Technology, such as Volvos pedestrian- and cyclist-detecting City Safety system, is no substitute for keeping your eyes open and paying attention.Volvo The safety systems in modern cars designed to make driving easier are actually placing drivers in danger, without them realizing it, according to a AAA Foundation study released Tuesday, reports USA Today.Systems such as adaptive cruise and lane-keep assist are designed to relieve the pressure of driving long distances, but according to the study, are actually making drivers more dependent on such tech, and less attentive while driving.Drivers were nearly twice as likely to engage in distracted driving with these systems activated, the AAA study found.The proof of the pudding is in the eating, er, driving, as weve seen too many videos of people using these systems and ending up in bad situations, or accidents. Its also much easier these days to be distracted by the technology not only on your phone, but in the vehicle itself.So when the safety systems are actively trying to drive for you, humans will naturally pay less attention, since they have so much else to occupy themselves with. While the findings of the study didnt suggest the safety systems themselves were dangerous, it did find drivers should be better educated about their limitations. Were definitely trying to reiterate to drivers that these systems are merely support systems and their role is to remain alert and attentive, said Bill Horrey, the studys project manager and leader of the AAA Foundations Traffic Research Group.The study analyzed a wide range of vehicles including the Tesla Model S, Acura MDX, Ford Fusion, Honda Accord, Jeep Cherokee and Hyundai
Origin: Report: New car’s safety systems are making you a worse driver
cars
Honda’s readying new S2000 kit to celebrate the sports car’s 20th anniversary
The Tokyo Auto Salon is an annual show that showcases aftermarket parts and technology displays think of it as SEMA but with taste, and also with parts well likely never see in North America.This year (or, rather, next year) Honda will be bringing an upgraded S2000 sports car to the Salon to celebrate the models 20th anniversary, but be warned the car comes with a few tweaks to bring it into the 21st century.This particular car started life as an AP1-generation S2000, to which a new front bumper was added, along with side skirts, more prominent fenders and a rear spoiler. Only one teaser image of the upgraded vehicle has been released, but it does show off the new front fascia, which kind of makes it look like a Renault Alpine. We can see the splitter is now a little lower, and there are also side skirts to give the vehicle a lower appearance.Honda said the S2000 is also sporting a new suspension system, as well as an upgraded stereo. A set of 17-inch Advan RZ2 wheels adorn the sports car, and the windshield frame has been painted black and made thinner to give the car a more sleek appearance.The sun visors and rearview mirror also appear to have been deleted, and the outside mirror caps have been darkened, too. Could this perhaps be a speedster concept? Well have to wait until January to find out.Honda has brought a modified S2000 to the Auto Salon before in the form of the S2000 Modulo Climax, in 2013. It featured a chrome front bumper that echoed the eyebrow styling of current Hondas, as well as a custom red paint
Origin: Honda’s readying new S2000 kit to celebrate the sports car’s 20th anniversary
BMW will install Android Auto on its cars beginning 2020
BMW M135iBMW BMW is finally adding Android Auto compatibility to its cars beginning mid-2020, the German automaker said mid-December.Starting in July, BMW owners will be able to hook up their Android-powered devices to their car, and, as long as the vehicles running version 7.0 of its multimedia interface, theyll even be able to do so wirelessly.The integration means those devices can also be synced to the cars digital instrumentation systems, and even the heads-up display. The roll-out will begin in 20 countries in July 2020, then hit additional markets after that.The announcement comes hot on the heels of BMWs Apple CarPlay policy reversal; it has, in most markets, charged a subscription fee to connect to the software, but will now, like basically every other automaker, make such integration
Origin: BMW will install Android Auto on its cars beginning 2020
These are the five highest-horsepower sports cars under $50,000
2019 Dodge Challenger R/T Scat Pack 1320Peter Bleakney / Driving Theres nothing quite like horsepower until you dont have any. A recent test of the European Skoda Fabia S hatchback and its diminutive 1.0-litre three-cylinder engine drove the point home.With just 59 horsepower and 70 foot-pounds of torque, it could barely move the front bumper, never mind the rest of the car and its driver the 16.4-second run from zero to 100 km/h proved it to be the epitome of slow.Thats definitely not the case with these five horsepower leaders, all priced under $50,000 (based on the MSRP before manufacturer discounts). All five are charismatic rides with the ability to wow the driver and rider alike!2020 Ford Mustang GT$87.58 per horsepowerLeading the way is the Ford Mustang GT Fastback. The 5.0-litre V8 develops 460 hp and 420 lb.-ft. of torque and drives the rear wheels through a six-speed manual gearbox that rev-matches on downshifts.It also comes with some fancy drag-inspired technologies. It has a launch control system and a line-lock setup. The latter allows the front brakes to grab the rotors, but leave the rear brakes off, so doing a burn-out to warm the rubber is as easy as it gets.The GT is also very nicely balanced. It is comfortable on an everyday basis, yet body roll is controlled and the tires let the driver know when they are reaching the traction limit. Punch the gas at this point and the back end breaks away in a controlled manner that is easily caught. The adjustable steering also lets the driver pick the right weight.The numbers? With a base MSRP of $40,289, it costs just $87.58 for each of the 460 stallions. It runs from rest to 100 km/h in 4.2 seconds; does the more important 80-to-120-km/h passing move in 2.4 seconds; and it has a quarter-mile time of 12.2 seconds. The posted average fuel economy, not that it matters, is 13.3 litres per 100 kilometres.2019 Chevrolet Camaro 1SS$97.20 per horsepowerThe 2019 Chevrolet Camaro has new front and rear fascias along with some tweaks to the equipment list. The sleeper in the lineup is the Camaro 1SS it is a true wolf of a ride that never fails to entertain. In this case, the 1SS arrives with a 6.2-litre V8 that fires 455 hp and 455 lb.-ft. of torque through a six-speed manual transmission with rev-matching downshifts.It also gets 20-inch wheels wearing 245/40 front and 275/35 rear tires; four-piston Brembo brakes; and a performance suspension, along with a limited-slip rear differential. Track Mode puts everything into hyper, including the exhaust note. The serious punter will add the 1LE Track Performance package. It is not cheap at $8,495, but it gets bigger six-piston front Brembo brakes, a magnetic ride control suspension and Recaro bucket seats, among other things, all of which make a massive difference for the track aficionado. The Camaro is not quite as forgiving as the Mustang when the back end lets go the traction is prodigious, but when the tail disappears, it takes fast hands to catch things.With a base price of $44,245, each of the Camaro 1SSs horsepower cost $97.20. It runs to 100 km/h in 4.2 seconds; does the 80-to-120 km/h passing move in 2.5 seconds; and has a quarter-mile time of 12.4 seconds. The posted average fuel economy is 12.6 L/100 km.2020 Dodge Challenger R/T$106.82 per horsepowerWhile the Dodge Challenger and Charger are essentially the same, it is the two-door model thats the focus here. This year, the 840-hp Demon goes away, but the 797-hp SRT Hellcat Redeye joins the lineup. Anyway, back to the real world!The Challenger R/T arrives with a 5.7-litre Hemi V8 that pushes 372 hp and 410 lb.-ft. of torque to the rear wheels through an eight-speed automatic transmission there is a six-speed manual gearbox available ($1,000). At 1,917 kg, the Challenger R/T is not quite as fast in a straight line, nor is it as sharp through a corner as the Mustang GT or Camaro 1SS, but the handling is forgiving and the grip levels are high.The upside is the highway ride is more comfortable. The Performance Handling group is worth the coin the $1,795 brings performance-oriented 245/45ZR20 tires, Brembo brakes and a performance steering setup.The Challenger R/T has a base price of $39,740 and a cost of $106.82 for each horsepower. It runs to 100 km/h in 5.4 seconds; does the 80-to-120 passing move in 3.5 seconds; and has a quarter-mile time of 13.5 seconds. The posted average fuel economy is 13.1 L/100 km.Sadly, the Challenger Scat Pack 392 (pictured) sits $1,445 over the $50,000 cap. However, with a $106.07 cost for each of its 485 hp, a 4.4-second run to 100 km/h, a 2.6-second 80-to-120-km/h passing time and a 12.6-second quarter-mile, it is money very well invested!2020 Kia Stinger GT AWD$123.27 per horsepowerWhen the Kia Stinger GT arrived, it raised more than a few eyebrows. With its stylish Euro-inspired five-door design, the GT added a much-needed halo car to a brand made famous by its economy rides. The GTs drive
Origin: These are the five highest-horsepower sports cars under $50,000
Cadillac is going back to real names for its cars as it switches to EVs
The 2016 Cadillac Escala concept. Cadillac is changing its naming scheme back to actual words, ditching the alphanumeric convention that, to some, has felt less-than-personable these past few years.The rollout of the electric vehicles is the time well start to move back toward naming, said Cadillac President Steve Carlisle.The name change comes as Cadillac prepares to launch a host of new battery-electric vehicles, according to Automotive News.The original alphanumeric nomenclature was the brainchild of Johan de Nysschen, Carlisles predecessor, who also worked at Audi and Infiniti. The idea behind it was to give a more European feel to the brand as well as a clear hierarchy, with names like XT5 and CT6, but it also meant dropping historic names like Seville, DeVille and Eldorado. Were entering the decade as an internal-combustion-engine brand, he said. Well exit the decade as a battery-electric brand. Its the end of the ICE age for Cadillac.Cadillac will gradually be converted into GMs EV brand; it plans to have 20 all-new electric vehicles by 2023. As Carlisle stated, by 2030 the majority of Cadillacs will be electric.As for the brands current vehicles, theyll likely receive a refresh sometime in the future before fully transitioning to EVs. The brand-new Escalade is set to be revealed in February, and will be transitioned to an EV eventually, though not before it gets Cadillacs Super Cruise hands-free driver-assist system, with a few improvements, such as automated
Origin: Cadillac is going back to real names for its cars as it switches to EVs
Honda owner says company withheld stolen car’s location over subscription fee
2020 Honda Accord Touring 2.0T A (former) Honda owner in the Toronto area is expressing frustration with the automaker after it allegedly told him it knew where his stolen vehicle was but couldnt let him know since he hadnt paid for the companys optional tracking service.Layth Ablhd of Vaughan, Ontario has his 2019 Accord swiped from his driveway in the middle of the night, according to a Global News report.According to a neighbours security camera, it was taken around 5 a.m. Ablhd phoned the police, who contacted Honda Canada to see if the vehicle could be tracked. The representative said it could but not for free.Ablhd alleges the Honda rep on the other end of the phone said the companys tracking tech was showing him exactly where the car was during the call, but he could not disclose the location to Ablhd or the police officer, who had jumped on the call as well via speakerphone, because Ablhd was not subscribed to HondaLink, the companys emergency response system.The investigating officer asked to speak with the reps manager, who said the police would need to present a warrant if they wanted to know the location of the vehicle. Ablhd said he had not been informed of the optional service when he purchased his Accord, and that he would have bought it if hed known of it. Ablhd immediately signed up for the $148 subscription, and a few minutes later called the rep back, but they then said it was too late Honda was no longer getting a signal from the car.This customer did not have an active HondaLink subscription, which is required to locate the vehicle, clarified John Bordignon, a Honda Canada brand spokesperson. Without an active subscription, the police would have to present a warrant to activate the location services on the vehicle and no such warrant was provided.Contrary to what Ablhd and the officer were told on the phone, however, Bordignon says At no time was Honda or its HondaLink provider aware of the location of this vehicle.Honda Canada said it would reimburse Ablhd for the cost of the HondaLink
Origin: Honda owner says company withheld stolen car’s location over subscription fee
20$ million are dropped in the Canadian city where our first electric cars rolled
Last Friday, Quebecs Minister of Economy and Innovation, Pierre Fitzgibbon, fought Highway 15s busy traffic heading north to St. Jerome, bringing with him $20 million in much needed funding and subsidies.He stopped off first at a conglomerate of seven Quebec companies specializing in heavy electric vehicles, namely the commercial EV platform developed by Compagnie Électrique Lion and underlying its St.-Jerome-built electric school buses (sold mostly to California).The $7.9-million provincial contribution should help materialize projects like electric ambulances, dump trucks and firetrucks, which together could reduce greenhouse gas emissions totaling nearly 3 million tons of CO2 over a horizon of ten years, reads the press release.While that news garnered the most headlines, the real deal, was the non-profit connecting those companies, the beneficiary of the largest portion $12.7 million of governmental aid: L’Institut du Véhicule Innovant (The Innovative Vehicle Institute, or IVI). St. Jerome: Where “modern” EVs were first testedThanks to IVI, Ville de Saint-Jérome has been a hot-bed of EV development for more than 20 years. In the beginning, it was all about electric cars remember in 1996, Tesla wasnt even a gleam in Elons eye and the garage-laboratoire, then named CEVEQ (Centre d’expertise du véhicule électrique du Québec), was something of a global pioneer.It made Laurentians capital the first Canadian city inundated with zero-emission cars. An electric Citron Berlingo was used by municipal administration; local police drove an electrified Peugeot 106. And the corporation helped develop and commercialize the St. Jerome-assembled ZENN, a Zero Emission No Noise low-speed two-seater. (If you dont remember the ZENN, its because it barely sold 500 units from 2006 to 2010, mainly Stateside.)At that time, we were a voice in the wilderness, says IVIs executive director, Franois Adam. Then, around 2010, electric passenger cars took off with the likes of Nissan Leaf and Chevrolet Volt. Since 2015, the Institute has focused on electrifying heavy-duty vehicles, industrial equipment and even autonomous machinerie.More square feet — for crazier ideasSo, yes, Quebec has a specialized think tank bringing to life all kinds of strange vehicles for clients who want to reduce their carbon footprint. Theres the MadVac, from Longueuils Exprolink, an electric garbage collector currently cleaning up New Yorks Central Park; the Manufacture Adria, from Rouyn-Noranda, a piece of specialized electric mining equipment. IVI helped with the Lion electric school bus mentioned above, as well as electric motorcycles and boats.In the last five years, IVI worked with 120 companies from all over La Belle Province, generating more than $12 million of retombées, says its executive director. While initiating those commercial and industrial energy efficiency solutions, its also been training future technicians IVIs a collegiate center of technology transfer, affiliated with Cégep de Saint-Jérôme.But until now, IVIs 30 employees were spread out between the downtown college and a business park, its current garage-laboratoire so small only one project can be tackled at a time. Theres no room in this 100-square-meter laboratory to welcome any other innovation en devenir.Thats about to change, with the $12.7 million issued by Quebecs Infrastructures for Research and Innovation. The money, plus some land granted by the city of St. Jerome and another $1.3 million from IVIs own pockets, will help erect a new 2,712-square-meter building uniting the firms employees under one roof, while adding a much-needed bigger prototyping room.The new pavilion should be ready early 2022. We have so many interesting projects but with our current limited space, were always on the brake, says Adam. With this new facility, not only will we add 10 haute technologie jobs, but well quadruple our laboratory
Origin: 20$ million are dropped in the Canadian city where our first electric cars rolled
Nissan recalls newer cars, SUVs over braking defect that could pose fire risk
2019 Nissan Murano PlatinumBrian Harper Nissan is recalling close to 400,000 cars and SUVs in the U.S. over a brake system issue that could also lead to a fire, reports Reuters.About 394,025 vehicles are covered by the recall, specifically Nissan Murano SUVs from model years 2015 to 2018; Maxima sedans from 2016 to 2018; and Pathfinder and Infiniti QX60 utilities from 2017 to 2019.In affected vehicles, the braking system may leak brake fluid; if it drips onto a nearby internal circuit board, in rare instances that could cause a short circuit and maybe a fire, the automaker said early November.Drivers will see a warning message on the vehicles dashboard before such an electrical short occurs, but the hazard remains if that warning is ignored. Owners of affected vehicles will be contacted by Nissan early December; the company is already working on a
Origin: Nissan recalls newer cars, SUVs over braking defect that could pose fire risk
News Roundup: Consumer Reports’ most and least reliable, Honda’s many CR-V options and police pull over the weirdest cars
2019 Lexus LS 500Handout Welcome to our weekly round-up of the biggest breaking stories on Driving.ca from this past week. Get caught up and ready to get on with the weekend, because it’s hard keeping pace in a digital traffic jam.Here’s what you missed while you were away.2019’s most and least reliable brands according to Consumer Reports 2019 Mazda CX-5 Signature Al Charest / Postmedia Breaking news! Dodge has landed itself on the top ten list of Consumer Reports’ most reliable brands! That’s a first. Otherwise, the list was not so surprising, with Japan sweeping the top three (Lexus, Mazda and Toyota in that order) and Jeep, VW and Acura elbowing each other for position down at the bottom of the pile. Where does your brand land on the list this year?Anyone want to buy a $90k Corvette for $145,500 on eBay?A selfish Corvette buyer is fishing for suckers online with an ad for a build slot for a 2020 C8 Corvette. The listing is asking for $145,500 for what is, if you were to purchase it directly from the brand, a $90,000 car. Listed as ““BRAND NEW C-8 2020 CORVETTE FOR SALE ALLOCATED PAID FOR 1ST WAVE EARLY RELEASE,” the car is basically just a standard 1LT trim C8 with the free white paint, free silver wheels, $100 mirrors, US$5,000 Z51 package and less than $10,000 worth of other options. Do the math. Don’t buy the car. Honda’s CR-V gets lots of new options for 2020Honda has freshened up its popular SUV for 2020, giving shoppers even more options for trims and some new options like Remote Engine Start and heated front seats at the base level of the CR-V. The exterior gets a bit of a facelift, too, with some Civic-esque tweaks, two new colour options and 19-inch wheels. All models will run with a 1.5-litre turbo four. Pricing starts at $28,690 for the base model, which is exactly $1,000 more than last year’s. These are the strangest vehicles to ever be pulled over by policeAn electric three-wheeler homemade from balsa wood and duct tape. A couch on wheels capable of travelling over 140 km/h. A bumper car with another bumper car being pulled beside it, armstrong-style. These are a few of the most surprising vehicles to get pulled over by police. The couch got a ticket, but balsa-wood trike did not. Check out the full list here. Gone in 60 Seconds ‘Eleanor’ Mustang likely to fetch over US$1 million at auctionThe “Dream Car,” or the main ride of the 11 Mustangs used in the 2000 Nicolas Cage film Gone in 60 Seconds, is scheduled to head to auction in January 2020. And based on the sale of the last, less-of-a-star ‘Eleanor’ Mustang, which sold for US$1 million, this Shelby-inspired 1967 Ford will likely fetch more than the sum of the entire film budget of the original 1974 cut of the film. The movie car will go under the hammer at the Mecum auction in Kissimmee, Florida in January 2020. LISTEN: Toyota has led the hybrid charge for two decades, and as Toyota Canada’s Stephen Beatty tells Plugged In host Andrew McCredie, is now all-in on EVs, particularly fuel cell vehicles. The company’s vice president also has some interesting things to say about some provinces’ push to create electric vehicle sales quotas for 2030, and tells us about Toyota’s fascinating, and potentially game-changing, work with Quebec to produce green hydrogen. Plugged In is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and Google Podcasts.Is the player not working? Click
Origin: News Roundup: Consumer Reports’ most and least reliable, Honda’s many CR-V options and police pull over the weirdest cars
Canadians can now rent classic cars via Hagerty’s DriveShare
Its an affliction befalling most gearheads: the desire to drive as many cool cars as possible. Given the opportunity, most of us would have a fleet of machinery rivaling the collections of Jay Leno or Jerry Seinfeld. This can get expensive.Hagerty recognized this as an opportunity to expand the type of products it offers to gearhead car collectors.Best known for its insurance, the company brought DriveShare to market in an attempt to help like-minded car nuts sate their appetite for getting behind the wheel of a neat machine.Think of DriveShare as airbnb for cool cars. The service allows owners of collector vehicles to rent them out short-term, not unlike picking up a mainstream car as a vacation rental from a service like Turo. Hagerty doesnt own any of the cars; rather, it maintains a website that connects renters with customers looking for an interesting set of wheels. Uses range from using the cars for weddings or photo shoots; to serving as a test bed for a curious buyer who is trying to determine if they can live with the quirks of a classic car.Its the latter group theyre hoping will become long-term customers of the Hagerty brand. If a person just getting into the collector car hobby is exposed to the Hagerty brand during a short-term rental, the name may stick and be top of mind when theyre shopping for insurance after they buy a cool car of their own, explained Steve Haas, Senior Manager of DriveShare operations at Hagerty.We currently have customers booking cars six months in advance for weddings, but also people who are looking to rent something in the next three hours. Up until July of this year, only American residents age 30 and over could use the service. A change in insurance details now allows Hagerty to permit rentals to those aged 25 and up, and to international drivers, meaning Canadians who travel south of the border can now rent a car from DriveShare. The cars still have to be registered in the States.This is great news for the gearhead couple who find themselves in California for a couple of days. Calling up the DriveShare website reveals an assemblage of bleedingly cool machines for rent in that state, most of which would be a blast to drive up Highway 1 or in and around the canyons.DriveShare facilitates a great deal of communication between the renter and car owner, explained Haas. Most cars of this nature have their quirks, and who better to explain hem to you than the owner themselves? In this, Haas makes a very good point. Like an old but sturdy house in which one has to kick the back door just right in order to get it open, the actual owner of the car youre renting can tell you just what way to turn the ignition key to get it to work or point out that running the A/C will also illuminate a harmless dashboard idiot light.Some renters provide delivery service, so with enough notice one could arrange for the car of their choice to be waiting for them when they land at LAX. Others choose to allow their vehicles to be rented as a chauffeured ride, or as a static display for fundraisers. Owners are free to set different fees for these purposes.Haas told us that convertibles and fun colours are quite popular on the site, as are Porsche 911s and Mustangs of all vintages. A car doesnt have to be an antique to be listed on DriveShare; newer exotic or hi-po machinery is very welcome.Hagerty helps with legalities on both sides of the rental agreement, with mechanisms in place to prevent renters without a valid drivers licence from finding themselves behind the wheel; while also providing roadside assistance and insurance liability to the renter as part of the deal. Like an auction house, Hagerty makes money off this service by charging a fee; in this case, the company keeps 35 per cent of the rental rate.Variety is the spice of life, and any service that permits gearheads the chance to sample a roster of cool cars ranks pretty high on our list. If youre planning a trip to the States, be sure to budget a few extra shekels and rent a cool set of wheels from
Origin: Canadians can now rent classic cars via Hagerty’s DriveShare
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