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Chinese EVs North of the Border

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Wheel Bearings
Chinese EVs North of the Border
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We’re back and this week all voices were recorded all the way through the show. Sorry again about last week. Nicole lucked out and had the Land Rover Defender Octa during some serious New Hampshire winter weather and Sam had a Porsche Macan 4S Electric with winter tires during a Michigan snow storm. Ahead of the Detroit Auto Show this week, Ford previewed the new Mustang Dark Horse SC taking the place of the former Shelby GT500 and the Bronco RTR that’s been breathed on by Vaughn Gittin Jr. Sam spokee with Mustang color and materials manager Sarah Watson and Dark Horse SC chief engineer Arie Groeneveld. Chevrolet dropped some details on the acceleration capabilities of the Corvette ZR1X and it is insanely quick off the line. Honda is ending production of the current Acura RDX while it prepares a new hybrid replacement and it… Read More »Chinese EVs North of the Border

Ford Hypercar Endurance Racer Gets 5.4-liter V8, Veteran Drivers

A decade ago, Ford entered the World Endurance Championship and returned to the 24 Hours of Le Mans for the first time since the 1980s. At the time they evaluated competing in the top LMP1 prototype class against Audi, Porsche and Toyota, but decided the cost was just too high and opted to build a new GT instead. That car won the GTE class in 2016, but Ford wanted to take another run at overall victory for the first time since 1969. The emergence of the current Le Mans Hypercar rules including the LMDh specification has given them that opportunity. After announcing plans to enter an LMDh machine last year, we are finally getting some details on the car that will compete in 2027.  At the Ford Racing 2026 launch event in Detroit today, the automaker revealed what will power its new Le Mans challenger… Read More »Ford Hypercar Endurance Racer Gets 5.4-liter V8, Veteran Drivers

Going Autonomous

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Wheel Bearings
Going Autonomous
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Nicole is finally back and while she was away she drove a Mercedes-Benz E-Class diesel wagon and since she returned she’s been driving the Acura Integra A-Spec. Robbie shares his thoughts on the new Mercedes-Benz CLA hybrid. Sam had the Honda Accord Touring Hybrid and the Land Rover Defender X. In the news, Kia has revealed the redesigned second generation Seltos, and Mazda has revealed some of the tech in the 2026 CX-5. Nissan has decided to partner with Wayve to bring hands-off/eyes-off driving to its future versions of ProPilot while Rivian is doing it all in-house. Meanwhile in Texas, Aurora has joined Kodiak in hauling fracking sand with driverless trucks. Ford’s ADHD approach to electric vehicles brings it to partner with Renault of affordable EVs and splitting up its battery joint-venture with SK On. Subaru brings an affordable price point to its new Uncharted… Read More »Going Autonomous

Fun Not Hardcore

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Wheel Bearings
Fun Not Hardcore
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Nicole’s been driving the Ford Mustang Mach-E Rally but this isn’t one for serious off-roading. Sam takes his own stint in the 2026 Ram 1500 Big Horn Hemi. Nicole and Sam both recently got some seat time in the new 2026 Honda Prelude one in Michigan, one in Japan and like it’s ancestors, it’s not at the tip of the spear performance-wise but it is a lot of fun. Sam and Nicole also finally get to discuss their impressions of the Polestar 4. Ford is considering ditching the F-150 Lightning. While he was in Japan, Sam also to drive the Honda Super-One which sadly probably won’t get to America until 2050 and he saw the Toyota Land Cruiser FJ which looked better than it did in photos. At SEMA 2025, Toyota showed a fuel-cell powered Tacoma overlander that won’t be very useful. Nicole also had… Read More »Fun Not Hardcore

Eyes Off

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Wheel Bearings
Eyes Off
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This week Sam drove the 2026 BMW iX xDrive45. Sam and Robbie both went to New York for a tech focused GM event and Sam spoke with new chief product officer Sterling Anderson. There’s a refreshed Jeep Grand Cherokee with a new more powerful engine for 2026 and we drive the new 2026 Toyota Rav4 in hybrid and PHEV form. Toyota is launching a new baby Land Cruiser FJ and Rivian has laid off 4% of its staff. Infiniti is launching one new model every year for the next four years and the Nissan Sakura gets an extendable solar panel. Links 2026 Jeep Grand CherokeeScout may delay EV for EREVPrague lamp post charging2026 Toyota Rav4 first driveGM ForwardToyota Land Cruiser FJRivian lays off 4%, RJ takes over marketingInfiniti to launch 4 vehicles in 4 years, sedan in 2028Nissan Sakura solar extenderEV Theft rates Wheel Bearings… Read More »Eyes Off

10 Years After Dieselgate

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10 Years After Dieselgate
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In this episode, hosts Sam Abuelsamid and Nicole Wakelin discuss their recent experiences with the 2025 Toyota Prius Nightshade Edition and the 2026 Genesis GV70. They delve into the performance, design, and driving experience of these vehicles, highlighting the Prius’s hybrid technology and the Genesis’s luxury features. The conversation also touches on insights from the Center for Automotive Research conference, Toyota’s research on plug-in hybrid user behavior, and the automotive industry’s shift back to physical controls in vehicles. Additionally, they review the latest IHS safety testing results for electric vehicles, emphasizing the importance of safety ratings in the automotive market. In this episode, the hosts discuss the evolution of vehicle safety standards, highlighting how modern cars outperform older models despite mixed crash test results. They delve into Nissan’s struggles with the Aria and organizational changes, while Hyundai outlines its ambitious 2030 vision. The conversation shifts… Read More »10 Years After Dieselgate

The Benefit of Listening

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Wheel Bearings
The Benefit of Listening
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This week, Robbie drives the new Kia Sportage Hybrid and Sam has the Acura ADX and Hyundai Ioniq 9. Nicole is traveling but she and Sam got together to discuss the 2026 Subaru Solterra and Sam has a conversation with Subaru carline planning manager Garrick Goh. We also have the low down on the 2026 Jeep Cherokee which is launching as a hybrid only and Ford Maverick prices continue to creep upward. The new Nissan Leaf will be the first EV in America with 300 miles of range for under $30,000 and Chargepoint now has Omniport retrofit kits available for its chargers. The US and EU will recognize each others automotive standards and Infiniti is bringing back the Q50 sedan with a manual gearbox and twin-turbo V6.Tensor Auto has come out of stealth with plans to sell a robocar to consumers but it’s going to… Read More »The Benefit of Listening

Scouting Mission

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Wheel Bearings
Scouting Mission
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Hey everyone, we’re back with a standard episode this week. Unfortunately a family emergency came up at the last moment and Robbie couldn’t join us. Fortunately, our friend Perry Stern was able to step in and join Nicole and Sam. Perry was driving around in the new Subaru Forester while Nicole had the Hyundai Sonata Hybrid and Sam had the Kia Sorento Hybrid. It was good to have Perry on the show, because he was the only one among the group that was able to attend the reveal event of the new Scout Terra and Traveler which are due to arrive in 2027. Stellantis has started assembly of battery modules at its new factory in Windsor, Ontario, and plans to try out semi-solid state batteries in 2027. They have also updated their Auburn Hills wind tunnel and are planning to sell their Arizona proving ground.… Read More »Scouting Mission

Finding The Hidden Charge Port

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Wheel Bearings
Finding The Hidden Charge Port
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Nicole is back and she shares her impressions of driving a Lynk&Co 01 that she and her husband rented in France during their vacation. Robbie will have more to share next week about the BMW i5 and Sam has driven the Land Rover Defender 110 and Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray. In the news, the Ram TRX has been shelved for now, but Ram has a six-cylinder powered version called the RHO. Mercedes-Benz has revealed an all-electric version of the new G-Wagen with four motors. There were several interesting reveals at the 2024 Beijing Motor Show and some of them might make it to North America. The Mini Aceman is all electric, but it doesn’t directly replace the discontinued Clubman. The Mazda EZ-6 is a great looking electric sedan that should come to America along with the Buick Electra L and LT. While the design of the… Read More »Finding The Hidden Charge Port

All-Season High-Voltage Corvette

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Wheel Bearings
All-Season High-Voltage Corvette
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The car Robbie was supposed to drive this week was damaged before it got to his driveway so we just have Nicole in the Mazda3 Turbo AWD and Sam with the Ram 1500 Rebel V8. One of these was slight less fuel efficient than the other. In the news, a Swedish study shows again why it’s better to have buttons than touchscreens in cars. Nicole popped into Detroit this week to help hand out the North American Car Truck and Utility of the Year awards. Mazda finally brings back the rotary as a range extender for the MX-30, but for now only Europeans get it. Toyota has built up an old AE86 that burns hydrogen. Mercedes-Benz is already considering getting rid of dedicated EV badging. Chevrolet is finally bringing the long-rumored Corvette hybrid as the 2024 E-Ray with electric drive on the front axle for… Read More »All-Season High-Voltage Corvette