Oshawa has once again reclaimed the title of automotive capital in Canada. 2011 was a good year for the auto city as Oshawa built more cars than Windsor, Oakville and Cambridge.
Oshawa produced approximately 303,500 units last year, according to industry analyst Dennis DesRosiers. Windsor came in second at 301,500 units and Cambridge finished third with 290,400 units.
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Former light heavyweight world champion Jean Pascal has an empty spot in his garage all thanks to the New England Patriots. Pascal bet his Mercedes-Benz S550 on Sunday’s big game and since the Patriots came up short Pascal is handing over the keys.
But all is not lost. Pascal only bet the use of his S550 for a month so in 30 days it’ll be back in his garage, though maybe a little worse for wear.
More after the jump.
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David Mulroney, this country's ambassador to China, was recently taken down a peg by the people of China for the car that he drives. When Mulroney posted photos of his Toyota Camry Hybrid on the popular Chinese social media website Weibo, he received criticism for driving something so ordinary. In fact, his post received hundreds of comments.
But while some mocked the ambassador others appreciated Canada's modest vehicle budget for government officials. That appreciation comes from the fact that there is very little transparency regarding government vehicle allowances in China. And that's a problem for a country with up to 700,000 government vehicles.
More after the jump.
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According to a press release from Ford, high customer demand in “trend-shaping” California has inclined them to now offer a 5-speed manual in the Titanium guise Focus. Ford wants to knock it out of the park with the upcoming arrivals of the Focus ST model and the Electric model with a top-of-the-line Titanium model available with an enthusiast friendly stick.
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What a great way to start 2012 with strong Canadian auto sales to set things off in a positive direction. Overall, sales grew 15.4% to 97,497 vehicles last month, according to data released from the Association of International Automobile Manufacturers of Canada.
"January light vehicle sales in Canada surprised everyone including myself," said Dennis DesRosiers of DesRosiers automotive consultants. "Sales have been anemic for about 4 years and this is an excellent start to the year ...January sets us up for some positive surprises through the rest of the year."
Clear winners for the month include Honda, Land Rover and BMW with sales up 143.8%, 79.2% and 35.3%, respectively. The loser category was slim this month but a few automakers managed to make the cut.
Click through for the full sales results.
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Earlier this week Acura announced that it will unveil the new ILX luxury compact sedan at the 2012 Chicago Auto Show. The ILX will replace the no longer available CSX model as it shares the Honda Civic platform, like the CSX. More importantly, the ILX will feature Acura’s first hybrid application. New tech goodies include standard Keyless Access System with smart entry and push-start ignition, Pandora® internet interface, and even text messaging capabilities.
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The Mazda CX-5, which goes on sale in Canada this month, will have a starting MSRP of $22,995. That puts you into a FWD GX model. The CX-5 GT AWD sits atop the model range at $32,495, though an available Technology Package can be added (HID headlights, Adaptive Front Lighting System, auto headlamp leveling, navi, and SIRIUS® Satellite radio).
More after the jump.
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Lexus is building up the hype on the new GS by including it front and centre on their website. For those of you who don’t know, the GS is all-new for 2013. Brand new, in and out. Well, except for the powertrain. GS 350 models (as the name suggests) still get the 3.5L V6 carried over from the outgoing model; 306 hp and 277 lb-ft of torque according to Lexus. Both rear-wheel- and all-wheel-drive are available at launch with a 6-speed automatic.
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Nissan is planning on unveiling their updated 370Z sports car. As the name suggests, the 3.7L V6 with 332-hp remains, which is still not enough to catch up to the competish.
EgmCarTech suggests freshened front and back ends, but not much else. The 370Z will be coming up on its fourth year of production and it is already getting quite dull compared to others like the Hyundai Genesis Coupe and America’s current muscle car lineup including Camaro and Mustang.
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Mike Nemat of Ottawa has a problem on his hands. He owns a Chevrolet Volt but his condo board won’t let him charge it using a plug normally used for block heaters.
Despite the low cost (about $1/night according to Nemat), the board pulled the plug on the grounds that they don't pay for fuel for any resident and Nemat is no different.
More after the jump.
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