The Carmudgeon Show

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Latest Episodes:

Ask Us Anything: Part 3 — The Carmudgeon Show with Jason Cammisa & Derek Tam-Scott — Ep. 195 Jun 09, 2025

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?

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The C8 Corvette ZR1 Meets Its Predecessors — and Ferraris and Lambos — The Carmudgeon Show Ep. 196 Jun 09, 2025

BMW M5 Touring vs Audi RS6 Performance — Carmudgeon Show w Jason Cammisa & Derek Tam-Scott — Ep 194 May 19, 2025

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.

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Driving 1000 Miles In A 70-year old car — Carmudgeon Show Jason Cammisa & Derek Tam-Scott — Ep. 193 May 12, 2025

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.

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Ultimate Automotive Playground — The Carmudgeon Show w Jason Cammisa & Derek Tam-Scott — Ep. 192 May 05, 2025

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!

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Crowning The Hatchback King — The Carmudgeon Show w Jason Cammisa & Derek Tam-Scott — Ep. 191 Apr 28, 2025

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?

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Classic Car Buyers Beware — The Carmudgeon Show w Jason Cammisa & Derek Tam-Scott — Ep. 190 Apr 21, 2025

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!

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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.

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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.

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Stuck in No Snow & Random Car Reviews — Carmudgeon Show w/ Jason Cammisa & Derek Tam-Scott — Ep 189 Apr 14, 2025

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.

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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.

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Ford Built A Cayman GT4…in 1985 — The Carmudgeon Show w/ Jason Cammisa & Derek Tam-Scott — Ep. 188 Apr 07, 2025

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.

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What Tariffs Mean For Old Cars — The Carmudgeon Show w Jason Cammisa & Derek Tam-Scott — Ep. 187 Mar 31, 2025

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).

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Your BMW M3 Comes Thanks to Jaguar — The Carmudgeon Show w Jason Cammisa & Derek Tam-Scott — Ep. 186 Mar 24, 2025

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.]

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Driving a CLK63 Black Series MANUAL — The Carmudgeon Show w Jason Cammisa & Derek Tam-Scott — Ep 185 Mar 17, 2025

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!

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The Cizeta-Moroder V16T: Max Lambo — The Carmudgeon Show w/ Jason Cammisa & Derek Tam-Scott — Ep 184 Mar 10, 2025

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?

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Special Guest, Nick The Audi Fan — The Carmudgeon Show w Jason Cammisa & Derek Tam-Scott — Ep 183 Mar 03, 2025

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!

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Randy Pobst, Live Special Guest! — The Carmudgeon Show w/ Jason Cammisa & Derek Tam-Scott — Ep 182 Feb 24, 2025

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.

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Alfa 164, Saab 9000, Lancia Thema — The Carmudgeon Show w Jason Cammisa & Derek Tam-Scott — Ep 181 Feb 17, 2025

Many enthusiasts don't realize that the Alfa Romeo 164 and Saab 9000 share their underpinnings — with the Lancia Thema and Fiat Croma. They all ride on the Fiat Tipo Quattro (Type 4) platform, and in this episode, we discuss the their history and drive the three most powerful, quickest, and fastest FWD sport sedans of their era.

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WATCH THE FULL REVELATIONS EPISODE HERE:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G71uIVvnzvw

This is a history less about their initial development, to the plethora of engine options, posh and/or aerospace-inspired interiors, styling, power, handling dynamics, and the pros and cons of platform sharing.

We kick things off with the platform’s predecessors: the Tipo Zero, Tipo Uno, Tipo Dua, and Tipo Tre – go figure – all of which underpinned a variety of Fiats. Meanwhile, Saab had effectively been building cars on the same platform since the 40s before finally making something new for the Saab 99 during the late 60s, and then the 900 in late 70s (which was really just a revised 99). But when it was time for a shift upmarket in the late 80s, Saab needed financial help to create the 9000 after a merger deal with Volvo fell through. At the time, Lancia was in need of a full-size family sedan and jumped into the mix as well via an existing relationship with Saab (see the Saab Lancia 600).

There’s a brief sidebar about weird cars of the time. Select picks include the Citroen DX and GS, as well as the AMC Eagle and Concord. Plus oddball platform sharing in the form of the Dodge Monaco, Renault 25, and Chrysler 300M. Merkur enters the chat, as does Cizeta and the equally prodigious V6 Chevy Cavalier Z24, 4-cylinder Cadillac Cimarron, and, of course, the forever elegant Lumina Euro.

What’s that? You’d like to know how many V6s were on sale in Europe in the late 80s? One. Or two. Somewhere between 1 and 3-ish. We think. Pretty sure.

In any case, the hottest of the hot Tipo Quattro cars are QUICK. The Saab 9000 Aero being the quickest FWD car of the time, but the Thema 8.32 and Alfa 164Q4 were close behind. As were the Dodge Omni GLHS and the Ford Taurus SHO – the original fast blob.

In This Episode:

The Alfa Romeo 164 Quadrifoglio Verde (230 hp)

The Saab 9000 Aero (225 hp)

The Lancia Thema 8.32 (215 hp)

There’s much talk of Busso V6s, Ferrari V8s (cross- and extra jiggly flat-plane) and their sound profiles. We’ll also cover the delightful smell of rich Italian leather, and our most favorite Pininfarina pen strokes.

Then we’ll blitz through a bunch of badge-engineered bungles like the VW Routan, Acura SLX, Mazda2 and Honda’s new Prologue. When done poorly, platform sharing can kill entire brands, but sometimes we’re left with a small crop of lust-worthy enthusiast cars, and for that we are thankful!

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We Roast Each Other's Cars — The Carmudgeon Show w/ Jason Cammisa & Derek Tam-Scott — Ep 180 Feb 03, 2025

It's time to be honest with each other and the world: Derek and Jason take turns roasting (or just honestly reviewing) the other's cars in their collections. Plus, they roast their own stuff.

We’ll cover the good and the bad of nearly all of the boys’ various vehicles:

Derek’s bikes – the Ducati Panigale V4S and Husqvarna 701 Supermoto.

Jason’s E30s – the 325i wagon and beater sedan track car.

The mid-engine Italian exotics – Derek's Lamborghini Miura and Jason's 1975 Ferrari 308 GT4.

Then, Jason's mid-engine micro machine 1991 Honda Beat. Naturally, a plethora of Mercedes products will be in the mix – the R129 500SL, W201 190E 2.3-16, W124 E320 wagon and W202 C43. The atypical oddballs: the Rover SD1 and Citroen CX.

Plus Jason’s new-to-him V12 E31 BMW 850 CSi and Derek’s favorite back-road weapon 964-chassis Porsche 911. And we’ll round things out with Jason’s babies – the VW Scirocco and Mk1 Cabriolet.

You’ll learn about the Rover SD1’s sketchy, outdated front suspension design, and the 190E’s oversized steering wheel and underbolstered seats. The corpulent hamster styling of the e-Golf and terrible brake balancing on the Beat. The 964 sounds like flatulence, and the VW Cabriolet sounds like imminent disintegration. Recaro-equipped, art deco, cheap, and Zebra-print interiors. Sloppy shifters, burning odors, affordable V12 Ferraris and BMWs, and the Mk1 VWs’ good vibrations versus the E30 M3’s shit ones.

Join us for some Nikki Glaser-inspired antics, Carmudgeon-style!

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Toyota Land Cruiser's Complicated Past — Carmudgeon Show w/ Jason Cammisa & Derek Tam-Scott — Ep 179 Jan 27, 2025

Land Cruiser is one of Toyota’s – and, arguably, the world’s – most haloed marques. In this episode, Jason and Derek discuss its origins and history from its jeep origins, to its enormous family tree, all the way up to the brand new 250-series models, the 2024 Toyota Land Cruiser and Lexus GX550.

Jason and the Hagerty crew traveled to the rugged, mountainous outskirts of Salt Lake City (and the nearby Land Cruiser Heritage Museum) to film an ICONS episode on the illustrious off-roading Toyota. And in this episode, the carmudgeons dive into the origins of the Japanese jeep and its Attila-grade family tree of subsequent series: the 20-series Land Cruiser and then the, 40, 55, 60, 70, 80, 100, 200, 250, and 300, just to name a few!

The FJs, BJs, the Iron Pig, heavy duties, station wagons, Prados, the Lexus-badged models like the LX600 and GX550 (Motor 1’s SUV of the year!). We’ll even cover the Land Cruiser’s competition along the way: the Jeep Wrangler, Compass, Cherokee, Grand Cherokee, and Wagoneer; the Land Rover Defender, Range Rover, Velar, Discovery and Evoque; even the Ford Bronco and International Scout.

In addition to the WWII Willys Jeep 4x4, we’ll cover the origin of the “J” in BJ and FJ – an abbreviation for jeep, which itself many believe is a pseudo-acronym for GP or “general purpose,” but a fact-check says otherwise. Even the Land Cruiser name itself was a tweaked version of the Land Rover moniker to make Rando-kurūzā in Japan.

Jason also reviews both of the new 250-series Prado trucks: the 2024 Toyota Land Cruiser and 2024 Lexus GX550. We'll talk powertrain, styling, cargo and passenger capacity, comfort, handling, NVH, luxury, and more.

Now let’s get to it!

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Lancia Stratos: Original Rally Icon — The Carmudgeon Show Jason Cammisa & Derek Tam-Scott — Ep 178 Jan 20, 2025

Jason and Derek drive and discuss the legendary Lancia Stratos – its origins, its parts-bin interior, and its unhinged handling.

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Click here to join the Hagerty Driver's Club: https://bit.ly/Join-HDC-Cammisa-Rev

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On today’s episode, things start off by looking at commenters' nominations for elegant mid-engine cars. Most are promptly rejected, but a handful give the Carmudgeons pause: the De Tomaso P72, McLaren Speedtail, Jaguar XJ220, Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale, and Ferrari 296. And two previously overlooked but notably elegant exceptions are: the Ferrari 246 Dino and the first-generation Toyota Previa.

Afterwards, it’s all things Stratos – starting with Jason’s and Derek’s driving impressions. They discuss the handling characteristics of this mind-bendingly miniature, Ferrari-engined, rally missile. Thanks to its short, upward-swept overhangs and relatively massive suspension travel, it can traverse rough terrain with ease (including massive potholes and steep driveways), setting it apart from your average sports car experience. But, like a fighter jet, it sacrifices stability in favor of maximum maneuverability.

They also cover its diminutive size (the Stratos is 2 feet shorter than a Mk8 VW Golf!) and its parts-bin interior – including the trunk release it shares with the Lamborghini Countach and Ferrari 308 GT4, exterior door handle from the Fiat X1/9, and interior door pull from the Miura (among others). Not to mention its paper-thin fiberglass “firewall,” and very unique hinged side windows.

Later on, discussions move to the origins of the car. From the philandering nature of mid-century Italian design houses like Pininfarina and Bertone, which seemed to take turns designing Italy’s newest models at the time. Things like the Fiat Dino Coupe and Spider, and the Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint and Sprint Speciale (not to mention the wild Stratos Zero concept by Marcello Gandini that became the wedge-shaped Stratos) – plus the dubious last-second rally homologation of the Stratos.

Lancia’s little wedge would go on to race all across the world; from the Acropolis Rally in Greece, to the East African Safari Rally in Kenya, to the Press-on-Regardless Rally in Michigan. The Stratos, which replaced Lancia’s too-fragile Fulvia, would prove itself plenty rugged and become a wildly successful rally car (but a total sales flop). Lancia's parent company, Fiat, wanted it out in favor of its new 131, but the Stratos' WRC wins continued thanks to privateers all the way up until the 1980s, when it was finally replaced by the 037.

The Stratos Stradale, a car you could buy 50 years ago for the price of a mildly-luxurious contemporary GT like the Alfa Romeo Montreal – now goes for several hundreds of thousands of dollars. Probably one of the highest dollar-per-sq/ft ratios in the automotive world – start saving!

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Driving A Rare Lamborghini Diablo GT — The Carmudgeon Show Jason Cammisa & Derek Tam-Scott — Ep 177 Dec 30, 2024

Jason and Derek discuss the origins of one of Lamborghini’s most iconic models: the Diablo. And what makes this 1 of 83 GT edition so special.

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The Carmudgeon Show Sponsor, Vredestein Tires:

https://www.vredestein.com/

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===

Prior to recording this episode, Jason’s Diablo-experience was limited to a blue VT he drove as part of a V12 Lamborghini story back in 2012 that included a 1972 Miura SV, 1988 Countach 5000 QV, Murciélago, Aventador, and LM002. Luckily for Jason (and all of us,) Derek – who also recently drove a Diablo Roadster – brought along this spectacular orange Diablo GT (one of just 83 ever built), which both he and Jason took for a spin. Their impressions followed after a brief history lesson courtesy of Derek.

The history lesson will include the origin of Lamborghini itself at the hands of multiple different owners: Ferruccio Lamborghini, Jean-Claude and Patrick Mimran, and Chrysler, which took over just as the Diablo concept was nearly production ready. Luckily for everyone, legendary designer at Bertone, Marcello Gandini, didn’t throw his hands up and walk off the job, and we got the Diablo (and the non-Chrysler-tainted early designs went on to become the Cizeta-Moroder V16T).

But it was the 90s, and we demanded more! So the motorsport-focused Diablo GT was born. Featuring widened front fenders, a carbon-fiber rear diffuser, carbon-fiber bucket seats, oil cooler w/ heat extractor hood vent, and a roof scoop to direct cold air into the massive carbon-fiber intake plenum feeding independent throttle bodies – and much, much more!

Like all Diablos, the interior is a little kit-car spec. A flat bezel with holes carved into it for individual gauges comprises the main “cluster.” The suspension is ultra-stiff, but handles exceptionally well on smooth tarmac. And the car can effortlessly break traction at both near-idle RPMs and at near-triple-digit speeds. Rear visibility is non-existent (there is effectively no rear window), but boy are you visible to everyone else on the road.

Before we wrap things up, we talk crankshafts and who made the first modern flat-plane crank for a production V-8. Perhaps it’s the Urraco and not the Ferrari 308? Ford’s contemporary flat-plane crank Voodoo V-8 from the Shelby GT350 is known to shake itself to pieces. Is that par for the course? Chevy’s C8 Z06 Corvette seems to be doing just fine. As are the AMG GT Blacks Series and Aston Martin Valhalla, but does anyone care?

Cars like the new Revuelto and Temerario are more common than ever these days. And the number of people who stand a chance of someday affording them seems to be dwindling. Do you care about these million-dollar super cars? Or would you rather see more $35,000 challenges with cars like the Mini Cooper S, Hyundai Elantra N, Ford Mustang Ecoboost, Mazda3 Turbo, VW GTI, Subaru WRX, and Toyota GR86 in 2025?

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The Best and Worst Cars of 2024 — The Carmudgeon Show w/ Jason Cammisa & Derek Tam-Scott — Ep 176 Dec 23, 2024

Jason and Derek review their top 10 best (and worst) experiences behind the wheel in 2024. Everything from ulta-rare Porsches, to open-air Lamborghinis, manual-swapped Mercedes (and Ferraris), supercars, hypercars, rally icons, and more!

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The Carmudgeon Show Sponsor, Vredestein Tires:

https://www.vredestein.com/

Click here to join the Hagerty Driver's Club: https://bit.ly/Join-HDC-Cammisa-Rev

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Christmas comes early for us this year (but not quite in time for this episode) in the form of 6 brand new sets of dutch rubber courtesy of our sponsor, Vredestein Tires!

The Curmudgeon's then continue with a discussion about each Carmudgeon’s Grandmother’s vehicular preferences, which included the likes of the Ford Pinto, AMC Pacer, ‘87 Chevy Cavalier, Saturn SL1, ‘99 Nissan Sentra, Dodge Aries K-car, Dodge Duster 340, and Buick Wildcat.

Then we briefly revel in some sweet, sweet vindication after Car and Driver named the Tesla Model 3 to their 10 Best list, but rejected the G20 BMW 3-Series (as it had the F30 before it) and specifically the G80 M3. The Cadillac CT4 and CT5 Blackwing both made this list, alongside a handful of perennial stalwarts like the Honda Civic, Honda Accord, and GR86/BRZ twins.

Afterwards, we recount hanging with Jay Leno while filming 3 separate episodes of Jay Leno’s Garage featuring Jason’s Mk2 VW Scirocco 16V, E30 BMW 325i Touring, and E31 850 CSi.

And finally, it’s time to talk best drives of the year! The boys loved three Ferraris: the 296 GTB, 360 Challenge Stradale (manual-swapped), and F50. Plus one car from Enzo’s nemesis: the Lamborghini Diablo VT Roadster.

Then, Jason and Derek include wwo Porsches: the 992.1-chassis 911 S/T and 964 Carrera RS 3.8. Both the Bugatti EB110 GT and Veyron made the list, as did another Piëch-era favorite: the VW XL1.

Speaking of VWs, the 1964 Beetle and new ID.Buzz both made the cut as well. What would a Carmudgeon episode be without a smattering of Mercedes products? The W209 CLK63 Black Series (manual-converted), W201 190E 2.5-16, C126 560SEC, and a W124 300E with a Mosselman twin-turbo kit and Zender body!

Two EVs even made the list: the incredible Lucid Air Sapphire and spunky Hyundai Ioniq 5 N. Plus some exquisite lightweights: the Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint 1300, Lotus Exige V6 Cup, and Lancia Stratos.

The worst drives of the year? That honor goes to the disappointing Pagani Zonda and 4-cylinder W206 Mercedes-AMG C63.

We end wondering how to rack up miles behind the wheel of our favorite vintage cars safely. One thing we can all agree we need? More time off!

Happy Holidays!

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Quickest $35k Cars Drag-Race BTS — The Carmudgeon Show w Jason Cammisa & Derek Tam-Scott — Ep 175 Dec 16, 2024

We quickly review the fastest cars you can buy for less than $35,000: the 2024 Ford Mustang EcoBoost High-Performance Pack, 2024 Subaru Impreza WRX tS 6MT, 2025 Mazda3 Turbo AWD, 2024 Volkswagen Golf GTI 380 S manual, 2025 Hyundai Elantra N 6MT, 2025 Mini Cooper S and 2024 Toyota GR86 Trueno 6MT (and Subaru BRZ twin). Plus 3 of the quickest – and most expensive – new GT cars on sale today: the 2025 McLaren GTS, 2024 Mercedes-AMG GT63, and 2025 Bentley Continental GT Speed.

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On this episode of the Carmudgeon Show, Jason vows to go on an all-expenses-paid trip to Lake Tahoe on Hagerty’s dime to properly evaluate the van, Jynah’s, grip in the snow (now that it’s wearing a set of Vredestein Wintrac Pro tires).

Then the boys dive into Gran Turismo – no, not the classic Playstation racing simulators – but rather attaining and maintaining high speeds over extended durations. More specifically, the “Old Man GT” episode of Cammisa’s Ultimate Drag Race Replay, which features some of the quickest, most expensive, and impractical 4-wheeled jewelry money can buy: the McLaren GTS, Mercedes-AMG GT63, and Bentley Continental GT Speed.

While discussing the new AMG GT63 (which no longer rides on underpinnings from the Dodge Viper lineage like its predecessors, the gullwing-door SLS AMG and the previous AMG GT, but now shares its platform and drivetrain with the SL line), Derek shares a nugget from his vintage Mercedes literature which shows SL buyers in the 1990s had significantly more money to spend than S-Class-buying plebes. And Jason theorizes that SEC owners likely had even more still.

Speaking of the Mercedes, Jason laments that the new SL63’s posterior profile looks suspiciously Porsche 911-y, but the duplicative flattery appears to date all the way back to the Porsche 356 and the contemporary Mercedes-Benz W198 300 SL Gullwing.

In other news, Motor Trend Video is dead, and Jason is deeply empathetic.

After the mourning, we delve into the next drag race episode: cars under $35,000! This episode pits the latest crop of cheap speed against one another in bracketed races with nearly every drivetrain orientation: naturally aspirated, turbocharged, front-wheel drive, rear-wheel drive, all-wheel drive, manual, automatic, DCT, and so on. Unabashed boosted 4-cylinder noises assault the senses and appease the Abarth gods.

Our first race pits the front-wheel drive cars against one another: the Hyundai Elantra N races the Mk8 Volkswagen GTI and the new F66 Mini Cooper S – which is completely overlooked by enthusiasts in 2024 (and is too cutesy for its own good), yet somehow manages to be effortlessly quick and best the OG hot hatch GTI.

Then, the second race includes the rear- and all-wheel drive cars: the rwd Ford Mustang EcoBoost races the rwd Toyota GR86, the awd Subaru WRX and the surprisingly quick Mazda 3 Turbo AWD.

And all Jason wants for Christmas is a GR86/FR-S/BRZ hatchback with a K24.

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Jason Drives The 2025 Lucid Gravity — The Carmudgeon Show w Jason Cammisa & Derek Tam-Scott — Ep 174 Dec 10, 2024

A double episode: First, our experts weigh in on Jaguar's new marketing stunt and concept. And second, Jason drives a prototype Lucid Gravity, the all-new SUV.

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This was a big week for Jaguar, with a controversial ad that got lots of attention, and a wild concept that previews its new 4-door electric GT. Jason feels it's important to remember that the ad served one purpose: to get attention on an automaker we called Dead Brand Walking. And it very much worked.

Jason's Van, Jynah, survived a 1500-mile round-trip to Salt Lake City, joining the mile-high club several times along the way. Thankfully, Vredestein Tires shipped a brand new set of Wintrac Pro winter tires just in time for alpine blizzards, because the Van, Jynah, had to make it across a mountain chain in the snow. Including climbing the famed Donner Pass — with chains.

Afterwards, Jason gets behind the wheel of Lucid’s latest creation – and second ever model – the new 2025 Lucid Gravity SUV. The boys discuss its unrelenting commitment to efficiency across the board: from its range, to interior and cargo space, and even mounting fuse blocks inside of chassis bracing on the Air sedan.

Jason admits to taking an engineering mule for a brief spin and recounts its handling dynamics. Later, while smooshing his face onto a pane of glass at Lucid HQ, Jason spoke with CEO, Peter Rawlinson. Peter personally engineered the ingenious rear hatch seal, and also showed off the new frunk seat with fold-out mud guard.

Then the boys lament the post-fact and internet-troll era which we, unfortunately, continue to live in. Derek defends his honor and encyclopedic knowledge from a viewer who claims the Mercedes CLK DTM had the first AMG engine – not the CLK63 Black Series. Too bad the viewer is incorrect (the CLK DTM used a derivative of the regular production M113; the Black Series used AMG's own M156. And Jason fights off M fans who argue they can “code out” the G80 M3’s faults.

Afterwards, they discuss the state of automotive marketing. First by reminiscing about automotive ads from 20 years ago with staying power, and then by debating whether or not Jaguar’s latest rebranding and ad campaign was a success. Does Jaguar's last-ditch effort to save the marque stand a chance at actually swaying consumers?

Or is it still a Dead Brand Walking?

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6-speed Swapped CLK63 AMG Black Series! — Carmudgeon Show w Jason Cammisa & Derek Tam-Scott — Ep 173 Dec 02, 2024

The legendary, 500-hp Mercedes CLK63 AMG Black Series was never produced with a manual transmission. So, Derek had one built.

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===

Derek Tam-Scott's company, OTS & Co., purchased a C209-chassis 2008 Mercedes CLK63 AMG Black Series for science/tax reasons and immediately sent it to Matt Kwiek of @kwiekclassics for a new Mercedes-sourced manual transmission swap.

How does the legendary AMG M156 6.3-liter V-8 (which is actually 6.2 liters) work with a 6-speed manual?

For science, Derek hired SCCA Hall of Fame race car driver Randy Pobst to set a lap time in both a stock, automatic CLK63 BS and a 6-speed swapped one.

The Black Series is one of Jason Cammisa's favorite cars of all time. He attended its launch at Willow Springs raceway, where he struggled to keep up with an 80-year-old Denise McLuggage as she executed flawless and effortless laps in the exact same car. It's a fun story.

The ‘mudgeons then briefly cover all the Black Series models: the R171 SLK55, C209 CLK63, R230 SL65, W204 C63, and SLS AMG.

Is the CLK Black Series peak AMG?

Derek compares the 6-speed swapped CLK to the fifth-gen Pontiac GTO and E39 BMW M5 Dinan S2.

And the Carmudgeons discuss whether other collectible cars should also be manual-swapped, including the Lexus LFA, Alfa Romeo 4C and 8C, and the E60 M5.

The boys also ponder if tearing out the OE tranny on the Black Series is a crime akin to that of the Sacrilege Motors 964 911 EV conversion.

Which wasn't, actually, a crime.

We end with a brief discussion of twin-engine cars: a half-Leaf half-motorcycle, a Twini (dual-engine Mini Cooper), DuRocco (twin-engine Scirocco), a pre-war Alfa, and a Citroen 2CV Safari.

Plus, the van, Jynah, prepares for potentially slippery, wet and white conditions with a brand new set of Vredestein Wintrac Pros!

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NEW SPORT SEDAN BENCHMARK? — The Carmudgeon Show w Jason Cammisa & Derek Tam-Scott — Ep 172 Nov 25, 2024

Can the new Tesla Model 3 Performance dethrone the G80 BMW M3 as the sports sedan king?

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On this episode of the Carmudgeon Podcast, the boys discuss proper AIM sign-off acronyms, size queens, and Jason’s 3/4” toe-in on his E31 BMW 850 CSI (and its broken shifter). Then, Jason shares tales from Radwood SoCal, including the winners of his “I’d Drive That Home” award — a Ford Escort Cosworth — and the Vredestein Tire award winner — a Z31 Nissan 300ZX with some mismatched and massively dry rotted 20-year-old tires.

Afterwards, we dive into Jason’s recent Ultimate Comparison Test between the 2024 Tesla Model 3 “Highland” Performance and 2024 G80 LCI BMW M3 Competition xDrive. We’ll cover everything from driving dynamics to powertrain, overheating brakes, interior ball rests, infotainment, price and more!

TTFN

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Random Number Generator Car Reviews — The Carmudgeon Show w Jason Cammisa & Derek Tam-Scott — Ep 171 Nov 18, 2024

Jason and Derek open up their review archives once again and share stories about the cars they've driven over the years.

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In this episode, the boys ponder the meaning of a Jaguar “175 Edition”, give praise to the best rear wiper integration ever, debate if a Juke can be cute, and wonder how many cylinders power the illustrious Dodge Nitro.

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Is There A Car So Good It Needs No Mods? – Carmudgeon Show w Jason Cammisa & Derek Tam-Scott Ep. 170 Nov 11, 2024

Is there such a thing as a car so perfect that it doesn't need any modifications?

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Jason and Derek have modified many of the cars in their personal collections, which makes Jason wonder: is any of those cars so good that any modification would make it worse?

The discussion begins with a look at both Jason’s and Derek’s personal fleets and the modifications (if any) they did to them: Jason’s daily driver Mk7 Volkswagen e-Golf, his beloved but heavily modified Mk2 Scirocco 16V, the bat-shit bitch basket Mk1 Cabriolet, and even his OEM+ E30 wagon.

Derek divulges his vast 964-chassis Porsche 911 mod list, and talks W124 wagon mods before they both look back at some of the cars they’ve sold: MKIII Golf, Elise, Isuzu Pup, E39 BMWs, and more!

But were the modifications they installed necessary fixes for factory deficiencies, or simply a matter of personal preference?

Then they get down to business – what car(s) left the factory perfect? Candidates up for debate range from:

Cadillac’s CT4 and CT5 Blackwing

Alpha-chassis Chevrolet Camaros

Chevy SS sedan

Aston Martin V12 Vantage S 7-speed

Honda S2000

Nissan 240Z

Ferrari 308 GT4

Mercedes W201 (190E)

Mercedes W202 C43

Mercedes R129 500SL / SL500

E39-chassis BMW 5-series

Various Porsche 911 models

And more!

What do you think? What car(s) were perfect from the moment they left the factory floor?

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Fixes, Maintenance and Fleet Upgrades – Carmudgeon Show feat Jason Cammisa & Derek Tam-Scott Ep. 169 Nov 04, 2024

Derek and Jason own many cars and once in a while, many of them break. Or receive really cool upgrades. It's time for a car-nerd fleet update!

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See: https://www.vredestein.com/

And: https://www.radwood.com/socal-2024

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The boys start with discussing "de-advanced" ignition timing on the Rover SD1 — and Jason did his first-ever brake master cylinder rebuild. But the big issue is that Jason wants to downsize his fleet (he still has 10 cars) but loves the different experience that each car offers. The Rover has a big (ish) lazy V8 and is unlike anything else Jason has.

Derek wants to be done with his Citroën CX because it sprung a hydraulic leak, but then found the Citroën community — and, hopefully, someone to work on it. And so maybe it'll stay.

Thanks to Derek's guilt, 9 of Jason's cars have fresh brake fluid — which doesn't seem like a big deal, but doing 9 brake-fluid bleeds is time consuming. And worse, Jason discovered that his E30 Touring still had ATE Super Blue in his car. Which confirms that it was at least a decade old.

Derek's Porsche 944 no longer has a 14-year-old timing belt, which means it can be driven to Radwood SoCal (hopefully on new Vredestein tires, no less!)

Jason and Derek talk about today's ridiculous trend of people changing timing belts at 3, 4, or 5 years, with no mileage on them. This is an epidemic in the Ferrari community — when mechanics happily double the recommended replacement interval.

Jason has been suspecting that his VW Cabriolet is suffering from SMS: the dreaded transmission self-machining syndrome that kills many 020 transmissions. But after some exploratory surgery, it really now seems like a bad wheel bearing.

That would figure, since Beatrice the E30 (the 1989 325i) also needs a wheel bearing after completing a track day (with Randy Pobst as an instructor on Sonoma Raceway.) These tend to come in pairs. Just not on different cars!

Derek suspects his S124 E320 wagon (with the dogleg 5-speed and 3.6-liter swap) has bad wheel bearings, too.

More urgently, Derek is having a Motronic Month: he's finally troubleshooted some strange running on his Porsche 964, which has gotten progressively worse over the last decade. He also found that one ignition module had failed, so it was running on half of its spark plugs.

A new idle control valve didn't fix it, but swapping a DME (engine computer, or ECU in non-Porsche speak) from his dad's 964 fixed everything. Jason's buddy's 993 is doing the same thing — so Derek might have just inadvertently found that car's problem.

Jason had never heard of rebuilding an ECU (except on Honda Beats) but thats' it. Jason's cars mostly don't have DMEs, and he's been fighting with ignition timing on both of his 16-valve Volkswagens (the Scirocco and Cabriolet) and wonders if he just should upgrade all the old cars to a Holley EFI or Megasquirt.

Derek found a hard top for his R129 Mercedes SL, in Florida, but shipping was too expensive. So he found a local one in the wrong color . Jason has once done that, with the wrong color hardtop on his 996 for track use, and Derek also bought a very expensive new softtop for that SL.

RIP by the way to Bruno Sacco, to Mike Valentine, and almost to Jeremy Clarkson.

The R129 SL500 / 500SL is the best deal in the collector-car world, period.

Jason did another (for a total of three) Power Acoustic CP-71W Single-DIN wireless Apple CarPlay head unit. He loves them. And that's before the $140 (+ tax) pricing.

Except that he won't put one in the Mercedes 190E 2.3-16 because the Becker is too iconic. Or the Beat, because of the Gathers (Honda) head unit in there. Or the e31 850CSi. Continental and Blaupunkt make retro-looking radios, but Becker's original units can be retrofitted with Bluetooth or Aux In.

Porsche Classic PCM unit is amazing, but it's far too expensive for non-Porsches. Says Jason.

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The Biggest Changes Since the 1980s? – Carmudgeon Show feat Jason Cammisa & Derek Tam-Scott Ep. 168 Oct 28, 2024

If you put someone from 1985 in a modern car, what would they be most surprised by? Hint: Why is it so much easier to get a speeding ticket today?

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The Carmudgeons chat briefly about Jake's Honda CR-Z — a manual, hybrid, very good-looking car — and why it doesn't have a K20 or K24 instead.

The main point of discussion, though, was started by Jason's drive in his Scirocco looking at how high 1980s cars rev on the highway. And he explains why '80s cars are geared so short (it's to achieve their relatively low top speeds at their relatively high-rpm power peaks.)

In discussing this, Jason explains how German car companies chose their top-gear ratio. (Hint: it's to maximize top speed.)

But there are, of course, other major changes since the 1980s — and not just things like keyless-start and infotainment. Or just power.

NVH, mostly as a function of torsional rigidity, has changed dramatically. And with it, safety. Including things like ABS, ESC, AEB, FCW, and then of course all the other driver aids we take for granted today.

Including the ones like BAS — brake assist — which several times accidentally almost caused Jason to have a crash. (Or make someone else crash.)

But... Jason does describe a few times he experienced modern automatic braking systems have actually avoided an accident that WOULD have happened. One in a VW and one in a Mercedes, that could have caused him to hit pedestrians. It was a triumph of modern safety technology.

Also, cars have grown tremendously in size and weight. And the total area of the glass has shrunk considerably, so visibility has changed for the worse.

So has ride quality — today's cars have far stiffer suspension, coupled with large wheels and small sidewalls. 1980s cars often rode more smoothly than today's cars.

And much more!

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The Backstory of the VW ID.Buzz – The Carmudgeon Show feat. Jason Cammisa & Derek Tam-Scott Ep. 167 Oct 21, 2024

Behind the scenes filming of the comprehensive ICONS episode on the U.S.-spec 2025 Volkswagen ID.Buzz (including full review.)

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This is a 100-minute discussion about the story of VW's ID.Buzz, the making of Jason Cammisa on the ICONS episode about it, and why this minivan is so important to Volkswagen's success in America.

Full ID Buzz Review Here:

https://youtu.be/CEun1OLyq90

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The Esprit Origin Story – Carmudgeon Show Jason Cammisa & Derek Tam-Scott Ep. 166 Oct 14, 2024

The Esprit Origin Story!

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On this episode of the Carmudgeon Show, Derek fills us in on the origins and engineering behind Colin Chapman’s last Lotus – the Esprit. DTS gives us the run-down on its connections to both past and contemporary Lotus’, as well as its journey from lithe and naturally aspirated 4-cylinder sports car to twin-turbo V8 giant killer.

Meanwhile, Jason comes up with a new t-shirt and covers proper water heater maintenance.

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Highlights from The Goodwood Revival — The Carmudgeon Show w/ Jason Cammisa & Derek Tam-Scott Ep 165 Oct 07, 2024

Jason tows the wrong car, Derek goes to England, and the boys have a conversation about the new USPS Delivery Vehicle.

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Jason's Hoodie & Merch: https://closed-course-productions.printify.me/

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Jason's Honda Beat proves it speaks English by responding to Jason saying "my Honda doesn't leak oil" by leaking oil.

And Jason's only British car, the Rover SD1 3500 V8, leaked a cubic meter of brake fluid on the ground, which Jason thought was the VW Cabriolet. Turns out the VW's brakes are fine — but its transmission fluid's color and metal content was highly concerning.

Then, Jason and Derek discuss the Grumman LLV, which is about to be replaced as your local mail delivery vehicle by the Oshkosh NGDV — which is aesthetically challenged (despite it being a huge functional upgrade.)

More importantly, though, Derek flew to England to attend the Goodwood Revival, which he and Jason agree is possibly the best automotive event in the world.

There are many factors. The cars, the total commitment to period dress, the gender balance, the spectators, the vendors, the amusement park fair rides, the picnics, and of course — no bad social media behavior.

Listen to Derek's rundown of an exceptional event.

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Navigating Wars of Words as a Journalist — The Carmudgeon Show Jason Cammisa Derek Tam-Scott Ep. 164 Sep 30, 2024

Three cars have caused Jason a journalistic existential crisis: the Alfa Romeo Tonale, the Tesla Cybertruck, and the Tesla Model 3 Performance.

Two of them have nothing to do with the cars, and everything to do with the internet backlash from passionate enthusiasts. It's war out there.

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The Carmudgeon Show has a new studio! (Or at least a new look.)

But back to the cars:

All of the innovation in the car industry these days is happening at the nontraditional OEMs. Which necessarily means that all of the interesting stories are about EVs.

And yet every time Jason does a review of an EV, it incites an online war between EV fans and ICE fans. And when Telsa's passionate fans and detractors become involved on X (formerly known as Twitter) it gets personal. Suddenly, Jason is vilified and "loses his credibility."

This reality has caused Jason to take a serious look at the possibility of no longer reviewing new cars. He wonders if his personal interest in them is too small to put up with the backlash — and maybe he should concentrate on the older cars he loves more?

On the other hand, is that letting the armchair warriors win?

Perhaps. But the larger trend, as Jeremy Clarkson pointed out recently, is that new cars are shit.

And it was the Alfa Romeo Tonale that highlighted Jason's concerns. Not because it's a bad car — it's not — but Jason had a hard time getting excited about a 1.3-liter PHEV compact SUV with an Alfa Romeo badge on it. It has none of the qualities he likes in cars. And specifically none of the qualities (other than gorgeous green paint) that he feels are appropriate for a brand like Alfa Romeo.

Hear all about the dissonance on this episode of the Carmudgeon Show.

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Driving the Ferrari F50 and Pagani Zonda — The Carmudgeon Show Jason Cammisa Derek Tam-Scott Ep. 163 Sep 23, 2024

Reviewing two V12, manual-transmission masterpieces — the Carmudgeons drove a Pagani Zonda Nero and a Ferrari F50, thanks to DK Engineering.

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Jason's Hoodie & Merch: https://closed-course-productions.printify.me/

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DK Engineering slid into Jason's DMs with an offer to drive an F50, a car he hadn't driven. Derek is already on record praising the F50 — but neither had driven a Zonda.

They drove the cars, but didn't talk about it with one another until now. So here's the unfiltered truth about these two cars. In reality, they couldn't be more different.

Disappointing. Derek called the Pagani disappointing — the worst thing you could ever hear from your parents.

Especially after Jason had just ridden in the Gordon Murray GMA T.50. Perhaps this Zonda, which had been federalized for U.S. emissions, was quieter than most, but it was an acoustic nonevent: it sounded like a Toyota Camry V6. Which isn't an insult (that's the best sounding V6 in production today) — but it was out of bounds with their expectations.

Where the Zonda surprised, however, was that it's a nice GT. But one perhaps that's not what the boys expected.

On the other hand, the Ferrari F50 was a complete experience. Its V12 sounds nothing like any of the other 3 Ferrari V12s (Colombo, Lampredi, or F116/F140.) It's not a particularly beautiful sound — more a yell than a scream — but it's fully enveloping and wonderful.

The rest of the experience matches up, with linear controls, beautiful steering, and a chassis that feels natural and wonderful. With one of the best clutch/shifter/gas calibrations ever, despite the V12 having almost no flywheel weight.

Also, we include a video of Jason shifting the F50 about 2.2 million times in a minute.

All this and more on this episode of the Carmudgeon Show, which is part of the Hagerty Podcast Network.

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Can An Electric 911 Be Any Good? — The Carmudgeon Show w/ Jason Cammisa & Derek Tam-Scott Ep. 162 Sep 16, 2024

We drive the Sacrilege Motors 911 "Blackbird" — a fully electric-converted 964-chassis Porsche 911, and answer the question: can an EV be fun?

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The name of the company says it all: it is sacrilege to rip out a flat-six from the back of a 911 and replace it with batteries and a motor. But calling it out as sacrilege takes the wind out of that argument, and so Derek (a 964 owner and 911-weenie) and Jason each spent some time with this $850,000 (ish) Porsche to answer the question on whether it makes sense.

The answer might surprise you. It surprised both of the boys, who hadn't discussed their opinions until we hit record in the studio.

Derek was, of course, violent at the idea of a Restomod 911. Called it an abomination, at least conceptually.

Especially because it's a 964, the least numerous of the air-cooled variants — and the best-driving according to Derek. This is the same basic car that companies like Singer also modify, because you can backdate the styling — which isn't possible on a 993.

Jason, meanwhile, loved the memory structure of the Tesla Roadster blowing his mind — the other electric convertible sports car with great steering.

But did the boys like it? Love it? Hate it? Want to burn it at the stake?

Only one way to find out!

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The Ferrari Market Crashes at Pebble Beach — Carmudgeon Show Jason Cammisa & Derek Tam-Scott Ep. 161 Sep 09, 2024

Car Week Update, including: the Vintage Ferrari market nosedives at Pebble Beach. Jason sells his Lotus Elise.

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Neither of the Carmudgeons went to Sunday's Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, but both boys were at Car Week for the rest of the week.

And then left to shoot an episode of "Jason Cammisa on the ICONS" and "Ultimate Drag Race Replay." Which was even hotter than it was in the studio, where it was over 100ºF recording the Lexus LFA episode.

Sreten from M539 destroyed Jason's house, warehouse, and life, but resurrected an E60 M5 (that OTS & Co will be selling!)

They discuss some Behind-the-Scenes on what it's like to try to close a road — Jason means it when he says "professional idiot on a closed course." Hint: it doesn't always work.

Derek's company, OTS & Company, sold Jason's 2009 Lotus Elise SC, which was a pleasant surprise for Jason, who's never sold through an agent before — and who is generally terrible at selling cars. Jason is now a convert — and wants OTS&Co to sell everything!

OTS & Co also won an award at the Quail with the Ferrari 365 "Croisette" shooting break at the Quail!

That coach built Ferrari might be the Ultimate Car Week Car! But it could be M539's Ring Taxi homage E60 M5 manual!

But the real surprise at Car Week was how poorly the Blue Chip Ferraris did at auction. There were some other cars that were soft (including two Mercedes 190E 2.5-16 Evo II that sold below Derek's expectations) but the multiple-million-dollar 1950s and 1960s Ferrari market was the big shock.

At the same time, a Ferrari F50 hit a new record at $5.5 million with fees — so there's probably not some major bubble bursting. Maybe it's just a generational shift?

Lots of philosophical discussion ensues. You should listen.

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GMA T.50 Passenger Seat Review & LFA — Carmudgeon Show Jason Cammisa & Derek Tam-Scott — Ep. 160 Aug 26, 2024

Jason rides in the left seat of a T.50 and declares it the best sounding engine he's ever heard — dethroning the Lexus LFA. With which he and Derek have experience.

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First of all, Jason calculates his cars' brake fluid age and is mostly okay with it, but also slightly horrified at how old the brake fluid is in several of his cars — one of which is 13 years old. Whoops.

Secondly, GMA allowed Jason a ride in the leftmost (passenger) seat of Gordon Murray's T.50, with Dario Franchitti in the center seat. There's video — and audio. And it's enough to have moved Jason to dethrone the LFA, which he had just pronounced the best sounding engine of all time.

The LFA's V-10 sounds amazing — far better in the car than the Porsche Carrera GT, the other best-sounding V-10 of all time (with honorable mention given to the BMW S85 — and every other V10 short of the Viper's.)

The boys also speak about the LFA Revelations Episode — and the history of the Lexus LFA.

And of cars that ride poorly, like the LFA does. Like the Mercedes AMG GT.

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Sreten from @M539Restorations and E60 M5 — Carmudgeon Show Jason Cammisa & Derek Tam-Scott — Ep. 159 Aug 19, 2024

In this episode, Jason and Derek interview Sreten, a friend and YouTuber who stars in his channel M539 Restorations. Sreten bought a salvaged, rare 6-speed manual-transmission E60 BMW M5 — and resurrected it to attend Monterey Car Week.

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M539 Restorations specializes in resurrecting abandoned and neglected BMWs from around the world. Based in Frankfurt, Germany, Serbian-born Sreten creates entertaining videos where he approaches huge repairs without ever skimping on anything.

This time, on his honeymoon, Sreten bought a salvaged E60 M5 that was located in Fresno, California — and Jason had it shipped to his warehouse. Sreten sent boxes of parts, and showed up a week before Car Week and started the process of getting the E60 running again.

If you've now seen Sreten's posts, you'll know he performed a miracle (or got incredibly lucky with a really nice E60) and the car runs again. But that all happened after we recorded this episode.

Get to know the real Sreten. And why he loves the S85 V-10 and the E60 5-series in which it's installed.

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Bad Mechanics Leave a Lasting Legacy — The Carmudgeon Show Jason Cammisa & Derek Tam-Scott — Ep 158 Aug 12, 2024

Jason just solved a nagging problem on his car that he paid to have fixed 26 years ago. Turns out, the mechanic charged him for a repair he didn't make.

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Jason just solved a nagging problem on his car that he paid to have fixed 26 years ago. Turns out, the mechanic charged him for a repair he didn't make.

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It's well known that Jason Cammisa's Volkswagen Scirocco 16V is his favorite car. What's not so well-known is that he hit a curb while driving it back in the late 1990s, and bent a control arm.

After saving for over a year, he finally had the money to replace the arm, and commissioned a local repair shop to perform the work. The Scirocco came back from the alignment shop with bad news: Installing the new control arm didn't put there wheel back where it belonged. The Scirocco's frame was bent.

After living with the guilt of having damaged his favorite toy for more than a quarter-century, Jason finally got up the gumption (and money) to have the car's frame straightened.

The frame shop had some interesting news: there was nothing wrong with the car — the control arm was merely bent.

Turns out the shop that charged Young Jason to replace the arm... didn't. And last week, Jason finally replaced it himself, solving a decades-long alignment issue.

This made Jason think about his first three bad experiences as a young man with a VW shop (who tried to charge him near as much in diagnostics than he'd paid for the whole car for a simple bad ground wire) a VW dealer who disconnected his headlights and tried to extort him out of hundreds... and the aforementioned shop — all of whom are responsible for encouraging Jason to do all the work on his cars himself.

Derek has a similar story about a local mechanic to tried to charge him $4500 for a simple ignition coil.

Fun times.

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The E31 BMW 850CSi and other 8-series — The Carmudgeon Show Jason Cammisa & Derek Tam-Scott — Ep 157 Aug 05, 2024

E31 Syndrome: The explanation of why the E31 8-series is widely regarded as a beautiful failure. This is the full history of the BMW 850i, 850Ci, 850CSi, and 840Ci.

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The BMW 850i had the first post-war German V12. It made 300 hp and was installed in a pillarless, Ferrari-esque coupe almost universally praised for its beauty.

After its debut at the 1989 IAA Frankfurt Motor Show, its first 3 years of production were sold out. But many of those orders were cancelled once the press got a hold of the 850i.

Was it a bad car? In no way. The problem was that its Ferrari looks were married to an uninspired driving experience. The E31 had been conceived by BMW's R&D department (not its marketing department) as a rolling showpiece for its capabilities. And so BMW's priorities were perhaps not in line with market expectations.

In other words: E31 Syndrome. A car that looks one way but drives differently.

The discrepancy was solved when BMW's Motorsport Division made an M8 out of the 850i... but the marketing issue remained because BMW didn't badge it an M8. It was called 850CSi, which wasn't enough of a differentiator. And was made worse because the 850i was renamed 850Ci for no explicable reason.

The 850CSi was a success — it landed to rave reviews, and sold out almost immediately. But its lack of M Badging has cost it enthusiast recognition. Even though it's a full M car with a WBS VIN prefix and the same treatment that the E36 got becoming an M3 out of a 325i.

Learn all about this car on this episode of the Carmudgeon Show — a part of the Hagerty Podcast Network.

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Cars: Travel Is Fatal To Prejudice — The Carmudgeon Show w/ Jason Cammisa & Derek Tam-Scott — Ep 156 Jul 30, 2024

Single-brand car fans don't know what they're missing. Mark Twain once wrote that “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts." The sentiment holds true for cars, too.

**SORRY FOR BEING A DAY LATE, FOLKS!**

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Jason's T-Shirt: https://closed-course-productions.printify.me/

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In this episode, the Carmudgeons proceed to rip into one of their friends — light-heartedly. It all started when GG brought his R129 Mercedes 500SL to a shoot involving Jason's E31 850 CSI, and the two started a mock-argument about which car was better.

Anthony Esposito, our favorite cinematographer, said GG's Mercedes-fanboyism reminded him of the Twain quote. In fact, GG's automotive tastes are actually quite well-rounded, but the experience served as the perfect impetus for a conversation about car fans who only experience one brand, or one marque, or one era, or one type of car.

Turns out that nearly every car Jason and Derek have experienced has created fascination and interest in something they didn't previously know enough about to be interested.

Travel — i.e. experiencing new things — often creates unforeseeable interest in people and places you'd never have realized you were interested in.

So, umm, Never Stop Driving... new-to-you cars!

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Insights on Your Car's Future Value — The Carmudgeon Show w Jason Cammisa & Derek Tam-Scott — Ep 155 Jul 22, 2024

The enthusiast car market has cooled — which likely benefits you.

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This episode is the Tales of a Used Car Salesman, Derek Tam-Scott Edition! Derek spends his professional (and personal) life selling enthusiast and collectible cars, and he's noticed some major changes in the market.

The bottom hasn't fallen out, he says, but the market has become more rational — which means transaction prices seem to make sense. Even if that transaction price is $117,600 for a Laguna Seca Blue E46 M3.

Because Derek has a rational explanation for the record-breaking six-figure E46 M3 he sold last month.

All this insight and more, with a dose of comedy.

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America's Most Powerful Cars Ever — The Carmudgeon Show w/ Jason Cammisa & Derek Tam-Scott — Ep 154 Jul 15, 2024

Do we love fast cars? Or is the experience more important than the speed?

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Jason's T-Shirt: https://closed-course-productions.printify.me/

Get some behind-the-scenes of Jason's Ultimate Drag Race Replay episode racing the two most powerful American cars of all time: the 1234-hp Lucid Air Sapphire and the 1025-hp Dodge Challenger SRT Demon 170.

Jason's episode raced the cars both on regular asphalt and then on a VHT-prepped race surface at the Famoso Drag Strip.

Are the Carmudgeons impressed? We'll find out — in a discussion about whether the faster engine option is the better choice.

Is it speed we love? Or are we looking for experience? In that latter case, electric sports cars like the Rimac Nevera might be in trouble. And it might explain why Bugatti-Rimac's latest car uses a combustion engine.

This, and more, on this episode of the Carmudgeon Show.

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The Automotive 4-Letter Word — The Carmudgeon Show w/ Jason Cammisa & Derek Tam-Scott — Ep 153 Jul 08, 2024

Oh, truck it, let's say the word! Nobody likes the word "hybrid" but adding electric assist to combustion engines really can pave a way forward, especially for long-haul trucking.

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https://www.pickmebean.com

https://range.energy

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This week, Derek and Jason have an experience at Sonoma Raceway with Range Energy, a company focusing on hybridizing long-haul trucking. It's an ingenious solution to the problem of reducing emissions and fuel consumption, without needing to throw away existing diesel tractors.

And while they were there, they take Jason's e-Golf on the race track. Because, stupid.

But the idea of electricity helping combustion engines is what propelled Porsche to install a hybrid system on the 992.2 911 GTS. Learn how that system works in our discussion — including a chart of engine response of the last 3.0-liter twin-turbo six that debuted 991.2 Carrera versus naturally aspirated engines.

Also, Derek drives a Lucid Sapphire around Sonoma Raceway.

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Crazy Hybrids Are The New Normal — The Carmudgeon Show w/ Jason Cammisa & Derek Tam-Scott — Ep 152 Jul 01, 2024

It's not just Bugatti — we're seeing a shift away from pedestrian turbocharged engines and toward hybrids with an amazing engine as the centerpiece.

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There's a bunch of amazing stuff coming — but sadly nothing for enthusiasts who don't have unlimited funds.

Lamborghini has two new powertrains: a hybrid V-12 for the Revuelto and a 10,000-rpm V-8 for the Huracan replacement. Aston is developing a new V-12. The GMA T.50 and T.30 and Aston Valkyrie use a Cosworth V-12; the Bugatti Tourbillon uses a 9500-rpm Cosworth V-16. The Porsche 992.2 GTS uses an amazing hybrid turbocharged 3.6-liter flat-six.

What's happening in the car market? First, there's a discussion of who buys new cars? How old are car buyers? And how old is the average car on the road?

And why Hybrids all of a sudden?

What's happening is that manufacturers are realizing that a high-revving, vocal combustion engine is what customers want. And a plug-in hybrid system allows this to happen while passing emissions legislation.

All this and more in a very, very curmudgeonly episode of the Carmudgeon Show.

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Signs You Might Be A Bad Driver! — The Carmudgeon Show w/ Jason Cammisa & Derek Tam-Scott — Ep 151 Jun 24, 2024

Let's have some fun coming up with a list of things that other drivers do that piss you off! Make sure to comment below!

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This episode is sponsored by Vyper Industrial — America’s #1 rated shop chair, tool carts, and creepers, proudly made here in the US. Go to https://www.vyperindustrial.com/ and use code HAGERTY for $50 off on all your order!

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In this episode, Jason prompts Derek to come up with a list of 5 Signs You Might Be a Bad Driver.

Derek came up with one. Jason came up with a Biblical List of Driving Crimes, including:

1. If you're not angry, you're probably the problem.

2. If people are mad at you, you might be a bad driver.

3. If people are mad at you, and you don't know why, you're DEFINITELY a bad driver.

4. If you don't know the rules, you're a bad driver.

5. If you don't pull over to let people pass on a California road, you're a bad driver.

6. If you don't (always) use turn signals, you're a bad driver.

7. If your passengers can feel your lane changes, you're a bad driver.

8. If you don't use vehicular body language, you're a bad driver.

9. If your passengers' heads are bobbing around from your control inputs, you are a bad driver.

10. If you have worn out a clutch, you're probably a bad driver. (There are exceptions.)

11. If you hold a phone while driving, you're a bad driver.

12. If you don't rev-match, you're probably not a good driver.

13. If you don't double-clutch into 1st... you know the drill.

14. If you don't warm up your car, guess what? Bad driver.

15. If you don't hold the steering wheel at 9:00 or 3:00 (or anywhere not 180º apart) you're definitely a bad driver.

16. If you drink and drive, Jason has no respect for you and hopes you get arrested before you hurt someone else. If you hurt yourself, good.

17. You don't know why the ESP or Traction Control light is flashing, you are a bad driver.

18. If you haven't read your owner's manual, you might be a bad driver.

19. If you don't understand the Zipper Merge, you're not just a bad driver, you're a c-word.

20. If you break the law for the convenience of others, you're a bad driver.

21. If you don't care that you're inconveniencing someone else, you're a bad driver.

22. If you speed up when being passed, you're guilty of attempted murder.

And finally,

23. If you are the host of the Carmudgeon Show, you're definitely a bad driver. :)

Let us know what we forgot to include!

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Rivian R1T & R1S 2nd-gen Review — The Carmudgeon Show w/ Jason Cammisa & Derek Tam-Scott — Ep 150 Jun 17, 2024

There's a new set of Rivian twins on the market, but most of updates on the R1T and R1S are under the skin. But they're very significant!

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The new R1T and R1S feature new batteries, new motors, a new electrical architecture, new lighting, and new substantive updates to the interior — Jason flew to Washington to drive them on and off-road.

The new R1 includes infotainment updates that includes Apple Music — but still no Apple CarPlay, which Jason finds to be a wart on an otherwise near-perfect machine.

The other wart is the ride quality — it's still fantastic off-road, and it's better, but it's not up to the level of greatness attained by the rest of the vehicle.

The quad-motor variant rips off a face-melting 2.5-second 0-60 and 10.5 @ 130 mph in the quarter mile — which is impressive. But necessary?

Of course, the Carmudgeons spend some time insulting Subaru drivers (admitting that their experience with slow Subarus might be a San Francisco Bay Area phenomenon) but looking at some national statistics that show that Subaru drivers are the worst of any passenger-car brand.

And of course, they address people comparing their previous Waymo self-driving robotaxi episode experience to Tesla's Full Self Driving. They're not even remotely close.

More of this and more!

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Is Waymo The Best Taxi Ride Ever? — The Carmudgeon Show w/ Jason Cammisa & Derek Tam-Scott — Ep 149 Jun 10, 2024

We discuss the future of motoring in the back seat of a Jaguar I-Pace while it's being self-driven by Waymo's computers around San Francisco.

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The End Must Be Nigh — because Jason Cammisa convinced the ultimate self-driving car-hating Carmudgeon, Derek Tam-Scott, to ride along in the back of a Waymo on an hour-long city adventure. And even Derek had to admit...

We're getting ahead of ourselves. There's discussion about:

Who Is Waymo?

How is Waymo different than other autonomous brands like Cruise or Uber?

How do you hail a Waymo cab?

...and important journalistic endeavors like:

What happens if a minivan cuts you off and ABS'es to a stop in front of you?

Jason's Van, Jynah, wanted to know. So we found out.

The other question: to what standard should we hold self-driving taxis? Should they follow all rules? Should they prioritize safety and smoothness (like Jason suggests) or do whatever possible to minimize commute time, even at the risk of making passengers sick (like Derek wants?)

It's an amusing, intelligent real-time discussion on the future of self-driving cars. And no, Waymo is nothing like Tesla Autopilot or any other current car's self-driving system.

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The Most Fun You Can Have — The Carmudgeon Show w/ Jason Cammisa & Derek Tam-Scott — Ep 148 Jun 03, 2024

This week, the Carmudgeons recap their recent 600-mile back-road blast, which resulted in a surprise Best Car for the Mission. Unrelated, an update on their newly-acquired V-12 cars.

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Jason and Derek now both own V-12-powered cars. Jason confesses his 850 CSI purchase, which happened while he was doing research for an upcoming Revelations episode. Derek lit his on fire while learning that it needs an engine rebuild.

Turns out the BMW 850CSi has the shortest gear ratios of any V-12 car ever sold — and Jason is a self-described whore for short gearing.

Meanwhile, Derek bought a V12, manual Ferrari that has no compression in several cylinders.

The main subject of the episode is one of Jason and Derek's many friend-group backroad trips in Northern California. As usual, it was a varied group of cars:

Jason brought "Beatrice," his E30 BMW 325i sedan.

Derek brought his race-prepped Mk5 Volkswagen GTI.

Also present was a BMW Z3 2.8, an NA Miata, a GR Corolla, and one car that was very much not appropriate for tight mountain roads:

A C126 Mercedes 560SEC.

And the Mercedes was, by far, everyone's favorite. Wildly obese and far too large, with non-performance tires, the W126-chassis Mercedes should have been miserable. And what it instead demonstrated was perfect chassis balance, an indefatigable, 300-hp Euro/Japan-spec 5.5-liter engine, and a riotous time.

Sometimes, it's the wrong car on the right road that's the most fun.

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Is The EV Market Actually Doomed? — The Carmudgeon Show w/ Jason Cammisa & Derek Tam-Scott — Ep 147 May 28, 2024

It's largely being reported in the media that Electric Vehicles are in trouble — sales are down, inventory is up, and customers just aren't interested. Is any of this true?

...or is this just a blip in the now-unavoidable transition away from combustion vehicles?

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Special Tuesday Episode: Happy Memorial Day!

Hyundai is making great EVs. BMW is making really good EVs. Tesla (despite the controversy) is still selling the dickens out of its cars — and the new "Highland" Model 3 is nearly perfect.

But the rest of the industry? Perhaps no one is interested in their cars because the cars are crap. We don't know.

But the Carmudgeons certainly have opinions on it.

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The V12 Is(n't) the Ultimate Engine — The Carmudgeon Show w Jason Cammisa & Derek Tam-Scott — Ep 146 May 20, 2024

This is an inclusive list of every V-12 passenger car engine ever produced — with information, opinion, and the possibility that the V-12 isn't actually the best engine layout.

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Update: The data sharing programs from Honda, Hyundai (Verisk) and General Motors (Lexis Nexis) that we covered in Episode 143 have all been cancelled. Score one for Data Privacy and for Car Enthusiasts!

This episode stems from the quote from former Car and Driver editor (and founder of Automobile Magazine) David E. Davis, who said: “I firmly believe that everyone who is worth anything at all should own a 12-cylinder car before they die,”

We pose the question: why?

And then answer it with technical information about the V-12 engine layout, and discuss all of them — including defining the chapters of the V-12:

1. Prehistoric Luxury V12s.

2. Carbureted Performance/Racing V12s

3. Fuel-injected V12s.

4. Modern V12s.

Enjoy!

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The Full Piëchisode Podcast Bonus! — The Carmudgeon Show w Jason Cammisa & Derek Tam-Scott — Ep 145 May 13, 2024

Y'all never thought it was going to happen, but here it is — whether you've seen the ICONS video or not, this is one to watch!

HOODIE: https://tinyurl.com/CammisaHoodie

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After years of teasing, the Carmudgeon Show is finally covering the life and achievements of Ferdinand Piëch. This is where the idea began, and the boys provide far more in-depth information than Jason could cover in the relatively short ICONS episode.

Enjoy, and thanks for the patient wait!

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ND3 Miata Review & Pre-Piëchisode Ep — The Carmudgeon Show Jason Cammisa & Derek Tam-Scott — Ep 144 May 06, 2024

After a quick review of the updated (and even better) 2024 Mazda MX-5 Miata, the boys delve into the long-awaited Piëchisode by talking about the cars it featured.

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Included in this episode is a review and discussion of:

2024 Mazda Miata MX-5 (ND3)

1973 Porsche 911 Carrera 2.7 RS

1980 Mercedes-Benz 300SD Turbodiesel (W116)

1985 Audi Coupe Quattro (Ur-Quattro)

2002 Volkswagen Golf TDI (Mk4)

2004 Volkswagen Golf R32 (Mk4)

2004 Volkswagen Phaeton W12

2006 Bugatti Veyron 16.4

2014 Volkswagen XL1

2024 Bentley Continental GT Speed W12

and a small discussion of Ferdinand Piëch, Dieselgate, and corporate conscience (Boeing, The Ford Pinto)

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ALERT! These Cars Will Snitch On You — The Carmudgeon Show Jason Cammisa & Derek Tam-Scott — Ep 143 Apr 29, 2024

Your Honda, Acura, Hyundai or Kia is selling driving data to insurance companies as an excuse to hurt enthusiasts. And that is disgusting.

UPDATE: General Motors has cancelled its OnStar Smart Driver System, which means you can safely keep driving your Blackwing like it was meant to be driven.

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It has recently come to light that three major auto manufacturers have been selling consumer driving data to LexisNexis so that it can be sold to your insurance company and used against you to raise your rates or cancel your insurance.

Not only is this a gross violation of your expectation of privacy, but it's also a flawed reporting system.

This is especially difficult for Jason, since he so enthusiastically recommends many Honda and Hyundai products — and now has to backtrack. The Civic Type R is off his shopping list together with all Honda, Acura, Hyundai, and Kia products, until their manufacturers can ensure drivers that their data is not being shared.

**NOTE: This episode was recorded before Jason drove the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N.**

Of course, the Carmudgeons don't stop complaining just there, but then go onto a discussion of "corporate conscience" and ethics in engineering including Volkswagen's Dieselgate, the Challenger space ship, the Ford Pinto, and of course Boeing.

And United Airlines' Bingo.

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2024 Tesla Model 3 Performance Full Review w/ Jason Cammisa — The Carmudgeon Show Ep. 142 Apr 23, 2024

The "Highland" Tesla Model 3 is a big step forward for the world's best transportation device. The new Performance (not Plaid!) model approaches sport-sedan perfection

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The facelifted '24 Model 3 Performance features fully revised suspension, with not a single shared component with the regular Model 3 Long Range. It features real-time adaptive shocks, for the first time on a 3, that adjust continually (in a combined compression/rebound adjustment.)

The New M3P's interior features real (excellent) sport seats, a carbon-fiber "blade" on the dashboard, and an adjustable track mode that allows full control of handling balance.

The exterior gets unique front fascia with an air dam, a rear spoiler and diffuser, and forged, staggered wheels.

Weight is the same as the outgoing car, at 4055 lb. Range should increase 2-3% in the real world versus the previous car. Pricing will be less than $60,000.

Model 3 Performance's output is 510 hp and 547 lb-ft, and it comes with additional rear bias thanks to the more powerful 4th-generation rear motor. The last car would put 60 to 70% power to the rear, the new one is capable of sending 70 to 85% power to the rear at most times.

The inverter can now handle 950 amps, up from the previous 830A, and the battery is now the limiting factor in output.

The new Performance logo looks similar to the Plaid badge, but isn't — that will be held for 3-motor variants with carbon-sleeve-wrapped rotors.

But the specs aren't what's important here — enjoy the full review from Jason Cammisa.

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Hyundai Ioniq 5 N Is The Answer — The Carmudgeon Show w/ Jason Cammisa & Derek Tam-Scott — Ep 141 Apr 16, 2024

There's finally a hot-hatch for enthusiasts that runs on electricity — and it's a $67,500 Hyundai!

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This is the Embargoed first review of the 2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 N by Jason Cammisa!

The Ioniq 5 N isn't just an EV — it has a mode called N e-Shift that emulates an internal combustion engine and 8-speed dual-clutch automatic.... and it's so good, it could genuinely fool an enthusiast into thinking it's real.

Should this be happening? Is simulated fun as good as real fun?

Well, on track, the Ioniq 5 N is actual fun — with a well-behaved, well-balanced chassis set up for tail-out antics. Learn all about it in this full review from Jason Cammisa.

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Automakers Are Cheating Again! — The Carmudgeon Show w/ Jason Cammisa & Derek Tam-Scott — Ep 140 Apr 08, 2024

If you've noticed that headlights are blinding, you should know it's because automakers are cheating on lighting standards, just as they've cheated about emissions and safety. Jason calls it Lighting-Gate!

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The dim-witted U.S. Government has blocked automakers from installing Adaptive Matrix Lights, which are a quantum step forward in lighting technology, because it worries about them blinding oncoming traffic.

Which they're specifically designed to avoid.

Meanwhile, the automakers have been blatantly cheating on lighting standards by installing "dark pixels" so that their cars pass the ill-written letter of the law but entirely not the spirit. And the government hasn't noticed — they've probably been blinded by those headlights.

And worse, at the same time, they've allowed cars to be driven without a single light on their exterior — but a fully illuminated, dimmed instrument panel.

And ALSO, allows red turn signals, when amber turn signals have been demonstrated to reduce rear-end collisions by a FOURTH.

We have an epidemic of bad automotive lighting in America, and the automakers need to be held accountable.

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Random Number Generator Car Reviews — The Carmudgeon Show w Jason Cammisa & Derek Tam-Scott — Ep 139 Apr 01, 2024

Back by popular demand, Jason and Derek dive into reviews of random cars from their past. And Jason hits gold.

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Jason and Derek stumbled across what must be Jason's harshest car review ever — his first drive of the R35 Nissan GT-R. While he recognizes that he doesn't actually hate it that much, it's a flashback to our first glimpse into modern, turbocharged, dual-clutch, all-wheel-drive "Sports Cars." Jason hated it.

But he didn't hate everything — as always, Derek and Jason found plenty of fun cars to review!

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The End of the Stickshift — The Carmudgeon Show feat Jason Cammisa & Derek Tam HyphenScott — Ep 138 Mar 25, 2024

The GTI's manual is dead — despite half of U.S.-spec GTIs being sold with a clutch pedal. What on earth is going on?

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In this episode of the Carmdudgeon show, we discuss every manual-transmission car on sale in the U.S., and what percentage of buyers opt for it. This includes:

Acura Integra Type S

Acura Integra

BMW M2

BMW M3

BMW M4

Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing

Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing

Chevrolet Camaro

Dodge Challenger

Ford Mustang

Ford Bronco

Honda Civic Manual

Honda Civic Si

Honda Civic Type R

Hyundai Elantra N

Hyundai Veloster N

Jeep Wrangler

Jeep Gladiator

Kia Forte

Mazda Miata ND2

Mazda3 Manual

Mini Cooper

Mini Cooper S

Mini Cooper John Cooper Works JCW

Nissan Versa

Nissan Z Manual

Porsche 718

Porsche 911

911 GT3

Cayman GT4

Boxeter Spyder

Subaru WRX

Subaru BRZ

Subaru Impreza Crosstrek

Toyota GR 86

Toyota GR Supra

Toyota Tacoma

Volkswagen Golf R

Volkswagen Jetta GLI

Volkswagen Golf GTI

Volkswagen Jetta S

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The History of Lamborghini — The Carmudgeon Show feat Jason Cammisa & Derek Tam HyphenScott — Ep 137 Mar 18, 2024

Lamborghini has turned out to be everything Ferruccio didn't want it to be — and thank heavens. What started out as the Ultimate Grudge Match against Enzo Ferrari created some of the most outrageous cars ever made.

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This episode covers the history of Lamborghini — from Ferruccio's infamous clash with Enzo Ferrari over a slipping clutch, through the Miura, Coutach, LM002, Diablo, Murciélago, Aventador — and the lesser-known models like the Urraco and the front-engined Islero, Jarama, Espada, et al.

Oh, and the Lamborghini Urus.

And of course, we discuss the now-late, great designer, Marcello Gandini — who designed so many of Lamborghini's most beautiful cars.

Learn everything about the history of the world's most outrageous car company — here. With laughs, smiles, and too much caffeine.

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Florida Delivered The Goods And Cars! — The Carmudgeon Show Jason Cammisa & Derek Tam-Scott — Ep 136 Mar 11, 2024

The boys are back from The Amelia, and now you get the recap on all that was amazing.

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The Amelia is one of the most prestigious Concours in America, but it's evolving more quickly than most — there was a whole 1990s JDM supercar section!

And the same weekend, a Radwood, a Cars & Caffeine, a Porsche show, and The Hangar.

Loads of great cars, even for Carmudgeons who aren't aged!

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Live from The Amelia in Florida — The Carmudgeon Show w/ Jason Cammisa & Derek Tam-Scott — Ep. 135 Mar 03, 2024

In this episode of the Carmudgeon Show, presented by Vyper Chairs, was recorded live on location at The Amelia in lovely, rainy Florida!

https://www.vyperindustrial.com/collections/vyper-chairs

The Carmudgeons have just arrived in Florida, and are greeted by a stunning Chrysler Halcyon concept car. The boys interview special guests Ralph Gilles, lead designer, and Christine Feuell, Chrysler Brand CEO.

Of course, there's a discussion of vintage Mercedes-Benzes, but in a surprise turn, the Carmudgeons talk more about vintage racing Audis — namely the Audi 200 that competed in IMSA.

And, of course, Radwood Amelia Island!

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The Delicate Dance of Being Nice To Cars — Carmudgeon Show Jason Cammisa & Derek Tam-Scott — Ep. 134 Feb 26, 2024

It's not always easy being nice when you're paid to be honest. This week, the Carmudgeons discuss how to give a bad review without upsetting everyone.

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John Phillips: "What Not To Write."

https://www.caranddriver.com/features/columns/a15127687/john-phillips-a-whole-bunch-of-what-not-to-write-column/

Derek's job is to facilitate sales of cars between collectors, which often requires him to be honest to both buyer and seller. That's especially difficult when a car isn't great.

Jason's job is to give unbiased, fact-based reviews of cars. It's easy when things are good, but word choice and observations require extra scrutiny when insults are flying.

Perhaps no one did harsh reviews better than Automobile Magazine's Robert Cumberford or Car and Driver's John Phillips. And so Jason recounts Robert's hilarious takedown of the famously opulent Bugatti EB110 reveal from 1991. And he found a Car and Driver column from Mr. Phillips where he shared some of his most hilarious burns.

But the best part of the episode? Listening to Derek giggle.

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What Your Car Says About You Part 2 — Carmudgeon Show w Jason Cammisa & Derek Tam-Scott — Ep. 133 Feb 19, 2024

Hate to say it, but we all form opinions about the drivers of car brands. In this episode, the Carmudgeons finish their discussion of how they perceive drivers of different cars.

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Your car is an avatar, and you're being judged on it. Jason and Derek laugh their way through their own offensiveness, giving honest reactions to how they consider drivers of different brands of cars. This is episode #2, going reverse-alphabetically through the list of manufacturers from Volvo to Kia.

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The Rover SD1 and British Leyland — The Carmudgeon Show w Jason Cammisa & Derek Tam-Scott — Ep. 132 Feb 14, 2024

In this episode, we take a close look at British Leyland through the eyes of the Rover 3500 (SD1)starts a discussion about the current state of — and scary future of — Stellantis.

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British Leyland was the combined entity of many, many English car brands: Austin, Land Rover, Leyland, MG, Riley, Wolseley, Vanden Plas, Princess, Jaguar, Daimler, Mini, Innocenti, Morris, Rover, Triumph, and several others.

This sounds remarkably similar to today's Stellantis: Abarth, Alfa Romeo, Chrysler, Citroën, Dodge, DS, Fiat, Jeep, Lancia, Maserati, Opel, Peugeot, Ram, and Vauxhall.

The curmudgeonly Carmudgeons look to see if history is about to repeat itself, exploring what went wrong with the development and production of the gorgeous Rover SD1.

The Carmudgeon Show is part of the Hagerty Podcast Network

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What Your Car Says About You — The Carmudgeon Show with Jason Cammisa & Derek Tam-Scott — Ep. 131 Feb 05, 2024

Like it or not, we all form opinions about the drivers of car brands. In this episode, the Carmudgeons discuss how they perceive drivers of different cars.

===

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Your car is an avatar, and you're being judged on it. Jason and Derek laugh their way through their own offensiveness, giving honest reactions to how they consider drivers of different brands of cars. This is episode #1, covering Subaru at first, and then alphabetically going through the list of manufacturers from Acura to Jeep.

It includes stereotypes of:

Acura drivers,

Alfa Romeo drivers,

Aston Martin drivers,

Audi drivers,

Bentley drivers,

BMW drivers,

Buick drivers,

Cadillac drivers,

Chevrolet drivers,

Chrysler drivers,

Dodge drivers,

Ferrari drivers,

Fiat drivers,

Ford drivers,

Genesis drivers,

Honda drivers,

Hyundai drivers,

Infiniti drivers,

Jaguar drivers, and

Jeep drivers.

This might be the most curmudgeonly episode of the Carmudgeon Show yet, because it sure seems like Jason and Derek hate everyone else on the road. At least they hate everyone equally?

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Meet Anthony Esposito and Rob Sanders — Carmudgeon Show w Jason Cammisa & Derek Tam-Scott — Ep. 130 Jan 29, 2024

The Good Old Days vs Tomorrow — The Carmudgeon Show with Jason Cammisa & Derek Tam-Scott — Ep 129 Jan 23, 2024

"The good old days weren't always good. And tomorrow ain't as bad as it seems."

Jason and Derek got a huge amount of feedback from the previous episode discussing whether the current car market sucks for Young Enthusiasts. In this episode, the Carmudgeons discuss the feedback — and further define what the problem is — and why that results in outrageous dealer ADMs and shady sales practices.

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First up, Jason is getting beat up on his Cybertruck review — lately having been asked by CNBC whether the Tesla has a snow problem. Meanwhile — all eyes are on the Cybertruck. And our politicized environment just can't cope.

Second, Derek got lots of feedback from 20-somethings who agreed with him that there are no cool cars post-2000 — and that their economic situation has changed sufficiently that they can't own enthusiast cars, anyway.

Meanwhile, Jason got the opposite feedback — that things aren't that bad.

What ensues is, as always, an intelligent discussion about the car market. And how today's economics — and lack of great choices for enthusiast — have encouraged dealers to add slimy markups, prevent buyers from test driving cars they're genuinely interested in buying, and other slimeball practices.

In short, Jason quotes Billy Joel: "The good old days weren't always good. And tomorrow ain't as bad as it seems."

Except for dealers. Car dealers are just awful.

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Today's 5 Most Innovative Cars — The Carmudgeon Show with Jason Cammisa & Derek Tam-Scott — Ep 128 Jan 15, 2024

This episode is a great discussion coming from a question submitted by our producer Jake: what is the modern equivalent of the Mercedes W201 190E?

This episode of “The Carmudgeon Show” is presented by Valentine One Radar Locator: Find radar before it finds you! https://bit.ly/Valentine1_Hagerty

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Jason and Derek try to come up with a list of 5 Cars That Are Significant Like the W201 was.

The first question is what made that old Mercedes so special. The criteria are:

Technical Innovation.

Moving Into a New Market.

Meaningful Change to the Industry.

Democratizing Features Previously Not Part of a Segment

With bonus points for:

Motorsport Heritage

Design

Then, it becomes so much more. And possibly includes the Hyundai/Kia triplets: Hyundai Ioniq 5, Genesis GV60, and Kia EV6. The 1992 Toyota Camry.

The answer lies somewhere between Tesla's Model 3, the Porsche Cayenne, the Toyota Prius, and the Lexus LS400.

===

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A Bad Time To Be a Young Enthusiast — Carmudgeon Show w Jason Cammisa & Derek Tam-Scott — Ep 127 Jan 08, 2024

Derek feels like young enthusiasts have gotten screwed in multiple ways — there are no affordable collectible cars anymore and there are no modern cars that are fun and affordable. Plus, with increased cost of living and sky-high student debt, young people have no chance of owning anything great.

Jason fully disagrees.

This episode of “The Carmudgeon Show” is presented by Valentine One Radar Locator: Find radar before it finds you! https://bit.ly/Valentine1_Hagerty

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This is a rare instance where Jason Cammisa and Derek Tam-Scott disagree. Jason feels like Derek (who's ironically more than a decade younger) doesn't understand young people: the cars that appeal to Derek (and older buyers) just don't appeal to younger buyers. And the cars that do appeal to young people are too new for Derek to care about them — but they do exist!

What follows is intelligent conversation about getting older, whether cars are actually getting better, whether there are any interesting post-2000 or post-2010 cars — and whether Derek is just too old to understand.

Plus, Jason shows Derek his opulent, ridiculous, and over-the-top new garage decor, talks about his 2020-part-4 surprise Covid, and Derek talks about his new car-sales business: OTS & Company.

Or, OT Sand Co., dot com.

===

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Learning About Tires Leads to Rallycross — Carmudgeon Show w Jason Cammisa Derek Tam-Scott — Ep 126 Dec 25, 2023

It's a special bonus holiday episode of the Carmudgeon Show! The boys meant to do an episode teaching you everything you need to know about tires.

This episode of “The Carmudgeon Show” is presented by Valentine One Radar Locator: Find radar before it finds you! https://bit.ly/Valentine1_Hagerty

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The tire conversation lead to fun experiences involving different brands — and Derek discovering Rallycross, which is like autocross, but filthy.

Jason has lots of experience pushing different tires to the limit — and Michelins seem to hold up to whatever he throws at them. Pirellis? Less so. The biggest surprise lately is Vredestein Tires, which Jason has been experiencing recently.

A Bridgestone fan for years, Jason recently placed third overall in a 24 Hours of Lemons race using Bridgestone's new Potenza RE-71RS. They wore well, but gripped fantastically in the dry and (especially) in the wet.

Things the boys discussed: what to know about tire size, ratings, and categories. Pirelli CN36s look great, but are they better than Michelin's XWS repops, manufactured by Coker?

And what's with Jason's Hankook experience? Who is Petlas? Why is Dunlop's Direzza ZII great, and why can't Yokohama make a round s.Drive?

Also — some discussion of efficiency on Jason's Volkswagen e-Golf, which dropped by nearly 40% after switching from the factory Bridgestones to larger, far more aggressive Michelin Pilot Sport 4S. The plan is to try out Vredestein Quatracs over the rainy season to see if he can get some range back.

Don't forget — the only thing touching the ground is your tires. Choose appropriately!

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911 S/T Review + Our Favorite Cars of 2023 — Carmudgeon Show Jason Cammisa Derek Tam-Scott — Ep 125 Dec 18, 2023

Jason drives the 2024 Porsche 911 S/T, the latest limited-production sports car from the Rennsport division of Porsche that makes the GT2, GT3, and GT4. And this leads to a discussion of our favorite drives of the year.

This episode of “The Carmudgeon Show” is presented by Valentine One Radar Locator: Find radar before it finds you! https://bit.ly/Valentine1_Hagerty

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The 2024 Porsche 911 S/T is the 992's version of the 991.1's 911R — the ultimate driver's car within the 911 lineup. A naturally aspirated, 9000-rpm, independent-throttle-body, 518-hp flat-six with a 6-speed manual.

It's limited-production, which is frustrating, but has convinced Jason that it's the best sports car on the market today. Or perhaps ever.

The discussion leads Jason Cammisa and Derek Hyphen to discuss their favorite drives of the year, including quick reviews of:

Rimac Nevera

Ford F-150 Raptor R

Lotus Emira

Toyota GR Corolla Morizo

Lancia Delta Integrale

Renault R5 Turbo Évolution

Ferrari 250 California Spider replice

Ferrari 246 Dino

Toyota GR Yaris Circuit

Audi RS2 Avant

Porsche 911 RS (964)

Porsche 911 GT2 (997)

Bentley Mulsanne EWB

Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.5-16 Evolution II

Lucid Air Sapphire

...and of course a quick discussion of the politics surrounding Jason's review of the Tesla Cybertruck, including Matt Farah (The Smoking Tire) objections. [This was recorded before Jason and Matt recorded the TST Podcast to clear the air.]

The Carmudgeon Show is part of the Hagerty Podcast Network

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The 2024 Hagerty Bull Market w Larry Webster — Carmudgeon Show Cammisa & Derek Tam-Scott — Ep 124 Dec 11, 2023

This episode is an unfiltered chat about the 2024 Hagerty Bull Market — an annual gathering of collector cars that are poised to appreciate in the next year.

This episode of “The Carmudgeon Show” is presented by Valentine One Radar Locator: Find radar before it finds you! https://bit.ly/Valentine1_Hagerty

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Learn more about the 2024 Bull Market at Hagerty.com/media

Hagerty Media boss Larry Webster joined as our special guest to discuss the list of cars that made the 2024 Bull Market List — and many that didn't.

Ferrari 308 GT4 Dino

The E9X BMW M3 Competition (E90 and E92)

E46 M3

E36 M3

E30 M3

Porsche 911 (997)

Chrysler Town & Country

A124 Mercedes E320 Cabriolet

Lamborghini Countach 25th Anniversary

Mitsubishi Pajero Evo

Jaguar XJ6

Rover SD1

Lotus Omega / Vauxhall Carlton

Lancia Delta Integrale

Honda Beat

Ferrari FF 4RM

Ferrari 612 Scaglietti

FD3S (FD) Mazda RX-7

Z32 Nissan Z

Chevrolet Impala SS (1965-1970)

Ford Galaxie

Jeep Comanche

Jeep Scrambler

Jaguar XKR

C3 Corvette

Ford Thunderbird

Lincoln Continental

Plymouth Prowler

Maserati Quattroporte V

Lancia Fulvia

As always, there are lots (perhaps too many) opinions about the cars. And much comedy.

The Carmudgeon Show is part of the Hagerty Podcast Network.

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Getting Down to Two Cars & General Update — The Carmudgeon Show Cammisa & Derek Tam-Scott — Ep 123 Dec 04, 2023

It's time for a quick Carmudgeon Catch-Up. The boys have been busy filming, but they're back in the studio for a session to discuss what's been going on. And, it turns out, to ponder what life would be like with only two cars.

This episode of “The Carmudgeon Show” is presented by Valentine One Radar Locator: Find radar before it finds you! https://bit.ly/Valentine1_Hagerty

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The updates are many! Jason's Dodge Grand Caravan finally got the custom license plate he ordered almost a year ago – and its innocent profanity is making him laugh.

Beatrice the E30 325i is back on the road after a double-suspension swap with Jason's 325i Touring. Thanks to help from the legendary Bill Arnold Independent BMW, the Spec E30 kit is now on Beatrice, complete with a new clutch and throw-out bearing, and she's ready for track days and rallies. And, of course, taking Jason's niece to Thunderhill Raceway's Teen Survival driving school. Where G learned just how it feels to be in low-earth orbit.

And the 325iT switched back to factory antiroll bars with H&R's new springs, tuned specifically for E30 Touring, and Bilstein B8 shocks that were a gift from our friend Sreten at M539 Restoration in Germany.

Meanwhile, Jason also went to Radwood SoCal 2023, where he gave away a gorgeous set of RML Snowflake wheels to a deserving Scirocco fan. He also met @outlaw_welt — a fan and a gentleman who 3D-printed a bunch of Carmudgeon Show and Jason Cammisa Hagerty Show logo pieces. And gave Jason a ride to the airport in his C126 500SEC 6-speed manual.

Of course, no Carmudgeon Show would be complete without a discussion of Sacco-era Mercedes, and the boys successfully put on a Cars & Coffee in Berkeley on Bruno Sacco's 90th Birthday. More than 100 cars showed up, including almost a dozen W124 500Es. Quite an achievement — and Happy Birthday, Mr. Sacco!

Meanwhile, Jason will have just completed his third 24 Hours of Lemons race at Sonoma Raceway (wish him luck and safety) with Bill Arnold and Randy Pobst. The last time they ran this race, 2 years ago, they won overall in their tired, battered E28 BMW.

And Derek has major news to share: he's parting ways with ISSIMI to start his own dealership. Daihatsu? Daewoo? Either way, Derek will be peddling the Cheapest D in Town! Details to follow!

And he spent a couple days driving his brother's Rivian R1S. Derek's bro has what could possibly be the best 2-car solution ever: an ND2 Miata and a Rivian. This leads the boys to discuss: what would happen if they had to get down to just two cars. Would Jason keep just the Scirocco and the Ferrari? What else?

And could Derek actually do it?

The Carmudgeon Show is part of the Hagerty Podcast Network.

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Jason's 3-day Exclusive with the Cybertruck — The Carmudgeon Show Cammisa & Derek Tam-Scott — Ep 122 Dec 01, 2023

The Cybertruck is easily the most controversial vehicle of the last decade, and Tesla gave Jason Cammisa exclusive access to its engineers — to drive it, watch it in a crash-test, drag race it, race it around a go-kart track, and hit it with a sledgehammer.

This is a companion podcast to the "Jason Cammisa on the ICONS" episode, available on the Hagerty YouTube channel.

Click here to join the Hagerty Driver's Club: https://bit.ly/Join-HDC-Cammisa-ICONS

As mentioned in the podcast, see the original Car and Driver road test of the 1987 Lamborghini LM002 here: https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/a15142136/lamborghini-lm002-archived-instrumented-test-review/

The Cybertruck has finally launched, 4 years after its shape was revealed to the public. What we didn't know in the intervening years was that the shape was the least outrageous part of Tesla's truck.

Underneath the structural stainless-steel skin is an entirely-new method of constructing vehicle, with enormous aluminum castings and a structural battery pack made of Gen-2 4860 cells developed by Tesla. The Truck uses a new 800-volt battery and motor architecture with a switch to run the battery modules in series/parallel hybrid mode for 400-volt backwards compatibility.

The 12v low-voltage system has been replaced by an industry-first 48-volt architecture, together with a new electrical architecture and gigabit CAN.

And the Cybertruck is the world's fully steer-by-wire vehicle - using nothing but electric motors to turn both the front and rear wheels.

In addition, this 3-motor variant pulls off consistent 2.6-second 0-to-60 runs and manages 11.0 @ 119 mph through the quarter-mile, a production truck world record (by some margin — beating the previous record holder, the Rivian R1T Quad-Motor through the 1/4-mile by 0.7 seconds.)

This podcast is Jason Unfiltered, talking about his experience with the Cybertruck to film the ICONS episode.

The Carmudgeon Show is part of the Hagerty Podcast Network.

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Ultimate Porsche 911 Spotter's Guide — The Carmudgeon Show w Jason Cammisa & Derek Tam-Scott — Ep 121 Nov 27, 2023

The Most Important Mercedes Ever? — The Carmudgeon Show w/ Jason Cammisa & Derek Tam-Scott — Ep. 120 Nov 20, 2023

This episode of the Carmudgeon Show is a documentary on the Mercedes-Benz W201 — the 190E, which might be the most important Mercedes ever.

Click here to join the Hagerty Driver's Club: https://bit.ly/Join-HDC-Cammisa-ICONS

The W201-chassis 1982 Mercedes 190E was a game-changer, because it was a ground-up new car that allowed the luxury car maker to move into the small-car space.

This is the full story of how the W201 came to be (hint: it was a response to US fuel-economy regulations) and the barely comprehensible about of engineering R&D that went into it — 4 billion Deutschmarks.

In this episode, we talk about all 190E variants — from the base 2.0-liter, 8-valve and 190D 2.5 Diesels, to the 190E 2.3-16 and 190E 2.5-16 Evolution II DTM car.

The Carmudgeon Show is part of the Hagerty Podcast Network.

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What Does Handling Really Mean? — The Carmudgeon Show w/ Jason Cammisa & Derek Tam-Scott — Ep. 119 Nov 06, 2023

People often misunderstand the definition of "handling." What does the term really mean — and what makes the Lucid Air Sapphire the best-handling car in the world?

Click here to join the Hagerty Driver's Club: https://bit.ly/Join-HDC-Cammisa-ICONS

Watch Larry Webster try to roll a Corvair:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NI9Hq0_Mhy0

Watch Jason Cammisa and Jason Fenske in the Lucid Sapphire:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Via70c8rOOY

In this episode of the Carmudgeon Show, part of the Hagerty Podcast Network, Jason Cammisa and Derek Tam-Hyphen-Scott discuss handling. Jason recently drove the Lucid Air Sapphire and proclaimed it the best-handling car ever.*

*With the possible exception of the Rimac Nevera, which he hasn't slid around.

What makes the Lucid different? Is it merely grip? Or composure? Or does the 3-motor torque-vectoring, combined with in-house 1000-Hz stability control and perfect software and hardware tuning simply follow its driver's wishes flawlessly?

How does this EV compare to cars from the traditionals — like the VW id.4 or the Mercedes EQS, or even the Vinfast? What about this car makes it "Engineered Like No Other" more so than any current Mercedes. Or help it adhere to Lotus' Colin Chapman's "Simplify and Add Lightness" mantra even though it weighs more than 5000 lb?

Watch and find out!

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Every Mustang including Dark Horse — Carmudgeon Show w/ Jason Cammisa & Derek Tam-Scott — Ep. 118 Oct 30, 2023

Review of the 2024 S650 Ford Mustang Dark Horse and every generation of Mustangs ever — it's The Mustang Episode!

Click here to join the Hagerty Driver's Club: https://bit.ly/Join-HDC-Cammisa-ICONS

In this episode of the Carmudgeon Show, automotive journalist Jason Cammisa talks with historian and expert Derek Tam-Scott about the history of the Ford Mustang.

The story begins with Lee Iacocca's 1965 Mustang, which was largely a marketing ruse, since the sports-car looks masked an economy-car chassis. And heads through the Mustang II, the Fox-Body and SN95 Mustang, the S197 Mustang, and finally the S550, including the incredible Shelby GT350 and GT500 models.

And then finally, Jason reviews the S650 Mustang GT Performance and Mustang Dark Horse. Including comparing it with the BMW M2, Toyota GR Supra, and the gorgeous Lotus Emira.

It's everything you need to know about the Ford Mustang.

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Random Number Generator Car Reviews #4 — Carmudgeon Show w Jason Cammisa & Derek Tam-Scott — Ep. 117 Oct 25, 2023

Ask Us Anything Part 2 — Carmudgeon Show w Jason Cammisa & Derek Tam-Scott — Ep. 116 Oct 17, 2023

Ask Us Anything Part 1 — Carmudgeon Show w Jason Cammisa & Derek Tam-Scott — Ep. 115 Oct 09, 2023

This week, it's your questions and our answers!

HagSwag! Cool Mugs!

https://shop.hagerty.com/

Click here to join the Hagerty Driver's Club: https://bit.ly/Join-HDC-Cammisa-ICONS

Jason and Hyphen have asked you to pose your questions, and as usual, you've proven that the Carmudgeon Audience is a bunch of smart, interesting humans. The questions were thought-provoking and intelligent.

So, too, were the students of CCS in Detroit, with whom the the boys chatted a few weeks ago — the curmudgeonly Carmudgeons were loathe to admit that the future is in good hands.

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The Full Air-Cooled Porsche 911 Story — Carmudgeon Show w Jason Cammisa & Derek Tam-Scott — Ep. 114 Oct 02, 2023

Become an expert on the original Porsche 911 in just one hour!

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The original, air-cooled Porsche 911 Classic spanned many variations and several variants over its 34-year run. In this episode of the Carmudgeon Show, Porsche expert Derek Tam-Scott gives you everything-you-need-to-know to become an expert on the 911.

Derek starts out by talking about the original engineering, and then quickly covers the variants of the original long-hood cars, which had 2.0, 2.2, and 2.4-liter engines (though the latter actually displaced 2.3 liters.)

There were carbureted, MFI, and Bosch CIS-E (K-Jetronic) variants, even before the next-generation G-Body was launched, with a 2.7-liter flat-six and impact bumpers.

It was this version where the Carrera began — with the 2.7 and later 3.0 liter versions.

The 911 SC came later, in model year 1978, with 3.0-liter engines — and it was to be the last of the 911s. Thankfully, CEO Peter Schutz, an American, saved it from being replaced by the V-8-powered 928.

The SC was replaced with the Carrera 3.2, with Motronic fuel injection, before the original 911 was finally replaced — by the 1989 964, which was a functional enhancement but still basically the same car.

The 964 replaced the original 911's torsion-bar suspension with coil springs — and power steering was available for the first time. It used a 3.6-liter.

The final variant of the original 911 was the 993. If 85% of the parts were new for the 964, a further 80% were new again for the 993. Here, the 911 got the Weissach Axle rear multi-link suspension, VarioRam 3.6-liter, and a 6-speed manual.

Learn about all of these Porsches in this episode!

The Carmudgeon Show is part of the Hagerty Podcast Network

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Live From The Detroit Concours w/ Richard Vaughan — The Carmudgeon Show — Cammisa & Hyphen — Ep. 113 Sep 25, 2023

Recorded live at the 2023 Detroit Concours, with special guest Richard Vaughan!

Click here to join the Hagerty Driver's Club: https://bit.ly/Join-HDC-Cammisa-ICONS

This week, Jason and Derek travel to Detroit to check out the Detroit Concours d'Elegance — and of course Jason's first move is to go over to the RADWOOD-Era cars! There's an Alpine V6 Turbo that immediately captures his attention — and then he's distracted with a Ford Raptor-swapped Delorean with 450 hp and a six-speed manual.

On closer inspection, and after instruction from Hyphen, there are other fabulous cars. For example, an incredible one-of-400 Series 70 1957 Cadillac Eldorado Broughams, a pillarless, hand-built hardtop coupe with a stainless-steel roof that cost more than a Rolls-Royce. And a Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spyder, one of the most valuable Ferraris ever.

But the true highlight of the episode is a conversation with Richard Vaughan, Jason's longtime friend and storied designer. Richard started his career by designing the original Lincoln Navigator, and most recently worked on the Rivian R1T's interior. But the coolest part about him is his cars: he owns an original Aston Martin Lagonda sedan, several Bentleys and Rolls-Royces, and of course a Sacco-era Mercedes W124 300CE Coupe in Smoke Silver.

The Carmudgeon Show was recorded live in front of an audience at the show, while sitting on beautiful and comfortable Recaro chairs — and is part of the Hagerty Podcast Network.

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Driving the 2024 Lotus Emira & Eletre — Carmudgeon Show w/ Jason Cammisa & Derek Tam-Scott — Ep. 112 Sep 18, 2023

The Lotus Emira is fantastic — and the Carmudgeons have a lot to say about it. The last gasoline-powered Lotus is certainly a looker — but it's very closely related to the Evora it replaces. And while the Evora was always good, was it ever truly great?

Click here to join the Hagerty Driver's Club: https://bit.ly/Join-HDC-Cammisa-ICONS

Jason, who owns a Lotus Elise, is always in search of "bad cars" — sports cars that provide experience but make poor transportation devices. Is the Evora enough of an assault on its driver's senses?

Derek isn't a fan of the Elise because of the sounds its creaky body and rattly interior make — he loves a great GT. Is the Evora comfortable enough?

Luckily, the boys have a clear answer to the question: Lotus Evora or Porsche 911?

And then a unanimous decision on the Lotus Eletre, the brand's first SUV: it drives unlike anything else. Jason drove the Eletre as a surprise — without knowing anything about it.

A Lotus engineer told the boys it was a 905-hp Eletre R with 3 motors and torque vectoring. Turns out the 905 hp comes from 2 motors, and what Jason felt and described as the most obvious torque-vectoring he's ever felt is actually rear-wheel steering.

Whatever the cause, the boys both enjoy the SUV's maneuverability and outrageous speed (Lotus claims 0-60 in under 3 seconds.)

Is there a future for Lotus in a heavy-EV world?

There shouldn't be. But Jason and Derek feel there is.

The Carmudgeon Show is part of the Hagerty Podcast Network.

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Mercedes Motor Swaps w/ Matt Kwiek — Carmudgeon Show feat. Jason Cammisa & Derek Tam-Scott — Ep. 111 Sep 11, 2023

This week, the Carmudgeons welcome special guest Matt Kwiek, mastermind of numerous outrageous Mercedes engine swaps.

Matt helped Derek swap the engine in Derek's Holy Grail purple ("Bornite") S124 E320 dogleg-manual wagon from a 3.2-liter to a freshly built 3.6-liter from a W202 C36 AMG.

The swap happened at Jason's warehouse with the help of his Bendpak lift — and the motor is a straight drop-in. Easy work for Matt Kwiek, who built a reputation for custom engine swaps in older Mercedes.

The Carmudgeons both spent time driving Matt's white C126 500SEC, which features a 5.4-liter M113 (from an S55 AMG) and computer-controlled 722.6 5-speed automatic transmission.

For more info on Matt and his creations, see:

https://www.kwiekclassics.com/

https://www.instagram.com/kwiekclassics/

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The Carmudgeon Show is part of the Hagerty Podcast Network.

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How To Survive Monterey Car Week — Carmudgeon Show with Jason Cammisa & Derek Tam-Scott — Ep. 110 Aug 28, 2023

Carmudgeons made it through unscathed!

Jason's Honda Beat didn't — it wound up getting towed 148 miles home using Hagerty Roadside Assistance. Instead, the well-traveled Rover 3500 SD1 provided Jason's transportation needs. Derek relied on his reliable Citroën CX.

The week is a nonstop celebration of cars, with literal dozens of events from manufacturer debuts and parties to single-marque car shows like the Werks Porsche Reunion to single-country shows like Legends of the Autobahn or Concorso Italiano. Then, of course, there's the Quail, a Motorsports Gathering, the Little Car Show, the Grassroots Motorsports kickoff party, Motorlux at the Monterey Jet Center, auctions by Broad Arrow, RM Sotheby's, Gooding, and Barrett-Jackson — to name just a few.

And that's not even mentioning the Concours itself, or the 2 weeks of nonstop vintage racing at Laguna Seca.

It's impossible to see even half of the events during car week — but here's a guide to surviving the most amazing car week of the year.

The Carmudgeon Show is part of the Hagerty Podcast Network.

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Random Number Generator Car Reviews #3 — Carmudgeon Show with Jason Cammisa & Derek Tam-Scott Ep 109 Aug 24, 2023

Back by popular(-ish) demand, and because the Carmudgeons were at Monterey Car Week instead of podcasting live, we have another episode where Jason and Derek dig into their vast spreadsheets of automotive reviews.

The boys use Random Number Generator to call up cells in their spreadsheets of automotive nerdery, forcing Jason and Derek to take a trip down memory lane — and then read aloud their sometimes-embarrassing commentary on cars they've driven in the past.

Cars that they'd often forgotten about it.

In this episode, we hear about some of the following cars:

Alfa Romeo GTV6

Mercedes 300SL Roadster (W196)

2009 BMW E92 M3 Coupe DCT in a Hypermiling challenge

2023 BMW 760i xDrive

2001 Dodge Viper

2007 Mercedes CLK 550 Cabriolet

Lancia Fulvia HF

2009 Jetta TDI (Mk5)

2009 Honda CR-V Diesel Bosch Prototype

1991 BMW 318is convertible (E30)

1994 Porsche Speedster

2011 Audi A8

2015 Volkswagen Golf Mk7

Suzuki XL7

1961 Jaguar E-Type

2017 Aston Martin V12 Vantage S 7-speed Dogleg Manual

2024 Aston Martin Valour

1985 Ferrari Testarossa Monospecchio

BMW 850i (E31)

Bentley Continental W12

2008 Mercedes C300 Sport 6-speed

…and more!

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Bugatti's Next Car Has a V8; The Carmudgeons Don't Approve — Jason Cammisa & Derek Hyphen — Ep 108 Aug 14, 2023

This is the Surprise Bugatti Episode, and it happened when Jason revealed that the Bugatti Chiron Replacement would have an electrified V-8 engine.

What resulted is Derek Tam-Scott admitting he knows nothing about Bugatti's history, but reciting it like an encyclopedia anyway. Jason has some experience with vintage Bugattis and a lot of experience with the W-16-powered Veyron.

And both of them agree: a V-8 isn't the correct engine for a Bugatti — even if it's a bespoke unit and not the VAG-group corporate 4.0-liter twin-turbo V-8.

However, they could be wrong: the Carmudgeons have both driven the Rimac Nevera, and it's absolutely spectacular. It could be that Mate Rimac and his team will make an incredible followup to the Chiron that's worthy of the Bugatti badge.

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Radwood Is Not An Ordinary Car Show — The Carmudgeon Show Jason Cammisa & Derek Tam-Scott — Ep 107 Aug 07, 2023

More than just a car show, Radwood is a time-period event — with music, costumes, and cars from the 1980s and 1990s.

Derek Tam-Scott and Jason Cammisa attended the 2023 Norcal Radwood, which took place in downtown San Francisco for the first time — on a storied pier overlooking the city.

The show's fascination is about far more than just the typical, expensive cars you see at Concours d'Elegance and such - it's filled with attainable stuff, including cars that were once ubiquitous but now are gone. Things like a perfect-condition Isuzu VehiCross, a pristine Previa, or a showroom Chevrolet Cavalier convertible.

Jason brought out their new-to-the-Carmudgeons 1980 Rover 3500 (SD1), freshly back from its Canadian road trip home, and Derek brought his magnificent Citroën CX, which delighted the audience with its self-raising hydropneumatic suspension.

But what were the stars of the show? You'll have to listen to find out.

The Carmudgeon Show is part of the Hagerty Podcast Network.

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2023 Civic Type R vs 2024 Integra Type S — The Carmudgeon Show Jason Cammisa & Derek Hyphen — Ep 106 Jul 31, 2023

Which is better, the brand-new Honda Civic Type R, or the Acura Integra Type S?

That's the question the Carmudgeons answer this week — in a festival of Honda's Greatest hits, that also discusses the NA1-chassis original Acura NSX, the original Integra Type R, and the AP2 Honda S2000 CR.

===

The Carmudgeon Show is part of the Hagerty Podcast Network

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Filming Ultimate Drag Race Replay — The Carmudgeon Show w/ Jason Cammisa & Derek Tam-Scott — Ep 105 Jul 24, 2023

What's it like on the set of Cammisa's Ultimate Drag Race Replay? This week, Derek finds out.

Hyphen joined Jason and his team at Willow Springs during the filming of three different episodes — and gives his perspective of what it's like to be part of the production.

The episodes haven't yet aired, of course, but this episode of The Carmudgeon Show podcast gives a sneak peak of what's to come.

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Special Thanks to Falcon Car Rental!

https://www.falconcarrental.com/

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The Citroën CX is a Festival of Freak — The Carmudgeon Show Jason Cammisa & Derek Tam-Scott — Ep 104 Jul 17, 2023

Everything you ever wanted to know about Citroën — but didn't know you wanted to know it.

This episode of the Carmudgeon show is sponsored by Lucid Motors, who has special lease and finance offers on available 2023 models of the Lucid Air Touring and Grand Touring. Visit lucidmotors.com for offer details.

This episode of the Carmudgeon Show is all about the French brand Citroën, sparked by Jason's recent drive of Derek's magnificent CX.

Purposefully weird, it's not only a monument of design, but of engineering, too, with incomparably smooth hydropneumatic suspension.

Tune in to learn everything about the history of Citroën (including its Dutch name), the Traction Avant, DS, ID, CX, BX, and other models. And of course a discussion of modern Citroën, its history, and innovations.

The Carmudgeon Show is part of the Hagerty Podcast Network.

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The Raptor R is Jason's Favorite Car — The Carmudgeon Show w/ Jason Cammisa & Derek Hyphen — Ep 103 Jul 03, 2023

There's something wonderful about driving a vehicle that's the opposite of all the things you love. And for Jason, that's the Ford F-150 Raptor R.

Jason, lover of simple, lightweight, nimble sports cars, is enamored of the Raptor R — even more so than the Bronco Raptor. Why? Because it's unabashedly what a Raptor should be. And everything that Jason ostensibly hates in cars:

It's heavy, it's inefficient, it's loud, it's an automatic, it has forced induction, it doesn't go around corners or stop, and it's huge. But it's also perfect.

Jason's highway encounter with a Rolls-Royce Cullinan made for some of the biggest laughter he's ever experienced in a car, and this leads the boys to discuss cars they love that are out of sync with what they typically appreciate.

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The Impossible Rover SD1 Road Trip — The Carmudgeon Show w Jason Cammisa & Derek Hyphen — Ep 102 Jun 26, 2023

The Carmudgeons buy a 1980 Rover 3500, and attempt to drive it from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada to San Francisco — 1600 miles, over the Rocky Mountains.

This is the kind of road trip that only the brave would attempt, especially in a 43-year-old British Leyland product that hasn't traveled that far in the previous 20 years combined.

But Jason Cammisa and Derek Tam-Scott are brave, if not crazy, and flew to Canada to rescue their newly aquired Persian Aqua Metallic SD1.

In this episode, the boys recount their stresses and successes, and teach us a couple things about the world's first 5-door luxury hatchback.

The Carmudgeon Show is Part of the Hagerty Podcast Network

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Is There A Successful Facelift? — The Carmudgeon Show w Jason Cammisa & Derek Hyphen — Ep 101 Jun 19, 2023

Has any automotive facelift ever made a car better than its original design?

What Carmudgeon episode would complete without a discussion of Bruno Sacco's Mercedes masterpieces, including the W201, W124, W140, and R129?

Then, there's the Ferrari lineage: 246 Dino to 308 GTB to 328 GTB to 348 tb to F355.

And perhaps the most successful facelift ever, the Bangle-Butt BMW E65/E66 7-series — which was vastly more successful in showrooms after BMW"s "LCI," or "Life Cycle Impulse," BMW-speak for a facelift.

There's the Mk1 Volkswagen Golf, with the Clipper Kit Cabriolet and the Citi versions, the BMW E30, the Jaguar Series III to XJ40 to X300 to X308.

And what if all the Radwood-era cars only got prettier because of relaxed and harmonized bumper standards, like the W116 Mercedes S-Class did when it was replaced with the W126.

Discussed is also the Lamborghini Countach, Renault R5 Turbo, Lancia Integrale and Evo.

And of course the Ferrari Testarossa Monospecchio, turned into the Testarossa, the 512TR, and ultimately 512M.

How about BMW's prime era of the E38 and E39 and E46? The original Chevrolet Cavalier? The ovoid Taurus? Or just the Miata NC Miata, in NC1, NC2, and NC3 revisions?

It's all an interesting discussion and a fun brain-dump from two curmudgeonly car experts, one of whom probably needs a facelift himself soon.

===

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Hoarders R' Us: We Bought More Cars — The Carmudgeon Show w Jason Cammisa & Derek Hyphen — Ep 100 Jun 12, 2023

This 100th episode of the Carmudgeon show is sponsored by Lucid Motors, who has special lease and finance offers on available 2023 models of the Lucid Air Touring and Grand Touring. Visit lucidmotors.com for offer details.

We've made it to episode 100! This week, Jason and Derek confess that they've bought another couple of cars: Derek took delivery of his gorgeous Bornite-purple, dogleg 5-speed-manual Mercedes S124 wagon. And a JRG W140 S420.

...and Jason bought his first shared-car. He and Derek purchased a 1980 Rover SD1 3500! This has been a dream for Jason for (literally) 30 years.

What Jason Cammisa and Derek Tam-Scott did NOT record is the long-awaited Piëch-isode. Why? You'll have to watch for yourself.

===

The Carmudgeon Show is part of the Hagerty Podcast Network

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The World's Only Dogleg Manual Wagon!? — The Carmudgeon Show w Jason Cammisa & Derek Hyphen — Ep 99 Jun 05, 2023

In this episode of the Curmudgeon Show, Derek Tam-Scott buys the world's only factory dogleg manual-transmission station wagon!

This episode is all about the dogleg: the transmission layout that automatically makes any car cool.

The discussion starts with the simplest question: What is a dogleg? Why does it exist — and why did it come about in the first place?

The reason is, of course, racing — where the gears of the H pattern are used all the time, but first gear is only used once (to get moving.)

The discussion then continues with every car ever produced with a dogleg manual — 3-speeds, 5-speeds, and 7-speeds.

===

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Why Villa d'Este Matters, Even To Us — The Carmudgeon Show w Jason Cammisa & Derek Tam-Scott — Ep 98 May 30, 2023

The Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este is the most prestigious car show in the world, and Jason just attended for the first time.

As always, it's about the cars first, but this show differentiates itself from the big American show, the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, in some significant ways.

Jason and Hyphen discuss the show, the old cars, the sounds they make, and of course the beautiful new BMW Coupe Touring Concept, which made its debut at the stage. And the Hyundai Vision N74 Concept, as well as the production BMW XM SUV.

===

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The American V8 that created the SUV — The Carmudgeon Show w Jason Cammisa & Derek Tam-Scott — Ep 97 May 23, 2023

The Range Rover is arguably the definitive luxury SUV, and it wasn't possible without the long-lived aluminum Buick V-8.

The Buick "Small-Block" 225-cubic inch V-8 was made entirely out of aluminum — very rare for the 1950s. It wound being turbocharged for the one of the first-ever production turbocharged cars, the Oldsmobile Jetfire.

It was ultimately too expensive for production, and was fraught with casting issues, so Buick killed its V-8 — and Rover bought it.

The powerful V-8 was (literally) the driving force behind the Range Rover — arguably the first SUV to create today's Luxury SUV formula.

In this episode, walking encyclopedia Derek Tam-Scott and automotive journalist Jason Cammisa discuss the Buick V-8 in all its applications, including Jason's favorite 5-door, rear-drive luxury hatchback, the Rover SD1 3500.

They also discuss a hair-raising incident Jason caught on his dash cam — a

Mustang that passed him at over 150 mph on the shoulder, coming within inches of hitting him.

The Carmudgeon Show is part of the Hagerty Podcast Network.

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The G87 M2 can't compete with a Dino — The Carmudgeon Show w/ Jason Cammisa & Derek Tam-Scott — Ep 96 May 15, 2023

This episode is about the new G87-chassis 2023 BMW M2 — except, it's not. Jason spent a week with an M2, and it coincided with doing a video on the Ferrari Dinos — the 206, 246, and 308 Dinos.

What happened, Jason admits, is that the M2 is a perfect example about how the automotive world has gone in the wrong direction, prioritizing isolation and speed above the experience.

Measured against its modern peers, perhaps the M2 is okay, but every enthusiast owes it to themself to try some old experience-first cars.

Derek Tam-Scott exercises his prodigious history muscle and the boys lead us through a history of the redheaded-stepchildren of the Ferrari lineup — the 206 Dino, 246 Dino, and 308 Dino. And how that "less-than" name (Dino) actually was the highest honor possible: the cars were named after Enzo's fallen son.

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Can a single-brand car show be cool? — Carmudgeon Show w Jason Cammisa & Derek Tam-Scott — Ep 95 May 08, 2023

Luftgekühlt has just happened in Northern California, for the first time, and Derek attended. So, of course, Jason wants to know: can any single-marque car show ever be cool? Or was this just a bunch of "Porsche-weenies" showing off their roof-racks?

As usual, the answer isn't quite that straightforward. Of course, Jason starts out with a rant about Porsche drivers on the freeway, and Derek responds to it with logic.

The problem, as always, is that air-cooled Porsches really make sense as a primary collector car, because they're so inherently, incredibly good. So does that make a show consisting of only one car boring?

Definitely not, it turns out. Because these shows, like all shows, become about the community, the people, and the friends you make from them. Porsche-weenies are just as cool, it turns out, as VW nuts or BMW nerds.

There's also discussion of the single-marque water-cooled VW shows on the east coast: Wateriest, H20 International, and "Cincy," the Ohio-based annual Scirocco Cruise-In.

And, of course, Jason's surprise 23-year-old timing belt on the Honda Beat. And Derek's incredibly well-sorted 964-chassis Porsche 911. Which Jason doesn't like because it's too good. And the C4-chassis Chevy Corvette and Corvette ZR-1. And the Tesla Roadster.

Plus, they discuss the 3-seater Talbot-Matra Murena, proving that the Carmudgeon Show talks about cars you've never even heard of.

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The Hot Hatch Daily-Driver Episode — Carmudgeon Show w Jason Cammisa & ISSIMI's Derek Hyphen — Ep 93 May 01, 2023

On this episode of the Carmudgeon Show, we discuss hot-hatches and daily drivers with automotive journalist Sam Smith.

Discussion centers around the Toyota GR Hot-Hatch Twins: Jason has driven both the GR Corolla and Yaris, Sam has driven only the Corolla, and Derek only the Yaris. Which is best: Corolla or Yaris?

And is either as good as the 2023 Honda Civic Type R? And is the CTR, in turn, anywhere near as good as the original Integra Type R? Sam used to own an ITR.

Unrelated, Jason used to own a W202 Mercedes C43 AMG, and Derek showed up to the studio in his new-to-him C43, which replaces his Mk7 VW GTI as his daily driver. Turns out that both Jason and Sam also have Mk7 Volkswagens (e-Golf and GTI, respectively), and so the boys discuss daily drivers.

In fact, Jason and Derek realize they've owned so many cars in common — W201 190E 2.3-16, R129 Mercedes SL, to name a few — that Jason almost accuses him of being a copycat.

Meanwhile, Sam educates us on the Neue Klasse BMW (and its differences relative to the 1602 and 2002-series coupes).

Find Sam's podcast, "Driven to Fail" wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. It, like the Carmudgeon Show, is part of the Hagerty Podcast Network.

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Crashing Many Cars with Sam Smith — The Carmudgeon Show with Jason Cammisa & ISSIMI's Derek — Ep 93 Apr 24, 2023

Special Guest Sam Smith joins the Curmudgeons in this episode! Not the singer, but the best writer in the automotive business.

Sam also has his own podcast on the Hagerty Podcast Network called "Driven To Fail." This inspires Jason to bring up all the times Sam "failed" while at Automobile Magazine.

Jason and Sam both started their careers at Automobile Magazine at 2006, working with the brilliant, talented, and wonderful Jean Jennings. And Sam had a rocky start — immediately recognized as one of the best writers in the business, but crashed a lot of cars. There were Camry Dents, tire blowouts in a Mk5 GTI, a crunched Lotus Elise, and a Ford GT spun into a culvert.

There exist no photos of those accidents, but Jason does have an old video of his Ann Arbor steep-driveway tire test: a Range Rover Sport on summer tires vs a GMC Acadia on all-seasons versus a Chevy Suburban on winters. The results are amazing.

You can find Sam's podcast here:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjPn6_Dtiq4umtc-E0_SbIQ

The BABE Rally Story:

https://www.motortrend.com/features/2007-big-apple-to-big-easy/

===

The Carmudgeon Show is part of the Hagerty Podcast Network

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Automotive Toponyms — The Carmudgeon Show Jason Cammisa & ISSIMI's Derek — Ep 92 Apr 17, 2023

Lots of cars are named after a geographic location. Many cars are named after a place you'd never see them. We discuss them all.

In this episode of The Carmudgeon Show, Jason Cammisa and Derek Tam-Hyphen-Scott discuss cars named after places!

But first, an update on some of the boys' cars: Derek's R129 Mercedes 500SL finally has rebuilt hydraulic cylinders — and a functioning roof. Jason's W201 Mercedes 190E 2.3-16 has had a rearview mirror blowout. Jason decides he hates his Scirocco after working on the interior for a few hours — and then dropped it off at the body shop to have its frame measured for straightness because he still loves it. Derek's Citroën still doesn't run. Jason signed up for an autocross in his Lotus Elise SC and can't decide whether to run the Michelin Pilot Sport All-Season 3+ tires, or put the original Yokohamas back on.

But then - they got to the subject at hand: Cars named after places!

And we made a comprehensive list of every car named after a place. Over 100 of them! Here they are.

EVERY CAR NAMED AFTER A PLACE!

Alfa Romeo Milano

Alfa Romeo Montreal

Austin A40 Somerset

Austin Atlantic

Austin Cambridge

Austin Devon?

Austin Dorset?

Austin Montego

Austin Westminster

betntley Arnage

Bentley Brooklands

Bentley Continental

Bentley Mulsanne

Bugatti Atlantique

Buick LaCrosse

Buick Lucerne

Buick Park Avenue

Buick Rainier

Buick Riviera

Buick Verano

Cadillac Biarritz

Cadillac Calais

Cadillac Cimarron

Cadillac Seville

Chevrolet Bel Air

Chevrolet Biscayne

Chevrolet Cheyenne

Chevrolet Colorado

Chevrolet Corsica

Chevrolet Delray

Chevrolet Malibu

Chevrolet Montana

Chevrolet Monte Carlo

Chevrolet Monza

Chevrolet Silverado

Chevrolet Tahoe

Chrysler Aspen

Chrysler Cordoba

Chrysler Fifth Avenue

Chrysler New Yorker

Chrysler Newport

Chrysler Pacifica

Chrysler Saratoga

Chrysler Sebring

Colt Sapporo

Daewoo LeMans

Dodge Aspen

Dodge Charger Daytona

Dodge Dakota

Dodge Daytona

Dodge Durango

Dodge Monaco

Ferrari 360 Modena

Ferrari 458 Italia

Ferrari 550/575? Maranello

Ferrari California

Ferrari 330 America

Ferrari Fiorano 599

Ferrari Portofino

Ferrari Daytona

Ferrari Monza

Fiat 131 Mirafiori

Ford Capri

Ford Cortina

Ford Fairmont

Ford Grenada

Ford Taunus

Ford Torino

Ford Torino Talladega

GMC Yukon

GMC Denali

GMC Sonoma

Hyundai Santa Fe

Hyundai Tucson

Hyundai Tiburon

Hyundai Veracruz

Kia Borrego

Kia Telluride

Kia Rio

Kia Sedona

Kia Sorrento

Lancia Montecarlo

Lancia Aurelia,

Lancia Flavia

Lancia Fulvia

Lancia Flaminia

Lincon Versailles

Lincon Continenal

Lotus Cortina

Lotus Europa

Maserati Indy

Maserati Mexico

Maserati Sebring

Mazda Montrose

Mercedes Mannheim

Mercedes Nürburg

Mercedes Stuttgart

Mercury Milan

Mercury Montclair

Mercury Monterey

Morris Oxford

Nissan Murano

Packard Carribean

Plymouth Sundance

Plymouth THE WHOLE BRAND!

Pontiac Bonneville

Pontiac Catalina

Pontiac LeMans

Pontiac Montana

Pontiac Parisienne

Porsche Cayenne Capital of French Guiana

Renault Floride

Riley Monaco

Rolls-Royce Carmague

Rolls-Royce Picadilly

SEAT Ibiza

Seat Leon

Seat Marbella

Skoda Kodiaq

Subaru Baja

Subaru Outback

Subaru Tribeca

Toyota Avalon

Toyota Tacoma

Triumph Dolomite

Triumph Toledo

Vauxhall Belmont

Volvo Amazon

Yugo Florida

Outer Space:

GM's Saturn Brand

Mazda Cosmo

Lancia Stratos

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Advanced Engine Concepts Made Simple — The Carmudgeon Show Jason Cammisa & ISSIMI's Derek — Ep 91 Apr 10, 2023

Honda has finally made a DOHC version of its venerable 3.5-liter V-6 and it makes... no more power.

This spurs the Carmudgeons (in a post-lunch coma) to a discussion about head design: why are two cams worth it when you only have two valves? Why did Honda drop VTEC from that V-6 in favor of infinite cam phasing?

What is cam phasing, anyway?

And why use a V-6 instead of a straight-six when it uses twice as many cams? Or a supercharger and a turbocharger (hello, Lancia Delta S4.)

This episode is all about difficult-to-comprehend engine-building decisions, digested and discussed in terms we can all understand. Hopefully.

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The Carmudgeon Show is part of the Hagerty Podcast Network, and stars veteran automotive journalist Jason Cammisa and walking-encyclopedia Derek Tam-Scott.

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Random Number Generator Car Reviews Part 2 — Carmudgeon Show Jason Cammisa & ISSIMI's Hyphen Ep 90 Apr 03, 2023

Back by popular demand, Jason and Derek dig into their vast spreadsheets of automotive reviews.

Rather than picking our favorite cars, a Random Number Generator calls up cells in their spreadsheet, forcing Jason and Derek to take a trip down memory lane — and then read aloud their sometimes-embarrassing commentary on cars they've driven in the past.

Cars that they'd often forgotten about it.

In this episode, we hear about some of the following cars:

TVR Vixen

Triumph TR6

2018 BMW M5 (F90-chassis)

1960 Porsche 356B Roadster

2010 BMW X6 Active Hybrid

BMW 1-series ActiveE

2023 Porsche Cayenne GTS Coupe

Maserati Bora

Ferrari 365 BB

Lamborghini Miura

Mercedes 280SL Pagoda (W113)

2010 Audi A5 Cabriolet

Alfa 4C Launch Edition

2007 Mitsubishi Outlander

2009 Ferrari F430 Scuderia 16M

Toyota Highlander Hybrid

Maserati MC20

1989 Porsche 911 Turbo (930)

1st-gen Honda Insight 5-speed manual

E92 BMW 335i (N54) with dyno

1964 Citroën DS19 Chapron

...and more!

===

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Rimac Nevera Driving Impressions — The Carmudgeon Show w/ Jason Cammisa & Derek from ISSIMI Ep 89 Mar 27, 2023

The Rimac Nevera is the fastest-accelerating car in the world, according to its manufacturer.

When asked to verify that claim, automotive journalist Jason Cammisa responded with, "holy sh...excuse me." Derek Tam-Scott uttered similarly unsuitable words not fit for YouTube descriptions, though they were far more colorful.

Rimac's 4-motor, torque-vectoring, carbon-tubbed masterpiece is capable of unleashing 1.4 megawatts (that's 1400 kW, 1877 SAE hp, 1914 metric HP, and the exact number doesn't matter.) 0-60 hits in a claimed 1.85 seconds and through the 1/4-mile in 8.6 seconds on to a top speed of 258 mph.

This isn't just fast, this is Bugatti fast, and so it's no wonder Rimac and Bugatti are now the same company.

Is the Nevera Bugatti-good? At $2.2 million, it's certainly less expensive than the Chiron. But let's let Jason and Derek discuss the intricacies here.

===

The Carmudgeon Show is part of the Hagerty Podcast Network. We extend a heartfelt thank-you to both Rimac Automobili and ISSIMI for time with the Nevera.

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We should all respect Lancia — The Carmudgeon Show Jason Cammisa & Derek Hyphen of ISSIMI Ep 88 Mar 21, 2023

Derek Tam(Hyphen)Scott has waited for years for the chance to school Jason Cammisa on the importance of Lancia.

Now reduced to little more than a badge-job, Italian-market joke, Lancia was once an automotive powerhouse. Derek speaks with interest and precision about Lancia's storied history — as if he was there, personally.

It's a fascinating story that demonstrates just how incredible this Italian Automaker once was — and how resilient its spirit was. Once a champion of front-wheel drive rally cars, Lancia became part of the FIAT Group and was stripped of much of its core value. However, its desire to be a technical pioneer remained, and so Lancia continued to be untouchable in its racing efforts.

WRC (the World Rally Championship) might not be as popular in the United States as it is and was abroad, but Lancia's dominance here is unmatched.

When the ability of its front-wheel drive cars were threatened, Lancia created the first car ever to be purpose-built for Rally Racing and then adapted for street use. The mid-engined Lancia Stratos became an instant legend due to its immediate success.

However, when that success threatened parent-company Fiat's WRC standing, it was killed off so that Fiat could campaign its Fiat 131 WRC.

Lancia's never-dimmed spirit rose again with the outrageous 037, which was the last rear-wheel-drive car to ever win the World Rally Championship.

Left ultimately with an uncompetitive fwd corporate economy hatch, the Delta, Lancia set about creating a legend: the Delta Integrale would grow to become one of the most successful race cars in history, winning SIX consecutive World Rally Championships — something no other car has ever managed, before or since.

And this is just scratching the surface of Lancia's incredible history.

===

The Carmudgeon Show stars automotive journalist Jason Cammisa and walking encyclopedia Derek Tam-Scott, and is part of the Hagerty Podcast Network.

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Random Number Generator Reviews! — The Carmudgeon Show Jason Cammisa & Derek Hyphen of ISSIMI Ep 87 Mar 13, 2023

In this episode, Jason digs into his storied spreadsheet of reviews of every car he's ever driven. And we learn that Derek has a spreadsheet, too.

With the help of a Random Number Generator that calls up cells in their spreadsheet, Jason and Derek take a trip down memory lane, reading aloud their sometimes embarrassing commentary on cars they've driven in the past.

One entry of Jason's was so... NSFW... that he initially couldn't read it out loud. When he finally did, Derek was so shocked he shot water out of his noise, misswallowed, and threw up in his mouth.

All in the name of fun, of course. Speaking of which, do you remember the Suzuki Equator? Neither did Jason, even though he drove one.

===

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Carlton! Lotus' Only-ever Sedan was Insane! — Carmudgeon Show Jason Cammisa & Derek of ISSIMI Ep 86 Feb 27, 2023

This episode is all about the Lotus Carlton and Lotus Omega.

Lotus has only ever made one 4-door sedan, and this episode of the Carmudgeon show dovetails with Jason Cammisa's "Revelations" episode on the Lotus Carlton.

A dream car of both hosts, the Carlt-Omega was based on the Opel Omega A, badged Vauxhall Carlton in the U.K.'s right-hand-drive market.

It held the title of the fastest sedan in the world for a decade, achieving more than 177 mph, right as the German automakers agreed to limit their cars to 250 km/h (155 mph.) Wouldn't have mattered — the Lotus' twin-turbocharged, 3.6-liter straight-six made 377 hp and 419 lb-ft of torque, which, channeled to the rear wheels through the 6-speed manual transmission from the C4 Corvette ZR-1, was enough to leave both the E34 BMW M5 and the W124 Mercedes 500E (E300) for dead.

The backstory of the Lotus Type 104's development is a complex and fascinating one, pushed through by Bob Eaton, the boss of GM Europe. Opel, GM's German subsidiary, and the creator and builder of the Omega, seemingly didn't want to help Lotus at all, even though Lotus also belonged to General Motors at the time.

Lotus was barely deterred by Opel's roadblocks, and made a magnificent, well-rounded sport sedan that was praised universally — until the UK Parliament vilified the car for being too fast. Or at least, too fast for its price (it was half the price of other cars capable of the same speeds, like the Ferrari Testarossa.)

In the end, the government's concerns proved at least partially founded, when "40 RA," a stolen Carlton, was used to commit a string of ram-raid robberies and crimes across the UK — but was too fast for the police to catch.

All this discussion and more on the Carmudgeon Show, part of the Hagerty Podcast Network.

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Is Ferrari's Future in Jeopardy? — Carmudgeon Show Jason Cammisa & Derek of ISSIMI Ep 85 Feb 20, 2023

This week the Carmudgeons address the 48 billion market cap prancing horse in the room: do the younger generations actually care about Ferrari?

Cars like the 296 GTB are absolutely gorgeous (and they mark the start of the mid-engine V8 to V6 transition in Maranello), but, if you're sourcing the vehicles from Ferrari themselves, are unable to be compared to any other vehicles that people may want to see them compete with. But, they're also vietato (forbidden) to have instrumented testing done on them as well.

In a world where people love competitions and comparisons, how are audiences (both fans, as well as potential clients) supposed to understand where cars like this stand in the hierarchy of cars? Does it even matter to Ferrari after they sold a record-breaking 13,221 vehicles in 2022? (and that's before the new Purosangue hits showrooms)

As you'd expect, both Jason and Derek have thoughts. Lots of thoughts!

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The R129 Mercedes SL is Bargain Perfection — Carmudgeon Show Jason Cammisa & Derek of ISSIMI Ep 84 Feb 13, 2023

In this podcast, Jason Cammisa and Derek Tam-Scott ("Hyphen") cover everything you didn't realize you wanted to know about the R129-chassis Mercedes-Benz SL.

The R129 comes in many forms: 300SL, 300SL-24, 500SL, 600SL, and then the renamed SL320, SL500, and SL600. It had three different body styles and two interiors thanks to two facelifts, three different transmissions in the U.S. — a 4-speed automatic, a 5-speed automatic, and a 5-speed dogleg manual transmission.

And the 500SL/SL500 had 3 different engines: a CIS-E "K-Jetronic" tall-deck M119, a LH-Jetronic short-deck M119, both with 4 cams, 4 valves per cylinder, and VVT; and then a 2-cam, 3-valve, non-VVT M113.

So which is the one to get? Which variants drive the best? Which R129s suffer from the dreaded wiring-harness failure?

How much did Jason's 300SL 5-speed weigh?

These are important questions. But the Carmudgeons also talk about the R129's fascinating development history including — why the car that Bruno Sacco himself described as "perfect" was 10 years late. They discuss the R129's world-firsts, like the first-ever fully automatic roof mechanism (and its failure-prone 11 hydraulic cylinders), the first-ever popup rollover protection, the world's first seat-mounted seatbelts (with magnesium-frame seats); and the first time the world ever saw a convertible wind deflector.

The R129 was a technological tour de force, combined with a timelessly elegant and stunningly beautiful design and absolutely impeccable build quality, making it the high point of every generation of Mercedes SL — excepting of course the original W198 300SL Gullwing, which wasn't an SL at all.

Huh? Yeah, you're going to have to watch the episode to figure that one out.

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Do Pre-RADwood Cars Have a Chance? — The Carmudgeon Show w/ Jason Cammisa and Derek of ISSIMI Ep. 83 Feb 06, 2023

Now that the Bring-a-Trailer crowd have made 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s cars unaffordable, what happens to pre-1980s cars? Do they just fall out of favor like today's pre-war and brass-era cars?

Or is the solution to get younger generations of car enthusiasts interested in pre 1980s cars?

And then, how do you best preserve the cars of true interest from those periods so that younger generations can continue to have the option to be interested in them in the first place?

Good questions! Tough questions! Per usual, there are opinions!

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Car storage Solutions Without the Cash — The Carmudgeon Show w Cammisa and Derek from ISSIMI Ep. 82 Jan 30, 2023

You don't need to be rich to be a car hoarder, but storing your cars is a challenge no matter how much or little money you have.

On this episode of The Carmudgeon Show, Jason and Derek discuss a crucial piece of being an enthusiast/having a car collection (of any size or value): vehicle storage! How to take something drab and make it fab, both of their personal vehicle storage solutions and even some *very* exclusive collection setups as well.

Cars are meant to be driven — so how do you protect them inside but keep them accessible to drive regularly. After all: Never. Stop. Driving!

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Jason's Honda Beat gets beat — The Carmudgeon Show with Cammisa and Derek from ISSIMI Ep. 81 Jan 23, 2023

On this episode of The Carmudgeon Show, Jason tells Derek the sad tale of how Jason's Honda Beat got beat from behind a few weeks ago. Which then segues nicely into how while Jason ended up being ok, the Beat will also end up being ok due to the type of collector auto insurance Jason has on it... and you'll *never* guess which company he uses!

All this and more, brought to you by the Hagerty Podcast Network.

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Driving your investment strategy? — The Carmudgeon Show with Cammisa and Derek from ISSIMI Ep. 80 Jan 09, 2023

On this episode of The Carmudgeon Show, Jason and Derek talk about the Hagerty Bull Market list for 2023 and the companion video piece that Jason and his team created for it. (the tl:dr on Bull Market: Hagerty has a team of folks who nerd out on tracking vehicle values based on an assortment of data that only Hagerty can access. They then make a list of vehicles that they feel are a great value in terms of being an entry point into car collecting and that have the potential to, at a minimum, hold even and at a maximum, increase in value.)

Watch the Hagerty Bull Market 2023 video here: https://youtu.be/nkllFjtGRrI

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The world's QUICKEST cars! — The Carmudgeon Show with Cammisa and Derek from ISSIMI Ep. 79 Dec 19, 2022

Put on a beret and grab a baguette because on this week's episode of the Carmudgeon Show, Jason and Derek are talking about the French (in name and origin story at least) monster that is the Bugatti Chiron Pur Sport. As well as the Lucid Air Sapphire and the Tesla Plaid. Why? Because all of them were featured in Jason's most recent episode of "Cammisa's Ultimate Drag Race Replay," last week where Jason had the world-exclusive with the Sapphire and happened to set a production car 1/4 mile record with it. And as you'd expect, both Jason and Derek have their thoughts on these three cars!

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Do Cars Reflect Where They're From? — The Carmudgeon Show with Cammisa and Derek from ISSIMI Ep. 78 Dec 12, 2022

On this episode of The Carmudgeon Show, Jason and Derek riff on a question that came up during a previous Q&A episode: do cars reflect where they come from? Does the country of origin impact how they're designed and engineered? Sweden, Germany, America, Japan, etc. how do these locations influence the end product that you end up driving? As always, Jason and Derek have their thoughts and they're ready to share.

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Jaguar: Dead Brand Walking — The Carmudgeon Show with Cammisa and Derek from ISSIMI Ep. 77 Dec 05, 2022

On this episode of The Carmudgeon Show, Jason and Derek discuss the future of Jaguar--the iconic automotive brand struggling to survive in today's market.

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Ferrari's Greatest Road Cars — The Carmudgeon Show with Cammisa and Derek from ISSIMI Ep. 76 Nov 28, 2022

On today’s episode, Jason and Derek are accompanied by a large pile of snacks to discuss the greatest Ferrari driving experiences of all time. Needless to say, all prancing horses have been FAR from created equal. Discussion revolves mostly around the F50, which surprises Derek in its accessibility after some recent seat time with reserved expectations.

Jason follows up with his experience in the 288 GTO, which was nearly perfect- high praise, given Jason’s general disinterest in turbocharged power plants. In reality, the greatest road-going Ferraris are the ones that actually be used on the road- cars that were developed during a time when speed limits were gradually being raised, rather than docked while the bar of modern performance surpassed achievable road-going limits. This brings into question cars like the 812 Superfast and LaFerrari that Jason and Derek argue are wonderful feats of engineering but simply too fast for enjoyable road use. What even is the last great Ferrari that won’t throw you into a guard rail? Or is the ability to light up the rears in third all the fun? Tune in, and perhaps you’ll find out.

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F is for Ferrari, Fiero...and FIRE! — The Carmudgeon Show with Cammisa and Derek from ISSIMI Ep. 75 Nov 21, 2022

Keep your fire extinguisher nearby, for today’s episode of the Carmudgeon Show covers the beginning and end of GM’s first mid-engine blaze of glory- none other than the Pontiac Fiero.

Covered in depth in the latest Revelations video, the Fiero was a troubled car from the start, tasked with delivering sports car performance and exceptional fuel economy but having major challenges achieving either or. Jason reviews the timeline of the Fiero’s promises and ultimate demise for GM.

In a continued discussion of fires in cars both exotic and mundane, Jason and Derek also review other cars whose individual demises took the heat, including but not limited to the Chevy Bolt and Volt, the Ferrari F40, and even the legendary Lamborghini Miura.

All this and more, brought to you by the Hagerty Podcast Network.

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More questions, answered! Q&A Part 2 — The Carmudgeon Show with Cammisa and Derek from ISSIMI Ep. 74 Nov 14, 2022

Back by popular demand, Jason and Derek return to answer more viewer/listener questions this week. Amongst many similar discussions from last week, topics of interest include: how to make electric cars fun, what generally hated cars are actually great, why the Ferrari F355 is actually terrible, Z3 vs Miata, and why even the best new analog cars will never match the sensation of old analog.

And on the subject of old analog- have you always dreamed of owning a 1994 Hyundai Excel? If you resemble this impressively small minority of cheap car enthusiasts, your time may be now. Jason tells you everything you need to know about this glorious machine that could be yours.

Just like last week, many of this week’s questions will become the topics of future episodes, so if you’re looking for a sneak peak of what’s to come, listen up and enjoy!

This episode is sponsored by Reliable Carriers- mention Carmudgeon when you call and get 10% off your quote!

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Your questions, answered! — The Carmudgeon Show with Cammisa and Derek from ISSIMI Ep. 73 Nov 07, 2022

On this week’s episode of The Carmudgeon Show, your questions become answers! Jason and Derek take a deep dive into last week’s audience questions and cover an array of mostly automotive topics, including but not limited to: driving nirvana in an attainable car, the pronunciation of coupe vs. coupé, cars that belong to the wrong manufacture, drum brakes on EVs, and you heard it here first- the new VW Phaeton V12 TDI.

Many of this week’s questions will become the topics of future episodes, so if you’re looking for a sneak peak of what’s to come, listen up and enjoy!

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Why FWD Doesn't Suck— The Carmudgeon Show with Cammisa and Derek from ISSIMI Ep. 72 Oct 31, 2022

The front-wheel-drive platform is one that has been historically not taken seriously by many driving enthusiasts. After all, given all of the responsibility of moving AND steering the vehicle while stuffing the weight of an engine over the front wheels, who wouldn’t agree that FWD is always the inferior choice to RWD?

Today’s episode of The Carmudgeon Show is all about the unspoken glory of front-wheel-drive and its general tendency to be misunderstood by enthusiasts across the board. Despite having owned a small minority of FWD cars in their pasts, Jason and Derek cover all the bases of how and why the dynamics of FWD handling tend to be overlooked in the real world- including but not limited to the truth behind understeer, weight transfer, and overall chassis tuning that can make a FWD driving experience far more enjoyable than its favored RWD counterpart.

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Should Maserati Exist in 2022? — The Carmudgeon Show with Cammisa and Derek from ISSIMI Ep. 71 Oct 24, 2022

Carmudgeon returns! After a short break, Jason and Derek have returned to discuss the past, present, and future of Maserati- and at the end of the day, should they even exist at all in the current car market? There’s no doubt that the legacy Italian brand has taken a new shape molded by mass-market modern consumer tastes, influencing the birth of the Ghibli, Levante, and MC20. With V6 powertrains across the board, Jason and Derek, Maserati may have lost its’ way, lacking the character of even the late Quattroporte V’s ferocious, snarling V8. Without the direction it once had, will Maserati ever find its way in a market biased by EVs and SUVs?

In highlighting brand identities, Jason and Derek naturally land on the discussion of the SUV’s existence overall. Jason remarks on recent seat time in the Porsche Cayenne Coupe GTS, a vehicle which has become exceptionally dynamic to drive and whose existence allowed Porsche to continue making sports cars after flirting with bankruptcy. But a world of great SUVs, will the general consumer ever return to form and downsize back to smaller and lighter offerings?

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The World's Best Sounding Cars —The Carmudgeon Show with Cammisa and Derek from ISSIMI Ep. 70 Oct 03, 2022

On this episode of the Carmudgeon Show, Jason and Derek discuss the world’s best sounding cars, embracing the cacophony of cylinder count and alignment, valves per cylinder, and other factors that make each engine a musical instrument of sorts. Following a discussion that begins with the Audi RS3 and a breakdown of five cylinder aural theory, Jason and Derek land on the V10-powered Porsche Carrera GT and Lexus LFA as the best sounding cars in the world. Despite having the same cylinder count and revs capable of beyond 8500 RPM, the perception of sound as a driver is much more than meets the ear. Jason and Derek unpack this similarly concluded realization, much in part to a certain Japanese piano maker’s philosophy on engine sound design.

The two Carmudgeons also discuss updates on their recent purchases. Jason upgrades the wheels and tires on his new-to-him Dodge Grand Caravan camera van to take on some additional maneuverability and capability, with newly found grip to throw people and passengers violently about in back. On a similar but entirely different other end of the front wheel drive spectrum, Derek buys a carbureted and hydropneumatic 1979 Citroen CX- a car which may lack in dynamics but compensates with an oozing of character and style.

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Fixing Broken Cars in the Alps —The Carmudgeon Show with Cammisa and Derek from ISSIMI Ep. 69 Sep 26, 2022

On this episode of The Carmudgeon Show, Jason and Derek (and their traveling circus) venture to Europe to make memories of a lifetime taking two old German cars on an incredible 2,000 mile journey through Germany, Italy, and Switzerland via the wonderfully twisty roads of the Alps…or so they thought.

Derek’s journey begins with the purchase of a W201 Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.3-16 in Italy, a car whose brakes, in fact, break very quickly after taking delivery. Continuing along, the trip becomes decorated in a chain of breakdowns of slightly assorted mechanical origin and severity, as well as a visit with the Carabinieri where Derek finds out that he may have purchased a “gypsy car”.

Jason borrows a similarly charming E30 BMW 320i from Sreten of the M539 Restorations YouTube channel, a car while very well sorted by its owner has some minor quibbles of its own along the way. Despite the small issues however, the 40 year old BMW fulfills a promise of completing its journey and doing a skid or two along the way.

And what’s more, the spectacular scenery makes the gremlins slightly less hateful. Between the most rewarding of driving roads and the great friends made along the way, it’s a case for all enthusiasts to go find mechanical delight in faraway places.

After all, it’s all about finding bliss in the breakdown.

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GR Corolla vs. GR Yaris —The Carmudgeon Show with Cammisa and Derek from ISSIMI Ep. 68 Sep 19, 2022

On today’s tale of two Toyotas, Jason and Derek discuss their parallel experiences driving two angry and estranged hot-hatch siblings: the GR Yaris and the GR Corolla. Jason unpacks a recent drive in the US-bound Corolla variant, while Derek discusses his go in the rest-of-world Yaris while in Europe.

Despite its menacing looks, Jason highlights that the GR Corolla is overall more tame, forgiving, and subsequently competent than expected. It’s difficult to slide in the dry and less shouty and on-edge when going about its business unlike the Fiat 500 Abarth and Hyundai Veloster N. The triple-cylinder power plant is often restrained- a muffler chop might help!

But how is the Yaris in comparison? Derek aligns- it's much the same, but with a bit less power and perhaps a bit more eager to rotate- understandably so with 300 fewer pounds to carry around.

This leads to the discussion of modifying cars and kicking failure down the road- an advisory that in most cases, you’re probably just better leaving it stock. Or at least, toeing the line between life as stock and death by over-modification.

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A Carbon-Tub 911 that ISN'T a Porsche —The Carmudgeon Show with Cammisa and Derek from ISSIMI Ep. 67 Sep 12, 2022

On today’s episode, Jason and Derek discuss the YouTube algorithm and how the mere suggestion of the death of gasoline performance cars can send traditional automotive enthusiasts to grab their pitchforks and smash the dislike button. Surely, it’s hard to imagine a world where we’ll say goodbye to the ICE-powered, character-filled machines we have known and loved since the beginning of the car’s existence. But will we ever celebrate what we’re losing and look forward to what we’re gaining? Only time will tell.

On the other end of the ICE car spectrum, Jason and Derek share their mutually terrifying experiences being driven in the new Chimera EVO37- a completely resto-modded Lancia 037-inspired creation with a substantially larger power-to-weight ratio than a Ferrari F40.

Derek and Jason also get a go in the RUF CTR, a similar concoction of old and new 911 that ultimately feels like something entirely different than any 911 that came before it. This begs the question- do restomodded cars retain any of their original seat-of-the-pants identity once modified? Or do they build an entirely new identity separate from what they started from?

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Car Week with James Engelsman — The Carmudgeon Show with Cammisa and Derek from ISSIMI Ep. 66 Aug 29, 2022

This week, special guest James Engelsman of Throttle House joins the show to unpack the many happenings of this year’s Monterey Car Week, the center of all things automotive once a year. It’s James’ first car week experience, one which included multiple manufacture reveals, seas of interesting cars from pre-war to Pagani, and the occasional high five between Christian Von Koenigsegg and Gordon Murray.

In a discussion beginning with pre-war cars, Jason, Derek, and James discuss various driving experiences that overpromise and under-deliver (and vice-versa). The centerpiece of frustration revolves mostly around the original Acura NSX, a car Jason says promised looks over actual delivered performance.

Jason and James also cover their lightspeed hot lap around Laguna Seca in an 1100 horsepower Lucid Air Sapphire, piloted by none other than Top Gear’s original tame racing driver, Ben Collins (aka The Stig).

All this and more, brought to you by the Hagerty Podcast Network. This episode is sponsored by Reliable Carriers- mention Carmudgeon in your next shipping quote and get 10% off! https://reliablecarriers.com/request-a-quote/

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Things you never knew about Kei Cars — The Carmudgeon Show with Cammisa and Derek from ISSIMI Ep. 65 Aug 22, 2022

On today’s episode, Jason and Derek uncover the fruitful history of Kei cars, the limitations they possess, and the various misconceptions that most enthusiasts have taken as truth. Jason and Derek discuss the differences in character between Honda Beat, Autozam AZ-1, Suzuki Cappuccino, and the other sub-700cc pocket rockets that have become popular 25 year rule imports into the US in recent years.

Today’s topic also explores how different world governments create (and destroy) the existence of specific vehicle types, as well as the important cars throughout history that have mobilized developed and developing countries. Just like the Model T and the Beetle mobilized the United States and Germany respectively, the Kei car was responsible for getting the masses in Japan on the road while establishing a standard for efficiency and reliability that would eventually define Japanese auto manufacturing around the world.

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Why Dealerships Suck Right Now — The Carmudgeon Show with Cammisa and Derek from ISSIMI Ep. 64 Aug 15, 2022

On this episode of The Carmudgeon Show- Jason and Derek each acquire new vehicles, both on very different ends of the spectrum…

In a quest not to be #1 soccer dad, Jason discusses his recent experience in car dealer hell with a purchase of his very first American vehicle- an ex-rental spec Dodge Caravan SXT that will serve as his new camera and crew vehicle. Added dealer markup (ADM), paint protection, and other miscellaneous retail magic tricks are discussed, at what could ultimately be the doom of dealers altogether with the rise of the direct-to-consumer sales model.

In the business of selling used cars himself, Derek leads the discussion towards the used car market as a whole. Have prices collapsed? Or will we all continue to be swimming in dealer add-ons for all eternity? Outside of a recent Ferrari 308 GT4 sale on Bring A Trailer for $220,000, Derek seems to think we are somewhere in-between the asinine and not-so asinine.

On the opposite end of the US, Derek purchases a vehicle conceived far before the time of ADM- a W116 Mercedes-Benz 280SE. He proceeds to take it on a 2,000 kilometer roadtrip through Maine and Canada and, despite some hoonage and squeaky belts, lived to tell the tale. All this and more, brought to you by the Hagerty Podcast Network.

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Supercars don't make you superhuman! — The Carmudgeon Show with Cammisa and Derek from ISSIMI Ep. 63 Aug 08, 2022

Ever wonder how to get your father arrested in 1990s Germany?

18-year-old Jason can probably answer that for you. Upon taking the keys to his father’s Vauxhall Calibra, Jason tells an adolescent story of getting a speeding ticket 100 mph over the posted limit.

Going to Monterey Car Week without your car? Buy or rent an old car, no matter how much oil it leaks! Jason and Derek discuss which car in their respective collections they’ll bring to this year’s car week and complain about the soul-sucking rentals and assorted boring new cars that other attendees often drag along.

This episode’s main focus revolves around the varying types of people who have previously and currently buy supercars for status. Jason and Derek discuss their general distaste for individuals who see supercar ownership purely as a luxury experience, when in fact the opposite is most often true- particularly when stuck on the side of the road waiting for a tow.

But perhaps the individual is not actually to blame when the manufactures make their most hardcore supercar offerings more accessible to the average Joe and Jodie. Make an amazing, highly capable, accessible supercar, and more often than not the wrong type of buyer will go after it. But that won’t stop them from being passed on track by Jason in a Volkswagen Golf VR6 or a Derek in a Mazda Miata- after all, the driver mod beats all.

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Is the E39 BMW M5 actually any good? — The Carmudgeon Show with Cammisa and Derek from ISSIMI Ep. 62 Aug 01, 2022

Today’s episode begins with cars shoehorned with engines they were never supposed to possess, such as the W124 Mercedes-Benz 500E and R129 SL600. On the opposite end of the engine-size spectrum, Jason also discusses his recent findings in the newest Cammisa Ultimate Drag Race series, featuring new front-wheel drive manual transmission offerings such as the Hyundai Elantra N, Volkswagen Jetta GLI, and Acura Integra (and special guest Ford Bronco Raptor).

On the subject of super sedans, Derek discusses his recent adventures in an E39 BMW M5, a car which controversially did not capture his soul. As a two-time six-cylinder E39 owner, Jason chimes in on why Derek might not be so out of line on this rather unusual opinion. Some cars, like the E39 M5 and many other period-exceptional cars, are inherently less desirable for not having enough flaws and subsequent character. What’s more- the E39 M5 is an excellent sporting luxury sedan, but is it an excellent sports sedan?

A discussion on flawed yet wonderful vs. wonderful yet flawed cars opens the floodgates for many other questions to be answered. For instance, what makes a car significant for its time? What makes a terrible car better than a fundamentally great car over time? What is definition of a sports sedan? What’s a sports car? And seriously, why is the Hyundai Elantra N so ugly?

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A Ban On Electric Vehicles— The Carmudgeon Show with Jason Cammisa and Derek from ISSIMI Ep. 61 Jul 25, 2022

What happens in a theoretical world where electric cars are banned? In this alternate simulation, Jason and Derek imagine a world where electric cars make another disappearance into the depths of history and the consequences that might follow. They also travel down the rabbit hole of alternative fuels and reveal their current disdain of hydrogen fuel cell technology and government handling of alternative fuel distribution. In this current simulation, however, it seems fairly predictable that automotive evolution will give full way to the electric vehicle.

But the popularity of electric vehicles once rose and gave way to gasoline in the early 1900s. To explore where society has come and gone with EVs, Jason and Derek hop in a non-Delorean time machine and explore the beginnings of personal automobiles during a time when steam power, electricity, and gasoline, and diesel lived in harmony and why fossil fuels ultimately prevailed in history.

This leads to a discussion of other general automotive technologies that have standardized or suffered over the years, including but not limited to two-pedal manual transmissions, cylinder deactivation, early CRT touch screens, and other strange and successful engineering choices made by manufactures throughout history. Perhaps Chrysler’s Electronic Voice Alert system will make a comeback someday…

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Automotive Archeology in Action— The Carmudgeon Show with Jason Cammisa and Derek from ISSIMI Ep. 60 Jul 18, 2022

In this episode, Burnout Specialist Jason begins today’s episode with a guided presentation on vehicles that do the easiest burnouts- a discussion that starts and ends with V6 front-wheel-drive. It turns out that in his findings, Jason has also determined a way to pull off a smokey burnout *even* in a vehicle with an electronic parking brake- an answer that we don’t recommend trying at home, or in a press car…

The term of the day is automotive archeology- in other words, the art of uncovering the sparkling or spotted past of an old car. Derek discusses his Alfa Romeo Giulietta Spider and his exploration of the many body shop receipts that, by “visiting enough still and moving objects”, have eventually repainted the whole car. Jason brings stories of his Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.3-16 and C43 AMG to the table, highlighting a time when he accidentally bought a car that the manufacture didn’t know existed.

Amidst a discussion on many other collective vehicles that Jason and Derek have owned and observed, this leads to a discussion on how cars are treated on average from country-to-country depending on inspection processes and the overall cultural differences in . Thinking about buying a nicely kept car in Germany? Perhaps consider a compression test if the car has been in any considerable distance of the Autobahn…

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Derek Does Pikes Peak — The Carmudgeon Show with Cammisa and Derek from ISSIMI Ep. 59 Jul 11, 2022

This week, Jason drives Derek’s Lamborghini Miura- which, as it turns out, is a vehicle that most commonly enjoys flirting with its own death by fire, inclement weather, or just modern day traffic. Jason and Derek discuss the car’s other difficulties, including but not the mystery of non-standardized interior button labels, glowworms for headlights, and windshield wipers which prefer to eject versus function. Conclusion- if anything happens to your Miura, make sure the whole thing burns to the ground- the subsequent restoration won’t be worth the trouble or finished in your children's lifetime.

The main focus of this episode, however, is Derek’s recent trip to Broadmoor Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, a journey not traveled without some difficult weather, 3 AM traffic jams, and many flavors of Porsche 911 Turbo eating up the elevation. Despite some unique challenges in Derek’s adventure, he luckily did not get struck by lightning. This eventually leads to an extended discussion on Mobil 1 oil and some discoveries Derek made while talking to an oil engineer atop Pike’s Peak.

Jason and Derek explore differences in oil weight, detergents, anti-foaming agents, modifiers, and more magic that lubricates our engines. Oil change intervals and oil analysis also come into play- sometimes a scary Blackstone result isn't as worrisome as you might be led to believe.

Jason also revisits his findings on the new Acura Integra and Honda Civic SI, and uncovers why ultimately there is more to the $7,000 price gap than initially meets the eye. Jason and Derek also discuss a recent spin in an original DC2 Acura Integra Type R, a car whose mass alone dictates how much the Integra nameplate has changed in 25 years. All this and more, brought to you by the Hagerty Podcast Network.

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Is The New Integra A Future Classic? — The Carmudgeon Show with Cammisa and Derek from ISSIMI Ep. 58 Jun 27, 2022

Every once in a while, a great new car comes along that, despite its overall excellence, still reveals its incapabilities in becoming a sales success.

In this episode of The Carmudgeon Show, Jason remarks on his recent experience with the new Acura Integra, a car which looks better in person despite its snot-inspired launch colors. While Derek initially judges the car based on Legend and not Vigor, he ultimately concludes that maybe there’s more than meets the eye when stacked up against the crop of other new sporting and enthusiast-aimed cars in the segment.

This opens a discussion on the history of Honda and Acura’s image in the 80s and 90s and the types of folks who bought them- some of whom you may have street raced with if you pulled up in a similarly-matched Volkswagen in 1990s Pittsburgh.

Similarly, Jason and Derek discuss the wavering transitions between good and bad in 30 years of Acura product planning, and the importance of thoughtfully relaunching legendary nameplates. Can the current Integra carry the torch and become another future Honda classic? We may need another 30 years to find out.

All this and more, brought to you by the Hagerty Podcast Network.

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How To Be An Automotive Journalist — The Carmudgeon Show with Cammisa and Derek from ISSIMI Ep. 57 Jun 20, 2022

In this episode of The Carmudgeon Show, amateur interior designer Jason Cammisa and living encyclopedia Derek “Hyphen” Tam-Scott go back to the basics and recall their respective foundations in their respective automotive ecosystems.

Derek embarks on a trip into his past of Alfa Romeo brake jobs, buying and selling old cars, and building a prolific knowledge of cars and planes through books received since his childhood. In fact, Derek's encyclopedia became certified by age 8 when elaborating on engineering differences between a Porsche 956 and 962 to his family's local mechanic.

Jason similarly recalls his beginnings watching and memorizing his parents’ movements driving manual transmissions as a child. As a prize for his attentiveness at age 14, he wins an unrealized $50 bet after successfully not stalling his father’s FJ60 Toyota Land Cruiser, a journey filled with risky hill-starts and rev-match downshifts.

Amidst a discussion of calibrating driving styles and learning how to drive old cars properly, Jason discusses a recent drive in a friend’s Ferrari Mondial T after doing some throttle tinkering. As it turns out, the more broken a car is, the better you become as a driver by circumventing the brokenness. And anyway, who’s really broken- you or the car?

Throughout the episode, Jason and Derek engage in a conversation about the importance of being objective in the world of automotive storytelling. Jason identifies the rewards that come with experiential curiosity and the art of purposeful ambiguity- perhaps, at the cost of being fooled by a PR department behind an Audi RS3 or a similarly FWD-feeling Dodge Neon. Maybe- just maybe- we can all learn to understand a hateful vehicle.

All this and more- brought to you by the Hagerty Podcast Network.

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The World's Best Sports Sedan is a Cadillac? — The Carmudgeon Show with Cammisa and Hyphen — Ep. 56 Jun 13, 2022

In this episode of the Carmudgeon Show, 95-year-old Derek Tam-Scott and ex-Yinzer Jason Cammisa discuss their enjoyment of the Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing. They cautiously approach the startling conclusion that the Blacking is the world's best current sports sedan — but not without a seaworthy exploration of Cadillac’s post-landyacht identity crisis. While unpacking the good, the bad, and the Malaise, Derek realizes that maybe there’s more to our perception of a 120-year-old brand than meets the eye.

Naturally, this discussion is not without mention of past performance sedan greats — including the Chevrolet SS, E39 BMW M5, and Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio. And the ATS-V with the pushrod, small-block V-8 — which totally should have existed.

Jason’s ten cars become nine as he bids farewell to Rose Gold, his Cashmere-Beige BMW E30 325i, but not without sending it off with a bumper-to-tailpipe warranty and a deep investigation of a tacho-metric truth. He also celebrates 25 years and 100,000 miles with his 1987 Volkswagen Scirocco 16V and the newly-realized vulnerabilities that come with long-term ownership.

All that and more, brought to you by the Hagerty Podcast Network.

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Driving an XL1 in the USA — The Carmudgeon Show featuring Jason Cammisa and Derek from ISSIMI Ep. 55 Jun 06, 2022

In this episode of the Carmudgeon show, part-time ambulance chaser Jason Cammisa befriends some forbidden freeway fruit in form of the Volkswagen XL1 — a car that hardly exists at all, let alone on a California freeway at 11 PM. Jason recounts his seat time in the mirrorless, peak-Piëch Bugatti Veyron of MPG and how its small-footprint journey across the US makes for a large-footprint cause — more on that below. Side effects may include a string of broken-necked Bolt drivers and/or a stay in your local hospital.

Derek and Jason make some other low-drag comparisons, such as the ill-fated GM EV-1 and original Honda Insight.

Jason recounts vivid childhood memories of a 1975 Chevy Impala wagon and a GM hotline that served solely to feed his growing curiosity of facts and figures.

This somehow leads to a discussion (and confession) of the different terrible and elaborate ways that rental vehicle customers can cause havoc. Have you ever pulled a 6-liter Vortec out of a U-Haul and returned it with a lowly 4.8? Perhaps you’ve rented a Toyota Tercel and returned it within an inch of its life.

We won’t judge you. Maybe.

A special shout-out to Jim Magill (@thealso) who drove the XL-1 cross country to raise money for Alzheimer Research. Click the link here to donate to the cause: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/thecarofthefuturepast

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Driving rally legends- — The Carmudgeon Show featuring Jason Cammisa and Derek from ISSIMI — Ep. 54 May 30, 2022

In this episode of the Carmudgeon Show, Derek Tam-Scott helps Jason Cammisa make a not entirely welcome discovery about the past of his recently-acquired Honda Beat, which somehow transitions seamlessly to a discussion about homologation cars and how they are both strange and cool. Included among these are Derek’s recently-acquired Mercedes-Benz W201 190E 2.3-16 Cosworth.

The main focus, however, is the homologation cars Derek drove on his recent trip to Europe, including the Lancia Fulvia HF Fanalone, the Lancia Stratos HF (which necessitates discussion of the Ferrari 246 Dino, of course) , the Group B-dominating Peugeot 205 Turbo 16, and Kimera Automobili’s spectacular Lancia 037 redux, the EVO37. These become the vehicles to discuss the differences between Group 4, Group 5, and Group 6, and their evolution into Group A, Group B, and Group C. No Carmudgeon Show episode is complete without a discussion of BMWs, in this case the E46 M3 CSL, which Derek drove in Switzerland.

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Discussing the Nissan Z — The Carmudgeon Show featuring Jason Cammisa and Derek from ISSIMI — Ep. 53 May 23, 2022

There’s a new Z in town and Jason has driven it!

In this episode of the Carmudgeon Show, award-winning automotive journalist Jason Cammisa and award-deserving automotive encyclopedia Derek Tam-Scott discuss the 2023 Nissan Z. And the Jaguar E-Type. And Bridgestone S007 tires. And Aston Martin Vantages — V8 Vantages with blown engines. And Gordon Murray T.50s.

Derek takes a turn for the nerdy by pointing out that British tax-horsepower regulations encouraged the tractor-like long-stroke engines that sapped some of the fun out of the 1960s sports cars.

But not the Fairlady Z432, which Jason thinks might be the best-sounding six-cylinder engine of all time — up there with the Mercedes 300SL “Gullwing.”

Mostly, though, this episode discusses Z — from the new one back to the original S30 240Z and Fairlady. Including the VR30DDTT engine that originally debuted in the Infiniti Q50 Red Sport 400 — though it’s derived from the port-injected R35 Nissan GT-R.

And what episode would be complete without a highly legal street drag race between two BMW E30 325is? Certainly not this one.

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Road Rage in slow cars — The Carmudgeon Show featuring Jason Cammisa and Derek from ISSIMI — Ep. 52 May 16, 2022

If Eight is Enough, Ten is too many: Jason just bought his tenth car, and it’s a problem. It’s also slow. Japanese Kei cars are limited to 660 cc and 64 horsepower — but the Honda Beat is an 8500-rpm 3-cylinder with ITBs and sounds like a Porsche 911’s flat-six. Just without any chance of a speeding ticket.

Jason also just drove an Autozam AZ-1, which has Gullwing doors and is surprisingly fast — so the boys wonder if a Suzuki Cappuccino is just as good?

This leads a discussion of slow cars, which invariably means diesels. And a Fiat Cinquecento. Its 2-cylinder, 11-hp just gave Derek some anxiety this past weekend. More so than the underpowered Land Rover Defender 110 diesel that actually managed 70 mph — after miles of full-throttle motoring.

Jason once had a W123 300TD Turbo wagon that started, but didn’t run. How is that possible? Starting fluid. But the OM617 diesel’s loping idle is among the best sounds in the world. And some later Mercedes diesels — like the W124 1995 E300 diesel and OM606 24-valve straight-six. Which is smooth, but slow.

Somehow the conversation then turned to Derek’s hatred of the Ferrari F355 and 550 Maranello. It’s always fun to see Derek miserable, at least for Jason.

We suspect the same will be true for you.

The Carmudgeon Show is part of the Hagerty Podcast Network.

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How can Miata always be the answer when there are multiple Miatas and an E30?— Carmudgeon Show Ep 51 May 09, 2022

In this episode, Jason Cammisa and Derek ("Hyphen") Tam-Scott discuss having to choose between the Miata NC and ND, specially NC3 and ND2, after driving them back to back on a rally.

Of course, the meandering conversation starts with BMW E90 and E90 LCIs, the term Life-Cycle Impulse, and the hideousness of E60 and the E65 BMWs.

NB, Hyphen says, is not the right answer.

But NC2 and NC3 might be.

ND Miata proved the entire industry wrong — it's possible to drop weight and gain performance.

But it didn't come alive until the ND2's higher-revving engine.

But is it better than the NC2 Miata?

And is even that better than an E30 BMW 325i?

It takes an entire episode to find out, but the Carmudgeons are clear on this decision. And to discuss whether we're in a bubble of old-car values?

== The Carmudgeon Show is part of the Hagerty Podcast Network. It consists of multiple award-winning automotive journalist Jason Cammisa and automotive expert and Derek Tam-Scott of ISSIMI.

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Track Day? Nah, we'd rather do a Hyphen Rally: mountain roads with friends — Carmudgeon Show Ep 50 May 02, 2022

In this celebratory 50th episode of The Carmudgeon Show, Jason Cammisa and Derek Tam-Scott regale us with tales of their 624-mile weekend old-car road rally.

Derek brought his 964-chassis Porsche 911, Jason brought "Beatrice," his beater E30-chassis BMW 325i. Two friends bought Miatas: an NC3 and an ND2. More on the Mazdas in a future episode, we promise.

Derek picked a route of the twistiest back roads Northern California can offer and the boys grabbed a couple hotels.

Several things occurred to them:

1. California's passing laws suck because they put the onus of pulling over on the slower, weaker driver.

2. We've found our people: they use turn signals.

3. Track days are great, but we prefer back roads.

4. Tight and twisty back roads are more fun than track - it trades repetition for adventure.

5. This is the cheapest way of enjoying a weekend.

6. Poor Beatrice.

7. Focus on the driver mod!

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Conventional wisdom: sedans aren't investments. Conventional wisdom = wrong! — Carmudgeon Show Ep 49 Apr 25, 2022

Historically, sedans were viewed as non-collectibles. But history was wrong — these days, sedans are doing just fine.

In this episode, Jason Cammisa and Derek Tam-Scott ("Hyphen") discuss the collectible and awesome sedan — everything from the Mercedes 6.9 and 6.3 to the W124 500E, and the AMG Hammer and Hammer Wagon 500E 6.0. To say nothing of the W201 190E 2.3-16 with its triumphant debut at the grand opening of the Nürburgring GP circuit in a one-marque race won by none other than Ayrton Senna.

And then there's the non-Mercedes: BMW E28 M5, the E30 325i, E36 M3, E31 850i.

And the discussion of Maserati Quattroporte versus GranCoupe. And Honda Prelude, Acura Integra, Camry Coupe, Lexus SC, and Buick Reatta.

The Coupe story ends with a discussion of Jason's nephew's Infiniti G35 Coupe, which started its journey at a 24 Hours of Lemons race in San Francisco and Teen Driving School at Thunderhill Raceway and drove cross-country — and Tail of the Dragon. And then met a deer in South Carolina.

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Hagerty is The Carmudgeon Show’s New Home — Ep. 48 — with Jason Cammisa and Derek from ISSIMI Apr 18, 2022

What is Luxury? The boys are back, proving once again that you don’t have to be old to be bitter. On their inaugural episode for the Hagerty Podcast Network, automotive journalist Jason Cammisa and Walking Encyclopedia of Automotive Knowledge Derek Tam-Scott discuss different types of luxury cars. Their unexpected conclusion: the best luxury car might be a cheap beat-up car. After all, there is no luxury greater than not having to worry. Or at least, that’s the theory. Along the way, the Carmudgeons touch upon the difference between a perfect BMW E30 (like Jason’s 325i Touring) and a beater (like Jason’s 325i Sedan.) Then, it’s off to the Lucid Air, Derek’s Mk7.5 Volkswagen GTI, and how sometimes daily-driving a cheap example of an expensive car is possibly the least luxurious way to go. Because nothing is less luxurious than a tow truck. Or is space the final luxury frontier? After all, the Rivian R1T packs more cargo space in it than an AMG SUV. And it can keep up with an R35 Nissan GT-R.

The Carmudgeon Show is part of the Hagerty Podcast Network.

About the Podcast: The Carmudgeon Show is a comedic, information-filled conversation with Jason Cammisa and Derek Tam-Scott, two car enthusiasts who are curmudgeonly beyond their years. Proving you don’t have to be old to be grumpy, they spend each episode talking about what’s wrong with various parts of the automotive universe. Despite their best efforts to keep it negative, they usually wind up laughing, happy, and extolling their love for cars. Which just makes them angrier and more bitter.

Jason Cammisa is an automotive journalist, social-media figure and TV host with over 250 million views on YouTube alone. Jason’s deeply technical understanding, made possible by a lifelong obsession with cars, allows him to fully digest what’s going on within an automobile — and then put it into simple terms for others to understand. Also, a Master’s Degree in Law trained him to be impossible to argue with.

Derek Tam-Scott still tries. He’s a young automotive expert with old-man taste in cars, and a Master’s Degree in Civil Engineering — which means he knows how to be civil to Jason. Or at least he tries. With a decade and a half’s experience buying, selling, driving and brokering classic and exotic cars, he’s experienced the world’s most iconic cars. And hated most of them.

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