Ignition - 28.01

CANADA’S MAGAZINE FOR AUTOMOBILE ENTHUSIASTS

2016 HONDA CIVIC

AJAC CAR OF THE YEAR

OMGAMG M

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SUPER C 63 S COUPE UNLEASHES SERIOUS SPEED & STYLE

FUTURE CONCEPTS & TECH ON DISPLAY IN DETROIT

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THE CONSUMER ELECTRONICS SHOW

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PHOTOGRAPH BY ??????

TITLE HERE

Words..... The Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT is a machine that looks magnificent from any angle, but there’s something especially dramatic about it when its doors are open; it becomes even more supercar-ish than its prodigious power and $200,000-plus price tag alone can convey. For a moment, you almost think it might just take off. Almost.

CAMERA: Canon EOS REBEL T1i LENS: Tamron 18-200 mm Aspehrical LD XR DiII EXPOSURE: 15 sec. at f/10 FOCAL LENGTH: 47 mm ISO: 100

PHOTOGRAPH BY BILL MURENBEELD

HONDA POWER FTW!

History was made in Daytona Beach, Florida, when the No. 2 Tequila Patrón ESM Honda HPD Ligier JS Prototype, driven by Brazilian Pipo Derani and Americans Johannes van Overbeek, Scott Sharp and Ed Brown, crossed the finish line for the overall win after logging 736 laps in the 54th Rolex 24 at Daytona, the opening race of the 2016 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. This marks the very first overall victory for a Honda-powered car, as well as the first for the French-built Ligier prototype.

CAMERA: Nikon D700 EXPOSURE: 1/125 sec. at f/11 FOCAL LENGTH: 80 mm ISO: 200

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2016-02-17 4:29 PM

R E V E A L YO U R

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02/02/2016 16:40 2016-02-02 1:11 PM

TA B L E 0 F SPRING 2016

CONTENTS

10

42

52

20

46

62 WILL THIS CAR GO

550 MPH? Waiting is the hardest part

FIRST GEAR 10 14

16

FEATURED EVENT Top Concepts from

TEST DRIVES 30

QUICK DRIVES

the North American International Auto Show

2016 Lamborghini Huracán LP580-2

AUTOMOTIVE NEWS Honda & Mazda win big

2016 Aston Martin DB9 GT

in AJAC awards, Dart and 200 to die along with

2016 Porsche Boxster Spyder

Scion, Ontario raises EV incentives and more

2016 Kia Optima + 5IVE more!

MOTORSPORT NEWS Nissan Micra Cup expanding, Yokohama joins Porsche GT3 Cup Canada, Pinty’s new title for NASCAR in Canada, Subaru Canada to support Targa

36 38 40

Newfoundland, IndyCar adds safety

19 20

HEAD-TO-HEAD Camaro 5 vs. Camaro 6

24 26

ESSENTIALS Hot New Products

2016 WHEEL GUIDE The latest styles for your car CES Top Technologies from Consumer Electronics Show

2016 HONDA CIVIC By Lee Bailie 2016 CADILLAC CT6 By Mark Hacking 2017 MERCEDES-AMG C 63 S COUPE

GRASSROOTS 48

NASCAR PINTY’S 2016 Season Primer

50

ARMS Motorsports on the East Coast Plentiful

By Jamie Maudsley

By Dave Hull

52 54

30

2017 AUDI A4 By Shaun Keenan 2016 CHEVROLET MALIBU By Lee Bailie 2016 NISSAN TITAN XD By Lee Bailie

WCMA Go Racing with the WCMA.ca

By Doug Campbell

55

CACC No Shortage of Action

By Paul Bonner

By Shaun Keenan

42 44 46

CASC-OR Mobil 1 Ontario Time Attack

By Gerry Carvalho

COLUMNS 56

PACE NOTES Don’t Build Your First Race Car

By Jen Horsey

59

REINCARNATION: Speculating on cars

By David Grainger

60

MAKSE POWER: Singer Teams with Pfaff to Celebrate Porsche 911

By Brian Makse

62

CARBINLINER: 550 MPH or Bust!

By Jim Leggett

66

INSIDE GROOVE: Ford Flounders at the Rolex 24

By Mark Hacking

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2016-02-26 10:43 AM

PROLOGUE

WITH

Shaun Keenan

IN LIKE A LION, OUT LIKE A LAMB

T

hanks for picking up our 28th spring issue… Um, it is spring time, right? I mean, it seems like winter – if you can call it that – arrived just last week in our hood, so I’m not really sure. Not that we would have even noticed as 2015 was the busiest year ever for the Performance Publications Media Group, and we barely had time to come up for air in between four quarterly issues, regular online updates and three special magazine editions, including our latest one: a massive 2016-17 New Vehicle Buyer's Guide, presented by Ignition Luxury & Performance.

We start fresh this issue with a look at some of the coolest future vehicles and automotive technologies the industry has seen in years. From Detroit to Las Vegas, our editors have worked tirelessly to get the scoop on all kinds of interesting concepts that will become reality at some point in the future – perhaps five, 10, or even 20 years down the road – or maybe never. The reality is that many concepts never make it in to production.

And that’s okay because each does serve some purpose, and is a stepping stone toward something bigger.

We also run down the latest headlines that are important to Canadians, and because so many of you, dear readers, are heavy into performance cars and enjoy “taking it to the track,” we compare the all-new, gen six Chevrolet Camaro SS to its predecessor in our regular Head-to-Head feature. We found that both platforms are great, but this latest one is a major step forward for the ’Maro.

On the road test front, we’ve lined up a smart selection of the latest and greatest luxury and performance machines – cue the Audi A4 compact luxury car, Cadillac CT6 executive sedan and Mercedes-AMG C 63 S Coupe – as well as some more utilitarian and mainstream choices like the Nissan Titan, Chevy Malibu and Honda Civic. The latter, of course, is this year’s AJAC Canadian Car of the Year, and it is truly deserving. In addition to our full reviews on these important vehicles, we managed to get our mitts on some really cool metal for some quick drives, starting with the Lamborghini Huracán on page 30.

Our regional grassroots motorsports partners from across the country chime in with all the latest news and updates from coast-to-coast. Want to get involved and race against the clock or wheel-to-wheel with like-minded enthusiasts in your area? This is required reading.

Our regular contributors share their insights and passions, too. Jen Horsey, for example, writes about why you should consider buying a built race car rather than building one yourself in her Pace Notes column. Likewise, our newest expert, David Grainger from television’s Restoration Garage, writes on a topic near and dear to his heart – auctions and cars as investments – and has some great tips for those who want to have their cake and eat it too.

Speaking of cake, Brian Makse writes about his favourite dish – ’90s era

Porsche 911s that have been restored

by Singer Vehicle Designs. These amazing restorations are so clean and so perfect that you could eat your cake right off the engine. Seriously.

Lastly, my longtime friend and mentor Mark Hacking brings us across the line with a recap of the Ford GT’s return to racing at the Rolex 24 at Daytona. It wasn’t the result they were hoping for, but it was the start of a new era.

Speaking of eras, it is the end of one for me, and this will be the last edition of Ignition Luxury & Performance with me at the helm. I am leaving the industry. Well, sort of. I’m actually just going to the other side (some call it the dark side) and, instead of getting to drive the latest new and future cars on press launches around the world, I will be on the side that puts together these amazing experiences to help my media colleagues generate stories, formulate opinions and inform the public on what’s new and coming down the pipe.

It is with mixed emotions that I say goodbye to my coworkers, and I have nothing but respect and gratitude for the Performance Publications Media Group and the many professionals I’ve had the pleasure to work with and alongside the past 14 years. From all of us at Ignition Luxury & Performance, I hope you enjoy this issue and many more to come.

It isn’t farewell forever, but rather ciao for now. See you on the other side.

Shaun Keenan

GROUP PUBLISHER & CEO: Tim Rutledge PUBLISHERS: Perry & Blake Breslin

EDITORIAL GROUP MANAGING EDITOR: Shaun Keenan EDITORIAL DIRECTOR: Michael Bettencourt ASSOCIATE EDITOR: Micky Slinger EDITOR-AT-LARGE: George Webster ART & PRODUCTION CREATIVE DIRECTOR: Queue Gonzalez PRODUCTION / SENIOR ART DIRECTOR: Patrick Dinglasan SENIOR ART DIRECTOR: Edward Shintani SENIOR ART DIRECTOR: Patrick Beltijar GRAPHIC DESIGNER: Mike Chan SALES & MARKETING SR. VP BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT: Frank Spezzano DIRECTOR OF SALES & BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT: Jean Boutzis NATIONAL SALES DIRECTOR: Frank Maguire AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT MANAGER: Randi Bentia SENIOR SALES ASSOCIATE: Ken Rule ADMINISTRATION DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS: Craig Sweetman DIRECTOR, CLIENT SERVICES: Richard Robles CLIENT SERVICES: Anna Brown ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT: Nicole Winters SUBSCRIPTION DEPARTMENT: 1-888-564-SUBS subs@ignitionmag.ca SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHERS: Gerry Marentette, Bill Murenbeeld CONTRIBUTORS: Lee Bailie, Shawn Bishop, Paul Bonner, Nick Busato, Doug Campbell, Gerry Carvalho, David Grainger, Mark Hacking, Tom Hayston, Jen Horsey, Dave Hull, Jim Leggett, Lizzy Leggett, Brian Makse, Jamie Maudsley, Harold Merklinger, Will Parsons, Ralph Sauinier (ISSN # 0834 - 809X) 8 issues per year by 1009678 Ontario Inc., 100A-219 Dufferin Street, Toronto, ON, M6K 3J1 CANADIAN POSTMASTER: Send address corrections to: Ignition Luxury & Performance 100A-219 Dufferin Street, Toronto, ON, M6K 3J1 SUBSCRIPTION RATES: 1 Year (8 issues) - $29.99 2 Years (16 issues) - $39.99 3 Years (24 issues) - $47.99 IGNITION LUXURY & PERFORMANCE 100A-219 Dufferin Steet, Toronto, ON, M6K 3J1 PRINTED IN CANADA Publications Mail Registration #8580 Canadian Publications Mail Products Sales Agreement #40069655 FOR ADVERTISING INQUIRIES EMAIL sales@ignitionmag.ca Toll Free: 1-800-667-7223 Phone: (416) 922-7526 Email: editor@ignitionmag.ca Fax: (416) 964-1836 Website: www.ignitionmag.ca

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2016-02-26 10:27 AM

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2/16/2016 10:50:31 AM

1ST GEAR AUTO SHOW

8 THE GREAT

Audi h-tron Quattro

FUTURE CONCEPTS LOW IN NUMBERS, BIG ON COOL IN DETROIT

As Audi continues to look down the road toward future mobility, it took the wraps off yet another SUV concept powered by an alternate energy source. This time it’s the h-tron Quattro concept, a futuristic-looking hydrogen fuel cell vehicle that’s closely related to the pure-electric e-tron quattro concept SUV the company revealed last fall at the Frankfurt Motorshow.

Power output is pegged at a modest 147 horsepower (110 kW), but an on-board battery can provide a temporary 134 horsepower (100 kW) boost. Refuelling takes about four minutes, and it has a range of up to 600 km.

STORY & PHOTOGRAPHY

BY LEE BAILIE The focus of the auto show in Detroit may have been production vehicles (2017s especially), but while the quantity of forward-looking concept vehicles may have been down compared to year’s past, the quality of them this year is extremely high.

While we’re always excited to see the many interesting concepts that pop up at big international auto shows like Geneva, New York and Shanghai, here are the best of the best from the Motor City. The Great 8, if you will.

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Acura Precision Concept I was a bit surprised to see Acura reveal a futuristic concept while it’s still trying to give birth to the production car (NSX) four years after we first saw the last one, but here we are.

The Precision Concept isn’t linked to any future production car per se (at least not yet), but was instead created by the brand’s California design studio in order to shed some light on the future of Acura design.

“The Acura Precision Concept is the leading edge of a renewed commitment to delivering Precision Crafted Performance in every facet of the product experience and creating a powerful and very exciting direction for the next generation of Acura models,” says Dave Marek, Acura’s global creative director.

This sounds great, but patience is probably a good idea when it comes to the possibility of a production model based on this concept.

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Buick Avista Another entry in the ‘I hope they build it, but they probably won’t’ category, Buick showed off the Avista, a sleek two-door, rear-wheel drive coupe powered by a twin-turbocharged V6 delivering 400 horsepower.

With design language that’s related to last year’s Avenir concept, which became the 2017 LaCrosse, the Avista’s design is notable for its flowing lines and lack of B pillars between the side and rear windows that help give it a fluid, in-motion appearance.

Inside, the Avista has 3D-printed door and seat trim, touchscreen controls on the centre console and a widescreen instrument panel display.

The Avista is definitely a bit out there, especially for Buick, but if this is a sign of things to come, let’s have more of it.

Kia Telluride A full-size SUV that would (presumably) slot above the Sorento, the Kia Telluride is a boxier, more upright three-row, seven-seater that’s loaded with future tech.

NISSAN TITAN WARRIOR

For example, all four seats (not including the folding third row) have diamond-cut openings embedded with sensors that monitor passenger vital signs, which are displayed on interior door panels.

The vitals are then synchronized with a Light Emitted Rejuvenation (LER) system that uses a massive LED panel beneath the sunroof than can emit therapeutic light to help treat passenger jetlag and improve their energy levels.

In terms of power, the Telluride uses a finger-print activated start button to fire up its hybrid powertrain, a 3.5L V6 mated to an electric motor that drives all four wheels.

Combined output is pegged at 400 horsepower (270 from the V6).

Kia has pegged highway mileage at 7.8 L/100 km (30 mpg).

Hot on the heels of the Titan XD rollout across North America, Nissan showed off another full-size truck, this time it’s the Titan Warrior, a concept based on the Titan XD that’s built for off-roading.

Conceived and built by Nissan Design America, the Titan Warrior not only picks up where the Titan XD leaves off, but it’s also an homage of sorts to Nissan’s ‘Hardbody’ race trucks that competed in the Baja 1000 and the Dakar Rally.

Powered by the same 5.0L Cummins turbo diesel V8 with a six-speed Aisin automatic transmission, the Titan Warrior sits three inches higher than the Titan XD and rides on 37-inch off-road tires mounted on custom 18x9.5inch aluminum wheels.

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2016-02-19 3:30 PM

1ST GEAR AUTO SHOW

8 THE GREAT

Scion CH-R

Nissan IDS Concept

Although Scion will be no more after the 2016 model year ends in August, Toyota has confirmed several Scions will carry on as Toyotas, including the CH-R crossover concept that was first revealed at the Los Angeles Auto Show last fall.

The CH-R, which stands for Compact High Ride height uses a five-door hatch layout that is designed for maximum functionality.

Toyota execs hope it will appeal to ‘yuccies’ (their word, not mine) – young urban creative types who want a vehicle that taps into their sense of style and practicality.

Technical specs aren’t yet available, but the production version of the CH-R is slated to arrive in 2017 and will be built on Toyota’s New Global Architecture, which is being used to develop new platforms and powertrains.

Making its North American debut in Detroit, the Nissan IDS represents the company’s take on the future of both zero-emission vehicles and self-driving cars.

Nissan doesn’t intend for the IDS to serve merely as an automatic driving appliance, however.

In Piloted Drive, the car will drive itself but will do so in a manner that imitates the driving style of the owner, from acceleration to braking to cornering. In Manual Drive, control reverts back to the driver, but IDS sensors monitor the route and will take evasive action if there’s an immediate threat.

The IDS is also features the latest and greatest in connected car tech, including large information panels that show everything from navigation information to weather reports, real-time update from your social media feeds and your daily calendar.

VOLKSWAGEN TIGUAN GTE ACTIVE CONCEPT One of the concepts from Detroit that looks most production-ready is the Volkswagen Tiguan GTE Active Concept, and for good reason, as it has already been confirmed for production. It will begin arriving in North American showrooms next year.

Power for the GTE Active Concept comes from a turbocharged, direct-injection TSI gas engine mated to a six-speed DSG automatic that produces 148 horsepower and 184 lb-ft of torque. Two electric motors

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working in conjunction with the engine put out 54 horsepower at the wheels in front and 114 in the rear. Total system output is rated at 221 horsepower that’s sent through all four wheels via 4MOTION. The GTE Active Concept is just the first of what Volkswagen is promising will become an ‘SUV product offensive’ that will see the German marque offer a wider range of utility vehicles worldwide, but in North America in particular.

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2016-02-19 3:30 PM

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2015-10-27 11:10 AM

1ST GEAR

AUTOMOTIVE NEWS

Dodge Dart and Chrysler 200 to make way for trucks, Marchionne confirms The Civic-fighting Dodge Dart and the recently redesigned Chrysler 200 sedan will be phased out of their respective lineups in the next 18 months, so that FCA can build more popular – and profitable – Jeep and Ram models, said Sergio Marchionne recently.

Speaking to investors and analysts on a conference call, Marchionne said lower gas prices have fueled a fundamental shift in North America away from cars, and more towards crossovers, SUVs and pickups.

The news is so dramatic because FCA has invested heavily in both those cars, with US$1.6 billion invested in the two cars and plants that build them, as reported by The Detroit Free Press. Both

were amongst the fresher products in the corporation’s lineup, with the Dart introduced in 2012 and the 200 mid-size sedan in 2014, especially in contrast to products like the Dodge Grand Caravan and FCA’s full-size sedans and coupes.

Marchionne did reportedly leave open the possibility that the cars could be re-introduced to market after their withdrawal, if it found an outside partner to build them. This has left some analysts concerned that FCA will be over-exposed to the truck and SUV market, potentially hurting the company if gas prices rise dramatically and consumers move back to more fuelefficient cars, as happened when fuel prices last spiked in 2008.

HONDA CIVIC AND MAZDA CX-3 SCORE TOP 2016 AJAC AWARDS The Honda Civic was named the 2016 AJAC Canadian Car of the Year at the 2016 Canadian International Auto Show in Toronto, while the Mazda CX-3 was crowned the AJAC 2016 Canadian Truck/ Utility of the Year.

The Honda Civic had previously triumphed as AJAC’s 2016 Best New Small Car, while the Mazda CX-3 had won in its Best New SUV/ CUV Under $35,000 category.

Honda’s popular four-door compact sedan, the best-selling non-truck in Canada for 18 years and counting, beat out other AJAC car segment winners such as the Volkswagen Golf R and Golf Sportwagon, plus a pricier pair of Mercedes-AMG performance machines, in the GT S two-seater and the C 63 S sport sedan.

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The Mazda CX-3 won over the Volvo XC90 and Kia Sorento SUVs, as well as the Chevrolet Silverado pickup.

It’s important to remember that for logistical reasons, not every compact crossover or sedan is tested each year at TestFest, but only those that are all-new or largely new for that year.

Also new this year, a number of manufacturers didn’t participate that usually do, including Nissan, Infiniti, Jaguar and Land Rover, as well as usual non-participants Audi and Tesla.

However, AJAC does collect and publish detailed data from each year’s competitions on its website ajac.ca, making its results a valuable information resource for consumers, year after year.

Scion iM and FR-S model names to remain after Toyota’s youth brand dies by mid-summer Add Scion to the automotive graveyard that houses fondly and sometimes not-so-fondly remembered automotive brands such as Fisker, SRT, Pontiac, Saab and Hummer, amongst the most recent automotive casualties.

Toyota Canada officially confirmed that the Scion brand will wind down in August 2016, but that recently introduced Scion products such as the iM fivedoor hatchback and rear-wheel drive FR-S sport coupe will remain in Toyota’s lineup. The company already offers a Toyota Yaris sedan in Canada, which is marketed as a Scion iA in the U.S., which will become a Toyota iA for the 2017 model year once the Scion brand ceases to be south of the border.

Scion sales in small-car-friendly Canada were proportionately much higher than in the U.S., and on the upswing in 2015, in contrast to those in the U.S. Canadians bought 24,781 Scions in 2015, compared to 56,167 Scions sold in all the U.S., a vehicle market over 10 times larger than Canada’s.

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2016-02-17 4:31 PM

Ontario hikes max EV rebate to $14,000, while decreasing rebates for $75,000+ plug-in vehicles The Ontario government has increased the maximum government incentive available to plug-in buyers in the province to $14,000, a major increase from its previous $8,500 maximum, which was already the highest provincial rebate offered in Canada.

But it also caps the rebate down to $3,000 for plug-ins that cost between $75,000 and $150,000, which essentially cuts the rebate by almost a third on all current Tesla models.

The updated Electric Vehicle Incentive Program increases the variable rebate from a $5,000-$8,500 range to a $6,000-$10,000 range, depending on the size of the battery.

There is also now an additional $1,000 for plug-ins with five or more seats, and another $3,000 available for vehicles with larger battery capacities and therefore more allelectric range.

This is on top of the $1,000 also available to consumers for the purchase and installation of a 220-volt charging station, plus the Ontario government committed in December to fast track $20 million in provincial funds to help establish a network of quick charge electric vehicle stations that will help EV buyers travel longer distances.

Ontario Transportation minister Steven Del Duca reportedly stated at the announcement that not only will drivers with the province’s green license plates be allowed to drive alone in the carpool lanes, but they will also be able to drive for free in the upcoming “high occupancy toll” (HOT) lanes the province is planning to introduce.

Jeep Wrangler sets new Canadian Black Book mark, but Toyota still dominates CBB winners The Jeep Wrangler set a new Canadian Black Book record when the auto resale value company recently revealed that the ever-green SUV retained a staggering 79 per cent of its value after four years, not only winning CBB’s ‘Best Retained Value’ award amongst compact SUVs, but also marking the lowest depreciation ever in the history of CBB’s awards.

Toyota once again had the highest proportion of CBB winners, taking six of the 20 awards, its ninth consecutive year with the most CBB award winners.

From a category perspective, mid-size SUVs retained the most value, at an average of 71 per cent, according to CBB, with the Toyota FJ Cruiser, 4Runner and Highlander placing first, second and third, respectively. U.S. dealers facing tight supplies at home as well as the low Canadian dollar have started buying in greater numbers at Canadian dealer auctions, pushing prices higher for trucks and SUVs in particular, CBB found.

CANADA-ONLY MERCEDES-BENZ C-CLASS DIESEL WAGON COMING A wagon version of the Mercedes-Benz C-Class will arrive in Canada this summer, the company confirmed at the Montreal auto show, but only with a diesel engine – and it won’t be available in the U.S. The C 300d 4MATIC wagon will offer one engine: a fourcylinder 2.1-litre engine similar to the one in the GLC crossover, making 200 horsepower and 369 lb-ft of torque. It will also come standard with Benz’s all-wheel drive system, seven-speed automatic and slightly less cargo room than its larger and higher-riding GLC sibling (formerly GLK).

Prices for the C-Class wagon haven’t yet been announced, but it’s expected to be on sale by mid-year.

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1ST GEAR MOTORSPORT NEWS

Nissan Micra Cup Calendar and Rule Changes Revealed

Launched exclusively in Québec last year, the Nissan Micra Cup will expand to Ontario in 2016 with one race weekend at Calabogie Motorsports Park near Ottawa, and two race weekends at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. The 2016 race calendar is as follows:

MICRA CUP RACE

dates

location

EVENT

Races 1 & 2

May 14-15

Calabogie Motorsports Park

May Race Fest

Races 3 & 4

May 27-29

Circuit Mont-Tremblant

Spring Classic

Races 5 & 6

June

TBA

TBA

Races 7 & 8

July 7-10

Canadian Tire Motorsport Park

Mobil 1 SportsCar Grand Prix

Races 9 & 10

July 22-24

Circuit Mont-Tremblant

Summer Classic

Races 11 & 12

Aug. 12-14

Circuit Trois-Rivières

Grand Prix de Trois-Rivières

Races 13 & 14

Sept. 2-4

Canadian Tire Motorsport Park

Chevrolet Silverado 250

Races 15 & 16

Sept. 23-25

Circuit Mont-Tremblant

Fall Classic

Canada’s most affordable race series will launch its second season with minor modifications to the rules based on a survey completed by the drivers and their teams.

Out of 16 races, the best results will be taken from 12 to tabulate overall standings. The qualifying session for one weekend is now split into two halves, one for each race. The Nissan Micra Cup race cars will no longer require spec fuel, and wheel camber setting will now be free. The driver return rate for 2016 is over 90 per cent.

SUBARU CANADA ANNOUNCES TARGA NEWFOUNDLAND SUPPORT PROGRAM

The International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) and Yokohama Tire Corporation have expanded their partnership to include Yokohama serving as the official tire provider and presenting sponsor of the Ultra 94 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada by Yokohama, starting with the 2016 season.

Competitors in the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge series in the U.S. and Canada will compete on Yokohama tires, as Yokohama has served as the marketing and technical partner for the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA

by Yokohama since 2009. Both IMSA-sanctioned single-make series are among Porsche’s 20 Cup Challenge championships in the world.

“Yokohama’s strong support has been a driving factor in the continued growth of the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA by Yokohama,” said Randy Hembrey, IMSA senior series manager, Development & Single-Make Series.

“With the USA and Canadian series now running on Yokohama tires, there are greater opportunities for teams and drivers to compete in both championships.”

Yokohama will also be announcing series contingency awards, including the Yokohama Hard Charger Award, at a later date.

The Ultra 94 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada by Yokohama will enter its sixth season in 2016, with intense, exciting competition for semiprofessional and aspiring professional drivers in the world’s most produced race car, the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup.

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PHOTO: RALPH SAUINIER

IMSA, Yokohama Extend Partnership into Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada

A long-time participant and supporter of the Targa Newfoundland international rally ever since its inception in 2002, Subaru Canada has recently announced the return of a broad ranging incentive and support program for Subaru competitors, their immediate families, and for Targa event staff.

In recognition of the fact that Subarus have competed in every Targa Newfoundland, the program sets out various incentives and awards for Subaru participants. Participants and/or any immediate family member (mother, father, spouse, son or daughter) who purchase or lease a new Subaru from January 1 – December 31, 2016 will be eligible for a C$750 rebate. This rebate is also being made available to the Targa event staff.

Participants who use any model of Subaru to compete in any of the four main categories within Targa Newfoundland (Open, Modern, Classic and Grand Touring) will receive a C$500 Entrant Award, which goes towards their entry fee.

Performance awards are also included in the program, and would apply toward Subaru entrants in any of the four aforementioned competition categories. A Subaru that achieves first place in any of the categories will receive a cash award of C$2,000, second place C$1,500 and third place C$1,000.

Targa Newfoundland is one of three internationally recognized Targa motorsports events in the world. The 2016 competition will run from September 12-17. The annual rally will cover more than 1,600 kilometres of the challenging, twisty roads of the central and eastern portions of Newfoundland, including over 440 kilometres of closed-road, flat-out Targa stages.

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NASCAR and Pinty’s Reach Six-Year Agreement, Schedule Announced NASCAR and Pinty’s Delicious Foods Inc. have agreed to a six-year series entitlement sponsorship agreement of NASCAR’s Canadian-based stock car racing series. Beginning Jan. 1, 2016, the series will be known as the NASCAR Pinty’s Series.

In addition, NASCAR announced a three-year deal for the NASCAR Pinty’s Series to run as part of the Honda Indy Toronto weekend. The series will headline racing activity at Exhibition Place on Saturday, July 16 as part of the event’s 30th weekend.

The Series last raced Toronto in 2010 and 2011. The series receives full-season broadcast coverage on TSN, as well as its French-language sister network, RDS. Featuring 12 stops across the country, the 2016 NASCAR Pinty’s Series season will open for the fourth consecutive year during the traditional Victoria Day Speedfest weekend at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in Bowmanville, Ontario, and will return there in September to join the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.

Date

Track

Location

May 22

Canadian Tire Motorsport Park

Bowmanville, ON

June 11

Autodrome Chaudière

Valle-Jonction, QC

June 18

Sunset Speedway

Innisfil, ON

July 3

Circuit ICAR

Mirabel, QC

July 16

Exhibition Place

Toronto, ON

July 23

Edmonton International Raceway

Wetaskiwin, AB

July 27

Auto Clearing Motor Speedway

Saskatoon, SK Trois-Rivières, QC

Aug. 14

Circuit de Trois-Rivières

Aug. 20

Riverside International Speedway

Antigonish, NS

Sept. 4

Canadian Tire Motorsport Park

Bowmanville, ON

Sept. 10

Autodrome St-Eustache

St-Eustache, QC

Sept. 17

Kawartha Speedway

Fraserville, ON

ADDITIONAL CAR TETHERS AMONG SAFETY ENHANCEMENTS FOR 2016 VERIZON INDYCAR SERIES Tethering aerodynamic components of the Dallara IR-12 chassis is among safety enhancements that will be implemented for the 2016 Verizon IndyCar Series season. The high-tensile Zylon tethers minimize the possibility of components becoming detached from the race cars during accidents such as the one that claimed Justin Wilson’s life at Pocono Raceway last year. The rear beam wing and rear wheel guards will be tethered for all Verizon IndyCar Series events and the car’s nose will be tethered on superspeedway ovals (1.5 miles or longer). Dallara also has designed a tethering system for the front wing main plane for the three superspeedways on the 2016 schedule Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Texas Motor Speedway and Pocono Raceway.

“It is a continual goal to improve safety for all the participants, fans and drivers alike,” said Will Phillips, IndyCar Vice President of Technology. “We also need to do this in a fashion that does not create more yellow-flag racing and try to prevent as much debris as possible. We have great support from our partners to improve safety and wish to thank Chevrolet, Honda and Dallara for their participation and efforts in working together to implement change.”

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BRAELIN.CA

YO UR CA R M ERITS CUSTO M A L LOY S

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2016-02-18 10:07 AM

1ST GEAR HEAD TO HEAD

HEAD TO HEAD

6IX IS BETTER THAN 5IVE Changing of the guard

BY SHAUN KEENAN PHOTOGRAPHY BY CHEVROLET

N

early 50 years have passed since Chevrolet launched the first-gen Camaro (1967MY) in September ’66. Three different platforms and six generations later, the original mission – to compete squarely against the venerable Ford Mustang – has not changed.

But while the Mustang’s Canadian sales were up by nearly 24 per cent in 2015 (6,933 total units) compared to 2014, the Camaro had slipped by some seven per cent over the same period (with 2,668 units sold). The fact that Ford’s current, sixth-gen ’Stang is newer – already into its second year of sales – is a big reason for that, but don’t expect the Chevy to roll over.

In fact, GM is optimistic it will see a big surge in Camaro sales following the release of the all-new, gen-six that was unveiled to a large gathering of enthusiasts in Detroit ahead of last summer’s Belle Isle Grand Prix.

This new version is a real tour de force, too. Only two parts carry over from the fifth gen (Zeta) to the sixth generation (Alpha) Camaro – the Chevy bowtie on the taillamp panel and the SS badge.

Moreover, according to Mark Reuss, GM Executive Vice President, Global Product Development, “…more than 70 per cent of the components are unique to the gen-six Camaro, including exterior and interior dimensions, an all-new interior, front and rear suspension, and powertrain components.”

Less weight and more power is the combination for performance success, and engineers of the 2016 models have been able to save up to 177 kg. Chevrolet’s own testing shows the all-new, 455hp Camaro SS coupe – the most powerful Camaro SS ever – sprints from 0-97 km/h in four seconds and covers the quartermile in 12.3 seconds, when equipped with the all-new eight-speed paddle-shift automatic transmission. The SS features Eagle F1 Asymmetric 3 run-flat summeronly tires, enabling 0.97 g in cornering and 97-0 braking in 35.6 metres.

The other new Camaro coupe models are commensurately quick,

CHEVROLET CAMARO 2SS FIFTH GENERATION (2010–2015)

with the 275-hp 2.0L Turbo delivering 5.4-second 0-97 km/h performance and a 14-second quarter-mile with the six-speed manual. With the available 335-hp 3.6L V6 and eight-speed automatic, the Camaro zips to 97 km/h in 5.1 seconds and down the quarter-mile in only 13.5 seconds.

“The performance of the Camaro 2.0L Turbo will challenge many of the iconic muscle cars from the 1960s, while the Camaro SS’s performance makes it one of the most capable 2+2 coupes on the market,” says Al Oppenheiser, Camaro Chief Engineer. “The performance numbers only tell half of the story, because the lighter curb weight also makes the new Camaro feel more responsive and agile behind the wheel. It brakes more powerfully, dives into corners quicker, accelerates faster and is more fun to drive than ever.”

Much of the Camaro’s performance can be attributed to the development team’s focus on reducing vehicle mass and improving structural stiffness. They

invested 9 million hours of computational time looking for opportunities to make the chassis lighter and stiffer.

That computer-aided engineering led to a modular architecture strategy that tailored the chassis to each model.

“Every Camaro model offers exceptional chassis strength and rigidity, but the modular design made the architecture more adaptable and massefficient, because we didn’t have to compensate for the unique demands of, say, the SS convertible when building a 2.0L Turbo coupe,” says Oppenheiser.

“The result was an elegant engineering solution: 12 chassis components that could be combined to meet the structural requirements of each specific model, without adding unnecessary mass to other models.”

Consequently, the base curb weight for the 2016 Camaro is 167 kg lighter than the previous model. The 1SS model is 102 kg lighter, while offering 29 more horsepower, for a 14 per cent improvement in its power-to-weight ratio.

2.0L I4 Turbo

3.6L V6

6.2L V8

2016 CAMARO

• 275 hp / 295 lb-ft • 1,515 kg (auto) • 5.51 kg/hp

2015 CAMARO

• N/A

CHANGE

• 176 kg lighter than 2015 V6

• • • • • • • •

• • • • • • • •

335 hp / 284 lb-ft 1,558 kg (auto) 4.65 kg/hp 323 hp / 278 lb-ft 1,691 kg (auto) 5.2 kg/hp 133 kg lighter 12% kg/hp improvement

455 hp / 455 lb-ft 1,671 kg (man.)

3.67 kg/hp 426 hp / 420 lb-ft 1,773 kg (man.)

4.16 kg/hp 102 kg lighter 14% kg/hp improvement

VS CHEVROLET CAMARO 2SS SIXTH GENERATION (2016–)

PRICE

PRICE

$44,655 Zeta 6.2L V8 SFI (LS3) 426 hp @ 6,800 rpm / 479 lb-ft @ 4,750 rpm 6-speed Tremec manual; 6-speed Hydra Matic 6L90 with TAPshift controls

$47,500 PLATFORM ENGINE HORSEPOWER / TORQUE TRANSMISSIONS

Alpha 6.2L V8 DI (LT1) 455 hp @ 6,000 rpm / 455 lb-ft @ 4,400 rpm 6-speed Tremec TR6060 manual with active rev matching; 8-speed Hydra Matic 8L90 automatic with paddle shifters

2,853 mm (112.3 in.)

WHEELBASE

4,841 mm (190.6 in.)

LENGTH

4,782 mm (188.3 in.)

1,918 mm (75.5 in.)

WIDTH

1,897 mm (74.7 in.)

HEIGHT

1,348 mm (53.1 in.)

CURB WEIGHT

1,671 kg (3,685 lbs.)

1,377 mm (54.2 in.)

1,773 kg (3,908.8 lbs.)

2,811mm (110.7 in.)

320 L (11.3 cu-ft) CARGO CAPACITY 258 L (9.1 cu-ft)

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WHEEL BUYER'S GUIDE

2CRAVE Mach ME.1

2cravemach.com CONSTRUCTION: Cast SIZES (IN.): TBA WIDTHS (IN.): TBA BOLT PATTERNS: Most 5-bolt applications FINISHES: Gloss black w/

2CRAVE Mach MT.7

ADV5.0 Track Function CS

ADVAN RGIII

adv1wheels.com CONSTRUCTION: 3-piece forged, step lip SIZES (IN.): 17 to 22 WIDTHS (IN.): Custom BOLT PATTERNS: Custom FINISHES: Custom

$528 to 784 | mackin-ind.com / yokohamawheel.jp CONSTRUCTION: Flow formed SIZE (IN.): 17 to 19 WIDTH (IN.): 7 to 10.5 BOLT PATTERN: 4x100, 5x100, 5x112, 5x114 FINISHES: Racing hyper

ADV.1 ADV05C Track Spec CS

ADVAN RSII

black, Racing gloss black, Racing gold metallic

AMERICAN RACING VF481

20

americanracing.com CONSTRUCTION: 2-piece forged SIZES (IN.): 17 to 20, 22, 24 WIDTHS (IN.): 7, 8, 8.5, 9, 10, 10.5, 11, 12, 15 BOLT PATTERNS: 5x4.5, 5x120, 5x4.75 FINISHES: Polished, Custom

CONSTRUCTION: Cast SIZES (IN.): TBA WIDTHS (IN.): TBA BOLT PATTERNS: Most 5-bolt applications FINISHES: Satin black w/

diamond cut face

titanium bronze face, Hyper silver w/ machined face

ADV.1

2cravemach.com

adv1wheels.com CONSTRUCTION: 3-piece forged, step lip SIZES (IN.): 17 to 22 WIDTHS (IN.): Custom BOLT PATTERNS: Custom FINISHES: Custom

$539 to $942 | mackin-ind.com / yokohamawheel.jp CONSTRUCTION: Flow formed SIZE (IN.): 17 to 20 WIDTH (IN.): 7 to 11 BOLT PATTERN: 4x98, 4x100, 5x100, 5x108, 5x110, 5x112, 5x114, 5x120 FINISHES: Sunlight silver, Black line diamond cut

w/ black clear

AMERICAN RACING VF482

americanracing.com CONSTRUCTION: 2-piece forged SIZES (IN.): 17 to 20, 22, 24 WIDTHS (IN.): 7, 8, 8.5, 9, 10, 10.5, 11, 12, 15 BOLT PATTERNS: 5x4.5, 5x120, 5x4.75 FINISHES: Polished, Custom

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AMERICAN RACING VN807

BRAELIN BR05

CEC C26

ENKEI PSR5

americanracing.com CONSTRUCTION: Cast SIZES (IN.): 17, 18, 20 WIDTHS (IN.): 8, 9, 10 BOLT PATTERNS: 5x4.5, 5x115, 5x120 FINISHES: Satin black

AVS F50

CONSTRUCTION: Cast SIZES (IN.): 19 WIDTHS (IN.): 8.5, 9.5 & 11 BOLT PATTERNS: 5x112 to 5x130 FINISHES: Black

From $475 USD | cecwheels.com CONSTRUCTION: Two-piece forged SIZES (IN.): 20 to 22 WIDTH (IN.): Custom BOLT PATTERNS: 5-bolt custom FINISHES: Custom

From $150 | enkei.com CONSTRUCTION: MAT Cast SIZES (IN.): 15 to 18 WIDTHS (IN.): 6.5, 7, 8 BOLT PATTERNS: 4x100, 5x100, 5x108, 5x112, 5x114.3, 5x120 FINISHES: Hyper black, Matte black

CONSTRUCTION: Mold-Form Forged SIZE (IN.): 20 WIDTH (IN.): 8.5 to 12 BOLT PATTERN: 5x114, 5x120 FINISHES: Platinum black combi, Gloss

black combi, Platinum red combi

machined, Chrome

$270 to $400 | braelin.ca

$1,190 to $1,376 | mackin-ind.com / yokohamawheel.jp

BRAELIN BR06

$375 to $400 | braelin.ca CONSTRUCTION: Cast SIZES (IN.): 19 WIDTHS (IN.): 8.5, 9.5 BOLT PATTERNS: 5x100 to 5x130 FINISHES: Satin black, Silver w/

gloss machined face

CEC C27

ENKEI TS9

From $475 USD | cecwheels.com CONSTRUCTION: Two-piece forged SIZES (IN.): 20 to 22 WIDTHS (IN.): Custom BOLT PATTERNS: 5-bolt custom FINISHES: Custom

From $260 | enkei.com CONSTRUCTION: MAT Cast SIZES (IN.): 17, 18 WIDTHS (IN.): 8 to 9.5 BOLT PATTERNS: 5x100, 5x108, 5x112, 5x114.3 FINISHES: Platinum

gray, Matte black, Matte silver

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WHEEL BUYER'S GUIDE

ENKEI TX5

From $260 | enkei.com CONSTRUCTION: MAT Cast SIZES (IN.): 17, 18 WIDTHS (IN.): 8 to 9.5 BOLT PATTERNS: 5x100, 5x108, 5x112, 5x114.3 FINISHES: Platinum

ENKEI YS5

gray, Matte black

FAST F198 EXPLOIT

$190 to $225 | fastwheels.ca CONSTRUCTION: Cast SIZES (IN.): 16 WIDTHS (IN.): 8 BOLT PATTERNS: 4x100, 4x114.3, 5x100, 5x114.3 FINISHES: Matte black w/

FAST F200 ROYALE

machined lip

FAST F201 KIMURA

$210 to $230 | fastwheels.ca CONSTRUCTION: Cast SIZES (IN.): 17 WIDTHS (IN.): 7.5, 9 BOLT PATTERNS: 4x100 to 4x114.3, 5x100 to 5x120 FINISHES: Gloss black w/ machined lip

HRE Classic Series 305

22

From $1,400 | hrewheels.com CONSTRUCTION: 3-piece Forged SIZE (IN.): 18 to 22 WIDTH (IN.): 8 to 13 BOLT PATTERN: Custom FINISHES: Custom

FAST FC04 Competition Series

HRE MODEL: FF15

From $150 | enkei.com CONSTRUCTION: MAT Cast SIZES (IN.): 15 to 18 WIDTHS (IN.): 6.5 to 8 BOLT PATTERNS: 4x100, 5x100, 5x108, 5x112, 5x114.3, 5x120 FINISHES: Hyper black, Matte black

$190 to $225 | fastwheels.ca CONSTRUCTION: Cast SIZES (IN.): 15 WIDTHS (IN.): 8 Bolt PATTERNS: 4x100 to 4x114.3, 5x100 to 5x120 FINISHES: Gold w/ machined lip

$250 to $290 | fastwheels.ca CONSTRUCTION: Flow-formed SIZES (IN.): 18 WIDTHS (IN.): 8, 9, 10 BOLT PATTERNS: 5x100 to 5x120 FINISHES: Titanium

From $2,700/set | hrewheels.com CONSTRUCTION: Flow-form Cast SIZE (IN.): 18 to 20 WIDTH (IN.): Vehicle specific BOLT PATTERN: Vehicle specific FINISHES: Liquid silver, Gloss black, Custom

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KONIG Interform

konigwheels.com CONSTRUCTION: Flow-formed SIZES (IN.): 18 to 20 WIDTHS (IN.): 8, 8.5, 9.5 BOLT PATTERNS: 5x108, 5x112, 5x114.3, 5x120 FINISHES: Graphite

KONIG Oversteer

w/ machined face

KONIG Runlite

konigwheels.com CONSTRUCTION: Cast SIZES (IN.): 16 to 18 WIDTHS (IN.): 7.5, 8 Bolt PATTERNS: 4x100, 5x100, 5x112, 5x114.3 FINISHES: Gold, Matte

TSW

tsw.com CONSTRUCTION: Rotary Forged SIZES (IN.): 17 to 20 WIDTHS (IN.): 8 to 10.5 BOLT PATTERNS: 5x100, 5x108, 5x112, 5x114.3, 5x120

KONIG Tweak’d

Nouvelle

tsw.com CONSTRUCTION: 2-piece Cast SIZES (IN.): 18 to 20 WIDTHS (IN.): 8 to 10.5 BOLT PATTERNS: 5x100, 5x112, 5x114.3, 5x120 FINISHES: Silver

w/ brushed face & chrome stainless lip, Gloss black w/ chrome stainless lip, Matte black

BOLT PATTERNS: 5x100, 5x108, 5x112, 5x114.3, 5x120

konigwheels.com CONSTRUCTION: Cast SIZES (IN.): 15 to 18 WIDTHS (IN.): 7, 8 BOLT PATTERNS: 4x100, 5x100, 5x108, 5x112, 5x114.3 FINISHES: Gloss black w/ red stripe, Silver w/ machined face

TSW Chicane

FINISHES: Silver w/ mirror cut face, Gloss gunmetal

TSW

CONSTRUCTION: Cast SIZES (IN.): 16 to 20 WIDTHS (IN.): 7.5 to 8.5, 9.5 FINISHES: Opal, Gloss white, Gloss black

gray, Matte black

Bathurst

konigwheels.com

tsw.com CONSTRUCTION: Cast SIZES (IN.): 17 to 20 WIDTHS (IN.): 8, 8.5, 9.5, 10 BOLT PATTERNS: 5x100, 5x108, 5x112, 5x114.3, 5x120 FINISHES: Gloss black w/ mirror face, Matte gunmetal

TSW Portier

tsw.com CONSTRUCTION: 2-piece CAST SIZES (IN.): 18 to 20 WIDTHS (IN.): 8 to 10.5 BOLT PATTERNS: 5x100, 5x112, 5x114.3, 5x120 FINISHES: Silver w/

brushed face & chrome stainless lip, Matte gunmetal w/ gloss black lip

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ESSENTIALS

HOT NEW PRODUCTS AUTODROMO Stringback Driving Gloves

HUBB Oil Filter HUBBFilters.com HUBB is a revolutionary, reusable, spin-on oil filter that eliminates the need to dispose filters in landfills. Its patented filter-in-a-filter design is made of surgical stainless steel weave rather than paper. HUBB’s patented design also enables it to improve oil flow by five times while capturing more contaminants from combustion, which keeps the oil cleaner, longer.

All backed by a 100,000-mile performance guarantee.

$125 | Autodromo.com

MIRROR BRIGHT

BY MEGUIAR’S Detailing Spray

Throughout the 1950s and into the 1960s, racing drivers relied on the stringback driving glove to protect their palms from wooden steering wheels and keep their hands cool and dry while they sped across the countryside.

Autodromo’s beautifully crafted driving gloves feature a short split cuff and have no annoying snaps to do up.

$8.99 Meguiars.com/MirrorBright Mirror Bright Detailing Spray is a true multi-task product that gently cleans both exterior and interior automobile surfaces and finishes. The no-scratch formula is safe for all paint types, including lacquers, enamels and clear coats. Excellent for removing contaminants from paint between washes and cleaning interior gauges and screens.

GUARDO Action Cam Plus $299 | GuardoCam.ca A small, sleek, Wi-Fi enabled HD action camera packaged with an assortment of mounts and accessories, at a fraction of the competition’s price.

The entire package includes the Guardo Action Cam Plus, waterproof housing, IR remote control, two rechargeable batteries, various surface mounts, helmet mount, post mount and more.

European design plus unparalleled value equals the Guardo Action Cam Plus.

AUDI DESIGN Platinum Tachoscope Watch Boutique.Audi.ca

SERENGETI Modugno Sunglasses $299.99 | Serengeti-Eyewear.com Modernized for 2016 with nickel silver alloy known for its brightness, the Serengeti Modugno (shown here in Satin Silver with Blue Mirror polarized lens) also offers pliable nose pads and adjustable temple tips to allow for a snug fit behind the ears, keeping the frames perfectly in place.

A standout - the Audi Design Platinum Tachoscope automatic chronograph. The regulator dial and tachometer display hour, minute and second scales, chrono-centre seconds and tachometer scale.

Featuring a solid 26-part housing, platinum tachoscope with enamel dials (35 units) and waterproofing to a depth of 30 metres.

PULSTAR Plasma Core Spark Plugs $15.95 to $18.50 | Pulstar.com Pulstar spark plugs use innovative plasma-assisted combustion technology to increase horsepower and torque. These spark plugs feature an internal capacitor, developed with the help of a U.S. Department of Energy laboratory, to store energy that creates a high-intensity electrical pulse when released. This pulse saturates the fuel with combustion-enhancing plasma, ensuring instant ignition and a rapid burn.

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LEGO Ford F-150 Raptor & Ford Model A Hot Rod $59.99 | Lego.com Put this classic race car on the mighty Ford F-150 Raptor’s trailer and drive to the race. Open up the garage to work on the car. Change the engines and then it’s time to race for glory. Pass the checkered flag first and lift the trophy on the podium!

SIMONIZ Platinum Deluxe Interior Brush $5.99 | CanadianTire.ca This premium quality interior brush features flared bristles to get into hard to reach areas.

The stiff bristles remove dirt from carpet and upholstery, while the improved, textured handle design offers comfort and better grip in wet or dry conditions.

ROYAL PURPLE XPR Synthetic Racing Motor Oil RoyalPurple.com Royal Purple XPR (Extreme Performance Racing) oils are recommended for use in various racing applications, and are popular in a variety of motorsports, from NASCAR to rallycross to road racing.

XPR offers great wear protection, is compatible with conventional mineral and synthetic oils and resists displacement, dilution and emulsion caused by alcohol, methanol and nitrous fuels and additives.

SIMONIZ Platinum 2000-psi Electric Pressure Washer

LEGO Ford Mustang GT $17.99 | Lego.com Prepare the mighty LEGO Speed Champions Ford Mustang GT for a desert race. Choose your wheel trims, set up the timing board and power away.

Display all your driving strengths and muscle your way to a new record!

$349.99 | CanadianTire.ca

LOWLY GENTLEMEN ’80s Group C Art Print

The Simoniz Platinum 2000-psi electric pressure washer has a heavy duty induction motor for quiet and extended performance. Other features include an exclusive high volume pump and high pressure foam blaster, 5-in-1 quick connect project dial, 1.5 GPM high pressure mode, 3.0 GPM high flow mode and 25-foot high pressure rubber hose with integrated hose reel and accessory storage.

A limited edition art print of the infamous Sauber Mercedes C9 Group C Prototype that raced in the late ’80s. Hand drawn in a deconstructed drafting style and silk-screened on Kraft-Tone Charcoal Grey paper.

The print measures 18 x 24 inches and is printed on high quality #100 Cover card stock.

$35 | LowlyGentlemen.com

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FARADAY FUTUARE FFZERO1 CONCEPT

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STORY & PHOTOGRAPHY BY MICKY SLINGER

he annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas is a magical swarm of people and products that could shape the future. The North Hall of the sprawling Las Vegas Convention Center is usually full of aftermarket audio companies with a

Rinspeed is a car builder from Switzerland that takes the automotive “what ifs” from your mind and then straight up makes them. Mashups, shooting brakes, a Tesla with a sitting room in it – Rinspeed has done it all.

Usually, these creations are unveiled at Geneva, where people think attaching carbon fibre snow plows to the front of Lamborghinis is fashion. For 2016, Rinspeed felt that its Etos concept was so technologically advanced that it had to debut at CES. I came across the Etos off-site, at Harmon Kardon’s presence at the Hark Rock. This car really is something else, but not too otherworldly.

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sprinkling of OEMs showing off new infotainment systems during the CES. This year it was the opposite, with OEMs taking centre stage and showing off some impressive futuristic technologies. Here are some highlights from this year’s show:

If you can’t tell, the Etos is based off of BMW’s i8, except it is supposedly faster and can drive itself if you want it to. With the push of a button, the steering wheel will fold away and you can take a nap at your leisure. And, since in the future, getting out of your car will be so overrated, Rinspeed has made it possible for you to never actually have to leave. Tap technology will actually allow you to pay road tolls automatically, and the rear of the Etos features an “H” landing pad where a drone can be deployed from, and a camera should you need to take a picture or video of someone who cuts you off.

This was a big one. Faraday Future (or FF as people kept shortening it to) talked a lot of smack about the biggest player in the electric car game, Tesla, before the unveiling of its concept, the FFZERO1. They said it will be more efficient and quicker as well, thanks to four quad-core electric motors that are said to propel the FFZERO1 to over 200 mph, and 0-97 km/h in less than three seconds and boast over 1,000 horses.

So, you may be asking, “When can we see one of these things on the road?” Well, the answer is never, so the claims are nothing more than pointed rhetoric. This concept doesn’t run and there is no production version planned.

What FF is planning, however, is a modular vehicle platform that can be extended or shrunk to accommodate a full vehicle lineup – from a sports coupe to a full-size SUV. They could be the company to give Tesla a run for its money – if they can produce something that runs by 2017, that is.

RINSPEED ETOS

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The Mercedes-Benz “Concept IAA” (Intelligent Aerodynamic Automobile) is two cars in one: an aerodynamics world champion with a Cd value of 0.19 and a four-door coupé embodying irresistible design.

According to the manufacturer, the study switches automatically from design mode to aerodynamic mode when the vehicle reaches a speed of 80 km/h, whereby numerous aerodynamics measures alter the shape of the vehicle. Inside, the “Concept IAA” continues the design line of

MERCEDES

the S-Class and S-Class Coupé and offers new touch-based functions.

The study features Car-to-X technology, for example, which enables the vehicle to communicate with other vehicles or other sources of information.

This represents a major advance in helping to avoid accidents, as obstacles or events which are not visible to the vehicle itself can be detected – the “Concept IAA” is able to look around the corner, as it were. With this and its interior and operating concept, the “Concept IAA” also offers a foretaste of the business saloon of the near future.

FUTURE TECH TOYOTA

Toyota has been toying with hydrogen as an alternative fuel source for quite some time now. The fact that it actually brought the Toyota Mirai, its first ever hydrogenpowered vehicle, to market is some strong evidence. Looking like an all-white Batmobile, the FCV Plus concept is the next step in Toyota’s hydrogen-powered future that will be able to grab hydrogen atoms from outside the vehicle and convert them to electricity within.

Toyota also showed off it’s A.I. research this year in what it called the “Toyota Smart Center.” Toyota wants to see a connected mobility society that gets from point A to B as quickly and as efficiently as possible, and this powerful, private, cloud-based computing system collects information from vehicles all around the globe to provide drivers with personalized, on-the-go service.

I just want to know if K.I.T.T. from Knight Rider can be ordered as a voice option.

Built on VW’s new MEB (Modularer Elektrischer Baukasten) platform system that will basically serve as the universal build platform for all VW’s new electric vehicles, the concept is called the BUDD-e – like it’s your buddy, but it’s also electric. Get it?

A 101-kWh lithium-ion battery is said to generate enough juice for two electric motors – one in the front and one in the back – to give the all-wheel drive van a range of 375 kilometres on one full charge. But it is the proposed technology inside that is most exciting, however. Everything is a screen. Even the mirrors have been deleted from the outside to become “e-mirrors” inside, and this multitude of screens can stream music, display gauges, provide GPS navigation and connect to your smartphone to adjust your thermostat at home, if you’ve got that set up. You can even turn on the voice control system by saying, “Hello, BUDD-e!” Some of us already say that to our cars anyway, right?

VOLKSWAGEN BUDD-E CONCEPT

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A Higher Degree Of Savings!

Get ready for spring, whatever the conditions!

As seasons change, weather can be unpredictable. With Toyo technology, your vehicle can handle any road conditions. Introducing the Celsius an all weather tire that provides a “higher degree of safety� during those unexpected weather conditions. For a limited time only save up to $70 on select sets of Toyo Tires.

Ask your Toyo Dealer for details.

toyotires.ca

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LAMBORGHINI HURACÁN LP 580-2 -------------------------------------ASTON MARTIN DB9 GT --------------------------------------------------PORSCHE BOXSTER SPYDER --------------------------------------------KIA OPTIMA SXL --------------------------------------------------------SPRING 2016 • TRIED TESTED AND TRUE • IGNITIONMAG.CA

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QUICK 5IVE / B M W i3 / F E R R A R I 488 Spider / H Y U N D A I Sonata Hybrid / L I N C O L N MKX / T O Y O TA RAV4 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 3 5

"IN OTHER WORDS, THE LP 580-2 ENABLES DRIVERS OF, AHEM, LESS THAN RAZOR-SHARP SKILLS TO TOSS THE CAR SIDEWAYS WITHOUT TOSSING IT INTO THE WEEDS." 2016

$219,500 (as tested)

Lamborghini Huracán LP 580-2 Rear-wheel drive Huracán sets the pace B Y M A R K H A C K I N G

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hen a car manufacturer launches a highperformance model, they often choose a race track as the stage. This is common. What is uncommon is for the manufacturer to encourage all the participants to drift said model around the racetrack. Yet, this is precisely how Lamborghini encouraged journalists to sample the Huracán LP 5802 – from a sideways perspective.

According to Maurizio Reggiani, director of R&D for the Italian brand, this is the reason why the latest supersports car to join the Lamborghini fleet and Huracán

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family specifically is different from the original: For the sheer fun of it. “[All-wheel drive] will be, every time, faster than twowheel drive,” he notes. “But to drift [an all-wheel drive], you must be a very good driver. With this car, everything is done to arrive at this condition [i.e. fully sideways] without being at the limit.”

In other words, the LP 580-2 enables drivers of, ahem, less than razor-sharp skills to toss the car sideways without tossing it into the weeds. The key to this facility comes down to a few key differences between the Huracán LP 580-2 and its predecessor, the LP 610-4.

There is, of course, the switch from all-wheel to rear-wheel drive.

But the latest Huracán is also lighter (by 33 kg) and less powerful (by 30 hp). The LP 580-2 could have accommodated the same horsepower from the 5.2L V10, but this would’ve made the car more of a handful. Weight distribution has also shifted slightly; in the new car, 60 per cent of its mass is at the back.

On track at the Losail International Circuit, these differences combined to produce the targeted results – namely, long and smoky slides coming out of the corners. As our group sent slices of Pirelli rubber off-line at an alarming rate of speed,

the Huracán stuck to its intended path, bending towards the apex and accommodating too-early throttle in ways the LP 610-4 would never allow.

On public roads, at legal speeds, on dry pavement, the two versions of the Huracán would likely seem negligible – the 610-4 hits 100 km/h in 3.2 seconds, for example, while the 580-2 takes just two-tenths longer.

But if you like your supersports cars to behave like hooligans when taken to the nearest closed circuit, the rear-wheel drive iteration is just the thing. In fact, it’s so good, you might find yourself asking why Lamborghini makes all-wheel drive cars in the first place.

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2016

$211,150 (as tested)

Aston Martin DB9 GT Beauty meets Beast in new DB9

B Y B R I A N M A KS E | P H OT O G R A P H Y B Y N I C K B U S ATO

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here is nothing more beautiful, at least in the automotive world, than an Aston Martin.

Its designs have inherent beauty and balance not found with any other marque. That’s every Aston in the range, save perhaps the be-winged Vantage GT12 track car, and it all started with the DB9.

During Ford’s tenure as keeper of the Aston Martin flame, Ian Callum was penning lines for the British sports car maker and came up with this gorgeous beast, the DB9. While it takes cues from the company’s heritage – note the historic grille shape – this grand tourer formed the design language for the current range.

Partly due to its ageless design and partly due to its rarity, the DB9 is just as fresh and attractive today as it was when it launched.

The exterior finish is everything you expect from Aston Martin. All of the materials are top notch, including the understated touches of carbon fibre,

but it’s the paint that’s most striking.

At a distance, it looks like a nice, medium grey. Up close, you’re taken aback as you discover that instead the paint colour is an amalgam of black, grey and silver flecks. This is the kind of subtlety that literally paints a smile on an owner’s face.

The stunning black-and-silver 20-inch wheels are wrapped in Pirelli rubber and hide its massive carbon ceramic disc brakes. With each Aston Martin I’ve tested, it has become more apparent that Aston Martin is one of the few companies that does carbon ceramics right. They’ve somehow managed to engineer this fantastic blend of effortless modulation and superb feel with the epic heat dissipation characteristics of carbon brakes. The Germans can learn something here.

While braking is magnificent, the carbon ceramics offer another benefit with lesser unsprung weight, which helps the damper do its job. As with its bigger brother, the

Vanquish, the DB9 GT uses threemode adaptive dampers and, unlike some competitors, each of the three modes is distinct. Normal is suitable for day-to-day driving, but when I was hustling the GT up and down the Palms to Pines Highway near Palm Springs, Sport mode is just perfect with more aggressive body and wheel control. Track mode is definitely circuit-only.

Steering is hydraulically assisted – one of the few remaining cars of this calibre so fitted – and it has a sensational amount of feedback, putting the driver in direct contact with the road. Combined with great feel from the chassis, the DB9 communicates unlike any other grand tourer. It is perhaps the grand tourer that’s just as fun on a crosscountry drive as it is on a racing circuit. (I did give a previous DB9 tester a go for a few laps around Willow Springs years ago and it was extraordinarily composed for a GT).

This DB9 GT gets the waterfall

dash and updated AMi II, touchbased infotainment interface similar to the design that originated in the Vanquish a couple of years ago.

The refreshed dash modernizes the cabin, but like the exterior, the finishes really make it. Carbon fibre is a nice touch, but the metallic brown leather of our tester was breathtaking and I’ve never seen anything like it. Truly luxurious.

This GT is the pinnacle of the DB9 line, fitted with the most powerful V12 in its history – 5.9 litres, and producing 540 hp and 457 lb-ft – a set of adaptive dampers, carbon ceramic brakes, and a remarkably high level of finishing, both inside and out. It also represents this coupe’s swan song, as the long-rumoured replacement – the DB11 – will appear some time later this year.

"DURING FORD’S TENURE AS KEEPER OF THE ASTON MARTIN FLAME, IAN CALLUM WAS PENNING LINES FOR THE BRITISH SPORTS CAR MAKER AND CAME UP WITH THIS GORGEOUS BEAST, THE DB9."

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2016

$93,700/$100,005 (base/as tested)

Porsche Boxster Spyder Duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, goose!

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ike most Porsches, you can apply the duck test to the Boxster – ‘If it looks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then it is probably a duck.’ – and, yes, this will confirm that you are, if not a bit crazy, then in fact looking at a Boxster.

Instead of quacking, however, it’s a 3.8L flat-six engine singing the tune of 375 horses and 309 lb-ft of torque. Instead of swimming, this is one heck of a driving machine and, of course, instead of looking like a duck, it’s a beautiful roadster – a Porsche at that.

"...GETTING THE TOP OFF IS HALF THE FUN WITH THIS CAR – A BIT LIKE UNDRESSING A BEAUTIFUL WOMAN."

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But in the case of the 2016 Boxster Spyder, we’re talking about a different, more rare breed of duck.

There are four Boxster versions – the base, a Black Edition, an S model and the GTS, all of them now christened with a 718 prefix for 2016.

What makes the Spyder so ducking different?

For starters, it’s lighter – 15 kg lighter than the next lightest model (base), and 30 kg lighter than the heaviest (GTS), thanks to noteworthy features like the lightweight manual cloth top (it’s more like a bra on this car), material strap door pulls (bra straps?), lots of weight savings, including lightweight 20-inch alloy wheels and no PDK option.

It’s more powerful – output is bumped on this version of Porsche’s 3.8L flat-six motor. It makes 110 hp and 103 lb-ft more torque than the base, and 45 hp and 36 lb-ft more than the next most powerful (GTS).

Combined fuel economy is rated at

11.6 L/100 km.

It’s faster – 0-100 km/h takes just 4.5 seconds whereas the next fastest (GTS) does it in five seconds flat (4.9 with the seven-speed PDK transmission). The Spyder is a full 1.2 seconds faster than its base model counterpart.

It’s more expensive – $34,300 more than the base Boxster, and $8,600 more than the next highest priced (GTS).

It’s definitely the most exclusive Boxster – instead of kicking back and relaxing for 17 seconds while waiting for the standard electric-assisted convertible top to open or close, you have to physically get out of the car and perform several intricate steps (the number of steps is down compared to the previous Spyder – phew!) on both sides to achieve the same result.

That said, getting the top off is half the fun with this car – a bit like undressing a beautiful woman. The

curvaceous two-hump rear cowling are very sensuous in this regard, and a lovely prize for all that work.

The top is not as practical by any stretch, but the fact that it does have functional performance benefits versus the more conventional Boxster one makes the Spyder a tantalizing proposition for enthusiast buyers.

Many people already fancy the Porsche Boxster as a solid weekend track warrior. Its rear-wheel drive layout is reactive and predictable (read fun to drive) and the Spyder is essentially what you’d get if you simply cut the roof off a Cayman, another perennial motorsports junkie favourite.

The 385-hp Cayman GT4 is a good option if that is part of the criteria, though I’d be very wary about underestimating Spidey in this case.

She’s no lame duck.

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2016

$39,430 (as tested)

KIA OPTIMA SXL Longer, wider and stiffer satisfies B Y L E E B A I L I E

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he Kia Optima is all-new for 2016, but its many changes aren’t particularly obvious unless you look closely. That it bears such a strong resemblance to the outgoing car is testament to the enduring appeal of the rebooted Optima that dates back to 2011.

The 2016 Optima rides on a chassis that is longer, wider and stiffer than that of the outgoing car.

The wheelbase has been stretched

by 10 mm, is 30 mm wider and is also slightly taller than its predecessor.

If you’re thinking these changes were made to: a) improve ride and handling, and b) provide more passenger and cargo space, you are correct. The new car has more head, shoulder and rear seat leg room than the old car, and it sports a bigger trunk (450 litres) as well.

Exterior design changes are modest, but nicely update the Optima’s crisp and contemporary

look. And it is still, arguably, the best looking car in its class.

A revised front end features a new bumper design, new headlamps (including bi-xenon HIDs on upper level trims for the first time) and a new Tiger Nose grille, which is hotstamped on SX and SXL trims. The redesigned rear end is highlighted by available LED taillights.

In terms of powertrains, an allnew 1.6L turbocharged four-cylinder engine (178 hp / 195-lb ft) mated to a seven-speed DCT is now on the menu, slotting in between the base 2.4L four and the top-end 2.0L turbocharged four, both of which are paired with six-speed automatics.

Paddle shifters are standard issue with the latter.

I spent a week driving the top-end SXL tester, and came away just as impressed with the Optima as I was when I tested the previous-gen SX Turbo back in June 2011.

The 2.0L is down on power from the previous iteration (by 29 hp and 9 lb-ft, respectively), but the Optima still feels fast. With 245 hp and 260 lb-ft resting under my right foot, quick getaways are still as brisk as ever, especially in Sport mode.

Inside, it’s refinement at every turn.

Heated and ventilated Nappa leather seats, soft touch plastics in the dash and an eight-inch infotainment touchscreen that supports Apple CarPlay and Android Auto make for a very inviting environment.

The 2016 Optima is proof that the traditional luxury brands haven’t cornered the market when it comes to power, sophistication, refinement and style.

"THE 2016 OPTIMA RIDES ON A CHASSIS THAT IS LONGER, WIDER AND STIFFER THAN THAT OF THE OUTGOING CAR."

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Ferrari 488 Spider

Toyota RAV4 AWD Limited

BMW i3 REx

Hyundai Sonata Hybrid

Lincoln MKX

BY MARK HACKING

BY LEE BAILIE

BY MICHAEL BETTENCOURT

BY MICHAEL BETTENCOURT

BY MICHAEL BETTENCOURT

During the global launch for the 2016 Ferrari 488 Spider, the engineers and marketers all suggested that the car is better suited to relaxed touring rather than outright speed.

After comparing the performance numbers of the 488 GTB coupe to its convertible derivative, this seems ridiculous. After completing a sun-soaked, 200-km drive of the Spider around Emilia Romagna to the south and east of Bologna, this notion is, for sure, ridiculous. Armed with Ferrari’s new twin-turbocharged V8, the Spider accelerates to 100 km/h in three seconds flat, the exact time quoted for the 488 GTB. In the run to 200 km/h, the GTB stretches out a lead, reaching that mark in 8.3 seconds compared to 8.7 seconds for the convertible. Still: 8.7 seconds to reach 200 km/h!? The 2016 Ferrari 488 Spider is not a car for relaxed cruising… unless you’re sing only 30 per cent of the available accelerator pedal travel.

Toyota’s Woodstock, Ontario-built RAV4 crossover receives a mid-cycle refresh for 2016, which brings with it a smattering of exterior styling updates, a freshened interior and a smoother ride. No changes, however, are in store on the powertrain front.

Toyota’s 2.5-litre four (176 hp / 172 lb-ft) soldiers on as the only engine available, mated to a six-speed automatic transmission. It all works well together, as the RAV4 delivers a quiet, comfortable ride, a hushed interior and a pleasing level of refinement, particularly on upperlevel trims such as the AWD Limited.

You’ll never forget your first six buck fill-up. The futuristic BMW i3 plug-in hatchback has a tiny seven-litre gas tank when equipped with the optional range-extending engine (REx), a twocylinder, 34-hp electricity generator that ensures potential buyers will never be stuck needing a multi-hour battery recharge.

That engine is recommended, because the REx roughly doubles the real-world winter range, from an official 130 km in the all-electric i3 (116 km in the REx) to 235 km for the REx, according to NRCan. The four-seat i3, with its unique carbon-fibre reinforced passenger cell, is eligible for provincial rebates from $5,000-$8,500, but the missing AM radio, aggressive brake regeneration and cool but less functional rear doors can be a pain.

Still, it’s the sportiest plug-in ride this side of an i8 or Tesla, plus can be re-filled with pocket change, at the pump or outlet.

Keeping the advanced Sonata Hybrid affordable is likely Hyundai’s greatest achievement, with its $29,649 starting price, though it does creep into entry-luxury territory by the time you’re talking the top-line Hybrid Ultimate trim, which stretches into $39,417 after freight. At that price point, it’s worth looking into the Sonata plug-in, which starts at $43,999 similarly equipped, but also will be available with multi-thousand dollar provincial rebates in Ontario, Quebec and B.C. that may actually make it cheaper, and greener.

The 193-hp Sonata Hybrid’s other major party trick, unusual in any hybrid sedan, is that you can fold down the rear seats for additional cargo space. The battery pack does still cut into available cargo space by over 100 litres, but remains a reasonable 380 litres in total. The hybrid practicality and value compromises are therefore diminished, but unfortunately still there.

The Oakville, Ontario-built Lincoln MKX is a wonderfully luxurious and practical luxury SUV. Yes, it’s still amongst the most comfort-oriented of the luxury bunch, chasing Lexus instead of BMW and Porsche Cayenne buyers with their much more sporting demeanours.

The MKX also starts at a base price of $46,590, or just below the top version of the Ford Edge. Both are built on the same line, and both share similar V6 engines (a base 3.7L and optional turbocharged 2.7) and body dimensions. The Lincoln has nicer interior finishes than the Ford version, but not quite up to the level of design or interior quality of its generally pricier luxury market rivals. Since many of the more advanced features are optional on the MKX, and some available on the Edge, smart shoppers may wish to closely compare the available features on both Ford and Lincoln versions of this new-for-2016 crossover to see which is right for them.

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2016 HONDA CIVIC TOURING

SMALL-CAR BENCHMARK GETS A HARD RESET

BY LEE BAILIE

It’s not much of a stretch to say Honda Canada would not be what it is today were it not for its wildly popular Civic. The fact that the Civic has been built in the company’s Alliston, Ontario assembly plant since 1988 is no accident – few nations have embraced it like Canadians have.

All told, Honda Canada has sold more than 1.89 million Civics here since its inception in 1969, and it has been the nation’s best-selling car for the past 18 years.

Against this backdrop of long-running success, Honda began to roll out the 10th generation Civic sedan late last year, which will be followed by a coupe, five-door hatchback (the first hatch since the UK-built 2002-05 SiR) and a Europeansourced Type R. Unlike the eighth and ninth gens, which were closely related, the 10th generation marks a significant sea change for the Civic.

Sporting a completely new design, this latest

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version is 50 mm wider, 20 mm lower and has a wheelbase that is 30 mm longer than the outgoing car. Greater use of high-strength steel in the chassis (now 12 per cent of its overall mass) has improved torsional rigidity by 25 per cent and improved aerodynamic efficiency by 12 per cent.

It’s also 31 kg lighter.

In addition, Honda engineers have made significant gains in reducing cabin noise via better bodysealing techniques and the use of flush-mounted acoustic glass, triple-sealed doors and a tightly sealed engine bay.

From a packaging perspective, it’s all about getting low, which is bound to please Civic enthusiasts. The driver’s hip point is 25 mm lower, which has been made possible through the use of a lower floor and engine location. The Civic also sports an all new front strut / rear multilink suspension that includes thicker front and rear stabilizer bars. New variable gear ratio steering is also standard.

Powering the LX and EX trims is a 2.0L

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16-valve DOHC i-VTEC four-cylinder, which is mated to either a sixspeed manual or a CVT. Output is rated at 158 horsepower and 138 lb-ft of torque.

While the 2.0L engine sits firmly within the Honda four-cylinder norm, the all-new 1.5L direct-injected turbocharged 16-valve DOHC inline four-cylinder is definitely ground-breaking. It is the first turbocharged engine to be offered in a Honda and its output (174 hp, 162 lb-ft of torque) is the highest for a non-Si Civic sold in North America.

The 1.5 is mated to a CVT only, and is standard issue on EX-T and Touring trims.

In terms of design, the Civic looks more Accord-like than ever before, particularly when viewed from the front. Inline LED headlights – a Honda / Acura staple these days – dominate a face that features a pronounced chrome-finished nose with a belt buckle-sized H in the centre, and a trapezoidal air intake below the license plate holder.

It is a dramatic departure, to say the least, from the ovoid-shaped Civics of the past two generations.

This car is sleeker, but more sharply creased, with pronounced character lines, flared wheel arches and LED taillights that remind this writer of boomerangs. If Honda wanted to make the Civic’s appearance more distinctive – especially when one goes whizzing by at night – it has succeeded.

On the inside, the spacious interior feels like it’s come a long way.

From the well-bolstered and very comfortable heated leather seats, to its gorgeous and easy-to-read TFT instrument display, to its elegant and easy to use infotainment interface, the Civic has an unmistakable

Unlike the eighth and ninth gens, which were closely related, the 10th generation marks a significant sea change for the Civic.” up-market feel. A knob or a couple of buttons would be greatly appreciated for the audio controls, but it’s a minor complaint.

Most of my time was spent driving the high-end Touring, and a few things are apparent with the new 1.5L / CVT powertrain. Firstly, this combination makes the Civic bad fast (particularly in Sport mode) where the rev-happy engine screams with delight under hard acceleration. Even in regular Drive, the Civic feels responsive and peppy.

While I’m not a huge fan of CVTs generally (given their tendency to feel a bit rubbery), the one in the Civic works quite well. Power delivery is linear and precise and quite responsive to one’s right foot.

From a handling perspective, the Civic sedan has me excited for what’s to come with the Si. The lighter, lower and more powerful 1.5 Civic feel very connected to the road. Ride quality is good, noise is wellsupressed (except under hard acceleration and on really bad roads), and the handling feels secure and nicely balanced. Getting out of shape in this car requires some effort.

In all, the 2016 Civic is a major leap forward for a car that had been more or less travelling down the same road since the introduction of the eighth gen in 2006.

It was time to chart a new course and, while some might feel it might have gone too far (at least in terms of its exterior design), Honda should be applauded for taking a daring and innovative approach with its most important car.

SPECIFICATIONS 2016 Honda Civic Touring BASE PRICE: $26,990 ENGINE: 1.5L turbocharged I-4 HORSEPOWER: 174 hp @ 5,500 rpm TORQUE: 162 lb-ft @ 1,800-5,500 rpm DRY WEIGHT: 1,324 kg CONFIGURATION: front-engine / frontwheel drive FUEL ECONOMY RATINGS (CITY / HWY. / COMB.): 7.6 / 5.5 / 6.7 L/100 km WARRANTY (MOS. / KM): 36 / 60,000 ALTERNATIVES: Chevrolet Cruze, Ford Focus, Hyundai Elantra, Mazda3, Toyota Corolla, VW Jetta

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2016

CADILLAC CT6

BY MARK HACKING

Lightweight construction, big performance makes for a fitting flagship

Cadillac is killing it! Last year, the most American of car CALIFORNIA brands threw down the gauntlet with first the ATS-V and then the CTS-V. These two represent the most potent one-two performance car punch since the heyday of the BMW M3 and M5 which, depending on your personal preferences, was likely 1985, 1998 or 2005.

Both the ATS-V and CTS-V are also strong contenders for the best overall performance car in the world at the moment. Now, we have

BY THE the Cadillac CT6, a different kind of vehicle NUMBERS to be sure, but one that is no less impressive from an engineering standpoint.

The latest Cadillac is an executive-class /HP sedan that aims to throw this particular (CALCULATED W/ BASE MSRP) segment into disarray. In fact, representatives from the carmaker say that the CT6 signals a new formula for a prestige sedan: HP/L the spaciousness and elegance of a proper flagship, the agility and performance of a smaller sedan.

HP/TON The key to this formula starts with the dimensions of the vehicle itself.

The exterior measurements for the CT6 place it smartly in between traditional midKG/HP size sedans such as the Mercedes E-Class, BMW 5 Series and Audi A6, and traditional executive-class sedans like the S-Class, L/100KM 7 Series and A8. Its wheelbase is long – (AUTO – COMBINED)

RAMONA

$182

134.7

197.8

4.59

11.2

38

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SPECIFICATIONS 2016 Cadillac CT6 TT AWD (Luxury) BASE PRICE: $73,555 ENGINE: 3.0L twin-turbocharged V6 HORSEPOWER: 404 hp @ 5,700 rpm TORQUE: 400 lb-ft @ 2,500-5,100 rpm

PHOTO: MARK HACKI NG

unbelievably, the back seat boasts more legroom than a current-generation Escalade – so the CT6 represents an inspired solution for the Chinese market, where long-wheelbase versions of cars such as the BMW 3 Series and Volvo S60 are common.

To complete the dimensional picture, the CT6 features lightweight construction that incorporates 62 per cent aluminum and five different advanced joining solutions to further slash mass and ensure chassis rigidity. The engineers at Cadillac started this project with the notion of building an all-aluminum body, but they weren’t happy with the increased noise transfer of the lightweight material compared to steel, so they landed on a mixed-material concept.

The results are impressive: Cadillac claims that the four-cylinder version of the CT6 is the lightest car in its class (1,659 kg) and is some 450 kg leaner than the fittest version of the Mercedes S-Class. Tellingly, the CT6 is also lighter than the base CTS, which is also a pretty handy sedan in terms of power-to-weight.

Under that low hood, there are three different engines available: a turbocharged 2.0L four-cylinder, a naturallyaspirated 3.6L V6 and a 3.0L twinturbocharged V6. All engines are linked to an eight-speed automatic transmission.

During the drive event held outside San Diego, we focused on the top-of-the-line version and sampled the four-cylinder for comparison purposes.

Of course, the twin-turbo V6 produced more excitement in a straight line; this was to be expected from an engine with

CONFIGURATION: Front-engine / all-wheel drive TRANSMISSION: 8-speed automatic DRY WEIGHT: 1,853 kg FUEL ECONOMY RATINGS (CITY / HWY. / COMB.): 13.1 / 9.0 / 11.2 L/100 km WARRANTY (MOS. / KM): 48 / 80,000 ALTERNATIVES: Audi A6, Audi A8, BMW 5 Series, BMW 7 Series, Lexus GS 350, Lexus LS 460, Mercedes-Benz E-Class, Mercedes-Benz S-Class NOTABLE OPTIONS:

404 horsepower under foot. (This engine also features cylinder deactivation and automatic stop/start for better efficiency.) The lighter four-cylinder (265 hp) was no slouch, but it was a rear-wheel drive set-up that seemed less adept on the curviest sections of road compared to the AWD version.

All versions come fitted with active rear steering, which reduces the turning circle and helps the CT6 carve corners more readily. The rear wheels turn 3.5 degrees out of phase at slow speeds, 2.75 degrees in phase at high speeds.

The full-tilt CT6 also features the on-demand AWD system. In sport mode (the raciest of the three driver-selectable settings), 80 per cent of the torque is sent to the rear wheels, giving the Cadillac a level of connectedness that was entirely unexpected. For sure, that moment when you turn the CT6 into a corner at high speed makes you realize that this isn’t your typical executive-class sedan.

Then, when the roads took a turn for the worse, the optional Magnetic Ride Control system ensured composure.

Of course, this particular Cadillac isn’t meant to replace the ATS-V or CTS-V during weekends at the track– that’s just not its purpose. But the brilliance of the CT6

ENHANCED VISION AND COMFORT PACKAGE ($2,515) – Rear camera mirror, power sunroof, heated rear seats, ventilated front seats, leather seating surfaces; REAR SEAT PACKAGE ($2,795) – Rear seat infotainment, dual displays, remote controls, aux input jack, wireless headphones, quad-zone automatic climate control, ionizing air cleaner; ACTIVE CHASSIS PACKAGE ($3,895) – Magnetic ride control, active rear steering, 20x8.5-in. alloy wheels, all-season tires; BOSE PANARAY 34 SPEAKER SOUND SYSTEM ($4,255) ; METALLIC PAINT ($575-$1,145).

is that top-notch engineering underpins what is an honest-to-goodness prestige sedan. If you remember the American brand of luxury from Cadillac offerings of long ago, you will likely be well pleased with this latest model as well.

As is now tradition with the newest of Cadillac vehicles, the interior of the CT6 is an inspired mix of wood, leather and metal. There is a wealth of mixand-match interior treatments available to the customer; the variations we saw were universally excellent in terms of look and feel.

If there’s one glaring weakness in this particular vehicle, it’s with respect to technology. Full credit to Cadillac for pushing the envelope when it comes to incorporating new thinking, but it seems unlikely that the target customer for the CT6 will respond.

Example: The revised CUE system is better than before, and in the CT6 there is a new touchpad that can be used to trigger the touchscreen. But the functioning of the system is still not as intuitive or responsive as more traditional switches, or even some other manufacturers’ rotary dial systems.

The system incorporates a 360-degree camera to ease parking tasks and night-vision. Also, the CT6 features the world’s first production car rear camera mirror, which projects an ultra-sharp wide-angle view of what’s behind the car into the rearview mirror. Unfortunately, if the sun is at the wrong angle, it messes with that view, creating a double-image.

(This feature can be deactivated with a switch, turning the mirror into a regular piece of glass.)

Back on the positive side of the ledger, the optional massaging seats are the best in the business and the likewise optional Panaray audio system from Bose is incredible. (The effort the engineers have put forth to slash noise in the CT6 has set the stage for some truly memorable driving soundtrack moments.)

In the final analysis, the 2016 Cadillac CT6 is a smartly engineered vehicle and the latest winner from a brand that should now be accustomed to winning. In terms of exterior design, it isn’t as bold as the level of engineering or technology might suggest; instead, it’s suitably understated, which is what would be expected of an executive-class sedan. But in every other respect, the CT6 is a car that will make people sit up and take notice.

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2016-02-19 4:04 PM

2017 MERCEDES-AMG

C 63 S COUPÉ IMPROVING AWESOME

STORY & PHOTOGRAPHY BY SHAUN KEENAN

Driving the new C 63 AMG S coupe is an exercise in restraint. I suspect that owning one, then, will be that and many more things.

The car’s purpose is simple. To be the best C-Class ever. And it just might be. Along with its sedan counterpart, the C 63s are head and shoulders above the rest.

Poised atop the best-selling luxury car line in Canada, Mercedes-AMG’s latest performance coupe gets the same hand-built AMG 4.0L twin-turbocharged V8 that comes in the C 63 sedan launched last spring.

With 503 hp and 516 lb-ft of torque that peaks at 4,750 rpm, the S model has 34 more horsepower and 37 lb-ft than the non-S model, and is capable of accelerating from 0-100 km/h in under four seconds.

And while the rest of the C-Class lineup gets a very democratic 4MATIC all-wheel drive system and less powerful engines, only the AMGs are rear-wheel driven.

MALAGA SPAIN

40

BY THE NUMBERS

$164 /HP

(CALCULATED W/ EST. BASE MSRP)

125.75 HP/L

264.53 HP/TON

3.43

KG/HP

8.9

L/100 KM (NEDC – COMBINED)

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As part of the fifth-generation C-Class (W205), which dates back to the MercedesBenz 190 (W201) range that reigned from 1982 to 1993, the range-topping C 63 AMG sedan and coupe models truly benefit from the winning ways of the Mercedes-AMG teams in Formula One, DTM and other series.

I’ve now driven both the sedan and the coupe, and each is fitted with AMG’s Speedshift sports transmission that slices through seven forward gears with divine purpose and finesse. Each also gets Eco start/stop and a Dynamic Select system to choose one of six driving modes (Eco, Comfort, Sport, Sport+, Race and Individual) that can change their demeanours from mild to wild to bat-s!#t crazy.

While I was taken aback by the mega speed and handling abilities of the C 63 S sedan on Portugal’s big and fast Portimão Circuit, the back end did tend to get pretty unstable under

hard-braking at the end of the long straights.

The newer C 63 S coupe does not do this at all, and it’s because of several improvements that Mercedes-AMG has made to what is essentially a totally different car. The electronically-controlled mechanical rear-axle limited slip differential is a key factor here, but it isn’t alone.

Compared to the base C-Class coupe (the C 300 coupe was at the launch, but I didn’t drive it), the AMG version shares only the doors, roof and trunk lid. The remaining body panels are AMG specific, and necessary to provide more substance rather than aesthetics. The wide rear fenders, for example, add 33 mm to each side (2.6 inches total) to accommodate the limited-slip differential, as well as a rear axle that is 46 mm wider. Likewise, the front fenders widen the car by 24 mm per side (1.89 inches total) so that larger wheels and tires will fit in the front and back, respectively. The coupe is 15 mm lower than its sedan counterpart, and the rear axle and LSD are both new compared to the C 63 S sedan. I should also point out the LSD in the non-S model is not electronicallycontrolled, and thus not as sensitive.

The combination of the C 63 S’s lower centre of gravity, wider track width, larger contact patch, improved front and rear downforce (0.01 and 0.05 per cent, respectively), the AMG ride control suspension (and tuning) and other AMG tweaks make for a car that drives silky smooth at the limit. That it looks even better than the sedan is mere happenstance.

Like the sedan press launch, the C 63 coupe launch featured gorgeous on-road drive routes as well as track driving, the latter under the guidance of Mercedes-AMG brand ambassador and factory test driver Bernd Schneider. And instead of Portimão, I find myself chasing down the five-time DTM champ on the incredible Circuito Ascari in southern Spain – the 5.425-km long, 26-turn full track that combines the best corners from many of the world’s most famous racetracks.

In Portugal, Schneider drove the same car as everyone else. In Spain, however, the mouse is behind the wheel of the AMG GT S, while all the cats are driving C 63 S coupes. That said, I felt so much more confident driving said coupe that I was actually able to stay closer to “The Man” (that’s how our Canadian PR rep refers to him).

SPECIFICATIONS 2017 Mercedes-AMG C 63 S Coupé BASE PRICE: $82,500 (estimate only) ENGINE: AMG 4.0L twin-turbocharged V8 HORSEPOWER 503 hp @ 5,500-6,250 rpm (SAE) TORQUE: 516 lb-ft @ 4,750 rpm CONFIGURATION: Front-engine / rear-wheel drive TRANSMISSION: 7-speed dual clutch automatic DRY WEIGHT: 1,725 kg FUEL ECONOMY RATINGS (NEDC COMB.): 8.9 L/100 km WARRANTY (MOS. / KM): 48 / 80,000 ALTERNATIVES: Audi S5, BMW M2/4, Cadillac ATS-V Coupe, Chevrolet Camaro Z/28, Ford Mustang Shelby GT350R, Infiniti Q60 Coupe, Jaguar F-Type R, Lexus RC F NOTABLE OPTIONS: PREMIUM PACKAGE - Parktronic w/

active parking assist, COMAND online navi w/ MB Apps, Burmester surround system, Keyless-Go; INTELLIGENT DRIVE PACKAGE ($TBA) - Distronic Plus, Active Blind Spot Assist, Active Lane Keeping Assist, CMS rear, BMS Plus w Cross Traffic Assist, Pre-Safe Brake, Advanced Driving Assistance package; PREMIUM REAR SEATING PACKAGE - rear window sunshade, Thermotronic automatic climate control; metallic paint; designo upholstery; head-up display; passive lane keeping assist; power trunk closer; air balance package; 19-in. AMG 5-spoke wheels; AMG performance seat; AMG carbon ceramic brakes.

Compared to the AMG sedan, the coupe is more stable under heavy braking and faster all around. There’s virtually no body roll, and it doesn’t understeer whatsoever – thanks in part to the dynamic engine mounts it shares with the AMG GT. What nervousness I had on my first lap was already gone by lap two, and I managed to click off 20 this time around, including a private session with just the two of us on track that saw me clock a respectable best time of 2:38.33.

Mercedes has made great strides with its driver interfaces and usability in all its models, this being no exception. I won’t go on and on with specifics, but will say that it’s perhaps the nicest interior they make.

The C 300 4MATIC coupe will begin arriving in Canadian dealerships in March with a $48,100 MSRP, and it’s a one of the best compact luxury cars in Canada. The same can be said on the on the luxury performance side with respect to the C 63 coupe models, though pricing won’t be released until April and the car won’t go into production until June.

It will arrive in our showrooms sometime in July however. That is, if they even make it to showrooms. If you are at all interested don’t wait for them to get here because they will go fast – literally and figuratively.

The thing about this car is that you’ll find yourself resisting many urges in your daily commute, but if you’re looking for a dual-duty high-performance luxury car to also take to the track, this is one that should be seriously considered. The Mercedes-AMG C 63 S sedan has already been named AJAC’s Best New Sports Performance Car for 2016.

The coupe will be eligible to win it next year. And I think it will.

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2016-02-17 2:10 PM

2017 AUDI A4 2.0 TFSI QUATTRO

VENI, VIDI, VICI STORY & PHOTOGRAPHY BY SHAUN KEENAN

BY THE NUMBERS

One normally goes to Venice for a romantic gondola ride on the Grand Canal and explore the narrow medieval streets on foot, to drink caffè or eat tiramisu in the Piazza San Marco and to marvel at statues of famous explorers, Kings and Queens.

It’s certainly not a place you visit to explore by car as there are literally no roads – every taxi is a water taxi, and the speed limit on the canals is 7 km/h. So upon learning that Audi was launching the all-new A4 here, I pondered (albeit briefly) the possibility that the Ingolstadt car maker had been secretly developing an amphibious version of its mostimportant model. No such luck, of course.

Venice is a veritable stone’s throw away from the Dolomites, a mountain range in the northeastern part of Italy that, besides boasting some of the most beautiful views in the world, also features some of

VENICE ITALY

42

$171

/HP (BASE MSRP)

126

HP/L (ENGINE DISPLACEMENT)

151.4

HP/TON (HORSEPOWER TO WEIGHT)

the most fantastic driving roads anywhere. It is here, on the sinuous stretches of tarmac that rise from the shores of the Adriatic Sea, past the foothills of the Alps and ascend well into high alpine country, where Audi has laid out its latest bread-and-butter model for close examination. Over the course of about six hours, my co-driver and I take turns at the wheel, neither one of us wanting to give up the seat for the next stint.

The A4 has been the heart of the Audi brand since the mid-1990s, and the all-new 2017 models make up the ninth generation. Including the original 1972 Audi 80 predecessor, Audi has sold more than 12 million worldwide since the beginning; and the platform has helped Audi achieve greatness in the World Rally Championship (WRC) and the German touring car championship (DTM).

Built on the modular MLB evo platform, the new

5.99

KG/HP

6.3 L

L/100 KM (DCT – OBSERVED)

A4’s sporty, elegant and functional exterior is almost entirely new (more than 99 per cent they say).

Though it may be described as evolutionary rather than revolutionary, the design has been painstakingly refined in the wind tunnel to make it the most slippery A4 to date. The resulting 0.23 coefficient of drag is not only impressively low (second best in the world for production cars according to Audi), it helps maintain a cabin comparably quiet to the A8, while also improving fuel economy by up to 21 per cent, depending on the trim.

Audi has six versions of the 2017 A4 with a choice of seven different (three TFSI and four TDI) engines ranging from 150 to 272 horsepower for other parts of the world. Canada, however, will only get the 2.0 TFSI (gasoline) option on account of the unresolved North American VW diesel emissions scandal. Fortunately, I’ve managed to secure one of

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SPECIFICATIONS 2017 Audi A4 2.0 TFSI quattro BASE PRICE: $43,200 ENGINE: Turbocharged 2.0L I-4 HORSEPOWER / TORQUE: 252 hp @ 5,000-6,000 rpm CONFIGURATION: Front-engine / all-wheel drive TRANSMISSION: 7-speed S-tronic transmission FUEL ECONOMY RATINGS (CITY / HWY.): 7.9 / 5.4 / 6.3 L/100 km WARRANTY (MOS. / KM): 48 / 80,000 ALTERNATIVES: BMW 3 Series, Buick LaCrosse, Cadillac ATS-V, Infiniti Q50, Jaguar XE, Kia Cadenza, Lexus RC, Lincoln MKS, MercedesBenz C-Class, Volvo S60

NOTABLE OPTIONS: LED LIGHTING PACKAGE ($900) – LED

headlights, high-beam assist; S LINE SPORT PACKAGE ($2,250) – 19-in. 5-V-spoke design wheels with titanium finish, 255/35 R19 performance tires, sport suspension, front sports seats, black interior headliner, stainless steel pedals, brushed aluminum inlays, flat-bottomed 3-spoke multifunction steering wheel, S LINE EXTERIOR, PASSENGER

the few A4 2.0 TFSI Quattro S-Line models, complete with the sevenspeed S-tronic transmission, on hand to conquer the mountains.

It doesn’t take long for the smiles to materialize. The car is taking the multitude of switchbacks with nonchalance – turn-in is crisp and precise, and grip is in ample supply despite the changing surfaces (wet/dry) as we punch through each cloud layer. The chassis stays flat through long, sweeping bends with almost no understeer to complain about; and the car doesn’t struggle one bit during the long, slow ascent to the summit.

Weight is down by 110 kilograms despite the car being slightly larger than the outgoing model, with six kilos stricken from the front axle alone to help it turn and stop quicker. Audi claims this car accelerates from 0-100 km/h in six seconds, though it is closer to seven by my rough count. But while the car has a tendency to lag from a standing start, it certainly feels much faster when pulling out to pass at speed.

Drive Select switches between regular and sporty driving modes, the ECUs communicating with a number of computers that are on board to manage the 30 driver assistance systems and achieve semiautonomous operation. Things like active cruise control with predictive efficiency assist and traffic jam mode for stop-and-go traffic not only make it seem like the car is thinking ahead, it reacts appropriately, too.

The interior of the new A4 is as comfy as it is an exercise in meticulous attention to detail. It’s not quite as luxurious as Mercedes cabins, but it does have a techier feel thanks to a number of tricks, including MyCar Manager for smartphones and the Audi virtual cockpit control cluster that’s also found in the Q7, TT and R8. Besides using Google maps for navigation, this system uses the ATE standard for faster rendering of the sat nav.

Furthermore, the A4 now boasts the longest interior in its category, with more headroom and rear legroom than its predecessor, a 480-litre trunk and 30 different ambient lighting colours to fine tune the cockpit ambience. Pinch to zoom maps, a 750-watt Bang & Olufsen stereo, two USB ports, Audi phone box with inductive charging capabilities and a smartphone screen clone function on the multimedia interface means you can always stay connected.

While the A4 is currently only offered with 2.0 TFSI powerplant (available trims include Komfort, Progressiv and Technik), we’re hoping more offerings will be announced as Dieselgate gets sorted out.

For now, we have it on good authority that an A4 Avant wagon will be available in Canada roughly six months following the sedan’s on-sale date. That might not be enough for diesel fans, but with the price of gas as low as it is, it will be hard to ignore.

Turn-in is crisp and precise, and grip is in ample supply despite the changing surfaces as we punch through each cloud layer.”

LUMBAR SUPPORT, SPORT SEATS WITH LEATHER SEATING SURFACES, S LINE DOOR SILLS; DRIVER ASSISTANCE PACKAGE ($1,350) – Audi side assist, top-view camera, AUDI PRE SENSE REAR, REAR CROSS-TRAFFIC ALERT; COMFORT SEATING PACKAGE ($1,350) – front sport seats, ventilated

front seats; CONVENIENCE PACKAGE ($850) – Rear parking sensors,

heated steering wheel, memory for driver’s seat and exterior mirrors; Metallic paint ($890); 18-in. 10-spoke dynamic design wheels with all-season tires ($800); rear side airbags ($500).

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2016-02-19 3:13 PM

have

after

g ound

2016 CHEVROLET MALIBU SLIM, TRIM AND PACKED WITH TECHNOLOGY

You could be forgiven if you weren’t aware that the Chevrolet CALIFORNIA Malibu is now on its third generation since 2008. The 2013 model, in fact, marked the beginning of a new generation, but it maintained so much continuity with its predecessor that it appeared to be more like a refresh.

With the debut of the all-new ninth-gen model, however, so much has changed that there’s a good chance you might not even realize it’s a Malibu.

One of the biggest differences is under the skin where GM engineers have lengthened the Malibu’s wheelbase (by a whopping 91 mm) and its overall length (by 58 mm), while keeping the same width.

PALO ALTO

44

BY LEE BAILIE

They’ve also shed 136 kilograms (300 pounds) of weight. More than one-third of the reduction (54 kg) comes from a structure that uses more high-strength steel than its predecessor, which enabled GM engineers to use thinner components that are lighter, yet deliver similar levels of crash worthiness.

A greater use of aluminum, in suspension and chassis components and the hood (which itself is three kilos lighter than the steel hood on the outgoing car), has also contributed to the Malibu’s reduced mass.

The lightweight theme continues under the hood, where the Malibu offers three four-cylinder engines, two of which are all-aluminum.

An all-new 1.5-litre turbo (160 hp / 184 lb-ft) serves as the base engine, while a higher-out-

put 2.0-litre turbo (250 hp / 258 lb-ft) powers the range-topping Premier model. A 1.8-litre mill with a cast iron block mated to an electric two-motor drive unit (182 total hp / 129 lb-ft) powers the Malibu Hybrid.

Two automatic transmissions are available, a carry-over six-speed pairs with the 1.5, while the 2.0 is mated to an all-new eightspeed, the first to be offered in a GM frontwheel drive vehicle.

From a design perspective, the Malibu cuts a sleeker, more handsome profile compared to the boxier look of the outgoing model. Slim headlamps and a two-port grille opening bear a striking resemblance to other Chevrolets, the new Volt and forthcoming Cruze in particular. Strong character lines running the length

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BY THE NUMBERS

$128 /HP (CALCULATED

W/ AS-TESTED PRICE)

125

HP/L

6.14

HP/TON

9.0

L/100 KM (AUTO – COMBINED)

SPECIFICATIONS 2016 Chevrolet Malibu Premier BASE PRICE: $21,745 (L trim) AS-TESTED PRICE: $32,045 (plus $1,750 freight & PDI) ENGINE: 2.0L turbocharged 4-cylinder HORSEPOWER: 250 hp @ 5,300 rpm TORQUE: 258 lb-ft. @ 1,700 rpm DRY WEIGHT: 1,536 kg CONFIGURATION: front-engine, front-wheel drive TRANSMISSION: 8-speed automatic FUEL ECONOMY RATINGS (CITY / HWY. / COMB.): 10.6 / 7.1 / 9.0 L/100 km WARRANTY (MOS. / KM): 36 / 60,000 ALTERNATIVES: Ford Fusion Titanium, Honda Accord Touring, Toyota Camry XLE

of the car give the Malibu a more dramatic-looking profile.

The interior is spacious, handsomely finished and pleasingly straightforward. Soft touch plastics and fabrics complement controls and switches that are well-placed and easy to use. In addition to Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, with the former being available first, and the latter to follow later in the 2016 model year, safety is a primary focus for the new Malibu.

On that front, the Malibu offers a broad range of collision mitigation technology, the sort of which has become common on many cars these days – front and rear park assist, front pedestrian braking, lane departure warning, rear cross traffic alert are among its many available safety features.

What’s new here is Teen Driver, an industry first, which essentially enables parents of teenage drivers to moni-

tor their kids’ driving habits.

Standard issue on the Premier trim and optional on LT models equipped with the Convenience Package and upgraded radio, Teen Driver enables a parent to set the car’s maximum speed (between 65-120 km/h), and all of the equipped safety features (stability control, front and rear park assist, side blind zone alert, etc.) are enabled and cannot be turned off.

So-equipped Malibus can also track distance driven, maximum speed travelled, over-speed warnings issued and stability control events, among other data. Teen Driver isn’t subscription-based, so once a parent sets up a PIN to go with their teenager’s key fob using the Malibu’s MyLink system, it’s a permanent part of the vehicle.

It’s an innovative feature on a car that feels very well-engineered and carefully calibrated to suit consumer preferences.

Teen Driver, an industry first… essentially enables parents of teenage drivers to monitor their kids’ driving habits.”

After spending the better part of a day driving several trims on highways and local roads in the Palo Alto area, it seems to me GM has accomplished what it set out to do with the Malibu.

All trims deliver a quiet, comfortable ride over a variety of road surfaces. Acceleration is reasonably brisk with all three engines, and the handling, while not exactly sporty, feels secure in everyday driving environments. The weight saving measures help give the car a lighter, nimbler and more responsive feel.

Inside, the Premier trim is certainly the most luxe with its sheer volume of stuff, but the lower and mid-range trims (the LT in particular) also comes with an impressive array of standard equipment. That said, if performance matters, the Premier’s 2.0-litre turbo and eight-speed auto powertrain is the trim of choice as it offers the most engaging driving experience.

In all, the 2016 Malibu offers a compelling value proposition, nicely packaged with an impressive array of safety features and technology for the broad mid-size segment. Its predecessor has been a solid sales performer on both sides of the border and I suspect this car will continue that trend.

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2016 NISSAN

TITAN XD Taking the middle road

BY LEE BAILIE

BY THE NUMBERS Let’s deal with this right off the top: the all-new Nissan Titan XD is a tweener.

ARIZONA What I mean is that it’s a heavier light-duty truck that falls in between the half-ton and threequarter ton classes of full-size pickup. Essentially, Nissan is positioning the Titan XD to have more of the capability found in the latter, combined with the road manners and driveability of the former.

Mechanically, the XD ticks a lot of the boxes truck buyers will approve of, starting with the Cummins engine.

Made of a compacted graphite iron block with a forged steel crankshaft and aluminum heads, the Cummins 5.0-litre turbo diesel V8 tips the scales at just 362 kilograms (800 pounds). It features a new M2 two-stage turbocharging system that is designed to work well at both low and high engine speeds. A high pressure fuel system from Bosch featuring piezo fuel injectors allow for precise fuel control for optimized combustion, which helps to improve fuel efficiency and reduce emissions.

$169

/HP (CALCULATED W/ BASE MSRP)

111

HP/L

150

HP/TON

6.05

KG/HP

SCOTTSDALE

46

In terms of output, the engine delivers 310 horsepower and 555 lb-ft of torque, which bodes well for towing thanks to its maximum tow rating of 5,460 kilograms (12,038 pounds) and maximum payload of 908 kilograms (2,004 pounds). This is good news if you’re going to be hauling a boat, horse trailer or loads of gravel, among other things.

Under the skin, Nissan appears to have done its homework in building

a rigid, durable backbone for the Titan XD. Its platform is shared with the Nissan’s NV2500 full-size cargo van, and features a fully-boxed steel ladder frame that has been reinforced for greater stiffness.

A double-wishbone with a stabilizer bar forms the reinforced front suspension that’s tuned for hard use, while the rear utilizes heavy duty leaf springs and leaf bushings. A 13-inch rear differential

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SPECIFICATIONS

features 3.5-inch axle tubes, while the front differential is 9.25 inches long. All Canadian-market XDs are 4x4.

When it comes to stopping force, the XD comes with standard four-wheel disc brakes that are 360 mm (14.2 inches) in diameter up front and 365 mm (14.4 inches) in the rear. 17-inch wheels are standard, but 18 and 20inch sizes are available.

In terms of styling, Nissan has wisely chosen to avoid trying to out-cowboy the domestics by giving the XD a powerful warrior-type look designed to invoke an impression of size and strength.

So, while there is a lot of brightwork on certain trims, especially the high-end Platinum Reserve, you won’t see any Texas-inspired belt buckles or other homages to the American West here.

Much like the original Titan, Nissan isn’t selling nostalgia with this truck and its design is reflective of that.

2016 Nissan Titan XD SL Crew Cab 4x4 PRICE: $70,250 ENGINE: 5.0L V8 turbo diesel HORSEPOWER: 310 hp @ 3,200 rpm TORQUE: 555 lb-ft @ 1,600 rpm CONFIGURATION: front-engine, four-wheel drive TRANSMISSION: 6-speed automatic DRY WEIGHT: 3,357 kg FUEL ECONOMY RATINGS (CITY / HWY.): NA WARRANTY (MOS. / KM): 36 / 60,000 ALTERNATIVES: Chevrolet Silverado, GMC Sierra 2500, Ford F-250, Ram 2500

…you won’t see any Texasinspired belt buckles or other homages to the American West here.”

While in Arizona, I was able to sample several crew cab models, including the upper level SL, on a mix of on- and off-road drive routes that also involved towing a 4,082-kilo (9,000-pound) enclosed car trailer.

A few things stand out from my time behind the wheel.

First off, the XD’s interior is enormous, nicely finished and chock full of well-designed utility features. From a giant centre console capable of swallowing a 15-inch laptop to multiple 12-volt outlets, more cup holders than you can count on two hands and various other pockets and storage cubbies, Nissan designers have made the most of available space.

Second, the Cummins engine is much quieter, both at speed on the highway and in slower city traffic. The oft-cited ‘diesel clatter,’ while still detectable under acceleration, is well supressed. Better insulation is key here, especially the use of laminated front side glass that helps supress wind and road noise.

Third, towing appears to be a real strength thanks to the presence of trailer sway control, an integrated trailer brake controller and downhill speed

control, which is essentially engine braking. Towing the enclosed trailer up and down a long and winding stretch of highway near Scottsdale proved to be a drama-free exercise.

The six-speed Aisin heavy-duty transmission seems ideally matched with the Cummins engine. Power delivery is smooth, both truck and trailer felt planted on the road and the downhill speed control was easy to modulate with judicious braking and acceleration. No gear-hunting here.

In sum, the Titan XD is a well-engineered truck loaded with useful and innovative features, several of which will be familiar to first-gen Titan owners, including the spray-in bedliner, Utilitrack bed channel tie-down system and bedside storage. The Trailer Light Check System integrated into the key fob, which allows one person to check all of the trailer lights, is yet another cleverlydesigned innovation.

Although not cheap, the Titan XD offers a lot of truck for the money, but the real question is how big is the market for a more capable half-ton pick-up? The answer to that question will go a long way in determining its long-term success.

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2016-02-17 4:09 PM

W

hen the green flag drops for the feature event at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (CTMP) on the 2016 Victoria Day Speedfest Weekend, it will mark a new season with a couple of major changes for Canada’s top stock car tour.

The biggest one will be on the marquee, as the tour has officially become the NASCAR Pinty’s Series, joining Whelen and K&N Filters, as companies that have transitioned their involvement from associate sponsorship to series title sponsorship.

The fresh and frozen chicken product giant has been serving retail and restaurant costumers since 1943, and Tony Spiteri, Pinty’s senior vice president, marketing, research & development spoke about the partnership. “NASCAR and Pinty’s share a common goal of delivering the highest quality product to their loyal and passionate fans,” he says. “Taking our involvement with NASCAR to the next level with this unique naming rights opportunity will further elevate the series and help make it more exciting and engaging for fans.”

Canadian Tire announced early in 2015 that it wouldn’t be returning in 2016 after being the title sponsor since 2007, a nine-year run.

It was an amazing run for the retail giant, and it will be interesting to see what Pinty’s has up its sleeves to leverage what must be a tremendous financial commitment for the company, in a deal that will be a minimum of three years.

Speaking of time frames, I still have a couple of months to decide if my hillside tailgate for the opener will feature caesar, maple bacon or whiskey mustardflavoured wings – if not all three.

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THE WINGS OF CHANGE 2016 SEASON PRIMER

BY JAMIE MAUDSLEY | PHOTOGRAPHY BY GETTY IMAGES FOR NASCAR

The driver looking forward to the opportunity the most might be Andrew Ranger, who was victorious on the temporary concrete surface in both 2010 and 2011. Three other previous winners could also be in the field, including Kerry Micks and a pair of two-time winners in the concrete canyons, Robin Buck and Jeff Lapcevich.

A RETURN TO T.O. The 2013 season was the last time the series had a dozen events on the schedule, but after 11 races for each of the last three seasons, there will be an expansion this year. The Canadian National Exhibition grounds in Toronto will see stock car action for the first time in five years, as the stock cars are set to return to the Honda Indy on the undercard.

It’s a huge opportunity for the series and Pinty’s to become part of one of the biggest races in Canada, right in the heart of downtown Toronto.

ANOTHER RISING STAR Unlike a number of the most recent newcomers to the NASCAR Pinty’s Series who have cut their teeth on road courses, “The Prodigy” Cayden Lapcevich burst onto the scene in 2015 after growing up going in these circles.

A second-generation driver following in the footsteps of his father, multiple CASCAR Super Series feature winner Jeff Lapcevich, Cayden made his debut last year during the CTMP’s Victoria Day Speedfest Weekend.

Prior to his NASCAR debut, Lapcevich was a two-time Thunder Car champion at Sunset Speedway, and throughout the weekend he found speed, racing to

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G R A S S R O OT S

NASCAR PINTY’S SERIES

PHOTO: JAMIE MAUDSLEY

It’s a huge opportunity for the series and Pinty’s to become part of one of the biggest races in Canada, right in the heart of downtown Toronto.”

Grassroots-NASCAR_2016_ILP_Spring v2.indd 2

a 17th-place finish in his first career road course start.

The 16-year-old explained his first road course attempt, “I’ve played Mosport on iRacing before, and I went to the Bondurant Racing School to prepare for road courses, but that place is something else. The highspeed corners and elevation changes are awesome!

“I used to love watching my dad and my uncle race there, and it was one place that I really wanted to race. With oval tracks, you can control the car based off your entry, but you only have to do that twice a lap. On a road course you have to do that 10 or 16 times a lap, and every corner sets up every other corner, so one mistake can really cost you a lot of time.”

After a disappointing appearance at Autodrome Chaudière, Lapcevich returned to his home track, Sunset Speedway for the inaugural event at

the 1/3rd-mile playground of speed.

But while Alex Tagliani was the class of the field that day, Cayden came home with a tremendous third-place finish… before he even held a license to drive on the road. “That was the highlight of the season,” he says. “I’ve raced there for four or five years, so that’s the one place I really wanted to race in the series. I got to race against Tagliani for a while. That was the case all season – racing against guys like Tag and Jason Hathaway – guys that I grew up watching with my dad at the track. I’ve known some of those guys since I was really young – I looked up to them, and it was cool that a lot of them gave me one-on-one time, talking to me about racing."

Lapcevich has proven himself to be a quick learner, as he found even more speed during his return trip to CTMP on Labour Day, finishing ninth.

Back to an oval for the season finale, it was a sixth-place result at Kawartha

that closed the season as he posted three top-10s and one podium finish in six starts.

After that final race all eyes have been on 2016 and beyond. “Our team lost long-time sponsor Tim Horton’s, so we’re trying to find some funding and that will be what our season depends on. We would love to put together a fulltime NASCAR Pinty’s deal, and hopefully open doors to move south in NASCAR. That’s my goal, and I’m not going to give it up until I get there.

“I think that J.R. Fitzpatrick and D.J. Kennington opened some doors down south, and Cameron Hayley really did well last year and was able to get a ride in some top notch equipment, which is where some Canadians have struggled before.”

If he can build on his freshman campaign, Cayden could be looking at a bright future, as he tries to live up to his moniker of “The Prodigy.”

2016-02-19 11:25 AM

G R A S S R O OT S ATLANTIC REGION MOTOR SPORTS

MOTORSPORTS ON THE EAST COAST PLENTIFUL

BY DAVE HULL | PHOTOGRAPHY BY HAROLD MERKLINGER

T

ruro, Nova Scotia – Here we are again, two months into 2016 and it is looking like a repeat of the winter of 2015, albeit with less snow and crazy temperature shifts so far.

With most of the club and region annual general meetings over, it’s time to start getting down to the business of preparing race cars and karts for the start of competition in May. Hopefully, Santa was good to everyone this year and brought all kinds of go-fast goodies because it’s time to turn up the heat in the garage, forget about the snow

50

outside and get those parts installed and everything tuned up. After all, in less than three months, ARMS members will get their first chance to drive the new improvements at Atlantic Motorsport Park (AMP), the kart track at Scotia Speed World (SSW) or even a parking lot nearer to you for some autoslalom fun. I’m not saying you should

stay inside on weekends for the rest of this winter, but it won’t be long now.

Returning for its 14th year, the Bluenose Autosport Club RallyCross Challenge has been in full swing since November though, with events split between AMP near Shubenacadie, NS and SSW near the Halifax International Airport. Turn-outs have been great this season with a high of 46 competitors so far. No frost in the ground has made for some very interesting, very mucky courses, and there is still some fun to be had. For more info and upcoming dates visit www.BluenoseAutosport.ca.

The Moncton Motor Sport Club and Fredericton Motorsports Club are each planning to hold two AutoCross events at some point over the winter. These events will most likely be at Magic Mountain in Moncton, NB and Speedway 660 in Geary, NB, and are very much weather dependent. For further info on these events be sure to visit www.MMSC.ca and www.

FrederictonMotorsportsClub.ca.

AutoCross and RallyCross are great ways to learn better car control in lessthan-ideal conditions and, for those willing to venture out into the crazy winter weather, it’s a great way to get the thrill in a low cost, controlled and fun atmosphere. Conditions range from sunny and cold to rain and snow on surfaces ranging from bare ground to snow covered and shear ice.

ARMS calendar of 2016 events at www.ARMSinc.ca including all Regional Championships in Race, Rally, AutoSlalom and Time Attack.

• Race has a five-event Regional Race Championship, known as the TRAC Championships with info available at www.TRACracing.ca and the Jack Canfield Memorial 3-Hour Enduro Race.

• Navigational Rally Championships for both Novice and Experienced drivers and navigators.

• Time Attack has a three-day Championship event planned for early October.

• AutoSlalom has an eight-event series at various locations in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island.

The various ARMS member clubs all have their own championships as well.

More detailed event info is available on the ARMS forum and club web sites. It’s looking like 2016 will be a great year for motorsports in Atlantic Canada! We’ll see you at the track!

Atlantic Region Motor Sports ARMSinc.ca TRACracing.ca twitter.com/arms_racing facebook.com/ARMSInc

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G R A S S R O OT S

CANADIAN AUTOMOBILE SPORT CLUBS - ONTARIO REGION

MOBIL 1 ONTARIO TIME ATTACK

A great intro to grassroots racing!

BY GERRY CARVALHO | PHOTOGRAPHY BY WILL PARSONS

T

here are many forms of racing and all have their merits and challenges, but where does someone start when they do not have the experience or a limited budget to compete? The Ontario Time Attack (OTA for short, and previously known as SOLO 1) is a grassroots discipline that has been established since 1980 as an affordable alternative and stepping stone to other forms of racing.

Here is a comparison of OTA and other racing disciplines:

ONTARIO TIME ATTACK

OTHER NON-CASC FORMS OF RACING

Use your daily driver to compete in most cases.

Need to have a series specified and dedicated car, which is not “streetable” and requires tow vehicle and trailer.

Safety equipment minimum is an approved helmet and factory safety belts.

Usually a roll cage is required with safety 4or 5-point harness and, consequently, a neck restraint required with approved helmet.

Race “solo” like you’re qualifying for pole position in every race.

You race with others sharing the track with the chance of making contact with other competitors with your car.

Choose up to 6 events and 2 schools.

Usually you must compete in a minimum number of races to maintain your involvement in the series.

Affordable drivers education dovetailed into the race events.

Driver education is not usually run in conjunction with the race schedule, and costs usually are over $1,000 plus.

2016 MOBIL 1 ONTARIO TIME ATTACK CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES Presented by JRP, Toyo Tires & Yokohama Tire

SCHEDULE TRACK DATE

HOST CLUB LOCATION

DDC

May 14

OMSC 1 hour East of GTA

TMP

June 4

TAC

1 hour South of Hamilton

CTMP

June 25

SPDA

1 hour East of GTA

CTMP

June 26

SPDA

CLUBS

DDC

July 9

OMSC 1 hour East of GTA

SPDA

DDC

July 10

0MSC

SMP

August 20 SPDA

SMP

August 21 TAC

2 hours East of GTA

LEGEND TRACKS CTMP Canadian Tire Motorsport Park DDC CTMP Driver Development Centre SMP TMP

Shannonville Motorsports Park Toronto Motorsports Park

SPDA Motorsport Club spda-online.ca OMSC Oshawa Motorsport Club oshawamotorsportclub.com Toronto Autosport Club TAC torontoautosportclub.ca/tac-solosprint.html

Can’t wait to get started? Contact Gerry at gerrcar@gmail.com or phone/text him at 416-505-9559.

You decide which modifications you want to Modifications are usually standardized make. A performance index ensures you’re which can result in large expenditure to make fairly matched with similar competitor groups. your car competitive. Usually the teams who can maximize expenditure on the cars can lead the race.

All the events are close to the GTA and scheduled on weekends.

Many of these races are either out of province and/or have Friday test and tech days.

Our drivers are competitive but are more than ready to assist novice drivers in both mechanical and driving skills.

Drivers are often overly competitive and rarely share experiences to help you become a better driver.

We offer lots of track time to practice your skills and also compete.

Track time can be very limited.

We hire professional racetrack marshals and safety crews to keep our drivers safe.

Professional racetrack marshals and safety crews keep drivers safe.

You win awards and get satisfaction developing and honing your driving skills.

Win awards and develop your driving skills in a highly-competitive environment.

We are a volunteer-run organization and depend on fellow competitors to run a safe event while maintaining the cost of racing to a minimum.

Ditto.

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G R A S S R O OT S

WESTERN CANADA MOTORSPORT ASSOCIATION

GO RACING WITH THE WCMA.CA

BY DOUG CAMPBELL | PHOTOGRAPHY BY SHAWN BISHOP

A

lways wanted to go car racing, but didn’t know what or where to race? This year, the Western Canada Motorsport Association (WCMA) has made it even easier to “race what you’ve got.”

For two of our classes, we have adopted National Auto Sports Association (NASA) Performance Touring (PT) and Super Touring (ST) rules. The PT class is for cars with greater than 10.5 pounds per horsepower, and ST for cars that have less than 10.5 pounds per horsepower. This means you don’t need a highly-modified car to race in a competitive class. You add a roll cage and safety equipment to whatever car you want to race, plug your car and modifications into the PT class calculator spreadsheet, and you will be placed in a competitive class for the level of modification of your car.

The WCMA will be holding two race licensing schools this spring: April 30-May 1 at Castrol Raceway in Leduc, Alberta, and May 7-8 at Gimli in Manitoba. Each school provides two days of instructor-driven track instruction for a fraction of the cost of taking a professional racing school. And the FIA licensing obtained at these schools will allow you to race anywhere in the world through our FIA affiliation.

The WCMA has many other classes to race in as well, including Open Wheel Formulas,

54

Challenge Car for early RX7s, and Spec Miata for 1989-2005 cars. The Spec Miata field reached 17 cars last year at Castrol, which was the largest field for a club level race in North America.

Four race dates are scheduled at Castrol Raceway Leduc and five race dates are confirmed at Gimli Manitoba in 2016. As well, tow funds are available for selected racers traveling to away races in B.C. and the Prairies.

Not ready to hit the track this year? The WCMA’s 17 affiliated clubs have autoslalom events where you can race your street car against the clock on some exciting venues, such as the Fort Macleod Airport runway and portions of Castrol Raceway. Participation in these events can start you off on a graduated progression to get your race licence and hit the big tracks!

So, if you’ve been thinking about racing in Alberta and/or Manitoba and didn’t know where to start, think about the WCMA! Visit our website (www.WCMA.ca) for details on events and registration for the upcoming summer racing season.

The WCMA will be holding two race licensing schools this spring: April 30-May 1 at Castrol Raceway, and May 7-8 at Gimli...”

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G R A S S R O OT S

CONFEDERATION OF AUTOSPORT CAR CLUBS

NO SHORTAGE OF ACTION STORY & PHOTOGRAPHY BY PAUL BONNER

T

he Confederation of Autosport Car Clubs (CACC) holds motorsports events all year long on the west coast.

In the winter months, a very dedicated group of racers look forward to the freezing weather and the trek up the Fraser Canyon to Barnes Lake for a season of ice racing. Unfortunately, the track is dependent on how cold it is and how much ice is on the lake. If it isn’t cold enough that means no ice. No ice means no track. No track means no racing. While there’s still some time for things to turn around, this winter’s warm weather saw things get off to a slow start, with only a single icecross having been run on the lake as of this writing.

Fortunately, the weather in the Greater Vancouver area and in Victoria on Vancouver Island affords us the opportunity to run slalom events year round, with only a short break over the Christmas holidays. Check the CACC web site for a listing of clubs that organize slalom events throughout B.C. during the year.

The CACC will have a booth at the Vancouver International Auto Show again this year (March 23-27), which always attracts lots of enthusiastic spectators. This usually brings new people out to our events, and we invite you to come out and learn more about our organization.

Both the Victoria Motorsports Club (VMSC) and the Sports Car Club of British Columbia (SCCBC) will also be hosting their annual Race Driver Training Events in March, too. The VMSC will hold its school on March 26-27 in Victoria while the SCCBC will hold its on March 13-1920. These schools are for people wanting to go wheel-to-wheel racing as well as those who want to learn better car control. Spots fill up early and fast.

The 2016 CACC race schedule is set for the events at Mission Raceway Park’s road course, with the first race weekend set for April 16-17 with a practice day on Friday the 15th. It will be a full field of cars with racing for novices on Saturday, and full grids of open- and closed-wheel cars both days. Plus, there will be a time

The VMSC will hold its school on March 26-27... while the SCCBC will hold its on March 13-19-20.”

attack on Saturday, with Sunday set aside for racing Vintage cars. The full schedule is on www.sccbc.net.

Time attackers are also looking forward to the Annual Knox Mountain Hillclimb, which takes place on the Victoria Day long weekend in Kelowna, BC this year. This long-standing event continues to be the only sanctioned hillclimb in Canada, and draws entries from all over western Canada and the U.S. The vintage racing discipline will be holding races on all regular CACC race weekends, but The British Columbia Historic Motor Races standalone race weekend will take place on August 1921. This event always features a great display of old race cars doing what they were built to do – RACE! – as well as a superb car corral with lots of old cars to check out. There is a fun social atmosphere at the Saturday night banquet – a must attend event – so what are you waiting for?

Before signing off, the CACC wants to congratulate Rick Payne of Mission, BC, who took his Van Dieman RF99 Honda from 10th on the grid to victory at the 2015 Formula F Championship during the SCCA Runoffs in Daytona Beach, Florida in September. Well done Rick!

The CACC is looking forward to another great season in all of our different facets of motorsport. And we invite you to come out and join us. Check our web site www.CACCautosport.org to find contacts for our affiliate clubs.

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2016-02-17 2:01 PM

PACE NOTES

DON’T BUILD YOUR FIRST RACE CAR Buy built instead

BY JEN HORSEY | PHOTOGRAPHY BY TOM HAYSTON

T

he best racing advice I ever got was to buy built. It sounds counterintuitive – especially to the mechanically inclined who imagine weekends in the shop with friends when they daydream about starting a team. But if you survey a driver’s meeting in just about any discipline, you’ll find experienced racers generally agree on this point: for your first race car, don’t build it. Buy built.

My very first race car was a 1993 Mazda 323 rally car (pictured) originally built and maintained by the capable team at Four Star Motorsports in Georgetown, Ontario.

It was a straightforward build with a few aftermarket parts, reinforcement where it needed it, and safety gear to the rules of the day. It came with a log book guaranteeing it was race legal in its class, and a

56

well-developed spares package.

I loved that car: it was well-sorted and dead reliable. Somebody else had done the development work on it, so any DNFs on my early career record were due to operator error, rather than of the mechanical variety.

So in my first season, I got to learn a lot, including what I wanted in a race car. When I bought the Mazda, I would have told you that what it needed was a ton more power, a racier gearbox and a new paint job. When I sold it, I knew I wanted my next ride to have a modified pedal set-up that was more conducive to left-foot braking, different seats installed a little lower and on a better angle for weight balance as well as my comfort and visibility, a better handbrake set-up, and a suspension upgrade. Nowhere on the

Jen Horsey in her first national event in the race car she bought built.

list were the power or gearbox upgrades I thought it needed because once I started racing, my priorities completely changed. (I repainted the car when I crashed it badly enough to need to replace some panels – the first time).

After that, I built. And I discovered first-hand that it is usually not a fun experience to fight through a season with a new car. I experienced no shortage of what we in the biz like call “teething troubles.” Think it won’t happen to you? They’re almost inevitable.

Look up your favourite team’s first season results and you’ll see the telltale pattern of new-car woes: DNFs, inconsistent lap times, and flashes of brilliance marred by gutting disappointment. Better still: Google “teething trouble” and “motorsport.” Formula One’s McLaren-Honda’s 2015 season to forget is only the first result to come up in a long, long list.

The best way to learn and grow as a driver when you’re new to motorsport is to maximize your time racing and minimize your time in the garage. A sorted-out build is critical to your success. But that’s not the only reason to buy built.

A driver I used to work with was fond of saying that you had to hate your car a little bit to put it through the abuse it sees in competition. And if you fall in love with every rivet while you’re building it, you might discover that driving it becomes a little less fun. The last thing you want to be thinking about as you’re throttle down and working on a last-corner pass for the lead is how much work it’s going to be to fix the crash damage.

But once you decide to buy built, how do you avoid a lemon? There are no CarProof vehicle history reports for race cars, of course, but you’ll find the paddock grapevine is just as accurate – if not more so. There are few off-the-books wrecks in racing.

Ask around and people will be happy to tell you what they know.

A vehicle’s build history is important – that will tell you how sturdy its fundamentals are – but when you’re buying built you also need to know a car’s racing record and service history. The longer it’s been since the builders had it, the more important the service reference. Officials, competitors and team mechanics will all have an opinion on a given car, and if you’re hearing a mostly positive slate of reviews, then you’re in business.

And for the mechanically inclined among you, never fear: if there is one guarantee for a grassroots racer, it’s that you will spend plenty of time working on your car.

It’s been seven or so years since I sold my dear old Mazda, but each time it has come up for sale, somebody has tagged me on Facebook or sent me the listing. It was blue the last time I saw it in person.

It’s yellow now. And it’s been crashed and fixed and modified enough times since I’ve owned it that I’ve lost track of its condition and wouldn’t be able to give a reference on it anymore. But the people who know it from recent track days and races sure can.

And that’s true for just about every race car on the market. Once you let it be known that you could be a buyer, you’ll have no trouble finding your next weekend warrior.

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2014-01-17 2016-02-24 5:21 4:54 PM PM

JIM RUSSELL RACING SCHOOL WILL PUT YOU ON THE RIGHT TRACK

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REINCARNATION

SPECULATING ON CARS Canadian billionaire Lawrence Stroll paid a record $27.5-million for this 1967 Ferrari 275 GTB/4*S N.A.R.T. Spider at RM's 2013 auction in Monterey.

That figure has since been eclipsed by a 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO that sold for $38.1-million in 2014.

BY DAVID GRAINGER | PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF RM SOTHEBY’S

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ntique and classic cars have always been pretty safe and reliable investments for savvy buyers. And now, exotics, even fairly recently built examples can be quite profitable. The great side benefit to investing in cars is that you get the enjoyment of them while they are appreciating. The downside is that often the car that appeals to you the most may not have much market or investment potential.

Having said that, I now have to caution those not familiar with the investment car market.

Firstly, cars that I like to call generational are rarely good investments for long. Generational cars are those that are generally around 30-years-old and desired by middle aged buyers because they rekindle pleasant memories of their younger years.

While these can appreciate rapidly, they usually have no staying power. If you buy at the wrong moment, you can find yourself two years later with a car that is worth half what you paid for it, and that is contingent on finding a buyer who is still interested.

The difference between cars that will always hold their value and appreciate over the years, and those prone to abrupt rise and fall is the same as the comparison between Beanie Babies and a painting

by Matisse. One is a flash in the pan; the other will always have value and often will have periodic and sometimes meteoric increases in value depending on the auction market.

The key is the rarity of a car along with a significant history.

A fine example of this is provided by a Ferrari driven

by Stirling Moss, the pale green 250 GTO. This car sold in 2012 for 35 million dollars. The reasons were threefold.

First, it had an impeccable racing provenance. Secondly,

it was one of a very small group of cars built by a famous manufacturer and designed by a famous coachbuilder.

Thirdly, and perhaps most importantly, two very wellheeled individuals wanted it at almost any cost.

This sale had ramifications throughout the car collecting world. It was largely responsible for kick starting a dramatic run on Ferraris, which then overlapped to pretty much any interesting Italian cars.

That trend is still spectacularly healthy today. Over the last three years, dozens of cars (probably more) have sold for more than 10 million dollars. Several Ferraris and a GP Mercedes have even sold for figures in the high 20s.

Admittedly, this is all atmospheric stuff, but almost anyone can play. It just depends on what level you want to play in.

Another example following the Italian theme is the Alfa Romeo Montreal. It was named in honour of the Montreal Olympics and was made in fairly small numbers for a production car. It was also famously unreliable and, while one of the prettier designs to come out of Alfa, it suffered a bad reputation because of its mechanical issues.

Soon after, the cheapest Ferraris followed by Lamborghinis and Maseratis, rose in value past most people’s ability. The Alfa Romeo Montreal sat with other fairly cheap Alfas squarely in the sights of people looking for Italian designs.

Five years ago a nicely restored Montreal could be had for around $30,000 dollars. Then Gooding’s auction sold one for $80,000 a couple of years ago. Now, it is entirely possible that the Montreal will eclipse $200,000 in the coming year. Alfa GT juniors and other fairly pedestrian offerings from Alfa have also risen dramatically – out of reach of most enthusiasts

in most cases. I have also seen a recent increase in the price of the infamous Alfa GTV, which I would have never thought possible.

So what is left? Well there are Fiats, but again you had better hurry. The Fiat Dino started its own dramatic rise two years ago after the Ferrari Dino (I know, it’s not really a Ferrari) rose from $60,000 to $250,000. Now, Fiat Dinos like Montreal are headed for $200,000.

There is a good chance that all of these cars will maintain their value over the years as even Alfas, while fairly high in production, are insignificant in numbers compared to the number of 57 Chevies still around.

Pre-war cars, which were at one time not so long ago all pretty desirable, have fallen off as their admirers have aged past their ability to drive and maintain them. This means that cars ranging from Model A Fords to Auburns to Pierce Arrows have all staled or declined in value, and they are very difficult to sell.

The same is not true of most European pre-war cars, many of which are still appreciating and selling quite well. Again, the reason is that they exist in small numbers, are often one-offs and are usually very stylish so are admired and purchased by true collectors rather than hobbyists. This keeps their value high and insures they rarely appear for sale outside of the auctions around the world.

So, when will the bubble burst? With many cars I do not think there is a bubble to burst simply because they are so rare. In other cases, like the dramatic rise in Porsche prices the last two years, I do believe there will be fall simply because I find it hard to believe that Porsches made in the 1970s and ’80s in significant numbers can keep values, sometimes in excess of a million dollars, for very long.

There are no American built cars I would lay money on as good investment performers.

Certainly not in comparison to their European cousins, but there are some that will still be safe bets. We are not talking Mustangs and Corvettes as much here, but rather special order Mustangs and Corvettes made in tiny numbers with unique drivelines and usually for racing. Some of these are worth (and will continue to be worth) hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars, but I think we can all forget dreams of retiring on the profits made with Uncle Ernie’s old Desoto Firedome.

The smart money, I think, will be out here looking for luxury sports cars and exotics like Ferrari, Aston Martin, Maserati and any rare sports or racing car with good provenance, and those cars will continue to perform well financially.

It may have become a lot more expensive to play in those realms, but at the end of the day your money is still probably pretty safe, you have the fun of ownership and you can possibly make a small fortune at the other end. To my way of thinking, this is a bit more appealing than socking money away in an RSP. S P R I N G 2 0 1 6 : IGNITIONMAG.CA

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SINGER TEAMS WITH PFAFF TO CELEBRATE PORSCHE 911

MAKSE POWER

Rob Dickinson on coming to Canada and beyond

BY BRIAN MAKSE

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’m an unabashed fanatic of the work that Singer Vehicle Designs does and, while I’ve driven just about every supercar and numerous hypercars, there is nothing that compares to the experience of driving one of Singer’s Porsche 911 restorations.

If you’re not familiar with Singer, it is a small company located in the suburbs of Los Angeles, conveniently within shouting distance of some of the best canyon roads for which Southern California is famous. Which is perfect for testing its work, which is to take the ugly duckling, early ’90s generation 911 and perform the ultimate in restoration and modification.

While I’ve written extensively on the subject of Singer, the totality of my work can’t adequately describe the level of detail Singer’s work needs to be articulated.

Recently, Singer has produced a book about its work, appropriately named One More Than 10, referencing the iconic rev counters fitted to their cars, which do indeed go to 11. If you’re a fan, I highly recommend picking up a copy.

In late 2015, Singer announced a partnership with Toronto’s Pfaff Automotive Partners, in which Pfaff will serve as the Canadian representative and assist Singer’s customers with sourcing donor cars and otherwise support customers’ needs as it relates to the restorations, which take place back in L.A. Singer’s founder, Rob Dickinson, and members of his team visited Pfaff at its

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Vaughan, Ontario showroom and I took the opportunity to catch up on what the company has been doing since my last visit to the California atelier. Surprisingly, there are some Porsche enthusiasts who aren’t familiar with Singer’s work, so it’s best if I let Dickinson explain it in his own words.

“We celebrate Porsche’s heritage. It doesn’t get much more complicated than that. That’s what Singer is about. That’s what our work represents.”

“It’s about Porsche and celebrating the genius of the 911 and the genius of the company itself,” he continues. “... and bringing this amazing sports car from its original iteration, it’s air cooled

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specialness, hopefully to a new generation and introducing it in a way which retains all of its charm, all of its iconic essence, but makes it a little more relevant to the 21st century.”

As much as I pay reverence to Singer’s work, even I can’t stay abreast of the latest company news. “The big news for us in the last 18 months has been the four-litre engine, the Targa configuration,” Dickinson tells me. “We did our first two Targa restorations (in 2015) and the carbon ceramic brake package, which is in testing at the moment. Massive reduction in unsprung weight to the degree that I think we’ll have to revalve the Ohlins (dampers) for the carbon ceramics because it takes so much weight off the axles.

“We’re now moving into a period where we’re finessing and diving into details both mechanical and performance, and also durability details,” he says. “We’re trying to make the car a little more durable. We’re trying to toughen it up a little bit without losing any of the quality.”

Singer hasn’t had any trouble attracting customers from its small base in Southern California. It’s a proper atelier, where no one ever rushes and the only concern is – as it’s so eloquently graffitied on the wall – everything is important. Still, Dickinson thinks that building relationships with partners like Pfaff is better in the long run. “We’ve certainly enjoyed some success sitting on our backsides in California,” he jokes, “but there’s a sense that introducing the car personally in some of these territories around the world is necessary to show that the car is real and that we’re real.”

This go-get-em strategy has worked extremely well for Singer in Hong Kong and the Middle East. “We hope to do the same thing in Australia and Japan,” Dickinson reveals, “and obviously here in Toronto and Canada as well. We’re so fortunate to be able to attract the kind of world class partnerships that we have with people like Pfaff who are deep in the in the trenches in understanding the clientele who would be interested in a car like this.”

If there is an Achilles heel with Singer’s work, it’s the price, but the reality is that there is a price to pay for perfection. For some context, the 911 restoration I drove a couple of years ago was a fairly standard spec, fitted with a six-speed manual and a 3.8-litre engine. At the time, it cost roughly $370,000 USD. On the other hand, the Targa restoration you see here was completed for a customer in Montreal and is priced at an entirely different level. Being the first Targa that Singer’s done and using the bored-out four-litre flat-six, it’s rumoured to cost approximately $650,000 USD – easily a million bucks Canadian these days. With between 4,000 to 5,000 hours that go into a restoration, these are the prices Singer has to charge for their work, as Dickinson has told me many times.

Given these prices, according to Dickinson, Singer’s international representatives “help legitimize our work in those areas where there is probably some suspicion of this odd little company in California restoring and modifying these 911s. There’s a sense that they add a third-party validation to what we do that we can’t necessarily do ourselves in farflung corners of the world.”

Dickinson also went on record saying that 2016 will be about going out into the world and showing people Singer’s work, much like they’re doing here in Toronto. “(It’s about) giving people the opportunity to touch and feel and smell the car, and hopefully prove the cars are as good as people say they are. There’s a lot of noise around what we do, which is fantastic and we’re very flattered by it, but there’s a sense that the expectations around our work is very high and we want to prove that (our) cars are even better in the flesh than they are in the magazines.”

Are they ever!

Undoubtedly, I’m guilty of characterizing their work as being near perfection. But as humble as Dickinson is about his company’s work, a Porsche 911 restored by Singer is the finest car I’ve ever driven. Bar none.

We celebrate Porsche’s heritage. It doesn’t get much more complicated than that.

That’s what Singer is about.

That’s what our work represents.”

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2016-02-17 3:54 PM

550 MPH? WILL THIS CAR GO

Waiting is the hardest part STORY BY JIM LEGGETT | PHOTOGRAPHY BY LIZ LEGGETT

This is Robert Freyvogel’s Carbinliner, a land speed race car that aims to exceed the 500 mph mark on the Bonneville Salt Flats. It may look like a rocketship or a plane, however, it is a car with strong ties to the famous Spirit of America piloted to record speeds by Craig Breedlove in the early 1960s.

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and speed racing is a form of motorsports that takes place on a surface of nearly pure salt, the remains of an ancient lake that dried up nearly 18,000 years ago. This was discovered to be an ideal surface for high-speed racing over 100 years ago, with its pristine white surface stretching as far as the eye can see. The Bonneville Salt Flats is one of the few places in the world where one can see the curvature of the Earth, but this unique place is far more fragile than it would appear, and has been shrinking in area at an alarming rate.

Freyvogel is no rookie on the salt. His 1992 Corvette is powered by a twin-turbo big block Chevy motor that helped achieve a speed of 251.254 mph, making it the world’s fastest production Corvette and the current record holder in the A/BGT (Blown Gas Touring) class.

The Carbinliner competes in the Double A Blown Gas Streamliner class, the rarefied pinnacle of pistonpowered, wheel-driven racecars. Breedlove’s 1964 Spirit of America (622 mph) and the Thrust SSC (763.035 mph) were powered by aircraft turbine engines providing thrust. But while drivers of cars with reciprocating pistons and transmissions turning the wheels are not the fastest of the fast, they are fiercely proud of the unique challenges they face to find traction to get their horsepower to the salt surface. They are proud to drive cars rather than taxiing “grounded aircraft.”

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“The design process began in 2007 with more conventional streamliner concepts and, by June of that year, we (Freyvogel and partner Brandon Barnhart) had decided we were really inspired by the Charles Nearburg car, The Spirit of Rett,” explains Freyvogel, a mechanical engineer who runs Carbinite Metal Coatings.

“Nearburg’s car was a fairly simple square box with rounded corners. We looked at that and thought ‘Let’s put our junk (the 496 cubic-inch twin-turbo from the Corvette) in and try and go 400 (mph) because a lot of people are going 400, and we can be one of those teams going really fast, pretty inexpensively.’”

At this time they began to post rendered images online of what the car they had been designing in Solid Modeling was looking like. This is how the project came to the attention of Eric Ahlstrom, an aerodynamics engineer.

“Eric got hold of us and said ‘What you have there is nothing more than a pointy-nosed brick. You guys can do better than that,’” laughs Freyvogel.

“Then he says to us, ‘What if you took the same amount of horsepower and actually go 500 mph instead of 400 without spending a lot more money?

Would that be of interest to you?’”

“He stole the design from Breedlove who stole it from Alex Tremulis,” chuckles

Freyvogel. “When I was first developing the car I didn’t know who Tremulis was.”

Tremulis (b. 1914 - d. 1991) was best known for designing the 1948 Tucker Sedan, but he also did the Cord 810 and 812, custom Dusenburgs as well as Chevrolet and Ford products. He was also involved in the design of the Gyronaut X-1, a streamliner motorcycle that set the motorcycle land speed record of 245.667 mph in 1966.

“Eric told me to take a look at a photo of Breedlove’s three-wheeler from the early ’60s,” Freyvogel recalls. “I then talked with Craig about this car and he said it was dead stable at 300 mph at the drag strip. The only problem with stability was when they took off the wheel pants and tried to lighten the car.”

This was corrected when Breedlove added a vertical stabilizer and a steerable front wheel. Breedlove then set his first record on September 5, 1963 at Bonneville – the first man to set an average speed of over 400 mph during a land speed record attempt.

“Next we got into the nitty-gritty details of stuffing our components into a shell that was similar to Craig’s car, but employs a high laminar flow body design to further reduce drag.

“The Carbinliner was always designed as a composite (materials) car,” explains Freyvogel. “It went through full computer modeling before a single piece was cut.

As soon as we knew that we could squeeze all of our components in – the drivetrain, tanks, et cetera – that’s when we took the model to Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD).”

“The envelope is designed for 550 mph maximum,” says Freyvogel. “That’s the point where we’ll start to have troubles.

What happens is the air will begin to go Mach underneath the wing.” (Mach 1 is the speed of sound – 761.2 mph) Because the wing surfaces accelerate the air and the wheel pants accelerate the air, that little crescent area beneath the wing is where a “Mach bubble” will begin to form at about 550 mph and create a drag on the car, slowing it down.

One of the most notable aspects of the Carbinliner is the wing area between the fuselage and the wheel pants or fairings.

They have movable flaps or ailerons that are controlled by the driver during a run.

“Because the SCTA rules do not allow the computer to make any adjustments on its own,” Freyvogel explains, “I have the computer turn on a warning light that tells me when to put the flaps down.

I keep lowering them until the light goes out. When it comes back on, I hit the button again and lower them some more. I’m driving the car, not the computer.”

At 180 mph with the flaps fully up, the wing can create 3,000 pounds of downforce for maximum traction and stability, but that also causes drag. The driver can keep reducing the flaps and at 550 mph, with zero angle of attack, it will still make 3,000 pounds because the entire wing surface is set at a 2.3˚ angle of attack.

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WILL THIS CAR GO 550 MPH?

Breedlove’s vehicle had three wheels, which classified it with the FIA as a motorcycle although it was more of a wingless aircraft powered by an ex-military General Electric J47 turbojet engine taken from a F-86 Sabre.

By contrast, the Carbinliner has the four wheels that are required by the SCTA (Southern California Timing Association) to be classified as a car, and to that end the dual front wheels are 21-inch solid aluminum and run no tires. They are mounted one in front of the other to reduce the frontal area; and steering angle is a maximum of 5˚ to each side, which is ample for a land speed car.

The mechanical motivation underneath the sleek composite body panels is a single 540 cubic-inch big block Chevrolet engine. This displacement is represented by the AA class designation (501 cid and larger).

The B refers to Blown or forced induction, meaning the engine is supercharged or turbocharged, and the

TOP SECTIONOF ICE WATER TANK FOR INTERCOOLER STRUCTURAL MEMBER OF CHASSIS

(4) GALLON OIL TANK

(13.5) GALLON FUEL TANK

“The Bonneville Salt Flats is one of the few places in the world where one can see the curvature of the Earth...”

SECONDARY PARACHUTE BOX

WINTERS EXTREMELINER REAREND 1.5:1 FINAL DRIVE

ALUMINUM WHEEL / TIRE

CUSTOM STEEING LINKAGE SYSTEM USES BELLCRANK (15:1 STEERING RATIO) NO RACK OR STEERING BOX

540CI BIG BLOCK CHEVROLET 9.3:1 C.R. CONVENTION HEAD

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CUSTOM 2-1/8" PRIMARY 4-2-1 EXHAUST HEADERS

BOTTOM SECTION OF ICEWATER TANK. CONTAINS RADIATOR FOR HIGH PRESSURE COOLANT

a modified Turbo 400 transmission is used with a unique valve body machined from scratch by TMC Transmission.

“When the shift light comes on I get off the throttle and shift it, just so it doesn’t shock the drivetrain.”

In July of 2014 the Carbinite LSR team attended the Utah Salt Flats Racing Association (USFRA) Test & Tune weekend, “We ran on a short three-mile course and hit 273 mph with only 800 hp due to a fuel pump issue. Only one pump was working,” recalls Freyvogel. “The car’s stability was excellent! The faster I went, the better it felt. For steering we have some ribs on the solid front

FLAP ACTUATION LINKS

PRIMARY PARACHUTE BOX / PUSH-OFF STINGER

1-5/8"x .125" WALL DOM CAGE

FIRE SUPPRESSION BOTTLES

Carbinliner uses twin Garrett GT4718 (88 mm) turbos with a maximum boost of 28 psi. The CNC-machined BMF heads and custom-made 4.5-inch Diamond pistons combine for a 9.3:1 compression ratio. FAST XFI 2.0 engine management controls 160-pound Bosch injectors. The fuel/air charge is cooled with a Chiseled Performance custom twin 3,000-hp iceto-water intercooler.

“To keep all that running cool we have a large radiator in an ice water bath,” says Freyvogel. “There is a 79-gallon tank behind the driver with 44 gallons of water, the rest is intercooler water.”

The motor has been dyno rated at 2,618 horsepower at 7,000 rpm and

(2) GARRETT GT4718 (88MM INDUCER) TURBOCHARGERS

18x7 18 STEEL WHEELS 30x9 30 MT BONNEVILLE SPECIAL TIRES RIBS AND SPARS TO SUPPORT WING

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“The motor has been dyno rated at 2,618 horsepower at 7,000 rpm and a modified Turbo 400 transmission is used with a unique valve body machined from scratch by TMC Transmission.” wheels and I was concerned, but traction was excellent and she went where I pointed her.”

Unfortunately, their plans for making an all-out assault on the salt were washed out by flooding on the dry lake bed of Bonneville in 2014 and the team returned to Butler, Pennsylvania 20 miles north of Pittsburgh.

The unthinkable happened again in 2015 when an unseasonably wet winter (and possibly the result of decades of mining on the salt flats) created unsafe surface conditions that forced the second cancellation of Bonneville Speed Week.

Not willing to give up their dreams, the Carbinite team has ventured westward to an undisclosed dry lake bed for another series of test runs. Freyvogel proudly reports the Carbinliner has continued to progress toward the goal with a run at 360 mph using only half of the sevenmile course available.

The Carbinite team now faces its biggest challenge to date – waiting to see if the degrading condition of the Bonneville Salt Flats can be reversed so that racing can be resumed on this hallowed ground.

Unlike other types of motorsport, land speed racing relies upon a very long race course, which man did not create. Perhaps with increased salt reclamation by the mining company and the good graces of Mother Nature we won’t have to wait long for the sound of horsepower to echo off the mountains of the Silver Island Range once again.

Debate continues between racing groups, the mining company and government agencies whether or not land speed racing has a future on the famous salt flats or not. And waiting is the hardest thing for any racer to do.

For more information about the fight to save the Bonneville Salt Flats, visit www.savethesalt.org.

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INSIDE GROOVE

FORD FLOUNDERS AT THE ROLEX 24

BY MARK HACKING | PHOTOGRAPHY BY BILL MURENBEELD

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t the 2015 North American International Auto Show, Ford didn’t just steal headlines with the surprise unveiling of the Ford GT, they stole them, hightailed it out of Detroit and were halfway around the world by the time people figured out what was going on. In this day and age of spy photos, Internet leaks, staged spy photos and planned Internet leaks, the GT was a real neck-snapper.

Of course, at least part of the success of this unveiling had to do with history. The forthcoming Ford GT will be just the third iteration of this homegrown supercar in over 50 years. The original was designed and engineered to win at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and it did just that, securing the overall victory four years in a row from 1966-69.

Simple math reveals that this year is the 50th anniversary of that historic first win.

What’s perhaps less well known is that the Ford GT40 also dominated at Daytona 50 years ago, capturing first, second and third in the first-ever 24hour race at the legendary track. (The first-ever win for the GT40 came in 1965 when the Ford entered by Carroll Shelby won the 2,000 km long Daytona 2000.) There were production versions of the GT40 available to regular customers in limited numbers, but the car was principally developed to secure racing glory.

The second-generation Ford GT, which arrived in 2004, was inspired by the original and was a credible super-

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car in its own right. This GT boasted serious performance capabilities and was available in limited numbers before it ceased production. The only thing preventing this version from achieving ultimate success was a lack of big wins in the big races. A handful of Ford GTs campaigned by private teams around the world did secure some victories and titles, but nothing on the scale of Daytona or Le Mans.

The 2017 Ford GT is kind of a combination of both approaches, according to Dave Pericak, the Global Director for Ford Performance. “We’ve had a very unique opportunity to develop both the road car and the race car at exactly the same time,” he says from the Ford Chip Ganassi Racing garage at this year’s Rolex 24 endurance race. “It’s sort of a blessing and a curse at the same time.

You get to bake into the road car what you need for the race car… but you’re doing two developments at one time.”

Nearly 100% of the time, fairytale endings are reserved exclusively for fairytales.

Despite the collective will of a multitude of racing fans, and the people at Ford Performance, Chip Ganassi Racing and Multimatic Engineering (the Markham-based company responsible for engineering and building the Ford GT), the Rolex 24 at Daytona was not a Cinderella story for the car.

Pericak maintained that the team was not viewing Daytona as an extended test session for their return to Le Mans this coming June. But this was the very first competitive outing

for the Ford GT and the competition in GT circles is now relentless.

There may have been a time, probably not so long ago, when endurance racing was a more measured affair – work on your own reliability first, wait for your competitors to crash or suffer a mechanical failure, generate speed only when necessary. Nowadays, round-the-clock endurance races such as Daytona and Le Mans are effectively 24-hour sprints now. The leading teams bring to the table bulletproof reliability, record-breaking speed and inscrutable consistency – from their cars and drivers alike.

Lost in the shuffle of the Ford presence at Daytona was the fact that other manufacturers hadn’t been sitting on their hands in the off-season.

Two perennial contenders for GT endurance racing glory – Chevrolet and Porsche – showed up with significantly revised versions of the Corvette C7-R and 911 RSR, respectively. Two other formidable entities – BMW and Ferrari – brought brand-new GTLE cars to Daytona – the new M6 and 488 GTE, respectively. (Running in the separate GTD class was the brand-new Lamborghini Huracán and a revised version of the Audi R8 LMS GT3.)

But just as they had done with the introduction of the Ford GT in Detroit, Ford stole the show with the race version in Daytona. A big percentage of the headlines referred to the legacy of the car. Many of the photo galleries included shots of the mean-looking machine in its red, white and blue

livery. The PR people for the other factory-supported teams had been turned into backmarkers.

Nevertheless, collective hopes for the Ford GTs were dashed early on. A handful of laps into the race, the No. 66 car, piloted by former Daytona winner Joey Hand, moved into the class lead. But the other car went in the other direction. Less than 20 minutes into the race, the No. 67 driven by Ryan Briscoe became stuck in sixth gear and was forced into the pits for repairs.

As the race progressed, the mechanical gremlins jumped over to the No. 66 as well. During a routine tire change, a brake line was damaged.

Then, electronics issues affected the turbocharged 3.5L V6 EcoBoost engine and, lastly, familiar transmission troubles took hold.

The Ford Chip Ganassi Racing crew worked tirelessly to ensure both cars made it to the finish and they were successful in this regard. The No. 66 car finished seventh in class and 31st overall; the sister car finished ninth in class and 40th overall. A race that was not supposed to be an extended test session had, by necessity, become an extended test session.

But everyone involved with the Ford GT race program is thinking bigpicture. “Returning to Le Mans after 50 years is really important to us as a company,” Pericak stresses. “It would be really great to bring that victory home not only for Ford, the company, but Ford, the family, as well. So there’s a lot at stake right now.”

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