Did someone say something about cars or motorcycles? If so, Alexandra Straub’s ears just perked up. A car lover to the core, she recognized her passion for vehicles at an early age. Instead of playing with Barbies™, she played with Micro Machines. Instead of playing ‘house’, she sat in the front seat of her mom’s Mazda MPV and pretended she was a racecar driver. She was even caught, multiple times, reading issues of Road & Track or Car & Driver under her covers when she was supposed to be sleeping. Busted. But that passion turned into a reality when she started her career as an automotive journalist almost a decade ago. While completing her English Literature degree from UBC (she can right and read good!), she was offered a gig to start writing automotive news, which then lead to automotive reviews. She hasn’t turned back since. She has driven almost everything from sub compacts to super cars and loves every second. With hundreds of published articles under her belt, her work can be seen in local and national newspapers, magazine, online and on TV. She’s a weekly columnist for The Voice newspaper and is the co-contributor to www.shiftinggears.ca. She also hosts Shifting Gears Automotive TV, and, of course, has a few other side projects. She’s also very excited for her latest automotive venture with The Province newspaper. Alexandra is a former owner of a Honda CBR600 motorcycle (aka Juanita Sanchez) and is always looking to satiate her need for speed. Whether is has two wheels or four, she often times lives by the motto, “Drive it like it’s stolen.” Responsibly, of course! Alexandra love cars and writing write, so when the opportunity to become an automotive journalist came her way, she didn’t even hesitate to take it. She has hundreds of published reviews under her belt, along with a successful automotive TV show. Alexandra has been published in various national newspapers and have interviewed some very cool racecar drivers and celebrities. She is one of only a handful of female members of the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC.)