A carbon fiber hood is a body panel made from carbon-fiber composite material. It’s used to reduce weight and can also help with heat management, while offering a distinctive look compared with stamped steel hoods.
At a drifting event, a drift paddock is the special parking/holding area for the cars. Drivers and teams use it between runs, kind of like a pit area for drift cars.
On turbo cars, a blow-off valve releases extra pressure when you lift off the gas. The quick release makes a loud “whoosh” sound that’s common on turbo setups.
“RB” is shorthand for a Nissan engine family that many people modify for drifting. It’s popular because there are lots of parts and it can make a very distinctive sound.
“2J” is shorthand for Toyota’s 2JZ engine, especially the turbo version. It’s popular for drifting because it’s built to be modified and can make a lot of power.
The BMW M3 CS is a more special, more performance-focused version of the BMW M3. In this clip, the host is excited because it’s a manual M3 CS and it even had aftermarket wheels already installed.
Aftermarket wheels are wheels that weren’t installed by the car’s manufacturer. People swap them for style, better tire options, or sometimes improved handling.
The American Le Mans Series was a big U.S. sports-car racing series. The host is saying the car actually raced in that real competition, which makes the “Need for Speed” wrap more meaningful.
The Subaru WRX is a turbocharged Subaru that many car people modify. It’s popular because it’s already built to be quick, and there are lots of parts available to upgrade it.
The Toyota GR 86 is a fun, sporty Toyota coupe that’s known for handling well. People like it at car shows because it’s relatively affordable and easy to customize.
The BMW 3 Series E46 is an older BMW that a lot of car enthusiasts still love. It’s popular at shows because there are lots of aftermarket parts and it’s a common base for customizing.
Stance is a car-mod style where people lower the car a lot and set the wheels up for a certain look. It’s more about the visual “fit” than everyday comfort.
A Corvette is a famous American sports car made by Chevrolet. It’s known for being fast and having a classic look, and the speaker says they saw several different versions of it at the show.
Concept
rollers
“Rollers” is slang for cars that show up for cruising or meetups, sometimes even if they’re not fully set up to run like a normal car. The speaker is describing a spontaneous highway meetup that grew when people joined in.
Car spotting is basically looking for cool cars in the wild and taking note of them (often with photos). The host says they tried it and saw a couple cars parked around town.
“Side shows” here means unofficial car activity happening off to the side of the main event. The speaker says people were trying to keep that kind of stuff shut down in town.
“Drift” means sliding the car sideways on purpose while keeping it under control. A “drift Corvette” is a Corvette that’s been modified to do that kind of driving.
Term
overnighted
“Overnighted” means they shipped the part so it would arrive the next day. That’s useful when you need the part quickly to keep a car or event on schedule.
Term
non perishable drive
It’s a food donation event. People bring shelf-stable items like canned or boxed food, and the car group uses the event to collect donations.
Continental is a well-known tire company. They make different tires depending on whether you’re driving on the street, going to the track, or dealing with winter weather.
The BMW E46 M3 is a classic BMW sports car from the E46 generation. Enthusiasts love it because it has a strong, exciting engine and feels fun to drive in a more “old-school” way.
The Mitsubishi Eclipse is a sporty car model. Here, the speaker is just using it as an example of a time they almost let the dealer take their old car for very little money.
The Scion FR-S is a small sports car. People like it because it’s fun to drive and it’s often used as a car to modify. In the podcast, it’s brought up because someone was shopping for one and discussing the deal.
Concept
trade and
A trade-in is when you give your old car to the dealership to help pay for the new one. The speaker is saying the dealer wasn’t offering much, even though the car might be worth more if you sold it yourself.
E24 refers to an older BMW 6 Series generation. The speaker is using it as a personal example of how they remembered they wanted something cool and then figured out how to make it happen.
The BMW M2 is a smaller, sportier BMW performance car. It’s meant to be more nimble and exciting, and in this story it’s the next “M” car the dealership offered to let them drive.
“Specced” means the car was ordered/configured with certain options. So when someone says it’s “specced to ridiculous,” they mean it has a lot of expensive or high-end factory add-ons.
Carbon fiber is a lightweight, strong material used on some performance cars. When a car has carbon-fiber performance parts, it’s usually for weight savings and a more special look, and it often costs extra.
“Miss the boat” just means the car didn’t make the scheduled shipment. So instead of arriving when expected, it shows up later.
Term
shipped from BMW in germany to america
This is about how the car gets built overseas and then transported to the U.S. If it misses the shipping schedule, the delivery date can slip by a lot.
A timing belt is a belt inside the engine that keeps the engine’s moving parts in sync. If it breaks, the engine can get badly damaged, which is why it’s such a big deal.
Term
turbocharged vehicle whistle
Turbo cars can make a noticeable whistle as the boost pressure changes. If the car has a blow-off valve, the sound can be even more dramatic.
The Mustang is a popular Ford sports car with a big parts community. In this story, they start upgrading it with things like an exhaust and intake to make it feel faster.
“Bolt-ons” are car upgrades you can install with basic tools, without taking the whole engine apart. People use them to get more power or better sound.
The Dodge Neon SXT is a small Dodge car that usually came with a basic four-cylinder engine. Here, the speaker says theirs was automatic and not turbo, and they’re talking about how cool it felt as a first car.
A “four-cylinder” engine has four cylinders working together. “Non-turbo” means it doesn’t use a turbo to boost power, so it relies on normal airflow and engine design for its performance.
The Chevrolet Avalanche is a pickup truck that’s designed to be more comfortable for daily use. Many versions have a special bed setup that can change how the truck space works. It’s the kind of vehicle people talk about when they’re discussing trucks they’ve owned or repaired.
The exhaust is how the engine gets its burned gases out. Upgrading it often makes the car sound better and more engaging, even if you’re mostly doing it for the feel.
The Mazda RX-7 is a sports car famous for its unique rotary engine. Here, the speaker is saying that upgrading the exhaust makes the car sound better and makes the whole driving experience feel more exciting.
Downpipes are parts of the exhaust that help get exhaust gases out of the engine more efficiently. People upgrade them to improve flow and often to get a different, more aggressive exhaust sound.
Logging means recording what the engine is doing while you drive, like how it’s running in real time. People do it after a tune to make sure everything is behaving the way they expect.
Car
frs
The Toyota FRS is a small rear-wheel-drive sports car. The host is talking about modifying it with exhaust parts to make it sound more exciting at car meets.
An unequal-length header is an exhaust manifold where the exhaust runners have different lengths. That design can change exhaust pulse timing, often producing a more noticeable “rumble” and a different sound/feel than equal-length setups.
Car
Suzuki GSX8R
The Suzuki GSX8R is a sport bike made by Suzuki. The speaker is saying they’ve been modifying it—like changing the exhaust and getting a tune—to make it sound better and feel stronger.
Lowering a car means reducing ride height, usually with suspension changes like lowering springs or coilovers. It can improve stance and handling feel, but it also affects ride comfort and can increase wear if the setup isn’t done carefully.
Concept
simple mods
“Simple mods” are small upgrades you can do to a car without going overboard. The idea is that even basic changes can make the car more fun and memorable to drive.
“Clutch out” means letting the clutch pedal back up so the car can start moving. When you do it quickly with a little gas, the car can sound and feel more exciting.
A Camaro is a popular American muscle car from Chevrolet. Here, they’re talking about a Camaro that someone is building to make extremely high power, and how fun it is to watch that enthusiasm.
“Car scene” means the community of car people—meetups, shows, and builders. The host is saying it’s supposed to be fun and not take itself too seriously.
Term
customize your suspension
Your suspension is what connects the wheels to the car and controls how the car rides and handles bumps. Customizing it lets you tune the car to feel better for your driving style—street comfort, or sharper track handling.
This is a Mitsubishi Eclipse GSX from 1990. It’s a turbocharged sports coupe that’s popular with car people because there are lots of parts and it has a strong enthusiast community.
Term
first gen eclipse
“First gen Eclipse” means the earliest version of the Eclipse model line. Car fans often like the first generation because it has a classic look and a big enthusiast following.
Coilovers are upgraded suspension parts that let you adjust how high the car sits and how it absorbs bumps. People use them to make the car handle better, especially if they drive on track.
An intercooler cools the air coming from the turbo before it goes into the engine. Cooler air helps the engine run better and can support more boost safely.
“Turbo work” usually means the car has been modified to make the turbo system perform better. That can include upgrades that help the turbo deliver more boost and keep the engine happy.
This means the car has European-style turn-signal/side lights (“corners”) and rear lights. People swap them in because they look different from the original U.S. lights.
Pop-up headlights are headlights that slide or lift out of the front of the car when you turn them on. They’re mostly a styling/engineering feature you see on certain older sports cars.
Fitment means whether wheels and tires actually fit the car without rubbing and whether they sit right in the wheel wells. Some cars are harder than others to get the “right” fit.
Wheel offset is basically how far the wheel sits inboard or outboard relative to the car. Changing it can make the tire rub or can help it clear the body and suspension.
Tire size is the tire’s measurements, and it affects whether the tire fits the wheel and the car. The right tire size helps prevent rubbing and supports a clean stance.
The Eagle Talon is an older sports car that’s related to the Mitsubishi Eclipse. The host is saying the Eclipse looks a bit like it, especially from certain angles.
The BMW X5 is a luxury SUV, meaning it’s a larger family-style vehicle with comfort and power. Some versions can have very large engines, which is why people sometimes talk about the “big engine” X5. It’s the kind of car that gets attention for being both practical and powerful.
Genesis is Hyundai’s luxury car brand. In this part of the episode, the host is saying Genesis was the first Hyundai-linked brand that really grabbed their attention.
The Hyundai Veloster is a small car with a hatchback body style. Newer versions can include driver-assistance features, which is why it may come up in a conversation about safety tech. It’s generally meant to be practical while still looking different.
The Hyundai Genesis is Hyundai’s luxury car line. It’s meant to feel more premium and comfortable than a typical Hyundai. People bring it up when they’re looking for a nicer car to buy.
The Genesis G80 is a luxury sedan, meaning it’s built for comfort and nicer features. It’s often compared to other luxury sedans because it’s meant to compete in that same category. In the podcast, it’s mentioned as a direct alternative people consider.
They mean a manual gearbox. Instead of the car shifting for you, you choose the gears yourself, usually with a clutch pedal—so it can feel more fun and connected.
They’re talking about the Mazda Miata, a small lightweight roadster. It’s famous for being easy to drive fast and fun, even if it’s not the most powerful car on paper.
The Toyota Camry is a regular, everyday car in the midsize sedan category. People often consider it because it’s a well-known Toyota model and is meant for daily driving. It’s not primarily a sports car—it’s more about practicality and comfort.
They mean cars made for people who really care about driving. Instead of just being practical, these cars are designed to feel engaging behind the wheel.
“GR” is Toyota’s performance lineup. It’s Toyota’s way of making more enthusiast-focused cars, and the speaker thinks that era will be remembered as a great time for car fans.
They mean the Toyota Supra, one of Toyota’s most famous sports cars. It’s known for being quick and for having a big enthusiast community, which is why it comes up in “best era” conversations.
Power windows open and close with buttons instead of a hand crank. If a car doesn’t have them, it’s usually a more basic, lower-cost setup.
LIVE
Welcome back to the martini works podcast. I'm Dakota and I'm here with
Lars Lars back. Hi. I'm gels and gels. That's right. Alex is out and about
But we wanted Lars on anyways because this dude was traveling across the world and going to a car show
So we're gonna get some insight on that
We're gonna be talking a little bit about what got us into cars and then going over some breaking news and reviewing some of your cars
So make sure to stick around for the whole podcast. It's friday, baby. It's hype the weekend's almost here
Let's talk about some hype stuff. Lars you went to poland. I did my first time ever in poland
Yeah, I feel like that's not like a super common spot for people to go to you like I had a buddy in the military
He went to poland because there's a base there, but I don't hear too many people vacationing or anything in poland
Yeah, it definitely seems to be not not super common in terms of european destinations
But it was beautiful. Poland's awesome
We went up to cadansk, which is on the far northern coast on the Baltic sea
And yeah, we went there for the the second show of old trace
This year. Oh, yeah, how'd that go? How did it compare to germany right off the rip rip?
It was it was kind of nuts. Uh, first of all, it was hot like I don't know if you guys are watching the weather
Like I was feeling it. Yeah, it was all time like european
Hot weather records like not for the month of june or anything like of all time. So it was ridiculous
But no the show was incredible
It was much more a celebration of builds and stance culture and less about oem or motorsports heritage
Sure. Um, so that stuck out to me immediately like every car there was
pristine like like perfect
Um, the amount of people there was nuts like we can talk about some details in a second, of course
But just off the cuff like the amount of people there were insane considering how hot it was and there's no shade, right?
This is around the stadium. Um, it was absolutely insane
There was a lot of drifting going on there
But even like the quality of those drift cars was out of this world
You know, there's some friends we've made before like the night ride guys were there
Suzuki with the drift mclaren and stuff like that
Um, and again, no shade everybody just stood around all day
It was nuts
Damn
Yeah, it was it was really cool. The the quality of the cars was higher than probably I've ever seen like the way I explain it to Alex
Well, it was at the airport actually on the way back was if you if you think of like the best show you've ever gone to
That I've ever gone to at least you picture like your favorite like three to five cars
Imagine a thousand of them in one place. Oh my god
Like all over europe like, you know, we we talked to people from sweden from poland, uh, germany the netherlands
Some people came by from from the uk
Just from everywhere, you know, it's like a like a gathering ground for all of europe, you know, not poland specific
It's nuts. What did you gather from the car culture there? What what's different about
The modding in europe?
Um, they it's I think is generally speaking it seems to be a lot more difficult
Like the stuff we take for granted here in america
Um seems to be trickier over there and it leads to like interesting results and that's specifically like access to parts
Yeah, so here right the the common thing is you you buy a set of like a like a hood like a carbon fiber hood or something
Or your your interior that was a really cool example of one of the interviews I did
was a
Lady with a knee 36 m3
She custom like stitched like sewn to I don't know what you would call it
She created her own custom interior like headliner seats shift knob the whole nine like everything
Um, and she did that herself and I don't think I've ever seen that in america and I you know
We talked a little bit about what we're talking about how hard it is to get access to parts and stuff. So
um, that was really cool
and um, a lot of it's like
Garage built all the crazy builds that I talked to like the people their stories were all
You know stuff they did in their backyard or in their garage not stuff. They they took to a shop
Um, and the funniest one, uh, that I learned was um, you know some of the most ridiculous
Stuff we saw I would ask them like why like why'd you do this?
Like how did this come about and it was always either why not?
It started as a joke or just because we can and I thought that was so like refreshing there was no
um
There's no concept of because somebody else did this or I thought that was cool. It was really just
Let's just see if it works
And it worked it was really cool. That's awesome. Did you have any good polish food?
Sadly no
Oh
That was that was the I've been trying to avoid this but that was
Honestly the hardest part of the trip for me. Um, I'm not I'm not saying there isn't good polish food
Yeah, but in in the four day just the last we did there
Um, you know the way the way em and I travel is very food centric
So we did look we did have good meals. Yeah, but I couldn't find any food that was like specifically polish. That was good
Um, they have this like flatbread pizza thing that they do that's like everywhere
Um, and it's just not my jam. It's basically like a flatbread pizza, but like sure hot dog shaped and really long
Um hot dog pizza. Yeah, sign me up. I'm game. Yeah, it's all good
Told me it was cool and it's it's fresh everywhere that they all make him in little ovens everywhere. Um, that was pretty cool
Gotcha neat. What would you say was your favorite part of the show?
Um, I I thought this is really heartwarming back to my story, you know being from that area and stuff
I thought it was really heartwarming how open all the people were
There there was nobody there that we approached that was like standoffish or like don't talk to me
We definitely met some people that didn't speak english
Yeah, and you know the conversation was you know awkward of I don't speak very good english
You know, I can't really talk to you, you know, which makes total sense
But at no point did I like ask a question where they're like they didn't want to talk to us
So they weren't excited to share information, you know
That everything was unique with a purpose and and very like open and like welcoming. That's super cool
Yeah, it looks insane like
He was showing us like the drone photo shot of it or I'm assuming it was a drone photo
And it's just around a huge stadium
So it wasn't inside the stadium
Correct, yeah
Just on the grounds of the stadium and it was like complete takeover like whole thing just filled and then there is
What's different than Düsseldorf um at Ulrich's there was there was drifting
Yeah, yeah, yeah, so one of the parking lots off to the side
Um, yeah, it was entirely a drift paddock. So they had like, you know, the K rail setup
It was just kind of like an in and out setup
And um, yeah, it was just crazy like uh the noises that would come from that part of the stadium or the parking lot
were just ridiculous like
Again, it sounded like jet engines like there's these crazy blowoff valve noises, you know
Because there's like it was a crazy mix of v8s and like I don't like rb and and 2j cars
And you could just I don't know. This is just the biggest thing. I remember like we weren't even there to video
Drift cars or anything like that. Like we I just constantly hear it out of the corner of my like ears like just like
Who like noises constantly
um, and it was uh
That that that was really really cool. Um as as not being a huge like drift guy
Like I don't go to a ton of drift events that like caught my attention constantly like over and over again
Like I just had to go stand by it
So was it pretty much night and day difference from Germany to Poland in the events?
Yeah, completely different like they they arguably don't even compare like Mercedes had some of the the prototype cars
We looked at they were there and they had a a display of um, amg cars specifically the black series
They were like celebrating the the black series cars. Um, so that was cool. Those are those are really really rare
I think three of the four I've never seen in person. Um
But it was that was like the extent of the oe support
Actually, it's so much so that um, I saw one of the new manual m3 cs's the g80s that I was so excited about
You know last time I was on the podcast
Um, I thought it would be there and it was except there was a persons and it was already modified
Dang, so like that was that was pretty sick. Um, I literally looked inside and then noticed this aftermarket wheels
Yeah, I was like that was pretty dope and then the need for speed most wanted m3
Oh my god, that was crazy. So, uh, it was listen
Dakota actually sent me a a post that like they were gonna go and I didn't know what what this car was gonna be
You know, I thought it was just gonna another, you know m3 with a wrap and a wide body hit or something
Yeah, but like this is the iconic car like of all the cars you were ever gonna turn into that car
Like this is the one so it was number 42 that raced in the american limon series
With delivery that I copied from my m3 was there covered in the need for speed wrap
So this isn't just again a kit car or something like like that like this is the actual championship winning car
Wrapped in a need for speed livery and you know, that's I I never thought I would see that
That was that was so sick. It was cool because you were saying like you could see the old livery underneath it yet
So it's still on the car like that's really neat. Yeah, they wrapped over they just cleaned the car up serviced it I guess and
Propped it in there. So that was that this that's the same one that they were kind of bringing around
I think it was that like an airport or something for a while. It was like a couple years ago
They did like a whole tour with it, right?
Yeah, yeah, my understanding is they they got the car from the race team that operated it
Serviced it like cleaned it up wrapped it and yeah, I took it to some different events
I lost track of it. I forgot this car existed and then it just randomly popped up in that pole
So I was like, oh my god, like no way. So yeah, I had to do some research on it because I didn't believe it was that one
But it sure enough. That's the one
what would you say we're like
The most common car is modified there. I feel like when we go to shows it's like
GR 86 is WRX is stuff like that. Like what'd you see there?
See that's that's an interesting point and I thought about this a bunch because
At first like my first gut was there aren't like there isn't one specific
type of car even or brand or model or anything like that
I couldn't it'd be really hard for me to pin that down if I had if you had like, you know
A lot of e46 is for sure. You know the whole nine yards
BMWs as a brand were definitely
I would say the most popular
but
Every one of those cars like even though you put like the seven e30s that were there, you know
Stanced on cool wheels and everything even though they were like all on bbs's let's say
There's something like distinct about each of them that it's really hard to say like they're the same, you know, they they truly weren't
Um
And that was really cool. But you know on average, I would say a lot of similar to the stuff we see here
A lot of BMWs a lot of volkswagens still no outies. I expected more outies to show up still didn't really see that
um, a lot of nissans
s13 stuff like that. We saw a couple of centuries
um
Yeah, just just a really really good variety of good mix. Good mix. That's cool to hear and the most surprising
Corvette
I saw a lot of Corvettes like way way more than I expected and that ridiculous
I'm sure you guys will see this eventually. I don't spoil it but that that galaxy
I did not expect that to see a fort galaxy in poland
Um, but that was there and then like a really weird one to be there. That's really cool. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, and then yeah
We saw uh four different generations of Corvette there. Um, I was not expecting any there was like six or seven of them
Wow, it's nuts. I yeah, I wouldn't go and expect to see any usdm really
Um, so I know you're there for a short amount of time
But did you outside of the event when you're walking around? Did you see any types of aftermarket car life going on?
Um, there was apparently there was some events that happened, but unfortunately there was like two hours away
We didn't have a car and there was like no good way of getting there
um
And then I heard of some people doing rollers and stuff on the highway
Which became like a like a pop-up thing or like people found them and joined them and stuff
Um, and then one of the days when we first got there actually we tried to go like car spotting
Yeah, we ran into a couple cars. Uh, they were just parked along apartments and stuff like that. Um
But outside of that, I think the city over there
It's kind of the same mindset as over here where you know, everybody tries to stay away from the side shows
And it's not really a thing especially with old trace in town and so much going on
Um, I think people were rightfully so keeping that stuff shut down. There's also an interesting wild card there. Um
On friday the setup day. There was a conference wrapping up across the street
From the event
Uh, that was a ukraine like peace conference or something like that. So there was cops
I mean everywhere all over the place, you know, helicopters flying around, you know cops on every street
Just walking and keeping track of stuff. So
Um, there there's some funky stuff going on with the war in ukraine and all that kind of thing. So
Yeah, because you guys really weren't that far from all that. No, no, we're like we're
Maybe a couple hundred miles from a little russian territory
apparently from some of the other media guys that we were talking to apparently russia was scrambling like
Uh signals in the area. So flying a drone was really difficult. Sure. Um, there's some stuff going on with that. So
Yeah, for the most part all the kind of shenanigans and stuff were completely shut down. Um, I didn't personally see any, uh,
Like, you know chill like parking lot meets or anything like that
How was uh, just getting around poland in like conversation with like going to shops or restaurants or
You know public transportation stuff like that. I'm very similar to germany to be honest. Um, the
It's funny because in exploring europe, you know, the the gag has kind of been that germany
Germany's public transportation is bad because they're always late. Um, the
The poland stuff was always on time, but there's less of it. So we found ourselves biking and scootering everywhere
Got you. So the the airbnb department we had was a mile from well a mile and a half from the stadium
So every morning we hopped on the electric scooters and just hauled ass over there
Uh, and then ubered anything further than that basically. Um, but it's so cheap
Like if you guys want to visit poland like it's dummy cheap. Um, the uber rides, you know from again like across town
Where like the it was like, I don't know 40
Uh, I forget there was lattes what their their currency is called. It's the lot
Which is like four to one almost so it was like five bucks for us to uber all the way across
Like like stupid cheap. So yeah, we found ourselves doing that a lot. Um, it was pretty pretty pretty straightforward
Most people spoke english for the most part a lot of people spoke english. Um, it was a little tough in like restaurants. Um, or
Uh, like some of the cops and stuff like that like it was hard to talk to them
Again, a few of the the people who built the cars
But all the tourist areas are totally fine. Um hotels and stuff like that. They'll they'll happily communicate in english. Um
Overall pretty pretty straightforward pretty easy. So would you would you recommend if someone has the opportunity to check out
Poland
And go to maybe a car show there one day. Obviously, that's a big trip. It's expensive
So I want you to you know, you got to kind of consider that part once you get there
It's cheap, but the flight there ain't cheap. Yeah. Yeah, the flights were definitely more expensive than germany
Um, it's hard to say for old trace
I would say if you have
If you have the means to get to old trace from america right for the american audience, absolutely
I would say go for it. Um, if you've gone to all the other big shows in america
And you're like what else is out there in the world? Like what kind of thing do you want to explore?
Dude, old trace is absolutely the mecca of stance culture that I thought it would be
um
Now that being said, there's probably some other events in europe that are
Also prestigious that are a little more affordable. Um, we're talking to some of the night ride guys, for example
Like they're sharing an event in hungary that would be really fun to attend
There's some of the other ones that we know of like worthy. I don't know pronounce it the one in austria. Yeah, like that's another one
I'd want to go to um
So it's tough. Poland is very remote
Compared to the like touristy parts of europe
Um, but I think it's worth it
I think if you can find the vent to go to the polish car culture is absolutely alive and kicking
And it's it's just an incredible group of people that are building like stuff. They're really passionate about
And not only that, um, I've tried to bring this up, but you were able to hand deliver a car part for a customer
Yes, not really a customer
Yeah, so so mark put out a PSA, um for he was looking for a uh, trim
From night ride from yeah from mark from night ride. Um, they was looking for a piece for his corvette his drift corvette
And uh, they could have saw that and sent it to me. I was like, we got to make this happen. So yeah, we we overnighted
This piece from uh from a supplier of ours to my house and then arrived the morning. We were getting to the airport
Um, so that was pretty cool. We got to we got to you know, send give that to him. Um, that was pretty cool
That's just martini works delivery, baby. We'll do anything for your customer anything
Yeah, order something lars. We'll bring it to you. Yep. Any anywhere in the world actually shipping ain't cheap, but it's worth it
I would be so down australia you guys
Loki, I want to go to australia. Yeah, that's like one of the big ones
It's kind of like scary, but I want to I think the flight there is probably like one of the longest we could do
Yeah, that's gotta be just gotta be brutal. Yeah, I don't know any way of shortening that one
Right because when you go to europe you go like up over the north pole almost
I don't know how you can make australia. Maybe we should do it like we should go see
Rally in australia. That would be fucking nuts. That would be insane
That would be cool. There's definitely I'm really excited we get to do this right because obviously you guys went to japan early in the year
We did germany a couple months ago and now poland very recently
It makes me so excited to be able to like showcase the the cultures of all these different places because it's like
We're all connected to the same thing, but everybody expresses it in such different ways
It's it's a really cool position to be in. It's a very special thing that we get to share with people
Yeah, extremely grateful for the opportunities that we get
So thank you to everyone listening that mods their car at martini works
So we're able to do this, but it helps us too
We go and we learn so much about different color car cultures and the whole reason we started martini works was to get
You guys the right mods
So that way we can educate ourselves talk to people have real car enthusiast experiences
That we can talk about and provide you guys, you know info
And when we traveled to like it was super cool going to japan for example
Like we met up with work and actually talked to them and discussed new releases and why they made
The new shigoku the way they did and things like that, which is just so unique
So i'm excited to see where we end up next who knows
It's going to be crazy
But the last thing i'll touch on this segment, which is a little bit of a downer
But i just wanted to make sure you guys know we I suppose by the time this one goes out
But the us air event has been cancelled with sun king sun king had some
Personal matters come up and needed to
Go home
so he's actually across the world too on the other side of the country and
His plan was to come to wisconsin here and the iola car show and then right before that was um
Our pre-meet at us air
However, uh, he is not able to make it from my understanding
He is still going to try and make it to the iola car show that should all be okay
So if you guys want to check that out you can um, but unfortunately
We'll have to postpone the us air trip. However, uh, a big thing with that was we wanted to
Donate um get some non perishable food items. That was like the entry cost to get in
And uh, we wanted to keep that rolling
So what we're doing is we're going to host an early birds event august 22nd
And we're going to ask that people bring in non perishables
So that way even though, you know, we didn't get the opportunity to hang with sun king at us air
We'll still get to do the non perishable drive and make a donation
Which I think is really important and something at martin air's all of us here
I wanted to participate in so we didn't want to lose that and we always have a good time at early birds
So it'll be a super good turnout. Uh come come hang out at the shop
On i believe it's saturday august 22nd. Um, and we'll talk to you guys then other than that
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But thank you to continental for being a sponsor martini works podcast. We'll be right back. All right lars
I feel like you have a pretty interesting story. Uh, you started off in germany came to the us
Uh, what during the time where did you transition into a car enthusiast?
What made you enjoy love cars and then you know inevitably it became your full-time career?
Yeah, yeah, good question. Um
Oh man, it's like how how deep do we go here?
Y'all deep we got a lot of space on the car. Okay. Okay. Um, I think the
The first big event that I remember happening as a kid was of course the story I've told
About the the e46 m3, you know, why that car so near and dear to me
Um, the the auto bond just
Thing that that happened. Um, that will forever be kind of stuck in my mind when I realized how amazing cars could be and like how
How fun, you know, that they could be where before that it was always just you know
Whatever beater we had because we grew up, you know, really poor, right? Um, and in in germany, you didn't have to have a car at all
So, yeah, we took the bus to go to town, you know stuff like that
Um, so then in america, you know, it was kind of more of the same. Um, we had a group
Poor from throughout my entire teenage years. Um, and really
The whole thing was always I wanted a BMW someday and like my whole family everybody was around always said
That's ridiculous. You're never gonna be able to do that. You know, you can't afford that. They're too expensive and so on
So when I moved out got my first job, you know, my my paperwork with immigration all kind of stuff
When we sorted all that out and I finally got a job
It took me about like three or four months to save up the money and realize wait
I could totally do this
Um, and yeah, yeah, so
Uh, I ended up buying the first car
But the reason I got into it was was strictly just it was like my version of like getting my own freedom
It was like decoupling from the people around me where I could go do whatever I wanted whenever I wanted
and uh, that's
That was like the core of it and then you know that that led into finding other people who thought of cars in that way
Who thought of it as less than just transportation more of expression?
Um, and again freedom
So that that's that's the short version of what got me into it
I just I just want to be able to get away and like do my own thing totally. What was your first bmw?
It was an e46 a 325 i and it was a complete piece of shit
Do you remember like how much you got it for? Um, I paid, I mean it was like
$4,500 or something like that like, you know, just cat. It was actually a funny story with that
I bought or we had like another beater before that that we drove to
Rochester, minnesota to go get this bmw and we just left the car there in a mall parking lot and drove the bmw home
And forgot about this beater car
Just forgot about the car you go get the car. Yeah, so
That's passionate
I'm getting towed
And we had to like track down like we had to contact mall security and all this stuff
I like what happened to the car we ended up tracking it down. Um, and the the driver
I was like, yeah, man, we're gonna have to charge you storage fees and I'm like and the car's worth like $300
It was a that car was a real piece of shit. Um
And anyway, I was like, what if I just give you the car?
He's like, sure whatever
I just came into this tow truck driver. That's insane. You ever buy a car so good. You just leave your old car there
Like thought about it. I love this so much. You can have this one. I don't care. Oh my god. I was so in love with that
That's crazy. I almost did that with my eclipse back in the day. Really when I uh, when I bought the frs
Is this a common thing I wasn't I don't know. It was just more of like I don't want to go about like
If they would just offer me like 50 bucks for that because I when I bought the frs from the dealership
I'm like, would you take this in trade and they're like, honestly, like what we would give you like
You just go you could just go sell it for dirt cheap for more than we would give you for it
I'm like, oh, what would you give me for it? Like just
The one give me a number please. They didn't want it, but I was just like, dude, you give me like 500 bucks for this thing
It's yours, right?
Right like makes it easy then but that's basically what I did with that beam my first car was I gave it to
To trade in on my second car for like $800. Yeah
Damn, that's crazy. So then uh from your your first bmw
Was it I know you said you seen the m3 and that's what really you know ingrained it in you and you wanted a bmw
But after owning that first one
Was it like my goals were made or did you always have aspirations of like I want a m2 or an m car in general?
The m car was always in the back of my head. I think that one was still stuck as like unattainable
Yeah for for a really really long time. So I worked my way through three or four other ones before I got to that point
um the
My second bmw was was basically just a matter of
Again, the first one was so bad like we could we could yap about that one for a while
But I just had to get rid of it like this was not drivable anymore. Um, so I got the second one which was
Awesome, like that car was great
Except I like I kind of just outgrew it like that was that was 100% a case of it broke one time
I was like, uh, we're not doing that again. Yeah. Yeah, so I got rid of that one and then um
It just eventually led to like it was almost like remembering what I wanted the same thing with the the e24
I just bought it's like remembering that. Hey, there's something cool out there still like how do I make this happen?
Right and I went shopping for m3s right at the time
There's I was shopping between e92s and f80s, you know, this was in 2019 when f80s were still like the cool ones
Um now everybody in tiktok has a g80. That's all right f80s are so cool. Yeah, I think so
I still want one just to have it and you know check that list but anyway, um
and when I was there a buddy worked at this this car dealership and
As I was leaving after I drove the m3 he was like, hey
We got these m2s
You want to you want to take it for a rip and this was inside the showroom like it was, you know
No miles on it. It was orange like again immaculate and I was like sure
I mean, I don't think it's any different than the m3
But if you think I should like I trust you whatever
Yeah, that's that's what set it up. Like I just absolutely fell in love with that car immediately
For sure and your m2 like because I think I remember if I remember this correctly correct me if I'm wrong
It was between the orange one or you could have ordered one
And you ordered one that was the blue one that you got right?
Yeah, yeah, so the orange one that I test drove was specced to ridiculous
I had all the end performance carbon fiber on it and stuff. I didn't I couldn't afford any of that stuff
So I said, you know, let's let's order one. I ordered one in the same color though
Basically the same car that's drove but without all the carbon fiber because
You know, we're how what our business is we can order whatever we want and for a much better price
um, so
That was the idea and then the car that I got
I ordered in like april and then it was gonna the car would miss the boat
Apparently they get shipped from BMW in germany to america in like batches
And my car was done being built but didn't make the boat
So it was going to be instead of arriving in june. It was going to arrive in like
August or something like that or september and I was like, that's the entire car season gone
I can't wait. So I had him find me another one and I wanted hawkenheim silver that like creamy white color they have
And he couldn't find one and I was like, okay fine. I'll take a blue one
And that's the one he ended up trading getting me that I picked up
So, yeah
The car I loved and the color I loved so much after all those years was my third choice
That's crazy how that works out. That's a good color though. I like that. I for sure
I only avoided it because I was like the launch color of the original m2s and I thought they'd be too popular
Oh
Fair enough
Interesting jails
Yeah, hi the bobcat easy now. Oh, yeah, you're right. That's my fault
What got you into cars?
Flashbang
um, it was a mixture of things honestly, uh, but I think what
really kind of
Brought it all together the glue that kind of brought it all together was just uh, I love tinkering with stuff when I was younger
Um, obviously grew up in the rc hobby and that was mostly planes
But you know, we did a little bit of everything from plastic models to trains to cars to even dabbled in some like boats and stuff like that
So it was like when I was growing up in that hobby most of it was still like the old like glow stuff yet
You know small engine stuff and dabbled in like some of like the like gas stuff too
Before the electric got like really huge. So it was like we were always tinkering with like small engines
And I thought that was like really cool. Like I always wanted to understand like how does this work?
How does that do what it does?
um, and so like really got invested into that and just like tinkering with that stuff and messing with it and like
Okay, how can we get it to be you know faster? How can we make this?
You know, you know louder that kind of stuff like make it sound cool
um
and so
Really messing with that and then growing up and obviously movies and video games had a huge impact
but it was like
Not until like high school until like really taking drivers ed and it was like I can like
You can actually do stuff with this like you can actually go modify cars like that and like do stuff and you know
I kind of understand how that stuff works and
Honestly a huge shout out to my my high school back in the day too like having some like shop programs
Yeah, because I don't know. I don't know if I would have dove as headfirst in as I did
Especially with like working on the eclipse
Uh, because when I got that car it had a busted engine in it like the timing belt went so like it was toast
I don't think I would have had the confidence or like
resources to be able to get that car to where it was without having you know
literal like teachers yeah, right to like provide insight and like help out and
um
And do that kind of stuff and that was that was for multiple things
It was it was small engines is where you started then it was
Autos class and then you could do like metals and woodworking and stuff too
So like we had it all and I'm very fortunate for that because I thought that was normal and apparently it's not
Um, and that that's a bummer because that really kickstarted a lot of like the stuff to where I am today
it was like
Balance is combining like my hobby to my interest in like engineering and then like a found interest in like cars
um
And that really just conglomerated to like what the path of my life went down
So yeah, it was a little bit of everything
But I think you know
It was just again coming back to the hobbies that I had when I was younger and just that interest of like figuring out why
Whatever that is is doing the way or doing what it is. Why is it doing that?
How is it doing that?
I want to figure it out and I want to tear it apart and then I want to put back together
And now the rotary stuff all makes sense. It really does
Because it's fucking weird and I want to know how it works
And I will tear that shit apart until I figure out how it does and all makes sense for sure
Yeah, I think um
For me, I mean since I was like
Three years old, um, my dad really got me into like atvs and four wheeling
So instantly I loved and enjoyed anything pretty much with an engine or even like riding my bike
Like anything you could ride and go quick and fast and jump and do that stuff
I absolutely loved I did it since I could walk literally
And then on top of that my dad was uh, he's a mechanic
Not an automotive mechanic, but like small engines
maintenance at like john deere
and working there and
Doing a lot of stuff in the military
So he always knew his way around vehicles really well too and he'd upkeep him
So it was like he was always wrenching on something doing something showing me the way and then
um, I I think two
Movies video games that that led me to it and I remember even two like getting x mods
Uh as a kid they're at radioshack and you could modify them
And that was my first experience of like where it clicked in my brain of you can do something and change it
And it gets better or cooler or even looks better, but you could even swap the engines
I just thought that was the coolest thing
Um, but then too I had that one pivotal moment of seeing a car that changed
Everything like everything just clicked for some reason. It was one of the two days
We had outdoor gym class at school. Uh, I don't know why what we were doing or like playing basketball outside or something
Um, and I just heard these crazy gurgles and a blow off
I'm like, what the fuck I look over at the time. I had no idea what it was but it was an orange srt4
But the sounds it made. Yeah were insane. I've never heard a turbocharged vehicle whistle up blow off valve
Gurgle and pop and bang. I just never heard that before. Yeah, and I was like
I want that that is so sick and uh, that that really changed
Uh, a lot for me too
And then to get in my first car. I think the first modifications
I ever did was probably just like interior leds and subwoofers
And a stick on hood scoop from auto zone because I didn't know what the fuck I was doing at all
But I wanted to do stuff but I just had no idea or money
Um, so I'm like, you know trading shit with my friends like trading a pair of drabeets
For a 12 inch alpine type all around
Installing it just anything I could do
Uh, and then I had so much fun with that like making something unique making it yours
And that's what really made me fall in love
With cars I'd say once I I got out of that air
I got my Mustang put some wheels put an exhaust on it put an intake on it
That was where I first did like some actual like performance oriented mods bolt-ons
I thought that was cool. And then my cobalt ss I did bolt-ons and a tune
And that was I think that's where like I was like hooked for life because I loved it so much
And I couldn't believe that what me and my friends did in the garage
Made this car feel like a completely different vehicle than when it was stock and like going first to second third
Just tearing up tires ripping through the gear like this. Holy shit. We did this guys. This is insane
Like none of us fucking knew what we were doing, but we did it
That is that is like one of the best moments that I remember like when I was first like I had a
We had a dodge neon that I essentially like inherited. You know, it was an sxt
so
It was automatic automatic four cylinder non-turbo
But it was still cool was like is the inferno red had the wing on it, you know, that's it looked it looked
Oh, by thought, you know, and I was like at the time, you know, I was like turning 16
I was driving that car. I was like, okay. Well, I want to there's there's parts out there for this car
So let's let's throw some parts on it. And uh, my best buddy luke
Um, essentially was just like down the road for me
And so we would work on, you know, he had like a Chevy avalanche and like an s10 and stuff
And you know, we'd get together on the on the weekends and and work on stuff in the summer
And I remember I got the exhaust for the car
And uh, I was like, dude, we gotta go for a ride
And when there was like a there was a road that like ran along the river kind of like through the backwoods a little bit
and it was like the perfect like
loop to go just
Rip on it and and and just check stuff out, you know
So it's like anytime we do something to the car is like an intake or an exhaust or
Uh, something like that. I just like look look. I'm stopping by because it was on the wind
Stop it by I got a new part on the car. Let's go check it out. He's okay. I remember like I put the intake on
Not realizing how much of a sound difference an intake would be right, right?
And I just remember us giggling so fucking much because I got on it and it made that like
Like it made like a growl and we're like, yeah, what the fuck was that?
And I like romped out of the goodness up and I'm like, this sounds fucking awesome. You know, we're just
You know go like 40 miles an hour, you know, because it's a freaking base model neon
But like it was so much fun. Like those were like the core memories of like this is I want that feeling
You don't want to chase that feeling
It's like the most satisfying thing though a mod like like intake and exhaust specifically
Oh my gosh something about those because it's like there's a simplicity to it almost, you know, it's like it changes
So much of like the experience of the vehicle
It's like I'm so excited to like get some stuff on on the rx7 now
And it's like even though I love it as is it's like I know as soon as I'm able to hear the exhaust
Or I know as soon as when I I walk away from it that it's could be sitting low on a nice set of wheels like
That I just it's going to be so much like better. Yes. Yeah 100 percent
I find the the interesting difference in stories here between like like your guys experience in mine
Because I was so terrified of modifying my first like three cars even
Oh, yeah, I was going to ask what your first mod was. I was curious the first thing
Well, technically wheels on my second car
I just went out and bought some some like wraps like platinum wheels and like that
But I was really obsessed with tires
I wanted good tires on my car at the time because I just wanted to go drive it everywhere all the time
And I was starting hanging out with like the some local BMW chapter cruises and stuff
But I didn't really modify a car until my 335 or just when the three of us met or you guys
And that was the first car like actually modified with the intake the downpipes and stuff like that tune
And I but I had the same exact experience, you know, just much later with the 335
Or like romping on the first time I did a I still remember I did a logging right
You tune a car you like send it and see how the logs aren't stuff and I was like, holy shit. This is my car now
And just going through that whole process was crazy to me. Yeah, but even then I was so scared of that car breaking that
That's why I sold it bought the m2. This is a whole different like approach to it. I find that really interesting
there's like it's funny how there's like levels to it too like because you know
When I got the frs like I had done the neon I had the eclipse
I had the bm I had my e36 for a while that I did a couple things too
And I was like the frs first car like I said that I'm like
I'm gonna I'm gonna put like good stuff on it because like the eclipses like the parts I put on the eclipses and the neon
They were all from ebay
They were they were the cheapest of the cheap that I could get on a you know 14 hour a week subway paycheck back in the day
uh
Was not the greatest quality
Obviously, so it was like the the exhaust on the neon like didn't make a ton of difference
And it like didn't sound like the best and it was like the same kind of same with the eclipse
Like it was just kind of quiet a little raspy like just it's an exhaust
But you know it's louder it's better
But I I'll never forget throwing the fucking gretty exhaust on my frs and firing it up for the first time. I was like
this
This is what I've been looking for because it was just like
When you you know, we'd go to like the car shows or like the car meets and stuff like that
You and it was like uh because frs like I threw the unequal length header on it too
So it was like it was very like subi like rumble and it was like I unlocked like the premium tier
Exhaust sound that I've been chasing it. I think there's a video
I have it like private it but like I'll go find it and I'll throw a clip in here
Because I was making videos at the time. Yeah, maybe I like took it for a drive and I am just fucking
Cheezing and giggle. I'm like dude. This this is insane. Like this is the best thing ever
I had the same experience with the m2 when we put that army tricks exhaust. Oh my god. Yeah
And the first time I heard a burble like like a modern BMW with the exhaust burble, you know
Oh my god, I thought it was broken at first. I was like like now like what am I gonna do and then I was wait
I can turn this on and off. I was like, oh my god
It was it was such an incredible like feeling to to just go around and make noise. I don't right. Yeah
It's so childish and like it's just a boy thing, but it's so fun. Yeah, and then honestly
It's it's been really fun too. I picked up the the Suzuki GSX8R last summer and it's been fun doing stuff to that as well
Um, so I went and got like a full exhaust for it because like I went riding with Dakota and our other friend Dakota
And uh, my bike and my bike was actually still in breaking at the time
So I was like still getting like, you know
Ease it into it and then like it was completely stocked yours. I think had an exhaust on it
Nef's had an exhaust on it
So I'm like, I can't even hear my own bike if it's running and I'm like, I gotta change this ASAP, you know
And uh, so I went and got the exhaust and I was like, holy fuck
This is like again like just that whole feeling just on another level again
Because it's different and then I got the tune over
the spring
For the exhaust and it's like even that dude like adding like a couple horsepower to a bike is fucking wild
Like that is a real like
Change
You can really feel so it was like that was really cool and it's like dude
It's just there's so many different ways you can go about it and like have different experiences with that
I think that's what makes it so cool. Yeah, it's cool to see how like all three of us had different
Beginnings that kind of got us into it. But then how it just ultimately leads to the same shit. Yeah
It's like what I just want to have a good time
And that's why it's like, I don't know. I feel like people always are talking shit in the day and age of social media
It's like, oh
Boltons who cares, you know, why isn't that shit making 800,000 hours?
It's like, dude, you can have so much fun by literally just doing boltons and a tune
Or lowering your car and putting wheels on it. Like you can get so much enjoyment out of that
You don't need to do this full insane fucking build to enjoy your car
Because some of my best memories ever are like doing the simplest mods with my friends and just you know, having a good time
See the difference. Yeah. Yeah, I drove the m3 a bunch last week
And um, it's like the little reactions that remind you how cool it is too. Like we were I was going to some retro video game stores
Um and pulling out there was these like kids these teenagers pulled in and they saw the m3 and like freaked out
And I revved it. I didn't even rev it. I just like, you know, touch the gas and clutch out backing up out of a parking stall
And they're like
Like you just wait guys, right?
And then gave him a little rip leaving the traffic light and see like
That's what I think is so like cool and fun too. Like Dakota your story. It's like that orange srt
It's like when were you the orange srt for someone? Yeah, true. Yeah, that that's really that's a really
I guess. Yeah, like you said, you seen the m3 rip and pass seen the srt
There's probably a good chance with one of your modified cars. You never know who you're inspiring or the next generation of car enthusiasts. You could be
Changed that's why I feel like it's all in our blood. Like if a kid is yelling at you to rev it
You're gonna fucking rev it. You're gonna give them something. You're obligated. Yeah, and two that's I've always enjoyed here
Like when we host events and stuff, you know, let the kids sit in the cars and let them experience it and
we at the wisconsin
Car enthusiast club the last show we we had some kids come up that were fans and they were kind of getting into cars
And allowed them to sit in like the gtt and seeing how excited they got
Like that's some of my favorite stuff in the the car scene for sure because yeah
You never know those moments that might change someone's life forever
They might have been into knitting and now we've ruined them and destroyed them and they're gonna want to buy 40 000
Now they're financially burdened
Sorry, and then they're gonna spend even more money on it
That's the way it goes. Yeah, I'm uh
It's it's fun
And it's like it's the experiences and and the joy that you get to share with others that like really like keeps it going for me
And it's like that's why I think I've had so much fun with like this summer
I was picking up like these really fucking like weird cars because it like kind of brings that feeling back again
And it's like
I'm not gonna give away too much
But we have a series that we're gonna be working on here
And it's really fucking oddball
But i'm so fucking hyped for it because it it is literally built around
That feeling. Yeah, and it's so pure. It's so it's gonna be fucking wild that i'm really excited to share it with you guys
Yeah, I think sometimes and not that I don't think
800 horsepower and 1,000 horsepower cars are cool like for example
We have our buddy johnny over there and he's been building his thousand horsepower Camaro
And that has been so fun to see how excited he gets over and it is insane. It's just mind boggling at the same time
It's like he talks about it. So nonchalant. Yeah. Yeah
But everything that comes out. I'm like, this is fucking insane. That's pretty cool. I guess it's gonna be kind of quick
It's like yeah faster than anything. It's like all the cars I've owned combined into one
It's insane
but
Sometimes I think with that like I feel like
When people are going for super insane not johnny
But other people that are going for super insane numbers are trying to win awards or doing anything like that
It gets too serious and I think at the end of the day
You gotta remember like the car scene ain't that serious and it doesn't have to be that serious
You know, if you're running this set of wheels, it's not gonna fucking change your life and you know
Some people get so worked up about stuff
And I think if you just go at it with a light hearted attitude and do things
You genuinely enjoy if you put something on your car and it made you smile
Then who cares what anyone else thinks about it and add on that if if you're looking for a community and like a
Group of friends that also enjoys cars
You don't have to impress them right with numbers or this or that or the price of your parts or anything like that
If you build something that you're excited about and you share that excitement with a group of people
That's what they'll vibe with. Oh a hundred percent
For sure. Well, I think that leads to the next sponsor martini works podcast. Joe's who we got
That's another brand that uh, you know
Makes me feel really good whenever I throw them on the car and that's fortune auto of course
Fortune auto has been a long time sponsor martini works podcast
We can be more than happy to have them on board
They make some fantastic aftermarket suspension options for a ton of different vehicles out there
So whether you're looking for something
Uh daily driver capable that's gonna, you know, feel really good on the street
Even if you got some bad roads around you
You can make your car just absolutely dumped the 500 series is a fantastic choice to go with you can upgrade them
With swiss springs if you want to go that route you can choose the type of valving and things like that spring rates
But if you want to get a little bit more serious, maybe you are taking it to the track
You want to you know have something that's really competitive the 510 and up
Is the way to go definitely and we got all those available over at martiniworks.com
You can pretty much customize them any way you want depending on how much you want to spend
But they're able to do that because they're are hand built right in virginia
So they don't come in in a box ready to go and they just slap them out the door
They come the parts come in they assemble them they build them your specifications
They test them to make sure that they're going to do what they want or what you want to do
And then they get the stamp of approval and then get sent out the door
Which I think is a really cool thing when it comes to
Building your car because not everyone's doing it for the same reasons and they offer the ability to
Essentially customize your suspension. So you're already customizing your car. You can customize it a little bit more
So I think that's really cool. And I got them on my 240. They've been absolutely fantastic
Dakota's had them on a variety of cars lars. We gotta get you on a set of fortune autos
That'd be sick
Let's do when I get your thoughts on it because lars lars is a lot of track driving
So that'd be really cool to see
But we have fortune available over martiniworks.com. So thank you so much to them for sponsoring park
Thank you so much for sponsoring the podcast. We'll be right back. All right
today's build thread of the week comes in the form of a 1990 mitzvah
Eclipse g s x this is c whitworth 93s 1990 mitzvah eclipse
And I thought this thing was really cool because you don't see a lot of these first gens
Really around anymore, especially in this kind of shape. This is actually an immaculate
Specimen of a first gen eclipse. Uh, so we are looking at some 17 by 9 rpf ones on some petrol 595 ss
some bc br series coilovers and then we got some looks like front mount intercooler some other
Turbo work and then some carbon fiber and actually euro
Corners and taillights again the euro corners and taillights were a big thing in the eclipse crowd
I'm not entirely sure why that was such a song. I think it was just because it was different. We didn't get it here
So, uh, this thing is absolutely beautiful. So this car was originally bought back in 2016 in north georgia
Haven't let it go since solely but surely over the years put the car together to where it sits now
Replace quite a few of the original parts just to keep a dying breed of a car on the road. I love that
Eclipse this eclipse was featured in that dude in blue video back in 2016 looks way different now
It always had a love for the car that everyone had or that not everyone had
Even to this day, I enjoy purchasing vehicles that aren't seen on the road that often goal for 2027 have the car at riverside
Chattanooga, which I think is pretty sick. So hopefully we'll get to see this car in person next year. That'd be awesome
If we did I always said I guess I thought that these are ugly duckling cars. They are just unique looking
However, the simplicity of this one. I do enjoy I do like the all red hood. I don't know if that's carbon fiber
Is it is in the second one or in the later photos? Yeah, I think it's carbon fiber. Yeah
I just like the clean look of the all red and on the rpf ones. I think it looks timeless
There and these are so weird though. Like it has headlights, but then it has pop-up headlights. I was just noticing that
Yeah, that's how the fuck is that it's goofy and it's got fog lights. So what do those things do? Are they just drl's?
Honestly, it must be. Yeah, it's weird that or it's like
Yeah, I don't know I have to remember it because I've never never really done a ton of looking into the 1g's
But secret pop-up headlights
But this looks really good shout out to your your fitment there because the rpf ones and the tire setup you have going on
Is perfect. So it looks like 17 by 9 plus 35 with 245 35. It's solid
Federal's on there is
Is that's the ticket these these cars are tricky to get like fitment even like the second all generations of eclipse
I feel like we're just weird with fitment. It's literally like you look at uh
The xxr 527 from bag in the day like the reason they made an 18 by 8 and 3 quarter wheel
Was because of the eclipse really? Yeah, it's just so goofy weird. That's crazy. Yeah, it's nuts
But yeah overall, I like I think this looks pretty sick. I'm being honest
I didn't I didn't know what car that was at first the back reminded me of like a talon
Like I couldn't tell what the front was so same thing. Yeah, it looks cool. I really like that
Yeah, Plymouth laser eagle tail. Yeah, because that was still when the laser was a thing
Oh, yeah, there's three of three of the exact same cars. It's fucking weird if you haven't add your car get it added
I may we'll talk about it on the podcast share it on our socials make a video about it
Who knows? Otherwise, it's cool to have a little website page to showcase your build and keep track of the mod you done
And then show other people too
Uh, yeah, get that done go go add your car. I mean the world. We'd love to see your build and
We're working on it constantly, but you can go in there and update it as you do it too. So very cool
Breaking news. What do you guys got? What's going on in the world?
Survived last week when I was like a hundred degrees out that is breaking news breaking news. I thought we were done for
Yeah, it's getting pretty toasty in the shop
Yeah, we got a c in here
Nope and the old car survived and the old car survived
That's because I didn't take it out because not only was it like a hundred degrees
It was also like severe weather every like three hours through that one day was insane
Like a the storm front came in in the morning and it was nuts. It was driving through the apocalypse
I actually had a message our check of that. I like was driving like 30 miles an hour on the highway
I'm like, I'm gonna be late because I can't go the speed limit because I can't see two inches in front of me
I've been some crazy weather. Yeah insane. Um car wise though
I'm not sure. I haven't really heard much of anything. Oh, all right. It's a little little dull right now
Ours you got some I got I got a funny one. Okay
Not funny ha ha like funny funny Ford made a mistake
So apparently Ford went pretty deep into ai in their assembly plants yuck or production plants
I'm sure it probably made a ton of sense in some board meetings
Except apparently some problems started happening and they're having to rehire all the staff or a bunch of the staff they laid off
I hope they came back for like a ton more money
So I I don't know
But the crazy thing is they're not even backing away from it
What they're doing is they're they're rehiring some of this old like senior staff
And then using them to train junior staff and the ai itself that already replaced them once
Man, if you're in that case like would I feel like I wouldn't even I want to go back
If I know you want me to come back
Yeah, it's like such a fuck you like oh and by the way
The only reason we're bringing you back is so you can actually train the thing to then take your job back again
Dude, I would I'd feed that thing so much bad information
I'd fuck yeah, don't buy it. Don't buy a Ford for the next couple years. Fuck it up for generations
It's just so crazy like like unhuman, you know, like it's so dumb
Like I get that it's at the end of the day. It's it's a business all that stuff. But like what are we doing?
Yeah, it's so insulting from a like
Professionalism perspective that you're gonna bring these people back in after already having made one mistake
And the stuff that was missed is like obvious stuff like this isn't like some in-depth, you know secret Ford knowledge that
Yeah, I didn't know this is like apparently according to the article like really basic stuff
And then to be expected to retrain them again
Because you know, you're gonna lose that job. Yeah, it might not be this year, but you know, who knows one
Yeah, that was that was pretty crazy to me. So I hope I hope this trend goes away
I hope people remember that that humans do things not AI does it's okay to have humans do things
We're gonna have chat gpt in our dashes. I don't want that. Hey car. Oh my god. Take me to mcdonnell
Thank you
Um
Yeah, that's all I got. That's that's tesla's next update. Yeah. Oh Jesus man. I don't know. I I'm excited like
New tech stuff is always
Super cool and then also sometimes it just misses the mark and also sometimes that ages horribly
But I try to be positive about the new stuff that that's coming and the good uses for it. Yeah
I think when the main use is just to make
Whoever got to it first the richest
Yeah, that's probably not the best. That's not what we're looking for. We need to better humanity first before we do that
But yeah, I think that's why I mean on the the flip side of that why we've enjoyed getting the older cars so much because
It's just so basic. It's so simple. Everything is so easy and straightforward and god, we're old
There isn't much to go wrong. I mean
It's too second. Like I said, I love my tech stuff
I I did just get a new laptop that's worth practically the same amount as my car
Damn, I I do
Enjoy that side thing. I love video games and I love tech. I just
I don't know. I feel like
We're losing the soul of a lot of cars. Oh, yeah
A lot of cars don't have the same soul. I some cars do some cars are still doing
I I genuinely think BMW is doing a fantastic job
With a lot of what they're doing. They're staying true to their core and they're not venturing
too far from what they believe in
Um, and even seeing them at the events and stuff that we did. It's like, damn, they get it, dude
Like BMW's locked in. They know what they're doing or at least how to speak to their audience
Right, uh, like that was so cool how they brought out like the the 12 cylinder
Was x5 or whatever and like just arriving in the BMW texture like getting the audience go. It's like, yeah, dude
Like yes, why why why's not every manufacturer going to car events and doing this? Like they should be out there
That's why honestly, I've given a lot of respect to Hyundai too. Yeah, like I know Hyundai's
for a while has been trying to kind of
dig themselves out of the hole that
was from way back way way back
And uh, I think they want a new image and that's why they started like Genesis and that's kind of merged off into its own thing
but
They've done a lot to get in front of the scene be
active at events and start making some cool stuff
I'll never forget like because no Hyundai wasn't even on my radar even with like the like the newer like the
Veloster and that kind of stuff
It was like I'd say like the genesis was probably like the only one like the genesis coop was like the only one that was
Like on my radar the rival to like the g80. Yeah, they're that platform, right? And so it was like
We were at the IMSA event at um Laguna seca. Yeah there with michelin and like I remember walking around with Dakota
We were shooting some photos and we're like
Uh, a heat went out and we heard this
They were like, what the hell is that out there? That sounds really fucking sick and they were fucking a mantra ends and we're like
That's cool. There's like a pair of them running and we're like, dude
We got hype seeing them come around like every time like that's fucking sick
Like they sound like so different than like anything else out there. It's cool to see Hyundai
Ripping around a mantras on the track like that was really neat
And it's like ever since then it's like, okay. I fuck with that. what they're doing
It's just seemed like any event we've ever gone to after that they're a part of it in some way pretty much
Which I think is cool. And I wish more auto manufacturers
cared about car enthusiasts because it feels like
99.99 of what's been going on has been to the general consumer. Yeah, um, which I get it
That that's the cash cow, right? That's where they're making them
They're not making money from the 10% of us that are super
Yeah, I get that but it's not only that it's almost like
counter enthusiast
Like it's almost like making a point to not
Like yeah appeal to like I don't know how to explain it
Like the parts that are missing is they're like no longer having fun with cars
Like it's not even about being enthusiastic. No, it's just it's all everything doesn't have to be, you know
400 horsepower real drive v8s with man transmissions
But like you can make something that's fun like a miata is fun
Right, right and then they can smalls they can still sell cx 70s all day long. Yeah, you know the same
Yeah, mpmw's nailed that with the x series and stuff like that in my opinion, but yeah
I hear you. Yeah, I feel like it's just like the enthusiast stuff like that's
Even to the general public. I feel like the enthusiast stuff that comes out
That's what makes you fuck with a car brand like okay, maybe you're not buying
The g are super but you've seen it and it was really fucking cool. So now you want a toyota camry
Because it's toyota right, you know, like that's like look what they can do
Yeah, they my my car was based on just feels like there's less and less love every year
Um towards enthusiast driven vehicles, but I don't know toyota did do a lot of cool stuff
I love the whole gr lineup and I think in a
A decade or two we'll look back at it and be like damn the gr line
Like that was a bang in time to be into cars at the the yards the 86 the supra and everything like that
Speaking of I don't think we talked about this the last time then by the time this comes out
It'll probably be a week or two older, but slate
Finally like yeah at least like their vehicle and the price of said vehicle and it kind of has people not so happy about it
Yeah, it's like the the steam machine knows like yeah, they came out with the idea everyone's like, yes
Finally, yeah, it's a perfect super cool. Wait, what's the price? And they're like, oh, well, yeah, it's going to be this
But like stuff got really expensive
All out of nowhere. So now we said it was going to be really cheap now the price is this and it's no longer like
affordable and yeah, so $25,000 base price and this is for
A slate of metal. Yeah, you are getting just
Basic basic literally nothing roll-up windows. No radio
Uh, you know that is what you're getting for $25,000
Dollars crazy. Yeah, I will say to the idea is there
I love the idea because I immediately went to the website and like the amount of customization that you can
And I'm not talking and about like, oh, you can put the radio in it
Oh, you can choose to have the power windows. It's like I mean what you can yeah, yeah
But it's so much more than I was like I'm going through it
I'm like, dude, I feel like I'm going through like a fucking like midnight club
Like menu right now with the amount of shit that I literally like
Like the turn signals the headlights and there's multi. It's not like, oh, here's the premium option. Here's the standard
It's like you can choose different designs. Yeah colors
You can have it wrapped from the factory. You can have a livery from the fact lift it
You can lower it lift it lower different wheels different tops different inside like there was there's so many cool things
You could do I was having fun like going through I'm like, okay
And I think by the end of the day it was right around 35 36,000 and I'm like
Yeah, that's quite a bit more than than what you know
And that still was didn't have all of like normal amenities that say a new vehicle really have basic vehicle
Yeah, it's like if I'm looking at like $35,000 for this or it's like, you know, I could go spend
You can get a brand new g36. Yeah, right. You get a brand new g36 and then sell it
The slate truck it lives in a weird time
Also, I'm curious to see how this all actually plays out because again the idea on paper is cool, but what
Is the actual, you know
Outcome of this I want to see how these vehicles are. What's the quality like, you know
Are what are they going to be like brand new?
brand new
Like a wrap a wrap from the factory and the wraps were fairly cheap to like it was like $400
Yeah, $400 add-on. Yeah, and like you could do you can do full wrap or you can do partial wrap or whatever designs
Yeah, I am just curious to see how you manufacture a pump. How does that hold up?
A lot of that and uh, it's a cool idea, but I think it missed the mark
I think to make the slate truly super interesting. It needs to be truly super cheap. Yeah
Um, I think if you could get it
It needs to be under 20 for sure
Starting price under 20 now. You have my attention now. It's truly like cheaper than anything else. It's hard to compare anything else to it
Um, because like we were saying it's like standard vehicle prices now are between 25 and 30 thousand dollars
So it's like, okay, you introduced the bare bones of bare bones vehicle
At the entry price of literally everything else on the market
That has I has ac and power windows and you know
Shit that normal cars should come with in 2026. Right. Right. That's what makes it surprise
Like disc brakes wasn't an option or something. Yeah drums. Yeah, uh, yeah, it's it lives in a weird spot
And I don't know how I feel about it. It's a neat idea the concept is so sick
And I like I said the website was super dope and like going through and customize it like that. I loved
it's just
It's it's in a weird spot
For sure. Well, I I got one more fun bit of news. Give us the fun bit of news, please
So Ferrari for the first time since the f430
Is is letting us having manual transmission. Oh, holy shit. They're really
Sort of walking back pedal and after that whole ev debacle
So I was duped by that. Right. Yeah, because I if you guys follow
I immediately went and shared my story and said just like that
All of Ferrari's sins are forgiven and then I was educated a little bit. Oh
So apparently this is the eight speed double clutch transmission from the sf 90
With a gear lever attached and a clutch pedal. Okay, so it's not really a manual transmission. It's they're calling it
Manual by wire
Okay, I'm really I'm okay. So I'm really on the fence about this and obviously nobody has driven it yet
Except for Ferrari engineers
But the the the story the idea is the pitch so to speak is that you can still stall the car
You still have, you know, six speed manual transmission. It is gated just like the old cool ones. How do you used to be in the Ferrari center?
Um, you have all the theoretically at least you have all the cool bits of a manual transmission in your 12 cylinder Ferrari
um without without without an actual like
clutch mechanism, so
It's so it's like playing one of those old arcade games
That's that's what shift by wire is manual
You just put it you select. I want first now. I want second. Yeah, I want third. I'm really intrigued
I I respect Ferrari for trying. I really do. Oh, right. Yeah
Realistically right. None of us are in a buying a 12 cylinder Ferrari anytime soon
But the the effort involved I think is really cool
Where where they lose me is the reasoning and this is the same excuse that BMW is pitching to like start killing off the manuals
And and Mercedes already has
Of you know, just the quick brands I can think of is that they keep claiming that manual transmissions can't handle the power of modern cars
Which we all know is bullshit. Yeah, right. You got the hell cat exists right now
Yeah, um, but but conic zag. I think it is just made a 2100 horsepower car with a man of transmission
Damn, so yeah, it's all bullshit like suck on that my friend Johnny's bill in thousand horsepower car with
Johnny he's just a one-man show and transmissions the last thing he's worried about. Yeah
And look, I mean the corvette, right? Isn't one of the no the corvettes are all double clutch now too
God damn it. Damn it. I just ruined that for myself. I don't know how I feel about that
I don't I'd have to like see it and experience it which I won't it's like this
It's a it's a recurring trend of like you guys want this thing
We're gonna we're gonna give you the feeling of it
It's gonna be kind of gimmicky, but isn't it cool that we made that we tried to accommodate for you though
Isn't that cool, right? Oh, no, I don't know Ferrari's audience like who's buying that car brand new like who are they targeting?
Is that person they're truly into that? I think these are the gt3 rs owners, right? Because
They're all like jumping in the same price bracket now. So anybody that's buying like yeah, it's nuts
So anybody that's buying like a 911 turbo gt3 rs type person who like wants to do stuff with the car
Or they're like, you know
Older, you know, maybe they used to drive, you know cars like we drive now
And they want to experience that in a Ferrari. I think that's the audience
Yeah, that makes people people talk about it all the time
But again, I don't know who's who actually wants that version of this thing. So not me got it. Yeah, that ain't us
But thank you guys so much for listening to martin works podcast
If you listen every friday and you appreciate the podcast
I would appreciate if you commented on this video liked it subscribed followed do whatever you got to do to support
That would mean a ton. Thank you so much for listening. I hope we have a fantastic weekend and give a giant
Thank you to moteggi too because they sponsor this podcast and keep it moving
We got the moteggies on the s15. We've been ripping on it and it's been fantastic
So we can say we've taken them to the track and it has been just a peachy clean experience not a single issue nothing
To complain about so if you're interested in moteggi wheels, we have them at martini works
You can get them shipped directly to your door. We can package tires on them. We can ceramic coat them
We can do anything you want and get them right to your door. So all you have to do is slap them on your car
Head on over to martini works. Look at moteggies wheels. Look at all the dope finishes that they have
They have a red finish that looks really fucking crazy and I want someone to put it on their car
And I'd love to see it in the build thread. So make sure to check that out
Thank you to moteggi for sponsoring martini works podcast keeping this thing moving and thank you guys so much for listening
Hell, yeah, you guys got anything? No, thanks for having me. We're welcome doing this. Yeah, thank you guys
Maybe I'm more often have a good weekend. Bye
About this episode
Lars shares his first trip to Poland for the second Old Trace car show, flying roughly 4,500 miles for a scene that felt like a continent-wide gathering. He compares the event to Germany: more stance/build-focused, less OEM, and a huge drifting paddock with nonstop V8/RB/2J noise. Lars highlights the high quality of cars, the DIY/garage-built mindset, and the welcoming, open conversations—even with language barriers. He also notes the lack of “true” Polish food he loved, but praises the variety of BMWs, Volkswagens, and surprising Corvettes (plus a Need for Speed–liveried M3).
Enjoy the podcast every Friday? Support it by getting your car mods at https://bit.ly/4vtk1kyLars traveled all the way to POLAND for one of the most insane car shows on the planet. Ultrace. Now if you've been around you might know we were just in Germany for Ultrace, but Poland is where the show originated. The boys talk about that and more on todays episode of the MartiniWorks podcast! #cars #podcast #automotivePick up our Coffee here! https://bit.ly/3PIFl6JA HUGE thank you to Continental, Motegi, and Fortune Auto for being the official tire, wheel, and suspension of the MartiniWorks Podcast! Let us know if you need a set of tires or coilovers.Shop Continental tires here https://bit.ly/4ecbfAKShop Motegi wheels here https://bit.ly/4vp7VcgShop Fortune Auto suspension here https://bit.ly/4fnfqM8Check out the main channel! @MartiniWorksOfficialWe also have an unboxing channel @MartiniWorksUnboxedFollow Lars @lars.martiniworksFollow Dakota @dakotastoneeFollow Gels @akagels
