#canada

The 1999 and 2000 Honda Civic Si (known as the SiR in Canada) have been named as Canada’s most stolen cars, with the 2000 model taking the top spot, and the 1999 following it.

Sure we don’t get the special edition Mitsubishi EVOs with even more horsepower, or the Civic Type R, but things could be worse: you could live in Canada. That’s right, while many high-performance vehicles have been denied to us, our friends to the North have had to do without Nissan‘s 370Z NISMO.

The government of Canada is auctioning off a Lamborghini Countach, with bids starting at the low price of $58,000. The vehicle was forfeited to the Canada Revenue Agency (the Canadian IRS) with only 54,000 miles on the clock.

A resident of Vancouver, British Columbia saw his Ferrari get auctioned off by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, after they seized the vehicle for excessive speed in September.

Fiat released their list of retail outlets in the United States and Canada, and one interesting tidbit jumped out at us. While 99% of Fiat franchises are paired with Chrysler dealers, one company, the Remo Ferri Group of Automobiles, which operates two Ferrari locations in the Toronto area, is listed as a distributor.

Where do old Cadillacs go when it’s time to retire? They used to go to the Cadillac ranch in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. But now that the ranch is set to close its gates, old Caddies no longer have a place to roam the open ranges.

Audi’s craziest TT, the TT-RS will officially make it to the United States after an online campaign by Audi convinced the automaker to bring the 360-horsepower sports coupe to America.

Audi executives were initially skeptical of the sales potential of the TT-RS, but planned a limited run of just 250 cars for the Canadian market, where a strong economy and higher vehicle prices would allow Audi to turn a profit on the car. A subsequent petition by Audi showed 11,500 handraisers, as well as a series of positive reviews from American media led the company to go ahead with sales in both markets.

So far, we only know that the only TT-RS available will be the coupe variant, with specifications and pricing still under consideration. We look forward to the arrival of the TT-RS, and the chance to sample a 5-cylinder turbocharged Audi yet again. On the other hand, they will be pricey, and the number of potential buyers is likely a fraction of the 11,500 petition signers.

[Source: Audi]

While Scion vehicles have been available in the United States for a number of years, they have never been officially brought to Canada, despite numerous grey market imports from south of the border.

Now, Scion’s are finally available and Toyota Canada has announced pricing for the distinctively styled compacts. The 5 door xD hatchback starts at $17,200, while the xB will set you back $18,270 loonies. The tC sport coupe will start at $20,850, pricing it competitively with the Honda Civic coupe.

Scion should have a fair amount of success in the Canadian marketplace, with small vehicles being immensely popular in the land of $4/gallon gasoline. Why it’s taken Toyota so long to bring the product here is anyone’s guess.

[Source: Toyota]

Hit the jump to see the official press release

Chevrolet‘s Orlando micro-van has had its first pictures shown ahead of its debut at the Paris Auto Show. Based on the Cruze platform, the Orlando won’t make it to the United States, but is expected to be a strong seller in world markets, as well as Canada, where the compact minivan market has entries from nearly every automaker.

Under the hood is a 1.8L gasoline four-cylinder engine putting out 143 horsepower, along with two 2.0L diesels, making 133 and 165 horsepower. Styling takes on Chevrolet’s “corporate face” out front, while the rest of the car looks conservative and squared off. Inside, the cockpit is said to be inspired by the Corvette with seating for seven passengers.

Autoguide will be on hand in Paris for the Orlando’s debut. Stay tuned for more pictures and info.

Gallery: Chevrolet Orlando

Hit the jump to see the official press release

Auto parts maganate Frank Stronach, who founded Magna International Inc. is being given a $1 billion dollar golden parachute for him to exit the giant corporation he founded in 1957.

Jacques Villeneuve, the Canadian Formula 1 world champion and Indianapolis 500 winner, is headed back to NASCAR for the famous Brickyard 400 in Indianapolis.

A musical based on the story of the ill fated Bricklin SV-1 is set to debut in the Canadian province of New Brunswick, where the SV-1 was assembled over three decades ago.

Nearly a year after Nissan Canada launched a successful social media campaign for their Cube subcompact, the company is getting ready to launch their Juke compact SUV with an innovative microsite.

The Canadian province of Ontario announced that the Nissan Leaf will qualify for the full $8500 rebate on electric vehicles sold in Ontario. The provincial government offers incentives of $5,000 to $8,500 Canadian dollars will apply to electric vehicles sold in the province. The incentives vary based on the size of a cars battery, but the Leaf is able to qualify for the full $8,500 rebate.

Honda dealers in the Canadian province of Ontario are chipping in to help out with the Honda Indy in Toronto, sponsoring the Friday practice on July 16th, and allowing fans to watch the action for free.