Calgary Animal & Bylaw Services is inviting vehicle owners to participate in two public open house demonstrations of the Noise Snare to be held prior to deployment of the mobile device on Calgary streets. The Noise Snare is a photo radar like device but instead of taking a picture of an offending vehicle for speeding, the device will catch motorists with excessively loud vehicles (anything over 96dB).

On Saturday, May 26 and Wednesday, May 30, members of the public can find out just how loud their vehicles are by cruising the City of Calgary emergency vehicle training track in their cars, trucks, SUVS, minivans and motorcycles. The test track is right by Elliston Park where Globalfest is held each year and is right behind the Calgary Fire Department Training Academy.

The excessive vehicle noise provision was added to the Calgary Traffic Bylaw last year and sets the limit at 96 decibels. At that level and beyond, a $200 fine can be assessed. This is equivalent to the sound of a power saw from one metre away.

The Noise Snare will be deployed as of May 31 but no tickets will be issued during the first month of operation, instead Bylaw officers will issue warnings and educate the public about excessive vehicle noise. It will be interesting to see how they would “educate” the owner of a Porsche GT3RS that drives by the noise snare as the exhaust on that car would exceed the 96dB limit right off the showroom floor. If you own one, please bring it down to one of the open houses! ;)

WHEN: Saturday, May 26, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Wednesday, May 30, 4 to 8 p.m.
WHERE: Emergency Vehicle Training Track behind the Fire Department Training Academy, 5811 - 23 Ave. S.E.

NOTE: Both events are weather dependent.
Link: Related car forum discussion thread

10 short years ago, a small website was launched for a small group of friends to talk about cars, share car maintenance tips and arrange get togethers and car cruises. It was in the late hours of May 13th that the site was originally up and running on a spare PC that was sitting around collecting dust. Hours of configuration and tweaking later, the forum was officially open to the public–the time was 1:23am on May 14th.

It did not take long for our forum membership to grow but as it grew, the community was tighter than ever. Over all these years our members have built some great relationships, met tons of auto enthusiasts, started new businesses and careers and made some great memories. I just want to say thank you for all the awesome friendships and wonderful memories that the Beyond community has helped build. A huge thank you goes out each and every one of our members who have helped build and shape beyond into what it is today. An equally big thank you to all of our moderators, sponsors and media partners because without your help and support we would not have made it to 10 years.

Shelton (aka rage2) has thrown together a video that highlights some of the big moments of the past 10 years.

There is no arguing that there are a lot of bad drivers in Calgary. However, I think this is the first time that I have ever seen a bad driver explain their erratic driving behavior. I suppose its more accurate to say that one of their passengers is doing the explainin’ ;)

Not very often you spot one of these in town. The BTTF.com Delorean made it’s way into Calgary this week for the Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo. Over on our forums, there has been numerous spottings, and I was able to track it down this afternoon for a close up look at this famous recreation of the ultimate movie car.

This car is very well done, all the way down to the flux capacitor between the drivers and passenger seats. Even Mr Fusion was perfect, with the exception of the sticker (it read Mr. Compassion, and converted into a donation box for Parkinson’s Disease). It’s turning heads wherever it goes, the car was surrounded by about 20 iPhones where I spotted it, so it wasn’t easy taking photos of the car by itself.

The first “mod” of any of our project cars is a full wrap to protect the brand new paint. We’ve had quite a bit of success with the XPEL Stealth product in our CLK Black Series that we decided to do it all over again for the CBS. Our car was optioned with Obsidian Black metallic paint, and with the matte clear paint protection film, it creates a Satin finish due to the metallic flakes reflecting back from under the film.

Thanks to the team over at Shadow Tinting, they meticulously wrapped the entire car, 3M’d all carbon fibre pieces, and added window protection film to the huge glass roof. They allowed us to setup our cameras to capture everything, so we ended up with a timelapse video showing off the entire process. 30 hours of work, compressed down to 3 mins.

The color is not exactly easy to capture on camera, but we were able to get pretty close with our impromptu photoshoot inside the Shadow Tinting bay. Take a close look at the tail lights, our car was fitted with an experimental matte tint from Shadow Tinting, which creates a diffused glow when the brakes are applied, without affecting brightness at all.

The first of the new C63 AMG Coupe Black Series (we’ll just call it the CBS for short) has arrived in Canada! With 3 out of 30 CBS’s in Canada going to Beyonders, I’m lucky enough to take this beast home. I’ve had my order in for this car since 2010, well before any official announcements, and finally, she’s in my hands!

First impressions of the car… awesome. I owned the predecessor to the CBS, the CLK63 Black Series, which was nearly the perfect car for me. The CBS fixes every complaint I had with the CLK63 BS. The Nav and iPod infotainment system is top notch, there’s even an AMG Performance Media screen that shows me my cornering forces, much like the GT-R’s GT5 inspired display. The gearbox is much faster, and the rev matched downshifts are seamless. The new Speedshift MCT has ditched the torque converter, replacing it with a computer controlled clutch, resulting in improved efficiency, meaning more power to the road.

Many of our readers have requested a comparison to the CLK63 BS, so this first drive is going to do just that. The CBS is still going through the break-in period, so there’s only so much that can be tested and compared. The temperatures were quite chilly (down to 5C) so there was no chance for the Dunlop Sport Maxx Race MO tires to get up to their optimal temperature window.

I won’t be able to tell how straight line acceleration compared until after the break-in period, but I was able to run some spirited upshifts and downshifts, and the transmission is the biggest difference between the old and the new. Soft upshifts have been replaced with hard changes in the CBS, with a nice exhaust note accompanying each tap of the paddle as it ran up the gears. Downshifts are seamless with the throttle blip. Gone are the shifts where the chassis gets upset under braking in the wet because there was no blipping in the CLK63 BS.

Much like the CLK63 BS, the CBS is a monster in the corners, and I was able to exceed 1g in a few occasions even in the cold temps. Low speed grip felt identical to the CLK63 BS, while there was much more grip and stability in the higher speed corners, even compared to the predecessor on comparable Pirelli P-Zero Corsas. The CBS is 15 seconds faster than the CLK63 BS at the Nurburgring, and high speed cornering performance is where most of that time is found. One of the differences between the 2 that I noticed was that the CBS in slower corners was not as sharp on turn-in as the CLK63 BS, while high speed corners were identical. Was it the tire temperatures causing this behavior? We’ll find out in the upcoming months.

The suspension is as stiff as ever… my chiropractor will once again be my best friend. Interestingly though, the chassis responds better to the bumps, with less secondary vibrations jarring your spine over bumps compared to the CLK63 BS. The girlfriend test was performed, with a leisuirely drive around town, and she concurred with my observations, the CBS is more acceptable in ride quality than the CLK63 BS, even though each bump is just as hard. Credit this to a stiffer chassis and suspension tuning in the CBS.

This car was spec’d out with every option excluding the Aero pack (I’m getting too old to appreciate that option), so it comes with the previously mentioned Dunlop Sport Maxx R compound tires. I took delivery of the car with 40km on the odometer, and I could already see the difference in tread depth front to rear. I doubt they will last very long, but I’m still hoping. Tire replacement will be a problem, as the Dunlops aren’t available publicly until August, in 5 months.

Stay tuned for a full review of this new Black, as well as the work we have planned for her!

The first of the Beyond C63 Black Series have finally made it to the dealer. Here’s a short gallery of the car right off the train, heading to the dealer for delivery prep. Check back soon on a full review of this awesome machine!

The Driven Car Show is coming back to Calgary for 2012 on June 9, 2012 at the Olympic Oval. Due to roof renovations at the venue last year there was no show, but that is all complete and the show will be making a return and bring more cars and more entertainment than ever before.

We are proud to be the show sponsor again as we feel its important to have a venue for everyone that puts countless hours modifying their vehicles. Whether you build your ride for show, go or both, be sure to register to show off your ride. We are also looking for models that want to work at the show, if you are interested please see the link below.

Keep checking back for the latest info!

Links:
Vehicle Registration
Model Application Info

It’s been nearly 14 years since McLaren produced a road car completely in house for the public. The first time ever a car made not only for Europe, but also for North America. There were projects that had some McLaren Automotive DNA, most recently the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren. The first Ford Mustang SVO was created in conjunction with McLaren. The last of the Buick GNX’s were modified by McLaren (the US company founded by Bruce McLaren to support his Can-Am racers). None of these cars were 100% McLaren, which is what makes the MP4-12C so special. And we got to drive it.

If you’ve followed my writing over the years, you would know that I’m the biggest McLaren fan on the continent. I follow every F1 race live before sunrise, cheer on Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button, wear McLaren watches and shoes, dress in McLaren gear like a typical douchebag to the point where it’s borderline embarrassing. So the chance to drive the new McLaren… let’s just say it’s a notch on the bucket list. With that being said, my job is to be as unbiased as possible in this writeup. Good luck with that.

The first thing I noticed about the car was how small it was. In pictures, the size looks closer to a Corvette. In reality, it’s smaller than my Porsche 911. Pictures don’t do this car justice whatsoever. In person, the lines are more aggressive, but still conveying the sense that every curve is there because the CFD simulations and wind tunnel testing says so. Design driven by technicality, with a touch of emotion. That’s not entirely a bad thing, but many will criticize that it’s not exotic looking enough. We’ll get back to that.

Jumping in the driver’s seat, as with every gullwing scissor door car I’ve driven, requires a bit of acrobatics for the untrained. It’s not as bad as some cars, definitely easier to get in and out of than a Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG, but it surely isn’t the ideal car to take a girl out on a date. Women with short skirts will be exposing a lot trying to get into the passenger seat for the first time, which I guess would make it an ideal car to take on a date. Of course, this is a driver’s car, and every piece of instrumentation, controls, is slightly angled, aimed and wrapped around the driver. And now, my first criticism. The way the monocoque is shaped, there is not much room for your left foot. I have size 12 feet, and I had to readjust the position so that the left foot didn’t interfere with my right foot on the brakes. Took a minute or two to get used to. As with any exotic, rear view is limited, and without backup cameras, it was a bit nerve wracking backing out of the parking lot onto the street.

Out on the road, the biggest surprise was how soft the car was in the normal mode. I’ve owned cars that punish the spine on a simple drive to the grocery store, so my description of soft might not be the same as someone who drives a family hauler. The best comparison I can make would be a BMW 335 in terms of ride quality. I did not expect an exotic to eat up bumps the way it did while still offering cornering forces that would embarrass most sports cars. Accelerating through the rev band, the sound was fairly tame too, which meant that I needed to change the powertrain and suspension settings to Sport.

It’s a completely different car in sports mode. The suspension tightens up, now closer to a 911 Turbo in terms of stiffness, the exhaust bark of the 600hp 3.8L twin turbo V8 is much more pronounced at high rpm’s, and the double clutch gearbox drops the clutch a little faster and harder on changes. Surprisingly, cornering felt about the same as normal mode, but turn-in was much sharper. Credit goes to the suspension and computer tuning department at McLaren to make the Normal mode perform the way it does while riding as smooth as it does. In track mode, the suspension stiffens up even more and the traction control backs off a bit, allowing a bit of sideways fun.

On a 0-100 run, which takes a blazing 3.3 seconds, there was absolutely no fuss. A bit of turbo lag at our higher altitude, but not worse than any other turbo car off the line. The computers perform an excellent job of managing traction, minimal wheelspin, just delivering the maximum amount of power that the 305/30-20 tires can handle. Each gearshift pounded into the next gear without any loss of power, the limited slip and traction control system ensuring that the car tracks perfectly straight. Hard on the carbon brakes for the next turnoff, the rear wing flips up and acts as an airbrake, reducing the already poor rear visibility to zero, giving you a completely valid excuse when you get pulled over 20 blocks later. Sorry officer, I didn’t see you back there. The carbon brakes, in conjunction with the air brake, hauls the car down fast. I misjudged every single braking point early by buslengths in my short drive.

And with that, criticism #2, which can be looked at as a compliment. The McLaren MP4-12C is a car that drives you, much like the GT-R, albeit significantly faster. It’s so easy and effortless to drive it fast that it instills a lot of confidence, and when you run out of confidence, the computers will save your ass. Over the years, my driving preference has swayed back and forth between cars that can help you drive consistently at the limit, and cars that takes 20 laps before you can sneak in a lap anywhere close to the limit. Today, I prefer cars that you have to learn, rather than cars that will let you nail a hot lap after 10 mins behind the wheel, hence, the criticism.

One of the interesting features of the MP4-12C is the gearbox’s pre-cog function. Much like a DSLR’s shutter button, the shift paddles has a half press to signal what gear you want next (lower or higher), allowing slightly quicker shifts. In reality, I couldn’t tell the difference between using pre-cog or not. The car knew exactly what I wanted to do, especially if you’re driving hard, just like any other dual clutch gearbox.

Near the end of the drive, I made my way through some city traffic, which let me get a sense of driving this car in the city. The dual clutch gearbox isn’t the smoothest one out there in city driving, slightly clumsy on shifts, which was a lot like the first generation VW DSG’s. This is not the first dual clutch exotic that’s exhibited this behavior, the Mercedes SLS AMG had the same issues, which was ironed out with a software update, so hopefully this will be addressed in the future. Another oddity, nobody knows what a McLaren is in North America. Driving around in a Ferrari, every gold digger is looking over wanting a piece of the action. In a GT-R, every kid is taking pictures of you like you’re a rock star. Not so in the McLaren, people have no idea what it is, and writes it off as just another sports car. And to me, that’s a good thing. Not so much if you are looking for a gold digger, or impressing young boys.

Overall, an absolutely amazing car, although slightly clinical. The McLaren MP4-12C is nearly the perfect daily drivable exotic that one day will end up in my garage. If you’re looking to add one to your stable, head on over to McLaren Toronto, there are a few allocations left this year for some lucky owners.

Calgarians cross the Peace Bridge during Grand Opening Festivities

Love it, or hate it it is finally open. The Peace Bridge was officially opened today with a celebration put on by the City. Thousands of Calgarians made it down to check out the bridge by walking and cycling across the span. Many people were there with cameras in hand snapping pictures of the unique looking bridge which does not have any supports in the river. It is unarguably an iconic structure that we will no doubt see pop up in images of Calgary around the world.

A few food trucks were parked on the south side of the bridge including the mini donuts trailer which had a huge lineup for most of the day. There was even a vendor selling lattes for the elite users of the bridge that live in Sunnyside (hah!). Despite the gloomy weather, and the lack of landscaping work it seemed as though everyone had a good time.

Ald. Druh Farrell wipes away tears

For Ald. Druh Farrell, it was obvious the opening was an emotional moment. She was seen on numerous occasions wiping away tears as people came up to her. Time will tell if Calgarians that are opposed to the bridge will get over it and move on. It is a shame that the bridge is over-shadowed by such controversy as it really does look great. It will only look better once the landscaping is complete–it was nixed to keep the project on budget. Right now it is a giant mud pit around the paved paths leading up to the bridge.

Rick Bell from the Calgary Sun who doesn’t hide the fact that he absolutely hates the bridge was on hand. You can tell he didn’t really care for what Ald. Druh Farrell had to say though ;) He probably would have told her how he felt about the bridge in person but maybe Farrell’s security detail provided enough intimidation to scare him away. I wonder if she was expecting throngs of protestors at the opening celebrations or if she normally travels with them in tow.

If you didn’t go down to check it out, be sure to go down and walk or cycle over the bridge. Is is nearly two vehicle lanes wide with separate cycling and walking paths. In fact, it can accomodate so many people that I hope all future Bow River flow events are held on the bridge so we don’t have to close off vehicle infrastruture (Memorial Drive) when we have this beautiful pedestrian infrastructure in place.

Peace.