOR JAPAN, Honda Civic. This is the kind of Honda we can call on. The country's first ECON switch for enhanced fuel economy, the 1.8L i-VTEC that powered the old FD Civic that was died in 2010, the 5-speed automatic transmission, i-MiD display that allows you to use your pic as a wallpaper, cruise control, lots of it.

So, it's here, how much is this? This one costs 1,074,000 Philippine Pesos.

Scoop: http://www.topgear.com.ph/news/launched-all-new-honda-civic

Room 3181 at Seattle Central

Hi! It's me, Leopaul.

On Room 3181 of the Seattle Central Community College (the study room) There was actually a different kind of wall that really won't let you into trouble.

In old times, most teenagers commonly using markers to vandalize the walls of school property and the authorities are getting mad at those who did it. On that Room 3181, there was a wall that you can write whatever you want but you can clean it with a cloth. This is some kind of Engineering Connection. A special kind of wall that was inherited from the white board. I find this wall very special because that wall will not turn me into a vandal for writing on walls. It's very convenient though but I have to tell you that only water-based markers will work on Room 3181's wonder wall because put that with a permanent marker and that's vandalism to you.

Now who would have thought of that kind of Engineering Connection?

Driving Music (What is the name of the song on car commercial?) Vol. 26

Okay, who've attacked me? If someone who Google searched "song in the verano car commercial", what's wrong with you? You're a big idiot. The music you've heard from the Buick Verano Car Commercial is an original music. I'm sorry but that is an original music. Please refrain from doing this because that is not funny!

For an alternative, here are some another five Driving Musics (Car Commercial Songs) for you to sit down, shut up! How hard could that be?

5) Hit the Road by Meisa Kuroki - the song heard from the Subaru BRZ Commercial

4) Style by Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin & Bing Crosby - the song from the latest Volkswagen CC German commercial.

3) Smokescreen by Willis - from the USA Fiat 500 Abarth "Seduction" TV Commercial

2) What Doesn't Kill You (Stronger) by Kelly Clarkson - from the USA Toyota 2012 Camry "Crew" TV Commercial

1) O Verona by Craig Armstrong (From Romeo and Juliet Music from the Motion Picture Vol. 2) - As seen on the Citroen C6 French Commercial

...and that's it. That's all for this now. Whatever you do, please refrain for Google searching for what is the song on a car commercial. It's not funny.