THIS CAR POD! with Doug DeMuro & Friends

Episode: "The Audi TT is Back! Lotus is in Big Trouble. Best Porsche 911?"
Date: September 5, 2025
Hosts: Doug DeMuro, Filippo, Kenan

Episode Overview

This week, Doug DeMuro and his co-hosts deliver their signature, sharp-witted insight on the hottest automotive news, deep dives into car culture, and lively debates—ranging from the Audi TT’s electric return, Lotus's dire finances, Nissan’s moves, Ford’s recall saga, the Porsche 991 market, a spirited Forerunner ranking, and audience Q&A (including cost-per-mile defense and birth-year car dreams). Highlights include passionate rants, rare trivia, and more than a few memorable laughs.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Audi TT’s Electric Comeback (00:37–05:35)

• Return of the TT: Audi unveils the "Concept C," a fully electric, hardtop convertible sports car built on the upcoming Porsche Cayman/Boxster platform. This marks Audi’s reinvestment into sporty nameplates as it joins Formula 1.
• Hosts’ Reflections:
  • Filippo recalls the revolutionary impact of the original TT in the late ‘90s:
    "That car was revolutionary. This is beautiful. This is so cool." (01:13)
  • Designers/history: Peter Schreyer is mentioned for his pivotal design work; he’s now associated with Kia but has recently retired.
  • Design skepticism:
    • Kenan is excited, but Filippo quips, "The only thing I can promise you is that it won't [look like the concept]." (03:54)
    • Reference to past concept cars—the odd-looking Audi Rosemeyer—and the likelihood that the production car will diverge from the concept.
  • Electric Boxster/Cayman discussion: Purists (Filippo) mourn the passing of gas/manual models, while Doug notes the performance merits of EVs (lower center of gravity, weight).

Notable Quote:
"Audi doesn't have like a storied history. We don't come to Audi for dynamics. We never did... This is cool. It looks cool. And it would be cool if it existed." — Filippo (03:25)

2. Nissan’s Off-Road Offensive & Z Manual Drama (05:35–10:52)

• Xterra Reboot: Canceled in 2015 at the wrong time (per Filippo: "single worst automotive product planning decision in my lifetime"), the Xterra is returning (2028) as V6/hybrid, body-on-frame, not EV.
• Nissan Z (Nismo) Debacle:
  • Nissan’s decision to finally release a manual transmission for the Nismo Z is seen as "too little too late."
    • Filippo: "They've sold 11 units... 12." (08:19)
    • Kenan: "Too little, too late." (08:24)
  • Surprised at the Z's flop, especially versus the visible Supra community.
• Regional Car Bias: Reflections on regional car tastes—California, Midwest, and the rarity of new Zs.

3. Ineos Grenadier Price Drop (11:00–13:59)

• Significant markdowns: SUV drops $8,000; pickup $8,500—still pricy (starts at $72K), but supply gluts force incentives.
• Market Fit: Filippo’s take: Grenadiers are for buyers who want a "tough" image but not the hassle, “rich guys who want an old SUV, but they want air conditioning and infotainment.” (12:16)
• **Dealer inventory is huge; demand is tepid, confirming it's a niche market product that oversupplied.

4. Lotus’s Financial Woes (14:02–17:14)

• Q2 Losses: Lotus lost $263 million in six months and will cut 550 jobs in the UK.
• Surprise at size: “I'm astonished they have 550 employees. Truly, I'm not exaggerating.” – Filippo (14:23)
• China sales and tariffs: Discuss Lotus’s new Chinese ownership (Geely). Some Lotus models (Elettra) can't be sold in the US due to tariffs, but their China business grows modestly.
• Lotus’s Identity Shift: From “simplify, add lightness” to “pump cash into a classic brand.”
• Amira Praise: Kenan: "The Amira is a phenomenal sports car…"

5. 'Leno’s Law' & Bureaucratic Frustration (18:39–26:28)

• California’s Cancelled Exemption:
  • The bill to exempt classic cars from emissions standards fails—killed without public reason by Appropriations Chair Buffy Wicks.
  • Filippo rails against statehouse opacity and lack of technical competence, suggesting more (not fewer!) legislators for constituent accountability.
  • On lost revenue and enforcement: “All these cars are already here. The cost to California is happening now in lost registration fees… The State Assembly is not particularly sophisticated.” (20:32)
• **Discussion on unregistered cars with out-of-state plates and virtually no enforcement.

6. Upcoming Audi RS6, Mercedes, the German Super-Wagon Saga (26:28–29:29)

• RS6’s Next Gen: Plug-in hybrid V8 coming; Audi recognized for sticking with V8/hybrid while Mercedes’s new E53 is a less-competitive V6 plug-in hybrid.
• Specs Race: M5 Touring at 717 hp; BMW, Audi, and Mercedes fight for the segment.
• Mystery Pause: They recall the time Mercedes stopped selling V8 AMGs for a year with no explanation.

7. Ford Recalls—Why So Many? (30:31–34:18)

• Background: Ford set the manufacturer record for recalls largely due to a consent order from past recall sloppiness (backup camera), requiring strict monitoring and resulting in over-cautiousness on new faults.
• Recent recall: 900,000 vehicles (rear wiring harness issue).
• Conspiracy Theory: Filippo jokes Ford killed the Escape model to avoid another mass recall.
• Regulatory realities: Doug notes that recalls are often voluntary; Ford’s scrutiny has made them hyper-proactive.

8. Talk Cars Segment: Selling Station Wagons & Viper Stories (34:29–44:44)

• Doug Considers Selling His Wagon: Reflects on ownership costs, practicality, and emotional attachment. (35:14–39:02)
• Kenan’s Dodge Viper SRT10 Review:
  • Drives a 2005 model deemed "worst" by many, but loves the lunacy:
    “It is so crude and poorly built...you're constantly getting cooked… But it's awesome. It's the kind of lunacy I want.” (39:30)
  • No traction/stability control; massive engine; tremendous road presence.
• Viper Generations Debate:
  • Filippo argues only three real Viper generations exist; first and second are essentially a facelift difference.

9. Milestones & YouTube/Media Updates (47:37–50:46)

• Doug DeMuro’s Channel Hits 5M Subs:
  • 2.26 billion views; the team reflects on viewership being more meaningful than subscriber count.
  • Speculation about notable viewers, e.g., Trump, Jannik Sinner, Jerry Seinfeld.
• Throttle House: Waiting for them to deliver on a Top Gear/Grand Tour-style promise.

10. Porsche 991—The “993” of Modern 911s? (52:48–57:12)

• Market Report:
  • Filippo posits the 991 as the "993 of the modern 911," i.e., the best-loved, most valuable of its era.
  • Kenan pushes for the 997 instead, citing enthusiast favor for hydraulic steering and purity, but Filippo says the market disagrees.
  • Rising auction prices for base, manual 991.1s (even basic models fetching $70K+).

Notable Quote:
"I think the 991 is the 993 of the modern 911...Mark my words." — Filippo (53:52)

11. Audience Q&A & Rapid-Fire Debates (61:46–87:28)

a. Audience Gifts (62:09–65:42)

• Gifts received: A 1997 Ferrari lineup Road & Track magazine and a crystal Lamborghini Countach model.

b. Doug & Car Buying Habits (66:14–67:49)

• Doug is predictable; unlikely to surprise the team with a wild new purchase anytime soon.

c. Market Data & Product Decisions (67:57–69:20)

• No Android app yet for Cars & Bids—iOS focus due to user base.

d. The Best Driving Interstates (69:20–71:36)

• I-70 across Utah/Colorado—the favorite. For real scenery: skip interstates, use US highways like US-50.

e. Ranking Toyota FourRunners (71:41–74:47)

• Lively debate:
  • Filippo: 5th gen = best ever (might even be best SUV ever), then 4th, 3rd, 6th, 1st, 2nd.
  • Kenan & Doug: 3rd gen’s personal favorite, but conceding 5th gen's mass appeal.

f. Manual BMW M5 vs. AMG E55 (74:47–76:51)

• E39 M5's price justified by manual transmission experience and enthusiast demand, not just stats.

g. Worst State for Car Enthusiasts? (78:08–81:03)

• Virginia is named "the worst": radar detectors banned, strict speed laws, high property taxes.

h. Kenan’s Car History (Pre–M5) (81:44–82:55)

• E39 525i → E39 M5 → E46 330xi → E36 M3 → Ferrari 355.

i. Birth-Year Cars (82:55–84:41)

• F40/F50 for Kenan and Filippo (born in the benchmark supercar years).
• Doug’s 1994 picks: Mark IV Supra, FD RX7, R32 GTR, Saab 900.

j. CT5V Blackwing vs M5 Ownership Cost (84:47–86:35)

• Listener asks if Kenan regrets spending as much on his E39 as a new CT5V Blackwing would cost.
  • He defends the decade of joy and use ("$40K loss over 100K miles—cost per mile is not bad, and I love it.")

Notable Quotes & Moments

• Filippo, on bureaucratic mishaps:
  "Lawmakers don't know anything. And when something that you know a lot about appears in this sort of situation, you start to realize what else are they voting on that you don't know a lot about…" (21:34)
• Kenan, on Xtreme Viper Ownership:
  "It has a fear factor...because there's no traction control, no stability control." (40:57)
• Doug, on car buying:
  "You only think about entry price, don't think about TCO [total cost of ownership]." (56:58)
• On the rising Porsche 991 market:
  "The market is going to prize the 991.1 manual in a crazy way." (53:58)
• Filipo, on the Grenadier:
  "Rich guys who want an old SUV, but want air conditioning and infotainment." (12:16)
• On California bureaucracy:
  "There’s not enough legislators… If you knew your neighbor was a state rep… That would really have a benefit in getting the bills passed the people want." (22:01)
• On car enthusiast “cost per mile”:
  "For 100,000 miles. In one of my favorite cars." — Kenan (85:51)

Timestamps of Key Segments

• 00:37–05:35: Audi TT’s electric comeback & concept car debate
• 05:35–10:52: Nissan’s Xterra return & Z manual drama
• 11:00–13:59: INEOS Grenadier price drops & market musings
• 14:02–17:14: Lotus’s financial crisis
• 18:39–26:28: California ‘Leno’s Law’ and state politics
• 26:28–29:29: RS6, Mercedes E53, Super-wagons
• 30:31–34:18: Ford recall saga & Escape model axed
• 34:29–44:44: Talk Cars Segment: personal car sales, Dodge Viper driving
• 47:37–50:46: Doug’s 5 million YouTube subscribers, Throttle House
• 52:48–57:12: Porsche 991 as the new “best of breed”
• 61:46–65:42: Listener gifts: Ferrari magazine, crystal Countach
• 66:14–87:28: Audience Q&A: buying habits, best interstates, 4Runner ranking, BMW vs AMG, car-unfriendly states, cost-per-mile, dream birth-year cars

Summary Takeaways

• The new electric Audi TT excites, but brings skepticism on whether the production model will match the concept.
• Lotus is in a dire financial spot, and many legacy brands are navigating new identities under Chinese ownership.
• Nissan, after questionable past decisions, is revisiting old hits like the Xterra and placating enthusiasts with belated manual options.
• The Porsche 991’s values and reputation are rapidly rising, poised as the “classic” of its era.
• Spirited (and often comedic) debates on every topic—value, ownership, regulations—showcase the hosts’ automotive knowledge and passion.
• Audience Q&A brings out thoughtful, detailed answers on costs, experiences, and “what-if” car dreams, all delivered with fun and candor.

This episode is a must-listen for those who love witty, high-level car talk that’s as insightful as it is entertaining—covering not just cars themselves, but car culture, market trends, and the real-world joys and pains of automotive obsession.