First Drive: 2012 Aston Martin V8 Vantage S

RONDA, SPAIN—If you pick up on the clues, it’s obvious the CEO running the very British Aston Martin brand, Ulrich Bez, used to work at the very German brands BMW and Porsche, applying a very Teutonic (i.e. methodical) approach to the perennially money-losing British brand. First, upon the German-born Bez’s arrival at Aston Martin in 2000, there was only one model to peddle: the seven-year-old DB7 2+2 grand tourer (or GT). Since then — and while transitioning the automaker’s ownership from the Ford Motor Company to a group of Kuwait-based investors in 2007 — Aston Martin’s CEO has filled out the lineup, introducing six new, separate model ranges, from the DB7’s 2004 DB9 successor to the over-$1-million One-77 supercar to the Toyota iQ-based Cygnet luxury city car that’s yet to be okayed for Canadian sales. Read more

The Crank: When “new” doesn’t necessarily mean “improved”…

By John LeBlanc

New car buyers have religiously looked towards the U.S. not-for-profit Consumer Reports annual automotive issue to get one of the more objective views on new showroom fare. And one of the features in this year’s annual is the calling out of a half-dozen new-for-2011 models that simply don’t measure up to their respective predecessors. To wit: “Some [new] models, such as the Honda Odyssey, Mercedes-Benz E350, and Toyota Sienna, are still very good vehicles that we recommend. But they don’t quite measure up to the standards set by their previous generation models. Others, such as the current BMW X5, Toyota 4Runner, and Volkswagen Jetta sedan, are clear disappointments.” As much as I agree with CR’s callouts, there are still a few new models that I would classify as regressive. For instance: Read more

The Crank: Are car enthusiasts ready for sportier Kias?

By John LeBlanc

Fresh from its debut at this month’s Geneva show, Kia officials are already hinting that a hot hatch version of the Korean automaker’s new 2012 Rio subcompact, seen left, is being seriously considered. Read more

Top 10s: New Cars for Divorced Dads

By John LeBlanc

You don’t have to check the online dating ads to know that the rate of divorce in Canada is much higher than it was in the late 1960s. According to the federal department Statistics Canada’s figures, in 2003 there were 224 divorces for every 100,000 people in this country, roughly four times the number in 1968. So if you’re a male parent that’s separated, divorced, or dreaming of a breakup—and also in the process of looking for a new set of wheels—here are 10 of my favourite new cars for Divorced Dads: Read more

The Crank: Is Mitsubishi Motors too small to survive?

By John LeBlanc

Having started selling cars on its own into this country only seven years ago, Mitsubishi Motors is one of the newest car brands in Canada. But recent changes in the automaker’s product plans, frankly, don’t give much optimism for Mitsu’s future. In North America, Mitsubishi has, let’s say, some challenges. The biggest very well may be the huge brand shift away from its longstanding performance car image to feel good electric vehicles, a risky move for an automaker with limited resources and partnerships. Read more

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