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Ford Bronco, Bronco Sport, sub-Ranger pickup and GM EVs | Autoblog Podcast #618

In this week's Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined by Senior Editor, Green, John Beltz Snyder and Road Test Editor Zac Palmer. Top of the list this week are the leaked photos of the 2021 Ford Bronco and Bronco Sport. Then they talk about the possibility of a small Ford pickup based on the Focus, as well as all the electric vehicles Snyder saw in person at GM's "EV Day." The editors have been driving the Ram Power Wagon and Hyundai Sonata, and Palmer took Autoblog's long-term Subaru Forester to New Orleans. Finally, they help a listener choose a small luxury crossover in this week's "Spend My Money" segment. then, just as they're about to wrap up the show, they learn that the 2020 New York Auto Show has been postponed due to the coronavirus outbreak. Good times. Autoblog Podcast #618 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 2021 Ford Bronco and Bronco Sport leaked photos (and, just as we predicted, more photos) Ford shows its dealers the sub-Ranger pickup More details about everything we saw at GM's "EV Day" Driving the 2020 Ram 2500 Power Wagon Driving the 2020 Hyundai Sonata Driving our long-term 2019 Subaru Outback to New Orleans Spend My Money: Audi Q3, Volvo XC40 or Range Rover Evoque? 2020 New York International Auto Show postponed Feedback Email – Podcast@Autoblog.com Review the show on iTunes Related Video:

Basic Continuously Variable Transmission explained with Legos

In recent years, the search for better fuel efficiency and smoother shifting has produced automatic transmissions with double-digit gears. Alternatively, the same quest has boosted the popularity and usage of a different type of automatic transmission without any fixed gears, the continuously variable transmission, or CVT. YouTuber Sariel's Lego Workshop recently took the time to build a CVT demonstration model out of Legos to help explain how they work. Sariel begins by showing the model's input and output shafts that are parallel to each other. Each shaft has a cone attached to it, and they are inversely placed so that the large part of one cone is next to the small part of the other cone. The two cones are connected using a rounded rubber band.  By shifting the rubber band up and down the cones, the machine changes the effective ratio between the cones. So, a 1:4 ratio can be smoothly transitioned to 4:1. No clutch is required to operate the mechanism, and it eliminates hitches or pauses between gear changes. CVTs are also advantageous over 9- or 10-speed automatics in that they are far less complex and weigh less.  To demonstrate how the CVT operates in a vehicle, Sariel used a joke about Top Gear. The original Top Gear is represented by a faster-moving car that has the rubber band around the large part of the cone on the input shaft. Top Gear without former hosts Richard Hammond, Jeremy Clarkson, and James May is represented by a slow-moving car with the rubber band around the large part of the cone on the output shaft.  For an even more detailed explanation of how CVTs work — albeit one that doesn't involve toys — you can click here. Technology Toys/Games Nissan Subaru

Subaru STI version of Viziv Performance Concept will debut at Tokyo Show

When Subaru revealed the Viziv Performance Concept at the Tokyo Motor Show, there were many rumblings that it previewed the next Subaru WRX. That possibility seems much more likely now that we've had a glimpse at Subaru's concept for the Tokyo Auto Salon, the Viziv Performance STI Concept, which could be a preview of the next WRX STI. Though we only have a couple teaser images to work with, we can clearly see that it's a flashier machine all-around. In the grille is the trademark pink STI badge, and it's matched by pink accent lines in the grille, the front lip spoiler, new air inlet, side skirts, and on the rear wing. And in true STI fashion, the rear wing is enormous. It also looks like the fender flares may be slightly wider than the standard Viziv concept. Other than what we can see, we don't know much else about this concept. Since it's a Subaru, it's sure to have a flat-4 engine and all-wheel drive. We can also make out the roof sensors from the last Viziv, indicating that this, too, will have fancy driver assistance systems. And if the development of the Subaru Ascent from the Viziv-7 is anything to go by, this concept will probably lead to a production model. As we've said before, though, we'd caution Subaru fans against high hopes, since Subaru has already shown in the past that its concepts don't always translate to production. Related Video: Image Credit: Subaru Tokyo Auto Salon Subaru Concept Cars Performance Sedan subaru viziv perfromance concept