Unnamed Automotive Podcast

Do you need a 475 horsepower, track-ready SUV? Does anyone? The 2018 Dodge Durango SRT gets road-tested by both Benjamin and Sami this week, who are both in love with its exhaust note and appalled by its fuel economy. Sami also ponders the missed opportunity that is the 2018 Chevrolet Tahoe RST, the 'performance' edition of the Durango's direct competitor that leaves a lot on the table. The pair also provide final thoughts on the departing 2018 GMC Sierra Denali, what it's like to attend the Bob Bondurant driving school with Bill Goldberg, and why a robot like the Honda Asimo gets to retire at the age of 18.

What's it like driving the 2019 Audi Q8 across the driest desert on the planet? Benjamin has the scoop after piloting the Q8 through Chile's Atacama, which NASA uses as a stand-in for the surface of Mars. Closer to home, Sami is impressed by how well Subaru has nailed its second attempt at a seven-seat crossover with the 2019 Subaru Ascent, which he drove along the Cape Breton coast. Finally, Benjamin drives one of this heroes - the bonkers Renault Clio V6 - and Sami is sad about the recent reveal of the Chevrolet Blazer.Links: First Drive: 2019 Audi Q8 passes luxury SUV coupe test in Chilean desert — Following the leader is a time-honored trend in the automotive business, and one that often leads to a profitable payoff at the end of the line. Still, for luxury brands whose entire identity is wrapped up in being able to offer something the other guy doesn't, trend-surfing - no matter how much market share is at stake - can be a delicate enterprise. First Drive: 2019 Audi Q8 (Canadian market) — For those expecting the Q8 to be merely the Q7-plus-one, the all-new SUV “coupe” has several surprises in store. Not the least of these is the decision to truncate the 8 in favour of introducing more muscular proportions as compared to its full-size platform-mate. 2019 Subaru Ascent Review — The all-new Subaru Ascent is finally here and the brand thinks it has really cracked the code when it comes to three-row goodness.

The 2018 BMW 640i Gran Turismo is perhaps the most bizarre BMW also built - and yet, somehow, perhaps the most useful vehicle in the company's current line-up. Both Benjamin and Sami have their minds completely blown by this baffling, and amazing, automobile. Also on deck: Sami spends a week with the 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee, and the pair try to figure out who, exactly, needs to order Applebees directly from their car's touchscreen, which you can now do in a brand new Hyundai, and why Porsche named the Mission E the 'Taycan.'

Would you buy a diesel pickup? What about a diesel pickup that's smaller than a full-size? And would you pay $50,000 for it? These are the questions Benjamin tries to answer when driving the 2018 GMC Canyon Diesel over the course of a week. Sami, when not provoking Benjamin about how many tires he's hauling around, also chips in with his thoughts on the 2019 Kia Sorento redesign, before wrapping things up with listener questions.Links: 2019 Kia Sorento vs 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee — Despite rising fuel costs and urban sprawl, SUVs still represent big business and sell in impressive numbers. In light of that, we decided to take a look at two of our favorite new SUVs, the Kia Sorento and the Jeep Grand Cherokee, to see which one is better for each kind of buyer out there.

Does the 2019 Lexus ES still have a place at the table in a world where mid-size premium sedans offering tons of luxury features can be had from nearly every automaker on the market? Benjamin and Sami discuss the all-new ES after having put it through its paces.

When is weird too weird? When is weird not enough? That's what Sami attempts to discover when comparing the 2018 Kia Soul crossover to the 2018 Toyota CH-R. Benjamin jumps in with his strangely authoritative opinions on why, exactly, a whole bunch of other strange-looking SUVs failed where the Soul has succeeded. He then talks about his time driving the twin-turbo rotary-powered FD Mazda RX-7 from the Mazda classic collection, while Sami quietly seethes with jealousy.Links: Retro Rewind: Driving Mazda's RX-7 FD rotary wunderkind — How does “strange” hold up today in a world where turbos are now the norm and rotaries have been banished to the dust heap of history by emissions regs and warranty concerns? I spent some quality time with a 1993 Mazda RX-7 R1 borrowed from Mazda Canada’s classic collection to find out if an old favorite can still dance to modern music. Your definitive Mazda RX-7 FD buyer's guide — The third-generation Mazda RX-7—also known by its internal designation FD or FD3S—is one of the most arrestingly beautiful shapes to have ever escaped a Japanese design studio. When it went on sale in the early ’90s, its flowing lines stood in stark contrast not just to the more boxy wedge offered by the previous version of the car, but also the more aggressively linear look of rivals like the Acura NSX and the Mitsubishi 3000GT.

Is the 2018 GMC Sierra Denali falling behind the pack just prior to its complete redesign this fall? After towing with it this past week, Sami certainly thinks so - especially compared to the 2018 Ford F-150 that Benjamin was driving. The pair also discuss their shared time in the 2018 Volvo S90 T8, debate the merits of its battery power, and try to figure out why Sami is so in love with the red convertible top on the 2018 Mazda MX-5 Miata.

The embargo has lifted and we can finally talk about the 2019 Hyundai Veloster Turbo - and boy, do we have a lot to say.

Where does the redesigned 2019 Audi A6 fit into the executive sedan ecosystem? Sami drives the latest Audi in Portugal and comes back suitably impressed by what the luxury car has to offer. Meanwhile, Benjamin falls in love with the wagon version of the Mercedes-Benz C-Class, and delivers an impassioned soliloquy on the benefits of wagons over crossovers. Finally, Chevy's turbocharged four-cylinder Silverado gamble is an intriguing play for the full-size pickup, but neither Sami nor Benjamin are sure just how, exactly, it will play out.Links: 2019 Audi A6 Review and First Drive — New Audi A6 is a global role player that stuffs the stat sheet.

The Eclipse Cross is the last Mitsubishi to be developed entirely in-house prior to the merger with Nissan, and Sami spends a week behind the wheel to figure out what the new SUV's lasting legacy will be for fans of the brand. Meanwhile, Benjamin has his expectations overturned by the 2018 BMW X2 sport-utility vehicle, while also sampling the similarly surprisingly - although not in a good way - 2018 Alfa Romeo Stelvio SUV. SUV! SUV! SUV!

The 2019 Genesis G70 turns out to be more than just a rival to the current crop of entry-level sport sedans from BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Audi - it's a bit of a time machine back to when dialed-in steering, suspension, and a lively character were more important than outright power and multi-stage traction control. On both the street and the Mont Tremblant race track the G70 impressed Benjamin to the point where he makes some very bold statements about its place in the world. Sami, on the other hand, had a week of sand and sun in the 2018 Land Rover Discovery over in the Middle East, and also checked out Ferrari World Abu Dhabi which was, well, not quite as Ferrari-esque as he had been lead to believe.Links: First Drive: 2019 Genesis G70 resurrects ghosts of performance past to put spirit in sport sedan futures — That the latest challenger to Teutonic supremacy hails from Korea should be no surprise given the rising tide of quality, engineering prowess, and willingness to spend huge amounts of money on the part of parent company Hyundai. That the G70 succeeds so expertly where its erstwhile competitors have failed – or rather, ceased to try – is much more of a shock. 2019 Genesis G70 Review — Rest assured: there’s at least one automaker out there that’s still firmly committed to placing fun-to-drive luxury sedans at the forefront of its portfolio. How the Land Rover Discovery Helped Me Get Engaged — How Sami tip-toed a cultural divide in a big SUV. The Real Reason Ford Is Phasing Out Its Sedans — IT’S NOT THAT you’re getting smaller. It’s that automobiles are getting bigger.

Stop the press, because Ford has decided to stop making cars! Well, almost - in the middle of recording this episode, Benjamin and Sami learn that Ford will keep building the Mustang, but kill every other sedan in a bid to focus exclusively on SUVs and trucks. The pair also talk about the all-new Mercedes-Benz A-Class, which Sami drove under the Croatian sun, and the 2018 Lincoln Navigator SUV, which surprised Benjamin during their week together with how much of an effort Lincoln has made in revising its flagship.Links: 2019 Mercedes-Benz A-Class Review and First Drive — The new Mercedes A-Class not only rectifies many of the criticisms of the old compacts but also delivers a whole suite of innovative, exclusive technologies that will make the car stand out to buyers.

The Mazda 6 has always offered excellent handling, but was left in the dust by more powerful sedan peers - until now. The 2018 Mazda 6 Turbo is here, and Benjamin has the scoop after a day spent zoom-zooming through B.C.'s mountain valleys. Sami and Benjamin also discuss the excellent Nissan Armada, which impresses despite frightening fuel mileage, as well as the overland Armada Patrol bear-proof camper, which might not be nearly as ursine-ready as one would think. Also, news!

Who, exactly, is the 2019 Chevrolet Camaro Turbo 1LE aimed at? Compact performance enthusiasts or budget-minded track fans? Benjamin gets to the bottom of that question after driving the newest Camaro at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, when he wasn't having his mind blown in the 755 horsepower 2019 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 by pro drivers Tommy Milner and Tony Kanaan. Sami gets the chance to tell the world just how much he loves the Subaru Outback, before the two dissect Benjamin's wheel time in the all-new 2019 Volkswagen Jetta.Links: 2019 Volkswagen Jetta Review — While it’s true that the 2019 edition of the Jetta does deliver incremental improvements in fuel economy, interior room, features availability, and safety gear, the overall concept behind the vehicle is very nearly a dead ringer for what was available the year before. Whether this is a good or a bad thing depends on how enamored you were of what Volkswagen’s popular small car already had to offer (and if you’re comfortable with a little less choice under the hood). 2019 Chevrolet Camaro Turbo 1LE First Drive — Heralding the styling and equipment updates that have been made to the refreshed 2019 Camaro (the SS gains the 10-speed automatic gearbox that’s been slowly working its way across the GM portfolio, Chevrolet’s new Infotainment 3 system is now available, and, of course, the regular roundup of design tweaks also join the order list) comes the full 1LE treatment for the most affordable version of Chevrolet’s every-person performance car. The newest 1LE model doesn’t just allow the Bowtie to pull even with Ford, but it actually gives them something the Mustang doesn’t have: a legitimate track-ready package that’s now available with three separate drivetrains. 2018 Subaru Outback: 2 Million and 9 Reasons Why It’s So Popular — Two million buyers can’t be wrong, but in case there was any doubt, the Outback does a number of things very well. Here are a few reasons why this rugged crossover has become so popular

Is the Nissan Leaf DOA because of its miniscule battery range in comparison to the Chevrolet Bolt? Should Volkswagen be building 'American' cars like the full-size Atlas SUV in a bid to engage with buyers? These questions get answered this week as Benjamin and Sami try to figure out the two unusual corporate strategies behind this pair of vehicles. Sami also reports on all the good and bad vehicle debuts from the New York Auto Show.Links: 2018 Nissan Leaf Review — The 2018 Nissan Leaf is more than just a modest bump in EV range