Mark Maynard and Dave Stall talk about the redesigned 2008 Toyota Sequoia and 2008 Tahoe Hybrid. Both SUVs had as-tested prices in the mid'$50,000s. The Sequois has superbly engineered features and refined drivability but dismal fuel economy -- 132/18 mpg -- from its 5.7 liter V-8. The Tahoe Hybrid, with 6.0 liter V-8 and two -mode hybridization is rated 20 mpg city or highway, which is a realistic number.

San Diego Automotive Museum in Balboa Park is featuring the special exhibit: Motorcross America. Dave broadcasted his radio show from the Fabulous Fords Forever show at Knott's Berry Farm and interivewed Mark Fields, president of the Americas. And Dave's past interview with Evel Knievel.

Mark Maynard talks with Infiniti product planner Robyn Williams about the 2009 FX Crossover. Infiniti was in San Diego at the Hard Rock Hotel for two weeks to introduce national and international media to the new vehicle. To demonstrate interior utility, journalists stopped at Simpson's Nursery in Jamul to load two California Live Oak trees into the cargo area for transport to Ramona where the San Diego Fire Recovery Assistance Center donated the trees to victims of the wildfires.

Infiniti is in San Diego for the media launch of the 2009 FX crossover.

Dave Stall's 7 mph crunch in a BMW M5.

Debriefing after a first drive on road and track of the 480 horsepower, all-wheel-drive Nissan GT-R coupe; with comparisons to the Porsche 911 Turbo Cabriolet.

Tips to add resale value to your car.

Mark Maynard and Dave Stall talk with Jaguar Cars design director Ian Callum, who explains the "design language" of the 2009 XF. Jaguar was in San Diego for the media launch of the XF sport sedan, which replaces the S-type. Later in the show, Ian talks about his hot rods: a steel-bodied, 1932 Ford coupe, with a 450 horsepower, 351-V8 Cleveland engine. And a rodded 1956 Chevrolet 210, slammed with 20-inch tires, he just bought off eBay.

Mark and Dave interview Steve Fambro, CEO and co-founder of Carlsbad-based Aptera,
which is set to produce a lithium-ion powered electric vehicle that has a driving range of 120 miles, a top speed of almost 90 mph and can be ordered
online for $30,000 with a $500 deposit.

Porsche will unveil three models at the New York auto Show: the "ultimate 911" - the 530-horsepower GT2, the 300-plus horsepower Boxster RS 60, a limited edtion model; and the 405-hp Cayenne GTS.

BumperDoc.com does much more than repair bumpers. Is there any family vehicle with a bigger safety reputation than the Volvo V70 wagon?

Chrysler to close its Carlsbad design center

Two automakers sprung big news after 5 p.m. Friday, March 7. Chrysler will close its Pacifica (Advance Product) Design Center in Carlsbad. Volvo Cars of North America announced it will move from its posh quarters at 1 Premier Place in Orange County and relocate to Rockleigh, New Jersey, from once it came in 2001. And on Monday, March 10, BMW announced a $750 million plant expansion at Spartanburg, South Carolina.
Also, Mark and Dave talk about the Mercedes-Benz E320 Bluetec diesel, the Pontiac Vibe GT and Dave's Mini Cooper.

What car enthusiast among us doesn't have a can or three of WD-40 on hand? The San Diego company just updated is list of 2,000 "official" uses for the magic clean-all elixir. It was a busy week with new-vehicle intros of the Honda Pilot in Palm Springs and the Pontiac G8 in San Diego. The Holden Monaro-based G8 -- built in Australia -- is sold in V-6 and V-8 models. Porsche sales were down for February, but stratospheric by the numbers.

Mark and Dave Stall talk with Mazda communications specialist Danica Laub about what's new for 2008 Mazda5.

The Mazda5 is a three-row, six-passenger "multi-activity sports vehicle," though some call it a mini minivan or a tall wagon. Beginning its third year on sale in the United States, it was given a mild makeover, that included a new front fascia, grille, headlights and taillight design.

A communications specialist's role in getting a new vehicle to media content generators. More on the Mazda5. Pricing ranges from $18,630 for the entry-level Sport to $23,000 for the Grand Touring.

Rolls-Royce reveals the Phantom coupe; Porsche recalls 5,573 Cayenne SUVs; Just who is this Dave Stall? And a caller asks what we think of street racing.

Segment 1: Who is this Dave Stall who talks so much? He's a San Diego motor mouth with more than a dozen radio, TV and other promotions every week. Mark and Dave muse about the Subaru WRX STI. The new Rolls Phantom coupe is a 453-horsepower, long-legged tourer.

Segment 2: What do Dave and Mark think about the Nissan GT-R, a caller asks? And street racing, what's next? Street racing was a favorite pastime in the 1950s into the 1970s. But back then sex was fairly safe and some bars in some states offered "to-go" drinks for the drive home. The times have changed. Street racing is not safe on public thoroughfares and there should be more support from manufacturers who build cars intended to fend the enthusiasm of fast street cars.

Acura TSX teaser photo; Chevy dealers competing for Corvette buyers; Kelley Blue Book top picks for family vehicles; Mini Cooper S, 38 mpg; AutoComplaints.com

Mark Maynard and Dave Stall talk cars, including such topics as Dave driving an '08 Mini Cooper S, which gets 38 mpg on the interstate, without being easy on it! Two San Diego Chevrolet dealerships are competing for Corvette buyers. Which will prevail or will GM step in to make both
winners?

Hondas: Hate 'em or Love 'em. Find out about that used vehicle at the Web site AutoComplaint.com. This is a good resource for consumers shopping a used vehicle, with categories such categories as Worst Vehicles, Worst Complaints and Horror Stories. And comments on Kelley Blue Book's 2008
Best New Family Vehicles.

Segment 1: Buick's Lucerne Super will have a new V-8 engine and access toa dvanced technology options such as a lane departure warning system and blind-spot detection. The big sedan will mark Buick's push into the entry luxury segment. Pricing begins at $39,395.

Segment 2: The Audi R8 is an exotic-looking supercar without the extreme price. The midengine coupe is fast and fashionable with a 420-horsepower V-8 and six-speed manual transmission or six-speed Rtronic automatic manual. Downshift at 100 mph and the jump to light speed is .....

It was a busy, rainy weekend of hot rods and hot EVs in Southern California. We'll get a report on an EV drag race event from show co-host Dave Stall. And we'll also talk about safe-driving in foul weather. In the second half, I take a 2009 Nissan Murano to the snow.

Segment 1: Unlike the pounding cylinders of gasoline-powered dragsters, the EV' Draggin' event at Barona Drag Strip was a stealthy whoosh of rapid acceleration and some record quarter-mile times.

Feb. 2 is Ground Hog day, but also the national reminder date for drivers to change their vehicle's wiper blades. We talk about car maintenance, tires and other tips to keep your car safe and sound for bad-weather driving.

Segment 2: The 2009 Nissan Murano is a complete remodel on a new platform, it just looks familiar. You can't nominate an evolutionary model to be a Car of the Year, but this one has the styling, features, utility and function to be a useful, contributing family for many years.

Mark Maynard and Dave Stall share a few rants, such as proposing a turn-signal-use law; our first Do-it-Yourselfer award, Smart car follow-up, EV drag races and more.

Mark and Dave's rants for the day, included:
-Drivers not using turn signals and whether there should be a law. It is illegal to put recyclables in the trash, why not a law to use a turn signal?
-Is a major gas-tax increase required, relevant?
-The electric car drag races this weekend at Barona; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Barona Drag Strip, 1750 Wildcat Canyon Road, Lakeside. Presented by the Electric Vehicle Association of San Diego.
-CHP to offer free class for teen drivers and parents this Thursday at the Oceanside branch.
-Smart Fortwo follow-up from Saturday's Wheels road test.
-Our first "Do-it-Yourselfer" award goes to: "Man Using Shotgun on Lug Nut Injured."

Clay Dean, General Motors' vice president of exterior vehicle design, gave the highs and lows at the 2008 Detroit auto show. The Malibu, a design he worked on, had just been named the North American Truck of the Year. He talks with Mark and Dave about alternative-fuel projects at the show and other striking designs.

The 2008 San Diego International Auto Show closed what I saw as a blazing, five-day run, but what will next year bring? The main floor was at critical mass for space this year, which was about 95 percent sold by early October. And next year the upstairs Sail Room for the Ultimate Ridez Expo will be occupied by another group.

Porsche will add a gasoline-electric hybrid driveline for its Panamera Gran Turismo sport sedan when it goes on sale in late 2009. The hybrid unit will also be used in the Porsche Cayenne sport-utility vehicle.

Performance West builds show cars for new-vehicle manufacturers to demontrate the potential of enhancements in performance, interior, paint and audio. Larry Weiner, president of Performance West, explains how he builds these special show cars.

Gary White, General Motors vice president of truck development, calls to explain how a 7,000-pound sport-utility vehicle gets an EPA-certified 21 miles per gallon of 87 octane around town. That compares with the four-cylinder Toyota Camry, but the Tahoe uses a 332 horsepower, 6.0-liter V-8.

Saturn general manager Jill Lajdziak calls to talk about Saturn's new small car, Astra, which was introduced to national media in San Diego. The three-door appeals to young buyers, the five-door is an ideal family vehicle, with possibly the most comfortable and supportive back seat in the compact segment. The Astra is a shared platform with the German-based Opel and has the key driving characteristics of a European import.

Chief engineer Mike Mueller has worked nonstop for almost two years on the
Malibu project and knows this car as well as anyone. With frequent test drives with General Motors product czar Bob Lutz, Mueller and his team helped put the car on the road to success.

It's not everyday I drive a half-million-dollar car and when I do it should be memorable. The $500,000 McLaren SLR roadster is that car, but its story is less about it's hardware than the software. Clearly, this car isn't a necessity, but for the owners it creates a "sense of occasion," a Mercedes-Benz spokesman said. Story and photos at Maynard's Garage blogsite.

German automaker Audi is working with three California universities to develop advanced technologies for "optimized" CO2 routes. The program, "Clean Air, a Viable Planet," is a six-year project. Charts posted at Maynard's Garage blogsite.

Daniel Sperling, director, Institute of Transportation Studies at University of California, Davis, comments on Audi's "Clean Air, a Viable Planet" and other elements of contemporary transportation.

Maynard and Wangers talk about trends at the recent Los Angeles auto show and look at the turnaround plans of Chrysler LLC. Wangers is the founder and now senior analyst at Automotive Marketing Consultants Inc., in San Diego. AMCI does vehicle testing and marketing for automotive manufacturers.

Call in from the EcoPit car wash manager at Fashion Valley. For a little more money you can save a of water. And are red light traffic cameras the best line of defense? Info at the web site highwayrobbery.net.

The Ford F-150 Limited is the most luxurious Ford pickup so far and has a near-luxury price of $36,085. A Ford spokesman said "this truck is part of our aggressive approach of offering more models - including the supercharged Harley F-150, F-150 Foose Edition, Lariat Limited, etc. The truck has such features as a cargo management system and rear video camera.

An overview of the Buick Enclave and a chat with Matt Zuehlk, project leader for the world's fastest fuel-cell car, the Ford Fusion Hydrogen 999. Think of it as the world's fastest electric car. Matt will steer us from the speed of the Ford Hydrogen 999 to the road to consumer-grade fuel cell vehicles.