Category: RPM Podcast

RPM News Weekly Podcast featuring Peter Ciani & Rich Taber

Cadillac Goes Live; CT4 / CT5 Highlighted

Cadillac saved New England Motor Press Association members front row seats to their interactive digital showroom and RPM News Weekly’s Rich Taber was on hand to bring back the news to our podcast listeners. Have a listen.
The discussion flows easily from Cadillac brand musings to vehicle specifics and includes details on the CT4 and CT5 sedans, the latter of which host Peter Ciani happened to have available for the week for test driving.
In addition, the all-new, all-electric LYRIQ gets a mention and Cadillac’s nomenclature gets dissected along the way.
Enjoy the ride and make a comment. You can also find the RPM News Weekly Podcast on Stitcher.com.
While you’re here please be kind enough to subscribe, and be sure to check out the videos on our YouTube Channel.

Segment Locations on the Scrub Bar

  • 00:00 Introduction
  • 01:20 Cadillac Live – Digital Showroom w/ Live Tours
  • 07:38 Cadillac CT4 & CT5 – Similar But Different
  • 21:17 A Week w/ The CT5
  • 27:42 Cadillac Nomenclature Explained
  • 30:20 Touching Base w/ The All-Electric Lyriq
  • 31:33 Hello EV Power Podcast

Cadillac Live

Cadillac Live Lounge
photo courtesy of Cadillac Media

Part personal shopper, part interactive digital showroom, Cadillac Live offers the ability to conveniently explore Cadillac’s lineup from anywhere. Shoppers can explore every detail of a Cadillac vehicle with the help of a Live agent, who is equipped with an iPhone X, Osmo Mobile gimbal and Bluetooth headset, providing two-way audio and one-way live video. ~ Cadillac

CT4 / CT5 Luxury Sedans

“Cadillac is not abandoning doing great sedans.” ~ Ken Kornas, Cadillac Global Product Mgr.

photos courtesy of Cadillac Media

LYRIQ – Fully Electric Luxury Crossover

photos courtesy of Cadillac Media

The LYRIQ is based on GM’s next-generation, modular electric vehicle platform and driven by the Ultium propulsion system. With a dedicated EV architecture, its design eliminates significant physical constraints associated with adapting electric propulsion within a conventional vehicle architecture, for an optimized design that supports greater driving range, an engaging driving experience and a new interpretation of passenger space. ~ Cadillac

EV Makers Lucid, Rivian, Nikola Mark Big Week

It is a rare week indeed when automotive headlines are dominated by electric vehicle manufacturers, but a triad of happenings has achieved what no amount of assuaging the press on their own could have accomplished for Lucid Motors, Rivian or Nikola Corp. In no particular order, Lucid unveiled the production version of their much-acclaimed all-electric Air luxury sedan and is now taking orders for 2021 deliveries; meanwhile, Rivian has begun the manufacturing of its all-electric R1T pickup truck which are rolling off the assembly line as you read this; and finally, early in the week stock soared for Nikola Corp. on news that they had landed a sweet deal to have GM manufacture the fuel cell electric Badger pickup, only to have things up-ended by an unfavorable report from a short-seller that sent the company’s stock plunging by the end of the week. Life in the fast lane it is.
RPM News Weekly Podcast hosts Peter Ciani and Rich Taber cover it all. Have a listen and make a comment. You can also find the RPM News Weekly Podcast on Stitcher.com.
While you’re here please be kind enough to subscribe, and be sure to check out the videos on our YouTube Channel.

Segment Locations on the Scrub Bar

  • 00:00 Introduction
  • 01:50 Lucid Air Production Model Unveiled
  • 23:12 Rivian Begins Manufacturing The R1T
  • 26:45 Nikola Slammed By Short-Seller
  • 36:45 The GM Deal With Nikola

Lucid Motors

Lucid Motors New Manufacturing Plant
The newly constructed Lucid Motors manufacturing facility in Casa Grande, Arizona.
photo courtesy of Lucid Motors

“Outfitted with the world’s most advanced production line equipment, the factory will have the initial capacity to produce 10,000 cars a year — and over 300,000 annually with planned expansion.” ~ Lucid Motors

table courtesy of Lucid Media

Rivian R1T

Rivian RT1
The Rivian R1T dusting it up.
photo courtesy of Rivian Media

“We believe there is a more responsible way to explore the world and are determined to make the transition to sustainable transportation an exciting one.” ~ Rivian

Nikola Badger

photo courtesy of Nikola Corp.

Tesla Serves Rivian Poached Execs Suit

Is it a case of Tesla executives taking flight with too much baggage, or of Rivian over-reaching for the brass ring? RPM News Weekly Podcast hosts Peter Ciani and Rich Taber take it all in as the EV wars suddenly drag down Main Street in not-so-quiet fashion. Have a listen, make a comment, and please be kind enough to subscribe here and on our YouTube Channel.
You can also find the RPM News Weekly Podcast on Stitcher.com

Segment Locations on the Scrub Bar

ElectraMeccanica Solo

photos courtesy of ElectraMeccanica media

Tesla Cybertruck

photo courtesy of Tesla

“Cybertruck is designed to have the utility of a truck and the performance of a sports car. The vehicle is built to be durable, versatile and capable, with exceptional performance both on-road and off-road. Cybertruck will come in three variants: Single Motor Rear-Wheel Drive, Dual Motor All-Wheel Drive, and Tri Motor All-Wheel Drive.” ~ Tesla Media

Rivian R1T

photos courtesy of Rivian Media

Ford Features Bronco, Mach 1 For NEMPA Road Rally

RPM News Podcast 8-18-20

Ordinarily, come summer, the New England Motor Press Association would stage their annual Ragtop Ramble whereby journalists and auto manufacturing reps jaunt from the Larz Anderson Auto Museum in Brookline, MA up to Kennebunkport, Maine’s Colonial Inn in a spectacular assortment of convertibles, performance cars and other “crustaceous” (aka non-convertible) vehicles to enjoy a lobster dinner. This year, with the pandemic putting the kibosh on social gatherings, NEMPA switched gears and created a DIY road rally for members to get out into the open air and share their experiences in a vehicle of choice while gathering points by completing a series of challenges and posting them on social media.
To keep things interesting, Ford Motor Co., Fiat Chrysler of America and convertible fabric maker Haatrz Corp. ponied up some sponsorship prizes.
Naturally, RPM News podcast hosts Peter Ciani and Rich Taber would find this all to be a most worthy topic for discussion, especially the part where Ford posted a few exclusive videos for the event featuring the all-new Bronco and Mustang Mach 1.
Have a listen to find out more. Oh, and btw, for the rally, Peter drove up to the White Mountains of New Hampshire in a Ford Super Duty F-350 Tremor with the monstrous new 7.3-liter engine and Rich cranked up the turbocharged MultiAir 1.4-liter engine in his 2013 Dodge Dart Limited, popped open the sunroof and headed out toward Cape Cod.

Segment Locations On The Scrub Bar

  • 00:00 Introduction
  • 01:40 NEMPA Ragtop Road Rally
  • 04:00 2020 Ford Super Duty F-350 XLT Tremor
  • 07:54 2013 Dodge Dart Limited Turbo
  • 14:05 cont. 2020 Ford Super Duty F-350
  • 21:05 2021 Ford Mustang Mach 1
  • 25:25 2021 Ford Bronco
NEMPA Ragtop Road Rally

2021 Ford Mustang Mach 1

video courtesy of Ford Media

2021 Ford Bronco

video courtesy of Ford Media

Pre-Owned Auctions Go Virtual; Pacifica Gets AWD; Affordable Yaris Mimics Mazda2

RPM News Podcast 6-05-20

This week’s discussion kicks off on indications that online-only auctions have so satisfied dealers’ appetite for pre-owned vehicles during the pandemic that it’s to the point where auctions will never return to going live. But, RPM podcasters Rich Taber and Peter Ciani aren’t convinced that the trend is permanent. Listen in to find out why.
Also on the agenda this week is news that the Chrysler Pacifica is getting a 2020 all-wheel drive Launch Edition in advance of the release of the new 2021 models which will offer AWD in several trims.
The podcast then turns to Peter’s test car of the week – the Yaris hatchback. Considering its Mazda2 underpinnings, its a break from the string of straight-out Toyota manufactured products that he has test driven over the past month. Very affordable, too.
Join the discussion by leaving a comment.

Segment Locations On The Scrub Bar

  • 00:00 Introduction
  • 01:14 Pandemic Draws Plethora Of Dealers To Online Auction Market
  • 15:25 FCA Announces AWD Chrysler Pacifica Minivan
  • 27:50 Test Driving The Toyota Yaris In A Run Of Toyota Vehicles
  • 38:26 Conclusion

Online-Only Auctions Adopted “At Warp Speed“

FCA Chrysler Pacifica AWD Minivan

AWD 2020 Pacifica Launch Edition
AWD 2021 Pacifica

2020 Toyota Yaris

Wheels Keep Turning At Toyota, Ford, Rivian

RPM News Podcast 5-22-20

RPM podcasters Rich Taber and Peter Ciani break their self-imposed silence of the last two months and dive right back into pressing automotive news of the week with a double dose of hybrid announcements from Toyota and a puzzling decision from Ford to back away from its investment in the all-electric upstart Rivian.
Then, after a brief update on the fate of the 2020 New York International Auto Show, the podcast concludes with a throwback to the 2019 NYIAS where RPM News Weekly interviewed Rivian Chief Engineer for Special Projects Brian Gase.
Join the discussion by leaving a comment.

Segment Locations On The Scrub Bar

  • 00:00 Introduction
  • 00:21 Are You Wearing A Mask?
  • 05:10 Toyota Reveals Sienna & Venza Hybrids
  • 18:50 Ford / Rivian Collaboration Stalls
  • 29:50 2020 NYIAS Goes From Postponed To Cancelled
  • 34:28 2019 NYIAS Interview w/ Rivian’s Brian Gase

2021 Toyota Sienna Hybrid

2021 Toyota Venza Hybrid

Rivian