Gary Grant

AJAC announces 2018 Canadian Car of the Year category finalists

December 18, 2017 by Gary Grant Leave a Comment

For the third year in a row, the Automobile Journalists Association spent a couple of days at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in Southern Ontario, to finalize testing for vehicles which are eligible for the Canadian Car of the Year awards.

For this year’s program, the format changed somewhat in order to allow Canada’s top journalists to test more vehicles. The experts were able to vote for vehicles they have driven all year long, while the event, known in the industry as Testfest, allowed them to get seat time in vehicles which might not have been available to them for testing in their home market.

The vehicles evaluated are then scored by the journalists to rank them in relation to other vehicles in their market segment in order to determine the top vehicle available to Canadian consumers.

Once the scores have been tabulated, the top three finalists in each category are announced. That list was released today.

And the finalists are:

Best City Car in Canada for 2018:

Hyundai Ioniq Electric

Nissan Micra

Volkswagen e-Golf

Best Small Car in Canada for 2018:

Chevrolet Bolt EV

Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid/PHEV

Mazda3

Best Large Car in Canada for 2018:

Honda Accord

Mazda6

Toyota Camry

Best Small Premium Car in Canada for 2018:

Alfa Romeo Giulia

Infiniti Q60

Jaguar XE

Best Large Premium Car in Canada for 2018:

Genesis G80

Lexus LC

Volvo S90 / V90

Best Sports – Performance Car in Canada for 2018:

Honda Civic Si

Honda Civic Type R

Volkswagen Golf R

Best Premium Sports – Performance Car in Canada for 2018:

Jaguar F-TYPE

Porsche 718

Porsche 911

Best Convertible in Canada for 2018:

Mazda MX-5

Mercedes-Benz SL

Porsche 718 Boxster

Best Small Utility Vehicle in Canada for 2018:

Honda CR-V

Mazda CX-5

Nissan Rogue

Best Large Utility Vehicle in Canada for 2018:

Chevrolet Traverse

Mazda CX-9

Toyota Highlander

Best Small Premium Utility Vehicle in Canada for 2018:

Porsche Macan

Range Rover Velar

Volvo XC60

Best Large Premium Utility Vehicle in Canada for 2018:

Acura MDX

Land Rover Discovery

Volvo XC90

Best Minivan in Canada for 2018:

Chrysler Pacifica

Honda Odyssey

Kia Sedona

Best Pick-up Truck in Canada for 2018:

Honda Ridgeline

Ram 1500

Toyota Tundra

Category winners will be announced at the Montreal Auto Show on January 18. The 2018 Canadian Car of the Year and 2018 Canadian Utility Vehicle of the Year will be chosen from those 14 winners and will be announced at the Canadian International AutoShow in downtown Toronto on February 15.

Photo credit: Jordan Lenssen for AJAC

Turbo soul lives in the 2018 Volvo XC60

December 15, 2017 by Gary Grant Leave a Comment

There have been many quirky vehicles in The Garage over the years, but one of the coolest remains the 1984 Volvo 240 Turbo wagon that we owned for a few years during the late Nineties. Officially, the longest of the turbo bricks was called a 245T. Our wagon was the exact spec that fans of the boxy speedster lusted after: A silver wagon with the correct Turbo blackout striping, Euro style grill with inset fog lights, GLT wheels and a manual transmission. It even had the dog gate which swung down from the ceiling to keep Fido in his place. Sadly, we didn’t have a Fido in those days but it was still neat to have it.

That wagon was perhaps the best family vehicle of all time. It could carry 5 adults in comfort. Fold down the rear seats and it would carry a 4×8 sheet of plywood. It looked cool as hell to those who knew and could keep pace with a Fox-body Mustang off the line. While it was a bit too big for an autocross course, the car was a joy to hustle down a winding country road, even when fully loaded.

Back in the day, Volvo used the slogan “Boxy but good” and their sporting varieties became know as Bricks and Turbo Bricks. They weren’t exactly sexy, unless you were turned on by straight lines. Fast forward three decades and our tester, an XC60 T6 R-Design couldn’t be more different. While there are straight accent lines here and there, sensual curves are the order of the day. Those curves do however push up towards muscular rear shoulders, in keeping with the brand’s heritage.

The interior of the old girl left much to be desired, as many of its surfaces were as square as the exterior. Nothing flashy or luxurious here, just black plastic and blue cloth seats in a style that only really excited a Volvo diehard. The interior of the XC60 on the other hand is nothing short of World class. Without seeming too modern, the combination of sensual curves and well chosen finish materials, the Volvo has a definite Scandinavian flair. The machined metal speaker covers are particularly striking.

Techie types will be astounded by the XC60’s incredibly user friendly infotainment system, which is centered around a 9″ centre stack touch display which operates with the fluidity of a smart phone or tablet. It gives users control over a wide range of audio and vehicle settings to tailor the vehicle experience to the individual driver.

The audio system in particular deserves a mention, as it stands out in a segment which is full of serious audio gear. The Volvo Canada media fleet guy enthusiastically pointed out that the Bowers & Wilkins system has different modes, including studio for normal music and concert hall for higher quality music. Most often, these systems seem, to my ears at least, to simply muck around with reverb settings to change the sound in the cabin. The system in the XC60 was painstakingly tuned to replicate the sound in the middle of the renowned Gothenburg Concert Hall, complete with displaying a picture of the place.

To test the system, I directed the system to play music from my bluetooth connected phone rather than the Sirius XM feed. I brought up my Google Play app and chose the Evanescence Fallen album, hit play and cranked the volume. The sound was nothing short of mind blowing. The drums or thunder or whatever the rumble is in Bring me to life, quite literally caused the vehicle to shudder. After that, a bit of vintage Pink Floyd confirmed that the XC60 offers one of the best sound systems on the market.

Back in 2014, I had the opportunity to spend a rather silly 22 hours in Gothenburg, Sweden, home to Volvo with the intention of going for a ride-a-long in the company’s first self driving car. Sadly, it was raining and the vehicle’s sensors could not “see” the markings on the road, which it used to stay in its own lane. Autonomous vehicle technology is moving forward in leaps and bounds and much of the tech that Volvo was working on three years ago is now included in the company’s Pilot Assist system.

Volvo’s tech sheets describe the system as “Semi Autonomous Drive System with Adaptive Cruise Control and Active Lane Keeping Aid”. Adaptive cruise is not a new concept and lane assist type of systems are becoming more common in the marketplace. Some of the systems offered by other manufacturers are clunky at best, disruptive at worst. Where Pilot Assist stands out is in its seamless, unobtrusive operation. Once could quite easily, gasp, look down at their phone, confident in the knowledge that the car is going to do what it is supposed to do.

You may think I have lost my mind with that statement, but that action is exactly what Volvo has had in mind with their development of autonomous and semi-autonomous vehicles. During that visit, I sat down with Volvo’s Autonomous Driving Director, Marcus Rothoff, to discuss the reasoning behind autonomous cars. Volvo has set milestone after milestone for automotive safety over the past 50 decades, so imagine my surprise to hear Rothoff say that self-driving cars would create “possibilities to open up more time”, even going so far as to say that the technology would allow drivers to stay connected to the internet while they were on the road.

Don’t worry, I obeyed the rules of the road while driving the XC60.

All of this talk of inside technology might lead one to think that the spirit of the Turbo Brick has been lost to modern gadgetry, but nothing could be further from the truth. Beneath the hood of our tester was a 2.0L 4 cylinder that is boosted by both a turbo and a supercharger. Yes, you read that right. The combination generates an impressive 316 HP and 295 lb-ft and is fed to all four wheels through a slick shifting 8-speed automatic unit.

Wait…..what?

If you have ANY Volvo background, a T5 was a turbo 5-cylinder. At what point did some marketing committee decide that a 4-banger should bear the designation T-6? I know, I am crusty and old, but there is something very wrong there. Don’t get me wrong, I knew this was a four-pot Volvo, the way Uncle Olaf intended, the branding just seems off.

What is not wrong is the way the XC60 drives. Around town, with the drive mode in the default comfort position, the XC60 feels like the dreaded nice car. The comfort and technology take the lead. Move out into the country and switch the drive mode to sport however and the spirit of the Turbo Brick quickly makes itself known. Very quickly.

Honestly, during the first few days with the XC60, I was in full responsible Dad mode. The subtle R-Design logo on the rear hatch caught my eye and somehow reminded me that there was likely some fun lurking within this family machine. At the next light, I fully rolled into the throttle and was pleasantly surprised to find that the Swede is seriously quick. Quicker than many cars of the sporting variety. Sub 6 second 0-60 quick. To put that into perspective, the sort-of legendary 1989 Mustang GT (rollin’ in my 5.0) reached that standard in 6.1. A lot has changed over the years, but a four cylinder Swedish family hauler can still haul ass.

While the XC60 R-Design might not be a track ready weapon like say, a Porsche Macan GTS, it is definitely a vehicle one can have one heck of a lot of fun in and maybe embarrass a few tuner kids along the way.

On a humorous note, I learned that keeping the key fob in your pocket while washing the XC60 will cause the door lock system to spasm frequently, locking and unlocking the doors, flashing lights and wiggling the side mirrors like a curious puppy’s ears each time the brush or even water stream go near the door handles. Technology can be a weird and wonderful thing.

There was a time when Volvos were driven by science teachers, accountants and rally enthusiasts. In other words, Volvo was the car for the intelligent, the conservative and throw all caution to the wind performance fans. Today’s Volvo is a different animal. The XC60 T6 R-Design is one which still appeals to all three.

Subaru announces new entry into crossover market

November 30, 2017 by Gary Grant Leave a Comment

On Tuesday at the LA Auto Show, Subaru introduced the world to its newest offering, a super-sized crossover called the Ascent. Accompanied by a dog park worth of Retrievers, the automaker revealed its largest vehicle ever.

Available with seating for 7 or 8 passengers, the Ascent is clearly an attempt to capitalize on the explosive growth of the more upright utility market.

While rally fans may be left scratching their heads, this is not the first time that a niche brand has added in a line of utility vehicles in order to bolster its revenue stream. The most obvious example is Porsche, where the exceedingly popular Cayenne and Macan have funded the development of some of the most exciting toys ever to come out of Stuttgart. Jaguar, Maserati and others are all following suit, in hopes of grabbing a bit of a new to them market.

While I like the idea, I was also a Service Manager during era on Subaru’s previous foray into the crossover market. Intended to be a Murano competitor, the Subaru Tribeca was far too quirky for most and had a tendency to spend far too much time in the shop. One can only hope that the brand has done its due diligence this time around.

For size, think about a Mazda CX-9 or maybe a Nissan Pathfinder. Subaru is building heavily on the off-road culture that is being built by Crosstrek, Forester and Outback owners to promote the Ascent as a truly functional utility vehicle which is as comfortable on the trail or at a boat launch as it is dropping the kids off at school.

Subaru Canada press release

MISSISSAUGA, ON, Nov. 28, 2017 /CNW/ – Subaru Canada, Inc. (SCI) is pleased to announce that the all-new 2019 Ascent was unveiled today in Los Angeles.

Unveiled on the eve of the Los Angeles Auto Show, the 2019 Subaru Ascent ushers in a new era for the automaker as its first-ever three-row SUV with seating for up to eight passengers. Built on the Subaru Global Platform, Ascent offers the capability, versatility and driving enjoyment Subaru’s vehicles have become known for in a family-sized package.

“Subaru customers asked for a vehicle like Ascent and we listened,” said Yasushi Enami, chairman, president and CEO of Subaru Canada, Inc. “We understand the needs of Canadian families on the go, and our largest ever vehicle is perfectly suited to handle whatever our customers throw at it — or in it.”

Both the exterior and interior build on Subaru’s DYNAMIC x SOLID design philosophy to create an SUV with commanding presence, while remaining nimble enough to take on gridlock traffic and narrow trails with ease. Yet its interior offers an impressive amount of space for passengers or cargo — or both.

Emphasizing the functionality critical of a midsize SUV, the Ascent is available in seven- or eight-passenger configurations, with the choice of second-row captain’s chairs or bench seating, while offering enough room for a family’s worth of stuff.

Keeping whatever cargo that’s inside the Ascent safe is Subaru’s EyeSight advanced safety suite, which comes standard across the lineup and includes collision-avoidance, lane-departure warning and adaptive cruise control functionality.

“Subaru Canada takes safety seriously, and the inclusion of EyeSight across Ascent’s trim lineup reaffirms that,” Enami said. “EyeSight offers a whole new level of peace of mind that protects not only Subaru drivers and their families, but all road users.”

Powering the all-new 2019 Ascent is the latest evolution of Subaru’s famed BOXER engine technology that brings with it six-cylinder performance in a more efficient package. Output from the new turbocharged 2.4-litre four-cylinder engine is estimated at 260 horsepower and 277 lb-ft of torque running on regular gasoline, while its high-torque Lineartronic CVT allows Ascent to tow up to 2,270 kg (5,000 lbs.).

The all-new 2019 Ascent will be built at Subaru’s U.S. plant, Subaru of Indiana Automotive, Inc., and delivered to Subaru retailers in summer 2018.

Design

To create an SUV with a commanding presence and exceptional functionality, the exterior and interior of Ascent build on Subaru’s DYNAMIC x SOLID design philosophy.

Dynamic and sturdy SUV styling with a functional shape required of a three-row midsize SUV.

Tough look befitting of an SUV as well as a rich and roomy cabin has been expressed by creating a central instrument panel with dynamic and spacious feel.

Interior

To meet the needs of young families that require both comfort and ease of use, Subaru has created an interior space allowing a comfortable experience in all seats, including the third row.

Ascent offers enough room between passengers as well as ample cargo space.

Wide rear door openings allow easy access for both second and third row passengers. Steps and grips are also positioned for ease of ingress and egress.

Grips on second-row seats inspired by those found on Japanese bullet trains.

The third-row seat achieves a comfortable seating position.

For the first time in a Subaru model, Ascent adopts a new type of power rear gate with a built-in drive unit that contributes to achieve maximum cargo space.

The driver’s seat features a cushion-length adjustment for the first time in a Subaru model.

Ventilated front seats available for the first time ever in a Subaru vehicle.

The seven-passenger configuration uses two captain seats in the second row for the first time in a Subaru model. Enough space between these seats allows easy access to the third row.

A three-passenger second-row bench seat is standard in the eight-passenger configuration.

Safety

Intended to be enjoyed with peace of mind for the whole family, Ascent is designed to be safe and enjoyable not only in emergencies but in any driving situation. Reflecting Subaru’s comprehensive concept of safety, Ascent achieves top-of-class safety performance.

Subaru’s unique EyeSight driver assist technology and the EyeSight Assist Monitor are standard equipment on all models.

Reverse Automatic Braking reduces or entirely avoids collisions while reversing.

Side/Rear Vehicle Detection System (SRVD) detects vehicles approaching from behind.

Steering-responsive headlights offer a clear nighttime view.

High Beam Assist improves visibility when driving at night.

New front-view monitor reduces driver blind spots, helping to prevent front-end collisions.

Smart rear-view mirror uses camera mounted inside at the top of the rear window to provide improved rear visibility, even in low-light conditions.

By employing the Subaru Global Platform, Ascent offers excellent occupant protection, even for third-row passengers.

All models are equipped with driver and front passenger SRS airbags, driver-side SRS knee airbags, and SRS side and side curtain airbags—a total of seven airbags as standard equipment—for class-leading occupant protection.

On-Road Agility Meets Off-Road Ability

Together with standard Symmetrical AWD and X-Mode for enhanced rough road performance, the newly developed 2.4-litre turbocharged direct-injection Boxer engine along with the Subaru Global Platform ensures SUV capability with peace of mind and an enjoyment for both drivers and families.

Despite its smaller displacement, the newly developed 2.4-litre turbocharged direct-injection boxer engine achieves smooth acceleration equal to or better than that of competing vehicles with six-cylinder engines.

The Subaru Global Platform improves body rigidity, enhancing dynamic quality feel such as smoothness and exhilaration.

Ascent achieves both excellent straight-line stability at high speeds and smooth handling at low speeds.

Active Torque Vectoring allows superior cornering performance and hazard avoidance capabilities.

Paddle shifters allow drivers to enhancing the driving engagement.

Subaru’s distinctive Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive system offers stability in various circumstances, including challenging road conditions caused by snow, rain or mud, and on the highway.

X-Mode improves performance on slippery and other difficult road surfaces through integrated optimal control of the engine, transmission and braking. Its Hill Descent Control setting gives drivers greater peace of mind by maintaining low speeds on downhill slopes.

Along with the 220 millimetres of ground clearance, Ascent ensures enough road clearance, such as optimized approach and departure angles, when encountering a slope or returning to flat terrain from a slope, as well as ramp breakover angle at the peak of a rise, that broaden the range of activities families can enjoy.

A maximum towing capacity of 2,270 kg, the most of any Subaru in history, allows Ascent to pull a camper or boat, supporting an active family lifestyle.

Lightning McQueen coming to the Canadian Automotive Museum for Christmas

November 22, 2017 by Gary Grant 1 Comment

Many years ago, Disney’s Pixar group made a big splash in the GTA when the stars of the hit movie Cars arrived at Vaughan Mills to spend a day showing off for the fans. The 2017 Christmas season is going to be even more exciting, as Lightning McQueen is spending the whole month of December at the Canadian Automotive Museum in Oshawa!

The museum has undergone a gradual rejuvenation in recent years, with a big focus on creating activities that are fun and interactive. The arrival of the star of the Cars movie franchise is the latest in a series of fun events aimed at kids.

More details in the CAM press release

Oshawa, ON – The Canadian Automotive Museum (CAM) is excited to announce the arrival of a full scale model of Lightning McQueen from Disney Pixar’s Cars 3, now available on Blu-Ray™.

The iconic main character from Pixar’s Cars animated film franchise, Lightning McQueen is part athlete, part stock car. McQueen is voiced in the films by actor Owen Wilson and was named after the late Pixar animator Glen McQueen, who passed away in 2002. According to Cars director John Lasseter, McQueen’s shape was influenced by sports cars like the Corvette C6 and Ford GT40, as well as sports stars Muhammad Ali, Charles Barkley and Joe Namath.

Lightning McQueen will be on display in the main gallery of the Canadian Automotive Museum through December 2018. Exciting kids programming is being scheduled throughout the year in conjunction with the display, including fun Family Day, March Break, and summer vacation activities.

“We are thrilled to have Lightning McQueen on display as a starting point to connect younger visitors with automotive history” said the museum’s Executive Director, Alex Gates.

A free public reception for Lightning McQueen will be held as part of the Canadian Automotive Museum’s annual Holiday Open House on Friday, December 1 from 4pm to 7pm. The CAM opened in 1963 and maintains the world’s most significant collection of Canadian cars. Located in downtown Oshawa, the museum building is housed in a former 1920s auto dealership building. The museum is open year-round, Monday-Friday 10am to 4:30pm and Saturday 10am to 4pm. For more information visit www.CanadianAutomotiveMuseum.com or call 905-576-1222

Toyota C-HR

November 17, 2017 by Gary Grant Leave a Comment

As consumers continue to shun traditional cars, as in sedans, they are flocking to the various Crossover Utility Vehicle segments. The tiny little guys are arguably the coolest bunch of the segment. Not much larger than a four door hatchback, they ride higher and have a stance closer to that of an SUV than that of a car. Each entry into the segment offers their own brand of quirk, often creating polarizing reviews from viewers.

Toyota’s player in this space, which is made up of the likes of the Mazda CX-3 and Honda HR-V, is the plucky little C-HR. The Honda and Mazda models offer styling which can best be called mainstream conservative, while the Toyota joins Nissan at the more, umm, creative side of the spectrum. True, the C-HR doesn’t seem to have lit up the weird meter like the Juke does, it definitely seems to make onlookers scratch their head a bit.

The two-tone roof and body treatment, which seems normal for the MINI camp, created the most conversation with friends and family during our week with the test unit. I actually like the look, but I was the only one who was feeling the love.

C-HR boasts quite possibly the biggest roof mounted spoiler available today.

Entering the driver’s seat shows off a beef I have with a lot of small vehicles: seat height. While I am only 5′ 10″ tall, I have short legs and a long torso, coupled with a bad back that doesn’t bend too well. Even with the height adjustable seat in the fully down position, I whack my head off the roof edge unless I consciously duck my head under the edge before swinging my butt into the seat. My 5’2″ wife and daughter do not have the same complaint. Your mileage may vary.

Once inside however, the cabin is comfy and modern stylish. One rear seat passenger did comment that the space felt a bit claustrophobic due to the high line of the window sills which curve upwards to those funky outside door handles.

The first thing I noticed when heading onto the highway was how quite the little bug is at speed. Such a quiet cabin is impressive at this price point. That serenity vanishes when one mashes the right pedal to the floor.

As is becoming popular these days, Toyota has chosen to hang a CVT unit onto the end of its lovely 2.0L four banger. To simplify the description a bit, a CVT is essentially a larger version of a snowmobile transmission, which uses a belt that is driven via a cone shaped device to increase and decrease vehicle speed based on throttle position. There are no gears to change. If the driver applies full throttle, the engine will spin to its redline and stay there until the desired speed is reached and the driver lessens the pressure on the pedal. Regardless of how well insulated a cabin is, an engine at high revs is making some noise!

It is interesting to note that unlike the offerings from Mazda and Honda, Toyota has chosen to offer the C-HR in front wheel drive only, where the others have all wheel drive available. I suppose this won’t bother some buyers, but it seems like a bit of an odd contenting decision, especially for the Canadian market.

The cargo area is spacious enough for daily life with a young family and with the seats folded would easily swallow everything needed for a couple to go camping.

Careful attention should be paid to package content, as the $24,690 base price of the C-HR is substantially more than the base price of both primary competitors. The base price does however include Toyota Safety Sense, a bundle of active and passive driver safety aids that include Pre-Collision System , Auto High Beam, Dynamic Radar Cruise Control (full speed), Pre-Collision System with Pedestrian Detection and Lane Departure Alert with Steering Assist.

Overall, the Toyota C-HR is a fun and funky little ride which is definitely worthy of a look while shopping the segment.

Nissan Canada announces Micra Cup involvement to extend to 2020

November 14, 2017 by Gary Grant Leave a Comment

At the season ending banquet for the popular Micra Cup Series on Saturday evening, Nissan Canada and series promoter JD Promotion & Compétition announced that their committment to the series has been extended to 2020.

With action like racing fans haven’t seen since the demise of the legendary Honda Michelin Series of the Seventies through to the early Nineties, the Micra Cup has provided incredible excitement for fans and racers alike.

The series wouldn’t have happened without the passionate involvement of automotive journalist and long time racer Jacques Deshaies and Nissan Canada’s Didier Marsaud. In a time when entry level racing has become increasingly difficult to market, the duo have worked tirelessly to create an affordable racing program that has been noticed around the world for its success.

Ontario auto journalist Brian Makse is a series regular.

Series press release

Mississauga, Ont. (November 12, 2017) – On Saturday night, JD Promotion & Compétition and Nissan celebrated the third season of the Nissan Micra Cup in Quebec with an annual gala event for those involved in making it a success – including drivers and their teams, partners, series organizers and staff from Nissan Canada. At the event, Joni Paiva, president of Nissan Canada Inc., announced that Nissan Canada and JD Promotion & Compétition have extended the Nissan Micra Cup contract for three more years, with races to occur in both Ontario and Quebec once again.

“The Nissan Micra Cup has grown a lot over the past three years – we’ve preserved the exclusive, but welcoming and professional series theme, and have opened our doors to a much larger audience,” said Joni Paiva, president, Nissan Canada Inc. “The Nissan Micra Cup is more than just a motorsport series. It is a testament to the reliability; affordability; and quality inherent not only in the Micra, but all Nissans in the portfolio. The Nissan Micra Cup is also another way for us to connect on a deeper level with the general public, the fans, Nissan owners and Nissan dealers, and we’re thrilled to bring the family spirit of the Nissan Micra Cup back to Canadian tracks for three more years.”

The Nissan Micra Cup was launched in 2015 as Canada’s most affordable racing series, with all drivers using identical, almost stock Nissan Micra S race cars offering fun behind the wheel and reliability. In its inaugural year, the Nissan Micra Cup took place in Quebec only, and in 2016, it expanded to Ontario, bringing new drivers and even more excitement to the track. In 2017, the vision for the Nissan Micra Cup evolved even further. With the goal of attracting more than just racing enthusiasts, the Nissan Micra Cup put on a number of special consumer-focused events and invited Nissan Micra owners to attend the race weekends free-of-charge.

Of note is that Nissan Canada was the main automotive partner for the 2017 Grand Prix de Trois-Rivières (GP3R). About 700 Nissan customers were invited to the race weekend, and were witness to a free concert, From the Track to the Stage, featuring Nissan Micra Cup driver and Quebec comedian, Michel Barrette, as well as winner of La Voix 3, Kevin Bazinet. This initiative brought a much larger audience to the GP3R race weekend, increasing the reach of the series.

“Since its launch in 2015, the Nissan Micra Cup has been a huge success, at all levels, both in Canada and even internationally,” said Jacques Deshaies, owner of JD Promotion & Compétition and the series promoter. “In three years, the Nissan Micra Cup has become a leading racing series in the national motorsports community, while also remaining the most accessible and affordable. We are very proud of this 100 per cent Canadian achievement and look forward seeing it grow and evolve even more over the next three years.”

Over the past three years, approximately 25 cars have competed for the championship title each season, with drivers from very diverse backgrounds and varying levels of experience. To date, the entry list has included drivers ranging from 18 to 64 years-old, four women, five international drivers and representatives from 12 Nissan dealerships. Additionally, the Nissan Micra Cup races have featured a number of well-known professional drivers from NASCAR and other prestigious racing series, including Richard Spenard, Louis Philippe Montour, Karl Wittmer, Bertrand Godin, Aaron Povoledo , Patrick Dussault and Jesse Lazare, to name a few.

Several celebrities also took part in the series and competed on the track at a number of Nissan Micra Cup race weekends. In addition to Quebec comedian Michel Barrette, Canadian figure skater and Olympic medalist, Elvis Stojko, Quebec actor Jeff Boudreault and TV anchors Carl Nadeau and Benoit Gagnon, had nothing but positive things to say about their experience racing behind the wheels of their Nissan Micras.

Another highlight is that both of the Nissan Micra Cup championship winners, Olivier Bédard in 2015 and 2017, as well as Xavier Coupal in 2016, were recipients of the Gilles Villeneuve Trophy, one of the most prestigious annual awards in the world of Quebec motorsports.

“We are very excited to announce the extension of the Nissan Micra Cup in Canada,” said Michael Carcamo, global motorsports director, Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. “The Nissan Micra Cup represents the most affordable racing platform in Canada. Along with competitive drivers and exciting race venues, the Nissan Micra has proven its durability and reliability in the most intense environment, motorsport racing. We look forward to more great racing in the years to come and we congratulate all the participants of the first three seasons.”

More details on the 2018 Nissan Micra Cup calendar to come in the winter.

For more information on the Nissan Micra Cup, please visit http://www.micracup.com/main.

Bold and Beautiful: 2017 Infiniti QX80

November 13, 2017 by Gary Grant 1 Comment

Years ago, I loaded the family into the first generation of Infiniti‘s mega-sized luxury SUV, then known as the QX56. We were headed for Pocono International Raceway, where the annual International Motor Press Association Test Days event was taking place. More importantly for the kids, the final destination was the newly opened Great Wolf Lodge.

We loaded that bad boy full of the assorted flotsam that accompanies a family of five on a week long road trip, no doubt adding to the truck’s overall weight substantially. Normally, I wouldn’t consider extra load to be much of an issue with a vehicle with an already sizable heft but I realized a weak point in the vehicles chassis as soon as we encountered the Appalachian mountains. Naturally, the climb was of no concern, but what goes up, must come down and we first discovered how woefully under-braked the truck was when slowing for an exit ramp on a long and steep downhill with a 75 mph speed limit. The pedal faded so badly that I almost overshot the ramp and nearly made a mess of the leather seats.

So what does a tale about a 10 year old predecessor have to do with a modern vehicle? Nothing really, except that we recently spent a week with a 2017 Infiniti QX80 and made a point of putting it to work. To write a review saying that the QX80 is huge, gorgeous and luxurious would be an insult to readers’ intelligence. One does not need to be told these things, one just needs to open their eyes. Some QX80 buyers however will actually want to make use of the big truck’s utility aspect, so we thought we would see how it likes to work.

As beautiful as the exterior shape is, Infiniti has elevated the interior of the QX80 to a true world class contender. Quilted leather abounds, with real wood and metal accents for good measure. It goes without saying that the seating is comfortable and just about every modern convenience one can think of is built in.

Fold down all the seats and one is presented with a gargantuan cargo area. One might even compare it to the mighty Hercules cargo plane except for one nagging issue: The seats do not fold flat. In fact, they are tilted upwards like a ramp. So much so that cargo needs to be loaded into the flat rear area first to prevent smooth bottomed items loaded into the front from sliding aft when loading. Even still, when loaded carefully the QX80 swallows a prodigious amount of stuff.

Remembering that the QX80 is a proper truck, it is no surprise that there isn’t even a tiny bit of sag in the suspension when the cargo area is heavily loaded with cases of pop, water, full coolers and other stuff needed for BBQ events.

Hidden behind the rear bumper fascia is a seriously heavy duty looking trailer hitch, which is easily revealed with the twist of two plastic trim buttons. Utility hidden by beauty. Our small BBQ event trailer was dwarfed by the luxo-truck, which towed the kitchen on wheels without complaint. Again, the added tongue weight on top of the full cargo area elicits no droop of the rear suspension.

Thinking back to my opening bit about the QX56, it is important to note that the QX80 did not exhibit a single sign that we were putting it to work, even when fully loaded, with a loaded trailer attached. It just soldiered on, keeping its occupants comfortable and the driver confident.

At a tick under ninety five grand for the Canadian market, the QX80 isn’t for everybody. If the only off-roading you will ever do however is making a spring visit to the gravel parking lot at the Muskoka Store, then the big Infiniti makes for a more stylish alternative to say, a Range Rover. The QX80 offers more interior space and arguably more comfortable appointments than the British SUV, at a fraction of the price.

Ken Block spotted filming Gymkhana 10 on the streets of Detroit

October 18, 2017 by Gary Grant Leave a Comment

I had the good fortune to interview Ken Block a couple of years ago and he talked about trying to keep the Gymkhana series new and exciting, so it is little surprise that the franchise has finally made its way to Motor City.

Youtube user Revin caught some footage of Block and the newly revamped Hoonicorn Mustang shredding pavement on the John C. Lodge freeway outside of the Joe Louis Arena and Cobo Hall.

It makes one wonder if Kenny from Da Block might be making an appearance at the 2018 Detroit auto show!

Jaguar invades Canada with the Art of Performance Tour

October 17, 2017 by Gary Grant Leave a Comment

Not too long ago, Porsche excused itself from the Canadian autoshow circuit for a couple of years, deciding to invest its event budget in customer experience events instead. While critics, myself included, questioned the move, the result was exponential sales growth for the performance luxury brand.

Jaguar has chosen to take a similar approach in Canada, creating a massive road show experience called the Art of Performance Tour, while continuing to take part in the auto show circuit. Essentially, they are getting bums in seats, exposing potential brand converts to Jaguar (and Land Rover) products in most spectacular fashion.

The event begins with a short briefing session where guests receive a short history lesson on the Jaguar brand, an overview of the current product line and a glimpse into the future. During this presentation, the Porsche brand is actually mentioned as an example of why Jaguar now offers an SUV type vehicle called the F-Pace.

Despite the moaning of purists, Porsche has developed a pair of SUVs which are among the most popular sporty versions of the niche. Most importantly, the popularity of the German automaker’s utility vehicles means more funds to develop the company’s high performance fleet. More money means more toys.

The media visit to the Art of the Performance Tour was unique in that we visited the event alongside actual consumer guests, rather than being sent off on our own. It was great fun seeing somebody other than the usual, jaded auto journalist types at an event, because there was actual excitement in the eyes of many participants!

The herd of guests leave the presentation space and are brought to an area with a collection of industrial looking ramps and platforms have been erected and loaded into the waiting Land Rover Discovery SUVs. Instructors from Land Rover Canada’s Off Road Experience centre in Montebello, Quebec, then take the participants for the most hair-raising ride that they are ever likely to have at 2 km/h. While few buyers will ever drive their Land Rover over anything more challenging than a cottage road, the reality is that every Land Rover is incredibly capable and this display gives riders a taste of what these trucks can do.

From there, we make our way to a short autocross course where guests can put a new Jaguar F-Pace through its paces themselves, proving that a vehicle can offer both utility AND performance!

The highlight for most comes in the form of a true thrill ride in a thundering Jaguar F-Type SVR, piloted by one of a team of legit racing drivers headed up by Canadian racing legend Robin Buck. For those who have never experienced a world class sports car at full chat, this ride is mind blowing!

Veteran Canadian racer Robin Buck was on hand giving thrill rides in the audacious F-Type.

To round out the day, participants get back behind the wheel of a Jaguar XE to take a turn around the company’s ultra cool Smart Cone set-up, which had previously been seen at the Invictus Games in Toronto, where Prince Harry even had a go at the course. Drivers are urged to navigate the course smoothly and carefully, as it changes each time with the direction being indicated by flashing blue and green lights atop course pylons. It is actually a lot of fun!

The absolute easiest way to sell a great product is to allow the potential consumer to truly experience that product doing what it does. When the product is great, it will literally sell itself.

Jaguar is on a roll in recent years, since being bought by Indian company Tata, which has injected the capital needed to develop products which are truly great. This new push to bring the experience to the people so to speak might be just what the company needs to take on the larger players in the sports luxury niche. The cars really do sell themselves!

From Toronto, The Art of Performance Tour heads west for dates in Edmonton and Vancouver. Click here to learn more.

2017 Ford F-150 Raptor

October 3, 2017 by Gary Grant 1 Comment

When one writes about a performance vehicle, rarely is fuel economy the lead discussion point, but the second generation Ford Raptor is not your average performance vehicle. Over more than a decade of reviewing vehicles, the single most expensive tank of fuel I have ever purchased belonged to the original Raptor. It was a whopping $167 and that was a few years ago, before gas prices skyrocketed. To be completely honest, while I was looking forward to driving the twin turbo V-6 powered 2017 model, I was dreading the cost of spending a week with it.

For the uninitiated, the Raptor is an off road edition of the popular Ford F-150. Unlike some such packages which amount to little more than a sticker package and bigger tires, the Raptor is heavily massaged to give it real deal desert racing type performance. Cosmetics in the form of fat fenders, an over the top sticker package and an aggressive wheel/tire package are backed up with some serious mechanical upgrades under the skin.

A classic Mercury pickup was waiting for the Raptor at one of our special events!

Make no mistake, the visual of the truck is nothing less than imposing and garners attention everywhere from the gas station to the girl at the drive through window who squealed “Oh my GOD, I LOVE your Raptor!” I even caught my next door neighbour poking around under the wheel arches, exclaiming that “This thing really is different from my base F-150”.

The first-gen Raptor was powered by a premium gas swilling V8 that provided swift performance despite the truck’s ample heft while sending an audio notice to anybody within earshot that this truck meant business. For the new model, engineers took a page from the Ford GT’s playbook and fitted a 3.5L V6 which is fed by a pair of turbochargers to fit the brand’s Ecoboost obsession. That 450-ish horsepower mill is mated to a 10-speed automatic transmission which offers silky smooth shifts and promises improved fuel economy.

The Ecoboost powered Ford GT roars into the night at the 2016 running of the Rolex 24 at Daytona.

Being a bit of an old school truck guy, I have to say that I was skeptical of the way the boosted six would sound. A performance truck should rumble like a Trans-Am car and I wasn’t sure what to expect. Around town, the Raptor sounds like Tim Taylor’s hopped up Shop-Vac. To be fair, at full throttle, it does sound like a Ford GT race car, but ain’t nobody can afford to drive it like that all the time! A big ol’ V8 rumble would be much more fitting.

Wary of my past history with the Raptor, my drive home consisted of setting the adaptive cruise control to 106 KM/H and letting technology look after the fuel economy. I posted an Instagram picture showing a very impressive 11.6 L/100 KM. My buddy Eric Novak over at EnviroDad commented: “Don’t get used to it…” Eric and I have VERY different driving styles, so this comment had me worried.

Pretty impressive fuel economy for my first stint in the 2017 @fordcanada Raptor #truckin #truckyeah #trucklife #turbo #ford #raptor

A post shared by Gary Grant (@thegarageguy) on Sep 18, 2017 at 12:06pm PDT

My kid drove the truck to his girlfriend’s and back. In 20 minutes, the average economy jumped to almost 14. I became more worried.

My Wife commented that I was driving like a little old lady every time I got behind the wheel and yet the consumption climbed to 16.9 L/100 KM while driving mostly around town.

Then, as we began to put the Raptor to work, some sort of magic happened.

We loaded the bed full of coolers and tables and towed the DCS Appliances event trailer to a gig in the country. Fuel economy improved. Then, we loaded up again for a trip to the MLRC Rallycross in Bancroft. No trailer this time, but lots of pop, water, ice, tables and a big camp stove, so there was some weight in the back.

After feeding the rallycross competitors, we headed out of Bancroft, the bed full of catering gear but minus all of the heavy stuff. I decided to take a road that we have never been down, just to see where it went. The semi-rural tarmac road wound its way past a few houses and then the tiny local air strip before degrading to gravel and becoming a bit more twisty. Soon, we came upon a yellow sign warning of “No Winter Maintenance”, which is Ontario’s notice that fun times are ahead. Game on!

At this point, the reasoning behind owning a Raptor become more apparent than ever. The track narrowed so much that at some points, the Raptor was wider than the gravel surface. So tight and twisty that 60 km/h felt like we were in a stage rally, the Raptor’s Fox Racing shocks soaked up every rock ledge that the Canadian shield threw its way. So much so that I commented on how smooth the ride was despite the rough surface.

The BFG A/T Ko2 is the perfect tire for tackling the rough stuff in the Raptor.

Driving in Off Road mode, the transmission shifts were set to allow for higher revolutions, keeping the turbos spooled up for instant power availability. The stability control was dialed back a bit, allowing for a healthy dose of easily manageable tail wagging. That is a good thing on really loose surfaces, where the big truck initially wants to understeer towards the woods, until a bit of welly coaxes the back end to come around, pointing the front end in the intended direction. The standard B.F. Goodrich All Terrain Ko2 tires are the perfect choice for this type of driving.

Back on the pavement, we continued our sunny Sunday afternoon drive in comfort, as the Raptor rolled along cottage country roads surprisingly peacefully.

At our final event of our week with the Raptor, one participant arrived in his own Raptor, identical to the one we were towing with. He joked that the dealer promised that it was a unique truck and here he was rolling into a Holiday Inn parking lot and the caterer had the same machine! Given that he had just driven from Montreal, we talked about fuel economy. I told him about my early experience and he said “No way, driving that slow is way too boring”. He had set his cruise control somewhere north of 130 KM/H and still saw an indicated consumption of under 16 L/100 KM.

In a week of mixed urban highway, country roads, fully loaded and towing along with an hour of what could best be called spirited dirt track driving thrown in, the Lightning blue beast sipped just 14.4 L/100 KM. That is better than many small crossovers would have fared in the same driving.

With a base price of $68,399 here in Canada, our tester had a fully load of options that bumped the ticket to an additional $15,100. The honest truth then is that the buyer of a pickup truck worth 85 grand isn’t going to be quibbling over fuel costs, but the most I put in the tank was $125 which is a really good saving over the previous, V8 powered version. A bit of financial practicality never hurt anybody!

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