Tonn Media

This is how NASA - the space agency, not the racing association! - teamed with Baylor University and Shelby American to test driver endurance in the 1964 Daytona Continental. Some famous names are within.

Yes, I know a couple of images are mirrored. I didn't take them..I wasn't there!

Racing Improves the … Astronaut - Hagerty Media Sixty years ago, telemetry gathered by NASA from Shelby racers at Daytona helped answer questions about the limits of human endurance.

Catching up on what I've been driving and writing about lately - my review of the 2023 Toyota USA Prius Prime is live The Truth About Cars

https://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/cars/reviews/2023-toyota-prius-prime-review-time-for-me-to-fly-44505238

Photo isn't mine - it was too snowy/salty/slushy to take good photos in Ohio the week I was driving.

Unexpectedly drove something different earlier this week - the 2024 Jeep Compass Latitude. Not a press loan vehicle - my kid and I spent the long weekend around Dallas, only to wake up Monday to a canceled flight.

Rented the Jeep from the airport, and drove just under 1100 miles from a frosty DFW to Columbus in about 18 hours. Fuel economy was right around 28mpg for the entire drive where the ambient temp never got above 10 degrees.

Best guess using the build-and-price tool is right around $31k out the door for this rental-spec vehicle, which seems reasonable for a comfortable small family hauler with standard 4WD.

This week, I'm driving the 2024 Toyota USA Prius Prime XSE. No joke, it's one of my favorite cars you can buy right now. Incredible fuel economy is standard for any Prius, but they've finally made it look GOOD. It drives well, it's comfortable...it's just a damned good car.

The Prime part of the Prius means it's a plug-in hybrid, giving around 40 miles of all-electric range perfect for the daily commute. For the weekend roadtrips, fuel economy ends up averaging around 52mpg, giving around 600 miles of bladder-busting range.

This one is painted Guardian Gray, which looks very much like the familiar shade of "Ohio Skies In January."

I thought the Prius Prime was divisible only by one and itself, but that's a Prime Number, not a Prius Prime.

This one has a sticker price of just over $42,000 delivered - loaded up like every media loaner is. You can get into a well-equipped Prius Prime for around $37k, or a non-Prime Prius for around thirty grand.

Here it is - my first published review in 2024. The 2024 Polestar 2 Dual-Motor Performance Pack. Check it out at The Truth About Cars:

2024 Polestar 2 Dual Motor Review - Not A Smart Time To Be Sexy Anyway Like it or not, electric vehicles are part of our world today. While I shall never tire of the sweet sounds and scents of internal combustion, a number of forces are converging to make it entirely possible that we shall see the end of the traditional gasoline engine as we know it within our foreseea...

Um… wheels sold separately? Additional Dealer Markup gone very wrong?

Here's another recent review from The Truth About Cars - the 2023 BMW M340i sedan. It's not an M3. But it's good enough for most people. Check out the review at the link in my bio.

Forgot to share a review I published recently - the absolutely insane 2023 Toyota GR Corolla Morizo Edition. All-wheel drive, 300hp, and crazy fun. Check out the review Truth About Cars in the link in my bio.

Driving the 2023 Kia Niro this week. It's a funky little hybrid crossovery thing that gets over 50mpg in this hybrid trim - though it's available in a plug-in hybrid and full EV format, too. I dig this gray/green paint - they call it Cityscape Green. Price is $36,435 as seen here.

Been driving the 2023 Hyundai IONIQ 6 this week - this one is the long-range RWD model, which has an expected range of a whopping 361 miles between charges. Stopped today at an EVgo DC Fast Charging station, where I went from 29% to 83% charge in 15 minutes - taking me from 129 to 275 miles of range while I made a quick stop in the store.

We just need more of these fast-charging stations in more accessible locations near major thoroughfares. There are but four places around Columbus - a metro area of around 2 million - where one can get 350kW charging like this.

The car: impressive, even in this relatively mild trim. It even has cloth seats - which I love! Sticker is $46,825 delivered, which all things considered is pretty reasonable.