Summary: <br> Alan welcomes back friend and contributor BJ Killeen – Automotive Journalist and Voice of Reason. Barrett-Jackson, the renowned auction house, is back with a new online streaming feature available at tv.barrett-jackson.com. Alan will be attending their symposiums. BJ Killeen shares a few details about the upcoming auctions, including the sale of Frank Teague’s collection, which includes classic cars like the Plymouth Hemi Super bird, Yenko Camaro, and pre-war classics such as the 37 Bugatti, Packard Amelia Concourse winner Silver Ray. Switching topics, China has been trying to monopolize the EV market and is promoting nationalism by sending a fleet of cars to Mexico and Europe. In other news, Oscar Meyer is hiring 12 people to drive the Wienermobile for a salary of 35k a year. Although the job includes good benefits, the drivers will have to attend 1200 events in 40 cities or 20,000 miles. BJ test-drove the 2023 Hyundai Palisades SUV, a sister vehicle to the Kia Telluride. The SUV has an impressive warranty and a standout feature called “Smart Park,” which will park the car for you.<br> <br> <br> <br> Alan’s next guest is Lauren Fix, Editor-in-Chief for Car Coach Reports and a long-time friend of his. Since Lauren lives in Buffalo, he asks Lauren what should be done with electric vehicles that are stranded in cold weather. Her response is straightforward: stay home! The cold weather has caused several problems for EVs, including charging issues, longer charging times, minimal charge percentage, higher insurance rates, quicker tire wear, and difficulty driving in the snow. Switching gears to a different topic, Lauren mentions that the House of Representatives has overturned the EV mandate. This means that each state may not have to go all-electric , allowing the “choice in automobile retail sales” and the freedom to buy what the people want. She encourages people to let their local representatives know their thoughts on federal registry regulations through the website comments.gov for their peace of mind.<br> <br> <br> <br> Next up is George Kennedy III, who is a co-founder of Cartender.com and the Vice President of the New England Motor Press Association. He contributes to various publications, including U.S. News & World Report, CarGurus, Forbes Wheels, and The Drive. Recently, George test-droved the 2024 BMW Z4 Convertible and found it to be a great cruiser and a fun car to drive. He particularly liked the heated seats, steering wheels, and the clever features that allow you to drive the vehicle with the top down even in colder weather. George also expressed interest in driving the 2024 BMW M40i, which starts at $66k and has a 380 horsepower inline six engine. The Z4 Convertible has a starting price of $53k for the four-cylinder turbo model, which can go from 0 to60 in 5.2 seconds. Customers can also opt for the dynamic chassis package for a few thousand dollars.<br> <br> <br> <br> At the end of the show, we hear from Karl Brauer, an automotive industry analyst, Forbes Autos contributor, North American Car and Truck of the Year juror, board member, and Executive Analyst for ISeeCars.com. He talks about Hertz’s decision to sell off a significant percentage of their EV fleet and replace them with non-EV vehicles. The reason behind this move is the higher upfront cost, higher maintenance and service cost, and increased accidents associated with EVs. This decision is a smart business move as they want to reduce costs and increase profits. According to Karl, EVs were not as dependable and reliable as they should have been. Karl also shares the results of the latest study, which lists the top 25 cheapest cars that last the longest, based on every 10,000 miles. According to the study, the top four cars that offer the best value are the Mitsubishi Mirage, Toyota Corolla, Subaru Impreza, and Honda Accord. The complete list will be available on Iseecars....
