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Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON - After three full days of testing 57 new vehicles around the Niagara airport facility in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, the Automobile Journalist Association of Canada’s (AJAC) Test Fest has announced their category winners.  

To get you up to speed – Test Fest is an annual gathering of Canadian automotive journalists. They come together to test all of the vehicles under identical road, track, or off-roading conditions in order to come up with an unbiased winner for each category as well as the finalists for the Canadian Car of the Year.

Here are the vehicles that won and have been subsequently entered in the Canadian Car of the Year competition:

BEST NEW SMALL CAR (under $21k): Hyundai Accent
BEST NEW SMALL CAR (over $21k): Hyundai Elantra
BEST NEW FAMILY CAR (under $30k): Kia Optima
BEST NEW FAMILY CAR (over $30k): Kia Optima Hybrid
BEST NEW LUXURY CAR: Mercedes-Benz C-Class C350 4MATIC Sedan
BEST NEW PRESTIGE CAR (over $75k): Mercedes-Benz S-Class S350 BlueTEC 4MATIC
BEST NEW SPORTS/PERFORMANCE CAR (under $50k): Hyundai Veloster
BEST NEW SPORTS/PERFORMANCE CAR (over $50k): BMW 1 Series M Coupé
BEST NEW SUV/CUV (under $35k): Dodge Journey
BEST NEW SUV/CUV ($35k-$60k): Volkswagen Touareg TDI Clean Diesel
BEST NEW SUV/CUV (over $60k): BMW X3

The results were compiled by the international accounting firm KPMG and kept confidential until this morning’s press conference.  The over 70 journalists will once again take the winning cars out for test drives to determine the Canadian Car of the Year and Vehicle of the year winners.  Those winners will be announced at the Canadian International AutoShow in Toronto, Ontario on February, 16th, 2012.

ST. JOHN’S, NL - An international roster of competitors and fans will converge on St. John’s on September 9, 2012, for the start of the 11th edition of Targa Newfoundland and the beginning of a new decade for Canada’s longest and toughest motorsport event, organizers here have announced.

The annual fall classic will kick off with registration and technical inspection on the Saturday, followed by the traditional ceremonial start and Prologue on the Sunday (September 9). Five grueling days of competition start from St. John’s on Monday (September 10) and conclude back in the capital on Friday, September 14 with the awards gala on Saturday, September 15, 2012.

The event format and route will be similar to past events, says Targa organizer Robert Giannou. Overnight stops along the route will again include Gander, Clarenville and Marystown.

“Each year, we build on the success of the previous year and incorporate the lessons we learn along the way,” says Giannou. “Targa 2011 was the largest and most hotly-contested event in recent years, but also one of the most difficult for our organization. We’ve committed to make Targa 2012 better in every way.”

Work started on the 2012 event the week after the 2011 event ended, Giannou adds, with an innovation from this year expected to be popular next year.

“The new Fast Tour attracted some pretty exciting and exotic cars, and that gained a lot of attention,” he said. “We don’t expect to see another Ferrari in the water any time soon, but we do hope to see more exotic cars from all over the continent on the roads of eastern and central Newfoundland for a week next September.” A rare Ferrari Enzo from Calgary participating in the 2011 Fast Tour ended up in the river in Marystown.

The Autism Society of Newfoundland and Labrador is the official charitable partner of Targa Newfoundland.

Owned and operated by Newfoundland International Motorsports Limited, Targa Newfoundland is one of three internationally recognized Targa motorsports events in the world. The 2012 competition will cover more than 2,000 kilometres of the challenging, twisty roads of the central and eastern portion of Newfoundland, including up to 450 kilometres of closed-road, flat-out Targa stages.

The 2011 Serengeti Sport Collection

It’s finally that time of year when you can slide open the sunroof of your car, grab your shades, and enjoy a nice sunny drive. If you’ve been thinking about buying a new pair of sunglasses, this may be the year. The Driver has investigated some of the new styles coming out from Serengeti Eyewear, and we’re happy to provide you with a few specs.

Four roadside restaurants worth pulling over for

What happens when the seasons begin to change after an especially unforgiving winter? Many of us circle the calendar and begin to count the days until the long-wished-for vacation. For many, the holidays will involve some traditional stopovers on the way to cottage country, but it also presents vacationers with the opportunity to drop in on the many colourful restaurants, diners, and other eateries on and off the highway. Whether out of habit or tradition, there’s perhaps no better time to pull off the road for some good old-fashioned hospitality than when en route to a favourite vacation spot.