St. John’s NF—The Subaru Legacy is a bit of an enigma. In the early days of its existence, the very late 1980s, it was the halo car for the brand and the one the company used to contest the brutally rugged World Rally Championship.
But in 1993, with the introduction of the smaller, lighter and sportier Subaru Impreza, the Legacy was moved upscale to become the company’s more refined and less extreme offering. Ever since, the car has suffered a bit of an identity crisis; unfortunately, the introduction of a brand new fifth-generation version may not remedy this situation.
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Le Mans, France — Everyone knows that convertibles are chick cars, right? I mean, I’m not sending shockwaves out into cyberspace with this statement, am I? For proof, take a cursory glance at just some of the current convertibles on the market. The Volkswagen Golf Cabriolet. The Volkswagen Eos. The Volkswagen New Beetle Convertible. If these things aren’t chick cars, then I’ll eat the hat I wear to guard against the sun while test-driving these chick cars. (Sorry, Volkswagen.)
Even some higher-end convertibles steer and veer towards the feminine — but not the Aston Martin DBS Volante…
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The Zero2OneHundred Review is a snapshot of the latest, greatest and not-so-greatest vehicles powering down our fair highways and byways. The vehicles will be varied, but all the reviews will share a common denominator — in this case, a word count that starts at 0 and finishes at 100.
Here’s what I loved about the original BMW Z4: The look, handling and power of the fixed-roof M Coupe. On the other hand, the styling of the convertible version and the ride over rough roads left me cold. The new Z4 retains the great qualities of the previous generation and adds a swanky new design and a foldable hardtop. The twin-turbo sDrive35i packs some serious punch and the optional 7-speed dual-clutch transmission is hugely fun. Potholes still represent an exercise in damage control, but luckily the Z4 boasts the best steering in the business. There is much to want here.
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Bowmanville, Ont. – Here’s my favourite quote related to the fine art of race driving: “Ricky Bobby is not a thinker—Ricky Bobby is a driver!” This statement (from Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby), relayed by Ricky’s assistant as she attempts to motivate him back to the winner’s circle, works on a few different levels.
Of course, it’s a straight-up joke, a jab at Ricky’s “thoughtless” approach to NASCAR racing. But it also raises an interesting question: Can you think about your driving too much when out on the track?
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The Zero2OneHundred review is a 100-word snapshot of the latest, greatest and not-so-greatest vehicles powering down our fair highways and byways.
Standing in the shadows of the headline-grabbing Toyota Prius, the Toyota Camry Hybrid is, nevertheless, the best-selling eco-warrior in Canada. Makes sense: The Camry offers the fuel-sipping benefits of hybrid power without the uneasy geek-chic look. Read More
Québec City, QC–Contrary to what some people might believe, the Ford Motor Company is on a bit of a roll. Unlike their “Big Three” brethren, they haven’t needed any bailout money from any governments—and they actually have innovative and market-appropriate vehicles arriving in dealerships this year. Case in point, the 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid.
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Prior to embarking on the development of the fourth-generation Acura TL, the powers that be decided they wanted their popular mid-size sport sedan to be more capable, more exciting and more engaging from a design standpoint. In the immortal words of Meat Loaf, “Two outta three ain’t bad.”
While the outgoing TL was an immensely popular car, there was room for improvement. In particular, the high-output Type S was a big handful with too much power for its front-wheel layout. On the styling front, some offered that the old TL was too plain (not me) and it didn’t resemble the other cars in the Acura lineup (true enough).
By and large, though, it was a great car: well-built, fun to drive, luxurious, filled with hi-tech features. But time stands still for no man or machine, so the 2009 Acura TL has been made different in three main ways: the drivetrain, the engines and the exterior styling.
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Mont-Tremblant, QC—At the Canadian press introduction for the 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution, held at Le Circuit Mont-Tremblant, we experienced three seasons’ worth of weather. Luckily, this rally-inspired sport sedan was ready for anything this side of raining frogs. The weather in the morning was warm and dry. Our group was led along a series of country roads on the outskirts of the charming ski village. I’m not going to lie to you—speed limits were largely ignored and routinely exceeded.
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New York City, NY—You might be fooled into thinking the fine people at Rolls-Royce have in their possession a freakishly perceptive crystal ball. Or, rather, a freakishly perceptive crystal ball made of diamond. How else do you explain a forthcoming model from the esteemed automaker that will ring in at about $100,000 (US) less than any of its other offerings?
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I don’t remember my dad as being a particularly big fan of racing, but I do know that his favourite driver was Stirling Moss, the British legend who tore up the Grand Prix circuit in the 1950s. So, a few years ago, when I had the chance to meet the man in person, it was a genuine thrill by proxy.
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