How do you honour the 80th anniversary of the Jeep Wrangler, the WWII battle-birthed, time-tested icon that remains one of the most capable, most recognized on- or off-road warriors in the world?

Simple. Stick with the strengths – the toughness, the time-tested trail abilities, and temper those with increased on-road civility, those blended qualities framed by the trademark cues of a seven-slot grille, traditionally round headlight housings, trapezoidal wheel flares, the fold-down windshield, bulky-hinged removable doors and a mix of strip-down roof choices to further every Jeep owner’s fantasies of open-air exploration.

Then keep adding techs and tweaks – more driver assists, more amenities, more choices. And maybe celebrate the milestone with a special 80th Anniversary edition.

For 2021, Jeep claims a four-model Wrangler JL lineup – the Sport (two-door only), Sport S, Sahara (four-door only) and Rubicon. But, click on the Jeep.ca website and, yikes, you’ll find a bewildering choice of fifteen different editions, even before adding other packages and options.

To start, let’s skip the two-door models. Yeah, I realize their appeal with a $3K-$4K cheaper starting price, shorter wheelbase and the nimbler mass that make them the true Jeeps for weekend warriors. I know a two-door owner who refers to the four-door Unlimited versions as “minivans”. But the four-door Unlimited models have all but taken over the niche with smoother ride and handling, stretched-out accommodation for five passengers instead of four, more than twice the cargo space, a higher tow rating and more trim and power choices.

The Unlimited’s popularity is obvious. Jeep doesn’t publicize the sales split but my extremely scientific study, based on noting oncoming Wranglers whenever I didn’t forget to do it, revealed a 10-to-1 ratio after counting off about a hundred plus Wranglers – 10 Unlimited four-doors for every single two-door.

Wrangler Unlimited powertrain choices normally start with FCA’s 3.6-litre Pentastar ESS V6 (285 hp, 260 lb-ft) mated to a six-speed manual. Upgrading to an eight-speed automatic adds eTorque tech for a mild-hydrid assist to the V6 engine.

A normally optional 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo, offering almost equivalent power (270 hp, 295 lb-ft) and thriftier gas mileage through the 8AT, comes standard on the 80th Anniversary edition tested here. I managed a decent 10.3L/100 km (comb) fuel econ average, not bad for two tons of fun with a design ethic that’s as aerodynamic as an outhouse. The optional 2 also complemented the powertrain:72:1 SelecTrac full-time 4WD system ($795) and Trac-Lok limited-slip rear differential ($525). And, yes, it has earned a TrailRated badge.

There’s also an available 3.0-litre V6 EcoDiesel (260 hp, 442 lb-ft) with more grunt and even better fuel economy but, unless you’re a die-hard diesel fan, I wouldn’t bother. If you drove the 7,100 km cross-Canada run from St. John’s to Vancouver, the diesel might save you about a hundred bucks compared to the 2.0-litre gas version (not counting DEF costs). So, hardly worth it, considering its $7,595 added cost (or $9,190 in other trim packages). Besides, all four-power variants share the same 1,588 kg (3,500 lb) tow rating, anyway.

Our 80th Anniversary edition builds on an Unlimited Sport S entry model that starts at a $44,095 price point. But it doesn’t stay there long. A Customer Preferred package ($2,995) adds functional bonuses like a heavy-duty suspension with gas shocks, bigger 18-inch tires, automatic headlamps and more. Inside, the UConnect 4C system with Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, Nav & Sound Group displays on a 7-inch screen. And there’s 80th Anniversary badging on the console, seats and floor matts, along with a unique 80th Anniversary plaque mounted inside the swing gate.

A Cold Weather Group ($995) adds heated steering, heated seats, remote start and this is where I grumble about features that come standard in economy cars at half the price. But the list of add-ons gets longer with an LED Group, Trailer Tow package and a myriad of driver assist tech packages until this 80th Anniversary edition finally gets tricked out with a few last Mopar extras – a black Freedom Top modular three-piece hardtop, black tubular sidesteps, even a special black fuel filler door, topping this collection of extras out at a significantly upgraded $60,220, including all fees.

The sum total of all that effort is a capable and civilized all-purpose, all-weather, all road conditions family hauler with the special 80th edition cachet. Yes, it still feels ‘trucky’ and still wanders in its highway lanes more than your average sport ute but if burly, bush-bashing Wrangler potential is not your cup of tea, you should probably be shopping in the soft-roading sport cute aisle.

I should mention that, along with the updated powertrains this year, added Wrangler features for 2021 include two new USB power ports, some trim-specific packaging changes, a new available TrailCam forward-facing off-road camera and, along with the 80th Anniversary model, a new Tiki-flavoured Islander model with available hood decals and trim specific treatment.

Jeep will also soon be adding the new Wrangler 4xe plug-in-hybrid, first in a line of future electrified models and, at the other end of the power spectrum, the amusingly insane 470 hp Rubicon 392 high-performance Jeep Wrangler.

I’ve always chuckled at the Wrangler decal that says, “It’s a Jeep thing. You wouldn’t understand.”

But while the coming Ford Bronco may provide a novelty factor and new segment competition, Jeep customers understand very well that traditions and traits, carefully blended with some of the upcoming innovations listed above, should keep the Wrangler in its position as the best-selling Jeep in Canada well past its 80th celebration.

The vehicle was provided to the writer by the automaker. Content and vehicle evaluations were not subject to approval.

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Mazda’s recently been on a mission of rivaling the premium brands. And the latest examples of its efforts have been rather convincing, with vehicles like its Signature series CX-5 and CX-9, as well as the more recent Mazda3 Turbo compact sedan and hatchback. It was therefore only a matter of time before the CX-30, Mazda’s latest “in-betweener” subcompact crossover, received the same treatment. Say hello then to the inevitable CX-30 Turbo.

If, like me, you feel like the CX-30 was a last-minute rush job to save the entire Mazda lineup, you’re not exactly wrong. Even if it arrived on the market midway into the 2020 model year, Mazda Canada still shipped 9,017 units compared to a full year of selling 14,788 Mazda3s and 8,335 CX-3s.

It’s mainly aimed at taking on the latest crop of small and highly popular crossovers that sit somewhere between the subcompact and compact category – things like the Kia Seltos, Chevrolet Trailblazer or Nissan Qashqai. The CX-30 follows in the Mazda3’s footsteps by riding on the same architecture and offering the same powerplants.

Essentially a heavily reworked version the CX-30 GT’s 2.5-litre SKYACTIV-G four-cylinder engine (186 horsepower and 186 lb-ft of torque) this new forced-induction setup cranks things up to a healthy 250 horsepower and a mountain ripping 320 lb-ft of torque (on 93 octane gas). This, by the way, allows the all-wheel drive CX-30 turbo to be the most powerful subcompact crossover in its class. Its performance also comfortably sits in the same ballpark as offerings from Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz.

And that’s no coincidence. Mazda only offers the turbo engine in the CX-30’s top-shelf GT trim level, which houses a full battalion of neat creature comforts, technology and fit and finish that’ll have you think twice before signing for that Audi Q3. The CX-30 Turbo’s cabin is rich in high-quality materials, elegant design elements and a sense of craftsmanship that no other mainstream brand manages to replicate.

And it’s the same story for its exterior styling that presents itself through a clean, organic and sensual design language. The CX-30 looks compact, yet purposeful, but also expensive and ready to pounce.

And pounce it will as this little crossover exhibits grown-up road manners that could easily have you mistake it for a budget-minded Mercedes-Benz. The chassis is stiff and composed on rough roads, and the suspension’s damping sits at a sweet spot between sportiness and comfort. It’s just a downright fun little utility vehicle to throw hard into a highway offramp.

The addition of turbo power only adds another arrow to the CX-30’s premium quiver. It’s quick off the line, but its power delivery is effortless and buttoned down. It deploys its 320 lb-ft of twist with utmost efficiency, and that six-speed gearbox, while low on gears, manages it all with little drama. Speed and highway takeovers have rarely felt this painlessly fun.

At this point you’re probably thinking that the 2021 Mazda CX-30 is the perfect subcompact crossover. Priced at under $40,000 fully loaded and with this much substance, it certainly feels like a homerun from Mazda. And in many cases, it is. That’s until you realize you won’t be able to sit behind yourself in the back seat if you’re six foot tall, and that its maximum cargo hold is significantly lower than competing models from Nissan and Kia. It also loves to do things for you, like slam on the brakes when it’s on cruise control, or annoyingly tug on the steering wheel if you happen to flirt with the white lines. That said, there is an off switch. At least.

If you’re ready to sacrifice a bit of practicality and rear legroom, then the 2021 Mazda CX-30 is definitely worth putting on your A list.

The vehicle was provided to the writer by the automaker. Content and vehicle evaluations were not subject to approval.

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Ford of Canada has named a new president and CEO. 25-year company veteran Bev Goodman is taking over the office, responsible for the automaker’s more than 8,000 employees in this country. She’s the fourth CEO of Ford Canada since 2017, and that shows an interesting picture of where the Canadian arm of the company stands in the total corporate hierarchy.

The Montreal-born Goodman is the second consecutive Canadian to lead the company but is not the first woman to have the top job. That honour, which went to Dianne Craig in 2011, starts the current frequency of Ford Canada CEOs onward and upward. In 2017, Craig left to become CEO for FordDirect, the arm of Ford that brought tech and digital marketing to the automaker’s dealers and is currently president International Markets Group, responsible for leading Ford business operations in more than 100 countries.

Craig was replaced by Mark Buzzell that year and held the position until 2019, when he left the CEO spot to become director, Ford North American fleet, lease, and remarketing, putting him in charge of Ford’s used selling, brand marketing for all of Ford’s commercial trucks and vans, and the automaker’s extensive sales to commercial and government fleets. Buzzell was succeeded by Dean Stonely, who moved to the new position of general manager, North America truck, in charge of the company’s biggest-selling vehicles.

Goodman will lead Ford of Canada’s operations here including the company’s Canadian HQ, three regional offices, a vehicle assembly and two engine manufacturing plants, as well as research and development sites and connectivity and innovation centres. She started with the company as an intern in the finance department 25 years ago and has worked extensively in finance, parts and service, and sales and marketing. She comes to the position from being Ford of Canada’s director of marketing communications.

The new CEO comes to the job during a time of great change, as Ford is once again the top-selling brand in Canada, but is facing significant challenges related to not just the COVID-19 pandemic, but Ford’s transition to electric vehicles and the announcement that Ford’s Oakville, ON, plant would be one of the first to build those EVs.

“I look forward to embracing new ways to serve our customers across the country as we introduce iconic vehicles such as the Mustang Mach-E, Bronco and F-150 hybrid,” said Goodman. “We’ll focus on delivering the benefits of electrification and connectivity to consumers, including plans for the $1.8-billion transformation of our Oakville Assembly Complex to a battery electric vehicle manufacturing facility and continuing to grow our advanced connectivity and innovation centres,” Goodman said.

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There are several things to get out of the way before getting to this week’s column.

Last week, I used the first part of this column to talk about a new sports car racing series that is opening for business this season. It is challenging the established Canadian ‘Touring Car Championship for cars and sponsors. I finished my report by saying I would return this week with an analysis of the situation. That column will now appear in next Saturday’s Toronto Star and be posted online at thestar.com/autos as well as wheels.ca.

The Daytona 500 will be held next Sunday (TSN, 2:30 p.m.) Usually, yesterday (Sunday) – a week before the Great American Race – they ran the Busch Clash and then time trials to determine the front row. That’s changed this year. The Clash will be held tomorrow (Tuesday) at 7 p.m., the time trials Wednesday at 7 and the two qualifying races to fill the field, a.k.a. the Duels at Daytona, on Thursday, also starting at 7. All mid-week racing will also be televised by TSN.

Although the exact date is Feb. 18, this Daytona 500 marks 20 years since the Intimidator, Dale Earnhardt, met his end on the final lap when he went high to block Sterling Marlin and crashed, spinning down into the infield grass near Turn 4. The TV cameras showed the wreck but then concentrated on Michael Waltrip, who was celebrating the race win. I can still remember Darrell Waltrip, in the broadcast booth, saying: “Dale’s okay, isn’t he?” I’m sure there will be tributes to him next Sunday. I followed Dale, of course, but I preferred Dale Jr., who was also a winner but was nicer about it.

Canadians at Daytona: Quebec racer Raphael Lessard and Pinty’s driver Jason White of Sun Peaks, B.C., will be running in the two NASCAR trucks races; Quebec’s Alex Labbe will race in the Xfinity Series stock car race; White will also race in the ARCA-sanctioned stock car race.

The Bell Media bloodbath that took place early last week (TSN firing Dan O’Toole and not on-air partner Jay Onrait, which made about as much sense as firing Abbott but keeping Costello) eliminated one of the executives at TSN who managed auto racing programming. As a result, there is no longer anyone at the executive level advocating for our sport. Yes, NASCAR and Formula One programming and coverage is set in stone for this year but, for instance, when the IndyCar contract finishes at Sportsnet at the end of this season, the plan was to try to get the series back on TSN so that the network could truly say it was the home of auto racing in Canada. What will happen with that initiative now remains to be seen.

Okay, five years ago, a woman named Beth Paretta announced the formation of an all-female IndyCar racing team – Katherine Legge would drive – that would enter and try to qualify for that year’s 100^th Indianapolis 500. She had to give up on the idea when she was unable to rent a car that wouldn’t fall apart when it was fired up. (Translation: none of the wonderful owners in the series would make a competitive car available.)

Now she’s back, this time with the backing of IndyCar owner Roger Penske, who offered financial and technical support as part of the league’s diversity program. Simona de Silvestro, who was 2010 Rookie of the Year, has been hired to drive.

Now, I’m lukewarm about this whole business but it is what it is. What I am really disappointed about is that, with due respect, Paretta had to turn back the clock to find de Silvestro, who has been out of IndyCar racing, period, for nearly six years. She did not exactly set the world on fire when she was racing at that level, either, although she did score a podium in 2013.

This is not to knock de Silvestro, or Pippa Mann or Legge, but where are the up-and-coming young women racers expected to make waves in the bigs as a result of the success of Danica Patrick? Yes, Janet Guthrie was the first back in the 1970s – she qualified for the “500” in 1977 and made her first NASCAR Grand National start the year before at what was then the World 600 – but she was almost a one-off, as was Desire Wilson and Lynn St. James.

But then, starting in 2000, there was almost a tidal wave of young and talented women. Sarah Fisher, then Danica, Milka Duno, Simona, Ana Beatriz, Pippa and Katherine. These were the women who were supposed to inspire other young women, who might have thought about racing as a career but didn’t follow through because they thought they didn’t stand a chance. Well, Danica showed them – she won a race in the IRL, raced in the NASCAR Cup Series for years before finishing her career at Indy in 2018 – and Sarah Fisher not only had a successful racing career but went on to become a team owner.

But it turned out their success only put cracks in the glass ceiling, rather than breaking it, and we’re really almost back to square one. I find this puzzling.

There are always going to be nay-sayers when a member of a minority or someone not seen as really being good enough makes it to the top of the auto racing ladder. The boo-birds really had it in for Danica but, of course, she could do something few of her critics couldn’t: she could drive a racecar competitively at speed. But when it came to “ordinary” fans (I hate that word, but you have to use it to differentiate between casual observers and experts), they loved her. When Danica took the lead at Indy, and once in NASCAR during the Coke Zero 400, the cheers from the grandstands drowned out the sound of the engines. When she won that IRL race in Japan, the story was on the front page of the New York Times.

And Humpy Wheeler’s yarn about the day Guthrie raced at Charlotte is hilarious. First, when she qualified for the 600, it resulted in what – he says – was the biggest race day walk-up crowd in the history of NASCAR racing. The women wanted to see her race and made their husbands take them. That created another problem: when there were yellow caution flags, all those women headed for the washrooms and when they all flushed the toilets the water pressure at the Charlotte Motor Speedway plunged. Wheeler had to get all the fire departments in the Greater Charlotte Area to bring their pumper trucks over to the speedway in order to keep the water running.

So the world wants women racing drivers and would be ecstatic if one should win one of the big races. Roger Penske would be wise to put his money behind the development of young women racing drivers to take over from Danica, Simona and the rest. Somebody has to do it and I can’t think of anyone better suited.

Moving right along, Dale Coyne introduced his new IndyCar driver this past week, Romain Grosjean. Coyne got carried away during the introduction and suggested that Grosjean would bring the same level of excitement to North American IndyCar racing that Nigel Mansell did when he made the move over in the early 1990s.

I don’t want to do a number on anybody here but Dale Coyne should get real. Nigel Mansell was world driving champion in 1992 and when he moved to the United States in 1993 to race Indy cars, he won the CART championship that year. That’s pretty good: F1 champ one year, Indy car champ the next.

Grosjean has never come even close to winning the world championship and it’s highly doubtful that Dale Coyne is going to be able to provide him with the car, equipment and personnel required to be anything but a backmarker in IndyCar. As a friend of mine said – a rather cruel jab, but accurate: “Now Romain can go from racing in the back in F1 to racing in the back of IndyCar.”

Be that as it may, there is one thing that’s certain about Romain Grosjean. Everywhere he goes this first season in IndyCar, whether it’s New Orleans or Dallas or Indianapolis, he’ll be asked about The Crash. If that’s what Coyne means by excitement, he might be on to something. But I don’t think he had that in mind.

NASCAR CANADA PINTY’S SCHEDULED UNVEILED

Okay, I’m a little confused. NASCAR Canada issued the schedule for its 2021 NASCAR Pinty’s Series for late-model stock cars last week and right away I saw there was something missing. The Pinty’s cars and drivers have always opened the season at the annual Victoria Day Speedfest at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, scheduled this year for May 21-23. They have always been the headliners and this year is particularly important because it is CTMP’s 60^th anniversary season.

But there is no mention of Old Mosport in the NASCAR release, which I will print in its entirety here:

“Following an abbreviated six-race season (in 2020), the NASCAR Pinty’s Series will run a full slate of events in 2021.

“The return to a full schedule features 12 races at eight tracks culminating with the championship race at Jukasa Motor Speedway on Saturday, Sept. 25. Jukasa has hosted the season finale every year since its return to the schedule in 2017.

“Our team has worked hard to put together a full schedule that will showcase the exciting, door-to-door racing that Pinty’s Series fans have come to expect,” said Chad Seigler, NASCAR Vice President, International Business Development.

“Out of an abundance of caution, we are focusing on stand-alone events, especially as we kick off the season (NORRIS NOTE: Which could explain the absence of a May race at CTMP). Although we are unsure of when we can welcome fans back to the race track, we will continue to work with local and provincial officials to put on as safe an event as possible. The health and safety of our competitors, officials and fans are our top priority.”

Other highlights include:

• “The series’ long-awaited debut on dirt. Ohsweken Speedway will host its first Pinty’s Series race on Tuesday, Aug. 17 after being featured on the initial 2020 schedule.

• “A Quebec swing in late August featuring three races at two tracks in two days. Circuit ICAR will host its first series race since 2017 on Saturday, Aug. 28 followed by twin events at Autodrome Chaudière on Sunday, Aug. 29.

• “The Pinty’s Series will again serve as the opening act for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (CTMP) with two races on Sunday, Sept. 5. (NORRIS NOTE: My view as that the NASCAR trucks will not be allowed across the border in 2021).

“All races will air on TSN. Start times and complete broadcast schedules will be released at a later date.”

2021 NASCAR Pinty’s Series Schedule

DATE	TRACK	CITY
Sunday, May 23	Sunset Speedway	Innisfil, Ont.
Saturday, June 19	Jukasa Motor Speedway	Hagersville, Ont.
Sunday, July 18	Flamboro Speedway*	Millgrove, Ont.
Sunday, July 18	Flamboro Speedway*	Millgrove, Ont.
Sunday, Aug. 15	Circuit Trois-Rivières	Trois-Rivières, Que.
Tuesday, Aug. 17	Ohsweken Speedway	Ohsweken, Ont.
Saturday, Aug. 28	Circuit ICAR	Mirabel, Que.
Sunday, Aug. 29	Autodrome Chaudière*	Vallée-Jonction, Que.
Sunday, Aug. 29	Autodrome Chaudière*	Vallée-Jonction, Que.
Sunday, Sept. 5	Canadian Tire Motorsport Park*	Bowmanville, Ont.
Sunday, Sept. 5	Canadian Tire Motorsport Park*	Bowmanville, Ont.
Saturday, Sept. 25	Jukasa Motor Speedway	Hagersville, Ont.

RACING NEWS ‘N NOTES

During racing speedweeks in Daytona, starting with the Rolex 24 sports car race and ending with the Daytona 500, there is all sorts of short track racing at New Smyrna Speedway, just down the coast from Daytona, and Volusia Speedway Park in De Leon Springs, west of the city. Sometimes things can get interesting. Following some tradin’ paint during a modified race at New Smyrna Saturday night, drivers and crews got into a fight and it was a real donnybrook. A track employee went to break it up and died, likely as the result of a heart attack. A tragedy like that mightr put an end to that nonsense. . . . . . Joey Logano, NASCAR Cup driver, has decided to go modified racing and will start a race or two at Volusia. . . . . . The World of Outlaws sprint car series has got three nights of racing scheduled for a speedway in Skagit, Wash., with a $175,000 purse. Where do they get the money? . . . . . Ken Roczen, a Supercross racer without equal, won all three races held at the Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. . . . . . IndyCar is trying to get at least one other manufacturer involved in building engines for the series, starting in 2023 when the formula will change. The latest to say not now was Ferrari. . . . . . Samantha Tan, a race-car driver from Toronto who runs her own team, will compete in the U.S. GT4 championship this season. . . . . . Linda Vaughan, the First Lady of Auto Racing who was Miss Hurst Golden Shifter in her younger years, has donated her 1979 Hurst/Olds W39 (see photo) to the Motorsports Hall of Fame Museum in Daytona Beach, Fla. She was inducted as a member in 2019.

Norris McDonald / Special to wheels.ca

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