The Chevrolet Bel Air is a classic Chevrolet model from the past. Some versions, like the late-1950s cars, are already considered collectible classics. The podcast uses it to explain the difference between cars that are already classics and cars that might become classics later.
Corvette is a sports car made by Chevrolet. The hosts are talking about whether Corvettes will become less desirable in the collector market or keep their value.
Concept
the line between collectible and classic
They’re asking what makes a car a “classic.” The point is that it doesn’t always have to be the rarest or most expensive—sometimes it becomes a classic because people recognize it and it has a nostalgic vibe.
Mercedes SL is a well-known Mercedes roadster/convertible. The hosts are using it as an example of how certain versions can be rarer, and that rarity can influence whether a car becomes a classic later.
Ford Falcon was a popular Ford model, and a station wagon is the family-car style with extra space behind the seats. They’re mentioning it to make the point that not only super-rare or high-end cars become classics.
The Ford Mustang is a sporty American car that’s made for performance and fun driving. People talk about it a lot because there are many versions over the years, including older classic ones. That’s why it shows up in discussions about which cars might become collectible.
The Ford Model T was one of the first cars that many people could afford. The hosts are saying that something that seemed “common” back then can become a classic later because it represents history.
The Volkswagen Beetle is the famous VW “bug” shape people recognize instantly. The point here is that even cars that used to seem common can become classics later as they gain nostalgia and history.
The Toyota Corolla is a common, everyday compact car. It’s usually chosen for practicality and reliability, not because it’s rare. In the podcast, the idea is that because it’s so common, it’s less likely to become a “classic” collectible.
The Volkswagen Beetle is a small car with a very recognizable shape. The podcast mentions older versions and then a later revival of the idea. It’s included because the Beetle is one of those model lines that stays in the conversation for decades.
“Future classics” means cars that might become collectible and famous later on. The hosts are discussing what traits make a car worth saving now so it has a chance to become a classic.
Car
Cadillac CT5V Blackwing
The Cadillac CT5V Blackwing is a fast, performance-focused sedan from Cadillac. It’s notable because it uses a supercharged V8 engine and can be had with a manual transmission, which is rare in modern sedans.
A “sedan V8” means a regular four-door car (a sedan) that uses a V8 engine. It’s less common now because many newer cars use smaller engines or electrification.
The Cadillac CT4 is a smaller luxury sedan from Cadillac. The hosts are talking about it as a car that might become collectible later, especially in a particular blue color they reviewed.
The Cadillac CT6 is a large luxury sedan, built to be comfortable and upscale. The podcast mentions it while talking about a test and includes details like the color and winter conditions. It’s brought up as an example of a bigger Cadillac sedan.
The Volvo V60 is a wagon from Volvo. The hosts think it could become a future classic because some versions are rare and people don’t buy them as often.
Polestar is a Swedish car brand known for making special versions of Volvo-based cars. In this segment, they’re talking about a Polestar-engineered V60 as a particularly rare pick.
The Lars Anderson Auto Museum is a car museum where car events happen. They’re using it as an example of a Swedish-car gathering where the Volvo V60 gets noticed.
Suspension upgrades mean improving the car’s ride and handling parts. The goal is usually to make the car feel more stable when you drive hard or hit bumps.
Twin charge is a forced-induction setup that combines two boosting methods—here, a supercharger plus a turbocharger. It’s used to reduce lag and broaden the engine’s power band.
This means the engine uses two different forced-induction systems: a supercharger and a turbocharger. Together they help the engine make power more consistently across different engine speeds.
Crossovers are like smaller SUVs that usually drive more like a regular car. Many people choose them instead of wagons because they’re easier to get in and out of and still carry a lot.
The Honda Civic is a compact car meant for everyday driving. It’s popular because it’s practical and there are different versions, including sportier ones. The podcast references it while talking about what car to discuss next.
The Toyota Sienna is a minivan. The host mentions it as something that’s already considered a “classic,” but they’re saying it’s not what they’d bet on as a future collectible compared with the Civic Type R.
A diffuser is an aerodynamic shape on the underside of the car, usually near the back. It helps air flow more efficiently under the car, which can make the car feel more stable when you’re going fast.
A rear spoiler is the wing-like piece on the back of a car. It’s there to help the car stay more stable at higher speeds, though it can also affect how much the car slows down due to drag.
Horsepower is a number that tells you how strong the engine is. Higher horsepower generally means the car can accelerate harder, and here it’s used to describe how powerful the Civic Type R is.
“Two liter inline four” is how the engine is built: it has four cylinders in a straight line, and the total size is 2.0 liters. It’s a common setup for sporty cars because it fits well and can be made to produce good power.
“Manual only” means you have to drive it with a stick shift. Some drivers like it because you control the gears yourself, which can make the car feel more connected and fun.
The Acura Integra Type S is a sportier version of the Integra that’s meant to feel fun to drive every day. Here, the host is basically saying it’s a great all-around performance car compared to a more track-focused model.
The Honda Civic Type R is a high-performance version of the Civic that’s designed to be exciting and fast, not just comfortable. In this segment, they’re comparing it to the Integra Type S and saying the Type R feels more intense and track-like.
Sonoma Raceway is a famous race track in California. The hosts are talking about driving a performance car there and how you have to be smooth and precise to go fast.
A “hot lap” is one fast lap where the driver is trying to set the best time. It’s the kind of driving where everything feels smooth and timed, even though the car is being pushed hard.
“Flow state” is when you feel totally locked in—like your actions match what the car and track are doing. The host is saying that’s what great drivers achieve when they’re going fast.
The Volkswagen Jetta GLI is the sportier version of the Jetta, meant to be fun but still practical for everyday driving. The host says it’s especially appealing because it’s offered with a manual and feels like a sweet, usable car over time.
The Volkswagen Golf is a compact car used for everyday driving. The GTI is the sportier version, and the podcast says it probably won’t become a future classic. The point is that it’s too common or too current to be rare later on.
Car
Volkswagen GTI
The Volkswagen GTI is a popular “hot hatch” model. Here, the host is saying the current GTI may not age into a future classic because of how its tech and interior feel today.
A tech interface is how the car’s screens and controls work—like the menus and buttons you use for navigation, media, and settings. The host is saying the GLI’s setup feels better and won’t feel as dated later.
Torque is the engine’s pulling force. More torque usually means the car feels lively and responsive when you accelerate, even without needing to rev it high.
The GLI is the sporty version of the Volkswagen Jetta. Here, the hosts are saying it could become collectible partly because it still comes with a manual gearbox.
A manual transmission is the kind of car where you use a clutch pedal and a gear stick to change gears yourself. Some people prefer it because it feels more connected to driving.
An automatic transmission changes gears for you, so you don’t have to use a clutch pedal. The discussion here is about how buyer demand affects which gearbox options stay available.
A global platform is a shared vehicle architecture and production setup used across multiple countries and markets. The idea here is that it’s harder and more expensive to offer a manual gearbox everywhere if the platform is standardized for the biggest markets.
The Lucid Air is an electric sedan, meaning it runs on electricity instead of gasoline. It’s designed as a more upscale, comfortable car. The podcast brings it up when talking about which car names or models people are thinking of.
The Nissan Z is a sports car that’s been around for decades and is meant to be fun to drive. In this episode, the host likes the newest Nissan Z, especially because it can be had with a manual gearbox.
The host is talking about the BMW Z4 / Toyota Supra relationship—cars that are closely related in how they’re built. They’re saying they considered it, but it didn’t feel as exciting or personal.
Horsepower is a way to describe how strong the engine is. More horsepower usually means the car can accelerate harder, and “400” is a popular benchmark number people talk about.
A six-speed manual is a stick shift with six gears. You use a clutch and the shifter yourself, and that can make the car feel more connected and more fun to drive.
The Toyota Supra is a well-known sports car that’s built to be quick and fun. Here, the host is comparing it to the Nissan Z and talking about how their driving personalities feel different.
A grand tourer is a car meant for long drives where you want comfort and smoothness. The host is saying the Z feels more firm and race-like than a car that’s built mainly for relaxed cruising.
The BMW 2 Series is a smaller BMW that’s meant to drive more like a performance car. In the podcast, it’s described as feeling heavier and firmer. The point is that it doesn’t feel as relaxed for long-distance driving as the Supra does.
The Nissan 350Z is an older Z model from the early 2000s. The host brings it up because it’s part of the same family of cars, and it’s what made the Z feel cool to them back then.
The Audi TT is a small sports car that’s famous for its stylish, slightly retro look. The host is saying the Nissan Z has a similar retro-futuristic design feel.
Here “analog” means the car feels more old-school and direct—less like you’re controlling everything through computers and screens. It’s about the driver feeling connected to the car.
The Mazda Miata (MX-5) is a small two-seat sports car. It’s built to be light and easy to enjoy on twisty roads. The podcast includes it because it’s one of the most talked-about “fun” cars in its category.
A “35th anniversary” edition is a special version of a car made to celebrate a big birthday. It often has unique features or looks compared to regular models.
They mean the fun comes from how the car handles and how quickly it feels through turns, not from going super fast on a straight line. A small car can feel exciting even at normal road speeds.
Horsepower is how much power the engine makes. They’re pointing out that the Miata got a power bump after 2019, which helps explain why those versions stand out.
A soft top is the fabric roof on a convertible. The hosts are saying the Miata’s soft-top versions are particularly appealing to collectors.
Car
Miata ND generation
“ND generation” is the Miata’s newer generation. They’re saying the later ND cars—especially the soft-top versions—are the ones they’d most want to own.
The Ford F-150 is a large pickup truck meant for work and everyday use. In the podcast, it’s brought up while talking about which trucks might become collectible in the future. The conversation suggests another Ford truck is more likely to fit that role.
The Ford Ranger is a popular midsize pickup. In this discussion, they’re comparing the regular Ranger to the Raptor version and saying the Raptor’s extra specialness may help it hold collector value.
BFGoodrich KO tires are a popular off-road tire model. The host is pointing out that this truck comes with that kind of tire setup, which adds to its “cool factor” for enthusiasts.
The Nissan Frontier Pro 4X is an off-road-oriented version of the Nissan Frontier pickup. They like it for what it does, but they don’t think it’s “future classic” material.
The Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro is the Tacoma’s more hardcore off-road version. They mention it to explain the difference between “just right” special and “way too much” special.
Car
Lexus RCF
The Lexus RCF is Lexus’s V8-powered rear-wheel-drive performance coupe. The hosts are saying it could become collectible later because fewer people bought it when it was new, and it’s now discontinued.
The Lexus LFA is a rare, high-performance supercar. The hosts are saying the LFA’s value jumped later, and they think the Lexus RCF could follow a similar path.
A V8 is an engine with eight cylinders arranged in a V shape. It usually makes strong power and has a classic, recognizable sound—one reason people get excited about cars like the RCF.
A GT car is a “grand touring” style car—made to drive fast and comfortably for longer trips. The hosts are joking that a track edition doesn’t always match the usual GT idea.
The BMW M3 Competition is a more aggressive, higher-performance version of the BMW M3. The hosts bring it up to compare how other cars also have sport/track-oriented versions.
Here “pricing” just means what the car is worth in the market right now, compared to what it used to cost. They’re debating whether the Lexus RCF will get cheaper or hold value as interest grows.
The Audi S5 is the sportier, higher-performance version of Audi’s A5. The hosts mention it to say the Lexus RCF was similarly expensive when it was new.
The Honda HR-V is a small crossover SUV meant for everyday use. Here it’s brought up because the brother was looking at it, but then the discussion shifts to a much sportier car choice. It’s basically the “normal option” in the story.
The Hyundai Venue is a small crossover SUV meant for everyday driving. In the podcast, it’s mentioned because someone was considering it, and the speaker advised against getting it. The discussion is about choosing the right car for the person’s needs.
Hyundai’s N program is Hyundai’s way of making certain models more performance-focused. Instead of just making them look sporty, they’re engineered to drive more sharply and feel more exciting. The host is saying that’s why the Veloster N feels like an enthusiast car.
The Hyundai Elantra is a compact car for everyday driving. The Elantra N is a sportier version made to feel more performance-oriented. The podcast mentions it because someone wants to know what it’s like to drive.
The Hyundai Elantra N is the sporty, performance version of the Elantra. Here, they’re saying it’s the more practical choice, even if it may be less “collectible” than a weirder model.
The Hyundai Veloster is known for its distinctive, oddball hatchback layout—most notably its asymmetrical two-door design with a separate rear door on one side. The hosts argue that this kind of “quirk” can make a car more collectible over time, especially if production ends and fewer survive.
The Honda Civic Si is a sportier version of the Civic. They’re saying it’s more popular/visible than the Elantra N, which can affect how many remain and how collectible they become.
The Mini Cooper S is the sportier version of the Mini. The host brings it up to say they didn’t follow their dad’s advice about buying used sport models—and it worked out.
A “three door hatchback” is a car where there are three doors total, including the rear hatch. They’re saying that kind of body style is less likely to be made in the future, so fewer will exist later.
The Porsche Boxster is a two-seat sports car with the engine placed closer to the middle of the car. It’s designed for sporty handling and an engaging drive. In the podcast, it’s brought up as one of the Porsche options being compared.
“718” is Porsche’s name for a generation of mid-engine sports cars. It includes the Boxster and Cayman models. The podcast uses it while talking about which one you’d choose from that lineup.
The Porsche Cayman is a two-door sports car with its engine mounted toward the middle. It’s built for sporty driving and handling. The podcast compares it directly with the Boxster and asks which one you’d pick.
The Porsche 911 is Porsche’s iconic rear-engine sports car, and it’s treated here as the default benchmark that other Porsches get compared against. The hosts note that the 911’s availability as a convertible changes the “conversation,” which helps explain why the Boxster/Cayman can be overlooked until they become harder to get.
The Porsche 944 Turbo is a turbocharged Porsche from the 944 family. The point here is that some cars get ignored at first, then become collectible later.
The Hyundai Ioniq 5N is the sporty, performance version of the Ioniq 5 electric car. The hosts think it stands out enough to be remembered as a special EV later on.
The Porsche 718 Boxster is a sporty Porsche roadster with the engine mounted behind you, which helps it handle well. The hosts are saying it could become a “future collectible,” meaning it may become harder to find and more valuable over time.
LIVE
What's up, everybody? Welcome to a, I think what's going to be a very fun episode of the
driveway. We got a good energy going on. Matt's in a new hat. What do we call it?
Different hat, same hat. I love it so much.
The real question is if somebody else takes my hat, also named Matt, would it be different
Matt same hat? Yes. Yeah.
Like could we have a guest host on named Matt? I'm sure there's Matt in the building. Let's
find a Matt. Let's read a Dr. Seuss while we're at it.
So you've heard Matt. That's Matt. You have Natalie and you have me, Elliot. What we're
talking about today is we're talking about future classics. We're going to dive right
in. We're going to get out the crystal ball. We're going to get out the crystal ball. We're
going to give sound investment advice. I was just going to say this does not constitute
financial advice, even though I feel like I'm going to comment on that.
This is not official advice. Thanks for calling.
So we're talking about what cars, what, 20 years from now are going to be classics?
100 years. Maybe, yeah, 50, 100, whatever. Let's first, let's lay the groundwork. What
makes a future classic? What kind of things should we be thinking about? What leads into
your thought process? We've all chosen cars. We don't know each other's cars. So we're
be surprised in the moment, but what did you think about when thinking about what makes
a future classic Natalie? Very curious about this because you're the expert.
Okay. So I will say I started a little bit with like lower volume and like, oh, and things
that have been discontinued, things like that. So to set the stage a little bit, we were
looking for things that are at least relatively attainable and recent models. I'm not going
to be like, oh, the 57 Bel Air is a future classic. Like, duh. It's currently a classic.
And actually, you know, as the, as the enthusiast demographic changes, it might, it might fall
out of favor for a while. This is 40 chess. You're not just thinking about the car. You're
thinking about the ebb and flow of the market. Yeah. Corvettes off a cliff. I don't see
that happening. I was kind of like Corvette would be the obvious one, right? It's all
popular with, with the people our age. Yeah. It's true. Um, I mean, a lot of times it's
what people, okay, but see, this is, this is where we're going, right? The line between
like, is, does it have to be collectible to be a classic? I would say not necessarily,
but I did find myself coming back to that again and again and going like, Oh, well, nobody's
going to want the four cylinder. Does that mean it's not going to be a classic? Not necessarily
because it's still going to maybe look nostalgic and be something that somebody admired in
their neighbor's driveway and then grows up and has the means and wants to buy. I thought
about you quite a bit when thinking about this, because you have a old, we'll call it
vintage for runner second, second gen for runner and they only made a few of those, right?
I think they made a lot of that. And you have a Mercedes SL class and they only made a few
of those, right? They made a reasonable number of those. They made a few of the really special
ones, like the silver arrows and the, yeah. And you have a Ford Falcon Spatient Wagon.
Matt's making a point. I like it. Matt's like, obviously making a point. Get to it.
I want to continue my point. My point is that when you look at classic cars today, yes,
obviously you have like, you know, you got like the, the boss mustangs and like the old
challengers and like, like what we think it was like real classics, but you also have things
that dare I say are just interesting and old. Yeah. Yeah. Like it doesn't have to be highly
desirable right now to become. It doesn't have to be highly rare today. If anybody looked at a Ford
Model T in 1925, they would say those things are a dime a dozen. But today, if you have a Ford
Model T, you have more than a classic. You have automotive history. And not for nothing,
but like the less able to hold up it is, then maybe the more rare it's going to become. So it
doesn't even have to be good to be rare later. Would you think of a Volkswagen Beetle today,
like a vintage Beetle as a classic? I would. So I think that's it. That's kind of where my head
kept going. I kept spinning closer towards what are just the like, yeah, the interesting or
noteworthy vehicles today. I think the caveat is I wouldn't say like a Corolla is going to be a
classic because it's just been around for so long. It almost has to be like, it can be common,
but it has to be interesting and it can't be like a long tenured staple that I don't know.
Yeah. No, I'm with you, but the Beetle was kind of a long tenured. That's not that long, but
and not changing that much. Yeah. Yeah. And then, well, then there was like the Super Beetle and
then they revived it. Let's just cut the episode there. It's the Corolla.
And if people don't care to your point about the Model T, if people don't
value it right now and make an effort to preserve it, there will be fuel later.
Whereas like every Porsche that's being, you know, babyed and like trailered somewhere.
Find one without the bumper hanging off and hold it. And someday it'll be on the lawn at Pebble
Beach. You heard it here first. This does not constitute investment. It does not. But it would
be a low investment. I'm excited to hear what you guys brought. I hope you're excited to hear
what I brought. What we're going to do is we've each brought three cars. So we're going to just
kind of go so, you know, the order of things. We're going to go down the line, each do a car,
and then we're going to finish with honorable mentions and ultimately get to a list of 10
future classics. And if you're excited about this topic, we did a future classics episode
about a year ago. This is part two. Go back and listen to part one. It was full of two English
people and two United States people. So get some global, at least England in the U.S.
view on things. But what do you say? A lot of Ferraris, right? There was a lot of Ferraris,
a lot of Porsches, you know, but maybe we'll find something new. That's the UK. That's our boss.
Loves Ferraris. a Lambo. Whatever. Matt. I'm going to start off. We're
going to go Matt and Adelaide and we're just kind of going to do that a couple of circles.
So you are first. What is your first future classic that you're bringing to the table?
Well, remember I was talking about how it doesn't have to be super special or super limited.
I recall. It just needs to be something that is stylish and interesting. So naturally,
I'm going with the Cadillac CT5V Blackwing because that is not a car. That is a rocket ship.
And despite being a rocket ship today, it also seems to be kind of like
like the Mercury missions era in terms of some of its technology. You can still get
it with a manual transmission. It is a sedan, which are increasingly uncommon.
And of course, it has a huge supercharged V8 engine. And maybe I just have my blinders on
or maybe I'm just getting old. More and more, I feel like the V8 is never
going to not be desirable. Like I know that super charged one. Yeah. And like you can get a twin
turbo V6 that makes more power. But for some reason, I think everyone is always going to want a V8
more. And the Cadillac CT5V Blackwing is about as ruthless and uncompromising a V8 sports sedan
as you can get. It's a big American fast sedan. It has some impressive technology in terms of
like its suspension. And obviously that engine is still like a marvel. But the fact that they
pair that with rear wheel drive, do they have rear wheel drive? It might be all wheel drive.
I'll double check that. But they pair it with the manual transmission. I just think it's going
to age really well. Yeah. A 6.2 liter supercharged V8 making 668 horsepower. That's insane.
Yeah. It's rear wheel drive. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. That's pretty insane. It just feels like it's
already like destined to be a classic. Is it still in production, right? You can still buy
one new today. You can buy one today, 2026. You said that as if you don't think that's going to
be true for too long. I can't tell you if they have officially discontinued it, but based on
everything I've just said, sedan V8 rear wheel drive Cadillac, it's not going to be around forever.
It feels like the end of an era. Yes. Or nearing the end of an era. What's the general price range?
A lot. It's a lot. It starts over 100. It can go up to about 160. Oh my goodness.
It's a super sedan. You look and you wouldn't necessarily think, oh, big four-door full-size
sedan or mid-sized technically, but it's big. You wouldn't think like this is a super car,
but that it will blow the doors off of almost everything on the road.
We shot a review two years ago. I was going to say that was a CT4. Also, potentially a future
classic, particularly that shade of blue. Just the Cadillac CT. And we shot that in the winter
when there was snow on the ground. And snow tires on the car. Weird car for the winter, maybe.
Somebody at Cadillac has a sense of humor. Let's send this up to New England and see how they do it.
Well, because we as a region of automotive professionals, we are constantly talking
about how like, oh, you got to send it up here for the real winter testing. And it's like someone
at Cali was like, all right, fine. Maybe they were going for winter vehicle of the year. I think
they probably won. Yeah, buying for that award. That was a 24, I think that we tested. Is that
just smaller than the CT5? Yeah. Okay. It's one size down. Yeah. Well, that makes sense. Yeah.
45 Yeah. There we go. Yeah. I mean, the interesting thing is like the CT5V Blackwing.
Great name. Makes me think of Batman. Yeah. I mean, honestly, it's like feels like a Batmobile.
You get one in black. That's what it sounds like. Yeah. That would be nice. It's aggressive. That's
wild. But it's not the type of car that I personally would ever be like, this is my dream car. It
doesn't fit me. But when thinking about like, you know, will I ever own a future classic? Maybe
we'll get down the down the list. This one, not my future classic, but someone's. Okay.
Hey, that's as good as any. I love that pick. Natalie, what is your first pick? What do you
bring into the table? Okay, I've got a few I want to talk about. It's hard to decide which one's
going to be first, but I got to commit because time. So I'm afraid of commitment. Oh, no.
That's a really good question. I have so many great ideas. So I'm going to go Volvo V60.
And here's why. I think the non-cross country has been pretty rare. Like not that many people
are buying them. And in fact, now you can only get the V60 cross country. But if we want to talk
even rarer, there's the Polestar. There's the Polestar engineered V60. So, you know,
regular V60, I could see, I mean, they turn heads at a Swedish car day at the Lars Anderson Auto
Museum. So there's that, but the pole stars. No free hats. It's a non-profit.
Swedish car day feels like a, it's pretty much one maker. And stop. Oh, it's okay. If you go,
wasn't thinking about the older one. Yeah. Very cool. Yeah. So the Polestar, really cool thing
for folks who aren't familiar. It was a high performance version. At first, they were all
that blue color. Like that was pole stars performance color. And every single one of them
was that, I actually, I should know what it's called. And I don't, maybe it's just a whole
star blue. Yeah. Match looking it up. In the meantime, so they had, they had the inline six,
they had some suspension upgrades, rumbo brakes, lighter wheels. Then it went to the turbo four
inline turbo four. And then they had the plug-in hybrid with that twin charge thing that Volvo
does. So super charged and turbo charged, which I just, I remember the first time I found out
about that. I was like, that can't be right. Like I misunderstood, but no, it's, it's really cool.
So yeah, what do you guys, guys think? What do you think of that pick?
I think I, I see 455 horsepower for the plug-in Polestar and a wagon. That, I mean, come on,
we love wagons. Talk about your diminishingly popular body styles. Wagons seem like it's,
it's something that everybody says they want, but it seems like they're disappearing because
people don't buy them. Yeah. Why aren't people buying wagons? Cause they're buying crossovers.
Yeah. I mean, you need a wagon because you need the space. Yeah. But if you need the space,
you get an SUV. Pretty good chances. You have a kid and Natalie's the only person I've ever met
who's like, I don't mind bending over and put my child in the back of my sedan. I understand why
people don't buy wagons. Cause like they should be bought by like engineering students at RIT.
Yeah. Yeah. I mean, those people don't have any money and wagons are more expensive than sedan.
Yeah. Any kind of student, right? If you have to pack up your dorm room at the end of a year.
Or if you're like moving apartments every year for a while. I adore this choice. Thank you.
It's not my favorite Volvo wagon of the recent years. What would you say is your favorite? Well,
we'll get to that. Oh, were we thinking along the same lines? At one point in my life, we might
have been. But it is, it's let them cook. So you know, as you get older and you're trying to like
stay cool, I'm aware of it. Like we're still cool people, right? You know, we're in our 30s, but
like we're still cool and young and hip. And you get, maybe I'm speaking out of turn here, but I
feel like I got to a point where I was like, you know what? If I'm going to remain cool,
I can't keep chasing the kids trends because I don't understand them. I can't keep up.
It's a foreign language. The Volvo station wagon, all of them, they are the, that is the
personification of stopping chasing and just being your own thing. Your authentic self. Your
authentic self being like, trust me, it's got class. It's elegant. Yeah. It fits my lifestyle,
not yours. Just gonna lean in and just lean in. But in the, in like the stylish way possible.
Something we did, I'm not sure which Volvo was, but we did a review and it's the first time I heard
you say it. Volvo, it's like, act like you've been here before. Style luxury. Like it's,
it's the quiet luxury. It's like, okay, we're here. Right. Don't announce. I know what I'm doing.
Yeah. Don't have anything to prove. Just, yeah. Yeah. I think like a niche,
powerful station wagon is exactly the kind of thing that is rare and could be a classic
20 years from now. Yeah. And, and especially, I mean, it's like an, if you know, you know car,
especially if it's not blue and then it's like, yeah, only the people, you know, the real ones
get it. I think when the episode with Dave, the, the, the Euro car episode, I think I chose the V
60. You did. And I was mad. You were pretty upset about that. Yeah. I, I was mad the whole time
as we keep saying, no, I just, yeah, listen to that episode folks and you'll find out why. I
thought British cars were going to go first. Speaking of which, this is a total non sequitur.
What's, what's the, the Grenadier? I finally saw one on the road.
That can't be the first time you saw one. It's the first time I noticed one. And I was like,
this thing looks sick. Yeah. I was like, I missed out on, on knowing about this car.
I did consider that as a future classic because they might not be selling as well.
That would have been an interesting choice. It looked expensive. Little off beat. Yeah.
Okay. What's your future classic? So I am going with, I've talked about it before. I've talked
about this model many times, but this specific car before Toyota Sienna. Well, Honda Civic
that is like, don't jump ahead guys. So the Sienna is a classic currently. Okay. I wouldn't
choose that as my future. However, you, you kind of hit it. The Honda Civic type R is what I am.
So I have like really fond personal memory. This is the first time I ever drove on a track.
I drove poorly as an eye opening experience. I did not do a great job. I,
it's, it's a very different experience driving on a track and thinking about how hard you're
supposed to hit the brakes and how aggressive. Second time I drove on the track, I did much
better, but the first time did not do a great job, but it was in a Honda Civic type R. And I think
this current gen of Civic is my favorite looking Civic and especially in the type R. I think the
previous gen looks a little insane when it's in type R variant. The wing is huge. The diffusers
are just everywhere. It looks like a crazy vehicle, but this current type R, I think it looks pretty
classy for being like a rocket. You got to live when they actually improve it from generation
to generation. You're like, yeah, that was a step up. The wing, it's still a big wing, but it's
it's kind of a sexy wing. I don't love it today. Like I don't want to own a car with that wing
today, but when I think of it from the perspective of a classic, it's similar to like if you bought
a 1980s Porsche 911 that had that huge, gaudy spoiler on it. You're like, yeah, you're like,
it kind of ruins the 911 shape, but it is, it's like part of the history of the car,
the lore. It's like, well, yeah, oh, and it's got, you can hear the Barrett Jackson guy just
being like, and coming across the block, we have a 2026 Honda Civic Type R painted in white with
the trademark rear spoiler. Real period piece. It seems removable and I wonder how much it would
affect performance. Yeah. I don't love the wing, but I love the shape of this gen, but it's a 315
horsepower hatchback or small sedan more than a hatchback, but two liter inline four manual only.
A lot of my picks kind of veered towards manual transmissions as a thing that feels like it's
on its way out. And it's just, it's almost perfect other than the price. It's expensive,
but I found could be more though. It could be more, which leads me to my question. Why didn't
you pick the Acura? I like the look of the Civic better. Works for me. I like it more too. And
that's kind of, that's where I landed. So I just had an Integra Type S and I adored that car. It's
probably my favorite car I've driven this year, but it weighs 30 pounds more. Well, it's a little
bit heavier. It's essentially a more dare I say road ready instead of track focused version of the
Type R, but I just, I like the Civic. The interiors are largely the same, although the Type R has
that red, which is a little too red. The like aggressive red blood red that has cascaded all
over the floor as if you actually murdered someone in the front seat. But it's just,
it's one of my favorite experiences that I've had in a car. I don't know. Does that feel like it
could be classic in the future? Yes. Yeah. Yeah. And I wholeheartedly agree that I was on the same
trip as you when, when you had your, your maiden voyage around Sonoma Raceway. I think you were,
you were in the car. Yeah. No, you weren't. I was, I was with a pro driver. I was in the
car with you at some point that day. When you were driving. When I was driving. Cause I filmed
you in that, the filming did not work. We just scrapped that part of it. It was the challenge
of the track that I feel like most people don't gather is that to be really fast, which I am not,
you have to be smooth and controlled and just like enough in a rhythm with each corner. You
have to know the corners well enough that you can roll from one corner into the straight or into
the straight into another corner or corner to corner in the S. But at the same time, there
can be absolutely no chill. It is just like everything is on or off. It's like all the gas,
all the break, all the gas, that's what I had no experience with before going
balancing that with that like smooth, almost like flow state ability that you see when you're,
when you have like a hot lap with a racing driver is those are, those are fun. It's,
it's like watching somebody who's better at one thing than I will be at anything. Yeah.
Ever. But no, on that day, I still recall that as like probably the best day of my professional
career was getting to drive a Civic Type R around Sonoma all afternoon. It was cool.
Oh my gosh. It was very cool. It was incredible. Great choice. Yeah. Okay, Matt, we're back around
the horn to you. Yeah, I struggled with this one. So I picked, we were going through the process
and one, it made me kind of hate cars today because they're, I mean, obviously we're going to talk
about a bunch of future classics, but it made me realize how few cars they feel special within
their segment. I was like, well, you know, I was like, well, if I wanted to go for like,
you know, what family sedan is going to be a classic down the road? I mean,
brought up the camera. I ended up settling on a car. I did not really spend a lot of time
thinking about prior to this. And it's the Volkswagen Jetta GLI. So the GTI today is not
a future classic. It's only available without automatic transmission. The interior, particularly
the tech is so maddening that I don't think you can possibly age well. Great pick. The Jetta
GLI though is essentially the Mark seven GTI instead of the current Mark eight
still has a manual. The interior is a different tech interface. It drives really well. This is
another one where you and I were, we both were on a Volkswagen program where I had a Jetta GLI to
drive with us in terms of like today's pricing. I don't necessarily know if it's like the one I
would recommend, but I think as time goes on, it has undeniably handsome looks. You know, it's
not like it's pretty conservative, but I think it'll age really well. The interior is well laid out.
It has a very analog feel to it despite being like still pretty digital. And it doesn't feel
like outdated today. And it's just, it's a sweet driver. You know, it's got, you get a ton of torque
out of that engine. Do you guys anything? Should I continue vamping? I don't have a ton of experience
with the Jetta GLI. Is that because it's kind of rare? It might be rare. So that trip that we were
on, it was a long time ago. It was a golf program, but they had the Jetta there to drive, which I
didn't do, you did. Yeah, they had, they had the first, it was the first year of the Mark A GTI.
They also had a bunch of other Volkswagen's that had like the Towson T1, the full line. And then they
had the Jetta GLI, which they were, they were doing their press for both of them at the same time,
but we spent most of our time in the new GTI because it was more newsworthy for our audience.
You're welcome. I like there being like a genuinely usable daily driver on this list.
Everything doesn't have to be a performance monster, even though this has solid performance.
So I think, I think it's a solid, solid pick. Yeah. And I like your point about it being
sort of the spiritual successor to like what the GTI was before. Yeah. And if we did this podcast
six years ago, I probably would have said the GTI, not the GLI, but the, the modern, the current day
GTI, I just don't think is a future classic. Yeah. I think everyone's going to go and try and buy a
Mark seven and a half or a Mark seven GTI instead of the Mark eight. And I don't think that's the
case for the GLI. You said this has a manual transmission? Yeah. Do you think that's part of
this year is the last year for it? Do you think that's part of what maybe makes this a little bit
more rare and 100% collectible feeling? Yeah, for sure. What was it they told us about why they're
not doing manuals or into the future? Do you remember? It was like 95% of buyers are looking
for an automatic and it didn't make sense on a global platform to include the, it was, it was
interesting because they were talking about their European market. They didn't want it. The European
market did not want a manual. Only the American market was hankering, hankering. Yeah. We thought
that to be like really surprising and they, they, they're global products. So when they made the
decision, like, you know, just dollars and cents, they said, well, if it's a global product, we're
going to go with the market where we sell more of them, which is still Europe. Yeah.
Makes a ton of sense to call this a classic when something like that is going away,
which so many people at least say they want, whether they buy it or not, who knows, but
so yeah, have you ever driven one? I have not. Yeah, I haven't either. What a delight. Nice.
Now I'm going to seek one out. If anybody listening has one and wants to let us drive it.
Well, that's the thing is like, you, you know, people who have GTIs, GTIs are the Jetta GLI. I'm
like, oh, it's, is it better? It's probably not better than a GTI, but it's definitely more
interesting. Yeah. And that's, that's what we're going for. Yeah. Interesting.
Natalie, do you have something interesting? Yeah. One of the things I was thinking about,
I think we'll get too late or similar point to that, but also Matt, you made a good point about
the, like what's special in its segment. And that's something that I was running into a lot
when we were doing the best American cars of all time. Like there were a few times where I was
like, Oh, you know, Chevy Bel Air. And then I would talk to somebody about it, my husband,
and he would be like, well, I don't know if it was really the best. It's just the most. And,
but now like every single sedan that survived from that time, you see on a field, right? Like
at a car show, because it's just old enough that it's become cool. So I have, let's see.
That's what I'm going for as I get older. Just old enough that you become cool.
Cool enough to go sit out in a field. Commit to the Volvo.
Act like you've been there before. I come to this field all the time. This is my field.
So I don't know if I would say this is that special in its class, but it's a small class.
I'm going to go with the Nissan Z, the new Nissan Z with manual transmission. So
they are, they're good looking. They are good looking. They're sweet to drive.
And I don't think that they're that good a seller. So I don't know if there are going to be
that many out there. It's not necessarily the most cutting edge compared to
current contemporary, I guess is the word competitors. But when this is a classic,
that's not going to matter. Then you're measuring it up against everything else that's in the same
price range, basically not everything else. That's the same model year or
same, even same style depending on how broad your taste is. So that's, that's going to be my pick.
It's, I like it a lot. The Supra is its obvious counterpart. And the Supra has always felt like
better, like more holistically engineered car, newer, more cutting edge,
but it has never felt more interesting or special. You're talking about the new Supra,
like the Z4 Supra. Yeah, I had, I considered that too. And it just, yeah, it doesn't feel
as special. It doesn't speak to me as much even though it's cool looking, like it's a head turner.
I don't know what, it's almost like it's too good. It's like too technical and it's not
like analog or like effortful enough. It's why everybody prefers the Red Sox to the Yankees.
Everybody. You can't find that Yankees fan anywhere. Those Supras, you're blinded by
the pinstripes, but the Red Sox Nissan Z, I have completely lost the thread.
What thread? I like though that it has, first off, it's got a great 400 horsepower,
which is just small. There's something about the number 400. It's just better than 382.
Well, there's also the Nismo. It's more. It bumps that up even more. And six-speed manual.
It feels like a race car. Like it's heavier, stiffer. It doesn't feel as much like a Grand Tourer
as the Supra does, even though Supra is obviously not a Grand Tourer. It doesn't have rear seats,
right? It doesn't have rear seats, does it? I don't think so. I'm trying to remember when I've
been in them. No, yeah. It's been a long day, guys. Yeah, it's a good one. And I do think that
design-wise it's going to age better. Yeah. And in some ways, it's a very obvious easy choice
because there already is a classic Nissan Z and this sort of paid homage to that. And like now is the
modern one, but yeah, I mean... This is not the same car, but in high school,
my best friend's brother had a 350Z. And I thought it was so cool. It was the most sports car thing
in like our high school parking lot. So that's not this, but I have an affinity for, I guess,
that lineage. Those are really something that I feel like looks like a moment in time.
Yes. Very early 2000s. Same time as like the Audi TT. I like a TT. Yeah. I do like an Audi TT.
That would make sense. It's kind of similar. It's that retro-futuristic. I'm a simple man.
The new Beetle, all those kinds of things at the same time. Although it is classic. Yeah.
Yeah. Cool. There you go. Nice. Yeah, I don't think the super design is going to age well at all.
I'm looking at pictures of it now. I'm like, what? There's so many
scoops. Bumps and humps. And the Z is just like, it's fast. Yeah. And it looks fast. I had one
the week, I had a press car the week of my wedding. And so like all my family members
gathered at the museum to do the rehearsal and stuff. And like a year later, my uncle was like,
what was that Maserati that you had when you got married? And I was like, that was a Nissan.
Well, we have, believe it or not, we have a video with Cliff comparing the Supra and the Z. So if
you are thinking about investing in a two-seat sports car from Japan, go to CarGurus.com and look
up our, our video. And then buy one there. And then, yeah, there we go. Everything we're talking
about. Look for a great deal. Probably a better deal. Although really it doesn't even have to be
a great deal because down the road it's going to be worth millions. It does not constitute financial
advice. Yeah, that was not true. So you talked about something being too technical and you
wanted something analog. Well, I've got a car for you. Sleet truck. That's not quite, it's a very
different feel. Again, this is a car I've talked about a lot, but I, I got to bring the Miata to
the conversation. Yeah, fair. It is like the definition of analog stripped down driving fun.
Yeah. It's two seats. What is it? 180? I have my stats, but I think, yeah, 181 horsepower.
It's available not as a stick, but you want it as a stick. 35th anniversary is either this year
or coming up. I'm not sure, but so it's been around. And I think it's going to stay around for a bit,
but it's like really the last car that is like this. It's one of the only affordable small
roadsters that you can get for around 30 grand. I think it starts right below, yeah, it starts
at 29, 530. So it starts just below 30. And like how, where can you spend that much money
in a car and have that amount of fun without upgrading? You don't have to do any, you know,
upgrades to it. It's just a fun, not especially strong vehicle, but a fun driver. It's that like
drive a, what's the phrase? Drive a small car fast rather than a big car. How does it go?
Small car fast or slow car fast versus fast car. That's right. Slow. Yeah.
You know, around my house, get up to 40 maybe, but in that car, finding some winding roads at 40,
you feel like you're on a track. You're not, but it's so much fun to drive. It brings some joy
to the daily drive. Yeah. That was probably one of my favorite loans I had. We, we, before we had
our second kid and we made sure our son was in daycare and my wife and I went on just like a,
like a joy ride with the top down. And it was just so fun. It's, I have such fun memories of,
of that car. And I don't think it's going anywhere, but the people that love it seem to love it. So
I think they'll continue to love it. So I'm very interested to see where it does go because
the current generation has been around since 2016. No other generation lasted that long. So
it, it's kind of a, like a tough financially, sell for Mazda to create a new
version of a two seat sports car in today's economy. I feel confident they will because
it's the Miata and it's like core to their brand ethos, but whatever the next one looks like,
the one we have now is so good. It's iconic, particularly post 2019 when it did get that
bump up to 181 horsepower. It used to be like 155. So I think we're going to look at the ND
generation as ultimately the most desirable save for perhaps the first one, the NA generation.
And particularly the post 2019 NDs with a soft top and like light, really just core, pure driving
experience. It's hard to believe that we're ever going to get something quite like that ever again.
Yeah. So I targeted on the ND three, which I think was 2024 and on, I found a just,
just a beautiful, it's gray. It's a soft top. It's grand touring. Oh, you've been shopping
for on cargers.com for 11,000 miles, $32,000. It feels like a good investment. It feels like
a great investment. This will be worth double in 10 years. I stake my career on it. I don't.
This is recording, you know, I do. So, I mean, we've said it a bunch is not financial advice.
Matt, what is your third semifinal pick that you're going to bring to this list?
I know what my pick is. Okay. I feel confident that this will be a future classic. I have never
driven this vehicle. I have never written anything on this vehicle. I know nothing about this vehicle.
I know it exists. And I know right here, deep down, he's pointing to his heart.
I know that it's going to be a future classic. It is the Ford Ranger Raptor.
I think I don't know how long Ford is going to be selling this thing in the United States.
It took forever for us to get them to sell it here at all. It has a 405 horsepower twin turbo
V 63 liter, a 10 speed automatic. Sorry for the manual fans,
four wheel drive standard. And it's entirely designed to be the stupid fast, stupid capable
mid-sized pickup truck. I just think the like trucks are going to get bigger and bigger and
bigger and probably more and more capable. And we're going to look at this being like,
remember when we just had the Goldilocks and I honest, I almost said the Chevy Colorado ZR2
Bison, which is also like a great, great choice. But I just, there's something about the Raptor.
It's a combination of Raptor and also Ranger. I think people already think of the Ford Ranger
fondly. And like, I don't, I mean, Colorado is a great truck. Like I've had wonderful things to
say about it. I've actually driven that one, but it feels to me like it doesn't have the name
brand cache that Ranger has. I'm looking up a few extra specs here. It's got the 33 inch BF
Goodritch KO three tires. I'm very curious. It's like 50 years from now. Are they going to,
is BF Goodritch still going to sell a tire like that for all of the collectors? Can you get period
correct rubber? You can definitely get tires fabricated for like old vehicles. I know that. So
yeah. It just seems, I also think it looks really good. It looks cool. I'm
probably not the best pick for me because I can't talk that much about it. But I know
with a hundred percent certainty that 50 years from now, these things are going to be
selling at auction for real money. I mean, you're on record as wanting a small to mid-sized truck.
That's right. It's something you talk about pretty often. And you know, so I really want a
Nissan Frontier Pro 4X, but I would not buy that thinking it's going to be a future classic.
Okay. It's like a little too half measure. I like it because it does everything I want it to do,
slash need it to do, but it doesn't, it's not like over the top like the TR, the current TR,
Tacoma TRD Pro is. The Ranger is like, well, that's way more than I needed to do. But I think
that's what kind of preserves it for classic status. That makes sense. Man, I can just talk
sometimes. So like I've got, I'm shooting from the hip, but I've got nothing on this thing. I just,
every time I hear about it, I'm like, oh yeah, that's a good thing. You're allowed to just like
something. Yeah. This wasn't a review episode. It doesn't have to be that you've tested it
within an injured life. I would be thrilled to test it. If anybody listening would like to send
me a Ford Ranger Raptor test, I promise that I will get it very, very dirty. Ford would like to
send one. Yeah. Let's, let's, let's chat to Ford. Ford, Ford, are you listening?
Anyways, that's enough for me. Natalie, that means, that means we need your third pick.
Okay. Yes. So I'm going to go with the Lexus RCF. Yep. And I did a video on this. So I am
repeating myself if you're like a holistic consumer of our channel and you just watch
everything we put out. Obviously everyone is. I don't watch everything we put out.
So I'm going to start with this is, or sorry, this is verging on the side of collectible
two versus just plain classic. Look what happened with the LFA. That was like underappreciated,
undersold, and now they're like $900,000 if you can get one. This is maybe the next
underappreciated and underselling Lexus. I guess it's discontinued now, but
the Lexus RCF. And then there was the track edition. That's the one that I reviewed for a
video. So do check that out. It was cool. It was a little cool as an understatement. Yeah,
it was really, really cool. I loved it. It's not manual. It's automatic. So there's that,
but front engine rear wheel drive, powerful, big V8, big V8, little bit of a oxymoron in
terms of it's the track edition of a GT car, but you see like the M3 competition and stuff like
that, right? Yeah, exactly. So, and this is like the one that no one seems to be buying. I never
see these out on the road, but when I had it, people would pull up and comment on it. You
couldn't stop at a gas station without getting a bunch of questions and comments and kids wanting
to take pictures. So I think this is going to be very collectible right now. The track edition
is up around like $70, $75,000 on cargers. Yeah. And the non-track edition, just the RCF is like
$45,50. Wow. That's not nearly as expensive as I would have guessed. Right? Right? Because they
were expensive new. They were. They were like pretty close to like Audi S5 levels of expensive.
That's so expensive. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So already taken a hit in pricing and I think in,
you know, 20 years or so. It's on the valley right now. Yeah. Yeah. Will it go down further?
I don't know. Maybe we're preventing that from happening right now by having this conversation
because everyone's listening. Yeah. Are we moving the market? We might be market influencers.
I think the RC is interesting because you can do a Turbo 4, you can do a V6, and a V8.
Whatever engine you want, you can find an RC that has that engine. It's like looking at a
truck lineup. It's like one for everybody. And the prices are just as varied between all of that.
Talking about future classics, that's something that you see where you'll say like,
they sold this with a four cylinder, a six cylinder, an eight cylinder, but the collectibles are the
eight cylinders. Yeah. So it could be like, yeah, maybe nobody goes out and buys a regular RC,
but they do buy the F track edition. Yeah. Or you'll see Corvette guys being like,
there were only 15 with this color exterior, this color interior. So it's a really expensive one.
Yeah. I love it. It's a great pick. My third pick, I'm very unsure about this one. It feels weird.
It is a discontinued car. It's a Hyundai.
Absolutely not. So my brother was just getting a new car. He ended up with an HRV.
I had him watch all three of our content on it and he decided that it was a car for him.
A Honda HRV. Yeah. But he asked about the venue and I was like, don't get the venue.
And he was like, what's wrong with it? I was like, nothing. It's just a joke.
You know, but no, the Hyundai Veloster N is what I'm bringing. It's a weird car.
Yeah. Recently discontinued. Recently discontinued. I have
final year of production was 2022. Not like last year, but old enough that I'm not sure it
abides by the rules of the game, but we sit within five years. Is that? That's what we said.
Rules are old for you guys. It's in black and white. I'm choosing the Hyundai Veloster N because
Hyundai's N program is really a way to give that enthusiast level performance in something that
isn't necessarily enthusiast priced. And I think the Veloster, I think part of what makes it
interesting in the future is that it's discontinued. I think that helps, but
it's a three door vehicle, which is a weird shape. It's a little bit of an oddball vehicle.
I've driven one, not the N. So I've, Matt, like you, I haven't driven this car that I've,
that I've brought to the table, but it's a turbocharged two liter inline four 275 horsepower.
That's not nothing. It screams. It's, have you driven? Have you driven the Elantra N?
Okay. Well, here's the thing. I'm curious what you guys think because I think the Veloster N,
I think it's my pick, but the Elantra N makes more sense for almost everybody.
So I'm hedging my bed. What are your thoughts on the Elantra N and which one,
which one is more of a future classic? I'm picking the Veloster because of its oddity.
I think that makes it more collectible potentially, but admitting that the Elantra N is a more
sensible vehicle, which isn't the point of a classic, but what are your thoughts?
Well, I think you know that I had the Elantra N as one of my possible picks and then diverted
another direction. And then I said, I might talk about it.
Variety and conversation. Largely because I feel like it gets overshadowed by like the GTI
and the Civic SI. And so I don't know how many they're selling or how many will survive because
there is that element too of like, who buys this thing and how are they driving it?
My dad once told me never buy a used sport edition of anything. And then I bought a
Mini Cooper S, but she said, you were right. So yeah, I think I didn't think of the Veloster
and you're right. It is more of an oddball, but I could see the Elantra N for sure.
Like which car do I want to own would probably be the Elantra. It just makes more sense,
but it's less cool in terms of like collector status. I mean, the Veloster is going to be
rarer. It's definitely more interesting. They're going to, bold statement,
50 years from now, they're still going to make four door sedans.
They're probably not going to make three door hatchbacks. They will look at that being like,
and then there was this one time when Hyundai just shouldn't have smoked.
I found a listing a 2022. So it's final year, 18,000 miles. So that's a pretty
owners. Well, I don't have the owner number on here, but $29,000.
Yeah. How many accidents? I didn't print that low. He only printed the first page,
but it looks good. It's a white with the N kind of red strip around the bottom.
I think it's a cool looking car. I'd like to drive it.
Yeah, I like it. I think it's interesting and it's
interestingness as part of what makes it cool. Yeah, for sure. Okay. So those are our main picks,
but we got to get to 10. So we just got nine. Those were nine picks. Does anybody have an
honorable mention? They just want to mention. We don't have to talk about it. Why don't we go and
we'll just say the car and then we can decide amongst the three of us,
which one we actually want to talk about. Okay, perfect. So I had written down as my
alternate pick, the Lexus LC 500. Nice. Not to be confused with the RC. Love. Love it.
I had that on my list potentially because it's a gorgeous car. Natalie, what's yours?
The just discontinued Porsche 718. Boxster. Boxster?
Cayman. Yeah. Which pick one? What do you like? Boxster. Yeah, me too. Sorry, Cayman. The problem
is that Cayman is always going to be compared against the 9-11. And for whatever reason,
the Boxster isn't, even though the 9-11 is available as a convertible.
It's just, yeah, that's just not the conversation we have. But this is like so obvious because
every Porsche kind of becomes the classic at some point as soon as. That is financial advice.
The other, like as soon as one gets unattainable, then we get another one that
then people catch on and then that one starts to go up and that's just how it goes.
It's like when the 9-11 is too expensive, they go to the Boxster and the Boxster becomes too
expensive and then they go with the. Well, there was like the 944 Turbo, which like no one was
looking at and then now it's out of, yeah. Something tells me that's going to be our choice
for our 10th pick, but my final pick, my honorable mention, again, it's a weird one and it's also
another Hyundai, the Ioniq 5N. I don't know if EVs can be considered future classics.
But I think the Ioniq 5N is the first one to do something truly unique in the space.
And I think they look great. I think they're going to age beautifully. Again, that retro
futuristic thing that I kind of tend to like. Matt said no right away. You seemed like you liked it.
I mean, I think it's intriguing. It's so interesting to know where things are going to go
because of like sentiment around EVs right now and how will that evolve. And what are the little
kids right now on their way to the bus stop looking at and people's driveways and going,
someday I'm going to own that. That's what's going to dictate. Probably not the 5N, but
who knows? I don't know what kids are into these days. Who knows? Okay. So which one,
which one are we picking of those three? What's our 10 spot? I would just feel cheeky voting
for myself. So I will go with the 718 Boxster. But you think yours is the best choice?
I think, I think it's the, you are a hundred percent right that the 718 Boxster is going to
become collectible. Kind of a guarantee. I just looked up 914s, which 20 years ago were literally
like four grand. And the one I found, which was not a 914 six, we're talking about Porsches here.
Yes. This is, uh, was $45,000. That's four liter. And I was just like, this is insane.
The Porsche market is insane. So I, I wholeheartedly agree with your take that that car will be a
future collectible. Okay. If we're going to say it's like, it's too easy. It's too obvious.
Then I mean, the Lexus LC is an incredible. I suspected that we would trade and it's really
up to Elliott. So I've never driven your pick. I have driven your pick,
but I think we all agree that the Porsches probably has a better chance
of being a collectible. So I'll, I'll, I'll join Matt in voting for Natalie.
Well, it was your pick. What do you like about it most?
What do I like about it most? I guess, I mean, what I'm, the reason I'm bummed they discontinued
it is because it was the more affordable end and we use that term relatively, right? Or loosely.
Um, there's the four cylinder and the six cylinders. The six cylinder will be more sought after,
for sure. But, um, yeah, mostly it was like thinking about future classics. I went, okay,
M three with the manual, like so obvious, right? Eventually it'll get there. That's just what happens
with M threes. And I talk about M threes way too much on this podcast anyway. So then we all have
I think it's just, it's just a guarantee. It's like a, a sure thing that that's not financial
advice. If you can wait long enough, we don't know when, but it will happen. All right. So those
are future aspirational classic cars, but what about today? What is in our driveways today? Matt,
I'm going to go to you first. What is in your driveway today? You want to talk about it?
I have a Ford expedition. Uh, this car doesn't make a lot of sense.
No, that'd be great. It is a tremor. Yeah, that would be it. They don't need,
it makes 440 horsepower, 400, maybe 410 pound feets at work. It could be 400, but it's,
it's got all the power it needs out of a twin turbo V six, I should add, not a V eight.
And I must get great fuel economy. No. Um, I honestly don't know the EPA rating right now.
I'm seeing 13, um, which based on my city commute, doesn't feel that bad. I'm most impressed by
just like this vehicle can do everything. It's not just like, Oh, it tows really well or it's
got a lot of space or the tech is it literally feels like a school bus that can do everything
you needed to do, except maybe parallel park, like everything else easy peasy.
Yeah. Uh, and I don't need it. I have one child. I don't have a dog. My cat has no
interest in, in going in the car. None. Uh, so does it make sense for me? No.
Do I appreciate what it's capable of? Hell yeah. Awesome. Nice. Uh, in other vehicles that
you probably don't need. What do you have? Maybe you want, you don't need. Kind of want. Um, and is
in many ways rather practical. Um, I have the Dodge Charger six pack. So revival of the classic.
Yeah. Um, very suitable for this episode. And the interesting thing here is it's a four door,
which is why I say it's practical and it's the inline six. So we're not really following the
muscle car format here, but it's got the style and it's got, you're about to say it's got the
stuff and it's got the theater. Um, it's got the, it's very theatrical. It's got the theater. And
yeah, 420 horsepower, 460 pound feet of torque. Interestingly, we have the lower end trim in
the fleet, which is nice. Like it's the RT and I think I have the RT plus. So it was just up
with options, but not the bigger tune. If you need more power, you can get the scat pack with
500 horsepower. So yeah, but we just said 400 was good, right? 400 is a lot. That's a lot of
horses. I will say it's more than you get out of a Toyota Supra. True. It's also much, much,
much larger. Like talk about parallel parking. I mean, obviously it's not as bad as the
expedition, but it's not as good as the Supra. Might be harder to see out of though. It probably
is harder to see out of. And I bet it has fewer cameras. It's just a really long car.
And one other thing I think is really cool is that the sedan and the coupe look almost exactly
the same. Just one has four doors. It's like,
Do you prefer the four door?
Yeah, as a parent and also I had the two door of the Daytona EV and I'm so glad they translated
this styling to the gas power version too. The door went back so far. It was like hard to reach
it to close it. I like the four door, even though it's not classic muscle car.
Or is it? I mean, didn't they? Oh no, they didn't. I'm thinking.
We're identifying classics. Maybe this is a future classic four door.
They sold the charger as a two door and then the challenger is a two door and then the charger is
a four door and now the charger is a four door and a two door and there is no challenger.
Wow. Thank you, Dodge.
Thank you, Matt.
And also thank you, Natalie. That brings us to the end of our episode.
Great choice.
I will say or car, great car.
You didn't pick it.
I didn't pick it.
You just dropped it off in your driveway.
Described it, but it was fun.
You described it very well.
Next week, next episode, we're talking minivans.
So if you don't care about Dodge inline sixes, you don't care about Ford Expeditions with their
big engines.
Hold on. There's no reason we can't have that Dodge inline six in a minivan.
In fact.
You're right.
Call us Chrysler.
The hurricane inline six is in a lot of things.
Yeah. Well, maybe we'll talk about it.
They'll make it the Dodge very grand caravan.
Yeah, for sure.
We'll come back next week.
We're talking minivans and as far as this week, thank you guys.
This was fun.
A lot of good picks.
Let us know what you guys thought and we'll see you next week.
About this episode
“Future Classics: Updated for ’26 #62” from The Driveway digs into what turns a modern car into a future classic—usually not rarity at launch, but a mix of preservation, cultural interest, and the right kind of desirability. The hosts lay out their selection rules, then trade picks across manual sedans, wagons, hot hatches, and analog roadsters, including the Cadillac CT5V Blackwing, Volvo V60 variants, Civic Type R, Nissan Z (manual), and Miata ND soft tops. They also debate EVs and trucks, plus honorable mentions.
It's time for our annual Future Classics episode! Which cars available today will eventually be considered a classic? Join us as we create a list of contenders!
