Wrenching on one’s personal automobile is intimidating for the inexperienced, so it’s usually simpler for people to pay extra money for a brand new automobile that has a guaranty than to purchase an affordable used automobile that may want some work. A Canadian TV present referred to as “Roulez au Suivant,” or “Transfer on to the Subsequent,” tackles the exhausting a part of refurbishing a high-mileage automobile. Hosted by Quebecois automotive journalist Antoine Joubert, he and his staff refurbish worn out automobiles and provides them away to people or organizations in want. The present’s newest challenge is that this 2008 Hyundai Elantra with a million kilometers on the clock that bought a makeover within the fashion of the trendy Elantra N.
Present host Joubert truly crossed this Elantra’s millionth-kilometer mark again in 2020 when reporting on the automobile and its proprietor, and Hyundai Canada donated the car to the present to make the restoration potential. The earlier proprietor, Jocelyn Roy, was a supply driver who claims to have pushed at least 107,000 kilometers per yr and adopted a strict upkeep schedule. Roy was the one at hand his refurbished Elantra’s keys to its new proprietor, first-time automobile 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 better 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 lots. The odometer stopped at 999,999 kilometers, so the staff 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 automobile’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 befell at Hyundai Granby, the dealership that bought this Elantra to Roy again in 2011 when its odometer learn simply 30,000 kilometers, however the staff 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 staff selected to pay homage to Hyundai’s recently-established N efficiency car division by portray this pre-Elantra-N Elantra a lightweight blue hue just like the N Division’s signature shade Efficiency Blue. After I first noticed pictures of this creation I believed it and its red-lined physique package had been a sick joke, however the extra I have a look at it, the extra I prefer it. Sadly, there’s no point out of precise efficiency upgrades added to this financial system automobile, however not less than it’s bought a guide transmission. Regardless of being an Elantra N wannabe, this little Elantra has a terrific story to inform, and hopefully many extra kilometers of protected journey in its future.
