S3 Magazine Podcast

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.

Our opinion - Ford nailed it. The S650 Mustang seems to be everything it needs to be. Enough to offset the 'soft side of Ford' that we've been seeing too much of lately with all the EV stuff. It's given the Ford-loyal enthusiasts something to be proud of.

One argument - is that Ford already ruined the Mustang by using the name on that sad 4-door electric crossover... the Mach E. But the other side of the coin is... they could have just ruined the coupe & convertible TOO... but they didn't. They could have axed the Mustang like Chevy is axing the Camaro & Dodge is axing the Charger/Challenger... but they didn't. And that has restored some of my faith in Ford. This was the right move.

I've always said that when Ford gets out of their own way... they can really do badass exciting things. I'd like to see more of that... and less brown-nosing shareholders & administrations.

ENGINE..

The base model Mustang is still a 2.3 Ecoboost. Which really is a fun car to drive in its own right, But the Ecoboost will always live in the shadow of the GT. So let talk about the GT: The 4th-gen Coyote V8 now has twin intakes & throttle bodies! Badass. Ford says it's the most powerful Coyote yet, but they did not release horsepower numbers on there GT to my knowledge.

But what we should really be celebrating here - is the fact that we can still get the next generation Mustang with a ground-pounding V8 and a bonerific 6-speed transmission!

Dark Horse: The Dark Horse will make 500... normally aspirated... horsepower! Just saying the name silences the room and causes a bead of sweat run down your butt cheek. This is what America does; this is what we bring to the automotive world! We can make the Mach Es, the Volts, & the Bolts... and all that other sissy sh*t. But when it comes down to it... THIS is what America does. In the same month that Mopar killed their Scat Packs & Hell Cats... Ford unleashes a Dark Horse. Let that sink in. The Dark Horse is the future we grew up for. The Mach E is the cop car from Demolition Man. Soon... you're gonna have to choose a side.

DESIGN...

As mentioned, I think the S650 Mustang design is exactly where it needs to be. It's more chiseled, which is the design trend of the times. And when you look at it, especially from the side profile, you can tell that Ford is trying to give the Mustang a broader, more global appeal. Which is also what they did when they released the 2015+ model.

The S650 has a shorter rear overhang than the current Mustang. And again, from that side profile, the short overhang behind those rear wheels (combined with the side rear windows), gave it Nissan Z vibes to me. At first, that seemed a little wrong. I love Nissan Zs, but not on a Mustang lol. But - the original '65 Mustang ALSO had that short/stubby rear end. So in that regard, I guess it works. And the more I look at it (especially from the rear corner angle), the more it grows on me quickly. Lastly - it's got thicc hips - gotta love that!

There's no official 'news topic' here. Just a regular conversation. It hit me the other day... what happened to all the golden era-Hondas?! For like 20+ years, those things ran the streets pretty commonly. But they've really vanished over the last few years or so. I guess they finally aged out. And that got me thinking... this current 'bags/fitment/camber' trend in youth car-culture has been around for a looooong time now. It's long in the tooth. And how much longer, until that trend (and the people who defined it) really starts to age out as well? And what/who will replace it? Car culture is in a weird place with the youth these days. Car prices are high, and cars have become less interesting. What, if anything, will be next?

We try to keep the podcasts to about 30 minutes or so. This one ran long, so we broke it up into 2 parts. This is Part 2, and Part 1 was release a day prior.

We also kinda went down different rabbit holes... but it's all part of the broader topic of the 'rapidly changing automotive industry'.

Buick is offering an option to dealerships... to buy them out. Essentially, Buick is saying that the 'transition to EV' is going to be extremely tough on dealerships. Dealers will have to make major investments into new equipment, & training. And there will be more & more online sales. Plus, EVs require less routine maintenance from the dealer's service department. We talk about the positives & negatives as we see it. Buick is not a major brand in our enthusiast world by any means. But this does show/foreshadow the climate that dealerships will be facing as EVs come into the marketplace & consumers move to online, rather then in-person sales. It seems as if manufacturers want to follow the Tesla model, and move away from dealers to more of a direct-to-comsumer buying experience.

*We try to keep these podcast to roughly 30 minutes. But this podcast went long, so we broke it up into 2 parts. 66.1 & 66.2 (which will be realize a day after 66.1)

A new Corvette Z06 for $90,000 over MSRP?! The new Nissan Z selling for $130,000?! What the hell is happening with these dealerships?

Dodge has officially unveiled their first EV Muscle Car, the Charger Daytona SRT concept. Let’s talk about it!

Dodge is finally giving in and going the EV route, but they plan to give the Charger and Challenger a proper send off first. Lots of collector cars will be built in 2023, so keep you eyes up and your wallet open!

We discuss a very sad and serious topic today. A motorcyclist was killed by a Tesla on Autopilot. Who is to blame and how do we avoid this kind of tragedy in the future?