Saturday, August 11, 2012

KENSTYLE tickles the fancies of the Biante Granz

Kenstyle Mazda Biante Granz

Kenstyle Mazda Biante Granz

So, this special edition Mazda Biante Granz minivan got itself modified by KENSTYLE, eh? Lovely. The Japan-only Biante Granz that was modified by KENSTYLE is just one of the many things why modified minivans in Japan are getting more noticeable by the average dads who spend the rest of his time driving his people carrier for work, for family time, and about everything he desires.

Anyway, a full kit that comes with a front under spoiler and the rear under skirt may cost about ¥122,850 when it's colored or ¥ 97,650 when it's not colored. A garnished fog lamp with LED illumination may cost about ¥ 58,065, fog light garnish costs about ¥33,915, front bumper fin costs ¥19,950 and a painted rear roof spoiler just costs you ¥50,400. It's rigged with WORK VARIANZA A6S F19×7.5+48 R19×8.0+48 rims and Yokohama DNA Earth-1 225/35-19 tires. You could also spend ¥6,300 for the HID Adjuster Link.

We think it's cool but...if you're from Malaysia, Thailand, or Indonesia, having a plot to get one then I'm sorry. The Biante is Japan-only vehicle and it's not intended to be at the hands at some Malaysian, Thai, or Indonesian because it's SMUGGLING.

Toyota's Prius α modified by WALD

WALD Toyota Prius α Sport Line

So, the Toyota Prius α (Alpha), better known as the Prius V or the Prius Plus, got modified by WALD as part of the Sport Line eh? That's good but this modified version of the bigger Prius is a bit of a showoff if you  show it to a certain Toyota Prius owners club. Anyway, some modifications include a front half spoiler, side steps, a rear skirt, some rims, and that's about it. No word on the pricing yet...

GS F-Sport Executive Line

WALD Lexus GS F-Sport Executive Line

WALD Lexus GS F-Sport Executive Line
Japanese tuning firm, WALD, had their hands dirty when it comes to modifying the all new 2013 Lexus GS, in F-Sport trim, as part of their Executive Line range. You know what I'm saying? Such modifications include a front spoiler, side step, rear skirt, FRP trunk spoiler, FRP roof spoiler, and a choice of 20-inch or 19-inch WALD P21C rims to complete the look of a modified New GS.

"Ma, ako na"

On the August 10, 2012 episode of Bubble Gang

- "Bakit ka nakatingin sa dibdib niya" gags at the LRT

- A couple and a policeman on the ledge, making it a very complicated leap

- Cheche and Bureche tries to get the cat on the tree...problem is that there's a dog coming!

- Do they got what it takes to be on the stuntman's club?

- Ma, ako na. Bubble Gang does NEUROGEN-E by spoofing this commercial as BUROGEN-E. Fight nerve aging with BUROGEN-E!

- Pick-up lines with fan favorites Push Back, Dahon, and Boy Pick Up!

- In celebration of National Month of the Philippines, this presenter's proud of his Tagalog language...but with English filled in....

- Mr. Assimo visits the clothing shop

- IyoTube in Adele's Rolling in the Deep

- Cecilio's back (and his T-defect's still on him...) with his new declamation titled...MASISISI BA KITA?

Kay sarap palang umibig
sa unang beses,
sobrang bilis ng tibok ng aking puso
Siguro gusto nyo malaman
kung sino ang tinutukoy ko
Siya ay ang nag-iisa sa puso ko
si Pat
Pat ang pangalan
Santos ang apelido
Pat Santos ang buong pangalan niya
Pero hindi niya kamag-anak
si Vilma Santos at si Jimmy Santos
Isang araw
isinama ako ni Pat sa kanila
at ipinakilala sa nanay niya.
Si Aling Pina.
Pina Santos.
Maayos sana ang lahat
pero nung dumating ang tatay ni Pat
na si Mang Macky,
Macky Santos
Naging miserable ang sitwasyon
kaya ayaw sa akin
ni Mang Macky Santos
Ang sabi ko
bakit ayaw nyo po sa akin?
Meron ba kayong pinagbabasehan
kaya ayaw nyo po sa akin?
Ang sagot niya sa akin
hindi ko kailangan ng pagbabasehan
Pero sabi ko
kahit may asawa ka na
kailangan meron ka pa
ng pagbabasehan
Nagalit siya
at sinabing
Puwes magkaiba tayo ng opinion
Kung yan ang opinion mo,
puwes wala akong pakialam
Nagalit din ako,
sabi ko
wala ka na ngang pinababasehan
puwes ka pa ng puwes dyan
Pinigilan kami ni Pat
at sinabi niya
na bago pa lumala ang sitwasyon
ay mabuti pa
umalis na ko
at kalimutan na namin
ang aming relasyon
Yan ang huling beses na nakita ko siya,
mula nun
isang tanong ang hindi maalis
sa aking isipan
Pat Santos,
Masisisi ba kita?

- One lucky family gets a makeover of their house, courtesy of the demolition team!

RS5 Pikes Peak Version!

2012 Audi RS5 Pikes Peak Version

So, the recently facelifted Audi RS5's joining the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb this August 12 (13 if you're in Asia), right? It's even got the Audi Sport livery as a tribute for the legendary Audi quattro. That livery's been used on the Audi TT before but hey, it's all in the family for Audi...

Friday, August 10, 2012

THE IDOLM@STER CINDERELLA MASTER 006-010

In case you never heard what in the name of sanity is THE IDOLM@STER CINDERELLA GIRLS, it's a social idol-raising game that pits the players as the producer and he/she has over 100 idols to produce. The idea for this social mobile game is to make it to eventually produce a “top idol unit”. As of now, over one million users on Mobage has reached, making it a milestone for the first social game from the mega popular iM@S franchise.

Four months ago, we've introduced to Cinderella Girls Rin Shibuya, Anzu Futaba, Kanako Mimura, Kaede Takagaki, and Rika Jougasaki because they want fans getting to know more about them by their audio drama and their songs. This time, it's the second wave. Another five Cinderella Girls are arrived and they're here to getting to know more about them. Are you ready? Let's introduce to batch two of THE IDOLM@STER CINDERELLA MASTER CD's starting from...

006 - Ranko Kanzaki (CV: Maaya Uchida)

THE iDOLM@STER CINDERELLA MASTER 006 Ranko Kanzaki

007 - Miku Maekawa (CV: Natsumi Takamori)

THE iDOLM@STER CINDERELLA MASTER 007 Miku Maekawa


008 - Kirari Moroboshi (CV: Rei Matsuzaki)

THE iDOLM@STER CINDERELLA MASTER 008 Kirari Moroboshi

009 - Mika Jougasaki (CV: Haruka Yoshimura)

THE iDOLM@STER CINDERELLA MASTER 009 Mika Jougasaki

010 - Uzuki Shimamura (CV: Ayaka Ohashi)

THE iDOLM@STER CINDERELLA MASTER 010 Uzuki Shimamura

There's loads of it more in the near future so why not enjoy the second batch, who knows it might end up being better or worse than the first batch. I'm no fan of the CINDERELLA GIRLS because all of the girls were original, except for the 765PRO All-Stars, but for a producer hanging out with his mobile phone for some...stuff, they should better enjoy listening to these so they have a glimpse of their favorites.

Perfecting the ZL1 on FM4

Barely Street Legal

Here it is. It's called the Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 and unlike any other Camaros I've ever driven on the game, it looks different than the standard Camaro and it has the same supercharged 6.2L engine that I'd expect on the Corvette ZR1 but this produces about 580HP of power and 754Nm of torque. It even has the Magnetic Ride Control suspension that I'd expect on the Corvette, Performance Traction Management, Brembo brakes, and loads of extras that the standard Camaro doesn't have. Tell you what, this is the kind of Camaro we like because it maybe the evil twin of Bumblebee but with all that Corvette ZR1 know-how in the body of the Camaro made the ZL1 barely street legal and track-ready muscle car. I'd reckon that it will take on the world's finest in its A-class performance index. Let's find out with a quarter mile drag race between the ZL1 and the finest selection of sportscars from around the world...




The ZL1 got what it deserve because not only it trounced the world's A-class cars on the game but also it humiliates it. The V8-powered Audi R8 may have to think twice about facing against the ZL1. Anyway, if you think that's amazing, hear this; the ZL1 lapped round the Nurburgring in 7:41.27, making it faster than the Porsche 911 Turbo S, Lamborghini Murcielago LP640, and the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG.







Now, when the engineers from Chevrolet asked about the ZL1's Nurburgring progress, they even told that they even playing Forza to analyze the Nordschleife's layout, using the virtual as a preparation before lapping the ZL1 round world's most dreadful racetrack of all time that is the Nurburgring. After spending several tests at the Green Hell, what we observed that this known to be the most advanced Camaro ever made. I mean hey, the Chevrolet engineers did mentioned Forza during the testing process but why?

Doesn't matter though that when you compare the ZL1 to its bigger brother, the Corvette ZR1, you'll never realize that how many lessons did this Camaro inherit from the Vette. It's like a noob trying to learn the basics from the vet before setting off to an online deathmatch. It's about as bonkers as....Donna Noble and it's as wild as a wild stallion being chased by a exploding star, kinda scary indeed. He he he.....

ZL1 tries to relax...

There is another thing about this ZL1 because this car is way too dynamic to drive even though it has Magnetic Ride Control. Even though this comes with this cool suspension system, you have to be gentle with it, be kind to it, be nice with it, and don't respond to such brutal actions but even with such suggestions, you'll still end up challenged to regain its grip because like most American muscle cars, the dynamic driving feel makes it a challenging feat. If you're not careful, this car won't get round corners. This was made to be quicker on straight lines and that's it.

Dynamic and dangerous

If you live in countries such as Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore, South Africa, India, Pakistan, and other countries where right-hand drive cars are allowed, sad to say that don't expect this car to come because there is no right-hand drive muscle cars allowed, well HSV or FPV were Australia's muscles. Anyway, you can't have a muscle car if you live in  Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore, South Africa, India, Pakistan, or others. Don't be an idiot because we do mean it...No right-hand-drive American muscle cars and if that showed up, then you've smuggled it. Period.


Welcome Back: 1993 Jaguar XJ220

The battle of the fastest Jags

The XJ220 is the Jaguar's first, and the last, mid-engine supercar ever made and it was made in collaboration with Tom Walkinshaw Racing between 1992 and 1994, with 281 units built. The concept version though has a 6.2L V12 engine derived from the XJR-9 Race Car and it comes with the all-wheel drive system produced by FF developments. The production version though, it looks nearly identical at the concept form but it's a mid-engined rear wheel drive exotic that comes witht eh 3.5L V6 biturbo engine that produces about 542 bhp (404 kW; 550 PS) of maximum power at 7000 rpm and 476 lb·ft (645 N·m) of torque at 4500 rpm.

British car magazine Autocar once said that what really liked about this car is its ability to provide such performance in a way that it never, ever intimidates.

In 1992, this was the fastest production car in the world courtesy of Martin Brundle maxed the XJ220 at Nardo, although some tweaks were done on this car, in 217.1 mph (349.4 km/h). It even set a Nurburgring lap time of 7:46.37, by John Nielsen.

Production of the XJ220 ended in 1994.

Let's Do The News! (August 10, 2012)

Right, time now for the news!

Grrr....What a pillock. Why did he have to do this....

What's wrong?

Don't know....something else....

(audience laughing)

Hey! Hey! What's that you're wearing you fat boring middle-aged man?

Something something...

(audience laughing)

Anyway, time now for the news and let's start with a big one. Initial D....is now on it's Fifth Stage ladies and gents! Initial D is back via Pay Per View!

(applause)

So, what's what?

Well, because this is the first of the new ANIMAX PRESENTS PPV (Pay Per View), this is their first offering. Starting November 9, 2012, two episodes of Initial D Fifth Stage are available for 840 yen (about US$11), and the remaining pairs of episodes will be released in a similar format on the second Friday every month.

Scoop: http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2012-08-07/new-initial-d-anime-to-run-2-episodes-every-month

Wow, this beats rentals or on demand. Is it a paid on-demand service?

I think it is but hey, this is similar since Fourth Stage a few years ago, which is from a pay-per-view service. Sky PerfecTV to be precise. So, anyone willing to watch the first two?

(audience talking)

Okay! For a bigger news, Top Gear is NOW in Car Town!

(applause)

Top Gear on Car Town

That's right ladies and gentlemen. The best automotive variety show in the world is now in Car Town! There will be cool cars, stunts, and series of challenges that are more than just pulling out from the yellow envelope sent from the producers.

So, what's their Day One?

They're offering Gallardo Spyder, Clarkson's MX-5 from the Middle East Special, a 1984 Toyota Hilux pickup, and for an added treat; the INDESTRUCTIBLE HILUX from the Killing a Toyota episode.

You thought that this is all they got but think again. This is only the beginning. There's loads of it more in the coming weeks and you'll never know what Top Gear throws something at you.

(oooohhhh)

Expect more to come from Top Gear on Car Town!

Okay, hey now. While on the subject on Car Town...what's up?

I got this limited edition car on this game, it's a 2011 Ford Falcon XR6 UTE. It's the one that reminded me of the now-defunct Aussie Top Gear where the presenters use pickup trucks to get some gold from the gold mine...

2011 Ford Falcon XR6 Ute

That's a good ute and seems that the Australians invaded Car Town for now. Who knows what sort of other Aussie cars coming next?

Let's just wait okay?

Anyway, the Polish have now made a supercar and once again, the geeks spend the rest of their lives playing too much Ridge Racer series for some further inspiration.

Always playing a game that came from Namco for some further inspiration and oh, speaking of Poland, what was that supercar they made?

They called it the Arrinera Hussarya...

(audience laughing)

Arrinera Hussarya

The what?

Huss-sshhh-hasshshh-harrghhh--ah who cares? The spelling is H-U-S-S-A-R-Y-A.

Is that reminded me of a the name of a Pagani hypercar, which replaced the Zonda, called the Huhhghh-hghuhhug-uhguhguhgu?

Ahem?

You know. That spelled H-U-A-Y-R-A.

Can't believe they still naming cars after noises coming out from themselves. But hey, it looks like a Lamborghini Gallardo to us.


Indeed it's Poland's Gallardo copycat but still it looks nice and it comes with a 6.2L V8 engine that generates  650HP of power and it only weighs 1300kg. Incredible.

Anyway, let's just forget about it and resume more on the flooding nightmare. As I sure you know, anyone know about the color code for its rainfall warning system? At first, there was Yellow, Green, and Red. However, there was some confusion about the rainfall warning system because most people think that when it's green, it's safe but it's just means ALERT phase. Yellow means on MONITOR phase and red means EVACUATION phase or to put it on this way, the RED ALERT situation when it gets worse. Now, they've revised the coloring from green to orange to avoid confusions.


So, this color change avoids the confusion about Green means safe? That's precaution and as of now, the whole Philippines began a massive cleanup after floods swept the capital and nearby provinces, forcing residents to wade through shoulder-deep waters in some places after nearly two weeks of monsoon rains killed 91 people.


I think everything's back to normal as it seems but according to weather reports, more rain will come but I sure hope it's not as worse as the habagat caused. Anyway, whatever that means, we pray that the floods and rains will go away. I hope....

Right...So anyway, let's move on to the world of tuning so, what do you think about this G-Tech Sportster, which is a Fiat 500 tuned to have its chop-top roof and improved 1.4L turbo engine?

G-Tech Sportster


I think it looks cool. The lab rat's became a dirty rat from the sewers...

(audience laughing)

The cuteness has gone, the chop-top roof's cool, everything is becoming a pocket rocket.

Okay, so what about this one? Prior Design do some styling tweaks on the BMW F12/F13 6-Series. What's your say?

Prior Design BMW 6-Series (F13)


Yummy. Looks delicious to drive one of these.

I think it's rather more of a show-off than being just  a West Coast cruiser.

Right. So, anyway, Kahn Design tries to give the Ferrari 599 a new lease of life with the addition of front and rear sections, ceramic brakes, wing shields, an upgraded F1 gearbox and yellow brake calipers.

Kahn Design 599


What? Looks pretty much the same as the 599 but...

...could it be a sleeper car? Cars that look like stock but tuned on the inside?

I think yes, it is. Anyway, that's all for now but anyway, I've just picked up that union workers at Hyundai resumed walkout on Wednesday after failing to workout a deal with management. About 45,000 unionized workers had been requesting that South Korea's largest automaker increase wages, and they've also been urging to end the nightshifts that workers say are dangerous.


Well, every time, there's always some strike going on by the union workers of Korean car makers. Seems that they want to be treated equally but...this is going to be a K-Drama turned reality. If this going to be made into a drama, this could be it. A Korean drama about union workers in South Korean factories fighting to get what they want.

(audience laughing)

So, whose actors and actresses going to be playing as the union workers?

I don't know. Who do you think?

(audience laughing)

Anyway, forget about this....and hey, Suzuki's planning to launch a completely new car that comes with their newly developed ENE-Charge mild hybrid system, that it maybe similar than GM's eAssist, even a bit more complicating. Here's the clip...




Scoop: http://carscoop.blogspot.com/2012/08/suzuki-previews-new-wagon-r-mini-ene.html

I think that settles it about this clip we've shown but anyway...

2012 Nissan GT-R

I caught up with some ad from Mitsubishi Heavy Inc. and guess what car did featured on that latest ad. It was the R35 Nissan GT-R! Get it? A Nissan GT-R appeared on the ad from Mitsubishi Heavy Inc! A Nissan in a Mitsubishi ad! What the hell?

(audience laughing)




Scoop: http://www.mhi.co.jp/news/story/1208025240.html

Excuse me Mitsubishi, but why are you endorsing a Nissan GT-R? This is wrong folks! Endorsing a wrong product!

(audience laughing)

Actually, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries were responsible for making the engine valves for the R35 GT-R. I also heard that Mitsubishi Heavy Industries were also responsible for the Tokyo Sky Tree, which is Japan's tallest building and even taller than the Tokyo Tower.

Oh...someone cue the Pushing Patrick joke... HEY! WE SHOULD TAKE THE NISSAN GT-R AND PUSH IT ON A MITSUBISHI COMMERCIAL!

(audience laughing)

Nice joke, I'll give it to you...

Anyway, and on that bombshell, that's the news!

Thursday, August 9, 2012

Scion FR-S vs. The New Genesis Coupe

We begin with the Scion FR-S....

The Scion FR-S or whatever you may call it the Toyota GT86


...yes I know. I lied about the whole exclusivity thing. I didn't expect how did this car showed up on Forza Motorsport 4 via the August Playseat Car Pack but in order to figure it out how did this car behave, even though this car is the fruit of its Toyota-Subaru joint venture, I decided to drive it round the track to see what is what....

That scares me off!


Wahhhh! No! No! WAAAAHHHH!!!! WAAAAAHHHH!!!!

Pushing through the limits


WAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A brighter way to ruin your underwear


WAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!  WAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!! MOMMY!!!!!!! I WANT MY MOMMY!!!!!!

The nightmare ends.


...and that concludes this test drive of the Scion FR-S. It's terrifying but if I want a car better than the Scion FR-S, I should be getting one of these instead...

And it begins....


Some people have told that in last four years or so, the Hyundai Genesis Coupe is just a low-cost rear-wheel drive Korean sports coupe that is cheaper on anything but...NOT ANYMORE IT ISN'T!

Party like a rock star


This new 2013 model of the Genesis Coupe, daintily trimmed as 3.8 Track, looks pretty much the same as the other present-day Hyundai models but now it's lighter and more powerful than ever. It now has a 3.8 V6 Lambda GDi (Gasoline Direct Injection) engine which produces 348HP of power, which means this streak of K-POP is even faster than the old Genesis Coupe and it's even faster than American V6 pony cars and the Infiniti G37S in acceleration and quarter-mile times.

Question is...is it powerful than the Scion FR-S? Let's see....That FR-S has a FA20 D4S Boxer engine that produces about nearly 200HP of power and generally, lighter than the 2013 Genesis Coupe. Let's remember that with the New Genesis Coupe's GDi engine, the kind of engine we won't be getting in the Philippines because of our local fuels' incompatibility, it's more powerful so...let's find out!



Genesis Coupe with the GDi engine trounced the boxer sports coupe

So, the new model beats the FR-S in the straights and it's easier to drive even though it's an FR sportscar made from a rapidly growing country that brought you Koreanovelas and K-POP music to the world or to put it on this way, the Hallyu (Korean wave).

The Hallyu wave has overtaken the otaku!

From behind, the FR-S is all over the place, it was like being chased by a big giant monster trying to swallow me but too slow to catch up on me. I can see that on my rear view mirror or monitor perhaps but hey, don't get me wrong because even though it has a dynamic driving feel, it's still very Hallyu-ish. The makgeoli, the bulgogi, kimchi, K-POP music, K-Dramas, that's what fueled it. Behind the shouty exterior beats the heart of any Japanese or European sports cars trying to catch up. I mean, everyone can drive this one straight away. No problem at all...

Picture a scene: it's a beautiful day when there's a Genesis Coupe waiting to be driven and then some woman in her kissogram outfit getting in. While driving, she's turning into a blonde woman, which later turned into a young African-American woman, and then later on, she's now a ginger-haired middle-aged woman, and soon afterwards, it's that young, ginger-haired woman who was a kissogram before but now, instead of her kissogram uniform, she now wears a brown fitted leather jacket, burgundy v-neck sweater, denim mini-skirt, stockings, and some tan cowboy boots. What? What did I said?

Drawbacks? Well, in real life, you could expect an 8-speed automatic transmission with paddles behind the steering wheel and sadly though, eight gears is too much like the Lexus IS F. What I have here is a 6-speed manual transmission with a clutch pedal below and that means that there's no space for my left foot. Both of them are annoying to me like the annoying orange.

So far as for styling, the FR-S is just um....like a Toyota FT-86 concept car even personal. The Genesis Coupe though is one of the best-looking Korean cars ever built even when it comes with its pointy and shouty Veloster-style nose. They say that this is all part of Hyundai's Fluidic Sculpture and the reason why the Veloster-like face was applied on the Genesis Coupe is because to accommodate their GDi 3.8L V6 engine or an improved and turbocharged 2.0 TCi engine. These two engines combine performance and ecology so if I had the devil's own job, I have my own point to explain why.

As concerned, the biggest problem of this car was it's pricing and with the cost of $33,875 for the Genesis Coupe 3.8 Track, it's expensive than the fully-equipped FR-S. So it's your choice really. You can either have a kissogram attacked you with a cricket bat or a car that can be driven by one.

(applause)

How? How could you not like the FR-S you useless, idioting, coke-drinking, feckless, fat, boring, hopeless, talentless, dull, hypocrite, thumb-sucking, bed-wetting, suede-laden, denim-laden, idiot?

I knew you gonna said that.

(audience laughing)

But we have to actually find out how fast it is by lending it to our tamed racing driver. Some say his favorite Doctor Who girl was actually River Song...

(audience laughing)

...and yet, he received numerous gold medals by stealing them from others...

(audience laughing)

...all we know is he's called The Stig!

(applause)

 

So, our new 2013 Genesis Coupe did it in 1:29.649 so that's faster than our 930 911 Turbo so, let's finish this day off!

No! No, no, wait! What about the FR-S?

Um....

Tell me....is it better than the New Genesis Coupe?

Um...Let's see!




So...what time did our FR-S got?

Um...

What time?

1:30.211

No! No! No!

Loser! Loser!

(audience laughing)

The finale to kill the Bugatti Veyron SS?

2013 SSC Ultimate Aero XT

So, this was said to be the final episode of the SSC Ultimate Aero? If I don't know what in the world that is, this was the car that once killed the original Bugatti Veyron in terms of top speed, which then later got killed by the Bugatti Veyron Super Sport's 267mph top speed. Guess what? The Fast Food Nation won't give up giving the American hypercar some boost and take back what the Veyron SS got. This is the SSC Ultimate Aero XT, the grand finale of the all-American hypercar. We said it finale because if all five units were sold out, then its gone and they'll be working on the project whose name that is too weird to pronounce, something goes T-U-A-T-A-R-A.

Anyway, this has a twin-turbo V8 engine that generates about a whopping 1300HP of power, more than the standard model and even more than the Bugatti Veyron SS, and it was mated, for the first time, a 7-speed paddle shift transmission, the one that we might expect on the T-U-A-T-A-R-A soon. The cooling, fuel and braking systems that we may expect on the T-U-A-T-A-R-A were also there! Furthermore, this will go 0-60 in 2.65 seconds and it will go on to the top speed...of 273mph! 273! That's more than the Bugatti Veyron SS! 


Ladies and gents, what you're looking up here is the new fastest car in the world! (Sort of...) 273mph of top speed is more than enough to kill the Veyron Super Sport! I can't believe it! SSC is back on top! Beat that Bugatti! Oh, that limited-to-five-units special comes with the special panit scheme that SSC once said that they won't be putting that on the original Aero and the future T-U-A-T-A-R-A.

Let's Do The News! (August 8, 2012)

(audience applause)

2013 Lexus GS

So, is it not good then?

Oh no. This is better. It's even better than those classic Toyota Aristo cars I've ever drove on several video games. You see, when you look at its appearance, this is the best looking Lexus GS I have ever driven, I mean, someone special out there was driving one. Probably someone who's going around the world with this car.

So, the clue that goes "country club or grand touring, what to do is up to you", is that really suited well on that car?

Uh-huh. Hey, since it was fitted with the optional 4WD system, it seems that it tries to hang in there. You have to wrestle down like a maniac to get it right on the curves. Anyway, after we've done filming this car, Forza Motorsport 4 announced a Playseat Challenge, where players from the U.S., U.K., France, Germany, and Spain are cordially invited to wrestle down the all new 2013 Lexus GS round the Twin Ring Motegi East Section and the fastest player will be winning a Limited Edition Forza Motorsport 4 Playseat. The next four fastest will be winning gifts courtesy of Playseat. For details, go to http://forzamotorsport.net/playseat_contest_rules/


And now the news and hey, China was been battered by a typhoon, Mexico braces for a hurricane Ernesto, Philippines has been battered by the uncontrollable habagat that lead us to a massive flooding, and oh, wastes from the rapid development are coming back to haunt us. Do you see the pic up there that goes' GOD SAVE THE PHILIPPINES up there? Yep, this will remain there as long as the situation is back to normal. Don't tell us how it got here but this is for a cause.

Yeah, you know what PAGASA told us that the weather in the Philippines will going to be "gradually improving" for the coming days? Turns out they lied. Instead of improving, it keeps getting worse because of the unstoppable rain.

(audience laughing)

Yeah, who says that STORMS DON'T LAST FOREVER? Well, storms ARE going to last forever in the Philippines. No fun. Look at the floods around, even in Muntinlupa, Metro Manila, Paranaque, the rest of the Philippines, it's critical to see floods around here no matter how big or small that is. Guess what? There's flood in your house.

WHAT?!

(audience laughing)

Well, storms may or may not last forever but PROJECT NOAH can tell. Better check the weather outlook on your iPhone and then you'll know.

Ah.....Oh hey now, you know that second season of Angelito called ANGELITO: ANG BAGONG YUGTO, where Angelito, the young father, faces his new challenges for his family? There was this insert song going on during Angelito. It was something that goes..."umabot man tayo ng 3,001", what was that song? I want to know...

I think it's titled Kasama Kang Tumanda by Toni Gonzaga.

Oh, I see. That was the song that I keep hearing during Angelito. Can't believe John Prats were on that show....

Right, oh hey now, Dodge is quitting NASCAR. Anyone heard?


(audience murmuring)

Yep. Turns out Dodge's unfit to be a racer to a stock car racing that was dominated by Fords, Chevys, and Toyotas for God's sake!

Yeah, turns out that the Pentastar's not quite good for NASCAR so they decided to take away their Dodge Charger NASCAR racers because they're not quite good for the job.

Not quite good to take down a couple of Fusions, Impalas, and Camrys on the ovals. Sorry.

Yeah, hey now, you know that the Honda Inspire stopped production last month, right? Now that the Honda Inspire is gone and so is the Honda VCM system as well and now, here's what the Honda Inspire should have been if they didn't stop production. Here's the pic...

これは次期ホンダインスパイアがどうあるべきかです.... http://aol.it/ORcNh7 @HondaJP @manablog #lovecars #honda #accord #inspire
This is what the next Honda Inspire should have been...

これは次期ホンダインスパイアがどうあるべきかです.... http://aol.it/ORcNh7 @HondaJP @manablog #lovecars #honda #accord #inspire
This is what the next Honda Inspire should have been...

Yep. This is what have been if Honda didn't stop production of the Inspire but it's TOO LATE. Honda killed the Inspire as well as the VCM so, don't expect this one to come soon. No matter how many times you beg, it won't come.

Yeah, Too Late for this. The Inspire is dead. Anyway, Codemasters, they've announced a sequel to the 2008's GRID racing game and more information will be on this year's Eurogamer Expo this 27th-30th September. Anyway, I just found something that in the sequel of the GRID racing game, which is due next year under the banner of GRID 2, they'll be axing the cockpit view, which is sad because Codemasters found out that about 95% of the GRID players prefer first-person view or bonnet view because of its easiness. I mean hey, we often used cockpit views on some other racing games because it gives us that feeling that we feel like we're driving inside. It's a very popular feature because most car enthusiasts prefer the car's interior very much in real life. Sadly though, it's getting a bit more harsh and most players in other Codemasters-related racing games still prefer some first-person chase view or bonnet view because it's more optimal.


Oh, very optimal than cockpit view. I was knowing that this would come but hey, it's for their own good for user satisfaction and come to think about the deletion of "cockpit view" on next year's GRID 2, it won't going to be a hindrance when you come to think about camera views and the push of a button like hey! Switch it to car view, or chase view, or bonnet view! Most racing games have several views to further enhance their gameplay. I mean come on, the ones we had are probably a bit more...personal when it comes to the racing games' camera views. Whatever view you want, it's up to you.

Yeah, it's up to you.

Now earlier, we heard that Dutch carmaker, Spyker, is filing a $3 billion lawsuit against General Motors regarding about Saab. I wonder what sparked this attack?


I don't know. Is it because of General Motors prohibit the Chinese investors to save Saab? We think it's a yes.

Oh, you're right. We think it is, probably because of something something....Let's get personalan for this case.

Okay, and oh! Guess what? There's a new AKB48 dating sim coming soon and this time, not only it's coming to the PSP but also, and we're not joking, the PSVita! Yehey!




Cool! For a bigger treat, not only the AKB48 girls are here but also from sister groups SKE48, NMB48, and HKT48! Cool! The biggest AKB48 dating sim, ever!

Scoop: http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/interest/2012-08-07/akb48-akb1/153-game-promo-shows-some-of-the-153-datable-idols

You know it's weird why the Japanese government relying on AKB48 as their very own...stimulus package. Seems that their popularity really led the Japanese government to use them to boost their economy. I mean what do they gonna do? Do concerts during stock market exchanges?

(audience laughing)

Anyway, on that bombshell, that's the news!

Wednesday, August 8, 2012

Judge. New GS

The Spindle Grille

Oh wait, hang on. You thought I haven't recognize this one, don't you? Yes, I know, this is the new corporate look for Lexus called the Spindle Grille and you wanna guess what's that car we're driving? Nope, you're wrong because, ladies and gentlemen, part of the now-on-sale Forza 4 August Playseat Car Pack, it's the all new 2013 Lexus GS.

Grand Touring Sedan in F-Sport clothing

No, I wasn't kidding though, this is the real thing. This is the one with the Spindle Grille on it. This really is the 4th generation GS. Although it may said F-Sport, this isn't a firebreathing sports saloon made to wet the driver's pants. This is just a normal executive saloon car made for Asians in business suits who want to take a day out at some golf course in downtown Tokyo.

I didn't like the old Lexus GS, starting from the S140 (1991-1996), S160 (1997-2004), and the S190 (2005-2011). Anyway, the first two I've mentioned. Well, you know, the S140 and the S160, which are the Toyota Aristo in Japan. By the looks of it, these maybe look dull, boring, and a bit more of an electronic typewriter that you brought it at the office. The S140 is made for the senior-aged while the S160 is more of a E-Class copycat because of the headlamps. Also, I am not a big fan of the S190 Lexus GS because....what do you think? Reluctantly dull perhaps? Given the choice then I have picked a car that once said is better looking than the S190 Lexus GS and it was made by an American car maker and in fact, I just did.

The car who waited....

This, however, is the all new GRL10 Lexus GS and unlike the previous three generations, this looks stunning. The Spindle Grille really made it more aggressive and sharper, reminds me of the LF-Gh concept car I saw in New York last year. This car is about as cool as your bowtie, your fez, your Stetson, or your glasses. It is really that cool but it's difficult to explain why.

The interior though, it looks more like the BMW 5-Series but with all that 60:40 split-screen monitor, the Remote Touch, and all of those luxury peripherals, it seems that it's now even more advanced than the old GS's interiors of yesteryears. In case you have a gal trying to get in, she might be shocked to see one and she will say..."I'm in my nightie..." He he....he he he....

The one I'm driving on Forza Motorsport 4, however, was the GS350 F-Sport with the optional 4WD powertrain. Really? 4WD powertrain? How's that possible? Is it a mistake? Afraid not. This is not the erratum like we faced on the RUF CTR2 last month. This is just an optional feature equipped for some unknown purposes. It's a GS350 F-Sport with a 4WD, which in Japan, will cost about 7 million Yen. With the 4WD, it's all about the all-round grip and nothing usual. Sure, a Lexus GS with a 4WD layout is made to tackle through the wet but by the time you'll launch this, the 4WD system will hinder its start. Sure, it maybe set to 4WD but no matter because I can make it rear-wheel drive because if the New GS's a rear-wheel drive, it has to be that kind because by noticing the RWD layout on the New GS, it weighs less than the GS350 F-Sport 4WD and perfect weight distribution so handling feels like your favorite Aristo of yesteryears.

A showdown that gets interesting....

Either way, what I have here under the bonnet is a 3.5L V6 DOHC 2GR-FSE engine that generates about 318PS of power and 380Nm of torque. For FR variants, it will consume about 9.9km/L while 4WD variants get about 9.4km/L, all based on Japan's JC08 mode test cycle. It's mated with a 6-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters. Yep, paddle shifters on the Lexus. For the previous three generations, when I see the speedo reading up about 180kph, that's how you got personal because all Japanese cars, but not most of it, have speedometers read about 180kph. Don't forget that, folks. You can't max out a Japanese car that has a speedometer read up to 180kph (110mph). If you ever think that if you want to convert a speedometer from 180kph to something that is above the 180kph limit though, you're a crook and that's illegal to swap speedometers. Again, if you have a JDM car, it is illegal to upgrade the speedometer from 180kph (110mph) upwards because....like what Matilda said "It's illegal" and "you're a crook".

Happily however, on the new Lexus GS, the speedometer reads up to 260kph instead of the Japan-normal 180kph so, no harm done, as long as you're not exceeding the speedo limit. Ugh, why do illegal street racers who drive JDM cars want to  upgrade the speedometer from 180kph (110mph) upwards? That's against the law, right?

Anyway, forget about and still, I would now go for the new Lexus GS (GRL10) rather than any of the old Toyota Aristo models whose speedos read up to 180kph. This car made me want to play Forza 4 all over again rather than the rival video game. I would gladly want to have one rather driving something that lead me nothing but Dressy Alice, Rainy Suzuran, Random Color Beauty, Digital Spacecraft, Cutie Insect, Weeping Wisteria, Burning Performer, or Stratos Butterfly. It is that good and that is interesting. 

The Beast below Dunsfold


Tuesday, August 7, 2012

Driving Music (What is the name of the song on car commercial?) Vol. 40

Oh...hey...Been checking the roof our our blog and guess what? We found some holes of it. Holes are made by idiots who are obsessed for car commercial songs and hey, we're flooded with damages from our blog such as "bmw x1 become one commercial song", "song from bmw commercial olympics 2012", "bmw m5 commercial song", "subaru commercial song rainbow", "porsche boxster commercial song", among many others.

To those who kept doing this...I have a word with you...DISPUTE REJECTED. CLAIM HAS BEEN REINSTATED! Get it? That's what you get for doing these kind of unpleasant things. Have you guys never learned your lesson? Be warned. CISPA is on to us....

Anyway, while we're diddling right about now, another set of five DRIVING MUSICS (Car Commercial Songs) for us to find...

5) Won't Let You Leave by Jenny O - from the US Subaru "Rainbow" commercial

4) Zdarlight by Digitalism - from the 2009 BMW X1 Commercial

3) Modern Drift by Efterklnag - From the 2012 Audi "Vorsprung Durch Technik" brand ad

2) Everywhere I'm Goin by The Go - From the Peugeot 4008 commercial

1) Deeper Love by Anastacia - from the Skoda Citigo commercial

...There you go folks. In case you've been messing up with my blog again with all you what's the song in a car commercial, why not comment below?

Let's Do The News! (August 7, 2012)

So, you said that the Fiat 500L is a perfect Mini Countryman rival but turned out that you are kinda unhappy with it. Why's that?

Because it kinda feels like it lacked something...

What?

It's...um....ah....

Well, what is it?

Its cheerfulness. That car won't make me happy and only a kissogram would ever drive it.

(audience laughing)

Well, have you seen this? The Fiat 500L has an espresso machine on it, does that impress you?

Nope. Even a mini espresso machine on it, it's still won't make me happy...

Oh, I see...

(audience laughing)

And now we will do the news and boy, this is another week of rain in the Philippines right? I've watched the news and my God, so many floods everywhere, even in Monumento!

Uh, even though Gener's not here, how come there's some flood. There was no tropical depression but how come there's more rain? Is it because of the so-called HANGING HABAGAT?

Yes, I think. And come to think of it, this whole rain really turned into a rainy vacation to our student friends because it's been several weeks that their classes got suspended because of the heavy rains. Yes, it's good that there's no classes because of the rain because, well everybody's a Garfield.

Everybody's a Garfield? What do you mean?

Garfield hates Mondays, right? So is this. A class suspension for one day, that's good but a week of class suspension because of the rain, that is not good because there are so many important things to do rather than just a week or worse, month-long class suspension.

Like what?

More lessosns, graded recitations, monthly activities depending on what school you're on, field trips, Foundation Day, and more that I can mention...

Oh, that's the point. Maybe a week long class suspension is not good because...THINK OF THE EDUCATION! THINK OF THE FAMILIES STRUGGLING THEIR HARD LIVES!

He's right. I think we should do about this whole raining fiasco in the Philippines. Rains are not much fun here you know.

Anyway, while people are getting the fuss about the floods, let's move on to something that's even worse. Have you guys watched the NASCAR Pennsylvania 400 at Pocono Raceway?

(audience murmuring)

Yeah, worse than we thought. The thunderstorms cut the race from the 160 lap race to just 98 laps. Gets worse, a fan was killed by a lightning strike after the race was called. Nine others fans were hospitalized.




Ouch. That's the worst case scenario of NASCAR history. I mean, one fan was killed by a lightning bolt during the NASCAR race at Pocono. What's his name?

We don't know his name but some say, he's 41 years old.

Oh. Speaking of the Pennsylvania storm, can't believe there was some flooding, some heavy traffic, flash floods, and a lightning strike at the children's baseball facility for God's sake!

Ouch.....Even in North America, it's painful and traumatizing about severe storms. Something tells me....

Uh, what?

Nothing. Nothing..

(audience laughing)

Okay. Oh, for those Filipinos reading this, take time for some emergency hotlines because this is very important;

Emergency hotlines

Thank You, God Bless, and stay calm during the severe storm, everybody!

Okay, let's move on from the storm and into other things before we got traumatized....Anyway, have you guys seen the SRT Viper GTS-R's debut appearance at American Le Mans Series Mid-Ohio Sports Car Challenge?

2012 SRT Viper GTS-R

Uh, no. Didn't caught up.

Me too.

Sadly though, we didn't see it but those people who witnessed the SRT Viper GTS-R's debut appearance told us that it's debut wasn't worked what it seems but it finished 10th place at the GT class of that race.


The #91 Forza Motorsport SRT Viper GTS-R driven by Kuno Wittmer and Dominik Farnbacher, managed to finish tenth in its class. Not bad though...

Yeah, for the Viper's comeback at the race, I think it was very impressive.

There’s been so much anticipation for our first race. Now, we can focus on the last race of the season. We hope to get better with every lap. Keep watching, keep rooting for us. We’d love to see you at the track.” SRT Motorsports director Beth Paretta.

(audience applause)

Uh, why are you guys applauding?

(audience murmuring)

Oh well. Anyway, back in August 5, 2012, in Fuji Speedway, there was a gathering of Hachi-Roku owners as a tribute to the recently-launched TOYOTA 86 sportscar. That was called Fuji 86 Style and all TOYOTA 86 owners across Japan are driving around the Fuji Speedway, either stock or tuned by tuning companies across Japan. Have you been there?

Uh, sadly no. I wasn't there on that venue but hey, Fuji 86 Style, that's their way of saying thank you for the TOYOTA 86's continuous support but...

But...

You know it's a Toyota-Subaru car. Can't believe the BRZ didn't made a shine though.

Look, yesterday, I had a talk with the chaps and they said that even though they're the same thing, the BRZ looks ugly than the TOYOTA 86 or Scion FR-S as they say it.

(audience laughing)

Oh, hey now. Lamborghini Aventador, it will get a variable cylinder management and idling stop system for the 2013 model year.


Ooh, can't believe that the latest Lambo hypercar is getting a bit too eco-conscious right now thanks to some eco-friendly features planted on that car.

Yeah. It's a general fact that supercars and hypercars consume more fuel so they made some drastic measures to keep supercars fuel efficient so for that Lamborghini LP700-4, those eco-friendly features such as idling stop and variable cylinder management will be there but speaking of which. We never heard that a V12 engine would have that kind of feature I mean come on, we learned that from the Honda Accord Inspire......Can't believe Honda killed the Variable Cylinder Management system alongside the death of the Honda Inspire.

(audience laughing)

Oh, hey now. I'd picked up some news about Multiply. Because of some changes around here, here's what going to happen. That was told by the management of Multiply:

- From December 1st, we will unfortunately no longer be able to support Multiply in its current form - notably we will be removing the social networking and content sharing part of Multiply (photos, videos, blogs, social messaging, etc.). We have decided to discontinue providing and hosting these services, as we have concluded that other Internet sites who are committed to social networking services will do a better job serving you than we can.

- For our existing users of social networking features, we will be providing easy ways for you to either download your stuff (photos, blogs, content, etc), or migrate it to other online services. We'll announce the precise details shortly. It will be your choice whether to download, migrate or just let your content lapse (and get deleted).

- For our existing ecommerce users (both buyers and sellers) in Indonesia and the Philippines, there will be no action required.

- Regarding any existing Multiply Premium subscriptions we will refund any unused balance, and apologize for any inconvenience this will cause. Please contact customer service to request a refund. Note that this is for Multiply Premium, not the ecommerce related Multiply Trust product.

Keep that in mind folks....oh. Says here that Multiply will no longer became a blogging site.

(audience laughing)

What's the matter, fat middle aged man?

You know, this site was once a popular blogging site but as I heard that by the end of this year, Multiply's blogging services will be discontinued, focusing more on e-commerce for customers (buyers and sellers alike) in Indonesia and the Philippines.

So, what are you gonna do now?

Don't worry. I have a spare blogging site. It's Blogger!

(audience laughing)

Oh okay.

Right. And moving on. You know the story about Ford reducing its share to Mazda Motor Corporation? Well, that story made the effects profound because now, Mazda Philippines is no longer part of Ford Group Philippines, which had reports that they will recently close their Santa Rosa plant.

Oh, really? What now?

Says here that a Malaysian conglomerate, Berjaya Corporation Berhad, will be taking over Mazda Philippines.


So, the Malaysians are taking part of Mazda Philippines' businesses? Can't say what's what but its business you know.

Right, Malaysians reassuring Mazda Philippines. So moving on because I just heard that former Doctor Who lead actor, the actor who brought back Doctor Who on the telly in Spring 2005 and replaced by David Tennant on the 2005 Christmas Special and lasted through Part Two of DOCTOR WHO: THE END OF TIME special....

Who? Is it Christopher Eccleston? The former Doctor Who lead actor?

That's what I'm going to said...Thank You....

Christopher "The Ninth Doctor Who" Eccleston

Anyway, as I foresaw, the actor who brought Doctor Who back on the telly on Spring 2005, which is Christopher Eccleston, is once again portraying as a bad guy and this time on the sequel of last year's Thor movie.

(wow)

So, Sir Christopher Eccleston. He was the bad guy in Gone in 60 Seconds, he was Cobra's Destro on the G.I. Joe  - The Rise of Cobra movie, and now, he's going to play as the baddie on the 2013 Thor sequel? Who's that baddie going to be for our former Doctor Who lead actor?

He's going to be Malekith, the ruler of the Dark Elves, which is one of Thor's baddies and his evil plot to take down our favorite heroic God of Thunder superhero on Thor: The Dark World (tentative title) next Autumn 2013.


I see. He's going to be once again being the baddie and for this time, he's going to be one of Thor's greatest adversaries. This is brilliant. He he he...The Ninth Doctor vs. Thor!

(audience laughing)

Anyway, while on the subject of Who, you know the Mars Curiosity rover that NASA launched?


Something tells me that the Curiosity rover that NASA sent it from Mars....Is going to remind me of that Guinevere One from the Doctor Who 2005 Christmas Special titled THE CHRISTMAS INVASION. I know what going to happen...

What?

Sycorax! (uh-oh)

(uh-oh sound from Luv U)

Sycorax going to take over our world?! Unless you are as brave as David Tennant, you can't take down their leader, not unless you're on a swordfight against their leader...

(audience laughing)

Whovians....Is there anything you can't think of? Oh! Have you guys seen THE SCIENCE OF DOCTOR WHO TV special? The special that discusses what if some Doctor Who related stuff exist in real life. Anyone saw it?

(audience laughing)

I see. Guess nobody didn't see that. Anyway, on that Saturday, there's going to be another Doctor Who TV special tackling on...the women! From Sarah Jane Smith, Rose Tyler, Martha Jones, Donna Noble, to Amelia Pond, that TV special going to air on BBC America this Saturday at 9/8C tackles more on the classic and modern women who are always ready to lend a helping hand to The Doctor.

Sweet. I love to get to know more about the women of Doctor Who. It's been five decades since the program began in 1963 but hey, we all like the babes from that show because...that fueled our fantasies...

(audience laughing)

Fueled..your fantasy among them? Ahem...

(audience laughing)

Anyway, on that bombshell, that's the news and we'll leave you with the reminder of what might have been in the coming weeks until then, have a safe day and be careful with our hearts during the heavy rain. Take care, goodbye!

COMING SOON! Top Gear in Car Town!

Monday, August 6, 2012

Flashback: Before she was Amy Pond, she was.....an extra?!

Amelia Jessica "Amy" Pond from Doctor Who


As I'm sure we know, Whovians like us are getting a huge crush on Scottish actress Karen Gillan who was Amelia Jessica "Amy" Pond on the flagship BBC sci-fi series Doctor Who. Yes, I admit that she's even prettier than Billie Piper, strong-minded than Freema Agyeman, and has a sense of humor like Catherine Tate's (even though Karen and Catherine do have ginger hairs as we knew it).

Someone told be a few weeks ago about that gal. They told that Ms. Karen Gillan....

No. Series 5 wasn't her first appearance. She was....um....there during the David Tennant years....as an extra.

Eh, what? She was an extra during the David Tennant years (2005-2010) of Doctor Who? Some say, she's on Series 4 Episode 2 of Doctor Who titled THE FIRES OF POMPEII as...well, let's be kind, let's say one of the bad guys. The Soothsayer of the Sibylline Sisterhood, who saw the TARDIS materialize in Pompeii market square.

Most Whovians have gone loko and for me, I went overboard to the fact that she was an extra on Doctor Who back in 2008, two years before she attained the role of companion Amelia Pond in Series 5.

Is that really Amy Pond? She was.....

I decided to watch that whole FIRES OF POMPEII episode to see what is what but really, someone with a ginger hair appeared on that episode (nope, not Donna Noble), who was one of the Sisterhood, which turned out to be Karen Gillan was there and I said "That's impossible! That can't be her! Karen Gillan was Amelia Pond you know..." and some say that I have to look that up in the DOCTOR WHO ENCYCLOPEDIA e-book on my sister's iPad.

The DW ENCYCLOPEDIA e-book is right, it is her....

And the e-book was right. It's her. No doubt about it. Oops! Don't get them wrong, the message then is cleared. Ms. Karen Gillan was there during the David Tennant years of Doctor Who as one of the bad guys, which seems to be nearly a coincidence but now I knew about THE GIRL WHO WAITED...

Fiat 500L

The 500L name is highly coveted by classic car enthusiasts and this L in the 500L name stands for Lusso, which is Italian for luxury. Right, the L stands for luxury and it was produced from 1969 to 1972. Now, when Fiat launched the all new 500L to the public, it was like what the heck? L stands for Lusso but to justify this confusion...

2013 Fiat 500L


...The L in the all new Fiat 500L stands for large. Yep, this is the larger, fatter, brother of the Fiat 500 with two extra doors making it a five-door compact MPV that once said it could be the answer to my most hatred Mini Countryman. Yep, I do really hate the Mini Countryman because this car brought me nothing but Dressy Alice, Rainy Suzuran, Random Color Beauty, Digital Spacecraft, Cutie Insect, Weeping Wisteria, Burning Performer, or Stratos Butterfly.

What?! Those were from the PS3 version of THE IDOLM@STER 2. The costumes that the XBOX 360 version didn't have! I used those as a metaphor for my most hatred vehicle! Now, if you excuse me, would you let Commodore Clarksonio continue, okay? Ahem, to continue...

The thing about the new 500L is unlike the Countryman, the 500L looks a bit more well detailed, well dressed, and well made but sadly though, this is more like an altered version of the car which is claimed to be James May's perennial favorite....the new Fiat Panda! No wait, this isn't more of an altered Panda but this kind of look harks back to the Fiat 500K Giardiniera, built from 1960-77. All that retro-futuristic look really put some spice on it but what about on the inside?

2013 Fiat 500L interior

The inside is more like the Fiat Panda rather than the 500 but if you think this little fella is bigger on the inside, better do the math folks because with a capacity of almost 400 litres, you can fill up to five roller suitcases! Also, the 500L comes with the Cargo Magic Space system that you can adjust the load by three levels separating precious objects from the biggies. This is a wonderful thinking that Fiat's good at because with all that 415 cm long, 178 cm wide, 166 cm high and 261 wheelbase of dimensions, I was very impressed about this but I'm afraid this would get bullied by my Mini Countryman foe but no matter. You know that the Fiat 500L can seat up to five people while the Countryman seats four because of something that separates them. A clear win for the 500L though but this is only the beginning. Yep, Fiat's working on an long-wheelbase version of the 500L and it will have two more seats at the back!

2013 Fiat 500L

Anyway, while we're diddling right about that for a while, let's take a look at the performance. Because the L in the 500L name not only means large or lofty, it's Light, when 'lightness' means user-friendly technology and eco-friendliness. It comes with a "light" engine range of two petrol - 105 HP 0.9 Turbo TwinAir and 95 HP 1.4 l 16V Fire engines and one turbodiesel engine, the 85 HP 1.3 MultiJet 2, mated with the combination with the 5- or 6-speed manual gearboxes.

The all new 0.9 Turbo TwinAir engine generates 105 HP of power, 0-100kph in 12.3 seconds, and top speed of 180kph, which of course the top speed you can only achieve on most Japanese cars. Right, most but not many Japanese cars' speedos always read up to 180kph. Take note of that and anyway, this has the class-top fuel consumptionand emissions in the homologation combined cycle at the same time (4.8 litres/100 km and 112 g/km of CO2).

The 1.4 16V Fire engine though, it's just 6.2 litres/100 km with CO2 emissions staying within 145 g/km while the 1.3 16V MultiJet 2 engine consumes just 4.2 litres/100 km with 110 g/km of CO2 emissions in the homologation combined cycle. There you are folks, the 500L's light fuel consumption really adapts the concept of being a fuel-efficient compact MPV for the masses.

Here's some bits that you'll never noticed because the all new 500L comes with the all new "City Brake Control" which is capable of recognising obstacles in front of the car and of braking automatically when the driver fails to do so to avoid crashing into them. Remind you of any? Oh yeah! It was the same technology I'd expect from Volvo's City Safety or Subaru Eyesight Driver Assist System! How cool was that but better take precautions about this Assisted Brake feature because sometimes it doesn't work and you have to brake by yourself in an alert and vigilant way.

Aside from those, the Fiat 500L do come with Electronic Stability Control, Anti Slip Regulation, Hill Holder, Motor Schleppmoment Reelung, Driving Steering Torque, and Electronic Rollover Mitigation. Sadly however, there was one person who raised a hand and said "What is Motor Schleppmoment Reelung?" Simple; when there is a brisk gear change in poor grip conditions, the MSR function intervenes, restoring engine torque and preventing the wheels from locking and slipping. Simple as that.

Price? It's 15,550 Euros, that is the suggested retail price for the 500L. For a good side though, this car is all about personalization thanks to 11 exterior body colours, 3 different shades for the roof (black, white or selected body colour), 4 trim levels (Pop, Pop Star, Easy and Lounge), 3 rim colours (black, white, grey), 3 engine versions and 7 different interior configurations in addition to 140 accessories specially created for the model are available. Despite it's quintessentially Italian, the fact is though it's made in Kragujevac, Serbia, which I believe it's in Russia. Spoilers!

My comment:

Those senior people who have a classic Fiat 500-dedicated car clubs may seem to be disappointed when Fiat proposes to resurrect the “L” designation for a 2013 model being introduced in Geneva since March. That's a shame though that the L for this new 500L doesn't mean lusso or luxury because what Fiat said, the L stands for Large, Light, and Lofty.

Sadly though, the new 500L is a bit too lame, it's a bit too girly, it's a bit too good for a kissogram to get in, and it's as soft as an...Adipose. Gosh, I don't wanna be fat but hey, this fat version of the 500 compact with extra doors and extended length is a bit too perfect for those who want to go out for some shopping spree in Milan and you know what, that doesn't seem to be good enough to take down the Mini Countryman, which is essentially the Mini I always hate because it brought me nothing but Dressy Alice, Rainy Suzuran, Random Color Beauty, Digital Spacecraft, Cutie Insect, Weeping Wisteria, Burning Performer, or Stratos Butterfly. Metaphors!

You know what? If I accidentally bought the 500L, I'm afraid I have to leave it to the firing range and continue my trip on foot while letting it rot but not a chance pal. Not a chance. Besides, it's still to young to get some preparen, abunten, fuego on the spot. I have to give it to some kissogram who likes it. Kissogram...What is a kissogram anyway?

Photo: Fiat