Car FYI

Ferrari HC25 (Photo credit: Ferrari S.p.A.) It’s an unmistakable fact that ownership of a Ferrari instantly bestows a sense of exclusivity. Understanding how any driver almost needs to prove their worth to possess such a vehicle exhibiting masterful Italian performance and design beauty, it’s particularly intriguing to envision a Ferrari being shaped to an owner. Last week’s Ferrari Racing Days event that took place at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas served as coming-out party for a one of a kind creation developed to showcase a unique spirit for the Prancing Horse.   The Ferrari HC25 was constructed by  the sports car company under the commission by an unidentified customer through what the brand describes as their Special Projects programme. This organization exists in Ferrari to specifically tailor their vehicles to the desires of an owner. Built on the basis of the discontinued Ferrari F8 Spider, the HC25’s two-tone, dynamic exterior design definitely as...

1956 Ford Thunderbird at the 2009 Canadian International AutoShow (Photo taken by Chris Nagy) Recognized as being one of the most prolific auto brands, Ford Motor Company has produced well over 400 million automobiles entering 2025. Among one of their much-revered models celebrating 70 years since its debut, Ford’s Thunderbird launched as a near-perfect counter to the Chevrolet Corvette. With standard V8 power and added luxuries inside its two-seat 1950s interior, the Thunderbird enjoyed greater sales than its Chevrolet rival with 16,155 cars sold in 1955 making it an instant classic .  Produced between 1955 and 1957, the first generation Ford Thunderbird remains admired for how simply it combines elegance and performance. An attentive fan of the early T-birds will be further captivated by the year-to-year differences of the car. The glorious debut in 1955 was followed by improvements in 1956 and a significant exterior and interior update for 1957. By observing a few key details of...

Photo Credit:  Maserati S.p.A. For Italian exotic car builder Maserati, 2024 is a year of some major milestones. At the end of this year, the company will make its 110th anniversary producing exquisite sports cars and other various luxury vehicles. Other notable anniversary for Maserati recognizes one of their brand’s classic limited edition supercars with a limited edition release of their current supercar. Spawning as part of Maserati’s Special Series with touches furnished through their Fuoriserie Personalisation Program, the MC20 Icona and MC20 Leggenda pays tribute to the MC12's legacy. Built in 2004 and 2005, the Maserati MC12 is recognized as the company’s fastest production vehicle. While the phenomenal MC12 owed much of its existence to the extraordinary Ferrari Enzo as the Prancing Horse-badged machine was the source for the Trident branded supercar’s chassis and 6.0-liter V-12 engine, Maserati was able to apply some distinguishing traits to their vehicle. Wearing a body ...

Photo Credit: Drew Gibson via Zacharie Robichon's Instagram This weekend, 62 of some of the finest sports cars and competitors challenge themselves on a famous race track in Le Mans, France for some of the most meaningful 24 hours in motorsports. Venturing to the Circuit de la Sarthe vying for honour in Hypercar, LMP2 or LMGT3 competition categories, the historic mechanical and physical torture test attracts the usual mosaic of cars, teams and drivers. For the 2024 edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, a Canadian will be competing in each of the three classes. Their competition in the 24 hour race comes on the centennial for when John Duff (Canada's only overall winner at Le Mans) co-drove a Bentley to victory. For 2024, each of these three motoring athletes wearing a maple leaf has their own unique racing story that they hope to write the latest, greatest page with glory in the classic endurance event.   Antonio Serravalle Photo Credit: Penske Entertainment/Chris Owens Team:...

Photo Credit: Ferrari S.p.A. Product Lineup: 296 GTB, 296 GTS, Portofino M, Purosangue, Roma, Roma Spider, SF90 Spider, SF90 Stradale, SF90 XX Spider, SF90 XX Stradale Overall Brand Impression:  The devotion of the Italian artisans that has kept Ferrari as a premium sports car leader stretches right back to the company’s founder. However, while Enzo Ferrari believed in the construction of pure performance machines in disregard for creature comforts, today’s vehicles are assembled with more consideration of customers seeking luxury alongside supercar power. Despite a long resistance to engaging in the popular crossover category, Ferrari demonstrates a level of concession to the mass market in 2024 by introducing the all-new Purosangue. The Purosangue joins an exciting 2024 Ferrari lineup that also includes the introduction of the brand’s first street legal XX program vehicle. What’s New for 2024:  Every vehicle in Ferrari’s 2024 lineup is a merger of style and power. An auto b...

Photo Credit: Audi AG 2024 Product Lineup: A3, A4, A5, A5 Sportback, A6, A6, allroad, A7, A8, e-Tron GT, Q3, Q4, Q4 Sportback, Q4 e-tron, Q4 Sportback e-tron, Q5, Q6, Q7, Q8, R8, RS 3, RS 5, RS 6 Avant, RS 7, RS e-tron GT, S3, S4, S5, S5, Sportback, S6, S7, SQ5, SQ7, SQ8  Overall Brand Impression: Steering into the realm of bold German luxury for more than two decades, Audi boasts a sizable assortment of premium automobiles catering to a wide range of motoring personalities. Entry-level luxury for 2024 can be obtained with the A3, the expansive Q line of crossover vehicles presents premium practicality, RS models reveal Audi’s racing heritage and the growing count of e-Tron models show off an electric future for the brand including the Q8 e-tron crossover vehicle line. Despite possessing an expressive 2024 model year lineup, Audi had bid verabschiedung to both the TT and R8 that had both had meritorious roles in shaping the modern perception of the brand. What’s New for 2024: ...

Photo Credit: Aston Martin Lagonda 2024 Product Lineup: DB12, DBX, Vantage Overall Brand Impression: An enduring producer of high-class performance vehicles with more than 110 years of history, Aston Martin always seems to be an auto company renowned for their lofty pursuit of excellence. With a handful of special edition models introduced in 2023 including the final production models of the DBS recognized as the DBS 770 Ultimate, Aston Martin pushes forward in 2024 with a lineup led by the all-new DB12. What’s New for 2024: The latest advancement of Aston Martin’s DB product line, the DB12, is the biggest adaptation for the premium auto company’s 2024 model range. Available as a hardtop as well as a drop top Volante variant, the 2024 DB12 is an evolution of Aston Martin’s familiar design language. The Aston Martin DB12 is billed as one of the sharpest handling DB models ever incorporating an electric rear differential and intelligent adaptive damper technology. A 4.0-liter twin-tur...

  Photo Credit: Stellantis 2024 Product Lineup: Giulia, Giulia Quadrifoglio, Stelvio, Stelvio Quadrifoglio, Tonale, Tonale PHEV Overall Brand Impression:  Alfa Romeo is an unmistakably Italian auto brand that proudly admires in the design and performance of their 2024 model lineup. Joining the Giulia and Stelvio in the marque’s vehicle portfolio is the Tonale compact crossover. What’s New for 2024:  An all-new model for the 2024 model year, the Alfa Romeo Tonale has been for sale in Canada through much of 2023. The Tonale features a youthful, athletic exterior style combined with a satisfyingly high amount of standard content including a 12.3-inch driver cluster, 10.25-inch center touchscreen as well as high-tech safety features including adaptive cruise control and Traffic Sign Recognition. The Alfa Romeo Tonale also launched as the first car to incorporate an NFT (non-fungible token) digital certificate that evolves with the vehicle’s life. The 2.0-turbocharged four...

Photo Credit: Chris Nagy The 2023 Chevrolet Corvette is one of the finest-tuned and most recognized performance machines made. Featuring a meticulously sculpted shape combining elements of race cars and jet aircraft, the Corvette’s recent evolution to a rear mid-engined layout for its eighth generation has been a lengthy pursuit for perfection . The 2020 Corvette Stingray with its 495-horsepower Small Block V8 engine contributed to the fastest stock acceleration from 0 to 60 miles per hour while the Z06 edition of the sports car rose the vehicle to the peak of automotive athleticism with a 670-horsepower LT6 powerplant. The book of 70 years of history has been written by eight major revisions that progressed from a modest performer. On this day (June 30th), the first chapter for the Chevrolet Corvette’s story began to be written inside a Flint, Michigan factory where the first car was assembled with less precision and polish than the modern icon. Starting life as Project Ope...

Photo Credit: Nissan Canada untitled The charm of an affordable sports car is a timeless, enticing way for drivers to experience the truest thrill of motion. During the 1960s and into the 1970s, the appetite for fun-to-drive performance vehicles led to the creation of the Ford Mustang and Chevrolet Camaro as well as the popularity of small British sports cars such as the MGB. Nissan seeking to expand their reach as an automobile company globally under the Datsun brand realized the importance of stimulating sales was by offering an attractive, exciting sports car. Debuting in October 1969 as the Fairlady 240Z, the sports car was mercifully recognized in North America as the 240Z thanks to the then-president of United States operations Yutaka Katayama taking proactive measures to remove vehicle’s badging before being sent to dealers. Since the 1970 model year Z sports cars, Nissan had an iconic symbol of accessible performance that was recently reflected with the 370Z. N...