The Racing General

Interview by Budd Stanley

Anyone who has watched the news in the last twenty years will undoubtedly know Maj. Gen. Lewis MacKenzie as one of Canada’s most famous Generals, known for establishing and commanding Sector Sarajevo as part of the United Nations Protection Force UNPROFOR in Yugoslavia in 1992. However, few know that in MacKenzie’s off time, he moonlights as a race car driver, and a good one at that, winning several road racing championships in both Europe and here in Canada. We sat down with the retired general to hear his thoughts on racing and his relationship with the automobile.

RPM: Thanks for talking with us Mr. MacKenzie. Let’s start out by talking about how you fell in love with cars and racing.

LM: Well, it all started in the last days of my officer training at Camp Borden. It was 1960 and I was twenty years old.  A buddy of mine had a Volvo PV544, and he was going off to a race and wanted to know if I wanted to tag along. Well, I didn’t even know that cars raced at that point, but I went along, and one way or the other, my life has never been the same ever since. I pretty much decided that I wanted to become a race car driver right then and there. However, I was stationed in Germany fifteen years later, and had my first discretionary income left at the end of the month, and went over to England and bought a Lotus Elite and signed a contract with my wife that I would race for one season, and hopefully get it all out of my system. Well, we are now on our 36^th annual extension of that contract and the only caveat that she has is that thou shall not embezzle from the family account.

RPM: What Championship were you running over in Germany?

LM: We ran the under 1300cc European Vintage Championship that first year with the Elite. It was such a great little car, but obviously my home country was Canada, and I needed to join a German club to get a license from Canada. So they always thought I was coming over from Canada for all the races, so we would run preliminary races for most of the Grands Prix and I would never pay an entry fee. But we ended up winning the championship that year, and the racing virus has only gotten stronger since.

RPM: So what did you move on to after the Lotus?

LM: I brought the Lotus back to Canada, and we made the mistake of upgrading it to stage 3, and it became unreliable, so we sold it and bought an MG Midget, and won the GT3 Canadian Championship in Gimli in 1981. I ran that car for a year and a half, but it was like a Sea King helicopter; I would have to put 30 hours of maintenance into the car for every hour we raced it. We had BHP build an engine for it which we dubbed “the hand grenade;” five seconds over 9,000 rpm and the thing blew up. But it was a great car and held the track records at all the eastern circuits for many years. Then my buddy Andre La Ronde told me to buy a Formula Ford, as they are so reliable that you can run an entire season and you’ll only have to adjust the valves. So I did that in 1985, I went out and bought an ‘81 PRS, and other than an Ultima GTR and Wolf F1 car I had the chance to race, I’ve stuck with the Formula Ford ever since, winning several championships.

RPM: So, you’ve managed to race for 37 years now while juggling a high-profile military career and now working as a military correspondent for CTV. How did you manage to get away with that?

LM: Yeah, well obviously in my early years as a second lieutenant, I didn’t always get things my own way; however, as I rose in rank and got more power, every time I received a new posting, I would say to my staff, “you see these weekends, don’t book me for anything,” so the more senior I got, the easier it was.

RPM: So how did you get involved with the Targa Newfoundland?

LM: Well, Master Corporal Jody Mitic and Corporal Andrew Knisley were part of the opening ceremony for the Vancouver Paralympic Games, and were sitting in a bar afterwards having a beer and the Targa happened to be playing on TV. So they thought that if they could get a car, they could go and help raise some money for Soldier On. Now, Soldier On is a fund that encourages soldiers that have suffered an amputation to carry on with a sport or hobby, and the fund helps pay for specialized equipment needed to help them do this. As a result, they found me knowing that I had run the Targa in 2004 and had won our class in an SRT4. So they came to the house just to ask for some advice, and after twenty minutes I was managing the whole thing.

RPM: Well that’s awfully nice of you; how did the rally go for the team?

LM: Yeah, well I figured at first it would require a couple of hours work here, a couple there, but it turned out to be a full time job. But we have had an amazing amount of support, starting right at Honda Canada who gave us a fantastic Acura TL to use with the Super Handling AWD, and right from wheel and tires sponsorships and Targa waiving the entry fee, we’ve had an incredible amount of support. And in the end, we were blown away by the performance of both of them. Anyway, they put in a great performance, and won their category. That’s hard enough to do just that, there are people who have run the event for nine years and not won, and these guys went out and won their first time out, and even kept the car in great condition.

RPM: And so, what has that performance done for the Soldier On foundation?

LM: Well we got a $50,000 anonymous donation to the foundation, and there was a dramatic spike in donations. We don’t have confirmed numbers, but we figure the effort helped raise a couple of hundred thousand dollars, and we even got $10,000 from fellow competitors at the rally, so it’s been a very successful program.

RPM: And will the boys be back next year?

LM: You bet. They are both very excited to get back to the Targa, and Honda has graciously stepped up once again with the car, so it’s being pulled out of the Military Museum for duty once again. So yes, the program will continue this September.

RPM: Now, to move away from the motorsport side of things, what is your daily driver?

LM: Well, with three tours in Germany, I’ve owned a lot of Porsches, so I’m a big fan of those cars. However, I was going to buy a Cayman, but I didn’t realize that there was no room behind the seats and the only order from my wife was that I get a car that had enough room in the back to put a child seat for our grand niece. So I bought the Audi TTS with dual-clutch transmission, as it is as close to a Cayman as you can get with having rear seats for the grand niece. Well, it’s been two years and that child seat has never been put in the back of that car, so I’ve put it up for sale, and it’s my intention to buy a Cayman. My wife drives a Volvo V60 R, which is more of a weapon than a vehicle.

RPM: Finally, any last words you want to say?

LM: Yeah, you know, I’ve been doing this for 50-odd years now, I’m 70 years old and I still love to go out and race. If there is anything I can say to parents who now have the kids out of the home, have a stable income and are maybe retired and looking for a hobby; racing is a great sport. If you can’t play other athletic sports anymore, motorsport is a fantastic substitute that will motivate you to keep fit, stay competitive and keep your mind thinking. So, after the kids leave home, get into racing.

2012 Ford Mustang owners now have an option when considering tuning devices with the DiabloSport Trinity being made available for their vehicle. The tuning device, which is available for the V6, GT, GT500, and Boss 302, offers a peak gain of up to 22 RWHP and 48 lb-ft of torque. The Trinity comes pre-loaded with multiple tunes for your vehicle, plus it supports up to five additional custom tunes. It lets you view and record multiple gauges at once using the 100 MB of onboard memory and features a hi-res 320×240 full-colour touch screen.

For more information please go to www.diablosport.com

The latest creation from Phoenix Gold is a new line of SD Amplifiers. The amps are ultra-compact, which allows them to be mounted just about anywhere. Despite the small size, the Phoenix Gold amps deliver serious power output, and are crafted to a full-range Class D topology that will deliver outstanding sound quality. The Class D design is also super-efficient and will result in lower operating temperatures and less strain on the vehicle’s electrical system.

For more information please go to www.phoenixgold.com

For more information please go to www.hankooktire.ca

Hose Candy from Oomph! Labs is a quick coupler system that is designed to improve the look, performance and efficiency of vacuum and turbo hoses on any vehicle. The product turns all regular connections into quick-couplers and will prevent vacuum lines from breaking, which makes it easier to seal or disconnect all types of hoses with a quick twist. The kit features aluminum CNC quick couplers that can withstand high temperatures and allows uses to attach diagnostic equipment for vacuum and pressure gauge readings. The kit’s fittings are rated for -30 inches of vacuum and 135 PSI of pressure and come available in three different sizes.

For more information please go to www.hosecandy.com

2012 Ford Mustang Boss 302          

By Gerry Frechette

Back in 1969, there were few American performance cars that could actually turn corners with any alacrity. The game was all about going fast in a straight line. One exception was the Ford Mustang Boss 302, the car on which the factory Trans-Am road racers were based. Of course, today, your average economy car will out-handle most cars from 40 years ago, and today’s performance car will run with any race car from back then.

The Mustang, of course, has had several commemorative editions in the last decade, although sadly not yet a Grande. The latest is the Boss 302, making full use of the new 5.0-litre engine to create the most faithful rendition yet of one of the iconic models from the past.

The new Boss is far from just a stripe-and-trim special, as Ford has performed serious upgrades to its mechanical components. The hallmark of the old Boss was deep breathing and high rpms, and that is certainly the case on the new one. All the tried-and-tested hot rodding tricks were applied to the engine, such as ported heads, high-lift camshafts, and a lightened valvetrain. Down below are forged aluminum pistons and forged steel connecting rods. Up top is a short-runner composite intake manifold.

The result is an increase in horsepower from 412 to 444, a slight reduction in torque (to “only” 380 lb-ft) that isn’t noticeable, and a screaming redline of 7,500 rpm, which is high for a 2.0-litre, much less a 5.0. Fittingly, the only transmission is a Getrag close-ratio six-speed manual, and the rear axle is a suitably low-ratio 3.73:1, optionally available with a Torsen limited slip which should be mandatory, especially since it comes with the equally required, and excellent, fabric-covered Recaro seats. No brainers, both of them.

At the corners, the suspension is upgraded with higher-rate springs and five-stage adjustable dampers that can be tuned with a screwdriver whenever the owner wishes. We didn’t try that, but the “regular” setting felt plenty stiff and controlled in street use. The front end is lower than the regular 5.0 by 11 mm.

The wheels are nineteen-inchers on Pirelli P-Zero summer tires, 255/40ZR19 front and 285/35ZR19 rear. The electric power steering can be programmed for Comfort, Standard or Sport feel, the latter being to the “immediate” side. The brakes are upgraded with Brembo four-piston calipers clamping 14-inch discs up front, and performance brake pads in the rear. And the exhaust system, loud enough when its full length is used through the mufflers, has a cut-out that exits in the rear fender well, just in case the owner wants to “lose” the stock baffles and bypass everything (like, the mufflers) aft of the rear axle.

Do you get the picture? Ford has left no stone unturned in building a very serious performance car. Having said that, the biggest impression is not so much the added power and speed, but more the chassis’ capabilities, the added balance in handling, steering and braking, given the live axle back there. The Boss enables and rewards enthusiastic driving just that much more than the 5.0.

From the outside, the Boss has been styled to remind you of the 42-year old model, down to the inverted-C body-side decals, and the Yellow Blaze Tri-Coat Metallic paint that is pretty close to the iconic colour of the old Trans-Am race cars. Four other colours are available, including the white of our tester. Also prominent are an aerodynamic splitter below the grille and a rear spoiler reminiscent of the old car, that doubtlessly improve the aero performance of the car, too.

Inside, the look is completed by Alcantara leather steering wheel rim, revised instrument graphics, black ‘billiard-ball’ shift knob and “Powered by Ford” door sill plates.

For those to whom all this performance is not quite enough, there is also a Laguna Seca edition with even more radical running gear, probably most suitable as a track day car, or just as a rare collectible, given there were some 35 of them made for Canada. On the other hand, the “regular” Boss 302 had some 300 units allocated to Canada, so odds are good there might still be some left.

So, what can you compare the Boss to? For the money, which is $49,649 base price, it obviously slots in with the Camaro SS and the Challenger SRT8. But it is not far-fetched to compare it to the likes of the BMW M3 and Mercedes-Benz C-Class AMG. The driving experience would be subjectively a bit different, but the performance capabilities would be quite similar – at a lot lower price.

Unfortunately, we didn’t get to work out the Boss 302 on a track, but driving as spiritedly as we dared on public roads including wide open highways, we can attest that it has performance to spare, and more importantly, that its capabilities are balanced and accessible, moreso than other cars with one- or two-hundred more horsepower.

Put that together with the obvious heritage appeal of the Boss 302, and you have a performance car that excels on all levels.

Specifications 

Base MSRP: $49,649

Vehicle Layout: Front-engine, rear-wheel drive, 2-door coupe

Engine: 5.0L DOHC 32-valve V8 

Transmission: 6-spd manual

Horsepower: 444 @ 7,400 rpm

Torque: 380 lb-ft @ 4,500 rpm

Brakes: 4-wheel disc, ABS, EBD

Curb Weight: 1,645 kg (3,632 lb)

With the holiday season just around the corner I thought I might suggest some great gift ideas to put under the tree. All of these products will be the subject of full reviews in upcoming issues.

Pocket Radar

The typical radar gun is so cumbersome that police officers tend to utilize dash mounts or tripods just to support them. This is not the case for the Pocket Radar. This clever little unit may only be about the size of a cell phone, but it packs the same accuracy as the large units used by police departments across North America. In fact, some departments are equipping bicycle and foot patrols with Pocket Radar units for use in congested, city environments.

The core market for the Pocket Radar however, is the sports enthusiast. The company behind Pocket Radar markets the technology as a way for its user to “become part of the action.” Sports fans can take it to the ballpark, stadium or golf course and use it to track the speed of an athlete’s swing or the velocity of a pitch. Conversely, the motorsport enthusiast can take it to the race track or drag strip and get instant feedback as to how fast their favourite driver is travelling as they dice through traffic or rocket down the tarmac. Accuracy is said to be within one mile per hour.

Coaches and trainers are embracing the technology to monitor the progress of their players during practice drills, training exercises, and even games.

Operation of the Pocket Radar unit is simply point-and-shoot. The speed of the moving object is captured at the mere touch of a button, and the operator can recall up to ten readings from memory.  At the moment, the company only offers the unit calibrated in miles-per-hour, but as demand increases, I am sure a metric unit will become available.

The Pocket Radar retails for US$249.00. For more information visit www.pocketradar.com

EPIC Action Camera

Troy Lee Designs is a company known for its attention to detail when it comes to manufacturing equipment for the action sports crowd. Much of the company’s business centres around sporting endeavours that require the use of a helmet – motocross, mountain-biking, BMX – so it should come as no surprise that they would add a high-definition camera system to their line-up.

Point-of-View cameras allow athletes and sportsmen to relive the action and share an experience with their friends, fans, and family. The EPIC Action Video HD camera is a compact, lightweight set-up with an aerodynamic profile and simple controls. The colour camera records high-definition footage (1,280 X 720 pixels) through a wide-angle lens that transmits a 168-degree view. The simple user interface allows you to dial down the resolution to maximize space on the SD card recording media, and also offers users the opportunity to zoom in up to 4X. The camera is also able to take still images up to 8.0 megapixels in size.

The standard kit includes lithium AAA batteries, a strap mount, two adhesive helmet mounts and an elbow extension arm. Optional mounts include a suction cup base for mounting to vehicles and flat surfaces, as well as a handlebar mount. An optional portable viewing screen (EPIC Viewer – US$79.99) is a wise purchase as it allows you to compose your shots as well as view recordings in the field.

The EPIC Action Video HD camera retails for US$279.99 and is available online through the company’s dedicated website:  http://www.epicstealthcam.com

Buddy Eagle Eye HD119 and Buddy Night Owl

Still on the camera front, I recently came across a new player in the marketplace, TT-i . This Burnaby, B.C.-based outfit has a number of systems that adapt well to automotive applications. The Buddy Eagle Eye Extreme HD (HD119), and the Buddy Night Owl are two.

The Eagle Eye camera system is one of the few point-of-view camera systems to  record in full high-definition (1,920 x 1,080 pixels). It also has the ability to take 8.0 megapixel images. With that kind of capacity, it is no surprise that the camera can accommodate up to a 32GB SD memory card.

The Eagle Eye is noticeably larger than the EPIC camera, but this set-up offers superior resolution, a built-in 1.5-inch LCD screen (which allows the user to compose the shot as well as view footage on the fly), a high-quality internal microphone, and a rechargeable battery system. It also benefits from superior controls, status lights, 12-volt connectivity, low-light capabilities and a splash-proof housing.

The weakness for this set-up is in the mounting department. The action sports athlete will appreciate the handlebar grip, head strap, and helmet and goggle mounts, but the motorsport or automotive user will need to source a suction cup support. At least the camera features a standard screw mount so there are lots of options out there, including the likes of sturdy mounts from RAM Industries and DELKIN.

Other features included in the HD119 kit include an HDMI cable, USB cable, and car and home charging units. The HD119 retails for CAN$289.00

The Buddy Night Owl offers a host of features that I have never seen before in such a compact camera system. The core of the system is a high definition (720 pixels) compact video camera with a built-in 2.5-inch LCD display that rotates a full 270 degrees. This makes it perfect for applications where the camera is facing passengers (such as on a bus) or is being used to monitor the driver, as the subject(s) can see what is being recorded firsthand.

The system’s name is derived from the fact that the camera offers night vision capabilities allowing it to operate in low light settings, but it also features motion sensing activation to provide you some security  when your vehicle is left unattended. Other features include adjustable resolution, as well as realtime stamp on the captured footage. The Buddy Night Owl comes equipped with a suction cup window bracket, high-capacity rechargeable lithium battery, 12-volt car adaptor, and a USB cable. The Buddy Night Owl retails for CAN$375.00

For more information about TT-i and the company’s camera offerings, as well as sample video footage, visit them online at http://www.tt-i.info/.

By Ian Harwood

The successful collaboration between Ford and Harley-Davidson has produced ten F-150 models, as well as six Super Duty F-250 and F-350 models, and in 2009, the first Harley-Davidson F-450 edition truck. Ford has sold more than 70,000 Ford Harley-Davidson F-series trucks since the brands teamed up in 1999.

Looks:

This truck will definitely stand out. The front end features a six-bar billet style grille with the classic Ford blue oval in the centre. The headlights are trimmed in black and the driving lights are recessed into the bumper. The fender trim gives the appearance that the truck has been lowered but it has not. The factory 22-inch machined aluminum wheels with painted accents and the Harley-Davidson logo on the centre cap help to achieve this look. This vehicle incorporates a fully retractable running board that can be found on the Platinum series F-150. It gives it a clean appearance when the doors are closed and the practicality of a step when the doors are open. New graphics on the bodyside of the truck are done in a unique snakeskin texture. The snakeskin is inspired by tank inserts on premium-level Harley-Davidson motorcycles and also comes into play in the interior. The truck box features chrome lettering spelling out Harley-Davidson along the top just like the Lincoln pickup. The paint selection for this truck is tuxedo black and white platinum tri-coat, marking the first year white has been offered.

In The Cab:

Interior trim panels are covered in high-gloss Tuxedo black paint, while the console lid and upper steering wheel carry the snakeskin leather. The kick plates found in the door sills are brushed aluminum with a snakeskin texture. All interior chrome surfaces feature a satin finish. Premium snakeskin leather-trimmed seats come with accent colour inserts and a unique cloisonné badge. These badges are produced by the same company that makes badges for Harley-Davidson motorcycles. The console has a limited-edition serialized plate which includes laser-engraved VIN and build numbers. Standard on these trucks are the 4.2-inch LCD productivity screen that offers a range of menu options, giving the customer important information on everything from fuel economy to towing performance. The menu is navigated through a five-way button on the steering wheel and the screen is positioned between the tachometer and the speedometer. The voice-activated navigation system integrates several functions, including climate control and SiriusXM satellite radio, into one easy-to-use system, displaying them on an 8-inch touch screen.

Power:

Ford tapped into a bit of its proud racing heritage to create the 6.2-litre V8 gasoline engine, which uses big-bore technology to produce impressive horsepower and torque. The gasoline engine delivers 411 horsepower and 434 lb-ft of torque and provides a trailer towing capacity of 3,400 kilograms. This engine has a SOHC valvetrain with roller rocker shafts that allow valve angles to be splayed, resulting in optimized intake and exhaust port layout for better breathing. Intake and exhaust valve opening and closing events are phased at the same time to optimize fuel efficiency and performance throughout the engine speed range and throttle positions. Due to the larger bore size, two spark plugs per cylinder are used to more efficiently burn the fuel-air mixture in the combustion chamber, enabling better fuel economy and increased engine torque

The Scion iQ – when a Yaris is just too much car

Review by Budd Stanley, photos courtesy of Scion Canada

The Smart ForTwo has not had the smoothest of introductions to Canada, as the little four-wheeled two-seater has garnered a huge amount of hate. I am even surprised by the automotive racisms displayed by my own kin, hatred for the car just because it is small. What did the ForTwo ever do to you?

And so, Scion now has a large task at hand to prove that great things can come in small packages as it has now launched the Scion iQ to the North American wolves. But guess what? They’ve done it right.

For a car that is only three metres long, the engineers have done a great job to make this little runt a true four-seater. However, it’s not as bad as it may sound, as most compact cars have rear seats that are considered disciplinary devices for children. The iQ can fit three adults comfortably, though, with help from clever interior design. Seats are given extremely thin backs to make the most of the space provided, but an asymmetric front dash in front of the passenger allows the right seat to move forward, well in front of the driver, giving ample leg room to one rear seat. The other spot behind the driver can still be used to punish the naughty.

Of course, with a car this small, safety is a primary concern, and I think Scion has actually gone a little overboard here, with all the electronic driver aids one could want, and somehow fitting no fewer than 11 airbags. Getting in an accident might bring back fond memories of Zorbing in New Zealand.

Despite being a low-segment vehicle, the interior appointments were quite impressive, with a design and build quality easily besting the outgoing Yaris and even beating up a bit on its Scion brethren. The gauge cluster in particular is quite pleasing to the eye, but the secondary screen showing fuel and economy figures are hard to see on a sunny day due to reflections.

But how is it to drive, you’re likely asking? Well, the “large for its size” 1.3L four-cylinder pushes the little iQ along quite respectably. With a turning circle of a ridiculously minuscule 3.9 metres, this 960-kg vehicle is a blast in the city. The steering is so quick and direct that it would put a Mitsubishi Evo to shame, and I found that u-turns after missed streets were so eccentrically fun, I was missing turns on purpose, just to challenge the car’s unique abilities. However, with such a small wheelbase and quick steering, the car is very fidgety on the highway at speeds over 80 km/h.

As usual, my love/hate relationship with the CVT continues, as the iQ comes standard with the fuel-efficient transmission that gave me an impressive 5.4L/100 km rating even with a heavy right foot. Nevertheless, for those not hell bent on hyper-miling, a manual box would work well in the iQ. Despite the uninterrupted howl of the CVT, the iQ exceeded all my expectations and was not only a fun car to look at, but was good fun to operate as well. The added versatility will likely pull a few more people over to the small side; however, for those who hate the micro-cars, their numbers are only going to get larger.

SPECIFICTIONS:

MSRP: $16,760

Price as tested:

Layout: Front Engine, FWD

Engine: 1.3L 4-cylinder

Transmission: CVT

Curb weight: 960 kg

Fuel Efficiency (city, hwy, comb.): 5.5L/100km, 4.7L/100km, 5.1L/100km