Automotive

Tran Girlismo

A show about car culture and living during the decline of empire from millennials who have never known anything else, with a dash of photography on the side. Hosted by Jordan Hoffstetter and Victoria Scott, a pair of (former!) automotive journalists and (current!) trans women. If you like cars but also hate what mandatory car ownership has done to the landscape of America, this is probably for you!

Latest Episodes:

Episode 17: Stellantis Constructs A Footgun To Surpass Metal Gear Jun 04, 2026

Show notes

Hello! On this OVER TWO HOUR episode of Tran Girlismo, we catch up on some weeks where decades happened. First, we give an earnest rest in peace to Kyle Busch, one of the greatest drivers of all time, who died suddenly at the age of 41 a few weeks back. (Victoria references a eulogy you should really read, and it's here on Road & Track, from Alanis King. It's genuinely beautiful.)

After that, we have good news finally: Jordan gets a new car!!! And it's electric!!! Hormuz who??? Then we discuss the most bitter contentious topic we've tackled yet: The Ferrari Luce. Is it a horrendous abomination against man and God, or is it fine actually? Finally, we discussed the Ram Rumble Bee, the 777 HP pickup truck launched when The Banks Are Out Of Oil, thickening our shoot-on-sight file at Stellantis HQ.

Thank you for listening! Shirts and stickers should be arriving in peoples' hands throughout the week, and we will be opening another round of orders in the very near future if you missed out!
This week we were guest-edited by Alex Harmful Park

Our theme, as always, is off Stella Spazzatura's Horse Tranquilizer Simulator!

Referenced Stories:
Kyle Busch's Incredible Records In NASCAR @Front Stretch
Kyle Busch Dies At 41 @ESPN
Kyle Busch Invoking The Constitution Over The Radio When He Got Pissed Off @Bluesky
FERRARI LUCE REVEALED @Car and Driver
Mark Newson Ford 021C @Wikipedia
2027 Ram Rumble Bee Revealed @Car and Driver

[PREVIEW] BONUS Ep 4: Ford v. Ferrari (2019) May 28, 2026

Show notes

Hello! On this bonus episode, Victoria and Jordan have watched Ford v. Ferrari (2019) and here to break it down for y'all on what we thought of it. This is not a commentary track; ideally, you can listen to this without ever having seen the movie and still sort of get an idea of what the movie is and what we think of it (imagine our friends over at Be Gay Solve Crimeor Kill James Bond!)

As an aside, for our own workload and sanity, we are switching the format to four total episodes per month - i.e., this bonus episode takes the place of this week's main episode. Having burnt out before with other creative projects, we're both trying to avoid doing that with this one, and one episode a week is much more sustainable for us for both recording and editing. We will be back next week with a free episode about Everything That Has Happened!

Episode 16: Oh My God The Banks Are Out Of Oil May 21, 2026

Show notes

Hello and a heads up for the start of this episode: We discuss the recent murder of Seattle resident, UW student, and trans woman Juniper Blessing. We recorded this episode the day after her name was announced, and we were both extremely distraught. We discuss the ridiculous cruelty of her death and the general sadness of living as a trans person in the modern American world. If you find this triggering and upsetting and would like to skip it (which trust me, I get it if you do), the mainline episode begins at 7:58.

Today, in the actual episode, Jordan and Vicki go to the bank and take all their oil out, because the banks are out of Group III Base Oils!!! (Victoria does indeed go John Oliver mode again about base oils btw, hope y'all enjoy that.) Then, Jordan describes a perfect car which is totally illegal to buy (thanks to one weird trick Hyundai DOESN'T want you to KNOW). Then we discuss the fact that we all live in the Fast and Furious Cinematic Universe, forever, as NBC is making like four shows. Maybe. Who knows anymore tbh.

As always, our theme song is off Stella Spazzatura's Horse Tranquilizer Simulator.

Referenced Stories:
Gwen Howerton's Story About Texas -> Seattle Refugees @Chron
ILMA/DOE Talks On Base Oil Supply Chain @ILMA
Texas City Disaster (Vol. II) @Well There's Your Problem YouTube
Group III Pricing Chaos @JobbersWorld
ILMA Expectations Of Supply Pressure Through 2027 @CNBC
Bimmerpost Poster With The Lathe Of Heaven @Bimmerpost
Ioniq 6 Canned For America @CarAndDriver
Ioniq 6 Stop-Sale Recall @People
Fast And Furious Forever And Ever And Ever @Hollywood Reporter
The Receipts For Paul Walker Dating Teenage Girls When He Was Well Into His Thirties @Jalopnik
The Receipts For Jerry Seinfeld Dating A Teenage Girl When He Was Almost Forty @Collider

Episode 15: Grok, Generate Me The Most Racist T-Shirt Imaginable May 14, 2026

Show notes

Hello! On this episode, Jordan and I divert from our episode plans to discuss The Shirt. Jordan then explains to Vicki her experiences playing the newest entry in her personal BDS-Compliant-Forza-Horizon series, The Crew: Motorfest. (It's not very good.) Next we laugh at some rich people who might face consequences for (allegedly) dodging taxes in California with the Montana plate loophole, and then Vicki goes down a wormhole about the Other MBS.

To check out Jordan's photo gallery for Pittsburgh peeps, check out pittbert.gay! Submit this week if you want to submit your work!!!
As always, our opening theme is off horse tranquilizer simulator by Stella Spazzatura!

Vicki Posting Too Hard Music:
"Local Forecast - Elevator" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Referenced Stories:
Indycar Removes Shirt After Uproar @HuffPost
Also, adding this comment Indycar released since we recorded:
"A shirt was removed from INDYCAR’s online store following feedback from customers. We understand that some individuals found its phrasing concerning and therefore have remedied the situation."
Lotta words to not apologize but I guess at least it's gone
Hannibal Buress Apple Juice Skit @Youtube
What About NASCAR??? Vine @Youtube
Trump/Lula Presser Cancelled @MSN
Todd Warner Wearing Trump Cape @The Intercept
Abagail Spanberger Totally Chickened Out Since We Recorded This Episode @Cardinal News
Nike Ballroom Poll @Newsweek
BDS Movement Overview of Microsoft @BDSMovement
The Crew: Motorfest @Ubisoft
California Charges Bunch Of Rich Assholes With Tax Evasion Crimes @Hagerty
Montana Plates Include Epstein's Jet @Bloomberg
CA Lost Revenue Estimates @CDFTA
FIA Giving Up On Woke Shit @Reuters
MBS Named UN Tourism Ambassador @TTNWorldwide
FIA Bars Drivers From Having Opinions @Reuters
FIA Swearing Ban @AP
Insanely Racist Quote From MBS @BBC
Hamilton's Unmentionable Piercing @Reddit
Verstappen's Silence At Saudi GP 2025 @AP
Rally Drivers Protest Swearing Ban @AP
FIA Veep Resigns, Protests @AP
Ben Cussons Dismissed @BBC
New Restrictive NDA @BBC
Nagorno-Karabakh Forced Expulsion Considered A War Crime @Reuters
Ilham Aliyev Person of the Year Award @Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project
Azerbaijani Laundromat @Wikipedia
Tim Mayer Comments @Motorsport.com

Episode 14: Don't Look Too Close At P.J. O'Rourke's Other Bylines [With Guest Matt Farah] May 08, 2026

Show notes

Hello! On this episode we are joined by Matt Farah of The Smoking Tireand Westside Collector Car Storage! First we discuss what it's like to write with a leftist bent for Road & Track (hint: difficult). Then we discuss Matt's latest piece on the ridiculous high-end market and scraps for the rest of us (it's a great piece, we talked about it before on here!) Then, Rivian has a Dril Candles Tweet Moment with its CEO compensation. Finally, we ask Matt what his favorite sub-$10,000 beater car is.

Thanks so much to Matt for joining us, definitely check out The Smoking Tire if you somehow haven't already (but if you're here, you probably have).

As always our theme song is from Horse Tranquilizer Simulator by Stella Spazzatura!

Referenced Stories:
Matt's interview with immigration attorney Sergio Siderman @TheSmokingTirePodcast
O'Rourke obit @National Review
Affordability crisis piece by Matt Farah @Road & Track
Boom Aerospace Pivoting To AI @Boom Aerospace
The AI-Generated Spoof Instagram Channel Jordan & Matt Discuss @Instagram
Rivian Sales Numbers + RJ Scaringe Pay Package $403M @Carscoops
Chad Kirchener's post @Bluesky
Rivian R2 Overlook @MotorTrend
Rivian's lack of sale bump right before tax credits ended @Yahoo
Please Help Me Budget My Family Is Dying @X
Jim Cramer Says Buy Rivian @247WallSt
Stop Asking Me What Car I Would Buy by Matt Farah @Road & Track
Victoria on Matt's Show @TheSmokingTirePodcast
The No Fucks Given RX-7 @TheSmokingTirePodcast

Episode 13: Does Bob Lutz Count As A Problematic Fave [With Guest Liam McAnderson] Apr 30, 2026

Show notes

Hello! On this episode of Well Ther—I mean Tran Girlismo, the girls are joined by Liam McAnderson of the wonderful podcasts Ten Thousand Lossesand Well There's Your Problem!First, Liam and Jordan commiserate about Pennsylvania sports and abysmal traffic infrastructure. Next, Victoria dives into her Charts Analysis of how unaffordable it is to own a car right now (very) from her article you can read on this very Patreon! Next, we get into the Tesla Roadster, which is apparently supposed to come out in like a week. Did you know how long Elon's been saying "next week bro"?

Finally, in honor of Liam's appearance, Victoria delves into the history of the Dodge Viper, the glorious machine that it is, and everyone chooses the chariot they would most want to spin out flaming into a wall with.
Note: We have some moments where the audio "skips" for names that shouldn't be said out loud, actionable threats, etc. It is intentional because bleeps are startling.

Our opening theme is from Horse Tranquilizer Simulatorby Stella Spazzatura, as always!

JORDAN'S CHOICE:

VICTORIA'S CHOICE:

Episode 12: Finally, The Perfect Cop Truck For Hiding Inside While Watching A Mass Shooting Apr 24, 2026

Show notes

Hello and welcome to the dozenth Tran Girlismo! In this episode, we discuss the fact that RAM will now sell any cop in the country a 6500-pound 103-mph-rated Pursuit Sledgehammer. Then we discuss the Hyundai body-on-frame Ford Bronco - I mean Toyota Land Cruiser - I mean Nissan Pathfinder - I mean Boulder Concept. (Shockingly, Victoria actually likes something for once.)

We round out the discussion with a talk about the rumored new Chevy Camaro/Buick sedan?? and Jordan fills in Victoria on how Porsche is running the money printer at full speed to take advantage of Rolex collectors who like to street park in LA.

As always, our intro theme is by Stella Spazzatura off horse tranquilizer simulator!

Referenced Stories:
RAM 2500 Cop Truck @MotorTrend
F-150 Lightning Discontinued @NPR
Tim Kuniskis Sucking Off The Cops @Road & Track
Hyundai Boulder Concept @Motor1.com
Chevy Camaro EV SUV Crossover Abomination Against God @MotorTrend
New Real Camaro @CarAndDriver
Victoria's Review of the Cadillac XT4 @Motor1.com
Sixth-Gen Small Block (LS6) Overview @CarAndDriver
Porsche 911 GT3 Cabrio Released @Autoblog

[PREVIEW] BONUS Ep. 3: "Normal Cars For Normal People, The Normal Show" (aka Reader Questions II) Apr 22, 2026

Show notes

Hello! Welcome to another bonus episode of Tran Girlismo. Once again, we're here to answer your questions for basically two hours. Thank you immensely to our subscribers for supporting us!!!

NOTE: This episode was recorded BEFORE Viktor Orban lost his election like a big loser, which he is. We regret the inaccuracy.

NOTE 2: Sudden loud noise at around 51 minute mark, but it was a really good bit so we left it in.

Referenced Stories:

Episode 11: The Geopolitical Shapes Place Apr 15, 2026

Show notes

Hello! On this episode (which was recorded on Sunday, 4/12), Victoria has a slight mental breakdown (no big deal) about the omnicrisis devouring us all. Nothing Ever Happens vs. Oh God It's So Over, the matchup you've all been waiting for! Next the girls discuss Infiniti's talk of a 700-horsepower QX80 juxtaposed against their current, uh, two-and-a-half car lineup. SUV lineup, really. Then we point and laugh at Volkswagen for pausing production of the ID.4. Then we point and laugh at Ford for begging the President to pause tariffs while he smirks and says "no".

SHOUTOUT: Thanks to Eve for enabling the really cool shoot with my friend Sula! Here's one of the shots she took of me with the F-100:

CALL TO ACTION: Here's the WA State Rail Plan along with the opening for public comment, and here's the Urbanist article that goes into great detail about what we can and should ask for, for the good of our region!! Please, if you want high speed rail (and importantly dedicated trackage for it!) in WA, make your voice heard before April 24th!

THANK YOU: To Nat for the incredible cover of Shapes Place, which we end the episode with!! This brought us a lot of joy, we really appreciate it! Also thank you to all of our $15 subscribers, thanks for your patience

CORRECTION: "Irrational Exuberance" is from Alan Greenspan, not Ben Bernanke. This podcast apologies for the error.

Referenced Stories:
IDF blows up apartment block in Southern Lebanon @The Guardian
3,636 dead in Iran (254 children) @Reuters
Call for end to civilian casualties in Lebanon @Amnesty Int'l
Jet Fuel Prices (via IATA) line go up

20% of global oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz @BBC
700 Horsepower QX80?????? @TheDrive
The Luxury SUV story I wrote @This Patreon
Leaf Best Seller Until 2020 @CleanTechnica
Ariya canned in America @Car And Driver
Infiniti sales in '25 @Car And Driver
Infiniti EV Maxima concept @Car And Driver
Hotdogging @Dictionary.com
1,000 HP Infiniti QX80 @TheDrive
Infiniti Q50 Eau Rouge Concept @Car And Driver
Nissan Juke-R 2.0: 600 HP GT-R Drivetrain In A Joke @Car And Driver
Sultan of Brunei's Car Collection @Wikipedia
Rothko Chapel
Oswego factory fire @WSJ
Jim Farley hangin' with the President @YouTube
Ford begging for tariff relief @WSJ
Thomas Sabula heckling the President @Car And Driver
New Aston Supercar @TheSupercarBlog
Car Companies Are Abandoning The Everyday Enthusiast (Matt Farah) @Road & Track

Episode 10: We Live On The Wrong Side Of The Lithium Curtain [With Guest Kevin Williams] Apr 09, 2026

Show notes

Hello everyone, and welcome to breaking big two-digit barrier! On this episode, I catch up with my old coworker and fellow (current!) automotive journalist Kevin Williams of InsideEVs! On this episode we reminisce about having a healthy industry... and then break into a discussion about how goddamn cooked America is in the Global Cold War Of EVs. China's kicking our ass, y'all. We then discuss the new average monthly payment, per Edmunds, of $773 for a new car. Which is fucking insane, right????

Sorry about the funky audio on this one, we made a mistake with our recording setup on this guest episode and had to use a backup track to have an episode, so Jordan and I sound like we're calling in from a WWII field telephone. For the proper listening experience on this episode, I recommend blasting this on a '93 CRX HX two-speaker sound system as you sit in traffic on the 610. Because of the audio issues, I will be reading out name-reading tier subscribers next episode, I apologize for the delay!!

Check out Kevin's TikTok for videos from his upcoming China trip, too! You can also follow him on Bluesky!

Also: If you want to get a Tran Girlismo shirt or a bumper sticker, you can here - preorders are open through April 20th!

Referenced Stories:
Pride Month Features @TheDrive
Kevin's i-Miev @TheDrive
Kevin's Coverage Of The Slate Truck @InsideEVs
Bradley Brownell's Nissan Leaf @Jalopnik
Kevin's Review of the BMW i7 @Road&Track
I Went To China And Drove A Dozen Electric Cars. Western Automakers Are Cooked @InsideEVs
Jim Farley: China Can "Put Us All Out Of Business" @Motor1.com
Stellantis Talking With Leapmotor To Build Chinese EVs In Canada @CarAndDriver