RoAb #136 - Mrs. Ausfahrt and Mr. Auspuff
Monday, July 30, 2012 at 7:03AM Toyota turns back the clock on race relations. The City of Chicago moves a mountain of cars. And our panelists play another game of LIE OF THE BEHOLDER!
Brought to you by Amazon.com and Advance Auto Parts
Play RoundAbout Episode 136
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Featuring: Michelle Naranjo, Dave Sullivan, Steven Ewing, Craig Cole and Ben Sanders
With additional research and assistance from: Mark Malonzo
RoundAbout records LIVE on Fridays at 6:30PM ET/3:30PM PT. Visit RoundAboutShow.com and click Watch Live to watch our webcast and look in on all the antics.
Show Notes
Why Your Insurance Drops When You Turn 25
When young Henrietta returns from France this summer, I am going to go over this little infographic with her about why she needs to start driving now. Since she will be 19 in October, she will not considered to be a safe driver until she is 28 years old!
Toyota Names Car After Reconstruction Era Racial Slur
I love old-tyme words and phrases, except perhaps these. Another day, another ethnic pejorative. Who’s in trouble now? Well, according to Jalopnik, Toyota is in a whole heap of hot water over the name it chose for one of its JDM models. The Porte and Spade are miniature minivans with two sliding doors for easy access in Japan’s narrow parking spaces, though I’m not sure if they qualify for kei-car status. Curiously, the company chose TWO separate names for basically the SAME vehicle. Figure that one out. So what’s the fuss all about? Apparently “spade” is a Reconstruction-era racial slur. If you thought of playing cards or a small garden shovel you’re not alone. I’ve got to ask, was this really worth posting? I for one am NOT offended. If you want to be grievously off-put, check out the Racial Slur Database and remember, always have your pets spayed and neutered. And remember another thing, when I typed “spade” it was actually a pun.
Who is your favorite automotive spokesperson?
Hooniverse asked WHO IS YOUR FAVORITE SPOKESPERSON??? Well, they had plenty of suggestions which went to show that Hooniverse might have a possibly older crowd browsing their site. My favorite is the trunk monkey. The worst was that damn Ford puppet named Doug. Or that Honda cartoon guy - Mr Opportunity Anyone have anything that comes to mind? Chatroom?
Canadian Chevrolet Aveo wants to be a Jaguar Vanden Plas when it Grows Up
It’s no secret that the Chevrolet Aveo came from a very dark period in General Motors’ small car strategy. Frankly, it absolutely stunk. But one Canadian Aveo owner has given his car a touch of class by adding various Jaguar bits to the front fascia and side panels, turning his miserable subcompact into, well, a miserable subcompact with some tacked-on shiny bits. Don’t try passing this one off at your local concours d’elegance.
Which lasts longer, cars or spouses?
I am obviously an expert in this area! AutoMD, a auto repair website, revealed after a recent survey that 78% of people are planning on keeping their cars at least 10 years. MarketWatch points out that while this parallels the new extended life expectancy of contemporary cars which are staying on the road nearly 11 years on average, marriages only last, on average, 9 years. In the age of using the Internet to shop for your new cat to buying a car to using it to find your match online by using Facebook to hook up with old flames or stalking people on Plenty of Fish, it seems that part of the new dating strategy might have taken on the planned obsolescence of the cars of yore.
Researchers Developing Self-Cleaning Coating for Cars
Belold, the future of enlightened motoring! The auto-mo-bile of tomorrow won’t rust or catch on fire. They’ll park themselves and even serve breakfast as you recline in total comfort. But wait, there’s more! The car of the future will even keep itself clean! Just like a cat, but actually sanitary! Surely you’ve heard of self-healing paint, it’s been used on some Nissan and Infiniti vehicles for years, and it’s basis for this technology. Wired magazine reports this new-fangled automotive finish contains nano capsules AND special “stalks” that react to sunlight and heat. They sort of melt if you will, repairing small surface blemishes. The result is a highly water-resistant finish that retains its luster longer. As you drive through the rain dirt and road grime literally roll right off the paint. What an innovation. It’s like having a teflon-coated car!
Chicago Moves 17,000 Vehicles Per Year Without Telling The Owners
“Dude, Where’s My Car?” references aside, how pissed would you be if you stumbled out of your apartment one morning only to find that your sweet Honda Civic with the aftermarket wing wasn’t where you parked it? Furthermore, how pissed would you be if you found out that city workers moved it on your behalf and never bothered to tell you? If you’re a resident of Chicago, this scenario isn’t so far-fetched. According to The Chicago Tribune, city workers moved some 17,000 vehicles last year, many with little or no notice, in order for work crews to get their jobs done. Of course, similar situations happen every day here in Detroit, though it isn’t city workers that are picking up the cars...
Too Drunk To Drive, But Still Wanna Get Your Car Home? There’s An App For That
What may sound like a great idea sounds quite possibly like one of the worst. A trial program called STEARCLEAR is being ramped up with $500,000 of seed money is at work in New Jersey where you can have two people that team up making minimum wage to drive your vehicle, hopefully home. Yes, the service is cheaper than a DUI but do you really want some sketchy guy making minimum wage driving your car in the dark? If you leave your car parked some place overnight it’l probably be there in the morning. If you give your key to someone you can only hope it’ll make it home. Or if you ride in the car, would you want to be a drunk female with some sketchy guy driving you to who knows where??? Yeah. I didn’t think so.
AMAZON PICK OF THE WEEK
IN THE GARAGE
2013 Audi A8 L -- Steven
2013 Mercedes-Benz GL -- Michelle
2012 Hyundai Azera -- Davidov
2012 Land Rover LR4 -- Craig
LIE OF THE BEHOLDER
Round No. 1 -- NOBODY
Craig -- Oldsmobile Alero
Craig -- Oldsmobile Intrigue
Craig -- Ford Mustang
Steven -- Chevy Camaro
Dave -- Cadillac CTS
Round No. 2 -- 2009 MItsubishi Galant, Steven
Craig -- Hyundai . . .
Craig -- Pontiac G6
Steven -- Carmy
Round No. 3 -- 2011 NIssan Juke, Dave
Craig -- Saturn Astra
Michelle -- Hyundai Veloster
Steven -- Audi A3
Craig -- Toyota Matrix
Round No. 4 -- 2003 Volvo XC90, Craig
Dave -- Nissan Leaf
Craig -- Ford Explorer
Michelle -- Mercedes-Benz GL
MIchelle -- ???
Craig --Saab 97x
Round No. 5 -- Suzuki Grand Vitara, Craig
Round No. 6 -- Hyundai Elantra Coupe, Dave
Round No. 7 -- Infiniti EX, Steven
Round No. 8 -- NOBODY
Round No. 9 -- Jaguar X-Type, Michelle
Round No. 10 -- Maybach 62, Steven
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