www.thetopzones.co.uk

Persona Q 2, the second game in the series of Persona crossovers based around Etrian Odyssey's mechanics, is coming out in Japan later this year. While the previous game brought together the casts of Persona 3 and 4, the sequel adds Persona 5 into the mix for a cinema-themed story. You can check out the intro video below.

The intro also shows a few of the original characters in the game, much like Persona Q had.

While Persona Q 2 has not yet been announced for America, Atlus has never shied away from releasing a game on aging systems, especially for more fan-oriented titles. The Japanese version of the game launches in November on 3DS.

Filed under: Design/Style,Green,Podcasts,Spy Photos,Audi,Dodge,Ferrari,Electric,Performance

Plus Dodge Challenger Hellcat Redeye, Audi E-Tron Quattro and Ferrari news.

Continue reading Spy shooter confessional | Autoblog Podcast 554

Spy shooter confessional | Autoblog Podcast 554 originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 21 Sep 2018 13:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink |  Email this |  Comments

Read full story for latest details.

The insurance industry-funded IIHS said Friday that the redesigned 2019 Hyundai Santa Fe crossover SUV earned its Top Safety Pick+ award when equipped with optional LED headlights. The headlights are standard on the Santa Fe Limited and Ultimate trim levels. Other Santa Fe trims—SE and SEL—have halogen headlights that the IIHS rated...

Filed under: Etc.,Dodge,Quick Spins,Coupe,Performance

Continue reading 2019 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Redeye Drivers' Notes | Wide awake

2019 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Redeye Drivers' Notes | Wide awake originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 21 Sep 2018 13:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink |  Email this |  Comments

A legal challenge to Gary Neville and Ryan Giggs’ controversial £200m St Michael’s redevelopment project in Manchester city centre has been rejected, paving the way for construction to begin.

Filed under: Etc.,Green,Tesla,Toyota,Technology,Electric

Tesla needs to figure out how to become the Amazon of vehicle transport.

Continue reading Lean, logistics and Elon: Why aren’t Teslas being delivered faster?

Lean, logistics and Elon: Why aren’t Teslas being delivered faster? originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 21 Sep 2018 13:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink |  Email this |  Comments

Read full story for latest details.

Quick Stats: Matt Iseman, comic/host/MD “American Ninja Warrior”
Daily Driver: 2008 Acura MDX (Matt’s rating: 8 on a scale of 1 to 10)
Favorite road trip: The American West
Car he learned to drive in: Oldsmobile 98
First car bought: 2008 Acura MDX

Since American Ninja Warrior host and comic Matt Iseman bought his 2008 Acura MDX, he’s been nothing but pleased with it. Although he’s had an eye out for other cars, nothing else has met this medical doctor’s criteria for a daily driver.

“I test-drove a lot of things when I was looking at [the MDX]—the Audi Q7, the Mercedes, the BMW X5. The thing I liked about the Acura—it was one of the best-handling SUVs. It handled like a car, which in L.A., as much driving as we do, I wanted something that handled well that didn’t feel big and boat-ish. As far as tech. I think the Acura is ahead of the curve, nailing it.”

When Iseman was growing up, his dad got one of the first Acuras that came out. That was when Iseman’s appreciation for the brand started, although he admits it’s not the flashiest one out there.

“As I looked at the cars financially, value-wise, we’re talking $20,000 less than what you’d have to pay for the Audi, BMW, or Mercedes,” he says. “So price-wise it was a great deal. There’s still nothing 10 years in that really grabs me that would make me give this car up.”

Iseman lives vicariously through his dad when it comes to cars, so he doesn’t miss out. “My dad was the car fiend. He had the BMW 2002 and then a 3.0CSi, which was his baby. He loved this Beemer but just had issues with it,” Iseman says. “He went to a Datsun 310 GX—we called it the Silver Streak—and then he got the first two-door Acura, I think it was the Legend.”

His dad has also owned a Porsche Cayenne and a Lexus SC400. “The Cayenne I kind of enjoyed,” says Iseman, “but the thing you heard about Porsche in terms of maintenance and the cost of maintenance was prohibitive. The Acura’s been much more reasonable,” he says.

Iseman calls his Acura an “unbelievably reliable car.” Even 10 years in, he’s had very few issues with it. “I keep it clean: I wash it once a week, which is my big indulgence with the car,” Iseman says.

Iseman inherited several cars from his folks, so the Acura is the first car he bought for himself. At that point, although Iseman is a medical doctor, he was making money from doing standup comedy. He also hosted TV shows like Clean House and Sports Soup (the sports version of The Soup), which landed him his current gig at American Ninja Warrior. Iseman often shares about his rheumatoid arthritis and cancer battle with fans, and although he doesn’t practice medicine, he keeps his medical license current.

Car he learned to drive in

Iseman’s dad taught him to drive in Denver, where he grew up. Iseman often drove the whole family to get in more practice, and his older brother wasn’t much help. “I think my mom at that time had an Oldsmobile 98, this big boat of a car that I might’ve taken the driver’s test in,” Iseman says. “I was 15 and a half, I had the learner’s permit, and we’re turning. It was a double turn lane and I didn’t realize it, and I turned into the inside lane and cut somebody off. I was panicking, and my dad’s like, ‘All right, you’re in the wrong lane’ (imitating his dad’s voice), and my brother’s like, ‘Come on! You cut somebody off!’”

He recalls that time as one of those stressful moments of learning to drive. “You don’t need that pressure coming from the back seat, from your brother who thinks he’s better than you at everything, or how you nearly took out the entire family and another family because you didn’t quite understand the principle of a double turn lane,” Iseman says. “My brother was the one who ratcheted up the intensity of driving. But I’ve grown up playing video games. I was an athlete, I had decent hand-eye dexterity. I think the biggest thing as we learned that really did take a while was just trying to be responsible.”

Photo courtesy Matt Iseman

It came time to be especially responsible when he turned 16 and inherited his grandmother’s 1973 Chevy Nova. His dad flew him out to Nebraska, where Iseman’s grandparents lived, to pick it up.

“This thing was pea green with a white top. When I got it, it must’ve been 1987. It had 9,000 miles on it, so I essentially got a brand-new ’73 Chevy Nova that had a 350-horsepower V-8 engine in it. I remember the drive back from Nebraska, which is all freeway, just getting the sense that, ‘Man, this 350 can really go!’” Iseman says, laughing. “You’re 16 years old and you’re in what is essentially an American muscle car. The thing I learned is the brakes were terrible and it didn’t handle very well. And a 16-year-old kid in a V-8 350 is going to make some bad decisions.”

Photo credit: Brittany Berggren

There were numerous dents and bent axles and things that Iseman had to cover up with creative storytelling for his parents. The Nova was the car for a lot of “firsts” for Iseman, including his first kiss in a car and first date.

“The Nova was there for it all. My dad grew up in Nebraska and he loved hot rods, tricking cars out. He loved going fast, but this was stuff we found out later. My dad’s a doctor. I felt my dad was a very responsible guy—he was trying to teach us how to be responsible drivers. And the reason, despite having numerous accidents, he told me later, ‘Listen, I would’ve been hypocritical for coming after you,’” Iseman says, with a laugh.

One time Iseman bent the axle showing off to friends. He tried a movie stunt 180 turn and hit a curb. “My dad’s like, ‘What happened?’ ‘A dog ran out in the middle of the road,’” Iseman recalls. “My mom’s like, ‘Oh, was the dog OK?’ ‘Yeah, the dog’s fine, the car’s a little damaged.’ My mom walks out of the room, my dad looks at me and he goes, ‘Don’t bullshit a bullshitter. I’m letting you get away with this one, but you better slow down.’ I’m like, ‘Point taken, Dad!’”

It was time to retire the Nova when Iseman headed to medical school at Columbia University in the heart of New York City. “My parents realized, ‘We should get rid of this car while we have the chance,’” Iseman says, with a laugh. “They didn’t enjoy driving it the same way I did.”

His parents found a mechanic who worked at a garage a few miles from the Iseman house. “When I’d come home, periodically I’d see the car at this garage, and it’s like seeing your ex-girlfriend—you just hope she’s happy,” Iseman laughs. “I’ve got the photos, I’ve still got the license plate. The license plate’s sitting up in my room at home where my parents live. So I still have the memories.”

Photo courtesy Matt Iseman

The car Iseman drove out to Los Angeles 19 years ago, armed with his medical degree to pursue what has now become a solid career in entertainment, was a white 1989 Ford Bronco. His mom had horses, so she moved up to a Chevy Suburban and handed the Bronco down to her son.

“So, I’m driving in L.A. in a white Ford Bronco, which of course is a pretty iconic car in L.A. I came out here to be a comedian, and I thought, how perfect is it to enter L.A. in that car?” Iseman says. “The reason I ended up getting rid of that car and buying the Acura is because I was driving it on Interstate 10 and the front wheel came off.”

Iseman had had some work done on the Bronco and his mechanic hadn’t tightened the lug nuts.

“I’m going 60, I watch the wheel go off, the axle is now grinding on the 10, and I see the wheel swing through three lanes of traffic, hit the center median, and the momentum carries it into oncoming traffic,” Iseman recalls. “I’m now sitting there going, ‘This wheel is going to kill somebody; I can end up responsible.’ Fortunately it just sideswiped a VW Bug and nobody was injured, but for a second I had that horrible feeling of something awful is going to happen and somehow I’ll be responsible. At that point, I knew the Bronco was gone, and I ended up getting the Acura.”

Favorite road trip

“The best road trip I ever did was in the middle of med school. I had two weeks and left from Denver and just drove all throughout the Southwestern U.S. I hit Moab, Bryce, Zion, hit all the national parks, Grand Canyon, ended up going to Las Vegas for the very first time,” Iseman says.

He drove down to San Diego, then up to San Francisco on the Pacific Coast Highway and back to Denver.

“The best way to see America is from a car. I’ve traveled around the world, and you sometimes forget we have the most beautiful terrain right here in America,” Iseman says.

Just getting in a car and driving can be a tonic for life. “We’re so busy now and we spend so much time focusing in short attention spans. It’s great to just be in a car and have a 10-hour drive ahead of you and just be out on the open road,” Iseman says. “I feel like it clears your brain, and this trip was just seeing some of the great sites, seeing America.”

Photo courtesy NBCUniversal

He also met friends all along the way, like his med school roommate who joined him for a couple of days on the stretch from San Francisco to Denver.

“It was one of those great road trips that you can do in your 20s that I’m so glad I got to do. It’s still one of the greatest trips I’ve ever done,” Iseman says. “All the parks I did myself—I had my bike at the same time. I would just ride through Moab and ride through these parks. My parents let me use the Bronco for the road trip. I just loved it—there’s something special about seeing America in a car.”

American Ninja Warrior and American Ninja Warrior Junior

For those who watched the season finale of American Ninja Warrior last week and are already hankering for more, you’ll get your chance next month in the form of a new spin-off show.

American Ninja Warrior is so successful, American Ninja Warrior Junior premieres Oct. 13 on Universal Kids and will feature kids aged 9 to 14.

“The coolest thing about American Ninja Warrior has been seeing that this has gone from a show to more than a show, more than a sport, to a community,” Iseman says. “This thing is now truly worldwide, or certainly throughout all of America. And doing a kids’ version now, especially for someone who’s involved in health care as a doctor, and who’s had health issues, it’s great to see the positive impact this show has, because so many of the people who come on the show, for them it’s not about hitting a buzzer.”

Photo courtesy NBCUniversal

Iseman says for many contestants, it’s about the obstacles they overcame in their life, such as a man whose child was born with a congenital nephrotic syndrome but got a kidney from someone watching the show who wanted to see if they were a match. When the child’s father returned to the show for the national finals, he wore a shirt asking for a kidney donation for another child, to try to pay it forward.

“It’s amazing to be a part of a show that not only has incredible athletic feats, but more important, has these incredible stories and actually has a real-life impact. As someone who thought my life was going to be spent helping people as a doctor, you end up doing something that’s a little more self-centered in entertainment. It’s nice to be part of something that you know makes a difference and that gets people healthy and that can help share these stories that give people hope and actually make a difference in their lives. So it’s been really awesome to be a part of Ninja Warrior.”

Although a million dollars are at stake on the show, Iseman says they’ve only given it away once. “For most of them, there’s nothing—it’s just sharing their stories and competing.”

READ MORE CELEBRITY DRIVES HERE:

• Alice in Chains’ Jerry Cantrell
• The Cars’ Drummer David Robinson
• Dave “Heavy D” Sparks of Discovery’s ‘Diesel Brothers’
• Grammy-Winning Singer-Songwriter Darius Rucker
• ‘Lucky Dog’ Host Brandon McMillan

The post Celebrity Drive: Matt Iseman of “American Ninja Warrior” appeared first on Motor Trend.

The Ram 1500 Rebel has a refined interior. The black and red color theme befits the truck’s name, and we love the comfortable cloth and vinyl seats and the rotary shifter, among other things. But now Ram is offering Rebel buyers more technology and upgraded materials as part of a new special edition.

The Rebel 12 adds features you can’t find on the standard model, including leather seats. A large 12.0-inch touchscreen replaces the 5-inch and 8.4-inch units offered on the regular Rebel. Along with the bigger touchscreen comes Ram’s fourth-generation Uconnect system with improved processing power, multi-touch gestures, split-screen capability, and sharper graphics.

The special edition also gets a Harman Kardon sound system with 19 speakers, a 900-watt surround-sound amplifier, 10-inch subwoofer, and noise cancellation technology. Like many other interior components on the Rebel, the speaker grilles are framed in red.

The Rebel 12 is available in all the same powertrain configurations as the regular model. That means it will offer a 3.6-liter V-6 eTorque mild hybrid engine, a 5.7-liter V-8 eTorque, and a 5.7-liter V-8 without eTorque. Those who opt for the special edition also get the same colors and cab options as the standard Rebel.

The 2019 Ram 1500 Rebel 12 goes on sale in the fourth quarter of this year, with prices starting at $48,685.

Source: FCA

The post 2019 Ram 1500 Rebel 12 Adds a Dose of Refinement appeared first on Motor Trend.

OpenTable have released their list of top 100 restaurants boasting wine lists as robust as the food menu. Can you guess which state came out top?

Filed under: RAM,Infotainment,Truck,Luxury,Off-Road

New version of the Rebel gets tech and luxury enhancements.

Continue reading 2019 Ram Rebel 12 is luxurious off-road truck named for ... its touchscreen

2019 Ram Rebel 12 is luxurious off-road truck named for ... its touchscreen originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 21 Sep 2018 12:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink |  Email this |  Comments

Khloe Kardashian rocks it, but here’s what it looks like on ELLE's style director.

<p>Move over, <a href="https://www.travelandleisure.com/food-drink/restaurants/pug-cafe-popup-surrey-england" target="_blank">puppy cafés</a>. A new trend in indulging in adorable, fuzzy pooches has arrived.</p><p>As much as we love Instagram-friendly pop-ups like <a href="https://www.amny.com/things-to-do/color-factory-nyc-1.19934657" target="_blank">The Color Factory</a> and <a href="https://www.travelandleisure.com/travel-news/rose-mansion-nyc-jobs" target="_blank">The Rosé Mansion</a>, they're missing one element that makes pretty much anything instantly amazing: dogs.</p><p>Luckily, pups are finally getting their time in the spotlight with a brand new pop-up museum in New York City called <a href="http://www.humansbf.com/" target="_blank">Human’s Best Friend</a>.</p><p>According to <em><a href="http://gothamist.com/2018/09/17/photos_dogs_immersive_pop_up.php#photo-1" target="_blank">Gothamist</a></em>, Human’s Best Friend, located in the West Village, is offering dog owners and the dog-obsessed the opportunity to immerse themselves in a fun, interactive, and totally Instagram-friendly experience with their four-legged friends.</p><img alt="Human's Best Friend puppy pop-up in New York "src="https://cdn-image.travelandleisure.com/sites/default/files/styles/1600x1000/public/1537377904/dogs-for-instagram-PUPUP0918.jpg?itok=kd1CDHam"><p>The exhibit features eight themed rooms with 20 photo-ops spread throughout. Room themes include "Lady and the Tramp," as well as a fun toy pit, a bone yard, and a water bowl room. Pet supply company Petmate donated over 10,000 balls to the exhibit, according to <em>Gothamist</em>, and there are tons of events, giveaways (like free BarkBoxes), and treats involved.</p><img alt="Toys at the Human's Best Friend dog popup event "src="https://cdn-image.travelandleisure.com/sites/default/files/styles/1600x1000/public/1537377904/dog-toys-ball-pit-PUPUP0918.jpg?itok=X3LsVR3m"><p>The best part? It’s a fun, off-leash activity that you can bring your dog to. According to the exhibit website, as long as your dog is physically and emotionally fit to happily play and experience the space (even with other dogs and people present), then they are welcome to come along.</p><img alt="Dog and polka dots "src="https://cdn-image.travelandleisure.com/sites/default/files/styles/1600x1000/public/1537377904/humans-best-friend-popup-event-PUPUP0918.jpg?itok=BCRn_hpH"><p>But if you don’t have a dog, that’s OK too. The exhibit is working with 12 local animal rescues so you can play with adoptable dogs in the space. Second Chance Rescue, Bideawee, Badass Brooklyn Rescues, and Rescue Dogs Rock NYC are just some of the participants. And yes, if you happen to find a best friend along the way, you are encouraged to adopt them – after all, that’s what Human’s Best Friend’s co-creator, Brian Tovar, created the exhibit for.</p><p>“So many dogs need our help,” he told <em>Gothamist</em>. “And then [it's about] having a space where human and best friend can enhance their bonds in an Instagrammable environment.”</p><p>Tickets are $29 for one human and $39 for one human plus their furry best friend. At the moment, the exhibit is only planned be open until Nov. 12, but Tovar mentioned they hope to extend their stay through the holidays.</p><p>More information can be found on the <a href="https://www.humansbf.com/" target="_blank">Human’s Best Friend website</a>.</p>

Read full story for latest details.

Adidas has announced that, for the first time, the new Yeezy Boost 350 sneakers are going to be available in much higher quantities than usual.

Filed under: Chrysler,Auctions,Coupe,Classics,Performance,Racing

They were reportedly put in dry storage for 40 years by a Mopar expert.

Continue reading Pair of 1970 Plymouth Superbird barn finds hits eBay

Pair of 1970 Plymouth Superbird barn finds hits eBay originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 21 Sep 2018 11:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink |  Email this |  Comments