First Drive: 2014 Audi R8

By John LeBlanc RIMINI, Italy – Messing with success can be a scary ordeal for designers. Imagine an architect asked to do a makeover of Toronto’s iconic CN Tower or the industrial designer given the job of designing the next Apple iPhone? Egad. Talk about pressure.

First Drive: 2013 Ford C-Max Energi

Story and photos by John LeBlanc SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. –  Each time Ford launches a new electrified vehicle of some kind, inevitably, rival Toyota takes a licking. Two months ago, Ford launched its new 2013 Fusion Hybrid sedan. And the American automaker’s media presentation was chock-a-block with references to how much better its hybrid sedan […]

Preview: 2014 Chevrolet Spark Electric Vehicle

Story and photos by John LeBlanc SAUSALITO, Calif. — Toyota has become synonymous for them. Ford is launching a bunch of them. And Honda is working on getting some. No, I’m not talking about product recalls. I’m speaking of gasoline-electric hybrid vehicles — the best known of which is Toyota’s iconic Prius.

First Drive: 2014 Volkswagen Golf

Story and photos by John LeBlanc PORTO CERVO, Italy –  Chances are you or someone you know has owned a Volkswagen Golf at some time or other. Over 29 million been sold since the compact hatchback was introduced in 1974, essentially replacing the German automaker’s Beetle as its People’s Car. And for many Canadians who […]

First Drive: 2013 Ford Fusion

Story and photos by John LeBlanc SANTA MONICA, CALIF. — The family sedan segment has become a virtual game of leapfrog. Seemingly, every few weeks, some automaker is debuting an all-new, mid-sized four-door of some sort, quickly followed by a rival launching shortly thereafter. In the past year alone, we’ve seen redesigned versions of mainstream, mid-sized […]

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