Shift You Later Civic, Sigh

I love shifting gears, you know this.

Most press cars are automatic. So this week was real refreshing.

Shift, rev, peel, skip from 4th to 2nd, lots of superfluous revving just because I can.

I use the hazard button a LOT when I drive.

It find it more effective than brake lights alone.

See the pink arrow above? Note the positioning, the clear path from wheel to engaging the alert system? That’s how you know this is a drivers car – Honda Civic SI.

Shifting gears is easy, don’t be intimidated.

It’s like learning a little dance routine: depress clutch, shift with arm, release clutch. See? Easy.

Even in 5″ heels.

Had to give it back Monday to Honda Canada.

This week’s car, an Acura MDX.

Acura is the fancy, higher-end line of Honda.

It’s making me drive slower, like the Navigator did. I guess that’s good.

 

 

The First Ever Honda Manual Driving School

I prefer standard.  I learned on it.

Most of my cars have been manual, but remember when my car died last fall? It’s been press and rental cars ever since, all automatic, so I hadn’t shifted anything since the fall.

Still killed it.

That’s a Honda Civic HFP, tuned out of the factory, one of about 200 in Canada.

Excellent hazard button set up. Top 3 I’ve seen.

It should be immediately accessible, no barriers. I have a thing about them.

The worst hazard buttons are on TOP of the steering column, are you kidding me. Put my hand through the wheel during an emergency situation. Have you ever got your arm caught while turning, it’s terrifying.

I say it all the time, and found further proof today…

#ThursdayNight best night of the week

Alen and I after our lap.

The lap.

Thanks for a fantastic afternoon Honda, look forward to driving your Civic in June.

 

 

An Acura for TIFF, Allllll Right

I picked it up yesterday, hi from Honda HQ in Markham. Don’t we match well?  YA buddy.

We drove out, that’s Alen, Reggie and Mark and me. It was Reggie’s birthday, neat eh.

There we met our new friend, security guard Joe, hi pal! Welcome to my blog.

It’s an Acura TSX Performance Sedan. It’s good and unassuming, with great pick up.

Picked up bff Casie and we flew around downtown to the Four Seasons and back.

It’s gonna be a great week, thanks again Acura.

Went to the Indy Today

Sometimes I wonder if, in olden times, horses were loved as much as we love engines today.

Engines are the new horses.

It was beautfiul out, a perfect weather day. Here’s your sunscreen reminder. Then Scott came out of nowhere, and surprised me.

Maybe my favourite part of any car race is the sound.

Those are NASCARs you hear.

But have you noticed too, that this year’s Indy isn’t as busy as past years.

I remember hearing cars for 3 days straight, and it’s now Saturday night and I’ve barely heard any races? Did it get scaled back and I don’t know?

One year I rode a giant razor like a mechanical bull.

Going again tomorrow!

It’s Indy Weekend

Honda kindly gave me VIP tickets for both days this year, oh ya let’s DO this.

I live downtown and love the deafening noise, l o v e it.  So in this vein, here’s an old episode from my ‘Canadian Explorer’ show:

Ep 27/80 Exploring a Race Car June 2009

Best. Thumbnail. EVER.

How anti-climactic there’s no actual footage of me racing, eh. It poured the whole day, my camera is not waterproof. Also, note 0:50 ;)

THE best part of the day, but not on video though, was when I spun out.

The track is covered in oil, the rain makes it slippery, and as I rounded a corner the car just started doing a 360 by itself.

Downshift, caught it, completed the 360 and kept driving. Started screaming with pride and joy. My natural reaction is fist pump, forgot the cabin is so tiny, smashed my fist straight up into the metal lip.

kk I’m off to the INDY! TTYL