HIROSHIMA, Japan When Mazda was developing the first-generation MX-5 Miata, known as the NA, the development team bought classic cars an MGB and a Datsun 240Z as muses for the upcoming sports car. They wanted to drive and test the classics alongside the new car to ensure it captured the same joy as roadsters once did. Speaking with Nobihuro Yamamoto, a lead engineer when the original Miata was in development, I asked him which classics had been brought in to develop the latest, ND MX-5.And with a smile, he replied simply, the NA.The car meant to carry on the legacy of the classics has become a classic itself. Introduced in 1989 for the 1990 model year, the oldest NA Miatas are now 30 years old. A victim of their own fun-to-drive an easy-to-use nature, many of even the best cared-for NAs have succumbed to the perils of age. So, a devoted crew within Mazda felt something needed to be done. So, the Mazda MX-5 restoration program was created to deepen the bond between you and your NA, says the brochure detailing this service. For roughly $58,000 Canadian, a team of craftsmen and experts will go over literally every single part on your MX-5 and make it new again. The level of detail goes down to remaking the soft-top with the exact same grain as the 1989 unit. Sure, aftermarket soft-tops are still available, but theyre not a 100 per cent match of the old pattern the ones Mazda uses are custom-made and sourced from the U.S. And if that wasnt enough, the original Bridgestone SF-325 tires have long been out of production, but Mazda has gone through the effort of remaking them exactly as they were, with the notable deviation of using a more modern and grippier rubber compound for the tire itself.Mazda is also very selective about the cars theyll restore and the people who own them. The program had 54 applicants and those were whittled down to a waiting list of 15 cars. Cars can be rejected for being too rusty or being in an advanced state of disrepair. But more importantly than the car itself, Mazda is looking for owners who are good ambassadors for the brand they want people that have a strong bond with their car, and not necessarily just someone with a lot of money to spend. The first restored car went to a famous Japanese actor who bought his beloved Miata brand-new.Can you buy one? Sadly, the program is limited to Japan right now, but that might change. Mazda wont say anything concrete, but they may expand the restoration efforts to Europe and North America after a while. But what they did say in the meantime, is that theyre currently studying expanding the program to RX-7 models. We want to make that dream happen, Yamamoto said, adding that the potential program is currently being studied for second- and third-generation RX-7s known as the FC and FD, respectively, by the way. Still not excited enough? After the RX-7, the next car Mazda is considering is the Eunos Cosmo from the early 1990s, a three-rotor technological tour-de-force that was never sold outside of Japan. Why? Yamamoto says its important to allow people to keep enjoying (the cars). Before launching the Miata restoration program, Yamamoto travelled to Germany and studied similar programs run by Mercedes-Benz and Porsche. An invitation was extended to Ferrari Classiche, but they declined.But its not just a restoration program. Mazda is backing this up by adding 1,100 parts to their catalogue to support fans doing their own, likely less intensive MX-5 maintenance. And its worth noting that the restoration program is not limited to total restorations of a complete car theyll refurbish your Miatas interior, engine, or exterior, instead of the whole package, if you so choose. As for us Canadians, Mazda Canada is very interested in supplying NA Miata owners in Canada access to these parts, and are currently working on a deal with Mazdas U.S. division thatll allow Canadian dealers to order these parts from any North American distribution centre.On a small test track at Mazdas sizeable Hiroshima facility, I sampled two freshly restored NA Miatas. Gleaming in the late afternoon sun, you can really see how deep these restorations go: Every tiny rubber seal and plastic fitting are perfect and new, and every single part looks flawless. Ive driven many NA Miatas and some were very nice, but nothing was as nice as these. For the first time in my life, I drove a brand-new 1989 Miata. This is a special car, and you cant help but smile. For motivated and devoted owners, this is like pressing a big reset button on their favourite little car. Im jealous, and I cant wait to see where this program
Origin: The MX-5 is only the beginning of Mazda’s restoration program
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U.S. Democratic senator reveals US$462-billion program to get Americans into EVs
US Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer speaks during a press conference with other Democratic leaders on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC on October 22, 2019.Andrew Caballero-Reynolds / Getty The U.S. Senate Minority Leader, Chuck Schumer, is moving Democrats climate talk to where the rubber meets the road, proposing a US$462-billion trade-in program to get millions of Americans out of climate-damaging gas vehicles and into electric or hybrid cars over the next decade.Schumers rebate proposal late Thursday joins a mix of trillion- and multi-trillion-dollar programs that Democratic presidential candidates have outlined to urgently cut oil, gas and coal emissions, as climate change weighs as an issue in the 2020 campaigns.Schumer said the proposal to bring clean cars to all of America would be a key part of climate legislation by Senate Democrats. The injection of government-supported spending for electric cars could position the U.S. to lead the world in clean auto manufacturing, he said.The New York Democrats plan would give American car buyers thousands of dollars each to trade in gas-burning cars for U.S.-assembled electric, hybrid or hydrogen cell cars. Lower-income households, and buyers of cars with American-made parts, would get extra credits.About US$45 billion would go to boost availability of charging stations and other electric car infrastructure. And US$17 billion would help automakers increase their production of electric cars, batteries and parts.He didnt outline how he would pay for the plan.Its the opposite direction of President Donald Trump, who has sought to boost U.S. oil and gas production, eliminate tax credits for electric cars, and has mocked electric cars outright. Some Republican lawmakers call the credits an unfair subsidy for what they depict as well-off electric vehicle owners.Schumer, who contends the scheme would create tens of thousands of jobs, pledged to introduce his clean-car program in Senate legislation should Democrats win control there next year.Climate change has become an issue in 2020 campaigns as never before in the United States. Even as polls show climate falling below other issues in terms of priority, an AP-NORC poll conducted earlier this year found that most Americans link worsening extreme weather to man-made global warming. Democrats are more likely than others to consider climate issues a high priority for the
Origin: U.S. Democratic senator reveals US$462-billion program to get Americans into EVs
New Toyota program will help owners of white cars with peeling paint
2011 Toyota Rav4 Owners of Toyota vehicles with peeling paint may get some relief under a new program being implemented by Toyota Canada.According to a report from CBC News, Toyota Canada will offer a voluntary customer support program similar to action taken by Toyota USA for owners whose white vehicles are starting to peel.Exactly what Toyota will do to solve the problem still isnt clear, but a Toyota Canada spokesperson said when the program is ready, owners of affected vehicles will get a notice in the mail.In the U.S., Toyota responded to reports that certain vehicles painted in Blizzard Pearl or Super White were peeling. According to the notice sent to owners, these specific factory-applied colours could peel on exterior metal body parts when, over time, sunlight degrades the adhesion between the coating on the metal and the paint primer. According to CBC News, the notice to customers doesnt say what Toyota will do whether it will repaint the entire vehicle, or what years and models will be covered. The company said it will reimburse customers who previously paid to have their paint repaired, but didnt specify if it will pay the whole bill or just a portion.Those who own Toyota vehicles painted in these colours are advised to update their information with the manufacturer, if necessary, to ensure that they receive a notice in the
Origin: New Toyota program will help owners of white cars with peeling paint
Electric car sales climb in wake of new $5,000 federal rebate program
2018 Honda Clarity plug-in hybrid Canadas new rebate program to help make electric cars cheaper appears to be showing early signs of stimulating sales but mostly in the two provinces that require a minimum number of electric car sales.On May 1, Ottawa began offering rebates of up to $5,000 on the purchase of some electric vehicles in a bid to bring the cost of lower-end models closer to that of their gas-powered cousins.Announced in the March budget, the incentives are part of Ottawas goal to increase sales of electric cars to 10 per cent of all vehicles sold by 2025, 30 per cent by 2030 and 100 per cent by 2040.Last year, electric and plug-in hybrids accounted for about two per cent of total vehicle sales.Matthew Klippenstein, an engineer who began tracking electric vehicle sales a few years ago on his website Canada EV Sales, said they accounted for four per cent of all vehicle sales in May and June.Its still a tiny share the Ford F-series pickup trucks alone accounted for seven per cent of all vehicle sales but it is rising. And Klippenstein said the federal rebate has definitely increased sales in the past couple of months.Transport Canada reports that more than 14,000 electric cars and minivans were bought nationwide using the rebate since May 1. The department, which is overseeing the rebate program, also said overall electric vehicle sales were up 30 per cent between January and June, compared to the year before.But Klippenstein said there is one caveat to the data. More than eight in 10 of the electric vehicles sold in May and June were sold in British Columbia and Quebec. Those are the only two provinces that have a provincial rebate Ontario did until last year when Premier Doug Ford cancelled it after being elected and both allow their rebate to be combined with the federal one for even greater savings.Even more important to the sales distribution is that both B.C. and Quebec require dealerships to sell a certain percentage of electric cars, Klippenstein said. If they dont meet the quotas they have to either pay a fine or buy credits from competitors who exceeded their quotas.Klippenstein said there is still a limited supply of electric cars and those the automakers are sending to Canada are going to B.C. and Quebec first to make sure dealerships hit their quotas. Dan Woynillowicz, policy director at Clean Energy Canada, said there is still work to do to install public charging stations in the provinces that have never had a rebate. The lack of that infrastructure is contributing to lower sales there.Transport Canada hasnt yet been able to provide further details about what kinds of cars were the most popular purchases or sales numbers by province.The federal rebates are available for fully electric vehicles whose lowest-end model retails for less than $45,000, or $55,000 for vehicles that have seven or more seats like minivans. Up to $5,000 is available, with fully electric vehicles bought outright or leased for at least four years eligible for the maximum.Shorter-range plug-in hybrids or fully electric cars leased for shorter times are eligible for rebates between $625 and $3,750 depending on the length of the lease and the type of
Origin: Electric car sales climb in wake of new $5,000 federal rebate program
The science behind Lamborghini’s restoration program
Lamborghini LM002Handout / Lamborghini SANTAGATA BOLOGNESE, Italy The reason that a majority of the LM002s that Lamborghini ever produced the numbers vary between 300 and 328, depending on the source between 1986 and 1993 still exist is the work or the companys new Polo Storico division. More than just an in-house restoration service this particular LM002 was remade and there are 24 such large-scale restorations currently underway since 2016, Polo Storico has been the clearing house for everything classic Lamborghini.So not only will Polo Storico meticulously restore your Countach, Espada or 350 GT in fact, any Lambo up to the Diablo its the archive for all the literature surrounding the storied brand. Everything, from original engineering drawings and little known specs, not to mention original design sketches and specifications for outsourced parts, are kept in its official repository. In fact, using modern computer graphics what was once old and dog-eared has been lovingly restored old owners manuals, for instance, scanned, Photoshopped, and reprinted in all their original glory.More importantly, Polo Storico is gradually restocking long out of production parts for rare Lamborghinis. Everything from tiny little body components to entire engine blocks are being recast. And, according to Francesco Stevanin, Heritage Technical Manager, theres no limit in Lamborghinis quest for authenticity, noting that in recreating Miura cylinder heads, the factory was able to recreate the original pieces sandcast finish despite using modern modular manufacturing techniques. And, even when if original engineering drawing are unavailable, the engineers at Polo Storico can scan an existing part in 3D, remove any imperfections induced by age and then create their replacement from scratch. One of Polo Storicos less heralded functions, however, is authentication. The classic car world is full of lesser classics fraudulently rebodied as their rarer cousins. So, says Stevanin, certification of authenticity is an important part of Polo Storicos mission. And there seems to be no end to the lengths that the engineers wont go to to establish provenance bona fides, Stevanin noting that engines have even been disassembled just to ensure that the promised specialty components are present and accounted for.One of Polo Storicos most famous enterprises, for instance, was positively identifying the exact Miura P400 that starred in the original The Italian Job (it appears in the films opening sequence as it is driven, with gusto, on Switzerlands famed Gran San Bernardo pass). Partially by combing through old records, partially by contacting the driver, Enzo Moruzzi, who delivered the car to the set, Polo Storico was able to set the story straight.According to Moruzzi, There was a Miura P400 almost ready on the production line, in the right colour, left-hand drive and with white leather interior. It was aesthetically identical to the damaged one and we decided to use it for the film. The only thing worrying us was the elegant white leather seats, given that car had to get back to SantAgata in perfect condition.So, I asked for them to be taken out, replacing them with a set of black leather seats that we used for testing. The giveaway was the headrests, which on the Miura are attached to the dividing glass between the driver compartment and the engine compartment, which couldnt be replaced in time. In the film, you can see the original white headrests. Thus was Polo Storico able to positively identify chassis number 3586, currently owned by the Kaiser Collection of Vaduz, as the most famous Miura of them all, some 50 years after it had seemingly vanished without
Origin: The science behind Lamborghini’s restoration program
Hertz’s ‘Kollektion 7’ rental program is a tribute to German automotive greatness
International car rental company Hertz has introduced a new curated experience meant to honour German performance and luxury. The “Kollektion 7 – Made in Germany” deal offers seven high-end German vehicles from seven branded lounge locations throughout the European nation. The program will launch at Frankfurt Airport, where drivers can pick up select rides from Porsche, BMW and Mercedes Benz, in one of three colours – red, black or yellow – to match the German flag. The seven cars on tap include the Porsche Macan S, Porsche Panamera E-Hybrid, Porsche 718 Boxster, Mercedes-AMG GT, Mercedes-AMG GT 63 4-door coupe, BMW M850i Cabriolet and BMW Z4.“Around the world, the ‘Made in Germany’ moniker is a hallmark of quality and engineering excellence,” said Alida Scholtz, Managing Director of Hertz Germany, in a press release. “This new collection brings those values to life—allowing Hertz customers to experience premium automotive and high-end German brands in a unique, engaging, and entertaining way.” Drivers will eventually be able to check in and out at the six other Kollektion 7-themed lounges across Germany, including locations in Munich and Düsseldorf, which are scheduled to be opened later in 2019. According to Hertz, each location will provide concierge service along with “a unique, city-specific driving experience, giving visitors the opportunity to get to know the specific characteristics of different regions—and to discover what makes Germany so special, with unique insights from Hertz.” Those “insights” also include a gift basket that comes with each rental, filled with local products to enjoy on your trip. So, if you’re planning a driving getaway in Deutschland, you might as well do it in the 304-km/h Mercedes-AMG GT, which is available for rental exclusively from Hertz.
Origin: Hertz’s ‘Kollektion 7’ rental program is a tribute to German automotive greatness
New Porsche program lets you dress your 911 in racing livery
There are numerous ways to customize the look of your car. You could go to the extreme and hire a street artist to spray paint your vehicle like this Lamborghini Aventador SVJ owner did. Or you could take the more popular and less drastic approach and wrap it in vinyl. Porsche, for one, believes the second strategy is the wisest. And to make the process of wrapping its vehicles easier to visualize and execute, the brand has developed a new digital program called Second Skin, which allows buyers to custom-wrap their car with a choice of some of the brand’s most well-known racing liveries. Second Skin (available exclusively for German buyers at the moment) is a digital configurator that puts previously unavailable colours, select racing liveries or even custom-designed art on Porsche vehicles for owners who don’t want the basic Carrera White or Racing Yellow. The program includes custom colours like Black Matte, Magnesium Satin, Olive Green, Sunset Gloss and more, as well as famous racing liveries like Martini Racing’s red, white and blue striped design; and Gulf Racing’s light blue and orange combo. For those who demand an even more bespoke experience, there’s also the option to create your own wrap. To demonstrate what this might look like, Porsche hired artist Richard Phillips to design a wrap for its Porsche-customer-team Project-1 car at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The price of a complete livery design starts at 4,000 euros (about $6,000). When it launches in July, the configurator will include the Porsche 911 (both the 991.2 and 992), 718 Cayman and 718 Boxster. But the brand says it will eventually include its entire range of vehicles, as well as some from other
Origin: New Porsche program lets you dress your 911 in racing livery
B.C. government steps in to recharge EV incentive program
Blair Qualey, president and CEO of the New Car Dealers Association of B.C., plugs in a Chevrolet Volt at the Vancouver International Auto Show.Ric Ernst/Postmedia You’ve heard of range anxiety. How about grant anxiety? Two days ago, on May 15th, the B.C. electric vehicle rebate program’s cupboard was bare. “We ran out of money,” said Blair Qualey, president and CEO of the New Car Dealers Association of British Columbia, the group that manages the CEVforBC rebate program. Yesterday, the province recharged the EV incentive program with a $10 million infusion. “We’ve been talking with government since May 1st encouraging them to be prepared to move money quickly,” Qualey explained. “You can never really exactly gauge what day (we’d run out of money), but we guestimated Wednesday of this week and as it turned out we were right on.” On May 1 there was $6.5 million in the fund; two weeks later it was empty. Qualey says the average grant is in the $4,700 range, meaning approximately 1,382 new qualifying vehicles have been purchased through the program in that time. So why the massive uptake in EV sales in the past two weeks? Call it a perfect storm of the federal incentive program kicking in on May 1, record-setting high gas prices in B.C., and an increasing number of new EV models coming to Canadian showrooms. Qualey explained that when the federal incentive program was first announced in April, EV sales across the country essentially stopped as consumers waited for that funding to take affect. “Between then and May 1, everybody was sitting on their hands waiting. People were still putting deposits down for EVs but were waiting until May 1 so they could get the federal grant,” he said. “So there was this huge bubble of demand building and building, so that when May 1 came there was a huge rush.” The B.C. government allocated $42 million to the CEVforBC program in their annual budget announcement back in February, meaning there is still $32 million available. Said Qualey: “I think things will slow down a little bit as we’re through that initial bubble, but people are paying attention to this, and gas prices are certainly hurting people’s pocketbooks these days.” He added he’s been getting calls from dealer principals in the past couple of weeks saying 80 per cent of their recent sales have been
Origin: B.C. government steps in to recharge EV incentive program
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