Wednesday, October 18, 2017

The 10 best Australian-made cars

This week signals the end of car manufacturing in Australia as General Motors Holden will roll off the last Australian-made car in history. I find that very sad because what's so unique about car manufacturing in Australia is when Ford Motor Company set up car manufacturing in Australia and then revolutionized it with the XK Falcon until the advent of General Motors Holden's ignited the legendary war that forever shaped Australian motoring.



2017 HSV GTSR W1

As car manufacturing in Australia is coming to a bittersweet end, now it's the ideal time for me to jot down the ten best Australian cars made by Australians, for Australians.

1) Ford XK Falcon - The XK Falcon in 1960 is the first Ford Falcon sold and made in Australia and while it looks vaguely similar to the American-spec Falcon, it's the first to be sold in right-hand drive and accommodated to handle Australian driving conditions. It was offered in saloon, wagon, and a ute. This is the very car that escalates tensions against General Motors Holden's.

2) Holden FX - After the end of World War II, the Australian Government urges the establishment of full-scale Australian motor manufacturing history and while Ford's presence in Australia is all in all at the moment, they demand Australia to have its own carmaker and once such thing that steps up to the challenge is none other than General Motors Holden's. Two years later, on November 29th, 1948, Prime Minister Ben Chifley launched "Australia's Own Car," Holden. Despite being influenced by American styling, the Holden is 99% Australian through and through because nobody understands Australian driving conditions more than GMH. Under the bonnet lies a 132.5cu (2.2L) cast-iron 6-cylinder engine mated to a 3-speed manual gearbox. It produces 60HP of power and does a 0-97kph time of 18.7 seconds. Because this car is suitable enough to tackle Australian driving conditions, it's rugged enough to tackle the remote outback because of its dust-proof body and unique dynamics capable to handle such conditions.

3) Ford XR Falcon GT - The XR Falcon GT remains one of the most important cars in Australian car history because this is the car that ignited the muscle car wars in Australia. Before its inception, the Australian roads have been ruled by six-cylinder saloons as well as V8 Valiants. They are lovely but nothing is more so than the XR Falcon GT, the car that kissed the opposition goodbye at the Gallagher 500 in Bathurst. Coined as the Mustang-bred machine, it was powered by a 289 Windsor engine producing 225HP of power output while mated with a 4-speed gearbox.

4) Holden HQ Sandman - The Sandman is a panel van variant of the Holden HQ range that was rivaled by the panel van variant of the Ford Falcon but whereas the Falcon Panel Van is all work, the Sandman is all work, all play. In fact, it comes with some bits and bobs from the HQ Monaro GTS as well as a shouty V8 engine on the front, making it a party wagon for the outdoorsy Aussies, even beachgoers.

5) Ford XB Falcon - Anyone who is a fan of the Mad Max movies will be familiar with the XB Falcon because this is the ride the hero of the flick drove in the wastelands. But there's more to it than being Mad Max's favorite war machine. You see, the XB Falcon is the second phase of the third generation of Ford's Australian-made model, which features minor cosmetic differences from the previous XA model. Engine configurations include a 200ci 6-cylinder, a 250ci 6-cylinder, a 302ci V8, and a powerful 351ci V8. Depending on the engine choices, it can be mated with either a 3-speed MT, a 4-speed MT, or a 3-speed AT. Allan Moffat drove a Falcon to victory in the 1974 Sandown 250 using a GT hardtop model as well as the 1976 Australian Touring Car Championship in the same model and the 1977 Australian Touring Car Championship, using both the XB and the XC Falcons.

6) HDT VK Commodore Group A - A national treasure in its own right, this 500 build homologation special finished in Formula Blue paint is a fitting tribute to the legendary Peter Brock, who has been dominating touring car races in Holdens and ignited fierce rivalry with Alan Moffat. This blue meanie is powered by a 4.9L V8 engine, which is originally a five-liter that was de-stroked for Group A regulations. It produces 196kw of power and 418Nm of torque while mated to a 5-speed manual gearbox. Originally, this car is limited to 500 units until a mix-up caused them to make two more.

7) Holden VZ Crewman - A typical ute is basically a sports coupe with some payload at the back. Aussie utes were only limited to two doors until General Motors Holden's shattered that notion with the creation of the first-ever four-door ute known as the Crewman. Based on the VZ Commodore, the Crewman combines the same all-work, all-play attitude of a typical Aussie ute with the practicality for the whole family and friends to enjoy. Although unique, it sadly didn't last a lifetime for the first-ever four-door ute in history.

8) Holden VE Commodore - The VE Commodore marks the departure of Opel-sourced platforms from previous Commodores as this model became the first Commodore to be developed exclusively in Australia. It was the first Commodore to be available in North America as the Pontiac G8 but it was short-lived due to General Motors' decision to ax the Pontiac brand for good due to the global financial crisis. Thankfully, its successor, the VF Commodore-based Chevrolet SS, continues the trend until the bitter end.

9) Holden V2/VZ Monaro - When the first Monaro came out in Australia in the 1960s, they want to refer to this as Australia's first sports machine, and as the jingle says...It's Going To Be Very Monaro. In the 21st century, the Monaro returns with a sleeker profile, well-lavished interior, and a choice of either a Supercharged V6 or a Gen III V8. Because it was sold in the US as the Pontiac GTO, the UK as the Vauxhall Monaro, among many others, the Monaro is a world-class muscle car until its discontinuation in 2006 with no direct replacement, making it the last Aussie-made sports coupe in history.

10) Holden HSV Gen-F2 GTSR - As car manufacturing in Australia comes to an end with the next Holden Commodore will be a rebadged Open Insignia, Holden Special Vehicles unveiled their final special edition model based on the Gen-F2 range by reviving the GTSR marque with a more striking design, improved performance, and to top it off for the big finale, the new GTSR W1 saloon featuring the supercharged 6.2L V8 engine from the Chevrolet Corvette C6 ZR1, producing 474kW of power output, making it the most powerful production ever made in Australia.

For a country that loves football, meat pies, and kangaroos, the cars that made specifically for Australian driving conditions are what made them special in each and every way and now that the Aussies stop making their own cars for good, rest assured that the machines they made will be hardly missed because deep down under, these Aussie-made machines, mostly Fords and Holdens, helped the Land Down Under to industrial maturity, providing work for Australians, setting engineering standards, and made "Made In Australia" a new status symbol in the world stage.

Thanks for the memories, mate. Those Aussie cars are what really made them as special as football, meat pies, and kangaroos, like what the Aussies love the most, and even though the Aussies stopped making cars, they will remain the beating heart of the Aussie car culture.

THREATS FROM NORTH KOREA: Ruling party, govt., Blue House discuss public sector jobs



The Moon Jae-in administration has vowed to pull out all the stops to create some 810,000 public sector jobs over the next five years. The pledge came during a three-way meeting between the ruling party, government, and the Blue House on Wednesday, where they discussed the government's policy direction for job creation.

The Presidential Committee on Job Creation highlighted the administration's determination to tackle the unemployment issue, pointing to a recovery last month. It sad cooperation from the National Assembly is necessary to pass next year's budget in order to implement related policies.

The government will announce  a detailed roadmap this afternoon after reflecting on issues discussed at this morning's meeting.

Source: Arirang News

Let's Do The News! (October 18, 2017)



- The Ninoy Aquino International Airport is no longer one of the worst airports in the world as it was list as one of the top five best airports in Asia according to a recent survey. South Sudan's Juba International Airport and Uzbekistan's Tashkent International Airport are listed as the worst airports in the world and Asia, respectively.

- The ruling PDP-Laban party has entered into a memorandum of understanding with Russia's ruling United Russia party, a move meant to bring the two countries "closer together". Although details of the memorandum remain unknown for now, the party pointed out that it is the second agreement with a foreign administration party for PDP-Laban. The party signed a Memorandum of Agreement with the Communist Party of China in February.

- The parents of Horacio "Atio" Castillo III were face to face with the Aegis Juris Fraternity members at the Senate. They demand the fraternity that allegedly involved in the murder of Atio to bring back their son's belongings.

- Authorities are anticipating retaliatory strikes from loyal followers of slain terrorists Isnilon Hapilon and Omar Maute. According to Chief Superintendent Reuben Theodore Sindac of the Police Regional Office-Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, all of the units in Marawi City and in Maguindanao and Lanao Del Sur provinces are guarding against act of revenge from remaining followers.

- At least 74 people are killed when the Taliban unleashed wave of attacks across Afghanistan yesterday, targeting police compounds and government facilities with suicide bombers across the nation.

- A spokesman for the US-led coalition says pockets of Islamic State militants remain in the Syrian city of Raqqa. The remarks comes as US-backed Syrian forces and their allies on the ground are going through the city's newly liberated areas, searching for land mines and sleeper cells.

- The European Union's Brexit negotiator urged the United Kingdom to keep up the moment in negotiations on leaving the bloc if it wants the talks to advance to a new phase in December.

- Yesterday, a widespread vulnerability known as KRACK affected every devices' wi-fi functions, mostly on computers and smartphones, allowing hackers to decrypt and potentially look at everything people are doing online. This new vulnerability can steal sensitive information and it attacks all modern protected Wi-Fi networks.

- Polestar, Volvo Car Group's performance brand, revealed the Polestar 1, the first high-performance hybrid sportscar that will start production in 2019. Powered by a 4-cylinder Volvo Drive-E engine, it produces 600hp of power and 1,000nm of torque.

Polestar 1

- Porsche's 718 range has been given a slightly more powerful GTS variant featuring an upgraded 2.5L boxer-4 engine producing 15bhp more than the base model as well improved dynamics.

Porsche 718 Boxster GTS and 718 Cayman GTS
- 12 Chinese car companies have announced their decision to fit all new cars with electronic stability control at the start of 2018.

- Chris Savino, the creator of Nick's hit TV cartoon The Loud House, was suspended by the network due to numerous harassment claims. The suspension follows extensive allegations of sexual harassment from employees at Nickelodeon against the 46-year-old animation industry veteran.

TTFN!!!

THE IDOLM@STER MASTER PRIMAL DANCIN' BLUE

After ROCKIN' RED a few months ago, the MASTER PRIMAL trilogy continues with DANCIN' BLUE, the second installment of the range that spices nostalgia with a specific theme per installment and because this is DANCIN' BLUE, the star idols in the installment are focusing on songs you can dance your butts off.

THE IDOLM@STER MASTER PRIMAL DANCIN' BLUE

For DANCIN' BLUE, the star idols in this installment are Yayoi Takatsuki (CV: Mayako Nigo), Makoto Kikuchi (CV: Hiromi Hirata), Ami and Mami Futami (CV: Asami Shimoda), and Hibiki Ganaha (CV: Manami Numakura) as they're going to perform three brand new songs. The first one is titled Light Year Song and, yep, the highlights are going to perform the main attraction, while the second one titled Funny Logic is performed by Yayoi, and the Futami sisters, and the final one titled ブルウ・スタア is performed by Makoto and Hibiki. To wrap it all up, there's a brand new audio drama that needs no explanation.

Now with ROCKIN' RED and DANCIN' BLUE present, it won't be long before the final installment of the MASTER PRIMAL trilogy broke cover and let's hope it will be just like what the three primary colors state. After all, isn't what the PRIMAL stands for? Primary.

One last thing, for limited time only, each copy comes with a serial code that will give you a chance to win tickets for January's 765PRO ALLSTARS live event. Good luck!

THE IDOLM@STER CINDERELLA GIRLS MASTER SEASONS AUTUMN!

THE IDOLM@STER CINDERELLA GIRLS
MASTER SEASONS AUTUMN!

Autumn may be already here but the second installment of the MASTER SEASONS range has arrived and let the Cinderella Girls swoon you with the songs of autumn that will keep you warmed and cozied during the season of the falling leaves and the frequent cloudy weather.

For this installment, you can listen at four brand new songs that focuses on the theme of Autumn. The first one is titled 秋風に手を振って by Yumi Aiba (CV: Juri Kimura), Riina Tada (CV: Ruriko Aoki), and Yuka Nakano (CV: Shino Shimoji). The next one is Halloween♥Code by Nana Abe (CV: Marie Miyake), Yuuki Otokura (CV: Yuki Nakashima), and Miku Maekawa (CV: Natsumi Takamori). The third one is titled さよならアンドロメダ by Rin Shibuya (CV: Ayaka Fukuhara), Nono Morikubo (CV: Karin Takahashi), and Aki Yamato (CV: Tomo Muranaka). And lastly, 空想探査計画 by Natsuki Kimura (CV: Kiyono Yasuno), Ayame Hamaguchi (CV: Masumi Tazawa), and Akane Hino (CV: Chinatsu Akasaki). These four new songs are perfectly in tune with the fall season and if you're happy with these songs, there's a brand new audio drama starring Yumi Aiba, Riina Tada, and Yuka Nakano on their autumn escapades.

Enjoy the autumn season with the songs of this season performed by your favorite Cinderella Girls and keep an eye out for more on the MASTER SEASONS range!

Tuesday, October 17, 2017

How to dress as Aikatsu characters (Part 3)

It's the Aikatsu franchise's 5th anniversary so let's celebrate by teaching you how to be as one of your favorite Aikatsu idols but because we have the original Aikatsu and the latest Aikatsu Stars, let's focus first on the original just for nostalgia purposes.



The final season of the Aikatsu anime series, dubbed the Akari Generation, centers on Akari Ozora as the main character of the series and with Akari replacing Ichigo as the main character of the final season, Akari's accompanied by her new friends Sumire and Hinaki on their journey to become the academy's top idols, no matter what lays ahead of them.

The Akari Generation arc of the Aikatsu introduces new and unique characters and how to recreate as them can be either easy or hard, depending on which character you want to be. So, without further ado, let's begin. And oh, kids, ask your parents first before doing so.

As Akari Ozora: Akari, now being the main character in the final season of Aikatsu, is more than just being matured enough to become an idol. In fact, her look has changed since we first met her in an earlier season. For her look, you should need a semi-long orange hair and a midsize pink ribbon to complete the look. If you have a ribbon, try making her left tail of her hair using it but be sure the ribbon's just the right size. When finished, the outfits are up to you.

As Sumire Hikami: Sumire is one of Akari's friends whose hobby is fortune-telling. To be her, you'll need a long light purple hair and a blue ribbon to your right and that's it. Then, you are in charge on the outfits of your desire.

As Hinaki Shinjo: Hinaki's one of Akari's friends who has interests over fashionable Aikatsu cards. A short blond hair would do the job well but what you should be worrying about is her front right braid that takes about a fortnight.

As Juri Kurebayashi: Juri is a second-year student of the Starlight Academy and her dad is Spanish who works as a culinary chef, that's why where she got her Spanish tongue from. Juri's one of the trickiest Aikatsu characters to recreate with because her red hair takes some extreme curling to recreate her look and then some hair ornament to complete her look. Once done, you can pick whatever outfits you want. Spanish lessons optional. Enchendes? Bueno.

As Rin Kurosawa: A street dancer turned idol, Rin is the bearer of the Dance Fusion brand. Now, I should talk about how to pull Rin's hairstyle off and if you need to recreate her look, trying picturing...well, let's cut to the chase...Harley Quinn. Just kidding, her hair is whitish with some red bit on her right and she has a blue ribbon headband that takes about a fortnight.

As Madoka Amahane: Madoka's hairstyle is colored pink with twintails on it but what you should be worrying about is her angel wing hair accessory so a little DIY is necessary to recreate her hair accessory. Once done, feel free to select an outfit for this cosplay.

As Nono Daichi: Nono is one of the two idols of the academy who hails from Hokkaido and uses the Dolly Devil brand. To recreate her hairstyle, first you need to find a long hair with light brown color and then work with the twintails. Once done, start working on the outfits of your choosing.

As Risa Shirakaba: Like Nono, Risa is hailed from Hokkaido before she got transferred to the Starlight Gakuin and bear the Dolly Devil brand like her compatriot. If you managed to maintain that long black hair of yours, just disregard this advice, except you need to work on her purplish ribbon headband accessory. Once done, feel free to choose which outfits you want to wear.

As Miyabi Fujiwara: Miyabi's originally from Kyoto and while she has a Kansai dialect, she is the bearer of the ultra-mysterious Sakurairo Kaden brand. To be Miyabi, first you need a long dark brown hair to begin with. Then, work with those pigtails on the front and her signature hair accessories, and presto! Miyabi cosplay! Wait, if you're done replicating her look, the outfits are up to you.

As Kokone Kurisu: Kokone was a transfer student from the Etoile Academy to begin her life anew at Starlight Gakuin. To be Kokone, you first need some orange hairdo that is big enough to recreate her big ponytail and then finish it with a big lime green ribbon. Once done, the outfits are up to you.

As Nina Dojima: Nina's an Osaka girl who studying idol courses from a distant school but you can't really resist her unique personality. Be careful though that unlike any Aikatsu character, recreating Nina will be extremely difficult because it's hard to make a hairdo with a sky blue-pink gradient on it and with some roundy bits on the top. If you're skilled enough to recreate her hairstyle, you should have a star...on your right cheek.

And that's the rest of the stars of the Aikatsu anime series you can recreate as for your next cosplay plans. Next time, let's shift gears on the stars of the current Aikatsu Stars anime series where I'll explain to you how to be like Yume, Rola, and the others! Until then, gracias minna, ciao.

THREATS FROM NORTH KOREA: Seoul, Washington confirms Nov. 7 bilateral summit



South Korean President Moon Jae-in and US President Donald Trump will sit down for an official bilateral meeting in Seoul on November 7 to discuss ways to further boost their alliances and bolster joint efforts amid rising tensions in the Korean Peninsula.

President Trump's Seoul trip, confirmed by both South Korean Presidential office of Cheong Wa Dae, the Blue House, and the White House on Monday, will be the first for the US president since he took office last January and will make him the first foreign head of state to visit South Korea since President Moon took office last May.

In a statement, the Blue House said President Moon will hold a one-on-one with his visiting US counterpart which will be followed by a joint press event and host a state dinner for President Trump on the seventh of November, During his Seoul visit, the US leader will also speak at the National Assembly becoming the first US president to do so in two and a half decades.

Source: Arirang News

Let's Do The News! (October 17, 2017)



- Military experts warned that the recent slay of the two top leaders of the ISIS-linked terrorist group that overran Marawi City could make their followers more violent.

- The new Immigration Act, meant to augment the ranks of immigration officers that have dwindled due to overtime pay issues, could be passed before Christmas. According to reports, Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II said that the bill is currently "under the legislative process of both houses of Congress" but the Justice department hopes it will be passed "before the next adjournment."

- The low-pressure area over the Pacific Ocean has intensified into a storm and was forecast to enter the Philippine Area of Responsibility under the name Paolo. The storm was spotted at 1,040 kilometers east of the Visayas as of 3 p.m. yesterday. It packed winds of 80 kilometers per hour near the center and gustiness of up to 95 kph.

- US President Donald Trump is scheduled to hold bilateral meetings with President Rodrigo Duterte and other leaders as he visits Manila next month, which is part of his Asian trip from November 3 to 14. The American leader is expected to arrive in Manila on November 12 to attend the special gala celebration dinner for the 50th anniversary of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

- Recently, the lawsuit filed from grassroots activist group Common Cause against the North Carolina state legislature to overturn their gerrymandered districts goes to court hearings.

- Donald Trump Jr., the son of the US President Donald Trump, is expected to make a fundraising appearance for Kris Kobach’s campaign next month in Johnson County, marking the Trump family’s entrance into a packed 2018 race for the GOP gubernatorial nomination.

- According to the Motorsport Industry Association, there could be a new insurance law that could threaten European motorsports.

- Audi will unveil the second-generation A7 on the 19th of October.

- Check out the latest THE IDOLM@STER Stella Stage info, including the actress who will voice rival idol Shiika in the game.



TTFN!!!

Fate/stay night Heaven's Feel I. presage flower

The first Fate/stay night TV anime series centers on Shiro and Saber's perspective in their life-and-death struggle to overcome all odds to survive the Holy Grail War. Then, the Unlimited Blade Works film and TV series puts the perspective on Rin Tohsaka during her life-and-death trials alongside her Archer servant. Now, Fate/stay night returns with a brand new compilation film trilogy that centers on the eyes of an ordinary girl named Sakura Matou.

Fate/stay night Heaven's Feel
I. presage flower

Heaven's Feel is one of the Fate/stay night arcs that focuses solely on an ordinary girl named Sakura Matou, whose Shiro promises to stay her out of harm's way during the brutal war for the Holy Grail and how her involvement would forever change the tide of the story we are familiar with. This is the first of the compilation film trilogy, titled presage flower, and in the beginning of this film trilogy, we get to witness Sakura Matou's point of view in the middle of the Holy Grail war that invoked so much brutal murders across Fuyuki City ever since Shiro's promise to keep her safe from harm.

While we get to see some of the familiar faces from the Fate/stay night TV series, this different perspective, which is different from the original and UBW, adds some dramatic taste to the story we are familiar with and just by putting so much emotion and emphasis, the first Heaven's Feel film is rather good and we can expect more to happen in the next two films. The feel of this film is what keeps the fans' hearts pumping with emotion, making them impossible to think about the rest of the story and since this is the first film, it really is impossible to think what's next in Sakura's perspective of the Holy Grail War so best to be prepare for the next installments while making do with the first film that adds drama to the story we know and love.

My rating: 4.1 out of 5.

2017 NASCAR Monster Energy Cup - Alabama 500

Ah, Talladega Superspeedway, the Alabama 500 race of the 2017 NASCAR Monster Energy Cup stirs the Round of 8 into intense levels and when spectators witnessed "the big one" out on the oval, all that trackside-induced chaos is what made NASCAR great again. Sorry. Anyway, let's sum what's going on in this chaotic Talladega race and see who made it in the playoffs.


In Lap 26, the #33 car and the #1 got damaged in a middle of a messy collision. In Lap 49, a restart is triggered and at the end of the restart, Brad Keselowski nabbed his Stage One win of the race. In Lap 67, the right rear of the #48 sustained damage. In Lap 110, Ryan Blaney obtained his Stage Two win. In Lap 155, the big one occurred as two cars triggered a catastrophic pileup no one saw it coming.

After a chaotic Talladega battle, Brad Keselowski wins the race and secured his top spot in the playoffs.

The playoffs continue in Kansas for the Hollywood Casino 400 on the 22nd.

Monday, October 16, 2017

Forza Motorsport 7: Dom's Demon



When the Dodge Challenger Demon unveiled to the world, everyone's cowered in fear over the most powerful production car in the world. With its 840HP from its 6.2L HEMI V8 and the fastest 0-60mph time of any production sportscar, 2.3 seconds to be precise, no wonder every supercar in the world got choked by the Demon's incredible straight line speed and as Forza fans, we wanted to see the most powerful V8 car in the world to be there. However, we got this instead...





Yes, this is still the Dodge Challenger SRT Demon we are familiar with, the one that made Europe tremble in fear because of its monstrous power output that upsets almost every supercar in the world but don't be fooled because this particular Dodge Demon belongs to, well let's cut to the chase, Dom Toretto.

This is Dom's Demon and you can now play it on FM7 via The Fate of The Furious car pack. While Dom's Ice Charger overshadowed the Demon when it comes to star appeal, this demon of a machine should not be overlooked because this is the muscle car well known to break every world record in history, especially the fact that being the first production car in the world that can do the longest wheelie as verified by Guinness Book of World Records and because of The Fate of The Furious, every Mopar fanatic wants to have one in their collection and as a matter of fact, it's the numbers they should be worrying about because the Demon is strictly a limited-edition Challenger available only in the US and Canada and because it starts at 84,995 US Dollars, it's the most expensive Dodge to buy, although cheaper to buy than those European exotics the Demon sets its pitchforks at.

The Americans are as ballsy as the fat man in charge of the nation who wanted to build more nukes against his enemies but for a Dodge Demon, this is a definitive point how Americans are capable of, building stuff that are astronomical enough to crush their rivals into dust to show everyone that they are the greatest people in the world. I'm impressed to think that with all 840HP unleashed from its V8 engine, the Demon has evolved from muscle car into exotic in its own right and it's time for me to prove that theory.



Here we are at the Top Gear Test Track just to see if the Demon has grown into a proper supercar that can eat almost everyone, even in its compatriots like the Corvette and the Ford GT. Of course, with no one ever turned up to the party because I suspect, they've got intimidated by the Demon's power output, and instead someone popped up bravely.





Yes, this is the Dodge Viper ACR, the most hardcore Viper ever made and even though this is the last of the Vipers before its demise, probably because the Hellcats already devoured it like Titans in the forest, its GTS-R-inspired dynamics is what made the ACR a road-legal racecar and it lapped round the Top Gear Test Track in 1:15.1.

Time to get some beer and nachos because this will be the most interesting comparo of them all as the Viper ACR goes up against Dom Toretto's Demon from F8. Time to get this show rolling...


And now the results...

1:14.945 - Viper ACR
1:24.267 - Dom's Demon

And there we have it, ladies and gentlemen. Even though the Demon is over 200HP more than the Viper, it couldn't beat the Viper in a lap round the track and I think there's a clear reason for that. One, it's heavier than the ACR, and second, drag tires don't usually work on track days. Sure, it can be a blast to drive on the drag straights but on the track, it's very challenging indeed and looks like the Viper ACR, despite its demise, finally teached the Demon a very painful lesson on the track.



For me, it's been an honor to drive Dom's Demon on Forza Motorsport 7. Even though it's not as quick as the Viper ACR, this car makes me want to go Vin Diesel all the way because of its appearance in The Fate of The Furious. Those who saw the Dodge Demon would make them think that's the car Dom Toretto drove in the film and this Vin Diesel-approved muscle car is just one of the main reasons why we're into cars like these. The crazier they get, the awesomer they become and the Demon is just one of the Fast and Furious cars that get the job done. Now that's Fast & Furious to you.

How to dress as Aikatsu characters (Part 2)

It's the Aikatsu franchise's 5th anniversary so let's celebrate by teaching you how to be as one of your favorite Aikatsu idols but because we have the original Aikatsu and the latest Aikatsu Stars, let's focus first on the original just for nostalgia purposes.


Last time, I already tackled how to dress as characters like Ichigo Hoshimiya, Aoi Kiriya, Ran Shibuki, and the others. Now, let's focus on the 2nd year arc where Starlight Gakuin faces a stiff competition against the best and the brightest from the prestigious Dream Academy.

Time to pick up where we left off as I will explain to you how to be as the other Aikatsu stars during the 2nd year arc and when I say "how to be", I mean mimicking their hairstyles because the outfits are too random for me to explain and these outfits are up to you. By the way, little kids, ask your parents first before doing so.

As Seira Otoshiro: Seira is one of the Dream Academy students who made a courtesy visit to Starlight Gakuin just to put some pressure on Ichigo and the pals, especially Akari Ozora, who was a newcomer back then. Because of her taste for Rock N' Roll, she represents the Swing Rock brand. Okay, being Seira, first get a very long red hair to start with, then put a big ponytail and a ribbon to finish it off. Once done, it's up to you to decide the outfits.

As Sora Kazesawa: Sora is one of the Dream Academy students who undergoes designer courses. She represents the Bohemian Sky brand. Getting a long blue hair is a start because Sora's hair has some purple gradient below so this should be tricky for color-blind cosplayers like me. If you get the gradient all sorted out, feel free to pick the outfits for your cosplay; either her Dream Academy uniform or one of her Bohemian Sky outfits onstage.

As Kii Saegusa: Kii is one of the Dream Academy students who undergoes producer courses and she's known for her love for a special cider known as the Aikatsu Drink. Getting a long blond hair is an easy task but the hard task is to recreate Kii's puffy twintails and with all that puff in Kii's twintails, this may take a fortnight.

As Maria Himesato: Maria's one of the Dream Academy students who is very skilled at makeup and nails. Maria's not quite the trickiest to recreate, especially when her hair is somewhat peach-colored and she has some floral stuff in front of her hair.

As Mikuru Natsuki: Mikuru is one-half of the newly established WM idol duo comprising of her and the once veteran idol of Starlight Gakuin, Mizuki Kanzaki. Recreating Mikuru's look is no problem. You just need a long beige-colored hairdo and some pigtails to do this and once you're done recreating Mikuru's look, feel free to choose whatever outfits you like.

Next time, let's focus on the characters introduced in the final season of the Aikatsu anime, also known as the Akari Generation where Akari Ozora became the main character of this final season before Aikatsu Stars took over the telly. Watch for it.