The confluence of politics and cars has been a little exhausting lately. Honestly, the confluence of politics with everything is overwhelming what few circuitbreakers I have left in my psyche. That’s why I’m glad that, today of all days, the car news is a little slow and boring, so I can provide a little bit of good news.
A new Jackass movie is coming this summer! Johnny Knoxville, Wee Man, and… other people, I’m sure, will be back. It’s been far too long, and while I don’t think it’ll mend all of America’s tears, maybe it’ll distract us long enough to remember we’re all part of the same fabric. And also, it’s fun to watch people do dumb things with cars.
Because CES is going on, there’s still a lot of talk about self-driving, and Ford’s made a kind of surprising announcement. Lucid and Uber made an announcement, but I’m less surprised by it, as it seems obvious.
And, finally, Volvo has a car that plans to fight range anxiety.
Who Is Ready For Jackass This Summer?
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We did three film festivals at Jalopnik, and the last one was the biggest and also my least favorite. It got too big because we got more than a million dollars for it, and the more money you take, the more you gotta do. It had some great moments, including showing the documentary about car culture in Cuba, Havana Motor Club (a couple of participants in the film were on hand and may have done some hilarious thing with a reader’s AMG wagon…).
In retrospect, the film order was all wrong. We started the day with Mad Max and then transitioned into Being Evel, the Johnny Knoxville-helmed doc about Evel Knievel, finishing with our big “get,” which was the North American premiere of Steve McQueen: The Man & Le Mans. This was a doc about the making of the Le Mans film and, like the film it’s based on, it was good, not great.
I hadn’t even seen Being Evel; it was just available, so we tossed it in the lineup. My bad! It’s fantastic. As someone who has made a couple of documentaries since, I’m overwhelmed by the thoughtfulness. The McQueen documentary has a hard time resolving the fact that its subject was a deeply flawed person, clearly fearful that it would make the project itself not worth making if it fully acknowledged McQueen’s behavior. Hagiography is a bit like gastroenterology in that they’re both primarily consumed with making difficult shit disappear.
Being Evel directly confronts the person of Evel Knievel and doesn’t pull any punches, which somehow doesn’t make you care less about his accomplishments.
This is all to say that I think if you look with any scrutiny at Johnny Knoxville’s body of work, the most consistent feature is a remarkable consciousness. A large percentage of his oeuvre is dedicated to people getting hit in the nuts or turning their pink torpedoes into beehives or whatever, but none of it feels like punching down. That seems impossible.
The last Jackass project was in 2022, with the film Jackass Forever. Not everyone from the original MTV prank show was there for reasons both tragic and litigious, but it felt like it came at exactly the right time. According to a new post from Johnny Knoxville, a new Jackass film is coming this summer.
Given everything else in the world, I think a few of us might need this. Watching someone fired like a projectile out of a piece of artillery or slammed in the nards with a pumelo isn’t going to fix everything, or anything, but I welcome the distraction.
Just leave the poor Ford Contours alone!
Ford Thinks It’s Going To Catch Up To GM’s Eye-Free Driving With Its Cheapest EV
Ok, this one got me. In the self-driving space, we’ve been sort of stuck at Level 2, so people keep inventing their own SAE labels like “Level 2++” or FSD. Essentially, no one is willing to commit to Level 3 because, seemingly, the handoff between driver and passenger feels harder at 75 mph if the driver is, say, asleep.
Mercedes announced its FSD-like Level 2 system this week, and GM has said it’ll bring “eyes-off driving” to the super expensive Cadillac Escalade IQ for highways in 2028. Ford said it’ll match its crosstown rival with Level 2 in 2027 on its cheapest vehicle and then L3 in 2028.
Doug Field, the company’s head of all things technological and EV, said this:
Autonomy shouldn’t be a premium feature. By designing our own software and hardware in-house, we’ve found a way to make this technology more affordable. This means we can put advanced hands-free driving into the vehicles people actually buy, not just vehicles with unattainable price points. With 1.2 million BlueCruise-equipped vehicles already on the road, we are able to learn from real-world miles to continuously improve the experience for our customers.
Just as important, we’re focused on efficiency — delivering more capability, not just sheer processing power. Because we own the technology behind our driver assistance systems, we can deliver significantly more capability at a 30% lower cost than if we bought it from outside suppliers, which makes advanced driver assistance scalable.
We plan to introduce new hardware and software, thanks to our in-house teams, starting in 2027 on our all-new, affordable Universal Electric Vehicle (UEV) platform. And we aren’t stopping at hands-free driving; building on this same flexible foundation, L3 eyes-off driving will be road ready in 2028, making the ultimate in-vehicle experience available for the many, not just a privileged few
It sounds like, then, Ford and GM will debut systems at roughly the same time, but the difference is that it’ll be on Ford’s Skunkworks truck or other cheap EV, and for GM, it’ll start out on the Escalade IQ.
Uber And Lucid Are Doing A Thing
It’s been clear for a long time that Uber’s long-term goal is to get rid of drivers, although the path to this has been rocky. Uber initially partnered with Volvo on a self driving program that resulted in the first self-driving fatality.
Uber is trying again in the United States, this time with a robotaxi based on the Lucid Gravity. That car is arguably the best three-row anything for sale right now, so that’s not a bad place to start. How big the market is for three-row EVs remains to be seen, but this seems like a good use of the company’s growing production capacity.
The company says the taxis are already testing in San Francisco, and a production-intent version will go into production later this year, featuring tech from Nuro.
From Lucid:
“The debut of our production intent robotaxi with Lucid and Uber is a significant milestone on our path to delivering autonomy at scale,” said Dave Ferguson, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Nuro. “By bringing together Nuro’s proven level 4 autonomy, Lucid’s advanced vehicle architecture, and Uber’s global reach, we’re building a robotaxi service designed for real-world operations and long-term growth.”
“Uber is proud to partner with Lucid and Nuro to bring a state-of-the-art robotaxi to market later this year,” said Sarfraz Maredia, Global Head of Autonomous Mobility & Delivery at Uber. “By combining leading expertise in electric vehicles, autonomy, and ridehailing, we’re building a unique new option for affordable and scalable autonomous rides in the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond.”
As with Waymo, but unlike Tesla, this system uses Lidar.
The Volvo EX60 Gets 400 Miles Of Range
A new Volvo compact crossover EV is coming in the form of the Volvo EX60. The company is very excited about the 400 miles of range and charging time:
“The EX60 is designed to be a gamechanger,” says Anders Bell, Chief Technology Officer at Volvo Cars. “With our new electric vehicle architecture, we directly address the main worries that customers have when considering a switch to a fully electric car. The result is class-leading range and fast charging speeds, marking the end of range anxiety.”
The EX60 does not only boast the longest range of any fully electric Volvo, it also charges faster than any electric Volvo before in all weather conditions. Instead of a full lunch break, a quick coffee stop is now enough to recharge the battery and hit the road again.
Fun fact, when someone says something is going to be a “gamechanger” it is not going to change any games. It used to be that 300 miles was the gold standard of EVs, but for luxury EVs, I think it’s probably been surpassed. 400 is the new 300, you heard it here first.
What I’m Listening To While Writing TMD
Can you ever have too much banjo? You cannot, so please enjoy Bela Fleck performing “Round Rock” live in a garage, which must have been a COVID thing, but sounds awesome.
The Big Question
What is your go-to escapist car film/book/tv show?
Top photo: Jackass/MTV
I call those types of movies “Sunday Afternoon Movies”. Like some movie you would see on a random Sunday afternoon as a kid with nothing else to do so you may as well watch it and it was always a fun time.
Cobra is my Sunday Afternoon movie. It’s 80’s filming but the lead sled that makes it appearance here and there is always fun to see skidding around the road.
Ohh man, I so forgot these. Just on in the background and ignorable until something AWESOME happened.
Given the Knoxville theme, I have to say I enjoyed The Dukes of Hazzard movie. The car parts — the driving and stunt work are brilliant. And Wille Nelson as Uncle Jesse. And Burt as Boss Hogg. The rest is dreck.
Most of my automotive viewing is on YouTube now. M539 Restorations and Legit Street Cars are good. I still WatchJrGo on occasion as well.
If you haven’t watched junkyard digs give them a try. The cars are usually a little older than what you may see on the other channels but very similar content. Most of their videos are over an hour. Really good stuff.
TBQ: The mustie1 and I Do Cars YouTube channels
This is super interesting to me because in the past couple of years there were two separate biopics about famous singers that I saw: one about Elvis and one about Whitney Houston. I’ve never been more than a casual Elvis fan, but I love Whitney. The strange thing was that the Elvis movie made me care a lot more about him than the Whitney one did about her. I feel like there are a lot of parallels in their lives, so it has to come down to the filmmaking.
How do you do “eyes-off” without being full L4, at least? If the driver needs to be able to take over at a moment’s notice they need to be paying attention.
I suppose the obvious answer to my question is “unsafely, but who cares because there’s no regulation of this shit” but somehow that’s less than satisfying.
For a quick fix of automotive respite, there is always C’etait un rendez-vous.
This. I have on DVD think I’ll watch it again with lunch, it’s been on my mind since the “favorite exhaust sound” question.
TBQ: Taskmaster … Oh wait, you said car escapist, then Top Gear.
I loveeeeee Taskmaster. For a long while, that was my escapist program. I still have to watch the latest series.
On Any Sunday is still my go-to motorcycle documentary – forever a classic!
TBQ: I’m watching the final season of Stranger Things right now.
Spoiler Alert!!!!
Joyce still has her minty Pinto Runabout and they just drove Steve’s 5-Series into the upside down!
(I’m only on episode 4, so no further spoilers, please!!!)
How is Tesla still able to, straight-face and without legal take-downs, claim “Full Self Driving” is it’s real name when it’s clearly not?
Seriously.
This is “I can’t believe it’s not butter” level stupid, but it’s still not butter.
I re-watch old Top Gear episodes enough that my wife can recite lines from them now.
After I had our first kid I was an absolute MESS mentally and physically. For some reason, watching (and rewatching and rewatching) old Top Gear was incredibly comforting. I would spend hours pacing with the baby, volume really low and the CC on.
Now you remind me that it’s been years and I should start from season 1 again. 🙂
The original Smokey and the Bandit is a lowbrow, escapist joy of mine. Same with Gumball Rally. The 1973 Gone in 60 Seconds and 1968 Bullitt have their charm. The French Connection and Ronin are underated – and have plot!!.
Not sure I’d say The French Connection and Ronin are underrated, both are generally acknowledged as having primo car chases.
Agree with the org Smokey and the Bandit and Gumball Rally (“First rule of Italian driving: what’s behind me is not important!”) I haven’t seen the org Gone in 60 Seconds, but it is on the to-do list. The last time I watched Bullitt, I fell asleep. I woke up for the car chase and then fell back asleep.
“I woke up for the car chase and then fell back asleep.”
You’re good.
TBH, the car chase IS the movie. Same with the original Gone.
Question about “Level 2+” autonomy: I assume all of these systems are standalone, or are they operating any sort of manufacturer agnostic standardized car to car communication?
Is there even an international standard proposed for self-driving car to car communication, or will we continue to have four Waymo type cars stuck at a four way stop, each trying to negotiate who should go on without any sort of communication between them?
James May doing anything on his own series or YouTubes, plus Beavis and Butt-Head (at least the older works) can solve a lot of ills. Monty Python and the Holy Grail works, too.
Music wasn’t mentioned, but when I retreat into a cocoon of Trent Reznor yelling, you know it’s bad.
Gwar rules, too. I had to log off social/news sites yesterday after despair hit hard and the Gwar vs. Insane Clown Posse Hot Ones battle honestly helped a little. Gwar’s music isn’t completely escapist thanks to the subject matter (“Reaganator!” “Saddam a-Go-Go!”), but blasting “Fuck This Place” on repeat is a cathartic experience.
Anything I can sing along to helps, too. Belting out the Sisters of Mercy’s “This Corrosion” in the car on the drive home from Dad’s funeral probably postponed me completely losing it until I was home and parked. Brain off, song on. (Bonus points for being a parody of Eldritch’s ex-band-mate’s meaningless song lyrics. It means nothing but sounds cool!)
We have similar tastes.
My favorite Beavis and Butthead episode? “Way Down Mexico Way”.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-vfS2RIJNpo
Followed by “Stewart’s House”:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wa3VOWyOQzA
Favorite Sisters of Mercy song, “After Hours”:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bq7Yu5WIKao
The Eldritch One calls us all.
I love ICP and even know some juggalos. The stories I could tell here, but don’t…
I have every Top Gear season on DVD, but I have to get off the couch to watch them. Grand Tour…eh it had its moments too.
Blues Brothers counts right? I have the original Deathrace 2000 on DVD, again, same problem. I wonder if I can find the two Cannonball Run movies somewhere.
And I’ve never seen a Jackass movie & do not think I am missing anything.
The first two Jackass films are absolutely sublime works of comedy. I would not have considered myself the audience for those movies, but the first one was recommended to me and so I begrudgingly went to see it and I have never been more surprised by a cinematic experience. Somehow, they turned that nonsense into art.
By the way, why aren’t you at your post?
I’ve been disappointed to find that the original Cannonball Run isn’t available on any service anywhere, and hasn’t ever been as far as I can tell. If I still had a DVD player I would track down a hard copy I guess, but buying even a cheap player just to watch such a low-brow (but awesome!) title seems silly.
Edit: No matter how buttoned up you may be, if you have a Y chromosome I can pretty much guarantee there’s some part of your 13-year-old self still lurking inside somewhere that will make you laugh during a Jackass movie. 🙂
My choice should be obvious based upon my user name: Mad Max. I also like Running on Empty, Stone, Dead End Drive-In, and Cherry 2000. There are others.
When it comes to non-car films, I also highly recommend Cyborg. Fender is the best villain ever. I recommend watching both the original as well as Albert Pyun’s cut titled Slinger, as they are both different films: do it for the glory of Satan!
So much post-apocalypse here. Explains… some things.
But I remember loving Cyborg when it came out and I saw it in the theater. I saw most of Van Damme’s work back then and this one was a lot different from his other movies.
I don’t know if I agree on how well it holds up now but I liked it back in the day.
Cyborg is delightfully brutal.
The old Victory By Design with the late, great Alan de Cadenet. Beautifully presented and shot and Alan usually gives the cars a proper bit of exercise as well. It’s delightfully chill these days.
My favorite non-racing programming on the old Speedvision. A very elegant and refined feel, but also down to earth at the same time with his thoughts and shared experiences. Look at the reality tv crap that replaced this. Head shaking.
Top Gear is fun, also Roadkill, Donut, and Vice Grip Garage on YouTube. The Ferrari on the old Magnum PI is fun to see, as are other vehicles as a time capsule of the early 1980s. Same with Simon and Simon, AJ has his red Camaro with the t-tops and Rick has his Dodge Power Wagon.
As far as movies I like Baby Driver, The Transporter, and most parts of the Fast and Furious movies.
VGG is GREAT for relaxing, or as background play in the garage while I work.
The new Donut long-form is GOLD. Their beater series really captures the wanderlust of old Top Gear challenges.
I’d never really read into Evel Knieval and just decided to. Dear god, what a fucking asshole.
The Simpsons, Top Gear / Grand Tour specials and Ewan McGregor’s “Long Way” series.
The answer is Sorcerer. Always Sorcerer. Go watch Sorcerer.
the first Cannonball Run, if you can find it to stream or have a working VCR is my go to car movie. Though I had/have an unhealthy obsession with Mad Max and The Road Warrior Cars. Honestly, the lack of the Pursuit special in subsequent movies really made them less interesting to me.
Outtakes video is hilarious.
What I love about the first two Mad Max films is that the stunt drivers truly endangered themselves filming them.
In the first film, you could see the speedometer hit 180 km/h on Goose’s bike and the final chase scene where Max pursues Toecutter was filmed at over 100 mph, THEN THE FOOTAGE WAS SPED UP TO MAKE IT LOOK FASTER. A film like this will never be made again. So much delightful hoonage, and unlike the Fast and Furious franchise that began two decades later, that hoonage was mostly real.
Yeah it was a Low Budget monster. The Bikes and the gang were a legit biker group from the area.
I do wonder about the custom trike thing Goose is standing over near the beginning, and why the old red chevy had Velocity Stacks bolted on the hood. But I imagine it was like the Supercharger. Just for looks.
TBQ: Mythbusters, it reminds me we as a society once had the capacity for entertainment and education; and hope to live to see that idea return. Has plenty of car content to keep my gearhead brain entertained.
Mythbusters was SO good.
Still watch it frequently – there are a LOT of full episodes on the official YouTube page now, so I sometimes just have Mythbusters running as background noise.
All of the original series is available on HBO Max too. I use it regularly as background/foreground watching.
In college, I catered a Mythbusters live show that the school did. We served a couple of private meals for the guys and they were super friendly. I still have a menu with their signatures lying around somewhere.
Per my avatar, Hardcastle and McCormick. It’s wonderfully high 80s light action tv, has plenty of racing-related plots per McCormick’s background as a driver, and the Coyote X is the best gimmick of them all.
Like, how on earth is a (street-legal, mind you) prototype race car simultaneously just a little faster than the bad guys in their 80s sedans when pursued, but then – often in the same episode – just a little slower when chasing them? Until the :54 switch is hit, when the speed comes on like Max’s supercharger. Just wonderful.
No way in hell Johnny is comfortable with 3 layers under that tight jean jacket. Maybe getting it on and off is one of the skits.
Tbq: I made a couple references to this yesterday, but lately, thanks to a 24 hour YouTube stream, it’s The Red Green Show. The Canadian sketch comedy heavily features the titular character’s clapped-out, spray-painted Dodge Ram “Possum” Van, and various malaise-era rustbelt junkers turned into goofy projects during the “Handyman Corner” segment, using (in kayfabe) substantial amounts of duct tape. I grew up watching the show on the local PBS station, which imported it like many others during the shows run.
The ex-city-bus “cigarette car” project (Red dropped most of the roof and moved the controls to the back to make it resemble an offshore race boat) and his tractor-tired-Civic-with a-boat-duct-taped-underneath “amphibious car” have stuck with me for a long time. Also the K-Car Zamboni, which was full of Unreliable K-Car jokes.
IN a similar manner the Ricky Mobile and various “hot” cars that Julian drove were always fun to watch on Trailer Park Boys as well.
Keep your stick on the ice.
YESSSSSS. I love Red Green so much.
Red Green is a Canadian legend. He’s probably more important than Gretzky now… with “the great one’s” heel turn and all.
Yesss. Red Green is one of those things I will always love because my dad and I watched it together. Such a great show.
I always took Red’s advice that, “If the women can’t find you handsome, they should at least find you handy.” to heart.
It may be my only hope. Sure saves a lot on contractors, though.
OK, not a car film per se, but The Big Lebowski. The Dude’s Gran Torino is definitely a character in the movie.
“.. wouldn’t hold out much hope for the tape deck though…or the Creedence”
Aw, c’mon man, don’t you have any leads?
“Leads?” lol
that entire movie is incredible. One of the top quotable movies of all time, up there with The Blues Brothers, depending on the day.
Now THERE is a car movie!
gunna need to update my P2 v70 T5M with cop motor, cop shocks, update ECU to run on regular gas, etc. etc…
Been looking for an excuse to go to Sweden, where volvo wagons are the police cars