AJAC #TestFest 2013 and ‘Car of the Year’

Taken atop the Honda RV.

What is Test Fest?

Test Fest – over seventy of Canada’s top automotive writers meet to evaluate hundreds of new model vehicles over a four-day period.

 

Their purpose? Based on back-to-back comparative testing, select the “best new” vehicles in several categories as well as an overall Canadian Car of the Year and Truck of the Year. The testing program includes “real world” driving on public roads — where you, the consumer, drives.

 

Daily updates are provided that include photographs, interviews and editorial.

 

At the end of ‘TestFest’, the comparative test data generated by the journalist experts is posted to this web site for your use as a resource buying guide. -from the website.

I tested 3 cars.

Subaru BRZ

Dodge Dart

Mercedes-Benz B250

I videod throughout the day, will edit this weekend.

‘Test Fest’ and ‘Car of the Year’ are hosted by AJAC – Auto Journalist Association of Canada. It’s Canada’s best auto journalists gathered together, AJAC is serious.  I’m not a member (yet), and was there during ‘Open Media Afternoon’, so I didn’t think I’d be attending the award ceremony.  But I lucked out!  But I didn’t have a change of clothes.

Here’s me before walking into a sea of cocktail attire. Remember, I’m the new kid.

There are 11 awards in total.

There’s not yet a list online of all the winners; go to my editor Joe’s Twitter, it’s all there.

The other acronym to know is COTY – Car of the Year.

Obviously Honda took one home, and YES Maki!

It looks good on you Ford, and Christine!

Congratulations GM, and Neil!  You were so pumped, it was awesome.

Then, dinner and the ‘29th Annual Automotive Journalism Awards‘.

Great seeing familiar faces, and same to the new ones I met!  Thanks for being welcoming to the new guy.

Find me fastest on Twitter @KeriBlog, here’s the blog category Cars, email anytime, see you online.

 

 

Wrapping Up This Week

Busy week!  Squished a lot of activity, kilometres and things.

In no particular order.

My hair is coming back to a proper blonde from being that awful shade of urine when two weeks ago I said goodbye to being bright bright blonde.  No way around having that colour, that’s the price of platinum.

Still surprised when I look in the mirror. Still unimpressed with myself for caring about hair colour so much. Ya ya, I am a brand and all that, but come on, no one is shooting at me, you know?

Fact.

If you’re curious about “Operation Rue the Day” ask me IRL.

You’ll love it, I can’t publicly tell you, and concludes in one week.

I’ve harped on you about this before, and now again: please call right now the oldest person you know, and tell them you’re thinking of them.  They need it.

My peonies are coming in beautifully.

I stick my face in flowers for long as I can remember. Why wouldn’t you? It’s soft and smells great. There’s a shot in my Canadian Explorer Intro of me doing that.

Gardening seems like the most boring thing ever, maybe when I’m 80 I’ll give it a go. I’ll only grow flowers. I could maybe see myself getting into seeds too, if only because of this.

The most exciting thing that happened to me this week was my trip with Honda Canada to Niagara Falls.

They put us up at Ontario’s only 5 star country inn, the Pillar and Post.

Here’s the only photo taken during dinner.

Because the best part about dinner was: none of us touched our phones. At ALL. That’s refreshing.

A dream come true.

Here’s the keys to one of only 400 Civic HFP‘s in Canada, Keri! Now get out there and drive hard.

More on that later, obviously it’ll have its own post, also have video of my skills.

Kay gotta run, driving up north for the night, have a good one TTYL

 

I Haven’t Yet Officially Wished You HNY

So HAPPY NEW YEAR to YOU!!

May it be your best one yet!!

I’m kinda jinxy and methodical about how I spend the hours before the a new year. This year I wanted to be around a bunch of money, so I went to a casino.

Played slots and video poker (my favourite game, and only play on at least a 9/6 machine kay). Turned $20 into $70 in 10 minutes of play. Mission accomplished.

And let the record show that Wheel of Fortune is THE best game period. I get so pumped when me or anyone in my row gets to spin.

Then I ripped up that note, which has been folded in my wallet for 7 months, and pitched it into the sky.

So sometimes I’m like, super dramatic, whatever.