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.Upcoming electric crate engines promise plug-and-play installationIt’s been some time coming, but it seems automotive DIY-ers may finally be getting some viable options for electric crate engines. The V8-shaped single- and dual-motor EV conversion kits on the way from the California-based startup Electric GT (EGT) will make 140 horsepower and 240 lb.-ft., and 240 horsepower and 340 lb.-ft., respectively. Swindon Powertrain in the U.K., meanwhile, is putting out another electric crate option that makes 110 horsepower and is small enough to fit in a Mini. You just have to find someplace to put the batteries. Volvo, Audi and Mercedes-Benz won’t be attending the Montreal auto showEven with the Detroit auto show officially moving its time slot from January to June, Montreal’s appeal is not strong enough for some European automakers to justify the winter journey to the City of Saints.Following the lead of Mercedes-Benz – which is abstaining from all North American auto shows this year – Volvo and Audi are also pulling out of appearances at 2020’s LeSalon International de Montréal. Volvo is also allegedly pulling the chute for Toronto’s CIAS 2020. Tesla’s hideaway handles blamed in fiery fatal crash“Inaccessible door handles” and “no other ways to open the doors” are what’s being blamed in the death of a Florida resident and Tesla Model S owner. The 48-year-old man allegedly died of smoke inhalation when his vehicle caught fire following an accident, leaving him trapped inside. According to Consumer Reports, door handles are among the most commonly reported issues from Model S owners. Liberal’s proposed luxury car tax stresses B.C. dealersThe recently re-elected Liberal government is proposing a new 10-per-cent luxury tax on vehicles, boats and aircraft priced over $100,000. The little-on-the-top will add yet another line to the price tag of luxury vehicles in British Columbia, which are already subject to a 15-per-cent provincial sales tax on vehicles from $125,000 to $149,999; and a 20-per-cent tax on those over $150,000. Blair Qualey, head of the New Car Dealers Association of B.C., told Automotive News Canada the luxury tax is “very concerning” and the burden on buyers getting “pretty difficult.” Mazda’s first EV gets a touch of RX-8 throwbackThe first electric mass-production Mazda, the MX-30, has arrived, with a smaller battery than most (likely good for about 200 km of range) and a gasoline-powered rotary range-extender – similar to that last found in the RX-8 – for trips beyond city limits. Inside, it’s some of Mazda’s best work yet, with a clean dash and touchscreens for everything that could possibly use one. Look for the Mazda MX-30 in the second half of 2020, and look for the other hot debuts from this year’s Tokyo auto show right
Origin: News Roundup: An EV crate engine, brands skipping Montreal’s auto show, a luxury car tax and more
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Mazda releases more details on its first EV
Mazda’s first electric vehicle, to be revealed at Tokyo motor show next week, will develop the design language first seen on the recently launched Mazda3 to reflect “futuristic values and changing lifestyles,” said the car maker. The model, which will go on sale next year, has a coupe-like cabin and “achieves a lightweight look by adopting a unique door concept”. Mazda added that the front face bears a “friendly expression”. The interior is said to use empty spaces around the centre console to create a closeness between the driver and passenger seats. Mazda added that interior materials were chosen for comfort and “eco-friendliness”, both of which are intended to make the cabin comfortable. The model, previewed by the e-TPV prototype, will adopt an SUV bodystyle, which can more easily accommodate an underfloor battery pack. The latest information from Mazda follows confirmation last month that it would launch its first electric car on 23 October. The model, previewed by the e-TPV prototype, is expected to adopt an SUV bodystyle, which can more easily accommodate an underfloor battery pack. It will use a similar set-up to the prototype, which has a 35.5kWh battery and a single electric motor delivering 138bhp and 195lb ft of torque to the the front wheels via a single-speed transmission. The EV is likely to have a range between 120 and 150 miles, similar to the new Mini Electric but significantly less than more obvious rivals, such as the 279-mile Hyundai Kona Electric. It will be able to accept 6.6kW domestic charging and 50kW public rapid charging. Mazda will also introduce a modern version of its famed rotary engine in a range-extender variant of the EV. Two years ago, Mazda boss Mitsuo Hitomi confirmed that, rather than being used in its purest form, a rotary engine will be used as an EV range-extender. He said: “The rotary engine isn’t particularly efficient to use as a range-extender, but when we turn on a rotary, it’s much, much quieter compared to other manufacturers’ range-extenders”. The Japanese firm’s range hasn’t featured a rotary-engined road car since the RX-8 went out of production in 2012, but it did produce a rotary range-extender Mazda 2 prototype – which Autocar drove – back in 2013. It has remained interested in reintroducing the technology to production since. The Mazda RX-Vision Concept, which was shown at the Tokyo motor show in 2015, used such a powertrain. Mazda has eschewed hybrid and electric models in recent years, instead choosing to focus on improving the efficiency of its petrol engines. This year, it introduced spark plug-controlled compression ignition to the latest Mazda 3, with the promise that it will “combine the economy and torque of a diesel engine with the performance and lower emissions of a petrol
Origin: Mazda releases more details on its first EV
Mazda gives more details on its first EV
The interior of Mazda’s first electric vehicle, to be revealed at Tokyo motor show next week, has been designed to “evoke a sense of openness” through empty spaces, said the maker. Mazda said the concept uses empty spaces around the centre console to create a closeness between the driver and passenger seats. It added that interior materials were chosen for comfort and “eco-friendliness”, both of which are intended to make the cabin comfortable. The latest information from Mazda follows confirmation last month that it would launch its first electric car on 23 October. The model, previewed by the e-TPV prototype, is expected to adopt an SUV bodystyle, which can more easily accommodate an underfloor battery pack. It will use a similar set-up to the prototype, which has a 35.5kWh battery and a single electric motor delivering 138bhp and 195lb ft of torque to the the front wheels via a single-speed transmission. The EV is likely to have a range between 120 and 150 miles, similar to the new Mini Electric but significantly less than more obvious rivals, such as the 279-mile Hyundai Kona Electric. It will be able to accept 6.6kW domestic charging and 50kW public rapid charging. Mazda will also introduce a modern version of its famed rotary engine in a range-extender variant of the EV. Two years ago, Mazda boss Mitsuo Hitomi confirmed that, rather than being used in its purest form, a rotary engine will be used as an EV range-extender. He said: “The rotary engine isn’t particularly efficient to use as a range-extender, but when we turn on a rotary, it’s much, much quieter compared to other manufacturers’ range-extenders”. The Japanese firm’s range hasn’t featured a rotary-engined road car since the RX-8 went out of production in 2012, but it did produce a rotary range-extender Mazda 2 prototype – which Autocar drove – back in 2013. It has remained interested in reintroducing the technology to production since. The Mazda RX-Vision Concept, which was shown at the Tokyo motor show in 2015, used such a powertrain. Mazda has eschewed hybrid and electric models in recent years, instead choosing to focus on improving the efficiency of its petrol engines. This year, it introduced spark plug-controlled compression ignition to the latest Mazda 3, with the promise that it will “combine the economy and torque of a diesel engine with the performance and lower emissions of a petrol
Origin: Mazda gives more details on its first EV
News Roundup: Schwarzenegger sets teenage activist up with Tesla, Chevy unveils C8 convertible and more
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.When Arnold met GretaWhen Arnold Schwarzenegger was introduced to 16-year-old climate activist Greta Thunberg at a European environmental summit earlier this year, he was thoroughly impressed. (Join the club, Arnold.) And then, when he learned she’d be making a North American tour, he offered to set his new friend up with one of the greenest ways to get around: a Tesla Model 3. Thunberg travelled to Montreal to participate in the climate strike along with approximately 500,000 others, and is continuing on to other events elsewhere in North America. 70-year-old B.C. driver given ticket for having cell phone in cup holderWhere do you keep your cell phone when you’re driving? Obviously, it’s illegal to hold it in your hand and use it – that’s distracted driving – but one senior citizen in B.C. was shocked to receive a ticket this week for having her smartphone charging in a cup holder. Randi Kramer, who’s had a clean driving record for the last 50 years or so, was issued a $368 ticket for distracted driving, despite not being distracted by her phone at all. Kramer plans to fight the ticket and her story has already got the attention of a local lawyer. The new C8 convertible arrives with folding hardtopThe 2020 Chevy Corvette Stingray was unveiled this week, and unlike the initial C8 launch that nearly broke the internet earlier this summer, there’s not so much to report on. The new model will be available with a folding hardtop only, and be powered by the same plant as the coupe: a 6.2-litre 490-horsepower V8. Chevy chose to reveal the convertible at the Kennedy Space Center’s Rocket Garden in Orlando, Florida as a nod to all the astronauts who’ve driven ‘Vettes over the years. The 2020 Corvette convertible will start at $78,998 when it arrives in Canada next spring. Watch Tesla owners damage their cars using the new Smart Summon featureA new software update downloaded into Teslas around the world last weekend, teaching the electric vehicles a highly anticipated new trick. Smart Summon automatically pilots empty cars across parking lots or driveways to their drivers, who summon them with the press of a button on an app. But despite the word “Smart” being right there in the name, and Tesla officially reminding driver they “are still responsible for (their) car and must monitor it and its surroundings at all times,” the new feature has occasionally hit a few snags. Or, more accurately, other vehicles and garage doors. Check out some of the Smart Summon fails caught on camera and already making the rounds online. Russian YouTuber tests how many spokes your car wheel actually needsHow many spokes is enough spokes? Sure, all of them would be ideal, but when push came to shove, how many could you still drive with? Like, if you literally pushed and shoved (or cut) the spokes off the wheels, like this Russian YouTuber did, how far would you get? Turns out, pretty far! The Garage 54 YouTube channel, which is dedicated to these kind of automotive “torture tests,” fits an old car with a bunch of tires with a varying number of the alloy spokes removed, and basically drives around on them until they break. The language dubbing is bearable, but the video itself is highly
Origin: News Roundup: Schwarzenegger sets teenage activist up with Tesla, Chevy unveils C8 convertible and more
Audi updates RS4 Avant with more aggressive styling for 2020
Audi has given its RS4 Avant performance estate a facelift, including a reshaped grille and flared wheel arches, just two years after the current generation was launched. The mild redesign follows on from the recent refresh of the standard A4 and is limited mostly to a revised front end design and enhanced interior technology. The RS4’s front grille, bumper and lower splitter have been overhauled to further distance the performance variant from the standard model and bring it into line with the new RS6 Avant, which sports a notably more aggressive stance than the outgoing RS4. The gloss black honeycomb grille featured across Audi Sport’s range of top-rung RS models has been designed without a frame to sit flush with the bumper. The model’s LED headlights have also been reshaped and can now be specified with darkened bezels. As is tradition with Audi’s sportier models, the wheel arches are substantially flared to accommodate wider wheels and tyres, the RS4 measuring a full 30mm wider overall than the standard A4 at the front and rear. Inside, the facelifted model receives a new 10.1in infotainment touchscreen, equipped with Audi’s new MMI acoustic response technology, in place of the outgoing car’s rotary controller. A new digital instrument panel can display drive system component temperatures, g-forces, tyre pressures, power output, lap times and acceleration measurements. It also features a shift light display to assist the driver with gearchange timings. There are no changes to the RS4’s turbocharged 2.9-litre V6, which still produces 444bhp and 443lb ft – enough to give the car a 0-62mph time of 4.1sec and top speed of up to 174mph. The new RS4 Avant will make its public debut at this weekend’s DTM season finale at the Hockenheimring, ahead of sales beginning later this month. UK pricing is yet to be confirmed, but a European starting price of €81,400 suggests we’re likely to see a slight increase over the current model’s £67,585 price
Origin: Audi updates RS4 Avant with more aggressive styling for 2020
News Roundup: Foolish mall parker gets boxed in, jerk Jaywalker hits a pole and more
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.Mall customer parked in the wrong spot gets instant paybackA shopper at an Argentinian mall who thought they’d found the perfect oversized parking spot for their small Peugeot 208 hatchback was instead served up a lesson in properly reading signs. The car was parked in the shopping cart area of the mall, but that didn’t stop the employees responsible for returning the carts to their home. A photo taken by another shopper and posted to Facebook shows the car surrounded on all sides by row after row of carts, and judging by the 7,000+ shares, few people feel sorry for the bonehead Peugeot driver. Quebec moves up mandatory winter tire date by two weeksQuebec residents have fewer than 80 days to have snow tires installed on their vehicles if they plan to keep (legally) driving them on provincial roads this coming winter season. As of December 1, 2019 – a full two weeks earlier than last year’s date – all cars must be wearing the appropriate tires as outlined in a significant 80-point revision of the province’s Highway Safety Code. Those cars that don’t have winters from Dec 1 to March 15 not only run the heightened risk of an accident, but may also face fines of $200-$300. Study reveals top 10 cars kept the longest by original ownersA recent study conducted by online car search engine iSeeCars has rounded up the top 10 vehicles that owners keep the longest. On the list are five sports cars, three SUVs and one sedan. Toyota vehicles took four of the ten spots, with the Land Cruiser leading the list with an average ownership period of 11.4 years. The second longest-kept vehicle is the Chevrolet Corvette at 10.4 years, while the third spot goes to another sports car, the Mercedes-Benz SL-Class. Find out if your trusty ride made the list right here. Watch karma instantly and hilariously repay this stubborn jaywalkerIf you scrub to the 3:49 minute mark in the above video, you can clearly see the crosswalk a few metres up the road from where the man decides to cross in downtown Hamilton. When the car, which has a dashcam, honks but stops to allow the pedestrian to jaywalk across the street, the man stares down the driver HARD. But when he gets to the other side, eyes still locked on the driver, he walks right into a pole on the sidewalk. Is there anything more satisfying than watching a jerk get his comeuppance? Why a U.K. driver spent nearly $50k fighting a $165 speeding ticketA British man and former RAF electronics specialist has spent nearly $50,000 and three years disputing a $165 speeding ticket he received for allegedly doing 57 km/h in a 50 km/h zone. The man, who was sent the fine after being captured by a traffic camera, claims he’s been wrongly ticketed due to something called the “double Doppler effect,” which can cause cameras to incorrectly measure a vehicle’s speed when radio waves bounce off a second vehicle. Years and tens of thousands of dollars later and the man has given up and paid the fine. He still owes over $10,000 in legal fees, however, and is considering whether to go for another
Origin: News Roundup: Foolish mall parker gets boxed in, jerk Jaywalker hits a pole and more
Autocar confidential: Volkswagen’s rowdy crowds, Mini’s sales success and more
In the Frankfurt motor show edition of Autocar confidential, we hear how Volkswagen kept order at the revealing of its new ID 3, how things are looking for Mini’s first electric model, and more. Keeping the (Green)peace Volkswagen was taking no chances, given the threat of protesters disrupting its Frankfurt press conference, and had a ring of burly security guards set 20m from the stage to give anyone who dared to move within range the evil eye. It worked: despite the presence of Greenpeace protesters outside, the conference passed without incident. Goodbye-ton Byton CTO David Twohig claimed the surprise departure of joint founder Carsten Breitfeld is “normal for a start-up”. He said: “If Carsten had left earlier, it would be a serious blow. But we were stable by the time he left. He was a visionary, but now the priority is getting that vision to production”. The production M-Byte electric SUV, shown at Frankfurt and on sale in Europe by 2021, could also be offered in right-hand drive “if there’s enough interest”, Twohig said. Shocking demand for Mini’s EV Mini has taken 60,000 expressions of interest in its new Electric model, order books for which opened during the show. It’s the first time Mini has run a pre-sales programme and sales are well ahead of where the company expected them to be, according to its boss, Bernd Körber. Pura Vision… without the vision Automobili Pininfarina showed its new Pura Vision SUV concept in Frankfurt – but took away our iPhone for a picture that would have been worth 1000 words… Perhaps a cross between a Lamborghini Urus and an Aston Martin DB11 best describes it, but it’s elegant in a way most SUVs simply aren’t. We expect Automobili Pininfarina to reveal it next
Origin: Autocar confidential: Volkswagen’s rowdy crowds, Mini’s sales success and more
News Roundup: Land Rover Defender arrives, Ford Ranger V6 turbo rumours swirl and more
The 2020 Land Rover DefenderLand Rover 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.The first look at the 2020 Defender suggests the hype was justified There’s been much ado about the 2020 Land Rover Defender, but it’s not been about nothing. According to the first look granted to our own David Booth, the iconic 4X4 should live up to the hype. Its square figure and terrain chewing capabilities keep it rooted to its off-roading history, but there’s plenty to justify the “all new” tag it’s been given, including the 3.0-litre six-cylinder Ingenium engine from Jaguar Land Rover. Read our full first impressions to learn more, including how much the 2020 Defender will cost in Canada. Ford Ranger could get V6 twin-turbo engine Australian outlet Which Car claims to have learned of the Blue Oval’s plans to gift certain Rangers with a V6 twin-turbo powerplant. According to the report, the Ranger is being tested with versions of the F-150’s 2.7-litre EcoBoost and 3.0-litre diesel V6s in Australia even as you read this. Excited? Temper it, because Ford doesn’t always send their Australian products up our way. 2020 Audi RS 7 gets new engine and new look The 2020 Audi RS 7 Audi Audi brought the second-gen RS 7 to Frankfurt this week, revealing a grand tourer with more power and more personality. Larger front fenders, a fresh grille and air intakes give the 2020 Audi RS 7 a spicy look to go with the lively, 600-horsepower 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8. Inside, it borrows much from the A7, including the MMI infotainment system. Expect it in Canada middle of next year. Another viral video of a Tesla napper begs the question, where is this headed? The novelty of a video capturing a driver asleep behind the wheel of a moving vehicle hasn’t worn off, nor has the danger. Another Tesla autopilot sleeper video, this one showing a pair of young men snoozing in the front seat of a Tesla has surfaced and gone viral. Who’s worse, the snoozer behind the wheel, or the video shooter who also appears to be driving a vehicle? BMW to release Canada-specific BMW M8 editions Canadian BMW fans will have a chance to get a piece of M8 history with the release of BMW’s Canadian-exclusive M8 Individual Manufaktur Edition. It won’t be a good chance, as the brand is only making 20 of the exclusive models – ten in red and ten in black, each with a twin-turbo V8 good for 617 horsepower and 553 lb.-ft. of torque – but it’s there. Try your luck for $198,000.
Origin: News Roundup: Land Rover Defender arrives, Ford Ranger V6 turbo rumours swirl and more
Ford recalling more than 23,000 SUVs in Canada for seats that cut
2017 Ford Explorer Ford is recalling some 23,380 Explorer SUVs in Canada because the sharp edges of the front seat frames have been cutting passengers hands as they reach down to adjust it.In North America, a total of roughly 338,300 Explorers from model year 2017 equipped with power seats are affected by the issue.The sharp seat frame edges have led to Ford so far fielding some 31 reports of people cutting their hands as they reached down between the power front seat and the center console, the automaker said September 13.Dealers will add flocked tape to the exposed edge and tab on the inboard side of the power seat frames. Ford told customers that, in the interim, they should use caution and avoid contact with the seat frame edge until the repair is
Origin: Ford recalling more than 23,000 SUVs in Canada for seats that cut
News Roundup: How to steal a Tesla in 30 seconds, what Lambo’s most powerful car looks like and more
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.Tesla thieves fool key fob system to make away with vehicleIt looks ridiculously simple. Two men walk into the yard of a home in a town near London, England, one holding a home-made wire antenna above his head, the other standing near the driver’s door of the Tesla. Less than 35 seconds later the two are off the property with the car. So what kind of top-secret hacker voodoo did these two employ to pull off this efficient heist? Actually, thanks to the fact Tesla and many other vehicles rely on key fob tech that actively transmits a signal that can be picked up by the right antenna in the right place, they probably didn’t use anything you couldn’t pick up at your local electronics store.Learn more about why you should always store your key fob in a safe space. Report suggests next-gen Subaru WRX STI will arrive fall 2020 with new 315-hp engineAccording to reports by a Japanese car site, Subaru plans to have the 2021 WRX on streets by next fall. The fifth-gen sedan will allegedly ride on a new platform – the same to be used on all Subaru vehicles moving forward, including the upcoming WRX STI, Japan’s WRX S4 and the Levorg wagon – and use a new direct-injected FA20 four-cylinder with 315 horsepower in place of the current turbo-four EJ25 in North America. A reveal has yet to be announced.Hennessey’s latest kit for the 2020 Mustang GT500 makes 1,200 horsepower The 2020 Ford Mustang isn’t even out yet and Hennessey Performance Engineering has already come up with three aftermarket kits to make the pony buck with a little extra spunk. The Hennessey GT500 Venomis the latest kit announced by the famous, horsepower-crazed tuning brand. It slaps twin turbos to the Mustang engine, bringing the total output up to 1,200 horsepower, some 200 more than Hennessey’s previous kits. It also get the appropriate “Hennessey” and “Venom 1200” badges, an improved intercooler system, upgraded transmission and other internal bits and bolts. New Lamborghini hybrid Sián is the brand’s most powerful piece to dateMeet the Lamborghini Sián, the famed Italian automaker’s juiciest vehicle ever, at least in terms of outright power. Using a combination of a V12 engine alongside a 48-volt e-motor tucked into the gearbox, the Sián promises 819 horsepower, which will push it to 96 km/h in 2.8 seconds.Lamborghini claims the car is the first to use a supercapacitor in a hybrid powertrain. Look for more of the Sián at the 2019 Frankfurt IAA Motor Show.Toyota Canada still won’t explain its sometimes months-long parts delayCanadian Toyota drivers who have been waiting for weeks or sometimes months for parts for their vehicles are getting fed up with the brand. The delay, which Toyota claims is the result of “Systems Transformation,” has meant that some Toyota owners have had their vehicles in the shop for far longer than they anticipated. In a report by the CBC, drivers from Nova Scotia to Ontario to B.C. sound off on the frustrations of being left in the lurch by one of the world’s largest automakers.
Origin: News Roundup: How to steal a Tesla in 30 seconds, what Lambo’s most powerful car looks like and more
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