This week hosts JRR and Crystal Stranger are joined in studio by Cam Benty, Vice President of Marketing for Flowmaster Exhaust. They discuss how different muffler models change the performance of your car. They discuss recent news items like the Honda NSX is back in development, Chrysler S Line new models, and the details for the Alfa Romeo concept. In the Strap In segment they look at thermoelectric generators, and in Junk in the Trunk they discuss the Ford photo archive up for sale, Honda Heritage Clothing line, and the Ferd F-Teenthousand parody of truck advertising.

Intro 0:00-0:40

Guest Interview 0:40-15:00

Interview with Cam Benty, VP of Marketing for Flowmaster Exhaust

This week hosts JRR and Crystal Stranger introduce a new segment, Spy Shots where they look at upcoming cars that haven’t been released yet. Plus in the news they discuss how Volvo is killing some of their models, Volkswagen’s new plug-in diesel hybrid, BMW’s new 4-cyclinder turbo, and the newly revealed Pagani Huayra. Plus in Strap In they look at the new concept of Solar Powered Glass Roads, and they look at Super Bowl commercials for the Audi A8, Hyundai, the Black Beetle, and Bridgestone. In Junk in the Trunk they look at the “Turducken” of burnouts!

Intro 0:00-0:50

News 0:50-7:25

1. Volkswagen going to build the XL1

• Plug-in diesel hybrid Formula XL1 concept gets 260 mpg
• Debuted at this month’s Qatar Motor Show
• 2-seater car with a 1-liter, 2-cylinder diesel engine, 1753 pounds
• A 46-hp TDI engine connected to a 25-hp electric motor runing through a 7-speed DSG
• Concept can reportedly hit 62 MPH in 11.6 seconds
• 2.6 gallon tank gives the XL1 a 341 mile range with 22 miles on electricity alone
• VW head Martin Winterkorn said the XL1 will arrive in two years
• Only 100 will be made at first for European buyers, then sales will expand to the US and China

2. Volvo eliminating some of its models

• Currently sells 9 models, but says “We have to focus on the key segments with significant volume potential”
• Will cut that by “five or six”
• Lineup will be built around the XC60, XC90 and S60
• The V50 wagon is dead
• Don’t know what else will be killed, but speculation centers around the C30, C70 and XC70
• Volvo V60 hybrid wagon, a plug-in diesel hybrid that gets 125 mpg and will be unveiled at the Geneva Auto Show, could come to the U.S.

3. BMW 4-cylinder turbo arrives this year

• 2.0-liter, 4-cylinder, twin-scroll, gas direct injection turbo
• All aluminum crankcase
• 240 hp at 5,000 RPM, 260 lb-ft at 1,250 RPM
• 10 more hp, 60 more pound-feet at lower RPM, and 16% better fuel economy than the naturally aspirated 3.0-liter inline six
• There are 10 cars on sale in the US with the 3.0-liter non-turbo six, including 1, 3, and 5 series and X3 and Z4
• Speculation is that US cars that the next generation 1 and 3 series cars that now end in 28i or 30i will get it
• European X1 will get it first and be called the X1 xDrive28i
• BMW says there’ll be one more 4-cylinder engine coming by year’s end

4. Pagani Huayra finally revealed

• 700 hp
• 6.0-litre twin-turbo V12 made by AMG solely for this car
• 7-sp automated manual gearbox
• Claimed top speed of 235+ mph
• 0-60 mph expected in 3.2sec.
• 1M euros is the expected price, £1M in the UK, no US price yet

Giveaway 7:25-8:40

Detroit Auto Show goody bag

Car campaigns 8:40-14:32

Super Bowl Commercials we’ll see on February 6

Audi “Goodnight Moon” commercial for the A8

Hyundai commercials “Childhood” and “Sheep”

Bridgestone teasers “Carma” and “Reply All”

Volkswagen Black Beetle

http://www.youtube.com/blackbeetle

Spy shots 14:32-18:33

Smart Fortwo+2

• 1:4 scale model
• This has rear-hinged doors, production version – if there is one – probably won’t
• This will feature parts from the Daimler and Renault-Nissan collaboration

Volkswagen New Beetle

• Gets some updates from the Golf Mk VI and the 2.5-liter inline 5-cylinder
• Bigger, more contoured shape

Lamborghini Codename 834

• Perhaps called the Aventador
• 700 hp, pushrod suspension, carbon fiber tub, lighter, more fuel efficient
• We’ll see it at Geneva

Chevy Camaro Daytona Pace Car

• Ducktail spoiler and bright, bright lights
• Daytona runs on February 20

Cadillac XTS

• A bit of a mystery, compare to the show car
• Supposed to get a 3.6-liter V6 and be a plug-in hybrid
• Might also get a turbo V6 and a V8
• Based on the LaCrosse platform, meant to be FWD but might also get AWD
• Some commenters think this isn’t the XTS and that it’s RWS

Strap In 18:33-23:55

Solar Powered Glass Roads

• Engineers are developing high-tech road surfaces to melt snow, ice
• Idaho electrical-engineer Scott Brusaw working on solar-powered road made of super-glass
• He’s backed by a $100,0000 grant from the Federal Highway Administration and General Electric
• Solar surfaces could power much of the nation, cut pollution, says inventor
• Expert: Smart roads could be tried in downtown areas of snow-prone cities
• Would save billions each year in snow removal and equipment, damage to streets and vehicles, extra days of school and lost business revenue
• An alternative to petroleum-based asphalt
• Solar cells at 15% efficiency under the glass surface make the road a solar power generator
• They would power heating elements in the roads, and Brusaw sees it as a national power grid
• Also include a microprocessor board for messages like “slow, curve ahead”
• Brusaw is working with top glass researchers at University of Dayton and Penn State to can develop super-strong glass with the proper traction
• Brusaw’s estimate is that each mile would cost $4.4 million
• Plan to outfit an area around his business, maybe a parking lot, this spring with trial stretch of glass road
• Panels contain LED lights for “painting” the road lines from beneath the surface to ensure safer nighttime driving

Junk in the Trunk 23:55-27:40

BMW Armored car testing at an old Soviet airfield

• BMW Security vehicles are amored versions of standard cars
• Training facility in East Germany
• Built on grounds of what was once the largest Cold War air base in Europe
• Chauffeurs and security personnel learn to evade threatening situations

Ayrton Senna film previewed at Sundance

• 3-time F1 Championship winner considered the best of all
• Killed at the 1994 Imola Grand Prix driving for Williams
• Culled from 16,000 hours of archival footage

Triple burnout

• A motorcycle does a burnout in the bed of an El Camino, the El Camino does a burnout on a flatbed truck, the flatbed truck does a burnout on the road

BFGoodrich teaching Shaun White how to drive

• Program called ‘Upgrade your performance’
• Olympic and X Games snowboarder Shaun White isn’t a good driver
• Multiyear program will teach him in a number of disciplines: rally, skip barber, drifting, Baja, to see what he likes
• Doesn’t mean he’ll go racing, but with White anything’s possible

Giveaway 27:40-29:30

Shaun White Collection snowboarding jacket from Burton with BFG branding

Close 29:30-29:58

This week hosts Jonathon Ramesy and Crystal Stranger are joined in studio by Mike Levine of PickupTrucks.com. They look at the demise of the light duty truck and what automakers are replacing it with. Plus they talk about the new Ferrari 612, the Tesla Model SW, Mitsubishi’s new models, and Mary Barra’s new position at GM. In Strap In they take a look at a new program called “Platooning” where convoys lead vehicles in formation, plus in Junk in the Trunk they look at the trailer for the upcoming comedy “Rubber” about a homicidal tire.

Intro: 0:00-1:00

Interview: 1:00-15:32

Mike Levine from PickupTrucks.com

• Compared a Ram 3500 HD to a Delta Rocket: the Ram is faster to 60 mph than the Delta, but the Delta is faster to 17,500 mph; however, the Ram’s combined weight rating is 25,400 pounds, the Delta’s is 28,600 pounds that it can carry into orbit
• Is a small, diesel pickup like the Mahindra Pik-Up or Ford Ranger ever coming? The T6 Ranger will go on sale in 188 countries but not the U.S. or Canada, the Mahindra has been stuck in legal limbo for ages
• What’s the biggest thing you think pickup truck buyers want that they aren’t getting? Is it a light-duty diesel, a small truck, or something else?
• Is a Toyota Prius pickup or a Scion pickup really ever going to see daylight?
• The Jeep pickup, does that really hurt Dodge?
• How long can Ford and GM’s torque war go on?

News: 15:32-22:36

1. New Ferrari FF

• Successor to the 612 Scaglietti
• FF is for Ferrari Four: four seats, four wheel drive
• Shooting brake/hatchback body-style-First shooting brake since the 250 Breadvan
• Part-time all-wheel drive called 4RM, said half as heavy as a conventional system
• Under 4,000 pounds, more than 100 less than the 612-0-62 in 3.7 seconds, top speed of 208 mph
• Direct-injection, 6.3-liter V12, 651 hp, 504 lb-ft

2. Tesla Model S has begun road testing

• Testing of an Alpha Model S
• Alpha means the car is 80% finished, there are about 6 Alpha Model S’ testing now
• After that comes Beta testing, then pre-production testing
• Plans on delivering first cars in 2012, possibly Q2
• Production plans are 20,000 per year
• Company already planning a Model X SUV after the Model S
• Some customers who put down deposits aren’t happy about the differences in the concept Model S vs. the Alpha

3. Mitsubishi kills the Eclipse, Endeavor and Galant

• Eclipse, Endeavor and Galant, all built on the same platform, are ceasing production at the company’s Normal, Illinois plant
• A new model based on the Lancer or Outlander platform will be built there
• Mitsu says it will sell eight hybrid and battery-powered vehicles by 2015
• Company’s new Concept Global Small car has been revealed and will first be built in Thailand and go on sale in 2012, but could ultimately be built here

4. Mary Barra takes worldwide product development role at GM

• Tom Stephenson, who was in charge of product, takes a new role called Chief Technology Officer, in charge of finding and leading the development of new technologies for GM products
• Mary Barra, who was VP of Human Resources, takes over as VP of product development
• Been with GM since 1980, has a bachelor’s in electrical engineering and a master’s in business
• She will design, engineering and quality for the company’s 11 international brands and lead 36,000 people
• It’s the first time a woman has had such a role at a major automaker
• In her first interview she said she wants to make product development quicker and more efficient; wants vehicles with more compelling exterior designs and the latest technology; says she’ll work with manufacturing and parts supply companies to boost quality

Strap In: 22:36-27:09

Platooning

• Projected to be 10 years out
• Funded by the EU, called SARTRE: Safe Road Trains for the Environment
• Tested at Volvo Proving Ground close to Gothenburg, Sweden
• Intelligent convoys of vehicles with a professional driver in the lead vehicle
• Each car measures distance, speed and direction and adjusts to the car in front-Vehicles can leave the platoon at any time
• Platooning designed to improve road safety, mpg, and congestion
• Seven companies involved-The technology could go into production in a few years, but public and legal hurdles might make it take much longer

Junk in the Trunk: 27:09-30:28

Cygnet priced

• £30,995
• Two special-edition versions
• Cygnet Launch Edition White with pearl-white leather interior
• Cygnet Launch Edition Black, diamond-pattern black leather

McLaren MP4-12C priced for America

• 600 hp, 483 lb-ft, 2,800 pounds for $229,000
• Ferrari 458 Italia is $225,000
• Lamborghini Gallardo LP-570-4 is around $237,000

Pagani Huayra leaked

• Spanish version of CAR leaked the Huarya
• No idea on specs, but the mag says €1 million and 20 units per year

Rubber, the killer tire

• A tire becomes sentient and goes on a killing spree
• Supposedly being released on April 1, so take this with the whole shaker of salt

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joI-uU86NXw

Close: 30:28-31:26

This week hosts Jonathon Ramesy and Crystal Stranger are joined in studio by Amanda Amann, columnist for Men’s Fitness magazine. They recap their favorites from the 2011 Detroit Auto show and they look at car news like the new Hyundai accent in Canada, how the Chevy Spark won’t come to America, and Jeep’s new pickup truck. Plus in Junk in the Trunk they show you videos of the “Rocket” motorcycle and how massive flooding in Australia swept away dozens of cars.

Intro: 0:00-0:40

Guest Interview: 0:40-15:50

Interview with Amanda Amann, former ESPN drag racing host and Men’s Fitness car columnist, talking about our favorite cars from the Detroit Auto Show

• AMANDA Chrysler 300
• CRYSTAL Jeep Wrangler Call of Duty: Black Ops edition
• JRR GMC Sierra All Terrain HD Concept
• AMANDA Hyundai Curb
• AMANDA AND CRYSTAL Porsche 918 RSR
• CRYSTAL Mercedes SLS e-Cell
• JRR Toyota Prius V
• AMANDA BMW 650 Convertible
• CRYSTAL Cadillac SCCA Race Car
• JRR Chevrolet Sonic

News: 15:50-24:10

1. New Hyundai Accent shows up in Canada

• Launched at Montreal International Auto Show
• Hyundai’s new 1.6-litre “Gamma” GDI engine
• 138 horsepower and 123 lb-ft of torque (18 more hp than Fiesta, 11 more lb-ft)
• A six-speed automatic or manual
• Estimated better than 40 mpg highway fuel consumption (non-SFE Fiesta gets 37)
• 6 airbags, vehicle stability control, traction control, ABS with brake assist and brake force distribution, disc brakes

2. GM suggests the Spark won’t come to America

• The Chevy Spark is sold in South America, Europe and Asia
• Last year the president of GM North America, Troy Clark, said the Spark would come to the US
• This year GM North America has a new president, Mark Reuss, and he told Fox News at the Detroit Auto show “we’re going to fight really hard with the Sonic and see what the market tells us to do.”
• Asked directly about selling the Spark, he said “we have the opportunity to do that if we want to do it, but we haven’t made any decisions on that yet.”
• The test will be how GM does with the Sonic, but it looks like the Spark will not be coming any time soon, if at all

3. A Jeep pickup is on the way

• During a roundtable in Detroit, Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne said Jeep would get a “multipurpose” vehicle fitted with “a truck bed.”
• He didn’t call it a pickup, he did recall the 2005 Gladiator concept and said “there’s better than a 50% chance that you’ll get one.”
• The theories are that Jeep hasn’t done and won’t do a pickup because Ram is now all-pickup all the time
• Marchionne said this Jeep with the truck bed would come to market whether the Ram brand likes it or not, saying, “They’re totally peeved off at the fact that we’re going to have anything that looks like a pickup truck with a Jeep badge on it. I actually think there’s space for it.”

4. Making left turns illegal with the ‘superstreet’

• North Carolina State University has finished a study on a kind of intersection that doesn’t allow left turns
• Called a ‘superstreet,’ it’s basically a stretched out roundabout
• If you’re turning from a side street onto a multilane road, you have to turn right and then make a U-turn
• You can, however, make a left turn from the main road into the side street
• The study looked at 16 superstreets in North Carolina and found a 20% reduction in travel time compared traditional intersections, 46% fewer reported automobile collisions and 63% fewer collisions that result in personal injury
• A similar intersection is the Michigan Left, which doesn’t allow any left turns at all

Strap In: 24:10-25:55

The Future of Cars: Interior technologies of the future to save space and driving easier

• Johnson Controls at Detroit Auto Show hollowed out a Kia Soul and filled it with future tech
• Called ie:3 for Inspired Efficiency with 3 main benefits: satisfying buyers, allowing more differentiation between different cars, and increasing sustainability
• Single-piece stamped to save space and allow stadium seating
• Reclining rear seats
• FaserTec seat pads from natural fibers, easily recyclable.
• The headliner is one large speaker, frees up door space
• Human Machine Interface 6.5-inch screen that rises from the dash, and another 8.8-inch central display you can control through touch or movement

Junk in the Trunk: 25:55-30:45

Experimental Dacia Duster Ad

• Created by Dutch company Artcore, probably just for the director’s reel

Chevy Volt will inductively charge your gadgets

• Has Powermats in front and back, like what’s coming for Audi

Subaru Rally of the Tall Pines choose your camera angle

• Choose from bumper cam, dash cam, or side cam

www.youtube.com/watch?annotation_id=annotation_58320&v=lJD7IcEdRog&feature=iv#t=15s

Audi A8 Super Bowl Commercial

NY Queensland floods swallow a parking lot

www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYUpkPTcqPY

3D video of The Rocket

www.youtube.com/watch?v=n164zGgw904

Close: 30:45-31:24

This week Crystal Stranger is joined in studio by John Hotchkis, Jr. of Hotchkis Performance Suspension and they are joined live via Skype by JRR from the 2011 Detroit Auto Show. Crystal and John discuss Hotchkis’ new facility and projects like how to videos about installing suspension for your car. Plus, JRR shows lots of photos of new vehicles from Detroit’s Auto Show including Prius V, BMW M Coupe, Mercedes SLS, Ford Explorer, Chevy Volt, Hyundai Veloster, VW Passat and more.

Intro: 0:00-0:40

Guest Interview: 0:40-18:40

Interview with John Hotchkiss, Jr

• When restoring a car, when should the suspension be redone?
• If you can’t get a full suspension yet, what’s the best part to start with?
• What kinds of crazy things do people do when pulling a MacGyver on their suspensions at home?

News: 18:40-30:20

Cars from Day 1 of the Detroit Auto Show

• Prius V
• BMW M Coupe
• Ford Explorer
• Chevy Volt
• Hyundai Veloster
• VW Passat
• Mercedes SLS

Close: 30:20-31:54

This week hosts JRR and Crystal Stranger count down their Top 10 of 2011 cars including the Nissan GT-R, Mercedes SLK, Audi A7, and Lexus CT200. They also look at concept cars in the “Strap In” segment and watch some crazy videos in “Junk in the Trunk” like how a construction crew moved a BMW with a forklift! For more information, show notes, and schedules visit http://www.thisweekin.com.