Latest / In Wheel Time Podcast / Exploring Soft-Roaders with Sue Mead: Off-Road Adventures and Automotive Insights

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Exploring Soft-Roaders with Sue Mead: Off-Road Adventures and Automotive Insights · In Wheel Time Podcast

• 0:01
  Don Armstrong: Welcome to another In Wheel Time podcast, the world's favorite place to go for fun, romance and informative car talk.
• 0:13
  Don Armstrong: All right, this is the In Wheel Time Car Talk Show.
• 0:16
  Don Armstrong: The romance comes in in the cars.
• 0:19
  Michael Marrs: I was wondering about that.
• 0:20
  Michael Marrs: You love your car.
• 0:22
  Don Armstrong: Yes, that's it I knew that Made you think, though, huh yeah, you love your car.
• 0:25
  Don Armstrong: Yes, that's it.
• 0:25
  Don Armstrong: I knew that.
• 0:25
  Don Armstrong: Made you think, though, huh yeah, it did.
• 0:26
  Don Armstrong: Okay, just ahead, journalist Sue Mead talks about soft-roading.
• 0:31
  Don Armstrong: Uh-oh what Later, jeff has the racing calendar, mars has this Week in Auto History, and I'll get you caught up on some of the stories making automotive news headlines this week.
• 0:41
  Don Armstrong: Howdy Along with Mike out of this world, mars.
• 0:43
  Don Armstrong: We always need more.
• 0:45
  Don Armstrong: Jeff Zekin, I'm Don Armstrong.
• 0:51
  Don Armstrong: Glad you could join us on this Saturday for our live broadcast.
• 0:52
  Don Armstrong: If you're listening on a podcast or something other than between 10 am and 12 noon on Saturday, you're listening to a pre-recorded show, and this particular date today is 9-14-24.
• 1:04
  Don Armstrong: That's right.
• 1:04
  Don Armstrong: So there you go, just to make sure everybody's on the same page.
• 1:08
  Don Armstrong: We ain't trying to fool nobody, kind of like that guy who worked at that car dealership Day late and a dollar short.
• 1:14
  Don Armstrong: Yeah, exactly.
• 1:15
  Don Armstrong: Well, look who's joining us.
• 1:18
  Don Armstrong: Oh, my God, it's Sue Mead.
• 1:20
  Don Armstrong: Ladies and gentlemen, sue, you look great.
• 1:22
  Don Armstrong: I haven't talked to you or seen you in years, but it's great to have you on the show today thank you, guys.
• 1:28
  Sue Mead: It's so nice to be back.
• 1:29
  Sue Mead: I think one of the last shows that I did with you was when I was in saudi arabia, but I'm home today in williamstown, massachusetts, which feels great.
• 1:40
  Don Armstrong: It's been a really busy year, car wise well, I sure am glad that you're home, because you know you need to run the vacuum cleaner and do a little dusting and you know some home stuff for a while Feed the fish, mow the grass.
• 1:51
  Sue Mead: Oh, wait a minute.
• 1:52
  Sue Mead: I just heard you talk about romancing cars and my romance in cars is going off-road in them.
• 1:59
  Sue Mead: And what happens there stays there.
• 2:01
  Sue Mead: I actually just love off-roading and you guys know that.
• 2:04
  Sue Mead: And what happens there stays there.
• 2:05
  Sue Mead: I actually just love off-roading and you guys know that.
• 2:06
  Sue Mead: I've had some fun times doing that this year, both in the US and even in China, which we'll talk about another time, but I'm so excited to be back with you guys.
• 2:14
  Don Armstrong: Well, it's great to have you with us, and Sue is a well-versed auto journalist.
• 2:18
  Don Armstrong: Racer, off-roader, she is everything.
• 2:22
  Don Armstrong: She is the living car goddess.
• 2:25
  Don Armstrong: Right there she is.
• 2:26
  Don Armstrong: People want to be her.
• 2:29
  Sue Mead: You're making me feel so good as I turn 74 this week.
• 2:35
  Don Armstrong: Let's not even talk about that.
• 2:36
  Don Armstrong: Yeah, we're not talking about that.
• 2:38
  Sue Mead: Listen, guys, I'm so happy to be here You're catching up to Don.
• 2:41
  Sue Mead: Yeah, that's it Still working.
• 2:45
  Sue Mead: I know and I enjoy what I do here I enjoy being on the road and driving some new cars.
• 2:52
  Sue Mead: I just drove three versions of the hyundai, of hyundai vehicles with the xrt trim and saw a fourth version unveiled and it was really fun.
• 3:07
  Sue Mead: I love Hyundai vehicles because of the warranty and the three years unlimited maintenance and roadside support, but this new XRT trim just floats my boat.
• 3:22
  Don Armstrong: Where did you go to drive those?
• 3:25
  Sue Mead: Good question.
• 3:26
  Sue Mead: In the mountains out of Santa Barbara we stayed in Los Olivos.
• 3:31
  Don Armstrong: Oh God.
• 3:32
  Sue Mead: Yeah, you've been there, obviously, but the nice part about it was that there are some good driving roads without much traffic, and that's what you need to do.
• 3:40
  Sue Mead: If you're flying to Santa Barbara or Santa Monica, you need to get away from the traffic you didn't run into any fires out there no, I saw some from the air, but no, I was fortunate good, good, good, good.
• 3:52
  Don Armstrong: So we talk about soft-roading, a, a term that you came up with.
• 3:58
  Sue Mead: Define that for us well, I've noticed I, mike and I had a conversation about this the other day I've noticed that over the last couple of years especially, more and more manufacturers are building models that have a trim that they're advertising can go overlanding or off-road, and the truth is that 90% of them are really what I like to call soft roaders.
• 4:28
  Sue Mead: They can go on a light dirt trail or for some light backcountry use.
• 4:34
  Sue Mead: So many manufacturers have made these vehicles and are touting them because it's such a popular end of the driving culture right now.
• 4:44
  Sue Mead: I think there are a few folks who like to look like they're doing that, but many do, and I'm really excited about that.
• 4:51
  Sue Mead: As an off-roader myself, I'm also really pouting that folks who do it still should pay attention to the rules of letting someone know where they are, having good safety equipment and food and water and supplies in the vehicle, because I don't like to think of folks saying, well, I've got an extra tough bumper and I can or cannot put a winch on it, and I've got some rubberized seats.
• 5:20
  Sue Mead: I'm just going to go off-roading today.
• 5:22
  Sue Mead: So that's why I like to call it soft roading.
• 5:25
  Don Armstrong: Yeah, I think that's a good term.
• 5:26
  Don Armstrong: You know it's funny.
• 5:27
  Don Armstrong: I didn't know that you were going to talk about this and I was thinking everybody nowadays and I mean that loosely but the majority of cars that are sold are SUVs and they're sport utility vehicles, meaning in my age group and yours, that they could go off-road.
• 5:48
  Don Armstrong: And the majority of vehicles coming out of the factories today are not really capable of going off-road.
• 5:56
  Don Armstrong: They may look like they are but they're really not set up to do it.
• 5:59
  Don Armstrong: I mean, okay, it may have four-wheel drive, but it doesn't have a transfer case, it doesn't have low, low gear.
• 6:07
  Don Armstrong: You can't do the things that you can, let's say, for instance, in a Jeep Wrangler.
• 6:11
  Don Armstrong: I mean, a full off-road Jeep Wrangler is going to cost you quite a bit of money, but you know, it's one of those deals where you really have to be specific into what you define as off-road, as opposed to your next door neighbor.
• 6:26
  Don Armstrong: That I'm going to go off-roading in my SUV.
• 6:29
  Don Armstrong: It's what it's for and it's not really that set up for to do that.
• 6:35
  Sue Mead: Exactly.
• 6:35
  Sue Mead: I started thinking about this before we went on air and I thought what are some of the things that are really important to real off-roading?
• 6:42
  Sue Mead: And ground clearance is a big one, Good tires is another, and having gearing as you said, a low-range set of gears.
• 6:55
  Sue Mead: But what impressed me about this?
• 6:57
  Sue Mead: There are two things that impressed me about the XRT trim on the Hyundai vehicles the other day, which started the conversation with Mike Mars, and that is not only did Hyundai put it on their Santa Fe that was new this year, the 2025 Santa Fe but they just added it as a trim level for the Tucson.
• 7:18
  Sue Mead: So the Santa Fe is a three-row vehicle, as you know full size and the sort of midsize to full size we straddle categories.
• 7:26
  Sue Mead: The Tucson is more of a compact to midsize SUV.
• 7:32
  Sue Mead: They've also put it on the Santa Cruz, which is a compact truck, and now one of the most fascinating elements of being on the program was seeing that they have added this trim to the IONIQ 5, which, with this trim on it, I saw that one of my journalist friends called it having the potential to be a hot hatch, and it reminded me of driving the Mustang Mach-E with a rally trim on it.
• 8:02
  Sue Mead: So the IONIQ 5 is an electric vehicle and we certainly know electric vehicles are going off-road these days but it was not a vehicle that I expected to have this extra cladding.
• 8:15
  Sue Mead: On the front and rear there's a dark chrome grille that kind of makes it stand out with this package, and also, like everything today, what is the jewelry on cars today, guys?
• 8:29
  Sue Mead: Wheels, Wheels.
• 8:31
  Sue Mead: You should see the wheels that come with this trim.
• 8:35
  Sue Mead: So there's different wheels and different tires, and then, of course, a roof rack.
• 8:42
  Sue Mead: Whether you're going to use it or not, it's there.
• 8:44
  Sue Mead: It speaks to the mission, and then inside is some special sort of weather tech seating.
• 8:51
  Sue Mead: So I think it's really cool.
• 8:53
  Sue Mead: I did take two versions of it the Tucson and the Santa Cruz on an off-road trail with a couple of longhorn cows giving me a spit eye.
• 9:07
  Don Armstrong: That would be the stink eye.
• 9:09
  Sue Mead: Yeah, that's right, that's exactly what it was.
• 9:11
  Sue Mead: So.
• 9:12
  Sue Mead: But they had the ground clearance isn't raised it can always be raised a little bit with a tire but it had the capability to go up and down some hills and the all-wheel drive gearing to do the same and the traction to make corners with a little bit of punch to the throttle.
• 9:33
  Sue Mead: So I'm just fascinated with the fact that we could count on our hands so quickly a dozen or more vehicles that are not the Jeep Wrangler or a, even the Bronco Badlands, vehicles that really have more ground clearance and more prowess off-road.
• 9:59
  Sue Mead: But there are a lot of vehicles.
• 10:00
  Sue Mead: Let's look at the Subaru Wilderness.
• 10:02
  Sue Mead: Yes, it had, you know, that's a good example.
• 10:05
  Sue Mead: It's a wagon with on steroids a little bit, but it very much in, and I was thinking of the uh, honda trail sport and they're just, it's a whole, it's not just a class of vehicles, it's really, I think, a part of our culture.
• 10:25
  Sue Mead: That I think, goes back to even 2008, to 2010, when people stopped taking traditional vacations and did staycations and started going off road, and we've seen such a growth in not just the overland, the true overlanding, and the vehicles that go camping and say the Rebel Rally, which has a mix of these soft-roaders and some that are true four-wheel drive.
• 10:57
  Sue Mead: But we've seen so much of this and I think it's great.
• 11:02
  Sue Mead: But it's become, in the case of Hyundai, it's become a whole trim package that's added to five of their vehicles now.
• 11:12
  Sue Mead: So it's very interesting to see what that says about the car culture today.
• 11:18
  Sue Mead: And when Mike and I were talking about it, we both said and he said first, I think, what's next?
• 11:23
  Sue Mead: I don't know, but what I know is that this is really big now.
• 11:29
  Don Armstrong: I find it interesting.
• 11:30
  Don Armstrong: I wonder what the take rate is on these, you know, because, like I said, I think that most people most generally speaking people don't do this, so this is really kind of a niche deal, but I think it's going to expand, like you said, into more and more people doing staycations, camping with the family, because, let's face it, going to a Motel 6 and spending $200 a night can add up pretty darn quick.
• 11:58
  Don Armstrong: I mean, you don't have to go to a high-end, luxury staycation someplace and spend $10,000 for five nights.
• 12:05
  Don Armstrong: Over there you can go camping for just a teeny, tiny fraction and really experience something that most people haven't experienced before camping out with the family, go into a lake, go into the woods, whatever the case may be, and you'd really want to have something that would be capable of going off-road, because some of the campsites are semi-remote.
• 12:24
  Don Armstrong: You have to go through the park to get to them, but you can, and that's part of the fun of doing it.
• 12:34
  Don Armstrong: I just think it's a great idea.
• 12:36
  Don Armstrong: I know that there are a lot of manufacturers now that are really kind of focusing more on these particular trim levels the Nissan Rogue, wilderness you mentioned that GMC Terrain, at4.
• 12:44
  Don Armstrong: So there are those out there and really, if you stop and think about it, if you were to go to a parts store or online and go buy yourself some big wheels and tires, you'd go buy skid plates for the front and rear, a winch, all of these things that a lot of these vehicles come with.
• 13:04
  Don Armstrong: It's a lot cheaper to get it from the factory than it is to aftermarket it.
• 13:09
  Sue Mead: Exactly.
• 13:10
  Sue Mead: I enjoyed one of the stories told by one of the product planners from Hyundai and he said that he and his wife took the Tucson which again is a mid-sized SUV, and went to a camping area and folded the seats down and, as you know, many manufacturers now make those seats so they fold flat.
• 13:31
  Michael Marrs: Yes.
• 13:32
  Sue Mead: And they put sleeping bags in the back of the vehicle and they didn't even have to put up a tent.
• 13:36
  Sue Mead: So it's really much more user-friendly.
• 13:42
  Sue Mead: And the other thing I was thinking about is that so much of our car craze the last couple of years was manufacturers adding EVs to their stables, and we've seen that that's in a tough spot at the moment because of infrastructure, I believe but the manufacturers couldn't get away without having an EV, and I feel that it's the same thing now with the soft rotors or a more aggressive trim, that to be a viable manufacturer in today's world and, as you said, the majority of the market is SUV and trucks by far, and so if you don't have something that fits this category, you're kind of behind the eight ball.
• 14:32
  Don Armstrong: You know the full, flat seats.
• 14:33
  Don Armstrong: That was something I believe that was a Rambler staple way back in the day and you wouldn't be allowed by the girl's dad to take that car to the drive-in.
• 14:44
  Don Armstrong: But I tell you I had some good times in the back of a Suburban one time.
• 14:46
  Don Armstrong: Well, the front seat was full.
• 14:47
  Don Armstrong: I had some good times in the back of a Suburban one time.
• 14:49
  Jeff Dziekan: Well, the front seat folded flat, with no seats in the back.
• 14:51
  Don Armstrong: No seats in the back.
• 14:52
  Don Armstrong: You know, it was back in the day when you took the third row out and the second row did fold flat, so it made for, you know, a four by eight sheet of plywood.
• 15:00
  Don Armstrong: Okay, we'll go with that.
• 15:03
  Jeff Dziekan: But the Rambler.
• 15:04
  Jeff Dziekan: It was the front seats that the back folded down.
• 15:07
  Jeff Dziekan: Yeah, Not the other way around.
• 15:08
  Don Armstrong: Whatever, the whole thing turned into a big damn bed, exactly.
• 15:12
  Sue Mead: You're so funny.
• 15:15
  Don Armstrong: Not that you don't know anything about that, Sue Mead.
• 15:18
  Sue Mead: Do you know how many times I have slept in the second seat of a vehicle, especially on my Camel Trophies?
• 15:26
  Sue Mead: When at 2 in the morning or 4 in the morning mud covered, I was too tired to put up my tent and I'd say to the guys I might be the only one that will fit across the seat of the discovery.
• 15:36
  Sue Mead: I've called it.
• 15:37
  Sue Mead: But I was just in Alaska on a four-wheel drive trip and I was with my good friend Ken Cameron, who's a four-wheel drive expert and travels the world doing extreme four-wheel drive training, and I set up a trip to show him the wilds of alaska and he and his son and I landed up really late at night it was about midnight pulling into a place to camp and they had a two-person tent, which was just fine for me because there were bear, and I said, guess who's got the backseat?
• 16:06
  Sue Mead: And we were in an older four-wheel drive Land Cruiser.
• 16:10
  Sue Mead: But yeah, that's all I'm going to say about my backseat.
• 16:16
  Don Armstrong: I got you and I have to ask you before we let you go Do you know the Lilienthal's?
• 16:20
  Jeff Dziekan: I was thinking the same thing.
• 16:22
  Jeff Dziekan: Don Do you know the Lilienthal's?
• 16:24
  Sue Mead: I know the Lilienthal's and just admire them so greatly.
• 16:29
  Sue Mead: They were on a Subaru trip in.
• 16:32
  Sue Mead: Connecticut and they decided they wanted to go through all the New England states because they've been trying to knock off every state.
• 16:38
  Sue Mead: So they came to my house with Oregon wine and we had the time of our life and I showed them all my race suits and my Dakar trophy.
• 16:47
  Sue Mead: And they are trophy winners.
• 16:50
  Sue Mead: They have just done so much with the Alcan and now their European trip with the electric Volkswagen.
• 16:59
  Jeff Dziekan: ID.
• 17:01
  Don Armstrong: So I admire them greatly we had them on a couple of weeks ago and they're always fun.
• 17:07
  Don Armstrong: We've been with them well when they both had had real jobs, and that's where we started with them.
• 17:11
  Don Armstrong: Uh and uh, it kind of like you old friends and it's just, it's just great to have you on the show with us and talk.
• 17:18
  Don Armstrong: And what is your next adventure, sue?
• 17:22
  Sue Mead: well, I have um the vwid buzz that I'll be driving in San Francisco.
• 17:28
  Sue Mead: Actually, I'm heading out on Monday to see a reveal for the new Ford Expedition, an hour-long program which has me traveling two days.
• 17:36
  Sue Mead: And then I'll be at the Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame at the end of the month, a place near and dear to my heart and I'll be speaking briefly about John Reti, one of our colleagues who found out in June, two days before he passed, that he was going to be inducted.
• 17:54
  Sue Mead: So I look forward to that.
• 17:56
  Sue Mead: But then I'm hoping to go back to China in November and I'd love to talk with you all about what I have found in China that's been so exciting.
• 18:06
  Michael Marrs: December.
• 18:07
  Michael Marrs: We're going to do that in December.
• 18:09
  Sue Mead: Well, let's do that in December, because I think I told you, mike, I've been limping for 18 months because of a knee with a torn meniscus, and then my foot went bad and I need surgery and I said could we make it November 11th so I could get all my work done?
• 18:25
  Sue Mead: So that is perfect, yeah yeah, yeah.
• 18:28
  Don Armstrong: Well, sue, it's great to talk to you.
• 18:29
  Don Armstrong: We look forward to November, the 11th, when we see you again, and so let's plan a date right now.
• 18:37
  Sue Mead: Well, mike, you get back to me, I have my surgery that day.
• 18:41
  Sue Mead: I could probably talk to you on the way home in the car, because I love talking about cars.
• 18:45
  Jeff Dziekan: That'll be fun.
• 18:46
  Sue Mead: I love talking about cars whenever it fits in, but I have some really fun stories about China and it's timely as we're looking at tariffs and electric vehicles.
• 18:58
  Sue Mead: Forty percent of the market there is electric.
• 19:00
  Sue Mead: I'll send you a commercial that was just made that I'm in with the king of drifting from Japan, but that would be a really fun thing to talk with you about.
• 19:10
  Don Armstrong: We love it, Sue, we love you.
• 19:12
  Don Armstrong: Thank you so much and we'll talk soon.
• 19:14
  Sue Mead: Love you guys.
• 19:15
  Don Armstrong: Thank you Thank you you bet Bye-bye.
• 19:16
  Don Armstrong: All right.
• 19:17
  Don Armstrong: The In Real Time Car Talk Show is available 24-7 through the iHeartRadio app.
• 19:20
  Don Armstrong: Just look for In Real Time Car Talk.
• 19:22
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• 19:27
  Don Armstrong: They're available from your favorite podcast provider.
• 19:29
  Don Armstrong: The In Wheel Time Car Talk Show will continue right after this quick break.
• 19:33
  Don Armstrong: The original group of Loopy Tortilla restaurants will have you telling your family and friends just what the original recipe means when it comes to the best fajitas in Southeast Texas.
• 19:41
  Don Armstrong: Founder Stan Holt invites you to visit the first Loopy Tortilla near I-10 and Highway 6.
• 19:46
  Don Armstrong: Here is the original house that inspired the design of all the rest and the original charm that helped make Loopy Tortilla the go-to destination for Houston Tex-Mex.
• 19:54
  Don Armstrong: Nothing can compete with the original lime pepper marinade.
• 19:57
  Don Armstrong: That, everyone will agree, makes Loopy Tortilla award-winning beef fajitas the best anywhere.
• 20:01
  Don Armstrong: Loopy Tortilla Katie is another location that gives you the same quality and service Houstonians have come to expect at Loopy's.
• 20:07
  Don Armstrong: It's located on 99 the Grand Parkway at Kingsland Boulevard in Katy.
• 20:11
  Don Armstrong: Find yourself in Aggieland Head to the Loopy Tortilla in College Station, Located just around the corner from Kyle Field, it's a great place to enjoy those famous frozen margaritas before or after the game Going to Louisiana.
• 20:22
  Don Armstrong: The Loopy Tortilla in Beaumont is on I-10, so you can't miss it.
• 20:25
  Don Armstrong: The original group of Loopy Tortilla Restaurants has the best Tex-Mex anywhere and you are invited anytime.
• 20:32
  Don Armstrong: Your car is a direct reflection of you, so don't be satisfied with color fade or a dingy, dull appearance.
• 20:37
  Don Armstrong: Get rid of those terrible automated car wash scratches.
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• 21:33
  Don Armstrong: Now for the In Wheel Time Racing Calendar sponsored by Texas Muscle Car Club Challenge.
• 21:38
  Jeff Dziekan: Thank you guys.
• 21:39
  Jeff Dziekan: September 15th.
• 21:40
  Jeff Dziekan: Tomorrow, you've got Indy in Portland.
• 21:43
  Jeff Dziekan: That race is going to be very cool.
• 21:45
  Jeff Dziekan: They're almost done with the Indy Series.
• 21:47
  Jeff Dziekan: Same thing with IMSA.
• 21:48
  Jeff Dziekan: Imsa is actually off.
• 21:49
  Jeff Dziekan: You also have Formula One this week, starting actually yesterday.
• 21:54
  Jeff Dziekan: It's the Qatar Airways Abrazaizhan Grand Azerbaijan there you go.
• 21:57
  Don Armstrong: It's the Cutter Airways Abrazaizhan Azerbaijan.
• 21:59
  Don Armstrong: There you go.
• 21:59
  Jeff Dziekan: That's what he said.
• 22:00
  Jeff Dziekan: Yeah, put that with ketchup, it is the Cutter Airways race, and then from there we've got NASCAR.
• 22:08
  Jeff Dziekan: Nascar is in the playoffs is what they're calling it.
• 22:11
  Jeff Dziekan: Watkins Glen International that is on too.
• 22:14
  Don Armstrong: That's great.
• 22:15
  Jeff Dziekan: I love those road courses.
• 22:16
  Jeff Dziekan: That's where the Xfinity guys ran yesterday, but that's on tomorrow at 3 pm.
• 22:20
  Jeff Dziekan: It's on the USA Network.
• 22:21
  Jeff Dziekan: Nhra is also this weekend and they're in Redding, Pennsylvania and Erica in Pro Stock is qualified number one, there you go.
• 22:30
  Don Armstrong: And that's what we've got right now.
• 22:31
  Don Armstrong: Alright, thank you, sir.
• 22:32
  Don Armstrong: Time now for this week in auto history.
• 22:34
  Don Armstrong: Time now for this week in auto history.
• 22:35
  Don Armstrong: Mr Mars has that?
• 22:36
  Michael Marrs: Yeah, it do.
• 22:37
  Michael Marrs: It's been a busy month in auto history September the 10th, 1975.
• 22:42
  Michael Marrs: This is when the automotive industry began introducing vehicles designed to run on unleaded gasoline, and this was a significant shift prompted by new emissions regulations aimed at reducing air pollution.
• 22:53
  Michael Marrs: Lead was commonly used in gasoline to improve engine performance and reduce knocking, but it contributed to the harmful emissions and posed health risks, particularly if you were a sniffer.
• 23:02
  Michael Marrs: The transition to unleaded gasoline was a major milestone in environmental protection, aligning with efforts to improve air quality and public health.
• 23:08
  Michael Marrs: Then, on September the 12th, in 1914, Jeff Cadillac revolutionized the automotive industry by introducing the first mass-produced V8 engine.
• 23:18
  Michael Marrs: This was a 5.1-liter, 315-cubic-inch that produced 70 horsepower, which was a significant leap in power and performance compared to the contemporary vehicles.
• 23:27
  Michael Marrs: It featured a 90-degree overhead valve design, water cooling and was capable of reaching speeds up to 65 miles an hour, if you believe that.
• 23:35
  Michael Marrs: That is donkey.
• 23:36
  Michael Marrs: The V8's smooth, powerful performance elevated Cadillac's reputation for luxury and innovation, and this engine marked a milestone in automotive engineering, influencing engine design for decades to come.
• 23:47
  Michael Marrs: Then, on September 13, 1973, opec oil embargo begins, and it had a profound impact on the American automobile industry.
• 23:56
  Michael Marrs: The embargo, imposed by OPEC in response to US support for Israel during the Yom Kippur War, led to a massive rise in oil prices and fuel shortages, which exposed the vulnerability of American independence from foreign oil at the time.
• 24:13
  Michael Marrs: Going to September the 14th, in 1908, the first commercial gas station, the Standard Oil Service Station, opened in St Louis, missouri.
• 24:22
  Michael Marrs: This pioneering establishment Marked a significant development In automotive infrastructure, providing a dedicated place For fueling vehicles without gasoline.
• 24:30
  Michael Marrs: Prior to this, you had to go to a general store or hardware store To find somebody that sold gasoline, but this helped facilitate the widespread adoption of automobiles.
• 24:37
  Michael Marrs: To a general store or hardware store to find somebody that sold gasoline, but this helped facilitate the widespread adoption of automobiles, laying the foundation for the modern network of gas stations that we rely on today.
• 24:44
  Michael Marrs: September 14, 1955, launch of the Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing.
• 24:50
  Michael Marrs: This is an iconic sports car renowned for its distinctive upward-opening doors and advanced engineering.
• 24:57
  Michael Marrs: The 300 SL featured a fuel-injected inline six-cylinder, a lightweight design and aerodynamic shape that contributed to its handling and agility, which combined to show it some of the 1950s automotive luxury and innovations.
• 25:09
  Michael Marrs: This week in automotive history.
• 25:12
  Don Armstrong: Thank you, sir.
• 25:13
  Don Armstrong: Aston Martin just unveiled its latest flagship model, the Vanquish, a muscular, carbon fiber-bodied $429,000 coupe.
• 25:22
  Don Armstrong: Yeah, it's more luxurious and sporting than the DBS it replaces, featuring a coddling leather and cashmere interior and reaching a top speed of 214 miles an hour, the highest ever of any Aston series production vehicle.
• 25:38
  Don Armstrong: Motivating it is a new twin turbocharged 5.2 liter V12 engine that produces 824 horsepower, a significant increase from its 759 horsepower of its predecessor's V12.
• 25:54
  Don Armstrong: Its predecessors v12.
• 26:02
  Don Armstrong: Aston's beast joins a host of all new six and seven figure supercars, including the 423,819 horsepower ferrari 12 cylindry, the hybrid 604,100 horsepower lamborghini Rivalto I think I'm supposed to look at one of those and the $4 million 1,800 horsepower Bugatti Tourbillion.
• 26:25
  Michael Marrs: That'll fit in your garage.
• 26:26
  Don Armstrong: As long as they fit in the garage, I'm good.
• 26:27
  Don Armstrong: It features a 12 or 16 cylinder gas powered motor, generally in larger and more important forms than their progenitors.
• 26:36
  Don Armstrong: Oh, spell it.
• 26:39
  Michael Marrs: Is that the word for?
• 26:39
  Don Armstrong: the day B-R-O-G-E-N-I-T-O-R-S.
• 26:43
  Don Armstrong: You could twist that around and really get in some serious trouble.
• 26:47
  Don Armstrong: Yeah, you could, progenitors.
• 26:49
  Don Armstrong: I'm not going to go any further than that.
• 26:54
  Don Armstrong: The In Wheel Time Car Talk Show will continue after this quick break.
• 26:58
  Don Armstrong: Pro-am Auto Accessories has been serving Houston's auto enthusiasts since 1984, providing world-class products for sports cars, european sedans and American muscle.
• 27:08
  Don Armstrong: Pro-am is known as the place to go to find exclusive and hard-to-find parts and accessories.
• 27:12
  Don Armstrong: Pro-am is one of the very first distributors in the USA for brands such as Recaro, redline, momo Corbo and Simpson.
• 27:19
  Don Armstrong: Located in the heart of Houston's premier retail and service corridor, the Galleria area, pro-am's walk-in storefront includes an 8,000-square-foot warehouse, showroom and installation bays.
• 27:29
  Don Armstrong: Pro-am not only sells parts and accessories, but also offers installation and service.
• 27:33
  Don Armstrong: Pro-am is now reaching a worldwide audience through Pro-Amcom, taking its local reputation to the rest of the world.
• 27:39
  Don Armstrong: At Pro-Am Auto, you'll be dealing with a small group of professionals who truly want to help you with your automotive needs.
• 27:45
  Don Armstrong: If you don't see what you're looking for on the website, call and Pro-Am will lend you a hand.
• 27:49
  Don Armstrong: Pro-am Auto, 6125 Richmond at Greenridge in Houston's Galleria area.
• 27:54
  Don Armstrong: Call them at 713-781-7755.
• 27:58
  Don Armstrong: The annual time fall tour begins Saturday September 28th at Woody's sixth annual Waterfront Rod and Custom Car Show.
• 28:04
  Don Armstrong: There'll be awards for best truck rat rod, import paint engine interior and best of show.
• 28:10
  Don Armstrong: It happens at the Topwater Grill in San Leon, texas, where the backdrop of Galveston Bay will be one for your car scrapbook.
• 28:16
  Don Armstrong: Registration is $30 per car.
• 28:19
  Don Armstrong: On-site Visitors are free 8 to 4, saturday, september 28th, it's Woody's 6th Annual Waterfront Rod and Custom Car Show at Topwater Grill in San Leon, texas.
• 28:31
  Don Armstrong: Well, that's all for this week's In Real Time Car Talk Show.
• 28:33
  Don Armstrong: Be sure and check out our website InRealTimecom.
• 28:36
  Don Armstrong: Follow us on Facebook, give us a like, tell your friends car friends about us and share our stuff your friends too.
• 28:42
  Don Armstrong: We'll keep you connected to all things automotive all week long.
• 28:45
  Don Armstrong: The Love Line is open and can be reached at info at inwheeltimecom.
• 28:50
  Don Armstrong: We like car pics, so send us some of your car with a description and any info you want us to include, and we'll feature it on a future show.
• 28:59
  Don Armstrong: You bet when you're looking for award-winning car talk, you can find it on the In Real Time Car Talk Show 24-7 on the iHeartRadio app.
• 29:07
  Don Armstrong: Grab a podcast anytime from your favorite podcast provider.
• 29:10
  Don Armstrong: We live stream this show on Facebook, youtube and InRealTimecom every Saturday from 10 to noon Central Time.
• 29:17
  Don Armstrong: The In Real Time video technical director is we Need More Jeff Zekin, the booking agent, video editor and people finder, mike Out of this World, mars and chief engineer David Ainsley.
• 29:26
  Don Armstrong: I'm Don Armstrong, and condolences go out today to the mother of Monty the Singing.
• 29:31
  Don Armstrong: Donkey Pinky, we know and bear your loss with you and we hope that things will get better for you and we hope that you'll join us next week here on the In Real Time Car Talk Show, saturday.
• 29:44
  Don Armstrong: That would be September the 21st already from 10 to noon Central Time on all of our In Real Time Car Talk outlets.
• 29:51
  Don Armstrong: Be safe out there and have a great weekend.
• 29:53
  Don Armstrong: That's it for this podcast episode of the In Wheel Time Car Show.
• 30:02
  Don Armstrong: I'm Don Armstrong inviting you to join us for our live show every Saturday morning on Facebook, youtube, twitch and our InWheelTimecom website.
• 30:12
  Don Armstrong: Podcasts are available on Apple Podcasts, spotify, stitcher, iheart Podcast Podcast Addict TuneIn, pandora and Amazon Music.
• 30:21
  Don Armstrong: Keep listening and we'll see you soon.