It’s Going to be an Excellent Car Week

2015 Jaguar XKR Coupe

A 5.0 L V8 engine, outputting 510 hp and 461 lbs.ft

Starting at: $109,125

This one: $118,000 

This is, by far, the best car I’ve tested.Most power, and most expensive.

It’s not an interior, it’s a cockpit.

Supercharged over turbo charged, because it’s instant.

Opening the front door and seeing that car ahhh.  Satisfying. Started drinking my morning coffee in the front, so I could sit with it.

Next week’s column is about this supercar.

If you hear superfluous revving, look for me.

 

 

Going to try Jujitsu for a Minute

Can’t keep not exercising forever.

This is Linda and I at our first lesson, at Cavalo Brazilian JiuJitsu. Supposedly it’s a great martial arts for girls, because it’s a real equalizer – someone little like me can take down a 220 lb man.

Our instructor there in the black is 4th-black belt, Eduardo Rocha, one of the world’s best. Good first instructor huh.

You’re going down, Linda.

So I’m learning the basics, like this Keri, then like that Keri, okay I’m getting it, then:

Me: hey I can add a couple elbows into this move
Instructor: there’s no punching in Jujitsu, Keri.
Me: WHAAAAT?!
Me: mega sigh

But my fist kept naturally going back, so I kept hearing: no punching Keri. Keri.No. Punching.

Linda came back and is now pummelling me.

And this is how to break an arm.

Think this’ll be a fun distraction, and I could have a knack for this. Plus it’s a way to shut my brain off completely, like racing: you can’t think about anything else – forced meditation.

Add in that look in my eye (the look that has gotten me into as much trouble, as it has got me out) and tada, let’s fight.  But with punching.

 

 

Holy Crap There’s a Party at my House

No guys, there’s 8 people in my backyard right now, look:

Sure don’t live in the city anymore, huh. The fire brought the neighbours, they just showed up and woah, ok. I have never thrown a party. Ever.

Because guys, like, in my last place where I lived for 2.5 years, I had 5 people over. The whole time. And I could have hit my neighbour with my car, and not known who it was.

kk back to the party I’m apparently hosting.

Thursday night, best night of the week!

It always is.

 

 

How I Came to be Competing in Targa for Nissan

It Started at the Micra Launch

When Nissan introduced their all-new Micra in May, they invited my blog to the national launch in Montreal.

During the launch there was a game – all journalists were given 4 shots on NHL goalie Jose Theodore, and I scored the most.

KeriBlog Hockey Micra Goal

Jose would like to thank the Academy.

I was called to centre stage and informed the prize was … I’d be driving for Nissan in the upcoming Targa Rally. Basically, I won a dream.

What is the Targa Rally

The Targa Newfoundland Rally is an annual 2,200 km, 5-day road rally across all of Newfoundland. Like, the whole province agrees to this, ropes off their front yards and cheers from the road side.

To be honest, I still didn’t believe it was going to happen. And that’s why I never said anything here, because the golden-rule of blogging: until you can link to it, don’t type a word.

Some time passed, and I had to sign a few forms.

I was still not totally believing; I’ve signed lots of stuff that never happened.

But that was followed shortly by a lunch with Nissan…

… and that’s when it started to become real. Holy crap this is actually happening to me? It wasn’t processing, I don’t get lucky like this.

Because this is as good as a rally experience gets… a whole team (logistics person, a dedicated mechanic and tech, photographer, more) and I just show up and get behind the wheel. Someone will even make sure I get fed. Phft.

Plus Jenn is going. She’ll be behind the hashtag #TeamNissanTarga, say hi, she’s very quite @NissanCanada

Then the Unveiling Made it Real

On Friday, in the lobby of Nissan HQ Canada, I pulled off a silk cover to find my official race car, my name pasted on the side.

It wasn’t until that moment that I realized this is really happening to me. My hands got shaky, my words turned into babbling (oh Wendy it just hit me I ah gah mmm ermahgerd), then I got pretty awkward, and ran away soon as the silk was off.

Here’s a time-lapse video by fellow competitor Danny Bailey.

Hi my name is ON THE CAR?!

About the Micra

This car is right up my alley – manual transmissions available in all trims, so minimal, no screen, designed specifically for Canada, and it’s a new-car and a used car price. Along the lines of – the Keri Eco Car.

Here’s the blog tag – Micra.

It’s a car-car.

That’s a term I coined to describe my favourite kind of vehicle: minimal, only the essentials, not a computer-on-wheels, a car-car.

Here’s 30-seconds about it.

I also tested it for a week, here’s the newspaper review.

And here’s an old ‘Keri on Driving’ column, where I interviewed the gentleman who decides what features go into a car, including the Mircra.

So find me in Newfoundland

From September 10 – 20, the first 2-days of which are racing school. Which is good because I’m ignorant about this rally racing stuff, and I really want to win.

And to Nissan…

Thank you sincerely, for the huge investment you just made in me.

I’m going to drive my guts out guys!