Which Era is Peak Automobile? — The Carmudgeon Show w/ Jason Cammisa & Derek Tam-Scott — Ep 212
On today's episode, Derek and Jason discuss a very important important question -- which era was peak car? Or is the best era yet to come?
We promise you this - the answer is much more complicated than you think.
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This episode is sponsored by Battery Tender.
Visit https://www.batterytender.com/ and use code HAGERTY20 for 20% off.
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Fresh off the release of Retrospective, a new Hagerty show that explores old magazine comparison tests and how they stack up in the modern era, Jason begins to wonder which era is peak car. Having discussed what is "peak sports sedan" between BMW E90 M3, Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG, and Audi B7 RS4, Jason and Derek break down the criteria of what makes a car era great as a whole - from serviceability and intended purpose, to speed, value, styling, and other intrinsic characteristics. More importantly, is the true value of a car established by the opinions of enthusiasts or non--enthusiasts?
All this and more on this episode of The Carmudgeon Show.
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Cheating VS "Optimizing" Manufacture Test Data — The Carmudgeon Show w/ Cammisa & DTS — Ep 213
Whether it's going racing or producing zero to sixty times, many car manufactures have spent decades doing whatever it takes to get a competitive edge on their performance figures. But in a world of democratized speed where your average EV truck or SUV can do an 11 second quarter mile, does anyone still value the numbers? And at what lengths will manufactures go to keep their performance figures competitive?
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This episode of the Carmudgeon Show is sponsored by Vredestein Tires:
https://www.vredestein.com/
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Before digging into the data, Jason discusses his recent trip to the Wednesday Night Drags at Sonoma Raceway - garnering some rather unusual attention in his MK3 Volkswagen Cabrio with the almighty 2.slow . Upon laying down several solid runs, he finds his mid 18 second quarter mile times are far more lethargic than what Volkswagen reported in period.
This prompts the larger discussion at hand - historically speaking, do manufactures cheat or "optimize" their test data? Jason brings in his own previous findings, first by exploring the testing of his MK1 Volkswagen Scirocco, and wondering how his test figures could be more than a second off from the official numbers.
More glaring however is the data from Jason's in-period testing of the Ferrari 458 Speciale and 458 Italia, as well as the 599 GTB - the likes of which far out-performed cars in magazine testing vs. cars that were delivered to real-world customers.
All this and more, on this week's episode of The Carmudgeon Show.
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Is There Any Manual Swap You Shouldn’t Do? — Carmudgeon w/ Jason Cammisa & Derek Tam-Scott — Ep 211
Today's episode explores an array of different tangets: most notably, Sacco-era Mercedes-Benzes, the ALSO Elecric Bike, and a broad discussion of manual swaps.
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This episode is sponsored by Battery Tender.
Visit https://www.batterytender.com/ and use code HAGERTY20 for 20% off.
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Derek and Jason begin the episode discussing yet another Sacco-era Mercedes-Benz fleet update - Derek's newly acquired W140 Mercedes-Benz S500 Grand Edition and the installation of a new steering box on Jason's 190E 2.3-16 Cosworth.
Jason then takes a turn to discuss the new ALSO Electric Bike, a sister company of Rivian. The first Series-Hybrid Bicycle of its kind, the ALSO draws parallels in function to road cars like BMW i3 REX, where both vehicle have a backup generator propelled by an alternate energy source (in this case, pedal power). Jason gives reason for why car enthusiasts should take an interest in this new two-wheeled technology and how it might change the future of mobility.
Naturally, conversation finds its way into the discussion of manual swaps and whether or not there is a case in which a manual swap is unfavorable vs. an automatic. Derek and Jason extrapolate on different types of manual swaps (IE: modifying a semi-automated manual in a Ferrari 360 Challenge Stradale vs replacing an automatic transmission in a Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG).
All this and more on this episode of The Carmudgeon Show.
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We Roast Member's Cars, Live at The Motoring Club — Carmudgeon w/ Cammisa & Derek Tam-Scott — Ep 210
This week, The Carmudgeon Show finds itself in a new and unfamiliar setting…The Motoring Club in San Francisco!
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This episode is sponsored by Battery Tender.
Visit https://www.batterytender.com/ and use code HAGERTY20 for 20% off.
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Jason and Derek leave the cave and are joined by a live studio audience of Motoring Club members this week who are excited to hear their banter - that is, until audience members find out they are the subject of a grand roasting based on their choices of vehicles. The boys crank the heat up to 11, but even they find challenges with what they can and cannot roast…
A plethora of vehicles are covered, including but not limited to:
- E36 BMW 318Ti
- BMW i3
- 987 Porsche Boxster Spyder
- 997 and 991 Porsche 911 GTS and Turbo
- E30 BMW 325
- BMW 2002
- R129 Mercedes-Benz SL500
- W140 Mercedes-Benz S420
- Volkswagen Westfalia
- Hyundai Ionia 5 N
- Fiat Panda Sisley
- Renault Espace Quadra
- All sorts of Range Rovers (RRC, P38, L322, L405)
- G87 BMW M2
- Audi TT
- Nissan Stagea
- Fiat 124 Spider
- Mazda RX8
Wondering what’s going on with The Motoring Club and Motoring Coffee? Looking for a place to hang out, talk cars, go driving, and drink coffee? Head on over to www.themotoringclub.com to learn more.
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The World’s Most Winningest Rally Engine — Carmudgeon w/ Jason Cammisa & Derek Tam-Scott — Ep 209
We recently lost Claudio Lombardi, one of the most brilliant and innovative engineers of all time. Today’s episode discusses the legacy of rally-winning engines in his wake, as well as the origins of those engines in their various forms going all the way back to the early 1950s.
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This episode is sponsored by Battery Tender.
Visit https://www.batterytender.com/ and use code HAGERTY20 for 20% off.
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This week's episode covers many wins - not just motorsport-related ones! We begin with a recent trip to England, where Jason & his dream team walked away with several notable awards from the International Motor Film Awards, including Best Journalism Film for the fourth time in a row!
While across the pond, Jason also makes an appearance at Gordon Murray Automotive to tour the factory and meet Gordon Murray himself, who gives a nut-and-bolt rundown of the latest and greatest, including the GMA T.50, T.50s, T.33, and T.33 Spider. Jason and crew then a detour over to Gordon’s personal car and motorcycle collection, including a Mercedes-Benz McLaren SLR XP and, familiarly, a Ferrari 308 GT4. Interestingly, however, most of his favorites are manual transmission, twin-cam four cylinders - which segues into this episode’s main topic at hand.
Derek leads us along a history of Italian twin-cam engines, in both Fiat Lampredi and Alfa Busso forms - beginning in the 1950s and continuing for nearly 50 years. The basic architecture of these engines powered everything from the Alfa Romeo Giulia to V12-powered Ferrari 275 GTB. The evolution of these engines brought both turbocharging and supercharging into the mix, and took Lancia to win many rally championships in cars like the Lancia 037 and Delta Integrale - while also ushering along many eras of notable passenger cars including but not limited to to the Alfa Romeo 164.
All this and more, on this week's episode of The Carmudgeon Show.
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Part of the Hagerty Podcast Network, the Carmudgeon Show is a comedic, information-filled conversation with Jason Cammisa and Derek Tam-Scott, two car enthusiasts who are curmudgeonly beyond their years. Proving you don’t have to be old to be grumpy, they spend each episode talking about what’s wrong with various parts of the automotive universe. Despite their best efforts to keep it negative, they usually wind up laughing, happy, and extolling their love for cars. Which just makes them angrier and more bitter.
Jason Cammisa is an automotive journalist, social-media figure, and TV host with over 300 million views on YouTube alone. Jason’s deeply technical understanding, made possible by a lifelong obsession with cars, allows him to fully digest what’s going on within an automobile — and then put it into simple terms for others to understand. Also, a Master’s Degree in Law trained him to be impossible to argue with.
Derek Tam-Scott still tries. He’s a young automotive expert with old-man taste in cars, and a Master’s Degree in Civil Engineering — which means he knows how to be civil to Jason. Or at least he tries. With a decade and a half’s experience buying, selling, driving and brokering classic and exotic cars, he’s experienced the world’s most iconic cars. And hated most of them.
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