When Prince Charles and his wife Camilla have arrived in Canada to mark the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.

Prince Charles and his wife, Camilla, have landed in Fredericton, with New Brunswick the first stop on their three-province tour.

Filed under: Aftermarket, SUV, Audi, Luxury

Can't wait for Bentley to start producing the EXP 9 F? Sold on the idea but not on the execution? Armortech may be able to help you out.

They've teamed up with Atelier Valdeig to turn the Audi Q7 into something of a Bentley SUV, only without the Bentley badge. Called the Tresor (from the French word for "treasure"), the custom Q7 igets fully restyled, and boasts an interior that has been (or will be, from the look of the cabin renderings) retrofitted to Bentley-like levels of opulence.

The customizers can base their modifications on any version of the Q7, all the way up to the 493-horsepower V12 turbodiesel, and can even stretch the wheelbase or armor it - a particularly sought-after feature in markets where security is a luxury. The full press release is posted below, and you can check out the renderings in the photo gallery for a closer look.

Continue reading Armortech and Atelier Valdeig outfit the Audi Q7 to Bentley standards

Armortech and Atelier Valdeig outfit the Audi Q7 to Bentley standards originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 20 May 2012 14:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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As Bill Closs reflects on the rising controversy over the collection of racial statistics at Ottawa police traffic stops, his mind goes back to 2003, when he was mocked and abused for challenging established thinking on racial profiling in policing.

May 18

Festibiere in Gatineau next weekend...anyone going? Should be interesting, i looked up the vendors and it`s got quite a good selection of food and beer. Mostly Quebec brewers.

3 BBQ vendors will be there including Crabby`s BBQ from Londo Ontario and Memphis BBQ from QC city.

Anyone attended last year? It rained the whole weekend if i remember correctly, i decided not to go.

Toronto police Chief Bill Blair seeks permission to discipline 30 of his officers, including two senior officers, in the wake of a damning report on police actions during the G20 summit in 2010.

Filed under: China, Crossover, Aston Martin, Luxury

Automakers are usually pretty decisive. They either build a car or they don't. But Aston Martin has embarked down a bumpier road with Lagonda.

Aston bought the Lagonda marque way back in 1947, but after operating it as a separate brand for a few years, it let the brand peter out in the 1950s and 60s. The moniker was revived as a nameplate on a handful of Aston Martin sedans beginning in the 1970s, but that was pretty much the last we saw of it until the 2009 Geneva Motor Show.

That's when the British automaker unveiled the rather unusual concept vehicle (pictured above) to revive the Lagonda name once again as a separate brand. It was meant to test the waters, and the response was not favorable. So it had appeared that AML was dropping the L from its initials and the entire project along with it. But as a stand-alone niche automaker looking to stay afloat in a rapidly amalgamating industry, Aston needs to produce more than front-engined, rear-drive, two-door GTs. And the Rapide sedan apparently isn't going to be enough, so it looks as if that the Lagonda project could be back on the table.

According to Autocar, the real impetus, however, could be coming from emerging markets in Asia - particularly China, but also the Middle East and Russia. The timing for a high-end luxury crossover built by a company known for its exotic sports cars, however, could prove to be good timing or poor: Maserati, Lamborghini and Bentley are all entering the segment in the coming years, so if Aston wants to get a slice of that lucrative pie pioneered by Porsche, it had better get those wheels in motion.

Chinese demand could prompt Aston Martin to press on with Lagonda revival originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 18 May 2012 19:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Conservative MP Ted Opitz's federal election win last year in Etobicoke Centre has been declared null and void following a court challenge by former Liberal MP Borys Wrzesnewskyj.

Filed under: Sedan, Performance, Tokyo Motor Show, Hatchback, Subaru

There was nary a peep of discontent about the looks of the Subaru Advanced Tourer concept revealed at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show. But when everyone was clamoring for Scooby to transfer the Advanced Tourer's looks to a production vehicle, never once did people ask for that transfer to be foisted on the WRX. A report in Motor Trend, though, says that's what's happening: the concept "was actually an early look at the next-generation Subaru WRX."

MT's sources said the front end Advanced Tourer's front end will go onto the WRX, with other aspects of the concept made more aggressive to suit the personality of Subaru's rally-ready racer. And if the concept also presages the next WRX's dimensions, then you can expect the next-generation sedan and hatchback to be larger (though in truth we don't anticipate a big gain in footprint).

Notice the name "Impreza" hasn't appeared anywhere in our discussion yet. Subaru is reportedly dropping the name in an attempt to get more 'Likes' for the WRX by making it more approachable, so the next model will relinquish its association with the Impreza line and be more performanced focused even as it is receives a better interior and is morphed into a "more-mature sporty grand tourer." Engine choices are still being debated for the car due in 2015; the rumored options include 1.6-liter and 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinders and a hybrid version of the 1.6-liter.

Next Subaru WRX previewed by Advanced Tourer concept originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 18 May 2012 16:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Forbes takes a fresh look at the layered share structure through which Bernard Arnault holds his fortune and lowers our estimates.