The Garage: Your daily dose of automotive news, reviews and motorsports coverage
Never one to miss out on an opportunity to have some fun, I decided to take advantage of the recent ice storm in Ontario to do a bit of top down motoring in the 2018 Mazda MX-5 RF. I mean, after I consistently give my colleagues a hard time about driving convertibles with the top up, so I didn’t really have a choice. What I found was that Winter is no match for Mazda’s all season sportster.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Some readers may recall that I am one of the co-chairman of the Automobilie Journalists Association of Canada’s Canadian Car of the Year Awards. My co-chair partner in crime, Justin Pritchard, has made himself known for his fast talking video reviews from northern Ontario. The time has come to begin sharing Pritchard’s videos.
The first one we’ll be sharing is actually a step away from the usual auctioneer speak, instead using text to talk about how the 2017 Audi Allroad Quattro handles the white stuff.
Source: Justin Pritchard
Way back in the middle 2000’s, while I was still a Nissan Service Manager, we began hearing reports that a small utility vehicle called the Qashqai, which was sold in other markets, would make its way to Canada to slot under the rugged Xterra model size wise.
That model never appeared and we received a model called the X-Trail instead. From what I heard, they were similar vehicles, but we never got to compare them side by side.
Fast forward to 2017 and Nissan Canada announced this morning that Qashqai is finally coming to this country. With the company’s popular Rogue model moving up in size in its most recent version, the Qashqai will slot in beneath that model.
Nissan press release
- 5-passenger Qashqai designed for conquering everyday urban adventures, includes long list of comfort, convenience and utility features
- Dynamic exterior offers sleek front end design with Nissan signature design cues and available 19-inch aluminum-alloy wheels
- Available Nissan Intelligent Safety Shield technologies include Forward Emergency Braking with Pedestrian Detection1, Intelligent Cruise Control2, Rear Cross Traffic Alert3 and Forward Emergency Braking1
- “Right sized” Qashqai slots just under popular 2017 Rogue, Nissan’s #1 selling vehicle in Canada, and further expands Nissan’s extensive SUV lineup
- On sale in spring 2017
- The 2017 Nissan Qashqai stands as a stylish, nimble, fun-to-drive and affordable sub-compact SUV offering numerous advanced safety and security features
“The combination of the new Qashqai and the popular redesigned 2017 Rogue will appeal to a broad audience and offers a wide spectrum of features and price points for SUV buyers,” said Bert Brooks, senior manager, Product Planning, Nissan Canada Inc. “While we expect Rogue to continue to appeal to owners with young families, Qashqai fills a need for singles and couples who want more space and versatility than the average sedan for everyday urban use and social activities.”
The Qashqai has a 58mm (2.3-inch) shorter wheelbase and a 307mm (12.1-inch) shorter overall length than Rogue, helping make it more maneuverable in city traffic and an ideal size for tight city parking spaces. Other helpful city adventure features range from up to 1,730L (61.1 cubic feet) of cargo space (2nd row seat folded) and available innovative Divide-N-Hide® Cargo System to the Around View® Monitor (AVM) with Moving Object Detection (MOD)4.
“From Qashqai to Rogue, Murano, Pathfinder and all the way up to the full-size eight-passenger Armada, Nissan has the perfect SUV for any buyer,” said Brooks. “Qashqai holds its own with all of its portfolio mates, just as expected of any vehicle that wears the Nissan badge.”
Sporty Exterior, Premium Looking Interior
The Qashqai exterior starts with an “emotional geometry” exterior design, presenting a strong contrast between dynamic movements of volume and geometric and sharp edges and details. The sleek, compact body projects powerful fender volume and a wheel-oriented stance, along with agile and robust lower body sides, giving Qashqai a powerful presence.The front is highlighted by a dynamic, sporty front grille and sophisticated headlight design with LED signature Daytime Running Lights, halogen headlights with auto off function, and available fog lights. Also available are LED low-beam headlights with auto on/off function and High Beam Assist (HBA).
The Qashqai exterior also features a large rear opening and a wide rear body appearance – along with sleek boomerang-shaped taillights and rear spoiler. Other exterior details include body-colour front and rear bumpers, black wheel arches and roof molding, body-colour outside mirrors with integrated turn signals and heated outside mirrors. Also offered is a power sliding moonroof with sliding shade and roof rails. Qashqai has a coefficient of drag of 0.33.
The 2017 Qashqai is available in 10 available exterior colours – led by the bold Monarch Orange and Nitro Lime. Other colours are Mocha Almond, Magnetic Black, Brilliant Silver, Gun Metallic, Palatial Ruby, Pearl White, Glacier White and Caspian Blue
Inside, the 5-passenger Qashqai interior is designed to keep up with owners’ active lifestyles. It has the commanding ride height of a compact SUV combined with a driver-oriented cockpit that provides a sporty, fun-to-drive feel.
Qashqai incorporates Nissan’s “gliding wing” interior design, providing spatial symmetry with a sense of togetherness – combining a wide-open feeling with areas for personal space. Seating includes a standard 6-way adjustable driver’s seat, 4-way adjustable front passenger seat, 60/40 split fold-down rear seat with available rear seat center armrest, heated front seats and available rear seat heating/cooling center console vents. Also available are a 6-way power adjustable driver’s seat, leather-appointed seats, leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob, and heated steering wheel. Leather-appointed seating is standard on the SL grade.
Behind the 2nd row seat is up to 648L (22.9 cu. ft.) of cargo space (up to 1,730L or 61.1 cu. ft. with the 2nd row seat folded down), accessible through the wide rear door. Like Rogue, the new Qashqai also offers the innovative Divide-N-Hide® Cargo System (SV and SL grades). Included as standard on all grades are a cargo area cover and six luggage hooks (four floor, two side).
The instrument panel features Fine Vision electroluminescent gauges and 5.0-inch center meter colour display with Advanced Driver Assist™ Display. The front center console includes an integral armrest and storage comparTMent, along with a 12-volt power outlet. Qashqai SV and SL grades include Nissan Intelligent KeyTM with Push Button Start.
Standard interior features include: 4-speaker AM/FM/CD audio system with auxiliary audio input jack, USB connection port for iPod® interface and other compatible devices, Siri® Eyes Free6, Bluetooth® Hands-free Phone System, RearView Monitor, Streaming Audio via Bluetooth®, Hands-free Text Messaging Assistant5 (compatible smartphone required) and RearView Monitor. Also available is SiriusXM® Satellite Radio (SiriusXM® subscription required, sold separately), dual-zone automatic air conditioning. The available Remote Engine Start (RES) system7 provides flexibility to start the Qashqai remotely using the keyless entry fob.
The 2017 Qashqai also has a number of available connected technology and smartphone integration features, including NissanConnectSM with Navigation, Mobile Apps and Services. It offers a 7.0-inch colour touch-screen display, Nissan Voice Recognition for navigation and audio, SiriusXM® Traffic and SiriusXM® Travel Link™ (SiriusXM® subscription required, sold separately). NissanConnect Services powered by SiriusXM® (SiriusXM® subscription required, sold separately) is available on Qashqai SL model. Also available is Around View® Monitor (AVM) with Moving Object Detection (MOD)4.
Two interior colours are offered: Charcoal and Light Grey, along with available Gun Metal or Piano Black finishers.
“The Qashqai interior belies its affordable pricing, with use of premium materials and long list of available comfort and convenience items,” explained Brooks. “Though more compact than Rogue, the new Qashqai fully measures up in terms of features that make driving more enjoyable for both driver and passengers.”
2.0-litre Engine, 4-Wheel Independent Suspension, Advanced Safety Technology
The Qashqai offers balanced dynamic performance – combining a responsive, efficient 2.0-litre engine with nimble handling and cornering. Qashqai utilizes the same CMF (Common Module Family) platform as Rogue, and both vehicles are available in a choice of front-wheel drive or an available intuitive All-Wheel Drive system.Every 2017 Qashqai comes equipped with a standard 2.0-litre DOHC 16-valve inline 4-cylinder rated at 141 horsepower @ 6,000 rpm and 147 lb-ft of torque @ 4,400 rpm. The engine features Direct Injection Gasoline (DIG™) system, Twin CVTC (Continuously Variable Valve Timing Control) on both intake and exhaust, DLC (Diamond Like Carbon) coated valve lifters, TCV (Tumble Control Valve) and an 11.2:1 compression ratio. The engine is matched with a 6-speed manual transmission or an available Xtronic transmission with standard Sport Mode Shifter and Eco Mode switch.
The nimble handling is the result of the 104.2-inch wheelbase and 4-wheel independent suspension – a front independent-strut suspension with stabilizer bar and twin-tube shock absorbers and multi-link independent rear suspension with twin-tube shock absorbers and stabilizer bar. Responsive steering is provided by an Electric Power-assisted Steering (EPS) with Sport mode. 4-wheel vented disc brakes with Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) with Electronic Brake force Distribution (EBD) and Brake Assist are also standard.
A selection of wheels and tires are offered, depending on grade level. Qashqai S models are equipped with 16-inch steel wheels with full wheel covers and 215/65R16 all-season tires; Qashqai SV features 17-inch aluminum-alloy wheels with 215/60R17 all-season tires; and Qashqai SL comes with 19-inch aluminum-alloy wheels with 225/45R19 all-season tires. Every Qashqai also offers a standard Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) with position monitoring and Nissan’s innovative Easy Fill Tire Alert.
Hill Start Assist (HSA) is also standard, along with a suite of confidence-inspiring dynamic technologies, with Active Trace Control, Active Engine Braking and Active Ride Control.
“While many competitors in the compact SUV segment choose a rear torsion beam suspension, Qashqai offers an independent rear multi-link design to provide that extra sense of dynamic performance,” said Brooks. “We believe that buyers coming into this segment, usually as first time SUV owners, still want to enjoy driving excitement and feel a connection to the road. The new Qashqai delivers.”
Qashqai also offers an extensive list of advanced Nissan Intelligent Safety Shield technologies. The list includes available radar-based Blind Spot Warning (BSW)8 and Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA) 3, Forward Emergency Braking (FEB)1, and Lane Departure Warning (LDW) and Lane Departure Prevention (LDP)9. Also available are Intelligent Cruise Control (ICC)2 and Forward Emergency Braking with Pedestrian Detection1.
In addition, the list of standard safety and security features includes the Nissan Advanced Air Bag System (AABS) with dual-stage supplemental front air bags with seat belt and occupant classification sensors; front seat-mounted side impact supplemental air bags; roof-mounted curtain side impact supplemental air bags with rollover sensor for front and rear-seat outboard occupant head protection; 3-point front and rear seatbelts, front seat belts with pre-tensioners and load limiters and adjustable upper anchors; LATCH System (Lower Anchors and Tethers for CHildren); and Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC) with Traction Control System (TCS).
Three Well-Equipped Qashqai Models
The 2017 Nissan Qashqai comes in three well-equipped models – S, SV and SL.Along with the long list of standard features found on Qashqai S, the Qashqai SV adds 17-inch aluminum-alloy wheels with 215/60R17 all-season tires, Dual-Zone Automatic Temperature Control, Power Moonroof, Heated leather steering wheel, Remote Engine Start system7, Nissan Intelligent KeyTM, cruise control, SiriusXM® Satellite Radio (SiriusXM® subscription required, sold separately), two additional audio system speakers, leather-wrapped shift knob, Smart Auto on/off headlights, , Divide-N-Hide® Cargo System and dual illuminated vanity mirrors.
Qashqai SL models include leather-appointed front seats, 6-way power driver seat with power lumbar support, NissanConnect with Navigation and Mobile Apps, and 7.0-inch colour touch-screen display.
Qashqai SL models also include seatback pocket on driver’s seat, Around View® Monitor (AVM) with Moving Object Detection (MOD)4, 19-inch aluminum-alloy wheels with 225/45R19 all-season tires and silver finished roof racks.
Optional equipment package offered: SL Platinum Package.
The 2017 Nissan Qashqai is assembled in Kyushu, Japan.
News/video source: Nissan Canada
One of the most common questions I am asked by new motorsport enthusiasts is “How do I start racing or rallying?” There are so many different types of motorsport that my first answer is to get out and spectate. Visit as many events as you can to figure out which form of the sport is the best one for you. Next step is to get out and volunteer. It may not sound glamourous, but every form of motorsport is so dependent on volunteers that the show would not go on without them.
You don’t even need any special skills, just a willingness to work and follow some basic directions. Volunteering allows you to see behind the scenes and meet the people who are in the know. Once you are ready to explore a bit of competition yourself, these people you meet along the way will be your biggest supporters and will usually help you out too.
So what does a volunteer do? It can be anything from organizing events to shuttling lunch around and pretty much anything in between. Canadian rally volunteer Justin Cohen put together a great video at the 2015 running of the Rally of the Tall Pines, to show how his day went.
I caught a story on Jalopnik that I have been following, and just had to share with our readers. It seems through BMW online forums, word got out of an abandoned BMW dealer in Oakville, Ontario. Apparently, the building you see above is the former Citation Motors, who, for some unknown reason, lost their license in 1988, and locked the doors. The business was reopened in Toronto under the name Downtown BMW, which closed in 2002.
Now, for a business that shut its doors twenty three years ago, it would be safe to assume the grounds are completely overgrown, the building falling down, and little to see, right? Wrong. Amazingly, the property has been maintained all this time. Those who found the property claim it looks as if it could open for business tomorrow. But it gets better-there are two cars-an E24 5-series and a 635CSi that were essentially rolled off the car carrier, onto the showroom floor, and have not moved since 1988.
It’s safe to assume both cars have only double digit kilometers on the odometer. It’s incredible to see this pair of cars completely frozen in time. From people who have made the trek to the former Citation Motors, the shop is also full of BMW’s, and apparently a black 635CSi in similar condition to the car in the showroom. There is also an underground level, and I can only imagine what lurks under that still clean showroom floor. Jalopnik reports that the property is now for sale, carrying a price tag of $3.6 million, with the assumption all the buildings contents are included.
I confess, I am an admirer of abandoned buildings of all kinds, but it’s typically for the slow, progressive decay that captivates me. Yet, there is something undeniably curious, and fascinating about a BMW dealer that closed its doors over two decades ago, but has been completely maintained, containing cars built in 1988, yet are essentially factory new and unused. It staggers the imagination.
Click on the image to open the full size and then right click to save as your desktop background. Simple as that!
Chevrolet Canada press release
OSHAWA – When the Oshawa built Chevrolet Camaro Convertible sets the pace for the 2011 Indianapolis 500 this Sunday, it will showcase a top built to last a lifetime, operate worry-free and maintain the appearance of its Coupe sibling.
To assure long-term durability, the convertible top underwent extensive testing during development, being opened and closed more than 22,500 times – three times more than would be expected in a typical 10 years of use. Some of those cycles were performed in extreme conditions; temperatures ranging from minus 30° C to 77° C and humidity of up to 95 per cent.
“This past winter we even had our engineers driving 80 of these convertibles back and forth to work every day here in Michigan and Ontario,†said Al Oppenheiser, Camaro chief engineer. “They had to open and close the top five times each day no matter what the weather was like.â€Â
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