Planned obsolescence means that some cars or parts are made to stop working well after a certain time, usually after the warranty ends, so people have to buy new ones. It's like things are designed to wear out on purpose.
The 2026 Hyundai Santa Fe is a medium-sized SUV that can carry families and has different versions with features like a hybrid engine and all-wheel drive. It’s comfortable and roomy for passengers.
Trim levels are different versions of the same car that come with more or fewer features. You can pick the one that has what you want and fits your price.
The Calligraphy is the fanciest version of the Hyundai Santa Fe. It has nicer materials inside and more features. The hybrid all-wheel drive means it uses both gas and electric power and can drive all four wheels.
A midsize SUV is a medium-sized car that is bigger than small SUVs but not as big as the largest ones. It can carry more people and stuff but is still easy to drive.
The Toyota Highlander is a type of SUV that many families like because it has plenty of space and is easy to own. It's a popular choice if you want a bigger car for passengers and cargo.
The Mitsubishi Outlander is a smaller SUV that can carry people and stuff. It's a good choice if you want a car that doesn't cost too much but still has useful features.
Hyundai is a car company from South Korea that makes cars many people can afford. They've gotten much better at making cars that are nice and reliable in just a few years.
A cruise in is like a car meet where people bring their cars to hang out, look at each other's vehicles, and have fun together.
LIVE
Welcome to another In-Wheel Time podcast.
Welcome to the In-Wheel Time car talk show just ahead.
It's time to check in with Bobby Sparksman and the gang with the upcoming hot rod tour of Texas.
Plus Jeff has the motor minute and I'm going to review the new Hyundai Santa Fe just ahead of the segment of the In-Wheel Time car talk show.
A very pleasant Saturday morning to you. Howdy along with Mike out of this Real Mars.
We always need more Jeff Zeekin and Chief Engineer David Aisley. I'm Don Armstrong. Glad you could join us.
And I kind of chuckled a little bit because I didn't say I didn't hear anything in that last commercial about the Team Gilman Mega Meat.
On March 8th, 2026, Saturday, March 14th, 10 to 2, mega car show, awards, food and drinks, vendors, DJ and giveaways.
Way up North on the North Freeway, 18202 North Freeway. It's coming your way on Saturday, March 14th.
And we all of this is going to follow us up there.
Even you will be there.
So there is that. Anyway, are you running the kissing booth this year out there?
Well, I was thinking about it.
You're going to be in the kissing booth?
No, I was going to run it. I didn't think I was going to be in it.
Okay. All right. Well, here's that.
The hot rod tour of Texas.
We have been on it since its inception.
And I'm proud to say, and we've had such a good time doing it that we decided not to do it this year.
I'm sorry. I just had to say that because I talked to Bobby and we got a plan, though.
Because we're going to be live in remote during our entire show on that particular Saturday.
And Bobby Sparkman is joining us with guests.
Why don't you introduce everybody, Bobby?
I'm Bobby Sparkman. We're the co-corporators, finders of the tour.
This is the boss of me.
This is Saber Sparkman, the March woman registration.
And over there is Jeremy and Henry. Jeremy?
Hi, Jeremy. Hi, Henry. Hi, you guys.
It's good to see everybody, including the wife, the actual boss, because we know how this works.
Yeah. Yeah. You joined it. We joined you on the first one.
And if it weren't for her, that would have never happened.
I can tell you that. I will say that.
So we're looking forward to it.
So those of the listeners, our viewers this morning that are joining us,
tell us about the hot rod tour in about 60 seconds.
Where does it start? How long does it go?
Who's invited and how do you join it?
Everybody's invited. It's open to the public for the kickoff party on Thursday night in downtown Victoria,
as well as the garage crawls on that Thursday.
They're open to the public and anybody can come.
There's no fee, no registration for that.
And then if you want to participate in the driving portion of the tour,
there is a registration fee that includes a T-shirt for drivers and passengers.
It also includes two meals, catered meals, really, really good catering this year.
Some really cool stuff.
It gets you in the entries into some of the venues like the Stars and Stripes Drive-In Theater,
and the Bonn Falls, and several other cases.
What's the movie going to be this year?
Can't tell you it's a secret, but...
And that's, that's...
There will be some really cool things that the owner of the drive-ins bringing out,
but some automobiles that are going to be really, really cool.
And that's the beauty of Bobby's got with his speaker.
Go ahead, Bobby.
This year, we're going to...
Don and you guys are familiar.
Typically, we use this one of the smaller screens.
This year, we're going to have the biggest screen there.
We're going to have number one screen.
The big screen.
Wow.
And if you don't follow Hot Rod Tour Texas and you want to go, you should.
Now, Bobby's kind of...
He's very coy, and I'm sure it has to do with Saber being part of this.
Releasing the dates, releasing the time.
Sort of give you a little tease throughout the year for the next one.
I was, I was sparked to call Bobby this week because we have registration.
Is it open now?
It is open now.
It is open.
Yeah.
So where do we go to register?
You can either go on to our website, which is hotrock at www.hotrocktouroftexas.com.
And at the very top of that page is just a simple link.
You click it and it takes you to EventBike.
That's where all the registration is being handled through EventBike to keep the scammers
from ripping people off.
Sure.
Yeah.
And this is, I think, the most calm I've seen Jeremy and Saber.
They're just chilling out.
They're just relaxed.
Yeah, they're going to get wound up.
I will tell you, you mentioned the kickoff on there in downtown Victoria.
I was telling my wife that, you know, we kind of had to change in plans and everything.
And so she wanted to know if she could just go to that.
Absolutely.
She just wants to go down there and enjoy that because of the, around the square with
all the cars, the music, you know, because you've got the city involved in it.
All kinds.
It's just, it's a great night because the weather is always good.
The vibe is good.
Yeah.
Super cool as well because it's the Hot Rock Tour of Texas.
We partnered with the Victoria Symphony a few years back and they bring all the kids
out and perform and, and some, some high school level folks.
And it's just a really, really cool event.
Let me just.
You guys have been, you guys have been great.
So y'all kind of witnessed it.
Oh yeah.
Absolutely.
It's just until this year.
This is a professional symphony now.
This is not just a children's symphony.
This is the real thing.
It's a lot of fun.
It's a quite, quite an interesting event.
Yeah.
And then our little band that comes with us every year, the Cobars.
They're going on tour with us again this year.
Yeah.
I didn't get to sit in with them last year, but that's okay.
They had a really good time.
Last year, last year they performed under the vintage airplanes at the Warm Stuff Flight
Museum.
Yeah.
And they performed Thursday night as well, starting at like seven o'clock.
Okay.
So I know that you don't, you're not ready to announce the actual stops.
Can you tell us the direction you're going in?
We're going north, the Hill Country.
Going back to the Hill Country.
I think that that's a good move because I think that most of us really like going up
through the Hill Country.
That's beautiful roads, beautiful country.
And they've got a little Texas History Stop as well this year at a little, a little
fort there down the road.
I was going to ask Saber, but she just left the picture there.
If she's ready and she's ready to go and she's got all her, her eyes dotted and teeth crossed
and all that.
Absolutely not.
She's getting materials ready for the women's cap.
She's going to start hand making women's cap.
So it's so funny the first year she did it.
I said, nobody's going to buy those.
And she sold all over the first, the first stop.
So you get started like the day after the tour ends for the next year?
She put it after the last minute.
She procrastinates.
No, I mean, so that you say that.
I'm going to start the day after.
They're already talking on the way home about next year's tour.
And I'm like, yeah, I'll see y'all in April.
Yeah.
It's really, really tough because we try to get registration open up as early as we
can.
And it's always one or two stops that are dragging their feed.
We want to include them, but we got to make sure that the numbers are right.
It's good for everybody.
It's a good stop.
It can hold everybody.
We go to all the locations and meet up with them personally and visit with them and make
sure that everything's good for both sides.
Of course.
Yeah, exactly.
So I know that we can't.
So registration is open now.
Yes, sir.
Okay.
It's open now.
And is there is it going to be a limit this year on the number of cars like there was last
year?
350.
Wow.
350.
So we bumped it up by 50 cars.
Yes.
And this is our fifth year.
This is our fifth year doing it.
So the young man sitting there, what do you think?
What is your part in this participation?
Next to Jeremy there.
Jeremy's sidekick.
Henry.
Henry.
What's your part in all this?
We can't hear you.
Yeah, we got a.
We got a lot of microphones not working real well for Henry.
Well, at any rate, Jeremy.
Jeremy in line and make sure Jeremy stays on top.
Okay.
That's Jeremy's boss then.
So you can do it.
So kids are welcome to join on the tour.
Right.
Absolutely.
It's completely open to anybody of all ages.
We've had a 16 year old that drove her grandfather's truck and her grandfather,
the red wicker on the entire tour made all the stops.
We've had one that last year was the first year he's successfully made it.
He's tried three times.
He drove the entire tour in a model A with his grandfather.
I think we saw them.
Wow.
Apparently it didn't make the 60 mile an hour mark on some.
No, we would get there an hour and a half before they would show up.
We checked in every stop.
Yeah.
Yeah.
So I don't know what you can tell us, but you know, typically you take us to places
that we really enjoy going.
And the one that I sticks out in my mind is the the hot rod shop with the body shop.
There was it outside of Austin.
New Bronfels.
New Bronfels.
We will be stopping there again briefly.
That's good because that is those are great folks and they've got a great facility there.
And I was really still got the key chain.
I was really, I was really taken back by their attention to detail and some of the stuff that
they can turn out there really impressive.
And one of the guys that goes on the tour with this, one of the guys that does some of the
videoing.
He rides with Jerry Venerable.
I bet those venerables does some videoing for us.
His buddy's private is there at Stinson's getting restored.
So it's getting really close to going in the paint.
So we'll get to see that.
Is it going to be road worthy by then?
No, it's going to go in the paint.
That doesn't tell me whether it's road worthy or not.
But okay, I'll buy what you got to say.
And he's paying to be road worthy.
We know how that works.
Yeah.
We can't, we can't share that our final stop this year in the awards is going to be a
looking box post office.
Oh, very nice.
We're talking wine country.
Yeah.
Well, I was going to say, so if you want to go to Fredericksburg, I guess it'll be on
your own.
Yeah.
That's a fantastic, fantastic place to go.
They were, they were, it was funny because we changed a lot last year when I produced
it and they were messaging us and hey, you guys, are you going to come this year?
You're going to come this year?
Yeah.
Where are you?
They're really, really supportive of the hot rod tour and, and we're kind of surprised
that we bought as many car people in there that, that pretty much cleaned out their store
merchandise.
So, so Bobby with, with the hot rod tour, what other events do you involve yourself in?
Cause I see a lot of stuff with the tasty down there in Victoria and you, you're always
going somewhere, somewhere.
We, we're in the bosses right now, scouting out a little, a little cruise we're going
to do in a couple of weeks here or actually in about three weeks, I guess three or four
weeks.
But we do, we do the little cruise for river ride.
We do, we do bike tracks and power wheels.
We do the car show for Victoria, for the city of Victoria, the Taos Best car show.
We do the car show for Halisville for called Kalachi Fest, which is a really cool, really
cool and great food.
Also, also we help out with the Crossroads Cruisers, I'm a member of the Crossroads Cruisers
car club.
So, I'm a co-chair in that, you know, Crossroads within this year.
Too much.
Just doing some, you know, the time is in somebody car, she says, tell them no, tell them no.
Cause you know, you know, we like doing things and helping out.
We like driving our cars.
We don't like sitting around in a parking lot all day long.
We like getting them out.
That's the beauty of the tour.
Me and Jeremy kind of, we kind of brainstormed this idea a long time ago.
And it's like the first year we did is like, oh, let's just get in cars and go.
And it just really, really, really blew up.
So everybody wants to know, we've had a lot of inquiries here.
Did Jeremy and do you guys work?
We both work at chemical plants.
Chemical plants.
So a lot of, there's a lot of fumes in the air there.
Car fumes.
That explains a lot, doesn't it?
It does.
Yeah.
There's that.
Would you be able to help us if we wanted to start like an old foggy car run or something?
That's what it's for.
Well, the only problem is Dom would be the only one that could go.
Did I say that out loud?
I have more hair than you.
So grass doesn't grow on busy streets.
There you go.
We have seen you guys on the tour and supporting us.
And I can tell you y'all have many groups, but one of the biggest ones that everybody
remembers you guys.
I could be good or bad.
I'm just going to say.
Yeah, that has been extremely, extremely interested in what we're doing.
And what we like about what you guys do as well as what y'all, you guys are interested
in not just the cars, but the people behind the cars.
And that's what we like too.
We like getting to know the people who own these vehicles and put them together.
That's the stories behind it.
So that's why the majority of these cars have a story.
Did Saber get the word that we're going to utilize her a lot this year?
Yes, it is.
I don't know if you feel it in the details now and later, but yes.
I wanted to do things.
Yeah, just wing it.
You know how this works is we just wing it all the time.
So our plan is to really be on the tour with you this year and have you talk to us, tell
us where you are, what's going on, what's coming up on the next stop, what you did at
the last stop, that sort of thing and really involve everybody that watches our show on
a regular basis to see what it's really like.
Because when we're on the hot rod tour with you, we don't have that opportunity because
we're working to keep up.
That's what we're trying to do.
It was pretty good to be on the side of the red video on the bomb that day.
Yes, sir.
I did do that.
But it was spots.
You know, this we hope to kind of expand that reach and she has nothing else to do.
I'm sure.
No, no.
Well, Henry can help her.
Yeah.
Henry's left.
We just quit.
We're going to rely on a few people to get videoed.
Henry quit, I think.
And so who's going to be towing the trailer?
The merch.
That's going to be tied again.
Okay.
Because I was waiting for somebody to say, oh, well, Saber can't do it because she's
towing the, no, she's going to do it.
We're going to twist that arm.
Please.
Probably more than any of us.
She's towing the ass out of that trailer across Texas.
Yeah.
No doubt about it.
She's not afraid to drag it 75.
Well, it's great to be with you guys.
Jeremy, I wish that we could have invited you.
We wish that we could have had you speak a little more, but apparently your audio connection
just doesn't quite cut it.
And the high end tech in the high end world of tech that we have here at the in wheel
time.
Well, there's that.
Must be that missile he's got on his roof.
The missile.
That's it.
Well, gentlemen and lady, it's certainly great to see you guys and to talk to you and
we'll be in touch and we look forward to it.
What are the dates of the hot rod tour?
Jenny, the dates of the hot rod, the hot rod tour, the last weekend in April.
The last weekend in April.
April 23, 2026.
Okay.
350 slots.
How many are filled right now?
75%, 75%.
Oh, wow.
And it's only been open for a week.
And so now this does not, you're not giving away the stops and the places that we need
to call and say, I need a reservation for tonight.
The other night stays at Victoria, New Brazos and Fredericksburg.
Okay.
That helps.
And on the website and the Facebook page, we've got links to different hotels.
Because the road got out of the overnight stays and the host hotel filled out before registration
never opened.
I saw a couple of people.
You posted that.
Yeah.
We talked begging for extra rings and there was like, are you, who have all that rings?
You don't have no more to give.
Yeah.
Well, we're bringing in travel trailers out back.
Well, our next time, when you're in an area to scout out the travel, scout out maybe an
apartment complex you could buy.
Yes.
Yeah, you go.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Hey, thanks so much for joining us.
Thanks so much for joining us.
Your locations are pretty tourist busy.
So there's, there's, right, right, right.
All right.
Last weekend in April, we'll be there.
Thank you all.
It's good to see you and best of luck.
Thank you guys.
See you guys soon.
Bye.
Okay.
Bye bye.
That was fun.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Okay.
Just ahead Jeff's motor minute and a review of the new Hyundai Santa Fe and I think you're
going to be surprised by that.
Oh, wow.
That's all when the in-wheel time car talk show continues right after this quick break.
The free tailpipes and tacos cruise in is a production of loopy tortilla Tex-Mex, Beaumont,
Apple or Android, in-wheel time podcast can be found everywhere on the stream and through downloads.
Whether you're on the road or at home and Jones in for a different kind of car talk show,
give in-wheel time a try.
Honest new car reviews, fun, informative interviews with real car people, weekly automotive news,
features like Jeff's car culture and Mike's driving destinations all on in-wheel time.
Check us out on Sirius XM podcast, iHeart radio or while you're shopping on Amazon through
Amazon music.
In-wheel time.com has a list and we know you love lists.
We invite you to join us for the live in-wheel time car talk show every Saturday, 10 to
noon, central time on in-wheel time.com, YouTube and Facebook and be sure and check us out.
It's for free.
I love free.
He's good.
Don't forget 30 minute podcasts of our shows can be had from your favorite podcast store.
Time now for Jeff's motor minute.
Yeah, we're going to call this planned obsolescence.
And here's what I'm talking about.
If you've ever felt like your car started falling apart right after the warranty expired,
you're not alone.
And you might be onto something.
The concept of planned obsolescence in the automotive industry is the idea that the car
manufacturers deliberately designed vehicles for critical components with limited lifespans
to keep you coming back to the showroom.
The roots of this theory go back to 1920s.
General Motors president Alfred P. Sloan back then famously introduced an annual model update
to entice owners to trade in their vehicles for the latest model and style.
But the conspiracy minded critics say Sloan strategy went further.
The GM and others eventually engineered subtle weaknesses into the cars that they wear out.
According to this theory, everything from engine parts to electronics are built to fail
at a certain mileage or time, forcing owners to pay for repairs or spring for a new car
altogether.
Car makers, of course, insist that the shorter product cycles are driven by genuine innovation
safety.
So more efficient cars require constant redesign.
They point to an improved reliability.
Many components are over the decades that they've improved.
Whether or not companies conspire in the boardrooms to shorten a car's life, real consumers feel
like durability just isn't what it used to be.
They just don't build them like they used to and maybe, just maybe, that's on purpose.
Well, I disagree.
I disagree completely.
New cars today are.
It's a conspiracy.
New cars today are, they're so much better than cars of the past.
And again.
Oh, absolutely.
Look at those 80s things that we used to drive and think, wow, I got me an 82 Oldsmobile.
Or a Monte Carlo or a.
Whatever.
Something with current weather.
Rich.
Cordova.
Cordova.
Yeah.
And they go longer.
They last longer.
They're more efficient.
Unless you get a lemon and that's.
You know, GM made a bunch of 6.2 liter engines that failed on many levels.
Yes.
And they bought them all back.
They had to.
There was a mass.
What about those will build in the diesel engine?
Well, there was.
Well, that was.
I don't know.
That's really a motor.
Yeah.
Ram in the comments.
Yep.
That turned into.
And then the 864.
Oh, yeah.
But I don't know that I'm not an engineer, but I don't know how you can sit there and
say, okay, this bearing on this piston on this thing on this rod on the crankshaft, it's
only going to go.
10 million revolutions, which is equal to a hundred thousand miles.
What's that?
Well, fail.
What's it made of?
Something cheap.
That's why.
Well, I understand.
But how do you.
Design it to end at a certain time?
Pot metal.
Yeah.
Well, I can.
Can you.
Yeah.
Okay.
There you go.
Okay.
Time now for this hour's car review.
I had a very nice experience with the 2026 Hyundai Santa Fe.
Now it comes in several trim levels, including SE, SEL, the limited and the calligraphy.
Oh, I reviewed or am reviewing the hybrid calligraphy all wheel drive.
This is a midsize SUV, although it looks like it is a full size.
It does seat up to seven, including the driver.
So it does have a third row.
Exterior changes redesigned in 2024.
This is a 26 and not much changes between the years since its introduction as a new vehicle in 2024.
Exterior features straightforward design with bookend daytime running lights, edgy designed fender extensions, sloping roof line, horizontal body wide
lighting on the lower rear hatch.
It makes it really unique.
What I liked about it, the boxy edgy design.
It's just different.
It's not like all the other SUVs you see out there.
What could use improvement?
Nothing that I can think of.
And I just put down here.
Keep it coming.
Bring more of this.
It's really cool.
Interior highlights, two foot, two feet of screen and a glove box.
Well, look at the size of that screen.
Okay, it's two feet long.
And the glove box is there obviously on the passenger side.
And yes, it's a separate one at the top of the dash.
Dual pad phone charger.
See it down there at the bottom?
Dual pad phone charger.
Loved it.
Comfortable seating throughout.
The air conditioning gets a separate panel for its controls.
Thank goodness.
All of these manufacturers seem to be doing this minimalist design.
And if you're driving the vehicle, now you've got to take your eyes off the road and fumble out and try to find whatever it is that you're looking for.
And drill down through the screen.
It's just not good.
As a matter of fact, I've got a story on that a little bit later on.
Cargo trunk room.
Good with the third row down.
With you got the third row up.
Well, it's tight back there, but that's what it's designed for.
What I liked, the design and comfort gets high marks on this vehicle.
What could you use improvement?
Give me a volume knob for the radio.
Oh.
There's one thing that it didn't have.
Engine.
Ready?
1.6 liter.
What?
Turbocharged four cylinder hybrid engine that turns out 231 horsepower and 271 pound feet of torque, which was plenty for the six speed automatic transmission.
And it will tow up to one ton.
Mileage.
City 35, highway 34 for a combined to 34.
I got 32.6 miles per gallon over 394.8 miles.
Very good.
What I liked about it, the mileage.
Ride and handling.
Very nice.
Comfortable and compliant.
Nice highway attitude, I wrote.
What could you use improvement?
Nothing.
It's all good.
Okay.
So here are the prices for you.
You ready?
Yep.
The base trim price is $52,500.
That's the base trim price.
As tested, $52,985.
Base model price, $36,400.
Competitors.
Wow.
Kia Sorento.
It's cousin, $38,690.
Toyota Highlander, $48,964.
Mitsubishi Outlander, which I never would compare this to, but it's close competitor, $29,995.
So there's a widespread figures here for these different vehicles.
And my recommendation to anybody that's out there looking for a car.
Do your homework and shop, shop, shop.
Absolutely.
One may be everything that you wanted, but you can't find the volume, the radio volume control knob because it doesn't have one.
If that's an issue for you, then go to something else because there's too much competition.
Right.
There's seriously in this size SUV.
Next week, I'm going to review the Toyota Corolla Cross, which is kind of a itty bitty, not too itty bitty, not too teeny weeny crossover, but it's called a Toyota Corolla Cross.
Give us an insight.
Was it sporty?
Did it drive well?
Give us a hint.
It drove well.
I'm not going to tell you any more than that.
You'll have to stay tuned for the review.
Call you Bobby Sparkman.
Well, I can tell you that we're going to go to Lueckenbach.
You drove it all the way to Lueckenbach.
I did not drive it to Lueckenbach.
I can only imagine what they would say.
To the point of that review in what sold for car review, sold for cars, Hemings.
Yeah.
The last vehicle that you said was George's.
It's sort of similar to that one you just reviewed.
Yeah.
The 150,000.
Another one.
Yeah.
Yeah.
150,000.
That was a lot of people were shocked.
86 years old.
Just in the text.
No way.
I will tell you that this vehicle, you know, I drive a different vehicle every week.
It's impressive to see how far the automotive industry has come in general.
But Hyundai, they have come a long way baby in a short period of time.
They are a serious contender and they sell a lot of cars and for a reason.
Yes.
Because they hold up and they're priced right.
Are they building a factory here on the state side?
Probably.
They all are.
All right.
Because of the terrace.
Well, there's that.
Not only that, just shipping.
Yeah.
Hey, if you'd like to get in touch with us, we invite you to send us an email.
The address is info at inwheeltime.com.
We are back right after this quick break.
The Easter bunnies coming to the tailpipes and tacos cruise in at the loopy tortilla
Tex-Max and Katie April 4th, 8 to 11 a.m.
And you're invited to bring the kids and grandkids.
It's a cruise in like you've never attended before.
With a donation to Shirley's kids, you'll get a free loopy tortilla breakfast taco.
They'll be coffee and adult beverages plus chili pepper trophies for the best hot rod,
best modern classic and best classic.
There's no entry fee and no registration.
Just bring your ride and the kids.
Bad bunnies aren't allowed, but the Easter bunny will be there and he'll be full of
joy to help make this tailpipes and tacos a very special photo opportunities about.
The inwheel time car talk show will be streaming around the globe and you can
be selected to tell your car story to a global audience.
It's the tailpipes and tacos cruise in Easter edition Saturday April 4th, 8 to 11 a.m.
at the loopy tortilla Tex-Max and Katie located on 99 the Grand Parkway just south
of I-10, the Katie Freeway in Katie.
Make plans now.
Loopy tortilla.
East pretty good.
Houston, get ready.
Team Gilman is hosting a mega car meet at the North Complex.
Acura, Mazda, Subaru.
We're collaborating with the car meet network so you know it's going to be crazy.
And that's not all.
We're going to be raffling off six cars to be sold at $1,000 each.
See below for more details.
You're not going to want to miss this Houston March 14th.
We can't wait to see you here.
Keep listening and we'll see you soon.
About this episode
The podcast dives into the upcoming Hot Rod Tour of Texas, featuring co-founder Bobby Sparkman and his team. They discuss the event's history, registration details, and highlights like the kickoff party, scenic Hill Country route, and exclusive access to the Stars and Stripes Drive-In with a secret movie screening. Guests share personal stories about past tours, including memorable stops and community involvement. The episode also touches on local car events and the passion behind keeping classic car culture alive through driving tours and social gatherings.
Craving a road trip that feels like a rolling car show with heart? We map out the Hot Rod Tour of Texas with organizers Bobby and Sabra Sparkman and dig into why this hill country run sells out fast, brings a symphony to the town square, and caps the weekend with a secret drive-in feature on the biggest screen at Stars and Stripes. From the free Thursday night kickoff in downtown Victoria to carefully scouted stops that can handle 350 cars, you’ll hear how the team balances logistics, safety, and pure fun.
We share what registration includes—driver and passenger shirts, two catered meals, and venue access—and why Eventbrite helps keep scammers away. The route heads north through the hill country with a Texas history stop at a restored fort, quick time at a beloved New Braunfels shop, and awards at the Luckenbach post office. Hotels in Victoria, New Braunfels, and Fredericksburg filled fast, so we offer tips on booking and why planning early matters. Along the way, we spotlight the culture that makes this tour special: teens piloting with grandparents, builders unveiling progress, Sabra’s hand-made caps selling out, and the Cobars returning to play beneath vintage aircraft.
We also widen the lens. Bobby’s crew supports car culture year-round with city shows, festival events, and cruises that keep people driving rather than parking. Then we switch gears for Motor Minute and tackle planned obsolescence—myth or real strategy—and close with a frank review of the Hyundai Santa Fe hybrid calligraphy AWD, covering design, mileage, and everyday comfort.
Spots are already about 75 percent full. Join the ride, invite your co-pilot, and get your registration in before the last weekend of April sneaks up. If you enjoy this show, tap follow, share it with your car club, and leave a quick review so more drivers can find us.
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
---- ----- Want more In Wheel Time car talk any time?
In Wheel Time is now available on Audacy!
Just go to Audacy.com/InWheelTime where ever you are. ----- ----- Be sure to subscribe on your favorite podcast provider for the next episode of In Wheel Time Podcast and check out our live multiplatform broadcast every Saturday, 10a - 12nCT simulcasting on Audacy, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Twitch and InWheelTime.com.
In Wheel Time Podcast can be heard on you mobile device from providers such as:
Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music Podcast, Spotify, SiriusXM Podcast, iHeartRadio podcast, TuneIn + Alexa, Podcast Addict, Castro, Castbox, YouTube Podcast and more on your mobile device.
Follow InWheelTime.com for the latest updates!
Twitter: https://twitter.com/InWheelTime
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/inwheeltime/
https://www.youtube.com/inwheeltime
https://www.Facebook.com/InWheelTime
For more information about In Wheel Time Podcast, email us at
