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Volkswagen camper set to make return as electric van?

The Volkswagen camper, the iconic niche vehicle fancied by surfers, Grateful Dead fans and camping families, may soon be available in the United States after a decade hiatus. Volkswagen has officially discounted the prevalent rumor of the return of the Westfalia Camper edition. But Heinz-Jakob Neusser, the head of production of VW has reportedly said the bus will be back in a surprising way — as an electric vehicle. Neusser, as reported on the web site, inhabit.com, has that detailed the camper will have a small electronic motor to power the front wheels. The battery pack will be under the

Episode 18, California Automobile Museum curator Carly Starr

Podcast

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 31:21 — 43.0MB)Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | MoreCarly Starr is the curator of the California Automobile Museum in Sacramento. She has incredible knowledge of the cars and trucks in the unheralded museum as well as its diverse outreach programs throughout the year. The museum, located at 2200 Front St., opened in May 1987. It has more than 150 classic cars, race cars, trucks and rotating displays of different generations of vehicles from various regional clubs. The California Automobile Museum is also unique among car museums. It selectively buys and sells vintage

#133, AACA Museum adapts, goes virtual during Covid-19

Podcast

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 24:07 — 33.1MB)Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | MoreMuseums have impossible business models during the coronavirus. But in the business of celebrating history, creativity reigns. When public visits aren’t feasible, creativity prevails. Like many museums, automobile museums can virtually present their exhibits. Car enthusiasts and history buffs can still enjoy the legacies of vintage vehicles. Jeff Bliemeister, executive director of the AACA Museum in Hersey, Pennsylvania, is our guest this week on The Weekly Driver Podcast. AACA Museum features Tucker Co-hosts Bruce Aldrich and James Raia discuss with Bliemeister how the

Toyota Mirai, 312-mile range hydrogen car, gets info site

Automotive News

The Toyota Mirai, the hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle that uses no gasoline and emits only water vapor, will be available in its “request” phase beginning July 20. Potential buyers will then be able to request the only electric vehicle with an EPA estimated driving range of more than 300 miles. The EPA has given the Mirai a range rating of 312 miles and an EPA estimated 67 mpge in combined city and highway driving. The, $57,5000 sedan will be available only at eight California dealerships. Only California residents can buy the car. It will include an 8-year/100,000-mile warranty on

Chrysler felled by faulty airbags, recalls nearly 920,000 Grand Cherokee, Liberty models

Chrysler is globally recalling three model years and more than 900,000 vehicles from its popular sport utility vehicle lineup, including the Jeep Grand Cherokee and Liberty, for faulty airbags. According to documents filed with the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and Chrysler, 919,545 total vehicles are affected from 2002 to 2004 and will require fixing a faulty module that could cause the airbags to inadvertently deploy. If the module fails, front airbags or side curtain airbags could deploy inadvertently while the SUVs are being operated, Of the vehicles recalled, 744,822 are in the United States; 49,430 in Canada;

Hyundai, Kia recall 2011 Santa Fe, Sorento for brake issue

Hyundai, the South Korean manufacturer whose popularity has drastically improved based on value, improved styling and extensive warranty, is recalling some 2011 models of its Santa Fe sport utility vehicle because of potential rear break flaws. The Korean car maker’s Kia unit, which shares the same platform and have many similar parts, is also recalling some 2011 Sorento SUVs. The rear brake calipers in both vehicles may not have been machined properly and could allow brake fluid to leak. If the leak occurred, it would trigger a warning light indicating the fluid level is low. If the driver doesn’t take

Honda sees the light, announces 1.35 million Fit recall

Honda Motor Co. is recalling more than 1.35 million Fit subcompacts because of wiring issues that could lead to failure in the vehicles’ low-beam headlights. The recall includes 143,083 Fit vehicles in the United States from 2007 and 2008 model years, 734,392 Fits in Japan and about 380,000 similar Honda Jazz models in Europe, according to a Honda spokeswoman. Honda detailed in a news release that a connector on a wiring harness could corrode and fail, which would extinguish the low beams. However, the high beams would still work. No accidents or injuries relating to the problem have been reported.

Scion iQ, 2012: Brainy microcar with a lot of room to roam

Three years to the month after it made its debut in Japan, the Scion iQ arrived in the United States in October 2011 as the country's second "city car." And, of course, it's the immediate rival of the Smart ForTwo, the now nearly teenage microcar. Like its rival, the Scion iQ mini-car is innovative, controversial and immediately attracts attention with its petite presence. Like the Smart ForTwo, the Scion iQ also has an odd name. Toyota, the Scion parent company, explains the "i" means "individuality," "innovation," and "intelligence." And the "Q" stands for "quality." The Weekly Driver Test Drive During

Consumer Reports: 2021 Jeep, Honda only recommended trucks

Automotive News

Pickup trucks continue to dominate sales in the United States. But the volume doesn’t impress Consumer Reports. Among the 17 pickup trucks tested by the leading consumer organization, only the Honda Ridgeline and the Jeep Gladiator were recommended. The Ridgeline achieved a score of 65, the highest mark among all trucks tested. Consumer Reports conducts about 50 different tests on the vehicles it evaluates. It evaluates braking to handling, comfort to safety and as fuel economy. Predicted reliability, owner satisfaction, safety technology and crash test results are also factored into overall results. Consumer Reports slams most pickup trucks The Gladiator

Volkswagen Beetle, 2012: High fives and hand claps

Volkswagen isn't the first manufacturer to make clever television commercials. But the new spot for the 2012 Beetle is among the best. It's simultaneously hip and ideally deals a recent prevailing trend that Beetle are only purchased by women. The video features a male driver driving in various situations around town. No matter where he drives, people want to "high five" or do "knuckles." The commercial is shot to the ""The Clapping Song." It was originally recorded by Shirley Ellis in 1965, shortly after she hit it big with a similar song, "The Name Game". The Clapping Song song made

Volkswagen Beetle Turbo, 2012: The fat bug has a new image

Like the fat kid from Math Club who came to the high school reunion with something to prove, the 2012 Volkswagen Beetle Turbo wants everyone to do a double take and notice that it’s no longer the archetypal chick car. The new VW wants it to be OK for a guy to purchase it and visit the Starbucks drive thru. It wants it known the latest version of the Beetle has a turbo in it, and it means business. Doesn’t the now-flattened roofline says "I drink more beers than wine coolers" to you? After almost a decade of the New

Jerry Seinfeld, Michael Richards reunite for laughs, regrets in Volkswagen bus

Like other celebrities, Jerry Seinfeld is a car enthusiast, most notably via his collection of rare Porsches. But Seinfeld’s passion for cars and his friends has also resulted in the unique web series Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee. In the recent season-finale, Seinfeld drives around Southern California in a 50-year-old Volkswagen Bus with friend and comedian Michael Richards. The 17-minute below video is funny. But it’s also poignant. Richards, Seinfeld’s neighbor Kramer on the the iconic program Seinfeld, candidly discusses his regrets in a 2006 rant when he used racial epithets during a nightclub performance. It ended Richards’ career. The

VW Beetle to Chevy Volt to Ford Focus: goodbye, farewell

Automotive News

The end of the year in the automotive world always marks the end of the run for a car or two and sometimes more vehicles. The end of 2018 was among the most drastic farewells to vehicles in recent years. Manufacturers announced their departures from the car-making business to focus on sport utility vehicles and trucks. Vehicles with long histories and some that barely had time to build a sustained buying base will soon be defunct. In all, the production of at least 14 cars has stopped or will soon cease. The most significant departure from the new car landscape

Lexus ES350: A Weekly Driver 2012 Top 10

Automotive Reviews, Luxury cars

The Lexus ES 350 is in the wondrous midsize luxury class. It features tough competition among well-heeled vehicles ranging from the Buick LaCrosse to the Volvo S60 and the Acura TL to the Hyundai Genesis. For 2012, the Lexus ES 350 remains largely unchanged from the 2011 model, with one available trim. It’s a 3.5-liter V6 that produces 268 horsepower, 248 pound-feet of torque and has a standard six-speed automatic transmission. Without changes, Lexus must be confident in the Lexus ES 350, the high-brow sibling of a Toyota Camry. There was plenty of evidence for that theory during my weekly

2017 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport: Top rival for Honda, Toyota

Automotive Reviews

As the smaller of the two Hyundai Santa Fe offerings, the 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport is the five-passenger version of the Santa Fe that several years ago replaced the now-defunct Veracruz. The Santa Fe Sport is classified as a small crossover sport utility vehicle, but each year since its debut it seems to get bigger and worthy of a medium-sized designation. Although not a new generation, the 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport has refreshed styling inside and outside as well numerous updates: a height adjustment for the power passenger seat, a larger five-inch standard display and an available seven-inch

Oscar nominations: Best performances by actors with cars: Steve McQueen, Bullitt; Gene Hackman, The French Connection

With nominations for the Academy Awards just announced, what better time to discuss perhaps the best component film that doesn’t directly get nominated for awards — Best Performance By An Actor With Car. Indirectly, of course, great acting, editing, directing, music, special effects, etc., have all helped create many of the best car scenes on film. Too many movies have too many great car scenes to list. But two great action car scenes involving iconic actors top the list. James Bond movies, for example, feature great footage with Aston Martin. And Batman films throughout the years have featured iconic technology