The auto industry is advancing at a rapid pace, implementing new safety and entertainment technologies and upgrading existing systems; but where the auto gods giveth, the auto gods taketh away. Is the phasing out of manual transmissions taking it too far? We'll explore this topic throughout the show, but first President and CEO of Brembo North America, Dan Sandberg, discusses what makes Formula E unique. Then, freelance automotive journalist George Kennedy III offers a tire safety warning, previews his Boston Globe article about YouTube car restorer, Rich Rebuilds, and gives his drive impressions about the 2019 Jaguar E-Pace. Shifting gears, JoshCAR Hollywood Car Consultant, Josh Hancock, fills us in on the Galpin Auto Show, BMW's discontinuation of their 3 Series manual options, and the reintroduced Ford Ranger's specs, which seem to be missing a stick shift option. Next, Executive Publisher for Kelley Blue Book, Karl Brauer, laments the decline of the manual transmission before sharing his test drive results for the Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door Coupe. With a 0-60 of 3.1 seconds and a top speed of 195 mph, the GT stormed around the famous track at Circuit of the Americas, but is it worth a 6-figure sticker price? Changing lanes, freelance automotive journalist BJ Killeen discusses the most shocking deals and trends seen at Barrett-Jackson Las Vegas - there were a lot of trucks and a Bentley that sold for $25,000! Also, we touch on how tariffs are affecting the global automobile industry, specifically in China, where Jaguar Land Rover saw a 46% drop in sales. What do you think about the state of the industry and manual transmissions?
[00:00:00] Formula E and Brembo Brakes
[00:06:23] Don't Neglect Your Tires
[00:12:30] Rich Rebuilds a Tesla Model S
[00:19:51] 2019 Jaguar E-PACE SE vs. I-PACE
[00:28:35] Galpin Auto Show
[00:35:52] Slow Death of the Manual Transmission
[00:42:12] Manual vs. Automatic Performance Test
[00:48:24] Dumbing Down Our Cars
[00:54:43] Automatic Sports Car Takeover
[01:02:04] Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door Coupe
[01:10:26] Steal Deals at Barrett-Jackson Las Vegas
[01:18:05] Trade Conflicts Always Hit Auto Industry