In this file photo, a lot attendant does his best to help park thousands of cars doing last-minute Christmas shopping at Chinook Centre in southwest Calgary.Stuart Dryden / Calgary Sun Welcome to our weekly round-up of the biggest breaking stories on Driving 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. Vancouver Island’s machete-wielding parking lot bully wanted by police Shoppers brave the cold and packed parking lot at West Edmonton Mall to finish up their Christmas shopping in Edmonton. Jordan Verlage / Edmonton Sun A B.C. woman went full Danny Trejo over a parking spot at a Costco on Vancouver Island last week, threatening a fellow shopper with a machete. Geez, there are plenty of churros in the food court! Chill! The dispute began when a woman pulled into the spot, cutting off a driver who had the right of way. After a brief argument, the spot-stealer reached into her car and withdrew a machete, which she brandished “in a threatening manner,” according to local police. The woman has since been identified and is being sought by police. Smart bids adieu to Canada and the U.S. 2018 Smart Fortwo EQ Cabrio Clayton Seams / Driving Mercedes-Benz Canada has confirmed that Smart will be letting the axe fall on sales of its tiny car in the U.S. and Canada. In a statement, the brand attributes the pull back to “a number of factors, including a declining microcar market in the U.S. and Canada, combined with high homologation costs for a low-volume model.” The Smart car was introduced to the North American market in 2008, but never really managed to take root. By 2017, just 368 Smarts were sold in Canada, followed by just 345 in 2018 when the brand switched to an all-electric model. The clever little car apparently wasn’t smart enough for us. Or was it too smart? We may never know. Why running your gas tank right down to empty is potentially bad for you, your wallet and your car Ever wonder how far you can drive when the fuel needle reaches E? It’s not worth the risk. Handout / Fotolia With gas prices soaring, it’s understandable that we all want to get the most out of each tank. But while seeing just how far you can drive after that empty warning light has come on may seem like a logical way to get the most bang for your buck, it’s actually not. In Lorraine Sommerfeld’s recent column, she explains why letting your tank run on or near empty is silly, financially and mechanically irresponsible, and even dangerous. Things you need to consider before playing a game of chicken with your fuel gauge include but are not limited to: the fact that your car’s fuel pump will last longer if you keep the tank topped up, whether or not you have CAA, whether your car will lose brakes and power steering when the engine cuts from lack of fuel, and whether inclines or declines on the road ahead will make the last dredges of fuel inaccessible to the engine. Virginia man shoots girlfriend and her son after Ford vs Chevrolet argument Ford Mustang GT vs. Chevrolet Camaro SS Nick Tragianis / Driving A Virginia man decided words weren’t getting through to his girlfriend or her adult son during an argument over which brand makes better vehicles: Ford or Chevrolet. So, he pulled out a knife, stabbed her, then pulled out a gun and shot her five times and her son once — from machetes in Canada to guns in the U.S. The two victims were seriously but not critically injured. Then, after barricading himself in his house while police surrounded tried to coax him out, the 56-year-old shooter was eventually arrested and given multiple charges, including possessing a firearm as a felon. Listen, America, you’re going to have to admit one of two things here: either you have a car problem, or a gun problem. I think you know which one it is Here are some basic low-tech mechanical elements automakers still can’t seem to get right You’d think as technology advances, automakers would figure out the simple stuff in our cars — like power window switches and motors. Nick Tragianis / Driving The more things change, the more they stay the same. That’s the sentiment in this week’s Your Corner Wrench column with Brian Turner, who argues that, despite the technical leaps and bounds within the auto industry, there are still a handful of simple things that continue to give drivers and mechanics grief. HVAC blower motor resistors, alternators or generators, and window mechanisms are proof that, even with the future already here, the past hasn’t parted just yet. Here’s hoping Toyota brings the 2.0-litre turbo Supra to Canada 2020 Toyota Supra Derek McNaughton / Driving Emissions files submitted by Toyota suggest that the U.S. (California, specifically) will be receiving the 2.0-litre turbo-four version of the 2020 Supra that has previously only been available in markets overseas. Whether the smaller
Origin: News Roundup: Crazy Costco parking shenanigans, and Ford vs Chevy shootout