The Carmudgeon Show

On today’s episode, Jason and Derek get some exclusive seat time: both with the new Rivian R2, and with Rivian’s Chief Designer Officer Jeff Hammoud and Chief R2 Engineer Max Koff!

===
Visit http://JasonSentMe.com to get a Hagerty Guaranteed Value (TM) collector-car insurance quote!
===

The show hits the road, traveling to Rivian’s beautiful flagship space in San Francisco, where Jeff and Max face their worst nightmare: being peppered with questions and feedback about the new R2 - a make-or-break vehicle for the company. After Jason and Derek’s collective ~200 miles, they cover a host of issues - new design + UX features (halo wheels, rear drop glass, to name a few), acceleration times, uphill burnouts, R1 vs. R2, and most importantly (to Jason only) - the absence of Apple CarPlay. And of course, no episode is complete without a mention of Sacco Mercedes-Benzes and old Volkswagens (Mk1 Scirocco and Mk3 Corrado VR6).

Will the R2 allow Rivian to continue its planned trajectory as a manufacture? And what’s going on with R3?? Time will tell, but we have a suspicion the Tesla Model Y better watch its back…
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, we drive an icon that’s been electrified - the Kindred EV Bus, based off of the Volkswagen Microbus. While most of us typically mourn the conversion of many classic cars to EV, this particular conversion may change your mind…

===
Visit http://JasonSentMe.com to get a Hagerty Guaranteed Value (TM) collector-car insurance quote!
===

While most EV conversions strip away the character and soul of a gas car with a great engine, the Volkswagen Microbus is one of those vehicles that was never really defined by its engine. Well, actually - if it was - it was defined by its acceleration, or rather the lack thereof. Many VW Buses had no more than 50 horsepower to work with, making them virtually undriveable above 50 MPH.

The Kindred EV Bus, however, rewrites the rulebook - accelerating from 0-60 in just 7.6 seconds. While that may not seem particularly notable when many modern EVs are twice as fast, this changes the game for this 23-window Microbus - making it genuinely usable in everyday driving. And when the rest of the vehicle was already defined by its iconic styling and form within function, is it now even better than original?

All this and more on this week’s episode of The Carmudgeon Show. Special thanks to Kindred Motorworks for lending us this bus for testing! Check them out at https://kindredmotorworks.com/
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You know the saying - the grass is always greener on the other side. Well…that same grass might be covered in diesel soot - but we don’t care! 

Many American car enthusiasts will forever desire the forbidden European diesels we were never offered here in the US. Derek decided he’d had enough - and went some lengths to acquire his new unicorn wagon - a 1998 Mercedes-Benz C250 Turbodiesel (S202). And the level of unicorn doesn’t stop at diesel station wagon - this one is also has a 5-speed manual, a slicktop, cloth seats, AND a Bruno Sacco design - making it 100% Carmudgeonation-proof.

Our hosts Derek Tam-Scott and Jason Cammisa discuss why the S202 Mercedes-Benz C-Class is such a desirable package even 30+ years after it debuted. Moreover, Derek and Jason discuss why diesels are much more enthusiastic than others may think - citing examples like the euro-only BMW M550d and Audi S6 TDI Avant. Also discussed are the endless variants of Mercedes diesels and their tune-ability, primarily discussing the OM605 and OM606 “superturbo” builds found on a variety of different Mercedes-Benzes from the 1980s to the early 2000s, from W123 to W210 and beyond.

All this and more, on this episode of The Carmudgeon Show.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Last week was a wild one. We witnessed two of the most controversial models from Ferrari and Mercedes ever to be debuted - none other than the Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door and the Ferrari Luce.

In case you’re not familiar:

- The Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door is Mercedes’ replacement to the outgoing version, which has now gone full EV and straight to battle with the Porsche Taycan. It debuts many new design elements in a slippery 0.22 drag coefficient package, doing 0-60 in as low as 2.0 seconds with an 186 MPH top speed.
- The Ferrari Luce is Ferrari’s first all-electric vehicle and first true five-seater. It also launches a new and unfamiliar interior and exterior design language from ex-Apple design chief Jony Ive and his collective, LoveFrom.

Given that everyone has an opinion on these new EV modes of rapid transport (including your favorite and least favorite journalists, the Italian government, your grandmother, and the pope, to name a few) - we decided to ask, why? What attributes about the Luce and the AMG-GT really make people feel shaken at their core, and why? Would we feel differently if the Ferrari was rebadged as another make? Is the AMG-GT as controversial as the W201 was when it launched in 1982?

We explore all of the above in depth, all on this episode of The Carmudgeon Show with Jason Cammisa and Derek Tam-Scott.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As a society, we’ve been throwing around the phrase “The kids are alright” for decades. But in the automotive landscape, is that really true? On today’s episode, Derek and Jason dissect the theory that young people are getting less interested in cars and whether or not it has any validity in 2026.

Before getting into the thick of it, Jason and Derek discuss the latest Porsche Taycan Sport Turismo GTS joining them in the studio. Carmudgeonation occurs, naturally. Between unintuitive infotainment and UX, lackluster interior volume, and - naturally being a current Porsche - an eye-watering sticker price of over $180K, the newest Taycan certainly leaves some ground to be desired. But not all is lost, as the updated adaptive air suspension, good looks, and the endlessly mind-bending acceleration certainly make up for lost appeal. And of course, the existence of any wagon still on sale in 2026 - let alone, a Porsche wagon, is a win regardless of its flaws.

The bulk of this episode discusses youth interest in cars and how trends have changed in recent years. Most notably, the cultural shift in interest to Porsche products like the 992 GT3 RS over Lamborghini and Ferrari - why do kids fawn over cars that are inherently more commonplace and accessible? Does industry accessibility to press cars affect young tastes? Will broccoli haircuts live on forever?

Some of this, and more - on today’s episode of The Carmudgeon Show with Jason Cammisa and Derek Tam-Scott, driven by Hagerty.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices