The Garage at 2013 Rolex 24 at Daytona

The Winners crossing the line!

The past 12 months have been just a crazy ride for me as I have traveled around the world covering events for Wheels.ca including bucket list events like the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the Goodwood Festival of Speed and just this past weekend I went to Daytona Beach to cover the Rolex 24 for the first time. Just an incredible year!

To get my full report on the 24, click here to read my live blog from the race complete with tons of images. The long and the short of it is that Chip Ganassi Racing won their fifth Rolex 24 in ten years. Toronto's AIM Autosport pulled off a great third spot on the podium in the GT class and west coast Canucks, Bullet Racing, scored second place in the new GX class.

Head past the jump to see a rather huge gallery of images from the 2013 Rolex 24 at Daytona.

Subaru Prices 2014 Forester

The Subaru Forester has undergone a massive transformation from when it started life as a 1998 model. With all-wheel drive, a boxer four cylinder engine and a slightly quirky persona, the Forester was a tall wagon that hit all the right notes with its loyal, and yes, quirky fan base. In 2008, Subaru ditched the tall wagon design of the Forester, and went typical compact crossover. Yes, sales of the Forester were up, but we questioned if Subaru had sold out. After testing a 2011 Forester, we concluded that Subaru had not, sticking with its core principles-all wheel drive, boxer engines, and turbocharging.

Which brings us to the all new 2014 Forester. Starting at $21,995USD for a base model 2.5i. A six-speed manual is standard-for $1,000 extra you can get a continuously variable transmission. I have to say it really disappoints me that Subaru opted for a CVT. The 2.5i is powered by 170hp boxer four, while there is the option of the 2.0 XT which features a 250hp turbocharged engine. The CVT is the only available transmission. A top-spec 2.0XT Touring will set you back $32,995. No word from Subaru as to when we can expect to see the new Forester in dealer showrooms.

Last But Not Least: Redefining the Meaning of Winning

Race 2 Recovery on the podium at Dakar

A guest post by Colene Allen

'What you have achieved was a triumph of perseverance and teamwork, and you have shown the world what true valour looks like.' ' The Duke & Duchess of Cambridge.

Winners.

In motorsport, there are many of them. Winners of races, winners of championships, winners of purse money, and winners of trophies. We define a winner by where they place in a competition. We often refer to the second place finisher as the first loser. For most drivers, teams, and sponsors, winning is the benchmark of success in motorsport. Given all that, something happened during the 2013 edition of the Dakar Rally-Raid that completely redefines what a winner is. In fact, what happened completely redefined motorsport as many of us know and view it.

Motorsport by its nature is a combination of man and machine, teamwork, determination, perseverance, sheer grit, and courage. We often focus on the machine part of the equation and concern ourselves with the latest advancements in aerodynamics, engine technology, or computer controlled systems. We focus occasionally on an exceptional driver, an outstanding performance, or a glimmer of greatness. We rarely focus on what people put into the work they do in motorsport to achieve the results they do. We do not notice what they overcome to achieve the results they do, and given our definition of what a winner is, we would never consider finishing in last place to be a triumph.

Approximately two years ago, while attending a therapy session at a rehabilitation clinic for wounded soldiers in the United Kingdom, Captain Tony Harris turned to his mate, Corporal Tom Neathway and expressed a desire to start a race team to compete in and finish the 2013 Dakar Rally-Raid. Over the next two years, the two mates assembled a team of wounded soldiers from the American and British militaries, several veterans, and a number of experts from the motorsports arena. They put together deals with high profile sponsors, including the Royal Family of Windsor, and trained and practised to get ready to take on the Dakar Rally-Raid. Harris and Neathway named the team Race2Recovery and set out to prove that being a single, double, or triple amputee has no bearing on the ability to compete in motorsports.

That goal may not sound ambitious until you consider what the Dakar Rally-Raid is. It's a 9,000 kilometre off-road rally across all kinds of terrain from 100 foot high sand dunes in the desert to 4,000 foot high mountain peaks in the Andes. It takes 15 days to run the entire rally, and try as hard has he might, in eight attempts to win the Dakar Rally Robby Gordon has never managed more than a stage victory. The Dakar Rally is the most extreme and dangerous motorsports event in the world. Only 2 out of every 5 starters will make it to the finish. To finish the Dakar Rally by itself is an accomplishment and to win the Dakar elevates a driver and team to legendary status. Stephane Peterhansel may have won the Dakar Rally a total of 11 times, but even that accomplishment does not define the true meaning of being a winner.

Race2Recovery had entered a total of five vehicles in the Dakar ' a T4 Renault truck and four T1 QT Wildcats. The T4 Renault truck was the on-stage support vehicle, meant to render assistance in the event that one of the four T1 Wildcats broke down. They started the Rally on January 5, 2013 with the entered vehicles plus two LandRover Freelanders and two huge transporters carrying spares, tools, and other equipment required by the team. By the beginning of Stage 3 of the Rally, their first Wildcat had been disqualified for failing to go through enough way/checkpoints in order to obtain an official time. By Stage 4 of the Dakar, their second Wildcat was withdrawn after an on-stage mechanical problem that could not be repaired. Race2Recovery now had just their T4 Support truck and two Wildcats left in the Rally. On Stage 5, the unthinkable happened to the team and would force them to ask if they should continue the Dakar or withdraw and go home.

While on a transit between sections of Stage 5, the Race2Recovery T4 Support truck was involved in a head-on collision with two local vehicles. The resulting crash put three members of the team in the hospital in stable but serious condition, killed two locals, and injured four others. Race2Recovery was faced with a difficult decision ' give up their goal and go home or continue on against the odds and try to finish what they started. With no support truck and only two Wildcats left in the Rally, the task was daunting. They were also down three crew members. Where many others might have given up, Race2Recovery decided to continue the Dakar, a decision that would prove to bring the bittersweet taste of both success and failure.

With their two remaining Wildcats, nicknamed 'Ratcat' and 'Joy', Race2Recovery started Stage 6 of the Rally only to endure more hardship. Ratcat, driven by Ben Gott and co-driven by Staff Sargent Mark Zambon of the U.S. Marine Corps caught a sand dune on the wrong angle. Ratcat flipped violently several times and the crash sent both Gott and Zambon to the hospital with minor injuries. Both team members were later released from hospital, but the setback was a serious one. If the team continued, all of their hopes to complete the Dakar rested on 'Joy', driven by Major Matt O'Hare and co-driven by Corporal Philip 'Barney' Gillespie. 'Joy' was the last vehicle standing in a Dakar that had been mercilessly cruel to this team of rookies that had set such a lofty goal.

The story of the team's misfortunes and determination to continue was spreading over the Internet and social media. The team gained many new fans and followers from around the world. They may have been sitting in last place, but Race2Recovery had become the story of the Dakar. They were mobbed at fuel stops, constantly asked for autographs, and followed all over the world via live timing and scoring from way point to way point on stage after stage of the Rally. As their worldwide social media cheering section grew, so did their ability to see the goal of completing the Dakar with their lone remaining Wildcat 'Joy'.

On January 20, 2013, the Race2Recovery team came across the podium at the end of the Dakar with 'Joy'. Fifteen days, four vehicles down, 5 crew members hospitalized, 2 failed transport vehicles, and multiple artificial limb failures later, Race2Recovery had achieved their goal. They had finished last in the Dakar, and by all definitions traditionally used in motorsport were losers. What they did was redefine two things for all of us ' what winning really means and what is possible in motorsport.

Winners.

Race2Recovery are winners. They succeeded in accomplishing something never done before. They completed the Dakar Rally-Raid and made history doing it. They are the first disabled motorsports team to ever complete the Dakar. They have shown the world that disability is no barrier to achievement in any discipline one chooses to pursue. They've also shown all of us that sometimes it's not about where you place in the rankings, it's about what you have to face down and work through to get to the finish line.

Colene Allen is a CASC-OR and SCCA (Detroit Region) veteran roadcourse Race Official. She is also the Canadian Motorsports Correspondent for In The Pits Racing Radio on the ESPN Radio Network. She has been involved in motorsport for thirty years.

Review: 2013 MAZDA CX-5

The notion of a compact crossover is hardly a new one. The Geo Tracker debuted in 1989, and in 1994 Toyota released a blockbuster hit with the RAV4, and Honda followed with the wildly successful CR-V a year later. Yet Mazda has been content to sit on the sidelines while demand continued to surge for this type of vehicle. Sure, there was the Mazda Tribute, which was simply a rebadged Ford Escape. Upright and staid, the Tribute did not mesh at all with Mazda's line of vehicles, and never sold well. With that in mind, it's hard to believe that the 2013 CX-5 is Mazda's first effort at a compact crossover.

Style and crossover don't always go hand in hand. The aforementioned RAV4 and CR-V reign supreme when it comes to sales, and the buying public has made its statement: they prize functionality and practicality over personality. Why is this? The belief is style will compromise the utility that buyers seek in a CUV. Mazda designers threw that notion in the garbage, and designed one of the prettiest crossovers available that  gives up nothing in the form of utility. Interesting angles and curves prevail, but the CX-5 never comes across as busy or overdone. The ultimate seal of approval came when I pulled up to the swanky Liberty Warehouse in New York City for a wedding reception, and the valet tells me what a great looking car the CX-5 was.

Inside, driver and passengers are greeted with a simple, functional interior. Fit and finish and quality of materials are on par with the competition. Buyers enticed by the exotic curves of the exterior may be disappointed that Mazda went ultra-conservative inside, however. Mazda bills itself as a driver's kind of car company, and as such I appreciated the chunky steering wheel and crystal clear gauges. Some reviews have panned the TomTom GPS navigation and infotainment as being too basic, but I found it a cinch to use with all the features I could possibly want. Flashy? No, but the CX-5's cabin proved to be roomy, practical and quite comfortable.

The CX-5 is offered with one engine, a 2.0L direct injected SkyActiv four cylinder rated at 155hp (though there are rumors we could see a diesel powered CX-5). A six-speed manual (which is I hear is sublime) is a rarity in crossovers, and is only available in the base model with front wheel drive. All other CX-5's get a six-speed automatic. Buyers can choose from front or all-wheel drive. Our automatic, all-wheel drive has EPA fuel economy ratings of 25/31 MPG city/highway, which is exceptional. When I saw that 155hp was all there was to motivate this car, I was skeptical that it would be able to get out of its own way. Thankfully, I was proven wrong. It's no rocket, but the CX-5 was perfectly at ease on the highway, engine and transmission working in perfect harmony. Steering, brakes and handling are superior to any other car in its class-and that is one hyper-competitive class. Smooth on the interstate, yet perfectly agile in the urban jungle of New York City, the CX-5 is a no compromise performer.

CX-5 shoppers can pick from three trim levels, starting with base Sport, Touring, and Grand Touring. Our test car was the top-spec Grand Touring model. Standard equipment included 19' alloys, power moonroof, heated leather sport seats, two-zone auto climate control, blind spot monitoring system, Bose audio, power driver's seat, HD SiriusXM radio and a rear-view camera. Our car's sole option was the Tech Package, which added navigation, HID headlights and other goodies. Including delivery, our CX-5 stickers at $30,415USD, which seems reasonable for the level of features you get.

Mazda's first genuine attempt to get into the compact crossover market is, in my opinion, a raging success. Mazda has proved that you do not need to have vanilla styling to be practical, or have the handling capabilities of a marshmellow to be comfortable. Instead, the CX-5 delivers a look that is interesting to look at, and a driving experience that shatters all the accepted notions of how a crossover should handle and perform. All of this with surrendering any practicality. Mazda may be years late to the party, but without a shadow of a doubt perfected the recipe.

 

 

2013 North American International Autoshow wrap-up

While @thegarageblog on Twitter has been crazy active over the past week or so, things have been pretty quiet here in The Garage Blog. Why? Well, truth be told, I am so busy with my real job that I don't have time to keep up with The Garage. For those of you who don't know, my real job isn't really a job at all. Instead, I am a freelancer with a daily and weekly gig over at the Toronto Star's Wheels.ca, so when I'm done writing (I'm never really done) I really don't have the energy to come here and write more.

So, my own coverage of the 2013 NAIAS is going to be limited to a shit load of pictures.

I will tell you that the absolute highlight of the show for me was turning a corner and seeing the Borg-Warner Trophy, in all its glory, standing out in the open, waiting for me to drool on it. Rather than just the usual gearhead drool, this was a chance for me to truly experience a bit of family history that I have never actually been close enough to embrace. Seeing my Grandfather's Cousin's name and face on the trophy was quite the moment for me. You can read more about my connection to George Robson here.

Now, head past the jump to see all sorts of stuff from the show.

Volkswagen Reveals Passat Performance Concept

Yes. it is January, and that means the 2013 North American International Auto Show is underway in Detroit. Of particular interest to this VW devotee was the Passat Performance Concept. The Garage has sampled the latest Passat, and is our pick for best mid-size sedan available in North America. And there is no denying the success of the new Passat ,which has shattered prior sales records in the US . Why? Well, VW wanted to appeal to a wider audience here, so we get the 'American' Passat, as opposed past generations of Passats, which was the European idea of what a mid-size car should be. Sure, the auto media heaped praise on past Passats, but the car met with limited appeal here in the States.

Volkswagen's ambitious, and so far successful attempt to dramatically increase sales here has, inevitably, left many of the brand's fiercely loyal buyers out in the cold. We have not been forgotten. As much as the new Jetta disappointed me, the Jetta GLI gave some assurance VW hadn't completely lost the script.

Which leaves us with the Passat Performance Concept. Those of you thinking this signals a return to the halcyon days of W-8 Passats, think again. No, this sporty Passat sports a drivetrain much more in tune with today's market, namely a 1.8L turbocharged, direct injected four cylinder rated at 250hp paired to a six-speed automatic. Other upgrades include dual exhaust, 19' alloys, bi-xenon headlights, LED taillights, and carbon mirror caps. Inside, the concept features carbon accents and a two color leather interior. Finally, a lowered sport suspension and revised steering promise an improved driving experience.

Yes, the Passat Performance Concept is, of course, just that-a concept. Surely, VW is using the auto show to get a feel of how the car buying public would receive a more buttoned-down Passat. Also, it is a nod to the VW faithful. In my opinion, building this car is a no brainer. The modifications are slight, and VW already offers the same engine in foreign markets, so why not? Not to mention plenty of the Passat's direct competition already offer turbocharged four cylinder engines (Kia Optima, Hyundai Sonata, Ford Fusion). Stay tuned to see in concept becomes reality.

 

Review: 2013 Cadillac XTS

Cadillac has slowly been rebuilding its brand to glory, but it has been a long road. For Cadillac, the phoenix that rose from the ashes is without a doubt the successful CTS. The brand's greatest triumph since the V-16 Cadillac's of the 1930's is without a shadow of a doubt the CTS-V, an absolute menace to society dressed in a tuxedo. Yet, with all focus on the CTS, Cadillac's larger car family went neglected, and between the DTS and STS, it seemed confusing as to where Cadillac wanted to go with their premier large car. Which made me scratch my head, given that Cadillac has been building luxury cars for over 100 years.

The DTS and STS are now extinct, and the XTS takes their place. The XTS boasts a prominent grille, and the creased styling we've come to expect from Cadillac's 'Art & Science' design mantra. The XTS is easily recognizable as a Cadillac, but there is no hiding the fact the car was engineered as a front wheel drive vehicle, and it looks it. And that can be a tough sell in the luxury car market, where buyers demand looks above all else. The XTS is a handsome car, but being front wheel drive, it cannot pull off the elegance of design its rear wheel drive competitors offer.

Inside, the XTS is a revelation. Step in to the driver's seat, hit the start button and you are greeted with a swirling digital display for not just the infotainment center, but the dashboard itself. That's right-no needles, the gauges are all computerized. They look fantastic. If you've complained that stepping into a car has stopped having any sense of occasion, step into an XTS. You genuinely feel like you are sitting in the most cutting edge car out there. And that's not always a good thing. Meet CUE, Cadillac's newest infotainment system. Cadillac has forgone buttons to control climate control and other functions. Yes, it is high tech, but as a Gen X'er with an iMac, iPod, iPad and Android phone, the XTS's controls proved to have the highest learning curve of any car I have ever driven in all the years I have reviewed cars. My Grandfather loved Cadillac's, but he would positively hate the XTS for its controls. Which I understand. Cadillac has been desperate to reach out to a younger audience, and shake the 'old man's car' that has dogged them for decades. But the reality is the guy contemplating an XTS will likely be in his 50's at least, not understand how to work Facebook, doesn't know what a tweet is, and think Pandora is about a box. Yes, the XTS is extremely comfortable, build quality and materials are on par for the price paid, but simpler controls would be welcome.

Motivation for the XTS comes in one form only, a 3.6L V-6, rated at 304hp, and paired to a six-speed automatic. Buyers have a choice between front and all-wheel drive. The XTS does a decent job of getting out of its own way, and passing power is perfectly fine. However, I suspect Cadillac buyers will be disappointed at the lack of a V-8 option. As expected, the XTS was stellar as a highway cruiser. Fitted with 20' alloys, the XTS' Magnetic Ride Control delivered one of the smoothest rides I can recall in a car sporting wheels that large. Brembo brakes up front instilled confidence, and the XTS was cool as a cucumber when pushed, but few owners are likely to drive this car hard. For its considerable size, the XTS EPA fuel economy numbers are 17/26 MPG city/highway, not bad for a large all wheel drive luxury car.

A base front wheel drive XTS starts at $44, 075USD, and comes well equipped. The XTS is available in four trim levels: Standard, Luxury, Premium, and Platinum. Our test car was the Platinum with all-wheel drive. The standard equipment list is staggering. Bose studio surround sound with 14 speakers, SiriusXM and HD radio, Opus leather interior, real wood trim, power tilt/telescope/heated steering wheel, heated/vented front seats, three-zone auto climate control, head up display and a panoramic moonroof. Of course, there are shades aplenty for privacy. I mentioned before the XTS offers a real sense of occasion when you step in, but even before you get in, while leaving a five star restaurant after dinner, walk up to your XTS, hit the button to unlock the doors, and the illuminated door handles are jaw-dropping sexy. In words, it may sound tacky, but in person, seeing this puts the XTS at the height of class. Our test car's sole option was a gorgeous Crystal Red Tintcoat, which brought the tally to $62,300, including delivery. That's a far cry from the base XTS price, but with all-wheel drive and every conceivable luxury option as standard equipment, the XTS we sampled did not seem excessively priced for what you get.

Still, the XTS, as fine a car it is, seems conflicted. With Cadillac, you have the well received CTS, and the new rear wheel drive ATS, meant to fight the BMW 3-series. With the XTS we have a front wheel drive, full size luxury car competing in a market segment that practically demands rear wheel drive. Then again, the XTS' nearest domestic competitor,the Lincoln MKS, also based on a front-drive platform, which is less expensive and more powerful in Ecoboost form, but seems old next to the XTS. Cadillac may not be after the BMW 5-Series buyer, but their renewed interest in a large car has produced a luxurious, capable car that suffers none of the driving traits of the cars the XTS can trace its roots to.