Not in a jurisdiction such as Ontario, where they're made by prison inmates. (That's also the case in New Hampshire, where prisoners have to stamp out license plates that include the state's slogan, Live free or die...) Find out more... Continue reading

Apple has a new advertisement, an otherwise well-done ad showing people using their iPhones to take photos. But one clip in it has me seeing red. The video shows people at a concert, holding up their phones so they can film the band. If you do this, stop doing it now. This is one reason why I don't go to concerts anymore. I went to see the band, not your annoyingly bright screen stuck up in the air between my face and the stage. I can't see through it. I don't want to watch the act via your screen. Put... Continue reading

Cars go through a lot all winter, and getting them clean in spring is key to making them last longer and look better. Find out what you should be doing for your vehicle in my gallery over at Sympatico Autos. Continue reading

Oil's possibly the most important fluid in your vehicle: without it, your engine can turn into a piece of scrap in a very short period of time. Changing it regularly can help prevent engine wear. Find out more in my... Continue reading

I spent a week with the Chevy Volt, and while I've driven all sorts of alternative vehicles, I think this type of extended-range technology is probably the best choice for many people who want to go beyond plain gasoline. Read... Continue reading

I recently had the opportunity to interview designer Peter Schreyer, who transformed Kia and is now heading up Hyundai's design centres as well. Read all about it in my Toronto Star story. Continue reading

I like the E-Class, with its understated luxury and comfortable nature. I drove the E 300 version - find out more over at Sympatico Autos. Continue reading

Many vehicles now have "economy" buttons, which alter such things as the throttle response and transmission shift points for improved fuel economy. Find out more about Honda's version in my Driving Force column in Metro. Continue reading

Automakers hope every new model hits a home run, but that isn't always the case. There have been more than a few that failed, either in our specific market, or just overall. Check out my slideshow of famous flops over... Continue reading

On a bag of corn snacks, made in the Philippines. I'm trying to determine if the alternative to following the instructions is to eat the stuff before you open the bag, or to open the pouch and then just leave it untouched on the counter. Continue reading

Automakers depend on mass production: that's how they bring the prices down and turn a profit. Find out more in my Driving Force column in Metro! Continue reading

Do you know who started the trend of focusing on the driving experience, rather than the car? Or if Chrysler truly had "rich Corinthian leather?" Find out more in my trivia column in the Toronto Star. Continue reading

Large, thin plywood sheet tossed on top of vehicle? Check. Loosely tied in two places with thin twine? Check. Both driver and passenger have hands on load, which will be enough when the wind catches the edge of it? Check... Continue reading

I'm not sure what it is with certain words. One day they'll be relatively obscure, and the next day, you'd be a millionaire if you had a dime for each time you heard it. Right now, the hot word is douchebag, used to describe people. It seems like every website, every tweet, every conversation includes it. Did you hear what that douchebag did? What a douchebag he is! Man, you're being a douche. Hey, look at that d-bag. I understand language is fluid, and I also realize that I'm being a little more sensitive than most, but I'm very tired... Continue reading

Spotted by a friend at a car show in California. Words just ... well, they fail me. Continue reading

Over several decades of visiting car shows, flea markets and museums, I've snapped shots of some pretty strange stuff. I finally pulled a few together and came up with a gallery of interesting cars and trucks over at Sympatico Autos. Continue reading

It's not to make the body shop rich; rather, it's to save your life. Your car crumples to dissipate crash energy that would otherwise make its way to you. Find out more in my Driving Force column in Metro. Continue reading

Building a car isn't cheap, especially if you factor in how much it costs even before the first one runs down the assembly line. Bringing down that per-unit price is the key to profitability, and it can entail everything from... Continue reading

Many new cars in Canada now come with a tire pressure monitoring system, or TPMS, which warns you if you have a low tire. That's what it's supposed to do, but in the real world, these systems can be prone... Continue reading

You might be surprised to know that part of the fuel your car burns is simply to overcome the rolling resistance of the tires. Friction costs you money, which is why most tires today are made with some form of... Continue reading

Armed with my camera, I visited a few cool museums - the Auburn-Cord-Duesenberg Museum in Indiana, BMW's museum in Munich, and the Automobile Museum of Malaga in Spain, among others. Check out some of the really cool cars I spotted... Continue reading

Driving is like playing chess: you have to be constantly thinking about what other people are doing, and preparing for whatever moves they might be considering. Take that minivan in the photo, for example. The plate indicates an out-of-town driver... Continue reading

Car insurance premiums can vary wildly, depending on where you live and what you drive, but how do companies figure it out? Part of it depends on CLEAR, the Canadian Loss Experience Automobile Rating. Want to know more? Check out... Continue reading

Your car doesn't have to be a show-quality vehicle to need an appraisal. Any time you have more into it than what you'd get for "black book" value, you should have an independent appraisal to protect you. Find out more... Continue reading

Crash-test dummies are invaluable when it comes to designing safer cars, but there's a limit to what they can tell us, since they don't have bones or soft tissue. Researchers at General Motors are going beyond this, and studying real-world... Continue reading