News From the Industry, 2018 Hyundai Sonata, and More!

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THE DRIVE with Alan Taylor | Episode #349

Our favorite automotive journalists and industry experts weigh in on a slew of news in this power-packed episode of the THE DRIVE with Alan Taylor. First up, Kelley Blue Book Executive Publisher, Karl Brauer, fills us in on Ford’s commitment to increasing production of the Ford GT, the workings and benefits of NACTOY, and the death of auto shows. Then, Reviver Auto CEO, Neville Boston, describes how they were able to bring the world’s first digital electronic license plate to market while navigating legal roadblocks. Shifting gears, automotive journalist Steven Cole Smith brings us the latest news about Formula 1 in the United States and the NASCAR Championship. Next, automotive journalist BJ Killeen discusses the upcoming J.D. Power Automotive Marketing Roundtable (AMR) and reviews the 2018 Hyundai Sonata. Changing gears, JoshCAR Hollywood Car Consultant, Josh Hancock, is puzzled by the new Chevrolet Silverado four cylinder engine option. Why does this even exist? Finally, Josh praises “A Star is Born” for its amazing car-casting, and chats about the Ford GT and Dodge Redeye. Listen in to keep up with the latest automotive news.

[00:00:00] More Ford GTs on the Streets
[00:05:47] Value of Winning NACTOY
[00:12:31] NACTOY and the Death of Auto Shows
[00:19:52] Rplate – First Digital License Plate
[00:29:34] F1 Has Trouble Gaining Traction in USA
[00:35:53] Countdown to 2018 Ford EcoBoost 400
[00:42:13] J.D. Power Auto Marketing Roundtable
[00:47:52] Artificial Intelligence and Marketing
[00:54:00] 2018 Hyundai Sonata
[01:02:05] Four Cylinder Chevrolet Silverado? Why?
[01:10:39] A Star is Born and Ford GT Production
[01:18:06] Dodge Redeye and ClassicCars.com

Discover more about segments and guests below…

[00:00:00] More Ford GTs on the Streets

The Ford GT is making waves in the news again this week, and who better to give us the scoop than Kelley Blue Book Executive Publisher and ‘Man Who has Owned One for a Long Time so May as Well be an Expert’, Karl Brauer? Much to Ford’s delight, their original production commitment of 500 cars drove fans of the GT crazy. Realizing that there is a much higher demand for the $500,000 super car, Ford increased their production run to 1,000 cars, but that still wasn’t enough. Now, they’ve increased that number to 1,350 vehicles, but Karl predicts that most of the additional cars will be shipped outside of the USA. Do you want a Ford GT?

[00:05:47] Value of Winning NACTOY

Winning the North American Car, Utility, and Truck of the Year Award can be big news for a manufacturer, but how has the award retained its integrity in a climate where pay-for-play reviews are the norm? Autotrader and Kelley Blue Book Executive Publisher, Karl Brauer, explains how 50+ jurors from various publications in Canada, the United States, Mexico, and other North American countries come together to decide which vehicles deserve the honor of receiving the NACTOY award. This melting pot of automotive journalists ensures as little bias as possible when evaluating radically improved or completely new vehicles. The award lets buyers know that the car they’re looking at purchasing is of the utmost quality. Winners will be revealed at the beginning of January 2019 during the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. Make sure you look for the NACTOY seal of approval when shopping for your next car.

[00:12:31] NACTOY and the Death of Auto Shows

The North American Car, Utility, and Truck of the Year award will be presented at the beginning of next year, but what hints can we glean about who the eventual victors may be? Kelley Blue Book Executive Publisher, Karl Brauer, is one of the 50+ automotive journalists that have been selected to act as jurors for NACTOY and shares some of his favorite vehicles. The new Toyota Corolla has received a massive overhaul at the behest of Akio Toyoda and his plan to erase boring cars from their lineup. Also, the new Genesis G70 is coming into the sports sedan segment swinging at mainstays like the Audi A4 and BMW 3 Series. Karl also has his eye on the Jaguar I-PACE and Volvo XC40 for the utility category. Changing gears, we discuss the decline of big auto shows like the Paris Auto Show which saw a sharp decline in manufacturer attendance. Find out why Karl thinks these shows are starting to fail.

[00:19:52] Rplate – First Digital License Plate

Digitization has been spreading to every corner of our lives since the iPhone came out in 2007. Now, Reviver Auto CEO Neville Boston is bringing your license plate into the modern age. In the works since 2009, Reviver Auto has jumped through many hoops to make their product legal in California, with Arizona soon to follow. With a Kindle-like display, Revive Auto’s Rplate has high visibility, low power requirements, and a tough frame. A pretty finish isn’t all this plate has; the Rplate features many useful additions, like the ability to update DMV tags online, display additional information, and provide ample lighting at night. Discover more about Reviver Auto!

[00:29:34] F1 has Trouble Gaining Traction in USA

Are you a fan of Formula 1 racing? F1 may be the most popular racing series in the world, but automotive journalist Steven Cole Smith reports that it is still having trouble catching up to NASCAR in terms of popularity in the United States. That won’t stop him from loving it; Steven describes the beautiful scene as the open-wheeled cars raced around the track in Austin, Texas last Sunday and gives us his series predictions. Find out what Steven thinks about the new cockpit protection halos on F1 cars.

[00:35:53] Countdown to 2018 Ford EcoBoost 400

Are you ready for the 2018 Ford EcoBoost 400? As we eagerly await the climax of this NASCAR series, automotive journalist Steven Cole Smith gives us an update on racer standings and his predictions for the event. A big surprise for Steven has been Chase Elliott’s recent victories, as this has been a historically bad year for Chevrolet. Can Chase keep up the pace in his #9 Mountain Dew car?

[00:42:13] J.D. Power Automotive Marketing Roundtable

Alan recently saw “A Star Is Born” in theaters and enjoyed it, but BJ was a little dissapointed. Automotive journalist BJ Killeen expresses distaste for the remade movie; if you want a really good experience, watch the original. Next, BJ discusses the J.D. Power Automotive Marketing Roundtable (AMR) event at the Bellagio in Las Vegas, Nevada. Learn how this meeting of powerhouse automotive journalists and marketing executives is modernizing the industry in the digitized era.

[00:47:52] Artificial Intelligence and Marketing

Are you sick of Facebook filtering content and censoring us? Automotive journalist BJ Killeen has an alternative for you: MeWe.com. It’s a new social media platform that doesn’t have any of the ads, privacy violations, or B.S. of other social networking channels. Switching lanes, the rapidly evolving world of technology has lead to the rise of artificial intelligence (A.I.) as it pervades every corner of our lives. That’s why J.D. Power is putting on the Automotive Marketing Roundtable (AMR) and analyzing the impact A.I. has on marketing in the industry today. Tune in to learn more.

[00:54:00] 2018 Hyundai Sonata

If we recall, South Korean automakers like Hyundai and Kia had a rough time breaking into the United States auto market. Over the years, they’ve consistently increased the quality of their product to the point where both companies are winning J.D. Power awards and receiving top marks for quality. Automotive journalist BJ Killeen recently drove the 2018 Hyundai Sonata Limited and says that the quality and value of the car is astounding. With a base-line sticker price of $18,000, the Hyundai Sonata is an amazing value with tons of features including 2.4L 185-HP engine with 178 lb-ft of torque, 28 mpg city/ 37 mpg hwy, 17 inch alloy wheels, LED head and tail lights, keyless entry and start, three different drive modes, 100,000 mile warranty, and more! Do yourself a favor and get out to your local Hyundai dealer and test drive this machine.

[01:02:05] Four Cylinder Chevrolet Silverado? Why?

So, you’re thinking about that four cylinder engine option on your next truck purchase. Surely it offers higher fuel economy at a lower price… right? Oh, it costs thousands more and doesn’t offer any obvious advantages over its V6 counterparts. JoshCAR Hollywood Car Consultant, Josh Hancock, shares the bizarre engine option that Chevrolet has added to the Silverado. Normally, it would make sense to offer a four cylinder option, but in this circumstance it just has us scratching our heads. Alan isn’t a fan; he loves gut-rumbling V8s like his Dodge Demon and the soon-to-be released Dodge Redeye. What do you think of this strange move by Chevrolet?

**[01:10:39] A Star is Born and Ford GT Production**

“A Star Is Born” with Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper recently released to rave reviews, but how does it stand up to a Hollywood car consultant’s scrutiny? JoshCAR’s Josh Hancock says they did an excellent job matching the cars with the characters; Bradley Cooper’s 1970s Ford Pickup was a great fit for, as was Sam Elliott’s diesel RAM. Switching lanes, Josh gives us his take on Ford’s increased production of GTs: should Ford award these sales to real car enthusiast, like Karl Brauer, instead of YouTube sensations? Josh shares a story about an influencer who showed up to an event in a highfalutin car and received resentful glares from those in attendance. Are supercars becoming snob symbols?

[01:18:06] Dodge Redeye and ClassicCars.com

The Dodge Challenger, and all of its variations including the upcoming Redeye, are built on a 10 year old chassis; that’s really old for the automotive industry! Dodge keeps pumping new life into this aging chassis design and it shows no sign of slowing down. Speeding to our next topic, JoshCAR Hollywood Car Consultant, Josh Hancock, has never seen the classic car movement as strong as it is today. Cars and trucks from the 1950s-1970s are being rebuilt and sold at auctions like Barrett-Jackson for a pretty penny. Alan lets us know that we don’t have to wait for the next live auction event; get your hands on a fresh project car at ClassicCars.com.

Explore More with Helpful Links:

Contributor: Karl Brauer | Executive Publisher, Autotrader / Kelley Blue Book / Dealer.com
Contributor: Steven Cole Smith | Automotive Journalist, Racer / Automobile Ma gazine / Autoweek
Contributor: BJ Killeen | Freelance Automotive Journalist
Contributor: Josh Hancock | Hollywood Car Consultant, JoshCAR
Guest: Neville Boston | CEO, Reviver Auto
Website: North American Car, Utility and Truck of the Year
Website: Formula 1
Website: NASCAR
Website: Homestead Miami Speedway – 2018 Ford EcoBoost 400
Website: J.D. Power Automotive Marketing Roundtable (AMR)
Vehicle Mention: 2018 Hyundai Sonata
Vehicle Mention: Chevrolet Silverado
Movie Mention: “A Star Is Born“

Episode Credits:

Program Host: Alan Taylor
Producer: Dave Milligan
Production Assistant: Joanne Bolden
Audio Engineer: Dave Milligan
Copy Editor: Cody Castleberry

Our Sponsors & Supported Charities:

Steven Cole Smith | Automotive Journalist

Josh Hancock | Hollywood Car Consultant, JoshCAR

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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.

About THE DRIVE with Alan Taylor

THE DRIVE with Alan Taylor puts you in the driver’s seat for a unique, fast paced look at today’s automotive industry. This is your pedal-to-the-metal, two-hour thrill ride devoted to the latest car news and test-drive results, how-to tips, car maintenance tips, auto show coverage, expert insights and behind-the-scenes race day action. Don’t miss exclusive interviews with top auto executives, athletes, celebrities and prominent newsmakers from around the world.