85 Year Old Bentley to Trek Across Canada

If you could choose any vehicle to drive across the country in, what would it be? For Robin Hine it’s a 1926 Bentley convertible similar to the one pictured above. Seriously.

Hine, originally from England, had his cherished Bentley shipped over and it safely arrived in Halifax today for the cross Canada trek.

Hine is quick to admit that the Bentley has quite the challenging road ahead. In fact, he was quite nervous that the ol’ girl wouldn’t actually start when it was unloaded.

“Let’s turn it on and see if she runs … vroom vroom … look at that, first time. Excellent, well done,” said Hine like a proud father. Hine was quick to cool down the radiator with water and add some much needed gas to the carburetors.

This is the Bentley’s second trip to Canada. It came back in 1964 and drove from Vancouver to Winnipeg for a wedding.

Hine isn’t concerned with the Bentley’s ability to keep up with the more modern cars on the trans Canada highway since he’s actually raced it before on a track.

“A maximum speed on a track is about [152 km/h] an hour, so a happy cruising speed on the highway is about [110 km/h]. Yeah, we’ll keep that up all day,” said Hine.

Hine will catch the ferry to Newfoundland on Wednesday to start the trek.

[CBC]

GM to Make Two Door Chevy Cruze?

The Chevrolet Cruze is better than the Cobalt in every way. In fact, it left quite a positive impression on me on one of my latest drive drives. But one thing that the Cobalt had the the Cruze does not is a two door brother. The Cobalt coupe helped reign in younger crowds, and while the Cruze can be considered fun to drive, it’s unlikely to attract any of the younger generation to buy one over, say, a Civic coupe. Hyundai is reportedly working on a coupe version of the new Elantra and now GM is throwing its hat into the fold.

While GM won’t confirm or deny a coupe version of the Cruze, development is said to already be underway. In fact, a production site has apparently already been selected and unfortuantely it won’t be on Canadian soil. The new Cruze coupe will be built in Michigan where the new Sonic is being built. Apparently that plant is at peak demand with workers being required to work overtime, so there is a slight possibility of the Cruze coupe heading up to Ontario for production.

Since the Cruze sedan really is all about fuel efficiency, the coupe will likely take a bit of a different angle such as a possible SS variant to combat the Civic Si. Would you like to see a two door Cruze?

[The Detroit Bureau]

Volvo S60 R-Design Was Done Through Polestar?

Volvo’s R-Design for the better part of the past five years has been nothing but sporty cosmetic upgrades to models such as the S60. If you were looking for any added sort of performance like the previous S60 R had, you were plain out of luck. Then one day Volvo listened. They made the S60 R-Design more than just a looker, it now has the goods to walk the talk. If you check off the R-Design package for the 2011 S60, you’ll get 325 horsepower and 354 pound feet of torque over the S60 T6′s standard 300 horsepower and 320 pound foot torque.

Well apparently we can all thank tuning company Polestar for the added performance boost. If you don’t remember, Polestar were the ones that took a stock C30 T5 and turned it into a “junior Nissan GT-R”. High praise indeed. In fact, Jeremy Clarkson is also quite fond of Polestar’s creation. So, it seems Polestar definitely caught Volvo’s attention when they were getting such rave reviews and so Volvo enlisted them for the S60 R-Design.

So what does that mean? Will Polestar be to Volvo what AMG is to Mercedes-Benz or M is to BMW? It’s tough to say. Volvo has yet to comment on that, but I think it would be a very smart move if Volvo truly wishes to be mentioned in the same breath as those German heavyweights. I would snatch a C30 Polestar up in a second were it available for sale to the public.

Something to seriously think about, Volvo.

[Swedespeed.com]

Oh Hi: 2012 Mini Cooper Coupe

It’s finally here: the 2012 Mini Cooper Coupe.

BMW has taken the wraps off the newest member of the Mini family and it promises to stay true to Mini roots, which is of course, fun. How much fun? Well BMW says it is the fastest from the factory Mini ever. And with some unique style to boot. The Coupe loses the rear seats to allow for a much lower roof line. This creates a “three-box” design which is a first for the Mini brand. While the front facia may seem very familiar, the rear design is quite the departure with accentuated hips which includes a retractable, usable rear spoiler. At speeds below 60 km/h the spoiler stays hidden, but above 80 km/h the spoiler shows its face. Unlike most spoilers on the market, this one is actually fairly functional as it keeps the the Cooper Coupe’s rear and planted at highway speeds. Although in reality, you would need to achieve autobahn type speeds in order to actually lift the Cooper Coupe’s rear end.

The Cooper Coupe will come in three iterations: the Cooper Coupe, The Cooper S Coupe and the John Cooper works Coupe. All will used differently tuned versions of the 1.6 litre four cylinder currently found in the Mini Cooper. The former will get 122 horsepower and 118 pound feet of torque with a 0-100 time of 8.3 seconds. The mid-level Cooper S Coupe will get 181 horsepower and 177 pound foot torque with a 0-100 sprint of 6.5 seconds while the John Cooper Works Coupe will take 6.1 seconds from 0-100 using 208 horsepower and 192 pound foot torque.

The new Cooper Coupe, like it’s hatched brother, can also handle like the dickens thanks to enhanced body rigidity and weight balance.

Prices have yet to be set, but expect to pay a bit of a premium over the regular Mini Cooper.

For more pics, click here.

[Mini]

Mercedes-Benz to make Competitor to BMW X6?

Who would’ve thought that when BMW introduced its polarizing X6, it would do so well that BMW’s rivals would be forced to make a competitor?

There are reports that Mercedes-Benz is the latest to jump on board the weird cross-over-SUV-coupe segment that BMW started a while back. To be dubbed the GLS and based on the newly redesigned M-Class (pictured above), the GLS will be a four seater-only with a sloped roofline a la CLS. Mercedes will also likely develop a V8 AMG version to directly combat the X6 M. Details other than that are scarce at the moment.

Mercedes-Benz is the third automaker that has now apparently seen enough X6 sales to realize they need a competitor. Acura’s ZDX, while significantly cheaper than the X6, has not been selling in droves. In fact, Acura has had to incent consumers with as much as $12,000 off before hagling. Audi, on the other hand, is confident it can be the one to slow X6 sales with its upcoming Q6.

It sure is a weird segment to be competing in, but sounds like things will heat up significantly within the next few years. Now all we need is Infiniti and Lexus to take notice, then we’ll really have a ball game going.

[Autocar]

Porsche Cajun to be Based on Audi Q5

Porsche has indeed confirmed rumours that it is working on a smaller version of their first ever SUV, the Cayenne. They have even let us in on a few more details.

The new baby Porsche SUV, to be called Cajun, will be based on the Audi Q5 (pictured above). While the Q5 is based on a front wheel drive platform, you can bet your knickers that Porsche’s iteration will not be front-wheel drive. The public may be able to tolerate a Porsche SUV, but front-wheel drive would surely cause riots in the streets even worse than in Vancouver. As such, Porsche has promised that the Cajun will be all-wheel drive only to tame the masses.

Power is expected to come from two engines: a 220 horsepower four cylinder and a 350 horsepower V6. Both diesels and hybrid versions are not out of the question either. A six-speed manual or a seven speed DSG will be transmission choices.

The Cajun is expected to go on sale in 2014 with its main competition being the Range Rover Evoque. In fact, Porsche hasn’t ruled out the possibility of a three-door Cajun being produced to battle the 3-door Evoque.

[Car and Driver]

2013 Dodge Caliber To Bow At 2012 Detroit Auto Show

Since Fiat is now calling the shots at Chrysler, the brand as seen its misfortunes reverse in a big way. The result is sub-par product (see almost every model in the Chrysler/Dodge lineup) that has now been successfully refreshed to be more competitive. Unfortunately, one car that did not get a much needed make over is the Dodge Caliber. It continues to soldier on unchanged which is a big problem considering how Ford and Chevrolet have stepped up their compact segment game with the Focus and Cruze.

Well the Caliber hasn’t  been forgotten, in fact, it’s on schedule to be completely redesigned for 2013. And by redesigned, I mean it will essentially be a completely different car. The new Caliber is expected to largely be an Alfa Romeo Giulietta except styled as a a Dodge. Not a bad move at all. The new Caliber is expected to show its face at the 2012 Detroit Auto Show and go on sale in 2013. That puts its debut almost on par with Alfa Romeo’s return to Canada, which apparently has been delayed. Styling conflicts and an apparently picky CEO have been reported as they cause.

This gives Ford and Chevrolet ample time to eat up Caliber sales, however considering the rave reviews the Guilietta receives in Europe, the new Caliber could very well be worth the wait. Since it will be a completely new car, let’s hope Chrysler decides to give it a completely new name as well.

[Ward's Auto]

Test Drive: 2011 Chevrolet Cruze

By Kevin Harrison

I recently went to Vancouver for business related to my day job and I must admit, I didn’t really know what to expect. I had been to Vancouver once before but I was about 14 years old so I didn’t remember much, but there were two noticeable differences this time around.

1) The Vancouver Canucks are a way bigger deal now then they were back in 1994. That was even the year they got to the finals but the New York Rangers ultimately won the cup. I even saw a playoff game between Vancouver and Calgary but I don’t remember 100,000 people littering the streets downtown and cops high-fiving random people in the streets after a Canucks win.

2) I don’t remember there being so many rare and expensive cars being around.

Honestly, the typical cars you see around in Halifax are Civics and Corollas. But in Vancouver their Civics and Corollas are BMW’s and Benz’s. In order to stand out in this crowd you need to be driving a Lamborghini, Ferrari or Maserati to get noticed, and even then you’ll only get noticed if the car is modded to the gills.

But in fact there’s one car that will get you noticed in this performance car haven and it won’t cost you your house either. It’s the Chevy Cruze.

Read the rest of this entry »

Threading the Needle in a BMW 1-Series M

I have to assume that marketing is an interesting business to be in, especially if you’re marketing for the automotive sector. Coming up with fun and creative ways to sell cars can be challenging but rewarding when you’ve come up with a winning idea.

In some cases though, purely showing off a car’s capabilities is all that’s needed and that’s exactly what the marketing team at BMW decided to do for the new 1-series M. Just some tarmac, a driver and a challenge: get the 1-series M through cut outs that are shaped exactly to match the shape of the 1-series M and quickly as you can without hitting the concrete walls.

The point, seemingly, is to showcase just how well the 1-series M can perform by threading the needle. It’s not clear if those barriers are computer generated (that would pretty much ruin the entertaining value of the commercial) but it’s pretty clear that the actual driving part is real.

[Youtube]

2012 Volkswagen Passat Priced $7,000 Cheaper Than ’08 Model

Volkswagen is riding high on new Jetta sales which are up 180% over the previous model year and most are attributing the sales hike to the $6,000 price drop from the previous model. Of course, in order to do that, Volkswagen had to scale back a bit on premium feel but that apparently has not bothered too many Canadians.

Now, Volkswagen is hoping the same formula will work for their mid-sized (which is really full-sized, let’s be honest) Passat. Pricing will be a whopping $7,000 cheaper than the 2008 model and $3,800 cheaper than the 2010 model. Volkswagen actually made a our Passat different from the rest of the world because we love us some excess extra room.

Our Passat will get three engine choices: a 2.5 litre five cylinder making 170 horsepower and 177 pound feet of torque, a 2.0 litre turbocharged diesel (that’s TDI in Volkswagen speak) capable of making 140 horses and 236 pound feet of torque and a 3.6 litre V6. The base level 2.5 litre trim level with manual transmission will start at $23,975. The TDI will start at $27,475 and the top of the line 3.6 litre V6 will start at $33,575.

[The Globe & Mail]

Porsche Making 7-Speed Manual For 911?

This is amazing if it’s true.

Car & Driver is reporting that Porsche is busy working away at a 7-speed manual transmission to compliment the 7-speed automatic for the iconic 911. They apparently were able to extract this info with the reasoning that an extra gear would help out in the fuel efficiency department.

This would be the first 7-speed manual ever produced from Porsche for the 911. There may be a premium for it, which I’d gladly pay.

Sounds like Porsche has been paying attention to Car & Driver’s “save the manuals” campaign.

[Car & Driver]