After famously cheating death in an 800-degree fireball in 1976, Niki Lauda passed away peacefully in his sleep in a hospital in Zurich, surrounded by family members in 2019. But who was the man who defied death and the odds to become one of the most legendary racing drivers of all time? Who was racing car driver Niki Lauda? Lauda’s death left the world without a man who gave so much to the sport of motor racing, who revolutionized it and brought joy to the fans. His bravery, his level-headedness, perseverance and ingenuity will be his legacy. Beginnings Andreas Nikolaus Lauda was … [Read more...]
Car Depreciation: What Are the Risks? (updated)
When buying a car, in Hamilton Ontario included, you have to be prepared to lose money… Over time. No one wants to throw money away, and whether or not you will do that with a car purchase is up to you and your negotiation skills and the amount of preparation you’ve invested before buying a car. But one thing is for sure – cars tend to lose value as time goes by and start as soon as you drive them off the dealer’s parking lot. New cars usually lose around 11% in value as soon as you take them off the dealer’s lot, and by the end of the first year of driving, their value has decreased by … [Read more...]
10 Most Cost-Effective Hybrid Cars
With the Carbon tax now in full effect throughout Canada, people are looking for new ways to minimize their carbon emissions - which was the Government’s intent in the first place. Among other things, this also means that they are changing their requirements and desires when buying cars. Criteria like car dependability and lifespan still play a big role in choosing the vehicle, but overall, we can see a big shift towards electric and hybrid vehicles being purchased more often. If you are looking to buy a car, and your main criterium is how dependable it is, the latest J.D. Power … [Read more...]
Denise McCluggage: Racecar Journalist on 4 Wheels
If you google the name Denise McCluggage, there are 2 things you will see in every picture of her - her polka dot helmet and her wide smile. With them come incredible memories you can practically feel becoming a part of the longer you look at the pictures of this incredible woman. It’s obvious that the loved what she did and the people she did it with - the titans of the Golden Age of 1960s motorsport. She competed against men as their equal and instilled in them a trust of her so that she would be sure to have the best story at the end of the weekend. In an era when women were often pushed … [Read more...]
Why Aren’t We All Driving Electric Cars by Now?
Driving electric vehicles has its benefits - no doubt - if you disregard the high initial price of the vehicles themselves. Electric cars preserve the environment and help us breath clean(er) air. Moreover, electric cars are cheaper to own than fossil-fuel ones, not just in terms of “fuel” costs - charging costs for an EV are about 20-50% of gassing up a tank in a fossil-fuel car, but also in terms of maintenance. Finally, electric cars are easy to maintain and cheaper if you bear in mind that their systems are simpler than in fossil-fuel cars, thus making them easier to take care of. So why … [Read more...]