Car FYI

Photo Credit: Chris Nagy Just 400 miles are all that remains of 2015 competition in the top stock car racing series in the world. The conclusion of the 2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup season at Homestead-Miami Speedway once again guarantees 43 drivers will attempt to take the checkered flag for the last event of the year. Four drivers enter the race with the opportunity of being crowned the series champion, depending on the outcome at Homestead-Miami Speedway. For the majority of the field though, victory or defeat is simply a reason to come back next year. Jeff Gordon has a chance of claiming the 2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup title but has planned the outcome to this race that will hold a note of permanency to a career of 23 years. Jeff Gordon will be starting this race vehicle’s engine for the final time in competition. The #24 Chevrolet SS fielded by Hendrick Motorsports final drive by the currently four-time champion in NASCAR’s top series is forged with some impressive superstar creden...

Photo Credit: Chris Nagy The electrified auto sector has moved at a rapid pace in the past five years. Back then, Tesla Motors only attracted attention through the production of the odd all-electric roadster while the Nissan Leaf all-electric car and the plug-in hybrid Chevrolet Volt were only entering the marketplace. Another car garnering attention during the infancy of the electric vehicle renaissance was prepared by a Californian based company Fisker Automotive. A premium vehicle designed by the same person behind the Aston Martin DB9, the Fisker Karma was a plug-in hybrid luxury car was heavily plagued during its short production run. Production itself was delayed by two years with the first sale examples of the Karma arriving in 2011. When the remnants of Hurricane Sandy hit the upper-part of the United States in November 2012, a large quantity of Fisker Karmas was ultimately written-off when they were caught in the massive flood. The vehicle itself was also affected by an...

Photo Credit; Royal Canadian Mint Canada's history with NASCAR competition has been a colourful affair. Richard Petty winning his first Cup division series race at the old CNE Speedway in Toronto in 1959, the late Earl Ross' first and currently only Cup victory by a Canadian on the ever-popular Martinsville Speedway in 1974 and Ron Fellows' six road racing wins in two of the stock car racing series' three major touring divisions have been moments the patriotic red and white fans of motorsports have been proud of. This season, Calgary, Alberta native Cameron Hayley's rookie season effort in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and crew chief of the #78 Furniture Row Racing Cole Pearn have shown future greatness is in the cards. As the 2015 NASCAR racing season is nearing a close, the Royal Canadian Mint has put some definition to the popular racing spectacle with the release of a detailed silver medallion. Struck in 1 oz., 99.99% pure silver, the royal Ca...

Photo Credit: Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. During the early 1990s, the family vehicle market was under the spell of the spacious minivans. Providing enough room for parents, kids, pets and provisions for a weekend, minivans often suffered from a lack of excitement due to underpowered engines as well as bland handling. Drivers demanding a more spirited family hauler were accommodated with a growing crop of sport utility vehicles as well as crossover vehicles in the past 20 years. While the minivan market lost its lustre to some automotive players, Toyota’s Sienna is currently accepted as a gold standard for hauling the typical North American family. Propelled by a 266-horsepower V-6 engine and available with all-wheel drive, the Sienna proves to be a humble performer on the city roads, suburban streets as well as on highways. If participating a trip across harsh North American terrain, something more ultimate may be needed. At the 2015 SEMA Show, The Toyota Sienna can be shown in...

Photo Credit: Hyundai Motor America It's only a human condition to judge ourselves in the company we keep. It is also natural for even comfortable individuals to seek a higher status. For automakers, having a foothold in the general automobile market is often not enough. After-all, why would Cadillac and Lincoln exist when a Chevrolet or Ford is well-suited to most drivers? Entering the luxury car market provides the chance to explore heightened vehicle refinement, greater technology and generally a higher profit margin per vehicle sold. In the late 1980s, Japanese auto companies that made gains as a producer of vehicles demanded by the general driving public entered the premium product genre. Honda created Acura, Nissan created Infiniti and Toyota founded the Lexus brand. Starting in December, Hyundai will become the latest entrant into the premium automobile industry. Hyundai will elevate the name of their Genesis rear-wheel drive sedan to the forefront described as a ...

Photo Credit: Honda A fundamental goal of every automaker is to prove the endurance of their vehicles to the public. For the toughest vehicles hoping to make an impression with customers, the SCORE Baja 1000 off-road race across the terrain of a Mexican desert is among the most gruelling. A race that has been won by Ford Broncos, Chevrolet trucks and a Volkswagen-powered Meyers Manx , Toyota trucks were also some of the victorious vehicle entrants who inherit some impressive bragging rights to sell their trucks to buyers. Along with measuring the integrity of production-based trucks as well as race-purpose buggies, major auto manufacturers have also found the Baja 1000 event as a proving ground for new ideas. In 2013, Ford tested their2.7-liter EcoBoost powerplant in the competition as an extreme field test ahead of availability on the 2015 Ford F-150 . Later this month, Honda will compete with a prelude to their next Ridgeline pickup truck.   After a two-year absence, th...

Photo Credit: Mazda North American Operations The Tokyo Motor Show is one of the longest running Asian auto shows, the Japanese exhibition has gained a reputation for showing the world many possible futures for the automobile. Hosted as a biennial event, Japan’s native auto companies is tasked with assembling some bold ideas in concept car forms featuring far-out styling and radical new technologies. Back in 1964, Mazda showed the Cosmo sports car displaying a different engine concept. For the 2015 edition of the Tokyo Motor Show is guaranteed already to be living up to the aspirations days ahead of the doors opening to the public. Among a vast line-up of concept cars premiering in Tokyo is Mazda’s revival of their rotary engine technology. Photo Credit: Mazda North American Operations A front-engined, rear-wheel drive sports car, the Mazda RX-Vision Concept is explored as a continuation to the spirit of the Cosmo as well as the RX-7 high-performance car. Shaped thro...