General
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We’re volunteering at race school!
This May Ryan O’Connor and I will be making the trek out to Gimli, Manitoba to volunteer at the the High Performance Driving Education (HPDE) and Race School school that they have out there each year. While I’m not entirely sure what we will be doing while we’re there, it will be a great experience. For those of you who don’t know where Gimli, MB is you will be forgiven. It is located about an hour north of Winnipeg on the shore of Lake Winnipeg. The Gimli Motorsports Park is located next to the airport and includes a 1.33 mile circuit and drag racing track. At the race school you…
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Why subcompact SUVs are the worst
I’ll be upfront here, I think compact SUVs are terrible. This isn’t because I think they are poorly designed, bad looking or terrible to drive. It’s because they are impractical and simply another way for car manufacturers to cash in on the SUV craze. In reality most of the compact SUVs are simply slightly taller, AWD versions of the small hatchbacks that they were previously making. This segment is absolutely full of them – the Mazda CX3, Toyota C-HR, Mini Cooper Countryman or Chevrolet Trax. These are all very similar to small hatchbacks that the company was, or still is, manufacturing. Take for example the Mazda CX3. This is almost…
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BMW delivers new plug-in hybrid 7-series
BMW has announced that they are a heavily revised version of the plug-in hybrid 7 series for the 2020 model year. The plug-in hybrid variant will be alongside the gasoline and diesel versions of the 7 series, and replace the current 740e plug-in hybrid currently available and will be available beginning in the spring on 2019. BMW claims that the new 745e will be able to travel up to 58 km on electric power only, while at the same time increasing power output to 290 kW/394 hp in SPORT mode. Fuel economy has been reduced to as low as 2.1-2.3 l/100 km combined in the 745e thanks to the heavily…
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The best from the Detroit auto show
The 2019 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) or, more commonly known as, the Detroit Auto Show is being held from January 14-27, although the main event was from Jan 14-17. Like any auto show there was some hits and some misses, but one thing can be said with absolute certainty; the new Toyota Supra stole the show. However, the new A90 Supra wasn’t the only noteworthy announcement made last week. Below are my top new or refreshed vehicles from the 2019 Detroit Auto Show. 2020 Shelby GT500 The all new Shelby GT500 is Ford’s answer to the Dodge Hellcat and the Chevrolet Camaro ZL1. The new GT500 is swinging…
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What is the best family vehicle?
What is the best family vehicle? This has been a debate for going on for many years and will continue to be debated in the future. And the answer isn’t very straight forward since it largely depends on the choices available to you, budget and where you’re located in the world. Since I have young children this topic is near and dear to my heart as it directly impacts me. However, as a car enthusiast I don’t want to have any old family hauler to get us from A to B, but rather a family hauler which ignites a fire within me every time I drive the kids to soccer.…
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Does Nostalgia Sell Cars?
As I write this, talks of iconic Toyota sports cars flood the internet. Even if you haven’t read the gossip on the MR2 or witnessed spy shots of the Supra, you have most likely seen or heard of their predecessors. Toyota has sold an 86 for over half a decade alongside Subaru’s BRZ. Has it lived up to its name and will these new modern reincarnations hold true to their origins? Purists would tell you that the new 86 is nothing more than a rebadged Subaru. It is true; the 86/FRS/BRZ has a boxer engine, notorious to the Subaru lineup. But Toyota will have you believe that it follows the…
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Electricification of the auto industry
The electric car. Many tout this as the future of the automobile, and maybe it is. While electric vehicles have been made popular in the last 20 years or so, the electric automobile has existed for nearly 200 years already. Due to a variety of issues related to electric cars in the mid 1800’s they did not gain popularity until the mid 1990’s with the release of the EV1. The GM EV1 was leased by General Motors from 1996-1999 and was the first mass produced electric car. The car only lasted for 3 model years until it was famously killed off by the company after receiving pressure from the oil…
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Toyota bringing back the iconic MR2?
According to a post on Motor1.com Toyota and Subaru are coming together to revive the MR2. The MR2 is an icon from the era of Japanese sports cars such as the Toyota Supra, Nissan Skyline GT-R and the Mazda RX-7 so it is very exciting to hear that Toyota is planning on bringing back this mid-engine, rear drive car to partner along side the GT86 and Supra in their sports car line-up. The render from Motor1.com is interesting and, personally doesn’t get me that excited as I find it a little reserved. A post from grandtournation.com shows the possibilities of what this car could look like. The sharp lines and…
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Welcome to At the Apex
First of all I want to thank everyone who has made At the Apex a possibility. Creating a place where people with interests in cars, racing, automotive technology and sharing their passions has been a dream of mine for sometime. With the love and support of both my friends and family I have finally done what I have wanted to do for a long time. At the Apex is a collaboration with one of my closest friends, Ryan O’Connor. He is an absolute car fanatic who loves to buy and sell cool cars, do his own wrenching and is always up for a chat about anything with 4 wheels with…
