AS A WHOLE, the auto industry has gotten really generic, numb, dumb, autonomous, disengaging, sanitized, boring, forgettable, gimmicky, etc, etc. If you love to drive, & you love connecting to the moment... it's irritating to say the least.

BUT.... glass-half-full... I'll be darn if there's not some really good driver's cars WITH MANUAL TRANSMISSIONS that have been slipping into the lineups... one at a time. We've been hearing about 'em trickle in. But dang - step back for a second, and there's now at least a dozen viable, potent, and (theoretically) affordable driver's cars with manual transmission to choose from. The driver's market is actually getting strong again!

In this podcast, we go through some of the new cars that we think deserve some credit & attention.

Mike knows a little bit about financial matters, so I kinda wanted to get his opinion on what the stock market is saying about Carvana & Tesla these days. How did Carvana get in this situation? Has Elon Musk's attention shifted away from Tesla to Twitter? And/or... is Tesla losing their sweet-spot now that the EV market has exploded & every other car manufacturer is competing for battery resources?

In mid-September, Ford announced that all Ford dealerships had until Halloween to decide if they wanted to become ‘EV Certified’. The giant stipulation was – it would cost each Ford dealer roughly $500,000 or $1,200,000… depending on if they wanted to be Tier-1 or Tier-2 certified. And a huge part of that cost is to build-out a public charging infrastructure at the dealership. In other words, if a Ford dealer wants to play along & be ‘Model E Certified‘, they must now install a complex public charging network at their location. Since there are Ford dealerships in practically every town in America, this is Ford’s clever scheme to quickly build-out a national Ford charging network… at their dealer’s expense. And Ford’s ultimatum/leverage to dealers is this: Tier-1 Elite Certified dealers (@ $1,200,000) get the largest EV allotment. Tier-2 Certification ($500,000) gets to sell some EVs. And if a dealer does not get certified & contribute to the charging infrastructure, they do not get to sell any new Ford EVs.

OBVIOUSLY THIS WENT OVER LIKE A FART IN AN ELEVATOR.

Those are huge expenses to throw on dealers. Especially considering that real-world consumer demand for EVs is low… at least outside of metro areas. For instance, only about 1% of all cars in the US are currently EV, and almost 40% of those are stuffed into California. Ford sold ~63,000 F150s in July 2022, versus ~2,000 Lightnings.

Plus, despite the endless media praise, reality is, Ford’s current crop of EVs have been riddled with inventory shortages, soaring prices, delivery delays & sale-stopping recalls. So how many Ford EVs are even going to be available for Ford dealerships to sell? It seems that the new industry standard is to keep supply just under demand. Ford CEO, Jim Farley already announced this past summer that Ford ultimately aims to sell new EVs direct-to-consumer like Tesla… and that dealerships could be involved but that “the standards are going to be brutal”. Ford is also mandating that their dealers sell EVs at fixed pricing with less profit margin… again to try & model themselves after Tesla. Essentially in the Ford EV business model, the dealer is just a point-of-pickup for the customer who buys online. And the dealer basically gets a small fee to take delivery & fluff the customer. All of this points to: Why on earth would Ford dealers (outside of California & a few other metro cities) make that $500,000-$1,200,000 investment?

AND HERE’S WHERE IT GETS INTERESTING…

Because what happens if/when the dealerships unite & decide NOT to make that investment? In other words, what if the Ford dealers tell Ford to pound sand… because… that’s kind of what’s happening here. How will Ford pivot & sell EVs if that’s the case? Honestly, all signs point to the fact that Ford wishes to eliminate dealers for the EV sales-model anyway (like Tesla). But one of Ford’s strongest attributes is their nationwide dealer network. And now there’s turbulance & uncertainty in that network. If Ford dealers are not allowed sell new Ford EVs… who will service them when problems arise? As a customer, you don’t wanna be caught anywhere near that shit-show. Ford is so consumed with beating Tesla, that they’ve gotten sloppy. Their stern Halloween deadline got swiftly pushed back to early December due to all hell breaking loose. But now, it’s Decemeber. So what’s the call boys? You gonna stick to your guns?

GM came up in the news a couple times this week.

First - for backtracking on EVs a lil bit. GM has been very ambitious (aka virtue signal-ish) over the past year or so that they're 'all-in' on EVs... even stating that they would be fully EV by 2035. But at an investor day just before Thanksgiving, GM President Mark Reuss said that they have no intention of rushing to kill-off internal combustion in their trucks & other large SUVs.

Second - GM is launching 'Corvette' as its own brand... introducing two new Corvettes: an EV crossover Corvette, and an EV 4-door Corvette. Soooo.... we talk about that.

Sometime low-key earlier this year, the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) stopped Ebay Motors from selling any automotive products that could be deemed as ’emissions defeating’. That includes aftermarket hardware & software: Tuners, race exhausts, standalone ECUs, air/fuel management devices, etc. Ebay had virtually no choice in the matter, it was an ultimatum: Stop selling these products…. or face fines of ~$4,800 for any part sold from January 2020. Considering Ebay’s substantial foothold in the marketplace as a used & NEW retailer, this could be one of the biggest blows to the automotive aftermarket ever. And it went off without hardly a peep.

GUYS – THE EPA HAS TURNED UP THE HEAT TO INTOLERABLE.

This has gone way past a genuine concern for our planet, and this is now about door-kicking, control, & submission. And after all the dust has settled, don’t be fooled, this is NOT about the environment (repeat that as many times as necessary). This is about control, power, & forced obedience. And it ends with big government elites controlling transportation for their own profit & power.

The EPA has a bafflingly accurate name for it, it’s called the National Compliance Initiative. Make no mistake, this is what is oppression looks like. Comply… or else.

NICHE MODIFIED VEHICLES ARE NOT THE GLOBAL CAUSE OF CLIMATE CHANGE.

Not even close. In many cases, they’re secondary recreational vehicles. And in fact – they produce no emissions whatsoever unless they’re being used. Meanwhile – a new EV creates a GIANT carbon footprint before it ever travels its first mile. But the government is not pursuing the truth or common sense here, because again, this is not about the planet. This is a witch-hunt. And it’s happening because car culture is a voice of knowledge & reasoning in the midst a political EV agenda that is contingent on mass ignorance & adaptation. Give that a minute to sink in.

LIFE, LIBERTY, AND THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS… THE EPA IS ATTACKING YOUR FREEDOMS.

And they are using ‘the environment’ as a fabricated basis to do it.

The serious question is: Are we too late to stop it? The EPA & big government is hurting legitimate automotive aftermarket businesses in this country. Crushing entrepreneurs. Stepping in & interfering with businesses & customers. Squeezing business owners. And making it needlessly difficult for them to 'legally' provide for their families… and/or the families of their employees. Where does this stop? Who’s next on the EPA’s list?

IF YOU SLICED-UP THE BATTERY PACK OF JUST ONE HUMMER EV…

You’d probably have enough juice to power 5 little blast-to-drive commuter EVs. That would be a lot less strain on the earth… and isn’t that what this is all about? The answer is no. See if the EV movement was still really about being green, we’d be approaching it a lot differently. A lot less materialistically. Green has become a status symbol – point blank.

DRIVERS WOULDN’T CARE SO MUCH ABOUT SCREEN SIZE, AUTOMATIC HI-BEAMS, ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL, & AUTONOMY…

If they actually LOOKED FORWARD to driving the cars they owned. And maybe then – we wouldn’t need 2,000 chips for every EV. Maybe then – we could get these new vehicles priced less than a mortgage. And then EVs might start to become a justifiable, affordable solution. But c’mon – what kind of place would America be if we weren’t flexing 6+ year auto loans at $750+ per month to drive a pansy-ass forgettable SUV that will become obsolete as soon as its tech does?

This is all a mess of our own creation… because we consume more & more & more. And then, we look for technology to be the savior of our overconsumption. We let politicians build their campaigns on it, and pander to the bleeding-heart hypocrites. Maybe it’s common sense & personal responsibility that we really need.

“BUT SMALL CARS ARE NOT SAFE.”

You’re damn right they’re not safe… not in today’s environment. A mouse is safe in a grassy field amongst other mice. But it’s no longer safe in that same field when there’s a stampede of elephants. Today’s vehicles have gotten obese, heavy, and disengaging. Drivers use the roadways as their own personal mobile office. We’re being forced to share lanes with Tesla drivers in full self-drive. Look around at any red-light & see how many drivers are completely inthralled in their own bluetooth conversations, virtually unaware of their surroundings. And to top it off – knowing that a stop sign means stop… is about all you need to get your driver’s license in America & drive a 5,000+lb vehicle. So where do we draw the line on safety? How do we define it?

BECAUSE YOU KNOW WHAT’S REALLY NOT SAFE?

Replacing competency with technology… like we’re doing. Requiring less of people, and requiring more from sensors… like we’re doing. Catering to the lowest common denominator… like we’re doing. Castrating our freedoms in the name of safety over & over again… like we’re doing. Keep people safe by keeping them uninformed, incapable & technology dependent – that’s the plan. And that mindset is now infiltrating the automotive industry at a wildfire pace. No driver left behind. And it all leads to more tech, more sensors, more regulations, more government control, more problems, higher prices, more delays, dumber people, and lower skills/abilities.

You wanna keep people safe? Teach these idiots how to drive, or don’t issue them a license. If you want cars that drive themselves, it already exists. It’s called a bus, a taxi, or Uber.

Vehicle should require their pilot to have some level of intelligence, ability, & good judgement. The Honda Beat that inspired this podcast... represents freedom & driving spirit. It’s completely disconnected from nonsense, it’s refreshing, and it’s as ready to go as you are. When you & I see a car like that, we understand it. But we also have to understand, that the younger generations are so far removed from this concept… that they might never know what a true sense of driver-freedom feels like. Unless we expose them.

This podcast didn't have one specific topic. But rather, everyday it seems we hear about more absolutely dumb & ridiculous news coming from the automotive industry... and it's just hard to watch lol. Here are a couple abbreviated stories from this past week. If you want the full articles, just check out our site (s3mag.com) or download our free app (S3 Magazine).

1) A brand new Hummer EV broke down in the middle of a highway during rush hour. It was wet outside, and GM’s all-terrain EV went totally dead. And unfortunately for GM, the brand new Hummer EV belongs to some well-known YouTubers in the truck world – The Fast Lane Truck. The Hummer threw a steering code & I believe a TPMS code. Basically things started acting glitchy. And when the concerned owner, Roman Mica, tried to restart it at a traffic light (as you restart your computer when it starts acting dumb)… it totally shut down. Makes you wonder....

•EVs are more software than machine; essentially a rolling computer.

•So when something fails, EVs behave more like a laptop than something mechanical.

•Not even the hood would pop open; the entire 9,000lb vehicle was bricked in the middle of a highway.

•Any vehicle can fail. But with ICE you at least have a chance to fix it (and/or limp it home) if you’re mechanically inclined.

•The new Hummer is GM’s flagship EV. Its software filters to other GM EV models.

2) The NTSB & NYC's governor are dumb & they wanna make everyone else dumb too. With the help of New York City of course, the NTSB is testing "speed limiting technology" in some of NYC’s fleet vehicles… and lobbying that this technology goes into every new consumer vehicle. IT WORKS EXACTLY HOW YOU THINK IT WOULD: YOUR VEHICLE WILL NOT LET YOU SPEED.

Simple as that. Your pedal goes dead when the vehicle reaches the posted speed limit, and you are not in control. LADIES & GENTLEMEN, YOU NEED TO UNDERSTAND THIS LOUD & CLEAR: These people are morons. They’re clowns, and they’re clueless. AND – they think they can do a better job of running your life than you can. That should seriously concern you.

Speed-limiters will not eliminate accidents, they will just create new stupider ones. You know why?

BECAUSE SPEED ISN’T THE REAL PROBLEM…

Bad drivers are the real problem. Distracted drivers are the real problem. A lack of driver training in this country is a real problem. And bad roadways & traffic issues are a very notable issue. But let’s not acknowledge the real problems huh? Instead – let’s bury our heads even further up our technology-dependent asses & create even more incapable drivers.

3) PSA: Be careful not to back into a tree & crack a taillight when you’re off-roading your big-ass new Hummer EV. Because apparently each taillight will set you back over $3,000. Now don’t get me wrong, the taillights on the Hummer EV look absolutely killer! But…

WITH THE DIRECTION THE AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY IS MOVING AS A WHOLE, ESPECIALLY IN THE EV REALM…

The price of vehicle components are going through the roof. We’re talking – exponentially through the roof. Everything is so interwoven electronically, that even a single relatively simple malfunction can become crippling, not only to the vehicle… but also to your wallet!

Hey - remember to DOWNLOAD OUR FREE APP so you can see all these articles as they come out... PLUS features of cool modified cars that are actually awesome because they were made before the auto industry was playing a to-the-death game of dumb & dumber.

Mike posted a video of him & his son listening to the race cars at Petit Lemans during night practice (they live close enough to the track to hear the cars). And some commenter said - they won't stop until they take ALL our internal combustion cars & close ALL the racetracks.

Something along the lines of, "He will violate all our cars"?? I dunno that got weird.

But it's a glaring example that some people in this country fail to understand how freedom works. It also a concerning glimpse into the mindset of some of these people on the extreme ends of the EV/regulation spectrum.

We brought our good buddy, Ben Battles, to come on the podcast & describe the vibe of Slammedenuff in Gatlinburg TN. Ben has shot (& written) NUMEROUS features for S3 MAG over the years. He's got a really good/informative TikTok channel @thegamblercivic ...so be sure to check that out. If you're in the market, Ben can also source unique/eclectic vehicles, especially of the JDM variety. Follow him on IG at @battles.digital

As for Gatlinburg, man it's exploded! It's become the biggest 'stancy' event in the country?? But man, have some of these over-cambered cars just gone full blown AIDS. So inbred they can barely move. We discuss.

Looking at what happened during this bootleg-version of H2Oi in Wildwood, it's glaringly obvious that we have a severe culture problem in this country... and now it's spilling over into car culture. What we saw in Wildwood was not ‘a little disruptive,’ it was totally destructive. There’s a difference.

Historically, hot-rodding culture has always been a bit disruptive, right?

But... there's always been some level of charm to the disobedience. Meaning, there was always enough morality, good judgement, and overall intelligence to respectfully ride-that-line between bad boy & good guy. That’s the sweet spot.

What we’re seeing now though, is truly ugly.

It’s not car culture anymore. It’s… trash people in trash cars doing trash things. In these cases, 'the car' is just an excuse for destruction. See - this is gonna sting a little bit, but let’s look at where we’re at. Automotive culture already has a target on its back. The current administration wants to push an EV agenda - hard. And the kind of ignorance we saw at Wildwood gives them the silver platter to wake-the-woke & vilify car culture as a whole. People... died.

Let’s look at how this scenario always plays out: When a criminal commits a crime these days… we blame law enforcement. When a psychopath shoots up a school, we blame guns. Americans never stand up anymore, take accountability, and blame our diseased modern American culture that's at the root of all of this. And when I say 'modern American culture', I'm talking about the one that glamorizes ignorance, violence, sin, & the breakdown of family. So WHAT DO YOU THINK is gonna happen when these takeover events turn into riots & start getting innocent people killed? They're gonna blame car culture. And they're going to do it loudly with a broad brush.

An undeniable part of this infection that is 'the new generation of car culture' - is fallout from the automotive industry abandoning its own traditional/established media.

When I say 'traditional media'... I mean MAGAZINES and CAR SHOWS/EVENTS. Traditional media had the integrity to INSPIRE the culture in a positive, inspirational way. Anyone over 35 knows… that’s what magazines did. Car shows & events used to be hosted by responsible, professional, well-staffed organizers. These types of things built-up the culture; not destroyed it. And what I'm calling 'traditional media' was able to exist, because it was funded by the automotive aftermarket through advertising budgets. In other words, advertising dollars were invested back THROUGH the culture... and it made one hell of a strong culture!

But about a decade ago...

The automotive industry really started pulling advertising budgets from traditional media (magazines & events), in order to put that budget into their own social media pages. They fixated on becoming their own media. It was a selfish play in regards to the broader strength/health of true car culture. But it was one that was easy to justify, because they could count the likes & be the master of their own domain. Many of these auto-aftermarket companies started doing their own car features, Youtube channels, even hosting their own events and/or making their own online mags themselves. The thing is - can you call it true media if it’s really all just self-promotion to sell products? I don’t personally think so.