Kyle Ashdown

Introduction Alternative intersection design is a hot topic with people who, quite frankly, don’t know how to drive. Seriously. It seems that the inability to be able to make a safe left hand turn (for those who drive on the left) has become such a hazard that it’s a matter of public safety.

You don’t need to see the movie Rush to know why many people consider Niki Lauda to be one of motorsport’s greatest drivers. He is a man who has pushed certain death off to the side to become a champion.

I’d like to start this post off by saying that I fully intend to make this post as politically neutral as possible. There’s enough misunderstanding, vitriol and cruelty out on the Internet as it is, and I want to have no part in any of it.

If you’re a seasoned Car Throttle fan, you might remember the December 2015 video “10 Smells that Turn Petrolheads On.” If not, here it is:

Excellent news!

Introduction 2016 has, so far, been a year of interesting (and sometimes questionable) alliances between different automakers. The automotive industry is often a cutthroat enterprise; and sometimes the old adage “keep your friends close, and your enemies closer” has never been more true.

Let me start this rant by saying that I am proud to live in a country with a government that is fair, just, and democratic. By and large, I do not have to worry about corruption, human rights violations, or an absence of the rule of law. Is my government perfect? Absolutely not, but it does its job reasonably well for the most part.

I laugh at all the people who call minivan drivers “soccer moms” while sitting behind the wheel of their Ford Explorers, Hyundai Santa Fes, and Dodge Journeys. It’s actually an ironic (and sad) reflection of the sheer vanity of car buyers these days. And, by vanity, I mean sheep-like behaviour.

If you’re one of those people that read books, you might have heard of the name Ayn Rand. And if you’ve heard of Ayn Rand, you’ve probably heard of Atlas Shrugged. It was Rand’s longest, latest, and some say even her finest work.

You’re probably wondering what a napper is. Well, I wouldn’t blame you, because it’s an idea that I just came up with in my bored stupor. But you could probably guess what I am getting on about. A napper, in my mind, is like a sleeper, except the visual cues are such that you know full well that you are looking at a fast car.

Sometimes, engineering brilliance is as simple as a bit of ghetto DIY.

Introduction Not to get the annoying children’s song stuck in your head, but there’s an old saying that “the more we get together, the happier we’ll be.” In business, this is far from a universal truth, but that hasn’t stopped key players in big industries from trying to partner with, or take over, other firms in the p

Introduction OK, it may or may not be a secret that I am really proud to be a Canadian. Being a gearhead as well, I think that Canada doesn’t get near enough credit for the role it has played in the automotive industry. I would like to change that.

Introduction Many of you have heard about the poor fellow in Singapore who bought a secondhand Tesla Model S…and had it slapped with a $15,000 emissions tax. Now if you think this is absurd, you certainly wouldn’t be alone. Even the CEO/Personality Cult of Tesla Motors, Elon Musk, has weighed in on the debacle.

For the 2016 model year, Honda quietly made some minor updates to its sport compact hatch. And, no, I am not talking about the Civic Type R. In case you forgot (and I wouldn’t blame you if you did), I am talking about the CR-Z, the de facto successor to the legendary CR-X.

As word broke earlier this week that the DeLorean Motor Company will be going back into production, I couldn’t help but think of John DeLorean and the road that led to the DeLorean DMC-12’s immortalization in the minds of petrolheads and sci-fi fanatics worldwide.