From the Fleet: 2011 Ford Edge Sport

FROM THE FLEET are brief synopses of manufacturer-supplied rides that happen to end up in my laneway – John LeBlanc

The clothes make the man, but wheels make the car. And in the case of the new-this-year Sport version of Ford’s Edge, it’s all about the 22-inch rims on this car. Lay one of these black and chrome pie plates down in your backyard, and the neighbours will think a UFO has landed. Read more

Top 10s: New Retro-mobiles

By John LeBlanc

You can’t bring back the past. But with some new cars these days, you can certainly try and buy it. Volkswagen’s 1999 New Beetle started the modern retro-mobile (old-fashioned clothes over modern mechanicals) trend. Using an existing front-engine Golf chassis, it was styled to look like the rear-engine “Bug” that became a cultural icon in the 1960s, and nostalgic Baby Boomers made it a sales hit. Over a decade after the New Beetle’s debut, there are still plenty of new retro-mobiles on sale. Here are my top 10: Read more

The Crank: Japan’s automakers are in catch-up mode

By John LeBlanc

The big stink south of the border last week was the launch of the new 2012 Toyota Camry family sedan (above left). A “big stink” because like Honda’s compact Civic sedan (above right) up here in the Great White North, the midsize Camry has been the perennially best-selling non-pickup new car for something like 13 of the last 14 years. So it’s an important car for Toyota U.S.A. to get “right”. Read more

First Drive: 2012 Chrysler 200 Convertible

Rental redo

Can a new name and look reform one of Chrysler’s worst-ever products?

By John LeBlanc

SAN DIEGO, California – The past few years have been crazy busy over at Fiat’s Chrysler Group. After its bankruptcy filing that left the Italian automaker in charge in 2009, the Chrysler’s been working hard to play catch-up with many of its products. Its full-line makeover strategy for 2011—including most of its models from all four of its Chrysler, Dodge, Fiat and Jeep brands—has been a mix of all-new products (see the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee), a whole new-to-North America brand (starting with the new Fiat 500), and thoroughly refreshed cars, like this here 2011 Chrysler 200 Convertible. Read more

The Crank: How Ford can save Lincoln. No, really…

By John LeBlanc

Ever since the 1990s Ford Explorer/Firestone tire fiasco, the Ford Motor Co. has made much ado about nothing with its Lincoln luxury brand. Ford was ready with a bunch of rear-wheel-drive products that would separate Lincolns from the more plebeian front-drive Fords. But then the tire crisis nearly did Ford in financially, killing the unique RWD platform in the process, with Lincolns ending up as restyled Fords ever since. Read more

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