Mustang Convertible + Autumn in Maine: The Perfect Automotive Cocktail

While the other domestic manufacturers are dropping their sporty cars as if they were redhot hunks of iron just pulled from a fireplace, Ford is doubling down on its iconic Mustang, and we’re happy about that. This past week, Co-Host Chris Teague got the chance to put the Mustang EcoBoost convertible through its paces as summer turned to fall in New England. Tough duty, right? He wanted to learn if the turbo four-cylinder in the Mustang was strong enough to propel the Mustang at speeds to which he had become accustomed. He also wanted to see firsthand how practical the two-door door bodystyle is for his family, which includes two school-age kids. Teague will have a full report in this episode. Halfway across the country, Host Jack Nerad had similarly unhazardous duty as he piloted the 2025 Genesis GV80 SUV during a long family weekend in Dallas. The road trip included a college rivalry football game, heaping servings of slow-smoked brisket, and, most importantly, his middle daughter's engagement to a great Texas guy. It turned out that the opulent GV80 was the perfect horse for this course. With 375 horsepower on tap, the gorgeous SUV had more than enough potency to fend off Lone Star state drivers who don’t seem to have mastered the art of the freeway merge. The thronelike interior seats took comfort to a new level, and the automatic climate control overcame the 95-degree temperatures that vexed those who set foot outside the vehicle. Our guest this week has a fascinating story to tell. Danny Shapiro is the Vice President of Automotive for NVIDIA, the company making the AI dreams of carmakers like Volvo come true. From infotainment to safety to self-driving, Shapiro knows it all from the inside of vehicles like the 2025 Volvo EX90 electric SUV, and he'll share it with us in this exclusive interview. In the news this week, if you are about to go car shopping, you might be in for a giant shock. While there’s a great deal of talk about inflation this time of year, a new report on the auto industry makes it all come to life. We’ll give you the grim news coming up. Are you worried that your car is spying on you? We asked this question about a month ago, but now a new proposed federal regulation suggests the problem is more immediate—and more scary—than you might think. We’ll discuss that and get behind the story to reveal what another motive behind the new rule might be. We’ll also discuss which vehicle brands get the most loyalty from their owners, according to a new J.D. Power study that clearly shows how car owners feel about the brands they have purchased. So we have a lot of show for you this week. Thanks for joining us, and don’t forget to look for new content on our YouTube and Rumble channels. America on the Road is brought to you by Driving Today.com, Mercury Insurance, and EMLandsea.com , the publisher of Nerad’s latest book, Dance in the Dark, which is available HERE on Amazon.com