Miata (Mx5) Retractable Fast-Back Unveiled at 2016 New York Auto Show, and IT'S SEXY

Mazda has always striven toward offering a vehicle completely focused around driver engagement with its legendary Miata. Becoming the best selling roadster of all time is not an easy task, Mazda had to make the Miata light, fun to drive, fuel efficient and affordable. The Miata succeeded at all of these things, but has always failed in one very important category in my opinion. Looks! Aside from the first generation Miata's which have started to acquire a sort of classic appearance in my eyes, the Miata has never been a car you would want your "bros" to see you in. As amazing as the Miata is to drive, you're bound to hear a joke or two about having hair dressing utensils in your glove box.  Well i have a feeling that is all about to change!

This year at the New York International Auto Show Mazda brought a little surprise, the Mx5 RF! Mazda has offered hard-top models in the past but this has to take the cake as the most attractive Miata ever made.





The RF's power-retractable hard-top is said to add in the neighborhood of 100 lbs to the Miata's total weight; adding extra security and weather resistance, as well as the unquestionably sexy appearance the Mx5 has needed. The 100lb roof will bring the curb weight of the Mx5 up to about 2450lbs.



Not everyone on the internet shares my opinion on the RF, while everyone can seem to agree it's a beautiful vehicle, some are concerned with the added weight sitting right on top of the drivers head. (the worst spot for weight to be) As well as the the lack of structural rigidity given by a retractable hard top versus a fixed hard top.

While there is more rigidity offered through a fixed hard-top, the Mx5 is not a car that suffers from a flexible chassis in the first place. Even in its soft top version! While the weight on top of the drivers head may not be a great thing for spirited driving, it is certainly a good thing when the weather gets bad. Keep the hardtop up on those rainy days and then when you hit the canyons put the top down to put the extra weight directly behind you and over the rear wheels... Right where you want it!

I guess the only way we will truly know how the retractable fast-back effects driving pleasure is to get out for a test drive. The Mx5 RF hits show rooms June 21st this summer.

What do you think about the new Mx5 RF? Do you think its a good thing for the Miata brand? Let me know in the comments below.

New 2017 GTR Unveiled! Best GTR Ever?

Nissan has been releasing teaser images of the new GTR leading up to this year New York Auto Show and we've finally been given the juicy details. While it isn't a completely new car, I don't think anyone was expecting that.



What we did get is a 2017 GTR with 20 more hp than the outgoing 2016 GTR, bringing total power up to 565 hp out of its twin turbo charged 3.8L v6. The 2017 model offers a slightly refreshed exterior as well as an interior now offering full nappa leather upholstery.

The new interior of the car is Nissan's way of saying they are proud about their flagship super-car beating GTR. The main complaint received in recent reviews of the GTR has always been that the interior is not a nice enough place to be in for a $100,000 vehicle. Nissan is looking to fix that. The GTR could be broadening its competition range to GT cars as well.

 

It hasn't been the interior of the GTR that upsets me lately its been the exterior. It's never been a huge issue for me... But I've always felt like the GTR looked like one big block, really not telling much about the insane performance packed under the hood. Looks are entirely subjective but i think the refreshed design appears to have perfected the curves of the r35 chassis. Making the wheel arches more pronounced as well as adding a much more aggressive looking lip and diffuser kit around the vehicle really makes the GTR look quite intimidating. The front of the GTR probably has the most noticeable differences, where it appears much more sleek and angular. I still think it's that lip kit.



What are your thoughts on the new GTR? Do you think a Nismo version will be announced before the end of the year? 

Top 10 Used Cars That Could Make You a Ton of Money

If you can manage to find any of these vehicles for cheap and they're not completely destroyed, you'd be crazy not to pick them up! These cars can multiply in value absurdly depending on what kind of shape you have them in. As a result some of the vehicles in the list are definitely worth the TLC to get them up to proper selling condition! Either fix them up and sell them, or hang onto them knowing you have something really special. It's also a bonus that everything in this list is a blast to drive. These vehicles are perfect for weekend cruises and being garage queens, as they'll surely skyrocket in value.  Without further adieu, in no specific order here is the top 10 cars that could make you a lot of money in the next decade and beyond.

1. 1970-1978 Datsun Z (2 generations)



- The Datsun Z is noted by many to be the first car from Japan to really wow American consumers. In my opinion, and many others, the Datsun 240z and 280z have one of the most awesome car designs of all time. It's difficult to explain, it's definitely not timeless in the sense it will never look old, but its timeless in the way a 1969 mustang is timeless; It will always attract a crowd to gawk at its curves and sharp lines. I feel bad comparing a classic Z to a classic Mustang but i feel it will help a lot of young North Americans understand just how classic the Datsun is.

2. 1984-1999 Toyota MR2 (2 generations)



-Toyota's mid engine MR2 is a stunning example of Japan's dominance in the sports car scene in the late 80s and 90s. The only attainable mid-engine sports car of the 90's besides the 911 and NSX (arguably), the MR2 turbo was known to be exceptionally fun on the track. It was also exceptional looking with those intakes on each rear quarter panel.

3. 1982-1993 BMW 3 series E30



- Offering a fantastic chassis for spirited driving or track days and retaining an absolutely classic appearance. E30's are not cheap if you can find clean examples, but that is where the opportunity lies. Find a cheap "edirty" and fix it up for a potentially serious resale profit.

4. 1990-2005 Acura/Honda NSX



-Probably the most difficult vehicle on the list to find for "cheap", the NSX's value hasn't budged much over the last 5 years, in fact it seems to be going up already. It's not hard to see why, arguably the most timeless sports car design ever, and performance to match it's looks. The NSX has what you would expect from Honda in terms of reliability as well. Which was, and sort of still is un-heard of for a sports car. None the less, if you can find a salvage title for cheap and are skilled with your hands, it would be a good opportunity for investment.
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5. 1999-2009 Honda S2000



-With Honda showing no signs of replacing the S2000 roadster, clean examples of S2000's are quite expensive, and are holding their value quite well. The engine in the S2000 is quite famous, known for having one of the highest tuning potentials of naturally aspirated 4 cylinder motors. Because of this, tuners or even racing shops might offer you quite a pretty penny for your clean low milage S2000 in the future.

6. 1989-1997 Mazda Miata



- The first gen Miata. One of the most iconic roadsters of all time. Mazda seems to be doing a great job with keeping current Miata's up to par and not making them too heavy.  The new miata's have about 20 more hp than the original first gen, and about 10 more ft/lbs of torque. While weighing only 100 pounds more or so. If the new Miata's are so close to the original, why would anyone spend more money on an old one you might ask? The answer is simple, the first gen Miata will become a classic based solely on its beauty alone.

7. 1992-2002 Toyota Supra



- Made extremely popular with most of society through video games and movies like Fast and The Furious, the Toyota Supra became immensely popular in the age of neon under-glow and spinner wheels. As a result its extremely tough to find a clean version of this generation Supra. This can work to your advantage though! The potentially resale value of these cars is huge. Almost as huge as the power potential from the Supra's 2JZ-GTE twin turbo inline 6 engine.

8. 1989-2002 Nissan Skyline GTR (3 generations)



- Probably the most iconic tuner car ever and the only right-hand-drive exclusive car on this list. Packed with more technology than anything else at the time (except arguably the 300zx); twin turbos, 4 wheel drive and 4 wheel steering, the skyline GTR was on many posters in many children's bedrooms. The R32 and R34 both have timeless classic designs, and all 3 generations of Skyline GTR had insane performance and aftermarket potential. The reason the skyline will make you money mainly has to do with the United States import laws on RHD vehicles. There is a 25 year exemption rule, meaning US citizens can import and drive a legendary Nissan GTR only after its reached 25 years of age. This means you could potentially pick up a later year GTR as a Canadian citizen, and sell it to someone in the states once the car becomes legal there. US collectors have already made the value of the R32 double or even triple in the last couple of years.

9. 1963- Present Time Any Porsche 911



- Surprised? Who am I kidding of course you're not. We all knew the 911 would make the list! There is quite simply no other way to describe a Porsche 911 than classic. Being known to set the performance benchmark that all sports cars strive to reach, while retaining a classic design, the 911 can make you a ton of money if you find a good fixer-upper and you're handy with tools.

10 1989-1999 Nissan 300zx Z32



- The Z32 Nissan 300zx is sure to be a future classic, considered by many to already be classic but not fetching the prices to prove it just yet. The 300zx had super-car like performance at the time of its release and the looks as well. Infact Lamborghini even bought exterior styling cues off of Nissan to use on their Diablo. The 300zx is thought by many to be a timeless design, with a few subtle adjustments this car car looks completely modern, and will probably continue to do so for a long, long time. The 300zx also set a land-speed record with great aerodynamics and an extremely tune-able twin turbo v6 engine that was designed specifically for the z32 chassis.  

Do you agree with the list? Let me know in the comments below.

Top 5 Insane Cars From Geneva 2016

There were a ton of super car announcements at Geneva this year! We'll be going over the top 5 cars we'll probably never be able to own, and briefly discuss some of the performance data for each.

Starting at number 5 !

5.    Koenigsegg Regera RS - 1500 hp and 1500 ft/lb of torque are developed from an out industry first 800 volt battery, transferred to the ground through a revolutionary transmission referred to as "Koenigsegg Direct Drive". This Direct Drive system is meant to eliminate the weight and mechanical loss found with a traditional gearbox. 0-300km/h in 10.9 Seconds.



4. Arash AF10 - Insane car from ..... Has a supercharged V8 producing 900 HP with a 6 speed manual or automatic transmission, as well as 4 electric motors, one at each wheel, each with their own 2 speed gearbox, making around 295 hp each that rev to 13,000 RPM. Ad all that up and the Arash AF10 is supposedly pushing 2080hp. This hybrid version is priced at 1.1-1.2 Million Euros depending on your options.



3. Apollo Arrow - The gorgeous new Apollo has 1000hp and 737 lb/ft of torque coming from a 4.0L twin turbo V8! No electric motors. The Arrow comes with a 7 speed transmission and carbon fiber tub. 0-60 mph takes about 2.9 seconds, and Arrow has a reported top speed of 223 mph.



2. Lamborghini Centanario - Celebrating the 100th birthday of the companies founder, the Centenario manages to be beautiful while being one of the most aggressive looking cars I've ever seen. Figures are a 770hp engine and a 0-60 time of 2.7 seconds, with a top speed of 240 mph. It is interesting how good the times are considering the 770hp produced by the v12 is so much less than competitions. Even though the performance appears to be insane and demand for Lamborghini's is high, Lamborghini has announced only 40 of the Centanario will be produced with a base price of $2.5 million USD.



1. Bugatti Chiron - LIMITED at 261 mph... The new Bugatti Chiron is a monster. and with no electric motors to boot. An 8.0L 16 cylinder engine with 4 turbo chargers produces 1497bhp and 1180 lb/ft of torque! That's by far the most horsepower I've ever seen out of a production gasoline motor vehicle. The Chiron goes 0-62 mph in under 2.5 seconds, and 0-124mph (200km/h) in 6.2 seconds.

Will Nissan Bring Back The 300zx To Replace The 370z?

There has surprisingly been zero official talk about the new Nissan Z. Strangely, no one has seemed to ask Nissan any questions regarding the future drive-train layout of the vehicle. Even though I can't find any information, I can definitely speculate!  Maybe Nissan is holding out on info to continue 370z sales during development of the new car? I should follow that up by saying, although the 370z has been around for a while it's actually a great time to buy one. With a base price lower than they've ever been, it's the best bang for buck sports car you can by in my opinion. It just doesn't quite compete with the likes of the bmw m4... yet.

Before we get into this it's important to understand one thing. For the last two product cycles, the Nissan Z and Infiniti G35/G37 (lately changed to Q50 or Q60), have shared drivetrain layouts. The Nissan 350z and Infiniti G35  have both had 3.5L V6's, and the 370z/G37 have had 3.7L V6's.

Infiniti Q60


Nissan 370z Nismo 

Infiniti has recently announced their extremely stylish looking new Q60S coupe. The exciting news about this, besides the fact that it's stunning, is that it come equip with a twin turbo charged 3.0L V6 making 400hp in its top trim level.


2017 Infiniti Q60S 3.0t

A twin turbocharged 3.0L V6? If this is making you feel all warm and tingly inside it's probably because you remember the Nissan 300zx Twin Turbo. The 300zx was, and still is in many's opinion, one of the most beautiful car designs of all time. I mean, how many cars get their parts bought by super car companies like Lamborghini?  Not only that, the tuning scene around the 300zx is absolutely huge and for a good reason, Nissan sure knows how to make a good twin turbo motor.


1989-1998 300zx Twin Turbo

If Nissan decides to use the new Q60 motor in the upcoming Z it could mean they're developing a potentially very high-end sports car. The current 370z is about 3250 lbs in base trim with a 3.7L engine, if they could reduce the weight while offering 400hp all the way up to redline, can you imagine how insane that would be? If Nissan could achieve a curb weight below 3100 lbs the Z would eat the competition for breakfast and be a massively attractive car for sports car buyers.

It's been speculated by some that the new Nissan Z will be cheaper than previous versions and have an I4 engine instead of the traditional 6 cylinders. I'm not a religious man, but I'm praying Nissan keeps the Z name sacred, keeps 6 cylinders firing and brings back the Z that competed with porches and corvettes. I'm not saying Nissan doesn't need a cheap fun car, but the Z should never be that car.

Top 10 REAL Cars From The 2016 Toronto International Auto Show (No Concepts)

With the end of the Toronto International Auto Show, I break down the most exciting cars you'll be finding in Canadian show rooms.

Audi R8 


The new Audi R8 makes the decision of, "v8 or v10?" so much easier as it will only be offered with the v10 engine. There will still be two options for consumers though as they can choose between the base v10 package with 540 hp, or the v10+ with 610hp. The cabin of the 2017 R8 has been updated as well with nicer materials and more gadgets and technology. 
  

Audi RS7




Quite possibly my dream daily driver, the Audi RS7 returns with even more power to ensure it stays on top of the 4 door performance sedan segment.  The turbo charged 4.2 litre v8 engine is rated at 605 hp and 553 lb-ft of torque. That's right, more than the v10 R8 and almost as much as the v10+. Audi's Quattro all wheel drive system ensures that power gets to the ground effectively, and as a result the RS7 rockets to 100km/p/h in just 3.4 seconds. 

Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio  



A new performance luxury sedan hoping to set a new benchmark for performance in the category. Designed and built in Italy promising luxurious design as well as performance besting the BMW M3/M4 and Mercedes C63 AMG. On paper it appears the new Alfa Romeo will accomplish that with ease, offering a 6 cylinder bi-turbo engine designed by Ferrari engineers pushing out 505 hp. With a reported curb weight of only 3600 lbs the Giulia Quadrifoglio will undoubtedly be quick, and with a manual option it will undoubtedly be a blast to drive.

F-150 Raptor SuperCrew



The king of off-road trucks does something they should have done a long time ago. The 2017 F-150 Raptor will have a SuperCrew option so all your friends can come get dirty with you in the mud pits!  

Lincoln Continental 



There are still lots of questions about the return of the flagship Lincoln Continental, as its slated for release in fall of 2017. What we do know is that it has a 3 liter turbo charged v6, and an absolutely stunning interior. This is certainly a sedan to keep your eye on. 

Genesis G90



The first car announced under the new genesis brand, the G90 looks to compete with the likes of the BMW 7 series and outrageously luxurious Mercedes S-Class. Offering over the top luxury features for the rear passengers, the G90 will be something you would probably rather be chauffeured around in than drive yourself.  

Mercedes S63 AMG Cabriolet



Speaking of the Mercedes S-Class, it has similarly been known to be a car to get driven around in, not necessarily drive yourself. Mercedes is changing that with the Cabriolet! The S63 AMG Cabriolet Coupe offers just about as much driving pleasure as you can get, with a 577 hp engine and the wind in your hair, you could have a ton of fun driving this one. 

Jaguar F-Pace 



Jaguar's first attempt at entering the SUV segment with a mid-sized vehicle is looking extremely promising. Promised to offer the driving refinement and luxurious experience you would expect from a Jaguar, the F-Pace offers various engine options and ways to spruce up the interior and exterior of the car. Power from the various engines gets sent directly to the rear wheels of the vehicle first, much like the AWD system integrated into the new F-Type AWD sports car. Meaning you'll get a much more true driving experience than most FWD based suv's. Interestingly enough, Jaguar is also offering a manual transmission on the 2.0L diesel model. Coming from a brand like Jaguar who traditionally only makes automatics, do you think them adding a manual transmission option to 2 different vehicles is a sign? Maybe to start slotting vehicles at a lower price-point? Share your thoughts in the comments. 

Cadillac CT-6 



Cadillac's new CT6 full size luxury sedan is the brands first attempt at challenging the likes of the S-Class, 7 Series, Audi A8 for the first time. Heavy on everything but weight, the CT6 is filled with technology and luxurious materials. It is unique in the category by having an aluminum intensive structure. This will presumably allow the CT6 to retain a sporty, driver focused feel, which is something usually largely overlooked in this segment.   

Dodge Viper ACR 



The most exciting car on the list in my opinion, the Viper ACR ( American Club Racer) ! If you've never heard about the ACR it's essentially the fastest street legal car around a racetrack that money can buy, and considering other vehicles it competes against it is very fairly priced!  standard features of the ACR include new wheels, lightweight battery, fully manually adjustable racing suspension, carbon ceramic brakes, diff cooler, and a crazy aero package, but you can add a lot more in terms of aero and carbon fiber bits in the options section. The ACR will be for sale in Canada for first time this year!  

Nissan Reveals Pulsar and Pulsar Nismo Concept 

This month at the Paris Auto Show Nissan revealed their newest concept!  This is something I'm extremely excited about as Nissan has never really attempted to market a car like this before.  The new Nissan Pulsar Nismo looks to be nissan's entry into the hot-hatch division, which looks to compete with the likes of the Ford Focus ST, Volkswagen GTI, and MazdaSpeed3. Nissan will do this by giving the Pulsar Nismo +250hp, sporty lowered suspension, a limited-slip differential and of course a rear mounted spoiler, as well as other aerodynamic features. 

 http://autoweek.com/article/paris-motor-show/nissan-unveils-pulsar-nismo-370z-nismo-paris-motor-show

There will also be this 187h, 1.6-liter direct-injection four version without all the fancy sports packages and stiffened suspension. 

http://autoweek.com/article/paris-motor-show/nissan-unveils-pulsar-nismo-370z-nismo-paris-motor-show