My FH5 Log: Community Day Classic (PART 1)

The Community Choice series update in Forza Horizon 5, running through the whole month of January,  features fan-voted events and challenges as well as a cesspool of returning cars from past installments. What a way to kick off the new year with a blast from Horizon's pasts.

So, the Hot Season Playlist of the FH5 Community Choice series update features an old McLaren supercar and a Bond car. What are these, you may ask?

First up is the McLaren MP4-12C, which can be yours after hitting 20 points on the Community Choice Hot Season Playlist. It's the first all-new McLaren model since the F1. Purely McLaren inside and out, the 12C is powered by a 3.8L V8 Twin Turbo engine that produces 592hp and 442ft-lb of torque while mated to a 7-speed SSG. Apart from the engine, the 12C features Carbon MonoCell, a first in a segment, as well as a Proactive Chassis Control system, double wishbone suspension with coil springs, a Brake Steer, and many others. If you have seven and a half minutes to spare while taking a break at the Ring, this is the McLaren for you.

Lastly is the Aston Martin DBS, which can be yours after hitting 40 points on the Community Choice Hot Season Playlist. Based on the DB9, the DBS is the replacement of the V12 Vanquish that is powered by a six-liter V12 engine producing 510hp and 420ft-lb of torque while mated to a 6-speed manual gearbox. Inside the world of 007, the V12-powered DBS appeared in Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace, starring Daniel Craig as James Bond.

Let's give these classic supercars a quick spin with the 12C battling against other modern supercars in a re-enactment of the streets of Cairo, Egypt, while the Aston Martin DBS drives through the touge roads at the dead of night without rolling over just like what happened in Casino Royale. Let's roll the tapes.

Job well done to these two, that's all I can say.

Next week, let's tackle the Koenigsegg CCX and the Lykan HyperSport at the Storm Season Playlist of the Community Choice update. Insert Fast and Furious joke at the latter, please.

My GT7 Log: The Beasts of #PrimeDay

Gran Turismo 7 is joining the Prime Day madness as this game has the most insane heavy beasts that are prepared for the most insane moments of their lives. 

The F-150 SVT Raptor, the Renaultsport Megane III, the McLaren MP4-12C, and the Pagani Zonda R are the heavy beasts that can't wait to let their wild side unleashed on track.

Primed and ready, these four heavy beasts are known for unleashing their primal strengths wherever lay ahead. From the roaring sound of the 6.2L V8 engine of the F-150 SVT Raptor, the lightness of the Renaultsport Megane III, the motorsport-inspired dynamics of the 12C, and the Zonda R's ultimate expression of speed, these machines are business and leisure without compromise. I know, I always love saying that every Prime Day because these four unstoppable missiles are Prime Day's Jurassic menace.

To unleash the Jurassic menace of these four unstoppable missiles, it's time to let these heavy beasts accelerate violently through Watkins Glen, the newest addition to Gran Turismo 7's track roster. There are two variants of this new addition; the long one and the short one. I went for the long one just to make it more exciting and real.

Let the Jurassic menace begin!

These four unstoppable missiles... Only a few people are lucky enough to drive these while their concentration's on racing mode. However, there can be only one, and here is the result;

F-150 SVT Raptor - 2:29.042

Megane RS Trophy - 2:20.104

12C - 2:10.942

Zonda R - 1:49.354

The most unstoppable missile in Prime Day's Jurassic menace is the Zonda R.

Watching these four unstoppable missiles ripping through the track with such technology, lightness, and brutal power, well, scratch the second part because only three made the cut, this is the main reason why I love Prime Day. 

Prime Day is when I'm getting the maximum out of these heavy beasts no matter which video game I'm on. Life couldn't get even more exciting when you have the rare opportunity to drive such monsters.

See you next Prime Day, HALO guys!

Forza Horizon 4: The evolution of the Super Series

The McLaren 720S is the current evolution of the Super Series, the series that has been around since the 12C, the very first McLaren they've made after the divorce between McLaren and Mercedes-Benz. Having familiarized with one of the most sensational sportscars of the decade, just how much the Super Series has evolved from the 12C to the 720S?



To find out, let's pit down the three stages of the McLaren Super Series, from the 12C to the 720S, and see how much these machines evolved by taking on a time attack with a major twist; traffic. I know, my experiment is a bit out of touch but I like spicing things up, you know. Before that, let's get to know the Super Series evolution.



The MP4-12C harks the return of McLaren making supercars since the legendary F1. As a pure McLaren sportscar, the 12C features cutting edge-technology borrowed from McLaren's racing data which harks back to the time Lewis Hamilton represented McLaren, making it well adapt to any road and track condition while being aerodynamically efficient at high speeds. Its 3.8L V8 Twin Turbo engine which is somewhat small but packs a heavy punch when you put your foot down.



Most people believe that the 650S is a mashup between the 12C's body and the P1's face but there's more to its questionable styling than that because while it represents the next step of the Super Series range, the 650S picks up where the 12C left off by incorporating some of the P1's knowhow and improving the 3.8L V8 Twin Turbo engine that powers it, making it a supercar that can be driven faster and harder for longer.



And now, the latest generation of the Super Series, the 720S. Powered by a brand new 4.0L V8 Twin Turbo engine and mated with the double clutch gearbox, it does 0-60mph in less than three seconds and onwards to 341km/h (212mph). Apart from the performance, the 720S is all about form and functionality as well as employing McLaren's racing know-how on the road and track, giving the Italian rivals a run for their money.



Now that I got to know about the evolution of the Super Series, it's time to take these three for a sprint on the Monument Wynds. Ready, GO!

After surviving the Monument Wynds, here are the results;

12C - 2:23.010
650S - 2:18.505
720S - 2:12.666

By science, it took somewhat eleven seconds to evolve from the 12C to the 720S and seems that McLaren wasn't joking about improving the Super Series with new and exciting ways to make it faster everywhere.



Call it challenging to drive and tricky to master but the 720S is here to stay and as the Italian rivals get better and better, this British icon stays defiant to the very end and this 720S shows that McLaren is a force to be reckoned with on the road and on the track. Speaking of which, now that the 720S passed my little experiment, how about I treat this little charmer a little something?



This is something to smile about or scare about if it catches you by surprise but anyway, this pesky little joker is ready for action and with that, I'm off to LEGO Valley to get its comic mischief on...



I should warn you that when you inject this fellow with lots of power, it's going to be catastrophic at the start. Trust me, it happens a lot. Anyway, with my favorite joker in place, it's time to see if this is worthy of being my favorite McLaren.

Man, this is messy and anticlimatic from start to finish but the 720S sure knows how to put a smile in my face, especially with a special someone by its side.

Case closed.

Forza Horizon 4: Revenge of #PrimeDay

It's the time of the year again when our favorite heavy beasts become bats out of hell for the most insane moments of their lives. Yep, it's Prime Day and it's time to uncage those heavy beasts and let loose.



This year's Prime Day became two days only but despite the extra day, these beasts don't waste any day unleashing their raw power and their insane character from every angle. They're all about business and leisure without compromise and that's what Prime Day is all about.

Without further ado, let's meet the prime specimens roaring through the sounds of Prime Day.

First off, the truck that got beaten by a HALO jumper in the Arizona desert; was the Ford F-150 SVT Raptor. The current F-150 Raptor is powered by an EcoBoost V6 engine which results in more power but the beastly sound of the 6.2L V8 is hard to miss and with all that roar coming out from its glorious V8 engine, this is what made this truck a bad-ass.



Next, it's the super hot hatch that got beaten by a midship German sportscar, the Renaultsport Megane 250. While it's not suitable for drag racing against the most powerful hot hatches on the road, the lightweight bodywork and race-inspired chassis make this one of the best handling hot hatches of all time and despite being lost to a certain Porsche, it sure is a lot of fun to drive.



Then, there's the McLaren MP4-12C, the supercar that harks the return of McLaren making supercars since the legendary F1. Made in the days when Lewis Hamilton raced for McLaren, the 12C is a cutting-edge supercar that propagates through the track with intelligence unheard by supercar standards. If you have seven and a half minutes to spare while taking a break at the Ring, this is the McLaren for you.



And lastly, the Pagani Zonda R, the most feral of the prime specimens featured here, is packed with extreme aerodynamics that is fitting for a no-holds-barred machine that sits in Pirelli racing tires and 6.0L V12 Mercedes engine producing 750HP and because it dons so much carbon fiber on its body, it's 200kg lighter than your first Zonda. It may be labeled the last of its kind but it's not.



Prime Day is all about business and leisure without compromise, and with heavy beasts like these, not even Darth Pancake can choke these monsters off.



Ladies and gentlemen, please hold tight.






THIS IS...PRIME DAY!



Cars like these are known for opening their inner Amazon and unleashing hell on all roads of the world and with prime specimens like the F-150 SVT Raptor, the Renaultsport Megane III, the 12C, and the Zonda R, it's like every day is Prime Day because of the monsters that lurk beneath their sheets of metal. They really are fantastic.

See you next Prime Day...

Forza Motorsport 7: Prime Day

It's Prime Day once again and once again, the prime specimens that roared through the sounds of prime are back to let their feral instincts roar in Forza Motorsport 7. Whether if it's up against the HALO Jumper, a mid-engine German sportscar, the Nurburgring, or even for one last ride, these prime specimens are all about business and leisure without compromise.

Releasing our first feral beast from its cage is the Ford SVT Raptor. Today's F-150 Raptor is one of the best offroaders ever made but what made us miss the most about the old F-150 SVT Raptor is its 6.2L V8 engine because of the sound of this feral beast is much more ferocious compared to the EcoBoost V6 engine that today's Raptor had. It may be heavy and somewhat irrelevant in circuit racing but you can't beat the monstrous sound of its V8 engine the SVT Raptor possess and there's so much to love about a monstrous offroader that challenged the HALO jumper and lost.





The next beast is the Renaultsport Megane 250 and while today's Megane RS is basically five-door only, the last three-door Megane RS of the past is something to be missed because while being short on power compared to hyper hot hatch rivals such as the Ford Focus RS and the VW Scirocco R but because of its cup chassis, motorsport-level expertise, limited slip differential, and lightness, it eats the powerful ones like a rat scaring away a big fat biker. Being a prime meridian, the Megane RS remembers the most insane race of its life while delivering near-sportscar levels for everyday speedo boys.





The next prime meridian to be released from its cage is the McLaren MP4-12C. With today's McLaren 720S being the evolution of its Super Series range, the 12C is something to remember as the first McLaren ever made in this new era since the legendary F1. Unlike their last masterpiece, the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren, the 12C is purely McLaren inside and out as well as its 3.8L V8 Twin Turbo engine which is somewhat small but packs a heavy punch when you put your foot down. As a high-tech sportscar with some motorsports know-how in the days when Lewis Hamilton is a McLaren driver, the 12C is all about propagating through the track with intelligence unheard by supercar standards, quickly became the supercars we all fell in love with since the 458 and the Gallardo.





And the last beast to be unleashed from the hell in the cell is the Pagani Zonda R. As the track-only finale to the Zonda, the R features extreme aerodynamics that is fitting for a no-holds-barred machine that sits in Pirelli racing tires and 6.0L V12 Mercedes engine producing 750HP and because it dons so much carbon fiber on its body, it's 200kg lighter than your first Zonda. Start this beast up and you can really hear its roar loud enough to deliver the prime of its life. This is the first Zonda that dons a semi-automatic gearbox that shifts faster than your basic supercar and such impressiveness lapped the Nurburgring faster than the Ferrari 599XX.





These prime specimens really proved to the world that they are business and leisure without compromise and when Prime Day comes, these feral beasts roar through the sounds of prime and prepare for the insane moments in the prime of their lives. Since this is Prime Day, it's time to let these beasts loose in the Grand Prix circuit of the Nurburgring like bats out of hell. Let heavy beasts roar through the sounds of Prime Day!



How's that for Darth Pancake? These heavy beasts really roared like bats out of hell and that is why they called it PRIME DAY, a day when you can open your Amazon and go all out. It's like releasing your anger for a day and it never felt so alive driving these prime specimens to the prime of their lives.



Until the next PRIME DAY, my little kittens...

Fear her, sweetie! It's the torchbearer from Woking Town!

Challenging against the best from USA, Germany,
and Italy!

Simple question; how did a British racecar, that is the McLaren MP4-12C GT3, became the star of Forza Motorsport 4's July Car Pack. To put it this way, the Great Britain is the country that...SPOILERS, SWEETIE, hosted the 2012 Olympics. Because of Great Britain became the hosting country of this year's games, Forza Motorsport 4 appreciated the British recognition by placing the McLaren MP4-12C GT3 race car as the star of the July Car Pack, as well as the Community Monthly challenge titled HOMETOWN HERO. This car, it maybe not an Olympic material but all that firepower and all that noise makes us saying that this could have been the torchbearer heading to the London stadium! METAPHORS!

Wow, what a creepy looking face for a racecar!

So what exactly is the MP4-12C GT3? Oh wait, let me get River Song's Journal. He he he he....SPOILERS! I mean METAPHORS!

Okay, this is getting more metaphor-worthy about this but anyway, someone around here had River Song's Journal and because the journal's been flipped to the page I'm reading...SPOILERS!

This race-spec version of the MP4-12C produces less power than the standard model, 493 bhp (368 kW; 500 PS) to be exact, due to homologation but it comes with a bespoke six-speed gearbox that is 80 kg (176 lb) lighter than the road car's seven-speed, developed with Ricardo. The steering wheel is lifted straight from the McLaren MP4-24 Formula 1 car.

CHARIOTS OF FIRE!

This car made its debut at the Spa Francorchamps round of the British GT championship followed by the 2011 Spa 24 Hours, 2011 Macau Grand Prix (driven by Danny Watts), and the 2012 FIA GT1 World Championship, where this car took its first victories in the world at the two races of the Circuito de Navarra round of the 2012 FIA GT1 World Championship season being run by Hexis Racing.

These writings by someone who've spend most of the time playing after working at the BBC Television Centre seems to have a point there. With the MP4-12C GT3, the Woking-based sportscar manufacturer stepped back into the world of GT sports car racing and served as the Hometown Hero in the country where this year's games were started. We have no idea if in our minds, this racer born and raised in Woking Town spiraling its way to the top of the stadium and ignite some giant cauldron with its flaming exhaust but hey, we'd love this to happen but it can be completely bonkers! He he he he....METAPHORS!

(Sound Effect: Record Scratch)

Girl: Excuse me but I need it back

Hey! That one's taking River Song's Journal back but no matter. Because all that olympic-sized metaphors occurred about the MP4-12C GT3's story, all I have to say is that this race-spec version of the MP4-12C is all about British pride and always ready to wave the British flag in Forza Motorsport 4. Sure, it maybe as slower than the road car because of homologation and a bespoke six-speed gearbox that is 80 kg (176 lb) lighter than the road car's seven-speed, developed with Ricardo but this car makes a good show if you asked your friends to do a one-make race with this. Also, you can make countless race liveries with your imagination because with such colors mixed and match with your pride, it makes them unique when you're racing with your friends.

With the British flag waved from this car, we are very sure that the Brits finally got the best of us.

MP4-12C tuning by Wheelsandmore

Wheelsandmore MP4-12C

German tuning firm, Wheelsandmore, modified the McLaren MP4-12C to provide more power than the standard model. With such engine tweaks, this modified MP4-12C will generate over 800HP. As reported, it includes electronic hydraulic suspension system, lightweight forged alloy wheels, Continental Sport Contact 5P tires, and some stripes to complete the look of this modified MP4-12C.

Scoop: http://carscoop.blogspot.com/2012/02/mclaren-mp4-12c-diabolically-tricked.html

Welcome Back: 2011 McLaren MP4-12C

MP4-12C meets the Red Bull Mini Cooper

This is the fax machine you're seeing in your mirrors. Although, that may sound like a fax machine, it has proven to be better than the Ferrari 458 Italia. Not only that, it set an astonishing lap time of 1:16.2 at the Top Gear Test Track because it was developed for this track. To make James May's "wasn't developed at the Nurburgring" dialog wrong, it set the Nurburgring lap time of 7:28, eclipsing the likes of cars such as the Koenigseggisseggggnignigsegigisegggg (my apologies for the spelling, those Top Gear wazzocks done that) CCX, RUF RT12, Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera, Corvette ZR1, Lexus LFA, and the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG. All we know is it's called the McLaren MP4-12C and I'm glad that this car is back on Forza Motorsport 4 and it hasn't changed a bit since the last one.

Sadly, when I first pitted the MP4-12C round the Top Gear Test Track, with the performance index of S700, it seems that my fax machine couldn't achieve the Power Lap Time of 1:16.2 even though I tweaked my suspension settings. So far, my personal best on this car is 1:17.2, but who cares? It's still a great car.

Tights and Stockings with Seatbelts

Song played in my personal BGM: A Question of Honour by Sarah Brightman

From the Album: Diva - The Singles Collection

As seen on Top Gear Series 17 Episode 3!

Forgive me for this title because in one episode of Top Gear, Jeremy Clarkson said during the MP4-12C test drive that the McLaren MP4-12C is like a pair of tights while the Ferrari 458 Italia is like a pair stockings. Remember that tights and stockings are not made to do the same thing but enough of the hosiery jokes and ask about those two.

Ferrari 458 Italia in Rome

The Ferrari 458 Italia continues the Modena-based carmaker's MR tradition and it served as the replacement to the F430. It was launched at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show and this V8 midship grand tourer is the evolution since the 348 in 1989, F355 in 1994, 360 Modena in 1999, and the F430 in 2004. Trust us, this one's faster than James May's actual F430 where Jeremy Clarkson's littering it with a chocolate bar wrapper and a bag of Doritos. In the hands of The Stig, it lapped the Top Gear Test Track at 1:19.1, and it was proven to be faster than the Ferrari 430 Scuderia. Even though the assembly of the direct injection V8 engine is done by hand, computerized equipment made sure that each step of the process is done accurately. To be precise, the 458 Italia's crankshaft is one of the few parts that's balanced to within one gram for each level of balance. What we also learned that while painting the 458 Italia's body, Ferrari uses a powder base coat process that produces zero emission and it uses "emu feathers" as the only kind of feather that can clean in an electrostatically charged environment.

If that wasn't enough, some say that Pound-for-Pound Boxing Champ and Saranggani Congressman Manny Pacquiao added the Ferrari 458 Italia to his personal car collection, costing 309,000 US Dollars.

McLaren MP4-12C in London

This here is the McLaren MP4-12C. Hmmm... MP4-12C... That name sounds more like a fax machine but some say it's faster than the 458 Italia. Why? At the Top Gear Test Track, this is the fastest McLaren ever made because of the 1:16.2 lap time. Can we consider that the MP4-12C is faster than the Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4? Never mind, well the story of the MP4-12C began when McLaren's development team began testing prototype versions since 2007 and their final "sign-off" 1,000 mile drive was complete. The MP4-12C features a carbon MonoCell chassis that weighs only 75kg, making it a great contribution for the car's weight loss. It promises 0-100kph in 3.3 seconds but with racing tires, it can do 3.1 seconds and flatout, it will do over 330kph or in the church of England; 205mph. The high-performance 3.8L V8 twin turbo engine produces 592HP of power and 600Nm of torque, while the CO2 emissions are 279g/km and it delivers 8.5km/L (11.7L/100km) of fuel economy. It has a braking distance of 30.5 meters from 60mph-0. Now you know....

Hey James May! You said that the MP4-12C wasn't developed at the Nurburgring, right? Well you're wrong because the MP4-12C lapped the Nurburgring in 7 minutes and 28 seconds. Guess this fact made James "Captain Slow" May so angry, that he went home.

I guess this 458-12C rivalry is the hottest thing we get and even in Gran Turismo 5, it's still getting hotter than a super spicy extra hot steak I'm ordering at a nearby restaurant.