Pathfinder refreshed for 2017

The Nissan Pathfinder (Platinum model shown) gets major 

upgrades for 2017, including new front and rear styling and a 

more powerful V6 engine.

CARMEL, CA: Nissan’s Pathfinder is getting a number of changes for the 2017 model year.

Now in its fourth generation, Pathfinder falls somewhere between the mid-size 

Muranoand the full-size Armada.

With an EPA interior volume listed as 4,468 litres (157.8 cu ft) that’s full-size to me,

 but Nissan prefers to call it a “large” CUV.

Either way, the Pathfinder offers its EX Flex Seating system for seven with a

 three-seat second row 60/40 split/fold bench and a two/seat 50/50 split/fold bench third row.

Lift a handle on the second row seat and the seat back tilts forward and the

 cushion tilts up so it can slide forward for a claimed best in class access to the third row.

Also available is a power liftgate, which opens when a kicking motion is made under the rear bumper.

Introduced as a 2013 model, Nissan thought it was time to harden up the exterior

styling to make it more rugged looking with an entirely new front end incorporating the “V Motion” 

grille design and a reshaping of the rear with a new bumper/rear panels and new taillights.

In the process, Nissan lowered the Cd to 0.326 from 0.34 on the outgoing model.

The 3.5-litre DOHC V6 now has direct injection, raising the power to 284 hp and 259 lb/ft 

of torque up from 260 hp and 240 ft/lb on the 2016 version.

Fuel economy is also improved at 11.6/8.5/10.2L/100 km city/highway/combined for the 

front-wheel-drive version and 12.1/8.9/10.7L/100 km for the all-wheel-drive model.

The new engine with its CVT transmission results in a claimed best in class towing capability 

of up to 6,000 lb.

Suspension remains the same with McPherson struts with 26 mm solid stabilizer bar at

 front and a multi-link system at the rear with 26.5 mm hollow tube stabilizer bar.

What is changed is the springs being 11 per cent stiffer at the front and 7.0 per cent 

stiffer at the rear, which results in reduced body pitch over rough roads
or potholes or when entering corners.

Steering response was improved with a quicker ratio which helps during turn-in and changing lanes.

The three-mode AWD offers 2WD for best fuel economy; Auto which is on-demand 4WD 

that sends torque to wheels as needed and Lock for situations such as snow, 

boat launching or on a slippery surface.

The interior is basically unchanged, but there have been some enhancements with a rear-view 

camera with eight-inch color touch screen now standard on the base S model and it includes voice 

recognition.

The S also gets a Bluetooth Hands-free Phone System and streaming audio and outside mirrors

 with side turn indicators.

New for 2017 is available Forward Emergency Braking and Forward Collision Warning 

that augments the available Blind Spot Warning and Rear Cross Traffic Alert.

Convenience features for 2017 include Moving Object Detection, Intelligent

Cruise Control and a class-exclusive 360-degree view camera system.

We were test driving the Pathfinder in and around Carmel, CA, at

 the same time forest fires were raging to the east and south of the hotel where we were staying.

It was heartening the see hundreds of hand-made signs on cardboard, bed sheets or 

whatever to hand with words like “God bless our firefighters” and “Thank you heroes.”

Back and forth between Carmel and the Laguna Seca racetrack, the Pathfinder 

felt much more agile than the 2017 Nissan Armada we were testing at the same time.

Nissan has got CVTs down to a science to the point it responds like a “normal” automatic

 and thus can be driven with verve, which the co-driver definitely did on the very twisty

 mountain highway to Salinas.

The toptrim Platinum model we were driving was nicely appointed on the inside 

with tasteful wood trim and a centre stack with nice, big rotary knobs for the HVAC and audio.

The EZ Flex Seating system is pretty slick. Even with a child seat fitted on the second row,

 the seat will slide forward enough to allow easy ingress to the rear.

There are five trim models – S, SV, SL, SL Premium Tech and Platinum. At this writing, 

pricing had not been announced.

Pathfinder has been a very successful model for Nissan, with more than 155,500 sold to date in Canada.

With the upgrades for 2017, the success story is bound to continue.

Nissan Pathfinder 2017 

BODY STYLE: Full-size, seven-seat crossover.

DRIVE METHOD: Front-engine, front-/all-wheel-drive with CVT transmission.

ENGINE: 3.5-litre, direct injection DOHC V6 (284 hp, 259 lb/ft)

FUEL ECONOMY: (Regular) FWD, 11.6/8.5/10.2/100 km city/highway/combined;

AWD, 12.1/8.9/10.7L/100 km

CARGO: 453 litres (16.0 cu ft) behind third row seat, 2,260 litres second and third row folded

TOW RATING: up to 6,000 lb

PRICE: NA.

WEB: www.nissan.ca

8 Of The Highest-Revving Production Cars Ever Made

1. Audi R8 V10 Plus - 8,700 RPM

The 610 hp, 5.2 litre V10 is able to rev to an astonishing 8,700 RPM, making it one of the highest revving ten-cylinder cars ever made. Combined with all-wheel drive traction, the R8 will hit 60 mph in only 2.7 seconds.

2. Honda Integra Type R - 8,800 RPM

Some versions of Honda’s B18C engines were shipped with an incredible 8,800 fuel cut-off point. 20 years ago this was a huge achievement, and paired with the sublime handling of the Integra, a legend was born.

3. Honda S2000 - 9,000 RPM

Continuing the traditions of high-revving, low-displacement engines, the 1999 Honda S2000 came with an even more bonkers 4 cylinder engine. The F20C produced over 240 horsepower and revved over 9000 RPM. The engine held the record for producing the highest specific power output for a naturally aspirated piston engine (until the Ferrari 458 came along).

4. Ferrari LaFerrari - 9,250 RPM

Revving to an obscene 9,250, the F140 engine is a true work of art. The 6.3 litre V12 is good for 789 horsepower. Combined with the 161 hp KERS system, it makes the LaFerrari the most powerful Ferrari road car ever made… and it’s RWD! 😁

5. Honda S600 - 9,500 RPM

The predecessor of the S2000 boasted an even higher, 9,500 RPM fuel cut-off point. This was possible by using a small displacement (600cc), lightweight engine, that produced 92 bhp / litre. Not bad for the 60s!

6. JDM Mazda RX8 Type S - 9,500 RPM

Wankel engines are known to be rev-happy, but some versions of the RX8 are taking things to another level. With the rotary topping out at an unbelievable 9,500 revolutions-per-minute, it makes these beasts the cheapest ticket to 9k+ RPM territory.

7. Lexus LFA - 9,500 RPM

8. Ariel Atom V8 500 - 10,600 RPM

Chevy Bolt EV electric car for 'urban' sales: what does that mean?

Almost no U.S. car buyers sit down at their kitchen table and kick off a chat by saying, "Honey, we need to buy a city car."

The only exceptions are those in a handful of crowded cities like New York and San Francisco, for whom a very short car that is easy to park may take priority.

But as sales of the tiny two-seat Smart ForTwo have shown over several years, that's a minimal market at best.

The rest of the U.S. tends to buy larger cars, increasingly crossover utility vehicles that offer lots of cargo volume behind tailgates, and optional all-wheel drive.

And yet General Motors discusses its 200-mile electric car, the upcoming 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV, as a way to increase its urban sales.

So what, exactly, does that mean?

In a January article in the industry trade journal Ward's Auto, GM product chief Mark Reuss takes pains to note that "to characterize the Bolt EV as an urban vehicle sells it short."

Instead, according to CEO Mary Barra, it's the kind of car that will appeal to future generations of car buyers. A majority of those, globally, will live in cities, not U.S.-style dispersed suburbs.

While the cabin has 94 cubic feet of passenger volume—equal to that of a Tesla Model S—the Bolt EV has a compact footprint, a practical hatchback, and top-flight connectivity abilities.

And it's well-suited to ride-sharing and car-sharing services, with drivers for the Lyft ride-haling service (in which GM has invested half a billion dollars) likely to be some of the earliest buyers.

Today, as Ward's notes, GM's strongest sales and the bulk of its profits come from large trucks and utility vehicles of all sizes, which are the least well-adapted to crowded cities.

But with future global population growth likely to occur in cities, GM needs products that will appeal to urban audiences. Hence the focus on the Bolt EV.

This goes some way to explain why GM created a small five-door hatchback rather than a direct competitor for the sleek, four-door near-luxury sedan that the Tesla Model 3 is likely to be.

Many Tesla fans and owners (a number of whom seem to carry surprising animus for GM, it should be noted) have publicly sneered at the form factor of the Bolt EV, suggesting that an upright five-door hatchback is less compelling than a swoopy Tesla.

That may well be true, for current and aspirational Tesla buyers.

GM seems to be betting that the Bolt's smaller size plus top-flight connectivity and electronic safety systems will prove more broadly compelling to buyers of the future—especially those outside North America.

2016 McLaren 570S

So you’ve got a quarter-mil burning a hole in your pocket and you’re looking for a “junior” supercar. Well, life just got a bit more complicated.

Top of list might be the blue-chip Porsche Turbo S that opens at $214,800 – 580-hp, all-wheel drive, blazing acceleration, seven-speed PDK dual-clutch, unassailable build along with near-luxury-car coddling. As a year-round supercar, you can’t do better. Plus it has back seats – sort of. But perhaps a tad too aloof? And soooo common.

If you need more flair, more edge and a wicked soundtrack, the second-generation $213,900 Audi R8 Plus could be the one. It’s now lighter, faster, handles better, has a terrific seven-speed dual-clutch ‘box, and that epic over-square naturally aspirated 610 hp 5.2L V10 screams to 8,500 rpm. One of man’s greatest accomplishments.

And holy crap. You can get essentially the same car wrapped in the sexiest of Italian duds. It’s called the Lamborghini Huracán LP 610-4 and that will cost an additional 50 grand, give or take.

But wait. What’s that sound? It’s not real pretty but it sure means business. That would be the racy blare of the McLaren 570S, launching itself into this wafer-thin slice of the market with all the bona-fides you could ever hope for. And a starting price of $219,000.

The 570S checks all the boxes. Its mid-rear-mounted 3.8L twin-turbo V8 drives the rear wheels through a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. 562 hp and 443 lb-ft at 5,000 rpm, thank you. Visual punch? It’s an erotically sculpted door-stop that drop-kicks all who gawk right into the middle of next week. Especially in this $4,530 optional screaming orange paint. And just to be sure, the 570S brags the most supercar-ish of affectations – scissor doors.

About the only thing the McLaren 570S lacks is weight. With its carbon-fibre tub and aluminum skin, it comes in at a paltry 1,446 kilograms. That’s about 170 kg less than the Porsche Turbo S, and boy, can you feel it. This car separates itself from the competition in a big way. The McLaren 570S comes across as a racecar that wants to be a road car, whereas the others are road cars aspiring to go in the other direction.

If this is your cup of tea, the tingling 570S will provide no end of thrills.

The McLaren experience begins before you even fire up the engine. Doors swing up, people stare, and you glide in gracefully because you’ve been practicing. Supercar guys and gals do not whack their noggins on the door and groan while folding themselves over the car-fibre flying buttresses and into the terrifically snug and yes, comfortable Alcantara-trimmed sport seats. No, we’re just a little too cool for that.

Once ensconced, you’re dicking around with a set of obtuse seat adjustment buttons that live on the lower right corner of the chair. Hey, this car is British. Then it’s time to press the starter button.

Just about every car built since… oh, 1974 has an engine that catches pretty much the second the starter motor commences to spin. Not here. Whirrwhirrwhirrwhirrwhirr… blam! It makes you think there’s a guy in a fire suit behind, ramming a remote starter up your… oh, never mind. Is this clever and manipulative programming on the part of McLaren, or just the way this exotic rolls?

One could ask the same of the exhaust sound. Fitted with the optional and non-defeatable $4,210 Sport Exhaust (a must have) the 570S kicks out a nasty, guttural soundtrack that, when not parting your hair, says, “I’m a badass racecar, and I sound like this because I didn’t have a herd of engineers fussing over my aural signature. Take it or leave it.”

Of course, the 570S might sound like this precisely because there was a herd of exhaust-tuning engineers giving a rat’s ass.

Either way, all this folds expertly into the McLaren’s character. The ride is choppy even in the Normal setting, and the cabin fills with engine and tire noise at speed. Unlike the seven-speed dual-clutch transmissions in the Porsche and Audi, the McLaren’s is not particularly happy negotiating stop-and-go traffic. The engine doesn’t like the dreary ordeal of city driving either. Those big turbos spell lag. Not much happens under 4,000 rpm, after which all hell breaks loose.

The 570S is a quivering bundle of energy that just wants to be let off its leash. And when you do that, it makes a whole lot of sense. Actually, it makes no sense – on public roads. I didn’t get anywhere near the limits of this car. Sure, I experienced a few wide-eyed blasts of vertigo-inducing acceleration and attacked a couple of on-/off-ramps at hyper-legal speeds, but most of my time was spent making noise while whipping up and down through the gears with the fabulous shift paddles – and getting stared at. Which in reality is how most 570S’s will spend their time.

Still, within the confines of legality, the 570S is thrilling. It’s incredibly agile, and the electro-hydraulic steering is a living, breathing entity that wriggles in your hands, constantly sending back detailed information on every aspect of your drive. This is a car that feels intimate, wrapping itself around you the more you get comfortable with it.

Ahead of the row of buttons on the console for gear selection, you’ll find two rotary switches – one for Handling, one for Powertrain – each with Normal, Sport and Track settings. I kept the handling in N and the powertrain in S – a combination that nicely balanced civility with the occasional anti-social blast.

The centre stack has a vertical touchscreen/nav interface that would get a “meh” in any other car. Here? Who cares. Gotta love the HVAC icon dude – he’s wearing a helmet. The Bowers and Wilkins audio (that I assume is part of the $6,750 Lux Pack) sounds great until the engine starts.

Up front there’s a good-sized trunk and behind the seats is a useful parcel shelf. There seems to be a decent amount of interior cubbies too.

This tester had about $34,000 in upgrades that included various interior and exterior carbon-fibre bits, special orange interior trim, lightweight forged wheels, coloured brake calipers, the aforementioned paint and sport exhaust, plus a front-end lift system.

Surprisingly, many people know a McLaren when they see one. At least here in the GTA. Perhaps the most memorable “McLaren spotting moment” happened when I was crawling my way down Queen Street in the Beaches neighbourhood. It was the annual Beaches Street Music Festival and I was playing in one of the dozens of bands lining the street. Looking for a place to unload my gear, a little boy no more than five holding his dad’s hand pointed at my orange apparition and blurted, “Is that a McLaren, Daddy?”

“Why don’t you ask him?”

So he did.

And I replied, “It sure is! Good eyes!”

The smile on the kid’s face was worth… oh, about a quarter of a million dollars.

Competitors: Acura NSX Audi R8 Plus Ford GT Lamborghini Huracán Porsche 911 Turbo S

Pricing: 2016 McLaren 570S Coupe
Base price: $219,750
Optional equipment: Lux Pack $6,750; elite paint $4,530; carbon-fibre door mirrors $1,900; carbon-fibre side intakes $2,750; Sport Exhaust $4,210; Stealth Exhaust $560; Designer Interior-Sport $3,260; carbon-fibre interior upgrade $3,240; 5-spoke lightweight forged wheels – silver finish $2,610; stealth wheel finish $1,450; special colour brake calipers $1160; vehicle lift $1,630; coloured seatbelts $509
A/C tax: $100
Freight and PDI: $6,990
Price as tested: $261,399

2017 Buick Cascada Convertible Redesign Specs

Magazincar - 2017 Buick Cascada Convertible is a car of the future will come up with a design that is appealing sedan for a future. You will feel the joy that actually means in a car this future. This will be a good contender for a future with a variety of proprietary technologies. This is best car for a future.

Formidable machine for a future will come soon in a car this future. in fact this car will come with 1.6-liter turbo four-cylinder with 200 horsepower and 207 pound-feet of torque is punchy with linear power delivery that is interesting Cascada on lanes in a hurry. It also has good mid-range guts to mingle with toll traffic or pass a slower 2017 Buick Cascada Convertible Redesign. EPA fuel economy is rated at a rather disappointing 20 miles per gallon in town and more respectable 27 mpg on a freeway. The six-speed automatic transmission changes gears slick, and downshifts occur in a short time when more oomph is required. That’s good, because even though there are features manual shift using center console shifter, it was not too responsive, nor to rev-match downshifts, I do not ever need to use it again after playing with it for a mile or two, and I suspect that outside want to use for the engine braking on long downhill grade, most buyers will not bother Cascada. This engine will be a good competitor because it has a very machine you want.

If you ask about design then car will come with a better comfort compared with previous versions. This will be the best car that is very good for a future. In fact this car will come with a simple design with subtle character lines and surfaces that are not excessive. Majority sheet metal shared with Opel his colleagues already on sale in Europe for several years, but front and rear fascias exclusively for Buick, and there is a number of tasteful chrome exterior trim dress.

This car will come with 20-inch wheels, which crowd for fun at the beach with roof up, design still looks pretty good. With top down scrolling on Miami to Key West, a driver in a red Chevrolet Corvette convertible pacing me for a few miles, both to admire appearance Cascada or because he could not understand Buick badge on such a stylish car. This will be very best car you rely on if you have a car this future. This will be the best car for a future.

2018 Camaro ZL1 Convertible Concept

2018 Camaro ZL1 Convertible Concept is a sports car that would be a good competitor for a future. You will feel a pleasure that is very good because this car has some very unusual things ranging of design, entertainment features to by engine owned by this car is quite remarkable. This will be the best car of interest in this car. We will see some interesting reviews in a car this future.

The future car will come up by a good comfort. This 2018 Camaro ZL1 Convertible will come equipped with a design front air intake, front splitter and rear wing, and massive forged-aluminum 20-inch wheels. With top fabric derived, ZL1 convertible looks lower and long, short and steeply raked glass be the only interruption aggressive form. Just as critically, red seatbelts, very embodiment of speed! -Do in full screen by the roof down. Underneath, there is an additional bracing relatively coupe to help maintain structural rigidity as much as possible. As in the coupe, GM magneto rheological adaptive dampers are standard, along by a six-speed manual transmission, the Goodyear Eagle F1 Supercar tires, a limited-slip differential, Recaro seats, and a flat-bottom steering wheel suede-wrapped. This would be a better design compared to previous versions. This will be the best car that is very good when it releases market.

according to some reports this car will come by a 6.2-liter supercharged engine V8 4th floor, 285/30 front and 305/30 rear tires, and Brembo brakes colossal, ZL1 not focus as we expect next-gen Z / 28 be. That’s not to say this is not a machine that is completely impressive. There are several formations vehicles where something 640-hp instead of the range-topping halo model. Does nothing, however, because by Z / 28 not to sit at head family table Camaro, who left ZL1 to take title of “Camaro beastliest” for power and looks brutal. It’s about fun, not pure skill song, especially in the form of a convertible.

This hides supercharged V-8 found in the same ZL1 coupe (and Corvette Z06 and Cadillac CTS-V sedan) and the 640-hp rating carries same. It also packs 11 same heat exchanger to maintain a cooler, intake-charge, engine oil, transmission and differential temperatures in check. There is even a ZL1 coupe is a hollowed-out Chevrolet “flowtie” badge on grille, which allow additional air to pass through and into a machine bay for cooling. Everything, from suspension to brakes Brembo, said track-ready, but we doubt many customers will take their rocket roofed 640-hp to a track. This will be a tremendous rate you want. This will be the best Camaro ZL1 for a future. You will feel a real pleasure.

WORLD PREMIERE FOR THE 2017 MAZDA6

Mazda yesterday presented the global unveiling of its brand-new 2017 Mazda6, which will be heading for Canadian dealerships in the coming days. Offered at a base price of $24,695, it promises a new level of refinement, luxury and superior sound insulation that goes beyond previous models, in addition to a number of technological advances. 

The 2017 Mazda6 will notably feature a wide-angle backup camera, turn signals integrated in the rear view mirrors, and a newly redesigned steering wheel. Higher trims give you the option of adding a navigation system, city brake-assist and sign recognition technologies, Blind Spot Monitoring and much more.

When it comes to safety, the technology-package-equipped 2017 Mazda6 comes with radar-sensing cruise control, a Forward Sensing Camera for detecting pedestrians in front of the vehicle, Lane-Keep Assist, i-ELOOP regenerative braking technology, special controls for headlights and more. In some trims the interior can be decked up in Nappa leather trims with contrasting edges as well as chrome accents.

Under the hood of the 2017 Mazda6, Canadian consumers will find a 2.5L, 184 HP SKYACTIV engine twinned to a 6-speed manual or automatic transmission. Like the 2017 Mazda3, the Mazda6 does feature G-Vectoring Control (GVC), the first in a series of new SKYACTIV-VEHICLE DYNAMICS technologies that provide integrated control of the engine, transmission, chassis, and body to enhance the connection between man and machine