After only weeks of Audi’s 2015 A7 update, the Ingolstadt, Germany-based premium brand has revealed the latest version of   the sweptback five-door coupe’s sportiest iteration, the 2015…

2015 Audi RS 7 Sportback revealed in Europe

After only weeks of Audi's 2015 A7 update, the Ingolstadt, Germany-based premium brand has revealed the latest version of the sweptback five-door coupe's sportiest iteration, the 2015 RS 7 Sportback.

What's not changing is the car's powertrain, but this was hardly a sore point. The twin-turbocharged, direct-injection, cylinder deactivation-capable 4.0-litre (4.0 TFSI) V8 continues to produce a very healthy 560-horsepower and equally robust 516 lb-ft of torque, while a quick-shifting paddle-shift actuated eight-speed automatic transmission puts all that thrust down to the tarmac via Audi's legendary Quattro all-wheel drive system. The result of all this go-fast goodness is a sprint from standstill to 100 km/h in just 3.9 seconds and a top speed that ranges between 250 and 305 km/h.

Why the difference in top speed? The 2015 RS 7 Sportback will offer two optional Dynamics packages, upping top speeds to 280 km/h or optimally 305 km/h, neither of which will be much use here Read Full Story
There was a time when Acura was North America’s hottest Japanese luxury car brand. Of course, there was also a time when Photo: Acura Acura was North America’s only Japanese luxury car brand.…

2014 Acura ILX Dynamic Road Test Review

There was a time when Acura was North America's hottest Japanese luxury car brand. Of course, there was also a time when Acura was North America's only Japanese luxury car brand. And yes, those two periods did overlap somewhat. During its early years, Acura was so successful it outsold both Mercedes-Benz and BMW by significant margins. In fact, the company did so well right out of the gate, its management team took the amazing step of also introducing a mid-engined supercar-the Acura NSX.

With its image firmly rooted in performance, Acura became the darling of the import tuner crowd. The Acura Integra and its successor the Acura RSX were highly coveted enthusiast-oriented models. Sadly though, after an unprecedented run of success during the 1980's and 1990's the Acura brand became mired in something of an inertial quagmire going into the 21st century. The market shifted, competition became stiffer and more sophisticated, and Honda let its Acura models stay on the market too Read Full Story
Given that Brazil was the last country in the world to produce the classic Volkswagen Kombi microbus, ending production just   last year, it only makes sense that it’s a Brazilian designer…

Brazilian designer creates Nimbus Concept e-Car

Given that Brazil was the last country in the world to produce the classic Volkswagen Kombi microbus, ending production just last year, it only makes sense that it's a Brazilian designer who has come up with the Nimbus.

Eduardo Galvani's Nimbus Concept e-Car interprets the spirit of the original Volkswagen Kombi, but with its own adorably distinct style, plenty of retro-futuristic touches, and thoroughly modern underpinnings.

Powering the Nimbus is an extended-range hybrid electric drivetrain similar to that in the Chevrolet Volt, with a 130 kW (180-horsepower) electric engine drawing energy from a lithium-ion battery. Regenerative brakes and an array of rooftop solar panels help feed energy back into the system, and when the lithium ion battery becomes depleted there's a tiny internal combustion engine that can run a generator to power the system and provide extended range.

The drivetrain offers four modes: Energy Saver, Standard Trip, Faster Cruise and Four-wheel Read Full Story
Now this is one great looking car. I’m starting to see more and more Elantra GTs on the road, and each time one drives by it Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press takes control of my eyeballs,…

2014 Hyundai Elantra GT Road Test Review

Now this is one great looking car. I'm starting to see more and more Elantra GTs on the road, and each time one drives by it takes control of my eyeballs, fixating them on its backside and leaving me wondering why few other brands can manage as attractive a hatchback design.

The problem with the 2013 Elantra GT, the first year of the new model, wasn't its styling, and to be true its 1.8-litre engine was only a problem if go-fast performance was your aim when purchasing. The 1.8 was a good engine with reasonable acceleration thanks to 148 horsepower and 131 lb-ft of torque, but this new 2.0-litre mill is altogether more pleasing. It produces a satisfying 173 horsepower and 154 lb-ft of torque, which, in case you're not a math honours student, results in a gain of 25 horsepower and 23 lb-ft of torque.

Normally the smiles brought on by big performance improvements are turned upside down at the gas pump, but the new 2014 Elantra GT's fuel economy isn't much thirstier than Read Full Story
In a move designed to streamline the service experience and provide every Audi repair facility – and every customer – with   access to the company’s most experienced technicians,…

Audi and the ART of automotive maintenance

In a move designed to streamline the service experience and provide every Audi repair facility - and every customer - with access to the company's most experienced technicians, Audi has developed a new robotic diagnostic tool called ART (Audi Remote Telepresence).

The remotely-controlled ART robot uses cameras and a video monitor to enable Audi Technical Service teams to interact and converse with service technicians at local dealerships, even while physically in a different location. It displays the operator's face on a screen while permitting the ability to move around the vehicle. An attached borescope and handheld camera allow the operator to further inspect engine components and other difficult-to-reach parts of the vehicle.

The telepresence robot was developed by the Audi Technical Support team in conjunction with VGo Communications, Inc., a provider of robotic telepresence solutions for healthcare, education, and the workplace, and is the first automotive application Read Full Story
For those of you confused by the model’s name, Infiniti recently switched to a new naming convention wherein all of its cars start   with the letter “Q” while its SUVs and crossovers…

2014 Infiniti Q70 3.7 AWD Sport Road Test Review

For those of you confused by the model's name, Infiniti recently switched to a new naming convention wherein all of its cars start with the letter "Q" while its SUVs and crossovers start with "QX". Thus, the Q70 3.7 is the sedan formerly known as the Infiniti M37.

As the 3.7 in the nomenclature suggests, power for the 2014 Infiniti Q70 3.7 AWD Sport comes from a 330 horsepower 3.7-litre V6 engine capable of generating 270 ft-lbs of torque. A seven-speed automatic transmission directs the engine's output to the wheels. Fuel economy is rated at 12 L/100km in the city and 18 on the highway.

Other Q70 drive options include a gasoline/electric hybrid system consisting of a 3.5-litre V6 with a 50kW electric motor for a combined output of 360 horsepower. Infiniti also offers the Q70 with a 420 horsepower 5.6-litre V8 delivering 417 ft-lbs of torque.

As delectable as the output figures for the V8 sound, we found the V6 to be more than adequate for motivating the sedan. Read Full Story
U.S. federal regulators aren’t ready to embrace camera-based exterior rearview mirrors quite yet, but Nissan may help change   that when it launches its Smart interior rearview mirror in Japan…

Nissan ready to introduce smart rearview mirror

U.S. federal regulators aren't ready to embrace camera-based exterior rearview mirrors quite yet, but Nissan may help change that when it launches its Smart interior rearview mirror in Japan for 2015.

While there's nothing new about the idea of replacing rearview mirrors with a discreet camera and a monitor inside the car, most efforts to date have focused on door- or fender-mounted exterior mirrors. Two notable recent examples of this include the hyper-efficient Volkswagen XL1 (which won't be sold in North America) and the sleek, futuristic Tesla Model X (which is awaiting Tesla's appeal of the current mirror regulations). But while replacing the outside mirrors may offer aerodynamic and stylistic benefits, it doesn't offer much in the way of functional benefits and relies entirely on the electronics working correctly to provide rearward vision. For the U.S. federal government, the benefits just don't seem to outweigh the risks.

Nissan's Smart rearview mirror, however, Read Full Story
Have you ever wondered why Mini Cooper drivers are usually smiling? They pull up beside you with silly grins pasted across their Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press faces while we, in our mundane…

2014 Mini Cooper Hardtop Road Test Review

Have you ever wondered why Mini Cooper drivers are usually smiling? They pull up beside you with silly grins pasted across their faces while we, in our mundane A-to-B appliances, continue to slog along day in and day out, only enjoying your commute when Pharrell Williams makes us feel Happy. What gives? Why aren't we having fun every moment behind the wheel too?

The very existence of the Mini has caused such thoughts amongst Canadian drivers since the early '60s, and the car still questions our priorities today. When it really comes down to it, the British brand's raison d'être makes a lot of sense. After all, if we have to drive to get where we're going, why not have a good time along the way?

Mini categorizes fun in three different ways: Cooper, Cooper S and Cooper JCW (John Cooper Works). While any red-blooded performance enthusiast would opt for the latter if given the choice, or at least snap up the keys to the mid-grade Cooper S if they were made available, Read Full Story