Author: Steven Symes

Don’t worry, it’s to save lives, not to invade your privacy… For the past few years, we’ve all been inundated with a plethora of restrictions on freedom. For those with the temerity to complain, they were quickly hit with some saying about how if the seemingly illogical barriers were to save just one life, they were justified. Sadly, those restrictions have fueled more problems, from kids with severe mental health challenges to an economy caught in a downward spiral. I’m naturally skeptical of so-called harmless government intervention given the historical track record of those in power, so General Motors’ recent…

This seems rather aggressive… General Motors isn’t trying to hide that it’s asking for suppliers to join an environmental and ESG pledge. Instead, the auto giant issued a press release casting its efforts as nothing short of heroic. Called the “Environmental, Social and Governance Partnership Pledge” the company claims suppliers representing over half of the $76 billion direct material annual purchase value it made in 2021 have signed on. Now, that last sentence is worded awkwardly because that’s how GM put it in the press release. That kind of verbal dancing was most likely carefully crafted to get you to…

It’s also coming to the United States soon… If you live in the UK, you already deal with plenty of government surveillance of your driving habits. However, a new app called Speedcam Anywhere allows your fellow citizens to become snitches, turning you in for speeding. They say the best way to force people into submission is to turn them against each other, and this new technology seems like a really great way to do that. Watch the latest Motorious Podcast here. Apparently, all you have to do is take a video of the moving car you suspect is speeding. Software will…

What an elitist perspective… Fox News recently ran a tone-deaf yet predictable article trying to ridicule anyone for owning a V8-powered American car. It was such an elitist, lazy attempt at superiority on the part of Gary Gastelu, the outlet’s Automotive Editor, that I just had to respond as well as call attention to the condescending attitude. The focus of Gastelu’s article is mocking what he says are the least fuel-efficient American vehicles. That’s right, he concentrates only on the Big Three, ignoring any foreign automakers because they get a pass for some reason. There are plenty of Mercedes, BMWs,…

There is no overnight solution to the problem… Most people don’t realize that even before the COVID outbreak from China, a storm was brewing in the auto industry. Spoken of only in closed circles, automakers, parts suppliers, and others worried a shortage of microprocessor chips was coming. However, the government-imposed lockdowns made a bad situation even worse, with an estimated 250,000 car production shortfall in North America last year. And the problem is far from solved as automakers continue to make fewer cars, even shutting down production lines to conserve chip supplies. One of the most affected has been Ford,…

GM, Ford, Stellantis and Toyota are affected… First it was the chip shortage and a lack of certain components holding up vehicle production. Now, for some automotive factories in Michigan it’s the blockade formed by truckers on the Ambassador Bridge which has brought some production lines to a screeching halt. Those truckers are protesting the vaccine requirements imposed by Justin Trudeau’s government as well as other restrictions ostensibly related to COVID. With seemingly no end to the protest on the bridge, which is used to transport a number of goods between the U.S. and Canada, there’s no telling how this…

See the legendary racer in action. Petersen Automotive Museum has released a video of the legendary race car driver Ken Miles and Carroll Shelby testing out the Shelby Cobra 289. This is an interesting glimpse into how things were back in the day, especially considering the renewed interest in both figures since “Ford v Ferrari” was released. As should be expected, this video is very 1960s, complete with a jazz soundtrack and all the wonderful film quality available at the time. However, it should be noted that even without the use of drones and other advanced camera technologies, the shots the filmmakers…

And it’s not for the reason you’re thinking… I’ve warned before about the strong possibility of motorcycles being banned on public roads in some areas. Such proposals have been floated in certain UK counties as well as parts of the European mainland and even some cities in the United States. However, nobody has moved on the idea of outright banning all internal combustion engine motorcycles in a specific geographical location. As a result, by pointing out movements towards that, I’ve been mocked by those who think they know better. Get a refresher on the banning motorcycles from public roads movement here.…

Soon, Brits will own nothing and will be happier for it… UK Government Transport Minister Trudy Harrison recently spoke at a mobility conference, addressing the future of personal mobility. In her comments, she said it was necessary to ditch the “20th-century thinking centered around private vehicle ownership and towards greater flexibility, with personal choice and low carbon shared transport.” That’s right, she said the quiet part loud and showed the hand of a growing number of government officials. Meanwhile, Dodge is eliminating a popular engine in the United States. Learn more here. Harrison went on to praise not only public transportation…

Once again, I hate to say I told you so… I warned everyone that the disbanding of Dodge’s SRT team was the beginning of the end for high-performance for the brand, but some people just didn’t want to hear it. Then when it came out recently that the Hellcats are getting canceled at the end of 2023 I predicted that would also be the curtain call for all the Hemi V8s, something which was just confirmed. Remember Dodge’s eMuscle car announcement? I break it down here. Replacing the Hemi V8 will be the GME T6 or the Global Medium Engine Turbocharged…