Shanghai Auto Show – Part 2

Posted on May 5, 2013 by northredline

As promised we have more action from last month’s Shanghai Auto Show. What an incredible variety of Chinese made product along with the world’s finest and most exotic automobiles. Here’s another glimpse of what there was to see in Shanghai for the car enthusiast taken on our whirlwind tour.

The world’s most popular Italian “sisters”….

La Ferrari

Bugatti Vitesse

Lamborghini models

The Norse Goddess….

Sweden’s Koenigsegg

China’s own supercar concept…..

Icona Vucano

Germany’s proudest son….

The 2012 24 Hours of Le Mans winner – Audi R18 e-tron quattro

American pride…

Detroit Electric – fully electric sportscar built in Detroit, Michigan

From the United Kingdom…

James Bond approved Aston Martins

The “green” darling of Germany

Volkswagen XL1

What happens in China stays in China…..

France + China = Fun Porsche Speedster lookalike

Ford’s continued rally strength….

Ford Focus Rally

Chinese made “tuner extraordinaire”

Portable DJ station

Japan’s ninja warriors….

Subaru BRZ race model

Subaru WRX Sti Rally

More Germany….

Aftermarket scene

China’s number one SUV seller – Great Wall

Team Haval truck from 2013 Paris to Dakar rally

Shanghai Auto Show – Part 1

Posted on April 28, 2013 by northredline

Since 2009, China has been the world’s largest car market and what better place to experience China’s auto industry than to visit the Shanghai Auto show in all its glory. Last week, RedlineNorth had the incredible opportunity to attend China’s largest auto show and it did not disappoint.

2013 Shanghai Auto Show

Gone are the days when Chinese consumers mostly purchased fuel sipping compacts and subcompacts as their preferences have now shifted towards more luxurious and larger models including the ever popular SUV.

Shades of the Isuzu Trooper

Many different lifted style off road SUV's were shown

Many different “lifted” style off-road SUV’s were on the show floor

Sure does looks similar to a Jeep Rubicon?

Sure does look like a Jeep Rubicon?

Here in North America we still do not fully know what to expect with the Chinese built models so it was extra interesting to see them up close. We were impressed with the wide variety of Chinese made products and the overall quality of their fit and finish.

Lifan SUV

In recent years, there has been wide criticism from some non-Chinese manufacturers that several of the domestic Chinese models look very similar to their models. At the show, we did see several examples that would likely fall into this category such as the above image of a Chinese made “Jeep” styled 4×4.

Typical Chinese grocery getter

And yes, documenting the Shanghai Auto show would not be complete if we did not include some shots of the show’s models. It certainly takes a bit getting use to since the models are serious about their posing and do not leave the car’s side which for a car photographer is a bit of a pain nevertheless that’s the way it is.

One way to sell GMC conversion vans

Both camper style and conversion vans are becoming popular in the Chinese market since there is a serious desire to hit the roads and travel around their country like we do here in the West. With so much new infrastructure of modern roads and highways built over the last decade, RV’ing is now a reality in China. I can only imagine what the roads look like on their long weekends….

Chinese made Great Wall camper truck

Mercedes-Benz Camper

Ford Econoline Conversion Vans

And let’s not forget the luxury brands of which China is now the world’s largest consumer. Here’s a glimpse of some purpose-built machines that would even get rap superstar “Drake’s” entourage excited. Of course, these ones are never coming to North America as they are destined for China’s “nouveau riche” super elite class.

Bentley Limosine

Rolls Royce Coupe

Mercedes-Benz G Wagons

Unfortunately, with all these new vehicles hitting the road, China’s oil import bill is ballooning to record levels along with its traffic congestion and air pollution. In fact, earlier this year in Beijing and Shanghai overall air quality hit record unsafe levels never seen historically. Throughout China, there is still an ongoing debate on this topic since many experts say the air pollution stems from industry and power plants that burn fossil fuels such as coal and not actually from its gasoline cars. Nevertheless having experienced Shanghai first hand, it makes you wonder if this torrid pace can be sustained and what the long-term impact is going to be on China’s environment.

Be sure to check out our second segment on the Shanghai Auto show in the coming days.

GM to build newly designed mid-sized trucks in 2014

Posted on April 18, 2013 by northredline

GM has announced it will build a new line-up of smaller pickups in 2014 targeted at the “recreational” buyer. The completely revamped midsize pickup trucks, will focus on gas mileage and features designed to take sales from Toyota’s market-leading Tacoma. These new trucks will replace the aging Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon models. For the full details check out this story.

2012 GMC Canyon SLT Crew Cab

Masretta MXT

Posted on April 11, 2013 by northredline

Yes, that’s right it’s called the Masretta MXT, and it’s a new mid-engine/rear-drive two-seater sports coupe with loads to offer the track day enthusiast. If you are thinking it looks a lot like a Lotus Elise that’s not by accident because its shares the same lightweight fun theme.

And it’s from Mexico, home to many of the World’s manufacturers’ facilities but not necessarily the home of a national auto product. Designed and built entirely in Mexico, the Masretta MXT is Mexico’s first national car and has become a very cool story in itself.

Designed as a driver’s car, development primarily focused on optimizing acceleration, cornering and braking capabilities. While under the hood, the Masretta MXT has a turbocharged, Ford Duratec 2.0-liter, four-cylinder engine that produces 250 HP and 250 lb ft. of torque. By using aluminum in the chassis and carbon fiber in the body, the MXT’s overall weight is only 2050 lbs creating a solid overall horsepower to weight ratio. As a result, it’s not only nimble but quick with acceleration numbers of 0-100 Km/h in 4.9 seconds and a top speed of 260 Km/h.

Along with reasonable sticker price of only $60,000 USD, the MXT has some great upside for the enthusiast community since it’s very good value overall for a premium level sports car. But don’t go getting too excited about picking up one of these cheap in a few years since sales estimates are only around 200 cars per year.

Personally, I’m still not 100% sold on the looks as I just can’t get beyond the thought of the bad marriage between a Toyota MR2 and Lotus Elise. Nevertheless, our job as journalists is to give the facts and be balanced so you can act as the judge at the end of the day.

This is a great video of the Masretta MXT in its natural environment on the racetrack.

As well, the boys from the UK’s Top Gear did a video feature on the MXT which provides some additional insights into the one and only 100% Mexican sports car.

Sources: Wikipedia and Masretta.com

2013 Dodge Charger SXT Review

Posted on April 7, 2013 by northredline

A true urban warrior

2013 Dodge Charger SXT AWD

Base Price: $35,395
Price as tested: $42,040
Engine: 3.6L V6 VVT Engine
Horsepower: 292 HP and 260 lb-ft of torque
Transmission: 8 Speed Auto 8R45 Transmission
Fuel Efficiency Rating: 11.4L/100 KM City; 7.3L/100 KM HWY
Key Competitors: Ford Taurus, Toyota Avalon, Chevrolet Impala

Although the industry as a whole is heading towards smaller vehicles there is still a significant market for large sedans however, the choice today for consumers is somewhat limited. We recently had the opportunity to test out one of these full-size contenders aiming to set itself apart from the rest of the large sedan crowd. Say hello to Chrysler’s 2013 Dodge Charger AWD SXT model.

Spring afternoon in Toronto

Upon first glance, the aggressive stance and styling remind you of the infamous Dodge Charger muscle cars of the 60s and early 70s. The combination of its mean grill, chiseled hood and doors and unique LED tail light make the Charger stand out from the crowd. Selfishly, we were very excited about our tester’s “Redline red” paint colour which works well visually with our site.

What are you looking at?

Upon a close up, you can really see why North American police departments are clamouring for the new Chargers for their fleets since it just looks ready to throw down for law enforcement at a moment’s notice.

Even looks mean from behind

In spite of its large size the 2013 Dodge Charger is surprisingly easy to drive around town, thanks to a very efficient turning radius and solid overall visibility. The steering felt great at both slower city speeds and highway speeds, while the suspension easily soaked up Toronto’s abundant spring potholes. The Charger’s AWD drivetrain provides the added confidence for any type of weather, a truly nice feature to have in Ontario in early Spring.

Luxurious interior

Our 2013 Dodge Charger’s interior came dressed in a sporty red leather upholstery with slick, roomy front bucket seats. One very cool interior feature in the Charger you don’t see everyday is the cooling and/or heating of the centre console cup holders. I mean seriously, how nice is it to keep your Timmy’s coffee warm on a long winter road trip.

The dashboard controls came in oversized, easy to adjust rubber-wrapped knobs situated well for both driver and passenger control. Our only criticism is the dashboard’s design and finish is not perfect, yet it does not look “rental” car either. Overall, Chrysler has done a tremendous job to reduce the number of interior assembly pieces, which results in a very quiet and luxurious interior.

As for technology, the heart of it all begins with Chrysler’s Uconnect Touch media centre which includes CD/DVD/MP3 capability and navigation. The Uconnect Touch system is well designed with its easy to use 8.4 inch touch screen display while the big icons and buttons make it a snap to use while driving. Compared to some of the other systems we have recently tested it is quite exceptional in both looks and functionality. In addition, our Charger SXT model included Bluetooth phone capability, SiriusXM satellite radio and a USB port.

The Charger includes all the latest safety features Chrysler offers and it’s a very safe car overall earning five stars in NHTSA crash tests and a Top Safety Pick from the IIHS. Our tester came with a rear back up camera, adaptive cruise control and a very slick blind spot detection system with alert lights inside the side mirrors. In downtown traffic this feature is a bit overwhelming but you get use to it quickly and we saw the real value when we did our highway tests. Since having a second set of eyes is always a good thing when going to pass on the highway.

Rear seats

The back seats are equally as plush and roomy as the front seats, however, the transmission hump does take some leg room away for the middle occupant.

Storage is key for a large sedan and the cavernous 467 liter trunk delivers superior cargo space and includes grocery bag hooks, a nice convenience feature. Along with the trunk the rear seats fold flat in a 60/40 style so there is more room than most will ever need for hauling stuff.

Cavernous trunk

Overall, we had an absolute blast reviewing the Charger and were actually quite sad to return it to Chrysler headquarters. The 2013 Dodge Charger AWD SXT provides consumers with a sporty AWD sedan that rivals luxury sedans priced well beyond its asking ” sticker” price. As well, in 25 years classic car collectors will not be bidding on today’s Accords and Camry’s but will be interested in these Chargers.

Of course, for those focused on performance and not on a budget, the top of the line 470-HP $48,845 SRT would be absolutely amazing to have parked in the driveway, however, for most situations the Charger SXT suits perfectly. The SXT’s V6 engine provides ample power and torque for everyday driving and is fun to drive for a family sedan. With a zero to 60 MPH time of approx 6.4 seconds range the SXT is one of the faster grocery getters available. Since it was not that long ago when a 290+ HP family sedan was unheard of in North America further reminding me of all the under powered sedans I grew up driving in the 1990s.

Hard Times for Fisker Automotive

Posted on April 5, 2013 by northredline

Fisker Automotive the maker of the Karma plug-in hybrid electric sports car announced today that it is laying off about 75% of its work force, or about 165 people. This follows the resignation last month of the company founder, Henrik Fisker who started the company along with a partner in 2007.

Fisker Karma – Fisker Automotive announces significant layoffs

Fisker hasn’t produced a single vehicle since its battery supplier A123 Systems went bankrupt last year and was bought by the Chinese automotive parts manufacturer Wanxiang Group Corporation. Fisker was in talks with the new owners of A123 regarding a new battery contract.

Fisker received a $529 million loan from the U.S. Department of Energy in 2011 to help the automaker get started. Today’s announcement casts doubt on the ability of Fisker to pay that loan back.

The quality of the Karma, Fisker’s only vehicle, received some negative press over the past year, most notably from Consumer Reports, which complained of some glitches in both the Karma’s hardware and software.

While the long term viability of electric vehicles in the global automotive market remains positive, it’s inevitable that there will be industry consolidation and company failures along the way as the business model of the new generation of electric vehicles matures.

Meanwhile on a more positive note, Tesla Motors, maker of the Model S a pure battery electric vehicle announced on Monday that Model S sales exceeded 4,750 units in the quarter. This is higher than the 4,500 units Tesla had forecast and as a result they expect to turn a profit in the first quarter of this year.

Tesla Model S exceeded first quarter sales estimates

Source: The Globe and Mail, The Guardian

Happy 1 year anniversary!

Posted on April 1, 2013 by northredline

Yes, it’s official we have rocked and rolled here at RedlineNorth.com for 1 year now. We originally set out to create a new voice in the automotive media space and the experience has far surpassed our expectations as a learning journey. We have had an absolute blast and met a ton of wicked cool “car” people along the way.

Birthday cake with car theme

With our ever-increasing viewership, we are so excited to celebrate this milestone with all our readers from around the World. We continue to strive to create superior stories about cars and look forward to hitting the road in the summer months to experience all the local shows and events. Over the next year, we aim to continue covering many different manufacturers’ reviews while meeting a range of folks who love cars and trucks as much as we do.

So thanks again to all our dedicated fans here as well as all those that follow us on Twitter and Facebook. Be sure to subscribe to the site and continue to keep coming back for more stories at RedlineNorth.com

Cheers,

Team RedlineNorth

International Harvester Scout

Posted on March 15, 2013 by northredline

A true original, the International Harvester Scout was a pioneering American off-road vehicle manufactured from 1961 to 1980. It laid the foundation for more advanced North American SUVs to be developed on its legacy as a true 4×4. Initially created as a competitor to the Jeep, the Scout was introduced as a commercial utility pickup in 1960.

Early model

In late 1965, the Scout 800 model was launched offering customers many improvements in comfort and design including; bucket seats, better instrumentation, heating systems, optional rear seats, and more engine choices including a 4-cyl, 6-cyl, or V8.

Scout 800

The Scout and second generation Scout II were all produced in Fort Wayne, Indiana as two-door trucks with options of either a half cab pickup or removable hard or soft top. Scout II’s were manufactured from mid year 1971 to 1980. It is most identifiable by its different front grilles which changed slightly throughout the years.

Convertible and hardtop models

Targeted at the “outdoorsmen” the Scout II appealed to those who spent time in the wild and wanted a vehicle that would get them to the destination and have room for all their gear. International Harvester was successful with their target market and this was long before the SUV became cool as a “Yuppie” family vehicle.

Marketing materials

I remember my Grandfather saying he wanted a Scout which was sort of funny since with his age and declining health he really was more of an armchair angler and hunter then. Unfortunately, he never did get his Scout but not all was lost since it instilled in me a keen interest in SUVs and to date I have owned two different SUVs. Mind you, none of them have been anywhere close to as inspiring as the Scout….

Way ahead of its time

During its 20 year run (1960–1980), 532,674 Scouts were produced, a truly remarkable number for a relatively small player in the auto world. Unfortunately, the party came to a abrupt end with the demise of the International Harvester company and the last Scout rolled off the production line on October 21, 1980.

Going topless

Scouts were and still remain an amazing foundation platform for 4×4 enthusiasts to built a serious off road machine with.

Serious off roader

Many of these machines are still on the road doing what they were designed to do more than 40 years ago when that original design sketch came to be. The International Scout is a true icon in America’s auto history and certainly deserves more credit than it gets today.

Source: Wikipedia

Rally Mexico 2013

Posted on March 11, 2013 by northredline

Many of you have already likely seen the World Baseball Classic game from Saturday which saw Canada and Mexico in a bench clearing brawl. Well, if you haven’t go ahead and check this out as it is really is quite the spectacle.

On a related note, last weekend’s Rally Mexico is one of the toughest races on the WRC‘s annual schedule given the high altitude geography of the course. French Volkswagen driver and Team Red Bull member Sebastien Ogier won the event by more than three minutes to take his second straight WRC victory.

Volkswagen Motorsport chief Jost Capito dedicated the team’s victory to the team’s engine builder after the Polo R WRC took the checkered flag. Capito was quoted ironically “To win with that engine in the neighbourhood of the country’s Volkswagen plant makes us very proud people”.

Source: Autosport.com

Here is a nice video monage of footage from the Rally Mexico event.

Germany Tour Part 2 – Mercedes-Benz Museum

Posted on March 7, 2013 by northredline

Unfortunately, nobody from Team RedlineNorth is taking in the sights and sounds of the this week’s Geneva Auto Show so in lieu of real coverage we wanted to revisit Europe by doing a post on Mercedes-Benz. Recently, a RedlineNorth community member traveled to Germany to tour some of the holiest car sites in the world including Stuttgart’s Mercedes-Benz Museum. A lifelong car enthusiast, he was kind enough to share his trip photos of this ultimate once in a lifetime Benz experience.

Located in a sprawling complex in Stuttgart, Germany, the Mercedes-Benz museum is home to some of the rarest and most beautiful of all Mercedes-Benz models. If you ever have the opportunity to check it out it for yourself it is worth every minute. This is only a brief snapshot of the museum but hopefully does provide a glimpse into what is available to see. The images below are in chronological order as per the model dates.

The early years

The beginning

When cars still looked still like stagecoaches

When cars still looked like stagecoaches

Open limo

Saloon style

Sunday driver

Iconic 300SL Gullwing

Another Gullwing

Early racing history

Modern racing history

It would not be a Mercedes-Benz museum without the Popemobile

A little history about Benz:

The origins of Mercedes-Benz go back over 125 years to 1886 when Karl Benz created the Benz Motorwagen, then the first ever gasoline powered car. However, Benz was not alone in his invention as a year later, Gottlieb Daimler and Wilhelm Maybach’s added a gasoline engine to a stagecoach to produce a car of their own. Interestingly, in spite of these major developments, the first Mercedes-Benz branded vehicles were not produced until 1926, after the merger of Karl Benz’s and Gottlieb Daimler’s companies into the now iconic Daimler-Benz company.

RedlineNorth

Automobile Blog from North of the 49th

Category Archives: News

Shanghai Auto Show – Part 2

Shanghai Auto Show – Part 1

GM to build newly designed mid-sized trucks in 2014

Masretta MXT

2013 Dodge Charger SXT Review

Hard Times for Fisker Automotive

Happy 1 year anniversary!

International Harvester Scout

Rally Mexico 2013

Germany Tour Part 2 – Mercedes-Benz Museum

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