The Best and Worst Cars This Year — The Carmudgeon Show w/ Jason Cammisa & Derek Tam-Scott — Ep. 219

2025 has come to a close - and it’s another year-end episode reflecting on the best and worst cars Jason and Derek have encountered this year. Maximum Carmudgeonation is achieved today, so hold onto your hats - and we guarantee, you’ve never listened to another podcast where the Vinfast VF8 and McLaren F1 are both mentioned.

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Before getting into the thick of it, Jason updates us on his MK3 Volkswagen Cabrio VR6 swap - with the 2.slow and the rest of the front + rear subframes out, we learn one other MK3 (Jetta GLX) has been sacrificed in the name of top-down VR6 burnouts. A myth is busted - Harbor Freight plastic carts don’t appear to be makeshift engine stands after all. But they do explode catastrophically!

Derek also goes over some highlights of another year dealing cars at OTS - with sales and consignments including the likes of the Ferrari F50, Porsche Carrera GT, and an array of modern Ferrari Challenge cars (360 Challenge Stradale, F430 Scuderia, and 458 Speciale to name a few). He also reflects on a changing market - moving away from 60s Ferraris like 250 Lusso and 330 GTC.

Jason begins with his first wave highlights - including but not limited to: Lancia Stratos, Lancia Thema 8.32, Cizeta-Moroder V16T, Saab 9000 Aero, Alfa Romeo 164 Quadrifoglio, E34 BMW M5 with an S70B56 swap, the Kwiek Classics Mercedes-Benz CLK63 AMG Black Series 6-Speed, Ford Sierra Cosworth, Merkur XR4Ti, Jeep Cherokee, and of course Derek’s recently acquired Mk1 Jaguar.

Derek follows with the Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint Speciale, RUF Tribute, Kimera EVO37, the Toyota 2000GT, and more recently the Porsche 911 IROC RSR (to be further explored on a future episode…)

Jason remarks on many of the the other great cars he’s driven for various Revelations, Ultimate Drag Race, and Ultimate Lap Battle episodes, including the Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 (C8 and C4), Porsche 992 GT3 RS, Ford Mustang GTD, Ford GT (both generations), W204 Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG (including the Anderzen manual swap), Alpine A110, Audi RS6 Avant, and the Porsche Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid (the BMW M5 Touring was unfortunately not so good).

But not to worry- plenty of Carmudgeonation goes down - with roasts of the automatic Porsche 996 Turbo, BMW i3 and i8, the ND2 Mazda Miata, and even Jason’s own MK3 Cabrio (while it still had its 2.slow).

All this and more, on this week’s end-of-2025 finale of The Carmudgeon Show.