New “Auto Blow Your Mind” feature drives MotorWeek full speed ahead into an exhilarating 43rd season
MotorWeek talent team
John Davis
OWINGS MILLS, MD, Aug. 23, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — MotorWeek, television’s original and longest-running automotive magazine series, pushes the start button on its 43rd season with a right turn into the world of reality TV with the new feature “Auto Blow Your Mind.” This segment will show some lucky consumers just how capable the new vehicles that they’ve purchased really are, courtesy of controlled high-speed or rugged off-road drives under the watchful eyes of MotorWeek’s test-driving team.
Premiering Saturday, September 9, on public television stations across the country (check local PBS listings), MotorWeek will also continue its “Destination Zero” environmental focus by looking at how to clean up the legacy left behind by internal combustion engines as the automotive industry transitions to cleaner electric vehicles. Viewers will also get ahead of the game by anticipating the new environmental challenges that battery-powered vehicles could pose with regard to waste and recycling. It’s one MotorWeek feature that always aims to put waste in its place.
The “Your Drive” quartet of car care experts returns for Season 43 with advice to help viewers make sure their daily drive doesn’t let them down. Audra Fordin, founder and CEO of Women Auto Know, empowers people of all ages with the automotive knowledge they need to be safe, confident, and knowledgeable drivers, passengers, and automotive consumers. Dan Maffett, a seasoned resto-mod veteran and designer of numerous SEMA car builds, brings his artistic eye to MotorWeek, showing viewers the right way to upgrade their ride. Logan McCombs, who’s never run into something he couldn’t make better with a few tools in his hands, will focus on general maintenance topics and DIY performance upgrades. And MotorWeek welcomes back Giuseppe Iatarola, the 12-year-old gearhead who’s mastered more automotive repair knowledge than most certified mechanics.
As more Americans embrace battery electric vehicles and car makers wind down production of traditional internal combustion engines, MotorWeek will help guide buyers through this industry-wide transition, arming consumers with the information they need to determine if living the EV lifestyle is right for them. One key question is whether the market will continue to see startup all-electric car brands make a larger impact or will the big plans and bigger budgets of traditional car brands win out in the end?
But Season 43 isn’t all about kilowatts and charging capacity. Throughout the upcoming season, series host and creator John Davis, along with the MotorWeek team, will continue their quest to test and evaluate all the new cars, trucks, and utilities on the market – upwards of 150 vehicles. These include an all-new Ford Mustang and updated Jeep Wrangler on the horizon, as well as the return of the fabled Toyota Land Cruiser. The series’ hallmark continues to be exploring the insatiable and ever-evolving American appetite for personal transportation and the lifestyle adventures that drive their choices. MotorWeek will bring the 2024 model year into focus, a year in which the automotive industry is increasing its push toward electrification while pursuing new ways to keep internal combustion engine-powered vehicles relevant.
“There are more than 285 million passenger vehicles on American roads today, and many automakers are saying they will likely make at least some conventional internal combustion engine vehicles well after 2035,” remarks Davis, “so buyers who don’t see EVs as suiting their needs will still have plenty of choices either in the new or used vehicle markets for many years to come.”
MotorWeek’s rotating lineup of popular feature segments also returns. “Over the Edge” reporter Greg Carloss takes on the more adventurous side of the automotive world, while lifestyle reporter Stephanie Hart highlights developments in driving and automotive safety, along with the latest in automotive technology in “FYI”. Brian Robinson hits the road in the newest motorcycles in “Two Wheelin’”; Jessica Ray increases viewers’ automotive knowledge in “Did You Know”; and “AutoWorld” continues to explore the evolving world of alternative fuels and electrification.
For viewers who follow MotorWeek online, there’s an all-new series website that’s packed with additional information yet is easier to navigate and enjoy. All MotorWeek content and advice will also be available for the first time on the new MotorWeek app. The app is designed to be highly interactive with the aim of putting the MotorWeek team’s new vehicle expertise in the palm of a person’s hand. The MotorWeek app will be available for free at the Apple Store and Google Play Store. The app will launch before the halfway mark of the 43rd season.
MotorWeek is produced and distributed by Maryland Public Television. The series airs on 90 percent of PBS stations. Viewers can find the days and times stations air MotorWeek by going to the station listings page on motorweek.org. MotorWeek episodes can also be streamed 24/7 on PBS Living, a Prime Video Channel, as well as on the free PBS Video app.
Winner of dozens of prestigious automotive journalism awards, MotorWeek returns to MAVTV motorsports and automotive enthusiasts cable channel, plus Spanish-language viewers can once again catch MotorWeek on the V-me network.
In addition to the new MotorWeek app, series content is available for every type of video screen and mobile device with up-to-the-minute automotive news, instantaneous driving impressions, and exclusive videos online at motorweek.org.
Program excerpts are available at pbs.org/motorweek, and MotorWeek’s YouTube Channel, youtube.com/motorweek, which has nearly three million views per month. Viewers can also follow MotorWeek on Facebook and Twitter as well as download complete shows on iTunes.
MotorWeek is nationally sponsored by Auto Value and Bumper to Bumper auto parts stores and service repair shops, as well as TireRack.com, America’s premier online tire experts.
# # #
Attachments
CONTACT: Tom Williams Maryland Public Television 4105814031 tomwilliams@mpt.org
