A Look at Pokemon Stage 2 Premium Checklane Blisters

The Pokémon Company is trying something different with the release of Rebel Clash. In addition to established two-card evolution blister packs, Rebel Clash marks the return of three-card premium checklane blisters. Buyers of this product will be able to add a complete Basic, Stage 1, and Stage 2 evolution line to their Pokémon trading card collection or their competitive decks.

Stage 1 blisters have been exclusive to Target stores since the release of the Team Up expansion last year. It appears that the Stage 2 blisters will only be sold at Wal-Mart, which is where I found the Galarian Obstagoon blisters featured in the photo at the top of this post. Also available is a blister featuring a complete line of Gastly, Haunter, and Gengar. Both the Obstagoon and Gengar lines first appeared in February's Sword & Shield base set, with Obstagoon and Gengar themselves being printed as rare holographic cards.

In addition to the Galarian Zigzagoon, Linoone, and Obstagoon cards, the blister includes a booster pack from the latest Pokémon Trading Card Game expansion, a code card to unlock the rare holo Stage 2 card in the Pokémon Trading Card Game Online, and a coin to be used while playing the game.

In a surprise change from premium checklane blisters released during the Sun & Moon era, the highest stage evolution cards retain their in-set holofoil treatment, making them no different from versions found in booster packs.

Running the numbers for the value you get from a Stage 2 premium checklane blister gives an iffy picture at best. These things sell for $6.99 apiece. A Stage 1 premium blister costing $4.99 contains everything else in the Stage 2 blister minus the middle stage evolution card. Two extra dollars for one uncommon card? I think not.

Value-wise, the Stage 1 premium checklane blisters are a much better deal, selling for the same price as a standard single card blister. Blister packs in general serve mainly as a way for young collectors to easily obtain holographic cards of popular Pokémon to add to their collection. That being said, Galarian Obstagoon is seeing some dominance in competitive play right now; but you can most likely purchase enough Zigzagoon, Linoone, and Obstagoon cards secondhand to make a full playset for the price of one of these blisters.

These new Stage 2 premium checklane blisters don't make a whole lot of sense for competitive players. But if you're just a casual collector looking to add a full line of Pokémon to your binder, they may be worth a look.

Nissan Will Drastically Cut Global Lineup

On May 28, Nissan announced that it will cut its global lineup of cars, trucks, and SUVs by 20 percent. The cuts will trim Nissan's fleet from 69 vehicles to just 55. The announcement comes amid the Japanese company's first annual loss in 11 years.

However, Nissan also released a video on its YouTube channel that teases 12 new vehicles to look forward to in the coming years. The video begins with silhouettes of cars driving by the first letter of their name. In alphabetical order, we can surmise that the letters correspond to Ariya, Armada, Frontier, Kicks, Micra, Navara, Note, Pathfinder, Qashqai, Rogue, Terra, and Z.

Yes, you read that correctly. Nissan is going to be bringing a new generation Z sports car as a replacement for the 370Z that has been sold here since 2009. No specifications are known at this time, but it seems like the new car will hew closely to the styling of the 370Z while adding some throwback elements from the original Datsun 240Z.

The video then fades to a wide shot with all 12 vehicles driving side by side. The vehicles drive toward and eventually pass by the camera. Finally, vehicle names flash one after the other on screen: Ariya, Armada, Frontier, Kicks, Navara, Note, Pathfinder, Qashqai, Rogue, Terra, X-Trail, Z.

Curiously, there is no mention of the Micra. It's place in the list has been taken up by the X-Trail, which is what our Rogue is known as in the rest of the world. Please keep in mind I'm only guessing that the M car is the Micra. It is definitely smaller than the Rogue, which means it can't be a Murano. Yet it appears to ride quite a bit higher than the Note. There are no other vehicles with names that begin with M in Nissan's lineup. The car to the left of the mysterious M car is definitely the Kicks, and the truck to the right of it is definitely the Navara.

What do you readers think? Did Nissan make a mistake, and this car is actually a reimagined X-Trail? Or could the next generation Micra transform into a crossover?

The other question this video raises is what is going to happen to Nissan's US lineup. The video shows plenty of crossovers and trucks, but no other cars aside from the Note (which isn't sold here) and the Z. Based on the video, the Armada, Frontier, Kicks, Pathfinder, Rogue Sport (i.e. Qashqai), and Rogue are safe. That leaves, the Titan pickup, the two NV vans, the GT-R, the Leaf, and Nissan's entire sedan range.

Let's start with the sedans. The Versa is a prime candidate for the chopping block. It sells mainly on its low base price, and even then less than 67,000 found homes in 2019. As Nissan strives to reinvent itself into a profitable company, low volume, low margin cars like the Versa don't have much chance. The Sentra and the Altima are in better shape. Nissan sold 184,618 Sentras and 209,183 Altimas last year. As for the Maxima, only 35,076 left dealer lots. Pricing on the Altima ends where the Maxima begins, and there isn't much equipment on the Maxima aside from a V-6 that you can't get on an Altima. Nissan would be wise to prune the high and low ends of its sedan line to focus on the strong selling middle ground.

Nissan brought this GT-R to the 2019 Boston Auto Show.

Next we have specialty cars like the Leaf and the GT-R. The upcoming all-electric Ariya crossover pretty much spells the end of the slow-selling Leaf. Nissan remains committed to electric vehicles, and clearly hopes that more people will be attracted to the added practicality offered by the Ariya.

The GT-R should probably be dead by now. Everything that made it such a gamechanger back in 2009 has since been surpassed by other more modern sports cars. Then there's the price. At $80,000, the GT-R was a decent value in 2009. Fast forward to 2020, and Nissan is asking $113,000 for base GT-Rs. If a GT-R NISMO fancies you, prepare to cough up more than $200K for one. Nissan has made no indication when or if it will produce a new GT-R. A company wide restructuring provides the perfect opportunity for Godzilla to make a graceful exit.

The Nissan NV 1500 is a beast. Here I am sitting in one

at the 2011 Boston Auto Show.

The Nissan Titan and NV commercial vans are probably safe. Sales of the Titan have been decent in recent years thanks to a long overdue redesign in 2016. The small NV200 van is a worldwide product and thus likely to survive for a few more years. The larger NV comes in 1500, 2500, and 3500 configurations and is built on the same platform as the Titan. If the Titan survives, it seems likely that the NV will, too.

Now I'd like to hear your thoughts. What Nissan models do you think are most at risk? Where would you like the company to focus its efforts in the future? Feel free to let me know in the comments.  

New Venza and Sienna Electrify Toyota's Lineup

Are you in the market for a new family car from Toyota? 2021 might be a good year for you with redesigned versions of the Venza and the Sienna taking their places among the Japanese carmaker's popular people carriers.

Toyota Venza exterior

The Venza nameplate returns after a six year hiatus upon a two-row midsize SUV sold in other parts of the world as the Toyota Harrier. A harrier is a predatory bird as well as a breed of dog, and is a much cooler name than Venza. However, I assume Toyota executives believe Venza carries some familiarity to American car buyers, so they decided to stick with the old name. That being said, the new Venza bears near to no resemblance to the original. The first Venza was a sort-of all-wheel-drive wagon version of the Camry with some Highlander elements thrown in. It was too burly to be considered a true station wagon, and yet not butch enough to pass as an SUV like the Nissan Murano or the Ford Edge. This new Venza is definitely an SUV--or crossover if you prefer that term--and lines up much better with the Murano and Edge, plus newer competitors such as the Hyundai Santa Fe, Honda Passport, and Chevrolet Blazer.

As a trump card in a very competitive segment, Toyota has decided to offer the 2021 Venza exclusively as a hybrid. The Venza uses the same powertrain as the RAV4 Hybrid, a 2.5-liter four-cylinder gas engine and three electric motors to produce 219 horsepower. Fuel economy is expected to match the RAV4's rating of 40 mpg.

Toyota Venza interior

But why the decision to go all hybrid? For Toyota, it makes good business sense. Of the more than 448,000 RAV4s sold in the US in 2019, 20 percent were hybrids. The RAV4 hybrid has also usurped the Prius as Toyota's best-selling hybrid vehicle. With the Venza using much of the same hardware as the RAV4 but starting at a higher pricepoint, Toyota is able to reduce development costs and maximize profits.

Toyota Sienna exterior

Now let's take a look at the 2021 Sienna. This is the first total overhaul of the Sienna since the previous generation debuted a decade ago. The redesign moves the Sienna to Toyota's TNGA-K platform found throughout much of the brand's lineup. It also gives the Sienna a much needed helping of style. Siennas have traditionally borrowed styling cues from the current generation Camry, and this one is no different. It takes full advantage of the aggressive design language first introduced on the XV70 Camry in 2017. Just adding some character lines along the van's flanks make a world of difference and fix the slab sided appearance of the previous generation.

It may surprise some people when they open the hood and see that the 3.5-liter V-6 engine is gone. In its place is a 2.5-liter gas engine paired with two electric motors that produce a total of 243 horsepower. This marks a 53 horsepower drop compared to the outgoing Sienna's V-6. However, fuel economy is estimated to grow to an impressive 33 mpg. All wheel drive is still an option although now a third electric motor powers the rear wheels.

Toyota Sienna interior

Inside, the Sienna features what Toyota calls a Bridge Console. The shift lever, cupholders, a wireless charger, and small storage cubbies are all within easy reach of the driver or front passenger. Below that is a hollow space perfect for larger personal items such as a purse or a bag. It's an elegant, modern design that helps class up the entire cabin. The Sienna needs all the upscale ambiance it can find to help justify the $50,000 asking price on fully loaded top trim levels.

But even families shopping entry level models should find a lot to like here. The 2021 Sienna comes standard with automatic high beams, a pre-collision warning system with pedestrian detection, radar cruise control, and lane departure alert with steering assist. Available convenience features include four-zone climate control, seven USB ports, in-car WiFi, a rear entertainment system, reclining second row captain's chairs, and a voice amplification system that plays through the van's audio.

Look for the 2021 Sienna to appear on dealer lots by the end of the year with prices starting around $30,000. The Venza should arrive sometime in August with prices ranging between $35,000 and $45,000.

NASCAR iRacing is Not All Fun and Games

It may have started as a way for NASCAR drivers, teams, sponsors, and fans to stay busy while we all wait for the coronavirus situation to resolve itself, but last month, this fantasy sport has claimed some very real victims.

Let me first tell you a little about iRacing. The eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series is a series of sim racing events officially organized by NASCAR. The drivers compete on virtual versions of the racetracks the NASCAR Cup Series would have raced on each weekend had the real races not been postponed. Fox NASCAR, which normally broadcasts the real races, presents the iRacing events live on TV complete with commentary from Mike Joy, Jeff Gordon, and Larry McReynolds.

In some ways, it's pretty cool. Drivers who are not normally contenders for wins can go toe-to-toe with the drivers of the series' big budget teams. Shots of the drivers in their homes at their simulators are interspersed throughout the action. More than 900,000 people tuned in for the first eNASCAR race at Homestead-Miami Speedway and more than one million watched the following week's race at Texas. The races that have run so far have averaged 1.1 million viewers per race and have become the most watched e-sporting events in history.

Things appeared to be going well until a pair of public incidents involving two of NASCAR's rising stars cast a shadow on this otherwise welcome distraction from the hardships brought on by the coronavirus.

Bubba Wallace Rage Quits

Bubba Wallace at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in 2018.

The first incident occurred on April 5 when Richard Petty Motorsports driver, Bubba Wallace, got into an accident with Clint Bowyer on lap 11 of a 150 lap race at Bristol. Wallace had already used up his two quick repair resets and was sitting on pit road when he decided to quit the race. For any other video game, this wouldn't be that big a deal. However, this was a nationally televised event with each driver controlling cars emblazoned with their real life sponsor's livery. Wallace was also streaming a live feed of himself at his simulator on his personal Twitch stream. Wallace's virtual car carried pain relief brand Blue Emu, which had been a sponsor on the Richard Petty Motorsports number 43 since 2005. The brand was not pleased with Wallace's "rage quit," and terminated their sponsorship agreement immediately.

Wallace's historic career in the NASCAR Cup Series has certainly not been as successful as he hoped. Now in his third full year, the African-American driver has only recorded three top ten finishes and finished 28th in points in both 2018 and 2019. Wallace revealed in a June 2019 interview that he deals with depression. I know from experience how difficult that must be and the pressure he must put on himself to perform well at each and every race. Per Wallace's contract, he is safe at RPM through the end of 2020. However, he needs to show greater maturity if he hopes to continue to participate at the highest level of stock car racing.  

Kyle Larson Says N-Word

Kyle Larson testing at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in 2017.

Things got worse the following weekend. Kyle Larson was caught uttering a racial slur during a iRacing event on Sunday, April 12. The race in question was not officially part of the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series, but it was broadcast on several social media streams including Larson's publicly accessible Twitch stream and an official NASCAR website. NASCAR wasted no time in indefinitely suspending Larson from the series and ordered him to take sensitivity training. iRacing also suspended Larson from taking part in future events. Larson issued an apology video on Monday, but the damage was done. All three of his primary sponsors cut ties with him and Larson was officially released from Chip Ganassi Racing on Tuesday morning.

The timing of the incident is particularly unfortunate for Larson as his contract with Ganassi was up for renegotiation at the end of 2020. Industry insiders widely considered him an attractive free agent for several top teams looking to adjust their 2021 lineup. While it is not impossible for Larson to return to NASCAR, it may be difficult to find a team or a sponsor willing to sign with him in light of this controversy.

Remembering that this isn't a game  

I for one cannot wait for the regular NASCAR season to resume. Video games are supposed to be just that: games. It's unfortunate that we live in a world where fantasy can't take place outside of reality anymore. I know this as well as anyone. As a job seeker, I cannot let anything give anyone a reason to turn me down for an employment opportunity. I carefully consider everything I post online and what it could possibly say about me. Nothing is too insignificant. Wallace only made one action. Larson only said one word. Both men will feel the result of these split second occurrences for the rest of their lives.

They May Be Old But They're Not Broken

In these turbulent times, people like to cling to that which is familiar. If data is to be believed, cars are no exception. The inspiration for writing this post came from a short article in the November 2019 issue of Car and Driver on the new Toyota 4Runner TRD Pro. In the article, author John Pearley Huffman writes, "Back in 2010, this generation's first full production year, Toyota sold 46,531 4Runners in the U.S. In 2018, 139,694 left dealer lots."

This caught my eye for a number of reasons. Here is a vehicle that has only received the mildest of updates since debuting during Obama's first term. With a starting price of around $34,000 which can rise to over $50,000, it is not exactly something every person or family can afford. Furthermore, there are better family SUVs out there, including Toyota's own Highlander. Fuel economy is a dismal EPA estimated 17 mpg combined. You would think that vehicles in 2020 could do better than that, and that our supposedly socially and environmentally conscious society would shun vehicles that can't.

But, as the numbers prove, that has not been the case. SUV sales have skyrocketed since the end of the Great Recession. I compiled sales figures for four of Toyota's SUVs -- RAV4, Highlander, 4Runner, and Sequoia -- going back to the year 2000. Every one with the exception of the Sequoia has exceeded their sales record from pre-recession days back when cheap gas and easy credit were taken for granted.

And it's not just Toyota that is riding this wave. The current generation Nissan Frontier dates back to 2005 and holds the distinction of being the oldest U.S. consumer vehicle in continuous production. Can you remember what you were doing in 2005? Regardless, the Frontier had its second best sales year ever in 2018 with 79,646 total sales. Sales figures for 2019 slid slightly to 72,369.

Finally, I'd like to bring some attention to the Dodge Challenger. In the 12 years the Challenger has been on sale, both of its competitors, the Ford Mustang and the Chevrolet Camaro, have each received a facelift, a redesign, and another facelift. The Dodge has soldiered on with only some minor updates and a barely noticeable facelift over the same time span.

Challengers regularly finish last in comparison tests with Mustangs and Camaros, but perhaps that misses the point. While all three could be considered muscle cars back in 2008, the Mustang and Camaro have evolved to become more like sports cars. Take a look at the new Camaro ZL1 1LE and the Mustang Shelby GT500. With their carbon fiber wings and splitters, they're just a few numbers and sponsorship decals away from taking part in a Trans Am race. While Chevy and Ford fight each other on race tracks, the Challenger is comfortable remaining a big, comfy boulevard cruiser. That seems to be fine for Challenger owners. Like the 4Runner, Challenger sales hit their peak in 2018 with 66,716 units. It actually outsold the Camaro by more than 12,000 units in 2019.

What does this prove? If anything, it proves that there are lots of people out there who shy away from the digitized future of automobiles. The 4Runner, the Frontier, and the Challenger are simple machines with simple purposes. One is a go-anywhere off roader, one is an affordable, no-nonsense compact pickup truck, and one is a muscle car with a capital M. They each have their audience that knows exactly what it wants, and familiarity most likely keeps that audience coming back again and again.  

Subaru's Sales Growth Streak Comes to a Halt

Subaru's impressive 93 months of consecutive sales gains came to an end with a 9.4 percent drop in September. All eight models posted declines for the month ranging from a 0.2 percent drop for the Forester to a 61 percent nosedive for the BRZ. Sales of Subaru's bread and butter Impreza, Crosstrek, and Ascent fell by still significant, but not as steep, 5.3, 3.9, and 9.2 percentage points respectively. The WRX, which Subaru counts as a separate model from the Impreza, dropped 42 percent.

Legacy and Outback sales were down 34 and 12.5 percent respectively--perhaps due to the arrival of next generation models on dealer lots. The 2020 Legacy and Outback move onto the Subaru Global Platform, the last vehicles in Subaru's lineup to do so. Their exteriors boast a subtle evolution from their predecessors. Subaru held a study with potential buyers and discovered that participants responded most favorably to the design that changed the least from the old ones. Inside, occupants will find a richer interior with improved materials all around. A vertically oriented 11.6 inch touchscreen commands the center console and contributes to the cars' more premium feel. As on all Subarus introduced within the last couple years, the brand's signature Eyesight Driver Assist Technology is standard.

A turbocharged engine returns to the lineup after a two generation absence. This new 2.4 L four-cylinder unit comes directly from the Ascent and replaces the old 3.6 L flat-six with improved power (260 hp), torque (277 lb-ft), and fuel consumption. The base 2.5 L flat-four now comes with direct injection and a boost in power to 182 hp.

Amid slowing sales across the industry, Subaru has been able to keep its head above water far longer than most. Could Subaru's stumble signify that a recession is definitely on the horizon? It's certainly possible. Conditions are ripe for another economic downturn. Costs of goods and services seem to climb ever higher while wages fail to keep up. As a result, more people turn to higher and longer loans to cover expensive purchases. Consider these statistics regarding new-car loans. According to Experian, the average loan for the second quarter of 2019 was $32,119. In 2017, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau estimated that 42 percent of car loans were 72 months or longer. Even more worryingly, when people trade for a new car, they often roll debt from existing loans into new loans. Dealing with money that technically doesn't exist is always risky business, and relies on people's confidence in the economy. Economic uncertainty remains high as we near the end of 2019, putting lenders and loan holders in a precarious position.

Smart Leaves the US

The Smart Fortwo is dead in the United States and Canada after 2019. The decision to exit the North American market comes amid higher costs to federalize the car to US safety regulations coupled with falling sales. The end of Smart closes the book on a 10 year odyssey many people questioned from the outset, but succeeded in leaving a permanent mark on American car culture.   

The Smart was always going to be a tough sell in America. After all, it was primarily designed to function in the narrow city streets of Europe. However, by the time Smart’s parent company, Daimler-Benz, was considering bringing the brand to the United States, it was already established in several different countries, including Canada starting in 2004. Interest in the brand was high, and when Smart entered the US market in 2008, 25,000 Fortwos drove off dealer lots by the end of its first year. Sales quickly dropped after that. Even with the Great Recession on the horizon, fuel was still pretty cheap and not many people were willing to downsize to something like the Smart. At 106 inches long, the Fortwo was four feet shorter than a Mini Cooper. In the land of supersized pickup trucks, a lot of people didn’t feel safe driving something as small as a Smart, even though crash tests yielded positive results.

Reviews didn’t do the Smart any favors. Obviously power was going to be on the low end, but most consumers were probably hoping for a little more than the Smart’s 70 horsepower and 68 lb-ft of torque. More problematic though was the single clutch automatic transmission, which has been universally described as jerky and slow. A redesigned model added a turbocharger to the 1-liter engine, boosting it to 89 horsepower and 100 lb-ft of torque. Two new transmission were offered as well: a five speed manual and a dual clutch automatic.

But perhaps most damaging to Smart’s US efforts was fresh competition from other brands. Subcompact models from Toyota, Honda, Nissan, and Ford were able to match the Smart’s $15,000 MSRP and offered usable space for four people plus their belongings. Fast forward to 2019, and the Smart comes across as even more of a compromise that requires too much of a sacrifice and not enough of a benefit.   

Desperately needed additional models to supplement the Fortwo never materialized. Smart initially planned to enter the US market with a small SUV called the Formore, but that project was cancelled at the eleventh hour due to unfavorable exchange rates and spending cutbacks within the organization. An electric version of the Fortwo debuted in 2012 and was carried over with the 2015 redesign. By 2018, it was the only version of the Fortwo on sale in the US, with a paltry range of 70-80 miles and a ludicrous pricetag of $24,550. That’s some serious money for a small car with an even smaller driving range. It’s no surprise then that sales have dwindled to 1,276 units for 2018.

So, was Smart’s foray into the US market a failure? Lack of diversity certainly relegated the brand to a niche status, but larger vehicles would have diluted the Smart philosophy of getting people to rethink personal transportation. Smart proved that not everyone needs a giant land whale for their daily commute, and other brands have brought well packaged, feature laden small cars to the market with varying degrees of success. Unfortunately, small cars seem to be a losing proposition in America, at least for now. Ford has already killed the Fiesta, Honda may not replace the Fit, and how Fiat is staying in business is a mystery to me. We’ll have to wait and see if anyone can turn the innovative mobility concept pioneered by Smart into a winning formula.