Posted by Peter on
February 3, 2010
Tangential Treatise #2: The Bentley Continental Finally Makes Sense, Marks The End Of An Era
I recently attended the 2010 Edmonton Motor Show where I saw the usual wares from the usual manufacturers. None of this was terribly exciting. The Canadian auto show circuit is now withering away, signalling the renewed cyclical scapegoatism that the motor car periodically enjoys. It will be years before the internal combustion engine is de-villified (again) and we are reminded (again) that electricity is merely a means of energy transmission, not itself a means of propulsion. George Santayana is attributed with the following quote: “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it”. This is perhaps a dilution of his original, but the meaning is retained. We usually take the quote in reference to international conflicts of armament, but this is too narrow. It was not by accident, by royal decree, nor divine intervention that the internal combustion engine gained popular acceptance in the latter part of the 19th century while the electric horseless carriage floundered. Nor will electric vehicles replace gasoline-engined ones in my lifetime. But I digress, because gasoline-fueled machines are alive and well. For now.
Posted by Peter on
January 29, 2010
Jack Baruth: The Toyota Prius As A Luxury Car
Jack Baruth is as well known for his skill on the race track as his editorials on the internet. I’ve been reading Avoidable Contact for nearly two years now. Since then, Baruth decreed that the Nissan GT-R would be an abysmal sales failure in North America, he chronicled the advent of fake luxury, the joys of the Porsche option catalog, and published the seminal work on the futility of comparing lap times at the Nurburgring. I’ve always looked forward to Jack’s next instalment because he combines history, foresight, and a challenge to conventional wisdom. His brashly upstream style of writing is a refreshing change from the usual groupthink crap that floats around the web and print media.
For his most recent literary exploration, Jack likens the Toyota Prius, as a brand, to the Apple iPod. Both have undeniably had a halo effect on the other products their companies offer. This certainly holds true in light of the new iPad, a product that I want desperately to like but can’t seem to justify with anything resembling logic. Between my iPhone 3G and my 13” aluminum MacBook, I don’t see the gap in my life that Steve Jobs and Jony Ive created yesterday with the introduction of their plus-sized book reader.
Regardless, Jack’s argument is that since hipsters buy Apple products and hipsters buy Toyota Prii, all other computers and hybrid vehicles are second-rate and not “cool”. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by Peter on
January 19, 2010
Tangential Treatise #1: Why The Lexus LFA Needs 50 More Horsepower
The Lexus LFA isn’t getting the respect it deserves. “It costs too much”, they unimaginatively opine. “The shifts are too abrasive”, they continue. Was anyone this harsh on the ultra-expensive hypercars of the early part of the past decade? The Porsche Carrera GT, the Mercedes McLaren SLR, and the Ferrari Enzo have all occupied a similar stratum in motor car society; yet they all received near universal praise, despite their monumental costs. They were also all European offerings. So why isn’t the Lexus LFA, the first Japanese car in decades to even attempt the crown, being mentioned in the company its engineering justly deserves?
Posted by Peter on
January 16, 2010
The Indelible Story Of The Renaultsport Hot Hatch
For Canadians, the Renaultsport brand-within-a-brand may be unfamiliar, which is just fine because Renault doesn’t currently sell its wares on this continent. Perhaps the first time you heard the name “Renaultsport” was when Top Gear Magazine made the motorsports division their Manufacturer of the Year for 2009. Or maybe you missed that too.
Even those of you who are already familiar with their current Twingo 133, Clio 200, and Megane 250 offerings, may not be acquainted with the storied brand’s previous models – all of which were the result of the accumulated artistry, engineering adroitness, and experience of the very best minds within the French company. I happened upon one such result this summer in Barcelona, Spain. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by Janaki on
December 27, 2009
Slidin’ in a Winter Wonderland
Sweet mystery of life, at last I’ve found you…and your name is Nokian Hakkapeliitta R. Follow the jump for more.
Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by Peter on
December 14, 2009
Gallery: Nissan GT-R vs. Porsche 997.5 Turbo vs. Audi R8 V10
Earlier this week we took a look at a video review from Autocar UK comparing the GT-R, the R8 V10, and the new 997.5 Turbo. Now we’ve also got a splendid collection of photography to go along with it. Nothing quite like a perfect photograph of a bulgingly brutal supercar, innit eh?
Take particular note of the shots caught mid-drift. The visual proportions of the R8 are wretched, the Turbo looks like it’s VW Beetle forebears, and the Nissan looks huge, if extremely purposeful as well.Follow below for more.
Posted by Peter on
December 10, 2009
Video: Nissan GT-R vs. Porsche 997.5 Turbo vs. Audi R8 V10
Castle Combe is a bit of a bumpy, unevenly-surfaced circuit, but you just know this is going to be good…
[Autocar UK via YouTube]
Posted by Peter on
November 23, 2009
I Bet You Regret Bad-Mouthing Chris Bangle Now…
Be careful what you wish for, because you just might get it.
Posted by Peter on
November 17, 2009
Automotive Abominations in Kiev, Ukraine
While I myself am Canadian, my father’s family originates from the Ukraine. Ok, it was about 100 years ago that they came to Alberta to farm these fertile lands, but the Ukraine is still their second home. According to English Russia, a broken-English website chronicling all things strange and wonderful in the former Soviet Union, the Ukraine my forefathers left is starkly different from the one today.
In terms of cars down on the Kiev street, there’s no shortage of expensive, flashy rides. It’s just the way in the former USSR, I suppose, but do they really have to modify them so… so… tastelessly?
The Audi R8 has no right to look that objectionable. Neither to the rest of the cars below. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by Janaki on
November 3, 2009
F1 Editorial: What will become of Kamui Kobayashi?
If you’re an F1 fan, chances are excellent that you’ve noticed how confident and talented F1 newcomer Kamui Kobayashi has been. Filling in at Toyota for the injured Timo Glock both at Interlagos and at Yas Marina Circuit during the last two races of the 2009 season, Kobayashi has been nothing short of impressive. Making it clear that he’s willing to drive to the limit and take the fight to whomever he’s on track with (world champion or not), and yet handily avoiding many perilous rookie mistakes that have felled other good drivers before him, Kobayashi is clearly a force to be reckoned with in F1.
And yet, despite all this, we may not see him next year. Why? If you’re an F1 fan, you probably already know why. Follow the jump to see if you’re right. Read the rest of this entry »
