[SPEAKER_02]: This is episode four hundred and forty six of wheel bearings.
[SPEAKER_02]: I am Sam of Will Samad.
[SPEAKER_02]: My voice is almost back to normal.
[SPEAKER_05]: You almost sound like yourself.
[SPEAKER_05]: Sam, you're so close.
[SPEAKER_02]: This is so long.
[SPEAKER_02]: I'm so I'm kind of concerned.
[SPEAKER_02]: My throat is always weird.
[SPEAKER_02]: When I get one of those colds where my throat starts to get messed up, my voice gets messed up.
[SPEAKER_02]: It does for whatever reason it takes a long time to recover from it.
[SPEAKER_07]: Wow.
[SPEAKER_07]: You know, there's, did I tell you about the
[SPEAKER_05]: Oh, I've heard this.
[SPEAKER_07]: So, so if you have like a sore throat or whatever and you're seeing in your singer, there's a spray you can get and you can spray it in your mouth and you can like just, it's sort of coach your mouth so he doesn't feel like all, you know, sort of like an aesthetic type of thing.
[SPEAKER_07]: Kind of it's it's like herbs and crap But you put it you like I just pull it through by RFK juniors.
[SPEAKER_07]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_05]: Yeah, so I've used it crap.
[SPEAKER_07]: It's herbs and crap I Where's my bad my gig bags in here somewhere and my I got like 15 bags one for every thing that I do in my life but
[SPEAKER_07]: You spray it and then you yeah, I used it at a big show where I was like really sick and it was like this really big show is like two and a half hours of music and three different artists and and then I used it At another show where I I the so like my throw was so sore that I had to use it between each song
[SPEAKER_07]: And at one point I just told people on the audience, I'm like, this is the drugs.
[SPEAKER_07]: I just have a source row, and this helps, and everyone's like, okay, we don't care.
[SPEAKER_07]: Yeah, whatever.
[SPEAKER_02]: So anyway, I think it's called the singer's helper or something like that.
[SPEAKER_02]: I will look for some of that.
[SPEAKER_02]: In the meantime, Nicole, what do you hear about you?
[SPEAKER_07]: We didn't even introduce ourselves.
[SPEAKER_05]: I mean, I'm just saying, I'm Nicole with test miles.
[SPEAKER_07]: and ever baked a balldoin with senior's helper.
[SPEAKER_07]: That's a international.
[SPEAKER_05]: There we go.
[SPEAKER_05]: I didn't even put it in the show notes.
[SPEAKER_05]: What I have this week, but I see you guys just be surprised.
[SPEAKER_05]: I have the 2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz, which is about to be the 2026 Sunday Santa Cruz gone.
[SPEAKER_02]: Like it's just the end of the line.
[SPEAKER_05]: It's the end of the line, which I have to say I was a little sad because having had this now in my driveway for about a week and driving it quite a bit back and forth, I really like this.
[SPEAKER_05]: Oh, he's showing this thing.
[SPEAKER_05]: Singers Helper.
[SPEAKER_05]: Singers bless us.
[SPEAKER_05]: I don't think it says how to help her.
[SPEAKER_07]: I think it does just do things through, through, through, through, through, through, through, through, through, through, through, through, through, through, through, through, through, through, through, through, through, through, through, through, through, through, through, through, through, through, through, through, through, through, through, through, through, through, through, through, through, through, through, through, through, through, through, through, through, through, through, through, through, through, through, through, through, through, through, through, through, through, through, through, through, through,
[SPEAKER_07]: This one's probably expired, though.
[SPEAKER_07]: It's going to be my back for a year or two.
[SPEAKER_05]: That was going to kill him.
[SPEAKER_07]: I should probably get rid of this.
[SPEAKER_07]: Sorry.
[SPEAKER_05]: Sorry.
[SPEAKER_05]: That's OK.
[SPEAKER_05]: So Sandy Santa Cruz, which is their compact pickup truck, that never really
[SPEAKER_05]: found it's life.
[SPEAKER_07]: My neighbor about one and he absolutely loves it.
[SPEAKER_07]: It absolutely loves it.
[SPEAKER_05]: So what I think's going to happen with this anacruz one and my no my expert prediction is that it's going to be one of those vehicles that once it's on a hunt that people are going to want it, that it's going to be one of those things someone's going to hold onto one or the people that still have them.
[SPEAKER_05]: It's going to go, I have it.
[SPEAKER_05]: You have a Santa Cruz.
[SPEAKER_05]: I love that
[SPEAKER_07]: They just undercut by the Maverick, but he has someone in his family who has a Maverick and loves their Maverick, but he's just like, like, it drives better, it's like everything about it feels better than the Maverick.
[SPEAKER_07]: The Maverick's more utilitarian, and he uses it first for stuff like that, but it's just such a...
[SPEAKER_07]: He's like, it drives so nice.
[SPEAKER_05]: Like driving around in this Santa Cruz is like you're driving a nice little crossover or something.
[SPEAKER_05]: It doesn't feel like a stripped down base, though you've compromised because you can't afford a full size truck.
[SPEAKER_05]: It feels like, oh no, you wanted a smaller truck.
[SPEAKER_05]: Here you go, enjoy it.
[SPEAKER_05]: Um, and I love its little cover.
[SPEAKER_05]: It has this cover on the top that rolls at its hard cover that rolls out and you can stand on it.
[SPEAKER_05]: It supports, I don't have the number, which is terrible, but it supports like a human can stand on that and it's fine.
[SPEAKER_05]: So it's very sturdy and it's empowered.
[SPEAKER_02]: It's got that, but when you, when you roll, when you open it up, then there's a little cord there that you can grab to pull it back again.
[SPEAKER_05]: Right.
[SPEAKER_05]: So I mean it's it's just it's a great it's a great little truck.
[SPEAKER_05]: I'm sad that it's going You have there's it's available with you can get it.
[SPEAKER_05]: I have the one with elbow drive You can also get it with front will drive the elbow drive trims start at about 31,000 front will drive 297 So not a huge difference in the starting price there, but
[SPEAKER_05]: It goes up to like if they have the XRT now which is the sort of their off-road version of things when they when they put XRT on something that one's 41 the top trim the limited is 43,700 which there's your challenge there's a problem right there
[SPEAKER_05]: it's it's just the price doesn't work for what's available in the market now and green to like the maverick wasn't around when it was introduced.
[SPEAKER_02]: It was came up pretty close at the same time.
[SPEAKER_05]: Yeah, they were like it was first wasn't it?
[SPEAKER_02]: I was super close to the last six months.
[SPEAKER_02]: Oh, it was, it was, it was, it was, it was in the American came at 20,000.
[SPEAKER_05]: So it really is like the American, you, yeah, you cut the Santa Cruz.
[SPEAKER_02]: The thing, the thing that really wanted for the Maverick besides, you know, a lower starting price to begin with was the hybrid.
[SPEAKER_05]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_02]: And in fact, a Hyundai never put that into this vehicle.
[SPEAKER_02]: I think we used it.
[SPEAKER_05]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_05]: And maybe they saw the rating on the walls though.
[SPEAKER_05]: Maybe they were realizing they didn't, let's see, I'm double checking.
[SPEAKER_05]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_05]: So it was summer.
[SPEAKER_05]: Okay.
[SPEAKER_05]: According to the AI, my Google Foo says that the Maverick came out in late fall of 25.
[SPEAKER_07]: Well, yeah, that's not true.
[SPEAKER_07]: No, it's not true.
[SPEAKER_07]: It's been like over 21, according to AI.
[SPEAKER_02]: The fabric came out two years after a camera.
[SPEAKER_02]: This is why you never rely on AI.
[SPEAKER_05]: Now I've got one that says 22.
[SPEAKER_05]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_05]: So I can't even figure that out.
[SPEAKER_05]: I was trying to Google.
[SPEAKER_05]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_05]: I was trying to figure out how far apart they were.
[SPEAKER_05]: I believe you.
[SPEAKER_05]: I just somehow they felt further.
[SPEAKER_05]: They felt like they were more distance.
[SPEAKER_05]: But so I'm using a cruise fabulous car truck that's going away.
[SPEAKER_05]: It's just gas there.
[SPEAKER_05]: Like same said, there's no hybrid.
[SPEAKER_05]: So your base engine, a 2.5 litre force cylinder, 1951 horsepower, 181 pound feet, or the turbo, which gives you 281 horsepower.
[SPEAKER_05]: 91 to 81 significant difference.
[SPEAKER_05]: So if you're going to buy it, I buy the turbo, because I feel like the base engine is just not going to have the same oh, if it's got two rows, you've got seating for five.
[SPEAKER_05]: And it feels like a crossover in there.
[SPEAKER_05]: That's something that's really nice, not a super high step up.
[SPEAKER_05]: It's not, it has a roomy back seat.
[SPEAKER_05]: Like other than looking in the back and going, oh, hey, it's not a hatchback with a cargo area.
[SPEAKER_05]: A little time back back there.
[SPEAKER_02]: It's from the driver's seat.
[SPEAKER_02]: It is literally identical to a Hyundai Tucson.
[SPEAKER_05]: right so it's so it's you i mean it really does feel like driving the car and i i loved it taking into the city i drove it uh to the airport and then i parked it in the parking garage which is always can be challenging because they're very tight spots and that's all that was left and when it's when you get there and it's like the only spots left or a few you know it's the one that no one's chosen because there's like an F250 on one side of you
[SPEAKER_05]: And, you know, somebody parked right on the yellow line on the other side of you, so you have just enough room to wedge a car in there.
[SPEAKER_05]: You can still wedge this in there, because I did that.
[SPEAKER_05]: So it's, it's even great if you're in like an urban environment because of the sizing.
[SPEAKER_05]: It can tow 3500 pounds with the base engine with front-wheel drive 5000 if you go up to all wheel drive.
[SPEAKER_05]: You know, it has a 12.3-inch touchscreen.
[SPEAKER_05]: There, you know, it's,
[SPEAKER_05]: higher trims get a 12.3 inch instrument cluster to match.
[SPEAKER_05]: You got USB-C ports, you have an attractive comfortable interior, it's quiet, it's a really nice truck, it was fun to drive.
[SPEAKER_05]: I really enjoy driving this, this is the worst season for driving because there's just pot holes everywhere in it, it's a mess.
[SPEAKER_05]: Still great.
[SPEAKER_05]: I nailed a couple of those pot holes.
[SPEAKER_05]: Sorry, Hyundai, but it was, it's still you feel like you're like, Cred, I did that, but still you're you're filling Stan and they don't like shake right out of your teeth, you know?
[SPEAKER_05]: So I truly enjoyed driving this and I am, I understand why it's going away, but I'm still saddened.
[SPEAKER_05]: that it's going away because I think it's a great little truck.
[SPEAKER_05]: And you've got that little XRT trim if you want to have a little bit more fun, you know, it's a little bit more like off-rody and it has like a terrain mode with mud snow and sand so you can what you can with your journey.
[SPEAKER_05]: Mine is the um limited.
[SPEAKER_05]: Sorry, took me a second.
[SPEAKER_05]: So it's beautiful and it's all the bells and whistles and everything.
[SPEAKER_05]: It's a lovely truck.
[SPEAKER_05]: I thoroughly enjoy driving it, but you know again, $43,000 is a feel like it.
[SPEAKER_05]: Kind of sort of, it does because it doesn't feel like a truck.
[SPEAKER_05]: It feels like you're buying a top trim of a crossover of an SUV and that's not outrageous.
[SPEAKER_02]: I know from personal experience, you can put at least 15 bags of top soil in the back and the bed of this thing.
[SPEAKER_05]: I haven't, I did not have a chance to properly truck it with barc-multure topso because they're still snowing the ground.
[SPEAKER_05]: So welcome to spring in New England.
[SPEAKER_05]: So can we have a couple weeks before that's practical?
[SPEAKER_07]: So when the Maverick and the center group came out, there's this huge difference.
[SPEAKER_07]: It was like 20,000, like 27,000, I think, was the original price of the Santa Cruz.
[SPEAKER_07]: Now, because the Maverick has just creeped up like crazy, I looked to see what the base price for each of them.
[SPEAKER_07]: I've already ruined the destination game today, but also like Ford has some like acquisition fee that they've added to it.
[SPEAKER_07]: Well, that's it.
[SPEAKER_02]: That's only for leasing.
[SPEAKER_02]: If you go on the Ford configurator and you click to finance instead of lease, it doesn't show you the acquisition fee.
[SPEAKER_07]: Okay.
[SPEAKER_07]: If you don't, okay, so if you do get the paper by the leesie, I don't know, if you do it with the leesie, the difference between the two trucks is $665.
[SPEAKER_07]: So if you get rid of the leesie in fee, it's like $1,300.
[SPEAKER_05]: Yeah, I'm looking at the math list.
[SPEAKER_07]: Between the two trucks, one is very, again, they're both capable, I like them both, but in order to get the nicer,
[SPEAKER_05]: the night's your truck really if you want to drive around it's only on a cost you like $1,300 more yeah so the base the cheapest maverick and I'm just like glancing at the consumer site 2145 and it's a hybrid the most expensive maverick is the tremor at 40,640 but like the I don't know if I was going to buy a maverick I like that low boy just think it's fun
[SPEAKER_07]: So you can, the, the, the big difference between the fabric and the Santa Cruz was the price and now that really doesn't.
[SPEAKER_05]: Now it's not when you're looking at 28 for one in 29 for the other.
[SPEAKER_05]: It's not.
[SPEAKER_05]: And you, for that 29, you're getting a much more comfortable nicer, quieter, smoother writing vehicle in the fabric.
[SPEAKER_05]: And I love the fabric.
[SPEAKER_05]: Don't get me wrong.
[SPEAKER_05]: But for that little extra bit, you get a lot more, you get a lot.
[SPEAKER_02]: Well, you don't, you don't get the hybrid.
[SPEAKER_07]: That's the reason.
[SPEAKER_05]: You don't get the hybrid.
[SPEAKER_05]: That is the thing.
[SPEAKER_05]: You don't get the hybrid.
[SPEAKER_07]: So you get that hidden trunk.
[SPEAKER_05]: You do.
[SPEAKER_05]: So you know, so it's, so I, I like the Santa Cruz.
[SPEAKER_05]: I get why it's going.
[SPEAKER_05]: It makes sense that it's going.
[SPEAKER_05]: Am I happy about it?
[SPEAKER_05]: No.
[SPEAKER_02]: So according to Wikipedia, production on the Santa Cruz started in June of 2021.
[SPEAKER_02]: And the Maverick started, I think, in November of 2021.
[SPEAKER_02]: Because they started deliveries in December of 2021.
[SPEAKER_05]: About six months apart.
[SPEAKER_05]: Okay, yeah, they were that close, wow.
[SPEAKER_02]: Okay, so that's the same accrues that I am sad to see, you know, what was the bottom line on on the one that you had?
[SPEAKER_05]: Oh, I assume I have a Monroeney.
[SPEAKER_02]: Oh, well, you know, I know you don't have, I know you don't get Monroeney's but I figured you had gotten through the work of actually, you know, calculating it now.
[SPEAKER_05]: I did not, I did not crunch the entire thing.
[SPEAKER_05]: If I, I did not, I did not.
[SPEAKER_05]: So we're going with 43.7.
[SPEAKER_05]: It didn't look like it looked pretty close to, to, um, stock.
[SPEAKER_05]: If there was something or not, it's like, if it or not stock.
[SPEAKER_05]: But if there was something I missed, a random add-on, it wasn't much.
[SPEAKER_05]: So it's probably around that price that 43, 44,000 basically.
[SPEAKER_00]: Okay.
[SPEAKER_05]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, it is kind of a shame that it's going away, but it, you know, rumor has it that there will be something new, a new truck coming from Hyundai.
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, that's, that's what I've been seeing it online.
[SPEAKER_05]: Maybe it'll come next week.
[SPEAKER_05]: Wait, New York, I don't know.
[SPEAKER_05]: It could be, it could be Wednesday, right?
[SPEAKER_05]: It could be Wednesday, right?
[SPEAKER_05]: Is that when they have their press conference, they're a press conference, they have a reveal or anything.
[SPEAKER_05]: They just have their standard press conference on the same way.
[SPEAKER_02]: And this time, the most of the time manufacturers will give us a heads up a few days in advance, give us some information under embargo so we can get stories ready and stuff.
[SPEAKER_02]: This time, they're not telling us anything.
[SPEAKER_05]: It's funny everybody keeps asking me like you know if you heard it was I don't like no nobody knows Giant stream none of us know what's happening none of us have any idea And like he said they're going old school is time
[SPEAKER_05]: I came over the last time there's been a reveal at an auto show that nobody knew about like you're like, I don't know what it is.
[SPEAKER_07]: I don't know.
[SPEAKER_07]: Wow.
[SPEAKER_07]: Yeah, I hope it's not more robots because it doesn't.
[SPEAKER_07]: I mean, I'd see, yes, like, hey, we did robots.
[SPEAKER_07]: We're like, okay, cool, but this is an auto show.
[SPEAKER_05]: That was sort of disappointing.
[SPEAKER_05]: It's the ES.
[SPEAKER_05]: I mean, like it was cool, but I saw so I was like, this is a Boston Dynamics press conference.
[SPEAKER_05]: This is what I felt like.
[SPEAKER_07]: Yeah, it's just like, okay, first you see, you can do kind of do whatever you want when it comes to technology, but this is a car show, so it'd better be some better car, maybe it's just something else maybe there's a version of the boss and I'm actually about with wheels, maybe maybe it's a track.
[SPEAKER_05]: Just showing us all the hand motions, I can just remember them having the boss and I didn't like the human one and it was like, look at all these things that I'm like, he's okay.
[SPEAKER_02]: it'll it'll be a new compact pickup with hand with hands so it can load the best by itself robot mounted in the bed yeah so instead of you loading your own bags of mulch or topsoil into the bed it will there's an arm will just reach out grab them off your cart and pack them into the bed of the truck there you go this is perfect yeah so the ultimate combination you know physical
[SPEAKER_02]: All right.
[SPEAKER_05]: We'll see.
[SPEAKER_05]: That would be the big news.
[SPEAKER_05]: We'll have to see next week.
[SPEAKER_05]: What we, what was revealed in New York?
[SPEAKER_02]: Don't, don't, don't, don't, don't, don't.
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, all right.
[SPEAKER_02]: Well, I also had something from the Hyundai Motor Group, but from the the other end of the spectrum.
[SPEAKER_02]: I had the the Genesis GV 80 coupe Darth Vader edition.
[SPEAKER_02]: Which is not the actual name.
[SPEAKER_02]: I call it that it's it was actually the the GV80 coupe 3.5 T ESC MHV black all-wheel drive with the the Prestige black package.
[SPEAKER_02]: And basically The Genesis models with that have the Prestige black basically it means that like literally everything the only thing on this truck that was not black
[SPEAKER_02]: was the lights.
[SPEAKER_02]: So red to red to red to red.
[SPEAKER_01]: They couldn't figure that.
[SPEAKER_02]: Don't want to tell lights on the back.
[SPEAKER_02]: Red, you know, white had lights on the front.
[SPEAKER_02]: Everything else was black.
[SPEAKER_02]: The girl was black.
[SPEAKER_02]: The wheels were black.
[SPEAKER_02]: The badge, the winged Genesis badge on the hood was black.
[SPEAKER_02]: Inside, everything was black.
[SPEAKER_02]: The wood trim was open poor black wood trim.
[SPEAKER_02]: It looked really cool.
[SPEAKER_05]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_05]: It was very black.
[SPEAKER_02]: Very, very black.
[SPEAKER_05]: When the phrase is it, what's something that it's murdered out, isn't that what they say?
[SPEAKER_05]: Something that doesn't matter to their vehicle that's murdered out.
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_02]: Um, you know, so with the, um, uh, with the, the prestige black or with the, with the 3.5, uh, twin turbo V6 on here, you know, it has what they call a 48 volt E supercharger.
[SPEAKER_02]: So basically, you know, what this is, essentially it's got three turbochargers on it.
[SPEAKER_02]: There's two exhaust driven turbochargers, and then there's a 48 volt turbocharger that instead of a turbine that's driven by the exhaust, it's got an electric motor, 48 volt motor on there.
[SPEAKER_02]: So it can spin up almost instantaneously.
[SPEAKER_02]: So you get essentially no turbo lag from this thing.
[SPEAKER_02]: So, you got the compressor side of a turbo hooked up to an electric motor and so this, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh
[SPEAKER_02]: It's a lot of power and I will look up while I keep talking about this because I can't remember how much power it has, but it has a lot of power.
[SPEAKER_02]: Make a power.
[SPEAKER_05]: The Mega Power Genesis.
[SPEAKER_02]: And so this is it for a 9?
[SPEAKER_02]: Is it for a 9?
[SPEAKER_02]: That sounds right.
[SPEAKER_02]: Yes.
[SPEAKER_02]: For a 9.
[SPEAKER_02]: Sounds right.
[SPEAKER_02]: I'm looking at it right now.
[SPEAKER_05]: I'm looking at it right now.
[SPEAKER_05]: I'm going to look up the Mega Power Super Power Genesis.
[SPEAKER_02]: Keep talking.
[SPEAKER_02]: So, you know, the the coupe, you know, the regular GV80, of course, is a three row, you know, more wagon-shaped crossover, the GV80 coupe, like something else we'll talk about in a few minutes, basically slash the back part of the roof off.
[SPEAKER_02]: make it look, you know, slightly koupier, and get rid of the third row.
[SPEAKER_02]: This, and really this is probably what Mazda should have done with the CX70, you know, when I got rid of the third row from the CX90, is just make it koup, you know.
[SPEAKER_05]: What did you, what did you say for her's person?
[SPEAKER_05]: What were you coming up with?
[SPEAKER_02]: Robby said 409.
[SPEAKER_05]: for a nine is correct with four hundred and five.
[SPEAKER_05]: I don't see the torque.
[SPEAKER_02]: I should go robbing.
[SPEAKER_07]: Let me just look it up.
[SPEAKER_07]: I can't keep that much data in your brain.
[SPEAKER_07]: I remember when I was young and before I was a tech journalist, like I would have like the names of every processor,
[SPEAKER_07]: available and then the names of every car stereo and their skew and then the names of every like car that I liked and their their their engine code all smashed into my brain and then as I got times yeah back in the olden times but then as I've gotten older and I have to shove even more information in there every day like I've given up trying to like let me remember the specs for this car like first and first out you know the oldest stuff gets all that stuff's gone all it's all
[SPEAKER_07]: Alpine made car stereo as I assume in the 90s.
[SPEAKER_07]: That's all I can remember now at this point.
[SPEAKER_02]: Actually, I think they still do.
[SPEAKER_02]: I think they still sell those at best by But anyway, it's a bit automatic all-wheel drive Yeah, this has all the characteristics that you know that we've generally liked about the GV80 You know, obviously quite a bit larger than a GV70 So, you know, the back seat is roomier So you get more leg room or headroom You know, you can fit you can fit three in the back although two will be much more comfortable in the back
[SPEAKER_02]: three zone climate control.
[SPEAKER_02]: He didn't ventilated front seats.
[SPEAKER_02]: It's got those Ergo motion seats, so after you've been driving for a while, it automatically starts to size your back, work your work your lumbar, you know, so you don't have to squirm around in your seat when you're on a road trip.
[SPEAKER_02]: It just, it does, the seat does the squirming for you.
[SPEAKER_02]: see he's done he don't he don't have to squirme ah I finally finally he had all the all the usual array of driver sisters it yet on Genesis models you know the highway drivers this too so it's a hands-on system you can take your hands-off for about 30 seconds or so before it'll start to pass you you to put your hands back on the wheel but really you know just keep your hands on the wheel you know just keep your hands on the wheel at
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, but you know, it also has the the driver monitor camera on there and so if you if you like to drive with your hand on the top of the steering wheel That will tend to block that and you'll get alerts to hey, I can't see your eyes pay attention to the road So you might want to like you know, move your hands down to the side of the steering wheel which is frankly where they belong on modern vehicles with airbags anyway if you have a fair bag
[SPEAKER_07]: And it's a change from two to ten to nine to three because of airbags.
[SPEAKER_05]: Yeah, exactly for the kids.
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, and you know, if you have an airbags, really for the adult, don't put your hand on the top of the wheel.
[SPEAKER_05]: Like they teach the kids to keep their hands lower now, but adults are still doing it the old way.
[SPEAKER_07]: Yeah, well, you know, you get stuck in your ways, you know, I still, if I'm driving, um, I guess aggressively, it's always nine and three, but if I'm just cruising, it's two and ten still.
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_07]: I don't know why.
[SPEAKER_02]: You know, two, two and ten is generally going to be fine.
[SPEAKER_02]: It's fine.
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_02]: But it's, when you put your hand on the top of the wheel, when that airbag goes off, you're going to see your forearm comes straight out your face and it's not going to be fun.
[SPEAKER_07]: Why you hit yourself?
[SPEAKER_02]: It's only once.
[SPEAKER_02]: You're going to hit yourself.
[SPEAKER_02]: Probably going to break your nose.
[SPEAKER_02]: Probably going to break your forearm at least.
[SPEAKER_02]: And you're not going to enjoy it.
[SPEAKER_02]: So keep your hands on the side of the wheel where they belong.
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, when they did the refresh on the DV80s a couple years ago, they went from two separate displays for the Infotainment and the Instrument cluster to just one big 27-inch OLED instrument cluster panel.
[SPEAKER_02]: And it's not even like what you find on most Mondays where you've got one sheet of glass that's actually got two separate displays under it.
[SPEAKER_02]: This is just one big sheet of OLED display under there.
[SPEAKER_02]: it this is a you know for if you're looking for something you know that is very premium feeling very murdered out feeling you know then and you know for a quick and and surprisingly fun to drive you know for for a decently large SUV slash crossover you know this is definitely something
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, the only option on this one was that the black paint, which was 650 bucks.
[SPEAKER_02]: So the grand total on this, which is the one downside, 91,545 dollars.
[SPEAKER_05]: Oof.
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, so that's a lot of money.
[SPEAKER_07]: That's rather a lot.
[SPEAKER_02]: It's a bit of change.
[SPEAKER_02]: You want to take guesses at the destination?
[SPEAKER_07]: U-U-U-U-U-U-U-U-U-U-U-U-U-U-U-U-U-U-U-U-U-U-U-U-U-U-U-U-U-U-U-U-U-U-U-U-U-U-U-U-U-U-U-U-U-U-U-U-U-U-U-U-U-U-U-U-U-U-U-U-U-U-U-U-U-U-U-U-
[SPEAKER_02]: Robby gets it was 14.95.
[SPEAKER_02]: Oh, okay.
[SPEAKER_05]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, so, you know, it's, it's a very comfortable, very smooth, carded drive.
[SPEAKER_02]: And, you know, when you put a seat cover on the back seat, and a couple of courties will be very comfortable back there.
[SPEAKER_02]: When you go pick them up from the, from the groomer.
[SPEAKER_02]: So, party zone.
[SPEAKER_05]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_05]: The party zone.
[SPEAKER_05]: So I sent same video the day of a picture of a corgi being a corgi and now And I'm not mad about this all I've got in my little Instagram feed is corgis Okay, so one one corgi video comes up.
[SPEAKER_05]: I said it's not a problem corgi's forever.
[SPEAKER_05]: Yeah
[SPEAKER_07]: You slow down, you watch, you share anything on anything, and boom, that's all you get.
[SPEAKER_05]: That's all it's like, oh gosh, barely corkies for the next month, okay.
[SPEAKER_05]: Yeah, I think they're cute.
[SPEAKER_02]: You could do a lot worse.
[SPEAKER_05]: I could do a lot worse for sure.
[SPEAKER_02]: One of the neat features that the GV80 like a lot of its siblings from the Hyundai Motor Group has is the safe exit assist.
[SPEAKER_02]: So they've got radar sensors in the roof and the rear passenger compartment, so on either side.
[SPEAKER_02]: And there's also the outside radar sensors to the blind spot monitoring.
[SPEAKER_02]: If the outside sensors detect a car, if you pulled over to park, and you pulled over you stopped, and the sensor on the left hand side detects a car coming up in the lane beside you, when you go to try to open the door.
[SPEAKER_02]: The door will not open.
[SPEAKER_02]: It'll lock the door because it doesn't want you to open the door in front of a moving car, and then once the car passes, then it'll automatically unlock and let you open.
[SPEAKER_02]: So, safe access.
[SPEAKER_02]: It's just a very cool feature.
[SPEAKER_05]: That's a good thing.
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_02]: All right, let's carry on.
[SPEAKER_02]: So, let's see.
[SPEAKER_02]: Nicole, you went to New York the other day.
[SPEAKER_05]: I did go to New York the other day.
[SPEAKER_05]: I got to see the Infinity QX65, which is their new mid-sized crossover, I guess.
[SPEAKER_05]: It's very coupy-looking as you're talking about vehicles that are coupy.
[SPEAKER_05]: It has a coupe styling to it.
[SPEAKER_05]: I like it.
[SPEAKER_05]: I think it looks good.
[SPEAKER_05]: It starts at 53 and change.
[SPEAKER_05]: I think was the pricing on it.
[SPEAKER_05]: So, they're sort of considering that their new entry level ish vehicle.
[SPEAKER_05]: If you're happy to be looking for a genesis, it's a little bit more affordable.
[SPEAKER_05]: What happened?
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, because the QX50 and QX55 are going away.
[SPEAKER_05]: Yes, exactly.
[SPEAKER_05]: So the QX65 will be the entry level one.
[SPEAKER_05]: It looks beautiful.
[SPEAKER_05]: I mean, it looks very infinity.
[SPEAKER_05]: They have the autograph trim on display for us in New York to take a good look at.
[SPEAKER_05]: And it had that red exterior that they've that is just absolutely gorgeous.
[SPEAKER_05]: Sunfire red, which has like a flex of gold, is their sort of signature color for this vehicle.
[SPEAKER_05]: It gives that, it gives monsters crystal-soul red metallic a run for its money, but not quite.
[SPEAKER_05]: So it's a beautiful paint.
[SPEAKER_05]: Inside it has red, a red interior.
[SPEAKER_05]: With all the, in the autograph, it looks like the typical autographs.
[SPEAKER_05]: It has the quilted stitching and there's, you know, leather trim on the door panels and on the center console and on the dashboard.
[SPEAKER_05]: It's beautiful.
[SPEAKER_05]: It has a clip shot audio system that you can get.
[SPEAKER_05]: I think it's 20 speakers.
[SPEAKER_05]: It has, okay, now I have a question.
[SPEAKER_05]: I wonder if you, so it has, you know, Qi wireless charging.
[SPEAKER_05]: Is it Qi 2?
[SPEAKER_05]: Is that what we're calling it now?
[SPEAKER_02]: Qi, well, Qi 2 is the new version of it.
[SPEAKER_02]: That's, that's the one where they've basically integrated the magnets that, you know, when, uh,
[SPEAKER_02]: Apple brought up Magsafe on the iPhone a few years ago, and they basically contributed their spec for that to the Chee is an industry standard.
[SPEAKER_02]: They contributed the magnet spec to that.
[SPEAKER_02]: So they integrated that into the Chee standard.
[SPEAKER_05]: So Chee Chee Chee, who means you can do it.
[SPEAKER_02]: It's also higher power.
[SPEAKER_05]: It does do higher power.
[SPEAKER_02]: It was trying to be 25 watts.
[SPEAKER_05]: That was something I had not a chance to look up.
[SPEAKER_05]: And I was wondering if it was just okay.
[SPEAKER_05]: like a, like a move.
[SPEAKER_05]: Cheeto.
[SPEAKER_05]: Anyway, so it has a 12.3 inch displays instrument cluster and for the touch screen, it looks beautiful.
[SPEAKER_05]: We didn't get to drive it, of course.
[SPEAKER_05]: It has a really big cargo area.
[SPEAKER_05]: There's 67.7 cubic feet when you fold the rear seats, 35.8 if you don't.
[SPEAKER_05]: It looks cavernous.
[SPEAKER_05]: In fact, I was doing videos of it and I popped the lift gates so that I could see in the back.
[SPEAKER_05]: And they had set a golf clubs, you know, lengthwise across the vehicle, golf clubs fit in there.
[SPEAKER_05]: They have like four sets of golf clubs and then they threw like a carry-on roller bag like on top of it to prove like he can smash anything in there.
[SPEAKER_05]: So it looks really good.
[SPEAKER_05]: They're very, of course, they're very excited about it.
[SPEAKER_05]: They had, you know, a lot of their executives there talking about it.
[SPEAKER_05]: I mean, the idea is they think that it's, you know, it's, it's going to be an entry level vehicle for people who want to get into infinity.
[SPEAKER_05]: It still does all the great infinity things.
[SPEAKER_05]: They're releasing a lot of cars.
[SPEAKER_05]: They have a lot coming up in the coming years.
[SPEAKER_05]: So they're really trying to reinvigorate and there was sort of a, you know, at one point, and I can't remember who is saying this being a, like, Infinity and Nissan, they need to exist together.
[SPEAKER_05]: You know, I know they're the same company, but they're both important for both companies to succeed.
[SPEAKER_05]: and they think they've delivered the right vehicle for the right moment.
[SPEAKER_05]: It's such a popular segment.
[SPEAKER_05]: And this one has the luxury, reportedly it has the power and is is wonderful to drive according to their executives who spend some time already driving it.
[SPEAKER_05]: They say it's great.
[SPEAKER_05]: They said it was awesome.
[SPEAKER_05]: But it does, I mean, in terms of what they showed us there, seeing the styling, seeing what they did, the quality of it,
[SPEAKER_05]: They did a good job.
[SPEAKER_05]: So if the drive lives up to that, I think this could be a very popular vehicle.
[SPEAKER_05]: And at a starting price of $53,990, it does make it achievable that the autograph, which they had, was what they had there, that one starts at $62,590.
[SPEAKER_05]: So you're looking at an extra $10,000, but
[SPEAKER_05]: Just looking at that price and what I saw, it fits.
[SPEAKER_05]: It matches.
[SPEAKER_05]: You don't look at it in think, oh, that should be, that should not be almost, you know, sixty two thousand sixty three thousand dollars.
[SPEAKER_05]: Nope.
[SPEAKER_05]: It looks like it, it, the pricing fits the styling and the quality of the vehicle.
[SPEAKER_05]: So I think it, I think it was pretty, pretty neat.
[SPEAKER_05]: I think it's pretty cool.
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, I mean, you know, like the GV80 coupe, you know, this is basically a QX60 with the back part of the roof chopped off to coupify it.
[SPEAKER_02]: And, you know, from the driver's seat, it's identical to a QX60, you know, but, and the reason why you have so much cargo space is because with the roof chopped off, they ditched a third row.
[SPEAKER_02]: So you have all that room used to be used for the third row is all cargo now.
[SPEAKER_05]: So it's, which is a cover thing to do because, you know, if you wanted to, you, when you get that coop styling, it can really eat into your cargo space.
[SPEAKER_05]: So by how they design this, you still get the cargo room.
[SPEAKER_01]: You know, the start of the same size as a QX6.
[SPEAKER_01]: Right.
[SPEAKER_01]: So what does a QX60?
[SPEAKER_05]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_05]: So it is a best of both worlds thing.
[SPEAKER_05]: I, I really liked it.
[SPEAKER_05]: I thought it was great.
[SPEAKER_05]: I'm looking forward to driving this.
[SPEAKER_05]: The first drive for this is later in April.
[SPEAKER_05]: I think it's one of the drive for this.
[SPEAKER_05]: So
[SPEAKER_05]: If it drives like the executive, we'll see if Brian lied to me.
[SPEAKER_05]: I'll call him out and like, Brian, you liar this child.
[SPEAKER_04]: Terrible.
[SPEAKER_04]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_05]: No, the Brian, who's nice, may I can't say right?
[SPEAKER_05]: Who is in the interview that I think you're putting in the show?
[SPEAKER_02]: Moranio.
[SPEAKER_05]: Moranio.
[SPEAKER_05]: Thank you.
[SPEAKER_05]: Because it's not spelled that way.
[SPEAKER_05]: And so now I have it in, I mean, you say it looks like Mara has a G in it.
[SPEAKER_02]: I don't look it up to, to,
[SPEAKER_05]: confirm that it doesn't look like it should be pronounced the way that it's pronounced and now I want to pronounce it like the letters, not like he said it.
[SPEAKER_05]: But yeah, so we'll see, so we'll see, I think it was, I thought it was an interesting vehicle.
[SPEAKER_05]: I think they did a good job.
[SPEAKER_05]: You know, they've, they've, it could be quite successful for them if it drives as nicely as as Brian says, it's all on Brian's shoulders now.
[SPEAKER_05]: No pressure.
[SPEAKER_05]: So first, tell me your name and your title, so I have it officially.
[SPEAKER_06]: Yeah, so I'm Brian, along here.
[SPEAKER_06]: The director of Product Marketing, the infinity, you must say.
[SPEAKER_05]: Okay, so QX65.
[SPEAKER_05]: Yes.
[SPEAKER_05]: Big deal, high, so such a big deal.
[SPEAKER_06]: Well, it's an all-new name play for us.
[SPEAKER_06]: It completes our trifecta of SUV's and the lineup.
[SPEAKER_06]: And it offers a bold, two-row SUV with a lot of sporty influence to complement the QX-60 and the QX-80, and one of the reasons we even came out with the cars, because the segment opportunity.
[SPEAKER_06]: It's a very large segment.
[SPEAKER_06]: about a half million units a year, so I think we're coming into a segment that's right for opportunity and we're offering something as a little bit different.
[SPEAKER_05]: I do think it's what makes it different.
[SPEAKER_06]: The bolder and the zoning, how 21 inch wheels on the autograph.
[SPEAKER_06]: you saw the sunfire red color.
[SPEAKER_03]: You don't think that's how you're inflating it.
[SPEAKER_06]: Yeah, so it has something, I think it has some corroborate peel.
[SPEAKER_06]: It's maybe a little bit bolder for people that are looking for something a bit different.
[SPEAKER_06]: That's the feedback you've gotten from clinics and things.
[SPEAKER_06]: So I've worked excited about it from that standpoint, coming into a, let's face it, half a million units a year.
[SPEAKER_06]: That's in the stop of second and second, with an all new name plate.
[SPEAKER_06]: I think we came out with the right packaging and then right product to it, it's really tactical.
[SPEAKER_05]: Now, who do you think's the person who's going to get this?
[SPEAKER_05]: You know, I know the QX80 is the great big one.
[SPEAKER_05]: You know, where does this fall?
[SPEAKER_05]: Who was the person in this is targeting?
[SPEAKER_06]: Yeah, so there's really kind of like two-barer profiles.
[SPEAKER_06]: Client profiles that we're looking at.
[SPEAKER_06]: You've got, and we're thinking might skew male, actually, but in terms of life phase, you've got some that are maybe in their mid 30s, they're stepping up from mainstream vehicles.
[SPEAKER_06]: They don't have a family yet, so you don't need to have a computer space for people, you don't need a third row.
[SPEAKER_06]: But they're looking there to reward themselves, kind of moving up in the world.
[SPEAKER_06]: And then the other side of that, people are maybe in their May 50s or older kids at last.
[SPEAKER_06]: So they don't need to accommodate at any more with a third row.
[SPEAKER_06]: And they too are looking for something that's, you know, a little bit in gear, reflection of themselves who will bolder, and then rewarding too.
[SPEAKER_06]: At the same time, I'm going to make sure I point out that these are people that are active.
[SPEAKER_06]: And that's why we offer an interior card or space.
[SPEAKER_05]: Yeah, I saw that the one that you have on this flingery have it, I'm going to take pictures of card games and there's like golf clubs do that, like a suitcase on top of the day.
[SPEAKER_05]: So this isn't just a cruising around, it's pretty expect people to be doing stuff.
[SPEAKER_06]: Yeah, it's not a car of compromise.
[SPEAKER_06]: Yeah, so yeah.
[SPEAKER_06]: And we did that with the golf bag, especially, just to talk about cubic feet, the availability of space and all those sorts of things, but you've got to make it connect and make it real.
[SPEAKER_06]: So you put four golf club bags.
[SPEAKER_05]: Oh, they're four in there.
[SPEAKER_05]: I just saw the one in the front.
[SPEAKER_06]: It was in the front.
[SPEAKER_00]: It's really stacked off.
[SPEAKER_05]: It'll fit seven on together.
[SPEAKER_05]: OK, because right now there's what I could see there, one in the front, and then like, like,
[SPEAKER_00]: It's a bit of an education piece that we can talk about the design as being kind of an effects inspired.
[SPEAKER_00]: But one of the shortcomings of effects was that Ray Truffley and it did impact on cargo capacity.
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_00]: What the design team have done a really great job of is managing to maintain that fast backlight that you saw for yourself.
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_05]: It's a huge cargo area and you open that up, which is impressive.
[SPEAKER_05]: So,
[SPEAKER_05]: So the infinity customer because like you're saying these are people who are moving up, you know, generally selling these to someone who's 90.
[SPEAKER_06]: So the one buyer's voting not the other ones.
[SPEAKER_06]: Many have been in luxury.
[SPEAKER_05]: So getting moving up by.
[SPEAKER_05]: Like how are you like that's a hard buyer to get because it's the first time that they've ever got a luxury car.
[SPEAKER_05]: Let's say they're just they have their all.
[SPEAKER_05]: The world is their oyster.
[SPEAKER_05]: What about this do you think is going to make them say I want the infinity versus Alexis versus whatever other premium rim they could get.
[SPEAKER_06]: sure.
[SPEAKER_06]: I think for us, I go back to what I mentioned earlier.
[SPEAKER_06]: We're coming out of the vehicle.
[SPEAKER_06]: It's a bit different.
[SPEAKER_06]: Yeah, it's got the same kind of exterior-wise, the capacity used right and we'll get the spec sheet and the performance.
[SPEAKER_06]: But from a design perspective, we're looking at something that is a little bit edgier that stands out a bit more and we're going to bring people in better looking for that.
[SPEAKER_06]: That's kind of who we always attract it as a brand.
[SPEAKER_06]: mentioned the FX earlier and this vehicle is in fact like Tom mentioned so it's inspired by the FX.
[SPEAKER_06]: That's our heritage and we kind of look at some of those out of the box sort of executions and that's who we built our brand off of those or with you know those clients coming in.
[SPEAKER_06]: So yeah I'm not concerned about a plus who will
[SPEAKER_06]: We somewhere around 20% for our buyers, depending on the model, come from our Nissan.
[SPEAKER_06]: This is a 20% just state.
[SPEAKER_06]: Okay.
[SPEAKER_06]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_06]: So we've got it.
[SPEAKER_06]: the data tells us that and we've got a history in that and we don't go out there and try to get each time customers, but there's people that are looking, they're going to stay in the family, that's a good thing, right?
[SPEAKER_06]: Yeah, or rather that than go elsewhere.
[SPEAKER_06]: So we're, you know, pretty confident that getting the moves up, move up suits.
[SPEAKER_06]: isn't going to be an issue, so especially with the price position.
[SPEAKER_05]: Yeah, the price is good.
[SPEAKER_05]: As far as the engine that's in there, the EC turbo sounds like diesel, the horsepower and numbers on there, why the choice to go with that engine like there's there's, you know, hybrids and maybe some people are still doing electrics and back and like what's the choice between with choosing that?
[SPEAKER_06]: Well, we're really came from with that engine, first of all.
[SPEAKER_06]: We were looking at power training,
[SPEAKER_06]: optional.
[SPEAKER_06]: That was when we had in the family, obviously, you know, it's a cute left six of them.
[SPEAKER_06]: We sat back and said, all right, well, if we were to put it in this vehicle.
[SPEAKER_06]: We need to make sure that we can get it tuned in such a way that really complements the way the vehicle looks from the exterior, from the design.
[SPEAKER_06]: It has to kind of go ahead.
[SPEAKER_06]: So the powertrain engineers got to work on doing just that because they understood what we were talking about.
[SPEAKER_06]: It looks like it's a sporty SUV.
[SPEAKER_06]: And they executed it perfectly.
[SPEAKER_06]: I've driven the vehicle many times, many times, many times.
[SPEAKER_06]: And the acceleration is confident.
[SPEAKER_06]: It's fun, and I'm talking about every day driving to, you know, the talking about, you know, the city, and I'm coming on, making a left turn in the intersection, I re-excelerate.
[SPEAKER_06]: It moves, merging on to the highway, or Mama Highway.
[SPEAKER_06]: to the vehicle.
[SPEAKER_06]: So they did a great job tuning power train to get to where it matches the exterior design execution of the product.
[SPEAKER_05]: I'm talking about matching the inside, like when you open the door, fabulous, interior.
[SPEAKER_04]: Thank you.
[SPEAKER_05]: And that one, like, there's just this red leather everywhere and it gets lifted and it looks like a luxury.
[SPEAKER_05]: That's like a gorgeous interior.
[SPEAKER_05]: It was a little... You see pictures and you're like, yeah, okay, but sometimes you open it and you're like, oh, this is really good.
[SPEAKER_05]: So that's part of trying to make it match.
[SPEAKER_05]: I feel like the interior is leveled up, compared to other infinity interiors.
[SPEAKER_06]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_06]: It's funny you see that because on the autograph, which one you're seeing here, it's, it's, it's, I would say inspired by it, matches the specifications on our autograph on 2x60.
[SPEAKER_03]: Okay.
[SPEAKER_06]: Maybe it's the red.
[SPEAKER_06]: Maybe the red just likes the hops.
[SPEAKER_06]: But it's the semi-analyen leather interior, is this, and it has a different stitch pattern, but it does have the quilting.
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_00]: It's the same AC metric as this one, which, you know, I've seen Alfonso said is, it's by, by the way, a kimono,
[SPEAKER_04]: What does that mean to say to you?
[SPEAKER_06]: But from the open poor word to the quilting some animal on the instrument panel, the passenger side, those all put QX60 and QX65.
[SPEAKER_06]: Again, different execution terms are how it's ditched.
[SPEAKER_06]: You have different color options.
[SPEAKER_06]: But the premium quality is there.
[SPEAKER_04]: It's still there.
[SPEAKER_06]: To have an autographed name for our brand, it has to be special when the interiors were really has to shine.
[SPEAKER_06]: So this would not be, we would have called it an autograph, our top tram didn't meet those specifications and they're very similar to QX6.
[SPEAKER_05]: And so to has that autograph really gotten, it's feet under it as being like a premium trim within it because, you know, other like there's Denali and things in different brands that are they are premium that are really recognized.
[SPEAKER_05]: Do you infinity customers recognize that?
[SPEAKER_06]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_06]: And I think, you know, part of it for us is what you've noticed, people are taking notice of the interior.
[SPEAKER_06]: And, um, and then some of the other components too, or you get the clips system, or we get 21 speakers in the vehicle, two of them in the headrest.
[SPEAKER_06]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_06]: There's certain pieces of the execution of autograph that are really starting to get attention.
[SPEAKER_06]: that are grabbing the attention of not just media, but also, obviously, customers as well.
[SPEAKER_06]: So, but the pros and the numbers, right?
[SPEAKER_06]: So QX80, it's an example of 25% of our sales and it's right now, is they autograph on QX80.
[SPEAKER_03]: Wow.
[SPEAKER_06]: And it's around 22% on QX60.
[SPEAKER_06]: Okay.
[SPEAKER_06]: We expect that maybe even higher on QX 65.
[SPEAKER_06]: So that we're seeing it in mix, right?
[SPEAKER_06]: It's grabbing it on fair share and we're really excited about that and what you'll see from us is we come out with additional products to fill up the lineup.
[SPEAKER_06]: Autograph will be part of that story.
[SPEAKER_05]: And if you had to pick one thing, just one, that is your favorite feature of that Q&A 65, you can't say everything.
[SPEAKER_05]: You have to pick something that you think is your favorite feature.
[SPEAKER_05]: What would that be?
[SPEAKER_06]: I really love the acceleration and the drive feel.
[SPEAKER_06]: It is a lot of fun to drive.
[SPEAKER_06]: Oh, for me, it's like if I'm driving a car and I'm kind of especially the first time or first few times,
[SPEAKER_06]: And I'm really enjoying putting it through the pastes.
[SPEAKER_06]: Um, I start finding myself smiling and those sorts of things.
[SPEAKER_06]: And this car did that and I'm so pleased about it.
[SPEAKER_06]: And we're really proud about it because it's just the work that the went into it to get everything.
[SPEAKER_06]: Donnie knows a lot of blood sweat tears.
[SPEAKER_06]: But again, the day, how does the car drive?
[SPEAKER_06]: And it's a very important work.
[SPEAKER_06]: We like to consider ourselves a driver, a driver, a central friend, and part of that is just the way it drives, you know, the form it can have all the nice, and crude commands, right?
[SPEAKER_06]: And all those things, some great sound systems, and everything that we had, how does it drive?
[SPEAKER_06]: I'm really proud of that, really enjoyed it.
[SPEAKER_03]: Excellent, thank you.
[SPEAKER_02]: All right, well, let's see, where should we go next?
[SPEAKER_05]: He's bouncing all over the place.
[SPEAKER_05]: He's not doing anything for an order.
[SPEAKER_02]: No, I'm not doing things in order.
[SPEAKER_02]: Let's go, let's go to Corvette next.
[SPEAKER_05]: I'm looking at what he's highlighting.
[SPEAKER_05]: I'm like, where's he going?
[SPEAKER_05]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_05]: Corvette.
[SPEAKER_02]: OK.
[SPEAKER_02]: The other day, Chevrolet announced the 2027 Corvette Grand Sport.
[SPEAKER_02]: And this is, you know, it's yet another trim level of the Corvette.
[SPEAKER_02]: It brought back the Grand Sport.
[SPEAKER_02]: This is the fifth time we've done a Grand Sport version of the Corvette.
[SPEAKER_02]: So this sits above the base sting raise, so you get the sting raise, the entry level corvette, then grand sport, and then z6, zR1, and zR1, and zR1x.
[SPEAKER_02]: There's actually two grand sports now.
[SPEAKER_02]: It used to be just one now.
[SPEAKER_02]: It's now there's two.
[SPEAKER_02]: It's grand sport, and grand sport x.
[SPEAKER_02]: And the x means it's a hybrid.
[SPEAKER_05]: So that actually mean it's just super fast or something.
[SPEAKER_02]: Well, it is set too.
[SPEAKER_05]: It is also super fast.
[SPEAKER_02]: It's also super fast.
[SPEAKER_02]: So the Grantsport X basically replaces the E-Ray in the lineup, the Corvette E-Ray.
[SPEAKER_02]: So the thing about the Grantsport and also the stingray is they are the first vehicles from GM to get their new six generation version of their small block V8.
[SPEAKER_02]: which they're for the for the Corvette the calling it LS6 so for the last 20 ish years apart from the the 06 and CR1 it's currently which have a 5.5 liter V8 all the Corvettes have had 6.2 liter V8 so now they're going up to 6.7
[SPEAKER_02]: So, basically, you know, it shares the same bore spacing that every small block VHS had since 1955, camshaft is still in the same place, pretty much everything else has changed.
[SPEAKER_02]: They've got a longer stroke now than they had before, so that gives them the extra displacement from 6.2 to 6.7 liters.
[SPEAKER_02]: So, the LT2, which is what was the base engine in Corvette IV, it's 490 horsepower or 495 if you get the performance exhaust, now the performance exhaust is standard and you get 535 horsepower and 520 pounds feet of torque with the LS6 and then if you get the this the
[SPEAKER_02]: So, the grand sports, the big difference between the stingray and the grand sport gets the wide body from that you had on the e-ray, and it's on the ZR-1, Z06, so you got the wider rear fenders, bigger wheels and brakes, but same amount of power as you get in the stingray, at least for the base grand sport.
[SPEAKER_02]: And it's got the upgraded interior that they brought to Corvette last year, so we got rid of the roll buttons along the center stack, those are gone, those went away last year, so you got a little more power, and this engine, you know, some other things that they changed on here, it's now got dual injection, so you get both port and direct injection in there.
[SPEAKER_02]: better combustion, it should have better drive ability than the 6.2 liter did, which was already really good.
[SPEAKER_02]: So they're not revealing full performance numbers yet, but with the 6.2
[SPEAKER_02]: I think the last time I drove one of those, I got something like 3.4, 3.5 seconds or 60 time, and the E-Ray was 2.6, 2.7, so now you've got a little more power in both of those.
[SPEAKER_02]: One other change with the hybrid that they brought over from the ZR1X, and they did the ZR1X last year.
[SPEAKER_02]: They, um, it's got the same battery that was in the e-ray, but they're using more of it now.
[SPEAKER_02]: So they got a little more voltage from the battery, which means they also got a little more power from the electric motor that's driving the front wheels.
[SPEAKER_02]: Um, and so yet better acceleration off the line, a little more sustained power because you're using more of the battery.
[SPEAKER_02]: Um, and, um, it should be, uh, should be quite enjoyable to drive, I think.
[SPEAKER_05]: sounds like it.
[SPEAKER_05]: The pictures look fabulous.
[SPEAKER_05]: I love the photos that the engine.
[SPEAKER_05]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_05]: That's wild.
[SPEAKER_02]: And, you know, then a version of this engine is going to be going into the full size pickups for 2027, which are coming.
[SPEAKER_02]: Those show those little later this year, the Silverado and the Sierra and then the SUVs, the full size SUVs will get it as well.
[SPEAKER_02]: So this would be replacing the 6.2 and rumor has it that the 5.3 liter that they've used in the trucks is going to also bump up to 5.7 liter.
[SPEAKER_02]: So again, you know, same kinds of changes.
[SPEAKER_02]: So, you know, even while we've been working on EVs for years, they've also invested a bunch of money into the small block to keep it relatively relevant.
[SPEAKER_05]: There you go.
[SPEAKER_05]: Do you think that's all a ton of them?
[SPEAKER_07]: Um, I'm going to start the trucks.
[SPEAKER_07]: I mean, the car that sells well for what it is.
[SPEAKER_07]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_07]: You know, it's a, it's no Mustang.
[SPEAKER_02]: It's not going to, you know, it's this all about 30,000 Corvettes a year.
[SPEAKER_02]: Is that really, which is actually really good, you know, for this type of Hey, low car.
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_07]: Like in my hair, we're gray or I'd be interested.
[SPEAKER_05]: You don't have quite an upgrade here, it's not yet.
[SPEAKER_07]: Don't have an upgrade here, yet.
[SPEAKER_07]: Um, so I get into like two documentaries, then I'm like, woo, this part of it.
[SPEAKER_02]: I'm sure I'm sure the price will go up a little bit.
[SPEAKER_02]: The current stingray starts at about 725, I think, 73.
[SPEAKER_02]: So it'll probably probably go up to about 75 for something, which given the performance that this thing is capable of, you know, when you compare it to portion 9-11's
[SPEAKER_02]: It's still a bargain.
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, it's still way cheaper than any of those cars So yeah, it's still a deal.
[SPEAKER_02]: You get a lot of bang for your buck.
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, I'm caught I added up the numbers the other day Corvette only amounts to about less than one and a half percent of Chevrolet sales
[SPEAKER_02]: So, it, you know, it in and of itself won't matter much, but, you know, core vads drop people into showrooms and then they end up driving off with a tracks or, you know, or an equinox or, you know, a Silverado.
[SPEAKER_02]: Right.
[SPEAKER_05]: Toho.
[SPEAKER_05]: Something entirely different.
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_02]: Um, all right.
[SPEAKER_02]: Shave that.
[SPEAKER_07]: Shave that.
[SPEAKER_05]: Bring back to Shave that.
[SPEAKER_05]: I remember that little red one.
[SPEAKER_07]: It's like a Corvette, but for shoving.
[SPEAKER_05]: But not at all.
[SPEAKER_02]: It's like a Corvette, but not because of the last couple of letters.
[SPEAKER_02]: So Robbie, tomorrow you are flying off to Alabama to visit the F-80s factory there.
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, um, I don't know what they're going to show you, but um, the sweet Mercedes T's doubt something called the the all-new Mercedes Mybox VLS, um, and uh, basically from from what we can see in the, uh, in the teaser image, this looks like a Mybox version of their new midsize van.
[SPEAKER_07]: Yeah, I was thinking the same thing it's exactly what I've seen the van and yeah, whatever trim level you get whether just I just need a van or I need a fancy van.
[SPEAKER_07]: It's pretty rad So if they're gonna do with my buck version that makes you're all in on this I'm all it.
[SPEAKER_07]: Well, it's it's very it's interesting because in other countries like that's the sort of fancy limousine
[SPEAKER_07]: In Asia especially.
[SPEAKER_07]: Yeah, especially in Asia if you if you take a if you have a chance while if you visit Asia and you're like I want to treat myself to a you know a car service get a van.
[SPEAKER_07]: We'd use one like when we left your pan We're going to get in a van to the airport.
[SPEAKER_07]: We're like, oh And say
[SPEAKER_07]: So, yeah, if it was a my-bock band, that's, yeah, that'd be pretty slick.
[SPEAKER_05]: Yeah, that would be amazing.
[SPEAKER_05]: That's exactly what it looks like from that one little piece that you can see.
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, I mean, they show you looks like the rear corner window.
[SPEAKER_07]: Yeah, that's the tail lights of the van.
[SPEAKER_05]: Yep.
[SPEAKER_05]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_02]: So, it's going to be interesting to see how these luxury vans do in the U.S. market.
[SPEAKER_02]: Like you said in Asia, you've got stuff like the Volvo EM90, there's the Lexus LM, which is the Lexus version of the Toyota Alphard, and there's a ton of these in China, especially.
[SPEAKER_02]: They make a bunch of different vehicles like this in China, and then of course, you know, Mercedes will also be competing with the FX Super 1, which
[SPEAKER_05]: is definitely happening.
[SPEAKER_02]: Something else.
[SPEAKER_07]: Totally happening.
[SPEAKER_07]: You know, they're trying not to use the word Van too much.
[SPEAKER_07]: I think just together, there's this weird anti-vance sentiment in the United States.
[SPEAKER_05]: Because many vans, because many vans root the minivan mom thing ruined it.
[SPEAKER_07]: Yeah, but that all SUVs are just mini-vans that are tougher to get into.
[SPEAKER_05]: They don't have sliding doors.
[SPEAKER_07]: It's just like a worse mini-vans.
[SPEAKER_05]: They feel different in the front though.
[SPEAKER_05]: Like the mini-vans, it's the windshields are different.
[SPEAKER_05]: Like there's there's so long.
[SPEAKER_05]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_05]: I don't know.
[SPEAKER_05]: Mini-vans have a different vibe in front.
[SPEAKER_07]: They're easier to drive.
[SPEAKER_07]: They don't.
[SPEAKER_02]: This is more of a vehicle to be driven in and to drive.
[SPEAKER_07]: Yeah, this one doesn't really count for the front.
[SPEAKER_02]: This is for getting out on the red carpet at the Oscars.
[SPEAKER_07]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_05]: There you go.
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_05]: With your beautiful feet, does it matter gown?
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, with the sliding doors and everything, it's much easier to get it out.
[SPEAKER_02]: You got the nice big reclining seats in the back.
[SPEAKER_07]: the people in a buying minivan's in the beloved in their minivans of course they're just like I can't believe I was going to buy an SUV and I bought this and now I can take my kids and I also ride bikes and I also camp and I also this and all that I can do in my minivan everybody by one loves it like true you know good point I literally never had no no just don't want to be seen in it
[SPEAKER_05]: They just, they sent a heart.
[SPEAKER_05]: I love it.
[SPEAKER_07]: They don't even see it.
[SPEAKER_07]: Some of them become like, you know, they become ambassadors for the minivan.
[SPEAKER_07]: They like their friends, how it's like, well, you got to talk how cool.
[SPEAKER_07]: Look at this.
[SPEAKER_07]: I can actually put things on me.
[SPEAKER_05]: Look at how cool my thing is.
[SPEAKER_05]: My thing is cooler.
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, I can just press a button.
[SPEAKER_02]: The doors open up.
[SPEAKER_02]: There's a door right open.
[SPEAKER_02]: Right open.
[SPEAKER_02]: Flam in the doors open and ding, ding other people's cars in the parking lot.
[SPEAKER_07]: Oh, your car in the driveway, if any van, then you have the, you know, the, you know, the, you know, the, you know, the, you know, the, you know, the, you know, the, you know, the, the, you know, the, you know, the, you know, the, you know, the, you know, the, you know, the, you know, the, you know, the, you know, the, you know, the, you know, the, you know, the, you know, the, you know, the, you know, the, you know, the, you know, the, you know, the, you know, the, you know, the, you know, the, you know, the, you know, the, you know, the, you know, the, you know, the, you know, the, you know, the, you know, the, you know, the, you know, the, you know, the, you know, the
[SPEAKER_07]: kids.
[SPEAKER_07]: That's why you get the van.
[SPEAKER_07]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_07]: It was jubbin.
[SPEAKER_05]: Like you're making sound effects with a door.
[SPEAKER_02]: Um, so, uh, yeah, I can't remember what did they say, let's say, which, uh, when they're actually going to reveal this thing, I think it, it's coming up pretty soon.
[SPEAKER_02]: And what might even be this week?
[SPEAKER_02]: Hmm, they start, I don't know.
[SPEAKER_02]: I mean, I've already shown the,
[SPEAKER_05]: Right.
[SPEAKER_05]: That's so it's basically a fancier version of that.
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_02]: And they've shown the last year they had the vision V concept, which is basically the direction they're going with this thing.
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, so this will be, you know, this is absolutely a card to be driven in, not to not to drive.
[SPEAKER_05]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_05]: And some luck to die is going to be the driver.
[SPEAKER_05]: Like, I feel like that would be if you're going to have to cart somebody around as a limo driver.
[SPEAKER_05]: Like, we need you to drive this.
[SPEAKER_05]: I'm like, all right.
[SPEAKER_05]: Sure.
[SPEAKER_05]: I'll suffer through and I'll do my job.
[SPEAKER_07]: If I tried to minivan, oh, I did like in a parking lot like doing circles because it's all wheel steering and it has auto parking stuff and all the fancy Yeah, it was pre-production.
[SPEAKER_07]: I have stuff all over the place so I couldn't take pictures inside the van.
[SPEAKER_07]: Oh, I was just inside the building.
[SPEAKER_07]: I was just inside the building with the vans because it was outside the building Because then they have to hide it from the public.
[SPEAKER_05]: You can see it.
[SPEAKER_05]: It has to be chic right
[SPEAKER_07]: Especially if everyone knows it's a big Mercedes Ben's like, you know, logo in front of the building.
[SPEAKER_02]: So What's that I'm betting on Mercedes if you're a spy photographer like while just hanging out here On the not so secret side is the the 2027 Nissan Centra
[SPEAKER_02]: No, not central.
[SPEAKER_02]: Versa, and he's on Versa.
[SPEAKER_05]: It was like, that is a secret if it's back.
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, well, the little central is, I mean, we do have a new central.
[SPEAKER_02]: But, but, but the Versa is something that we're not getting here in the States, because we can't have cheap stuff.
[SPEAKER_02]: So the versus made in Mexico, customers in Mexico already started getting deliveries.
[SPEAKER_02]: Basically, this is just a refresh of the Versa, it's not really all new.
[SPEAKER_02]: It's, you know, carrot looks like mostly carry over power train.
[SPEAKER_02]: They've got a new front end on it that looks kind of like the new Marano.
[SPEAKER_02]: So it's a little different look on the front end and an updated interior.
[SPEAKER_02]: that's about it.
[SPEAKER_05]: That's it.
[SPEAKER_05]: I mean, that's like the Santa Cruz.
[SPEAKER_05]: I'm sad it's gone.
[SPEAKER_05]: I mean, I had it's it's a little place.
[SPEAKER_05]: There was nice little affordable vehicles, but I think that's they're fine.
[SPEAKER_02]: And, you know, the thing the thing with the Versa is, you know, you could, you know, it was available for under $20,000.
[SPEAKER_02]: It was the last car in the US.
[SPEAKER_02]: It was under $20,000.
[SPEAKER_07]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_02]: And it was not a bad car.
[SPEAKER_02]: I mean, it was not a great car, but
[SPEAKER_02]: you know, it rides and handles decently.
[SPEAKER_02]: It's reasonably roomy, you know, and, you know, like the, like the Maverick, you know, then, you know, it's not fancy materials inside, but everything was put together nicely, you know, it just, it works.
[SPEAKER_05]: You know, it was literally the the perfect starter car you just need a you need of or like if you're just a Commuter and you just I just need something that I can I don't care.
[SPEAKER_05]: I wanted to be cheap I'm gonna put a million miles on this thing.
[SPEAKER_05]: I just need a car that's okay There you go.
[SPEAKER_05]: Here's your car.
[SPEAKER_05]: Nice one.
[SPEAKER_07]: That's a really good inexpensive car
[SPEAKER_07]: That's cheap car.
[SPEAKER_07]: I don't want to call them cheap because it's great for the price.
[SPEAKER_07]: They make a really good inexpensive car, which to be honest is way tougher than making a really nice You know luxury car because the luxury car you can just keep adding prices to it because like well we can just put everything we want on it, right.
[SPEAKER_07]: Making it more expensive.
[SPEAKER_07]: It's luxury.
[SPEAKER_07]: And then, but making like a good inexpensive car is really, really difficult.
[SPEAKER_05]: It's not an easy thing to do, because it doesn't, it's so hard to make it not look cheap.
[SPEAKER_05]: Like you said, Robbie, to make it just look like a car you want to drive and that you enjoy sitting in it and you're not thinking, oh gosh, I can't we just like get to another car.
[SPEAKER_05]: That is not an easy thing to do.
[SPEAKER_05]: Like a lot of times a car that's inexpensive, you sit there like, oh, yeah.
[SPEAKER_05]: This is why that price is that price.
[SPEAKER_07]: And the automakers, you know, the amount of money they make off the profit margins on these are smaller than they say, you know, a big truck that's just a truck, but they put luxury items in it.
[SPEAKER_07]: Yeah, no, it's it's, you know, people should buy these, but they don't, it's the whole weird thing.
[SPEAKER_07]: Yeah, we're very weird country.
[SPEAKER_05]: We have our quarks.
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, very, yeah.
[SPEAKER_02]: All right, Audi 20 years ago was really starting to make a big push for clean diesel.
[SPEAKER_02]: And of course, we know how that turned out, Bob Wawb, which is to say not well.
[SPEAKER_02]: But along the way, they had some amazing success with putting diesel engines into race cars and winning the 24-hour lima.
[SPEAKER_02]: six, five, six times with diesel powered cars and then, you know, they decided, you know, we should build some high performance diesel road cars too.
[SPEAKER_02]: And they did some really interesting stuff.
[SPEAKER_02]: Like they built a version of the Audi R8 with a 5.9 liter twin turbocharged diesel V12.
[SPEAKER_02]: that they, as you do, as you do, at 493 horsepower, and twice as much torque as the V8.
[SPEAKER_02]: So I think it was somewhere around 8 or 900 foot pounds of torque compared to the V8 engine that was also offered in the R8.
[SPEAKER_02]: They worked on it for several years, and unfortunately, oh, here is 738 foot pounds of torque, which is just bonkers.
[SPEAKER_02]: They said they're going to put it in production, and they kept saying they're going to put it in production, and it never quite made it to production, unfortunately.
[SPEAKER_02]: And at the around that time, you know, companies like Bosch, and of course, you know, Volkswagen Group and others were really promoting diesel, and they wanted to bring diesel more diesel vehicles to the US market, Bosch had a fleet of vehicles here and started Honeywell too, because they were doing the turbochargers for a lot of these of European
[SPEAKER_02]: for journalists to evaluate and I got to spend a few days driving a European SPAC, Audi Q7 with their 4.2 liter diesel V8, which they never sold here.
[SPEAKER_02]: They only sold the Q7 with the 3 liter V6 diesel here.
[SPEAKER_02]: But the 4.2 liter diesel, man was that sucker surprisingly quick.
[SPEAKER_02]: And they did actually, while they never built the production version of the R8 diesel, they did put that 5.9 liter V12 into a limited run of the Q7s.
[SPEAKER_02]: So they built about 500 or so of those Q7 V12 TDIs, which never had a chance to drive one of those, but that would have been nuts to drive that thing.
[SPEAKER_07]: You could tow the truck that's towing your fifth wheel with it.
[SPEAKER_05]: There you go.
[SPEAKER_07]: What do you do when you shoot seven this week?
[SPEAKER_07]: Well, every tell you.
[SPEAKER_07]: This is a TFL video, hold on to me, call Roman.
[SPEAKER_07]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_05]: Right.
[SPEAKER_07]: And one of these, get a truck, get a fifth wheel.
[SPEAKER_07]: See if you can tow the truck with the fifth wheel with this.
[SPEAKER_02]: All right, so a couple of weeks ago, Sony or Sony Honda announced that they were canceling all their North American EV programs.
[SPEAKER_02]: And when they made that announcement, I reached out to a field at the time and they gave us a statement basically saying,
[SPEAKER_02]: You know, Sony and Honda are in discussions about the fate of the Afeela program.
[SPEAKER_02]: It sounded from the statement that they gave us, like, Honda did not give them a heads up that they were canceling the zero series.
[SPEAKER_05]: Imagine that you're like wait wait.
[SPEAKER_07]: I wonder if Honda was like if we tell anyone at Sony They're gonna leak it.
[SPEAKER_07]: Yeah, we can't tell these people.
[SPEAKER_07]: These are not serious people People wouldn't be building a car.
[SPEAKER_07]: They built up their build their trying to build a place station with wheels.
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah
[SPEAKER_02]: So, two weeks after that announcement, Philo finally announced, yep, we're canceling the development and watch of the Philo one and the second car that we were that we just showed a concept of two months ago at CES.
[SPEAKER_02]: So, if you were waiting for your Philo one,
[SPEAKER_02]: I don't know.
[SPEAKER_05]: I don't know.
[SPEAKER_03]: I don't know.
[SPEAKER_05]: I don't know.
[SPEAKER_07]: everything we say now is a lie.
[SPEAKER_07]: I talked to Honda about, because I was wondering about their solid state plans because they, you know, they have a pre-production line going right now with solid state batteries.
[SPEAKER_07]: And yeah, they're still doing it.
[SPEAKER_07]: We're still working on solid state.
[SPEAKER_07]: They're like, well, you know, the news is for North America.
[SPEAKER_02]: There's still building EVs in the rest of the world.
[SPEAKER_07]: Yeah, we have we have joint ventures in China.
[SPEAKER_07]: They have like Honda sort of divisions in China that they're building EVs, you know, they're, you know, they have EVs in Japan, you know, I think they want, you know, expand EVs in other parts.
[SPEAKER_07]: They were just like, Yeah, we're just not going to do this now.
[SPEAKER_07]: Thank you.
[SPEAKER_05]: Which, you know, I'm not worth it.
[SPEAKER_07]: I think I really think the Honda brand, like really would have carried the sales of these, like the prologue, but I don't work in Honda, so it's not a long discussion.
[SPEAKER_07]: But they're still working on solid state, which is good.
[SPEAKER_07]: The more people that are working on solid state, the more company.
[SPEAKER_05]: I mean, that's good at least because that's actually really cool.
[SPEAKER_05]: That makes sighted for that.
[SPEAKER_05]: So please don't just continue that, too.
[SPEAKER_02]: Whatever stuff.
[SPEAKER_02]: One thing we could potentially see.
[SPEAKER_02]: is, you know, that's a Japan mobility show on October.
[SPEAKER_02]: They showed a concept called the Honda Zero Alpha, which looks a lot like the Honda Zero SUV that they were going to sell here, but it's a little bit smaller, and but that one is actually on a different platform, different hardware.
[SPEAKER_02]: I think one of the reasons why they canceled the Zero series is I think it was just going to be too expensive.
[SPEAKER_02]: And the zero alpha was designed for markets in Asia and India where it was going to be sold at a lower cost.
[SPEAKER_02]: Maybe we'll see them bring that vehicle over here, bring that, bring that EV platform to North America.
[SPEAKER_05]: You think it could happen?
[SPEAKER_07]: I think if they can make money selling it everywhere else and it's not too, and if they're already thinking about homologation for the US with this vehicle just in case, then I could see that because I think, you know, the Honda E was killed because one person said, hey, don't make this for the US.
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_07]: It wasn't killed.
[SPEAKER_07]: It was killed for US market and then we all lost our minds because we really wanted it and they're like now you can't have it because it's not we can't we can't start over We would have to start over in order to make this vehicle for the for the US market.
[SPEAKER_07]: And we shall not do that and we shall not do that So it'll it's the hottest of up yeah
[SPEAKER_02]: So we'll see what happens.
[SPEAKER_02]: Let's see.
[SPEAKER_02]: Oh, Volkswagen's current boss, Thomas Schaffer, did an interview with Top Gear Magazine.
[SPEAKER_02]: And
[SPEAKER_02]: In there, basically, you know, a lot of people who complained, including us, about the recent Volkswagen vehicles and, you know, the sliders, the touch sliders for the temperature controls and assorted other things.
[SPEAKER_02]: what Shafar said was that proper door handles and buttons are non-negotiable for me.
[SPEAKER_02]: He basically threw Herbert Dees, his predecessor as CEO, looks like a group directly under the bus, drove over him and then drove back again just to make sure.
[SPEAKER_07]: Listen, this is what you need to do as an automaker.
[SPEAKER_07]: You just have to come in and say, you know, we made mistakes, and we're gonna fix them, and that's what we're gonna do.
[SPEAKER_07]: I mean, Nissan did it a very nice way compared to this.
[SPEAKER_07]: Seriously.
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, you know, Shafers said there was a spirit of iPhone-ish kind of design and utilization that you could see coming through in many companies he said.
[SPEAKER_02]: It was a little bit difficult to get the designers off that idea.
[SPEAKER_02]: you know it's not actually not that hard all you gotta do is just say no we're not doing that anymore stop doing it we're done just say no that's all you gotta do and finally you know de-separately never did.
[SPEAKER_02]: Shafers said no and so now all the new VW cars are getting proper buttons and switches and door handles so you have to be about that yeah some door handles on cars my
[SPEAKER_02]: Hopefully, they will put those in the new Atlas too.
[SPEAKER_05]: Here you say that, though, Robby.
[SPEAKER_05]: Yeah, we're ridiculous.
[SPEAKER_05]: Like, oh, please, just door handles, such a simple thing.
[SPEAKER_05]: Like, and you're begging for it.
[SPEAKER_07]: It was like, oh, well, the turbulence in a drag coefficient.
[SPEAKER_07]: And I'm like, so you're trading two miles of range on an EV, for an annoying door.
[SPEAKER_07]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_07]: That you have to do it with the firm.
[SPEAKER_05]: First of all, they make you want to scream every single time you open it.
[SPEAKER_07]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_07]: I think people are fine with losing the two to five miles.
[SPEAKER_05]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_02]: I think you're right and then yeah I've got one in here that got labeled as don't be a jackass I saw I actually saw this video pop up a couple days ago of some bonehead driving a BMW in California
[SPEAKER_02]: in the bike lane behind some cyclists, like fully in the bike lane, and which is kind of ridiculous because the bike lane is actually narrower than the car, so he was like, how's he fitting in there?
[SPEAKER_05]: I feel like that's dangerous for your car as well.
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, and he's honking the horn and everything, and he almost ran these guys off the road.
[SPEAKER_02]: Um, and so one of the guys was shot some video of this so they got video of the car and, you know, one of the cyclists, you know, did, you know, was kind of a bonehead to, you know, he scored it is his gatorade from his drink bottle on the, on the car and then the passenger in the car through something at him.
[SPEAKER_02]: and then they took off but they got video of the car got the the license plate and um yesterday the uh police in uh i think a newport beach or somewhere um went and they arrested the guy um and also impounded his car uh so uh yeah it's like
[SPEAKER_02]: you know, don't just don't be a jackass, you know, just stay in the car lanes, let the cyclists have their bike lanes, you know, don't, don't do stupid stuff like that.
[SPEAKER_07]: It's a thing, like someone's squirting your water bottle or get rid of the car, the person's trying to, the person had already instigated trying to kill them.
[SPEAKER_07]: The loser in this situation is always, you know, you're in a big metal box.
[SPEAKER_07]: This person's on a tiny little metal and rubber machine.
[SPEAKER_07]: If someone tries to kill me, my initial reaction is like, oh, after this guy.
[SPEAKER_07]: because that's literally what this person is doing.
[SPEAKER_07]: This is like an almost attempted murder, essentially, because car versus bicycle list is that car always wins.
[SPEAKER_07]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_07]: Car versus pedestrian, car always wins.
[SPEAKER_07]: So, and I lived in Orange County and let me tell you, there's a lot of a holes in Orange County to drive like this.
[SPEAKER_07]: very very yeah it's it's a when you talk about the BMW driver orange counties just like silly with people like this who who who who who believe that they are above the law I don't know what their deal is it's them yeah I yeah don't do that don't be jerk
[SPEAKER_02]: And then Jose Munoz had talked the other day and announced that by 2030, Hyundai is going to launch 36 new or significantly enhanced models in North America.
[SPEAKER_02]: 36 36 over the next four years.
[SPEAKER_05]: Just Hyundai, not even Hyundai Genesis, just Hyundai?
[SPEAKER_05]: which isn't least slightly less crazy, but still.
[SPEAKER_05]: Thank you.
[SPEAKER_02]: I don't think he was included in this.
[SPEAKER_02]: Oh, there you go.
[SPEAKER_05]: This is just Hyundai.
[SPEAKER_05]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, Hyundai and Genesis.
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, it's just Hyundai and Genesis.
[SPEAKER_03]: That's a lot of vehicles.
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_02]: And most of these 80% of these models are going to be produced in the US.
[SPEAKER_02]: And 80% local US parts sourcing.
[SPEAKER_02]: So this kind of goes along with what they announced last year $26 billion investment in the United States, this is the next step in that.
[SPEAKER_02]: So they're going to be building most of what they sell here is going to be built here from parts that are also sourced here.
[SPEAKER_02]: Not necessarily from American companies, but from their suppliers that build their plants in the US.
[SPEAKER_07]: That's all.
[SPEAKER_07]: I mean, it's also enhanced.
[SPEAKER_07]: So how many cars it's hunting in.
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, it's got a lot of Canada, US and Mexico.
[SPEAKER_02]: So there's a few of these models.
[SPEAKER_02]: For example, we'll probably only be for the Mexican market that we like it.
[SPEAKER_05]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_05]: But that's still that is a lot of ambition.
[SPEAKER_07]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_07]: It's like 11 cars.
[SPEAKER_07]: I think they sell 11 cars in the US.
[SPEAKER_07]: Right now.
[SPEAKER_07]: Definitely.
[SPEAKER_07]: That's a kind of talking Genesis.
[SPEAKER_07]: So yeah, this is, it sounds like a lot, but if you like, okay, well, there's 11 of these, and then there's four, four years, and 11 of these stuff goes on a four-year product cycle.
[SPEAKER_07]: Yeah, so most of the stuff will be refreshed.
[SPEAKER_07]: So there's that.
[SPEAKER_07]: And then they'll, yeah.
[SPEAKER_05]: Well, I get 10, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.
[SPEAKER_05]: So, you know, we're going to get, we're going to get a new two side, probably before the end of the year.
[SPEAKER_02]: We're going to get new and launchers coming up soon.
[SPEAKER_02]: Sonata is due for redesign.
[SPEAKER_02]: The Santa Fe is probably going to get updated maybe next year.
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_02]: So, you know, I mean, that's, that's a bunch of them right there.
[SPEAKER_02]: We're going to add some more models to the Genesis lineup.
[SPEAKER_02]: So going to be interesting and, you know, there's whatever it is they're going to show us on Wednesday is part of that, too, so.
[SPEAKER_05]: Is one of them.
[SPEAKER_05]: Well, we're talking about, because I didn't, this isn't your show notes.
[SPEAKER_05]: I don't think we did it.
[SPEAKER_05]: It's not, remember a couple weeks back.
[SPEAKER_05]: Maybe not even a couple weeks.
[SPEAKER_05]: We were talking about the Hyundai Palisade having a stop sale because of now they have added the telly ride to that.
[SPEAKER_05]: So I felt like I wanted to mention that for anybody.
[SPEAKER_05]: who might have purchased one or the top trims of the telly ride also have the same issue, which you were kind of debating.
[SPEAKER_05]: Like, I kind of think like in company.
[SPEAKER_05]: Oh, what's that?
[SPEAKER_05]: So they've stopped sailed that guy too, just in just in the Essex prestige and X line trims.
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, because those are the only ones that have the power folding receipts.
[SPEAKER_05]: Right.
[SPEAKER_02]: So the ones that the manual seats are fine is just fine.
[SPEAKER_05]: It's just the power
[SPEAKER_02]: All right, and then I think the last thing or touch on is the E15, the EPA, this week approved nationwide deployment of E15, which means that you're gasoline, when you go to the gas station, up to 15% of the fuel that gets pumped out of there in your vehicle,
[SPEAKER_02]: currently most of the gas sold in the U.S. is E10 or slightly less, so up to 10%, they're raising that to 15%.
[SPEAKER_02]: which means that you probably won't be paying any less for your gasoline although theoretically you should because the ethanol is cheaper, but you know, gas stations probably will not reduce the...
[SPEAKER_02]: per gallon price, but you will get less fuel economy.
[SPEAKER_02]: So you will have to buy more E15.
[SPEAKER_02]: And your engines will make less power.
[SPEAKER_05]: So there's this essentially just watering it down to extend our gas supply.
[SPEAKER_02]: Basically, yes.
[SPEAKER_05]: Is that the, is that what I'm hearing?
[SPEAKER_05]: Okay.
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, it could you fit to end the winter like makes a little bit more sense in the summer just like oh, we're just going to evaporate your gas You know, and you know, the thing about E15 I did a study Probably about seven or eight years ago for the American fuel Institute, I think
[SPEAKER_02]: And it was, you know, the took a look at E15 and E20.
[SPEAKER_02]: And the thing is, if an engine is actually designed to run on those higher ethanol concentrations, then, you know, you can actually get better efficiency if you design it, because the ethanol gives you higher, you know, raises your octane level.
[SPEAKER_02]: So you can actually get better efficiency.
[SPEAKER_02]: if you design the engine for it.
[SPEAKER_02]: But just throwing more ethanol into older engines, not going to help.
[SPEAKER_02]: It's going to make things worse, not better.
[SPEAKER_05]: Does it matter how old your engine is?
[SPEAKER_05]: I'm at, like, put on your engine at that same.
[SPEAKER_05]: Yeah, well, it's like if it's certain, is there a certain point where you actually have to worry about that?
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, you know, you know, part of the reason why they, you know, they limited to E10 right now or have limited it to E10 is because that's a low enough concentration that it doesn't really cause problems with older engines.
[SPEAKER_02]: And the problem you have with ethanol in engines is ethanol tends to absorb water from the atmosphere, which means that you tend to get more corrosion in your fuel lines and things like that.
[SPEAKER_02]: And more wear on your valve seats.
[SPEAKER_02]: And so, you know, when you get like flex fuel engine, so we're designed to run on up to E85.
[SPEAKER_02]: You know, they've made some, the basic design is the same, but they have upgraded the fuel lines and valve seats and things like that to withstand that extra corrosion.
[SPEAKER_02]: So they don't have a problem with that corrosion.
[SPEAKER_02]: So this, this could start to cause a problem with some older engines.
[SPEAKER_02]: If you're running the money 15.
[SPEAKER_05]: Okay.
[SPEAKER_05]: So not great.
[SPEAKER_02]: Now, not, not ideal.
[SPEAKER_02]: And see, I think that is it for this week.
[SPEAKER_02]: So we can let Robbie go because I think you have to go somewhere.
[SPEAKER_02]: So thanks everybody for listening.
[SPEAKER_02]: And we will be back next time.
[SPEAKER_07]: Bye.