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Road tripping with the 2017 Toyota Tundra TRD Pro

August 4, 2017 by Gary Grant Leave a Comment

 

Following the muddy launch of the TRD Pro models of Toyota’s Tundra and Tacoma, we headed to the Northern reaches of the Ottawa Valley for a week of work with a sweet Cement Grey Taco, with the DCS Appliances event trailer in tow.  That combined rig stirred up attention everywhere we went, so when a similar trip came onto the horizon recently, it only made sense to see how the big brother Tundra would fare.

Last Fall, we put the Tundra TRD-Pro through its paces in the dirt in Ontario ski country.

The event would see us head from Whitby to Mont Tremblant, a ski town in rural Quebec which also is the home of Le Circuit Mont Tremblant, where we would spend a the better part of the week feeding our friends from Driveteq, who would be spending a couple of days lapping the historic race track.

Once again, we would be grilling on the trailer mounted DCS grill, but we would also be roasting a pig in our La Caja China roaster, which meant we needed a capable hauler with lots of space. We knew the Tundra is big and that the TRD Pro version is tough off road, but would it do the tasks we were presenting it with? We also knew that the Tundra can be a tad on the thirsty side so we were curious to know how it performed when fully loaded.

The traditional domestics have worked hard to surpass the traditional import truck makers when it comes to interior feel and some of them (specifically Ram’s attention to detail) have risen above the rest, including the Tundra. While the interior of the Tundra is both sporty and tough looking, our thoughts were more to the comfort side of things for a long week of driving. How would the seats fare under the weight of my 3XL sized frame and how would my back feel at the end?

Off road packages offered by some manufacturers tend to be of the mild, stickers and fluff variety while others go to the extreme in offering full desert racing spec for those wannabe Baja racers. The TRD-Pro version of the built-in-Texas Tundra falls somewhere to the right of that pendulum arc, offering subtle design cues along with carefully chosen performance upgrades. Beyond the visual branding cues, the most immediately noticeable is the addition of a high flowing performance exhaust, which gives the 381 horsepower 5.7L V8 some serious bark to go with its bite.

When knowledgeable off road enthusiasts start a new build, one of the first changes they often make is to install Bilstein dampers on all four corners, as much for their ability to smooth out a vehicle’s on road presence as for their excellence in the rough stuff. It is heartening that Toyota’s engineering team chose to go the same route when outfitting the TRD-Pro Tundra, as the highway ride is firm yet delightfully smooth for such a big truck.

Naturally, our trip began with the obligatory McMuffin stop!

 

Week long road trip to feed people must start with breakfast @sandy_grant @driveteq.ca @toyotacanada @dcsappliances #roadtrip #eventlife #bbqlife #barbeque #

A post shared by Gary Grant (@thegarageguy) on May 29, 2017 at 7:50am PDT

 

Our route would take us from Durham region, east of Toronto, through cottage country and skirting the nation’s capital before crossing over into Quebec and heading to ski country. For years, when heading to Ottawa, we would travel the route along Highway 401 like most drivers, until we learned that the trip following the two lane Highway 7 is just as quick. The driving is much more laid back, with great views and lots of little towns to explore and grab a coffee along the way.

 

Ceement grey #trdpro Tundra and a caboose! @toyotacanada @dcsappliances @driveteq.ca #havelock #roadtrip #roadlesstraveled #ontario #discoveron @sandy_grant #bbqlife #eventlife

A post shared by Gary Grant (@thegarageguy) on May 29, 2017 at 8:50am PDT

We know the route well now, so our exploration began after our usual visit to Costco in Gatineau to pick up beer for the week. For Ontario residents visiting the Ottawa area, it is worth mentioning that beer in Quebec is seriously cheap. At Costco, which is less than 10 minutes from Parliament Hill, a 24 bottle case of Stella Artois is $46.95 plus deposit at The Beer Store. The same package at Costco is just $27.95 plus deposit.

Having allowed ourselves an extra day before we had to feed the masses, we decided to take a fairly direct route to Mont Tremblant, so we could make the most of our time away. Our drive took us north east on the scenic Highway 50 headed towards the Laurentians, before turning north on the more interesting 323 at Montebello.

As the countryside switched from riverlands to mountains, we began to encounter long, steep climbs. These ascents were of little concern to the heavily loaded rig, but there was one really cool side effect: the six speed transmission dropped to fourth for long stretches, the big V8 spun up to 3,500 rpm at 100 km/h, with a bellow worthy of a Trans-Am car bouncing through the neighbouring forest.

It is worth noting that during our first two days with the TRD-Pro, just booting around town with an empty truck, we averaged about 16.8 L/100 km. As I said before, we knew that the Tundra was a bit thirsty. We were pleasantly surprised to find that even with a very full load, the Tundra’s fuel economy improved to an impressive 16.2 L/100 km at highway speeds.

If you talk to any car racers from the golden age of the late Sixties about Le Circuit Mont Tremblant, inevitably the call it St. Jovite. This is largely because the largest neighbouring town, the one which actually has stores etc. is called St. Jovite. The actual town of Mont Tremblant is a tiny hamlet in between the racing circuit and the gigantic pedestrian village at the base of the historic mountain.

We spent our first night in a wonderful, independent resort called Château Beauvallon, just a few minutes from the pedestrian village. This was the last week in May and we learned that while visiting ski country in the off season can mean that some features, like restaurants, are not available, there are also some perks. We were one of only three rooms occupied in the 70 room hotel and staff had nicely located us directly next to the outdoor hot tub, while the other guests were on the opposite side of the hotel. Even though the on site restaurant was closed, dinner was no problem, as the hotel offered a free shuttle to and from the village.

The draft beer rail at Le Diable micro brewery in Mont Tremblant.

Several of the restaurants in the village were also closed given the time off year, so we settled on dinner at the chain restaurant Casey’s. To say we were unimpressed would be charitable.

I was determined to have a bit of fun so I decided that a visit to Le Diable, a micro brewery right in the pedestrian village, was in order. I have been to the joint on a bunch of press trips, and every single time had a great time. Named after the river which winds its way though the region, Le Diable is night time hub where locals and visitors congregate to consume adult beverages in a setting that is part ski chalet, part sugar shack. On this trip, we spent our evening chatting with a lady who works for the company which owns the resort, watching the shenanigans of a gaggle of off shift employees who were treating the bar like their own playground. It really was quite entertaining!

 

Our next few days were spent trackside at the iconic racing track, which hosted the Canadian Grand Prix in 1968 and 1970. We were providing catering for the guests of Driveteq, a company which provides multiple levels of service to driving enthusiasts, from track days and instruction to race car rentals. They have recently included travel in their repertoire, shepherding participants to “bucket list” tracks such as Mosport, Tremblant and The Glen. That meant that we spent our week surrounded by all sorts of sporting machinery, from Alfa Romeo and Porsche to McLaren and Ferrari.


For our final day in town, we took the opportunity to drive some of the spectacular roads around the area. Most are well groomed pavement, with literally hundreds of challenging curves and elevation changes. Mindful of the reality that ski country is usually also cycling country, we learned that the off road focused suspension tuning is remarkably adept at handling twisty roads. The Bilstein shocks do a great job of keeping the wheels planted on hard acceleration over uneven pavement.

The countryside is dotted with cool little hamlets, vintage resorts from days gone by and spectacular views, making a drive through the area almost as much fun as taking in a track day. Watch out for wildlife though, as deer are plentiful and closer in to the ski resort they are not shy.



 

For the drive home, we took a similar route home through the Laurentians on our way back to Gatineau, but didn’t think about stopping thanks to the torrential rain. Until of course we came across the home town of Canadian hockey legend Guy Lafleur. Ville de Thurso has a large sculpture of the famed Canadien, so we had to stop by for a quick pic.

The @dcsappliances @toyotacanada #bbq rig with Canadian hockey legend Guy Lafleur. #toyota #trdpro #bbqlife #eventlife #quebec #bbq

A post shared by Gary Grant (@thegarageguy) on Jun 3, 2017 at 8:44am PDT

 

The drive home through Ontario cottage country was uneventful as the sun finally broke through and the roads dried out.

 

It should actually be pointed out that Quebec is Toyota truck country as there seem to be more of them than any other brand on the roads. Local truck fans knew instantly what our truck was and parking lot compliments were made frequently. One guy event took a picture to send to a buddy.

Overall, the Tundra proved to be a more than willing work partner during the entire trip. We actually spent two full weeks with the truck and it averaged out to 16.3 L/100 KM which is more than acceptable given the tasks it was given. From a comfort level, both driver and passenger were in great shape at both ends of the trip, never feeling anything but comfort.

The Tundra TRD-Pro is one of those test vehicles that I was sad to see go. Very sad.

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Road tripping in the 2017 Nissan Versa Note

April 12, 2017 by Gary Grant 1 Comment

When most people think of a great road trip vehicle, they have visions of a fancy grand touring car, or maybe a luxurious sedan. We aren’t like most people. For us, the perfect road trip vehicle is a car that is light, nimble and fun to drive, has lots of space for our stuff and whatever junk we might accumulate along the way and gets great fuel economy. If it can catch the interest of some onlookers along the way, that is even better.

With our event season about to go crazy, Mrs. G and I decided that a bit of a road trip was in order, so we poked about on Google maps to find an Ontario destination that we had not previously explored. We settled on the town of Perth, about an hour west of the nation’s capital. We had driven through the town before, in the Summertime, and took notice of the historic limestone buildings and bustling pubs and patios so we thought it was worth a look.

Our steed for the trip would be the second smallest roller skate in Nissan Canada’s fleet, a Monarch Orange 2017 Versa Note SV. Long time readers may recall that back in the day, we used to rally a tiny, front wheel drive Suzuki, and we are still passionate about sporty little econo-boxes. From a specs standpoint, it wasn’t too different from our old rally car, albeit a lot more comfortable and about 30 decibels quieter. The extra pair of doors makes the Versa a bit more practical too.

The Versa Note boasts 1.6L DOHC 4 banger which sends a massive 106 horsepower to the front wheels, through a 5 speed manual transmission, just like our old rally car too. Yes, I know it isn’t really massive, but it is just enough for a real enthusiast to be able to have a bit of fun on a challenging road.

We loaded our stuff into the cargo area, with no need to fold down the split rear seats, leaving the back seats open for any hitchhikers we might have picked up along the way. If this was 1976. A quick dive into the local McDonald’s drive through for breakfast and we were on our way. Unlike most people these days, I don’t look for the quickest way from A to B on a road trip. Most people leaving the outskirts of Toronto on Highway 401, but the reality is that the major highway route only saves about 10 minutes off this trip. Instead, we headed north on Highway 115 to Peterborough and then turned to travel east on highway 7. The speed limit on 7 is 80 km/h, but the average flow of traffic is about 105 km/h and the scenery is infinitely more interesting to look at.

Our first stop was in the tiny town of Norwood, where I dropped in for a bit of a sales visit at the well known Ralph’s Butcher Shop. Just opening up for the season, the owner, a delightful gent named James(?), told me that they make a whopping 81 different varieties of sausage. Needless to say, Ralph’s is a popular spot for cottagers on their way up from the city.

About 10 km up the road, we made a quick stop in Havelock to take some kissy face selfies by an old caboose, before heading towards the cool mid-sized town of Madoc. We were on the hunt for a pub, but we found butter tarts instead. On the town’s main drag, we came across a shop called Hidden Goldmine Bakery which is a nifty combination of bakery, antique shop and home decorating place. We picked up a six pack of tarts (with raisins of course) and were headed out the door, when Mrs. G spotted it. A vintage bacon press! If the words bacon press on the top weren’t already cool enough, when I turned it over, there is the image of a chubby pig on the bottom. Not only did I have to buy it, but that pig is going to be my next tattoo!


Leaving town, we chose a sort of backwards looking route back to Highway 7, which led us down a rough cottage road towards a closed Summer resort, where we were surrounded by a working sugar bush. While most trees were joined, modern style, by plastic tubing to collect the liquid gold used to make maple syrup, here and there were clumps of trees with old school collection buckets.

Back on to the main highway, we got into a less interesting rhythm and we were itching for a bit more fun. There aren’t many side roads that run east/west in this part of the province, because there are so many lakes and rivers, so we were excited to find Fall River Road. With a coarse gravel surface, this path has so many tight turns that the map doesn’t do it justice.

Fall River Road is pretty rough in sections, which means that speed must be kept lower than one might hope for, which is probably a good thing in a street car, as this road throws out a few gotchas! The first thing I did of course was flick off the Versa’s stability control, remembering that the ABS is still fully functional. That means that I would be able to get the car sideways to set-up for fun corners but that if I did anything silly like enter a turn too fast, the little car would understeer into the woods. That was not going to happen under my watch!

After about 10 minutes of super technical fun, we turned left on Armstrong Road and the road surface transitioned to the most beautifully smooth hard pack gravel. The turns were a bit more open, allowing for a bit more speed. The Versa Note is quite simply a champ at dealing with fun mixed surface roads like this at a somewhat enthusiastic pace.

This is the area in which the annual Lanark Highlands Rally takes place and most of the time, these roads are devoid of any traffic. Eventually, Armstrong Road straightens up and the occasional farm makes way to rural family homes and our drive takes on a more leisurely tourist pace.

Arriving in the town of Perth, we make a stop at the Perth Brewing Company to stock up our room before setting out on foot to explore the town.


 

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Exploring Perth, Ontario

April 12, 2017 by Gary Grant Leave a Comment

2017 Nissan Versa Note with statue of legendary Canadian horse Big Ben on the shore of the Tay River in Perth, Ontario.

Dating back to 1816, the town of Perth, Ontario is primarily a Summer tourist destination these days, with shops and eateries all through the town. When checking in to the surprisingly cool Best Western Plus right in downtown Perth, we asked the Front Desk Dude where he would go if he were looking for a late afternoon snack and a pint. Without hesitation, FDD suggested we check out Fiddleheads, which is conveniently located directly across the street.


Situated in the basement of the historic Code’s Mill, Fiddleheads has a super cool pub vibe that features 176 year old stone walls and wood beams. Our waitress had a lovely Irish accent, which made the place that much more inviting. We nibbled on fresh, house made pizza with locally sourced toppings. It wasn’t the best pie we’ve ever had, but it hit the spot. We will return.

It is kinda wrong just how badly I want this van.

After a swim and a nap, went for a walk around the town and eventually wandered over to O’Reilly’s Ale House, which has some pretty solid reviews on Yelp and a pretty sweet looking location. It was a Thursday evening, about 8 o’clock and every other place we passed was almost empty, but O’Reilly’s was packed.


We grabbed the coolest table, which was elevated above the bar, ordered drinks and a charcuterie platter. It looked fantastic and came on a wonderful, live edge wood tray. The ciabatta demi was nice and warm and the cheese duo were fantastic if a little bit on the skimpy side. The meats however seemed like a bit of an afterthought. Too thickly hand cut, basic, middle of the road grocery store deli meats were not what we expected. The quick pickled red onions were fab. The real surprise however, and the absolute star of the platter, was the dipping sauce, of which no specific mention was made.

That little, red dish of heaven is TOTALLY worth a mention of its own. Made by local company, Perth Pepper and Pestle, this stuff is a Curry Cardamom Everything Sauce. Click the link and either order some online or find some in a store if you live up that way. It will change your life forever!

While we were there, we noticed a tiny shelf on the way to the bathrooms, with nothing on it. We asked our waitress about it and she had never noticed it. She asked a long time employee and she hadn’t noticed it either. A couple of days later, we returned for a pint and left a friendly surprise on the shelf. I can’t wait for our next visit to see if it is still there.

The following day, we made a short trek over to Smiths Falls to grab some shoes. Yeah, I know, flip flops in March are a gamble. Anyway, we found the town to be absolutely gorgeous and yet hideously depressed at the same time. There wasn’t even a single pub that looked interesting enough to entice us out of the car. Very sad, as there is so much tourist potential there.

On the way back, we found an incredible spot that is worthy of its own episode of American Pickers. The gent who owns Rideau Antiques has been collecting stuff for 55 years. His assistant is just a pup, having only been helping peddle junk for 35 years. The place is on Rideau Ferry Blvd, between Perth and Smiths Falls and offers maybe an acre of hunting on one side of the road, and a barn full of stuff on the other. You know you are in for a hunt when the owner hands you a flashlight before you venture into the barn! There is a lot of new-ish junk, mixed in with some truly vintage finds, all sort of loosely organized. We easily spent a couple of hours, pretty much overwhelmed by the amount of stuff. I did at least by a scruffy old Matchbox Can-Am car.



Day 2’s dinner did not go as we had hoped. Perhaps the best thing I can say is to check out my Yelp review. Our post dinner visit to DQ was uneventful and successful.

This cool ’63 Chevy van, turned into a chip truck, is on the Rideau Ferry Road on the outskirts of Perth.

 

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2017 Nissan Versa Note: The way home

April 12, 2017 by Gary Grant Leave a Comment

The problem with short road trips is that they come to an end all too quickly, even if the final day starts with a tiny pumpkin and a mammoth wheel of cheese. For our trip home, we decided once again to stay off the beaten path as much as possible. With the final snow of the season laying heavily on the ground, that promised to give us an exciting day!

Roads which had been beautiful, hard pack gravel just a couple of days earlier had turned to legitimately treacherous passages. Even with proper snow boots and keeping speeds below 40 km/h, it took all of my years of performance driving experience to keep the tiny Nissan on the island. Icy bits, covered with heavy slush made the going tough. Super fun, but it required every ounce of concentration and what would have taken 20 minutes driving before took us over an hour. Meanwhile, the Versa soldiered on.

As we approached Madoc, I saw one of those blue Ontario Travel signs for O’Hara Mill. I had no idea what it was, but thought it was worth investigating. Talk about an awesome needle in a haystack sort of find. Out there, in the middle of freaking nowhere, was this incredible pioneer museum type of place with some great Ontario history.

Patrick O’Hara and his family settled the area in 1823 and his descendants lived on the farm until more than a century later. Over the years, the family farm grew to include a sawmill.

 

The Moira River Conservation Authority, bought the farm in 1954 and then the sawmill in 1965. It was designated as a park and to this day, five of the original buildings remain on the site, including the mill.

Run by the community, a number of log cabins have been re-located to the site from the area and a new visitor centre was added in 2009. The museum offers kids programs, hiking trails and seasonal events including ice skating and Christmas events.

While the buildings were closed at the time of our visit, the park is always open and there were people wandering around exploring the site. We are going to make an effort to return for a visit this Summer to explore further.

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One last stop along the way was a quick photo bomb at the Actinolite Log Cabin Restaurant, just to make our friends at Actinolite smile.

 

If you think you need an expensive grand tourer to explore the back roads of your state or province, you are totally wrong. You need a fun and functional, economical little hatchback like our Versa Note tester. Our tester stickered out at just a tick over 17 grand, offered fuel economy that averaged at about 6.8 l/100 km and kept us grinning the whole time. Even if you only need a runner for around town, the Versa Note is totally worth a look.

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2015 Waste Management Winter Rally

February 25, 2015 by ponycargirl 3 Comments

P2215908

Snowy winter rallies are not strictly the domain of Scandinavians – with some focused googling, you can find some winter rallies taking place in North America. Replete with fast cars sliding around turns, spectacular snow sprays, and adrenaline-junkie drivers and co-drivers, the only thing different is the small clutch of fans. However, the fans that did come to watch at the Waste Management Winter Rally (some family members of the teams and some spectators that came from two hours away simply to watch the rally) were truly hardcore, enduring the 9*F/-12.8*C temperatures of a cold snap and an afternoon of sometimes heavy snow.

P2215928-cropped

In its fourth year, the Waste Management Winter Rally is held on property privately owned by the company in Wellsboro, PA, located in the northerly reaches of Appalachia known as “Pennsylvania’s Grand Canyon,” 60 miles southwest of Watkins Glen. Breathtaking views from the winding local routes are punctuated with the occasional house or store, and the frozen rivers snaking through the valleys are dotted with heavily bundled figures ice fishing. Several miles from the Tioga County Fairgrounds, the rugged, rural terrain is ideal for a stage rally.

P2215872

The final entry list of 15 included local teams as well as teams from North Atlantic states – Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Virginia, West Virginia, and New York – even a team with a driver from my New York City borough of Queens. Represent! Cars ran the gamut as well – the grid was Subaru and Ford-heavy, but with several Mitsubishis, a Volvo, Nissan, a Dodge Neon, and the oldest car – a 1978 Datsun 280Z – rounding out the field. The five-stage rally covers 44 miles of competition with fourteen turns per stage, and in the area mid-course for spectators, a high-speed jump on a long straightaway.

P2215898

Stage 1 claimed its first victim – the Nissan Sentra driven by Ozgur Simsek, Alp Seyhan co-driver pulled off at Turn 5 with a fire. One of the two Mitsubishi teams – Greg Roumiantsev driver, Zsanett Fabian co-driver – also didn’t make it to the second stage. Last year’s champ – Alvin Fong with William Machin in a Mitsubishi Evo IX – suffered a DNF after completing only the first stage. At one point, both 2014 Ford Fiestas – driven by brothers Anthony and John Concha –  sufferend simultaneous offs, but were able to get unstuck and back in the race. Ultimately,  Subarus swept the podium. Jon Kramer (Ligonier, PA) and Adam Kimmett (Leesburg, VA) won the 2015 rally in the number 777 ’93 Subaru Impreza.  Claiming second place was Alex Kuklov, driver, and Chris Rosato, co-driver in a 2000 Impreza RS. In third was local Jeremy Keck with James Quattro co-driving a 1999 Impreza. Wellsboro will also host the Waste Management Susquehannock Trail Performance Rally® in warmer weather June 5-6, 2015. Scroll down for complete results and gallery from the Waste Management Winter Rally.

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Pos
O/A
Pos
Cls
Car# Driver
Co-driver
Class
Vehicle
Total
Score
Total
Score
1 1 777 Jon Kramer
Adam Kimmett
Open Light
Subaru Impreza
75.143 01:15:14
2 2 137 Alex Kuklov
Chris Rosato
Open Light
Subaru Impreza 2.5 RS
80.299 01:20:29
3 3 554 Jeremy Keck
James Quattro
Open Light
Subaru Impreza
84.332 01:24:33
4 4 225 Corey Crossan
Anthony DeGuiseppi
Open Light
Subaru Impreza 2.5 RS
88.189 01:28:18
5 1 280 Gregory Healey
Michael Waterhouse
Group 5
Datsun 280Z
94.252 01:34:25
6 1 143 Antonio Esposito
Philip Barnes
Open
Subaru WRX
97.184 01:37:18
7 2 80 Gary DeMasi
Mike Morrone
Group 5
Ford Ranger GT50
98.217 01:38:21
8 1 412 Alan Edwards
Daniel Baker
Group 2
Dodge Neon
117.270 01:57:27
9 3 348 John Concha
Santiago Alban
Group 5
Ford Fiesta ST
132.184 02:12:18
10 4 648 Anthony Concha
Mark Tisdel
Group 5
Ford Fiesta ST
135.477 02:15:47
11 2 33 Jason Smith
Jared Lantzy
Group 2
Volvo 242
154.262 02:34:26
12 127 Alvin Fong
William Machin
Super Production
Mitsubishi Evo IX
DNF
13 555 Greg Roumiantsev
Zsanett Fabian
Super Production
Mitsubishi Evo
DNF
14 145 Ozgur Simsek
Alp Seyhan
Group 2
Nissan Sentra SE-R
DNF













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MINI owners invade Niagara

August 8, 2014 by Gary Grant Leave a Comment

David Duncan, VP of MINI of the Americas and Adam Shaver, Director of MINI Canada post at the Falls with a pair of patriotic MINIs.

David Duncan, VP of MINI of the Americas and Adam Shaver, Director of MINI Canada post at the Falls with a pair of patriotic MINIs.

From the feel good files comes the 2014 edition of MINI Invasion in the Niagara Region, where American MINI owners who were taking part in MINI Takes the States, ventured north for a fantastic day of activities at historic Fort George.

Completed in 1802, the fort was absolutely the best spot on the continent to host a meeting of American and Canadian fans of a British icon. The British army built the place, which was attacked and taken by American forces in 1813. After the Brits beat back the Americans later in the year at other locations, the Americans pretty much abandoned what is now the Canadian part of Niagara region, allowing the British to reclaim their fort.

The battlefield outside of the fort came to life yesterday with the sounds of first wave style Brit rock, from the Beatles to Sex Pistols and the Rolling Stones to The Stranglers. My kind of tunes!




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Second Annual Mazda Adventure Rally wrap-up

June 19, 2014 by Gary Grant Leave a Comment

gg_mazdarally-11

Last year the folks at Mazda Canada decided to begin hosting an annual event that was unlike the usual car launch. Called the Mazda Adventure Rally, the event pitted journalist teams against each other in an attempt to win $10,000 for the charity of their choice. I was fortunate to be selected as part of the Toronto Star Wheels team, aptly named Team Star Wars along with my fellow Wheels scribe, Peter Bleakney. Of course our ride wore the most Canadian of all numbers, #27. The event took us through Colorado and Utah, across gold rush era mountain paths and through desert canyons. You can read about our incredible experience here and here.

For this year’s event, Team Star Wars was again invited to compete in the event, which would have much much greater secrecy leading up to the event to ensure that none of the competitors had a leg up on the other teams. That meant that we were boarded onto a chartered flight without any idea where we might be going. Ok, so that isn’t quite true. A few of us had it figured out and I had seen a tractor trailer loaded full of stickered MX-5s cruising down the highway in Toronto, so I knew what were were driving. I was a good boy though and didn’t spill the beans.
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Review: 2013 Jeep Wrangler

March 17, 2013 by Tom Williams 2 Comments

IMG_0799

While I am a card carrying member of the so-called indifferent Generation X, I am quite a nostalgic person. It’s why I listen to Louis Armstrong and Frank Sinatra, live in a 1920’s beach cottage and own a classic Porsche. And being a car guy, nothing is more nostalgic than a Jeep-I mean a real Jeep. Being a car guy, cars are significant to me in a major way, even more so when they intermingle with major life events. We love to brag about horsepower and 0-60 times, but the magic and romance of a car trumps hard numbers. Days after I married the love of my life, we were on our honeymoon on Nantucket Island. We rented a Jeep Wrangler Sport for the day, and it was one of the greatest days of my life. We deflated the tires and cruised the dunes, right alongside the Atlantic Ocean. That night we hit Nantucket nightlife for dinner on the picture-perfect cobblestone streets before heading back to our waterfront hotel room. The Jeep Wrangler is forever intertwined with our lives.

But this isn’t 1998, and the Jeep Wrangler is not the same either. The Garage is no stranger to the Wrangler, as we last tested one in 2010. That was a four door Unlimited Rubicon. This time around, we sampled a two-door Sahara. Jeep is obviously very cautious in the evolution of its most iconic car, but there have been changes that improve the capability and livability of the Wrangler. The profile of the Wrangler is critical, as much so as the Porsche 911. It simply cannot be messed with. Our test car was finished in a gorgeous True Blue Pearl Coat set off with attractive 18″ alloy wheels. Kudos to Jeep for keeping the Wrangler’s classic looks.

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The cabin of the Wrangler has never been heralded as a model of refinement, but that sort of goes against the grain of what the Wrangler is about. This is not a Lexus, and Wrangler buyers do not want a distilled version of a car they feel passionate about. That said, our Wrangler offered the latest in in-car technology. The seats were fairly comfortable. In an ironic twist of fate, the Wrangler which was a part of our honeymoon, the 2013 Jeep Wrangler would be our ride to celebrate my 40th birthday. We spent our weekend at the swanky Hotel Northampton.I figured if it was good enough for John F. Kennedy, it would be ok for me. Sadly, the Jeep was not a friendly travel companion. For a weekend trip the Jeep’s trunk would not take our suitcase, I had to shove it behind my seat. Shopping over the weekend did not help matters either.

All Wranglers are powered by a 3.6L V-6 rated at 285hp. Buyers can choose from a six-speed manual or a five-speed automatic. Naturally, all Wranglers are all-wheel drive. The new Pentastar V-6 is is a massive improvement over the outgoing engine, with a dramatic increase in power and fuel economy. The old Wrangler was sort of charming with its ancient drivetrain, but the new engine is a the right step to keep the car relevant. I had the opportunity to off-road a Jeep Wrangler at the 2012 IMPA Test Days events held in the Catskill Mountains in New York. With an off-road course designed by Land Rover, and punished with rain, to say the course was challenging is an understatement. A Honda exec asked to ride with me. He, as well as myself, were near speechless at the off-road capabilities of the Wrangler. It makes me sad most Wrangler owners will never know what their cars are capable of. IMG_0800

Our test car was a 2013 Wrangler Sahara 4×4 two-door, the middle of the line between base Sport and top of the line Rubicon. Showing its truly legit off-road capabilities, the standard equipment lists items like Dada heavy duty axles and skid plate shields. For as tough as the Wrangler is, it is hardly a dinosaur with air conditioning, power locks and windows, leather wrapped steering with with controls, Alpine audio system with SiriusXM satellite radio, 18″ alloys, and power heated exterior mirrors. Options on our test car included the Connectivity Group (UConnect Voice Command, Bluetooth, Tire Pressure Monitor display, remote start), 5-speed automatic transmission with Hill Descent Control, Anti-Spin rear differential, auto climate control, soft top, and GPS navigation. Including delivery, our Wrangler rang in at $32,610USD.

It is a remarkable feat that Jeep has been able to maintain the Wrangler’s outstanding off-road ability and unique character in an age when all odds seem stacked against it. Amazingly, Wrangler sales are up, and Chrysler is hiring 200 additional workers where it is built to meet increased demand. With the more refined V-6 and improved interior, Wrangler sales are on the rise. No, the Wrangler is not for everyone, and on-road as an every day car, you are making compromises in exchange for its off-road ability. But, I challenge you to find a car with more character and personality at this price. The Wrangler is the car the defines their brand, and The Garage is pleased to say the Wrangler continues to improve with age.

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Review: 2013 Infiniti JX35

October 1, 2012 by Tom Williams 1 Comment

From the very beginning, Infiniti has considered itself a sort of ‘organic’ brand, and the past twenty years have proven that. With great success from the G-series coupe and sedan, and acclaimed M-series flagship, Infiniti has the passenger car segment well sorted. However, we live in the Age of the Crossover, and this is an area where Infiniti seems to have lost focus. Infiniti’s crossovers had consisted of the EX35 and FX50-fine vehicles with excellent driving behavior, but short on utility. Wait-isn’t utility the point of a crossover?

To address this oversight, Infiniti introduces the new JX35, a true three-row crossover with utility in mind. The premium three-row crossover market has few players, with the Buick Enclave the perennial sales leader. Infiniti is bent on turning that around. But in doing so, has moved away from some of the mantras of what defines an Infiniti. How this all sums up is interesting, so read on.

For starters, it helps that the JX35 is one handsome looking vehicle period, never mind that it’s a big family hauler. Sure, it can easily do the job of taking the kids and crew home from baseball practice, and be perfectly at home rolling up to a four star restaurant for dinner that evening. Our test car was finished in a rich, striking Black Obsidian, offset with gorgeous 20″ alloys and struck a perfect balance of style and luxury touches. Of all Infiniti CUV’s and SUV’s, the JX35 is far and away the best design of them all.

A handsome exterior on a crossover is a plus, but it’s inside that ultimate litmus test. The JX35 proved to be a luxurious oasis with comfortable seating, generous room, a plethora of features instilled with plenty of swagger. Attention to detail like the wavy stitching on the front seats, and elegant door handle hardware helped to add up to a special flair to the JX, something I found missing in the Acura MDX. Our feature-laden JX35 was still fairly easy to use, with intuitive controls. Our black on black test car may sound dreary to some, but with enough wood and bright trim accents and a panoramic moonroof, the JX35 was anything but. The JX shows that a three row crossover can be functional, fashionable and luxurious all at once, with little compromise.

The JX35 is powered by a 3.5L V-6 rated at 265hp, paired to a CVT (continuously variable transmission). Parent company Nissan makes the best CVT’s out there, but that is like saying Nissan makes the best of the worst transmissions. While the CVT has dominated Nissan products, Infiniti has stuck with manual and automatic tranny’s-until now. The CVT has made its way into the Infiniti line. I’ve driven plenty of vehicles with this miserable contraption, and in my experience, it works best with Nissan/Infiniti’s 3.5L V-6, which has enough torque so the engine isn’t roaring at 4,000rpm to maintain 70mph on a mild grade, as I’ve experienced in some CVT-equipped cars. True, 265hp is not a lot to push a vehicle this size, but the JX35 never felt pokey, and passing was never a problem. The ride was tuned for comfort, and the steering was ultra-light. Buyers have the option of front or all-wheel drive. Our all-wheel drive test car had an EPA rating of 18/23 MPG city/highway.

The JX35 AWD starts at a reasonable $41,550USD. For that price, you get a well-equipped, luxurious crossover. Our test car was fully loaded, adding the Technology Package (Back-up Collision Intervention, heated steering wheel, remote engine start, Intelligent Brake Assist, Blind Spot Warning & Intervention, Lane Departure Warning, Distance Control Assist), Theater Package (dual 7″ color monitors, wireless headphones, aux AV jacks), Deluxe Touring Package (20″ alloys, Bose Premium surround sound audio, climate controlled front seats, heated rear seats, maple interior accents), and Premium Package (Navigation with voice recognition, NavTraffic, NavWeather, Zagat restaurant guide, Around View Monitor). The tally on our JX35 came to $55,170, including destination.

With such a luxurious ride at our disposal, a road trip was called for. While the old industrial town of Springfield, Massachusetts may seem an unlikely destination, there is plenty to do. The Student Prince is about as authentic a German dining experience you will find, and with my wife a true Pennsylvania Dutch girl of German/Austrian descent, she will attest it is the real deal. The Hungarian Goulash is to die for. The Springfield Museums was an unexpected treasure, with an outdoor garden of Dr. Seuss that must be seen to be appreciated. For the gearheads, you will be treated to a history of the automotive history of this city, and I was shocked to learn in the 1920’s Rolls Royce built cars here to satisfy demand in the US. We then headed off to tony Northampton, a funky college town filled with trendy shops and restaurants. The JX35 fit in perfectly.

With the JX35, Infiniti has finally brought a mass-market luxury three-row crossover that makes sense. The soft suspension, lifeless steering feel, CVT and hardly explosive acceleration may run counter to what we have come to expect from Infiniti, a brand that seemed concentrated more on style and performance over practicality. But the combination of smart, sophisticated styling, luxury and technology make the current sales champ Buick Enclave look obsolete in comparison. Infiniti has read what the premium three-row luxury crossover buyer wants, and has delivered in spades.

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IMPA Test Days 2012: Part I

September 27, 2012 by Tom Williams 3 Comments

If it’s late September, it can only mean one thing-the annual International Motor Press Association’s annual two-day Test Days event. This is The Garage’s fifth trek to this event. Test Days is open to IMPA members only, but is a massive event, bringing together a large group of manufacturers with an impressive showing of cars. This was Test Days’ second year in the beautiful Catskill Mountain area of New York State. For two days the event was hosted by the professional staff at Monticello Motor Club, a private, members-only race track. Think of it as a country club, but instead of swinging a golf club, you’re pounding your sports car on a track.

Test Days is divided into two distinct sessions. Day one has us enjoying a wide variety of cars on the scenic, winding roads of the Catskills. Day two is track day, where we get to unleash the cars at Monticello’s fantastic race course. During both days, a rigorous off-road course was available. On day one, I kept to the tarmac. Here’s a sampling of the cars I drove, all of which can be seen in the photo gallery at the end of this post.

On a crisp autumn day in the Catskills, the weather was picture perfect. Taking my time in picking my first car to drive, I made a promise to stick to cars I normally don’t get my hands on. I started with the Range Rover Evoque. I love the looks of the Evoque, and it was a comfortable ride, but my doors weren’t blown away. With a 2.0L direct injected turbo four making 240hp, the Evoque was adequate, but not particularly as fast as its sporty profile suggests. And with an as tested price tag of over $54,000USD, I have a problem with that. I’ll take a BMW X1 with the twin-turbo inline six with the M Sport Package and laugh all the way to the bank.

A little let down by the Evoque, it was time to turn my attention to something more interesting. Well, the 2013 Corvette Grand Sport (pictured above) seemed suitable. With the roof off, nothing but me and the open road ahead, the Corvette was positively glorious. Powered by a 6.2L V-8 knocking out 436hp paired to a six-speed manual, the ‘Vette was the perfect driving companion. Turning from a stop sign it was all to easy, and hilariously fun to kick out the tail on take-off. The Corvette will be whatever you want it to be, as she is happy to be driven hard, or simply loaf along. And whatever your choice, she is so easy to drive and very forgiving. Our heavily optioned Grand Sport rang in at just under $71,000, but for what you get it is still a great performance buy.

It is events like Test Days that sometimes give other cars an unfair advantage. After enjoying the Corvette, I jumped into a 2013 Nissan 370Z Roadster. Top down, gorgeous day, I take off in the Z, and well…I’m bored. Had I picked a Prius, I’d likely be praising the 370Z (as I did in 2009). The Nissan Z had no faults to point out, but the Roadster had such a calm demeanor that I did not recall from driving the hardtop. No doubt a fine car, but the Corvette was a very tough act to follow.

If any car really surprised me that day, it had to have been the Jaguar XJ Supersport. While fellow car journalists stood in line for V-8 powered AMG Mercedes, and M-powered BMW’s, the Jaguar was sitting all by itself, so I figured ‘Why not?’ What I found was an exceptionally comfortable Jaguar. Oh and quite a fast one. Powered by a 5.0L supercharged V-8, this leviathan launches like a beast starving for asphalt, and for all the refinement, offers a glorious V-8 bellow to boot. If there was one wrinkle in the car, when I opened the sunroof, there was an annoying creaking sound. Had I just spent the $112,000 price of admission, I would not be pleased. That aside, the XJ Supersport is a luxuriously lined rocket ship. For a car company who thought it was best served waxing nostalgic about the 1960’s for decades, with the XJ Supersport firmly points to the future direction of Jaguar in the 21st century. Just fix the damn creaky sunroof.

And well, yes, if there is a Nissan GT-R at my disposal, I am going to drive it. This was the Black Edition, packing an impressive 545hp. This was my second time at the wheel of a GT-R. The capabilities of the car are sky high, far greater than a mere mortal like me could possibly achieve. The prodigious power, lightning-quick shifts and remarkable grip are accomplished with little drama, apart from the G’s you’re feeling in the deeply sculptured sport seats. The GT-R’s performance is astonishing, but it is done so with virtually no emotion. If you’ve read reviews comparing the GT-R to a video game, that assessment is right. And for nearly $108,000, I don’t just want to go fast or have perfect grip, I want to feel something.

I drove into Ellensville, New York late on what had been a stormy night in a new Hyundai Elantra Coupe the night before. Even with GPS, I got a little lost. Nearly midnight, this low slung four door pulls up while I am studying the route guidance. It’s a fellow from press fleet management company STI at the wheel of a Fisker Karma, a company who provides several of the cars you see me review at The Garage. So, Fisker is here? And yes, I wanted to sample one.

If a Fisker Karma guided me to the resort IMPA was using, my test drive of the Karma was somewhat misguided. Spotting one of the two Fisker’s available to drive, I hopped in, started her up, and rolled away, with Fisker’s PR staff just feet away. I proceeded about 20′ straight ahead, where again I needed clearance from IMPA staff to leave the parking area in a press car. I was waved on. So, after a test drive, I was shocked when a Fisker PR person marched up to me to inform me there was a waiting list for the Karma, and someone was supposed to accompany me. I apologized, but I don’t understand why Fisker and IMPA simply let me drive away.

I do wish I had an engineer with me. Granted, the Fisker had been driven up from northern New Jersey the night before, and the resort had no plug-in facility for plug-in hybrids. So power was from the 260hp gas engine, and whatever energy the batteries could capture under braking. It was late in the day, batteries depleted, the Fisker did not feel all that fast. With climate control set to 68 degrees F, A/C on, the car struggled to deliver cool air to the cabin. The car was plenty comfortable up front, but the rear seat, which only seats two, was pretty tight, especially for a car this size. Materials were of good quality, but owners of comparably priced BMW’s and Mercedes-Benz’s will look at the the Karma and dismiss it as high-end kit car.

That’s a tall order for a car that starts at $96,000 with an unproven track record, not to mention the debacle at Consumer Reports where their loaner had to be towed away. Yes, the car is drop dead gorgeous, especially in person. In electric mode, the Karma emits an eery sound to make you aware of its presence. If you’ve watched Star Wars: Return of the Jedi and recall the sound of the Empire’s shuttle, it’s sort of like that.

But I will reserve final judgement of the Fisker Karma if I ever have the chance to properly review one. It’s similar to when The Garage reviewed the Chevy Volt. It really took a week of living with the Volt to understand it, and I suspect the Karma is no different. Driving a Volt with little to no battery juice does not paint a realistic picture, and the same is the case with the Karma.

And on that note, it was time to call it a day and make the half hour drive back to the resort. Final thoughts? The Range Rover Evoque as equipped would have been fine, if only priced about $10,000 less. The Fisker Karma is an unknown quantity, having not experienced it properly. The 370Z Roadster’s relaxed nature came as a surprise. The Jaguar XJ Supersport is an unsung hero car at the top of the luxury sport sedan food chain. But the hero car for the day was without a doubt the Corvette Grand Sport. Not the highest tech, nor most powerful car, nor expensive, but the Corvette pushed all the right buttons. Loud, raw, and brutally fast when you want it, or calm and comfortable as well, the Corvette represented the best of both worlds.

Please stay tuned for Part II of my commentary on IMPA Test Days where I tackle the race track and the most brutal off-road driving I’ve ever done. And I hope you enjoyed riding shotgun with me!

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