Larry Chen joins Spike and Johnny to discuss his stunning 1999 R34 Nissan Skyline GT-R, a car steeped in lore and nostalgia. The conversation dives into the car's restoration journey in Japan, its unique features, and the cultural significance it holds for car enthusiasts. They also touch on the vibrant car culture in Southern California, the importance of sanctioned events, and the evolution of car photography. With anecdotes and insights, this episode captures the essence of automotive passion and community.
Spike and Jonny dive into luxury Maybach vehicles, share near-death driving experiences, and welcome legendary automotive photographer Larry Chen. Highlights include a hilarious take on the Maybach SL 680 as the perfect "newly divorced car" and Larry's hilarious attempt to photograph the Royal Family of Brunei's car collection.
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Spike and Jonny kick off with World Series baseball talk before recounting Spike's terrifying experience nearly getting crushed by a tree while driving the Maybach SL 680 (followed immediately by getting rear-ended). The hosts deliver an in-depth analysis of both the SL 680 and S680 Maybach models, debating their merits, quirks, and whether the 6-figure price tag is justified compared to Rolls Royce and Bentley alternatives.
Special guest Larry Chen joins to discuss his storied career documenting global car culture. As a Canon Explorer of Light, Larry shares fascinating insights about organized car meets in Asia and his beautifully restored Nissan Skyline R34 GTR. The conversation ranges from photography techniques to the importance of creating safe, legal spaces for car enthusiasts to gather.
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"...had some sort of car show associated with Formula Drift"
Formula Drift is a competition where drivers race cars sideways around a track. It's all about how well they can control their cars while drifting, which looks really cool!
Formula Drift is a professional drifting series in the United States where drivers compete in drift racing events. It showcases the skill of drivers as they navigate courses while maintaining control of their vehicles in a sideways position.
"...I had uh and I have today this car behind me, the S680 Maybach in uh orange copper magno. And"
The Mercedes-Benz S680 is a super-luxurious car that is part of the S-Class series. It's known for being very comfortable and packed with the latest technology, making it a favorite among people who want the best in luxury cars.
The Mercedes-Benz S680 is a luxury sedan that is part of the S-Class lineup, known for its advanced technology and exceptional comfort. It features a powerful engine and a host of high-end amenities, making it a top choice for those seeking a premium driving experience. The S680 represents the pinnacle of Mercedes-Benz engineering and luxury.
"...I had uh and I have today this car behind me, the S680 Maybach in uh orange copper magno..."
The Mercedes-Maybach S680 is a very luxurious car that offers a lot of comfort and high-end features. It's designed for people who want the best in luxury and performance.
The Mercedes-Maybach S680 is a luxury sedan that combines high performance with opulent features, catering to the ultra-luxury market. It is known for its powerful engine and exquisite interior design.
Car
Mercedes-Benz SL680
"...right before that, I had an SL 680 SL. Yes. Monogram edition."
The Mercedes-Benz SL680 is a sporty luxury convertible that offers a great driving experience along with high-end features. It's part of the SL-Class, which is known for its stylish design.
The Mercedes-Benz SL680 is a variant of the SL-Class, known for its sporty performance and luxury features. The SL-Class is a line of grand tourers that combines style with advanced technology.
"...opper magno. And then right before that, I had an SL 680 SL."
The Mercedes-Benz SL is a fancy convertible sports car that has been around since the 1950s. It's known for its stylish design and powerful performance, making it a popular choice for those who want a luxurious driving experience.
The Mercedes-Benz SL is a luxury roadster that has been a symbol of elegance and performance since its introduction in the 1950s. Known for its retractable hardtop and powerful engines, the SL combines sporty driving with high-end comfort. It remains a flagship model for Mercedes-Benz, representing the brand's commitment to luxury and innovation.
AMC was a car company in the U.S. that made various types of cars, especially in the 1960s and 1970s. They created some unique models that are still remembered today.
AMC, or American Motors Corporation, was an American automobile manufacturer known for producing compact cars and innovative designs during the mid-20th century. They are famous for models like the Gremlin and the Javelin.
"...with way too many Maybach logos and added dump the idea of luxury on top of it..."
Maybach is a super-luxury brand under Mercedes that makes very expensive and high-quality cars.
Maybach is a luxury sub-brand of Mercedes-Benz, known for producing ultra-luxurious vehicles that often feature high-end materials and advanced technology.
"...I remembered years ago I had an Alien Green G65. Yeah. And I just felt like a Kardashian getting into it..."
The G-Class is a fancy SUV made by Mercedes-Benz. The G65 is a special version that has a really strong engine and is known for being luxurious and good for off-roading.
The Mercedes-Benz G-Class, often referred to as the G-Wagon, is a luxury SUV known for its boxy styling and off-road capabilities. The G65 is a high-performance variant featuring a powerful V12 engine, making it one of the most luxurious and capable versions of the G-Class.
"...you remember the Mercedes black edition, those cars?"
The Mercedes-Benz Black Edition is a special version of some Mercedes cars that looks different and often has more features than the regular models. It's designed to stand out and offer something extra to buyers.
The Mercedes-Benz Black Edition refers to a special variant of certain Mercedes models, characterized by unique styling elements and features that set them apart from standard versions. These editions often include enhancements in performance and luxury.
Horsepower tells you how powerful a car's engine is. The more horsepower, the faster and more powerful the car can be.
Horsepower is a unit of measurement for power, commonly used to describe the power output of engines. In automotive terms, it indicates how much work an engine can perform over time, influencing a car's acceleration and overall performance.
All-wheel drive means that all four wheels of the car get power from the engine. This helps the car grip the road better, especially in bad weather.
All-wheel drive (AWD) is a drivetrain system that provides power to all four wheels of a vehicle simultaneously. This enhances traction and stability, especially in adverse weather conditions or off-road scenarios.
"and a V12. You left out the V12. and a 6 L V12 bturbo engine"
A V12 engine has twelve cylinders that help it produce a lot of power. It's usually found in expensive and fast cars because it runs very smoothly.
A V12 engine is a twelve-cylinder engine arranged in a V configuration. It is known for its smooth operation and high power output, often found in luxury and high-performance vehicles.
"L V12 bturbo engine with all sorts of gizmos and craziness inside."
A biturbo engine has two turbochargers that help it produce more power. This makes the engine more efficient and gives it better performance when driving.
A biturbo engine is an engine that uses two turbochargers to increase its power output and efficiency. This setup allows for better performance at various engine speeds.
"...ng. You've driven them, right? Like a Rolls-Royce Ghost is going to be in the fours, right? a"
The Rolls-Royce Ghost is a very fancy car that started being made in 2009. It's known for being super comfortable and powerful, and it's often seen as a status symbol for wealthy people.
The Rolls-Royce Ghost is a luxury sedan that was introduced in 2009, designed to offer a more understated yet equally luxurious experience compared to the Phantom. It is known for its powerful V12 engine and exquisite craftsmanship, making it a favorite among those seeking ultimate comfort and prestige. The Ghost represents the modern interpretation of luxury in the Rolls-Royce lineup.
"...a Bentley Flying Spur Speed or whatever that's equivalent of this with a 12-cylinder..."
The Bentley Flying Spur Speed is a luxury car that is very fast and powerful. It is designed for people who want both speed and comfort in a high-end vehicle.
The Bentley Flying Spur Speed is a high-performance luxury sedan that combines exceptional power with the brand's signature craftsmanship and luxury features. It is known for its powerful engine and refined driving experience.
"make cars that cost the same as a Phantom." And so, you know, $400,000 from Maybach. Everyo..."
The Rolls-Royce Phantom is a super-luxurious car that is known for being one of the most expensive and fancy cars in the world. It's made with the finest materials and is often seen as a symbol of wealth.
The Rolls-Royce Phantom is the flagship luxury sedan of the Rolls-Royce brand, known for its opulence and craftsmanship. First introduced in 1925, the Phantom represents the pinnacle of luxury automotive design and is often associated with wealth and status. Its presence in discussions often highlights the extremes of luxury in the automotive world.
"And guess what is all over the floors of SEMA? Race Deck. And I sent it to Jorgen and I'm like, Jorgen, look the race deck."
Race Deck makes special flooring that you can easily put down in places like garages or at car shows. It's strong and doesn't require messy installation like some other types of flooring.
Race Deck is a brand known for its modular flooring solutions designed for garages, workshops, and trade shows. Their products are popular for providing a durable and easy-to-install surface that can withstand heavy use.
"...ders in 48 hours. Go to racet.com. Use code spike 356. 15% off and free shipping. Thank you, Jorgen. Th..."
The Porsche 356 is one of the first cars made by Porsche, starting in the late 1940s. It's known for its stylish look and sporty feel, and many people love it because it's a classic car that helped make Porsche famous.
The Porsche 356 is a classic sports car that was produced from 1948 to 1965. It is significant as Porsche's first production model and laid the foundation for the brand's future success in the automotive world. Its timeless design and performance make it a popular topic among car enthusiasts.
"...onth of Bluetooth free. Just use promo code spike 911 at checkout and pay five bucks for shipping. That..."
The Porsche 911 is a famous sports car that has been around since the 1960s. It's loved for its unique shape and fast performance, and many people consider it one of the best sports cars ever made.
The Porsche 911 is an iconic sports car that has been in production since 1964, known for its distinctive design and rear-engine layout. It is celebrated for its performance, handling, and engineering excellence, making it a staple in discussions about high-performance vehicles. The 911 has evolved through multiple generations while maintaining its classic appeal.
"...I was looking at the Audi Concept C, which is what? Yeah. Uh, this is the new design direction for Audi..."
The Audi Concept C is a special car that Audi is designing to show what their future cars might look like. It's meant to be exciting and sporty, helping to make the brand more appealing.
The Audi Concept C is a prototype vehicle that showcases the future design direction for Audi. It serves as a 'halo car' to attract attention and highlight the brand's sporty capabilities.
"replacement for the R8. Okay. They're going into F1 next season. Uh, they have a racing history and a legacy."
The Audi R8 is a fast and stylish sports car made by the Audi brand. It's known for its powerful performance and unique looks, making it a favorite among car enthusiasts.
The Audi R8 is a high-performance sports car known for its striking design and powerful engine options. It has been a flagship model for Audi, showcasing their engineering capabilities and design philosophy.
"replacement for the R8. Okay. They're going into F1 next season. Uh, they have a racing history and a legacy."
Audi is a well-known car brand from Germany that makes luxury cars. They are famous for their high-quality vehicles and have a history in racing.
Audi is a German automobile manufacturer known for its luxury vehicles and advanced technology. The brand is part of the Volkswagen Group and has a strong presence in motorsports, including Formula 1.
"They're going into F1 next season. Uh, they have a racing history and a legacy."
Formula 1 is a type of car racing that features very fast cars and takes place on special tracks. It's popular worldwide and has many fans who enjoy watching the races.
Formula 1 (F1) is the highest class of international auto racing for single-seater formula racing cars. It is known for its fast-paced races and cutting-edge technology, attracting teams and drivers from around the world.
Car
Audi Type C
"You can see there's a there's a a 1936 type-C sitting behind it."
The Audi Type C is an old racing car made by Audi in the 1930s. It's famous for its design and performance in races, showing how Audi has been involved in racing for a long time.
The Audi Type C was a racing car produced in the 1930s, known for its innovative design and success in motorsport. It is part of Audi's rich racing heritage and represents the brand's early engineering achievements.
"this is what Audi's are going to start looking like come 2027. This is the new design language called radical simplicity."
Design language is how a car brand decides its cars should look. It includes the shapes and styles that make their cars recognizable and unique.
Design language refers to the visual and stylistic elements that define a brand's vehicles. It encompasses shapes, lines, and features that create a cohesive look across different models.
"...I was in a A6 Sportback. We landed in Munich, drove 4 hours down to Italy here and we're in this A6 and it's just it's just an overabundance of screen..."
The Audi A6 Sportback is a fancy car that looks like a coupe but has four doors. It's known for being comfortable and having a lot of high-tech features inside.
The Audi A6 Sportback is a luxury sedan that combines the practicality of a four-door with a sleek, coupe-like design. It features advanced technology and a comfortable interior, making it a popular choice in the executive car segment.
"...It's an EV. Uh you don't sit on the batteries..."
EV means electric vehicle. These cars use electricity to run instead of gas, making them better for the environment.
EV stands for electric vehicle, which is a type of vehicle that runs entirely on electricity instead of gasoline. EVs are known for being more environmentally friendly and often have lower operating costs.
"... show. That is a a sibling of the new electric uh Boxster. That is the same platform. Yeah."
The Porsche Boxster is a two-seater convertible sports car that started being made in the late 1990s. It's known for being fun to drive and has a stylish look, making it a great option for those who enjoy open-air driving.
The Porsche Boxster is a mid-engine roadster that was introduced in 1996, offering a more affordable entry point into the Porsche lineup. It is known for its agile handling and convertible design, making it a popular choice among driving enthusiasts. The Boxster has undergone several updates and remains a significant model for Porsche.
Tire sizes tell you how wide the tire is and how tall its sidewall is compared to its width. This specific size is designed for performance and handling.
The tire size 265/30/21 refers to the width, aspect ratio, and diameter of the tire. The first number (265) is the width in millimeters, the second number (30) is the aspect ratio (the height of the sidewall as a percentage of the width), and the last number (21) is the diameter of the wheel in inches.
"tires as an E RS Ron GT. Single rear motor would be about 500 horsepower."
This tire size is similar to the front tires but wider, which helps with better traction and handling in sports cars.
The tire size 305/30/21 indicates a wider tire than the front, with the same aspect ratio and wheel diameter. This size is typically used for high-performance vehicles to enhance grip and stability.
"Do you still like SEMA? I love SEMA. It's like a reunion. Don't look at me. [laughter] You don't go to SEMA?"
SEMA is a big car show in Las Vegas where companies show off custom cars and parts. It's a place for car enthusiasts and businesses to connect and see the latest in automotive trends.
SEMA stands for the Specialty Equipment Market Association, which hosts an annual trade show in Las Vegas. It's a major event for automotive aftermarket products, showcasing custom vehicles, parts, and accessories.
">> it's like seems like a bunch of Discovery guys with their own show like rooting and tooting..."
The Land Rover Discovery is a big SUV that has been made since the late 1980s. It's great for driving off-road and has plenty of space inside, making it a good option for families or people who like to explore.
The Land Rover Discovery is a versatile SUV that has been in production since 1989, known for its off-road capabilities and spacious interior. It is designed for both rugged terrain and everyday use, making it a popular choice for families and adventure seekers alike. The Discovery is often discussed for its blend of luxury and practicality.
JDM means cars that are designed and sold only in Japan. They can be different from the same models sold in other countries, often with special features or styles.
JDM stands for Japanese Domestic Market, referring to vehicles that are made specifically for the Japanese market. These cars often have unique features, specifications, and styles that differ from their international counterparts.
"...at. Beautiful shot. >> I shot that with my Toyota Supra >> while you were driving."
The Toyota Supra is a well-known sports car that has been popular since the 1970s. It's famous for being fast and powerful, and many people love to modify it to make it even better.
The Toyota Supra is a legendary sports car that has gained a cult following since its introduction in the late 1970s. Known for its powerful engines and tuning potential, the Supra has become a symbol of Japanese performance cars. It has recently been revived with a new generation that continues to attract enthusiasts.
"... so many car things where you see like they use a Cayenne >> or some uh BMW M or something off of"
The Porsche Cayenne is a luxury SUV that started being made in the early 2000s. It offers a lot of space and comfort while still being fun to drive, which is a bit different from what you might expect from a Porsche.
The Porsche Cayenne is a luxury SUV that was first introduced in 2002, marking Porsche's entry into the SUV market. It combines the brand's performance heritage with practicality, offering a spacious interior and advanced technology. The Cayenne has been well-received and has helped Porsche expand its customer base.
"like they use a Cayenne >> or some uh BMW M or something off of >> the trunk of some old car...."
The BMW M Coupe (E36) is a sporty version of a BMW car made in the late 1990s. It's known for being fun to drive and has a unique look, making it popular among car lovers.
The BMW M Coupe (E36) is a high-performance version of the BMW Z3, produced from 1998 to 2002. Known for its distinctive styling and powerful engine, it is celebrated among enthusiasts for its sporty handling and driving experience. The M Coupe has become a sought-after collector's item due to its limited production and unique characteristics.
"It's it's just, you know, aside from having a McLaren F1 and a 993 GT1, which there's two. He's got one. P..."
The McLaren F1 is a super-fast sports car that was made in the 1990s and is famous for being one of the fastest cars ever. It has a unique design with three seats and is very rare, making it a dream car for many people.
The McLaren F1 is a legendary supercar that was produced from 1992 to 1998, known for its innovative design and engineering. It features a unique three-seat layout and was the fastest production car in the world for many years. The F1 is celebrated for its performance and remains a highly sought-after collector's item.
"...st year I got my wheel license and I built a spec E30 in 1984. Uh and um it's actually sponsored by 7-E..."
The BMW 3 Series is a popular car that has been around since the 1970s. It's known for being comfortable and fun to drive, making it a favorite among people who want a mix of luxury and performance.
The BMW 3 Series is a compact executive car that has been in production since 1975, known for its blend of performance, luxury, and practicality. It has become one of BMW's most successful models and is often praised for its driving dynamics and technology. The 3 Series is a popular choice for both everyday driving and sportier performance.
Select text to request an explanation
There you go. No, you look good today.
>> Oh, I look great today. For once.
[laughter]
>> We're in. We're on Spike's car radio.
We're recording. This is all being
recorded.
>> It is.
>> Yeah, it's nice. And you heard you heard
me say you look good today, Johnny.
>> Look at you. You got to dodge your head
on.
>> Hell yeah, baby.
>> No, you look groomed.
>> Back to back World Series.
>> What happened? Well, well, wait. There's
a whole new Johnny Lieberman here that
I'm looking at now. Now that I'm
actually looking at him, right, Cameron,
>> you want you want to give me a kiss?
>> His beard is uh clean.
>> It looks clean
>> for once. It's trimmed nicely. Did you
trim your beard?
>> Uh yeah, I trim my beard.
>> You did?
>> I mean, I didn't, but the lady that cuts
my hair trimmed my beard.
>> And you have you have a nice Dodger hat
on. I got this. I got this down at
Little Tokyo at Bulls. Um it's uh even
says Little Tokyo on the back.
>> Oh, wow. Look at that.
>> Are you a baseball fan? I'm I'm a total
fair weather fan. When the Dodgers do
great, I'm literally watching like
YouTube videos on dead ball, you know
what I mean? Like the dead ball era.
Yeah. Yeah. But when they're when
they're not in the World Series, I No, I
mean, to be fair, this year my kid got
into baseball
>> a little bit. So, I took him, you know,
we saw Tonnie hit a home run and
>> Wow.
>> I got to tell you, that's sort of the
most amazing thing happening on planet
Earth now. Yes, it is when he comes up
and gets a home run like he's the first
batter
like gets a home run on the first pitch.
>> Yeah.
>> It's sort of the most amazing. It's like
I don't know why but it's electrifying.
>> Here's why. Because he's delivering on
the hype.
>> Here's a guy I didn't really know much
about a few years ago and then I went to
see him and he you go well this is the
guy they're paying a $700 million
>> which
>> and then he delivers. He delivers over
and over again and the whole gambling
scandal has just been
>> gambling scandal. It was his
interpreter.
>> He gambled. [laughter] It was the
interpreter.
>> It was his interpreter that that junkie,
>> the degenerate interpreter.
>> Anyway, welcome to the show. Let's get
into the car talk because we get a lot
of it. And we also have renowned uh
preeminent document of car culture,
Larry Chen, here a little later. He's
bringing a car.
>> He's kind of like gotten bigger than the
whole segment. Like he's he is the
story. Yeah.
>> He was on Instagram. had some sort of
car show associated with Formula Drift
and around 10,000 people showed up. And
I thought, well, [laughter]
about 10,000 people watching this show,
maybe we can double our viewership by
having Larry on. No.
>> Is that how YouTube works?
>> No, sadly not.
>> Um, so he'll be here in a minute, but
first, uh, we have a lot to catch up on,
you and I. We do.
>> I don't know where to start. I mean, I
you and I have been driving Maybach.
>> Yes.
>> Maybach mayhem. I had uh and I have
today this car behind me, the S680
Maybach in uh orange copper magno. And
then right before that, I had an SL 680
SL.
>> 680 680 SL.
>> Yes. Monogram edition.
>> Yes.
>> Yes.
>> But I but but you have that car too,
right?
>> I had the red 680 SL. It's not the SL
680.
>> Yeah, it's the 680 SL.
>> Okay. Yeah.
>> Do you know why I almost died in mine?
>> Yes. I heard this. [laughter] Next time
that we're that close. Do we have a
picture of the car itself?
>> Liberation day is soon.
>> Yeah. Okay. Just freeze the video. Okay.
This car right here,
>> which we're going to talk about in a
second. But
>> here's my story. All right. I'm driving
to tennis on a Tuesday morning in this
car exactly like this with the top down
doing like 30 m an hour on a beautiful
street in Santa Monica. A truck in front
of me, very high truck in front of me,
hits a very large tree branch that goes
across four lanes of traffic,
>> knocks it off the tree.
And luckily, I'm listening to some nice
music. I'm listening to some Sam Fender
and I'm in a nice relaxed mood and I'm
not tailgating because if I'm
tailgating,
>> you're dead.
>> I'm dead.
>> Wow.
>> The tree just goes boom. Crushes a
Subaru on the uh lane across the way.
crushes the front of it, the windshield.
The woman's okay. Boom. Falls in front
of me. I'm go. Oh my god. You know,
everybody's I have to U-turn. I can't be
late for tennis. She [laughter] She's
okay. She backs up and goes around in
the lane. She decides to keep driving.
>> Her front of her car is crushed.
Windshield smash. She She backs out like
this, goes into the breakdown lane. It
just starts puttering away in shock, I
guess. But she's okay.
>> I can't imagine what she was telling her
husband like. [laughter]
Well, what happened? Why didn't you
stop? The truck driver stopped.
>> Right.
>> Right. I'm chuckling until I realize had
I been tailgating, the top was down,
>> nobody's feeling bad for Spike Ferris
crushed in a May
like [laughter]
>> that's justice that close.
>> Social justice was done.
>> Ferris is dead in the Maybach. That's
That's right. And so I get to tennis.
>> Your funeral would be such a good time.
So it's I've only, you know, as I've
said before, I was almost shot wearing a
bear suit for moose [laughter] beer or
in a moose outfit. I was almost shot. No
one's feeling bad for that. No one would
have felt bad for this anyway. Feeling
pretty lucky, right? Play tennis, play
well. New lease on life. Coming back the
same way,
>> right?
>> Okay.
>> They're the one lane now is open.
They've managed to get half the tree
kind of cut. Really impressive how
quickly they did this.
>> The other lane is closed. I I have to
stop and wait a minute while they direct
traffic. Bang.
>> I get hit
>> in the same spot.
>> Oh my god.
>> Two hours later
>> by the truck.
>> I get rear ended by a kid. Here's a
picture of him right here. [laughter]
>> There's our man. Show I think you have
his car there. There's the little black
Mercedes next to the orange one to the
right.
>> The cam got really sick.
>> Okay. Sort of what he looked like.
>> He hits me in [laughter] a Mercedes.
>> Mercedes on Mercedes violence. You see
how he knocked his own little label off
there? He probably only hit me at 2
miles an hour. And now go back to our
thumbs up guy.
>> Nice kid from the Palisades.
>> He's very sure his parents can afford
it.
>> Very sorry. [laughter]
>> He said, "Stay, Spike, thanks for being
so cool." And I go, "Normally I
wouldn't, but it's not my car."
>> Exactly. AMC ate my car. [laughter]
>> And that's right. Very good. And uh he
didn't really do all that much damage.
Just a couple little chips there. But um
what a morning.
>> What did you think of the car aside from
being a death magnet?
>> Well, let's get into that. Let's let you
and I are both driving these right now.
>> Yeah, I made a whole video on uh on
driving with Johnny about my time with
Well, you can check out Johnny's video
and we can also just look at this car
and we can just talk about it. I mean,
this car really is an interesting weirdo
idea
>> in that they've taken a performance car
that Mercedes makes and then badged it
with way too many Maybach logos and
added dump the idea of luxury on top of
it. So, I you know, I've been trying to
break it down with people to try to
understand it. Like,
>> I can say this off the top. You didn't
get the good wheels. You did not get
good wheels.
>> No, I noticed the wheels on yours.
>> I got those wheels. Those wheels. It's
all about the wheels for me. But yeah,
it's it's a it's a literal comic amount
of Maybach logos. Like it's like it's
like the idea of like East St. Lauron as
a brand taken to the worst degree ever.
But it's it's so over the top. It's kind
of funny.
>> It is
>> like Oh, look more like
>> Look at the key right there. Look at
that. The copper color key. I like the
key.
>> And and this interior, by the way,
whatever light you decide to put in it
in the interior at night, it glows. So
there was just this thing was just
glowing blue with me inside of it. Look
at the mats.
>> Yeah. Oh, they turned brown in a minute.
>> Oh, it's unbelievable. I said to him,
"Are you sure you want me to drive it?"
They go, "Don't worry about it. We have
a nice detail department." Look at this
copper color. I ruined it.
>> If you So this interior is called uh uh
uh white ambiance. [laughter]
>> Yes, there it's right. They had two
liveries for press cards. The red
ambiance and the white ambiance with
white ambiance interior and then white
on white. But but they made a point of
saying you could paint it in 50 other
Mercedes colors, right?
>> Sure. If you own this car though, if you
had white ambiance as your interior, you
would have to keep a pair of shoes on a
towel. You'd walk up to it in your
socks. You you'd put the shoes on on the
towel, put them in the car, then every
time you stop, you put the towel down,
take the like that interior turned gray
in in moment.
>> Seconds. Yeah.
>> Mine was black, but you put a carpet in
there and it's not so bad. But in the
first week, a white interior. After a
week of having this car, I had black
streaks and marks all over the place.
Throwing my tennis bag in and the rest
of it here. What am I doing here?
Demonstrating how the key works here.
>> Here. Here's, you know,
>> look at the Maybach logos on the folded
top.
>> It Yeah. And again, like I'm trying, you
know, a Maybach to me is this other car
we have behind us. It's a very slow,
luxurious kind of ride. this idea of a
performance Maybach I kind of had
trouble wrapping my head around and I
happened to be with our co-host Mr.
Seinfeld. And I said, "Can you digest
this for me?"
>> And he said,
>> "Spike," it was very simple to him. He
said, "Spike,
this is the woman who was just uh in an
ugly divorce. Her husband is very
wealthy and cheated on her
>> and she said, "I'm going to take your
[ __ ] money [laughter]
and
>> I'm going to spend as much of it as I
can on my newly divorced car." Yeah. And
the Maybach logos are there just to
remind you how you screwed this up and
that that how many of your dollars I'm
taking. Did you see the Bablat tennis
bag in there?
>> Oh, how could I miss it? But it's
sitting on the Maybach logo in the
trunk. You So I showed Zuckerman this
car. Yes.
>> And I filmed it cuz I was like, "This is
going to be great. He's going to hate
it." He had the opposite reaction. He
actually really liked it. But then he
started talking about replacing all the
Maybach logos with swastikas or penises.
[laughter]
And I said, "I can't really post this,
but it was really funny." But doesn't
sound like he loved it. He loved the
wheels. He was just freaked out on the
wheels.
>> Um but he he really liked it. I will say
this, I felt re I had a really hard time
at first getting in this car to go
anywhere. I'm like, "What if somebody
sees me?" [laughter]
>> Right. But then I remembered years ago I
had an Alien Green G65.
>> Yeah.
>> And I just felt like a Kardashian
getting into it. And then after like a
day I'm like, "This is the greatest car
in the world." And that's sort of how I
reacted. And then I was in Glendale and
some locals Hello,
>> some locals were
>> bro.
>> Yeah. They were like, "Bro, bro,
greatest car ever. Greatest car ever."
And then
>> and then I left here and I went uh I was
going to film I filmed it at
Zuckermanman's law office. Um I stopped
I had Richard with me. So I stopped at
McDonald's to get him some food and
there was like three Beverly Hills
teenagers at the McDonald's that were
like flipping out. They were staring at
the car. They had the phones out. THEY
WERE LIKE, "WHY? [screaming] WHAT? WHY?
YOU KNOW WHO WHAT DO YOU DO YOU KNOW
asking
>> Exactly right exactly right I had to
pick up my son at school he was taking
his driving test to get his permit same
thing all the kids were letting out same
thing was happening the kids were like
oh my god but I don't even know what
that says I mean if you were going to
order this car if this really does
appeal to you I I I mean obviously the
interior and the exterior would not be
the tuxedo junction tuxedo rental white
and black is not what I would do with it
I would kind of make this car a little
more low-key
and understated so that you know when
you look closely at the Maybach uh
badging it's not so provocative. I
actually like these wheels with that
front grill. I think it looks really
good.
>> It look it does look good. Again, I
really enjoy driving the car. I was just
going to say one more thing about the
kids. My my nephew's uh uh 15
>> and whenever I have a cool car, I get,
you know, I don't hear from I get a nice
text. Uncle Johnny, hi. Is there any way
you could bring the Lamborghini over to
my house so I could take a look at it?
And it's only with cars like that he
wanted this one. He really and he would
not I brought it over there and I let
him like sit in the driveway and turn
the engine on and you know rev it. Uh he
doesn't have his permit yet, but he just
loved it. He I don't know what it was,
but there's something we were missing
that the kids on the Instagrams
>> Well, it's a very it's a very cool
thing. And you know, I I was thinking
about it a lot this morning. Anything
that's anything that's kind of like this
this oddball weirdo idea that you can't
quite understand can very easily become
a valuable thing in the future because
it was such a weird you know what I mean
totally you hear you see it with vintage
watches all the time. You know, when
Rolex put this out or two to put it out,
everybody went head scratch and nobody
bought them and they disappeared the
whole car and then years later you go,
well, there you go.
>> Rediscovered. You're not
>> rediscovered, right? You know, you know,
you remember the Mercedes black edition,
those cars?
>> Oh, sure.
>> Yeah. I remember when they first came
out, you know, you're kind of like,
that's I guess that's all right. But
it's not it's too expensive.
>> Yeah. It's wing and I'm not sure what it
is and black edition. And then now look,
you know, so maybe this is one of those
cars. Um,
>> how is the giant limousine?
>> So, we'll talk about this guy, the S680
in orange copper magno.
>> Magno.
>> Okay.
>> Yeah.
>> Look at this thing.
>> That is formal.
>> This is a real cartoon villain mobile.
But to me, this is a Maybach. a big, too
long, too heavy, weirdo colored and
chromy conveyance that you know when you
get inside is really going to love you
up, quiet you down, and relax you. And
and this car delivers on all of those
promises. I really did not like the
color until I saw it up against my fall
foliage maple trees in my drive
[laughter]
>> and then I, you know, I started seeing
it in the parking lot and then I started
appreciating it. It's kind of like a
matte orange car that normally I would
never really kind of be into, but but I
did. No, totally.
>> And so, you know, you know what I like
to do with these things? I immediately
make a uh dinner reservation and I go,
"Let's family dinner time."
>> Mhm.
>> And it did, it doesn't disappoint
because you don't want to drive this by
yourself, right? You either want to be
driven in it or you want to take your
family.
>> You want the kids in the back seat
going, "DAD, IT DOES THIS. IT has this."
>> Yeah. And I have teenagers and still
they went into that mode. like they
don't talk anymore. They got into this
and it was like headphones
[clears throat] and fighting with
pillows in the back and you know
screens. We we'll take a look at the
inside in a second.
>> Yeah. Whenever I get something like
this, Richard anything with backseat
tables, he demands to eat dinner in the
back with me. So, we go like get like
sushi and we sit in the back and eat
sushi and it's it's exactly the right
thing to create in this thing. You know,
again, like I can't quite tell because I
only have it for a week if I can set
aside the ostentatious nature of it, but
I re you know, I just drove it to
Beverly Hills to get this lovely
haircut. It's It's lovely.
>> What a haircut. Oh, the car. Yeah.
>> It's so quiet. 621 horsepower.
>> Yeah.
>> Nspeed automatic transmission, formatic
all-wheel drive, aromatic air
suspension,
>> and a V12. You left out the V12. and a 6
L V12 bturbo engine
>> with all sorts of gizmos and craziness
inside.
>> You got the champagne fridge and the the
stainless sorry the
>> I did I made order that myself.
[laughter]
>> You got the sterling silver uh
>> I don't think it has those but it has
the champagne fridge.
>> It should have them.
>> But you know on this drive to dinner it
was it was one of those funny memorable
dinners. We're just cruising a couple
miles to this restaurant where we live
and it was You're just so taken care of
in this. So quiet. The music, the sound
system is perfection.
>> What's the price point on this?
>> This one's 280.
>> So, but here's the thing. All said and
>> done. Here's the thing. You've driven
them, right? Like a Rolls-Royce Ghost is
going to be in the fours, right? a
Bentley Flying Spur Speed or whatever
that's equivalent of this with a
12cylinder which I think is actually out
of production but is going to be in the
mid3s 330 minimum.
>> Is there anything for 280 the bargain
that you aren't getting?
>> Yeah. No, I think it's a relative
bargain and I you know when you say that
you realize $280,000 is not a bargain
but exactly for the people who are
buying this and the other things that
are available it is. It was a brilliant
move on Mercedes part to to relaunch
Maybach because remember they, you know,
they did Maybach 20 years ago and they
said, "We're going to be a legit
Rolls-Royce competitor. We're going to
make cars that cost the same as a
Phantom." And so, you know, $400,000
from Maybach. Everyone's like, "Oh, how
do you pronounce it? What is it? I've
never heard of it." And they're like,
"Oh, it's it's a pre-war brand." Like,
it was it was really big in Germany in
the 30. And uh so they sunseted the
brand and then they bring it back like
this. And it's really just like a luxury
package on top of an already luxurious
car
>> and I think it was a brilliant move. You
know,
>> let's look inside. Go show us inside.
Show us the back seat first, Cam.
>> Oh, watch Cam the door handles. This
will be fun.
>> Oh yeah. It may not be it may not even
be open.
>> Yeah. These are the the worst door
handles in uh human history.
>> You might have to touch the front one
and then if that doesn't work, you might
have to
>> Hey, Mercedes. There you go.
>> There you go. So, you've got private jet
seats in the back here.
>> Fabulous.
>> You know what? Not being white is such a
good move.
>> Yeah.
>> Usually they're white inside, so you get
that Miami like coke club scene, but
this is great.
>> Yeah. So, look,
>> pillows.
>> You You live in Hollywood, you've got a
stupid amount of money, and you and your
friends want to go out on a Saturday
night. It's the ultimate kind of sled to
kind of do that.
>> You're being driven.
>> Yeah.
>> You know, you can run. You You've got
screens to your right there. You've got
screens in front of you. Got
>> your own iPad in the middle.
>> Yeah. The kids somehow hooked their
phones up to the whole system and we're
listening to their own music and I
thought we were enjoying, you know,
Molly Hatchet together, but we weren't.
[laughter]
>> We weren't.
>> You know, those those champagne glasses
are in there.
>> Go ahead. Take a look. Open the center
console behind you.
>> Well, that's going to be Yeah, that's
the actual champagne itself would be in
there. That's the bridge.
>> Go ahead. Where are the glasses?
>> The glasses should be like under that
arm thing or in front of that little
iPad there. Uh there should be like
sterling silver. Yeah. In there. So
those those are the fold out tables.
[laughter]
>> Those look straight out of a a 737.
>> Yeah, they are. Yes. G6. Anyways,
they're in there somewhere. But they're
they're sterling silver and they have
little Maybach logos all over them. It's
quite quite good.
>> Yeah. You know,
>> I guess.
>> Yeah.
>> To me, this says it's like all business.
Like that's what I'm doing. I'm all
business. Anyway, terrific car. Let's
talk about our friends at Racete. Over
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coatings. I keep getting uh people
sending me video from SEMA. SEMA's going
on. And guess what is all over the
floors of SEMA?
>> Race Deck. And I sent it to Jorgen and
I'm like, Jorgen, look the race deck. He
goes, "Yeah, yeah, yeah. We know.
>> I'm too busy counting, catching checks.
We know in buying cars.
>> Anyway, if you got a garage at home and
you want to make it look like this
garage right here or my garage or my
hanger,
>> we still haven't worked on Johnny's
garage
>> one of these years.
>> Or Zuckerman's garage. Baldwin Hills.
Holy moly.
>> Then you want race deck. It handles over
uh in excess of 80,000 lbs. Doesn't
chip, peel, or stain. draining. And I'm
telling you, the only thing you need to
know is like tiles on your garage floor
that don't shift,
>> right?
>> Everything I've had for 20 years, you
you you I would pull out and even the
old Land Rover would kick them up like
that and I go, "What is this?" And it
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shipping. Thank you, Jorgen. Thank you,
Race Deck. Today's show is also
sponsored by Blue Chew. Guess what,
guys? Enter the room dick first. You
hear that, Larry? Bluetooth isn't just a
tablet. It's a cheat code for your
crotch. Stronger, harder, longerlasting.
Like someone gave your downstairs a pep
talk in a gym membership. All right, I'm
going to try some of their lines.
>> Oh, we got new lines,
>> I think. So, it's been a couple weeks. I
can't wait. Yeah.
>> You ever tried to tuck in a submarine?
>> Oh, good. Do you like that? It's so
absurd. Yes, I like that. It's not even
sexual.
>> I carry my encyclopedia brickania
everywhere.
>> No,
>> no, you don't like that. I don't know.
Let me see if I
>> This ain't a supplement. It's an
erection resurrection.
>> I think we've heard that before, but
yeah, I like that.
>> I tried Bluetooth and now my hog has a
zip code in voting rights. I like that.
And voting rights seems somehow
offensive, which why is why I like it.
Well, anyway, you got to check out uh
Bluetooth. This isn't just about
performance. This is about legacy or
third legacy. Give her group chat
something to talk about. You know when
to lay it down. They're talking about
how it gets up. Nothing makes you more
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Discover your options at bluechw.com and
a special deal for you listeners. Get
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Join Bluetooth's mission to upgrade
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Bluetooth.com for details and safety
information. And we thank Bluetooth for
sponsoring the podcast. You just came
back from where?
>> Third Legacy is pretty good.
>> Third Legacy. I was in Italy. I was in
the Dolommites. I was in a weird town
named Brixen. And
>> you were looking at a very special car.
>> Yeah. I was looking at the Audi Concept
C, [laughter]
>> which is what?
>> Yeah. Uh, this is the new design
direction for Audi. So, it does two
things. One is they need a halo car.
They need some kind of sporty
replacement for the R8. Okay. They're
going into F1 next season. Uh, they have
a racing history and a legacy. You can
see there's a there's a a 1936 type-C
sitting behind it. But also, this is
what Audi's are going to start looking
like come 2027. This is the new design
language called radical simplicity.
>> So, that front
>> um that maybe not necessarily that grill
and that shape, but like just the the
the design language itself,
>> right?
>> And then also the interior is radically
simplified. And like if you know I was
in a A6 Sportback. We landed in Munich,
drove 4 hours down to Italy here and
we're in this A6 and it's just it's just
an overabundance of screen. Screens
everywhere. There's a screen on the
door.
>> Did you like that?
>> No, it's too much. So what what they've
done is they said, "Okay, screens are
inevitable. We can have a screen, but
there's a nice clicking metal uh
control. You click it back. One, screen
folds up, goes away. Uh everything that
looks like aluminum is aluminum. They
got rid of plastic on the interior."
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. That that that thing
that's open that's for safety. They had
to have that sadly. But um
>> what why is that for safety?
>> Cuz it's a pre-production prototype. So
if it catches on fire or something, you
hit the red button and you kill it.
>> Um
>> and what happens?
>> You hit the red button and
>> the batteries shoot out of the sides.
No. [laughter]
>> But it's a really nice.
>> They didn't say if it catches on fire.
>> No, it wasn't. It's just all
>> They said press the red button.
>> All pre-production prototypes have a
kill switch. It's just a kill switch.
>> It's just a kill switch. Kill switch.
Okay. But like, yeah, it's just a very
nice interior. And and and again,
starting in 27, this is what Audi's will
look like on the inside and the outside.
But also, uh I didn't know it. It you
saw the the screen disappear. It's a
fully working driving car. It like it's
500 horsepower. It's got one rear motor.
You obviously you could put a second
motor on the front axle. It's an EV. Uh
you don't sit on the batteries, so it's
low. The batteries are actually behind
you where the engine would be, right?
>> And I was shocked at how well it drove.
It was It was a really uh
>> So, you liked it?
>> Yeah. Uh I I thought I was going to be
driving like
>> Wow, look at how beautiful that is.
>> Oh, yeah. This part of Italy is It looks
like Austria. It's insane. But I thought
I was going to be driving like, you
know, hot glue and fiberglass. You know
what I mean? And they kept saying like,
"You're not here to, you know, test the
dynamic limits of the car and then
homeboy like gets on it." So, you know,
cuz I had to be I couldn't drive it on a
public road. I had to be shuttled to a
private road. But so he just gets on it.
He's driving me out there and like it's,
you know, 500 horsepower in a relatively
light car. Also very important for us
this show. That is a a sibling of the
new electric uh Boxster. That is the
same platform. Yeah.
>> Interesting.
>> So very good news for the electric
Boxster. It's going to be
>> I hope the new Boxster doesn't have that
front.
>> Well, it will have a Porsche front.
[laughter]
>> That's good.
>> I can promise you that.
>> Yes.
>> Yeah.
>> Yeah. Now, what was I actually driving?
Because this platform SSP isn't ready
yet. This is an RS Ron GT that's been
cut down. Batteries repositioned. The
tires are 26530 21 front. Uh 30530 21
rear. It's the same tires as an E RS Ron
GT. Single rear motor would be about 500
horsepower. So, the thing scoots and it
steers great and it it's just really
cool. Folding hard top. Really neat to
have a a sports car that fast and that
silent. It was a new thing. Like going
through beautiful nature and just like
>> just hearing the wind was kind of cool.
>> I know it doesn't have a V10. Everyone's
going to kill themselves and I'm I'm a
sellout and big batteries paying me off
and all that. But it was a cool
experience. [laughter] I really enjoyed
it.
>> I don't say any of those things.
>> I know. I know. I'm just
>> I got to say I really like this new
Johnny Lieberman. This clean Johnny
Lieberman.
>> It's a completely different guy.
>> It's a clean cut. [laughter]
>> Clean cut new Johnny Lieberman. Every
time Cam Every time I get a a haircut
like this guy started Zuckermanman
started flirting with me like you're
going to be the ladies.
>> Let's see what the kid from the
Palisades thinks about this design.
Let's click on that. Oh, he likes it.
Oh, good. Yeah, he he thinks it's cool.
That's cool. You know, I heard a little
bit of uh car news that it that uh and
and I don't even say this is accurate.
>> But if it does happen, it will be a very
big I told you so moment. I think not
just from you but uh from the rest of
the Spikes car radio community which is
uh I heard and I don't even know if this
information is uh correct but I heard
and the source seems a little reliable
that the cup holder of that roadgoing
963 was indeed [laughter]
a clue and that the halo car is going to
be that a 963 road. This is what I've
heard and uh it's uh coming from someone
I kind of trust. So, but I'm not ready
to to throw it out there yet, but there
could be a very big moment for yours
truly coming up.
>> Is this someone that you kind of trust?
A 71year-old comedian from New York.
>> It's not. No. No.
>> He's learned not to share any
information because,
>> right, it just
>> it ends up right here.
>> So, I even think they started shutting
him down because they're like, "No, no,
no. You're going to tell that Spike,
>> right?"
>> But, uh, all I feeling pretty good right
now. That's all I'm going to say. I'm
feeling pretty good.
Okay. Okay.
>> You you understand what I'm saying,
right?
>> I sort of understand. I still don't know
what you're talking about with the cup
holder, but I understand that you're
saying the
>> Remember the road going
>> Oh, how could I forget that was a cuper
meds?
>> My theory was the cup holder was a
little clue to we're going to make this
and it's going to be Porsche's Halo car.
And that's what I've heard now is
happening.
>> Okay, that's all I'm going to say.
>> Separate incidents. [laughter]
>> That's all I'm going to say.
>> Okay. Yeah. Okay. But there's a very big
possibly a very big moment for me
coming. And if not,
>> okay,
>> I will concede finally. I will concede
finally.
>> Okay.
>> All right.
>> Okay.
>> This fellow who's with us, Larry Chen.
He's the world's pre-minent document of
car culture, serving as the official
photographer for both Formula Drift and
Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. His
work has been exhibited in multiple
museums, and in 2025 became the first
non-driver inducted into the Formula
Drift Hall of Fame.
>> Wow. Please welcome to the stage. Oh,
he's already here. Larry, what
[laughter] an intro. Thank you so much.
>> I like to pretend this is a real show
every once in a while.
>> If you win person of the year at SEMA,
you don't have to go to SEMA anymore. Is
that is that [snorts] how it works?
>> I feel like you have to be there longer.
>> You have to be there a week ahead of
time and then stay a week to help break
down.
>> Do you still like SEMA?
>> I love Sema.
>> Yeah.
>> It's like a reunion.
>> Don't look at me. [laughter]
I
>> You don't go to SEMA?
>> I've been. I don't feel that I intersect
with SEMA as well. It It seems like a
different part of the car world that I
respect. It's just not my thing.
>> Well, for me,
>> what he said, [laughter]
>> minus the respect,
>> it's like seems like a bunch of
Discovery guys with their own show like
rooting and tooting old garbage trucks
and stuff. [laughter]
>> I feel like I No, it's changed. It's uh
evolved and it's definitely changed
since I started going. I first went in
2006 and uh over time over this 20 years
uh the cars have become something I
guess that's more for our generation.
That's something that I can relate to
more. Uh at first you couldn't find any
JDM cars there.
>> That's true. I I started going I think
my first year was is either 05 or 06.
>> Yeah. And now it's just so you can't
walk like two booths without running
into a nice JDM car build. So, you know,
Larry, let me just
>> We can get off SEMA.
>> No, no, it's totally fine. I I just want
to I want to talk about your photography
because, you know, I'm a fan and I know
you were just down at the Formula Drift
series and had a big car show down there
with about 10,000 folks showing up.
Here's his site right here. And, you
know, if you want to experience Larry
Chen photography, go to larry chinfo.com
>> or buy the book.
>> Or buy the book. You're When did you get
started? I mean, you know, everybody's
taking pictures for Instagram, right?
Somehow you have, you know, uh, risen
above all of it and become this document
of car culture around the world, you
know, and in lots of different zones,
you know, uh, drift, you know, Porsche
racing, you know, how did you do that,
you know, did did you [laughter] did you
did you study photography in school? No,
I kind of just fell into it. It it
started with a love for cars, love for
driving. Uh, I actually grew up not too
far from here in Santa Monica. And you
know, around that time period, it was
like that, hey, we just got our driver's
license. Let's get $500 cars and start
tinkering on them,
>> right?
>> And it just kind of slowly evolved to,
hey, let's take them to the track, let's
go autocrossing, let's do all this car
stuff, go to meets. Uh, back then it was
kind of a novelty to do car events
because
what like how could you get a bunch of
cars together, right? you you you where
where do you even find go on the forums
maybe hook up with a couple friends some
kind of like
>> quick car meet but
>> it was I remember at one point it was a
big deal to just get like 10 20 cars
together
>> right now it is amazing it's infectious
you know car culture is the biggest it's
ever been and I feel like that's kind of
why my career has progressed over this
time because there's so many people to
consume Boom. The content that I'm
making. So, you just I mean, do we have
his Instagram up, too? I want to go back
to your photography. But let's This is
the post I saw where uh it was at the
top. Go down a little bit. So, this guy
Well, tell us about this photo. This is
something that I dreamed about. This is
something I envisioned because for the
past couple years, I've been going to
Asia and Southeast Asia to cover car
culture a lot. and they have these
organized meets where they pretty much
take over a complete parking structure
and it's either sponsored by the
government or it is uh paid for, it's
permitted, it's like a thing, right? Um
for example, there's this one event that
I go to in Malaysia in Qualur called
Retro Havoc
>> and it's a thousand cars that load up
into this mall parking structure and
it's sponsored by the Malaysian Tourism
Board.
>> Yeah. And they go in there do pops and
bangs and shoot fire and it's like a big
thing and the police are there and they
still
>> and it's cool. They still create that's
why it's called retro havoc. They still
create havoc. They still create noise.
There's a couple burnouts here and
there, you know, but the government is
there to watch this thing and they
realize that car tourism is a big deal.
As you know in Japan, car tourism is
getting to a point where it's too much.
>> It's a problem in a country. speed limit
is 70 and Yeah. Yeah.
>> Exactly. So then and then also Spike,
you know, car tourism in the UK with
Festival Speed, um so many crazy events,
>> it's something that these places are
they're realizing it's such a big thing
that actually moves the needle. So I
figured, you know what, let's do
something similar in Southern
California. We partnered up with the
city of Long Beach to have this parking
structure that has 800 spaces. and we
took it over and it was free for
everybody to enter. The whole point was
I just wanted something to exist like a
real almost authentic Tokyo drift moment
where it's all types of cars but of
course it was mostly JDM
>> but we had the roof we had the levels
below it and uh we had my friend Sank
there
>> uh just just to
>> do something fun.
>> Yeah.
>> Just so it exists.
>> You know when you're you're talking
about that Malaysian event. I think what
you're alluding to is, you know, here,
you know, obviously we have these
Southern California street takeovers,
which is there's an appetite, these kids
get together or whomever, and they
create a little havoc. When you talk
about this Malaysian havoc event, it
seems like acknowledging that community
and letting them blow off some steam a
little bit solves the problem, right?
And we've talked about this on the show
before. It's like you don't go into a
street takeover and just arrest
everybody. it. You're presenting a
solution finally like let's get
everybody together. Let's make it state,
country, county sanctioned and let
everybody have a little bit of fun.
Right. Is that the idea? Exactly what
this, you know, I I put out a a PSA like
a just off the cuff off off the cuff PSA
saying
>> as you have seen so many events have
been ruined by these people taking over
>> the streets, climbing on uh you know,
red lights and and just really ruining
it for real car enthusiasts like us. Uh,
I stated, "Look, I've been shooting in
all of these crazy countries like
Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand, you
know, uh, Malaysia, Japan. They have all
these type of meets. They don't have an
issue with takeovers."
>> Yeah.
>> Because they're doing these sanctioned
events. I I just put it out there. Look,
this may be our last chance to prove to
the world that we can partner up with a
city to do something where people can
behave and we can still make a little
noise. You know, there was still pops
and bangs and and that's why we love
cars, right?
>> But we can do it responsibly. And man,
Southern California turned out 10,000
people.
>> That's amazing. So many people.
>> I think I found my lieutenant governor
when I take over the [laughter] state.
I'm running on no slow left lane driving
and I'm going to need a lieutenant
governor like you who's going to
>> pops and bangs.
>> We're gonna get rid of street takeovers,
but we'll still get to do some of that
stuff. Let's go back to his photography
site. You've also brought a car here. I
want to get to that. But take us through
some of your favorite photos here.
>> So your work is so wonderful.
>> Hang on. I got to pause this. I went to
his book party. He had a book release
party.
>> And you were saying you went through so
I got the number right. 2 million
photographs.
>> Well, so I I went through my life's
work. This is this book which I brought
one for you today. Thank you.
>> Uh is my life's work. I went through 5
million.
>> 5 million.
>> 5 million pages.
>> 5 million. How do you go through 5
million? Anything?
>> Well, the good thing is
>> Unless you're [laughter] sucker.
The good thing is over the past 20 years
I've been curating it as much as I can,
whittling it down, and then that's kind
of where that 2 million number came
from, you know. So, we're talking about
usable photos that I just concentrated
into under 3,000 for this book. And it
it's a hefty book. It's 8 lb. It's over
400 pages. And it's the best of the best
that I could put together from 20 years
of shooting car culture in our
generation. Yeah.
>> Yeah. So,
>> look at this. Look at that best of drift
2022 shot. That that front page shot
right there.
>> So, I shot that. Beautiful shot.
>> I shot that with my Toyota Supra
>> while you were driving.
>> Yes. While I was driving. So, that's
kind of my way to combine my two
passions of driving as well as
photography and video. Uh, it's kind of
cheating. It's so stupid, but it's the
only way to shoot these vehicles when
they're going at full speed. Right
there. It's one thing you've been on set
with so many car things where you see
like they use a Cayenne
>> or some uh BMW M or something off of
>> the trunk of some old car. Every version
of it. Yeah.
>> Yes. But problem is they cannot go at
practical speed in terms of like race
speed because they're too heavy, too
heavy. Uh whereas I built a Toyota Supra
just for filming.
>> Do you have a photo of it so we can see
it? Yeah, should be on my Instagram.
>> Uh, let's have a look at that car. If
you go up, you could see a most recent
one that I posted. Uh, yeah, that one
right there. Uh, next to the Mercedes
uh, 300 SL.
>> Yeah, that one right there. See? So,
that's me behind the wheel.
>> Okay.
>> That's Long Beach Formula Drift course.
>> That's
>> How did you modify this car? You just
>> So it it's mostly all the things that
people do to get them time attack ready.
>> Uh so it makes about 500 wheel
horsepower.
>> I see.
>> And I've just done everything to make it
fast to keep up with these guys because
they have a 1000 plus horsepower, right?
>> That's so cool.
>> So wait, so you mounted a camera on the
front of it and then you're drifting
along with a guy or just falling?
>> No. Well, sometimes I do unintentional
drifts because they're going so fast and
they have such crazy wheel speed that my
car gets a little sideways and I just
have to recover. But
>> it's such a great
>> You don't worry about that bumper just
ripping off and going through your you
and the camera.
>> That's kind of part of it. You know, I
have to [laughter]
>> I guess assess the situation. And in
this case, you could see I fell back a
little bit just in case it did come off.
So, I wouldn't run it completely over.
But yeah, that that's what I love to do.
Being able to combine my two passions.
If you see on the left, there's a little
remote where I just switch my still
camera on to start firing as the video
camera is rolling. So, I have two
cameras on on the nose. It looks kind of
like Eiffel Tower scaffolding on the
nose of the Supra.
>> Yeah, it's very cool. Wow. So, so in the
past couple uh not to change subjects,
but like in the past couple uh years,
I've been doing my absolute best to
travel because I'm not afraid to go to
these far-off places to report on their
car culture because we have such a
diverse uh and and really um I guess uh
all-encompassing car culture here in
Southern California. The point is I want
to see what everyone else is doing. So,
uh, I don't know if you saw, I recently
went to Brunai.
>> No, and I and I asked
>> Maybe I did.
>> I went to Brunai and I asked the royal
family. I went up to Prince Jeffrey. I
went to I went to I went to the Sultan.
I literally shook the Sultan's hand
said, "You have a beautiful country. I'm
here to document your car culture." And
I asked Prince Jeffrey face to face,
"Can I shoot your cars?" And he said,
>> he said, "I'm going to shoot you.
>> How [laughter] about I SHOOT YOU? WHO IS
THIS?"
>> He said,
>> "What cars?" He said, "I haven't even
seen my cars in 20 years. I don't know
how you're going to be able to see
them."
>> And then I also asked uh uh the crown or
I said hello to the crown prince and I
also met Prince Matine who's taking care
of the collection right now. I asked him
if I can shoot the royal collection and
he told me, "Hey, let's talk later in
private."
>> Nice.
>> And then he ghosted me.
>> Yeah.
>> So that's that's common. I I went to um
uh uh Bahrain and the collection, you
know about the collection is in Bahrain,
right? Private collection. It's insane.
It's it's just, you know, aside from
having a McLaren F1 and a 993 GT1, which
there's two. He's got one. Porsche's got
the other one. Um it's it's just got
everything there is. And the son, Mo,
Muhammad, but Mo is now running it. The
dad started it and just lost interest.
just got into horses. Like I want to go
win the Kentucky Derby. Enough with the
cars. And so now like the I think he's
like probably 32 now. The Sun's running
it. And it's it's wild. Like how do you
lose interest? But that's exactly what
happened with the brollet. You know, a
lot of people are telling me like, hey,
maybe you'll be able to see it one day.
But I think to myself, like I understand
they're embarrassed, the the royal
family, they're embarrassed that this
whole thing happened. But I told them,
look, you can change their narrative
right now. I'm here right now in your
country documenting the car culture. I
want to show that you changed car
culture forever.
>> You saved Bentley. Uh you saved I mean
the number of brands that they
single-handedly save like possibly
Ferrari is is huge.
>> Yeah. I want they kept them going.
>> Exactly. I want to show it in the best
light. Forget about all the political
stuff. Forget about everything else. I
just want to talk about the cars and I I
guess put the ball in their court and
then unar Larry is like a fixer. He's
like Ray Donovan. You brought a car for
us to look at. We're going to check that
out. We also have some questions for
you. Uh but first, let's talk about
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>> Not yet.
>> They're lovely. The new colors are a
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>> Were you driving on my bike?
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[music] Now what's the car you brought?
I brought my 1999 R34 GTR. All right,
Cameron, go down and look at this car.
It's a full hanger today cuz we've got a
lot of stuff going on. And yes, we know
there's a zinger behind us and you'll
see that on next week's show. Wow, look
at this guy.
>> Very handsome car. Tell us tell us
everything that we need to know about
this. So, this is uh I guess like that
Gran Turismo era car, right? Because
this was never meant for the US market.
Uh this was available in Japan, in the
UK, and I think in limited numbers in
Australia, a
>> little bit in Australia. Yeah. So, it
was never meant for the US shores, but
it had some kind of like aura around it,
right? Because we couldn't get it,
people wanted it.
>> The steering wheel's on the wrong side
right away. You didn't want to give
away.
>> Yes. [laughter]
I I found out about it through video
games and ever since I've always wanted
one.
>> You've got a you've got a beautiful eye
for, you know, car design, hot rotting
fashion. Just the way the license plate
is pointed down. Where where did these
wheels come from? I
>> was going to ask about those. Uh yeah,
those are Advan GT wheels.
>> You can tell Cameron, by the way, where
to put the camera and you can tell us
about any aspect of the car you want.
>> Yeah. So I I I got this a couple years
ago and I used it as my daily driver in
Japan.
>> So I left it in Japan. I took delivery
of in Japan and I drove all over Japan.
I drove about 5,000 km up and down the
main island. Uh we
>> I hear that's a really good thing to do.
>> So much fun.
>> I hear that's like the best thing to do.
Yeah.
>> Loved it. did it with my family, my
wife, and my two kids. I can't tell you
how many hours they slept in the back
seats.
>> Uh maybe the droning from the exhaust
put them to sleep. But it was cool for
me because
>> it was meant for those roads. Just like
how I say uh German cars, if you drive
in the modern autobon, it's different.
You know, you can kind of tell this is
why they were built this way.
>> Oh, they work at 160 really well.
>> Yeah. You can cruise at that speed. And
then with this, it's meant for the
Japanese roads, right? In and out of
Tokyo, um, you know, going down to
Osaka, going up north to Fukushima. It
is so much fun to drive. With that said,
I drove it as a stock vehicle, uh, that
was 25 years old for 2 years, and then I
figured, you know what, now it's going
to age out and I can actually import it
to the US. But before I import it, I'm
going to go ahead and restore it in
Japan.
>> Nice. It makes a lot more sense to
restore it in Japan versus the US
because why?
>> Well, because there's no parts here and
the the knowledge base is not here,
right? They they've had these cars since
new in Japan. So, then we took it all
the way down. Uh took everything apart.
>> It took about 6 months to rebuild.
>> Yeah. Yeah.
>> So, uh motor is pretty much brand new.
It's It's stock. It makes
>> What kind of horsepower does it make?
The motor
>> about 330 wheel horsepower.
>> And the weight of the car, do you know?
Uh, they're pretty light. Off the top of
my head, this one's kind
>> 3400.
>> 34 35 maybe. This one's the heavier one
out of the three. R32, R33, R34. They
got bigger. This is the heavier one. But
to me, it's not about the performance.
As both of you know, there's so many
cars out today that are just so much
better in every single way. But for me,
it's about the lore. It's about the
look. It's about that.
>> Can we take a look inside? Cameron, do
you want to show us?
>> You want me to pop the hood? No, not
just yet. I was going to say real quick
though, I would love to drive a refresh
one because I've driven a couple over
here and that means they're 25 years
old. Yeah. And I'm always like, yeah,
like it just feels like a a Nissan from
1999, which, you know, it's okay.
>> But so this one uh is the the launch
color, Bayside Blue, and
>> it's a beautiful blue. I was going to
say I really love the way that blue
looks. Everybody called mine fade side
blue because it sat outside in the sun
for 25 years and it was completely faded
and it almost looked like a baby blue.
>> Yeah.
>> So then once we repainted it uh it
actually became Bayside blue
>> and yeah everything was out interior
everything all new sound dentening. Um
basically a brand new 25-year-old car.
>> Wow. We did as much you want to show us
the motor. We got a second. We can do it
right now. Go ahead and walk over there.
>> Oh, these these are
>> I like driving cars with the steering
wheel on that side.
>> Except for parking garages. They're
wonderful. [snorts]
>> It's so fun because you forget and you
hang your passenger over the yellow line
a lot and they they panic. [laughter]
But it also it helps me focus. Wow, look
at the newness. Look at the newness.
>> Oh yeah, there it is.
>> It's really a handsome car. Really a
nice looking thing.
>> Big turbo inline six.
>> Yeah.
>> So, couple things that we did to it. Uh,
I took it to uh this uh shop called
Gajashida. They're in N. And they build
new parts for this car. They stamp new
metal for this vehicle. And one of the
problems with this vehicle is uh over
time when you're driving this in the
rain, it actually shoots water up into
the shock towers and the shock towers
rust from within. And that happens on
every single one of these cars,
including my car, even though it didn't
have rust anywhere else. We cut open the
shock towers on this car, and there was
a lot of rust. And I I documented this
on YouTube on the Higerty YouTube
channel. And so when you look at the
engine bay on this, it's different
because all of the engine bays from
every R34 not paint matched. It's
actually almost like a primer black.
So then when you open this, you can tell
that it got restored because it's
actually Bayside blue. So if you look at
the shock towers, they're reinforced.
They have um a lot more spot welds and
they're actually brand new stamped by
Graaja in Japan.
>> Amazing.
>> Yeah. I mean aluminum instead of steel.
>> No, they're they're still steel.
>> They're still steel. Oh wow.
>> Is that kind of like burgundy metallic
on all of these skylight? So, on the
valve cover, all of the RB26s,
the twin turbos come with that except
for one, which is the I think the MSPEC,
it comes with like a gold valve cover.
>> I drove an Mspec recently.
>> Yeah.
>> Yeah.
>> Again, it felt like an old car to me. I
was I was like, I don't get the $330,000
part.
>> And here's the crazy thing, like these
the prices, I honestly don't really care
what it's worth to me. I just want to
drive it. I mean, I sat in two hours of
LA traffic to come here.
>> Yeah.
>> Morning traffic.
>> Same.
>> And it was great. You know, the AC works
well. It's just a normal car.
>> But, of course, because of uh all the
fanfare surrounding it, it's gone up in
price like so much. I just saw one sell
for $750,000. Wow.
>> That was restored by Nismo.
>> Oh, wow.
>> Yeah.
>> Cam [snorts] can bring the camera back.
Uh,
>> before we go, our friend Giani Kabiglio,
>> who is obviously a huge fan of yours,
has five questions for [laughter] you.
>> You know, Giani?
>> No, I have no idea.
>> Giani uh handles uh Mr. Seinfeld's
collection and uh is also a good
wonderful photographer in his own right.
>> That's a collection I would love to
shoot.
>> Let's see. Let me get Let me find his
[laughter]
let let me uh find his best question
here. What do your days look like
without a camera in hand? Do you ever
enjoy cars without a photography angle?
Oh, all the time. So, I I took up uh
wheeler wheel racing. Been wheeler wheel
racing as much as I can. Um because as I
mentioned earlier, this all started with
a love for driving and a love for cars.
So, uh last year I got my wheel license
and I built a spec E30 in 1984. Uh and
um it's actually sponsored by 7-Eleven.
That car is so cool.
>> Yeah. So, the point is I wanted to kind
of pretend and make like a fake
backstory. What if 7-Eleven raced DTM
all those years ago? And that's kind of
the delivery I put together. And yeah, I
still like enjoying cars. I love
drifting. I love racing. I love doing
time attack. Um I just I guess I'm just
surrounded by cars. Benny Benihana wants
to know, "Taking as many photos as you
do, you're bound to capture some
unexpectedly hilarious moments like
comedy wildlife awards. What's the
funniest unexpected photo you've taken?
Like, you know, like the like the girl
on the roller coaster takes a seagull in
the face. Is there anything like that
that you've shot your That's hilarious.
>> I don't know. I with car stuff, there's
really It seems like there's not too
much comedy.
>> Best crash at Pikes Peak. [laughter]
>> There's a lot of that.
>> There's a lot of that.
>> You were there when uh I forget his
name, the Swedish guy in the yellow 911
went off.
>> Yes.
>> And that was that was insane. That was
the year I was there. It was like
>> Brian McMdy wants to know favorite car
he saw while in Ireland.
>> Oh, I saw
>> I'd like to know that too being an Irish
citizen myself.
>> Yeah, there are so many incredible rally
car collections in Ireland.
>> Oh wow.
>> Um actually the most amount of
>> untouched like very clean Subaru 22Bs.
>> Really?
>> Yes. Yeah. 200 R or RS200s. Uh so many
>> rally cars and also group B rally cars.
That's cuz the national speed limit 60
km an hour [laughter]
>> and because we like potatoes. And one
final comment here from Brian McCdy.
Can uh can Larry please turn down the
volume of his outro music down a notch.
The volume jump on the TV scares the
crap out of my upstairs neighbor's dog.
>> Kill the dog. [laughter]
>> Leave Larry alone. Larry, it's been a
pleasure, man. I really appreciate uh
you coming on the show. Congratulations
on all your success. Um, I love what
you're doing, uh, with the car community
and kind of making a safe space for, you
know, the passionate, uh, car world who
wants to create a little havoc and, you
know, with a with a state or or a county
endorsement. You're solving the
problems. So, when you're my lieutenant
governor and I am the governor of
California, Larry and I, we're we're
going to fix it. We're going to make
your life your car life is going to be
just fine.
>> Yeah. But Larry, how are you with sex
scandals? Yeah, don't worry.
>> We plan on having a lot.
>> Hey, forget about that. [laughter]
>> This administration.
>> No, please. We'll see you next week.
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