Comparo: BMW M Roadster vs. Porsche Boxster S

Story and photos by John LeBlanc Which of these two Teutonic two-seaters is the most thrilling to drive? While Mazda is responsible for the return of the modern roadster with its 1989 Miata, and other two-seaters like Audi’s TT and Mercedes-Benz’s SLK have come on the scene as well, all pale from the driver’s seat […]

Road Trip: 2008 BMW X5 4.8i

Story and photos by John LeBlanc Mont Tremblant, Quebec – As the old Canadian joke goes, there are two driving seasons in this country: winter, and construction. Embracing — rather than bemoaning — winter behind the wheel of a car is the smarter and saner way to get from November to April. During Life before […]

First Drive: 2009 BMW 750 i/750 Li

Story and photos by John LeBlanc DRESDEN, Germany–It was a textbook display of understatement: at the launch of the new 7 Series, BMW’s sales and marketing head Ian Robertson conceded that the styling of the previous version of the company’s flagship luxury sedan was “not without controversy.” No kidding.

First Drive: 2009 BMW 335d

Story and photos by John LeBlanc MUNICH–If you’re a fan of fast, fine-driving, yet frugal automobiles, you should be thanking 19th-century German chemist Friedrich Wohler, best-known for his artificial synthesis of urea without the use of kidneys from man or dog. Urea, naturally found in mammalian and amphibian urine, as well as in some fish, […]

Comparo: 2009 Audi A3 3.2, BMW 135i, Mitsubishi Evo, Subaru WRX STi

Story and photos by John LeBlanc CALABOGIE, ONT.–Essentially a gussied up Volkswagen Golf, Audi’s A3 started the premium compact genre in Europe 12 years ago. Today, almost every automaker has a compact car with a big car price in its stable. With all the features and performance of larger cars – but in a more […]

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