New car technology improves safety, increases distractions

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As infotainment systems become more complex and carmakers use further technology to improve automotive safety, driver distractions can also increase. In fact, information and entertainment systems in many new cars can distract drivers for more than 40 seconds, according to a new study by the American Automobile Association (AAA), Foundation For Safety. The AAA reports removing your eyes from the road for only two seconds doubles the risk of an accident. Conducted for AAA by researchers from the University of Utah, the survey included voice-based and touchscreen features and studied the visual and cognitive demands required to operate infotainment systems.

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New auto books showcase Porsche racing, rusty relics

There’s no shortage of books written about automotive topics. Cars, drivers, craftsmanship, manufacturers and racetracks have all been exhaustingly detailed. But two new offerings cover unrelated compelling niche topics. Porsche Werks/Team, a coffee table-sized, image-dominated volume, intimately details a photojournalist’s three-year project for Porsche at three famous endurance races. Muscle Car Barn Finds is an equally enticing book from a far different segment of the automotive world. It’s the author’s quest to find abandoned and hoarded vintage vehicles as he travels throughout several states. Porsche is highlighted in a new endurance racing book. Porsche is highlight in a new enduracne

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Episode 31, Hyundai Ioniq, Pacific Coast Dream Machines

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 30:09 — 41.4MB)Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | MoreThe 2018 Hyundai Ioniq is the first “green car” that can infiltrate the dominance of the Toyota Prius. The Ioniq is available in three modes — a traditional hybrid, full-electric and plug-in hybrid. The entry-level Ioniq plug-in hybrid Blue Line model is rated at 57 miles per gallon in city driving, 59 miles per gallon for highway treks. Its rating is several miles per gallon higher than the best mileage in the Prius lineup. In electric mode, the Ioniq has a 27-mile range. The

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2018 Hyundai Ioniq: Serious challenger for Toyota Prius

Since the debut of the Toyota Prius in 2000 as the first mass-marketed hybrid in the United States, several manufacturers have tried to infiltrate the odd-looking green car leader’s dominance. All have failed. Now, there’s a legitimate contender, the Hyundai Ioniq. The unusual name is the combination of the words ion and unique, and the vehicle’s title works. The Ioniq’s specs outdo the Prius numbers in multiple categories. Key Takeaways First car offered in three electrified flavors: Ioniq Hybrid, Plug-in Hybrid, and full Electric — something not even Toyota’s Prius lineup matches in a single nameplate. 58 combined mpg tops

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Episode 30, The strange case of death by Uber in Arizona

Nearly two weeks after a woman was killed by an autonomous Uber vehicle while walking her bicycle across the street at night and outside of a crosswalk in Tempe, Ariz., much is still unknown about the accident. What is known is that the Governor of Arizona has ended the state’s autonomous vehicle testing program. The auto-parts maker that supplied the radar and camera on the Volvo SUV that killed the woman has stated they had disabled the standard collision-avoidance technology in the vehicle. The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board have been investigating the

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Common sense tips to avoid driving and texting

Most drivers try to refrain from texting and driving, but it’s easy to yield to the temptation of an incoming text. While it may seem harmless to glance at your phone just long enough to scan a message, it’s not. Texting and driving statistics reveal reading one text message takes your eyes off the road for 4.6 seconds. That might not seem like a long time, but if you’re traveling 55 mph you can cover the length of a football field in 4.6 seconds. That’s a long distance to travel with your attention diverted. Texting and driving are not a

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2018 Toyota Land Cruiser: luxury, power, gas sucker

The Toyota Land Cruiser has been manufactured for 67 years, and it’s geared toward a niche audience of SUV buyers seeking ruggedness and off-road durability. It’s the second-largest and oldest vehicle in the manufacturer’s lineup. For 2018, the Land Cruiser remains much the same as last year. It seeks a market share with the Land Rover Discovery, Lexus LX 570 and Lincoln Navigator in the behemoth SUV category. The auto industry’s gas guzzlers are the easiest segment to dismiss. How can anyone justify an $87,000 SUV that averages 13 and 18 miles per gallon respectively in city and highway driving?

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PREVIEW: 2018 Honda Accord Hybrid, priced lower

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The fifth and newest addition to the Honda Accord electrified vehicle lineup will debut March 23 when the 2018 Honda Accord Hybrid is unveiled at dealerships at a lower price than the previous model. The Accord Hybrid, sibling to the 2018 North American car of the year, will have a starting price of $25,990, including its $890 destination fee. The price reflects a $4,505 price drop from the 2017 model, according to Honda. The Accord Hybrid lineup now comes in five trim levels: Hybrid, EX (new), EX-L, EX-L Navi (new), and Touring. The newest Accord has an estimated gas mileage

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BMW in which Tupac Skakur shot for sale, $1.5 million

The 1996 7 Series BMW in which rap legend Tupac Shakur was a passenger when he was murdered nearly 22 years ago is for sale. The asking price is $1.5 million. The BMW is on display for the first time at the Celebrity Cars Las Vegas showroom at 7770 Dean Martin Drive in Las Vegas. Musician and producer Marion Hugh “Suge” Knight Jr. was driving the car on Sept. 7, 1996, when, at the intersection of East Flamingo Road and Koval Lane when a gunman fired four .40-caliber rounds into the passenger side of the vehicle. Shakur was hit in

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Documentary ‘I Am Paul Walker’ set for late actor

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Paul Walker, the late actor, car enthusiast and humanitarian, will be honored in an upcoming documentary from Paramount Network, Network Entertainment and Derik Murray, who produced “I Am Heath Ledger.” The documentary, titled “I Am Paul Walker,” will explore the late Fast and Furious star’s acting and film career. It will also detail the actor’s passion for marine life, the ocean and his charitable efforts in Haiti following the 2010 earthquake. Many of Walker’s friends and co-stars are expected to be featured in the film. In addition to his Fast and Furious roles, Walker starred in numerous non-automotive based movies. He

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Uber halts self-driving program after pedestrian fatality

The Uber autonomous driving program has been suspended after a 49-year-old woman in Tempe, Arizona, was killed after she was hit by a car as she crossed the street. Self-driving cars have been involved in multiple accidents, but the pedestrian fatality is believed to be the first in the autonomous realm. Uber said it had ceased its autonomous program throughout North America. The accident, according to law enforcement accounts, occurred late in the evening on March 19 when the vehicle was autonomous mode. The vehicle also had a driver. Elaine Herzberg, the victim, wasn’t using a pedestrian crossing. She was

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Episode 29, Stunning new Lexus, bad tires and RV woes

The 2018 Lexus LC 500 is arguably the most attractive car made in the past several years. It turns heads in parking lots and gets stared at on the open road. Strangers point at it and give a thumb’s up. The new Lexus belongs on the list of the 100 most attractive cars ever made. It would be among the few modern-day vehicles on the subjective selections automotive publications publish about every 10 years. Bruce Aldrich, co-host of The Weekly Driver Podcast, and I shared driving duties in the new Lexus from Sacramento to the Delta hamlet of Courtland and

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2018 Lexus LC 500: a beauty of a beast

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A middle-aged man and his three teenage companions stopped in a coffee shop parking lot, gawked at the exterior of the 2018 Lexus LC 500 and asked if they could check out the inside. A guy in an old pick-up with a dilapidated camper shell stopped in the middle of a street near to where the Lexus was parked and started a conversation about saving his money to buy one. Some people pointed, others provided a thumb’s up or exclaimed “nice wheels, dude.” A few young drivers pulled up near me on the freeway, momentarily glared and sped off, perhaps

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Rare Tesla offered as children’s fundraiser giveaway

Kimbal Musk, often cited as a global social entrepreneur, is conducting a fundraising campaign through Omaze for fans to the chance to win the philanthropist’s personal and fully customized Tesla Model 3, the sixth model ever made. Musk, the younger brother of Elon Musk and founder of Tesla, is considered the “founding father of the modern food movement.” Proceeds raised from the campaign will benefit Big Green, Kimbal’s initiative to provide healthier futures for kids through learning gardens and food literacy programs. Your donation will help Big Green establish a culture in schools that promotes youth wellness and reduces preventable diet-related

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Episode 28, Rats eating cars, winter driving, Genesis shines

If you live near a river and your vehicle is parked outside and near trees, there’s likely one more reason to be concerned about its welfare — rats. Owners of cars from several manufacturers are increasingly reporting that rodents are eating their vehicles from the inside out. Reports in several states by owners of Honda and Toyota vehicles, as well as other carmakers’ models, are claiming rats are devouring the wiring in their cars and causing major costly repairs.  The problem, owners claim, is that “green car” concerns have resulted in manufacturers using soy-based engine wiring and coverings. Several lawsuits

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So long, farewell to the Volkswagen Beetle

Say goodbye to the most iconic car ever made, the Volkswagen Beetle. A representative from the German automaker told a reporter from the publication Autocar during the Geneva Motor Show that it plans to stop production of the vehicle at the end of its current generation. Frank Welsch, the carmaker’s research and development leader, said, “two or three generations is enough now.” The Volkswagen Beetle is the fourth best-selling vehicle in history, trailing the Toyota Corolla, Ford F series pickup trucks and Volkswagen Golf. But the Beetle’s sales have waned in recent years, with reports the carmaker’s engineers have lost

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