Canadians wade into world of wheels
From Le Mans to connected cars, this country making a global impact
Just over one month into the new year and a familiar routine has settled into Canadian households.
Politics provides an endless source for complaint and debate, but if that results in fist-fighting ... well, there’s always the weather to talk about.
Meanwhile in the automotive world, a whole calendar is unfolding. The Ford Focus RS is scorching around Europe and will soon hit our shores. I can’t wait! Porsche is going to be rolling out its purist-special 911R any day now and the incoming BMW M2 promises a return to oldschool compact-Bimmer antics.
But there’s a Canadian thread running through this year, too; a maple syrup drizzle, if you will. If you’re keeping an eye on how Canadians are going to influence the wheeled world in 2016, here’s your guide.
Multimatic – Le Mans
The leading edge of what’s possible in racing isn’t found in Formula One anymore. No indeed, Bernie Ecclestone’s circus might be occasionally entertaining, but the World Endurance Championship is where the real spaceships are.
And if the WEC offers some of the best racing to be seen, then the 24 Hours of Le Mans is its Everest. It’s hard to watch — there are more storylines and attrition than your average Game of Thrones season — but the more you understand the way history intersects with the future, the better it gets. This year, a Canadian company is bringing both.
Multimatic is a Canadian engineering company based in Markham, Ontario. It has already made waves by supplying the ultrarare Aston Martin One-77 hypercar with its carbon-fibre chassis, but it is also the constructor behind the upcoming Ford GT. And Ford is coming back to Le Mans.
The story of Ford’s battles with Ferrari are legendary, and the racespec version of the GT wears the redwhite-and-blue livery proudly. Sure, it’s a Ford. But it should be outfitted like an Avro Arrow; hopefully there’s a maple leaf hidden away in there somewhere.
Ray Tanguay – Canadian automotive industry
Canada’s automotive industry is often overlooked, especially overseas, where it’s generally assumed we all drive snowmobiles or dogsleds. Nonsense: Canadians have been exporting cars since the earliest days of the Ford Model T and we currently produce everything from the Lexus RX to both Dodge Hellcats.
However, with more car companies casting an eye at Mexico’s inexpensive land and labour, the Canadian car-making industry is in something of a precarious position. Likely the low dollar will help, but there’s still plenty of work to be done to make sure our manufacturing industry remains competitive.
That’s why all eyes will be on Ray Tanguay, former chairman of Toyota Canada and now tipped to be Canada’s car czar. As the chair of the subcommittee of the Canadian Automotive Partnership Council, Tanguay will assist the federal and provincial governments in helping the automotive industry thrive.
A little tip there, Ray. Gas is cheaper than bottled water in the United States right now. Let’s sell ’em more Hellcats!
Sarah Cornett-Ching — NASCAR
When rookie driver Sarah Cornett-Ching hits the circuit at New Smyrna Speedway on Sunday, don’t think she’ll be there to send any Valentine’s cards to the competition. Instead, she’ll be choo-choo-choosing to whup some backsides around the asphalt oval.
Cornett-Ching — she likes the shorthand SC2 — has been racing since she was 12. She can weld like a pro, and she’s got a half-dozen series championship wins and trophies. She’s also fast, tenacious and doesn’t give two lug nuts for pit-lane chatter.
While Bernie Ecclestone may disagree, there’s no reason a woman can’t dice it up on the track with the old boys’ club; there are literally dozens of historical precedents. But never mind the glass-ceiling angle: Cornett-Ching is a quick and likable rookie racer, and you should be following along with her successes based purely on talent.
Mojio — The Connected Car
The technical revolution in the car industry seems mostly to be focused on wresting the steering wheel from our hands these days.
But what about the ways a connected car can help keep you on the road and save you money?
Enter Mojio, an inexpensive device that connects to your car’s on-board diagnostics (OBD-II) port.
Suddenly, your two-year-old mid-sizer has smartened up, and is capable of connecting wirelessly and using specially developed apps.
These range from Cloak, a tracking app that lets you find your car at any time, to Gauge, a diagnostic program that identifies problems like a sudden checkengine light. Trek integrates with Google calendar to let appointments know you’re on the way, as well as find parking near your destination.
James Hinchcliffe — Indy 500
How’s this for a Canadian: Last year on May 18, racer James Hinchcliffe hit the wall during practice at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
A piece of his Indy car’s suspension stabbed into his leg, causing massive blood loss.
If it weren’t for the efforts of the rescue crew, who knows how things might have gone.
Hinchcliffe’s apparent reaction? Like that of a defenceman blocking one of Al MacInnis’ slapshots: Leg hurt bad? Well, just walk it off there, bud! It’ll be all right. Just weeks after his injury, this good Canadian kid was up in the Big Smoke, watching the Toronto Indy from the sidelines.
This Indy 500, the Mayor of Hinchtown is back and bringing his self-deprecating charm, plus some serious skills behind the wheel. He’ll be racing to win, and we’ll be cheering him on.