F E B R U A R Y / M A R C H
2 0 1 2
Volume 14 Is s ue 1
FREE
Porsche is set to take centre stage in the hybrid world with the Panamera S Hybrid.
L.A. AUTO SHOW
CES REPORT
‘35 Ford Coupe
CONTENTS
Joining the Hybrid Movement Porsche is set to take centre stage in the world of hybrids..pg 29
ALSO INSIDE:
LA AUTO SHOW
GTI vs. TDI
Is the TDI the next GTI? ...pg 46
Our coverage of the Los Angeles Auto Show ...pg 25
ONE-ON-ONE
Intermeccanica’s Henry Reisner ...pg 60
Colin Chapman
The creator of greatness, the killer of the great...pg 54
Audi S5 Cabriolet
COBRA STANG A Ford Mustang Cobra modified in a slightly different way ...pg 36
Audi’s sporty and smooth S5 3.0 TFSI quattro Cabriolet...pg 16 Starting Lines--------------------------------------------------------------- 4 First Drive: Hyundai Veloster--------------------------------------------- 18 Road Test: Subaru Impreza---------------------------------------------- 20 Tire Czar-------------------------------------------------------------------- 22 Road Test: Toyota Prius V ----------------------------------------------- 24 RPM Test Fleet------------------------------------------------------------- 30 Greatest Roads #16------------------------------------------------------- 32 The Truck Guy-------------------------------------------------------------- 34 CES Report ---------------------------------------------------------------- 41 Classic Corner------------------------------------------------------------- 56 Book Review--------------------------------------------------------------- 57 New Product Showcase-------------------------------------------------- 58 Parting Shots-------------------------------------------------------------- 62
‘35 FORD COUPE Randy Browning’s 1935 Ford 3-window coupe...pg 48
RPM Feb / Mar 2012
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Return of the Dart? Volume 14, Issue No. 1 February/March 2012 Publisher / Editor: Dean Washington dean@rpmcanada.ca Associate Publisher: David Symons david@rpmcanada.ca Advertising Inquiries: sales@rpmcanada.ca Circulation: Brenda Washington brenda@rpmcanada.ca New Car Editor Gerry Frechette gerryf@rpmcanada.ca Editorial Coordinator / Graphic Designer Jordan Allan jordan@rpmcanada.ca Sales & Marketing Elaine Fontaine elaine@rpmcanada.ca Controller: B.M. Walker Contributing Writers/Photographers: Jordan Allan Gerry Frechette Dave MacKinnon Nigel Matthews Russell Purcell Budd Stanley
T
he Dodge Dart was an iconic car of the ‘60s and ‘70s, but Dodge is bringing the name back, and who would have thought it would be based on Alfa Romeo DNA? Dart marks the Dodge brand’s re-entry into the compact sedan segment, and after teasing us for some time with detail photos, now we get to see what the Dart looks like in full light. Dodge says that the new Dart is the first Chrysler Group vehicle based upon a Fiat architecture, adapted from the award-winning Alfa Romeo Giulietta, and will get its power from three four-cylinder engines. Buyers can select from a new Tigershark 16-valve 2.0-litre engine, a 16-valve 1.4-litre MultiAir Intercooled Turbo engine, and a new Tigershark 16-valve 2.4-litre MultiAir normally-aspirated engine. The Dart will be built stateside at Chrysler Group’s Belvidere Assembly Plant in Belvidere, Illinois and should hit showroom floors later this year as a 2013 model. Ferrari President Montezemolo Running for Italian PM As if Italian politics couldn’t get any more ridiculous, word is that the leader of the nation’s most iconic and beloved business could be running for Prime Minister after the leave of Silvio Berlusconi. While it may sound just as ridiculous as leaving Berlusconi in power, however, when digging into Luca di Montezemolo’s background, it may not be as crazy as it seems. As a member of Italy’s hereditary aristocracy and a lawyer by profession, Montezemolo was a prodigy of both Enzo Ferrari and former Fiat chairman Gianni Agnelli and quickly rose up the ranks in both companies to preside over each. He’s also chaired influential industrial groups and coordinated the 1990 FIFA World Cup held in Italy, not to mention the America’s Cup sailing team and high-speed rail company he’s run. In the cut-throat world of auto manufacturing, he might just be the man to lift Italy out of the financial crisis that is gripping that nation.
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Lexus CT200h Getting Wild with F-Sport Package? When testing the CT200h for the first time back in February last year, we had great hopes for Lexus to produce a fun little performance hatch. And while we did like the car’s styling and firm handling, an anemic engine and rather annoying CVT transmission left quite a bit of fun and performance on the table. However, Lexus has just announced that for 2012, the CT will be available with a new F-Sport package. The press release reads that this new package is inspired by the LFA and ISF and will present Canadians with endless moments of fun. A bump in power, some lightening of the body and maybe even a manual 6-speed would go a long way in upping the fun level of the CT, but perusing the press release reveals that other than some improved suspension damping, there are no real mechanical improvements. The package mainly focuses on the addition of metal trim, aggressive grille, spoiler and seat design and lots of embroidery to set the F-Sport apart from your run-of-the-mill CT200h. Volvo Teases With XC60 Plug-in Hybrid Nissan, GM, Mitsubishi, Toyota, Honda and Ford have all made massive marketing pushes to flaunt their latest electrified eco vehicles. However, there has been little news coming from Volvo on this subject, but something interesting this way comes from GÜteborg, Sweden, and it involves the use of two motors mounted in opposite ends of the car. The XC60 Plug-in Hybrid Concept has its front wheels powered by a four-cylinder turbocharged gasoline engine from the forthcoming VEA (Volvo Environ-
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mental Architecture) engine family, combined with an electric motor with 70 hp and 148 lb-ft of torque feeding the rear wheels. In Pure mode, the car is powered solely by its electric motor as much as possible. The operational range is up to 45 km with zero tailpipe emissions in urban traffic, while capable of 0-100 km/h in 6.1 seconds with both working in unison. Volvo says this plug-in hybrid technology, featuring the upcoming Volvo Environmental Architecture engine family, will reach North American showrooms in a couple of years.
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Subaru Shows Race-Ready BRZ? The Tokyo Auto Show had some interesting surprises in store for automotive journalists, but one that piqued our interest was this early example of what Subaru’s next GT300 car will look like for the 2012 edition of Japan’s SuperGT racing series. For those who don’t know, the SuperGT series is Japan’s most popular racing series, pitting wildly modified versions of production cars against each other in two different classes, GT300 and GT500. The 300 and 500 refer to the limited horsepower for the class, which means the 2.0L Boxer-4 hidden under that heavily vented hood will be held to 300 hp. The BRZ will be replacing the Impreza, which has competed in the class for the better part of a decade, likely sparking yet another beautiful relationship between Subaru and racing. Let’s hope Subaru Canada has similar ambitions.
the Conner Avenue Assembly Plant in Detroit for the production of the next-generation SRT Viper. With the plant’s reopening, nearly 150 jobs, both hourly and salaried, will return to the City of Detroit. The Conner facility was idled when production of the Dodge Viper ended in July 2010. As for the car itself, no real details have been released about one of America’s most iconic sports cars; however, we do know that Chrysler is keen to keep the manic V10 rumbling under the hood. The next generation Viper is due out late this year as a 2013 model.
The IIHS Announces Its Latest “TOP SAFETY PICKS” The Insurance Institute of Highway Safety has recently come out with its latest round of “TOP SAFETY PICKS,” with the addition of 18 new vehicles joining the 97 models that have already qualified for the list, of which 12 were not SUVs or trucks. The Return of the Snake While the news of the Dart making a return is welcome news, big shaker this year was Honda, dominating half that number, there are more sinister plots afoot in Detroit. We learned last year from sources inside Chrysler that the Viper would make a comeback in 2012, likely based on an Alfa backbone. However, the writing is now on the wall as Chrysler announces it will reopen
RPM Feb / Mar 2012
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STARTING LINES improving the Fit, CR-Z, Insight, Accord, Acura TSX and Acura TL into their respective top spots. The other winners include the Toyota Yaris, Camry and Prius V, Scion xD, Subaru Impreza and Buick Verano. In all, 69 cars, 38 SUVs, five minivans, and a rather concerning three pickups earn TOP SAFETY PICK. The award recognizes vehicles that do the best job of protecting occupants in front, side, rollover, and rear crashes based on ratings in Institute evaluations. The ratings, which cover all four of the most common kinds of crashes, help shoppers pick vehicles that offer the highest levels of crash protection. Because the federal government now requires all 2012 and later passenger vehicles to have electronic stability control to help drivers avoid loss-of-control crashes, ESC no longer is a requirement to win as it was in prior years. Alberta man wins 2011 Dodge Challenger SXT There is one more proud Dodge owner in Alberta, thanks to an exciting partnership between A&W Food Services of Canada Inc. and Chrysler Canada. John Le Blanc of Sunset House, Alberta is the lucky winner of a legendary made-in-Canada 2011 Dodge Challenger SXT Plus. Le Blanc was presented with the car on Nov. 8 at the A&W restaurant in High Prairie by franchisee Louise Owens, Mike Daubet of Big Lakes Chrysler, and The Great A&W Root Bear®. The Challenger is the grand prize in this summer’s A&W Cruisin’ the Dub® contest, part of A&W’s national Cruisin’ the Dub program that invites car enthusiasts to share their passions and their memories at A&W restaurants. A&Ws across Canada hosted thousands of events this past season, with
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many more planned for 2012. Earlier this summer a resident of Southwestern Ontario won the spring Cruisin’ the Dub prize of a 2011 Harley Davidson Fat Boy® motorcycle. More information about Cruisin’ the Dub is available at http://www.aw.ca/cruisinthe-dub.nsf/home. Ford Goes Electric in 2012 For 2012, Ford is joining the electric car wars in a big way, and launching the new mid-size Fusion sedan, with a version for every taste in fuel efficiency. Leading the way is the Fusion Energi plug-in hybrid, aiming to be the most fuel-efficient midsize car in the world. Arriving this fall, it is anticipated to deliver more than 100 MPGe, a mile-per-gallon equivalency metric for electrified
STARTING LINES vehicles. The Fusion Hybrid continues to evolve with lithiumion batteries that save weight and generate more power than previous nickel-metal hydride batteries, while raising maximum speed under electric-only power to 100 km/h, and generating 22 percent better efficiency. The three available gasoline-powered engines are all four cylinders, including two turbo direct-injection EcoBoost units of 1.6 and 2.0 litres, the latter, with 237 hp, being the performance version. The C-MAX compact multi-activity vehicle will also be available in Energi and Hybrid models, while the Focus compact sedan gains a fully electric model that features faster charging technology, allowing it to fully recharge in three to four hours at 240V – half the time of other new EVs on the market. The Saab Story Continues The unending drama that is unfolding over in Trollhättan, Sweden, may finally be coming to an end, but there doesn’t seem to be any light at the end of the tunnel. Saab has finally filed for bankruptcy protection in a Swedish district court. Saab CEO Victor Muller reportedly turned in the bankruptcy application just hours before a court was set to rule on the company’s reorganization, but just because headquarters has filed doesn’t mean that Saab North America will follow suit. The filing comes two years to the day after General Motors’ filing. Saab has been in a state of limbo since production was halted in April when the cash ran dry. Since then, a soap opera has ensued with possible suitors, Chinese companies Youngman and Pang Da, showing interest in the Swedish automaker. However, each deal has been shot down by GM, which has expressed concern with Saab working so closely with its direct competition in China. As a result of the bankruptcy, the North American
much stronger with the signing of Frenchman Sebastian Ogier. For those new to rallying, Ogier has been under the tutelage of his unbeatable teammate, Sebastian Loeb, who has singlehandedly destroyed all comers in a Schumacher-like manner, winning the last eight World Championships with ease. Ogier is no pushover himself, being Loeb’s only real competition, and is said to be capable of even greater promise, which looks good for VW, having such a prodigy at the wheel of the Polo WRC next season.
branch of Saab is suspending the payment of new car, powertrain, emissions and parts warranties, along with recall campaigns, certified pre-owned coverage and no-charge maintenance programs. In addition, all new vehicles will be sold “as is.” Hopefully this won’t be the end to such a unique car maker. VW WRC Effort Strengthened With Ogier Volkswagen has proclaimed that it will join the World Rally Championship in 2012, and with a new car on the way with help from VW-owned Skoda’s own competitive rally car development, VW just made its team RPM Feb / Mar 2012 11
Electrifying performance in a luxurious package
Story and photos by Russell Purcell
H
ybrid automotive technologies have become an integral part of the marketplace as growing concerns for the deplorable condition of our environment and out-of-control fuel prices have manufacturers and consumers alike looking for viable solutions to alleviate some of the more immediate problems. As a company, Porsche was late to the hybrid party, but you knew that once they hit the dance floor, their product would take centre stage. Following in the footsteps of the Cayenne S Hybrid which debuted last year, Porsche has added the Panamera S Hybrid to its catalogue for the 2012 model year. This luxurious green machine is the most fuel-efficient Panamera in the line-up. It should come as no surprise that the Panamera S Hybrid shares the bulk of its powertrain with that fitted to its Cayenne sibling. The foundation for both systems is the 3.0-litre supercharged V6 that Porsche pinched from the inventory of its corporate cousin Audi, which uses this peppy powerplant to motivate the popular S4 sports sedan. The system is a parallel hybrid that allows the car to operate on electric power, the gasoline engine, or a combination of both when the driver is looking for acceleration. The supercharged gasoline engine is good for 333 horsepower on its own accord, and 325 lb-ft of torque. By adding the electric motor, horsepower climbs to 380 and torque becomes a potent 428 lb-ft. Unfortunately, the Panamera S Hybrid is only available with an eight-speed Tiptronic S automatic transmission, and not the super-fast PDK. All-wheel drive is also 12 At The Wheel RPM Feb / Mar 2012
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With a twist of the key the car comes to life, but not with the roar of a conventional Porsche automobile. Instead, at the touch of a console-mounted button, the car will operate in “e-power “ mode on electric power alone for the first couple of kilometres up to a speed of 85 km/h. This will no doubt help you save some money at the pump as, like all Porsches, the Panamera S Hybrid sips the good stuff. Once the power reserve is exhausted, or you exceed its speed limitation, the gas engine will come on with purpose.
not part of this recipe, as this latest Panamera is only available in rear-wheel drive form. Acceleration is very quick for such a large car (0-100 km/h runs take a mere six seconds), but I didn’t get the opportunity to execute any hard launches due to inclement weather conditions and the fact that the car was rolling on brand-new winter tires. This is too bad because the car was loaded for track fun as it was equipped with paddle shifters, Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM), and the Sport Chrono Package. The car seemed more than content to putt around at 100 km/h in eighth gear at a very low 1,900 rpm. However, acceleration is instantaneous when you find the need to pass a slower vehicle or avoid a dangerous situation. The transmission will drop to second gear to get the party going and then quickly cycle through the successive gears before settling back to a comfortable cruise in eighth gear. Passing is not a concern in this car. I should point out that the six-cylinder Panamera 4 that I tested last year felt anaemic and overburdened during similar manoeuvres, which made me uncomfortable. I did not experience that in this vehicle. In fact, I had the utmost confidence in its abilities and predictable handling.
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Now, here is the cool part about driving this car. I have a local driving route I like to take test vehicles on as it provides me with a wide range of road surfaces, invigorating sections to explore handling, and a nice mixture of hills, highways and byways. Typically, this test circuit takes me about two hours to complete, as long as I don’t stop for photo opportunities. On the day I explored this route in the Panamera S Hybrid, it took the full two hours to complete as I was behaving. The cool thing is that for a large portion of that time, I was running under electric power. That’s right, the gasoline engine was taking a break. This occurs when the car is operating at higher cruising speeds, such as on the highway, or descending a long hill. When the driver lifts his or her foot off the accelerator, this signals the system to disengage the engine and enlist the battery packs to feed the drivetrain and maintain the car’s momentum. Porsche refers to this unique event as “sailing,” and it really is neat to behold. The car is very quiet, and as long as you don’t hit the pedals, will continue until the battery packs are depleted. During my two hour drive, the Engine Off Time screen display revealed that the car had been in “sailing” mode for 36 minutes. The Panamera S Hybrid is basically the same car as a Panamera S when it comes to both packaging and equipment levels. However there are a few noticeable changes, including the addition of a special system status screen to allow the driver to monitor how the parallel hybrid system is working at any given time. The Panamera is a four-seater, much like its corporate cousin, the Audi A7. What this means is four very lucky individuals get more room to stretch out. The front seats have been designed for spirited driving as well as comfort. The two rear seats mimic the fronts, which gives the passenger cabin an even more exclusive
look. My test vehicle featured top-quality leather over most of the seating (and panel) surfaces with bold exposed stitching and perforated inserts to help control heat dissipation. Distinctive black wood trim complemented the dark interior. The car features the same waterfall centre console as the other Panamera models with what at first seems like a zillion buttons, but after some time behind the wheel, you realize that the complex array is actually quite simple. In short order, you will intuitively know which part of the geography to reach for when you are looking for a certain function. There are also controls on the headliner for proximity sensors, Home-link, sunroof controls and various cabin lighting. The car’s shifter features a comfy grip, and manual shifting can be executed via the side shift gate or by using the paddle controls. A Bose-engineered premium audio system was on board to tickle the ears, and the company’s latest navigation system worked very well. The centre armrest features a 12-volt power port as well as an auxiliary input and a USB port for connecting portable electronic devices. I find that the Bluetooth system utilized by Porsche works better than that in most cars and I had no problems connecting my BlackBerry to the system, and sound quality and functionality were top-notch.
ability to raise the car at the touch of a button if you find the need to clear snow or shallow road debris, or conversely, to lower the car to allow for more efficient ingress or egress.
My test vehicle also included paddle shifters and the Sport Chrono Package which places a stylish lap timer in a perforated recess at the centre of the dash. When operating the car in Sport (or Sport Plus) mode, seventh gear becomes your ceiling as the engine mapping All the gauges and most of the controls are easy to see and reach and gearbox become optimized for high-performance rather than from the driver’s position. The majority of gauges in the instrument fuel efficiency. There is plenty of cargo room in a Panamera as the rear seatbacks fold forward to extend the size of the cargo area. You should have little problem squeezing four sets of golf clubs into the hold with the seats in place, as long as you remove the cargo screen. Surprisingly for this day and age, there is only a single glove box, but there are various bins and cubbies spread throughout the cabin. The Panamera’s exterior styling is very unique and is not for everyone, but I must admit that I had lots of passersby comment on the car’s obvious style. The same cannot be said for the colour. The press car was cloaked in Crystal Green Metallic, a colour which would probably look great on a traditional executive sedan but for some reason looked out of place on the curvaceous Panamera. It seemed too mature for this car, and kind of reminded me of a colour that would be featured on a bridesmaid’s dress. Since you are buying this car to be a good environmental citizen, there are several hybrid badges on the car’s exterior, including script cluster feature black faces, but the tachometer has a gray face. on both front doors and on the rear hatch. This centrally-mounted gauge also acts as home to a secondary, digital speedometer, a gear position indicator, and a full arsenal I understand the concept of a luxury hybrid vehicle, and why someone of warning lights. The use of highly-visible LED illumination for may want to own one. It offers you, as the owner, the ability to deflect this information is excellent. A “Hybrid” graphic is also featured some of the pointed fingers and wave a “green” flag to express to your on the face of the tachometer, but also has its own gauge in the neighbours that you are doing something positive for the environment, driver information centre that tells you what is happening with the albeit behind the wheel of a high-performance automobile. The good system’s various functions. news is that the engineers at Porsche managed to make the driving experience so similar to that of the traditional version of the car that it My only gripes pertain to the strange placement for the window is easy to forget that you are, in fact, driving a hybrid automobile. controls and the lack of rear visibility. Window and mirror controls are placed in an odd location on the driver’s door panel, right SPECIFICATIONS where your knee hits, and require you to place your wrist at a strange angle. Visibility is great out the front and to the side, but Technical Specifications: ................................. 2012 Porsche Panamera S Hybrid the rear-view can be blocked when you have a passenger in the Base Price (MSRP): ...............................................................................$108,700 back seat as they tend to lean in to communicate with the front Price as tested: ......................................................................................$127,295 occupants, and by the wide pillars and relatively small rear window. Type: ...............................................................5-door, 4-passenger luxury sedan. Luckily, there are park assist sensors and an available rear-view Engine: 3.0-litre DFI supercharged V6 with electric motor assist (Parallel Full Hybrid drive system) camera system to facilitate backing manoeuvres and parking. The car was well-equipped for the Canadian climate as it had heating elements in the seats, and an exceptional heating and ventilation system. Porsche’s three-mode, adaptive air suspension is on board as standard equipment which gives users the
Horsepower:. 333 @ 5,500 rpm (Gas only); 380 @ 5,500 rpm (Hybrid combined) Torque (lb-ft):....... 325 @ 3000-5250 rpm; 427 @ 1,000 rpm (Hybrid combined) Transmission: ......8-Speed Tiptronic S with Auto Start-Stop function capabilities Brakes: . ................................................................................................. Disc/disc Top speed: .............................................................................................270 km/h Acceleration (0-100 km/h): ...................................................................... 6.0 sec. Fuel consumption [L/100 km]: . ...........................................City 7.6 L; Hwy 6.8 L
At The Wheel RPM Feb / Mar 2012 15
ROAD TEST - AUDI S5 CABRIOLET
What’s in a name?
2012 Audi S5 3.0 TFSI quattro Cabriolet
Story and photos by Gerry Frechette
T
as usual, is S5 3.0 TFSI quattro Cabriolet, with Premium trim, and at least the long moniker tells a lot about the car.
here is no shortage of cars whose tops go down, thankfully, and, a huge variety of cars within that group, from all-out sports cars The 3.0 refers to what is under the hood, and it’s not the lusty 4.2 V8 still available in the S Coupe. For all the usual reasons, the cylinder to big luxobarges with no real sporting pretensions. count has dropped and forced induction has been added, and the reAnd then, there is the wide range in between, from practical to luxu- sult is the 3.0-litre supercharged V6 with direct injection. Torque is the rious, but all with that unique feature, al fresco motoring. They are same as the V8 but available even sooner, horsepower is only slightly called various names, too – convertible is a kind of generic term - but less (at 333), consumption and emissions are improved, and it is just if they are called “cabriolets,” you can be reasonably certain that they as responsive, if not sounding quite as muscular. The run to 100 km/h originate from Germany, and that they will combine varying degrees takes about five-and-a-half seconds. of performance, luxury and exclusivity, all at a price. Contributing to both both sporty and smooth performance is Audi’s latest Such is the case with the Audi S5 Cabriolet, the performance version S Tronic seven-speed dual-clutch manumatic gearbox that generates of the otherwise very nice A5. The full model name, a lengthy one lightning-fast shifts, either left to its own devices in “Sport” mode, or via the paddle shifters. A manual transmission is not offered, unfortunately for some. The Variable Gear Shifting (normal or sport) is part of the Sport Differential package that includes the rear end that can direct more torque to the outside wheel in a corner for more balance and speed, Normal or Sport modes for steering and throttle response, and Auto Drive Select with Auto, Comfort and Dynamic modes for the suspension. With these choices, either sporty or smooth performance is just a click away, and the quattro all-wheel drive manages the traction and control on the mechanical end. So which modes did we prefer? The Sport and Dynamic modes, of course, as firmer suspension plus sharper steering and throttle response are just more involving. And, it has to be said, they help manage the not-inconsiderable weight of the S5 Cabrio, some 1,954 kg (4,300 pounds). That folding roof, the AWD and the necessary structural reinforcements are not lightweight items. 16 At The Wheel RPM Feb / Mar 2012
ROAD TEST - AUDI S5 CABRIOLET The S5 could be even heavier if the roof was one of the now-popular folding metal versions, but it is an old-fashioned fabric one that is as nicely constructed as any in the industry, and takes up less room in the trunk when down, allowing a couple of golf bags back there, but then of course, there is less security with a fabric top. The rear seats fold down, and longer items like skis can be slid under the top compartment in the trunk. In any case, with the top down, the body exhibits very little of the flexing we used to take for granted in a convertible. We’ve come to expect pretty interiors from Audi, and the S5 is no different, although the sport seats are quite aggressive looking. They are worth it, though, with great support and something those who are long of leg can really appreciate, an extendable under-thigh support. The rear seats are, as expected, a bit cramped, and you can’t use them anyway if the very effective wind deflector is deployed behind the front seats, as it had better be to avoid the very strong turbulence without it. Think of that rear seat area as an extra padded luggage space. Our S5 tester had the optional Navigation package with the latest MMI driver interface, and we are lukewarm to its functionality, especially when it takes several steps to perform a function that should take just one on a simpler system, and it diverts the driver’s attention from the road. But that just seems to be the nature of all high-tech control systems these days. Other options include metallic or pearl paint, carbon fibre trim and B&O Audio. Our tester had the latter two, and for $1,100, the audio upgrade is a no-brainer. The revised 2013 S5 model will arrive by the middle of the year, but it is not expected to be significantly different in design or concept from the current 2012 model, so going for the S5 now is not a decision you are likely to regret when you see the new one. The formula is by now well entrenched by Audi, as the S5 is an all-rounder, a daily driver even, more of an athletic GT than a sports car, somewhere between the sportier BMW 335i and the more luxurious MercedesBenz E350 cabrios. We think the formula is a good one.
SPECIFICATIONS Price: base/as tested: ............................................................. $72,000/$78,300 Type of vehicle: .......................................Front-engine AWD 2-door convertible Engine: .................................................................Supercharged 3.0L DOHC V6 Power: . .............................................................................333 hp @ 5,300 rpm Torque: . ......................................................................... 325 lb-ft @ 1,500 rpm Transmission: . ....................................................Seven-speed DSG manumatic Brakes: ...................................................................... Four-wheel disc with ABS Tires: ............................................................................. P255/35R19 (optional) Curb weight: . ...................................................................................... 1,954 kg Transport Canada fuel consumption (L/100 km): ...................12.9 city, 8.1 hwy.
At The Wheel RPM Feb / Mar 2012 17
FIRST DRIVE - HYUNDAI VELOSTER
Catering to Enthusiasts
Story and photos by Gerry Frechette
W
ith all the attention being given to segments like crossovers and anything with electric motors, it might seem that there would be little interest anymore in small sport coupes. But thankfully, the manufacturers still cater to enthusiasts, and Hyundai, having hit a few home runs the last couple of years and possessing a good compact car platform, has taken the plunge in a big way with the new Veloster.
yield 4.9L/100 km efficiency on the highway, so that is a fair trade off. Once you get up to speed, the Veloster is fun out on a twisty road, with a firm suspension set-up and good traction, at least with the optional 18-inch wheels on the ones we drove. Given its intended audience, the level of technology standard or optional is no surprise. The features include MP3/USB aux input, 450w 10-speaker audio, navigation, 16GB memory, voice recognition, RCA jack for video games, and 7-inch touch-screen display. Included in its $18,999 base price are air conditioning, back-up camera, heated front seats, cruise control, telescoping steering, and steering-wheel-mounted controls. The loaded Tech Package is $22,499, and the DCT adds $1,400.
We first saw the concept Veloster about four years ago, and the production version differs little. The design is quite unique in the class, with Hyundai describing it as a “carving ray.” We’ll call it edgy and different (some might say odd), probably just like the young, urban crowd it is trying to attract. Of note is that it is a three-door, with two portals on the passenger side, allowing The front seats are comfortable and supportive, and there is good easy access to the rear seat. legroom and headroom for the driver and front passenger. The rear Hyundai has endowed the little coupe with its latest technology, seat is, no surprise, suitable only for smaller people. namely direct injection for the 1.6-litre four, and an optional, first-in-segment, six-speed Dual Clutch Transmission. We drove As for the name, it was just something the engineers threw at it in both that and the six-speed manual on all roads, and we have the early stages, and Hyundai just left it that way. Oddly, the “Velo” to say that the manual does allow full extraction of the engine’s part of it is generally associated with bicycles, but we doubt the 138 horsepower. The DCT is fun to use, with the paddle shifters, militant cyclists in the big cities will take notice and let the Veloster onto the bike lanes. but the feeling is different, a little less vibrant. There have been comments that the Veloster needs more power, Those into sport coupes should take notice, though, as the Veloster especially at low revs, and one could agree (based on 0-100 covers most of the bases – value, emotional appeal, technology, km/h times barely cracking 10 seconds) and wonder why the frugality, and sporty performance, if not quick acceleration. engine isn’t a 1.8 or even 2.0, but in all subjective measures, the 1.6 is a smooth and willing performer, with by far the most power per litre in the class, and the recently announced Turbo version should address any performance concerns. It does
SPECIFICATIONS MSRP: . ................................................................................................ $18,999 Vehicle Layout: .................... Front-engine, front-wheel drive, 3-door hatchback Engine: ........................................................................................ 1.6L DOHC I4 Transmission: . .........................................................6-spd manual or DCT auto Power: . .............................................................................138 hp @ 6,300 rpm Torque: . ......................................................................... 123 lb-ft @ 4,850 rpm Brakes: ......................................................................... 4-wheel disc, ABS, EBD Curb Weight: .......................................................................... 1,172 – 1,276 kg Fuel Economy L/100 KM city/hwy:.......................................................... 7.2/4.9
18 At The Wheel RPM Feb / Mar 2012
FIRST DRIVE - SUBARU IMPREZA sive powertrain, and improved fuel economy, and I am certain Subaru will attract a host of new customers to the fold.
Truth in Advertising Story and photos by Russell Purcell
C
anadians love small cars, so it should come as no surprise that the compact car segment represents a substantial portion of the new car market. As a result, the offerings in this category are a hot property for the manufacturers and as such, are reasonably priced, well-equipped, and perfectly suited to meet the driving needs of the majority of consumers. Subaru enters the 2012 model year with an all-new Impreza. This is the fourth generation of the brand’s ultra-successful, bread-and-butter model which has always been a popular choice with Canadian buyers. With this car, Subaru hopes to expand appeal for the brand and promote the fact that the company produces high-quality vehicles that are reliable, comfortable and efficient. The biggest news is that the new powertrain has been engineered to both maximize fuel efficiency and preserve the car’s reputation as a car that is fun to drive. “More than you’d expect in a compact car.” This is the tagline being used to market the Impreza, and after having spent the better part of a day behind the wheel of a couple of examples of this surefooted machine, I am happy to report that for once, there seems to be some truth in advertising. The new car features a much more refined design, improved fit-andfinish, and an impressive level of standard equipment across the board. Add to this crisp handling, improved ergonomics, a respon20 At The Wheel RPM Feb / Mar 2012
The Impreza features new styling from bumper-to-bumper, but it is most evident up front where a hexagonal grille and stylish new headlights sporting a “hawk-eye” design (similar to those on the current Legacy) dominate the real estate. The car now features a more angular body shape and it’s obvious that Subaru’s design team sought to give the car its own identity so there are fewer styling similarities to its traditional WRX siblings. Having said that, the Impreza’s new look is still surprisingly muscular, as a wide stance and prominent fender flares hint at the car’s increased size. Once I slipped behind the wheel, it was apparent that the car was roomier than the previous iteration. I am a rather large individual, but still managed to fit comfortably in both front seating positions. I was not wanting for more leg, hip, head or shoulder room. I also tried the rear compartment on for size. The longer wheelbase made it possible for me to squeeze into the two outboard seating positions as long as the front seats weren’t set all the way back on their slides. The centre position though, was not a valid option for my big frame. Ingress and egress is much improved as both front and rear side door openings have been made larger to better accommodate North American buyers. The fit-and-finish throughout the car was very refined and upmarket, and the quality of the materials used is top-notch. I found the placement of vital switchgear and controls well thought out, and the threespoke tilt/telescoping steering wheel provided excellent feedback. The
FIRST DRIVE - SUBARU IMPREZA During my short time with the Impreza I took the car to West Vancouver and went exploring up Cypress Mountain. The car came alive in the tight radius turns and handled the climb to the ski area without any drama. The upper parking area was blanketed in snow so I took the opportunity to play a little and put the all-weather capabilities of the car to the test. The car retained traction despite my best efforts to upset it in the snow, and it was only wearing all-season rubber! One thing that has set Subaru apart from the other Japanese brands over the years is the fact that all of the company’s models come equipped with Subaru’s proven symmetrical all-wheel drive system. For Canadian buyers willing to pay the premium (when compared to similar sized offerings), this guarantees that their car will be a strong performer year-round. The drawback with this system has always been the fact that it adds weight and additional operating costs (due instrumentation and gauges were readily visible as was the compact to servicing requirements and increased fuel consumption). With the information display situated centre dash. arrival of the 2012 model, Subaru has levelled the playing field to such an extent that the car is as fuel efficient as most of its most popular Visibility was exceptional as the new cabin-forward design utilizes front-wheel drive competitors while still offering all-wheel drive! Now thin pillars, an elevated seating position, and taller windows to give that is impressive! the passenger compartment an airy feel. This leads to improved sightlines which promote situational awareness and make your time The team behind the Impreza knew that this vehicle had to be excepbehind the wheel much less stressful. tional in order to gain market share in a very crowded marketplace. Subaru needs to showcase the type of quality product that the As before, there are two body styles available. A traditional, four-door Japanese company is capable of producing. Its success now falls on sedan, or a five-door offering for those buyers looking to maximize the shoulders of the marketing personnel who have to work hard to cargo space. The list of standard equipment is lengthy and stacked attract new buyers to the showroom and get people behind the wheel in favour of the consumer, even if you select a base model. There of this world-class vehicle. Once this happens, the Impreza will sell are four trim levels - 2.0i, Touring, Sport and Limited - to choose from itself. It is that good. The vehicle feels roomier and more luxurious so it is easy to find the perfect model for your needs, and with the than many of its competitors, is easy on fuel, but best of all, it offers low entry price of $19,995 you get behind the wheel of the most fuel the company’s superb all-wheel drive system. efficient all-wheel drive car sold in North America. Buyers of the Impreza also benefit from the knowledge that the model Under the hood you will find an all-new, 2.0-litre horizontally-opposed has held the highest predicted residual resale value in the compact four-cylinder engine that generates 148 horsepower and 145 lb-ft of car segment for the past three model years, as well as the fact that torque. This compact engine replaces the outgoing car’s venerable it has demonstrated top results when it comes to passenger safety. 2.5-litre four-cylinder, and when partnered to the optional Lineartronic In short, if you happen to be shopping for a compact car, you would continuously variable transmission (CVT), is said to deliver a vast be making a huge mistake if you overlook this car. improvement in fuel economy over the 2011 model. I love a nice manual transmission, but the majority of Impreza buyers will probably purchase the Lineartronic. This is the second-generation of this transmission, so it has been reworked with improved gear ratios to better suit the torque characteristics of the new engine, and it is said to be ten percent more efficient than its forbear. Should you wish to make your own gear selections, you can shift the lever manually, or utilize the shift paddles mounted to the steering wheel to fully evaluate the car’s handling and performance potential.
SPECIFICATIONS
Base price range (MSRP):...................................................... $19,995 - $28,095 Type:.................................................. 5-passenger, 4- or 5-door, compact sedan Engine:..................................... 2.0L, horizontally-opposed, four-cylinder engine Horsepower: . .......................................................................... 148 @ 6,200 rpm Torque: . ........................................................................... 145 lb-ft @ 4,200 rpm Transmission:................................ 5-speed manual or optional Lineartronic CVT Brakes (front/rear):................................................................ Disc/disc with ABS Cargo capacity (L):........ 4-door: 340 / 5-door: 648 (1,485 with seats folded flat) Fuel Economy (L/100km):........ Manual - City: 8.3 (34 mpg), Hwy: 5.9 (48 mpg) CVT - City: 7.5 (38 mpg), Hwy: 5.5 (51 mpg)
Around town, the new CVT was quick to react to the stresses of stop-and-go driving. Throttle response was instantaneous and acceleration was commendable given the car’s relatively low power rating. A unique feature of this new CVT is a novel “second-gear” start function, which will go a long way to help avoid wheelspin when the vehicle is operating in slippery conditions. This will no doubt be a feature relished by many Canadian drivers. The one thing lacking from many of today’s small cars is an invigorating driving experience. Sure, they are great for getting you from point A to point B every day, but when it comes to putting the occasional smile on your face, it just isn’t in the cards. Subarus have always been fun to drive, and with this all-new platform, the engineers have worked hard to ensure that drivers will enjoy getting behind the wheel of the Impreza. The car is lighter than the outgoing model, and now incorporates a stiffer chassis and an improved suspension system. Ride quality was more refined than I expected, and the suspension does an excellent job of keeping the car planted to the pavement when cornering. At The Wheel RPM Feb / Mar 2012 21
TIRE CZAR
The Importance of Good Tires case can be made for both. It’s the same with tires.
By Morton LJ Koch
I
f you are anything like me, you are skimming this article. Not because you aren’t really interested, but because you have no time. Constantly rushing from place to place and wondering how it will all get done. I spend too much of my day in my vehicle going from A to B to C and then back to A. My life is a cliché; I figure I spend so much time in the vehicle, I may as well drive something I like. So, I choose some monstrous SUV. Not politically correct, but it has variable displacement and uses E85. It’s environmentally friendly, right? Apparently the E85 is better for the environment, better if you can find someone who sells it.
Every tire retailer sells the good, better and best. What you need to decide is how much you want to spend, how long the tires need to last and what you want from the tires. The first two questions are easily answered. It is the third that causes the difficulty. What do you want from the tires? Is wet or dry performance paramount? Do you want a smoother ride or do you like to take the freeway off ramp like you are a Montoya? Answer these questions and you will have a group of tires that meet your criteria. More and more are choosing to do their research online. I am a huge proponent of this, but there are some caveats. Be prepared for information overload. Internet research will include reading tire reviews. We have all done this on Trip Advisor when trying to decide on a hotel or resort for our holidays; tires are no different. After a while, you get to pulling your hair out. Like the holiday reviews; with every tire there are those that rave and those that demonize the very same tire. My recommendation here is to discount the overly good and poor reviews. Try and read those reviews from people who own similar vehicles and drive in similar conditions as yours. Now that you have a core list of tires that fit your buying criteria, you need to find a place to purchase them. If you are comfortable purchasing Online, you can buy the tires from the very stores on which you did your research. Otherwise, you are visiting your local tire store. If you like competitive prices and personal service isn’t too important, you might choose to visit a Big Box retailer. If you like the more personal touch, then you would go to your local tire store or mechanic. The best place to deal is where you feel comfortable and that sells the products you want. The tires you want may dictate where you buy, or where you feel most comfortable buying might dictate what you buy. Either way, get a good set of tires.
According to the news media, I live in one of the most civilized countries. I guess this means rushing around like a lunatic in a monolithic SUV, talking on my cell phone and drinking coffee because I have no time to do it anywhere else. All this rushing around means less attention paid to the road and less time to react. I am not going to write on about how dangerous it is to use a cell phone while driving. This is about how it is more important than ever to have good tires! With all of the distraction, it means there is often a slower reaction time. A difference in stopping distance of ten feet could mean the difference between rear ending the person in front of you and making it home in time for dinner. Of course, I am biased because I sell tires. However, if you think For those of you driving behind me; you may be a little distracted, but I trust you have good tires and will stop before rear ending the scenario through, it makes sense more often than not. me. For those of you in front of me, know that I have good tires Now that I have you buying into how important a good set of tires and will do you the same turn. In the end it is important to make is, you ask “What tires are the best? I want to have the safest! a purchase you are comfortable with and that will keep you and What do you recommend?” This is the confusing part. If you are your family safe on what seems to be the endless commute. like many of those consumers we talk to daily, you have been to several tire stores and they all give different answers. Different Morton “Tire Czar” Koch is president of a major Canadian tire answers? How can there be more than one that is the best? It is wholesale operation. Morton has worked in the tire industry for the a bit of the Coke-Pepsi scenario. Depending who you ask, a good past 20 years. He can be reached at tireczar@rpmcanada.ca 22 At The Wheel RPM Feb / Mar 2012
Dayco Canada Corp 7810 Keele Street, Unit C, Concord, ON L4K 0B7 4EL s 4OLL &REE &AX s WWW DAYCO CA
ROAD TEST - TOYOTA PRIUS V
A Prius I Can Understand
However, don’t think of this as just a slightly larger Prius, as Toyota has loaded the V with all sorts of new gadgets to save weight and fuel, and make for a smoother and more comfortable ride. The V comes with a massive moon roof that is made of polycarbonate, which is 40 percent lighter than glass and provides 84 percent greater heat insulation. Speaking of heat, the V also features an exhaust heating system which uses the heat from the exhaust to warm engine coolant faster, providing warm-up in three minutes, in turn allowing for earlier engine shut off when driving. Another smart feature is Toyota’s Pitch and Bounce Control System that improves comfort and stability. A dedicated hybrid with a The system is implemented through the hybrid drivetrain system and little less sacrifice subtly alters the engine’s torque to smooth out the ride over rough and bumpy roads. Its a whole bunch of technology making up for what is essentially the suspension’s job, but it does work and is quite Review by Budd Stanley, ingenious. As for the ride, it’s pretty much just like a regular Prius photos courtesy of Toyota Canada - slow and a bit wobbly, although the increased wheelbase does give he dedicated hybrid vehicle has created a unique class of cus- the V a slightly more surefooted feel on the road. tomer. People who opt for a hybrid are quite happy to make several large sacrifices in the name of burning the absolute minimal amount What is unusual is that Toyota is selling the V for $27,200, $400 of hydrocarbons possible. I have had more than a couple of people less than the hatch. Which is odd, because you are getting so much ask me about the benefits of these vehicles as a possible purchase. more car for less. Regardless, the V still has the rather annoying However, when they find out about the sacrifices in power, handling, centre-mounted gauge cluster that makes for a rather desolate space and several other smaller characteristics, they often shy away looking dash. from what could have been a good idea. Now, though, Toyota has given these potential customers a couple more good reasons to think There is no doubt, the Prius V will change the way many people think about hybrid vehicles. Like the Honda CR-Z making hybrids again about Prius. fun, the Prius V will make them much more practical. It is a car that The first thing people will notice about the new Prius V is its shape. It will most definitely bring many more non-hybrid vehicle buyers over looks like a Prius, but there’s something amiss. That would be a new to the eco-side, and with another Prius variant, Prius C, planned for body that may not be quite as aerodynamically efficient as the original, release at the end of the year, the force is only growing. however it is extremely useful. It is a case of function out-performing its fashion, capable of gobbling up great amounts of cargo in the rear, As for the V, I admit I am a hybrid hater only because I love the crackle more than a Ford Escape, Toyota notes, and an 8-foot kayak will fit of strained internal combustion and crashing through the mechanical inside. And yes it can, if only one person plans to go kayaking. Minus gears, but I appreciate what Toyota has done with the V; it’s a dedithe kayak, the V will comfortably seat five adults with raised rear seats cated hybrid that is real-world practical. The hybrid concept is finally starting to make sense to the rest of us, those who aren’t willing to offering great visibility. sacrifice everything in the name of saving a bit of fuel. The V gets its motivation from the same 1.8L Atkinson Cycle engine offered in the regular Prius, combining to produce 134 horsepower SPECIFICATIONS with the 60 kW electric motor and 27 kW battery. Four different driv- MSRP: . ..................................................................................................$27,200 ing modes - Power, Normal, Eco and EV - are offered, manipulating Price as tested: . .....................................................................................$36,875 engine response in the predictable and listed manner. For the typical Layout: ...................................................................................Front Engine, FWD Prius customer, the Eco mode will provide an acceptable amount of Engine: ................................................. 1.8L 4-cylinder with electric hybrid drive Power: . ....................................................................................................134 hp acceleration, while providing the V’s optimal fuel savings mode, other Transmission: . ............................................................................................eCVT than the strictly electric-only EV mode, which will work best in parking Curb weight: . ........................................................................................ 1,485 kg Fuel Efficiency (city, hwy, com.): .............4.3L/100km, 4.8L/100km, 4.6L/100km lots and gridlocked traffic.
T
24 At The Wheel RPM Feb / Mar 2012
LOS ANGELES INTERNATIONAL AUTO SHOW
L.A. Show A Good Barometer Story and photos by Gerry Frechette The Los Angeles International Auto Show in November is the first major show of the season in the U.S., and as such, has become one of the more important ones, as manufacturers have had the previous six months in which to accumulate new concept and production models for their first public display. The show is a good barometer of the general state of the auto industry as a whole, the 2011 version having more energy than even two years previously, when the economy was really in the tank. With Los Angeles being the centre of both the environmental and performance communities, its show offers a great cross section of just what is happening in the industry. The following are a few photos of the highlights. Audi e-tron Spyder The latest e-tron made its North American debut in L.A. With a V6 turbodiesel driving the rear wheels, and an electric motor for each front wheel, this might show the direction for future performance cars from Audi. BMW i8 Another application of engine driving the rear wheels and electric motors up front, the i8 is said to go 0 to 100 km/h in 4.6 seconds and 250 km/h, and return nearly 100 mpg. Production has been confirmed, and you can buy one within about a year, assuming it is sold in Canada. Cadillac XTS The new Cadillac XTS mainstream luxury sedan replaces both the DTS and STS models. GM describes it as a large, accommodating car that can carry four people in extreme comfort. It has few performance pretensions, as its front-wheel-drive (AWD optional) architecture might imply.
At The Wheel RPM Feb / Mar 2012 25
LOS ANGELES INTERNATIONAL AUTO SHOW
Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 GM’s entry in the latest muscle car horsepower war is the Camaro ZL1, shown at L.A. in convertible form. With 580 hp from its 6.2L supercharged V8 engine, this is by far the most powerful Camaro ever. New technologies like electric power steering, Magnetic Ride Control and advanced aerodynamics ensure total performance.
Ford Shelby GT500 Ford one-upped Chevy at L.A., at least in horsepower rating, with the 650-hp 200-mph Shelby GT500. The 5.8L V8 has new supercharger with much more boost than before, and a larger intercooler. This should be the hands-down winner in the horsepower-per-dollar Chevrolet Spark Chevy’s smallest car ever aims at young urbanites, promising low war this year. price and fuel consumption, handy size, and edgy style. It has a 1.2L four. Made by Daewoo in South Korea, an EV version is expected Jaguar C-X16 Still officially a concept, there can be little doubt that Jaguar will proin a year or so. duce this very sensual and lithe sports car. As is becoming expected with the latest performance cars, the C-X16 has an electric motor Fiat 500 Abarth The inevitable performance version of the Fiat 500 has arrived, called onboard as part of the transmission, backing up the 3.0L supercharged the Abarth just like the old one was. With a turbo hung on the 1.4L V6, making this a hybrid car we can all dream about. four, and 160 hp, the suspension, brakes and steering have been upgraded. Best of all, the signature Abarth scorpion logos are on the car, too.
26 At The Wheel RPM Feb / Mar 2012
LOS ANGELES INTERNATIONAL AUTO SHOW Mercedes-Benz SLK55 AMG The inevitable AMG V8 version of the new Mercedes SLK roadster made an appearance in L.A. With 422 hp from its naturally-aspirated 5.5L V8, 0-100 km/h in about 4.6 seconds, and an estimated 8.2 litres per 100 km highway, this SLK combines fun, performance and reasonable economy.
Kia GT Maybe the most interesting concept, from a marketing point of view, was the Kia GT. This turbo V6, rear-drive, four-door coupe would move the brand waaay up-market into the premium luxury segment, no doubt at a lower price. Don’t be surprised if it happens, as sister Hyundai is also challenging the luxury icons.
Porsche 911 What can you say about another new 911? The seventh generation is almost completely new, but still unmistakably a 911. With a sevenspeed manual, wider track, longer wheelbase, more power and fuel economy from smaller engines, and much nicer interior, the new 911 will be a worthy version to celebrate the model’s 50th anniversary next year.
Land Rover DC100 Land Rover is taking on the big task of creating a new Defender 90, while keeping the design and toughness that the old one has come to be known for. The DC100 is the first concept, showing some of what might be produced in a few years. We say that it looks pretty much ready right now. Mastretta MXT In the “not likely to see Canadian roads” department, the Mastretta from Mexico is similar to a Lotus Elise – light and mid-engined. There was a rolling chassis and one finished car on view, and we Subaru BRZ hope that the company can produce them for sale, even if we may Developed in conjunction with Toyota, which will sell it as a Scion, not see any. the Subaru BRZ sports coupe uses an all-new 200-hp direct-injection 2.0L version of the flat four, but driving the rear wheels only. Subaru is proud of the very direct steering and light weight of the BRZ, which should make for sparkling performance.
28 At The Wheel RPM Feb / Mar 2012
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Shad’s Chairman John Vanstone and board member Ray Osika accepting the first Annual Fred Shaddick Community Service Award.
Your continued support of SHAD’s and the almost $4M in donations has had a profound impact on MDC. So much so that MDC has recognized our efforts by creating the Annual Fred Shaddick Community Service Award. Awarded annually, the Fred Shaddick Community Service Award will recognize outstanding contribution in the community.
Won’t you consider joining us in pushing SHAD’s over the $4M mark this year ? Since 1954, Muscular Dystrophy Canada has been committed to improving the quality of life, mainly through donations, for the tens of thousands of Canadians with neuromuscular disorders and leading research for the discovery of therapies and cures. Shad’s R&R has continually supported these efforts since 1973 by donating over $3.8M to Muscular Dystrophy Canada. Now entering its’ 39th year, the automotive aftermarket continues to fulfill founder Fred Shaddick’s original mission of “For the Kids”.
Mark your calendars for the 39th Annual Shad’s R&R Golf Tournament on June 14th with all proceeds to Muscular Dystrophy Canada. Station Creek Golf & Country Club – Stouffville, ON If you would like to become a sponsor or make a donation to SHAD’s R&R “For the Kids”, please contact one of our board members directly.
Shad’s Board of Directors: John Vanstone, Chairman Luc Champagne Ken Coulter Mike Fazackerley Steve Gushie Mike Holland Ray Osika Brad Shaddick Scott Stone Cameron Young
john.vanstone@modernsales.ca luc.champagne@autosphere.ca ken.coulter@specialtysales.ca mike.fazackerley@matthewscott.com steve.gushie@carquest.com holland-m@hotmail.com ro8997@gates.com brad.shaddick@federalmogul.com sstone@mevotech.com cameron.young@ca.bosch.com This ad space generously donated by Rousseau Automotive Communication.
RPM TEST FLEET FORD EXPLORER 4WD
Price Range: $32,999 - $44,199 As Tested: $38 899 (XLT model) Available Trims: 3 Engine: 3.5L V6 DOHC 24-Valve Trans: 6-speed auto Power: 290 hp Torque: 255 lb-ft Curb Weight: 2,146 kg/4,721 lb Fuel Economy: (L/100km–City/Hwy) 12.5/8.8 New for 2012: All new design, Turbocharged 2.0-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder engine. Segment Competitors: Chevrolet Traverse, GMC Acadia, Honda Pilot, Mazda CX-9 Nissan Pathfinder, Toyota 4Runner, Toyota Highlander The Skinny: Following along with Ford’s philosophy that efficiency is now job one, the Explorer was engineered from the outset with this in mind. The turbocharged direct-injected 2.0-liter EcoBoost I-4 the Explorer sets a new standard for fuel economy in the full-size SUV segment. For those heading off-road, the choice may be the Ti-VCT 3.5-liter V-6, which also enjoys class-leading fuel efficiency. But the real story in our eyes is its styling and refinement both inside and out. Pros: Looks, fuel efficiency, ride, comfort. Cons: Not really an off-roader, technical systems temperamental. The Verdict: Great combination of styling and efficiency.
TOYOTA CAMRY
Price Range: $23,700 - $33,700 As Tested: $33,700 (XLE V6 mo Available Trims: 5 Engine: 3.5L V6 DOHC 24-Valve Trans: 6-speed auto Power: 268 hp Torque: 248 lb-ft Curb Weight: 1,528 kg/3,362 lb Fuel Economy: (L/100km – City/ New for 2012: Improved fuel ec
exterior and interior.
Segment Competitors: Chevr
Fusion, Honda Accord, Hyunda Altima The Skinny: Toyota’s midsize se improved fuel efficiency. It also ga rear seats, Bluetooth and USB/iP tion and Toyota’s Entune multimed and optional ultra-suede trimmed Pros: Excellent acceleration, inte Cons: Pedestrian handling, still n The Verdict: Not hard to unders North America.
MAZDA3 SPORT
Price Range: $16,595 - $24,695 As Tested: $23,590 (GS SKYACTIV model) Available Trims: 4 Engine: 2.0L L4 DOHC 16-Valve Trans: 6-speed auto Power: 155 hp Torque: 148 lb-ft Curb Weight: 1,318 kg/2,900 lb Fuel Economy: (L/100km – City/Highway) 7.1/5.0 New for 2012: Refreshed design, SKYACTIV 2.0-liter
engine and 6-speed transmission.
Segment Competitors: Ford Focus, Honda Civic, Hyundai Elantra, Subaru Impreza, Toyota Matrix The Skinny: The refreshed Mazda3 received an all-new SKYACTIV 2.0-liter 155-horsepower gasoline
The Skinny: The 1-Series coupe
engine and the all-new SKYACTIV 6-speed manual or automatic transmission. The exterior design sports a new front fascia that has arrived with mixed reviews; other new features include interior features for additional functionality and a reinforced body for greater rigidity and safety. Pros: Fuel economy, acceleration and handling. Cons: Tight interior space. The Verdict: The 3 is still one of the top commuter vehicles.
wind resistance over the front wh light assemblies. There is also a 1 chassis fitted into a modified 1-Se an extra 37 lb-ft and a 0-to-60 mp Pros: Excellent power, incredible Cons: Tight interior space. The Verdict: Perfect for those w changed.
AUDI TT COUPE
INFINITI G37 COUP
SLK-class, Porsche Cayman The Skinny: Audi’s sporty 2-door, 4-passenger Coupe and Roadster, named for the Tourist Trophy, a European motorsports event that was first held in 1905. Both the TT Coupe and the TT Roadster were redesigned for the first time for 2008 and this year they have added the limited edition, more powerful 2.5-liter 360-horsepower inline-5 engine TT RS coupe to their line-up. The TT RS is mated to a 6-speed manual transmission that sees no automatic available. Pros: Great acceleration, traction and handling. Cons: Interior noisy and plain. The Verdict: Remains a thrill to drive.
coupe, Cadillac CTS coupe, Lexus C-class coupe. The Skinny: It is hard to believe t sport coupe has remained virtua IPL Coupe (Infiniti Performance L of performance for Infiniti models and badging, high-flow exhaust, r wheels and tires and much more. Pros: Sweet looking, great stance Cons: Lacking real thrust. The Verdict: The IPL is hard to o
Price Range: $48,400 - $49,900 As Tested: $48,400 (2.0 TFSi quattro model) Available Trims: 2 Engine: 2.0L L4 Turbo DOHC 16-Valve Trans: 6-speed auto Power: 211 hp Torque: 258 lb-ft Curb Weight: 1,433 kg/3,153 lb Fuel Economy: (L/100km – City/Highway) 9.1/6.4 New for 2012: All-wheel-drive TT RS coupe. Segment Competitors: BMW 1, Mercedes Benz
30 At The Wheel RPM Feb / Mar 2012
Price Range: $46,700 - $57,200 As Tested: $57,200 (IPL model) Available Trims: 4 Engine: 3.7L DOHC V6 24-valve Trans: 6-speed man Power: 348 hp Torque: 276 lb-ft Curb Weight: 1,652 kg/3,634 lb Fuel Economy: (L/100km – City/H New for 2012: No significant cha Segment Competitors: Acura
NEW TECH
CUE is GM’s latest driver interface
0 odel)
e
/Highway) 9.7/6.4 conomy, redesigned
rolet Malibu, Ford ai Sonata, Nissan
dan has been redesigned for 2012 with more aggressive styling and ained a roomier cabin that includes 10 standard airbags, split-folding Pod port. The Camry also received a new sound systems with navigadia. The Camry SE features a sport-tuned suspension, paddle shifters d sport seats. erior space and fuel efficiency. not the prettiest kid in the class. stand why it continues to be one the country’s best selling cars in
BMW 1M COUPE
Price Range: $36,000 - $43,200 As Tested: $36,000 (128i model) Available Trims: 2 Engine: 3.0L DOHC I-6 24-Valve Trans: 6-speed man Power: 335 hp Torque: 332 lb-ft Curb Weight: 1,525kg/3,355 lb Fuel Economy: (L/100km – City/Highway) 11.1/8.3 New for 2012: Front facia, new headlight/taillight
assemblies.
Segment Competitors: Acura TSX, Audi TT coupe, Buick
Regal Turbo, Mini Cooper S Volkswagen Golf R 3-door.
e and convertible received an updated front fascia design to reduce heels. The 1-Series models also receive updated headlight and tail1-Series Coupe added to the M performance line-up that sees the M3 eries body that sports a 335-horspower inline-6 engine that provides ph time of 4.6 seconds. handling, great design and look.
who want a BMW but can’t afford a 3 series. You won’t feel short-
PE
Highway) 11.7/7.8 anges. TL, BMW 3 series s IS, Mercedes Benz
that the G Coupe has been around for almost 10 years. The-luxury ally unchanged since the all-new G37 coupe arrived in 2008. The Line) was introduced in 2011 which is designed to add a new level s. The IPL upgrades include enhanced interior and exterior styling recalibrated ECU (adding 18 hp), 6-speed manual trans, upgraded . e and standard options.
overlook when shopping for a car in this class.
Story by Gerry Frechette
T
he pace of development of infotainment systems continues to accelerate, in the face of critical user feedback and regulations seeking to mimimize distraction to the driver. The latest system from GM is called CUE, or Cadillac User Experience, debuting in the new Cadillac XTS luxury sedan shown recently at the Los Angeles Auto Show. CUE will pair entertainment and information data from up to 10 Bluetooth-enabled mobile devices, USBs, SD cards and MP3 players with a vehicle infotainment system that reduces complexity through customized information, natural voice commands and fewer buttons and larger icons. CUE allows consumers to securely store a smart phone or MP3 player while channeling the information on those devices, along with navigation tools, weather maps with Doppler radar, AM/FM and XM radio, and instant messages and emails, through a central portal, keeping hands on the wheel and eyes on the road. CUE is designed to be unique for each consumer, from the “simple user” to the fully connected “super user.” CUE’s LCD screen features the driver’s five most frequently used functions stored along the top of the screen. Along the bottom of the screen, users can select up to 60 favourites from music to points of interest, addresses, maps for weather or directions, phone numbers or system commands, such as “tag song.” CUE’s Natural Speech Recognition lets consumers speak logically with fewer specific commands to recall stored media or input navigation destinations. CUE’s text-to-speech feature will also allow consumers to receive text messages by system voice and to send recorded text messages in return.
GREATEST ROADS #16
Jungle Ambush
Australia’s magnificent Old Pacific Highway a surprise Story and photos by Budd Stanley
W
e’re back overseas in search of great driving roads of the world, and little did I know what was waiting for me just as I arrived in Australia. In a late night traveling out of Sydney, I headed across the Harbour Bridge, north along the east coast of Australia. My steed for this journey would not be some high-strung Subaru, VW, Porsche or BMW, but a 4WD Camper truck that would allow me to go where I pleased and provide all the comforts of a camper, as my travels would take me far off the beaten track. Late in the darkness, I had hoped to simply park next to a beach somewhere and flop into the bed in the back of the Britz Camper, but Highway 1 heading up the coast, only just inland, offers little in the way of scenic stops or vistas, and a truck stop would be where
I lay my weary head. With the glimpses of daylight, I was awoken by an unfamiliar sound, a light hissing sound that I thought might have been coming from a leaking propane bottle. However, it was not gas that was making the sound, but the sub-tropical jungle that stood at the foot of the parking lot, coming alive with millions of insects. Within minutes, the sound was too great to bear any longer and I was packed up and back out on the road before the sun had risen. However, I did not want to keep traveling up the freeway on my way to Brisbane, and to my luck, a sign pointing to exit off onto “Old Pacific Highway” sounded like an ideal plan. Little did I know what was coming would be as spectacular yet frustrating as it
About The Route Best time to Go: Weekdays from October to April Total Distance: 32 km Route: Starting point is Moony Moony, just off the #1 Highway in Australia. This highly scenic and windy route takes the long way through the hills of the coastal mountains and on to Kariong. Places To Stop: Great scenic viewpoints found at Mirror Lakes, Homer Tunnel, Hollyford and The Chasm. Road Type: Smooth narrow tarmac road. Warnings: Not a highly traveled road but nearly every corner is blind, and watch for Australia’s wild motorcyclists making big cuts.
Any road with a sign teaching racing lines is a good start to the day. 32 At The Wheel RPM Feb / Mar 2012
GREATEST ROADS #16 With the road cut into the rock, this lush rainforest canopy hides the glorious road from above.
was, but the sign at the entrance to the highway was a poignant bit of foreshadowing. It didn’t take long after the ominous sign that I was inundated with a series of blind bends cut into bedrock, with a lush green rainforest canopy overhead. Very narrow, fresh tarmac with bright green surrounding reminded me a lot of many of the roads I had driven in New Zealand, but this was different. Instead of a fern-filled forest floor, the trees seemed to grow straight out of bedrock, making for a very unique experience. Matched with a humid fog that hung in the canopy, it was almost for the better that I wasn’t rocketing through the scene with my hair on fire at the wheel of a sports car, as the cruise was extremely stress relieving and rewarding. Mind you, an onslaught of challenging corners that work their way through the coastal mountains did have me cursing the big Toyota Land Cruiser Troopy, but I did get to enjoy the senses of this truly impressive road, with the odd clatter of cutlery and supplies rustling around in the back. The coastal mountains are not the most rugged that I’ve ever seen, however they are a tightlypacked series of hills, peaks and valleys that reach up Australia’s east coast. The road wheels and pitches up and over large hills and back down into deep valleys packed full of misted rainforest, each corner blind and unsuspecting. However, while the road is rather unpredictable and blind, I soon found a rhythm that had me jaunting along merrily, if still within the speed limit. Goes to show just how tight and twisty the road is if trying to hold 70 km/h is difficult; with something sportier, I could have some real fun, though. Only a few villages can be found along the route, but all too soon, it spat me out into the several large coastal National Parks that line the Pacific. I had finally found my beach, set in an epic coastal scene, but it was the getting there that was the most enduring memory that I will likely take away from this day. The Milford road had just the right amount of hairpins.
The constant flow of blind corners requires a driver to plan for the unexpected; play this one safe. At The Wheel RPM Feb / Mar 2012 33
THE TRUCK GUY
Remote Starters By Ian Harwood
C
an you imagine how nice it would be to wake up on a cold, snowy morning and reach over to your vehicle’s remote, push a button and have it start up? Finish your breakfast and climb into a warm vehicle. Remote starters give you this ability, but there are a few things to look for when shopping for these systems. Select a system that will give you visual confirmation that the remote start is engaged. This can be achieved by flashing the headlights or parking lights. The system should include a pin switch on the hood of the vehicle. The switch will sense when the hood is open and prevent the remote start from starting the vehicle. This protects you or a mechanic who may be working on the truck. The remote start should incorporate the emergency brake so that the remote start system cuts off when the brake is tapped. Choose a system that can monitor the transmission to assure that it is in park when the remote start system is engaged. If the transmission is out of park, this monitoring feature will prevent The system should include a temperature sensor or an oil-presthe system from starting the vehicle. sure circuit to sense whether the engine is overheating. It should Ask for a relay to be added to the starter of the car, so that the be able to shut off the engine if it is too hot. starter will not grind if you engage it while the engine is already on. Remember, you will have to turn the ignition switch on with Look for a unit that allows you to program what button or buttons the key when you enter the car after you have remotely started you use to engage the remote start. If you have children and they it. The anti-grind feature protects the vehicle’s starter from dam- like to play with your remote transmitter, this feature can prevent age if you accidentally engage the starter while turning on the them from accidentally starting the vehicle. The installer can simply program the remote so that two buttons need to be pressed ignition switch
34 At The Wheel RPM Feb / Mar 2012
THE TRUCK GUY simultaneously to engage the remote start. Choose a system that allows you to stop the remote start via the transmitter. Another feature is the ability to turn the engine on if the outside temperature drops below a certain level if you live in a very, very cold climate.
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The system should have at least a range of 400 feet, and have the ability to bypass the factory (OEM) immobilizer systems if your vehicle is equipped with one. The OEM system requires a key with a microchip imbedded in it to start the vehicle. Some companies have created ways to bypass this when engaging their remote start product. If you have teenagers operating your vehicle, there is a new product out called Drone mobile. This system not only lets you start your vehicle from anywhere you have internet access, but also gives you the ability to track the vehicle movement and advise you if the vehicle is traveling at a high rate of speed, all from your smart phone. My daughter Samantha says “who would do that to that to their own kids, Dad?” I replied “I don’t know,” as I readied my phone to find out where she was going. Read the owner’s manual to see what features are supposed to be on the system, and then test everything to be certain it is connected and works properly.
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There is quite a variety of systems out there that range in price from $150 to $600, depending on your requirements.
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At The Wheel RPM Feb / Mar 2012 35
Aired Out Stang
By Jeremy Allan Glover
T
he Ford Mustang Cobra is a mean machine when first out of the box with its supercharged engine… and like any Mustang, there are a ton of aftermarket parts available to make them even crazier. When the owner of this machine (Phil) made plans to modify his Cobra convertible, he decided to go a slightly different route. He wanted to go for more of a “stanced” style, really low on some killer wheels. As with all Mustangs, a good place to start modifying is with the engine, since there is a huge bin of aftermarket parts for these ponies. Since the Cobra already comes with a good engine set-up, not all that much is needed to really make this car scream. A 2.76-inch BilletFlow blower and 100mm idler pulley were mounted to increase the amount of boost the stock supercharger was putting out. To help with the air flow, a JTL Carbon cold air intake was fitted for the air coming into the car. On the other end, a Bassani stainless steel catted x-pipe along with a Steeda stainless catback were installed to improve the exhaust flow and to give this machine a very distinctive and mean sound. With a few other go-fast goodies and a customtuned SCT Xcalibrator2, this Cobra was putting down around 480 hp. 36 Speed & Sound RPM Feb / Mar 2012
MAKE ThE CONNECTION! $POOFDU ZPVS J1PE PS J1IPOF EJSFDUMZ UP ZPVS GBDUPSZ PS BGUFSNBSLFU DBS BVEJP TZTUFN Play your iPod or iPhone UISPVHI ZPVS GBDUPSZ PS BGUFSNBSLFU '. DBS TUFSFP TZTUFN XJUI B (FFL 4RVBE BVEJP JOUFHSBUJPO TZTUFN :PV EPO U IBWF UP DMVUUFS VQ ZPVS DBS T JOUFSJPS XJUI NVMUJQMF QPXFS BOE BVEJP DBCMFT o UIF (FFL 4RVBE (4$ BOE (4$ " TZTUFNT QSPWJEF B DMFBS JOUFSGFSFODF GSFF BVEJP DPOOFDUJPO XJUI B DMFBO GBDUPSZ MPPL 5IFZ BMTP MFU ZPV charge your iPod or iPhone XIJMF DPOOFDUFE UISPVHI UIF EPDL DPOOFDUPS
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With the engine department taken care of, it was now time to get this ‘stang the stance Phil was looking for. To start with, some polished CCW Classic wheels were mounted to the car. He chose some very beefy sizes to fit his Cobra, 18x 9.5 in the front and massive 18 x 11s in the rear, running on sticky Nitto tires. The wheels are of a very high quality, much needed for the pot hole-ridden roads around Quebec. With new wheels now on, it set the stage to find a suspension set-up to complete the Cobra’s perfect stance. What makes this car so different from most others is the suspension that was chosen. Instead of going with a full coilover suspension kit or even just lowering springs, the choice for this project was a complete air bag suspension set-up. An Accuair e-level air suspension kit with two compressors and a five gallon tank were installed. Air ride suspension is very popular these days, since it lets you adjust how high or low you want your car to be and lets you lift it up completely when steep entrances or speed bumps come up. Even though it’s popular, fitting a kit like this on a Mustang Cobra was almost taboo. It certainly had a lot of the Mustang purists going crazy. Good! The Mustang is a very popular car among enthusiasts and it’s nice to see one that is modified in a slightly different way. Mustang purists might not think a Cobra should be on air suspension since it is not known to be very sporty, but it’s interesting to note that with the new suspension on it, this Cobra is actually faster on the quarter mile then it was on the stock suspension. It just ‘shows to go ya’ that it is possible to have style, look …and performance! Phil would like to thank Michel Patry for all the hard work on the install. 38 Speed & Sound RPM Feb / Mar 2012
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Specifications Powertrain 2.76” BilletFlow blower pulley and 100mm idler. SCT XCalibrator2 with custom tune JLT Carbon Fibre CAI Stock TB and plenum ported by Stiegemeier Bassani stainless steel catted X-pipe Steeda stainless steel catback MGW short shifter LFP Dual Pass Heat Exchanger LFP Supertank intercooler reservoir Innovate LC-1 wideband O2 sensor Exterior Bullitt Mustang side scoops Black vinyl bumper letter inserts Cobra grille emblem Paint-matched CDC lightbar Wheels & Tires CCW Classic 18”11 rear with 295/35R18 Nitto INVO CCW Classic 18” 9.5 front with 275/35R18 Nitto INVO (after the photoshoot) Interior Innovate G3 Air/Fuel ratio gauge GG&G “F***in’ Fast” shift knob Suspension Maximum Motorsports front strut tower brace Kenny Brown Performance Extreme Matrix Subframe System Accuair e-level air suspension kit with touchpad 5-gallon tank Dual chromed Viair 400C compressors RideTech CoolRide bags and plates ICE Stock Mach 460
40 Speed & Sound RPM Feb / Mar 2012
CES REPORT
CES 2012 Report
Story and Photos by Norm Ross
I
am calling CES 2012 (the Consumer Electronics Show), the year of the robot. Anyone reading this in their fourth decade of life, or older, will remember the toy robot or car that you got Christmas morning with a long wire to a remote control. If you were really lucky, you got the one that not only turned, but also backed up when it hit a wall. Then you gave your kids the same thing, but the big change was the remote was now wireless (the back-up feature was still an optional extra). Now, to everyone’s amazement (amusement?), the 2012 version is the same robot or car controlled by an app on your smart phone. Even Justin Bieber was there at one robot announcement, demonstrating how great it was. I really don’t get the attraction. I remember I liked my wired version - for about ten minutes. When the robot can wash my truck is when I will be excited to get one!
answers. MTX (mtx.com) continued to add to its line of over 500 models of ThunderForms. These are factory-matched subwoofer enclosures to add that missing element, bass response, to factory systems. AudioControl (audiocontrol.com) showed new models of integration units that allow the add-on of amps, subwoofers and better speakers, including a new in-dash version of the Epicenter Bass Restoration unit. Keep the factory head-unit and have it sound better than you thought possible.
The Las Vegas show reported a new attendance record this year with over 150,000 attendees, a new exhibitor record of over 3,100 and the largest show floor space at over 1.8 million square feet. This is one big event. In the vehicle electronics area, the largest booth spaces are now from the automobile manufacturers. In attendance were Ford, Audi, Kia and Hyundai. All of them where showing their latest hybrid cars as well as mock-ups of the latest they have for in-vehicle media, such as Ford’s Microsoft Sync system. Audi had a mock-up of the new A3 interior with its latest in-vehicle entertainment and controls. Of course, smart phone syncing and Bluetooth were important here. I continually harp on OEM integration — how we can add to the factory stereo system in your car to increase performance and ease of adding iPods and smart phones. I am starting to see some more Speed & Sound RPM Feb / Mar 2012
41
CES REPORT
It was great to see JVC Mobile (jvc.ca) back on the show floor with the latest in its DRVN Series, pronounced “driven,” with the new “DRVN XX” series of step-up amplifiers and subwoofers. JVC Mobile’s DRVN subwoofers include two designs which have been engineered to work in enclosures as small as .75 cubic feet. JVC’s lineup of DRVN amplifiers, designed to have a small footprint, feature a MOS-FET power supply and output stage, enhanced low-frequency sound performance specifically tuned to CS-GD1200 woofers, increased dynamic power, and are all bridgeable. Another tactic to improving your OEM car audio system is changing out the stock head-unit for an aftermarket one. The biggest stumbling block is that many automobile manufacturers have additional circuitry in the head-unit that makes this change-out difficult or expensive. Dual Electronics (dualav.com) showed five new “factory replacement” head-units that are literally the same ones you can pay extra for when you purchase your new car, at much lower prices. These units look exactly like the factory ones, use the same wiring and connectors, and add things like full navigation and wireless Bluetooth for hands-free phone calls and streaming music from your phone. Dual says this is just the start of many models to come in the near future. Combine this with a new amp and subwoofer and you have the makings of a fabulous audio system! Kenwood (kenwood.ca) had a terrific demo car and has added Android phone compatibility to its head-units. The Kenwood Music Control APP will allow Android users to connect their phone via USB and access the music stored on their phone through the stereo controls. Kenwood’s navigation units are really nice with the feature they call “My Trend Routing.” This looks to how you like to use it and which routes you drive and will suggest new routes based on this historical info. As 20+ CESs are behind me now, I see each year that the show is changing from primarily an audio/video show to now encompassing many other technology areas. I can’t wait to see what it’s going to be like 20 years from now — stay tuned… 42 Speed & Sound RPM Feb / Mar 2012
CES REPORT
CES 2012 – Another view
Photos and Story by Dave MacKinnon Norm has covered off many of the highlights of this year’s CES quite eloquently. For me, on merely my 8th time at the show in my 24 year career, It was quite different for me. Usually I am there to directly support the company I work for, or as a member of the press. This year, I was there on behalf of Clarion, but working the Wirez booth – a brand of installation accessories that Clarion distributes in Canada. It was quite stressful to deal with coordinating the booth rental, shipping, setup and so on – but at the same time, fun! I know - I’m weird that way. Wirez was set up between the Arc Audio and JL Audio booths – All three of which had a lot of traffic. JL showed a good collection of new products for each category, speakers, subs, marine, home theatre subs and their new Stealthmod product. This is a complete audio system upgrade with subwoofer enclosure, amplifier, speakers and wiring harnesses. It’s currently available for the 2011+ Camaro Convertible, 2010+ Kia Soul and BMW X5 with the Premium Logic 7 audio system. Phoenix Gold showed a similar concept with their Integrated series - offering a large subwoofer and amplifier with wiring harness for the Camaro and Cruze. Arc Audio launched their long-awaited PS8 processor. A project that has been under development for several years, and stands as perhaps the best-sounding, most powerful processor in the mobile electronics industry. I was equally impressed by my visit to the Rockford Fosgate booth over at the Palms hotel. They had on display all the latest and greatest from Rockford and Lightning Audio, as well as Renegade, Helix, Brax and a forthcoming announcement that they will be distributing mObridge in Speed & Sound RPM Feb / Mar 2012
43
CES REPORT the US. What stood out for me - was their Boosted Rail series of amps. The demo had me smiling for at least a couple hours. Worth looking at these little fellers! CES is, for many of us, all about the cars we see in manufacturer’s booths. I liked the black wide body Camaro in the Diamond Audio / Cerwin Vega Mobile booth, as well as the Can-Am Spyder that Sound Choice Audio and Performance built for Massive Audio. The SHO Taurus in the MTX booth was clean and effective – something I’d envision as a personal daily driver. There was a black and white Cadillac CTS-V with a huge supercharger in the Soundstream booth. A pair of Lamborghini’s graced the floor as well - a Murcielago convertible in the Concept booth and in the Kenwood booth. I have to say, for the second year in a row, I came away from the show remembering the Audi booth. Not perhaps for their cars, or their technology demonstrations, but for the intensity of the booth itself. A 50x100 gridwork of fluorescent bulbs hung atop an all-white floor. Inside, an A7, A8 and their Urban Concept sat – bathed in intense white light. What a sight. I left Vegas, tired, but with a much better feeling for the industry than I did last year. There was renewed enthusiasm, cool products and a much less stressed atmosphere. I’m genuinely looking forward to next year.
44 Speed & Sound RPM Feb / Mar 2012
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PERFORMANCE
To GTI or To TDI – That Is The New Question
Are increasingly advanced tuning technologies making the TDI the next GTI? Story by Budd Stanley, photos courtesy of VW
HPA and several other companies are seeing the performance benefits that the TDI engine has hidden deep down inside with ’ve always been a big Volkswagen fan. I’ve built and modified a little electronic tweaking. old Rabbits, Golfs and GTIs and they provided me with some of the most fun driving moments. While the old GTIs were a blast to However, is it feasible to make a TDI comparable to a GTI, and is drive with their high-revving twin-cam engines, I equally adored it cost effective to do so? Today’s standard TDI comes equipped the TDIs for their ridiculously efficient engines and ability to sip with a 140-hp, 236 lb-ft 2.0L turbodiesel good for 6.7L/100km in gas at a rate that would leave most modern hybrids blushing. At the city and 4.6L/100km on the highway for $25,425. In comthat time, the fun-to-responsibility ratio that I argued in my mind parison, the GTI has a 200-hp, 207 lb-ft 2.0L turbo petrol engine was most definitely dominated by the fun side, but with today’s that gets 9.9L/100km in the city and 6.7L/100km on the highway great leaps in both engine and tuning technology, I’ve started starting at $29,375. wondering what the true capabilities of the TDI might be. Programmers are extremely flexible and can offer the customer Testing the 2011 GTI last year, I was reminded just how good several different stages of performance and fuel efficiencies to it is; the performance, quality and refinement of its ride really choose from. From light tunes to free up the engine’s breathing makes it one of the great performance compacts available on and up the efficiency slightly, to a full race-inspired tune that the market today. However, I was equally taken aback when I witnessed a TDI-powered Golf receive an ECM programming tune that yielded over 50 horsepower and 80 lb-ft of torque without even opening the hood!
I
This got me thinking, is the new TDI capable of GTI performance or even weirder yet, is the TDI capable of outperforming VW’s performance darling? We had a chat with programming specialists HPA Motorsports of Surrey, B.C., to see just what the pros and cons of tuning a diesel engine for performance applications are. Marcel Horn of HPA explains that the great gains in power with the new common-rail TDI engines are due in part to the new emissions laws that are enforced in California and other areas of Canada and Europe. When the engines are so overbuilt to meet these restrictions, they can be opened up by today’s technology to drastically increase power, efficiency or a combination of the two through the reprogramming of the car’s computer. As a result, 46 Speed & Sound RPM Feb / Mar 2012
PERFORMANCE of 30 to 60 horsepower and between 50 and 90 ft-lb of torque. If your TDI is DSG equipped, you need an additional $649 for the gearbox tune. Of course, it’s not all about power, and the GTI has both handling and braking performance advantages over the TDI, so throw in $1,200 for an upgraded suspension setup and another $400 to bring the brakes up to snuff, and you are looking at a minimal investment of $2,100 to bring the performance of your TDI up to par with the GTI, while still getting respectable fuel efficiency. In the grand scheme of things, you still save yourself nearly $2,000, which can go into more extreme levels of tuning, taking the performance figures even higher.
requires the upgrading of fuel pumps, injectors, turbos, intakes and exhaust, some tuners have been pumping supercar numbers Obviously, the power is distributed in very different ways. The out of what is often thought of as an engine for those who don’t GTI will work its best in the high-revving ranges making use of want to stoop so low as a hybrid vehicle. its horsepower advantage, while the TDI will be getting its power way down low between 2,000 and 3,000 rpms, when the torque However, as Marcel explains, issues develop in respect to the muscles the car forward, then fall off sharply. So yes, in theory, DSG gearbox. While the manual gearbox is still simply gears the TDI can be made comparable to the GTI on paper, but anyone connected by a manual shift lever, the much more complicated who’s wrenched on a vehicle knows, in the real world, things aren’t DSG is computer-controlled and has several safety parameters all that they seem. Whether or not the TDI is as fast on a track or set in place that are able to override any engine software once it has the same great fun factor you get behind the wheel of the GTI, sees power in excess of its factory programmed 258 lb-ft of torque we just won’t know until we get the two side-by-side. limit. As the DSG is much more efficient in getting the absolute most efficiency and performance out of the TDI, the vast majority of TDIs are sold equipped with a DSG. Not one to give away business, HPA has also solved this issue as well with a dedicated DSG program tune available in several different stages, allowing shifts to be more aggressive; automatic shifting in M mode is disabled along with up-shifts or down-shifts at inopportune times while in M mode. So it’s important to know that if you have a DSG equipped TDI, a gearbox tune will also be part of the equation. And when it’s all said and done, this is what that equation looks like. Depending on where you take your vehicle and what computer programmer you choose, the average ECM tune for the 2.0L TDI engine is between $500 and $850, giving you an average increase
Speed & Sound RPM Feb / Mar 2012
47
Poster Worthy Looking back at Turbine-powered concepts
By Cam Hutchins
R
andy Browning has had some of the cooler muscle cars including a 1969 Mustang Mach 1, but time for cars was taken up with work and raising a family, so he would eagerly listen to a co-worker talk about his old hot rod. The die was cast that one day; Randy would not only have a hot rod, but would build it. While working on a customer’s house, he saw a ‘50s Merc in his garage that was going nowhere but was not for sale...but he knew a guy with lots of projects and some for sale. A call was made and Randy got to go to Andy Kotowich’s place and see a very rough 3-window Coupe. It was so bad, he was not sure what it could look like, so after looking at images online, Andy Kotowich took him to see a ‘36 Ford 3-window at Henry Tjart’s. After seeing his wicked ‘36, he was hooked. A deal was struck and he bought the 3-window coupe and a 4-door donor car. When he got it home, his wife asked him incredulously “you paid money for that?” The donor car was stripped of the one or two pieces worth saving and then was discarded. 48 Speed & Sound RPM Feb / Mar 2012
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Aldergrove had some parts and he came to the rescue late one fall evening when he donated a full cowl including windshield frame that was in his garden used as yard art. The top of the windshield had enough of the metal intact to help Randy with the factory seam of the 1935 Ford 3-window coupe. For many months, Randy helped, or tried to stay out of his neighbour’s way, as the body was being repaired and perfected. After all the convincing Randy had to do to get Maxwell to help, Randy was helping out as much as he could during the prep and fabrication. Meanwhile, the stock frame was boxed by Doug McLanders of Cloverdale and a TCI front end was set up for a small-block Chevy, a 390horse 327, backed by a 700R transmission, with a ‘57 Ford 9-inch with 3.90 gears and parallel leaf springs out back. It has new hot rod front discs (SSB) for the front, but old-school ‘57 Ford drums on the rear.
After spending some time sourcing parts because of the missing doors and rear decklid of the ‘36, the car went to a shop and after a short time he realized it could not sit in a shop awaiting him to cough up a lot of money, so Randy hauled it home and kept looking for parts and inspiration. Seeing his neighbour Rob Maxwell work on cars and do body and mechanical repairs, Randy wanted to hire him to help work on the hot rod, but found Maxwell very reluctant to work on old cars as his specialty was repairing modern rides. The persistence paid off and Maxwell is very proud of his work on the vintage tin.
The body was basically stock except for the power-actuated rumble seat with a shaved handle. Randy had looked at a lot of ‘35s and choosing the paint almost ended up being an obsession. He wanted orange...but not brown in the shade...not too red on cloudy days... orange in the sunshine, evenings and the shade. Many panels were painted with test colours sourced by Rob at Randy’s suggestion.
Dropping by the shop one day, he saw a tiny toy car painted the perfect colour, but heads dropped in despair after it was announced that it was candy paint and Maxwell was hesitant to try their first candy job on Randy’s car. Back to scouring the car scene and dealerships looking for the perfect colour. It seems whenever he would see a Harold Swift of the BCHRA introduced Randy to Russ Irwin of Hot great colour on a hot rod, the owner protected the paint’s origin and Rod Corner and it turned out they lived pretty close to each other name as if it were a national secret. and both have a love of the 3-window coupes. They headed out on an ideas-gathering mission and ended up at Rick Penner’s out in After a couple of weeks, Maxwell relented and agreed to paint the Chilliwack and saw a ‘35 3-window that was rough. It had the roof car candy and did it in his home shop! He got help from a painter cocut off as well as door tops cut off. worker, Jat Sahota laying down the candy. First came PPG sterling silver and then PPG Orange Glow and three coats of clear. The choice One of Rick’s big dilemmas was how to set up and assemble the door of wheels and tires took some time and the five-spoke American is tops. The car was not for sale but Randy took the doors home to fit the traditional look for hot rods, but because of the wild shiny paint, them together on his ‘36 that was missing the doors, and he wanted Randy decided to use the Foose Legend wheels that look like the old to help him repair them. After having the doors for two months, the five-spoke, and the spokes mimic the shape of the front fender. car was for sale. In the fall of 2004, he went out to make a deal and buy the car and it is all the more memorable because he recalls getting lost and then getting stopped for speeding and ending up with only a seatbelt ticket. The gathering of parts and inspiration continued and with many trips to car shows and swap meets, the two unassembled cars in the garage prompted a plan to finish the ‘35 by his oldest daughter’s graduation in June 2009. There was a time when most of the parts had been gathered and his garage resembled an automotive version of Stonehenge and he knew it was time to start. The second car was complete except for small parts, and its roof had seemingly been removed by a very dull chainsaw...and it needed every patch panel available. Rear fenders needed major repairs as well as bullet hole repairs. While working on the car, it was soon discovered that the passenger side had been involved in a big hit years earlier and it was going to be hard to fix after removing all the old lead repairs. Russ Irwin knew Barry Wild of 50 Rods & Classics RPM Feb / Mar 2012
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With the daughter’s grad looming, a few buddies gave up their Father’s Day to wire the car, and all Randy had to do was get the car running and to get it to stop backfiring and belching long enough to fulfill the promise and take the daughter to her grad.... which he did, after sorting out the car with just enough time to shower and jump into a suit for the trip. So now that the daughter was through her grad, it was time to concentrate on the interior. Tim at Velocity Upholstery laid out a stunning two-tone cream ultra leather with a tuck-and-roll pattern based on an idea of Randy’s. Randy and Tim came up with some very cool details...including the seat pattern on the door panels with a smooth headliner. Using a Pioneer deck partially controlled via extensions fabbed by Randy from the original radio head (on-off volume, stations) and further controlled by a marine remote set-up installed into a compartment where the stock optional speaker would normally be, above the windshield. Powered by two amps, there is a ten-inch sub and four speakers, and the car was ready for cruising just five years after it was first bought. The car was on the World of Wheels poster for 2011 and driven locally at first, as he was to trying to protect the great paint job, but now that it is a couple of years old and both the girls have graduated, we will see how many road trips can be fit into a summer.
52 Rods & Classics RPM Feb / Mar 2012
HISTORY COLIN CHAPMAN PLUGGED- IN By 1955, he was becoming so successful at racing, that he would enter the Le Mans 24-hour race, piloting his own creation, the Lotus Mark IX. While aspiring to drive for the Vanwall Formula One Team, Chapman lost his brakes and crashed during practice for the French GP, ending his racing career, choosing to manage his own team in sports car racing. The next year he entered three Lotuses, the new Lotus 11 winning the 1.1L class, beating cars with much larger engines.
Colin Chapman
The creator of greatness, the killer of the great Story by Budd Stanley, photos courtesy of Lotus
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ny damn fool can build a bridge that won’t fall down, but it takes a man of much greater skill to build a bridge that just won’t fall down. Great men portray characteristics that some would consider anti social, destructive and even disturbing. Drive and single-minded dedication to their craft matched with a unique charisma allow a slim few to rise to levels of greatness that change the norm, that change history. Colin Chapman was just such a man, bringing the British Auto Industry kicking and screaming into the modern age, and making Britain into the motorsport powerhouse that it is today. The Italians and Germans had dominated motorsports in the postwar era; there were no winning British cars, and no British drivers had won the World Championship. Chapman would change all that. He had a knack for finding and nurturing great talent, developing the likes of Graham Hill, Jim Clark, Sir Jackie Stewart, Mario Andretti, and Nigel Mansell. He would also build some of the most iconic racing machines and road cars that the ‘60s and ‘70s would see. However, such success came with great sacrifice as Chapman put vehicle performance well above driver safety, and business success above his own wellbeing. Chapman had starting building cars as a 19-year old engineering student in London in 1947, founding Lotus Engineering upon his graduation in 1952, building sports cars in an old stable behind the Railway Hotel in Hornsey, North London. Two years later, he began building his first racing car, winning every race as both driver and designer. He did it by getting more power from the engine that was used in every car by exploiting a loophole in the regulations. It would be a tactic that would define Chapman’s life, breaking down rules to the point where he manipulated them to do whatever he wanted, to be as competitive as possible. Some would call it ingenious; some would see it as being backhanded or cheating. However you call him, he was a man who changed the British automotive and racing business. 54 Rods & Classics RPM Feb / Mar 2012
Chapman had a philosophy that when you add lightness to the car, the car could out-brake and out-corner heavier cars with more power. It’s a philosophy that would prove to be most successful, but it came with its own very serious drawbacks, such as structural integrity. Sir Stirling Moss was one of the first to find out these consequences when he went to race for Chapman in 1960. He would win Lotus its first GP triumph at Monaco, but suffered a serious crash at Spa when the front wheel just simply fell off. The resulting accident left Moss with a broken back and legs. Having wheels just fall off was a frighteningly regular occurrence at Lotus, as Chapman’s single-minded devotion to building the fastest cars would not be tarnished with safety concerns for the drivers who piloted them. Chapman famously commented that if a racing car fell apart just as it crossed the finish line that it was a perfectly-built racing car that did exactly what it was supposed to do, nothing more. Building lighter and more fragile racing cars became an obsession, with him even trying to convince a scrutineer that paper was fireproof. He took a road map from the garage wall and put it between the engine and drivers’ compartment, cut holes for the steering column and pedals, and painted it with aluminum paint. The scrutinizers were going to fail the car for not having a fireproof firewall between the engine and cabin, and Chapman fought vigourously, saying it was. It was instances like this that started to show the troubling side of the driven Chapman. But then, you have to wonder about a man who rushes out into the middle of a track to throw his hat in the air when one of his cars wins, stepping within inches of cars racing each other hard to the finish line. It wasn’t long before serious accidents turned into fatal ones. Allen Stacey was the first to lose his life at the wheel of a Team Lotus Formula One car in 1960, followed by the Mexican, Ricardo Rodríguez, who suffered a fatal accident at his home GP in November of 1962.
HISTORY COLIN CHAPMAN PLUGGED- IN It would only be one short month later that Gary Hocking would also become a victim, racing a Lotus 25 for the Rob Walker Racing Team. Ironically, Hocking moved to Formula One from Motorcycle racing after the death of a friend in the Isle of Mann TT, thinking auto racing would be safer. However, the death that hit Chapman the hardest was that of his first World Champion, Scotland’s Jim Clark, who crashed in a Lotus Formula Two car at the Hockenheimring in Germany in 1968. Clark had given Lotus its first Formula One title in 1963, and an Indy 500 win in 1965, and the two had a remarkably close relationship for a driver and team owner. Yet despite all the accidents and deaths, racers all wanted to be a part of the Team Lotus domination of ‘60s and ‘70s Formula One racing. Dan Gurney is quoted as saying, “Did I think the Lotus way of doing things was good? No. We had several structural failures in those cars. But at the time, I felt it was the price you paid for getting something significantly better.” However, the risks were paying off. Team Lotus was first to achieve 50 Grand Prix victories despite Ferrari having a seven-year head start, while Team Lotus remains one of the most successful racing teams of all time, winning seven Formula One Constructors’ titles, six Drivers’ Championships, and Clark’s Indianapolis 500.
Despite the inherent risks, Chapman inspired a fierce loyalty to those who worked for him. Some even said that he portrayed the charisma, manipulation, motivational and inspirational qualities of Hitler, only directing his energies towards world domination in motorsports and not military-enforced politics. “He was a person that could make you do things that you didn’t even know you were capable of,” commented Jim Endruweit, a former mechanic for the Lotus team.
ing it as the class of the field. Andretti would go on to win the F1 World Championship that year, but Chapman took the theory one step farther, developing an all-carbon fibre car, with ‘twin chassis’ technology where the driver’s tub had separate suspension from the aerodynamic parts of the car. The design was deemed an unfair advantage and the Lotus 88 was subsequently banned from racing. It was around this time that Chapman began his downfall. Another Team Lotus driver who would become a close friend of Chapman’s, Ronnie Petersen, was killed on the first lap of the Italian Grand Prix at Monza in 1978. Chapman took his death very hard and began to turn his back on racing, becoming more and more absent from the shop. Then came the DeLorean scandal. In need of cash, Chapman agreed to design and engineer John DeLorean’s new gullwing sports car. However, when DeLorean went bust, the receivers filed through the books and they found that the work Lotus performed on the car was paid for twice. An additional $17 million was sent to GDP enterprises based in Switzerland, the company Chapman had created to pay racing bills without reporting taxes back to the British government. Soon, he was spending more and more time away from both the racing team and car builder. Both businesses were beginning to flirt with bankruptcy, and Chapman was in danger of losing everything and doing jail time for the DeLorean affair. However, it seemed everything caught up to him one night in December in 1982, when he suffered a massive heart attack and died at the age of 54. He lived an amazing life of creating great road cars, great racing cars, great drivers and great leaps in automotive engineering. Yet, living with the responsibility of holding the drivers’ lives in his hands while willing to win at any cost took a massive toll on Chapman. Nevertheless, despite all the tragedy and heartache, he will be remembered for his amazing achievements that had him holding the racing world in his hands for over two decades.
It was this motivating charisma and the ingenious brain of Chapman that would change the way racing cars were built in 1962. It was with the Lotus 25 Formula One car that Chapman introduced the monocoque chassis to the racing world. The revolutionary design made the engine and gearbox the primary structure, mounting the rear suspension and brakes off the gearbox case, and mounting the front tub and chassis to the front of the engine. It was a design so ahead of its time that it is still implemented in today’s Formula One cars. The Lotus 25 would go on to become an icon in Formula One history, only outdone by the Lotus 79 which saw the union of another iconic driver and Chapman. Andretti’s development expertise helped Chapman build the Lotus 78 into a race-winning car. Then in 1978, Lotus shook Formula One once again, implementing aerodynamic ground effects on the Lotus 79, giving the car massive amounts of downforce, separatRods & Classics RPM Feb / Mar 2012 55
CLASSIC CORNER
From model cars to the real thing 22-year-old’s dream car
By Nigel Mattews ichard Bosley was a horticulturalist from Ohio, and despite loving his Jaguar XK120, he was not happy with its performance and he yearned for a car shaped like the Ferraris he had seen in Road & Track magazine during the early Fifties.
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inch Chrysler Hemi V8 with a Cunningham manifold and a five-speed When he attended the first race at Sebring as a volunteer worker, he Borg Warner transmission were used. The gearbox was probably the decided to build his own sports car, beginning what would become a only downside of the entire project because it was very noisy; perhaps one saving grace was that the Ferrari transmissions of that era were three-year project. not much quieter. When asked what on earth led him to believe that he could possibly build a car, he replied, “I have built lots of models, so I am sure I can With a top speed of 160 mph (258 km/h), he sourced a speedometer from a Ford police car. To keep the thirsty Hemi engine fed, the entire build a complete car.” rear of the car is a 55-gallon gas tank with a flip-top filler mounted in Bosley decided to build the body out of a new product called fibreglass, the roof. and spent some time learning the skills of working with glass fibre cloth and resin at the company that would later build the early Corvettes. He Unfortunately, a lack of funding prevented Bosley from going into produccarved the mould out of plaster and built a chassis out of four-inch steel tion with his GT. With more than 100,000 miles on the clock, he decided to trade it for an ex-Sebring Corvette SR-2 that would form the basis of tubing to go underneath the finished body. his next and last car, called the Bosley Interstate. The front suspension was from a 1950 Ford and the rear axle from a 1948 Mercury with modifications of his own design resembling those of That original one-off Bosley GT MKI now resides in the Petersen Museum the C-Type Jaguar. To achieve the power that he wanted, a 331 cubic- collection in Los Angeles. Quite an achievement for a 22 year-old!
Venerable Jag convertible the cat’s meow By Nigel Matthews
The Jaguar Mark VII was launched at the 1950 London Motor Show. It replaced the Jaguar Mark V, and one would think that the next model ransformation from a four-door sedan to a two-door droptop has would be the MK VI. Because Bentley had given its new model the name MK VI (1946-1952), consequently Jaguar decided to call its next been beautifully executed model the Mark VII. My immediate reaction to spotting this 1955 Jaguar MK VII at the Hilton Head Island Concours in South Carolina was to think that the boys The conversion of this particular MK VII four-door sedan into a two-door back at Brown’s Lane in Coventry, England - the home of the Jaguar convertible has been beautifully executed, and the addition of some factory - would be turning in their graves if they saw this. Upon closer exterior wood trim, making it look like a woodie from the period, is quite eye catching. Perhaps Jaguar should have built a spacious adult inspection, I changed my initial reaction. four-seat convertible like this. The convertible top used is Jaguar and looks like it belongs; it came off a donor 1990 Jaguar XJS. The timeless twin-cam, 6-cylinder Jaguar engine has been replaced with a 302 CID Ford V8 and a C6 automatic transmission, and the rear axle is a positraction assembly from a Mustang. The magnificent interior wood trim is original to the car and has been restored.
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The Mark VII was built between 1951 and 1957, with a total production of 30,969 examples built. The remaining undelivered cars built were lost on Feb. 1, 1957 in the great fire that almost destroyed the entire Jaguar factory. To view some of the fire photos visit http: //icserver.no-ip.biz/coventry/ viewtopic.php?f=8&t=3536
Nigel Matthews is the sales and marketing executive for Hagerty Canada. He can be contacted via email at nmatthews@hagerty.com 56 Rods & Classics RPM Feb / Mar 2012
BOOK REVIEW
Toyota Under Fire: Lessons for Turning Crisis into Opportunity Review by Russell Purcell
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t has been a turbulent couple of years for the auto industry, but no company experienced more turmoil than Toyota. In August, 2009, a report of a case of unintended sudden acceleration that led to a number of fatalities kicked off a firestorm of accusations and finger pointing directed towards the company, and for a time, these claims threatened to bring the Japanese industrial giant to its knees. In their new book, Toyota Under Fire, authors Jeffrey K. Liker and Timothy N. Ogden provide the reader with a comprehensive study of Toyota’s rise to the top of the automotive industry, and the effect that both a worldwide recession and a growing oil crisis were having on the company’s operations and growth. Add to this a thorough examination of the recall scandal that put into question the brand’s reputation for quality, safety and reliability, and you have a book that will open your eyes to the many trials and tribulations that come with being regarded as number one. Jeff Liker stresses that “this book is not intended to be a defence of Toyota or investigative journalism.” Instead, the authors sought “to provide the materials that are relevant to understanding the crisis and what others can learn from it.” The authors are quick to point out that many of the accusations against Toyota had little basis in fact. Many of the media reports were inaccurate - based on the opinions of “experts” with little expertise, or instigated by law firms looking for a big payday from one of the world’s largest industrial enterprises. This allowed the Japanese industrial giant to quickly find its feet again and regain its market share, reputation for quality, and of course, profitability. This relatively quick turn-around was possible due to the “Toyota Way” - Toyota’s long-held approach to leadership and operational excellence based on philosophy and culture. “The Toyota Way demands that any problem be thoroughly investigated before any conclusions are reached.” Each team member is expected to “continuously improve what is within their control.” As a teacher, I wish my students would embrace this concept and take it as their own mantra for life. The company that began as a maker of innovative “mistake-proof” looms in the late 1800s had revolutionized manufacturing for the textile industry, and many of its long-held production and business practices helped the company rise to prominence in the automobile sector over the past half-century. An evolution of Toyota’s cultural foundation - the master-apprentice internship - saw this relationship reformed to ensure that product quality and worker training were improved. The recall(s) gave the company and its personnel (at all levels) the opportunity to learn from the actions and decisions made dur-
ing this period, as well as going forward, so that Toyota could improve as a whole. The recession ignited the pursuit of economies of scale to keep costs down and eliminate waste, while the recall forced Toyota’s decision makers to recognize that the customer was the next step in the production process, not just an end user. As a result, the company has more respect for the needs and wants of its staff, and looks to them to continue to improve the company’s products. Toyota took responsibility for the perceived design and safety issues, and now puts its customers first when making both engineering and manufacturing decisions, as well as at the sales and service level of contact. If anything, Toyota has proven how resilient it can be when faced with hardships of massive scale. The company still managed to maintain its record of profitability and its status as the number one auto maker in terms of sales, despite the floundering economy and the high cost of the recall. With this new commitment to people, rather than raw numbers, maybe Toyota will lose its image as a ruthless corporate giant and be looked upon as a company that cares. Let’s hope so. Welcome back Toyota. Title: Toyota Under Fire: Lessons for Turning Crisis into Opportunity Authors: Jeffrey K. Liker and Timothy N. Ogden ISBN: 978-0-07-176299-1 MSRP: CAN$ 23.95 www.toyotaunderfire.com Rods & Classics RPM Feb / Mar 2012 57
NEW PRODUCT SHOWCASE FAST XIM Standalone Coil-On Plug Kits
as well as a variety of different lengths which allows them to fit many modern and classic muscle cars. The Mad Hot mufflers are reversible for maximum flexibility and are finished in a high-gloss FAST has now taken its coil-on red powder coat finish. plug ignition controller, the XIM, and made it available in a stand- For more information please go to www.thrushexhaust.com alone kit for GM LS1/LS6 and LS2/LS3/LS7, Ford Modular, and the 5.7L and 6.1L Hemi engines. The kits allow for programmable control of popular late model coilon plug ignition systems, while remaining independent of the fuel delivery method or any factory computer. The XIM features easyto-use on-board dials that can create a custom timing curve as well Continental’s new CrossContact as the ability to adjust a vacuum advance feature and a rev limiter. LX20 with EcoPlus is a premier all-season tire that is designed to For more information please go to www.fuelairspark.com help improve fuel economy and treadwear, as well as reduce harmful CO2 emissions. The tire delivers excellent wet traction and has biting edges in the tire grooves to shorten stopping distances on wet ground and increase traction in snowy conditions. With the advanced EcoPlus Technology, the CrossContact LX20 Thrush Exhaust is coming out with its new line of performance mufcan save an average driver up to flers, the Thrush Mad Hot line. The mufflers are fully aluminized and 2,500 miles-worth of fuel. It comes feature a tri-flow design that will enhance exhaust flow and vehicle available in a range of sizes from performance. The mufflers are available in a variety of inlet and out16-20-inch wheel diameters. let configurations including 2.25-, 2.5-, and 3-inch inlets and outlets
New Continental CrossContact LX20 with EcoPlus
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DiabloSport inTune Handheld Programmers The DiabloSport inTune is one of the most advanced handheld programmers available today. Sporting the latest technology with dual processors and over one gig of memory, it is one of the fastest, most powerful and reliable programmers available today. inTune covers all supported applications under a single part number with DiabloSport’s world famous “canned” tunes designed to improve power and fuel economy and also includes data logging, compatibility with custom tuning, an industry-leading range of adjustable parameters, and extensive diagnostics. All of these features come housed in a sleek and stylish stainless steel case. For more information please go to www.diablosport.com 58 RPM Feb / Mar 2012
NEW PRODUCT SHOWCASE Flex-a-lite Direct-fit Auto Transmission Cooler for 2010-2011 Camaro
steel bleeder valves. They feature a dual-pad pin with an O-ring design that will work to eliminate pad chatter. Also included in the kit are cross-drilled Big Bite rotors, performance brake pads, and all of the mounting brackets and necessary Owners of 2010-2011 Chevy Camaros hardware. now have a way to easily extend the life of their automatic transmissions with For more information please go to the Flex-a-lite Automatic Transmission www.ssbrakes.com Cooler. Severe use or addition of significant power can deteriorate the performance of an automatic transmission, but the direct-fit system mounts a 7 ½ x 14 x ž-inch oil cooler in front of the air conditioning condenser. The brackets for the cooler attach to existing holes, which makes for a drill-free installation. It uses unique Turbulators which are inside the cooler tubes to increase heat transfer Borla is now offering both Cat-Back from the fluid. and Axle-Back exhaust systems for the 2011-2012 Ford Mustang GT. For more information please go to www.flex-a-lite.com The system is available in three exclusive technologies - ATAK, S-Type, and Touring. All three systems add roughly the same amount of power, but the tones and volume levels vary depending on the technology. ATAK (Acoustically-Tuned Applied Kinetics) feature the highest decibel level of all three choices. The S-Type has a slightly less aggressive exhaust note and utilizes SSBC has introduced its new line of Competition Series Brake Kits a single-core straight through design. The Touring system provides for late-model Ford Mustangs. The kit includes 6061-T6 aluminum a much more subdued low-key growl. calipers that feature four 45mm stainless steel pistons and stainless
Borla Cat-Back and AxleBack Exhaust Systems for 2011-12 Mustang GT
SSBC Competition Series Brakes for Late Model Mustangs
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RPM Feb / Mar 2012 59
with Intermeccanica’s Henry Reisner Presented by your local GRiP Tire Store Visit them on the web at : www.griptire.ca
Story and photos by Russell Purcell ancouver-based Intermeccanica is a well-known, boutique builder V of high-quality reproductions of classic Porsche Speedster and Roadster sports cars. I recently sat down with Intermeccanica principal Henry Reisner to discuss a couple of major developments that will have a profound effect on the company’s future success. RPM: I understand that you are working on a number of interesting new projects? HR: This is true. We are developing an exciting new project utilizing a Subaru engine. Unfortunately, there aren’t many bits and pieces to help with the conversion so we are working on a few modifications at the moment. There are some components out there for stuffing Subaru engines into the back of Volkswagen Vanagons, but the exhaust headers are atrocious and don’t fit our application. RPM: Subaru’s four-cylinder engines have proven very reliable. Which ones are you planning to use in your cars? HR: Well we are doing two cars back-to-back, but they are using different engines. The first one is a 2.2-litre and the second is a 2.5-litre, but both are single-cam motors. RPM: What was the big appeal of trying to use the Subaru engines? 60 RPM Feb / Mar 2012
HR: We have been pushing the VW Golf and Audi water-cooled powerplants as of late, but the electronics in those are pretty complicated, and they don’t seem to get anyone very excited. I thought that using these engines was going to be a winner simply because I could buy crate motors directly from Audi and Volkswagen. The Subaru thing popped up when a client I had been corresponding with for a number of years finally decided he wanted to build a car. However, he requested that we use a Subaru engine. Interestingly enough, as soon as word trickled out that his project was in the works I received a second request for a Subaru-powered car. RPM: That is an interesting coincidence. HR: Well, it showed me that this could be a very interesting product for my clients. The only real limitation from my end is that by choosing a Subaru you can only deal with rebuilt engines. On the other hand, the engines are really solid. I haven’t driven one yet, but on paper, they deliver great horsepower and plenty of torque, and there are lots of performance upgrades out there for them. RPM: How well do they fit in your cars? HR: The general layout of the Subaru engine is perfect for our application. I am so used to sticking in-line four-cylinder or opposed four-cylinder engines into our cars, but these Subaru units slip right in. I think it will be a winner. RPM: What will you be using for a transmission?
ments) had proposed for the site after Intermeccanica. The building would be named the Meccanica Building and he wanted to know what I thought about the idea. Of course I thought it was an awesome idea, as it would be a nice tribute to both the family and the company. The building will retain a somewhat industrial flair, so I have been working with the people at Cressey Developments for about a year providing their design and marketing people with information about Intermeccanica’s history, design sketches and artwork. RPM: This sounds like a great idea to preserve the memory of the company, but what does it mean for the continuation of the business? HR: The first one will use a Porsche 915 five-speed. The second one will use a VW IRS four-speed. There is a company in Australia building a reverse running ring and pinion so you can take a front-engine, front-wheel drive Subaru package and stick it in the back and use that transaxle. If this whole program has legs, that is absolutely, without a doubt, the way to go.
HR: Well, if all goes well, the Meccanica would be designed to incorporate our shop as part of the building. We would essentially be housed at street-level and become a prominent display for passing pedestrians and traffic on Quebec Street. RPM: That is really innovative. It would give your company great exposure.
It will take a bit of engineering to make it all work. I don’t yet know the length of the transmission, plus we will need to modify the gearbox HR: It really would, but there are still some hurdles we need to overfrom four-wheel drive to two-wheel drive operation, but apparently that come. The people at Cressey Developments have been great landlords and keep me up-to-date on what is going on. is not much of a challenge. RPM: It sounds like you have already embraced this new RPM: What are the hurdles? project and are raring to go. HR: About two months ago, we became a little more involved as the HR: Well, there are some things yet to be determined, but ideally, if developer wanted to find out if it would be possible to use a couple of one could run a Subaru engine and transmission, that would be the our cars as car share cars. For every large development happening in cat’s meow. Parts are readily available and for those customers who the City of Vancouver, the developer is obliged to provide a car share prefer an automatic transmission, we would now have a five-speed vehicle (or vehicles - based on the number of units) that they provide automatic available. The final program is still a little ways down the for the use of the tenants. This seemed like a good idea until there was a change in the rules. You now have to purchase the cars from one of road, but we are excited about it. the existing car share programs that operate in the City of Vancouver. RPM: I understand that there may be some other big This poses a potential problem as the cars end up being used by a larger pool of people. As we build low-volume, custom-built cars, I am changes in coming months. a little bit leery of what problems may arise if we had to do that. HR: Yes, we have been faced with the possibility of having to move our operations elsewhere as our lease for this space is up and there The other hurdle is with the city planning department. The problem is our business model doesn’t currently fit the official development plan is a new development scheduled for this lot. for the neighbourhood. The developer is working hard to try to get the RPM: When we last spoke this past summer you were zoning changed to light-industrial to permit the shop to be incorporated looking at some new locations to set-up shop, and I know in a residential tower. your goal was to try to stay in Vancouver in an effort to preserve the continuity of your many relationships with RPM: Hopefully this project gets approval, as it would be a shame to see Intermeccanica leave Vancouver. suppliers, employers and customers. HR: This is true. A little over a year ago, Scott Cressey, who has been HR: Well, we should know within the next six months or so, but you my landlord for about the last five years, asked me out for coffee to are right, it would be a shame to have to leave Vancouver as this has discuss an idea he had to theme a building his firm (Cressey Develop- been Intermeccanica’s home for the last 30 years.
WE`VE GOT TRACTION
griptire.ca RPM Feb / Mar 2012 61
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Parting Shots is where we share those photos that defy classification. If you’ve seen something fourwheeled (or otherwise) that you would like to share, please send it to partingshots@rpmcanada.ca
Highway cruising at its finest.
That door may not keep the rain out as good as the stock one.
His employees sit at much lower end desks.
Why spend the effort to move the tree when you can go right through it?
62 RPM Feb / Mar 2012
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