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DWA! Morning Motors/The Best C&C on the West Side of Santa Cruz - DWA! Podcast Ep. #929

DWA! Morning Motors/The Best C&C on the West Side of Santa Cruz - DWA! Podcast Ep. #929

Driving While Awesome Apr 02, 2026 47 min
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About this episode

Santa Cruz’s Driving While Awesome crew recaps a rainy-but-mellow Morning Motors cars and coffee, praising the variety and generally respectful vibe, plus standout rides like a Montego Blue Pearl RX-7, vintage VWs, and an over-the-top modified MGB GT. They also hype upcoming events: a month-out rally with limited camping spots, and the Charlotte Motor Speedway Heritage Invitational featuring a rare McLaren F1 (XP4) and a big vintage NASCAR display. The rest is Q&A (Volvo interiors, “people’s car” picks, garage tools), plus a long detour into F1 coverage and new tech/AI sports visuals, ending with a fun James Bond brand trivia question.

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Technical Too Afraid to Ask
Term

license plate

"What about the people that put their fingers over the license plate? [14.9s] Keiichi Tuchiya."

Your license plate is like your car’s ID number. If someone covers it, police can’t read it, and that can get you into legal trouble.

Car

Hyundai Santa Cruz

"...Sort of sort of ish. Wonderful rainy day here in Santa Cruz. Very light rain."

The Hyundai Santa Cruz is a small SUV that also has a bed like a pickup truck. It’s meant for daily driving but can still carry items in the back. The podcast brings it up because they’re talking about driving in light rain.

Concept

cars and coffee

"I'd say it's the best cars and coffee on the west side of Santa Cruz. Oh, for sure, dude, or at least top two, right?"

“Cars and coffee” is a meet-up where car people get together, usually early in the morning, to hang out and look at cars. It’s more about the community and conversation than a competition.

Term

Montego blue pearl

"Dude, it was Montego blue pearl, which is the color to have in my opinion."

“Montego blue pearl” is a particular paint color. The “pearl” part means it has special sparkle that can look different depending on the light.

Car

MGB

"There was an amazing MGB. MGB GT. GT modified like flare fenders fully modified."

They’re talking about the MG MGB, a classic British roadster. It’s a popular car at shows because it’s fun and has a big enthusiast following.

Car

MGB GT

"There was an amazing MGB. MGB GT. GT modified like flare fenders fully modified."

That’s the MG MGB GT, a version of the MGB with a more enclosed body style. People like it because it keeps the classic vibe but feels a bit more usable.

Term

flare fenders

"MGB GT. GT modified like flare fenders fully modified. I didn't get a great look at it, but and you know, everything's within your own tastes."

Flare fenders are fenders that stick out wider than stock. They’re often used to fit wider tires and to make the car look more aggressive.

Concept

fake patina

"I know you could almost look at like it's a fake patina or something like someone splattered it to look that way."

Fake patina is when someone makes a car look older on purpose. It can be done to create a cool, worn-in look, even if the paint isn’t actually that old.

Concept

1999 and older cars

"“So camping only, but 1999 and older cars, holler at your boy team at driving, well awesome.com.”"

They’re saying the event is only for older cars—1999 and earlier. It helps keep the event centered on a specific generation of cars.

Concept

prototype

"We're going to call it an F1 because it's, it's an F1, but it's technically a prototype. ... So it's effectively a fully functioning car..."

A prototype is like an early test car. It may not be a normal production car, but it can still be real and fully functional.

Term

XP4

"It's XP4, which is one of the original prototypes, road car prototypes, right?"

XP4 is a code name for a particular early McLaren F1 test/prototype car. It matters because it’s tied to the car’s original development history.

Concept

fully functioning car

"So it's effectively a fully functioning car, but can you edit this out, Lane?"

They’re saying the prototype can actually run and work like a real car, not just sit there as a display piece. That makes it more impressive and more meaningful to see in person.

Concept

NASCAR

"we also have a vintage NASCAR display of all Radwater NASCAR Sprint cars, buddy. Sprint cars, buddy."

NASCAR is a big American racing series, mostly with stock-car style race cars. Sprint cars are a different kind of race car and racing world, even if they’re mentioned in the same conversation.

Part

large wings

"Sprint cars have large wings. They're on dirt. Totally different type of car."

The big wing is there to push the car down onto the track. That extra grip helps the car turn faster and stay stable.

Concept

dirt

"They're on dirt. Totally different type of car. Only dirt."

Dirt tracks behave differently than paved roads because the surface is loose and changes as cars drive on it. That affects how tires grip and how drivers steer.

Term

piano black

"But then if you've looked at an interior up close, it's very kind of chintzy plastic, piano black, doesn't look like it's going to age well."

“Piano black” refers to glossy, high-sheen black trim commonly used on dashboards and center consoles. It can look premium when new, but it tends to show fingerprints, scratches, and swirl marks more easily than textured finishes.

Brand

Polestar

"Isn't it like Polestar esque? I think that's sort of very simple. It feels like the design is Polestar esque, but it feels like the materials are all going to just fall apart."

Polestar is a car brand that makes modern-looking vehicles, especially interiors. They’re saying Volvo’s design feels similar, but the quality of the materials seems worse.

Concept

range

"Is it maybe the technology? Is it the range? Is it the performance?"

Range means how many miles you can drive before the battery runs low. For EVs, range is a big deal because it determines how convenient the car is day to day.

Concept

front engine, front wheel drive

"It's from, you know, front engine, front wheel drive."

That means the engine is up front and the front wheels do the driving. It’s a common layout because it’s efficient and works well for normal street driving.

Car

Land Rover Defender 90

"I would say if you could go with the utility version of this, it's like a Land Rover Defender 90 or just the Defender in general..."

The Land Rover Defender 90 is the shorter-wheelbase version of the Defender, known for its utilitarian, off-road-focused design. People often like it for its simple, rugged layout and strong aftermarket support, even if it’s not typically considered a “people’s car.”

Term

pocket screwdriver

"Bobby Ruth, the cars says, what's the one tool that every car enthusiast should have in their garage, but is overlooked by most? Pocket screwdriver."

A pocket screwdriver is a small tool you can grab fast. It’s great for quick fixes—like tightening something loose—without needing a whole toolbox.

Term

air compressor

"Okay. Even if it's a small air compressor, but an air compressor of some kind. [1467.6s] Yeah, that's a good one. It's so handy."

An air compressor is a device that blows air under pressure. It’s useful for inflating tires and for running certain tools in the garage.

Company

Streamlight Stinger

"Yeah, I agree. The Streamlight Stinger. I put that on a Christmas list. [1536.6s] I might have been this year, but Streamlight Stinger. Did you get it?"

The Streamlight Stinger is a tough, bright flashlight. People like it because it’s reliable when you’re working on a car and need good visibility.

Concept

qualifying

"Leclerc's commentary about like maybe having a different setup or, or, battery maybe not playing a role in, in qualifying. Like that doesn't make sense to me, right? Like what, because like for racing, you can be strategic..."

Qualifying is the session where teams aim for the fastest possible lap time to determine race starting positions. The speaker argues that energy management (like battery behavior) should matter less in qualifying because it can turn the session into strategy rather than outright speed.

Brand

Red Bull

"I saw a British newspaper posted a ranking of the teams currently and how they're, they're doing and compared to last year and all this stuff. And it was a very telling list. Like Red Bull is, you know, in the bottom five or something compared to their expectations..."

Red Bull is one of Formula 1’s top teams, known for strong car development and frequent contention for wins. The speaker references a British newspaper ranking that places Red Bull lower than expected, using it as evidence that performance expectations are shifting.

Concept

Chinese Grand Prix

"[1774.0s] if you're before clicking into it, you, you click feed. There's a, there's a feed button. [1778.8s] I know. And I did it for China. The Chinese Grand Prix. It worked."

The Chinese Grand Prix is one of the Formula 1 races. They mention it because the streaming option worked there, but not for the latest race.

Concept

F1 TV

"[1782.2s] ...Did you sync up your F1 TV with your Apple [1787.4s] TV? Yeah. It's all on Apple TV. It's all there."

F1 TV is the streaming service for Formula 1. They’re talking about how to get the right replay/stream working by syncing it with Apple TV.

Concept

AI

"So behind the player and it's this strip of, of sensors and cameras. And then the AI makes it look as if a camera is following the player back and forth on the, on the screen..."

AI is basically smart software. Here, it uses lots of camera images to make it look like a camera is smoothly following something, even if the cameras themselves aren’t moving.

Concept

depth of field

"they have like this, like the cars coming at the camera and it was able to show that like depth of field better and like how the cars would like approach."

Depth of field is what’s sharp and what’s blurry in the video. When it’s used well, it can make cars feel closer and more “in motion.”

Concept

Formula one

"I've always been, it's always been hard with the, you know, formula one feed. They've always done this thing where they'll be like..."

Formula One is the top pro racing series for open-wheel race cars. Teams keep improving their cars every year, so people compare how quickly they’re going from season to season.

Concept

red flags

"I remember they would do that during red flags where there's a ton of time to fill and they'd show like the crowd and stuff."

A “red flag” is when racing is paused because something unsafe happened on the track. When that happens, TV coverage may switch to other footage while they wait to restart.

Brand

Omega

"[2571.2s] Daniel Craig, who played James Bond most famously is an ambassador for what automotive brand? [2580.0s] Oh shit. I was going to say Omega and then you threw me with an automotive brand."

Omega is a watch company. It’s connected to James Bond too, so it’s an easy mix-up when the question asks about a car brand.

Brand

Aston Martin

"[2583.8s] Oh shit. I was going to say Omega and then you threw me with an automotive brand. [2588.4s] That's right. I'm going to say Aston Martin because that does make sense."

Aston Martin is a fancy car brand from the UK. A lot of people associate it with James Bond, so it’s a common guess in this trivia question.

Brand

Denza

"It's Denza Denza. Oh yeah, Denza the Shenzhen Denza new energy company limited okay trading as Denza as an automotive automotive manufacturing company luxury plug in electrical vehicle brand electric vehicle brand owned by B. I. D... So our warrant... So it's their luxury line. So BID is luxury line is called Denza."

Denza is a fancy, luxury EV brand. It’s connected to BYD, which is a big Chinese company that makes electric cars and batteries.

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