The post Episode 107 Preshow – Christmas 2025 appeared first on Throwin' Wrenches Automotive Podcast.

Welcome to the automotive podcast does not pay subscriptions for performance 

On this episode of Throwin’ Wrenches…  

• Toyota MAY come back with a Supra?  Would you like that in V6 or V8?
• How Smart is it to bring back Smart to the USA?
• How much would you pay for more horsepower?  Like…  how much monthly…  On your credit card?  

Sponsors

• Fort’s Toyota of Pekin

PATREON – Thanks to our Patreon supporters.

Welcome new members!  I need to do the rundown with the magic mirror-like romper room!

Itunes Premium –  people love it!  Full integration into your Apple Podcast app. 

NEW SEGMENT!  Cruise or Choose?  It’s like “Would You Rather”… But with cars.  Tell us what you think.

NEWS:

The Toyota Supra May Come Back With a Lot More Power: Report

A new Supra could get over 500 horsepower from a four-cylinder engine and an electric motor, according to a new report.

ROBB REPORT

The fifth-generation Toyota Supra is, in large part, a BMW, but that didn’t make its comeback any less special for its fans, who are legion. The fifth-generation Supra is also in the midst of an extended goodbye, though it might be coming back in a radically different form, with even more power, according to a new report.

The report, from the Japanese publication Best Car Web, makes a number of startling claims, starting with the Supra, which will allegedly come back with over 500 horsepower. The new car won’t be supplied by a BMW-made six-cylinder, but instead will be a four-cylinder engine mated to an electric motor. That would be an increase of over 118 horsepower from the fifth-generation car’s current output. Best Car Web says the electric motor will be behind the driver’s and passenger’s seats.

Smart Will Return To The Segment It Created In 2026 By Brett T. Evans 

Despite being synonymous for parking-friendly city cars with just two seats and a one-box shape, the current Smart lineup looks a lot less distinctive these days – a sea of compact crossovers with rounded styling and Mercedes-esque headlights. That may change in late 2026 when the company introduces the #2, which, as its name suggests, is a modern remake of the original CityCoupe (later remaned fortwo). The pocket-sized #2 will also be an EV, taking advantage of a new Smart platform designed for “ultra-compact vehicles.”

VW introduces monthly subscription to increase car power

Liv McMahon | BBC

German car making giant Volkswagen (VW) has introduced a subscription for UK customers wanting to increase the power of some of its electric cars. Those who buy an eligible car in its ID.3 range can choose to pay extra if they want to unlock the full power of the engine inside the vehicle.

VW says the “optional power upgrade” will cost £16.50 per month or £165 annually – or people can choose to pay £649 for a lifetime subscription. The firm said it was “offering customers choice” with the feature.

Auto Express, who first reported the story, said a lifetime subscription would be for the car rather than the individual – meaning the upgrade would remain on the car if it was sold on. A VW spokesperson told the BBC they believed giving people the option to purchase more power for their car is “nothing new”.

“Historically many petrol and diesel vehicles have been offered with engines of the same size, but with the possibility of choosing one with more potency,” they said.

A Small Toyota Truck For $30K? Believe It.

The Ford Maverick and Hyundai Santa Cruz are about to get some competition.

Miguel Cortina Writer Avarvarii Aug 19, 2025

What It Is: Toyota will launch a small pickup truck to compete directly with the Ford Maverick and Hyundai Santa Cruz. The yet-to-be-named truck will slot under the Tacoma and serve as the company’s entry-level pickup. With the Maverick’s popularity, Toyota has watched the segment grow—and it’s a segment it doesn’t compete in but would like to. Cooper Ericksen, Toyota Motor North America’s head of planning and strategy, told MotorTrend the automaker is building the truck. “Decisions have been made,” he said. “The question is when we can slot it in. It’s not a matter of ‘if’ at this point.”

Rivian to Resume Construction of $5B Georgia EV Plant in 2026 (Engineering News Record)

Electric vehicle maker Rivian is preparing to resume work on its paused $5-billion manufacturing plant in Social Circle, Ga., according to the company.

The manufacturer scheduled a ceremonial groundbreaking for September and is on track to begin construction next year, company representative Peebles Squire says. The startup will still use its originally selected contractor, Clayco, for the job.

The plan calls for a 16-million-sq-ft manufacturing plant on an 1,800-acre campus. It will be built in two phases, each adding production capacity for 200,000 vehicles, Squire says. 

CARS OF THE WEAK

Eric:  1999 Toyota camroad motorhome 4wd

$29,000

Offers always accepted. Located in Indianapolis. 1999 Toyota Camroad  4WD with front locking hubs. Park it anywhere with this size. Clean Indiana title. 2.8 Liter 3L Diesel Engine. Naturally aspirated, ultra reliable, runs forever and ever. The same engine used in the Toyota Hilux. 85,000 Original Miles, 4Sp. Automatic Transmission with overdrive. Runs perfect. No leaks of any kind.

Runs… Perfect…  They always do in the ads!

Daryl:

1970 Popcorn Wagon – $5,500

1970 popcorn wagon take it to any festival and start making money.

The post Episode 104 – More Power, Smart Cars and Popcorn appeared first on Throwin' Wrenches Automotive Podcast.

Welcome to the automotive podcast that wasn’t invited to the opening of the Tesla restaurant.  

On this episode of Throwin’ Wrenches…  

• What makes your supercar super?
• Have you picked out your Faraday Face?
• Rivian is bringing more jobs to Central Illinois.  

All of that and more on this episode of Throwin’ Wrenches. 

Thanks for listening.  To join in on the fun of the show, just email us at [email protected] or post a review on itunes to be heard worldwide!

Check us out on YouTube, before we are banned for copyright!  

Sponsor:

• Fort’s Toyota of Pekin

PATREON – Thanks to our Patreon supporters. 

Itunes Premium –  people love it!  Full integration into your Apple Podcast app. 

Projects:

Eric: 

• Needed more RUSTBUSTERS.com parts for the chainsaw truck.  
• Aiden lost AC in the 1997  Celica
• SCCA in Mossville.
• Camping trip to Utah
• ROAR

Daryl: 

• Solara starter
• Smoke machine fun
• Got a new shop vac. 
• Incredible 80’s Car Museum in Dwight

NEWS:

Report: Nissan Closing Two More Production Plants By 2027

The two plants produce vehicles for the U.S., but Nissan gave no indication on the future of those products.

Justin BannerWriterMotorTrend StaffPhotographerManufacturerPhotographerJul 21, 2025

With Nissan in dire straits, the Japanese brand has been reaching for every avenue to save itself through the “Re:Nissan” initiative. Recently, word came down on July 15 that its Oppama plant in Kanagawa, Japan, would shut down and production there would move to Kyushu (in Fukuoka, Japan) by early 2027. Now, a new report suggests is that two of Nissan’s Mexico plants will shutter in the same timeframe with no word on where the vehicles built there will be assembled in the future.

Faraday Future’s New FX Super One Luxury Van Has a Funky F.A.C.E.

AI-enhanced interactive LED grille aside, can this jumbo luxury people mover make a dent in a market where full-size SUVs rule?

Mike Floyd July 17, 2025  Motortrend

We’re at Faraday Future’s Southern California headquarters getting our first look at its upcoming new vehicle, when we walk around to the front of the car. The LED grille is flashing and pulsing through images and video like a Times Square billboard. That’s the point: The F.A.C.E. of the FX Super One is designed to draw attention. It got ours.

F.A.C.E. stands for Front AI Communication Ecosystem, and like everything else in this era, it has an artificial-intelligence component to it, because of course it does. Imagine you have your Super One parked outside at a sporting event, and you program your F.A.C.E. to promote a product you have. People could potentially interact with said product placement and get answers. Or you can just goof off and have it show photos of you in a Speedo, or your dog or cat in a cute outfit. Oh, the possibilities. (To be clear, it has to be parked to show anything interactive.)

It’s a neat party trick, but chances are most of the folks who end up buying a Super One—which Faraday is rolling out as part of the company’s new Faraday X subbrand strategy (think Lexus versus Toyota)—when it goes on sale sometime early in 2026 as the vanguard model of a planned product blitz over the next 24 months won’t opt for the fancy digital mug.

What will they get as a whole? A huge, luxurious minivan (Faraday prefers MPV, or multi-purpose vehicle) with a passel of unique options, a suite of AI-enhanced software and technologies that help power it and its systems, and two all-wheel-drive powertrains from which to choose, one all electric and one Faraday calls an AI Hybrid Extended Range (AIHER). Right now, it’s sort of an answer to a question that not a lot of Americans in the market for big people movers are asking. But Faraday hopes it will find a niche.

Local:

AutoCanada Inc. has firmed up agreements to sell 13 of its 17 new-vehicle franchises in the United States

as it prepares to exit the American market and refocus on Canada. The deals with several unnamed buyers are worth Cdn $82.7 million (US $60.3 million), including real estate, the company said July 16. They include Chevrolet of Palatine, Crystal Lake Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep-Ram, Hyundai of Palatine, North City Honda, as well as two multi-franchise locations: Autohaus of Peoria, consisting of Audi, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, and Volkswagen stores; and Bloomington Automall with Audi, Lincoln, Mercedes-Benz, Subaru and Volkswagen locations.

Source: Automotive News Canada

New Rivian supplier ‘Adient’ set to bring dozens of jobs to Town of Normal

By Imani McClay  NEWS 25

Published: Jul. 21, 2025 at 3:50 PM CDT|Updated: Jul. 21, 2025 at 5:28 PM CDT

NORMAL (25News Now) – Dozens of full-time jobs are headed to McLean County as a new supplier for Rivian gets ready to plant their roots in Normal.

Gov. JB Pritzker, alongside the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity and Adient, the new supplier, made the announcement Monday.

Adient, a global leader in automotive seating, will establish a facility in Normal to assemble front and back seat components for the EV company. The supplier plans to make a capital investment of more than $8 million, creating about 75 new full-time jobs.

Nik Duffle, the Town of Normal’s director of economic development, said this will have a huge economic impact.

“Being a job provider and a capital investor in the community will just continue to provide support and stability for the local economy,” said Duffle.

Adient will repurpose an existing 85,000 square foot warehouse south of College Avenue, adjacent to Rivian’s plant.

As part of the State’s incentive package, Adient received a reimagining energy and vehicles Illinois’s tax credit for their investment and job creation.

Super Car News Search

https://abcnews.go.com/Business/horsepower-matter-electrification-changing/story?id=123959938

What makes a supercar “super”? Is it horsepower, 0-60 mph records or the gratification of rowing your own gears?

Moment of Musk:   Listen to the preshow!!!

Eric:  

Its a Bugatti…  Or it’s something else.  Whatever it is, it’s fun and I would drive it a few times.

Daryl:

1970 Mercury Cougar Convertible
https://www.volocars.com/auto-sales/vehicles/18859/1970-mercury-cougar 

The post Episode 103 – Faraday Face appeared first on Throwin' Wrenches Automotive Podcast.

Welcome to the automotive podcast that singing the blues in our Little Deuce Coupes.  (R.I.P. Brian Wilson)

On this episode of Throwin’ Wrenches…  

• Suzuki Jimnys are sold out for the next 3 1/2 years, but not here in the US
• Volvo has a museum. Who wants to go?
• Lordstown Motors: You thought they were gone, but they still find a way onto this episode

Our Sponsors

As always, we’d like to give special thanks to Fort’s Toyota of Pekin 

In addition to the fine folks at Fort’s, our Patreon supporters help keeping the wrenches flying. Thank you!

Episode Highlights

Suzuki News

Suzuki’s Jimny 5-door is so popular in Japan that they’ve suspended orders after just four days, creating a 3.5-year backlog with 50,000 orders and only 1,200 units per month production capacity.

Volvo News

We explore the newly opened World of Volvo Museum in Gothenburg, celebrating the Swedish automaker’s 100-year history, and discuss GM’s massive $4 billion investment to move production from Mexico back to US plants, including the shuttered Orion Assembly facility.

Car Culture

In tribute to the late Brian Wilson, we dive into how the Beach Boys shaped American car culture with classics like “Little Deuce Coupe” and “409,” plus Wilson’s surprising hit about a Honda scooter that introduced Americans to the Japanese brand.

Projects

• Eric recalls his recent Iceland trip with Angela that involved driving on lava rock in a stripped-down Suzuki Jimny SUV
  • He also prepares for some frame repairs on “Little Mule”, his 1996 Toyota Tacoma, using parts from Rustbuster.com
• Daryl explains why he enjoys a Sunday drive in his trouble-free ’55 Plymouth
  • He also considers thinning his car collection

Cars of the Weak

Eric

1995 right-hand-drive Suzuki Jimny – $15,995
Source:  AutoTrader

You might say Eric was smitten by the Suzuki after he and Mrs. Stahl traveled across Iceland in one. Sure, it’s lacking a few creature comforts. Maybe the crash rating isn’t spectacular. And no, you can’t buy a new one here in the United States. That’s why he found a USED Japanese-market import to call his own.

He also found something that may replace “Little Mule” one far-off day. It rhymes with Mahindra.

Daryl

2023 Lordstown Endurance EV Truck – $32,000 
Source: Facebook Marketplace

What’s this? Why, it’s a barely-used 2023 Lordstown Endurance EV truck, of course. We’ve talked about Lordstown Motors quite a bit over the years but never actually seen one in the wild until now.

It’s hard to believe these didn’t take off.

Maybe that’s a good thing?

Get in Touch

Got something that really grinds your gears? Let us know at [email protected] and we’ll be in touch.

The post Episode 102 – Beach Party Iceland appeared first on Throwin' Wrenches Automotive Podcast.

Yes, you read that correctly. After 100 episodes of automotive news, project car disasters, and countless hours in the garage, we decided to celebrate our centennial episode of “Throwin’ Wrenches” in style—by inviting the real MVPs onto the show.

Angela Stahl and Sarah Scott join us for a candid conversation about what it’s really like to be married to car enthusiasts who can’t seem to stop bringing home “just one more car” or participating in “just one more road rally.” From their favorite automotive picks to eye-rolling stories about our respective histories of vehicular obsessions, this episode pulls back the curtain on the home lives of your podcast hosts.

Highlights

• Angela and Sarah reveal their actual favorite cars (not just the ones they tolerate in the driveway.)
• Behind-the-scenes stories from car adventures that we’ve never shared on air
• The wives’ unfiltered take on living with perpetual internet orders
• Global listener feedback with fantastic suggestions for future segments

We’re incredibly grateful to Angela and Sarah for their good humor, patience, and unwavering support as we’ve built this podcast from the ground-up over the years. Their willingness to put up with oil-stained laundry, parts on the kitchen table, and “quick trips” to car shows that turn into weekend adventures deserves more thanks than we can express.

We would also like to thank our listeners and Patreon family for the continued support. We love hearing from you, and apprecaite all you’ve done to help us keep things rolling down the highway.

Here’s to the next 100 episodes!

Listen to the full episode now on your favorite podcast platform.

The post EP 100: Our Better Halves Take the Wheel appeared first on Throwin' Wrenches Automotive Podcast.