2020 AMG GT R Coupe defines beauty with pricey flaws

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The 2020 Mercedes-AMG GT R roadster and coupe are among the rarest mainstream cars on the road. The former was limited to 750 units, the latter 2,000. Combine scarcity, exterior design and the matted paint choice of Selenite Gray Magno and the supercar attracts constant attention. The GT R, which debuted in 2018, defines a sports car. With craftsmanship channeling of Porsche, Ferrari and the Dodge Viper, there’s nothing quite like the performance-oriented Mercedes-Benz relative. It’s a glistening work of art on wheels. Yet the exterior is a contradiction with much of the rest of the car. How can you

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Top ways to modify your car

SPONSORED CONTENT As a car owner can make a few simple ways to modify your car to freshen your ride tand make it look exactly like you wish. But executing the idea is a little more complicated. What do you want to change? And what is your budget? Here are some of the top ways you can modify your car: Give Your Wheels An Upgrade One of the most significant and easy changes you can make to your car is your wheels. You can easily change up your alloys in ways such as making them matte black or another color

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Automotive books make ideal holiday gifts

Russell Hayes, like all automotive industry book authors, is passionate about his subject matter. Hayes’ interests cover several iconic carmakers, including his latest effort celebrating the 75th and 70th anniversaries of the Volkswagen Beetle and Bus. For enthusiasts as interested in vehicles as the author, Hayes’ coffee-table sized volume is among three varied books ideal as the holiday season approaches. Hayes, whose books range in topics from auto shows to Lotus to several offerings on Volkswagen, just released “Volkswagen Beetles and Buses: Smaller and Smarter.” (Quarto Publishing Group, $40). As Hayes explains, no carmaker’s history is as unique as Volkswagen

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Mazda gets best car brand honors for 6th straight year

For consumers seeking the most reliable car brand, Mazda has received top honors — again. U.S. News & World Report has named Mazda the “Best Car Brand” for the sixth consecutive year. The manufacturer won on the strength of its Mazda3, Mazda6 and MX-5 Miata. The publication reported the Mazda3, Mazda6 and MX-5 Miata offer superior performance and handling and feature premium, quality and upscale interiors. The Mazda3 and Mazda6 are sedans; the Mazda MX-5 Miata is a hardtop and convertible two-seat sports car. It’s the best-selling car in history in the sports car segment. “All three models have top-notch

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Ford F-150 among pickup trucks slammed by Consumer Reports

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Pickup trucks may be increasingly popular, but the reliability of the segment just received a jolt by Consumer Reports. The Ford F-150, the perennially top-selling vehicle in the United States, was graded as below average in the magazine’s annual reliability study. The GMC Sierra 1500, Chevrolet Silverado, Nissan Titan and Ram 1500 also scored below average. The magazine’s statisticians annually calculate reliability ratings for every major mainstream car, minivan, SUV and pickup truck using Consumer Reports’ member survey data. It factors in models that use some of the same components. Pickup Trucks Receive Surprising Grades Consumer Reports said the Ram

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Takata airbag mess means 7 million GM recalls

The Takata airbag fiasco won’t go away, and it’s not good news for General Motors, pickup truck and SUVs owners and the bankrupt Japanese company. General Motors announced it will recall about seven million pickup trucks and SUVs worldwide to replace the potentially dangerous bag inflators made by the Japanese company. About six million of the vehicles scheduled for recall are located in the United States. The recalled vehicles include: full-size pickup trucks and SUVs from the 2007 through 2014 model years, including the Chevrolet Silverado 1500, 2500 and 3500 pickups. Takata Airbag Recall Cover Seven Vehicles The Silverado is

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#158, Electric car subscription: savvy one-stop shopping

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 25:29 — 23.3MB)Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | MoreConvenience, flexibility, and value are key attractions to car subscription company services offered by T4L, Inc., and several other regional and national companies. The concept is the latest trend in the automobile industry. It caters to drivers who don’t have the time or desire for the details of buying a vehicle but need transportation. Allen Witters, the CEO of T4L, headquartered in Naples, Fla., is our guest on this episode of The Weekly Driver Podcast. Co-hosts Bruce Aldrich and James Raia discuss with Witters

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#157, 50 years of driving: Co-hosts talk good, bad, ugly

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 39:49 — 54.7MB)Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | MoreTurning age 66 doesn’t have the same milestone traditions as ages 40, 50 and 65. But there are connections to the automotive world for me with double six on the horizon, including 50 years of driving. Driving the iconic Route 66 is a bucket list item for many travelers. I’d like to do that at age 66. And for those who acquired their first driver’s license at age 16, a half-century of driving has likely provided plenty of opportunities for reflection. During the past

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Jay Leno honors Sam Walton, Walmart with new old F-150

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Sam Walton needed one vehicle; Jay Leno has hundreds. But the comedian and founder of Walmart both knew about business, marketing and a good truck when they saw one. Which is why Walmart and Leno, the renowned collector, have collaborated to reimagine the late Walton’s 1979 Ford F-150. Using a 2021 Ford F-150, the project will celebrate the debut of Leno’s line of car care and detailing products at Walmart beginning in early 2021. Jay Leno Has Honored Sam Walton Walton cherished his battered truck. Among the entrepreneur’s legacy is a tale about why Walton continued to drive the truck

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Santa Cruz set as 1st Hyundai pickup truck

Hyundai’s new pickup truck will have a unibody construction. Starting prices have not been announced but predicated at $25,000. Hyundai hopes the Santa Cruz will improve the carmaker’s lagging sales.    Following the industry trend, although several years behind, Hyundai will soon debut its first pickup truck, the 2022 Santa Cruz. First teased as a concept in 2015, the South Korean manufacturer will begin selling the Santa Cruz as a complement to its expanding non-sedan lineup in late 2021.  Hyundai recently added the Kona, Palisade and Venue crossovers to its lineup. Hyundai sold a manufacturer’s record of 768,057 vehicles in 2016.

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#156, Automobile writer Aaron Gold talks cars

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 31:20 — 43.0MB)Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | MoreAaron Gold is a veteran automobile writer who has contributed to many print and online publications. He’s as enthusiastic about his work as anyone in the industry, and it shows in his articles and in conversation. A staff writer for Automobile, Gold is our guest on this week’s episode of The Weekly Driver Podcast. Co-hosts Bruce Aldrich and James Raia discuss the automotive industry with the journalist, with a particular interest in several of his recent articles. Canada isn’t an automotive powerhouse, but Gold

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#155, New book, speed record (not), electric trucks, oh my!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 34:28 — 47.3MB)Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | More A new book, a speed record (not), new truck towing capacities, autonomous vehicles and the future of electric trucks. There’s always a lot happening in the automotive industry, and periodically Bruce Aldrich I just talk about a lot on The Weekly Driver Podcast. We’re are each other’s guests this week to visit the above-mentioned news items. And it’s the 155th episode of our slightly more than three-year-old, 30-minute broadcasts. First up this week is a new book by author Mike Mueller. It’s The

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New Corvette mid-engine beauty rocks auto world

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The Chevrolet Corvette Stingray for decades has been labeled “America’s Sports Car.” It’s served as the pace car for the Indianapolis 500 a record 16 times since 1978. And for 40 years, the Corvette has been made in Bowling Green, Kentucky. The General Motors plant is as nationalistic as any manufacturing city. It shares geographic headquarters with other iconic American companies — Holley to Russell, Camping World to Fruit of the Loom. But Chevy has expanded its motoring preferences outside of Kentucky and its seven bordering states. The debuts of the 2020 C8 Corvette and its 2021 sibling, both delayed

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Tiny cars display shows big world of small wonders

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Pickup trucks and SUVs rule the automotive landscape. Bigger is better. More horsepower and torque equate to sales. But it all means very little to tiny car enthusiasts. For mini, micro, pedal & toy cars owner great things come in small packages. The Audrain Automotive Museum, located in Newport, Rhode Island, recently announced its newest exhibit dedicated to tiny vehicles. The “Small Wonders: Mini, Micro, Pedal & Toy Cars” will open November 21 and continue through February 14, 2021. The BMW Isetta, Fiat’s quirky 500 Jolly, a Nash Metropolitan and a Peel P50 are among the more well-known micro cars

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2020 Bullitt Mustang ideal for the Steve McQueen in all of us

A 1968 Ford Mustang GT Fastback and a 2004 Pontiac Aztek are as far apart on the automotive spectrum as possible — with one exception. With a few dozen other vehicles — an Aston Martin DB5 to AMC Pacer and a Plymouth Fury to Pontiac Trans AM — the Mustang and Aztek are cultural icons. Younger automotive and movie enthusiasts may only know the Aztek from the “Breaking Bad” series on Netflix or a Toyota MK IV Supra from the movie “The Fast and the Furious.” But the Bullitt Mustang, released in three time frames in the past 20 years,

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NEW CAR PREVIEW: 2022 Hyundai Tucson

The 2022 Hyundai Tucson, the continuation of the South-Korean manufacturer’s top-selling vehicle globally, has been announced. It will feature new exterior stylings, more passenger and cargo room and upgraded features throughout the sport utility vehicle. Available in dealerships in the spring and summer of 2021 (depending upon model) the Hyundai Tucson will be offered in an array of powertrain variants, including new hybrid and plug-in hybrid. The new 2022 Hyundai Tucson internal combustion models will be produced at Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama (HMMA) and Ulsan, Korea. Three new technology features highlight interior changes: *10.25-inch full-touch screen exempt of hard buttons:

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