A SHUNPIKER’S JOURNAL: New Show Begins January 23, 2018- Infiniti Concept - Suweet!, 2018 NAIAS - GM EV's; Micah Wright; Jeep Cherokee;

Join us for the next episode of A SHUNPIKER’S JOURNAL; The radio program for those to whom an automobile is more than transportation

A Shunpiker’s Journal live-streams every Wednesday at 1PM and 7PM and every Thursday at 1AM and 7AM on the Michigan Business Network, then becomes available as podcasts shortly after first streaming. www.michiganbusinessnetwork.com

Our new episode begins January 23rd and is all about the 2018 North American International (Detroit) Auto Show, . . . again. Our last program had Max Muncey giving us a preview of NAIAS. Now, we've just returned from the show, gathering content for this episode from some of the interesting folks we met there. For full highlights of the auto show see my 2018 NAIAS report on The Auto Channel

SEGMENT ONE:
Infiniti won the prestigious EyesOn Design Best Concept Car Award for the Q-Inspiration, but in the back corner of their booth we found a different treasure: the most amazing design exercise we’ve seen in a long time. Created for the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance last summer, the “Prototype 9” represents what Infiniti’s designers think they would have built had they been a leading automaker in the 1930s. The striking electric race car pays homage to the German Silver Arrow cars, but adds distinctively modern, aesthetic elements. We might call it a faux-heritage design. Infiniti PR guy, Kyle Bazemore, tells us about the project and the car. It was there only to impress the press and will not be there for public days. Sorry, y’all.

SEGMENT TWO and THREE:
Our friend and colleague, Micah Wright, is a young automotive journalist from the Cincinatti area and specializes in automobile and life-style topics. We ask him for some punditry from his perspective as an enthusiast and “influencer," in media terms. Micah is contributor to a variety of Web outlets in addition to his own. You’ll find him at Rides & Drives, 95octane and The Enthusiast Network.

SEGMENT FOUR:
Engineer Mike Downey, vehicle line executive for the freshly-redesigned Jeep Cherokee gives us the rundown on the much-improved, off-roady mid-size crossover. Cherokee was widely dissed with its last generation design that broke new ground stylistically, particularly for a Jeep. This one continues that dramatic design language that people seem to have warmed to, and it adds a lot of important content.

SEGMENT FIVE:
Ever wonder about the systems under the skin of your car, and what’s happening with autonomous and self-driving cars? Well, our next guest is one of the engineers deeply involved in these issues - Patrick Ryne, engineering manager for Nexteer, a major tier-one supplier of steering systems, among other products. He tells us we’re already driving them . . . sort of, and he helps us understand what it will take to begin taking the driver out of the equation and when that might happen.

SEGMENT SIX:
Finally, Fred Ligouri, the articulate PR guy for GM’s electric cars, talks about the longer-range, full-electric Bolt, just getting to customers now, and about the future of electrification throughout the industry. Most global manufacturers have announced that within a few years all their new cars will have some degree of electrification and many cities and countries are beginning to restrict their streets to electrified cars. Fred Ligouri, MBA

Detroit Editor: The Auto Channel
Creator, Producer and Host: A Shunpiker’s Journal Radio Program
Associate Producer: Sirens of Chrome: The Motion Picture
Founding Member: The Individual Communicators Network
Charter Member: Detroit Automotive Press Association
Member: Midwest Auto Media Association
Trustee: National Automotive History Collection