On this latest episode of Behind the Wheel, we’re joined by Luke Spiller, British rock star and frontman for The Struts. He took some time away from his U.S. tour to join Tim Walbridge for a spin in this restomodded 1948 Ford Deluxe Convertible.
Back in 1948, around 16,000 Ford Model 76 Convertible Coupes were produced. The original price tag was $1,500, which was a pretty penny back then. This particular version has been restomodded a bit. It’s been lowered down and a Chevy 350 was dropped under the hood. The interior has been completely redone, with the addition of modern conveniences like air conditioning, power windows, and a radio. It’s a car that screams drive me, which is exactly what we got to do.
Digital Trend’s video series, Behind the Wheel, takes you inside some of the fastest, most exotic, and most unique cars on the planet. Join host Tim Walbridge as he shares his expertise and excitement for cars. You’re along for the ride in modern supercars like the McLaren 720S, American classics including a restomodded ’48 Ford Convertible, and everything in between. Celebrity guests regularly get behind the wheel with Tim and share their favorite car stories.
Believe it or not, this is Spiller’s first time in a soft top. On this afternoon drive around Portland, Oregon, the rocker tells us about his 1983 Mini and how he became a Mini guy. It’s the only car he’s ever owned, but that doesn’t mean he plans on limiting his garage to Minis only.
Spiller is a founding member of The Struts, which formed in 2009. The band has opened for The Rolling Stones, Foo Fighters, and The Who. With the release of a new album entitled Young & Dangerous set for October 26, 2018, The Struts will be on a U.S. tour into December.
Tim Walbridge is the president and founder of 503 Motoring, a luxury and exotic car dealership and customization center in Portland, Oregon. With over 20 years of industry experience, Tim has driven just about every exotic — and not so exotic — car there is. His expertise and down-to-earth attitude show in all of his projects, including hosting Behind the Wheel.
BYD has launched the third-generation Qin Plus DM-i in China, and the first thing that caught my eye is its price. According to CarNewsChina, the plug-in hybrid sedan starts at 79,900 yuan, which is about $11,980. That’s an incredibly low price for a brand-new car, especially by US standards.
What’s even more impressive is the range. The Qin Plus DM-i can drive up to 137 miles on electricity alone, which should cover most people’s daily commutes without using a drop of gas. Once the battery runs out, the 1.5-liter engine takes over. Thanks to its 17-gallon tank and roughly 91 mpg with a drained battery, the combined range reaches up to 1,423 miles.
Apple won the PC market’s worst quarter, but that’s not the entire story. It won the race by stumbling less than everyone else.
PC makers shipped just 57 million computers worldwide in Q3, which might look good, but it’s a 21% year-over-year plunge (via Counterpoint Research). And despite Apple’s Mac shipments falling by 11%, to 5.6 million, its market share rose from 8.7% to 9.8%. How did that happen?
Update (October 22 23:54 PT): In response to our query, GM clarified that offline recording support is already available on eligible vehicles. Like Tesla's Sentry Mode, it requires owners to connect a USB drive to save incident recordings, which can be viewed on the vehicle's infotainment screen. The upcoming Connected Cameras feature will build on this by giving owners remote access to these recordings via the revamped OnStar app, allowing them to check footage without walking out to their car.
General Motors has announced plans to add a new Connected Cameras feature to its OnStar service starting next year, giving drivers a way to monitor parked vehicles remotely and capture footage of certain incidents.