Podcast appearances and mentions of jason cammisa

Toyota didn't beat Mercedes by getting cheaper. It beat Mercedes by getting closer to the customer first. Here's the six-year research obsession behind the Lexus LS 400, and why undercutting your way to a full panel is a strategy that has already failed in a dozen other industries, and what Harvard's own pricing research says to do instead. By Michael Tetreault, Editor-In-Chief, Concierge Medicine Today "I'm a car guy, so bear with me on this one. There will be some good points [in this article], I promise. I know enough about engines to self-diagnose and wrench on them myself. Driving an old car with lifter problems through North Dakota and southern Canada in the '90s will teach you that." ~Michael Tetreault Today's article isn't about concierge medicine directly. It's about a distant cousin in the subscription-based healthcare world, direct primary care, or DPC. Over the past two decades, I've noticed more and more that there is a moment almost every DPC or low-cost, membership-based practice hits around year two or three, when the patient panel quietly stalls (catch the car pun). Growth that used to feel automatic starts to flatten out, and you notice it before you can quite explain it. That's usually right about when a competitor down the road launches at $59 to $93 a month, and a quiet voice in your head says: just drop the price. Fill the seats. Worry about margin later. That instinct is understandable. It is also, according to decades of business research and a growing body of data inside concierge and membership medicine itself, one of the fastest ways to damage the very practice you built to serve patients better. This is not a scolding. It is a strategy conversation, grounded in evidence, for low-cost subscription-based physicians who left, or are considering leaving, the insurance-driven system specifically to build something sustainable that has a low cost for the patients because you feel your altruistic nature pulling you to do so. But, if the goal is sustainability, the tactic matters. What "racing to the bottom" actually means Let's zoom out for a moment. A price war is what happens when competitors inside the same market repeatedly cut prices to undercut one another, creating a cycle where each side matches or beats the last cut. This "price-cutting momentum" pulls in competitors who feel forced to follow the initial price cut, and while it can create short-term benefits for the buyer, it erodes the profit margins of everyone competing. Harvard Business School researchers Akshay Rao and Mark Bergen, writing in Harvard Business Review, built a career studying exactly this dynamic across industries. Their conclusion, echoed by strategists since, is blunt: most price wars are avoidable, and the businesses that start them or get pulled into them rarely come out ahead. The Kinsta business blog, summarizing HBR's own internal analysis of the question, put it plainly: when businesses were asked whether they should engage in a price war, the overwhelming answer was "no." Instead, the research points toward differentiation as the more durable response to a low-cost competitor. There is a second, quieter finding in that same research that some physicians should sit with. Price itself shapes how a buyer perceives value, and a price set too low signals that the product is cheap, in the way a price set too high can signal it is a ripoff. In other words, the discount that was supposed to win the patient can be the very thing that tells the patient your care is not worth much. It's indeed, a delicate balance and it's different for every practice and every doctor. Why? Because of who you work for and serve: the patient. Every patient is different. Every practice is different. That makes this topic challenging but it's a conversation worth having because I want to see your practice thrive and more importantly, survive in your community. The framework underneath the instinct Michael Porter, the Harvard strategist whose work still anchors most first-year MBA curricula, described three durable paths to competitive advantage: cost leadership, differentiation, or a focused niche strategy. A company chooses to compete either through lower costs than its rivals or by differentiating itself along dimensions the customer actually values, in order to command a higher price. What Porter warned against was the position most panic-driven price cuts land a practice in. Porter's phrase for it is "stuck in the middle," and it describes an organization trying to be all things to all people, with no distinct competitive advantage as a result. Businesses caught here typically perform the worst in their industry precisely because they never committed to one strength. A DPC practice that quietly lowers its price to compete on cost, while still trying to deliver same-day access, unhurried visits, and so-called affordable white-glove service, is not competing on cost leadership. It is trying to sell a premium product at a discount price, and the math does not hold. Today, a medical practice or a company stuck in this position cannot beat a true cost leader on price, because it never built the operational discipline or scale to sustain that price, and it cannot beat a differentiator on the experience it promised, because the discipline required to deliver that experience costs money. Both promises erode at once. What the data inside DPC and low-cost membership medicine is already showing This is not theoretical for DPC and low-cost membership medicine practices. It is visible in the industry's own numbers. The 2026 State of DPC survey, distributed through the DPC Alliance and Hint Health's network, found a direct relationship between panel size and price. Practices with fewer than 200 patients averaged $105.93 per member per month, practices with 201 to 500 patients averaged $99.28, and practices with more than 500 patients averaged $77.74 per member per month. Read plainly, the larger the panel, the lower the average price charged per patient. That pattern is exactly what Porter's framework predicts happens to practices chasing volume without a differentiation strategy to protect price. It is worth noting this figure comes from Hint Health, a technology vendor with a commercial interest in DPC's growth, so it should be read as directional industry data rather than an independent audit. It is nonetheless the most comprehensive dataset the movement currently has. At the same time, the broader market is not short on room to compete on value instead of price. More than half of private healthcare consumers rank the cost of care as the most dissatisfying part of their current healthcare experience, and DPC's growth has been driven in large part by employers and patients who are tired of opaque, escalating costs elsewhere in the system, not by DPC being the cheapest option on paper. Employers now fund the majority, roughly 60 percent, of active DPC memberships, according to Hint Health's 2026 trends report, which signals that the buyers filling panels today are increasingly sophisticated purchasers evaluating value, retention, and outcomes, not simply hunting for the lowest sticker price. Regional pricing tells a similar story. Northeast DPC pricing rose 33 percent over five years, from $60 to $80 a month, even as national demand for the model accelerated. Practices in that region did not grow by discounting. They grew while raising price, in a market that was simultaneously expanding. The altruism problem no one names out loud Here is the part of this conversation that is specific to medicine and does not show up in a typical business school case study on price wars. Physicians are trained, deliberately and repeatedly, to put the patient's welfare ahead of their own. Medical professionalism itself is defined in the literature by principles of excellence, accountability, altruism, integrity, and humanism, all oriented around the patient relationship. That formation is not incidental. It is the point of medical education, and it is a genuine strength of the profession that should never be coached out of a physician. But that same formation has a side effect worth naming honestly. A rigorous study out of the University of Cologne and University of Rennes, published in the Journal of Health Economics, measured patient-regarding altruism in 733 medical students at different stages of training. The researchers found that patient-regarding altruism is highest among freshmen, declines significantly through the middle years of medical study, and rises again in the final year as students begin assisting in clinical practice. Students with lower income expectations showed higher altruism scores overall. Sit with that last finding. The training that makes physicians excellent, trustworthy, patient-first clinicians also correlates with a documented discomfort around charging what care is actually worth. That discomfort is admirable in the exam room. It becomes a strategic liability in the business office, where it quietly nudges a physician toward the lowest defensible price rather than the price that reflects the value delivered, the access provided, and the sustainability required to keep serving that same patient for the next twenty years. This is not a call to abandon altruism. It is a call to separate two different questions that get tangled together under stress: am I a good doctor and am I running a sustainable practice. A price built out of guilt is not more altruistic than a price built out of strategy. A closed practice serves no one. What other industries learned the hard way Medicine is not the first field to face this exact temptation, and the businesses that raced to the bottom on price rarely tell a happy ending. Rao and Bergen's HBR research spans industries from B2B and agribusiness to healthcare and the nonprofit sector, and the throughline in that body of work is consistent: firms that respond to a low-price competitor by cutting their own price usually shrink the whole market's profitability without gaining durable share, because the competitor simply cuts again. The winners in price wars, when there are any, tend to be the largest players with the deepest balance sheets, the ones who can absorb losses the longest. A solo or small-group physician practice is almost never that player, and should not try to be. The lesson for low-cost DPC physicians is not abstract. It is Porter's choice, stated as a decision every practice has to make deliberately rather than by drift: compete on being demonstrably, operationally the lowest-cost, highest-efficiency provider in your market, which requires real scale and real systems, or compete on being demonstrably different in a way patients value enough to pay for. Trying to hold both at once is what leaves a practice, in Porter's words, stuck in the middle, with margins too thin to sustain the very things that made the practice worth choosing in the first place. The Lexus Lesson: Price Is a Result, Not a Strategy Circling back to my car guy roots, there is an automotive story worth every physician's attention here, because it is one of the clearest business case studies ever produced on the exact question this article is asking you if you're a DPC physician. It comes from Hagerty's "Revelations" series, hosted by Jason Cammisa, on the origin of the 1989 Lexus LS 400, and it has been retold in detail across automotive trade press and in Chester Dawson's book Lexus: The Relentless Pursuit. The origin story matters as much as the engineering. Toyota's first American export, the Toyopet Crown, was a flop, selling only a few hundred units before Toyota pulled it from the market in the late 1950s. Twenty five years of steady rebuilding later, Toyota had become the largest importer of vehicles into the United States, and that success triggered a protectionist response. In the early 1980s, the U.S. government pressured Japan into so-called voluntary export restraints, capping Japanese auto imports at roughly 1.7 million vehicles a year. With volume capped by government policy, Toyota USA's Yukiyasu Togo pushed a different lever: if the company could not sell more cars, it needed to sell more profitable ones. That constraint, not ambition alone, is what pushed Toyota into the luxury segment. In 1983, Toyota's then chairman Eiji Toyoda greenlit a secret effort known as Project F1, for Flagship One. Where a typical vehicle program of that era might use around 200 engineers and a few hundred million dollars, F1 was reportedly given no fixed budget and a development team of roughly 1,400 engineers, 60 designers, and thousands of additional technicians and support staff, spread across a six-year effort widely reported to have cost in the neighborhood of a billion dollars. What that team actually did is the part physicians should study closely. Rather than guess at what luxury buyers wanted, a team of designers and engineers relocated to a rented house in Laguna Beach, California, and spent months directly observing affluent Americans: watching valet stands outside country clubs, studying the furniture in high-end homes, and even analyzing the leather scent inside Jaguar interiors closely enough to reverse-engineer the tanning process. They tested switchgear and steering wheel ergonomics against how women with long, manicured nails actually interact with a dashboard. This is the practice Toyota calls genchi genbutsu, going to see for yourself, rather than relying on assumptions about the customer. Separately, Toyota's research uncovered something more specific and more useful than "people want a cheaper luxury car." Mercedes-Benz owners loved the prestige of their cars but consistently described the dealership experience itself, the pressure, the wait, the sense of being talked down to, as miserable. Lexus rebuilt the entire buying experience around that single insight. Sales moved from an elevated desk to a shared coffee table, removing the physical power imbalance of a traditional car sale. Only 80 of roughly 1,500 dealer applicants were approved to sell the car, each required to invest several million dollars and submit to ongoing customer satisfaction audits. The product and the experience of buying it were treated as a single, inseparable offer. The engineering discipline underneath all of this was, by most independent accounts, extreme. Chief engineer Ichiro Suzuki pursued a drag coefficient of 0.29, well below the S-Class's 0.36 to 0.37, without relying on a rear spoiler, which he considered an inelegant shortcut. Interior noise was engineered down to roughly 58 decibels versus about 60 for the S-Class, and multiple road tests reported the LS 400 was as quiet at 125 miles per hour as its German rivals were at 95. Prototypes logged well over a million miles of testing, and engineers reportedly disassembled competitor vehicles to study exactly how they failed over years of use, then engineered around each weakness. When the LS 400 launched in 1989, it was priced at roughly $35,000, commonly cited as about half the price, or as much as $30,000 less, than a comparably equipped Mercedes-Benz S-Class. The price gap was so large that BMW reportedly suggested Toyota was selling the car at a loss. Within two years, Lexus had overtaken Mercedes-Benz as the best-selling luxury import brand in the United States and topped J.D. Power's quality and service rankings, and Mercedes is reported to have lost roughly a quarter of its U.S. sales in the aftermath. Here is the part physicians should sit with. The low price was not the strategy. It was the output of the strategy. Toyota did not set out to build a cheaper Mercedes and work backward. It spent six years and enormous resources removing the specific frustrations its own research showed were driving prestige-loving customers away, then engineered a manufacturing process disciplined enough to make that quality repeatable at scale, and only after that work was done did it set a price the market would reward. The aggressive price was possible because the operational excellence and the customer research underneath it were real, not because anyone at Toyota decided to compete by cutting corners. This is the distinction that gets lost when a DPC or low-cost membership medicine practice drops its membership fee simply to fill a panel out of fear. Toyota's price was earned through relentless, well-funded engineering and firsthand study of exactly what its target customer resented about the existing options. A practice that lowers its price without first doing that same work, actually going to see for yourself what frustrates the patients you want to serve, and building a practice that removes those specific frustrations, is doing the opposite of what Lexus did. It is cutting the price before it has earned the right to. The translatable lesson is not "charge less." It is this: find out, directly and specifically, what your patients are actually frustrated by in the healthcare experience they already have, build a practice that removes that frustration with real discipline, treat the entire patient experience, not just the clinical visit, as part of the product, and let price follow from that work rather than substitute for it. Toyota spent six years in the field before it touched the price tag. Most practices considering a discount have not spent six weeks asking patients what specifically is broken in the care they are currently getting. What to build instead None of this means price is fixed or that access should be reserved only for the wealthy. It means the starting question changes. Instead of asking what is the lowest price that will fill my panel, the more durable question is what does my practice do that a patient cannot get anywhere else in this market, and does my price reflect that honestly. That might be same-day access. It might be visit length. It might be a specific clinical focus, a specific population, or a specific relationship to a local employer. Differentiation does not require the highest price in the market. It requires a clear, honest reason for the price you have chosen, one you can say out loud to a patient without flinching. Panel growth built on discounting tends to attract patients who are price-shopping and will leave the moment a cheaper option appears next door. Panel growth built on a clear, differentiated value proposition tends to attract patients who stay, refer, and tolerate a price increase because they understand what they are paying for. This article is intended for educational and informational purposes for physicians and healthcare leaders. It does not constitute financial, legal, accounting, or medical advice, and practice pricing decisions should be made in consultation with qualified financial and legal advisors familiar with your specific market and regulatory environment. Sources Rao, Akshay R. and Bergen, Mark E. "How to Fight a Price War." Harvard Business Review, March-April 2000. hbr.org/2000/03/how-to-fight-a-price-war "Price war." Wikipedia, accessed August 2026. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Price_war "How a Race to the Bottom Hurts Your Business's Bottom Line." Kinsta, July 15, 2024. kinsta.com/blog/race-to-the-bottom Porter, Michael E. Competitive Strategy (1980) and Competitive Advantage (1985), Harvard Business School Press. Summarized via "Porter's generic strategies," Wikipedia, and Strategic Management Insight, strategicmanagementinsight.com/tools/porters-three-generic-strategies "State of DPC 2026: Key Takeaways From DPC Alliance's Physician Survey." Hint Health, July 18, 2026. blog.hint.com/state-of-dpc-2026-key-takeaways-from-the-dpc-alliances-physician-survey "Hint Health Releases 2026 Direct Primary Care Trends Report." Hint Health, April 23, 2026, distributed via PR Newswire, Yahoo Finance, and Morningstar. "DPC Membership Pricing Trends." Hint Health Blog, June 24, 2022. blog.hint.com/dpc-membership-pricing-trends "High cost of health care may be boosting direct primary care membership." Medical Economics, November 16, 2025. medicaleconomics.com/view/high-cost-of-health-care-may-be-boosting-direct-primary-care-membership Sagebien, Julia; L'Haridon, Olivier; Wiesen, Daniel; et al. "The formation of physician altruism." Journal of Health Economics, Vol. 87, 2023. sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0167629622001308 (also indexed on PubMed, ID 36603361) "Professional identity formation of clinical medical students during and beyond the pandemic." PMC, National Library of Medicine. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11150932 Cammisa, Jason. "The Absurd Engineering Obsession Behind the 1989 Lexus LS 400." Hagerty Revelations, YouTube, youtu.be/i15Ii4yetLM "How the Lexus LS400 Crashed the Luxury Party." Autoblog, October 2, 2025. autoblog.com/features/how-the-lexus-ls400-crashed-the-luxury-party "How Lexus defeated 'the best car in the world.'" Motoring Research, July 25, 2024. motoringresearch.com/car-news/lexus-ls-400-review "Lexus LS 400: 'the finest V8 engine in the world.'" Cult Classics, Adrian Flux, August 21, 2023. adrianflux.co.uk/cult-classics/lexus-ls-400-the-finest-v8-engine-in-the-world Dawson, Chester. Lexus: The Relentless Pursuit. John Wiley & Sons, revised edition. Publisher synopsis via AbeBooks, abebooks.com/9780470828045 A detailed companion recap of the Hagerty Revelations episode, covering Project F1 staffing, the Laguna Beach research house, the coffee-table dealership model, and Suzuki's engineering targets, was supplied directly by the editor. Its original publisher and byline could not be independently confirmed at time of writing. Facts drawn from it (drag coefficient, price gap, engineer count, dealership vetting) were cross-checked against sources 11 through 15 above before inclusion, and the editor should confirm original attribution before publication.

This week: Jason recaps the latest Hagerty ICONS video - discussing Temerario, the new baby Lamborghini, and its siblings from different eras of baby Lambo family tree. Needless to say, it's quite a performer - the likes of which have never been approached by any other non-speciality Lamborghini ever. But is that alone enough to make it an icon? Maybe not. But why? === INSURANCE QUOTE: Visit https://hagerty.com/jason or https://jasonsentme.com === The latest ICONS video goes over three distinct chapters in the history of the Baby Lamborghini, each defined by the engine - the first of which is the cross-plane crank V8 era led by the Urraco, Silhouette, and Jalpa. We learn - these cars are pleasantly surprising to drive near their limits, and while they were all a lot slower than the V12 Countach that joined the lineup in the late 70s/early 80s, they exhibited playful driving characteristics, exotic interiors, great sounds, and other pleasant surprises you might not expect. But despite their charm, they didn't do well for the brand - and Lamborghini struggled to move them. And so, baby Lambos went on hiatus for a while. But after Audi obtained Lamborghini, they returned - in the form of the Gallardo and Huracán. And quite the opposite happened - a brand once struggling, came back to life filled with 10 cylinder song, and stuck around for well over 15 years. But what about the newest era - the Temerario, and its hybrid flat-plane crank V8? Will it continue to impress like its 10 cylinder siblings did? Or is it too complicated and too focused on speed to bring the same life back to the brand? And as we approach Monterey Car Week, the topic returns - what group of cars and drivers will wreak the most havoc? Will it be the Altima drivers? G80 M3s? Or will it be supercars - perhaps…the ones discussed in this episode? We'll find out later this week! In the meantime, watch this episode to find out - or, watch the latest ICONS first! The choice is yours… Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Mercedes-Benz G-Wagen, Toyota Land Cruiser + 4Runner, Porsche 911, Ford F-150, and Range Rover, all have several things in common. Slow depreciation compared to other vehicles in their class, nameplates that have lasted for decades, loyal owners that keep coming back for more and bucket listed for others. But what's the ONE thing they all unanimously share? Automotive authenticity. That's right - these vehicles have never strayed too far from their original design and intended purpose since inception. The Ford F-150 has always been a rugged, body-on-frame truck. The G-Wagen, 4Runner, and Land Cruiser have always been boxy SUVs that have stayed true to their design and off-road capability without compromise. The Porsche 911 has always had the engine behind its driver and will continue to do so until the end of time. Today's episode explores more into what authenticity - and deception - mean in an automotive context. Blob-shaped SUVs like the Bentley Bentayga, Lamborghini Urus, and Ferrari Purosangue are one thing - they claim to do everything well, but end up not fully delivering on this promise and often depreciate like rocks. On the subject of deception - Jason and Derek discuss the new Ferrari 12Cilindri Manuale - the most recent car of its kind which claims to be a manual and automatic at the same time, by automating a dual clutch transmission to operate like a manual on demand - third pedal, gated shifter and all. But is it really good for the brand in the long run vs. spending the development cost on a real manual? The Carmudgeons….carmudgeonate on our behalf. Tune in to find out. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today's episode, Jason and Derek settle a common debate - as a lifelong car enthusiast, is working in the automotive industry a dream job? Short answer: It's wonderful - but if it were as amazing as it seems 100% of the time, none of us would be paid to work in it. Jason gives us the rundown of his time in the industry - and we quickly realize, there's a lot of prep that happens behind the scenes of Revelations, Cammisa's Ultimate Drag Race & Ultimate Lap Battle, and other Hagerty Media pieces. This includes a sneak peak in the latest upcoming Lamborghini piece, featuring the Urraco, Jalpa, Countach, Gallardo, Revuelto, Temerario, and Jason's Ferrari 308 GT4 - many of which explored several states of function and non-function... Derek gives us a view into his world - one which he often has to travel around the globe to stand out as a collector car dealer in the modern era. Driving and experiencing dream cars around the world can be quite fun, but perhaps having to manage a personality or two, plus getting sick on an airplane. All that and much more on this week's episode of The Carmudgeon Show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today's episode of The Carmudgeon Show is a bumper episode. It's also a headlight, taillight, and side market episode - all of the above which were effected greatly in the mid-1970s to 1980s by updated US Department of Transportation regulations in 1974.===Visit http://JasonSentMe.com to get a Hagerty Guaranteed Value (TM) collector-car insurance quote! === But first, a Rover update!! The Rover is back (temporarily) on the west coast - we get some long awaited updates, new plans, and of course a new chapter of the saga which may send the car back where it just was……the project never stops! 5-mph bumpers were one of the crucial components removed from the Rover to make it tolerable to look at today. These US-mandated bumpers (and headlights and taillights) the bane of existence for many European and Japanese manufactures in period. Most of these manufactures were so perturbed by this regulation, that the bumper integration became a bit of an afterthought. Cars like the Mercedes-Benz R107 and W116 were considered some of the worst offenders given the size and integration of the bumper in comparison to the car's raw proportions. Other cars like the BMW E21, E23, E24, E28, and E30 were also repeat offenders. Other cars mentioned include but are not limited to: Maserati Bora, Lamborghini Countach, Rover SD1, Volkswagen Scirocco (MK2) + Cabriolet, Citroen CX, Jaguar XJS, Alfa Romeo Spider, Honda Accord, Datsun Z, BMW 2002, Volkswagen Beetle, Toyota Corolla, Ford Taurus, and Ford Thunderbird. Rarely, did a manufacture decide they would go the extra mile and integrate the bumper into the design of the car - the G-body Porsche 911 and Chevrolet Corvette C3 were one of the few of the time. And if you didn't get enough Rover air time this episode or need a recap, Jason's just written a 5 column article for The Intercooler about his experience so far - you can red it here: https://www.the-intercooler.com/library/features/america-fast-part-two/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Just three days ago, Jason celebrated 20 years in an automotive journalism! The industry has changed in a number of ways - most noticeably, with video taking over as the primary consumed content medium over print. Jason's career started at the beginning of the end of the print heydays - a time vastly different than the one we're currently living in. Jason's story starts in Ann Arbor, MI in 2007 - where actually, it almost stopped completely. Very quickly, he's thrown into the middle of a pyramidal power struggle between the domain name-owning agency Automotive.com, and his in-person editorial team. From getting a speeding ticket on his first day with a press car, to getting fired by one internal team and immediately re-hired by another, to living in a place he struggled to call home, Jason nearly threw in the towel.  But automotive legend Jean Jennings - his (real) boss at the time - is one of the reasons you see him with us today. And a trip from New York to New Orleans in a $250 Cadillac Fleetwood Limo cemented - but almost shattered - their relationship.  This episode, amongst other parts of Jason's career - is primarily about that perilous journey. Jason recounts his time in a broken-frame Cadillac limo with Jean and another automotive legend - Sam Smith - with nearly 100 breakdowns, bruises, burns, pink tutus and tuxedos, rubber ducks, and unbearable heat.  But somehow, they made it - and you can read more about it here from the original airing of the article in Automobile Magazine in 2007: http://bit.ly/4vqFvhw  (Also, a link to the 1983 Car And Driver Mexico Torture Test - you'll understand why later in the show: https://www.caranddriver.com/photos/g17857487/escape-from-baja-mexican-sports-sedan-torture-test-archived-comparison-test-gallery/ ) All this and much more on this special episode of The Carmudgeon Show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today's episode of The Carmudgeon Show - Jason and Derek compete against each other in a Price Is Right-style game show! Rather than going over the price, the objective is to get as close as possible whether being under or over the result. The winner does not, in fact, get a new car - but is instead continuously ridden with car problems of many sorts, which of course means more opportunities for Carmudgeoning. Our discussion points include: 2003 Bentley Arnage R 1989 Volkswagen Best Seller Wolfsburg Limited Edition Cabriolet 1988 BMW M3 2005 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon Sahara 4x4 2007 Lamborghini Murcielago LP640 Roadster 6-Speed Conversion 1984 Rover Vitesse SD1 TWR Group A Spec 1977 Fiat Bertone 850 T Visitors Bus 1990 Porsche 911 Targa 2002 Ferrari 360 Spider 6-Speed 1995 Mercedes-Benz E300 Diesel Jason also gives us an update on his Rover SD1 and his Volkswagen Cabrio VR6 swap - including the good, the bad, but not the ugly! The Rover returns to California after more than 15 months of being away, but alas - it's not quite finished. The Cabrio, while also not quite finished, is finally CARB legal!  All that and more on that process in this episode of The Carmudgeon Show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today's episode, Jason and Derek get some exclusive seat time: both with the new Rivian R2, and with Rivian's Chief Designer Officer Jeff Hammoud and Chief R2 Engineer Max Koff! === Visit http://JasonSentMe.com to get a Hagerty Guaranteed Value (TM) collector-car insurance quote! === The show hits the road, traveling to Rivian's beautiful flagship space in San Francisco, where Jeff and Max face their worst nightmare: being peppered with questions and feedback about the new R2 - a make-or-break vehicle for the company. After Jason and Derek's collective ~200 miles, they cover a host of issues - new design + UX features (halo wheels, rear drop glass, to name a few), acceleration times, uphill burnouts, R1 vs. R2, and most importantly (to Jason only) - the absence of Apple CarPlay. And of course, no episode is complete without a mention of Sacco Mercedes-Benzes and old Volkswagens (Mk1 Scirocco and Mk3 Corrado VR6). Will the R2 allow Rivian to continue its planned trajectory as a manufacture? And what's going on with R3?? Time will tell, but we have a suspicion the Tesla Model Y better watch its back… Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, we drive an icon that's been electrified - the Kindred EV Bus, based off of the Volkswagen Microbus. While most of us typically mourn the conversion of many classic cars to EV, this particular conversion may change your mind… === Visit http://JasonSentMe.com to get a Hagerty Guaranteed Value (TM) collector-car insurance quote! === While most EV conversions strip away the character and soul of a gas car with a great engine, the Volkswagen Microbus is one of those vehicles that was never really defined by its engine. Well, actually - if it was - it was defined by its acceleration, or rather the lack thereof. Many VW Buses had no more than 50 horsepower to work with, making them virtually undriveable above 50 MPH. The Kindred EV Bus, however, rewrites the rulebook - accelerating from 0-60 in just 7.6 seconds. While that may not seem particularly notable when many modern EVs are twice as fast, this changes the game for this 23-window Microbus - making it genuinely usable in everyday driving. And when the rest of the vehicle was already defined by its iconic styling and form within function, is it now even better than original? All this and more on this week's episode of The Carmudgeon Show. Special thanks to Kindred Motorworks for lending us this bus for testing! Check them out at https://kindredmotorworks.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You know the saying - the grass is always greener on the other side. Well…that same grass might be covered in diesel soot - but we don't care!  Many American car enthusiasts will forever desire the forbidden European diesels we were never offered here in the US. Derek decided he'd had enough - and went some lengths to acquire his new unicorn wagon - a 1998 Mercedes-Benz C250 Turbodiesel (S202). And the level of unicorn doesn't stop at diesel station wagon - this one is also has a 5-speed manual, a slicktop, cloth seats, AND a Bruno Sacco design - making it 100% Carmudgeonation-proof. Our hosts Derek Tam-Scott and Jason Cammisa discuss why the S202 Mercedes-Benz C-Class is such a desirable package even 30+ years after it debuted. Moreover, Derek and Jason discuss why diesels are much more enthusiastic than others may think - citing examples like the euro-only BMW M550d and Audi S6 TDI Avant. Also discussed are the endless variants of Mercedes diesels and their tune-ability, primarily discussing the OM605 and OM606 “superturbo” builds found on a variety of different Mercedes-Benzes from the 1980s to the early 2000s, from W123 to W210 and beyond. All this and more, on this episode of The Carmudgeon Show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Last week was a wild one. We witnessed two of the most controversial models from Ferrari and Mercedes ever to be debuted - none other than the Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door and the Ferrari Luce. In case you're not familiar: - The Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door is Mercedes' replacement to the outgoing version, which has now gone full EV and straight to battle with the Porsche Taycan. It debuts many new design elements in a slippery 0.22 drag coefficient package, doing 0-60 in as low as 2.0 seconds with an 186 MPH top speed. - The Ferrari Luce is Ferrari's first all-electric vehicle and first true five-seater. It also launches a new and unfamiliar interior and exterior design language from ex-Apple design chief Jony Ive and his collective, LoveFrom. Given that everyone has an opinion on these new EV modes of rapid transport (including your favorite and least favorite journalists, the Italian government, your grandmother, and the pope, to name a few) - we decided to ask, why? What attributes about the Luce and the AMG-GT really make people feel shaken at their core, and why? Would we feel differently if the Ferrari was rebadged as another make? Is the AMG-GT as controversial as the W201 was when it launched in 1982? We explore all of the above in depth, all on this episode of The Carmudgeon Show with Jason Cammisa and Derek Tam-Scott. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As a society, we've been throwing around the phrase “The kids are alright” for decades. But in the automotive landscape, is that really true? On today's episode, Derek and Jason dissect the theory that young people are getting less interested in cars and whether or not it has any validity in 2026. Before getting into the thick of it, Jason and Derek discuss the latest Porsche Taycan Sport Turismo GTS joining them in the studio. Carmudgeonation occurs, naturally. Between unintuitive infotainment and UX, lackluster interior volume, and - naturally being a current Porsche - an eye-watering sticker price of over $180K, the newest Taycan certainly leaves some ground to be desired. But not all is lost, as the updated adaptive air suspension, good looks, and the endlessly mind-bending acceleration certainly make up for lost appeal. And of course, the existence of any wagon still on sale in 2026 - let alone, a Porsche wagon, is a win regardless of its flaws. The bulk of this episode discusses youth interest in cars and how trends have changed in recent years. Most notably, the cultural shift in interest to Porsche products like the 992 GT3 RS over Lamborghini and Ferrari - why do kids fawn over cars that are inherently more commonplace and accessible? Does industry accessibility to press cars affect young tastes? Will broccoli haircuts live on forever? Some of this, and more - on today's episode of The Carmudgeon Show with Jason Cammisa and Derek Tam-Scott, driven by Hagerty. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The term “Restomod” gets thrown around a lot these days. In an era where more people are modifying and modernizing old cars more than ever before, it's probably time we draw some boundaries to truly understand what OEM+, OEM++, and Restomod REALLY mean in the current modified car landscape. === Visit https://JasonSentMe.com for a quote on Hagerty's Guaranteed Value® Insurance! === The subject of today's studio background is a 1963 Mercedes-Benz 230SL - yes, a Pagoda - with a host of Mercedes family modifications including but not limited to: 5.4L M113 V8 engine from a W220 S55 AMG 6 speed manual transmission from an SLK230 Brakes from a C126 560SEC Rear multilink suspension from a W209 CLK And many more odds and ends that make it all play nicely together. Effectively transformed from a grandma cruiser to a backroad hell-raiser, Jason and Derek begin to wonder - is this just an engine/transmission swap, or has enough been done to constitute restomod status? This car comes from none other than Matt Kwiek from Kwiek Classics, who has become known for manual-swapping CLK63 AMG Black Series as well as a host of other Frankenstein'd Mercedes-Benzes. This one certainly got Jason, Derek, and company howling with laughter, but is emotion enough to constitute a restomod? Naturally other restomod vehicles are brought into discussion - like the Cyan Racing P1800, Totem Automobile GT Super, Automobile Amos Delta Futurista, Tuthil 911K, and the Kimera 037. While these cars occupy a different market share and purpose, the Mercedes can probably keep up with the best of them on the right backroad. But does a more honest appearance and single-marque parts origin constitute OEM+? Jason's MK3 Cabrio VR6 swap seems to fall into that category - but it still resembles a car that could have been built by Volkswagen in period. This Pagoda, however……would drift circles around its swing-armed original - and not flip over!! Maybe it's in a class of its own. Jason also discusses a recent trip to LA for the Air Water Show weekend, where he attends Good Vibes Breakfast Club with Andreas Preuninger, Director of Porsche's GT Line. While he didn't drive the GT3 S/C as expected, he did drive a Supercharged, LS-swapped 1978 Pontiac Trans Am making 700+ WHP. The car was so dialed in, we continue to wonder - does it qualify as a restomod? Or is it just a swap with all the right trimmings?  You'll have to listen to find out - all this and more on this episode of The Carmudgeon Show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Live in-studio this week we have the Longbow Speedster and co-founders of Longbow Motors Daniel Davey and Mark Tapscott. They join us all the way from the UK to show off and discuss their entry into the rather quiet EV sports car space. You might be wondering - what's a Longbow Speedster? What does it have to do with a medieval weapon used in the dark ages? And what happened to the windshield? As it turns out, all three of those questions can be answered with a single word: simplicity. While the Speedster is fully electric with a claimed range of 275 miles and a 0-62 time of 3.5 seconds, it's also one of the only EVs in existence under one ton that isn't a golf cart. More importantly, it wants to bring a more traditional approach to EV motoring - a handful of tactile buttons and no screens - just driver and machine. Daniel and Mark chat with Jason and Derek about their origin stories as enthusiasts, discussing some festive cars owned like the Seat Marbella Jeans Edition, Toyota Celica ST185, and Mazda MX-6. Having a plethora of experience working at Tesla when the Roadster was in development, the bowmen of the long table also discuss how they plan to make a splash in the industry and why lightness will soon become synonymous with EVs in ways we never quite anticipated. All this and more on this episode of The Carmudgeon Show with Jason Cammisa and Derek Tam-Scott. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jason's got a new episode out on the Hagerty YouTube channel about a car that most enthusiasts love to hate - The Tesla Model S. While it entered production as a Car of the Year winner and paved a path for Tesla's eventual success in selling cars on the global stage, people have loathed the company's existence in recent years due to sociopolitical actions from CEO Elon Musk. But is the car good enough to diverge from the hate? === Visit https://JasonSentMe.com for a quote on Hagerty's Guaranteed Value® Insurance! === Ignoring the lever-pulling of one man in particular - it's hard to argue otherwise that the Tesla Model S is the most significant car of the last 75 years. Enjoying a near 14 year production run, you'd think it's getting long in the tooth - but actually, it's been continuously upgraded every year in both hardware and software, so much so that the final version - despite looking very similar -  only shares 3% of its components with the original car that debuted in 2012. Over the course of the episode, Jason and Derek compare the Model S to other revolutionary cars in society - like the Ford Model T, Volkswagen Beetle, Citroen DS, 2CV, Mini Cooper, and several others with varying similarities. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today's episode will not be a surprise to anyone who follows the automotive news cycle - because of course we're talking about the 911 GT3 S/C! In true Carmudgeon-form, Jason and Derek pull apart the blasphemous, recently announced Porsche GT car and discuss whether it's worth the hate, or better to hate on the haters. === Visit http://JasonSentMe.com to get a Hagerty Guaranteed Value (TM) collector-car insurance quote! === Before this - Jason gives an update on his recent battles with finishing his 1996 Volkswagen Cabrio VR6 swap (Mk3), rooted largely from OBD-II getting in the way of the car passing California smog testing. But really - what is OBD-II, why does it matter, and why can it make engine swaps a total nightmare? Derek and Jason discuss (and moan upon) the variables, including how to do drive cycles, set monitors, and stay sane in the process. To add fuel to the fire, Jason discusses the Cabrio's latest clutch slave mishap that almost left him stranded before a rally with friends. And putting a nail in the tire of Derek's 964 Porsche 911. On the subject of 911s - and cabriolets - Derek then explores the origins of disdain on the new GT3 S/C. Interestingly - Porsche is not the first brand to go about taking the roof off a track-focused road car variant - citing the rather cherished existence of the Ferrari F430 Scuderia Spyder 16M, the 599 Speciale Aperta, and the 458 Speciale Aperta. Not to mention - if Porsche is making a convertible GT3, could they also bring back a Speedster too? Time and speculation will tell - but not without Carmudgeonation... Tune in for more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode - a Rhode Island man in a bowtie is found in the studio - who flew more than 3000 miles just to talk about strange Italian cars and the people that drive them. If by that description you were thinking of anyone BUT Donald Osborne - we'd be shocked. But today, he's here with us! === Visit http://JasonSentMe.com to get a Hagerty Guaranteed Value (TM) collector-car insurance quote! === In case you're not familiar - Donald Osborne is a renowned classic car historian, author, media personality, and professional appraiser. He's also the Consulting Director for the Audrain Group, having been heavily involved with the Audrain Automobile Museum over the last seven years. You've also may have seen him as a regular contributor and co-host on Jay Leno's Garage. Most recently, he's become the North American Representative for FIVA - short for Fédération Internationale des Véhicules Anciens - a worldwide organization seeking to protect the historic and cultural interest of vehicles around the world 30 years old or older. Conveniently - nearly all of Jason and Derek's cars are this old - Jason's second newest car being his VR6-powered 1996 Volkswagen Cabrio. Donald, Derek, and Jason discuss what it means to be an enthusiast of historic vehicles in 2026 - and how the US celebrates classics a little differently than the rest of the world. But perhaps that could change. They also discuss Donald's current fleet - both in the US and Italy - including but not limited to his Mercedes-Benz SLK230 5 Speed, Alfa Romeo SZ, Lancia Appia, Fiat Panda, Moretta Cinquecento Sport, Lancia Epsilon, and many more that have come and gone… And if you'd like to learn more about FIVA in the USA, don't forget to email friendsofFIVAUSA@FIVA.org! All this and more on this episode of The Carmudgeon Show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Derek and Jason both drive the BMW Z1 - the often-forgotten two-seat roadster that established BMW's Z brand in the late 1980s. Sharing the same chassis and drivetrain with the E30 325i, it's often been overlooked by many as just an E30 convertible with cool doors. But is there more than meets the eye? As it turns out, yes - much more... === Visit http://JasonSentMe.com to get a Hagerty Guaranteed Value (TM) collector-car insurance quote! === Historically, the "Z" in BMW nomenclature stands for "Zukunft", or "future" in German. While the Z brand became associated with roadsters only, the Z1 debuted far more than just two seats and a folding soft top. The belt-driven doors were only one feature of the Z1 that made it ahead of it's time - multi-link rear suspension, removable body panels, and a host of other forward-thinking innovations made it far more advanced for its time than most give it credit for. This week's subject of Carmudgeonation brings some very interesting foresight on BMW's history and collectability as a brand - tying in the 507, Z8, and even the i3 into discussion. Don't skip this one! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sometimes, the milestones hit all at once! On this episode, Jason celebrates 300,000 miles in “OP” (other people's) cars - 3,000 to be exact - and 20 years doing so! === Visit http://JasonSentMe.com to get a Hagerty Guaranteed Value (TM) collector-car insurance quote! === Rather than random number generator reviews, Derek hits Jason with a barrage of key words and phrases to jog his memory and keep him on his toes. Also covered on this episode are the results of the Amelia Island auctions, updates on Jasons' Rover SD1 and Volkswagen Cabrio VR6 swap, and much more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Surprise! We're back on the mics a few days early to discuss the new 2026 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1X, which Jason has recently driven. === Visit http://JasonSentMe.com to get a Hagerty Guaranteed Value (TM) collector-car insurance quote! === In this episode, Jason breaks down his experience behind the wheel while testing the ZR1X at Sonoma Raceway. Jason and Derek discuss where C8 has started and how it has progressed, and how the Corvette model lineup has stacked up until now with ZR1X at the top of the food chain. Claimed to be “America's Quickest Production Car”, the ZR1X claims a sub 9 second quarter mile and a sub 2 second 0-60 - with help from a LT7 V8 engine and a front-axle electric motor to generate 1,250 total AWD horsepower. Jason and Derek also discuss the white elephant in the studio - the Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid that Jason has on loan for the week. The Cammisa Verdict is back, and Jason has recently reviewed an array of new cars including but not limited to the Cadillac Vistiq, Mazda CX-70, Alpina XB7, and many more to come… All this and more on this week's episode of The Carmudgeon Show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today's episode aims to answer a simple question: does “win on Sunday, sell on Monday” still apply in today's automotive world? === Visit http://JasonSentMe.com to get a Hagerty Guaranteed Value (TM) collector-car insurance quote!  === Spurred by guest appearances of Mercedes-Benz CLK DTM and CLK63 AMG Black Series, Jason and Derek explore all angles of the motorsport-to-road car pipeline in this episode. From the NASCAR Camry to the Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR, many race series manufactures feature cars that resemble road car counterparts but end up being entirely different under the skin. Other times, homologation road cars like the E30 BMW M3, Subaru WRX STI, or Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution end up being very similar to what consumers can go buy off the showroom floor.  But at the end of the day, what part of a marque's motorsports marketing inspires an enthusiast enough to become a consumer of the product? Is racing ever enough? Find out more on this week's episode of The Carmudgeon Show. (P.S - We'll be taking a couple of weeks off due to scheduling conflicts. See you at the beginning of March!) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

2025 has come to a close - and it's another year-end episode reflecting on the best and worst cars Jason and Derek have encountered this year. Maximum Carmudgeonation is achieved today, so hold onto your hats - and we guarantee, you've never listened to another podcast where the Vinfast VF8 and McLaren F1 are both mentioned. === Visit http://JasonSentMe.com to get a Hagerty Guaranteed Value (TM) collector-car insurance quote! === Before getting into the thick of it, Jason updates us on his MK3 Volkswagen Cabrio VR6 swap - with the 2.slow and the rest of the front + rear subframes out, we learn one other MK3 (Jetta GLX) has been sacrificed in the name of top-down VR6 burnouts. A myth is busted - Harbor Freight plastic carts don't appear to be makeshift engine stands after all. But they do explode catastrophically! Derek also goes over some highlights of another year dealing cars at OTS - with sales and consignments including the likes of the Ferrari F50, Porsche Carrera GT, and an array of modern Ferrari Challenge cars (360 Challenge Stradale, F430 Scuderia, and 458 Speciale to name a few). He also reflects on a changing market - moving away from 60s Ferraris like 250 Lusso and 330 GTC. Jason begins with his first wave highlights - including but not limited to: Lancia Stratos, Lancia Thema 8.32, Cizeta-Moroder V16T, Saab 9000 Aero, Alfa Romeo 164 Quadrifoglio, E34 BMW M5 with an S70B56 swap, the Kwiek Classics Mercedes-Benz CLK63 AMG Black Series 6-Speed, Ford Sierra Cosworth, Merkur XR4Ti, Jeep Cherokee, and of course Derek's recently acquired Mk1 Jaguar. Derek follows with the Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint Speciale, RUF Tribute, Kimera EVO37, the Toyota 2000GT, and more recently the Porsche 911 IROC RSR (to be further explored on a future episode…) Jason remarks on many of the the other great cars he's driven for various Revelations, Ultimate Drag Race, and Ultimate Lap Battle episodes, including the Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 (C8 and C4), Porsche 992 GT3 RS, Ford Mustang GTD, Ford GT (both generations), W204 Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG (including the Anderzen manual swap), Alpine A110, Audi RS6 Avant, and the Porsche Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid (the BMW M5 Touring was unfortunately not so good). But not to worry- plenty of Carmudgeonation goes down - with roasts of the automatic Porsche 996 Turbo, BMW i3 and i8, the ND2 Mazda Miata, and even Jason's own MK3 Cabrio (while it still had its 2.slow). All this and more, on this week's end-of-2025 finale of The Carmudgeon Show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week's episode topic comes from a listener-submitted AMA request - one worthy of its own episode. They ask - what single metric about a car's driving experience tells you the most before you drive it? === Visit http://JasonSentMe.com to get a Hagerty Guaranteed Value (TM) collector-car insurance quote!  === At first, you may think there's one straightforward answer. But you'd be wrong. Discussion begins with Jason's MK1 Volkswagen Cabriolet - a car he claims is the most fun he's ever driven. Derek roughly agrees - but counters with the Peugeot 205 Rallye, and much more substantially - the McLaren F1. But how can a nearly 40 year old subcompact convertible be as rewarding to drive as a hypercar? Mass seems like the obvious answer - but a 4000 lb car from today can often out-dance a 2000 lb car from 35 years ago. Take a Lotus Elise (perhaps, with a small cow in it) and a Rivian R1T - both will dance around a race track in a much more similarly than differently vs. any car and truck combination from even 10 years ago. Having covered that base, Jason and Derek explore other possibilities - including peak horsepower per RPM and engine configuration. Derek recalls a time when Alfa Romeo stuffed their Twin Cam four cylinder in everything from GTVs to large Ambulances - simply because it was a such a good engine despite whatever weight it was tasked to pull around. Jason decides to ask AI what it thinks, answering (oddly) with the Toyota Matrix, Honda Fit, and Nissan Versa. On theme with the MK1 Cabriolet, the boys discuss structural rigidity - which leads to another exploration of convertibles ranging from 996 Porsche 911 Cabriolet, to BMW Z3M, Mercedes-Benz SLK, and of course- the Nissan Murano Cross-Cabriolet. There's an answer for everyone out there - and more on this episode of The Carmudgeon Show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Alex, Beck, and Tyler catch up in what can only be called a rambling fashion. They immediately launch into a career appreciation of Bill Paxton (RIP); talk sharing Thanksgiving plates and Tyler's 10-carb weekend; take a largely ignorant automotive linguistic detour; defeat the perils of disassembling modern interior trim; grouse about California smog testing; reminisce about the long road to Beck's E46 ZHP sedan going live on the site; and briefly cover VW Type 2 and Vanagon powerplant options.Alex describes the culmination of a lifelong dream: his recent acquisition of, and road trip in, his Euro 1978 308 GTB (spoiler: he reveals that, to this day, he's never had a car break down on the road). The crew wrap up by riffing on their various BaT watchlists.Links for things mentioned in this episode:3:2 2  1970 Porsche 914-617:15  2004 BMW 330i ZHP Sedan 6-Speed19:51  1988 Mercedes-Benz 300E 5-Speed36:05  Petroleum Museum in Midland, Texas38:18  BaT Podcast Episode: Texas Legend: Jim Hall and his Chaparrals43:12 36-Years-Owned 1976 Ferrari 308 GTB Vetroresina44:06  c.1962 Centurion Mk 13 Main Battle Tank44:16  1962 Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint Zagato Coda Tronca45:37  23-Years-Owned 1967 Porsche 911S Coupe46:19 Ex–Richard Petty 1970 Plymouth Superbird47:28  Ex–Sultan of Brunei 1986 Lamborghini LM002 Wagon by Diomante49:24  38k-Mile 1994 Porsche 911 Speedster 5-Speed54:20 20-Years-Owned 1966 Chevrolet Corvette Coupe L72 427/425 4-Speed55:47 2,500-Mile, Slate Gray 1994 Porsche 911 Turbo 3.61:00:25  Porsche 911 Turbo Documentary with Jason Cammisa, Henry Catchpole, and Friends57:16  65-Years-Family-Owned 1953 Cisitalia 808XF Coupe Prototype1:00:59 BaT Podcast Episode: The Many Porsches of Magnus Walker1:01:07 1975 Porsche 930 Turbo1:01:54  Love for a Cult-Favorite Car Brand Runs in the Family (WSJ paywall)1:02:42  BaT Podcast Episode: AJ Baime on Go Like Hell, The Arsenal of Democracy, and MoreGot suggestions for our next guest from the BaT community, One Year Garage episode, or (B)aT the Movies subject? Let us know in the comments below!

That's right - on this episode of The Carmudgeon Show, Jason and Derek risk their lives to deliver crucial mass-market automotive journalism by getting behind the wheel of the VinFast VF8 - one of the most criticized vehicles ever to be sold in the US. But c'mon, really - is it as bad as everyone says it is? Well. Uh…yeah. It's even worse than you thought. === Visit http://JasonSentMe.com to get a Hagerty Guaranteed Value (TM) collector-car insurance quote! === Before jumping down the throat of the VF8, Jason and Derek discuss the recent developments of ADAS systems and vehicle acceleration regulations being considered within the Chinese market: “The cars are too damn fast!” - CCP, probably. Surprisingly, Jason and Derek both agree - and discuss the potential benefits of having acceleration-limited vehicles, referencing the terror of Dodge Challenger and Charger Hellcat drivers, F80 and G80 BMW M3, and of course the Nissan Altima. As a counterpoint to the VF8, Jason discusses his recent experience driving the newly refreshed Tesla Model Y Plaid, and how he still thinks they are some of the best appliances on the road. Jason was able to test the most recent version of Tesla Full Self Driving (FSD), and how it's made great improvements in recent years - even without LiDAR. A great appliance, the VinFast VF8 is not. Jason and Derek share their findings in their individual driving experiences - in agreement on nearly all of the shortcomings of which there are many. At just 10,000 miles, the VF8 has experienced broken suspension components, dangerous throttle calibration, and other poorly-executed features that make us wonder how it was ever allowed to be sold to the public in the first place. There are also dumpsters involved. More on that in this riveting episode of The Carmudgeon Show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We're back after Thanksgiving break to talk about the car that is always the answer; the Mazda Miata. The GM Guru Justin returns to tell us about his new purchase. Christian shares his experience with his NB Miata. Mainstay Dylan discusses the latest car for sale on @analogandgritmarketplace; a Chevy SSR. I discuss why the Porchse 911 is the holy grail of enthusiast spec cars. How the Porsche 996 911's are on the verge of jumping in value thanks to recent Doug Demuro and Jason Cammisa videos.

On today's episode, Derek and Jason discuss a very important important question -- which era was peak car? Or is the best era yet to come? We promise you this - the answer is much more complicated than you think. === This episode is sponsored by Battery Tender. Visit https://www.batterytender.com/ and use code HAGERTY20 for 20% off. === Fresh off the release of Retrospective, a new Hagerty show that explores old magazine comparison tests and how they stack up in the modern era, Jason begins to wonder which era is peak car. Having discussed what is "peak sports sedan" between BMW E90 M3, Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG, and Audi B7 RS4, Jason and Derek break down the criteria of what makes a car era great as a whole - from serviceability and intended purpose, to speed, value, styling, and other intrinsic characteristics. More importantly, is the true value of a car established by the opinions of enthusiasts or non--enthusiasts? All this and more on this episode of The Carmudgeon Show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today's episode explores an array of different tangets: most notably, Sacco-era Mercedes-Benzes, the ALSO Elecric Bike, and a broad discussion of manual swaps. === This episode is sponsored by Battery Tender. Visit https://www.batterytender.com/ and use code HAGERTY20 for 20% off. === Derek and Jason begin the episode discussing yet another Sacco-era Mercedes-Benz fleet update - Derek's newly acquired W140 Mercedes-Benz S500 Grand Edition and the installation of a new steering box on Jason's 190E 2.3-16 Cosworth. Jason then takes a turn to discuss the new ALSO Electric Bike, a sister company of Rivian. The first Series-Hybrid Bicycle of its kind, the ALSO draws parallels in function to road cars like BMW i3 REX, where both vehicle have a backup generator propelled by an alternate energy source (in this case, pedal power). Jason gives reason for why car enthusiasts should take an interest in this new two-wheeled technology and how it might change the future of mobility. Naturally, conversation finds its way into the discussion of manual swaps and whether or not there is a case in which a manual swap is unfavorable vs. an automatic. Derek and Jason extrapolate on different types of manual swaps (IE: modifying a semi-automated manual in a Ferrari 360 Challenge Stradale vs replacing an automatic transmission in a Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG). All this and more on this episode of The Carmudgeon Show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We recently lost Claudio Lombardi, one of the most brilliant and innovative engineers of all time. Today's episode discusses the legacy of rally-winning engines in his wake, as well as the origins of those engines in their various forms going all the way back to the early 1950s. === This episode is sponsored by Battery Tender. Visit https://www.batterytender.com/ and use code HAGERTY20 for 20% off. === This week's episode covers many wins - not just motorsport-related ones! We begin with a recent trip to England, where Jason & his dream team walked away with several notable awards from the International Motor Film Awards, including Best Journalism Film for the fourth time in a row! While across the pond, Jason also makes an appearance at Gordon Murray Automotive to tour the factory and meet Gordon Murray himself, who gives a nut-and-bolt rundown of the latest and greatest, including the GMA T.50, T.50s, T.33, and T.33 Spider. Jason and crew then a detour over to Gordon's personal car and motorcycle collection, including a Mercedes-Benz McLaren SLR XP and, familiarly, a Ferrari 308 GT4. Interestingly, however, most of his favorites are manual transmission, twin-cam four cylinders - which segues into this episode's main topic at hand. Derek leads us along a history of Italian twin-cam engines, in both Fiat Lampredi and Alfa Busso forms - beginning in the 1950s and continuing for nearly 50 years. The basic architecture of these engines powered everything from the Alfa Romeo Giulia to V12-powered Ferrari 275 GTB. The evolution of these engines brought both turbocharging and supercharging into the mix, and took Lancia to win many rally championships in cars like the Lancia 037 and Delta Integrale - while also ushering along many eras of notable passenger cars including but not limited to to the Alfa Romeo 164. All this and more, on this week's episode of The Carmudgeon Show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Malaise Era, a period of the US auto industry from the early 1970s to the mid 1980s, was certainly not one that garners much enthusiasm or celebration from your typical modern day car enthusiast. The rather abrupt introduction of stricter emissions and safety standards, plus the demand for better fuel economy, gave US automakers quite the fight to stay relevant and afloat while Japanese manufactures infiltrated US market share. Despite the struggle though, the Malaise Era was actually an important period of innovation that indirectly created a lot of important engineering and incredible cars. But why? === This episode is sponsored by Battery Tender. Visit https://www.batterytender.com/ and use code HAGERTY20 for 20% off. === This week's episode follows Hagerty's latest Revelations video highlighting the Mercedes-Benz R129 SL - and how despite being at the end of a generation of Bruno Sacco cars, its original design was conceived all the way towards the beginning of the Malaise Era. Much of why the R129 took so long to develop was because Mercedes diverted engineering resources to the W201 "Baby Benz," the W124 "E-Class" and the M102 new family of downsized, fuel-efficient engines to hit American CAFE fuel-economy and emissions requirements. But much of why the R129 took so long to develop, partly due to the Malaise Era, is what made it so great throughout the 1980s and early 1990s. Other cars, however - like the Ford Mustang II, Cadillac Cimarron, and Isuzu Pup - may not have enjoyed the same celebration (and likely never will...) Jason and Derek also discuss the struggles of the US auto industry during this time - and how they're eerily related to the current US administration's removal of penalties for CAFE standards. Could we be entering an era where we erase all the progress we gained after the Malaise Era? Or will the free market allow for innovation in ways we may not expect? All this and more, on this week's episode of The Carmudgeon Show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hagerty has a new show on the block - Driveway Finds! And it just so happens that its hosts/creators, Dustin Hallinan and John Brito, live a short drive away from The Carmudgeon Show studio. Chaos ensues. But maybe not in the way you'd think… === This episode is sponsored by Battery Tender. Visit https://www.batterytender.com/ and use code HAGERTY20 for 20% off. === Dustin and John are on a mission to rescue forgotten classics and bring them back to life - in various states of condition. In their debut episode for the channel, they take on John's neighbor Ernie's beloved 1968 Pontiac Firebird, a car he bought barely used and racked up over 200,000 miles with before parking it in a field back in 1984. Derek and Jason chat about project cars - particularly the subject vehicles of the next upcoming episodes in the series. Dustin and John most certainly have an affinity for American Muscle, driving to the studio in one of their latest finds - a 1963 Chevrolet Impala they recently acquired with just 72,000 original miles. But reading the room appropriately, they also bring in their 1961 Mercedes-Benz 220D with a LS swap and Muncie 4-speed transmission - used primarily for Australian style burnouts and other forms of tire shredding. Plenty of discussion also revolves around BMW E30s, E28s, air-cooled and water-cooled Volkswagens, “Skidrow” burnouts at Waterfest, Corvettes, wearing white New Balances in public, Ferrari 250s, and much, much more on this episode of The Carmudgeon Show. Tune in, it's a great one! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Air-cooled Porsche 911s are wonderful to drive. With charming handling characteristics, bank vault build quality, and often cheerfully entertaining powertrains, it's no surprise that they're a hot commodity in the collector car marketplace with millions of fans around the world. There is one problem, however……by modern day standards, they're SLOW! === This episode is sponsored by Battery Tender. Visit https://www.batterytender.com/ and use code HAGERTY20 for 20% off. === On this week's episode, Jason and Derek discuss their recent seat time in the 1988 Vonnen Porsche 911 Hybrid — a radical twist on Stuttgart's beloved icon. Vonnen has taken a standard 1988 Porsche 911 Carrera 3.2 G50 and added batteries and a sandwich motor between the engine and flywheel that adds nearly 150 HP and 130 TQ to the standard car. This isn't Jason's first rodeo with a Vonnen-modified 911, as his first experience began with a similarly-equipped 991 Carrera Coupe he tested nearly 10 years ago with Road & Track. Spoiler alert - adding power to an already-fast Porsche doesn't yield quite the same joy as an air-cooled 911 does with a fraction of the power. How does adding electrons alongside the traditional flat-six change the 911 experience? Can a hybrid system of this nature change the way we interact with classic cars forever? Well one thing is for sure - with only 150 pounds of additional weight and clever integration, Vonnen's system adds a lot less complexity and a lot more enhancement to the out-of-the-box, air-cooled 911 experience than you might imagine. All this and more, on this week's episode of The Carmudgeon Show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jason and Derek escape the studio this week to record from Hagerty's Motorlux event, the kickoff to Monterey Car Week 2025. We join them at this year's highlighted Bruno Sacco display, featuring designs that defined Mercedes-Benz in the 80's, 90's, and 2000's. The legacy of Sacco certainly lives on - but maybe not quite in the ways you might have originally thought... === The Carmudgeon Show Sponsor, Vredestein Tires: https://www.vredestein.com/ === Rumor has it, Sacco never designed a single car himself. But how is that possible? In this episode, Jason and Derek discuss the ways in which Sacco's design philosophies defined Mercedes-Benz's image and technological growth over several key decades. We celebrate his achievements as a individual designer, but in reality, it took a village to build his legacy. Sacco was a "manager of minds" - one who is attributing for communicating and executing his vision across an entire team of designers, eventually building a department that had not previously existed but would eventually become a key in Mercedes-Benz's corporate function. The display includes Jason's W201 190E 2.3-16 Cosworth and Derek's Bornite Metallic S124 E320 Wagon. Also featured is a 40th Anniversary R129 Mercedes-Benz SL500, a C124 300CE Convertible, and two C126 560SEC Coupes. But of course at Motorlux, that's just the tip of the iceberg, with a slew of other incredible cars and airplanes on display. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In celebration of 200 episodes of The Carmudgeon Show, Jason Cammisa and Derek Tam Hyphen Scott debrief their recent weekend-long Pacific Coast Rally with friends. === The Carmudgeon Show Sponsor, Vredestein Tires: https://www.vredestein.com/ === Indecisive between his BMW 850CSi and his two BMW E30 325is, Jason chooses Beatrice the Bronzit 325i sedan as his rally companion. Derek, leading the pack, brings along his newly acquired Porsche 911SC stuffed with a Euro high-compression 3.2L. They are joined by friends in a Mazda FD RX-7, Mercedes-Benz R129 300SL, Volkswagen MK5 GTI, BMW Z3 2.8, and a Mazda NC Miata - all of whom compete for the worst fuel economy achieved over the weekend. The final answer may or may not surprise you… Jason and Derek also discuss expectations of Monterey Car Week 2025, which is happening this week! They cover parties such as Motorlux, upcoming auction hammer prices from Broad Arrow, RM Sothebys, and Bonhams, plus a comparison of what to expect vs. other international car events such as the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este. Derek also gives us a collector car market update, including some rather frustrating changes to import duties and other new tax implications being laid down by the federal government. All this and more, on this week's episode of The Carmudgeon Show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We've finally run out of questions to answer! As we come to an end of our AMA series, Jason and Derek continue to tackle the remaining questions from the last Q&A Some topics you asked about (and some you didn't), including but not limited to: - Opel Manta(?) - Nissan Altima Drivers / Big Altima Energy - Most fun new car on sale - Best "classic" BMW M chassis up to E39 M5 - Pros and cons of putting $7K into a MK1 Volkswagen Cabriolet - MK7 e-Golf vs GTI - NA vs ND2 Miata - Electric turbos and aftermarket hybrid systems in classic cars (cc: Vonnen 911) - Cars Jason and Derek regret selling - $200K vs. $30K Porsches (992 vs 996 vs 997 911) - Favorite trucks (Ford F100, F150 Raptor R, Ram Cummins Turbodiesel) - Jason's favorite video series to produce for Hagerty - MK1 VW Scirocco - still Jason's favorite car? - Are Porsche GT products overrated, or the best on the market? - Best driving shoes (cc: Piloti) - BMW 335d as a daily driver - G80 M3: xDrive auto or RWD manual? Or.....E90 M3? - Jason's take on motorcycles - Best NYC daily driver? - The extinction of Porsche 964 911s (cc: Singer Vehicle Design) - R53 Mini Cooper S - underrated? - Worst cars Jason and Derek have owned - Bentley Turbo R - The future of Hagerty and Willow Springs Raceway - Why the C8 Corvette gets so much hate - Semi trailing arm - most smile-inducing rear suspension? - Coolest understatement car All this and more, on this week's episode of The Carmudgeon Show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A CyberTruck technicality; the tragic life of his Rover SD1; why insurance is important; when small cars REALLY matter; the unsung Corvette King; cars are too fast; and more! Patreon questions include:Would Jason get a Golf R or R32?Why did he create his famous Excel file?What new car are we excited about?Ever drive an Audi A2?Which "performance" cars couldn't keep up with Jason's Pacifica camera car?Rather work with Top Gear or Parts Unknown?Is there another Ferdinand Piech video coming?F/M/K each other's garagesWhich cars drive similar but look nothing alikeAnd more!Recorded July 11, 2025 https://www.instagram.com/jasoncammisa/https://www.youtube.com/hagertyShow Notes:DeleteMeTake control of your data and keep your private life private by signing up for DeleteMe. Now at a special discount for our listeners.Get 20% off your DeleteMe plan when you go to joindeleteme.com/TIREand use promo code TIRE at checkout.  FitBodJoin Fitbod today to get your personalized workout plan.Get 25% off your subscription or try the app FREE for seven days at Fitbod.me/TIRE. SmallsFor Smoking Tire listeners, you can get 60% off your first Smalls order PLUS free shipping when you head to Smalls.com/TIRE. That's 60% off when you head to Smalls.com/TIRE, plus free shipping!   New merch! Grab a shirt or hoodie and support us! https://thesmokingtireshop.com/ Use Off The Record! and ALWAYS fight your tickets! For a 10% discount on your first case go to https://www.offtherecord.com/TST Want your question answered? Want to watch the live stream, get ad-free podcasts, or exclusive podcasts? Join our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thesmokingtirepodcast Instagram:https://www.Instagram.com/thesmokingtirehttps://www.Instagram.com/therealzackklapman Want your question answered? Want to watch the live stream, get ad-free podcasts, or exclusive podcasts? Join our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thesmokingtirepodcast Use Off The Record! and ALWAYS fight your tickets! Enter code TST10 for a 10% discount on your first case on the Off The Record app, or go to http://www.offtherecord.com/TST. Watch our car reviews: https://www.youtube.com/thesmokingtire Tweet at us!https://www.Twitter.com/thesmokingtirehttps://www.Twitter.com/zackklapman Instagram:https://www.Instagram.com/thesmokingtirehttps://www.Instagram.com/therealzackklapman

Time for another AMA round of Ask Us Anything! We asked our listeners (that's you) for questions, and we were positively bombarded. Now we return the favor with sarcasm and sass, plus an answer or two! (Note: due to timing concerns, the last two episodes were published out of order. Sorry!) === This episode is sponsored by Vyper Industrial — America's #1 rated shop chair, tool carts, and creepers, proudly made here in the US. Visit vyperindustrial.com and use code CARMUDGEON for $50 off. === A sampling of listener-posed questions found in this episode: Thoughts on the A124 Mercedes? How do you stop yourself from getting too attached to a car? What's the special sauce for big coupes? What are the criteria for a fun car in a place without fun roads? What is your 1-car solution for New York? What is a weird, niche corner of car history that needs exploring? Choose your Pope-mobile. What is the right amount of buttons to have in a car? If neither of you could work in the auto industry what would you be doing instead? Is it acceptable to arrive at a funeral in a convertible with the roof down? Has Jason ever ridden a motorcycle and is he willing to try? How do you tell minute differences in car handling? Opinions on Jetta GLI? Opinions on classic Minis? What will become a hot commodity in the next 10 years? Take on the NB (Miata)? Best first daily Mercedes for someone in their 20s prioritizing reliable/wagon? What is unique about SoCal vs NorCal car culture? Will Alfa survive in the USA? Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing or RS6 as a 1-car solution? Thoughts on cyclists? Is Leno's Law going to affect the pre-1990s car market? Favorite non-Sacco Mercedes? Are 928s the next big p-car thing? Tips for driving in Germany as a Californian/American? What forbidden hot hatches would you want to drive? Best M-lite BMW? What is the weight limit of a true driver's car? How can Mitsubishi be transformed to become a cool brand again? What are your favorite Japanese sports cars? Which Toyota Camry generation is the best? What's coming up soon on Hagerty? Why do you guys like the Miata over the S2000? What's your favorite sandwich? What are your thoughts on the 500 Abarth? How rusty is the Rover? What were your first impressions of Throttle House? What manufacturer has been most upset about a car review? Are you in any way fans of Swedish bricks? What is the best Cosworth – 190 or Sierra? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We review the new Audi RS6 Avant Performance, G99 BMW M5 Touring, Mercedes-AMG S63 E Performance and Porsche Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid. One looks spectacular, one has the most impressive suspension of all time, and one is unbuyable. === This episode is sponsored by Vyper Industrial — America's #1 rated shop chair, tool carts, and creepers, proudly made here in the US. Visit vyperindustrial.com and use code CARMUDGEON for $50 off. === Welcome to the performance wagon episode! We've got Jason's blue E30 325i Touring in the garage as we discuss a pair of long-roof autobahn bruisers: the G99 BMW M5 Touring and C8 Audi RS6 Avant Performance. With the cancellation of Porsche's Panamera Sport Turismo, we turn to Porsche's top-spec suppository in its stead: the Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid. And, similarly, with the E63 wagon gone, we'll review the Mercedes-AMG S63 E Performance to tide us over until the new E53 wagon arrives. Starting with the brand new BMW M5 Touring: a letdown as serious as its curb weight. A twin-turbo hot-vee V-8 alongside some EV juice dolls out 717 hp, but long before you're able to stretch its legs the suspension will have you nauseous. It heaves and lunges over road imperfections, and the rear-wheel steering makes it feel like you're perpetually entering the D dimension. Even with new, chunky-sidewalled Pirelli P Zero R tires, the ride is harsh, and the suspension is blatantly unfinished. Do a hard launch and prepare for simultaneous – and yet somehow also out-of-phase – wheelspin and violent pogoing. Things aren't much better styling-wise – the front-end treatment is positively hideous, and there's comparatively little backseat and cargo room next to the Audi. Overall, a huge let down, and a far cry from the delightful G80 M3 (buck teeth aside). Sadly, it will be a long, long while before we can import the G80 M3 Touring. However, it's worth noting that early M products have had teething issues before (including the beloved E90 M3). Jason suggests waiting for the arrival of the Competition Pack, but you'll still be stuck with a gaudy interior and byzantine infotainment system. The Audi RS6 Performance on the other hand is an absolute delight and unexpectedly fabulous. Without the bulk of hybrid batteries, the Audi weighs in at 400 lbs lighter than the Bimmer. It's all-around gorgeous – inside and out – and has loads of room for both passengers and cargo. Its steering is genuinely superior to the BMW's and Jason dubs it the “best wagon in the world.” As for the Porsche Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid – it's Bose's 1990s dream realized. Jason heralds it as the most impressive suspension he's ever felt – ever. Like if a Rolls-Royce could turn. It comes equipped with the same potent powertrain found in the Bentley Continental GT Speed and Flying Spur, which is so powerful it earned the Porsche the label of quickest 4-door ICE car ever (the 4-door electric monsters still have it beat – the Lucid Air Sapphire and Tesla Model S Plaid both run in the 9s). And lastly, we have Mercedes-AMG S63 E Performance – a charmer. The interior is slightly gaudy but otherwise splendid. Our particular car's cabin was a huge improvement over the Macanese bordellos of previous W223s and W222s. The convoluted and clunky drivetrain was an occasional annoyance (and has origins as far back as the first C43 and E63 wagon), but the Benz was mostly a delight to operate despite weighing more than a fully laden minivan – and 3000 lbs more than Jason's E30. The boys wonder why Mercedes has refused to implement the types of suspensions Porsche and Ferrari figured out for their sports cars years ago that allow for ultra-smooth cruising without sacrificing handling. In any case, the S63's ¼-mile time leaves Derek's jaw on the floor. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Derek does the California Mille – California's take on the 1000-mile Italian road rally, the Mille Miglia. Behind the wheel of a 1956 Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint Veloce, Derek (and OTS & Co. cofounder, Tazio Ottis), experienced some of central California's best driving roads between Half Moon Bay and Calistoga alongside over 80 of the finest automobiles to exist by the mid-20th century. === This episode is sponsored by Vyper Industrial — America's #1 rated shop chair, tool carts, and creepers, proudly made here in the US. Visit vyperindustrial.com and use code CARMUDGEON for $50 off. === Initially dreamt up by local driving legend and passionate car enthusiast, Martin Swig, the California Mille hopes to recreate some of the legendary driving experiences of Italy's Mille Miglia. After Martin's passing, his wife and two sons (specialists at Broad Arrow and Bring-a-Trailer ) carried on the tradition until the event was purchased by Hagerty in late 2020. It's a swanky affair with spas, fancy lunches, drive-thru oyster bars, and open regular bars, with specialist mechanics and flatbed tow trucks at your beck and call. Naturally with 70-year-old (or older) cars, many breakdowns ensued. A Mercedes 300SL needed a tow, and a Ferrari 250 TdF required assistance from Patrick Ottis Company after several transmission components welded themselves together. A bolt came dislodged on the shift linkage of a Citroën ID promptly stranding it, but Derek's stash of spare bolts saved the day. Differentials were grenaded, and problematic torpedo fuses were replaced while still in motion. A woman in a Honda Accord even PIT-maneuvered a pre-war Bentley on the Golden Gate Bridge. The Carmudgeons discuss past rally experiences in a W201 190E in Europe, Jason's 5000-mile trek to Ohio in his Scirocco, the Orange Blossom Rally in a Mazda Cosmo, and the BABE Rally in a $400 Cadillac stretch limo. Derek touches on the Colorado Grand Rally and Copper State Rally, and the boys discuss possibly starting the Curmudgeon Mille e Uno Rally. Derek points out that Miles Collier, cofounder of the precursor to the SCCA, posited that there are 2 types of enthusiasts: contemplative and experiential. Rallies are definitely for the latter. Plus Jason wears an un-tailored button-down, we dive headfirst into porta potties, and we wonder if the 1988 Honda Accord is too reliable to rally. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jason takes a trip to the new Tire Rack/Discount Tire/America's Tire testing facility in Texas: Treadwell Research Park. In addition to testing grip levels on BMWs and Jeeps on a monstrous wet skid pad, off-road course, rock crawling trail and more, he discovers the many lessons to be learned by carefully studying tire wear data – including how where you live can have a huge impact on how quickly you burn through your tires! === This episode is sponsored by Vyper Industrial — America's #1 rated shop chair, tool carts, and creepers, proudly made here in the US. Visit vyperindustrial.com and use code CARMUDGEON for $50 off. === In this episode, we learn that Tire Rack, America's Tire and Discount Tire are all the same thing! But, more importantly, they now have a giant tire testing facility in Texas: Treadwell Research Park – an expansive property with dirt and mud trails, rock crawling, water crossings, serious grades, an absolutely enormous skid pad (that can be completely submerged in 2 mm of water in no time thanks to a pair of huge reservoirs and some seriously powerful pumps) and even a wet slalom course. Jason experienced all Treadwell had to offer behind the wheel of a 4-door Jeep Wrangler and BMW 330i and reports back. We'll learn that at America's Discount Rack you can get free tire rotations (with tire purchase) and free flat repair (no purchase necessary!). But they don't hand out these services out of the kindness of their tire-loving hearts. It's all part of Treadwell's plan to collect and analyze all kinds of tire wear data to help customers make informed decisions when buying new tires and make better tires. They'll collect information about a tire's make, model, mileage, geographic location and more to find what compounds and tread patterns are best for specific use cases and guide customers to the best choice for their vehicle, driving style, climate, and location. For instance, they have discovered that folks living in twisty, hilly western Pennsylvania go through tires 20% faster than folks living in Nebraska. Derek suggests Treadwell implement a tire wear score so enthusiasts can compare notes and compete for total tire destruction domination. Similar to Treadwell Research Park (and Tire Rack's other testing facility in South Bend, Indiana), Derek had the chance to experience a flooded skid “pan” at the CHP's emergency vehicle operations course (EVOC) training grounds driving in Ford Crown Victorias and Dodge Chargers. Jason Fenske of Engineering Explained has been on a mission to teach the world about the importance of tires, and recently pitted a F80 BMW M3 Competition on mid-grade tires against a diesel Chysler PT Cruiser wearing fresh Continentals. Science ensued. Tires are indeed very important – and while some *coughpirellicough* will grip like no other, they tend to disintegrate in short order (and dramatically so). But they're not all bad – the guys have kind things to say about the Cinturato CN36 and CN12. But the Carmudgeon tire of choice remains Michelins and Vredsteins, which are mounted on everything from Jason's e-Golf, the Van, Jynah, the Ferrari 308, Derek's R129, and even Jake's wife's Crosstrek. The guys will also discuss the Avon CR6ZZ, Trofeos and Cup 2s. Plus the Michelin AS3+ on Jason's Mom's Golf that wore down unusually quickly – this right after he had just replaced some 2-year-old cracking Hankooks with them. Perhaps his mom's regular and sustained driving at 100 mph is to blame… We'll also cover cheap lighting from oh, oh, oh, O'Reilly's, Wagner halogens, and automotive lighting gemstones from Carello and Marchal. It's all in the details! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Did Jeep accidentally build one of the best hot hatches of the last 40 years? It's is smaller than a Mk8 GTI and could be had with a bulletproof 4.0L inline-six and 5-speed transmission. Can it possibly give the quintessential VW hot-hatch a run for its money? We'll talk Jeep XJ Cherokee, its origins, and all 8 generations of GTI – from the 16v 2.0L, to the 8v 2-point-slow, the soulless 1.8T, the venerable VR6, and the electric e-Golf! === This episode is sponsored by Vyper Industrial — America's #1 rated shop chair, tool carts, and creepers, proudly made here in the US. Visit vyperindustrial.com and use code CARMUDGEON for $50 off. === Welcome to the hot hatch episode! We'll touch on some real oddballs in this one – like the Dodge Omni GLHS, Suzuki Swift, Chevrolet Sprint, and Mitsubishi Mirage. Plus some allegedly fabulous but forbidden fruit: the Peugeot 205 GTi Rally and Renault Clio Williams. Then we'll dive into the Jeep XJ Cherokee which Jason just did a Revelations episode on. It began as the unibody successor to the giant and inefficient Jeep Wagoneer – a honking SUV with CJ Wrangler guts inside – which, incidentally, was a recipe being emulating across the globe as Toyota and Land Rover (to name a few) were also building more comfortable and luxurious SUVs using drivetrain bits from their more serious off-roaders like the BJ/FJ and Series II/III. The Cherokee followed the Range Rover away from the body-on-frame chassis and adopted unitary construction methods resulting in genuine handling prowess – even out-gripping a W201 Mercedes-Benz 190E. In fact, the chassis bones are so good you can find XJs competing amongst much sportier cars in 24 Hours of Lemons races across the country. Jason even deems the XJ one of his best back road drives ever. Sadly, early cars were excruciatingly slow thanks to an anemic Renault-built AMC engine. But that didn't stop Jason from getting one of his very first speeding tickets in one. The little XJ made a lasting impression on nearly everyone who had the pleasure of experiencing one – including Derek, whose experiences in his mom's are literally his earliest datable memories. The little Jeep was so popular that when the Grand Cherokee came along to replace it, so many people were still clamoring for the original Cherokee that Jeep decided they would just build both. After the Jeep, we jump into VW's perennial hatchback hit: the GTI. All 8 generations have their pros and cons: Jason proclaims the VR6 to be one of the best sounding engines ever produced, and the 1.8T the worst VW ever made. The MQB platform underpinning the latest cars is declared spectacular. The Mk4 is a chubby baby Audi/Mercedes. The Mk6 fixes a lot of the hamster-styling of the Mk5, but the Mk5 has the better steering, just beware understeer. The Mk7 is a delight, especially if you can find yourself a Rabbit or Sport edition in Great Falls Green or Cornflower Blue. But even with a fancy color scheme, the humble e-Golf makes the better city car. Of note: Derek finally goes large-barging with a crew made up of a 560SEC, F-Type SVR, F-Pace SVR, a pair of R129s (one dogleg), and A4 2.8 Avant 5-speed, with his Mk5 GTI track car as a palette cleanser. Lastly, Jim Carrey, Mike Myers and Leslie Nielsen are national treasures, and their comedy blockbusters from the 80s, 90s and 2000s are exquisite. But do they hold up as well today as a Jeep XJ? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How to not get ripped off when buying a used classic car! How to spot fakes, frauds and phonies! The importance of documentation and pre-purchase inspections, and other lessons learned over 50 collective years of car shopping! === This episode is sponsored by Vyper Industrial — America's #1 rated shop chair, tool carts, and creepers, proudly made here in the US. Visit vyperindustrial.com and use code CARMUDGEON for $50 off. === We start off with a reminder to put fuel stabilizer in your car when it's going to sit for a while – especially if you're using garbage California gas. We debate what the acronym “smh” stands for, and discover there seems to be a cat-flatulence epidemic in France. Then we'll dive right into the importance of the pre-purchase inspection (PPI) – something Jason thought he was more than qualified to perform himself on a Le Mans-blue Alfa Romeo GTV at Monterey Car Week several years ago. However, at the urging of concours car-prep extraordinaire, Tim McNair, Jason acquiesced and let expert automotive consultant, Chuck Wray, take a look at the car, and almost immediately discovered that Jason was moments away from buying two GTVs that had been stealthily welded into one. Derek will fill us in on how there can possibly be multiple “numbers matching” cars with the same serial numbers. And we'll cover several of the factory-based archival certification programs like VW's Birth Certificate, Porsche's Kardex and Certificate of Authenticity, Lotus' Certificate of Vehicle Provenance, and the British Motor Industry Heritage Trust. We'll cover Ferrari Classiche (pronounced “classi-kay”), and the handful of exhaustive and painstakingly researched books detailing the specs of iconic models: Carrera RS, The Dino Compendium, and Simon Kidson's The Lamborghini Miura. Plus automotive engineering and restoration atelier, Pur Sang. We take a trip to Esoteria once again to discuss the subtlest model changes on cars like the Scirocco, Rover SD1 3500, Porsche 911 Carrera 2.7 RS, Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.3-16 and what each change signifies (or doesn't in the case of VW's haphazard product planning). Jason even uncovers a handful of U.S.-spec C43s accidentally left the factory wearing a Europe-only paint color, Black Opal. Which is actually blue. Jason's approach to not getting screwed while buying a 996 cabriolet on eBay involves arriving at the seller's in a blacked out E39 BMW 5-series wagon with Argentina plates and wielding a baseball bat – classic haggling. Meanwhile, Derek does everything by the book and pays for a $500 PPI on a Porsche 911 he found online, only for it to arrive smoking and in need of a head rebuild. Both Carmudgeons revel in learning the histories of their cars (and others' cars): Jason getting the original paperwork for the Ferrari 308 GT4 from distributor Chinetti-Garthwaite to dealer Schwing Motor Company in 1975, and Derek tracking down his friend's 356's Kardex and subsequently locating photos of the car with its original owner when the car was brand new. There's loads of automotive history, forensics, anthropology and archaeology in this one! The question is, would you give up your original California plate if it meant no more SMOG checks? Leno's Law hopes to find out. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Back by popular demand, it's another Random Number Generator Car Reviews episode, where Jason and Derek pull reviews of cars from their extensive spreadsheet. This, after Jason succeeds in getting his van, Jynah, stuck in the snow. And succeeds, despite there being no snow. === This episode is sponsored by Vyper Industrial — America's #1 rated shop chair, tool carts, and creepers, proudly made here in the US. Visit vyperindustrial.com and use code CARMUDGEON for $50 off. === Jason takes the van to Tahoe to finally test the Vredestein Wintrac Pros in the snow. He experiences the joys of installing tire chains on the side of a cold, wet freeway while chain-control enforcers allow countless all-season- or even summer tire-equipped SUVs to pass by. The Carmudgeons discuss the importance of tires and the dramatic grip disparity between various tire types in the snow. Then they open up their driving history spreadsheets once again for more random number generator car reviews! Jason heads to Lake Tahoe just after a 4-foot snow storm that somehow never materialized. After trekking another 2,000+ feet up in elevation to Mt Rose, he found some, and a simultaneously serene and serendipitous photoshoot ensued. Caravaning up the mountain alongside the van were Jason's pals in a VinFast VF8 (which easily beats the van in a roll race) and a Range Rover. Someone has to call AAA – guess who! Jason is incensed by the farcical chain-control restrictions which forced him – driving the FWD van on brand new dedicated winter tires – to pull over and install chains on the slushy roadside, while countless boobs driving AWD SUVs wearing all-seasons or even summer tires were allowed to pass right through (one of which winds up totalled in a Jersey Barrier). The Carmudgeons can't stress enough the importance of tires. Especially in the wet and snow. We'll cover stopping distances of various tire types, and recommend excellent videos from both Engineering Explained and Tyre Reviews on YouTube – especially this one measuring stopping distances and acceleration times on snow using a variety of tire types and grip enhancement measures like chains, ladders, snow socks and more: https://youtu.be/W-k_1gz87vM?si=gR3iIm_77Go1vzmZ Following the tire discussion, we dive into yet another Random Number Generator Car Reviews session. The Carmudgeons will recount their drives in the following cars: Mercedes-Benz E55 AMG 4Matic Wagon W210 First-gen Porsche Panamera (alongside a 760Li and S63) B8 Audi S4 3.0 “Tupercharged” Acura TL SH-AWD 6-speed (and ZDX) 1957 Porsche Speedster with 4-cam Carrera engine 1958 Porsche 356 Speedster Intermeccanica 2006 Mk5 VW GTI 2.0T 1960 Alfa Giulietta Spider Veloce 2012 E90 BMW M3 Competition Package 2007 Chevy HHR Panel van 2006 Jaguar XJR 2023 Acura Integra Type-S 2009 Ford Escape 4-cyl 1949 Hudson Super 6 Convertible 2010 Jaguar XFR 5.0 Supercharged 1971 Mercedes 280 SE 3.5 Cabriolet 2019 Mazda3 AWD Sedan 2003 Aston Martin Vanquish 2019 Genesis G70 AWD 1974 Lancia Stratos HF 2008 Ford Expedition 2000 BMW Z3 2.3i 2015 Ford F-350 Super Duty Diesel 2008 Porsche 911 Turbo Cabriolet Tiptronic Jason once got to play policeman while driving around a 2012 CLS63 AMG Fashion Force “police” car that Mercedes created for New York Fashion Week, where he tickets egregiously modified cars. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Ford Sierra RS Cosworth is best described as... Porsche-great. This week we're doing a deep dive into Ford's funky sedan of the 1980s: the Sierra, together with its American identical cousin, the Merkur XR4Ti. In the early 1980s, Ford of Europe (and chairman Bob Lutz) was on a mission to get a piece of the export pie that was dominated by Mercedes, BMW, and Audi. The car they conjured up to do so, the Sierra, was a massive success in Europe. When it eventually made it to the U.S., badged as a Merkur XR4Ti, Lutz's plan to sell the cars to yuppies via independent niche dealers was foiled, and the car was placed on Lincoln-Mercury dealer lots alongside big American barges and clueless salesmen, only to die a slow death. Meanwhile, on the other side of the pond, the extra-spicy Ford Sierra RS Cosworth was born. In fact, the car was so sought-after (i.e. stolen) by British hooligans that insurance companies refused to cover them. And it was so fast it was repeatedly banned from racing, eventually effectively spelling the end for Group A racing. Ford of Europe (headed up by Bob Lutz) was seeing the likes of BMW and Audi making a killing with their U.S. exports and Ford wanted in. The plan was to try something different, and rather than a Ford-branded import program where Sierras would be sold alongside LTDs, Cougars and other giant American sedans, Bob wanted to do a Ford of Europe export scheme where their new car could be sold alongside other European curios like Saabs and Volvos at independent dealers under a new brand name. They settled on Merkur (the German word for mercury – pronounced “maercoor”), but they also needed a new model name as Sierra was trademarked by Oldsmobile (think: Cutlass Ciera.) Ford used the “XR” prefix to denote a variety of upgraded model trims followed by a number which corresponded to the vehicle size – which is where XR4 comes from. Add abbreviations for “turbo” and “injection” and you're off to the races! Both the Merkur and Sierra RS Cosworth were powered by versions of Ford's Pinto 4-cylinder motor. The Merkur engine could also be found in the USDM Mercury Cougar XR7, Thunderbird Turbo Coupe, and Mustang SVO. Across the pond however, the Sierra engine went to Cosworth to get an aluminum head with an extra cam. The results were clear: the XR4Ti's motor needed 13 lbs of boost to pump out 175 hp, while the Cosworth version only needed 8 psi to make 200 hp. But the Cosworth got a whole host of additional modifications beyond the engine, and the resulting package was so exceptional it wound up getting banned from racing repeatedly, until eventually the regs shut down the entire series. The chassis is so exceptional that Jason proclaims it the best sedan chassis he's ever experienced – on the same level as a Porsche Cayman GT4. Transcendent. A 9.9/10. Where "Beatrice," his extensively modified E30, only managed a mid-8 (for the same reasons that caused Sreten at M539 Restoration to drive his into a tree). The likes of the Lotus Carlton didn't even garner a 5 from either Carmudgeon. Honorable mentions go to the Maserati Quattroporte, C126 560SEC, and a handful of M products. We'll even dive into every generation of M5 – E28 through G90. Lastly, we'll learn about 80s and 90s Lexus dealership brutalism, that “light” means window, our friend Mike's transient collection of eclectic cars has graced the show at least 3 times (thanks, Mike!), superbly compliant AWD cars like the Delta Integrale and Subaru WRX are good but rarely fun, and Bob Lutz had to fight tooth and nail to get a Chevrolet dealership in NorCal to sell him a Corvair Monza. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A barrage of tariffs are foisted onto the automotive marketplace and throw a wrench into the car importing business (including Derek's OTS and Co.). Are used cars affected? Not even ChatGPT knows. Jason wants to file a class action suit against VW for sunsetting 3G functionality in Mk7 cars, and Jay Leno puts his name behind California SB 712 to reduce the smog check burden on California-based classic car owners. We'll start off with 1980s turbocharged lag-mobiles: the Saab 99 Turbo, BMW 2002 Turbo, and Porsche 930. At the time, Lotus deemed this power curve and response time unacceptable and managed to create a significantly better turbocharged experience in the Esprit Turbo. So good in fact that it may be on par with the W124 Mercedes-Benz 300E with a Mosselman twin-turbo setup that Jason recently drove. Next, Jason thinks a class action lawsuit is in order against VW of America. That's because after 3G cell networks were shut down in 2022, VW failed to maintain the functionality of its Car-Net app that allowed for remote lock/unlock, cabin pre-heating, break-in alerts, charging start/stop and automatic crash notifications. Now, 3 years later, VW has admitted defeat, and has told owners that no fix will be provided. This is quite different from Tesla's approach, who called in owners and upgraded their modems to run on the newer networks. Derek also notes the class action lawsuit against Mercedes when it was discovered that the clear coat on their Mars Red paint didn't last. Then we dive into the tariff chaos. Mainly the 25% tax on all imported automobiles, which may be permanent like the “chicken tax” on imported trucks, or it may last a few hours? Does it apply to used vehicles? No one is sure. But Derek wasn't waiting around to find out when OTS was facing a $700,000 duty on a car it was actively importing for a client. Ronald Reagan briefly weighs in on the effectiveness of tariffs, and EU-allergic Switzerland enters the chat. Plus Ford and Mercedes-Benz both have extensive experience evading tariffs from their time importing non-tariffed “passenger” vans into the States, only to have their technicians immediately convert them into cargo trucks by removing the seats and windows then shipping the pieces back to Europe for the next batch. We'll also cover various shipping methods (container vs "RoRo") as both Derek and Jason have experienced shipping cars overseas – both Derek's W116 and W124 wagon made the voyage across the Atlantic, as did Jason's E30 Touring and 190E 2.3-16. We'll talk Boeing 747 8F cargo planes, RoRo cargo ships, 20- and 40-foot containers, and all of their associated pros, cons and costs. We'll also dive into the used car market and recent auction results. Why are similar cars fetching wildly different prices at major auctions and on websites like Bring A Trailer? Derek and Jason both weigh in on the factors at play, including two recent BMW 850CSi sales. Lastly, we'll touch on California SB712, now nicknamed Leno's Law. A new law working its way through the California legislature that aims to reduce the smog check burden on classic car owners and collectors (as well as the repair shops burdened with maintaining dynamometers for a dwindling pool of cars requiring one for proper smog testing). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bank robbers prefer sport sedans: all the speed of a supercar with seating for all their accomplices — and trunk space for their loot. And the fast sedan was born with the Jaguar sedan powered by a Le Mans-winning-engine. In the 1950s, Jaguar was on a Le Mans winning streak with its MK120-C and D-Type race cars. But why let the sports cars have all the fun? In 1955 Jaguar introduced the 2.4 Saloon (aka the Mark 1), and a handful of months later plopped their Le Mans-winning 210 hp 3.4L straight-6 engine into the chassis to create the 3.4 Saloon. Equipped with race-spec 4-wheel discs and double-wishbone front suspension it outran everything (including the police), and is arguably the world's first sports sedan. In this episode we'll cover the elegantly menacing Jaguar 3.4 Saloon or “Mark 1”. Starting with how to properly pronounce Jagyoowuhr. Or is it Jagwire? Depends. We'll cover the marque's origins – from Sir William Lyons' Swallow Sidecar Company, to early sports cars like the XK120 and the Le Mans winning streak of the 1950s with the C-Type and D-Type. The 2.4L straight-6, followed by the monster 3.4, then 3.8, and even 4.2 which was used all the way up until the mid-1980s in the XJ6 and even early 90s in the Daimler DS420. The 3.4 Saloon employed 4-wheel disc brakes, double wishbone front suspension, a cantilevered rear leaf spring, and panhard rod. Early cars had centrally-mounted gauges, and the chassis was Jaguar's first to use unitary construction. Sadly, galvanization wouldn't take off for another two decades, starting at Porsche. And while the unibody proved stronger than anticipated, it wasn't strong enough to protect racer Mike Hawthorne when he fatally crashed his Mark 1 while passing a Mercedes 300SL Gullwing in England in 1959. The Mark 1 comes from a bygone era of race cars where Le Mans-winning engines (and entire vehicles) would find their way into dealer showrooms effectively unchanged. With few exceptions since (notably the McLaren F1 – which, incredibly, went the reverse direction from streetcar to dominant race car). The last of the breed may have been the Mark III Ford GT40, as things escalated dramatically with the arrival of the Porsche 917. Luckily for us poors, plenty of lower level racing exists, and we got a handful of other homologation specials to choose from in the form of the BMW E30 M3, Mercedes-Benz 190 2.3-16, Ford Sierra RS Cosworth, and Rover SD1, to name a few. Cars like the Alfa Giulietta Ti sedan give the Jag a challenge for the original sports sedan mantle, but the Italian wasn't first. In today's world, the Jag was a performance-per-dollar bargain akin to a Tesla Model 3. Or possibly a Dodge Charger Hellcat. In any case, today's quintessential sports sedan, the M3, has gotten far too pricey to be considered a bargain. As Derek points out, if you're a thrifty enthusiast, skip the G80 and E30 and get yourself a nice used E36 or E46. No matter what you buy, budget for fixing it (especially if it's a Land Rover). And always, always get a silly license plate. Just maybe one that doesn't tempt fate like Jason's friend's NEED AAA plate. Because, umm, he did. Immediately. [The words Hagerty Roadside didn't fit on the plate. Obviously.] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The 6-speed swapped Mercedes-Benz CLK63 AMG Black Series is finally here, and Jason drove it! Derek's – or rather OTS's – OEM-grade 6-speed manual CLK63 Black Series by Kwiek Classics is done, and Jason and Derek get behind the wheel to review the car that AMG should've built all along.  Enthusiasts around the world have never had a chance to interact directly with AMG's only clean-sheet engine, the M156 – a monster 6.2L, 32-valve, DOHC, cross-plane V8 making 500 horsepower for the CLK63 Black Series. But now, thanks to Matt Kwiek at Kwiek Classics, we finally can! And it's why Derek and his business partners at OTS bought one for Matt to manual swap using OEM Mercedes-Benz parts. The swap is done, and the car is here in the Bay Area where the Carmudgeons got to row the gears in AMG's widebody beast of the noughties. By junking the recalcitrant automatic transmission, the car is transformed into the athlete its flared fenders promise it to be. Combine the manual trans with the factory triple-adjustable dampers (which feel like they're full of sand in its current track configuration, though according to Jason are magical with the settings Mercedes used at the launch event) and the CLK63 Black Series becomes a car that even the most curmudgeonly enthusiast will struggle to come up with an excuse not to buy. As familiar and confidence-inspiring as the best M cars like E36 and E46 M3, and with an engine more engaging and experiential than the likes of the E39 M5. Even better to drive than a V8 Vantage and a Lexus LFA. Unlike typical 3-pedal swaps that lend themselves to terrible throttle mapping (see: Pagani Zonda), this one is a 9 out of 10, and an easy “marry” over a plethora of Ferraris: Testarossa, 355, 550 – even a Porsche 997 GT3. After the AMG, we dive into Jason's recent dyno day at Chuckles Garage in NorCal, where Jason managed to take 3 spots on the dyno's leaderboard for least horsepower (not including Jason, who can put down 500 watts). Jason got power numbers on his E31 BMW 850CSi, the Rover SD1 3500 V8, and the Honda Beat. Plus a friend brings along a Euro-spec 850CSi for comparison. Using some Turner Motorsport chips for the dual-ECU S70 850CSi motor, in conjunction with some Ferrari 599 mufflers, Jason's CSi managed to beat the Euro car at 304 rear wheel horsepower. But even with Ferrari exhaust, the 850 still needs help in the sound department. Luckily, @czechmate_e30 is working with a fabricator to make a set of stepped headers for BMW V12s! Then, with fresh dyno numbers in hand, Jason combines the data with the power figures from the rest of his fleet, and indexes them by percentage of peak power versus percentage of peak RPM. The resulting graph provides an excellent visualization as to where and how each of his car's engines makes their power. Science! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Cizeta-Moroder V16T was the world's first sixteen-cylinder supercar, beating Bugatti by more than a decade. From its Gandini-designed Lamborghini origins, to disco-backed financing via Giorgio Moroder, a star-studded launch party with MC Jay Leno, and a cavalcade of lawsuits that continued up until the death of company founder and creator Claudio Zampolli in 2021. Brian Wiklem's "16" book is available here: https://www.cizeta-v16t.com/ This is the true story of the Cizeta-Moroder V16T.  The Cizeta's mysterious engine has left many guessing when it comes to its origins. Turns out, it has 2 cross-plane crankshafts from a Lamborghini Urraco P300 V8, a block design taken right from Ferrari's 308 V8, and heads dissimilar to each — looking more like Cosworth's contemporary DOHC designs. We even learn – thanks to Iain Tyrrell's Classic Workshop – that there appears to have been a flat-plane crank version in the works too!  Lots of nerdy engineering talk in this one: the torsional forces acting on crankshafts that make V16s (and straight-8s) not work so well, and how Claudio solved for them with a central power takeoff unit in his transverse V16 with a longitudinal transaxle – as opposed to the McLaren F1 (which debuted not long after) which did the inverse with a longitudinal engine (albeit with 4 fewer cylinders) and transverse transaxle. There were only a handful of V16 engines in the early 1900s, early examples fitted to Cadillacs and Marmons, with the Cizeta and other esoteric oddballs filling the gaps until present day, but now we're getting a new one in the form of the Bugatti Tourbillon – whose predecessors used a much shorter “W” layout for their 16-cylinder powerplants. In any case, the cross-plane crank in the V16T elicits a raucous, lopey idle, and a Ford Mustang Shelby GT350R Chewbacca-grade WOT bellow accompanied by a cacophony of gear and induction noises. Build quality is exceptional throughout, and puts the Bugatti EB110 and Countach to shame.  Claudio would find himself in very public spats with Jay Leno, the author of the V16T book itself, Brian Wiklem, and countless others at car shows, on Ferrari forums, on Facebook – just about everywhere. He may have been paranoid and a little delusional, but he was an incredible engineer and mechanic, and we're grateful to have been able to experience the Cizeta-Moroder V16T! Huge shout-outs to owner Brendan Gallaher, Jay Leno, and Brian Wiklem. At the start of this episode, we'll also talk Golfs! Specifically MK7s, and the one Jason just bought for his niece. Believe it or not, despite decades of VW-dom, Jason has never owned a real GTI until this car. Now he's turning the youth into car people one relative at a time, starting with the purchase of a 2006 Infiniti G35 Coupe 6-speed for his nephew a few years ago, and then sending him to driving school with it. His niece got to attend the same driving school in Jason's E30, Beatrice. And, if Jason leaves the surprise 034Motorsport tune on this new GTI, his niece will inherit a car much quicker than her older brother's (and Derek may have to buy one too). But should we trust 18-year-olds (or Dereks) with 300 hp cars? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We dish the VW/Audi dirt with tuning company 034Motorsport's Director of Sales and Marketing, Nick Mercadante. We'll discuss 40 years worth of VAG foibles, from mismatched rotors, calipers that can't handle the heat, 1980s ABS tech, wandering shifters and shattering engine mounts – but don't worry, 034 has you covered!  Nick brought out his Audi 90 for us on this episode, and we'll start by discussing its 6-level, buttock-melting heated seats (the relay for which is on its deathbed). Jason's dad had this same car back in Germany in the 90s – featuring cloth seats, crank windows, and no AC. It made for a significantly improved Autobahn experience compared to his previous car, an FJ60-Series Land Cruiser. However, in stock form, the little Audi inline-5 hotrod of the 80s is no match for Jason's modified 170 hp VW Scirocco. The Audi 90's 7A engine just doesn't have the oomph to make up for the drivetrain loss and general heft of the AWD drivetrain. If it had the turbocharged 3B motor from the S2, it may be a different story… Speaking of stories, Jason wrote one for Automobile Magazine some 15 years ago on this exact car that now sits in our background. Did you know it has a carbon fiber driveshaft and an anti anti-lock button? Yes, ANTI anti-lock.  We learn about the delightfully colorful California vehicle titles of the last century: both rainbow and pink (which is where the phrase “pink slip” comes from). And Derek is deeply distraught to learn Nick has removed the original California 2-number plate (and to learn just how easy it is to register cars outside of California). We'll cover Nick's various vehicles: his college runabout Audi 90, UrS6 wagon, his BMW M2 (F22), Porsche Cayenne GTS (958.2), Audi SQ5 (w/ nearly 700 hp), his Kei truck Subaru Sambar (w/ nearly 20 hp), his Porsche 944, Audi TT RS, and his first-gen Audi R8 V8 with a NASCAR-grade 034Motorsport exhaust.    Speaking of Nick's cars, we'll also cover another 034 Nick's collection – friend of the show, Nick Sgambelluri, who so generously provided (and abused) his monster-turbo Audi 200 sedan, as well as his pristine first-gen Ford Probe Turbo for the Dark Horse ICONS episode – where its axle unalived itself in the middle of a reverse donut (sorry, Nick!).   We talk 034Motorsport (which is singular and starts with a “zero”), including their 7 lbs aluminum flywheel for the Audi 90, their dogbone engine mounts, their origins making ECUs for 5-cylinder cars 20 years ago, and their new arm, 034Tradition, which will make classic parts to fill in the voids left behind when parts manufacturers discontinue them (they will even take requests!).  Other fun tidbits: Jason's secret new turbo car, the classic RV anal-prefix name game, washing titles in Alabama, Derek the felon, trash Kumhos, Derek advising against too much stroking, the Rover gets a makeover (suspension and tires), and possibly a full Vitesse-style engine build via Redline Rebuilds! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We talk with SCCA Hall of Fame race car driver Randy Pobst. From his racing origins in a Mk1 VW Rabbit, to his 2 wins at the 24 Hours of Daytona, and his personal car collection – including his Smokey and the Bandit Trans Am and Flyin' Moose Volvo 740.  To start, we'll dive into Randy's racing experience: factory contracts with Porsche, Mazda, Volvo, and Toyota. Winning the 24 Hours of Daytona not once, but twice, and his 2015 induction into the SCCA Hall of Fame. We'll cover his exploits at Thunderhill, VIR, Road Atlanta, Laguna Seca, Daytona, Pikes Peak, Sonoma, Lime Rock, Willow Springs, and more!  From humble origins in a Mk1 VW Golf (no, not a GTI), to a factory-backed FX16 Toyota Corolla, to setting a Laguna Seca lap record in a McLaren Senna. Randy even worked on the set of 2 Fast 2 Furious as a driving instructor for the film's stars: Paul Walker, Tyrese Gibson, and Devon Aoki – to name a few.  Randy eventually met Jason while filming an uncooperative Cayman GT4 for Motor Trend, and, despite a rocky start when Jason unexpectedly flung a Range Rover off track while racing Randy in an Alfa Romeo 4C, the two teamed up again to film multiple Ultimate Drag Race, Lap Battle and ICONS episodes for Hagerty. The whole gang laments some of the most irritating modern car tech: excessively bright headlights, lights that are somehow off at night, ABS systems that fully shut down when traveling backwards, AEB overreach, and EPAS systems that completely ruin a car's limit handling by curtailing the driver's ability to quickly catch a slide (like the Shelby GT350 Randy repeatedly spun and Jason crinkled at Willow Springs – not to mention the Unplugged Performance Tesla Model 3 Randy famously wrecked at Pikes Peak).  Speaking of handling, Randy divulges his dislike of twitchy cars like the Jaguar F-Type R and XJ, the KTM X-Bow, and Ariel Atom. Jason on the other hand loves an ass-y car like the V12 Vantage S, but says the Lotus Exige V6 Cup was so tail-happy it was uncontrollable. The Porsche Carrera GT is somewhere in the middle with mixed reviews and experience all around. While on the topic of handling dynamics, Randy tells us his secret plan to invent a fix for the C8 Corvette's trailing throttle oversteer. He also gives praise to Porsche's Lars Kern for his work on the latest crop of RS products – which may or may not be Randy's favorite track cars of all time out of the box, alongside the 2014 Porsche 911 50th Anniversary Edition. All of which receive top marks on Randy's understeer spectrum, and are polar opposites of the likes of a 1960s Cadillac.  We'll touch on Randy's personal car collection as well, which includes a Volvo 740 sedan and wagon, his 1977 Pontiac Trans Am “Randit” (and its oil starvation woes), Toyota Tundra tow vehicle, VW Karmann Ghia and early Tesla Model S.  Plus, Derek invents a new phrase for “road rage”, Randy bitch slaps cars out of his way, and also beautifully sings Primus' Wynona's Big Brown Beaver. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices