G. David Felt

Worth the price if you have ever used Yeti stuff. I agree it is Rolls-Royce price, but the quality and what they can do for you is amazing compared to most other products out there. Start with a Yeti Cup and see that 24hrs later you can still have a ton of ice in there and very cold drink. Road trips having a Yeti tumbler filled with ice and your favorite beverage on a drive and still having it cold is awesome.

They clearly are hitting a sweet spot for many who want AWD, CUV and Fuel Efficiency with performance. Be interesting to see what GM, Ford and FCA respond with as currently they have nothing to compete against this.

Stevie Nicks now Gotta Love Vol 1 & 2 from Guardians of the Galaxy!

Working weekend for our internal launch on 6/2 of a new product. So it is oldies but goodies and right now. Now B-52's time

Whip It!

In reading the Press release, Toyota's web site and the first review on the Rav4 Prime, a plug-in hybrid. This Rav4 Prime is the fastest 4 door in Toyota's auto lineup other than the Supra. I will say it is not bad looking since it does not have the predator mouth. One thing that I compared and am not surprised by since you have the electric assist system is that 0 to 60mph is 5.8 seconds compared to my 2008 Chevrolet Trailblazer SS AWD with a V8 that goes 0 to 60 in 5.7 seconds. Toyota Rav4 Prime is 90 MPGe versus my 12 MPG. WOW very impressive. My sister and her best friend and room mate are both on site nurses that travel all over for in home care. As such putting on 30 to 45,000 miles a year is not uncommon for them. While she loves her Buick CUV, it is time to replace it and I have to say that it is hard to not recommend this AWD that just beats everything else out there in it's class. My email to my sister posted here for you all to read. Other than the Toyota Supra sports car, this is the fastest 4 door Toyota they have and it is no slouch with 302HP. It is worth a look as a replacement for your CUV’s you have. Battery warranty is 10 years or 150,000 miles whichever comes first. Assembled / built in Alabama from parts from Canada, Mexico, Japan and the US. Based on the reviews, the Rav4 Prime XSE fully optioned including the weather package has the following: 9” Audio Plus system with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay Heated steering wheel Heated and cooled front seats Heated rear seats Parking assist HUD – color heads up display Adaptive front headlights – Means as you turn, the lights turn with you so you have maximum visability at night. Rain sensing wipers with deicer JBL premium audio Panoramic moonroof Hands-free power-hatch actuation Plus more A True Performer Tuned with responsiveness in mind, RAV4 Prime's powertrain rockets this SUV from 0 to 60 in an estimated 5.8 seconds. Its Electronic On-Demand All-Wheel Drive is able to send power to all four wheels, so every press of the throttle produces instant torque and thrilling acceleration. The available steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters help put this power directly into your hands, delivering even more exhilaration every time you get behind the wheel. A Driver's Space RAV4 Prime's cabin was tailored for the spirited drive, with everything designed to help keep you in full control. An available all-new 9-in. multimedia display places your entertainment, maps and more at front and center. Loaded with tech features, RAV4 Prime comes standard with Amazon Alexa, 65 as well as Android Auto™ 63 and Apple CarPlay® 58 compatibility. And the available Head-Up Display (HUD) puts key driving information right on the windshield, so you can keep your eyes on the road ahead. Review you can read about the Rav4 Hybrid Prime https://www.greencarreports.com/news/1128330_2021-toyota-rav4-prime-42-mile-plug-in-could-cost-less-than-rav4-hybrid Toyota web site for the Prime https://www.toyota.com/upcoming-vehicles/rav4prime/ Press Release on the Rav4 Hybrid Prime 2021 model https://pressroom.toyota.com/toyota-revs-up-lineup-with-new-302-horsepower-rav4-prime/

DEVO

Mechanical

Yeti's Rock, Yes pricey, but OMG, they are the best. Amazing stuff, have various products from them and nothing else seems to match Yeti's ability to keep things hot or cold and give long life to stuff you have in it compared to the Garbage stuff Coleman makes as well as others. Worth every dollar.

Interesting EV news this evening. First up is Lordstown motors which bought the 6.2 million square-feet Ohio Factory from GM last year. In the latest interview, CEO Steve Burns says they can produce 600,000 EV's a year out of the plant and are planning to fill it up fast with not just their AWD EV Truck but also an SUV when production starts later this year and deliveries scheduled for January 2021. Starting in 2022, an SUV and other auto's will come on line and Lordstown is planning to employ as many as 5,000 people by then in production of EVs. They believe they can outsell GM which does not expect to sell 1 million EVs a year till 2025. https://www.greencarreports.com/news/1128301_will-lordstown-motors-outsell-electric-trucks-from-gm-ford-and-rivian Next up is the posted interview with Mark Kaufman, Global Director of Electrification for Ford. Mark revealed 5 geeky details that shows or proves to some that Ford is committed to EVs long term and eventually replacing ICE auto's all together. There is two battery tunes depending on if you buy RWD or AWD. This will satisfy the high performance crowd and still serve the long range distant crowd. Rapid-prototyping prodigy is what the Mach-E has been for Ford. This has allowed them to get feedback and quickly build various versions to allow quick testing with customers. Example is that even on an EV with everything digital, customers still want a physical volume knob to use when driving and not have to look at a big screen and hunt for the touch point. The Revolutionary new Sync 4A system that will debut with the Mach-E is a clean sheet infotainment system that is built on HTML5. Allows for superior system customization and layout. Owners can customize the interface to work the way they want it and not stuck in a Ford only mode. This also allows for future upgrades that can completely change the look and feel. Over the air updates is being taken very seriously as they have an in-house cybersecurity team ensuring that the auto will be encrypted and comply with all privacy laws globally. To quote him: We take our customer trust very seriously. The first update for the Mach-E that will be over the air 6 months after release will be Ford pushing out their Fords Autopilot feature for the EV. Kaufman did not state it would rival GM's supercruise or Tesla Autopilot, but enough comments from him leads the media and writers at Green Car Reports to believe so. https://www.greencarreports.com/news/1128304_ford-mustang-mach-e-electric-suv-5-geeky-details-show-ford-s-commitment-to-evs

1960's

2021 Chevrolet Z71 Suburban leaked? According to The Drive that got the info from The New Tahoe Yukon Forum says the Chevrolet Z71 Suburban is on the configurator at the Chevrolet web site. I could not find it when I went just now, but these are the pics they had from the Forum. Thoughts? https://www.thedrive.com/news/33732/first-2021-chevrolet-suburban-z71-photos-slip-out-in-online-configurator ? Girlfriend from hell upset about not being able to park in Garage, Scraps Impala project car while boyfriend is on business trip. Good read if your interested, I agree with him in having her booted out and bringing in the police. You DO NOT touch my auto's! ? https://www.thedrive.com/news/33723/girlfriend-from-hell-sends-mans-1967-chevy-impala-project-to-junkyard-while-hes-traveling

1970's and 1980's era Mercedes-Benz are best used for what? Electrification according to a Belgium company that restores them to like new off the assembly line with an electric power train. From $179,000 to $200,000 depending on model, you can have your dearly loved 70's or 80's MB restored to factory fresh with a high output EV system. https://www.thedrive.com/news/33731/electric-conversions-dont-get-much-better-than-70s-and-80s-mercedes-benz-classics

The news today was covering that the Pandemic has caused a much bigger than usual up tick in Divorce Lawyer inquiries. Maybe those that have not done their homework, have the communication skills and are willing to have skin in the game are realizing it is over their head to be married. Crazy times, Crazy News. I agree the Covid thing sucks, I have to say, My yard is looking amazing since that is my sanctum of isolation. Been busy with building a better garden area. My own Pandemic project was to build a 2nd raised bed. Ended up being bigger and cheaper than the Costco plastic thing I bought last year. So a 5ft x 10ft x 2.5ft tall pine raised bed. Have it planted and then finished building my in ground garden area and the potted veggie plant area. Got my Walla Walla sweet onions in the ground yesterday, will do leeks today.

NISSAN NEWS of the DAY! WOW, Had no Idea that the Frontier Pickup from Nissan was 15 years old with very little updates over that time. 2021 will bring a new Frontier Pickup per this story from The Drive. https://www.thedrive.com/news/33728/the-first-real-look-at-the-2021-nissan-frontier-midsize-pickup-truck This video shows it cloaked like the picture above next to the Armada. Seems to have grown in size they say at the story above. Continuing on the cools Nissan front, seems someone decided the Frontier Pickup needed AWD and More Power so in goes a 1,000 HP GT-R motor into a pickup with AWD for a pickup that Nissan should build now. https://www.thedrive.com/news/33714/dropping-a-1000-hp-gt-r-engine-in-a-nissan-pickup-truck-can-only-lead-to-good-things

Portugal is on my bucket list as I want to try the various Port Wine's they have there. Wife and daughter have been to Spain and around Europe as have I. Europe has cool stuff, but I think I would like to explore South America which I have never been too and more of the Asian rim.

Indiana Jones Series of Movies

Aboriginal

Studebaker is BACK, BIGGER AND BADDER than Ever! I did not know that in 2003 a man actually tried to revive this auto name plate and ended up much like Delorean in prison for a Ponzi scam. Interesting Read and more pics on this SUV here: https://www.thedrive.com/news/33717/the-2003-studebaker-xuv-attempted-to-revive-a-classic-name-with-an-illegal-hummer-clone

Music for the Masses Saw this concert in Japan. Was amazing.

I loved this station wagon, one of the last true full size made form the 90's.

Depeche Mode

Yet I think GM gets this with doing a Hummer by GMC EV Truck and SUV full size. I could care less and if they went away and into the history books, I still could care less about Porsche cars. Their CUVs are cool. Hummer by GMC EV's are even Cooler.

Seems Ford has a Solution for killing 99.9% of Covid-19 in Police Explorers. There is a new setting that will boost the interior temperature to 133 degrees for 15 min to kill 99.9$ of all virus / bacteria in the auto. https://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2020/05/here-comes-the-heat/ In additional auto news, seems Acura has decided to ditch as the story says the McPherson Struts. Quote: We’re of course talking about double wishbones, which Acura confirmed will be found up front in the 2021 TLX. If you were worried the TLX would end up as a flashy retread of your basic Honda Accord or the like, breathe easy — the new car rides atop a dedicated platform, with the eradication of the current-generation model’s MacPherson strut setup lending credence to Acura’s promise of the “quickest, best-handling, and most well-appointed sport sedan in Acura history.” https://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2020/05/back-to-the-future-acura-tlx-ditches-the-macphersons/#more-1722464

Seems Renault and Nissan have ruled out a merger of the companies but have decided to close plants and build both Companies auto's in the same plant in regions where it makes sense to save money and become more efficient. Renault and Nissan are going with a global EV platform that both companies will use to build and sell global EVs to be more efficient at lower costs than the competition. Interesting read on their direction and future. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-autos-nissan-renault-alliance-costs/renault-and-nissan-rule-out-merger-as-they-unveil-survival-plan-idUSKBN2330T6 23 states have sued the Potus45 administration over the rollback of efficiency standards for auto's. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-autos-emissions/u-s-states-sue-trump-administration-over-fuel-efficiency-rollback-idUSKBN2332UT To quote the story: Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel called the rule a “gift to the fossil fuel industry” that would harm the state, home to Detroit’s Big Three automakers, because it would reduce automotive-related employment by 4%. She said automakers were afraid of a “mean tweet” from U.S. President Donald Trump.