When approaching the 2014 Nissan 370Z Nismo it is useful to keep in mind that this is the most extreme example of the current Photo: Nissan Z car you can buy from an authorized Nissan dealer. It is also…

2014 Nissan 370Z Nismo Road Test Review

When approaching the 2014 Nissan 370Z Nismo it is useful to keep in mind that this is the most extreme example of the current Z car you can buy from an authorized Nissan dealer. It is also useful to keep in mind that this version of the Z is intended primarily for track days, auto crossing, and time attack. If you like the 370Z, but want one primarily as a daily driver you might do well to look a bit farther down the 370Z food chain. Why the admonition?

Because comfort ain't one of the items in this car's mission statement and you need to know comfort ain't at all what the Nismo Z is meant to be about. The 2014 Nissan 370Z Nismo is tuned to deliver outstanding handling over ride comfort-with no apologies whatsoever. To accomplish this, the Nismo suspension modifications include higher spring and stabilizer bar rates, increased roll stiffness, and stiffer front and rear shocks. The suspension system also gets a set of very light 19-inch forged aluminum alloy wheels, staggered Read Full Story
Perhaps no North American automotive category reflects the European influence so clearly these days as the commercial van   segment. It was the former DaimlerChrysler group that really started the…

New compact Ram ProMaster City van on the way for 2015

Perhaps no North American automotive category reflects the European influence so clearly these days as the commercial van segment. It was the former DaimlerChrysler group that really started the trend when it brought over its big Sprinter van from Europe. The Sprinter helped break up the old hierarchy that saw traditional full-size vans dominating the marketplace, with cube vans and commercialized passenger minivans filling in the larger and smaller niches.

Being much more versatile than a cube van, the Sprinter sold well enough to scavenge sales from the slightly smaller full-size vans and prompt manufacturers such as Nissan to bring over their own European-style full size vans. The combination of falling sales for traditional full-size vans and increasingly strict CAFE fuel-economy standards prompted General Motors to drop its 1500-series Express and Savana vans for 2015 and introduce the Chevrolet City Express to fill the need for a small, fuel-efficient yet capable work van. Read Full Story
For most Land Rover Range Rover owners, the philosophy seems to be it’s better to have and not need than need and not have. Photo: Land Rover While that’s sound advice for most situations,…

2014 Land Rover Range Rover Road Test Review

For most Land Rover Range Rover owners, the philosophy seems to be it's better to have and not need than need and not have. While that's sound advice for most situations, when it comes to the exceptionally broad and deep portfolio of capabilities possessed by what is arguably the world's most capable luxury SUV-well, let's just say young Cody will never have to worry about getting stuck in the middle of a raging stream on his way to soccer practice. Like that's ever gonna happen…

Of course, anyone who's lived in a market-driven society for any amount of time knows these things are much more about appearances than actual needs, and when it comes to appearances the only British vehicle with more presence than a Range Rover is a Rolls-Royce. There's no question about it, when you show up in a Range Rover it really does say you've arrived. Here's the thing, though, this can happen pretty much any place you want it to be. There really aren't very many places on Earth a Range Read Full Story
In this class of car, exclusivity is one of the idealized attributes, and in this regard none of its competitors can claim more exclusivity Photo: Jaguar than the Jaguar XJ. While the Mercedes S Class…

2014 Jaguar XJL Portfolio 3.0 AWD Road Test Review

In this class of car, exclusivity is one of the idealized attributes, and in this regard none of its competitors can claim more exclusivity than the Jaguar XJ. While the Mercedes S Class and the BMW 7 Series routinely rank among the best selling cars in this class, the big Jaguar finds relatively few takers each year. It's too bad too, because the Jaguar XJ is arguably the most distinctive car in its competitive set.

First of all, nothing else looks like the Jaguar, and its styling is such that it will only get better looking over time. And now, with the addition of a standard all-wheel drive powertrain, owners can take full advantage of the car on a year round basis.

Another new development for the flagship Jaguar was the replacement of its base V8 engine with a supercharged V6 powerplant for the 2013 model year. Producing 340 horsepower and 332 ft-lbs of torque from 3.0 litres, the engine delivers an enticing blend of determined performance and commendable fuel economy. Read Full Story
Since the inception of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s challenging small overlap front crash test in 2012, the institute’s   highest Top Safety Pick+ rating has been extremely…

BMW 2 Series achieves IIHS Top Safety Pick Plus ranking

Since the inception of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's challenging small overlap front crash test in 2012, the institute's highest Top Safety Pick+ rating has been extremely tough for manufacturers to achieve. But the IIHS recently announced that BMW's new 2014 2 Series has earned the coveted award, with "good" ratings in the small overlap front, moderate overlap front, side, roof strength and head restraint evaluations, plus an "advanced" rating for its optional Collision Warning with City Braking front crash prevention system.

The IIHS's small overlap front crash test replicates what happens when the front corner of a vehicle strikes another vehicle or an object like a tree or a utility pole. In the test, 25 percent of a vehicle's front end on the driver's side strikes a rigid barrier at 64 km/h.

According to the IIHS, the BMW 2 Series maintained the driver's space reasonably well during the small overlap front crash test, and the front and side curtain Read Full Story
The third-generation 2015 Ford Edge made its worldwide debut recently from the familiar surroundings of the company’s Dearborn,   Michigan home, but there was little else familiar about the…

Ford reveals new larger 2015 Edge

The third-generation 2015 Ford Edge made its worldwide debut recently from the familiar surroundings of the company's Dearborn, Michigan home, but there was little else familiar about the all-new mid-size crossover's introduction.

The 2015 Ford Edge introduces several new technologies to Ford's lineup including adaptive steering, enhanced park assist, side parking sensors, and a front camera with washer. It also introduces a pair of new EcoBoost turbocharged powerplants - a 2.0-litre four-cylinder that produces 245 horsepower and 270 lb-ft of torque, and 2.7-litre V6 that produces 300 horsepower and torque in line with traditional V8s according to Ford. The 2.0-litre EcoBoost engine is the base powerplant, making the 2015 Edge the first Ford product equipped with an EcoBoost engine as standard equipment. A naturally aspirated 3.5-litre V6 rounds out the engine lineup.

All three engines are mated to Ford's SelectShift six-speed automatic transmission with standard-equipment Read Full Story
Whether you’re talking about the original 1960s Mini or today’s rebooted Mini brand, the model that started it all is the iconic Photo: Simon Hill, Canadian Auto Press two-door hardtop. For…

2014 Mini Cooper S Hardtop Road Test Review

Whether you're talking about the original 1960s Mini or today's rebooted Mini brand, the model that started it all is the iconic two-door hardtop. For 2014 the modern-day Mini Cooper Hardtop has undergone a ground-up redesign, and while it may look strikingly similar to the first reborn Mini of 2001 it's actually the third generation of the diminutive little four-seater.

The good news is that Mini hasn't spoiled the formula: In Cooper S trim the Hardtop remains an absolute blast to drive, with a responsive engine, impressively agile suspension and lively personality. It gets better, too, because Mini has managed to make the latest version both a little bit more powerful and a little bit more efficient thanks to a pair of all-new engines that will be shared with parent company BMW.

Where the old base Mini Cooper had a 1.6-litre four-cylinder engine that produced 121 horsepower and 114 lb-ft of torque, the new base Cooper trades in one of its cylinders for a twin-scroll Read Full Story
Since 1949, the Abarth name has been closely associated with exceptional performance. Carlo Abarth founded his eponymous Photo: Fiat company in Italy that year to build racing cars. When it was time to…

2014 Fiat 500 Abarth Road Test Review

Since 1949, the Abarth name has been closely associated with exceptional performance. Carlo Abarth founded his eponymous company in Italy that year to build racing cars. When it was time to choose a logo for his organization, the fiery Italian chose the scorpion because it was his zodiac sign.

Abarth's team quickly became one of the most successful in Italy with drivers like Tazio Nuvolari, one of the greatest racing drivers of all time, in its cars. Like so many racing concerns of the day though, money eventually got tight, so Abarth turned his attention to road cars to help make ends meet. He came up with a performance kit for the Fiat Topolino, one of the most popular cars of the era. It worked, Abarth got paid huge, and when Fiat introduced the 500 in 1959, Abarth saw an opportunity to duplicate that success. Thus was born the Fiat 500 Abarth.

Over the years, Abarth's collaborations with Fiat increased. So much so, the conglomerate bought Abarth's company in 1971, Read Full Story