We quickly review the fastest cars you can buy for less than $35,000: the 2024 Ford Mustang EcoBoost High-Performance Pack, 2024 Subaru Impreza WRX tS 6MT, 2025 Mazda3 Turbo AWD, 2024 Volkswagen Golf GTI 380 S manual, 2025 Hyundai Elantra N 6MT, 2025 Mini Cooper S and 2024 Toyota GR86 Trueno 6MT (and Subaru BRZ twin). Plus 3 of the quickest – and most expensive – new GT cars on sale today: the 2025 McLaren GTS, 2024 Mercedes-AMG GT63, and 2025 Bentley Continental GT Speed.

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On this episode of the Carmudgeon Show, Jason vows to go on an all-expenses-paid trip to Lake Tahoe on Hagerty’s dime to properly evaluate the van, Jynah’s, grip in the snow (now that it’s wearing a set of Vredestein Wintrac Pro tires).

Then the boys dive into Gran Turismo – no, not the classic Playstation racing simulators – but rather attaining and maintaining high speeds over extended durations. More specifically, the “Old Man GT” episode of Cammisa’s Ultimate Drag Race Replay, which features some of the quickest, most expensive, and impractical 4-wheeled jewelry money can buy: the McLaren GTS, Mercedes-AMG GT63, and Bentley Continental GT Speed. 

While discussing the new AMG GT63 (which no longer rides on underpinnings from the Dodge Viper lineage like its predecessors, the gullwing-door SLS AMG and the previous AMG GT, but now shares its platform and drivetrain with the SL line), Derek shares a nugget from his vintage Mercedes literature which shows SL buyers in the 1990s had significantly more money to spend than S-Class-buying plebes. And Jason theorizes that SEC owners likely had even more still. 

Speaking of the Mercedes, Jason laments that the new SL63’s posterior profile looks suspiciously Porsche 911-y, but the duplicative flattery appears to date all the way back to the Porsche 356 and the contemporary Mercedes-Benz W198 300 SL Gullwing.  

In other news, Motor Trend Video is dead, and Jason is deeply empathetic. 

After the mourning, we delve into the next drag race episode: cars under $35,000! This episode pits the latest crop of cheap speed against one another in bracketed races with nearly every drivetrain orientation: naturally aspirated, turbocharged, front-wheel drive, rear-wheel drive, all-wheel drive, manual, automatic, DCT, and so on. Unabashed boosted 4-cylinder noises assault the senses and appease the Abarth gods.

Our first race pits the front-wheel drive cars against one another: the Hyundai Elantra N races the Mk8 Volkswagen GTI and the new F66 Mini Cooper S – which is completely overlooked by enthusiasts in 2024 (and is too cutesy for its own good), yet somehow manages to be effortlessly quick and best the OG hot hatch GTI. 

Then, the second race includes the rear- and all-wheel drive cars: the rwd Ford Mustang EcoBoost races the rwd Toyota GR86, the awd Subaru WRX and the surprisingly quick Mazda 3 Turbo AWD. 

And all Jason wants for Christmas is a GR86/FR-S/BRZ hatchback with a K24. 

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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.

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The Carmudgeon Show Sponsor, Vredestein Tires:

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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?

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The legendary, 500-hp Mercedes CLK63 AMG Black Series was never produced with a manual transmission. So, Derek had one built.

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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!

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Can the new Tesla Model 3 Performance dethrone the G80 BMW M3 as the sports sedan king?

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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

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Jason and Derek open up their review archives once again and share stories about the cars they've driven over the years. 

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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.

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Is there such a thing as a car so perfect that it doesn't need any modifications?

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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?

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Derek and Jason own many cars and once in a while, many of them break. Or receive really cool upgrades. It's time for a car-nerd fleet update!

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See: https://www.vredestein.com/

And: https://www.radwood.com/socal-2024

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The boys start with discussing "de-advanced" ignition timing on the Rover SD1 — and Jason did his first-ever brake master cylinder rebuild. But the big issue is that Jason wants to downsize his fleet (he still has 10 cars) but loves the different experience that each car offers. The Rover has a big (ish) lazy V8 and is unlike anything else Jason has.

Derek wants to be done with his Citroën CX because it sprung a hydraulic leak, but then found the Citroën community — and, hopefully, someone to work on it. And so maybe it'll stay. 

Thanks to Derek's guilt, 9 of Jason's cars have fresh brake fluid — which doesn't seem like a big deal, but doing 9 brake-fluid bleeds is time consuming. And worse, Jason discovered that his E30 Touring still had ATE Super Blue in his car. Which confirms that it was at least a decade old.

Derek's Porsche 944 no longer has a 14-year-old timing belt, which means it can be driven to Radwood SoCal (hopefully on new Vredestein tires, no less!)

Jason and Derek talk about today's ridiculous trend of people changing timing belts at 3, 4, or 5 years, with no mileage on them. This is an epidemic in the Ferrari community — when mechanics happily double the recommended replacement interval. 

Jason has been suspecting that his VW Cabriolet is suffering from SMS: the dreaded transmission self-machining syndrome that kills many 020 transmissions. But after some exploratory surgery, it really now seems like a bad wheel bearing.

That would figure, since Beatrice the E30 (the 1989 325i) also needs a wheel bearing after completing a track day (with Randy Pobst as an instructor on Sonoma Raceway.) These tend to come in pairs. Just not on different cars!

Derek suspects his S124 E320 wagon (with the dogleg 5-speed and 3.6-liter swap) has bad wheel bearings, too.

More urgently, Derek is having a Motronic Month: he's finally troubleshooted some strange running on his Porsche 964, which has gotten progressively worse over the last decade. He also found that one ignition module had failed, so it was running on half of its spark plugs.

A new idle control valve didn't fix it, but swapping a DME (engine computer, or ECU in non-Porsche speak) from his dad's 964 fixed everything. Jason's buddy's 993 is doing the same thing — so Derek might have just inadvertently found that car's problem.

Jason had never heard of rebuilding an ECU (except on Honda Beats) but thats' it. Jason's cars mostly don't have DMEs, and he's been fighting with ignition timing on both of his 16-valve Volkswagens (the Scirocco and Cabriolet) and wonders if he just should upgrade all the old cars to a Holley EFI or Megasquirt.

Derek found a hard top for his R129 Mercedes SL, in Florida, but shipping was too expensive. So he found a local one in the wrong color . Jason has once done that, with the wrong color hardtop on his 996 for track use, and Derek also bought a very expensive new softtop for that SL.

RIP by the way to Bruno Sacco, to Mike Valentine, and almost to Jeremy Clarkson. 

The R129 SL500 / 500SL is the best deal in the collector-car world, period. 

Jason did another (for a total of three) Power Acoustic CP-71W Single-DIN wireless Apple CarPlay head unit. He loves them. And that's before the $140 (+ tax) pricing.

Except that he won't put one in the Mercedes 190E 2.3-16 because the Becker is too iconic. Or the Beat, because of the Gathers (Honda) head unit in there. Or the e31 850CSi. Continental and Blaupunkt make retro-looking radios, but Becker's original units can be retrofitted with Bluetooth or Aux In.

Porsche Classic PCM unit is amazing, but it's far too expensive for non-Porsches. Says Jason.

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If you put someone from 1985 in a modern car, what would they be most surprised by? Hint: Why is it so much easier to get a speeding ticket today?

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The Carmudgeons chat briefly about Jake's Honda CR-Z — a manual, hybrid, very good-looking car — and why it doesn't have a K20 or K24 instead.

The main point of discussion, though, was started by Jason's drive in his Scirocco looking at how high 1980s cars rev on the highway. And he explains why '80s cars are geared so short (it's to achieve their relatively low top speeds at their relatively high-rpm power peaks.)

In discussing this, Jason explains how German car companies chose their top-gear ratio. (Hint: it's to maximize top speed.)

But there are, of course, other major changes since the 1980s — and not just things like keyless-start and infotainment. Or just power. 

NVH, mostly as a function of torsional rigidity, has changed dramatically. And with it, safety. Including things like ABS, ESC, AEB, FCW, and then of course all the other driver aids we take for granted today. 

Including the ones like BAS — brake assist — which several times accidentally almost caused Jason to have a crash. (Or make someone else crash.)

But... Jason does describe a few times he experienced modern automatic braking systems have actually avoided an accident that WOULD have happened. One in a VW and one in a Mercedes, that could have caused him to hit pedestrians. It was a triumph of modern safety technology.

Also, cars have grown tremendously in size and weight. And the total area of the glass has shrunk considerably, so visibility has changed for the worse. 

So has ride quality — today's cars have far stiffer suspension, coupled with large wheels and small sidewalls. 1980s cars often rode more smoothly than today's cars.

And much more!

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Behind the scenes filming of the comprehensive ICONS episode on the U.S.-spec 2025 Volkswagen ID.Buzz (including full review.)

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This is a 100-minute discussion about the story of VW's ID.Buzz, the making of Jason Cammisa on the ICONS episode about it, and why this minivan is so important to Volkswagen's success in America.

Full ID Buzz Review Here: 

https://youtu.be/CEun1OLyq90

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The Esprit Origin Story!

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On this episode of the Carmudgeon Show, Derek fills us in on the origins and engineering behind Colin Chapman’s last Lotus – the Esprit. DTS gives us the run-down on its connections to both past and contemporary Lotus’, as well as its journey from lithe and naturally aspirated 4-cylinder sports car to twin-turbo V8 giant killer.

Meanwhile, Jason comes up with a new t-shirt and covers proper water heater maintenance.

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