The Lotus Emira is fantastic — and the Carmudgeons have a lot to say about it. The last gasoline-powered Lotus is certainly a looker — but it's very closely related to the Evora it replaces. And while the Evora was always good, was it ever truly great? == Click here to join the Hagerty Driver's Club: https://bit.ly/Join-HDC-Cammisa-ICONS == Jason, who owns a Lotus Elise, is always in search of "bad cars" — sports cars that provide experience but make poor transportation devices. Is the Evora enough of an assault on its driver's senses? Derek isn't a fan of the Elise because of the sounds its creaky body and rattly interior make — he loves a great GT. Is the Evora comfortable enough? Luckily, the boys have a clear answer to the question: Lotus Evora or Porsche 911? And then a unanimous decision on the Lotus Eletre, the brand's first SUV: it drives unlike anything else. Jason drove the Eletre as a surprise — without knowing anything about it. A Lotus engineer told the boys it was a 905-hp Eletre R with 3 motors and torque vectoring. Turns out the 905 hp comes from 2 motors, and what Jason felt and described as the most obvious torque-vectoring he's ever felt is actually rear-wheel steering. Whatever the cause, the boys both enjoy the SUV's maneuverability and outrageous speed (Lotus claims 0-60 in under 3 seconds.) Is there a future for Lotus in a heavy-EV world? There shouldn't be. But Jason and Derek feel there is. == The Carmudgeon Show is part of the Hagerty Podcast Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, the Carmudgeons welcome special guest Matt Kwiek, mastermind of numerous outrageous Mercedes engine swaps. Matt helped Derek swap the engine in Derek's Holy Grail purple ("Bornite") S124 E320 dogleg-manual wagon from a 3.2-liter to a freshly built 3.6-liter from a W202 C36 AMG. The swap happened at Jason's warehouse with the help of his Bendpak lift — and the motor is a straight drop-in. Easy work for Matt Kwiek, who built a reputation for custom engine swaps in older Mercedes. The Carmudgeons both spent time driving Matt's white C126 500SEC, which features a 5.4-liter M113 (from an S55 AMG) and computer-controlled 722.6 5-speed automatic transmission. For more info on Matt and his creations, see: https://www.kwiekclassics.com/ https://www.instagram.com/kwiekclassics/ == Click here to join the Hagerty Driver's Club: https://bit.ly/Join-HDC-Cammisa-ICONS The Carmudgeon Show is part of the Hagerty Podcast Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Carmudgeons made it through unscathed!  Jason's Honda Beat didn't — it wound up getting towed 148 miles home using Hagerty Roadside Assistance. Instead, the well-traveled Rover 3500 SD1 provided Jason's transportation needs. Derek relied on his reliable Citroën CX. The week is a nonstop celebration of cars, with literal dozens of events from manufacturer debuts and parties to single-marque car shows like the Werks Porsche Reunion to single-country shows like Legends of the Autobahn or Concorso Italiano. Then, of course, there's the Quail, a Motorsports Gathering, the Little Car Show, the Grassroots Motorsports kickoff party, Motorlux at the Monterey Jet Center, auctions by Broad Arrow, RM Sotheby's, Gooding, and Barrett-Jackson — to name just a few. And that's not even mentioning the Concours itself, or the 2 weeks of nonstop vintage racing at Laguna Seca. It's impossible to see even half of the events during car week — but here's a guide to surviving the most amazing car week of the year. == The Carmudgeon Show is part of the Hagerty Podcast Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Back by popular(-ish) demand, and because the Carmudgeons were at Monterey Car Week instead of podcasting live, we have another episode where Jason and Derek dig into their vast spreadsheets of automotive reviews. The boys use Random Number Generator to call up cells in their spreadsheets of automotive nerdery, forcing Jason and Derek to take a trip down memory lane — and then read aloud their sometimes-embarrassing commentary on cars they've driven in the past. Cars that they'd often forgotten about it. In this episode, we hear about some of the following cars: Alfa Romeo GTV6 Mercedes 300SL Roadster (W196) 2009 BMW E92 M3 Coupe DCT in a Hypermiling challenge 2023 BMW 760i xDrive 2001 Dodge Viper 2007 Mercedes CLK 550 Cabriolet Lancia Fulvia HF 2009 Jetta TDI (Mk5) 2009 Honda CR-V Diesel Bosch Prototype 1991 BMW 318is convertible (E30) 1994 Porsche Speedster 2011 Audi A8 2015 Volkswagen Golf Mk7 Suzuki XL7 1961 Jaguar E-Type 2017 Aston Martin V12 Vantage S 7-speed Dogleg Manual 2024 Aston Martin Valour 1985 Ferrari Testarossa Monospecchio BMW 850i (E31) Bentley Continental W12 2008 Mercedes C300 Sport 6-speed …and more! === The Carmudgeon Show is a part of the Hagerty Podcast Network Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is the Surprise Bugatti Episode, and it happened when Jason revealed that the Bugatti Chiron Replacement would have an electrified V-8 engine. What resulted is Derek Tam-Scott admitting he knows nothing about Bugatti's history, but reciting it like an encyclopedia anyway. Jason has some experience with vintage Bugattis and a lot of experience with the W-16-powered Veyron. And both of them agree: a V-8 isn't the correct engine for a Bugatti — even if it's a bespoke unit and not the VAG-group corporate 4.0-liter twin-turbo V-8. However, they could be wrong: the Carmudgeons have both driven the Rimac Nevera, and it's absolutely spectacular. It could be that Mate Rimac and his team will make an incredible followup to the Chiron that's worthy of the Bugatti badge. === The Carmudgeon Show is part of the Hagerty Podcast Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices