THIS CAR POD! with Doug DeMuro & Friends

Episode: Toyota Reveals New Sports Car! New G-Wagon Looks Good? Buying Rare Concept Cars!
Date: December 5, 2025

Overview

This episode is packed with lively discussions on breaking automotive news, personal anecdotes, sharp opinions, and healthy doses of humor. Doug DeMuro and co-hosts Filippo and Kenan discuss Toyota’s much-hyped new sports car launch, analyze the newly teased G-Wagon Cabriolet, get giddy over the French auctioning off bizarre concept cars, and share intriguing market updates. They finish strong with mailbag Q&A—everything from daily drivers to the quirks of buying the perfect sports car.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Toyota’s New Sports Car: The Gazoo Racing GT (00:58–04:32)

• Hype & Uncertainty: The group excitedly speculates about Toyota’s pending launch of the GR GT, caught between embargoes and leaks.
  • “We don’t know yet. We’re filming this on the third, they are announcing the car on the fourth. You’re watching this on the fifth. So you’re like—why aren’t they talking about it? We don’t know yet.” —Doug (01:14)
• Rumors on Specs:
  • Anticipated to feature a hybrid V8 drivetrain, and possibly three body variations (Lexus, convertible, GT3-type).
  • “My understanding is there’s going to be three different models that are all somehow based on this Gazoo Racing GT.” —Filippo (01:56)
• Toyota’s Revitalization:
  • The hosts praise Toyota’s transformation from “boring” to “exciting.”
  • “Toyota has revitalized—they've gone from the most boring automaker... to actually making cool cars.” —Filippo (02:29)
• Context in the Market:
  • Positioning alongside GR Corolla, GR Supra, and international models like the GR Yaris.
  • Questioning whether the new model will follow the supercar path of the LFA, or take a more “AMG GT” approach in terms of exclusivity and performance.

2. The G-Wagon Cabriolet Returns (04:33–11:17)

• First Look & Nostalgia:

  • Mercedes released teaser shots of the new G-Class Cabriolet. Doug and Kenan debate its looks and practicality.
  • “I love that they maintain the tradition of hideousness with that vehicle.” —Kenan (05:01)

• Purchase Criteria:

  • Doug’s interest hinges on price and general ‘showiness.’
  • “If it wasn’t too expensive… if it wasn’t showy in a way I deem inappropriate. The pictures make it seem like number two isn’t a problem.” —Doug (05:11)

• Detail Observations:

  • Two-row convertible is rare; chassis rigidity a concern.
  • Speculation about US market AMG-only versions, possible electrification, and market demand.

• Ownership Anxiety:

  • The group jokes about the social stigma: “Such an embarrassing car… Even if you got the right wheels, people will think you’re a complete [jerk].” —Doug (10:54)

3. France's Wild Concept Car Auction (12:38–19:35)

• Unique Auction:

  • Renault is auctioning off old concept cars, a rarity usually reserved for corporate museums.
  • “France, as a nation, is selling their concept cars… I am truly obsessed with the idea of buying old concept cars.” —Doug (13:16)

• Wildest Lots:

  • The team fawns over bizarre prototypes: six-wheeled Clio, “deck up” trucks, the “breakup,” and a Laguna-based wagon with multiple doors.
  • “This is the weirdest thing I've ever... They didn't know how to make a door longer, so they copy paste, copy paste, copy paste.” —Kenan (17:19)

• Barriers to Ownership:

  • No VINs—cars can’t be titled or imported easily, only as "furniture or art."
  • Surprisingly affordable: “With a few exceptions, they estimate €6,000–8,000 for everything.” —Filippo (18:59)
  • “It’s art. This is up there with Monet.” —Doug (18:19)

4. Jaguar Design Boss Fired (20:10–25:12)

• Industry Shakeup:

  • Jerry McGovern, Jag’s creative chief and key rebrand driver, is fired amid turbulence at Jaguar Land Rover.
  • “Jaguar was headed in the right direction.” —Doug (21:44)

• Brand Direction Questions:

  • The team reflects on Jaguar’s storied history and its struggles to find modern footing, especially with shifting EV market dynamics.

• Brand Nostalgia:

  • “In the 50s, Jaguar stood not only for speed, but reliability, toughness, and beauty... a genetic launching pad for the company.” —Kenan (23:23)
  • “The brand has a lot of brand equity. However, that doesn’t necessarily translate to a lot of sales. Just ask Aston Martin.” —Doug (24:05)

5. The New USPS Mail Truck Arrives (25:13–29:53)

• Details:

  • Oshkosh Corporation developed new USPS ‘Next Generation Delivery Vehicle,’ 70% electric, 30% Ford turbocharged gas engines.
  • “They apparently cost $10,000 a year to maintain per year on average because they’re well past their lifetime.” —Filippo (25:52)

• Fun Fact:

  • Doug discovered they're already on USPS stamps (27:10).
  • “It is just one stamp that has the old and the new mail truck on it.” —Filippo (27:48)

• Review Aspirations:

  • Doug wants to review a new USPS truck. “Can I get a review of one of these?” —Doug (28:35)

6. Trump’s Fuel Economy Rollbacks & Political Auto News (31:22–36:07)

• News Update:

  • The Trump administration is moving to roll back fuel economy standards from a projected 50.2 to 34.5 MPG by 2031.
  • “Mixed evidence on whether that’s actually true, but that’s today’s news story.” —Filippo (32:20)
  • US manufacturers cheer the move, especially those dependent on trucks/V8s.

• EU and California Relaxes Mandates:

  • Signs of backpedaling on aggressive EV and fuel standards both in Europe and California.

7. Cadillac’s Formula 1 Super Bowl Reveal (36:09–37:59)

• F1 Hype:
  • Cadillac to unveil F1 livery during Super Bowl ad, with team’s race debut planned for 2026.
  • “When I was young… I was an odd ostracized child for a number of reasons, but one was my love of F1.” —Kenan (37:02)
  • Doug claims the move actually piques his F1 interest—a rarity for him.

8. Pininfarina’s NSX “Restomod” (38:34–41:44)

• Rebody & Reboot:
  • Pininfarina’s new project “Tensei” re-bodies the first-gen Honda NSX with modern tech, carbon body, and a tuned V6.
  • “This actually looks… kind of cool. The coolest thing I think is the rear of the car.” —Kenan (39:13)
  • The group compares it to Singer’s approach to Porsche restomods and is cautiously optimistic about execution.

9. Porsche Immobilizes Cars in Russia, Tech Concerns (41:44–44:12)

• PVTS Outage Locks Out Owners:

  • Hundreds of Russian Porsche owners left stranded when the tracking/immobilizer system failed.
  • “The fact that the potential tradeoff is you might not be able to start your car because a satellite fails… that’s a little problem.” —Doug (42:36)

• Risks of Over-Connectivity:

  • Raises larger questions about cybersecurity, geofencing, and the risks of remote tech embedded in modern cars.

10. Talk Cars & Personal Ownership Quirks (44:49–53:30)

• Doug’s Countach Woes:

  • Countach breaks down due to clutch master and slave cylinder failure (“Not a big deal. But having the car be reliable is important.” —Doug, 45:36)
  • Unique issue: Lamborghini’s US parts warehouse burned in a UPS plane crash (47:21)

• Old Car Ownership Philosophy:

  • Doug emphasizes that patience and tolerance for breakdowns are part of owning vintage exotics—unlike high-end “collection-flippers.”
  • “People who attain money and buy these cars… are not prepared to own cars such as these.” —Doug (50:21)

Memorable Tangent

“It is legitimately hard to have these cars and I’m here for it. And I understand that. That’s one of the reasons I don’t think Countach is really rocketing up in value. People really believe that it’s difficult to own. I’d rather own it and deal with the difficulty.” —Doug (52:38)

11. Filippo’s Car Hunt: The Curse of “Perfect Spec” (53:41–57:07)

• Buying a 991 911:

  • Filippo describes his meticulous, sometimes neurotic search for a manual 991 911 Cabrio. “There’s like one for sale that is reasonable that I’ve not reached out to because… the spec is not one that I’m interested in.” —Filippo (56:23)
  • Doug and Kenan needle Filippo for being “too picky” and missing the opportunity.

• Heated seats debate:

  • “From my experience, it would be nice to have heated seats… in a convertible.” —Filippo (56:40)

12. Market Report: Used Deals & Oddities (62:47–69:52)

• Kia Stinger GT Market:

  • Prices for the performance sedan are now “cheap, cheap, cheap… high teens, low twenties.” (63:05)
  • Doug claims it’s one of his all-time favorite daily drivers (“Top 20. Twenty-seven.” (63:20))

• Smart Crossblade Market is “Strong”:

  • $51K (!) for a Smart Crossblade. “We are the place to sell your Smart Crossblade. Forget about Mercedes-Benz!” (67:01)

• Special Builds:

  • 1977 Porsche 911 custom built over 12 years in a garage sells for $128.5K;
  • “You can add value by doing something in your garage.” —Filippo (67:49)
  • BMW wagon with a Maserati V8 swap (!) sells for $20K.

13. Listener Q&A Highlights (71:22–End)

• San Diego Zoo Parking:
  • Doug will expense his zoo membership now that parking isn’t free.
• Engine Sharing Garage Challenge:
  • “E39 M5 V8 in two cars” and creative alt-picks like “Evora and Sienna” or “Corolla and Elise.”
• Daily Driver Surprises:
  • In a collection full of exotics, one owner’s daily is a 2002 Toyota Land Cruiser.
• Why No Tesla Model Y Video?:
  • Doug admits he “missed his chance,” blames Tesla PR, and asks Filippo to rent one via Turo.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Toyota’s sports car rumors:

  “You will know, and you’ll be like, these idiots. And you’ll be right.”
  —Doug (02:17)

• About the G-Wagon Cabrio:

  “It’s such an embarrassing car. Think of the people who are going to buy this.”
  —Doug (10:38)

• On France’s concept car oddities:

  “This is the weirdest thing I’ve ever… They didn’t know how to make a door longer, so they copy paste, copy paste, copy paste.”
  —Kenan (17:19)

• On classic car ownership:

  “Having the car be reliable is important… This isn’t like, ‘oh, because they installed the radiator 1 inch from the battery it melts the terminals…’ none of that stuff.”
  —Doug (46:41)

• On hypercar collectors:

  “To have a Countach… requires… I mean this thing breaks and I’m laughing. I’m not sending an Instagram DM to Christian von Koenigsegg complaining.”
  —Doug (50:27)

• On the USPS truck on stamps:

  “It is difficult for me to overstate a couple things. First off, I bought stamps the other day that have this truck on them.”
  —Doug (27:06)

• On auction strategies:

  “But we have found that when you announce the reserve is off, it kills bidding. That’s what we have found… announcing that turns the tide a little bit.”
  —Doug (81:15)

• On peculiar dailies of supercar owners:

  “He said, what do you daily? And he looked at his son and he said, what year is it? And the son was like, 2001, 2002. He was like, yeah, it’s a 2002 Toyota Land Cruiser.”
  —Doug (79:09)

Additional Timestamps for Important Segments

• [01:04] Episode intro & Toyota GR GT discussion begins
• [05:01] G-Wagon Cabriolet announcement and speculation
• [12:38] Renault Concept Car Auction deep dive
• [20:10] Jerry McGovern/Jaguar shakeup
• [25:13] USPS mail truck rollout and review dreams
• [31:22] Trump’s rollback on fuel standards & regulatory landscape
• [36:09] Cadillac F1 & Super Bowl livery ad plans
• [38:34] Pininfarina’s NSX restomod discussion
• [41:44] Porsche immobilizer tech woes in Russia
• [44:49] Talk Cars segment: Doug’s Countach breakdown & maintenance philosophy
• [53:41] Filippo’s search for a 991 911 Cabrio
• [62:47] Market Report: Kia Stinger GT, Smart Crossblade, and garage-built 911
• [71:09] Listener Q&A (Zoo parking, daily drivers, auction strategies, and more)

Overall Tone & Style

Humorous, casual, irreverent but always car-obsessive: Doug and friends volley between geek-out-level details, personal stories, real industry insight, and self-deprecating banter. The mood is quick-witted and occasionally mocking, with open admissions of confusion and error, making complex industry news accessible and entertaining.

This summary captures the main substance, best lines, and structure of the episode, highlighting its must-hear insights and giving you everything you need, even if you missed the show.