The Crank: Ford thinks knowing your horoscope makes for better driving

Going against every known study proving modern drivers need less, not more distractions while behind the wheel, Ford keeps making its Sync system even more complex. Remarkably, Ford is adding daily horoscopes (along with stock quotes, movie listings, airlines, rental cars and hotels) to vehicles equipped with the cloud-based SYNC app Traffic, Directions & Information […]

The Crank: Should Canada adopt new U.S. Toyota recall crisis laws?

By John LeBlanc For you glass-half-full crowd out there, at least some good is coming from the ongoing Toyota recall crisis.

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.