Ford’s Mustang is one of the most recognized brands in the illustrious automaker’s lineup. Originally based on the second gen Ford Falcon, the Mustang hit car showrooms in 1964. A year later, the model became Ford’s most successful launch since the introduction of the Model A.

For the first time ever, the launch of the new Hyundai Sonata is a really, really big deal. Packed with new technologies, hardware and design cues, the 2011 Sonata has the Accord and Camry set dead in its sights.

This year, those sights were take form as a pair of projector lamps that flanked a giant grille decked out in more fake chrome than the front row of a 50 Cent concert. This year’s high-class face caps off a new body that’s become impressively chiselled and sophisticated.

It was a hot, hazy humid Tuesday in Toronto when The Drivercaught up with Paul Tracy for a sit down.  That weekend, Tracy, the 2003 Champ Car World Series champion and his number 15 GEICO car for KV Racing Technology failed to qualify for one of the 33 positions on the starting grid for the 2010 running of the Indianapolis 500, the world’s largest single day spectator sporting event.

The BMW Headquarters just off the lower Don River in Toronto is, like its brand namesake, a vision of security, style and precision. It’s sleek, spotless black floors and shining windows neatly house the fine automobiles within it. The salespeople are all tidily dressed and give a smile when saying “hello.” To someone more streetwise, the place might seem like a snob’s paradise. But for true automotive enthusiasts, the atmosphere is as it should be – a perfect space for that rare car that has earned a global recognition.

There are some dates that just stay with us, ones that may have changed the world or perhaps even your life.

One date that resonates with many Canadians is October 23rd, 1993 in Toronto, Ontario at what was then known as the Skydome. That was the day that Joe Carter powered a home run into the left field bullpen, driving home teammates Ricky Henderson and Paul Molitor in the bottom of the ninth inning against the Philadelphia Phillies.

Tires. They look simple enough and they come with the car, so why do they need another thought? Which is exactly the problem – so few of us spend any time thinking about our vehicle’s tires…..as long as they’re not flat, they’ll just do what they’re supposed to do, right? Wrong.

Let’s see... the kids, snacks, drinks, coolers and wilderness accessories are all loaded into the family vehicle in preparation for a trip to the cottage, camp grounds or to visit relatives and/or friends. Maybe a boat or camping trailer is dropped onto the tow ball before setting out for summer adventures.

Now, have you got everything? Did you forget something? Ah yup. Did you pull the engine oil dipstick or check the automatic transmission fluid? Did you give the engine compartment a quick visual scan? How do those rad hoses look and feel? Did you walk around your vehicle to check the lights and most important, tire condition and pressure?

I can remember when I moved to Toronto in the late 70’s and was living north of Yonge and Eglinton, every day there was a well-dressed gentleman with a folding table at Eglinton subway station handing out brochures and regaling the commuters on their weary way to work with the benefits of membership in the Ontario Motor League (OML) which in 1984 became CAA Toronto.  Selling memberships to car owners in a subway station.  As far as marketing initiatives went, this fellow was years ahead of his time.

In a country with such a strong and proud heritage it makes all of us at FAZZT Race Team proud to be the only full-time IZOD IndyCar Series team with a Canadian driver.  And our roots run even deeper than the driver as our owner, Andre Azzi, is also a Canadian based in Montreal. 

Some people see cars as simple forms of transportation, something to get them from home to the mall and back. Then there are those who see their cars as extensions of their own personalities. Or, in the case of modifiers, they’re often more interested in turning heads than they are actually using their vehicles for the use they were intended for.

In the upscale Toronto enclave of Yorkville, it’s not unusual to glimpse the occasional Ferrari gliding past boutiques whose display windows teem with Tiffany & Co. diamond jewelry and Hugo Boss haute couture.