Check out this video of the world’s first successful unassisted automobile backflip on camera.
Guerlain Chicherit pulled off the stunt yesterday in the winter sports resort of Tignes in his native France using a MINI JCW Countryman. No word yet on what modifications were made to the vehicle.
Chicherit is a four times freestyle skiing world champion, he has also won the French rally championship on two occasions and is a veteran of the X-raid Team.
Source: BMW
Source: BMW
Sold in over 140 markets around the world, the 2013 Chevrolet Trax is a smaller sized, five seat CUV/SUV. Powered by a 1.4L turbocharged engine paired to a FWD drivetrain or intelligent AWD system the Trax is well suited for both city and country terrain. Our tester came with the AWD system, an absolutely fantastic feature to have during the biggest snowstorm of the season here in Southern Ontario.
The Trax provides drivers with a unique combination of nimble, smaller sized CUV designed for the urban reality along with a hearty, adventurous core for when the going gets tough. During our test week, its smallish size made life easy for parking in various tight spots throughout the city.
The 1.4L turbocharged engine was quite peppy in both city and highway situations and provided a stellar level of overall power.
Fuel Economy
A very good fuel miser, our AWD Trax tester model delivered fuel economy numbers of 8.6 L/100 kms (27 mpg) in a combined highway and city environment.GM Canada’s fuel ratings are based on FWD model at 7.8 L/100 km city and 5.7 L/100 km highway ratings*.
One key interior feature making the Trax come to life was its premium Bose stereo with amplifier, a must have with SiriusXM Satellite Radio™. Having recently reviewed several other comparable vehicles, the stereo was quite exceptional for its overall price range.
Interior Space
The Trax provides a generous amount of interior and storage space as a result of its flexible design and roomy seats. With its 60/40 flip-and-fold rear seat and fold-flat front passenger seat the Trax is totally up for any challenge from drivers who travel with lots of gear. With the rear seats upright, cargo space is 530 litres and with the rear seats folded down it provides a spacious 1,371 L of cargo space*. Along with ample cargo space, the Trax provides a varied range of storage including; several cup holders, door and seat pockets and several hidden compartments.
*Based on GM Canada’s vehicle information
Our 2013 Chevrolet Trax review vehicle came in the 2LT trim package which includes the following features:
One thing we did dislike which was similar to some other GM models we have recently reviewed is the fact there was no armrest for the front passenger which is a real bummer on a long road trip.
Another interesting point for Canadians is the fact that the Trax is it is not sold in the United States. Apparently GM’s decision is based on American buyers tending to prefer larger vehicles and the availability in the US of the similar sized Buick Encore model.
Competition
The key competitors to the Chevrolet Trax in the smaller CUV/SUV segment are the Hyundai Tucson, Kia Soul, Nissan Juke and Suzuki SX-4. All of these competitors offer similar trim levels and sticker prices resulting in the segment being ultra competitive. Time will tell who comes out as the sales champ but the good news for GM now is its latest Chevrolet product can hold its own among the competition. The Chevrolet Trax is a solid vehicle providing great overall value and should be on all new car buyers’ lists looking in this segment.
The day before the public opening of the Canadian (Toronto) International AutoShow, the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada have announced the winner of the Canadian Car of the Year Award. Congratulations goes to Honda as the Accord Sedan has been selected as the overall Canadian Car of the Year.
Honda Accord Sedan has been announced as the Canadian Car of the Year by AJAC
The Accord Sedan also won Best New Family Car (under $30,000).
The following is a breakdown of the other 2013 category winners that were already announced:
CITY CAR: Ford Focus EV
BEST NEW SMALL CAR (under $21k) Mazda3 Skyactiv Sedan
BEST NEW SMALL CAR (over $21k) Hyundai Elantra GT
BEST NEW LUXURY CAR: Cadillac ATS (also recently named car of the year at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit)
BEST NEW PRESTIGE AND PERFORMANCE CAR (over $75k) Porsche 911 Carrera S
BEST NEW SPORTS/PERFORMANCE CAR (under $50k): Ford Focus ST
BEST NEW SPORTS/PERFORMANCE CAR (over $50k): Porsche Boxster
BEST NEW SUV/CUV (under $35k) Ford Escape 1.6 L EcoBoost
BEST NEW FAMILY CAR (under $30k) Honda Accord Sedan
BEST NEW FAMILY CAR (over $30k) Ford Fusion Hybrid
BEST NEW SUV/CUV ($35k-$60k) Hyundai Santa Fe Sport 2.0T
Congratulations to all of the winners. The Canadian International AutoShow runs from February 15th to the 24th at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre
The Holy Grail of all racetracks is Germany’s Nürburgring so it is no surprise driving a lap at its Nordschleife “Northern Loop” is always top of the list for the auto enthusiasts’ bucket list. In spite of its popularity though, this is no ordinary track as it is infamously ranked as the most demanding road course in the world. So it makes sense, if you do get the chance to drive the track someday you will want to see how the professionals do it first.
Well, here’s a definite starting point as veteran track driver, Timo Kluck brings the 154 corners of the Nordschleife to life behind the wheel of his incredible Porsche 911 GT3 RS 4.0. Created as a promotional piece for Dunlop’s new Sport Maxx tires, the video is an amazing real life tire test on the world’s ultimate racetrack.
See it for yourself here.
Back in December, we posted coverage on Urban Outlaw, a video bio about the life of Magnus Walker, the famed LA based, rebel Porsche customizer. Well, recently we came across another epic story we want to share that adds to the mystique of the sports car from Deutschland’s city of Stuttgart.
A fiction writer by trade, Jack Olsen taught himself how to work on cars while also building himself the ultimate garage called the 12-Gauge Garage. Inside this magnificent garage, he has created a beautiful one-off Porsche 911 called Black Beauty II. Upon first glance, Jack’s Porsche looks like a sixties or seventies model but actually, it combines four decades of 911 parts ranging from 1965 through to 2000. Comprised of a lightweight body from 1972, the transaxle from 1977, the brakes from a 1986 Turbo and the engine from 1995 model it truly is one of a kind. And with a fighting weight of only 2,400 pounds and 272 horsepower at the crank, the old girl can really move around the track.
But the truly amazing part of this story is how this Porsche does it all – whether it’s trips with the family to 7-11, Sunday afternoon drives or full-fledged track days, Jack uses this car to do what it was designed for – drive smooth and fast. In today’s age of Trailer Queens and Barrett-Jackson auctions, Jack’s passion and purity of using his sports car is truly inspiring. It also helps that Jack lives in sunny California with its spectacular roads and tracks all within a short drive.
To experience this awesome Porsche for yourself take some time to watch the video below.
Source: Petrolicious
As a car enthusiast you are likely aware of the Fast & Furious film franchise. Although it’s probably never going to win any Oscars, it is quite the film series for anyone interested in cars. With its broad stroke combination of street racing, American muscle, import tuner scene along with a rich level of CGI effects it really does have it all car wise. Well, buzz is building strong as a result of the new ad from the Super Bowl about the sixth installment in the Fast and the Furious film series.
Titled Fast and Furious 6, this segment looks to have the same type of insane, carnal car action intersected with an urban, hip hop soundtrack and the same sexy actors we have come to expect with this series. Although not scheduled to hit theaters until May 2013, we wanted to give you a sneak peek of what is coming with the film’s official three minute extended trailer seen here.
Although the Cadillac Escalade is the ultimate in North American SUVs, the foreign SUV crown goes to Land Rover with its opulent Range Rover models.
For most people purchasing a new Range Rover is likely only a dream as a result of its rich sticker price, however, that does not extinguish the allure of the Range Rover as the modern day chariot. Well, the Range Rover 4th generation has now been launched and is attracting a ton of buzz within the international auto media.
Earlier this month, Auto Guide.com’s Colum Wood put the Range Rover through its paces somewhere on the border between Arizona and Utah. Check out the official video review.
We want one…
It has been a while since we wrote anything about Ferrari so we thought it was a good time to revisit this ultimate supercar marque. We will focus on the Ferrari 458 Italia, a mid-engine sports car designed to replace the Ferrari F430. Officially unveiled at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show the 458 Italia as been included in the Ferrari line-up since 2010.
Powered by a mid engine, naturally aspirated 4.5L V8 producing 562 HP at 9,000 rpm and 398 lb of torque at 6,000 rpm with 80% of the torque available at 3,250 rpm. Yikes, that is a ton of power and torque for a car tipping the scales at only 1,450 kg /3,197 lb.
Official performance stats from Ferrari are as follows:
In 2011 at the Frankfurt Motor Show, Ferrari unveiled the convertible variant of the 458 Italia called the 458 Spider which features an aluminium retractable hardtop which can be retracted in 14 seconds. The engine cover was also redesigned to work with the retractable roof system. Ferrari plans to sell approx 1,500-2,000 458 Spiders models annually. It has the same 0-62 mph time as the hard-top model but is a tad slower with only a top speed of only 198 mph (319 km/h). Not much of a sacrifice required to have the benefits of the drop top.
To go along with its amazing looks and performance, the 2013 458’s sticker price stands out among the crowd at approx $269,000 (CAD). After all, this is no ordinary sports car, it’s a Ferrari.
To catch a glimpse of the sheer rawness of the 458 in action, check out the UK’s Chris Harris behind the wheel of a new 458 Spider driving like an “idiot”. Honestly, talk about the most fun possible on four wheels and on a wet track no less. I think he may just have one of the best jobs in the world.
Sources: Wikipedia and Ferrari.com
As auto companies are one of the top creators of television commercials it’s a good time now since many of the year’s best commercials will air during this Sunday’s Superbowl. For Canadians it has always been a challenge to view the US commercials so hopefully you can see them come Sunday. To help out with this, we have put together a few previews of the coolest auto ads set to air Sunday. We hope you like it.
Go Ravens!!!!
As we begin 2013, it is evident there is lots of new excitement in the Canadian compact car segment with many companies offering more models than in years past. Hyundai Canada is one of these companies bringing to market a trifecta offering of their 2013 Elantra in sedan, coupe and GT models.
Earlier this month, we had the opportunity to get up close and personal with the new Hyundai Elantra Coupe. Aimed primarily at competing with the Honda Civic Coupe and Scion tC, the Elantra Coupe is a real bright spot in the compact car scene with its sleek looks, well refined appointments and stellar pricing.
In spite of its good looks and great value, Hyundai does not anticipate breaking any sales records as they estimate only about 5% of all Elantras sold this year in Canada will be the coupe model. Wow, although interesting from a market segment perspective it’s a bit of shame since the coupe model is a real pleasure to drive in both highway and city environments.
The Elantra Coupe comes in two trim models, the GLS starting at $19,949 CAD with manual transmission and the SE with automatic transmission starting at $25,199 CAD (as tested).
2013 Elantra Coupe
The interior of the Elantra Coupe SE is very well appointed. The dashboard, infotainment system and climate controls are intuitively located and easy to read and navigate. The SE version of the coupe comes with dual zone climate control, rearview camera and heated front seats, a nice touch for a car in this class. In addition, the machined alloy foot rest, gas and brake pedals lend itself to enhancing the coupe’s sporty look and feel.
Considering it is a two door coupe, there is surprisingly a fair amount of legroom in the back seats and a nice interior touch is the cup holders in the center arm rest.
Rear seating was surprisingly roomy for a two door coupe
Interior storage is plentiful with available space within the middle arm rest, doors, below the climate control console and of course the glove box offering plenty of places for keys, phone, wallet/purse etc. The trunk offers a generous amount of room as well, enough even for families driving kids around to weekend sports activities.
Infotainment system offered plenty of option, however, the speakers could use some improvement
One area that could use some improvement is the quality of the stereo system. While the Elantra Coupe RedlineNorth tested offers satellite radio, CD/MP3 player, USB and auxiliary inputs for iPhones and the like, the music coming from the speakers sounded a bit lackluster and was underwhelming. For a performance focused coupe, Hyundai should consider improving the stereo system in future model years.
Although the coupe felt sporty, with moderate pick up off the line, there was a fair amount of engine noise associated with acceleration. It’s unfortunate the 6 speed manual transmission is not offered with the SE version of the coupe in Canada as it would make a very fun ride even better. Braking was highly responsive as it uses an electronic brake force distribution system that balances braking pressure at each wheel.
2013 Elantra Coupe SE
In a nod to saving your pennies at the pump, all automatic transmission models come standard with an optional active eco system that modifies the engine and transmission control to help increase fuel efficiency. In addition, the coupe is equipped with electronic throttle control which improves drivability and fuel efficiency by replacing a conventional cable and linkage setup with much faster electronic hardware.
2013 Elantra Coupe
All this results in the SE version of the Coupe achieving posted fuel efficiency ratings of 7.6L/100km City, 5.3L/100 km Highway and 6.6L/100 km combined. During the test period RedlineNorth experienced slightly higher combined numbers at approximately 7.4L/100km which we felt was reasonable given the mix of city/highway driving over the test period.
Spec Sheet
ELANTRA COUPE SE Auto ($25,199) As tested
Also available is the GLS Auto ($21,149) and GLS Manual ($19,949)
Performance Features
Safety Features
Interior Features
Exterior Features
Competitors
The key players currently competing with the 2013 Hyundai Elantra Coupe for Canadian buyers include the Honda Civic, Scion tC and Kia Forte Koup. All of these coupes are relatively similar in design, engine output and price making for a very tight field overall in 2013. However, the Hyundai Elantra Coupe stands out as a top contender with its unique style, high level of fit and finish and overall value. As a result, anyone looking for a new compact coupe needs to take a close look at the 2013 Hyundai Coupe.
We look forward to reviewing the other models in the Elantra trifecta in the coming weeks so be sure to continue to check back with us.
RedlineNorth 