Vette front

Living in rural Nova Scotia, Matthew Guy has immersed himself in car culture for over 30 years and relishes the thought of a good road trip. A certified gearhead, he enjoys professionally writing about cars and is very pleased to contribute for wheels.ca.

His work has also appeared on Car Throttle, The Truth About Cars, and in CAA Magazine. Find him on Twitter @matthewkguy

Why are we talking about the Chevrolet Corvette Stingray, one of today’s best performance deals, in the month of January while another round of winter weather batters the GTA? Simple: the boffins at Chevy recently hauled the covers off an electrified all-wheel drive version of America’s Supercar – which means we all have Corvette Stingray on the brain right now. Also, your author is cold and is pining for better driving weather.

The electrified Corvette, called the E-Ray, won’t appear until the 2024 model year and will carry a price tag well into the six figures. Until then, why don’t we have a gander at what the most affordable Stingray, the $78,198 Coupe 1LT, has in store for the Base Camp buyer. Slung in a midship position behind the driver is a 6.2L V8 making 490 horsepower and 465 lb.-ft of torque, all of which is fed through an 8-speed dual-clutch transmission on its way to the rear wheels. This should be good for a sprint to highway speeds in a touch over 3 seconds. Unless one pops for an optional package (more on that in a bit), all Stingrays make the same amount of power.

Despite being labeled a Coupe, this model actually has a removable roof panel which opens the heavens to both driver and passenger. Tire sizes are staggered, measuring 19 inches up front and 20 in the rear (245/35 and 305/30, respectively). So-called ‘carbon flash’ exterior accents and badges are part of the deal, as are body colour trim and LED lamps. Silver, black, white, and red are all $0 paint options, with other costing between $995 and $1,495. A dizzying array of stripe packages are also on tap.

<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-174357" src="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Vette-int.png" alt="Chevrolet Corvette Stingray" width="2880" height="1486" />

The main differences between the 1LT trim and its 2LT/3LT brothers are, option packages notwithstanding, interior features. The base car comes with digital real estate equal to its pricier counterparts, made up of a 12-inch colour gauge pod in front of the driver and an 8-inch infotainment screen in the centre stack (though it is sans navigation in the 1LT). Ten audio speakers are present instead of fourteen, which is arguably good for weight savings.

Dual-zone climate, leather seating surfaces with perforated inserts, remote start, and parking assists are all on board - though you’ll have to bring yer own smartphone charging cord. Oh, the humanity. At least there is wireless capability for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

What We'd Choose

Gearheads that we are, the spendy $7,495 Z51 Performance Package warrants a mention. It adds Brembo-branded brakes, performance-oriented suspension tuning, and a different rear axle ratio to go along with an electronic limited slip differential. Heavy-duty cooling, gummy Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires, and a bump in power to 495hp/470tq are also Z51-specific. These cars are easy to spot with their unique Z51 splitter and spoiler, while a different exhaust announces its presence to the neighbours.

That’s a lot of scratch but is an investment, we feel, is worth the cash. To us, it is a far better spend of money than vanity items like stripe packages or stand-alone wings/spoilers, to say nothing of pricey wheels which may be ditched for new units at some point in the car’s life, anyway. Fire away $610 on Torch Red seatbelts to jazz up the interior if you must, but a Z51-equipped Corvette Stingray 1LT for $85,693 represents an appealing package considering this car’s outrageous level of performance.

Base Camp: 2023 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray

BMW_Mixed Reality

Whether it’s a first-drive feature from the sun-soaked California coast, a quick news story about an off-road pickup that may (or may not) be coming to your local dealership or a review of a hot new sports sedan, somewhere Lee Bailie is writing about cars and car culture, something he’s been doing for almost a decade. A car guy to the core, he went on his first automotive plant tour at age seven.

MUNICH – When I learned that BMW was going to be staging a mixed reality demonstration for journalists to sample as part of the company’s CES preview in Munich, I wasn’t sure exactly what it would entail.

Now, I know what virtual reality is and I’m familiar with its presence in media, especially video games, where VR headsets are required to play specific titles on PC and console, but mixed reality had me stumped.

What is it? And how was I going to experience it behind the wheel of the all-new <a href="https://www.wheels.ca/news/2023-bmw-m2-gets-m4-levels-of-power">2023 BMW M2</a>, a car that had not yet gone into production at the time I was in Munich?

Well, as it turns out, BMW’s version of mixed reality is much more interactive than anything you’ll experience in VR on a PlayStation 5.

<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-173804" src="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/P90486954-lowRes.jpg" alt="BMW mixed reality" width="2248" height="1500" />

In this scenario, I drove the car while wearing a VR headset which means I couldn’t see the real world I was driving in, but only a virtual one BMW had created. Essentially, it felt like I was piloting a car in video game. Rather than playing Gran Turismo 7, it felt like I was in Gran Turismo 7. But I’ll get to that.

First, some background on BMW’s M Mixed Reality experience. What I and a handful of auto journalist colleagues experienced in Munich is the result of a collaboration between BMW M engineers and Epic Games, a North Carolina-based software and video game developer behind titles such as Fortnite and Gears of War, along with Unreal Engine, a graphics game engine used to power many high-profile games.

The product of the collaboration, which was unveiled in May at the Web Summit tech conference in Lisbon, is a virtual driving experience where an M2 has been turned into a video game controller of sorts.

Once strapped into the car, the driver puts on the VR / MR headset and is tasked with completing racing game challenges on a virtual track such as avoiding obstacles, collecting “coins” (BMW logos) and, of course, recording the fastest laps possible. If you think this sounds a little like VR Mario Kart, the Nintendo classic, you’re not far wrong. Only in this instance, you’re on track alone and there are no exploding shells to avoid.

As for why BMW has done this, the answer is the future. As in, to demonstrate what virtual automotive experiences could look like soon. Plus, and this is just my opinion, it’s pretty darn cool.

So that’s the gist of it, now for some first-hand impressions.

The BMW M Mixed Reality experience was staged at the company’s Driving Academy in Maisach, on the grounds of an old military airfield located about 30 kilometres west of Munich.

Our driving sessions coincided with a cold and drizzly late November day, so lap records were in no danger of falling. Still, I was feeling a fair bit of nervous excitement as our group was shuttled out to a far corner of the facility, as I really wasn’t sure what to expect. I’ve worn VR and AR (augmented reality) glasses before, but never while driving.

<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-173805" src="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/P90486956-lowRes.jpg" alt="BMW M2 mixed reality" width="2248" height="1500" />

Once my turn arrived, I strapped into a pre-production M2 (with a four-point harness!) and followed the instructions of a developer riding shotgun. The headset has an earpiece, so I listened carefully as a female voice guided me to the (virtual) starting line for my laps.

A few things to note here. One, when I looked down, I could see my legs, hands and the car’s console area, so I did have some real-world reference points. Two, I wasn’t going fast – the virtual track was short with several avoidance maneuvers and hairpin turns, so my top speed was less than 60 km/h.

So, what did I see? A virtual racing simulator, with a futuristic-looking track and skyline that reminded me vaguely of Las Vegas at night. Everything was black, with red accents to highlight the outline of the track and its obstacles.

Large red Xs would appear that I had to avoid and there was a trail of BMW coins I had to drive over to pick up to collect time bonuses that would improve my overall result.

<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-173808" src="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/P90486961-lowRes.jpg" alt="BMW mixed reality" width="2249" height="1500" />

I’ll admit I was a little hesitant on my first lap as I adjusted to the bright visual stimuli my brain was being bombarded with, but I was faster on the second lap. Familiarity with the track while also being more adjusted to the experience helped a lot in that respect.

One of the more interesting aspects of the experience is the lack of sensory depravation. Despite the virtual visuals I was absorbing, I could hear everything going on outside the headset – engine sounds, wet sloshing on track, tire slippage under hard braking and, of course, information being relayed to me by the developer in the passenger seat.

The feeling of driving was ever-present. The sensation of doing so while being in a virtual environment is counterintuitive and a little strange at first, but once familiar, the driving feels mostly normal.

In sum, the BMW M Mixed Reality experience was a lot of fun. Immersive, innovative, and mind-blowing. And it didn’t make me feel nauseous, a common VR side effect.

But as much fun as this was, I have to say that I can’t wait to drive the <a href="https://www.wheels.ca/news/2023-bmw-m2-gets-m4-levels-of-power">2023 M2</a> without a headset.

Real and virtual worlds meet behind the wheel of the 2023 BMW M2

2022 ford mustang gt main header

Automotive journalist from Montreal, AJAC-member, and owner of claveyscorner.com

The Ford Mustang is a sports car that needs little introduction. Its legacy harkens way back to the mid-1960s when it firmly cemented its position within post World War II Americana. The Mustang is as American as a steamy hot dog during a Yankees baseball game.

This is also why Ford will unveil the next-generation Mustang - code-named the S650 - at the most American of auto shows: Detroit. But before we get there, let’s look back at the current car and remember what Ford did well with that model and what the new car could potentially improve on.

That Good-old Five-O

The model tested is the iconic Mustang GT, the one powered by can equally symbolic 5.0-liter V8 or what many refer to as the five-o Mustang. It’s also the one several Mustang enthusiasts like to call the real Mustang due to the pulsating V8 engine that’s hiding underneath its hood.

<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-171147" src="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/2022-ford-mustang-gt-engine.jpg" alt="2022 Ford Mustang GT" width="2080" height="1387" />

Updated in 2018 to develop more power and torque (460 hp vs 435 and 420 lb-ft vs 400), but detuned in 2022 (450 hp/410 lb-ft) due to stricter emissions regulations, that V8 can still be mated to a six-speed manual transmission or a ten-speed automatic gearbox, which is the case for the model tested here.

When the sixth-generation Ford Mustang was introduced in 2015, it was a clean sheet design, giving birth to a much more sophisticated machine than its predecessor. While the Mustangs that came before it were very much pony cars built mostly for straight-line acceleration, the S550 was officially a sports car, one that could finally be measured against the best sports coupes from a handling standpoint. That was all thanks to its first-ever fully independent rear suspension.

What’s more, this generation Mustang had finally let go of the retro-inspired styling of its predecessor, a trend that began in 2005 with much success, but by 2014, was beginning to appear overdone, as if Ford had overmilked that cow.

<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-171150" src="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Guillaume-Fournier-Photographe-GFV_4043.jpg" alt="2022 Ford Mustang GT" width="2080" height="1387" />

The current S550 – which will be phased out at the end of this year - has a much more distinguished design language, one that propelled the Mustang into the future while still firmly hanging onto its past.

Wide, bulging rear fenders, a sloping rear roofline, and the quintessential Mustang three-bar taillights all worked beautifully together to make up one of the most striking Mustangs in years. Seven years in, this design still feels fresh and totally in tune with what a modern pony car should look like.

Feeling Young, Wild and Free

While I still firmly believe that a Mustang GT is best appreciated with a manual transmission, I must say that Ford’s ten-speed automatic unit is rather stellar with this engine. I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again: this transmission operates better with larger displacement engines or massive low-end torque.

I say this, because in the four-cylinder EcoBoost Mustang, it’s not as polished, constantly hunting for gears, which is irritating. But with the V8, it simply disappears in the background when you’re casually driving the car around town. That’s precisely what you want from an automatic transmission.

<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-171159" src="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Guillaume-Fournier-Photographe-GFV_3981.jpg" alt="2022 Ford Mustang GT" width="2080" height="1387" />

Set the Mustang GT in its Sport or even Track setting, and the transmission instantly drops a few gears and stays within the first six cogs for optimal driver involvement. The paddle shifters work well enough for manually doing things yourself, but this box is best enjoyed when left to do its own thing. It downshifts quickly and it’s quite good at handing you the right gear for the task at hand.

There’s something undeniably lovely about driving a V8-powered Mustang at night on a metropolitan highway or, even better, inside a tunnel. Montreal’s Ville-Marie Expressway, which crosses the downtown area underground, proved the perfect playground for my rambunctious coupe. You just never get bored of hearing the low-strung pig-iron symphony of Dearborn’s Coyote V8. The fact that my press unit was painted all black with black wheels only added to its already rebellious personality.

The Mustang is more a grand tourer than a precision-obsessed sports coupe, however. This means that while it puts the power down rather well and will claw its way through a corner without embarrassing itself, it remains a large and rather heavy machine, one that weighs in (with the V8) at a lofty 3,705 pounds.

<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-171155" src="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Guillaume-Fournier-Photographe-GFV_3990.jpg" alt="2022 Ford Mustang GT" width="2080" height="1387" />

Add to that the fact that you’re sitting near the rear axle, looking ahead over a long, prominent hood, and the Mustang GT can be a handful for beginners. It requires a firm hand and that you don't baby it. Doing so will be highly rewarding and undoubtedly addictive. Lose your focus, and you’ll be the next Cars and Coffee star on TikTok.

In other words, one truly needs to commit if the goal is to drive the Mustang GT with haste, as the car’s wide rear is constantly wiggling, reminding you it must be respected for what it is.

The Mustang’s weight and 188-inch total length mean it’s a handful to control, but once you get your head around its dimensions, it shrinks underneath you. Within a matter of minutes, Ford’s legendary sports car makes you feel 10 years younger, has you wanting to do very wild things and motivates you to drive off into the distance, free as a bird.

<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-171151" src="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Guillaume-Fournier-Photographe-GFV_4021.jpg" alt="2022 Ford Mustang GT" width="2080" height="1387" />

But all good things do come to an end, which is why Ford is already preparing the S550’s replacement. Rumors online say the Coyote V8 will not only stay within the lineup but will pump out around 500 horsepower. The EcoBoost four, on the other hand, could inherit a mild hybrid system and some rumors even speak of a drift mode. We’ll need to wait until the September 14th unveiling date for confirmation on that one.

We’re hoping Ford will improve the Mustang’s materials inside because these hard plastics are not ageing well. An updated infotainment system could also help this pony, perhaps Ford’s Sync 4 it also puts in the Bronco. What the new Mustang needs to keep, is styling that’s as equally charismatic and loaded with nostalgia as its predecessor. Because after all, the automotive landscape simply wouldn’t be the same if the Mustang became anything other than the thoroughbred it was destined to be.

2022 Ford Mustang GT

BODY STYLE: Two-door coupe

CONFIGURATION: Front engine, rear-wheel drive

ENGINE: 5.0-liter V8 (480 horsepower @ 7,000 rpm and 420 lb-ft of torque @ 4,600 rpm)

TRANSMISSION: 10-speed automatic (or six-speed manual)

FUEL CONSUMPTION: 13.1 L/100 km (combined), 15.7 L/100 km (city), 9.8 L/100 km (highway)

OBSERVED ENERGY CONSUMPTION: 13.5 L/100 km

CARGO CAPACITY 396 liters

PRICE: $57,405 (as tested)

WEBSITE: <a href="https://www.ford.ca/">Ford</a>

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2022 Ford Mustang GT Review

22 cayman gt4rs main header

For over half a decade, Dan Heyman has written professionally about cars and car culture, specializing in luxury/performance vehicles, 4 x 4s and pickup trucks, with a micro city car or two thrown in for good measure. If he's not striking a spacebar, he's likely out photographing cars on the twists and turns of the Coast Mountain roads outside his hometown of Vancouver, BC, or cutting a line on a racetrack.

THE STREETS OF WILLOW - The Porsche Cayman GT4 RS marks the first time those two wonderful letters have graced the rear deck and side sills of a Porsche not called “911”.

And it…is…loud.

Especially from the inside, as the airbox sits right there in the cabin with nothing between it and your ear canal.

This particular Cayman needs that huge airbox because underneath it sits the 4-litre flat-six sourced from the 911 GT3, while the “standard” GT4 makes do with a bored out, de-turbo’d version of the 911’s 3.0-litre flat-six. The RS’s engine needs more air for both cooling and power production, which means it gets extra air intakes where the rear side windows used to be. It is a monstrous set-up.

Power is rated at 493 horsepower and 331 pound-feet of torque. That’s down a little on the GT3 RS due to the longer exhaust required by the Cayman’s mid-engine configuration, but up from 414 and 309, respectively, on the GT4.

A deep dive in to what they’ve done to the GT4 to bring it up to “RS” status reads like a laundry list of racing modifications that includes an adjustable carbon fibre rear wing that provides 25 per cent more downforce that the item on the standard GT4; adjustable front splitter and wheel settings; optional ultra-lightweight magnesium wheels shod with Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 rubber; Naca brake cooling ducts; dual-mass flywheel shared with the Clubsport racer; increased body stiffness; special brake rotors and pads, and more.

<a href="https://d3odfdcwc42kff.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/22-cayman-gt4rs-rear-RS-scaled.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-166085" src="https://d3odfdcwc42kff.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/22-cayman-gt4rs-rear-RS-scaled.jpg" alt="2022 Porsche Cayman" width="2560" height="1707" /></a>

Of course, it’s eye-catching, to be sure although that doesn’t quite do it justice; absolutely bonkers is probably the better way to go, especially when finished in Racing Yellow, as seen here. Slap a sponsor decal or two on one of these babies, and it wouldn’t look out of place on a racetrack, anywhere.

<a href="https://d3odfdcwc42kff.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/22-cayman-gt4rs-side-scaled.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-166086" src="https://d3odfdcwc42kff.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/22-cayman-gt4rs-side-scaled.jpg" alt="2022 Porsche Cayman" width="2560" height="1708" /></a>

Or, you can go ahead and spec the $15-grand-and-change Weissach package to have the wing mirror caps, hood, side intakes, and wing all finished in exposed carbon fibre. That’s also how you get those 935-style tailpipes, and if you want those magnesium wheels, you have to start here. Meaning that to get those weight-saving wheels (the grey car pictured has them; the yellow car does not), you have to part with over $30 grand but they save over 21 pounds of unsprung weight. The magnesium-wheeled car felt noticeably more fleet-of-foot. Still, though; that’s a lot of moolah, even considering the GT4 RS’ $166,600 base MSRP.

There are some interior changes, of course, thought they aren’t quite as marked. The yellow centering band atop the steering wheel is one, as is the shift lever that’s shared with the GT3 (it may look like a manual, but it isn’t. And the GT4RS can only be had with a seven-speed PDK automatic), carbon fibre inserts on dash and center console and special badging on the seats and faux suede-trimmed dash if you spec the Weissach package.

It remains a very serious place but a great one to sit in. Perfect wheel angle, seat angle (fixed back carbon items are standard, but these can be switched out) and everything is right where it needs to be.

It makes it a lot easier to get down to the business of driving this razor-sharp mid-engined track monster from Porsche.

The quoted zero-60 mph time is 3.4 seconds and while that isn’t necessarily a face-pulling number, the real drama starts as you take to the track and really start to flow. I didn’t worry about launch control, I just wanted to get out there because this is a car that positively bristles with energy as soon as you fire it up and you can tell it doesn’t want any computerized help. It just wants to run. And to sweat. And to do it all over again, turn after turn.

<a href="https://d3odfdcwc42kff.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/22-porsche-cayman-gt4rs-weissach-scaled.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-166088" src="https://d3odfdcwc42kff.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/22-porsche-cayman-gt4rs-weissach-scaled.jpg" alt="2022 Porsche Cayman" width="2560" height="1707" /></a>

The Streets of Willow track in California is a twisty desert affair with many a blind corner and a few multi-apex fast sweepers, so it can be daunting.

Unless, of course, you’re in a Porsche GT4 RS with its super-sticky tires and up to 220 pounds of aero. On a dry surface like this, it’s almost impossible to un-stick as that molasses-like Michelin rubber just munches the tarmac below it. And all the while, that magnificent 4-litre flat-6 with its six individual throttle bodies, rigid valvetrain with finger followers and dry sump lubrication is banshee-wailing behind you.

For all its aero addenda and spine-tingling exhaust note, the GT4 RS is actually very much a point-and-shoot sports car with incredibly direct steering, a responsive front end and fantastic body control that just continues to spirit you forward with zero inertia. It also gets increased spring rates so body movement is reduced even further still.

<a href="https://d3odfdcwc42kff.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/22-cayman-gt4rs-interior-scaled.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-166083" src="https://d3odfdcwc42kff.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/22-cayman-gt4rs-interior-scaled.jpg" alt="2022 Porsche Cayman" width="2560" height="1707" /></a>

It didn’t take me long to start pushing, pushing, and pushing some more because this car is meant to handle way more than I was ever going to lob its way over the course of a handful of laps. Still, of all the time I’ve spent on the track, and of all the cars I’ve driven in that environment, I’m having a hard time remembering the last time I became “one” with a car this quickly.

You do have to pay for it, though; all told in Weissach/magnesium spec, the GT4 RS costs about as much a 911 Turbo, arguably the flagship of the 911 line.

<a href="https://d3odfdcwc42kff.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/22-porsche-cayman-gt4rs-mag-wheels-scaled.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-166087" src="https://d3odfdcwc42kff.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/22-porsche-cayman-gt4rs-mag-wheels-scaled.jpg" alt="2022 Porsche Cayman" width="2560" height="1707" /></a>

Here’s the thing, though the GT4 RS is the “halo” of the Cayman/718 line, it is a no-holds-barred affair and in the rarified world inhabited by trackday specials like this, that kind of pedigree counts for something. The GT4 RS is different and more unique than even a 911 Turbo and when push comes to shove and you already have a 911 at home, well, why not, right?

The vehicle was provided to the writer by the automaker. Content and vehicle evaluations were not subject to approval.

FIRST DRIVE: 2022 Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS

Audi TT side

Every week, wheels.ca selects a new vehicle and takes a good look at its entry-level trim. If we find it worthy of your consideration, we'll let you know. If not, we'll recommend one - or the required options - that earns a passing grade.

With the automotive world rapidly careening to all things electric, rumours are rife that the next Audi TT will take its form as some sort of electrified machine. Until then, the ’22 model retains its unique shape and grippy Quattro all-wheel drive system.

Technically saddled with a ‘45 TFSI S tronic’ suffix, the entry-level TT Coupé – priced at $60,200 – is powered by a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine with a maximum output of 228 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque. This mill is connected to a seven-speed S tronic dual-clutch automatic transmission, so you’ll have to find something else to do with your left leg. Electromechanical steering with speed-sensitive power assistance provides telepathic communication with the front wheels, while the brand’s excellent Quattro system puts power down to all four. Highway speeds are yours in about 5.5 seconds.

Typical Audi theatre is standard kit on the TT Coupé, including an electric spoiler which automatically extends at 120 km/h to increase aerodynamics and retracts at 80 km/h. For a sportier appearance (read: showing off), it can also be operated manually. LED lamps pepper the front and rear fascias, while dual exhaust tips sprinkled with brightwork poke out from under the rear bumper. Wheels measure 19 inches in diameter and are wrapped in 35-series performance rubber with a meaty 245 section. Any shade other than Ibis White costs $890; your author has chosen Python Yellow Metallic because he is an irritating extrovert.

<a href="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Audi-TT-interior.png"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-165982" src="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Audi-TT-interior.png" alt="2022 Audi TT" width="2880" height="1617" /></a>

Few companies can do an interior like Audi, and the company’s skills are on full display in the 2022 TT Coupé. A flat-bottomed multifunction steering wheel is wrapped in leather, as are the heated front seats and some other interior elements. Tunes are taken care of by a 680-watt Bang &amp; Olufsen sound system whose 12 speakers fill the small cabin with whatever music you’re playing instead of the dour news emanating from the CBC.

The nifty Virtual Cockpit is a fully digital instrument cluster which incorporates a 12.3-inch display directly in front of the driver. This jumbotron can depicts a variety of navigation or entertainment info, driving dynamics, or other vehicle vitals. Luddites can minimize the amount of detail by choosing a simple large tachometer, if desired. Climate displays show up as screens integrated into the slickly designed trio of centre vents.

<a href="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Audi-TT-front.png"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-165983" src="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Audi-TT-front.png" alt="2022 Audi TT Coupé" width="2880" height="1800" /></a>
<h3>What We'd Choose</h3>
Optional on the entry-level TT Coupé is the $1,400 S line Competition Package. Some of its features are cosmetic – including the red brake calipers and blacked-out trim – but others increase performance such as the 10mm wider 30-series tires on 20-inch wheels. The active spoiler is also swapped out for a fixed unit, Alcantara is applied to interior surfaces, and colour selection is restricted to grey, white, or red. If you don’t mind those changes, the tires alone are worth the cash. And even if you don’t want the Competition styling cues, a set of 255/30/20 performance shoes are available as a stand-alone option for $800.

In a market where crossovers and SUVs (witness our last umpteen number of Base Camp subjects) are the beyond-dominant body style, the world’s gearhead community is glad Audi continues to make sporty coupés like the TT.

Base Camp: 2022 Audi TT Coupé

20190704_1442151

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MONT TREMBLANT, Que. – The last time the Toyota Supra graced dealer lots in Canada, new cars still had cassette decks, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg was entering high school and everyone was worried about Y2K.

Welcome to 1998, a time when in addition to the above, Toyota Canada was trying (with limited success) to sell its last handful of fourth generation Supras that were burdened with price tags north of $70,000. Adjusted for inflation, that’s over $105,000 in 2019.

A Toyota – even a halo-ish sports car like the Supra – priced that high was simply a non-starter for most new car buyers, a reality the company itself acknowledged during the recent press launch for the all-new 2020 Toyota GR Supra.

One official even told the assembled media that the last ’98 Supra at Toyota Canada headquarters in Toronto was stolen. No word on whether it was recovered or not.

It’s back!

<a href="https://d3odfdcwc42kff.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/20190704_144420.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-139837" src="https://d3odfdcwc42kff.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/20190704_144420.jpg" alt="First Drive 2020 Toyota GR Supra" width="1280" height="720" /></a>

Fortunately, the new GR Supra (known internally as the A90), probably won’t have to carry that burden for reasons I’ll explain but I’m burying the lead a bit here:

The Supra is back!

That’s right, Toyota’s high-performance, brand identity sports coupe is returning to the lineup after a 20-plus year hiatus, this time as a product of a BMW-Toyota alliance that is responsible for both it and the all-new sixth-gen BMW Z4 roadster.

So yes, it’s a Toyota that speaks German, but that’s not a bad thing. More on that shortly.

A brief Supra history

A rear-driving Supra sports coupe of some description was in Toyota’s lineup continuously from 1978 through 1998 (and until 2002 in Japan), a run that spanned four generations. All models were built in Japan, with the car becoming more powerful (and expensive) over time. By the time it left North American showrooms in 1998, sales had almost completely dried up, with the Supra being the victim not only of falling demand for sports cars in the late ‘90s, but also a strong Japanese yen which forced the MSRP beyond the reach of most potential buyers.

The A90, or more accurately, the J29

Oh, how times have changed. The A90 – a bit of a ceremonial Supra naming convention because the new car shares the internal BMW J29 moniker with the Z4 – was conceived in partnership with BMW and as a result it shares many, if not all, of the same chassis underpinnings with the Z4, along with the same BMW-sourced 3.0-litre turbocharged inline 6-cylinder engine and ZF-built 8-speed automatic transmission that drives the rear wheels. Dimensionally, it also utilizes the same wheelbase, track and two-seater layout as the Z4. Interestingly, its wheelbase is 101.6 mm shorter than Toyota’s other rear-driving sports coupe, the 86, although it has a wider track (50 mm rear, 76 mm front). Weight distribution is 50:50, with a low centre of gravity. Curb weight checks in at 1,541 kg (3,397 lb.) with weight saving measures coming in the form of aluminum doors and hood and composite rear hatch.

<a href="https://d3odfdcwc42kff.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/20190704_144334.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-139838" src="https://d3odfdcwc42kff.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/20190704_144334.jpg" alt="First Drive 2020 Toyota GR Supra" width="1280" height="720" /></a>

Differences – beyond the obvious, such as styling and coupe versus roadster body styles – include suspension tuning (although both cars use the same suspension knuckles), engine output (published numbers, at least) and transmission software. Minor differences also exist in the cabin, but there is strong BMW feel regarding switchgear, materials and layout.

Both cars are built by contract auto assembler Magna Steyr (a division of Canadian auto parts giant Magna International) in Graz, Austria. Magna Steyr was chosen due to their well-established history of custom, lower-volume assembly work, plus an existing relationship with BMW.

The 2020 GR Supra – GR stands for Gazoo Racing, Toyota’s in-house motorsports arm – comes in one loaded trim for Canada and carries a $64,990 price tag. Seven exterior colours are available including a gorgeous matte silver (Phantom) finish. Cars begin arriving in Canadian dealerships later this month.
<h3>IMPRESSIONS</h3>
Simply gorgeous

I’m not going to spend a lot of time discussing the Supra’s looks because I think it’s self-evident that the car is a real looker. While it isn’t a carbon copy of Toyota’s FT-1 concept from earlier this decade, the Supra was clearly influenced by it; its LED headlights, flared haunches, and air vents aft of the doors can all be found on the FT-1. Even its bubble roof, designed to allow for the wearing of helmets, first appeared on the FT-1.

<a href="https://d3odfdcwc42kff.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/20190704_135716.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-139840" src="https://d3odfdcwc42kff.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/20190704_135716.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /></a>

<a href="https://d3odfdcwc42kff.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/20190704_135620.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-139852" src="https://d3odfdcwc42kff.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/20190704_135620.jpg" alt="First Drive 2020 Toyota GR Supra" width="1280" height="720" /></a>

I’d sum it up this way: almost as soon as the FT-1 was revealed in 2014, the Internet started calling it the ‘next Supra’. After five years that notion proved to be true, from a design perspective at least.

Trackworthy

Toyota booked Circuit Mont-Tremblant, a classic road circuit that has hosted many forms of professional motorsport over the decades, including the Canadian Grand Prix (1968, 1970), to give journalists a taste of the Supra’s on-track capabilities. Located about two hours north of Montreal, Circuit Mont-Tremblant is a challenging 15-turn, 4.26 km track that makes fine use of the Supra’s abilities.

I wasn’t counting laps during the lead / follow exercise Toyota put us through, but I can say with confidence that the Supra performed beautifully on the tricky track. The 3.0-litre turbo provides immediate thrust, with very little detectable lag that is greatly aided by peak torque (365 lb-ft.) that begins at just 1,600 rpm. While the Supra’s 335 hp number isn’t going to blow anyone’s socks off, several independent dyno tests conducted in the U.S. have reportedly confirmed the engine is more powerful than Toyota has acknowledged.<a href="https://d3odfdcwc42kff.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/20190704_162113.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-139839" src="https://d3odfdcwc42kff.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/20190704_162113.jpg" alt="First Drive 2020 Toyota GR Supra" width="1280" height="720" /></a>

At any rate, the Supra is quick. Toyota’s 0-100 km/h time is 4.3 seconds, and it felt that fast on track. As mentioned, there’s no manual transmission available, but the ZF 8-speed automatic has a manual mode with paddle shifters, which I made use of on track. Banging through the gears feels satisfying, but I would love to experience the Supra with a third pedal.

This car likes to be driven hard and feels secure at speed. Turn in feels direct, the Supra rotates nicely through corners, and lively throttle response gets you back up to speed quickly. The rear end can get a bit squirrely if you overcook it going into a corner, but simply lifting off the throttle and some quick braking sets the rear back down in short order. No drama, in other words.

The drive mode select is available with normal, sport and sport individual settings, with the latter allowing the driver to adjust the damping, steering, engine and transmission. The rear axle also has a limited-slip active differential (electric motor, multi-plate clutch pack) to bleed out understeer and oversteer, and to help the car rotate through corners by controlling lateral torque.

<a href="https://d3odfdcwc42kff.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/20190704_144158.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-139841" src="https://d3odfdcwc42kff.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/20190704_144158.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /></a>

The on-track setting in my tester was switched to sport, and the car acquitted itself well. The system keeps traction and stability control at bay which helps to quicken the pulse without removing the safety net completely. Toyota has put this car through the ringer on track during its development and you can feel those many hours in the final product. Every detail feels optimized for tracking, from the engine to the transmission, to the chassis, to the 19-inch wheels, Michelin Super Sport tires and Brembo 4-piston front brakes. All I can say is well done.

Good on the road, too

Not only did I experience the Supra on track, but I was also fortunate to drive it from the track to Toyota’s fleet in Montreal, and I think it feels pretty good as a potential daily driver. With the drive mode selector set to normal to make the ride more liveable, the Supra cruises along nicely with plenty of power in reserve to slice through traffic when needed. It’s not a family sedan, but its road manners are far from punishing.

<a href="https://d3odfdcwc42kff.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/20190704_144751.jpg"><img class="alignnone wp-image-139842 size-full" src="https://d3odfdcwc42kff.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/20190704_144751.jpg" alt="First Drive 2020 Toyota GR Supra" width="1280" height="720" /></a>

BMW on the inside

Not to dwell on this too much, but the Supra’s BMW DNA is very much in evidence in the cabin. For anyone who’s driven the new Z4 or a late-model 3 Series, the execution of the Supra’s interior will be immediately recognizable. Supra purists might be annoyed, but it doesn’t bother me at all. The Supra has a driver-focused cockpit, 14-way adjustable performance seats (available in black or red), and a pile of the latest and greatest tech: 8.8-inch touchscreen, head-up display and wireless charging, HD instrument panel, among other features. It even has standard carbon fibre trim pieces.

Final thoughts

Back in 1998, the Supra was a car that felt at odds with Toyota’s ambitions as a global sales leader. It was too low-volume, too expensive and didn’t appeal much to anyone, apart from a very small group of Supra-heads. It was doomed, in other words.

Twenty years on, the fifth gen GR Supra feels like it has a future. No, it’s not cheap, but it’s reasonably priced. And yes, Toyota had to get in bed with BMW to make it happen, but as a company official said to me during the launch, if the partnership didn’t exist, the Supra wouldn’t either.

So, before Supra forum boards start overflowing with #notmySupra and ‘where’s the 2JZ!!!’ outrage, the purists should put their pitchforks down and give the new Supra a chance. Is it pure Toyota? No, but it’s real and it’s worthy of the Supra name, and I’d say that makes it worth celebrating.

First Drive: 2020 Toyota GR Supra

2019 ford mustang shelby gt350

&nbsp;
Every time I drive a new Mustang – first it was the 2015 Shelby GT500, then the Boss 302; more recently, it was the ’19 Bullitt – they seem to always have something to show us. Often, the tweaks seem minimal, but are a little more than that; the Bullitt looks the business to be sure, but in Canada, tantalizing bits like standard magnetic dampers and uprated Brembo brakes up the ante. The latest Performance Package 2 for the standard Mustang, meanwhile, adds the extra loud exhaust from the Bullitt – both may seem like light adds to a spec sheet, but add a genuine layer to the experience. Mustang – muscle cars in general – are good at this, adding just enough to make the switch from, I dunno, 2016 to 2017 just that much more high on the je ne sais quoi.
Which brings us to this: the 2019 Shelby GT350. Even as I made my way to the launch event at the M1 Motor Speedway in Pontiac, and even knowing that Mustangs seem to always have the power to surprise (sorry, Kia), I kept my emotions guarded. After all; the grand poobah GT500 is just a few months away and that’s where all the focus must be, right? 
Well, actually, yes and no; the Mustang team has been busy working on the next one, but according to Ford Performance Chief Engineer <a href="https://www.wheels.ca/news/ford-adds-giddy-up-to-ecoboost-mustang-with-high-performance-pack/">Carl Widmann</a>, some lessons learned during the GT500’s development have made their way to that car’s little(r) sibling.
“What we wanted to do with 350,” he said “is take the learnings off 500 and really go after the key things we wanted fixed and our customers wanted fixed and improved. That revolves around making it faster on-track and more easy to drive, or more intuitive to drive so the person who drives it can drive like a pro.”

That means all 2019 GT350s get the GT350 R front grille which has less front-end lift, an optional ($1,000) rear spoiler from the GT500 and a new tire that’s the same size, but provides better braking and better lateral grip. The Magneride suspension, meanwhile, gets re-tuned front springs that are 10% stiffer at the front and 5% softer at the rear as well as a 10% larger diameter rear sway bar. The ABS has also been tuned for better balance on track, to help better keep the vehicle’s weight going in the direction the driver intends it. Widmann also maintains that while it’s a little easier to feel this on the track, it can also be felt through faster sweepers on your favorite country road.

To test that, we took the GT350 out to the streets of Pontiac before taking to the track.

<a href="https://d3odfdcwc42kff.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/2019-ford-mustang-shelby-gt350-33.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-136860" src="https://d3odfdcwc42kff.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/2019-ford-mustang-shelby-gt350-33.jpg" alt="2019 ford mustang shelby gt350" width="5184" height="3456" /></a>

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Unfortunately, this part of Michigan is fairly flat so long sweepers like that are – well, we saw none, actually. What we could feel though, is just that much more grip on acceleration; it’s much tougher to get the rear end unsettled as you pull – perhaps a little too aggressively – away from a stoplight or what have you. The main difference between the cars Ford provided for road use and those for the track, meanwhile, was the existence of standard seats in the road car as opposed to the optional ($850) Recaro race buckets in the track cars. As we’d soon find out on the track, the Recaros are serious business but if comfort is what you’re after, I think I’d go without them. The stock seats are still plenty supportive, but just that much more comfortable as you also lose seat heated if you go with the Recaros. Then again; the Recaros are manual-adjust, and the weight savings that provides is a little more in-tune with what the GT350 is all about.

Looks-wise, meanwhile, that new spoiler is absolutely wild – it looks crazy in profile, it looks crazy when you look more closely at it and notice the inch-and-a-half lip it gets on the leading edge for better aero, and it looks crazy when you spot it through the rear view, where it covers up probably about a third of your rear window. New wheels are the icing on a pretty manic cake.

But enough about that. Road drive and accompanying photo shoot over, it was time to hit the track.

The Champion Motor Speedway at the M1 Concourse is a 1.5 mile (2.4 km) road course with a good mix of long multi-apex sweepers and a couple of beauty second-gear hairpins. It’s not a particularly long track so we were told that we’d never see much more than fourth gear. Thing is, fourth gear in this 529 hp flat-plane crank beauty is still good for about 120 mph, which is…well, it’s an assault on the senses for sure. Especially with the exhaust set to “loud”; even the crash helmet we were wearing – which does have sound deadening built in – couldn’t fully hide it, especially as I wrung it out to its 8,250 (!) redline – easy to do with the six-speed manual, your only choice.

<a href="https://d3odfdcwc42kff.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/2019-ford-mustang-shelby-gt350-6.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-136863" src="https://d3odfdcwc42kff.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/2019-ford-mustang-shelby-gt350-6.jpg" alt="2019 ford mustang shelby gt350" width="1280" height="853" /></a>

The noise is cool to be sure, but the truly awesome revelation for me was just how absolutely, positively tractable the GT 350 is…or should I say “trackable”? There’s no way a car this big, this loud and this V8-powered should be able to handle itself like this. When I finished my first set of laps, I could hardly wait to get out there again. Then, what does one do when you finish the next set, and there’s a car available? Well, one goes out again, of course! And again, and again, and again until they basically had to haul me kicking and screaming off the tarmac. This is an addictive, rich, rewarding and all-encompassing experience that is just so fantastic to be able to undertake in a modern car.

Just when you feel like things are getting too fast, the brakes haul everything back down into quick order (with no fade, even after continuous lapping all afternoon), while the tires meter out grip just as you’d expect; even trying to get these babies un-stuck was pretty much a Sisyphean task that didn’t happen until I popped the clutch and engaged a lower gear more quickly than I should have. Which, by the way, is not something that happens very often because the transmission ratios themselves are well-spaced, so you’re rarely left wondering when to shift and when not to – such are the joys of a big-hearted, naturally-aspirated V8 powertrain. I am also proud to say that I did all of this without any form of automatic rev-matching not because I’d turned it off, but because it simply isn’t available here as it is in other Mustangs. Also unavailable for the GT350 is the digital gauge cluster seen on other models, which is too bad but not exactly a deal-breaker even if most modern racecars have digital gauge clusters.

Yeah, you’d be pretty silly to skip a GT 350 because of that. If you do, you will be missing out on one of the most sorted, extreme and just plain cool cars available at retail today. Once again, Ford has managed to squeeze just that much more out of the Mustang, just enough to turn it into a different car. I want one. Bad.

Tags

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