The Weekly Driver Podcast

Mike Mueller is an automotive expert among automotive experts. A journalist for more than 30 years, he has written and provided accompanying photography for more than 30 books on the Ford Mustang.

He's contributed images to many additional books and he's written for many prestigious industry publications.

Mueller is my guest this week on episode No. 218 of The Weekly Driver Podcast.

Author Mike Mueller on the iconic Ford Mustang.

Co-host Bruce Aldrich is on vacation, so Mueller and I discuss his latest and just-released updated and revised book, The Complete Book of Ford Mustang.

Ford Mustang: A nearly 60-year icon

It's a coffee table-sized volume with more than 550 color photographs and complementary text included in 320 pages.

Created in cooperation with Ford and providing extensive details, specifications and photographic coverage, the book is the "ultimate resource on America's best-loved pony car."

According to the book's marketing materials, the Ford Mustang is the only vehicle that deserves the title "pony car."

Ford Mustang: Original Pony Car

"From the first six-cylinder Mustang of 1964 1/2 through the fire-breathing, world-beating Boss and Shelby versions of the 1960s and early '70s, to today's Mustang Mach 1 and Shelby GT500, the Complete Book of Ford Mustang offers an in-depth look at prototypes and experimental models, the anniversary and pace cars and the specialty packages for street and competition driving that have made the Mustang an automotive legend for nearly 60 years."

Please join me for an upbeat 30-minute podcast with Mueller about the Ford Mustang and his long career as an automotive journalist.

The Weekly Driver Podcast encourages and appreciates feedback from our listeners. Please forward episode links to family, friends and colleagues. And you are welcome to repost links from the podcast to your social media accounts. The idea of more eyeballs on more content works for us.

Support our podcast by shopping on Amazon.com. A graphic display at the bottom of the post links to automotive selections of the online retailer. But there's also a search function for anything available directly from the site.

If you shop via this site, we receive a small commission. It helps us continue to produce independent content. The site began in 2004 and includes more than 700 reviews.

The podcast is in its fourth year, and we've had a diverse collection of guests — famous athletes, vintage car collectors, manufacturer CEOs, automotive book authors, industry analysts, a movie stuntman and episodes from auto shows and car auctions.

Please send comments and suggestions for new episodes to James Raia via email: [email protected].

All podcast episodes are archived on theweeklydriver.com/podcast

Every episode is also available on your preferred podcast platform. Several of the more prominent platforms are listed below.

Amazon.com

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Spotify

New RVs. A massive Tesla recall. Hyundai's new hip pickup. The World Car of the Year nominations. It's all covered — and more — this week on The Weekly Driver Podcast.

Co-hosts Bruce Aldrich and James Raia don't have a guest on Episode No. 117, which gives us the ideal opportunity to catch up with the never-ending and always-changing automotive landscape.

We start with the continuing still-new exploits of Bruce and his wife's adventures in their 29-foot Keystone RV and its towing vehicle a new Ford F-250 pickup truck. Bruce details learning the nuances of backing the RV into a camping site and his quickly advancing skill set as a first-time RV owner.

Will the Tesla Cybertruck ever debut?

Depending upon perspective, Elon Musk is the most important person in the show business of automobiles or he's the industry's constant enigma. Or, maybe he's both at the same time.

Anyway, Musk is never content and nor are his Tesla products ever status quo. With a few recent days, Musk announced Tesla wouldn't offer any new models in 2022, including the now delayed debut of the Tesla Cybertruck.

A few days later, Tesla had the first of three recalls so far in 2022. Bruce and I discuss the recent Tesla issues and Musk's continuous souring relationship with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Bruce and talk about the issue and Musk's expanding image of a human deflector shield.

The 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz pickup truck is a debut vehicle for the South Korean manufacturer.

One of the hottest trends in the industry is the of new smaller trucks. Hyundai not too long ago introduced its new unibody Santa Cruz. I recently reviewed it for a week and was enamored by the South Korean manufacturer's maiden voyage in the truck lightweight truck segment. Bruce and I also discuss the Santa Cruz and the pending arrival of other new trucks from Ford to Rivian, Chevrolet to Ram.

And we also discuss top-10 finalists for World Car of the Year honors. The list and the eventual winner are connected to the marketing of the New York International Auto Show. It's scheduled for April 15-24, with the awards in many categories announced April 13.

The list of the top-10 finalists couldn't be more diverse — The Ford Mustang Mach-E to the Toyota GR86.

Please join Bruce and me this week for another lively 30 minutes of our weekly podcast.

The Weekly Driver Podcast encourages and appreciates feedback from our listeners. Please forward episode links to family, friends and colleagues. And you are welcome to repost links from the podcast to your social media accounts. The idea of more eyeballs on more content works for us.

Support our podcast by shopping on Amazon.com. A graphic display at the bottom of the post links to automotive selections of the online retailer. But there's also a search function for anything available directly from the site.

If you shop via this site, we receive a small commission. It helps us continue to produce independent content. The site began in 2004 and includes more than 700 reviews.

The podcast is in its fourth year, and we've had a diverse collection of guests — famous athletes, vintage car collectors, manufacturer CEOs, automotive book authors, industry analysts, a movie stuntman and episodes from auto shows and car auctions.

Please send comments and suggestions for new episodes to James Raia via email: [email protected].

All podcast episodes are archived on theweeklydriver.com/podcast

Every episode is also available on your preferred podcast platform. Several of the more prominent platforms are listed below.

Amazon.com

iheartradio

Spotify

It seemed odd at first to see the booth for Arôme d’Art at the Unveiled Expo at the recent Consumer Electrics Show in Las Vegas. Diffusers aren't new, but the product and the approach to the distribution of fragrances in homes and offices — and in cars and trucks — is new.

It's called  a "Multisensory Clean-Air Fragrance System."

Doug Patton, CEP of Patton Design, the consulting industrial design firm and inventor of Arôme d’Art, a new defuser that combines natural aroma and natural essential oils and art, is our guest on this episode of The Weekly Driver Podcast.

"All these things that you buy for fragrance in the store, including to put in your car is probably about 20 percent solvents," says Patton. "So what you are doing, you might as well inhale unleaded gasoline. It's horrible. We decided we wanted to go with all-natural fragrances."

While home use was the original idea, Arôme d’Art is expanding. For automobile use, Patton says, the defuser can "fill the entirety of your car of less than 30 seconds."

The company displayed different manufacturers' logos as  the removal top covers of the diffuser.

"It took about a year or a year and a half to blend all the fragrances," says Patton. "Many people may know, like wine, fragrances are divided into top, middle and bottom notes. It was an experience creating these innovations.

"In all of the focus groups we've had with perfumists across the nation, there are rave reviews of these rare fragrances we decided in is fragrances from these countries of their origin, so we have France, Spain, Greece and China."

Please join Bruce and me as we discuss with Patton the product and its uses with an emphasis in cars and trucks.

The Weekly Driver Podcast encourages and appreciates feedback from our listeners. Please forward episode links to family, friends and colleagues. And you are welcome to repost links from the podcast to your social media accounts. The idea of more eyeballs on more content works for us.

Arome d'Art diffuser are available in numerous varieties.

Support our podcast by shopping on Amazon.com. A graphic display at the bottom of the post links to automotive selections of the online retailer. But there's also a search function for anything available directly from the site.

If you shop via this site, we receive a small commission. It helps us continue to produce independent content. The site began in 2004 and includes more than 700 reviews.

The podcast is in its fourth year, and we've had a diverse collection of guests — famous athletes, vintage car collectors, manufacturer CEOs, automotive book authors, industry analysts, a movie stuntman and episodes from auto shows and car auctions.

Please send comments and suggestions for new episodes to James Raia via email: [email protected].

All podcast episodes are archived on theweeklydriver.com/podcast

Every episode is also available on your preferred podcast platform. Several of the more prominent platforms are listed below.

Amazon.com

iheartradio

Spotify

FerrParts is a Sacramento business that strives to lead the independent Ferrari parts distributor industry for the international Ferrari community.

It's succeeded so well, the company recently expanded its business to include Maserati, Lamborghini, McLaren and Bentley.

Russell Putnam, the owner of the Ferrai parts company, is our guest this week on The Weekly Driver Podcast.

FerrParts in Sacramento caters to owners of exotic Italian cars needing Ferrari parts.

Co-hosts Bruce Aldrich and James Raia discuss with Putnam his business, from how it started to its expansion into other areas of the exotic car world.

Putnam began his Ferrari business following a successful real estate career. He bought a salvaged Ferrari 355.

"I had sold 100 rentals and I had enough cash to buy a new one, but there was something about my 'inner-guyness' to save a buck that I could repair a Ferrari myself," Putman says.

"You know, for one-third of the money and have a project and something to enjoy. The disease just grew into the company, one of the largest, if the not largest Ferrari parts distributors in the world."

FerrParts imports genuine Ferrari parts from Europe, factories, and dealer closeouts with new parts arriving daily. The inventory covers a broad range of models and includes the rarest to the most common parts.

The company's motto: "If we don’t have it, we can get it."

Please join Bruce and me as we hear from Putnam how his first exotic car business has grown into two additional companies www.ferraripartsexchange.com and Ferrsurance.

The Weekly Driver Podcast encourages and appreciates feedback from our listeners. Please forward episode links to family, friends and colleagues. And you are welcome to repost links from the podcast to your social media accounts. The idea of more eyeballs on more content works for us.

Support our podcast by shopping on Amazon.com. A graphic display at the bottom of the post links to automotive selections of the online retailer. But there's also a search function for anything available directly from the site.

If you shop via this site, we receive a small commission. It helps us continue to produce independent content. The site began in 2004 and includes more than 700 reviews.

The podcast is in its fourth year, and we've had a diverse collection of guests — famous athletes, vintage car collectors, manufacturer CEOs, automotive book authors, industry analysts, a movie stuntman and episodes from auto shows and car auctions.

Please send comments and suggestions for new episodes to James Raia via email: [email protected].

All podcast episodes are archived on theweeklydriver.com/podcast

Every episode is also available on your preferred podcast platform. Several of the more prominent platforms are listed below.

Amazon.com

iheartradio

Spotify

Every winter for the past 17 years, proprietors of Lapland Driving School in Sweden prepare acres of frozen tundra for the specialty automotive niche of drifting while ice driving.

The facility, offering 14 varied circuits on nearly 3,000 acres, is located at Lake Udjaur near Arjeplog in Sweden. It's a three-hour airplane flight from Munich, Germany or Paris, France.

Fast & Controlled

The lure of learning the skills to maneuver elite vehicles at high speeds on challenging, albeit on controlled surfaces, attracts participants from around the world, California to Brazil.

Ice driving in Lapland is a niche sport for three months every year.

Alix Masson, marketing director for the driving school, is our guest on this episode of The Weekly Driver podcast.

Co-hosts Bruce Aldrich and James Raia contacted Masson in Paris as the driving school was preparing for the first of this year's guests.

Five Formula-1 Tracks

Masson explains it takes 10 professionals with more than 40 years of combined experience to prepare the ice driving circuits. Among the courses are at 1:1 scales formula-1 tracks such as YAS Marina in Abu Dhabi, Circuit Paul Ricard, Nürburgring, Le Mans and Silverstone. Oval tracks and other training tracks are also offered.

"We are the biggest driving center in the world," says Masson, whose career has included marketing different automotive racing disciplines. "We have 30 cars in the fleet and in the months from January to March when it is the coldest, you are welcome to come with us and everyone learns how to drift."

In drifting, a driver forces their car to slide sideways while ice driving through a turn. Accomplished drifters can control what occurs when their vehicle's tires no longer grip the road.

Practice Takes Time

"After two or three days of training you are able to reach 200km per hour on the ice," Masson says of the skills learned at Lapland Driving School. "But the most important thing is to take as much fun as you can."

According to the website:

"14 Circuits in total spread over our nearly 3,000-acre private frozen lake, the equivalent of 6 times the area of Monaco. It’s a Herculean task, with more than 5,000 man-machine hours necessary from November 1st to ensure that the world’s largest driving center is operational by January 8th. The officially-licensed Formula 1 circuits are constructed to meter accuracy thanks to GPS coordinates."

Please join Bruce and me in our discussion with Masson about the unique world of drifting while ice driving. We discuss the vehicles used, what the instruction involves and the various travel packages available for potential participants.

The Weekly Driver Podcast encourages and appreciates feedback from our listeners. Please forward episode links to family, friends and colleagues. And you are welcome to repost links from the podcast to your social media accounts. The idea of more eyeballs on more content works for us.

Support our podcast by shopping on Amazon.com. A graphic display at the bottom of the post links to automotive selections of the online retailer. But there's also a search function for anything available directly from the site.

If you shop via this site, we receive a small commission. It helps us continue to produce independent content. The site began in 2004 and includes more than 700 reviews.

The podcast is in its fourth year, and we've had a diverse collection of guests: famous athletes, vintage car collectors, manufacturer CEOs, automotive book authors, industry analysts, a movie stuntman and episodes from auto shows and car auctions.

Please send comments and suggestions for new episodes to James Raia via email: [email protected].

All podcast episodes are archived on theweeklydriver.com/podcast

Every episode is also available on your preferred podcast platform. Several of the more prominent platforms are listed below.

Amazon.com

iheartradio

Spotify

Will Graylin is a tech entrepreneur who believes rideshare and delivery is the future of affordable, more efficient transportation.

The Chairman and CEO of Indigo Technologies, Graylin is our guest on this episode of The Weekly Driver Podcast.

Co-hosts Bruce Aldrich and James Raia talk with Graylin about his company's new class of EVs and his vision for ride-hail and delivery and other essential services.

 

"We focus on the next generation of urban mobility, especially in ride-share and delivery," says Graylin. "As you know, the world is changing. More and more miles are being put on the road big gig workers. They're delivering our food, our meals our packages."

Indigo's motto: "Smoothest, Greenest Rides For Our Planet."

The company debuted at the recent Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas a van-like electric car in two versions.

The Indigo Flow is designed for ride-haring; the Indigo Flow Plus serves as a delivery van.

For both cars, the startup emphasizes what it calls robotic wheels, which hold a 22 kW electric motor each. They also combine transmission and active suspension in one module with the drive. The active suspension, in particular, is intended to compensate for the well-known disadvantage of wheel hub motors, namely the higher unsprung masses.

According to its literature:

Indigo is delivering radically more efficient, comfortable and affordable EVs that are purposely built for ride-hail, delivery by leveraging its patented electric robotic wheel suspension and propulsion system.

Indigo is also combining innovative fintech and insurtech from its partner OV Loop to make affordable transportation more accessible to everyone through advanced mobility as a service platform."

"When you think about it, most vehicles carry one or two passengers, so why are they driving around in big SUVs and trucks," says Graylin.

"We are being asked to supersize our cars. The OEMs make more money selling trucks and SUVs. We wanted to build a solution that is much lighter and much more efficient."

Please join Bruce and me as we discuss with Graylin his company's (www.indigotech.com) philosophy of the future of urban mobility."

The Weekly Driver Podcast encourages and appreciates feedback from our listeners. Please forward episode links to family, friends and colleagues. And you are welcome to repost links from the podcast to your social media accounts. The idea of more eyeballs on more content works for us.

Support our podcast by shopping on Amazon.com. A graphic display at the bottom of the post links to automotive selections of the online retailer. But there's also a search function for anything available directly from the site.

If you shop via this site, we receive a small commission. It helps us continue to produce independent content. The site began in 2004 and includes more than 700 reviews.

The podcast is in its fourth year, and we've had a diverse collection of guests — famous athletes, vintage car collectors, manufacturer CEOs, automotive book authors, industry analysts, a movie stuntman and episodes from auto shows and car auctions.

Please send comments and suggestions for new episodes to James Raia via email: [email protected].

All podcast episodes are archived on theweeklydriver.com/podcast

Every episode is also available on your preferred podcast platform. Several of the more prominent platforms are listed below.

Amazon.com

iheartradio

Spotify

If the entrepreneurs at MACA get what they're were hoping for at CES, motorsports enthusiasts may soon be watching racing featuring the MACA Flying Formula 1 Car. The fast and futuristic-looking vehicle is called a "Carcopter." It could change motorsports, or so its creators believe.

Much different but the same, Nicolas Muron, founder ad CEO of Moonbikes (www.moonbikes.com) believes his electric snowbikes will be a new way to travel on snowmobile trails and on private land.

The MACA flying Formula 1 race car was showcased at the recent CES gathering in Las Vegas.

The two new vehicles were featured at the recently concluded Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

The principles involved are my guests on this episode of The Weekly Driver Podcast.

Co-host Bruce Aldrich is the producer of this episode in Sacramento. I attended the show and spoke with our guests during the first night of the three-day gathering called CES Unveiled.

With the slogan, "Future is in the Air," MACA (www.macaflight.com), still a prototype, is an aerodynamic speed machine its aviation brain trust hopes will become the first (manned) flying hydrogen Formula 1 car. It's billed with a top speed of 153 miles per hour.

Former fighter pilot Thierry de Boisvilliers and former Airbus executive Michael Krollak are the creators of the hydrogen-powered racer. They hope by 2023 races will be held by drivers in the lightweight, twin helicopter-blade vehicles hovering around tracks.

The pending idea is an effort to reduce the carbon emissions produced by traditional combustion engines on the Formula 1 track.

"We developed this because we really want to go faster use this technology using hydrogen," said de Boisvilliers. "The vehicle is seven meters (23 feet) long and there's one pilot on board. We will fly the first one by the end of 2022 and are doing all of the environmental appraisings and we are developing the race concept."

The new Moonbike, a new winter transportation vehicle was showcased at the recently concluded CES showcase in Las Vegas.

Muron, self-describes as a "motor and tech lover," beliveves winter recreation enthusiasts needed another transportation mode. The Moonbike lineup was developed during the winter of 2015 when the inventor was visiting his grandparents' home in the small village of Saint-Nicolas-de-Véroce in the French Alps.

Snowmobiles are too noisy and emit too much pollution. Muron's Moonbike idea, a "silent sled," was born.

The Weekly Driver Podcast encourages and appreciates feedback from our listeners. Please forward episode links to family, friends and colleagues. And you are welcome to repost links from the podcast to your social media accounts. The idea of more eyeballs on more content works for us.

Support our podcast by shopping on Amazon.com. A graphic display at the bottom of the post links to automotive selections of the online retailer. But there's also a search function for anything available directly from the site.

If you shop via this site, we receive a small commission. It helps us continue to produce independent automotive content. The site began in 2004 and includes more than 700 reviews.

The podcast is in its fourth year, and we've had a diverse collection of guests — famous athletes, vintage car collectors, manufacturer CEOs, automotive book authors, industry analysts, a movie stuntman and episodes from auto shows and car auctions.

Please send comments and suggestions for new episodes to James Raia via email: [email protected].

All podcast episodes are archived on theweeklydriver.com/podcast

Every episode is also available on your preferred podcast platform. Several of the more prominent platforms are listed below.

Amazon.com

iheartradio

Spotify

Early in 2021, a teenage boy witnessed a colleague and me exit a 2021 Rolls-Royce Ghost at a local sandwich shop. He approached us, looked at my friend and said: "Excuse me, sir. What kind of job do I need to get to afford a car like that?"

A few hours later while waiting in the Ghost at a stoplight two men in a vehicle to my right that may not have made it to its destination, caught my attention. Before the light changed, they uncorked a jubilant dance of synchronized hand signs and body gestures. I didn't know what the display meant, but I'm certain it was a good thing.

The Rolls-Royce Ghost is the 2021 Car of the Year. All images © James Raia/2021

Far more expensive vehicles exist. But the Ghost, with its stunning craftsmanship and its elusive existence, is the Car of the Year chosen by TheWeeklyDriver.com.

As per the site's tradition, our Cars of the Year list is published at the end of the calendar year. Many prominent print and online publications make selections sometimes before vehicles are available to the public. We've always waited until the end of the year. It provides perspective,

2021 Car of the Year? Rolls-Royce Ghost!

TheWeeklyDriver.com reviewed 34 different 2021 model year vehicles with full reviews. We drove several other 2021 models and included their information in round-up articles, on podcasts and in additional industry print and online publications.

TheWeeklyDriver.com has been online since 2004 and this is our 15th annual list.

For the past several years, Bruce Aldrich, my co-host on The Weekly Driver Podcast, and I have picked our top-10 vehicles individually and then shared our selections on podcasts episodes.

We're doing so again this year. Bruce also picked the 2021 Rolls-Royce Ghost as his Car of the Year. Together, we reveal our respective choices.

The 2021 Rolls-Royce Ghost is powerful and beautifully designed. It's the 2021 Car of the Year selected by TheWeeklyDriver.com.

The new Rolls-Royce is an unfair selection in some ways. While the Ghost has no rivals in several areas, it's not available to the general consumer. The entry-level Ghost and its siblings — Cullinan, Dawn, Phantom and Wraith — attract attention like no other carmaker's offerings. Global sales of 5,125 in 2020, a record, continued the brand's reputation. It's a name everyone knows, a car few see.

By the time the new Ghost was announced, it was already sold out. The manufacturer describes its creation as its "purest expression."

2021 Cars of the Year: Ford Mustang Mach-E gets runnerup

Who's to argue? The 2021 Rolls-Royce Ghost features a 6.75-liter, twin-turbo, 48-valve V12. It produces 563 horsepower and advances from zero to 60 miles per hour, via its eight-speed automatic transmission, in 4.6 seconds. The top speed is 155 miles per hour. The drive is powerful, smooth, quiet and carried 21-inch, 10-spoke wheels. And while the wheels spin, the RR center emblems remain upright.

It's all impressive for a vehicle that weighs 5,540 pounds and extends slightly more than 18 feet.

The sedan's performance could define it, but Ghost's presence reigns. The combination of the Tempest Grey exterior paint with Tailored Purple trim is unusual, but it works. Similar colors adorn the interior, complemented with Obsidian Ayous wood trim and white lambswool foot mats.

The 2021 Mustang Mach-E was runner-up to Rolls-Royce Ghost in the Cars of the Year list selected by TheWeeklyDriver.com.

A few Rolls-Royce Ghost signature features add ridiculously wonderful opulence. An umbrella is secured into the interior of both rear doors, released with a push of a button. Two champagne flutes are ready in the cooled small refrigerated compartment in the middle of the back seat.

The headliner is the design of a shooting star. Lots of constellations are offered, a bespoke feature selected by every new buyer and configured with between 600 and 1,600 hand-placed fiber-optic stars. Lean back with your head on a pillow-plush headrest, ponder Orion, Sagittarius, or whatever, and forget about the coronavirus for a while.

2021 Cars of the Year: Aston Martin Vantage No. 3

If that doesn't do it, listen to the symphony-worthy sound system and hear new individual instruments in familiar songs. Use the individual veneer-adorned "picnic tables" available to rear-seat passengers. They work like airliner dining trays, although the comparison is an unintentional insult to Rolls-Royce. After eating or computer use or card-playing is done, a massage is a wise choice. Seat settings provide the service for all occupants.

The proud Rolls-Royce Ghost, with its gleaming large front grille and retractable flying lady hood beacon, is a $332,500 masterpiece, embellished with nearly $100,000 in extras. It's for select buyers who know exactly what they and they buy it.

The 2021 Aston Martin Vantage attracts attention with a combined blue exterior and tan interior. It's among the top-10 Cars of the Year selected by TheWeeklyDriver.com.

With all of its attributes tallies, it was an obvious choice for the year's top honors.

Many other 2021 cars are superior. The 2021 Mustang Mach-E is a breakthrough electric vehicle for the American manufacturer. It's unlike any other Mustang in looks and performance and finished runner-up to the Rolls-Royce Ghost. The vehicle has superior acceleration, handling and an efficient and spacious interior with a jumbo-sized vertical navigation. It's handsome inside and outside and has an above range among EVs.

2021 Cars of the Year: TheWeeklyDriver.com's 15 years.

The Aston Martin Vantage coupe shares an eye-catching exterior design with its more expensive siblings. It was third on TheWeeklyDriver.com's list.

For the first time, the Vantage has a power soft top. It folds flush behind twin roll bars, meaning a cover isn’t required. It retracts and raises in less than seven seconds, which the carmaker claims is the fastest-operating cloth roof in the industry.

The 2021 Aston Martin Vantage has a superior quality leather interior and represents the best of everything the iconic manufacturer, prominently featured for seconds in James Bond movies has to offer.

The top-10 vehicles from all of our 15 years of end-of-the-year honors are listed below.

2021

Honda Odyssey, Honda Accord Hybrid, Chevrolet Silverado, Ford F-150, Genesis GV80, Toyota RAV4 Prime XSE, Genesis GV90, Aston Martin Vantage, Mustang Mach-E, Rolls-Royce Ghost

2020

Aston Martin Vantage, Corvette Stingray, Ford Bullitt Mustang, Genesis G90, , Hyundai Palisade, Jeep Gladiator, Kia Telluride, Mazda MX5 Miata, Volvo XC40 T5, Honda Civic.

2019

Chevrolet Camaro Z1, Chrysler Pacifica (Hybrid), GMC Sierra, Honda Civic, Hyundai Ioniq (Hybrid), Infiniti QX90, Lexus LS500, Kia K900, Subaru Ascent, Toyota Camry.

2018

Audi A5, Genesis G80, Genesis G90, Honda Accord, Hyundai Ioniq, Infiniti QX60, Lexus GS300, Mazda3, Range Rover Velar, Volkswagen Golf SportWagen.

2017

Bentley Bentayga, Genesis G90, Honda CR-V, Kia Niro, Lincoln MKZ (Hybrid), Mazda3, Volvo S90, Volvo V90 Cross Country, Volkswagen Jetta, Toyota Prius Prime.

2016

Honda Accord (Sport), Honda Civic, Honda Fit, Honda Odyssey, Kia Optima, Lexus IS200t, Lexus RC F, Lincoln MKX, Mazda6, Scion iA, Toyota Avalon (Hybrid), Toyota Sienna.

2015

Buick Lacrosse, Chrysler 200, Ford F150, Ford Mustang, Honda Accord (Hybrid), Honda Civic, Hyundai Genesis, Hyundai Sonata, Kia K-900, Lexus ES350, Subaru Outback, Toyota Camry (Hybrid).

2014

Chevrolet Impala, Chevrolet SS, Ford Focus, Ford Fusion (Hybrid), Honda Accord, Honda Accord (Hybrid), Honda Odyssey, Hyundai Equus, Kia Cadenza, Volkswagen Jetta, TDI. Special Mention: Rolls Royce Wraith.

2013

Acura ILX, Audi Allroad, BMW 750 Li, Ford Fusion, Honda Accord, Honda Odyssey, Hyundai Santa Fe, Infiniti IPL, Mazda3, Volkswagen Beetle.

2012

Acura MDX, Acura TSX, Audi A7, Honda Odyssey, Honda Civic (Natural Gas), Hyundai Sonata, Infiniti G37 IPL, Kia Optima Hybrid, Lexus ES350, Nissan Maxima.

2011

Acura TSX, Buick Regal, Hyundai Elantra, Hyundai Sonata, Kia Optima, Mazda 2, Suzuki Kizashi, Toyota Avalon, Toyota Sienna, Volvo S60.

2010

Audi A5, Chevrolet Camaro, Ford Transit Connect, Honda Crosstour, Infiniti G37, Lexus LS 460, Mini Mayfair (Special Edition), Subaru Forester, Suzuki SX4, Volkswagen Golf.

2009

Acura TSX, Audi A3, BMW 335d, Honda Civic (Hybrid), Honda Fit, Infiniti G37, Lexus GS450h, Lexus IS350, Nissan Versa, Toyota Corolla.

2008

Audi A4, Audi A8 W12, BMW 128i, Cadillac CTS, Honda Accord, Honda Civic (Hybrid), Honda Fit, Kia Amanti, Mini-Cooper Clubman, Nissan Altima.

2007

Cadillac CTS, Honda CR-V, Honda Fit, Honda Ridgeline, Hyundai Elantra, Lincoln MKZ, Mini-Cooper, Saab 9-3, Saturn Aura, Volkswagen EOS.

The Weekly Driver Podcast encourages and appreciates feedback from our listeners. Please forward episode links to family, friends and colleagues. And you are welcome to repost links from the podcast to your social media accounts. The idea of more eyeballs on more content works for us.

Support our podcast by shopping on Amazon.com. A graphic display at the bottom of the post links to automotive selections of the online retailer. But there's also a search function for anything available directly from the site.

If you shop via this site, we receive a small commission. It helps us continue to produce independent content. The site began in 2004 and includes more than 700 reviews.

The podcast is in its fourth year, and we've had a diverse collection of guests — famous athletes, vintage car collectors, manufacturer CEOs, automotive book authors, industry analysts, a movie stuntman and episodes from auto shows and car auctions.

Please send comments and suggestions for new episodes to James Raia via email: [email protected].

All podcast episodes are archived on theweeklydriver.com/podcast

Ira Spector owns a rare car he sometimes compares to a cute dog. It's a term of endearment. When he's driving his 2012 Fisker Karma Revero everyone wants to know all about it.

"It's like a puppy; people stop you and they engage you," said Spector, who likely owns the only Revero in Los Gatos. "They ask questions; it's kind of fun. Most of them have never seen it before. Others who have seen one may think the company is bankrupt and that they're longer built."

Fisker Karma: Rare, Beautiful

Spector is our guest on this episode of The Weekly Driver Podcast. Co-hosts Bruch Aldrich talk with the car's owner, his enjoyment of sports cars and his automotive passion for his Fisker Karma.

 

A 2012 Fisker Karma — only about 2,700 were globally available.

A retired electrical engineer, Spector has further fun as the organizer of a club whose members own the iconic upscale sports car. The group periodically gathers for a seminar relating to the car, lunch and a driving outing.

Owners from throughout the Bay Area and as far away as Canada bring their Karmas. The gatherings have had as many as 20 participants.

"In my opinion, it's one of the most beautiful cars ever designed," said Spector, who has owned many other sports cars, including several Corvettes. "And that's why I want to keep it for as long as I can drive it. It's performing beautifully; it looks brand new inside and out."

Fisker Karma: Made only in 2012

Although new versions were made after a change of ownership beginning in 2017, about 2,700 of the electric-gas, plug-in hybrid original Reveros were made in 2012. About 1,600 were available in the United States It's the only model manufactured by Fisker Karma and its originator, Henrik Fisker. The company went out of business a year after it began.

"For any other manufacturer, that would be a prototype run," said Spector, a retired electrical engineer, about the limited edition."That's what we are all driving and everyone has had problems with it. It wasn't really finished."

The original Fisker Karma was only manufactured for one year.

The Revero has about a 50-mile electric-only range, 300-mile total range. When switched to "Sport" mode, the Karma will use the gas engine in conjunction with the electric motors. The total output is 403 horsepower. It accelerates from 0-to-60 miles per hour in about six seconds.

Not everything was perfect. Replacement batteries weren't available until a third-party manufacturer emerged. When Revero models were repaired, Spector believes owners were used as test drivers to "find the bugs and get them fixed."

Fisker Karma: A car drivers love driving

But he's not complaining. The original car has had a resurgence. New models have also returned via Karma Automotive, headquartered in Irvine. Fisker attended the recent Los Angles Auto Show to tout his pending new all-electric sports car, the Fisker Ocean.

Spector's car also carries a family legacy. With his Barbara (she drives a Tesla Model 3) then the mayor of Los Gatos, the couple drove the Revero via a loan from the owner in the city's annual holiday parade in 2012. Spector bought the car two months later for about $100,000. He traded in a Jaguar XK8.

"It sat in a lot for a year with a bunch of other cars because of the company's bankruptcy issues," he said. "We were invited to rides in a parade. One of the investors in Fisker who had the car and let us use it. I fell in love with it just sitting in it and looking at it."

The 2.0 GM turbocharged engine is similar to the engine in a Pontiac Solstice. It's used to charge the battery.

The Revero, Spector says, is quiet, smooth and a vehicle for drivers who thrive on the enjoyment of driving.

"The Fisker Karma was designed to engage you with a driving experience," he said. "It's got 22-inch wheels. It's low-to-the-ground. It's heavy. The CG (center of gravity) and tires make it handle beautifully. It's so much fun to drive.

"By contrast, the Tesla Model 3 does everything to remove you from the driving experience. As you know, it has lane change alarms and autopilot. You can just sit there and be a passenger as opposed to being a driver. It's your choice."

The Weekly Driver Podcast encourages and appreciates feedback from our listeners. Please forward episode links to family, friends and colleagues. And you are welcome to repost links from the podcast to your social media accounts. The idea of more eyeballs on more content works for us.

Support our podcast by shopping on Amazon.com. A graphic display at the bottom of the post links to automotive selections of the online retailer. But there's also a search function for anything available directly from the site.

If you shop via this site, we receive a small commission. It helps us continue to produce independent content. The site began in 2004 and includes more than 700 reviews.

The podcast is in its fourth year, and we've had a diverse collection of guests — famous athletes, vintage car collectors, manufacturer CEOs, automotive book authors, industry analysts, a movie stuntman and episodes from auto shows and car auctions.

Please send comments and suggestions for new episodes to James Raia via email: [email protected].

All podcast episodes are archived on theweeklydriver.com/podcast

Every episode is also available on your preferred podcast platform. Several of the more prominent platforms are listed below.

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Veteran automotive author Russell Hayes is at it again. His latest book, "The Big Book of Tiny Cars" was recently published. It's a definitive look at the global industry of the most famous and infamous microcars and subcompacts from 1901 to current models.

Hayes, who lives and works in London, England, is a repeat guest on The Weekly Driver Podcast. He first joined co-host Bruce Aldrich and me on Episode #153 last October 2020 to discuss all things Volkswagen.

Tiny Cars: All Shapes, Sizes

During Episode #209, Hayes discusses his latest offering and his enjoyment of researching American brands and styles like the Crosley Super Sport to the German BMW Isetta.

According to the book's marketing information, more than 100 vehicles are included. Each vehicle's history is detailed. Archival photography and modern-day images in a fact box are also provided for each selection.

Sub-titled "A Century of Diminutive Automotive Oddities," the 176-page volume includes 250 color and black-and-white photos, and vintage advertisements. Microcars, minicars, bubble cars, Kei cars, subcompacts and compacts are all featured. Rarities include Hanomag Kommissbrot, Bond Minicar and Sebring Vanguard Citicar.

Russell Hayes is the author of the Big Book of Tiny Cars.

The book is divided into nine sections: New Babies (1900-1939), Not Much Motoring (1940s), The Microcar Bubble (1950s), The Bubble Has Burst (1960s), The Supermini ERA (1970s), Econoboxes and Hatchbacks (1980s), Smaller and Smarter (1990s) and Your Pod Or Mine? (2010s and Beyond).

"Supplanting the rickety cyclecars of the early 1900s, we began with the best-selling diminutive prewar cars such as the Peugeot Bebe, Austin Seven and American Crosley," writes Hayes. "We then ride the wave of tiny cars in the fuel-deprived, postwar Europe, such as the cult-classic Messerschmitt and BMW Isetta bubble cars . . ."

More modern vehicles such as the reimagined Mini Cooper and Fiat 500 and the SmartCar are also included.

Please join Bruce and me as we absorb the author's expertise snd take a fascinating look into the world of the sometimes minuscule motor machines.

The Weekly Driver Podcast encourages and appreciates feedback from our listeners. Please forward episode links to family, friends and colleagues. And you are welcome to repost links from the podcast to your social media accounts. The idea of more eyeballs on more content works for us.

Support our podcast by shopping on Amazon.com. A graphic display at the bottom of the post links to automotive selections of the online retailer. But there's also a search function for anything available directly from the site.

If you shop via this site, we receive a small commission. It helps us continue to produce independent content. The site began in 2004 and includes more than 700 reviews.

The podcast is in its fourth year, and we've had a diverse collection of guests — famous athletes, vintage car collectors, manufacturer CEOs, automotive book authors, industry analysts, a movie stuntman and episodes from auto shows and car auctions.

Please send comments and suggestions for new episodes to James Raia via email: [email protected].

All podcast episodes are archived on theweeklydriver.com/podcast

Every episode is also available on your preferred podcast platform. Several of the more prominent platforms are listed below.

Amazon.com

iheartradio

Spotify