Jason Cammisa and Derek Tam-Scott dive into their surprising positive impressions of the Subaru Crosstrek hybrid, challenging their usual skepticism by praising its smooth powertrain, suspension, and overall pleasant driving experience despite some quirks. They also discuss the extreme performance of the Corvette ZR1X, highlighting its record-breaking quarter-mile times and comparing it to other hypercars like the Lucid Air Sapphire. The episode blends candid car critiques with insights on hybrid tech, suspension tuning, and high-performance benchmarks.
Surprise! We’re back on the mics a few days early to discuss the new 2026 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1X, which Jason has recently driven.
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Visit http://JasonSentMe.com to get a Hagerty Guaranteed Value (TM) collector-car insurance quote!
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In this episode, Jason breaks down his experience behind the wheel while testing the ZR1X at Sonoma Raceway. Jason and Derek discuss where C8 has started and how it has progressed, and how the Corvette model lineup has stacked up until now with ZR1X at the top of the food chain.
Claimed to be “America’s Quickest Production Car”, the ZR1X claims a sub 9 second quarter mile and a sub 2 second 0-60 - with help from a LT7 V8 engine and a front-axle electric motor to generate 1,250 total AWD horsepower.
Jason and Derek also discuss the white elephant in the studio - the Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid that Jason has on loan for the week. The Cammisa Verdict is back, and Jason has recently reviewed an array of new cars including but not limited to the Cadillac Vistiq, Mazda CX-70, Alpina XB7, and many more to come…
All this and more on this week’s episode of The Carmudgeon Show.
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"... you. Some bonus Friday car imagination. Today is Corvette ZR1X day. Is that an officially recognized holid..."
The Chevrolet Corvette is a fast and sporty car made in America. The ZR1X is a special, very powerful version that people get excited about because it can go really fast and handle well on race tracks.
The Chevrolet Corvette is an iconic American sports car known for its performance and value. The ZR1X is a high-performance variant that showcases the pinnacle of Corvette engineering, often celebrated for its speed and track capabilities.
"...baru cross track bread and it showed up. I had a lucid air. So I'm back in the press car game. So I'm doing ..."
The Lucid Air is a fancy car that runs only on electricity and can go very far on a single charge. It has a lot of new technology and is made to be comfortable and fast.
The Lucid Air is a luxury electric sedan that aims to compete with high-end electric vehicles by offering long range, advanced technology, and strong performance. It represents a new wave of American electric cars.
"And, you know, when I hear a CVT do that, I'm like, oh, it's going to the power peak and it's because I've floored it and it's actually delivering peak power instead of simulating gear changes."
A CVT is a type of car transmission that doesn't have regular gears but changes smoothly to give the right power all the time.
CVT stands for Continuously Variable Transmission, a type of automatic transmission that can change seamlessly through an infinite number of effective gear ratios, unlike traditional transmissions with fixed gears.
"it's actually delivering peak power instead of simulating gear changes. Although it does simulate gear changes when you downshift down to when you use the paddles to request effectively more engine braking."
Even though a CVT doesn't have real gears, it can pretend to shift gears so it feels more like a normal car when you drive.
Simulated gear changes in CVTs are artificial steps programmed into the transmission to mimic the feel of traditional gear shifts, often used to improve driver experience.
"it does simulate gear changes when you downshift down to when you use the paddles to request effectively more engine braking."
Engine braking means using the engine to help slow down the car instead of just pressing the brakes.
Engine braking is the process of slowing a vehicle by releasing the accelerator and downshifting to use the engine's resistance to reduce speed instead of relying solely on the brakes.
"And what I like about this one is that, first of all, it's a very strong assist motor on the hybrid system. So it will actually start and move off the line quickly under electric power."
A hybrid car has both a gas engine and an electric motor to help save fuel and pollute less.
A hybrid system in a car combines a traditional internal combustion engine with an electric motor to improve fuel efficiency and reduce emissions.
"Is it a P have then? No, it's not, it's not plugged in. Yeah, but a lot of these will have it just to allow you to move around."
A plug-in hybrid is a car that can be charged by plugging it in, so it can drive farther on just electricity.
A plug-in hybrid (PHEV) is a hybrid vehicle with a larger battery that can be recharged by plugging into an external power source, allowing for longer electric-only driving ranges.
"But what I like about it is that it steps off very quickly. Flat fours, though they sound like moving dying calves, is they're perfectly balanced."
A flat-four engine has four cylinders lying flat and opposite each other, making the car handle better and run smoothly.
A flat-four engine is a type of internal combustion engine with four cylinders arranged horizontally in two banks of two cylinders opposite each other. This layout provides a low center of gravity and good balance, which improves handling and smoothness.
"it's a soft progressive bump stop. So it doesn't do the crash that some, they,"
A bump stop is like a soft cushion that stops the car's suspension from squishing too much and getting hurt. It helps keep the ride smooth and safe.
A bump stop is a suspension component designed to prevent the suspension from compressing too far and causing damage. It acts as a cushion to absorb impacts when the suspension reaches its limit.
"...t's got a lot of suspension travel, but even the range Rover that I had last week was unsettled over there. An..."
The Range Rover is a fancy SUV that can drive on rough roads and still keep you comfortable. Sometimes, it can feel a bit bumpy or shaky when the road is very uneven.
The Land Rover Range Rover is a luxury SUV known for its off-road capability combined with high-end comfort. Despite its advanced suspension system, some models can feel unsettled on rough terrain, which might be a point of discussion regarding ride quality.
".... They don't. No, not for like 20 years. No. The outback, which is a legacy. Well, it's legacy was a legac..."
The Subaru Outback is a car that’s good for families and people who like to go outside and explore. It can drive well on rough roads because it has special wheels that help it grip the ground.
The Subaru Outback is a crossover SUV derived from the Subaru Legacy platform, known for its all-wheel drive and rugged capability. It has a long history of being a practical vehicle for outdoor and family use.
"...omething like a Corolla hybrid would get 55 and a Camry hybrid would get 55 and you know, an Alantra hyb..."
The Toyota Camry is a bigger car than the Corolla and is very comfortable to drive. Its hybrid version also saves a lot of gas, making it good for everyday use.
The Toyota Camry is a midsize sedan known for its comfortable ride and strong fuel economy, especially in its hybrid form. It often competes closely with the Corolla hybrid in terms of mileage and practicality.
"...sort of normal driving when like something like a Corolla hybrid would get 55 and a Camry hybrid would get..."
The Toyota Corolla is a small, reliable car that many people buy because it doesn't use much gas. The hybrid version is even better at saving fuel, so it can go a long way without needing to fill up.
The Toyota Corolla is one of the best-selling compact cars globally, praised for its reliability and fuel efficiency. The hybrid version can achieve impressive mileage, making it a popular choice for economical daily driving.
"ever tested and which I would maintain is the world's fastest production car is the Lucid Air Sapphire. We did this time have a different Lucid Air Sapphire is this time we had the Lucid Air Sapphire with the optional Pirelli Trofeo RS tires on it."
The Lucid Air Sapphire is a very fast electric car that people can buy. It is a fancy and powerful version of the Lucid Air, which is a type of electric sedan.
The Lucid Air Sapphire is a high-performance variant of the Lucid Air electric sedan, known for its powerful electric drivetrain and luxury features. It is considered one of the fastest production electric cars in the world.
"Sapphire with the optional Pirelli Trofeo RS tires on it. Those are a factory option on that car? Yeah. This doesn't fuck around."
Pirelli Trofeo RS tires are special tires made to help cars stick to the road better when driving fast, especially on race tracks. They might not be as comfortable or last as long as normal tires.
Pirelli Trofeo RS tires are high-performance tires designed for track use and aggressive driving. They offer excellent grip and handling but may have reduced durability and comfort compared to regular street tires.
"... I think it was just probably a response to maybe Taycan Turbo S Weissach, which, you know, which comes o..."
The Porsche Taycan is a fast car that runs only on electricity instead of gas. The Turbo S Weissach is a special, very powerful version that can go really fast and handle corners well.
The Porsche Taycan is a fully electric sports sedan that combines Porsche’s performance heritage with cutting-edge electric technology. The Turbo S Weissach edition is a high-performance variant known for exceptional speed and handling.
"there are some, we got to like, when every car derates, nothing except for Porsches,"
Derating means a car loses some of its power when it gets hot or tired, so it doesn't break down. It's like when you get tired and slow down a bit.
Derating refers to the reduction in a car's power output over time or under certain conditions, such as heat or battery charge levels. This is common in many vehicles to protect components and maintain reliability.
"except for like, you know, Porsche 911s, everything starts to get slower. And at the end of the day,"
The Porsche 911 is a well-known sports car that many people love. It keeps its speed and power better than most cars, even when things get tough like during long drives or hot weather.
The Porsche 911 is a famous sports car known for its rear-engine layout and distinctive design. It has a strong reputation for performance and longevity, often maintaining power output better than many other cars under stress.
"The last lucid that we have was banging off nine ones and nine twos until it was down to 40% state of charge."
State of charge tells you how much battery power your electric car has left, like a fuel gauge for gas cars.
State of charge (SOC) is a measurement of the current battery level in electric vehicles, expressed as a percentage of the total capacity. It affects the vehicle's performance and range.
"It's actually the turbo cars that start to lose power away first than that. So I'm pretty sure that car"
Turbo cars have a special part called a turbocharger that helps the engine make more power. But when they get very hot, they can lose some of that power.
Turbo cars use turbochargers to force more air into the engine, increasing power. However, turbocharged engines can lose power when they get hot due to heat buildup affecting performance.
"did a two one to 60 every time. And this one, I did get a 2.02, which is a two second flat."
0-60 time means how fast a car can go from stopped to 60 miles per hour. People use it to see how quick a car is.
The 0-60 time measures how quickly a car can accelerate from a standstill to 60 miles per hour. It's a common performance metric used to compare acceleration capabilities of vehicles.
"The V box gives me numbers to the hundredth and the draggy. So I use a V box and a the new draggy"
Draggy is a small device that uses GPS to tell you how fast your car is going and how quickly it speeds up.
Draggy is a GPS-based performance meter that measures acceleration, speed, and other driving metrics, often used by enthusiasts to time their cars accurately.
"The V box gives me numbers to the hundredth and the draggy. So I use a V box and a the new draggy"
VBOX is a tool that uses GPS to measure how fast a car is going and how quickly it speeds up.
VBOX is a brand of GPS-based data logging devices used to measure vehicle performance metrics like acceleration, speed, and lap times with high precision.
"...Okay, so let's talk about Corvette for a second. So Stingray comes out, Stingray's got the 6.2 liter push rod V8. Nice tourer. I think it's defining characteristics are its incredible ride. It's strange proportions because it's, you know, it's got this really huge distance between the door and the rear wheels and you're sitting"
The Corvette Stingray is a fast sports car made by Chevrolet. It has a strong V8 engine and a special shape that makes it fun to drive and comfortable on the road.
The Chevrolet Corvette Stingray is a sports car known for its powerful 6.2-liter pushrod V8 engine and distinctive design. It offers a balance of performance and comfort, with a notable ride quality and unique proportions, including a long distance between the door and rear wheels.
"...So Stingray comes out, Stingray's got the 6.2 liter push rod V8. Nice tourer. I think it's defining characteristics are its incredible ride..."
This is the type of engine in the Corvette Stingray. It has eight cylinders arranged in a V shape and uses pushrods to open and close the valves. This design helps the engine be powerful and compact.
The 6.2 liter pushrod V8 is an engine configuration used in the Chevrolet Corvette Stingray. It features a pushrod valvetrain design, which is a traditional American V8 layout known for its compact size and strong low-end torque.
"really far forward. Like a 308 GT4. Exactly the same proportions as a 308 GT4. In fact, I parked them next to each other and then I did a little, did you ever see that thing I did?"
The Ferrari 308 GT4 is a classic sports car with the engine placed in the middle of the car, behind the seats. It has space for four people and was made in the 1970s.
The Ferrari 308 GT4 is a mid-engined V8 sports car produced by Ferrari in the 1970s. It features a distinctive wedge shape and was notable for its 2+2 seating layout, differing from the more common 2-seat Ferraris.
"and handling was relentless understeer and I just thought if anyone else had done this,"
Understeer happens when the car doesn't turn as much as you want because the front wheels slip a bit, making it harder to take corners.
Understeer is a handling characteristic where the front tires lose grip before the rear tires during cornering, causing the car to turn less than intended.
"mid-engine cars are difficult to make balance. If anyone else had done this, I would have been a little bit more accepting,"
Mid-engine means the car's engine is placed in the middle of the car, behind the seats, which helps the car handle better around corners.
A mid-engine layout places the engine near the center of the car, typically behind the driver but ahead of the rear axle, which can improve balance and handling.
"Fair point. Yeah, it's the Alpha Platform cars. It's the Camaro."
Alpha Platform is the basic design or frame that GM uses for some cars like the Camaro, helping them handle well on the road.
The Alpha Platform is a General Motors vehicle architecture used for front-engine, rear-wheel-drive cars like the Chevrolet Camaro, known for good chassis tuning and handling.
"been front-engined. Fair point. Yeah, it's the Alpha Platform cars. It's the Camaro. That last ATS-V was just like mind-blowing and so when C8 came out, it just wasn't. It was good. It just wasn't unnaturally amazing. I was told by the engineers, one engineer that was"
The Cadillac ATS-V is a fast and sporty version of a Cadillac car. It was known for being fun to drive but isn’t made anymore.
The Cadillac ATS-V was a high-performance version of the ATS sedan, built on GM’s Alpha platform shared with the Camaro. It was praised for its driving dynamics but was discontinued as Cadillac shifted focus to newer models.
"And basically it's in a 4-wheel drive. It was the first ever 4-wheel drive Corvette."
4-wheel drive means all four wheels of the car help it move, which makes it better at gripping the road and going fast.
4-wheel drive means the vehicle sends power to all four wheels, improving traction and acceleration, especially in slippery conditions or high-performance situations.
"...ven predominantly good. Look, I just had a Mazda CX70, which is the straight six and the straight six ..."
The Mazda CX-70 is a medium-sized SUV that has a strong engine with six cylinders in a row. It’s made to be fun to drive and comfortable for families.
The Mazda CX-70 is a midsize SUV featuring a straight-six engine, highlighting Mazda’s move towards more powerful and refined powertrains. It balances performance with Mazda’s reputation for driving enjoyment.
Term
UX
"where the cars are actually ruined by their UX. Is that a Range Rover that you have,"
UX means how easy and nice it is to use the buttons and screens in a car.
UX stands for User Experience, referring to how intuitive and pleasant it is for a driver or passenger to interact with a car's controls and features.
"...at was supposed to get real buttons and only the GTI did, which lost its fucking manual. So it's unbia..."
The Volkswagen Golf is a small car that’s easy to drive and good for everyday use. The sportier GTI version is faster but doesn’t always come with a stick shift anymore.
The Volkswagen Golf is a compact hatchback known for its practicality and driving quality. The GTI variant is sportier but recent changes have affected features like the availability of a manual transmission.
"...a sports car needing a manual and give me a Lotus Amira and all that other stuff, however, I never thoug..."
The Lotus Emira is a small, sporty car made to be fun to drive. It’s special because you can choose to drive it with a stick shift, which some people really like.
The Lotus Emira is a modern sports car that emphasizes lightweight design and driving engagement, offering a rare option for enthusiasts who want a manual transmission. It continues Lotus’s tradition of agile and driver-focused vehicles.
"...it to go. And you, it was just deeply unsettling. GTR, for example, and GTR got it right from the get ..."
The Nissan GT-R is a very fast sports car that uses special technology to help it go quickly. It can be a bit tricky to drive when going very fast.
The Nissan GT-R is a high-performance sports car known for its advanced technology and impressive speed. It has a reputation for being a thrilling yet sometimes challenging car to drive at the limit.
"...ld serve some benefit? I hope so. And here's why. Prius is a perfect example. Prius and Rev for hybrids...."
The Toyota Prius is a car that uses both gas and electricity to save fuel. It was one of the first cars to do this and is still very good at helping people use less gas.
The Toyota Prius is a pioneering hybrid vehicle that helped popularize fuel-efficient technology. It remains a benchmark for hybrid cars, known for its excellent gas mileage and practical design.
"...rid. Look, Porsche started this, right? I think, 918. So if you think about it, the ZR1 is spiritual s..."
The Porsche 918 Spyder is a very fast and special car that uses both gas and electricity to go super fast. It was one of the first cars to mix these two power types to be really quick and also save some fuel.
The Porsche 918 Spyder is a limited-production hybrid supercar that was groundbreaking for combining extreme performance with hybrid technology. It set new standards for speed and efficiency in the supercar world.
"...s outlawed. We just, I also just drove the Dodge Charger Skat Pack Daytona, which is the electric one. Da..."
The Dodge Charger is a big, strong car that looks sporty and has a powerful engine. There's a special version called the Skat Pack Daytona that might use electricity to run, showing how muscle cars are changing.
The Dodge Charger is a full-size American muscle car known for its powerful engines and aggressive styling. The Skat Pack Daytona edition, mentioned as electric, likely refers to a modern or concept variant blending muscle car heritage with new technology.
"...r two door, which is technically supposed to be a challenger. They're Dodge's naming scheme. We're not going ..."
The Dodge Challenger is a sporty car with two doors that looks like the old muscle cars. It’s made to be fast and fun to drive.
The Dodge Challenger is a two-door muscle car that shares much of its design and engineering with the Charger but emphasizes classic styling and performance. Its name and layout make it a staple in the muscle car segment.
"what you just described from our friends at Stellantis.
I make fun of that quite a bit. And that's another forthcoming episode."
Stellantis is a big car company made when two big car companies joined together. They make many different cars you might know, like Jeep and Dodge.
Stellantis is a multinational automotive manufacturing corporation formed in 2021 by the merger of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and PSA Group. It owns many well-known car brands such as Jeep, Dodge, Ram, Chrysler, Peugeot, and Fiat.
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