Do Car Buyers Want Inexpensive Cars Again?

October 2, 2024 / Andy Lilienthal / Leave a comment

It’s the beginning of October, and that means the auto manufacturers are releasing their third-quarter sales figures. Of particular note for me is Mitsubishi. For Q3 of 2024, its sales are markedly up, and that includes sales of one of the least expensive vehicles on the market, the Mirage. It’s sales are up a shocking…

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Eight Years Ago I Fell In Love With the Mitsubishi Delica

September 24, 2024 / Andy Lilienthal / Leave a comment

Eight years ago, I drove a Mitsubishi Delica for the first time. (I even wrote a post about what it’s like to drive a Mitsubishi Delica.) My wife, Mercedes, and I were visiting New Zealand in 2016, and this Delica Star Wagon (L300) belonged to my wife’s cousin, Helga, who lives in NZ. The first…

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Volkswagen of America Giving Away its Free Iconic Gewürz Ketchup

September 23, 2024 / Andy Lilienthal / Leave a comment

Volkswagen of America, Inc. announced today that VW part number 00010 ZDK-259-101, VW Gewürz Ketchup Brand, a condiment used to dress VW currywurst, will be available in the U.S. for a limited time. The public can claim their very own bottle, distributed through DriverGear, starting today at no cost while supplies last.

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Our 2024 Alcan 5000 Adventure Video

September 14, 2024 / Andy Lilienthal / Leave a comment

We’ve done the Alcan 5000 Rally three times now and written about it extensively. While on the 2024 winter rally, in which we partnered with INEOS Automotive, we took quite a bit of video. Since the rally’s completion in March, I’ve painstakingly put together this ~~Oscar-nominated documentary~~ YouTube motion picture all about it. Behold: our Alcan 5000 video.

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Rolling Stock Review: BFGoodrich g-Force Comp-2 A/S Plus On Our 2005 Subaru Forester XT

September 6, 2024 / Andy Lilienthal / Leave a comment

When we purchased our “bought not built” modified 2005 Subaru Forester XT (with the 5-speed manual), we knew the first thing that had to be changed: wheels and tires. This fact was hammered home as the Subaru would easily turn into a drift missile around corners, especially in the rain. Admittedly, the low grip was…

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Automotive Detailing: How Much Do You Do?

September 2, 2024 / Andy Lilienthal / Leave a comment

Who doesn’t love the look of a freshly cleaned and detailed car? Lately, we’ve been traveling a lot, so I haven’t had a chance to do as much automotive detailing as I wanted. However, over the Labor Day weekend, I gave our rides some TLC. This included some intense detailing, including the engine bay.

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Subaru Forester XT Update: Fixes, New Tires, and Used Wheels

August 13, 2024 / Andy Lilienthal / Leave a comment

Back in January 2024, we bought a 2005 Subaru Forest XT. It had 190,000 miles, a bunch of go-fast mods, and was ready to inject some speed into our fleet. So what have we been up to with it since? Quite a bit, actually.

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Michigan The Latest State to Revoke Mitsubishi Delica Registration

August 11, 2024 / Andy Lilienthal / 1 Comment

Michigan has sent letters to Mitsubishi Delica owners informing them their vans are no longer road-legal. This Mitsubishi Delica deregistration discovery was made in the MDOC: Mitsubishi Delica Owners Club USA Facebook group (of which I am an admin). Multiple owners alerted the group to the letters they received.

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We Were Guests On the Overland Journal Podcast

August 2, 2024 / Andy Lilienthal / Leave a comment

Recently, Mercedes and I had the pleasure of appearing on the Overland Journal Podcast hosted by Scott Brady. We did the show while attending the 2024 Overland Expo-West event in Flagstaff, AZ. During this interview, the three of us talked about a host of topics including the Alcan 5000 Winter Rally, driving the INEOS Grenadier,…

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We Finished The 2024 Baltic Sea Circle Rally. It Changed Us.

July 30, 2024 / Andy Lilienthal / 4 Comments

Well, we did it: We finished the 2024 Baltic Sea Circle Rally in a 2024 Volkswagen ID. Buzz Pro. We drove nearly 5,000 miles, visited nine countries, and did it all in just 16 days, and in an electric car. It was incredible on so many levels. There are endless stories to tell, experiences to…

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