Jason Becknell sits in for Jim and Bridget Fitzpatrick and is joined by Lauren Fix, automotive expert, founder of Car Coach Reports and co-host of “The Drive with Lauren & Karl.”

TODAY’S HEADLINES

• Tesla unveiled its second-generation Roadster nearly nine years after its first reveal, with production targeted for 2028. The invite-only Rocket version is not approved for public roads, and reserving the Thrust version requires $250,000.
• Penske Automotive Group agreed to go private at an enterprise value of about $16.3 billion. Outside shareholders will receive $212 per share in cash, and Penske Corp. and Mitsui will own the company when the deal closes, expected in the first quarter of 2027.
• Slate Auto opened its first Slate Experience Center in Chicago, where shoppers can see its $24,950 electric pickup, explore options and take test drives. The truck is expected to go on sale by the end of 2026. Instead of running its own service centers, Slate will rely on independent shops vetted through RepairPal.

GUESTS

• Lauren Fix, Automotive Expert, founder of Car Coach Reports and co-host of “The Drive with Lauren & Karl."

GET THE NEWSLETTER
https://www.cbtnews.com/newsletter-si...

THIS WEEK'S SPONSOR
Thank you to Auto AI Radar for supporting CBT Live.
https://radar.autoai.inc/

CONNECT WITH CBT NEWS
Website: www.cbtnews.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/carbiztoday/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/CarBizToday/
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/cbt-news/posts/
TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@carbiztoday
X: https://x.com/CarBizToday

Leading Through Uncertainty: How Business Owners Can Keep Teams Motivated and Finish Q4 Strong

GUESTS

• Tyler Dickerhoof, Founder, Impact Driven Leader

THIS WEEK'S SPONSOR
Auto AI Radar: https://radar.autoai.inc/

CONNECT WITH CBT NEWS
Website: www.cbtnews.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/carbiztoday/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/CarBizToday/
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/cbt-news/posts/
TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@carbiztoday
X: https://x.com/CarBizToday

Bridget and Jim Fitzpatrick are joined by Jessica Caldwell, Head of Insights at Edmunds, and Andrea Anderson, Salesperson at Andrews Cadillac, known as "Andrea Sells Cadillac" on social media.

TODAY’S HEADLINES

• U.S. EV sales reached 262,649 vehicles in the third quarter, rising 6.1% from Q2 but falling 39.5% from a year earlier. Electric vehicles represented 6.4% of all new-vehicle sales.
• Consumer prices increased 0.6% in September, lifting annual inflation from 3.4% to 3.7%. Gasoline prices jumped 9.1%, while used-vehicle prices rose 0.7% and new-vehicle prices increased 0.2%.
• The average new-vehicle transaction price reached $50,562 in September, just $52 below the record set last December. Buyers are increasingly choosing lower-priced segments even as individual vehicle prices continue to rise.
• CBT News announced the honorees for its fourth annual 40 Under 40 Awards, recognizing rising leaders making an impact across automotive retail.

GUESTS

• Jessica Caldwell, Head of Insights, Edmunds. What record monthly payments, longer loan terms and rising interest costs reveal about vehicle affordability and the third-quarter financing market.
• Andrea Anderson, Cadillac Salesperson, Andrews Cadillac, and creator of “Andrea Sells Cadillac.” How authentic social content can build trust, connect with buyers and generate dealership business.

CONNECT WITH CBT NEWS
Website: www.cbtnews.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/carbiztoday/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/CarBizToday/
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/cbt-news/posts/
TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@carbiztoday
X: https://x.com/CarBizToday

Affordability shifts buyers toward hybrids and older used vehicles, U.S. EV sales rebound and Stellantis reports lower North American shipments, plus Parth Donda on the processes behind a 606-vehicle month and Christopher Hunsicker on what the Porsche dealer lawsuit means for franchise dealers.

Bridget Fitzpatrick and Jim Fitzpatrick are joined by Parth Donda, Store Manager at Hyundai of New Port Richey, and Christopher Hunsicker, author of Unstoppable Culture and President of Hunsicker Coaching International.

TODAY'S HEADLINES

• Affordability pressure is shifting demand toward hybrids and older used vehicles. Personal expenses have risen faster than incomes since the pandemic, while prices for eight- to 10-year-old vehicles have increased nearly 10% year over year.
• U.S. EV sales rose 7.7% from the second quarter to 266,630 vehicles. EVs captured 6.5% of new-vehicle sales as Toyota, Lexus, Rivian and Subaru recorded gains.
• Stellantis’ worldwide shipments slipped 1% in the third quarter to approximately 1.3 million vehicles. North American shipments fell 12%, while CEO Antonio Filosa rejected the idea of separating the company’s European and U.S. brands.

GUESTS

• Parth Donda, Store Manager, Hyundai of New Port Richey. The people, processes and execution behind the dealership’s 606-vehicle September.
• Christopher Hunsicker, author, Unstoppable Culture, and President, Hunsicker Coaching International. What the Porsche dealer lawsuit reveals about allocation, facility requirements and protecting dealership interests.

CONNECT WITH CBT NEWS
Website: www.cbtnews.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/carbiztoday/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/CarBizToday/
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/cbt-news/posts/
TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@carbiztoday
X: https://x.com/CarBizToday

Hurricane Isaias recovery and Volkswagen Group's 14.3% delivery drop, plus Marsh Buice on the leadership mindset it takes to keep moving through challenges and Matt Easton on connecting with today's car buyers.

Bridget Fitzpatrick and Jim Fitzpatrick are joined by Marsh Buice, General Sales Manager at Mark Dodge Chrysler Jeep and host of the What's Your Problem? podcast, and Matt Easton, founder of Easton University Sales Coaching. Weekdays at 12:00 PM ET.

TODAY'S HEADLINES

• Hurricane Isaias came ashore near Destin, Florida, Friday night as a Category 2 storm, and communities across the Florida Panhandle and Alabama are now cleaning up and working to restore power.
• Volkswagen Group's worldwide deliveries fell 14.3% in the third quarter to about 1.89 million vehicles, with China down 38.5% and North America down 5.8%. Those are Group-wide figures, not the Volkswagen brand alone.

GUESTS

• Marsh Buice, General Sales Manager, Mark Dodge Chrysler Jeep, and host of the What's Your Problem? podcast. The mindset it takes to lead a dealership through challenges and keep moving forward.
• Matt Easton, founder, Easton University Sales Coaching. What it takes to connect with today's car buyers and earn their business.

THIS WEEK'S SPONSOR
Auto AI Radar: https://radar.autoai.inc/

CONNECT WITH CBT NEWS
Website: www.cbtnews.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/carbiztoday/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/CarBizToday/
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/cbt-news/posts/
TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@carbiztoday
X: https://x.com/CarBizToday

Porsche deliveries fall 16%, a Reuters/Ipsos poll shows cost-of-living strain, and Michael Dunne on Chinese automakers in the U.S.

Bridget Fitzpatrick and Jim Fitzpatrick are joined by Michael Dunne, CEO of Dunne Insights, and Bob Kain, formerly President of Jack Kain Ford. Weekdays at 12:00 PM ET.

TODAY'S HEADLINES

• Porsche delivered 178,532 vehicles worldwide in the first nine months of 2026, down 16%, with China down 33% and U.S. retail deliveries down about 14% to 49,038, while 911 deliveries rose 12%.
• A Reuters/Ipsos poll of 4,506 U.S. adults finds Americans deeply concerned about rising living costs, with more than half saying their cost of living has risen substantially over the past year.
• Yesterday on CBT Live: Adam Marburger on F&I and fixed ops as front-end margins stay under pressure, and Car Guy Coffee's Lou Ramirez and Fred Lennartz on dealership culture and leadership.

GUESTS

• Michael Dunne, CEO, Dunne Insights. His response to the concern over Chinese vehicles in America: lessons from Europe, the potential impact on U.S. automakers and dealers, and what happens if Chinese brands get a foothold. His book, How China Seized the Auto Industry and How America Wins It Back, is due in 2027.
• Bob Kain, formerly President of Jack Kain Ford. The sale of the dealership after 66 years, now O'Brien Ford of Versailles, his father Jack's legacy, and the people who made it what it was.

THIS WEEK'S SPONSOR
Force Marketing: https://www.forcemarketing.com/

CONNECT WITH CBT NEWS
Website: www.cbtnews.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/carbiztoday/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/CarBizToday/
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/cbt-news/posts/
TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@carbiztoday
X: https://x.com/CarBizToday

Car Guy Coffee's Fred Lennartz and Lou Ramirez on developing dealership people, and Adam Marburger on F&I and building stronger teams.

Jim Fitzpatrick and Bridget Fitzpatrick are joined by Fred Lennartz and Lou Ramirez of Car Guy Coffee and Certified Solutionaries, and Adam Marburger, President and CEO of Ascent Dealer Services and host of Training Camp on CBT News.

GUESTS

• Fred Lennartz and Lou Ramirez, Car Guy Coffee and Certified Solutionaries. How two friends built a podcast brand around encouraging people in the car business, and the dealer training they run through Certified Solutionaries.
• Adam Marburger, President and CEO, Ascent Dealer Services, and host of Training Camp. Nearly two decades in dealerships before starting Ascent: what dealers are telling him now, how the F&I experience can improve, and how to develop a team.

GET THE NEWSLETTER
https://www.cbtnews.com/newsletter-signup/

THIS WEEK'S SPONSOR
Thank you to Force Marketing for supporting CBT Live.
https://www.forcemarketing.com/

CONNECT WITH CBT NEWS
Website: www.cbtnews.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/carbiztoday/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/CarBizToday/
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/cbt-news/posts/
TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@carbiztoday
X: https://x.com/CarBizToday

AI is rearranging dealership jobs, the California CARS Act is now in effect, and the FTC has dropped its case against Asbury Automotive.

Jim and Bridget Fitzpatrick are joined by Todd Smith, CEO of Qore AI, and Brian Maas, President of the California New Car Dealers Association.


TODAY'S HEADLINES

• The FTC dismissed its administrative complaint against Asbury Automotive Group and three Texas dealerships without ruling on the allegations, and says it is not backing away from enforcement on dealership pricing and transparency.
• IONNA plans to offer EV and charging education at several hundred dealerships starting in early 2027, with 191 active charging locations as of early October, up from about 90 in January.
• Tomorrow on CBT Live: Adam Marburger joins in the studio, plus Lou and Fred from Car Guy Coffee. Send your questions to LIVE@CBTNEWS.COM.

GUESTS

• Todd Smith, CEO, Qore AI. How AI rearranges dealership jobs, from pay plans to who owns the dealership's operational record.
• Brian Maas, President, California New Car Dealers Association. What changed when the California CARS Act took effect October 1, what dealers should do differently, and a look back at the CNCDA convention.

GET THE NEWSLETTER
https://www.cbtnews.com/newsletter-si...

THIS WEEK'S SPONSOR
Thank you to Force Marketing for supporting CBT Live.
https://www.forcemktg.com/

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
Every Job in the Dealership, Todd Smith's whitepaper and interactive model: https://toddsmith.ai/whitepapers/ever...
California New Car Dealers Association: https://www.cncda.org/

CONNECT WITH CBT NEWS
Website: www.cbtnews.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/carbiztoday/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/CarBizToday/
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/cbt-news/posts/
TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@carbiztoday
X: https://x.com/CarBizToday