Dec 30, 2008 -
The Rant: My Fellow Canadians Are Out to Lunch
The number of Canadian automotive publications are few and far between. There are only a handful of magazines and Web sites, with a band of dedicated journalists who do their best without the resources we enjoy south of the border. Devoted newspaper sections are also of note, specifically the Toronto Star's monster weekly Wheels section. In its December 20 issue, the Star's collection of automotive freelancers each shared his or her best and worst vehicles of 2008 (or rather, the cars they drove in 2008). I don't use this space to bash other journalists, but this was just too much for me to bare.
Among the "best":
Mazda 3 Sport GX: A special-for-Canada version of the outgoing 3 hatch, with a 148-hp engine and the lowest amount of equipment. Um, OK.
Dodge Sprinter: OK, I like the Sprinter and maybe if you were trying to be funny ... but I didn't get that impression. Either the dude's nuts or a crap writer.
Mazda RX-8: This guy obviously got to drive an RX-8 for the first time at journalist track day and was so impressed he declared it his best car of '08. Come on. The RX-8's so old I was actually working in Canada when it came out.
Shelby GT500KR, with honorable mentions Pontiac G8 (ok) and Saab 9-3 Aero: Did you drive anything else this year?
Hyundai Accent Hatchback: Are you high? Seriously, did someone drop a garbage bag of a shifty smelling substance at your desk and drop a match in. What the hell is wrong with you?
The Worst:
Nissan GT-R: Canada's best-known journalist had this as his worst and several had it as their dishonourable mention. Something about it being too one-dimensional. Um yeah, no kidding. Whatever its downsides may be, it is most certainly not the worst.
Audi R8: Ha ha, very funny. I'm going to write something shocking and be different to generate blogs from ex-pat Canadian automotive journalist plying their trade in the States. I'm not ga-ga for the R8, but come on.
Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder: Yeah, it ain't great, but this was really the worst thing all year?
Ducati Hypermotard: It's a motorcycle and I know nothing about them, but our new executive editor says this choice is full of crap so I concur.
Smart Fortwo: Three folks picked this. At least I haven't lost complete touch with my fellow Canadians.
In today's moment of irony, stay tuned for my own Best and Worst of 2008 tomorrow. Ex-pat Americans living in Canada, feel free to rip me a new one.
-James Riswick
