In this week's Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined by West Coast Editor James Riswick. This week, they talk about driving the BMW M2 Competition, Honda Odyssey and Toyota RAV4 Prime. Then they discuss James' experience testing the new Yakima CBX cargo carrier, Autoblog readers' preference for the GMC Hummer EV over the Tesla Cybertruck, and Mercedes-Benz taking a larger stake in Aston Martin. Lastly, they help James' father find a new car in the Spend My Money segment.

The Lexus LC is one of the most gorgeous vehicles currently on sale and buyers in Japan now have a new variant at their disposal.

In our experience, there's a notable overlap between enthusiasts of fine automobiles and aviation. Lexus seems to think so too, which is why it is releasing a plane-themed version of its flagship sport coupe. The Lexus LC Aviation will come in both LC 500 and LC 500h form, and features an aeronautic-inspired centerpiece on the rear decklid.

That would be a curved carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) spoiler that follows the trailing edge arc of the trunk, with two downturned winglets on either end. Lexus says the winglets are functional, generating a vertical vortex that smooths out the turbulence generated from airflow along the car's flanks. The result is improved yaw and steering response, comfort, and stability at high speed.

Mitsuoka, one of Japan's most eclectic tuners, can't resist the market's shift towards crossovers and SUVs. It alchemized the Toyota RAV4 into retro family hauler that borrows styling cues from 1980s Chevrolet trucks.

Called Buddy, the Americanized RAV4 is the latest in a long line of intriguing creations that put a retro spin on a modern car. Chevrolet's trademarked Bowtie emblem doesn't appear anywhere on the crossover, but the shiny grille and the two-piece rectangular headlights are strongly reminiscent of the third-generation C/K pickup, especially the face-lifted model introduced for the 1981 model year. Mitsuoka also redesigned the hood, made the front end boxier, and added a thick strip of chrome-look trim that reminds us of the C/K's metal front bumper.

Toyota expanded a worldwide fuel pump recall to a total of 5.84 million vehicles for a defect that could cause the part to fail. In the United States, the total number of vehicles involved in this safety recall is now approximately 3.34 million vehicles.

On January 13, 2020, Toyota announced a safety recall for 695,541 Lexus and Toyota models. In March of 2020, the Japanese automaker added an additional 1.1 million vehicles to the previous recall.

The Toyota 2000GT is arguably the brand's most legendary car ever made, and on the rare occasion an example is put up for sale, the price attests to that.

Isuzu has unveiled the all-new MU-X body-on-frame SUV in Thailand, seven years after the launch of the outgoing model.

As the new Toyota Hilux reaches showrooms across Europe, the Japanese automaker has released a full gallery and all the details of its latest pickup truck.

It's best to think of the 2021 Honda Odyssey as the ultimate piece of parenting gear rather than a car. From novel features like its "Magic" sliding second-row seats and available onboard vacuum to common-but-indispensable traits like remotely opening doors and gargantuan cargo space, it's far more akin to a BOB Rambler, Chicco KeyFit30 or MamaRoo – cleverly engineered items specifically designed to make parents' lives easier. While being oriented towards kids and parents might seem obvious for a minivan, none are so unabashedly centered on that goal than the Odyssey.

While competitors attempt to hide their van-ness, the Odyssey lets its van flag fly. There was no attempt to add sporty or SUV-like flourishes outside, while inside, the dash has all the visual appeal of a washing machine. The driving experience is similarly indifferent, characterized by loose steering and a pillowy ride (unlike earlier Accord-like Odysseys). It's all about the kids here, and they don't care if you're getting feedback through the wheel or your eyes are treated to an interesting-looking dash. They also probably don't care about fuel economy, but that's one of the few objective areas where the Odyssey trails its competitors. While its V6 engine is perfectly fine relative similarly powered vans, the Chrysler Pacifica offers an exceptional plug-in hybrid model while the all-new 2021 Toyota Sienna is only offered as a hybrid that gets an estimated 36 mpg combined. The Odyssey gets 22, and while it's more powerful, we're guessing acceleration is hardly a priority for those buying what is basically the ultimate stroller.  

Since rising from its ashes for the second time in 1998, Bugatti has specialized in creating cars that are as fast and powerful as they are luxurious. And yet, competition — where luxury is superfluous — is a big part of its DNA. It renewed ties with its racing heritage by building a track-only two-seater around its mighty 16-cylinder engine.

Bugatti proudly calls the Bolide — which means "a very fast car" in French — the fastest and lightest concept it has ever built. Concept is the key term here; the Bolide is a one-off, and it has not been approved for production yet. It's proof of concept that illustrates what a modern-day successor to the victorious Type 35 could look like.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — The minivan segment isn't a huge one, and it's largely dominated by three players. There's the stylish Chrysler Pacifica, with the excellent plug-in hybrid option. The Honda Odyssey unapologetically leans into its minivan-ness and family-hauling duties. Then there's the new, totally redesigned 2021 Toyota Sienna. Its selling points are immediately apparent: unique styling, a standard hybrid powertrain and available all-wheel drive. Oh, and it's a Toyota, which precedes itself with a reputation for reliability and utility, as well as a huge existing customer base. Barring some sort of dealbreaker in the test drive, this blend of existing traits (brand, AWD) and new ones (design, hybrid only) should probably be enough to make the Sienna appealing to those shopping in this lightly stocked aisle.

Spoiler alert: we found no dealbreakers during our test drive, but we were able to dig deeper into what we love, what we like and what we can accept.

It's been six years since Honda introduced the cute little Grom mini machine, and at this point it's safe to say it's had a very successful run. Now it's time for a refresh. The updates seen here specifically apply to the European version of the Grom, but Honda's U.S. Powersports arm promises we'll see the new Grom Stateside at some point in the not-too-distant future.

The Grom soldiers forth with a single-cylinder 125cc engine, but it's been updated and is now compliant with EURO5 emissions regulations. Power is up a fraction of a horsepower, but the big news is the addition of a five-speed gearbox to replace the old four-speed unit. Honda says the Grom's top speed increases from 54 miles per hour to around 59 mph, and while that isn't a massive increase, we'd wager around-town, seat-of-the-pants performance will see a more meaningful improvement.

In addition to a stylish design and hybrid fuel economy, the 2021 Toyota Venza can now brag about its safety ratings. The IIHS has awarded the crossover its second-highest Top Safety Pick rating for its all-around superb safety scores. The only thing holding it back from the highest Top Safety Pick + rating is slightly subpar standard headlights.

In the Venza's favor are crash test ratings that earn the top "Good" rating across the board. Also impressive are its collision prevention ratings. Tested for car-to-car and car-to-pedestrian crash prevention, the Venza's suite of automatic braking and warning systems earned the highest "Superior" score for both. Those systems are all standard on all Venza's, too. Finally, the child seat LATCH anchor access is rated "Good +."

Subaru has finally put a turbocharged flat-four under the hood of the fifth-generation Forester. Called Sport, the model is exclusively available in its home country of Japan — for the time being, at least.

Power for the Sport model comes from a 1.8-liter flat-four that's turbocharged and direct-injected to deliver 175 horsepower from 5,200 to 5,600 rpm and 221 pound-feet of torque between 1,600 and 3,600 rpm. Also found in the Levorg station wagon, it's no match for the last-generation XT engine, whose horsepower and torque outputs checked in at 250 and 258, respectively. Compared to the naturally-aspirated 2.5-liter the Forester is currently offered with, however, it offers about the same amount of horsepower and 44 additional pound-feet of torque. It should make Subaru's hot-selling crossover markedly peppier in a variety of driving conditions.