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As a society, we’ve been throwing around the phrase “The kids are alright” for decades. But in the automotive landscape, is that really true? On today’s episode, Derek and Jason dissect the theory that young people are getting less interested in cars and whether or not it has any validity in 2026. Before getting into the thick of it, Jason and Derek discuss the latest Porsche Taycan Sport Turismo GTS joining them in the studio. Carmudgeonation occurs, naturally. Between unintuitive infotainment and UX, lackluster interior volume, and - naturally being a current Porsche - an eye-watering sticker price of over $180K, the newest Taycan certainly leaves some ground to be desired. But not all is lost, as the updated adaptive air suspension, good looks, and the endlessly mind-bending acceleration certainly make up for lost appeal. And of course, the existence of any wagon still on sale in 2026 - let alone, a Porsche wagon, is a win regardless of its flaws. The bulk of this episode discusses youth interest in cars and how trends have changed in recent years. Most notably, the cultural shift in interest to Porsche products like the 992 GT3 RS over Lamborghini and Ferrari - why do kids fawn over cars that are inherently more commonplace and accessible? Does industry accessibility to press cars affect young tastes? Will broccoli haircuts live on forever? Some of this, and more - on today’s episode of The Carmudgeon Show with Jason Cammisa and Derek Tam-Scott, driven by Hagerty. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The term “Restomod” gets thrown around a lot these days. In an era where more people are modifying and modernizing old cars more than ever before, it’s probably time we draw some boundaries to truly understand what OEM+, OEM++, and Restomod REALLY mean in the current modified car landscape. === Visit https://JasonSentMe.com for a quote on Hagerty's Guaranteed Value® Insurance! === The subject of today’s studio background is a 1963 Mercedes-Benz 230SL - yes, a Pagoda - with a host of Mercedes family modifications including but not limited to: 5.4L M113 V8 engine from a W220 S55 AMG 6 speed manual transmission from an SLK230 Brakes from a C126 560SEC Rear multilink suspension from a W209 CLK And many more odds and ends that make it all play nicely together. Effectively transformed from a grandma cruiser to a backroad hell-raiser, Jason and Derek begin to wonder - is this just an engine/transmission swap, or has enough been done to constitute restomod status? This car comes from none other than Matt Kwiek from Kwiek Classics, who has become known for manual-swapping CLK63 AMG Black Series as well as a host of other Frankenstein’d Mercedes-Benzes. This one certainly got Jason, Derek, and company howling with laughter, but is emotion enough to constitute a restomod? Naturally other restomod vehicles are brought into discussion - like the Cyan Racing P1800, Totem Automobile GT Super, Automobile Amos Delta Futurista, Tuthil 911K, and the Kimera 037. While these cars occupy a different market share and purpose, the Mercedes can probably keep up with the best of them on the right backroad. But does a more honest appearance and single-marque parts origin constitute OEM+? Jason’s MK3 Cabrio VR6 swap seems to fall into that category - but it still resembles a car that could have been built by Volkswagen in period. This Pagoda, however……would drift circles around its swing-armed original - and not flip over!! Maybe it’s in a class of its own. Jason also discusses a recent trip to LA for the Air Water Show weekend, where he attends Good Vibes Breakfast Club with Andreas Preuninger, Director of Porsche’s GT Line. While he didn’t drive the GT3 S/C as expected, he did drive a Supercharged, LS-swapped 1978 Pontiac Trans Am making 700+ WHP. The car was so dialed in, we continue to wonder - does it qualify as a restomod? Or is it just a swap with all the right trimmings? You’ll have to listen to find out - all this and more on this episode of The Carmudgeon Show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Live in-studio this week we have the Longbow Speedster and co-founders of Longbow Motors Daniel Davey and Mark Tapscott. They join us all the way from the UK to show off and discuss their entry into the rather quiet EV sports car space. You might be wondering - what’s a Longbow Speedster? What does it have to do with a medieval weapon used in the dark ages? And what happened to the windshield? As it turns out, all three of those questions can be answered with a single word: simplicity. While the Speedster is fully electric with a claimed range of 275 miles and a 0-62 time of 3.5 seconds, it’s also one of the only EVs in existence under one ton that isn’t a golf cart. More importantly, it wants to bring a more traditional approach to EV motoring - a handful of tactile buttons and no screens - just driver and machine. Daniel and Mark chat with Jason and Derek about their origin stories as enthusiasts, discussing some festive cars owned like the Seat Marbella Jeans Edition, Toyota Celica ST185, and Mazda MX-6. Having a plethora of experience working at Tesla when the Roadster was in development, the bowmen of the long table also discuss how they plan to make a splash in the industry and why lightness will soon become synonymous with EVs in ways we never quite anticipated. All this and more on this episode of The Carmudgeon Show with Jason Cammisa and Derek Tam-Scott. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jason’s got a new episode out on the Hagerty YouTube channel about a car that most enthusiasts love to hate - The Tesla Model S. While it entered production as a Car of the Year winner and paved a path for Tesla’s eventual success in selling cars on the global stage, people have loathed the company’s existence in recent years due to sociopolitical actions from CEO Elon Musk. But is the car good enough to diverge from the hate? === Visit https://JasonSentMe.com for a quote on Hagerty's Guaranteed Value® Insurance! === Ignoring the lever-pulling of one man in particular - it’s hard to argue otherwise that the Tesla Model S is the most significant car of the last 75 years. Enjoying a near 14 year production run, you’d think it’s getting long in the tooth - but actually, it’s been continuously upgraded every year in both hardware and software, so much so that the final version - despite looking very similar - only shares 3% of its components with the original car that debuted in 2012. Over the course of the episode, Jason and Derek compare the Model S to other revolutionary cars in society - like the Ford Model T, Volkswagen Beetle, Citroen DS, 2CV, Mini Cooper, and several others with varying similarities. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today’s episode will not be a surprise to anyone who follows the automotive news cycle - because of course we’re talking about the 911 GT3 S/C! In true Carmudgeon-form, Jason and Derek pull apart the blasphemous, recently announced Porsche GT car and discuss whether it’s worth the hate, or better to hate on the haters. === Visit http://JasonSentMe.com to get a Hagerty Guaranteed Value (TM) collector-car insurance quote! === Before this - Jason gives an update on his recent battles with finishing his 1996 Volkswagen Cabrio VR6 swap (Mk3), rooted largely from OBD-II getting in the way of the car passing California smog testing. But really - what is OBD-II, why does it matter, and why can it make engine swaps a total nightmare? Derek and Jason discuss (and moan upon) the variables, including how to do drive cycles, set monitors, and stay sane in the process. To add fuel to the fire, Jason discusses the Cabrio’s latest clutch slave mishap that almost left him stranded before a rally with friends. And putting a nail in the tire of Derek’s 964 Porsche 911. On the subject of 911s - and cabriolets - Derek then explores the origins of disdain on the new GT3 S/C. Interestingly - Porsche is not the first brand to go about taking the roof off a track-focused road car variant - citing the rather cherished existence of the Ferrari F430 Scuderia Spyder 16M, the 599 Speciale Aperta, and the 458 Speciale Aperta. Not to mention - if Porsche is making a convertible GT3, could they also bring back a Speedster too? Time and speculation will tell - but not without Carmudgeonation... Tune in for more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode - a Rhode Island man in a bowtie is found in the studio - who flew more than 3000 miles just to talk about strange Italian cars and the people that drive them. If by that description you were thinking of anyone BUT Donald Osborne - we’d be shocked. But today, he’s here with us! === Visit http://JasonSentMe.com to get a Hagerty Guaranteed Value (TM) collector-car insurance quote! === In case you’re not familiar - Donald Osborne is a renowned classic car historian, author, media personality, and professional appraiser. He’s also the Consulting Director for the Audrain Group, having been heavily involved with the Audrain Automobile Museum over the last seven years. You’ve also may have seen him as a regular contributor and co-host on Jay Leno’s Garage. Most recently, he’s become the North American Representative for FIVA - short for Fédération Internationale des Véhicules Anciens - a worldwide organization seeking to protect the historic and cultural interest of vehicles around the world 30 years old or older. Conveniently - nearly all of Jason and Derek’s cars are this old - Jason’s second newest car being his VR6-powered 1996 Volkswagen Cabrio. Donald, Derek, and Jason discuss what it means to be an enthusiast of historic vehicles in 2026 - and how the US celebrates classics a little differently than the rest of the world. But perhaps that could change. They also discuss Donald’s current fleet - both in the US and Italy - including but not limited to his Mercedes-Benz SLK230 5 Speed, Alfa Romeo SZ, Lancia Appia, Fiat Panda, Moretta Cinquecento Sport, Lancia Epsilon, and many more that have come and gone… And if you'd like to learn more about FIVA in the USA, don't forget to email friendsofFIVAUSA@FIVA.org! All this and more on this episode of The Carmudgeon Show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s a transmission episode! Inspired by Jason’s recent roadside spotting of a Volkswagen Karmann Ghia with the rare Automatic Stickshift, the Carmudgeons go for a trip into the origins of abandoning the clutch pedal in manual and automatic transmissions. How has human driving behavior changed or stayed the same throughout history regarding the operation of any transmission? === Visit http://JasonSentMe.com to get a Hagerty Guaranteed Value (TM) collector-car insurance quote! === Jason and Derek begin by discussing the recent repairs on Jason’s (and once Derek’s) Ferrari 308 GT4 - perhaps the only car discussed on today’s episode with a traditional manual transmission. The 308 GT4 just returned from a trip to Aaron Shepherd - one of the most respected auto body specialists in the San Francisco Bay Area - where it received some wonderfully executed rust repair and paintwork. The majority of this episode discusses semi-automatic transmissions throughout history, which begs the question - are any of them any good? Wilson and Cotal Preselector transmissions of the 1930s paved the way for clutchless driving and synchromesh - eventually evolving into applications like Citroen’s Citromatic found in the DS21 and Volkswagen’s Auto Stickshift found in the Beetle and Karmann Ghia. Even after torque converter automatics, clutchless manuals still found their way into road cars - like Mercedes-Benz’s Hydrak Transmission and Ferrari’s Valeo Transmission used in late Mondials. Moving into the 2000s, Jason and Derek remark on how troubled many semi-automatic manuals were at the time - including Ferrari’s F1 gearbox, Maserati DuoSelect, BMW SMG, Toyota SMT, and others which didn’t mind letting a user light a clutch on fire. Luckily - this era was reasonably short-lived, replaced by ZF torque converter automatics and dual clutch transmissions like VW’s DSG and NOT Ford’s horrid SelectShift found in the 2010s Ford Focus, Fiesta, and Escape. All this and much much more on this episode of The Carmudgeon Show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Every year, manufactures launch new features that we usually don’t know that we want. Sometimes, these features are so effective and popular, they disrupt an industry and become government-mandated. Other times, they become quickly forgotten and unwanted by society. Until recent years, the Mercedes-Benz S-Class was the purveyor of new automotive technology - we’d see something in an S Class that we know we might get 15 years later on a Nissan Versa. But even the S-Class had some misses - debuting technology that quickly went away after the next generation. === Visit http://JasonSentMe.com to get a Hagerty Guaranteed Value (TM) collector-car insurance quote! === Nowadays, more than ever - we notice manufactures cutting corners in areas where they have no business doing so. No one-touch windows (Subaru Crosstrek), CarPlay being a $4,000+ option (Ferrari, until 2023), non-amber turn signals (BMW), and lacking spare tires on cars we know need them (Volkswagen e-Golf). This got us thinking - what are the best and worst features in history that have ever been invented? What features seemed like they’d be popular, but flunked? What features seemed dumb and first, but are now on every car sold? Jason and Derek do a deep dive on this episode - tune in to find out. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Derek and Jason both drive the BMW Z1 - the often-forgotten two-seat roadster that established BMW's Z brand in the late 1980s. Sharing the same chassis and drivetrain with the E30 325i, it's often been overlooked by many as just an E30 convertible with cool doors. But is there more than meets the eye? As it turns out, yes - much more... === Visit http://JasonSentMe.com to get a Hagerty Guaranteed Value (TM) collector-car insurance quote! === Historically, the "Z" in BMW nomenclature stands for "Zukunft", or "future" in German. While the Z brand became associated with roadsters only, the Z1 debuted far more than just two seats and a folding soft top. The belt-driven doors were only one feature of the Z1 that made it ahead of it's time - multi-link rear suspension, removable body panels, and a host of other forward-thinking innovations made it far more advanced for its time than most give it credit for. This week's subject of Carmudgeonation brings some very interesting foresight on BMW's history and collectability as a brand - tying in the 507, Z8, and even the i3 into discussion. Don't skip this one! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sometimes, the milestones hit all at once! On this episode, Jason celebrates 300,000 miles in “OP” (other people’s) cars - 3,000 to be exact - and 20 years doing so! === Visit http://JasonSentMe.com to get a Hagerty Guaranteed Value (TM) collector-car insurance quote! === Rather than random number generator reviews, Derek hits Jason with a barrage of key words and phrases to jog his memory and keep him on his toes. Also covered on this episode are the results of the Amelia Island auctions, updates on Jasons’ Rover SD1 and Volkswagen Cabrio VR6 swap, and much more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices