The Big Red Machine

A AWD beast boasting 320hp @ lo-boost of 0.9bar & 440hp @ hi-boost of 1.5bar!! I had the chance take this bad-ass ride out for a spin & terrorize the streets in Samajaya area earlier today... when the full tidal wave of boost hits you, be afraid, be very afraid... that is when all hell breaks loose ~ the G-force of sheer savage acceleration just throws you back & pins you down unto your seat as the car seems to lunge forward at warp speed... This can be SO EXHILARATINGLY ADDICTIVE, i think it is an experience every petrol-heads should try before they die.

Packed to the brim with goodies from the brand that most of us petrol-heads worship, HKS. This could as well be the HKS demo car. All i know is it's running an E4 bottom with E6.5 head + HKS Hi-cam setup *no wonder why i kept stalling the car when i slow down to a halt at junctions & traffic lights* + upgraded big turbo kit *i suspect, coz i really don't think the stock blower will cope with anything over 400hp at max boost* With the tremendous amount of traction from the AWD layout, i reckon this beast is capable of a sub-5 second century sprint without breaking a sweat.

For that addictive signature turbo kap-pish sound effect at every gear change...

music to my ears...

Spartan interior with a plethora of functional goodies to drool over...

ultra rare...

i had to cope with information overload checking the engine diagnostics while handling this machine...

now where's that boost meter?

Really expensive performance focused wheels ~ that's RM18K just for the wheels, tires not included. 4-pot big brakes peeking behind the wheels... that does not look too standard issue to me.

To describe the experience, the big red machine sounded just like this one...

Singapore F1 Night Race

A teaser for the title... this should appropriately be titled Singapore Bako F1 Night Race instead

My mechanic-kakimotor friend summoned me to join him for a 'nocturnal drive' to Bako causeway ~ a popular hangout & 'test-strip' for the local street racers. It seems that the recent petrol price reduction by RM0.10 in effect has got a lot of petrol heads eager to rev their engines all night long, again; the gallery stretching across the main causeway was already quite filled with enthusiast & spectators alike by the time we reached. Spotted in action ~ a convoy of very fast EF VTEC monsters, a DC5, an EVO3 & EVO7, & plenty boosted K-cars & kereta nasional. Pick your battle well & know your own capabilities; if you're you're a middle-weight class (i.e. 1.6 VTEC NA), you don't pick a fight with a heavy weight (i.e a big bad boosted EVO packing over 300hp) ~ pick someone you're own size. Occasionally though, i do see some cars getting upstaged by lesser/older cars which, can be very siah-soi.. So i choose to watch only. *i have no confidence pushing the limit with my relatively bald tires & braking capabilities*

3 generations of Civics (with VTEC heart transplants):

Big brother AK Civic ~ 3rd generation; this car is freaking fast for a 1.6 NA. & obscenely loud too. Fully loaded VTEC engine & undoubtedly the fastest among us

2nd brother EF Civic ~ 4th generation; also a highly respected old school Honda; VTEC + lightweight chassis makes a very potent machine

little brother EG Civic ~ 5th generation; my humble ride is the heaviest & probably the slowest among the lot

I dig the subtle Mugen wing on the AK ~ a very tasteful aesthetic touch. They're all JDM purists when it comes to style. Mine still ranks as the most beng-mobile of them all in terms of look. Time for me to ditch that body-kit & return to a more true form. =p
*all images shot with my trusty W810i*

I admit, i'm a sucker for street racing spirited driving, although i seldom indulge in it. I just need my speed fix sometimes... *it's thrilling & revitalizing* =p I'm a responsible driver okie... always put on safety belt, always signal before i make any turn, never beat red-light even when there are no other cars around, never pasang HID light.... only occasionally breach the speed limit. Well, i guess age & maturity has caught up with me, i would always think twice before attempting something reckless taking a calculated risk, though i still enjoy the thrill & adrenaline rush of spirited driving. Thankfully no untoward incident occurred, & no cops came to kacau.

Back on to the title, the inaugural F1 night race in Singapore, to be held tonight is going to be one exciting event; a race right through the heart of a city is definitely unique, pretty much like playing Gran Turismo... & held at night some more! All the lighting technology that goes into the preparation is indeed impressive. I'm not really a fan of F1 but i'd love to watch this one race. Too bad i can only watch it in TV...

*images from yahoo sport*

Hip Hop Invasion 2008

B-Boy battle held in conjunction with the Inter-Cultural Mooncake Festival 2008 at Carpenter Street









a nice obstruction... =p

crash-test-helmet anyone? these B-Boys can do head-spins even without 'em!
I'm utterly amazed by what these kids can do ~ an orchestrated display of sheer finesse & flair of the breakin' moves to the rhythm of the hip-hop music, which leads to...




Old dog learning new tricks...

Old Dog #1

Old Dog #2

Can we do it?
*Old Dog #3 too busy snapping away... =p

lu sekolah sampai mana? *came across this on fei-fei's elementary school blog... hehe *

Inter-cultural Mooncake Festival 2008 @ Carpenter Street ~ Part II

Had actually been there for both nights of last weekend ~ on saturday with Vell & Loi, for the finale on sunday with Louis...

Played around with the custom WB & tweaked the user-defined picture style to get a slightly over-saturated & warmer color scheme for the photos...

on the 2nd night..









*could have gone there earlier; backdrop of the sunset skies looked great in Pazuzu's shot... =)

Inter-cultural Mooncake Festival 2008 @ Carpenter Street ~ Part I

Yet another procrastinated post by yours truly... Held in conjunction with the mooncake festival which falls on last sunday, this week-long colorful cultural event has been been growing in scale since the last couple of years. It is one of those events not to be missed, especially you've got a sweet tooth for old-school snack goodies like gula kapas, ice-kantong, ice-cream puffs... & mooncakes of course ~ a sea of variety to be found on stalls lining up the whole street. Having an dSLR just gives me yet another good reason to go. =)
Here are some shots in monochrome mode...

Supposedly, shooting in B&W gives better performance in terms of noise, especially when shooting in low lighting condition at night using very high ISO. Shot in jpeg format with ISO800....

spot any significant difference? nothing significant (noise) enough for me to make out...