First Drive: 2016 Volkswagen Golf R
Story and photo by John LeBlanc
CALABOGIE, Ont. — I’ve just been handed the keys to an all-wheel-drive turbocharged hatchback, hotter than the shade of red it’s wearing, poised at the entrance to a remote Ontario racetrack. After a handful of “follow the leader” laps behind the watchful gaze of retired Canadian Champ Car World Series and IndyCar Series racer Patrick Carpentier, we’ve been told to go ahead and “have some fun,” which I proceed to do, because, well, who am I to be an ungrateful guest.
Read moreLong-Term Test: 2016 Subaru WRX CVT – Part 1
Story and photo by John LeBlanc
From history’s Joan of Arc, a peasant girl who led French forces to victory over the British, to Sylvester Stallone’s cinematic Rocky, who won fans over despite losing, who doesn’t love an underdog? And if we could describe any of today’s automakers as an “underdog,” it would have to be Subaru.
Read moreRoad Test: 2015 Ford Mustang Convertible EcoBoost
Story and photo by John LeBlanc
Ugh. Fall. The air turns from humid to crisp. Available daylight becomes precious. Lawn furniture is ready for storage. But one way to extend the summer is to take an open-air car for a drive, just like this new Ford Mustang Convertible.
Read moreFirst Drive: 2016 Volkswagen Jetta 1.4 TSI
Story and photo by John LeBlanc
KANATA, Ont. — Just how old is Volkswagen’s outgoing 2.0-litre four-cylinder gas engine that is being laid to rest for 2016? Even the folks at the German automaker aren’t quite sure.
Read moreRoad Test: 2016 Mini John Cooper Works 3-Door
Story and photo by John LeBlanc
Predictability is usually an emotion that keeps your heartbeat in check. Yet the unsurprising debut of the John Cooper Works version of the third-generation Mini Cooper 3-Door – the most powerful and quickest Mini ever – arrives with the goal of getting the hearts of its drivers pumping.
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