It’s no secret that McLaren Automotive has been working on a new model. Now, with less than a month to go before the latest   supercar’s debut at the International Geneva Motor Show,…

New McLaren 650S debuts ahead of Geneva show

It's no secret that McLaren Automotive has been working on a new model. Now, with less than a month to go before the latest supercar's debut at the International Geneva Motor Show, the boutique British automaker has released a selection of images of the car, together with a smattering of technical information.

The new model will be called the McLaren 650S, and will slot between the 12C and the more expensive (and now sold out) P1.

Developed under the project name "P12", the 650S will be available as either a fixed-roof coupe or as a Spider with a retractable hardtop. Power comes from a 650-horsepower version of McLaren's M838T twin-turbo V8 engine (the model name reflects the horsepower rating, with the "S" standing for "sport").

As with other McLaren road cars, the 650S is built around a carbon fibre tub chassis, with bodywork designed for both dramatic appeal and aerodynamic performance.

The styling is inspired by the McLaren P1, and previews a Read Full Story
If you thought you’d figured out BMW’s new naming system, think again. Within months of introducing the new 2 Series lineup,   which initially appeared to follow the trend of giving coupes…

BMW reveals new front-wheel drive 2 Series Active Tourer

If you thought you'd figured out BMW's new naming system, think again. Within months of introducing the new 2 Series lineup, which initially appeared to follow the trend of giving coupes and coupe derivatives even-numbered series names (6 Series, 4 Series, and 2 Series), and giving sedans, wagons and traditional crossovers odd-numbered series names (7 Series, 5 Series, 3 Series, and 1 Series), the new 2 Series Active Tourer changes everything.

Indeed, with its five-door hatchback bodywork, three- or four-cylinder turbocharged engines, and - get this - front-wheel drive layout, the newest member of the 2 Series family overturns not just everything the German automaker had previously appeared to establish about its nomenclature, but perhaps everything it had established about it's entire brand strategy.

As BMW clearly states in its press release, "The arrival of the BMW 2 Series Active Tourer … sees BMW expand its portfolio into another new model segment." It's Read Full Story
Toronto’s 2014 Canadian International Auto Show got off to a roaring start for Mazda, with the Automobile Journalists Association Kory Koreeda, president of Mazda Canada with the 2014 Mazda6. (Photo:…

Mazda6 chosen as AJAC Car of the Year

Toronto's 2014 Canadian International Auto Show got off to a roaring start for Mazda, with the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC) announcing the Mazda6 as the winner of the Canadian Car of the Year award for 2014, and the Mazda3 as the third-place finalist.

The Mazda6 had already handily won its category (Best New Family Car over $30,000) at AJAC's TestFest in October, alongside its stable mates the Mazda3 and Mazda3 Sport, which came out on top in their respective categories. The Mazda3 and Mazda6 were both nominated as finalists for the Car of the Year award, together with the Corvette Stingray (which came in second), Infiniti Q50 Hybrid, Kia Soul, Lexus IS 350 RWD, and Mercedes-Benz S-Class.

In accepting the prize, Kory Koreeda, president of Mazda Canada, said, "This impressive achievement confirms what we already knew - the 2014 Mazda6 is nothing short of a game changer, once again raising the bar and outclassing other cars in its segment."
Read Full Story
Just Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press how good can a compact crossover get? Drive a new Ford Escape and you’ll know. For me, the Escape encapsulates everything I want in a small CUV. I…

2014 Ford Escape SE 4WD Road Test Review

Just how good can a compact crossover get? Drive a new Ford Escape and you'll know.

For me, the Escape encapsulates everything I want in a small CUV. I could drive this car all day and never get tired, and never get bored. What makes it so good? The Escape delivers an ideal combination of comfort and sport, and packages it all up in a totally utile family hauler that's way larger on the inside that its lean lines make it look from the outside.

Yes, it's a sharp looking little ute, but as attractive as its exterior sheet metal and stylish detailing is, the Escape really shines inside. The look is balanced form and function with a leaning toward modernism, my tester mostly dark grey inside with nice matte and bright metal detailing and zero woodgrain. Unlike some of its peers, the Escape boasts soft-touch dash plastics and soft-touch front door uppers, whereas the rest of the plastic surfaces are harder yet high in quality and nicely textured. Small things, like the power Read Full Story
Why Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press do so many people buy the Camry? Plain and simply because it’s a very good car. This reality once again became apparent as I settled in behind the…

2014 Toyota Camry XLE Road Test Review

Why do so many people buy the Camry? Plain and simply because it's a very good car.

This reality once again became apparent as I settled in behind the wheel of a 2014 Toyota Camry in top-line XLE trim, a car that hasn't changed one iota from last year (and not much since this version was introduced in 2011 as a 2012 model) but nevertheless competes directly with entirely new models from other carmakers and no doubt will once again win on the sales front. In North America, more people buy Camrys than any other car, a title the Japanese brand has held for 11 years straight.

My XLE tester was more luxuriously appointed as any Camry before, with attractive tri-tone leather upholstered seats, a nice, thick leather-wrapped steering wheel, a nicely featured centre stack with fully-sorted infotainment including navigation and a rearview monitor, dual-zone automatic climate control, eight-way driver and four-way passenger power-adjustable heated front seats, proximity sensing Read Full Story
With a month to go before its world debut at the Geneva auto show, Mercedes-Benz has revealed official photos and details of   the 2015 S-Class Coupe. The new car replaces the CL-Class Coupe in the…

New 2015 Mercedes-Benz S-Class Coupe revealed

With a month to go before its world debut at the Geneva auto show, Mercedes-Benz has revealed official photos and details of the 2015 S-Class Coupe. The new car replaces the CL-Class Coupe in the lineup, but the name change doesn't represent any real change in direction for the German automaker's flagship coupe: The CL itself replaced S-Class Coupe for the previous generation, so the new name is actually the old name.

Either way, the car is a two-door version of Mercedes-Benz' big S-Class Sedan. "The large coupe has always been the supreme pinnacle of our model range and that's why it's now called the 'S-Class' again," said Ola Källenius, manager of sales and marketing at Mercedes-Benz.

Externally, the production version of the 2015 S-Class Coupe looks almost identical to the Concept S-Class Coupe that Mercedes showed at the 2013 Frankfurt auto show. According to Mercedes-Benz, the lines are deliberately reduced to the basics in an effort to create a "sensual, Read Full Story
It wasn’t so long ago that options in the subcompact range were relegated to sedans and hatchbacks, with a smattering of two-door Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press coupes left to spice…

2014 Chevrolet Trax LS Road Test Review

It wasn't so long ago that options in the subcompact range were relegated to sedans and hatchbacks, with a smattering of two-door coupes left to spice things up in between. Today's small car market offers a lot more, from these mainstream mainstays to tiny two-seat misfits, tall and boxy whatchamacallits and sportier five-door crossover utilities like this wonderfully unique Chevrolet Trax.

One look will tell you the Trax is like no other CUV on the market. First off its subcompact city car proportions make it ultra-easy to slot in and out of busy urban traffic, let alone those tiny "Small Car" parking spots always placed closest to shopping mall entrances. Yet while small, its tall profile means that interior headroom is plentiful, allowing much more accommodating seating for taller folk than many midsize or large cars. Likewise the Trax' cargo hold is bigger than any vehicle so small should logically provide, measuring the size of a large sedan's trunk behind the 60/40-split Read Full Story
With a month to go before the Geneva International Motor Show, Honda has revealed its lineup of debuts, and there’s a little 2014 Honda Civic Type R Concept (Photo: Honda) bit of something for both…

Ultra-hot Honda Civic Type R Concept revealed ahead of Geneva show

With a month to go before the Geneva International Motor Show, Honda has revealed its lineup of debuts, and there's a little bit of something for both enthusiasts and greenies.

For the environmentally conscious, the big news will be the first European appearance of Honda's sleekly aerodynamic FCEV (fuel cell electric vehicle) Concept. Honda says its next-generation fuel cell vehicle will be launching in Japan and North America in 2015.

For enthusiast motorists, Honda had a longer lineup of introductions. These include the new livery for its 2014 World Touring Car Championship (WTCC) Civic, and the powertrain layout for the new NSX supercar. The latter will be a longitudinal twin-turbo V6 with an innovative three-motor hybrid SH-AWD (super-handling all wheel drive) system.

But perhaps the most important reveal is going to be the world debut of the Civic Type R Concept. Honda went so far as to release a single rear three-quarter teaser image of the car, and Read Full Story