While our man on the West Coast, Gary Faules was cavorting at the Monterey Historics this weekend, here in Ontario The Garage was deep in car show land. We helped organize the first annual Subaru show at Willowdale Subaru along with the folks from the Toronto Subaru Club.
With the freaky weather we’ve been having in the GTA this summer, we were lucky to have a bright, sunny day with the exception of a few sprinkles in the afternoon. The sun was more than welcome in the park like setting that we enjoyed courtesy of Toronto Hydro. Not only did the grass and shade trees to keep things cool, but don’t black cars look better in the shade?
The sporting side of the Subaru community was well represented with all manner of street tuned cars and a couple of special guests. Planet Motorsport graciously sent over a couple of full on rally cars to show what the truly hard core enthusiasts have to offer. The 95 Subaru Impreza of Mark Williams is quite a special car, with a very unique history that will be the subject of an upcoming post. It was joined by the Impreza 2.5RS campaigned by MaNick Rally.
With a DJ pumping out tunes, great food, great cars and an enthusiastic crowd. We had all the makings of a great day. Here at Willowdale Subaru, we couldn’t be happier with how the day went and can’t wait until next year’s event.
After the break, we have a huge gallery of the day’s fun. Continue reading →
Ever seen a Finnish rally car ace dance? Neither had I, but this next compilation somehow manages to fit in some tribal village action. There are a few clips that I haven’t seen before, but not all are actually Group B. The flick opens with a shot of a BMW M1, which I can’t recall ever seeing one on gravel. Be sure to keep an eye out for the Ferrari. A 400i if memory serves.
One our quest to find a BMW 1 Series, the boys and I headed over to BMW Canada of Sunday afternoon. We didn’t find a 1, but Jim Kenzie’s steed for Targa Newfoundland was sitting outside the shop door. This Cooper S is pretty typical for a tarmac rally car, with lots of John Cooper Works add ons, along with all the usual safety upgrades. Oddly enough, it was the first time the either of the boys have ever noticed a removable steering wheel.
Targa Newfoundland is a tarmac rally that attracts teams from around the world, bringing both modern and vintage rally cars to the incredible roads around Newfoundland. Canadian automotive writer Jim Kenzie and his Mini have become fixtures at this annual event.
I’m on a road test today in a mildly modified 350Z, with the customer in the passenger seat when he says “so….what kind of racing do you do?” I was a bit taken aback and said I hadn’t raced in years, but had driven a performance rally car and solo 1. Why do you ask? How do you know I raced? His reply: “because I’ve never driven with anyone who shifts so smoothly when driving fast”.
