I know we’re entering the summer driving season when everyone goes nutso, but really, the public displays of recent auto-related insanity are getting just plain ridiculous.
The stop signs in my Toronto ‘hood are generally treated as suggestions, and even then sometimes ignored completely. Speeders hop up on the sidewalk to take shortcuts around the speedhumps. As a result, there have been a few police officers doing stop-sign duty in our area for a couple weeks, and we now gawk from the front porch and lay bets with the neighbours about how long one returning cop will stay stationary before he lights up another jackass. Our record is still about 45 seconds, and that’s at the high end!
Anyway, we had a perfect example of just how ridiculous people drive about a week ago. My wife and I live near the bottom of a one-way street, and happened to spot morons pulling illegal U-turns and driving back down the wrong way five separate times in one evening. Five! Surely their time must be more precious than ours because driving up and back around the proper way takes a whole other minute, maybe.
The one who took the cake was the guy who decided to put his hazards on first before pulling his five-point turn. As if that helps. As if someone coming the right way up the street isn’t going to say, “Hey jackass! You’re going… Oh, wait! He has his hazards on. Never mind!” Having your hazards on doesn’t make you invincible, or mean you’re exempt from the law. Try that when you’re doing 151 km/h on Hwy 401 and see what the Ontario Provincial Police say. “Oh, we’re sorry sir. Continue on your way… didn’t notice you had your hazards on!”
Just gets my back up…
Anyone else seen some despicable driving recently?
Photo Credit: similarlee at sxc.hu
Things have been busier than usual around the house (which partially explains my distinct lack of new posts…) So I’ll apologize right away.
However, seems like everything’s gone to hell in a handbasket. Chrysler filed for bankruptcy protection, GM’s on the ropes and shedding brands when it can, Ford got more than 1,400 miles (yes miles!) out of a 2010 Fusion Hybrid, and Ferrari’s threatening to leave F1 in the wake of some proposed spending rules for 2010, and the ex-Honda, Brawn F1 team and Jenson Button dominating the 2009 Championship.
Is this some dream? ‘Fraid not.
Anyway… One of the cooler things I’ve done recently is get involved with the Honda Insight Into Canada tour, taking part in two of the trip’s plentiful legs. While the main story will appear next week in the Metro: Drive section across Canada (and presumably its website too), I thought I’d post a couple of my photos to keep you interested… After the story’s published, I’ll put together a more full look at the trip and my impressions of the Insight itself.
For now, enjoy the shots, and let me know what you’ve been up to lately!
by mark on April 29, 2009
Pontiac's last great automobile, the G8.
General Motors finally appears to be getting its act together, but survival will mean over half of Canadians working for the company will be out of work by next year, from 10,300 in 2008 to 4,400 in 2014. Similarly, GM will shutter nearly half of its 705 dealerships by the end of this year in an effort to bring its product offerings and sales network into line.
Also, Pontiac will join the other dead GM brands like Oldsmobile, Geo and Asuna in 2010, while waiting on word of whether they’ll be accompanied by Hummer, Saab, Saturn and Opel. So long to exciting and relevant products like the G8 sedan, however depending on how negotiations proceed with Toyota, the Vibe may stay on another year.
This is the sort of thing that you theorize should happen over beers with your buddies. To see GM on this course now is perhaps a little frightening.
However, both the U.S. and Canadian federal governments have passed laws ensuring the validity of the new-car warranties from any auto company that goes bankrupt. So if you own - or are thinking of buying - a new GM, and the company goes under or enters a restructuring period, you won’t have to worry about your warranty being null and void.
Also, since virtually every Pontiac is a clone of something else in the GM stable, any current models would be happily serviced at another GM dealer, much like Oldsmobiles are today.
Expect GM to move forward with Chevrolet, Buick and Cadillac, with GMC still providing rebadged Chevrolet trucks.
Photo Credit: General Motors
by mark on April 22, 2009
The last time I wrote a “Latest Obsession” post was October, discussing my undying love for the rapid Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG. Seeing as that was nearly seven months ago, you can see that I don’t flit from one hot new thing to another at whim. It takes time; it’s a slow-burning fuse.
I came to realize My Latest Obsession when postulating to some friends that the 335d sedan I’d just returned to BMW Canada was the first vehicle ages that I could comfortably see owning and driving for the rest of my days… or at least until I wore the thing out. The latest 3 Series never generated any emotion before… A respect, perhaps, with the performance of the 335i and M3, but if pressed, I would have recommended other brands. Not even the long-term 328ix Touring I drove when at Carguide had me sold.
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by mark on April 15, 2009
I’ve long held the belief that the Porsche Caynenne serves no real purpose on this planet. Sure, it’s fast, and yes, it’s well engineered, but please! A Porsche SUV? Heresy.
However, I would like to apologize to the folks at Stuttgart who designed said Cayenne after making good use of a couple yesterday during the Porsche World Roadshow at Mosport International Raceway near Toronto. The first was a GTS version with super-wide tires, full air suspension and blazing-copper paint that I was able more than handily keep up with the rest of the group driving Caymans. And it’s powerful 400-hp 4.8-litre V8 meant I was hitting about 190 km/h up the Andretti Straight before braking for Turn 8.
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