Tests and Features

Team Subaru Targa had a very good Fourth Leg on Thursday. Our goal is to be safe first and foremost, and then turn in the best possible stage times. Happy to report that we have given our guys no work beyond the normal checks all through Thursday, with the single …

We were in very good shape entering Leg Three on Wednesday. The car felt strong with the slightly higher boost pressure co-driver/chief mechanic Stewart Hoo had dialled in. And if it wasn’t good, he would whip out his computer and change it as we rolled on in a transit. How …

You really need to sleep as well as possible when tackling the six-day endurance race that is Targa Newfoundland, but that is easier said than done. As a driver, you must first let the adrenalin consume itself in your veins after the utter thrill that is the in-town stage at …

Sorry for not updating or adding much to this blog in the past two days. I was frankly not in the shape or spirit to do so. We effectively went off the road quite hard on the very first Prologue run on the Flatrock stage on Sunday. There is a …

There are several pre-race events in St-John’s before registration begins on Saturday at Targa. Teams come in by air or by land, get organized, run errands, pick up parts or raid the grocery store for vital things like water bottles or energy drinks to keep drivers awake during long stages.

It’s no secret, Volvo sales have plunged and their ranking among the top-selling vehicles dipped well before the recession hit the auto industry in 2008. But, to be fair, the Swedish manufacturer has managed to mitigate its decline with some fairly positive results over the last two months. And in …

People often ask me what my favourite car is or what car I’d like to own. Since I like so many different vehicles, this question is pretty hard to answer. I often say that while I love the way roadsters look and drive, sport sedans are a lot more suited …

With their turbocharged ‘boxer’ engines, all-wheel drive system, tough bodies and solid reliability, Subaru’s WRX and STI models have long been favourites of driving enthusiasts and rally competitors of all persuasions. These and the many special variants produced by the auto-making branch of Fuji Heavy Industries have also literally become …

Sometimes, when a manufacturer re-engineers a car, the end result is a complete surprise. Take, for example, the 2005 Mustang. A massive redesign, it brought what was considered an aging nameplate into the modern era and introduced America’s ponycar to a new generation of car buyers. Likewise, BMW’s M3 continues …

Take 30 young drivers between the ages of 16 to 26 carefully chosen from several thousand hopefuls. Put them behind the wheel of race cars rigorously and identically adjusted by the manufacturer. Preferably choose one of the cleanest and most frugal compact sedans out there. Then set up a solid …