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T U E S D A Y, O C T O B E R 2 , 2 0 1 2
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Does the 2013 Honda Accord deliver once again?
/T2
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Although it’s smaller, Accord keeps the optional V6 and fine-tunes pretty much everything else.
By MALCOLM GUNN In Santa Barbara, Calif.
B
uyers expecting the ninth-generation Accord to be bigger and bolder will need to adjust their perspective concerning one of North America’s most successful sedan and coupe lines. The U.S.-built Accord maintains a conservative presence, while
undergoing a complete metamorphosis in style, features and running gear. Paraphrasing Honda’s styling director David Marek, the Accord’s makeover started from the inside out to ensure occupants were treated to as much room and style as possible. Reshaping the exterior included soliciting opinions from current Accord owners who made it clear they wanted a less bulky car that didn’t sacrifice overall spaciousness.
A U T OALMANAC
WHAT’S UP, AUTO DOC?
WHO AM I? To g u es s h i s s e c r et i d e nt i t y, read the following clues! 1) He’s one of the few men in his sport who raced the cars that he built. 2) His success might not have been realized had it not been for the Can-Am racing series of the 1960s/’70s. 3) There, his bright orange cars finished on top more times than not. 4) At 32, this brilliant driver and engineer who owned his own racing team, died in a crash while testing. 5) A present-day Formula One racing team still bears his name as does the F1 supercar.
STILL STUMPED?
To save interior space, many vehicles (mostly high-riding rides such as sport utility vehicles and pickup trucks) have spare tires located beneath the load floor (outside). In this case, out of sight does not mean out of mind. After a crummy winter laced with road salt, the attaching hardware for the spare can become corroded, sometimes to the point where you might not be able to pry it from the vehicle. So, before that happens, put on your grubby clothes, crawl under the vehicle and soak the bolt threads with penetrating oil. You don’t want to risk breaking off the bolts, so let the oil do its job for a couple of hours before attempting to loosen things up. Once all apart, clean up everything the best you can and apply an anti-seize compound to the threads. Before reassembling, check the spare tire for the proper air pressure, damage and a rusty rim, which, depending on the severity, might need to be replaced. Share your tips with the Auto Doc at www.shiftweekly.com using the contact form.
EDMON TON JOU R NA L edmontonjournal .com
Manual-transmission lovers should be pleased that the Sounds like a tall order, but Marek’s design team appear to have six-speed gearbox remains available with four-cylinder Accord delivered on virtually all counts. The 2013 Accord sedan is about nine centimetres shorter and loses about 2.5 centimetres sedans and up-level V6 coupes. A new continuously variable between the front and rear wheels while gaining a centimetre in transmission (CVT) replaces the five-speed automatic option in width. At the same time, trunk space has increased by five per all four-cylinder models, but a six-speed automatic is still the only choice for V6 sedans and base V6 coupes. cent, thanks in part to a more compact rear suspension. In explaining its CVT decision, Honda’s stewards deemed it The latest Accord that’s now on sale appears more svelte. The necessary to lower fuel consumption to more competitive levels, look is more proportionally balanced and shows greater attention as in 7.8 l/100 km city and 5.5 highway. Those numbers are to detail in terms of styling execution. The coupe has undergone a more subtle transformation and second only to the class-leading Altima’s 7.4/5.0 rating. In early 2013, Honda will introduce the Accord plug-in hybrid. In remains one of the most appealing models of its type on the this format, a 2.0-litre fourroad. cylinder is mated with a 124Good looking also describes kilowatt electric motor to produce the Accord’s new cabin. The 196 net horsepower. The plug-in artistically sculpted travels up to 24 kilometres on dashboard is a sensational electric-only power, can run on piece and thankfully devoid of grid juice at speeds up to 100 knob and switchgear clutter. km/h and has a maximum 700Drivers will be particularly kilometre range. The clincher is it enamored with the clear and takes three hours on standard crisp white-on-black center 120-volt house current to replenish gauges and the high-definition the lithium-ion battery (about 10 eight-inch multi-information minutes for a 50 per cent charge), display screen. All passengers or about an hour using a 240-volt are treated to more charger. comfortable seating Gasoline Accords fall into LX, arrangements, with frontThe Accord has never been about the “wow factor,” Sport (sedan only), EX, EX-L and seaters enjoying more but more the “smart factor.” As such – despite the Touring editions. At $25,600, the supportive buckets and an base LX is well equipped, including extra inch of valuable legroom smaller overall package – there’s actually more interior volume. a rear-view camera, dual-zone air for those in back. conditioning and other niceties. From that point pricing heads Accords remain admirable road performers, with an enhanced feeling of sportiness and ride control. The base 2.4-litre four- north to the $36,900 Touring. With plenty of new/refreshed models populating the sedan cylinder (labelled “Earth Dreams”) makes 185 horsepower (189 for the Sport model), up from 177. The optional 278-horsepower class for 2013, the Accord has girded its loins for battle and, armed with good looks and lower fuel consumption, should keep 3.5-litre V6 gains a mere seven ponies. its loyal following solidly in the Honda camp.
Nissan’s compact sedan. The Sentra’s attractive looks are obviously inspired by the equally new mid-size Altima. The Sentra is slightly larger than the previous model, but it’s lighter by 60 kilograms. A 130 horsepower 1.8-litre four-cylinder engine connects to a six-speed manual RAWING OARD transmission or optional continuously 2013 Nissan Sentra: Appearing soon variable unit. at Nissan dealers is the latest edition of
D
B
EBAY WATCH 1977 Oldsmobile Cutlass coupe, not sold, high bid US $15,000: This Olds is the kind of oddity that’s frequently found on Ebay. For some unexplained reason, the car remained untitled with the dealer for many years before being stored. As a result, it has accumulated just 112 documented miles (180 kilometres). It comes with a 403-cubicinch V8, automatic transmission, air conditioning and a partial vinyl roof. New tires, shocks and an exhaust system have been installed and a fresh coat of paint applied. No takers this time around. Visit www.ebaymotors.com.
TOP GEAR Corvette Nomad show-car replica; Superior Glass Works; US $60,000 and up; www.Superior54.com: This Oregon company makes fibreglass replicas of a concept vehicle that never went into production. The Corvette Nomad station wagon was first displayed at the 1954 General Motors Motorama exhibit in New York City and became the forerunner of the Nomad models built from 1955-’57. The Superior 54 Sport Wagon body package is $60,000, but can be ordered as rolling chassis using fifthgeneration (1997-’04) Corvette suspension components for $100,000. If you want a finished car, expect to shell out $200,000.
Bruce McLaren and his teammate Denis Hulme won all 11 1969 Can-Am races driving McLaren-built cars.
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C O U G A R
ity the poor Mercury-Lincoln dealers back in the mid1960s. Flush with acres of Continentals, Park Lanes and Montclairs, not to mention a few assorted econobox Comets, these folks could only stare in hopeless exasperation as eager prospects flocked down the road to the nearest Ford store. Why? The new Mustangs had arrived. The birth of Lee Iacocca’s baby had led to a severe case of mass automotive hysteria and ushered in an era of “pony-car” madness. Suddenly, every North American manufacturer was chomping at the bit to cash in on this new craze. When the Mercury Cougar finally arrived in the fall of 1966, it was one of several fresh entries into the pony-car race, including the Chevrolet Camaro, Pontiac Firebird and Plymouth’s clean-sheet secondgeneration Barracuda. Mercury took a decidedly different approach with the Cougar. Early advertising touted its luxury car leanings with the tag line, “The Fine Car Touch inspired by the Continental.” The new “Cat” was built using a Mustang chassis, but the distance between the front and rear wheels had been increased by about seven centimetres. Visually, the Cougar was a pleasant
piece. Along with its must-have longhood, short-deck styling, the car featured unique hidden headlights that remained cloistered behind the front grille until pressed into service. But the real knockout feature was the car’s sequential rear signal lights that strobed in the appropriate direction whenever the stalk indicator was flicked. Unlike the Mustang, the Cougar was available only with V8 power. The base engine was a 200-horse 289-cubic-inch unit, while a 225horsepower version was available as an option. An optional GT package featured a more muscular 390cubic-inch V8 stuffed between the Cougar’s shock towers. Mid way into the 1967 model year, Mercury introduced the Cougar XR-7, complete with full gauges, woodgrain interior trim, leather seats and other fancy bits. First-year sales of more than 150,000 Cougars proved the public was hungry for a pony car with a little more flair and substance than the rest of the field. For 1968, the Cougar received the new 302-cubic-inch V8, as well as the horsepower-abundant 428 and racing-oriented 427-cubic-inch V8 options that cranked out 335 and 390 horsepower, respectively. That year also saw the creation of one of the rarest of Cougar models, the XR7-G. The “G” stood for racing legend Dan Gurney. This model included a special fibreglass hood complete with scoop and racingstyle locking pins, fog lamps, special alloy wheels and interior trim. Only 619 XR7-Gs were shipped from the
factory and of those, slightly fewer than 200 were sent to Hertz to be used as rental units. In 1969, the mildly restyled Cougar family grew to include both a base and XR-7 convertible. You could still order the 428 engine, but the raunchier 427 was trimmed from the order sheet. A new 351 cubic-inch engine series became available that year, with output ranging from 250300 horsepower. The Cougar remain basically unchanged through 1970, although the 390 V8 had finally disappeared from sight. This seemed to be the signal for Mercury’s product planners to turn the Cougar into a true boulevard cruiser. Although the 1971 model continued to use the Mustang’s platform, the car became significantly bigger, stouter and pricier, with more luxury touches included as part of its standard features. But for four solid years, the Cougar represented a softer, more eloquent interpretation of the pony-car revolution and gave its proud owners a taste of how future “personal luxury” cars would evolve. These days, the Cougar is rapidly gaining in popularity among collectors who consider its unique and tasteful styling and plenty of on-tap power to be a cut above the Mustangs, Challengers and Camaros of that era. It’s funny, but those are the exact same reasons the original Cougar became such a sales success in the first place.
4
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2012
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5
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EDMON TON JOU R NA L edmontonjournal .com
Automotive legends and heroes
It’s a company that has so far survived 100 years building automobiles
I
n 1899, Italian Giovanni Agnelli signed a contract with Emanuele Bricherasio di Cacherano, a nobleman from Turin, Italy, who was looking for investors and partners in a company called “Società Anonima Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino,” or Fiat. The first factory opened in 1900 with nearly 200 workers. Agnelli stood out in the group of investors and won recognition for his determination and strategic vision. By 1902 he was named the company’s managing director. Giovanni, an ex-cavalry officer, thought of Fiat as little more than an aristocratic hobby. With an investment of $400 in 1899, he began amassing Fiat’s fortune by meshing Detroit’s production principles with Italian style. Agnelli built a family dynasty, creating
jobs for generations of Italian families. He died in 1945, thereby passing ownership to his grandson, Giovanni, or Gianni, as he was known. Eventually, he opened factories throughout the world and secured international alliances that marked a new industrial mentality. Led by the ambitious Gianni, Fiat sank its teeth into everything from aerospace to telecommunications to insurance and all forms of media. But with labor troubles in the 1960s and 1970s, as well as steadily increasing competition by the late 1980s, Fiat saw its share of the Italian auto market fall. By the late-1990s, in an effort to strengthen itself and to position Fiat for the future, the automaker formed a US $2.4-billion alliance with General Motors. A few
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years before his death at age 81, Gianni Agnelli, an honorary chairman of Fiat, showed no sign of stopping. He orchestrated the $4.3-billion acquisition of 52 percent of Montedison, the second-biggest player in Italy’s deregulated energy market, and went public with Juventus, his popular soccer team. His death in 2003 was met by an outpouring of national grief. He had been in the Fiat power structure for 30 years, building it into a global powerhouse before retiring in 1996. When he died, the torch was passed to Umberto Agnelli, Gianni’s younger brother, who took over control of the Agnelli family holding company, which controlled Fiat with a stake of 30 percent. Today, Fiat controls Chrysler, providing a doorway for the Agnelli dynasty to extend to North America.
Illustrated By ADAM YOUNG
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Despite its troubled production, the Birdcage proved to be a roaring success on the race track
T
he magical Maserati name has been attached to some of the most beautiful and successful race and road-going cars ever made. At or near the top of that list is the uniquely designed Birdcage roadster. Despite producing only 22 examples between 1959 and 1961, the Birdcage is perhaps the best known and most desirable of the competition Maseratis. One look at its offbeat construction and sensuous bodywork and it’s easy to see why. Although the company, founded by the six Maserati brothers in the early part of the 20th century, was frequently in financial difficulties, it has, in its troubled lifespan, managed to produce a number of significant low-volume, high-priced classics. These include the 3500GT, Sebring, Mistrale and Ghibli front-engine cars, as well as the mid-engine Bora and Merak models with their distinctive “flying buttress” bodywork. As was the case with Ferrari, the Modena, Italy-based Maserati was first and foremost a constructor of racing cars (a division of the company also produced spark plugs). Carlo, the eldest of the Maserati brothers, first began racing in 1907 at the age of 26. His younger brother, Mario, was behind the wheel of the very first car to wear the company crest in competition in the famed Targa Florio road race in 1926. Two other brothers, Alfieri and Ernesto, also actively maintained the Maserati racing tradition throughout the 1920s and 1930s. The marque’s many victories have included two wins at the Indianapolis 500. And in Formula One, a Maserati 250F helped Juan Maunel Fangio earn his fifth and final world championship in 1957. As successful as the company was in racing, the sport proved to be a constant drain on cash. In the days before lucrative big-time sponsorships, participation in racing was an expensive proposition, requiring significant offset from the sale of exotic road cars to well-heeled European and North American buyers. However, Maserati’s Argentine-based owners, who had purchased a majority interest in the company in the late 1930s, were determined to use auto racing as a way to enhance their firm’s reputation as a builder of high-performance machinery, and remained committed to competition.
Even as the Tipo (Type) 60, as the original Birdcage was officially called, was nearing completion, the company was in the throes of receivership proceedings. Maserati’s perilous financial condition meant there were no funds to field a factory-backed race effort. As a result, the Birdcage was marketed mainly to private teams – at about $11,000 a copy – that received limited factory support in the way of spare parts and technical assistance. The car was tagged the Birdcage for its unique tubular chassis, referred to as a “spider web” by the factory. This skeletal-like shape was designed to support both the engine and suspension components as well as the car’s sheet metal. Each of the 200 lengths of tubing was welded together in an intricate pattern to create an extremely light (30 kilograms) yet rigid platform able to withstand the tortures of road-course competition. The finished product, complete with its 200-horsepower 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine, huge 14-inch disc brakes and melt-in-your-mouth body, weighed a mere 1,100 pounds. That’s less than half the weight of a Mazda MX-5 Miata. Top speed was about 230 km/h. As was the case with most highly specialized, low-volume race cars, no two Birdcages look alike. To begin with, the first six cars produced carried the two-litre powerplant, while the final 16, designated the Tipo 61, were fitted with a larger 2.9-litre four-cylinder engine that generated an additional 50 horsepower. There were also minor variations in styling, depending on each car’s intended use. The first Birdcages were readied for the 1960 World Sports Car Championship season, competing against cars from Ferrari, Porsche, Lotus, Cooper and OSCA. One of the first Birdcages, driven by the legendary Stirling Moss, managed to win its very first race at a circuit in France. It is a tribute to the Birdcage’s speed and toughness that it remained competitive for many years after its limited production ended in 1961. Today, a few priceless examples can be spotted at a few vintage racing events, as well as in museums. Had Maserati been healthier and able to invest more heavily in the Birdcage’s development, who knows how successful it could have been. However, the Birdcage’s ground-breaking design and awesome performance have assured its position as one of the greatest race cars to ever turn a wheel.
8
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1-855-526-6213 9525-127 avenue
FORD ESCAPE
14,641
$
NOW
Mon-Thurs 8:30-9, Fri-Sat 8:30-6, Sun 11-5
DISCLAIMER: Vehicles may not be exactly as illustrated. Prices plus GST. All payments are bi-weekly based on max. term available. All terms and interest rates O.A.C. See dealer for details.
15,888
$
127 AVENUE
N
97 ST.
HYUNDAI TUCSON
LOADED, LOW KM
EDM00570803_1_1