The discussion dives into the pressing issue of uninsured drivers in the U.S., where approximately 14-15% of drivers lack insurance. The hosts debate the implications of this on insured drivers, the financial burdens it creates, and whether the legal penalties for uninsured driving are effective or just exacerbate the problem. They explore potential solutions, including reforming civil liability laws and the idea of eliminating consequences for uninsured drivers. The episode also touches on the revival of the Packard brand and the unique approach of a new EV truck aimed at affordability and modularity.
In many ways, auto insurance works in the inverse of how other types of insurance work. I've been thinking a lot lately about car insurance; is the system just or unfair toward drivers?
"...We talked about the Packard Motor Company that two guys locally here in Ohio that were resurrecting the brand..."
Packard was a famous car company in the past that made luxury cars. They were known for their quality and style, especially in the early 1900s.
Packard Motor Company was an American luxury automobile manufacturer known for its high-quality vehicles in the early to mid-20th century. The brand is often associated with classic cars and has a rich history in automotive design and engineering.
"...they were going to make like rest-o-mod cars essentially..."
Restomod is when people take an old car and fix it up using new parts to make it work better while keeping its classic appearance. It's a way to enjoy the style of vintage cars with modern performance.
Restomod refers to a type of vehicle restoration that combines modern components with classic car designs. This often includes updating the engine, suspension, and technology while preserving the original look of the car.
"...looked to be an 80s General Motors Van Chassis, which is not unheard of."
The chassis is the main structure of a car that holds everything together, like the engine and wheels. It's important for how the car drives and handles.
A chassis is the base frame of a vehicle, which supports the body and components like the engine and suspension. It is crucial for the vehicle's structural integrity and performance.
"In sad news this week, a reliable carrier's driver was killed unloading the famous BMW M1 Andy Warhol art car for display in I believe DC."
The BMW M1 is a sports car that was made in the late 1970s and early 1980s. It's known for its unique look and was the first car made by BMW's special performance team.
The BMW M1 is a high-performance sports car produced by BMW from 1978 to 1981. It was notable for its distinctive design and was the first car to be developed by BMW's M division, which focuses on performance-oriented vehicles.
"...now those car capsules they sell the bubbles that Corvette people love. They filter the air so you have no n..."
The Chevrolet Corvette is a classic American sports car that many people love for its speed and cool looks. Owners often buy special storage containers to keep their cars safe and in great shape, showing how much they care about their vehicles.
The Chevrolet Corvette is an American sports car that has been in production since 1953, known for its performance and distinctive styling. It has a strong following among car enthusiasts, and many owners invest in special storage solutions, like air-filtering capsules, to maintain their vehicles' condition. The Corvette represents a blend of power, style, and American automotive heritage.
"...So, I think most people know which side of the political aisle I fall on, although I consistently...the cost of people not having insurance gets passed on to you already."
Car insurance helps pay for damages or injuries if you're in a car accident. It's a way to protect yourself from high costs if something goes wrong while driving.
Car insurance is a contract between a vehicle owner and an insurance company that provides financial protection against physical damage or bodily injury resulting from traffic collisions and against liability that could also arise from incidents in a vehicle.
"...eding, still speeding, whatever, less in a Nissan Altima with no tires. And the other thing that he said i..."
The Nissan Altima is a medium-sized car that people like for its comfort and good gas mileage. It's a popular choice for driving to work or for families who need a reliable car.
The Nissan Altima is a midsize sedan known for its comfortable ride, fuel efficiency, and advanced technology features. It has been a popular choice for commuters and families alike, offering a blend of practicality and performance. The Altima is often discussed for its value and reliability in the competitive sedan market.
"Ethan, you saw Marana, right? I drive a Nissan Murano."
The Nissan Murano is a type of SUV that is spacious and comfortable, making it great for families or anyone who needs extra room.
The Nissan Murano is a mid-size crossover SUV known for its stylish design and comfortable interior. It has been a popular choice for families and individuals looking for a versatile vehicle.
"Yeah, so the review one star. We purchased a new 2020 Nissan Marano Platinum from this dealer. Your first prob..."
The Nissan 200 SX is a small sports car that was popular in the 1990s because it was fun to drive and not too expensive. Many younger drivers liked it for its sporty look and the ability to customize it.
The Nissan 200 SX is a compact sports coupe that gained popularity in the 1990s for its performance and affordability. It is often discussed among car enthusiasts for its tuning potential and sporty characteristics, making it a favorite among younger drivers. The 200 SX represents Nissan's commitment to producing accessible performance vehicles.
"But unfortunately, the CVT died at less than 120,000 miles. Don't they all?"
A CVT is a special kind of automatic transmission that helps the car use fuel more efficiently and provides a smoother driving experience. It doesn't have fixed gears like regular automatic transmissions.
CVT stands for Continuously Variable Transmission, a type of automatic transmission that can change seamlessly through a continuous range of effective gear ratios. This design allows for smoother acceleration and improved fuel efficiency compared to traditional automatic transmissions.
"...years ago, the story about the woman who bought a rogue and her tires went bald after like 30,000."
The Nissan Rogue is a small SUV that many people like because it's flexible and has plenty of room for passengers and cargo. It's a good option for families who need a reliable vehicle for everyday use.
The Nissan Rogue is a compact SUV that has gained popularity for its versatility, spacious interior, and advanced safety features. It is often discussed for its practicality as a family vehicle and its balance of comfort and performance. The Rogue has been a strong contender in the competitive SUV market since its debut.
"I take care of it. Numbers matching. I'm telling you, he said he was about to say he's done"
'Numbers matching' means that the important parts of a classic car, like the engine, are the same as when it was first made. This is important for collectors because it can make the car worth more.
'Numbers matching' refers to a classic car's components, such as the engine and transmission, having the same serial numbers as the original factory specifications. This is often important for collectors as it can significantly affect the car's value and authenticity.
"I backed my Diablo up to the local Thai restaurant and one of the guys who works there has a fast model Tesla."
The Lamborghini Diablo is a supercar that was made in the 1990s and early 2000s. It has a really powerful engine and looks very flashy, which makes it popular among car enthusiasts.
The Lamborghini Diablo is a high-performance sports car that was produced from 1990 to 2001. It is known for its powerful V12 engine and striking design, making it a symbol of luxury and speed.
"and one of the guys who works there has a fast model Tesla. And I walked in and he goes,"
The Tesla Model Y is a battery-powered SUV that's popular for being eco-friendly and having a lot of cool technology. It's roomy inside and can go a long distance on a single charge, which makes it a great option for families.
The Tesla Model Y is an all-electric compact SUV that shares many components with the Model 3 sedan. It offers impressive range, advanced technology, and spacious interior, making it a popular choice among electric vehicle buyers. The Model Y is significant for its role in expanding Tesla's lineup and promoting the adoption of electric vehicles.
"There has been nothing, as far as I'm concerned, that has truly been a people's car. There have been attempts at it."
A 'people's car' is a type of vehicle that is made to be affordable and accessible for everyone, not just wealthy buyers. It's meant to be a car that many people can own and use.
The term 'people's car' refers to affordable vehicles designed for the general public, rather than luxury or high-end markets. It is often associated with the Volkswagen Beetle, which was originally conceived as an accessible car for the masses.
The Coda EV was an electric car that was supposed to be affordable, but it didn't perform well and many people found it disappointing. It was not successful and is no longer made.
The Coda EV was an electric vehicle produced by Coda Automotive, aimed at providing an affordable electric car option. However, it faced criticism for its performance and overall quality, leading to its eventual discontinuation.
"...like I would consider the Mach-E a more normal car..."
The Ford Mustang Mach-E is a new electric SUV that carries the Mustang name. It's designed to be practical while still offering good performance.
The Ford Mustang Mach-E is an all-electric SUV that combines the iconic Mustang name with modern electric vehicle technology. It offers a blend of performance and practicality, making it a popular choice among electric vehicle buyers.
"...the Model 3, those can still get pretty expensive..."
The Tesla Model 3 is a popular electric car that is smaller than the Model S. It's known for being efficient and having a lot of technology inside.
The Tesla Model 3 is a compact electric sedan known for its impressive range, performance, and advanced technology features. It has become one of the best-selling electric cars worldwide.
"Like what Rivian got a bunch of money to build this giant plant in Georgia that they don't even need..."
Rivian is a company that makes electric trucks and SUVs. They are trying to create new types of vehicles that run on electricity instead of gasoline.
Rivian is an American electric vehicle manufacturer known for its all-electric R1T pickup truck and R1S SUV. The company has gained attention for its innovative approach to electric vehicles and has received significant investments to expand its production capabilities.
"Like there's just all this money being poured into EVs."
Electric vehicles are cars that run on electricity instead of gas. They are better for the environment because they produce less pollution.
Electric vehicles (EVs) are cars that are powered entirely or partially by electricity instead of traditional gasoline or diesel fuel. They are often seen as a more environmentally friendly option due to lower emissions compared to conventional vehicles.
"...that the Mitsubishi, whatever their entry level car is that was the cheap car you could get for like $120. Diamante."
The Mitsubishi Diamante is a car that was made by Mitsubishi. It was larger than many other cars and offered a comfortable ride, often at a lower price than other luxury cars.
The Mitsubishi Diamante is a mid-size car that was produced by Mitsubishi Motors. It was known for its spacious interior and was marketed as a more affordable luxury vehicle during its production years.
"...boasting a starting price that's estimated to be around $25,000."
The starting price is the cheapest amount you can pay for a car, usually for the most basic version without extra features.
The starting price is the lowest price at which a vehicle is offered for sale, often referring to the base model without additional features or options.
"...You don't have a radio. You don't have, I think, air conditioning."
Air conditioning is a feature in cars that helps keep the inside cool and comfortable, especially when it's hot outside.
Air conditioning in vehicles is a system that cools and dehumidifies the air inside the cabin, providing comfort to passengers, especially in hot weather.
"... the brand's accessories to fit. So it's like the Cybertruck in a sense in that regard but it's simple and rel..."
The Tesla Cybertruck is a new electric truck that looks very different from regular trucks because of its sharp angles and shiny metal body. It's designed to be tough and has a lot of high-tech features, making it exciting for people who want something new.
The Tesla Cybertruck is an all-electric pickup truck known for its futuristic design and durable exoskeleton. It aims to redefine the pickup truck segment with its unique aesthetics and advanced technology, including high towing capacity and off-road capabilities. The Cybertruck has generated significant buzz due to its unconventional look and Tesla's innovative approach.
"Really, it's like the friggin Ford Model T. You can have it in any color you want as long as it's black."
The Ford Model T was one of the first cars that regular people could afford. It was made in a simple way, which helped many families buy their first car.
The Ford Model T, produced from 1908 to 1927, is often regarded as the first affordable automobile, making car ownership accessible to the masses. Its production line revolutionized manufacturing and is a significant part of automotive history.
"...they're also not trying to pretend to be something that they're not. Like Tesla, the truck is rear-wheel drive,..."
In a rear-wheel drive car, the back wheels get the power from the engine, which can make the car handle better, especially when going fast. However, it might not grip the road as well in bad weather compared to cars that send power to all four wheels.
Rear-wheel drive (RWD) is a vehicle configuration where the engine's power is sent to the rear wheels. This setup often provides better handling and acceleration, especially in sports cars, but can be less effective in slippery conditions compared to all-wheel drive.
"there's no all-wheel drive
so it's not trying to be an off-road vehicle."
All-wheel drive means that power goes to all four wheels of the car, which helps it grip the road better, especially in bad weather or rough terrain.
All-wheel drive (AWD) is a drivetrain system that provides power to all four wheels of a vehicle simultaneously, improving traction and stability on various surfaces. It's commonly found in vehicles designed for better handling in adverse weather conditions.
"It's not about how fast it can get to zero to 60,"
Zero to 60 time is how long it takes a car to go from a complete stop to going 60 miles per hour. It's a way to measure how fast a car can speed up.
Zero to 60 time refers to the duration it takes for a vehicle to accelerate from a complete stop to a speed of 60 miles per hour. This metric is often used to gauge a car's performance and acceleration capabilities.
"...It's replacing a Toyota Camry, not my Porsche."
The Toyota Camry is a popular car that many people choose because it's dependable and easy to drive. It's a good option for families and commuters.
The Toyota Camry is a mid-size sedan known for its reliability and practicality. It's one of the best-selling cars in the United States, often favored for its comfort and fuel efficiency.
"..., what is the pick of the week? It is a Honda Mix Civic. What is a Mi..."
The Honda Civic is a small car that many people trust because it's reliable and gets good gas mileage. It's often chosen as a first car for new drivers because it's easy to handle and not too expensive.
The Honda Civic is a compact car that has been a staple in the automotive market since the 1970s, known for its reliability, fuel efficiency, and practicality. It has a strong reputation among drivers and is often recommended as a great first car for new drivers. The Civic's popularity is attributed to its balance of performance, comfort, and affordability.
"my fiance was very on board with the yellow GT3, less on board with the yellow Civic Type R."
The GT3 is a special version of the Porsche 911 that is made for racing and high performance. It has better handling and a more powerful engine than regular 911s.
The Porsche 911 GT3 is a high-performance variant of the iconic 911 sports car, designed for track use with enhanced aerodynamics and a powerful naturally aspirated engine.
"But anyway, limited edition. Only made them in one color, rarer than most limited edition Porsches, if we're being honest."
A limited edition car is one that is made in a small number, making it special and often more valuable. These cars usually have unique features that you won't find in regular models.
A limited edition vehicle is produced in a restricted quantity, often featuring unique design elements or specifications that differentiate it from standard models. This exclusivity can enhance its appeal and value among collectors.
"...f the week. How have you heard of the Centro Seat 911? Is this thing back?"
The Porsche 911 is a famous sports car that's been around for a long time and is known for being really fun to drive. It's loved by car fans for its unique look and the way it handles on the road.
The Porsche 911 is a high-performance sports car that has been in production since the 1960s, renowned for its distinctive design and exceptional driving dynamics. It has become a symbol of automotive excellence and is celebrated for its engineering, performance, and heritage. The 911 is often discussed for its iconic status and continuous evolution over the decades.
"...that decided they wanted to make a tribute to the McLaren F1. So they took a 911 and moved the seat to the mid..."
The McLaren F1 is a really famous sports car from the 1990s that was super fast and had a unique design with three seats. It's often talked about because it's considered one of the best cars ever made and has influenced many newer sports cars.
The McLaren F1 is a legendary supercar produced in the 1990s, known for its innovative design and performance. It features a unique three-seat layout and was one of the fastest cars of its time, making it a significant icon in automotive history. Discussions about the F1 often revolve around its engineering excellence and influence on modern supercars.
"...ion, Jesse, her first car was a stick shift Honda Accord from like 2002. She might be more of a car enthus..."
The Honda Accord is a medium-sized car that many families like because it's reliable and has a lot of space inside. It's known for being a good choice for everyday driving and is often seen as a smart buy.
The Honda Accord is a midsize sedan that has been a popular choice among families and commuters since its introduction in the 1970s. Known for its reliability, spacious interior, and fuel efficiency, the Accord has earned a reputation as a practical and dependable vehicle. It is often discussed for its balance of comfort, performance, and value.
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Welcome back to Switchcast Season 6.
I'm your host, Doug Tabott here with my co-host, Tyler Sanders, and our international executive
producer distributor, Ethan Huffnagle.
Our technical advisor has left the room, I guess, I don't know if he went.
I'm not sure where he went, but I'm here.
Our technical advisor, Dan Doucet, is on hand with us.
Again, he will be consulting on the Patreon or sitting in on the Patreon with us.
He is a wealth of absolute nerd knowledge.
We are not.
That's why we stick to mostly stuff that's tangentially related to cars, crazy stories,
you know, intellectual debates.
We're not talking about engine codes in 1990s BMWs.
If you like that, this is not the podcast for you.
We could make stuff up for a little while, but it wouldn't last long.
The amount of times that I've been really excited about a new piece of knowledge that
I came across, and Dan's like, oh, you didn't know that?
I was like, no, I didn't.
But I know now.
Newsflash Dan didn't either.
He's just making you feel little.
That's our...
That kind of guy.
That really...
Boy, oh boy, if you enjoy this podcast and you want more of it, really all you have to do
is like, subscribe, share, leave a five-star review, leave a comment, anything that will
actually help the algorithms share it with more people so that then our sponsors will
be more supported and we can give you more of it.
This is fun, but it's not a charity, so help us out if you would.
You can also contribute directly and directly get more on patreon.com slash switchcast where
you get live interaction during the filming of the shows and bonus Patreon episodes.
Now, if we do like a pro-America Patreon, would it be like a Patreonic?
You might need to workshop that one some more.
I see where you're going.
I don't know.
There's a lot...
Folks used to love the live show and the banter and whatnot, and I think there's
a lot more of the banter happening in the Patreon stuff because it's more casual.
Okay, so let's see, Ethan, can you watch back the whole...
Is it on there like the live recording?
If you are on the Patreon, you can go back and you can watch these live streams.
So you can pretend you're there with us live if you're not available on Tuesday evenings.
Absolutely.
And people do.
Yeah.
People do.
Cool.
Love it.
Cool.
Welcome to Watch Us, which shout out to you guys.
It's awesome and we love hearing from you about that as well.
I saw an interesting car this week.
We talked about the Packard Motor Company that two guys locally here in Ohio that
were resurrecting the brand.
They had bought the rights to the brand and the manufacturing and stuff and they
had a small display store in Medina, Ohio, but they were going to make like rest-o-mod
cars essentially.
And this week, I was invited over to an undisclosed location to see a car.
It was all I was told and I was like, eh, whatever, it's a slow day, I'll go check
it out.
So I get there and it is sort of a Packard.
Well, it is the new Packard's company prototype hidden away in this dusty barn under
a tarp.
I was like, whoa, that's interesting.
I've heard about this and Myron Vernes, who had initially told us about this company
or sent us the link, or maybe we found it, but anyway, he had speculated that what
we said was a prop of the week at the time, because we thought it was a cool idea.
He said, this might be a future flop of the week.
Oh.
I think he was right.
So this was last week, I think I went out to look at the car and it was essentially
a Packard body on what looked to be an 80s General Motors Van Chassis, which is not
unheard of.
The Auburn Speedster recreations use a similar chassis.
So this, you didn't see the 1999 Packard 12 prototype that I'm looking at right now.
The blue one.
It's pretty hot.
The blue one.
No, this one's like beige.
I saw a blue one.
Okay.
I saw a blue one and it was in their showroom in Medina for a while, but it got sold off,
which is not usually a good sign, unless maybe they're getting funding for starting
actual manufacturing.
But I had a look around it and it was not particularly finished.
Okay.
There was no door handles and the door panels were velcroed on.
The reason being is you had to pull the inside door panel off in order to get to
the cable to pull the door release.
Okay.
Mm-hmm.
Okay.
There was no lights or trim or logos on the car.
The wood trim on the inside was pretty rough, but I was told that they had nearly $400,000
into this car.
Now a lot of that is probably research and development.
I was going to say, where did it go?
How to manufacture this.
Is it like a new manufactured like build thing?
Is it cobbled together parts?
Looks like I don't know where they got the body panels.
I would have assumed that maybe when they bought the rights to this company, maybe they had
a body or two left over somewhere because a body looked fairly accurate, but yeah, that
definitely didn't have a Packard motor in it, it was just GM underpinnings.
Say this article on Fox 8 from December of 2023 says that possibly by 2025 for an undisclosed
price, the Victoria could be ready for the road and a new generation of customers.
Packard isn't just about cars or hats or shirts, that's all cool stuff, but in particular
we're here for liberty and freedom says Andrews and I think Andrews is the current owner
of the Scott Andrews, the founder and CEO of Packard Motors.
So I went digging around to see if there are any updates on the company and I went to their
website and it was a fairly normal site, Packard Motors.us, this was last week and I was looking
at their stuff and then I went back to look at it and it said, sorry, the store is currently
unavailable.
So like literally since I opened the site to do research on the podcast and now their
site is no more.
So it appears that their company is no more.
The House of Packard Google Business page says permanently closed.
So yeah, well, another one bites the dust.
Small manufacturing is difficult.
In sad news this week, a reliable carrier's driver was killed unloading the famous BMW
M1 Andy Warhol art car for display in I believe DC.
Yeah, it was in DC.
The comments, however, on the articles were pretty insensitive and some really poor attempts
at humor.
I understand that some people are politically motivated to make negative comments on somebody
else's passing, but like this is a truck driver doing his job and a good truck driver
like reliable is known for hiring great people.
They run a really good operation.
So it's not one of these fly by night companies.
Even if it was, you never want to see that happen.
I just I couldn't believe what's wrong with people on the internet.
Honestly, I just well, what's wrong with people that they feel the need to take it
out on the internet.
So anyway, we love our people are reliable and our hearts go out to the entire family
of drivers there.
It's a really, really sad, sad story to hear.
On another note, less sad, thankfully, my friend Dan Krieger text me he has a new product
idea.
Who are we going to get rich?
Maybe.
I'll buy McLaren F1s.
Maybe.
Maybe.
But you can get a cross cap.
You know those car capsules they sell the bubbles that Corvette people love.
They filter the air so you have no nothing.
You can't touch the car while he thought it would be perfect if you could summer how figure
out how to make one that you could still use while you're driving.
OK.
So Corvette people could like go to car shows and never get any dust, water or anything
on their cars and protect it from people touching their cars.
It would probably look like a parade float just like scooting down the street.
I think this exists.
They're not driving, but it's really just a trailer or a flat bed.
You can just put the capsule on there and take it to the car show.
No, it's too much work.
You could just have the capsule on at all times and just move with it.
Float around jets in style.
You just have to wax your wheels.
Yeah, that's the thing.
Are the wheels still poking out from under or is there another set of wheels underneath
that the wheels inside turn is?
I don't know.
Maybe this is a project for the Packard engineer.
They seem to be bored now.
So.
Do some car bubbles.
Do some car bubbles.
Dan.
He's your neighbor.
He's not going to his door.
See what he's up to.
Get on this idea.
Get on it.
We could we could load our pockets.
Ethan definitely said move on and turn it on the cameras and stuff.
He's like, he's like, all right, boys, pack it up.
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This may or may not be a hot topic.
I think it is.
Oh boy.
Uninsured drivers.
Oh boy.
Are you buckled?
I'm buckled.
This is a very, very big problem.
Approximately 14 to 15% of drivers in the US do not have insurance.
Are you serious?
That's huge.
Massive.
Whoa.
It's massive.
So I'm sure you have looked at your policy.
You have uninsured and under-insured motorists coverage.
Yes, of course.
Right.
So that costs you money every year.
And if somebody hits you that's not insured, it will cost you more money because then
you'll have a claim on your insurance for something that wasn't your fault.
Oh boy.
Look, I'm going to put a pin in those thoughts.
We'll come back after you get off this intro because I'm ready to go.
Got problems, Doug.
Right.
So you would admit that the cost of people, we'll say choosing not to have insurance or
not being able to afford insurance is getting passed on to you.
Well, of course, because the insurance company cannot take a hit in their profits, Doug,
because insurance is absolutely a for-profit industry and that's exactly what it should
be.
Well, how do they stay in business if they're not?
You can don't need to make a profit.
They have to have money in order to pay claim.
Well, you can have money with that.
We're going to come back to that.
Right.
Just like the Catholic Church.
They don't have profits.
They're a non-profit organization, but that's also insanely rich.
Okay.
Side note, did you see the Pope condemned Tesla for the $1 billion pay plan for Elon Musk
this week?
Last week?
No, I did not.
I thought the irony there was you could cut that irony with a knife.
I'm like the organization that is the largest landowner in the world, massive, massive
reserves of cash.
The organization whose leader was gifted a million-dollar Ferrari is saying this executive
gets paid too much.
Come on.
Okay.
Back to insurance.
This is going to be a spicy episode, Ethan.
Good luck.
We don't talk about politics unless it's car-related.
Hard and fast rule.
This is car-related.
Car insurance.
So, I think most people know which side of the political aisle I fall on, although I consistently
try to confuse people in that regard because it really doesn't matter, the thoughts and
issues matter.
So I was thinking about that.
The cost of people not having insurance gets passed on to you already.
So you're essentially subsidizing them.
So why are there such stiff penalties, financial penalties anyway, for people not having insurance?
Why not just lean into it and say, okay, well, there's a reason people don't have insurance.
They can't afford it.
They can't really make their bills.
Why not just go full Obamacare in a sense, even though that was a law requiring that
people have insurance, but the effect of it was the companies and the people who
could afford it absorbed the cost for the people that couldn't.
And the negative effect was it basically skyrocketed insurance premiums everywhere and medical costs,
but I digress.
I mean, that's what's happening, isn't it?
So our costs have already skyrocketed.
Why are we continuing to legally punish the people who don't have insurance?
Why not just say, you know what, if you can't afford it, no problem.
Here's a pass because the rest of us are already absorbing the cost.
So why are we criminalizing something in a sense that shouldn't be a crime?
They're just trying to get to work and feed their families.
That's not the argument I expected you to have.
You have surprised me a little bit, but no, I think I'm not saying I believe in it.
I'm posing the question for you.
For me, well, I think that like, I think that that doesn't fix the actual problem.
What do you see as the problem?
So now you may, I'm open to being corrected here, but when you have insurance for other
things, your medical insurance, your home insurance, if something that is for, if something
happens to you physically or to your house, like, nobody has to cause that.
Something you sure.
If somebody breaks into your house or sets fire to your house, they cause it.
But their insurance doesn't pay for the stuff that happens to your house.
Well, no kidding.
Criminals don't have arson insurance.
Yeah, exactly.
Right.
You're with me.
Why is it that car insurance is the only thing that we somehow expect the offender to pay
for?
I choose my policy.
I choose my coverage.
So I want the coverage that I have picked for my vehicles.
If somebody doesn't choose coverage, that's cool.
I don't choose to get cancer from secondhand smoke.
I'm not sure if that is entirely matching my argument.
You tried, but I don't think it works.
The point I'm making is that car insurance feels backwards to all of our other insurances
because we are relying on the offender to pay rather than just covering our own stuff.
Oh, so you want, you want to be like Florida, Michigan, no fault insurance, right?
I don't think fault matters.
So potentially yes.
Because if I have insurance.
Are you aware that Florida and Michigan costs twice as much for insurance as any other
state in?
But why?
Because my, so in my, you might not a utopia, but like in my theoretical world, if you don't
have insurance, your SOL, if you get into an accident, you ran the risk of running
without insurance and you got to deal with the consequences.
If you have insurance, you're good.
But there's very little consequences if you don't have any assets, right?
So if you don't have insurance because you can't afford to, it's also likely
that you don't own your car, you don't own a house.
There's no assets for somebody to recover as a consequence of, oh, you caused me
financial harm.
So now I'm going to get justice if there is no justice.
They just walk.
Well, yeah, because my insurance would fix my car.
I'm good.
Their car would remain broken and sad because they don't have insurance and
they need to deal with the consequences of not having transportation or whatever
else comes with that.
Like I would still be good because I paid for insurance.
OK, so you agree with me that we should do away with consequences?
Or you agree with my hypotheses that you could do away with consequences,
legal consequences for people who don't have insurance?
I would say that, yeah, I mean, yeah, that's what I'm proposing
because the consequence is you're boned without a car.
Like you have to stop people, though.
Look at all the Nissan Altamas on the road, for instance.
That's true.
But like then would not would that not end this subsidization
that is happening because it wouldn't matter if somebody without insurance
got into an accident.
Economic theory would tell you that it would make it worse
because people saw that there's no consequences for not having insurance.
Nobody would have insurance unless you had assets
that you needed to protect from civil liability.
Interesting.
The other issue is that there are longer term consequences.
Now we can also say, OK, well, these don't affect
the type of people who don't have insurance anyway.
But if you don't have insurance, you can still get sued by an insurance company.
So the if I get hit by somebody who's uninsured, OK,
I will file a claim for under my uninsured motorist policy.
And then the insurance company will subrogate the legal process
against that person.
Now, they will get a default judgment, typically,
because that person is not going to defend themselves in court.
They know that there's no money worth chasing, so they'll sell it to a
debt collection company.
So that person will have a judgment.
They'll have collections against them.
They'll likely have to get on a payment plan.
So now they're in even worse financial strait.
So they definitely can't get insurance.
OK, and likely their license will get suspended.
So then they can't get their license back.
The registration will be suspended.
So they'll get pulled over by the cops again, get more fines,
get more money that they have to pay.
And these are likely lower class, poor people
that are already struggling to make ends meet.
So this this cycle of financial consequences for not having enough
money just keeps on going.
It's like the overdraft fees at the bank.
It just makes it right an existing problem way worse for what.
So there are consequences.
They just don't like all they do is keep people in a certain cycle
of why I don't have enough money for insurance.
Which I don't want.
Like I don't see that.
But that's the problem.
And why this is a difficult subject is because, you know,
if there is a legal obligation to have something like car insurance,
there should be consequences to not having it.
But if the consequences are just exacerbating the problem
that caused the lack of compliance in the first place,
like that's kind of pointless.
It's really just beating up on people
for the sake of beating up on people.
Correct.
And that's where despite my conservative leanings will say.
I do have an ounce of compassion in me.
And that's where I kept thinking, you know,
when I first saw an accident like 20 years ago
where somebody got rear ended and the person didn't have a license
and insurance and whose fault it was.
I'm like waiting for the cops to come like, yeah, throw them in jail.
They got nothing.
They just got to leave like there's no justice in this world.
But now I'm thinking about it more, going, is that justice?
But I was talking with both an insurance agent
with extensive experience, not just an insurance agent.
And he owns an insurance agency very, very wise
and an attorney in Florida who handles a lot of traffic cases,
insurance cases, stuff like that.
So Florida has the basically a no fault state,
which is not really the correct term.
It's PIP insurance, personal injury protection.
So that covers medical expenses up to a certain limit
and other related costs for you.
If you get hit or if you're in an accident,
it doesn't matter whose fault it was, your insurance covers you.
I got to say, it feels really weird in this moment to kind of like have said.
I agreed with Florida without saying I was agreeing with Florida
because Florida and I don't get along a lot of things.
Well, the problem is, is it doesn't work.
OK, OK.
So it's a quote unquote simpler procedure.
But both Florida and Michigan have the highest.
Florida is the highest, Michigan is the second highest,
highest premiums in the country by essentially double what any other state.
So why doesn't it work?
Is it the legal proceedings for the injuries to the people
rather than the damage to the car?
The reason it doesn't work in Florida at least
is the reason that the costs are so high
is because they have such a low limit.
It's ten thousand dollars.
So if you file a claim because it's not because you're not going
to another insurance company, they're not going to fight it or question it.
They just pay it.
So the lawyer explained to me that there's an entire
like medical industry of chiropractors and stuff that are just milking
this ten thousand dollar limit because they go, oh, well,
we're going to get ten thousand bucks out of it.
And the insurance companies don't fight it because it's not worth it.
And he said, contrary to like what you would think is normal logic,
if you raise that limit to like a million dollars,
then the insurance companies will fight and actually process each claim
because if there's a five thousand dollar medical bill,
the the the the practitioner is not going to try to milk it.
They're just going to say, well, you need five thousand dollars worth of care
because if they milk it too much, the insurance company is going to go back
and go, well, no, that's not what you need.
So in practice, contrary to what you would think,
is if you raise the limits, you lower the amount of fraud.
So fraud is really what is driving the cost in Florida.
For this. So it doesn't work because people are people suck.
And we can't just like everybody's got to have an edge or got to milk
or got to get a payday or something. Yes.
So using that theory, if people are going to milk a system,
if we go back to my original hypotheses and like eliminate consequences
for people with no insurance or no license, people will start milking that too.
Yeah.
Might not be worth it because anyone with like a reasonable financial standing,
whether it's net worth or good credit, you don't want to ruin either of those things.
Yeah. But I have a feeling the problem would get worse.
So what? What is the solution?
Well, somebody's already tried my solution.
Apparently doesn't work because people are sucking or trash
and can't just take what they need.
Everybody's got to try to get a payday and try to get ahead unfairly
without pulling themselves up by the bootstraps.
So the lawyer proposed a solution and.
This is what happens when you get somebody uneducated
in a subject to like come up with a solution.
I'm just I'm at least acknowledging I have stuff to learn.
I just like the thought process of this
because when I thought about it, I'm like, why are we?
Why are we penalizing?
Why are we essentially criminalizing something
that is putting people in a cycle that's repeating the cycle?
Well, and I think something I thought of, too,
and we've brought this up on the podcast before, at least I have,
that like we have become so we are so car dependent in our society
that the option doesn't exist for vast swaths of this country
to just not have a car.
Correct. We are no public transportation.
We are not England.
It's not practical for us to have ubiquitous public transportation
because that's another is maybe.
But and that's another easy option is like, well, if you can't
for whatever reason, if you don't want to pay for it,
if you can't afford it, don't have a car.
But that can't happen in the United States.
So we've like we've created this system
that causes this complex problem
that is exacerbated by people sucking.
So now we have this complicated weird insurance thing
where you got to fight and whoever's at fault and whatever.
So I'm going to make one point that's my own one point.
This was the attorneys.
I would argue that the problem is solved at a different level.
The reason insurance car insurance is unaffordable
is because of ambulance chasing attorneys,
juries and people who are greedy when they get hit.
Yeah. So they are chasing people
who have big insurance policies and or big net worths.
And any time a judgment happens or a settlement happens,
because let's be honest, the insurance companies
will more often settle a case that they could win and should win,
but will settle it because of the possibility of losing.
They're purely looking at it from a financial odds
point of view, and they're going, it is worth it for us to settle.
It's like that the briefcase game, right?
The deal or no deal. Oh, yeah.
That's women. That's how they're calculating it.
So that is what's driving up the cost.
And I read years and years ago
that the the civil lawsuits against
people for basically the lack of tort reform,
not just in car insurance, but across the board,
medical malpractice, et cetera, et cetera,
a cost the average person, I think it was $7,400 a year,
just an increased cost, whether it's packaging,
disclaimers, more lawyers on staff, bigger insurance premiums.
That was like 15 years ago.
So you've got to figure it's over $10,000 a year that we are paying
just to deal with all these lawsuits, right?
Because nobody really benefits from these.
One person might get really rich in the short term,
but they're costing everybody else long term.
And that costs not just rich people.
Like you said, the insurance companies are going to pass a cost along.
So that's why car insurance is so expensive, even for,
you know, Nissan Ultimas.
So the way to fix it on a true
like root cause holistic is this still your opinion?
Is this your idea or this is my idea?
OK, just is to have reform in the courts
with civil liability and have reasonable settlements.
Right. Like if if two people are negligent in a car crash,
one of them has, you know,
a general minimum coverage for minimum budgets
or whatever that tagline was.
And the other one has, you know, two million dollars of umbrella.
The settlements are going to be wildly different
not because of the accident or the injuries,
but because of the possible rewards that shouldn't be.
Yeah, there should be like a standardized settlement system
or something like that, that caps these that limits
what can be paid out.
Well, that would solve the cost down for people
and it would solve my people sucking thing
because there would be you couldn't have these like money hungry lawyers
or people chasing after thing after certain cases
to try to make the award at the end or the the results so huge
to then make everybody's premiums go up.
Right. Or I mean, there's a whole bunch
of things you could reform in the legal system
to prevent these ridiculous lawsuits.
The other theory and I someone agree with this theory.
I think now this is the lawyer's theory.
Correct. Is you make the crime a real crime?
So in Florida, currently, if you are caught
going 100 miles an hour or more, they can put you in jail.
It is an actual crime, a felony, not a misdemeanor.
OK. But if you're driving down the highway
at 95 miles an hour with no license and no insurance,
it's a misdemeanor.
They'll give you a ticket and let you keep driving
with no license and no insurance.
Oh, seriously? Yes. That's wild.
Because speeding kills people.
But, you know, unlicensed, uninsured drivers that are almost speeding,
still speeding, whatever, less in a Nissan Altima with no tires.
And the other thing that he said is is the uninsured drivers
cause more accidents because if they're not
if they don't have insurance, it's because they don't have money.
So they're also buying used tires.
They have crappy cars, not maintaining them.
So he said, when it rains, you all see all the crappy cars causing wrecks
because they have no grip, no brakes, not because they're worse drivers, per se,
just because they have improper equipment.
So it's it's like a compounding problem.
He said, make the penalties stricter,
like actually throw people in jail for not having insurance.
And he said, not so that you can fill the jails up
with a stupid thing, right?
The counterpoint to that is, well, she's just a working single mom
trying to feed her kids and go to work. Yeah. OK.
Well, if you care about your kids and don't want to go to jail,
figure out a way to get to work, public transportation,
or just figure out how to pay for car insurance.
And then that goes back to my other solution is reduce the cost
of car insurance through limiting civil liability.
And because of this stuff, we've created a machine
that just keeps getting bigger and bigger to feed itself.
And it's all outside of reality now. Correct.
It's absurd. And he also said, like,
make it an actual consequence rather than a financial penalty.
Because if they don't have any money to begin with,
getting a judgment against them or sending them to collections or whatever
makes the problem worse, it doesn't help them solve the problem
of getting car insurance.
You put them in jail for a week.
But, you know, give them a public defender like,
don't take money out of their pocket other than this is a very real consequence.
All of a sudden you go, oh, no, I need to go to work.
I don't want to go to jail.
I can't afford to be away from my kids for a week or whatever, my family.
So let's let's not let that happen.
So I don't know if that would work in in practice, but that's
that's one theory to fix it is instead of doing away with consequences,
you make them worse.
Well, it's non-financial.
Well, and the financial consequence is weird because it is either meaningless
if you have enough money to just pay it and not affect your daily life
or it is literally crippling
worse so than making a lot of assumptions here,
but potentially worse than a week in jail or something
because you just get caught in the cycle.
Wrong term, it's it's worse and doesn't actually.
Well, and then there's no insurance again is more expensive
because you have to get if you have a suspended license,
you have to get an SR 22 special policy.
And then policy on top, you have to pay the premium for the SR 22 and insurance.
So like your your comeback insurance is crazy expensive.
So why would you even bother?
Forget about decriminalizing marijuana.
Let's decriminalize.
No, criminalize.
Not having to be mad at him.
All right, we've shrewd negotiate ourselves into a corner.
So with that, we're going to go to this game to negotiate a parachute.
This might be more like a wall of shame.
This is a negative review left for a Nissan dealer.
Ethan, you saw Marana, right?
I drive a Nissan Marano.
How's your CVT?
Just swap the fluid.
Is it continuously variableing?
Yeah, I got to do a constantly viscous.
Yeah, so the review one star.
We purchased a new 2020 Nissan Marano Platinum from this dealer.
Your first problem.
We had all the required maintenance performed at the dealer.
But unfortunately, the CVT died at less than 120,000 miles.
Don't they all?
We're now stuck with an unusable car
before we've even finished making the payments.
How much do they drive?
It's five years.
Financing a new car and having it be a Marano is a bad move.
So you're telling me the danger.
What is 120 divided by 5?
We are in discussion with a lemon law lawyer
and we'll probably never buy another Nissan from this dealership
or from any other dealer.
OK, but why do you leave a one star review for the dealer?
You bought a new car, bought an extended warranty
and then your CVT fails,
which they're known to fail.
Yeah, you don't have to get annoyed at the dealer.
Yeah. Why is that?
It's like they're applying that the dealer is the problem
because of their servicing or something.
That's wild.
Like, I understand you want to scream into the void,
but you picked the wrong void.
That's like it's with Nissan owners and dealerships.
Remember, this is like two years ago,
the story about the woman who bought a rogue
and her tires went bald after like 30,000.
She got mad at the dealer.
How could you sell me a Nissan by your mentality, man?
I don't know.
Are you one of those people, Ethan?
I hope not. No, I don't think I am.
How many miles you got on your CVT?
I'm done. I'm done with Nissan after.
I have 160,000 miles on my 2016.
Got one of the original CVT original CVT.
I service it. I take care of it.
Numbers matching.
I'm telling you, he said he was about to say he's done
with Nissan, but we all know he's going to buy a crosscat.
Hey, hey, come on now.
I am done with Nissan, though, I think, after this.
All right. You heard it here first.
I think Nissan might be done after this.
Nissan might be done with you.
Yeah, or just like period.
Is it kind of they might might not have an option?
That's possible.
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Tyler.
Yes, Doug.
There is an EV that I can get behind.
Is it because it's too fast and you can't keep up?
Hey, hey, hey, hey.
Yes, all of my internal combustion cars are slow
relatively, but I don't care.
I recently walked into, didn't walk into.
I backed my Diablo up to the local Thai restaurant
and one of the guys who works there
has a fast model Tesla.
And I walked in and he goes,
how's it feel to have the second fastest car
in the parking lot?
Really?
Oh, yes.
Those folks at that local Thai restaurant are amazing.
Yep.
Yep.
Love that.
But he also, my plate says kit car
and his plate is the Roman numeral.
It's like XLIX, which is a Roman numeral version of 69.
So I just fired back.
How's it feel to have the second coolest vanity plate?
Nice.
Anyway, I have not been the biggest fan of EVs
if you've listened to this podcast
for any length of time for a number of reasons,
but it has nothing to do with the EVs themselves
or the technology.
It has to do with the government subsidies.
It has to do with the narrative that this is the future.
Like it or not, it has to do with the narrative
that these are zero emissions,
which yes, it's zero tailpipe emissions,
but they do have global production emissions
that they are saving the environment.
They're the way of the future, whatever.
I don't buy any of those things.
And I believe that that is proving out.
We're seeing it now as so many companies
are backing away from their promises
to go full EV by a certain year.
However, one thing I did say is that I felt that
for EVs to become a reasonable value proposition
for the average person is they had to make
the electric version of the people's car.
Yes.
They had to make a car that was reliable,
affordable and practical,
not just this luxury statement.
And I think you and I have talked a bunch
that all of the EVs that have come out so far
have been geared towards the high-margin luxury car buyers.
There has been nothing, as far as I'm concerned,
that has truly been a people's car.
There have been attempts at it.
Yes.
They just suck.
Big time.
Like the Coda EV.
So even the more normal cars,
like I would consider the Mach-E a more normal car
the Model 3, those can still get pretty expensive.
And it's not really, it's like the middle range.
Like it's not truly a people's car.
And the costs are not accurately represented
because charging is either built into the price of the car
or you're getting incredible government subsidies
either at the point of sale in terms of tax credits
or in terms of the companies getting money
from the government.
Like what Rivian got a bunch of money
to build this giant plant in Georgia
that they don't even need
because they're not even getting anywhere
near the production capacity, their existing plant.
Like there's just all this money being poured into EVs.
But, but, Car and Driver article from last week.
Will the tiny slate truck become the next big thing?
That's a cute title.
This radical new pickup is set to become
one of the most affordable vehicles in the U.S. market.
And they make the point that not only EVs
but also just vehicles period are impossible
to get on a budget.
There's no basic inexpensive cars out there.
And I think we found a couple of a few segments ago
that the Mitsubishi, whatever their entry level car is
that was the cheap car you could get for like
$120. Diamante.
Whatever, like they don't make that anymore.
Yep.
Let's see, Upstart Automaker Slate aims to fill
those pricing voids with its truck.
It's a battery-powered pickup boasting a starting price
that's estimated to be around $25,000.
Now you don't get much for $25,000.
You are basically buying a running vehicle.
You don't have a radio.
You don't have, I think, air conditioning.
You don't have pretty much anything in terms of features
but they are building them to be modular
so you can add whatever you like pretty much
at any point in time.
You can customize them in terms of the actual build
to order or you could just buy upgrades.
They want to be like an open source type build
so that other people can also design
and build accessories for them.
And they're doing away with things like audio systems
because nobody needs them anymore.
Nobody needs navigation.
Nobody needs screens.
They're just gonna have a dock for your phone.
And like why not have Bluetooth speakers?
You don't need wiring.
Nobody needs a radio in their car anymore.
I like the new approach in thinking.
I like to have a stereo system in my car, whatever.
Like I like those things
because I like what cars used to be
but I like this new approach to like maybe people
don't need that and it's just adding to cost.
So this is a perfect option for folks that just,
the amount of people I see driving around
with like a Bluetooth speaker just shoved on their dash.
This would, fine.
I'm trying to think there was a modular car
that I think was Toyota.
Maybe it was Nissan but it like could be
like a shooting breaker.
It could be a sedan.
This is kind of like, I like the modular approach.
To hit its price target,
Slate limits body style choices
and offers just one color scheme for the exterior and interior.
All trucks will leave the factory
in two-seat single cab configuration with a five foot bed
donning unpainted and largely dent resistant,
dent resistant gray polypropylene composite body panels.
Ooh, is this like Saturn?
Yes!
Oh, heck yeah.
They anticipate saving hundreds of millions of dollars
by circumventing the need for a paint shop
or metal stamping presses.
Buyers can add more color with full exterior wraps
that they're the brand's accessories to fit.
So it's like the Cybertruck in a sense in that regard
but it's simple and reliable.
Potentially well executed.
Really, it's like the friggin Ford Model T.
You can have it in any color you want
as long as it's black.
And I think we have forgotten the simplicity
that is required in the people's car.
Because we've gotten, cars are so ubiquitous,
they've become so expensive.
And we look back at those things fondly
but that's also part of what made them work.
Yes, yeah.
So I love this idea.
I don't think I would buy one
just because I don't have a need for it
but I think this is pretty fantastic.
I dig how it looks too.
The simplicity, and I like the steel wheels.
Steel wheels need to make a comeback.
Indeed, indeed.
Now, the question is, I guess twofold.
One, can they turn a profit without 18 rounds
of funding from venture capitalist firms
and going public and government subsidies
and intervention and all this stuff?
Can they just make a car that makes money?
Well, it seems like a part of the way
they're gonna try to do that is go direct to consumers
similar to what Tesla does.
They're gonna run into some issues
in some states with that, though.
We'll cover that on a future podcast
but Rivian and Tesla have been in legal battles
with a number of different states fighting their laws
that require and, well, they protect franchises
and require or prohibit manufacturers
from selling directly to the consumer
claiming that that's some sort of monopoly, right?
You need dealers for competition.
No, no, you don't.
There's plenty of competition
between the individual manufacturers.
You don't need another middleman.
So that may be a little bit of a roadblock there,
although I guess you could always say,
well, if you're in Ohio and you can't buy one,
just buy one for Michigan or something.
So we've got that.
But then the other question is,
can they make this actually work?
Can it have enough range such that it's practical?
Will the charging times be, you know,
well, charging has gotten fairly simple
and quick for most vehicles.
But, well, and I think, you know,
the charging debate has been had off and on.
I'm not an EV enthusiast either
but I think everybody's been trying to make the range
massive because the first thing that people talked about
was range anxiety and can I make it to my destination?
Well, you don't need 700 miles of range
if the charging infrastructure exists.
So there's a bit of a chicken and an egg thing
but I like that they're not trying to put
a massive battery in this which adds extra cost,
extra weight makes it less efficient.
You know, if you, now that we are getting to a point
where the infrastructure is improving,
maybe you could just charge this every night
or every another night.
Like I think about my daily driver,
I can get like 250-ish miles on a tank of gas.
Now it takes me five minutes to fill up
so that's not a problem.
We just gotta get to that point
and then we don't need all these massive
and efficient heavy batteries.
Yep.
They're also not trying to pretend
to be something that they're not.
Like Tesla, the truck is rear-wheel drive,
there's no all-wheel drive
so it's not trying to be an off-road vehicle.
Although you can buy a two-inch lift,
get an all-terrain tires for, I love this,
at least they admit that people are posers.
For truck owners looking for that off-tarmac tough look.
Yeah.
What I, I like that this is also an EV
that isn't touting like performance figures.
It's not about how fast it can get to zero to 60,
it doesn't matter. I'm so tired of that.
EVs are faster than what?
Yeah, who cares? They're not.
It's replacing a Toyota Camry, not my Porsche.
Yeah.
Although I guess Porsches are all EVs now too
or a lot of them.
So I don't even,
I feel like EVs don't know what they want to be
and this truck does.
This truck is solving for X.
Yes.
And it's, hopefully it works.
Honestly, this is one of the first EVs I'm rooting for
to show you that I'm, I can have a balanced opinion.
I'm not like 100% biased against something
just because I want to be against it.
Well, and I think what's also interesting,
not to distract from this late conversation
is that Ford's new approach to EVs
is a modular approach that I think
could be pretty similar to this.
So this could be a sign that this is the way
to make these work.
In order for EVs to work,
the business of EVs has to work.
Yes.
It works for Tesla.
It has really not worked for anybody else yet.
So we'll see.
I like this idea.
I like it a lot.
So I'm excited to see,
it's a heck of a lot better looking than the Cybertruck.
Oh, it looks great.
I dig it.
The Cybertruck looks like something that,
a kindergartner designed,
this looks like something that was built
at the Lego headquarters.
But I dig it.
I'm not hating on that.
That's not a diss on it.
Anyway, it's time now for the props
and flops brought to you by Switchcars.
And Switchcars is the enthusiast's dealership
where we buy and sell cars that we like ourselves.
Check out our hand-picked inventory online
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A Doug, what is the pick of the week?
It is a Honda Mix Civic.
What is a Mi...
Well, it's their...
Is that like a special, what?
Yes, it's, well, it's a pirate edition.
The Type R.
Oh, okay.
It's a limited edition Civic Type R,
which is yellow and red.
That's wild. It is wild.
I did see it on your story
and my fiance was very on board with the yellow GT3,
less on board with the yellow Civic Type R.
I gotta be honest.
I think it was the red interior maybe.
I happen to kind of like it.
It's the right yellow with the right red
and it's not too much red.
It's just accents on the seats and wheels
and stuff like that.
But anyway, limited edition.
Only made them in one color,
rarer than most limited edition Porsches,
if we're being honest.
Options.
And only has 2,000 miles.
Oh.
So check that one out.
Our flop of the week.
How have you heard of the Centro Seat 911?
Is this thing back?
It was for sale for like ages on Facebook.
Yeah, there's a company that made a few of these.
How much for this?
Okay, so let's tell people
what the Centro Seat 911 is.
It is I guess a bunch of ex Porsche employees
slash engineers that decided they wanted to make
a tribute to the McLaren F1.
So they took a 911 and moved the seat to the middle.
And it's a 911 cab.
They did a coupe.
With a PDK.
Apparently they've done three cars.
Oh yes.
And the PDK shifter is like back here by the butt.
So.
This doesn't work.
They spent so much time thinking of if they could.
They didn't realize that they should have thought
if they should.
Nor people need to watch Jurassic Park.
This is just a dinosaur.
So I've been wanting to make fun of this car
since I saw it at I think Meekum like 10 years ago.
And then again, since I saw it on this Instagram video
when somebody went up to the owner
and he just kept saying like,
oh man, it's like driving a McLaren F1.
It's inspired by the McLaren F1.
It was built by Porsche engineers.
It's like a McLaren F1.
I was like, but is it like the seats just in the middle?
Like how about a Citroen Caron?
Citroen.
That had the seat in the middle too.
And it's got like a weird like roll bar situation.
This is just, oh gosh.
Why?
And those seats cannot be comfortable.
Back seats in the 911 are awful.
You want every, like your only passenger option.
You can't reply at all.
You're just like gonna be on board.
But they put 4,000 hours into this.
I can put a lot of hours into a lot of things
that don't really result in anything worthwhile, Doug.
While speaking of cars that should never have been made,
if you're not on our Patreon,
we have a special bonus episode
of what cars should never have been made,
switchcast.live slash patreon or patreon.com slash switchcast.
Anyway, this car, this convertible auctioned
this past week on P car market.
And boy, oh boy, it is a one of one for sure
in the convertible.
He, it got bid up to $45,000 for 997.2 Carrera S Cabriolet.
And Doug, how much do they want for?
Far less than just a regular Carrera S cab would go for.
The buy it now is 95,000.
Holy crap.
The people have spoken.
Nobody wants a center seat, 911.
The little sport chrono wart looks so silly
just like off to the side.
What a dumb vehicle.
This is an abomination.
It really, really is.
I'm not even sitting here like they ruined a Porsche.
How could they?
I don't care.
It's a cab who cares.
But like, why waste the time and the money to build this?
At least it's got full leather.
I like that.
Our prop of the week plays on a previous prop of the week,
which was the defy vision race where blind people
were guided around a racetrack by navigators.
And it was absolute mayhem.
Well, there's lots of jokes we could have made about women
drivers, but we didn't want to be insensitive.
But the internet already made that joke for us,
because I didn't know this.
But in the 80s and 90s, the Macau Grand Prix
added a celebrity race featuring Hong Kong
and Asian pop idols, actors, and TV personalities, all female.
They were put in identical cars and sent around the circuit
with pro race drivers as their passenger instructors.
This was on Motiform's Instagram page.
The commentary is unreal.
It's so good.
It is incredibly well.
The escalation, it starts out really peaceful.
Like, oh, we're going down the straightaway.
Things are looking good.
Well, the pace car is running behind them
and keeping up with them.
So they're going very, very slow.
But literally the first two cars make it around,
essentially, the first corner.
And then the third one just drives straight into the barrier.
And the rest of them follow.
Just it's just a giant pile up behind the first two cars
into, essentially, the first hard right-hand corner.
This is so entertaining.
And I do love the 964 turbo pace car
just creeping up behind them as there's
a pile up of 12 cars.
So entertaining.
People who don't know how to drive race cars in race cars
is awesome.
The first comment on this is entertaining.
But wow, the most sexist commentator I've ever heard.
And hey, this was the 90s, man.
This was yes.
But when you have a, I don't know if it was just
about women drivers.
It was like the star in a reasonably priced car
thing in top gear.
You put a bunch of pop stars that maybe have never driven
or cared to drive in a car.
And just see what happens.
Around a racetrack.
I do love another comment I'm seeing here.
There's more excitement here than in the last 10 years of F1.
Bring back whimsy.
Oh, yeah.
Because they're saying it now, not like in the time period.
I was like, no, that was the exciting time period of F1.
Yeah, that's pretty funny.
Yeah, it's just gold.
Also, speaking of female drivers,
Ethan, our producer, got married.
So congratulations, Ethan.
That's a major prop of the week.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Ethan is a male, but he now has a female driver
in his family that he can right seat critique.
Boy, we might need to workshop that segue,
but I see what it congrats, Ethan.
I got to give my kudos to Jesse, though.
There's very few people that I feel
safe driving like passenger seat in the car
with just in general.
But she is one of them.
So nice.
Who are the others?
I don't think I could marry a woman
that I didn't respect her driving abilities.
It would be a challenge.
It'd be a challenge.
Erin's a good driver.
Yes, good.
Yes, but she does not.
She has a rule.
She does not want to drive her car
if we are both going somewhere.
I'll be like, oh, this is your car.
She's like, no, you drive.
And she even sent me a meme at one point.
I don't remember what it was, but it was essentially
like making fun of men who were riding passenger
with their wives.
Because it's just, you know, whatever.
It's traditional roles, but it's kind of a joke about it.
Men should be driving the car.
And it was like the only reason the man
would be riding passenger with his wife driving
if he's like, you know, sick or handicapped or gay
or something like that.
It was basically like, oh.
If you're a husband, you drive your wife.
Oh, goodness.
In the car.
He's going to shut it down, shut it down.
It's like, oh, god.
I will say I got to give a few shout outs here.
One thing I want to mention, Jesse, her first car
was a stick shift Honda Accord from like 2002.
She might be more of a car enthusiast than our Ethan here.
Arguably.
But she ended up having to get rid of that
because of some knee surgeries.
Got a 2003 Honda Accord that she took to 310,000 miles
and just got rid of last year.
She is more of a car enthusiast than Ethan.
Wow.
But she is.
We need to get her in here.
Just last thing as a CVT.
I know.
Just last year, which when she got rid of her 310,000
mile 2003 Honda Accord.
So that's cool.
Any car guy should love that and appreciate that.
Anybody who can take a car to 300,000 miles, like mad respect.
It's a car guy car.
Quote unquote.
It's amazing.
And Bailey, our good friend of the show here,
offered to buy it from her.
Seriously?
He did.
He did.
But also another shout out.
Doug hooked me up with a getaway car for our exit
for our send off to the web.
Did Jesse drive it away?
Jesse did not.
Maybe she should have.
We need to run it back.
Jesse did not drive it away, but she could have.
If I had given you a stick, she would have had to drive.
Oh, goodness.
You're acting like I've never driven a stick.
You said you didn't want to stick
because you were going to be nervous because you were rusty.
I will be honest.
I'm rusty.
But I do think that she could have hopped in it
and she would have killed it.
Anyway, Doug, thank you from the bottom of my heart
for hooking me up with a 911 to try it off.
Like how you're trying to thank this guy.
And you're just dogging on me.
I know I'm trying to make this be like a kind thing.
And he's like, frigging idiot, can't drive a car.
That's all fun here.
All fun.
Thank you for joining us for Switchcast with Doug Tabott
and Tyler Sanders produced by Ethan Huffnagle.
Switchcast is an automotive entertainment and opinion
show, and nothing we say should be taken very seriously.
We do not give tax, investment, legal, emotional,
or professional advice.
And the only licenses we hold are driver's licenses.
The opinions expressed on this show
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