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The joys of driving in comfort, improved health

Drivers who don’t like to drive rarely understand the mindset of drivers who like to drive. If you’re in the latter category, negotiating a winding country road, a haul through a mountainous state or barrelling across a desert are welcomed joys. But even for passionate drivers, the joys of driving can be further appreciated in comfort and perhaps even with improved health. Professional drivers wear specially designed shoes for comfort and to improve response sensitivity while shifting, accelerating and braking. So why shouldn’t the rest of us? Several recreation and casual wear shoe manufacturers have increased their lineups

German motorhome cost $1 million, will carry your car

Automotive News

Recreational vehicle enthusiasts, like car and truck owners, have varied preferences in the modes of travel. Add to the list the Variomobil Signature 1200. The bus-sized motorhome features a 523 horsepower Mercedes-Benz engine, and it can carry another Mercedes-Benz or another car of your choice. It’s an expensive alternative to towing a vehicle. The base price is about $922,000. With options, the motorhome’s price can reach $1.3 million. The Variomobil is mmanufactured Germany, and the Signature 1200 has impressive specs: It’s 39 feet long, has three axles and a six-cylinder turbo diesel engine. It also features a steerable trailing axle

The Weekly Driver Podcast – Episode 2 – Cars We’ve Owned

Podcast

Every family has cars, some long gone, some inherited by children or found in grandpa’s garage decades later. A vehicle’s pedigree is at least half the fun when discussing family cars. It could be something rare or a just a favorite old station wagon the family took on a trip when you were a child. The Weekly Driver Podcast, Episode 2 – Cars We’ve Owned In episode 2 of The Weekly Driver podcast, co-hosts Bruce Aldrich and James Raia discuss our first cars and other vehicles we’ve owned through the years. We also discuss our families’ cars, old Volkswagen models

Episode 2, Cars We’ve Owned

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (19.8MB)Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | MoreEvery family has had cars, some long gone, some inherited by children or found in grandpa’s garage decades later. A vehicle’s pedigree is at least half the fun of discussing family cars. It could be something rare or a just a favorite old station wagon the family took on trips when you were a child. The memories remain throughout our lives. We discuss our first cars and other vehicles we’ve owned through the years. We also discuss our families’ cars, old Volkswagen models to Ford Falcons, tough

Episode 1, Monterey Auto Week

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (23.5MB)Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | MoreWelcome to the debut of The Weekly Driver podcast. Co-hosted by James Raia and Bruce Aldrich, the weekly podcast is an extension of the website, theweeklydriver.com The latter has been published since 2004 and features new car reviews and articles on automotive trends. In Episode 1, we discuss visiting four events we attended during Monterey Auto Week. We were hosted by Lisa Guthrie at The Santa Lucia Preserve and attended a private event she began seven years ago called the Concours & Cocktails.

World’s most expensive car? Lamborghini Veneno Roadster

Auto Shows-Museums

The Lamborghini Veneno debuted at the Geneva International Auto Show in 2013 with a price tag of $3.9 million. It was followed by the Veneno Roadster with a price tag of $4.5 million. Nine were made, according to the website autoguide.com, and are the most expensive new cars on the market. The website, curious about other expensive cars, recently compiled a list of the world’s 10 most expensive cars. The prices are estimates, the site reported, because manufacturers aren’t always forthcoming with prices of their exotic, limited production vehicles. Bruce Aldrich (tahoetruckeeoutdoor.com) and a contributing editor for TheWeeklyDriver.com, created the

2017 Kia Forte5: Unheralded hatchback shines tough segment

The 2017 Kia Forte5 is the hatchback trim of its more well-known sedan sibling. It’s reminiscent of the short-lived, defunct Volkswagen station wagon squareback that debuted in the late 1960s and ceased production six years later. The VW squareback was underpowered and quirky, but more than 350,000 were manufactured before its demise in 1974. Loyal followers liked the sizable cargo area, drivability, and versatility. The VW’s motto was, “Is it a small sedan that’s a station wagon or a station wagon that’s a sedan?” While similar is concept — a wagon-style cargo area in a sedan, the 2017 Kia Forte5

The Weekly Driver Podcast #1 (Monterey Auto Week)

Podcast

Welcome to the debut of The Weekly Driver podcast. Co-hosted by James Raia and Bruce Aldrich, the weekly podcast is an extension of the website, www.theweeklydriver.com. The latter has been published since 2004 and features new car reviews and articles on automotive trends. Click on the link below to listen to episode #1. The Weekly Driver Podcast #1 (Monterey Auto Week) James Raia is a syndicated automotive columnist for Bay Area News Group and Gulf Shore Business Magazine. He is also a freelance writer who contributes sports, business and lifestyle articles to many print and online publications. He lives with

1955 Ford F100 best of show at Concours & Cocktails

Pickup Trucks

Supercars, family heirlooms and affordable vintage vehicles are nothing new to the Monterey Peninsula, particularly during Classic Car Week. Gawk at a new multi-colored Rolls-Royce or a carbon-fiber Pagani. Admire a classic Aston Martin, Ferrari or Porsche. They’re all automotive works of art. Bob Kavner appreciates cars as much as any collector or enthusiast. But he has a different perspective. While plenty of sports cars and classic sedans were showcased at the recent Concours & Cocktails at The Santa Lucia Preserve, Kavner presented two trucks. The former Silicon Valley executive, now a resident of Carmel, lives just down the country

AmericanTrucks offers $2,500 truck parts giveaway

AmericanTrucks has one of the quickest and most popular ways for Chevrolet Silverado, GMC Sierra, and RAM truck owners to improve the looks and attitude of their vehicles — a wheel and tire upgrade. The aftermarket parts company is continuing to make it easy for its customers to do just that with a late summer parts giveaway. With a aluev of $2,500, the grand prize package will help truck enthusiasts of all levels to upgrade their rig, rims and rubber and get further attention on the road. The contest began in August and continues through the end of September. Weekly

2017 Toyota Corolla: Enduring sedan keeps getting better

The 2017 Toyota Corolla marks the enduring sedan’s 51st year. Through 11 generations, the former econobox-on-wheels has lifetime worldwide sales of 43 million through last year. Since 1997, when it surpassed the Volkswagen Beetle, the Corolla remains the best-selling car in history. A new generation arrived in 2012, with yearly updates since. In 2016, Toyota began to offer a limited special edition to celebrate the car’s 50th anniversary. While competition remains intense, the 2017 Toyota Corolla keeps up with new safety and driving improvements, some not standard on luxury sedans. A rearview camera, forward collision warning, lane departure intervention and

Mecum Auctions offers best bargain at Monterey Auto Week

John Kraman, a broadcaster for Mecum Auctions, has been enamored by automobiles for as long as he can remember. His father was a Pontiac and Oldsmobile salesman in the 1960s in Southern California, and his employment locations were Kraman’s after school playgrounds. As family legend details, Kraman began to identify cars at age 2. Nearly 60 years later, vast auto industry knowledge has served him well. With three broadcast colleagues, more than a half-dozen auctioneers, 40 television crew members and 200-300 auxiliary staff, Mecum Auctions was back this year at Classic Car Week on the Monterey Peninsula with its

National Truck Driving Championship Challenges Best of the Best

Automotive News

SPONSORED CONTENT The annual three-day National Truck Driving Championship is held in August and features competitors from every state competing head-to-head in eight classes. They vie for the honor as the Bendix Grand Champion. One component of the competition stands out — knowledge is valued as much as driving skills. Competitors have to demonstrate skill, knowledge and capability but not just on the obstacle course. Drivers must also complete a written test to show their knowledge of rules and procedures. And they inspect a vehicle to show their knowledge of vehicles and their ability to detect malfunctions. Given the sometimes

Know the rules before driving and parking in Calgary

SPONSORED CONTENT Calgary attracts vistors from neighboring cities, other Canadiab provinces as well as the United States and other countries. It’s popular destination for tourists to sightsee and participate in the city’s diverse activities. But whether you visit to attend the Calgary Stampede, Opera in the Village or any of the many other food or cultural events the city hosts annually, studying common sense driving and parking regulation before you arrive is wise. Some of the most common parking infractions, according to the city’s website: • Remaining in a parking space after its metered time has elapsed • Not parking

Love or hate ’em, here are 15 cars gone after 2017

Automotive News

One is 25 years old this year; others are still in their infancies. But for one reason or another, 15 cars including the iconic Dodge Viper, will cease production with their 2017 models. The powerhouse Viper, with is boisterous V-10, has always attracted muscle car aficionados. Other cars and their driver tend to get out of its way. The Viper was costly and it didn’t fare well with changes in its corporate ownership. But it did help Chrysler change its boxy, boring image and now it’s gone, a quarter-century old, the oldest vehicle on the soon-to-be deceased list. The Weekly

Tupac Skakur’s tricked out Hummer for sale — again

Automotive News, Celebrity Cars

More than two decades after his murder in Las Vegas, the legend of Tupac Shakur remains in the spotlight. This time, a 1996 Hummer the rapper purchased less than a month before his death is up for auction beginning August 10. The fully loaded vehicle was customized by Shakur and is equipped with a 6.5 liter, turbo diesel V-8 engine with automatic transmission. The odometer reads 10,101 miles. The sale of the Hummer will be part of The Pop Culture auction from RR Auction in Boston that will continue through August 17. Tupac’s Hummer previously sold in May 2016 to