We have guest, Nick Caloroso on the podcast. Nick works in the aftermarket industry, volunteers with SEMA, and has a very soulful/astute way of looking at cars. Yet - Nick manages to keep optimistic hopes for the automotive future. So we dive into that & discuss current automotive trends/designs, EVs & their impact, glory cars of yesteryear, and SEMA's role in protecting the future of car culture. (As in... are they up to the task?)

In episode 103 of the S3 MAGAZINE podcast, we talk about the magic of golden era Hondas. And when we say 'golden era'... we're referring to roughly the late 80s, through the 90s. At that time, Honda packed a ton of punch. They were innovating spirited-driving assets like VTEC! And they were bringing it to the people affordably! It all helped to create a new generation of hot-rodder & driving enthusiast. The podcast was spawned off a feature we did on Brand Elste's purple EK Civic coupe with a Domani front end, and a clean B16 bay. It had us feeling very nostalgic. Check out that feature here: https://s3mag.com/b16-comeback-the-go... And/or be sure to get the FREE S3 MAGAZINE app for related content!

Topic of discussion for this podcast: The 2023 SEMA Show. We discuss positives, negatives, previous years, and a little bit of 'the state of the industry'. How significant manufactures have fallen out of the show. How The SEMA Show is growing & trying to adapt post-covid. Sema Fest (which is SEMA's new music festival). As well as SEMA's efforts to protect the automotive aftermarket politically. For similar, regular content... •please get the FREE S3 MAGAZINE APP• or follow us on the other socials.

Ben Battles came on the podcast to discuss... •The state of Georgia cracking down on JDM cars. Specifically, kei cars & trucks. And gov't overreaching to the point of revoking current titles & registrations (IE: stripping tags & titles on already registered vehicles). •Slammedenuff Gatlinburg. One of the most anticipated (stance) events of the year had some controversial judging.

Me & Frankie Corndoggs had lunch last week. Ironically... hotdogs. Well, I had hotdogs & he had a salad. Anyway Frankie got all worked-up about how he missed having a shitbox rowdy hatchback. The kind that was FUN-pegged the second you pulled out of the driveway. They kind that doesn't try to fit in, or care WTF anybody else thinks. Or base its value in specs & numbers. Just pure driving fun/thrill. A jet ski on pavement. Call it a midlife crisis, or call it midlife clarity & wisdom... which is it?

Legacy car manufactures have been in an all-out race to go EV, but have they all been racing for just 10% of the market? Have EVs hit a ceiling? This EV transition isn’t naturally consumer-driven. Instead, it’s largely government-forced. And therein lies the problem. You are forcing/squeezing people to buy something that many of them don’t want… at a price they can’t easily afford. For a product that in many ways, is less convenient & more restricted. It’s not a super-attractive option for most. But having said that… IT SEEMS ABOUT 10% OF THE U.S. POPULATION ARE WILLING ‘EARLY EV ADOPTERS’. That means – about 10% of the people like the tech, they think it’s cool stuff, and they don’t mind paying more to be on the frontend of it. They’re also more patient with EV charging infrastructure, recalls, ownership hiccups, obsolescence, etc. And that’s all totally fine & good. BUT THERE SEEMS TO BE A CEILING AT ABOUT 10%… And it’s a ceiling that’s apparently caught legacy car manufacturers by surprise. They’re having a tough time breaking through the 10% barrier… as evidenced by EVs stacking up at dealerships. See – for the pasts few years, car makers have been racing to build EVs. And racing & racing & racing. Talking-up the millions of EVs they’re gonna be making within a couple years… perhaps never looking up to read the room. All we heard as marketing victims, was how much “demand’ there was. Soooo much demand for EVs… because a gaggle of people put an hundred-dollar refundable deposit on an EV truck a few years ago. Electric vehicles have been the biggest hype-train to happen to automobiles… since automobiles. EVs have had more than their fair share of growing pains, recalls, delays, broken promises, deceptions, and inventory shortages. And now that production is finally stabilizing & EVs are finally starting to come through the pipeline… they’re stacking-up unsold at dealerships. It illustrates that maybe… THE EARLY ADOPTERS HAVE ADOPTED… And the rest of the people… just don’t want it. And they won’t… until all the uncertainties have been ironed out. The masses are not necessarily resistant to EVs, they’re just not gonna be on board until it makes sense. For them, they’re reasonably skeptical. And yes, EVs have become blatantly politically manipulated under a false illusion of ‘sustainability’… so that has caused some added resistance & backlash. PEOPLE WANT TO SEE HOW THIS FAD SHAKES OUT… Yeah we’ve all heard that “EVs are the future.” They’ve said that many, many times. But despite the repetitive sales pitch, the masses need to see significant improvements in infrastructure, as well as vehicle cost reductions & improvements in overall capability. To break past the 10% ceiling, EVs have to evolve to a point where they’re cost effective, easy & quick to charge, non-restrictive, and safe. It needs to make sense. And it needs to not be forced. Put it this way: If EVs were truly a better option, wouldn’t people flock to buy them even without government incentives or mandates? I’m not saying it won’t get there… but it’s not there yet. And it’s not yet suited for the person who’s not willing to adjust their lifestyle. AS ILLUSTRATED BY OUR FORD ARTICLE LAST WEEK… Perhaps manufactures are starting to come out of their “we’re not gonna listen to our customers” coma & realize that it doesn’t necessarily have to be “full-scale” anything. We don’t all live the same lifestyle, or live in the same environments, or have the same requirements in a vehicle. And if you really want what’s best for the planet, if that’s your main issue behind all this, then I’d suggest removing some politicians first… as that’s where your real threat is.

"Efficiency" has consumed the automotive industry. Perhaps "brainwashed" is a better word. And while efficiency an important measurable & should certainly be the driving-force of SOME models... it doesn't have to be the primary regulating factor in ALL models. So while we all want an efficient vehicle... what's it costing us? And why is there little-to-no tolerance for some common-sense compromise & simplification??

Now that supply chains are getting back to normal, EVs are starting to stack-up at dealership lots. That's not a great look... considering how much they told us demand & orders for these EVs was off-the-charts. Pay attention to 'the narrative' vs 'the reality' here. And get ready for some backpedaling, incentives, (dare I say fuel price manipulation), and hold-pattens during election years. •Get the FREE S3 MAGAZINE app• ...& keep tabs on all this crazy sh¡t

The Nissan Z is a genuinely exciting new sports car, but that doesn’t matter if the car is not accessible. Nissan Z sales are alarmingly low. The Z has been out for a year now, and total US sales in the first quarter of 2023 were just 466. The Z is not supposed to be an ultra-exclusive sports car. It’s supposed to be a fun & viable alternative to that. Nissan is, of course, still blaming Corona & chip/parts shortages. But Nissan also sighted a couple of other reasons. Coming as no shock to me at this point, they have to do with 1) Automation. And 2) Sustainability. THE PLANT THAT MAKES THE NISSAN Z… Is located in Tochigi, Japan. And at that plant, Nissan has implemented some new automated manufacturing techniques with less human interference. But more on that in a minute. Because additionally… IN ATTEMPTS TO KISS THE WORLD’S ENLIGHTENED A$$… Nissan has implemented a more sustainable paint process on the Nissan Z. The new process uses a lower temperature to cure the paint, in theory saving precious energy (all while they transition to energy-sucking EVs). The paint process also uses more environmentally-friendly chemicals in the paint itself. Which is a nice touch… IF the paint doesn’t come out looking like sh¡t. SO CIRCLING BACK TO THE AUTOMATION… The non-human machines on the assembly & quality-control lines can read paint to down to a third of a millimeter. Impressive. But since the paint is not great, the machines keep rejecting it. IT SEEMS THAT NISSAN HAS IMPLEMENTED PRODUCTION METHODS… That are in fact 'restricting production'. And that has yielded very low inventory on new Nissan Zs. Therefore… the prices on new Zs are gouged. Additionally, kinks in production no doubt wastes energy… so arguably on that front, the world is no better off. It’s the literal opposite of sustainable. The only measurable difference is – you don’t have a Z yet. And if you do… you probably spent $20,000-$30,000 more than its worth. While probably not getting the color you wanted. But have faith, because you’ll likely be repainting it in 7 years when the clear coat lifts from the roof, spoiler, and hood. Because having to paint it twice saves energy & the environment for sure. WE’RE BEING MISLED, MISMANAGED, & MISGOVERNED… And completely tangled in a web of sustainability delusions. The result is: A higher price on a lesser product with more delays (let that sink in). And they’re urging you to accept this nonsense for the sake of “the environment”?! At a point, that narrative starts to get exhausting & hypocritical. Of course it goes without saying, we all want clean air for our future. But we need the world economy to be able to function within those margins. And we need common sense to step in. Stop moving the damn goalposts around based on virtue signaling. •Get the FREE S3 MAGAZINE APP... with no dealer markups• ;)

I saw a meme that got me a little triggered. I mean, while I can certainly appreciate some of the truth to it... I also think "you can't have it both ways". Fact - your parents and grandparents were not driving around in cars that practically drove themselves - with infotainment screens & bluetooth & navigation & backup cameras & auto-everything with auto/dual climate & remote start & turbochargers & traction control & 400+hp with 10-speeds & 12-way electronically adjustable seats that warm your buns, etc. Also - the government largely stayed out of their damn way & didn't over-regulate every industry... running up the cost & unnecessarily overcomplicating products. Our elders lived a simpler, more affordable life. Today - we have the option to complicate ours. We're practically funneled into it. And often times, we jump at that option... so long as we think we can manage the monthly payments. •Get the FREE S3 MAGAZINE APP•