The new 2015 BMW M4 Coupe breaks with BMW tradition in so many ways, but according to automotive journalist Trevor Hofmann who brings us today’s review, it stays true to M form in the most important…

2015 BMW M4 Coupe Road Test Review

There are some cars that I enjoy driving around town or out on the open road, and then there are others that I simply must find a way to get onto the track. Such is the case with the new 2015 BMW M4 Coupe.

I can just imagine. Blindly cresting the top of Laguna Seca's corkscrew before deep diving down through 8A ahead of the plunge past 9, the hurtling M4 holding fast to the tarmac on its way through 10 before coming down hard on its massive binders in order to set up 11 ahead of the long kinked straight. Or better yet, getting the speed and apex just right on the Andretti hairpin so as to set up turns 3 and 4 before climbing the long steep hill after 5 and then entering the Rahal straight after 6, I can hardly fathom the speed and control the M4 would be capable of on a track like that.

I've run Laguna Seca more than any other track, and with many more different types of cars. I've tested everything from compact Kias, mid-size Toyota crossovers, Civic Si Coupes, Nissan Read Full Story
A Mini Cooper S is about as much fun as you can have behind the wheel of a car; that is unless you’ve got the keys to a Mini Cooper S Convertible. Today on CarCostCanada, Trevor Hofmann reviews the…

2014 Mini Cooper S Convertible Road Test Review

How can you make a Mini Cooper Convertible better than it already is? That's easy, tag a bright shiny red "S" onto its nameplate.

For years the stylized S on the backside of any Mini model has signified a very worthwhile performance upgrade, not to mention other goodies to go along with its increased price point. The best part is the received reward is much greater than the money needed to move up from the base Cooper, which is why there are so many S-badged Minis zipping around town.

And they certainly zip quickly. Under the stubby little Mini hood is a direct-injected and twin-scroll turbocharged version of Mini's heady little 1.6-litre four-cylinder, complete with 60 more ponies than the base Cooper at 181 horsepower and 63 additional pound-feet of torque at 177, although on overboost the Cooper S gives its driver a 78 lb-ft advantage! Sure, there's more performance yet available in the John Cooper Works version, but that little 208-horsepower mind bomb requires Read Full Story
There’s never a better time to buy a new convertible than the fall when Mr. Sun only peaks his head out of the clouds occasionally, and for that reason prices drop to their lowest of the year. Check…

2014 Volkswagen Beetle Convertible Sportline Road Test Review

In one styling update, Volkswagen's once iconic although eventually tired and dated looking "New Beetle" became as fresh and stylish as it was when new, with the added benefit of being much more appealing to the more masculine set.

I fall into that latter grouping, and while not particularly muscled up and hardly machismo, I'm a guy who likes cars with a little more testosterone in their tanks. Something about the latest Beetle's design speaks volumes to those of us who prefer gutsy over cutesy, but I can't exactly place what specific design element does the trick. Likely it's a combination of everything, from its long, wide, rectangular front bumper vents and the squared off edging of its hood just above, to its longer hood-line and front fenders, plus its shorter rear deck, squared off trunk lid and sharply angled taillights. All in all it's a tougher, sportier looking Beetle that easily has enough chutzpa to stare down the surprised deer in the headlights look ingratiating Read Full Story
Choosing a new full-size pickup is tough these days, and General Motors has made things even more difficult with a redesigned lineup of light trucks. Today on CarCostCanada, Trevor Hofmann reviews the…

2014 GMC Sierra 1500 SLT Crew Cab 4WD Road Test Review

What a great looking truck! I have always liked the styling of GMC pickup trucks more than their Chevy dizygotic twins, and despite a good looking all-new 2014 Chevy Silverado 1500 the even better looking (to my eyes at least) 2014 Sierra 1500 shows that this rule isn't about to change anytime soon.

While GMC's half-ton pickup doesn't come in a base Work Truck (WT) trim level like its bow-tie sibling, its least expensive "Sierra" trim level is priced just $614 higher and therefore isn't much fancier, but still somehow the pickup sold through General Motors' dedicated truck and SUV division manages to seem more upscale.

In actuality the base Sierra is about as basic as new vehicles get, not even included carpeted flooring. Of course, if you're dealing with the dirty and often muddy life of construction sites, plush carpeting won't be high on your priority list. Rather, the inclusion of GM's Z85 increased capacity suspension system as standard equipment will be more appreciated, Read Full Story
$65k for a Jeep? It’s not just any Jeep, though. This super-SUV can take on the best from Mercedes AMG, Porsche and Range Rover as far as performance is concerned, and even measures up for luxury and…

2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT Road Test Review

Want a mid-size performance SUV that can run the wheels off of many of today's so-called sports cars? Step up to the premium brands and there's a wealth of pricy top-line offerings, from Land Rover's new $91,490 Range Rover Sport Supercharged to Mercedes' $104,400 ML 63 AMG, and of course Porsche's impressive $128,200 Cayenne Turbo. A brand that might not immediately come to mind, however, is made by the American brand that invented the sport utility class, Jeep and its shockingly capable yet comparably very affordable $64,895 Grand Cherokee SRT.

There's nothing that even comes close to the Grand Cherokee SRT's performance below its price point or for that matter between its mid-$60s MSRP and the Range Rover Sport Supercharged's stratospheric $90-plus range. So can the homegrown GC SRT actually run with these six-figure Europeans? Despite being the only one of these four under the 500-horsepower threshold, the 470-horse SRT will scoot to 100 km/h in a scant 4.9 seconds, which Read Full Story
Is Buick a real luxury brand capable of going up against BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Lexus? Read automotive journalist Simon Hill’s review of the latest 2014 Regal Turbo AWD for insight into what makes this…

2014 Buick Regal Turbo AWD Road Test Review

Buick's good-looking and decidedly European-feeling fifth-generation Regal midsize sedan underwent a midlife refresh for 2014, coming away with more power for the turbo model, a whole range of available new safety technology, the latest in IntelliLink infotainment systems and, perhaps most importantly for Canadians, a newly-available Haldex all-wheel drive system.

Ironically, following this significant step forward, the 2015 model will see the Regal take a small step back, with the deletion of the chrome-trimmed body-coloured door handles, HD radio capability, and the useful left-hand side net in the trunk, and substitution of the four-way driver and passenger power lumbar adjustment with two-way adjustment, manual child security locks for power units, and Graphite Blue Metallic paint colour for Dark Sapphire Blue Metallic. Other than these updates, the recently refreshed Regal will carry into 2015 unchanged.

I test drove a 2014 Graphite Blue Metallic Regal Turbo with Read Full Story
While it looks like Scion’s newest 2015 FR-S is much the same as last year’s car, one drive will announce that much has changed under the skin. Read automotive journalist Trevor Hofmann’s review…

2015 Scion FR-S Road Test Review

OK, I admit that I was a bit worried when Scion first announced they were changing up the FR-S' suspension tuning for the 2015 model year. Why mess with perfection? The first two years of this Toyota subsidiary's flagship were nirvana for drift fans, or any performance car purist with the ability to hang a vehicle's tail out on a given corner while maintaining control. With some cars this is a recipe for disaster, but with the FR-S it's been business as usual since the model debuted in 2012 as a 2013 model, made even easier (and safer for drift novices) when the model's VSC Sport program is engaged. For 2015, getting tail happy won't be quite as simple.

I experienced this with an updated 2015 Scion FR-S I tested recently. The new model wouldn't let go as easily from its hind end, but it was markedly faster through the corners. The rear stays locked into position longer, and then when push comes to shove the front end lets go a little sooner, subtly understeering in a more traditional Read Full Story
Is there room above the top-line Lamborghini Aventador for another two-seat, mid-engine super coupe? Main rival Ferrari has proven there’s no limit to what a wealthy prancing horse fan will pay to have…

Lamborghini unveils 910-hp Asterion plug-in hybrid hyper car concept

Disappointed? It's difficult to feel let down after seeing the beautiful Asterion LPI 910-4 front to back, or for that matter inside, unless you look over your shoulder for rear seats that aren't there.

It's a true beauty. Like all Lamborghinis, the Asterion's cabin is luxuriously appointed with the finest of leathers, metals and, with respect to classics from the past, camel brown leather detailing that initially looks a lot like wood, while its exterior design returns some much welcome soft lines to the storied Italian company that most recently has been chiseling nothing but doorstop wedges with more hard cut angles than an F-117 Nighthawk stealth fighter.

The initial black and white profile teaser of the Asterion showed the smoother, softer lines we now see in full colour, along with a teaser message that simply stated, "Once perfection is achieved, you can just double it." This led to much speculation, with many pundits (including yours truly) suggesting that four Read Full Story