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Episode #067 – Luxury SUVs, Plug-in Minivans and Bad Decisions

Wheel Bearings
Wheel Bearings
Episode #067 - Luxury SUVs, Plug-in Minivans and Bad Decisions
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Sam spends time with the Range Rover Velar and laments touchscreens that can’t be seen through polarized sunglasses. Dan continues to be impressed by the Genesis G80 and lauds the Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid as a great family hauler that is also really efficient. Rolls-Royce follows the crowd and launches and SUV named after what else? a massive diamond. The guys lament the deather of the Cadillac ATS. Waymo is learning to see through snow, Uber can see but doesn’t know what to do and battery fires don’t always stay extinguished. Links Rolls-Royce Cullinan Waymo Learning to See Through Snow Uber Can See But Still Doesn’t Know What To Do Self-re-igniting batteries Cadillac ATS dies     Wheel Bearings has launched a Patreon. If you like the show and would like to chip in toward the cost of producing and hosting it you can join at https://www.patreon.com/wheelbearingsmedia

Episode #066 – Plug-ins, Hybrids, Diesels and AV Safety

Wheel Bearings
Wheel Bearings
Episode #066 - Plug-ins, Hybrids, Diesels and AV Safety
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After a week off, the guys are back with lots of stuff to talk about. Since the last show, Sam has been in the Mini Countryman Cooper S E (where do they come up with these naming conventions?) and the BMW 530e xDrive while Dan has found himself surprisingly enamored with the Toyota Camry Hybrid. While electrification is the future, it’s not the only solution for improving efficiency, especially in the big trucks that Americans favor. That’s why Ford is launching a diesel engine in the F-150. Someday we may not be actively driving anymore but we’re still a long way from that being commonplace. Sam compares the hype for automated vehicles to the currently reality and the hype just doesn’t hold up. Oh and Amazon can deliver packages to your trunk. Links Ford F-150 Diesel first drive BMW picks Innoviz solid state lidar The… Read More »Episode #066 – Plug-ins, Hybrids, Diesels and AV Safety

Episode #063 – Praising Sedans, Self-Crashing Teslas and Self-Driving Waymo-Jaguars

Wheel Bearings
Wheel Bearings
Episode #063 - Praising Sedans, Self-Crashing Teslas and Self-Driving Waymo-Jaguars
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This week, Dan and Sam come in favor of a couple of very different sedans, the plug-in hybrid BMW 740e and the latest generation Honda Accord. Despite how different these cars are, both feature a 2.0-liter turbocharged four cylinder engine under the hood. The show is a bit late because Sam was travelling in California last week for the Nvidia GPU Technology Conference. Meanwhile on the opposite coast, Waymo and Jaguar announced a deal, Nissan unveiled an Altima with variable compression ratio, VW took the wraps off a pickup truck concept, and Lincoln showed the first of new generation of vehicles from Ford. Sam also goes on a rant about another fatality in a Tesla running on AutoPilot. We remind you that NONE of the vehicles currently in production with various levels of partial automation are self-driving. These are all driver assist systems and we… Read More »Episode #063 – Praising Sedans, Self-Crashing Teslas and Self-Driving Waymo-Jaguars

Episode #062 – Death By Uber, Cadillac Goes To 8

Wheel Bearings
Wheel Bearings
Episode #062 - Death By Uber, Cadillac Goes To 8
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This week Car and Driver transportation editor Pete Bigelow drops by get some family car buying advice and discuss the first pedestrian fatality from an automated vehicle. Dan drives the Nissan Armada while same raves about the Kia Stinger and Cadillac has a new twin-turbo V8 engine. Links Autonomous Uber kills a pedestrian Cadillac Gets A New Twin-Turbo V8   Wheel Bearings has launched a Patreon. If you like the show and would like to chip in toward the cost of producing and hosting it you can join at https://www.patreon.com/wheelbearingsmedia

Episode #060 – Sedans, Expensive Electric Crossovers and Student Robots

Wheel Bearings
Wheel Bearings
Episode #060 - Sedans, Expensive Electric Crossovers and Student Robots
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Sam returns from duty as a judge at a FIRST Robotics competition and gives his impressions of the 2018 Toyota Camry. Dan finds himself surprisingly enamored with the Acura TLX A-Spec. Following the Geneva Motor Show, the Jaguar i-Pace is officially on sale in Europe and coming to America soon. It will be followed by a pair of electric Porsches, the Mission E sedan and then the Mission E Cross Turismo. Ford patents a repair drone for its automated vehicles and guys dish out more car buying advice. Links Jaguar i-Pace Porsche Mission E Cross Turismo Ford autonomous repair drone First Robotics MI Kids on the Move Power Racing Series Wheel Bearings has launched a Patreon. If you like the show and would like to chip in toward the cost of producing and hosting it you can join at https://www.patreon.com/wheelbearingsmedia

Episode #058 – A Fast Jeep, Driving Assists and a Volvo Triple

Wheel Bearings
Wheel Bearings
Episode #058 - A Fast Jeep, Driving Assists and a Volvo Triple
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Dan and Sam fired up the recorders late Friday night to marvel at the insanity that is the Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk and the combination of practicality and efficiency that is Hyundai’s new Ioniq Plug-in Hybrid. Sam gives a primer on advanced driver assist systems in responses to comments on the Accidental Tech Podcast #261 and Waymo gets a license to operate an autonomous ride-hailing service in Arizona. Volvo launches its first three-cylinder engine. The demise of now former Ford executive Raj Nair shows that automakers may finally be getting serious about tackling harassment and bad behavior in the workplace. Finally, Sam responds to a listener tweet asking about car makers selling our data. Links Accidental Tech Podcast #261 Waymo Gets a Ride-Hailing License Raj Nair becomes first auto exec fired for harassment Making money from selling your car data  Volvo hits a triple 2018… Read More »Episode #058 – A Fast Jeep, Driving Assists and a Volvo Triple

Episode #056 – Diesel Vans, Cars In Space and Meaningless Statistics

Podcast Archives
Podcast Archives
Episode #056 - Diesel Vans, Cars In Space and Meaningless Statistics
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The guys are back after failing to get our collective acts together last week. Dan drove the VW Beetle with a 2.0-liter turbo that makes as much power as many much smaller engines, while Sam drives a three-row utility that actually has room for humans in the back, the 2018 Dodge Durango GT. This week Sam records his end of the show from Chicago as he gets ready for the auto show there. Ford is making a little bit of news with a mid-cycle refresh of the Transit Connect that surprisingly adds a new diesel engine. The best promoter in the auto industry also made some news this week by launching his car into space and Sam goes on a rant about how meaningless the California autonomous vehicle disengagement statistics are. Links Elon Roadster Goes to the Asteroids Ford Adds a Diesel to the Transit… Read More »Episode #056 – Diesel Vans, Cars In Space and Meaningless Statistics

Episode #052 – Winter Driving and Ziggy’s Volvo

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Podcast Archives
Episode #052 - Winter Driving and Ziggy's Volvo
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As the frigid temperatures continue to encase the midwest and spread to the eastern half of the US this week, Sam has been driving the new Hyundai Elantra GT Sport, his favorite variant of this compact Korean platform. Dan meanwhile has been taking to the snow-covered streets of the Boston area in the all-wheel-drive Dodge Challenger GT. In a relatively light news week ahead of CES and the Detroit show, the guys discuss driving in these wintery conditions, Volkswagen and Hyundai both announcing autonomous driving partnerships with Aurora Innovation and they follow-up last week’s conversation about the death of the collector car market with news that some person with more money than sense bought a Volvo 262C for $216,000 simply because it was once owned by David Bowie. Links Bowie’s Volvo Hyundai and Aurora team up for automated driving Volkswagen and Aurora also partner Wheel… Read More »Episode #052 – Winter Driving and Ziggy’s Volvo

wheelbearings podcast episode 51

Episode #051 – Small Utilities and Sedans and Passages of Time

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Podcast Archives
Episode #051 - Small Utilities and Sedans and Passages of Time
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For the final edition of 2017, Dan drives the 2018 Hyundai Accent, Sam gets in the Mazda CX-3 and Larry Vellequette from Automotive News drops by to talk about the end of car collecting. There’s a growing backlash from people tired of drivers trying to bypass traffic jams with online navigation apps like Waze but will the problem only get worse when we have automated mobility services like what Uber wants to build with money from Softbank? Kenichi Yamamoto, the brilliant engineer that led Mazda for many years and made the Wankel rotary almost viable, dies at 95 and the guys talk about some of their favorite rides of the past year. Links Softbank buys into Uber Kenichi Yamamoto passes The Waze backlash The end of car collecting The best of 2017   Wheel Bearings has launched a Patreon. If you like the show and… Read More »Episode #051 – Small Utilities and Sedans and Passages of Time

Episode #049 – Talking Porsches, McLarens, Hyundais and Policy With SpaceKatGal

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Podcast Archives
Episode #049 - Talking Porsches, McLarens, Hyundais and Policy With SpaceKatGal
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  On this week’s edition of the show, Dan and Sam are joined by very special guest Brianna Wu, head of development at game studio Giant Space Kat, congressional candidate and all-around car geek! Bri tells us why she is so passionate about driving and why she chose her current ride, the Porsche Cayman. Dan and Sam meanwhile have to make do with a couple of fine, but far less exciting sedans, the 2018 Hyundai Sonata and the Genesis G80 Sport. Then everyone dives into a discussion the latest product from the McLaren Cars, the aptly named Senna and some speculation about the next generation Porsche 911. From driving to not driving, the conversation wraps with some thoughts on policy for autonomous vehicles and automotive cybersecurity from an aspiring politician with that rarest of characteristics in Washington, actual knowledge of the modern world and technology.… Read More »Episode #049 – Talking Porsches, McLarens, Hyundais and Policy With SpaceKatGal