The Greatest Driving Experience

By Nauman Farooq

If you like cars and are into driving them properly on a closed circuit, I have found the perfect experience for you.

ExoticCarTours.ca out of Oakville, ON., have been offering many types of supercar driving adventures for the last few years, but this year they have turned things up a few notches, as this year they have added some very tasty new vehicles to their fleet.

You can pick a drive in a Ferrari 360 Spider, a Nissan GT-R, a Porsche 911 Turbo Cabriolet, a Dodge Viper SRT-10, a Chevrolet Corvette C6 coupe, an Audi R8, an Aston Martin V8 Vantage, and even some decommissioned police cars. However, their most extreme driving machines have to be the Ferrari F430 coupe, and the Ariel Atom, and these are the two I was given access to, just to see what they are truly like.

I’ll begin with the Ariel Atom, a car that has become a YouTube sensation, ever since Jeremy Clarkson from Top Gear tested one a few years ago. It has the reputation of being a cross between a race car and a sport bike. Trust me; no amount of knowledge on this vehicle prepares you for what it is truly like.

The Atom is just a raw driving experience that is alien in today’s world of computerized cars. It shows you everything as it’s working (you can actually see the suspension working and the front tires are also in clear view), and while it brings to the table an excellent chassis and a track focused set-up, it leaves the rest to you.

There is no traction control or stability control nor ABS brakes; it will react to your inputs directly, as if it’s a pen in your hands; so if you mess up, it is your fault, not the car’s.

If you are a good driver, this car rewards you like nothing I have ever come across, not even cars that cost over $-half-a-million.

It is not just about handling, it is seriously fast too. While the Atom has been offered with many different types of motors, the most popular is the 2.0-liter, Honda VTEC motor, as fitted to this example. This motor in stock form produces 200 hp, which trust me, is plenty for moving a vehicle that weighs just 612 kg.

The result is a vehicle that will simply evaporate the 0-100 km/h run in well under 4 seconds, and leave you screaming with excitement in your helmet (yes, you have to wear one while driving it, it’s just the sensible thing to do). The noise of this motor, which sits just inches behind your shoulders, is intense. I have always enjoyed the sound of a Honda VTEC motor, and experiencing it without any sound suppressing materials is even better.

I did a handful of laps around the road course at the Toronto Motorsports Park in the Atom, and trust me, I did not want to get out. This car is the perfect driving tool, and not only will it teach you to become a better driver, it rewards your talents (as limited as they may be) like nothing else.

So, the Atom is my new favorite car, but while you can find ways to register it for road use, it truly is best left for track use.

If however you want to experience a car that is good on the road and the track, well then let me introduce you to the Ferrari F430.

This is not a new car; in fact, it was replaced three years ago by the Ferrari 458, but just because the F430 is not new, doesn’t mean it is not special.

Ferrari has always made great cars, and all it takes is a short drive for one to understand their magic.

ExoticCarTours.ca offers both road and track experiences with the F430, and I got both. On the road, this is an extremely capable supercar that is just a bit too fast to be exploited safely. On the track, it comes alive, and allows you to use all of its 483 hp, which comes courtesy of a 4.3-liter, V8 motor.

Launch it correctly, and it’ll sprint from 0-100 km/h in just 3.7 seconds. However, do not try to match those times on the street or at the track events organized by the host company, because if you damage the car, you’ll have to pay for its repair, so it’s best to use your head and enjoy the handling and the acceleration out of corners.

I have always loved the F430 and it truly is a joy to drive. However, after a stint in the Atom, even this prancing horse felt tame.

The best part is, thanks to the deals offered by ExoticCarTours.ca, you don’t have to worry about buying either of them, you just pay your fee and enjoy these supercars the way they are meant to be.

Ford Set To Top Its Own Yearly Hybrid Sales

Despite accusations of not being honest about how efficient their hybrids really are, Ford is announcing excellent sales numbers for the first part of the year, and they expect to surpass their 2010 hybrid sales record, when they managed to shift 35,496 units, far sooner than the end of 2013. In fact, Bloomberg is reporting that it will be surpassed by the end of this month.

They say that the Blue Oval has already managed to move 29,561 hybrids through April, when 8,481 were sold, and once the results for May come in, it should be enough to beat the record.

The feat was achieved because the company had an 18 percent share of the niche in April, which is their highest ever, and 3 percent higher than what was recorded in 2012. Still, they can’t match Toyota which owns 58 percent of the sector, but they have been beating GM since late last year, apparently.

In April, the Fusion hybrids outsold the Toyota Camry hybrid by over 700 units, selling a total of 3,989 units and marking a fivefold increase compared to 2012. The Japanese automaker also announced a 26 percent fall for the Camry hybrid, and a 21 percent drop for their Prius in April, while the latter recorded an average drop of 12 percent this year.

]]> http://www.weeklyvoice.com/auto/ford-set-to-top-its-own-yearly-hybrid-sales/feed/ 0 http://www.weeklyvoice.com/auto/bmw-rated-top-automotive-brand-in-forbes-list/ http://www.weeklyvoice.com/auto/bmw-rated-top-automotive-brand-in-forbes-list/#comments Fri, 17 May 2013 19:28:53 +0000 The Weekly Voice http://www.weeklyvoice.com/?p=23666

BMW Rated Top Automotive Brand In Forbes List

It’s no secret that BMW, as a brand, is one of the most powerful and well recognized in the world. Many of the Bavarian automaker’s cars are unanimously acknowledged as being among the most advanced in the world, with the decades of experience paying off in the modern era.

Proof of this is the Forbes list of the World’s Most Powerful Brands, which ranks it 9th overall and 1st among the automakers.

Sadly, BMW also equates sales figures and profits with success, and the company often strays away from their original philosophy these days, giving people what they think they want, instead of giving them what they deserve for the high premiums that a propeller-badged car attracts these days.

Even their current base model, the 1-Series, can be specified up to such a high level that you can make it more expensive than a moderately-well equipped 5-Series (find a BMW configurator of your choosing, and try it out for yourself) – that can’t be right, can it?

The German brand is followed by the names you’d expect to hear afterward, like Toyota, which is ranked 14th overall, and Mercedes-Benz which places 16th, just above Luis Vuitton. Further down (but still in order) we have Honda, Audi, VW (45th overall), Ford (59th overall), Hyundai, Nissan and Lexus in the top 100. These rankings were calculated in October of 2012, so they should remain pretty accurate today, as well.

Mercedes-Benz Unveils All-new 2014 S-Class Sedan

The all-new Mercedes-Benz S-Class, is expected to influence the luxury sector starting now and until it is replaced by an all-new model somewhere around the year 2020.

It’s packed with electronic gadgets, one more useful than the next. It’s all very safe, green and innovative, while also being wrapped in one of the prettiest bodies Mercedes has made in a while.

The restrained design is backed up by excellent proportions, which are emphasized by the deep side creases. It is a very different car than the one it replaces, but since it must also bridge the gap left in the lineup after Mercedes gave up on Maybach, it feels even more premium than the outgoing model that is still considered a class leader in many respects even today, despite being an 8-year-old model.

So what does the new S-Class bring to the segment? Well, aside from the headlights (full-LED with 56 diodes each), which have an odd shape, we say it’s design is quite successful and very modern – its sleek profile grants it another advantage in making it the most aerodynamically-efficient S-Class ever.

Also, despite having a sloping roofline and tapering rear, it benefits in driver and passenger space all-round, with rear occupants gaining an extra 14 mm of legroom.

The interior is still one of the key selling points for the W222-codenamed S-Class, and Mercedes has managed to bringing something new here, as well. It is very clean and architectural in its design, looking more like than that of a Bentley than anything else, with few visible buttons – most of the functions can be controlled via a central rotary knob. The steering wheel has only two columns and a limited number of buttons.

The features you can now get with the flagship are simply astonishing. The heated armrests may sound a bit strange, but give it a few years and you’ll get it as standard from Volvo, or some other cold-conscious manufacturer. Then there’s the camera system that monitors the road, pre-adjusting the suspension to cope with changing conditions or imperfections, and adapting on the fly. There’s also inflatable rear seatbelts – you now strap yourself into the bag, instead of waiting for it to cushion your impact with anything hard.

The lineup of engines consists of the S400 Hybrid, S500, S350 BlueTec and S300 BlueTec Hybrid. The first two variants run on gasoline; one is a 3.5-liter V6 hybrid with 302 hp and an electric boost of 20 kW (27 hp), while the other is a 4.7-liter V8 with 448 hp – it pushes the car to 62 mph (100 km/h) in 4.8 seconds. The other two variants are the diesels, and while the S350 is pretty straightforward, featuring a 3.0-liter diesel with 254 hp, it’s the other variant that’s the most interesting.

The S300 BlueTec Hybrid uses the same 2.1-liter four-cylinder engine as the old but unsuccessful S250 CDI. However, here it is boosted by the same 20 kW electric motor as S400 Hybrid. This means it can do 150 mph (240 km/h), hit 62 mph (100 km/h) in 7.6 seconds and return a claimed 4.4 l/100km at the same time – this equates to 53.4 mpg US, and it’s the last of a very impressive set of figures and features.

]]> http://www.weeklyvoice.com/auto/mercedes-benz-unveils-all-new-2014-s-class-sedan/feed/ 0 http://www.weeklyvoice.com/auto/2014-acura-ilx-more-features-1000-price-hike/ http://www.weeklyvoice.com/auto/2014-acura-ilx-more-features-1000-price-hike/#comments Fri, 17 May 2013 19:23:40 +0000 The Weekly Voice http://www.weeklyvoice.com/?p=23662

2014 Acura ILX – More Features, $1000 Price Hike

Acura’s cheapest model, the 2014 ILX compact sedan, went on sale this week bringing with it a series of new standard features, mainly aimed at improving interior comfort.

While on the outside, the only difference with the 2014 Acura ILX are the upgraded 17-inch alloy wheels, on the inside, the car comes with added standard features such as new leather seating surfaces and leatherette door liners, an eight-way power driver’s seat, heated front seats and a new Multi-Angle Rearview Camera. There’s also a new audio-system subwoofer and an Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) system.

These features add to those that were already offered on the 2013 model, including standard Keyless Access System with smart entry and pushbutton start, along with Pandora interface and SMS text message function for easy connectivity. As before, the Acura ILX is available with the Premium Package and Technology Package.

The upgrades come at a prices as the base 2014 ILX is now $1,000 more expensive than before (2013MY), with a manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) of $26,900.

The ILX continues to be available with two engines, the standard 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine that produces 150 horsepower and the 2.4-liter 4-cylinder unit that develops 201 horsepower. Mated to a Sequential SportShift 5-speed automatic transmission, the base engine delivers 28 mpg (8.4 l/100 km) on the combined cycle, while the sportier 2.4-liter unit (paired with a six-speed manual transmission) delivers 25 mpg (9.4 l/100 km).

Three Vehicles Updated Tests

By Nauman Farooq

With mankind never content with what it has, improvements become a constant part of life. With the car-buying public always demanding more, the cars discussed here today were OK to begin with, but they certainly needed some extra help. So are their 2013 models worthy of your hard-earned? Let’s find out.

2013 Honda Civic: When the 2012 Honda Civic was introduced, many could not believe that Honda had taken a step backwards with the Civic. It didn’t look as nice as the car it replaced, and the quality of the fit and finish was extremely poor.

Even Honda realized that it had made a mistake, and hence went about correcting their wrongs, which has resulted in the 2013 Civic.

The first thing you’ll notice is the smart new exterior, which gives the car a much more upmarket look. I like it a lot, but I like its interior even more. The ‘Touring’ spec model I tested, not only came equipped with all the gadgets like an infotainment device with satellite navigation, reversing camera and leather seats, but the look and feel of all the interior surfaces was massively improved over the 2012 model.

Mechanically the car hasn’t changed, which means, you still get a 1.8-liter, four-cylinder motor which produces 140 hp and 128 lb/ft of torque. This motor can be had with either a five-speed automatic or a five-speed manual gearbox. The Civic Si model gets a 2.4-liter, four-cylinder unit that produces 201 hp and 170 lb/ft of torque. The only transmission offered on this model is a six-speed manual. All Civics only come in front wheel drive.

The ‘Touring’ model I tested had to make do with the smaller motor and the automatic gearbox, but I found the car to be very pleasant to live with. It certainly was not exciting, but as an everyday runabout, it did the job quite well, and since it only drank 8.4-liters/100km of fuel in my test week, it is not that thirsty either.

The 2013 Civic is on sale now, with prices starting at $15,440.

BMW X3 xDrive28i: I have always liked BMWs, however I have never been a fan of the X3. I never cared for its looks, or was impressed with its driving dynamics.

Things however have improved for the 2013 X3. It still is not stunning to look at, but at least it looks smarter than it did before. So a positive step forward.

The interior was fine before, and remains so. Like all BMWs, the X3 is a good vehicle to be in, especially on long drives, they somehow just melt away the miles.

The biggest improvement however comes under the hood. The old straight-six cylinder motor has been replaced now by a four-cylinder engine in the base model. OK, I know what you’re thinking, fewer cylinders does not sound like an improvement, but it is, since this engine has a twin-scroll turbo charger. Not only is this motor very smooth, but is also quite powerful. You get 241 hp and 258 lb/ft of torque, which is plenty if you ask me. You also get an eight-speed automatic gearbox that sends power to all wheels. Be in no doubt, this is one SUV that is actually sporty to drive, especially when you engage its ‘Sport’ mode.

The downside of its sporty personality is that the ride over bumpy terrain at slow speeds is quite bouncy, but you can get used to that.

One of the most impressive aspects of this X3 xDrive28i model is its fuel efficiency. My week’s average was just 10.6-liters/100km. That is astonishing for a vehicle of this type. So if you are in the market for a luxury branded SUV, it is worth your while to test drive this X3. Prices start at $42,600.

Fiat 500 Turbo: Now for something truly exciting. I have been a fan of the Fiat 500 since it was launched about two-years ago. The only engine available at the time was a 1.4-liter, four-cylinder unit that produced 101 hp. While this engine is OK, it is not exciting, not the least bit. What this model needed was a boost. Fiat did that when they introduced the Abarth version. While the engine size remained the same, the Abarth version had a turbo-charger that increased power to 160 hp. That grunt is certainly welcome, but these models are a bit on the pricier side.

So what Fiat did was to introduce an in-between model, and that is where the 500 Turbo comes in. This has the same motor as the Abarth, but with a detuned turbo charger, that gives you 135 hp and 150 lb/ft of torque.

Considering there is only 1,124 kg to move about, this Turbo model is seriously exciting to drive. Use its five-speed manual gearbox properly (no auto offered with this model) and you will get from 0-100 km/h in about 8-seconds. It feels much faster than that actually.

Then there is the handling. It is an old cliche to describe a good car’s handling, as “it handles like it’s on rails,” but in the case of this 500 Turbo, it is true.

I have driven cars that cost four times as much as this vehicle and aren’t this much fun to drive. So, with a starting price of just $17,495 – it is a stunning deal. It also only drank 7.2-liters/100km in my week, which was full of spirited driving.

Any flaws? Yes, I had to give it back after a week.

So there you have it, three updated cars, all better than the models that came before. Progress is wonderful.

]]> http://www.weeklyvoice.com/auto/three-vehicles-updated-tests/feed/ 0 http://www.weeklyvoice.com/auto/tesla-motors-elon-musk-separates-self-driving-from-autopilot/ http://www.weeklyvoice.com/auto/tesla-motors-elon-musk-separates-self-driving-from-autopilot/#comments Fri, 10 May 2013 19:55:21 +0000 The Weekly Voice http://www.weeklyvoice.com/?p=23543

Tesla motors’ Elon Musk Separates ‘Self-driving’ From ‘Autopilot’

So many leaders and outspoken voices from the automotive industry have expressed their opinion regarding cars which will require little or no input while driving/being driven – self-guided cars are coming and much quicker than we were anticipating but a few years ago.

Now, the CEO and co-founder of Tesla Motors, Elon Musk, has announced that he too wants the future models built by his company to feature autonomous driving tech.

However, Musk’s idea is different to that of Google, which wants a fully-autonomous, self-driving vehicle, and is playing its part in the acceleration of development. He is more interested in a system more akin to the autopilot found on airplanes, arguing that, “self-driving sounds like it’s going to do something you don’t want it to do. Autopilot is a good thing to have in planes, and we should have it in cars,” Musk said.

He criticized Google’s way of doing things, saying that their complicated array of sensors is far too expensive, concluding that it would be “better to have an optical system, basically cameras with software that is able to figure out what’s going on just by looking at things,” instead of a Lidar-based setup, which stands for “Light Detection and Ranging.”

Still Tesla and Google have been in talks regarding driverless tech, and Elon’s autopilot idea is closer in essence to what Toyota is trying to achieve. The Japanese automaker is looking to create a virtual “co-pilot,” which would help drivers avoid accidents.

Mercedes-Benz Outsells BMW In US April

Mercedes-Benz sold more vehicles in the U.S. in April than archrival BMW, with increases reported for some pricier models like the SL-Class.

Sales for the Mercedes-Benz brand rose 5.8 percent to 23,635 in April, while BMW posted a 10 percent increase to 23,225 units. The April results extended Mercedes’ 2013 lead to 4,695 vehicles as the two rival automakers compete for the sales crown that BMW has held for two years.

Mercedes sales for the year through April rose 11 percent to 92,822, while BMW’s 2013 deliveries rose 6.7 percent to 88,127. The results don’t include Daimler’s cargo vans and Smart cars and BMW’s Mini brand, which aren’t considered luxury vehicles.

U.S. sales of VW’s Audi brand rose 14 percent to 13,157 in April, which was the 28th straight month of record sales. Sales for the year rose 15 percent to 47,343 units, with the Q5 SUV posting gains of 32 percent.

Starting at $105,000, the Mercedes-Benz SL recorded 938 deliveries in April, more than triple compared to the same month last year. The BMW 7-Series and the Audi A8 rose 69 percent and 30 percent respectively. Porsche sold 4,032 vehicles in the U.S. in April (+17 percent), a monthly record for the VW-owned luxury carmaker.

Toyota’s Lexus luxury division reported a 3.1 percent increase for April, to 18,091 units, with deliveries of the ES sedan and RX SUV rising 71 percent and 3.1 percent respectively. For the year, Lexus said it has sold 74,831 vehicles (+12 percent). Honda’s Acura brand reported a 14 percent increase to 13,899 units, while Nissan’s Infiniti sold 7,844 vehicles (+10 percent).

Cadillac sold 13,230 vehicles in April, with the new ATS and XTS sedans accounting for 42 percent of deliveries, while Ford’s Lincoln brand reported 7,615 sales, up 21 percent from a year earlier.

Jaguar sales rose 6.3 percent to 1,141 in April, with sister company Land Rover reporting a sales growth of 7.6 percent, for a total of 3,543 units.

Kia Sedona Back With Minor Updates For 2014 MY

When Kia announced the death of the Sedona minivan last spring stating that it would come back to the segment in 2013 with a new model, this was surely not one was expecting.

The only logical explanation is that the South Korean carmaker pushed back its plans for a successor to the series for an undisclosed reason.

In any case, the 2014 model year comes with a handful of cosmetic tweaks on the outside such as the re-sculptured front bumper, a new grille, 17-inch multi-spoke wheels and LED positioning lights, while inside, the Sedona now features a storage console for iPads and tablets.

There’s only one available engine, a 3.5-liter V6 gasoline unit delivering 269 horsepower and 246 pound-feet of torque, paired to a standard six-speed auto. Kia states that the Sedona returns fuel economy of 17mpg city and 24 mpg highway.

As far as trim levels are concerned, the 2014 Sedona is offered in LX and EX grades, with standard features including six airbags, Electronic Stability Control (ESC) and a Traction Control System (TCS), Satellite Radio, Bluetoothwireless technology, and air-conditioning.

The entry-level Sedona LX minivan begins at $25,900 MSRP, and the EX from $30,900 MSRP, with both prices excluding an $850 destination charge.

Chrysler Group’s April US Sales Up 11%

The Chrysler Group as a whole reported an 11 percent sales increase in the United States in April, with 156,698 units sold. The Jeep, Dodge, Ram Truck and Fiat brands each posted year-over-year sales gains in April compared with the same month a year ago. The largest sales increase came from the Ram Truck brand, with a 49 percent gain.

The Ram Cargo Van was the vehicle with the highest sales increase, at 110 percent, followed by the Dodge Durango, with a 65 percent gain. The Jeep Grand Cherokee also had 27 percent bigger sales in April.

Dodge brand sales were up 18 percent, the brand’s best April sales since 2008. The Dart recorded its best monthly sales since Dodge dealers began selling the model in June last year.

Jeep recorded a sales increase of 2 percent year-over-year, the brand’s best April sales since 2007. The Jeep Compass compact SUV and the Wrangler each set a sales record for the month of April, with increases of 23 percent and 10 percent respectively.

Sales at the Fiat brand rose 1 percent in April, with the 500 Abarth posting a 22 percent sales gain.

April sales were not so good for the automaker’s core Chrysler brand, with a decrease of 13 percent compared with the same month a year ago. The Town & Country minivan was the only model that posted sales growth, at 4 percent.