The Carmudgeon Show

• Ask Us Anything: Part 3 — The Carmudgeon Show with Jason Cammisa & Derek Tam-Scott — Ep. 195

  Time for another AMA round of Ask Us Anything! We asked our listeners (that’s you) for questions, and we were positively bombarded. Now we return the favor with sarcasm and sass, plus an answer or two! (Note: due to timing concerns, the last two episodes were published out of order. Sorry!) === This episode is sponsored by Vyper Industrial — America’s #1 rated shop chair, tool carts, and creepers, proudly made here in the US. Visit vyperindustrial.com and use code CARMUDGEON for $50 off. === A sampling of listener-posed questions found in this episode: Thoughts on the A124 Mercedes? How do you stop yourself from getting too attached to a car? What’s the special sauce for big coupes? What are the criteria for a fun car in a place without fun roads? What is your 1-car solution for New York? What is a weird, niche corner of car history that needs exploring? Choose your Pope-mobile. What is the right amount of buttons to have in a car? If neither of you could work in the auto industry what would you be doing instead? Is it acceptable to arrive at a funeral in a convertible with the roof down? Has Jason ever ridden a motorcycle and is he willing to try? How do you tell minute differences in car handling? Opinions on Jetta GLI? Opinions on classic Minis? What will become a hot commodity in the next 10 years? Take on the NB (Miata)? Best first daily Mercedes for someone in their 20s prioritizing reliable/wagon? What is unique about SoCal vs NorCal car culture? Will Alfa survive in the USA? Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing or RS6 as a 1-car solution? Thoughts on cyclists? Is Leno’s Law going to affect the pre-1990s car market? Favorite non-Sacco Mercedes? Are 928s the next big p-car thing? Tips for driving in Germany as a Californian/American? What forbidden hot hatches would you want to drive? Best M-lite BMW? What is the weight limit of a true driver’s car? How can Mitsubishi be transformed to become a cool brand again? What are your favorite Japanese sports cars? Which Toyota Camry generation is the best? What’s coming up soon on Hagerty? Why do you guys like the Miata over the S2000? What’s your favorite sandwich? What are your thoughts on the 500 Abarth? How rusty is the Rover? What were your first impressions of Throttle House? What manufacturer has been most upset about a car review? Are you in any way fans of Swedish bricks? What is the best Cosworth – 190 or Sierra? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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• The C8 Corvette ZR1 Meets Its Predecessors — and Ferraris and Lambos — The Carmudgeon Show Ep. 196

  The C8 ZR1 has arrived, and so too has a new ICONS episode on Detroit’s supercar-killing, 1064-hp twin-turbo, flat-plane crank Corvette. We’ll review the new car in detail and cover all the important bit players: the original 6-cylinder C1, the C3’s optional ZR1 package, the Lotus-powered C4, and the supercharged C6 and C7 – plus rivals like the Ferrari 348, Porsche 911 Turbo, Ferrari 296 and SF90, and Lamborghini Revuelto. Can the C8 ZR1 cement its legacy as peak American sports car, or has it lost the plot pursuing the Europeans? === This episode is sponsored by Vyper Industrial — America’s #1 rated shop chair, tool carts, and creepers, proudly made here in the US. Visit vyperindustrial.com and use code CARMUDGEON for $50 off. === C8 ZR1 ICONS: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=StWSpZHF998 Check out C4 ZR1 Revelations episode for a deeper dive into the first real ZR1! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Vs2tdR-9C8 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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• BMW M5 Touring vs Audi RS6 Performance — Carmudgeon Show w Jason Cammisa & Derek Tam-Scott — Ep 194

  We review the new Audi RS6 Avant Performance, G99 BMW M5 Touring, Mercedes-AMG S63 E Performance and Porsche Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid. One looks spectacular, one has the most impressive suspension of all time, and one is unbuyable. === This episode is sponsored by Vyper Industrial — America’s #1 rated shop chair, tool carts, and creepers, proudly made here in the US. Visit vyperindustrial.com and use code CARMUDGEON for $50 off. === Welcome to the performance wagon episode! We’ve got Jason’s blue E30 325i Touring in the garage as we discuss a pair of long-roof autobahn bruisers: the G99 BMW M5 Touring and C8 Audi RS6 Avant Performance. With the cancellation of Porsche’s Panamera Sport Turismo, we turn to Porsche’s top-spec suppository in its stead: the Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid. And, similarly, with the E63 wagon gone, we’ll review the Mercedes-AMG S63 E Performance to tide us over until the new E53 wagon arrives. Starting with the brand new BMW M5 Touring: a letdown as serious as its curb weight. A twin-turbo hot-vee V-8 alongside some EV juice dolls out 717 hp, but long before you’re able to stretch its legs the suspension will have you nauseous. It heaves and lunges over road imperfections, and the rear-wheel steering makes it feel like you're perpetually entering the D dimension. Even with new, chunky-sidewalled Pirelli P Zero R tires, the ride is harsh, and the suspension is blatantly unfinished. Do a hard launch and prepare for simultaneous – and yet somehow also out-of-phase – wheelspin and violent pogoing. Things aren’t much better styling-wise – the front-end treatment is positively hideous, and there’s comparatively little backseat and cargo room next to the Audi. Overall, a huge let down, and a far cry from the delightful G80 M3 (buck teeth aside). Sadly, it will be a long, long while before we can import the G80 M3 Touring. However, it’s worth noting that early M products have had teething issues before (including the beloved E90 M3). Jason suggests waiting for the arrival of the Competition Pack, but you’ll still be stuck with a gaudy interior and byzantine infotainment system. The Audi RS6 Performance on the other hand is an absolute delight and unexpectedly fabulous. Without the bulk of hybrid batteries, the Audi weighs in at 400 lbs lighter than the Bimmer. It’s all-around gorgeous – inside and out – and has loads of room for both passengers and cargo. Its steering is genuinely superior to the BMW’s and Jason dubs it the “best wagon in the world.” As for the Porsche Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid – it’s Bose’s 1990s dream realized. Jason heralds it as the most impressive suspension he’s ever felt – ever. Like if a Rolls-Royce could turn. It comes equipped with the same potent powertrain found in the Bentley Continental GT Speed and Flying Spur, which is so powerful it earned the Porsche the label of quickest 4-door ICE car ever (the 4-door electric monsters still have it beat – the Lucid Air Sapphire and Tesla Model S Plaid both run in the 9s). And lastly, we have Mercedes-AMG S63 E Performance – a charmer. The interior is slightly gaudy but otherwise splendid. Our particular car’s cabin was a huge improvement over the Macanese bordellos of previous W223s and W222s. The convoluted and clunky drivetrain was an occasional annoyance (and has origins as far back as the first C43 and E63 wagon), but the Benz was mostly a delight to operate despite weighing more than a fully laden minivan – and 3000 lbs more than Jason’s E30. The boys wonder why Mercedes has refused to implement the types of suspensions Porsche and Ferrari figured out for their sports cars years ago that allow for ultra-smooth cruising without sacrificing handling. In any case, the S63’s ¼-mile time leaves Derek’s jaw on the floor. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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• Driving 1000 Miles In A 70-year old car — Carmudgeon Show Jason Cammisa & Derek Tam-Scott — Ep. 193

  Derek does the California Mille – California’s take on the 1000-mile Italian road rally, the Mille Miglia. Behind the wheel of a 1956 Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint Veloce, Derek (and OTS & Co. cofounder, Tazio Ottis), experienced some of central California’s best driving roads between Half Moon Bay and Calistoga alongside over 80 of the finest automobiles to exist by the mid-20th century. === This episode is sponsored by Vyper Industrial — America’s #1 rated shop chair, tool carts, and creepers, proudly made here in the US. Visit vyperindustrial.com and use code CARMUDGEON for $50 off. === Initially dreamt up by local driving legend and passionate car enthusiast, Martin Swig, the California Mille hopes to recreate some of the legendary driving experiences of Italy’s Mille Miglia. After Martin’s passing, his wife and two sons (specialists at Broad Arrow and Bring-a-Trailer ) carried on the tradition until the event was purchased by Hagerty in late 2020. It’s a swanky affair with spas, fancy lunches, drive-thru oyster bars, and open regular bars, with specialist mechanics and flatbed tow trucks at your beck and call. Naturally with 70-year-old (or older) cars, many breakdowns ensued. A Mercedes 300SL needed a tow, and a Ferrari 250 TdF required assistance from Patrick Ottis Company after several transmission components welded themselves together. A bolt came dislodged on the shift linkage of a Citroën ID promptly stranding it, but Derek's stash of spare bolts saved the day. Differentials were grenaded, and problematic torpedo fuses were replaced while still in motion. A woman in a Honda Accord even PIT-maneuvered a pre-war Bentley on the Golden Gate Bridge. The Carmudgeons discuss past rally experiences in a W201 190E in Europe, Jason’s 5000-mile trek to Ohio in his Scirocco, the Orange Blossom Rally in a Mazda Cosmo, and the BABE Rally in a $400 Cadillac stretch limo. Derek touches on the Colorado Grand Rally and Copper State Rally, and the boys discuss possibly starting the Curmudgeon Mille e Uno Rally. Derek points out that Miles Collier, cofounder of the precursor to the SCCA, posited that there are 2 types of enthusiasts: contemplative and experiential. Rallies are definitely for the latter. Plus Jason wears an un-tailored button-down, we dive headfirst into porta potties, and we wonder if the 1988 Honda Accord is too reliable to rally. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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• Ultimate Automotive Playground — The Carmudgeon Show w Jason Cammisa & Derek Tam-Scott — Ep. 192

  Jason takes a trip to the new Tire Rack/Discount Tire/America’s Tire testing facility in Texas: Treadwell Research Park. In addition to testing grip levels on BMWs and Jeeps on a monstrous wet skid pad, off-road course, rock crawling trail and more, he discovers the many lessons to be learned by carefully studying tire wear data – including how where you live can have a huge impact on how quickly you burn through your tires! === This episode is sponsored by Vyper Industrial — America’s #1 rated shop chair, tool carts, and creepers, proudly made here in the US. Visit vyperindustrial.com and use code CARMUDGEON for $50 off. === In this episode, we learn that Tire Rack, America’s Tire and Discount Tire are all the same thing! But, more importantly, they now have a giant tire testing facility in Texas: Treadwell Research Park – an expansive property with dirt and mud trails, rock crawling, water crossings, serious grades, an absolutely enormous skid pad (that can be completely submerged in 2 mm of water in no time thanks to a pair of huge reservoirs and some seriously powerful pumps) and even a wet slalom course. Jason experienced all Treadwell had to offer behind the wheel of a 4-door Jeep Wrangler and BMW 330i and reports back. We’ll learn that at America’s Discount Rack you can get free tire rotations (with tire purchase) and free flat repair (no purchase necessary!). But they don’t hand out these services out of the kindness of their tire-loving hearts. It’s all part of Treadwell’s plan to collect and analyze all kinds of tire wear data to help customers make informed decisions when buying new tires and make better tires. They’ll collect information about a tire’s make, model, mileage, geographic location and more to find what compounds and tread patterns are best for specific use cases and guide customers to the best choice for their vehicle, driving style, climate, and location. For instance, they have discovered that folks living in twisty, hilly western Pennsylvania go through tires 20% faster than folks living in Nebraska. Derek suggests Treadwell implement a tire wear score so enthusiasts can compare notes and compete for total tire destruction domination. Similar to Treadwell Research Park (and Tire Rack’s other testing facility in South Bend, Indiana), Derek had the chance to experience a flooded skid “pan” at the CHP’s emergency vehicle operations course (EVOC) training grounds driving in Ford Crown Victorias and Dodge Chargers. Jason Fenske of Engineering Explained has been on a mission to teach the world about the importance of tires, and recently pitted a F80 BMW M3 Competition on mid-grade tires against a diesel Chysler PT Cruiser wearing fresh Continentals. Science ensued. Tires are indeed very important – and while some *coughpirellicough* will grip like no other, they tend to disintegrate in short order (and dramatically so). But they’re not all bad – the guys have kind things to say about the Cinturato CN36 and CN12. But the Carmudgeon tire of choice remains Michelins and Vredsteins, which are mounted on everything from Jason’s e-Golf, the Van, Jynah, the Ferrari 308, Derek’s R129, and even Jake’s wife’s Crosstrek. The guys will also discuss the Avon CR6ZZ, Trofeos and Cup 2s. Plus the Michelin AS3+ on Jason’s Mom’s Golf that wore down unusually quickly – this right after he had just replaced some 2-year-old cracking Hankooks with them. Perhaps his mom’s regular and sustained driving at 100 mph is to blame… We’ll also cover cheap lighting from oh, oh, oh, O’Reilly’s, Wagner halogens, and automotive lighting gemstones from Carello and Marchal. It’s all in the details! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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