Shaun White: three gold medals, two white Lamborghinis

Shaun White, now the three the two-time snowboard half pipe gold medalist, was featured on 60 Minutes  just prior to the start of the Winter Olympics eight years ago. The segment with interviewer Bob Simon covered several areas, including the athlete’s ownership of two Lamborghinis — one crashed, one intact. The exchange between interviewer and guest is brisk and humorous. Shaun White, reacting to his final half-pipe run in 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea.During the 12-minute video of the segment, a minute or so includes Simon asking White about his penchant for the fast Italian sports car and

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RV industry awash in chaos; readers, advocate speak up

The Weekly Driver Podcast has reached its 25th episode, and we’re cruising toward highway speed. Our current broadcast, our most popular, investigates the complex issues in the RV industry. Sales have dramatically increased as more consumers can no longer afford traditional housing or are seeking a mobile lifestyle. But campgrounds are overcrowded, and retail box store parking lots, where more RVers live, are often unkempt. Further, the RV industry has a quality control crisis. Our podcast guest, Chuck Woodbury, editor and publisher of RVTravel.com, discusses his concerns. He believes the RV industry doesn’t care about the quality of its products.

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Report finds California needs tougher drunk driving safety laws

SPONSORED CONTENT A report published by the Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety revealed California’s traffic safety laws are leaving drivers and pedestrians vulnerable. Drunk driving was identified as a particular concern, though the state was praised for its laws surrounding seat belts and child seat safety. The Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety (a non-profit organization based in Washington, D.C.) rated the country’s 50 states based on their road safety. They explored which states had adopted the recommended regulations designed to tackle the biggest risks to traffic safety. One key process that has been created to combat drunk driving

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California’s new highway stripes herald self-driving cars’ arrival

SPONSORED CONTENT Self-driving cars are unlikely to be a common sight on America’s roads for several years. But that hasn’t stopped the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) for preparing for their arrival. Caltrans will be placing six-inch stripes along Interstate 5, between Orland, California, and the Oregon border. The work will be performed through June 2018, and new strips will replace the current four-inch stripes. The longer stripes will help self-driving vehicles to read and navigate roads in the coming evolutionary shift. The new stripes’ makeup varies between a thermoplastic material and another similar tape. the former has a longevity

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RV expert believes industry is in chaos

Chuck Woodbury, editor and publisher of RVTravel.com, the industry’s largest online publication, is a full-time RVer and a mobile lifestyle advocate. But Woodbury says the RV industry is in chaos. Buyers must beware, owners must be more considerate and manufacturers need to re-evaluate their responsibilities. According to the Recreational Vehicle Industry Association (RVIA) in Reston, Va., wholesale shipments of RVs increased 17.2 percent in 2017 from the previous year. Motorhome shipments increased 14.4 percent last year from 2016 totals. But while the sales highlight the industry’s boom, it’s also fostered growing concerns of decreasing manufacturing quality. Additionally, with traditional homes

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Episode 25, RV expert believes industry needs major repairs

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 33:53 — 46.5MB)Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | MoreChuck Woodbury, editor and publisher of the RVTravel.com, the industry’s largest and most prestigious online publication, is a full-time RVer and an industry advocate. But Woodbury says RV buyers must beware. The RV industry, with record sales in 2017, needs to better protect the best interests of buyers. Woodbury, an author, internationally renowned RV industry expert and the host of the best-selling Better Business Bureau DVD, “Buying a Recreational Vehicle,” is the guest on episode 25 of The Weekly Driver Podcast. “There’s no international

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Episode 24, Eric Wohlberg: cycling champion, vintage Buick driver

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 22:37 — 31.1MB)Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | MoreEric Wohlberg spent more than a decade traveling around the world to compete on two wheels. He participated in three Summer Olympics for Canada and won multiple cycling national individual time trial titles and stage races. But Wohlberg, 53, of San Jose, in his sixth year as a director for the Rally Cycling Team, now prefers four-wheel transportation. He often travels to the team’s camp and its races in the United States and his native country while driving one of his two vintage cars.

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Episode 23 (Part 2), Everything’s autonomous in CES madness

The recent Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas had several themes. Autonomous and electric vehicles, virtual reality, artificial intelligence, pending 5G technology, 3D television, personal mobility and every entrepreneurial gadget feasible were in the mix. The CES gathering was held in five locations on the Las Vegas strip. Flash flooding greeted visitors on opening day; a power outage occurred on the second day. The estimated attendance for the week was 250,000, and the showroom floors were crowded. Nonetheless, an estimated 1,700 vendors showcased their wares with flash and fast-talking, expertise and wishful thinking. In episode 23 of The Weekly Driver

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Episode 23, Going mobile at CES with electric bikes, scooters

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 23:59 — 32.9MB)Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | MoreAutonomous cars, trucks and helicopters, drones and virtual reality technology are at the center of the current whirlwind of technology innovation. But personal light electric vehicles (PLEVs) are also increasingly abundant. They’re compact, often foldable and easily transportable in boats, planes, automobiles and RVs. They’re the scooters, simple bicycles and mopeds of yesteryear gone electric and grouped under the umbrella term “personal transporters.” And they’re used as complementary transportation for travelers or stand-alone vehicles for leisure treks and short commutes. More than a dozen

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Episode 22, Famed climber Alex Honnold prefers life in a van

Last summer, Alex Honnold became the first free solo climber to ascend El Capitan in Yosemite. The accomplishment resulted in international acclaim. Honnold appeared on magazine covers, as a guest on late night talk shows, and he continues to be a speaker in demand at trade shows and corporate meetings. Despite his celebrity, Honnold prefers a simple life. He owns and shares a home in Las Vegas with his girlfriend. It’s a short distance from casino mecca and home of the Voetbalwedden headquarters. Another view from his front door highlights a favorite location, the varied, step climbing available at Red

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2018 Ford Mustang GT further defines iconic muscle car

Nearing the end of its sixth decade, the Ford Mustang is among the few remaining iconic American-made cars. It began as an affordable sporty coupe. For 2018, it’s undergone a refresh to showcase its muscle car masculinity. The Mustang legacy has endured multiple generations, reconfigurations and engine types. But it still resembles its debuting style, highlighted by a long hood and short rear deck. It was a new look for its time in 1964, and the Mustang’s success helped launch competitors like the AMC Javelin, Chevrolet Camaro, Dodge Challenger, Pontiac Firebird and Plymouth Barracuda. The Mustang’s current generation debuted in

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Elon Musk delays production of Tesla Model 3 – again

Production of Tesla Model 3, the affordable electric sports car the manufacturer’s owner, Elon Musk, hoped would bring his vehicles into the mainstream car-buying market, has a weak battery. Tesla has announced it won’t begin full production of the vehicle until the end of June. It will mark nearly a year since the Fremont, California-based company began manufacturing the entry-level Tesla in limited numbers. Musk previously announced an expected production of 5,000 model 3s a week by December 2017. In November, he announced a delay of that goal to March 2018. Now the company said it would produce 2,500 Model

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Episode 21, Rags to riches: The restoration of a rare Porsche 356

Leigh Rutledge, a real estate executive in Sacramento, California, owns a rare Porsche — a 1956 Porsche 356 Cabriolet. The car was made in the year Rutledge was born, and the model also corresponds to the month and year she was born. In Episode 21 of The Weekly Driver Podcast, hosts Bruce Aldrich and James Raia discuss with Rutledge her 27-year ownership of the unique Porsche. The car has had a hard-to-believe legacy. Rutledge purchased the Porsche in 1990 after noticing it for sale on a 3×5 index card. But the Porsche wasn’t much more than a collection of parts.

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Episode 20, 2017 year-end observations, goodbye to 21 cars

Every year, cars come and go. In 2018, nearly two dozen vehicles available in 2017 won’t be available as new models. Some of the cars, like the Chevrolet Spark, have been failing for years. Some of the other departing vehicles, like the Honda Accord coupe, come as surprises. In Episode 20 of The Weekly Driver Podcast, co-hosts Bruce Aldrich and James Raia bid farewell to the departing vehicles. Some we’ll miss. But for others, good riddance. With the new year upon us, we also look back on some of the popular topics in the auto industry during 2017. What exactly

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No place like home, office and car all in one new odd EV concept

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No other vehicle at the recent Los Angeles Auto Show attracted any more bizarre reaction than the Redspace REDS EV concept. It’s the automotive version of a tiny house. It’s transportation. It’s living space. And it’s a mobile office all in one small, futuristic-looking machine. Chris Bangle, a former designer at BMW, originated the idea of the wacky electric vehicle for equally wacky, congested Chinese market. Bangle and his colleagues at the auto show touted the vehicle with statistics. In China, they stated, cars are stopped 90 percent of the time. With living and office space also at a premium,

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2018 Lexus GX 460: Beauty and the Beast

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The 2018 Lexus GX 460 is a large, plush three-row sport utility vehicle that transports seven occupants in style but has the ruggedness to venture off road. It’s largely unchanged from the 2017 edition. Sales have increased yearly since the GX 460 was introduced in 2010. The luxury SUV segment is appealing to more buyers simultaneously seeking prestige and versatility. Key Takeaways 4.6-liter V8 delivers 301 hp and genuine off-road capability: Body-on-frame construction with a 32-valve V8, 6-speed automatic, and full-time all-wheel drive across all trims, unusual in the modern luxury SUV segment. Seven-passenger capacity with 40/20/40 second row: Optional

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