NEW ADDITION TO CANADIAN MOTORSPORT HALL OF FAME FEATURED IN DISPLAY AT THE CME

TORONTO, ON / FEBRUARY 2, 2012 – The Canadian Motorsport Hall of Fame will feature the latest addition to the Hall’s collection at its display during the Canadian Motorsports Expo. The three-day show runs February 10, 11 & 12 at the International Centre, adjacent to Toronto’s Pearson Airport.

The vehicle is a Grand-Am Daytona Prototype, owned by the Wilkins Family. The car – Riley Chassis #001 – is the first-ever Riley DP produced for Grand-Am competition, and was active between 2003 and 2011. Originally owned by Chip Ganassi, the car won several races for Ganassi Racing. It also won while being race-prepped and run by Woodbridge, Ontario’s AIM Autosport.

The car’s appearance at the Canadian Motorsports Expo, Powered by Inside Track Motorsport News, will mark the first time that the vehicle – restored to its most memorable ‘AIM era’ colours – will be publicly displayed by the Hall of Fame. The vehicle was loaned to The Hall late last year.

In addition to exhibiting the AIM Daytona Prototype, the Canadian Motorsport Hall of Fame (CMHF) booth at the CME will be staffed by several inductees to the Hall, including Canadian racing champions Craig Hill, Bill Brack, Ron Fellows and Ross de St. Croix. Hall of Fame Chairman Dr. Hugh Scully and motorsport journalists Dean McNulty (Toronto Sun) and Norris MacDonald (Toronto Star) will also be making guest appearances at the CMHF booth during the show.

“Having Riley DP Chassis #001 make its public debut for the Canadian Motorsport Hall of Fame – in the AIM colours that Canadians remember so well – is very big news for the Canadian Motorsports Expo,” said the CME’s David Weber. “The car, the inductees and special guests will educate and entertain racing fans at the show. We appreciate that the Hall is making the CME part of its efforts to promote Canada’s great racing history.”

Several other members of the Hall of Fame are also expected to be on hand to meet with show visitor and to discuss the Hall’s future plans. Be sure to stop by the CMHF exhibit (Booth #417) in Hall 6 for details on inductee and special guest appearances during the CME. For more information about the Canadian Motorsport Hall of Fame, contact Sid Priddle at sidpriddle@yahoo.ca. Or visit them on the web at www.cmhf.ca.

Porsche 911 GT3 RSR

New customer sport top model for 2012 race season

Stuttgart. The new Porsche 911 GT3 RSR is ready to race. The top model of Porsche Motorsport’s customer racing vehicles will head into the 2012 season with extensive modifications. Particularly striking at first glance are the changes to the body: the width of the new GT3 RSR has grown by 48 millimetres. Built to conform to the A.C.O. “LM” GTE regulations, the 911 represents the crowning pinnacle of a range of successful customer sport race cars that are based on the 997 type 911 GT3 RS street sports car.

Powering the new 911 GT3 RSR is a particularly efficient six-cylinder boxer engine with a four-litre capacity. With a mandatory air-restrictor, it generates 460 hp (338 kW) and drives the 310 millimetre wide rear wheels. The diameter of the front wheels has increased by 30 mm to now measure 680 millimetres. The Porsche sequential six-speed gearbox is operated via paddle shifts on the steering wheel.

The nose and rear panels are adapted to the flared front and rear wheel arches, as are the door sill and the wheel arch coverings. The aerodynamic concept is complemented by a new ducting of the intake air. Openings in the rear side sections, as known from the turbo variants of the Porsche 911, replace the air scoop on the engine hood, which is very similar to the 911 GT2 RS street sports car.

The new 911 GT3 RSR can be raced at the Le Mans 24 Hours, the FIA World Endurance Championship, the Le Mans Series, the American Le Mans Series as well as the International GT Open and in other series and races.

“Our customer teams can expect a technically mature, high performance race car with which they will be highly competitive at international long distance races,” assures Hartmut Kristen, Head of Porsche Motorsport. “Our test programme on various international race tracks is currently running at full speed. We are very pleased with the car’s performance and driveability.”

The new Porsche 911 GT3 RSR will be delivered to customer squads around the world from January 2012. The selling price is 498,000 Euro plus value added tax of the respective countries.

2012 Honda Civic

ALLISTON, ON, Oct. 19, 2011 /CNW/ – Honda of Canada Mfg. (HCM) in Alliston, Ontario, announced today it has returned to regular production levels. As a result, the supply of vehicles, including the all-new 2012 Honda Civic, is returning to normal at Honda dealerships across Canada. After the devastating earthquake and tsunami in Japan this spring, HCM production was reduced to approximately 50 per cent during the summer months due to the shortage of critical parts from that region.

Approximately 95 per cent of Honda vehicles sold in Canada are produced in North America. Prior to the March 11 earthquake in Japan, HCM was assembling more than 28,000 vehicles per month, bound for sale in Canada and the U.S. While the majority of Honda’s parts and materials are sourced locally, certain critical parts are supplied from Japan for global efficiency. As a result, vehicles produced at HCM were adversely affected by the earthquake, especially the 2012 Civic.

The reduced summer production schedule resulted in Plant 1 consolidating its two shifts into one shift operation. As well, several non-production days were scheduled during the reduced production period. On those days, Associates had a variety of options including taking part in business improvement activities, training, and volunteering. This schedule helped Associates provide 325 hours of community support to local food banks, humane societies and Habitat for Humanity.

“We are extremely thankful for the dedication, support and flexibility of our 4,200 Associates through these challenging times,” said Jon Minto, senior vice president of Honda of Canada Mfg. “We also know that our Canadian operations play a large role in our local community, so we are pleased to return to regular production.”

The resulting production reductions affected a number of Honda’s vehicles, but particularly the all-new 2012 Honda Civic which had begun production just prior to the March 11 Japan earthquake. As Canada’s top-selling passenger car for the past 13 years, Civic is an important car in Canada, with more than 1.6 million sold since 1973 and more than 930,000 – nearly 60 per cent – of those still on the road.

In September, Plant 1 (which builds the Civic Sedan, Civic Coupe, and the Civic Si coupe and sedan) returned to two shift operations. This month, both Plant 1 and Plant 2 returned to pre-earthquake production levels on all four shifts.

“This challenging year reminds us of the deep relationship we have with our Associates, dealers and customers,” said Jerry Chenkin, executive vice president of Honda Canada Inc. “It is heartening to know that so many customers patiently waited for our all-new Civic while production was reduced. The Civic truly lives up to its promise as a car for everyone and we’re excited to have the production capabilities back online to supply the growing demand.”

About the 2012 Honda Civic

Designed to better meet the diverse needs of the compact car buyer, the 2012 Honda Civic has improved fuel economy across all of its models with the coupe, sedan and hybrid also featuring Honda’s ECO Assist™ technology – an innovation that can enhance efficient vehicle operation while providing feedback to promote more efficient individual driving styles.

Performance has also been improved for the ninth generation Civic, particularly with the Si models which are equipped with a larger, more powerful 2.4-litre engine, delivering 201 horsepower with 170 lb.-ft. of torque and a revised 6-speed manual transmission.

“The all-new Civic has evolved with the changing needs of our customers by adding the green, safe and fun features they asked for,” said Mr. Chenkin. “An exceptional value package has been created for Canadian consumers by combining added standard equipment and a price reduction for the all-new Civic. Built for Canadians, by Canadians, Civic offers the most diverse line-up in the industry to best meet the needs and preferences of individual Canadians.”

For further information about the entire Honda line-up, please visit www.honda.ca.