Canadian drivers are no strangers to the pothole. We’ve all swerved to avoid one, slowed to crawl through one or had to wait behind a person holding a stop sign on a pole while a crew worked to fill one. No, there’s no such thing as a good experience with a pothole, which is why the best kind is the filled kind, and also why this product that purports to help keep them that way for longer is so intriguing. It’s called the American Road Patch and it’s basically a big bandage with adhesive that bonds to concrete and asphalt surfaces on one side and a road-like texture on the other. As the video explains, pothole repairs fail when the hole isn’t properly sealed and water gets in to the affected area, sometimes as quickly as just a few days after being filled. But when the patch is placed over the filled hole, it provides a superior seal that keeps the moisture out longer. “American Road Patch because it’s placed over the existing pothole and immediately adheres to and actually becomes part of the road,” the host of the video explains. “Where American Road Patch has been used it has provided years of maintenance-free service. Over the long run, (it) saves time and money over conventional methods of pothole repair.” The product, which is has a protective cover that you literally peel off of the sticky side just like a Band Aid, is currently in place on U.S. interstates, on state and county roads and in driveways, and has been tested mostly in the company’s home state of Alabama, far from the frozen highways of the Northern States and Canada. Will it work up here where frost heave regularly upsets the contours of our nation’s roads? There’s a ‘where to buy’ section on the company’s website that includes Canada, so if you get one for that stubborn pothole in your driveway and test it out this year, please let us know.
Origin: This road patch makes pothole repairs last longer
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Land Rover makes good use of Defender durability testing by volunteering in Kenya
It may have been just an ordinary Tuesday for you, but Land Rover celebrated a major milestone on April 30, 2019. Because not only was it Land Rover Day—didn’t you know, it’s the 71st anniversary of the Land Rover’s debut at the 1948 Amsterdam Motor Show?—but it also marked the completion of 1.2-million kilometres of testing in the new Defender prototype by the brand. To ensure ultimate off-road readiness, these 1.2M klicks have been collected all over the planet. The brand even put together this graphic to demonstrate the extremes to which it’s taken the new offroader, and where. It has been ripped around the Nurburgring, subjected to -40 degrees Celsius cold in the arctic and 50 degrees Celsius heat in the desert, and seen altitudes upwards of 10,000 feet in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. But to honour (and hype) this latest milestone, JLR has released a new set of images of the camouflaged Defender hauling a** through the rugged Kenyan terrain, where it will complete its final phase of testing. The brand plans to put the 44 to the test while aiding the Borana Conservancy and the Tusk Trust, a 15-year partner, by transporting goods and people and helping with other such chores across the park’s 35,000 acres. “In addition to the extensive simulation and rig testing, we’ve driven new Defender 1.2 million kilometres across all terrains and in extreme climates to ensure that it is the toughest and most capable Land Rover vehicle ever made,” said Nick Rogers, Executive Director, Product Engineering, Jaguar Land Rover. “The incredible opportunity to put it to the test in the field, supporting operations at the Borana Conservancy in Kenya, with Tusk, will allow our engineers to verify that we are meeting this target as we enter the final phase of our development program.” The new Land Rover Defender is set to be revealed in full, peeling off the camo wraps, in September.
Origin: Land Rover makes good use of Defender durability testing by volunteering in Kenya
600-hp Nissan GT-R makes its return in Canada for 2020 model year
2020 Nissan GT-R 50th Anniversary Edition What is it? It’s not as awesome as the GT-R50 Nissan revealed last year and then decided to build for well-heeled customers, but the 2020 GT-R introduces a 50th Anniversary Edition with heritage colours that pay tribute to the greatest racers to bear the GT-R badge. Why does it matter? Don’t be distracted by the flashy colours and pretty stripes Nissan is showing off for their 50th Anniversary Edition GT-R. The real news is the return of the 600-hp Nismo engine tune under the hood of 2020 GT-R Track Edition cars, not seen since the very brief appearance of the GT-R Nismo in Canada for the 2017 model year. While 600 hp is a wonderful round number to make good headlines, it’s not the only change on the menu for the heavyweight AWD supercar, though it is the most meaningful for performance enthusiasts. Each and every twin-turbocharged 3.8-litre V6 that goes into a GT-R is handcrafted by its own takumi technician, with a signed badge commemorating his work. In standard Premium trim, horsepower is an already robust 565, with 467 lb.-ft. from 3,300 to 5,800 rpm, while the 600-hp Track Edition gets a bump to 481 lb.-ft. from 3,600 to 5,600 rpm. Changes for the 2020 model include new turbochargers that yield quicker responsiveness, race-inspired exhaust manifold designed for easier servicing and potential tuning. Nissan continues to tinker with the transmission refinement, but hopefully they will never go too far and strip away the endearing mechanical orchestra of gears and differentials from the 6-speed dual-clutch. R mode gains more aggressive downshifts, particularly during ABS moments, when it interprets that hard braking as preparation for corner exit. However, both Auto mode and R mode will dial back the aggression based on driving inputs, so if you are just driving around town, it won’t downshift for max rpms every time you brake gently or regularly. and as with every update, the suspension is tweaked to enhance both cornering attitude and comfort to go along with refined steering and braking. With the GT-R climbing the pricing ladder thanks to impeccable performance credentials, Nissan is working to keep up appearances and quality for customer that could just as easily spend their money on a Porsche 911 or Mercedes-AMG GT. While the 8-inch touchscreen and controls are looking a bit dated, the single, seamless piece of leather stitched across the dash and matched by door panel inserts do bring a touch of class to the cabin. However, if you can get your hands on one, the 50th Anniversary Edition is the one to have, with a grey colour scheme Nissan likens to the twilight sky (fitting for a car that is in the twilight of its generation), special embossed seats, and stitched Alcantara headliner and trim. Sadly, the 50th anniversary special is paired only with the Premium trim, so you can’t have your 600-hp track beast in that guise. Should you buy it? Well, if you couldn’t afford the GT-R50, then this isn’t a bad way to get into GT-R, especially the Bayside Blue that is as loud and special as the car
Origin: 600-hp Nissan GT-R makes its return in Canada for 2020 model year
Audi makes performance trim out of new diesel S7 in Europe, sticks with gas in U.S.
Static photo, Colour: Daytona greyAudi Audi has already released the A6 and A7, but now the so-called performance versions are here in the form of the S6 and S7, which are a little different depending which side of the pond you’re on. In Europe, the sole engine option is a diesel-powered 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6 with a 48-volt electrical system that powers a supercharger. Some 349 horsepower and 516 lb.-ft. of torque is all you get with the oil-burner, enough to get the huge Audi to 100 km/h in 5.0 seconds in S6 guise; the S7 and S6 Avant get there a little slower at 5.1 seconds. We all know Audi has done well in LeMans with its diesel race car, but nobody on the street cares about that. We want revs and horsepower, and the diesel version just isn’t going to deliver that. Luckily for us in North America, we don’t have to suffer. The diesel will be left off the plate on this side of the pond in favour of a gasoline-powered 2.9-litre twin-turbo V6 that makes 450 horsepower and 442 lb.-ft. of torque; a 48-volt electrical system is also on the table, again powering the same supercharger. Audi has not released the full performance figures for the gasoline engine in the S6 or S7, but we don’t expect them to change drastically. On top of the new engine options, the S6 and S7 now feature four-wheel steering to make up for the lack of V8. Inside, a new digital gauge cluster and touchscreen dash showcase the new technology present for 2020. Although the V6 will never make as nice a soundtrack as the V8, the new car is sure to be faster and more
Origin: Audi makes performance trim out of new diesel S7 in Europe, sticks with gas in U.S.
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