Vicarious | Fall 2021 Issue

FALL 2021

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DISCOVERED GT Cars Of Japan

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SPECIAL FEATURE In The Pursuit Of Pie

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EDITOR IN CHIEF “Stop worrying about the potholes in the road and enjoy the journey.”

– Babs Hoffman

I love to travel.

from its self-induced travel blackout. It had to be done, of course, but as vaccinations take hold and t makes sense, as the Founder of Vicarious and the percentage of those who are fully-immunized TRQ and the Editor In Chief of this magazine, increase in slow but steady increments, there is a you would expect nothing less. I also love driving light at the end of the tunnel and it’s not a train automobiles, it has been a passion of mine for as ready to run you over. Rather, it’s waiting at the long as I can remember. I was an avid collector of station ready to take you on a new adventure. the original Hot Wheels redline cars from the ‘60s and ‘70s and I still have many of them today. Do I I long for better days of re-visiting some of my wish they had remained in their original packages favourite destinations; the backroads around so I could reap the benefits of today’s hot collec- Sant’Agata Bolognese, home of Lamborghini tors market? Not really. I would have missed all and following the road south through Tuscany to of the fun spending hours setting up every track Florence. Driving up the Julier Pass in Switzerland’s configuration possible and watching the Beatnik Albula Alps on the road past St. Moritz, or exploring the many castle routes through Germany Bandit crash into the Boss Hoss with regularity. while making sure to stop in and visit the museThe past year plus of lockdowns and severe restric- ums of Porsche, BMW Welt and Mercedes-Benz. tions on visiting different countries has made Of course, this is only a fraction of what’s on my it challenging for an automobile and motorcycle refreshed bucket list which includes all the main travel magazine to thrive. You see, our motto is continents; it’s going to be busy. auto/moto/travel and how do we test drive new vehicles, ride the latest motorcycles or tell great We started this journey a few years ago with the adventure stories when everything is under lock goal of bringing to life the places we visit and the and key? Well, we have managed to find a way, vehicles we get to drive or ride. Global pandemic or respect all of the restrictions and still deliver the not, our mission has never changed. Yes, it’s been great adventures and insight you will find in our challenging in many ways to deliver the stories you latest issue. We are very proud of what we have have come to expect in every issue of VICARIOUS and online at vicariousmag.com, but we remain accomplished to date. undaunted and committed to being the best drivAnd now the world seems on the cusp of getting ing buddies you could ask for. It’s an old saying, back to exploring. Our contributors from the US “life is a journey” and it’s true. We say, let the are well underway test driving or riding the newest journey begin again, potholes or not, it’s time to models and Canada is starting to wake up again engage first gear and let it rip!

I

JEFF VOTH Editor In Chief | VICARIOUS jvoth@vicariousmag.com

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EDITOR AT LARGE “So when I see you, I’ll show you my hand, You’ll always see the arrow and underneath it sayin’, Introduce yourself, Thank you for your help” – Gord Downie

Hello.

How are you doing?

desperate to get back to exploring and telling you all about.

Thankfully, we have been introduced to some y name is Matthew Neundorf. I’m the Editor incredibly gifted writers and photographers during At Large here at VICARIOUS Magazine, and those past explorations, and some of them are still it is my absolute pleasure to meet you. poking around some far off places.

M

I’ll admit it feels a bit odd to be introducing myself after a dozen issues into a magazine’s run, but for many of you this might be the first time we’ve met.

This is our first issue to hit the magazine stand, afterall. And given that we’ve all been secluded, quarantined, locked-down and hiding behind our screens for the last year or so, it honestly feels appropriate and rewarding to exchange these pleasantries via a tangible medium.

Justin W. Coffey (who has just finished a trip through Mongolia while covering The Silk Road Rally) and I first shook hands on a motorcycle trip through Baja. That very trip spawned his incredible report (that you’ll surely enjoy) that speaks to the importance of promises kept and finding a place called Pie. Drew Faulkner, an off-roading motorcycle masochist of sorts, is a friend I met during my very first assignment for VICARIOUS. Drew walks us through the battle of what it takes and means When I started working with Jeff three years ago, to earn Iron Butt status, something he’s done the goal was always to get here -- to put together more than a few times. And while my contributions a polished and unique bit of print in the Canadian around here typically come on two wheels, I was media landscape. Something you look forward to introduced to and quickly fell in love with a new car holding, reading and admiring on a coffee table. that packs an old soul, an uproarious engine and was painted the same hue as an M&M. Of course back then, the world was a smaller place. England was a part of the EU, Canadians I hope you; your family and friends are all well. I hope and Americans could high five while crossing the that very soon, we can all get back to being relentborder and anyone with the dosh and determi- lessly curious while travelling without fear or prejunation could hop on any flight, to any location in dice. I hope that you enjoy what we’ve prepared for the World. For travellers, tourists and the cultur- you in this issue. And I hope, someday soon, we ally curious alike, it was paradise. A paradise we’re can all introduce ourselves in person, again.

MATTHEW NEUNDORF Editor At Large | VICARIOUS

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CONTENTS EDITOR IN CHIEF

8

EDITOR AT LARGE

10

CONTRIBUTORS

14

Discovered

GT CARS OF JAPAN

16

Featured Hotels

ROADSIDE CHIC

24

RITZ RECIPES

28

CORKSCREW

32

Featured Road

THE ELECTRIC KOOL-AID DRIVING TEST

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Featured Car

2021 PORSCHE 911 TARGA 4

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Featured Region

LOSE YOURSELF IN MILAN — LITERALLY

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Discovered

IN THE PURSUIT OF PIE

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Road Test

2021 MERCEDES-BENZ AMG E 63 S 4MATIC+ WAGON

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Featured Motorcycle

2021 KAWASAKI NINJA ZX10-R

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OUR TEAM EDITOR IN CHIEF

Driver’s Seat

RIDE 1000 MILES IN 24 HOURS

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Jeff Voth jvoth@vicariousmag.com

EDITOR AT LARGE Matthew Neundorf mneundorf@vicariousmag.com

Power Brokers

CHRISTIAN MEUNIER, CEO OF JEEP

78 WEST COAST EDITOR Dan Heyman dheyman@vicariousmag.com

EV Avenue

2021 JEEP WRANGLER 4XE RUBICON

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Steven Bochenek sbochenek@vicariousmag.com

Special Feature

007 LESSONS IN AUTOMOTIVE MARKETING

EV EDITOR AT LARGE

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CONTRIBUTORS Benjamin Yong Brendan McAleer Drew Faulkner

Game Changers

RICH B CALIENTE

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Julie Tremaine Justin W. Coffey Pablo Kovacs William Clavey

Featured SUV

2021 LAMBORGHINI URUS

98 DESIGN & LAYOUT Jennifer Elia

Road Test

2020 BMW M2 CS

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Time Zone

LONGINES LEGEND DIVER BRONZE TONINO LAMBORGHINI 108 Gear Up!

A LIBRARY OF SPEED EXIT LANE

111 114

DIRECTOR OF NEWSSTAND Craig Sweetman

ADVERTISING SALES DIRECTOR Grant Wells gwells@vicariousmag.com

PUBLISHER VICARIOUS 16 Heritage Court St. Catharines, ON Canada L2S 3H9

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CONTRIBUTORS JUSTIN W. COFFEY Justin W. Coffey is a freelance photojournalist and co-creator of WESTx1000. He has spent the past decade traveling the world like Caine, shooting photos of things that go fast, eating Oreos and sleeping in uncomfortable places. When not on the road to ruin, he splits his free time between Baja California and the American Southwest, where he can be found eating tacos, and riding his dual-sport motorcycle on a desolate beach or down a forgotten dirt road. You can see more of his work at jwcoffey.com

BRENDAN MCALEER Brendan McAleer is an award-winning automotive writer and photographer based in North Vancouver, BC. His work appears in Car and Driver, Road & Track, Autoweek, The Globe and Mail, and elsewhere. He has strange affinity for unreliable British cars, oddball French cars, and basically anything weird on wheels. He is currently tricking his two young daughters into liking cars. It seems to be working.

BENJAMIN YONG Benjamin Yong is a freelance writer and long-time Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC) member hailing from Greater Vancouver. He’s usually found either putting pen to paper, writing about everything from vehicles and tech to food and travel, or tinkering on one of his cars — a Gun Metallic 2016 Nissan Micra (five-speed, of course) and a Classic Red 1990 Mazda MX-5 Miata.

JULIE TREMAINE Julie is an award-winning food and travel writer who’s road tripping — and tasting — her way across the country. Her work appears in outlets like Vulture, Travel + Leisure, and CNN Travel, and she’s the Disneyland editor for SFGate. Read her work at Travel-Sip-Repeat.com.

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DISCOVERED

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GT CARS OF JAPAN Anything Is Possible

Story and Photography

I

Brendan McAleer 17

J

apan is a place of efficient and friendly public transportation, of trains that sing to you. The traffic is boxy, uniform, and thrifty. Yearly vehicle safety inspections are rigorous. Taxes and road tolls are punitive. Everywhere, there are strict rules and enforced order.

But this is Japan. And anything is possible.

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With a scream of vaporized carbon atoms, two Italian hotheads rocket past, engaged in a 24 piston fistfight. Red stallion pursued by blue bull, each pouring open-exhausted combustion opera into the air. Suddenly, a tunnel looms overhead and the thunder is pressurized.

The pair fire out into clean air like bullets. The motorway is open and empty, the countryside all low mountains furred with trees. One of Japan’s ubiquitous rest stops looms ahead. The FerrariLamborghini sortie banks off to the left, slows into the car park, comes to a rest. I climb out of the passenger’s seat, ears still ringing, shaking my head in disbelief. Both drivers grin at me.

Tokyo’s megalopolis is what most tourists see.

Others venture further afield, visiting the ancient streets and temples of Kyoto, brightly lit places of wonder in the night. Still others walk the market districts in blue-collar Osaka, surprised to see that the Japanese people are far less reserved than the stereotype would have you believe.

On any given weekend, if you find the right road, you’ll cross paths with convoys of enthusiasts. Some will be in heavily tuned economy cars, turbochargers pressurizing engines to within an inch of their lives.

Others will be in Hiroshima’s own: late-model Mazda RX-7 twin-turbos in limited editions we never got. And some will be in stuff that will make your jaw drop.

Like these two. The blue Lamborghini is a Diablo SV-R, the first Lamborghini to leave the factory for racing purposes. One of thirty-one ever made, it was originally the personal car of French racing promoter Stéphane Ratel. It is the pride and joy of But today, we are east of Hiroshima, deep in the its young Japanese owner, the lucky 13 license plate canyons. Hiroshima Prefecture is far more sparsely flecked with soot from the fire-breathing V12. populated than that around major cities like Osaka and Tokyo. It takes hours to get beyond the sprawl The Ferrari is a 550 Maranello, but not one you’d of Tokyo, but the great roads are much closer here. soon recognize. It wears the carbon fibre body of It’s what gives Hiroshima a unique driving culture. a Super GT racing machine, one identical to the

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cars that competed in the top-tier GT500 class. A XJ220, to this more recent Italian. normal Maranello is one of the finest Ferrari grand “Please, enjoy,” he says, handing over the keys, tourers ever made, and the last to only be available “You drive this time.” with a manual transmission. Mark my words: when the wider collector market notices these, they are I’ve driven a Maranello before, going to the moon in terms of value.

This particular rocket ship spits flames directly out of side-exit exhausts, and is possibly even louder than the race-bred Lambo. Never have two Italians having a shouting match sounded better: a combined chorus of more than ten litres of displacement and more than a thousand horsepower.

The Maranello’s owner, known simply as Mr. A., is an interesting man. His business card reads, “Car Maniac.” His small garage holds treasures like the prototype Gumpert Apollo, and a twin-turbo Ferrari 512BB Koenig Special. He delights in driving racing cars on the road, from a Le Mans spec Jaguar

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but that was like listening to music on vinyl as opposed to sticking your head in a French horn. The sound! Fire the big V12 up with a push of the starter button, and the bare metal of the cabin echoes with the thunder of internal combustion.

The exposed gated shifter is more railway switch than rifle bolt – engaging first is a heave to the left and a shove forward, all the while depressing a clutch with the weight of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s leg-press machine. Roll out slowly, twelve cylinders buzzing. The Lamborghini follows.

Hell with it. Second. Punch it.

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Even the Ferrari’s fully slick rear tires can’t handle the power. They spin, the car crabs sideways, then it hooks up and we leave my spleen in the rearview.

Electric cars might have a better holeshot than this, but they don’t have the soundtrack. Grab third, the Lamborghini a blurry wedge in the side mirror.

Another quick blast down the highway, autumn foliage blurring on the verges, and we pull back into a small garage, on a side street. Mr. A.’s mechanic looks over the Maranello’s huge V12 lump. Heat waves radiate off the Diablo’s rear hatch.

What you hear or read about a place is often incomplete. The stories told only scratch the surface. A Everything is overkill. The steering jerks and fizzes casual tourist will stroll through a city and think on a road that looks billiard table smooth. The they know it. sound is deafening. It’s hotter than Satan’s underBut for the curious, for the interested, for the pants. The only break from the onslaught of sound explorers, there is more to discover. Adventures is when the Diablo pulls alongside and revs its own to be had. Things you didn’t think could happen. big V12.

You just have to go looking for them. And be ready, when someone offers you the driver’s seat, to leap How is any of this possible, or at the chance. even mildly legal? These are literal racecars on the highway, shooting flames and howling at each other. But again, this is Japan. Anything is possible.

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FEATURED HOTELS

ROADSIDE CHIC Story and Photography

I

Jeff Voth

R

oadside Chic is all about finding those hidden gems, the places that provide a perfect balance of comfort, luxury, exceptional service and the opportunity to do as much or as little as you want.

Here are four exclusive getaway destinations that we believe offer not only a welcome end to your journey, but an equally inspiring route to get there.

KINSHIP LANDING If a downtown hotel doesn’t seem much like a retreat from the hustle and bustle of city life, we would like to suggest you may need to reset your thoughts on what getting away from it all really means. Colorado Springs is just an hour south of Denver and close to some of the most magnificent natural scenery in all of North America. If you can’t find a place to escape here, you won’t find it anywhere. But, when you need to recharge after a long day of rock-climbing, skiing or any other outdoor adventure you can imagine, head back to Kinship Landing to get fully revitalized.

a warm fire, in a cozy corner with friends or on the patio under the summer sun or indoor Greenhaus space in the winter. Looking to go offsite for a bite to eat? Try heading a few blocks over to the celebrated Denver Biscuit Co, you won’t be disappointed.

Rooms offer an equally adventurous take on how to unwind. Shared bunkbeds and a bunkbed party room offer casual accommodations and superior comfort. Junior suites, a Junior Queen Suite with bunkbed and a King Suite feature world-class amenities and comfy bedding sure to encourage Homa Cafe + Bar (Homa means human in the guests to sleep in. The views are spectacular and Esperanto language) is located on the first floor of for those who love fast cars and tight turns, the the hotel and serves hotel guests, or patrons walk- sight of Pikes Peak from your window is certain ing past looking for menu inspiration from Chef to stir the imagination of what a drive in Colorado Jay Gust. Seating is throughout the hotel; close by Springs has to offer.

415 S Nevada Avenue, Colorado Springs, CO, USA www.kinshiplanding.com 24

WANDER THE RESORT The town of Bloomfield in Prince Edward County, Ontario is a somewhat uninspiring two-hour drive east on Hwy 401 (The 401 Highway is also referred to as The King’s Highway) from Toronto. But don’t let the multi-lane excess of North America’s busiest highway fool you. Arriving in one of Canada’s newest and most celebrated wine regions is well worth the drive. And there are additional warm and inviting towns to see along the way, including Port Hope, home to the renowned Olympus Burger and Cobourg with its exceptional beachfront.

recharge after a full day of activities. Four cabins are lakeside, 6 are poolside. Each features indoor and outdoor dining spaces, full European kitchens, WiFi, games, books, air conditioning in the summer and heated floors for winter getaways.

Espresso and locally-sourced fresh-baked treats are available throughout the day. Dining takes place offsite and there are so many options in Prince Edward County that you will never run out of choices. Wine lovers are certain to get their fill with a bounty of tasting rooms only a short drive or The newly-opened Wander The Resort is a labour bicycle ride from the resort. Spend the day soaking in the sun on its south-facing beach, or grab a of love by founder Shannon Hunter and her team hammock on the dock or lounge chair by the pool. of relaxation experts. It highlights 10 restful One of Canada’s newest resort gems, make your cabins, each accommodating up to six guests in reservation for 2022 as 2021 is already sold out. comfort and tranquility. Inspiration for the design is part Canadian cottage and part Nordic mini15841 Loyalist Pkwy, Bloomfield, ON, Canada malism, with the focus on delivering a place to www.wandertheresort.com

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SHERATON GRAND HIROSHIMA HOTEL Hiroshima is engraved in our minds as one of the cities instrumental in bringing WWII to a close. Thankfully, August 6, 1945, is a part of 20th Century history and the city we experience today celebrates it’s Imperial roots with a rebuilt Hiroshima Castle complete with a moat, feudal gardens and monuments, while respectfully paying homage to its pain with the contemplative beauty found at the Peace Memorial Park.

backroads and highways outside the city (see GT Cars Of Japan on page 16).

Rooms are generous in size, ranging from deluxe corner twin rooms to the spacious Club Suite King Room. Views of the city are never far away. Dining takes place at the buffet-style Bridges restaurant, or the more traditional Miyabi-Tei which features a sushi bar and Teppanyaki grill. Relax after a long day of touring or driving at the full service Spa, or get The renowned Sheraton Grand Hiroshima Hotel is in a workout at the fitness center and indoor pool. both an exceptional business hotel for the corpo- Hiroshima is an unforgettable city worth exploring. rately inclined and a center for relaxation and sight12-1 Wakakusa-cho, Higashi-ku, seeing as it offers guests exceptional amenities Hiroshima City, 732-0053 Japan and a great location with quick access to the bullet train and bus terminals. Of course, our suggestion www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/ is to rent a car or motorcycle and explore the many hijsi-sheraton-grand-hiroshima-hotel/

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FORESTIS The Dolomites, also known as the Pale Mountains, frame the northernmost boundary between Italy, Switzerland and Austria. The drive into Bolzano from Innsbruck takes approximately two hours, but the scenery and twisting, turning two-lane highways support the reasoning behind why European roads are so revered. While the Dolomites may be a lesser known mountain range than their famous siblings The Swiss Alps, they are certainly one of the most intoxicating.

Forestis prides itself on simplicity. Hosts Teresa and Stefan have created a unique resort that builds on four natural elements, imbuing guests with a setting that is both restful on its own and in tune with the surrounding countryside. Rooms and suites celebrate the rectilinear shape of the main hotel with views of the mountains never far away. The Tower Suite and Penthouse offer a higher-state of cool and calm with the suite featuring a private deck and the larger penthouse offering a private rooftop pool.

The dining room is designed as a series of steps, to provide a sense of privacy while at the same time delivering unrestricted views of the mountains.

Executive Chef Roland Lamprecht takes inspiration from the forest, using natural ingredients to create a menu guests can enjoy as much as the scenery. Casual fare is served at the Bar located in the historic building. Drink inspiration is taken from the Celts who employed the calming effect of an open fire with forest elements to create a drink experience second to none.

Palmschoß 292, 39042 Bressanone Bolzano, Italy www.forestis.it/en 27

RITZ RECIPES

VICARIOUS has partnered with The Ritz-Carlton, Toronto to bring you some of their favourite recipes with each issue. Try these for yourself and enjoy the pleasure of fine dining in the cozy confines of your own home or home on the road.

T

he Ritz-Carlton, Toronto embraces the cosmopolitan edge of the city alongside its luxury heritage to offer an elegant escape in the heart of Downtown Toronto. Guests will enjoy al fresco dining on the Ritz Bar patio, specially- curated in-room experiences, such as romantic evenings, learning to make your favourite classic cocktails, Ritz Kids experiences, or pamper yourself with a

luxurious treatment at Spa My Blend by Clarins.

For a truly exclusive experience, The Ritz-Carlton, Toronto offers a Private Floor Package, which includes 6 guestrooms and suites, and the Private Terrace Room package, where you will enjoy brunch and cocktails on your own guestroom terrace overlooking the city any day of the week.

ABOUT EXECUTIVE CHEF PAUL SHEWCHUK Executive Chef Paul Shewchuk hails from Kitchener, Ontario. Since arriving at The RitzCarlton, Toronto in 2018, he works closely with his team to elevate every guest’s culinary experience, from banquets, weddings and meetings to in-room dining and the TOCA dining room. He has a passion for bringing out the natural flavours of food in exciting and creative ways and inspires his cooks and chefs to bring innovation into the kitchen. He developed his passion for sustainability and quality ingredients during his tenure at the Eigensinn Farm, before working at Langdon Hall and various Fairmont Hotels in Canada and the US. He was the host Chef for the James Beard Foundation Taste America Event in Seattle in 2017.

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SUMMER POTATO GNOCCHI Potato Gnocchi (see below) Green Pea Purée Sugar Snap Peas Spring Onion Green Peas Gorgonzola Cream

100g 10g 10g 10g 15g 60g

|

15 PORTIONS OF 100g

Bring heavily salted water to a boil.

Have a bowl of Ice water set aside for blanching vegetables.

Add in green peas, sugar snap peas, spring onions into the boiling water.

Blanch for 20 seconds, and shock the vegetables in ice water In the same boiling water, add in potato gnocchi and cook for 4 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat up the green pea purée and gorgonzola cream.

Add in the cooked potato gnocchi into the gorgonzola cream and toss until properly incorporated.

Toss the blanched vegetables in the same pan as the gnocchi.

Plate with a thin layer of green pea puree on the bottom, place the gnocchi and vegetable mixture right on top of the purée.

Serve immediately.

POTATO GNOCCHI Potato Flour Parmigiana Reggiano Eggs Salt

GORGONZOLA CREAM Shallot (brunoised) 35% Cream Chicken Stock/Beef Stock Gorgonzola Pinch White Pepper Olive Oil Salt to taste

300g 1000g 200g 3 20g

Warm the milk and reserve.

Melt the butter in a pot.

Pour the flour all at once and cook until small bubbles begin to form on a medium low heat.

Cool down the roux slightly and pour in the warm milk.

Continue cooking at medium low heat until is the sauce thickens and is smooth.

Pour in the dry Jerez and season to taste.

1 50g 150g 100g

Start off by sautéing shallots in olive oil, season with salt and white pepper.

10g

Add in cream and reduce until the fat splits from the cream and the milk solids caramelize.

Add in chicken stock and reduce by half.

Take it off the heat and transfer into a blender and blend on high speed for 30 seconds.

Lower the speed and slowly add in small chunks of gorgonzola to the mixture.

Taste and make final seasoning adjustments.

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CORKSCREW

T

o anyone who appreciates the finer points of taking corners at speed on a race track, the word ‘Corkscrew’ means only one thing; turns 7, 8 and 8a at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. It’s iconic. Get it right and you will be smiling for at least the next 1 minute 27.62 seconds as you work your way around the track for another hot lap. Of course, to match that time, it assumes you are driving a McLaren Senna, the current course record holder.

There is an equally compelling use of the word corkscrew that evokes a sense of surprise and delight as you anticipate the simple joy found in a fine glass of wine or spirits. While it may be a different pleasure than deftly making it through the famous set of turns located just east of Monterey, California, the pleasure is no less intoxicating. In fact, it is certain to last longer than a perfect lap of the race track.

Certified Sommelier Pablo Kovacs takes us inside the world of wine and spirits with insider knowledge only an expert can share.

ABOUT PABLO KOVACS Food and wine have always been a big part of Pablo’s life. His father, Thomas Kovacs, was a chef for Starwood Corp. specializing in opening hotels, so Pablo was fortunate enough to grow up and live all over the world and experience many different cultures and cuisines. 25 years of hospitality experience, doing everything from cooking in awardwinning kitchens to running beverage programs for multi-unit restaurant companies, have all had a part in shaping how Pablo treats and cherishes his relationships with his clients. Pablo believes that wine has a unique trait – it brings people together.

Special bottles are rarely enjoyed alone, and ever since wine was first produced it has always been a conduit for conversation, good company, and celebration.

Besides wine Pablo has a deep passion for fine automobiles and the football team of his alma mater, The University of Washington. Having spent some time working with Singer Vehicle Design in Los Angeles has only made it worse and he’s on the hunt for his own ‘barn find’ so he can get to work on his own restoration. Currently Pablo is a Senior Wine Advisor for Harper’s Club and in his spare time he enjoys rounds of golf, local gatherings of Cars & Coffee and spending time with his wife Megan, his two children Skylar and Clayton, and their Border Terrier Scout.

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HORSEPOWER VINEYARDS

FINE DISREGARD WINE CO.

WALLA WALLA VALLEY, WASHINGTON RED BLENDS

ALEXANDER VALLEY/SONOMA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA SEMILLON, CARIGNANE, GRENACHE, MATARO

Since this is a car magazine, how could I not write about Horsepower wines? I met Christofe Baron (winemaker/proprietor) in the early 2000s when he used to come and sit at my bar at The W Hotel in Seattle whenever he would find the time to go west, away from his vineyards in Walla Walla. Even back then, we all knew he would one day be the legendary winemaker he is today. It is extremely rare for anyone in any profession to have the golden touch that Christofe possesses. All the wines he touches — Cayuse, No Girls, Hors Categorie and Horsepower Vineyards to name a few are all highly sought after, with immense waitlists. He’s also recently released a Champagne that has received fantastic accolades. I’ve been on the Cayuse waitlist for 9 years. Yes, I said 9 years.

The wines of Horsepower Vineyards are the 900HP sleeper that is halfway down the street, leaving you with your doors ripped off before you even get a chance to put whatever you’re driving in gear. Somehow your pink slip is missing as well.

Opening these wines is an event. These are wines that must be decanted and allowed to ponder life before consuming. Not because of sediment or age, but because of the layers that begin to show once it starts to open up. Powerful and expressive.

Drink after your meal or with hard cheeses and charcuterie. These wines will demolish any food that is labeled delicate or nuanced, however they are themselves brilliantly complex and drinkable.

Bury your nose in the glass and smell the wonders of what is possible when it comes to winemaking.

They have basically zero retail presence and if you happen to see a bottle listed at a restaurant, it will cost you at least a few hundred dollars. Order it early in the meal and wait or get on the mailing list and be patient, it is worth it.

Wonderful things have been happening in California for the past 15-20 years that have changed the landscape of which wine grapes are being grown and where. New AVAs (American Viticulture Area) now dot the landscape all over the state from Temecula to Lodi to the Sierra Foothills. California is far from the land of chardonnay and cabernet that people may have previously perceived it to be.

Varietals like Semillon, Carignane and Mataro are thriving. Grape growers continue to push boundaries with varietals like Bacchus, Regent, and Dornfelder. Luckily for all of us, there are fantastic wine makers taking advantage.

Mike Schieffer and Kara Maraden run the show at Fine Disregard Wine Co. They lead a small team at a winery that is fairly new to the winemaking scene since being established 6 years ago in 2015. Regardless of their brief history, both Mike and Kara are not short in experience and the wines they produced are soulful, hand-crafted representations of each varietal they choose to make.

Wonderful to consume with a meal or easy sippers if it’s just time for a glass. Every wine they make is approachable, vibrant and refreshingly affordable.

To be honest, I could crush bottles of their fantastic Semillon all day long. You won’t see it at many retailers; ask your favorite restaurant ‘wine person’ to order some or get on the mailing list.

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The wonderful world of Tequila is rapidly evolving.

15-20 years ago, the options available to consumers here in North America for high-end, polished tequila were nowhere near what they are today.

There’s been an explosion of boutique producers who have bucked the trend of producing facewrinkling, bile inducing swill in search of a quick profit. Now, there are artisans who have sought out old recipes and brought back methods of not only farming blue agave but also how tequila is being aged and bottled. Good thing for us, we get to be the beneficiaries of all this great stuff that is happening in Jalisco.

Quick lesson – All Tequila is Mezcal, but all Mezcal is not Tequila. To be called Tequila, the spirit has to be made within the state of Jalisco, Mexico.

Tequila must also be made of Blue Agave which is farmed all over the country of Mexico and many of the other states outside of Jalisco use it to make wonderful spirits like Bacanora and Sotol which I highly encourage you to seek out and try.

There is one label that I currently tend to gravitate towards when enjoying tequila, Casa Dragones.

CASA DRAGONES BLANCO – 100% blue agave tequila un-aged to deliver an unaltered taste of blue agave. $$

BARREL BLEND – blend of two different spirts aged separately in French and American Oak barrels and blended right before bottling. $$$$ Casa Dragones hasn’t been around for long, having been established in 2009. It has, however, rocketed to the top of my list with its quality packaging and story, which involves being established

by Bertha Gonzalez Nieves, the first woman to be certified as a ‘Maestra Tequilera’. All the spirts that CG produces should be thought of as ‘sipping’ tequilas and are typically considered too expensive to go in cocktails however if you’re looking for a next level margarita, go with the Blanco.

Casa Dragones was named after an elite armed cavalry unit called the Dragones from San Miguel de Allende (one of the most beautiful little towns on earth). Led by Ignacio Allende, the unit helped spark the independence movement that eventually led to Mexican independence from Spanish rule. If you’re ever anywhere near San Miguel, do yourself a favour and go and stay a few days. It is magnificent.

The complete line-up of Casa Dragones tequilas will not disappoint; I should warn you that trying these spirits might make you never go back to the JOVEN – blend of 100% blue agave silver and Casa Amigos or Don Julio that you’ve been drinkextra-aged spirits rested in American Oak barrels ing. I enjoy both of those labels however Casa to develop a unique taste and experience. $$$ Dragones is a whole different ballgame.

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THE ELECTRIC KOOL-AID DRIVING TEST ROAD TRIPPING ON THE CALIFORNIA COAST

Story

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Julie Tremaine 39

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aybe it’s because of the calm I feel behind the wheel, or maybe it’s the summers I spent traversing the United States in an RV with my family as a kid — whatever it is, I have an intense love of road trips. Put me in a car with sunshine, good music and good company — even if it’s just myself — and I’m in my happiest place.

But road tripping in an electric vehicle? That was a whole new challenge.

That’s one of the reasons I signed up to do a twoweek drive up and down the California coast last year, just before the pandemic shut down most travel. The other: Jaguar offered me use of a new I-PACE, and I really wanted to try out the first all-electric SUV from the storied British marque after it won Car of the Year at the 2019 World Car Awards.

I say slowly because the longest drive day of my trip, an early 480 kilometre stretch when I was still learning how to handle an EV, I almost ran out of charge in the middle of the night in the middle of nowhere. But I’m getting ahead of myself.

In some ways, California is the perfect place to drive an EV. The charging infrastructure has hit critical mass in and around the state’s larger cities, and it’s slowly spreading to less populous areas.

My trip starts at LAX, where I had just flown in from Boston. At an airport garage, my car is waiting for

SENSORIO FIELD OF LIGHT, PASO ROBLES

me, so I sign some loaner paperwork and grab the key. With the sun reflecting off the water and the ocean breezes, straight to Malibu up Pacific Coast Highway is one drive I dream about.

several charger stops on both ChargePoint and Jaguar’s in-car navigation, the stops aren’t accessible. Many of them are in locked municipal lots, have been torn up in construction, or are broken.

I find myself at the slowest of slow chargers, My first destination is Santa Barbara, an easy 160 getting five miles of charge after an hour, the clock km of the car’s 375 km of charge. The house I’m ticking and the night getting darker. I’m constantly staying at for a few days doesn’t have an EV charger, doing the math: I have 64 km of charge and the so I need to rely on the city’s municipal chargers next charger is 52 km away. Will that charger be when I’m out of the house. I charge the car in a working, and if it is, will it work faster? parking garage while I’m out exploring downtown Santa Barbara the next day, popping in and out of As I’m inching towards a grocery store in Salinas vintage shops and wineries in the Funk Zone, and where there’s supposed to be a fast charger, I’m at having lunch at the Santa Barbara Public Market. eight km of power. The radio and displays go off as After five hours, the car charged to about 50%, and the emergency reserves kick in. I have a kilometre I paid $9 in parking for access to the charger. to go. I’m stuck at a light. Then another light. Every time I tap the gas I wonder if it will respond. As I roll The next day is my longest driving day. I’m going into the parking lot, I see another car just in front about 480 km to the San Francisco Bay area, so I of me nab the fast charger. Great, I think. But at know I’m going to need to stop to recharge. What least I’m in a well-lit area and I know I’m going to I don’t know is that I’m going about recharging the be safe. completely wrong way. There are easy ways to find the fast chargers in the ChargePoint app, and if I The man at the charger opens up the hatchback had just found one of them and sat still for two of his car and takes a seat. We start chatting — hours to recharge, I would have made the five-hour mostly I start unloading about how hard the day has drive without a hitch. been — and he gives me some great advice about how to refine the search results on ChargePoint That is not what I did. and which charging speed I should be looking for.

Rather than sit and wait at a slow charger for eight Another friendly guy pulls up. He’s barefoot and on or more hours, I decide that it’s better to charge his way to Oakland. While he’s waiting to charge, for an hour, then drive a bit, and then charge again, he also gets out of his car to chat. I quickly realso that I’m making some progress north. This plan ize that there’s a whole culture around driving EVs. works until I reach Paso Robles, a Central Coast We’re all comparing notes and they’re giving me winemaking town that’s the last big tourist draw the pro tips I wish I had known before I started this before the Bay Area. After that, even though I see drive.

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I park at a garage in Berkeley overnight that gives me access to a charger. The overnight parking fee is $40, but I wake up to a full battery. That day, I drive to Sonoma for some wine tasting. The drive is about 80 km, and I expect to find a charger, but most of what shows up for charging stations is for hotel guests only, and the two in a public lot are broken. I’m not worried — it’s only a 160 kilometre round trip and I can charge overnight.

GLORIA FERRER WINERY, SONOMA

MONTEREY BAY AQUARIUM

MADONNA INN, SAN LUIS OBISPO

That day, I drive from Berkeley to Monterey, about 160 km, which uses about 193 km of energy. I drive about 130 km/h and used the air conditioning, so all told, it feels fine. I love this gorgeous coastal town, with its waterfront roads and the Monterey Bay Aquarium where I spend hours watching the sea life. They integrate the natural landscape so beautifully into the design of the aquarium that I

DUNGENESS CRAB IN MONTEREY

fully understand why it’s the aquarium everyone says is the must-see in the country. Later at a restaurant on the pier, I have my first Dungeness Crab, and it’s so good that I’m still thinking about it a year later.

I’m on my way down to San Luis Obispo that night for a stay at the pink Madonna Inn. The Madonna is the quintessential roadside stop in coastal California, rising above the 101 with an enormous neon sign. It’s a perfectly-preserved time capsule, with an incredible steakhouse, an old-fashioned “coffee shop” luncheonette, and dancing at night.

Each hotel room has a different theme: my Alpine Suite is up two flights of winding stairs and has a little balcony overlooking the property. I love how road trips teach me about how people used to travel, when a place like the Madonna Inn, built in 1958,

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MADONNA INN, SAN LUIS OBISPO

was the absolute height of fashion. Whenever I can, I go to places like this, in part because I enjoy them so much and in part because I want to experience as many as I can.

I’m able to charge overnight at the hotel, and it’s free. It’s been half very expensive experiences to charge the car, and half totally free ones. If there were a more uniform charging system, and more consistent resources and accurate information, driving an electric car would be a breeze. Waiting to charge is a bummer, but it feels good ultimately to not be using gas and polluting the environment.

I also can’t really complain about the cost: I’ve paid less than $150 total for all my “fuel” costs for this trip so far.

Space Mountain and rubbing elbows with Mickey Mouse. When I get back to the car, I see I’ve paid $20 for only 130 km of charge from an older charger, not including the $25 charge to park. There are definitely better chargers in the new garage, but I didn’t think there would be a difference. Assuming that things would be easy and accessible has been my biggest downfall this entire trip. The next day, I take the free hotel shuttle to the park.

Two thousand two hundred and fifty kilometres later, the last few days of my trip are in Los Angeles. I spend most of my time in Hollywood visiting friends, but the allure of the Sunset Strip is impossible to ignore. When I park at a hotel because it has EV charging, the parking attendant asks me how I like the car. Apparently Jaguar had My next stop after the Madonna Inn is the only an LA launch event for the I-PACE there when it place in California that I love more: Disneyland. debuted.

I spend a delightful 14 hours in the park, riding “I love it,” I say. “I wish it were mine.”

DISNEYLAND, CALIFORNIA

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FEATURED CAR

ROAD TEST 44

2021 PORSCHE 911 TARGA 4 Story Matthew Neundorf

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Photography Carolyn Merey

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he Targa is the coolest car in Porsche’s 911 lineup. That’s a fact.

Simple, flowing and elegant the Targa doesn’t sully the iconic 911 silhouette like the Cabriolet does, yet it still delivers a topless drive. With a twin turbo Long before I understood what that word meant 3.0 litre, horizontally opposed six-cylinder engine and the history it summarized, I knew it was special. cranking out 379 horsepower from behind that My dad used to come home from work every Friday wraparound glass, that drive is quick -- the Targa with a new “dinky car” for me when I was young.

4 will hit 100km/h in around four seconds. And And there are two cars in particular that I will never despite carrying the most weight in the 911 lineup, forget. One was the Green Matchbox version of it will still hug a corner with characteristic Porsche the 1978 Porsche 911 Turbo and the other was a zeal while exuding added style. It’s the best of all blue, early ‘70s Targa 911S from Corgi. worlds, really.

The Targa, with its black roof panel and silver roll bar, The LEGO model I’ve built is, too. You’ve undoubtwas an immediate favourite. I remember “racing” edly guessed (or spotted) that I chose to assemble my two Porsches on our second floor landing and the Targa version of the 1,458 piece kit. But I didn’t that the Targa always won. Not because it’s the exactly follow their rules; this is LEGO afterall. The quickest, fastest, lightest or most maneuverable flared hips from the Turbo were a must as were the 911, of course, but because it was the coolest. And blacked out Fuchs wheels. And of course, my Targa it still is. is powered by the Turbo version of the boxer mill In the eyes of Marc Ouayoun President & CEO -- I mean the parts were just sitting there.

Porsche Cars Canada, Ltd., “the latest 911 Targa It should come as no surprise that Marc Ouayoun models are the modern embodiment of the unique also has a passion for LEGO and model cars. His design icon from the ‘60s. Originally engineered collection spans from 1:43 all the way up to 1:8 to meet US safety standards that were then abanscale and numbers in the “hundreds”. He tells us doned, the car’s unusual hoop design was nonehis “favourite is a beautiful 911 R that my two sons theless placed into production and soon attained offered me for my birthday. It reminded me of the cult status.” opportunity I had to drive this car many times”.

Which is why I jumped at the chance to build With quarantine measures in place over the past LEGO’s version of the Targa when their kit dropped year, Marc has had additional time to spend workearlier this year. It’s also why I begged to be the ing on several models, and he too opted to build driver for the Gentian Blue Metallic 2021 Porsche the 911 Targa from LEGO. Coincidence? We think 911 Targa 4 you see here. not.

WIN A NEW LEGO PORSCHE 911 TARGA! SEE PAGES 96-97 FOR DETAILS!

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FEATURED REGION

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LOSE YOURSELF IN MILAN — LITERALLY SPRING BREAK IN NORTHERN ITALY Story Steven Bochenek

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Photography Steven Bochenek and Comune di Milano

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nlike Venice, Rome, Bologna or other wantonly pretty traveler’s must-haves, the 2,500-yearold yet shiny new city of Milan isn’t some vast outdoor museum full of chatty paesani stirring polenta. Despite being the financial capital of Italy, political capital of Italy’s most populace and wealthiest region, and design capital of the Good Ship Earth, Milan isn’t all that glamorous. Parts are, umm, kinda sad and unattractive.

including ‘plan’, ‘deck’ and, big surprise, ‘piano’. In this case, it translates to ‘plain’ (aka lowland) but it’s really a euphemism for swamp. Look at Milan on a map. You’re not even 50km from Switzerland.

Indeed, on clear days, you can see the Alps from central Milan, built over swampland in the Po Valley, a huge bowl that traps in air. In summer, despite boasting Montreal’s latitude, Milan heats up like an equatorial jungle full of sweaty, miserable tourists.

And that’s because, as hinted at above, Milan is foremost a working town. Though important, tourism isn’t near its biggest industry. Swaths of strivers migrate here from other parts of the country and globe — that means grit and colour but less quaintness. For spiritual comparison, don’t picture Rome, but maybe Toronto with stunning ancient Roman ruins, better transit and better dressed Italians.

Swamp water plus heat equals bugs. By June and all the way through to October, the ubiquitous mosquitoes travel in hordes, carrying clubs. They set upon visitors hustling between the world’s fifth biggest cathedral (il Duomo), the world’s only beautiful shopping mall and most celebrated opera house, bleeding them dry faster than an ‘unofficial’ Vatican Tour Guide with a selfie-stick. Rick Steves doesn’t talk about this but it can literally dampen your enjoyment.

THE BEST TIME TO VISIT MILAN? PROBABLY SPRING. Does everything sound prettier in Italian? Take how this country’s second-largest city is nestled on a piano. That word translates multiple meanings,

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And that’s why in April, seated outside at cafés and pubs that serve Veneto wines and cheeses too good for export, the Milanese are already planning their summer getaways. Many people are gone for

much of July and the entire month of August.

And autumn? It’s great for breathing room and access to bucket list sights like Leonardo’s Last Supper, but when the rains set in they can last weeks. Try spring if you can — especially April.

EVERY SPRING, LOCALS ANTICIPATE THE ANNUAL SALONE DEL MOBILE. Milan hosts designers from all over the world during this annual furniture-design trade show. See above re working town. Another word of many meanings, mobile means furniture. (So, loosely translated La Donna é Mobile ca could mean the lady is furniture.) Maybe you’re wondering why we’re recommending a convention for couch salespeople.

The Mobile is more than that. It’s among the

locals’ favourite time of year. Everyone lets their hair down. Think of Edinburgh during August, Montreal during Grand Prix week, Calgary during the Stampede, or Toronto never.

For a few days each April (except 2020 and ’21) free exhibitions of ingenious interior design abound. Visit the ancient Cinque Vie quarter. Local artisans (sorry for that tired word but it’s the one they use: artigiani) open their workshops behind normally closed neighbourhood gates, exposing courtyards, secret Garden style. These networks link roads between half-mile long buildings walledoff for the rest of the year. It’s like getting a free

backstage pass to see someone make beautiful stuff. In more commercial areas, international design companies host huge street parties late into the night. If you’re lucky, you might talk your way in. That’s because it’s Prima Vera, SPRING and people are happy.

At the time of writing, the 2021 Mobile is scheduled for fall but may be canceled because … you know. However, expect it to be back in April with a Roaring Twenties vengeance.

What about winter? Milanese don’t like it much.

But they loathe the anorectic supermodels being 51

buffeted across the streets, sail-like, by the strong winds of February during Fashion Week, the city’s other famous annual international fair. Go for the Mobile two months later if you can.

BEST TIME TO DRIVE THERE? NEVER. Like London, Milan charges a congestion charge in all the areas you’d want to go. A street camera photographs your vehicle, digitizes the charge and mails it to your home. At least in theory. You may get lucky and not have to pay it. Even though you’re in the north of Italy, which is more organized than the chaotic south, you’re still in Italy. The stereotype of bureaucratic inefficiency didn’t just appear from nowhere.

Speaking of chaos and being like London, people here drive on the wrong side of the road. It’s just that they’re not supposed to! They’re good drivers, just not as rule-bound.

will ship you from place to place lickety-split but back above ground multiple romantic trams grind the wiggling cobblestone roads, providing affordable street-view tours across 181km of track. Save the drives for the less jammed countryside.

The best reason not to drive is that you will get lost fast. Most North Americans think in grids with four directions. Milanese think in all 360. It’s quite overwhelming. Example? Look again at the map we mentioned above.

Milan’s laid out like the series of concentric circles you cause by tossing a rock into a pond. Now zoom in. Within those bigger circles, you might say the map looks more like the interconnecting gears you find beneath a clock face. Really though, it’s more like you threw the rock at the clock, and the pond was full of mosquitoes.

Feeling Brave? Rent a bicycle with your phone.

Stations abound and you can traverse public Public transit is excellent, often faster than driving squares that block out even the boldest local drivand cheaper than Toronto or Montreal. The Metro ers, making relatively straight lines.

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Warning: just like the world doesn’t seem round from the ground, the streets in the world’s design capital don’t look circular. But they are. If you ride a ring road, parts of it may start to look familiar after a spell; you just circled part of the city. Getting lost has its charm too. Sometimes, you happen upon wormholes, surprisingly useful little roads connecting what — just moments before — you would’ve sworn were distant neighbourhoods.

Porta Nuova is the sleek business district which, counterintuitively, is pedestrian-, family- and bicycle-friendly. Sure, its elegant glass skyscrapers may come off as a tad sterile, but the many wide and futuristic paths are fun to explore and you’re close to many great restaurants.

Enter Parco Sempione through the Sforzesco Castle archway — and look for the Alfa Romeo logo above the entrance. It’s the ancient family crest.

There’s always some kind of festival going on in So where should you ride, walk, take transit to or, the park. And you can walk or ride safely away from if you must, drive? No need to tell you to visit the any roads and therefore most traffic. immense Duomo square connecting the Galleria to La Scala because you will anyway. The view never The funky Navigli (na-VEEL-yee — that ‘g’ silently gets old — just don’t stay there. signals a diphthong ‘y’ sound) district is what’s left of medieval Milan’s canal system. Many of SOME OTHER SPOTS TO ENJOY the original locks designed by Leonardo were still FINDING, EVENTUALLY. functioning hundreds of years later into the 20th The neighbourhood of Brera spills haphazardly century! Just west of the Navigli you’re into clubnorth of La Scala. Shopping? Bring your oxygen land. Hence, the youthful vibe. In the evening, tank with your onyx card. For generations, Brera’s young people hit the bars and restaurants on the chic galleries and breathtakingly expensive shops canals first to warm up. Just northeast is Ticinise have bankrupted faster than you can say ciao, (China gate), another hip area with plenty of cool bella. Picture Toronto’s Yorkville on steroids, in a pop-up shops, street bars and magnificent Roman tastefully tailored Armani suit. ruins.

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DISCOVERED

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IN THE PURSUIT OF PIE USA BACKROADS ARE FOR WANDERING

Story and Photography

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Justin W. Coffey 55

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met Davey Johnson in Mexico in the Spring of 2017. We were guests on an EagleRider press tour intended to showcase the company’s ability and willingness to let motorcyclists rent bikes and explore Baja, Mexico. The trip started in San Diego, where my first night was spent breaking up a cocktail bar fight before heading to bed. We crossed the border the next morning and made our way down the coast en route to Ensenada.

On our first stop, Davey approached me to ask about the camera I was carrying. He had recently taken a head-first plunge into photography, having purchased a Leica M (Typ 240). He and I shared many mutual friends, mostly in the automotive space. Davey was a Contributing Editor at Car And

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Driver, and I had spent many years at the helm of a motorsport publication called Cold Track Days.

There was a lot of overlap, and we quickly realized that some of my favourite people were also some of his.

Davey was new to motorcycling, and like his newfound passion for picture taking, he dove straight into the deep end, purchasing a Moto Guzzi Griso only a few months earlier. EagleRider offered him a 2017 Electra-Glide Ultra Classic for our adventure south of the border. When the dust settled at the end of our trip, Davey took the big H-D home, having discovered the beauty of big American baggers.

One night, about half-way down the Baja peninsula, we all settled around a campfire for the evening. Davey had picked up a cheap acoustic guitar in Tecate shortly after crossing the border, music being yet another passion and pursuit of his. Playing the guitar is one thing but belting out a near perfect rendition of War Pigs while smoking a cigarette around a flittering blaze is entirely another. Jaws dropped as Johnson sang…

“Generals gathered in their masses Just like witches at black masses Evil minds that plot destruction Sorcerer of death’s construction.”

It was an invitation, unspoken, but perfectly loud and clear. I was tied up for the next few months with a trip overseas, but I put Pie Town on my radar, if for no other reason than to send Davey a photo to prove that I had fulfilled the quest.

After Davey died, this little town kept calling to me, like an unchecked box on a to-do list – a task left undone.

So, when Indian unveiled their new Chief lineup in Sedona, Arizona, and I was given the opportunity to borrow one of the bikes after the press ride, there was only one place I felt I could go.

Two years later, Davey was found dead in the Mokelumne River, victim of a presumed accidental I own an Indian, a 2016 Scout 1200 on which drowning.

I put 32,000 km the first year I had the thing.

Wandering the backroads of the West is the most About a year after our trip to Baja with EagleRider, American thing you can do on a motorcycle, and Davey sent me a short text message. He was riding the Scout was a perfect companion. But the redehis newly acquired Aprilia Caponord back home, from Colorado to Sacramento, and had stopped in signed Chief, particularly the Super Chief Limited, with its leather saddle bags, forward controls, floora little place called Pie Town, New Mexico. boards, windscreen and 4-inch touchscreen TFT “I know how much you like pie…” display complete with Ride Command turn-by57

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turn navigation…well, it’s on another level. Powered

by Indian’s 116 c.i. air-cooled V-twin, the Super Chief Limited does not want for much. It settles in at about 130 km/h and just sort of lumbers down the road. There’s some cool tech, in addition to the TFT display, which kills the rear cylinder when at idle to reduce heat produced by the Big Twin around your bits and pieces. Suspension is adequate – a 46mm front fork with 132mm is mated to a pair of rear shocks providing 76mm of travel.

And while it’s not as plush as the fully dressed Chieftain or Roadmaster, the ride is comfortable, and the handling is surprisingly light and nimble for a bike weighing in at 304 kilos full of fuel.

ist town on old Route 66. The winding mountain highway leading us north out of the Phoenix Valley and into the Tonto National Forest is breathtaking in places, beautiful in the rest. Road conditions are pretty much perfect, so the Super Chief could sing its song, grinding floorboards through the tight and narrows, and passing slowpokes along the boring straight stretches. We passed through Payson and gained some altitude before Highway 87 north turned into Highway 266 and drifted across the plains of the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest leading into the Route 66 holdout town of Holbrook.

If you’ve ever seen the 2006 Pixar film Cars, you’ll recognize the town of Holbrook. It was one of the inspirations for Radiator Springs, the place where our protagonist, Lightning McQueen, inadvertently damages the road, and subsequently serves out his I asked my friend and filmmaker, Nathan Slabaugh, community service sentence. The Wigwam Motel to join Kyra and I on the trip from Phoenix to Pie is sort of the centerpiece, a 1930s era motor inn Town. Kyra would be riding her own Scout 1200, built to look like a series of Native American tipis. and Nathan aboard a Royal Enfield INT 650. He We stayed nearby at the shabby Super 8 and were planned to film our pursuit for pie, and perhaps awoken by the Sheriff and his deputies at about make a short film about the endeavour. We 3am the following morning. Turns out a drunk departed PHX in the early afternoon, with our local kid decided to riffle through our saddle bags front wheels aimed at Holbrook, Arizona, a tour- and in the process knocked out both Kyra’s Scout 59

and the INT 650. As luck would have it, nominal damage was done, and the Super Chief remained unscathed. Earlier that evening, a local gal at the gas station chatted me up about the bikes and where we planned to stay. I pointed down the road toward the Super 8.

“There’s a great little café next door, and they have the best pie in town!” Oh really…

“Be sure to try a piece of the apple green chile.”

I had a co-worker once who swore breakfast pie was a thing where he was from. The next morning, we did as anyone should when a girl at the gas station tells you where to find the best slice pie in town, we had a piece of apple green chile for breakfast.

We didn’t plan to do big miles on this trip. The low and slow way from PHX to Pie Town. Holbrook turned out be more of a headache than we’d anticipated, albeit the experience saved by a slice of pie. So, when we hit the road in the morning after breakfast, we planned for a short jaunt south to the town of Springerville where we’d catch up with Highway 60 and continue east into New Mexico.

But when you’re travelling with a videographer, everything takes a little longer. Sights you might stop and stare at turn into an opportunity for an epic drone shot. A twisty section of road becomes the perfect backdrop for a gimble and action camera to capture from the side of the bike. We took our time. What was the rush, anyway? And as it turned out, our leisurely pace would be a blessing in disguise. Springerville sits only a few miles from the New Mexico border, surrounded by the open plains of Apache County to the north and the White Mountains to the south. We settled into a small room at Reed’s Lodge and then wandered down the road to the XA Bar & Grill. A massive hand painted mural from the 1940s plays out a Wild West scene on the long wall when you walk in. When we asked how old the place was, the girl behind the bar told us that her grandparents used to party at this same bar. A perfect spot for libations after a not-so-long ride.

Like the day before, Springerville to Pie Town was a relatively short ride. A few hours at most and just as scenic, until we crossed state lines – a slog along Highway 60, through the cowboy town of Quemado, NM. Looking at the map, we realized this dusty little town would be the only place we 60

could find fuel unless we continued further east towards Albuquerque. But this wasn’t the plan.

We had intended to cut south through Escondido Mountains, connect up with Highway 191 (formerly known as Route 666, or the Devil’s Highway) outside of Alpine, and then make our way back into the Phoenix Valley. But the lack of petrol prevented these plans. Sure, my Super Chief could knock out the 300-ish kilometres from Springerville to Alpine, where we could find more fuel. But the Scout and INT 650 which Kyra and Nathan were riding are good for about 210 kms at most. Plans change, but it was Pie Town or bust.

An unincorporated community and census-designated place located along U.S. Highway 60 in Catron County, New Mexico, Pie Town is home to 186 souls according to the 2010 census. I’d be damned surprised if there’s half that many nowadays, thanks to the pandemic. Ten buildings line one side of the highway, however only one of them is a functioning business. The rest remain derelict, taken down by tourist drought and a worldwide

pandemic. Pie Town Pies, formerly known as The up our motorcycles and turned back toward the Gatherin’ Place, is where we settled our debt with west from where we’d come. “I guess we go back the Pie Gods, and where I made good on an unspo- to Springerville for the night?” Nathan asked. “I ken promise to my friend, Davey Johnson. could go for another cold beer at the XA Bar & At the round table in the center of the restaurant Grill.” was a wild-eyed couple from the east coast who had relocated to this quiet slice of the west a decade The backroads of the western earlier. Three ladies run the joint, one manages the United States are for wandering. day-to-day, one makes all of the food, and the third bakes all of the pies. Sarah introduced herself as They cut lines across the country that are inefthe owner. She had purchased the restaurant at the beginning of 2019 just as COVID-19 swept ficient, and lead to little towns with diminishing across the country. “If you couldn’t get pie in Pie populations and people living very different lives. It Town, that would be a real national tragedy,” she was where my friend Davey was wandering on his proclaimed. The couple chatted with us about way back west. He didn’t stop in Pie Town because living in the area, what had become of their little he needed to, he stopped because he could. town, and what they thought the future held. We Because the best motorcycle rides don’t always ordered slices of cherry pie, the only thing they had have an A and a B. It’s all the stuff in between baked that particular day. Although, a piece of local New Mexico Apple [read: green chile] miraculously which turns these sorts of trips into an adventure. appeared out of thin air while we were midway That, and being in the pursuit of a good piece of through our smorgasbord. Afterward, we saddled pie.

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ROAD TEST

2021 MERCEDES-BENZ AMG E 63 S 4MATIC+ WAGON LONG NAME, LONGER ROOF

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Dan Heyman

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ou don’t need to be a car aficionado to know that the Mercedes-Benz AMG E 63 S 4Matic+ wagon is a rare breed. Station wagons have lost a huge amount of market share to the SUVs and CUVs of the world over the previous decade and beyond, and this one here is all fire and brimstone, making it rarer still.

those numbers – as stratospheric as they are – suggest and that’s just the start of it. There’s also AWD, a plethora of drive modes, the ability to time yourself on the world’s most famous racetracks and seats that will squeeze your ribs one moment and give you a hot-stone massage the next. It makes sense that this is so “out there” in every way because it seems that the right-sided brains in Or does it? the world aren’t going to buy this; they’re going to buy an SUV. The left-sided buyer, however, will look You see, as wagons become figments of our collecat this and go “yeah. I don’t care if Joe has a threetive imaginations, it stands to reason that the ones row SUV with two EV motors; I want this. But not that do exist should be ultra in almost every way; exactly this. Make it wilder, please.” think the Audi RS6 Avant and its near-aftermarket rear diffuser or this, a biturbo’d V8-powered So here we are. Just look at it; 20-inch wheels slab of metal with a three-pointed star on the hood shrouding red brake calipers, tires that are 265 that makes 603 horsepower and 627 pound-feet millimetres wide up front and steamroller-spec of torque. It feels a whole heck of a lot faster than 295 mm out back, quad exhaust outlets and it’s

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all so dark and black that you can’t help but be via either a wheel mounted to the steering wheel impressed. The long roof, meanwhile, adds more or a toggle switch astride the infotainment track presence still. pad marked “dynamic”. That’s how you call up the various drive modes, including the two extreme It also adds to the cargo room to the tune of 1,820 “Sport” and “Sport+” modes. These tighten up litres – almost as much as the GLE SUV – with the the adaptive dampers, increase throttle response rear seats folded. Since the E-Class is lower, it’s times, change the 9-speed auto’s transmission easier to load stuff in there. mapping for quicker shift times and turns this Indeed, while I’d be happy to easily move my fami- people-moving wagon – yes, that’s it – into a ly’s wares when the situation dictates, I don’t need route carver that no 4,700-pounder really should to be thinking about that when I’m carving up a be. Big Benzes like this were born to be reapers of b-road with my hair on fire. Which is a situation the autobahn, but they also come from a long line of race-bred sedans that had to be able to handle this vehicle is perfectly comfortable in. themselves in the curves, too. There’s even some The power is a given. When you delve into the road feel through the wheel and the steering has throttle – a quarter of the way down, half, three- the kind of heft you’d except from something quarters if you dare and don’t have too many priors this…purposeful.

– the power delivery is massive, instantaneous and altogether manic. Those quads aren’t just for Of course, in addition to being purposeful, this show, either; the sound they emit is as addictive as right here is the top spec you can get when it the shove in your chest when you plant – or half- comes to the E-Class, which means in addition to that great powertrain, the creature comforts are plant, as it were – the throttle. plentiful as well.

That is the highlight, but thanks to some nifty chassis work, this is a big brute that can dance There are the seats, for example; I wasn’t kidding when asked. The easiest way to do so – ask – is when I said “hot-stone massage” because that’s

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exactly what Mercedes calls it as it uses the seat massage feature as well as the heated seat feature to make it feel like you’ve got hot stones on your back. In addition to that, there are a number of other massage modes – full body, energizing, others – that should fit the bill. The seats are heated and cooled, the infotainment system and digital gauge display can be controlled with nifty thumb buttons on the wheel (one of which can also modify the massive heads-up display) openpore wood is everywhere and the way chrome and brushed aluminum are sprinkled throughout the cabin is just about perfect.

Everything about this car is an event, and that’s pretty much what the doctor ordered when it comes to a halo vehicle like this. And they won’t be making ‘em like this for much longer.

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2021 MERCEDES-BENZ AMG E 63 S 4MATIC+ WAGON BASE PRICE: $127,900.00 CDN / $112,450.00 USD PRICE AS TESTED: $140,150.00 CDN CONFIGURATION: Front engine, all-wheel drive ENGINE/TRANSMISSION: 4.0-litre V8 biturbo / 9-speed automatic POWER/TORQUE: 603 hp / 627 lb-ft FUEL ECONOMY (LITRES/100 KILOMETRES): 12.8 combined (est.)

COMPETITORS: Audi RS6 Avant 67

FEATURED MOTORCYCLE

FIRST RIDE 68

2021 KAWASAKI NINJA ZX10-R Story and Photography

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Matthew Neundorf

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’m half expecting the experience of street riding the 2021 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R to be like taking a cheetah for a stroll with only a single strand of wool to keep it in check. But it’s not. This new litrebike Ninja -- essentially the same machine that Jonathan Rea will inevitably pilot to yet another World Superbike championship -- can feel surprisingly domesticated in the civilian realm. Keep the revs under seven-thou (it redlines at fourteen) and it feels as though you’re just plugging along.

Those feelings are deceiving though.

excellent Showa suspenders, and you’d never know you’ve gone ballistic until you look down at the speedo. Velvety velocity is this Ninja’s trademark.

Even with best intentions, posted limits are quickly a thing of the past. Assuming you’ve shifted more than once you’ll easily crest highway speed without stress or drama. In fact, I’m convinced it takes more effort to ride this bike slowly than it would at race pace.

But if you did, even by accident, both the hardware and the software are here to keep man and machine more or less in check. There are programmable rider modes, IMU-linked braking and traction control, launch control, active corner management and electronic chassis orientation awareness.

First of all, the ergonomics don’t exactly lend themselves to a boulevard cruise. Thanks to higher rearset placement and an extended reach to the clip-ons from the previous generation, a racer’s perch is all that works here, which will automatically have you sniffing for apexes and hunting for speed. And then of course there are the mechanicals of this Ninja -- it is a repli-racer afterall.

Owning and operating the Ninja ZX-10R on anything other than a closed track feels as clever as running with scissors while drunk, blindfolded and wearing flip flops. Sure it can be done, but why would you try?

Get rough though and you’ll quickly learn about the speed a superbike can deliver -- Mr. Rea recently hit 323.6 km/h in testing at Catalunya. As a nonracer without access to a track, I can only confirm that going half as fast causes more worry about legalities than the bike’s stability. It’s a runner, to be sure. And one that I’d reckon most will never push to even seven-tenths.

Maybe you’ve been poisoned by a crime syndicate and need to keep your adrenaline pumping at peak levels to stay alive. Of course it’s just as likely Employ a methodical right wrist and the 998cc that, for a second there, the Ninja ZX-10R made engine sneakily develops urgency, almost imper- you feel as though you had become Jonathan Rea. ceptibly. Yes, there are 200 horsepower on tap But probably, most likely, you do it because of the and 84 lb-ft of torque, too. But combined with a confidence this bike imparts. You do it because silky smooth Kawasaki QuickShifter (KQS), the it’s fun and you can. And with the 2021 Kawasaki tweaked twin-spar, cast aluminum chassis and the ZX-10R, man can you ever.

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DRIVER’S SEAT

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RIDE 1000 MILES IN 24 HOURS WHY WOULD ANYONE DO THAT?

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Drew Faulkner

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Editor’s note: “The Iron Butt Association records long distance riding accomplishments from all over the world.

However, as they are based in the United States of America, all mileage recorded and referenced is in imperial measurement”

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ith the mercury hovering in the mid-sixties, my teeth chattered in my helmet as I watched the damp fog rise out of the cornfields and waft onto the highway.

interstate. The highway is monotonous; chocked full of disinterested traffic, making for otherwise unremarkable, dull experience. If I had to describe my favorite type of (paved) roads, it would probably be a tangled ribbon through a mountain pass The morning sun finally started to emerge above or a neglected goat path through Kentucky Amish the tree line as I pulled into a Sheetz station just country. But what if I said, I like to ride the interoutside of Wheeling to top off. Tap dancing in the state for (almost) an entire day about once a year? parking lot to get the blood flowing, I scarfed down Like truly enjoy it, to the point I’ve done it multiple a Shmiscuit in desperation to find warmth. I left times, with intentions of more.

Dayton geared up from head to toe but apparently not enough because somehow the morning air was Shivering in the cold, monkey just sapping body heat right out of me. I’d been on butt from the long hours on a the road through almost 200 miles of darkness, factory saddle, and soggy feet and still had a full day of riding to go. from failed waterproof boots The above tale is how my morning started out last August.

A 500-mile ride to Virginia to go test ride a Scrambler 1200 (big thanks to Triumph of Harrisonburg), just to turn around and immediately ride back home. A 20-hour ordeal full of highs and lows, with more hours in darkness than I’d like to repeat. Having said all that, I’m gonna let you in on a little secret: I hate riding on the

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doesn’t sound like fun to most people. On most days, I’m in complete in agreement; but I can’t deny, I get sick kicks out of doing “hard” things. Like anything else, difficulty is a matter of opinion. In my case, I find riding a motorcycle from sunup to sundown over long distances difficult; more specifically, documenting an Iron Butt Ride.

For some, the prospect of riding 1,000-plus miles Certainly, you don’t need to ride a thousand miles in one day is unthinkable: for others, it’s not even in a day to find excuses to have breakdowns and seen as a challenge. endure the elements, you can do that anytime. I, Tastes in riding are as diverse as the people that however, I’ve discovered that I like to use a longdo it; in my case, I’m not spending a moment on haul ride as a confidence booster for recent mainflat, straight pavement unless the payoff is worth tenance I may have done. The bikes I have parked the tedium. Thus, where I’ve discovered the chal- out back in the “pig pen” tend to hang around for lenge: having the tenacity to endure the boring, a while, and thus have various “afflictions” that repetitive nature of the “all-day” commute. With need tending to from time to time. the right bike, and the right setup for the rider, finding comfort for an Iron Butt ride isn’t nearly as After the slow tedious process difficult. With the right route and enough enterof getting the Scrambler back tainment, the scenery, and some good podcasts, up to speed after it spent years staying entertained for 18-plus hours isn’t necesas the breadwinner, I wanted sarily difficult. However, riding an ironing board the to give it a proper shakedown, journalists call a “styling exercise”, having your which ultimately gave birth to GPS take a crap, feeling your footpeg coming loose the aformentioned trip out to at 80 MPH (allegedly), and riding into a hailstorm the Shenandoah Valley make for challenging, exciting events. and back.

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Do you ever get the feeling like you rode away and forgot something? I get that nagging feeling after I’ve installed a new clutch, adjusted the valves, and so on. The fear that I perhaps forgot to torque a bolt to spec, or I didn’t balance a tire correctly. It may nag me for a couple of days when I think I “feel” something on the ride to work and so on. To shake off the “demons” I like to “prove” my craftsmanship by “testing” the machine with an all-day ride. Assuming I don’t ride “shotgun” back home in a tow truck, that usually puts the doubts to rest.

“There has to be a better way”. My wife is so tired of hearing me say that... about everything. You see, I have a sickness, my mind is preoccupied with finding the most efficient method of accomplishing a task. When asked why I would attempt to ride such distances just to come back home the same day, it finally dawned on me, I enjoy the challenge of finding the most efficient method of getting from point A to point B in the least amount of time. I’m a navigation nerd, so I enjoy looking at maps and figuring out which gas stations are conveniently located right off the exits, and ideally, are open 24-hours. Trying to ride a thousand miles in a day means finding the best way to pack the bike with 76

the most important things where you need them; rain gear stored on top of the tools in my pannier and snacks right under my paperwork in the tank bag. I try to make a habit of going over the bike the day before a big trip, that way I can confirm that all the essentials are packed in that before mentioned tool kit.

“Smooth is fast” definitely rings true here as well, which means forming habits to scribble notes in your trip log about where you’re stopping and what your odometer says when you roll into a stop, topping off the gas tank and not misplacing your keys or your credit card. Speaking of credit cards, being pressed for time means you learn how to think on your feet when your newfound routine is disrupted as your credit card is shut off for “fraud alert” after stopping at the third filling station in three states. You learn how to stay hydrated while riding and what not to eat to avoid those awkward emergency bathroom breaks. Bad weather and bathroom emergencies also help highlight any issues you may have with your chosen set of riding gear; over pants and adventure boots are all fun and games until that “oh I gotta’ go” thought hits you.

As with taste in roads, the definition of “a good day’s ride” depends on who you ask. I remember being exhausted after the 160-mile trip to grandma’s, but I also know people that don’t stop for breakfast until they’ve emptied the 7-gallon tank on their ST1300.

Training, or forcing yourself to tackle a thousand miles in a day shows you what you’re capable of; it demonstrates the destinations you could potentially reach in a day and tells you how much ground you can safely cover in a pinch. With that, like many of you, I have limited vacation time. As much as I would like to spend weeks taking my time and stopping in all the no-name towns around the country, sometimes I need to burn down the highway to get somewhere. Living in the Midwest means I have to commute to the type of roads (and trails) that I prefer to ride, having the experience of a full, non-stop day in the saddle means I can potentially reach destinations in a day instead of two, and still be rested to enjoy the fun riding the next morning. This obviously isn’t for everyone, but I see this as another tool in my toolbox when time is at a premium.

Denver?” I have no doubt a lot of this sounds selfserving, but if done for the right reasons, as with my previous point, it allows you to prove to yourself what you’re really capable of. Again, this isn’t for everyone, but there’s no doubt I enjoy riding motorcycles because it’s not easy. That interest pushed me into racing and continues to motivate me to ride through the night to work up to tackling 1,500 miles in 24 hours or less, and perhaps one day an Iron Butt Rally. For me, off-road racing has Lastly, I have to be honest, I also find a strange satis- been (mostly) a physically demanding endeavor, faction out of doing seemingly ridiculous things. whereas distance riding has been a mental test; There was certainly a time when that passion was both addicting as it turns out. fueled by an adolescent “I’ll show them” attitude For me, what started as a “bucket list” challenge (i.e. who would ride a Scrambler off-road). Right created habits that evolved into modus operandi, or wrong, I think that mentality shifted to “I want and ultimately a passion. What about you, is an to prove to myself” that I can accomplish “X” task.

Iron Butt ride on your bucket list? If you’ve docuAt first, it was “will this Scrambler survive 18 hours mented a ride, do you plan on riding another? Or on the interstate?”, and now I’m asking myself does this all just sound like a terrible way to ruin “Will I blow up my 250L if I ride it non-stop to what makes motorcycling fun?

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POWER BROKERS

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CHRISTIAN MEUNIER, CEO OF JEEP THE TIME IS NOW

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hristian Meunier is the newly minted CEO of Jeep, a position he took in January 2021 after spending parts of the last few decades working the car game; Ford, Mercedes, Nissan – it’s quite the resume.

Now he’s the man brought on to steer Jeep to bigger and brighter things. We caught up with him online to discuss the striking new Wagoneer products, why Jeep and its parent company Stellantis is poised for a bright future…and the possible existence of a new woody?

V: You recently moved from Infiniti to Jeep/Stellantis, what are some of the things about Jeep, the Wagoneer or Stellantis that attracted you when you came over from the RenaultMitsubishi-Nissan Alliance?

I didn’t know about Wagoneer at the time. I only knew about Jeep, but what attracted me was very clear: I think the potential of the brand – which I still think has a lot more to offer than what we do today – was number one. The fact that it’s a global brand gives us a lot more capacity to synergize no sacred cow. We do what we gotta do, we work together and we find solutions and we get going – between the different markets the alchemy is very good.

When I entered into the job, the capacity for us to really expand and cover the various segments – I V: Wagoneer is a very storied brand. What are some of the think that was very appealing. biggest challenges of bringV: When the Stellantis agreement ing that name back into the SUV happened, was the fact that you’d lexicon? be involved with such a large group of brands appealing to you?

The biggest challenge is to get people to realize that Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer are premium It did appeal to me a lot. The reason is simple: I knew (Stellantis CEO) Mr. Tavares extremely well. – the product is premium, and the experience is When I worked (with Renault-Nissan) in Brazil, he going to be premium. I have no doubt that the was my boss and the head of the Americas. What product is outstanding and extremely competitive I could see was…Mr. Tavares bringing a discipline, – I have zero doubt. Now, we need to make – it’s a rigour and some processes and cost manage- my job and the teams’ job – to make sure that the ment and who would get some significant synergy customer experience is going to be outstanding, between the two companies. We are not strong too. We want to make sure that the customers are in the same areas geographically and in the same treated well, that we put things in place like the segment, so that makes us very complimentary. I concierge service so that if anything happens, the think the sky’s the limit for the group. And I think customer understands that we’re there to back the spirits are very good. Obviously, when you do them up. I think that’s very important. a merger, you never know. What I can tell you is that so far, it’s been a blast because people mean V: Is that even more important in well, they see an opportunity, they see that the the luxury sector in which these others can bring some really good stuff and I think vehicles are competing than it that Tavares makes it very transparent. There’s would be in other segments?

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For sure the expectations are higher. I think the one-to-one relationship is even more important for those customers. The objective is to have, in each dealership, at least one Wagoneer Ambassador in sales and one Wagoneer Ambassador in after sales who have been training extensively with the product and everything that has to do with satisfying the customer. I think for that person to have a unique relationship with the customer is going to make a huge difference.

V: Can I safely say that Wagoneer is a luxury division of Jeep?

I don’t think that it’s luxury; I think that it’s premium. I call it the premium extension of Jeep.

That’s what I call it, and that’s what we call it internally, too, because I think it’s still an extension of Jeep, but it’s the premium version of it.

V: Is this a platform that could accommodate a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) style platform like a Wrangler 4xe?

At the end of the day, nothing works always perfectly but if at least you have someone you can call who’s going to be on top of your problem and I will tell you that it’s coming and that it will be a help you find a solution this is fine, this is okay. whole suite of heavy electrification on this car.

V: What do you love most now We’re fully committed to electrification – it is a that the production Wagoneer part of Jeep, and will become more and more a part and Grand Wagoneer have been of Jeep. It’s a fantastic technology for us to make shown? What are you most the nicest Jeep ever. I’m pushing like crazy on electhrilled about when it comes to trification because that can make Jeep so much better. these vehicles?

I’m thrilled because everything about the customer experience is going to drive not only the customer experience, but it’s going to have such a side effect on the rest of the portfolio. And because dealers are going to invest in Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer, that will have a positive side effect for Jeep.

V: Here’s the big question that everyone’s asking: Are you going to do a “woody” version of it?

We have had so many questions about that! The design team has decided to move away from a cheezy, plastic appliqué on the car, because that’s not premium. The emphasis has been on sophisI’m not satisfied with where we are today. I think tication, materials used and stuff like that – the we need to do a better job. We need to take care wood inside, the metal, the leather; it’s genuine of the customer more and I think that’s going to and it’s beautiful. help us.

At the same time, we’ve listened to the customers The product is awesome – the product, I have no and we’ve had a lot of comments since the reveal. doubt. The Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer are So we’re working on a few different things that nimble, and they are fun-to-drive. They’re not your would be woody and would be premium in a very typical full-size SUV – the bouncing around. This exclusive way. I don’t know if we’re going to nail it, is not what it is. It’s fun, it’s dynamic and I think but I hope we’ll find a very neat solution. It has to people will see the difference. look modern; it can’t just look nostalgic.

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EV AVENUE

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2021 JEEP WRANGLER 4XE RUBICON BURNING A MUD-SOAKED TRAIL WITH NO GASOLINE Story William Clavey

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Photography Guillaume Fournier

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hile some Jeep fans argued that an electric off-road vehicle like the Wrangler could never happen, Jeep proved them wrong by releasing the 4xe, the first-ever plug-in hybrid Jeep that somehow manages to keep the Wrangler’s charming qualities intact.

Do not worry gasoline-powered Jeep fans, because at the same time the 4xe was introduced, Jeep unveiled the Wrangler 392 powered by a 6.4-liter HEMI V8. Choosing your favourite Jeep elixir has never been so intoxicating.

With the 4xe, Stellantis promises up to 35 km of electric-only range thanks to a 17-kWh battery pack that is placed underneath the Wrangler’s rear seat inside a waterproof container. When the batteries run dry, the 4xe relies on a turbocharged

2.0-litre four-cylinder mild-hybrid gasoline engine You can even get the 4xe in Rubicon trim (pictured that pumps out 270 horsepower and 295 lb-ft of here) which adds a slew of handy off-road dedicated goodies such as a two-speed transfer case torque on its own. with 4:1 low-range gear ratio, front and rear Dana However, when all of its power sources – the gaso- 44 axles, front and rear axle lockers, skid plates, line engine, the tiny electric generator that runs upgraded shocks with a slightly lifted ride height, the accessories, and the second 134-horsepower 33-inch off-road tires and an electronic sway-bar electric motor that is nestled inside the eight- disconnect system for improved articulation. speed automatic transmission - are running at full Ultimately, what I wanted to know was if this plugboil, the Wrangler 4xe delivers a combined output in hybrid wizardry could come in handy for actual of 375 horsepower and 470 lb-ft of torque. And Jeep owners. Or, is it just another marketing stunt because its main electric motor is baked into the to look good in the face of stricter government transmission, Jeep is able to connect driveshafts emissions regulations? And, can this electrified and transfer cases to it. In other words, the 4xe Jeep still do proper Jeep things? We hit the trail to operates the same way as a conventional Wrangler. find out.

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YOU NEED THE RIGHT CHARGER Personally, I still don’t have my own home charger, but it’s something I plan on grafting to the side of my house very soon. To juice up the growing list of electric vehicles we as journalists review these days is actually no big deal as I live in the province of Quebec where there is an established and affordable charging grid in place.

you to choose your preferred propulsion method.

Some will even recharge their batteries to a certain extent while using the gasoline engine.

When we arrived at the level 3 (400 volt) fast charger, I was disappointed to see that the 4xe’s charge port wasn’t equipped to accept it. Thankfully, there was a level 2 (240 volt) charging station next to it, but that would mean waiting quite a bit longer to Using the free Electric Circuit app on my phone, replenish the Jeep.

I was able to locate a fast-charging unit about 20 km away from the trailhead in question. Then, Two hours to be exact. So after grabbing lunch, we using the 4xe’s eSave feature, we planned to save hopped back into the 4xe and headed to the trail. that electric energy and use the gasoline engine to ELECTRIC MUD ADVENTURE take us to where the trail started.

The trail we typically use to test off-road vehicles Knowing how best to manage the available elec- is exceptional as it beautifully blends rocks, deep tric power is a key component of driving a plug-in holes, mud, and water puddles. During the very dry hybrid vehicle. It’s easy to dismiss PHEVs for having seasons, it is essentially covered in sand, dust and low range, but they’re actually very handy in urban boulders. But if you happen to hit it after a good settings where low-mileage trips are performed, or downpour, you’ll be plastered in mud and water in in this case, complete an entire trail without burn- no time. That was the condition it was in when we ing any fuel. Most, if not all plug-in hybrids allow arrived.

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After engaging electric mode from a tiny button on the left-hand side of the dashboard, the gasoline engine immediately turned off and a tiny blue light (blue is Jeep’s official colour for electric) turned on at the bottom section of the RPM gauge signaling that I was relying solely on electrons.

remains totally silent. Suddenly you can hear the birds chirping or the occasional scraping sounds of the skid plates on rocks. The entire experience was serene and highly addictive.

The electric motor in the 4xe isn’t very powerful, but what counts on a challenging trail such as this Meanwhile, the onboard computer told me I is low end torque and there is plenty of that here. was good for 36 km of electric range. Just like a Add to that immense sensitivity from the throtconventional Jeep, I had to put the transmission in tle pedal due to the instant power delivery, and it neutral to engage 4x4 Low. I also made sure to lock becomes way easier to modulate throttle inputs in the differentials front and back and disengage the the 4xe than its gasoline-powered contemporaries. sway bars. I also turned-on regenerative braking to We arrived at the far end of the trail with power give me extra juice when I’d release the accelerator to spare, proof that Jeep still masters the art of pedal. What I didn’t know is that the system also adventure-seeking better than most, even while acts as a hill decent feature and its effectiveness using only electric power. Low-speed rock crawling was exceptional compared to other Jeep models. did use 20 km of range on a 10 km trail, but given There’s something rather charming about the workload, it was an impressive display of what conquering the elements in a Jeep while everything an electric Jeep can do.

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Back on the road, I set the Jeep to hybrid mode and the system automatically rationed the remaining electric range to minimize fuel consumption until the battery ran out.

At the end of the day, I was covered in dirt and mud, had a nicely tanned forehead and a wide grin on my face. As for the 2021 Jeep Wrangler 4xe Rubicon, it remained unscathed with only a few hours of battery charging required for its next offroad adventure.

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SPECIAL FEATURE

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007 LESSONS IN AUTOMOTIVE MARKETING THE CARS OF JAMES BOND Story | Steven Bochenek

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uck! Since 1962, the biggest name behind the Bond franchise was Albert Broccoli. If you were named after the most hated vegetable in childhood, you too would learn early a) the sheer power brands wield, and b) the value of a good story to make people like you. It doesn’t hurt Broccoli that two of the franchise’s most celebrated recent films were written by a Canadian named Haggis, that much-loathed Scottish ‘food’ made from sheep guts and bad dreams.

Almost by default, nobody gets branding and marketing like the makers of Bond films.

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Consider what happened decades after the name James Bond, the unquestionable paragon of the rule-breaking supercop, was affixed forever in the firmament of popular culture. Newer versions of the archetype appeared with jaw-breaking names like Jason Bourne and Jack Bauer. Academic BS? Maybe. We could argue about those J&B coincidences over tumblers full of house-brand Scotch, but there’s no denying the Bond franchise’s skill at automotive marketing. They practically invented product placement.

Anyway, in celebration of the latest postponement of the latest Bond film, No Time to Die, we’re going to demonstrate those lofty claims with seven examples of clever AF automobile product placement and some coincident automotive marketing stunts. Forgive the multiple mentions of Aston Martin. They’re good marketers, though they didn’t appear till the second 007 film and … oops, Shhhh! I think the show’s about to start!

LESSON 001: Scottish alpha male Sean Connery, the last leading man other than Burt Reynolds to truly rock a hairy chest and beer gut, showed off the dynamics of the 1962 Sunbeam Alpine. The name may sound like a kitchen appliance but the Sunbeam kicks up some wicked dirt in the franchise’s first offering, Dr. No.

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“Yahssh, Doctorrrr Noh.” Unlike subsequent episodes when Broccoli and his co-evil vegetables got more blatant about their product placement, Dr. No lacked a formal product introduction with a laundry list of features by a lab-coated nerd. The geeks of the day were too busy fanboying over Ursula Andress’s bikiniclad emergence from the ocean to hate on what soon became an essential step in the Bond hero’s journey.

Picture the product demo: Just off the plane in Jamaica, Connery/Bond commandeers the Sunbeam from a bad guy who’s supposed to be a hired driver but is dressed like a milkman. Written into the action are some features that likely matter to prospective buyers. The backseat is big enough to comfortably accommodate a former Mr. Universe contestant. (Yes, before the beer gut, Sean Connery was a body builder turned actor: eat your heart out, Arnold!) The glove compartment’s big enough to contain a huge gun. And the Sunbeam drifts across gravel in a turn like a magic carpet.

LESSON 002: We’ll skip to Goldfinger, Sean Connery’s third Bond appearance, when he piloted an Aston Martin DB5 “with modifications” as Q described it. The modifications that included a bullet-proof windshield, buttons for a smokescreen and oil slick cached in the armrest, and a hidden button in the gear shifter that ejects the passenger seat are fictional of course. But they provide a great excuse for extended beauty shots of the vehicle’s interior. What manufacturer wouldn’t be delighted?

some baddies along railroad tracks by driving a vintage Mercedes-Benz 250 SE whose tires were shredded. An opportunistic grab with Stasi soldiers shooting at him, Bond didn’t have time, and the producers didn’t have the creative deftness, for Q Llewellyn’s by-now predictable walk-around.

However, you do get a concrete sense of the classic car’s girth — it’s as subtle and wide as a train — and its hardiness.

Of all the don’t-try-this-at-home advice you’d get in a story like this, driving a vintage 250 SE on railroad tracks and into an oncoming train before dumping it into a river has to rank near the top.

Too bad the roomy sedan wasn’t a submarine.

Speaking of which, sorry, but as promised we’re going back to the ‘70s!

LESSON 004: Wow, what a weird decade. All that acid people dropped in the ‘60s did a real number on the sensibilities of ‘70s designers. Even after fifteen months of wearing the same COVID sweat pants, none of us finds the clothes from that decade the least bit attractive.

The cars haven’t aged as well as their ’60s counterparts either. Take the Lotus Esprit used in The The back-and-forth banter between Bond and the Spy Who Loved Me, starring the lovely Barbara marvellously dry Desmond Llewelyn playing proto- Bach, aka Missus Ringo Starr (editors: is ‘starring Nerdlord Q makes excellent sleight of hand. The Starr’ redundant?). At the time, the Lotus Esprit audience doesn’t realize it’s just watched a one- seemed to fanboys, if impractical, the most beauminute car commercial only twenty minutes into tiful vehicle ever. a movie they paid to see. No doubt, the thought would’ve made my mother furious had she not But that was just the Quaaludes and Lonesome been ogling the rakish Connery in his “beshpoke Charlie talking. When we all finally woke up with a groggy hangover, eyeliner and shoulder pads in shuit.”

1984, the 1976 Lotus Esprit looked more like the LESSON 003: Compared to the beastly Connery, inspiration for a panini-maker.

Roger Moore’s Bond is clearly a dilettante in the gym. But what we lost in fight-scene believability But what a moment for us in 1977 when Moore we gained in timing of quips. He was dryer than drives it off a cliff into the sea, then magically the shaken martinis he imbibed each outing, such converts the Lotus into a submarine. For five throwaway wit making him a believable ladies’ man. minutes, we all forgot Star Wars which had been Mind it was the ‘70s and ‘80s when Moore played released just six weeks prior, supposedly chang007, so his biggest competitors in the lady killer ing everything. In Nerdlandia, turning a sports car into a submarine trounces even The Force. Is it any department were the Fonz and Freddy Mercury. wonder Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang was written by Forgive us if the references sound casually offen- Bond author, Ian Fleming? Really. With so much sive but you ain’t seen nuthin: we’re about to talk crazy truth out there, why do we even have fake about a film called Octopussy. More about the ‘70s news? soon. The car in our first Moore lesson is from the The producers claim the submarine conversion ‘60s and driven in the ‘80s. Why? was a genuine working custom-made model.

Behind the Iron Curtain in East Germany (which Interestingly, Elon Musk bought the actual car at looks a lot southern England!) Moore escapes an auction in 2013. Which just goes to prove our 91

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main point. Meaning? Is there a better marketer on Earth (for now) than Elon Musk?

Well, according to Encyclopedia Britannica, musk is a “preputial gland in a pouch, or sac, under the skin of the abdomen of the male musk deer.”

Prenuptial? This is probably the first time ever that ‘yuck’ has appeared twice in one automotive story.

When you’re named after moose spunk, you probably learn earlier than Broccoli the skills of diversion and persuasion. Speaking of names…

different-sized money and blue passports to its European rivals. This period was also just around when BMW began exploring a whole new universe of marketing with a ground-breaking series of free online short films made by hot directors from Ang Lee to Guy Ritchie.

Wait. Films on the internet were ground-breaking?

Yes. Called The Driver, BMW’s series of what were functionally 10-minute commercials was posted years before YouTube even existed.

LESSON 005: We first knew Pierce Brosnan as Each film starred Clive Owen who would’ve made Remington Steele, easily the most suggestive a terrific Bond. Indeed, it was like all the directors non-porn handle since Dick Pound. were auditioning for a chance to direct a Bond film.

Speaking of: Ritchie’s 10-minute short featured Remember Brosnan’s Bond driving the 1999 his erstwhile wife Madonna angrily ricocheting BMW Z8 in The World Is Not Enough? As expected, around the backseat while Owen performed hot highlights about the car are described by a dude laps all the way to a stadium she’s playing. in a lab coat — but it’s the legendary John Cleese who was being groomed to take over from Llewelyn Ritchie has yet to direct 007 but Madonna did sing who was aging out of the series and world. While the theme to Die Another Day and perform a cameo circling the lovely low-slung roadster, Cleese as a leather bustier-clad fencing instructor: 006 recites a list of reasons to buy like a carnival pitch- degrees of 007. man: “a multi-tasking heads-up display and six beverage cupholders.” There’s no mention of LESSON 006: We won’t talk about Timothy the rear-wheel drive but Brosnan’s stunt double Dalton except to say that, at least in terms of filmmaking, the ‘80s were even uglier than the ‘70s. demonstrates that magic soon enough.

(Dalton’s performances were called ‘laconic’ by So, why does the new guy drive a German car, critics and fans, but you’d be a man of few words you’re wondering, and not the classically British too with such scriptwriting. He must’ve hoped for Aston Martin the franchise usually favours? rimshots and a laugh track.)

Chances are the producers were offered a sweeter deal — this is business — but think of the times. Instead, we’ll stick with Brosnan, not just to take back the name Peirce from right-wing haters but to No, the zeitgeist. recall Halle Berry reprising Ursula Andress’s aforeIn the late ‘90s, booming Britain was run by a mentioned emergence from the surf in Die Another confident Third-Way government and far less Day. Brosnan-cum-Bond apparently couldn’t wait paranoid about losing valuable ‘freedoms’ like to get her back in the water. At the film’s, umm, 92

climax, Bond races his updated Aston Martin through a melting, collapsing ice hotel to rescue a drowning Berry from a cold watery grave, parks it while he jumps with her into a hydrothermal spring to warm her quickly, then back out with her in tow to drive safely from the chaos, unnoticed.

idea described above was pretty much how Cleese explained it ten years earlier. No one’s saying the marketers stole it from the 007 franchise but this profession’s scribes are called copywriters.

LESSON 007: Following the initial announcement, the noisiest citizens of Nerdlandia were NOT down with the idea of Daniel Craig as the new Bond.

Ten minutes into the franchise reboot, Casino Royale, with the most blood-pumping chase/fight possibly ever, and most folks were sold. But in the months leading up to that, the fanboys waged war online.

Actually, that unnoticed bit was the real reason for this lesson. Bond’s ride of choice as described in the now de-rigeur walk-around scene by Q-Cleese was seemingly an empty subway flatbed, which rolled in to a defunct London tube station. Surprise!

Turns out there’s an invisible Aston Martin Vanquish on the platform which appears with the click of a key fob. “We call it the Vanish,” Q Quips. First of all, when Broccoli et al announced Craig’s Yeah, right, you’re thinking: an invisible car. casting at a press event on the River Thames near Ridiculous. First, let’s not forget the context: MI6 HQ, Craig arrived in a cigar boat in a lifejacket! the first Harry Potter movie had come out just a How un-Bond! Considering the furor, you’d have year earlier and invisible stuff in movies was all thought he was in water wings. the rage. Second, if you blow enough stuff up in a movie, people stop asking questions about the Then word got out that, when filming, Daniel Craig asked about what that extra pedal was doing in the believability.

Aston Martin DBS V12. What? A Bond couldn’t Still, an invisible car? Come on! drive stick! Of course, proto-web conspiracy theoActually in 2012, Mercedes-Benz created tech rists theorized. This is 2012! Didn’t the Maya which made its vehicle invisible in an advertising predict something like this? campaign. It’s a clever trick done with LED panels Good marketers listen to their customers. Our old covering the car. “A camera on the other side of friend Broccoli performed his masterly magic one the car transmits the image to the LEDs,” says the promotional video on YouTube (look it up; it’s bril- more time. Imagine how pleased those Elf Lords liant). The LEDs project the image from the other must’ve felt when, trying not to run over his tiedside, filling in what the car should be blocking, up Bond girl lying in the middle of the road, Daniel Craig’s Bond rolled the Aston Martin and utterly effectively making it invisible. trashed it, like some incompetent juvenile with a The creative idea was that Mercedes-Benz’s learner’s permit?

F-Cell hydrogen fuel technology made their car ‘invisible’ to the environment. But the production And… scene.

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GAME CHANGERS

RICH B CALIENTE Story

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K-born, Miami-based abstract artist Rich B. Caliente— who specializes in vehicle art — made headlines recently for hand painting a 2021 Porsche 911 Carrera, co-signed by fellow Miamian and rapper Rick Ross who added his personal splash of paint and signature. As cool as that is in itself, the real buzz was the fact the car is tied to a type of cryptocurrency called an NFT, which is normally associated with digital assets, only making this venture the first of its kind (for more check out our story on the Vicarious website). We caught up with Caliente over Zoom to dive a little further into the project and his career.

Benjamin Yong

airplanes, too. [After I got my driver’s license I was heavy into tuning]: I had an M3 for awhile, then an IS300 I put NSX-fitment Racing Hart Type-CXR wheels on. In England I used to drive a Porsche 928 S4.

Later I actually got to work at an automotive tuning shop, then went on to manage a mail-order wheel and tire business in the mid-2000s called Wheel Discount. It was one of the three largest in the country and I would get clients like athletes and musicians including [record producers] Cool & Dre and Dwayne Wade. I also ran a body shop and customization place for like a year-and-a-half V: HOW DID YOU ORIGINALLY GET INTO where I really was able to start creating these rollTHE AUTOMOTIVE WORLD? FEEL FREE TO ing works of art.

START FROM THE BEGINNING. When I was four or five years old I used to Collect Matchbox cars and Tops Trumps cards. They’re like a deck of trading cards but each one would have, say, a Range Rover on it and list the height, top speed, 0 to 60 and the rest of the stats — I learned all the specifications. I sketched a lot of cars and

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V: IS THAT HOW YOU BECAME AFFILIATED WITH CELEBRITY AND POP CULTURE?

Every Friday people would come to the warehouse and they’d get their cars washed and hang out. I had [former NBA players] Samaki Walker and Christian Laettner over there, DJ Khaled even

before he got his Album. In 2013 I met the marketing guy for Kid Robot (designer toy and collectible company) who said he loved some of the vehicles I’ve worked on, and they eventually made me the brand’s first artist to come from the auto world.

V: HOW DID THE NFT 911 COME ABOUT? CAN YOU TALK A BIT MORE ABOUT YOUR PROCESS?

Slashdot (NFT management consultancy) bought the Porsche, which my friend of 20 years Brad Flaherty and I co-founded. Brad was my first roommate in this country and he’s in the tech space so we joined forces to do the world’s first tangible and digital art car.

The Porsche is a direct reflection of what you could have hanging on your wall at home but taken onto the street. If you look at the car, right top left corner and the driver’s side bottom right corner you’ll notice the colour is the same. Even though the paint’s thrown on it’s symmetrical: everything is well thought out before-hand.

V: HOW DID RICK ROSS GET INVOLVED?

V: WHAT’S NEXT?

Well Cool & Dre were there (Ross’ frequent collaborators) when I was painting the car. They’ve been my friends for maybe 16 years or so. And then Ross heard and asked me and I said, “Man, I listened to the song 911 (Ross’ single from 2012) while I was painting.” He’s like, “Rich, I need to be a part of this car,” so he came over and I gave him a marker and some paint.

We do have something lined up though I can’t say much because we’re saving that other part for [Art] Basel. I will tell you this much — I am doing another Porsche Carrera, as well as a yacht in the next 90 days. We’re just waiting for the manufacturer to finish the build.

This interview has been edited and condensed.

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FEATURED SUV

ROAD TEST 98

2021 LAMBORGHINI URUS Story Jeff Voth I

Photography Steve Enns

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et me be completely transparent here; there is no rational explanation as to why the Lamborghini Urus exists in a world that is rapidly going down the road of electificiation. In fact, it is twice compromised with regards to sensibility because who really needs a 650 horsepower SUV that can dust off many exotic sports cars at a stoplight, then continue the dusting by getting down and dirty when the pavement ends and the road ahead is nothing but rocks and dirt?

If there is a practical argument for the Urus, I can’t think of it. And that’s what makes it so perfect.

It defies common sense and I find that a refreshing concept in a world where everything must be justified to the Nth degree or risk being out of sync with the market.

The true litmus test for me as to whether or not a vehicle is a hit, is the reaction from my neighbours when I arrive in the driveway with something a little bit different. In the case of the Blu Eleos 2021 Lamborghini Urus, car alarms were sounding, small children and teenagers were clammering for a look inside and parents kept knocking on our front door asking if they could take selfies. Try getting the same reaction from a lesser vehicle; it’s just not going to happen.

33.7 metres. It’s the kind of stopping power you would expect from an exotic, especially one that features front aluminum 10 piston brake calipers and carbon ceramic brakes at all four corners. You can get anywhere fast, but equally important is the fact you can stop anywhere almost just as quickly.

Getting in and out of ‘trouble’ shouldn’t be this easy.

Exterior features offer an edginess that only Lamborghini seems to master currently. Sure the new upcoming Tesla Cybertruck is all corners and angles, but in picture form at least, it lacks the styling and agressiveness inherent in the Urus. There is no mistaking this SUV for anything than what it is; fast, loud and a gut-punch to market sensibility.

The similarities with other current Lamborghinis continues on the inside. Seats are grippy in all the right places, holding you in place through a fast corner or wading through mud-slicked roads. Drive modes range from Strada which is normal through to Sport, Corsa, Sabbia, Terra and Neve. From sunny to snow-covered, you are always in control.

Of course, what would driving a Lamborghini be without having to flip the red cover and expose the engine Start/Stop button. It may seem trivial, but its all part of the experience. You feel cool Driving the Urus isn’t that much different than just doing it. Paddle-shifters engage each gear driving an Aventador, it’s just that you sit higher with tenacity and it is so easy to drive on winding and feel in command of all road surfaces, not just backroads or around town. In the end, you come to flat, winding asphalt. Zero to 100 km/h takes 3.6 realize there is a practical side to the Lamborghini seconds and 0-200 km/h is equally impressive at Urus. It’s just way too much fun to crackle the V8 engine and watch as people stop in their tracks to 12.8 seconds. Top speed crests at 305 km/h. see it’s passing. The line-up for selfies starts at 3 Braking from 100 km/h to zero requires a mere pm, bring your smartphones!

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2020 BMW M2 CS MEIN LIEBESBRIEF

Story Matthew Neundorf

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Photography Ryan Durrell

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t’s funny how a band can lose its way, in the eyes of a fan. They hit the scene with a unique or timely sound that captivates the ears and the heart and then, a few albums down the road, an experiment in something new changes everything.

Or they lose their edge by trying to better appeal to the masses: they sell out, man.

BMW has followed a similar course, for me.

My driving youth in the late-nineties and earlyaughts was dominated by dreams of parking an E36 M3 (preferably a 1995 or later 6-speed variant or one of those ultra-rare 1994 “Euro-Spec” models) in front of my house. Thanks to some formative years as a valet attendant, I’d learned The Black Keys is that band for me. first-hand to appreciate the focus those M cars had, the feel they delivered and the soul they Early Keys’ work was steeped in the hot, swampy, exuded. The syncopated tappet noise of a particuheaviness of blues’ golden era brought into lar Laguna Seca Blue E46 model after a cold start, modernity through Dan Auerbach’s guitar work the last of the naturally aspirated straight-six and vocals and Patrick Carney’s phrenetic drum- models, was mesmerizing to me. It lit a torch I still ming. That sound, typically mixed with a lo-fi qual- carry today. ity befitting its raw grittiness, is what made the band an instant favourite of mine. But they chased Now it’s a world where you can have an M badge on their dream, found stardom and the music turned, just about any model you like. And while each and well, “poppy”. I could still hear their “soul” in the every iteration is quite special in its own way, this newer stuff, but it was muffled and muted. They proliferation of BMW’s performance division has just weren’t the same. diluted the focus, feel and soul that M originally

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imbued. Ultimate driving machines were aban- that has prompted someone to knock on my door doned for ultimate profits. They sold out, man. to chat about it. It just has that effect. Everything going on visually suits this wee beastie.

Or at least, that’s what I believed until a few weeks ago.

Fob in pocket, I tug on the door handle excited to see what’s going on inside, but nothing happens.

Just walking up to the 2020 M2 CS and I can feel that old torch start to flicker. The M2 CS is a squat Still locked? and bulging little car. It has a hips out back, a bulging hood up front and every crease communicates Oh, you want me to push the “unlock” button on speed and strength. Candy-coated in Misano Blue the fob first, do you?

Metallic if nobody else had been around I may have This is some ‘90s era stuff right here. I’m grinning licked it. There’s a whiff of fast n’ furious going already. I have a feeling this wee beastie is gonna here, some boy-racer yobbishness, it’s no Q-Ship suit me. to be sure, but there is some elegance too. To this day, it is the only car I’ve parked in my driveway The seats are possibly the best I’ve ever slid into.

After fidgeting with the power controls, they cradle and hug without feeling abusive and there is easily enough plushness for some long days touring, too.

I love the perforated leather, red contrast stitching and those cutouts -- a cheeky weight-saving technique -- looks brilliant.

The M-stitch-accented, alcantara wrapped steering wheel is meaty and, as expected, positioned perfectly. The gauges are clear, concise. A nice mix of analog and digital and always within view.

There’s no armrests to set your elbows on, so curl those thumbs at 9 and 3 and get ready for some motoring. Basic media controls can be found on the right spoke but the buttons you really want to

know about sit on the left.

Labelled M1 and M2, these are the programmable switches that call-up the M2 CS’s engine, steering and suspension behaviour to the settings you like best. Working with the iDrive controller via the tiny-by-today’s standards TFT screen, I set up M1 with the suspension’s softest setting (Comfort), the steering in Sport and the engine got the full beans in Sport Plus. This is the butterzone in this car for day-to-day use. Aggressive and sporty enough to keep you focused and engaged, yet compliant enough that you could tote your mother-in-law along for the drive. You can further adjust each of those settings on-the-fly, should 105

you wish, via their own dedicated switches flank- instinctual and proper. Clutch engagement is a bit ing the six-speed manual shifter, just ahead of the high, but a scootch of my seat towards the rear mechanical E-Brake. and I’ve found piloting bliss. We’re off.

For M2, I left well enough alone. BMW’s engineers had already dialled that one in for full-hoonery with Sport Plus across the board and Traction Control stuffed in the rubbish bin. We’ll chat a bit more on that one later, but first let’s get back to that shifter.

The twin mono-scroll turbos feeding the inline-6 spool up quickly. There is little to no lag. Torque is produced in a smooth and linear fashion and the M2 CS rarely feels as if it will run out of puff. There is an advertised 444 horsepower available but again, it feels like the Bavarians are sandbagging: That’s right, this M2 CS is happily, thankfully this thing moves with an appreciable quickness. sold with three pedals and one of BMW’s signaAnd it’ll hold a line too. ture stickshifts. With the first slotting of a cog, I’m warped back in time. The effortless free-play Adaptive dampers, even in Comfort Mode, keep between gates, the smidge of rubbery resistance the M2 CS absolutely planted without sacrificentering them, everything here feels familiar, ing ride quality. Sure, an overzealous right foot can 106

break those fat n’ sticky Michelin Cup 2s loose (on command, if you kill TC) but the entire car feels as though it’s been built around the driver, so it falls back into line with natural progression.

There are no needless distractions like cupholders or armrests here. The steering is heavy and precise, the fuelling intuitive and the suspension is sharp but compliant. The CS also swaps out alloys for carbon fibre on the roof, hood and nearly all of the interior, so its relatively light, too. Yes, this here M-car is a deft and flickable treat.

the M2 CS is what happens when those masters of speed and handling get to tell marketing and accounting to hold their Hacker-Pschorr. This car is bonkers good. A definitive M-Car. Possibly one of the best ever.

Around the same time that I was falling in love with this Misano Blue beast, the Black Keys released a new album. Delta Kream is a Mississippi hillcountry blues cover album with tracks from greats like Junior Kimbrough, John Lee Hooker and R.L. Burnside. Importantly, the effort marks a sonic In M2 mode, flickable can quickly turn to flappable. return to roots for Auerbach and Carney, a love With everything amped, tightened and the nannies letter to us early fans, so to speak. It’s hot, swampy, sent home, the M2 CS’s behaviour is solely left to and heavy. A fantastic listen. Even if you aren’t your abilities. Push it beyond those and it will let you familiar with the Keys’ early work, you should buy it know -- a short wheelbase loves to rotate, afterall. on vinyl and play it loud.

If someone has sneezed on the road ahead you’ll want to know about that to anticipate any compro- The 2020 M2 CS is BMW’s Delta Kream. A love mised conditions, but learn this car’s tendencies, letter to fans of the brand, letting them know they how to harness and exploit them, and you will feel haven’t sold out, traded their soul or lost the plot. like a motoring god. I only experienced glimpses of A reminder that they can still bloody well build an ultimate driving machine. If you can find one (there this, but they left me wanting more. are only 100 slated for Canada and production has Where BMW’s myriad of M-badged X-cars clearly ended), buy it. Buy it with three pedals and a stick display the engineering capabilities of the Division, and drive it loud.

2020 BMW M2 CS CONFIGURATION: Front engine, rear wheel drive ENGINE/TRANSMISSION: 3.0-litre twin-turbo I6 / six-speed manual POWER/TORQUE: 444 horsepower / 406 lb-ft FUEL ECONOMY (LITRES/100 KILOMETRES): 13.0 combined (est.)

BMW M2 Competition, BMW M4, BMW M3, Jaguar F-Type V6, Mustang Shelby GT500, Mercedes-AMG C63, Porsche 718 GTS 4.0 ALTERNATIVES:

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LONGINES LEGEND DIVER BRONZE Story Matthew Neundorf

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ersatility is a trait that gets tossed around a lot when trying to justify a purchase. The thought being that adding features, functions or both can broaden a product’s appeal beyond MSRP: everybody wants to maximize the bang for our bucks, so to speak. It’s why that new F-150 boasts a desk, onboard generator and can tow over 5600 kgs. It’s why the Ducati Multistrada V4 packs both superbike speed and a knobby-clad 19-inch front wheel.

It’s also the reason why the 911 has had back seats since it debuted in 1962.

Photography Matthew Neundorf and Carolyn Merey

The diver adorned caseback is titanium. This is to eliminate the chance of skin irritation by close and constant contact with bronze. Stainless steel will accomplish the same goal but the use of premium materials is expected at this price point and Longines delivered.

MOVEMENT Thanks to being well situated under the Swatch Group umbrella, the Legend Diver range is powered by an ETA based caliber (the A31.L11). Known at Longines as the L888, this 21-jewel automatic No strangers to this concept, Longines recently movement employs an anti-magnetic, silicon introduced a bronze version of their classically balance spring and provides up to 72-hours of styled Legend Diver. It’s a dedicated and focused power reserve, thanks in part to its 25,200 vph timing instrument ready for trips to the briny deep, pulse. to be sure, but thanks to the warmth and sophistication humankind’s oldest alloy affords and the DIAL / BEZEL / CROWN & HANDS elegance its packaging exudes, is also a timepiece It must be said that pairing a bronze watch with a I’d argue can readily go from gracing gunwales to green dial is a bit of a no-brainer. They are natuboardrooms and on to ballrooms after that. So, rally complementary hues. And yet, the smoked does this kind of versatility justify its $3,900 ask? green shading that the Longines has employed here gives the sensation of being a more special Could it work as the only watch on your wrist? combination than logic alone could dictate. There CASE is depth to its colouring that photos alone fail to do The key to what makes this variant of the Legend justice to as it transitions from a bright Emerald in Diver so adaptable is that bronze case. It’s beauti- certain lighting, to a deep Sacramento in others. ful without being gaudy, tough as nails (bronze can Accentuated by that muted, rose-gold of the case, pack a Vickers hardness rating higher than that of it’s pink hands and the domed sapphire crystal, wrought iron and stainless steel combined) and this combination is one of the best looking timewill patinate with age and use. The brushed finish pieces in the Longines Heritage collection. is soft and smooth all at the same time. This then is a timepiece that clearly qualifies for heirloom The painted, Arabic numerals and indexes readily stand out and their crema tone bolsters the status. vintage vibe going on. Swiss Super-LumiNova Measuring 42mm in diameter, the Legend Diver is has been applied and renders excellent legibility in goldilocks sized to appeal to a wide range of wrists. waning light.

In fact, thanks to the use of a compressor style diving flange instead of an external bezel, it actu- Other iterations of the Legend Diver include a date ally wears smaller than that metric indicates. function, with a window at the 3 o’clock marker, 108

which the L888 supports. However, for the Legend Diver Bronze, Longines opted out of its inclusion.

This is more in keeping with the original Longines 7042 Diver from the 1960s and is, in my eyes, an addition through subtraction.

Both crowns are screw-down type and each feature a tasteful hashing on their ends. The two o’clock crown controls the internal dive bezel and it must be said there is little to no slop here. Adjustments are precise and I didn’t experience any inadvertent changes when screwing the crown back into place (which is problematic on lesser attempts at this feature). The four o’clock crown handles time adjustments.

STRAP In terms of focused functionality, it is odd for a dive watch (with a highly respectable 300m depth rating) to ship on a leather band, however the tang buckled, deep brown version used here suits this watch entirely. It is soft and supple and opens the door for the Legend Diver to work well as a dress watch or casual adornment.

would suggest, thanks to the highly domed crystal.

Not that I had anywhere special to go, but when dressing for dinner one night, I donned a proper shirt and sports jacket and, even with a slightly tight cuff, the Legend Diver slid to its proper spot without ruffling fabric.

CONCLUDING THOUGHTS Years ago, I had the pleasure of chatting with some folks within the Swatch Group at a dinner in Toronto. After a drink or two I let slip my longing for companies to embrace bronze as material for dive watches. Boutique and micro brands had been enjoying success with the alloy for ages but, seemingly, the big brands of horology weren’t yet keen to try.

Fast forward to current days and it seems folks with my proclivities are spoiled for choice. Tudor, Zenith, Panerai, IWC, Oris and countless others now have bronze offerings available in all types of timepieces. Many are more complicated; some are less expensive and some certainly carry more gravitas in the horological world but I find the Longines Legend Diver to be a bit of a standout.

Longines also saw fit to ship a green nylon NATO strap (and a branded strap tool) with the Legend Diver Bronze as well. This adds greatly to an already versatile timepiece as a quick strap swap can be accomplished, right out of the box, so you need not worry about salt water digesting that leather.

It combines the simplicity of focus and legibility a proper dive watch requires with a chameleon-like ability to adapt to many real-world demands and settings that even its stainless steel variants can’t quite accomplish. It’s vintage aesthetic is a timeless execution, instead of feeling purely derivative and it delivers enough beauty in its packaging to ON THE WRIST In just over a week’s time, the Legend Diver Bronze reward eyes with every time check. If you could only only left my wrist during bouts with my kettlebells have one watch (perish the thought), the Longines and the showers those bouts demanded. Whether Legend Diver Bronze would make an excellent it was riding on the leather strap or NATO, it sat choice. It will stand up to the rigours of an actioncomfortably and, in terms of weight, imperceptibly. packed life while exuding style and sophistication and it will age gracefully by your side. What’s not The 12.7mm height wears even thinner than that to love?

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TONINO LAMBORGHINI Story

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t’s no secret gearheads often have an affinity for watches. Well, Tonino Lamborghini — purveyor of luxury lifestyle goods and son of Automobili Lamborghini founder Ferruccio Lamborghini — is allowing enthusiasts to combine two passions with a highlighted lineup of Swiss-made wristwear in celebration of the eponymous company’s 40th anniversary.

Benjamin Yong

and shapes over the years, the latest version boasts a unique double-patterned dial with carbon fibre in the upper half and côte de Genève (Geneva striping) in the lower section.

CUSCINETTO One of the first watches conceived during the early days of the brand, the mechanical Cuscinetto is named after the Italian word for ball bearing. Originally created using a special bidirecSPYDERLEGGERO CHRONO The Spyderleggero Chrono is a top-of-the-line tional rotating bezel, echoing a machine element automatic model that “incarnates the ambitious, that constrains relative movement to the desired determined, competing, and combative person- motion and reduces friction between moving ality of the Italian bull brand.” It possesses both parts, it’s updated for 2021 now featuring a titaday and date complications, and the minutes and nium case, Torx screws, new movement and a hours dials take after the image of an hourglass deployant buckle. inspired by the Latin saying tempus fugit, which means “time flies”.

SPYDER Developed in 2007, this special piece was created as an homage to the shield enclosing the iconic “Miura raging bull” logo. Offered in various colours

SPYDERLEGGERO CHRONO

SPYDER 110

GEAR UP!

A LIBRARY OF SPEED Story and Photography

Libraries are supposed to be quiet. Yours, however, should ring with the screaming small-displacement V12s, thundering V8s, boosted-to-themoon inline-5s, and all other manner of bellowing combustion.

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Brendan McAleer

BLUE AND ORANGE: THE HISTORY OF GULF IN MOTORSPORT AUTHOR – MICHAEL COTTON PUBLISHER – COTERIE PRESS

Probably the most iconic racing livery ever painted on a car is the two-tone light blue and orange of the Any serious student of automotive history must Gulf oil company. You can be a fan of racing from necessarily acquire at least a small shelf of suitable almost any era, and it will have appeared on an icon tomes. And never mind the serious part, good car of the age: Ford GT40, Porsche 917, McLaren F1. books are just plain fun. They have big, splashy art, reams of wonderfully nerdy esoterica, and tidbits This book takes a serious look at the racing side of of history you never heard. a livery that is often found on Porsche 911s and the Best of all, automotive books can span a range of like, by way of tribute. Obviously, it touches on the topics from the obvious to the obscure. Here are success of the Steve McQueen film Le Mans, and five solid options to either add to or start your own how it shone a spotlight on the Gulf colours for a automotive library. wider audience.

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But it is also a scholarly look at the racing in several eras, the financial challenges and the on-track battles, the teams as well as the hero drivers. If you wanted to know what the fuss over Gulf blue and orange is, then this is the book for you.

QUATTRO: THE RACE AND RALLY STORY AUTHOR – JEREMY WALTON PUBLISHER – EVRO PUBLISHING

Any Audi fan will delight in this highly specific look at the defining characteristic of the breed. If you like fast Audis, then you need to recognize why the quattro brand – note the lower-case q – is only found on the fastest RS models.

All-wheel-drive is what put Audi on the map, but it was the crucible of motorsport that really changed the company. This book spends a lot of time looking over the heritage of the early rally cars, and will have you scouring the internet for an Ur-Quattro of your own. (Good luck – they’re hard to find.)

From rally heroes like Walter Röhrl and Michèlle Mouton, the book then pivots to the less-wellknown IMSA Audi 90s. These wide-hipped machines are some of the coolest racing cars ever made: one period shot shows a fleet of Audis ahead of a Ferrari F40.

It finishes out by touching only lightly on Audi’s Le Mans successes, keeping to more road car-based racing. If you’ve got anything from a B5 S4 project car up to a new RS3, this is one you’ll want on your shelf, perhaps next to your S1 Quattro Lego set.

BOND CARS: THE DEFINITIVE HISTORY AUTHOR – JASON BARLOW PUBLISHER – PENGUIN RANDOM HOUSE UK

Spanning twenty-five chapters from Dr. No right up to the much delayed No Time to Die, Bond Cars is a must-have for any fan of the James Bond series of films. Not only does it offer closeup looks at the hero cars you already know so well, but the veil is pulled aside so you can see how the movie magic happened.

The cover has the two most famous Bond rides: an Aston-Martin DB5, and a white Lotus Esprit.

The former is probably the most famous car in the world, while the latter will have to content itself as being among the most famous submarines.

But there are so many, many more cars to cover here, from Sunbeam Alpines to a barrel-rolling AMCs. There are bit-player cars that provided a bit 112

of colour, unlikely heroes like a bright yellow Citroën respect the bravery of the racers who drove them.

2CV, and a close look at how the most outrageous Shadow was always an inventive team, and some of the early cars are truly unique. stunts were performed.

What Bond Cars does best is not simply cataloguing the various cars used over decades of everyone’s favourite secret agent. Instead, it shows the reality behind the move-making, without losing any of the magic of a Bond film.

SHADOW: THE MAGNIFICENT MACHINES OF A MAN OF MYSTERY AUTHOR – PETE LYONS PUBLISHER – EVRO PUBLISHING

If you prefer your secret agents real rather than fictional, then check out Pete Lyons’ thorough look at the Shadow racing team. Helmed by the mysterious and mercurial Don Nichols, the Shadows had successes everywhere from Can-Am to Formula One. You don’t need to be a vintage racing fan to appreciate this book. Instead, revel in the tale of a man who ran anti-Soviet counter-espionage missions in Tokyo, helped build the Fuji Speedway, became friends with every major player in 1970s racing, and somehow managed to keep his teams racing at the highest levels of motorsport on a shoestring budget.

But the real story is Nichols himself. In interviews, he plays his cards close – as you’d expect from a former intelligence agent – but lets enough out to be tantalizing. The photography is excellent too, capturing an age when top-tier racing was a frontier, rather than a highly regulated sport.

ALFA-ROMEO: ALL THE CARS AUTHOR – LORENZO ARDIZIO PUBLISHER – GIORGIO NADA EDITORE

At 110 years old this year, Alfa-Romeo is one of the oldest and most storied automotive brands.

It’s also arguably the one that stokes the most passion, whether it’s the pre-war racing machines that gave Enzo Ferrari his start, or the little red Spider from The Graduate.

Author Lorenzo Ardizio, who just happens to be the chief curator of the Museo Storica in Milan, walks the reader through all the various important Alfas.

Alfas are a bit unusual, in that something like an 8C or a 33 Stradale are beautiful and unobtainable, but anyone who is a bit handy with a wrench can have a project Alfa.

If you do happen to have space in your garage for Engineering fans will appreciate the deep dives a Spider in need of some TLC, make sure you also into the racing cars themselves, of which there make space on your bookshelf for this worthy are a huge variety. Some of the Can-Am cars are book. It’s all the heritage you need to bone up on hugely powerful, vicious brutes, and you have to before heading out to the garage.

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EXIT LANE

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y the time you read this, June of ’21 will be long past. That, however, doesn’t change the fact that it was an eye-opener of a month for me when it comes to the automotive world.

month, which isn’t hard to do because it spans the length of the Trans Canada Highway, with no more than 250 km between charging stations. Fast charging means many EVs – like the Mach-E – can go from 0 per cent to 80 per cent charge in about 20 minutes. I tried this with both the Mach-E and the Porsche Taycan, and it was right on; in fact, the Taycan went one further as when it hit 80 per cent, it kept charging at roughly the same speed it did before 80 per cent, and that can’t be said for all EVs.

You see, June was host to a month-long event dubbed “EcoMonth” by the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC). It features a number of AJAC members testing a range of vehicles, many with alternative powertrains such as EV and Hybrids, but also some traditional ICEs that have been specifically tuned to ensure maximum efficiency. My sample population ranged from the In addition to that, Electrify Canada is prepping a Honda Accord Hybrid to the Nissan Kicks and Ford similar network. My old high school has chargers in Mustang Mach-E. its lot; so does the beach I used to frequent.

Now, I’m a red-blooded muscle car fanatic, through and through. I also love the sonorous offbeat warble of a naturally-aspirated flat-6, and the bellow of a twin-turbo V8 through four exhaust tips. I’ve always cast a bit of a side glance to the world of the EV, thought it strange how quickly the world’s governments think we can reach full zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) sales by 2040, 2035, 2025. As I write this, Canada has just announced it’s moving its ZEV sales only edict from 2040 down to 2035. That’s pretty close by, and up until now, I didn’t think it was possible to get the infrastructure together in time.

We’re going to need more than that to sustain all this but what if we think beyond the chargers? For me, the quest for full electrification begins and ends with range. The more range an EV gets, the less often it has to take up a spot at a fast charger, because you can always top up at home and have 500 km-plus at your disposal. And, more and more EVs coming out today are meeting that mark.

Range. That’s the ticket.

Considering the nature of this column, the time is now to introduce a new feature to our sister online publication, TRQ. Soon, each issue of TRQ will After the month I’ve just had, though, it’s becom- essentially be two issues: one dedicated to tradiing a little clearer. I made use of Petro-Canada’s tional motoring and gear, the other to the world of fast charging network a few times during the the EV. Watch this space!

Dan Heyman West Coast Editor | VICARIOUS

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Harold Island, Lake Muskoka

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