World of Wheels

Check out the teaser trailer for the AmericanMuscle '05 V6 Project Car 4-Part Video Series. Watch as AmericanMuscle takes their '05 Legend Lime V6 to Swarr Auto in Collegeville, PA to soup up their Ford Mustang with an impressive selection of performance parts and styling accessories. Trust us, you'll be blown away by the horsepower and torque gains on this thing!

2010 Goodwood Festival of Speed

This year's Goodwood Festival of Speed will be held July 2-4 and marks many anniversaries including 100 years of Alfa Romeo

The annual Goodwood Festival of Speed will be held this year on July 2-4. 
Below is a summary of just some of the planned 2010 Festival highlights
2010 Festival Theme:
'Viva Veloce! - The Passion for Speed'. This theme celebrates the all-consuming fascination with motor racing, and in particular Italy's global influence on the sport. 
From Alfa Romeo to MV Agusta, Ascari to Agostini, and Monza to the Mille Miglia, Italians have raced with breathtaking fervour, inspiring desire and devotion that transcends national identity.

2010 Jaguar XK Portfolio Convertible

Jaguar's XK is all about grace, pace and tradition.

What a civilized way to travel!
For many, Jaguar is synonymous with British sports cars. Always fast, always stylish and always with the best mix of wood veneers and fine leathers, it is hard to beat a Jaguar XK and the 2010 XK Portfolio is no exception.
The previous model was known as the XK8, and was on the market for 10 years. It was a huge step forward from the 12-cylinder XJS, an over-engined, under-engineered bouffant sportster that was a hollow version of the great XK sports cars of the 1950s and 1960s. The XK8 was styled by the late Geoff Lawson, someone I am proud to have called a friend. Benefitting from all the research and development money poured in back then by new owner Ford, the 1998 XK8 was a standout in terms of looks and pace. In later supercharged form it was also one of the fastest 2+2s on the road.

Audi banks on efficiency at Le Mans

Audi will fight for victory in the Le Mans 24 Hours on June 12/13 with an evolution of the R15 TDI diesel race sports car.
An extensive testing program with the revised LMP1 vehicle has just begun in the United States.
Efficiency was a focal point during the R15 TDI evolution project, particularly in the complex area of aerodynamics. A late change in regulations that was announced only in November made the work of the engineers more difficult and forced Audi to completely modify the front section of the R15 TDI.

As tough as it looks

World of Wheels takes Toyota's new 2010 4runner for a spin through Ontario's cottage country

Today’s sport utility vehicles are a far cry from the boxed pickup trucks of yesteryear. Now offering the style and amenities demanded by the business executives and soccer parents who buy them, SUVs now seem more about comfort and style than they do about either sport or utility. Sure, they offer four-wheel-drive, many also with four-wheel-lock and other traction control systems. But how many can truly take the pounding of serious off-roading?

With that question in mind, I jumped at the opportunity to put the all-new 2010 Toyota 4Runner SUV through the paces in the backwoods of Muskoka cottage country, during a recent launch event.

Quick Spin ~ Honda Insight LX

The 2010 Honda Insight was designed as an affordable hybrid, and its $23,900 starting price comes in about $4,000 less than the Civic Hybrid and the Toyota Prius. The Insight is a five-passenger, five-door dedicated hybrid powered by Honda’s Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) system, which teams a 1.3-litre i-VTEC gas engine with an electric motor assist. The four-cylinder engine is fuel-efficient in its own right, featuring intelligent variable valve timing, while the DC brushless electric motor is positioned inline between the engine and the CVT transmission, adding power during acceleration. It also acts as a generator, recapturing energy from the vehicle’s forward momentum during regenerative braking and works as the starter motor, automatically reawakening the gasoline engine from its idle-stop mode when you lift your foot off the brake pedal.

Quick Spin ~ 2010 Hyundai Genesis Coupé

Hyundai’s rear-wheel drive Genesis coupe is available with a pair of spirited engines: a turbocharged 2.0-litre, DOHC four-cylinder engine that makes 210 hp and 223 lb/ft of torque, or a 3.8-litre V6 that generates 
306 hp and 266 lb/ft of torque. In either case, this is a driver’s car, aimed squarely at males who want an exciting driving experience at an affordable price.
Hyundai believes its rear-wheel drive configuration, abundant horsepower, independent rear suspension, light weight (under 3,400 lbs) and relatively low selling price sets the Genesis Coupe apart from its competitors. The Genesis coupe starts at an affordable $24,995 for the four-cylinder turbo with six-speed manual transmission and 18-inch alloy wheels. Go all-out and a loaded 3.8-litre V6 GT with six-speed ZF automatic, paddle shifters, 19-inch alloy wheels, a Brembo braking package with red four-piston calipers and a sport-tuned suspension comes in at $36,295 – still a great value for the dollar.

Quick Spin ~ 2010 GMC Terrain SLT

Built in Ingersoll alongside the Chevrolet Equinox, the 2010 GMC Terrain is making quite an impression on North American consumers. A five-passenger crossover SUV, the Terrain comes in SLE and SLT trim, and with either front- or all-wheel drive and a choice of two engines: an Ecotec 2.4-litre inline four that generates 182 hp, and a 3.0-litre, 264 hp V6. Both feature direct injection, and are mated to six-speed automatic transmissions.
This is a vehicle with nice fit and finish, that offers excellent passenger and cargo room while delivering fuel economy at the top of its class. While the Terrain and Equinox are similar, and share many of the same components, to my eye the Terrain has a much more macho look, with a squared-off front end, flat grille with chrome header bar and bulging fenders. The Terrain is positioned a bit more upscale than the Equinox, starting at $27,465 for the SLE-1 FWD, compared with $25,900 for the Equinox. All-wheel drive versions start at $29,075.

Quick Spin ~ 2010 Audi S4

A Gentleman’s Express is what Europeans call a car like the Audi S4. It has to be discreet, fast, sure footed and, above all, with all the inputs and controls coming into focus at the eyes of the driver. It’s a combination North America, with its long and wide highways, has rarely understood. Shelby got it 40 years ago with the Mustang GT 350 and, maybe, you can include the current Cadillac CTS-V, but for a true Gentleman’s Express, you have to go to Germany.
Audi’s S4 builds on the A4, which is the company’s bread-and-butter vehicle in North America. The heart of the S4 is its 3.0-litre supercharged V6 and superb Quattro all-wheel-drive with optional sports rear differential. The engine uses direct fuel injection with lessons learned from Audi’s numerous wins at the LeMans 24-hour race.  With twin intercoolers for the supercharger, it produces 333 hp and 325 lb/ft of torque for a top speed of 250 km/h. It’s offered with a six-speed manual transmission ($52,500) and the new seven-speed, twin clutch S-tronic automatic ($54,100).

Exclusive Elegance

There are certain opportunities that come but once in a lifetime. For us mere mortals, spending time in a Rolls-Royce Phantom is likely one of them.

According to official literature, when a Phantom passes by the world stands still. There is truth to this statement. Even in such an affluent part of North America as Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey, we found other motorists turning their eyes as the English White behemoth rode by. There’s no denying it has presence. The current Rolls-Royce Phantom measures 229 inches – over 19 feet – from stem to stern in standard form, an even more impressive 240 inches with the extended wheelbase, so by any stretch of the imagination, it is a big car. It’s also superbly finished. Each body has no fewer than five coats of paint and between each layer the entire surface is wet sanded by hand and final coat polished for five hours. The aluminum space frame on which the body panels are attached, features no fewer than 500 hand welds and has the torsional stiffness equivalent to a Formula 1 car. What this means, is that even on rougher pavement, the Phantom never loses composure and there is barely a creak to be heard.