What sports car looks better than a Jaguar F-Type? That’s easy, the F-Type Project 7, and according to the British carmaker the   classic D-Type racecar inspired drop-top concept will soon…

Gorgeous F-Type Project 7 roadster promised for production

What sports car looks better than a Jaguar F-Type? That's easy, the F-Type Project 7, and according to the British carmaker the classic D-Type racecar inspired drop-top concept will soon go into limited production.

Official news came at this year's Goodwood Festival of Speed where the production version debuted, only a year after the original concept showed up for the 2013 Goodwood show. That prototype was a monoposto design, but the new production model will allow seating for two along with other road-ready upgrades, such as rollover hoops to protect both occupants in case of a crash. And don't worry Canadian leaping cat fans, as a North American-spec version will also be available, although ours will be fitted with a full-height windshield to meet safety regulations.

Under the Project 7's sleek hood resides a 575 horsepower version of Jaguar's 5.0-litre supercharged V8, which, thanks to an efficient eight-speed Quickshift automatic and second-generation Electronic Read Full Story
When is an M car not an M car? This is a question that will need to be answered when an all-new M2 arrives next year, as is expected, Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press but a week spent with the…

2014 BMW M235i Coupe Road Test Review

When is an M car not an M car? This is a question that will need to be answered when an all-new M2 arrives next year, as is expected, but a week spent with the M235i made me a believer in its M credibility just the same.

It's odd really. I've driven most every M since the "M Motorsport" derived designation came into existence, except for the original M1 (oh how I would love to have the opportunity) and the original E30 M3 (I'm up for that too, if you happen to have one and would be willing to let me behind the wheel). Like the Euro-spec 1994 E36-based M3 (one of 50 that came to Canada) that still makes my heart palpitate rapidly at the very thought of its perfectly balanced, high-revving, melodious sounding inline sextet, the M235i is relatively lightweight and powered by BMW's classic straight six. The new one even has a turbo like the first M3, while output comes closer to an absolutely wonderful black on black 1995 M5 I drove at the onset of my M love affair, at 322 horsepower Read Full Story
While credited with inventing the concept of the “hot hatch”, the fact of the matter is several other manufacturers had done high-performance   versions of their more pedestrian hatchback…

2015 Volkswagen Golf GTI Road Test Review

While credited with inventing the concept of the "hot hatch", the fact of the matter is several other manufacturers had done high-performance versions of their more pedestrian hatchback models before the 1976 Volkswagen GTI ever saw the light of day. However, because of its prowess, the Volkswagen GTI was the one that put the concept on the map.
Since that first version of the highly regarded VW, six iterations of the car have been offered, with the seventh just now coming to market.

As you'd expect, this new one is considerably more powerful than that first one, and a great deal more refined as well. While still hewing closely to its mission of providing outstanding performance potential in the guise of a prosaic family hatchback, this new GTI is the most sophisticated example of Volkswagen's GTI ever offered.

Riding upon an all-new platform, the 2015 Golf GTI is longer, lower and wider than the 2014 car it replaces. The track is just a bit wider in the front, Read Full Story
While we’ve always been fans of the Subaru WRX STI, we’d also felt its true street potential had yet to be realized. The model Photo: Subaru is offered essentially in homage to the company’s…

2015 Subaru WRX STI Road Test Review

While we've always been fans of the Subaru WRX STI, we'd also felt its true street potential had yet to be realized. The model is offered essentially in homage to the company's championship-winning world rally cars. And, truth be told, if anyone deserves to have such a car on the road it is Subaru. Its rally cars are practically indomitable.

However, those first STI models we got back in 2004 were calibrated to perform as well as possible both on dirt and on pavement. Meanwhile, the Subaru's chief rival, Mitsubishi's Lancer Evolution was calibrated to deliver its best performances on pavement-and it showed. The Evolution's reflexes were much sharper and considerably crisper than the STI's. If you drove the two cars back to back (as we did back in 2004) you immediately saw the difference. And, if you were unaware of the Subaru's rally heritage, you'd come away from the experience thinking the STI was soft by comparison-well, because it was.

Remember, the Subaru was calibrated Read Full Story
With an unprecedented number of recalls setting records throughout the auto industry this year, surprises are the last thing most   consumers want to hear about in the news. Then again, in the case…

2015 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat boasts 707 horsepower

With an unprecedented number of recalls setting records throughout the auto industry this year, surprises are the last thing most consumers want to hear about in the news. Then again, in the case of the new 2015 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat, a bump of 100-plus horsepower in expected output is a surprise that many will celebrate.

The upgraded muscle car will soon deliver supercar-like output levels at a shocking 707 horsepower, more than a hundred horsepower more than the previously announced "600-plus" estimate. This makes the Challenger SRT Hellcat "the most powerful Challenger ever, Dodge's most powerful V8 ever and the most powerful muscle car ever," says Dodge in its press release. Likewise the muscle car's torque rating was supposed to be in the range of 575 pound-feet according to SRT Powertrain Director Chris Cowland, but in actuality it will make 650 lb-ft of torque.

Where does all the power come from? If you read the fine print on the side of the front fender Read Full Story
If we’re lucky, this new Chrysler 200 will see rental fleet duty in much the same manner as its predecessor. This way, people 2015 Chrysler 200C. (Photo: Chrysler) will get an opportunity to experience…

2014 Chrysler 200 Road Test Review

If we're lucky, this new Chrysler 200 will see rental fleet duty in much the same manner as its predecessor. This way, people will get an opportunity to experience just how good this sensuously shaped sedan really is. And hopefully, that will translate into sales for Chrysler as well.

Unquestionably the loveliest Chrysler model of the modern era-and quite possibly one of the best-looking of all time-the 2015 Chrysler 200 is sleek of line, enjoyable to drive, and boasts a delightful interior treatment. In other words, the new Chrysler 200 stands head and shoulders above the model it replaces in the storied automaker's lineup.

Under the skin, the 2015 200 shares the Alfa Romeo Giuletta platform also underpinning the Dodge Dart and the new Jeep Cherokee. Power comes from a choice of either a 2.4-litre inline four-cylinder engine producing 184 horsepower and 173 ft-lbs of torque, or a 3.6-litre V6 producing 295 horsepower and 262 ft-lbs of torque. Both engines are paired Read Full Story
Hyundai’s current-generation Elantra was introduced for the 2011 model year and has been a solid top-three seller in Canada’s Photo: Simon Hill, Canadian Auto Press compact market ever since…

2014 Hyundai Elantra Limited Road Test Review

Hyundai's current-generation Elantra was introduced for the 2011 model year and has been a solid top-three seller in Canada's compact market ever since thanks to a well-rounded personality that combines good looks, a pleasant driving experience, decent fuel economy, and plenty of available equipment for the money.

Now, three years into its production run and with only a year or two to go before a rumoured redesign under the styling direction of Peter Schreyer, Hyundai has given the Elantra a bit of a mid-life refresh to ensure it remains competitive with rivals including the Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Chevrolet Cruze and Ford Focus.

Outside, the updates are subtle but they help keep the Elantra contemporary looking. At the front there are restyled fog lights (for GLS and higher trim) housed in a slightly tweaked fascia, at the back there's a mildly different rear diffuser, at the corners different alloy wheel designs, and on Limited trim cars there are now Read Full Story
A fitting backdrop for the debut of one of the world’s sportiest motorized creations, last weekend’s Goodwood Festival of Speed   held in West Sussex, England was McLaren Automotive’s…

Limited edition McLaren 650S unveiled at Goodwood

A fitting backdrop for the debut of one of the world's sportiest motorized creations, last weekend's Goodwood Festival of Speed held in West Sussex, England was McLaren Automotive's choice for pulling the sheet off of its new limited edition 650S supercar.

This special 650S, which was developed by McLaren's bespoke personalization division McLaren Special Operations and debuted alongside a special GT3 racing-spec version of the same model, gets a number of unique tweaks unavailable on the "base" 650S. For starters, exterior upgrades include satin-finish carbon-fibre components such as extended MSO side blades "giving a subtle and purposeful look" says the press release, plus a distinctive three-piece carbon-enhanced rear bumper, a more pronounced rear diffuser, and new Palladium coloured 10-spoke diamond-cut alloy rims that weigh four kilos less per wheel and are locked in place with lightweight titanium wheel bolts, while climbing inside, owners will immediately be met by a Read Full Story