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Alan just got back from his first ever trip to China to visit Steve Saleen’s new mega-factory, and his mind is blown! JoshCAR Hollywood Car Consultant, Josh Hancock, chats about Alan’s trip to China, the Saleen S1, Steve Saleen, the premier of Quentin Tarrantio’s “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”, and more! Next up, freelance automotive journalist, Mike Austin, discusses the new testing ground for Mercedes-Daimler’s self-parking garage, the upcoming electric Ford F-150, and the prevalence of green cars in China. Changing lanes, Autotrader Executive Editor, Brian Moody, fills us in on the extravagant 2020 Chevrolet C8 Corvette reveal, its mind blowing pricing, and somewhat underwhelming specs. Brian also shares a few Autotrader lists, covering the most affordable mid-engine cars, lowest cost hybrid SUVs, and the most popular cars on Autotrader.com. Closing out the show, freelance journalist, Tom Wilson, chats with Alan about their trip to China, Steve Saleen’s 2.5 million square foot factory, and his first hand experience with the Saleen S1. Listen in to stay up to date with the automotive industry.  

·[00:00:00] Alan and Josh Talk China, GT, and Demon

·[00:06:15] Steve Saleen S1, Mega Factory in China

·[00:12:30] Alan’s Eye-Opening Trip to China

·[00:19:51] Once Upon a Time in Hollywood Premier

·[00:27:45] Mercedes Tests Self Parking Garage

·[00:35:52] Electric Ford F-150, Green Cars in China

·[00:42:12] Bombastic Chevrolet C8 Corvette Reveal

·[00:48:37] 495 HP Mid-Engine Corvette – $60,000?!

·[00:54:43] Affordable Mid-Engine Cars, Hybrid SUVs 

·[01:02:04] Most Popular Cars on Autotrader

·[01:10:35] Steve Saleen’s 2.5 Million SqFt Factory

·[01:18:05] The Saleen S1 is a Roomy Sports Car

[00:00:00] Alan and Josh Talk China, GT, and Demon
Alan is fresh-back from his trip to China to visit Steve Saleen’s new factory and check out his Saleen S1 supercar. JoshCAR Hollywood Car Consultant, Josh Hancock, chats about Alan’s trip, Steve Saleen’s contribution to the Ford GT, the resale restrictions on Ford GT and Dodge Demon owners, and Alan’s impending sale of his Dodge Demon at Hot August Nights in Reno, Nevada – with a fair amount of banter in between. Tune in to learn more about these super cars!

[00:06:15] Steve Saleen S1, Mega Factory in China
One could make a fair comparison between the careers of Carol Shelby and Steve Saleen. JoshCAR Hollywood Car Consultant, Josh Hancock, discusses the entrepreneurial spirit of Steve Saleen, and his awesome, iconic cars like the S7 and S1. We also chat about Steve Saleen’s new two and a half million square foot assembly plant in China that will be pumping out production cars for their domestic car market. One of the cars that will be cranked out is the Saleen S1, a $100,000 “supercar-lite” that features a 4 cylinder turbo engine that will have around 400 HP. Tune in to learn more.

[00:12:30] Alan’s Eye-Opening Trip to China
As an outsider, Alan had many preconceptions about what life in China would be like – rice paddy fields, obedience, silence, unfriendly work environments – but what he saw was more reminiscent of Los Angeles or New York City. JoshCAR Hollywood Car Consultant, Josh Hancock, discusses the culture, architecture, and surprising advancements Alan discovered while in China. There are two sides of the coin in China, with one looking like an expanse of fields and sparse housing and the other an incredibly dense steel jungle with amazing architecture that can put US architecture to shame. Find out more about Alan’s trip to the Middle Kingdom.

[00:19:51] Once Upon a Time in Hollywood Premier
Everyone’s favorite Hollywood Car Consultant, Josh Hancock, recently went to the premier of “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” – a Quentin Tarrantino film that he worked on. Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, and Margot Robbie, this film faithfully portrays the busy streets of 1960’s Hollywood without the use of CGI! Josh describes how they painstakingly ensured that cars were not reused in shots and even constructed some vehicles to further the immersion. Are you a Quentin Tarantino fan?

[00:27:45] Mercedes Tests Self Parking Garage
Love it or hate it, there’s always a certain level of mistrust that comes with using valet parking services; but what if your car could just park itself? Freelance automotive journalist, Mike Austin, discusses Mercedes-Daimler’s approval for testing, in Stuttgart, Germany, on a new type of parking garage system that allows sufficiently-equipped vehicles to park themselves. So what’s all the hubbub about? Can’t cars already self drive and do this kind of stuff? Well, not necessarily. While the tech is being worked on, we are still many more years out from true self driving cars than many media outlets would have you believe. Find out why government approval for this endeavor is a big deal.

[00:35:52] Electric Ford F-150, Green Cars in China
There’s no question that electric engines can produce insane amounts of torque and power; Ford’s recent stunt with an electric F-150 that pulled a million pounds of train cars proves that. That doesn’t mean Alan is going to be clamoring to get one. However, China is all over it in an attempt to fight their rampant air pollution problems. We discuss China’s move to green tech that outpaces our own with freelance automotive journalist, Mike Austin. Tune in to learn more about China’s green revolution.

[00:42:12] Bombastic Chevrolet C8 Corvette Reveal
If you’ve been keeping up with THE DRIVE with Alan Taylor over the past couple of months, you probably heard about the upcoming mid-engine Chevrolet C8 Corvette. Well it has finally been unveiled, and Executive Editor for Autotrader, Brian Moody, got to attend the extravagant reveal in a gigantic WW2 era blimp hanger in Orange County, California. While this is the first-ever mid-engine Corvette, it still looks like a Corvette. Tune in to hear more about the bombastic Chevrolet C8 Corvette press event.

[00:48:37] 495 HP Mid-Engine Corvette – $60,000?!
Remember the rumors about the new mid-engine Corvette that claimed it would have north of 900 HP? Yeah, well that’s as of yet, untrue. Stop, stop it, don’t be disappointed. That number could be found in special versions of the C8 Corvette in years to come (and are honestly just kind of wild to begin with). Autotrader Executive Editor, Brian Moody, gives us the details on the 2020 Chevrolet C8 Corvette. While, 495 HP doesn’t sound like much when compared to the high expectation of 900 HP, keep in mind that it is extremely respectable from a non-turbo, normally aspirated V8 engine. In fact, it makes this the most powerful standard model Corvette. Now consider the fact that you can get one of these bad boys for just under $60,000! Are you interested yet?

[00:54:43] Affordable Mid-Engine Cars, Hybrid SUVs
In light of the new Chevrolet C8 Corvette, we thought it might be appropriate to take a look at the most inexpensive mid-engine cars available on Autotrader.com. Executive Editor for Autotrader, Brian Moody, explains how you can get your hands on a Lotus Elise for $32,000-$40,000, a used Pontiac Fiero for between $3,000 and $10,000, a Toyota MR2 for as low as $2,000, and even a Porsche Boxster for lower prices than you’d expect! We also discuss Autotrader’s most affordable hybrid SUVs, including the Lexus NX Hybrid, the Mitsubishi Outlander Plugin, and more! Get your hands on a fun mid-engine car, or hybrid SUV today.

[01:02:04] Most Popular Used Cars on Autotrader
Looking for a new car but not sure what to look for? Executive Editor for Autotrader, Brian Moody, has a list for you. We delve into the ten most popular used cars searched on Autotrader.com. Kicking off the list is no surprise to any of us given recent events in the automotive industry: Corvettes. Then coming in at number two, three and four respectively are the Chevrolet Silverado 2014-2018 models at around $20,000-$35,000, Chevrolet Tahoe up to and including 2019 models with a strong CPO program, and Ford F series trucks selling for between $20,000 and $30,000. Coming in at #5 is the renowned Ford Mustang upto and including current model year, and EcoBoost and convertible versions. Tune in to find out how this list rounds out.

[01:10:35] Steve Saleen’s 2.5 Million SqFt Factory
At a time when everyone else is looking back at what they’ve done, Steve Saleen is starting over with a goal of making it bigger than ever before. Freelance journalist, Tom Wilson, went on the trip to China with Alan to visit Steve Saleen’s new mega-factory and was very impressed! Never one for making a big show of what he’s doing, Steve has kept the construction of this factory relatively quiet, much as he did with the Saleen S7 and S1. On top of it all, he’s got some great partners, including Charles Wang, an Elon Musk-esque entrepreneur. Listen in for more.

[01:18:05] The Saleen S1 is a Roomy Sports Car
While Alan and freelance journalist, Tom Wilson, were in China, Steve Saleen showed off his latest sports car, the Saleen S1. Surprisingly roomy, a 6’2” Tom was able to fit comfortably inside. Steve Saleen’s new factory in China wasn’t built just to make S1s though, as he has launched an entire brand under the Saleen name which will be producing SUVs, economy cars, and more for the Chinese car market. Learn more about the state-of-the-art factory and sports car.

Explore More with Helpful Links:

·Contributor: Josh Hancock | Hollywood Car Consultant, JoshCAR

·Contributor: Brian Moody | Executive Editor, Autotrader

·Special Guest: Mike Austin | Freelance Automotive Journalist

·Special Guest: Tom Wilson | Freelance Journalist

·Website: Mercedes-Daimler

·Website: Ford

·Vehicle Mention: 2020 Chevrolet C8 Corvette

·Vehicle Mention: 2018 Saleen S1

·Vehicle Mention: Ford GT

·Article: Autotrader – These Are the Cheapest Mid-Engine Cars for Sale on Autotrader

·Article: Autotrader- 8 Most Affordable New Hybrid SUVs for 2019

Credits

Host: Alan Taylor
Producer: Dave Milligan
Audio Engineer: Dave Milligan
Copy Editor: Cody Castleberry
Contributor: Josh Hancock
Contributor: Brian Moody
Special Guest: Mike Austin
Special Guest: Tom Wilson

Our Sponsors & Supported Charities:

·Austin Hatcher Foundation

·Barrett-Jackson

·Brembo

·Bridgestone

·Dodge

·Foundation of Human Understanding

·Go RVing

·Patriot Outreach

·Shell

·Subaru

·The Little Rock Foundation

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