Volkswagen Group is the big company that owns several car brands. So when they announce changes, it can impact cars from more than one brand, like Audi and Porsche.
“718” is Porsche’s name for a generation of mid-engine sports cars, including the Boxster and Cayman. The podcast mentions it because Porsche is talking about different engine options for these cars. It’s essentially shorthand for that Porsche sports-car family.
The Audi Q5 Sportback is an Audi SUV with a more stylish, sloped roof shape. Here it’s being mentioned because Audi is talking about EV versions and lineup changes.
The Audi Q6 e-tron Sportback is an electric Audi SUV. It has a sleeker roof shape than a typical SUV, and the host is saying they didn’t realize it existed.
They’re looking at Volkswagen’s website for Germany. That matters because the cars Volkswagen sells in Europe can be different from what you see in the U.S.
The Volkswagen T-Cross is a small SUV. The host is grouping it with other Volkswagen SUVs that look similar, which is why it can be confusing to tell them apart.
The Volkswagen Tiguan is a popular compact SUV. The host is listing it along with other SUVs that look similar, which is why people may confuse which one they’re seeing.
Plant closures mean a factory stops operating. When a car company does this, it can lead to fewer cars being made and major changes for workers and suppliers.
The Taycan is Porsche’s electric car. The host is saying it hasn’t sold in big numbers, and that’s part of why they think Porsche’s overall situation is tougher than people assume.
The Cayenne is Porsche’s SUV. In this segment, the host is saying even models like the Cayenne aren’t selling as strongly as you’d expect, which supports their point about Porsche’s broader sales decline.
The Formentor is a small SUV-style car. The podcast describes it as a sportier take on an SUV. It’s mentioned as part of a list of possible cars being considered.
Magnet Ride is a suspension system that can stiffen or soften the shocks electronically. The goal is to make the ride smoother when you want it and more controlled when you drive hard.
Battery integration is how the car’s battery is built into the vehicle—how it’s mounted, cooled, and connected. Good integration helps the battery stay healthy and safe.
Term
76 kilowatt hour second generation blade, battery
This is the battery type and size: a 76 kWh BYD Blade battery. “Blade” is BYD’s design that uses long, flat cells to help with safety and space efficiency.
Term
10 to 97 percent recharge in nine minutes
They’re claiming you can charge the battery from about 10% to 97% in roughly nine minutes. Real-world results can vary based on the charger and conditions.
The Porsche 911 is one of the most famous sports cars ever made. Here, it’s being used as the reference point—other cars are being described as trying to look like they’re aiming at the 911’s style.
The Lotus Emira is a sports car with the engine placed near the middle of the car. It’s designed to feel agile and fun to drive. The podcast mentions it while talking about modern mid-engine cars.
A mid-engine sports car is designed so the engine sits closer to the middle of the car. That can help the car feel more balanced and “tighter” when you steer, compared with engines placed at the front or back.
The host is using “design by AI” to mean a car design that feels like it was generated by combining lots of existing design ideas. Their complaint is that it can look less original and more like a mash-up of what already exists.
In extreme acceleration and top-speed attempts, tires are the limiting factor because they must generate enough grip without overheating or losing traction. The segment suggests that as power rises, the tires can’t reliably handle the additional force, capping performance.
“All EV” means the car runs on electricity only. Electric cars can accelerate quickly because the motor gives power right away, but they still need good grip from the tires.
Airbags are safety cushions inside a car. If you crash, they inflate very quickly to help keep you from hitting the steering wheel, dashboard, or windshield.
The Mercedes-Benz CLA 45 is a sporty version of the CLA, made by Mercedes-AMG. In this clip, it’s mentioned as another example of a brand using a big headline number.
FCP Euro is a store that sells replacement parts for European cars. They also offer help from advisors and a long warranty-style guarantee on the parts they sell.
Track days are events where drivers bring their cars to a circuit to drive them on-track for fun and practice, usually with coaching and organized sessions. They’re distinct from racing because the focus is driver experience and safe on-track learning.
Portland International Raceway is a real race track in Portland, Oregon. People go there for track days, and sometimes nearby residents complain about how loud cars are.
The Lotus Elise is a very light sports car built to feel quick and responsive. Because it’s small and simple, it’s often chosen by people who want a “pure” driving experience. The podcast mentions it because someone had seat time in one and enjoyed it.
UMC is a race track in Utah (Utah Motorsports Campus). They’re saying the event will use the whole track, not just a short section, so it should be more fun and more challenging.
Term
four and a half mile track
That “four and a half mile” number is how long the track is for one lap. A longer lap usually means more turns and more driving variety in each lap.
Term
23 corners
“23 corners” means the lap has 23 turns. More turns usually means you’re constantly steering and braking, which makes the track more demanding.
This is a Mazda CX-5 crossover SUV. The “Carbon Turbo” wording means it’s a specific trim level, and it includes a turbocharged engine option, which tends to feel stronger than the non-turbo versions.
CPO stands for “Certified Pre-Owned.” It usually means the dealer checks the car carefully and offers extra warranty coverage compared with buying a regular used car.
This is a 1967 Chevrolet Chevelle, a classic muscle car. The host says it’s a big-engine, four-speed manual car that the owner has had for decades and has been restoring.
“Big block” is a nickname for a large V8 engine. In older muscle cars, it usually means the car has a bigger, stronger engine than the smaller V8 options.
The Ford Fiesta Active is a small car with a crossover-style look. It’s meant to feel a bit more rugged than a regular Fiesta. The podcast mentions it as one of the small-car options being compared.
Car
1990s-ish Mercedes SL320
A Mercedes SL320 is a luxury convertible/roadster from Mercedes. The idea here is that it could feel more special than a normal family car, but the host is worried it might be expensive to maintain.
Car
1990 to 98 Chevy 1500 4x4
This is a Chevy full-size pickup truck (the 1500) with four-wheel drive. The point is that Taylor might choose the truck instead of a smaller car because he’s always wanted that exact kind of vehicle.
Car
1998 Honda VFR 800
The Honda VFR 800 is a motorcycle from Honda. It’s known for having a smooth V4 engine, and here it’s mentioned to show Taylor already has a 1990s-style bike.
A rear-facing car seat is the baby seat where the child looks toward the back of the car. It’s designed to protect the baby’s head and neck better than facing forward in a crash.
A two-seat car is made mainly for just two people. If you’re trying to bring a child along, you may need special car-seat setup or it may be less practical than a car with back seats.
This is a BMW roadster meant to be fun to drive. The “28i” version uses a turbocharged 4-cylinder engine, and “S drive” means it’s set up to drive the rear wheels, which usually makes it feel more sporty.
That means the car’s roof is a hard roof, not fabric, and it can open and close. When it’s closed, it usually feels quieter and more solid than a soft-top.
“Small block” is a nickname for a particular Chevy V8 engine design. When someone says “350 small block,” they usually mean a 5.7-liter V8 that’s known for being straightforward and widely supported.
This is a 2012 BMW 328i, and it’s a convertible (top down). The point the host is making is that it’s still enjoyable to drive like a sporty BMW, but it also has a back seat so it can work for family life.
Car
Honda VFR
Honda’s VFR is a motorcycle model line that’s known for having a V4 engine (four cylinders in a V shape). People like it because it’s sporty, but it’s also meant for longer rides, and the styling still looks cool today.
The Ford Fiesta ST is a small “hot hatch” that’s meant to be fun to drive, not just get you from A to B. Here, the hosts like it because it’s easy to handle and the manual makes it more engaging.
Downshifting is when you switch to a lower gear to get more pull from the engine. It can also help slow the car down using the engine, especially on hills.
The “red line” is the top RPM range your engine is designed to safely reach. If you go past it, you risk damaging the engine, so most drivers keep the revs under it.
The Mazda MX-5 is a small, sporty car designed to feel nimble and fun. Here, the speaker says it’s too small for what they want, so it’s not the right pick.
In car talk, “auto” usually means the car shifts by itself (automatic transmission). They’re pointing out this one is the automatic, which can make it easier to drive every day.
The Audi TT is a small sporty Audi that can come as a convertible. Here, they’re saying the TT can be a fun second car, but you should be careful because some versions have a mixed reliability reputation, especially when they’re higher-mileage.
The Porsche Boxster is a sporty two-seat roadster with the engine placed near the middle of the car. That layout helps it handle well, and here the host is talking about a specific older Boxster generation and what makes it a safer choice than some other versions.
IMS is short for a Porsche engine part called the intermediate shaft. Some versions of these engines had a known problem with the bearing inside that part, so buyers pay close attention to it when choosing which used Porsche to buy.
“Bore scoring” refers to damage/scoring on the cylinder walls (the bores) inside an engine. In some Porsche flat-six engines from this era, it’s discussed as a reliability concern because it can contribute to oil consumption and internal wear if the cylinders are damaged.
Buyer’s remorse is regret after you buy something. In this segment, they’re saying test driving helps you make sure the car feels right so you don’t regret it later.
Car
1974 Dodge D100
This is a 1970s Dodge pickup truck. In the story, it’s the first older “beater” car someone bought as a teenager—basically a practical, not-too-expensive truck to learn with.
An ECU immobilizer is an anti-theft system that uses the car’s engine control unit (ECU) to prevent the engine from starting unless the correct key/authorization is present. The host’s point is that he learned how to bypass or “crack” that immobilizer so the car could be tuned and run differently.
The Nissan Pathfinder is a larger SUV meant for families and everyday errands. It’s designed to carry people and cargo comfortably. The podcast brings it up because someone had one before.
Car
2017 Lexus RC350 F Sport
This is a 2017 Lexus RC350 in the F Sport trim, which is the sportier version of the RC. It’s a luxury coupe, and the big deal is it has advanced handling features that change how it steers and rides.
Four-wheel steering means the rear wheels can steer too, not just the front wheels. That can make the car easier to turn in tight spaces and more stable at speed.
LSD means limited-slip differential. It helps prevent one wheel from spinning uselessly when traction is low, so the car can put power down more effectively.
Active dampers are shocks that can change their stiffness automatically. That helps the car ride smoother and also handle better when you’re driving hard.
Variable steering ratio means the steering “leverage” changes depending on how you’re driving. It helps the car feel easier to turn at low speeds and more controlled at higher speeds.
“Pounds per horsepower” is a quick way to compare a car’s weight to its power. If the number is lower, the car usually accelerates better because it has more power for its size.
Term
exterior mount
An exterior mount is a bike rack or bracket that attaches to the outside of the car. It lets you carry the bike without taking up room inside.
Term
C-sucker
A “C-sucker” is a bike carrier that sticks to the car using suction cups. It’s meant to be a quick, non-permanent way to carry a bike.
An “NA engine” is naturally aspirated, meaning it breathes air without a turbo. “High-revving” means it’s designed to spin faster and make power higher in the RPM range.
The Chevrolet Camaro is a sporty American car, often associated with strong engines and a bold look. People sometimes talk about it in terms of what parts it’s built on. The podcast mentions it because the host is trying to figure out what’s actually underneath the Camaro.
The Pontiac Solstice is a small sporty roadster that Pontiac made in the past. The podcast mentions it because someone wants Pontiac to bring that kind of car back. It’s discussed as a revival idea rather than a current purchase.
Powertrain is the parts that make the car move and send power to the wheels. That includes the engine and the gearbox. When the host says he didn’t like the powertrain, he means the car didn’t feel right when accelerating.
Turbocharging adds a device that forces extra air into the engine. That usually makes the car faster because the engine can burn more fuel and make more power—assuming it’s tuned correctly.
Steering geometry is how the front suspension is set up so the wheels turn the way they do. Changing it can make the car feel more precise and predictable when you turn.
Steering rack rate is basically how “quick” the steering feels—how much you have to turn the wheel to get the tires to turn. It affects whether the car feels slow and smooth or quick and responsive.
This is a newer Toyota Supra sports car, but with a smaller 2.0-liter engine. The host points out that the engine layout affects how the car feels and how the weight sits over the front wheels.
The front axle is basically where the front wheels are. Where the engine sits compared to that point affects how the car feels, especially the balance at the front.
Weight balance means how the car’s weight is spread out. If more weight is toward the front (or shifts slightly), the car can feel different when you turn or brake.
The Honda S2000 is a classic roadster known for revving very high and feeling very connected to the driver. The host is saying there isn’t a modern car that perfectly recreates that same recipe.
The Subaru BRZ is a small sports car that’s made to feel fun and balanced, especially in how it turns. Here, they’re talking about a 2023 BRZ Premium and whether the engine is happier when you don’t change it.
The GR86 is Toyota’s version of the same kind of fun, small sports car as the BRZ. In this segment, they’re recommending the 2023 GR86 Premium and saying the newer generation is better and less likely to have issues if you don’t mess with the engine.
“First gen” means the original version of that model, before the newer redesign. They’re saying the early BRZ/GR86 was fun to drive, but the engine felt less exciting than what came later.
LIVE
We are coming in hot. Also, by the way, it's thundering outside right now.
I just noticed we're getting like flash floods in Utah,
but we're podcasting onward. Here we are for the flash floods in Texas.
So hopefully everybody in Texas is okay. Welcome back to the podcast.
Tons of news up front.
Some things that we have read before,
but we want to give a little bit more coverage to most notably the Volkswagen
group slashing jobs and slashing models.
But we've also got three car debates today,
which will be a lot of fun, great car conclusions.
And thank you guys for listening, for sharing the podcast.
And Todd and Chance are furiously working on the edits for the European film.
So the Euro rally and the rest of our film, we're just now getting into edit.
And we can't wait to share those with you.
It's going to be worth the wait and going to be worth the edit,
but I know you guys are going to be working hard and wanting to put all your
effort and mojo into it to make them as best as they possibly can.
It's like, it's like an artist. The painting's done when you stop painting.
You could noodle it forever.
You could keep adding this and that, but it's finished when you stop.
This was the fight.
This was the fight when I worked at New Line.
This was the crazy thing about working for like, when will you be done?
Huge filmmakers. I don't know.
Part of our job in post-production was, I'm sorry,
we have to take your film now because if we don't,
it doesn't come out on release day.
This happened on Lord of the Rings.
It happened on the Austin Powers films.
It's like, if you let the person keep fiddling, they will keep fiddling.
And the only reason they stop is because literally it's leaving the building.
That's why you're done.
That's the situation Chance and I are in, trying to figure out a release date,
which is going to be in September. We've got a lot more info coming.
We've got this release date marching toward us and I'm just going,
we've got to get a lot further along.
I would like nothing more than to do nothing for the next six weeks
than edit these, both out of excitement and just desire to go in totally.
But I do have a wife and a son and we have podcasts to do and things to shoot
and HOD stuff, other stuff going on, a little bit of travel in there for fun.
And for, for we're doing pilgrimage again.
Do you have you seen pilgrimage? By the way, I hope you've seen it.
We just dropped it on our main channel. Fantastic walk down memory lane.
I really wanted to get that out to YouTube before we went again.
Fast autobahn drive down memory lane, fast track driving down.
Yeah, pretty cool to see that again.
And it excites me again to watch it. It's just such a fun experience.
We hope at some point you'll get to join us on the pilgrimage trip.
If you have already come, we hope you'll come again
because we're going to keep doing that trip indefinitely.
Plus we have Utah meetup. We got a lot of stuff going on.
Meanwhile, we got to edit Euro trip, which is really exciting.
There's so much good stuff.
I'm I'm on the verge of overselling it.
I know I am. I just can't wait for everybody to see it.
All right, let's jump into news.
Starting off with what I mentioned, Volkswagen group has announced
gas powered versions of the 718 Boxster and Cayman.
Maybe the Taycan, the Cayenne Coupe.
Since they said gas versions earlier in the lease, I don't know if that what that means.
I mean, I guess maybe just gas really should go.
But anyway, a separate thing.
But here's the EV version of that, the Audi Q5 Sportback
and Q6 e-tron Sportback, which I didn't know existed.
Good reasons to cut it.
I feel like I'm up on the car market and I read a lot about cars constantly.
And I didn't know that Q6 e-tron Sportback existed.
Who buys this?
Well, I guess nobody because that's why they're thinking about killing it.
Maybe the gas models to the Volkswagen Jetta and the Taos.
Even though the Taos got better in its second generation, better.
Yes, but that's like you're up to notch one.
But every time there's a pretty picture, it is pretty picture.
Every time we go to Germany, we see so many T named Volkswagen SUVs
that are between the size of a compact and a Toreg, which I realize
I'm making more like, imagine every possible variation between those two.
Ledge, you brought that up.
Thank you. Excellent.
Thanks for bringing it up. There they all are. Oh, my gosh.
I just there's there's way too many and they should cut some of these.
This is page one. Oh, no, of course.
This is page two. Oh, no, so you know this is the Volkswagen Germany website.
And I just wanted to see this because Oliver Bloom, the CEO with his
Restruction Plan has decided to reduce the model line up by half
because you look at all these and I've actually been wondering the past week or
so I've looked at all these thinking I understand and I notice and I appreciate
just like you all, we see the differences as minute as they might be.
We see the differences and I'm looking at this photo, wondering what's the difference?
Like these all seem kind of the same, pretty much styling.
Everything looks I'm going to need your help.
I'm going to read the SUV ones real quick, go up.
I want to read the SUV ones. I'm going to skip the EVs.
I'm going to skip the actual hatches related to the Gulf.
These are the SUVs that the Tygo, TAI Geo, the T cross, the T rock,
the T rock Cabriolet, which yes, that exists.
The Tiguan, the Tehran, they do still have a Toreg.
Those are all five seat SUVs of various sizes that does not include the North
American Taos, by the way, that explains why we keep getting behind another SUV
in Germany and going, which one is that?
It happened constantly.
So Volkswagen, but the crazy thing is that is you have to also understand
that Volkswagen, this is where this is such big news.
Volkswagen is essentially a country of its own.
And it is one of Wolfsburg.
Seriously, it is one of the like cornerstones of German productivity
is Volkswagen. OK, it is a big deal.
They're talking about cutting 100,000 jobs total, 100,000.
Yeah, closing full plants, getting rid of a lot of these.
And again, I have to touch on it again.
Part of the ones being mentioned here is potentially we got all excited
about a gas version of the upcoming Boxster Cayman that might not come about now.
Taycan didn't sell very many.
Cayenne, Coupe doesn't sell very these are all niche.
I hate to say it, but even the Boxster Cayman are niche.
They know. And then and also I've read this elsewhere.
The 911 is the only product for for Porsche that is selling as well
or better than years past this year.
Everything else in Porsche is down.
Everything else.
This is survival level slashing going on here.
It really sounds like it.
I read the Financial Times, as you know, among other publications.
And there was a reader named Piro Lunare in the comments section who said
the chief executive has said he would prefer to avoid costly plant closures
and favors the facilities being sold to other manufacturers such as defense
contractors, which reminds him of an old Eastern block joke where the guy
ordered a bicycle from the bicycle factory.
No matter how many times he tried to assemble it,
he always ended up with a machine gun.
Oh, we ordered missiles and we got a T rock.
Anyway, I thought they discontinued the towels.
That's not what I wanted.
I didn't ask for this.
Tomahawk missile towels, they sound the same.
They really do.
But by the way, I know this is hard to see.
Volkswagen has Cupra.
We've just shown you all the nameless faceless.
The, I mean, Billy Idol eyes without a face.
That's what all the Volkswagen models look like to me.
They're just like all the same.
And I I feel like I notice differences and I'm looking at the entire line up going.
What is it? What's the difference now?
Besides the name and then there's Cupra.
We keep seeing Cupra in Europe.
Volkswagen could so easily bring the Cupra brand and be serviced
through the many dealers, the National Dealer Network in the US,
Canada, Mexico and bring Cupra to the US.
I think it would be exciting.
These are interesting, but every single one.
Yes, the shape, the overall proportions look similar
because they're all kind of SUV size, but they've got a lot of power.
They're more performance.
It feels like a fresh, upcoming brand.
And it just seems like they're ignoring this.
The the styling is much more aggressive than the Volkswagen lineup.
And we've talked before about the Cupra for mentor.
It is essentially a small SUV built on the Gulf, our chassis.
And it is actually superb and looks good and has presence on the road.
Compared to the Lexus SUVs that we see, the fermenter stands out and we saw them.
So compared to all the what's that compared to all the T whatever's from Volkswagen.
These are the coolest looking things ever.
Here's the not cool looking things.
Uh huh.
I'm just I'm looking at these going just all the same styling elements
with a slightly different squiggle.
It's astonishing how similar they are when you look at them all back to back to back.
And if you get into the ID ones, the electric ones, they're even more similar.
And there's clearly too much going on for the brand.
That's why they're doing massive cutbacks.
I do not welcome these massive cutbacks, but they have also said this is the exact
result of lower sales in China and China competition.
And I mean, this is the thing.
This is the reason so far, at least the on paper reason that the Chinese brands
have been kept out of the U.S.
Imagine the kind of cutbacks that would have to happen to U.S.
car makers if they were being the same influx of Chinese cars.
We don't know the longevity of Chinese cars.
And we know they're built under different rules.
I'll be that's as kind as I can be just as kind as I can be.
That's good.
That's good.
Even if the cars are made wonderfully well, the way the country of China is
structured in the way they have to pay their workers and safety and all of these
kind of things, they get so much savings in their ability to make cars versus the
rest of the world.
This competition is rigged.
That's the reality.
And Volkswagen is getting the brunt of it right now.
I'm not saying that Volkswagen hasn't overextended themselves because we saw
the page of SUVs, but still, I still think it comes down to a lot of design and
styling.
And I feel like I want Volkswagen to design a car that's the equivalent of
you getting way too drunk at a beer garden.
You had too much beer and you find yourself yelling at a TV screaming and
your friends have to drag you out of the joint before you owe too much money and
you trash the place.
I want to what is the Volkswagen car equivalent of that?
Like I just went crazy.
Unfortunately, emotional and passionate about this soccer match you were watching
on TV and you got drunk and unfortunately, that's how we
got beaver teeth is when BMW did that.
I guess so.
I guess BMW.
Yeah, they might have partied a little too hard.
That was BMW drunk on the bar.
That was that one.
So let's I don't know what the Volkswagen equivalent is.
It's a good question.
It does and Cooper has Spanish roots.
So we're going to give that as a Spanish flavor, I guess.
BYD's premium brand called Denza began as a joint venture with Mercedes made
their Z introduction at Goodwood Festival of Speed.
This is the new E3 sports car platform that the Z is built on with a range
of technologies expected to feature across future models, including triple
motor, drivetrain, cell to body, battery integration, magnet ride and integrated
vehicle control system.
This thing has 1,604 metric horsepower, which translates to 1,582
mechanical or SAE rated horsepower.
1,500 horsepower in this bad boy accelerates from zero to 60 in 2.25 seconds.
Spider completes the sprint in 2.32 with a top speed of 217 miles an hour.
The EV using a 76 kilowatt hour second generation blade, battery and support
with their charging technology, allowing 10 to 97 percent recharge in nine minutes.
10 to 97 in nine minutes, 10 percent to 97 percent.
That's full.
I mean, that's essentially nine minutes twice the time it would take you to get
gas, which is fine, because by the time you're going to get snacks, it's been nine
minutes. It's not necessarily remarkable and it doesn't have a standout.
This is a Mercedes or this is a BMW or this is a Genesis or a Porsche kind of a
field because what is a BYD Denze feel like?
What do they look like?
They look like anything.
Well, it looks like this.
So you'll see styling elements used that you have seen before on Fisker
Carmas and Jaguars and all kinds of cars.
You'll see styling elements all over the place that are now cliched and now just
a standard fare.
If you're going to design a sports coupe that is coming for the Porsche 911.
I see all the cars in this.
I see all of the modern mid-engine cars, including the Amira in this, depending
on the photo, I pick out a different styling element from a different brand.
This has been an issue with Chinese cars to this point.
And at some point they're going to grow out of it, I realize, but it has that kind
of it has that kind of design by AI thing where we took all the info in and we
spit out, please present to me a mid-engine sports car.
And it went, you know what I mean?
Because you can't you can't deny you look at these photos.
You can't deny this looks like a mid-engine sports car.
Yeah.
But it looks like when you buy the off brand Hot Wheels and it's just car.
You know what I mean?
It looks like with three engines and five superchargers.
It looks like this is what a mid-engine sports car looks like.
And it's not on it.
It's not an attractive.
I'm shocked to say this.
It is a bland mid-engine sports car design.
It doesn't have any flair.
Here's the front again.
And I am not claiming that every mid-engine sports car out there right
now is great looking.
I'm not.
It's perfectly fine looking.
There's a fine looking all over this thing that you've seen before on every
other car from Ferraris to Lamborghinis, McLarens.
Everybody has used shapes like this.
Everyone from GR 86.
I see GR 86 in the headlights.
I see Amira styling in the fender swells.
I see proportional.
I see lucid proportions.
I see a giant wing.
I see there's so many.
It's the most bland, exotic car I've ever seen.
And then interesting.
I actually agree with you.
I think that's very much the case.
Here it is.
Jensen Button is representing at Goodwood Festival of Speed as it's being
introduced by the CEO.
She is she's promoting this.
And also I've seen Daniel Craig in the advertisements driving and drifting
this around on their website.
Look, I'm sure this drives well and it's fast, but I want to point out
something else that I think is fascinating in these stats.
1500 horsepower.
The ZR1X is what, 1200?
Yes, sure.
OK. Yeah.
This is electric.
That is not.
We are reaching the limits of speed and tires.
Zero to sixty or 662 in 2.2 seconds or 2.32 for the for the
spider. The ZR1 is just barely broken.
Two seconds, all wheel drive, 1200 horsepower.
We clearly must be reaching the threshold where for the moment,
technology wise, we can't go faster because if anything was going to go
faster, it'd be this thing.
Seriously, if it was going to go faster than the ZR1, it would be this beast
right here with 1500 horsepower and all EV and the fact that it can't break
two seconds.
Please don't misunderstand me.
Two seconds is violent.
I am not saying we can't even break two seconds.
That's not fast.
That's crazy fast.
What are you doing?
That is painfully fast.
OK, two seconds, zero to sixty is not an enjoyable experience.
I know that sounds crazy for me to say that as a car guy, but it's not.
That's like the roller coaster you nearly passed out on.
It's that kind of speed.
But if anything was going to break that ZR1 record, it should be this guy.
And clearly, and I'm not coming down on it as slow.
I'm not.
I just think it's interesting that here is the car that I would have
bet to meet the beat that number and it doesn't.
I'm proposing a new feature for cars like this and that is for both
driver and passenger.
When you get in the cabin fills with that expanding house foam, you know,
the chemical reaction, it just fills everywhere so you can't move.
And then let's take off for the zero to sixty so you don't hurt the humans.
That was the airbag idea.
What point did the humans suffer?
Like, well, this is a completely roboticized AI car.
It's so fast.
We don't put people in it.
We just let it do its thing.
I don't know if you remember, but it doesn't even need to be steered by me
because AI, the crazy and marginal, but very 90s movie
demolition man, that was how their airbags work.
That's right.
Just the car just filled with foam.
You had to like break out like it was like you were magic pop.
You remember that?
I also think it's interesting that the long range version of this says it's
200 and 54 miles.
I don't think that should be called long range.
Right.
I don't also want to acknowledge that I'm two-sided.
How about industry standard?
Just it's fine.
It's got it has range range.
Yes, because because 200 and 54 miles of range is perfectly fine.
There's not a thing wrong with that.
That's the perfectly acceptable range.
I just don't know in the modern time, you can call that long range.
When Lucid's doing 400
Yeah, you can't say our long range version does half of that.
And from the last episode, Mercedes bringing out their new CLA 45 with 400
and sixteen claims.
Yes, I just this is a very interesting car.
And I'm really curious to see do people embrace this.
And I ask that because to this point, rematch and Mercedes and anybody else
that's made a all electric hypercar, the Avaya from Lotus.
OK, very distinctive, very distinctive.
No, I love it for styling.
But do the buyers that can buy these care?
And I'm not pointing the finger at the Chinese brand.
I'm saying electric supercars.
What brand they're driving, you mean?
No, I'm saying do they care that these exist?
I don't think to this point they do.
I think the all electric hypercar is kind of a sad trombone.
I don't think anybody really wants one.
And I think they sound really cool.
Like, oh, wow, this is their big coming out party.
And then and then people go, yeah.
And everybody thinks somebody else is buying it and they'll see it around
because somebody else surely will buy it.
But I guess in reality, nobody else is buying it.
We'll see. So you know how you've gotten asked many times
when you pull up with your lease to a gas station, is that a Ferrari?
Yeah, when you drive this and people ask you, is that a Ferrari?
You can say, yep, it's a Ferrari Lamborghini.
McLaren, Koenigsegg, Pagani, Porsche, Toyota, exotic, all of the words
on the back truck lit, all of them in a big line.
It's a Lotus. It's all of the things.
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It's the back half of summer, which means there are the track days.
There are so many track days going on right now with hooked on driving.
We have to run through a few of them that are right on top of us.
July 25th, that's hooked on driving Pacific Northwest is at Portland
International Raceway. We have not been, but we're going later this year.
That's a track I'm very excited about.
It's like the Portland Airport race track. They're like side by side.
And what I find funny, I have to stop there real quick, is they're still
complaining about the noise at the racetrack.
There's jets landing next door next to an international airport.
But OK, anyway, so the point is, but that's going to be a really cool event.
So look for that July 25th, Saturday, Sunday, August 1st and 2nd.
There are two different HOD events happening in two very different places.
First off, we have the Pine View Run, HPD and Time Trial with the Northeast region.
That's going to be at the Pine View Run Auto and Country Club in Lafayette, New York.
That is August 1, 2. But south of that, also on August 1, 2 Carolina Motorsports
Park for hooked on driving summer of speed with the Mid-Atlantic region
in Kershaw, South Carolina. So that's a busy HOD weekend.
And then the following weekend, August 7 and 9.
That is the Doronna Heartland Motorsports Park for the Heartland Homecoming.
That is HOD Midwest in Kansas.
So you can go to any of those.
But I should stop again.
Lotus is coming to Salt Lake. Yes, they are.
Apparently, all of them are coming. That's what I've heard.
I've heard that all of the Lotus are coming.
Lotus United Gathering.
Yes, the big Lotus national event happens to be in Salt Lake this year.
At the end of September.
And I'm very excited about it, because in case you haven't heard, I own two.
Lotus guy.
Low tie. I own two.
So I got to figure out who goes with me. Maybe maybe Bodie goes with me.
I had him drive the Elise of late.
He has liked that a lot, which is pretty funny.
His friends freak out when he pulls up to work in the Elise.
It's not very far. I'm like, take the Elise.
But anyway, very funny.
The thing that happens at the end of that big Lotus event on Monday, September 28th,
we at Hooked On Driving are getting along with our Lotus people.
It's going to be Hooked On Lotus and friends.
The full track at UMC, the full four and a half mile track.
I looked it up. It's 23 corners.
That's a lot. So cool. Yeah.
You got to run the full track.
So you really got to come to that event at the end of September.
Of course, that's in our backyard. We'll be there.
I might bring both low tie one for each foot.
I don't know. Interesting. Yeah.
Everyone is welcome. You're invited.
Yes. All cars are absolutely welcome.
This is the culmination of the Lotus United Gathering
at the end of their event that is again, Monday, September 28th, but full track.
So the full track is in use.
Utah Motorsports campus. We're excited.
It's we're understanding it's getting a repaving
and it's going to be the entire layout. We are coming.
We will. Yeah, we'll be there.
So y'all come.
It's going to be a great, great time.
And you can find all of these these events, register Hooked On Driving dot com.
Taylor Wright Stills from Boston wanting something with a hint of specialness.
He's 36. He's outside Boston, Massachusetts with his wife.
And soon they will welcome their first child, a girl.
Very cool.
Congratulations to your growing family.
Taylor hasn't had a daily since mid 2024.
Daily has actually been a motorcycle.
It's a 1998 Honda VFR 800.
He was only putting about 3,000 miles a year on his Tacoma.
So the money selling it helped them pay for their dream wedding.
Very cool. It's awesome.
Good for you guys.
Taylor works from home and between his wife's car, the motorcycle and Boston public transit.
They haven't missed the second car.
OK.
Current fleet is that bike, his wife's 2021 Mazda CX-5 carbon turbo.
They bought CPO. They love it.
It's great.
He also, as a side note, has a 1967 Chevelle.
He's had since he was 19 hot rod with a big block for 54 four speed manual.
He did everything for himself, restoring it except for building the engine.
It's nearing the end of a long stay in a body shop and nearly getting back home.
So I have the Chevelle in the door somewhere and the daughter.
The important items are coming home, the Chevelle and the infant.
They're both this is an exciting time.
I got to say, it's very cool.
A confluence of circumstances is leading them to get a second car.
And that's why they're writing, because first of all,
Taylor's wife strongly feels they need a second daily once their daughter is born.
Yep.
They might move neighborhoods, which might mean loss of public transit.
Totally get that.
And then Taylor says the company that ensures his Chevelle requires each
driver in the family in the household to have another daily access to another daily driver.
Says all classic car insurers seem to be this way.
Motorcycles don't count.
He can only get away with ignoring that for so long.
So he sees the CX-5 being used for the family duty and kid duty.
And then maybe the bike sticks around.
The Chevelle is not the daily, of course.
And it isn't going anywhere.
So he needs a second car.
So they'll end up with three and a bike and a new daughter.
I mean, and here's the thing.
He knows the bike might go away.
The Chevelle is a forever car.
So it's essentially we need a car that I can commute in.
If need be, I can take my daughter in.
If need be, it wouldn't be the primary family car.
But that gets him into the discussion of, so could it be cool?
And could it be something that's kind of special?
The budget for this car is 10,000 with Paul Limiter 15.
So when Taylor, when you write it like that, I don't see the 10.
I don't. The budget is 10.
I don't need it at this point, but for me, I can have 15.
So I'm, well, why are we talking about 10?
Then if we can have 15, why would you take 10?
Yeah. So I'm going with 15.
I do too. I do that.
Here's the only time I do that is if the first number is pretty high already.
If you say I can do 75, but maybe a hundred.
I'm going to look for 75 to 80.
If you say 10 grand to 15, I'm going to 15.
There's a lot more options at 15 anyway. Yeah.
Taylor wants to have it, wants the car to have personality
and the new car will probably see 4,000 miles per year, maybe.
So not that much.
It needs to have moderate running costs, be easy to work on.
It needs to be able to take a car seat in a pinch.
They won't need to count on this car.
So reliability just needs to be average.
And your mileage don't concern Taylor as much.
Two considerations for the approach that we could take.
First of all, is small hatch wagon sedan that can do the kid duty when needed.
And it would be exclusively Taylor's car.
The top contenders include a 500 Bart, Fiat or Ford Fiesta ST.
Minis, however, are right out because his wife hates them.
You've listened to this show. Good to know, Taylor. Excellent.
So I will I will not recommend a mini. I won't do that, I promise.
Number two is the option that I want to concentrate on,
because this could be a more special car that both he and his wife could drive.
Which means it must be an automatic.
It could be a two-seater, which might help it feel more special compared to the Mazda.
Agreed.
He's not opposed to putting a kid seat in the front seat,
and he thinks maybe like a 1990s-ish Mercedes SL320 would be a cool ride,
but he's concerned about maintenance or like a BMW Z4 appeals.
So is there anything at this price point?
$15,000.
Yes, that price point.
Yes, that has a hint of specialness and is decent to drive in an automatic.
He might also ignore all of this and just go buy a clean 1990 to 98 Chevy
1500 4x4 because it's his favorite truck and he's wanted one since he was a teenager.
Can I just stop here for a second and acknowledge something,
Taylor, that I don't know that you've noticed? Let's see.
We have a 1998 Honda VFR 800 cool bike from the 90s.
You're looking at a 90s Mercedes SL320,
or you might throw it all out for a 90s Chevy 1500 4x4.
There's a bit of a I like things from the 90s going on.
I think you need to get newer than that for safety tech.
Okay, yeah.
Brace yourself now.
Congrats on your growing family.
Brace yourself now.
Your parents, in-laws, people you barely know.
If you ever get into a conversation with somebody about you are about to put your young child
in a car seat, in a two-seat car,
people are going to think you are threatening to injure the child.
Did that happen to you?
No, it doesn't.
It's just there's this tone, there's this tone that exists
that everybody seems to find when they find out you're putting an infant in a two-seater,
because most people believe that is A, illegal, or B, just this side of deadly.
It is neither.
It is neither.
It is not illegal.
If you have a two-seat car and you need to take a child,
the child has ways for you to do that.
The key thing is you have to turn off the passenger side airbag,
and that's the reason I want you to get more modern cars, because that's allowable.
It is fully allowable, even with a rear-facing car seat, to take a child in a two-seat car.
What you cannot do is have something like an 86, which technically has back seats,
and put them in the front.
Put them in the front.
But if it's a two-seat car, that's the car you have.
It's the old Simpson stroke.
This was the most car I could afford.
If you happen to have a two-seat car and you need to take a child, this is how it works.
So somebody in your family is going to look down their noses at you.
I guarantee you.
Somebody you don't know is going to be like,
what are you doing?
And you could be like, and I'm doing this, but I think we now get out of the 90s.
That's what I think.
I like your sports car ideas, Taylor.
I think I found the exact car that I think you should get.
It's got a little bit of personality.
I mean, it doesn't have all the personality.
Cars with all the personality need a lot of care and feeding.
They might not fit your life.
You might not fit its life.
So I am starting out with the BMW Z3 because these are very inexpensive.
They can be found and they're fun and they're small.
And usually when you say, I want a car with personality,
that just means I want a lightweight, fun sports car.
That lightweight is the underlying.
I mean, it's code code word for light personality.
So Z3, maybe a Z4.
And I went looking for you and found for under $15,000, $12,799 with 94,000 miles,
a 2012 Z4 S drive, 28i.
This was the refresh.
So it wasn't the Z4 generation that you had.
The one after that I think is overlooked.
And this had the retractable hardtop.
So that was, that made it the E89, I think it was.
And the 28i had the turbo four cylinder,
which is a surprisingly good engine actually.
Yeah, I like this thing.
I also thought about other fun cars like a 2010 Nissan 370Z touring roadster.
So a convertible Z.
I mean, kind of fun, pretty cool.
Look, $15,000, 92,000 miles.
It's like right in the sweet spot.
And these are fun and great to drive.
And you know, kids eat in a pinch,
but I'm thinking like date night for you and your wife.
And you know, get a babysitter and then they're tooling around in this kind of thing.
So could be cool.
I toyed with the idea initially of an older Corvette.
And I went looking just to see what, you know, what's out there.
So a C4, just a base Corvette 350 small block,
61,000 miles for just under $11,000 is kind of interesting.
I mean, these are just a cool, fun sports car.
This thing has probably mostly sat.
So it's kind of used to sitting and it's probably just going to run.
It's just a Chevy, but it does tie into your Chevy leanings and his 1990s.
90s leanings.
Yeah, I think we need to be newer.
But I, but that is the way to get a vet.
Because all the vets I wanted to find him, the newer vets are too expensive.
They're too expensive.
You got to be this old.
I was thinking the same thing.
Like how can I have a vet?
How can we get a vet in your life?
That's good.
And then you're tooling around in this thing.
Pretty cool.
Looks really clean.
I don't love it in white, but there's other colors too.
But the car that I think has the right balance for you is 2012.
BMW 328i convertible.
And I love this because it's still a fun BMW sports car.
Sure.
But it's got a back seat.
Yeah.
And it's a little bit larger than an 86.
It's got a back seat for your daughter.
I mean, maybe your family grows beyond that.
But look at this for $13,500 with only 61,000 miles.
Yep.
That's good.
I like that.
I think the vet, I was wrong on that.
The vet was 57.
The vet had 57, so close.
But this one is the one with a 61,000 miles.
So this is also just set.
Very clean, really nice.
I think this would be, I mean, you can get on it.
And it's still going to drive like a BMW, the classic BMWs
that we love.
It's still going to be nice and sporty.
It's the same engine as the one in that Z4 you showed.
I'm pretty sure, yeah.
I just thought for $13,500, I'm under your budget.
Pretty low miles, convertible.
Well done.
Everybody can go along.
It's a convertible.
Yeah, let's get out.
Let's go for ice cream.
Let's get out in the sunshine.
Let's just go enjoy for a little bit.
And you can put the top up.
And if it's wintry conditions, you
can put winter tires on this, too.
Convertibles work well in the winter, too.
Yes.
I mean, cars in general work well in the winter.
I know it's crazy.
You don't have to have a hard top just to drive in the winter.
So you don't leave the top up, turn on the heater,
and get around in the winter.
But I think this could be a cool, fun,
just a totally different flavor for you.
And I didn't realize they were this inexpensive.
So I'm coming in right between your two numbers.
Right.
Good for you.
And I think, I mean, they probably take 13, maybe even less.
And Bob's your uncle.
You've got a great, fun BMW.
And I like it because, as much as I love the Z4 option for you,
this is almost as fun as a Z4.
But everybody can go.
True.
I take that point.
That's very good.
I went a little bit different place.
But I'm going to start here by just,
I wanted to pull up your bike real quick.
Yeah.
And these Honda VFR, this is a cool bike.
This is a very cool bike.
And it's one of that era of bikes.
And look, I will admit that I am not
a guy that stays well caught up on motorcycles.
I admit that.
And I do prefer cars.
And I've had some motorcycle experience.
You've had more than me.
But I do prefer cars.
But this is one of those bikes that I just think is timeless.
That just looks like you could release that right now.
It just looks mean.
It looks fast.
I could release it right now and be like,
hey, we're doing the vintage thing.
And it would sell.
So I mean, this is a very cool bike.
And it's also 90s.
I also think it's really funny today.
We have a 90s thing going on.
So I wanted to start there.
You said chuckable hatchback and you're right.
There is no better answer than a Ford Fiesta ST.
I found you one right here, 2018.
This was one of the nicest ones I found online
because notice the mileage is 33,000 miles is it.
They want it right at $15,000.
This, of course, is a hatchback with a manual.
We know multiple people that have hauled their kids around
in a Fiesta ST.
If you're thinking dad fun car and a little bit of mileage
and you want it to be fun and you have time you go anywhere,
this is the beginning and end for me.
I'm glad you're already thinking of a Taylor.
Sweet color too.
Yes, this is the great orange that you really want.
The Fiesta ST manual transmission $15,000.
This is the ultimate dad hatchback
that you just drive for fun.
Now, again, because it's manual, your wife can't drive it.
So this is just a you need to go somewhere car.
And it is so chuckable.
And this is downshift, downshift.
Totally throw it in.
Absolutely.
The way this feels is one of those things where
you don't care how fast you're going.
And where it feels most fun is like dead in the middle of attack.
Like not anywhere near red line.
I'm talking like the three to 4500 range of the tack.
And you're going just barely above what the speed limit sign said.
But you're having more fun than everybody.
It's making power.
That's where this is great.
So I don't think there's any other hatchback consideration here.
If you're going to go fun hatchback for you that's manual,
I think this is the end.
That's the start.
But I want to run through your other options.
MX-5 is out because it's too small.
It's not going to work.
But I brought up the same Z4 you did.
I just found a different one.
2013, this is the Z4S drive, 28i.
That is the generation after mine,
which is the hard top, which I don't need one of these.
And yet I kind of need one of these.
This does it for you.
The styling on this one really does it for you.
Especially here's the thing.
As BMW styling has moved uglier, these things have gotten pretty.
They've gotten pretty.
They've gotten so pretty to begin with.
They were good looking initially.
And I just think they've gotten gorgeous.
A part of me wants to own one of these.
I've already had a Z4.
We're not doing that series again.
But I'm curious.
I got to be honest.
I think these are overlooked.
You weren't done with it clearly.
It's OK if you have a Z4 again in your life.
I approve.
This is 82,000 miles, $15,000.
This, it looks phenomenal.
This is an auto.
The BMW auto you would both love.
What I was trying to do, if I was going to go away
from the Fiesta ST, which feels like just dad's car.
It's just dad's car.
It's dad's four-door crazy hatchback
for the guy that drives the motorcycle.
That's what it is.
True.
And it has an appeal.
It's good appeal.
Exactly.
This is, I need to take my daughter somewhere.
Or later, I'm going to take my wife on a date.
Or she's just going to take it because she's like,
can I take the fun car?
That's the kind of world I'm shopping in.
I think the Z4 nails it there.
How about an Audi TT?
Oh, it's good color.
$12,000, $100,000 miles.
Look, these have a mixed reputation for reliability.
But this isn't your primary car.
It's only going to get a few thousand miles a year.
This is a convertible Audi TT.
And please don't misunderstand me.
There were tons cheaper than this and a few more expensive.
And I'm talking, I'm trying to stay under your budget.
So I mean, of course, you can get much more expensive than this.
But your kind of budget, this is $12,000.
Easy.
What's the version of the Audi TT you'd like?
You go all the way back to the very first gen if you wanted.
These in auto are fine.
OK, this is a golf underneath.
And they're going to drive perfectly well for what you want.
This is still a really fun little date night car
and a fun little run around.
So I had to go Audi TT.
I couldn't ignore it.
Cool.
And then, of course, Porsche Boxster.
This is me thinking about you and your wife
are going to have a date night.
Or you're going to have a fun drive.
This is an auto.
Love that.
This is a 987.
This is a base boxer.
So the base boxer doesn't have the engine with the IMS
or the bore scoring issues.
And they're cheaper.
Yes.
This is $15,700 right here.
So this one looks the part.
You don't have the normal reliability concerns
that have crept up on these engines of this era.
I mean, the boxes of this era or even the 911s of this era.
There were tons of the first gen boxers for this money.
But I think the styling and the interior especially
have aged so much better on this 987 second gen.
This is the convertible base model.
And why not?
This does.
Your wife would like driving it.
She would like riding in it.
And I'm sure your daughter would too.
Teach her about flat six noises early in life.
You know, you'll have the Chevelle burnouts.
There you go.
Taking her to cars and coffee and doing some burnouts
and roasting tires.
And what's that smell?
And why does my daughter smell like roasted tires?
No, that's the question his wife asks.
He's not concerned about it.
His wife will be like, honey, what did you do to our kid?
She was clean when she left.
And now she smells like tire rubber.
But think about this garage for a second.
We've got a CX-5.
Yeah.
We've got a Boxster.
We've got a Chevelle and a motorcycle.
We have represented the world.
That's compelling.
That's a really interesting lineup there.
So hopefully one of those helps you, Taylor,
and congrats on growing family.
That's just awesome.
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We don't get too many emails about buyers remorse.
Very few, actually.
We don't really talk about buyers remorse that much.
It happens, but it's not common.
I mean, the goal for us is to get you into something
so you don't have buyers remorse,
and we encourage you to test drive a lot
and drive enough so that when you finally
make the purchase, you're endlessly happy,
and there's no problems.
But sometimes, like in the case of Cole here in East Texas,
he believes he bought the wrong car,
but he's going to start out with car history.
First, he bought a 1974 Dodge D100,
and I pulled photos.
That was the start at 16.
Here it is, a bit of a little rough,
but this is the first car.
I bought a Beater Truck for a 16-year-old.
I get it. That's cool.
I like that a lot.
I love first car stories.
Everybody has a cool story about them, so.
Then he went to the RSX here that he mentions
was taken from him in a T-Bone accident, 2003,
RSX manual transmission.
He made it out without a scratch.
It was probably his favorite car that he's owned,
and he owned a Civic Si in here is similar,
but he just loved the look of this RSX,
and the hatch was nice.
Looks like he had a wing on that out back.
He taught himself how to crack the ECU immobilizer, tune it,
so it was a fun little rocket,
but it broke so many times, so that's unfortunate.
Then he had a Jetta, 2004 Jetta 1.8 manual transmission,
as well.
He also had a Pathfinder.
Ooh, the old classic Pathfinders.
Those are cool.
89.
That's the hood, the whole thing.
Yeah, four-wheel drive manual transmission.
This was apparently payment for helping out a friend,
and then he had a Civic Si.
That's a really cool photo, actually.
Backlit little fog through the trees.
Definitely artistic.
That's really cool.
I like that one.
That's the 08 Civic Si manual transmission,
six-speed manual, and he liked that.
Then moving on to the car that he's got remorse about.
He got, in April, a 2017 Lexus RC350 F Sport,
very well optioned, has four-wheel steering,
variable steering ratio, active dampers, LSD,
a bunch of other stuff he says that Lexus nerds care about.
Excellent.
But look, what you're saying here, though,
is you got an excellently specced Lexus RC350 F Sport.
Whether you like it or not, this is a prime spec version.
I totally get it.
Yeah.
He thought giving up manual was worth gaining rear-wheel drive,
but he was wrong.
He's grateful.
He could buy such a nice car, but the driving experience
leaves him disappointed.
Acceleration is good.
It's right at 12 pounds per horsepower.
You have listened.
OK, good.
That's right.
But it's just too heavy at 3,700 pounds.
It's too muted.
The only way to have fun is to do power slides
or just go way too fast.
It does its job perfectly, yeah.
And he can appreciate that.
It just doesn't fit him.
So now he finds himself constantly thinking,
what is the next car?
And his wife are very financially minded,
so he did the math on getting himself out of this car.
His return on the purchase cost,
he think he can sell it after about 7,000 to 10,000 miles,
get his value out of that.
And he's already driven about 5,000 miles,
so he wants to have his plan ready.
He's shopping with a budget of $20,000 to $25,000
with a polymeter of $30,000.
So we're shopping at $30,000.
That's the number that I see, even though that's not
likely for approval from the Minister of Finance.
She's got a 2026 outback that they take everywhere,
so they don't need much practicality right now.
He just drives his car to work, occasional grocery pickups,
and needs to carry his mountain bike,
but he can just do an exterior mount like a C-sucker.
He said he was happy to put a mountain bike,
C-sucker, or something else on anything.
So the mountain bike's not even an issue here.
Manual is a must.
He misses the engagement so much.
That's one of the things that keeps him from loving this Lexus.
And he ideally doesn't want anything older
than about 10 years old.
Lightweight, rear-wheel drive, high-revving NA engine.
So hang on, let me stop real quick.
You love that 8,600 RPM SI.
What you really think you want is lightweight,
rear-wheel drive, manual.
That is a hard list already.
Now we've got to do that.
Under 30K, we are limiting ourselves
to the first two things that he thought up.
He figured he'd land on either an ND2 Miata
or a first-generation BRZ or 86,
because when you do, rear-wheel drive, lightweight,
manual transmission, under 30K,
those are the two that spring to mind.
Somebody needs to make something else to challenge these two cars.
Some manufacturer needs to come out with something.
I don't care who it is.
Hyundai, Kia?
Honda. Where are you?
Are you listening?
Somebody make something.
I mean, Ford, come back with anything to...
I don't care.
Chevy, what's the car under the Camaro?
They teased that years ago and then walked away.
Kupra would be a perfect brand to do that.
The Solstice, bring the Solstice back.
The Saturn Sky or what?
Anyway, moving on.
He said he's likely to mod cars either way.
So the BRZ 86, he wouldn't leave alone
because he thinks he probably would work
on the engine of that first gen.
He has driven an FRS before in LA,
loved the handling but didn't like the powertrain.
Again, you want high revving.
Well, that's not really easy to find either
unless you go S2000 and that's too old.
He's also had seat time and his friends in a Miata.
So he assumes he would like the ND.
Those are not direct equal signs.
But, okay, you understand the fact that the Miata is good.
So I get that.
So it also needs to ideally be decent on track.
He's loved to get into a second gen BRZ if he could,
but he wonders if that's a stretch.
So is Miata always the answer?
And he's wondering if he's missing something.
Cole, you could turbocharge an NC.
This is Jordan Schieffer's car,
Ghosty Miata, and he brought it to us
almost a year ago for us to drive.
And we did a review on our test drive channel here.
We really liked this.
This NC, the NC is a sweet spot for Miatas.
I mean, these are really great to drive.
They're a little bit larger.
They'll fit.
And then Jordan turbocharged this thing.
And it's great.
Really well done.
Everything is sorted.
Yeah, it's flying the other stuff.
Yeah, it's great.
It's really good.
It feels factory.
It really does.
You could do that.
But if we are going to talk Miatas,
I'm going to try to convince you to go ND3,
but I can stay under your $30,000 budget because look at this.
Brand new with 1,100 miles for just under 30K
for an ND3 Miata Sport in the soul red.
This is the car that you want, my friend.
If you're going to get a Miata,
I highly recommend the ND3 mainly because of all the revisions
that they did, the steering geometry,
the steering rack rate, the calibration,
of course, the more power from the ND2 already.
This is the car that you want.
And when we reviewed this,
we drove it against the BMW Z4 manual.
And I pretty much glowed about it.
And I really liked driving this car a lot.
If all the Miatas, if I were going to buy a Miata,
I acknowledge the NC.
I acknowledge the NC turbo.
Cool, cool, cool.
This is the one I would buy.
OK, all right.
But I want you to have other ideas.
So I found a 2023 Toyota Supra 2.0.
Can you believe this?
Those are down under 30 grand.
Here's the problem.
They're not manual.
It's an automatic.
But a modern, new-ish Supra 2.0.
I like that engine.
And the car drove a little bit lighter
because that engine, obviously,
its four cylinder sits a little bit back
behind that front axle.
And the weight balance in the nose
is just a little bit more delicate, I feel like.
Yeah, they're under 30 for the 2.0.
They didn't make them for very long.
But here's one in a great color.
30 grand, 5,600 miles.
Again, the problem is automatic.
I'm surprised by that.
Yeah, I see that.
Suggesting to point you in the right direction
of something newer, more modern.
We could also go down the road again of the 370Z.
This is a Nismo.
It's a 2018 Nismo automatic.
And that just got me thinking, OK,
so right at the $30,000 price point,
this could be interesting.
And then here is the base model for a 2016.
Saving your money here, going down to 20 grand
with 88,000 miles.
Wow.
You don't drive very much.
I mean, this could just be great.
And lots of fun.
And this looks actually very clean.
It does look really nice.
Yeah, for 88,000 miles, that's cleaned up really well.
Wow, I'm impressed.
Just 20 grand.
And boom, you've got a 370Z.
Lots of fun.
And this one in particular is a manual.
So you can find them out there.
Just go a little bit older.
So yeah, I think you've got options here.
Of course, like I said, personality always means
the lightest thing you can think of.
And if you're genuinely thinking 86 and Miata,
well, don't listen to any of this stuff.
Just go get yourself.
Go get the Miata 86 that you like.
I mean, he did hit on the two that check all of his boxes
for real, didn't he?
I mean, he really did go to the obvious place.
I mean, Cole, that's where I want to stop real quick.
I want to talk about the fact of what you're asking for
doesn't entirely exist.
Because what you're really looking for
is a new version of an S2000.
Small, manual, lightweight, rear-wheel drive,
and high-revving engine doesn't really exist currently.
So you've landed on the two that makes the most sense,
the ND Miata and the first gen BRZ 86.
And then you said, and I'll likely tune it.
And then I went full stop.
You've said your budget might be as much as 30.
You'd like it to be 20, 25.
So I've tried to stay close to 25.
But what I want to point out real quick is this.
I think it's very interesting that you absolutely
could get a second gen of one of these for your money.
I've got a 2023 Subaru BRZ Premium for 28.7 with 25,000 miles.
Or get yourself a 2023 GR86 Premium for 26.3 with 23,000 miles.
You said you drove a first gen.
You loved the handling, but you thought the engine was uninteresting.
All of us thought the engine was what?
Interesting.
They made it better for the second gen.
That's part of it.
The second thing is, it seems to me that this little engine
in this car, either the first or second gen,
they run great until you start to mess with them.
Everybody that has had that engine is terrible.
Then you hear the list of mods.
Here's all the things I did and it blew.
This engine seems to be fine if you just let it run as designed.
It's just, here it is.
So get a second gen because the second gen,
you've seen all of our stuff on it.
Heck, I'm even wearing the shirt.
The second gen is much improved in all the ways you want it improved.
And then you don't have to tune the engine and there's less blow up.
I'm just putting it out there.
Okay.
Blowing of the up.
Yes, let's blow it up.
So anyway, so both of these, look, 2023 BRZ, 2023 OGRD6,
both are under 30 grand.
Both are under 30,000 miles.
Both are under 25,000 miles.
Come on now.
This is where you want to be if you get an 86.
But I'm giving you other options.
I think you're going to find the ND too small.
I think NC is your play and I've got a gorgeous,
this is the nice red 2014 MX-5 Miata Grand Touring.
The question I asked myself is, do I need this car?
The hardtop.
This is the hardtop convertible 14.5 with 62,000 miles.
I am tempted.
This is in Colorado Springs.
We could go out there, we'd get a car.
Sorry, that's not about me.
Let's go out there with a screwdriver
and take that nasty wing off the back.
Well, that is a really nasty wing.
I agree with that.
But everything else about this is right.
The point I'm making here is with your budget,
you can get the nicest NC out there.
What's the way you want an NC to be?
Because this is the one that has real usable space.
And also, as Jordan's car proves,
I love that you showed that,
the aftermarket is building for this car.
Yes.
And they seem to take mods kind of well.
But I think without mods, I think you would just love this.
I think this is the modern Miata that you want
because I think the ND, which I do like very much,
I think it's a little small for like,
I'm going to have this as my car.
I think it's a little small.
So I think NC Miata, plus you can get so much more
for your money here.
So I'm going to leave that one alone.
And then while we're here, I can't resist.
Mini Cooper.
John Cooper works Mini Cooper 18.5 on this guy,
51,000 miles.
This is front wheel drive.
So that's the downside.
You wanted rear wheel drive,
but I just thought you had a lot of front wheel drive fun cars.
And what I hear from you is you want involving and chuckable.
And I would rather put you in the rear wheel drive.
This is my wild card choice here,
because you want rear wheel drive.
But this would be very, very fun.
And I think it would connect you back to the stuff
you liked about your Civics and your, your RSX,
but make it modern.
So I had to put it in here.
50,000 miles.
Yeah.
18 grand.
I think his answer is new 86 chassis, DRZ or 86.
But I couldn't resist.
Come on, John Cooper works.
That would be fun.
If you're a car manufacturer out there
and you're listening to this podcast,
or you're thinking about product planning,
you'll notice the through line to our suggestions on the podcast.
And it's so many times we're looking for the fun.
Now that doesn't mean it always has to be the most lightweight,
the most dynamic car ever.
That's not what we're always looking for on these car debates.
We're looking for somebody,
something that really suits people's needs.
And that can include SUVs.
What we think is the best size, the best seven passenger.
What's the largest thing I can put my family in?
We can absolutely do those recommendations too.
Trucks, absolutely.
We drive trucks and then all the off-roaders too.
Yeah, we love those kinds of suggestions.
But you'll notice the through line is most of the emails we get
are you, our audience, searching for the fun, the delight of driving.
And I hope that manufacturers continue to listen to think about doing that
because all the people movers,
like what everything Volkswagen makes right now.
All the Ts from Volkswagen, got it.
They're all out there.
They exist.
So is it boring for you to hear a recommendation of like,
you should just go buy a Tiguan.
Yeah, that'll be satisfying because no, it doesn't satisfy us.
It doesn't make us happy.
And then when a car conclusion comes back and people say,
well, I just, I bought a T-Rock, Taos.
It fit a need.
You like the price.
It makes the budget work.
Absolutely.
It worked for you.
That's great.
And is it fun to hear about that?
Does it, oh, I'm so passionate about driving again.
It reawakened the thing within me that just,
I've been, it's been sleeping in dormant for so long in my life.
Guys, I've discovered this thing.
I mean, you, Cole, you had the Lexus as good of a car as you acknowledge it to be.
Well, Spect, cool car.
Somebody is going to buy that from you.
No problem.
You'll have no trouble selling that car.
But then what's, what's the thing that reawakens you?
What's the thing that just gets you excited?
We're constantly searching for those cars.
That's why we bring up so many European spec models,
even though we can't get them here.
Sometimes we're starting to drive them more and more, which is nice.
But we can't get, we're constantly looking for those fun things,
even though the, you know, the underpowered stuff,
GTIs are still very much on the table.
We still love GTIs.
There's, you know, super cool fun to drive, all those things.
But I just, I'm trying to think about the debates that we get versus, I think,
I think sometimes people know what you're, what they're going to buy.
And if it doesn't necessarily include a fun car,
then I should, shouldn't submit it for a debate.
If it means maybe, I mean,
Well, I need a new pickup and I just need to get to the construction site.
But ultimately, when we get those car debates and I welcome them,
ultimately, look, we, if you need a seven seater,
because that's the way your life works with the brood and the dogs and the stuff,
then let's find you the best seven seater for you.
Yeah, okay.
We are not as much as we love enthusiast cars and as much as I have to say this,
as much as YouTube would like us to release a new video every week
with a brand new comparison of three rear wheel drive manual transmission sports cars
with two seats.
That's what YouTube would like every single week.
And by the way, that hasn't happened in decades.
So, you know, that, so that, that unfortunate ship has sailed.
We could do probably three new SUVs every week and we would all yawn and move on.
But sometimes to your point, that's what makes it work.
So, we want to talk about all the car debates.
But we want you to like, here's how I've always said it,
when that bill comes every month, you don't sigh at it.
Oh, gosh.
All right, we got to pay this.
I got to pay that insurance and I get gas and I got to pay it because I need that.
Look, cars are really expensive.
I'd like you when you're paying that every month to be like, yeah,
for my car, yes, for sure.
Doesn't mean it needs to be the most engaging thing ever.
But to your point, Paul, nobody's going, I can't wait to drive my Taos again.
I can't wait to pay the bill for the Tiguan.
Going somewhere and that's taking you there.
That might excite you.
But are you going there for the driving experience of my T-Rock?
I don't really think so.
There's always going to be a lot of choice, I feel like.
And there's going to be new takes on what enthusiast driving means,
even though I think all manufacturers should take note about what they built in the past
and what enthusiasts currently are searching for.
But I feel like with Oliver cutting 50% of their lineup and 100,000 employees from Volkswagen,
that's the 50,000 employees that he already said and told Wall Street that would be gone by 2030
and now the newly announced 50,000 more jobs, including closing factories and not wanting
them to fall in the hands of defense or wanting them to go to defense manufacturers, whatever.
But that's a lot of people out of work, a lot of people out of a job and then car companies going,
what do we sell that's compelling?
I mean, there's a through line.
You see, we started with all the non-compelling stuff and Volkswagen scratching their head like,
how come we're not selling cars?
Because to pay all these people and to have the factories, we got to sell compelling cars.
They're not.
Yeah, fair.
What happened?
Here's what happened.
Dieselgate.
Because since dieselgate, Volkswagen has been killing themselves to be out in front of regulation
instead of trying to cheat it or be behind it.
So that means they've been every ID car they can think of, every midsize SUV they can think of,
and they all have every single safety feature that somebody's even thought about near the
country of Germany.
So this has completely transformed that company to the point that the only thing fun left
is variants of the GTI.
And that's a legacy car.
They've replaced the diesels for the EVs.
So I still think this is dieselgate fallout.
That reshaped the company.
Because think about it also this way, and I'm not excusing dieselgate when I say this,
but think about it this way.
This is dawning on me as we talk.
Dieselgate is born from we want our cars to be really good to drive,
but we've also got to pass regulation.
And so they create that weird thing that it did on the test stand where now suddenly
diesels doesn't isn't smoky anymore.
And we don't need the blue stuff, and it's going to be great, which was a lie across the board.
But it allowed their cars to be at the time the best diesels to drive out there.
It's true.
And once they got that massive, it's not a hand slap.
It's like a smack across the face.
This is why Electrify America exists.
That's backed by Volkswagen.
All the things they had to put money into, it reshapes the company,
makes them hyper conservative and hyper concerned about regulation.
And you see what the lineup is that we got.
Hyper boring.
Yep.
Yep.
I want car companies to yeah, maybe not go as far as beaver teeth.
It's something like go to a party, like go have a weekend where you I don't know.
I regret that.
Yes.
Go have a regrettable weekend.
And then come back to work on Monday and rethink your lineup.
We know that you're either shopping for your next car or looking at prices for fun.
We do it too.
And we only use autotempus.com.
Because autotempus pulls listings from all the top sites as fast as in a single site
and shows them all so you don't miss a listing for your perfect car.
You can save your search, get alerts and even compare prices with their price trends tool.
Plus autotempus was our first sponsor and they've been our partner for years.
Like us, they want you to find the perfect car.
For this podcast or for your garage, find the next car with autotempus.com slash every day.
All the cars, one search, autotempus.
William, I have to celebrate you because along these lines, you have written to us and asked
what goes with a diesel Benz wagon.
Love it.
That's exciting.
It is.
Watching since our Miata series about a decade ago.
And William recently moved to Canada, picked up a daily and needs our help picking a fun
weekend car to get back to a multi-car garage.
I love your thinking.
Yes.
William owned a 1996 Toyota Camry with a manual transmission.
Okay.
Camry.
Very cool.
Manual.
They existed.
They were rare, but they existed.
I love this.
It's awesome.
He almost been into an escrow at Olympic National Park due to terminal understeer and he said a
lifetime rule he will never willingly own another front wheel drive car unless he absolutely has to.
But William, you cannot judge current front wheel drive cars or even ones from a decade ago
based on your experience with a 1996 Toyota Camry.
You cannot, I want to remove that rule for you.
Not all front wheel drives drive like a 96 Camry.
Can we suspend that rule?
Well, but I'll also say this.
Also 1996, I hate to put numbers on it, is 30 year old tire technology.
Yes.
What would that 96 year old, pardon me, what would that 1996, not 96 year old,
what would that 1996 Toyota Camry drive like right now on modern high performance tires?
Awesome.
Probably pretty cool.
William had a 1990 Miata manual.
He had a BMW 325CI and automatic.
He had two.
Count them.
Mazda RX-8, the first 2004 was super reliable.
He said it was a 2004 RX-8 GT manual.
He describes this car.
His first word is bliss.
Bilstein's, Hawkpads, PS4's, proper autocross alignment felt like to him the Miata XL,
which he says makes sense since it shares the chassis with the Miata NC.
So he said incredible rotary theater.
Super reliable for him.
And he liked it so much that he bought another one to replace it when he thought,
all right, it's time for a newer car.
He bought the last of the last, the 2012 RX-8 R3 that was the last of the last.
Traded his 04 in for this because he thought the Riccaros would be great and he regretted it.
The seats were great, but he felt like the sunroof he had on his original car.
He really liked having that one that he thought he would.
And he also expected it to be like lighter and better.
And he always felt like the 04 setup just drove better.
And apparently, I'm guessing this 2012 wasn't quite as reliable.
Amazing.
I mean, a reliable RX-8.
That's fantastic.
I'm sure he did all the things with carrying the oil and all that.
Anyway, moving on, yeah.
He had a super outback five speed from 1970, paid 800 bucks for it.
Questionable automobile, but a great camper.
He had a 2013 Hyundai Accent in manual.
The Iran out of money moving to Canada car.
It happens.
I get it.
I totally understand.
And now the aforementioned 2010 Mercedes E350 Blue Tech wagon.
Right hand drive, rear wheel drive.
He just bought this from Japan.
It's on its way to Canada to his house now.
He's always liked Mercedes philosophy of putting luxury first and performance second.
And he's hoping it'll be the perfect highway commuter.
And you know what?
Probably will be.
Probably great.
And it's diesel.
It's diesel.
Pretty fascinating.
Yeah.
By the way, on my last thought at the end of the last debate, what did you say about
GTI?
Was it a halo car or something?
The only fun car they made.
It's a legacy car.
Legacy car.
Yeah.
The 911 is now the only legacy car Porsche builds.
The Mustang is now the only legacy car that Ford builds.
The Corvette is now the only legacy car that Chevy builds.
You're making a very good point.
You're making all the cars have vanished and we're only carrying on the ones that have got
massive legacy.
Except for Toyota.
Toyota is the only car company expanding and investing and probably going to make even more.
That has that level of history.
And if you think about it in recent years, it's a great point.
Think about it in recent years.
We've got LFA.
I know it's Lexus, but LFA 86, GR Corolla.
The upcoming GT, GR Supra.
Yeah.
Interesting.
Sorry, I thought.
Yeah, I like that.
That's good.
You're right.
The car's legacy car.
The cars that have lingered are the legacy performance cars and they let almost every other car
go away because of course, I don't know if you got the memo, Paul, I got it a couple of times.
SUVs are better.
That's the memo.
Just better.
They're just better.
Just better.
It doesn't matter how much they weigh or how big they are because new tire technology and we'll
put all the power in them and they'll just corner like, I mean, they'll leave sports cars in the
dust.
And what I need is I need to sit higher and I need to have more space.
Even though many five seat SUVs, I have to hit it again.
Their backseat space is worse than lots of stands.
Well, many needs to get dinged because their cars are huge.
No, I don't mean many.
I mean, many, many of the SUVs.
Many of the SUVs, their backseat space of the SUV is not better than a lot of actual sedans.
But minis are not many.
No, no, that's a whole separate problem.
Sorry.
I got, I started on that road.
Sorry, William, he writes the original Tesla Model 3 performance redefined physics.
I think the 911 redefined physics, but we can argue about that later.
He's talking about notable other drives.
Yeah.
He said it understeered terribly just over the limit.
Well, a lot of cars understeer terribly just over the limit.
They tune them that way because the oversteer one is more frightening.
I mean, unless you can handle it, a C6 ZR1 was way too fast.
Felt like he would lose his license in a week.
Toyobaru twins are great, but he says there's no rotary theater.
Yeah, you're right.
You're totally right.
Rotary theater.
You're right.
He'd skip the ND1.
He'd considered Miata, ND2 more live.
Yes, yes, yes.
Porsche Cayman GT4, he tried it.
It was absolutely amazing.
Yes, they are amazing.
It makes him assume the regular Caymans must be fun.
Yes, I agree.
Uh-huh.
With the Mercedes wagon taking over daily duties, what should the weekend car be?
You're embracing the Mercedes wagon.
So already car enthusiasts like the cool wagon.
It's not a sports car, but it's cool.
He said importing from Japan is an option thanks to this 15-year rule.
And he's taking advantage of that with his wagon.
But if we were in his shoes, what would we buy with a roughly 20,000 Canadian budget,
which is about 14, just over 14,000 US, almost 15 grand US.
And if you stretch to 50,000 Canadian, which is about $35,000 US currently,
is there anything that would change our recommendation completely?
Thought about a C5 Corvette?
Thought about other Miatas?
I think, William, you should consider a Porsche product.
Because when you said what pairs with a Benz diesel wagon, I'm thinking the opposite.
But they have to relate.
So what are the car companies across town in Stuttgart from Mercedes?
I think a Porsche product would be for you, like a Boxster.
Like that Boxster you showed could be interesting.
And this one you're driving for joy, not utility.
Agreed.
So the opposite of wagon.
Any Boxster for 14,000 or 15,000 US, I guess that'd be 20,000 Canadian.
The ND3 Miata is easy for a 50,000 Canadian.
That would be, yeah, 35.
You can do it for way less than 50,000 Canadian.
Others that are small.
Todd and I shop on autotipus.com.
We use the same website and we come up with the same cars sometimes.
Very similar cars.
We have at least talked twice, I think.
This might be our third time talking ever, yeah.
$13,000 for a 2012 JCW Mini Cooper, 77,000 miles.
I mean, this thing would be sweet in your driveway.
I was just shopping US, William, but you'll get the idea.
You come down to US and grab one of these and drive it back.
Also, again, we use the same.
That's the exact same one that I pulled up earlier.
There it is.
We're not selling cars.
We're selling the same car.
This exact car.
There it is.
That's very funny.
I like that you found that one too.
Yes, ST.
Yes, ST.
There it is.
I mean, the good one, the top dollar.
Totally, yes.
$15,000, a low mileage one on here.
Somebody needs to buy that.
It's at Wisconsin.
Like I said, oh, wow.
We found a lot of the exact same cars there.
I didn't give you my pictures either.
That's crazy.
All right, moving on.
Same 2013 BMW Z4 hardtop and that gorgeous blue for $15,000.
I found you another one.
This is a 2013 manual because this really nice blue one
is an automatic, but this particular one, I couldn't quite tell.
I don't think this is the hard top.
I think it's the soft.
And this one is $15,000, 94,000 miles.
And yeah, looking great.
I think this would be a special car to own or drive.
And it's not quite across town, so it's not the full dichotomy,
the opposite kind of thing that you're looking for.
But I think any and all of these would be a lot of fun.
And they're right in your budget.
And I think BMW would work.
And this episode, we're selling Z4s.
Apparently, it's all about Z4s.
William, I'm going to start at a very obvious place.
But that is, look, you talked about you drove a GT4 Cayman
and you suspect all the Caymans are good.
Yes, is the answer.
They are all pretty good.
Yes, they are.
You drove an Nd Miata.
You'd skip the Nd1, which has known transmission issues.
The two starts to fix it.
The three tries to fix it.
The Nd generation has some transmission issues.
They are worse, the older the car you get.
The Nd ones had quite a few transmission issues.
So yes, definitely avoid those.
You're wondering about if you fit very well.
So I am going to go the same place Paul did.
But I'm going to use, I recycled a picture.
I don't want to do that.
But I was like, it goes here too.
This exact same base Boxster I found before,
2005 Boxster two-door Roadster with the base engine for $157.
That's US dollars would work.
In appliance.
I'm using this representative though.
Because you could also find a Cayman of same spec.
You can find them for your budget, which is up to $50,000 Canadian.
You can absolutely find them.
I think even the base Cayman would be a fantastic match
to that big diesel.
Plus, I also don't want you to get another car from Japan.
You need a car with left-hand drive.
Let's not get two right-hand drive cars.
Plus, also don't do this.
Don't do, I've never understood this.
A car they made in the US in left-hand drive.
And you bought a Japanese one in right-hand drive.
That's true.
You just made your life harder.
For no real apparent reason.
You could have found the same.
The same car was here.
Look, I 100% understand it if they never sold it here.
I get that 100%.
But if they sold it here in the spec
that is actually made for this country.
You just made life harder.
That's all you did.
Anyway, so sorry.
Cayman Boxster definitely works.
But this is what I like for you.
2019 Nissan 370Z Coupe.
This is in Canada.
So that is $42,888 Canadian dollars.
I'm under your 50 grand.
This is 60,000 kilometers manual six-speed Nismo 370.
This is a great car.
This is a great car.
That's a great car.
This is a really good find.
You don't see very many of them.
These drove very, very well.
The non-Nismo Z was good, but not quite good enough.
And then I drove the Nismo and went, here we go.
Well, I first drove this.
Was that a track event?
That's right.
I liked it before I got on track.
I liked it in the pit lane.
I was like, what is happening here?
Let's go.
Let's do this.
Okay.
So 2019 Nismo 370Z Coupe with a six-speed manual in Canada.
Find one of these.
If it's not the Nismo, you're still going to like it.
But I think the 370 is overlooked at your price point.
I think you would enjoy this very much.
These have excellent six-beads in them.
And this was one of the first,
and I still argue one of the best executions of Auto Rev Match.
It's a button right on the side.
The Nissan was way out front in introducing that,
and it's always worked very well.
So I'm coming in swinging for the 370Z right now.
This is my favorite for you,
but I am going to go one other place.
All of your email is an awful lot of love for the RX-8.
You're wanting to buy a fun car,
a counterpoint to your big diesel wagon.
Get another RX-8.
Are you suggesting a third?
I think, because rotary people are rotary people.
This is my point.
Why?
They're out there.
You can find them.
We had one in our $12,000 car piece
that was one of the cheapest, most beat-on
Rotaries I've seen in a while.
And it was still fun to drive.
It was still great, yeah.
So because you are a rotary guy with rotary experience,
I say look for a while.
And maybe look US and there.
You've got 50,000 Canadian to work with.
You can find the one.
$10,000 on the car, $40,000 on replacing everything?
But maybe it'll be reliable.
But he knows how to live with one.
That's why I'm saying it.
If he hadn't had one before, I would never recommend this.
But the only part of his email that is gushing
is about this car.
So there's a part of me that says, look, I personally,
if it was me, 370Z, I'm done.
I'm not buying the RX-8.
But you're a rotary guy.
And I will admit, there is nothing like the way
a rotary delivers power.
There's nothing else like it.
It's as close to motorcycle as you get in a car,
as far as engine delivery.
And that high rev, it's very interesting.
It just terrifies me.
But you've had one, and it's been good to you.
So a part of me wonders if you aren't done.
So that's why I had to come back.
I didn't find a specific one, because what I want you to do
is I want you to shop.
If this is where you want to go, and you just need my endorsement
to be like, yeah, you need another rotary.
Sometimes you guys just need the push.
You're standing on the cliff edge going,
should I jump?
And you want us to walk along and just give you an elbow?
That's what you're looking for.
That's what you're looking for.
So RX-8, what is that guy tumbling into rotary land?
OK, that happened.
Anyway, so I think maybe this is your answer.
Rotary theater, yes.
He said rotary theater.
Yes, he did.
So I think maybe the curtain needs to open again
on the theater of rotary.
And there we go.
The old people from Delaware bought a car.
OK, I don't remember it.
OK.
They wrote that, not us.
They did.
They sent it in.
Bill and Alice, thank you for listening.
Thank you for watching.
They sold the Mustang Mach-E to Carvana.
They came and picked it up and was gone.
That's the best way to sell it.
They did a lot of test driving homework,
Honda Civic Sport Touring Hatch, Acre Integra and ADX.
Volvo XC60 T8 Recharge, Genesis G70 and GV70, BMW 330
into 28 grand coupé, Kia K5 GT, K4 GT line,
and K4 Hatch GT line, and the Hyundai Sonata inline,
and Lanter Hybrid.
Well done.
They drove a ton of stuff.
I like that.
You drove cars.
You did your homework.
This is thorough.
This is what the results look like.
They were not kidding around.
They were like, we're going to conclude.
We gave them a serious car debate,
and they took homework seriously.
I love it.
It's great.
They could not find a GR86, SS, or the Kia Stinger
to test drive within a reasonable distance, unfortunately,
so the winner out of nowhere.
By the way, I'm going to show the Mach-E going away
on a Carvana truck.
Thank you for the photos.
That's great.
I love it.
Good job, guys.
Here it is.
Going away, poof, gone.
Somebody's driving it right now.
Probably, yeah.
A GTI.
They bought.
That's cool.
GTI.
You may not remember, but one of the things they were worried
about is they wanted to have something fun.
They wanted to have something they could both kind of adjust
to their liking, but they wanted to have something
that was easy to get in and out of.
They're words here that the old people needed
to help getting in and out.
But what I love is, with that list, what normally happens
is, and therefore, we bought an SUV.
Usually with the word Lexus on it.
Often.
So you got a GTI.
Look, this is a phenomenal thing.
You got an in slate blue.
That is a gorgeous color, by the way.
That's a sweet looking car.
You got it for $38,000.
They are thrilled.
You said you picked this one out because it was small,
hot hatch with adaptive suspension for Bill,
has reasonable exit for these old people
who can't get up and down easily,
but you're getting into a car.
I love that you're getting into a car.
It's not an SUV.
Anyway, they've road-tripped Albany, New York
a couple of weekends ago and loved it.
Alice likes sport mode and Bill likes custom.
Fantastic.
This is fantastic.
This is great.
They love the sounds it makes.
It's a fun sports car.
I mean, Bill, Alice, congratulations.
Good job.
Well done.
Good job.
Thank you for the photos.
Thank you for sending this awesome conclusion.
You can't hear everybody,
but we are all cheering you on because go drive this thing.
Drive it into dust.
Drive it into the ground because this is, at this point,
still one of the best cars Volkswagen builds.
And they do it well.
It's great looking.
It's fun to drive.
Go drive Volkswagen's legacy car and enjoy.
Joseph was from a very recent car debate.
He was from episode 1038, not even 20 ago.
That's amazing.
So they have a car conclusion already.
Good.
I don't know if you remember, but Joseph rode in
and he and his wife were dealing with a car
as appliance problem.
And they kept driving cars on their road trips.
They were taking road trips and vacations
and they kept renting SUVs.
And he realized, wait a minute, we don't need an SUV.
We need a C8 Corvette.
And so I felt, I mean, probably.
It's still the best story ever.
Yes, yeah, exactly.
Yeah, I'm telling you, I love the fact that you just
kind of blew that guy's brain out of the back of his head.
I really hope wherever he is right now,
I wish on him many miles in his Corvette.
Yes.
I really, really do.
Yes.
Anyway.
Sorry.
We had a whole discussion at the time
where I was making the comment where if you're going
to rent something for one of these trips on purpose,
don't rent an SUV.
See if that gets your wife over the hump of just realizing,
oh, so a car could be fun and do all the stuff we need to do.
So they tried it.
They tried it.
He said he was already thinking along these lines.
They were planning a road trip and vacation from Vegas
to Bryce Canyon than on design.
He convinced her they didn't need a 4x4 for this trip.
They rented a convertible Mini Cooper S.
I love this.
Brilliant.
It's fantastic.
And he said it wasn't because I talk about Minis,
which, okay, I appreciate it.
I'm glad you tried it.
And he can safely say it worked out great.
She fought him for the chance to drive the car
through some of the scenic drives.
She was like, no, no, no, it's my turn.
I love that.
That's amazing.
And now she's fully on board with listening to him
for buying a fun car that they can also have in their life.
That is, this is exactly what we do.
Our job.
I'm going to close my computer.
Our job is done here.
I think we have accomplished what we set out to do.
That's so good.
Your last question here, Joseph, where you ask,
why are a ton of us thinking about dark horses and Z06
and Supras and GT3s and GT4s?
And we can't use the power 99% of the time.
Is he late to this conclusion?
Is he taking crazy pills?
No, you've just you've found your people.
But the reason we're thinking those cars
is because we have a tracking organization hooked on driving
is where to bring those cars hooked on driving.com.
Yes, we think of all those cars.
They're brilliant for the track use.
But what you discovered, I'm well, he's so happy.
His big conclusion about the mini is he said it.
He feels like it resonated with him so much
because they could floor it regularly.
And it was relatively small and light.
And he's going, where has this been all my life?
And I'm sitting here saying again,
lightness is the thing.
Flooring it regularly.
Yes, use all the car.
That's the best thing ever.
Yeah.
It's been a while.
I haven't done it.
Did you see this in a while that talks about movies?
And I have to stop here real quickly.
By the time you hear this, I will have seen the Odyssey,
which I'm very excited about.
Extremely.
That's the movie I'm most excited about this calendar year.
So I will have seen it.
Unfortunately, not in IMAX 70 millimeter, which is like,
I don't know, like a dozen screens or something in the US
that are doing it.
I would love to do it.
People are scalping those tickets, by the way.
The opportunity to see it on 70 millimeter film in IMAX,
which is how it was filmed.
People have bought those seats way in advance
and are now scalping the tickets.
It's madness out there.
So I can't hang a lot of money because you're seeing it
as intended aspect ratio on film.
I mean, trust me, I'm that level of geek.
I just don't live in one of those places
where I have that kind of money.
That's all I'm saying.
Anyway, but I'm not going to talk about that.
I'm going to talk about a movie that came and went
in the theater a while ago.
And I wondered about it because it hit all the buttons for me
and I watched it really enjoyed it.
So if you haven't seen it or you've seen it
on one of the streaming services and wondered about it,
I really do want to recommend that you watch The Long Walk.
This is based on an old Stephen King book.
I believe it was one of his books under his pseudonym.
This is Hunger Games adjacent.
This is Hunger Games or Hunger Games.
The concept here is that it's a dystopian U.S.
and in order to keep people subjugated, essentially,
they have a contest every year, see Hunger Games, all right.
But the contest is you send a representative at lottery
from your state and you walk until there's only one person left.
You start with 50 and you walk being broadcast
until there's only one left.
So this condenses the concept of the film
down to just these people walking on a road for two hours.
Oh my gosh.
They meet each other, they talk, some of them don't get along.
And the reality is, here's the rest of the premise,
you have to keep a consistent walking pace.
When you fall behind that walking pace, they warn you.
And your third warning, they shoot you.
Holy crap.
So there's sections of this that are genuinely hard to watch.
Like, I don't want to see this.
Okay, but that's interesting.
Please don't get me wrong.
I'm not saying this is some revolutionary film,
but I'm just saying if it interests you at all,
I want to highly recommend it.
Mark Hamill's in it as the evil colonel
that is running this thing, the major or whatever he is.
He's in it, so he gets to play super gruff.
Imagine the exact opposite of Luke Skywalker.
He went, I'm signing up for that.
I'm signing up for that guy.
That's exactly who he plays.
One of the two stars here is Connor Hoffman
that is Philip Seymour Hoffman's son.
Oh, no kidding.
He does a fantastic job in this film.
These guys are great.
All the acting in it is actually really good.
And it's directed by a guy named Francis Lawrence,
who was one of those guys that came out of the 1990s
as like Mick G and Brett Ratner and all of these guys,
some of which were talented and some weren't,
that came out of music videos
and got the ability to direct feature films.
And Francis Lawrence has done a few,
but he hasn't done many in a while.
And he's just a really good job with this.
The acting is solid.
If you're interested in this at all,
I know people here, Stephen King, and they think horror.
This has some horrific elements in it because of the premise.
But it's also got some interesting conversations
that happen about culture, about what does success mean,
about friendship.
It's some interesting conversation that happens here.
I'm not saying it's revolutionary,
but I am saying I enjoyed it.
So that is my, did you see this,
the long walk now available all over the place?
So wherever your streaming service is, they probably have it.
Thank you guys for writing your topic Tuesdays,
car conclusions, car debates.
We're really excited to do your car debate
and we're excited to hear from you too
and looking forward to hear from you.
Cheers, everyone.
About this episode
Volkswagen dominates the news and debate: the hosts talk “slashing jobs and slashing models,” Dieselgate fallout, and how EV plans and SUV naming confusion play out across Europe and the U.S. The conversation then pivots to family life and commuting—new dad logistics, child-seat airbag rules, and choosing a second car (from BMW roadsters to a Fiesta ST manual). Later, they tackle fun-vs-practical car shopping, including a diesel Mercedes wagon paired with a weekend Boxster, plus rotary RX-8 vs 370Z takes.
The guys talk about the VW product portfolio and potential model deletions, staff reductions and production capacity cuts.
Heard of the Denza Z? It’s the BYD electric supercar designed to compete with the 911.
#cardebate 1- Taylor in Boston is a new dad who needs a second car, but it needs to have a hint of specialness.
#cardebate 2- Cole in TX realizes he bought the wrong car - what he really wants is something smaller and lightweight.
#cardebate 3- William in Canada wonders what car pairs best alongside a 2010 diesel Mercedes wagon?
#carconclusion 1- The old people from DE (Bill and Alice) bought an enthusiast car!
#carconclusion 2 - From EP 1038, Joseph’s wife now fights him for seat time in fun cars.
Look for us on Tuesdays if you’d like to watch us debate, disagree and then go drive again!
00:00 - Intro
2:26 - VW Group Cutting Model Lineup, Factories, And Jobs! #vw #vwchaos
9:57 - The BYD Denza Z - A 911 Killer? #byd #denza
18:10 - Car Debate #1: New Dad Needs A Hint Of Specialness #dadcar
37:30 - Car Debate #2: Lexus Buyer’s Remorse #lexus
57:23 - Car Debate #3: What Pairs Well With A Diesel Benz? #mercedes #estate
1:10:56 - Car Conclusion #1: The Old People Bought An Enthusiast Car! #enthusiastcar
1:13:35 - Car Conclusion #2: Fight For The #funcar
1:16:00 - Did You See This? The Long Walk. #thelongwalk
Thanks for taking the time to watch, and remember to support our sponsors Griot’s Garage, Vredestein Tires, FCP Euro, Powerstop Brakes and Autotempest.com
#griotsgarage
#vredestein
#fcpeuro
#powerstopbrakes
#autotempest
Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, and subscribe to our two YouTube channels. Write to us your Topic Tuesdays, Car Conclusions and those great Car Debates at [email protected] or everydaydriver.com
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