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Autoblog Podcast #414

Episode #414 of the Autoblog Podcast is here, and this week, Dan Roth, Steven Ewing, and Seyth Miersma discuss the new 2015 Shelby GT and go over the finer points of Elon Musk's recent speech during the Detroit Auto Show. Of course, the podcast starts with what's in the garage and finishes up with some of your questions, and for those of you who hung with us live on our UStream channel, thanks for taking the time. Check out the rundown with times for topics, and you can follow along down below with our Q&A. Thanks for listening! Autoblog Podcast #414 Topics 2015 Shelby GT Elon Musk speech in Detroit In The Autoblog Garage 2015 Lexus LX 570 2015 Dodge Charger Pursuit 2015 Toyota Prius C 2015 Lincoln Navigator Hosts: Dan Roth, Steven Ewing, Seyth Miersma Runtime: 01:17:58 Rundown Intro and Garage - 00:00 2015 Shelby GT – 32:41 Elon Musk – 41:33 Q&A - 54:48 Get The Podcast UStream – Listen live on Mondays at 10 PM Eastern at UStream iTunes – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes RSS – Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator MP3 – Download the MP3 directly Feedback Email – Podcast at Autoblog dot com Review the show in iTunes Podcasts Dodge Lexus Lincoln Toyota toyota prius c shelby lincoln navigator lexus lx

Ford F-150 bumps Camry from top of Cars.com American Made Index

With July 4th just around the corner, what better time could there be for Cars.com to announce that the Ford F-150 is the Most American car of 2013? This may be especially true since it was the Toyota Camry, a car produced by a company based in Japan, that had held the top spot from 2009 to 2012.
Cars.com compiles its Most American list by considering the amount of parts each vehicle uses that come from America, where it's final assembly takes place and how many units per year are sold. "While the assembly point and domestic parts content of the F-150 didn't change from 2012-2013, vehicle sales are responsible for bumping the F-150 to the top spot," according to Patrick Olsen, Editor-in-Chief of Cars.com.
As far as automakers go (as opposed to individual models), Toyota retains the top spot it held in 2012, with General Motors, Chrysler, Ford and Honda (in that order) rounding out the list. The motivation behind this list each year, according to Olsen, is "to help car shoppers understand that 'American-Made' extends beyond just the Detroit three" and because "a study we conducted in 2012 indicated that 25 percent of shoppers surveyed preferred to buy American."

Japanese police raid Toyota HQ following Hamp arrest

Less than a week after Toyota's new global communications officer and first female senior executive, Julie Hamp, was arrested for allegedly bringing illegal painkillers into Japan, local police have raided the company's headquarters, Japan's Asahi newspaper claims. Details are remarkably scarce at this stage, and it's entirely unclear what police were looking to find at Toyota HQ. According to Reuters, Toyota has been completely quiet on the subject of the raid. It seems logical that police would execute a search on Hamp's office in a bid to find any additional illegal medication, but that is, of course, pure speculation. Hamp has been in headlines since June 18, when Tokyo police arrested her at her hotel. Allegedly, 57 pills of Oxycodone, a powerful, highly addictive, and easily abused painkiller, was sent to Hamp from the US. And while it may have been obtained here in the States with a legal prescription, that doesn't change the fact that it, along with some over-the-counter medications, remain illegal under Japanese law. The embattled exec has had some big-name support since her arrest, though. Akio Toyoda, the head of Toyota Motor Corporation, stepped out on Sunday and said, "We are confident...that once the investigation is complete, it will be revealed there was no intention on Julie's part to violate any law." Thus far Hamp has claimed ignorance, although that might not protect her from what one expert told Reuters could result in years in prison. Should any additional information become available, we'll be sure to update this post. News Source: ReutersImage Credit: Mark Renders / Getty Images Government/Legal Toyota julie hamp