Car FYI

Photo Credit: Acura Created for a premium-minded clientele, sport sedans continue to be a fruitful market for auto companies even as other vehicles prove popular with the larger population. The initial formula of marrying solid handling and strong engine power combining with a well-appointed interior is not immediately complex. Though the creation of a sport sedan may sound easy, the major challenge for car makers is selling the sizzle as much as the steak. A successful sport sedan manages to win over drivers with a well-tuned, well-balanced character-fueled experience behind the wheel.  As a relatively younger luxury car brand compared to leading German and American brands, Acura had immediately garnered attention for its modern take on premium motoring. With their TLX sedan, the Honda-derived luxury marque’s combination of contemporary refinements and energizing performance in an accessible four-door style. For 2021, the Acura TLX is completely revised for battle in the sport sed...

Photo Credit: Jack Webster The engine compartment for a traditional fuel-burning automobile is one of the most incredible storms regularly occurring on this planet. Intense heat of the combustion process combines with a stunning electrical storms and powerful mechanical forces to create the momentum we take for granted. Harnessing and managing this essential storm to generate optimum performance relies on the ability to engineer the best possible engine.  Among one of the aspects carefully considered towards the construction of a traditional internal combustion gasoline engine is material selection. Performance, durability and importantly cost factors into how to produce a powerplant. For a long time, cast iron was favoured for the construction of engine blocks for most production automobiles while other components utilized alloys such as stainless steel. Previously existing in high performance or more expensive vehicles, aluminum has gained wider acceptance in rece...

Photo Credit: Chris Nagy The 2020 NTT IndyCar Series promises to be a richly contended auto racing organization consisting of 17 rounds. A season set to start later this month, the top open wheel competition in North America has the opportunity to deliver some exciting, new possibilities for what viewers may see on track. Although many IndyCar fans will likely prepare to attend at least one race for 2020, television remains the most obtainable way to catch the racing action between drivers including defending series champion Josef Newgarden, Scott Dixon, Will Power as well as Canadians James Hinchcliffe and series newcomer Dalton Kellett. For 2020, the racing tour’s loyal fans in Canada are being granted the chance to follow the NTT IndyCar Series with greater access compared to a much-loathed 2019 TV package. On February 28th, the IndyCar Series announced they have re-entered an agreement with Sportsnet to be the exclusive Canadian broadcaster for the 2020 season. T...

Photo Credit: Chris Nagy The recently concluded 2020 edition of the Canadian International AutoShow wraps as a grand celebration of wheels and the motors that propel them. More than just a gathering for vehicle manufacturers to impress us with their latest designs and technologies, the Metro Toronto Convention Centre played host to a multitude of ideas lined to the classic, modern and futuristic automotive genre. Within the massive gathering space was a chance to amuse yourself with various types of interactivity. Branded with the theme of “Transformative Times”, the 2020 Canadian International AutoShow acted in an attempt to shed light along the many crossroads the automobile industry faces while also reminding us of the delight of more than 100 years of motoring. Photo Credit: Chris Nagy In recent years, the Canadian International AutoShow has benefited from a high-profile lead-in that was held in Detroit. Previously a staple for January, the North American Internatio...

Photo Credit: Porsche AG Ahead of the anticipated release of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, Porsche and Lucafilm have collaborated on a project that may the pilots of the Millennium Falcon, X-Wing fighter or a First Order Tie Fighter jealous. Crafted over a two-month period by design teams based in San Francisco as well as Weissach, Germany, a spaceship design has been created capturing the spirit of the accomplished sports car company in one of the most popular sci-fi universes. As Jedi's Luke Skywalker and Yoda have become one of the force, Star Wars and Porsche's partnership have merged their creative energies to create the Tri-Wing S-91x Pegasus Starfighter. Photo Credit: Porsche AG An unmistakable Star Wars-style spacecraft, the Tri-Wing S-91x Pegasus Starfighter is a complete fantasy design that allowed two creative entities to explorer a fun concept. In regards to the end result of Porsche/Lucasfilm Michael Mauer, Vice President for Style Porsche at Po...

For the first time in more than seven years, I was drawn to a movie theatre this weekend for what may be an obvious reason when I inform you that my last cinema experience was attending the documentary Senna in Toronto. In 2019, my film-going motivation was based on the big screen adaptation of the great American auto racing story behind Ford’s reign at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in the latter part of the 1960s. Ford v Ferrari is a docudrama with the polish of a big Hollywood production that admittedly both excited and concerned me prior to the positive word of mouth after the Toronto International Film Festival debut since sport-related movies are a hit or miss affair. The production values of the Ron Howard movie Rush has inspired confidence that auto racing can be depicted honourably on the big screen. Much like the Ford GT40 race car that went on to climatic greatness on the race track in 1966 as well as on film screens today, the right balance of parts and components make Ford v...

Photo Credit: Jaguar Land Rover Today, the Land Rover brand exists in a landscape it could not have predicted back when they constructed a Centre Steer prototype meant as a rugged postwar utility vehicle. Land Rover originally developed products directed towards more practical customers envisioning their vehicles on a farm or in other off-roading environments. Of course, today’s automotive customer is now attracted to the marque’s four-wheel drive vehicles as versatile and tough while also supported by premium equipment. The metamorphosis towards a more luxurious focused Land Rover product line largely gave way to its strictly purposeful presence in recent decades with exception of one model. From 1983 to 2016, the Defender nameplate stood alone in Land Rover as a less spoiled sport utility vehicle embodying the traditions of the brand’s original models first sold in the late 1940s. The Land Rover Defender maintained a charmingly bulky shape that included a proven off-roading c...