The Carmudgeon Show

Every year, manufactures launch new features that we usually don’t know that we want. Sometimes, these features are so effective and popular, they disrupt an industry and become government-mandated. Other times, they become quickly forgotten and unwanted by society. Until recent years, the Mercedes-Benz S-Class was the purveyor of new automotive technology - we’d see something in an S Class that we know we might get 15 years later on a Nissan Versa. But even the S-Class had some misses - debuting technology that quickly went away after the next generation. === Visit http://JasonSentMe.com to get a Hagerty Guaranteed Value (TM) collector-car insurance quote! === Nowadays, more than ever - we notice manufactures cutting corners in areas where they have no business doing so. No one-touch windows (Subaru Crosstrek), CarPlay being a $4,000+ option (Ferrari, until 2023), non-amber turn signals (BMW), and lacking spare tires on cars we know need them (Volkswagen e-Golf). This got us thinking - what are the best and worst features in history that have ever been invented? What features seemed like they’d be popular, but flunked? What features seemed dumb and first, but are now on every car sold? Jason and Derek do a deep dive on this episode - tune in to find out. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Derek and Jason both drive the BMW Z1 - the often-forgotten two-seat roadster that established BMW's Z brand in the late 1980s. Sharing the same chassis and drivetrain with the E30 325i, it's often been overlooked by many as just an E30 convertible with cool doors. But is there more than meets the eye? As it turns out, yes - much more... === Visit http://JasonSentMe.com to get a Hagerty Guaranteed Value (TM) collector-car insurance quote! === Historically, the "Z" in BMW nomenclature stands for "Zukunft", or "future" in German. While the Z brand became associated with roadsters only, the Z1 debuted far more than just two seats and a folding soft top. The belt-driven doors were only one feature of the Z1 that made it ahead of it's time - multi-link rear suspension, removable body panels, and a host of other forward-thinking innovations made it far more advanced for its time than most give it credit for. This week's subject of Carmudgeonation brings some very interesting foresight on BMW's history and collectability as a brand - tying in the 507, Z8, and even the i3 into discussion. Don't skip this one! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices