Audi's back on the road to form

The shtick that made Audi legendary with enthusiasts and iconic with buyers were its over engineering, powertrains, and of course, quattro all-wheel-drive system. But the brand got lost, and has run into trouble in recent years. Audi has been late to market and behind the curve with SUVs, went all-in early on the electric future and got burned when political winds changed, and lost its way with design while simultaneously getting a bit cheap-feeling with materials. But with an over-engineered stalk, leaning back into quattro with the latest RS5, and a course correction in both details and materials, Audi might be making a return to form. The Drive's Director of Content and Product Joel Feder is joined by Filip Brabec, who is Audi of America's senior vice president of product management, to break down how the House of quattro got where it is today, where we are today, and what's coming in terms of rapid course corrections. Stories referenced in today's episode: Audi Surprises With 1,000-HP V8 Nuvolari Supercar, and It Really Looks Like This 2027 Audi RS5 First Drive Review: Heavy, Complicated, and Somehow Glorious Audi Concept C Previews Electric Sports Car Coming in 2027 Audi Is About To Enter a New Design Era Audi Won’t Make a Gas Version of Its New Flagship Sports Car 2025 Audi A6 E-Tron Sportback Review: RWD Revolution in the House of Quattro 2027 Audi Q9 First-Drive Review: Audi’s Biggest SUV Beats BMW and Mercedes on Family-Friendliness 00:00 - Intro 03:51 America got the RS6 Avant 10:38 Hybrids 17:07 Going back to over engineering and leaning into quattro 23:12 What's taken so long? Why are we behind the curve on SUVs? 25:27 TT and R8 replacements 27:25 Piano black plastic and real controls Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When is a restomod not a restomod? Instead of taking an old car and trying to make it feel modern or new, what if you took a new car and made it look old, but still drive like and feature tech that is new? Do we call that a remaster? Vintage Modern started out the same way as so many restomod outfits with restorations and modernized classic Broncos. But you can't make an old car drive like new, and certainly can't make it start with the push of a button or feature six airbags. And that's what Vintage Modern does, by flipping the restomod concept on its head. The Drive's Editor-In-Chief Kyle Cheromcha and Director of Content and Product Joel Feder are joined by Chau Nguyen, founder and CEO of Vintage Modern, to break down how the company got where it is today, which is making new vehicles that look and feel old. Stories referenced in today's episode: Vintage Ford Bronco Body on a 2024 Bronco Chassis Looks Pretty Weird Custom Shop That Used ‘Bronco’ Name Without Permission Forced to Rebrand After Ford Sues Ford Sues Company For Body-Swapping New Broncos with Classic Bronco Design 00:00 - Intro 05:06 - What is the world's first fully modernized classic car? 11:00 - How do you make a new car look old and still be safe? 15:57 - The evolution of the business 17:54 - The LeBron James moment 21:11 - Demographics 22:11 - The pink Bronco moment 24:35 - Cross shopping against new vehicles 27:18 - Over saturation of the restomod market 30:14 - The market 37:51 - The Ford lawsuit 38:14 - How do you make your car? The Ryan Reynolds moment 43:53 - What was the hardest part? Manual transmission option? 46:33 - The challenge of re-engineering a modern car 48:24 - New cars aren't made like old cars 51:40 - What's next? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bring a Trailer redefined how enthusiasts and collectors buy, look at, and even price collectors cars. Sometimes it's even boring pedestrian Ford pickup trucks. But what was once a blog throwing up Craigslist links you might text your friends has morphed into an online auction house listing Bugattis and Ferraris alongside E30 3-Series and classic Chevys. From eye-popping sales to reordering the market to a rabid comment section to kicking off an entirely new industry, Bring a Trailer has become a juggernaut. But how has the site kept the secret sauce, fended off the competition, and dealt with controversies? The Drive's Editor-In-Chief Kyle Cheromcha and Director of Content and Product Joel Feder are joined by Howard Swig who nows serves as the President of Bring a Trailer to discuss how the site has kept the secret sauce, fended off the competition, and dealt with controversies. Stories referenced in today's episode: This 1992 Volkswagen Golf GTI Sold for $87,000 on Bring a Trailer Bring a Trailer Says $87,000 VW GTI Auction Was Legit Extremely Normal Ford F-150 on Bring a Trailer Begs the Question: Do Boring Vehicles Belong on Auction Sites? Recently Unearthed 1983 Ford Probe IV Concept Hits Bring a Trailer 00:00 - Intro 05:48 - The evolution of Bring a Trailer 10:35 - The team today 12:25 - How listings are vetted 15:31 - In-house inspection services and extra services 19:12 - How regular cars get into Bring a Trailer 21:17 - The comments 27:22 - Shill bidding, AI-created photos for a listing, and suspect listings 32:39 - The Bring a Trailer tax and setting records with outliers 35:56 - The fees and business end 38:52 - Money laundering claims 40:59 - Cars being sold repeatedly on the platform 42:45 - Market trends 45:28 - Competitors after creating an industry Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

General Motors just laid out its future and it's wrapped around bets on AI, new EV battery chemistry, new EVs, and autonomous vehicles. But the automaker's in the midst of launching new clean-sheet V8s, what gives? The automotive Goliath is still committed to and sees EVs as the end game with an electric future, but the road to get there seems to be filled with curves. But regardless of what's powering a vehicle the race to have the best technology and most impressive features is on. From how vehicles are being designed and manufactured to the features, capabilities, and services offered, GM says it wants to be the leader. The Drive's Director of Content and Product Joel Feder is joined by Jaclyn McQuaid, who is the senior vice president of vehicle products at General Motors, to discuss the automaker's future including vehicles, technology, services, and how it aims to compete in an ever evolving, and competitive, marketplace. Stories referenced in today's episode: GM Just Laid Out Its Entire Future. It Runs on AI, Eyes-Off Driving, and One Central Computer GM Is Rebooting OnStar as Your Personal AI Assistant—and Killing Off Its Brand Apps GM Wants Your Truck to Run Errands Without You GM’s Next-Gen EVs: The Two-Pronged Strategy to Unlock Maximum Efficiency and Space GM’s New 8.3L Duramax Diesel: Here’s the Full Spec Download New GM Truck V8s Beat Ford and Ram on Horsepower: Here’s the Full Spec Download 2027 GMC Sierra Gets Even Fancier With Articulating Screen and Headrest Speakers 2027 Chevy Silverado Enters the Fight With New Small-Block V8s, Fresh Looks 00:00 - Intro 05:51 - New V8s, but the future is electric 07:17 - Using AI to half development time 12:55 - Next-gen EVs 20:00 - Rebooting OnStar 27:21 - Software-defined vehicles and central compute 34:47 - Autonomy 41:40 - Electric trucks Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Arguably the Corvette is General Motors' most iconic and important vehicle even if it's not a sales leader. As the possible finale of the C8 Corvette lineup arrives in the form of the Grand Sport a new leader is taking over the team and all of GM Performance. It's a critical moment, and Tony Roma has big shoes to fill. As the next-generation Corvette takes shape, the next-generation Blackwings start development, and the Camaro nameplate sits in the corner on hiatus, again, for now, Roma must make tough decisions that include V8 engines, maybe manual transmissions, and much more. Enthusiasts are watching, anxiously with anticipation. But cars require business cases and Roma knows what has to meet the mark to get approved in a board room. The Drive's Editor-In-Chief Kyle Cheromcha and Director of Content and Product Joel Feder are joined by Tony Roma who now serves as Executive Chief Engineer for the Chevy Corvette and Performance Cars at General Motors to discuss the automaker's most prized sports cars now and into the future. And yes, there's Camaro talk. Stories referenced in today's episode: We Drove the New LS6-Powered 2027 Chevy Corvette Lineup. Here’s the One to Get Corvette ZR1’s Chief Engineer Will Be Immortalized Forever on the Car Corvette Team Loses Another Key Member in GM Performance Shakeup The Corvette CX Concept Is the North Star for the Future of America’s Sports Car This New Six-Speed Manual Could Fit in the C8 Corvette and Ford Mustang GTD ‘It’s Not Real’: Corvette Engineers Squash Manual C8 Rumor Tremec Politely Disagrees With Team Corvette That Its 6-Speed Manual Transaxle ‘Isn’t Real’ GM’s Rumored Car Comeback to Bring Camaro Revival, New Cadillac CT5, and Buick Sedan: TDS It Looks Like GM Design Teased a New Chevy Camaro—and It’s Not an SUV 00:00 - Intro 03:45 - What the biggest difference with today's Corvette team from the previous team? 06:45 - The C8 finale and current lineup 17:01 - The electric Corvette 18:17 - The Nurburgring 22:24 - Why does the Camaro keep dying? 29:33 - The C9 Corvette 31:11 - Manual transmission in the Corvette 35:52 - The C9 Corvette 43:59 - Corvette as a subbrand 45:30 - The Blackwings 48:28 - Cadillac in Formula 1, tech trickle down 51:23 - Where's the Raptor competitor? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Cars are more complicated, connected, and software driven than ever. The tuning industry is growing, but awash in shady characters promising big power gains if you yank out your car's brain and send it to them to modify. AutoTuner aims to show you can run a legitimate business in this space, but this is at odds with what automakers want. AutoTuner is building its business by primarily offering the tools and services to jailbreak ECUs, not the actual codes. But this all crosses into the battle over right-to-repair, not to mention automakers themselves wanting to sell you more performance via upgraded software for a cost. The Drive's Editor-In-Chief Kyle Cheromcha and Director of Content and Product Joel Feder are joined by AutoTuner USA CEO Arin Ahnell for a frank discussion about the state of and future of software tuning, the right-to-repair movement, and modification culture in a timeline of complex powertrains and EVs. Stories referenced in today's episode: ⁠Why Drivers and Mechanics Are United Against Automakers: ‘Right To Repair’ Explained⁠ Ford’s CEO Doesn’t Want You Fixing Your New Bronco. He Says It’s About Safety The Feds Are Coming for Diesel Truck Owners. They’re Starting With Your Phone DOJ Orders Apple, Google to Hand Over OBDII App User Data in Emissions Probe John Deere to Pay $99 Million in Monumental Right-to-Repair Settlement Ford CEO Jim Farley’s Right To Repair Comment Should Make Every Car Owner Uncomfortable Rivian’s RAD Tuner Is Like An Equalizer For Your EV’s Powertrain 00:00 - Intro 05:13 - What is the state of chip tuning in 2026? 07:14 - What does it take to unlock ECUs at scale? 08:09 - Automakers getting into the tuning game 09:30 - Warranties and tuning 11:18 - OEM collaboration 12:48 - Right-to-repair 15:51 - How do you know when an ECU's unlocked 16:50 - Getting around security protocols 19:37 - Difference between different types of cars from different countries 20:45 - Subscription model 22:05 - AutoTuner One app 24:05 - Legal issues 31:28 - Stories of people sending in their ECUs 32:33 - EVs and tuning 36:22 - Vertical stack integrations 38:53 - Tractors, agricultural market 42:32 - Accessibility and business growth 43:37 - The next cracking goal Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

America's EV charging situation is a mess. So much so that eight automakers banded together to create a joint venture, dubbed Ionna, and try to fix the situation. It's an unprecedented move on multiple levels that shows the gravity of the situation, how seriously automakers take the future of electric vehicles, and an entirely new business venture that diversifies these companies beyond just building and selling vehicles: now they are selling the fuel too. Ionna has a big goal: build a reliable, high-powered electric vehicle fast-charging network across North America with at least 30,000 chargers and 2,000 stations in the U.S. by 2030 followed by Canada. The Drive's Editor-In-Chief Kyle Cheromcha and Director of Content and Product Joel Feder are joined by Ionna CEO Seth Cutler to discuss the where the landscape sites today, why chargers are placed where they are and look like they look, and future of EV charging in America. Stories referenced in today's episode: New Automaker Super-Alliance Plans to Nearly Double EV Chargers Across America Rivian’s Charging Network Is 4% of Tesla’s. Here’s RJ Scaringe’s Plan to Change That Unreliable Charging Networks Plagued 1 in 5 EV Owners Last Year: Study 00:00 - Intro 04:48 - Why is America's charging situation a hot mess? 05:41 - What's taking so long to get EV charging stations up and running? 09:14 - How many Ionna stations exist today? Status report 10:42 - The business model 19:44 - How are charging station sites chosen? 23:46 - Partnerships 27:25 - Software, reliability, broken chargers 34:20 - Eight automakers own Ionna 37:31 - Charging speeds, how fast is fast enough? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A new law in California relaxing emissions tests for classic cars is being hailed as a “landmark” victory for the car community and common sense. But it’s not what it seems.  California has the toughest emissions standards in the country, requiring any car made after 1975 to pass a biennial smog test in order to be registered. By design, the system forces thousands of old cars off the road every year as the cost of compliance rises—even if the vehicle runs just fine, a stubborn check engine light will cause it to fail. Now, a group backed by industry lobbyists and Jay Leno has succeeded in changing the law to make it easier for owners to keep their classics. It’s being celebrated as an unprecedented win—but in reality, it's not going to do much at all to fix the state’s broken approach to emissions tests, or help the people who are affected the most. This week The Drive's Editor-in-Chief Kyle Cheromcha and Director of Content and Product Joel Feder separate fact from fiction and break down why Leno's Law isn't the solution everyone is claiming. Stories mentioned in today's episode: ‘Leno’s Law’ Finally Passes: Here’s What That Really Means for Classic Car Owners Video: The Problem with US Emissions testing (YouTube) 00:00 Intro 04:34 The fight over smog testing 8:54 How the system works 12:25 Devil's in the details 14:51 Long walk to Leno's Law 17:14 Missed opportunity 20:30 Where do we go from here? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Honda's top executives have watched Toyota's reliability crisis play out with the Japanese competitor's new turbocharged engines, and it keeps them up at night. Honda Motor Executive Vice President Noriya Kaihara and American Honda President and CEO Eiji Fujimura told The Drive how the automaker's quality control systems are evolving as the automaker prepares a new wave of next-gen powertrains. The goal? Avoid the nightmare that is currently playing out with Toyota and its turbocharged V6 engines in the Tundra. This week The Drive's Director of Content and Product Joel Feder and Deputy Editor Jerry Perez go behind the scenes with Honda's top executives and discuss how the automaker's making sure its engines don't grenade themselves. Stories mentioned in today's episode: Honda’s Top Bosses Explain How They’re Avoiding Toyota’s Engine Nightmare Toyota Built Its Reputation on Reliability. The Tundra Is Threatening to Undo It Honda’s New V6 Hybrid Will Have More Power and Better Fuel Economy Than Competitors Turbo-Four Hybrids Next-Gen Honda Civic Hybrid Prototype Drive: A Fuel Sipper That Feels Like An Automatic Si 2026 Honda Prelude Long-Term Test Begins: Living With Honda’s Most Controversial Car 00:00 - Intro 03:57 - Toyota's nightmare recap 05:34 - Honda execs can't sleep over Toyota's issues 07:10 - Evolving quality control systems 07:36 - Speed to market 08:37 - Three words 12:04 - Who is Honda? How can Honda compete? 13:16 - Honda turbocharged path 14:13 - Honda's next-gen V6 hybrid 21:02 - No one is perfect 21:45 - Quick action Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You would not know it from the posts on Instagram during Monterey Car Week last month or the barrage of expensive debuts that have been touted, but the luxury segment is in trouble. While Bugatti and Ferrari are doing just fine the story isn't the same for other luxury automakers. Bentley is spiraling, Aston Martin is a mess, Maserati is a train wreck, and Porsche is in trouble and it's not clear that the Macan and Cayenne SUVs can save the iconic automaker this time. This week The Drive's Director of Content and Product Joel Feder and Editor Byron Hurd break down the situation, go behind the scenes on the luxury market crumbling, why it's happening, and what comes next. Stories mentioned in today's episode: The Luxury Car Market Is Crumbling from the Top Down 00:00 - Intro 05:41 - How did we get to this story? 06:11 - What's happening? 09:18 - Facts and figures 11:26 - Depreciation 12:30 - Second-hand market 17:59 - The blurry line of "luxury features" 26:00 - Pricing and stealth wealth Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices