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Pictures 2 Nov, 2012

News 2 Nov, 2012

Our spy photographers have spotted the new five-door version of the MINI hatchback testing

You would never know it but the new Jaguar Sportbrake estate was a bodystyle never planned when Tata Motors' luxury car unit originally launched the XF.

Tata Motors-owned Jaguar's new F-TYPE two-seater sports car due for launch next spring could be the key to unlocking the brand's return to motorsport.

News 8 Nov, 2012

Tesla is setting its sights on Ferrari with its all-new Roadster, which is due to arrive in 2017

Continental sees rapid growth in the development of advanced driver safety systems as automakers prepare for the introduction of new Euro NCAP tests covering anti-collision measures for vehicles and pedestrians from 2014.

News 6 Nov, 2012

Auto Express study shows only a sixth of new cars get a full spare wheel

French new-car registrations fell 7.8 percent in October, contributing to a ten-month drop of 13.3 percent, the CCFA industry association said on Friday in a statement.

News 8 Nov, 2012

Buyers will be able to choose between five and seven-seater versions of the next Range Rover Sport

News 8 Nov, 2012

Land Rover is expanding its Evoque range, with a cabriolet version and nine-speed auto on way

Hurricane Sandy was a perfect storm: perfectly timed and perfectly positioned to wipe out the last few selling days in October in a large part of the Eastern US.

BMW's sales in the United States rose 21 percent in October, narrowing the lead of Mercedes-Benz in luxury auto sales this year.

Suppliers Visteon and Delphi said they were accelerating cost cutting as carmakers slash production in the face of slowing demand, especially in Europe.

Opel declined to comment on a report that Volkswagen manager and former Continental CEO Karl-Thomas Neumann is set to become CEO of the money-losing GM division.

Opel declined to comment on a report that Volkswagen manager and former Continental CEO Karl-Thomas Neumann is set to become CEO of the money-losing GM division.

Thousands of gas stations in the states of New York and New Jersey are still closed due to blackouts created by Hurricane Sandy. As a result, drivers don't have access to millions of litres of fuel.

A little more than a third of supply centres are still closed, and two of the main pipelines don't operate at full capacity, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. However, a Canadian refinery was able to deliver a substantial amount of fuel to fill most of the needs.

Authorities say that power should be restored in New York around November 11th, although some areas will have to wait an extra week or maybe more.

Source: journalmetro

A few days ago, I received a phone call from a friend of a friend who was about to purchase a new car. I'm always more than happy to help out anyone who is about to jump in the shark tank and try to come out alive, with a new car in tow.

What struck me most about the caller was his fear of getting tangled in some type of web where there would be no possibility of getting out alive from.

The story: He was looking for a specifically coloured 2012 vehicle. As production for the 2013 has long since begun, sourcing the car was going to require a little work. He contacted three different dealers of the same make and got an equal number of diverse answers. The responses varied from “Forget about it, there are none;” “I might be able to find one;” to “Come on down, I've got one.” Who to believe?

The person got the two dealers who said they could find one (the dealer who stated they had one couldn't actually find it...) to work for him, and this is why I got the phone call. Both dealers required deposits for a car they weren't even sure they could deliver. I instructed the person to clearly indicate in writing that the deposits were refundable should the dealers not be able to deliver the desired car within a specified time.

Unfortunately, I do not know how the story ends, but I could not help but think that dealers deal with their reputation as crooks, manipulators, liars, swindlers, and more every day and they don't seem to mind. How is it that someone -- or some people -- can sleep at night knowing that this is how they are perceived by the general public?

This is but one small example of the horror stories I've heard of or witnessed on a few occasions that starred dealerships, their staff and their product.

Why don't they do anything about it? Is it because there's a sucker born every minute, and that there is too much money to be made?

The sad part is that this will likely never change, and the situation is identical in so many types of businesses.

This is crazy: A production car that, out of the box, produces a 662-horse cavalry is about as rational as going moose hunting with a bazooka.


A true American musclecar that sings the Star-Spangled Banner every time you solicit its supercharged V8. A car so brutal, so devastating as the 2013 Shelby GT500 has no right existing in today's rational, environmentally friendly society. Then again, neither do beige Corollas hogging the passing lane. If you feel like a maverick, get yours today. Don't say we didn't warn you.

Yes, when we look at what manufacturers are launching right now, we can safely say that the horsepower war is alive and well. And Ford just won the latest battle.

The 2013 Shelby GT500 is so badass, so tire-shreddingly insane that it's like no one has a clue what an ozone layer is -- and that's what's so addictive about it.

With a base price of $61,699, the 2013 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 can be considered a helluva deal for the amount of firepower you get to play with. For a Mustang, however, that's pretty steep. Our test car stickered at over $70K.

Mind-boggling acceleration
You can't just stomp on the gas pedal in the 2013 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500. Luckily, it includes a launch control system that allows the driver to choose his or her preferred engine rpm for the imminent blastoff.

According to Ford, the Shelby accelerates to 100 km/h in under 4 seconds; we achieved that speed in 4.2 seconds with near-bald rear tires (we didn't do it), and the launch control set to 4,000 rpm.

However, straight-line speed is only part of the story. The 2013 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500's soundtrack is a noisy one, and every time you stab the gas pedal your chest hair grows by a quarter of an inch. This is one macho, extroverted sports coupe.

Driving the 2013 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 reminds us of more innocent times, an era when people weren't conscious of the environment and gasoline was cheaper than hair grease. Although the exhaust is so loud you'll barely hear the supercharger shrieking, listening to that blown 5.8L V8 burble at idle and scream at wide-open throttle gives you an instant rush of adrenaline.

You'll want more, but that's when your talents as a driver and as a responsible human being are added to the equation. With 662 hp and 631 lb-ft of torque on tap, you need to exercise a great deal of restraint or you'll get into trouble. That's part of the fun, right?

Do you really want to know what our fuel economy average was? I'll tell you: 13L/100km with restraint, and 18L/100km without. I knew you wouldn't care.

The 2013 GT500's supercharged 5.8L V8 belts out 662 hp and 631 lb-ft of torque.(Photo: Sébastien D'Amour)

Retro cockpit
Inside, there aren't obvious clues that you're pimping in a 2013 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 besides a cobra logo on the steering wheel and a small inscription on the passenger side of the dash. But that's OK; your passengers will be too busy looking at the blurred scenery ahead, or hanging on for dear life to notice much else.

We were treated to the optional Recaro leather seats, with no power adjustments whatsoever. No problem, it adds to the retro-ness of the car. On the other hand, we got Ford's SYNC and the optional navigation system in the 2013 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500, very useful for finding gas stations, a place you'll be visiting quite frequently.

Where's the grille?
One peculiar aspect of the 2013 Ford GT500, and what actually makes it easily identifiable, is the absence of a proper grille. It's just a gaping hole that leads straight to the radiator, perfect for sucking in bugs, birds, flying squirrels, and toy poodles as you try to best your quarter-mile times.

This Shelby looks so nasty, so mean, so angry that you'll get noticed everywhere you go. And Mustang owners everywhere will bow their heads in admiration. If you want attention, the 2013 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 will provide you with plenty of that.

You'll be able to distinguish the 2013 GT500 by the absence of a proper front grille.(Photo: Sébastien D'Amour)

High price
Let's not forget that a standard-issue Mustang GT is already a beast with no less than 420 hp, for “just” $35K. Just so you know, the GT500 is the quarter-mile champ; if you want the best-handling Mustang your money can buy, go for the $50K Boss 302.

As for competition, the most potent rival currently available is the 580-hp Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, which is a little more, um, affordable at $58,000. And unlike the Ford, you can get a ZL1 with an automatic transmission (just don't tell anyone).

BOWMANVILLE, ON - If you've never heard of Sailun Tires, you're not alone. 

In fact, a survey of a group of automotive media gathered at Mosport's Driver Development Track showed only a marginal awareness of the Chinese brand - and that's among industry professionals. 

But the Dynamic Group, the umbrella group marketing the Sailun brand is hoping to change that, with comparison days such as this one. They're very aware that not only is the brand up against a lack of familiarity with its targeted market, there's also the stereotypical bias against Chinese automotive products - never mind that some of the industry leaders such as Pirelli and Michelin also have manufacturing plants located there.

Photo: Lesley Wimbush

Recognition is of utmost importance - the company's research shows that over 80% of tire purchase decisions are made at the counter.

A 250,000 square foot warehouse in Vaughn, Ontario and a large network of distributors will ensure availability to Canadian customers, and a strong warranty support (100% replacement up to 2/32 inch tread) should earn loyalty in buyers.

With sales of over 10 million tires globally, and a goal of 20 million annually within five years, Sailun is hoping to win over the budget-minded consumer.

"We're not Michelin, we're a value tier tire" acknowledges Brian Mielko, VP of Marketing.

But value-priced tires represent a whopping 41% of overall sales, with the big name brands such as Michelin, Bridgestone and Goodyear constituting 75% of that. So far, none of the smaller tire companies have exceeded more than 3% of those sales.

"Sports cars, luxury cars and SUVs are a great market to be in, but it's not our market" says Mielko.

Instead, the company is focusing on economy and family cars for the bulk of their passenger tire sales.

So accordingly, all of the vehicles in today's testing session are midsize Ford Fusion sedans. We'll be comparing the Sailun brand against a well-known tire, but since the names have been scrubbed from all the sidewalls, we'll have no idea which one has come out on top until the end of the day.

If the Sailun product can prove equal or at least comparable to one of the top name brands - it makes it a compelling choice for the budget shopper.
Our expectations weren't high. At the beginning of the day, on a scale of 1-5, most of us rated our perceived performance of the tires at about 3.0.

The first exercises were performed on a wet slalom track, in identical Ford Fusions, each wearing a set of the competing tires.

After several runs around the cones, it was hard to detect any dramatic differences between the two - both performed similarly on the wet pavement.

There was slightly more road noise from Tire #1, but the difference was miniscule. When the results were tallied, Tire #1 scored higher in overall control and predictability (3.75/3.50), cornering stability (3.75/3.50), steering feel and responsiveness (3.75/3.38) and traction under acceleration (3.75/3.63).

From there, we moved on to the Driver Development Track, or DDT - a 2.4 km road course comprising tight loops, long straights and changing elevations. Again, we were driving the Ford Fusions, each clad in their respective anonymous tires. This test, a road drive, was performed at a leisurely pace of 60-80 km, replicating a typical family drive.

Although both tires performed similarly in terms of road noise and grip, the final results showed that tire #1 scored higher in all categories: Drive comfort (4.00/3.63), overall control and predictability (4.00/3.63), cornering stability (3.75/3.38), steering feel/responsiveness (3.88/3.63) and traction under acceleration (4.00/3.50).

Returning to the track, we drove the same course again but at a faster pace (80-100 km). Here, the results were more varied.

Tire #1 came out ahead in overall control/predictability (3.88/3.63) and cornering stability (3.88/3.75). Tire #2 scored higher in steering feel/responsiveness (3.63/3.50). Both tires had identical scores in braking (3.63/3.63) and traction under acceleration (3.75/3.75).

Overall, Tire #1 scored 31 of 40 points, while Tire #2 scored 30. These are compelling results for the consumer, if the value tier tire that scored marginally less than a premium brand saves the buyer 20-30% or more.

However, at the end of the day, the #1 tire was revealed to be the Sailun Z4+AS with a Toronto retail price of $111. Tire #2 was Continental Extreme, Toronto retail price $189.

The considerable difference in price (70%), with similar, and in some cases better performance makes this value tier brand an easy choice for the everyday shopper.

Photo: Lesley Wimbush

The latest member of the Jetta family will arrive in Canadian showrooms this winter as the world's first turbocharged car equipped with an electric hybrid drive system.

Combining a 150-horsepower, 4-cylinder turbo engine with a 27-horsepower electric motor, the 2013 Volkswagen Jetta Hybrid can operate in full electric mode at speeds of up to 70 km/h. When needed, the gas engine takes over to not only propel the vehicle, but also to charge the battery pack. Acceleration from 0-100 km/h is completed in 8.6 seconds.

The Jetta Hybrid's "Power Meter" replaces the traditional tachometer and shows the driver's present-state level of driving efficiency.

Interested? The 2013 Volkswagen Jetta Hybrid starts at $27,875 for the base Trendline model. Comfortline and Highline models are also available.

Photo: Volkswagen