Wrenching on one’s personal automotive is intimidating for the inexperienced, so it’s typically simpler for people to pay extra money for a brand new automotive that has a guaranty than to purchase an inexpensive used automotive that can want some work. A Canadian TV present known as “Roulez au Suivant,” or “Transfer on to the Subsequent,” tackles the onerous a part of refurbishing a high-mileage automotive. Hosted by Quebecois automotive journalist Antoine Joubert, he and his crew refurbish worn out automobiles and provides them away to people or organizations in want. The present’s newest mission is that this 2008 Hyundai Elantra with a million kilometers on the clock that obtained a makeover within the type of the trendy Elantra N.
Present host Joubert truly crossed this Elantra’s millionth-kilometer mark again in 2020 when reporting on the automotive and its proprietor, and Hyundai Canada donated the automobile to the present to make the restoration potential. The earlier proprietor, Jocelyn Roy, was a supply driver who claims to have pushed a minimum of 107,000 kilometers per yr and adopted a strict upkeep schedule. Roy was the one handy his refurbished Elantra’s keys to its new proprietor, first-time automotive proprietor and 16-year-old Quebec teen named Éloïc Lachance. Lachance’s mom and brother registered him for the present with out telling him, and he was chosen as the brand new proprietor of the refurbished Elantra to offer him higher autonomy and begin his grownup life off proper.
A million kilometers could also be a shorter distance than a million miles, but it surely’s nonetheless simply over 621,371 miles, which is a hell of loads. The odometer stopped at 999,999 kilometers, so the crew determined to reset it and add the primary to the gauge to honor its true mileage. The Elantra held up properly over these a million kilometers, however Hyundai Canada nonetheless selected to switch the automotive’s engine block earlier than giving it to its new proprietor. It despatched the unique block to Hyundai’s High quality Assurance division for documentation of its longevity, however claims its cylinders and rotating meeting are nonetheless in excellent situation after preliminary inspection. The engine block substitute passed off at Hyundai Granby, the dealership that bought this Elantra to Roy again in 2011 when its odometer learn simply 30,000 kilometers, however the crew of consultants from the tv program carried out the remainder of the restoration.
Now for the elephant within the room — the brand new paint job. Joubert and his crew selected to pay homage to Hyundai’s recently-established N efficiency automobile division by portray this pre-Elantra-N Elantra a lightweight blue hue just like the N Division’s signature shade Efficiency Blue. Once I first noticed photographs of this creation I assumed it and its red-lined physique equipment have been a sick joke, however the extra I take a look at it, the extra I prefer it. Sadly, there’s no point out of precise efficiency upgrades added to this economic system automotive, however a minimum of it’s obtained a handbook transmission. Regardless of being an Elantra N wannabe, this little Elantra has an excellent story to inform, and hopefully many extra kilometers of protected journey in its future.
