In most parts of the country, carping about the state of this nations roads is an art form. New expletives have been crafted solely for use when ones brand-new set of winter tires slam into an unexpected pothole. Fillings have been jarred loose by washboard road surfaces. Alignment mechanics rejoice the former, dentists do brisk business with the latter. Hey, at least someone is making bank off our rough roads.Yelling into a vacuum yields little, so CAA holds an annual campaign in which Canadian road users including cyclists, pedestrians, motorists, and users of public transit are encouraged to cast a vote for what they feel is the worst road in their region. Every road is eligible, regardless of surface type or length.Across Canada, wild temperature swings and an abundance of road salt conspire to scupper even the best paving job. Jagged lines cut every surface like a botched episiotomy, with macadam crumbling like day-old sponge cake. Armed with CAA’s list of Ten Worst Roads in the Maritimes and the keys to a 2020 Cadillac XT6 crossover, we decided to seek out these potholed pavements in an effort to gauge the state of our roads.Would the Cadillac provide a comfortable journey? Will this infrastructure hammer our spines into oblivion? Did I make a theme-based playlist filled with The Stones and the score from Rocky?The answers to those questions were yes, no and an emphatic yes.Our pothole-tamer: the Cadillac XT6First, the Cadillac. The luxury arm of General Motors has been fiddling with their Standard of the World for a few years now, rolling out two new sedans and three new crossovers in quick succession.The XT6 is the largest of these, acting as a draw for customers seeking a snazzy three-row machine with all-wheel-drive. Cadillac already has a three-row SUV in its quiver of course, but the large-and-in-charge Escalade scares away some customers thanks to its bulk and truck-based roots. For anyone trading out of an Acura MDX or Volvo XC90, the XT6 will be much more approachable.Outside, the Cadillac certainly looks the part, with our Sport-trimmed tester dipped in $900 worth of inky Stellar Black Metallic paint. Unlike the Premium Luxury models, the Sport eschews all exterior brightwork save for a spear along its lower flanks and one edging the perimeter of its front grille. A completely blacked-out grille, bookended with headlights narrowed like the eyes of a stern headmaster, is a dealer-installed accessory and should be fitted to every XT6 regardless of colour.Pine Glen RoadPointing the long XT6 nose containing a 3.6-litre V6 engine making 310 horsepower towards New Brunswick, we set off in search of what CAA has deemed to be some of Atlantic Canadas worst roads. Plugging the street of Pine Glen Road just outside of Moncton into the Cadillacs satnav is easy thanks to recent changes. Now deploying a rotary dial incorporating jog functions into the system, CUE is no longer an exercise in frustration.The drive to Pine Glen Road is an exercise in cutting through early morning fog on the Cobequid Pass, a stretch of road notorious for its pristine pavement but reliably horrid weather. With no sinkhole (yet) consuming the Trans-Canada Highway near Oxford, we carried on to Moncton, the land of St. Hubert and Jean Coutu pharmacies.Turning on to Pine Glen Road, a long stretch connecting far flung communities with the city of Moncton, we find pristine pavement. A quick check of the satnav confirms we are indeed on the correct path, even if the macadam were traversing looks as far from a Worst Road contender as your author looks like a Chippendale model. What happened?Councils take the CAA Worst Roads lists seriously, is what happened. A few clicks down Pine Glen Road we happen upon a large road crew, feverishly laying new tar atop the old crumbled surface. Stopping to chat with the site foreman, he explained theyve been on the job since August, upgrading a road thats heavily travelled by woods trucks and the general public alike.Using heavily calloused hands to adjust his white hard hat, the man looked proud to be working on the project. If the sign posted by a local church is anything to go by, locals are pretty proud as well.All good things must come to an end, of course, and the new pavement disappears as one drives deeper into Pine Glen Road. By the time were out of the residential areas and into the wooded areas, its easy to see why this road made CAAs top ten. Its most heavily travelled section, however, is now billiard-table smooth thanks in no small part to The List and a crew of hard-working pavers.Working the lozenge-shaped shifter to handle a three-point turn in a roadside cutout was more frustrating than strictly necessary, given the button-and-lever dance one has to do in order to engage reverse gear. GM is not likely to change its design anytime soon, since the thing has popped up in everything from this Cadillac to Buicks to the Chevy Bolt. Electronic shifters are tremendous,
Origin: We take on some of Atlantic Canada’s worst roads in a new Cadillac
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Ford’s new 7.3-litre gas V8 makes some outrageous power numbers
Ford F-Series, America’s best-selling truck for 42 years, is once again raising the bar for capability with its all-new 7.3-liter V8 gasoline engine. The 7.3-liter engine in Super Duty pickup cranks out best-in-class gas V8 output of 430 horsepower at 5,500 rpm and best-in-class torque of 475 ft.-lb. at 4,000 rpm. When your author initially heard the Blue Oval was in the throes of developing a new truck engine displacing a prodigious 7.3 litres, it was assumed someone had frying pans for fingers and simply mistyped the displacement. Surely they mean six-point-three litres, I thought while eating a bowl of breakfast nails and shaving with a rusty razor (thats the meal of choice for Super Duty owners, right?).Nope, 7.3 litres it is, or 445 cubic inches. Ford claims this engine produces a best-in-class gas V8 output of 435 horsepower at 5,500 rpm; and 475 lb.-ft. of torque at 4,000 rpm.In a day and age where most manufacturers are bent on downsizing and turbocharging their gasoline engines (including Ford themselves with its EcoBoost), this 7.3-litre brute is a remarkable departure.The aim is to provide durability in the harsh environments into which Super Duty trucks are often pressed. Ford says to this end the engine uses overhead valve architecture yep, this is a pushrod mill. Engine builders know having an in-block cam reduces engine height and width; look at an old Ford 5.0-litre and 4.6-litre side-by-each for that stark illustration.This engine also features a variable-displacement oil pump that provides more oil when drivers are working the thing like a rented mule, but reduces parasitic loss under light loads. It is hooked to Fords ten-speed automatic. Engine start/stop and cylinder deactivation tech goes unmentioned.Such a design choice is interesting because, for nearly twenty-five years, Fords gasoline V8 engines have been small(er) displacement units and of an overhead-cam design. If your authors memory serves correctly, the last Blue Oval pushrod V8 was a 351 Windsor found in the 1995 Cobra R. Im certain youll tell me Im wrong in the comments.A differently tuned version of the same engine will also pop up in F-Series chassis-cabs and E-Series cutaways. The other two engines, a 6.2-litre gas and 6.7-litre PowerStroke turbodiesel, arent going anywhere. This new 7.3-litre should appear on dealer lots this
Origin: Ford’s new 7.3-litre gas V8 makes some outrageous power numbers
Land Rover releases some new upgrades for the old Defender
Land Rover Defender Works V8 The new Land Rover Defender is coming, we know. But the old Defender is already here, and now so are a slew of Land Rover Classic upgrade options to freshen up the old beast. Defender drivers (can we call them Defender-ers?) previously relied on aftermarket brands for that little extra tweak to the tires, brakes, suspension or engine, but now there’s a bunch of brand-approved upgrade kits that “deliver enhanced performance and on-road agility.”The kits are designed for 90 three-door and 110 five-door derivatives built between 1994 and 2016 and start with a set of diamond-turned 18-inch Sawtooth alloy wheels available for any Defender made in that range, for a ‘parts price’ of £2,160 ($3,461) — tack on another couple thousand pounds sterling if you want LR U.K. to put them on for you. For £1,822 ($2,921), the Defender Suspension Upgrade Kit will soften up the on-road experience for 2007 model years onward with modified anti-roll bars, dampers, links and bushes and adjusted coil spring rates. The Handling Upgrade Kit (around the $16,000 range) brings Defender Works V8-spec brake discs, pads and calipers to the new Sawtooth alloy wheels. The biggest package on the list is the Defender Classic Works Upgrade Kit, which combines all the wheel, brake and suspension upgrades along with some better tires and an engine adjustment that milks an extra 40 horsepower from the 2.2-litre turbo inline-four diesel in Defenders from 2012 onward. According to the brand, those improvements will get the Defender up to a new top speed of 106 mph (171 km/h). The $27,000 kit also includes some additional badging on the front wings, along with some paperwork and a tour of one of the Land Rover Classic Works facility in the U.K. or Germany, where the work will be done. More on JLR’s website right
Origin: Land Rover releases some new upgrades for the old Defender
Why some Japanese people are renting cars — but not driving them
General Motors’ new car-sharing service, Maven, will provide customers access to highly personalized, on-demand mobility services. A reported pilot program could extend that service to include vehicles owned by customers. At first it was confusing. Orix Auto Corp, a car-sharing company in Japan with around 230,000 registered users, discovered a portion of its rented vehicles had “traveled no distance,” meaning those who’d paid to use them hadn’t actually driven anywhere. As it happens, Orix wasn’t the only company to have noticed the trend, reports Japanese national newspaper The Asahi Shimbun. A leading provider in the car-sharing space called Times24 Co. (1.2 million users) also noted a lack of miles being added in some instances. So it did a survey of its customers and found some interesting answers to the question ‘What were you doing in that rental car if not driving?’ One person said they’d used the cars to store bags and other items when local coin-operated lockers weren’t available. Another said they’d paid for cars to nap or work in. “Usually the only place I can take a nap while visiting my clients is a cybercafe in front of the station, but renting a car to sleep in is just a few hundred yen (a few dollars), almost the same as staying in the cybercafe,” said one survey respondent. Following the earthquake that devastated parts of Japan in 2011, some cars were used as charging points for cell phones. Another survey responder just wanted a place to eat. ”I rented a car to eat a boxed meal that I bought at a convenience store because I couldn’t find anywhere else to have lunch,” said the 31-year-old man who definitely also needs a hug. With car-sharing rental prices starting under $5 for thirty minutes of use, and bookings made instantly through apps, it’s easy to see how we got here. Makes one wonder: is this happening in Canada’s cities, too? If you’ve used car-sharing for something other than driving, we want to hear about it in the
Origin: Why some Japanese people are renting cars — but not driving them
Solar-powered car upstart Lightyear promises some bright stuff
A new upstart automaker out of the Netherlands, Lightyear, took the wraps off of its first offering late June, the One, an electric four-door vehicle (to call it a sedan would be stretching the definition) designed to charge its batteries using the power of the sun.According to the company, it has a maximum range of 725 kilometres when its batteries are fully juiced with the help of a wall charger.Maximum solar range is said to be in the 30-km ballpark, given ideal conditions.To cheat the wind, it has been sculpted to look like a lozenge, or, some might even suggest, a suppository (at least to this authors jaundiced eye).It does herald the long-awaited return of wheel skirts, with the half-moon cover evoking memories of the Hudson Hornet and just about any Citron. The car is roughly 200 inches long, about the same size as a new Ford Explorer.That 725-km range, by the way, is measured by the Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicles Test Procedure (WLTP). This is a new global harmonised standard for determining the levels of pollutants, energy consumption and electric range from light-duty vehicles. It is said to provide more realistic estimates for customers than older methods.Lightyear One is propelled by four independently driven wheels. The company says in addition to lowering the weight and improving control, this setup means no energy is lost in transit from the motor to the wheel. Horsepower isnt mentioned, but the Lightyear One can allegedly scoot to 100 km/h from rest in about ten seconds.As for those solar panels, the cells are said to function independently, meaning even if part of the roof or hood is in shadow, the other cells continue to collect solar energy. Its estimated that a person could get about 40 per cent of their mileage from solar energy, even in a cloudy place like the companys Dutch homeland. Thats based on driving 20,000 km per year, by the way.The Lightyear One will be priced at 149,000 euros (about $223,000 Canadian bucks, at todays exchange rate). Its website says 411 of 500 Pioneer Edition cars are available at that price, requiring a reservation payment of 119,000 euros.The company says Pioneer Editions will enter production in early 2021. Slobs who popped for the regular Lightyear One, requiring just a 4,000-euro ante, will have to wait about an additional six months for their solar
Origin: Solar-powered car upstart Lightyear promises some bright stuff
Autocar confidential: Seat phones it in, Hyundai-Kia tries some DIY and more
In this week’s edition of Autocar confidential, we hear why Hyundai and Kia are bringing interior production entirely in-house, what’s wrong with Jaguar XE sales and more. New Jag’s a sales drag Frustration over the comparatively low sales of the Jaguar XE continues to bubble among senior officials. Outgoing design chief Ian Callum called the situation “a source of great puzzlement”. Marketing director Anthony Bradbury believes the issue lies in persuading people to drive the car. He said: “We are also new to the sector and that means we are a choice that people have to explain.” Premium brand plugs in DS boss Yves Bonnefont says that, apart from the DS 7 Crossback, each new model – arriving once a year over the next six years – will be available with a 300bhp plug-in hybrid or pure-electric powertrain from launch. Bonnefont believes “a third of sales will be electrified by the early 2020s for DS” and thinks electrification fits very well with DS’s premium ambitions “because of its torque and refinement”. Seat gets down with the kids Seat owners are among the most frequent users of Android and Apple connectivity systems, claims its digital officer, Fabian Simmer. Seat is known for leading digital innovation in the Volkswagen Group, a strategy largely led by the fact that its customers are 10 years younger than those of other brands in the group. Hyundai-Kia’s homemade interiors Hyundai and Kia are unusual for making steel pressings, seats, lights and dashboard screens in-house. Design boss Luc Donckerwolke said the firm has now developed 3D printing of textiles that eliminates the need for a foam backing. “3D printing is a game changer. You can change a design every six months,” he
Origin: Autocar confidential: Seat phones it in, Hyundai-Kia tries some DIY and more
This 400-horse Porsche 356 RSR restomod has some mad style
No, this isn’t Mad Max’s Sunday driver. This is Emory Motorsports’ latest piece, a resto-modified 400-horsepower 356 RSR, built to resemble the 935 motorsports cars of the 1970s. The project began with a rather worn 1960 Porsche 356B T5 coupe and resulted in the moody and futuristic high-performance machine you see here. “It started back in 2012 when I had my friend Greg Macey sketch a concept I had had in mind for quite some time,” said Rod Emory, shop founder, in a press release. “The idea was to create an homage to the Porsche works 935 cars of the 1970s while retaining our Emory 356 Outlaw styling.” Over the four years it took to complete the project, the shop’s Porsche experts took the 1960s donor car with a healthy roof and garbage side panels and gave it the full Emory treatment. As they did with the first AWD 356 ever, they incorporated aspects of a mid-’90s 911 964 to create “a seamless super-performance concoction whose 356 silhouette is artfully preserved…” With the two unibodies merged, Emory was able to drop the 393-horsepower twin-turbo Outlaw-4 engine it developed in partnership with Rothsport Racing into the 1,950-pound car. Power is transferred via a five-speed manual transmission. The hot-rodded Porsche now features removable nose and tail bodywork in hand-formed aluminum, including an aluminum deck lid and bonnet. To get air moving around and relieve pressure in certain areas like the wheel wells, Emory built in louvers and front fender stand-offs. They also added mesh grilles for the cooling ducts and inlets in the rear fenders. The 356’s original panels were replaced by modified Porsche 911 rocker panels and Plexiglass side and quarter windows. Emory figures that now when anyone hears the words ‘Darth Vader’ and ‘Porsche 356’ in the same sentence, they’ll think of this car, which is finished in Meteorite Matte Metallic. Not sure how often those two actually come up in the same breath, but OK.
Origin: This 400-horse Porsche 356 RSR restomod has some mad style
‘Ford v Ferrari’ trailer promises some fantastic speed and action
There’s no shortage of Hollywood movies related to the automotive world. What there is a shortage of, however, are good movies related to the automotive world. If the trailer for Ford v Ferrari, coming this November, is any indication, the list of the latter type of film is about to grow by one. Christian Bale stars as Ken Miles, the British-born engineer and motorsport driver deployed by the Ford Motor Company as part of a plan to kick Ferrari’s ass at Le Mans. Matt Damon also stars, showing up as brash Texan Carroll Shelby and looking exactly like Matt Damon in a black cowboy hat. Jon Bernthal plays the role of Lee Iacocca, meaning this film essentially has Batman, Jason Bourne and the Punisher all in one place. Add in a dash of swagger from all hands and the opening strains of Gimme Shelter by The Rolling Stones and the film has enough testosterone to make itself pregnant. Anyone reading this site knows the story, of course, so we’re not exactly giving away anything by spelling out a few spoilers. Legend has it that following three weeks of intense negotiation with old man Ferrari himself, the Blue Oval was on the verge of teaming up with the Prancing Horse. Their combined engineering might and deep pockets would likely have created the fastest cars of the day. Until, that is, il Commendatore discovered a clause in the contract to which he turned up his Italian nose. Allegedly, it would have required Ferrari to submit to Ford any motorsport plans costing in excess of 450 million lira. At the time, that was about a quarter million bucks and the approximate budget of Maranello’s entire race season. Enzo Ferrari didn’t like the thought of having anything less than full control over decision-making, so the plug was pulled. Angered, Ford vowed to beat Ferrari on its home turf. The rest, as they say, is history. Your author will be buying a ticket on November 15. Until then, check out the trailer
Origin: ‘Ford v Ferrari’ trailer promises some fantastic speed and action
Three family-toting minivans with some generous discounts
On the last three Fridays of every month, Graeme Fletcher combines manufacturers’ incentives from Unhaggle.com with resale value, dependability and overall ratings to find you the best deal for your money in new cars. This week, we look at family-toting minivans. The hot deals are on the 2019 Chrysler Pacifica Touring, Dodge Grand Caravan GT and Honda Odyssey EX. 2019 Chrysler Pacifica Touring Chrysler Pacifica Handout / Chrysler Unhaggle discount:$7,500 Sticker Price: $35,530 (not including taxes and fees) Introduced in 2017, the Chrysler Pacifica carries over this year. The cabin is ringed with nice materials and arrives with Chrysler’s Uconnect 4 infotainment system with a seven-inch touchscreen and six speakers. It remains one of the easiest systems to live with — pairing a phone is the model of simplicity. It also works with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Unfortunately, the Touring requires the Cold Weather group to get some of the basics like heated front seats and a heated steering wheel. Access to the rear environment is through dual power sliding doors and a power liftgate. The second-row Stow ’n Go seats fold into the floor in a simple operation that does not require muscle. When the seats are upright the in-floor bins provide addition storage. The third row, which also folds neatly into the floor, is tight and best left for kids. The cargo space rates 915-litres with all seats up, 2,478L with the third row folded and 3,979L with the both rows stowed. It requires the SafetyTec group ($995) to get blind spot monitoring and rear parking sensors. Other safety features are not offered on the Touring. The Pacifica is powered by a 3.6L Pentastar V6 that fires 287 horsepower and 262 pound-feet of torque through a nine-speed automatic transmission and the front wheels. The engine is refined, although the same cannot always be said of the transmission — reports of jerky shifting persist. The combination brings a run to 100 kilometres an hour in 7.7 seconds, a posted average fuel economy of 10.6 litres per 100 kilometres and a towing capacity of 1,633-kilograms. On the road the Pacifica is comfortable and quiet thanks to the active noise cancelling. The featured model gets a slightly firmer touring suspension, which is a good thing as there’s less body roll without making the ride feel harsh. The steering is light a low speed, but a little numb on-centre at highway speeds. The Chrysler Pacifica Touring arrives with a combined Unhaggle discount of $7,500 and a pre-tax sticker of $35,530. 2019 Dodge Grand Caravan GT Dodge Grand Caravan Handout / Dodge Unhaggle discount:$11,250 Sticker Price: $37,280 (not including taxes and fees) The Dodge Caravan can legitimately lay claim to having invented the minivan segment in 1984. Since its introduction the Caravan has grown into the Grand Caravan. The hitch is it has not seen a major rework in a decade and there’s little change for 2019. The cabin is workman-like in its finish and execution — the difference between the GC GT and the Pacifica Touring highlights the difference between then and now. For example, the 430N infotainment system with Garmin navigation and a 6.5-inch touchscreen is beginning to show its age — it does not support Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. The Grand Caravan’s key strength is interior flexibility — there are 81 seating/cargo configurations. There is plenty of room in the middle row seating and enough to support a pair of adults in the third row as long as they don’t mind being a little friendly. The Stow ’n Go seating is easy to deploy and the bins provide 340L of additional storage space when the seats are up. The cargo capacity rates 881L with the third row up, 2,234L with it folded and 3,973L with the middle row stowed. Blind spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert and rear parking sensors are part of the $975 Safety Sphere group. Other safety features like forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking are conspicuous by their absence. The Grand Caravan is powered by the same 3.6L Pentastar V6 as the Pacifica. In this instance it makes 283 hp and 260 lb.-ft. of torque. It drives the front wheels through a six-speed automatic transmission. The engine is unflustered and the transmission shifts smoothly and quickly when a downshift is demanded. The combination delivers a run to 100 km/h in 7.6 seconds, a posted average fuel economy of 11.8 L/100 km and a 1,633-kg tow capacity. The GT earns a performance suspension. It imparts some welcome agility to the driving characteristics. There is less body roll, the steering feels sharper and the P225/65R17 tires deliver solid grip. Nobody will mistake the Grand Caravan for a Challenger or Charger, but if handling is as important as highway cruising it works. The Dodge Grand Caravan GT has a sticker of $37,280 after the generous combined Unhaggle discount of $11,250 is applied. 2019 Honda Odyssey EX 2018 Honda Odyssey Handout / Honda Unhaggle
Origin: Three family-toting minivans with some generous discounts
Eliminating mailed-out reminders is hitting some Newfoundland drivers in the wallet
A wall of American licence plates in a Maine bar.Dixipix / Deposit Photo A cost-saving measure enacted in 2018 in Newfoundland and Labrador is taking its toll on residents’ pocketbooks. As part of last year’s provincial budget, the government of Newfoundland decided to eliminate the practice of mailing out written notices for vehicle license renewals and switch to e-mailing them instead, saying the cut would save the province about half a million dollars per year. At the time, opponents of the change said it would cause a spike in people running around with invalid plates. Turns out they were right. From the months of July to December, a total of 1,509 people were convicted of driving with expired registration stickers, an increase of about 300 more than the average for the same time period over the previous four years. This means, of course, that the gubbmint is making money on two fronts: the initial savings from stopping the notifications; plus the funds collected from the extra convictions, at $250 a pop. Using those numbers, basic math teaches us the lapsed tags lined government coffers with an additional $75,000 or so. While it’s true that drivers are indeed responsible for the condition (and legality) of their vehicles, not everyone is in tune with the status of the stickers on their car’s license plates as you or I. After all, for many, it’s just one more bill to pay, on par with condo fees or the electric bill. The problem is compounded in this author’s home province of Newfoundland, where many communities rely on internet services with speeds not much higher than dial-up, if they have any access to internet at all. E-mailed reminders may not reach all of their intended recipients. Another quirk of the Newfoundland vehicle registry is that license plates are tied to the vehicle, not the person. With a few exceptions, a driver cannot move their tin tag from one car to another. The takeaway from all this, of course, is that one should pay attention to the expiration date of their car’s registration. Stay alert,
Origin: Eliminating mailed-out reminders is hitting some Newfoundland drivers in the wallet
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