2020 BMW M8 Gran Coupe: Lots of car, lots of money

Four-door coupe is among the automotive industry’s numerous contradictory terms. But since 2005 when the idea of a sloping roofline on a four-door sedan returned after a several-decade hiatus, it’s become a thing. Mercedes-Benz featured the idea in its C class; BMW is now participating with its 2020 BMW M8 Gran Coupe. The criticism launched at Porsche several years ago over its four-door Panamera has waned. And it’s likely more BMW enthusiasts seeking to travel in an M8 performance machine would prefer as many as three passengers, not just one. With its additional M8 siblings (the high-performance version of the

Read more

#141, 2021 Ford Bronco debuts; Hagerty expert praises icon

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 30:39 — 42.1MB)Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | MoreNearly a quarter-century after it was last made, the new Ford Bronco makes its debut today (July 13) with as much anticipation as any new vehicle in recent memory. Often cited as the first Sport Utility Vehicle, the Bronco has a loyal following and its new edition is likely to continue the iconic vehicle’s increasing legacy. Brian Rabold, vice president of valuation services for Hagerty, is our guest on this episode of The Weekly Driver Podcast to discuss all things Ford Bronco. Ford Bronco:

Read more

Mercedes-AMG GLS 63 rocks, but worth 150K?

German automakers have among the industry’s most loyal customers. In J.D. Power’s initial loyalty survey last year, Lexus led return customer ratings among luxury brands with 47.6 percent. Mercedes-Benz was second (44.2 percent), followed by BMW (43.6), Porsche (43.5) and Audi (43.3). What the prominent California data intelligence company can’t and shouldn’t be expected to determine is if automotive loyalty has a financial ceiling. When a customer decides to their sell their Mercedes-Benz, will they still purchase a new model regardless of price? A key example is the 2021 Mercedes-AMG GLS 63. It’s the high-performance, customized version of the Mercedes-Benz

Read more

2021 Lamborghini Huracán defines super confidence

The Lamborghini Huracán powers along in the niche supercar market as well as any automotive beast. The Italian carmaker celebrated its 50th anniversary six years ago and it continues to expand its diverse lineup. The manufacturer’s reputation is defined by performance, craftsmanship and tradition. Yet, Lamborghini has found another reason to boast as loudly as its car engines roar. The carmaker sold 8,205 vehicles globally last year, 60 percent of which were the Urus, the brand’s three-year-old sport utility vehicle. Some supercar enthusiasts may still have strong opinions against the introduction of SUV supercars. But Lamborghini would be unwise not

Read more

LA car hoarder’s legacy chronicled in new book

Graveyards of rusty, battered and weed-adorned cars scattered along backcountry roads are a stamp on society’s reliance on motor vehicles. Junkers are junkers, often hoarded and defining automotive blight. But in the chaos of crunched metal, cracked rubber and shattered glass is also history and sometimes rare riches. They’re piles of nirvana for automobile aficionados. Junkyard, the coffee-table book sub-titled Behind the Gates at California’s Secretive European-Car Salvage Yard (Motorbooks, $40) defines the latter. It’s history and mystery acres of abandoned vehicles in fields and warehouses and purposely collected behind high walls in Southern California by the now-deceased Rudi Klein.

Read more

Informa Tech announces WardsAuto top-10 best auto interiors

SPONSORED CONTENT Informa Tech Automotive Group has announced its 2020 WardsAuto interiors list that annually recognizes the best in design and engineering. This year’s winners display unique, customer-first and innovative approaches to interiors. The winners: Audi e-tron, Bentley Flying Spur, BMW X6 M, Chevrolet C8 Corvette Stingray, Hyundai Venue, Kia Telluride, Lincoln Aviator, Mercedes-Benz GLB, Nissan Sentra Toyota Highlander. Meet the 2020 Winners HERE WardsAuto will celebrate its 2020 list You’re invited to celebrate with us as we honor the winners through a virtual award ceremony August 19. It will be part of this year’s TU-Automotive Detroit, ADAS & Autonomous

Read more

#140, RV expert Chuck Woodbury discusses Covid-19

,

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 32:48 — 45.0MB)Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | MoreChuck Woodbury has traveled in his motorhome for as long as two years at a time. He recently returned to his Washington state home from a seven-month RV trip that began as an expected far shorter journey. It quickly changed. In February, the first outbreak of COVID-19 occurred in a nursing home in Kirkland, Washington, six miles from where Woodbury lives in Everett. At least 37 people died. Early in their trip, Woodbury and his companion Gail Meyring heard the news from home and

Read more

2020 Toyota Avalon defines ideal hybrid sedan

,

Hybrid car owners often compromise. They embrace the superior gas mileage and environmental concerns mixed-engine vehicles offer. But odd-looking exterior designs, limited interior space and lackluster acceleration provide frustration. As such, many potential new buyers have dismissed the hybrid market. It’s why the segment has rarely reached 3 percent of yearly industry sales in the United States since the Toyota Prius debuted 20 years ago. It was the country’s first mainstream hybrid. The 2020 Toyota Avalon Hybrid is largely unchanged from last year’s second-generation debut. The Avalon gas-only model was unveiled 25 years ago. The hybrid trim was introduced in

Read more

#139, Cars.com index reveals ‘Made in America’ gains importance

Kelsey Mays, senior consumer affairs and vehicle evaluations editor for Cars.com, knows what it means for the industry and consumers when a vehicle is made in America. It means a lot. According to research from Cars.com in its recently released 2020 American-Made Index (AMI), 70 percent of shoppers consider a car’s U.S. economic impact a significant or deciding factor in their vehicle purchase. Mays is our guest this week on Episode #139 of The Weekly Driver Podcast. Co-hosts Bruce Aldrich and James Raia discuss with Mays the 15th AMI and how during the COVID-19 pandemic it has further impacted Americans’

Read more

#138, Tom Britzman: A 1917 Saxon and 80 years of driving

,

Tom Britzman learned to drive at age 10. His father was enamored with automobiles and quality father-son time behind the wheel of an Austin seemed right. It was 80 years ago, but it could have been yesterday. “It was stupid,” said Britzman, a Korean War veteran who worked for 32 years for Sears, Roebuck and Co., following his Army service. “But at the time, when you’re a 10-year-old kid and you live out in the country, it was pretty exciting.” Britzman, who lives in East Garrison, California (formerly Ft. Old) is our guest in this week’s episode of The Weekly

Read more

Internet myth: Hand sanitizer doesn’t explode in cars

,

If you carry hand sanitizer in your vehicle, don’t worry about leaving it in the vehicle during hot weather. Despite mainstream internet and television reports that it may explode, it won’t. It’s a myth. While flammable and quick-burning when ignited, it will not catch on fire if left in a vehicle during extreme conditions, according to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). Hand sanitizers use either ethyl or isopropyl alcohol as the basis for their formulas. “These alcohols have a low flashpoint,” said Guy Colonna, the Director of Standards for NFPA. “The flashpoint is the temperature at which the liquid

Read more

2020 Mazda 3: Handsome, understated; why low sales?

,

The 2020 Mazda 3 advnances the small sedan in its mid-teens and it has an identity complex. It’s an unheralded, worthy small sedan competing against more than a dozen rivals with bigger sales numbers. But it may have finally caught a break. With its simple, sporty design absent of sharp edges and angles, and a front end with a nod to a Ford GT Cobra, the 2020 Mazda 3 recently claimed world honors for automotive design. The other finalists were the Peugeot 208 and Porsche Taycan. The Mazda MX5 (Miata) claimed the award in 2016, starting the Japanese manufacturer’s global

Read more

Extreme RVs keep getting more extreme on truck chassis

Extreme RVs keep getting more extreme with companies like Global Expeditions making RVs on truck chassis. The Missouri-based company creates its vehicles utilizing several truck manufacturers. Its latest creation is the $650,000 UXV-MAX. It can be constructed on the chassis of a Ford-750. A kitchen, dining area, (king-sized bed) bathroom and are mainstays, just like an RV. But there’s a lot different. A dishwasher, washer and dryer part of an optional upgrade. There’s also a healthy supply of high-end features: custom granite countertops, a sink, single burner induction cooktop, 6.4-cubic foot refrigerator-freezer and a convection microwave oven. Extreme RVs get

Read more

Escape the coronavirus at the drive-in in 5 comfortable cars

The movies are classics and there won’t be new releases for a while. But in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, drive-in movie theaters are experiencing another renaissance. Escaping to see a movie in your car is safe entertainment. But certain vehicles make better seats on wheels than others. Cars.com, the Chicago-based automotive classified website, has released new research detailing that 42 percent in-the-market car shoppers plan to visit a drive-in movie theater this summer. “Drive-in theaters are making a comeback this summer as the destination of choice for movies, music and other forms of live entertainment that people can

Read more

#137, SellMax will buy your used car, junker to classic

Sean Pour is a co-founder of SellMax, a nationwide, used-car-buying service headquartered in San Diego, California. His father once owned a used car dealership and the younger Pour followed the family’s business interests, albeit from a different angle. Pour, who started SellMax at age 14, is our guest on this week’s episode of The Weekly Driver Podcast. Co-hosts Bruce Aldrich and James Raia talk with him about the business of used cars in various conditions, and how the quick buy-and-sell market works. The goal of SellMax (www.sellmax.com) is to make offers to sellers who want quick, smooth, streamlined transactions. “We

Read more

Ford F-150 pickup trucks face brake recall

,

Ford trucks have dominated the industry for so long, many current buyers weren’t born when the F-150, its siblings and distant automotive relatives didn’t reign. But even the country’s perennially best-selling vehicle sometimes has problems. In this instance, it’s used Ford F-150 pickup trucks. About 350,000 trucks in North America, including 292,3111 vehicles from the United States and model years 2014-2017 are being recalled for a faulty brake master cylinder, Ford announced. Ford F-150 has braking issues The brake master cylinder can leak brake fluid into the brake booster, and ultimately reduce braking power to the front wheels. Drivers may

Read more