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Jason Drives The 2025 Lucid Gravity — The Carmudgeon Show w Jason Cammisa & Derek Tam-Scott — Ep 174
A double episode: First, our experts weigh in on Jaguar's new marketing stunt and concept. And second, Jason drives a prototype Lucid Gravity, the all-new SUV. === The Carmudgeon Show Sponsor, Vredestein Tires: https://www.vredestein.com/ Click here to join the Hagerty Driver's Club: https://bit.ly/Join-HDC-Cammisa-Rev === This was a big week for Jaguar, with a controversial ad that got lots of attention, and a wild concept that previews its new 4-door electric GT. Jason feels it's important to remember that the ad served one purpose: to get attention on an automaker we called Dead Brand Walking. And it very much worked. Jason's Van, Jynah, survived a 1500-mile round-trip to Salt Lake City, joining the mile-high club several times along the way. Thankfully, Vredestein Tires shipped a brand new set of Wintrac Pro winter tires just in time for alpine blizzards, because the Van, Jynah, had to make it across a mountain chain in the snow. Including climbing the famed Donner Pass — with chains. Afterwards, Jason gets behind the wheel of Lucid’s latest creation – and second ever model – the new 2025 Lucid Gravity SUV. The boys discuss its unrelenting commitment to efficiency across the board: from its range, to interior and cargo space, and even mounting fuse blocks inside of chassis bracing on the Air sedan. Jason admits to taking an engineering mule for a brief spin and recounts its handling dynamics. Later, while smooshing his face onto a pane of glass at Lucid HQ, Jason spoke with CEO, Peter Rawlinson. Peter personally engineered the ingenious rear hatch seal, and also showed off the new frunk seat with fold-out mud guard. Then the boys lament the post-fact and internet-troll era which we, unfortunately, continue to live in. Derek defends his honor and encyclopedic knowledge from a viewer who claims the Mercedes CLK DTM had the first AMG engine – not the CLK63 Black Series. Too bad the viewer is incorrect (the CLK DTM used a derivative of the regular production M113; the Black Series used AMG's own M156. And Jason fights off M fans who argue they can “code out” the G80 M3’s faults. Afterwards, they discuss the state of automotive marketing. First by reminiscing about automotive ads from 20 years ago with staying power, and then by debating whether or not Jaguar’s latest rebranding and ad campaign was a success. Does Jaguar's last-ditch effort to save the marque stand a chance at actually swaying consumers? Or is it still a Dead Brand Walking? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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1:10:46
6-speed Swapped CLK63 AMG Black Series! — Carmudgeon Show w Jason Cammisa & Derek Tam-Scott — Ep 173
The legendary, 500-hp Mercedes CLK63 AMG Black Series was never produced with a manual transmission. So, Derek had one built. === The Carmudgeon Show Sponsor, Vredestein Tires: https://www.vredestein.com/ Click here to join the Hagerty Driver's Club: https://bit.ly/Join-HDC-Cammisa-Rev === Derek Tam-Scott's company, OTS & Co., purchased a C209-chassis 2008 Mercedes CLK63 AMG Black Series for science/tax reasons and immediately sent it to Matt Kwiek of @kwiekclassics for a new Mercedes-sourced manual transmission swap. How does the legendary AMG M156 6.3-liter V-8 (which is actually 6.2 liters) work with a 6-speed manual? For science, Derek hired SCCA Hall of Fame race car driver Randy Pobst to set a lap time in both a stock, automatic CLK63 BS and a 6-speed swapped one. The Black Series is one of Jason Cammisa's favorite cars of all time. He attended its launch at Willow Springs raceway, where he struggled to keep up with an 80-year-old Denise McLuggage as she executed flawless and effortless laps in the exact same car. It's a fun story. The ‘mudgeons then briefly cover all the Black Series models: the R171 SLK55, C209 CLK63, R230 SL65, W204 C63, and SLS AMG. Is the CLK Black Series peak AMG? Derek compares the 6-speed swapped CLK to the fifth-gen Pontiac GTO and E39 BMW M5 Dinan S2. And the Carmudgeons discuss whether other collectible cars should also be manual-swapped, including the Lexus LFA, Alfa Romeo 4C and 8C, and the E60 M5. The boys also ponder if tearing out the OE tranny on the Black Series is a crime akin to that of the Sacrilege Motors 964 911 EV conversion. Which wasn't, actually, a crime. We end with a brief discussion of twin-engine cars: a half-Leaf half-motorcycle, a Twini (dual-engine Mini Cooper), DuRocco (twin-engine Scirocco), a pre-war Alfa, and a Citroen 2CV Safari. Plus, the van, Jynah, prepares for potentially slippery, wet and white conditions with a brand new set of Vredestein Wintrac Pros! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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1:04:18
NEW SPORT SEDAN BENCHMARK? — The Carmudgeon Show w Jason Cammisa & Derek Tam-Scott — Ep 172
Can the new Tesla Model 3 Performance dethrone the G80 BMW M3 as the sports sedan king? === Click here to join the Hagerty Driver's Club: https://bit.ly/Join-HDC-Cammisa-Rev The Carmudgeon Show Sponsor, Vredestein Tires: https://www.vredestein.com/ === On this episode of the Carmudgeon Podcast, the boys discuss proper AIM sign-off acronyms, size queens, and Jason’s 3/4” toe-in on his E31 BMW 850 CSI (and its broken shifter). Then, Jason shares tales from Radwood SoCal, including the winners of his “I’d Drive That Home” award — a Ford Escort Cosworth — and the Vredestein Tire award winner — a Z31 Nissan 300ZX with some mismatched and massively dry rotted 20-year-old tires. Afterwards, we dive into Jason’s recent Ultimate Comparison Test between the 2024 Tesla Model 3 “Highland” Performance and 2024 G80 LCI BMW M3 Competition xDrive. We’ll cover everything from driving dynamics to powertrain, overheating brakes, interior ball rests, infotainment, price and more! TTFN Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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1:13:40
Random Number Generator Car Reviews — The Carmudgeon Show w Jason Cammisa & Derek Tam-Scott — Ep 171
Jason and Derek open up their review archives once again and share stories about the cars they've driven over the years. === Click here to join the Hagerty Driver's Club: https://bit.ly/Join-HDC-Cammisa-Rev The Carmudgeon Show Sponsor, Vredestein Tires: https://www.vredestein.com/ === In this episode, the boys ponder the meaning of a Jaguar “175 Edition”, give praise to the best rear wiper integration ever, debate if a Juke can be cute, and wonder how many cylinders power the illustrious Dodge Nitro. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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1:00:14
Is There A Car So Good It Needs No Mods? – Carmudgeon Show w Jason Cammisa & Derek Tam-Scott Ep. 170
Is there such a thing as a car so perfect that it doesn't need any modifications? === Click here to join the Hagerty Driver's Club: https://bit.ly/Join-HDC-Cammisa-Rev The Carmudgeon Show Sponsor, Vredestein Tires: https://www.vredestein.com/ === Jason and Derek have modified many of the cars in their personal collections, which makes Jason wonder: is any of those cars so good that any modification would make it worse? The discussion begins with a look at both Jason’s and Derek’s personal fleets and the modifications (if any) they did to them: Jason’s daily driver Mk7 Volkswagen e-Golf, his beloved but heavily modified Mk2 Scirocco 16V, the bat-shit bitch basket Mk1 Cabriolet, and even his OEM+ E30 wagon. Derek divulges his vast 964-chassis Porsche 911 mod list, and talks W124 wagon mods before they both look back at some of the cars they’ve sold: MKIII Golf, Elise, Isuzu Pup, E39 BMWs, and more! But were the modifications they installed necessary fixes for factory deficiencies, or simply a matter of personal preference? Then they get down to business – what car(s) left the factory perfect? Candidates up for debate range from: Cadillac’s CT4 and CT5 Blackwing Alpha-chassis Chevrolet Camaros Chevy SS sedan Aston Martin V12 Vantage S 7-speed Honda S2000 Nissan 240Z Ferrari 308 GT4 Mercedes W201 (190E) Mercedes W202 C43 Mercedes R129 500SL / SL500 E39-chassis BMW 5-series Various Porsche 911 models And more! What do you think? What car(s) were perfect from the moment they left the factory floor? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Part of the Hagerty Podcast Network, the Carmudgeon Show is a comedic, information-filled conversation with Jason Cammisa and Derek Tam-Scott, two car enthusiasts who are curmudgeonly beyond their years. Proving you don’t have to be old to be grumpy, they spend each episode talking about what’s wrong with various parts of the automotive universe. Despite their best efforts to keep it negative, they usually wind up laughing, happy, and extolling their love for cars. Which just makes them angrier and more bitter. Jason Cammisa is an automotive journalist, social-media figure, and TV host with over 300 million views on YouTube alone. Jason’s deeply technical understanding, made possible by a lifelong obsession with cars, allows him to fully digest what’s going on within an automobile — and then put it into simple terms for others to understand. Also, a Master’s Degree in Law trained him to be impossible to argue with. Derek Tam-Scott still tries. He’s a young automotive expert with old-man taste in cars, and a Master’s Degree in Civil Engineering — which means he knows how to be civil to Jason. Or at least he tries. With a decade and a half’s experience buying, selling, driving and brokering classic and exotic cars, he’s experienced the world’s most iconic cars. And hated most of them.

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