Overlanding is like going on an off-road road trip that lasts days. Instead of just driving to a tough trail and heading home, you plan the trip and often camp somewhere along the way.
Beadlock wheels are special rims that clamp the tire to the wheel. That lets you air down the tires for better grip off-road without the tire popping off the rim.
Brand
BF good read
BFGoodrich makes tires, and they’re especially common on off-road builds. Here, they’re the tire brand used on the truck for this desert/off-road trip.
The Nissan Frontier Pro-4X is a version of the Frontier meant for off-road driving. They’re saying that when they take it into real mixed terrain, you can feel how capable it is.
A naturally aspirated V6 is a V6 engine that doesn’t use a turbo. The episode is basically saying it gives the truck a more traditional driving feel than newer turbo setups.
Mixed terrain refers to driving across multiple surface types—like dirt, sand, rocks, and uneven ground—rather than a single consistent track. The hosts argue that the Frontier’s behavior and capability are more obvious when you experience it in a mixed-terrain setting.
The Nissan Xterra Pro-4X is a tougher, off-road version of the Xterra. They’re using it to compare how the truck changes behavior when you switch into rock or sand modes.
Rock mode is a setting that helps the truck crawl over rough rocks more smoothly. It changes how the gas pedal responds so you don’t get too much power at the wrong time.
Throttle mapping is how the truck decides how much power to give you when you press the gas. Different off-road modes can change that response, which is why it feels different in rock versus sand.
The Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro is a Tacoma version that’s meant for off-roading. In this part, they compare it to another truck to talk about which one includes more off-road features and costs more.
IIHS is a safety organization that tests cars in controlled crashes. Their facility is where they run repeatable tests and collect data to judge how well cars protect people.
In crash tests, a concrete barrier is a solid wall the car hits. It’s used so the test is consistent and helps show how the car’s safety systems handle the impact.
Crash test analysis is how safety testers study what happened during the crash. They use sensors and video to understand how the car’s safety systems performed.
A “Frankenstein car” is a custom car made from a mix of parts—often from different cars. The goal is to build something totally unique, even if it’s not a factory model.
The chassis is the car’s main structure—the “frame” that everything mounts to. It affects how the car handles because it influences how the suspension is positioned and how stiff the car feels.
Powertrain is the set of parts that turn engine power into motion. It usually includes the engine and the gearbox, plus the parts that send power to the wheels.
A transmission is the gearbox that helps the engine deliver power efficiently. It changes gears so the car can accelerate smoothly and cruise without the engine screaming.
Ergonomics in a car means the layout is designed around how people sit and move. It’s about making the seat and controls comfortable and easy to use for long drives.
A touchscreen is the screen you interact with by tapping or swiping. In cars, it often controls things like music, navigation, and some vehicle settings.
The driver display is the screen behind or in front of the steering wheel that shows important driving info. It helps you see speed and warnings without looking away for long.
Design language is the “style rules” that make a car look like it belongs to a certain brand. It’s the consistent shapes and design details you notice across models.
The Toyota 4Runner is an SUV built for rough roads and off-road driving. It’s known for a rugged design and a strong, durable setup. The podcast mentions it while talking about how it looks compared to another SUV.
The Toyota GR 86 is a small, fun sports car that’s meant to feel connected to the road. People like it because it handles well and feels responsive when you drive it hard.
The Subaru BRZ is a small sports car designed to be fun to drive, with power going to the rear wheels. It’s closely related to the Toyota GR 86, so they often feel similar in how they handle.
Term
super responsive
“Responsive” means the car feels like it reacts quickly when you steer or press the gas. It’s the opposite of feeling delayed or vague.
Term
super planted
“Planted” means the car feels stable and stays stuck to the road instead of feeling loose or bouncy. It usually comes from how the suspension is set up.
This is a Lexus crossover, and the “F Sport” version is meant to feel more sporty than the regular trim. The hosts are basically saying it feels firm and sure-footed when turning.
Here, “platform” means the car’s main underlying structure and engineering base. If two cars share a platform, they often feel more similar in driving and handling than you’d expect.
The Lexus TX is a bigger Lexus SUV with three rows. The hosts mention it because it shares the same basic platform idea as other Lexus/Toyota models, which can affect how it drives.
The Camry is a very common Toyota sedan. The hosts mention it because it shares the same basic car structure (“platform”) as other Toyotas, which can make them feel similar when driving.
The Grand Highlander is a bigger Toyota SUV meant for more passengers. The hosts bring it up because it uses the same basic platform concept as other models, which can affect handling feel.
The Ford Bronco is an SUV made for driving on rough roads and trails. It’s designed to handle off-road conditions better than a typical SUV. The episode mentions it while talking about different off-road choices.
Car
Ford Raptor
The Ford Raptor is a special version of the Ford pickup built for off-road driving. The hosts mention it as another option in their car-picking game.
They’re talking about suspension that soaks up bumps. Softer, more flexible springs and shocks help the ride feel less harsh and more comfortable over rough roads.
They mean the truck/SUV has settings you can switch between. Those modes change how it drives—like how it responds and how it handles bumps—depending on the road.
The Ford Ranger is a midsize pickup truck. It’s meant to be useful for work or hauling, but not as large as some bigger trucks. The podcast mentions it as a possible choice in a lineup of trucks and SUVs.
The F-150 Raptor is a Ford pickup made for off-roading. It’s like the “Raptor” version of the F-150, and here they’re saying they considered it but decided to build with the Bronco Raptor instead.
Wheelbase is how far apart the front and rear wheels are. A longer wheelbase usually makes the car feel steadier and smoother, especially when you’re driving fast on the highway.
The BMW 5 Series is a luxury car that’s meant to feel smooth and comfortable, especially on the highway. They’re choosing it because it’s relaxing to drive but can still be exciting.
The BMW M5 is a very fast BMW sedan. It’s designed to be quicker and more performance-focused than a regular 5 Series. The episode mentions it while comparing what kinds of performance cars people talk about.
The Porsche Taycan is Porsche’s electric sports sedan. It’s built to be very fast, and this segment talks about how much power it can make and how far it can go on a charge.
DC fast charging is the quick way to charge an electric car at a special station. It uses high power so you can add a lot of range in less time than a normal home charger.
The Chevrolet Volt is a plug-in hybrid, which means it can run on electricity and also uses gas when needed. The podcast mentions its electrical system design, including a high-voltage setup. That’s relevant because it can affect how the car charges and how the power system works.
“800 volt” is how the electric car’s battery and electronics are set up electrically. Higher voltage can help the car charge faster and feel more powerful because it can move more energy efficiently.
The Rivian R1S is an electric SUV. In this episode, the host is using its electric drivetrain as the parts idea for their custom build—especially the version with motors driving all four wheels.
Horsepower is a number that describes how much power the car’s motor can produce. Higher horsepower usually means the car can accelerate harder, assuming traction and gearing are right.
Foot-pounds is a way to measure torque, which is the twisting force that helps the car launch. More torque usually helps with quick acceleration, especially from a stop.
A manual transmission is the kind where you use a clutch pedal and shift gears yourself. People like it because it gives you more control over how the car drives.
Rear-wheel drive means the back wheels get the power. Many driving enthusiasts like it because it can make the car feel more “sporty” and predictable when you accelerate.
The BMW M3 CS is a special, more performance-focused version of the M3. Here they’re talking about it being limited and tied to a “final” manual-equipped configuration.
A limited edition means only a certain number of cars are made, or they’re built with special unique specs. People like them because they’re rarer and often more special than the standard version.
The BMW Z4 is a small two-seat sports car with a roadster style. The podcast mentions it in the context of a special edition version. That matters because special editions can have unique features compared to standard models.
The Ferrari Luce is mentioned as a car name in the podcast. The hosts seem to be comparing it to another exotic car name. There aren’t details in the snippet about what it’s like to drive.
The Porsche Carrera GT is a very rare, very high-performance sports car. It’s the kind of car people mention when they’re talking about extreme performance. The podcast brings it up as a comparison to another supercar name.
The Toyota GR86 is a small sports car designed to feel fun and responsive. Here, they’re saying they’ll use its chassis as the foundation for their custom build.
The Volvo V60 is a wagon-style Volvo. They bring it up as an example of a car platform they’re thinking about when talking about building a Frankenstein car.
The Cadillac Escalade is a big luxury SUV. Here, they’re using it as the foundation for their Frankenstein build because it has lots of space and very comfortable seats, including cooling/ventilated and massage-style features.
Super Cruise is a GM system that can help drive the car on compatible highways. The host mentions it because it makes highway driving feel more relaxed, especially when combined with comfortable seat features.
The Autobahn is a major highway system in Germany. It’s known for very fast driving, and the host is using it to say the car feels solid at high speeds.
The Nissan Ariya is an electric SUV, meaning it runs on electricity. The podcast mentions that it’s been discontinued at the moment, which can affect what’s available to buy. They also talk about the interior tech and features.
“Zero gravity” seats are seats shaped to feel easier on your body during long drives. They’re designed to spread your weight more comfortably so you don’t get as sore.
A diesel engine is a type of engine that runs differently than a gasoline engine. It often gives good pulling power at low speeds and can be efficient on long trips.
A sliding center console is the part between the seats that can move out or slide forward. Here, it’s like a hidden drawer that comes out so you can reach buttons and controls.
The Ford Expedition is a bigger Ford SUV than the Explorer. The host is comparing the screen/tech experience between the two and saying the Explorer feels easier to use.
The Lincoln Navigator is a luxury full-size SUV, and the host uses it as a benchmark for infotainment design. They say the Explorer’s interface is better than the Navigator’s, emphasizing simplicity and speed.
Some newer cars require a paid subscription to keep certain features working after a free trial. The host is worried about long-term cost if they keep the car for many years.
Android Auto lets you connect an Android phone to the car and use supported apps on the car’s screen. It helps you use navigation and music without constantly touching your phone.
The Lexus NX is a luxury SUV from Lexus. Here it’s being talked about as a possible winner, partly because people are judging how nice the car feels inside and how easy the screen/controls are to use.
Infotainment is the car’s main screen system for things like music, navigation, and phone features. If it’s well designed, it’s easier to use while you’re driving.
“Mercedes M-Bucks” is a joking name for Mercedes’ infotainment screen and controls. The point is that it’s easy to use and not just dependent on the touchscreen.
Genesis is Hyundai’s luxury car brand. In the podcast, it’s mentioned as a higher step up compared with more basic options. The discussion is about the kinds of features and systems you get in a luxury model.
The Genesis G80 is a luxury sedan. In this discussion, it’s mentioned because Genesis’ screen layout and controls are considered easy to use, with a more stylish look than some rivals.
The Genesis GV80 is a luxury SUV. The host brings it up because Genesis’ infotainment screens are designed to look clean and be easy to use, without blocking important views.
That phrase means the car uses one big screen instead of separate smaller ones. The idea is that it looks cleaner and the important info stays easy to see while you’re driving.
Climate control is what keeps the car’s cabin at the temperature you want. They’re saying it’s annoying because the controls are not easy to see or use.
The Hyundai Ioniq 5 is an electric SUV, meaning it runs on electricity instead of gasoline. The podcast mentions it while comparing it to another electric Hyundai, focusing on the interior design. It’s brought up as a point of reference for tech and layout.
This is a Hyundai EV concept/line the host talks about. They’re comparing how the dashboard screens are arranged and how easy they are to use, especially for climate and infotainment.
A “mood curator” is a fancy car feature that tries to set the vibe for you. It can combine things like music, scent, and even a seat massage into one experience.
The Genesis G90 is a large luxury sedan. It’s designed to feel comfortable and high-end inside. The podcast mentions it while talking about the overall vibe and presentation of the cabin.
This is a system that helps you drive on highways. It can handle things like keeping the car in its lane and adjusting speed, but you still have to pay attention and be ready to take over.
BlueCruise is Ford’s highway driving help feature. On supported roads it can help keep you centered and manage speed, and it may allow hands-free driving, but you still have to watch the road and follow the system’s limits.
Kia is another car brand being compared here. The host is saying they like Kia’s version of the highway driving assistance better than a competing brand’s version.
iDrive is BMW’s dashboard screen system for things like navigation, media, and settings. The host is saying it can be confusing because it’s easy to tap the wrong spot and end up in the wrong menu.
“Form over function” means the design looks good, but it’s not as easy or practical to use. The host is saying the interface design makes it harder to operate the car.
Physical buttons are real buttons you can press, not just things you tap on a screen. The host is saying some cars use physical controls for phone/infotainment features, which can be easier than touchscreen-only setups.
The Honda Prelude is a Honda coupe that people often think of as sporty. Here it’s mentioned because the host had trouble keeping their phone connected to the car’s system.
A Franken car is a custom car made by mixing ideas or parts from different cars. The host is describing their build as combining one brand’s styling “vibe” with another car to create something unique.
The Toyota RAV4 is a compact SUV meant for everyday driving. The podcast mentions it because its front lighting and styling look more angular and modern. It’s part of a conversation about how the newest versions look.
The Bristol Bullet is mentioned as a car name in the podcast. The hosts connect it to an idea about bullet trains, likely as a comparison of speed or imagery. The snippet doesn’t describe how the car drives.
The Audi Q7 is a luxury SUV made by Audi. Here, they’re talking about how its new look fits with the newer designs Audi is putting on multiple SUV models.
The Polestar 4 is an electric SUV/crossover from Polestar. They’re saying it looks especially good and that its design is more convincing than some other Polestar models.
The Polestar 2 is a smaller electric car from Polestar. Here, they’re comparing looks and saying the Polestar 2 doesn’t appeal to them as much as the Polestar 4.
They’re talking about the car’s headlights as part of the overall look. Some cars have a distinctive headlight shape or lighting pattern that makes them easy to recognize.
Overhangs are how much car sticks out in front of the front wheels and behind the rear wheels. Short overhangs usually make the car look more athletic and well-proportioned.
The Kia EV6 is an electric car with a crossover-like shape. They’re basically saying their custom idea could have been an EV6 instead, but they wanted a different look.
Instead of a normal mirror, a digital rearview mirror uses a camera and a screen to show what’s behind you. Some people like it because it can be clearer, but it takes getting used to.
Term
coop crossover
A “coupé crossover” is basically an SUV shape with a sportier, more slanted roof. It’s a look/shape description more than a specific type of engine or drivetrain.
The BMW M3 is BMW’s performance-focused model, and using its powertrain in a Frankenstein build is a big swing toward a more powerful, driver-focused setup. In this segment, they describe it as a manual, rear-wheel-drive setup with very high horsepower.
The Porsche 911 is a famous sports car, and its seats are part of what makes the cabin feel special. “Adaptive seats” means the seat position and support can be adjusted electronically to fit you better.
The Infiniti QX80 is a large luxury SUV. It’s built to be comfortable and roomy, especially for passengers. The podcast mentions it while talking about seats and who might use them.
The Toyota Highlander is a family SUV with room for more than two rows of seats. The podcast mentions it because it shares the same basic engineering foundation as some other Toyota vehicles. That can influence how the car drives and is built.
The Ford Bronco Raptor is the off-road, tough version of the Bronco. Choosing it as the base means the custom car starts with a platform designed for grip and durability.
They’re talking about a “Frankenstein” car project—basically mixing and matching parts from different cars. The goal is to get the best features from each one in a single build.
The Lucid Air is an electric luxury car. It’s designed around modern technology and an emphasis on how it feels to drive and live with. The podcast mentions it as a standout example of EV tech.
The Tata Motors Aria is a car model that the podcast mentions for its interior and technology. The hosts are comparing how the inside of the car feels and what features it has. The main focus here is the cabin experience.
A station wagon is a car with extra cargo space behind the back seats, and the roofline extends farther than on a sedan. They’re saying they want that kind of practical wagon shape.
A “turbo straight six” is an engine with six cylinders in a line, plus a turbocharger. The turbo helps the engine make more power, especially when you accelerate.
The Toyota Supra is a famous sports car. Here it’s mentioned because the hosts are talking about using a turbo straight-six engine idea in a Frankenstein build.
The Acura Integra Type S is a sporty Acura model that’s meant to be fun to drive. Here, they’re highlighting that it comes with a six-speed manual transmission, which is uncommon in everyday driving.
The Acura Integra Type S is a compact car with a sportier focus than a basic version. The podcast mentions it because the host is talking about what they’d use in daily life. It’s brought up as a practical choice with performance in mind.
A “2.0-liter turbo” means the engine is about 2.0 liters and it uses a turbo to make more power. The turbo helps the engine feel stronger without needing a bigger engine.
Front-wheel drive means the front wheels do the work of both steering and pulling the car forward. The host is saying this car still handles great even without all-wheel drive.
All-wheel drive powers all four wheels, which can help the car grip better on slippery roads. The host is saying you might not need it for this car unless you’re dealing with snow or bad weather.
In the podcast, “Ford Lobo” is mentioned right alongside the Ford Maverick, so it sounds like a nickname or mix-up for that truck. The Maverick is a small pickup meant to be practical and easier to live with. The hosts are bringing it up as one of the options they’re considering.
The Ford Maverick Lobo is a special version of the Maverick pickup meant to look and feel more sporty. The host talks about its wheels, stance, and a driving mode called Lobo mode.
Term
turbo fan 19 inch wheels
“19-inch wheels” means the wheels are 19 inches across. Bigger wheels can change how the ride feels, and here the host is mainly pointing out that the wheel design looks cool.
“Lowered” means the truck sits closer to the ground. It can look better and feel more planted, but it can also scrape more easily on bumps or uneven roads.
“Lobo mode” is a driving setting you can turn on in the Maverick Lobo. It’s meant to change how the truck responds so it feels more like the Lobo personality.
Drifting is when the car’s rear wheels slide outward while you’re turning. It’s something you only do on a closed course because it can be hard to control.
Term
autocrossy sideways
Autocross is a driving event with tight turns. When they say “autocrossy sideways,” they mean the car is being steered hard and slightly sliding through the turn, but still under control.
The Ford F-150 is a full-size pickup, and “Lobo” here refers to a performance-focused variant. The segment compares it against the Maverick Lobo, implying differences in how the trucks drive and what you get for the money.
The Ford Maverick is a smaller pickup than the F-150, and “Lobo” indicates a sport/performance-oriented trim. In this episode, it’s mentioned in a direct comparison to the F-150 Lobo, suggesting differences in capability and driving feel between the two.
The Rivian R2 is an upcoming electric vehicle from Rivian. They’re saying it impressed them on a mix of normal roads and rough off-road trails, and they mention a high-performance “Launch Edition” version.
A “Launch Edition” is an early, special version of a new car. It usually comes with extra features (and sometimes more power) compared to the regular versions that come later.
The Subaru Outback is a practical crossover that’s shaped like a wagon. It’s known for being able to drive on different types of roads, especially with all-wheel drive. The podcast mentions it because it’s expected to sell well.
“Hurricane engine” is the name Jeep is using for a newer engine in this Grand Cherokee. The point they’re making is that it’s a turbo engine that makes strong power.
A locking differential helps the SUV keep traction when one wheel starts slipping. It basically makes both wheels on the same axle work together so you’re less likely to get stuck.
A low-range transfer case gives the SUV “crawl mode” gearing. It helps the vehicle go slowly with more pulling power when climbing or driving over rough terrain.
The EPA is a U.S. government agency that tests and regulates things like vehicle emissions and fuel economy. When they’re mentioned, it usually means the car’s efficiency numbers are based on official testing.
Connectivity is how reliably the car can stay connected to your phone and online services. If it doesn’t reconnect, things like navigation or phone features may stop working until you reset the connection.
The Jeep Grand Cherokee is a popular SUV model from Jeep. The host is saying it has strong power and looks good, and they like it enough to want the brand to succeed.
Term
speed auto
This sounds like the host is talking about how the car automatically changes gears or behaves based on speed. The exact term is a bit unclear in the transcript, but it’s about automatic driving/shift behavior.
LIVE
what's up everybody welcome to this episode of the driveway I'm excited I'm
always excited you're always excited I'm always excited energy I try to try to
bring the energy but to my left we've Natalie to her left we have a special
appearance from Dave undercopler but potentially maybe not more special but
more rare recently Matt has returned the prodigal son has returned to the
driveway Matt it's been six weeks it's been it's been a while I have been
listening I've been following along you know from my time in the wilderness you
know I've finally been welcomed back it feels good to be here well we're happy
to have you back I noticed I was listening to your just fabulous episode on
win five signs to know when to sell a good one car was very good but Ellie you
just introduced folks as your friends on that one you got a good graces my
yeah there we go well it's great to be back wonderful in the chair so
you're back in the chair this it's a special occasion because everybody's
here Dave you're here from California we have our nice holiday party our
company party tonight it's gonna be a sweaty day Matt you weren't here now
you've been around yes the recording schedules hasn't worked where have you
been what have you been doing a couple things so I went out to southern Utah
actually fly in and out of Flagstaff which has anybody who's anybody who has
allegiance to a particular airline and is flying to Flagstaff don't I want you
to know the only airline that goes to Flagstaff is American which is fine
high-quality but it's not my airline and honestly it's not it's not
like the better seats of the faster comfort you know but like when I fly
the airlines I normally fly I tend to sit closer to the front of the plane and
when you are on a different airline that's everybody who's been in the
situation knows you have to sit in the back yeah yeah the way you know who
sits in the back people who have seemingly never flown before and you're
walking back there with like you know your I'm a professional business traveler
suitcase you know what you're doing and they're just their babes in the woods
it's like they have no idea what there's oftentimes they stand up as
soon as the plane lands and what's funny is that the flight attendants by the
time they get back to that part of the plane they're over it yeah what do you
want yeah so nice to see you again the plane they're like why are you yeah but
that flight whether it was great or not got you so such a fantastic part of
the country southern Utah tell me about southern Utah Nissan had partnered with
overland expo which is a huge overlanding kind of off-roading the
difference between overlanding and off-roading just quickly and the way I
like to think about is that like off-roading you go out in your car you
go find something to tackle you drive up it you know it's very exciting but then
you can just go home go to bed overlanding is you do all that stuff and
then you might sleep in a tent on top of your truck and so we did a frankly it
was more of an off-roading two-day drive with Nissan in the frontier did you
sleep outside we did sleep outside but it was it was like in under canvas you
yeah it was very hot I'll say that it was extreme it was not as humid as it is
here in Boston but don't forget he didn't have to fly American I'm I always
forget how little shade there is in the desert there's like absolutely not you
literally crawl under a rock yeah but no that was it was an incredible trip
really I mean what were you driving so I don't have a podcast nice on frontier
pro 4x there we go yeah and our test truck we actually kind of lucked out we
got to drive when they had a bunch of Nismo aftermarket off-roading stuff on
so I'd like the beadlock BF good read beadlock wheels BF good rich tires and
had an extra lift on it it was it was terrific I drove with this fabulous
guy Steven Edwards writes for Overland Journal exhibition so I really knew
what he was doing I was kind of like so you were the babe in the woods I was
like secretly interviewing him and then afterwards I was like hey do you mind if I
quote you he was lovely the whole trip was was really eye-opening and we
obviously test like we test a Nissan pro 4x here in New England but to get it
out into that environment it really does kind of open your eyes to the true
capability of the vehicle and we're all fans of the frontier I was reading the
comments on your YouTube short yeah and boy that has a cult following and as
other trucks evolve into just like small four cylinders that are turbocharged
within an inch of their life what's great about the frontier old school v6
naturally aspirated and you see the people in the comments being like that's
why I bought it I have this truck it has all that capability it's still old
school and that's becoming it's like identity now is everything else sort of
moves forward yeah it was it's a great truck and what I like most about it that
I didn't really put together until we had the opportunity to really drive it in
true mixed terrain setting is that the frontier feels like as driving it feels
like an old-school truck but it does still have a lot of the modern tech
features that make it capable so like you know it has heavy steering it has a
naturally aspirated v6 but there was a 2015 XSTERRA pro 4x with us and we got
to an area where that you know they're on the radio and they're like you're
definitely gonna want to put it in rock mode for this and we did and like you
can actually feel when you're on rock or in sand you can feel that the different
throttle mapping but the guy in the XSTERRA was like excuse me
does the XSTERRA have rock road and the response on the radio was just yeah it's
the pedal on the right so it was a nice demonstration of how this feels old
school but it is not old yeah it is still a modern capable vehicle they're
also not like $65,000 like they're relatively affordable for a truck
these days and you know that's we did a comparison on the frontier pro 4x
versus the Tacoma TRD pro I want to say it was a 25 and in grants of the TRD pro
has a bit more advanced kit that the Nissan just doesn't sell stock further
should it pro 4x but the difference was like 30 grand it was a stash you would
almost buy another pro 4x right and so yeah that was great I also I also went
down to Virginia with Mazda to yeah the IIHS crash testing facility and we got
to see them slam a Mazda CX5 at 40 miles an hour into a concrete barrier it was
awesome it lasts the point of impact and like what they're actually capturing
on camera and with their sensors to do the crash test analysis is point two
seconds so it's like I got on a plane I went to Virginia I drove out like the
middle of nowhere to this facility did an hour and a half tour of this really
fast stuff and then let's go home yeah so there's also a short available on
Matt's experience there and when you gave me the footage to edit it I was like
where's the rest of it it was literally one car one car as I've said IIHS has an
Instagram account and they always put the crash video and it's as a kid who
or as a guy who when I was a kid used to smash my Legos and my cars and stuff it's
awesome to watch because and it's informative they'll like show you okay
they just had like the Toyota Land Cruiser and it didn't they've modified
okay they've upgraded their overlap yes yeah yeah like last year if you scored
you know good you may not score good this year and they're retesting some
vehicles it's fascinating to see well if you want to see a little look behind the
scenes go check out that video on YouTube both your videos on YouTube there
we go it was a hoot and it's great to be back yes welcome back my friend I'm glad
you're here oh I did now I'm your friend friend finest finest friend drove you
home the other night okay so all that preamble out of the way we have a fun
episode today we're doing one of the draft episodes which we like to do your
shirt my shirt okay if you're if you're viewing on video platforms which you
can see on Spotify it's the weirdest shirt I own that is a weird shirt it is a
doctor friend it's the Frankenstein monster surrounded by ice cream and a
rainbow over top of his head so it's the weirdest shirt I have did you purchase
yeah what is my shirt for I do and I don't remember why is it you wouldn't
I don't know why I have it no it's like a Lisa okay it's like a Lisa Frank
Frank a trip Lisa Frankenstein that's what it is Lisa so yeah it felt like
the perfect shirt to wear for today so yeah welcome I mean there's no other
opportunity in your life where you have a more specific chance to wear that shirt
let's make sure the people can yeah give it a full look so anyway yeah what is the
Frankenstein episode now that people are like so I don't know what's going on we
are we are going to short we're going to draft basically a car made up of all
of our favorite parts of other cars so we're gonna go in order or a snake
draft order as we do and we're gonna go part by part so we are gonna go
sequentially so we're picking the same parts and then the next thing and then
the next thing there's five part the five parts right and Matt I think you were
gonna run through the rules and the actual like segments that we're gonna
focus on well the take it away the first thing just off off the top this was a
terrible idea great prepping for this this episode I felt like Charlie Kelly
last night nobody knows who that is no one knows that from always sunny where
he's got like the strings the murder investigation board just Charlie yeah I
never knew he had I got I like confused myself so much last night trying to do
the mental gymnastics of creating my dream because we're creating a car that
doesn't exist right and in a form that probably doesn't exist well that was
the product planners listen up because this is what we want you guys to be
building the the five categories yes that's good place to start components
components that's a good way to phrase that's round one chassis so think like
chassis suspension how the car handles what it's what it's capable of you know
is it is it a corner car or is it an off-road or something like that round
two powertrain I definitely lean more heavily into just picking the engine
here but extra extra points if you have a transmission of choice or a drive
train of choice I just picked and but primarily we're looking at engine yeah
yep that's what I did round three I feel like this is when Ellie it's really
gonna shine oh boy interior so this is like are you implying I don't know much
I mean how there you application we're talking about like seats upholstery
ergonomics yeah round four is tech so if so the interior is kind of like more
about like what is touching you is like what you're interfacing with in terms
of you know the touchscreen or the driver display maybe the stereo if that
matters to you and round five definitely the most like convoluted of all of them
is design language so we're kind of looking at a brand level here rather
than a specific car and I would say this at least in my mental gymnastics last
night I was tying very closely to chassis I was like I don't want it to
look like a 9-11 if I'm drafting a forerunner chasser but that's the
beauty of it but I guess that's the beauty of it this is the skin we're
wrapping around that weird thing we've just created yeah it's supposed to look
like the Frankenstein monster at the end a bunch of different pieces that
maybe make sense but maybe they don't mind I don't make any sense I think
that's I think it's fun yeah yeah and well and then after that I guess we'll
do a little reveal of you know we'll go through your monster describe describe
your monster so that's we're gonna do my notes are so convoluted right there
that's it don't look at my answer five categories with a vehicle next to it
this I'm just telling you now I'm just I'm just gonna go oh my boy I'm just
gonna go from my heart audio listeners through his notebook I need to get
unprecedented move yeah look you can't yeah not I can't do it are you how do
you feel Matt Matt's nervous I'm feeling good are you feeling like are you
like what you've researched you like where you're going okay so like I said
we're gonna do a snake draft which means one through four then four through one
like that I've already randomized the list you've already
rigged the order no I actually don't like where I am I I find
Elliott's ethics unimpeachable hey I love that and word
and now I better be what number one well or before cuz then you get to double
back well I hate so I used random org yeah totally random unimpeachable it's
a dot org so you can trust it that's true not for profit the order is number
one Natalie there we go get ready now oh number two what order categories we're
doing that no we are we're gonna go in the order that we're kind of building
from the ground yeah okay so number one Natalie number two yours truly Elliott
number three Dave yeah I know the worst position number four everything I said
you're on the what's is a run cleanup when he says I don't like I actually don't
like my spot that's when you know he did rig it he's like it's obfuscation yeah
oh yeah look what happened I need to have somebody watch me when I do the
random just to get a weird party three people here who could have well then
but you would know yeah but then we would have seen you hit random randomize
time and another time okay we're starting with chassis slash platform all right
okay leadoff hitter is our friend Natalie Harrington big winner what you got
I'm gonna go Toyota GR 86 sports car handling yeah
no one else can have it we should say that that once something is claimed it's
off the board and I think that means super BRZ is off the board yeah yeah
same chassis that might have been a loophole I don't think anyone else has it
but well so your argument and we can think about it that's a good choice that's
a great car that's my argument would that be the TNG platform or TNG a platform
no we're not gonna I don't think that would be very fair cuz that's what
we're doing chassis platform well that would eliminate like some brands use one
platform that's how I thought about it I'm kind of leaning it's I just feel
like challenge is good you know challenges good I mean it doesn't affect
me my okay I would say no cuz okay I don't know I think it seems really broad
yeah okay then I can go car based on what made me think that you could take
maybe TNG a okay I don't know a mean but like K is their truck platform that
would be different yeah choosing that shouldn't in general allow you from
yes when Dave starts to feel boxed in I feel like we're going in the right
direction pretty like when he starts to panic we know it's working I'm just
principal tell us about driving the the GRE6 FRS BRZ all the cars that you've
taken off the board yeah I mean with the chassis choice specifically I was
really just thinking about handling and and like wanting something fun and and
super responsive and like super planted and that's that was what came to mind
when I was thinking about press cars I've driven yeah I think anyone who's
driven one of those is like needs more power oh my god this chassis is
incredible yeah yeah and this is more power because the chassis can handle it
so yeah that's that's true and that's what we're always saying at home maybe
that's the move let's get that maybe that's the one in it we'll be all set good
choice thank you yeah I like it okay so I'm gonna take the Lexus NX 350 F sport
of the F sport handling the small crossover yeah this is a very strange
pick you don't like my pick no I I think I know where you're going with it no
it's it's just a surprise maybe more versatile I guess so I'm leaving
himself room for this like true monster again I was thinking platform I was
thinking of it as a platform so what I have is that the that platform also
underpins the Camry the Grand Highlander the NX the TX you'll live a little here
yeah so I was choosing he was trying to screw us no it's a mundane platform but
none of you have anything to choose from now again in the categories platform was
the was the thing we should have so I chose a platform okay so I'm taking the
the TNGA or the GAK platform okay but Lexus NX okay for the NX all right I'm
curious to see where we're going where you're going with this what you build
on top I don't know a Lego you know you know building a Lego car what do you
like about that platform I so I had the the Lexus NX a couple months ago and I
just found it to be really it was it was pretty stiff and I found it was deeply
uncomfortable to drive I love it no but like it was really confident when I did
find some corners which isn't isn't common where I live but there is a he was
in that Lexus Cross have really thrown it into the hairpins again I was
choosing a platform and I'm now choosing a car to match what the rest of the room
did but yeah I just found it to be really confident in the couple corners I
could find around my house so right next on the list is Dave so I'm gonna go I'm
like you're doing a last second confidence loss Ford Raptor yeah Bronco or
Bronco Raptor okay yeah okay and I'm in it you know we'll build on top of it but
I'm in it for you I'm in it for like just big squishy springs and shocks you
know squishiness but also adaptability right different modes you can use with
it we're gonna we're gonna Frankenstein that yeah not out of this thing so he's
been in Boston for three days he's already figured I need something squishier
you need to get outside yeah yeah these roads I've lost my feelings no it's it's
you know we'll see because I got plans to build on top of it so we're starting
with the Raptor I knew it's gonna be Raptor of some kind it was like do it
the truck or the Bronco or the Ranger we'll go Bronco okay I love that pick I
actually so in my in my you know investigative pin board where I was
putting all you know tying the strings and trying to make right everything I
did have on one side it was the Ford F-150 Raptor it's like well I could do
this yeah this Avenue I could do something like this but it's been taken
essentially I won't I won't take the F-150 Raptor if you've taken the Bronco
Raptor you can ride variety is the spicy life I'm gonna pick whatever under
pins the BMW 5 series because it is pretty pretty long wheelbase it's
comfortable okay and it cruises on the highway like a dream and yet if you
even you don't even need the M5 you get like a what is the 550m or M550 that
thing will rip yeah so it feels like a best of both worlds for me I'm I'm now
not I'm not gonna go my big off-road or a route so the next best thing is just a
very capable composed comfortable highway cruiser that you can have fun in I like
it fantastic I see no fall wow great and now I guess I get to go again yeah yeah
now you're first in the engine no we're doing so I kind of wanted you and I
are switched yeah truly truly randomized really out of it truly whatever you say
yeah or the one who's been at home with her baby yeah you win that one you
went out to dinner last night thanks for buying me some time I couldn't I
couldn't decide I wanted to continue down just like the big sports today and
route and pick something like a you know a twin turbo V8 but that feels boring to
me so I'm gonna go with the GMC three-liter Duramax diesel wow line six
and this is on your five series now I'm getting close to 30 miles per gallon on
the highway 495 pound feet of torque I can tow basically a house and honestly I
think those GMC three-liter diesels GM three-liter diesels are peaches I think
they they sound nice I think they pull really well and a lot of times diesel
engines I feel like they would give you like you know 210 horsepower and 400
pound feet of torque but this is relatively balanced I'm still getting
over 305 horsepower RPM 1500 ish before it hits that that peak performance yeah
so even moving why not and you know like diesel is expensive but so is
now what is it what's the downside and succeeded I wasn't overly prepared
we're going on vibes vibe that is the point you want to end with a really
vibey car Dave you are next on the list so I'm going with the Porsche Taycan
okay you sound like a turbo GT powertrain so this is I had to look up the
horsepower and it was over a 1000 19 horsepower 1000
nineteen horsepower 914 pound feet of torque and this is your brock yeah not
that many I like 60 2.2 seconds with the car I like that you picked the all
electric platform that they still put turbo on yes yeah which you know is
going to be just insane but also you know moderately useful right in the real
world 276 miles and again that's with this the Taycan GT or the turbo GT so
my weird Frankenstein would never get that but decent efficiency out of
incredibly fast package there's also a push to pass button for an extra 163
horsepower for 10 seconds I love that yeah there we go this is a weird game
the whole point I love it and you can DC fast charge it too that fair point
because I'm gonna need it gonna have the range of you know a potato okay it's
that 800 volt yeah so we are we are back to me and in a similar vein I am also
choosing an electric powertrain there you go that's what I love
have a car in mind for the platform a small ish compact crossover I'm put on
the Rivian R1s quad engine powertrain that's powerful so each one of my wheels
gets it gets a motor that's looking at me like it doesn't this this chassis
selection as we go on it's just going to get stranger and stranger six more
horsepower than I do and again I wasn't thinking of it as the law I was thinking
of the platform so that's where my whole mind work so yeah and so on the on the
R1s these quad motors I have the notes here get me over a thousand horsepower
1,025 horsepower but if I have it on the Lexus NX yeah that's gonna be a lot
faster than it would be on the R1s so 2.6 seconds 0 to 60 in the NX probably
like I don't know 1.2 1.3 something like that yeah and the range you tell
what's jumping up in the NX so I have a quick fast nice handling just
hyper fast EV kind of monster almost 300 foot-pound 911 chassis like what
nobody's gonna drive the kids okay okay yeah I don't you every man and again
the reason I was do I was trying to be strategic with picking the Toyota
platform that underpins a ton of vehicles not just the NX I know that's
just the one I've been in most recently so that is my choice you didn't choose a
minivan platform or is that a well minivan might make an appearance later
on the list okay so I'm the last one to pick power train yes you can I talk
about to because I won't be taking sure why not buddy so let's start with I
don't think that my GR 86 chassis can handle a thousand maybe it can no so I
was I was originally thinking in Tiger type S slash civic type R that was my
other one yeah like that but but you guys have got me thinking like live a
little not that that's not great this is not that weird but now I'm leaning at
like M3 you know because still get the manual we're making it rear-wheel drive
again three yeah it's a great choice yes yeah and it's significantly more power
than what you get in the GR 86 with yeah the base what is it all day power you
don't have to charge you don't have to charge you don't worry about your
range oh it's like base competition which I think is the drive and CS base
might be the only one that comes with the manual now I thought they had like a
last hurrah version the final also yeah also had a manual but I give you wrong
yeah so like 470 473 with a speed manual that's a delightful it's really
helpful yeah I feel like there's a there's a an upper limit to horsepower it
stops like the number just becomes arbitrary like if you get over anything
it used to be like 350 either with more than 350 horsepower you're like what are
we doing and it's definitely gone out I don't know if it's like 500 or 600 but
like 473 when you tell me 473 horsepower I think yeah I know what that feels like
yeah so they just for for maybe you want this one they are doing a limited
edition M3 CS hen shelter like they did with the Z4 so there is sort of a
special edition final version CS and so I still feel like I could drive
43 well that's good over 500 we too much yeah you don't want like a thousand
plus special lessons you know or like where they only let you take your car
to the track and you can't drive that six-speed manual can't handle the
power of the 550 horsepower of the standard CS so they're giving you the
473 I love when they say stuff like this
thanks thanks guys yeah you got approval from people and now you get to go
again oh yeah so interior right okay now interior is next let's clarify am I
picking an entire interior am I picking seats like I was seeing different
things on the so what we have on our run of show it's interior slash seats where
you actually live materials seat comfort layout and ergonomics yeah just
not nothing you're none of the screens you can replace everything like behind
you I guess yeah yeah okay so like just the seat your center cubby but you can
like holder position you're in it for the seats I think I'm okay with that yeah
if you're like the seats in X car are fantastic I want them in my frankincar
you've sold me yeah but we're also gonna make you like take the headliner and the
dashboard and yeah yeah okay and it has to be a mass market car right I can't
be like it has to be on sale right now I guess it's what the Ferrari luce no like
Carrera GT no okay I do think though that I'm still gonna go Porsche and I'm
gonna take those 911 adaptive seats really good choice yeah okay so question
does that take all Porsche models off all 911 or 911 911 okay okay those are
fantastic and there's like a wide variety of seats but that means they're all
incredible there's a carbon-backed there's like the sport seats yeah yeah I'm
thinking that like 18-way yeah I think those would work for me and Alex they
vent and heat at the same time right at the same time I actually didn't know
that that's cool it's you don't think you need it is cool you try it like what
finally tuned and you're like I'm warm but I'm not sweaty it's lovely it's a
great place now keep in mind this does mean that the 911 is off the table yeah
the 911 Carrera the 911 GTS the 11 turbo the 911 we're gonna be here all day we
know she took all the 911's yeah of which there are many yeah all right no
great pic those are yeah all right I like how this is shaping up so what do
you have so far you have the I have the chassis of the GR86 BRZ I have the M3
powertrain and then the 911 I'm gonna come borrow this car yeah interior you're
making just a very nice cohesive that's a thing that's a full package not
cohesive yours is not that much fun in terms of like Frankenstein but it's that
in terms of like I would like very exciting when you put it on like a
Volvo v60 you should wagon platformers you laugh okay so what I am taking for
my interior is the Lexus no so again when I thought I thought we were picking
like a brand like for example Porsche's interior and that would that would take
all portion I am taking the Cadillac Escalade nice I thought about that yes
that would have been like my second I didn't think about it but I feel like I
should have great choice I am as you guys know from yesterday we shot a video
yesterday it was warm are we stretching the the wheelbase it doesn't matter
yeah none of this matter I just want to make sure we're talking about an
Escalade that like you're getting the space of that not just the seats okay
it's a Frankenstein yeah this is like Harry Potter's tent or drink it oh I
guess I didn't think that has SpaceX money yeah yeah and he's building
whatever car he wants I'm the world's second trillionaire yeah we should know
we're recording this early so there might be more than one there might be one
yeah well there is two there might be more than all so I run hot as you guys
are aware it was a hot day the filming was a hot experience I run hot I need
ventilated seats so that was like a non-negotiable I need ventilated seats but
the I love the experience of being on the highway turn on supercruise that's
tech put I know but I'm saying put on a massage yeah that's so just sitting there
seats having the car drive me and being massaged yes supercruise is tech but
it's it's involved in my seat comfort yeah and in Escalade you just got got
tons and tons of space you know I like it but it's mainly those seats the seats
were fantastic yeah no the interiors of those are nice the tech I wouldn't
choose it for my tech choice because I didn't love the tech it was good but I
didn't love it but the seats pretty pretty okay I will say I don't film with
you often yeah superhuman yesterday you're one of these people you run hot
but it's not as visible where I disagree it's when I run hot it's like
a I'm a shiny mess and it's gross and it's all like the sweat but you like
you I feel like you were dying like you looked out you didn't look like
Elliott's t-shirt was practically loose I think that's why it's because you were
so focused on getting the job done you weren't like it was a busy shoot oh my
god I'm so hot like the highlight was the next fan came out when Elliott realized
that he had the delight and like when he spotted it it's like 13 dollars in
Amazon tried one of those things they're cool no frankly I wish I had it now I
couldn't wear it on camera so that's true they just looks like headphones they're
delightful I'm in like full down okay I chose the escalate Dave you are next
we're doing seats it's it's interior well okay so here's why I clarified that
Natalie was taking just 9-11 because I'm gonna take Cayenne for seats and
everything behind you man anyone who's been in a Porsche interior recently
those things are just solid as a rock it's like you took granite and covered
it with leather in a good way like everything the build quality it just it
feels like a car that can go 200 miles an hour on the Autobahn without you know
for years without any issues very comfortable seats that's what I'm taking
second Porsche in a row it is yeah I almost had but I ran into this in my
planning I kept I'd be like I'm gonna take oh let's do like the the CT5 black
wing chassis and then the next one yeah and and maybe I'll oh what about the
Cadillac CT5 black wing engine wait a second for a minute I had like all
accurate components yeah I didn't want mine just to be a Sienna so I tried to
jazz it up he mixed it with a Civic wild over there I would have gone in
okay okay all right now you get seats or in and then also right
around the button you have tech and I actually I had to do a little double
checking because I realized am I prepared to talk about tech for my interior
I'm taking the Nissan aria now I know they've discontinued the right now so
like it counts you can buy a new one today I don't think there are many mass
market cars that have come out in recent years that are so clever and innovative
in terms of their like just interior accoutrement yeah so it like the seats
have been around forever the zero gravity seats are super comfortable
particularly when you've been in them for a long drive and you guys know because
of my m for my five series chassis and my diesel engine you're going to take
this for a long drive but also it has like the sliding center console well
it's the little drawer that slides out the buttons that are sort of underneath
the fake woodgrain trim yeah you can't see it unless that's illuminated they
still feel like a button they appear out of nowhere yeah the aria is one of the
more underrated cars the interior lighting the way they've made it kind of
look like Japanese lanterns it's just not a good choice I wouldn't know yeah
they're just what color you choosing oh for the you know I I have only been in
one special color I've only been in one that's like the typical like charcoal
blackish gray I had the blue one and I thought it was it
wasn't like a bright in your it wasn't like this wall blue it was like a
subtle like a navy blue it's like very subtle and now I get to pick tech and
honestly I've struggled with the tech it's like I can love a car love
everything about a car and if I'm going to find something to annoy me it always
ends up being the text like in that I don't think I've ever given a vehicle in
a review a 10 out of 10 for tech so when picking like my perfect tech I was
like oh well it doesn't have a car play oh well like it's got too many touch
screen but I very nearly took the escalate I'm not gonna take that off
the board but you'll be pleased here I'm gonna bubble over here I'm gonna take
I'm gonna take a tech that I'm pretty sure none of you guys would have picked
anyways it is specifically the Ford digital experience that they put in
like the new Explorer and it's it was the biggest surprise of 2025 for me how
much I really liked using it it is fast actually what models that in right now
like what'd you drive honestly I just know it's in the Explorer it might be in
the expedition with all the screens I don't love that this is this is better
than the navigator this is a smaller simpler okay interface but it's fast it
it is like kind of an attractive wide screen without being like like what was
it Mazda's wide somebody had a wide screw I was just like this is just too
likely too wide but no it works really well simple functional fast it does
require after a certain amount of time a subscription which when I was testing it
there was no price yet for if I'm buying this car this better be not be like a
12 month subscription because I plan on owning the car for seven years but it
works really well and I just googled it it does have Apple CarPlay and Android
Auto so if I get an iPhone that won't bug me I did a video yeah a couple
months ago did a video on the latest Ford Explorer tremor and one of my pros
you do three pros yeah is the infotainment system in it the tech
execution it was I don't give those chits out
like I was surprised that Ford had such a good tech interface but I was they
struggled with it yeah yeah yeah no they did a great job yeah I agree good
one I didn't even think about that one all right that's two good ones in a row
from there we go I know I'm tired you might get Dave's vote at the end I'm
gonna be last on the body language and I feel like that's the one you really
don't want to be last yeah that's probably true you'll be like I'll take the
Lexus NX it's a good-looking car Dave you're up all right infotainment I'm
gonna do I agree with Matt in that like I don't know if there's an infotainment
system where I've been like it's a 10 out of 10 so I say this acknowledging that
it is not perfect but my recollections of using it in this brand in the past 18
months have always been positive so the Mercedes M-Bucks I think generally is a
well-executed interface you can find the menus and the controls you want it isn't
entirely reliant on just screens it's got physical buttons in the right places
big screens bright good layout that's my pick and it is I mean now that the
Deutsch marks have been discontinued it is the legal tender of Germany right
yeah you know what dad joke there thanks yeah that was worth it yeah yeah
so I spend my bucks and in bucks I agree it's it is a really good system yeah it's
one of the ones where it looks really flashy and you kind of expected to be a
headache yeah more functional nice good pick okay I'm next I think as far as like
I'm a mass market I think Hyundai and Kia are some of the best yes tech hands down
systems however I'm taking one step up I'm going Genesis well I'm not gonna get
you're right are fantastic sorry go ahead though I feel like any Genesis I've
been in has been like Hyundai Kia in ease of use but it looks better to me and I
like I think it was the G80 or the GV80 it's it's not two different screens in
in a housing it's one giant widescreen and I just really like that as a look
and it's it's all laid out so the wheel isn't blocking anything important
everything you need is where it is with a so I knew in Kia's they when they have
the one big sheet of glass yeah the screen the piece between the two primary
displays is the climate climate control you can never see because yeah what is
that in the in the Genesis it's not it's not okay it's not there and I'm in a
Hyundai Ioniq 9 now and it's that's one housing but it's two distinct screens
with the bezel and that bezel and I can't do the bezel the Genesis I feel like
it's just as usable it's honestly it's the cheapest feeling thing about the
pals I don't disagree there yeah it's the UX on Genesis I actually think it's
worse than see I like it they try to go fancy yeah lost some of the
functionality that makes Hyundai and Kia so good and I've been in I was just in
a Genesis GB 70 something yeah and I remember specifically being like this
is frustrating okay it's not living up maybe it's because the Hyundai and Kia
set the bar so high sure sure and you're like oh you got fancy and yeah but
anyway I should also note it apple car play flawless not going anywhere and I
don't know if it's in the GV 80 but the mood the mood curator that we had in
the G90 that counts I was gonna say I love that if you're sitting waiting for
you know I was a school to let out a fun bit it has music and a massage a scent
right isn't gross it's like I kind of like the scent so overpowering Genesis
as a brand I like what they're doing love you know the screen and touch point
wise infotainment wise so nice very good good justification thank you yeah for
sure stand up for yourself yeah don't let Dave bully you picked mbox wild can't
buy anything that's alright Natalie you are up and then you are also finishing
us off I'm extremely interested in Natalie's pick for tech yeah well the
Hyundai is still on the table right yeah and similar to what everyone is
saying I there's nothing stand out in my mind that's like well that was really
good that I I feel like if it maybe if I went back through all my old video
scripts I can find something but I mostly remember the bad ones and then
somebody said at some point supercruises tech and I thought well Hyundai was
already on my list and you get highway driving assist to on a lot of models
right so that's like this too yeah yeah it's like it's close it's not super
cruise or blue cruise but it's approaching not even yeah I I really I
like the ways divided up I actually prefer the Hyundai and Kia versions to
the Genesis one specifically so I'm glad you didn't take those I know you're
outlier I actually did have BMW on my the iDrive on my list to it like if
someone took the latest version where it's all screen yeah I don't like okay
like up until a year ago maybe it was yeah this one is just too reliant and
the I just it is that okay so it's a form over function in a really annoying way
yeah there okay with my but it's only on like the latest latest BMW okay my
issue with with iDrive is just that like the display see there's too many
things that I can touch that bring up a different menu like normally like if you
press like home you just get like a whole minute but on the home screen for
the you can press like this square or that and they all bring
up something very different like I never really know yeah like 50 different
I don't quite know how to get to what I need to get to yeah fair I mean Hyundai
pretty unimpeachable choice particularly the like current current version I did
not like when it was just like rows of purple little icons but what they're
doing today is well you've better vision than me I'm famously untrue I would be
doing 65 famously I do have perfection a lot of things annoy me about you you
having perfect vision I know which gate in the airport is ours like 50 feet
before I actually thought somebody was gonna take Honda because to your point
on like everything is too like there's always something to the noise me the
Honda Civic every time I get to them just like so they clearly just want me to
pair my phone it's too basic yeah it's like physical buttons home in the back
it's simple but it's too old Honda Acura was on my list I appreciate the
simplicity and I default to car play so often that like Honda's just like yes do
that it's almost comical how they're like too big one they're black and white
yeah it's like it's like if you it's not a good thing if you do Apple car play
we'll give that to you in full color but it's just black and white and here
here's the here's the pair your phone a physical button the prelude that I had a
few months ago never would keep my phone paired and I was like you want to
annoy and piss off a car reviewer have that happen yeah that happens in our
accord to drop it yeah one job to do and I feel like backwards like all the
Honda press because I've had recently have less color in the entertainment
screen than our 2020 whatever year it is or 2023 or something you're 23 I think
so yeah it's hybrid it's newer it's like it's a better color gray I can't
believe you all mine is super is so now we're doing body style like your design
language design language okay and we're picking an automaker yeah here I
thought I think we do body stuff sorry not body style but design language yeah
this is like it doesn't have to be just not a maker if you say a vehicle and we
all understand sort of the design ethos of that vehicle I think that counts right
like even if like not every vehicle in that brand looks just like that right
because most brands there's some discrepancy between how their cars look
but if you can like say something and we're like oh yeah I know exactly the
design language that's a Franken car you're wrapping this design language
around your thing you've created so so are you everything in that brand doesn't
have to look like it should it be a pairing of I want now I'm gonna have
like a minivan that has BMW design language or is are we just doing design
which I love when we when we fine-tune the rules during the podcast we do have a
black and white round of show that answers the question do we not want to
print do we not want to follow that I'll follow your lead and we'll go from
right after you I was gonna say accurate and just like take because I think yeah
and it looks awesome on SUVs and cars and I didn't know what I was gonna end up
with you know at first or actually I didn't even remember what order we were
doing and I suspect you are going with more of a like if you if it was part of
the category you would be going of a sedan body yeah and or or coop yeah but
like everything I've picked really I don't want to end up with like a truck
now although actually could you imagine like I think an accurate truck would look
pretty good yeah I think that big grill really works on a lot of stuff I feel
like they could they could make this happen yeah yeah you could you could
really do this all right we got well so I I took it as as you know shape and
and I I chose minivan as my but it's usually design language yeah the top
part is because I actually I really like your pick of Acura I think that's such
because like accuracy look like accuracy yeah and I like that yeah whereas like
Toyota's I like Toyota's new direction but I don't love the Sienna now so maybe
I will say the Sienna with Toyota's new design language with their like really
angular sharp DRLs like on the new RAV4 the Camry and they're they're pretty
sharp vehicles like sharp like physically the angles are sharp but the
Sienna currently is still pretty rounded I do I think it's I think actually I
hope they don't Toyota well they're going to the Japanese bullet train yeah
yeah so I'm you know what I'm gonna go with Sienna and or with minivan Sienna
minivans particularly and I don't know whichever one's available to you all right
I like it so next up is Dave yeah so I'm gonna go I don't know if you guys have
been paying attention it feel like it kind of crept up on all of us Audi's
new crossovers so the new Q3 the new Q5 the new Q7 and the forthcoming all new
Q9 look at like Audi just a few days ago showed the new Q7 yeah that's a cool
design language it's like bold it's sleek it's futuristic but I think it's
well that it's not kind of weird it's sort of cohesive on the front and the
back I feel like you could put it on lots of different sizes vehicles I'm like
I'm feeling we're out he's going with a design right now so but if we're doing
like vehicle size I'm gonna keep mine kind of small I'm doing like a small to
mid-sized crossover on my you know chassis that's got all the power but
it's with an Audi design language on their latest SUVs are really cool looking
I'm picking up what you're putting down here yeah combination of things how it
does do a nice job of it I say it's not in that their cars feel minimal because
they don't but like their generational design changes really are kind of like
the lesses more like we don't need to it's not Hyundai they're not like we need
to rewrite our entire language they're just like we're just gonna make some
tweaks here and there and sharpen this up but there's a cohesiveness between
all four of those crossovers yeah they all look but then each of them looks
good within its own design but then the language translates well across all four
and they're they're some of the better-looking vehicles on the road
right now or will be because it's they're all coming out I think one of the
better-looking vehicles on the road right now is the Polestar 4 I think it's
just drove that I think it's a really really good-looking car I think it's
weirdly pulse yeah Polestar for the design language they dare I say they do
force hammer headlights better than false also the Polestar 2 is a little
it doesn't really do it for me but the other the three and the four and like
the one that was the limited run like that they look they just look great I
love I don't love big wheels generally but Polestar does a great job of getting
a wheel that fully feels the wheel well and they have like these relatively
short overhangs yes feels like the wall the wheels these big filling wheels
are like right on the edge it's it honestly it looks like my daughter has
this magnet tile car platform yes yeah like it's really too bad magnet tiles
are basically all squares and rectangles and triangles because I feel like we
could build something really the wheelbase to length ratios really good
and those are short overhangs the downside is that while Volvo does have
station wagons Polestar doesn't but if this is Frankenstein I want a Polestar
wagon yeah the three is like squinted maybe make it a wagon I know what you
mean yeah they probably wouldn't call it is the four the one that doesn't ever
rear window yeah my video for that is going live shortly it's in yeah well by
the time this air it's in my new box right now yes no rear window like as we
point out in well also this is what was in my driveway it's a good-looking car
or no that'll be nice to give us a key EV 6 a little it does it didn't need
it could have had EV 6 yeah it could have had a real work taught me that
phrase yeah it's giving it could have had a rear window okay you look at the
design you're like ah come on guys this seems yeah why is more of a gimmick then
perhaps it needs to be I went into I don't I never used you guys use the
digital rearview mirror I strongly just like digital here you have a choice yeah
and I you get used to it you do it could have had a rear window yeah but
the car is cool yeah and it's like sits up a little higher than a city that's
like is it a coop crossover it's a sedan like and we talked about that in
the video it works like the car it's kind of a fun car nice I like these
choice should we go let's run down what we have a little cohesive that's what
we're doing yeah so we've all we've all built our Frankenstein car yeah let's go
in order which is Natalie starting describe your car what you did and then
if the viewer chooses they can vote on their favorite okay my car is really
cool I I'm picturing it like not super super small but low to the ground for
sure you know like coop size so I have the GR86 slash BRZ chassis suspension
etc I have the BMW M3 powertrain so 473 horsepower I think we said manual
rear-wheel drive what was my interior oh Porsche Porsche interior with the 911
adaptive seats yep yep I will say I also thought about infinity QX80 seats like
if someone was gonna take those I like the QX80 interior to Matt's point with
the zero gravity and then Hyundai tech okay and accurate design language that's
and I'm assuming four-door mom
yeah we could we can make it four-door I don't know maybe suicide doors maybe
like Rx eight style doors yeah oh that would be really cool does that work with
accurate design language so my vehicle and again I'm gonna start off no no
just don't apologize my platform no my platform was the GAK platform from
Toyota yes I chose the NX to boron but the Sienna the Camry the Highlander a
bunch of vehicles use that platform which was our you play by the rules on
that platform I'm putting on the Rivian RS quad powertrain which is over a
thousand horsepower I'm including myself with the massaging escalate seats in
that vehicle I'm using Genesis tech and the shape the body shape the silhouette
is a minivan because it is the right car for most people for most families of
which I am one of those so unimpeachable choices across the board you do you let
them know okay alright so this is mine for chat the chassis is the Ford Bronco
Raptor the engine or powertrain is the Porsche Taycan turbo GT again over a
thousand horsepower it's good choice lots of torque interior is Porsche Cayenne's
interior infotainment is Mercedes M-Bucks and the body language is Audi's new
crossovers and I'm gonna size-wise I'm imagining this is not big this is like a
compact crossover hold it in your hands it's like a bagel but like the like the
broad shoulders like the chassis of it's like an off-road ish but then like it's
a true Franken thing like the bottom half of it is off-roading and then the top
half is this like sophisticated swoopy European and it's powered by you know an
unholy amount of electric horsepower yeah I really like the like really nice
Luxe interior and like rugged you understood the aside there we go
thank you doesn't happen all the time Matthew no does that yeah okay I feel
pretty good about mine I'm going with the BMW 5 series chassis unimpeachable
GMC 3 liter Duramax straight 6 diesel engine because I want to be able to go
forever pulling a redwood tree behind me the interior is gonna be the Nissan
Aria breath of fresh air in our modern world tech Ford Explorer the great
surprise of 2025 digital experience knocks it out of the park even Dave
thought so and it's going to be pole stars take on a station wagon four-door
station wagon because I also love my child yours is a close second to mine if
we can't vote for our own thank you Dave but we're gonna vote for our own and I'm
do we want to vote each other's or do we let it leave it up to the viewer let's
all pick one that's not our own okay let's go in order Natalie who are you
picking Dave's Dave's I'm I'm taking Natalie's cuz I'm annoyed with Dave
I'll take it yeah no I think that's I like I like where he's
going with this thank you yeah I like you a lot as you're not gonna get the
reciprocal vote hold on before you say it you're now the deciding vote I am the
deciding wow gave Matt too much power in his first episode back yeah I regret
voting I'm cooked guys you do this all the time every week I'm
going with Natalie I feel like it's the only one that makes sense in my
brain on his shirt does not make any sense
and he's eating an ice cream cone really fun really really fun car to try yes
for sure yeah I want it okay yeah well I think we did something here do you
think we did something if you were gonna call one automaker and say hey I have
an idea who would you call that's accurate that's accurate we we're gonna
need a what's the powertrain BMW and we're gonna need a Porsche BMW Acura
partnership yeah you've got that very possible six just take that and yeah you
know that's true boost that for some more power yeah and I do like their
manual too yeah you if you had chosen like BMWs what is it the the B I can't
remember the engine but it's the turbo straight six that they put in like the
Supra and the Z4 like there's an odd there's there's an avenue there's a way
to do this there's a there there let's make some calls would you say there's a
lot of there's a lot of there yeah what run don't walk well yeah what's in your
driveway what's in my right way always ask us first yeah so we are well we're
speaking of we've gone lengthy but I will start and I'm gonna go quick jumping
off of Natalie's design brandy those the Acura Integra oh yeah it was the
type s okay and it was a six-speed so I spent about half my driving life owning
sticks owning stick shift manuals but I don't get to drive one nearly at all
anymore it's rare it's only press cars like the Miata and now the Integra and
some civics have been sticks but like they're they're pretty rare to drive in
my daily life so what let me talk the Acura Integra type s assuming that our
schedule is correct oh you have it coming up soon launched two days ago our
video oh sure yeah it's fantastic so yeah Matt and I shot the car I did my
own content on the car but the type s it's the only way to get the upgraded
engine which is a 320 horsepower 2 liter turbo 6 and that car is just a
miracle of handling it's incredible front-wheel drive only it's it's it's
intended it says never so oh my gosh the appeal of all-wheel drive diminishes
enormously when you get in that car yeah I don't need it so I don't maybe if
it's snowing but certainly not not for like traction on the hood on us yeah
incredible so six-speed manual the only extra cost option was paint it brought
our price just under $56,000 do you remember the color double apex blue
pearl double apex not a single apex like double rainbow but double apex so the
Integra starts at just under 35 but you don't want that one you want the stick
shift which you can get I think it starts at 40 with the A-spec with
technology trim so you can get the the six-speed below the type s but you want
the type s you want that 320 horsepower so I loved it go to the channel to check
out both me and Matt's or Matt and my thoughts about that car and next let's
just go down the line Natalie I have the Ford Maverick Lobo yeah yeah it is
interesting it is interesting so Ford calling it a street truck University in
so I don't know Ford is calling it a street truck I would probably call it a
sport truck it's just got some sport tuned things but it also has some
styling things like I really like the wheels the wheels are cool turbo fan 19
inch wheels it's a little bit lowered they say like the interior touches are
inspired by street wear like sneaker trends and things like that lost me a
little bit trying to put together like let's make it cool yeah the truck is
pretty cool sorry it's not too low you said it's lowered but like sometimes I
imagine yeah yeah and I think it's a good thing yeah too low like maybe a
little more planted if you're actually it has Lobo mode which is supposed to be
only for closed courses like you're supposed to be able to not quite drift
it but I get a little bit autocrossy sideways with how much and that's a
while Natalie's there's a bit of like broken pavement if you take a right out
of our office and head towards okay yeah yeah yeah I like yeah we don't need
basically every single time I hit that piece of pavement the truck was like
bonk I was like oh well they stiffened it up 250 horsepower okay yeah I mean
huge truck but it's like $8,000 more than the base one yeah it's it's a
significant magic pricing and you don't get the hybrid yeah asking for a grand
give me like upper 200 yeah maybe 300 horsepower like come on it's got a lot
of promising like components of different things it does look really
sharp and those wheels are good yeah so yeah it's on the channel should be by
now Cliff one of our viewers Cliff did a comparison between the F-150 Lobo and
the Maverick Lobo so that's a pretty cool video so go check that out too Dave
speaking of videos up on the channel right now is my video of the Rivian R2
one of the most interesting vehicles are highly anticipated yeah highest
most anticipated most anticipated I can't talk exhausted or at the end it's
okay he's been having dinners no sympathy this is what the podcast era has
done to us you know we don't need language anymore writing skills so flew
out to Salt Lake and then went to Park City to drive the new R2 so we were on
the roads we were on freeway surface streets like Matt was saying with his
I did not sleep in a tent gravel roads dirt roads and then some pretty
impressively aggressive trails that R2 is a home run and if you know me I don't
say cars are home runs lightly that car granted we were in the full fully decked
out launch edition which is of the what the performance trim so that's 656 horsepower
it's like high 50s in price so there will be one that's going to be cheap right
the performance one will be low 50 grand and that is 450 horsepower and then
the base will have 350 horsepower and those are the 45 to 50 yeah thousand
whatever price point you go for that's a phenomenal car on the road handling was
incredible off-road super capable all kinds of space inside I'm 61 back
seats are cavernous you've got the the frunk my favorite feature the rear
window yeah the problem is it's not on the bait the super cheap version doesn't
have the window which bummed me out but all the other the trims do I think and
there's that car is gonna be successful because there is nothing else like it
right now of like kind of ruggedy kind of outdoorsy efficient happens to be
electric but that's not the main draw like you're gonna get people out of a
Toyota for owner a Subaru outback I think so they're gonna sell well and
scout isn't out yet right the first to market there is big advantage and I
think they're gonna do well so it's if you've got a deposit get excited they're
cool and if you don't want to go electric and want to continue operating as if
it's 2005 I have the Jeep grand Cherokee that's probably unfair Jeep has made a
few notable changes to the grand Cherokee for this year the biggest one is
they put new engine in it with the name yes it has a hurricane engine yes I do
love it yeah turbo for it makes good power it's like over 300 horsepower I
think and the engine itself like performance wise no no complaints and
being a grand Cherokee like it still has short overhangs and real capability it
has like a locking differential low-range transfer case like it will it will do the
business the engine doesn't sound great to my ears I did a video on that too a
little a little disappointing there it does get pretty good fuel economy for
what it is it's like 26 on the highway we drive differently because I didn't get
very good fuel economy well I didn't say I got good fuel economy yeah it's the
EPA told me it should get good fuel economy the big thing for me though was
the the tech so it's very attractive yes but I just ran into so many bugs yeah
and I get that like certain things can get ironed out over time you know a big
thing for me was connectivity what wouldn't just like not connect to Android
Auto every once in a while which is not a pixel person problem my phone connects
to other cars yeah but at one point it wouldn't even connect the Bluetooth
navigation wasn't wasn't like getting a signal and I realize every time this is
not actually a problem for most people it kind of had to realize that like I was
treating the car in these special circumstances that was causing the
problem but shouldn't have been a problem the first place if I left the car
like my me and my phone left the car while the car was still on which happens
a lot in filming situations or if you are dropping your kid off at daycare and
it's 90 degrees at 8 a.m. yeah the phone wouldn't reconnect to the point where I
would have to turn off the car yeah I would have to forget the device turn the
car on and reconnect look and I was just like over as a guy who like I had a jeep
in high school my dad drove Grand Cherries for years like I have a soft spot
for this brand I want to see it succeed and I was like guys the last thing you
can afford not working is your tech because that's what people are getting
annoyed at so I like the Jeep Grand Cherokee on like a platform and like the
capabilities it's gorgeous gorgeous SUV I know that like no matter how terrible a
Jeep Grand Cherokee could be it's still going to the Southie will be overrun by
women driving Grand Cherokee it's very stylish yeah no I'm looking through my
like word-for-word I'm like yep I agree with all that the engine is like it's
got the power but it is noisy it's noisy the old school six that penistar had
been around for decades they have this speed auto that they've been using for
a decade plus it feels yeah and that with the v6 had no problems yeah in
particularly slow-moving traffic that 8 speed had no idea what to do with the
force right here better tuning with the transmission yeah it was just the
programmatic was it was not yeah it was a programming issue yeah it like you
know it's not the transmission yeah it's not talking to the linking of the
transmission in the engine and that that like that is something that could get
solved down the road you know yeah software changes or whatnot I didn't
have to well it shouldn't have to win the car sorry now I've gone over so
that's okay they're pulling out the hook Dave I will say that video is live I can
guarantee that video is live so most of them that we've talked about should be
but that one definitely yeah that's funny to hear Matt's thoughts because I'm
like yeah that's all covered by yeah it's good when we all agree we are not
so different you and I all right that what did we do today we built a
Frankenstein car we had some fun we went back what is that time don't worry
about the level over an hour it's been a bit so we're gonna cut it there I'm
gonna welcome everybody next week we are celebrating the 250th birthday of this
country of ours with a far country of our country yeah that'll be next week
though don't worry about it now so come back next week for that episode it's
gonna be fun and thank you guys for being here yeah thank you thank you you're
welcome we'll see you all next time
About this episode
Hosts kick off with definitions and real-world testing, contrasting “overlanding” with obstacle-focused “off-roading,” then recounting a southern Utah Frontier Pro-4X trip with Nismo off-road gear and mode-driven throttle behavior. The conversation pivots to crash-testing insights from IIHS—sensors, retesting, and a Mazda CX-5 hit at 40 mph. The rest of the show turns into a “Frankenstein” draft: a five-category framework and a snake-draft game for mixing donor parts, including handling-first chassis picks, infotainment preferences, and comfort/tech requirements.
We gathered around the table, all in PERSON mind you, to build our perfect car–a chassis from this car, an infotainment screen from that car, an interior from over there–our ideal Frankenstein vehicle. Does the resulting car make sense? Maybe??
What we want to know is who did the best job, and why was it Elliot?
