Paris 2010: Toyota

By John LeBlanc

PARIS – It’s no news that Toyota ‘s subcompact Yaris is getting a little long-in-the-tooth. Especially when rivals like the Honda Fit and new Ford Fiesta and Mazda2 offer frugality, features, better build quality and more fun-to-drive characteristics the yawn-fest Toyota can’t match any day of the week. Read more

Paris 2010: Volkswagen

By John LeBlanc

PARIS – All you need to know about VW’s plans for North America can be found in the crisp-looking new 2011 Passat, unveiled here this morning in Paris, and a car that is not coming to Canada. Read more

Paris 2010: General Motors

By John LeBlanc

PARIS – Just as GM Canada is getting ready to launch its new 2011 Chevrolet Cruze compact sedan back home, it’s hard to ignore some of the tastier European compacts from the General that debuted here at this year’s Paris show. Read more

The Crank: Can Volvo become a true luxury brand under its new Sino owners?

By John LeBlanc

It took a few years, and a big drop in the original asking price, but Ford finally was able to foist its perennially money-losing Swedish Volvo brand onto China’s Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Co. this past summer. So where does Volvo go from here? Read more

The Crank: Are the new Porsche 911 specials too much of a good thing?

By John LeBlanc

Trust me, there’s already a Porsche 911 for anyone who has enough of the dough re mi. Click on the 911-menu bar on the Porsche Canada Web site, and between the $94,100 345 hp Carrera and the $297,000 620 hp GT2 RS, you have the choice of 20 distinct models, all based on the same rear-engine chassis. Do you want rear-, or all-wheel-drive? Naturally aspirated or turbocharged engine? Hard-, glass-, or ragtop? Sports, track, or all-out race car? If that’s not enough variety, just wait. There’s even more 911s on the way. Read more

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