Ford Canada Names New CEO, Company’s Fourth in Four Years

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.

Ford of Canada CEO

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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Review: 2021 Lexus LS 500 Executive

When you talk about Lexus, you have to talk about the LS. It’s the model that launched the Lexus nameplate in North America, establishing a brand which stood for luxury, refinement, technological advancement and reliability. These classic LS 400 cars are the million-mile Lexus’ that we see on YouTube today.

Back in 1990, the Lexus LS wasn’t just the best that Toyota could do. It was the best that anybody could do. While many scoffed at Toyota’s ambitions to take on the best of American and German luxury, the sale figures and the meteoric rise of the Lexus nameplate spoke for themselves.

Fast-forward 30 years and the landscape is a little bit different. The smaller IS and ES models have moved in to service the audience of the old LS 400. The new LS 500, meanwhile, is a car designed much more to be driven in than to drive yourself.

The Lexus LS 500 is no longer a blue-collared, hungry challenger in its class. It’s a pompous, fat and happy cruiser for the leisure-class. Don’t believe me? Check the MSRP.

The price of the original LS 400 in 1990? About $70,000 when you factor in inflation. Our as-tested LS 500? A whopping $141,000.

Seriously.

There is some good news in the form of the LS 500’s power plant. It’s Lexus’ familiar 3.5-litre DOHC twin-turbo V6 that features every internal combustion advancement known to man. This includes a sophisticated variable valve timing system as well as both port and direct fuel injection. A hybrid variant is also available.

The result is an engine that accelerates with all the drama of a dentist’s waiting room and gets reasonable gas mileage (unless you start to feel your foot getting heavy). But best of all is that the LS’ engine produces a very buff 416 horsepower and can usher you to 100 km/h in roughly five seconds. Not bad for a car that weighs almost 5,000 pounds.

I often criticize vehicles for not having a sense of joy. And in that category, I actually have to hand it to the LS 500. Despite being a vehicle which Lexus describes as prioritizing, “comfort, quietness and craftsmanship” which “have been elevated to a new level of refinement”, the LS 500 still manages to get up your nose a bit.

It’s a boat. But it’s a speedboat. Flick the switch into the Sport + setting and it’s not exactly a sports car, but it does get a little naughty with sharper steering, stiffened suspension and more immediate throttle response.

You won’t be carving up any corners or easily navigating a parking garage with the LS’ 12- inch wheelbase. But the ride is expectedly exquisite (even on snow or gravel), and road noise is minimal.

Think of the LS 500 not as a fighter jet, but as a private jet.

Review 2021 Lexus LS 500 Executive

Review 2021 Lexus LS 500 Executive

One look inside the car will prove my point. Everything is awash in red-leather and suede, and looks as if the designer took their main inspiration from the VIP booth of a King St. nightclub.

Mounted behind the front seats are two screens connected to a BlueRay entertainment system, complete with HDMI inputs and audio jacks. In the centre of the rear seats is a touch screen featuring climate, entertainment and comfort controls. You also get an absolutely massive 39 inches of rear legroom. It is sincerely nicer than sitting in first class.

I suspect that Lexus knows that most people who buy the LS 500 are buying it to be driven around in. There’s simply no other explanation for this kind of lavish rear passenger comfort.

If you do find yourself employed as the driver of someone who owns a Lexus LS 500, you’ll be pleased to learn that the LS has adopted the touchscreen for 2021, so that you don’t have to navigate with a mouse or touchpad or any other such nonsense.

A touchpad is included, but mercifully, the LS features a healthy dose of analogue keys for the climate control and audio selection. There’s also a few quick keys surrounding the touchpad for quickly navigating through the touch screen’s many, many menus.

Speaking of audio, the Mark Levinson premium sound system, with its 23 speakers is an absolute banger (it bloody better be for $140K), so you’re in good hands there.

Review 2021 Lexus LS 500 Executive

Now, you might find the LS 500 a bit difficult to park in your boss’ private underground garage. Thankfully, the LS 500 features a number of park assists including a backup camera with a back guide monitor and something called an “intelligent clearance sonar” which creates a little top-down 3D model of your car navigating its space. It’s helpful for gauging the distance in a turning radius or navigating around obstacles.

A cross-traffic alert will urgently alarm you of vehicles crossing your path while moving and the world’s most gentle lane-departure assist will keep you from having to slam on the brakes, which would of course spill your boss’ artisan double-cafe-half-sweet mocha latte.

And those are all just the standard options. Our as-tested model came equipped with the “Executive Package”. It’s a quaint little option that will set you back $25,650 for basically a moonroof and some massage units built into your seats. That’s more than the price of a standard VW Golf. Just want to put that out there.

The biggest question to undoubtedly answer when it comes to the Lexus LS 500 is, “Is it really worth $140,000?”

And the answer is, “Not if you’re the one driving it.”

Despite the horsepower and the refinement, it’s not really all that much better to drive than a Lexus IS. Definitely not an ES.

Review 2021 Lexus LS 500 Executive

If what you’re looking to do is blow over $100,000 on a car with four doors that goes like hell and which you’ll enjoy driving, there are so many BETTER options for you. Porsche Panamera. Tesla Model S. Dodge Charger Hellcat Redeye (if you’re someone who isn’t boring at parties).

But if you can afford to hire a driver, then $140,000 is a totally moot point. What you want is to review your PowerPoint presentation while getting your ass massaged on the way to the office. Driving is the furthest thing from your mind.

And if that’s the case for you, then I would recommend the Lexus LS 500 because it’s unbelievably refined, tastefully understated (on the outside) and will probably prove to be more reliable than its competition.

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

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Racing Roundup: Where are all the young women IndyCar drivers?

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 100th 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 60th 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.

Daytona 500 Schedule

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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News Roundup: Lexus V8, Chip Storm, Insurance Refunds, More

The pinnacle of performance at Lexus has been the F badge for a few generations now, and while the V8-powered performance cars that have worn that badge have been gone for a while, a new report says that they’re coming back. Japanese auto mag Best Car says that the IS, LS, and LC could all get an F version very soon, each packing a turbocharged V8. The report says the IS F would get a 474 hp 4.0-litre, while the LS F would get 661 hp to take the fight to the Mercedes-AMG S63 and the LC would share that same engine and compete with a host of flagship performance coupes.

British Columbia’s private auto insurer ICBC has said that it will be sending out rebates to a wide range of customers to reflect a cost decrease resulting from COVID-19 lockdowns and changes to behaviour, The company said that lower claim costs and fewer collisions reported means they can return $600 million to customers with an active policy between April 1 and Spet 30 of last year. The rebates will be based on the amount paid, and doesn’t go to those with storage or per-km-based policies, but it will be around 19 per cent of customer premiums paid during that time. That means approximately $190 per customer, but that figure varies depending on your actual premium. Cheques go out in mid March.

Lexus F

A shortage of computer chips caused by increased demand for consumer electronics and hampered by production issues related to the pandemic is hitting the auto industry hard in recent weeks. General Motors has announced that it will stop production this week at its plant in Ingersoll, ON, as well as a plant in the US and one in Mexico. Ford had also said that it would be idling palnts in the US as well as its factory in Oakville, ON, for a similar period. Unifor Local 444, which represents workers at the Stellantis minivan plant in Windsor, ON, said that the auto plant there would be idled for three weeks, again due to the same shortage. The semiconductor shortage is expected to affect auto production for much of the year, across manufacturers.

Lexus F

After a week of on again, off again talk of Apple and Hyundai or Kia joining together to build the Apple Car, a still unconfirmed project, that set stock prices of automakers aflutter, we have today what seems to be a final answer. Hyundai Motor Group, which controls Hyundai as well as Kia, says that it is not now in talks with the tech colossus to build its car. “We are not having talks with Apple on developing autonomous vehicles,” the company said in a statement to comply with stock market rules voering rumours. Though of course that doesn’t rule out conventional non-autonomous electric vehicles, which will probably lead to plenty of new rumours this week.

Lexus F

Auto sales in Canada fell sharply in January after making a significant recovery through most of late 2020. Sales were down an estimated 17.4 per cent to 90,980 units reported Desrosiers Automotive Consultants. Of the automakers that report monthly sales, Honda Canada, Subaru, Toyota Canada, and Hyundai-Kia all reported sharp declines. With much of the country under lockdown in January, that’s to be expected. Inventory shortages, related to last year’s demand and the shortages of parts including semiconductors, could also be contributing.

Lexus F

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Base Camp: 2021 Nissan Versa S

For the 2021 model year, Nissan has completely revamped its smallest car. New styling and a new interior bring the Versa in line with the rest of its offerings, a serious upgrade from what looked like a battered Beirut taxi not long ago. These days, it can be difficult to tell the Versa apart from its larger Sentra and Altima brothers at a quick glance – and that’s a good thing.

At a starting price of $16,498 we find the entry-level S model that comes with a 1.6L four-cylinder and an honest-to-real manual transmission with hill-holding capability for new or nervous drivers. A total of 122 horsepower is on par for this segment. Basic 15-inch steel wheels with hubcaps loudly advertise your penny-pinching ways, as do the black door handles and side view mirror covers.

However, those covers contain mirrors that are power adjustable, a rare luxury at this end of the food chain. Nissan also chose to keep the fog lamps from more expensive trims on this base model, sparing the ignominy of owning a vehicle with blank block-off plates in a pair of empty fog lamp buckets. Only three colours are available, all on the greyscale.

Despite its affordable sticker price, the 2021 Versa S packs several active driving aids. Intelligent emergency braking with (front and rear) is standard equipment, as are a lane departure warning system and high beam assist. With the sensors for all this tech, a bright spark at Nissan realized adding cruise control would be a simple matter.

Air conditioning is included, marking the end of days when buying a base model subcompact car meant one would be literally sweatin’ to the oldies on their way to work. Windows and locks are electric, and the push-button start means no digging for keys. The steering wheel adjusts for reach and rake. A 7-inch touchscreen handles infotainment duties and three USB ports means there are plenty of places to charge up a device.

What We’d Choose

As disciples of the manual transmission, we’d find it difficult to recommend a more expensive Versa if someone is simply looking for decently equipped basic transportation. An automatic transmission adds $1500 to the Versa S (and body-coloured mirrors, oddly) that is not an insignificant sum in this price bracket.

Note as well that the manual transmission model’s rear seat doesn’t fold down, meaning you’re outta luck if trying to bring a Kallax shelf unit home from IKEA. Nissan’s CVT automatic is also notoriously efficient, netting an extra 1L/100km, meaning the average driver will save about $200 per year on fuel compared to the manual transmission model. Still, the extra upfront cost means it’ll take over seven years to net any savings.

If you can deal with the lack of folding rear seat, and don’t skip leg day at the gym, it looks like the manual transmission wins. Again.

Find the rest of the Base Camp series here

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New 2021 Nissan Kicks Starts at $19,898

Nissan has announced that its new Nissan Kicks is now on sale in Canada and starts, with the Kicks S model, at $19,898 CAD.

This New 2021 Nissan Kicks comes with new styling and design elements such as a Double V-motion front grille, bumper, LED headlights and LED fog lights.

Customers will now get two new exterior colours and three new two-tone paint schemes to choose from. Inside brings some new touches, as an 8-inch touchscreen display, a Bose Personal Plus audio system, new seat materials and premium finishers. For those cold Canadian winters, there is now available heated front seats and available heated steering wheel.

Every 2021 Kicks comes with a standard 1.6-litre DOHC 16-valve 4-cylinder engine rated at 122 horsepower and 114 lb-ft of torque, mated to an Xtronic transmission.

The 2021 Kicks is offered in three: S, SV and SR, including an SR Premium variant.

Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Prices for the 2021 Nissan Kicks:

Kicks S – $19,898

Kicks SV – $22,898

Kicks SR – $24,098

Kicks SP Premium – $24,998

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Ten Future Classics From the Last Decade

No one can predict the future or say with total certainty which cars will end up being widely desirable in the future. 20 years ago, who could have predicted the explosion in price of mid-90s Japanese sport compacts? What soothsayer of the late 1970s had the foresight to predict the skyrocketing prices of ‘60s American muscle cars — some hitting seven figures by the mid-2000s?

Outside of supercars and super-exclusive limited production models, it can be hard to predict what’s going to maintain or increase in value in the automotive world. However, we can make some good guesses based on current desirability, exclusivity, pedigree and historical significance.

Now that we’ve entered a new decade (so weird that we’re now living in “The ‘20s”), it’s time to reflect on models that only existed in the past decade and which we think will be worth holding on to as more decades come to pass.

Ford Mustang Shelby GT350

2016 – 2020

There are definitely a few Mustangs we could put on this list from the 2010s. Namely, the 2012 – 2013 Boss 302 and 2013 – 2014 Shelby GT500. Both of which are notable as top-tier models and coveted nameplates which were very the last to feature a live rear-axle.

However, the much-loved Shelby GT350 is almost sure to be the most desirable and collectable moving forward. Partly because of its unique and wonderful 5.2-litre flat plane crank V8. Partly because, unlike the GT500, the GT350 only came back for a short period of time before disappearing again. But mostly because it could very well be the last Shelby Mustang ever with a clutch pedal.

Dodge Challenger SRT Demon

2018

Ten Future Classics From the Last Decade

I don’t think most Challengers — even the 392 Scat Pack and Hellcat cars — are going to command a super high price in the near years to come. The market is just too saturated with them and a lot of time is going to have to pass before their rarity and demand start to hit that critical tipping point.

However, I think the story will be different for everything higher than the Hellcat trim, such as the widebody and Red Eye models, because of their year-to-year exclusivity.

Of course, no Challenger model fits that bill better than the one-year-only, 840 horsepower Demon model. If past Mopar classics like the HEMI and convertible E-body cars are any indication, there’s going to be some serious collectors out there interested in acquiring the most powerful Dodge ever.

Subaru BRZ tS

2018 – 2020

Ten Future Classics From the Last Decade

With the Toyota 86 and Subaru BRZ being such commonplace, and with a newer, more powerful model on the way, it could be difficult to see how these cars could ever become highly desirable or collectable.

But let’s not forget the lessons of the Nissan 240SX. The majority of those cars were either modified beyond recognition or drifted into a wall and as result, good examples are hard to find and are highly desirable.

Since the tS model featured every performance addition added to the 86 and BRZ over its lifespan and had a limited production run of just 500 units, it will almost surely be the most desirable one.

Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X Final Edition

2015

Ten Future Classics From the Last Decade

Whereas its introduction in 2008 was met with high praise for its extreme handling abilities and healthy amounts of turbocharged horsepower, the Evolution ultimately failed to evolve over its seven-year lifespan, chiefly due to Mitsubishi’s financial troubles.

So in 2015 we said goodbye to a car that felt like it was from a previous decade… because it was. But that doesn’t mean the Final Edition wasn’t one of the best the 2010s had to offer.

Besides featuring all the best performance and bodywork bits of various Evo X models, it’s the lack of sophistication that will make the Final Edition so desirable. Putting aside the blistering performance and the cult following that the Evo commands, this was a car on sale in 2015 that featured no back up camera or navigation system. The interior was so crude and noisy, it’s like it was made from melted down action figures. It had a five-speed manual transmission. And razor’s edge steering. The whole thing was analogue and raw, and represented a generation of car that would simply no longer exist after 2015.

And that’s why people will want them. The Evo X Final Edition is a time capsule.

Chevrolet Camaro Z/28

2014

Ten Future Classics From the Last Decade

The Z/28 was not supposed to happen. It was an unsanctioned Frankenstein’s monster of a project that consisted of mashing a cavalcade of obsolete GM parts from other models onto a chassis which itself was about to be sent out to pasture. It also didn’t have a radio. Just like the original.

Even better, there were 35 factory parts which GM restricted the sale of in order to prevent any LS, LT, SS, or even ZL1 owners from building a Camaro Z/28 clone. The only way to have a Z/28 is to have a Z/28.

This was lightning in a bottle car that put an egg on the face of the Boss 302 Mustang and even some BMW M cars of the day. It kick-started the “muscle cars that handle” trend that we see reflected today in the Camaro 1LE and Mustang Performance Pack offerings. It’s very special. And people are going to want them.

Dodge Viper ACR (Fifth Generation)

2017

Ten Future Classics From the Last Decade

There’s a general feeling that every generation of Dodge Viper will be the last Dodge Viper, because there simply aren’t that many maniacs out there who can afford to drop $100,000 to prove that they really are over their divorce.

As a result, most generations tend to see at least some kind of collector and enthusiast market spring up around them and it’s the higher scale, track weapon models, like the T/A and ACR which command the highest prices.

The very last Viper ACR featured the behemoth and utterly silly 645-horsepower, 8.4-litre V10 as all Fifth Gen Vipers did. But it also featured an enormous carbon wing, front splitter and canards. These types of aggressive, track-focused styling cues would go on to be adopted by other top-tier performance variants like the Corvette ZR1 and Shelby GT500 Carbon Track Pack.

Chevrolet Corvette (C7)

2014 – 2019

Ten Future Classics From the Last Decade

The last front-engine Corvette. The launch of the C8 Corvette ushered in a design change that various ‘Vette engineers had been striving to accomplish for decades—moving the engine behind the driver. And while the hype for the C8 has hit a fever pitch for the moment, there are a number of Corvette faithful who believe the rightful place for the ‘Vette’s motor is firmly up front. Unless Chevy reverses their rear-engine decision (and there’s no sign of that happening any time soon), the C7 will represent the absolute pinnacle of front-engine engineering for the Corvette. This means it’s sure to be a sought after collector’s item — especially for those who will maintain that the C7 was the last “real Corvette”.

Cadillac CTS-V Wagon

2010 – 2014

Ten Future Classics From the Last Decade

The 2010 CTS signified a new direction for Cadillac, and for a time, it seemed like the brand planned to base everything around the CTS, offering it in a coupe, sedan and wagon form.

The problem was, Cadillac didn’t sell a lot of CTS wagons. And they sold even fewer CTS-V Wagons. By 2013, only 1,200 of the 556-horsepower station wagons had been sold. That was roughly 0.5 percent of Cadillac’s total CTS sales.

So they’re rare. But they’re also awesome. At the time, the CTS-V was the fastest production station wagon ever. In 2011, Top Gear USA raced one against a Ferrari California and the CTS-V wagon absolutely smoked it. So, yeah. This is a special car.

Mazda Mazdaspeed3 (Second Generation)

2010 – 2013

Ten Future Classics From the Last Decade

It’s difficult to fault Mazda’s new direction of “luxury at a discount” because it seems to be mostly working for them. Positioning their new product line to appeal to the middle-managers of Yorkville might be boring for enthusiasts, but it’s hard to argue with the increase in quality or sales.

However, there was a time in Mazda’s history when quality was a little lower on the priority list and fun was much, much higher.

The second generation Mazdaspeed3 saw only three years of production before it killed the nameplate for good, but that makes this 2.3-litre turbocharged hot hatch even more rare and significant.

While the Mazdaspeed3 is viewed as something of a failure, what’s interesting is to think about how many great hot hatches we got in North America after the Mazdaspeed3 had gone. The Golf R, the Type R, the Veloster N and the Focus RS all seemed to fill a void that the Mazdaspeed3 had left. Maybe it was just a few years too ahead of its time.

Ford Focus RS

2016 – 2018

Ten Future Classics From the Last Decade

Let’s also not forget to pour one out for the brilliant Fiesta ST and Focus ST models. Those will continue to be desirable cars for years to come. However, none will retain the level of cult following status or be as coveted as the briefly tasted forbidden fruit that is the Ford Focus RS.

The Focus RS was a casualty of Ford deciding to axe everyone of its cars in North America, save for the Mustang. Which is frustrating. Long had we lusted after the RS and its 350-horsepower, 350-ft-lb of torque and 2.3-litre turbocharged greatness.

While the engine may live on in future Ford performance vehicles, the rarity and limited availability of Ford’s hottest of hatches means the Focus RS is sure to maintain its value amongst the faithful indefinitely.

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Sometimes, Timing is Everything

In this life, timing is everything – almost. Take General Motors.

In December, I had a chat with Scott Bell, GM Canada’s president and managing director, about the resumption of fossil fuel-powered light-trucks manufacturing at the rejuvenated GM plant in Oshawa.

Literally a day or two later, GM announced it would spend a billion dollars – that’s “illion” with a “b” – to transform its CAMI Assembly facility in Ingersoll, Ont., from automobiles (they put the Chevrolet Equinox together there) to large electric delivery vans.

“Wow,” I thought, “I got a good story out of the interview I had with Bell but if I’d waited a day or two, maybe I’d have gotten a better one.”

Okay, so a week ago Thursday, GM took a huge step along the electric highway. It announced that it will phase out internal combustion engines worldwide by 2035 – 14 years from now – and replace them with electric- or hydrogen fuel-cell-powered vehicles.

Oh, and the Cadillac brand will lead GM’s electrical revolution.

Fine, except that four days later, last Monday, Feb. 1, Cadillac unveiled two of the most powerful cars it has ever built, the 2022 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing and the CT4-V Blackwing. Those two gorillas were really built for the race track (although most will be driven on the street) and they run on – guess what? – gasoline.

Timing.

So Tuesday of this week, I sat down to have another chat with Scott Bell. I didn’t plan to put him on the spot about this other stuff but I was really curious about, in particular, the investment in Ingersoll, where the EV delivery vans will be built.

How did this all come about? Was this the result of long-term corporate planning or was it a spur-of-the-moment decision?

“It was a secret to many people, even within our own company,” he said. “It was exciting to make that announcement, both externally and internally. We are talking over $2 billion in investment in Canada (the Oshawa and Ingersoll facilities) and this is work that is happening as we speak and this will all be on the production line by the beginning of next year and perhaps even the end of this year.”

He said GM saw an opportunity for the CAMI plant a few years ago when the delivery van business started to explode because of the success of e-commerce.

“It accelerated quickly last year and we knew we needed a place to build an electric van. Our negotiations with the union at CAMI weren’t scheduled before September but with the momentum we’d built at Oshawa (with Unifor), we felt it was a good time to sit down to see if we could strike a deal and get going.”

Bell said the deal secures the future of the plant at Ingersoll and secures employment. He said the new van and the new Equinox would be built together for the next while before transferring to full production of the van.

Talking about the electric van, Bell said the company has a team of engineers in Oshawa and Markham working on future projects all the time.

“The challenge for our company,” he said, “is always to try to think outside the traditional new car, (new) truck, crossover and to determine what opportunities are out there.

“We could see parcel and food delivery really starting to boom,” he said. “When COVID hit, the need grew. That’s why (GM) launched a new business called BrightDrop that offers electric delivery vans and other technology and services to companies like FedEx, which we worked with locally during the development.”

(BrightDrop, incidentally, offers a product called EP1, an electrically powered pallet to move packages, and the EV600, which is the commercial electric truck that will be built in Ingersoll.)

“We were working on an overall solution and we feel that BrightDrop is the answer,” he added.

I reminded him that California has decreed that all delivery fleets will have to start becoming electric-only by 2024 and that GM obviously had a big jump. I asked him if the EV revolution was evolving even faster than the industry had expected.

“There is an excitement in the air, for sure,” he said. “Global warming is real and we’re trying to find a solution to cure that. In this context, these delivery vans are growing. Consumers like that door-to-door service.

“There is a need to bring a clean solution to this business and we’ve found ways to do that. I wasn’t around when the horse and buggy were going away and the idea that the automobile was coming but I imagine there would have been the same feelings.

“What would life be like (today) if clean solutions could be found to simplify your day as a consumer. There’s a lot of hype building here and we’re right in the thick of it, which is very cool.”

Norris McDonald is a retired Star editor who continues to write for Wheels under contract. He reviews the weekend’s auto racing every Monday at wheels.ca

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2022 Nissan Frontier Gets Chunkier Styling, New Powertrain

Prominent “Frontier” script on tailgate in-keeping with current pickup trends

Can you believe it’s been almost eleven years since we saw significant change in the Frontier? And even then, the change was little more than skin deep and was otherwise a carryover from when the Frontier was last given a full redesign for the 2005 model year. Up in Canada, meanwhile, the wait for some significant Frontier news has been even longer; when the 2020 model received a new powertrain, the Canadian market was skipped.

Well, wait no more because we now have that powertrain, only that’s only a small part of the story as it’s wrapped ‘round an all-new truck for 2022, one that’s a whole lot bolder looking and more purposeful than previous.

It starts with the grille; actually, it starts with the whole front fascia, really, as it’s been crafted to look as if taken from a single block of steel. And plastic, I guess – but I digress.

For the areas that required fastening – say, where the fender meets the headlamp lens or taillamp lens – the panels have been given a kind of tongue-in-groove look, which is actually pretty original and unique. Although not totally unique as lead designer Hiran Patel says that the Nissan hardbody truck from the ‘80s was the inspiration that lead to that “as one” look. The larger space between the windows and rocker panels, meanwhile, also serves to recall the older truck and really adds a nice level of chunkiness to the proceedings. The bedwalls are also taller to ensure they properly meet the bottom of the side windows.

Other great details abound especially on the Pro-4X package which gets underfloor skid plates the cover the gas tank and transmission, red tow hooks and a new take on the new Nissan emblem that sees it painted red. In Canada all trim come standard with 4WD unless you include the 2WD special order King Cab S truck that is reserved for fleet ctomers. Other than that, no 2WD as according to Nissan, 2WD just doesn’t sell in Canada meaning we get 4WD at base. Which is mostly good, though we won’t see the 3,408-kilogram tow rating the U.S. is reporting, because their figures are based on 2WD trucks. With 4WD the base S (and burliest tower) is good for 2,944 kilos. Still plenty for jet skis and the like.

Both King Cab and Crew Cab are available for every model except base S, which gets only a King Cab option and only in Canada can you get a Pro-4X with the smaller King Cab. All King Cab models get a six-foot bed, while Crew Cab spec means a five-foot bed unless you select the SV long-wheelbase model (3,550 mm as opposed to 3,200 mm), which opens up enough space for a Crew Cab and the longer box.

A manual transmission, it seems, is also no longer in the cards as every Frontier sold both in Canada and the US gets the exact same powertrain: a 3.8-litre V6 good for a generous 310 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque, fed through a nine-speed automatic transmission.

On the subject of transmissions and powertrains: since every Canadian Frontier gets AWD, every truck gets a shift-on-the-fly 4WD system with 2WD, 4HI and 4LO modes that are connected to an electronically-controlled transfer case. There’s also hill start assist and hill descent control while the Pro-4X model provides an electronic locking differential.

Of course, it doesn’t stop there for the Pro-4X as it also gets special Bilstein shocks and those aforementioned underbody panels. For those looking for even more performance bits, Nissan did confirm that its Nismo performance division is already working on installable upgrades for the new Frontier.

2022 Nissan Frontier

Inside, we find more of the chunky, blocky styling language that’s been applied to the exterior. The dash, for example, looks to be divided in two but held together by an x-brace that also doubles as the centre stack – if you look closely, you can see more of the tongue-in-groove styling used for the head- and taillights.

The interior is also finished in materials and colours chosen to reflect outdoors gear – think neon oranges and flat greys – and the materials have been chosen for their durability. It should come as little surprise that Apple CarPlay and Android Auto come standard, while wireless charging (but no wireless CarPlay) is an added option along with a Pro-4X-specific nine-speaker Fender audio system. All that is controlled, meanwhile, by an eight-inch touchscreen while a nice-incher is available as an option.

In addition to getting the bonus Pro-4X King Cab option in Canada, we also get Nissan Safety Shield 360 tech as standard that adds rear auto-braking and cross-traffic alert, automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, blind spot warning, lane departure warning and high beam assist, as well as intelligent adaptive cruise control. This being a Nissan, the Frontier also gets the brand’s very good Around View parking camera.

That’s some pretty good kit for a base truck but don’t ask us how much all that’s going to cost; Nissan hasn’t announced that as of yet.

The 2022 Nissan Frontier is scheduled to go on sale in summer of ’21.

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Nissan Canada unveils a re-invented Pathfinder

Later this summer, Nissan Canada will give Canadians a whole new Pathfinder experience.

In a for media-only digital reveals Nissan Canada executives showcased the new 2022 Nissan Pathfinder that sees this fifth-generation SUV re-invented from the ground up with a more modern design, a more powerful engine with greater towing capacity and a more refined interior.

Adam Paterson, director of marketing with Nissan Canada said this new Pathfinder is part of the automaker’s focus on bringing a bevy of new vehicles to market in the next 20 months, “and this all-new Pathfinder is rugged, capable, versatile and advanced in terms of the technologies it brings to the market.”

The new 2022 Pathfinder is larger than its predecessors with a wider stance and a V-motion grille that will harken back to original pathfinder grille design. C-shaped headlights will be integrated into a refined floating roofline and the standard LED headlights will come with slimmer daytime running lights. A ‘floating’ C-pillar will give the Pathfinder a more SUV look and support an eye-catching two-tone roof. A ‘boxed out’ liftgate will showcase an oversized ‘Pathfinder’ name and will throw into relief the now slimmed-down LED taillights.

Drivers will also get a choice of 11 colour combinations with four new tow-tone treatments.

Under the hood will be a 3.5-litre direct injection V6 that will give 284 horsepower and 259 lb-ft of torque, and mated to a new 9-speed automatic transmission. All 2022 Pathfinder models will come equipped with Nissan’s Intelligent 4WD with 7-position Drive and Terrain Mode Selector. For those looking to do a little camping and needing to tow a boat or trailer, the Pathfinder can provide up to 6,000-pounds of towing capacity.

As with the redesigned exterior, the interior of the 2022 Pathfinder gets a makeover as well. A new 12.3-inch digital dashboard is complemented with a 10.8-inch head-up display. A 9-inch infotainment touchscreen provides easy access to Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and SiriusXM radio. Also available is a wireless smartphone charging pad, wireless Apple CarPlay, Bose Premium Audio with 13 speakers, and such sought-after features as Nissan Door-to-Door Navigation and Intelligent Around View Monitor.

New to Pathfinder, the Head-Up Display can now provide the driver their preferred vehicle and navigation content such as turn-by-turn directions all without distracting the driver.

The interior of the 2022 Pathfinder adds a new level of comfort and spaciousness for driver and passengers. Owners are now offered woven cloth, leather- or premium quilted semi-aniline leather-appointed seats and brushed bronze metallic accents are among five available interior environments. Standard interior features include a 10-way power driver’s seat and Tri-Zone Automatic Temperature Control with second-row climate control. Climate controlled front seats, and heated rear seats are available.

2022 Nissan Pathfinder

The larger interior can now comfortably hold up to eight people, and for the first time, the Pathfinder will have available second-row captain’s chairs along with a 60/40 split-folding third-row seating.

For the first time, the 2022 Pathfinder will now come equipped with Nissan’s ProPILOT Assist, and it will be standard on S and SV grades. The SL and Platinum grades will have Navi-Link with the ProPILOT Assist, a feature that was introduced earlier with the 2021 Nissan Rogue. Other safety features to be included will be Nissan Safety Shield 360, automatic intelligent braking, blind spot warning and land departure warning, for example.

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