The hosts swap stories and debate the future of driving, starting with a passenger-seat comfort experiment in a Lotus Elise and moving into a firsthand EV-converted DeLorean drive. The EV swap discussion argues that modern powertrains can rescue aging classics for real-world use, not just garage trophies. Big news follows: the shop signs on as an authorized Callaway Performance Center for West Coast Callaway installations and service. Automotive headlines cover BMW’s promise to keep manuals, Camaro’s return, and Porsche’s teased GT3 Cabriolet. The episode ends with a listener Q&A on whether young people still want “real driving” amid autonomous tech.
This episode of Full Throttle Talk dives into everything that makes car culture addictive—from cutting-edge innovation to the analog machines that shaped us.
We kick things off with a real-world EV-swapped DeLorean experience and why conversions like this might be the future of classic cars. Then, big news: a new partnership with Callaway Cars—one of the most iconic performance brands in Corvette history.
From there, we debate some of the hottest topics in the automotive world:
Are manual transmissions really disappearing—or making a comeback?
Is a Porsche GT3 Cabriolet a brilliant idea… or completely missing the point?
Why the Camaro’s return could reshape the American performance market
And in one of our favorite segments yet, we break down the cars and driving experiences that truly made us car enthusiasts—from Porsche 911s to Lotus, BMW classics, and beyond.
If you love cars, driving, and the stories behind both—this episode is for you.
"He was at the New Balance factory store. So I think he's getting prepped, you know, for this inevitable ZR1X."
New Balance is a clothing and shoe brand. The host is just saying Tim is at a New Balance store, not talking about a car.
New Balance is a major footwear and apparel brand, and the mention of a “factory store” suggests Tim is at a retail location tied to the company. While not automotive, it’s part of the episode’s context and helps listeners track what’s happening with the hosts.
"..., but that's all right. Spoken like a true Lotus Elise guy. You're just sitting on the floor and though..."
The Lotus Elise is a small two-seat sports car made to feel quick and nimble. People like it because it’s light and the driving experience is very direct. It’s often discussed by car fans who enjoy handling.
The Lotus Elise is a lightweight, two-seat sports car known for its simple, driver-focused design and sharp handling. It often comes up in conversations about “real” sports cars because the experience is built around agility and feel rather than comfort or power alone. The podcast mention fits that kind of enthusiast perspective.
"because that that bucket seat did free my knees and my legs and everything up a little bit more."
A bucket seat is a sporty car seat with sides that hug you more. It can make it feel like you have more room for your legs and knees, even if the car’s overall layout didn’t change.
A bucket seat is a highly supportive seat with deeper side bolsters that hold you in place during driving. In this context, the speaker says the bucket seat improved knee and leg room, which can change how comfortable the cabin feels.
"So, you know, we we've been working on this EV swap on this DeLorean. So I got to finally do a good, proper drive in the car."
An EV swap means taking a gas car and converting it to run on electricity instead. The builder replaces the engine setup with an electric motor and battery so the car can drive like an EV.
An EV swap is a conversion where a car originally built with an internal-combustion engine is re-engineered to run on an electric powertrain. It typically involves integrating an electric motor, battery pack, power electronics, and updating the car’s control systems to work together.
"We've done several of these, right? We've done two Jaguar XKEs. We did a DeLorean."
The Jaguar XKE is a classic sports car with a legendary design. They’re saying they’ve converted a couple of these to electric too, not just the DeLorean.
The Jaguar XKE (also known as the E-Type) is a classic British sports car celebrated for its styling and driving feel. Here, it’s mentioned as another platform the shop has EV-swapped, suggesting the conversion approach is being applied beyond just the DeLorean.
"And if you can give it, I mean, how much horsepower did you give this thing
[405.8s] with this battery pack?"
Horsepower is basically a number that tells you how much “pull” the powertrain can make. Higher horsepower usually means faster acceleration, though weight and gearing also matter.
Horsepower is a measure of how much power an engine (or motor) can produce. In EV swaps, people often compare horsepower to understand how strongly the car accelerates compared with the original setup.
"But a V12 is like, I mean, I might contradict myself
[448.7s] because the V12s are also kind of smooth, kind of at least that one is."
A V12 is an engine configuration with 12 cylinders arranged in a “V” shape. V12s are often praised for smoothness and distinctive sound, but they can be less efficient and more complex than smaller engines.
"...ring that up, too, because I have a buddy with an XJS coupe. Cool car with the V12."
The Jaguar XJ-S is a luxury-style coupe made by Jaguar. Some versions come with a V12 engine, which is a big reason people find it special. The podcast is highlighting that V12-equipped coupe as an interesting car to own.
The Jaguar XJ-S is a grand touring coupe known for its elegant styling and, in some versions, a powerful V12 engine. It’s a car enthusiasts often remember for its character and sound rather than just numbers on paper. The podcast specifically calls out a buddy’s XJS coupe and notes the V12, which is a key part of why the car stands out.
"to become an authorized Callaway cars performance center. So for the West Coast, we're going to start doing installations and service on Callaway cars."
Callaway is a company that takes regular cars and upgrades them to make more power and better performance. Being an “authorized” center means they’re trained and approved to do Callaway installs and service.
Callaway is an American performance company best known for upgrading production cars with engine, drivetrain, and aerodynamic changes. In this segment, the hosts discuss becoming an authorized Callaway performance center, meaning they’ll install and service Callaway modifications.
"...if I could use that term, you know, it was with a Corvette. And there was a very famous one that a lot of u..."
The Chevrolet Corvette is a sports car from Chevrolet. It’s known for being fast and for having a big fan base. People often talk about it because it’s an important model in American performance cars.
The Chevrolet Corvette is a long-running American sports car line known for performance and strong enthusiast following. It’s frequently discussed because it represents a benchmark for value and capability in the sports-car world. The podcast’s reference to a “famous” Corvette highlights its cultural and racing significance.
"It was not until 2010 did Bugatti finally beat that number."
Bugatti is a luxury supercar brand. Here it’s mentioned because Bugatti later broke the earlier top-speed record that the Sledgehammer held.
Bugatti is referenced as the brand that eventually surpassed the earlier road-car speed record. This is used to show how the “Sledgehammer” benchmark held up for decades before being beaten by later hypercar technology.
"But it was a C4 with looks like a wide body on it. Yeah. I mean, a whole host of things that they've done."
A “wide body” means the car’s fenders are widened so it can run wider tires. It usually makes the car look tougher and can help it grip the road better.
A “wide body” conversion widens the car’s fenders and wheel arches to allow broader tires and a more aggressive stance. It’s commonly used on Corvettes and other platforms to improve grip and visual presence, often as part of an aftermarket package.
"And these guys were putting a supercharger on it. So anyways, we're, you know, their West Coast operation is going to spend folks more on composites."
A supercharger is a device that forces more air into the engine. More air usually means more power, but it often needs tuning and supporting upgrades to work correctly.
A supercharger is a forced-induction device that increases engine airflow by compressing it before it enters the cylinders. The speaker says the shop was installing a supercharger on a Corvette E-Ray, which is a major performance modification and typically requires careful calibration and supporting changes.
"And this is about BMW, actually... They had come out and said there's no future in the manuals... Sylvia Neubauer... promise a solution... to retain manual transmissions."
BMW is the car company being talked about here. They’re making news by saying what they plan to do about cars with manual gearboxes.
BMW is the automaker at the center of this news segment. The episode is highlighting BMW leadership comments about the future of manual transmissions and how they plan to respond.
"They had come out and said there's no future in the manuals... But it made news that they're killing off the manual."
A manual transmission is the kind where you use a clutch pedal and shift gears yourself. The discussion here is about whether BMW will keep offering that kind of driving in some cars.
The speaker is discussing BMW’s stance on manual transmissions—whether they’ll be phased out or kept. This matters because manuals affect driving feel, control, and how a car is built and marketed.
"Well, then this week, the M division's vice president... It was it was some woman, actually... Sylvia Neubauer."
BMW M is BMW’s performance brand. If M is promising to keep manuals, it usually means they’re trying to satisfy drivers who want a more hands-on, gear-shifting experience.
BMW’s M division (often called BMW M) is the performance arm of the brand. When M leadership talks about keeping manual transmissions, it signals that some enthusiast-focused models may still offer a stick shift.
"It was it was some woman, actually. Sylvia Neubauer, Sylvia Neubauer. Thank you. Oh, yeah, Sylvia Neubauer."
Sylvia Neubauer is the BMW executive the host is quoting. She’s saying BMW will work on a way to keep manual transmissions available in some cars.
Sylvia Neubauer is identified as the BMW M division vice president quoted in the segment. Her comments are presented as a direct response to earlier news about BMW ending manuals.
"And that's why everyone has kind of moved towards these paddle shift cars because the torque is is a real issue."
Paddle shifters are buttons or levers behind the steering wheel that let you change gears without using a clutch. They’re popular because they make shifting quicker and easier, especially in high-performance cars.
“Paddle shift” refers to steering-wheel-mounted controls that let you command gear changes without a clutch pedal. These are commonly paired with automatic transmissions (like dual-clutch or torque-converter automatics) because they can handle high torque while keeping shifts fast and consistent.
"You know, we we we love manuals, you and I both. OK, but there's no question, you know, that these manufacturers are just up against a real difficult proposition where they've got to keep delivering, you know, better and better performance."
A manual car is one where you choose the gears yourself. You use a clutch pedal and a shifter to control what gear you’re in.
“Manuals” refers to manual transmissions, where the driver selects gears using a clutch and gear lever. The speaker contrasts manual driving with the direction automakers are taking performance targets.
Term
automatic battleship style, you know, gearboxes
"And the only way to truly achieve that is, you know, with these, frankly, you know, automatic battleship style, you know, gearboxes."
They’re describing automatics as big and sturdy. The idea is that they’re built to cope with high performance, even if they add some weight.
This colorful phrase suggests heavy, robust-feeling automatic transmissions designed to handle high power and repeated performance demands. It highlights the tradeoff: automatics can be physically larger/heavier than manuals, but they’re engineered for rapid, repeatable shifts.
"certainly is probably going to take, you know, a turbocharged four cylinder all the way up to a V8, you know, there's that new LS6"
It’s a smaller engine with a turbo that helps it make more power. The turbo forces extra air into the engine so it can burn more fuel and feel stronger.
A turbocharged four-cylinder is a smaller engine (four cylinders) that uses a turbocharger to increase the amount of air entering the engine. That lets it make more power than a naturally aspirated four-cylinder of the same size.
"I think this is spy shot or rendering or something, which it's fun. Yeah, it's a spy shot."
A spy shot is a photo of a car prototype taken while it’s out testing. People use these photos to guess what the final car will look like.
A “spy shot” is an image captured of a prototype vehicle while it’s being tested, often with camouflage or a cover to hide details. Enthusiasts use spy shots to infer design features and sometimes even performance intent before official announcements.
"[1738.2s] I had a friend text me after he will listen to the podcast last week and said,
[1743.1s] did Shanu really call the GT 500 or the Ford GT from 2005 lethargic?
[1749.0s] Like that guy is hardcore."
“Lethargic” is basically “doesn’t feel quick.” Even if a car is fast on paper, it might feel sluggish when you press the gas or when you want it to react.
“Lethargic” is a subjective driving term meaning the car feels slow to respond—often in throttle response, acceleration feel, or overall urgency. It doesn’t necessarily mean the car is objectively slow; it’s about how it delivers power and speed.
"I had a 325 and E36 325 I before that was a four door. I had a GTI before that."
They had a Volkswagen GTI before. It’s a sporty compact hatchback that’s known for being fun to drive without being a full-on race car.
The speaker says they had a GTI before the BMW. The Volkswagen GTI is a performance-focused compact hatchback known for combining everyday usability with a sporty driving feel.
Term
pure race gearbox
"But that's a different issue. The paddle shift on it was a pure race gearbox."
A “pure race gearbox” implies a transmission designed for racing behavior—quick, repeatable shifts and strong shift logic under load. The speaker is emphasizing that the paddle-shift system is not just convenience tech, but closely tied to race-car drivability.
"This guy, yeah. [2650.9s] Matt Blatty is a photographer. [2652.6s] Just pretty amazing."
They’re talking about a photographer named Matt Blatty. He took the pictures they’re excited about, and the quality of the photos is part of the story.
Matt Blatty is identified here as a photographer, likely responsible for the high-quality car imagery being discussed. In enthusiast podcasts, the photographer’s work can matter because it shapes how cars are perceived and documented.
"Just some spectacular roads.
9% grade.
That's awesome."
A 9% grade means the road is pretty steep. It’s the kind of slope that makes you use more braking and can make cars work harder to climb.
A “grade” is the steepness of a road, expressed as a percentage. A 9% grade means the road rises about 9 feet for every 100 feet of horizontal distance, which strongly affects braking, traction, and how hard the drivetrain has to work.
"...this old three, two Carrera was a Euro spec. It pulled hard and made great noises at the exhaust..."
“Euro spec” just means the car was made for Europe instead of the U.S. That can change things like emissions tuning and sometimes how the car feels and sounds.
“Euro spec” means the car was built or configured for European markets, which can differ from U.S. versions in emissions equipment, tuning, and sometimes equipment levels. Those differences can affect how the car drives and how it sounds, which is why the speaker ties it to strong pull and exhaust noise.
"It was really a fun, fun, uh, photo shoot, um, Top Gear flew over one of their journalists. [2867.3s] His name was Jason Barlow."
Top Gear is a long-running automotive TV brand known for car reviews, challenges, and large-scale production shoots. When Top Gear personnel get involved, it usually means the car will be photographed in dramatic, story-driven locations and setups.
"More teenage boys gravitated, flocked to, made comments about that old, air-cooled Porsche than any car I've owned, old, new."
Air-cooled means the engine is cooled mainly by air moving over it, not by coolant flowing through the engine. Older Porsches are known for this, and it’s part of their classic character.
“Air-cooled” describes engines that rely on airflow over the engine to remove heat instead of using liquid coolant. Porsche’s older 911s are famous for this design, and it’s often part of why they feel distinct and “mechanical” compared with modern water-cooled engines.
"And I think you hit on something very, very important earlier when you talked about freedom, right? It's so part of our American culture to, you know, the car and the open road and the sense of freedom that comes from that, our ability to drive from here to wherever we want, right?"
People talk about the “open road” when they mean the feeling of freedom you get from just driving and going places. It’s a big part of why cars matter to a lot of people.
The “open road” is a cultural idea in car life: the freedom to drive without a fixed plan and explore. In automotive discussions, it often ties to why people enjoy driving even as vehicles become more automated.
"When your 13 year old boys become 16 and they get in a car and they realize, well, you know what, if I put some fuel in this thing, I can drive for about 300 miles and where could that get me? You know, and if I save some more money, I could put fuel in it when I get there and come back, right?"
Range is how far a car can go before it needs more fuel or a recharge. If you know the range, it’s easier to plan where you can drive and come back.
“Range” is how far a vehicle can travel before needing to refuel or recharge. The speaker uses a fuel-based example (about 300 miles) to illustrate how range enables planning trips and exploring the “open road.”
"And so I think, I think they are going to gravitate towards cars. You know, and that second question about, you know, are these young folks confident in auto manufacturers' ability to build flawless self-driving cars?"
Self-driving cars are cars that can drive themselves using sensors and computers. The point here is that some people don’t fully trust it yet, while younger people may be more comfortable with the idea.
Self-driving cars refer to automated driving systems that can steer, accelerate, and brake with little or no human input. The discussion contrasts skepticism about whether manufacturers can make these systems “flawless,” especially from older drivers versus younger people.
Select text to request an explanation
Hey, everybody, Shenu and I are back.
And we hit record this time, which we're still learning, but where's Tim Blair?
Where's Tim when you need them?
Welcome to Full Throttle Talk, the podcast where force power meets conversation from super
cars to classic legends, high revving tech to motorsport mayhem.
We covered all straight from the driver's seat, whether you're a gear head eraser or
just love the thrill of the open road, you're in the right place.
Buckle up, hit the gas and let's go full throttle into today's episode.
What's he doing?
Well, I think he checked in on his Facebook.
You know, somebody tracks their location.
He was at the New Balance factory store.
So I think he's getting prepped, you know, for this inevitable ZR1X.
That he he better have on order.
He's never going to hear the end of it from us. Excellent.
All right, that's the good news is we we have some awesome stuff to talk about
that I'm actually really excited to dig into.
We are going to get into the two or three cars or drives or experiences
that really kind of etched or etched in our minds and made us the car
enthusiasts that we are.
I've got some fun ones to talk about, some good pictures go along.
And there's some interesting, some interesting car news as well
that we're going to cover, right?
Yeah. And I think we also got a really good question
from one of our customers on our latest newsletter.
Well, I think we dive right in and get into what we did in cars this week.
All starts as mine is way less interesting than yours.
And I think you have some big news to announce, which I was super excited for you about.
So as you know, I called you this week.
Yes, you did.
You're sitting in your lazy boy trying to enjoy a peaceful night at home with your wife.
I was actually sitting by myself on the floor, but I was watching some YouTube.
So anyways, my wife wasn't there and I don't own a lazy boy, but that's all right.
Spoken like a true Lotus Elise guy.
You're just sitting on the floor and thought it was comfortable.
So I know, I don't know why, you know, I have a couch right there.
I could be sitting on the couch, but when you call me, I literally was sitting on the floor.
Oh, that's funny.
Well, I mean, you built the car and I think there's no secret with Matt Farah's review.
Whatever the driver's seat, you put a bucket in there.
The passenger has an enhanced version of the stock seat with some
some upholstery done to it to soften it up, add some lumbar with an inflatable bladder,
which is super cool and a pump. Right.
So I've just been curious.
It's not the world's most comfortable car for me, as I've made clear.
Will I like the passenger seat better?
And my wife said to me, why don't you just go sit in the passenger seat?
Why do you have to go to all the trouble of like swapping them?
And I mean, A, that would be a little too logical.
But B, it's not that simple because they're different.
You got a steering wheel, you got pedals, you got the ergonomics of.
So yeah, and the seats are shifted.
OK, so the driver's side is has more space than the passenger side.
So oh, you know, she makes a good point, but yours is more valid
because you don't really know until you have a seat behind the pedals and your control.
So, you know, it's kind of fun to to dig into those cars
and they're not super complicated, but they are kind of small.
So which I think you discovered they are small.
So, you know, I call you to in a panic, making sure I hadn't completely blown it.
And I was thinking about it the right way.
And Tim or Shanu at the end of this, you're going to regret having sold me that car.
You're going to say, hey, I got to fire one of my customers
because this guy's driving me nuts.
But no, Blair, listen, I think we have too much fun talking on the phone.
So that's OK.
Yeah, well, you're you're my kind of customer.
Don't don't don't worry.
Well, you're too generous.
I did get it swapped, drove around a bunch yesterday, went for a good 30, 40 minute,
you know, rip around town, kind of leaning towards maybe thinking
that the space I gave up for more comfort might not be worth it
because that that bucket seat did free my knees and my legs
and everything up a little bit more.
So if if I can stomach the idea of reversing what I just did
and would go back to the way it was, which I'm pretty sure you kind of told me
was going to be the case. And so you had to try, man.
You know, sometimes you got to touch the hot stove, right?
You know, that's the way it works.
Yeah, well, exactly.
And there is something to this, you know, I'm not a wrench as, you know,
you discover not my buddies know whatever.
It's but there is something when you do kind of connect with a car
at a little deeper level, even those of us who are not well versed and intimidated.
It's like, no, I did that.
And now I know what under the seat looks like.
I was able to vacuum, you know, the pads, your seat a little bit, get the dust out
from it. It's like you have a deeper sense of connection
when you know how the car is screwed together.
100 percent. 100 percent.
So that was fun.
But that that pales in comparison to some of the interesting
stuff you've done.
I think you drove an interesting car and have a cool announcement to make.
Tell us about it.
So, you know, we we've been working on this EV swap on this DeLorean.
So I got to finally do a good, proper drive in the car.
Look, it's an eighties car.
The stainless steel back to the future.
DeLorean. Yeah. Yes.
DeLorean. The real deal.
You know, it came to us with no powertrain.
So I didn't drive it before.
I've never driven a DeLorean, but I got to tell you with the EV conversion,
it just cruised around, you know, it's just it's just really nice.
We've done several of these, right?
We've done two Jaguar XKEs.
We did a DeLorean.
We have another XKE that's that's due next month.
So, you know, I think that the legit improvements to these old broken down
cars that are sitting languishing in people's driveways or car ports or garages.
So I'm a big advocate of this.
I feel like it's a great way to give give these old cars a new lease on life.
You know, I don't think there's too many people taking long trips
with old cars anymore and most of us are cruising around town,
going to dinner with our spouse or seeing another or, you know,
going to cars and coffee event with an old car.
That that seems to be really what most people are doing.
So well, I do that.
I wanted to press you just a little bit about the EV swap idea.
So conceptually, the DeLorean makes a ton of sense to me.
Yeah, my all accounts.
The factory motor was a dog V6.
Yeah, you know, didn't match really the look or the style of that car.
Right. I think that's like the perfect candidate for an EV swap
because because the experience is so much into that, the design, the feel, the look.
And if you can give it, I mean, how much horsepower did you give this thing
with this battery pack?
Ah, good question.
I mean, I don't know what the power rating is, you know,
but I can tell you it certainly accelerates really, really well.
It actually it's quicker than the XKEs that we've done, which surprised me.
You know, so it's it's yeah, 100 percent faster than it was originally.
Well, well, way smoother.
Well, that was I mean, I can only imagine it makes perfect sense.
But the XKE I drove one this year for the first time ever.
I've always wanted to make this guy who just hooked me the keys to it.
I was there to look at another car.
I thought about buying from him and he had an XKE Roadster sitting there
and he's like, go drive it.
It was so awesome.
But a V12 is like, I mean, I might contradict myself
because the V12s are also kind of smooth, kind of at least that one is.
But if you really kind of build that V12 up
and open the exhaust and whatever, I'm not as convinced that's the right car.
Just because you've got a V12, you can do some interesting stuff with.
What are your thoughts?
Well, yeah, I think there's some truth to that.
If you know how to work on the car or you've got a mechanic
who's ready to wrench on your car for you, OK, there's like one of our clients.
I mean, his wife now will go in the car before she wouldn't.
OK, and, you know, now he can go to dinner with her.
He can take her around and they can go visit her her her dad, you know,
and take a little road trip.
And so, you know, I think that for some people, it's the perfect, you know, swap
because it allows them to use the car, you know, for so many folks are just,
you know, they don't have the ability to keep them running.
And yeah, that's that's really how this conversion, I think, resonates
with the community. So anyways, yeah, listen, I get it.
I know there's a lot of people that aren't too enthusiastic about this,
but they're not being realistic about the future of old cars.
Well, it's funny you bring that up, too, because I have a buddy with an XJS coupe.
Cool car with the V12.
Yeah. And of course, the motor's kind of torn apart in his garage right now.
And this is not one of those cars just sitting around for years.
He has no intention to use or doesn't know, like he's he's he's trying to use
this car and it's in pieces trying to get it right.
So so I totally hear what you're saying.
And that's such a common story, man.
And it's only going to get worse because the guys that know how to work
on the cars are retiring or dying.
And so it's going to become a bigger and bigger issue.
Yeah, you got to source parts from overseas and whatever else.
Like, yeah, I mean, I get it.
But tell us about your big news.
This is this is a cool.
Yeah, so I'm so excited.
We we we sign a deal this this week
to become an authorized Callaway cars performance center.
So for the West Coast, we're going to start doing
installations and service on Callaway cars.
You know, I'm so tell tell tell everybody more about Callaway car,
like what Callaway is, who he was, you know, the family.
So Reeves Callaway started this company over 40 years ago.
You know, he he started actually doing turbo kits for BMWs.
And believe it or not, I think many people might know the the the company Dynan.
So Steve Dynan kind of came out of the the Callaway.
Really? I didn't know that.
Yeah. And so but where Reeves Callaway really got some traction,
if I could use that term, you know, it was with a Corvette.
And there was a very famous one that a lot of us, you know,
of a certain age bracket, remember, called the Sledgehammer.
OK, what a great name, the Sledgehammer, right?
It hit like 254 miles an hour in 1988. OK, I mean, people,
we all need to stop and think about what that means.
1988 to go 254 miles an hour in a road car. Exactly.
It was not until 2010 did Bugatti finally beat that number.
Right. Think of that.
From 1988 to 2010, that record stood.
What was the Sledgehammer?
Was that built on a C4 or something?
I mean, what was that?
Was it not built on a on a Corvette?
Yeah, so it was a Corvette.
And I just as I realized it was at a C4.
I think it was a C4.
But it was a C4 with looks like a wide body on it.
Yeah. I mean, a whole host of things that they've done.
And that's their their modus operandi is they, you know,
basically create these really well integrated packages
for Corvettes and, you know, they're also doing escalades and Tahoe's.
But they they have got such a good reputation
that they basically sell these packages through dealers.
So the dealers, you can tick that option.
And then it gets backed with a warranty as well.
So I was in the shop about six weeks ago and a brand new e-ray was in there.
It had had gotten delivered directly from Bowling Green,
the factory in Kentucky where they build the Corvettes.
And these guys were putting a supercharger on it.
So anyways, we're, you know,
their West Coast operation is going to spend folks more on composites.
They actually do, you know, composites for aerospace.
We're we're taking over the the car side of that.
So I'm super excited.
And I'm actually jumping on a plane tomorrow to go out east.
And while I'm there for a family wedding event,
I'm actually going to stay a couple more days
and go to Old Lime, Connecticut,
where Callaway is headquartered to have meetings with them there.
So I'm super excited. It's going to be a lot of fun.
Well, I mean, that's exciting news.
I think Callaway, I remember like they were really, really big.
And I think the hope is, you know, Corvette is it's reaching.
I mean, people would argue with me, I'm sure, for this on this point,
but seems to be reaching kind of a fever pitch with the C8 popularity
is exploded in the Corvette brand.
So hopefully the Callaway performance mod, you know,
tuning operation is, you know, ripe to to really take off.
And I think it is. I think it is.
I think the C8 platform, like we've talked about before, I think it's
it's it's going to become if it isn't already kind of a go to
track day up on platform for a lot of people.
I was actually on the phone yesterday with with a really good client of mine
from the Midwest, and he he has has tracked his Lotus Exige for years and years.
Love that car, right?
And then he went and bought a C8 Stingray last year, started tracking that.
And he said the first time out, he was within one second
of his best time in the V6, sorry, in the in the Exige.
It was a four-star Exige, right?
And that was before he did anything to the car, right?
And then he went out and he actually bought a Z06,
which he's taking on his first track day, you know, at the end of this month.
And so we're talking quite a bit about the standard Stingray and its track
capability. And so, you know, and more and more people, you know,
I had a customer in the shop, actually another Exige cup owner,
but he also has a C8 Stingray and he's like, yeah, I go to the track.
He goes, I see more Stingrays now than Lotus's.
And so, you know, I think there's there's something to be said there.
It's a great platform.
I think, you know, GM continues to invest in it.
And, you know, did you see the new Leno video that he just got
took delivery of a zero one X and, you know, he's raving about that car.
And it's just, it's just, yeah, I'm excited.
You know, we're not going to give up on Lotus.
The Lotus is at our core, who we are, but, you know, that company is up and down.
And we can kind of maybe carve out a segment in the future to talk about Lotus
business, you know, everybody's up and down, let alone a niche manufacturer.
Yeah, exactly. So for us to, you know, continue to support them,
which is really what our intention is.
I need some more stable, you know, work.
And so I think, you know, Porsches, Corvettes,
there's just a hell of a lot more of them.
I actually kind of just did a quick AI search and saw that there's
about 100,000 Corvettes in Southern California.
She is in 75 years of product of car production.
Lotus has produced 100,000 cars.
And and and and we all we all thought that nobody on the coast, you know,
bought Corvettes, you know, that was that that was a Ohio, Nebraska phenomenon.
Midwesting, right? Yeah. No, no, tons, tons of Corvettes out here as well.
So well, yeah. So I had a great week, man.
It's been really good. It's not over yet.
You know, I fly out tomorrow, but anyways, it things went pretty exciting.
So is this time to move into segment two?
Because yeah, absolutely.
But before we do, I can already hear Tim screaming like, Hey,
you guys are bagging on me with my new balance.
And she knows now the new like Callaway performance guy on the West Coast.
So I think it's it'd only be fair to, you know, throw some of that old man's
shade your way. But well, you know, I someone's got to break the mold.
OK. And so that's going to be me.
When people when they see me showing up at the meets,
they're going to look at me going, what are you doing here?
Well, we talked about this, but when you get a C seven
Grand Sport shooting break, you know, that rolls through the shop,
let me know, because that that is as a former clown shoe BMW M Coupon.
Yes. Yes. The C seven shooting break is of high interest to me.
We may have to talk. So.
So Callaway still have kids on the shelf.
So I literally talked to Pete Callaway about that last week because I too,
they had a picture of it on their wall there.
And I'm like, Hey, tell me more about this, you know, because I'm a clown shoe guy.
You know, I totally love the little shooting break style.
So well, all you see seven owners go put those shooting break kits on your car.
But yeah, please, please, we need more of them.
But I'm going to when I'm in old lime next week,
I'm going to learn a lot more about that kit because I'm I'm very,
very interested in one myself. That's that's awesome.
Well, less people think we only talk about Lotus and Corvette.
Let's move into automotive news where I will start.
And this is about BMW, actually. Yes.
I've got a couple of bits of news.
You see the picture behind me.
We'll get to that one really quick on BMW.
They had come out and said there's no future in the manuals.
I think it was like, you know, well, president in the company,
I'd have to look up which guy had just said it.
But it made news that they're killing off the manual.
Well, then this week, the M division's vice president.
I got to look up her name.
It was it was some woman, actually.
Sylvia Neubauer, Sylvia Neubauer.
Thank you. Oh, yeah, Sylvia Neubauer.
She said that they are they promise a solution
that will be ongoing to retain manual transmissions
in some of their cars.
And I think what's fascinating about this,
and I want your take on it, we've talked these last number of episodes
about the crossroads we're finding us in, you know,
is Ferrari going to go to more of an analog lightweight experience
for their high end premium experience to offer
and car.
I think we've got this crossroads of them saying, well,
we're at a horsepower and torque like arms race to go fast and as possible.
But then, you know, there's some talk about people still want manuals.
The take rate is surprisingly high.
We're going to talk about that soon.
But so are they going to curtail the torque figure
in order to continue to offer a manual transmission
or people going to be up in arms about that when they say, yeah, I want a manual.
But not if it means, you know, my my buddy in the zero six is going to beat me,
you know, in a in a hypothetical race that we're never going to have
or maybe, you know, every so often, which so many people care about the wrong stuff.
So that's what I'm fascinated to see.
Are they going to sacrifice torque or are they really going to invest the dollars
in developing a transmission that can allow them to keep building more and more
high torque cars?
Yeah, I think that's that's a good insight.
And I think that's going to become it's going to come to the head.
And I think it has.
And that's why everyone has kind of moved towards these paddle shift cars
because the torque is is a real issue.
And so if you're going to keep chasing numbers,
then you have to keep increasing power.
So, you know, they can save weight in an effort to to help the acceleration numbers.
But, you know, there's costs associated with that.
And so, yeah, listen, I have a picture of a BMW advertisement from the the 90s.
And it's just the the shift, the the gear knob.
And on the gear knob, instead of the shift pattern, it says yee, ha, OK.
You know, instead of saying the R and the one and the two and the three
and the four and the five, you know, it says, yeah, ha, right.
And I have that on my wall.
I've had it really 90s.
And, you know, it's just like it's so tough, right?
You know, we we we love manuals, you and I both.
OK, but there's no question, you know, that these manufacturers
are just up against a real difficult proposition where they've got to keep
delivering, you know, better and better performance.
And the only way to truly achieve that is, you know, with these, frankly,
you know, automatic battleship style, you know, gearboxes.
And so I don't know.
I'm not sure what they're going to do.
You know, they're one of the first to pipe in artificial sound, you know,
into the interiors of the car.
So I don't have a great deal of hope what they come up with.
It might be a bit like that thing we showed last week or two weeks ago
from Porsche, the the the gear level is basically fake, you know.
Yeah. Oh, come on.
I'm I'm choosing to put my rose colored glasses on here.
And what I and believe what Sylvia actually meant is they're going back
to a rear wheel drive naturally aspirated manual transmission driver's car.
It's never going to happen.
But we can hope and dream.
So I think before we get into the Porsche news,
tell me about the Chevy Camaro. OK.
Well, I think actually it's kind of somewhat related to BMW because I think
so like so we know your Chevy discontinued the Camaro a couple of years ago.
And now they've officially announced that it's set to return.
They're going to start building them in 2027
as a 2028 model.
You know, I think they gave up a bunch of market to the Mustang.
You know, the Mustang has been reporting increase in sales
because, yeah, because there's been no Camaro available.
And so, you know, they're obviously conquesting those buyers
looking for a fun, you know, pony car, you know, from an American company.
And so what what GM or Chevy are doing is their platform
sharing that car with the next Cadillac, I think CT five.
And then apparently there's going to be a Buick also on the same.
I heard that. Yeah.
I didn't know. Buick was still alive.
Yeah, I know. Exactly.
But here's, you know, but the good thing is that it is a rear drive platform.
OK. And what I'm sure they're protecting that that whole platform
certainly is probably going to take, you know, a turbocharged four cylinder
all the way up to a V8, you know, there's that new LS6
that we talked about last week in the in the Grand Sport.
Yeah. Guarantee that's going to drop into this this car as well.
And, you know, look, the the the the news also suggests that it's not
it's going to take a different form.
And so if you think about the Cadillac and the Buick being four doors,
we may end up with a Camaro with four doors here.
And what's kind of interesting to me is, you know,
the BMWs that I honestly like the best, just in theory, really.
You know, even though the funny thing is I've owned several BMWs,
but they've always been two doors.
I actually actually like the four doors, you know,
E36 M3 I bought.
I wanted the four door, but they only had the two doors left
and I wanted to buy a new car. But anyway, so a four door Camaro.
I mean, it sounds a bit sacrilegious, right?
With an LS6 and a manual, right?
But now you've got this practical car.
And, you know, I think that it might actually appeal to a lot of people.
So who knows? That's I think that's the bit of controversy there.
We'll see how it all shakes out.
But now let's let's get to the picture that's behind you, man,
because that that's that's a big bit of news.
And I think you and I may have opposed opposing opinions on this.
But well, tell us more about that picture.
So yeah, basically they've come out and said they're about to announce something big,
you know, a new car and everybody's saying this is the GT3 Cabriolet.
Right. They tease us with a picture of a car under a car cover, right?
Yeah, they said people deduce there's no wing.
Whatever. I think this is spy shot or rendering or something, which it's fun.
Yeah, it's a spy shot.
It has the GT3 RS kind of front cutouts in the front fenders.
I think the ST has those as well.
Yeah, ST does. Yeah. Yeah.
So it's so a GT3, it's funny.
I know where you're going with that statement that we're going to have conflicting.
Well, let me tell you the thoughts I had and then you can share.
So obviously my first reaction, if you heard my rant last week
and I've done it a couple of times about GT3 Touring's, I'm like,
GT3 is a track car for me.
It always will be. That's what it, but I do like convertibles.
And so when I was, you know, saw this news, I'm like,
well, who wouldn't want that GT3 motor
and surely a manual transmission be able to take the roof off?
Like, yeah, to me, it's like the antithesis of what a GT3 is and should be.
I've just ranted about it.
But I kind of have to check myself and say, really, you wouldn't want to own
or drive that car and take the roof down and rev it to 9K.
So I've got seriously mixed emotions about this car
and like genuinely think it's kind of kind of awesome.
And I kind of hate the concept.
Well, there's nothing about it that I hate.
I like every bit of it because I think that engine is a jewel.
And, you know, look, there is a part of me that would, you know,
acquiesce and say, all right, well, we should be keeping that
just for the most hardcore, you know, oriented cars.
But I think Porsche know that, you know, it's a special engine
and that there are most of their clients do not go on the racetrack.
So they can make money selling this configuration.
And I think it's going to be quite popular because a lot of people do like convertibles.
That engine is is absolutely sweet as can be.
I actually like the overall shape and profile of the new Cabrioles.
I think they're very swoopy.
I think they've got a really great rake to them.
You know, there's some older 911 cabrios that I don't like at all.
Like a 997 cab, it doesn't maintain kind of that 911.
You know, and the older ones.
I mean, I'm not a big fan of the older cabrios.
You know, I love the coupe and what I love about the coupe is
the way the roof line sweeps down to the tail.
You know, and that's why I'm not a big fan of the older Targas as well.
And so but no, I mean, coming back to this car, look,
it's it's it's clearly an opportunity for them to make some money,
you know, create some excitement, create a product to that not everybody can afford
because I'm sure it's going to be priced, you know, ridiculously.
But they can do that and they'll have customers lined up
and they'll sell every one of them, I'm sure.
Yeah, well, I mean, this this is different as I think about this GT3
touring versus GT3.
Now, we know now you can get an optional back seat in the touring,
which I do think is a step in the right direction.
I mentioned that last podcast.
But otherwise, those have been the exact same car.
One's got arrow, the other does not.
And to me, that that really kind of drives me crazy,
especially when you see these people like, you know, falling over themselves
to get a touring.
And I think, well, but but this is something wholesale different.
And I happen to be kind of a convertible guy.
I love to take the roof off of a sports car.
And so, yeah, I want to say nothing but how lame this is and and how overpriced
this is going to be.
And it's a giant money grab.
But but I would I would love to drive one of these cars.
There's no doubt this has to be like peak experience.
Yeah, Blair, I think the tourings, they did soften them a little bit.
So it's not exactly the GT3, you know, as far as the spec, you know.
And so maybe in the two.
But I think I think the dot one, they didn't.
But the dot two, I know they I think made some effort to differentiate the two.
Yeah, I think two, that is.
Yeah, I think so.
Yeah, but anyways, like you said, you got the crown jewel of a motor.
You got a manual transmission.
You got cars that perform as well as anything, if not better.
I mean, more power to them.
It's it's still a rad car that's going to come to market that.
You know, the rich guys will all be able to afford that'll be awesome.
Um, it'll be good to see.
It'll be good to see.
So are we are we on to segment four then?
Yeah, let's move on.
So I I want to talk with Shanu about this because you've got so much incredible experience,
you know, looking back into what kind of made you who you are.
I had a friend text me after he will listen to the podcast last week and said,
did Shanu really call the GT 500 or the Ford GT from 2005 lethargic?
Like that guy is hardcore.
So I want to know we've both picked a couple of cars.
I'm going to let you start maybe share one and I'll share one or however you want to do it.
But the cars that I don't want this to be misconstrued as maybe our favorite cars or,
you know, like the best cars we've ever driven.
At least I didn't take it that way.
However you took it is great.
But those cars that really left an indelible mark on you as a car enthusiast, take it away.
Yeah, man, I like this question.
It was it was cool when you came up with it.
I'm like, hey, oh, that's this is kind of fun.
So I actually had to think about it a bit, you know, because you know, I've had a lot of really fun cars.
You know, I've been a car fanatic from day one.
You know, it's been this is my most favorite of all hobbies, right?
And and I've made a career out of it.
I've been in the industry my whole, you know, since I was 17 years old.
So and so, you know, I've got a different perspective on things.
But when I decided, OK, I got to make a choice, I got to choose a couple of cars here.
And, you know, the first one that I'm going to choose, OK, is the 911 that I bought.
It was a 993.
It was a 1995 C2.
And it's it's the one picture behind me here.
You know, I realized I didn't have too many good pictures of the car.
But, you know, is that the actual car or that was the actual car?
Yeah, yeah. OK, cool.
I took that picture in South Carolina.
I think we were we were at the beach and I was up, you know, at the hotel.
And I saw my car and I snapped a picture of it.
But anyway, it was my first legit sports car, OK?
I had a 325 and E36 325 I before that was a four door.
I had a GTI before that.
But, you know, I don't consider four doors and hatchbacks sports cars.
I, you know, they're sporty.
I love both of those cars.
I had so much fun with them.
I think I even I wrote an article about the GTI and, you know, why I think it's
such a cool car. I love them, you know.
But the 911, that was my first sports car.
Speaking of which, full throttle talk dot com.
Put your email in and subscribe to that newsletter.
We confirm what we didn't know last week.
But yeah, your GTI article was really fun.
And yeah, you know, like to me, you know, the 911, you know, it was my dream car
since I was a kid.
And I started saving money when I could to buy one.
And finally, we moved to Charlotte where I could drive the car all the time.
And I bought one.
And and, you know, it was such a revelation that car compared to everything else I had
had because the engine was in the back, right?
To hear the sound of an engine, flat six engine, very specific sound, right?
Yeah.
The way the doors close, that made a certain sound, right?
And, you know, just how solid the car felt when you went over, you know, some railroad tracks.
It was just felt like it had been carved from one piece of billet, right?
And so that was like this big revelatory experience for me.
So I chose a 911 as that first one.
Well, I might I might have 911s coming.
But but if I may, maybe I'll I'll share one of the cars that's going to come out of left field
a little bit. But I've got a 2000 BMW 1974 2002 turbo.
There we go.
A very rare car.
This was that's a very rare car.
Actual car that I drove.
You know, it's got the turbo on the front fascia written backwards.
The cars behind you or the car in front of you can see it from the rear view mirror.
Yeah.
So, you know, I think when I really became obsessed with cars, you know, I've talked about
this in podcast past.
I wanted to drive everything.
I still kind of have that insatiable desire to like drive it all and experience.
I get so much crap for how many cars I bought and sold and owned and shuffled around.
And it's like, guys, I want to have experiences and I can't have you bring up Jay Leno's garage.
Very few of us can have that.
So I either have to stay married to this one thing or go chase a new experience.
So I was driving a lot of stuff with a friend of mine that has a big car collection.
The 2002 turbo was the car that really cemented in my mind that I love older cars.
So I'm going to contradict that one of my next choices because it is not an old car.
But but I do love old cars.
And so I was driving this thing.
It weighs 2400 pounds.
It's hilarious.
It's like everything that I don't necessarily love.
Very laggy, you know, you're not linear.
It would get you'd get a shove a boost right in the middle of the rev range.
And and but it was actually really quick.
And it just was one of those cars.
I remember the night I drove it, you can see the picture behind me.
It was it was getting dark.
And I just asked my buddy, I'm like, do I have to go?
Do I have to be done?
Because I want to just keep driving.
This was like so, you know, the 2002 turbo, because I had to think a lot
about this as well, was just one of those that I kept coming back to of like,
well, I don't really want that car.
But I love the more analog experiences.
And there's just something so pure and fun about it.
So absolutely.
Absolutely.
So 2002 turbo, I'm going to contract.
Well, I'm going to contrast that a little bit, maybe in my next choice.
And which is like one of the first real like hardcore experiences I ever I ever had
was a 991.2 GT3 RS.
So I love manual transmission cars, which this is not.
But we went out, my buddy and I, we went out to a great road.
And we get to kind of this this pass, you know, you climb this mountain pass called
Johnson's Pass out here.
We get to the top, we park.
And I'm in a yellow E46 M3 and which he loved as well.
He's a real car guy.
So he throws me the keys to his GT3 RS.
And he said, go take it for a rip.
And I was like, I had never driven a car at this level in terms of costs and performance.
Had you driven any 911s before this?
Yes, I had.
I'd driven some 996s and 997s, but we're talking Carrera S of 15, 12 years prior.
And there was a big jump in.
So and I will never forget a we just talked about in the last section,
the crown jewel that that motor is revving to nine grand.
But I and there was something about had bucket seats in it.
The way this thing would rotate as well.
And I just end the precision of the front end.
It was like, you know, I'm used to E46 M3s and cars of that generation.
I hadn't had a ton of experiences.
And this made my E46 M3 feel like a freaking marshmallow.
It was like, you know, so to get into this on a phenomenal road that is beautifully paved,
lots of twisties.
And he said, go drive it.
So I go down the other side of the pass, then come back around and I was just on cloud nine
thinking I'm going to get to the top of the pass and give the car back to him.
I didn't want to overstay my welcome with this thing.
And he was gone.
He had taken, he jumped in my M3 and took off to go drive.
And I'm like, well, I guess I'm going to keep driving.
So I went back over the other side of the pass to go chase him or look for him.
And I got to where I was almost at the bottom of the other side.
And I'm like, I haven't even read this thing beyond like 6,500 RPMs.
It was such an assault on my senses at the time.
So the road straightened just a little bit enough to get it up close to 9,000.
And I want to do an episode on my favorite automotive noises.
It's like super nerdy stuff.
But being a manual transmission guy, any time I hear a GT3, GT3 RS with PDK
ripped by me in either up or downshift.
I'm like, holy crap, that makes the hairs in the back of my neck stand up.
So the precision, the way that thing would go around a corner, the aggressive,
but just the quality that goes into this car.
And then the crown jewel that motor, which is like, it was truly special.
So it really cemented a lot in my mind in terms of what a driver's car can be.
And I'll never forget that was awesome.
Incredible.
Did you have a third car in your choice?
Yeah, but how many do you have?
So I have three too.
You go ahead with your second one.
But I came up with a third and I realized I should have mentioned this.
I should have put it in there, but...
Kay, take it away.
I'll share mine.
My first really light, fun sports car.
And again, I had a Mini Cooper, a new Mini Cooper.
That was small and fun, but it wasn't a Lotus Elise.
And so when I got into the Elise, my first new one showed up in November of 2004.
I'd been on the wait list for about two, almost three years.
And the anticipation obviously was just palpable.
It was crazy how you're just waiting for this car.
And I literally remember driving out of the lot with the car and thinking,
oh my God, I'm feeling everything.
This is just unbelievable, right?
So was this after the 993?
Did you go straight from that to this?
No, so I had an E36M3 and then I had an EVO.
I had the Mini Cooper.
So there's a few cars.
I'm not sure if I'm as prolific as you actually, I probably was, but in the last 20 years,
it's been a bunch of leases, a bunch of exiges, aerial atoms.
But that Elise was the first time I had driven a sports car that was really that light.
I had driven other people's, my friend's sports cars, my own sports cars,
but it was the lightest one I had ever driven at that point.
And I was just hook, line, and sinker.
I was just, oh my God, this is incredible, right?
And then from there, I just kept going down this rabbit hole of light weights.
I bought an aerial atom two and then a three, but the third car I really want to mention.
And because again, as you were mentioning, there's something unique or special about each one
that was different from others, right?
And so the 911 had its, the sound coming from the back, its car from billet feel.
The Elise had this super lightweight, utterly visceral experience.
Well, the third car on my list that I think is pretty, that was very, very special.
And it really stems from my love for the McLaren F1, right?
A three-seater car where you're sitting in the center line of the car.
That to me just felt like, oh my God, this has got to be the greatest experience, right?
And I had not driven a Formula car up to that point.
So I had never had an experience sitting in the center line of a car.
Well, on November 11th, 2011, so 11, 11, 11.
I'll never forget this.
I signed this deal with Briggs Automotive Company, BAC.
And yeah, at the time, they were in this place called Holmes Chapel.
And they're making this F3 spec single-seater car.
So we became their importer for the car.
And so ultimately, I got my car that we built.
We are bringing them in pieces and fully assembling them here.
And mine was the first in the country.
And that car, okay, it's a single-seater to drive on a road.
You know, when you're turning left or right, the apex,
you know, your line into it is the same.
It's just amazing, right?
And it was actually my first paddle shift car, too, as I think about it.
But that's a different issue.
The paddle shift on it was a pure race gearbox.
But what really stood out to me on this car is that center position, seating position,
that was something really, really special.
The car handled beautifully.
You know, it's one of the most beautiful cars in that whole niche boutique category.
So yeah, those are my three cars, man.
You know, the 993, the Lotus Elite Series 2, and a BAC Mono.
That is awesome.
I mean, very few chances to sit center seat in a car.
I was going to say, I've never had that experience.
Well, who has?
It's very few.
But I mean, I hear those things are just wild, you know, and incredibly high performing and
they are incredible.
I mean, it's truly an F3 car.
You know, the powertrain is solid mounted.
You know, it's just, it's just, it's insane.
You know, it vibrates like crazy.
You know, it's, it's a, I tell people it's like a single seat sport bike.
That's the experience you're going to get, you know, after about 100 miles,
you got to get out of the thing because your eyes are blurred,
your coffin, your ears are ringing.
It's just a hardcore experience, but so much fun.
Well, I kind of can't believe that two of my three cars are going to be porches,
and they're both going to be 9-elevens, but now here's what I will say.
So again, I put the picture up of my 1985 Carrera 3.2.
In a lot of ways, I think this car was like the natural precursor to the Lotus Elite.
I just bought from you.
The reason this car was so influential, me and it was funny,
pulling up these pictures, I'm like, oh crap.
I had to text my buddy who's got air cool 9-elevens said, hey,
remind me again, why owning these things kind of sucks.
And so he, just to make me feel better, because I was really missing my car,
you know, last night.
And so he, he was a good friend and, and tried to remind me of some of the pain
associated with owning these things.
And really not that bad, but, you know, we can get into that another time.
But the up until now, and I have a feeling, okay, I always say, you can't,
you can't do that to me.
And then expect me to hold my train of thought, put a picture of a BAC behind you.
That's mine.
That was mine.
We got that in Death Valley.
This guy, yeah.
Matt Blatty is a photographer.
Just pretty amazing.
But sorry, sorry.
I didn't mean to like throw, throw off your, your, your train of thought.
Well, I mean, that, that is a beautiful picture.
I want to see the actual like, you know, high quality, either like prints or copies
of that photo shoot.
It was, it was a, it was a, there's some funny stories I can tell you about that.
It was a photo shoot with top gear magazine.
But listen, let's come back to it, man.
Okay, okay.
Finish your, you finish your, your 9-eleven store.
So the thing about the 9-eleven for me is I have a feeling it might get upended by this
Lotus Elise, but up till now, I have not driven a car.
We have mountains all around us here in, you know, in Salt Lake.
You can see the picture behind me.
Just some spectacular roads.
9% grade.
That's awesome.
We go up early in the morning.
We beat all the cyclists.
We beat all the cars, whatever.
And this car was so fun to drive up in the canyons.
I mean, these cars, again, the 2002 turbo was part of what led me to buy an air cool 9-eleven
because I kept driving these GT3 RSs, 2002 turbos.
I would drive something in between, you know, I was, I was spoiled with this buddy of mine
who owns a lot of stuff and let me drive it all.
And I'm like, you know, I just kind of keep coming back to the more analog card.
Like I love that GT3 RS, but, you know, the old stuff just feels so special.
So that, that car manual steering, we've talked about this, you know, just, just the
feeling everything, you know, the brakes are so talkative in that car.
The weight transfer, not too much power, it like, but those cars are so, like you said,
they feel like they're carved out of solid, you know, billet.
It's like the ping when you shut the door.
It's, I mean,
And look at the body lines.
I mean, oh man, it's just gorgeous.
You know, I just, just love it, you know, it's, you know, and I tell people, look,
a 9-eleven is basically a frog on wheels, right?
You know, styling wise, you know, look, it's, it's, it's, it's a derivative of Volkswagen
Beetle, but why do I love it so much?
Why do so many people love it so much?
Yeah, everybody does.
I mean, they care about the right stuff usually.
So there's a lot of 9-elevens.
I don't want to piss people off on this episode, but I'm not a fan of that I've driven,
but this is one of those.
It really left a mark on me and I have a feeling I could have chosen the 111 RS,
you know, driving it on track a couple of weeks ago, which we talked about at length,
was like, by far, I told my wife, maybe the most fun I've ever had in a car.
So I didn't want to just regurgitate the same old stuff.
Yeah, yeah, fair enough.
But, but this, but this old three, two Carrera was a Euro spec.
It pulled hard and made great noises at the exhaust, just perfect being in feels special.
And it's like, yeah, I mean, that, that kind of stuff really resonates.
I love, I love the real talkative communicative cars that feel special.
They don't, there's something about old cars that do that.
So, um, yeah, how do we get copies of pictures of your BAC mono from that photo shoot?
I'm not a video podcast guy.
I always listen to podcasts on same here, same here, but, but you're kind of making a case
with, um, you know, wanting to tune into the YouTube video for those of you who've listened
because I bet that photo shoot was spectacular if you in your, your BAC.
Yeah, let me, let me keep, put that on display a bit more.
It was really a fun, fun, uh, photo shoot, um, Top Gear flew over one of their journalists.
His name was Jason Barlow.
He writes for, uh, The Road Rat now.
Great, great journalist.
And if you guys haven't seen The Road Rat, check that magazine out.
It's fantastic.
So they flew him over and so we, we trailer the mono to Death Valley because that's where
they wanted to take this shoot and they flew in this photographer.
Um, and you know, he, he, he just, um, just absolutely incredible, incredible, um, shots
that he took.
Well, the funny story was this, we, um, we're sitting in this little diner having breakfast,
getting ready to go and do the shoot.
And the journalist, Jason gets this message from the, um, editor of Top Gear magazine.
He says, Hey, make sure you get some pictures of the car with like a cow skeleton and a
cow skull.
So Jason goes, Hey, let's make sure we get a picture of this car with a cow skull.
And I'm like, Jason, what do you think?
They're, they're just on the side of the road here.
You guys have been watching too many road runner cartoons, you know, over in England.
That is awesome.
Here's a funny bit, right?
So we're sitting there in this cafe, the Shoshone cafe, actually in Shoshone, or no,
the crowbar, the crowbar cafe in Shoshone.
Sorry.
Okay.
And right above us is a, is a cow skull.
And so I said to the waitress, Hey, I borrowed this.
I said, I'll give you my credit card.
We'll come back with it.
Give us a couple hours.
We just need to take a picture of this car, blah, blah, blah.
She goes, Oh no, there's no way I can, you know, the owner would never let me.
But if you go across the street, there's a souvenir shop and they've got, I think they've
got them there.
So sure enough.
And so anyways, we got the photo shoot.
It was actually in the magazine spread with, with the, we nicknamed the, the skull Charlie
after the, the editor of Top Gear.
So anyways, I still have that skull.
It's, it's in my shop.
I haven't hanging our, our Hunter alignment racks.
So anyways,
Well, that's awesome.
How many BAC monos do you have any clue?
How many of the, of those things they've sold or were sold?
Can you still buy one?
You know, I think you can still buy ones.
You know, I haven't heard too much from them lately.
You know, they, they've sold, I want to say a hundred of them, you know, so,
but, you know, I don't, I can't confirm that, you know, it's certainly, it's not a hundred
in this country.
It's a hundred in the world.
I believe, you know, they, they, they're onto their kind of second generation car,
which, you know, they've done a wonderful job of, of keeping the styling and improving
things on it.
You know, I know a lot about this car because we're building them, right?
And, and when we showed up there, you know, it was one of these scenarios that, you know,
I brought my engineer over and, and my technician and, and, but, you know, as two small companies,
we, you know, basically, you know, we did quite a bit to try to help them.
And, you know, the first build manual, we actually kicked off.
And so anyhow, very interesting car, very, very, you know, beautiful car, wonderful performance.
Yeah, it's, it's truly an F3 car for the road.
Well, like my buddy said, you are hardcore.
And yeah, you've, you've driven some stuff that, you know, very few of any people will
get to drive.
So that, that is super cool.
Well, you know, and then hence, hence why I described the Ford GT, the old, the older one
as a bit lethargic, you know, you know, and I hope, you know, you guys don't all, you know,
interpret that incorrectly.
I had a lot of fun.
Okay.
But it is, it's responses are a bit slower than some of these crazy cars that I'm normally
used to driving.
But, you know, again, I would choose the, the Ford GT to drive on a long trip like I have,
versus say a BAC model.
I mean, that car after a hundred miles, you got to get out.
It's, it's killing it.
Yeah.
It's, it's just not, you know, a car that you can drive at any length.
Well, I mean, I think that's why what you have to say always resonates with me so much, but
like trying to help my, everybody understand, and there's very few people to have the perspective
you do, you really are enjoying the C8 Z06 experiences that you're having or have had.
You're interested to buy one of those cars, but you also have the perspective that, yeah,
these are heavy, lethargic cars.
When you compare them to the most extreme driver's cars, you know, out there.
So I feel like, like I said, 981 GT4 that I had love the car way more use cases for that
than my, this Lotus Elise 111 RS.
But I mean, you want to talk about engaging 981 doesn't feel so engaging anymore.
So that, that, that spectrum is what I'm getting at is goes to both polar extremes a lot more
than most people realize.
Yeah.
I mean, listen, as car guys, right, I think we'd be silly, you know, not to want to experience
all these, all the full spectrum that's available to us.
Right.
You know, it's like, it's like when people say, oh, I only drink red wine.
I'm like, well, sorry, you're missing out on other great wine then, you know, but
you know, don't tell me Porsches or Corvettes are the only great cars.
They're not.
There's a lot of great sports cars, each one offering something a little different.
And I think that's what, what makes me so, so, you know, jazzed about being a car guy,
because you get to experience a lot of fun, fun things that each one can be a bit different
from the next.
Well, we've got a listener question that I think his name was Paul wrote into you.
Teeth this up for us.
We've got a few questions built into one question that are real thought-provoking stuff.
Yeah.
You know, not sure I have it in me today to think this deeply, but we'll try.
Well, we're going to try, right?
So Paul was responding to one of the articles that I wrote and entitled the rise of the country
club racetrack.
You know, basically just talking about how cars have gotten so fast that the reality is that,
you know, these, these country club tracks are and race tracks are going to be the place to
really exploit all the potential performance.
I mean, where in the hell are you going to drive, you know, a GT3 RS at the limit?
You know, where are you going to drive a ZR1X at the limit?
It's just, you know, so those cars have just pushed the envelope, right?
And so one of the things that I stated in there was that, you know,
in order for us to reach basically zero traffic fatalities, we're going to have to move towards,
you know, robots, right?
And so this, this, this, um, so Paul came back and he, you know, he kind of said, you know,
well, yeah, it makes sense in a George Jetson kind of way, but without a controlled environment,
all autonomous cars and trucks, won't that be both flawed and too Orwellian?
You know, and so that was kind of his first question.
And he had a couple other questions, but I think we should, we should talk about that first.
You know, when you look at, you know, controlled environments that you need for autonomous vehicles
to really be, to work, that is really the biggest challenge that they're having right now is that
the environment isn't controlled.
It's, it's, it's actually very variable.
And so that's why the autonomous vehicles have some difficulties, um, you know,
but they're going to solve that.
And, and I think that, um, you know, those will be, you know, issues that will get solved.
And, you know, but what's your take on that?
What do you think?
Some reason I keep thinking about the show Paradise.
Have you seen that?
I don't know.
Apple, we have 8,000 subscriptions for TV shows.
My wife will pull one of these series up.
Apparently we need to watch.
And, but it basically, it's like, you know, they, they, they, they build a civilization
underground and the, the people don't really know why all the inhabitants.
And it's like this Orwellian, perfect community and civilization that is all,
they're all just pawns in the, the government scheme to control everybody and not
have them think beyond kind of their, their boundaries.
So what, when I think about that, it's, it's, I mean, yes.
On, in one sense, I think it'd be way more efficient, like auto bots and these autonomous
cars make more sense of everybody's in them.
But, but at the same time, we talked about this, uh, in a prior show that, you know, even just
all the distracted driving incidents that take place, I, I think some benefit can certainly
be had in a safety standpoint. And I brought up my teenage daughter, you know, who it's,
I don't think everybody has to be doing it, you know, and, but, you know, we could get too
deep down the rabbit hole of what the government will and won't force us to drive or do whatever.
And I don't want to do that here and now.
So it's, uh, but I like Paul's next couple of questions.
So tee that up and I have more thoughts about that.
So, so then he, you know, he went on to say that do young people really want to know and
understand real driving, right? And then he says, are they confident in auto manufacturer's ability
to build flawless self-driving cars?
Well, when I think about young people, I just go off my own experience and still have the
picture of my 1985 Carrera up. I was shocked of all the cars that I've owned.
More teenage boys gravitated, flocked to, made comments about that old, air-cooled
Porsche than any car I've owned, old, new. And I was amazed at how many of them said,
that's like my dream car. And I was stunned every time I heard it, I'm like,
this 40 year old Porsche is your dream car. And so that's very anecdotal for one,
but I just think it speaks more so to this idea that, you know, driving represents more than
just downshifting and, and, uh, you know, engaging with the mechanical experience.
There is a freedom involved with driving. And we have senses after all, you know,
that make us feel things when we drive. Like my twin boys, they're 13,
all their friends think my garage is always like a playground and they want to see what's in there
and like fun cars that I've got stacked on the lift or whatever. My boys kind of couldn't care less.
So they are not like chips off the old block. And yet they still love,
they still love to go drive go-karts. You know, they, they, they still think it's
fun to get on their electric bike and go cruise around our community or to, you know, to, um,
ride a dirt bike. They think that's enjoyable. So I think it's because driving does hit some of
those pleasure centers that are hard to always quantify and put a finger on. And I don't think
that's going away now. And I think you hit on something very, very important earlier when
you talked about freedom, right? It's so part of our American culture to, you know, the car and the
open road and the sense of freedom that comes from that, our ability to drive from here to wherever
we want, right? When your 13 year old boys become 16 and they get in a car and they realize, well,
you know what, if I put some fuel in this thing, I can drive for about 300 miles and where could
that get me? You know, and if I save some more money, I could put fuel in it when I get there and
come back, right? And that ability, right, to go get on the open road and go see things, that
wanderlust that I think is in some of us, you know, many of us. And I think, you know, that in my
mind is why I still feel young people are interested in cars. Yeah. I mean, I think the, the, the
surveys suggest otherwise that there is, there is a, there is this
lack of interest, but I think the whole virtual world and AI is starting to get some backlash
as well. And I feel like younger people are starting to say, hey, wait, I want to experience
more than a virtual, you know, experience, right? And so I think, I think they're going to,
I think they are going to gravitate towards cars. You know, and that second question about, you know,
are these young folks confident in auto manufacturers' ability to build flawless self-driving cars?
I think they are, man. I think it's geezers like us who, who are more skeptical about whether
you get into a car on a steering wheel and there's no driver and there you're like,
well, I don't know if I trust this, you know, I think young people are used to,
much more digital existence, right? I mean, what are you seeing? What's your thoughts?
Yeah. I mean, I, I, they're growing up with computers and phones and, you know, I'm 44,
but I used to tell my kids, I didn't have a cell phone until I was like 20 and 21. And, and I remember
we got our first computer. So it's like, and, and a lot of these kinks had to be ironed out.
And we've seen kind of with new technology, it's not all roses out of the gate. Well, they've seen
a lot of this stuff just ironed out already. So they, you know, they, they live in a tech-filled
world. We remember a world pre-tech and, you know, I, so I, I couldn't agree more that I think
the older generations are going to still be skeptical that these guys are all going to nail
these attempts to autonomize driving and. Yeah. I mean, think about cash, you know, and credit cards,
and then digital and online banking, you know, that's, these are all these huge fundamental
shifts that have taken place. And for some of us who, who experienced all of those things,
we're still a little bit nervous about some of, of going to a full digital, right? And,
and when it comes to cash and so, but I think young people, they've grown up with that. That is
their standard. That is their norm. Yeah. It reminds me of a story about 20 years ago,
my father-in-law walked into my, my office and had his McDonald's coffee. This guy was,
this grizzled Korean War vet. You know, I loved Andy. What a great guy. He looks at me and goes,
Hey, how much money do you have in your pocket? And I'm like, I don't know, dad. I, I reach in
my pocket and I pull out my money clip. You know, I, I separate my cash right from my wallet. And
I said, yeah, I got, I got about 20 bucks. He's like $20. How are you going to take care of my,
my, my daughter and my granddaughters, you know, and he starts ripping into me to do one, right?
You're like, Hey, you see this credit card? Yeah. Yeah. And that's what I told him. I said, dad,
look, I have this AmEx card. There's no limit on this, right? And, and he pulls out this water
cash. Okay. It was, it was, I don't know how many, a couple of $30,000. It goes, you need to have
cash on you. Okay. You don't know, you know, when the digital, you know, your credit cards won't
work. I mean, you got cash, you'll be able to take care of them, right? Anyways, I think,
Well, that's a funny story. And to kind of tie a bow around this for Paul and bring this thing
to a close. Yeah. You know, I just, the thought or the discussion we had last week about these
manufacturers still making such an effort for their Halo enthusiast sports cars, whatever,
like we get so, I get discouraged thinking that this is all going away, all the fun
driver's cars are going away. But then you see them continually trying to push the envelope and
and put R&D dollars behind the patents to make auto manual, like, you know, you can get these
cars that you can still shift through an auto manual, like swappable, you know, gearbox. And I
think so Paul's question as are they, do people really want to young people really want to know
and understand real driving? I don't think that all these car manufacturers are just building cars
for guys like you and I, they're trying to go after younger audience and they keep trying to
find a way to make these cars exciting. And we've democratized speed with Tesla and all the other
EVs. So they're going to have, I do think the pendulum may swing back to where they are going
to have to differentiate. Our kids are not going to say, Oh man, look how fast that car is. No,
they're all fast. You can get a $40,000 Tesla that'll blow the doors off of anything. So,
Oh, but look at that car. You know, that one is like, you really gotta know what you're doing
with this driver's car. So I mean, ask me tomorrow, I'll be way more cynical about this. But Paul,
yeah, I think people are still going to care about what what driving means. So
I think so. I think so. You know, this country is very big. We've got a lot of roads,
and there's a lot of stuff to explore. And cars are still a good way to do it.
Yeah. Well, she knew fun as always. Good luck finding those new balances you're after.
Send a picture. I got the driving suit, right? So that that hopefully differentiates me a little
bit. But yeah, no, Blair, this was a lot of fun, man. We'll we'll we'll do it again next week.
Look forward to it. Thanks so much. All right, man. Take care.
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