It's podcast time! This week we got some important pricing news. Plus, Smith shares a poignant story about a unique Mercury Sable SHO wagon.
We start with a look at the debut of the Hyundai Elantra N. There aren't many compact sport sedans left on the market, so it's interesting to see Hyundai continuing to be in the segment. The little four-door packs a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder that makes 276 horsepower (206 kilowatts), and buyers can select a six-speed manual or seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox.
Gallery: 2022 Hyundai Elantra N
We also finally got pricing info about the 2022 Golf GTI and Golf R in the US. The base cost for a GTI is $29,545 (plus a $995 destination fee), and the Golf R goes for $43,645. In between these models, there are the SE and Autobahn grades of the GTI, and Smith and I think this is the sweet spot for folks shopping for this hot hatch.
Smith wrote a great piece this week comparing the newly announced pricing of the Hyundai Santa Cruz and Ford Maverick compact pickups. We don't have full trim-level-by-trim-level descriptions for both models yet. However, the numbers available now hint at the Maverick being less expensive but Santa Cruz possibly being better equipped.
Gallery: 2022 Aston Martin Valhalla production model
Finally, we delve into the world of supercars by looking at the newly unveiled production version of the Aston Valhalla supercar. Smith and I can't afford one, but it's hard not to appreciate a machine making 937 hp (699 kW) from an electrically assisted twin-turbo V8.
We also talk about last week's Goodwood Festival of Speed a little bit, but I think the real highlight of the show is Smith describing his Mercury Sable SHO wagon. A Ford engineer combined a Sable wagon and a Taurus SHO powertrain, while using Blue Oval components to complete the project.
Smith bought the car from the second owner (the person after the original builder). He only kept it for about a year before selling the wagon. The new owner held onto the Sable SHO until last week when the vehicle was destroyed in a California wildfire.
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Our audience is growing! That means it's time for Rambling About Cars to move to a brand new YouTube channel. Motor1 Podcasts is now the place to find all Motor1.com podcasts, meaning you'll be able to easily find new episodes every week. In addition, all previous RAC episodes are there, so please like and follow our new channel. Fresh episodes drop every Friday and you never know when the Chris's might do something crazy like down a shot of hot sauce. You really don't want to miss that.
Where To Listen
In addition to YouTube, you can still catch us on your favorite audio channel every Friday as always. You can find Rambling About Cars in a variety of places, notably Apple Podcasts and Spotify. If you have a moment, please like, follow, and review because it exposes the show to more car crazy enthusiasts. And the more enthusiasts joining us on this automotive odyssey, the better.
As always, you can always reach out to us at podcast@motor1.com.
Source: Motor1 Podcasts via YouTube