New world record for old Ford

By Bill McLauchlan

Australian adventurers Rod Wade and co-driver Michael Flanders have set a new world record for driving a pre-war car across the continent. The pair drove from New York to Los Angeles in 50 hours, 20 minutes and 6 seconds.

Wade and Flanders set out on their 3,000 mile (4,800 km) quest in a 1930 Ford Model A at Staten Island at one minute past midnight on Friday November 22nd with the aim of reaching Venice Fishing Pier in around 60 hours, giving an estimated arrival time of the 
morning of Sunday November 24th. Despite horrendous weather conditions including rain storms, extreme winds and snow through New Mexico, the driving duo arrived much sooner than expected. They rolled up to the fishing pier in Venice Beach, California just after 11 o’clock on Saturday evening.

Celebrating at Venice Beach

They encountered the worst of the turbulent weather in Amarillo, the place where the Model A suffered a broken crankshaft after 38 hours of driving in an earlier attempt in October of this year. Freezing rain, fog and snow forced Rod and Michael to stop every two miles (three km) to clear the windscreen of ice as there is no heated windscreen in the classic old Ford.


On arriving at Venice Fishing Pier, Wade said: “I can’t believe we got here in such good time. It got scary through Amarillo again but we battled on. If it weren’t for the weather conditions, we would have done it on 40-odd hours. Maybe next time!”

Next time will in fact see the Aussie team take on the Ocean to Ocean Australia, driving from Queensland to Freemantle but also making the return journey. This is scheduled for June 2014.

The whole reason for setting the world record is to raise awareness and funds to support kidney disease suffers all over the world. With kidney disease affecting Rod’s wife and daughter, he has raised thousands of dollars for kidney charities and the Wade family has just commissioned the first ‘Kidney Kamper’ to get the ball rolling.
Rod added: “The money we raise will allow us to outfit RVs and campervans with dialysis machines so people requiring dialysis can have a little personal freedom to travel and enjoy life, instead of needing to be constantly within reach of a machine at their home, clinic, or hospital.”

For more information on their upcoming Ocean to Ocean Challenge, visit www.vintageadventurer.com

2014 Civic drives for 16th straight title

By Bill McLauchlan

While the Honda Civic has always been popular with younger drivers, especially first-time new car buyers, don’t go thinking this is a car for kids.

Sure, it’s an affordable choice for those just setting out on life’s car-owning journey, but a lot of older drivers buy one because it makes a lot of sense for growing families or heading into more mature years with a nned to downsize to a smaller, more practical vehicle for short trips and getting around town.

It might surprise you to know that, despite its youthful, fun-to-drive image, the average age of a Civic buyer is about 45. Though that fits in nicely with the younger tier of the Boomer generation it doesn’t mean you won’t see many more senior citizens behind the wheel of a Civic.

Such widespread appeal is what’s made the Civic, Canada’s best-selling passenger car for 15 consecutive years. A record to be proud of. And speaking of records, the Civic’s sales last month, up 36 percent over the same month a year ago, broke an eight-year-old all-time October monthly sales record for the company.

Aiming to maintain its competitive advantage, Honda has gone back to the drawing board and come back with a number of worthwhile enhancements for the 2014 model year. For instance, the Civic Coupe (above) and Si Coupe get a new, sportier look. All sedan and coupe models feature interior styling upgrades. There’s a new CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission) available (replacing the 5-speed automatic in both body styles) to improve performance and fuel efficiency. By the way, on the Coupe EX and EX-L Navi content levels, the CVT transmission can be controlled with steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters if you feel the need to indulge in some spirited driving on a winding road. It works in D and S ranges, the latter mimicking a 7-speed gearbox.

Also newly available is what Honda terms Display Audio, a new touchscreen control centre with optional navigation function. This centre-console display lets you swipe, tap and pinch – just like on your tablet or smartphone – to control the audio system, display choices and other advanced features. It’s included on all models except DL and LX trims. The EX-L Navi Coupe, Touring Sedan, Si and Civic Hybrid models combine the Display Audio interface with a fully integrated satellite navigation system.

If you look closely, you can spot a built-in camera system in the external side mirrors. They’re there to accommodate Honda’s new LaneWatch blind spot monitoring system. A helpful extra if you suffer any stiffness that limits turning your head or torso to make a shoulder-check. LaneWatch is available on all but the base Civic Coupe and Sedan. As is a convenient new Smart Entry with Push Button start feature.

Time for a disclaimer here: I’ve never been a great fan of the CVT. Oh, I can appreciate the benefits in fuel economy and engine efficiency it brings to the powertrain, but the steady-state engine sound and lack of discernible shift points is a tad unsettling to my ears and a brain attuned to years of cleanly-defined, rpm-related gear selections.

While I’m picking nits here, I should also express my own negativity toward the new Display Audio upgrade for the Civic. I have no qualms about its clarity, legibility and functionality, but I’m not sure about the touchscreen that replaces good old round knobs, raised buttons and rocker switches. They’re all fairly easy to operate by feel at night or in busy traffic environments without the need to take eyes off the road. Something that’s not as intuitive or simple with a flat-panel display that directs your gaze down inside the car rather than through the windshield where it belongs.

But, to each his own and the ultimate choice is yours. The 2014 Civic Sedan and Coupe launch at Honda dealerships nationwide in mid-December, followed by the Hybrid in early March and the Si Coupe and Sedan next Spring.

Just another face in the crowd?

By Bill McLauchlan

There are plenty of people out there who don't yet realize that Jeep's 2104 Cherokee is a new model at all. Not surprising as it seems to have been around forever. But, it might surprise you to know that with this all-new version, the Cherokee name is back for the first time since 2001, when Jeep put it out to pasture.

With its familiar name that dates back to the 1970s and the well-loved Grand Cherokee still populating today's roads, it can be easy if you’re contemplating the purchase of a mid-size SUV or crossover to overlook the fact that there's a brand new face for Jeep in the 2014 Cherokee.

With its sleek design, smooth sedan-like ride and expanded cargo and passenger room, it offers a nice blend of refinement and ruggedness that should easily handle family vacations, home improvement projects, winter roads and the driving that everyday life, and its wide variety of tasks, entails. 

PRNEWSWIRE/News.com

This unique new crossover also brings something different to its market segment that buyers are likely to find useful.

Two features that really stand out about the new Cherokee against competitors like Honda's CR-V, the Toyota RAV4, Ford Escape and Subaru Forester are its transmission and towing capacity.

When fully equipped, the 2014 Cherokee can tow up to 4,500 lbs (2050 kg). That's enough to pull a medium trailer or boat and far more than the maximums of 1,500 lbs (680 kg) and 2,000 lbs (900 kg) offered by Honda's CR-V and the now out-of-production Jeep Liberty, respectively.

The other huge leg up for the new Cherokee is its advanced, 9-speed automatic transmission allowing for better fuel economy, a smoother ride and the performance to measure up to the kinds of jobs many seasoned haulers have considered beyond the scope of a mid-size crossover's capacity.

And that kind of civilized muscle makes it more than just another face in the mid-size crossover crowd.

Hammer to fall on one of world's oldest Mercs

By Bill McLauchlan

One of the oldest Mercedes-Benz in the world, a 1905 Simplex 28/32 HPs Phaeton, is to be auctioned next week in London, England by Coys at their True Greats sale on December 3rd. It’s the first time the car will have been sold by auction in its long life.

This Mercedes is one of the oldest surviving examples of the marque in the world today that is still complete and roadworthy, and was for many years in the famous Mercedes-Benz collection of Mr. Arturo Keller in Napa, California, in the United States.

The noted vintner’s Keller Estate Winery, tucked in the rolling hills near Sears Point Raceway in Sonoma’s Petaluma Gap, houses one of the largest and most secret car collections in the world.

Chris Routledge, Managing Partner of Coys, said: “It is amazing to have a car that is nearly 110 years old that is so big, magnificent and powerful. It has the most imposing presence and is such an important piece of early motoring history. Many cars of this period were glorified motorized tricycles, but this represents the ultimate in Edwardian super-technology. It is fascinating to have one of the oldest surviving Mercedes in the world.”

The sale will also feature the 71st Jaguar E-Type to roll off the production line in 1961, estimated at $144,000 to $176,000 Cdn. and a 1929 Bentley Supercharged 4 ½ Litre estimated at $930,000 to $1,120,000.

Triple triumph for VW

By Bill McLauchlan

After winning this year’s European Car of the Year and World Car of the Year awards, the Volkswagen Golf has picked up its third major international car trophy.

At the Car of the Year Japan awards ceremony held in conjunction with the 2013 Tokyo Motor Show in Tokyo, the Volkswagen Golf achieved a first for imported cars when it captured the Car of the Year Japan award. In the 34-year history of the awards, no foreign car has won the award. Until now.

Shigeru Shoji, president of Volkswagen Japan, proudly holds the Japan Car of the Year trophy.

In a contest that was expected to see the Golf trade blows with the Honda Fit (Jazz in some world markets) for honours, the Golf polled strongly from the outset and ended up amassing a commanding 504 votes from the 60 jurors in attendance. The Fit/Jazz came in second with 373 votes and Volvo’s V40 was third with 167 votes.

“This is a very special award for us in so many ways. The Golf has become the first imported car to win this award, and we achieved this in our 60th year since Volkswagen imports started into Japan,” commented Shigeru Shoji, president of Volkswagen Japan.

In three new minor awards that were introduced this year, the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV (plug-in hybrid electric vehicle) picked up the ‘Innovation Award,’ the Mazda Atenza (sold here as the Mazda6) won the ‘Emotional Award’ and the jointly developed Suzuki Spacia and Mazda Flair Wagon minicars captured the ‘Small Mobility Award.’

The ‘Special Achievement Award’ went to the Daihatsu Move for its front seat lift design, technology created to assist senior citizens and people with disabilities.

Take the white knuckles out of driving in the dark

By Bill McLauchlan

With winter settling in and the day with the year’s least daylight just around the corner, many of us are driving in the dark more often. For those uneasy about night driving there are ways to help brighten the task.

Our eyes need light to work, that’s a given. Light entering the eye is gathered by the retina and processed to obtain the images we need to see. How well do you see at night? Well, if you’re middle-aged or older here are some dismal details to consider. If you’re over 50 chances are you don’t see as well as you think, even if you make like Bugs Bunny and eat lots of carrots.

The typical 50-year-old driver needs twice as much light to see as well after dark as a 30-year-old. At 70 it’s more like four times as much.

Another common mid-life change can be a gradual clouding of the lens – the formation of cataracts – which makes the lens less transparent and reduces the amount of light reaching the retina.

Bosch.com

Some auto manufacturers provide a solution to help improve your night driving experience with optional night vision systems. They typically use infrared cameras, sometimes combined with active illumination techniques, to collect information that is displayed to the driver, either on the windshield or within an instrument panel screen. Such systems are currently offered by premium brands like Audi, Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Lexus and others.

If they’re beyond your budget you can always turn your attention to less costly cars that offer projector beam headlight technology as standard equipment. Many use halogen projectors, although HID (High Intensity Discharge) xenon projectors are better with their crisper and brighter blue-hued illumination.

© General Motors

One of the best of the bi-xenon brigade is Chevrolet’s newly redone 2014 Impala. The enhanced visibility provided by its headlamps can help drivers avoid crashes after dark, the riskiest time of day. According to a study cited by the U.S. Federal Highway Administration, the risk of a fatality at night among drivers not impaired by alcohol is more than twice as high as in daytime due to less visibility.

According to a 2009 study conducted by the Lighting Research Center at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, HID lamps, like those on the new Impala can help drivers see objects on the road sooner than other types of headlamps, allowing for greater stopping distance.

© General Motors

The Impala’s new headlamps are a key to one of the most comprehensive collections of standard and available safety features in the segment, receiving the highest possible 5-Star Overall Vehicle score for safety as part of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s New Car Assessment Program.

Every 2104 Impala gets this projector beam technology. The base LS and mid-level LT models use halogen projectors, while the top-level LTZ uses xenon projectors. Both types distribute light evenly across the front of the car, providing a wider range of visibility than other headlamps. Their design also uses curved reflectors and “prescription” lenses meant to project brighter light farther and with more directional accuracy. They also feature a light shield designed to reduce glare for oncoming traffic.

As an added visual advantage, the headlamp designers also put an inner lens over the turn-signal cavity, helping to obscure the bulb while dispersing its light and giving a dramatic “fire-in-the-hole” appearance when lit.

As a result, the Impala benefits from a “premium” look. But more importantly, for those worried about driving in the dark, steering one is a nice way to lighten up a white-knuckled grip on the wheel after the sun goes down.

50 Years at Full Throttle

By Bill McLauchlan

Yesterday I mentioned that the Buick Regal’s 40th birthday was something of a low-key event, overpowered by the celebrations marking the conception of several other higher profile brands.

Well, there’s another significant addition to this year’s birthday celebrants that also passed virtually without fanfare. That, folks, is the birth of the legendary Lamborghini, the Italian supercar builder born to be Ferrari’s nemesis on October 30, 1963.

It all began when Ferruccio Lamborghini got more than a little ticked off by Enzo’s caustic comment that, as a maker of farm tractors, his understanding of high-speed driving would have a decidedly agricultural approach. His response was like Annie Oakley’s: “Anything you can do, I can do better”. He decided to show Ferrari a thing or two about building a proper high-performance car.

Glossed over in Ferrari lore these days is the fact that back then Enzo’s own road-going gran turismo cars possessed wonderfully engines but were no more effective than ordinary sedans at putting that power onto the road. Truth be told, their build quality and finish weren’t too impressive either.

So, Lamborghini had the drive, the money and a new factory under construction in Sant’ Agata in Bologna. Then he formed a top-flight engineering and production team to initiate the gestation of his love child, and a talented group it was. Engine designer Giotto Bizzarrini, who would go on to build his own cars later, was one of several talented technical people who left Ferrari in 1961 following a bitter dispute with Enzo – but not before he had a hand in developing the fantastic Ferrari 250 GTO. Giampaolo Dallara, an aeronautical engineer brought a brain brimming with chassis ideas. Today, Dallara’s own company is recognized as the premier race car constructor, period. Paolo Stanzani, recruited at Dallara’s suggestion, handled production and Bob Wallace, a Kiwi ex-race mechanic took care of the test driver/development role.

The original 350 GTV prototype's ravishing lines looked too radical for Ferruccio Lamborghini's plans.

The first Lamborghini to be conceived, delivered at the Turin Auto Show in November 1963, was the prototype 350 GTV, a sensuous Franco Scaglione-styled coupe with a muscular 360 horsepower, 3.5-litre, 4-cam V12 tucked under this baby’s bonnet.
But the boss thought its styling and power were too radical for the business types, lawyers and doctors Lamborghini saw as his potential buyers. So its lines became less radical, the engine detuned slightly and the resulting production car was displayed the following spring at the Geneva Motor Show as the 350 GT.

A bigger engine resulted in it becoming the 400 GT and then, with a pair of small rear seats, it evolved into the 400 GT 2+2.

As well-engineered and carefully finished cars, they helped redefine the luxury high-performance market. But it was the arrival of the iconic Miura that really put Lamborghini on the map and the company’s future looked bright. That is until the first oil crisis hit in the early ’70s and troubled times slowed sales and Ferruccio subsequently sold a controlling interest in his company to a Swiss businessman. A brush with bankruptcy then came to pass and his remaining stake soon was sold as well.

Lambo's latest prototype, the 750 horsepower, $4 million Veneno.

Another ownership switch occurred in 1987 when Chrysler, under Lee Iacocca’s leadership bought the company. It was then taken over by a Malaysian/Indonesian investment group in 1994 before finally returning to European ownership when Audi, a subsidiary of Volkswagen, took control in 1998. Now, with the VW Group’s financial and technical resources to draw upon, the prospects look good for Lamborghini to settle into comfortable and productive middle age.

Regal hits the big 4-0

By Bill McLauchlan

If you ask me, Wordsworth said it nicely in his Intimations of Immortality on Recollections of Early Childhood when he wrote, “Our birth is but a sleep and a forgetting.”

Well, this year has been one in which a number of car makers have done their best to make sure we didn’t sleep through the birth of their famous nameplates and forget them in the mists of time. Witness the recent celebrations marking the 50th anniversary of the birth of Porsche’s iconic 911, the 60th birthday of Chevrolet’s game-changing Corvette and the 100th year since Britain gave birth to the fabled Aston Martin brand.

All major milestones, to be sure, but somewhat lost in all this hoopla was another well-known nameplate’s turn to light the candles and blow its horn. Forty years ago, the Regal name was added to Buick’s family of models made for well-heeled buyers moving up in style.

Born into the automotive world in 1973, the Century Regal, as it was originally called, served as an up-market model in the Century line and one of General Motors’s first “personal luxury” cars. Designed with sporty suspension characteristics and luxuries aimed primarily at the driver, the ’73 Regal coupe sold some 91,500 units, helping Buick surpass its 1955 all-time sales record.

Swoopy body lines and opera windows were Regal fashion cues at the start of the personal luxury era.

(copyright: General Motors)

Launched with a standard V8 engine, the Regal soon carved out a niche as a powertrain innovator. Among one of the first to react to the initial OPEC oil embargo, the 1975 Regal was the only mid-size car to forego a gas-guzzling V8 in favour of a V6.

Just a few years later, beginning with the ’78 Regal, Buick was at the forefront in developing turbocharged engines for better fuel economy. This knowledge helped pave the way for iconic Buicks of the ’80s including the highly coveted Grand National and legendary GNX models.

The third generation Regal, produced from 1988 to 1996, ushered in front-wheel-drive clothed in a scaled-down X-body structure shared with the Chevrolet Citation and similar models from Oldsmobile and Pontiac.

But by 1997 the Regal had returned to its roots and again became an up-market version of the Buick Century. That year’s Regal GS debuted with the brand’s first supercharged V6, rated at 240 horsepower. This expertise would be used in creating significant Regal offerings until 2004.

Through four decades, and now in its fifth generation after a brief hiatus that ended in 2009, the present-day Regal carries on its sweeping design and a careful focus on all-passenger comfort, safety, performance and technology. A high-output GS version returned to the North American market for 2012. And, introduced in 2013, the 2014 iteration is the first Regal to offer all-wheel-drive.

(Copyright: General Motors)

With a useful combination of sport sedan handling, some of the most power-dense and technically advanced engines and a host of new radar and camera-based safety assists in Buick’s history, the current Regal (seen above in GS trim) is helping attract younger, new buyers to Buick and, in the process, dropped the average age of Buick buyers to 57. That’s down from 64 just five years ago and at a time when the “average age for the industry is going up,” according to Tony DiSalle, v.p. of marketing for GM’s Buick and GMC divisions.

It might be heading gracefully into middle age as a 40-year-old family veteran but it’s sure helped Buick take sip from the fountain of youth.

Jaguar springs surprise in LA

By Bill McLauchlan


Last night Jaguar unleashed its new Jaguar F-Type Coupe lineup at an exclusive preview prior to the opening of the Los Angeles Auto Show. The sow included the surprise debut of the high-performance F-Type R Coupe. The milestone event was the first-ever announcement and unveiling of the top dog
fast cat. The supercharged V8-powered model, marks a significant achievement for the storied British brand in revolutionizing high performance luxury travel.

Jaguar celebrated its innovation in design and technology with a highly theatrical, show stopping number in Playa Vista, California. The evening captured the hearts of British and international fans of the brand, including Simon Cowell, Miranda Kerr, Nicholas Hoult, Joe Manganiello, Kelly Osbourne, David Gandy, Yasmin Mills, Jodie Kidd, singer-songwriter Andra Day, and host of CarCast Adam Carolla, as they celebrated Jaguar’s remarkable British heritage. 

“Creating a sports Coupe is the purest of design tasks and also the most challenging; get it right and aesthetically the result will be as dynamic as the car should be rewarding to drive. In F-Type Coupe, I believe we’ve got it right,” said Ian Callum, Director of Design, Jaguar.
“The dramatic debut of the 550 horsepower R Coupe this evening – possibly the most dynamic reveal of a car ever – underlines its performance credentials,” he noted.
The all-aluminum Coupe range delivers, in production form, the uncompromised design vision of the Jaguar C-X16 concept, and complements the existing  F-Type Convertible, winner of the 2013 ‘World Car Design of the Year’ award. The F-Type Coupe range adds to the existing three-car F-Type Convertible line-up; the 340 horsepower V6-engined base model), 380 horsepower F-Type S, and the 495 horsepower V8 S, which launched last year. The F-Type Coupe also features ample trunk space, with room for two sets of golf clubs, and is available with a power assisted tailgate.

The new Coupe line-up is headlined by the F-Type R, with a 550 horsepower, 5-litre supercharged V8 engine, enabling acceleration from 0-100 km/hr in 4.0 seconds, and a top speed of 299 km/hr (limited). The F-Type Coupe goes on sale in North America in spring of 2014.

Does Lincoln's new MKC work for you?

By Bill McLauchlan

A couple of days ago I outlined how the all-new 2015 Lincoln MKC made life a tad more comforting by rolling out its illuminated welcome mat for a driver approaching the small premium utility vehicle's exterior.

Full-time four-wheel-drive is standard on MKCs, in showrooms next summer as 2015 models.

Nice touch, as Ford Motor Company's upscale division strives to regain its luxury market mojo. But there's a few more interesting driver-enhancement features under its stylish bodywork to make life easier, safer and more convenient for you too.

Something that will strike a responsive chord with many drivers is a centre console sporting nice, big round knobs for tuning the radio, adjusting volume levels. There's another for working the air-conditioning down and left of the steering wheel. That's a welcome change from those tiny, hard-to-locate push buttons, slide controls or touch screens found in so many contemporary vehicles. In the MKC, those hefty knobs are simple to fathom, a breeze to use – especially when driving at night and you're adjusting secondary controls by feel – and a boon for older drivers whose stiffening fingers make fine-tuning a bothersome task.

A blast from the past: The MKC has a push-button automatic transmission (see centre console on left).

Another intriguing addition is something some of you may recall from Chrysler products of late-1950s and early 1960s vintage. I'm talking about a push-button transmission, in this case also found on Lincoln's larger MKZ model. Unlike the bulky, chromed buttons in the Chrysler era, the MKC's PRND controls are set in a vertical series of flat-faced switches ranged down the left side of the centre console. Nicely integrated and easy to reach.

There's also a standard full-time four-wheel-drive system for Canadian buyers. It's an option for those customers south of the border.

While the MKC shares much of its basic platform with the Ford Escape some of its running gear is noticeably better. The track – distance side-to-side between wheels – is wider, resulting in a more solid visual stance and improved handling. And if you like a smooth ride to go along with that handling upgrade you'll appreciate the MKC's continuously controlled damping system, which offers Sport, Comfort or Normal settings. It reads the road and reacts every 20 milliseconds to help the suspension soak up life's unexpected bumps.

Other electronic aids include Lane Keeping Assist, that uses rear-view mirror mounted cameras to correct momentary lapses in lane discipline. There's also a Blind Spot system that warns you of close-in traffic. A Collision Warning system flashes, beeps and then brakes automatically if you haven't been paying attention to what's ahead and dash-mounted cameras to monitor driver alertness, delivering a warning chime then a pop-up message on the left-hand screen cluster to snap you out of your stupor. And, as if that isn't enough, there's even a new twist on the Park Assist function. It not only steers you nicely into a tight parking spot but now it has "Park Out" to help get you out of that same tight spot, all without touching the steering wheel.

Speaking of not touching things, let's not forget the MKC's kick-open tailgate, just like that on the popular Ford Escape. Swipe your foot beneath the rear bumper and up pops the rear hatch. Great for those times you're loaded down with shopping bags, luggage or other bulky items.

If all that this new MKC has doesn't work for you, I guess there's always a self-driving car.  

  

Your drive downhill starts earlier than you think

It’s not something to be happy about but the reality is I’m at that stage in life where there are more kilometers behind me than remain ahead.

So, as a driver, that puts me squarely in the Golden Oldie camp. But, blessed with good genes and the sense not to indulge too much in the usual youthful excesses, I still function perfectly well behind the wheel.

Which brings me to my pet peeve: those politicians, health professionals, safety gurus and just plain younger motorists who think grey hair and cobwebs are the only grey matter we’ve got once we get behind the wheel. To them, we need fog lamps on at all times.

But hang on a minute here! Whether or not you like to admit it, the reality is that the ticking of your biological clock stops for no man or woman. Advancing age can have an affect on your driving as early as your mid-40s.

That mid-life milestone has a well-known impact on the lives of women but it’s also a stage where men often react to it by joining a health club, buying a Harley or '60s muscle car, opting for a cosmetic nip 'n tuck, hair transplant or just trying their aging smiles on waitresses half their age (or younger).

Thus far, I haven’t felt the need to resort to any such temptations. Well, not exactly. I still smile at waitresses, but with the same lack of effect it had in my callow youth.

So, all you middle-aged, apprentice Golden Oldies, listen up! While you’ve been busy driving through your fast-paced life your body’s been starting to slow down. Maybe you’ve noticed, maybe not.

Your mid-40s is about the point mental sharpness takes a turn for the worse. Thought processing slows and multi-tasking – critical in today’s electronics, information, entertainment, and communications system-laden cars – becomes more challenging.

PR Newswire/Sutter Neuroscience Institute

In your 20s you had around 100 billion nerve cells in your brain to work with. By the time you hit your 40s, though, you could be shedding 10,000 of them each day. That can affect memory, co-ordination and brain function. Think about that and how it applies to your daily drive, an activity requiring perception, good judgement, quick responses and good physical ability.

For most of us, it’s the eyes that send an early message as failing sight kicks in. Our ability to focus deteriorates, so reading traffic signs or absorbing instrument panel information can be a problem. Peripheral vision may be reduced, making lane changes or turns more hazardous. Handling headlight glare at night becomes harder to handle. And that’s not even taking developing medical conditions into account, such as cataracts, glaucoma, diabetes or other eye problems. We generally think of those as a safety concern for older people, but they can affect drivers of any age.

Then, of course, there’s your body breakdown. That can creep up on you as muscles age or the lingering effects of old sports injuries take their toll. Once you’re into your 40s you can lose roughly two percent of your muscle strength each year. By the time you’re into your 60s you’re dealing with 40 percent less muscle strength and range of motion. All of which means losing, to some degree or other, the strength needed to work your car’s controls, freedom of movement, and a loss of flexibility and mobility for entry and exit. Not to mention simple things like over-the-shoulder checks for lane changes or loading groceries or other items in the cargo area.

Geoff Caddick/PR Newswire

Even arthritic pain can show up well before old age. Remember those old sports injuries I mentioned? The result is creaky joints that may make it harder to work the foot pedals, turn your upper body to ensure good visibility when reversing, or even grip the steering wheel properly.

And let’s not forget your hearing. By your mid-50s all those rock concerts, heavy metal music and too-loud headphones will start catching up to you.

So, there’s no question advancing years can make driving difficult for older drivers. But mid-life motoring grants you no immunity from age-related impairment.

Hook up the above to the jumper cables of Important Knowledge and jolt yourself with this revelation: Who would you prefer to share the road with? A relatively healthy and alert Golden Oldie aware of his or her physical/cognitive limits and driving sensibly or an over-aggressive, middle-ager struggling with high blood-pressure, substance abuse and a heart condition brought on by obesity and a sedentary life style?

What you drive affects how you drive

New report reveals Canada's best and worst drivers.

By Bill McLauchlan

Let me declare my bias right up front here. If asked, I'd have fingered BMW and Pontiac Grand Am drivers as the worst on the road. Over the years, I've seen more aggression, selfishness and lack of respect for their fellow road users from drivers of those makes than in any other brand that comes to mind.

Guess what? I'm half right. Sure, BMW drivers are most likely to have past tickets and Pontiac drivers don't even rate. Probably because the latter is no longer manufactured.

But, in Canada, Lamborghini and Aston Martin drivers are the safest on the road with 71 percent of them holding a clean driving record free of tickets, claims and accidents. That's way better than the national average of 53 percent, according to a new report by Kanetix, a leading online site for insurance and other financial services.

Aston Martin DB9

The study compared driving history with 10 car brands to see if the vehicle Canadians drive really does have an impact on how they drive it.

Despite their racy image, a mere five percent of Aston Martin drivers have been in an accident in the last two years. Lamborghini owners weren't far behind, at just seven percent.

Lamborghini Gallardo

Both of those stack up very well compared to Kia drivers. They racked up the highest number, with 15 percent getting into an accident in the same time frame.

"Our report shows that there is a correlation between the type of car that you drive, and the way you drive it," says Janine White, vice-president, Marketplaces, at Kanetix.

Equally revealing is that, when it comes to tickets, Infiniti drivers lead the pack with 29 percent having received a ticket in the past two years. That substantially higher than the average of 22 percent. Lamborghini drivers, by comparison, are rather law abiding, with just 16 percent running afoul of John Law.

Infiniti EX

Other findings finger Lamborghini, Aston Martin, Buick and Toyota as those makes whose drivers are most likely to stick to the rules of the road.

Fourteen percent of drivers have been in an accident in the past couple of years. Ford, Hyundai, Infiniti, Lexus, Mazda and Nissan drivers are more likely than average to crash into something.

And, for those of you with no tickets on your record you can feel pretty smug about that. It seems 22 percent of Canadian drivers admit to getting at least one during the past two years. BMW, Land Rover, Lincoln and Porsche drivers are the leading miscreants in this ticket collecting race. 

Boomers a better bet as car buyers

By Bill McLauchlan

Hip young consumers have had advertisers lusting after them since the term Baby Boomers was first coined. But there's an intriguing shift shaping up that today's automotive marketing mavens better bear in mind.

Young buyers are a dwindling market.

Cars, once icons of youth and freedom, no longer get the pulse of Millenials, Gen-Yers, or whatever they're called nowadays, racing with the lure of the open road. Electronic gadgets, gaming smart phones and other gizmos turn them on instead.

The chances of a 25-year-old buying a new car are about 25 percent compared to today's 65-year-old car shopper. That disturbing revelation comes from a recent study by the University of Michigan's Transportation Research Institute. And it's only going to get more troubling for those marketers fixated on the young car buyer.

Right now, there's a pretty even split between licensed drivers in North America. Roughly 48 percent are 45 years and older and around 52 percent are made up of those between 16 and 44 years of age. But, within a decade, a tidal wave of middle-aged drivers will turn 45 and send car makers scurrying to revise their marketing plans. By then, almost 70 percent of licensed drivers will be 45 or older.

So, when it comes to buying new vehicles, older consumers are the way to go for smart automakers. Even these days, it seems.

The Institute's study compared car, pickup truck, SUV and minivan purchases for 2007 and 2011. True to the trend, it found Boomers – born between 1946 and '64 – are buying more new cars while young drivers are buying fewer.

In 2011, those aged 55 to 64 years old, were most likely to buy a new car. That marks a shift from 2007's top segment, the 35 to 44 age group.

To reinforce that shift, the study also determined most vehicles are currently being bought by 45 to 54-year-olds (26 percent of new owners in 2011), followed by those in the 55 to 64 age bracket (23 percent).

To put it another way: in 2011, one vehicle was bought for every 14.6 drivers aged 55 to 64. A rate that hardly differed for those between 45 and 54 (15.0) and the 65 to 74-year-old car shopper (14.9).

And where were the so-called desirable young buyers? A mere one vehicle bought for every 35 drivers between 25 and 34 years old and a paltry 221.8 for the youngest 18 to 24-year-old drivers.

       

Lincoln makes driving more engaging

By Bill McLauchlan

Luxury in a car can mean many things to different people. Supple leather interior? Exotic wood trim? A smooth, silent ride? Superb sound system? High performance?

Any or all of the above make sense to most people but, to Ford's luxury Lincoln division it isn't just about making luxury cars; it's about creating unique driving experiences too. And with the debut of its all-new 2015 MKC small premium utility vehicle in New York it was interesting to look beyond its looks and mechanical appeal to something the company calls the Lincoln Experience – a suite of customer-focused comforts designed to enhance life with an MKC in your driveway.

What that means in this case is "creating a warm, personal driving experience every time an owner approaches their vehicle," says Matt VanDyke, Director, Global Lincoln. "Today's premium car buyer is more demanding than ever. Our goal is to create vehicles that not only meet those evolving demands but exceed them and redefine what the luxury car-buying and driving experience should be."

Well, I thought, luxury cars and crossovers are no strangers to high-tech offerings, so how can Lincoln come up with a fresh point of view?

For starters, the tech staff created something called Approach Detection and state-of-the-art features like the all-new embedded modem and MYLincoln Mobile app, technology that plays a lead role in helping an MKC owner interact with the vehicle.

Lincoln's MKC gets some thoughtful technology to create a more personalized ownership experience.

Approach Detection senses an approaching owner from up to three metres away and the MKC responds by lighting up a large "welcome mat" on the ground next to both front doors. At the same time, signature lighting in the headlamps activates and the door-handle pockets glow with soft lighting tuned to the MKC's exterior colour.

But wait, there's more! The driver can interact with the MKC remotely using the smartphone-enabled MyLincoln Mobile app. An embedded modem communicates with the app to let you start, lock, unlock and locate the vehicle, and set interior temperature levels. It's also possible to use the app for a variety of other functions such as call for road-side assistance, monitor the fuel level, check tire and battery status, and program engine start times.

If that ain't enough to create a feeling of warm, comfort and enjoyable luxury it's hard to imagine what else Lincoln can create to make driving an MKC more engaging.

Production of the 2015 MKC is slated to begin in the second quarter of '14 with first arrivals in dealerships by next summer.