Top 10s: New Hot Hatches

By John LeBlanc
Driving enthusiasts are well aware of the Hot Hatch Formula. Made popular during the first Oil Crisis in the early 1970s, which saw the neutering of the American muscle car and the near-extinction of the V8 engine, the idea of adding a bit of performance to a run-of-the-mill, errand-hopping hatchback made a lot [...]

Road Trip: 2010 Fiat 500 1.4 Sport

Driving la dolce vita

Touring Tuscany in the Canadian-bound Fiat Cinquecento
Story and photos by John LeBlanc
SIENNA, Italy – Zipping by the vineyards that cover central Italy’s Chianti Hills like designer shag carpet, our Fiat 500’s tach freely swinging to its redline, we’re trying to coax the most from the small, Italian four-banger. I make a [...]

Top 10s: Cars not sold in Canada

By John LeBlanc
We Canadians have a lot to celebrate — universal healthcare, poutine and mosquitoes at the cottage. But living in the Great White North isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, sometimes. Take, for instance, Canadian driving enthusiasts being denied access to cars only found in other markets. Now, I’m not referring to the [...]

First Drive: 2011 Honda CR-Z Hybrid

Hybrid hottee

Is Honda’s new “sporty” hybrid more resurrected CR-X, or Insight coupe?
By John LeBlanc
MAPLE, Ont.-In today’s hyper-competitive new-car market, it’s a rare occurrence when a newly-introduced vehicle can be called truly “unique” or a “one-of-a-kind.” Yet as a two-seat sports coupe powered by a gasoline-electric hybrid drivetrain, the lineup of competitors for Honda’s new [...]

2010 New York: Subaru widens (literally) its WRX range

By John LeBlanc
NEW YORK – Before this week’s New York auto show, Subaru had already announced that the 2011 WRX would adopt its big brother WRX STI’s wide body styling. But the Japanese automaker surprised the assembled media here with a first time ever four-door sedan version of its former hatchback-only top-line STI sports compact.

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