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THE DRIVE with Alan Taylor | #337

Being an automotive journalist is an exciting way to live and we get to talk with our favorites that have nothing short of amazing stories to tell us. Ed Justice, Jr. starts the show off by describing his first time attending 24 Hours of Le Mans. While Justice Brothers have sponsored cars and even won the event once, Ed was excited to finally attend and was blown away by the truly epic nature of this race. He also notes that he noticed that Porsche presence at Le Mans was so grand and it was great to experience that. Lastly, Ed tells us that in August he is looking forward to emceeing Carmel-by-the-Sea’s Concours on the Avenue, one of the only free events of Monterey Car Week. Next, Executive Publisher of Kelley Blue Book, Karl Brauer, discusses the new Dodge Challenger Hellcat Redeye and tells us that he doesn’t think it will eclipse their beloved Dodge Demon. Karl covers Tesla’s latest news; they have recently announced that they were able to produce 7,000 cars in seven days. He expresses that this production is not enough after everything that Elon Musk has promised and Karl wonders how long stockholders will put up with these delivery methods. Changing gears, Dave Sargent of J.D. Power covers their recent Initial Quality Study and sounds off that Hyundai as a parent company has taken the top three spots –  Genesis (#1), Kia (#2), and Hyundai (#3). Hyundai has only gotten better in the last few years and it is no surprise. Dave also describes other studies that J.D. Power does and while many are important the Initial Quality is the one everyone keeps their eyes on. Then, Russell Ure of Raven, describes their app and device that allows you to connect your older car to the IoT (Internet of Things). They even have special interior and exterior cameras that will allow you to stream real-time videos to your phone, even if you’re thousands of miles away from where the event is. Raven, at only $299, could provide you with extra assurance that you’re loved ones are safe on their drive even if you’re not with them. To end the show, we are joined by BJ Killeen and she reviews the 2018 Kia Rio, which for an affordable everyday car is pretty amazing and offers things such as AppleCar Play and 32-MPG combined. Alan also reviews the 2018 Range Rover HSE and raves about its luxurious comfort and insane off-road capability. He is astounded to announce that this large SUV even averages 28-MPG on the highway.  Last but not least, he pits his test drive of the Range Rover against the 2018 Lincoln Navigator Black Label and notes that he could see it taking a long time to decide which car he would want to put in his garage. BJ exclaims that she would choose the Navigator because Lincoln has second to none customer service and that has won her over since the beginning. We all have something we are looking for when it comes to the machine that carries us from place to place. What will win you over about your next ride?

 

• [00:00:00] 24 Hours of Le Mans
• [00:06:06] Porsche at Le Mans
• [00:12:30] Concours on the Avenue
• [00:19:51] Hellcat Redeye vs. Demon
• [00:28:56] Challenger’s Effective Recipe
• [00:35:53] Tesla’s 7,000 Cars in 7 Days
• [00:42:14] J.D. Power Initial Quality Study
• [00:47:59] Customers Want Dependability
• [00:54:45] Raven: IoT for Your Older Car
• [01:02:06] 2018 Range Rover HSE
• [01:10:21] 2018 Lincoln Navigator Black Label
• [01:18:07] 2018 Kia Rio: a Perfect Daily Driver

 

Discover more about segments and guests below…

[00:00:00] 24 Hours of Le Mans

After many years of sponsoring cars and even winning one year, Ed Justice, Jr. of Justice Brothers, finally got to attend 24 Hours of Le Mans in person. He attended with his friend Justin Bell and his father, Derek Bell, who has won Le Mans five times. He was delighted to attend dinner with these guys as well as six-time winner Jackie Ickx. Ed tells us that throughout the years many have begged the comparison between Le Mans and the Indy 500, wondering which was better. He explains that while they are both legendary, they are both completely different animals and garner a different crowd. Le Mans is mostly based on production vehicles and now with the Chunnel, the support from Britain for the race has grown exponentially. Learn more about the cars at the 2018 24 Hours of Le Mans now.

 

[00:06:06] Porsche at Le Mans

Ed Justice, Jr. of Justice Brothers, Inc. describes the unbelievable presence of Porsche at Le Mans. Ed remembers the effect that the 1971 movie Le Mans with Steven McQueen had on him and it really was a great commercial for the race. The Porsche Experience Center was amazing and included a gourmet restaurant and bar on the Ford Curves which is on the last turns of the race. Ed got the chance to pay his respects to Dr. Wolfgang Porsche, the figurative leader of the company, in person and tell him that he appreciated his interview for Automotive News. Porsche even won the GT category with the Pink Pig (which was painted to match the heritage one from 1971). It’s also important to note that the battle of the Porsche against the Ford GT was legendary. What is your dream car to see race at Le Mans?

 

[00:12:30] Concours on the Avenue

When you’re in the automotive industry you can bet you will have an on-the-go life! President and CEO of Justice Brothers, Inc., Ed Justice, Jr., tells us about the event he is gearing up for. Monterey Car Week is fast approaching and Ed will be emceeing the Caramel-by-the-Sea Concours on the Avenue that starts on Tuesday. It is one of the few free events and features $20-million Ferraris, Porsche 911s, and other world-class cars. He has been doing this event for about 10 years now alongside co-host Donald Osborne. Find out the other amazing things to attend at Monterey Car Week in August.

 

[00:19:51] Hellcat Redeye vs. Demon

Last week, Dodge unveiled the Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Redeye and Dodge Demon owners are feeling anger and happiness at the same time, which shows the kind of fans Dodge has created. Executive Publisher of Kelley Blue Book, Karl Brauer, sounds off about this new development and thinks that it’s really cool (except maybe the name). Dodge took the incredible engineering of the Demon and continues to spread the love over other models. However, Demon owners need not worry about their precious machine being diluted by this new introduction. It will appeal to a different crowd with 11-HP less than the Demon, no PCM upgrade, and it doesn’t come with a crate and the Demon badging. Karl also explains that the Redeye, coming in at roughly $78,000 out of the gate, proves that the Demon is really an incredible deal. Make no mistake though, the Redeye offers a fantastic package for Challenger lovers that weren’t able to obtain one of the elusive Demons. Which beast gets your vote?

 

[00:28:56] Challenger’s Effective Recipe

The Dodge Challenger platform is now over two decades old and originated from the Dimler-Chrylser times in the late 90s. The company was able to leverage the rear drive leftovers of the Mercedes E-Class to create the amazing design. While the Challenger has been refined over the years, it still has the fantastic genetics of its predecessor. Kelley Blue Book’s Karl Brauer raves about the fact that it keeps driving this well, performing this well, and selling this well reveals that this was an amazing platform from the start and that Chrysler has been able to only improve on it since. FCA has come up with an effective, amazing recipe that continues to blow everyone away. Changing gears, Karl gushes about getting the opportunity to race his Demon on the track again at a recent Test & Tune day at the race track in Fontana. Get your Mopar on with us now.

 

[00:35:53] Tesla’s 7,000 Cars in 7 Days

Executive Publisher of Kelley Blue Book, Karl Brauer, has worked hard at remaining as neutral as possible when it comes to criticism of Tesla and their CEO Elon Musk but a recent news release has him speaking out a bit more. Recently, Tesla has exclaimed that they produced 7,000 cars in seven days and while that might seem outstanding it’s the big picture that needs looking at. Karl believes that Telsa needs to be producing at this level for 200 days straight and not just one week. Also, Elon promised that they would be producing high volume EVs for the everyday person at $35,000 and now has only released $50,000 cars, admitting that they are going to have to go for the higher priced ones. Alan explains that entrepreneurs can do this because they answer to no one and can change their mind if they want. But how long will the Tesla stockholders be okay with these undelivered promises? It is great that Elon is taking these unconventional steps to change the world but soon his investors will want to see a conventional return. What are your thoughts on Tesla?

 

[00:42:14] J.D. Power Initial Quality Study

J.D. Power has been doing their Initial Quality Study for years and it consists of 75-80,000 customer reports. Their 2018 US results proved to be right on track with what they’ve been seeing develop over the last few studies. This year the three top-ranked brands are Genesis, Kia, and Hyundai which for people who follow the industry closely this is not a surprise. The parent company Hyundai is kicking butt and Kia has been the top mass-market brand for over four years now. Discover more about this amazing brand that is taking the automotive industry by storm.

 

[00:47:59] Customers Want Dependability

J.D. Power has been the go-to for customer satisfaction and there is no doubt that many people trust their studies. The Automotive Initial Quality Study which is sent out to car owners shortly after their purchase is one of the most popular that they conduct. They also have an Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout (APEAL) Study which centers on performance, styling, comfort, and features. The Vehicle Dependability Study is sent out three years after the car is purchased to address problems that come up after long-term use. There is also a technology related study and dealership experience study that helps buyers make an informed decision before they spend their hard-earned money. All of their studies are looked at independently because different brands perform well in different studies. However, Porsche has taken home the most awards overall categories and Buick has scored the best out of the non-premium vehicles. Is it time to buy a new car? Discover more about J.D. Power’s automotive studies.

 

[00:54:45] Raven: IoT for Your Older Car

Do you have an older car that you wish was up to par with the technology of cars today? Raven’s onboard diagnostic plug-in will help you achieve just that! Russell Ure, CEO and Co-Founder of Raven, explains this great device that can be self-installed. This device streams to an app on your smartphone and allows you to access cameras inside the car, even from thousands of miles away. This could be very beneficial if you have a family on a long road trip without you so you could pinpoint exactly where to send help if needed.  It also has video time-lapse, 24/7 security monitoring, speeding alerts, real-time road alerts, road and weather conditions, next turn navigation, heads-up display, vehicle diagnostics, and drive safety reports. The best part is you can obtain all of these amazing features for only $299 and don’t need to buy a whole new car. Get connected with Raven now.

 

[01:02:06] 2018 Range Rover HSE

It’s time to think about off-road luxury! Alan recently drove the 2018 Range Rover HSE and he said he didn’t want to give it back. You would have no idea that this 3.0L turbocharged engine is a diesel because standing next to it, it’s practically silent. Alan tells us that this baby is so fast it’s almost silly – this 6-cylinder pushes 254-HP and 443-lb-ft of torque. Alan said that this vehicle is perhaps the nicest machine ever built for all-around everything including comfort and off-road capability. In fact, automotive journalist BJ Killeen tells us that these are the vehicles that carry around the Queen and even the instruction manuals have her approval symbols all over them. BJ exclaims that this is by far the best off-road vehicle on the high-end and the Jeep Wrangler gets her vote for the lower-end. You can seat yourself in this luxurious, adventure mobile for roughly $96,050.

 

[01:10:21] 2018 Lincoln Navigator Black Label

Alan job is always giving him great opportunities to drive some amazing rides. He recently stepped out of the 2018 Lincoln Navigator 4×4 Black Label and says that Lincoln really knocked it out of the park. This 3.5L turbocharged V6 with a 10-speed automatic Navigator starts at $93,000 and achieves 18-MPG combined. Alan tells us that it would be really difficult for him to pick his favorite between the 2018 Range Rover HSE and the Navigator but automotive journalist BJ Killeen made her decision a while ago. She would choose the Navigator because she believes that the customer service Lincoln provides is second to none. Listen for more on these amazing SUVs and make the decision for yourself.

 

[01:18:07] 2018 Kia Rio: a Perfect Daily Driver

Automotive journalist BJ Killeen shares her drive experience of the 2018 Kia Rio and she shares that it was a really nice vehicle. She tells us that one tiny drawback with small cars is that you tend to get a solid axle so the vehicle drove a little stiffer than some other rides. She does, however, tell us that this car starting at $13,900 is a great commuter ride or perfect for your kid in school. It comes with Kia’s standard 10 year, 100,000-mile warranty and is even equipped with Apple CarPlay. Switching gears, Alan also touches on his test drive of the 2018 Fiat 500L Trekking. Find the car for you, listen now.

 

Explore More with Helpful Links:

• Contributor: Karl Brauer | Executive Publisher, Kelley Blue Book
• Contributor: BJ Killeen | Automotive Journalist, Biography
• Special Guest: Ed Justice, Jr. | President and CEO, Justice Brothers Inc.
• Special Guest: Dave Sargent | Vice President – Global Automotive, J.D. Power
• Special Guest: Russell Ure | CEO and Co-Founder of Klashwerks, Raven
• Website: karlbrauer.com
• Article: J.D. Power Initial Quality Study
• Vehicle Mention: 2018 Range Rover HSE
• Vehicle Mention: 2018 Lincoln Navigator Black Label
• Website: 2018 Fiat 500L Trekking
• Vehicle Mention: 2018 Kia Rio

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:

• Austin Hatcher Foundation
• Barrett-Jackson
• Brembo
• Bridgestone
• Craftsman
• Dodge
• Foundation of Human Understanding
• Go RVing
• KIA
• Patriot Outreach
• Shell
• Subaru

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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.