Wheel Bearings

Nicole is spending mothers day at Disney World so our friend Stephanie Brinley has stepped in again. Steph drove the Volvo EX30 and Hyundai Tucson PHEV. Robbie drove the oldest car any of us has ever been in (or on) the Benz Patent Motorwagen and Sam had the new Nissan Leaf.
Sam and Stephanie both got to visit the Ford EV Development Center in Long Beach, home of the skunk works. VW has launched the ID Era 9X, a very impressive 3-row EREV built only for China. Lexus announced the new TZ 3-row electric crossover. BMW announced pricing and range for the US spec iX3 and the addition of a pre-chamber ignition system for its six-cylinder engines. The Japanese and Chinese are developing a new joint charging connector called ChaoJi.
Ford unveiled a new Carhatt edition Super Duty truck and Nicole went to see it and spoke with designers Steve Gilmore and Bhavna Mistry from Ford and Ben Ewey from Carhatt.
Links
Somebody Put 223,000 Miles on a 3-Year Toyota Camry Lease and Walked Away
Ford's Secret California Outpost Where It's Rethinking Its EV Strategy
Ford's Next Model T: Inside the UEV Program
Volkswagen ID. Era 9X Is On Another Planet From Any Other VW Sold! You Have To See This
ALL-ELECTRIC THREE-ROW LUXURY: THE ALL-NEW 2027 LEXUS TZ
2027 Ford Super Duty Carhartt Package: Built to Take the Same Abuse as Your Carhartt
ChaoJi Standard
BMW M Ignite technology: Innovative new technology for all six-cylinder in-line engines from BMW M.
BMW Officially Announces Pricing and Range for 2027 BMW iX3 50 xDrive.

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Nicole has returned from the Big Easy after driving the Acura MDX and eating beignets with too much powdered sugar (is there such a thing as too much?). She also drove the Infiniti QX65, Dodge Charger R/T and Kia Sportage. Sam had the Toyota Corolla FX and Robbie rented a Kia Carnival for a mini vacation.
Fiat inexplicably raises the price of the 500e by $5,000 while Motor Trend drives a $10,000 Chinese EV that doesn't suck. The US spec BMW iX3 is projected to get 434 miles on a charge. The New York State Police are using new Mustang GTs to catch speeders. Dreame has created a ridiculous EV with solid rocket boosters. Lynk&Co has shown off a gorgeous electric GT coupe. Tesla is again shipping Chinese built EVs to Canada and Cadillac is building a very limited run of F1 edition CT5-V Blackwings.
Links
2027 Infiniti QX65 Review: Tennessee-Built Luxury SUV Offers Refined Ride
Is the 2026 Acura MDX Type S Worth It? | NewsNation
Fiat Raises 500e Price by $5,000 With Almost Nothing New - Autoblog
2027 BMW iX3 Range Quietly Jumps To 434 Miles In The U.S.
480-HP Ford Mustang GT Joins Police to Crack Down on Speeders - Autoblog
We Sent An Engineer To Check Out A Chinese Household-Appliance Company’s EV Rocket Car That Promises 0-60 in 0.9 Seconds. Here's What He Found - The Autopian
This Chinese EV Coupe Wouldn't Look Out Of Place In Monaco
Tesla starts selling Chinese-made Model 3s in Canada at the EV's lowest price ever - Engadget
I Just Drove a $10,000 Chinese EV. No, It Didn’t Suck
Blackwing hits the track: Introducing the Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing F1® Collector Series
Sierra Meadows Cabins

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This week Nicole is off in New Orleans with Acura so our buddy John Voelcker is sitting in. He's been driving a bunch of stuff including the Ford Maverick hybrid, Porsche Taycan, Cadillac Escalade IQ, Jeep Cherokee and Subaru Trailseeker. Robbie drove the Hyundai Ioniq 5 XRT and Sam had the Lexus GX550 Overtrail.
At Milan Design Week, Hyundai unveiled its new Ioniq 3 compact and Kia showed off the Vision Meta Turismo. Hyundai also showed off the new Ioniq V in Beijing. GM has paused development of a next set of electric full-size trucks and Rivian has launched production of the R2. Stellantis now has pet accessories under the Mopaw brand looks likely to focus on just four main brands going forward.
Links
New Hyundai Ioniq 3 breaks cover with stunning sci-fi looks | Auto Express
Stellantis Introduces Mopaw
Kia Presents Vision Meta Turismo at Milan Design Week, Redefining the Grand Tourer for the Digital Age
First Production Rivian R2 Drives Off The Line Just Days After A Tornado Hit The Factory - Jalopnik
GM Is Reportedly Delaying New Full-Size Electric Trucks As It Pivots Back To Gas-Powered Trucks And Hybrids - The Autopian
Hyundai Motor Reaffirms China Commitment at Auto China 2026, Unveils IONIQ V as First Step in New Product Offensive - Releases
Exclusive: Stellantis to focus funding on core car brands as CEO drives turnaround, sources say | Reuters
Automakers Pull Back on EVs

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After last week's travel challenges, Robbie and Nicole are back. Nicole has driven the Chevrolet Equinox EV and the Honda Pilot Elite while Sam had the Mazda MX-5 Miata 35th Anniversary Edition.
Robbie tells us about the new Mercedes-Benz GLE and GLS and we discuss the company's new drive by wire system. GM is apparently going to build a new Buick sedan as well as a new Camaro. Nissan has a new electric Juke for the rest of the world and Porsche has a convertible 911 GT3 S/C with a manual transmission. Uber is pouring $10 billion into robotaxis. VW has a revamped with ID3 Neo with all the switches. Doug Field is leaving Ford and that might signal the end of the Model E division as it basically gets rolled back into the main Ford. Ford's cancelled 3-row electric crossover has been visible on Field's linkedin page for at least a year. Honda is killing it's e:Ny1 in the UK and the Ontario government and Unifor have rejected Stellantis' plan to assembly Leap Motor knockdown kits in Canada. The NTSB has issued its report on a pair of fatal BlueCruise crashes. Nicole interviews Mazda director of safety strategy and communications Jennifer Morrison and Lucid head of Air and Gravity product Rob Whitley.
Links
Mercedes-Benz GLE and GLS
Mercedes-benz steer by wire
GM preps new Buick sedan alongside redesigned Cadillac CT5, Chevrolet Camaro, source says
The First Electric Nissan Juke Is A Radical Departure
The 2027 Porsche 911 GT3 S/C Is a Manual, Drop-Top Salute to the NA Flat-Six
Uber eyes $10B robotaxi investment: Financial Times | Smart Cities Dive
World premiere of the ID.3 Neo: new name, new design, new interior and new technologies | Volkswagen Newsroom
Doug Field leaves and Ford Reorgs
Honda e:Ny1 Withdrawn from Sale in U.K. —
DefinitelyNotAGuruStellantis Brampton plant plans stall after Leapmotor kit cars pitch rejected
Ford's Never-Seen, Canceled Moonshot EV Has Been Hiding in Plain Sight Online for a Yearlain-sight-online-for-a-year
https://www.gminsidenews.com/threads/ford-aeros-photos-cancelled-3-row-ev.311092/?post_id=7445625&utm_click_loc=title&utm_source=threadloom&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=ed1081&utm_content=iss445&utm_campaign=ed1081&utm_content=iss445&utm_medium=email&utm_source=threadloom#post-7445625
NTSB Finds Automation Overreliance Contributed to Two Fatal Ford BlueCruise Crashes

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Robbie and Nicole both ran into travel delays today so Chad Kirchner is jumping in. Sam makes the case for buying an Acura Integra A-Spec over the ADX.
Nissan has revealed its next-generation Rogue and teased the upcoming XTerra. Kia is laying out its plans through 2030 including a midsize pickup with hybrid and EREV drivetrains and more EVs. Hyundai is launching an Ioniq sub-brand in China. BYD wants 20 dealers in Canada by the end of this year and is planning to install 300 1,500-kW charging stations in the UK in the next 12 months. VW has ended production of the ID4 in Chatanooga and the Scout Traveler and Terra might be delayed. Listener Michael Burns jumps in from the Discord to tell us about his recent car shopping experience and we have Nicole's interview with Nissan CMO Allyson Witherspoon from the NY Auto Show.
Chad's Star Trek podcast
Greyhound Nation
Links
2026 Kia CEO Investor Day: Kia to Drive Exponential Growth and Manufacturing Innovation by Expanding Its Full Electrified Vehicle Lineup and Strengthening Future Business Capabilities
Next-Gen Toyota GR86 Set for Hybrid Era Without Losing Its Soul - Autoblog
BYD confirms UK's fastest EV chargers: 1500kW network detailed | Autocar
Volkswagen Updates Chattanooga Production Strategy | Releases
Scout's Terra Pickup May Not Arrive Until 2030: Report
BYD to open 20 Canada stores, eyes local EV factory - Automotive News
Hyundai Motor Company Launches IONIQ Lineup Brand in China with the Premiere of Two New Concept Cars - Releases

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