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Preview: 2012 McLaren MP4-12C

journauto — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 17:38:27 +0000

Okay, so blogging has been one of the furthest things from my mind lately, but I can no longer neglect this space. In an effort to make it up (to myself, that is), I’ve decided to do a write-up on one of the most anticipated cars of the decade. Without further ado, I give you the McLaren MP4-12C super car… (Read on and don’t forget to check the accompanying photo gallery…)

In Toronto recently, I got to check out a pre-production version of the new McLaren supercar, the MP4-12C. But, before they officially pulled the wraps off one during the press luncheon, I’d been drooling over the 12C’s impressive carbon MonoCell chassis (seen above) that underpins the mid-engine, rear-wheel drive, two-seat supercar.

The obsessive engineers made the body from a mixture of lightweight aluminum and low density carbon composites, shaving weight everywhere conceivably possible. The floor structure of the passenger compartment weighs just 176 pounds (80 kg) and is a fully-enclosed, under-panel design incorporating both a front splitter and rear diffuser.

An open rear grille, deck venting and side-mounted air intakes take care of airflow to and from the M838T V-8 behind the passenger cell. And, like every other component of this car, the all-aluminum twin-turbo DOHC compact V-8 is pure McLaren. It features dry sump lubrication and makes 592 hp at 7,000 revs and 443 lb.-ft. of twist at 6,500 rpm and is said to propel the 2,866-pound bullet from zero-to-60 mph in less than four seconds.

A seven-speed seamless shift dual-clutch gearbox (SSG) pre-selects the next gear when the paddle shifter(s) is touched even the slightest bit. With further-prodding, the changes happen instantaneously. There are four distinct driver modes: normal, sport, winter and track, with a dedicated launch control function and airbrake.

It’s a bit unintuitive to compare this car against its predecessor, but it is worth pointing out the new engine makes in the area of 155 bhp per litre of displacement. The original McLaren F1 road car gets approximately 103 bhp per litre from its six-litre V-12, which is capable of low- to mid-three second bursts to 60 mph via a six-speed tranny.

The 12C has a top speed somewhere above 200 mph, though McLaren reps aren’t yet saying or don’t yet know just how fast this thing is. It took six years before McLaren finally got the F1 road car up to it’s then-world record Vmax of 241 mph, so we can only guess when, if and how fast? Don’t expect a record setting attempt anytime soon, at least not with this engine is my guess, but McLaren will build a far greater number of these (12C’s) than the earlier car.

The Formula One expertise is even more evident in the 12C’s highly-advanced suspension setup designed to keep the 12C poised and balanced whether negotiating high or low speed corners, during direction changes, under heavy or light braking and on increasing or decreasing corners.

McLaren calls it Proactive Chassis Control. Basically, the suspension is based on double wishbones with coil springs. The dampers are interconnected and controlled hydraulically to provide adaptive responses depending on both road conditions and driver preference.

The system features adjustable roll control, which replaces the need to have mechanical anti-roll bars, and also makes use of McLaren’s Brake-Steer system that was originally used on the 1997 MP4/12 Formula One race car. In fact, the whole kit and caboodle was developed and tested using the firm’s simulator technology, which is regarded as the best in the world.

Moving to inside, McLaren’s dihedral door arrangement for the 12C uses a single hinge point that offers plenty of leg sweep area for easy entry and egress to the low slung exotic. The touch entry door system is off the hook too! There are no handles to fumble with; simply touch the underside of the sculpted body work (with the key fob on you) and the door opens automatically. Not only that, the interior handles are easier to reach than the Mercedes-Benz SLS ones are, and a touch lighter to pull down and shut.

The F1 road car, of course, also came in a three-seat, centre-drive layout, but the new cockpit is more ergonomic and laden with numerous telematics and convenience features.

You get the normal stuff like airbags, leather, carbon fibre, cup holders, a premium Meridian stereo with AM/FM/USB/Bluetooth and a large portrait touchscreen GUI with 40 GB hard drive and media player for pictures and video. Even the vehicle owner’s manual has been integrated into the onboard electronics, which has the ability to self-diagnose problems and call McLaren’s headquarters in the UK to suss out those it can’t quite figure out.

McLaren also has its optional “IRIS” system – a fully-integrated PC featuring a with a 80 GB HDD, more speakers and and voice-controlled satellite navigation system and even a WLAN connection that lets you check e-mails and even transfer files back and forth from a home or office computer. Now that’s cool!

Along with future models within the range, the 12C will challenge the world’s best sports cars through Formula One-inspired engineering, a revolutionary carbon MonoCell chassis (the fruit of over three decades of carbon fibre pioneering), and an absolute focus on efficiency and quality. It is 100 per cent McLaren; from unique engineering to bespoke design where everything is for a reason.

With an anticipated summer 2011 launch in North America, the 2012 McLaren MP4-12C is the first in a range of high performance sports cars from McLaren Automotive.

Pricing will be somewhere between $225,000 and a quarter-million, depending on where you live. In Canada, Pfaff Automotive in Woodbridge, Ontario (north of Toronto) will arrange to ship you yours wherever that might be. Whereas there will be nine McLaren shops to pick from in select U.S. cities including Beverly Hills, Chicago, Dallas, San Francisco and Tampa Bay.

Initially, the automaker expects to build 1,000 cars a year rising to 4,000 per year when those future models start coming down the barrel. Hopefully, along with bigger, more powerful engines, they’ll come with better names than MP4-12C. As for this one, I would’ve named it the Banshee. It sounds much scarier!

PHOTO GALLERY

[View with PicLens]

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2012 McLaren MP4-12C
North American Specifications

Exterior & Styling
Two-seat, mid-engine coupe with dihedral door design and a carbon fibre MonoCell chassis
Aluminum alloy bonnet, front wings and roof. Other panels are low density SMC
Fully enclosed, under-panel design incorporating front splitter and rear diffuser
Open rear grill and deck venting with side-mounted air intakes
McLaren Airbrake system
Bi-Xenon headlamps, front/rear LED running lights
Touch entry door system

Engine
M838T 90° V8 3.8 liter all aluminum twin-turbo DOHC compact engine design
Dry sump, high specific output with low CO2 emissions
Rear, mid-mounted engine
Rear-wheel drive
Fully catalyzed stainless steel exhaust system with active bypass
Compression ratio: 9:01
Max power: 592 hp @ 7000 rpm
Max torque: 443 ft lbs @ 6500 rpm
Acceleration: 0-60 mph in less than 4 seconds
Max speed: More than 200 mph

Transmission
7-speed, Seamless Shift Gearbox (SSG) with Pre-Cog functionality
Formula 1-style diecast aluminium rocker shift that pivots in the center of the steering wheel
Four driver modes: Normal, Sport and Track
Launch control
Open differential using brake steer to reduce under steer and improve cornering speed

Dimensions
Length: 177.52”
Width: 75.12”
Height: 47.2”
Wheelbase: 105.12”
Weight (dry): 2866 lbs
Distribution: 53/47 front/rear

Brakes
Two-piece discs – aluminum and iron rotors
Front ventilated iron discs: 370mm, 4-piston calipers
Rear ventilated iron discs: 350mm, 4-piston calipers
Bosch ABS/ESP with EBD
Electronic park brake assist
Hydraulic Airbrake system first used in the McLaren F1
Carbon ceramic discs and rotors (option)

Suspension
Front and rear fully independent double wishbones
Kinetic hydraulic interconnections between dampers
Teneco multi-mode dampers, adaptive and roll control
Four modes: winter, normal, sport and track
No anti-roll bars used. Rear “Z Bar” for extra heave control

Steering
Rack and pinion, power assisted
Hydraulic electric variable pressure

Wheels and Tires
Wheels: Front: 19” x 8.5”
Rear: 20” x 11”
Tires: Pirelli P Zero (McLaren spec)
Front: 235/35 R19
Rear: 305/30 R20

Interior
Interior designed around the driver: optimum driver position, visibility and pedal placement
Portrait screen infotainment system with Meridian sound
HVAC controls separated on doors/dual zone
Active dynamic control panel
All unique McLaren-designed switches and controls
Steering wheel modeled on McLaren’s Formula 1 drivers’ hand grips

Safety & Security
Alarm (doors, engine cover, and luggage compartment)
Tilt sensor, electronic immobilizer
Driver/passenger airbag, knee airbags, side head airbags
Hill Hold, ABS-EBD, ASR, ESP
Brake pad wear sensor
Emergency fuel shut off device
First aid kit
Comfort & Convenience
Dual-zone climate control
Electric handbrake
Follow-me-home lights
Trip computer, service indicator, oil level gauge
Lithium-ion battery, battery level gauge
Keyless go, electric folding mirrors, electric adjustable mirrors
One-touch electric windows
Rear defroster, rain sensing wipers
Cruise control, external temp display

Infotainment
Seven-inch portrait touch screen monitor
2-channel, 4-speaker Meridian sound system
40 GB hard drive with media player, am/fm radio and Bluetooth
USB, PDMI and audio jack ports for media player connectivity
Electronic integrated vehicle owners’ guide
IRIS System (option)
80 GB hard drive with satellite navigation system (option)
7-speaker Meridian surround sound with Digital Signal Processing technology
Voice Control
Wireless local area network (WLAN) connectivity, home file transfer
Picture/video viewer and email
Track data display featuring three onboard cameras and data acquisition capability (option)

Video: 2011 Subaru WRX STI Sedan

journauto — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 02:44:11 +0000

Tommi Mäkinen is mackin’ it hard in this video, released to today by Subaru’s parent company Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. The vid is part of an advanced R&D project carried out at the world-famous the Nürburgring racetrack in Germany, using a 2011 model year Subaru WRX STI four-door sedan test mule.

His time (7’55″00) is Subaru’s fastest lap time ever for a WRX STI and is four seconds faster than its previous best lap in 2004.

Of course, whether or not the four-time WRC champ’s legendary skills were the deciding factors in this exercise remains to be seen, watch him plow into Aremberg and nearly blow up the gearbox in second, up-shift twice and grab fourth to set up perfectly for the apex, and then slam over the curb with the throttle wide open and accelerate past 100 mph before grabbing fifth and speeding away into Adenauer-Forest, which he destroys! Then, watch him save his ass at 4’19″ (video time) and then again go sideways at the finish line – amazing car control can be seen throughout this vid.

“The car was controllable with precise and faithful handling even on tricky corners,” he says. “I could easily predict the car’s behaviour. That is exactly what Subaru is offering, confidence.”

Now, 7’55″ is not anywhere close to the fastest lap for a production car – official or unofficial – but it is in supercar territory and faster than many cars that cost a lot more money. Click here for a list of unofficial lap times.

Okay, so now you’re ready to see the second fastest lap time ever recorded in a production car? Watch Michael Vergers just blow it away in the Radical SR8 from September 2005. I won’t spoil it for you, but it is faster. A lot faster. And, there’s no interior either. Check it out!

I’m looking forward to having a go with the new STI sedan at Calabogie Motorsports Park later this year; but for now, watching Turbo Tommi Mäkinen go seven minutes and fifty-five seconds flat in a Scooby on the Nordschleife will have to do.

Testing Pirellis greenest tire

journauto — Thu, 20 May 2010 22:36:10 +0000

Yesterday I went to a Pirelli Ride and Drive where I drove on Pirelli’s newest “Green” tire – Scorpion Verde All-Season – back-to-back against the Michelin Latitude H/T A/S in identically-prepped BMW X5 35d xDrive diesels.

Conveniently, there was a handling course set up for us – consisting of a quick four-cone slalom leading into a sweeping right-hander with rumble strips followed by a tight R-L S-bend before a short straightaway and hairpin left into a stop.

The stop is so the instructor riding shotgun can reset the nifty performance computer stuck to the windshield and record my full ABS wet stop from 80 km/h.

They actually captured the panic braking data from the whole group (20 to 25 of us I’d say ) giving each of us three tries in each vehicle. The results were then normalized to give an average stopping distance for each tire.

The Pirelli Scorpion Verdes did this in 31.84 metres (104.5 feet) while the Michelin Latitudes did it in 32.2 metres (105.6 feet). That’s a negligible difference of just 40 cm (only 1.3 feet) but, the intent of this particular exercise (besides getting a feel for the tires) was more to debunk a myth that so-called “green tires” (all-season ones to be sure) don’t perform as well as those labeled non-green.

Besides improvements in its manufacturing processes and in other areas, using oil-free instead of oil-based materials helps make these tires greener, say the Pirelli reps. Considering the Michelin’s are pretty much industry benchmark tires, the Pirelli’s did quite well in this test.

After finishing the X5 exercises, our group moves over to the autocross handling course and into identically-prepped 328i X-Drive models with different tires for some subjective evaluations.

It’s a Pirelli P Zero Nero A/S versus Continental ExtremeContact DWS A/S battle.

My friend (YouTube user SR7800t) demonstrates the short but technical course. As you can see, it only takes about 30 seconds to run it, but it is telling.

Looking closely at the tires (after everyone’s done thrashing on them) reveals more even wear on the Pirelli’s while the Contis look somewhat chewed-up. Notice the peaks and gnarls in its rubber – the white chalk used to mark out the course makes it easy to see.

Clearly, they’ve worn out faster, which helps explain why they were louder than the P Zero Nero. The Pirelli’s felt more stable from mid-corner to the exit too.

Some more food for thought? OEM tire pressures were used in both the X5 and 3 series tests.

Ron Fellows testing in Pahrump

journauto — Mon, 10 May 2010 19:39:09 +0000

Today is my birthday, but my present came early this year…

Fellows testing the Cragar Wheels C6 Corvette at Spring Mountain Motorsports Ranch

About a month ago, I was back in Pahrump, Nevada to attend the 2010 Canadian AMG Performance Tour at the Spring Mountain Motorsports Ranch. I’d first come here to drive the Nissan 370Z coupe when it launched.

So, while I was here to drive an exclusive collection of current AMG models, including the 2011 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG, on the facility’s most technical 1.5-mile race track, Canadian-born racecar driver Ron Fellows was out testing his yellow #2 Cragar Wheels Corvette on a longer section of the same tarmac ribbon.

Spring Mountain is actually home to the Ron Fellows Corvette Racing School where average Joe’s can learn to tame the ZR1, C6 Z06 and C6 Z51 with the man himself. Rest assured, the only thing getting schooled in these photos is the car itself.

At the end of the day, before my group’s chartered shuttle delivered us back to the Las Vegas strip and our hotel, a small group of enthusiasts (myself included) stood in wonderment behind the wall near this turn.

The supercharger on this thing is just beastly and the car can be heard loud and clear from quite a distance away. It screams like a Star Wars X-wing fighter under braking in this tight right-hander. At first, I wasn’t sure if this was Ron or not, but if you look closely above the door, you’ll see his John Hancock plain and clear.

Fellows testing the Cragar Wheels C6 Corvette at Spring Mountain Motorsports Ranch

If you’re looking for something to do on the May two-four long weekend this year, why not check out the World Challenge GT, GTS and Touring Championship race at the Mosport International Raceway? Ron will be there.

More info on Spring Mountain can be found on its website.

Teaser: 2009 Ivory White Nissan GT-R

journauto — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 23:34:33 +0000

The full digs on this JDM-inspired dream machine are coming soon to a Sun Media paper near you. I’ll let you know where and when, after I find out.

Featuring AAM Competition GT800-R twin turbo upgrade package and lots more...

In the meantime, a candid photo of car and model at Performance World 2010 by the PAS Nation booth.

Tested: 2010 Mercedes-Benz B200 Turbo

journauto — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 00:22:59 +0000

“When I picture a Mercedes-Benz in my head, the original SLR gullwing, iconic G-wagon and classic SEL saloons usually dominate the space between.

Now, the B200 Turbo is no SLS AMG; and, for the price of a SLR McLaren, you could have at least a dozen fully-loaded versions in which to scoot around your compound.

To be completely honest though, I’ve never given the B-class much credence, let alone a second glance in its five year run in Canada. That said, the littlest Benz surprises and impresses at every turn during my week-long test.”

Read my review — B-Class has high aspirations — and check out photos at AutoNet.ca.

2011 Audi A8

journauto — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 17:30:41 +0000

2011 Audi A8

A shot from a recent Audi event.

Tested: 2010 Mitsubishi Outlander S-AWC

journauto — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 00:23:57 +0000

“The 2010 Mitsubishi Outlander has more in common with the automaker’s current super-performing Lancer Evolution and Ralliart than it does the original that went on sale in Japan nearly a decade ago.

A facelift, more power and the availability of Super All-Wheel Control (S-AWC) with an active front differential (AFD) are the biggest changes to Mitsubishi’s popular compact SUV that is essentially the same vehicle that arrived here in 2007.”

Read my review — Evolution of cool — and check out photos at AutoNet.ca.

GTI is Canuck Car of Year

journauto — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 20:30:24 +0000

2010 VW Golf GTI

The Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC) has announced the results of its annual Canadian Car of the Year competition yesterday at the CIAS in Toronto. Just as I had suspected, the 2010 VW Golf GTI gets the nod.

John White, President and CEO, Volkswagen Group Canada Inc. commented, “We are very proud to win this very prestigious award… GTI is the heart and soul of Volkswagen. To have the Golf GTI named Canadian Car of the Year today by Canada’s automotive media is a very proud moment for us.”

I was doing live updates for Autonet.ca, which you can check out here along with some of my colleagues work. For exclusive photos and more info…

I didn’t get a ton of shots unfortunately. Nor did I see much of the show this year. I was using my trusty Nikon CoolPix 4500 for convenience and although I’ve only got one battery for it, it takes some half-decent pics still. Here are some random pics I took on the 2010 Canadian International Auto Show floor during the media preview day yesterday. Enjoy!

VW UpLite compact concept car

Top Tuner 4 - ProStreet Chevrolet Camaro

Carroll Shelby Exhibit

Stillen Nissan GT-R

Ferrari 599XX

Posing with the Chevy Cruze

Models Poses with Chevy Cruze

Targa Newfoundland Here We Come

journauto — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 21:39:20 +0000

Not long before Christmas, a friend, colleague and fellow AJAC member, Kevin Corrigan, asked me if I would co-drive/navigate for him in the 2010 Targa Newfoundland tarmac rally. Seeing as he’d just purchased a shiny orange fully-built RWD rally car from the UK and I’ve been wanting to do this for sometime now, it was impossible to say no.

Now, it’s not going to be easy and we’ll up against the toughest cars in Targa including the Sprongls Audi Quattro, ACP’s Evo 10 and Millens GT-R! We’re both rookies at this and need to get the proper licenses and first aid training, etc., but, we’re hoping this particular car lives up to its pedigree’s billing as the World’s Greatest Rally car. I should mention it’s a 1971 Ford Escort Mk1 with a Honda S2000 engine and drivetrain.

This is quite the (rare) combination and Kevin and I are eager to get some seat time when springtime arrives–isn’t it here already?–and drier roads prevail. I’m told Toronto Motorsports Park has said we’re welcome to train there, and we’re going to enter a few navigational courses and road rallies for practice. Even still, our goal is to just finish the rally.

You can find the nuts, bolts and other interesting tidbits on this car over at Kev’s CarKeys.ca site where he’s written a fairly extensive feature on this car already. Check it out here.

Our sponsorship kit should be ready by the time March rolls around and if you or someone you know would like to become involved, please send me a message. Kevin can be reached via his website and I through mine.

We’ll have an official team announcement some time in the near future. In the meantime, I felt like sharing the Unofficial Announcement from Facebook. The responses are from several other auto journalists and AJAC members, so the thread is pretty funny! IMO.

For infortainment purposes only.

The Heat of Winter!

journauto — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 19:44:40 +0000

A typical Canadian winter scene, eh.

A shot from a recent Mitsubishi press event.

My FM3 JDM Shining Monkey Lancer Evo 10 GSR

journauto — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 23:46:08 +0000

Forza Motorsport 3 is out for Xbox 360 and I’ve finally had some time to sink my teeth into it a bit. The short is this game tops the racing sim market. I played Sony’s Gran Turismo Prologue and FM3 delivers a closer-to-life driving experience. My reasons are plentiful, but the biggest difference might well be the virtual tire physics that developer Turn 10 Studios has built in to the game. Using either a standard controller or the MS wireless racing wheel do you get a sense of tires touching the road.

The breadth and scope of this game is what auto enthusiasts slash racing gamers have been waiting for. More on that (the long) later.

I’ve assembled a few quick photos of my first original car design in FM3. The game supplies a limited set of graphics to use, so I had to create all of the graphics, stickers, logos, etc. myself in-game using the livery editor. A full photo shoot of my virtual JDM Shining Monkey Lancer Evo 10 GSR is coming soon. For now, it’s a work in progress.

JDM Shining Monkey Lancer Evo 10 GSR

Pirelli Photography Contest Entries

journauto — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 22:33:31 +0000

Alongside TestFest every year, the Automobile Journalist’s Association of Canada (AJAC) hosts an awards banquet to reward its members in a host of different writing, photography and layout categories. I haven’t won anything for my writing to date, but I did take home a couple photography awards in my first and second year as an AJAC member in 2003 and 2004.

The Pirelli photography competition always has hundreds of entries in published and unpublished categories. This year was no different. But, of those hundreds of submissions, only six are ever shown. The two winners, of course, plus first and second runner-ups in both categories.

My hat is off to all of the winners (and the losers)! As one of the losers, my photos don’t get seen, which has always bothered me a bit, so this year, I’ve decided to show the winners what they were up against.

Here are my entries in both published and unpublished photos for the last two years. Please enjoy and your constructive comments are welcome.

2009 Pirelli Photo Contest:

Nissan 370Z in Red Rock Canyon Nevada (2009 unpublished category)

Hyundai Genesis Coupe by Night (2009 unpublished category)

Nissan Cube Trying to Blend In (2009 unpublished category)

Nissan 370Zs in Red Rock Canyon Nevada (2009 published category)

Sky High Toyota Prius (2009 published category)

Mitsubishi Sportback Ralliart Down by The Docks (2009 published category)

My 2008 entries can be found after the jump…

Mazda Furai on a (Spinning) Platter (2008 unpublished category)

Nissan Rogue Badge Hide-n-Go-Seek (2008 unpublished category)

Mitsubishi Lancer EVO 10 with Scorched Earth (2008 unpublished category)

Audi R8 Stikes a Pose (2008 published category)

Audi R8 Sitting Pretty (2008 published category)

Nissan GT-R Above Reno (2008 published category)

Canuck Car of the Year

journauto — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 01:36:19 +0000

The first round of voting is over and there are winners and losers. Here’s a video of me thrashing around the Ste. Catharines Niagara District Airport runway test track in the one of the winners:

They’re not all this crazy and “TestFest” is not all fun and games!

Seventy of Canada’s top automotive journalists spent a week in the picturesque tourist town of Niagara-on-the-Lake. We weren’t there for the scenery or the wine tasting, though naturally many do partake (long after driving shoes and gloves are put away of course).

My fellow journalist members of the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC) and I were all driven by purpose, to find out who makes the “Best New” cars, trucks and SUV/CUVs in this great country.

As part of AJAC’s annual Canadian Car of the Year Awards program, we put a whole whack of these to the test through three full days of intensive, back-to-back testing and evaluation off and on the track.

We call this week TestFest and here this year’s crop of “Best News”…
BEST NEW SMALL CAR (under $21k) – Mazda3
BEST NEW SMALL CAR (over $21k) – Mazda3 Sport
BEST NEW FAMILY CAR (under $30k) – Volkswagen Golf Wagon TDI
BEST NEW FAMILY CAR (over $30k) – Ford Taurus
BEST NEW LUXURY CAR – BMW 335d Sedan
BEST NEW PRESTIGE CAR – Porsche Panamera Turbo
BEST NEW SPORTS/PERFORMANCE CAR (under $50k) – Volkswagen Golf GTI
BEST NEW SPORTS/PERFORMANCE CAR (over $50k) – Audi S4
BEST NEW CONVERTIBLE – Audi A5 Cabriolet
BEST NEW SUV/CUV (under $35k) – Subaru Outback
BEST NEW SUV/CUV ($35k-$60k) – Volkswagen Touareg TDI Clean Diesel
BEST NEW SUV/CUV (over $60k) – Lexus RX450h

The evaluation process for the Canadian Car of the Year Awards (CCOTY) is based on “real-world” back-to-back testing so that the results have relevance for consumers.

In other words, the rigorous testing program includes “real world” driving on public roads–exactly where consumers drive – so that the test, and vote, results are relevant to potential car and truck buyers.

Every member of a test team compares each vehicle in its class, back-to-back, on the same roads, under the same conditions to ensure objective evaluation.

Team members use a detailed rating form, comprising 21 separate evaluation parameters that include acceleration, braking, vehicle dynamics, maneuverability, even off-road capability, where applicable. Each parameter is rated using a prescribed 0-10 rating scale.

Every detail, from safety features to cargo capacity, is thoroughly scrutinized, discussed, and individually rated by secret ballot.

Those ballots are then tabulated by the international accounting firm KPMG. The results are kept confidential–even from AJAC–until the awards press conferences wherein the category and overall winners are announced.

My most coveted ride at TestFest…

journauto — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 03:34:04 +0000

TestFest has felt quite compressed this year and there just hasn’t been any quality time for photography or video work. Further complicating things is the fact it rained for all of day two, leaving the Ste.Catharines airport (where the event is held) a muddy bloody mess. Only thing missing is the wrasslin’ because it’s everywhere.

So, while things have been happening quite quickly this year, the first round votes are in and we’ll have some results soon. Car of the Year will be announced at a later date but we will know which whips will be in the running tomorrow.

Here are some shots from day one of my most coveted vehicle–the bigger, bluer brother of my old friend Audi R8–as taken with my Blackberry camera. This one’s got the 5.2L V10 engine and R8 totally ate up our venue’s Top Gear-style test track in the rain like it was bone dry out. The car is just simply amazing!!! Stay tuned for more photos of this dream machine as I broke out the Canon for some glam shots too. I hope you like. (Not bad for a BB, eh?)

There’s also a couple interior pics of the new Porsche Panamera at the end. Also an animal on the track, albeit a strange-looking one.

2010 Audi R8 5.2 FSI @ TestFest

2010 Porsche Panamera @ TestFest

Dubbing it in the QC

journauto — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 00:30:02 +0000

Last week I was in freezing c-c-c-c-o-old Quebec to test drive the new 2010 VW Golf family. And, after driving up north to Ste. Jovite in a three-door 2.5-litre gas powered model and the new 2-litre turbo clean diesel wagon with DSG auto and tush warming, it was time for some fun and fast laps to get the blood circulating.

It gets better.

Not only do I get to do this on the Circuit-Mont Tremblant in the new VW GTI Mk6, here to help me eek out every last morsel of performance and learn the track are professional Canadian race drivers Richard Spenard and Patrick Carpentier. Nice!

2010 VW Golf GTI Launch - The Whole Gang

I’ve been a Carpentier fan back since before the Greg Moore days (people have even said I look like Moore actually), so I was quite taken aback by his presence. Pretty sure I met him once very briefly in the Molson Indy Toronto paddock area.

2010 VW Golf GTI Launch - Patrick Carpentier

I’ll get back to him in a second.

Besides getting to drive on this very cool and technical circuit for the very first time, one of the most interesting things I saw on this day was a 2.0-litre turbo engine blow a rod through the block of the car in front of me.

2010 VW Golf GTI Launch - GTI Mk6 Expires

This car was third in a line of GTIs following Spenard during some track orientation laps and only the third lap. Coming out of turn 10 down into the gulch, I was riding shotgun in the car behind when it went ‘poof’ and then pulled off to the grass with smoke spewing from the engine compartment through every available orifice. Not sure what happened and after snapping this photo and heading into the pits, the car was never seen or heard from again.

Spenard is a several time Formula Ford 2000 and Porsche 944 Cup Canadian champ and after I familiarized myself with autocross course not far away, I took advantage of some one-on-one time with him on the North Loop. (There’s a track map at lecircuit.com) Didn’t get any pics (I was driving of course) and besides getting me to brake a bit earlier and smoother in a couple places and turn later into number four, he thought I did pretty well.

I shot the next few photos while Carpentier drove the heck out of this GTI while trying to fend off a super-quick Spenard on the full circuit’s two back straightaways.

2010 VW Golf GTI Launch - Carpentier

Drafting and passing Spenard before turn 10, Patrick got passed coming out of the corner. Most of the time I was hanging on to the holy-shit handle with one hand while trying to hold the camera steady in the other with a five-time CART winner, IRL vet and current NASCAR hopeful seemingly trying to knock me off. He, while I’m hanging on like a monkey, is laughing and giggling inside his helmet so hard it’s tickling me.

2010 VW Golf GTI Launch - Passing Games

It really was a fun day. I hope you enjoy the photos. Oh, and for the record, no other V-Dub’s were harmed on this day.

My preview of the 2010 Golf Family is coming soon to a Sun Media outlet near you. I’ll let you know where and when.

Games people play!

journauto — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 18:47:55 +0000

That’s my MyGamerCard.Net gamercard, which shows what I’ve played recently, my gamerscore and rep (five gold stars baby!) on Xbox Live. I like driving and racing simulators as well as first and third person shooters and the odd flying game.

Some of my favourite titles right now include Forza Motorsport 3, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, Bioshock 2, NHL< 2010/em> and Gears of War 2.

Forza 3 is awesome! You can do all kinds of cool things besides racing like painting, taking photos and watching saved replays to name just a few! This link will take you to my own personal Storefront Gallery!.

That’s my current Xbox 360 avatar. Yes, I know. Playing with virtual dolls is kind of weird at my age, but I’d be willing to bet that my avatar could pwn your avatar any time, any place. LOL!

Send me a message on Xbox Live if you want to play sometime.

That is all. Out.

Rollerman insane in the membrane

journauto — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 22:49:33 +0000

I stumbled upon this in a VODcars video today. The quality sucks, soundtrack questionable and I’ve no idea when this was filmed. I think the Grimsel Pass is in the Swiss Alps and, before today, I’d never heard of Jean Yves Blondeau. A.k.a. Rollerman, he is certifiably, one crazy badass crazy mofo!!! And, if I didn’t see this with my own eyes?!?!?!

Crazy downhill body..?..don’t know but I see bodyt

The love tap

journauto — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 22:13:46 +0000

In motorsports, the love tap is usually administered by the competition to let you know you’re going too slow. Well, not this time. In this video, he’s clearly trying to tell the guy in front, I love you, which is when it all goes to hell. See for yourself here. Hugs. (Big LOL!!)

Photos page updated

journauto — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 21:19:34 +0000

I’ve been trying to figure out what to put on that page for while now. And, so, some photos seemed the obvious choice. They’re a bit older (some goodies in there though) but I’ve not had much time to add new galleries. Making them still is a bit tedious. At any rate, please check the updated photos page here.