TopSpeed Podcast Episode 014 - "Let's Do It Live"

Happy Thursday, TopSpeed.com readers. If you haven't had the chance to watch our live video podcast, or if you just prefer the audio format, allow me to present with you with Episode 014 of the TopSpeed.com Podcast.

Due to a last minute schedule change, we don't have Justin on this cast, so it is just Mark and myself.

Weekly wheels is a pretty short segment this week with only one car. Mark drove the Chrysler Town & Country. To make up for my lack of a car, I make the announcement that I am going to drive in the Gumball 3000 rally this week. Expect my impressions of the Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder next week.

When we get to the news, we talk about some great stuff from the upcoming 2015 Nissan Frontier, the potential for a hatchback McLaren and Hyundai's crazy Veloster Midship Concept. We finish the news with a look at the future with the concept of solar roads.

For listener questions we talk about naming cars and some of our favorite engine notes. To finish the show, we do an Own, Drive, Burn with three of Mercedes' most iconic supercars.

Overall I think it was a great show, and I hope you do as well. If you have any questions or comments about this podcast, or any of the other episodes we have, feel free to drop those down in the comments section. Don't forget you can also find us on Twitter @TopSpeedPodcast, and you can also email us Podcast@TopSpeed.com.

We look forward to seeing you next week with another LIVE broadcast. Have a great Friday and a wonderful weekend.

TopSpeed Podcast Episode 014 - "Let's Do It Live" originally appeared on topspeed.com on Thursday, 5 June 2014 16:00 EST.

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Chrysler 200 Convertible

Posted on 07.27.2013 23:00 by Kirby Garlitos

Times have changed in America, that much we can tell you.

Remember the day when mid-sized convertibles were as trendy as the mullet hairstyle? Those days are long gone, which is why it's a little surprising that automakers are still producing these vehicles.

Consumers still love convertibles, but these days, it has to be of the sporty variety. The 2013 Chrysler 200 Convertible is not a sports car, but it does come with the capability of being a convertible. So you can say that the vehicle offers the best of both worlds, right? The sporty performance of a coupe and the open-air freedom of a convertible all wrapped in a midsized vehicle's body.

To be fair, there are a number of positive attributes with the 200 Convertible. It's been completely refreshed to make Chrysler forget about the forsaken Sebring. It also has an impressive powertrain configuration that does justice to its looks.

So there's still hope for the 200 Convertible. But hope is fleeting, especially in the auto industry and ultimately, the midsized convertible is a dying breed.

Chrysler may have something with the 200 Convertible but for the most part, it's going to take a lot of convincing to get people interested in this kind of car these days.

Click past the jump to read about the 2013 Chrysler 200 Convertible

Chrysler 200 Convertible originally appeared on topspeed.com on Saturday, 27 July 2013 23:00 EST.

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Jeep And Ram Highlight American Heroes in Super Bowl Ads

By Mark McNabb on Monday, February 4th, 2013

Jeep and Ram showed a large and powerful presence in Sunday's Super Bowl with two commercials highlighting two groups of American heroes.

Jeep pulled at heartstrings with a two minute commercial with narrations by Oprah Winfrey entitled "Whole Again." The spot showed service men and women returning home from duty and the emotional reunitings of loved ones. Jeep says the ad displays their continued support of our troops and the USO.

Ram not only pulled on heartstrings, but bootstraps as well with their "So God Made A Farmer" commercial. The trucks themselves play a relatively small role in the two-minute video showing hard-working American farmers and their families as the famous late radio broadcaster Paul Harvey narrates a script he recorded some 30 years prior.

The airing of Ram's "Farmer" commercial kicks off a yearlong collaboration with the National FFA Organization to raise awareness of the importance of the American farmer.

While Ram's project is multi-layered and planned for a 12-month time frame, Jeep's support of the troops and USO has no end date. Check out both commercials below.

GalleryJeep and Ram Super Bowl Commericals

src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/FadwTBcvISo" height="360" width="640" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0">

width="640" height="360" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/AMpZ0TGjbWE?version=3&hl=en_US" allowFullScreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" />

Only the Best Chevrolet Dealers Will Sell the 2014 Corvette Stingray

Amidst all of the hype regarding the launch of the 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray early last week, some interesting news managed to slip through unnoticed confirming that not all American-based Chevrolet dealers will receive the new Corvette to sell.

In what Chevrolet dealers claim is a first for the company, General Motors is forcing businesses to meet a sales-volume threshold to stock the car and those dealerships which failed to sell at least four Corvette's in 2012, will be left out from the new C7-generation Corvette.

Byron Hansen, from the Chevrolet dealership in Brigham City, Utah stated, "I don't anticipate getting the new Corvette this year, and many smaller dealers like me won't get it either.

Dealers also confirmed that they'll be unable to stock the new Corvette simply for eye-candy purposes.

[Via Automotive News]

Chrysler 300 Motown Edition

Posted on 12.20.2012 14:00 by Simona

Chrysler has announced the launch of the special 300 Motown Edition - a new model that pays tribute to "the Motor City's resurgence and determination through Detroit-born style and world-class ingenuity." The new 300 Motown Edition will go on sale in the spring of 2013 at a starting price of $32,995.

On the exterior the new special edition will be identified by bright chrome front and rear fascia accents, mirror caps, door handles and daylight-opening surround. Mopar has added is special bright chrome grille with seven sculpted horizontal blades and a new set of 20" polished "heritage" design aluminum wheels. Customers can choose between four exterior colors: Bright White, Gloss Black, Deep Cherry Red and new Jazz Blue, each of them combined with black "Motown" fender badges.

For the interior Chrysler has combined a black trim environment with leather seats in Pearl White Nappa leather featuring "Motown" logo on the front seat-backs. The center stack, instrument panel, steering wheel, gauge cluster and door panel elements are being offered in Piano Black and as a contrasting element Chrysler added authentic Black Olive Ash wood trim and satin silver finished accents.

Under the hood the model keeps the usual 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 engine with an output of 292 horsepower and combined with a ZF eight-speed automatic transmission.

Chrysler 300 Motown Edition originally appeared on topspeed.com on Thursday, 20 December 2012 14:00 EST.

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Dodge Ram L'il Red Express Truck

Posted on 11.3.2012 12:00 by Justin Cupler Filed under: Chrysler Dodge | concept cars | SEMA Auto Show | Dodge Ram | pickup trucks | classic cars | car tuning | 2012 | Cars | Car Reviews | Ram

Back in 1978, Dodge rolled out a special edition package for its D150 pickup trucks, which were not yet named "Ram." This new package was known internally as Package Code YH6 and featured a high-output 360-cubic-inch V-8 engine with a 4-barrel carb pumping in fuel. The engine boasted high-flow cylinder heads and an aggressive cam shave and it all hooked up to a 3.55-to-1 rear end. This package, which we all know as the L’il Red Express, only lasted two years - 1978 and 1979 - and saw only 2,188 units in 1978 and 5,118 units in 1979. This makes it one of the most sought after Dodge pickups ever built.

Well, Ram is rolling out a remake of this classic short-body pickup truck in the form of its SEMA-stationed L'il Red Express Truck. Though it is more modern than the original rendition, it certainly pays it homage rather well. It features the bright-red paint of the original, a side-stack exhaust system, and a wood-trimmed bed.

In addition, this remake of the cult classic pickup features 22-inch Mopar rims with gold inserts, a 5.7-liter HEMI engine that pumps out 390 horsepower and 407 pound-feet of torque, gold accent stripes, "Hyperblack" painted grille inserts, and a custom Katzkin (no, not "cat skin") interior. Sure, it lacks the flare-side styling and the wood-outlined bed of the original, but it is bad-ass nonetheless.

There is no mention of this special edition ever coming to the Ram lineup, but don't be too surprised to see it roll out in 2013 and 2014, as Chrysler loves running special-edition Rams - there have been plenty of them. One thing is for sure, it would definitely carry a higher premium than the $1,131 price for the original L'il Red Express package.

Stay tuned to find our of Chrysler plans to launch this model or not.

Dodge Ram L'il Red Express Truck originally appeared on topspeed.com on Saturday, 3 November 2012 12:00 EST.

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Chrysler 300C John Varvatos Edition

Posted on 09.15.2012 13:00 by Kirby Garlitos Filed under: Chrysler | USA | sedan | luxury cars | Chrysler 300 | special editions | Cars | Car Reviews | Chrysler

Earlier this year, Chrysler and Detroit-born fashion designer John Varvatos collaborated to build a unique, one-off 300S that was eventually auctioned off at the John Varvatos 9th Annual Stuart House Benefit with the proceeds going to benefit The Rape Foundation in support of Stuart House.

We’re saying this because as it turns out, Chrysler and Varvatos’ collaborative endeavors weren’t just limited to a one-off model. That’s because the two have also built a pair of bespoke luxury sedans together based on the 300C. The two models, called the John Varvatos Limited Edition and the John Varvatos Luxury Edition, show what happens when you get two of Detroit’s finest to build a car together.

Given the credibility and respect John Varvatos commands in the fashion industry, these pair of special edition 300C models bearing his name prove that when it comes to perfectly blending his hometown’s blue-collar appeal with the luxury of a car like the 300C, the man has the pulse of the action.

Find out more about the Chrysler 300C John Varvatos Edition after the jump.