Third-generation Kia Carnival (YP) - 2019 minor change

Kia's third-generation Carnival (Sedona) minivan has been on the road for about four years now and although not fit for today's neighborhood full of pointless midsize crossovers, it remains an important charm point for an ever-growing Korean families who want to take them on different places like their grandma's house, a swimming pool with their relatives, family meets, debuts, proms, and so much more. With the 2019 minor change, there's so much to like about the family minivan that keeps collecting good memories for today's families.

2019 Kia Carnival

For its 2019 minor change, the new Carnival features a slightly revised styling and added tech while retaining the performance matched for today's lifestyles. Let's take a look on the exterior first and this minor change can be easily spotted with its new front lamps, new front grille, new front bumper, and new rear lamps. On the inside, the slightest change is the layout of the gear lever and there's now the annoying automatic emergency brake that your titos will find it annoying to use rather than conventional handbrakes. Also, there's now the addition of a wireless charging station for added convenience. Also, the sat-nav's improved with UVO 3.0 and then the sliding doors can be opened at the push of a button.

2019 Kia Carnival interior

2019 Kia Carnival interior

2019 Kia Carnival interior

The 2019MY Carnival still retains the choice of a 9-seater, an 11-seater, and a 7-seater with luxurious second-row seats in the Limousine variant, which is made to rival the likes of the Toyota Alphard and the Honda Odyssey.

The choice of engines remain the same too; there's the R 2.2 E-VGT diesel engine with 202PS of power, 45kg-m of torque, and combined fuel efficiency of 11.3km/L, and then the more powerful Lambda II 3.3L GDi engine with 280PS of power, 34.3kg-m of torque, and 8.2km/L of combined fuel consumption, all mated to an 8-speed automatic gearbox, which is an improvement compared to the pre-facelifted model.

For 2019, Smart Cruise Control is now added to the list of safety tech alongside others such as Backward Collision Warning, Lane Departure Warning, Forward Collision Assit, Emergency Stop Signal, High Beam Assist, Tire Pressure Monitoring System, and Surround View Monitor, among many others.

The 2019 minor change Kia Carnival now starts at just 28,800,000 Korean Won ($27,000 or 1.4018 million Php).

Available colors: Snow White Pearl, Black Berry, Aurora Black Pearl, Silky Silver, and Panthera Metal.

Photo: Kia Motors

Ferrari Portofino

Almost a decade ago, Ferrari introduced us the California and while as not as mad as their most powerful siblings, the lesser child of the Ferrari stable feels as good as a luxury car and with the purpose of grand touring in mind, not only it feels comfortable on a trip round Italy but also good on track day use and it's the best of both worlds. Now though, Ferrari replaced the not-so-bad California with this...

2018 Ferrari Portofino

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It's called the Portofino and it costs 189,704 Euros, which sounds like a lot for Ferrari's newest grand tourer that is more on comfort rather than handling, although while it was made for comfortable driving, it still behaves like a proper Ferrari even when there are some things went wrong with it.

First off, there's the engine and in Ferrari's newest open-top grand tourer, it's got the same 3.9L V8 engine from the Ferrari 488, producing 600PS of power output and 700Nm of torque (760 if you let loose with the new Variable Boost Management feature). When mated to a Formula 1-derived 7-speed double clutch gearbox, which is good on supercars like the 812 and the 488 but not in here, it does 0-100kph in 3.5 seconds and onwards to over 320mph, which in car maths, that's one less than the Dodge Challenger Hellcat but unlike that muscle car I'd just mentioned, the Portofino isn't made to annoy drivers with its showboating crazines because it's a bit more than that.

2018 Ferrari Portofino interior

Like I was saying, while the Portofino is all about comfort at every angles, the suspension setup is very high tech indeed like every Ferrari should. The springs are stiffer than ever and it now comes with the next-generation magnetorheological damping system which promises to be as dynamic as a ribbon gymnast doing art in motion. Now that really is performance art when you experience the Portofino firsthand and in addition to its new electronic rear differential and F1-Trac traction control, you can really tell how much the Portofino has improved compared to its California predecessor. However, there is a major problem with this one and it's the Electronic Power Steering. Yes, speedo boys, the Portofino is the first time a Ferrari comes with Electronic Power Steering and you better get ready because when you trying to handle a corner like a hooligan, this thing will result to understeering issues and it's hard to get a perfect turn with this kind of steering unless you find a way to tick it off in the same way you did with the BMW M4, although it's a bit more complicating than that hot Bimmer I mentioned.

Although not a great idea to use the Portofino on track days unless you want to but on a weekend drive at the Amalfi, the Portofino really shines as a cruising machine without the bruising drama and because of such reworking on the inside components of the Portofino, especially the electronics and the engine, it weighs 80kg less than the California T, so therefore, it's even more lively to drive as well. How very interesting. While the inside remains as complicated as every Ferrari be, the retractable hardtop is reworked and it can be opened or closed in just 14 seconds even at cruising speeds.

So, how can I sum this car up? Well, what I love about the Portofino is the design, the comfort that every grand tourer should have, the dynamics, and the engine that doesn't have the guilty pleasure of being too artificial in its own right but what I don't is the complicating interior layout, the pricing, and of course, the electric power steering. While this is mainly the successor to the California, the Portofino is a double-edged sword that can be a blessing and a curse when stacked up against grand tourers of today and because being a Ferrari, it wants to take them all out in a game of Top Trumps which is easy to win in Ferrari's case, I believe.

Photo: Ferrari

2018 NASCAR Monster Energy Cup - Auto Club 400

The NASCAR Goes West event concludes in Fontana's Auto Club Speedway for the Auto Club 400 and the Wild Wild West showdown of the best and wildest NASCAR drivers conclude with the wildest moment to remember for fans of America's favorite motorsport pastime.

Here's what happened so far; in Lap 37, Kevin Harvick skidded himself out after a collision course with Kyle Larson. In Lap 108, with two laps to go, the #6 car is facing problems and collided with the wall.

Martin Truex Jr., last year's champion, wins the Auto Club 400. His first win of the season. Then, it was followed by second placer Kyle Larson, and third placer Kyle Busch.

Next race is on Martinsville Speedway for the STP 500 this Palm Sunday, March 25th.

THREATS FROM NORTH KOREA: South Korea, US, Japan security advisors held talks

The top security advisors of Seoul, Washington, and Tokyo met over the weekend in the US to discuss the upcoming talks with North Korea, according to a Blue House official.

Chung Eui-yong, Seoul;s national security advisor, went to the US on Saturday and held a closed door meeting with his US and Japanese counterparts, McMaster and Shotaro Yachi, They were said to have discussed the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, and also coordinate efforts in preparing for the landmark inter-Korean summit next month, and the US-North Korea summit in May.

The spokesperson said the three advisors also agreed to, quote, "not repeat their past failures.: It is already the second time Chung has visited the US since he acted as a special envoy and met with North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un, in Pyongyang earlier this month.

Source: Arirang News

Let's Do The News! (March 19, 2018)

- Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte yesterday called for other signatories of the Rome Statute that established the International Criminal Court to join his country in withdrawing from the treaty. Duterte’s comments during a speech to graduating cadets at the Philippine Military Academy in northern Philippines comes after ICC prosecutors last month opened a preliminary examination into the president’s “war on drugs”, which has led to the death of thousands since it began in July 2016.

- PISTON holds another Transport Strike against the government's plan to scrap old jeepneys. Several schools and local government units nationwide have suspended works and classes Monday due to the transport strike. Cities in Metro Manila have also deployed vehicles to assist commuters affected by the transport strike.

- The death toll at the Manila Pavillon Hotel fire is now five. Yesterday, a fire broke out at the hotel and later put out on Monday morning.

- The Department of Justice has issued a subpoena against former President Benigno Aquino III, former Budget Secretary Butch Abad and former Health Secretary Janette Garin over the Dengvaxia scandal.

- Acting FBI Director Andrew McCabe was fired by U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions last weekend, prompting McCabe to say he was targeted for being a witness into whether President Donald Trump tried to obstruct the probe of Russian meddling in the 2016 election.

- Mazda announced their entry to the joint-venture project with Elity Power and Ube Industries to develop 12-volt li-ion starter batteries, which will serve as replacement for lead-acid starter batteries in cars and targeting a 2021 timeframe.

- Gandys collaborated with McLaren to make footwear inspired by the F1's halo cockpit. The news comes following their sponsorship.

- At last night's Binibining Pilipinas pageant, Catriona Gray is named Miss Universe-Philippines 2018. Alongside her, Ma. Ahtisa Manalo is named Bb. Pilipinas-International, Jehza Huela as Bb. Pilipinas-Supranational, Karen Gallman as Bb. Pilipinas-Intercontinental, Eva Patalinjug as Bb. Pilipinas-Grand International, and Michele Gumabao as Bb. Pilipinas-Globe. All six Filipina beauties will represent the Philippines this year in series of global pageants.

TTFN!!!

Forza Motorsport 7: The car that forever changed France

If you had your blast with the Citroen 2CV on the recent Top Gear episode, I had a chance to try out the one car that forever changed France at the Top Gear Track on Forza Motorsport 7. This car, of course, is part of the Totino's Car Pack and I had my dibs on it.



Before getting my dibs on the Deux Chevron, just what's it all about the 2CV? Since the end of the Second World War, the only prototype vehicle from Citroen was exposed to the globe and welcomed this prototype as the Citroen 2CV when it debuted at the Paris Salon in 1948, forever revolutionized the French roads with its odd-looking shape, making it one of the most recognizable cars in the world.

Pierre Boulanger, Citroen's president at that time, wanted it to have a simple structure and a ride quality good enough not to break a basket full of eggs while driving on country roads. He also wants this car to be good enough for passengers to sit inside while wearing silk hats and capable of reaching 50kph while carrying four people and 50kg of luggage. When the car was launched, it passes Boulanger's conditions.

Early models are powered by a horizontally-opposed 2-cylinder OHV engine producing 8HP of power but it gained numerous improvements before production was ceased in 1990. From 1948 to 1990, Citroen produced 3,872,583 units not only France but also from Belgium, United Kingdom, Argentina, Uruguay, Portugal, and Chile.

Inside the world of James Bond, the 2CV appeared in For Your Eyes Only where Bond nicked one of these on a getaway car chase scene. In honor of its appearance, Citroen made a special 2CV 007 model as well. Richard Hammond sampled one in the "50 Years of Bond Cars" special of Top Gear.

In a "Car vs. Boeing 747 Engine" episode of Top Gear, the 2CV got destroyed into pieces when it was blown by the power of the Boeing 747 Engine.

In Clarkson: Heaven and Hell, Jeremy Clarkson drives the Citroen 2CV and then later destroyed it.



Hmmm...How ironic. Top Gear is NOT a fan of the 2CV, in fact, they went into considerable lengths to destroy it but how come a change of heart prompted to love about it? Is it because the Harris Monkey has got one of these? No, there's more than that, because the 2CV is the car that changed French history in the same way Ford did theirs with the Model T so there's something special about it. This 2CV I'm driving in the game produces 33HP and 31lb-ft, so it may not be as much by modern standards but in its time, that's an improvement compared to the past 2CV in history, although it's not as much as the one Bond nicked one in For Your Eyes Only.



There's so much to talk about the 2CV apart from its capability to drive on country roads without breaking an egg while wearing silk hats, going to the maximum speed while fully occupied, and despite being front-wheel drive, it can be quite uncanny to plan a one-make race series with this car. I know, such thing exists and because of its lightweight structure despite the small engine, there are endless possibilities to work with the 2CV as long as you are convinced that you got wooed over by the sense and sensibility this Deux Chevron provides and at the end of the day, it can almost win your heart in every tangible way. Anyway, there's no time to be sentimental because since I'm at the Top Gear Track, it's time for me to see how fast this French icon goes and this might take a long time. Still, it makes a nice footage for me to watch it over and and over. Roll the tape.



I did it in a 2:11.546, which is pathetically slow but I had a lot of fun driving the 2CV round the track.



Love it or hate it, the 2CV remains one of the most important cars ever emerged in France since the end of the Second World War and deep down, it can be a real charmer for everyone who aren't interested in meeting people driving in ultra-expensive sportscars. With so much to tell about how good the 2CV, you'll make wonderful stories with it.

Top Gear S25E04

The fourth episode of BBC Top Gear Season 25 is all about the fastest car ever to emerged from the United States, a post-war cult classic Citroen, and two of the most exciting cars ever to emerged from the Land of the Morning Calm, almost.

Top Gear S25E04

The biggest highlight of this episode is Matt LeBlanc trying out the fastest car in the world that can scare away the European exotics on the drag strips, the all-new Dodge Challenger SRT Demon with its 840HP Supercharged V8 and specially-made drag tires. Then, he puts the Demon to the test as he is tasked to aid the landing of the world's most technical aeroplane to land on the runway, specifically at the Armstrong Flight Research Center, the ER-2.

Rory Reid, on the other hand, samples the most exciting cars ever to come out in South Korea, well almost. There was Kia's brand new high-performance saloon sold in South Korea, the Stinger, and Hyundai's GTi contender that is (still as of now) not sold in South Korea, the all-new i30 N. Meanwhile, proving that the i30 N is the real GTi contender, they've summoned Stig's teenage cousins to answer the question amidst the wet weather. The GTi did it in 1:39.3 while the i30 N did it in 1:34.6.

Then, Chris Harris pays tribute to the legendary Citroen 2CV and see what it's like driving it with Matt LeBlanc interrupting his fun in their very own adventures with the French classic and later racing against 2CV drivers in a race.

Ed Byrne and Dara O Briain are this week's Stars in a Reasonably Fast Car and in that segment, in wet conditions, Ed did it in a 1:50 while Dara did it in 1:53.2.

No.22 Tequila Patron ESM wins Sebring 12 hour endurance

The No. 22 Tequila Patron ESM Nissan DPi is crowned the winner of this year's 12 Hours of Sebring Presented by Advance Auto Parts and what's even more amazed that this year's winner was piloted by past overall race winners comprising of Pipo Derani, Nicolas Lapierre, and Johannes van Overbeek, marking Nissan's first win in almost 25 years.

Nissan won the 1994 Sebring 12 Hour endurance when Steve Millen, Johnny O'Connell, and John Morton piloted the #75 300ZX to victory. In 2016, the Tequila Patron Racing team drove a Ligier JS P2 to victory at the same venue.

URL: https://www.imsa.com/news/032018/nissan-scores-first-overall-sebring-win-1994#

The #22 ESM Nissan defeated last year's winner, the Wayne Taylor Racing Cadillac DPi-V.R, at the gap of 12.427 seconds.

URL: https://www.motorsport.com/imsa/news/sebring-12-hours-hour-12-esm-nissan-porsche-pmr-lamborghini-win-1015753/

Under cover of the Tequila Patron ESM Nissan's victory, the Porsche GT Team scored a 1st and 3rd place finish with their 911 RSRs, while the #25 BMW Team RLL M8 GTLM placed 2nd at the GTLM class. At the GTD class, meanwhile, the #48 Paul Miller Racing Huracan GT3 driven by Madison Snow, Bryan Sellers, and Corey Lewis, is the winner, trumping the likes of Scuderia Corsa's #63 488 GT3 and the #33 Mercedes-AMG Team Riley Motorsports AMG GT3 respectively. 

Oliver Jarvis of Mazda Team Joest set the fastest time in the race with 1:49.002.

URL: https://sportscarchampionship.imsa.com/schedule-results/current-results?eventid=86&sessid=609

NatWest 6 Nations 2018 FINAL

Rugby's Greatest Championship reached its climax as the NatWest 6 Nations rugby championship reached its final round and in this final judgment, only one of the six rugby teams across Europe will be crowned this season's winner.

In the finale, we get to focus on Wales vs. France and this was became one heck of a close call for the WRU after defeating the FFR at the gap of just a point, 14 to 13. From Leigh Halfpenny's penalty, a try by Liam Williams, and their defensive tactics, the WRU really pulled a close shave victory against the French but despite their win, the WRU was placed 2nd. Behind the battle, Scotland has defeated Italy at the score of 27-29 while England was defeated by Ireland at the score of 15-24.

HIGHLIGHTS:

The winner of this year's NatWest 6 Nations is, for their five straight wins this season, is the IRFU!



Congratulations to the IRFU and that concludes the NatWest 6 Nations Championship. Man, even with the new title partner, the action remains the same but next year's going to be different in this championship. Of course, with the Brexit countdown draws near, what's going to be the future for the England Rugby, the WRU, and Scotland when the United Kingdom leaves the European Union for good? It's too early to tell the outcome on how does Brexit affect the 6 Nations rugby championship, but in the meantime, congratulations to all the teams, especially the IRFU, for a job well done this season.

See you again...

FIA Formula E S4: Punta del Este

The ABB FIA Formula E Championship continues at Uruguay for the CBMM Niobium Punta del Este E-Prix and in this race, it has become into a battle arena for drivers gunning for the podium finishes that are up for grabs.

FIA Formula E S4: Punta del Este

The fight to the finish between Lucas di Grassi and Jean-Eric Vergne has became the talk of the town and that contact at the last two laps remaining really left a big impression and when he became leader, he managed to hang on until he nabbed his second win of the season for TECHEETAH. Sam Bird of DS Virgin Racing, meanwhile, is placed 3rd.

HIGHLIGHTS:



Time to look at the overall standings and as of right now, it looks like Jean-Eric Vergne is leading with 109 points while Felix Rosenqvist of Mahindra's 30 points behind the Frenchman and Sam Bird's three points behind Rosenqvist.

The next race is on Rome on the 14th of April.

Forza Motorsport 7: Sebring Breeze

In honor of the 12 Hours of Sebring, it's time for me to take a spin around one of Florida's most iconic racetracks with Ford's Le Mans winning GT race car that has been dominating every single endurance races since its Daytona debut in 2016.



Once used as an US Air Force base, Sebring is one of the oldest continuously operating race tracks in America with the first race occurred and the first 12 hour endurance event in 1952. While it was deemed to be technical compared to some tracks, the high speed corners can really spell the difference between a victory and defeat. In the case of this Ford GT, it feels pretty much every match ever took.



You should know, the Ford GT Le Mans racecar feature numerous innovations Ford believes will not only make it competitive in the LM GTE Pro class but also provide benefits to each vehicle in the Ford range such as state-of-the-art aerodynamics, advanced lightweight composites, and the 3.5L EcoBoost V6 engine that powers it.

A few years ago, I once said that despite being less powerful than the normal Ford GT, its racing modifications made extensively for endurance racing shows that it's not as challenging as it looks and I have high hopes that this car can edge out against the likes of Ferrari and Chevrolet, as long as these cars shouldn't encounter problems the drivers face as the race gets harder and harder. Perhaps, it's no wonder why this car has been crushing not just the IMSA, but also the FIA World Endurance Championship and the 24 Hours of Le Mans. An upset not just for Ferrari but also Corvette as well, putting the Blue Oval back into action. When raced in any kind of endurance event, it's like its breaking the record over and over again and looks like the opposition could keep up with Ford's comeback kid and looks like I'm on to something here.

What do we say, how about a quick lap round Sebring to see what is like to drive with Ford's GTE Pro-class dominator that is more than just being a comeback kid for the Ford GT ever since it came back?





Although it's tricky to handle in some parts of Sebring, the high speed straights this track provided really made this car feel like smooth sailing but in a middle of a race like the one going on now, it's hard to keep distance while planning to overtake your opponents. It's no wonder why this race is legendary among racing enthusiasts everywhere and now, here I am, feeling the Sebring breeze whilst in the middle of the action going on now.

So, are you feeling the Sebring breeze right now? For the Ford GT's case, it's feeling it right now and the day after that, the Ford GT's looking for more fights in the racetrack just to show the world how it's made.

MNL48's top 48 announced

Earlier, at ABS-CBN's It's Showtime's MNL48 segment, we get to see the top 48 aspirants assembled in the recent elimination round where the bottom of the rankings get booted out, ending their journey to become one with the Philippine sister group of Japan's number one idol group, AKB48.

Throughout this week, fans watched the daily online update where the aspirants are taking the group exams to see if they know everything about AKB48 and its sister groups. Some say, their exam scores might decide the fate if they are going to stay or get eliminated on Saturday. After weeks of seeing them taking exams, since this is exams week after all, we get to see Groups M, N, and L performing to the tune of Kim Chiu's Express Yourself

At the end, those who made it to this week's top ten are Eunice, Sheki, Sayaka, Abby, Trixie, Gabb, TIn, Shaira, Shaina, and Aria while the ones that were eliminated for this week are Mara, Heart, Bea, Erah, Path, Yoana, and Pam.

Even though the top 48 are finally gathered, this game is NOT OVER yet. There will be more to come for the aspirants and it all leads up to the General Elections very soon, so what to expect next from them? Find out soon.

In the meantime, be sure to keep voting for your MNL48 Oshis at the official MNL48 website or the official MNL48 app. Keep watching MNL48 online updates on the official MNL48 YouTube everyday and IT'S SHOWTIME on ABS-CBN for more of MNL48.