Automotive ADHD

Ferrari says the 12Cilindri Manuale brings back the manual experience, but is a Manuale By-Wire gated shifter connected to an 8-speed DCT really a manual transmission or just a very expensive fake? Matt also talks Pikes Peak Hill Climb race cars with Stryker Motorsports, including a Can-Am Maverick R-based hill climb build, plus what happens when a Colorado wildfire gets close enough that you have...

The world's second oldest continuous auto race is primed to run up Pikes Peak again this year. Jim Miller and I attend PPIHC Fan Fest, the massive motorsports street festival featuring the best of the Pikes Peak Hill Climb and give you our thoughts on this year's race. I interview rookie Pikes Peak Driver Rob Wilmoth about his first run up the peak and more. Jim Miller also discusses how to handle...

Ford CEO Jim Farley says the quiet part out loud and shares what automotive manufacturers are thinking behind closed doors. Ford is decisively anti-right to repair and claims that it's for your own safety. I discuss that, as well as some Pikes Peak Hill Climb Racing action, Jeep recalls, and more on this edition of the show! Whether you enjoy wrenching on cars, optimizing performance, or just want...

Automated enforcement on the roads actually makes you LESS safe behind the wheel. I talk with Jay Beeber, Executive Director of Policy for the National Motorist's Association about why automated speed and red light cameras no only lead to more unwarranted tickets, but more corruption, more surveillance, and less safe driving conditions. Whether you enjoy wrenching on cars, optimizing performance,...

Car culture is in dire straights, with racetracks closing and communities cracking down on modified cars, it's never been harder to be a car enthusiast. I talk with Tayven from Primul Garage about his car show event which seeks to bring the community back into cars right here in Colorado Springs. Whether you enjoy wrenching on cars, optimizing performance, or just want to understand what’s going u...

Race tracks are closing across the country and the latest is the Pikes Peak International Raceway in my home town of Colorado Springs. This is disappointing for race fans and grassroots motorsports fanatics alike. I discuss the reason behind it and why it's way harder to combat than we think. Whether you like drifting, road course racing, autocross, time attack, or drag racing, this affects you. W...

Gas prices are up and now motor oil itself could become more scarce. Toyota and Nissan confirmed industry concerns. Working on your project car or daily driver might get more expensive and will people start hoarding motor oil like we did toilet paper in 2020? I discuss that, my recent Honda S2000 woes, and more on this edition of the show! Get your GPS tracker now and protect your car! Use Promo c...

What is the BEST food to eat in the car? The Toyota God himself joins me to rank what you should and shouldn't eat in the car. Your project car might be crusty, but your upholstery shouldn't be. Whether you enjoy wrenching on cars, optimizing performance, or just want to understand what’s going under the hood, this is the car show that talks about everything with four wheels and then some! Get you...

I take a break from talking cars and instead focus on the big wheelless cars of the sky! Spirit Airlines kicked the bucket, seemingly to the relief of everyone across the country. I discuss why we SHOULD want Spirit Airlines to exist and what will happen now that they don't. Whether you enjoy wrenching on cars, optimizing performance, or just want to understand what’s going under the hood, this is...

Colorado just made speed cameras far worse and this tech changes how they will ticket drivers. I discuss the MAJOR problem I have with automated enforcement systems on the roadways as well as my experience with them. The system is yet another step toward a surveillance state. I also discuss why Ford is breaking up with Shelby, and how a pristine 1996 Toyota 4Runner crossing the block at Mecum Auct...

Toyota is the KING of teasing us with new Celica information, but now they're saying the AWD rally car legend really is coming back this time... as a Hybrid. Will this kill our hopes for the car or usher in a new era of affordable hybrid performance cars? I discuss that with "The Toyota God" himself Jim Miller. We also talk off road pickup trucks with Toyota's new TRD (Turd?) Hammer which seeks to...

For YEARS tuning your performance car's ECU has been considered black magic and only understandable by a select few tuners who have unlocked its mystical secrets. That just isn't the case anymore. I talk with mechanic and tuner Brian Conrad about why so-called "Speed Shops" get it wrong. We also talk about the completely unrealistic build expectations people have for their project cars and how soc...

With increasing gas prices, is flex fuel the way to go? I talk with mechanic and automotive tuner Brian Conrad about tuning engines for E85, ethanol fuel blends, and why more ethanol is being mixed into gasoline at the pump. This isn’t just about project cars. Ethanol fuel impacts daily drivers, fuel economy, and performance across many modern vehicles. We also discuss standalone ECUs, engine tuni...

The only ECU you need for your project car build is rusEFI, and at $175 for the entry level UAEFI it can't be beat! I talk with Andrey from rusEFI about past, present, and future development, as well as some incredible news about his latest product to support 8HP transmissions. If you're a gearhead and you need an ECU that checks ALL of the boxes (and at an incredible price point), this is the pod...

Volkswagen has been blocking your right to repair for years with systems like "Component Protection" and after nearly two decades, a new bill has been introduced to stop this. Without that, it's only a matter of time until other manufacturers like Chevy, Ford, Dodge, Toyota, and Nissan do the same (assuming they haven't already). If you like working on cars, or just don't want to pay out the nose...

It doesn't matter if you like trucks, muscle cars, or JDMs, we all need to fill up at the pump and you've certainly noticed the major spike in fuel prices. I explain the situation in the middle east and break down why it matters whether your a car guy or not. I also discuss some incredibly cool innovation in the winter tire world, as well as the ultimate dilemma if you're a pickup truck owner. Tha...

Forget, Toyota, Honda, Chevy, Dodge, BMW, or any of the automakers, self driving tech is barreling toward us with an insane vulnerability. I also talk about how Chevy now lets you build your own motor, with a catch or two, and why your car's tire pressure monitoring system can be used to track you. That AND I make the case for entering Spec Miata into the Olympics in a bid to save the games. That...

I love my old JDMs and there will always be a rusted away soft spot in my heart for a crusty Corolla. The Toyota AE86 is a great chassis, but existing examples are worn with decades of drifting and abuse. When the Chinese made Alibaba replica body was announced I had hopes that this could be a good for track-rats and driving enthusiasts, but now after the first example has landed in the US, I'm le...

In a short amount of time, it won't matter whether you buy a Chevy, Ford, Toyota, or BMW, the automotive kill-switch mandate stands. Congressman Thomas Massie proposed a bill which would eliminate federal funding from being used to implement it, and it was shot down. I discuss the major ramifications of this and how your car will now contribute to the looming surveillance state. On a lighter note,...

Jeep, Toyota (twice), Nissan, Volkswagen and Cadillac are the players in this year's Super Bowl ad show down. At $10mil an ad, was it well spent? I review and rank each of this year's automotive entries where I discuss why there were so few compared to years prior, and give my analysis on the new Jeep Cherokee. That and more on this sportball themed edition of the show! If you like cars, this is t...

I spent some time firsthand at the Tokyo Auto Salon drooling over the Toyota GR GT, as well as various AE86s, a classy Nissan 280Z racecar, a widebody Autozam AZ1, and so much more JDM goodness. I also managed to drag along YouTuber Wesley Kagan where he mysteriously fell in love with the Suzuki Jimny. Join me on this podcast exclusive as I attempt an interview in Japanese, and recount my experien...

Just back from Japan where I saw loads of JDM cars! Whether it was GTRs, S15s AE86s, Toyota Supras, NSXs and Honda Acty Kei Trucks, they had it all. But surprisingly there were lots of Ford Mustangs, Chevy Camaros, and Jeep Wranglers. I discuss the American car culture in Japan, as well as a major fuel contamination issue back in the states. I also talk about why AI might be the downfall of used c...

Courtney Vertz is on a mission to get more women into motorsports through drift events with a focus on mentorship and an inviting atmosphere of friendly competition. Jim Miller fills in for Matt and interviews Courtney about that. He also gets her take on project cars, the BRZ/GT86 as a drift chassis, the new Nissan Z, and more! If you're into cars and going full send, this is the automotive podca...

The car enthusiast and performance world is SLEEPING on this incredibly good standalone ECU. If you have a track car, or crazy off-road project car, then this is the solution. I am running my K24 swapped Honda S2000 track car on it and couldn't be happier. I talk with @Rusefi founder Andre about not just the incredible value, but what makes his ECUs technically superior to ones which cost THOUSAND...

It's not the announcement of The Toyota GR GT or the new LFA which has the car world ablaze, instead it's the US President's approval of small "Kei" cars like those made by Toyota, Honda, and Subaru for the Japanese market. Jim Miller and I look up prices of new Kei vehicles where we are blown away by just how cheap they are. I'll take two please! This is the kickstart the American automobile indu...