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Driving the BMW M2 Competition, Honda Odyssey and Toyota RAV4 Prime | Autoblog Podcast #651

In this week's Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined by West Coast Editor James Riswick. This week, they talk about driving the BMW M2 Competition, Honda Odyssey and Toyota RAV4 Prime. Then they discuss James' experience testing the new Yakima CBX cargo carrier, Autoblog readers' preference for the GMC Hummer EV over the Tesla Cybertruck, and Mercedes-Benz taking a larger stake in Aston Martin. Lastly, they help James' father find a new car in the Spend My Money segment. Autoblog Podcast #651 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 2020 BMW M2 Competition 2021 Honda Odyssey 2021 Toyota RAV4 Prime Testing the Yakima CBX Cargo Carrier on the Subaru Outback 75% of Autoblog Twitter follower prefer the GMC Hummer EV over the Tesla Cybertruck Mercedes-Benz to boost stake in Aston Martin to 20%, lend it some tech Spend JamesÂ’ fatherÂ’s money Feedback Email – Podcast@Autoblog.com Review the show on iTunes Related Video:

Aston Martin Vantage Roadster goes fast, and so does its roof

Two years after the hardtop Aston Martin Vantage redefined the Vantage nameplate yet again, the coupe has dropped its top. Below the shoulder the Vantage Roadster holds true to nearly everything that compelled us to label the coupe "a significant milestone." Above the shoulder, a fabric top envelops an "ultra-compact" Z-frame that drops in 6.7 seconds and unfurls in 6.8. The carmaker says it's the fastest fully electronic mechanism out there, and operates at speeds of up to 31 miles per hour. Thanks to the frame's compact design, the car's lines don't differ much from the hardtop. Nor do the performance specs: The convertible gains 132 pounds over the fixed-roof, needs 3.5 seconds to hit 60 mph instead of 3.5, and maxes out at 190 mph, five miles per hour less than the coupe. Losing the rear hatch takes a bit out of luggage space, though, which declines from 12.4 cubic feet to seven. Aston Martin says the cubby will still swallow a full-sized golf bag and related paraphernalia. The Mercedes-AMG-sourced 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 delivers the full 503 horsepower and 505 pound-feet of torque. Engineers tuned the suspension, differential, driving aids, and driving modes specifically for the convertible. The carmaker has made its seven-speed manual transmission newly available on the coupe this year — it was offered previously only on the Vantage AMR — but the droptop is barred from the row-your-own party. The Vantage Roadster sticks with the ZF eight-speed automatic. Convertible buyers can avail themselves of other additional kit introduced this year to celebrate 70 years of the Vantage name, said first applied to a more powerful version of the 1951 DB2 called the DB2 Vantage. The potential extras include Aston Martin's historic vane grille as well as new wheel designs. Deliveries begin in Europe during Q2, U.S. shoppers can expect summer delivery. Pricing starts at $161,000, an $8,000 premium over the coupe. Related Video:    

Aston Martin DB11 AMR gets more power and carbon fiber

Aston Martin has pulled the wraps off the DB11 AMR, and the fact that it's just what we expected it'd be shouldn't diminish the impact of this ultimate (for now) DB11. But, if you're not down with AMR, a quick backgrounder for you: Early last year, Aston launched the Vantage AMR Pro and the Rapide AMR, the first salvos in a full broadside of AMR models that will encompass the entire range. There are two AMR subdivisions — AMR is handled by Aston's main design and engineering teams, while the Pros are handled by the Advanced Operations department. History aside, the DB11 sports a 30 horsepower bump, up to 630 horsepower. Previous AMR models made power bumps with new exhaust systems, and given the DB11 AMR's exhaust revisions, we wouldn't be surprised if some of the power increase came from the exhaust side of things. More to the point, the twin-turbocharged 5.2-liter V12 now scoots the DB11 AMR to 60 mph in just 3.5 seconds, and top speed is increased to 208 MPH. Unspecified suspension and chassis changes are claimed to deliver "a greater sense of connection without harming the supple ride," Aston claims, and we've no reason to doubt it. A new transmission calibration rounds out the dynamic changes. On the visual side of things, there's much more exposed carbon fiber and a smattering of gloss black detailing, smoked tail lamps, and dark, monotone leather/Alcantara draped throughout the interior. It's darker, a bit harder-edged, and sportier, but very much in the vein of Aston's careful balancing act between conveying athleticism visually while maintaining a degree of traditional British comfort and decadence. The eye-popping, dayglo accents on some color combinations seem more Nike shoe than grand tourer, but that's AMR's thing. The U.S. MSRP will be $241,000, and the cars will be delivered to owners in summer 2018. The extremely limited edition Designer Specification cars, offered in Stirling Green with lime accents, will be limited to 100 units globally and are $29,000 more. If you want one of those, you should probably get on the horn with your Aston dealer right now. Related Video: