A biweekly roundup of automotive news, good, bad and just plain weird:
Canadian hero takes on snowy conditions with Zamboni
It’s a story that features everything that’s best about our country: wintry weather, the desire to help your neighbours, and a Zamboni. Looking for a way to help move the heavy snow from in front of his aunt’s house, 32-year-old Saanich resident Marko Kardum fired up a Zamboni he’d bought for $300 and went to work.
Kardum, who has a farm in Central Saanich, was soon pulled over by the local police. And we do mean local; according to the Times Colonist, the officer who apprehended the make-shift snow-clearing operation knew Kardum by name.
Next, to complete this little Canadian vignette, the police politely asked Kardum to take his Zamboni home, and so he did. There were no guns drawn, no massive fines issued, just some common sense policing applied to a not-much-common-sense problem.
The Zamboni in question is now strictly confined to farm duties. More’s the pity.
Smart to phase out gasoline models
When the cute little city cars marketed by Mercedes-Benz first hit our streets, they made a lot of sense. Easy to park and equipped with an optional thrifty diesel engine, they were perfect for the urban commuter.
However, with limited practicality, seating for two only, and the elimination of the diesel engine, the Smart for two began looking a lot less smart. Further, the first generation cars have the worst automatic transmission of any modern car, a lurching, bucking semi-auto that makes the driver feel like they’re on a pogo stick.
Thus, despite the quirky appeal of the Smart, sales remained low. The Car2Go car-sharing network has provided Mercedes-Benz with something to do with the Smart, but in terms of appeal, the brand still needs a boost. With the new electric Smart, it looks like Mercedes is betting an electric future is the way.
In the United States at least, this will be the last year you’ll be able to buy a gasoline-powered Smart. With a range of around 120 kilometres, and a torquey 80 horsepower engine, the electric Smart should be zippy and useful in city traffic. It’ll also be one of the cheapest ways to get into an electric commuter, especially once British Columbia’s EV tax credits are factored in. Suddenly, Smart looks smart again.
Mercedes applies the Maybach treatment to the G-Class
From a brand called Smart to a sub-brand that could best be described as Stupid. The new G650 Landaulet is a huge, lifted, portal-axle-equipped offroad machine with a 630 h.p. twin-turbo V-12 and a folding rear softtop. It exists because Mercedes is aware that there are many people out there who have more money than sense.
The Maybach sub-brand launched last year for full-size versions of the S-Class. Conceived of as the luxury equivalent to AMG, the Maybach designation is reserved for only the most opulent and/or taste-free Mercedes.
In this case, that means sumptuous reclining rear seats with tables and the ability to employ a power divider so you don’t need to speak to the driver. Only 99 of these machines will be made, each one of them perfectly prepared for the off-road adventures they will never go on. Useful, perhaps, for running over peasants at your local anarcho-syndicalist commune, but other than that, very, very silly.
Dealer leaks details on new ultra-Cayman
Most Porsche fans have known that the Cayman/Boxster are the real sports cars in the Porsche lineup. The 911 is more the 2+2 grand tourer – even though it costs more, can be optioned with more powerful engines, and basically defines the brand, the 911 isn’t quite as balanced a drive as a Cayman.
Porsche seems to have finally admitted that the little-brother two-seaters are as good as they are, finally equipping them with the full-force flat-six engine. The previous Cayman GT4 was thus a revelation to drive: manual transmission only, a screaming 3.8-litre flat-six, and perfect balance. It was a riot to drive, and they sold every single one, with a long wait list.
However, Porsche being Porsche, there’s got to be an even more dynamic version, if only so they get to make a lot of press releases about dynamic sporty emotional dynamism. Mostly, the new Cayman GT4 has been kept under wraps, but dealers seem to have the details. One, Porsche Centre Brisbane, accidentally Instagrammed a picture that had a few not-yet-released secrets.
The new model looks to get a 4.0-litre flat-six, similar to that in the 911 GT3 RS. If it also gets the rest of the RS treatment, that’ll mean even more aggressive aerodynamics, stickier tires, and stiffer suspension.
Subaru starts testing self-driving cars
Part of Subaru’s current and continuing market gains are the result of the brand’s reputation for safety. Basically, Subaru stole Volvo’s playbook, making sure they always mention their top safety ratings across the line. Add in all-wheel drive, and they’re the North Face jacket of the automotive world.
However, despite all the outdoorsy imagery, most Subarus end up living the same sort of lives as a Honda Civic. That means they spend a lot of time in boring stop and go traffic, or trudging along the highway in rush hour.
Knowing that their buyer base now extends beyond people who have multiple pairs of Birkenstocks, Subaru is hard at work coming up with new ways to appeal. They’ve just secured an Autonomous Vehicle Testing Permit from the California Department of Motor Vehicles, a special license required to test out fully and semi-autonomous features.
Working with their camera-based eyesight system, Subaru reportedly hopes to have automatic start and stop in slow traffic, and automatic steering through corners. Currently, eyesight-equipped Subarus already have automatic cruise control and lane-keeping systems, but the latter tends to wander around in your lane.
One wonders what owners will do with all the extra time on their hands if their Subaru goes autonomous. Shop for Coexist bumperstickers on eBay? Comb your labradoodle? It’s a brave new world.
Watch this space for all the best and worst of automotive news, or submit your own auto oddities to [email protected]
