Off on a Mystery Adventure

I’m at a charter airport with Mazda, and both the destination and test car are unknown.

Soooo me eh! The building they sent me to didn’t have an address, the media emails are peppered with phrases like “marching orders”.  I’ve been responding to everything with HUA.

My teammate from the paper, David Miller and I, are about to compete in a rally, with a grand prize of $10,000 going to a charity of our choice… old people are my kryptonite, and you know I love the mind, so we settled on one that combined both those things: the Alzheimer’s Society of Canada (neither of us have ever competed in a rally, so wouldn’t hold your breath ASofC).

Find updates fastest on Twitter @KeriBlog, we’ll be documenting our adventure over on Autonet.ca, and I’ll blog it all here too.

It’s not a race.

Wait: I only realized now while blogging this, but we never went through security, us or our bags?!

Huh. Chartering.

Meet my teammate fellow auto journalist at the paper, David Miller.

“B team” because it was originally the French side of the paper that was signed up to go, we lucked out last second.

Tres bein!

Wrote the news up in the air – “The average age of a consumer vehicle in the United States is 11.4 years, an all-time high.” – Autonet

Once in the air, we received this tool bag.

Included is: a GPS and route book, highlighters and sunscreen, an iPad for the photo-challange component, and a hat you’ll see me in tomorrow.

The logistics of this adventure are ridiculously organized.

Landing soon, designation and vehicle both remain unknown.

TTYS

 

 

The 2014 Mazda MX-5 GT Miata

The world’s best-selling 2-seater sports car.  Mazda MX-5 Miata

Starting at – $29,250
This one – $40,250

It’s a rear-wheel drive roadster. A 2.0L engine outputting 167 hp and 140 lb-ft. of torque, which is a lot for a car this light and small.

It’s so small like, I’m 5’2″ and it fit me well inside.  I am never taller than a car.

It wrapped right around me, everything my size, so rare.  But I’d really like to see a 6ft someone inside, I can’t picture it.

It also is one of the only cars with a power, convertible hard-top that doesn’t affect the trunk space.  Which I didn’t put down, because no sun for me ever.

Bottom left – that circle thing is the fuel cap release. That was me reading the manual at the gas station.

The styling hasn’t changed much in 20 years, eh.

I get it: an engine and gear shift nothing else, but, I’ve always had trouble getting past its tubular look.

Threw it around the winding Muskoka roads; ridiculously fun. Would have liked more than 24 hours with it.