Whmtby Free Pres, Wednesclay. November 17, 1993, Page 21 New look for Celica, Supra stli world-class -By Glen Konorowskl This year Toyota has redeaig- ned two of their performance modela, the ever popular Celica and high performance Supra. I was lucky te have spent a littie time in each of these cars during the MJAC (Automotive Journalists Association of Canada) car of the year voting day. I have nover really warmed up te the styvling of the previeus Celicas. Its soft shape really neyer looked proporiond. But the new 1994 mode is a style of car I liked right from the start. The soft but angular lines are much more pleasmng te my oye. The new model will heo offered in two variations -- a basic model the Liftback, and the Lift- back 4Tf. Visually the only dif- ference between dhs two is the email rear spoiler. Like Celicas of the past, the interior is well laid eut and comfortable. The firm but com- fortable seats allow the driver plenty ef rcom and easy accees te aIl controls. Seating, as you migýht expet, is only for four, with lmîted leg and head roem for rearseat pas- sengers. Let's face it, who buys a Cehica for backssat room anyway? Power for the two modela comes in the form of a double- overhead cam four-cylinder. The basic liftback gets a 1.8-litre dis- placement engins, while the Grs ënenisi slightly larger at 2.2 lirs sfor power, the 1.8-litre has 110 horsej"ower at 5,600 rpm. The GT gains an extra 25 horsepower, brmnging its total te 135 horsepower at 5.400 rpm. I e --ove the r% , lar Liftbaclc and was quite ûmpressed with the performance. Te 110 herse- power doesn't seem like ail that much, but with a car that just weighs in at 2,400 pounds (1,095 kilograxns) it's plenty te propel the car wsll. The transmission for this front-wheel drive is either a five- qpeed manual or a four-speed automatic. The car I tested had the five-speed manual. As you would expect from Toyota, this unit worked flawlessly. Shifting up and down through the gears was a treat. Those of y ou who enjoy power and have the funds te afford it, will enjey the Supra. Ibis world- csas super car is ail the fun and power youl11 ever need. Like the Celica, the Supra is a 2+2 (four-person accommoda- tion). Rear-seat room is little te none. Inside the car, aIl instru- ments -are easy te ses and con- trois are well placed for easy reach. The driver's and pas- senger seats are superb, offering good support in high-speed cor- nenng. Power for this littls brute comes i the form of a double- overhead cam m-lins six-cylinder engine. But what's really excit- ing I aotthee t en is the twin turo st-u. A te need for power increases, the rirst turbo kicks in. Through the mid-range the second turbo starts to rev up and add to the boost gîven by the firet turbo. In al-out perfor- mance both turbos punch out full boost, giving the engine 320 horsopower and 315 pounds/foot of torque at 4 000 rm Ail this technica jargon trans- lates to amazing ainounts of power. Tovota's own zero-to-60- mie-erhu times are 5.1 seconè and 13.5 seconds to cover the quarter mile. My sport test drive in the Supra confirned these numbors. The car I drove was the manual equipped six-speed version of the rsar-wheel-drive rocket (a four- epeed automatic is available). Prices for the S',pra start at $59,800, while the *elca has a starting price of $21,400. by JiI Mclntosh Road sign returned North Anierica has a lovei affair with the automobile andi aise, with ail things related te it.4 One of the most popular1 decorator items is r-ad signe,1 whether thsy're reproductionsg bought frem stores or the real1 thing. Earlier this year, such a road ign gave mae the opportunity te cortact semso".) mors interested in giving oe back than taldng oe away. In the 19309, Paul Wood of Nebraska was a child whoee family was interested in visiting the famous Dionne quintuplets in North Bay. At that time Highway 2 was the enly major thoroughfare from the U.S. border, and that's how the Wood faxily travelled. Ho still remembers two things fromn the trip: watching the littîs girls playing in their special compound and watching as oe of hie relatives 'liberatsd' a Hlighway 2 road ign fremn its post. "Ho was a member of the military," Paul teld me, " and ho told me hoe had permission fromn the RCMP te talcs it. I seriouely doubt it, but that's the story ho told."l The 12-inch by 19-inch porclain sign, with 'the King's Hlghway' and a crown on top, decorated the walls of eeveral houssa in Nebraska and Oklahoma until 1991 when Woed inherited it. Ho had alwaya foît it belonged back in Canada, and when it was flnally hie, ho decided te talcs steps te, return it. Each Sunday, the Toronto Star newepaper runa a lettera page and Paul wrote, asking if anyone could suggest a possible homo for the sign, where it could ho on public display. Ho had expected a few replies, but was completelyovrhle and flnally stope couniting at 70. Many were from people who wanted it for their private collections and soveral effsred te, buy it. Several museume asked for it, aud Paul had te, begin the task of deciding the beat place for the sign te end Up. The final choice, after almoat soen montha ef research (most of it dons by areresentative fiom the Children's Wiah Foundatien on Paul'à bohail was the iniatry of Transportation. A car museum might have seemed a logical choie, but Paul la a stauuch environmientalist - ho drives an electric car that ho plugaito hie clothes dryer outiet - and ho preferred 'the miniatrY becauso it a"s works with public transportation. The igu willeventually snd up in St. Catharinës, where the ministry is rslocating its head office and planning a transportation museun. The Hlighway 2 sign, with an explanatory letter from Paul, will ho cisplayed there. Hlis ody~ recommendation te the ministry, as ho outlined in hie letter, is te "use somne of those pilfor-proof boîta and nuts te feston it securely. I don't want te hear about seme Yank ewiping it and leaving it up te their id te return it 50 years later." Who aaye the newa je always bad? After mors than half a century, a littîs piece of Canada is comning homo. 1994 TOYOTA SUPRA TURBO "We like our Satum - it's a great car - comfortable and safe. When we needed service, and the chips were down, the Motorcity staff took care of us. They know how \to take care of customers. Great service is what it's ail about Bonjour à toutes mes amies de traduction à EDS! Marielle Chaumont & Jocelyn Menard, Whitby NEW '94 SL 4 DOOR Mlay Requioe Factory Ordier $11,595 t>Pnoes exdcue feih taxes and lcerse. ~~~E~g4 SUS- NEW 1994 SATUR SL 1 Auto, air bag ite ass Pspbfront disk braýkes, reardfrot Mq4hr.'roasOie'assesance. $13725 Prces exdlude freght, taxes and icense. NEW 1994 SCOI 5rspçedur '% e s . taxe a d is MOOCT AUNeSA SZ SATLRN r A