Born into a racing family in the late Sixties, you might say it was inevitable that Gary Grant would be passionate about everything to do with cars. Following a career in the auto industry, automotive media became the perfect way for Gary to share that passion with car lovers.

Klutt (1)

If you are a gearhead who watches television, depending on your age, chances are pretty good that you have watched a show called Dream Car Garage or more recently, one called Legendary Motorcar. What you may not know is that while these top rated shows are filmed with the American market in mind, they are actually filmed right here in southern Ontario.

Show presenter Peter Klutt is more than just a talking head though. He’s a real deal car guy whose passion for cars and the car business came at an early age. Like many car enthusiasts, Klutt’s passion was ignited by a sibling.

“My older brother had a Mach 1” says Klutt. “There was another guy in the neighbourhood that had a ‘66 Mustang and another guy had a ‘65 or ‘66 Mustang. I wanted to get a car, but I was a 15-year-old kid, so I went out and bought a 1971 Mach 1 for $200.

“My Dad was a welder, so we had equipment at home. My old man taught me how to weld and do bodywork in the driveway. I painted it and sold it and made a bunch of dough.”

<a href="http://d3odfdcwc42kff.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/20211026_115921-scaled.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-163859" src="http://d3odfdcwc42kff.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/20211026_115921-scaled.jpg" alt="Peter Klutt" width="2560" height="1440" /></a>

Flipping that pony car, which he never drove (legally at least) laid the groundwork for a budding business.

“It was better than delivering newspapers. I thought, geez, this is great, so I bought another car and then another car. I wanted something to drive, but it was the fact that I made money on that car before I was even 16.”

Fast forward a few decades and that budding business, has grown into the Legendary Motorcar Company, which is known around the world for buying, selling, and restoring some of the most special cars ever made. The company is a true family business, with wife Vicki and sons Gary &amp; Ryan all playing important roles alongside a loyal team of employees.

As the business has evolved over the years, so has Klutt’s vision for the future, including not only product mix, but the transition of staff and the digital world.

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“It’s a family business for sure,” says Klutt, “but there are 20 other people who are involved and I look at it as sort of a bigger family than just my immediate family. I think it’s nice as I approach 60, people say, this is nice, this is going to carry on. I mean, it’s not like I am ever going to retire anyway, but I think it changes the dynamics.

“We’re trying to have a good mix of experience and young people with new ideas. I’ve got a lot of guys who’ve been with me for some 35 years. My first employee just retired. They’re not going to be around forever, so that knowledge really needs to be passed down. Now we’re looking at getting some guys in their Forties and guys in their Twenties and get that knowledge passed down. I think that is really important, because I think a lot of that is going to get lost.

“The 15 year old kid, it’s not long before he’s a 25 year old. If he’s sucking up all of that knowledge for 10 years, it is shocking how sharp those guys are at pretty young ages. Then you combine the skill sets they’ve been learning since they were kids, with computers and the internet and it becomes a pretty cool combination.

<a href="http://d3odfdcwc42kff.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Klutt-2-scaled.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-163857" src="http://d3odfdcwc42kff.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Klutt-2-scaled.jpg" alt="Peter Klutt" width="2560" height="1440" /></a>

“From my own boys point of view, it’s great that they have an interest in the cars, in racing and are genuinely passionate about it.”

Those who have watched the shows or pay attention to local motorsports know that Peter and both boys are avid racers, but that wasn’t always the case.

Klutt says he didn’t become involved in racing until he was 30. In fact, he had never been to a race track until he went to a Shelby convention at Watkins Glen. “A guy named Michael Douglas, who owned Douglas Lincoln Mercury up in Barrie, was there with a ‘66 Shelby that he was racing. Mike said, “Jump in the passenger seat and I’ll take you for a rip around the track.”” “It was a full on vintage race car and I was just hooked, says Klutt. “I came home and went to the Bridgestone school at Shannonville and got my license.

“At that time in vintage racing, you had to start with a real Shelby, so I bought a Hertz car. Good car with an original engine. I gutted a good, virgin car and went racing. My first race was at Mosport, in a ‘66 Shelby…..in the rain”.

Racing has become integral to the Legendary brand. I asked if it is just a hobby or is it a marketing tool or maybe even a bit of both?

“Both, but if you look out there (motions to the room behind us) A huge percentage of the big cars we sell, look at the Ken Miles Cobra, the prototype GT40, the group 2 car, the 59 Corvette downstairs, the Ferrari 212 export that ran Le Mans in 51 and finished seventh, almost all of our big special cars, the comp Cobras [are race cars].

<a href="http://d3odfdcwc42kff.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Klutt-3-scaled.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-163856" src="http://d3odfdcwc42kff.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Klutt-3-scaled.jpg" alt="Peter Klutt" width="2560" height="1440" /></a>

“We just sold the Dan Gurney polesitter GT40 MKII from the 66 Le Mans race. I don’t know if it was just a fluke, but if you think about the most valuable cars on the planet, the great majority of them, 250 GTO, Testa Rossa, 8C Alfa, so many of the great cars, even modern cars, the McLaren F1 road car is $20 Million, it was because of what the race car did. I would say that a big part of our business now is historic race stuff.

“I think the passion for racing came first and then, like so many things, when it's a passion, you’re not working at it, you just gravitate towards it,” says Klutt.

“From my own boys point of view, it’s great that they have an interest in the cars, in racing and are genuinely passionate about it. Ryan loves the racing, but he’s way more into the history of the cars, where Gary is less about the history. He still loves the history, but if you said you can run NASCAR or you can go do a vintage race, he’s gonna go NASCAR. If you said to Ryan, you can do a vintage race at Pebble or Laguna or Goodwood, or run a NASCAR race, he’s going vintage racing.”

With some 25 seasons of television completed, the Covid era began just as the final show contract came to an end, so the decision was made to move to YouTube and other social media platforms.

“TV is becoming less relevant,” remarked Klutt. “The internet and social media is becoming more relevant and I think it’s just going to continue.

“We’ve tripled our subscribers over six to eight months. It’s time consuming and it is hard to see if there is a payback, but it was hard to quantify the payback on the show. I think like anything, it’s knowledge that’s getting out there. We’re looking at doing maybe a little less volume and more special cars.

“We’ve always had a wide range of cars. If you go downstairs, we’ve got a ‘36 Auburn boat tailed speedster and then here you’ve got a Bugatti Divo that they built 40 of, arguably one of the most exotic cars on the planet. Then you’ve got the Sixties muscle stuff. We’ve got a new drag pak Challenger. The idea is that we’re dealing in cool cars. It could be a $50,000 car or a $10 Million car, it doesn’t matter.”

Legendary Motorcar Company is located just off the 401 in Halton Hills and their showroom is a must visit. Likewise, all of their social channels are of the must subscribe variety.

TV presenter and auto racer sheds light on his path to ‘Legendary Motorcar’

Shapiro (1)

For decades, police departments all over have made efforts to show the general public a more friendly face than what the enforcement role often portrays. From the days of a beat cop who would interact daily with residents and business owners, this type of community police work evolved into regular appearances at auto shows, home shows and other similar events. The formula was pretty simple: set up a booth, man it with affable officers who not only did the standard meet and greet, but answered all manner of questions, essentially becoming a friendly educational resource.

The arrival of the Covid era changed all that. No longer were there opportunities to go out and meet the public face to face. Like many other organizations, Toronto Police Service needed to find a new way to do certain parts of their work. How does a police force reach out to the public during a pandemic? Almost accidentally, they found their solution in the form of PC Sean Shapiro.

<a href="http://d3odfdcwc42kff.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Shapiro-2-scaled.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-162525" src="http://d3odfdcwc42kff.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Shapiro-2-scaled.jpg" alt="Shapiro" width="2560" height="1707" /></a>

An admitted tech nerd, Shapiro is also a lifelong motorcycle enthusiast who understands the role that motorized vehicles play in the joy of living for so many people.

Like many two-wheeled enthusiasts of a certain age, PC Shapiro came by his love of motorcycles thanks to a childhood ride-on toy and watching the hit TV show CHIPS, about the adventures of a pair of California Highway Patrol officers who rode motorcycles.

As a sixteen-year-old, Shapiro graduated from a push bike to a Honda Hawk 400, bought in a partnership with a buddy, despite the concerns of Mom. Next up came a slightly more racy Kawasaki GPZ 550 and then an even more powerful Yamaha 11 Special. From there, Shapiro returned to Kawasaki in the form of a Vulcan 1500 D2, suitable for his 6’ 5” frame before acquiring the Honda Valkyrie Interstate that he now owns.

<a href="http://d3odfdcwc42kff.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Shapiro-3.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-162526" src="http://d3odfdcwc42kff.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Shapiro-3.jpg" alt="Shapiro" width="543" height="934" /></a>

As often happens to even the best of riders, bad luck caught up with Shapiro as he was returning to the station near the end of his shift. As the officer slowed to move into the left turn lane, a Lexus appeared from behind a parked panel van and made contact with the motorcycle and rider. Although a low-speed crash, the injuries put Shapiro on the sidelines for some time and are still a source of pain several years later.

In his previous career, Shapiro had worked with computers, web design, and photography. Upon his return to work, the officer wasn’t ready to go back on the front lines, but with his skill set it made sense for him to take on a back-end role in redeveloping the force’s website. That role evolved into a plan to increase Toronto Police’s presence online, but always with Shapiro as the techie guy behind the camera, never in front of it. The problem was that nobody else on the force had any interest in being on camera.

“It was never my intention to be in front of the camera” Shapiro says, “But nobody else wants to be on camera. By process of elimination, I am the only guy standing in front of it.”

Two years ago, while in a meeting, Superintendent Scott Baptist asked “why aren’t we on TikTok?” At the time, everyone was using the platform to dance and lip-sync, so the question wasn’t really taken very seriously. Not until a trio posted a video of themselves skateboarding on the Gardiner Expressway in the Spring of 2020. Shapiro immediately set up an account, @TrafficServices in order to monitor the situation and be able to make comment.

Having a bunch of video on hand which had been produced for the Arrive Alive program, that featured officers answering questions about impaired driving, Shapiro decided to post them to the account and see what happened. The response was instant and before long they were creating content specifically for the platform. One day not long after, Shapiro decided to go live and it has just taken off from there.

When I spoke with Shapiro a couple of weeks ago, he said “I never thought it would get this big. We’re at 179,000 followers. I was thrilled, and I mean thrilled, when we passed 18,000, because 18,000 is where our Twitter account is and I thought that was big”. As I am writing this, it is up to 181.2K!

<a href="http://d3odfdcwc42kff.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Shapiro-5.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-162528" src="http://d3odfdcwc42kff.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Shapiro-5.jpg" alt="Shapiro" width="640" height="948" /></a>

Even watching the live Q &amp; A style videos casually, it is readily apparent that there are a lot of folks out there who are looking for the “secret menu” of traffic policing. When someone says “I know the limit is 100 KM/H but isn’t it alright to go 115?”, something really interesting has been happening. Other users are chiming in using common sense with statements like “You do know that he’s a cop, right? You realize he can’t give you permission to speed, right?” The community of followers has become sort of self-moderating, with users often saying things that Shapiro can’t say in his professional role.

Shapiro says that while they don’t rank the questions asked, there are most definitely some that are asked more frequently than others. One of the most common questions is regarding the legality of window tint on a vehicle. “How dark can I go?” “Can I have under glow” is another frequent flyer. Of course how much can I speed is a popular question, but he also receives a lot of inquiries about how slow can someone drive without getting a ticket.

Another topic which Shapiro points out is a tough one is modifications. Many people want to personalize their vehicle, and a lot of them want to know exactly what they can customize legally. It is tough, because there are simply too many variables to just post a list of legal modifications.

Having been involved in developing training materials for the department in the past, the opportunity to educate the public comes naturally to Shapiro. He says that an unexpected offshoot of the popularity of the TikTok presence is that non-traffic police officers have started using it as a resource, often reaching out to Shapiro to see how they can best handle unusual situations. The account has become a reference library for civilians and police alike.

The popularity of the TikTok account has turned Shapiro into somewhat of a celebrity in the IRL world as well. “I get it when people from the industry recognize me” Shapiro says, “But I’ve been recognized all over the place, and it is from people you wouldn’t expect”. . From the steakhouse owner in London, Ontario who excitedly explained how much his wife loves Shapiro to the gaggle of kids on bikes in a park who were chattering about “that guy from Tik Tok”, the officer is approached regularly by folks who have seen his work. “It is very cool to be approached by people from such a broad audience.”

<a href="http://d3odfdcwc42kff.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Shapiro-4-scaled.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-162527" src="http://d3odfdcwc42kff.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Shapiro-4-scaled.jpg" alt="Shapiro" width="2560" height="1707" /></a>

Not only is @TrafficServices changing the public face of policing in Toronto, but it is changing the way that police investigate crimes by working directly with TikTok and a growing network of Canadian police TikTokers to evaluate how the platform can help solve crimes.

When asked what the future may bring for the platform, Shapiro points out that he has been dubbed Ontario’s TikTok traffic cop by radio show host Jerry Agar, and he now regularly appears on Agar’s radio show, while Agar drops into the TikTok realm on occasion too. The network of connections and conversations that have been created through the platform far exceeds their expectations and has brought great support from both the public and the police community. Shapiro says that via TikTok, they have the best of both worlds and are getting great bang for the buck because they are able to talk to a huge number of people all at the same time.

That is not to say that the program is without detractors. There are those who have complained that paying a cop to be on TikTok is a waste of taxpayer money. Shapiro points out that “we are doing this and it is the most efficient way of doing this and people apparently like it”. If you think about it, paying one guy to reach hundreds of thousands of people really is more cost-effective than paying 4 or 5 guys to attend a consumer show every week.

Despite still navigating the residual effects of that motorcycle crash a few years ago, the future is exciting for PC Shapiro, as he continues to explore the possibilities that TikTok provides for modern policing. Still passionate about motorcycles, Shapiro has not been back on a motorcycle since his crash, although his Valkyrie remains licensed, insured, and ready for the day that he decides that the time has come.

Meet the Toronto cop who is taking TikTok by storm

thumbnail_GG_trd-pro-sequoia (6 of 11)

Author’s note: We began planning this little road trip in the Fall and took the actual trip several weeks before Covid-19 became a thing. While we very much encourage you to follow our lead and make an off-season trip without the kids, we urge you to put off such a trip until the world goes back to normal.

“50-year old shocks the world in itty bitty swimsuit photos” a headline of the sort that regularly appears in today’s lifestyle publications.

It has been said that 50 is the new 30, or something along those lines. The reality that more, ahem, mature people can be just as hot, if not hotter than the traditional, more youthful vision of what is attractive. That modern view of hotness seems to be equally applied to not only the males and females of the human species, but also to trucks if our recent weekend with a certain aging SUV is any indication.

Toyota Canada has created somewhat of a tradition in recent years, as the late Fall or early Winter plays host to a push on the TRD-Pro model line up. Rather than hosting a full on press event this season, Toyota reached out to a select few outlets to create their own adventure to put their most coveted trucks to the test. Schedules being what they were, Mrs. Grant and I would not be able to get a weekend away from our business in the food industry until late February. Not exactly the time to be testing the offroad prowess of any vehicle without a support system in place, so we decided to opt for a foodie adventure in Prince Edward County, just a couple of hours east of Toronto.

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Our steed for the weekend would be the 2020 Toyota Sequoia TRD-Pro. While the visual of two adults taking a road trip in a full-sized, three row SUV might seem somewhat off at first glance, take a look around the local grocery store parking lot. How many parents do you see going shopping for the family, solo, in a Yukon or Explorer? Mom and Dad taking the family troop carrier away for the weekend is a pretty normal thing.

While some of the competition are barely of debutant age, having recently undergone total overhauls, the Sequoia, now in its second generation, is comparatively of Cougar age, having been on the market in the current configuration since 2007 when it was introduced as a 2008 model.

The thing is that the Sequoia is a relative unicorn on the market, with just a tick over 3,000 units being sold in Canada over the past 5 years. To put that number into perspective, Ford has delivered more than 76,000 Explorers during the same time period.

Partially due to solid exterior styling from the get go, and partially as a result of a certain level of rarity, the Sequoia continues to be an attention grabber on the road, particularly in the TRD-Pro trim, when finished in Army Green paint. In fact, the Sequoia garnered as much attention as we’ve had during drives with any first edition sportscar.

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To be brutally honest, when I heard that Toyota was creating a TRD-Pro version of the substantially sized Sequoia, I was bemused, because the same packaging for the 4Runner and Tundra really do turn those two machines into serious off road machines. Who the heck is going off road in a vehicle the size of a Sequoia, beyond perhaps conquering a cottage road during Spring run-off?

As one might expect, the TRD-Pro package applied to the Sequoia is indeed largely an appearance package, with one exception. The addition of 2.5” internal bypass Fox Racing shocks, makes for a seriously smooth ride on rough roads. More on that later.

The rest of the package is a well thought out combination of items which are either visual or functional in nature, or both. Perhaps most notable is the roof mounted cargo rack, which like the Army Green paint is a love it or leave it feature. My own beater (a rugged old Nissan Xterra) has a similar rack which has been used for everything from hauling bicycles, kayaks and camping gear to Christmas trees, so I guess you could say that I approve of the functionality offered by the rack. The other side to that of course is that it is so very high that actually putting stuff on the rack might not be feasible for some users.

The rest of the package includes Rigid Industries LED fog lights, 18” forged alloy wheels, “TOYOTA” heritage grille design, TRD shift knob, TRD Pro carpet mats, a power tailgate and a JBL 14 speaker audio system, along with suitably blacked out exterior trim bits.

<a href="http://d3odfdcwc42kff.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/thumbnail_GG_trd-pro-sequoia-8-of-11.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-151344" src="http://d3odfdcwc42kff.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/thumbnail_GG_trd-pro-sequoia-8-of-11.jpg" alt="Toyota Sequoia TRD-Pro" width="1200" height="675" /></a>

In the cabin, there is no question that the Sequoia is an old school truck, which for a certain segment of the public, myself included, is a good thing, while others may consider the interior dated. Hard plastic surfaces are the norm and while they may lack a certain level of tactile feel, they do offer a practical useability in that they wear well and are easy to clean.

The captain's seats for the front four occupants are comfortable and the third row looks as if the kids would be equally comfy. I didn’t attempt to crawl back there myself. It is worth noting that unlike some three row vehicles, there is still a very functional cargo space even when the third row is in the upright position.

Unfortunately, most road trips involve a dose of highway driving, and like other vehicles in the class, the Sequoia offers a comfortable highway experience once you get past the slightly guilty feeling of two people tripping in an absurdly large vehicle for the task. Where the TRD-Pro package comes into play is when the transition is made to country roads. This is where our big green friend proves that the Fox Racing shocks are more than just a cosmetic upgrade.

For decades now, when serious truck enthusiasts begin personalizing their truck, the first change is often to replace the original equipment shock absorbers with one of a handful of aftermarket versions. Why is something that nobody will ever see so important? Simply because the shocks offered by companies like Bilstein and Fox Racing make an unbelievable difference in the way that a vehicle handles, not only in the rough stuff, but on normal streets too. You may ask why then, do manufacturers not include them in their regular production vehicles. The short answer to a very complicated question is cost. The Good Stuff costs substantially more than a manufacturer can spend for more run of the mill supply chain type products.

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Leaving the highway and heading onto some of Prince Edward County’s back roads, The Hulk came into its own, taking Winter ravaged pavement and gravel road washboard and turning them into a silky smooth surface. Some connector roads in The County are little more than a single lane goat path and yet cruising at 80 KM/H there is no difference than on billiard table smooth tarmac.

Our destination for the weekend was a new-ish spot in Wellington known as the Drake Motor Inn. Reminiscent of old school drive up motels, the most coveted rooms feature a private parking spot right outside your own private patio. Owned by the same folks who operate Toronto’s Drake Hotel and Drake Commissary, the Motor Inn is just a three minute walk from the renowned Drake Devonshire, home to one of the best dining experiences in The County.

Directly outside the back door of the Motor Inn, on the other side of the river that runs underneath the main part of the Inn, lies the Midtown Brewing Company. This delightful family owned craft brewery offers wood-fired pizza and fantastic breakfast options. A neat aside is that the owners drive a new TRD-Sport Tacoma, which naturally meant they were also excited to see our big green steed.

The beauty of visiting any touristy area in the off-season is that not many tourists are visiting, especially during the colder months. That means that premium rooms can be booked easily, often for a more pleasing price than they fetch during high season. It also means that staff have more time to chat, if you are so inclined. Everybody seems more attentive in the off-season.

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Of course the downside to visiting wine country in the cooler months means that some smaller businesses may not be open when you visit.

One of the dirty little secrets of automotive journalism is that members of the media usually travel like rock stars, staying at the best hotels, sampling the best food and booze that corporate dollars can buy. The sad reality is that auto journalists travel in packs, so they often don’t realize that they are being treated differently from the rest of the hotel guests. Also, most of these seasoned travellers actually aren’t foodies, so the quality of food offered often goes unnoticed. It is kind of like giving a kid a $30 burger when they would be happier scarfing a $1.99 McDouble.

Bearing that in mind, we arrived at the Drake Devonshire to receive a super warm welcome from staff, all of whom were well briefed that some media guy was coming to review the joint. Our reception almost felt exaggerated until we realized that the staff simply didn’t have anyone else to talk to!

The Drake Devonshire is also the entertainment hub of The County, offering not only a top notch dining experience, but also having an uber-cool space that serves as a live music venue, all just steps away from Lake Ontario.

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The County is home to literally dozens of wineries ranging from tiny Mom &amp; Pop operations to large scale producers. We tend to gravitate to more unique spots like By Chadsey’s Cairns, a small operation named after the original owner who had erected stone cairns around the property. Legend has it that he did so to guide himself home after committing suicide over the grief caused by his wife’s passing.

Many of the smaller vineyards are tucked away on back roads, without any signage on the main streets, which means that the best way to explore Prince Edward County is to take a turn down random gravel roads and just go. You never know what treasures you might find.

At this point, Spring has arrived and yet all we can do is daydream about future road trips. Once the dangers of COVID-19 are controlled and we are allowed to get out and explore again, it is going to be really important to support small businesses within our home province. Towns like Wellington, which are just a short drive from major cities like Toronto and Ottawa, are going to provide the perfect escape from reality that we all are going to need.

&nbsp;

An Off-season Road Trip in an Army Green Toyota

minivan vs suv

The automotive landscape has changed dramatically over the past decade as consumers snubbed the traditional sedan in favour of minivans and SUVs.

You only have to visit the local shopping mall or hockey rink to see that Canadian families prefer the utility offered by this style of vehicle. Spend an afternoon walking around the Canadian International AutoShow and you will make the same observation.

So many consumers have stampeded to the more upright style of vehicle that some manufacturers, most notably Ford, have abandoned cars altogether. Well, with the exception of the Mustang, that is.

Even still, the masses are divided. There are those diehard minivan devotees who love the overall flexibility of a small bus, while others are drawn to the more sporty image offered by an SUV.

In an attempt to shed some light on the motivation behind this debate, I spent some time at the show and asked random show visitors “Which is best: Minivan or SUV?” I followed up with “Why”?

SUV - “I own a Crosstrek and I love it.”

Minivan - “because it is practical, it is economical, it is safer.”

SUV - “I dunno, because I drive an SUV.”

Minivan - “I have a minivan, so that is best.”

SUV - “Because I feel old and like a Mom in a minivan.”

SUV - “Because an SUV looks cooler.”

SUV - “Because minivans are ugly.”

SUV - “Comfort and the size. I have a Sportage and I love it.”

Then came the couple who were on the fence: Hubby says “Minivan is more practical, SUV is a bit cooler.” Wife responds “We have a Flex, so it is kind of in-between.”

My not-so-scientific investigation yielded 20 per cent in favour of the minivan and 60 per cent who most certainly prefer the SUV. The final 20 per cent were unapologetically split.

Not wanting to interview the entire show, I took to Facebook in an attempt to up the authenticity of the discussion with a bit of scientific data. Rather than post it on my own wall, which would be skewed by car enthusiasts who believe that all vehicles should be a sporty station wagon with a manual transmission, I posted it on the page for my catering business, which is popular with folks who like food - normal people instead of the gearheads who would normally comment on my random posts.

<a href="https://d3odfdcwc42kff.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/2017_bmw_2017_330i_xdrive_sport_wagon_m_sport_157725135098764da20191224_233521514_iOS-e1578461231253-940x626-1.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-149293" src="https://d3odfdcwc42kff.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/2017_bmw_2017_330i_xdrive_sport_wagon_m_sport_157725135098764da20191224_233521514_iOS-e1578461231253-940x626-1.jpg" alt="daily driver" width="940" height="626" /></a>

This poll included 59 responses, which I believe is a more valid cross section than my little snapshot of showgoers and yet the results were strikingly similar.

75 per cent preferred the SUV, leaving the minivan lovers in their dust!

The aforementioned wagon lovers were predictably vocal in the comments section, but the remainder of the comments were similar to those uttered at the show.

“If it were me, an SUV – merely because of its ability to tow and thrash through the northern winter roads with better traction and ground clearance.”

“They’re both grocery getters. Minivan carries a sheet of drywall so…”

“Minivan - enough seats for 7-to-8 people, plenty of luggage space and can be used to pick up large items. The only downside is towing capacity.”

Our little not-so-scientific experiment proves what most of us already suspected. Most families require a daily driver that offers a healthy dose of utility, but that utility can’t come at the cost of some perceived self-image of cool.

By Gary Grant / Special to wheels.ca

Which is Best? A Minivan or an SUV

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With ten new models coming, Nissan’s future is bright according to Canadian President Steve Milette

Nissan has been in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons over the past year or so, from lagging sales to a leadership scandal that has all of the makings of a Hollywood thriller. I sat down with Nissan Canada President Steve Milette during the Canadian International Autoshow media preview to get his take on the company’s direction.

GG: Nissan clearly has had their challenges in the past couple of years. How much of that can be contributed to the Ghosn situation and to a lesser extent, Hiroto Saikawa and more importantly is Makoto Uchida going to be able to turn the ship around?

SM: “To be honest with you, I spend about zero per cent of my time on those issues happening at the very highest levels. The one thing that we do do, is that we do have about 7,000 dealer personnel across the country. Obviously they are not as close to the Nissan internals as we would be. We spend a lot of time communicating with our dealer council. Actually, we started last week with a cross country tour, taking a break this week for the Autoshow, and then we are continuing next week. We are going to meet with every dealer and we share with them our vision for 2020 and beyond. They’ve all seen what’s going to happen over the next 20 months and they are super excited. It's just to keep the focus on what we control, the operations. What happens at the higher levels, I spend no time on.”

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GG: I saw a quote in the New York Times from CFO Stephen Ma that said “Unlike in the past, we’re not chasing market share. We’re not chasing volume. The most important thing for us right now is business fundamentals.” He was referring to the U.S. market. Does that sort of fit with what you are needing to focus on?

SM: “Absolutely, it is definitely true. The term we use is quality of sales. To set up a quality business, a sustainable business, we have to do things differently than perhaps in the past. His quote probably relates specifically to rental volume. There was higher rental volume in the U.S. Certainly in Canada, when you see that we are down month over month, like in the last 9-10 months, it's that we’ve taken drastic measures to reduce rental volume. We’ve reduced rental volume by a third. Our retail business also went down, but not to the same degree. When we go into 2020, that negation of rental business will even out and we’ll be measured really on true retail numbers. Internally, we focus on the pure retail business. What’s released to the media is one thing, we sorta have to put colour around it, but what we celebrate is increasing market share on a purely retail basis.”

GG: Product obviously has been a big part of the challenge, from aging models to, what a lot of people consider to be a lack of innovation. How do you see that we got here?

SM: “I can’t speak to the how we got here, but obviously the age of the product that we currently have is amongst the oldest in the industry. I think that’s a fair statement. It will also be renewed fairly quickly. It will go from the oldest to the very youngest in a relatively quick time.”

“What we have shared with the dealers is ten new models in twenty months and it's all the core segments. Looking ahead, those statements that you made won’t be true. How we got here, that’s behind us. Going forward, ten new models in twenty months. We launched Titan, which is relatively small volume here in Canada, Sentra, which has potential for huge volume and here today we’ve launched Versa and there is more to come.”

GG: I mean, you’ve got Titan and Frontier you’ve put the new engine in it, but it’s still that same truck.

SM: “We’ve put the new powertrain in that bodystyle, but we did signal that there is a new body style that is coming out very shortly. It is very exciting. When we showed the dealers the product, they were very excited about the future. Of all the products that we’ve showed them, I mean they were excited about everything, but the Frontier, which they’ve had the benefit of seeing, was the one that tickled them the most. They were extremely pleased with what they saw.”

GG: Nissan was at the forefront of EV with Leaf and it seems to have kind of lost some of that mojo I think, at least outside of Canada. Here, I think you’ve used it as a powerhouse for marketing. How are we different? Is it the Quebec market that is different for it?

SM: “What’s interesting with Leaf to be honest is that we spend very little money on marketing. It’s a grassroots demand. There is very strong organic demand for the vehicle. We have a very progressive government, both provincial and federal. I think those credits have tuned the customer base into EVs. Leaf itself has very high success in the Quebec market for sure. It is the powerhouse for us in Canada and very strong in British Columbia. They too have credits, but there is a very strong natural demand in British Columbia.”

<a href="http://d3odfdcwc42kff.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/IMG_9728-scaled.jpg"><img class="alignnone wp-image-149254 size-full" src="http://d3odfdcwc42kff.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/IMG_9728-scaled.jpg" alt="Nissan Canada President Steve Millet" width="2560" height="1440" /></a>

<a href="http://d3odfdcwc42kff.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/IMG_9794.jpg"><img class="alignnone wp-image-149255 size-full" src="http://d3odfdcwc42kff.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/IMG_9794.jpg" alt="Nissan Canada President Steve Millet" width="1280" height="853" /></a>

“The future is very bright, I mean if you’ve seen the <a href="https://www.wheels.ca/news/nissan-ariya-concept-is-all-about-connectivity/">Ariya concept</a>, which was very positively received at launch. What I can say is that that vehicle is very close to what the production vehicle would look like. When we say ten new products in twenty months, you can probably read between the lines. We are investing in EVs. We want to be successful in EVs. The future is bright in EVs and certainly for Nissan. It is going to be a growing part of our portfolio for sure."

&nbsp;

Nissan will add 10 New Models in 20 Months

Bugatti la voiture

Considered by many to be the most beautiful automobiles ever created, only four editions of the Bugatti Type 57 SC Atlantic were ever made. The second of these, a black one, went missing before the German invasion of the Alsace region of France, spawning one of the automotive world's greatest mysteries. It also provided the inspiration for the French automaker`s latest, most exclusive, creation.

Rather than a recreation of a vintage model, the Bugatti La Voiture Noire is a reflection of the company’s French identity and heritage. “The true form of luxury is individuality,” said Bugatti President Stephan Winkelmann, who added that the one-off creation blends the comfort of a luxury limousine with the performance of a hyper sports car.

First revealed to the world at the 2019 Geneva International Motor Show, La Voiture Noire is even more rare than those iconic Type 57 models, being No. 1 of a production run of one. Naturally, that level of exclusivity comes with a price. La Voiture Noire is the most expensive new car ever sold, to the tune of just over $16-million Canadian.

In case you were wondering, Bugatti does not reveal the names of their customers.

When Autoshow General Manager Jason Campbell saw La Voiture Noire in Geneva, he knew that the ultra-exclusive machine was the must-have halo car for this year’s Canadian International AutoShow. Campbell explained that the car is “one of the world’s most sought-after vehicles.”

<a href="http://d3odfdcwc42kff.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/22_lvn-atlantic57sc_elevated-front-copy.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-149117" src="http://d3odfdcwc42kff.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/22_lvn-atlantic57sc_elevated-front-copy.jpg" alt="Bugatti La Voiture Noire" width="1280" height="720" /></a>

Campbell worked closely with the team at Toronto-based Grand Touring Automobiles, one of North America’s largest super premium automotive retailers, to bring La Voiture Noire to this year’s show. “Their help in facilitating the discussions with Bugatti and making this dream car come to the Great White North in the depth of winter has been invaluable,” said Campbell.

Toronto’s streets have become a mecca for supercar watchers in recent years, which makes the AutoShow a perfect showcase for the most exotic example of automotive exclusivity.

Entirely crafted by hand, La Voiture Noire features a flawless, all black, carbon fibre body. Bugatti designer Etienne Salomé said, “We worked long and hard on this design until there was nothing that we could improve. For us, the coupé represents the perfect form with a perfect finish.”

As beautiful as they were, the original <a href="https://www.wheels.ca/news/rare-1937-bugatti-found-in-english-garage/">Type 57</a> models packed a serious performance punch. Remembering that these cars were built 80 years ago, it is astonishing that they were capable of topping 220 km/h, outperforming just about everything else on the road at the time. In the same spirit, La Voiture Noire boasts out-of-the-ordinary performance.

La Voiture Noire boasts the heart of a beast in the form of Bugatti’s now iconic 8 litre, 16 cylinder engine that creates close to 1,500 horsepower. Originally installed in the Bugatti Chiron, this monster gives La Voiture Noire a top speed of 420 km/h with the zero to 100 km/h sprint taking just 2.4 seconds.

By Gary Grant  /  Special to wheels.ca

World’s Most Exclusive Car Takes Centre Stage In Toronto 

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In what has become an annual tradition at the Canadian International Autoshow, the Trillium Automobile Dealers Association (TADA) and Prostate Cancer Canada are holding a special raffle at the show. This year’s raffle is even more special than in past years, as the lucky winner will have to make space in the garage for not one, but two cars.

That is because TADA has chosen to donate a pair of <a href="https://www.wheels.ca/car-reviews/first-drive-2020-toyota-gr-supra/">2020 Toyota GR Supras</a>, one in Nocturnal Black and the other in Renaissance Red, together valued at more than $152,000.

The long awaited GR Supra is the reincarnation of Toyota’s popular grand tourer from the Eighties and Nineties and embodies that heritage in both spirit and performance. One of the most beautiful coupes on the market today, the 2020 GR Supra boasts world class performance thanks to a chassis tuned by Gazoo Racing. Power comes from a turbocharged inline-6 which generates 335 horsepower, which is sent to the rear wheels via an 8-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters.

The GR Supra is the latest in a long line of incredible machines donated by TADA over the years, including Camaro ZL1, Corvette Stingray 3LT, Mustang GT, Audi S5, Dodge Hellcat Challenger, Porsche Carrera Cabriolet and, last year, an Acura NSX.

The 2020 Rock the Road raffle is the ninth edition, and is expected to bring the total funds generated by the raffle to more than $3 Million for prostate cancer research. Because the vehicles are fully donated by TADA, 100 per cent of the proceeds reach Prostate Cancer Canada. There are 30,000 tickets available this year, expected to raise $600,000 for research.

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Prostate cancer is the most common form of cancer found in Canadian men, with one in nine men being diagnosed with it. Every day, eleven people are diagnosed with it and while three out of four who find the disease late die, the survival rate is one hundred per cent for those who detect it early.

When Prostate Cancer Canada was created more than a quarter century ago, not many knew much about prostate cancer. Treatment options were limited at the time, which led to the loss of many men. Since that time, more than $125 Million dollars have been invested in Canada, funding research which has led to extended and improved quality of life for those who have been affected by the disease.

The first research grant in 1996 led to the development of active surveillance, which is a monitoring approach that has become a global standard, that has helped millions of men avoid overtreatment and the resulting side effects. The mortality rate has been cut in half.

<a href="http://d3odfdcwc42kff.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Screen-Shot-2020-02-18-at-2-1-scaled.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-149096" src="http://d3odfdcwc42kff.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Screen-Shot-2020-02-18-at-2-1-scaled.jpg" alt="Rock the Road Raffle" width="2560" height="1305" /></a>

The 2018 edition of the Rock the Road Raffle featured a somewhat ironic twist. The raffle winner was a prostate cancer survivor.

Robert Peressotti is an 11 year survivor and was searching online for a used Porsche when he stumbled across an ad for the Rock the Road raffle, which happened to be for a new Porsche 911 Carrera. Peressotti says that he donated to Prostate Cancer Canada every year anyway, so it made perfect sense for him to buy a ticket. To make the win even more special, the draw was the day before Peressotti’s Wife’s birthday!

Tickets for Rock the Road Raffle cost $25 each or three for $60. They are available until February 20that 9:30 p.m. For details on buying tickets, please visit <a href="https://www.rocktheroadraffle.ca/">RockTheRoadRaffle.ca</a>

Rock the Road Raffle Offers One Lucky Winner Two 2020 Toyota GR Supras

military display Leopard

Housed in an old building at the south end of the Oshawa airport for the past 40 years, the Ontario Regiment Museum has been a hidden gem, known only to military equipment fans and dead-end road explorers.

That all changed about five years ago, when plans began to turn the incredible collection into a true destination museum. In 2019, the Ontario Regiment Museum stepped up their game even further, becoming the surprise hit of the Canadian International AutoShow.

The centrepiece of the display was the beautifully restored “Billy”, a WWII-era M4 Sherman tank, which captured the imaginations of young and old. A number of other vehicles, accompanied by the people who care for them, rounded out the display, commemorating the 75th anniversary of D-Day.

Not to be outdone by past glories, Ontario Regiment Museum staff, in partnership with AutoShow management have pulled together an even more impressive, interactive display for the 2020 show.

“Most people coming to the Show like to get a taste of all things automotive” said Autoshow General Manager Jason Campbell, adding “this is really giving them something unique to marvel at that you don’t get to see very often up close and personal.”

This year, the focus will offer a special Canadian twist according to museum Executive Director Jeremy Neal Blowers. The spotlight will be on Canadians and the vehicles they’ve used in recent international peacekeeping missions.

The star of the show will surely be a Leopard C2 tank that saw active duty in Afghanistan. The fastest tank ever built, the 42-ton Leopard was built by Porsche and can accelerate to 65 km/h. Showgoers can learn more about the Leopard during daily Tank Talk sessions, when the tank’s big gun turret will be put in motion!

The opposite end of the spectrum is on display in the form of a Ferret MK1. Designed and built in the U.K. by Daimler, the Ferret Scout Car was created as a reconnaissance vehicle. It’s small size, speed and agility allowed scout teams to investigate forward positions and report back efficiently. The Ferret on display has been fully restored, including the markings it wore when it saw action in Egypt during the Suez Crisis in the 1950s.

Originally conceived as an armored troop carrier, the M113 has been used in various ways. The Canadian version on display is an air defence anti-tank system, which features a roof-mounted, radar-guided missile launcher that offered exceptional long range accuracy against enemy tanks. The unit on display saw active duty with Canadian troops and is open for AutoShow visitors to explore.

<a href="https://d3odfdcwc42kff.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/military-display-M113.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-149073" src="https://d3odfdcwc42kff.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/military-display-M113.jpg" alt="Ontario Regiment Museum " width="1280" height="853" /></a>

The museum itself is solely funded by visitor ticket sales and donations, which is a tough road when you think that in 2012, just 1,200 visitors went through the door. In 2019, that number topped 15,000 paid visitors. That number doesn’t include the folks out for a stroll on a Sunday afternoon who poke their heads in an open bay to see what’s going on inside.

The museum’s explosive growth over the past five years can partially be attributed to the very popular Tank Saturdays program, where visitors can see these monsters of the battlefield in motion and even buy tickets to go for a ride in one. Every day during the AutoShow, visitors to the Ontario Regiment Museum display can enter to win a thrill ride in a Leopard tank!

To plan your visit to the museum, check out <a href="http://www.ontrmuseum.ca">www.ontrmuseum.ca</a>

By Gary Grant  /  Special to wheels.ca

High Speed Leopard Tank Brings Military Excitement to Autoshow

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The towing industry in southern Ontario has been more visible in the media in recent months as an alleged turf war between rival towing companies has seen numerous tow trucks set on fire.

After receiving multiple complaints about the towing industry ranging from exorbitant fees to stolen vehicles and high storage yard fees, Toronto Police Services, Durham Regional Police Services and Ontario Provincial police launched Project Bondar in October, 2019.

Working with the Insurance Bureau of Canada and the Ontario Ministry of Transport, Project Bondar was intended to “ensure compliance with legislation and also to meet with and educate tow truck providers on best practices and consumer protection laws”.

In a sweep which included 8 search warrants in Brampton, Scarborough, Etobicoke, Ajax, Clarington, Pickering and Whitby, police recovered 31 vehicles worth about $900,000. The vehicles included a BMW M4, a Ferrari 488 and 8 tow trucks, two of which had been burnt.

As a result of the raids, police handed out 92 Consumer Protection Act charges, 149 various Provincial Offences Act charges and 17 Criminal Code charges.

The moments following even a minor collision can be confusing at best, so Project Bondar offers these tips for consumers to keep safe.

● Know what your insurance policy covers. See if you have roadside assistance coverage and what the limits are. If you've been in a collision, find out how your car insurance company handles towing and how much your insurer will cover.
● Don't let a towing operator take your vehicle until you view a Government of Ontario Towing Consumer Bill of Rights. You should be shown a towing and storage rate sheet listing towing fees, daily storage fees (if any), and all other miscellaneous charges.
● You should be given a copy of an 'Authorization to Tow' form that includes where your vehicle will be towed to as well as the driver's name and contact information.
● Make sure that the company name on the town truck matches the documentation and do not agree to a demand for a cash payment to release your vehicle without consulting your insurance company first.
● Do not give out your insurance information. Some fraudulent tow operators use this information for additional scams, like calling the victim and pretending to be their insurer or providing it to a health practitioner.
● If you suspect fraud or if the tow truck driver refuses to leave, call the police.

Ontario Police Recover 31 Vehicles in Project Bondar

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In a story that reads more like a Hollywood blockbuster than an automotive industry news piece, former Nissan-Renault boss Carlos Ghosn has come out swinging against the Japanese legal system and Nissan in a press conference in Beirut.

The French Brazilian Lebanese businessman made his first public comments since a daring escape from Japan, where he was being held under house arrest following a term in prison on charges of breach of trust and under-reporting roughly $82 Million in salary.

In the press conference, Ghosn said that he was “here to clear my name’, adding “these allegations are untrue. I should never have been arrested in the first place”. Clearly looking for sympathy, Ghosn emphasized his view that he was hard-done-by as he says that “I was brutally taken from my world as I knew it,”

Claiming that the Japanese justice system is “rigged”, Ghosn said “I did not escape justice. I fled injustice”. Ghosn said the “guilt is presumed” in the system, which has a 99 per cent conviction rate. The ex-executive claims to have spent 130 days in solitary confinement and often underwent 8 hours of interrogation daily.

<a href="http://d3odfdcwc42kff.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/carlos-ghosn-2.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-147564" src="http://d3odfdcwc42kff.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/carlos-ghosn-2.jpg" alt="Carlos Ghosn" width="1280" height="854" /></a>

Ghosn told reporters that he is innocent of the charges brought against him and says it was a plot by Japanese executives who felt threatened that Renault had become more powerful in the alliance between the two automakers.

Following Ghosn’s escape, Interpol issued a “red notice” to inform international authorities that the man is wanted by Japanese authorities. Lebanon however does not have a catch and release agreement with Japan, so it would seem that Ghosn is currently safe in that country. Japan has also issued an arrest warrant for Ghosn’s Wife, accusing her of offering false testimony in a court hearing in April.

The Escape

Those who were hoping for a recounting of exactly what transpired in the jail break were to be disappointed, as Ghosn did not elaborate.

The gossip mill has offered up several versions of the story to date, which has included a band made up of ex-paramilitary operators, a Japanese bullet train, an airplane and a man in a music case.

When one reporter asked whether a movie was in the works, Ghosn said “No contract has been signed with Netflix”. Ghosn with the Wind anyone?

Gary Grant

Articles by Gary Grant