Tests and Features

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 …

A few years ago, I extolled the virtues of the Mazdaspeed3 to virtually anyone that would listen. Shoehorning the best engine in its segment into one of the most attractive and practical cars available was a surefire way to earn my praises, and the Mazdaspeed3’s excellent performance and superb practicality …

Uncle Robert put in 40 long years at a Montreal newspaper, but was never able to own one of the luxury sports cars that he’d been dreaming of since his youth. A limited budget and family obligations were no doubt what held him back. Sure, over the years he did …

But oh so much fun! In fact, there are very few cars at any price that can offer as powerful a ride and that’s the main reason for buying an Elise. You can forget about luxury or comfort. Z4, Boxster or Nissan Z buyers, basically you’re in the wrong place.

The Car Guide will be at the heart of the action again this year in the Targa Newfoundland event. After driving a hybrid-powered Lexus sedans in the two previous editions of this unique motorsport event, contributor Marc Lachapelle will indeed be driving a race-prepared Impreza WRX STI for Subaru Rally …