James Raia

Articles by James Raia

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Monterey Auto Week returned to glory with cars galore

Monterey Auto Week has a problem, and it’s about as good as it gets. After a two-year hiatus because of COVID-19, the return edition ended Sunday, August 15 with the 70th anniversary of the Concours d’Elegance. It was the grand finale to a now 10-day occasion of about 30 events. And therein the issue for automotive enthusiasts gathering on the Monterey Peninsula: Where do we go and what do we all do first? How do we prioritize? Isn’t it great to have choices? Bruce Aldrich and I have represented The Weekly Driver website and podcast at Monterey Auto Week for several years. I’ve attended various auto shows, racing, auctions and related events on the peninsula since 1987 while contributing content

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NEW TRUCK REVIEW: 2021 Ford F-250 rocks power

Fifty years into its unequaled success, Ford decided it needed more from its lightweight pickup trucks. The Super Duty lineup, including the F-250, was introduced. The family of haulers comprises the country’s best-selling vehicles, and it’s been that way for decades. With its siblings, the F-350 through F-750, the F-250, which debuted in 1998 as a 1999 model, features a heavier-duty chassis and heavier-duty suspension. The result is a pickup truck with a complementary role as a rugged small apartment on wheels. Pickup truck owners accustomed to the girth and power of the beasts will rejoice. The F-250 ideally defines the segment. It’s in charge on the road with a commanding presence but without having to prove its appeal with

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Aston Martin world debut: Hypercar Valkyrie Spider

The Valkyrie Spider, marketed as one of the world’s most extreme hypercars, was unveiled August 11 by Aston Martin at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance during Monterey Auto Week. With off-roof driving and described by the manufacturer as “the most comparable experience to that of an F-1 car not limited to the track,” the Valkyrie Spider will feature a 6.5-liter V12 with revving to more than 11,000 RPM. While the Aston Martin Valkyrie’s unique 1155PS hybrid V12 powertrain remains unchanged, the Valkyrie Spider has received revisions to its carbon-fiber structure. Plus, Aston Martin has announced a “precise recalibration of both the active aerodynamic and active chassis systems.” Aston Martin Hypercar Debuts With its ultra-lightweight construction and high downforce aerodynamics package,

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#193, Monterey Auto Week: Classic cars, Classic owners

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 29:50 — 41.0MB)Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | More Donald Osborne is an opera singer, museum CEO, international business owner and one of the voices of the Concours on the Avenue in Carmel, California. He knows cars and people and the gift of gab. Osborne recently returned from Europe but in plenty of time for Monterey Auto Week. The coronavirus and its variants are in different stages in Italy and England, where he attended globally renowned automotive events. On Tuesday morning, Aug. 10, the proprietor of Audrain Auto Museum in Newport, R.I., was in his usual perch nearly the judging platform on Ocean Avenue, looking dapper in his official blazer, bowtie and

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Rare Steve McQueen Husqvarna could fetch fortune in Monterey

Steve McQueen, the iconic actor known as the King of Cool, rode many motorcycles in his movies and for recreation. Several vintage bikes from the actor’s estate have sold. But the first Husqvarna dirt bike McQueen owned is particularly revered. And the machine of legend could several hundred thousand dollars when it’s auctioned during RM Sotheby’s sale Aug. 12-14 during Monterey Auto Week. McQueen’s coveted two-wheeler is a classic 1968 Husqvarna Viking 360. It’s believed he first saw the high-octane Husky tear up the track during a series of races in Southern California in 1968. Steve McQueen: Motorcycle Icon After watching acclaimed motocross rider Bengt Åberg in the saddle, McQueen bought the bike from Swedish rider after the third race.

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Monterey Auto Week: sensory overload for all things cars

Monterey Auto Week is the umbrella name for all things automotive collectively presented for 10 days during mid-August. It all began with the Pebble Beach Road Race in 1950. The races were called “The Del Monte Trophy” and were held on the twisty, leafy and narrow Pebble Beach roads. The series lasted until 1956. The Concours d’Elegance, now the world-renowned finale to international collections of races, rallies, auctions, memorabilia and car debuts, began as an afterthought. Now, Monterey Auto Week attendees have to make decisions. Where does a visitor go first? How many events can be taken in on any given day? Here’s a calendar of events for the 2021 edition of Monterey Auto Week. For details of events, click

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#192, Want to drive a stick shift? Hagerty has a ‘manual’

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 26:24 — 36.3MB)Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | More Learning how to operate a manual transmission car or truck was a rite of automotive passage for drivers of a certain age. It’s now a rarity, with a few exceptions including a campaign introduced by Hagerty. The American automotive lifestyle and membership company, Hagerty in July announced, as part of its 10th anniversary of the Hagerty Driving Experience, a mission. Its goal: to teach 500 people to drive a stick shift in 50 days. Rachel Ventimiglia, Assistant Manager of Car Culture at Hagerty, is my guest on Episode #192 of The Weekly Driver Podcast. Co-host Bruce Aldrich is on assignment, so I discuss

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Bobby Rahal set to celebrate Indy Cars at Rolex Reunion

Bobby Rahal, the three-time Indy 500 winner who also won three consecutive Indy Car races at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca beginning in 1985 will have a feature role at the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion. Rahal will be part of the celebration of a historic Indy Car group that originally competed between 1963 and 1978. It will be run for the first time in an exhibition August 12-15 during Monterey Auto Week. The introduction of rear-engine Indy Cars, starting at the Indianapolis 500 in 1963, changed the sport. A front-engine car and its driver would never win the Indy 500 again after 1965. Rahal, who has Rahal Straight at the Laguna Seca racetrack named for him, will debut his recently restored

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#191, Monterey Auto Week tuned up, ready for restart

A few events have been amended,  few postponed for another year. But by any name, Monterey Auto Week to Classic Car Week, and with events from The Little Car Show to the Concours d’Elegance, it’s back. The all-encompassing showcase of automobiles and many related areas returns after a one-year COVID-19 hiatus. The festivities begin August 6 and continue through August 15 at multiple locations throughout the Monterey Peninsula. Co-hosts Bruce Aldrich and James it all during this Episode #191 of The Weekly Driver Podcast. We’ll be on-site for four days beginning Aug. 9. Plans include a podcast from the Concours on the Avenue in Carmel (Aug. 10) and The Little Car Show (Aug. 11) in Pacific Grove. Aston Martin will

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2021 Jeep Wrangler (hybrid!) still best off-road

The 2021 Jeep Wrangler 4xe, the new hybrid trim, is available as a four-door in three high-end offerings: the premium Sahara, more premium High Altitude, and Rubicon, geared toward off-road excursions. The 4xe (pronounced “four by E”), engine combines a 270 horsepower turbocharged inline-four-cylinder with a 44-horsepower motor connected through a front-end accessory belt. A 134-horsepower motor replaces the transmission’s back-end torque converter. The motors draw power from a 14.0-kWh lithium-ion battery located under the rear seats. Whether the 4xe is in electric mode or running as a hybrid, torque is routed to the wheels through an eight-speed automatic transmission. A transfer case offers rear-wheel drive, all-wheel drive (4WD Auto), and high-or low-range four-wheel drive for off-road use. In its

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PREVIEW: 2022 Kia EV6 channels Tesla

The 2022 Kia EV6 crossover arrives as the carmaker’s first dedicated battery electric vehicle (BEV). The introduction of EV6 signals the U.S. launch of Kia’s ‘Plan S’ strategy. It will deliver 11 all-new electrified models globally by 2026. Starting with the EV6, Kia’s EV lineup will carry a unique naming convention. The “EV” designation will be followed by a number indicating the car’s position in the lineup. The EV6 can be configured with rear-or all-wheel drive and is available with a single electric motor mounted on the rear axle or an electric motor on both axles. While all all-wheel-drive models have the larger battery pack and either 313 or 576 total horsepower, the base rear-drive example has a smaller battery

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Used pickup truck prices surge, notably Ram and GMC

If you’re considering the purchase of a new used pickup truck, be forewarned. The prices may be alarming, notably for a Ram 1500 or GMC Sierra 1500. Both trucks are among the top-10 vehicles with the greatest prices increases, according to a recent survey by iseecars.com. The automotive search engine and research website tallied the datasets for 1.1 million used car sales from model years 2016 to 2020 in June 2021 and more than 800,00 used car sales from 2015 to 2019 in June 2020. Pickup truck prices surge The average price increase from June 2000 to June 2021 among all vehicles is 32.7 percent. The Ram 1500 pickup had an average used price of $40,200 in June of 2021,

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Cheapest of the cheap cars? 2021 Chevrolet Spark LS

The average price of a new car in the United States is now more than $40,000. But it wasn’t too many years ago when $30,000 was the entry-level for a luxury car and $20,000 was enough to buy various new cars. It’s now what cheap cars cost. As recent as a decade ago, one new car could be purchased for $10,000. It was the Hyundai Accent 3-door and it was the last year a new vehicle in the U.S., without government rebates, had a base price of less than $10,000. A lot has changed in 10 years. Five years ago, the Accent reached its peak in yearly U.S. sales at 79,766. In 2020, the lowly Hyundai’s sales stumble to 15,975.

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2021 Volvo XC90: Safe, handsome, EV oddity

Volvo makes cars that encompass the compelling characteristics of Scandinavian design — simplicity, minimalism and functionality. The 2021 Volvo XC90 Recharge T8 Inscription oozes with automotive modernism. A three-row, midsized luxury SUV offered for two decades, the XC90 is available in T5, T6 or Recharge (T8) options. The powertrains are mated to trim levels with marketing wizards’ think session wordplay. Momentum (called Inscription Expression for the Recharge powertrain), R-Design and Inscription. The 2021 offerings are largely carryovers from last year, with a few keen changes, for the second edition that debuted in 2016. The T8 plug-in hybrid model is now known as Recharge. The standard features list throughout the lineup is further extensive. Every Volvo model now had front parking

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Rivian debut delayed again, Covid ‘cascading impact’ blamed

Rivian has delayed the official public delivery of its R1T electric pickup truck for the second time, pushing the release date to September. RJ Scaringe, the company’s CEO, announced the delay and also sent a letter to reservations holders. Similar to many other companies’ woes, Rivian said the “cascading impact of the pandemic” has greatly affected the production of the innovative truck. Rivian Postponement Complicated “Everything from facility construction to equipment installation, to vehicle component supply (especially semiconductors), has been impacted by the pandemic,” Scaringe said. “Beyond these unforeseen challenges, launching three new vehicles while setting up a multi-vehicle manufacturing plant is a complex orchestra of coordinated and interlinked activities where small issues can translate into ramp delays.” Scaringe said

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Kaiser Darrin, 1954: Best Of Show At Concours On The Avenue

It was one of the first cars I noticed, and after looking at an estimated 200 other vehicles, the 1954 Kaiser Darrin was still my favorite at the recently concluded Monterey Auto Week. The Concours on the Avenue in Carmel was only presented for the second year in 2008. But it has come into its own, particularly with cars like the Darrin Owner John Nirenstein of Tiburon, California, showcased it on Tuesday, Aug. 12, the second day of the event. Kaiser Darrin: Art Decco on wheels Nirenstein, participating in the event for the first time. He bought the car 10 years ago and took 22 months to restore it. While soft jazz played in the background, the car got plenty

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