We’ve put things in park!

By now you’ve probably noticed that we haven’t updated the site in a couple of weeks. Well, after nearly six years we’re putting the site in “park”. It doesn’t mean that we’ve turned off the engine but we’re pausing to reevaluate our small piece of real estate on the every-growing interweb.

Will we restart in the future? I certainly hope so. But for the time being we’re refocusing our efforts on other projects. In the interim feel free to contact us through the “Contact Us” link above.

All the best and happy driving!

Peter Johnson and the AutoNorth.ca team!

Volvo V40 Leaked!

Photos of the new (we are guessing 2013) Volvo V40 hatch have been leaked on the World Wide Web. The relatively affordable V40 wagon was sacked in 2004 along with the arrival of the gen two S40 and the replacement V50. However, given the leaked photos we have here, this new V40 is possibly better suited to replace the C30 as it is getting old to the point where a refresh won’t cut it anymore (much like the XC90).

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What do you think about the new BMW 320i?

Now that the F30 generation BMW 3er is just about hitting dealerships, it’s time to look at how this generation stacks up to previous generations. There has been plenty of discussion about the 335i and 328i variants already so let’s focus on the 320i, a variation that will be sold in Canada but not in the U.S.

The last 320i to hit Canadian shores was in 2005 (E46 generation). A lot has happened in the last 7 years.

More after the jump.

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Canadian International Auto Show opens today

The Canadian International Auto Show, aka the Toronto Auto Show, opens its doors to the public today. The CIAS is the largest and best attended auto show in Canada. Because of this most OEMs pull no punches when it comes to their displays.

The show runs from February 17th to February 26th at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre.

So what should be on your shortlist to see this year? Find out after the jump.

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Cadillac XTS debuts in Toronto

CIAS will see a lot of cars this year. One of them is Cadillac’s new XTS luxury sedan. As of today, journalists and car guys alike will be able to view the new XTS first hand and see what Cadillac is trying to do to move into the decade swiftly and with class.

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Volkswagen Touareg TDI wins Canadian Utility Vehicle of the Year

After first being named "Best New SUV/CUV ($35,000 to $60,000)" in the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada's annual "Test Fest" last fall (beating the X1, Durango, Explorer and Evoque), the 2012 Touareg TDI was named overall Canadian Utility Vehicle of the Year.

The Touareg beat out the BMW X3 (Best New SUV/CUV over $60k) and the Dodge Journey (Best New SUV/CUV under 35K).

More after the jump.

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Canadian Car of the Year announced

In an early morning press conference at the opening of the Canadian International Auto Show in Toronto, the Hyundai Elantra was declared the 2012 Canadian Car of the Year (CCOTY) by the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC).

The Elantra was up against the Hyundai Accent and the Kia Optima. All three were among many vehicles put through a series of tests by 70 Canadian automotive journalists in the last week of October, 2011.

The win comes just over a month after the car was named the 2012 North American car of the year during the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, where it edged out the Ford Focus and Volkswagen Passat.

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ALG announces Canadian Residual Value Awards

Generally speaking you want a car that has a high residual value. Why you ask? Well, if you lease your vehicle it means that your lease payments will be lower since the car is worth more at the end of the lease term. If you purchase your vehicle it means it’ll be worth more when it comes time to sell it. According to Geoff Helby of ALG, "Residual value is a complete indicator of value, taking into account quality, durability and brand desirability."

In the 4th annual Canadian Residual Value Awards, Subaru and Infiniti walked away with top honours for mainstream and luxury brands, respectively. Which individual models came away as winners in their respective categories? Find out after the jump.

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Big changes at Mosport, including the name

A name change can be a polarizing move. For some time, P. Ditty, formally Puff Daddy, and “The artist formally known as Prince” became punch lines for late night talk show hosts (well, rightfully so in those cases). When it comes to business, it can actually work out quite well. The Rogers Centre has replaced the SkyDome in our vocabulary, and Canadian Tire hopes the same will happen with the newly announced name change to Mosport International Raceway with the Canadian Tire Motorsport Park.

Click the jump for more.

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Saskatchewan man uses R/C vehicles to excavate basement

Since 2002 a man by the name of Joe in Saskatchewan has used his fleet of R/C construction equipment to dig out the basement of his home. Sounds odd, I know. So let me explain. According to his post on scale4×4rc.org, it all began in 2002 when a piece of the dirt wall in his basement caved in after some heavy rain.

Yada, yada, yada Joe now has a fleet of R/C vehicles digging and hauling the earth out of his increasingly larger basement.

Don't believe me? Check out the videos after the jump.

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