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Welcome to the automotive podcast that is keeping it cool in the hot midwest!
On this episode of Throwin’ Wrenches…
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Projects
Eric: I added another car to the fleet.
Welcome to our new 2024 Prius!Aiden took old PriusThe Celica has a check engine light on the dash. Why do we charge diagnostic fees at the dealer? I’ll tell you why.Daryl: Got my driveshaft done on Börk, the ‘69 Volvo.
The little meatball runs great!Fuel leaks in Minerva the ‘55 Plymouth. I’ll sort it out.Drove Oscar the ‘47 Chevy last weekend for the second time this year and I’m still in love with how simple that car is and how good it runs.Race. Daily. Kill.
The contenders this time are all three-wheeled wonders.
2016 Polaris Slingshot
2008 Can-Am Spyder w/ Vikings Paint Job
2016 Honda Goldwing w/ Sidecar
2.4 liter Ecotec 4 Cyl
Rotax V-twin
1832cc 6 cyl
173 horsepower
106 horsepower
116 horsepower
News
How China Is Becoming a Money Pit for Foreign Automakers
For the largest global automakers, profits in China have been hit by falling sales as consumers embrace electric vehicles from homegrown brands such as BYD, which last year supplanted Volkswagen as China’s bestselling carmaker. In July, EVs and plug-in hybrids accounted for over half of all cars sold in the country for the first time, while the share shipped to dealers by non-Chinese brands slipped to 33%, down from 50% two years earlier.
Mitsubishi joins Honda and Nissan in EV tie-up
Source: Electronics Weekly
Mitsubishi Motors has joined Nissan and Honda in an EV tie-upwhere all three companies share key components and software.
Nissan and Honda announced an EV collaboration in March.
Nissan CEO Makoto Uchida, Nissan says: “We are very pleased to welcome a new member to the strategic partnership between Honda and Nissan. Mitsubishi Motors has unique technologies and expertise.”
Honda CEO Toshihiro Mibe, said the industry is going through a “once in a century” period of transformation towards electrification and collaboration would help resolve related issues more quickly.
Mitsubishi Motors CEO Takao Kato, said that collaboration is essential to future success in the automotive industry.
Former Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn was scathing about the move: “I can’t imagine for one moment how it’s going to work between Honda and Nissan unless it’s a takeover, unless it’s a disguised takeover by Honda of Nissan and Mitsubishi with Honda in the driver’s seat. It’s going to be a takeover, a disguised takeover,” he told Automotive News.
One of the most controversial executives in the car industry is not afraid to call things as he sees them. After saying Nissan is “boring, mediocre” and in a “bad position” while describing the Renault-Nissan alliance as “small and fragile,” the 70-year-old fugitive now has something to say about the newly formed Honda-Nissan-Mitsubishi partnership.
Carlos Ghosn: Honda Plans ‘Disguised Takeover’ of Nissan and Mitsubishi
In a new interview with Automotive News, Ghosn said Honda is plotting a “disguised takeover” of Nissan and Mitsubishi. He believes that Honda is by far the biggest of the three Japanese automakers, so it puts the company in the “driver’s seat” to take control. Complete details about the new agreement haven’t been fleshed out, but the former man in charge of Nissan argues that Honda will call the shots.
Mercedes-Benz becomes the first foreign automaker to gain approval to test Level 4 autonomous driving technology in prototype vehicles on selected roads in Beijing. The approval, granted by the Chinese government, is described by Mercedes-Benz as a “crucial step” in advancing its existing Drive Pilot system to a level where it possesses full control from start to finish of any given journey where the conditions and autonomous regulatory framework allow.
Stellantis idles Michigan engine plant for a week
Stellantis is halting production for a week at the Trenton, Mich., plant that makes V-6 engines for the Jeep Wrangler and Ram 1500 Classic to whittle down a large backlog. The downtime is because of a need “to balance engine inventories with production,” the automaker said. Stellantis has been adjusting its production output and laying off workers, in some cases, amid sliding sales and changes to its vehicle portfolio.
Swedish EV maker Polestar starts U.S. production, avoiding heavy tariffs
Swedish electric-vehicle (EV) maker Polestar moved one step further in avoiding major tariffs imposed on Chinese-made cars on Wednesday when the automaker said it began production of its Polestar 3 SUV in the United States. Steep tariffs recently imposed by U.S. and Europe on cars made in China have prompted many automakers to speed up plans to move parts of their production to other countries.
Dangerous Air Bags Still Haunt Older Cars Nearly a Decade Later
Ford and Mazda are telling customers not to drive certain older vehicles equipped with faulty air bags that were recalled years ago but never replaced by their owners. The warnings are an urgent reminder of the danger from the largest and most complex safety recall in U.S. history, affecting 67 million Takata air bags in tens of millions of vehicles. Even minor crashes can cause the affected cars’ air bag to explode, sending metal fragments that can kill or produce life-altering, gruesome injuries, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
States Scramble to Replace Gas Tax Cash
Most states now levy a dedicated fee on electric vehicle owners. Some also have rolled back other incentives, such as New Jersey’s decision this year to restart sales tax on EVs. Or they have reconfigured registration fees to land more heavily on EVs, as in Maryland. The justification from both Democratic and Republican policymakers for making EVs more expensive is that states are staring down a budgetary cliff. The gasoline tax — long the backbone of transportation funding — has lost potency as vehicles become more efficient.
“It’s more of an anti-electric vehicle policy than a road funding policy,” state Rep. Frank Hornstein, the Democratic chair of the Minnesota House Transportation Committee, said of states trying to make up gas tax revenue by charging EV owners.
States face a balancing act: The more quickly drivers go electric, the more quickly gas tax revenues decline; the more states lean on EVs to make up lost gas tax revenue, the more it weighs down EV demand.
“We’re not at a point where electric cars are in any way, shape or form quote-unquote ‘stealing’ from the gas tax,” Hornstein said. “We’re far from that. … It’s a drop in the bucket.”
Photo Credit: Ferarri
Super Car News Search
Ferrari Electric Supercar: Everything We Know
Ferrari’s first-ever electric car should debut in 2025 and go on sale in 2026. Here’s what we know about it.
Ferrari is set to reveal its first electric vehicle by the end of 2025 and it should be a big deal for the Italian automaker. Ferrari CEO Benedetto Vigna says that the automaker’s first electric car won’t lose the brand’s “unique” feel. Vigna also pointed out the obvious—Ferrari’s first EV “will have four wheels.”
Ferrari has been testing heavily camouflaged prototypes ahead of the EV’s debut, but we don’t really know if the test mules will resemble the finished product.
What Will It Look Like?
Ferrari has turned to former Apple Design Chief Jony Ive and industrial designer Marc Newson to work on the car’s outside appearance.
Our friends over at Motor1 stated the following in regard to the vehicle’s design:
Our first look at Ferrari’s EV was hiding underneath a heavily modified Maserati Levante body with fake exhaust tips tacked on the back. But just because the prototype is an SUV doesn’t necessarily mean Ferrari’s EV will be one as well. It’s unclear what the final form looks like at this stage of its development, although we expect some light crossover-like features (like minor cladding and a slight lift).
What Will It Sound Like?
Like some other automakers, Ferrari wants to develop “sound signatures” for the vehicle. So, this means that it won’t be virtually silent.
Ferrari CEO Vigna previously stated, “Electric cars are not silent,” but he didn’t reveal what sort of non-silence we should expect from Ferrari’s first EV.
What Will Power It?
Ferrari has been working with SK On, a South Korean vehicle battery manufacturer, and the two companies recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding to continue their ongoing collaboration. So, it seems likely, though not guaranteed, that the batteries for Ferrari’s first EV will come from SK On.
We expect the EV to have at least two electric motors, but of course, there’s room for more. Perhaps a top-level version will have three or even four motors.
How Much Will It Cost?
There have been some reports suggesting that Ferrari would price the EV at over $500,000 to start. However, Ferrari CEO Vigna said $500,000 was “a surprise” to him, so we expect a lower figure.
It won’t be cheap though. Our friends over at Motor1 suggest, “It’ll likely cost much more than the Portofino M, which starts at around $250,000, but it could cost less than the SF90 Stradale that’s on its way out.” That model starts at over $520,000. There’s a lot of space between those two figures. We should find out its price when it debuts.
Cars of the Weak
Eric: 1929 Ford Roadster Street Rod
From the Ad:
This Ford Model A-style street rod is a steel-bodied roadster that was built at least two decades ago, according to the selling dealer. It is powered by 327ci Chevrolet V8 with a dual-quad induction setup, a Weiand intake manifold, and double-hump cylinder heads. The engine is backed by a Tremec five-speed manual transmission and a Ford 9” rear end, and details include a ’33-style grille, a Hilborn-style air scoop, a removable Carson-style top, and purple paint with pinstriping applied by Bob Behounek of Chicago, Illinois. The car rides on a tubular steel chassis with a four-bar front suspension setup, a dropped front axle, four-link rear suspension, Bilstein dampers and coilovers, Weld Racing 15” wheels, and four-wheel disc brakes. Trimmed in black vinyl, the interior is equipped with a Hurst shifter, Sony AM/FM/CD head unit, banjo-style steering wheel, and VDO instrumentation. Acquired by the selling dealer in 2024, this custom street rod is now offered with a clean Florida title listing it as a 1929 Ford.
Daryl: 1976 Oldsmobile Cutlass Salon – $21,995
Source: Facebook Marketplace
1976 Cutlass Salon! Very rare model with the manual transmission only 964 ever made!! Yes the mileage is correct only 16,000 original miles! For more information you can drop a comment down below send me a message on here or feel free to call or text me directly.
As always, thanks for listening!
The post Episode 92 – Electric Ferraris and a Trike Showdown appeared first on Throwin' Wrenches Automotive Podcast.
