Car FYI

Porsche's top of the line 918 Spyder plug-in hybrid supercar is among one of the most exotic vehicles built at the time. At a Caledon, Ontario Esso gas station this past Sunday night, one of two of those supercars in Canada became a subject for a tales of, "When Bad Things Happen to Good Cars". An over $900,000 supercar combining a 608-horsepower 4.6-liter V-8 engine with 285-horsepower worth of electric power, the Porsche 918 Spyder can run up to 214 miles per hour but could not outrun a tragic end.   During what was suppose to be a routine fuel filling (something that should have been a little less frequent because of the 918 Spyder's plug-in hybrid drive system), accomplished Canadian investor and member of CBC's upcoming 2014/2015 season of Dragons' Den Michael Wekerie  experienced a scary situation. By Wekerie's account, gasoline overfilled and spilled over the side of the vehicle....

Plenty of classic and collectable cars were purchased at the recently-concluded 2014 Barrett-Jackson Classic Car Auction in Las Vegas. Selling everything from a Lamborghini Aventador to a 1964 Volkswagen Beetle, the three-day auction involved a vehicle suiting almost any taste going to a new home (With Barrett-Jackson collecting a healthy commission, of course). As always, American muscle car performance has driven the bidding to new heights. While past auctions had classic muscle attracting some high bids, this year's Las Vegas sale was topped by a brand-new model using 21st century technology to push performance to previously unmet plateaus for a production Mopar. A 2015 model year tire melting two-door coupe, the all-new Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat was part of Barrett-Jackson's primetime showcase at the auction. Also known as VIN 700001, the 2015 Challenger SRT Hellcat arriving for sale inside the Mandalay Bay Event C...

At last year's Barrett-Jackson Classic Car Auction in Scottsdale, Arizona, the first production version of the 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray was a sought-after commodity. Selling six days after the sports car's introduction to the world, the newly-born automotive darling scaled to a total of 1,1 million dollars US at auction  purchased by major car dealer and race team owner Rick Hendrick. On the market for a year, has the base 450-horsepower, seventh-generation lost its luster among performance vehicle fans? The answer is naturally no. Friday at the 2014 edition of the Barrett-Jackson Las Vegas Auction, a charity-linked 2015 model proves that the car will enter into another supportive year for the Chevrolet Corvette Stingray. With all proceeds going to CARE House of Oakland County (a charity devoted to the prevention of child abuse and mistreatment), the first retail example of the 2015 model year Cor...

It has become self-evident by recent news that Cadillac is seeking to magnify their presence as a distinct luxury brand. One of the measure announced this week will consist of physically separating itself from the General Motors mothership. Intent on being recognized as a more cosmopolitan American marque, Cadillac's head offices will be moving from Detroit to New York City for 2015 becoming a separate business unit in the process. This arrangement will likely resemble Tata Motors’ ownership of the Jaguar Land Rover. Before Cadillac's relocation and restructuring news, the luxury carmaker created buzz last week as General Motors confirmed there is an additional product in the pipeline. A rear-wheel drive ultra-luxury sedan to be built with its own unique platform was announced for production for late 2015. Left nameless during the product’s official announcement, Cadillac has now given their future flagship its model name. On Wednesday, Cadillac declared their ne...

Next month, the 2014 Paris Auto Show will start a period known as the auto show season. A season that typically starts in North America with the LA Auto Show in November, European audiences receive the first exhibition of all-new production vehicle premieres and the presentation of mind-wondering concept cars. A show where the likes of Italian designer Pininfarina first appeared on the world stage, the show often motivates the debut of classy styling studies. At Infiniti, you can say the luxury car brand has received inspiration from competitors as well as from their individual designers in the latest concept car. An interpretation of the four-door fastback premise demonstrated by the Audi A7 Sportback , Aston Martin Rapide and Porsche Panamera , the Infiniti Q80 Inspiration concept car doesn't appear to be following luxury car rivals when it comes to their image of a vehicle. Sweeping forward and backwards, the bodywork...

Ahead of the major United Nations Climate Summit in New York City convening this week, the Conservative Government of Canada restated the country’s intentions of conforming to tighter emissions for passenger cars, light trucks and heavy-duty vehicles. Mirroring the ambitious measures going into effect in the United States, the new emission laws will drastically prolong the fleet-wide fuel economy for the product line of automakers and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. “Today’s announcement further demonstrates our Government’s commitment to address climate change and provide cleaner air for Canadians. These initiatives, which will protect the environment and provide health benefits, will be aligned with the United States, given the integrated nature of the North American economy.” said the Minister of the Environment Leona Aglukkaq. With sweeping improvements to start during the 2017 model year, steady improvements in passenger vehicle emissions has a final target date for year...

For years, it was rumoured that Cadillac wanted to build a super luxury sedan. A car built to feature the very peak of Cadillac's American-derived pursuit for lavish motoring, the proposed vehicle would likely be found with a six-figure price tag and face rivals like Mercedes-Benz and BMW head-on in the top-tier four-door market. More than a decade ago, the Cadillac Sixteen concept car teased the world for what a car from the General Motors premium brand may look like. Despite the intrigue to the idea, the plan has been nothing but a fairy tale story; that is until this week when General Motors delivered a major announcement regarding future vehicle production. On Friday, General Motors formally declared that a new high-end Cadillac will become an addition to the luxury vehicle line-up for the near future. A rear-wheel drive sedan to be built on unique vehicle architecture, the new car promises to involve "custom-designed materials". Without delivering an...

With governments and even consumers requesting automakers to explore green technology, luxury cars offer the most viable place to create electrified powertrains. Luxury vehicles are typically sold at a high profit margin allowing the incorporation of new, exotic technologies to be performed without the limitations or sticker shock associated with electric cars trying to appeal to a growing market. That has been the key of success for Tesla Motors and the BMW i line is launching with the anticipation they can find a similar premium market for electrified cars. Taking their first step into the plug-in hybrid vehicle marketplace, Mercedes-Benz is all charged up with the newest variant of their flagship S-Class sedan . Set to be one of the largest plug-in hybrid cars on the market, the Mercedes-Benz S550 Plug-in Hybrid will also be perhaps the most lavish vehicle to be chauffeured through zero emissions motoring. For up to 20 miles, the S550 Plug-in Hybrid will exclusively run ...

It is said the fortune favours the bold. In the 1990s, Toyota Motor Corporation stepped a vast distance into an unknown realm when they pursued gasoline/electric hybrid driving technology. The Toyota Prius led what would be a transformation of a brand and thinking for what electrified cars could be. At a time when purely gasoline-powered vehicles reigned supreme for almost nine decades on roadways, the idea of hybrid cars was met with mixed reactions. Some viewed the premise of integrating electric power with a gasoline powerplant as a sensible alternative to full electric cars. Issues such as limited range plagued the serious chances of electric cars in the modern world. Hybrids were viewed as the best of both worlds where the electric drive system supplemented the gasoline engine. On the negative judgement side of hybrid vehicles, critics wanted to believe that hybrid cars would be too pricey for automotive consumers and the tech...

Whether referring to it as the MX-5, Miata or the MX-5 Miata, Mazda has resonated a lasting pulse in the sports car marketplace for a quarter of a century. The small two-seat roadster that debuted in 1989 as one of the hottest products thanks to its sporty appearance and relative bargain pricing. Marking 25 years of the sport car in 2014 , the past of the little but fast vehicle was addressed as the future of the Mazda MX-5 was being sorted behind closed doors at the Japanese auto company. Prepping for the all-new 2016 MX-5 would be unveiled to the public September 4 th 2014. Last night, eager onlookers set eyes on what could be considered the most striking version of the roadster since the original in 1989.   It’s little doubt Mazda wanted to rock-in the arrival of their new roadster. Director of Design for Mazda North America Derek Jenkins was joined by pop music group Duran Duran in christening the 2016 model year roadster. Refreshingly, Derek Jenkins’ speech serving...

Photo Credit: Chevrolet The performance prowess of the Chevrolet Corvette often insulates through ability to escape an uncomfortable situation quickly. However, for eight Corvettes on February 12 th of this year , nature swallowed them before they had a chance to apply their V-8 muscle.   More than six months ago, the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green,Kentucky , a large sinkhole developed within the facility's Skydome section. With the hole opening overnight, it timing most fortunately spared human harm. The casualties of the sinkhole was limited to some high quality motorized display pieces. In total, eight Chevrolet Corvettes were the victims of a sudden deep fall. This weekend, the National Corvette Museum provided some details on their recovery efforts. Pledging to fill in the opening within the Skydome, Chevrolet has provided updates on three of the vehicle's damaged in the natural occurrence.   The 2009 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 prototype (termed the...