By Mark Atkinson for MSN Autos

Even though legendary Canadian racecar drivier Ron Fellows is part of the new ownership group behind Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (i.e. Mosport) just east of Toronto, he still has his name attatched to a Corvette-focused driving school South of the Border. The Ron Fellows Performance Driving School at Spring Mountain Motorsports Ranch in Nevada has been a popular stop for 'Vette owners and fans, mainly because it allows them to pilot the big-power rocketships like the 638-horsepower ZL1 without dishing out over $100K to buy one.

Obviously, Cadillac felt Fellows was the best man for the job when it decided to offer a similar program aimed at admirers of its palm-sweat-inducing 556-horsepower CTS-Vs. So the V-Series Academy offers similar experiences for high-end Caddy buyers, although with a more luxurious bent.

There are one- and two-day programs that run between $1,300 and $2,300 (US) and class sizes are limited to 12 people max. Exercises will include learning both on Spring Mountain's 6.5-kilometres of track itself and in the surrounding facilities.

This is just another example of Cadillac trying to legitimize itself in the eyes of potential customers. Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz already offer similar programs focusing on their respective performance-oriented sub-brands, so this is kind of a no-brainer.

For more information on the Cadillac V-Series Academy, click through on this link.

By Mark Atkinson for MSN Autos

Well, isn't this interesting. According to a study done by the Traffic Injury Research Foundation (TIRF) and Toyota Canada, the number of Canadian drivers who are familiar with the modern auto safety systems is less than one-third. Somehow, that's not much of a surprise.

The study asked more than 2,500 people across Canada 120 different questions on the topic, and compiled some fascinating insights.

First, safety ranked as the second most important factor when considering a new vehicle (behind price, of course), even ahead of fuel efficiency and reliability.

Second, that most people are familiar with anti-lock brakes (ABS) and some form of traction control... as well they should since both those features are officially mandated in every new vehicle sold in Canada. It's the features like radar-based adaptive cruise control, or blind-spot monitoring, or lane-keep assists and all those other three-letter-acronyms that are added every year. 

Third, most drivers agreed that if they had and knew how to use the 'extra' safety features, they certainly would. 

(As a funny aside, the majority also rated their own driving skill as 8/10 and others at only 5/10... obviously perception and overconfidence are playing a big role in poor behaviour. Maybe we should lobby for retests, both in-car and written, after every 10 years of holding a licence?)

Toyota and TIRF have created a new site called Brain on Board that aims to tackle all kinds of these issues, including plain-language explanations of new safety technology, driving tips, and more. We'd give it a hearty thumbs-up too.

By David Menzies for MSN Autos

In the pantheon of superheroes, those meta-humans who are essentially rubberized men (a la Stretch Armstrong) surely rank as the lamest crime-fighters ever conceived.

At the risk of sounding like Super-Geek, just consider the likes of Mister Fantastic, Plastic Man, or Elongated Man (Great Caesar’s Ghost! What were they thinking when they named a superhero “Elongated Man”!?) Look, being able to super-stretch one’s torso and limbs like some glorified elastic band isn’t exactly an awe-inducing ability along the lines of “faster than a locomotive” or “able to leap tall buildings in a single bound.”

Then again, lately, I’ve been having second thoughts about the merits of super-stretching. And those second thoughts typically occur when I find myself returning to my vintage Honda Prelude in a parking lot only to find that some leviathan-like SUV has parked too close to my driver’s side door, ensuring there’s no way I can get reacquainted with the cabin by fully opening my door... unless my door ends up dinging the offending monolith (which I don’t want to do for both our sakes.)

So it is that with my driver’s side door less than half ajar, I am forced to perform painful contortions involving stretching, moving sideways, sucking in the ol’ gut, and finally, angling my arse into the driver’s seat. And all the while I’m thinking, “This would be such a piece of cake for Plastic Man or Mister Fantastic.”

Even then, sometimes manoeuvring space is at such a premium one must engage in the dreaded enter-via-the-passenger-side routine. Which is always extra-special if one is navigating an interior with a low roof and a centre console gearshift!

By Mark Atkinson for MSN Autos

The history of General Motors in Canada can essentially be traced back to one Oshawa man who decided to build his own cars but needed engines to power them. Eventually, the cars that started as McLaughlins, then McLaughlin-Buicks, finally Buicks as we Canadians know them. There's lots of intrigue, misinformation and money involved in the creation of Canada's biggest car company, but the early products were fit for kings.

Want proof? Well, one of two 1928 McLaughlin-Buick 496 Tourer built that year - and the only one pressed into service for the 1927 Royal Tour of Canada - is being auctioned by Bonhams off in the United Kingdom in early March. The seven-seater was used to transport two future kings; according to the press release, "they were used extensively by the then Prince of Wales (later King Edward VIII), his brother the Duke of York (later King George VI), and their entourage carrying out their civic duties." The 496 Tourers completed the, well, tour by being shipped by train between provinces on their route across Canada.

Bonhams figures the McLaughlin-Buick should fetch between £40,000-£45,000 (or about $65,000-$71,000) during its March sale. We're hoping a Canadian comes forward with the cash to bring it home for retirement.

By Mark Atkinson for MSN Autos

And the Ganassi Racing powerhouse wins once again. The undisputed heavyweight champion of the Grand-Am sports-car world put on a clinic of hard and clean driving, working your plan and the benefits of intense pre-race preparation. When the team's lead car crossed the finish line at 3:30 pm local time at Daytona International Speedway, it cemented its reputation as the winningest team in decades. This year's Daytona 24 win was CGR's fifth out of 10 attempts, and lead driver Scott Pruett's fifth overall victory, a feat that ties him with legendary Porsche driver Hurley Haywood.

Pruett's Daytona teammate Juan Pablo Montoya was tasked with bringing the 01 BMW-powered Riley home during the final stint, and did so despite mounting pressure from second-placed Max Angelelli in a Corvette DP. Montoya's gap over Angellelli was about 22 seconds at the end of 24 hours (plus one lap) of racing, which is pretty impressive, although other years have been one by significantly less time. The defending champs from Shank Racing fielded the same five-driver lineup as last year, but suffered a broken suspension piece early in the race and went seven laps down trying to fix it. In the end, they fought back to third place, but obviously without the mechanical issues would have been right into the mix with their Ford-powered Riley.

In GT, Porsche had dominated in qualifying taking the top-four spots on the grid, but by the end of 24 brutal hours, couldn't place higher than fifth... Audi took a one-two victory with its more-generously-supported R8's, a first for the manufacturer in Grand-Am. It might have been a podium sweep for Audi had the Rum Bum Racing R8 not run out of gas late in the race. That gave the Toronto-based AIM Autosport Ferrari 458 with Emil Assentato, Nick Longhi, Anthony Lazzaro and Canadian Mark Wilkins a well-deserved podium place.

The new GX class for more experimental and environmentally friendly racecars basically saw a trio of well-proven Porsche Caymans outlast the three brand-new never-raced Mazda6 SKYACTIV entries. The Mazda's 2.2-litre turbo-diesel engines were a first in Grand-Am, but proved fragile over the race. Mazda says it planned the Rolex 24 to be one giant test and the car can only improve from here.

Another Porsche legend David Donahue was the lead driver on the GX-class-winner Cayman from Napleton Racing, while Vancouver-based Bullet Racing with Canucks Darryl O’Young and Karl Thomson finished second. 

Plenty of other Canadians in the race, including Paul Tracy, Alex Tagliani, James Hinchcliffe, Sylvain Tremblay, David Empringham, Michael Valiante, Dave Lacey, JF Dumoulin and Paul Dalla Lana. 

There seemed to be fewer yellow-flag periods because of silly driving this year and more from general wear-and-tear or unproven parts. However, moving into morning, a giant bank of fog hit the track, forcing the race to run under yellow for around 90 minutes until conditions improved.

For full results, check out the Grand-Am page.

Anyone else watch the race? Enjoyable? I can't wait to see how it'll shake out with the additional cars in the merged ALMS/Grand-Am series. 

Photos courtesy Grand-Am.

By Greg Kable, AutoWeek

Ford Motor Co., Nissan Motor Co. and Mercedes-Benz parent company Daimler AG have formed a partnership aimed at speeding up the commercialization of fuel cell electric vehicle technology.

Together, the automakers plan to develop a common fuel cell stack and fuel cell system to be used in what they describe as "highly differentiated, separately branded fuel cell electric vehicles" as early as 2017.

As part of the new partnership, made official at Nissan's headquarters in Yokohama, Japan, the automakers say they plan to help define global specifications, component standards and develop infrastructure solutions necessary to allow fuel cell electric vehicles to be mass-marketed.

By David Menzies for MSN Autos

One of my favourite catchphrases uttered by that philosopher king Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is, “Know your role...” (it’s up to you if you want to add the epilogue, “...and shut your mouth.”)
Granted this pithy prose doesn’t quite rank up there with the Shakespearean soliloquy that kicks off with, “To be or not to be...” But still, The Rock’s quotation makes for superb marketing advice.

Indeed, in the consumer products business – including automotive – one needs to know their role (or as the case may be, market.) Put another way, no sense attending Sausage Fest if you plan on peddling vegan treats.

Which brings us to the all-new 2013 Toyota Avalon. Kind of like the J.J. Abrams Star Trek reboot in 2009, the Avalon has been “re-imagined.” Which is to say, esthetically, the new model is elegant and looks far more distinctive (both inside and out) compared to the previous generation Avalon.

Drive-wise, it is indeed sportier, faster, and the handling doesn’t give the driver the sensation that his arse is perched atop a bowl of Jell-O.

The P.R. bumpf from Toyota hails the Avalon as a “Flagship reborn.” And while Toyota’s new slogan is “Let’s go places”, I wonder if Toyota has perhaps made a wrong turn with its new-and-improved Avalon?

Case in point:  the average age of an Avalon buyer is 68. Since that is the average age, that means there are significant numbers of Avalon drivers in their 70s and 80s. Do you really think these motorists are hankering for the new Avalon’s whiz-bang paddle shifters?

By Mark Atkinson for MSN Autos

The sub-subcompact market is heating up... Between the Chevrolet Spark, Fiat 500 and Scion iQ, the tiny four-seat hatchback is becoming more and more popular. Latest to enter the fray? Mitsubishi, who debuted its new challenger at the Montreal International Auto Show last week.

Known elsewhere as the Mirage, the car will be mildly altered to be more suitable for the Canadian market, most importantly in the engine bay. The 1.0-litre three-cylinder found in most other markets will be bumped to 1.2 litres, although without turbocharging will only provide 74 horsepower and 74 lb-ft of torque. Mitsubishi says it'll be available with either a five-speed manual transmission or optional CVT.

Mitsu says the new car will be wider than a Spark, taller than an Accent and longer than an iQ, although that last one isn't saying much given the wee Scion's runty length... Styling is, um, there. Basic, economical and - fingers crossed - reliable are three factors the company is pushing as positives.

The car is expected to go on sale this fall as a 2014, and final pricing - and a name! - are expected to be announced before then.

Would Mitsubishi's new offering make you curious enough to test one? How do you think it'll hold its own against the current competition?

By David Menzies for MSN Autos

Dear reader, please heed the following sure-fire, money-in-the-bank, piece of advice when it comes buying a new car. And if you do heed this warning, you will emerge as happier camper. These words of wisdom are free of charge! (You’re welcome.) Don’t ever buy a new car in its first model year.

That’s what I told my pal Bob two years ago when Hyundai unveiled the Veloster.

Bob had taken a shine to the latest sporty car from South Korea and began to seriously think about buying one. I urged Bob not to. Naturally because it was me giving advice, Bob listened very intently.

And then he proceeded to do the precise opposite.

So it was that Bob visited his friendly neighbourhood Hyundai dealer and faster than you could say “Sonata”, Bob had a bright blue Veloster occupying his driveway.

Right about now, Veloster fans are scoffing, “What do you have against the Veloster?”

By Hans Greimel, AutoWeek

Toyota and BMW are tightening technical ties with plans to jointly develop a sports car platform, lithium-air batteries and new lightweight materials.

The automakers also aim to jointly develop a fuel cell system for vehicles by 2020. The companies unveiled their agreement Thursday, fleshing out a blueprint for cooperation first announced in 2011.

The latest step focuses on four areas:

-- Study of a shared sports vehicle platform by the year's end.

-- Joint development of a hydrogen fuel cell system by 2020.

-- Cooperation in developing lightweight technologies.

-- Research into next-generation lithium-based batteries.