Car
Toyota Crown
The Toyota Crown is a fancy car that's comfortable to ride in and known for being very reliable. It's popular in Japan and is starting to catch on in other places, making it an interesting choice for people who want a nice sedan.
Concept
LA Auto Show
The LA Auto Show is a big car event in Los Angeles where car companies show off their newest models and technologies. It's a fun place for car lovers to see what's coming out in the automotive world.
Company
Singer
Singer is a company that takes old Porsche 911 cars and makes them look and drive really well, combining classic style with modern technology. They create special cars that many collectors want.
Car
Ferrari 250 GTO
The Ferrari 250 GTO is a famous sports car from the 1960s that many collectors want to own. It's very rare and can sell for a lot of money at auctions because of its history and performance.
Car
GTO
The Pontiac GTO is a famous muscle car from the 1960s that is loved for its speed and design. It's a popular choice for collectors and car fans.
Car
Toyota Paseo
The Toyota Paseo is a small, economical car that was made in the 1990s. It's known for being cheap to buy and easy on gas, which makes it a good option for people looking for a budget-friendly vehicle.
Car
Chevrolet Monte Carlo
The Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS is a sportier version of the Monte Carlo that was made in the 1980s and 1990s. It's known for being fast and stylish, making it a favorite among car lovers.
Car
Porsche 917
The Porsche 917 is a famous race car that was really fast and won many races in the past. It's known for its cool design and is very valuable to collectors, which is why people often talk about it.
Concept
Dakar Rally
The Dakar Rally is a famous race where vehicles drive long distances over tough terrain. It used to start in Paris and end in Dakar, but now it takes place in different countries, like Saudi Arabia.
Car
Land Rover Defender
The Land Rover Defender is a tough, all-terrain vehicle that can handle rough roads and outdoor adventures. It's well-known for being strong and reliable, which is why people like to talk about it when discussing off-road cars.
Car
Porsche 959
The Porsche 959 is a famous sports car from the late 1980s. It was really fast and had some cutting-edge features for its time, like all-wheel drive and a turbocharged engine.
Concept
Indy 500
The Indy 500 is a famous car race that happens every year in Indianapolis. It's known for being very exciting and has a long history, attracting a lot of fans.
Car
Myers Manx
The Myers Manx is a type of dune buggy that was popular in the 1960s. It's made of fiberglass and is designed for driving on sand and off-road trails.
Concept
24 Hours of Daytona
The 24 Hours of Daytona is a long car race that lasts for a full day. It's famous for being a tough competition where teams try to drive as many laps as possible in 24 hours.
Brand
Lamborghini
Lamborghini is a famous car brand from Italy that makes very fast and expensive sports cars. They are known for their unique and flashy designs.
Concept
Le Mans
Le Mans is a famous car race that lasts for 24 hours. Cars race around a track, and the goal is to go as far as possible in that time. It's a big deal in the racing world and has a lot of history.
Concept
Daytona racing
Daytona racing happens at a big racetrack in Florida. It's known for fast cars and is famous for races like the Daytona 500, which is a big event in car racing.
Concept
Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance
The Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance is a fancy car show where people display classic and vintage cars. It's a big event for car lovers and takes place every year in Florida.
Term
electric car
An electric car runs on electricity instead of gasoline. They are better for the environment and can save money on fuel costs.
Car
Polestar
Polestar is a brand that makes electric cars, originally part of Volvo. They focus on making fast and stylish electric vehicles.
Term
EV charging infrastructure
EV charging infrastructure means the places where you can charge electric cars. It's important for people who drive electric cars to have enough charging stations available.
Concept
Formula 1
Formula 1 is a type of car racing that features very fast cars and takes place on tracks around the world. It's popular and has a lot of fans who follow the races closely.
Brand
Jensen Button
Jenson Button is a famous British race car driver who used to compete in Formula One. He won a championship and is known for being very talented behind the wheel.
Brand
Mario Andretti
Mario Andretti is a legendary race car driver from America who has won many important races in different types of racing, including Formula One and IndyCar. He's very famous in the racing world.
Brand
Patrick Dempsey
Patrick Dempsey is an actor who is also a race car driver. He is famous for his role in a TV show called 'Grey's Anatomy' but enjoys racing cars in his free time.
Car
Toyota Celica
The Toyota Celica is a small car that was made by Toyota. It was popular for its sporty look and fun driving experience.
Term
hybrid
A hybrid car is one that uses both gas and electricity to run. This helps it save fuel and produce less pollution compared to regular cars.
Term
horsepower
Horsepower is a way to measure how powerful a car's engine is. The more horsepower a car has, the faster it can go and the better it can perform.
Term
sport mode
Sport mode is a special setting in cars that makes them respond faster when you press the gas pedal. It helps the car accelerate more quickly and can make driving feel more exciting.
Term
miles per gallon
Miles per gallon (MPG) tells you how far a car can go on one gallon of gas. The higher the number, the better the car is at using fuel, which means you'll spend less money on gas.
Car
Toyota Venza
The Toyota Venza is a type of car that is bigger than a regular car but smaller than a full-size SUV. It has more space for passengers and cargo, making it a good choice for families.
Car
289 Cobra
The 289 Cobra is a famous sports car from the 1960s that is known for being fast and fun to drive. It's a favorite among car lovers and often used in racing events.
Car
Ford Edge
The Ford Edge is a roomy SUV that's good for families and has a lot of tech features. It's comfortable to drive and has plenty of space for passengers and cargo, which is why it's often mentioned in conversations about family cars.
Car
Chevrolet Corvette
The Chevrolet Corvette is a fast and stylish sports car that many people admire. It's famous for being powerful and is often seen in car races, making it a popular topic among car enthusiasts.
LIVE
Look like a blood sausage in one of those.
I'm just saying.
Speaking of Europe.
This week on that car show,
we wrap up what was a pretty epic 2025
by planning for an even more epic 2026.
We came up with what would the ideal
car enthusiast gap year look like with events every month.
And we were very excited to discover
that at least one of us has been to most of these events.
So it was tough to choose a favorite.
And I really chose more than one favorite.
Unsurprisingly,
Ryan also just got back from another 2000 mile road trip
in the Toyota Crown Signia and he has thoughts
that and a lot more to wrap up this year on that car show.
Welcome to another cruise show.
We're back with a bit of a special agenda this week.
How's everyone doing?
Post Christmas, you know, recovery mode.
How about you guys?
Well, Ryan's clearly doing very well.
He's got a glass of red wine in his hand.
Makes me feel fine.
We're doing it wrong, Lindsay.
I know.
Clearly I didn't have iced tea.
It's not the way to go.
Right.
I just got Coke from Chick-fil-A.
But I thought this week we would do something a bit special.
There is a massive year next year in terms of car stuff to be done.
So I thought that car show should take a gap year.
But I think before we go into what that means and what that looks like,
I think we need to define what a gap year is.
So, Ryan, I think you had a pretty good definition, didn't you?
Well, I asked the Google and it said, bear with me,
had it written in front of me.
It said.
I should preface this.
I didn't have a gap year personally, right?
I mean, I didn't know what I was doing at that age.
I could have benefited from a gap year or three.
But so for those of you who don't know, when I give it the goog,
the goog replied with the purpose of a gap year is to provide an international
break for personal growth, exploration and skill building to foster maturity,
clarity and motivation, allowing individuals to gain real world experience,
clarity, clarify goals, recharge and develop crucial life slash career
skills before diving into further education or work.
It's a period for self-discovery through activities to foster a stronger
sense of purpose.
And boy, I could use all of those.
So, so Lindsay, have you done a gap year?
I have not.
That was, I think it was just starting to like the concept was just kind
of making its way to the States towards the end of my time in university.
So it was not really a thing the way it is now or common.
But you did study abroad, right?
I did.
I was in England for a semester in college.
So that was like a mini gap year.
No, we were level.
We've set the level because none of us have done a gap year yet.
Right.
So, so this is what our gap year do.
Yeah, or two.
Yeah.
An automotive gap year with a purpose to provide personal growth, exploration,
skill building, clarity and motivation, allowing us to gain real world experience.
So what I thought we'd do is we would plan our gap year as a group.
In essence, all our gap year activities need to be car related.
So what we're going to do is we're going to make some recommendations
based on the months.
I know some of these recommendations some of us have done.
So I'll ask you to share your experiences and we will plan
out that car shows gap year.
Are you guys in for this?
I'm gay.
Well, let's do it.
Awesome.
So let's take us to January.
Followed to the gap.
Yeah, don't please mind the gap as we would say in England.
Here we go.
First on the gap year international experiences is a retro mobile in Paris.
Now, Lindsay, you've been to this event.
So tell us a little bit about the event and whether you would go back.
So I would absolutely go back.
Last year was my first year.
I have gotten to know Ramal who runs the event.
And after hearing about it for many years from him, got to go last year
with my friend Lara and it is a must see event and it's a fantastic excuse
to go to Paris.
So if I had had more time, I would have gone.
I would have gotten there like the weekend before retro mobile because
it starts on a Wednesday and goes until Sunday and there is plenty
at the event to hold your attention that entire time.
Because it is a massive, massive.
It's like multiple convention halls just outside of Paris.
It's very accessible from the center of town.
You can just use the metro.
So it's super easy to be right in the center of town, get to the event,
go check it out.
And then you can also do all of the things in Paris.
But the event itself is so varied and there's so much to see.
You know, I really just had a day there and I covered a lot of ground
and got to like I got a very good sense of the event overall,
but definitely could have spent more time because it's like a combination
of SEMA and there's a live auction going on.
And then there are, you know, because there's like when we went to
the LA Auto Show and there was the area with all of the matchbox cars
and they have people with different parts and they have a lot of
different like European auction houses will bring some of the cars
that they have.
And then you've got people like, you know, the European like
got their works and singer and that kind of thing.
There are, you know, all manner of classic cars and then in another
area they had, there was a band like as part of one of the displays
and then they had people on old timey bicycles.
They had historical vehicles on display from, you know, war time.
Like it's obviously it's hard to put it into a succinct description
because there's so much to see and there's so much variety,
but cannot say enough good things about it.
And I think the really cool thing was that we ran into like a
significant number of friends from the States.
So it's the draw.
It's kind of like car week in the sense that people do travel
a long ways to get there.
And so you get to see friends from Europe and friends from the States
and like I think it's a fantastic way to kick off the gap year.
But what I didn't realize until I got there is that because it's
such a draw a lot of the auction houses will do a big European
auction in Paris before the event starts or right when the event starts.
I think RM's auction was like maybe a day or two before I got there
and then I think Christie's had one.
So there's a lot going on in Paris adjacent to the event kind of
like what happens here with some of the events where the auction
houses will do an auction in the town where the events happening
because they know everybody's already going to be there.
Ryan does that sort of thing appeal to you.
I mean you had you had me at old timey bicycles.
Right.
I mean who doesn't like a penny farthing.
I know right.
I would love to go.
I mean you know it's it's it's it sounds like a great event.
Everyone that ever known who's gone has said it's fantastic just
kind of overwhelms the senses.
Right.
Yeah.
There's probably some French way to say that that's even more impressive
but yeah it seems pretty yeah that's there you go.
It seems pretty great and I would like to go sometime.
Obviously you know it's a little tougher than you know going to
Carmel but are we going to have them on the show the organizers
at some point.
Yes that's the plan so we can hear it straight from that but
in the meantime you'll have to make do with my attempts at
describing it putting it into words.
I trust we can get three media passes.
Right.
That's retro-mobile.
Not just an excuse to drink wine and smelly eat smelly cheese.
Let's have an excuse for that.
Yeah right.
The next one on the list is Scottsdale Car Week.
So this is you know another event that is raved about by our
friend Jorge.
Right.
Have you guys heard about this event.
I have heard about it but I have not attended.
The city of love in the U.S.
Scottsdale Scottsdale.
The culture capital of the American West I you know I've
never yeah I've never been Jorge raves about it.
It's always fun to hang out with him of course I'm kind of on
the fence this year whether or not to go because I think it's
it sounds like it's primarily auction driven right and you
know it's a little more inclusive right maybe then some
of the auctions that you know say Car Week or Amelia or something.
I don't know I mean you got the good weather right it's the
time of the year when you want to go and get some sunshine and
some rays so and I mean yeah I don't know maybe this will be
the year.
Neither one of you have been right.
Correct.
Yeah I've not Lindsey does it appeal to you.
Um it was not something that I was aware of really until
last year and I would love to check it out at some point I
think at this point with it kind of coming right on the heels
of the holidays it's trickier to arrange but I would love to
visit in the near future.
Well I am planning to go at the moment so I will take one for
the team and and see what it's like and see what's going on.
You can.
Yeah I'll report back and see whether it's worth doing the next
one isn't on our list but I thought about it so me comes
have an auction in Kissimmee Florida in January the big ticket
items 250 GTO.
That white one.
They've been pimping that thing up for what two years.
Yeah it's an amazing thing.
I think it was at the last jail wasn't it Lindsey.
Possibly 250 GTO.
It's been counted in Europe.
Yeah I think it was I think it was at the advanced classics
on the green over the summer.
Quite probably.
Yeah quite probably it's a Pacific Northwest based car.
Well that would be on Shirley and it's a beautiful beautiful
car and the car is it gets taken out.
So Fred Russell who's the guy who looks after the car is to
drive on behalf of the owner and he takes it to cars and coffee
and stuff so it'll be a real shame if it sells because it
means it will leave the Pacific Northwest.
Didn't we see that during car week though at me come.
I'm not imagining that right.
I had never been to a me come auction before you know I don't
want to say grown up watching me come auctions on television
but you know I kind of did and so it's interesting to actually
go to a me come event.
Who was I with.
Was I not with you guys now.
I must have been with Michael assessor Colin Seckl.
I think was so we did go and they wouldn't let us in without
paying even though it was like an hour that auction was done
doors are going to close and now we're still to pay 20 bucks
and I had other media passes that no no everyone has to pay
so it's just kind of a different vibe and they had that white
car in the middle of the field you know but it was surrounded
by so me come is different from any other auction I've ever
been to because it's a spectrum of offerings right and so there
they had that beautiful GTO but then they had like you know
the world's best Toyota Paseo right a few cars down and and
then you know you really wanted that Monte Carlo SS you didn't
get in high school well you know there are three of them
it's such a it's such an amalgam of different types of cars
so yeah it's it's an adventure for sure but I don't know that
I'd make a point of going cross country for it.
Yeah it's interesting because last year they had Jerry
Seinfeld's 917 and that it didn't sell but then sold
privately that's right so they're getting a few big hitters
so yeah I hear Kissimmee's nice this time of year.
Yeah now I just wish to get rid of those shiny black golf
shirts they all wear they don't photograph well on television.
Well if you're listening if you could send one to Ryan
please make sure he wears it on the show that'll be his
standard that part blood sausage in one of those I'm just
saying.
Who doesn't love blood sausage.
We call it black pudding.
Oh yeah okay yeah I had to think about what you were talking
about the first and we did not really hear.
So other events in January the start of the Dakar so this
is one of the world's most famous rally races.
It used to be that it would start on New Year's Day in
Paris Paris as they say and it would drive down to Dakar
in Africa yeah but they now move around a lot and I think
it's starting in Saudi Arabia but interestingly which brand
are going to be taking a knock to their defender Land Rover
Land Rover competing this year so we wished them the best of
luck and you know obviously they got a pretty cool car to do
it in.
Super cool I'd love to attend.
I got to pay a price at the destination defender.
She's one of the official drivers so I will be very closely
but yeah Ryan I would love to go to this too so I think the
consensus is right that Karsha would love to be there.
Yeah yeah yeah Sam Allen who's the defender brand here in the
States was on a couple episodes ago if you missed it go back
but kind of got me excited about you know defenders and and
just you know that event in particular I mean that's that's
one of those epic things right like that's that's one we all
grew up seeing footage right of those races.
959 right that was right that's iconic stuff I mean yeah you
know there's the Dakar Porsche right or the Dakar or whatever
you know we want to call it I mean it's that's a it's an
those iconic events right but I think so few people get to check
that back box off right it's right you know going to the
Indy 500 or whatever but which is also a good option on the
list.
Jumping too far ahead you are jumping too far ahead with a
different one yeah speaking of course a little more
accessible yeah.
Yeah if we get a February our friend Ferdy Porsche has his
event in February the FAT ice racing the big difference year
on year is that it's moved so I think it was in your neck of
the woods Ryan.
It was it was just outside of Aspen I think Carbondale
technically but you know all the all the all the all the
merch said Aspen of course yeah I mostly went for the Porsche
party but it was it was fun I mean that was you know Aspen
is always a trip anyway right you know it's the celebs sightings
and everything else remember the year I went there really
wasn't enough snow or ice right so they had the event at a
Christmas tree farm just outside of town like I said in Carbondale
and yeah it's again it's one of those rich guy things right
like you know Paris to the car it's like you know the vast
majority of enthusiasts will never you know be able to
participate or watch you know some of these events this year
it's up in Montana yeah.
Montana yeah so I don't know that well yeah so I think last
year there were two issues one was the lack of snow and the
other one was permitting so they leased the grounds and they
couldn't permit for lots of people so it meant that they
had to push the ticket prices up yeah my understanding is that
this year they have the ability to sell multiple tickets so
it's going to become as much as Montana in February is
accessible it's going to become more accessible for the
racing and then look out for some some famous folks in cars
so I know that Jeff Swartz signed up oh there you go and
Matt Farrah is taking his Myers Manx yes okay cool yeah
it's amazing yeah so there's a there's going to be a lot of
YouTube social media stuff going on yeah yeah it'll be a scene
and it'll be heavily merchandise right a lot of puffy
jackets that kind of thing yeah I mean it's it's I think it's
less about the racing and more about the event right scene
and that kind of thing but yeah it's a cool thing you know
again it's like you know I don't know the the the the
the Myers air you know the plane boat plane and that kind
of this is just like another level different echelon of like
you know passing time and this is definitely in that category
but if you if you get to go you know it'll be great I'm sure
it'll be a blast and I'm sure the Porsche party will be fun
too so never seen a spread like the spread I saw that Porsche
party just like a conference table full of all the music
like yes you were eating sushi off of naked women or there
were people dancing around playing electric violins
there were wow I don't know it was it was yeah it was a scene
man this was a hotel takeover by Porsche right and they even
put their own heart in is that right really oh I'll never
God it's coming back to me now yeah yeah I enjoyed myself so
some of it is the memories are a little spotty but shout out
Dan McGinnis who I think we mentioned on every show I shared
a room with him he traded in a bunch of points so we stayed
at the hotel where the party was so you can fully enjoy a party
fully enjoyed you know bouncers they took we got there a
little early and so we actually saw as they went through the
whole hotel took all the artwork you know the wild horses
and the pine trees and all that down and replaced it all with
with the bespoke Porsche art which I'd never seen you know
so it was it was curated yeah and ran into a shocking amount
of people that I know crazy things so it was a good time
but I saw very little actual racing I will confess so
well it always looks like an amazing event like every time
I see the pictures you know afterwards the the FOMO is very
strong which is not always the case but yeah it just it looks
like definitely even if you only got to go once like it's
definitely something that love to attend yeah yeah shout out
Josh Fu my friend from Minneapolis I know is going and
hey if I if I can work something figure something I'll
absolutely go but Aspen was a little closer than Montana so
yeah well if you're not really into the cold what about
the warm the 24 hours of Daytona Lindsay have you done this
one I have I have been there three times yes years ago the
last time I was there I had a one-year-old with me so it
is definitely doable it's very family friendly you can you
can go the family friendly route or not but it is again
it's another one that like you really need to experience it
once in your lifetime and plan to stay up late because it's
just cool to be there and see you know as they start racing
into the night and the way that changes just the experience
and you can walk around the track and see it from you know
a lot of different angles and go up in the grandstands and
ideally if you have access you get to go into the pits and
see that and it's there again like you were talking about
different levels at the fat ice race there are people that
go and they camp in the infield at Daytona so again there's
lots of different ways to experience it and you know if
you've done a 24-hour endurance event it's it's very unique
to that type of experience like it's not like anything else
and but it's so cool you got to do it.
My spies tell me the way to do it is to do it with Lamborghini
Lamborghini have a ticket that you get put up in the hotel
which is next to the track you get golf carted to the track
you then take an elevator up to an observation level and it's
just you and the spotters for each team and you get to see
the race from a really elevated position so Lamborghini if
you're listening I'm available and willing to cover it for
that car show I've got a couple of friends you might bring
with me.
Well it's the way to do it so you've got two options there
you can go for the cold and the ice racing or you can go
for hopefully the warmth of the 24 hours which is the I guess
it's the American version of Le Mans isn't it?
Yeah yeah yeah I mean it's a 24-hour you know endurance
race yeah I mean yeah with a lot of history yeah I mean in
that track you know and you can see like when you go they
used to do part of that event the Daytona racing used to be
on the beach the actual beach at Daytona so there's a lot of
you can see the historical photographs and kind of you
know learn the history of how it has evolved in the area and
it's yeah again there's so much history like when I was at
Le Mans just you can feel it when you're there and so you
have to go and experience it but I was going to say depending
on the calendar why wouldn't you do both?
Do the cold and the warm right?
I mean is this a gap year or not?
This is our gap year we can do whatever we want.
Yeah it does seem like a lot of these events are on the east
coast though because if I look into March right Amelia which
is Amelia Island which is a concourse event and it's kind
of like the first concourse of the year right now that's
that's on the east coast in Florida and have you both been
or is it just Ryan?
Just Ryan.
And I've only been once I'm no expert we went it was a year
and a half ago two years ago two years ago this year.
You bought an electric car that is that right?
I'm bringing back to it's an RFP session for right.
Yeah in fact I had reserved a Polestar and was very
disappointed when I showed up and I got a Kia electric but
that's okay because I ended up with I guess a Polestar but
I was going to say the rest of the point is that you had to buy
the car yourself.
Yeah I was going to make it happen.
That's the place though that they just at least at the time
two years ago did not have the infrastructure for EV charging
especially when a large event is going on it just doesn't
exist and so once you get outside of was at Jacksonville
there you know and you drive you know a bit to Amelia that's
that's kind of it.
I recall there was one public charging place in the whole
town it had two lines two cords whatever it was owned by the
city it was like on the side of the city hall and they were
slow chargers so it was what I have in my garage here so I
remember waiting until one freed up and then having to park
the car and then lifting back to the hotel it was a whole thing
I thought I was being slick but as an event it's a lot of fun
it's you know there's some parallels to car week right
Monterey and that kind of thing but it's a much smaller
scale the you know the Concord the event was great it's of
course at you know the Amelia Island Golf Club I think it
is it's a Ritz Carlton if I'm not mistaken I'll fact check
that and it's it's fun but like I said it rained the whole time
we were there I'd like to go back sometime when it's oh yeah
out but it's an iconic location right it's it's definitely
one of the things you have to do once it's definitely a lot
more low key than than than car week right so there's there's
that I think it'd be a fun trip for the three of us to go
sometime I'm game yeah yeah yeah some good auction action
and that kind of thing and and a couple people have asked why
I have the CBS Sunday morning hat behind me and that's because
when I was there CBS Sunday morning were there they were
following the the school in Kansas the that went to oh
MacPherson College MacPherson MacPherson College so CBS Sunday
morning were following MacPherson College and that was the
year that they had started with the car and and brought it all
the way to Amelia to be auctioned and so it was so anyway I
ended up talking to the guys and and and they gave me the hat
which is pretty cool because you want to be no no no no no I
just talked to them off the off the you know I think they came
up to me and I looked as out of place as they did in that
auction and we kind of bonded on that they're bounded over
that you know and really nice people but yeah that's that's
my Amelia Island yeah I was down the road last year from
Amelia Island and they had a massive thunderstorm come in
on the Sunday so they brought everything forward that's
right which the net net was I was doing the Daytona 200 which
is the bike version of the it's not a 24 hour race it's you
know it's an afternoon's race but I got to the airport and
basically everyone who was anyone from Amelia had come to
the airport trying to get flights home early because there
was a thunderstorm coming in and stuff right so there were
people like Ralph Jills and people like that in the the
lounge but if you've not done the Daytona 200 it's a bike
race that is 57 laps and then the net result is the first
three bikes are within seconds of each other after that number
of laps and they have to do a pit stop and it's a great event
so yeah you could do both in theory if you wanted to yeah
and then I threw in a wild trip that we could potentially
take which would be to go to the other side of the world and
kick off the F1 season in Australia yeah that sound perfect
let's do it sign us now yeah yeah we like Australians in
Australia let's do it I've never been would love to go
sometime I think that would be a real adventure right I mean
just I don't know about like you know taking you out of the
ordinary and I think that would be killer have either of you
been convert since Netflix I have not but I feel like maybe
it's only because I haven't gone to kick off the season in
Australia so that's how I'm gonna you know that would make
me an F1 fan for life right I just think it's so funny that
all these people like F1 proclaimed fans and you know
they're only real reference point is a drama laden TV show
on Netflix which has done a great job for the sport right
they kind of think they're experts and there's so much
more to it on the street is there might be another series
gaining the Netflix spotlights soon so stay tuned
no that's all I can say watch this anyway
right now you nearly got some inside baseball but not quite
it's the it's the it's the race to be the best automotive
podcast world and I feel like we're with the the winning
tour toys yeah I think we should get Ryan's drink a couple
more glasses of red wine and I was gonna say yeah
unfortunately we're not there isn't enough of the secret
spilling juice yet but we'll get back to that like I've got
a whole Kirkland large bottle of the truth serum in the in
the house here so you need those glasses where you guys
you know I went to the doctor recently and I got my blood
tests and you know I've got to cut back somewhere so you know
if this means I'm drinking red wine instead of
I was gonna say that the choices isn't it right the choice
right you know we're the paragons are piled here that car
show that's that's that's a little bit that car show is
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Let's move on. So so far we've done January, February, March
April few different things in April and actually we get to go
on the West Coast a little bit. Long Beach Grand Prix has anyone
done that? I have. Yes. Yep. And is it a street circuit?
Yep. They so they create the circuit on the streets of Long
Beach so a lot of the streets are shut down to create the
racetrack which again it makes it a really unique event.
I think I think that's what's so interesting is when you look
at the automotive calendar across the board like the variety
of events and how different they are from each other.
You could have a truly amazing year with so many different
things and you know I think that's what makes the Long
Beach Grand Prix so cool is it's the track is built on the
streets of Long Beach and you get real real race drivers come
and do the event. It's not you know this isn't like a I don't
know what you call it but like it's a real event with real
drivers. I think Jensen Button I think was one of the drivers
last year. I know like Mario Andretti has driven there like
if you can think of a driver they've probably driven there
at some point I know Patrick Dempsey was driving years ago
when he was before you know he's getting back into it now but
when he was actively racing he drove there that's and it's
just cool because it's again like there's an infield and they
have you know funnel cake and like fried Oreos but then you
can also be up in the sweets where it's very elegant so it's
again there's a lot of variety you can have whatever level you
want and it's just cool. So yeah, I recommend it.
You know what I remember about the Long Beach Grand Prix
growing up is that they always televised it but more exciting
than the race itself was the Toyota Celica celebrity race
with like Bruce Jenner and Alfonso Ribeiro right like you
know bumping into each other and these like yeah 1988 Celicas
or whatever that sounds pretty cool.
So if they were to bring that back which cars would they use?
Like 86s right?
Yeah, could be fun.
Yeah, could be fun or it could be the car that you took on
your road trip Ryan.
Everyone in a Crown Signia celebrity race.
I'd watch.
It would be something.
Yeah, it would be more an endurance race wouldn't it?
Yeah, that car has a range of over 400 miles and it has a gas
tank I think that's 12 gallons so you do the math and that thing
that thing will go.
That's impressive.
Ryan has just come back from his holiday travels in this car
so he's got a first-hand experience of what it was like
and it sounds like it's one for the economy.
Holiday makes it sound you know more glamorous than it is.
Yeah, it was interesting you know it's not a bad car.
The problem is you know no one knows about this thing Toyota
doesn't market it as the wagon that it is instead they market
it as a crossover an SUV and I think the other thing that doesn't
quite work for me is that the Crown sedan is a lovely thing
because it offers a 340 horsepower 360 horsepower hybrid option
but the wagon the bigger heavier version only comes with the
smaller the 236 horsepower powertrain so in its in its you
know it's I'm not a big fan of hybrids outside of like the
McLaren world right and you know one has to have standards.
Yeah, you know it's it's a great car it's I drove this thing
so almost 2000 miles to Minneapolis and back with my
family. It it makes a lot of noises it groans you know it
takes some time you know entrance ramps you know on the highway
and this kind of thing all these things would have been solved
by the bigger engine which unfortunately you can't get you
know it was fine it was a good car with gas is like $2 in this
part of the country like here to Minneapolis I think I saw
as low as $1.85 for a gallon of regular gas so I don't know
that I spent $100 in gas over 2000 miles which is just
wow shocking someone will call me on that math but but you
know as far as a family cruiser it was it was good but I think
it would have been a really good car with a bigger engine.
I learned on the last day had if you engage sport mode that
solves a lot of the issues because you know it accelerates
a little more quickly you know the engine doesn't turn off at
every you know stop light this kind of thing but how can you
argue with you know 31 miles to the gallon or whatever it was
you know you know in this you know the highway the speed is
either the the speed of them is 80 miles an hour on part of
this trip so you're doing 85 or 90 or more or whatever right
so the fact that we achieve 31 miles allegedly right shot
that's right that's right yeah you know it didn't enjoy it but
it did it did do it I think you know like all these trips
sometimes you know it's less about the car and more about
the journey and this time we opted just for you know I'll
write an article for autoblog so I need different locations
for photos and this kind of thing so this time we came back
through South Dakota as opposed to Nebraska and we got to see
such wonders as the world's largest Jolly Green Giant
statue it's the the vegetable brand is is in southwestern
Minnesota so we got a picture with that we someone on
Instagram though said the other day they said America is giving
off dead dead mall vibes at the moment right and that's all
like that that was such a perfect sort of you know and
that's kind of the vibe we got the whole way back driving
across South Dakota and western Nebraska and some of these
parts of the country where you know the towns are dying and
it's just you know the towns are few and far between and and
it was just it was a it was a little tougher to find places
to take pictures right on this on this route if you can
believe it you know versus Nebraska so it was you know we
stopped at one place it was the so what is this memorial on
the side of it looks like a war memorial or something from
like you know post Soviet Russia or something you know and
it was a a giant memorial because in 1974 this small town
where we had stopped was the was the location of the world
plowing championship who knew I guess so I got a picture of
that but you know it was just it was you forget that there's
a whole world outside of Los Angeles or Seattle or even Denver
right right most people you know are living a life that is
is very different from the ones we live in the cars and all
that so it was a real sort of really brought me back down
to earth both the car and the journey so yes and some niggling
small things about this car a lot of wind noise from the
windows at higher speeds the engine will get you there but
it just doesn't sound like it's you know enjoying the process
a lot of groans and and just things turning on and off and
that kind of thing what else seats are really comfortable I
got to give to it a ton of credit for improving seats a
generation ago I could not get comfortable in any Toyota
seat I know that they've put a lot of money into making better
seating and it shows I think maybe my biggest disappointment
about the car was the ride we had stopped at you know Costco
you know with the car had that the back hatch full of groceries
and you hit a bump and it like all the groceries like levitate
for a second the down it was just the damping or whatever
just seemed yeah yeah you know just I haven't yeah well I
hadn't experienced that the car in years right I mean most
cars now are pretty button down even if they have a hard
ride but you know that that was and then there's one section
of I-80 in northeastern Colorado if any of you listening
travel this you know where it is it's near Sterling it's 20
miles from the roughest pavement you know in the
interest it's the roughest 20 miles of anything between
here in Minneapolis and that's saying something Minneapolis
is not known for good roads and there is the section 20 miles
long or so and it's almost unbearable used to be getting
the passing lane and kind of hang out there if you had to
and it was a little smoother but now they're both really rough
and what I thought was interesting was four weeks ago
for Thanksgiving we had this Genesis GV 70 which I really
enjoyed in that ride and it's not the best riding car in
the world but we thought they had repaired that stretch of
road because we didn't feel the bumps at all and then the
Toyota it was just bone rattling and so I don't know if
that means the Toyota doesn't have a great ride or the
Genesis had an exceptionally good ride but that was something
else you know but it's a good looking thing I've heard this
car described as like a Lexus on a budget it is not it doesn't
have that refined driving experience what it really is
is it's the replacement for the Toyota Venza if you remember
if you remember yeah if you remember the Venza so the
Crown sedan effectively replaced the Avalon and this
replaced the Venza and so you know it's it's it's got a bit
of an identity crisis that said I think if they marketed it
as a wagon get a lot more attention I don't think most
people know this car existed it wasn't until we went to the
LA Auto Show and we saw a very sleek black one that caught
our eye so a good car I think it's probably the right car
for a lot of a lot of people but it doesn't have an
enthusiast bone in its body right and you know the three
of us we kind of come at this from a different angle than
most people right but I gotta see again you cannot argue with
31 miles to the gallon over a 2000 mile trip on you know
85 you know 90 mile per hour you know highways and this kind
of thing it you know decent JBL stereo yeah Apple Play all
the all the you know the mod cons it's just it's it's it's
it's it's it's perfect at what it is but it's figuring out
what it is if that makes sense. Well thank you Ryan for taking
one for the team so we didn't have to try it. You've tried it
on Avalon. I wanted to share an anecdote because I posted
last week your comment on my Instagram about the Genesis
and one of my followers Henry said we used to have them as
company cars when I worked for a large scale car dealership
and we used to call them Korean Bentley's so the Genesis
would forever be known as the Korean Bentley. I love it.
I like it kind of works. It's kind of what it is. It's kind
of what it is and I I kept thinking you know that that GV
70 had had the big motor had 360 horsepower whatever it was
at the six but they also make a four cylinder that still I
think makes more power than this Toyota and probably would
have not been too far off and let it go and let it go. You've
done it. Move on. Let it go. Let's get back to the event
schedule because there's a lot. I think our gap here is going
pretty well so far. Right. So so far we've been in front.
We've been to Paris. We've potentially been to Saudi Arabia.
We've been to Montana. We've been to Florida. We've been to
Melbourne in Australia. Right. We've been to Long Beach.
How about the Cali? Yeah. The Cali Mille. Have you guys heard
of this event? Oh yeah. The Cal Mille. Yep. Yeah. Have we done
it? I have not but it is on my list. It looks incredible.
So this is a classic car rally in California hosted by
Haggerty and are there any prerequisites to bring a car?
Do you know? I think it's 58 and older if I'm not mistaken.
It was Derek Tam Scott and Tatsuo Otis who had just had done
it and they were sort of comparing contrasting to the
Grand Colorado Grand which is probably its closest sort of
analog but apparently it's much more A to A than A to B
for better or worse. Can you explain what you mean by that?
Yeah. So the Grand we go from town to town for the most part.
Not always but for the most part and from the way Derek and Tatsuo
described it. It seemed to be much more tighter roads, twisty
roads but maybe more from you start and stop in the same
place. You spend the night in the same place kind of thing but
it's supposed to be wonderful. I mean everything Haggerty does
is top notch and all that. Haggerty also sponsors the
Colorado Grand but Haggerty runs the Cal Mille right? So I'd
love to do it. I mean I adore the Colorado Grand. I won't shut
up about it and I think this is probably you know the closest
sort of thing and with different terrain and geography and
all that so I would absolutely love to do the event if you're
listening. Lindsey what would you want to do it in?
I would do it in a 289 Cobra. There you go.
There we go. Default. That's pretty standard. Yeah.
They're gonna be shocked with that answer. I think that car
would be really suited to the roads that they do and you
know I had the chance to work on some of the some of the
elements of that event when I was working with the events
team for Haggerty. So I know kind of the thought and care
that goes into it and for those that know Dave Hoard, he
works with them and puts together the actual route and
like Dave is a perfectionist and he loves driving and he's a
true enthusiast so I know you know whatever he puts together
their spectacular drives and then the level of you know
accommodation and the food and all of that like I feel like
every year after the event everybody says like they've
they've somehow surpassed what they've done in the past
years which we didn't think was possible because it's such a
lovely event. So it just it just looks magical and the
plan like yeah it's definitely on my list of goals to do that
one day or automotive bucket list I guess you could say.
Nice. We've got another one to do. So it's good to we've got
the balance now of East Coast and West Coast. In May one of
the Triple Crown the Indy 500 and Ryan I think you grew up
in Indy didn't you? I did never actually went to the race
but every year we'd go to the time trials. What's that mean from
Game of Thrones which is going shame, shame, shame.
Well you have to remember the Indy 500 of the 80s right when
I was a kid I think was a very the crowds they drew I think
were probably you know they still draw giant crowds but I
think they were the crowds are twice as big as they are now
right they had this snake pit it was a whole thing a parade
downtown you know I remember seeing David Hasselhoff who was
the parade. Was he the Grand Marshal? The Grand Marshal
that's what that's what you know so it was a big big deal
probably a bigger deal then even than it is now that said
I've never been to the actual race but we go every year for
time trials and that kind of thing and we were on a budget
right family of four kind of thing and and I just I thought
it was great I mean that's one of those you know top five
automotive you know motorsports events right I mean I think
by anyone's you know reasoning and you know it's Jim
Neighbors used to you know Gomer Pyle used to sing for like
50-60 years he's saying the the National Anthem or whatever
it was or no it was the it was back home again in Indiana
is what it was he'd sing that it was it was an event right I
mean it was you know. How does that go Ryan?
Like I also don't know the word. Maybe I'll add it oh I know
the words but you want to hear me sing it. This thing is ever
living hard out too. Lindsey have you been to this one and
have you sung the Indiana song? No and not yet. Don't worry
Dan the counting crows will sing it on some you know. Let's do
holiday karaoke and you know what up. So that's the Indy 500
and then if you want to bring some sophistication to the
month. Right. Villa Let's Day which is definitely a bucket list
item but have you guys done this one? No I just keep living
vicariously through my friends like Laura and Johnny and
Bassum and just gobbling up their pictures when they go
because it just looks like another you know magical bucket
list event. I mean the setting itself is just absolutely stunning
and then the cars that it attracts and again that's another
one that people travel from all over the world to be there
for. I think that's the one that Spike always jokes about
when he went and somebody said what are you doing here?
So that's can you imagine if we went? Right that tells me the
level of I think we have we may have a little more work to
do is what I'm hearing. I gotta say hearing me recognize.
Yeah. We got this is on the side of like God all right. I
believe. I don't know that's just proof I shouldn't be there.
I have a lot of research department. I would have said like
Elmo but I may be wrong. Yeah I would have said to but it's
definitely that calf who I think is like the coolest dude in
Italy. He goes every year. He talks it up. He makes it look
really good. Of course he drives his like Kuntas down or
whatever from the UK wouldn't quite be the same experience
rolling up in a you know Seat or something but you know I
want to talk to you guys are right. Like Komo. Every now
and then there we go. There's a great video every year on the
Dakar. So you know not that we are forever promoting other
people's YouTube channels but yeah check it out. It's my
favorite story about Villa d'Este is when they landed the
Myers Manx plane. Yeah. How cool is that pretty much the
definition of cool that a you own among other things the
Myers Manx company that B you have your own airline called
Manx air. I think it is or make your ways right and that that
plane is a plane that can land on Lake Como and it's just I
mean you guys saw the video a couple of years ago Jay Leno
there's a glass sort of secondary cockpit in the nose of
the plane. You know that you can open as you land and then I
guess I don't know you know dive into the lake or something
right when you land but come on. I mean that's kind of let's
that's kind of quintessential cool right there. Let's go on
to June. June. Yeah. It's been an amazing year so far. It's
has one of our favorite events of the year and you only do it
right if you do it with a dice D and it's a pike's peak.
That's true. That's the one. That's the one. Yeah. Yeah. They
are the royal family. No wait Dan you came here. We and yeah
that's yeah that's right. We did that one together as the hill
climb event in Colorado. It goes up to just over 14,000 feet.
It's an all day event. You have a couple of options. You either
go and you position yourself at the bottom of the start finish
and you get to see all the cars as they start and leave the
race or you position yourself halfway at the mountain. You
get better views but you're stuck there all day and we went
and lessons were learned. The first lesson was you don't need
to be up at 3am in order to get on the mountain.
I think we're first in line. We were first in line. We were
the first to fall asleep in the car on the mountain but we
thought we were playing the system whatever because we had
press passes we were able to get on the mountain early but
actually give us a lot of value today.
I have a soft spot for pikes peak. It's run by wonderful people.
It's a really neat event with crazy history and I mean there's
really just nothing else like it and I think driving it would
be an experience of a lifetime. Shut up John Lieberman.
I mean that takes you know it takes balls you know that said
it's not the easiest thing to spectate right and you know
so I don't feel compelled to go every year because of that
but that's one of those you got to go once check it off you
know your list.
But it's it's it's it's it's a commitment to your point Dan
because you spend the whole day there. There's not a lot in
the way of facilities and that kind of thing. You don't know
what the weather is going to do. Sometimes you know I think
like this last year they they you know they think they only
did the first stage of three or four stages whatever it is
you know so there's so many unknowns and like variables
and all that and so it's I think it's really hard to get like
the perfect pike speak experience.
That said it's one of those things I think I take for granted
because it's in my backyard.
You know and people travel from all over the world to go.
But yeah it's it's it's one of those legendary motor sports
events that you got to see once right now.
And Lindsay you nearly came with us one year right.
But I think that was probably common sense knowing that we
were going to do it wrong but then we did it right just to
balance it out. We started off a bit rough but then we got
there but would you go.
Oh absolutely especially now that you guys have learned all
the lessons.
Yeah the hard way right.
I'm doing it for the edge for the edge. Yeah.
I was in the trunk was not that the trunk.
The wind was coming in.
Comfortable cosy sleeping.
Yeah that was that commercial that the Ford Edge has been
missing.
Exactly.
You're listening for it.
The best memories right.
And there's their tail right.
Yeah yeah exactly.
We won't talk about the great camera incident of that here.
But you didn't get on.
We were still early because we've on that tells you how much
too early you were.
So Le Mans Le Mans is a pilgrimage it is we talked about
the Indy 500 being one of the triple crown Le Mans is another
one of the three triple crown events.
I think Lindsay you were the most recent to be there from all
of us you were eating ice cream with Chris Harris.
Jim Farley Jim Farley what was the what was the experience
like for you last year.
I mean it was again like one of those once in a lifetime like
it was just tremendous because it's you know and I've said
this before but you there's so much history and energy there
even before the crowd got there because of the races that
have happened and and the you know there have been some big
tragedies there there have been some amazing triumphs there.
The you know so many of the big names have raced there and
I think you know there's all these kind of like pivotal
moments and I'm blanking on the driver of course but the
driver who they used to do the running start and they would
have to run to the car and get in and you know the legend is
like oh and they wouldn't the safety belts wouldn't be on
until the first lap was completed and there was a driver
who protested and he said this is crazy like we're we're not
even being able to use the safety equipment that's in there
for us so he walked to his car and buckled in and took off
and ended up placing in the race and you know my apologies
that of course I'm blanking this is too tired from Christmas
and all of it but you know and obviously the Mercedes crash
that happened and then just shall be winning that right
there shall be you know and then going back in 2017 and winning
again and you know 50 years after the first time and so
there's just there's so much history that has happened there
and then you know because it is a pilgrimage so many of the
people like you go you go to a lot of trouble to be there
and people come all over the world you know we parked on
the second day next to a restaurateur who had driven over
from England I think that morning and you know there's
people from the States all over and just all over the world
so it's this amazing melting pot of a crowd who are all
there you know again it's like we talk about this cars are the
common ground that kind of bring us all together and this is
a pretty spectacular bringing together and then the ferris
wheels like you can go up in the ferris wheel and watch the
race so it's just again it's such a unique experience because
Dan when were you there?
I was there I think it was 2006 I think but it's interesting
because it was the same year that Corvette won and Bruce
Meyer has that car so what was quite cool is I was in the
stands watching that car win and now Bruce has it so
right and now it's very close to you.
Yeah, I mean in the pantheon of motorsports events that's got
to be pretty close to the top right.
Oh, it's definitely one.
Yeah, I think so.
Yeah, I think so.
I mean it's the triple crown isn't it right?
That's what you've got to think about.
Yeah, and for me Monaco doesn't do anything for me like I
think that's a place where you go to be seen you don't go to
see the racing.
Yeah, that's not on the list.
Yeah, it's either for me it's either the Indy 500 which I'm
yet to experience all in one which I have.
Yeah, well someone else who's yet to experience the 500 so
that's so many times.
Yeah, but that would be an easy one.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, get a super eight in Indianapolis to be
a cheap, you know, cheap party.
That'd be fun.
I think that's near anything though, you know, like I grew
up not far from Disneyland and people would say like, oh, I
bet you went all the time and I'm like, we went a couple of
times like it's you know, you get jaded to whatever you're
growing up next to I think it's true and it's in your doorstep.
So the recommendation is that you stay in Europe after the
mall and in July you go to the Goodwood Festival of Speed and
you guys have or haven't done it.
I have not done the Festival of Speed but you have, correct?
Yes, I went two years ago.
I think the top tips with the Festival of Speed is it's an
amazing event.
It's a hill climb with lots of manufacturers there releasing
cars.
It is so incredibly busy.
So the first tip is go on the first day if you can, which is
the quieter day of the weekend.
Second tip is just get some grandstand tickets or get some
sort of access.
I was super lucky because I had a driver's medallion which got
me into the driver's lounges and stuff like the Americans
don't seem to have a word for black.
It's like, like, cajole maybe.
I managed to cajole a driver's pass.
Wrangled?
But even what was that?
I think probably the equivalent would be you wrangled one or?
Wrangled, yeah, but no horses were involved.
No.
But yeah, you've got to do it like with a grandstand seat I
think.
And the other tip is don't just stay at the bottom of the hill.
There's a rally stage at the top of the hill and that's where
a lot of like heroes, idols hang out.
So when we were up there, Andreas Prennigud was up there.
Travis Pastrana was up there.
Macrae's, so some of the Macrae family were up there.
So it's a separate rally stage and separate events.
You don't need a different ticket.
You just take the truck up there.
They do a tractor with like the pulls the trailer and you get
on that and you go up to the top of the hill.
So get good access.
A hayride.
There we go.
Get good access.
Go early on the Thursday if you can and allow for extra time
because it's going to be freaking busy, but it's a great
event.
It's up there for me.
I've never been.
I want to do that of course.
And you know, it's the other good event.
Yeah.
The revival revival.
Revival.
Revival.
Can't you know?
That's the one or two.
Don't have on this list, but we can talk about that.
Yeah.
You know, my buckets getting bigger.
Older, you know, it's time to check off.
Good job.
You're doing a gap here.
Isn't it really?
This is the solution to everything, right?
Yeah.
So I was thinking while you're in the UK, one thing that I am
desperate to do is something called the North Coast 500.
In essence, what that is is that is a 500 mile drive around
the outskirts of Scotland.
That sounds like you know, you can't guarantee good
weather in the UK, but I guess July is as best as any.
Yeah.
So take yourself up to Scotland and do that trip.
I believe there's lots of disclosures on the way.
So I know you've converted to wine and it's probably not
very good for wine up there, but maybe you can like when
you're on vacation, it doesn't count.
Yeah.
You can get it on the list.
Yeah.
Because I've gotten our YouTube videos, right?
You know, travel, you know, writers, you know, YouTubers,
but it looks awesome.
We'd love to do it sometime.
Check it out.
It's called the North Coast 500.
Then we move into August and really there's only one event
that, you know, anyone should be out in August, right?
It's the La Jolla Concourse.
No, it's not.
It's Monterey-Cowie.
No, there's nothing wrong with the La Jolla Concourse.
San Bernardino Concourse.
Show and Shine.
Yeah, that's...
San Bernardino Show and Shine.
You can't miss that there.
I love San Bernardino.
Your local Sonic burger.
It's a new t-shirt, isn't it?
Yeah.
San Bernardino Show and Shine.
Yeah.
So, Car Week, we've all done it.
We've all been there.
I think it's getting a bad rep lately, but I'm not sure
that's deserved.
Right.
Favorite memories from Car Week?
Any year.
How much time do you have?
Yeah, not that much, Lindsay.
Right, I know.
It's just a mothership, you know?
It is.
I would say when we got to commentate the races a couple
of years ago, that was pretty incredible.
Like, I don't know that we'll ever top that.
That was just so that folks are aware.
Laguna Seca kindly gave us press passes for the weekend.
And then they asked us that the sort of 11th hour, would we
be interested in commentating on some of the races?
They had a professional commentator, but wanted some
support and who are us to stand in the way of a great
opportunity.
So you guys were live on YouTube to 40,000 people.
Yeah, we got to hang out with Jonathan Green, who is
such a pro and just chat with him.
And I will never forget walking into the booth, you
know, and definitely having like the worst case of
imposter syndrome and he's just such a pro and he was
like, we're just going to talk.
I'm so glad you guys are here.
We're going to have a good time.
No stress.
We're just going to have a conversation.
And it was like, this is just so much fun.
And he's so cool.
Yeah.
So that was definitely, you know, peak memory.
Well, especially because the race that I did, I got to
commentate it with Jonathan and my dad and my dad looked
at me and he said, you know, if you had told me the first
time that we came to the races, which really it wasn't
car week, even at that point, it was in 1997 and it was
really just the vintage races and pebble and quail.
And it's obviously developed into this, you know, week to
10 day long event at this point.
But he said, yeah, if you had told me when we first came
up here that at one point we would be in the broadcast
booth, I would have said you were nuts.
And here we are.
Yeah, that it was special.
It really was.
I still my mind's blown that that actually happened.
And it was thanks to you and Alicia Bousa, who was there
at the time.
It's your point.
I wasn't going to say no, right?
No.
And you know, you know, like of the three of us, I'm probably
know the least about motorsport, right?
You know, it's just how it is.
I'm a Canyon guy, right?
You know, I mean, I just kind of come at it from a different
angle and racing is a huge part of, yeah, you know, and
that's fine.
But I, but then you're at Laguna Seca and you're going
to commentate a race.
And then I found out it was F one cars of the Andretti era
or something, which I have all the cars.
I probably knew the least, right?
What a nice slice of motorsport.
Yeah, I just don't want to embarrass myself, right?
I just didn't want to embarrass myself and I don't think I
did.
I tried to get a couple of jokes and I remember that and
you know, you're taking a risk because you don't know if
they're going to hit or fall flat or whatever.
But it was such that was, that's in my, you know, that's
one of those experiences.
I'll never forget.
It was truly special.
I'll never do it again.
I'll never want to do it again.
I'm so glad that I did it.
It was really, really cool.
Have you, have you, so have you ever like looked up the the
footage like on YouTube or never to find out?
Oh, I've listened to it.
Have you?
Oh yeah.
I'm in my whole family.
What do you, what do you sound like?
Come on.
In the race, I, I commentated had Jensen and some real notable
people in it too.
Right?
Yeah.
So, you know, it was, I don't remember anymore.
McLaren's Jack Brown and, and I think our Ford friend was
there as well.
Wasn't he driving?
Mr. Folly?
Maybe Jensen was there.
Yeah, it was just, it was, yeah, I don't even remember.
It was a blur, but it was amazing.
It was a good blur though.
We talk about the things, you know, that we've gotten to do
because of this show and, you know, previous things that
we've done and it's hard to believe the things we've
resolved our way into.
Right.
That's one of them.
Yeah.
Anyway, yeah, car week is, if only make him had known that
week.
We're kind of a big deal at Laguna's.
I can make him.
I know, I know.
Apparently my commentating.
Old Batmobiles, you know, isn't enough.
That was just one highlight.
I mean, we could go do a whole show on car week, couldn't
we, but you know, we have both of you.
Indeed, both of you, if you're going out of your comfort zones
and, you know, stepping up and being on the mic.
So yeah, and take a listen to the shows that we've done
around car week because there's a lot more experiences,
but we probably need to move on.
Right.
September, nothing happens in September, does it?
That's the quiet one.
I can see Brian getting redder and redder.
Well, and so we could, you could choose to stay in the
States or you could go to Europe because you could create
at least a couple weeks in England because they have
the Hampton court concor, which may not be the official
name of it, but something happens in Hampton court.
I believe it's a concor and that's the week before the
Goodwood revival.
And I feel like then there's something in Paris after that
maybe or there are multiple events that you could string
together where you so inclined and have quite a European
vacation or you could go to Colorado and do the grand.
Which I guess we talk about this is like a, you know, a
fantastical like grant, you know, a gap year, but there is
a whole circuit of people who does, who do, there's a whole
circuit of people who do every one of these events pretty
much every year, right?
That is their life.
They bounce around from auction to event to race to, you
know, there's a, there is a strata of people who do just
these things and, you know, and a more power to them.
But, but the Colorado grant is people like us that, you
know, counterbalance those people, right?
But also if you look at it, right?
A lot of us have done a lot of things on this list already.
So, yeah, we've, we're doing pretty good, I think.
We are.
I would say we're doing amazing.
For me, the Colorado grant is, is a highlight that is top
some all.
That is just, it's become a very special event for me.
I made so many dear friends.
It's just something I will do until the day I die.
It is, if they'll, if they'll let me, right?
It's that.
And there, you know, could you have a better endorsement of
an event?
I think not.
I think not.
Talk about bucket list.
Right.
Yeah.
Literally.
Yeah.
No, I, yeah, it's, I know I have really enjoyed hearing you
talk about the event and it's clearly very special and the
group of people that do it.
And I love that the event gives back to the communities
that you visit.
So it's not just, you know, just a car event.
I think it really makes a meaningful difference for a lot
of the little towns in Colorado and around.
And it just, you know, and we've gotten to know Tom who runs
it at car week and he's just such a nice guy.
And, uh, yeah, like I would love to participate in some way
in the near future.
That will be, yes.
I think that's what we need to make happen.
Yep.
Well, add it to the list of goals.
Nice.
Uh, no slowing down in October, go to Atlanta and go to
Petite Lamont.
Um, have either of you done this event?
Not yet.
No, it's kind of like another endurance race, isn't it?
Yeah.
Um, but road Atlanta is supposed to be an amazing track.
Yeah, it's supposed to be a great place for, you know, for
watching.
Uh, so I think it's on the bucket list.
Yeah.
For sure.
Um, and then we go to November is there's a Grand Prix in
Vegas and if anyone knows how to put a Grand Prix on and make
it a show, it's Vegas.
Uh, it'll obviously be in its fourth year next year.
Um, and you know, the first year, it had a few challenges.
First year, I had a few challenges, uh, which will be
a, a Patreon show at some point in the future when I can talk
about me being the reason that there is a cement line on the
start, finish straight on the very first race of, uh, I think
I can talk about it.
Do they call it the Dan killing memorial stripe or something?
I think you do.
This was a cement strike and it was exactly proportioned to the
vehicle I was driving.
Uh, but we will talk about that in a future show and, uh, but it's
a great event.
Um, it's a great show.
It's always a great weekend.
They are learning as they're putting it on.
So the first year it was on very, very late.
I think they were trying to get European audiences, but now
they've kind of dialed that back.
It's a Saturday night race.
Um, any interest?
I know that the dice, he's went this year and had a great time.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Oh, that's awesome.
I would love to go.
I'm not a big guy, but I'd love to go.
Yeah.
Yeah.
I hate Vegas with a passion.
I just like, it's just, just everything that I don't like in
one.
Yeah.
Yeah.
I've come with you Dan.
Yeah.
And I can bear it for 48 hours, but I, you know, I won out at
that point.
Um, yeah.
But, uh, to go, go for the grand prix.
Um, the top tip here is go hang out at the wind because
that's where all the team principals and all the, uh, all
the drivers stay.
Um, so go do some people watching in the wind.
If you guys get the chance, shout out to Larry Chen.
Larry, uh, got involved with a Mercedes video this year and
it's a Mercedes video featuring George Russell as a, um, a
valet and, uh, who's that good looking formula one film guy?
Uh, Brad Pitt.
So Larry did the photography for this video.
He didn't do the videography, but he did do the photography.
Okay.
And he said it was very similar to the old days of Hoonigan
where you would shoot from seven at night till seven in
the morning, but he's just posted a YouTube video on this and
it looks really good.
It looks, you know, cute.
He's got some great pictures of both George Russell, a car
being, and this is a prototype car, uh, being drifted.
And of course, Mr.
Pitts, which I would imagine that's the easiest part of his
job because it's probably very difficult to get a bad picture
of Brad Pitt.
I would guess it's a bit like trying to shoot rice.
It's very difficult to get it wrong.
What's that?
A PayPal hundred dollars has just come in from right now.
You know, I'm a Venmo guy.
That's a Vegas Grand Prix.
Uh, maybe we should do that this year.
This coming year.
Yeah.
Yeah.
That would be amazing.
That are the Volkswagen show.
That actually I was going to say, I realized there's one more
event in October and it's a mass, what has become a massive
Volkswagen show called one crazy weekend.
And what reminded me was when we were there at the beginning
of October, they were already starting to set up for the
Grand Prix, even though it was several weeks out at that
point, because it is a massive undertaking.
So go for one crazy weekend.
Stay for the Grand Prix.
But that's probably way too much Vegas for a lot of people.
Definitely.
But then you know what I want to do and then go on.
I was going to say, uh, I hear there's one place that you can
watch the race, uh, unencumbered and for free.
And that's by taking that escalator up and down and up
and down and up.
Have you seen this?
So there's one place.
Yeah.
There's you.
Like moving you along public.
I don't know.
I like it.
Yeah.
I nominate Ryan to attend this strategy and report back.
Right.
Right.
Anyway, there is also I need to give a call out to the win
concourse.
So this is for four or five years old, but mark my words.
That is becoming one of the biggest events of the year.
So just bear that in mind.
Our friend of the show, Justin Bell is the, uh, the emcee
for the event.
Right.
And, uh, it's becoming bigger than anyone I think realizes.
So, uh, well, I mean, this year they, yeah, it's, uh, they
did a lot of good stuff.
Unveiled new cars.
Um, so yeah, watch this space.
Yeah, it's an elegant event.
And, uh, I know I think it's a, it's a sleeper.
It's like, uh, if you know, you know, and it's a lovely event
if you've been, but yeah, I think it's definitely growing
and, uh, I hope to make it there sooner rather than later.
Yeah.
And then January, if you couldn't get to Paris, uh, retro
mobile will be coming to New York in November.
Yeah.
So it's the first time they're doing the event in New York.
Um, it could be a great, a great experience.
You know, that sort of holiday vibe plus some beautiful cars.
Yeah.
That'll be the first retro mobile in the States.
So, and they, when I was there in Paris in February, I got
to talk to Gerard and Ramon, um, and they shared a lot about
how they chose New York and they really looked at a lot
of different locations, but they wanted to make it accessible
as accessible as possible for people from the West coast
and also Europe to, you know, encourage as many people as
possible to attend and they're really excited about it.
And hopefully they will join us and tell us more about it.
Yeah.
Look forward to that.
And for December, I just put go for a drive.
Yeah.
I think it's a great way to end your gap here, isn't it?
Just decompress, get in the car and go for a drive.
And so are we, are you going to create like take a trip to
go drive somewhere or are we thinking at that point we are
tired, we want to be home.
So we're taking drives from where we live.
Yeah, I think it's use your home as your base.
Yeah.
And just going for a drive.
Yeah.
Ordinarily, December would not be a good driving month here
in Denver, but this month it actually was freakishly warm
and snowless.
Well, I guess.
Yeah.
If you guys could pick one event from the list next year,
which one would it be?
I think Ryan, we know your answer already, so you're not allowed
that one.
Yeah.
Yeah, that would be mine.
If I had to pick another one, I, you know, I really would
like to go, it's got to be one of the Goodwood events.
It's got to be right.
Yeah.
I think maybe the revival.
Well, and I think we could make the question even more
difficult by saying it has to be something that you haven't
attended already because so many of these things are so
incredible that, you know, it's, I mean, it's an impossible
question really.
Yeah.
Yeah.
I would have to say one in Z.
I know.
What if I pick one and a bonus?
So the fat ice race, because I really do want to experience
that and that's not something I've done before.
Oh, I need two bonuses.
Cal Miele and RetroMobile New York.
There we go.
It's a three-way tie.
It's nice.
Kind of amazing that three events, right?
Yeah.
No, it's kind of amazing between the three of us.
We've done almost all of them, but what about you, Dan?
Yeah.
I really have a hankering for the North case 500.
I really have a hankering for going to get in a higher car
and just drive around Scotland.
That'd be great.
Yeah, that would be amazing.
Oh, also, Villedest, there's just too many good events.
I know, I know, I know, which is an amazing problem to have,
right?
Yeah.
Yeah.
But a good burn.
Did you know it is?
I've been at a show and shine.
Meet you guys there.
We're coming.
We have probably missed lots of great, amazing events.
So an ask for our audience.
Give us a shout out.
Let us know.
Put it in the comments for the show.
Put it on the Instagram.
I'm sure we've missed stuff that is really cool.
Potentially stuff that's underground that people don't know
about yet, but let us know what we should be doing.
And we would love to hear from you guys.
Help us fill out our year so that our gap year, we are never
at home.
We're only doing five options that you can add to the list
when you ask her to pick one.
I think it's American show.
It's like having like having Brian Scott here on your show,
isn't it?
There's just so much.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Well, I think by the time this airs will be in the new year.
So we wish everyone a happy and prosperous new year.
Remember that you should always be driving driving.
And until next time, it's that car show.
About this episode
Planning the ultimate car enthusiast gap year takes center stage as the hosts discuss a packed calendar of automotive events for 2026. From the Retro Mobile in Paris to the Indy 500 and the Goodwood Festival of Speed, they share personal experiences and insights about each event. Ryan recounts his recent road trip in the Toyota Crown Signia, providing a candid review of its performance. The episode is filled with humor, anecdotes, and the camaraderie that comes from a shared passion for cars, making it a lively discussion for any automotive enthusiast.
Original notes
This week, on That Car Show, we mind our dream automotive gap year and then drive the not-quite-a-Lexus Toyota Crown Signia over the river and through the wood. Also, a pimped-out Ferrari 250 GTO, some juicy blood sausage and those hot San Bernardino nights.
Do us a favor and hit subscribe on your podcast platform of choice and tell your enthusiast friends.... 2026 is going to be amazing and we want them along for the ride. It’s That Car Show.
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That Car Show
Ryan Bahrke, Dan Pilling, Lindsey Jesch
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