Now that is customer service: Steve Lussier, mayor of Sherbrooke in Quebec Eastern Townships, was ready for a new car, and as a hybrid vehicle owner for the past 15 years, wanted something electric.But his long-trusted Infiniti-Nissan dealership the one he bought his Infiniti Q50 Hybrid and (rare) Nissan Pathfinder Hybrid (still owns it) from didnt have a new 100-per-cent electric model to offer him.Odds are it wont for another two or three years.So the dealership pulled some strings and got him what he wanted, a used 2018 Tesla Model 3 with just 30,000 kilometers on the clock, traded in by a local businessman.In one day, the transaction was done, says Lussier, who took delivery of the well-equipped full-electric sedan last Friday. I still have discover some of its features its such an advanced-techno car but for now, I very happy about it.Our story would normally end here, but Infiniti Sherbrooke posted about the deal on its social media and inadvertently inspired numerous blog posts blowing the whole thing up headlines along the lines of mayor turning green or Infiniti dealership admits it doesn’t have electric models.The dealerships Facebook page was flooded with comments about how the brand, in an effort to retain a loyal customer, instead lost him to Elon Musk, or how Infinitis doing Teslas marketing for it.Jean-Sbastien Poulin, co-owner of Infiniti de Sherbrooke, cant believe all this fuss when, bottom line, his client wanted an electric car. Infinitis brand doesnt have yet an electric car. So I found a solution.There are plenty of dealerships that sell other brands vehicles to accommodate their customers why all these roadblocks suddenly thrown at us?And of course, Infiniti isnt the only luxury brand without a pure electric offering. Try shopping for EVs at Acura, Mercedes-Benz, Lincoln, Cadillac, Land Rover or even Lexus, the haut-de-gamme arm of hybrid hype-builder Toyota. Yes, Lussier could have bought an Infiniti-adjacent Nissan Leaf, a good vehicle (he) recently test-drove for a whole week, but he says its not where I wanted to go. Ditto the thought of heading to Sherbrooke BMW for a new i3.He wasnt content waiting a year on an admittedly attractive new Polestar, and could have been lured into a Jaguar I-Pace if the brand had had staff on hand to answer his questions when he visited the Salon du véhicule électrique in Saint-Hyacinthe last October. Oops.But then, Lussier was already hooked on a Tesla anyway. I put a $1,000 a year ago to reserve a brand-new one, he told Driving.ca. After a test drive last summer, he fell in love with the Californian electric sedan. One of my municipal councillors already owns one, and he loves it, too.Lussier didnt suddenly turn green either. (Next week at city hall,) we are going to announce additional funding to help our citizens finance their home EV-charging stations, the Mayor confided to this author.We have been doing so with a $500 municipal subsidy since 2013, but it became so popular, with more than 300 requests a year, we had to review the budget allowance. So well reveal something else next Monday.Even greener, Lussier says hes set to purchase his first electric motocross bike from the local Valcourt Bombardier (BRP), which last February bought up the now-defunct California-based Alta all-electric motorcycle company.Asked if he will eventually buy an electric Infiniti when they hit the Sherbrooke showroom, Lussier says Im eager to test-drive what my dealership will offer, but if ever I want to buy another Tesla, I know that once again, it will accommodate
Origin: An Infiniti dealership sells a Tesla to Sherbrooke’s mayor – and everybody goes crazy
Crazy
News Roundup: Crazy Costco parking shenanigans, and Ford vs Chevy shootout
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
5 Crazy badge swaps that are awesome and awful at the same time
Badge-swapping cars – where you take a badge or logo from one car and slap it on a car from an entirely different automaker – is a dangerous game, like Russian Roulette where five of the six chambers have bullets in them. Most of the time, it goes terribly wrong. Still, there are those who insist on a horse not being a horse if you give it a cow’s tail. Somebody’s got to tell them: sorry friend, your horse is friggin’ hideous.’ Here are some of the worst badge swap offenders, as well as a few that are actually not too bad. Elements of Range Rover You know, I bet this fools some people. Not that the Honda Element exactly channels classic Range Rover, but it does evoke the LR4, just a touch. But still, after first glance, this is a great big glass of Nope! The owner appears to have pulled just a few of the stops, adding bigger alloy wheels, hideous squared-off exhaust tips and that ‘RANGE ROVER’ across the rear. Image via Reddit. Honda Odyssey wearing BMW This reimagined Honda Odyssey sits so low as to look almost accidental, which does strange things to the brain. But the thing is, we kind of like the overall appearance, especially the German nose job. No, wait! We hate it! It’s blasphemy! Actually, it’s genius! It’s a terrible, beautiful, horrendous monster! Wherever you land on it, you’ve got to give some props to the Dr. Frankenstein who thought to put this BMW E92 3 Series coupe’s nose on a minivan. STI Envy View this post on Instagram Audi STI 😂 📷: @seff_ian #1320video A post shared by 1320video (@1320video) on Mar 21, 2019 at 8:32am PDT Why this person didn’t just sell the more expensive Audi A6 and buy the Subaru WRX STI they actually wanted is beyond reason. Because even though they didn’t switch Audi’s rings for Subaru’s stars, that spoiler is just as identifiable as an STI badge. The Hyundai Continental Here’s how to ruin a perfectly good Bentley Continental GT: Step one, change the badges on the rear, wheel caps and hood with those of a Hyundai. That’s it. It’s a simple one-step process, which this person has executed perfectly for the absolute worst results. Just why? Image via Autoblog. The elusive Audi pickup truck This is pure winner, mostly because we know its owner, one Reddit user ‘chunkukdo,’ isn’t taking themselves too seriously. He succinctly tells his Audi pickup’s origin story: “Had to replace the grill (hit a deer). Chevy emblem: $30, Audi emblem: $10. The reactions I get: priceless.” Respect. Do Hondas have Hemis? Either this one does or we’re being lied to. Gonna go out on a limb and say it’s the latter. But seriously, can somebody do this? Ken Block, you’re not doing much these days, are ya? But truly, while some people may be offended by V6 or AMG badges on lowly Corollas, having a sense of humour is never a bad way to look at shiny bits stuck on cars. Image via imgur. Operation Ferrari-ish Desmantelado taller clandestino en el que fabricaban réplicas de #Ferrari y #Lamborghini para vender en Internet. 3 detenidos #Girona pic.twitter.com/YFnGQePDvK Policía Nacional (@policia) February 12, 2017 Back in 2017, Spanish police busted a counterfeit Ferrari operation that was transforming Toyotas into prancing horses. Authorities raided the garage in the town of Sils and found badges, stickers and body kits the conniving mechanics were using to dupe some of the Internet’s more gullible car shoppers. We could assign some points for boldness, but the perpetrators won’t be able to spend them in prison anyway.
Origin: 5 Crazy badge swaps that are awesome and awful at the same time
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