Archive for May, 2009
Thursday, May 28th, 2009
Profiling Trucks That Can Haul
Michael Schlee
Can a truck be sporty? Well that depends on what you definition of ‘sporty’ is. If being a sports truck means it has a lot of horsepower and can accelerate quickly, well, then there are a lot of sport trucks. However, throw an Escalade or a 600HP Cummins diesel Ram into a tight bend and most allusions of sportiness will disappear.
BMW X6 M
To me, a sports truck needs to be about more than horsepower. It needs to be able to handle, brake and maneuver far better then its hulking mass would suggest. Ultimately though, it’s a debate that really comes down to personal opinion.
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Tags: AMG, Cayenne, Cherokee SRT-8, FX50, G55, Michael Schlee, ML63, Sport Trucks, Tacoma X-Runner, Trailbalzer SS, X5, X6
Posted in Gallery, News | 1 Comment »
Friday, May 22nd, 2009
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Vehicles That Deny Convention
Michael Schlee
Most vehicles fall into standard categories in the automotive world. There are Vans, Pickup Trucks, SUVs, Sedans, Coupes, Wagons, etc. Granted, there are usually sub-sections within these categories to better define a vehicle. However, one look at the majority vehicles and there is no mistaking what it is.
Toyota Venza
No one will ever confuse a Ford F-150 with being a station wagon, a Mini cooper with being a minivan, or Chevrolet Corvette with being an SUV. But sometimes, a vehicle comes along that defies conventional classification.
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Tags: B-Class, Baja, Brat, Compass, Cross-over, Cube, Eagle, Edge, El Camino, HHR, Mazda 5, Michael Schlee, MKT, Outback, PT Cruiser, R-Class, Ranchero, Rondo, Soul, Venza, X6, XC70
Posted in Gallery, News | 1 Comment »
Friday, May 22nd, 2009
Showcasing Vehicles with Large Displacement Engines
Michael Schlee
Sometimes, size does matter. This is true of car engines. The old adage is ‘there’s no replacement for displacement’. Be that as it may, engines have been shrinking over the past few decades.
Chevrolet Corvette ZR-1
With the green movement and high gas prices on everyone’s mind, most car engines in today’s market place are small and efficient . Advances in technology have made it possible to coax high horsepower numbers out of these small engines as well.
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Tags: 300C, AMG, Arnage, big engine, big motor, Camaro, Challenger, charger, Corvette, CTS-V, Drophead, Michael Schlee, Murcielago, Phantom, SRT-8, veyron, Viper, Z06, ZR1
Posted in Gallery, News | 2 Comments »
Thursday, May 21st, 2009
What is Your Favourite Sub-$51,000 Sports Car
Michael Schlee
So here it is, one of those impossible to agree on classifications. What is the best sports car under $51,000? Everyone has their idea, and usually, they do not match. With the wide assortment of choices out there, it really all comes down to personal preference.
Dodge Challenger
But I thought hey, why not stir the pot a bit and make a poll on the subject? Let’s see what you, the Autotrader reader, would consider the best sports car under $51,000.
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Tags: 135i, 370Z, Camaro, Challenger, EVO, G37, Genesis, John Cooper Works, Michael Schlee, Muscle Car, Mustang, RX-8, S2000, Solstice, Sports Car, STi, WRX
Posted in Gallery, News | 4 Comments »
Tuesday, May 12th, 2009
A Day of Racing, Parading, Cold Weather and Sunburns
Michael Schlee
It’s not everyday that I get an opportunity like I did this past weekend. I was invited out to Mosport International Raceway to do some ‘parade lapping’ at lunch in my own car. All I had to do was watch some great grass-roots racing and make a small donation to the Hospital for Sick Children. It was a Win-Win-Win situation, how could I pass it up?
RaceOntario GT Sprints
Anyone close to the racing world knows how legendary Mosport International Raceway is. To get the opportunity to drive around it in any form is one I have been waiting for. However, to run it you usually need serious safety equipment, serious money, and serious racing experience; all things I do not posses. More on that later.
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Tags: BEMC, CASC, Charity, Mazda, Michael Schlee, Mosport, racing, RX8, Spring Trophy Races
Posted in Gallery, News | 8 Comments »
Friday, May 8th, 2009
11 Performance Bargains
Michael Schlee
Sometimes there is a problem when making a top ten list. Sometimes, 10 just won’t cut it. Take this list for example. I wanted to list the top 10 ‘Fun to Drive’ vehicles under $30 000. I had 13 finalists and after making some final cuts, I ended up with 11. Oh well, so what, it’s a top 11 list now. Maybe you can find the car that doesn’t belong on this list.
Chevrolet Cobalt SS
Before I get to the top 11 “Fun to Drive Under $30 000” cars, I thought I would point out the two vehicles that just missed the cut.
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Tags: Caliber, Camaro, cheap cars, Cheap Performance, civic, cobalt, Cooper, Genesis, GTI, Mazdaspeed 3, Mazdaspeed3, Miata, Michael Schlee, MX-5, Sentra, Solstice, under $30000
Posted in Gallery, News | 2 Comments »
Tuesday, May 5th, 2009
The Top Supercharged Cars on the Market today
By Michael Schlee
There are a couple of ‘tricks’ in the auto industry to produce the maximum amount of power out of an engine. There are superchargers, turbochargers and direct injection to name a few. All of these systems have their pros and cons behind them.
Cadillac CTS-V
Supercharging seems to be less popular these days when it comes to boosting engines. However, there still are a few very impressive cars on the market sporting superchargers.
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Tags: Corvette, CTS-V, Exige, Michael Schee, Mustang, S4, Shelby GT500, SLR McLaren, STS-V, Supercharger, XFR, XKR, XLR-V, ZR1
Posted in Gallery, News | 1 Comment »
Monday, May 4th, 2009
What do you get with the cheapest vehicles in Canada?
By Michael Schlee
Let’s face it. Right now times are tough. How tough? Well there is a lot of debate about that, but either way, things are not great for most of us financially.
Hyundai Accent
So if you are in the market for a new car, you are probably looking for something a little bit cheaper then you would have last year.
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Tags: Accent, Aveo 5, Canada, Canadian, cheap cars, city golf, city jetta, G3, Michael Schlee, Rio, Swift, Versa, Wave, Yaris
Posted in Gallery, News | 2 Comments »
Friday, May 1st, 2009
15 Cars with the Longest Overall Size
Michael Schlee
Back in the day a car was meant to big. Some would say the size of your car represented your status in life. Others would say it was a compensation thing. Either way, cars were big. Just look at some of the finest Cadillacs, Lincolns, Imperials and Buicks from the late 1950s through the 1970’s.
Maybach 62S
The common belief today is that cars have gotten smaller and more compact. While generally speaking this is true, there are still some land yachts on the market.
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Tags: 62S, 745Li, A8 L, Brooklands, Drophead, DTS, Flying Spur, land yacht, Large Car, LS460, Lucerne, Michael Schlee, MKS, Phantom, Quattroporte, S600, Taurus, top 15, Vanden Plas
Posted in Gallery, News | 1 Comment »
