2010 Volkswagen Golf GT...

Way back in the mid-’70s, shortly after the introduction of the new Rabbit which would eventually become the Golf, someone at Volkswagen in Germany had the brilliant idea of making a sporty performance car out of the compact sedan, and the “hot hatchback” was born. The GTI took...

2008 Smart Fortwo

Not that long ago – late 2004 – the smart car arrived in Canada as a sort of experiment on the part of its builder, Mercedes-Benz. The subsidiary set up to market the small urban vehicles had surprisingly not done so well, despite European cities being full of the things. So, it was...

2008 Mini Cooper S

A lot of people took the time to check out the latest Mini Cooper S during my time with it. Most of them, after wandering around the car, said something along the lines of “boy, it sure doesn’t look much different.” Driving it, however, elicits a very different...

2006 Pontiac Solstice

The Solstice is a very different beast – not only for Pontiac, but also for GM. To begin with it drives its rear wheels, which puts it in an elite class within the General’s oversized portfolio. It is also different because it is the first car to take a serious swipe at the Mazda...

2006 Chevrolet HHR

The 2006 Chevrolet HHR appears to have followed Bob Lutz, GM’s Vice Chairman, over from Chrysler, where it first saw life as the PT Cruiser. That’s not necessarily a bad thing. The HHR, which I have been told stands for Heritage High Roof, comes to market after another retro...

2006 Subaru Impreza Pre...

As a part of its mid-life rework, the 2006 Impreza becomes the second car in Subaru’s lineup to wear its controversial new “family” face. The good news is that it carries the oval grille and flanking air inlets with far more poise than the B9 Tribeca. Indeed, the new look...

2007 Pontiac Solstice G...

Pontiac of General Motors is setting about boosting the company’s performance image with the introduction of the turbocharged 2007 Solstice GXP. The big news with the Solstice GXP is the new Ecotec 2.0-liter turbocharged engine, producing 260 horsepower and 260 lb-ft of torque. This...

2007 Mitsubishi Eclipse...

TORONTO — Mitsubishi Motors grabbed the spotlight when it used the Canadian International Auto show to pull the wraps off two vehicles. The all-new 2007 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder Convertible was introduced to the media along with the redesigned 2006 Mitsubishi Lancer Sportback. The...