Performance is the new green. A bold statement I know, but even Tesla has gotten the memo. You’ve heard about its “insane” mode, right? Well now there’s a “ludicrous” mode and, well, it’s friggin’ nuts. Yes, 0-100 km/h goes by in just 2.85 seconds now. Even just 10 years ago, you’d need a pretty ridiculous V8 or V10 to pull off that kind of number – if it could be done at all – but today it’s possible without burning a single drop of fuel.
Hypercar performance from a zero emissions vehicle used to be a pipe dream, but it’s a lot closer to reality than most would believe. It is the way of the future. That is, performance (not electricity) will be the guiding light for the automotive world over
the next (maybe few) decade(s). It’s inescapable really. Performance is the measuring stick by which success is measured, especially at the luxury end of the market. Be it acceleration, top speed, braking, fuel economy, emissions or aerodynamics, the only path to improvement is to strive for better performance. This fact hasn’t been lost on the OE manufacturers. Rather it has inspired a whole new generation of factory performance vehicles and brands that continue to push the envelope. And for what? Progress silly.
In this issue of Ignition we’ll introduce you to some of the newest factory performance vehicles on the market. Now, we’re not saying you’ll get 4 L/100 km in the new Mustang Shelby GT350, but lessons learned in developing cars like this (as well as through motorsports) will trickle down to future production models. A decade ago, who could have ever predicted a six-cylinder supercar? Now it’s called the Ford GT and, although production is still quite far away, there will be plenty of shakedown time for the EcoBoost V6 as its racing counterpart is set to debut in the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona in a few weeks time. We’ll be following the progress of this amazing car as the clock ticks down, and eagerly await a chance to get behind the wheel of what is poised to be one of the most potent (and important) factory performance vehicles of all time.
In the meantime, we’ll take a look at its stunning design and cool tech on pages 40 to 52; and our editors will introduce you to the new V-Series vis-à-vis the luxe performer 2016 Cadillac CTS-V, fire-breathing Shelby as well as a two of the hottest hatches to ever come out of Bavaria – the Mini Cooper JCW and VW Golf R – with road and track tests of each. We also take a look at some factory performance bargains (read used cars) in case an $80,000 bill for the latest and greatest Shelby ’Stang is too much to foot right now. Either way, we’ve got you covered.
Our regular columnists chime in on the whole factory performance scene, too. And we’ve got even more quick drives and road tests of new vehicles too, including the all-new Nissan Maxima SR (the original 4DSC, or four-door sports car) and Mercedes’ newest crossover – the GLE Coupe.
Our grassroots motorsport reps are back with the latest scoops from their respective regions, and we’ve got bonus coverage of the inaugural Ontario 1500 Motorsport Adventure. On the vintage motoring side of things, George Webster shares his top picks
from the third annual Cobble Beach Concours d’Elegance, and recounts his visit to the Canadian Automotive Museum. Alas, we off er a warm welcome to David Grainger, owner of The Guild of Automotive Restorers and host of HGTV’s Restoration Garage,
who will be joining Ignition’s editorial team to share his love for classics, exotics and more.
Tis also the season to be jolly, so we’ve put together a “Cool Stuff for Car Buff s” guide to help out with last minute gift ideas for the automotively-inclined in your life. If they like cars, you’ll find definitely something in here for them. Whether it’ll be for Christmas or Valentine’s Day is up to you.
From all of us here at Ignition Luxury & Performance, thank-you for a great 2015, and best wishes in 2016.
Shaun Keenan
Managing Editor
