Matt Bubbers

Canada, Toronto

This is work. Columnist and car critic for The Globe and Mail @GlobeDrive, and elsewhere. Automotive editor @SharpMagazine. Also @mattbubbers.bsky.social

Articles

tk Canadian car shoppers should brace for tariff price hikes in June

1 week ago | theglobeandmail.com | Matt Bubbers
Canadian car shoppers should brace for tariff price hikes in June

1 week ago | flipboard.com | Matt Bubbers

2 days agoAmerican automakers have made big moves in recent years, shaking off old reputations and giving buyers plenty of reasons to look again. Ford, General Motors and Tesla have all overhauled key models focusing on build quality, technology and reliability, according to Lauren Fix, automotive expert at …
Desert Power: Secretive Defender Dakar D7X‑R Takes Flight Ahead of Rally Debut

2 weeks ago | sharpmagazine.com | Matt Bubbers

In the dunes of Morocco under a blistering sun, Defender conducted the first test of its Dakar D7X‑R prototype ahead of its debut in the World Rally‑Raid Championship (W2RC) and the 2026 Dakar Rally. It’s the most gruelling (and sometimes deadly) off-road race in the world, so the team certainly has its work cut out for it.
The U.S. is holding Canadians back from getting better cars, now is the time for Ottawa to change that

2 weeks ago | theglobeandmail.com | Matt Bubbers
The U.S. is holding Canadians back from getting better cars, now is the time for Ottawa to change that

2 weeks ago | flipboard.com | Matt Bubbers

I’ve been writing for FLYING going on 12 years now, and on the whole it’s been a fantastic chapter of my life. Through this column I’ve met some …
AUTOMOTIVE Data on Wheels - AMA INSIDER

3 weeks ago | amainsider.ama.ab.ca | Matt Bubbers

THERE'S A CLICHÉthat says vehicles have become like rolling smartphones or computers on wheels, and — for better and worse — the cliché is true. Modern vehicles are nearly all connected to the Internet and often to your phone. Just like any other high-tech digital device, like smart fridges and doorbells, new vehicles are constantly collecting personal information on their owners. "When you think about it, your vehicle knows almost everything about you.
Top Off: Land Rover's Classic Defender V8 Goes al Fresco

1 month ago | sharpmagazine.com | Matt Bubbers

There comes a moment in every person’s life when he or she finally realizes that yes — life is simply too short to drive a sensible SUV. Whenever that moment comes for you (and it will come), know that Land Rover’s Classic Works division is ready and waiting to deliver the wonderfully irreverent drop-top Defender of your dreams. Land Rover’s Coventry-based Classic Works team specializes in the ultimate Land Rover Series I and Range Rover Reborn restorations.
Cars are too expensive, but this U.S. EV startup has a solution

1 month ago | theglobeandmail.com | Matt Bubbers
Could the 2025 Porsche 911 GT3 Be the Last of Its Kind?

1 month ago | sharpmagazine.com | Matt Bubbers

Remember when phones had buttons, watches had hands, and sports cars had unfettered gas-burning engines that howled at the moon? That simpler era is fading fast, but Porsche’s latest sports car — the newly revised 2025 911 GT3 — might just be the era’s grand finale. Let’s be clear: this isn’t just another expensive German sports car. The GT3 is to car enthusiasts what a Patek Philippe Perpetual Calendar is to watch collectors. It’s the connoisseur’s choice.
SHARP Drives: Land Rover Defender 130 V8 — The Granddaddy of Them All

1 month ago | sharpmagazine.com | Matt Bubbers

This is the big one, the granddaddy of Defenders, the Defender 130 V8. It’s the biggest model in the lineup, with the biggest engine in Land Rover’s catalogue. It’s meant to go anywhere, with a boat, and half of a soccer team — and if there’s a river or a mountain or a sand dune in the way, it’s no problem. Climbing up and into the big Defender, one can’t help but notice the subtle V8 badges on the bodyside.