The Weekly Driver Podcast

Honda has invested a lot of money into its green cars effort, including the Clarity. It's the carmaker's entree into hydrogen cars. In Episode 14, we discuss the Clarity with a Honda representative. We explore the other sights and sounds during our second day of visiting the 2017 LA Auto Show, including a look at a wacky concept called Red Square.

The first day of the LA Auto Show was the debut of AutoMobilty — all things tech orientd in the automotive industry. In this episode, The Weekly Driver interviews Jenninfer Parke, co-founder of the start-up app, Fair, where a certified used vehicle takes 10 minutes to negotiate. We also interview Jeff Holland from Bollinger Motors, an all-electric truck company; We discuss the new season of The Grand Tour om Amazon Prime; and we chat with John King, owner of the electric bike company, Phantom Bikes.

Elon Musk recently announced two new off-the-hook vehicles despite Tesla's massive debt and abrupt company layoffs. What's up with that? And Danica Patrick had an emotional announcement that she's retiring after the 2018 Daytona 500 and Indianapolis 500. We give our opinions on the polarizing luminaries.

Henry Giselle Roberson, 31, of North Highlands, California, has been drag racing for more than half his life. His father, age 75, began racing on the streets of San Francisco. The younger Roberson is following his father's path, competing on tracks from Arizona to Oregon.

Mecum Auctions is the largest automotive auction house in the United States. Mecum will conduct 14 auctions throughout the United States in 2017, including the inaugural event in Las Vegas, Nov. 16-18. In Episode 11, co-host James Raia interviews John Kraman, a television brodcaster and analyst with Mecum, about the new auction as well as his 60-year passion for automobiles.

Once an industry dominated by retirees and fair-weather travelers, the recreational vehicle lifestyle is surging in popularity — particularly for younger vacationers.

Last year, 430,000 recreational vehicles of all kinds were sold, according to the RV Industry Association (RVIA).

That total represented a 15 percent increase in sales from 2016, and it continued a several-year upward trend. Lower credit rates and lower gas prices are among the reasons for the increase in the travel option.

RV travel is increasingly popular. Images © Bruce Aldrich.

The advancement in technology — smartphones, to 4G data connections — also represents another major reason for RV's lifestyle boon, particularly among younger travelers.

In fact, more than half of RV buyers in 2016 were younger than age 45, according to RVIA.

Bruce Aldrich and his wife Alene spent 17 days on an RV vacation.

In Episode #10 of The Weekly Driver podcast, Bruce discusses the trip and what he and his wife learned during their second RV vacation.

What did Bruce and Alene discover on their more than 2,000-mile journey across several states? Where did they stay? Did they always have reservations or did just decide each day to travel carefree and stop serendipitously?

How was the weather and did it present any problems? How did driving a 27-foot RV differ from driving a passenger vehicle? How did the economics of the trip compare to flying and stay in hotels?

Bruce took detailed calculations during the trip, from daily miles traveled to miles per gallon. Where there any surprises along the way? What were the campsites like during the trip?

Bruce provides all of the details in Episode 10 of The Weekly Driver Podcast.

Convertibles are an acquired taste. Driving on a country road on a warm afternoon in a sports car with the top down is the among the best joys of driving. The fresh air, or using the automotive terminology, "maximum ventilation," can take all your troubles away.

But convertible tops, particularly fabric tops, have limitations, including deterioration, poor break-in protection and reduced cargo space. We discuss the pros and cons of convertibles in Episode No. 9.

The 2017 Volkswagen Beetle Convertible Dune is retro-styled to pay homage to the Dune Buggy. Image © James Raia/2017.

Modern-day convertibles, of course, are far superior to the early varieties. The ragtop quality is top grade. Electric systems have replaced awkward manual requirements to lower or raise tops. Push a level above the dashboard on a 2017 Volkswagen Beetle and the top lowers or rises in 13 seconds. And the system can operate with the car traveling as fast as 31 mph.

Hardtop convertibles offer the best of both car types. The Volkswagen Eos, a hardtop sedan made from 2006-2015, overpriced and underappreciated. Its hardtop was particularly efficient. It discreetly folded flat just above the rear seats. And when the top was up, the Eos was as quiet as a sedan.

Of course, there are variations on the theme. Vintage Mercedes-Benz coupes had detachable hardtops. A recent Fiat 500C Abarth I reviewed wasn’t a true convertible. It’s top rolled by like a can sardines. The side pillars remain in place.

Arguably, the most famous convertible in the Jaguar XKE. The mid-60 editions are often cited as the most beautiful cars ever made. It’s an opinion hard to dispute.

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Driving purists still appreciate shifting gears in their vehicles. But manual transmissions are rare these days. Automotive industry data companies estimate about only about three percent of new vehicles sold in the United States are equipped with manual transmissions. In this episode, we discuss the reasons behind the shift in transmissions, and we list the cars still available with manual transmissions.

Every family has a car story. Bruce Aldrich, the co-host of The Weekly Driver Podcast, inherited a 1959 Volkswagen Bug from his father who bought it new. Bruce has more than a 50-year history with the car. He's the guest on this week's episode, discussing the legacy of the historic Bug and how it influenced his upbringing and his close relationship with his father and family.

If you could buy any car, what would you choose? A Ferrari? Aston Martin? Bugatti? Rolls Royce? Lamborghini? Or how about something more elegant — and powerful — like a Bentley Mulsanne? The Weekly Driver Podcast recently discussed best new cars for less than $25,000. In this issue, we both pick four new fantasy cars. And our respective No. 1 picks were the same — the 2017 Bentley Bentayga.