Leopaul's Blog

Tuesday, December 5, 2017

Dodge Durango SRT and Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk

SUVs are becoming the mainstream of today's motoring and while it was meant to carry the whole family for everyday trips, it can be downright boring because why do men get married and ended up with family cars that are boring than what they had when they were single. Perhaps there is a better solution for men who got married by accident but going for the family car that is as fun as what they drove when they were single.

2018 Dodge Durango SRT

2018 Dodge Durango SRT interior

This might do the trick. Behold, the new Dodge Durango SRT and SRT really means all business because when you see SRT, all you think about V8 Dodges on steroids and it is. It's a family car on steroids and when you let loose with its 6.4L HEMI V8 engine, "Hey, how about those Republicans?" It maybe rude to say it during a conversation at the dining table but because this is the Durango SRT, this muscle SUV is ready to paint the town red, literally.

From its beefy front face, Viper-inspired bonnet, red and black interior that smells like it came from a red state, and the huge monitor that comes with a performance mode screen that displays G-forces, braking distance, reaction times, and everything that your SUV can't do because of such boringness this SUV doesn't have, the Durango SRT is all about American football, basketball, and stock car racing with the hint of nachos, pizzas, and fast food vittles that can irritate the next neighbor or two. I mean come on, this is how good old American boys love to do in their weekends and this SUV fits to such expression.

Believe it or not, the Dodge Durango SRT has the similar expression you'd expect from the Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT because like the said one, the Durango SRT is powered by the 6.4L HEMI V8 engine mated to an 8-speed AT. This engine produces 475HP and 470lb-ft of torque and with this output, it can get from 0-60mph in 4.4 seconds, which is as fast as a high-powered German sports saloon but with enough grunt to unleash 8,700lbs of towing capacity.

It maybe a muscle car but this 62,995 Dollar (plus OTR costs) SUV on steroids can handle almost everything because this is the first Dodge SRT vehicle to come with performance-oriented four-wheel drive system and with that, not only you can handle this behemoth like a boss but you can handle any kind of weather condition like it never happened.

While all sounds nice for a V8 muscle SUV with seating for six people, it can be downright crazy to drive and when you set the drive mode on TRACK, the Durango SRT will drive you as mad as today's news and public affairs. Like your granny spending the whole day watching Mad Mad-esque films no one heard of, setting the Durango SRT on TRACK tightens the suspension damping and steering gradient feel, resulting to uncanny dynamics that will enrage drivers to the verge of hypertension. How uncanny was that? Driving an SUV on track days can be downright crazy and in the Durango SRT, while it can be decent to drive on normal roads and not bad to drive on any weather conditions, especially when its snowing in the northern extremities of America, it can lose your sanity or your arms when you twist this car through the bends.

However, that Durango SRT is the least of the problems because somewhere out there lies a more crazier American V8 crossover that can irritate the smartest people as if they got smacked by some fat teenager girl doing a stage dive at the concert.

2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk

2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk interior

This is the all-new Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk and by the looks of it, it can irritate even the European high-performance crossovers with such output. 707HP from its Hellcat V8 engine, 645lb-ft of torque, 180mph of top speed, this is a Hellcat made for those who are feeling under the weather and they can't take the Dodge Challenger Hellcat or Charger Hellcat on a rainy or snowy day and thanks to performance-tuned all-wheel drive, you can drive it anytime, anywhere no matter the weather condition.

That sounds nice but you need to be brave because driving the Trackhawk has the same experience as an EXPERT-level 600-combo song that has some bits to hold, bits to tap, and so many to tap that are too fast to lock on with your eyes. It's going to end up slipping on GOOD, GOOD, GOOD, rather than GREAT or PERFECT because with the performance-oriented 4WD and the supercharged Hellcat V8 engine, the dynamics will end up on the GOOD side and when you engage all the hero buttons around you, you'd better get some painkillers ready because there are times this can can understeer in 911 Turbo levels and resorting to brutal driving style won't cut it because the dynamics can bite you real good like dog with rabies.

Apart from the crazy dynamics and the fact that it can seat up to five people, the TRACKHAWK is downright expensive with prices start at 85,900 US Dollars, which is as expensive as a European sportscar, and that's a shame really because while it was labeled the most powerful SUV in the world, it doesn't carry enough people than the Durango SRT.

But still, despite the price difference, these American high-performance SUVs are capable of painting the town red with their deep Republican view against the opposition, raw V8 grunt, and practicality common to most SUVs. So, which one will you pick?

Photo: FCA US LLC

THREATS FROM NORTH KOREA: UN political chief heads to NoKor for rare visit

The U.N. political chief is heading to North Korea for a rare four-day visit at the invitation of the government for a wide-ranging discussion on policy issues "of mutual interest and concern."

According to the U.N. spokesperson, Undersecretary-General for Political Affairs Jeffrey Feltman would arrive in Pyongyang on Tuesday from Beijing, where he met with Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Li Baodong on Monday.

Asked whether Feltman would meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, Dujarric said that his current schedule included meetings with Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho, Vice Minister Pak Myong Guk, diplomats and U.N. staff.

Feltman is the highest-ranking American in the U.N. Secretariat. He was tapped by former Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to be the U.N. political chief in 2012 after serving for nearly 30 years in the U.S. Foreign Service, where his last post was as assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern affairs. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who succeeded Ban, extended his term until April 1, 2018.

Source: Associated Press

Let's Do The News! (December 5, 2017)

- The Food and Drug Administration put a halt on the sale on the dengue vaccine Dengvaxia and the withdrawal of stocks over potential risks to patients. In an advisory released on Monday, FDA said it has ordered pharmaceutical firm Sanofi Pasteur to suspend the sale, distribution and marketing of the vaccine and to withdraw it from the local market "pending compliance with the directives of the FDA."

- The Malacanang denied that harassment was made when a court ordered the arrest of the leader of transport group PISTON for leading a strike in February to protest the government's plan to phase out old jeepneys. Last Friday, presiding Judge Don Ace Mariano Alagar of Quezon City Metropolitan Trial Court Branch 43 issued an arrest warrant against Pinagkaisahang Samahan ng mga Tsuper at Operator Nationwide president George San Mateo for violating the Public Service Law.

- The Supreme Court uphold the finality the constitutionality of President Rodrigo Duterte's declaration of martial law in Mindanao. In a press briefing, SC spokesperson Ted Te said: "[T]he Court, voting 10-3-1, denied with finality for mootness and lack of merit all three Motions for Reconsideration filed by petitioners against the Court's Decision dated July 4, 2017 that upheld the constitutionality of martial law in Mindanao.

- Malacanang said government agencies will investigate the killing of activist priest Marcelito "Tito" Paez in Nueva Ecija on Monday. According to human rights group Karapatan, 72-year-old Paez was gunned down by unidentified assailants while he was driving his vehicle in San Leonardo, Nueva Ecija around 8 p.m. on Monday. He died at the San Leonardo Hospital.

- US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis met with top Pakistani leaders yesterday to seek common ground on the counterterrorism fight, amid Trump administration calls for Islamabad to more aggressively go after the insurgents moving back and forth across the border with Afghanistan.

- The recent government-commissioned poll says that pro-independence parties will lose their slim majority in the Catalan parliament in elections later this month, foreshadowing a complicated route to post-election deals to form a new government.

- Lamborghini returns to the SUV segment with the brand new production-spec Urus. Powered by Lamborghini's first 4.0L V8 Twin Turbo engine producing 650HP of power and 850Nm of torque, while mated to 8-speed AT, the Urus can do 0-100kph in 3.6 seconds and top speed of 305kph, making it the fastest SUV in the world.

2019 Lamborghini Urus

- Unveiled at the LA Auto Show, the all-new Infiniti QX50 crossover is the first to be powered by the new variable compression ratio turbo engine producing 272PS of power and 390Nm of torque.

2019 Infiniti QX50

- In celebration of Rockman/Mega Man's 30th anniversary, the newest installment Rockman 11 has announced and it's coming next year on PS4, XBOX One, and Switch.

- New Pokemon Nendoroid on the radar! Sun and Moon's Trial Captain Lana joins the range and it's available to order at Pokemon Center online shops starting at 4,444 Yen plus tax and delivery and arrives this June. This Nendoroid comes with different expressions, a fishing rod, and a Wishiwashi.

Nendoroid Lana

TTFN!!!

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

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

Monday, December 4, 2017

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.

Sunday, December 3, 2017

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

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.