Toronto Spring Classic Car Auction

Posted on April 14, 2013 by northredline

On Saturday, we headed over to the International Centre to catch the Toronto Spring Classic Car Auction. As always, this event offers a range of classics being sold including; trucks, cars, convertibles, race cars, sedans and sports cars. And in spite of the continued turbulent economic times prices were strong overall with the iconic classics still pulling in top dollar on the block. Of course, there are still some great deals found especially within the “no reserve price” vehicles. Here is a glimpse of the inventory to roll up on the block over the three days.

Gorgeous “Hugger Orange” Camaro

1980s “500 HP” Ford Truck

Ford Country Squire

90s Porsche 993

Chevrolet Truck 4×4 with 454 Big Block

VW Karmann Ghia

Ford Hot Rod

1972 340 Plymouth Barracuda sold for $30,000

Chevelle SS convertible

1950s Chevy

1960s Chevy Truck

Maserati $12,000

1940 Ford Deluxe Coupe

Ford Hot Rod Truck

Chevrolet Fleetside

Held twice a year in April and October the Toronto Classic Car Auction continues to be a must attend event for any auto enthusiast. To check out our past coverage see here 2012 Spring and Fall.

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

When Outrageous Was Possible – Looking Back at the Lamborghini Countach

Posted on April 9, 2013 by northredline

Today’s post focuses on a wonderful video that profiles the Lamborghini Countach, called When Outrageous Was Possible. Growing up in the 1980s lots of kids had Lamborghini Countach posters on their wall, including yours truly (a white one). At the time the Countach was THE sports car that kids (and adults) aspired to own or drive. One look at a Countach and you knew it was one cool car.

When Outrageous Was Possible interviews James Chen, owner of Axis Wheels and current owner of a white Lamborghini Countach. Chen discusses the design of the car and it’s impracticalities such as the scissor doors, the not so great AC, and the tight headroom. However, he also explains why the Countach is so loved, even today, and why a vehicle like the Countach will never be made again.

Enjoy.

Credit: http://www.petrolicious.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

We Are Driven – Automotive Tuning Culture Documentary

Posted on March 28, 2013 by northredline

On June 9th a new documentary on the tuning car culture and lifestyle will be released called We Are Driven. The film makers spent a year and a half visiting countless shows, meets and track days to gain more insight into what the aftermarket tuning culture is all about. For those that are in the scene, or simply interested in understanding what the culture is all about check out the trailer below and watch the movie when it’s released on June 9th. Based on the trailer it looks like the movie promises to have some beautiful cinematography and editing as well.

MegaSpeed Custom Car & Truck Show 2013

Posted on March 26, 2013 by northredline

International Center
Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
March 22-24, 2013

This year was the 2nd year for the MegaSpeed Show and they came to play with a strong list of big name guests and legendary car personalities including; American Graffiti stars, Chip Foose, Ken Block and Formula Drift pilot Chris Forsberg. It’s no easy feat putting on a huge car show when the weather is essentially still cold and wintry. Hence, the show is held indoors in the sprawling complex made up of close to 500,000 sq. ft of exhibit space. The event draws a broad range of auto enthusiasts and provides something for everyone since the show cars span from all genres and eras of enthusiast styling. Check out a glimpse of what the show offered and make sure you add it to your Spring calendar next year.

458 Italia Ferrari

1964 Impala

1940 Dodge

1987 Buick GNX

Fiat Abarth

1940s Cadillac

Crazy custom Ford Fairlane

Ford F-100

Nissan 300ZX 2+2 with 800-1000 HP and Aston Martin DB9

Low rider Impala

1970 Ford Maverick

Mini Cooper with Honda VTEC engine

Porsche Speedster

1990s 993 Porsche wide body

2013 Dodge Dart SXT Review

Posted on March 24, 2013 by northredline

2013 Dodge Dart

2013 Dodge Dart SXT

Base Price: $17,995
Price As Tested: $22,590
Engine: 2.0L I4 DOHC (also available 1.4L turbo)
Horse Power: 160 hp
Transmission: 6 speed automatic (6 speed dual clutch automatic and 6 speed manual also available)
Fuel Efficiency Rating: 8.6L/100 km City/5.8L/100 km Highway
Key Competitors: Ford Focus, Honda Civic, Volkswagen Jetta, Chevrolet Cruze, Toyota Corolla.

Starting life as a full size vehicle in 1960, the Dodge Dart moved to a mid-size car in 1962 and finally became a “compact” in 1963 until 1976 when it was discontinued in the United States. In 2013, Chrysler resurrected the Dart into what we see today using a modified Alfa Romeo Giulietta platform (source). The new Dodge Dart made its debut at Detroit’s North American International Auto Show back in January 2012. The development and launch of the Dart is a significant milestone for Chrysler as it has been eight years since their last compact sedan the Dodge Neon was available to North American consumers.

Dodge Dart debut at NAIAS 2013

The 2013 Dodge Dart is available in six different trim levels from the base SE model starting at $15,995, SXT ($17,995), RALLYE ($19,495), Aero ($19,795), Limited ($23,245) to finally the GT model of which Canadian pricing has yet to be announced.

RedlineNorth recently had an opportunity to review the SXT model, which sits just above the base SE model, and provides a number of features, including a 8.4 inch touch screen.

The first thing you notice about the Dodge Dart is the aggressive exterior styling. The split cross hairs at the nose of the vehicle show that it’s unmistakably a Dodge. The sweeping projector headlights, lower grill and positioning of the rear tail lights across the length of the body all add to its sporty look. In addition, our tester came in a Redline Red paint colour of which we were particularly partial to.

Upon sitting in the driver seat of the Dart SXT you immediately notice the 8.4 inch touch screen display system, which Dodge calls the Uconnect 8.4. It’s simply massive and makes good use of all the extra real estate as on-screen buttons were spaced apart and easy to select. Unlike other smaller screens which are forced to located everything in close making it more difficult to select the right button. Another pleasant feature is the vast amount of customizing options available through the touch screen menu including everything from headlight on/off as well as doors & lock timing to Auto-On Comfort & Remote Start. For the traditional audiophiles, the Dodge Dart does includes a CD player which is tucked away in the arm rest. While many have migrated to downloadable music it’s good to see Dodge recognizing that many folks still use compact discs and have provided that option.

Another feature within the interior of the Dart is the 12 volt power supply which illuminates at night and provides light to the in-dash storage compartment, making it easier to find items in the compartment without having to turn on the interior lights.

: Ample rear legroom

Rear legroom was plentiful and a rear centre arm rest with pass thru is provided, both features provide some extra comfort for those longer journeys. The cargo area in the trunk was cavernous providing loads of room for gear. The combination between rear cargo and interior passenger space places the Dart right up there in terms of available interior volume in its class.

The 2.0L I4 engine in the Dart SXT produces 160 horse power and 148 lbs of torque. Acceleration was generally good with the automatic transmission, although the 6 speed manual with the optional 1.4 L turbo engine (and 184 lbs of torque) would likely suit drivers looking for more power. The Dart will do 0-60 mph in 7.6 to 7.9 second

The Dodge Dart provides great value for someone looking for a compact sedan with all the functionality one would expect from a 2013 model. However, it also comes with an added bonus not available in all compact models and that is, “personality”. Whether it’s your daily commute or a road trip with family the Dart is always poised to please.

Electric Vehicle News

Posted on March 22, 2013 by northredline

News this week that Volvo will be bringing its Plug-In Hybrid Electric Diesel V60 to the New York Auto Show next week as it is one of the finalists for the 2013 Green Car of the Year Awards. The V60 is the world’s first production diesel plug-in hybrid. The diesel engine paired with the electric motor and battery offering 50 kilometers of pure electric range will provide a combined fuel economy of 130 MPG. Of course being an electric there will be instant power off the line and the V60 will reportedly do 0-60 mph in 6.1 seconds. In addition, the diesel engine will provide that much more range compared to gasoline. No definitive answer as to whether the diesel version of the V60 PHEV will be coming to North America (Source Autoblog Canada).

V60 World’s First Diesel PHEV

Volkswagen also recently announced that it will be launching a pure electric version of its up! car. The Volkswagen e-up! will use the new Combined Charging System which will use a single plug for charging at Level 2 and Level 3. Unfortunately, the e-up! won’t be coming to North America at this point, however, other electric models from Volkswagen are expected to make it over to this side of the Atlantic including the e-Golf. Unlike the V60 the acceleration performance of the e-up! will not be as pronounced and will reportedly reach 0-60 mph in 14 seconds. This is relatively slow by North American standards, however, it will travel 93 miles on a single charge which is very respectable as far as electric vehicles go.

Volkswagen e-up!

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