Canadian Buys Most Expensive Car Ever Sold at Auction

Posted on August 21, 2013 by northredline

A red Ferrari 275 GTB/4*S N.A.R.T. Spider, one of only 10 ever built, was recently sold at auction for $27.5 million (U.S.).

A Ferrari 275 GTB/4*S N.A.R.T. Spider recently sold at auction for $27.5 million

Various reports peg the buyer as Canadian billionaire Lawrence Stroll. Mr Stroll built his fortune in the 1990s helping develop the Tommy Hilfiger clothing brand and is worth an estimated $1.8 billion. He reportedly already owns more than 20 other Ferraris, as well as a race track near Mont Tremblant, Que., to drive them on.

N.A.R.T. stands for North American Racing Team, a Ferrari-backed venture created in the late 1950s to promote the brand in the U.S. A 275 N.A.R.T. Spider was featured in the 1968 film “The Thomas Crown Affair” starring Steve McQueen.

The previous sales record for a sports car sold at auction in the United States was a 1954 Mercedes-Benz W196 raced by Juan Manuel Fangio.

Sources: Wheels.ca; Forbes.com; Wikipedia

Elon Musk is the “Thomas Edison” of our day

Posted on August 18, 2013 by northredline

Yes, we here at RedlineNorth do have a bit of a “Bromance” going on with South African born Elon Musk. I mean come on, how could you not?

Elon Musk

He truly is, the Thomas Edison of our time.

Thomas Edison

Forget Steve Jobs, this is our hero! From his early days as behind the scenes business developer, to the $1.5 billion sale of Paypal to eBay in 2002, to his out of this world venture called Space X and its $1.6 billion contract with NASA as cargo transport provider.

Hello? These two accomplishments are absolutely totally extraordinary on their own but of course he did not stop there. In 2003, Musk co-founded a “little” electric car company based in California’s Silicon Valley called Tesla Motors.

In 2008, Tesla developed the Tesla Roadster, using a Lotus Elise glider combined with an electric motor to form its first winning combination. After selling approximately 2400 roadsters, Tesla ran out of Lotus Elise gliders resulting in the end of production of the Roadster in January 2012. However, in June 2012, Tesla began delivery of its now popular four-door Model S sedan and with the exception of one controversial New York Times review the Model S has become the darling of the luxury sedan market. Currently, the Tesla Model S is one of the hottest “it” vehicles and has become a key component of any wealthy gentlemen’s fleet. As well, the recent demise of competitor Fisker Automotive has helped Tesla place themselves as manufacturer of the “sexiest” electric cars in the world.

Tesla Model S

Mirroring this success, in early 2012 Tesla unveiled its third product, the Model X, targeted at the SUV/minivan market. The Model X is scheduled to begin production in 2014 and many industry observers are anticipating record sales as Tesla hopes to capitalize on its amazing 2013 run.

In addition to its own cars, Tesla sells electric powertrain systems to Daimler for the Smart EV and Mercedes A Class, and to Toyota for their electric RAV4 model.

Shifting gears from the automotive world, last week Musk shared his proposal to the world for his Hyperloop, a new form of transportation. The new form of transport is a subsonic air travel machine that stretches approximately 350 miles (560 km) from Los Angeles to San Francisco that would enable commuters to travel between the two cities in 30 minutes, providing a shorter travelling time than today’s commercial airplane. The idea is similar to the tube systems used to transport documents in office buildings of day’s past. Yes, it is certainly 100% way out but Musk continues to be an “out of the box” thinker and with all of today’s challenges we need this type of great thinker even more. Seriously though, this guy is incredible and there is no telling what he’s going to do next.

And if I was a betting man, I would double down on Musk at every chance since he is a proven winner. Sometimes you truly have to go with your gut as I found out first hand when I wimped out earlier this year on buying Telsa stock, a painful mistake since it is now up over 300%…..Oh well, I can still try and short it…….

10th Annual Toronto Subaru Club Hyper Meeting

Posted on August 14, 2013 by northredline

On Sunday, August 11th RedlineNorth attended the 10th Annual Toronto Subaru Club Hyper Meeting at Subaru Canada’s head office in Mississauga, Ontario. Over 300 enthusiasts showcased their vehicles, while fans took in the sights and sounds of the day. In addition to the vehicles there were on-site food trucks, vendors, games, face painting and a RC car track making it an outing for the whole family, although admittedly it was mostly attended by Subaru enthusiasts themselves.

The Hyper Meeting raised funds for Ronald McDonald House Toronto, a very worthy cause. Congrats on a well run event.

Here are few pictures of the festivities, along with some of the vehicles on show.

Toronto’s own Drake spotted driving Bugatti Veyron in Yorkville

Posted on August 12, 2013 by northredline

Local hip hop superstar Drake was in town over the August long weekend to host his successful OVO fest which is marquee event during Toronto’s Caribana festival. While in town, Drake was also spotted driving his newly delivered Bugatti Veyron Sang Noir around Toronto’s tony Yorkville area. Check out video at 1:08 or so.

Even if you are not a hip hop fan you do have to respect Drake’s choice in cars as he sure likes the finer things with regards to the automobile. And the “Started” vanity licence plate is a perfect touch. Team RedlineNorth actually caught a glimpse of Drake last year when he was in town for his birthday as he rolled along Queen Street West in his Mercedes-Benz G 63 AMG with his entourage following behind in the Bentley and Cadillac Escalade. At least he is true to his hip hop mantra of YOLO – You only live one!

2013 Cadillac ATS Review

Posted on August 9, 2013 by northredline

Having been crowned several key industry accolades this year including North American Car of the Year we have been eager to experience the Cadillac ATS first hand. Over a week in July, we had the opportunity to test out Cadillac’s new ATS model and it made an excellent first impression.

Based on GM’s new Alpha platform, the 2013 ATS features a front-engine, rear-drive layout along with a newly designed exterior. Primarily marketed to compete with the successful BMW 3 series, the ATS provides Cadillac with some new ammunition. Offered with three engine and powertrain options, including a manual transmission, automatic transmission and an all-wheel drive configuration it provides customers with lots of choice, a key differentiator in the luxury sedan segment.

Sitting pretty

Our tester came equipped with the manual 2.0-liter turbocharged, four cylinder engine that includes 272 HP and 260 lb-ft of torque. The best part of this configuration is the slick and sporty manual transmission. Since when was the last time you saw a Cadillac with a stick? Providing a manual transmission option is a testament to the renewed focus on making Cadillac products more sporty, which has been well received in the marketplace.

To experience the sportiness of the manual transmission we headed north to the beautiful four season resort town of Collingwood, Ontario. The Cadillac performed well on the winding backcountry roads and ate up the hills with its perfectly balanced sports suspension providing an authentic sports car feel but with all the creature comforts of a luxury sedan. The solid torque from the 2.0-liter turbocharged engine makes the ATS a blast to drive as it is (0 to 60 times are in the high fives) well in the range of its rivals in terms of performance. As for stopping power, our Cadillac came equipped with race inspired Brembo front brakes, a real plus in reducing overall stopping distances.

The Cadillac ATS comes loaded with all the bells and whistles associated with GM’s top marquee. With a base price of $35,195 and a total price as tested of $43,935 our tester included the following options:

Xenon High-Intensity Discharge (HID) headlights with Adaptive Forward Lighting and LED daytime running lights
Performance front bucket seats
10-way power front bucket seats with 2-way power lumbar support and a 4-way adjustable head restraint
Full-colour Head-Up Display (HUD)
Electronic parking brake
Illuminated exterior door handles
Dual exhaust with outlets integrated into rear fascia
Sport alloy pedals
Bose® 5.1 10-speaker Cabin Surround® audio system
Rear outboard seat-mounted side-impact airbags
Lane departure warning
Forward collision alert
Rear vision camera
CUE communications and entertainment system

Fuel economy:

The 2.0T with manual transmission is rated at:

City 10.6L/100 KM
Highway 6.7L/100 KM
Combined 8.8L/100 KM

Interior:

Our tester came equipped with the optional Cadillac User Experience (CUE) infotainment system which includes a 8-inch touch screen that operates like a smartphone or tablet. Although the touch screen did require some initial acclimation, we did like it overall but we could see how it could be difficult for more mature drivers who may not be as familiar with smartphone technology. As well, the climate controls are included in this system and for the older demographic not having physical buttons could be problematic.

Although not for everyone, we were partial to the sexy red interior and its plush leather bucket seats with lumbar support make you want to drive farther as you pull into your destination.

The back seat is best designed for two adults and legroom is about standard for any sport luxury sedan. Having hot and cold ventilation in the back seats is a great touch, especially during a July heatwave where temps reached the mid 40s with the humidex.

The ATS has 10.2 cubic feet of trunk space which is slightly less than some of its competitors, however, we found the space ample for our weekend cottage trip and really how much more space do you need in a luxury sports sedan?

Competition: These are some heavy hitters for sure.

Audi A4 sedan
Lexus IS sedan
BMW 3-series sedan
Mercedes-Benz C-class
Infiniti G37 sedan

Final thoughts:

With its sleek, sexy styling the Cadillac ATS is a real eye pleaser. So, it was no surprise throughout the week, people would come up and ask what Cadillac model it was – the ultimate compliment for any car owner. Having only the opportunity to test the 2.0-liter turbocharged engine with the manual transmission we can only speak to the one model. However, we thoroughly enjoyed our time behind the wheel while experiencing first hand the fruits of Cadillac’s R&D labour to create this award winning new product.

Time will tell how overall sales do in comparison to its rivals as Cadillac has stiff competition with BMW, Audi and Mercedes as their brands are already entrenched and successful in this segment. Nevertheless, we are positive there is room for one more player in the segment and the 2013 Cadillac ATS should be able to hold its own among these German juggernauts.

Should big name race drivers be allowed to race Sprint Cars?

Posted on August 6, 2013 by northredline

If you are a NASCAR fan you have likely seen the controversy in the news over the past month about three-time NASCAR champion and co-owner of Stewart-Haas Racing Tony Stewart getting into several wild crashes during his side job Sprint car racing.

Tony Stewart racing at Susquehanna Speedway Park Sunday, April 14, 2013.
Photo courtesy of Anthony DeSeta

Read the Star’s Norris McDonald’s blog post from the end of July about this very topic after Tony’s crash at Ohsweken Speedway near Brantford, Ontario.

Well, as irony would have it, just as the dust was starting to settle on this controversy, it has been reported today that Tony Stewart has broken both tibia and fibula in his right leg in a crash at Southern Iowa Speedway, a half-mile dirt oval in Oskaloosa, Iowa. Reports state that Stewart was transported to an area hospital after the accident, and immediately underwent surgery.

Unfortunately, as a result of this latest accident, Tony will not be driving the number 14 car this weekend in Watkins Glen, New York and according to Stewart-Haas Racing, a replacement driver for Sunday’s Cheez-It 355 at Watkins Glen International has not yet been determined. Currently, Stewart is 11th in the standings, and with one victory this season, leads the race for the first Wild Card in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. It’s too early to know when Tony will be returning to racing but for sure he will be out a while so we of course wish him a speedy recovery.

But let’s get back to the debate of today’s post. What are your thoughts about big name racers like Tony Stewart racing in other series at which they risk serious injury and/or time away from their main sport?

Please let us know your thoughts as we are interested to see what people think about this one.

Griswold Family Vacation

Posted on August 1, 2013 by northredline

For all our visitors that remember the 1980s movie National Lampoon’s Vacation staring Chevy Chase, check out this video of a real Griswold family driving a replica Wagon Queen Family Truckster to Walt Disney World. You have to love the 8 headlights and the flip down rear seating found in station wagons from the 1980s. A blast from the past!

RedlineNorth Rant…..

Posted on July 24, 2013 by northredline

We try not to focus on rants but since we are now in the heat of summer we thought it was a good time to get a few things off our chests. Big rigs, trucks, tractor trailers and road trains are among the most common names for these ambivalent vehicles. Yes, we are referring to those 18 wheelers that we share our roads and highways with across this continent.

Truck in Canada’s Winter

Well, what’s the deal? The other day we drove during business hours on the 401 west of Toronto and oh my gosh, there are so many trucks and man do they ever go fast!

What happened to the law in Ontario that stated they were going to all be governed at 105 KM/H? Well, that was thrown out of court back in 2012 as seen in this Toronto Star article.

The other thing is the insanity of these trucks driving in the left lane when they are only suppose to be in that lane for passing purposes. Honestly, on the day in question I would say more of them were in the left lane than the right lane. Now, before everyone goes crazy on us we are not suggesting all truck drivers behave like this as it’s just some of them and we do respect the hard work and important job the majority of them do. Nevertheless, it has become evident to me why when people from other countries come to visit they are shocked by the 401 and the trucks. I mean it is Canada after all and we are suppose to be super civilized….aren’t we?

Honda Indy Toronto Part 2

Posted on July 19, 2013 by northredline

As promised we have some coverage from last week’s Honda Indy “Fan Friday”.

Dodge Viper

It’s always a pleasure to see the “Great American” Dodge Viper in action on a North American racetrack.

Cadillac in the pits

True to its premium brand, Cadillac brought an amazing level of resources to Toronto from its newly developed race cars to even better team food in the pits. I guess it really does pay to be the top of the line brand of the world’s largest auto manufacturer.

Scott Dixon – Winner of both races

Scott Dixon the “Kiwi” from New Zealand driving for the Target Chip Ganassi Racing team won both races to secure the $100,000 dollar prize offered to the racer who won the whole race weekend. The victory is the 32nd of his career, making him the winningest active driver in the Izod Indycar series and the seventh most successful driver in American open-wheel racing history.

James Hichcliffe’s car

Unfortunately, our hometown boy James Hinchcliffe finished eighth the first day and 21st the second, after his throttle got stuck in the pit lane before the start, resulting in him getting stuck at the back for the whole race.

Cadillac testing the track out

Stadium Super Truck

A new race series called Stadium Super Trucks recently launched by former NASCAR driver Robby Gordon also ran over the Indy weekend. The series consists of racing style monster trucks equipped with off road tires and massive suspensions tearing around while also hitting BMX style ramps. With a field of star drivers behind the wheels including Canada’s own Paul Tracy, the new series is quickly becoming a fan favourite throughout North America. Although Paul’s day was not so good with him hitting the wall hard as seen in this video it was great to see him driving fast on Toronto’s downtown street circuit once again.

Make sure you block out next year’s Honda Indy Toronto dates so you can be a part of this racing enthusiast experience.

2014 Subaru Forester Review

Posted on July 16, 2013 by northredline

RedlineNorth recently had a chance to review the all new 2014 Subaru Forester. We used this opportunity to take it on a spin up to beautiful Awenda Provincial Park, near Penetanguishene, Ontario for a weekend camping trip. It also allowed us to put the Forester through its paces, both in town and on the highway.

Subaru’s mid-sized crossover is now on its fourth generation, and comes in two main configurations for the 2014 model year – a 2.5L, 4 cylinder boxer engine, or a 2.0L turbo charged version. Within each configuration there are multiple trim packages, with the base Forester 2.5i starting at $25,995. RedlineNorth test drove the 2.5i Touring Package model with a six speed manual transmission ($29,995).

In town with the 2014 Subaru Forester 2.5i

The Details

With a MSRP of $29,995 the 2.5i Touring Package provides you with:

2.5L 4-cyclinder Subaru boxer engine
175 hp and 174 lb-ft torque
Six speed manual transmission with Hill Holder system
Subaru’s symmetrical full-time All-Wheel Drive system
Power liftgate with memory function
Large sunroof
17×7 aluminum alloy wheels
Premium cloth upholstery
10-way power-adjustable driver seat
Heated front seats
CD/MP3 system
Bluetooth mobile phone connectivity with voice activation and steering wheel-mounted controls
Bluetooth streaming audio
Rear-view camera
Dual-zone climate control
36 month – 60,000 km New Vehicle Limited Warranty

At home in the woods

Exterior

The 2014 Subaru Forester has a more upright, boxy, and overall SUV type look compared to its crossover cousin, the Subaru Outback which can easily be mistaken for a large wagon. While the Forester styling is somewhat understated, to its credit it provides plenty of ground clearance, 8.7 inches to be exact. This is particularly nice to have when driving around the city, clearing speed bumps with ease. We also found the raised body made loading and unloading camping gear from the rear cargo space on our trip more convenient. Likewise, the raised profile of the Forester also translates into larger window space, giving the interior a very bright and airy feel. This is heightened by the extra large sunroof that comes standard in the Touring Package. The size and placement of the sunroof was one of our favourite features of the 2014 Forester and accentuated the open feeling of the whole interior cabin.

RedlineNorth appreciated the extra large sunroof which comes standard in the 2.5i Touring Edition

RedlineNorth appreciated the extra large sunroof which comes standard in the 2.5i Touring Package

Interior

Driver seating in the 2014 model is solid and at no point did we feel cramped. The placement of the climate and steering wheel mounted controls make vehicle operation a seamless experience. It enables the driver to concentrate on driving, rather than fiddling with buttons. The one exception is the menu navigation on the 4.3 inch multi-function display. The system isn’t as straight forward as it could be at the outset, however, we did get use to it after a short period of time. The rear view camera images on the 4.3 inch display are small in size and it would be nice to have a larger monitor. However, at the end of the day the monitor is still large enough to determine if there are any obstacles in the way, which is what it’s designed to do.

Interior cabin view

We were pleasantly surprised with the interior build quality and overall design of the Forester. The retractable rear cargo cover is a nice addition to keep valuables out of sight and its solid construction gave us confidence it would last the life of the vehicle. Similarly, the rear cargo and floor mats are made of a higher quality material and stood up well to the loading and unloading of camping gear.

There is decent interior storage space, with plenty of cargo room in the rear. The powered rear cargo liftgate is a nice touch and came in handy on our trip. With one touch open and close it makes accessing the interior storage space very easy. We should also note the location of the rear latch connection for the child safety seat was positioned in a very convenient location and made the placement and removal of the seat a breeze. It’s one of those little things that all add up to a big overall impression.

Rear cargo space in the Forester was plentiful and easily accessible

Performance

The six speed manual transmission found in the Forester feels smooth and responsive. Effortless shifting between gears and the full time All-Wheel drive Subaru is known for, make the Forester a pleasure to drive. Fully loaded with a weekend’s worth of gear the 2.5L engine wasn’t as spirited entering the highway as we would have liked so we would recommend an upgrade to the 2.0 L turbo engine with its 250 hp and 258 lbs-ft of torque if more powerful full time performance is required. Nevertheless, the 2.5i is fun to drive and provides more than acceptable power and performance for the vast majority of daily driving.

The 2.5i Touring Package comes standard with a 6 speed manual transmission

The 2.5i Touring Package with a six speed manual transmission

Fuel efficiency in the 2.5L version of the 2014 Forester is rated at 9.5L/100 km City and 7.0L/100 km Highway. While climate, driving style, maintenance and a number of other factors can influence fuel efficiency, we are happy to see the efficiency during our test period fell within the stated range.

Summary

The 2014 Subaru Forester is a bit of a sleeper hit for us. We are pleasantly surprised with its interior cargo space and convenience options such as the powered liftgate and rear car seat latch placement. The full time All-Wheel Drive and smooth six speed manual transmission made for a very good driving experience. As a result, families considering a small SUV or minivan should take notice of the 2014 Forester and we think they will be happily surprised both in terms of day to day performance, but also in value for money.

Key competitors to the 2014 Forester are the Ford Escape, Toyota RAV4, Kia Sportage and Honda CR-V.

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this: