It’s a brand new year, and I couldn’t think of a better way to kick off 2017 than with a conversation about cars with my great friend Larry Zinn.
He, of course, is the general manager of Warren Henry Land Rover, Range Rover, Infiniti and Jaguar, with locations throughout South Florida.
Zinn is a regular at Fried On Business, and he stopped by for the first show of 2017 to let us know about some cool things automotive that are heading our way.
Generally speaking, he said look for a greater emphasis on electric vehicles. You’ll start to see all of the major brands get into electric vehicles in a big way.
Over the next few years, he said, look for manufacturers to begin offering several versions of the same vehicle – gasoline, electric, hybrid and diesel.
You’ll also see new ridesharing options pop up – a la Uber. New subscription and ownership arrangements will arise, Zinn said.
“It really is an exciting time for the industry. Things are changing at a very rapid pace. As the technology increases, we’re just seeing some really wild stuff come from these different manufacturers. I’m certainly very excited,” he said.
At the forefront, Zinn said, will be more work on autonomous vehicles. Not just full-out self-driving machines, but self-correcting cars and trucks.
For instance, the Infiniti Q50 technology package already allows the car to stop itself and prevent unsafe lane changes, he said. Soon, new cars will offer the option to shift into self-driving mode in low-speed, high-traffic situations.
This will help to eliminate low-speed accidents caused by, um, “distracted driving.” Okay, let’s just say it – texting while driving.
And, yes, there are new security measures and anti-hacking laws coming into play to help ensure the safety of these, basically, online vehicles, he said.
New stuff
The new Land Rover Discovery model – replacing the LR4 – will allow changing of seating positions from your cell phone, Zinn said.
And then there’s the new flagship Lamborghini – the Aventador S coupe – which will feature 4-wheel steering and, yikes, 740 horsepower.
“It’s going to be a wild machine,” Zinn said.
By the way, if you want to talk cars with me and Larry over a cup of coffee, come to the Supercar Saturdays event on Jan. 14, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Lamborghini Broward, 4645 Volunteer Road, in Davie.
Organizers are expecting some 300 cars to be on-hand, both exotics and classics.
I had a great time visiting with Larry Zinn of Warren Henry Land Rover, Range Rover, Infiniti and Jaguar. Click here to listen to the full interview.