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Driving the Toyota Supra, Honda Passport and BMW 3 Series | Autoblog Podcast #582

In this week's Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined by Green Editor John Beltz Snyder and West Coast Editor James Riswick. First, they talk about the cars they've been driving, including the Honda Passport, BMW 330i and Audi RS5. They follow up with notes about driving the Toyota Supra and 86, and whether Toyota's new sports car strategy makes sense. Then they discuss the news, including the Ferrari SF90 Stradale plug-in hybrid, a possible Renault-FCA merger, death rumors for the Jaguar XJ and thoughts on the upcoming Chevy Trailblazer. Autoblog Podcast #582 Get The Podcast iTunes – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes RSS – Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator MP3 – Download the MP3 directly Rundown Cars we're driving: 2019 Honda Passport 2019 BMW 330i 2019 Audi RS5 Sportback Toyota Supra, 86 and the company's sports car strategy In the news: Ferrari SF90 Stradale FCA and Renault Jaguar XJ going away? Chevy Trailblazer Feedback Email – Podcast@Autoblog.com Review the show on iTunes Related Video:

Toledo continues fight for Jeep Wrangler production, despite mayor's death

Where will the next-generation Jeep Wrangler be built? That's an open question, but it's one that the city of Toledo, OH desperately wants to be the answer to. The city suffered a major blow, though, with the death of Mayor Michael Collins earlier this month. Collins had been the city's biggest champion during talks with Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, before suffering a fatal heart attack on Feb. 6. But Collins' tragic death isn't dampening the city's desire to carry on as the home of the Wrangler. "The mayor's passing is tragic. But on Monday, when I came to work, I knew exactly what I needed to do and exactly what needed to be done," the city's director of development, Matt Sapara, told the Detroit Free Press. According to the Freep, Sapara said Toledo and the state of Ohio have delivered an outline of a development plan that would give FCA the ability to buy an extra 100 acres to expand the factory. This is to help accommodate FCA's targeted output of 300,000 to 350,000 next-generation Wranglers, up from the 240,000 the factory can make now. "Our target in the proposal is to provide a way to increase the production capacity to a number that allows Fiat Chrysler to meet its business model," Sapara told the Freep, adding that the land could be available later this summer. FCA, meanwhile, has shown a somewhat ambivalent attitude towards Toledo production, with CEO Sergio Marchionne openly discussing the pros and cons of continuing to build the Wrangler south of the Michigan border. "We are going to take a very hard look at this without ignoring what these guys have done," Marchionne told the Free Press at last month's Detroit Auto Show, adding that he'd like to keep production there, provided the cost of retooling is comparable to relocating to another facility. Related Video:

Jeep CEO details the next Wrangler's push for efficiency

Jeep CEO Mike Manley's brief for the new Wrangler is a simple one – don't mess it up. But in that pursuit of keeping things proper, the affable Englishman has revealed that the brand is trying to walk a fine line while bringing its most iconic model into the 21st century. That's most important on the car's exterior. Like other long-serving American vehicles, the Wrangler is defined by its image. But even with aerodynamics playing a bigger role on the JK's successor, Manley was adamant during a conversation with Automotive News that the boxiness will carry on. "You have to be very careful with the aero of Wrangler, because at the end of the day, it needs to be recognizable as a Wrangler," Manley told AN. "To some extent that restricts you on some of the aero that you can do." Spy photos show a more rakish windshield and fascia, both key moves to lessen the aerodynamic impact of the Jeep's traditionally brick-like design. "But with weight and a number of the changes that we've made, you're going to see that we've really pushed that vehicle forward in terms of its fuel economy." The context of that last sentence points to a weight savings, something Automotive News backs up. While the Wrangler won't go all-aluminum, its frame is going to be lighter and stronger, and it will use aluminum for certain "hang-on" body parts. But this push for weight savings won't extend to the Wrangler's intangibles. It'll still ride on a body-on-frame architecture and feature solid axles at both ends, for example. Combine Manley's comments and AN's reports with news that the Wrangler will use an eight-speed automatic and offer diesel and four-cylinder turbo power in its next generation, and it's clear Jeep is trying to make the biggest strides in decades without alienating its die-hard fans. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2018 Jeep Wrangler Detailed Spy Photos View 18 Photos News Source: Automotive News - sub. req.Image Credit: KGP Photography Green Jeep SUV Off-Road Vehicles Mike Manley