Category: Auto Show

RPM’s 10 Most Popular Videos of 2018!

“So this is Christmas and what have you done, another year over, a new one just begun…” ~ John Lennon

As suggested by these song lyrics, which I’ve heard so often lately, I’m beginning to imagine I wrote them myself, it is Christmas and another year is over, perhaps some self examination is due. 

In that spirit, I’ve opened up the RPM News Weekly library of 2018 videos to see just what we’ve done over the last year. Surprisingly, there’s more there than I remembered, AND a lot of viewers took the time to watch and enjoy the work. For this, everyone here at RPM News Weekly is grateful.

Some of what we presented got lots more attention from our audience than the rest. Although this is to be expected, we don’t presume to know exactly why particular stories fared better than others.

But since it is Christmas and we are inexorably heading into a new year, what better time to sit back and review with you the ten most popular RPM News Weekly videos of 2018!

#1:  2018 Dodge Challenger GT AWD Does Snow

“You guys must really love this car..It’s the second time you’ve featured it in a year” ~ White_Rook

This YouTube commenter is correct, we do love the Dodge Challenger AWD.  Not only did we get to drive it pretty hard in the woods of New Hampshire, but Rich got a taste what it’s like to drive the Challenger AWD in the real world, with real weather.

So far Challenger GT AWD Does Snow is proving to be our most popular video, not just for this year, but on our YouTube channel in general.

People either really like snow.. or the Dodge Challenger. I’m guessing the latter.

Read the full story here

#2:  All- New 2019 Honda Insight Hybrid | New York International Auto Show

We were pretty excited to see the new Honda Insight at the 2018 New York Auto Show. Thankfully, Honda Senior Product planner Chris Hand took a few moments out of his busy day to tell us all about it.

#3: 2018 Jeep Wrangler JL at NYIAS w/ Scott Tallon – RPM News Extra

Given the popularity of the Jeep Wrangler, it’s no surprise that a ‘first look’ at the new Wrangler JL from the 2018 New York Auto Show got the #3 spot on our list.

Thank you to Jeep for taking us on a jouncy ride in their test area. Being able to step outside and go Jeeping always provides a welcome break from the heady excitement of the NY Auto Show.

Read the full story here

#4: 2019 RAM 1500 North Edition Debut

RAM surprised New England Motor Press Association members by debuting the winter-ready RAM 1500 North Edition. Should we be surprised by the amount of interest readers & viewers have in it?

Read the full story here

#5: RPM Drives: 2019 smart EQ fortwo

When smart rolls out a new model it’s no small affair.. Oh, wait, yes it is.

The automaker brought the renamed smart EQ fortwo to the headquarters of the New England Motor Press Association shortly after the model joined the Mercedes EQ EV family.

Field correspondent Rane Newcomb, having never previously driven a smart, took this opportunity to get behind the wheel. What he found (besides that it rides “like a normal car”) is that the smart EQ fortwo is really fun to drive in a circle.

Read the full story here

#6: 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV – RPM News New Model Introduction

Aside from the new Eclipse Cross, you could say that Mitsubishi hasn’t put out the planet’s ‘most interesting’ vehicles in recent years. But, after driving the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV, we were so impressed with how well it functions – not just as ‘normal’ SUV, but as a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle as well, that we knew we had an obligation to do a short video to introduce America to this exciting electric vehicle – one that, as Rich Taber points-out in the voiceover, “doesn’t have the name Tesla attached to it.” 

Read the full story here

#7: Mass Cruisers Engine Build-off 2018

Although the Engine Build-off was not RPM News Weekly’s most watched video of the year, putting this video together was our favorite project for 2018.

Not only did we get to partner with the folks at Mesh Magazine & The Mass Cruisers Auto Club to help film the Engine build off, but we got to put Rich in a rickety old Go Kart.

If you haven’t watched the video yet, here’s the run down:

Teams of students race to rebuild small Briggs & Stratton lawn mower engines. I’d tell you more, but I want you to watch the video..

Read the full story here.

#8: Boston Auto Show: GeoOrbital Rides Toward Future

Maybe you’ve seen the guys from GeoOrbital on CNBC’s Shark Tank – the sharks didn’t buy into the company, but they did end up buying 2 wheels.

We encountered GeoOrbital at the New England International Auto Show. After seeing a few people having fun zipping around on vehicles using the company’s innovative bicycle wheel, we couldn’t resist joining in. We talk to the developers about their product and their vision for the future, too.

Read the full story here

#9: RPM News: 2018 Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid

Ioniq, like Ironic.

Sure, we may have originally mispronounced the car’s name… live and learn.

Read the full story here

#10: Q & A on 2019 Jeep Cherokee at NYIAS w/ Scott Tallon –RPM News Extra

From driving the AWD Challenger to our introduction to the new Wrangler, it’s been a very ‘FCA’ kind of year.

Here, Jeep Brand Director Scott Tallon provides a run down of the newly refreshed Jeep Cherokee at the 2018 New York International Auto show.

Read the full story here

We’ve had a good year here at RPM News, and have a lot planned for 2019 to grow the site and the RPM News Weekly brand. So, be sure to subscribe to our youtube channel and thanks for watching!

Beyond the Debuts: Other Things To Do & See At The 2018 LA Auto Show

Sure, we know you go to the LA Auto Show to look at the shiny new cars. Perhaps you’re looking to buy one, or maybe you’d just like to catch a glimpse of the latest and greatest before everyone else. But, beyond the 1000 new cars on display there’s a bit more to see at LAAS.

From celebrity owned custom cars, to joyrides and even pet adoptions, here’s a rundown of the many things to see and do at the 2018 LA Auto Show.

“The Garage”

Tuner & Custom cars, toys and aftermarket accessories – you’ll find them all in “The Garage”.

 

Custom Cars

While Detroit may be the epicenter of the automotive universe (at least in the U.S.A), Los Angeles is the center of automotive customization. From the rise of the Hot Rod to the vibe of the low and slow’ LA Lowrider scene, if there’s an automotive trend out there, chances are it originated in Southern California. Where better to celebrate that spirit of car culture than at the LA Auto Show?

 

“The Garage” Photo: LAAS

 

Custom Shelby Mustang; Photo: LAAS

 

American Fastbacks Customized Wrangler ; Photo LAAS

 

Today, California continues to influence the automotive world. Although the scene has evolved from chopped Mercs and bagged Impalas to promoting Electric & Hydrogen powered vehicles, the spirit of ‘making it your own’ is still alive and well.  What better way to bridge that generation gap than a dropped / customized BMW i8?

 

Modified BMW i8; Photo LAAS

 

West Coast Customs

For their inaugural appearance at LAAS, West Coast Customs is showing off a super-clean restomod Porsche 356 built on a 2008 Porsche Cayman platform. You’d never know there’s a Cayman hiding under that skin.

WCC Restomode Porsche 356; Photo LAAS

 

Custom Jeep Wrangler owned by Alex Rodriguez on Display at WWC.

Galpin’s Hall of Customs

If you know your Ford history, then you likely know all about Galpin Motors. Besides being the first Shelby dealer in California, Galpin Motors has been ‘Galpinizing’ cars since the 1950s.

 

Galpin Ford

 

While they started out modifying, building and racing custom Fords, Galpin has evolved into a full-on customization shop, building cars not only for customers, but also for Hollywood, as well as creating their own ‘Galpin Fisker Ford Mustang Rocket’.

 

Galpin’s Hall of Customs; Photo: Galpin Motors via Twitter @galpinmotors

 

If you’re into custom and high performance vehicles, Galpin has assembled a fairly diverse group that includes Salomondrin’s Modified Ford Raptor S, Ken Block’s customized RS200, a Singer Porsche and the Aston Martin DBS Superleggera – just to name a few. We’re sure this will be a popular area to visit at LAAS.

Here’s the Salomondrin’s Modified Ford Raptor in what looks like a screen shot from GTA 5:

Photo: LAAS

Drool..

Ken Block’s Custom RS2000

Two totally different cat’s

Photo: LAAS

See more Garage photos on the LAAS site.

Interactive Experiences

Amazon Gaming Lounge (Concourse Foyer)

If you can’t wait for the third season of Amazon’s The Grand Tour, or simply want to live the life of Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May, you might want to check out the upcoming Grand Tour Game here at the LA Auto Show.

Want to be the first on your block to try the new Grand Tour game (coming soon to Xbox One & PlayStation), or take selfies with a real-life Porsche 918 Spyder? Just stop by the Amazon Gaming Lounge.

Jaguar VR Racing (South Hall)

Ever want to know what it feels like to race a Jaguar!? Well, unless you’re among the few who practice really hard and earn a spot on a Jaguar racing team, you won’t. Thankfully, for the rest of us there’s Virtual Reality.

Hyundai Racing Challenge (South Hall Atrium)

Good at racing games? You might want to stop by the Hyundai Racing Challenge. There, players (18+) can complete for a spot in one of two daily tournaments and a chance to win an Xbox One.

Hyundai Racing Challenger; Photo LAAS

 

Pet Charities

Subaru & Best Friend Animal Society

If you’re familiar with Subarus ‘Love Promise’ then you might know all about ‘Subaru Loves Pets’. If not you might take a moment and check out the ‘Subaru Loves Pets‘ website. Go ahead, we’ll wait…

More than just creating a nice commercial slogan and webpage, Subaru is putting their money (and hopefully some of yours) where their mouth is. Teaming up with the Best Friends Animal Society, Subaru will be hosting an adoption event where show attendees will be able interact with adoptable dogs. Come for a BRZ, leave with a dog instead.

If for some reason you can’t or don’t wish to adopt a dog, you can contribute to the Best Friends Animal Society’s work in Los Angeles by making a donation and/or by assembling a rope toy to donate to shelter.

Subaru Loves Pets! Photo: Subaru usa media

Pet adoption schedule:

Saturday, Dec. 1, 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM

Sunday, Dec. 2, 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM

Saturday, Dec. 8, 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM

Sunday, Dec. 9, 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM

Mitsubishi & The Asher House

By now, you might be thinking the LA Auto Show is starting to go to the dogs. You’re right, but in this case it’s a good thing.

Lee Asher started the Asher house with the intent of rescuing homeless dogs from shelters by educating the public about the misconceptions surrounding shelter dogs. Everyday, good dogs have to be euthanized simply because of a lack of space and money to support them in shelters.

As part of its “Drive your Ambition” initiative, Mitsubishi donated a new Eclipse Cross to Asher and his team, who use it to tote their own rescue dogs to various events throughout America.

Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross; Lee Asher & his ‘Pack’

Lee Asher and his ‘pack’ will be on hand at the Mitsubishi booth Friday December 7th, so stop by and meet them. If  you can’t, you can still read about Lee and his cause here. Don’t forget to make a donation.

DoVE Project

 

It’s one of those things you don’t like to read or hear about. In some areas of the world the dog-meat trade is still a thing… a legally sanctioned thing.

Dogs of Violence Exposed is a non-profit organization that hopes to put an end to the dog-meat industry through rescue efforts, advocacy and education. You can visit DoVE at LAAS Dec. 1-2 & Dec. 8-9 or online anytime https://www.dove-project.org/

Other Things to See..

Transformers Bumblebee

It makes sense that, with his first solo movie set to debut, Bumblebee would be out making the show rounds. Think, “Maybe I can score an autograph.” Probably not. This is actually a full-size model. But hey, one can dream! You can find Bumblebee in the Turo booth. Wonder if he’ll be renting himself out on Turo if the film bombs?

 

Bullitt Mustang

See the 1968 Highland Green Mustang driven by Steve McQueen on display in the Ford booth, alongside the recently unveiled 2019 Bullitt.  Even if you’ve never seen the movie, you still know the car.

 

 

Unveiling of the recently resurfaced original movie car at NAIAS:

 

https://youtu.be/-Q5pHm2Cfq4

 

Test Drives & Ride Alongs

Toyota Thrill Ride (Ride Along)

Toyota Media:

Your virtual imagination can also become a thrilling reality with the Toyota Thrill Ride. Brace yourself for an exhilarating experience as Toyota takes over Chick Hearn Court (in the middle of LA LIVE! and Staples Center) for four days and nights of professional driver-led excitement. Consumers can choose to ride in the Corolla Hatchback, C-HR or 86 as a driver accelerates, reverses, donuts and slaloms in the heart of Downtown LA. Toyota Thrill Ride is available to the public Thursday, Nov. 29 to Sunday, Dec. 2.

BYTON M-Byte (Ride Along)

More than building a car, EV-startup BYTON aims to create what they call “the ultimate smart device”. If you’ve never heard of BYTON, it’s because they have been stealthily developing their first production vehicle, a mid-size SUV called the M-Byte.

Unlike most concepts and pre-production cars at the show, the BYTON M-Byte won’t be spinning on a turntable, safe behind a rope. LAAS show-goers will be able to take a spin (as a passenger) in the M-Byte.

It’s not often you get to touch a concept car (let alone catch a ride), especially one like this.

Hopefully, this one travels to NYC in April for the 2019 Auto Show.

  

Polaris Slingshot (Ride Along)

Sorry, you can’t drive this one either… but you can “experience the ride of your life” while a ‘seasoned professional’ drives (& drifts) you through a closed road course.

Sounds like this ride alone is worth the price of admission..

 

Cars You CAN Drive:

Unlike many new car shows, the LA Auto Show offers attendees lots of opportunities to actually get behind the wheel to experience a select group of vehicles for themselves. Sure there are no supercars on the list, but if you’re looking to buy your next set of wheels, this is a good way to test drive a slew of cars in one place instead of traveling to multiple dealerships.

Here’s a list of  the manufacturers’ vehicles that you can drive at LAAS. Be aware, you must be 18, have a license and pass a breathalyzer test. So if you are planning on having a few beers, do it after the test drives.

Drives are scheduled to take place Nov 30 through Dec 9; 9:00am to 5:30pm. Check the LAAS website for other restrictions.

Acura:

MDX
TLX 2.4L & 3.5L
RDX
RLX
ILX

Alfa Romeo:

Stelvio
Giulia

Buick:

Encore
Enclave
Regal Tour X

Chrysler:

Pacifica (incl. Hybrid)
300

Dodge:

Charger
Challenger

Fiat:

500 Abarth
500x
124 Spider

Ford:

Expedition
F-150
Mustang
Edge
Escape
Focus
Fusion
Ranger SuperCrew Lariat
Ranger SuperCrew XLT

GMC:

Acadia
Canyon
Sierra
Terrain
Yukon

Honda:

Ridgeline
Pilot
Civic
Clarity PHEV
Accord Hybrid
Accord Sedan CR-V
HR-V
Odyssey
Insight

Jeep:

Compass
Cherokee
Grand Cherokee
Wrangler

Kia:

Niro Touring
Forte EX
Soul
Sportage
Stinger

Mazda:

CX-3
CX-5
CX-9
Mazda6
MX-5
MX-5 RF

RAM:

Rebel
1500 Limited

Subaru:

Ascent Touring & Limited
Forester
Crosstrek
Legacy
Outback
Impreza 2.0
WRX Limited

Toyota:

Avalon
Camry
Corolla Hatchback
Highlander
Mirai
Tacoma

If you’re heading out to the LA Auto Show, be sure to check out their site for schedules and show maps, and be sure to let us know how it went!

2018 Mass Cruisers Engine Build-Off

The brisk Fall air has moved in, school shops have dug into their sessions, and the New England Patriots are on their way to another winning season. But, it wasn’t that way when the Mass Cruisers Engine Build-Off Competition took place at Patriots Place in Foxboro back in June.

Six teams, 12 students highly skilled at engine repair went head-to-head, each team tasked with breaking down a Briggs & Stratton engine – like the engine often found in go karts such as the one Rich Taber is standing beside in the video – and putting it back together… in working condition.

What’s featured in the video are highlights from the competition – a fascinating glimpse into the amazing field of talented students coming out of today’s vocational-tech and agricultural high schools.

Contestants:

Blue Hills Regional Vocational Technical High School

Teams:

  1. Alex Gonzalez, Chris Mesner
  2. Rob Baker, Mark DeCristofaro
  3. Shalaya Smoot, Aden Johnson

Norfolk County Agricultural High School

Teams:

  1. Ben Colangelo, Kalie Cummings
  2. Emma Gonneville, Jacob Mathieu
  3. Noah Axberg, Christian Giorgio

2017 NYIAS: Challenger Demon, FT-4X Concept, Ascent, Trackhawk, Lucid Air

This week RPM News Weekly reports from the 2017 New York International Auto Show opening with highlights from the pre-show reveal of the monstrously potent Dodge Challenger Demon. Then it’s on to the Javits Convention Center show floor with Toyota’s new FT-4X Concept.
Meanwhile, Subaru had some big news to announce, too, with the debut of the all-new three-row Ascent SUV, and Jeep was not to be outdone by the Dodge Brotherhood of Muscle, showcasing the new Jeep Grand Cherokee TrackHawk, describing it as the culmination of efforts to design the most powerful, quickest SUV ever.
We’ll follow that up with excerpts from the introduction of the all-new all-electric Lucid Air, a transformative luxury sedan that will potentially deliver up to an amazing 1000 horsepower.
Finally, we’ll conclude with an enthusing montage of happenings all around the New York Auto Show.
Follow all of our coverage of the New York International Auto Show on the RPM News Weekly youtube channel.

Music:
Special thanks to the Youtube Audio Library and the artists that provide royalty free music.
Jupiter One – Youtube Audio Library
(Subaru Ascent) Restless Natives – Doug Maxwell / Media Right Productions
(Dodge Demon) Taking a Beating – Ethan Meixsell
(Lucid) Lunar Landing – Silent Partner
(FT-4X) Prog Climation – Josh Kirsch / Media Right Productions