Car FYI

Last year, the Mopar world was awakened by Dodge's new super high performance SRT Hellcat line of vehicles elevating the cause of muscle cars to near ridiculous level. A supercharged HEMI V-8 powerplant pumping out 707 horsepower and over 200-mile per hour speed potential were the numbers expected from a race car, not the most powerful production vehicle built under the Dodge brand. First appearing in the form of the two-door Challenger, the SRT Hellcat treatment was performed to the Dodge Charger sedan later last year. Now that the 2015 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and 2015 Challenger SRT Hellcat has reached dealerships, the vehicle has moved quickly into the hands of buyers. Late February, FCA US (Dodge's parent company) learned of some of their dealers have been engaging in poor conduct in selling SRT Hellcat models that would not be available for months or perhaps n...

Late last year, Hyundai pledged to become the first auto manufacturer to offer a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle in Canada . An electrified powertrain vehicle already available in the United States in parts of California, the Tucson FCEV is based on Hyundai's conventional gasoline-powered crossover. Capable of driving up to 426 kilometers on a tank of hydrogen fuel, the Hyundai Tucson FCEV is propelled by 134 horsepower driven to the front wheels. This week, the first Canadian-destined models of the Hyundai Tucson FCEV arrived from South Korea on the at a Vancouver port. Sent onboard the "Kaijin" cargo ship, the first hydrogen fuel cell vehicles available Canada are apparently being greeted by an anxious group in British Columbia. Explaining that applications have exceeded the expectations of Hyundai Auto Canada Corporation, President and CEO Don Romano said, "We've seen a tremendous response to our call for applications. Canadians all over the c...

High-speed performance cars convey an international language. Through the emission of sound from a sports car`s exhaust, the translation more efficient than any program on with Rosetta Stone software is realized. Despite the internationally recognized sound of performance, not all speed demons on four wheels have a voice in every major country in the world. Some cars are delayed travel to continents while others are created to satisfy a specific country (though envied across the planet). In a time where reaching a global market is becoming more important for auto companies, performance cars must become world travelers. The Nissan Skyline/GTR was denied to North Americans until the 2008. On the opposite side of the coin, the North American staple Ford Mustang featured a limited international presence until the introduction of the 2015 model year vehicle . Along with the Mustang, Ford's org...

Photo Credit: CNW Group/Hyundai Auto Canada Corp Canadian motorists have been provided with some relief in the past few weeks as the correction of oil prices is bringing the prices at gas stations to a more tolerable level. While the immediate concerns for energy are being pacified by this drop, our future thoughts envision a world beyond the finite quantity of accessible oil. Hydrogen is seen as the most ambitious energy source. While dispelling safety and efficiency concerns with the plentiful gas, automakers are slowly spoon-feeding the driving public to hydrogen cars. Some vehicles burn hydrogen fuel in an internal combustion engine but a more active vision sees the gas sent through fuel cells creating electrical power. A handful of test vehicles over the past decade have been a prelude what is a limited production run. The hydrogen fuel cell powered Honda FCX Clarity was first sold in 2008 and Toyota is set to produce the Mi...

This is a time of the year we commonly associated as the period where the auto industry looks forward. Even though the calendar says we have two months remaining in 2014, 2015 is now the mindset of Canadian new car sales lots. Some models released earlier this year have already been set in the upcoming year while others are now becoming the candy for buyer car consumers. New designs, technologies and sometimes a chance to see something entirely new from a favoured brand. If you are one of those people, 2015 model year promise to be a tantalizing time to be wooed. More than ever, motorists realize potential problems with vehicles are addressed with recall notices. For what is the second-most expensive purchase many of us make, automobiles is perhaps the most complicated products available. In the case of cars, trucks and crossovers that are all-new or significantly retooled for 2015, introduction marks a vulnerable moment for all the testing auto manufactur...

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...

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 ...

Photo Credit: Ford Motor Company Since late last year, a wild horse temptress has been wooing hordes of followers. A creation celebrating its 50 th birthday in 2014 , the Ford Mustang has started the year promising a brand-new level of sports car performance. Accented with a bold, new look reflective of the future rather than the past that guided some previous generation models, the 2015 Mustang preserves the virtues that made the original pony car a dream machine. For 2015, an all-new 2.3-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder powerplant joins a V-6 and the Mustang GT’s 435-horsepower 5.0-liter V-8 engine . With eight months of auto shows and special appearances assembled in locales (including the top of the Empire State Building) wetting the appetites of eager buyers or simply enthusiasts, Flat Rock, Michigan is now ready for the distributions of a vehicle a half-century in the making. The home of the Mustang since 2005, Ford’s Flat Rock Assembly Plant is beginning production of the ...

Photo Credit: Chris Nagy Waiting anxious for the all-new Ford Mustang? I have been fortunate enough to be witness to a rare outside public appearance in Canada for the 2015 Mustang GT. For you, I have composed a video unveiling the beauty and brute of the new pony car. Please enjoy!