Tuesday, November 15, 2016

FIA Formula E 2016-2017: Marrakesh


As Marrakesh, Morocco held their annual Climate Change Conference, the second round of the FIA Formula E championship is using the conference's hosting city as an opportunity to promote the future of zero emission motorsport to the global masses and while using the climate change conference as a marketing ploy to promote the FIA Formula E Championship, the second round have been quite a blast for the racers and spectators alike, especially when two cars engaging on a close-quarters combat for the desired spot.

Sebastian Buemi from the Renault e.Dams team is the winner of this race while DS Virgin Racing's Sam Bird finished second and Mahindra's Felix Rosenqvist finished 3rd.

Highlights:



The next race will be set on Buenos Aires, Argentina, on the 18th of February, 2017.

Let's Do The News! (November 15, 2016)


- Danilo Concepcion, the dean of the University of the Philippines College of Law was named as the national university's president. The 11-member UP Board of Regents voted for Concepcion to replace Alfredo Pascual who will end his six-year team on February 2017. Concepcion is also the executive director of the UP Bonifacio Global City campus, which hosts graduate classes of various colleges.

- President Rodrigo Duterte gives a green light on the Philippine National Police to proceed with its firearms procurement from the United States. PNP chief Director General Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa said yesterday the President approved the deal during last week's Malaysian trip.

- Senator Leila de Lima admitted her relationship with her former driver, Ronnie Dayan, but denied other allegations linking her to the drug trade in the New Bilibid Prison grounds.

- US President-Elect Donald Trump's appointment of former Breitbart News president Steve Bannon as his chief strategist sparks fury as Breitbart news was known for causing conspiracy theorists and became the forefront of the "alt-right" movements. If that wasn't enough, Trump even gave thanks to the infamous conspiracy theorist and Infowars presenter Alex Jones.

- More quakes continue to rattle New Zealand following a powerful tremor struck the South Island. The magnitude 7.8 quake struck early Monday and triggered tsunami waves of up to 1.5 meters were observed about 40 minutes later along the coast of Kaikoura. Two people are confirmed dead as of this writing.

- After its global success, the first-ever Ford EcoSport compact crossover has finally arrived in the USA and it will make appearance at this year's LA Auto Show. The new EcoSport is powered by a choice of either a 1.0L three-cylinder turbocharged EcoBoost or 2.0L 4-cylinder engine, mated with a 6-speed automatic gearbox. Sales will commence in early 2018.

2018 Ford EcoSport

- Jaguar showcases its I-PACE electric crossover before its LA Auto Show premiere. Previewing its first ever electric car coming in the near future, the I-Pace concept features two electric motors that can produce over 400PS of power and 700Nm of torque.

2016 Jaguar I-PACE Concept

- New Pokemon Sun and Moon info on the radar! The starters' final evolved forms are getting their signature Z-moves, status moves giving Z-move special effects, Alolan Diglett and Alolan Dugtrio, new Ultra Beasts, and more! The full story will be out when the games will be released on November 18.



- The first trailer for next year's live action rebirth of Disney's Beauty and the Beast is now up. The film stars Emma Watson as Belle and Dan Stevens as the Beast. It's set to hit theaters on the 17th of March.



TTFN!!!

F1 2016 - Brazilian GP

Photo: Associated Press

Despite the heavy rainfall pouring in at Brazil's Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace, the penultimate round at this year's Formula One season is just one of the most definite examples of the ongoing struggle between the aces of Mercedes-AMG, Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg, as the race to the championship title draws near until only one stands tall among the rest.

Scoring his 52nd win in his career, Lewis Hamilton survived the heavy rainfall and won the race while Red Bull's grassroots driver Max Verstappen, following his tire change, placed 2nd, and Rosberg's in 3rd place.

Despite his win, Hamilton's now 12 points behind Rosberg, making it too close to call, and the finale, set in Abu Dhabi within the next two weeks, will decide who files or falls from grace. Watch for it.

Forza Horizon 3: Ready Go, FR.

We already got our hands on the S14 Nissan Silvia as an event car back at last month's Forzathon event but the S14 we got was a "Zenki" S14 Silvia and fans from around the world demanded a late-model S14 Silvia, referred to as a "Kouki" S14 Silvia to be here in Horizon 3. They've been demanding this ride since the birth of the Forza franchise a decade ago and at long last, it's here and its ready to shred some tires.



The "Kouki" S14 Silvia, from Forza Horizon 3's Alpinestars Car Pack, is by no means one of the most demanded rides in the history of Forza and now that's finally here, fans can't wait to try out a car that remains a hit among speedo boys worldwide for its drifting reputation and its Frankenstein tuning that no one saw it coming.

Let me give you a quick story about how those Frankenstein creations to their JDM sportscars became a speedo boys' trend. You see a long time ago, speedo boys from Japan created a machine called a "Sileighty" which is an 180SX with a Silvia's front end on it. Thanks to the Sileighty, speedo boys from across the world are doing that kind of stuff and the S14 is no exception. If you went to a drifting competition a long time ago, you may have encounter an S14 with an S15's front face on it, which is a mashup between two different generations no one can tell the difference between those two, and what you see is a fine example of how speedo boys doing Frankenstein stuff on their sportscars not just for show but for their "bravado" manner as speedo boys who are good at drifting with their Asian sportscars.



For further explanation about how the S14 "Kouki" Silvia became a hit among speedo boys who can bend it like Frankenstein, there is a special Rocket Bunny "Boss" kit offered on this S14 Kouki and with this kind of body kit, the S14 Kouki's front face looks similar to American muscle cars while delivering a stance with a capital S. That will be enough to appeal speedo boys who love to drive the best 90's Japanese sports cars in history. You can thank Rocket Bunny's Miura-san for that later but for now, I'm off to some shooting with this car and it's time for the S14 Kouki with the Rocket Bunny Boss kit to do some action!

Ready Go, FR.



So, there you are. If you got an S14 Zenki Silvia from a special event and if you're unhappy with it, look no further than driving the S14 Kouki Silvia Down Under. The differences between them can be slight but as you keep enjoying with these two, you will know the real deal. If you like both the S14 Silvias, feel free to drive different Asian sportscars offered in-game and how you live it up to their reputations is up to you.

Until then, sayonara!

Monday, November 14, 2016

Forza Horizon 3: Showcase Me!


Ah, showcase events. The hallmark of every Horizon Festival masterpiece that traces back since the original Horizon in Colorado. It's about advanced challenges where one car versus a different kind of transportation be it by land, air, and sea, and here in Forza Horizon 3, this is like taking on a boss battle of some sorts.

In the beginning, you're driving The Cholla against a helicopter carrying an old Jeep, and as you gain more and more fans, you will be able to take on another showcase event after another. There are five showcase events occurred Down Under and since I already mentioned the first one, the next one involves a Camaro Z/28 versus a steam locomotive, a Trophy Truck versus jetskis, a Lamborghni Centenario versus a VTOL jump jet, and the final showcase involves a Polaris RZR up against a blimp.

I already cleared all of the events, although I forgot to film the whole action by myself. So what I'm doing now is to redo most of the events and film it so I can make myself a compilation of all five showcase events, which are indefinite proof that I am running the best festival ever.

Ready to check out my greatest hits? Roll the VTR!



Ah, clearing the final showcase in the game. I know that this may sound like a happy ending for me but I'm not done yet because while I already cleared the big finale, there are still roads to travel, cars to drive, people to meet, challenges to take on, and so on. Man, everything around Down Under really brings out the many personalities of me and with so much things to do in so little time, I feel like I am not resting down my laurels and keep moving forward to keep this show going on as long as I like.

For now, I would like to keep duck, dodge, push, and shove for more because things are about to get LOUD. So, whaddya say? Ready to hit the trail some more?

Super GT 2016 FINALE


Under certain circumstances, the season finale of Autobacs Super GT is a two-parter held at the Twin Ring Motegi. The main reason why it's a two-part finale is because that third round, which is supposed to be held at the Autopolis (which is near the quake-struck Kumamoto Prefecture) was suspended and therefore, making the final round a two-parter to ensure that this season remains an eight-round event as planned.

Check out the highlights of this epic two-part finale of the 2016 Super GT season.



In part one, the winner in the GT500 class goes to the #24 Forum Engineering ADVAN GT-R, driven by Daiki Sasaki and Masataka Yanagida, while the winner in the GT300 class goes to the #21 Hitotsuyama Audi R8 LMS, driven by Richard Lyons and Tomonobu Fujii. In part two, the #39 DENSO KOBELCO SARD RC F, driven by Heikki Kovalainen and Kohei Hirate, won the GT500 class while the #25 VivaC 86 MC, driven by Takeshi Tsuchiya and Takamitsu Matsui, won the GT300 class.

Still, the champions of the Autobacs Super GT 2016 Series go to the #39 DENSO KOBELCO SARD RC F, driven by Heikki Kovalainen and Kohei Hirate, for the GT500 class and the #25 VivaC 86 MC, driven by Takeshi Tsuchiya and Takamitsu Matsui, for the GT300 class. It really was a winner take all finale, after all, huh?

Anyway, this concludes the AUTOBACS Super GT 2016 Series. See you next season.

Let's Do The News! (November 14, 2016)


- According to a UP professor, US President-Elect Donald Trump may adapt "peace through strength" policy in the Asia-Pacific region. Jay Batongbacal, director of the UP Institute of Maritime Affairs and Law of the Sea said than an imminent Trump administration indicates such policy and added that the United States would focus less on the economic aspect and would be open to a so-called "grand bargain" with China.

- President Rodrigo Duterte may hold two to four bilateral meets on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation in Peru. According to a foreign affairs official, nothing is final yet regarding the meetings, which are dependent on the availability of Duterte and other world leaders.

- PNP Police Director General Bato Dela Rosa is willing to be imprisoned if it turns out he broke the law by going on a trip to Las Vegas to see the Pacquiao-Vargas fight. Dela Rosa admitted that Senator Manny Pacquiao paid for everything when he and his family flew to Las Vegas to watch his recent fight against Jessie Vargas.

- The University of the Philippines will vote tomorrow for its next president, who will succeed Alfredo Pascual whose six-year term ends in February 2017. The 11-member UP Board of Regents, will select the next UP president during a special meeting at the Diliman campus. They will choose among six nominees, who are expected to face the regents prior to the election.

- A strong quake rattled the South Island of New Zealand early Monday, shaking residents awake, causing damage to buildings and triggered small tsunami waves. The M7.8 quake struck just after midnight in a mostly rural area close to the city of Christchurch. So far, no reports of injuries but it reminded them of a M6.3 quake that hit Christchurch five years ago and killed 185 people, making it the worst disasters in New Zealand.

- Check out what's in store with the brand new Love Live School Idol Festival ~afterschool Activity~ arcade game, set to arrive this December, including smartphone app connectivity as well as printing real cards for your collection! Now, where did they get that idea from?



- The first teaser trailer for the live-action Ghost in the Shell film starring actress Scarlett Johansson as the Major is now up and running.



- In case you missed the recent Eat Bulaga Kalyeserye, that "positive" the lolas are talking about regarding Maine Mendoza could only mean one thing...



TTFN!!!

Mercedes-Benz S-Class Cabriolet

Back in 2014, Mercedes-Benz made their first-ever S-Class Coupe to serve as the replacement to the CL-Class, which was based from the previous S-Class of yesteryears. Although being a two-door flagship grand tourer derivative of Mercedes' flagship saloon, the S-Class Coupe has been the potent pugilist against Bentley's Continental GT in terms of pricing but only those Marquises and Marchionesses who owned it will live up to their tales. Now, there's an open-top version that is all about business and leisure all day long.

2017 Mercedes-Benz S-Class Cabriolet

Say hello to the first-ever S-Class Cabriolet from Mercedes-Benz and by the looks of it, this open-top grand tourer is about Great Ocean Road meets Wall Street from one place to another, but this grand tourer can rest its case, even though its super-expensive 139,885 Euro pricing stuns the Bentley Continental GT Convertible.

Of course, being convertibles, they can weigh more than its hardtop equivalents but in a normal S500 Cabriolet, with the 4.7L V8 engine connected with the 9G-TRONIC gearbox, developing 455PS of power and 700Nm of torque, it can get out from 0 to 100kph in 4.6 seconds, which is .4 seconds quicker than the Continental GT V8 Convertible, but sadly, the Benz is electronically limited to 250kph.

2017 Mercedes-AMG S63 Cabriolet
2017 Mercedes-AMG S65 Cabriolet

Although, if any high rollers want to up the ante, they can go with two powerful AMG versions; the S63 Cabriolet or the S65 Cabriolet. This should give them plenty of oomph to give the opposition a run on their briefcases load of cash from Fifth Avenue to Verrazano Bridge. While the S63 Cabriolet uses the soon-to-be-rot 5.5L V8 BiTurbo engine producing 585PS of power output, its 0-100kph time of 3.9 seconds will drown the CGT V8 S Convertible at the start line, although the option to limit its top speed of 300kph is a tad 8kph less than the CGT V8 S Convertible.

The S65 Cabriolet, with the turbocharged 6.0L V12 engine and with the SPEEDSHIFT PLUS gearbox, sees the CGT Speed Convertible as the target, and with its 630PS of power output, getting away from the Bentley .2 seconds quicker is an easy task but be warned because even with the optional package to increase its top speed limit, that will be 28kph less than what the CGT Speed Convertible can pull off. So, even with these open-top versions weighing more than their hardtop equivalents, the story remains the same although the price difference sets these rivals apart.

Hmmm, if you can recall how the S-Class Coupe handles, they can be very hard to handle due to its weight and in terms of dynamics, it's very challenging indeed if you're not careful with it. The same story goes to the open-top versions. Even though you can feel a slight difference due to its added weight from these open-top equivalents, it takes guts to get these cars from one point to another very carefully because they can tend to oversteer or understeer and looks like you're going to need a new artificial hip after that long struggle with these open-top grand tourers. Of course, if you're not in a mood to be as loud as a house with lots of kids inside, they can be very subtle and enjoyable to drive on the open road like smelling the fresh air from the Great Ocean Road.

With the first-ever cabriolet variant, there are different kinds of S-Class to choose from and whichever S-Class you choose is proof that you have the highest standards, a cut above the rest if you really understand what it means, but with stiffer competitions aside, looks like the S-Class range will going to be on a tough slob but if anyone's greedy enough to spend their briefcases load of money, look no further.

Photo: Daimler AG

Mercedes-Benz E-Class W213 Estate

With the latest-generation Mercedes E-Class, the German carmaker is taking a path ahead to the autonomous driving trend by delivering its highly-advanced driver tech that is smart enough to track down roads with precise movements. A quantum leap through the better future of driving thanks to its clever intelligence planted in this sports saloon, if I recalled. So, what if you can get the same driving tech from the saloon while getting some more space in the trunk?

2017 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Estate

An estate version, to be exact. The new Mercedes-Benz E-Class Estate delivers the same highly-advanced driver tech that is smart enough to track down roads with precise movements, only this time, with the added boot space big enough to load their lifestyles.

It's the same E-Class story inside out but because this is the new estate version, there are new stuff offered on this model such as the new EASY-PACK tailgate that can be opened and closed at the push of a button for better loading and unloading as well as the available KEYLESS-GO with HANDS-FREE ACCESS, which fits very well in various situations like your kid's afterschool football practice, your next grocery shopping, your next trip to the province, or whatever you see fit to this tech-savvy station wagon. Another features you can expect later on is the third, folding bench seat at the back as well as the rear-seat entertainment system that will keep kids staying on that "sweet spot" they've been saving for weeks. Although it's not just made to be a family car, its luxury car status will keep rich men leaving with their "out on a limo" feeling.

Because this is a station wagon version, it has a capacity of 670 to 1820 litres, making it the biggest in its class, courtesy of its 40:20:40 split foldable rear seats with various seating arrangements suitable for various situations.

Like the saloon, the new E-Class Estate features the DRIVE PILOT feature with Distance Pilot DISTRONIC allows the car to handle road types to keep it in the correct distance behind vehicles in front automatically as well as following them at speeds up to 210kph. It even comes with the Remote Parking Pilot feature, Car-to-X  communication, and PRE-SAFE as well, making it technologically ready for tomorrow's world.

Performance-wise, the estate version inherits the same engine choices from the saloon as well as the brand new 3.5L V6 turbo engine for the E400 4MATIC model that produces 333PS of power and 480Nm of torque, while mated to a 9G-TRONIC gearbox and 4MATIC permanent all-wheel drive. PHEV and an AMG models will follow shortly post-launch. As for dynamics, the new E-Class Estate, inherited the same lighter and stiffer bodywork from the saloon as well as its Direct-Steer system, can track down corners with precise movements and it's a great wagon to take it on the highs and lows of the road, from workdays to day offs.

Should you buy one? The new E-Class Estate starts at 48,665 Euros, which is a pricing that slot between its rivals for its expense, but rest assured that with all that tech-savvy features inherited from the saloon, this station wagon version of the E-Class is here today, ready for tomorrow's roads.

Photo: Daimler AG

Monstrous fire hits rural Mandaluyong


A massive fire broke out in a rural part of Mandaluyong City on Sunday, as if the blaze looked like a scene from a Hollywood movie or something.

The blaze reached the highest level at 9:45 pm on Sunday, and was declared under control at 12:31 am on Monday, November 14. In response, all of the available firefighters have been dispatched to that matter.

Sunday, November 13, 2016

Paris attacks - one year later...

Map Imagery from Google


November 13, 2015 - It was nighttime in Paris, France, when armed terrorists unleashed a barrage of attacks through numerous sites in the French capital such as nearby Stade de France, where the soccer match between France and Germany occurred, Avenue de la République, Rue de Charonne, Rue Bichat, and the hardest hit on the deadly Paris attacks is the Bataclan concert hall where a rock concert occurred and then terrorists taken dozens of people hostage.

According to reports, over 130 people were killed, making it the deadliest attack in France since World War II, and the Islamic State militants claimed responsibility for the attacks. In response, French president Francois Hollande declared a state of emergency to the capital and staged retaliatory strikes against the Islamic State militants who are held responsible for the attacks.

Right now, France has became one of the hotbeds of terrorist attacks led by the Islamic State militants followed by Belgium and Germany. It seems that the European Union failed to contain such deadly attacks led by these terrorists. With the rise of Donald Trump being elected as the 45th president of the United States, the world superpower, and with a French politician belonging to an anti-immigration party, named Marine Le Pen, is gunning for the presidential seat in France, it seems that things are taking in from bad to worse. With all that Islamic extremism taking the world affairs by storm, it's a loud, loud, loud, loud world after all and for us, the war on terror isn't just your everyday warfare. This is advanced warfare and we could be in for a long slob.

2016-2017 Seattle International Auto Show at CenturyLink Field Event Center

Despite all of what happened throughout the week, I still had my mood happy enough to go to the annual Seattle International Auto Show, held at the CenturyLink Field Event Center. This year's event runs until the 13th of November, 2016, and there are so many cool cars in store in this show. With so many cool cars in store, I got a chance to take pics of these cars to show all of you.

Check it out!



Full gallery:
https://flic.kr/s/aHskNpqeYC

My video footage: