Car FYI

The 2016 Canadian International AutoShow arrives this weekend promising to gather an assorted collection of automobiles. Before going into any depth with the 2016 edition of the Toronto exhibition, I wish to provide some enlightenment to the spirit of the event by profiling last year’s. While I was able to detail some of the content through articles and with videos on YouTube, I regret that I wasn’t able to write a full review of last year’s Canadian International AutoShow. I’ll sum it up by explaining that I simply froze. Last year’s media day for the Canadian International AutoShow corresponded with one of the coldest days of 2015. In my round-trip to the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, there was about 15 minutes I needed to walk outside. In the morning it was about -15 degrees Celsius and my trip back had me moving through temperatures of -25 degrees Celsius. Between that time, I was inside a convention space where lights and constant movement made it feel like a sauna. I a...

Photo Credit: FCA US Unless you have been living in a cave on Tatooine, you are aware a highly-anticipated motion picture experience will be arriving at theatres next week. Ahead of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, there has been no shortage of cross-promotional tie-ins to the upcoming movie. In some cases, the marketing has been far-reaching in some instances. This weekend signifies another unusual promotional move as Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) US will unleash a dark side-driven invasion on the streets of Los Angeles. Patrolling the Los Angeles area from December 11th to December 14th, First Order Stormtroopers and Kylo Ren will be represented by some high-powered performance cars. Consisting of three individual vehicles, the roaming group will be led by a black Dodge Viper ACR resembling one of the main villains in the upcoming Star Wars movie. The force of 645-horsepower is especially strong in the Kylo Ren-themed supercar being the most potent Viper model ever produced...

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; 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: 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...

Photo Credit: Chris Nagy Car collectors enjoy no only the thrill of owning a vehicle but the culture surrounding the popular brands that have driven our passions and emotions. When collecting Ferrari, the love can be enjoyed with the possession of a multimillion dollar classic like a highly rare 250 GTO or something as little as a one dollar die-cast car. Ferrari aficionados also take pleasure the in full range of merchandise surrounding the ‘Prancing Horse’ brand. Hats, jackets, sunglasses, watches and picture frames are just a few officially licensed items offered to collectors of the Ferrari brand. Ferrari is one of the most coveted brands when it comes to merchandising. Now, for the latest collectible item, why not own a piece of the company ambitious founded by the legendary motorsport figure Enzo Ferrari? Selling 10 percent of the Ferrari company in an IPO (Initial Public Offering) release on the New York Stock Exchange, the first shares will be offered at $52 a share s...

Great Scott! We've reached October 21st 2015. Where are the flying cars? Why can't I drink a Pepsi Perfect? Why haven't lawyers been abolished? The movie Back to the Future II certainly gave us a wacky prediction of what this day would look like. In late 2015, automobiles are still grounded but that doesn't mean technology has remained trapped in 1985 either. Electrified automobiles existing in many forms is providing a futuristic reality. Even in the movie's version of 2015, Back to the Future II didn't tout alternative vehicle powertrains (Mr Fusion powered by the time circuits of the Doc Brown's modified DeLorean but gasoline was apparently still a mode of propulsion). Hybrid and fully-electric cars are driving the cause but visions of hydrogen being an automotive power source have also given birth to fuel cell research. Toyota has become the latest automaker demonstrating the possibilities of hydrogen fuel cell technology creating the Mirai as a r...

Photo Credit: Chris Nagy On Monday night, Volkswagen was in New York City wanting focus to be on the premiere of their new 2016 model year Passat sedan. Instead, the German-based auto company was seen largely as the perpetrators of one of the most sinister new-car emission law breaches in current automotive history. Announced on Friday, September 18th, the United States EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) issued a notice of violation to Volkswagen in regards to members of their diesel engine family sold in North America. Diesel versions of the Volkswagen Beetle, Golf, Jetta, Passat as well as the Audi A3 (a premium vehicle based on the same platform as the Golf) produced in model years between 2009 and 2015 are all embroiled in a wild controversy. Altogether, the total vehicles affected amounts to around 500,000 cars in the United States and Canada. Championed by Volkswagen by a "TDI Clean Diesel", these vehicles powered by a 2.0-liter turbocharged diesel engine hav...

This year, Honda is celebrating an important milestone in both their motorsport history as well as the brand in general. On October 24th of 1965, a Honda constructed RA272 Formula 1 race car took victory at the Mexican Grand Prix. Leading the race from start to finish, Richie Ginther wheeled the first-ever Japanese built vehicle to win a Formula 1 event. For the 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show, Honda will unveil a modern homage to the performance that drove the 1965 Formula 1 machine that also represents the brand's 'The Power of Dream' philosophy. The Honda Project 2&4 concept machine is a lightweight yet powerful mergence of vehicle types and ideas. A concept sculpted as a result of an in-house 'Global Design Project' competition among more than 80 designers, the final vehicle shape for Honda Project 2&4 Concept references the talent of a united 'Team Honda' entity. Project 2...

Ever since Porsche introduced the Cayenne in the 2000s, no automaker has been ruled-out in adding a crossover vehicle to their line-up. At 2012 Geneva Motor Show, British luxury vehicle brand Bentley unveiled a concept design to what was seen as the impending arrival of a super-luxury crossover. A marque seen as one of the most prestigious builders of automobiles in the world, Bentley only needed to create a world-topping vehicle for the popular segment. Almost four years later, the Bentley Bentayga is the form of an all-new bred of luxury crossover vehicle. Though the Bentayga represents the inauguration of Bentley's foray into a new class of motoring, the vehicle is the end result of a long, uneasy journey of exploration. The EXP 9 F Concept (an initial design creation meant to chart the vision of Bentley's crossover vehicle) premiered in 2012 to a largely negative reception. While the idea of a Bentley crossover vehicle was not si...

Photo Credit: Mattel, Inc. For any fan of Star Wars, the Stormtroopers is instantly recognized as a feared military group operating under the Emperor. While fierce in numbers and equipped with superior weaponry, it is somewhat surprising to the reason how the Stormtroopers can be so terrifying judging by the movies in the original trilogy. Despite their often overwhelming numbers, they're often beaten by the heroes in the Star Wars franchise. Stormtroopers' shaky aim has also been a source of comedic reference. Still, the white armoured army of the Galactic Empire remains a stable of Star Wars. Corresponding with Mattel's release of all-new toys for what is possibility the most popular film franchise around, Stormtroopers invaded the streets of the New York City. Eight specially-decorated Dodge Charger SRT 392 sedans appeared in the Big Apple on Friday September 4th known as Force Friday. The so-called Star War...

This weekend marks the third time the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will preside on a 2.459-mile road course known as Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. A roughly one hour drive outside Toronto, this event is the truck series’ one and only stop at a road course as well as the only event held in Canada. A uniquely energetic event, the 2015 Chevrolet Silverado 250 will host the talents of a uniquely Canadian teenager. At 19 years old, Cameron Hayley emerged as a racing star from Calgary, Alberta to a rookie driver of the #13 Toyota Tundra in the 2015 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series sponsored by Carolina Nut Company and Cabinets by Hayley (a family-related steel cabinet and rack fabricator). In the 14 races so far this season, Hayley has currently captured seven top-10 finishes including 3 top-5 results. "For me to be kinda the home country favourite I guess is kinda a cool thing to go home and do.", commented Cameron Hayley is racing alongside household racing name Al...

Photo Credit: IndyCar Monday night, sadness fell over the entire motorsport world as a competition embraced for its excitement and action claimed a great athlete. 37-year-old British driver Justin Wilson succumbed to a head injury suffered in a late-race incident at the Verizon IndyCar race at Pocono Raceway. A penultimate round in the open wheel racing series for 2015, optimism for seeing a great battle for championship and race position was overshadowed quickly after a series of crashes proved evermore worrisome. On lap 180, a crash by leader Sage Karam into the turn 1 wall showered the track with debris. A nose cone compartment of Karam's #8 car is believed to be the piece that flew up and hit the #25 Andretti Autosport car's driver Justin Wilson in the helmet. Despite receiving swift attention from IndyCar's safety crew, the unconscious Wilson could not be revived at the scene and needed to be airlifted to an offsit...