Car Talk Archives - Page 138 of 149

Cherry Beach is Changing Ugh

Jul 17 2012

It’s in my ‘Top 3 Favourite Places in Toronto’.

It’s all over all my blogs. I used to drive it 5 times a week for years. I fit a profile one time.

Look up. Dramatically.

It’s Toronto’s old power plant.

1 – 2nd tallest structure in Toronto
2 – Toronto’s old power plant, abandoned for years, recently purchased by… a movie studio
3 – There’s a falcon couple nested there, one of Canada’s most protected species ($millions). Until the falcons raise their babies and leave, the studio cannot start construction.

I explorered it years ago, here’s a look inside.

I used to photograph “Car of the Week” here all the time, until it started to feel lazy, even though look, so beautiful.

A couple summers ago, my thing was running in the bushes along the water. So fun, because you never knew what you’d find around each corner. A big wink that goes with that last line ;)

It’s on one of my business cards.

If I was handed a bunch of money with which to buy real estate,

I’d buy it in Cherry Beach.

Construction and change has started here, and I think the city is creeping into Cherry Beach, taking away it’s secret-ness. I’ll miss you Cherry Beach.

Love,
Keri

Cleanest VW in TO

Jul 16 2012

Consistently, too; I see it regularly.

The 2012 Honda Indy in Toronto Canada

Jul 11 2012

Honda Indy Toronto kindly sent me tickets again this year (click here and here for last years posts).

The Thursdasy before the race I was invited to

the first-ever Backstage Indy Tour.

First, the press conference.

I got to thinking, these racers, sure they’re all very good behind the wheel, but they have to be equally as good in front of a camera, because it seems much of their job is presenting well.

Like racer Simon Pagenaud.

This was inside Honda’s paddock, where I was as close to an Indy car as you can get.

They asked us not to take photos of the engine, knowing their competition would be zooming in on our photos looking, searching – corporate espionage.

Official Indy car tools.

On the tour we were able to visit the pits, come ON.

That’s where I met Arie Lyendyk, 2 time winner of the Indianapolis 500.

If there’s anyone who should be made into an animated gif, it’s Arie. Bet he’d be fun to have a drink with, you could tell it would be jokes.

HONDA INDY FACTS

– each car is $1 million, and it costs $4 million to play this game

– they’re going 200 MPH

– it’s difficult to pass here, most passing is done in Turn 3

– it takes 6 guys 6.5 seconds to re-fuel the car. Changing the tires is faster

– because this is a street course, they are in constant attack mode

– there are 400+ volunteers

– ticket sales this year were higher than ever

– Toronto is one of the racers’ favourite stops, because we fans are so awesome

I attended the race both days.

I will never, ever tire of the sound of the engines. Maybe the best part.

And while on this topic: to all the hippies who put down the Indy… guys, where do you think the technology comes from for your green, eco-friendly vehicles?

Here guys, it comes from races like this; they test technology on the track, which filters down into cars for normal people.

The other best part.

(I’m talking about the Honda Civic Si HFPs, watch me drive one on a track here)

Oh guys, you need to obscure your WiFi names next time.

One of the strangest thing was the absence of a checkered flag. Except for the official guy waving one, they are nowhere to be found.

I put out a serious effort, too. All I found was this scrappy piece wrapped around the base of a sunglasses-for-sale stand.

I think I’ve uncovered a little mystery here!

I wonder if I’ll be emailed, “please remove that checkered flag image”. We’re going to find out, because above is the new header for KeriOnCars.com.

The race concluded with a crash.

Thanks for a great time, Honda, and congratulations on your best-selling Indy in years!

Without a Car Again This Week

Jul 9 2012

That was last Monday.

I am behind on my car reviews, so I don’t feel good asking for more when I haven’t held up my end. I’m sorry I’m behind car companies, coming soon, promise.

Check THIS out, though, did this last night:

Not bad, eh?! When I hit half a million, it’s gonna feel awesome.

Until then, hi hi from taxis and the TTC.

Driving a Honda Civic Si HFP at the Niagara Drive Centre

Jun 28 2012

Honda Canada invited me to Niagara Falls to test drive their new Civic Si HFP – their “tuned out of the box” Civic.

They put me at the cutest country inn (see this blog post), and Thursday morning I walked outside to 6 of their HFPs. There’s only 400 in Canada.

HFP –Honda Factory Performance.

Non-car nerds: the Honda Civic has, for years, been a “Top 5 cars to modify” because of its good, strong base.

Their HFP package provides a ton of modifications direct from the factory, at half of what it would cost you to do it.

In the morning we toured through the country.

It was very scenic, and more nature than I’m used to.

That’s good photo-staging there; my driving partner Kanishka set it up.

We were a good team; neither of us turned on the radio (let’s listen to the engine), and he also hides from the sun (no sunroof never).

The afternoon was spent on the track.

Which turned out to be an airport COME ON.

See the airplane top left? It was a yellow bi-plane from the 20s that starred in the Amelia Earhart movie. Hello from shangri-la. Needless to say, I was out of my head all day.

I’m certain the automotive journalists of Canada think I’m this loud and hyper girl… opposite, guys! That was a dream-come-true day for me, so there was no containing that amount of joy.

I like to think that was one of the fastest times of the day.

I’m not competitive :|

The engine makes that good grrrRRR sound, which I like. Yes I want the car to move when I hit it, but I also want to hear it. When I had that red Civic two weeks ago, I was superfluously revving everywhere I went.