Senate Committee Passes Overhaul Of Auto Safety

Ford Maverick, Bronco Sport and Mach-E prices all went up $1100-2000 today.    The 2025 Maverick is now $5000 more than a 2024 Maverick.  That's a 20% increase in 1 year.

About food and the "boot country," there have been some changes due to globalization.  By that, I mean much more interest in fast food, candy bars, and bad snacking.  In the last 20 or so years that I've been coming here almost annually, I can see that the Big Mac attack (translation:  bigger butts) has been more pronounced, and "growing."   The people, primarily younger women, used to be very thin, and now I'm seeing some of the bigger rumps, and jeans to accommodate them, that are part and parcel of Americana. I love me a Big Mac meal about once a month, wherever I may be, but not much more than that.

What matters is on the inside, right?  Luckily, the Corvette already sports a sexy exterior, but for 2026, Chevrolet updated the interior to address some of the common complaints in the latest iteration of their legendary sports car. The biggest news is that the wall of buttons between the driver and passenger has been moved to a more conventional location under the screen, though not all buttons make the jump.  Some functions such as heated/cooled seats are now controlled from the central touch screen. And screens they are aplenty! The updated infotainment screen increases in size to 12.7-inches diagonal, a larger 14-inch diagonal driver information cluster, and a new 6.6-inch diagonal auxiliary display to the left of the steering wheel.  The drive mode selector has been relocated in line with the gear selector which opens up spaces for a new wireless phone charging pad, complete with a cover to keep the phone in place.  The new left-side auxiliary screen display gives dedicated access to trip information or performance management. All three screens features sharper and more vivid graphics. The animations have been made smoother and cleaner. Drivers can select their preferred layout or allow the system to adjust automatically based on drive mode. The Performance Data Recorder's user interface has been completely redesigned to take advantage of the new, larger screens. For 2026, four new colors are available on all models: Sky Cool and Medium Ash Gray with Habanero accents: Monochrome cool grays with unexpected pops of bright Habanero Santorini Blue: Vivid shade of blue that is both vibrant and electric Very Dark Atmosphere: Rich chocolate brown paired with Jet Black and Natural Tan accents Ultimate Suede: Jet Black suede interior customizable through Adrenaline Red, Santorini Blue, and Competition Yellow accent stitch colors and matching seatbelts Customers can even spec a mixed seating option in Asymmetrical Adrenaline Red, with a racing-inspired Adrenaline Red Competition driver’s seat and a Jet Black GT2 passenger seat. The Ultimate Suede interior brings sueded microfiber to nearly all interior surfaces. Other new changes include: A new, available electrochromic roof, which allows customers to change the tint level of their targa roof glass at the press of a button – selecting between full, medium, and low tint options. The button to activate Charge+, which enables E-Ray drivers to replenish battery life more quickly or sustain battery charge for a track session, has been relocated to the steering wheel. Located just below the Z Mode button, Charge+ now has a more prominent location for ease of use. Two new exterior color options are available for all models: Roswell Green Metallic and Blade Silver Metallic.   View full article

Rivian R1S

I so want to own an EV if I own another car.