THE DRIVE with Alan Taylor | #333

In a world with endless options, how is it possible for us to choose just one car? Well, thankful there are companies out there that are trying to make these tough decisions easy. We begin the hour with Chief Strategy Officer for AMCI Global, who details their 2018 Trusted Automotive Brand Study. The automotive industry has already established quality and satisfaction but when it comes to the emotion behind the trust we put in brands, there is still long way to go. Chevrolet, Kia, and Genesis – are just a few of the rides that made the most trusted list; listen for the rest! Next, we hear from Peter Zawadzki, Director of DriveShare by Hagerty, about this classic car rental program that can take you on a cruise down memory lane. DriveShare gives you the opportunity to either rent that collector car of your dreams for a weekend, wedding, or a multitude of other events. It also allows owners to stretch the legs of the beautiful cars they have collecting dust in their garage. Are you interested in buying, zooming around, or taking photos with a gorgeous classic? After that, we catch up with automotive journalist, BJ Killeen, about her recent trip to New York to explore some of the top automotive manufacturers’ experiential facilities that are not about selling you a car but about helping you discover more about the brand. She also reviews the 2019 Hyundai Veloster, and explains that this car has really taken on a great refresh. Headroom, connectivity, comfort, and even five trim levels have made the Veloster better than it has ever been. Then, we talk with Alan about the 2018 F-Type 400 Sport AWD Coupe that he just drove. The design, body style, and flavor of the car is beautiful and the V6 supercharge engine makes it a snappy little car. It has some amazing technology that will allow you to use a GoPro camera to take real-time video from driving the car to social. Alan raves about this fantastic machine! Switching lanes, Steven Cole Smith gets us up to speed on what we can look forward to from the Indy 500 and Coca-Cola 600. He tells us that the media at the Indy 500 will certainly be keeping their eye on Danica Patrick, and many believe that this is her final race. Steven then shares that there is not much to look forward to from the Coca-Cola 600 but if he had to put his money on anyone then it would have to be Chase Elliot. Lastly, he tells us that he is about to make his way to England to view the Global RallyCross that will soon be making its way to the United States. Join us for an action-packed episode with the automotive news you don’t want to miss!

 

  • [00:00:00] AMCI Global Explores Trust
  • [00:06:14] Trusted Non-Luxury Brands
  • [00:12:31] Improved Luxury Brands
  • [00:19:55] Hagerty’s DriveShare
  • [00:27:43] Share Your Classic Car
  • [00:35:53] Drive the Car of Your Dreams
  • [00:42:14] Brand Experiential Centers
  • [00:48:39] 2019 Hyundai Veloster
  • [00:54:45] 2018 Jaguar F-Type 400 Sport
  • [01:02:05] Indy 500 and Coca-Cola 600
  • [01:11:13] Danica Patrick’s Last Race
  • [01:18:01] Global Rallycross Series

 

Discover more about segments and guests below…

[00:00:00] AMCI Global Explores Trust

Customer satisfaction is what creates a brand loyal customer, especially when it comes to vehicle purchases. We discuss AMCI Global’s objective with their Chief Strategy Officer, Ian Beavis, who tells us that his company has been conducting vehicle testing since the mid-1980s. They would test competitive vehicles across the spectrum, in terms of performance, comfort, and basically anything including the sensory perception of cars. Their testing is authorized and certified so that companies are able to use the results in advertising. For the past 20 years or so, AMCI Global has also been doing dealership training which helps sales associates give the best customer experience. They know that owning a car has a lot to do with the feeling the ride gives you, so they have put a lot of work into consumer and media ‘ride and drives’, and performance driving schools. While, AMCI Global is already covering so many bases in the automotive industry they realized that they were missing one of the most important parts of cultivating loyalty – TRUST! Discover how this company is taking every angle into account when it comes to our precious chariots.

 

[00:06:14] Trusted Non-Luxury Brands

As human beings, we are hardwired to have trust be one of our leading feelings and trust in our vehicle is of utmost importance. AMCI Global’s Chief Strategy Officer, Ian Beavis, explains that the automotive industry has conquered the satisfaction part of the car buying equation but now it’s time to measure the trust in a brand. Gaining a level of trust is incredibly important and although the auto industry is making strides, it has a long way to go. In collaboration with C-Space, AMCI Global has conducted a 2018 Most Trusted Brands study and we are excited to announce the leaders. The leaders in the Most Improved Non-Luxury Vehicles include Chevrolet, Honda, and Volkswagen and the Most Trusted Non-Luxury are Chevrolet, General Motors, and Kia. It’s really exciting to see how far companies have come and where they are going. Are you loyal to a specific non-luxury brand?

 

[00:12:31] Improved Luxury Brands

When it comes to spending your hard earned cash on the vehicle of your dreams, you want to know that you are getting a ride that will check off all of your ‘want boxes’. Ian Beavis, Chief Strategy Officer for AMCI Global, explains their 2018 Most Trusted Brands study and shares who the leaders are in the automotive industry. Many vehicle owners stick with certain brands because they have experienced the trust that their rides have earned. The winners for the Most Improved Luxury Brands are Acura, Infiniti, and Mercedes-Benz, and the Most Trust Luxury Brands are Genesis, Infiniti, and Tesla. These luxury brands have worked hard to create the loyalty that they have gained by training their dealers and delivering upstanding, quality rides. Learn why Infiniti and Tesla have really upped their game.

 

[00:19:55] Hagerty’s DriveShare

Now you can rent your classic to someone who’s been dreaming of driving it their whole life. Peter Zawadzki, Director of DriveShare by Hagerty, explains the platform he created and where the concept came from. He had a great classic car sitting in his garage just collecting dust and it wasn’t practical to use it as a daily driver, but he felt bad for never taking advantage of it.  He created DriveShare, which allows you to go online, create your account, upload your photos, and information, and then choose the rental price and who you want to have access to your car. The owner and renter chat via their platform, complete the whole booking online and Hagerty handles the payments and insurance. Put that classic car to use with DriveShare by Hagerty.

 

[00:27:43] Share Your Classic Car

A lot of people have this preconceived notion that old cars are just awesome, but you may feel differently after you drive one. DriveShare by Hagerty helps you test out certain classic cars before you go and buy it for your garage. DriveShare Director, Peter Zawadzki, explains that he had a renter drive a certain dream classic car and afterward he shared how thankful he was that he didn’t just go and buy one because it wasn’t what his mind had dreamed it to be. This platform has even made classic car collectors look at their collection in a different way, some even adding to it because they wanted to be able to offer them up on DriveShare. Owners and renters can also rest easy because these cars are fully insured with the agreed up value insurance through Hagerty. Classic cars deserve to shine on the road and Hagerty is putting drivers who have been dreaming of them behind the wheel.

 

[00:35:53] Drive the Car of Your Dreams

What makes a classic car? Well, Peter Zawadzki, Director of DriveShare, explains that it’s the person that makes a car classic. There is something within them that has longed to drive a certain car whether it be from a movie, television show, a race car driver, or even something someone owned when they were young. DriveShare makes sure to offer an array of classic rentals so they can fulfill their heart’s desire. The best part is that there so many different lifestyles out there – so if you think your car is a classic then it’s quite possible someone else will feel the same. Hagerty will help you determine the value of your car and then even offer a suggested rental price. They want to make sure you get the most out of your rental, but the final pricing and driver decision is ultimately up to you. Rent your prized ride through DriveShare by Hagerty.

 

[00:42:14] Brand Experiential Centers

When it comes down to it, cars are often bought based on emotion and many times a driver falls in love with it behind the wheel. Automotive journalist, BJ Killeen, just got back from a trip to New York where she got the opportunity to check out the world of automotive marketing outside of the dealership. Manufactures such as Ford and Cadillac have created experiential locations where journalists and consumers can really get to know the brand. They are not there to sell you a car but to get you to swoon over their brand and get to know their vehicles from a personal standpoint. At these locations, you can sit in the car, roll down the windows, play with the touchscreen, and basically experience all the little details that you would use on a daily basis. It’s time to try before you buy!

 

[00:48:39] 2019 Hyundai Veloster

Sometimes a redesign makes a car look all grown up and automotive journalist, BJ Killeen, tells us that this is exactly what has happened to the 2019 Hyundai Veloster. They lowered the roof line and gave it a more sporty and aggressive look. The Veloster offers five trim levels, has a lot more headroom, and they loved the connectivity which includes Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. BJ was really impressed by the fit and finish of the car and enjoyed the contrasting trim on the seats and steering wheel. The journalist got to drive the R-Spec (manual) and Turbo Ultimate (dual clutch transmission) trim levels and overall they really liked this refresh. Discover more about the 2018 Veloster now.

 

[00:54:45] 2018 Jaguar F-Type 400 Sport

Jaguar unveils the 2018 F-Type lineup and there are 24 different variants they are offering up. Alan and automotive journalist, BJ Killeen, discuss the 2018 Jaguar F-Type 400 Sport that he just had the opportunity to drive. The F-Type which was launched in 2012 as an all-aluminum two-seater has since won over 160 awards worldwide. The supercharged 400 Sport has a 3.0L V6 that pushes 400-HP and does 0-60 in 5.1 seconds. This car offers a lot of fun little details as well such as the ReRun GoPro app which allows the driver to record a real-time video of their drive experience. Alan was very impressed by this car and the only downside was one little blind spot, which is to be expected in a sports car. Hear more about the snappy 2018 Jaguar F-Type 400 Sport now.

 

[01:02:05] Indy 500 and Coca-Cola 600

This year the Indy 500 should be interesting and automotive journalist, Steven Cole Smith, gives us a quick update on what he expects to see. After a lunch with Spencer Pigot, who is Danica Patrick’s teammate, Steven believes that Danica really has a shot at winning this thing. She has a fast Chevrolet prepared by Andretti Autosports, so it should give her a leg up. Out of nine qualifying cars, there are two Hondas and the rest are Chevrolets, so Steven is excited to see how they perform. He tells us that all you have to do in this race is keep your nose clean, keep your laps legal, have clean pit stops, and be granted some good old fashioned luck. Steven believes the winner will be a dark horse, in other words – it could be anyone. Learn more about the Indy 500 now.

 

[01:11:13] Danica Patrick’s Last Race

This year at the Indy 500 everyone will be keeping an eye on Danica Patrick, as she has announced that this is her last race. Automotive journalist, Steven Cole Smith, explains that she has a really good deal with Ed Carpenter’s team. To date, Danica is not known for her road course abilities but she is a great driver and became very comfortable driving behind the wheel of a less stable NASCAR car. He hopes she wins because it would be a great feather in her cap on her way off of the track. Steven also quickly discusses the Coca-Cola 600 and tells us that there is nothing too interesting to look forward to this year. If he had to put money on anyone to win, he would put it on Chase Elliott. Get up to speed with the races coming our way, now.

 

[01:18:01] Global Rallycross Series

Automotive journalist, Steven Cole Smith, is about to make his way to England to check out an exciting event that will be making its way to the United States. We used to have a rallycross series on this side of the pond but due to lawsuits involving Colin Dyne they have all been shut down. Fortunately, the Global Rallycross series out of Europe will soon be making its way over to us and Steven is heading over to get a first look at what we can expect. The rules will go along with the FIA sanctioned series and it will take place at the F1 track in England. Explore the future of the American rallycross series now.

 

Explore More with Helpful Links:

Episode Credits:

  • Program Host: Alan Taylor
  • Producer: Dave Milligan
  • Production Assistant: Joanne Bolden
  • Audio Engineer: Dave Milligan
  • Copy Editor: Jess Baumgardner

Our Sponsors & Supported Charities:

 

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This episode was produced by Entertainment Right Now (ERN). If you found value in this episode, and you’d like to hear more, please consider leaving us a review on iTunes and be sure to subscribe to our podcast so you don’t miss a beat. Your feedback helps us to reach more enthusiasts around the world! If you have a question you’d like us to answer, please leave a comment below or e-mail us at info@ernlive.com.

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