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Wheel Bearings #27

Episode #27 – Jags That Burn Oil On Purpose, Cars That Are Too Good and Some That Aren’t

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Episode #27 - Jags That Burn Oil On Purpose, Cars That Are Too Good and Some That Aren't
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This week we talk about a diesel powered Jaguar XF, a BMW 5 Series that so good it’s boring, the big shuffle at Uber, whether car makers will be the tier 1 suppliers to the tech industry for automated driving and answer a whole bunch of listener questions including some background on Sam’s engineering career. Carmakers Could Be Tier 1 Suppliers To Tech Companies For Autonomous Buick HiPer Strut Suspension Changes at Uber Do Driver’s Cars Matter Anymore? Increasing Collaboration Between Auto and Tech is Better For Everyone 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 #26 – Smokeless Launches and Exhausted Patents

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Episode #26 - Smokeless Launches and Exhausted Patents
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This week, Dan and Sam talk about driving the BMW 530i, Jeep Grand Cherokee Summit, Ford Escape Platinum and Acura NSX. Then they dive into how a printer patent case might impact the future of automated driving, the Acura NSX racing program and insuring Teslas. Guest: Art St. Cyr, President Honda Performance Development Links: SCOTUS ruling limits patent exhaustion Lawyers not ethicists will solve trolley problem Acura NSX launch control Tesla Insurance Premiums 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

Wheel Bearings #24

Episode #24 – Hauling, Firing, Hiring, Renting and Banning

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Episode #24 - Hauling, Firing, Hiring, Renting and Banning
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This week Dan and Sam discuss driving the Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio, hauling decking materials with the new aluminum bodied Ford F250 Super Duty and hauling ass in the Shelby GT350. In the news since the last episode, Lyft will be testing Waymo’s minivans in addition to Chevy Bolts, Theresa May wants to ban internal combustion engines by 2050 and the first two salaried job losses are announced at Ford as Mark Fields and Ray Day head for the door. Last week Sam was speaking at the Connected and Autonomous Vehicles conference in Santa Clara, Calif. and the chance to talk with Tom Wang, chief product officer of Turo and Peter Rawlinson, CTO of Lucid. Links British Conservatives Propose Banning ICEs by 2050 Ford CEO and Comms VP Lose Their Jobs Ford’s Big Management Shuffle Is About Changing Perceptions Lyft and Waymo Hook Up. 2017… Read More »Episode #24 – Hauling, Firing, Hiring, Renting and Banning

Wheel Bearings 22

Episode #22 – Jeep and Ram spinoff, Apple still into cars, Autonomy and Law Enforcement

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Episode #22 - Jeep and Ram spinoff, Apple still into cars, Autonomy and Law Enforcement
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Dan and Sam talk plug-in hybrid minivans, gas-guzzling muscle sedans, autonomy and mobility marketing

Wheel Bearings episode 21

Episode #21 – Lincolns, Lambos, Buicks and Cadillacs in Manhattan

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Episode #21 - Lincolns, Lambos, Buicks and Cadillacs in Manhattan
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We wrap up highlights from the 2017 New York Auto Show including an all-new Lincoln Navigator, Buick Enclave, SuperCruising Cadillacs and aero-vectoring Lamborghini Huracans. We also discuss a Tesla AutoPilot lawsuit and modern turbocharged engines.  In the time gap since we last recorded, Dan has driven the Genesis G90 and Lexus RX450h while Sam has been through the aging Infiniti QX50 and the stunning new Infiniti Q60. Sam also spent a weekend with Chevrolet’s second-generation Cruze diesel to see if it could be a viable alternative for the all the Volkswagen TDI refugees. Links 2018 Buick Enclave Avenir reveal Lamborghini Huracan Performante Active Aerodynamics Cadillac SuperCruise Tesla AutoPilot 2.0 Class-Action  2017 Chevrolet Cruze Diesel Review 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

Wheel Bearings Episode 20

Episode #20 – Stump Pulling Trucks, Sport Sedans, Hatchbacks and Crossover Wagons

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Episode #20 - Stump Pulling Trucks, Sport Sedans, Hatchbacks and Crossover Wagons
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In episode 20, Dan ponders what to tow with the massive 910 lb-ft of torque available from the redesigned 6.6-liter Duramax diesel in the 2017 Chevrolet Silverado HD 2500 while Sam swaps the BMW 530i for a 330i. Buick has shifted gears with the new 2018 Regal, ditching the trunk in favor of a five-door hatchback or wagon/crossover and Hyundai Motor Group has launched two distinctly different vehicles off its first dedicated electrified vehicle platform. Sam got to drive the electric and hybrid variants of the Hyundai Ioniq while Dan got to at least see the Kia Niro. Links 2018 Buick Regal Sportback and TourX Fill White Spaces in GM’s Lineup Kia Reveals Its First Dedicated Hybrid, The Niro Crossover Plus New Optima Hybrids 2017 Hyundai Ioniq, Company’s First Dedicated Electrified Vehicle Platform Arrives In December Wheel Bearings has launched a Patreon. If you like… Read More »Episode #20 – Stump Pulling Trucks, Sport Sedans, Hatchbacks and Crossover Wagons

2017 Acura MDX Advance SH-AWD

2017 Acura MDX Advance SH-AWD Review

Cadillac -The Standard of the World. Built Ford Tough. Mercedes-Benz -The Best or Nothing. BMW – The Ultimate Driving Machine. Audi – Truth in Engineering. Well maybe not so much on that last one, but you get my point. Successful automotive brands have an image associated with them that may or may not be entirely accurate, but that’s what marketing is all about. Honda’s premium Acura brand has always struggled with trying to determine what it’s image should be, no matter how good its products have been and they have typically been very good. The latest stab at remaking the brand image image is the 2017 MDX SUV which I just spent a week with.  Read the full review here 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… Read More »2017 Acura MDX Advance SH-AWD Review

Wheel Bearings #15

Episode #15 – Waymo Will See Uber In Court, Opels and Fried Chicken and Making HD Maps

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Episode #15 - Waymo Will See Uber In Court, Opels and Fried Chicken and Making HD Maps
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  This week we take a second look at the Honda Civic Sport Hatchback after Dan’s had a chance to drive it and Sam takes the less ostentatious version of the Lexus ES300h that Dan had last week with the Toyota Camry Hybrid SE. Some big news broke just before we recorded as Waymo sued Uber for stealing its LiDAR technology, BMW, HERE and Mobileye team up to build HD maps for automated driving and we discuss half-baked ideas about fried chicken and Opel. Sam talks with Ford’s Alan Dona about new Ford hybrids and then we answer listener questions about performance hybirds. Links A note on our lawsuit against Otto and Uber BMW, HERE And Mobileye Team Up To Crowd-Source HD Maps For Self-Driving 2017 Honda Civic Sport: The Return Of The Hatchback   Wheel Bearings has launched a Patreon. If you like the… Read More »Episode #15 – Waymo Will See Uber In Court, Opels and Fried Chicken and Making HD Maps

Wheel Bearings Podcast episode 8

Episode #8 – Psuedo-SUVs, Self-Driving Minivans and Expensive Tesla Parking

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Episode #8 - Psuedo-SUVs, Self-Driving Minivans and Expensive Tesla Parking
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This week, Dan is disappointed by the Volvo S60 Cross Country and Sam is somewhat impressed by the Cadillac XT5.  Will the minivan see a resurgence thanks to autonomous ride hailing? Will every new minivan in the future be self-driving? Will Uber’s self-driving cars work better in Phoenix than San Francisco? Will Ford follow its second-generation autonomous Fusions with Transit Connects? Will expensive parking charges be enough to get Tesla drivers to move their cars once they are done charging? Autonomous Ride-Hailing May Hail the New Era of the Minivan VW to Reveal Autonomous Electric Microbus Concept in Detroit Uber Moves Self-Driving Volvos to Phoenix Ford Rolls Out 2nd-Gen Autonomous Fusions Parking a Tesla at a SuperCharger Gets Expensive   View at Medium.com Wheel Bearings has launched a Patreon. If you like the show and would like to chip in toward the cost of producing… Read More »Episode #8 – Psuedo-SUVs, Self-Driving Minivans and Expensive Tesla Parking

2017 Volvo XC90 T8 – The Big Swede Gets Plugged In

The launch of the second-generation XC90 marked the beginning of a new era for Volvo a couple of years ago. The XC90 is the first model to ride on the company’s all-new scalable product architecture (SPA), the first all-new platform to come from Gothenburg since Ford sold the Swedish brand to China’s Geely in 2010. After initially being available only with boosted four-cylinder engines, the XC90 is now the first regular production plug-in model Volvo is offering in America and I recently spent a week driving one. Read the rest of the review here 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