The Amazon Autos website currently promises “Transparent pricing, always.” And “no negotiating necessary.” The platform launched last December with Hyundai's new car virtual showroom and buying process. It expanded a few weeks ago to include used & CPO cars from other automakers, at LA-area Hyundai dealerships.

I tested these claims at three Hyundai dealerships in LA, this past weekend.

And the experience didn’t fully match the promises:

➡️ Some dealers aren’t participating.
One salesperson told me his store opted…

Back in May, Rivian launched its "Real Rivian Adventures" campaign.

The first two 30-second spots have generated 3.3 million YouTube views. Typical car ads get a few thousand views.  

System1 rated the first ad a 3.2 — nearly 40% higher than the automotive category average. 

Here are three ways Rivian is quietly rewriting automotive advertising rules:

1️⃣ Complete Stories in 30 Seconds. Both ads waste no time…

1️⃣ Porsche’s 2025 Active Ride system | Makes it easier to get into and out of a performance sedan. [video clip]

Open any door of a Porsche Panamera or Taycan equipped with Active Ride, and the sedan will automatically raise itself 2.2 inches — instantly.

This is groundbreaking for most people who live in cities and must navigate tight parking spots. No more limbo moves required to get in and out…

I went to the Electrify Expo in Los Angeles last weekend—North America’s largest e-mobility event—and two things were impossible to miss:

1️⃣ 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐪𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐫𝐚𝐰 𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫

Test drives from Tesla, Lucid, Cadillac, Rivian, Ford, and others all pointed to the same surprise: how smooth, quiet, and refined these new EVs have become.

Noise levels at 70 mph tell the story…

10 New Model Debuts at Monterey Car Week 2021–2024 Showcase the Event's Rising Influence

The increasingly social -and exclusive- celebration of car culture is only 11 weeks away: August 8-17.

And we should expect some exceptional unveilings, based on the last four years:

Lamborghini Countach LPI 800-4
Bugatti Bolide
Lucid Air Sapphire (Model Year 2023)
Koenigsegg CC850
Mercedes Benz AMG GT 63 Coupe (Model Year 2024)
Zenvo Aurora
Lamborghini Lanzador
BMW M5 Touring (Model Year 2025)
Nilu Nilu27
Lamborghini Temerario (Model Year 2025)

—-
Check out these events for new vehicle launches:

🎟️ The Concept Lawn (a feature of the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance) managed by the Pebble Beach Company. Tix start at $495.https://lnkd.in/gN9FPd8e

🎟️ The Quail, A Motorsport Gathering, managed by The Peninsula Hotels Signature Events. Limited to just 3,000 tix. Lottery system. StubHub --> $3,600. https://lnkd.in/gQwp6TBT

“The biggest risk is not taking any risk... In a world that is changing really quickly, the only strategy that is guaranteed to fail is not taking risks.”

CLIP #1: In 2010, Phil Mickelson made one of the riskiest, greatest shots in golf history. And won the Masters.

CLIP #2: This past Sunday, Rory McIlroy did the same. And became one of only six men to win golf’s career grand slam (all 4 majors)...

...and CBS Sports delivered the most-watched final round of the Masters since 2018, with an average of 12.7M viewers, up 33% from last year.

Between 7 and 7:15pm, the CBS telecast had 19.5M viewers.
Coverage on Paramount+ was the largest for a non-NFL game ever.

Elevate your business storytelling: how to use "Therefore" and "But" like the writers of South Park.

Trey Parker and Matt Stone explained a simple tip during their guest lecture at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts in 2011:

❎ When telling a story, if the words “and then" can fit in between the events or "beats," you have a problem.

A series of unconnected beats is not storytelling. It's an itinerary.

✅ The key to engaging storytelling lies in causation between the events or “beats” of a story. Each beat should connect to the next, with either "therefore" or "but."

Three popular aftermarket products are hitting mainstream new cars in 2025.

1️⃣ Modular Rooftop Tent Systems

KIA Motors showcased a cutting-edge modular rooftop tent system at SEMA and the LA Auto Show last November. The advanced tents feature integrated solar panels, battery storage, LED lighting, awnings, and app-controlled setups.

The trend towards modular versions began in 2020-2021, gaining popularity due to the rise of remote work. Expect OEMs like Rivian and Jeep to incorporate similar systems, potentially impacting aftermarket sales…

1️⃣ 𝗢𝗻𝗯𝗼𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝘂𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀

In the show’s opening keynote, NVIDIA’s CEO, Jensen Huang, announced a deal with Toyota to put a specialized supercomputer into future vehicles, for autonomous driving capabilities.

While he didn’t provide details on that specific computer, he did unveil a “personal AI supercomputer,” called Project DIGITS. Available in a few months, that device is the size of an Apple Mac Mini, with 128GB of memory and the capability to perform one quadrillion operations per second.

To put that in perspective, you would need 417,000 Apple Power Mac G5 workstations (a top choice in the mid 2000’s), for a comparable level of compute.

Here are 3 notable lifestyle features, available in new EVs at the LA Auto Show:

𝗦𝘁𝗼𝘄𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘆 𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲𝘀 | 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱 𝗖𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗰 𝗘𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗮𝗱𝗲 𝗜𝗤
When configured with the Executive Second Row, the Escalade IQ becomes a mobile office.

𝗙𝗹𝗲𝘅𝗯𝗼𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗦𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺 | 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱 𝗩𝗼𝗹𝗸𝘀𝘄𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗻 𝗜𝗗 𝗕𝘂𝘇𝘇
The rear cargo area’s Flexboard System, which puts a shelf over two fabric storage bins, creates a flat floor when the 2nd and 3rd row seats are folded down. Add an air mattress and the ID Buzz becomes a climate-controlled camper van.

POST CONTINUES…

If you missed seeing the event last night, here’s a quick rundown of what happened at the Warner Bros. studio lot in Burbank:

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝘆𝗯𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗮𝗯 𝗱𝗲𝗯𝘂𝘁
-The headliner of the event was the prototype for the Cybercab, a 2-seat EV.
-20 Cybercabs arrived, driverless, during the event.
-Tesla’s intention is to sell the Cybercab as a fully autonomous vehicle only.
-(None of the Cybercabs had steering wheels or pedals.)
-One bit of news: they will feature induction charging rather than plug-in charging…

When Carvana launched in 2014, many industry analysts expected little consumer enthusiasm for an online platform to buy and sell used cars.

But for some early adopters, rising expectations for average vehicle quality and reliability made this avenue acceptable. (And Carvana gives buyers 7 days to return their purchase).

Then the pandemic shutdowns came along. Customers visited the website in droves. Initial reviews were stellar.

However, by late 2022, supply chain issues were resolving, used car values were declining, interest rates were soaring, and Carvana had a crushing debt burden. The stock lost 98% of its value, down to $3.55.

And today? $156.

How did Carvana survive --and thrive?

On Sunday, I went to a preview event at the Lucid Torrance Studio, to see a prototype Gravity, a 3-row luxury SUV, due later this year.

Several luxury automakers have started branding luxury residential properties around the world. In the US, there are 3 properties, all located in Miami, Florida:

- Porsche Design Tower [completed 2017]

- Aston Martin Residences [completed May 2024]

- Bentley Residences [estimated Fall 2026]

To me, these branded properties signal that automakers believe in fully autonomous driving. They know that cars will become mobile offices, mobile living rooms and even mobile bedrooms.

Lately, we're hearing that AI tools can "mine insights" from vast libraries of qualitative recordings. Or help teams conduct qual research "at scale.”

Here’s the problem with these claims: qualitative research discussions are subjective and conversational. They are human.

It all begins with an idea.

It all begins with an idea.

It all begins with an idea.