Friday, Nov. 13, 1992 ~ North Shore News — FABI SHORT TRACK 2.23 KM SHANNONVINE PAIGMPORT FUMIE. wrectaten ants NELSON | SHOAT TRACK jomsenmaree Photo submilted SHANNONVILLE’S RACE track, located two hours east of Toron- to, proved to be the perfect place to check out vehicles for AJAC’s Car of the Year event. Shannonville tracks perfect for checking handling capabilities From page 38 and dirt, the anti-lock brakes and traction control (if so equipped) were also tested. When there was no car behind me, I stomped on the brakes, sending a cloud of dust up in the air. Once the dust settled, I floored the gas pedal, activating the traction control. This process was repeated at the same section of the road for every car | took out on the road, foi- lowing the apple-to-appie, burger-to-burger principle. The next 10 minutes of the driv- ing loop consisted of a variety of road surfaces: loose gravel, dirt, wooden bridges, and semi-paved road. In some areas, the road twisted back and forth, allowing the vehicles to show off their handling manoeuvres. The last five minutes of the Joop was a relaxing, comfortable tide dack 10 the track. Since the speed limit was 80 km/h, I was able to check out the car, van, or truck’s stability, and ride at near-highway speed. Although the couniry roads provided an excellent test bed for the vehicles, the handling and cornering capabilities couldn’: be checked out. This is where Shannonville’s Fabi ‘fast’ track and Nelson *slow’’ track came into play. The difference in the handling among the competitive cars became crystal clear when they were taken out several times through the tight, twisty corners and hairpins of the 1.8-kilometre Nelson track. Because we had rain over a couple of days during the event, I was able to test the cars* grip and hold on the wei pave- ment as well. The high-performance vehicles, such as the Porsche 928 GTS, Honda Prelude SR-V, and Audi S4 sports sedan, were driven on the Fabi ‘‘fast’’ track. Here, the cars attained speeds of 150 km/h or more, and main- tained three-digit speeds through a good part of the track. Again, driving the competitive cars back-to-back on this track instantly cleared any uncertainty about cars’ high-speed handling capabilities. After several laps around the tracks, cars were brought back to the pit area, where I took my time evaluating the ergonomics, fit- and-finish, roominess, etc. For the four-by-four trucks and sport-utility models, a special off-road circuit was prepared for this Car of the Year event. The four-by-fours were driven over *‘mini’’ hills, gravel roads, and through muddy areas thick enough to be used for a ‘‘Tide” commercial. I felt like Indiana Jones driving through a murky pond, where you learned quickly to keep the revs up or risk getting stuck in the middle of a waist-deep Amazon crocodile hideout. Finally, when convinced that | spent enough time on the vehicle, J filled out the COY’s official rat- ing system, consisting of 10 dif- ferent categories such as comfort, performance, safety features, and value for money. With a possible maximum of 10 points per category, a vehicle could, theoretically, attain 100 points total. Relieve me, even for a hopeless car nut like me, driving and evaluating a vehicle from nine in the morning till five in the after- noon, for three straight days, was a little overwhelming. AT Bick IRWIN'S ANEW CAH OR TRUCK RBOESN’T HAVE TO CoesT $14 C,C00-S$1 5, OOCO,-F20,000 y OF MORE? STARTING AT “THERE IS NO USED 89 HYUNDAI EXCEL Automatic (scratch & cent} Was ‘5,555 HORE USED CAF "91 S10 PICKUP Complete. Canopy, cassette. eic. Was $9,393 Gorgeous car, automatic Was $11,888 89 CHEY CAVALIER Station Wagon, automatic. - - 4 SLE - 4 door - 4X4 wae $7,998 Was $22,988 This is without doubt the best looking, best performing vehicle in its class, if you haven't driven one yet, you owe yourself a treat. “Includes automat 7 fransmission 4 si, Vé.engine. « ONLY 3. as" 15,980 4 BRENTW. LOUGHEED WILLINGDON ° OD; BURNABY®.