In Wheel Time Podcast: Your Go-To Automotive Talk Show

A car can fail in the market and still become unforgettable, and a “weird” idea can quietly invent the future. We start with a fast tour through automotive history that connects more dots than you’d expect: the 1979 AMC Eagle as an early crossover and all-wheel drive concept, Yellow Cab’s origins in Chicago and how that taxi story eventually links to Hertz, the 1959 Mini’s small-car genius, the Fo...

Your insurance bill can jump overnight, and it’s not always because you did anything different. We sit down with Chip Lupo from WalletHub to unpack what’s behind today’s rising car insurance and homeowners insurance rates and what you can actually do to lower your premium without cutting the wrong corners. We get specific about the moves that matter: when bundling home and auto insurance really sa...

Rodney Rodriguez isn’t just talking about racing today, he’s about to go do it. We catch up with the Dirty Air host and longtime circle track voice as he heads to Edna, Texas to climb into a steel-bodied Nova for a special night at Texana Raceway Park. Between the heat, the pressure of driving a proven winner, and the challenge of running on dirt with limited seat time, it’s a perfect snapshot of...

A cracked wheel, a questionable seat belt anchor, and a high voltage battery risk are not the kind of surprises any driver wants, so we open with the latest vehicle recalls and talk through what they mean in plain language for real owners. If you track EV trucks like the Silverado EV and Sierra EV or you just want to stay ahead of safety issues, this recall roundup is a quick way to know what to w...

Chevrolet in China went from unstoppable to almost invisible, and that single data point opens a much bigger question: how quickly can a global market rewrite the rules for an American brand? We dig into the stunning sales drop that has Chevy reportedly ending sales there after two decades, what GM’s next move signals, and why EV demand and local competition can turn “iconic” into “irrelevant” in...

Summer can disappear overnight when school starts, but we’re not letting that happen without a fight. We kick things off with “Marrs Driving Destinations” and lay out practical, family-friendly day trips around the Houston metro that still feel like a real getaway. Think Armand Bayou Nature Center in Pasadena for trails and wildlife, Space Center Houston in Clear Lake for interactive exhibits and...

The fastest way to spark a car argument is to ask one simple question: which feature would you delete forever. We start with the everyday stuff that actually changes ownership costs and stress, like fuel economy habits, using cruise control as a “steady throttle,” and how adaptive cruise can quietly help you avoid the constant speed swings that burn gas. From there, we get into the modern tech tha...

A car ad says $299 a month, the salesperson says “trust me,” and somehow you’re staring at a payment that makes no sense. We bring in Dom Genova, a former Chrysler factory rep who built his own dealership by refusing to play the usual sales games, to explain what really happens between the headline number and the contract you sign. Dom lays out a simple idea that feels almost radical in the modern...

Recalls, real prices, and a brutally honest look at what a modern pickup costs when you spec it like a luxury car. We start by sorting through this week’s automotive recalls, including Ford Explorer and Lincoln Aviator updates, a Mustang Mach E trim concern, F-150 and Super Duty camera issues, a Genesis G80 fix, and a Mercedes-Benz recall situation big enough to make you want to open SaferCar.gov...

Richard Tomlin shows up with the kind of racing story that makes you laugh first and then take notes: he ran Pikes Peak against teams with mind-blowing budgets, qualified into the “Hella Fast 15,” and still had his day complicated by a throwout bearing that was supposed to be the safe, new upgrade. We talk through what failed, how much time it cost, and why finishing still matters when the Pikes P...

A four-door Camaro sounds like a joke until you look at the space it could fill. We kick things off by unpacking the latest reports and AI-style renderings that imagine Chevrolet bringing the Camaro name back as a performance fastback sedan. We talk through why it would be a massive break from Camaro tradition, and why GM might still do it if they want a true halo car that sits beneath the Corvett...

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 cross-country rally doesn’t have to cost a supercar budget, and Doug Demore is proof. We sit down with the Long Haul Rally founder to talk about building a Corvette-focused coast-to-coast road trip from the Outer Banks of North Carolina to Monterey, California, with a cap of 100 cars and a plan that prioritizes safety and fun over racing. Doug breaks down what drivers actually want to know before...

Your next car might not be chosen by you or even by the dealer, and that’s just one of the wild threads we pull this week. We kick things off with a fast, practical run through key automotive recalls, including a massive RAM pickup recall tied to a seat belt anchor issue, plus Jeep wheel concerns, Land Rover rearview camera trouble, and a Ford Bronco fire-risk note. If you like staying ahead of sa...

Someone can steal a modern truck without “hotwiring” anything, and that reality changes what security needs to look like. We sit down with Ford Motor Company’s Ian Grotenhuis to unpack Ford Secure, formally the Ford Security Package, and why Ford is betting on proactive protection instead of alerts that leave you powerless. If you’ve worried about F-150 theft in Texas or anywhere else, this conver...

The fastest way to ruin a DIY weekend is getting careless under a car, so we start with something unglamorous but essential: car jacks. We break down what makes a dependable floor jack, why lift points and pinch weld support matter, and how different designs fit different real garages. If you’ve ever fought low ground clearance or wondered whether a combo bottle jack and jack stand is worth it, we...

Hybrids just pulled ahead of EVs in California, and the reasons are a lot more practical than political. We talk through the real-world mix of fuel prices, model availability, and day-to-day convenience that’s pushing drivers toward gasoline-electric hybrids, even in the biggest EV market in the country. If you’ve been trying to decide between an EV, a plug-in hybrid, and a regular hybrid, we lay...

A road rally sounds like racing until you learn the best teams win by thinking, not speeding. We sit down with John Poulos from the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) Texas Region to break down what road rally really means: precision driving on public roads, sharp navigation, and a driver-navigator team solving a moving puzzle while trying not to miss a turn. We dig into the different “flavors” of...

Missing gear indicators, brake assist concerns, camera failures, and the kind of recall notice nobody wants to hear: “park it outside.” We move fast through this week’s car recalls across brands, then slow down just enough to talk about what they mean in real life, like how a simple display issue can become a safety problem, and why battery and motor overheating warnings deserve immediate attentio...

You can learn a lot about a used car dealership by one question: do they care how you feel after you drive away? We sit down with Jerry Emmons of Emmons Autoplex in Webster, Texas to unpack what “doing good business” looks like in real life, from treating customers with respect to pricing vehicles aggressively enough to move them in a competitive market. We talk used car buying tips you can actual...

Houston heat doesn’t wait for the calendar, so Marrs brings a list you can actually use when summer hits hard. We talk through easy, high payoff getaways that keep you cool without turning the day into a complicated production: a Blue Bell Creameries run to Brenham for peak summer ice cream, the Bryan Museum in Galveston when the beach feels like a skillet, and the Lone Star Flight Museum for air...

A pedestrian crash is not just “bad luck” anymore, it is the predictable result of bigger vehicles, faster streets, and nonstop distraction. We sit down with Caroline Cash from the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) to unpack what state highway safety offices are seeing right now and what changes can actually reduce traffic deaths in the United States. We get into the uncomfortable design...

Solar cars are not a gimmick, they’re a moving test lab that has to survive real traffic, real rules, and real weather. We sit down with Gail Lueck, event director for the American Solar Challenge, to unpack how collegiate teams build and campaign solar-powered cars under a 90-plus page regulations book, then prove themselves in scrutineering before they ever hit the road. If you’ve ever wondered...

A recall notice can feel like background noise until it’s your driveway, your garage, and your family on the line. We dig into the latest car recalls and translate the fine print into plain language, including a third-row power folding seatback issue, a roll-away risk affecting multiple Ford and Lincoln models, and a Kia Telluride power seat motor problem that can overheat and potentially cause a...

A used car can look perfect under the lights and still come with a past you did not sign up for. We bring in Patrick Olsen, editor-in-chief at Carfax, to break down what a Carfax vehicle history report actually reveals, why “Show me the Carfax” became shorthand for transparency, and how shoppers can use VIN-based data to negotiate with confidence. We talk about the real-world mechanics behind vehi...