Top 10s: New Hot Hatches

[svgallery name=”Top 10 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 […]

Stuff: Convertible history

[svgallery name=”1971_MB_Cab”] Wind-in-your-hair motoring through the ages A recent drive in some older ‘Benz convertibles highlight the evolution of the open-air car By John LeBlanc MALLORCA, Spain – Completely unlike what’s available in new-car showrooms these days, at the dawn of the automobile age more than a century ago, virtually all cars were convertibles. The […]

Does Volvo’s turning Chinese ensure its survival?

By John LeBlanc Here we go again. For the second time this year, a beloved Swedish auto brand has been sold off. But given the initial news that after a long courtship China’s Geely has finally put pen to paper on acquiring Volvo from Ford, the Swedish brand’s survival looks more promising than sister Swedish […]

The Straight-GOODS/Hot Hatches

2010 Audi A3 2.0 TFSI quattro Base Price: $36,900 Driver Must Haves: Sport Package ($3,100) It’s not as sharp as a Subie WRX265. But think of this classy-looking A3 as the Golf R Volkswagen Canada (shy 80 hp) won’t bring here. The five-door A3 is chock-a-block with all-wheel drive, twin-clutch gearbox, a gutsy 200 hp […]

Design versus Safety: The ongoing battle

[svgallery name=”2010 Buick LaCrosse”] Photos and story by John LeBlanc Form versus function. It’s the Battle Royale behind most automakers’ closed doors, fought between the aesthetic wishes of the design team and the slide-rule-wielding safety engineers. Sometimes, the slide-rulers win. Take for instance the 1972 Volvo Experimental Safety Car.

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