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Project Big Bird - Brake job! (video)
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
I'm beginning to see a trend developing here... Fast wheels, Falken tires and now, Ferodo brakes. I guess I need to effin' love my car.
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What's going on with Lotus?
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Many journalists (myself included) are wondering about Lotus' racing strategy because, to tell you the truth, we can't figure it out.
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A product must speak for itself
Monday, May 14, 2012
I've been on many new car launches over the years and I can almost always tell how well a car will do by the company reps on hand and the product presentation.
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Reverse psychology
Friday, May 11, 2012
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), about 300 fatalities and 18,000 injuries occur in the US every year that involve a vehicle backing up. Among the death count, 78% involve cars and light trucks, and of those, 44% involve children under five while 33% involve people 70 and up.
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Are you as concerned as I am?
Wednesday, May 09, 2012
Everybody on this tiny green Earth has a right to equal opportunities. Be it education, food, lodging, and transportation. The issue is not what the people want, it's what the Earth can give, and can take. Almost overnight, China has become the world's foremost financial power and with money comes the desire to consume, and lots of it.
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A sad, sad anniversary
Tuesday, May 08, 2012
Today marks the 30th anniversary of Gilles Villeneuve's tragic death. It's a sad anniversary indeed: we've lost not only a great champion, but also a formidable ambassador.
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Mileage musings
Monday, May 07, 2012
Every week, your writer spends about 2,000 kilometres driving one of the hottest and most important new cars on the road today. And I measure fuel consumption at each and every fill-up by hand.
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City of Green
Friday, May 04, 2012
Fiscal restraint is a reality when it comes to administering public funds, and the City of Vancouver takes that responsibility seriously. It also takes its commitment to being a "green" city just as seriously, setting a goal to be the world's greenest city by 2020.
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The $15,000 pickup
Thursday, May 03, 2012
Since the Ford Ranger and the Mazda B-Series have been laid to rest, after almost two decades of service without any major makeover, the market for cheap, feathery-light-duty pickups is open for grabs.
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TDI for me
Wednesday, May 02, 2012
I like hybrids. Hybrids work. They're good on gas and satisfy my occasional urges to reduce the atmospheric contamination caused by my driving.
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One Passenger - Double the Risk
Monday, April 30, 2012
Many provinces have adopted rules for new drivers that are intended to reduce the incidence of crashes and the often tragic consequences. As the father of a teenager new to the wheel, I applaud such initiatives, but this weekend illustrated a flaw in the logic.
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Hanging up the Uniform
Thursday, April 26, 2012
It was 1979 and I was a fresh-faced 20-year old recruit with the Vancouver Police Department. Now, 33 years later, I retire from an amazing career that taught me something new each day about humanity - good and bad.
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Should Formula 1 be politicized?
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
At the time these lines were written, only free practice of the controversial Bahrain Grand Prix had taken place. Preparation for the race was still going on.
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The passion that brings us together
Friday, April 20, 2012
I'm driving a 2012 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Sahara this week, painted pitch black and spiffed up with the MOPAR chrome package. It took me a few hours behind the wheel to remember one important aspect of owning a Jeep.
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Taking it to the repair shop
Thursday, April 19, 2012
As an auto journo, and a good one I might add (no false modesty here...), I'm expected to know quite a lot about cars. I do (continued modesty). In fact, I'm a trained automotive technician.
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Winter in the Hyundai Genesis 5.0 R-Spec
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
The rear-drive performance sedan isn't a favorite mode of transportation with most cold-blooded Canadians travelling in the winter. Often considered 'slippery', 'scary' or 'unstable', many shoppers dealing with snowy roads avoid rear-drive cars in favor of front or all-wheel-driven models.
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Five good reasons to attend a NASCAR race
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
A couple of weeks ago, I listed five good reasons to attend a Formula 1 Grand Prix. This exercise proved to be easy and many of you responded with positive comments, especially on social media (thanks, by the way!).
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Gutter to Glory - Pygmalion at the Track
Monday, April 16, 2012
It's 2,000 metres of concrete that twists and turns like a boa constrictor suffocating its prey. The road course at Mission International Raceway is known as an intensive, challenging track that doesn't suffer fools or their machines. Feathering a hair trigger, the utmost in concentration is needed to prevent an accidental shot with calamitous results.
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My used car is new
Friday, April 13, 2012
I've been sifting through online classified used car ads every day for the past month, and I'm still amazed at the stuff I read in these cars' descriptions, particularly as I'm looking at cars selling for less than $2,000. Some are more memorable than others.
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The custom car
Thursday, April 12, 2012
I see a future world where cars will be purchased in two very distinct ways. The first is the way things are at the moment. Essentially, the buyer picks a car off the shelf, chooses the colour, and if he or she is lucky, an engine to go along with a transmission and that's about it. This is the current and old way of doing business.
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Spring re-Cycling
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Spring has arrived - for the most part - and bicycle tires across the country are being pumped-up by sun-deprived riders hoping to shake winter's dormancy while gaining a little exercise in the process. I'm one of those fair-weather riders that talk the "big game" but don't necessarily live it.
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No race cars at auto shows?
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Last Wednesday began the 2012 New York International Auto Show, a formidable opportunity for manufacturers to display their latest models and prototypes of tomorrow's vehicles. While I expected some of them, at least the Americans, to present a couple of race cars, the reality was otherwise.
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Driving Buick Regal's eAssist System
Monday, April 09, 2012
Après avoir fait l'essai de la Buick Regal CXL l'automne dernier, votre humble serviteur s'est trouvé fort impressionné par différents aspects, notamment celui de l'économie mesurée en carburant.
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From concept to reality
Friday, April 06, 2012
I'm driving a 2012 Range Rover Evoque this week - the three-door model - and I still can't get over how much it resembles the Land Rover LRX Concept that was unveiled at the 2008 Detroit Auto Show.
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Start-stop technology
Thursday, April 05, 2012
It should be standard on all cars as of the 2014 model year. Not as an option, not part of a package, it should be included in the basic vehicle much like a steering wheel or wipers.
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Saturday in the Carrera Classroom
Wednesday, April 04, 2012
I spent Saturday learning under the tutelage of Tony Morris Sr. The classroom was a 2012 Porsche 911 Carrera S, and I was the only student. The school was the Mission International Raceway in Mission BC. The course was speed, and plenty of it.
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Five good reasons to attend a Grand Prix
Tuesday, April 03, 2012
We're now ten weeks away from the 2012 Canadian Grand Prix (June 8-10) at Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve in Montreal. Will you be there? Have you bought your tickets yet? If not, you should seriously think about it and hurry because the event has sold out the past several years.
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Big Bird gets rubber
Monday, April 02, 2012
"Got my wheels lined up, grab a stick of juicy fruit, now I'm lookin' for some rubba!" I came up with that all on my own...
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My first time
Sunday, April 01, 2012
The sun was setting on a fabulous season. On a hot day in the middle of nowhere, the Sanair Speedway welcomed a half-dozen Pro and Pro-Am drivers from the Drift Mania Canadian Championship (DMCC) for one last tire burn-fest.
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Alberta leads new vehicle sales so far in 2012
Friday, March 30, 2012
Ontario and Quebec are by far the two most lucrative provinces for car manufacturers, but when you factor in the population, Alberta leads in sales by population.
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How low would you go?
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Sometimes, when we talk about the North American car and truck market, we tend to forget about Mexico. While the majority of new vehicles for sale down there are similar to what we've got here in Canada (and in the US), there are several exceptions due to the population's buying habits, but also because their rules and regulations aren't as restrictive.
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Can I take the car?
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Five words that cause parental angst: "Can I take the car?" These words are now spoken with alarming frequency in our household since my 17-year old passed his driving exam and is now eligible to head out alone or with a friend.
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Your car is illegal, but I can't prove it!
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Yet another Formula 1 season starts with a number of cheating accusations. For some fans and journalists, this makes things more exciting; others are just getting tired of it.
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Alloy wheels for Big Bird
Monday, March 26, 2012
Smell that? No, not that. That's last night's chili-bean burrito supreme... sorry. That odour is spring. OK, not that either; that's the neighbour's dog's business from January... Spring is here and with the return of clement weather comes the cars, the nice ones that we store away, keeping them safe from all of the ugly that is winter. Invariably, these precious automobiles have one element in common that makes or breaks the entire appearance of said car: the wheels.
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Buick Verano and QuietTuning
Friday, March 23, 2012
When a manufacturer flaunts some sort of engineering technique, gives it a name and pushes this name as a branding, I rarely pay attention.
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''That Car Wash Has No Soap''
Thursday, March 22, 2012
The Jeep Wrangler I'd been test-driving all week was a mess. After hours driving it through mud, muddy water, watery mud, and other off-road nastiness for photos the day before, it was time to take it home.
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The great nanny state
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
I was thinking of giving this blog the following titles: "Technology will be the death of us" or "Useless technology we pay for." I thought about it, then was reminded of a comment I got in one of my reviews. The commenter was in the market for a new car and when he found out that the stability control system in the car he was interested in could not be shut off manually, he got very upset.
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Under Big Brother's watchful eye
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Last week's tragic bus crash in the Sierre tunnel in Switzerland, where 28 people died, could put the idea of equipping cars with black boxes back on the table.
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Is the Civic vs. Elantra battle on again?
Monday, March 19, 2012
During 2011, Hyundai's Elantra came close to knocking the Honda Civic off its perch. Canada's bestselling car had a tough year, getting through a redesign, production halts and bad press, while the Elantra was on fire, ending the 2011 calendar year with a 57% hike in sales compared to 2010.
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Polestar Punch
Friday, March 16, 2012
Want a little more aggression from the Swede in your driveway? If the answer is "yes," read on. Polestar is a racing company based in Sweden that partnered with Volvo in 1996 to develop performance products exclusively for the Swedish automaker, and to race Volvo vehicles.
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Zotye Hunter
Thursday, March 15, 2012
I no longer wonder what it would be like to almost get run over by a shoddily-built Chinese SUV on a Cuban mountainside. Being a good big brother, I agreed to be my family's driver for a "Jeep Tour" my sister saw advertised in our resort. There are no Jeeps in Cuba. Instead, there are things called the Zotye Hunter 1.3i - a Chinese SUV that resembles a Geo Tracker and is constructed from washing-machine parts.
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Range Anxiety, the return
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Last fall, I test drove and reviewed a 2011 Nissan LEAF. As luck would have it, I was faced with a minor crisis on only the second day of my week-long test and with it, I learned first-hand the meaning of range anxiety (RA).
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Ready for a new racing season?
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
My race fan buddies spend most of their time glued to their HD TVs and home entertainment systems these days. The NASCAR Sprint Cup season has started up again, and the entire 2012 motorsports season promises to be a thrilling one.
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Dodge Dart: when a new name is an old one
Monday, March 12, 2012
The 2013 Dodge Dart is a few months away from hitting the streets, and much has already been said about the car - starting with its name. This new Dart is a compact sedan that will offer a choice of 4-cylinder engines, including a turbo 1.4L four that will belt out 160 hp and 184 lb-ft of torque.
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Volkswagen Driving Experience, Sweden
Friday, March 09, 2012
How many of you have seen an ice or snow driving video on YouTube? You know, you see a car driving absurdly fast and slideways on a seemingly impossible and menacing frozen lake, snow being flung all over, the car waltzing from side to side and from corner to corner.
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How Skiing Mimics Driving
Thursday, March 08, 2012
The sun was shining this afternoon in Vancouver. The local ski hills were shimmering white against an azure-blue sky thanks to a heavy blanket of new snow that fell overnight. When the sun and snow align in such rapture, there's no contemplating; drop tools and go! And that's exactly what I did.
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Project Big Bird is born
Wednesday, March 07, 2012
Yup, she's called Big Bird, or more specifically, my 2003 Subaru Impreza WRX Spec R1 wagon. I can thank Olivier Delorme for its name. It's a strange thing. I'd been toying with the idea of buying a used a car for a few months. Miranda Lightstone and her freakin' 2004 WRX had been teasing me for a while (I've always had a soft-spot for Rexes) but I had never thought I was going to go ahead and do it.
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Rubens Barrichello gives IndyCar a welcome boost
Tuesday, March 06, 2012
The very presence of Rubens Barrichello at open trials and now his official switch to IZOD IndyCar will allow the series to make world motorsport headlines practically every day. IndyCar has only have benefited from such comprehensive media coverage in the aftermath of tragic accidents, such as the death of Dan Wheldon and even Greg Moore.
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Favorite Stereos
Monday, March 05, 2012
Every week, your trusty writer spends 10 or 12 hours trekking the open highway in a new ride for review. The drive from the Greater Toronto Area to Sudbury, Ontario, is a beautiful one. I love driving. I love this drive. But, some weeks, it's as boring as all hell.
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Buying a used car as an auto journalist
Friday, March 02, 2012
Buying a car is always an ordeal. We get excited at the thought of something new, something different, perhaps even something that has tickled our fancy for a while. Buying new requires only pricing and financing information and a test drive, that's about it. The toughest part is selecting a car within our budget and needs.
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When baby makes three Part II
Friday, March 02, 2012
A short while ago, I started giving you some car related tips for new moms. Make sure you check them out and here's part II. At a year, baby and seat face forward, which is better, but you still don't want your passenger to get kicked unmercifully every time they sit in your car.
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FWD RWD AWD - What's Right for Police
Thursday, March 01, 2012
Police in boardrooms across North America are engaging in an interesting debate: which vehicle should replace the Crown Victoria as a general duty patrol car, and should it be front-wheel-drive (FWD), rear-wheel-drive (RWD) or all-wheel-drive (AWD)?
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Wintertime Rear-Wheelin'
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Since front-wheel-drive cars took over the market some decades ago, many folks would have you believe that driving a rear-wheel-drive vehicle in the wintertime is scary, undesirable or even dangerous.
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It's February; time for Daytona!
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Every year in late February, the Daytona 500 kicks off a new season of American stock car races. I've only attended the event once, in 1998, the year when Dale Earnhardt won for the first - and last - time on the mythical superspeedway.
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Hyundai, coming to a driveway near you
Monday, February 27, 2012
Much like Cadillac, Hyundai wishes that consumers think of the present and the future when it comes to their brand. Like Cadillac, when remembering the past, they want potential buyers to hold certain ideals in mind. For Hyundai, it's value. For Cadillac, it's "Cadillac."
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When baby makes three Part I
Monday, February 27, 2012
I recall vividly sitting in my doctor's office after a tense moment spent trying to locate the heartbeat of my seven-month-old belly bump. Breathing a sigh of relief when she found it, I said, "When do you stop worrying about them? When they're in college?"
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Build quality has come a long way
Friday, February 24, 2012
As I photographed this week's tester, I marveled at the precision of its fit and finish. The vehicle, a 2012 Acura TSX, may be an upscale ride but with a base MSRP of $31,890, it's far from an expensive premium marque.
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Ducati Panigale, my favourite
Thursday, February 23, 2012
I love blogs, where I can say what I really think about a product. On moto123.com, I have to remain objective, clinical, and professional. The job of motorcycle journalists, or pencil pushers, as I like to call them, is to test bikes, state the facts, compare the models of a given segment, emit an opinion and share impressions in the clearest, most precise way possible, based on their experience. The idea is to help the public make an informed decision when purchasing a new model.
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Not getting the published fuel economy ratings? Don't be surprised
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
About 99% of the time I test new vehicles, my observed fuel economy average is higher than what the manufacturer flaunts. In some cases, my combined average is close to the city figure; the rest of the time, it's off by at least 1 L/100km.
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Lies and the boring truth
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Auto racing has enjoyed growing coverage and popularity over the years - for good and bad. We, journalists, no longer get compelling, in-depth interviews with the drivers, be it in Formula 1, IndyCar, NASCAR or some other series. They now field questions from scrums and rely on boring, politically correct answers that were prepared for them by sponsors and PR folks.
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The future of Cadillac
Monday, February 20, 2012
I love cars. I'm all about product, shiny new metal or carbon fibre and big bold alloys on anything. That's the story that most will report on and I can't blame them 'cause that's what I'd usually do. In fact, that's what Mike Deslauriers and I did from the show floor; check out our live coverage of the Toronto Auto Show. If you like or liked it or not, let us know as we plan on doing this again.
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Broken cars and stubborn owners
Monday, February 20, 2012
Driving any older car is like working out at the gym after a one-month hiatus: you discover parts that you didn't even know existed.
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What's up! with Volkswagen?
Friday, February 17, 2012
Volkswagen's been keeping a secret from North Americans. It's a small secret, only 3.54m in length. It has three doors and 3 cylinders, for now that is. Do you give up? If you said "I give up," you'd be correct -- it is the up!
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Hail to the Motorcycle
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Like any motorcycle enthusiast, I have many reasons to smile when the new model year arrives. All over the world, bike manufacturers unveil their latest creations and, much to my satisfaction, most of them wind up here - Ducati 1199 Panigale, Kawasaki ER-6n, Honda NC700SA and NC700XA, Triumph Tiger Explorer, etc.
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Aladdin's cave is no more
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
For those of us who eat tires for breakfast, transmissions for lunch and Haldex AWD systems for dinner, I bring you bad tidings. This is especially true if you lust after old German cars that were stored in a safe-deposit box for 20 years. Late last summer, Endras BMW published a two-part story on Citation BMW, I can only assume a once- proud dealer of brand new BMW cars.
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Are race car drivers just big softies at heart?
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
It's Valentine's Day today, and you can forgive yourself for wondering if the racing world is conducive to love at first site, chivalrous undertakings and romance in general... Meh, not so much. Let's just say racers aren't the most romantic of fellas.
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The Inverse Relationship
Monday, February 13, 2012
I've come to believe that an inverse relationship exists between the degree of vulnerability a motorist is exposed to and the level of danger they choose to pursue. What do I mean? Simple: the less protection one has, the more risk he/she is willing to accept.
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Learning Laguna Seca
Friday, February 10, 2012
"Left! Stay left! More Left! No, no, WAY more left! Ohhh boy!" Jim Davis, a BMW performance driving instructor, was in my passenger seat. We were in a borrowed 2012 BMW 335i approaching the infamous corkscrew at Laguna Seca. Jim had been around it a million times. It was my first time.
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Crazy Cousin Billy
Thursday, February 09, 2012
We have all heard the expressions "Big Brother is watching" and "nanny state," which means that many people feel the government interferes in their personal lives too much. Who is to say that we don't really need it?
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The return of the Turbo
Wednesday, February 08, 2012
In 1996, I bought my first turbocharged car. It was a 1989 Mazda MX-6 GT. Before it, I had taken over my father's 1985 carbureted 2.0L 85-hp 4-cylinder Mazda 626 LX coupe. In a few words, my MX's 2.2L turbo, rated at 145 hp and190 lb-ft of torque, was one hell of a huge step up, power-wise.
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News & Events Multimedia
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Most cars can get through the harsh Canadian winter with a good set of snow tires. On the other hand, few cars enjoy winter as much as a Subaru and its competent all-wheel drivetrain.
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