autoLIFE Quarterly (#1 - Premier Edition) by BILODEAU Media Group

autoLIFE ETHAN BARKLEY: CANADA’S FASTEST MAN ON A MOTORCYCLE autolifequarterly.ca

SUMMER 2010

ISSUE #1

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HONDACR-Z THE NEXT TOP-SELLING HYBRID?

THIS SPORTY TWO-SEATER HAS SLEEK LOOKS, FIERY PERFORMANCE AND IT’LL HELP SAVE THE ENVIRONMENT ...

TOP 10 ALL-TIME COOLEST JAMES BOND RIDES

Spyker C8 Aileron Spyder The New-Generation Spyker

The Spyker C8 Aileron Spyder is an advanced mid-engine, two-seat sports car, featuring a longer wheelbase than Spyker’s existing sports cars, the C8 Laviolette and convertible C8 Spyder. The Aileron is characterized by a distinctive design, lightweight all-aluminium body construction and an uncompromising engineering package. The Spyker C8 Aileron Spyder is handcrafted, using only the finest bespoke materials to create a unique automotive statement. The Aileron features an all-aluminium V8 engine producing 400 bhp and generating 354 lbs of torque at 3,400 rpm. The engine is paired to a manual sixspeed gearbox, driving the rear wheels via a limited slip differential. The Aileron delivers a top speed of 300km/h (187mph) and accelerates from standstill to 60 mph in a mere 4.5 seconds. Optional features include a turned aluminium dashboard fascia, elegant 19-inch directional rotor wheels, branded RotorbladeTM, quilted leather detailing for the cockpit and Chronoswiss dashboard instruments. Additionally, complete custom and unique finishes are available for the experienced connoisseur. Customers may also order a 5-piece Louis Vuitton luggage set exclusively made for Spyker. The Aileron is fitted with a brand new front and rear independent double-wishbone suspension system developed by Lotus. The new suspension system includes a new kinematic layout of the front and rear suspension, front and rear stabilizer bars, mono-tube dampers, coil over damper steel springs, anti-dive and anti-squat setup for improved handling proper-

ties. The suspension components are made of forged aluminium where possible, to keep the vehicle’s unsprung weight as low as possible. Shock absorbers are placed vertically within the wishbones. The AerobladeTM wheels of the first-generation cars are replaced by newly-designed 19-inch alloy wheels. New 12-blade, 19-inch directional rotor wheels, branded RotorbladeTM, are available as an option. These wheels are inspired by the turbine blades of a jet engine, which hints at the new styling direction while respecting the aviation heritage. The 235/35 size tires in front and up to 295/30 at the rear provide exceptional handling. The Aileron’s brakes are supplied by AP Racing, a partner from day one. Black brake callipers with Spyker script are standard. Colour-coded callipers with Spyker script can be ordered as an option. Carbon ceramic brakes will be available as an option soon. The Spyker C8 Aileron Spyder sports a high-quality, semi-automatic canvas soft-top. The roof’s operation is electric/hydraulic, secured by one central latch operated manually. Once folded, the soft-top is totally enclosed within the body of the car, allowing for an undisturbed profile. The roof retracts under an aluminium tonneau, with two buttresses upholstered in quilted Hulshof leather (matching the car’s interior) and featuring the company’s motto “Nulla Tenaci Invia Est Via” (“For the tenacious, no road is impassable”). The soft top

has a glass rear window and is available in eight colours. The Aileron Spyder features a luggage rack, CNCmachined from solid billets of aluminium, mounted immediately behind the roll hoops, on which a wingshaped aluminium case is strapped. The case is trimmed in the same quilted leather as the interior and buttresses. With more cars going into the market and the increased popularity of the iPod and similar products, demand rose for a standard factory-fitted sound system. As a result, every Aileron will feature a Kharma audio system as standard equipment, incorporating a digital radio, Bluetooth interface, iPod connectivity and a navigation system. The Kharma sound system offers a turbine-shaped control mounted on the central gearlever bar and a dashboard display, paired to six Kharma loudspeakers. It can be upgraded with an optional audio package. The presence of a Kharma sound system in the Spyker C8 Aileron marks Kharma’s debut in the world of automotive entertainment. Kharma International produces high-end audio products, sold worldwide through a network of highly qualified distributors and dealers. All Kharma sound systems are developed, assembled and tested in the Netherlands, with the utmost care by a team of highly engaged specialists. These characteristics of high-quality products and exclusiveness are fully in line with Spyker’s brand values of craftsmanship and exclusivity.

CHEVROLET CORVETTE STINGRAY CONCEPT

SUMMER 2010 ::: ISSUE #1

ISSUE CONTENTS

FEATURE PROFILE

Merchant of Speed

Canada’s fastest man on a motorcycle talks about the origins of his addiction to velocity and the career path that makes brushes with death a common occurence.

FEATURE ARTICLES 30

MOVIE MOTORING

Top 10 Rides of 007

Everyone’s favourite spy guy has driven some pretty incredible vehicles over the years.

OFF-ROAD ETIQUETTE

Assumed Privilege

Finding the balance between entitlement and accountability. by PETER STRAUB

by SCOTT DUMAS

by JOE PESKUNOWICZ

ON THIS PAGE: MERCHANT OF SPEED PHOTO OF ETHAN BARKLEY by LAUREN BARKLEY

SUMMER 2010 | ISSUE #1 | AUTOLIFEQUARTERLY.CA

ON THE COVER

Honda CR-Z Hybrid The next No.1 seller?

by BILL ROBINSON

WATER SPORTS

Rage on the River

Jetboat racing is beyond a simple adrenalin rush. by JD BERMUDEZ

ISSUE CONTENTS

SUMMER 2010 ::: ISSUE #1

MORE INSIDE 10

Show ’n Shine

ALQ checks out the annual auto show in Didsbury, AB. by MIKE BRADLEY

Laugh Track

Some fuel-injected funnies to brighten up your day. by THE ALQ STAFF

Gadgets & Gizmos

From high-tech communication to keeping your beer cold. by SETH MILLER

Why The Fine!

Alberta prepares itself for the invocation of Bill 16. by ROB GREGORY

Concepts & Technology The GM EN-V could very well accelerate our laziness. by TODD MACKIE

Game Review

Disney Interactive launches their latest racing game, Split/Second. by JOSH KOENIG

Audio/Video & Nav

The boys from AutoTemp up the Pimp-factor in this Lamborghini. by DAVID KIRKLAND

Celebrity Rides

Gerry Forbes from Calgary’s CJAY92 FM radio and his Bentley. by DYLAN WEBBER

Making Waves

A side-by-side spec check on some of the market’s leading PWCs. by PAUL KANE

Cart Racing?

You could be the big-daddy on the links in these custom golf carts. by DAN CHILTON

Hot Roddin’

One of our own writers shows off his custom 1930 Ford Model A. by STEVE TSANG

SUMMER 2010 | ISSUE #1 | AUTOLIFEQUARTERLY.CA

from the editor

irst and foremost, I’d like to thank you for picking up this Premier Edition of AUTOLIFE Quarterly. If you’ll pardon the pun, it’s been a long, hard road finally getting it into your hands. And secondly, let me just say that I hope you’re holding this magazine right now and thinking the same thing we were when we first decided to begin publishing it ... “It’s about flippin’ time!” Speaking strictly for myself, if I had to walk into one more auto dealership, service station, or even a coffee shop and flip through another one of those outrageously pretentious and far too abundant condo magazines, I was going to snap. Have you ever stood back and given a broad perusal of a magazine section in a convenience store or a book shop? Of course you haven’t. Why the heck would you? But if you had, you might have noticed that there are just as many, if not more, auto-related magazines on the shelves than there are Hollywood gossip rags. Would you be surprised if I told you that Alberta is basically considered to be the entrepreneurial capital of Canada? Nah, you probably already knew that. We’re the hub of our nation’s oil industry and still the only province in the country without a Provincial Sales Tax. But what if I told you that it is believed there are more auto-related businesses (both corporate and private) in Alberta than in any other industry ... including oil?! Clearly, Albertans love their vehicles. So, we figured it was time, in the midst of all of those freebie real estate brochures calling themselves magazines, to bring out a quality, glossy periodical that was geared solely around the automotive industry (there I go with the puns again) and better yet, focused specifically on our own back yard here in Alberta. So here it is ... AUTOLIFE Quarterly. Have a seat, sip your coffee and flip through our Premier Edition. If you find a moment, I’d love to get your feedback and comments about your initial thoughts. Our intention is to design this magazine so it addresses your passion for all things auto-related. And without your input to guide us, we can’t truly say that we’re representing you, our Alberta reader. I’m not expecting us to come off with perfect marks, but I hope you’ll write in, participate, really become involved with this magazine and allow us to grow. Enjoy! — MARK BILODEAU MARKB.ALQ@GMAIL.COM

SUMMER 2010 | ISSUE #1 | AUTOLIFEQUARTERLY.CA

PUBLISHER: 1512489 Alberta Ltd. EDITOR IN CHIEF: Mark G. Bilodeau TECHNICAL DIRECTOR: Anthony Lowery CREATIVE DIRECTOR: John Hull ARTISTIC DIRECTOR: Monica Collier DESIGN DIRECTOR: Ryan Fodale CONTRIBUTING WRITERS:

JD Bermudez, Dan Chilton, Scott Dumas, Rob Gregory, Paul Kane, David Kirkland, Josh Koenig, Todd Mackie, Seth Miller, Joe Peskunowicz, Bill Robinson, Peter Straub, Steve Tsang, Dylan Webber

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS: Mark G. Bilodeau, Mulner-Photography.com

EVENT PHOTOGRAPHER: Mike Bradley COPY EDITOR: Bonny Leung PREPRESS: Dan Boyes WEB DEVELOPMENT: Sean Munson MARKETING DIRECTOR: Karen Briggs ADVERTISING INQUIRIES: Alberta Sales Office T 403.703.1915 E autolife@shaw.ca

AUTOLIFE Quarterly Magazine is published four times per year by 1512489 Alberta Ltd. 35 Cranberry Square SE Calgary, Alberta T3M 1J4 PRINTED IN CANADA BY

All Trademarks presented in this magazine are owned by the registered owner. All advertisements appearing in this magazine are the sole responsibility of the person, business or corporation advertising their product or service. For more information on AUTOLIFE Quarterly’s Privacy Policy and Intention of Use, please see our website at www.autolifequarterly.ca. All content, photographs and articles appearing in this magazine are represented by the contributor as original content and the contributor will hold AUTOLIFE Quarterly and its parent company, 1512489 Alberta Ltd., harmless against any and all damages that may arise from their contribution. All public correspondence, which may include, but is not limited to letters, e-mail, images and contact information, received by AUTOLIFE Quarterly or 1512489 Alberta Ltd. becomes the property of 1512489 Alberta Ltd. and is subject to publication. AUTOLIFE Quarterly and its parent company, 1512489 Alberta Ltd., may not be held responsible for the safety or return of any unsolicited manuscripts, photographs and other materials. Reproduction of this publication in whole or in part without written consent from AUTOLIFE Quarterly and/or its parent company, 1512489 Alberta Ltd., is strictly prohibited.

ALQ ON-SITE

SMALL TOWN, BIG SHOW

ALQ was out at the annual Show ’n Shine in Didsbury, AB. These are just a few snaps of some of the incredible vehicles we got to see.

SUMMER 2010 | ISSUE #1 | AUTOLIFEQUARTERLY.CA

PHOTOGRAPHS BY MIKE BRADLEY AND MARK G. BILODEAU

laugh track

“When buying a used car, punch the buttons on the radio. If all the stations are rock and roll, there’s a good chance the transmission is shot.” ~Larry Lujack

send us your best joke at: autolife@shaw.ca

A man stormed into a bar and abruptly yelled an announcement to all of the patrons, “I’m having one of the worst days of my life and I swear I’m this close to beating the living daylights out of someone! My wife told me this morning at breakfast that she’s been sleeping with our neighbour for over a year, I just lost my job and now my stupid car has run out of gas right in front of this lousy bar! So I want to know, and I want to know now ... Who’s the strongest guy in here?!!” A very large and ominous man slowly rose from his barstool and ambled slowly and menacingly over to the little angry man. Standing more than a foot taller, he looked down and said, “I guess that would be me.” The enraged fellow contorted his neck and looked all the way up at the imposing giant. He took a deep breath, as if to screw up his courage, and said, “Do you think I could get you to push my car to the nearest gas station?”

A businessman walked into a Calgary bank and asked for the loan ofﬁcer. He said he was going to Europe on business for two weeks and needed to borrow $5,000. The loan ofﬁcer said the bank would need some security for such a loan. The business man then handed

over the keys to a Rolls Royce that was parked on the street in front of the bank. Everything checked out and the loan officer accepted the car as collateral for the loan. An employee then drove the Rolls into the bank’s underground garage and parked it there. Two weeks later the businessman returned, repaid the $5,000 along with the interest, which came to $15.41. The loan officer said, “We do appreciate your business and this transaction has worked out very nicely, but we are a bit puzzled. While you were away we checked and found that you are a multimillionaire. What puzzles us is why you would bother to borrow $5,000?” The business man replied: “Where else in Calgary can I park my car for two weeks for fifteen bucks?”

The Canadian National Transportation Safety Board recently divulged they had been covertly funding a secret project with various auto manufacturers for the past five years, whereby the auto manufacturers were installing black boxes in fourwheel drive pickup trucks in an effort to determine, in fatal accidents, the circumstances involved during the last fifteen seconds before the crash. They were surprised to find that in all three territories and nine

SUMMER 2010 | ISSUE #1 | AUTOLIFEQUARTERLY.CA

of the ten provinces the last words of drivers in 61.2% of fatal crashes were: “Oh, shit!”

Only in the province of Saskatchewan were the results found to be different, where 89.3% of the ﬁnal words were: “Hold my beer and watch this!”

Porsche driver saw the scooter driver lying in the road. He rushed over to him and asked how he could possibly be going as fast as the Porsche on a little wimpy scooter. The dying man replied, “Normally I can’t, but my suspenders were caught on your side mirror.”

A man in a Porsche 911 stops at a stoplight and a guy on a scooter pulls up next to him. The guy on the scooter leans over and takes an admiring look at the inside of the Porsche and tells the driver that he has a really hot car. The light turns green and the driver of the Porsche decides to show off and peels out, leaving the guy on the scooter in the dust.

A big-rig driver is driving east on HWY 1 when he sees another truck approaching him driving west. All of a sudden, his CB crackles to life.

All of a sudden, he sees the scooter zip past him. Being a little cocky, the Porsche driver floors it again and blows past the guy on the scooter. A few seconds later, he again sees the scooter zip on past him. Now he’s a little irate that the scooter keeps passing him so he floors it until he is going well over 100 mph. He thinks to himself that there would be no way the scooter could catch him now, but then looks in the rearview mirror and sees the scooter starting to catch up. He decides he wants to find out how the scooter is actually doing this and slams on his brakes. The scooter comes flying up and crashes into the Porsche.

The other trucker says, “You and your brother.”

After the dust settled, the

”Hey good buddy,” comes the voice over his CB, “who are the two biggest poofs in Canada?” “I don’t know,” replied the bigrig driver.

The big-rig driver got very annoyed, but the other driver assured him it was just a friendly joke. “Tell it to the next truck you see,” he said. The big-rig driver continued on for about an hour and ﬁnally saw another truck. He got on the CB and said, “Hey good buddy. Do you know who the two biggest poofs in the world are?” The other trucker replied, “No, I don’t. Who?” The big-rig driver quipped, “Me and my brother!”

GADGETS & GIZMOS

Seth Miller

ON THE GO: Are you planning your next hardcore back-country camping trip

with the ATVs? Be sure to check out this collection of accessories before you head out. They could not only add to your enjoyment, but they might even save your life.

The ICE 3

P3 Innovations Ltd. $26.99 This ultra-rugged cooler is the premium food and beverage container. Designed in Calgary, AB., there is little to zero wasted space. This three-in-one chill system lets you ﬁll either side of the ICE 3 with fresh water and then freeze it for maximum refrigeration. Inside, it’s molded to perfectly ﬁt six standard pop or beer cans ... or your snacks. It’ll take about six hours for the water to melt, but then you’ll have up to four litres of fresh drinking water.

Scala Rider Q2 Cardo Systems, Inc. $529.99

It’s like having a complete communications and entertainment system right in your helmet. This headset package allows rider-to-rider communication up to a range of 500m without any of that annoying your-turn/my-turn walkie-talkie stuff. Riders can speak and listen simultaneously. This little baby also allows connectivity to your mobile phone or GPS device via Bluetooth technology. And with its built-in FM radio and MP3 jack, your tunes are always there.

SUMMER 2010 | ISSUE #1 | AUTOLIFEQUARTERLY.CA

Smart Shot 900 Yuasa Battery, Inc. $48.99

Having a reliable battery charger is a great idea, but when you’re out in the deep brush, prioritizing your available storage space is at an all-time premium. This pint-sized powerhouse will slip into any pack or saddlebag without adding any noticeable extra weight. It provides a fully automatic three-level charge system that will reach up to a 14.4 volt peak and then immediately switch to ﬂoat, which can actually increase the life of your battery.

SPOT Satellite Personal Tracker SPOT LLC $119.99

Compact and rugged, this GPS tracker can keep you in touch with your friends and family when you’re on one of those way out of the way excursions. You can let people know exactly where you are, anywhere on the planet, and the progress of your trip with just the push of a button. And just in case you get into some kind of trouble, there are call buttons for immediate help in both life threatening and non-life threatening situations.

WTF! (Why The Fine!)

Rob Gregory a Motor Vehicle”. This would include being behind the wheel while stopped at a red light. Therefore, the police could charge someone stopped at a red light, looking at a map or pressing the speed-dial button on their Bluetooth-enabled cell phone. What does this pending legislation not address? A driver: • Adjusting the car radio/cd player/ iPod interface/ seat controls. • Engaged in a dramatic argument with their passenger, hand-gestures included. • Watching the jogger on the sidewalk during the nicest day of the year. • Balancing a double-double while rolling up the rim.

Trying to Legislate Common Sense

he province of Alberta has had very few changes to the Traffic Safety Act and related regulations during the seven years since it was implemented. But the province is jumping onto the Canada-wide bandwagon by instituting a hand-held cell phone ban. And it goes a few steps beyond just cell phones. Alberta’s “Bill 16”, aka The Distracted Driving amendment, will create an offence for drivers engaged in a wide variety of activities behind the wheel. Not only will manipulating a cell phone become an offence, but laying fingers upon a GPS system, printed material, grooming or hygiene products will also be prohibited. There are a number of exemptions under the Act. 2-way radios can be used, when required due to employment. Emergency vehicles and those using their phones for 911 calls are also exempt. Devices used in

hands-free mode are exempt. (Billion-dollar cosmetic idea: Hands-free lip gloss ...) Many have argued that this is an essential piece of legislation, necessary to curb drivers who utilize their cell phones to such a degree that it creates a hazardous situation. But Alberta already has a charge to cover this, and it’s called “Careless Driving” or “Driving Without Due Care and Attention” (Section 115(2)(b) T.S.A.) It’s been on the books for decades, and has been used in prosecutions for a variety of scenarios, both minor and major. If we already have an offence to cover distracted driving, why do we need a cell phone ban? Quite simply, the easier a law is to interpret, the easier it is to obtain convictions. Where the Court may require some driving evidence to show that a driver was “careless” while using his cell phone (ie swerving out of the lane, rear-ending a vehicle, or running a stop sign), there would be no driving evidence required to convict a person under Bill 16. In fact, driving is defined under the Traffic Safety Act as being in “Care or Control of

The province has indicated that “Distracted Driving” charges will not carry demerit points. However, it is possible that convictions under this section will be added to a driving record. A moving violation on a driving record, even without demerit points, is an insurance concern. As of this writing, Bill 16 hasn’t been enacted as law, and likely won’t be passed until spring of 2011. Comments or concerns should be directed to your local M.L.A. O

The Top 5 Charges that Drivers Didn’t Know Were Against the Law:

1 2

U-turns between intersections or at controlled intersections

Passing Emergency Vehicles or Tow Trucks over 60 km/hr in the adjacent lane.

Left Turns: No requirement to “clear intersection” when light cycles yellow or red. Turn must be done in safety. Drivers facing green light must yield to vehicle lawfully in intersection.

Merge Signs: The requirement for drivers to allow a vehicle to merge into their lane.

No Insurance: The onus on a driver to determine insurance on another party’s vehicle prior to driving. Carries a minimum fine of $2,500 plus a $375 Victim Crime Surcharge.

Rob Gregory is the owner of Gregory Ticket Office. He is a former police officer and Provincial Prosecutor, with 19 years of experience in Alberta’s Traffic Court.

SUMMER 2010 | ISSUE #1 | AUTOLIFEQUARTERLY.CA

CONCEPTS & TECHNOLOGY

by Todd

Mackie

Green With EN-V æ Could it be? Could the days of GM’s gas-guzzling HUMMERs, trucks and SUVs be coming to an end in order to make way for a profoundly more compact, more environmentally friendly mode of transportation? If their launch at the Shanghai Expo earlier this year is any indication of a new direction, the renowned tycoons of torque could be on the brink of becoming the world’s next urban commute forerunners.

The GM Corporation and their Chinese partners SAIC (Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation) are jointly hosting a pavilion at this year’s Shanghai Expo (currently running) where they are showcasing their “Electric Networked-Vehicle” or EN-V (pronounced “envy”). This twowheel, two-seater, fully electric vehicle is not only GM’s attempt to market a feasibly small, lightweight and fully emission-free automobile, but rather a potentially new direction in automobile design altogether.

Measuring a miniscule 5’x5’ and weighing all of 800lbs (with passengers), this oversized dustbuster-looking transport, powered by a lithium-ion phosphate battery, can reach a top speed of 40km/h and travel a maximum distance of 40km on a single charge. True, it doesn’t sound like much, but given the fact that it can be recharged by simply plugging it into an everyday wall socket, juicing back up is a relatively easy task. Equipped with an “autonomous driving” system, which utilizes an elaborate GPS network, operators need only enter their destination into the navigational system and the EN-V will drive them there all by itself. Combined with its built-in object detection sensors, the possibility of a collision with another vehicle, a pedestrian or even a stray dog would be virtually eliminated. GM insists that none of this is beyond today’s existing technology, and that it’s merely a matter of the application. And even though the EN-V appears to be setting the stage for a completely remote controlled future, the executives at GM assure us that the “autonomous driving” system would be purely optional. Although the practical functionality of the EN-V is certainly obvious, the purely optional statement is probably the most refreshing. After all, why on earth would anybody want to completely remove the fun and excitement of actually driving?

SUMMER 2010 | ISSUE #1 | AUTOLIFEQUARTERLY.CA

GAME REVIEW

Josh Koenig

A New Way To Race!

plit/Second is the brand new racing videogame released by Disney Interactive. This game is unlike any other game I’ve ever seen to date. In most versions, you travel around a simple paved road jockeying for position. But in Split/Second, you have the added aspect of “power-ups”. Not only do they allow you to drop ﬂying debris on your opponents, they also give you the option of changing the racecourse. The inclusion of this feature really keeps you on the edge of your seat because the dynamics of the game are always changing.

Twenty-ﬁve spectacular vehicles are featured in this game, most of which feature the

SUMMER 2010 | ISSUE #1 | AUTOLIFEQUARTERLY.CA

sleek curves and astounding bodies of all the favourite super cars. As you progress in the game, you can unlock stylish Ferraris, Lamborghinis, and Lotuses, as well as several popular North American models, including the Camaro and the Ford GT. There is not a single vehicle in this game I have not dreamt of owning. The esthetics of this game is quite enthralling. The graphics are detailed, including a comprehensive background. A feature incorporated into this game, that I particularly liked, was the ability to race in third person or in ﬁrst person. For those who are inexperienced with the controls and feel of the vehicles, the third person view will make the experience more enjoyable. However, if you want to take full control of everything around you and make it feel more realistic, playing

in the ﬁrst person is strongly recommended. As for the actual game play, there are a few drawbacks. The drifting is not very well developed. You lose control quite easily and come out of the corners slower than if you were to just slow down. Another minus is having the vehicles bounce off the walls and other racers in the game. The absence of damage (or even a stopping of the vehicle) really seems to take away from the realism. However, the most irkcome of which is having no sense of speed. Luckily, the handling is very sensitive and precise, so you can easily correct yourself when things get out of control. All in all, Split/Second is deﬁnitely worth a look. Its dazzling cars, amazing graphics, and action-packed levels will certainly give you one exciting ride. O

PERFE Improving On

SUMMER 2010 | ISSUE #1 | AUTOLIFEQUARTERLY.CA

ECTION by DAVID KIRKLAND studio photography by MULNER-PHOTOGRAPHY.COM

installation detail photos provided courtesy of AutoTemp Air & Sound

AUDIO/VIDEO & NAVIGATION

David Kirkland

e’ve all seen MTV’s Pimp My Ride where rap mogul and car buff, Xzibit, ﬁnds some guy who delivers pizzas for a living or works at a fast food drive-thru window, takes the rusted out bucket of bolts he’s been driving for the past umpteen years over to his pals at Galpin Auto Sports (they took over the contract from West Coast Customs as of Season 5) and they proceed to completely rebuild the clunker from the ground up. In many cases, so much so, it’s to the point where there’s very little of the original car left. This all certainly looks impressive when it’s shot, edited and laid out on big production TV, but when you think about the fact that these guys are starting with next to (and in some cases, less than) nothing, there’s no place for them to go but up. So what happens when your ride is already considered to be among the elite in automotive design and performance? How do you improve on something that is presently, for all intents and purposes, perfect? This was the dilemma Calgary businessman, Bob Fonger, was faced with. He is the proud owner of a 1975 Lamborghini Countach. This machine rides on a supercharged LT1 engine, cranking out 450 hp and

SUMMER 2010 | ISSUE #1 | AUTOLIFEQUARTERLY.CA

490 lb-ft of torque. It hits a top speed of a little better than 190 mph (which ain’t too shabby, considering it’s from 1975). Bob wanted to take the baby he loved and make her better ... which is kind of like taking a supermodel shopping. Where the heck do you start? So he took her in to Rick Moorman and the boys at AutoTemp Air and Sound in northeast Calgary, AB. And like Michelangelo being handed a fresh, unadulterated lump of clay, they enthusiastically went to work. The decision was to install a high-end audio system that was acoustically designed to produce an optimal sound inside the cockpit of this particular supercar. Added to that, they chose to address the issue of limited visibility, which is typical with this vehicle. Leading off was a Pioneer AVIC-Z110BT in-dash navigation touch screen. It’s a 7-inch display screen, plugged into a GPS system for road navigation and capable of DVD playback. There’s also an uplink for your iPod and it has a completely hands-free built-in Bluetooth system that operates on voice recognition. (Take that Bill 16!) The front stage of this sound system is centred around an Audison LRx 4.1k ampliﬁer. This is a 4-channel amp, but is used in 3-channel mode, pushing out 130W x 2 and 700W x 1. The rear channel called for another Audison amp. This time it was the LRx 2.4, producing 130W x 2. Together, these two would feed to a full front and rear focal speaker system, using components by Utopia. And to make sure nothing gets lost in transmission, all wiring and signal cable used came from the

Sonus line from Audison, which boasts 110% noise cancellation for the true audio enthusiast. Personally, I don’t know how it’s physically possible to remove something completely and then somehow continue to remove it a little bit more, but hey, I guess that’s where “marketing” comes in. Either way, it does sound phenomenal. Of course, no sound system could be complete without a high-end subwoofer. For this system, it was a JL Audio 13TW5. It’s ultra-thin design and shallow mounting depth were perfect for the limited space available in the Lambo. And what’s the point of laying in all this incredible hardware if it’s just going to rattle the framework and allow the sound to escape from the interior? So a complete aluminum sound-dampening system by Cascade Audio Engineering was used throughout the entire vehicle. When it came to the task of tackling the visibility issue, Rick and the boys went super high-tech. They installed exterior weather-proof cameras on the front and rear of the car, which feed to the in-dash LCD screen. These cameras have both day and night-vision capabilities, so the system will work even after the sun goes down. Driving an instrument like the Lambo, however, is every bit as much about feel as it is about the actual visual experience. And you can’t very well expect Bob to be looking at his LCD monitor the entire time he’s driving, so parking and drive-assist censors were also installed, which provide both an audio and video awareness signal in case something gets a little too close.

AUTOLIFEQUARTERLY.CA | SUMMER 2010 | ISSUE #1

AUDIO/VIDEO & NAVIGATION

David Kirkland

With the two key issues taken care of, it was time to have some fun. Additional 7-inch LCD display screens were installed in the side pillars and show through the rear side windows. A separate iPod can be hooked up to these screens in order to play a movie or slideshow to people outside the car. A small Pioneer amp was then installed under the seat and a pair of outdoor speakers were hidden in the body panels. Now there’s a fully functional exterior audio/video package to make all the looky-loos even more jealous than they already are. Finally, given that a Lamborghini is nothing, if not a performance machine, a Pioneer AVG-VDP1 Vehicle Dynamics Processor with an additional interactive LCD touch panel was installed in order to maintain a constant and comprehensive diagnostic of the car at all times. Quantum leaps beyond a simple dashboard display, this processor provides real-time intel on everything from simple speed and RPMs to estimated horsepower, torque ... even lateral G-forces. All-in-all, a car that was initially sexy and covetable has now been transformed into an instrument of pure and unforgiving lust ... for both the owner and all onlookers. Xzibit and his pals may be able to take a blank canvas and paint a masterpiece, but true talent can be found in the crew who can take the Mona Lisa and improve upon her to the point where even Da Vinci would say “Sweet!” O

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CELEBRITY RIDES

Dylan Webber

SUMMER 2010 | ISSUE #1 | AUTOLIFEQUARTERLY.CA

The Driver: GERRY FORBES Morning Show host on Calgary’s CJAY92 FM

The Car: 2004 BENTLEY ARNAGE 6750cc 6.8L V8 | 400HP SAE @ 4000 rpm | 616 ft-lb

So, is she fast? The car will do the same as a Lamborghini. It’ll get up to 296km/h.

does, right? Seriously, the car weighs over 5000lbs. But the torque on the thing is unbelievable.

Have you ever taken it to the red line? I have the wife, so it’s tough. I have the “nag-igator”. Some people have a speedometer ... I have the “nag-igator”, so it gets tough to get it over 140km/h. I think the fastest I’ve had it is 200km/h without her in the car.

It sounds like quite the machine. It’s an unbelievable automobile. It’s Bentley for a reason. That body style is Rolls Royce. And I think that engine is one of the last Rolls Royce ones before they went to BMW. And everything is hand-stitched in the car.

Have you ever gunned it to see how quickly you could go from 0-100km/h? Uh ... it goes quick. I’ve never timed it, but it goes quick. And the car is so smooth. I mean, it weighs what a pick-up truck

How did you hear about this car being available to buy? I had bought another one before. I bought an ’89 Turbo R. And after driving that one for a while, I started thinking ‘I wonder what the new ones are like?’ So I called Tony

Dilawri at Calgary Bentley and he told me to go down and take this car for a spin. When I saw the price on it, I went ‘Whoa, this isn’t really what I was wanting to spend.’ But I took the car anyway, and I had it three different times for test drives because he wanted me to buy this car. And finally I told him I’d take it. But I got him to knock down the price three different times, so it was ok. Have you done any modifications to it? No. No modifications at all. It’s a Bentley. When the car comes, there’s nothing they could possibly screw up. The car is just phenomenal. If you’re going to buy a luxury touring-mobile, go Rolls Royce or Bentley ... you can’t do any better than that.

THE

TOP 10 RIDES

SUMMER 2010 | ISSUE #1 | AUTOLIFEQUARTERLY.CA

TOP 10 JAMES BOND RIDES

Scott Dumas

Glastron GT-150 Live And Let Die

Q-Boat

The World Is Not Enough A Q-Boat was a heavily armed merchant ship that was loaded with concealed weaponry and designed to lure submarines into making surface attacks. The purpose of the Q-Boat was to be “a wolf in sheep’s clothing”. They were used in the First and Second World Wars as a countermeasure against the German U-Boats and Japanese submarines. In The World Is Not Enough, Bond steals the Q-Boat from MI6 after seeing Cigar Girl race her Sunseeker down the Thames. The boat is small and agile and is super fast, being propelled by its twin jet-powered thrust. Cigar Girl blasts machine gun ﬁre at the Q-Boat so Bond navigates the vessel into a 360-degree spin, knocking out the gun, then safely landing it back in the water. The boat is also equipped with dual heat-seeking torpedoes, an on-board navigational computer, and a dive feature. It can also travel on land.

Glastron was originally a Texas-based company, started in 1956. The idea was to make boats out of a revolutionary material called fiberglass. The name of the company was realized by taking “Glas” from fiberglass and “Tron”, which sounded futuristic and hi-tech. Glastron has been an industry leader in boats ever since. They had sleek-looking designs with tailfins and two-tone finishes, as well as seats that looked like living room furniture. In the ‘60s, Glastron introduced the stern drive as well as the aqua-lift hull. In the ‘70s, Glastron introduced the SSV (Super-Stable V) hull and early in the 2000’s, they invented the VEC, or Virtual Engineered Composites, a closed-mold hull manufacturing process that revolutionized how boats were made. In Live And Let Die, Bond escapes from Kananga’s crocodile farm in a Glastron GT-150 and heads for the Irish Bayou in the Louisiana swamps. His pursuers drive the V-162 Futura, the V-145 Fireflite, the V-156 Sportster, and a V-184 Crestflite. When Bond finds his stretch of bayou leads to a causeway, he sends his GT150 up an embankment, sailing over Sheriff J. W. Pepper’s car and into the water on the other side.

BMW 740iL

Tomorrow Never Dies Although it was stated in the film that Bond’s BMW was a 750iL, the cars actually used in the filming were all rebadged 740iLs. In 1997, the North American model 740iL was powered by a 4.4L V8 engine. Although impressive on its own, it was still a far cry from the 5.4L V12 that roared under the hood of the actual 750iL. All of the cars used in Tomorrow Never Dies were rigged so they could be driven from the backseat. This allowed for the amazing car chase through the parking garage. Bond’s BMW had the usual features, like rocket launchers, re-inflating tires and wire cutters. But the coolest thing about this car was that Bond was able to navigate it with his cell phone.

AUTOLIFEQUARTERLY.CA | SUMMER 2010 | ISSUE #1

TOP 10 JAMES BOND RIDES

Scott Dumas

Acrostar Minijet Octopussy

Gustav Graves’ Ice Dragster Die Another Day

Gustav Graves is seen early in the movie trying to break his personal best time in this state-of-the-art ice vehicle. Later in the movie, while Bond is trying to escape, he commandeers the Ice Dragster. By avoiding the “Beam of Icarus”, he inadvertently breaks Gustav’s record. He then has to activate the grappling hook, which hooks on to the side of a cliff, and has Bond suspended by a thin rope. From the parts of the dragster, Bond creates a para-sail and escapes, but not before he out-surfs a large tidal wave. Unfortunately, not much is known about the technical speciﬁcations of this jet-propelled dragster, but we still thought it was pretty darn cool nonetheless.

SUMMER 2010 | ISSUE #1 | AUTOLIFEQUARTERLY.CA

The Acrostar is the world’s smallest jet aeroplane. This kit plane was designed by engineer and aeronautics freak Jim Bede and was known as the BD-5J. Two BD-5J enthusiasts, Corkey Fornhoff and Bob Bishop, modified the kit plane to their own specifications and used them as part of their aerial acrobatics team, The Acrojets. It was these modified planes that were known as the Acrostar Special. The original design was to have a piston engine but Bede couldn’t find one reliable enough so he decided to try a jet engine. Unfortunately, the Microturbo engine was rare and very expensive. The jet is so small it was concealed in a horse trailer in Octopussy, complete with a fake horse ass. Not sure what kind of gadgets the Minijet has, but in the film, Bond needs to escape being captured to finish his mission. He enters the horse trailer, and exits in the Minijet. While flying, Bond is being pursued by a heat-seeking missile. Unable to shake the missile, he flies through a hanger. The Acrostar barely makes it through when the doors close behind him, thus intercepting his inevitable doom and the hanger blows up.

Little Nellie You Only Live Twice

An autogyro, also known as a gyroplane, rotaplane, or gyrocopter, is a type of rotorcraft which utilizes an unpowered rotor in auto-rotation to develop lift, and an engine-powered propeller, similar to that of a fixed-wing aircraft, to provide thrust. There are three primary flight controls: control stick, rudder pedals, and throttle. The control stick is termed cyclic and tilts the rotor in the desired direction to provide pitch and roll control. The rudder pedals provide yaw control, and the throttle controls engine power. Little Nellie is a small, yellow gyrocopter that was sent to Bond in four large suitcases. After assembling the craft, Bond uses it to scout for lost US and Russian spacecrafts. Little Nellie was loaded with gadgets to fight off his evil nemesis, Spectre. It has two rear flame guns, aerial mines, front-mounted machine guns, two rocket launchers, smoke ejectors, and two heat-seeking air-to-air missiles.

TOP 10 JAMES BOND RIDES

The Moon Buggy Diamonds Are Forever

The Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV), also known as a moon buggy, was a four-wheeled rover used on the Moon during trips 15, 16, and 17 of the Apollo Missions. It was capable of carrying two astronauts, their equipment and lunar supplies. It was an electric vehicle designed to operate in a low-gravity vacuum like the Moon. Four buggies were originally made, at a cost of $38M each. Actual NASA LVR’s were 10 feet long and almost 4 feet high, with a weight of about 460lbs and could carry an extra 1000lbs. The frame was made of aluminum alloy, 2219 tubing alloy, and consisted of a three-part chassis, which was hinged so that it could be folded and hung in the Lunar Module quad 1 bay. The Moon Buggy in Diamonds Are Forever was the only one ever created for the movie. James Bond steals it from Willard Whyte and drives it into the desert. The director wanted the buggy to go 4X4-ing across the dirt-laden landscape. It turned out to be disastrous as the wheels kept falling off. In the movie, during the chase, you actually see that one of the wheels is clearly rolling away (approximately 01:01:40 in the ﬁlm). In the next scene, all the wheels are back on and Bond is still going full throttle.

Lotus Esprit

The Spy Who Loved Me With a steel backbone chassis and a fiberglass body, the Esprit was powered by the Lotus 907 4-cylinder engine, which displaced 2.0 L and produced 160 bhp. The transaxle gearbox was a five-speed unit. It featured inboard rear brakes, as was the typical racing practice of the time. The Series 1 embodied Lotus’ performance through a lightweight mantra, weighing less than 1,000 kg (2,205 lb). Just as Sean Connery was linked to the Aston Martin; Roger Moore was linked to the Lotus Esprit. This car was unique because it could be driven on land and in water. Made famous in The Spy Who Loved Me, it had a schwack of underwater and land-based gadgetry. On Bond’s initial trial run of the Lotus, he gets accosted by some henchmen and Bond hits them with a cement sprayer. Later on, after avoiding some machine gun fire from an evil Bond Girl in a helicopter, 007 launches the Lotus into the ocean where it converts into a submarine. As an underwater vessel, the Esprit’s wheels fold in, fins emerge on both sides, propellers appear out of the back, and a periscope shoots out of the roof. Some of the artillery includes a surface-to-air missile, a front-end torpedo, underwater smoke screen, and a limpet mine dispenser.

Scott Dumas

Citroen 2CV For Your Eyes Only

The Citroen “Deux Chevaux”, which translates to ‘Two Horses’, was an innovative and technologically advanced vehicle designed to move the French peasantry from horse and carts. It has been said that the Citroen is “the most intelligent use of minimalism ever to succeed as a car”. It was designed for low cost, reliability, versatility as well as off-road use. The original “A” series had a 3705cc engine, and were rated at two horsepower, thus the name 2CV. The top speed was barely 40km/h. It had a canvas roof, running from the windshield to the bumper and just two instruments, a speedometer and an ammeter. It only came in one colour: aluminum grey. In For Your Eyes Only, Bond takes over the driving from the vehicle’s owner, Melina Havelock, and despite the lack of horsepower, Bond uses the gutless vehicle to thwart his pursuers. Definitely not known for its speed, the Citroen in the movie was adapted to outrun the Peugeot 504’s. The Citroen Bond was driving ended up going straight down a mountain, through an orchard and was rolled twice. The 2CV was heavily modified for the film. Nearly every part of the original vehicle was replaced with high performance parts.

AUTOLIFEQUARTERLY.CA | SUMMER 2010 | ISSUE #1

TOP 10 JAMES BOND RIDES

Scott Dumas

Aston Martin DB5 Goldﬁnger Thunderball GoldenEye Tomorrow Never Dies Casino Royale

The Aston Martin DB5 ... the most famous and our favourite of all Bond vehicles ... according to CEO Dr. Ulrich Bez, it combines three distinct elements: power, beauty, and soul. The perfect car for the perfect spy. Standard equipment on the DB5 were reclining seats, pile carpet, electric windows and a ﬁre extinguisher. All models had 4 seats and 2 doors. The Bond version, with its many add-ons, has a rotating license plate that is valid in every country, bullet-proof windows, a display that has a homing device, left and right arm rest controls for the front-fender machine-gun, smoke screen, an oil slick, retractable tire shredders, ejector seats, a three-point nail ejector, and a jet-pack in the boot. FYI: DB stands for Dave Brown, who was the head of Aston Martin, from 1947-1972.

DB5 SPEC CHECK: Engine: Power: Torque Weight: Top Speed: 0-60mph:

3995cc | 243.8 cu in | Inline-6 282 bhp @ 5500rpm 288 lb-ft @ 3850rpm 3310 lbs 145mph (233km/h) 7.1 seconds

*Source: Motor Magazine road test, February 6, 1965

SUMMER 2010 | ISSUE #1 | AUTOLIFEQUARTERLY.CA

PWC COMPARISON CHART

Paul Kane

Á Getting Wet ’n Wild! A side-by-side breakdown of some of today’s more popular personal watercraft.

« Specifications

Kawasaki Ultra 260X

Yamaha FZS

Honda F-15X

Sea-Doo RXT-X 260

Engine:

Supercharged & Intercooled 4-Stroke DOHC Inline 4-cylinder 4-valve per cylinder

Supercharged & Intercooled 4-Stroke Inline 4-cylinder

Turbocharged & Intercooled 4-Stroke DOHC Inline 4-cylinder 4-valve per cylinder

Supercharged & Intercooled 4-Stroke SOHC 4-valve per cylinder

Displacement:

1498 cc

1812 cc

1470 cc

1494 cc

Bore x Stroke:

83mm x 69.2mm

86mm x 78mm

79mm x 75mm

100mm x 63.4mm

8.4:1

8.6:1

8.5:1

8.4:1

Self diagnostic PGM-FI Auto-enricher circuit

Roots-type Supercharger Air-to-Water Intercooler

200 hp

260 hp

Compression Ratio: Induction System: Maximum HorsePower: Cooling System: Fuel System: Ignition: Lubrication: Coupling: Propultion:

260 hp

210 hp

Inducted water

Open-looped, water

Digital Fuel Injection

Electronic Fuel Injection

Digital 3-D Fuel Injection

Multi-Port Fuel Injection

TCBI with digital advance

Direct Ignition

Digital with 3-D mapping

Digital Induction

Semi-Dry Sump

Wet Sump

Dry Sump

Dual Auto-Siphon Pump

Direct to jet pump

Direct drive

Direct drive from engine

Closed-loop, coolant

155mm jet pump Axial-flow Single stage

155mm Axial-flow

155mm jet pump Axial-flow Single stage

Racing pump Axial-flow Single stage

3-blade Oval-edge Stainless Steel

3-blade Stainless Steel

78 litres

70 litres

60 litres

1062.8 lbs

813.5 lbs

955 lbs

855 lbs

132.7 in

133.8 in

139 in

Width:

46.9 in

48.4 in

49 in

48 in

Height:

45.3 in

45.7 in

42.4 in

46.5 in

Impeller: Fuel Capacity: Curb Weight: Length:

Roots-type Supercharger Air-to-Water Intercooler

SUMMER 2010 | ISSUE #1 | AUTOLIFEQUARTERLY.CA

ECO 38

SUMMER 2010 | ISSUE #1 | AUTOLIFEQUARTERLY.CA

SEXY Let’s Get

BY BILL ROBINSON

LOOKS. PERFORMANCE. ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY. THE NEW 2011 HONDA CR-Z IS A TRIPLE THREAT!

HONDA CR-Z

Bill Robinson

honestly cannot remember the last time a dog humped my leg. Maybe I’m not hanging out with the right crowd. Still, as distasteful as I find the whole canine leg assault, I always feel slightly bad at having to shake the dog off when he is enjoying himself so much. And make no mistake about it; that dog is having the time of his life. The reason that I bring this up is because the new Honda CR-Z has got me excited like, well, a dog that has found just the right sized leg. The 2011 edition of the all-new Honda CRZ sport hybrid coupe brings together a great number of elements that many people look for in a vehicle. “The CR-Z is a personal sport hybrid coupe for people with a spirit of adventure and an elevated sense of responsibility toward the environment,” said John Mendel, Executive Vice President of Sales for American Honda. “It’s the first hybrid designed to maximize style and fun, in addition to efficiency and economy.” Now, generally speaking, society has begun to come to grips with the fact that we all need to be more environmentally conscious

SUMMER 2010 | ISSUE #1 | AUTOLIFEQUARTERLY.CA

in our lives. The problem is, most of us are just not quite ready to give up that level of comfort we are used to. That assumed level of comfort goes beyond the food we eat and the size of our televisions; it also applies to our vehicles.

black material of the dashboard is accentuated with aluminum trim and boasts a threedimensional, multi-layered instrument panel. As you slide into the driver’s seat, the wraparound concept of the interior gives you the feeling that you are entering a cockpit.

As North Americans, we must admit that we are consumers. We love our comfort. We crave that which is stylish. That love of comfort and style is what gives the CR-Z such versatility in terms of acceptance and appreciation. Bringing a sense of environmental awareness without sacriﬁcing that which we crave, means that the CR-Z literally allows you to have your cake and eat it too.

The CR-Z includes a wide variety of extras we have come to expect from our modes of transportation. Power locks, power windows, cruise control, climate control, standard sixspeed transmission, and a six speaker sound system, are just some of the features you can look forward to. Beyond that, there is a range of additional features included on the CR-Z EX. Superior headlights, on/off fog lights, a seven speaker sound system with subwoofer, Bluetooth hands-free link, leather steering wheel and more, make this already sleek car even better.

The exterior has a sleek feel to it. The shape of the vehicle is such that it seems to constantly be leaning forward, like a sprinter in the starting blocks. To further complement its athletic feel, the short wheelbase and large, wide front grille give the CR-Z a dynamic and vigorous appearance. Better yet, the esthetic value of CR-Z doesn’t stop at its outer shell. The ahead of its time hi-tech interior will impress as well. The designers seem to have concentrated on ease of use as well as style when putting together what they refer to as ‘ergonomically intuitive controls’. The

The CR-Z is considered one of the lowest emitting vehicles on the road today but it is far from the ﬁrst for Honda. Dating back to 1999 when the company introduced its hybrid, Insight, Honda has made progressive strides in developing hybrid vehicles that are environmentally friendly without having to sacriﬁce style or performance.

HONDA CR-Z

Bill Robinson

The 4-cylinder, 16-valve, single overhead cam engine gets additional power from the system’s DC brushless electric motor. Honda asserts that the “10 kilowatt electric motor assists in acceleration and also acts as a generator during braking or coasting to capture kinetic energy that recharges the 100-volt IMA nickel-metal hydride battery pack. The gasoline engine can actually turn off during vehicle stops to improve efﬁciency.” Despite delivering a peak output of 122 hp, the preliminary fuel economy estimates are still impressive. CVT-equipped models are anticipated to get 13.09 kms to the litre in the city and 13.81 kms to the litre on the highway without giving up any speed or power, all while being considered an ‘Advanced Technology Partial Zero Emissions Vehicle’. Mother Nature has to give you a high ﬁve for that. On the standard transmission, gears 1 through 5 give you optimal power, while the 6th gear allows for optimal fuel economy.

SUMMER 2010 | ISSUE #1 | AUTOLIFEQUARTERLY.CA

There is even a function that temporarily prevents rollback when taking your foot off the brake if the vehicle is stopped on an incline (approximately 1.5 seconds). One of the CR-Z’s truly unique functions is the three-mode drive system. This system allows drivers to choose between three distinct types of performance modes: Sport, Normal and Economy. The Sport mode enhances multiple vehicle systems for performance including the engine throttle responsiveness, electric power steering effort and the electric motor power assist. Economy mode conﬁgures the engine’s responsiveness so as to optimize fuel economy. During the Economy mode, the electric motor assist gives priority to reducing fuel consumption. In the Normal mode, the car operates in its standard settings for steering, engine response, motor assist and air conditioning. As seen previously on their Honda Insight, the CR-Z offers drivers the chance to utilize its Eco Guide and Eco Scoring feature, thus tracking the efﬁciency of the different driving styles.

On the whole, vehicles have not evolved much over the past hundred years or so. Without question, the modern Lamborghini could beat the Model T in a race, so there have been some improvements. However, when compared, for instance, to how far the airplane has come in the same amount of time, it is obvious that the car has yet to go through the same metamorphosis. Start at the Wright brothers’ first plane and end at a Stealth bomber or NASA shuttle. Still think we’ve come so far in the car? We, as a car driven society, seem stuck in a rut in terms of forward thinking visualization, considering the possibilities of the ‘car’. Maybe that is why this car is so interesting. When we look at this latest edition of the Honda CR-Z, it is possible to imagine that we might be on the cusp of the first truly revolutionary evolution of the car. Efficient, powerful, usable, and most importantly environmentally friendly, the CR-Z has merged our desire for style with that of a stewardship for the Earth. It might not be the Stealth Bomber of cars, but then again, it might just be. O

Joe Peskunowicz

Merchant of

ETHAN BARKLEY CHALLENGES ALL OF NEWTON’S LAWS OF PHYSICS.

into the spotlight.

s humble self-effacing Canucks, we seldom pick out fellow Canadians as the “best of the best” when driving a stake into the ground and declaring that we are great at anything. Yet we have so much to celebrate when it comes to the stars of our chosen sport or endeavour and at the same time, so much to learn from the rest of the world in how we elevate our stars

This was never so apparent to me as when I sat down to spend an evening with CMDRA (Canadian Motorcycle Drag Racing Association) Pro Street Champion, Ethan Barkley, to talk of racing, bikes, cars, and the other important topics that gear heads will philosophize about when given a chance. It is amazing what a regular guy Ethan is when talking about life, work, or just being part of the scene here in Calgary. When the topic turns over to racing however, there is such a subtle transformation that if you are not watching and listening, you can miss it. The intensity in his eyes was the ﬁrst sign and then he leans forward and the arms spread out and you can see the ﬁerce spirit of a true competitor. He almost doubles in size and the buttons start to pop like a cartoon superhero as the muscles ripple. For a second I thought he would turn green and start tossing cars over buildings. THAT is the Ethan Barkley that the other racers would see if they looked over at the staging area on the quarter mile drag strip. Where did this come from? Learning about Ethan’s youth and journey through life gave a few clues as to what a mix of passion, intelligence and hard work can result in. We all know about a neighbour’s kid who took apart the lawn mower to double the horsepower, who converted a rotor tiller into a suitable competition machine, and was quietly tweaking and modifying the family station wagon to make a 13 second sleeper. You can bet

that these were the kinds of things the Barkley family were enduring with Ethan as he grew from a tinkerer to a finesse designer and then drag race pilot. Unlike the hockey superstars or the golf prodigies who have been groomed from 3-year-olds to be champions, Ethan’s route to five-time Canadian Pro Street and three-time Canadian Street Drag Bike Champion was much more convoluted. He almost backed into the sport by accident. His proclivity for modifying and improving reached a disappointing pinnacle with a 1983 Z-28 Camaro built in the then coming of age “Pro-Touring” style. “With a 383 stroker that was ‘built’ with the best components, this car would run mid-13’s and had a top end that I would STILL be in jail for if I would have been caught on radar,” he fondly reminisces. This was from an anaemic starting platform that could barely pass a stop sign. For those who were into the F bodies at the time, the third generation Camaros and Firebirds could only be optioned up to a 305 and the Crossfire with a whopping 165 horsepower and enough emission equipment to choke Al Gore. Who would have ordered the 150 HP carbureted version when the Crossfire offered a ground pounding, window shattering 15 HP increase? Think of this in comparison to the 2010 Camaro with 426 HP in the 376 cid (6.2 litre) that will send more than a few of the late ‘60s muscle cars home with their Mopar between their legs. But back to Ethan...... The Friday Night Secret Streets at Race City in Calgary was the perfect place to flex this newfound muscle in the ‘83 Z-28. “A car that fearsome on the street just had to blow the doors off anything legal to drive (not haul on a trailer) to the track,” or so Ethan thought. The competitive spirit was not just leaking at the edges but spraying out in every direction. He quickly found out that, in Ethan’s words, “junk bikes were running 11’s and 12’s in the quarter mile and blowing my doors off.” True to his psychological makeup, this was not acceptable. PHOTOGRAPH BY LAURA MILLSIP

SUMMER 2010 | ISSUE #1 | AUTOLIFEQUARTERLY.CA

MERCHANT OF SPEED

Joe Peskunowicz

And a 920 Virago was soon his. Like every first time bike owner, the power to weight ratio of a motorcycle is incredible and a twist of the wrist can leave the four wheel cages standing still in the mirrors. But like the playground bully who can beat everyone else up, soon bigger kids show up and hang a licking on you. And this happened on an unnamed Calgary street (that runs south past a certain athletic centre across from a large hockey arena) one day. As Ethan recalls, “I was rolling along and what turned out to be a newer sports bike, came up alongside. We went at it and the sports bike disappeared like the Millennium Falcon when the hyperdrive was engaged. I almost got off the bike to see what had gone wrong and then realized I was still accelerating.” Like the cell phone commercial, the love was gone for the Virago and it was quickly disposed of and the ZX-7 was in the stable. The next few years of Secret Streets and some not so secret racing experience showed that Ethan had the focus, intensity and physiological ability to control the throttle and clutch in harmony to result in smooth launches and the innate ability to control the throttle after to keep the front end down. All was well in his biking world.....until that day on 32nd Avenue NE when the back of a car was rudely introduced to the front of his bike. The search for a replacement bike was on. At the same time, spy shots of the new 2001 Suzuki GSX-R 1000 were leaking out and it was love at first sight. Ethan told everyone, “I have to get the first one that makes it into Canada.” Whether or not it was technically the first one, it was one of the first few to arrive in Canada. Ethan said, “Suddenly I was running in the 10’s with my eyes closed.” And other guys at the track were asking Ethan to take a run on their machines to see what they were really capable of. Ethan would get on other bikes and run 0.5 seconds faster than the owners could. With this kind of natural talent, what to do next? A quick trip around

the Internet discovered the CMDRA and that it actually had a round in Calgary that year! It was his first real sanctioned race event (and the last CMDRA event ever held in Calgary) that Ethan entered and this changed his life forever. Ethan quipped, “I had so much fun and felt the natural fit, that I was off to Edmonton and Ashcroft to compete there as well.” His first year had him running in the low 10’s and a 5th place overall finish in his first year of competition. The turning point from being “just another racer” to notable speed demon and “merchant of speed” came in 2002. At Ashcroft, Ethan ran a 9.54 at 147 mph with minimal modifications. Only a handful of the world’s best had ever broke into the 9.5’s on a stock wheel base bike. Ethan smiled, saying, “Suddenly I was an Internet sensation and talk of the motorcycle drag racing circles.” Pictures and stories appeared in magazines. But this is Canada so no big contracts came and he did not become an instant millionaire. But still, his life turned to becoming a full-time drag racer and speed merchant. Ethan’s website, www.ebspeed.com has all the stats and you can read about them there but a few highlights are: Canadian Pro Street Champion in 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2009 (a mere 2nd in 2008 just in case you thought he was not human) and Canadian Street Champion in 2006, 2007, and 2009 (2nd again in 2008). He holds the Canadian quarter mile record at 194.59 mph and is a mere five-hundredths off the ET record, running a 7.608 time. Think about that for a second. All of the fastest superbikes for sale in the world today have speed limiters that hold top speed to 300 km/h (186 mph). Ethan hits that 300 km/h on almost every quarter mile run, usually in the 7 second zone. The difference? Oh, about 300 more horsepower than a stock superbike. And the industry does not call them “super” for nothing. Dollar for dollar, today’s superbikes offer the highest level of power to weight ratio, acceleration, and braking of any vehicle, two-wheeled or

PHOTOGRAPHY (CLOCKWISE FROM LtoR) BY LAURA BARKLEY, ETHAN BARKLEY, JAMES CARLIN

SUMMER 2010 | ISSUE #1 | AUTOLIFEQUARTERLY.CA

MERCHANT OF SPEED

Joe Peskunowicz

four! When strapped onto the dyno at Walt Healy’s in Calgary, the exact number was not divulged but AutoLIFE Quarterly managed to get it bracketed down to “about” 475 rear wheel hp. My personal rocket is rated at 160 at the crank and puts about 139 to the wheel when strapped onto the dyno. On acceleration, we are not sure who pulls more G’s: Ethan Barkley, astronaut Chris Hadfield when he was launched in the Space Shuttle Atlantis and Endeavour, or a fighter pilot taking off from an aircraft carrier. Except Ethan paid for all his launches while the taxpayers pick up the tab for the other two examples. As we say in the old country, “there is no such thing as a free launch!” You can’t be a gear head without needing to know some of the technical details. The biggest surprise was Ethan’s choice of weapons. The bike drag race world revolves around two iconic models, the 1300 cc Suzuki Hayabusa and the Kawasaki ZX-14. But that would be too easy for Ethan and his ace technical support, James Carlin. Ethan told AutoLIFE Quarterly, “I started with a 2006 GSX-R 1000 and make horsepower the old fashioned way (tongue in cheek): electronics and a big turbo!” Ethan played the nitrous game for years and holds many records with that form of power adder, but turbocharging has far surpassed nitrous in the world of Pro Street drag racing. It was extremely interesting to learn how boost is very precisely (by as little as 0.1 psi) ramped up by the electronics, as he shifts into the next gear to limit the chance of a wheelie or tire spin which would result in slower times. Ethan explained, “Chassis modifications are almost as important or else I could not put the power to the pavement. Extended swing arms, cut frames, shortened forks, custom shocks, and modifications to shift the weight balance to the front are but a few of the changes I make.” The most attention is paid to the clutch as this is what is most important to any Pro Street racer. Launching a bike without a wheelie bar on a skinny little DOT tire is hard, but to leave quicker than the purpose built drag bikes with big slicks is a real challenge. Yet Ethan does

it on nearly every pass, leaving those other racers who use “training wheels” as Ethan puts it, simply shaking their heads. Things like altitude, air pressure, ambient temperature, and humidity are all taken into consideration. “Track conditions are everything when laying down record times,” he said. The traction, the pavement temperature and the disposition of the race gods on that day all come into play. If you are superstitious, you would believe that the race gods not only smile upon Ethan, but they have been downright giddy with him on certain days. According to Ethan, it is attention to little details and the ability to examine cause and effect that separate his type. He then uses critical thinking to optimize, modify and at times, fabricate totally new parts that are aimed for the sole purpose of running faster, keeping the bike straighter, the front tire just hovering above the track, and keeping the vinyl pucker to a minimum. For those who have not raced motorcycles, the vinyl pucker factor (or VPF) is an important consideration. A 165 mph wheelie and the associated throttle let off resulted in the rear wheel coming off ground. “Completely airborne at 165 mph.... and a cracked frame on landing, I was in a situation that calm focus and experience kept me from a disastrous conclusion,” he cringed while recalling. The Suzuki Hayabusa 1300 is Ethan’s choice for the Street Class he also dominates. We learned in the interview, “This is a bracket style class where the racer needs to be as close to their projected elapsed time (ET) without going under (breaking out). Being consistent and having excellent reaction times is what this class is all about. Being the quickest really has no bearing on the outcome.” But that’s not Ethan’s style. He always wants to beat the clock. His ’09 Hayabusa nicknamed “Snow White” has very limited modiﬁcations and is his daily driver. Even so, he managed to set a Canadian stock wheel base record last August, running an unprecedented 9.37 at 153 mph in MisPHOTOGRAPHY BY LAURA BARKLEY(LEFT), MIKE GASPAR (RIGHT)

SUMMER 2010 | ISSUE #1 | AUTOLIFEQUARTERLY.CA

MERCHANT OF SPEED

Joe Peskunowicz

sion, BC. After the season was over, Ethan had secured his 3rd Street Class Championship in four years. Running a campaign like this takes time, hard work and of course, money. An evening with Ethan shows the commitment and ambition. Like most Canadian athletes, he has a full-time day job to pay for this quest. “16 years at the same company allows me the ﬂexibility to plan holiday time around race meets across the country,” Ethan told us. While there have been many helping sponsors along the years, Ethan continually mentions what Walt Healy Motorsports and Suzuki Canada have assisted with to the campaign to make this possible. Many of the parts required to go this fast had to be designed and fabricated from scratch and that is where the other side of Ethan Barkley shines. His understanding of things mechanical and how to package them into lightweight and powerful packages makes one think that he should be at NASA, not racing bikes. Like a true champion, he shares his knowledge with apprentices and sells his specialized parts through EB Speed so that others can run the same platform as he does. If there was ever a sign of competence and dominating skill, it’s that he is willing to supply knowledge and hard parts to give his competitors equal machinery......and then spank them on the track using skill and talent. Yes, Ethan is a complex and interesting person who is a pleasure to be around. Like a stealthy hunter crouched and ready to pounce, he appears to be relaxed and calm. Yet to those looking carefully, he is not at rest. The gears are turning, the planning and cunning nature of a hunter are swirling under the calm waters. Newton said that an object in motion tends to stay in motion. Barkley’s law says this motion will not stop. His quest for speed and perfection will take him beyond drag racing and we just might see an appearance at the Bonneville Salt Flats. Somehow one cannot sense that the land speed record for an open wheel motorcycle will not be

safe if he locks his radar in on that. The well-spoken and thoughtful Barkley does not preclude a couple of other directions either. His successful time as a Director of the CMDRA has shown the skill and diplomacy that could mould him into a successful spokesperson for other groups. Who knows, a man like Ethan would be a breath of fresh air amongst our current crop of politicians where only a handful are there with altruist motives. Ethan Barkley is a man who thinks of the good for greater cause over his own. To dip back into the Newton analogy, the second law states that a force will cause acceleration. Whether it is building parts to cause his motorcycle to accelerate more quickly or add thoughtful and useful input in organization matters, Ethan will not quit applying additional force and drive in improving his sport and the community surrounding the sport. That constant and restless feeling that things are never quite good enough will push him. There is no rest for the thinkers and doers of the world. Well, we are too deep into Newton so for the third law, every action has an equal and opposite reaction. Ethan and AutoLIFE Quarterly want you to go out and support the motorsport discipline of your liking. With the talent we have in Canada, it is all too often that we don’t even know about them. Get out and see your sport live. And if you see one you like, go out and give it a try! Who knows, there could be an Ethan Barkley hiding within. The evening with Ethan was more than an interview. It was a bonding of understanding that will form the basis of a friendship. He is a thoughtful and respectable man. The type of guy we can be proud to say is a friend and represents the racing community and our country in a way we can be proud of. Best of luck in the 2011 season and the adventures beyond. O

PHOTOGRAPHY (CLOCKWISE FROM LtoR) BY LAURA BARKLEY, EB SPEED, LAURA MILLSIP

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IIII

Peter Straub

It’s a Matter of

ASSUMED PRIVILEGE

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII nother spring is upon us, and some of us are tuning up our machines for the summer season, while others are parking the sleds or pondering the spring thaw, waiting for the trails to dry out. Whatever your perspective, we share a common connection to our public land on the east slopes of the Rockies. We are proud to have such a jewel so close to us to enjoy, we’re lucky there’s so much public land in the working forest for us to play in, and we spend a lot of money, free time and build friendships around our trail time. However, there’s an insidious problem of our own making that threatens our access to the land. There’s a prevalent and pervasive attitude amongst the OHV crowd that I call ‘entitlement’. No, I’m not talking about the few obvious bad apples towards whom we often cast aspersions. Nay, the drunk teenagers, and scofﬂaws seeking a Wild West weekend of debauchery are a problem for sure, but only on a few weekends each year. Indeed, I am talking about long-time and seemingly respectful users of our trails. I am speaking of families, educated and well employed professionals who insist that they are entitled to enjoy their trails, regardless of the impact of their use. Do any of these comments remind you of yourself or someone you know?

“The logging company does more damage than my OHV does.” “I didn’t make the ruts on this trail, so I’m not going to fix it.” “The puddles were too deep for my machine, so I went around them.” “These trails are on public land, I can go anywhere I want, and no one can stop me.” “The trail was incredibly muddy and sloppy, and I spent all weekend winching my way through it.” “The new oil pipeline ruined my favourite trail.” These are examples of prevalent, yet extremely destructive attitudes that are a significant problem for our trails. They cause people to drive down trails at a frequency and at a time of year that damages the trail, prevents people from undertaking stewardship activities to maintain those trails, and prevents people from asking themselves, “Should I be on this trail, or should I perhaps turn around today and find an easier/ drier/less muddy trail?” Outside of the parks, recreation areas and designated wild lands, our public lands are indeed a working forest, managed by Sustainable Resources Development on behalf of the government and the taxpayers of Alberta. Commercial endeavors are entirely legitimate on those public lands, and business are ‘entitled’ to cut trees, extract resources, build roads, and assemble buildings. The entitlement of industry to those activities comes through their compliance with laws and regulations, and financial and legal accountability for their activity. A lumber company can build a road, cut a block of trees, but if their road develops a rut,

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ASSUMED PRIVILEGE

Peter Straub

their cut block is not replanted, and their road not re-claimed to agreed standards, then that company faces ﬁnancial and legal penalties. In fact, not only do they pay to build and reclaim the road, they pay us, the taxpayers, a royalty in the form of a stumpage fee, to use the public land in the ﬁrst place. Oil and gas companies famously pay a royalty to the government. Even other commercial operators, such as hunting guides, permanent camp operators and farmers, all pay a lease, fee, or other form of compensation back to the people of Alberta to use that public land. On the far opposite end of the entitlement spectrum is that of every person to enjoy our public lands. Anyone may go anywhere they wish on public lands, including in parks and wild land areas, with few and rare exceptions. But you must do so on foot. That is your right and what you and everyone is indeed entitled too. But I, for one, am way too lazy to hike into the back country. I want to drive there. Some want to ride their bicycles, some their horse, many, like myself, our motorized conveyance - “Just as I am entitled to walk there, I am likewise entitled to drive there”. And legally, you’re right. If you read the Public Lands Act and Forestry Act, so long as you are outside of a Park or Forest Land Use Zone, you can go anywhere you want with your machine. There are very few regulations preventing you from driving willy-nilly anywhere you please. The Government reacts when there is a problem by declaring an area as a ‘Forest Land Use Zone’, and this gives them the authority to tell you what trails you have to stay on.

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The reality is that most of us who consider ourselves responsible users know the mantra, ‘stay on the trail’. So we stay on what we see as established trails. The problem is that those trails, in very large part, were never built as sustainable recreational trails, but rather, were created by industry for seasonal or temporary access, or were arrow straight lines intended for single short term use for seismic activities. Those arrow straight cut lines often go through “muskeg” or riparian areas. In January, that’s probably not a problem, but on May long weekend, when a family of responsible quad riders comes to a stop in front of 100 meters of obviously squishy trail between them and their lunch stop, the dreaded entitlement kicks in. “I am staying on the trail as I’ve been told, I am allowed to be on this trail, I have a winch on my machine and this is where the trail goes. I am perfectly entitled to drive into this area, get stuck, and winch my way through, leaving a set of ruts behind that will get deeper as each vehicle comes through.” And this is the attitude I am asking each of us to consider. Are you really entitled to do this? If you were a logging company, you would never be allowed to be on this riparian area in May. Certainly, a seasonal trail in the winter across wet areas is acceptable, and that’s probably how that trail was created in the first place. If you were a logging company, and you did make a rut through a riparian area, you would be financially and legally accountable to fix the rut. In fact, if the rut was made by an outlaw user in your area, you as the logging company are still accountable to fix the problem, even if someone else caused it.

ASSUMED PRIVILEGE

Peter Straub

And this is the essence of my point. Entitlement comes with accountability. Many commercial operations are entitled to use public land for their own commercial gain, but they pay the full cost of their operation, by paying a royalty or fee to the people of Alberta, and they bear legal responsibility for their usage. Recreational users have that same sense of entitlement, yet feel none of the accountability. Unless you stay in a campground, you pay no royalty or fees to enjoy the usage of our public forest. If you damage the trails through your usage, you are in no way accountable to fix those trails. With the population rise in this province, with our affluence affording us easy access to motorized toys, we do use and damage our trails in ever increasing quantities, and there is very little by way of accountability to repair that damage. So, what is a responsible recreational user to do? I certainly do not advocate for new or more laws to dictate our behavior, as the libertarian in me figures we have enough laws already. But in the present absence of laws telling us the right thing to do, we need to do the right thing to stave off more legislation. And the right thing to do is for us motorized OHV users to realize that we are guests on our own land. We do not have the same entitlement to be on the land in our machines as other commercial users, because we do not have the same accountability. We must therefore be extra cautious, and be aware of the impact of our activity. We must first ask ourselves:

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“Should I go down this trail today?” “What will the impact of my trail usage be?” And: “How do I take accountability for the impact I will have on this trail?” And the answer to that last question is ‘stewardship’. Stewardship is the accountability that entitles us recreational users to enjoy our trails. As a recreational user, we lack the laws and regulations forcing us to undertake stewardship, and prevent the government to close trails we feel ‘entitled’ to enjoy. I know this is a shift in thinking for most of us in the OHV community. I assert that if you are not engaged in stewardship of the trail, you are not entitled to enjoy that trail. If you must enjoy that trail without the obligation of stewardship, I implore you to ask yourself, “What is the impact of driving down this trail today?”, and if the answer is anything other than “absolutely nothing”, then I ask of you to set aside your sense of entitlement, and choose to enjoy a more sustainable trail alternative today. The best way to get involved in stewardship is through a local OHV club. Clubs catering to varied interests are all over the province. Seek them out. Join up. Make some friends, and take care of your favourite trails you want to enjoy, because no one is going to do it for you, and they will be closed if you don’t. O

visit us online at

www.vexmagazine.com

CUSTOM GOLF CARTS

Dan Chilton

CART Series

here is never any shortage of supply when it comes to shopping for a new golf cart. But if you’re in the market for something special, you need to talk to Bob Bruyer with The Golf Cart People (www.golfcartpeople.com) in Edmonton, Alberta. Bob’s company carries a massive array of golf carts featuring customized frames a lot of you might be somewhat familiar with. Instead of putting around in the usual boxy Snore-mobile, why not cruise around the course in a Shelby GT500 or an Escalade? And if you’re feeling nostalgic, climb into a ‘57 Chevy or a Smoothster. Most of these machines are built on Club Car chassis and have either a Kawasaki single-cylinder 4-stroke gas engine or a 48 volt electrical system. They hit a top speed of around 20km/h and can weigh anywhere from 700 - 1100 lbs, depending on whether it’s a gas or electric motor. The bodies are constructed unpainted, so you have the option of taking it into your favourite local paint and body shop and doing a custom job that’ll really get people’s heads turning as you freewheel the back nine. Of course, if you really want to up your game, get yourself into the Shelby GT500. Built on a Tomberlin E-Merge chassis, which features a suspension system far more advanced than the average cart, the 18HP AC powered motor comes equipped with two drive settings; one for the golf course and one for the street. On the golf course setting, you’re topping out at about 25km/h, but flick the switch to the street setting and with 81lb-ft of torque at your disposal, you can jack this puppy up to 40km/h (which is fast enough to get a speeding ticket in a playground zone). She comes fully decked out with headlights, signal lights, a horn, windshield wipers, rearview mirrors, three-point seatbelts and a custom suede interior that sports the official embossed COBRA Snake logo. Unfortunately, even though it’s constructed to meet all street legal requirements, our government still refuses to allow these machines on Canadian roads. We tried to look into it and found no one who wanted to comment on this in an official capacity. The only reason we were able to procure for the current ban was a concern with crashtest safety ratings. Because you know how wild things can get when you’re flying down the road at 40km/h! O

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Stand out from the crowd when you hit the links this summer.

WHITE-KNU

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WHI

UCKLE IT’S THE PERFECT UNION of bleeding-edge technology and an idea thousands of years old. Designed to travel at fantastic speeds down some of the world’s most foreboding rivers, it’s shaped like a bullet: Sixteen feet of welded aluminum carefully engineered at Red Deer’s Outlaw Eagle Manufacturing. It is the best in the world at what it does, and it was made right here in alberta. Just the lines on this thing scream that the faint of heart need not apply- a statement which holds true not just for the machine itself, but for the sport its designers had in mind when they created it. by JD BERMUDEZ

IMAGES COURTESY OF OUTLAW EAGLE MANUFACTURING

ITEWATER

WHITE-KNUCKLE WHITEWATER

JD Bermudez

orn over 40 years ago in the mecca of extreme sports, New Zealand, and now encompassing thousands of competitors in races held all across the world, river jet boat racing is like the bastard love-child of formula one and white-water rafting. The race itself consists of two-man teamspilots and navigators- who tuck themselves inside the roll-cages of their rocket-like boats and tear down chutes, around hairpin turns and over rock-ﬁlled rapids at speeds in that can reach in excess of 200 kilometres an hour. To cut back on the number of high-speed collisions on the narrow, treacherous waterways, the teams stagger their start times by as much as a minute- racing for the best time on each leg of the course.

times as a planned manoeuvre to gain an edge by jumping obstacles, and sometimes as the unavoidable consequence of a dangerous miscalculation. Whiplash, jagged rocks, river-banks and even other competitors can all provide potentially life-threatening obstacles for the unprepared- or even just the unlucky. Collisions and accidents are not unknown, as you can imagine, and races are divided into classes with increasingly larger engine sizes. Ideally, the largest engines, which can easily break 120-125 mph, are being run by the most experienced racers.

ROCKET SCIENCE What makes the sport possible is the combination of two precision pieces of innovation and engineering- the “Hamilton” jet and the boats’ custom-designed hulls.

To avoid scraping on rocks and sandbars which can lie as little as 8” below the turbulent surface of the river, all of the boats have to be carefully built to minimize the draft of their hulls, even when they’re not moving. Once the powerful jets are engaged and the pilot’s burying the needle on one of these puppies, the hull barely appears to touch the churning water below, skipping and ricocheting over waves and rollers like a hurled stone.

In the back of the boat, a raucous motor powers a highly modiﬁed version of Archimedes’ Screw- a design thousands of years old, tweaked and perfected in the 1950s by adventurer Sir William “Bill” Hamilton into the modern-day pumpjet- a device now being used on leisure boats, jet-skis, raceboats and even military amphibious assault craft.

And like a thrown stone, the boats catch plenty of air over the course of a race- some-

Needing a way to navigate New-Zealand’s fast, shallow river systems, Hamilton took

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Archimedes’ design and used it to develop the pumpjet, or waterjet- a propulsion system which manages to be very powerful while remaining shielded from obstacles hidden beneath the water. It also has the added beneﬁt that it doesn’t carve up marine-life the way a traditional propeller can. The invention got him knighted, made him a hero to manateeloving hippies everywhere and also turned him into one of the godfathers of extreme sports: until his death, Hamilton served as the Patron of the sport’s oldest governing body, the New Zealand Jet Boat Association. The honour then passed to his wife and then his son, who still holds the title. The Hamilton pumpjet takes water fed to it by a tunnel built right into the hull and then compresses it, ﬁring it out of a nozzle on the back of the boat and creating a ridiculous amount of thrust. That, and the fact that the whole system works without any exposed pieces to dash against rocks or catch in sandbars, like on a propeller drive, means that jet-powered boats with well-crafted hulls can run at high speeds over alarmingly shallow water- making them a perfect medium for adrenaline junkies to test their mettle.

THE HULL The second half of a successful boat is the hull- hull shape is paramount to capitalizing on the jet’s propulsion. A change of a few degrees in the “V” of the boat’s bottom

WHITE-KNUCKLE WHITEWATER

JD Bermudez

can mean the difference between victory and failure. Some boats with a more pronounced “V” will be more manoeuvrable in a turn, but create more drag. Alternatively, others with a relatively flat bottom will have next to no drag but will drift like a race-car coming into a tight turn. High-impact roll-cages are mandatory to protect pilots and navigators, since roll-overs and even flipping the boats is not uncommon. Even so, the danger is palpable: at the speeds these things move at, striking water can be as brutal as striking concrete. The sport calls for a keen eye, lightningfast reflexes, a strong stomach and a sizeable adrenaline addiction. Under conditions this extreme, though, it’s not just the racers who have to be tough as nails. To survive the pressures and impacts that come with navigating some of the most inhospitable water on earth, the boat bodies need to be made of some pretty stern stuff, too. These days, the custom hulls are exclusively built of welded aluminum, with reinforced bottoms to fend off intrusion by rocks. Although the rules allow other materials, it has been decades since anyone has used any-

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thing else: Aluminum is light, tough, and easily shaped into the unique designs that the teams hope will take them to victory as they search for that delicate balance between durability and performance.

teams spend their whole careers looking for the perfect hull to ﬁt their unique racing style, and Outlaw Eagle is only too happy to keep churning out the best bodies in the business to meet the sport’s growing demand.

Imagine our surprise when we discovered that the best place on Earth to ﬁnd that balance is right here in Alberta, with the only ﬁrm in North America producing these highperformance shells. There’s not an enthusiast out there, it seems, that hasn’t heard of these guys- and with good reason: It turns out that Dale Whiteside and his team at Outlaw Eagle Manufacturing in Red Deer have built 16 of the last 19 hulls to win the world championship in the sport- twice with Dale himself at the helm. With credentials like those, it’s not hard to understand why theirs are the most sough-after hulls in the sport.

Looking at the designs of these hulls, it’s easy to get a sense of the work that goes into them- and what they’re capable of.

Born from the union of Outlaw Marine and Eagle Poweboats, Outlaw Eagle is a powerhouse ﬁrm when it comes to the production of jet boat hulls for leisure and commercial uses- but Dale’s passion continues to be the production of high-performance river racing boats. Working case by case, Dale and his team try to determine the boat design which will maximize each team’s performance. Some

It’s also easy to catch a bit of the bug that has kept dale and his team going strong for so long- watching these boats perform is exciting- and it makes you wonder what it would be like to get into the cockpit. Now, Alberta’s jetboating community will get another feather in its collective cap, as the sport’s World Championships for 2011 come to the communities of Peace River, Grande Prairie, and Whitecourt- in addition to the Northwest Territories’ Hay River- in July of next year. Not only will Dale be striving for the top spot in his sport yet again, but his team at Outlaw Eagle will be working to keep their position at the forefront of their craft as the creators of the sport’s most successful hull designs. O

Gear

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r Head by STEVE TSANG

PHOTOGRAPHS BY MARK G. BILODEAU

I AM A GEAR HEAD. I love all things automotive and have owned one of everything and participated in virtually all genres of automotive enthusiasm from drag racing to off-roading. The culmination of all my automotive love affairs ends at hot-rods.

G GEAR HEAD

Steve Tsang

one were my days of street racing my 12 second bracket car Mustang and head-ﬁrst into the colourful world of building my dream car, a vintage perfect hot-rod!

Hot-rods always looked good and didn’t have to be king of the boulevard bruisers to garner peer approval. While I was staking my claim as fastest street car du jour, the cool hot-rods would just cruise on in to our patrician circles and simply look good. No “ so...how fast are you” veiled challenges; just roll in and look good while exuding pure, unadulterated cool. The ever increasing arrogance of my fellow street racers had ﬁnally annoyed me to the point of giving it up forever. I had come of age and no longer was I focused on going fast but looking good.

My first foray into old car ownership was a 1958 Ford Custom 300 2-door hardtop. I picked it up in Calgary at a used car dealership and proceeded down the dark path of hot-rodding. It had a swapped-in Lincoln 460 V8. It was fast, it was loud, it was hard on gas, and it was woefully unreliable. I hadn’t made it more than ten blocks away before it broke down and had to be towed back home. I missed my daughter’s birthday party because I was stranded, but these are the sacrifices car guys make. I fixed it up and drove it for a year but it still lacked something. It was an old car but still very much like the cars still being produced. It had a hood, a trunk, wonderful tailfins but overall, it was still shaped like a modern car. Eventually, my tastes matured and I sought one of the most iconic cars in automotive history, a 1932 Ford Coupe. Songs have been written about such legends and I set my sights on being part of the mythos. Reality check - iconic in stature, the 1932 Ford is greatly prized and highly sought after.

1930 Ford Model A Hot-Rod

SPEC CHECK:

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; ;

Original 1930 Ford body and frame

;

Borg/Warner 5-speed manual transmission

;

Ford Ranger rear axle with TCI 4-bar system

; ;

Magnum 4” dropped front axle

;

600 – 15” Coker Classic front tires on 15” x 4” Chrysler space saver spare front steel wheels

;

860 – 15” Coker Classic rear tires on 15” x 5” 1950 Ford wheels

; ;

1957 Ford F1 steering column

1990 Mustang 2.3 litre 4 cylinder engine converted to carburation

Volare front rotors with GM A-body brakes

1965 Chrysler 300 steering wheel

Elusive and expensive, a Deuce was simply beyond my grasp. I rationalized that a Ford Model A had the general shape of the Deuce but commanded far less frog skins. I decided that I had to compromise and a sedan was better suited to my needs and allowed me to carry more than one passenger. Fortune had smiled upon me and I stumbled onto Shaun Manness’s1930 Ford Model A sedan. I pitched my Custom 300 as a trade and to my amazement, a deal was brokered. He had quickly built the car to use in his own fairy tale wedding and it became a very large yard ornament after the wedded bliss ensued. He said he needed to sell it because he needed the cash to buy some property. I think the honeymoon was over and the wife wanted it gone. I borrowed a friend’s trailer and rented a truck. I hijacked two friends to divide the driving chores. Very little was required to bribe them except the universal call to arms:

road trip! We made the trek from Edmonton to Selkirk, Manitoba in merely 13 hours, driven by pure excitement. I was not disappointed! The car had a good original body, painted a shocking pastel green and trimmed in white. Fully fendered and wearing whitewall tires, it looked like a very nice vintage car. Mechanically, it was a disaster. The original 200 cid 4 cylinder had long since been replaced by a poor running Mustang 2.3 litre backed by a 5 speed Borg Warner transmission. The front suspension was cobbled together, the welds appeared to have been done by a child, and the steering was downright scary! The test drive was equally as unimpressive. The stock 2300 cc “engine” was rated at a monstrous 80 hp new and the junkyard mill had long since given up the best years of its life to extreme age and mileage. It was barely able to get up to acceptable driving speed and did so with all the grace of a shopping cart

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GEAR HEAD

Steve Tsang

with three bent wheels. You really do get the sense that a car built in the ‘30s has more in common with a horse and buggy than it does with any car built today. What I had was a good base to build a vintage looking hot-rod. Undaunted, the Model A was loaded up for the long trek home. The first order of business was to make this train wreck safe to drive. After countless hours of research, the full horror of what I was dealing with slowly dawned on me. It’s as though the entire front suspension was built by somebody who had no idea how a front suspension works. I seriously considered scrapping the whole rolling chassis and starting again from scratch. Plan A was put on the back burner as time and funds allowed so Plan B would be to try to fix this gong-show of a suspension until such time that it could be replaced with correctly engineered pieces. New bushings were installed in the 1957 Ford F1 steering box, though the worm and sector are still worn out. The tie rod was bent to clear the oil pan and allowed the tires to flex independently of

each other. The tie rod was gusseted at the bends. New kingpins were installed and the split bones were cut and re-welded to achieve the correct 7 degrees caster. This allowed the car to ﬁnally track straight instead of making sudden, involuntary lane changes. The bubble gum welds were re-welded, the engine mounts were re-positioned and the transmission mount was re-fabricated. The engine was freshened up and resealed, the points style ignition was swapped out for a Pertronix electronic ignition and the original radiator was re-cored ﬁnally, giving it some reliability. It was now time to make it look more like a vintage hot-rod and less like one of those museum cars you see driven by a Shriner at the annual insert name here parade. The fenders, bumpers and running boards were stripped off, giving it a highboy look. The original headlights were retained and dropped using SO-CAL headlight mounts. 1950 Pontiac tail-lights were installed in the rear deck and Coker Classic big and little wide white walls were installed wearing 1956 Oldsmobile Fiesta hubcaps. The original

manifold and exhaust system was removed and a lake pipe was installed sans any sort of baffle or muffler. Since I fully intended to drive this car a lot, a few creature comforts were also installed over the years. A Vintage air heater and a full stereo system were installed. I’ve gotten a lot of lip about my decision to retain the 2.3 4-cylinder but really it was a logical choice. It shared the same spirit of early hot-rodding with guys trying to soup up their original “banger” Model A engines. It’s great on fuel and puts out a decent amount of power and far more reliable than any banger or flathead v8. I’ve been in many convoys and on many road trips and it’s never left me stranded or broken down on the side of the road. It’s been ten years since I first acquired my Model A and it has served me faithfully as my daily driver and weekend cruiser. It has taken me as far as Tacoma, Washington for Hotroda-Rama, as well as many shows around Alberta. I’ve never felt the urge to chop it or channel it. I would rather it retain its original stance thus giving it a vintage look. It’s not quite finished yet. There are still a few issues I would like to address and parts are starting to wear out. I will continue to work on it as I drive it, and I’m sure it will keep me busy for years to come. O

SUMMER 2010 | ISSUE #1 | AUTOLIFEQUARTERLY.CA

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5th

Blackfalds Oldies Show ’n Shine Blackfalds, AB 403-304-0949

5th

29th Annual Cruise-In Three Hills, AB

6th

Chipman Car Crafters 10th Show ’n Shine Chipman, AB 780-363-3888

6th

Cold Lake Cruisers Car Club Cruise the Dub Cold Lake, AB 780-639-3084

11th-13th Grey Eagle Casino Auction Show ’n Shine Calgary, AB 12th

Khaos Kustoms & Harry’s Auto 8th Annual Show ’n Shine Stony Plain, AB 780-968-5004

12th

Costco Parking Lot Gasoline Alley Show ’n Shine Red Deer, AB 403-597-2065

12th

GSL Chev City 1st All Chevrolet Show ’n Shine Calgary, AB 403-781-1504

12th

Beaumont Dream Cruisers Annual Show ’n Shine Beaumont, AB 780-929-2702

12th

The Diablo’s Greaseball Bash Calgary, AB 403-630-3779

12th

6th Annual Show ’n Shine Beiseker, AB 403-947-2260

12th-13th Reynolds Auto Museum Ultimate Car Show Wetaskawin, AB 780-361-1351 18th-20th 41st Banff Rod Run Touring Tin Banff, AB 780-453-2921 19th

Redcliff Lions 16th Show ’n Shine Redcliff, AB 403-548-6586

19th

Fifty 567 Club 25th Annual Cruise-In Calgary, AB 403-637-3985

20th

Church on 99th Father’s Day Show ’n Shine Edmonton, AB 780-424-8724

19th

Just Kruzin’ Show ’n Shine Lloydminster, AB/SK 780-875-3179

20th

19th

Lake Bonavista Show ’n Shine Calgary, AB 403-271-0066

7th Annual Crossfield Show’n Shine Crossfield, AB 403-478-4440

25th

19th

Capitol Hill Car Show Calgary, AB 403-289-0859

ESRA 26th Summer Cruise Edmonton, AB 780-468-7240

19th

Fairview Street Spectacular Car Show Fairview, AB 780-835-2804

19th

Zeebs Performance Restorations Open House Chestermere, AB 403-285-1099 Mopar Only Show ’n Shine Crosstown Motors Edmonton, AB edmontonmoparclub.ca

25th-26th Wabamum Fun Daze & Classic Car Show ’n Shine Wabamum, AB 780-908-1292 25th-27th Rocky Mountain Honda Powerhouse Rally Calgary, AB rockyhonda.com 26th

ESRA 26th Show ’n Shine Borden Park Edmonton, AB 780-468-7240

26th

5th Annual Acme Hotrod-a-Rama Acme, AB 403-994-1529

19th

Days of Olde Annual Show ’n Shine Vermillion, AB 780-853-7387

26th

19th

Pete Knight Days Demo Derby and Parade Crossfield, AB 403-888-3479

Parking For Parkinson’s Charity Show ’n Shine Stony Plain, AB 780-910-2498

26th

19th

Alberta Iron Indian’s All Pontiac Show ’n Shine Calgary, AB 403-818-4111

Carseland Lions Club Show ’n Shine Strathmore, AB 403-934-4067

26th

Alberta Mustang Auto Club Show ’n Shine Calgary, AB 253-2433

19th-20th 100 Foot Shootout Rocky Mountain House, AB 403-845-5227 20th

Rolling Sculpture Show ’n Shine Canmore, AB 403-493-0444

20th

Father’s Day Show ’n Shine Vegreville, AB 780-632-2793

20th

HOOTERS South Father’s Day Show ’n Shine Calgary, AB 403-243-4668

26th-27th 3rd Annual Show ’n Go 1/8 Mile Bracket Race Hanna, AB 403-854-3753 26th-27th Father’s Day Show ’n Shine Weekend Bashaw, AB 403-704-6688 27th

Ken Sargent Pontiac Buick GMC Show ’n Shine Edmonton, AB 780-532-8865

AUTOLIFE QUARTERLY’S ALBERTA AUTO EVENT CALENDAR IS A COMPLIMENTARY SERVICE OFFERED TO ALL AUTO CLUBS AND ENTHUSIASTS THROUGHOUT ALBERTA. IF YOU WOULD LIKE US TO LIST YOUR NEXT EVENT FOR FREE IN THIS CALENDAR, PLEASE SEND ALL OF THE INFORMATION TO US AT AUTOLIFE@SHAW.CA

SUMMER 2010 | ISSUE #1 | AUTOLIFEQUARTERLY.CA

1st

Kick Off The Summer Go Far Car Club Show ’n Shine Granum, AB 403-680-2645

10th

17th

Rollers Hot-Rod-a-Rama Show ’n Shine and Swap Calgary, AB 403-289-0711

1st

5th Annual Canada Day Show ’n Shine Blackie, AB 403-870-0756

10th-12th Panoka Piston Poppers 31st Run and Picnic Panoka, AB 403-783-3451

17th

Vulcan Show’n Shine & Demo Saturday Vulcan, AB 403-534-2241

1st

Ukranian Village Canada Day Show ’n Shine Edmonton, AB

10th-16th 4th Annual A&W Canadian Hot-Rod Tour Lethbridge, AB to Victoria, BC cruising@aw.ca

18th

Stanley Park European Car Show Calgary, AB 403-932-5801

1st

River City Classics Christmas In The Park High River, AB 403-472-3435

18th

JDRF Charity Show ’n Shine Edmonton, AB 780-903-9553

1st

Athabasca Classic Cruisers Car Show Athabasca, AB 780-675-9420

12th

3rd

Macgyvers Rod and Custom Open House Edmonton, AB 780-432-4248

16th-17th 17th Strathmore Fun Runners Show ’n Shine Strathmore, AB 403-934-6256

3rd

HWY 43 Cruisers Annual Show ’n Shine Valleyview, AB 780-524-8044

17th

3rd-4th

Prostate Cancer Fund Raiser Car & Truck Show ’n Shine Calgary, AB pccncalgary.org

17th

9th-11th

Street Machine Weekend Lethbridge, AB streetwheelers.com

11th

16th Medicine Hat Vintage Vehicles Club Show ’n Shine Medicine Hat, AB 403-528-9918

Westlock Wheels Of Class Annual Show ’n Shine Westlock, AB 780-349-4622 Mac Rally Of Hope Calgary, AB macrallyofhope.ca

23rd-25th Honda Indy Edmonton Edmonton, AB edmontonindy.com 24th

High Prairie Show ’n Shine High Prairie, AB 780-523-0129

24th

Pentastars In The Park Open Lethbridge, AB 403-328-3325

BuySellByPhoto.com Parkland Mall Show ’n Shine Red Deer, AB 403-343-8807

24th

First Alliance Church Show ’n Shine Calgary, AB 403-236-5619

Dream Cruisers DQ Hot Summer’s Night Beaumont, AB 780-929-2702

24th

Chestermere Lake 9th Annual Show ’n Shine Chestermere, AB 403-272-5354

24th

Creek Cruzers Show ’n Shine Pincher Creek, AB 403-627-5612

24th

Rev-Rev Rod Run St. Albert, AB 780-470-8019 Rides ’N Rods 2010 Calgary, AB ridesnrods.ca

17th

Oyen Lions Show ’n Shine Oyen, AB 403-664-3895

17th

Lloydminster Auto Club Show ’n Shine Lloydminster, AB 780-745-2545

10th

Dropsicles Sideshow Lethbridge, AB dropsicles.com

10th

Harleys and Hot-Rods 5th Annual Poker Run Strathmore, AB 403-901-1000

17th

17th Annual All Oldsmobile Rocket Round Up Olds, AB 780-417-4062

25th

10th

Crus Knights and Renfrew Community Show’n Shine Calgary, AB 403-282-0661

17th

Whitecourt Wheels Club Show ’n Shine & Drive-In Movie Whitecourt, AB 780-779-6927

30th-31st Temple City Cruisers 5th Show ’n Shine Cardston, AB 403-360-2904

17th

6th Annual Crowsnest Pass Show ’n Shine Crowsnest Pass, AB

AUTOLIFEQUARTERLY.CA | SUMMER 2010 | ISSUE #1

6th-8th

33rd River Run Show ’n Shine Evansburg, AB 780-499-4307

15th

21st

10th Airdrie Summer Classic Show ’n Shine for Charity Airdrie, AB timetravellerscarclub.com

Porcupine Hills Classic Cruiser Show ’n Shine Claresholm, AB 403-625-6022

River City Classics A&W Cruisin The Dub Aldersyde, AB 403-472-3435

7th

16th

22nd

7th

Lougheed Ag Society 8th Show ’n Shine Lougheed, AB 780-386-2289

Cold Lake Cruisers Show ’n Shine Cold Lake, AB 780-639-3084

21st

22nd

7th-8th

Provost Airport Race Provost, AB 306-753-3430

Sylvan Lake Customs & Classics Show ’n Shine Sylvan Lake, AB 403-887-7047

Vilna Boomtown Days Annual Show ’n Shine Vilna, AB 780-636-2294

21st

28th

12th

Drayton Valley 14th Northern Thunder Show ’n Shine Drayton Valley, AB 780-542-6015

20th Glendon Cruise Night & Drive-In Glendon, AB 780-635-3826

Integra Tire 3rd Annual Klassic Show ’n Shine Innisfail, AB 403-227-6616

21st

Calgary Thunderbird Club’s 9th Annual Show ’n Shine Calgary, AB 403-207-4067

28th

EVVA Vintage Volkswagen Revival Edmonton, AB 780-489-8021

21st

Alberta Beach Annual Show ’n Shine Alberta Beach, AB 780-892-3533

28th

Taber Corn Country Cruisers Show ’n Shine Taber, AB 403-795-0862

29th

Bowties vs World Charity Show ’n Shine for Kids With Cancer Edmonton, AB 780-473-4559

14th

David Thompson Days Show ’n Shine Rocky Mountain House, AB 403-845-5227

14th

August Heat: Mopar at the Mall 16th Show ’n Shine Red Deer, AB 403-342-1326

21st

14th

Strome Centennial Show ’n Shine Strome, AB 780-376-2420

Gleichen 3rd Annual Show ’n Shine Gleichen, AB 403-734-0114

21st

29th

GSL Chev City All GMC 100th Anniversary Show ’n Shine Calgary, AB 403-781-1504

Northern Mopar 21st Annual Show ’n Shine at COP Calgary, AB 403-243-4703

21st

29th

Olde Towne Okotoks Show ’n Shine Okotoks, AB 403-938-1588

10th Annual Endless Summer Open Show ’n Shine Sherwood Park, AB 780-449-4670

8th Annual Bowness Auto Parts Show ’n Shine Calgary, AB 403-288-5444 Waterton Wheels Show ’n Shine Waterton Park, AB 403-859-2266

21st

4th Springhill RV Park Show ’n Shine 7km north of Cochrane, AB 403-932-2010

29th

100 Foot Shootout Innisfail, AB 403-227-6616

21st

17th Camaro and Friends Show ’n Shine at Deerfoot Mall Calgary, AB 403-775-9556

14th

15th

SUMMER 2010 | ISSUE #1 | AUTOLIFEQUARTERLY.CA

photo ﬁnish ALQ READER CONTRIBUTIONS

THIS IS YOUR PAGE: ALQ will feature photos sent to us from our readers on this page in every issue.

√√ √ Clayton Kraatz and his buddy, Dean Folk, climb the AutoTemp van on the way to his wedding. Clayton married his lovely (and accommodating) wife, Erin, and hour later.

Brothers, Ryan and Jay Cottle, square off for the mighty pocket bike championship. (Ryan insists he kicked Jay’s butt and is still the reigning champ.)

SUMMER 2010 | ISSUE #1 | AUTOLIFEQUARTERLY.CA

ALQ staff writer and avid motorcycle racing fanatic, Joe Peskunowicz, rips through a turn on his Ducati.

Have you got a great photo you’d like us to publish on our Photo Finish page? Email it to us at autolife@shaw.ca and tell us all about it. If we print your shot, we’ll give you a complimentary one-year subscription to ALQ and send you an ofﬁcial AUTOLIFE Quarterly t-shirt!

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