On this episode of The Carmudgeon Show, Jason and Derek (and their traveling circus) venture to Europe to make memories of a lifetime taking two old German cars on an incredible 2,000 mile journey through Germany, Italy, and Switzerland via the wonderfully twisty roads of the Alps…or so they thought. Derek’s journey begins with the purchase of a W201 Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.3-16 in Italy, a car whose brakes, in fact, break very quickly after taking delivery. Continuing along, the trip becomes decor...
Sep 26, 2022•1 hr 4 min•Season 1Ep. 69
On today’s tale of two Toyotas, Jason and Derek discuss their parallel experiences driving two angry and estranged hot-hatch siblings: the GR Yaris and the GR Corolla. Jason unpacks a recent drive in the US-bound Corolla variant, while Derek discusses his go in the rest-of-world Yaris while in Europe. Despite its menacing looks, Jason highlights that the GR Corolla is overall more tame, forgiving, and subsequently competent than expected. It’s difficult to slide in the dry and less shouty and on...
Sep 19, 2022•48 min•Season 1Ep. 68
On today’s episode, Jason and Derek discuss the YouTube algorithm and how the mere suggestion of the death of gasoline performance cars can send traditional automotive enthusiasts to grab their pitchforks and smash the dislike button. Surely, it’s hard to imagine a world where we’ll say goodbye to the ICE-powered, character-filled machines we have known and loved since the beginning of the car’s existence. But will we ever celebrate what we’re losing and look forward to what we’re gaining? Only ...
Sep 12, 2022•1 hr 12 min•Season 1Ep. 67
This week, special guest James Engelsman of Throttle House joins the show to unpack the many happenings of this year’s Monterey Car Week, the center of all things automotive once a year. It’s James’ first car week experience, one which included multiple manufacture reveals, seas of interesting cars from pre-war to Pagani, and the occasional high five between Christian Von Koenigsegg and Gordon Murray. In a discussion beginning with pre-war cars, Jason, Derek, and James discuss various driving ex...
Aug 29, 2022•1 hr 2 min•Season 1Ep. 66
On today’s episode, Jason and Derek uncover the fruitful history of Kei cars, the limitations they possess, and the various misconceptions that most enthusiasts have taken as truth. Jason and Derek discuss the differences in character between Honda Beat, Autozam AZ-1, Suzuki Cappuccino, and the other sub-700cc pocket rockets that have become popular 25 year rule imports into the US in recent years. Today’s topic also explores how different world governments create (and destroy) the existence of ...
Aug 22, 2022•1 hr 2 min•Season 1Ep. 65
On this episode of The Carmudgeon Show- Jason and Derek each acquire new vehicles, both on very different ends of the spectrum… In a quest not to be #1 soccer dad, Jason discusses his recent experience in car dealer hell with a purchase of his very first American vehicle- an ex-rental spec Dodge Caravan SXT that will serve as his new camera and crew vehicle. Added dealer markup (ADM), paint protection, and other miscellaneous retail magic tricks are discussed, at what could ultimately be the doo...
Aug 15, 2022•1 hr 4 min•Season 1Ep. 64
Ever wonder how to get your father arrested in 1990s Germany? 18-year-old Jason can probably answer that for you. Upon taking the keys to his father’s Vauxhall Calibra, Jason tells an adolescent story of getting a speeding ticket 100 mph over the posted limit. Going to Monterey Car Week without your car? Buy or rent an old car, no matter how much oil it leaks! Jason and Derek discuss which car in their respective collections they’ll bring to this year’s car week and complain about the soul-sucki...
Aug 08, 2022•59 min•Season 1Ep. 63
Today’s episode begins with cars shoehorned with engines they were never supposed to possess, such as the W124 Mercedes-Benz 500E and R129 SL600. On the opposite end of the engine-size spectrum, Jason also discusses his recent findings in the newest Cammisa Ultimate Drag Race series, featuring new front-wheel drive manual transmission offerings such as the Hyundai Elantra N, Volkswagen Jetta GLI, and Acura Integra (and special guest Ford Bronco Raptor). On the subject of super sedans, Derek disc...
Aug 01, 2022•57 min•Season 1Ep. 62
What happens in a theoretical world where electric cars are banned? In this alternate simulation, Jason and Derek imagine a world where electric cars make another disappearance into the depths of history and the consequences that might follow. They also travel down the rabbit hole of alternative fuels and reveal their current disdain of hydrogen fuel cell technology and government handling of alternative fuel distribution. In this current simulation, however, it seems fairly predictable that aut...
Jul 25, 2022•1 hr 7 min•Season 1Ep. 61
In this episode, Burnout Specialist Jason begins today’s episode with a guided presentation on vehicles that do the easiest burnouts- a discussion that starts and ends with V6 front-wheel-drive. It turns out that in his findings, Jason has also determined a way to pull off a smokey burnout *even* in a vehicle with an electronic parking brake- an answer that we don’t recommend trying at home, or in a press car… The term of the day is automotive archeology- in other words, the art of uncovering th...
Jul 18, 2022•53 min•Season 1Ep. 60
This week, Jason drives Derek’s Lamborghini Miura- which, as it turns out, is a vehicle that most commonly enjoys flirting with its own death by fire, inclement weather, or just modern day traffic. Jason and Derek discuss the car’s other difficulties, including but not the mystery of non-standardized interior button labels, glowworms for headlights, and windshield wipers which prefer to eject versus function. Conclusion- if anything happens to your Miura, make sure the whole thing burns to the g...
Jul 11, 2022•1 hr 8 min•Season 1Ep. 59
Every once in a while, a great new car comes along that, despite its overall excellence, still reveals its incapabilities in becoming a sales success. In this episode of The Carmudgeon Show, Jason remarks on his recent experience with the new Acura Integra, a car which looks better in person despite its snot-inspired launch colors. While Derek initially judges the car based on Legend and not Vigor, he ultimately concludes that maybe there’s more than meets the eye when stacked up against the cro...
Jun 27, 2022•49 min•Season 1Ep. 58
In this episode of The Carmudgeon Show, amateur interior designer Jason Cammisa and living encyclopedia Derek “Hyphen” Tam-Scott go back to the basics and recall their respective foundations in their respective automotive ecosystems. Derek embarks on a trip into his past of Alfa Romeo brake jobs, buying and selling old cars, and building a prolific knowledge of cars and planes through books received since his childhood. In fact, Derek's encyclopedia became certified by age 8 when elaborating on ...
Jun 20, 2022•1 hr 2 min•Season 1Ep. 57
In this episode of the Carmudgeon Show, 95-year-old Derek Tam-Scott and ex-Yinzer Jason Cammisa discuss their enjoyment of the Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing. They cautiously approach the startling conclusion that the Blacking is the world's best current sports sedan — but not without a seaworthy exploration of Cadillac’s post-landyacht identity crisis. While unpacking the good, the bad, and the Malaise, Derek realizes that maybe there’s more to our perception of a 120-year-old brand than meets the ey...
Jun 13, 2022•1 hr 5 min•Season 1Ep. 56
In this episode of the Carmudgeon show, part-time ambulance chaser Jason Cammisa befriends some forbidden freeway fruit in form of the Volkswagen XL1 — a car that hardly exists at all, let alone on a California freeway at 11 PM. Jason recounts his seat time in the mirrorless, peak-Piëch Bugatti Veyron of MPG and how its small-footprint journey across the US makes for a large-footprint cause — more on that below. Side effects may include a string of broken-necked Bolt drivers and/or a stay in you...
Jun 06, 2022•55 min•Season 1Ep. 55
In this episode of the Carmudgeon Show, Derek Tam-Scott helps Jason Cammisa make a not entirely welcome discovery about the past of his recently-acquired Honda Beat, which somehow transitions seamlessly to a discussion about homologation cars and how they are both strange and cool. Included among these are Derek’s recently-acquired Mercedes-Benz W201 190E 2.3-16 Cosworth. The main focus, however, is the homologation cars Derek drove on his recent trip to Europe, including the Lancia Fulvia HF Fa...
May 30, 2022•1 hr 6 min•Season 1Ep. 54
There’s a new Z in town and Jason has driven it! In this episode of the Carmudgeon Show, award-winning automotive journalist Jason Cammisa and award-deserving automotive encyclopedia Derek Tam-Scott discuss the 2023 Nissan Z. And the Jaguar E-Type. And Bridgestone S007 tires. And Aston Martin Vantages — V8 Vantages with blown engines. And Gordon Murray T.50s. Derek takes a turn for the nerdy by pointing out that British tax-horsepower regulations encouraged the tractor-like long-stroke engines t...
May 23, 2022•1 hr 3 min•Season 1Ep. 53
If Eight is Enough, Ten is too many: Jason just bought his tenth car, and it’s a problem. It’s also slow. Japanese Kei cars are limited to 660 cc and 64 horsepower — but the Honda Beat is an 8500-rpm 3-cylinder with ITBs and sounds like a Porsche 911’s flat-six. Just without any chance of a speeding ticket. Jason also just drove an Autozam AZ-1, which has Gullwing doors and is surprisingly fast — so the boys wonder if a Suzuki Cappuccino is just as good? This leads a discussion of slow cars, whi...
May 16, 2022•1 hr 5 min•Season 1Ep. 52
In this episode, Jason Cammisa and Derek ("Hyphen") Tam-Scott discuss having to choose between the Miata NC and ND, specially NC3 and ND2, after driving them back to back on a rally. Of course, the meandering conversation starts with BMW E90 and E90 LCIs, the term Life-Cycle Impulse, and the hideousness of E60 and the E65 BMWs. NB, Hyphen says, is not the right answer. But NC2 and NC3 might be. ND Miata proved the entire industry wrong — it's possible to drop weight and gain performance. But it ...
May 09, 2022•1 hr 4 min•Season 1Ep. 51
In this celebratory 50th episode of The Carmudgeon Show, Jason Cammisa and Derek Tam-Scott regale us with tales of their 624-mile weekend old-car road rally. Derek brought his 964-chassis Porsche 911, Jason brought "Beatrice," his beater E30-chassis BMW 325i. Two friends bought Miatas: an NC3 and an ND2. More on the Mazdas in a future episode, we promise. Derek picked a route of the twistiest back roads Northern California can offer and the boys grabbed a couple hotels. Several things occurred t...
May 02, 2022•1 hr•Season 1Ep. 50
Historically, sedans were viewed as non-collectibles. But history was wrong — these days, sedans are doing just fine. In this episode, Jason Cammisa and Derek Tam-Scott ("Hyphen") discuss the collectible and awesome sedan — everything from the Mercedes 6.9 and 6.3 to the W124 500E, and the AMG Hammer and Hammer Wagon 500E 6.0. To say nothing of the W201 190E 2.3-16 with its triumphant debut at the grand opening of the Nürburgring GP circuit in a one-marque race won by none other than Ayrton Senn...
Apr 25, 2022•1 hr 2 min•Season 1Ep. 49
What is Luxury? The boys are back, proving once again that you don’t have to be old to be bitter. On their inaugural episode for the Hagerty Podcast Network, automotive journalist Jason Cammisa and Walking Encyclopedia of Automotive Knowledge Derek Tam-Scott discuss different types of luxury cars. Their unexpected conclusion: the best luxury car might be a cheap beat-up car. After all, there is no luxury greater than not having to worry. Or at least, that’s the theory. Along the way, the Carmudg...
Apr 18, 2022•57 min•Season 1Ep. 48
