Auto Shows: 2008 New York Wrapup

Story and photos by John LeBlanc NEW YORK—Sporty and fun-to-drive vehicles dominated the debuts here, making it the first time in a few years that environmentally friendly or utility vehicles didn’t grab all the headlines at a major auto show.

First Drive: 2009 Dodge Challenger SXT

Story and photos by John LeBlanc ENGLISHTOWN, N.J.–Going against everything your mother taught you, Dodge served up a healthy portion of dessert first by introducing the top-of-line SRT8 version of its new-age Challenger muscle car last spring. By now, all 500 Canadian examples of those 2008 high-performance SRT8 Challengers have been gobbled up by enthusiasts […]

Feature: North to James Bay in a BMW X6 xDrive 35i

Story and photos by John LeBlanc Matagami, Que.–For more than 600 kilometres, the James Bay Road cuts a wide, two-lane swath of pavement without Draconian speed laws, stop-and-go traffic, clogged intersections, stop signs – or any of the other daily driving obstacles known as “modern civilization.” Constructed in the early 1970s to transport workers and […]

Comparo: Nissan GT-R versus Porsche 911 Turbo‏

Story and photos by John LeBlanc Nissan set the stage for a heroic David and Goliath battle when it introduced its new GT-R supercar last fall, flatly stating its “performance bogey” was none other than Porsche’s iconic 911 Turbo. Seriously? Seriously. On public roads at legal speeds, there’s very little to choose from between the […]

Comparo: Audi A3 3.2 Quattro versus BMW 135i

Story and photos by John LeBlanc As higher fuel costs cause midsize luxury sport car buyers to move en masse to smaller cars, automotive industry analysts are predicting that the biggest growth in the Canadian new car market over the next few years will come from premium compacts.

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