If I was at all worried about the orthodoxy of showing up at a vintage event with a spanking new press vehicle, I needn't have been. We're given a warm welcome, and the car is quickly surrounded by admirers. It helps that I'm driving a Jaguar XKR, a youthful representative of one of Britain's most venerable marques and a genuinely gorgeous roadster. Under its long, curved snout lies a 510-hp supercharged engine – roughly five times the output of most of the cars in attendance.
But what they might lack in horsepower is more than made up for in character. Charmingly charismatic, the tiny Bugeye Sprite – or "Spridget" as it's more fondly known to its fans – puts out only 43 hp. Yet its competition legacy includes some of the most historically important rallies and motorsports events worldwide.
Among our group are several MGs representing a broad range of body styles, a pair of right-hand drive Minis, Triumphs ranging from a 50s roadster to the distinctive wedge-shaped TR7, and a pair of Jaguars. But we're a democratic bunch – and inclusion isn't limited to brands from Great Britain. Detroit muscle is well represented by a gorgeous split-window Corvette, a flat-black Deuce Coupe with Von-Dutch style pin-striping, a pair of Camaros – one old, one new – and an AMX with its distinctively truncated rear. There's even a 1930s Alfa Romeo kit car, its driver resplendent in period-correct helmet, goggles and driving gloves.
We're blessed with unseasonably good weather for this late in the year and the sun is warm overhead. Despite the crisp morning, we're able to stow the Jaguar's power-retractable roof for a little alfresco touring.
The route encompasses some of the loveliest driving roads in Ontario. Smooth and winding, they pass through small towns and rural countryside, by rolling fields bordered with split cedar rails, and through thick coniferous forest. The XKR proves to be a supremely comfortable touring car, content to purr docilely as we cruise through quiet pastoral villages, the adjustable suspension dialled into the most comfortable setting. Slipping onto the highway, we revel in the glorious song of the Jaguar's engine, a full-throated wail that pops, burbles and barks at each downshift.
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| Photo: Lesley Wimbush/Auto123.com |
But what they might lack in horsepower is more than made up for in character. Charmingly charismatic, the tiny Bugeye Sprite – or "Spridget" as it's more fondly known to its fans – puts out only 43 hp. Yet its competition legacy includes some of the most historically important rallies and motorsports events worldwide.
Among our group are several MGs representing a broad range of body styles, a pair of right-hand drive Minis, Triumphs ranging from a 50s roadster to the distinctive wedge-shaped TR7, and a pair of Jaguars. But we're a democratic bunch – and inclusion isn't limited to brands from Great Britain. Detroit muscle is well represented by a gorgeous split-window Corvette, a flat-black Deuce Coupe with Von-Dutch style pin-striping, a pair of Camaros – one old, one new – and an AMX with its distinctively truncated rear. There's even a 1930s Alfa Romeo kit car, its driver resplendent in period-correct helmet, goggles and driving gloves.
We're blessed with unseasonably good weather for this late in the year and the sun is warm overhead. Despite the crisp morning, we're able to stow the Jaguar's power-retractable roof for a little alfresco touring.
The route encompasses some of the loveliest driving roads in Ontario. Smooth and winding, they pass through small towns and rural countryside, by rolling fields bordered with split cedar rails, and through thick coniferous forest. The XKR proves to be a supremely comfortable touring car, content to purr docilely as we cruise through quiet pastoral villages, the adjustable suspension dialled into the most comfortable setting. Slipping onto the highway, we revel in the glorious song of the Jaguar's engine, a full-throated wail that pops, burbles and barks at each downshift.
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| Photo: Lesley Wimbush/Auto123.com |