1 00:00:15,316 --> 00:00:22,956 Speaker 1: Pushkin. Hey Eddie here, before we get started, I wanted 2 00:00:22,996 --> 00:00:24,916 Speaker 1: you to know that you can listen to Car Show 3 00:00:24,956 --> 00:00:29,276 Speaker 1: ad free by becoming a Pushkin Plus subscriber. You'll also 4 00:00:29,316 --> 00:00:32,796 Speaker 1: get access to detours, bonus episodes of Car Show where 5 00:00:32,836 --> 00:00:37,676 Speaker 1: we go for extended drives, play outtakes, and more fine 6 00:00:37,716 --> 00:00:40,636 Speaker 1: Pushkin Plus on the Car Show page, in Apple Podcasts, 7 00:00:41,156 --> 00:00:47,796 Speaker 1: or at pushkin dot Fm. I'm super nervous driving your car. 8 00:00:48,516 --> 00:00:50,996 Speaker 1: Oh no, don't be. It's like, you know, it's funny 9 00:00:52,116 --> 00:00:55,716 Speaker 1: in my old golf r I felt it in vulnerable 10 00:00:56,916 --> 00:01:00,276 Speaker 1: and the same thing into CALICYTSD. I feel like I 11 00:01:00,356 --> 00:01:04,156 Speaker 1: really feel like they're going to cover up any errors 12 00:01:04,196 --> 00:01:06,756 Speaker 1: you make. Yeah, this card there is a little hint 13 00:01:06,756 --> 00:01:08,836 Speaker 1: of danger. I feel like you're a little bit on 14 00:01:08,876 --> 00:01:13,676 Speaker 1: your you know, they're you know, they send you off 15 00:01:13,716 --> 00:01:21,316 Speaker 1: and they say, you know, be well, my son. Isn't 16 00:01:21,356 --> 00:01:25,036 Speaker 1: that a good thing? Doesn't that keep you? It does keeps. Yeah, 17 00:01:25,036 --> 00:01:28,276 Speaker 1: they're no safety nets, and that's I think probably good 18 00:01:28,316 --> 00:01:37,436 Speaker 1: for the human species in general. A little automotive Darwinism 19 00:01:37,476 --> 00:01:41,836 Speaker 1: always focuses the mind. I'm Eddie Alterman, and this is 20 00:01:41,876 --> 00:01:45,516 Speaker 1: Car Show, my podcast about why we drive what we 21 00:01:45,676 --> 00:01:49,636 Speaker 1: drive I'm with my friend and fellow car geek, Malcolm Gladwell. 22 00:01:50,596 --> 00:01:54,676 Speaker 1: We're on the pockmarked, slushy switchback roads of upstate New York. 23 00:01:55,676 --> 00:01:58,876 Speaker 1: I first met Malcolm back in twenty thirteen when he 24 00:01:58,956 --> 00:02:01,436 Speaker 1: chided me about something I'd written in Car and Driver. 25 00:02:02,836 --> 00:02:06,556 Speaker 1: We've been friends ever since, and today we are on 26 00:02:06,636 --> 00:02:09,916 Speaker 1: a vision quest. We are looking for the soul of 27 00:02:09,956 --> 00:02:14,596 Speaker 1: the sports sedan. We are also looking for lunch, and 28 00:02:14,716 --> 00:02:17,236 Speaker 1: we're doing it at the wheel of Gladwell's zone. Two 29 00:02:17,276 --> 00:02:25,636 Speaker 1: thousand and three BMW M five. This is a car 30 00:02:25,676 --> 00:02:28,396 Speaker 1: that is holy accepted by me and most other car 31 00:02:28,476 --> 00:02:32,836 Speaker 1: geeks as the best sports sedan of all time, not 32 00:02:32,956 --> 00:02:36,076 Speaker 1: just of its generation. Not just the best sports sedan 33 00:02:36,116 --> 00:02:40,036 Speaker 1: that BMW ever made. No, the best fast forward door 34 00:02:40,316 --> 00:02:44,756 Speaker 1: that ever was. And it's no wonder BMW made it. 35 00:02:45,956 --> 00:02:49,316 Speaker 1: BMW built its reputation on sports sedans and coops, not 36 00:02:49,516 --> 00:02:54,036 Speaker 1: sports cars. Going back to the sixties, BMW made upright 37 00:02:54,076 --> 00:02:59,236 Speaker 1: little bricks harboring dark souls, fast terrible goblins from the 38 00:02:59,276 --> 00:03:02,476 Speaker 1: Black Forest of Germany with names like two thousand and 39 00:03:02,476 --> 00:03:06,516 Speaker 1: two and three twenty five I X. They would sneak 40 00:03:06,556 --> 00:03:09,076 Speaker 1: up behind your Mustang on a moonlit two lane row 41 00:03:09,636 --> 00:03:12,836 Speaker 1: and terrorize you for however long it took them to pass. 42 00:03:17,156 --> 00:03:19,996 Speaker 1: There are many jokes about the people who own them. 43 00:03:20,116 --> 00:03:24,956 Speaker 1: What's the difference between a porcupine and a BMW. Porcupines 44 00:03:24,996 --> 00:03:29,076 Speaker 1: have their pricks on the outside. BMW sports sedans were 45 00:03:29,116 --> 00:03:32,716 Speaker 1: always better than their sports cars. They didn't make flying 46 00:03:32,756 --> 00:03:36,876 Speaker 1: pizza slices like Ferrari or Pantera did. They made cars 47 00:03:36,916 --> 00:03:40,116 Speaker 1: that flew under the radar, which is why many people, 48 00:03:40,396 --> 00:03:43,836 Speaker 1: cops included, might look at this high performance version of 49 00:03:43,876 --> 00:03:47,676 Speaker 1: the respectable five series and see just another country club car. 50 00:03:49,236 --> 00:03:52,076 Speaker 1: But to those in the know, this stealth factor is 51 00:03:52,076 --> 00:03:55,276 Speaker 1: a huge part of the appeal. It's what makes the 52 00:03:55,396 --> 00:03:58,436 Speaker 1: M five so exotic, and it is why we are 53 00:03:58,476 --> 00:04:01,996 Speaker 1: somewhat comfortable doing extra legal speeds on the back roads 54 00:04:02,036 --> 00:04:06,276 Speaker 1: of the cop infested Hudson Valley. This is no flying 55 00:04:06,316 --> 00:04:10,036 Speaker 1: pizza slice on its surface, it's just a middle of 56 00:04:10,116 --> 00:04:15,436 Speaker 1: the pack BMW. But underneath, that's where the magic happens. 57 00:04:16,276 --> 00:04:19,276 Speaker 1: This version of the BMW M five is the most 58 00:04:19,276 --> 00:04:24,996 Speaker 1: responsive sports sedan ever built, the most poised, the most sensitive. 59 00:04:25,556 --> 00:04:28,396 Speaker 1: We've got to put it in sport. Oh yeah, it's 60 00:04:28,396 --> 00:04:32,636 Speaker 1: got the It is a sport. Sport is Yeah, definitely. 61 00:04:33,036 --> 00:04:38,596 Speaker 1: The throttle response is dramatically quicker. Yeah with sport. I'm 62 00:04:38,636 --> 00:04:40,836 Speaker 1: offended they have a sports setting. It should just be 63 00:04:40,916 --> 00:04:43,316 Speaker 1: too to sport, right, Like I don't. I don't person 64 00:04:43,676 --> 00:04:46,156 Speaker 1: who would drive this car and not wanted a sport mode. 65 00:04:46,236 --> 00:04:50,636 Speaker 1: It's kind of like eleven on Nigel toughnel stamp. Yeah, exactly. 66 00:04:52,076 --> 00:04:56,076 Speaker 1: We need that little extra push over the edge, you 67 00:04:56,196 --> 00:04:59,516 Speaker 1: push the sport punt. But it's just like alive in 68 00:04:59,556 --> 00:05:01,996 Speaker 1: your hands in a way that modern cars aren't, and 69 00:05:02,116 --> 00:05:04,596 Speaker 1: yet it still feels totally modern. That's why I think 70 00:05:04,636 --> 00:05:07,996 Speaker 1: this is such a high water mark for cars in general. 71 00:05:09,556 --> 00:05:11,916 Speaker 1: This version of the M five hit the market twenty 72 00:05:11,956 --> 00:05:14,996 Speaker 1: three years ago. A few sports at hands came before it, 73 00:05:15,116 --> 00:05:18,116 Speaker 1: and many came after it, but it is widely accepted 74 00:05:18,116 --> 00:05:23,356 Speaker 1: in the car community as the goat the peak never bettered. 75 00:05:24,116 --> 00:05:27,116 Speaker 1: I know you're thinking, no way this can be true. 76 00:05:27,716 --> 00:05:30,556 Speaker 1: Those of us who canonized that must just be nostalgic 77 00:05:30,596 --> 00:05:33,876 Speaker 1: for the time. It represented a time of tomagotchis and 78 00:05:33,916 --> 00:05:38,956 Speaker 1: beanie babies, spice girls and backstreet boys who wouldn't pine 79 00:05:38,996 --> 00:05:42,836 Speaker 1: for those days. But just as backstreet boys become backstreet 80 00:05:42,876 --> 00:05:45,876 Speaker 1: middle aged men. No car can remain at the peak 81 00:05:45,916 --> 00:05:51,316 Speaker 1: for twenty years. If you look at the numbers, acceleration breaking, 82 00:05:51,756 --> 00:05:59,036 Speaker 1: road holding cars don't peak. Really, they keep getting faster, grippier, quieter, 83 00:05:59,476 --> 00:06:05,196 Speaker 1: more comfortable, more reliable, better, better, better. They are quite 84 00:06:05,236 --> 00:06:11,596 Speaker 1: literally vehicles of progress. Today cars are digitally remastered to perfection, 85 00:06:12,036 --> 00:06:16,396 Speaker 1: with all kinds of automated wizardry, all kinds of management software, 86 00:06:16,556 --> 00:06:19,996 Speaker 1: and with all the flaws removed, whereas premillennial cars are 87 00:06:20,036 --> 00:06:24,876 Speaker 1: mostly just straightforward mechanical parts, straight up analog. By the 88 00:06:24,956 --> 00:06:29,436 Speaker 1: sheer empirical evidence like acceleration and fuel economy, the notion 89 00:06:29,476 --> 00:06:31,716 Speaker 1: that the newer digital car is better than the old 90 00:06:31,756 --> 00:06:38,316 Speaker 1: analog one is manifestly true. And yet here we are 91 00:06:38,356 --> 00:06:40,876 Speaker 1: behind the wheel of a two thousand and three BMW 92 00:06:41,236 --> 00:06:45,516 Speaker 1: M five, and here I am with the claim that 93 00:06:45,596 --> 00:06:50,076 Speaker 1: it's still, almost twenty years later, the best sports nan 94 00:06:50,236 --> 00:06:53,956 Speaker 1: of all time. How can this be? How can a 95 00:06:53,996 --> 00:06:56,916 Speaker 1: car that came out two decades ago still be the 96 00:06:56,956 --> 00:07:00,676 Speaker 1: top of the mountain. On this episode of Car Show, 97 00:07:01,196 --> 00:07:04,716 Speaker 1: we're going to try to answer that burning question. We'll 98 00:07:04,756 --> 00:07:07,556 Speaker 1: put old versus new. The two thousand and three E 99 00:07:07,716 --> 00:07:11,396 Speaker 1: thirty nine M five versus a twenty twenty two M 100 00:07:11,436 --> 00:07:15,116 Speaker 1: five competition. We are going to see if my assertion 101 00:07:15,196 --> 00:07:18,196 Speaker 1: holds up or if I'm just nostalgic for that time 102 00:07:18,236 --> 00:07:20,236 Speaker 1: I tread out to be a backup dancer for the 103 00:07:20,316 --> 00:07:52,436 Speaker 1: backstreet boys. Oh it's so good. It's so so good 104 00:07:52,956 --> 00:07:55,676 Speaker 1: that engine engine note a load. I could fall asleep 105 00:07:55,716 --> 00:07:59,236 Speaker 1: to this engine. Notice I can associate it's so like smooth, 106 00:07:59,396 --> 00:08:04,276 Speaker 1: smooth and beautiful. We are attacking the mountain rows of 107 00:08:04,316 --> 00:08:08,476 Speaker 1: the Hudson Valley and Malcolm Gladwell's cold silver two thousand 108 00:08:08,476 --> 00:08:13,636 Speaker 1: and THREEWM five. The sky is spitting out a faint sleet. 109 00:08:14,796 --> 00:08:17,716 Speaker 1: These roads are narrow and frost heat with the added 110 00:08:17,756 --> 00:08:21,676 Speaker 1: threat of wandering livestock. This is the perfect crucible for 111 00:08:21,716 --> 00:08:26,236 Speaker 1: this car, a test of body composure, engine response, and 112 00:08:26,396 --> 00:08:33,196 Speaker 1: ride quality. We'll soon repeat the same exercise on the 113 00:08:33,196 --> 00:08:37,316 Speaker 1: West Coast in more perfect road and weather conditions with 114 00:08:37,356 --> 00:08:42,316 Speaker 1: an allegedly more perfect twenty twenty two BMWM five competition. 115 00:08:42,916 --> 00:08:45,636 Speaker 1: But this won't be a traditional car magazine comparison test 116 00:08:45,956 --> 00:08:49,676 Speaker 1: out on the test track in controlled conditions. It can't be. 117 00:08:50,796 --> 00:08:53,076 Speaker 1: For one thing, BMW want to give us the new 118 00:08:53,076 --> 00:08:54,676 Speaker 1: car in New York to go toe to toe with 119 00:08:54,716 --> 00:08:58,756 Speaker 1: Malcolm's something about summer tires and too much snow and 120 00:08:58,876 --> 00:09:02,076 Speaker 1: my driving record. But even if we can't drive them 121 00:09:02,076 --> 00:09:04,516 Speaker 1: a to beyond the track, or even over the same 122 00:09:04,636 --> 00:09:07,636 Speaker 1: roads in the same conditions, I am convinced we'll get 123 00:09:07,636 --> 00:09:10,796 Speaker 1: a strong impression of which one is the better sports sedan, 124 00:09:11,916 --> 00:09:15,116 Speaker 1: which one fulfills its mission better, which one is more 125 00:09:15,156 --> 00:09:21,596 Speaker 1: fun to drive? And most important, why it must be said, 126 00:09:21,956 --> 00:09:24,716 Speaker 1: the notion that a big German sedan should be fun 127 00:09:24,756 --> 00:09:28,956 Speaker 1: to drive might seem ludicrous. This looks like a banker's car. 128 00:09:29,556 --> 00:09:31,636 Speaker 1: The whole point of these things is to create an 129 00:09:31,636 --> 00:09:36,956 Speaker 1: air of respectability and gravitas, not tire smoke. A midsize 130 00:09:37,036 --> 00:09:39,556 Speaker 1: German sedan like this one would seem to lack a 131 00:09:39,596 --> 00:09:43,396 Speaker 1: certain joadaviv. But while it might look like a regular 132 00:09:43,396 --> 00:09:47,516 Speaker 1: old BMW five series, look closer at the two thousand 133 00:09:47,516 --> 00:09:52,116 Speaker 1: and three M five. It sits lower. The M five's 134 00:09:52,116 --> 00:09:56,356 Speaker 1: fenders have a more pronounced flare, the wheels are wider. 135 00:09:57,836 --> 00:10:02,436 Speaker 1: It's way more badass than other lesser BMW five series cars. 136 00:10:03,636 --> 00:10:06,916 Speaker 1: The M five is the work of BMW's internal Motorsport division. 137 00:10:07,316 --> 00:10:11,596 Speaker 1: The Clouses and Helga's who make BMW's racing cars, hence 138 00:10:11,636 --> 00:10:15,956 Speaker 1: the M. This generation of BMW five series had the 139 00:10:15,996 --> 00:10:20,156 Speaker 1: internal code name E thirty nine. So pretentious BMW geeks 140 00:10:20,556 --> 00:10:23,836 Speaker 1: love to call this car the E thirty nine M five. Yo. 141 00:10:23,956 --> 00:10:31,796 Speaker 1: Here we're using code nth Anyway, the E thirty nine 142 00:10:31,996 --> 00:10:34,436 Speaker 1: five came out in the late nineties. I mean fears 143 00:10:34,436 --> 00:10:37,476 Speaker 1: that the world would collapse on January one y two 144 00:10:37,556 --> 00:10:40,996 Speaker 1: K But the good thing about this M five is 145 00:10:40,996 --> 00:10:42,916 Speaker 1: that it would have kept running even if all the 146 00:10:42,916 --> 00:10:46,116 Speaker 1: computers in the world took a dirt nap. Like all 147 00:10:46,156 --> 00:10:50,236 Speaker 1: cars of the era, it was gloriously mechanical. It wasn't 148 00:10:50,236 --> 00:10:53,756 Speaker 1: dependent on satellite uplinks to find its way via Google Maps. 149 00:10:54,476 --> 00:10:56,596 Speaker 1: There were no over the air updates to keep it 150 00:10:56,676 --> 00:11:01,356 Speaker 1: software fresh. There was no electronic suspension, just mechanical dampers. 151 00:11:02,076 --> 00:11:06,196 Speaker 1: No electric power steering, just a hydraulic pump. Even the 152 00:11:06,276 --> 00:11:10,916 Speaker 1: engine's variable valve timing was controlled via oil pressure. It 153 00:11:10,996 --> 00:11:13,996 Speaker 1: was entirely kinetic, with just a few safety nets like 154 00:11:14,036 --> 00:11:17,196 Speaker 1: traction and stability control to keep the thing from falling 155 00:11:17,196 --> 00:11:20,356 Speaker 1: off the road. It's just all about tuning in refinement, 156 00:11:20,476 --> 00:11:25,196 Speaker 1: and you know, getting that sort of lapidary smoothness across 157 00:11:25,276 --> 00:11:28,796 Speaker 1: the whole car. And you know, this car is a 158 00:11:28,916 --> 00:11:33,956 Speaker 1: great high fi where at low speed you'd get terrific definition, 159 00:11:34,316 --> 00:11:37,476 Speaker 1: but when you crank it up, there's absolutely no distortion, 160 00:11:37,836 --> 00:11:43,036 Speaker 1: you know, just high fidelity. That's a very nice it is. 161 00:11:43,156 --> 00:11:47,796 Speaker 1: What I love is just how it's so liquid, it 162 00:11:47,916 --> 00:11:53,276 Speaker 1: just flows. The interior is perfect. This is totally driver oriented. 163 00:11:53,756 --> 00:11:57,036 Speaker 1: It's elegant, it's simple. The gauges are where they need 164 00:11:57,076 --> 00:12:00,516 Speaker 1: to be, there's nothing to fuss around with. And to me, 165 00:12:00,636 --> 00:12:04,236 Speaker 1: it's like, you know, if I was designing the ultimate 166 00:12:04,276 --> 00:12:06,436 Speaker 1: luxury car right now, I would have none of that 167 00:12:06,516 --> 00:12:09,036 Speaker 1: shit in it. I would just have a steering wheel 168 00:12:09,876 --> 00:12:14,676 Speaker 1: and maybe a radio. Yeah. One moment that made the 169 00:12:14,716 --> 00:12:17,156 Speaker 1: E thirty nine M five such a car culture hero 170 00:12:17,836 --> 00:12:20,516 Speaker 1: was when a guy named Alex Roy decided to take 171 00:12:20,556 --> 00:12:23,076 Speaker 1: the car and drive across the country as fast as 172 00:12:23,076 --> 00:12:26,556 Speaker 1: he could. He used the E thirty nine M five's 173 00:12:26,596 --> 00:12:32,356 Speaker 1: incongruity to his advantage. Big, comfortable, fast, and long legged, 174 00:12:33,076 --> 00:12:36,236 Speaker 1: a double take car, not the kind of machine that 175 00:12:36,276 --> 00:12:38,276 Speaker 1: looked like it would be doing one hundred and thirty 176 00:12:38,276 --> 00:12:42,476 Speaker 1: miles per hour across Oklahoma. Roy wanted to be the 177 00:12:42,556 --> 00:12:45,436 Speaker 1: latest person to beat the Cannonball Run coast to coast 178 00:12:45,516 --> 00:12:49,396 Speaker 1: driving record, famously set in nineteen seventy one by car 179 00:12:49,476 --> 00:12:54,396 Speaker 1: and driver editor Brock Yates, an American racing legend Dan Gurney. 180 00:12:54,836 --> 00:12:57,756 Speaker 1: The Cannonball Run was a real cross country event dreamed 181 00:12:57,836 --> 00:13:00,636 Speaker 1: up by Yates. It started at the Red Ball Garage 182 00:13:00,636 --> 00:13:03,636 Speaker 1: in New York City and ended at the Portofino Inn 183 00:13:03,716 --> 00:13:07,196 Speaker 1: in Rodondo Beach, California. It even spawned a couple of 184 00:13:07,316 --> 00:13:10,196 Speaker 1: very campy Cannonball Run movies. This is the story of 185 00:13:10,236 --> 00:13:15,396 Speaker 1: an average guy and a beautiful girl. Don't tell me 186 00:13:15,436 --> 00:13:19,516 Speaker 1: your Name. Burt Reynolds, Jackie chan Fara Fawcet, Dom DeLuise. 187 00:13:20,516 --> 00:13:23,236 Speaker 1: It was the car guys Godfather's one and two. They 188 00:13:23,276 --> 00:13:27,436 Speaker 1: all set out one day in an ambulance from New 189 00:13:27,516 --> 00:13:31,276 Speaker 1: York to California at one hundred and fifty miles per hour. 190 00:13:35,236 --> 00:13:38,276 Speaker 1: So in two thousand and six, Atlas Roy bundled up 191 00:13:38,316 --> 00:13:42,596 Speaker 1: all these threads and recreated his own Cannibal Drive from 192 00:13:42,636 --> 00:13:47,596 Speaker 1: the original start to the original finish. His car a 193 00:13:47,716 --> 00:13:50,956 Speaker 1: blue E thirty nine M five. It was done up 194 00:13:50,956 --> 00:13:53,676 Speaker 1: to look like a German police car, complete with all 195 00:13:53,716 --> 00:13:57,876 Speaker 1: sorts of copivating technology. I'm not sure if this made 196 00:13:57,956 --> 00:14:01,476 Speaker 1: him blend in or stand out. Either way, he made 197 00:14:01,476 --> 00:14:05,636 Speaker 1: it look like insane fun. He broke the record going 198 00:14:05,676 --> 00:14:08,916 Speaker 1: coast to coast in just thirty one hours and four minutes. 199 00:14:09,636 --> 00:14:11,636 Speaker 1: Alex will talk about his car in that drive all 200 00:14:11,716 --> 00:14:14,196 Speaker 1: day if you'll let him. But I like this version 201 00:14:14,436 --> 00:14:17,836 Speaker 1: for Alex. There was no better car for the transcontinental 202 00:14:17,996 --> 00:14:21,476 Speaker 1: run than the BMW M five with a five liter, 203 00:14:21,596 --> 00:14:25,316 Speaker 1: four hundred horsepower V eight. It was fast a top 204 00:14:25,356 --> 00:14:27,836 Speaker 1: speed of one. It's iced Tea describing the car in 205 00:14:27,876 --> 00:14:31,996 Speaker 1: a film called Apex The Secret Race across America with 206 00:14:32,116 --> 00:14:35,916 Speaker 1: the suspension tune for Germany's Auto Bond M five would 207 00:14:35,956 --> 00:14:39,796 Speaker 1: hold up under hours of triple digit speeds. And this 208 00:14:39,876 --> 00:14:41,596 Speaker 1: was a car you could drive through the night and 209 00:14:41,636 --> 00:14:45,756 Speaker 1: feel energized when you got out. Perfect for flying fast 210 00:14:45,796 --> 00:14:50,316 Speaker 1: and low across the continental US. Malcolm and I, however, 211 00:14:50,876 --> 00:14:53,476 Speaker 1: we're not out to set any records. We were just 212 00:14:53,516 --> 00:14:56,116 Speaker 1: looking for a good club sandwich. Also, the ride on 213 00:14:56,156 --> 00:14:59,556 Speaker 1: this car is the same. It just so. It's how 214 00:14:59,556 --> 00:15:03,196 Speaker 1: it could be so composed and yet so athletics like 215 00:15:05,236 --> 00:15:08,156 Speaker 1: it's an amazing trick. It's it's you know, it's a 216 00:15:08,236 --> 00:15:11,196 Speaker 1: muscle car, but it's absolutely a car you could drive 217 00:15:11,236 --> 00:15:16,156 Speaker 1: to the opera. You know. It's um just tuning and tuning. 218 00:15:17,076 --> 00:15:19,916 Speaker 1: And there was a guy who worked at BMW. His 219 00:15:20,036 --> 00:15:22,756 Speaker 1: name is Rich Brecas, and he was a really great 220 00:15:22,756 --> 00:15:26,196 Speaker 1: car guy and he was very very good and explaining 221 00:15:27,076 --> 00:15:33,036 Speaker 1: automotive engineering to English majors like me. And we were 222 00:15:33,036 --> 00:15:35,516 Speaker 1: at dinner one night and I asked him why are 223 00:15:35,596 --> 00:15:38,836 Speaker 1: BMW is so good? And this was when they were, 224 00:15:39,036 --> 00:15:41,196 Speaker 1: when they were, and when BMW's were just a cut 225 00:15:41,196 --> 00:15:45,316 Speaker 1: above of everything everything else, they responded like no other car. 226 00:15:45,436 --> 00:15:48,916 Speaker 1: They just felt better. They were more communicative, they had 227 00:15:48,996 --> 00:15:52,996 Speaker 1: better field, they were more alive. And he drew a 228 00:15:53,076 --> 00:15:59,116 Speaker 1: little graph, like an asymptotic line, and he said, Okay, here, 229 00:15:59,196 --> 00:16:03,716 Speaker 1: don low on this asemtote is where Audie stops tuning. 230 00:16:04,836 --> 00:16:07,676 Speaker 1: Up Here on the asmtote is where Mercedes stops tuning. 231 00:16:08,476 --> 00:16:11,396 Speaker 1: All the way out here to the right is where 232 00:16:11,436 --> 00:16:15,036 Speaker 1: we stop tuning. And what he meant by that was 233 00:16:15,556 --> 00:16:20,036 Speaker 1: this is about human feel and what the driver is experiencing. Yeah, 234 00:16:20,596 --> 00:16:27,036 Speaker 1: and keeping after, keeping after those little nuances and subtleties 235 00:16:27,716 --> 00:16:31,876 Speaker 1: of driver feel and response. That's what sports of ends. 236 00:16:31,876 --> 00:16:34,676 Speaker 1: Should be about. They should be about that sensitivity to 237 00:16:34,876 --> 00:16:39,636 Speaker 1: driver inputs and this thing. I mean, you turn the wheel, 238 00:16:40,196 --> 00:16:45,796 Speaker 1: you get a perfectly predictable response. Yeah, the steering is divine. 239 00:16:46,356 --> 00:16:49,196 Speaker 1: They actually went a technology back in the steering. They 240 00:16:49,236 --> 00:16:53,316 Speaker 1: went from rack and pinion to recirculating ball. When everybody 241 00:16:53,396 --> 00:16:55,436 Speaker 1: had gone to rack and pinion because it was a 242 00:16:55,436 --> 00:16:58,156 Speaker 1: little bit cheaper and easier to package. They went back 243 00:16:58,196 --> 00:17:01,436 Speaker 1: to recirculating ball steering because they had better feel. I 244 00:17:01,836 --> 00:17:06,636 Speaker 1: realize that. And so it has a little retual flavor. Yeah, 245 00:17:06,796 --> 00:17:11,196 Speaker 1: those those little nuances and just so smooth. This is 246 00:17:11,196 --> 00:17:15,836 Speaker 1: a car you can steer with the throttle pedel. So 247 00:17:15,996 --> 00:17:18,076 Speaker 1: when you're cruising around a racetrack and you're sort of 248 00:17:18,156 --> 00:17:21,836 Speaker 1: at the limit of the tires adhesion, if you give 249 00:17:21,876 --> 00:17:25,436 Speaker 1: it a little bit of gas, the car pushes a 250 00:17:25,436 --> 00:17:29,996 Speaker 1: little you take your foot off the gas, it tucks 251 00:17:29,996 --> 00:17:32,996 Speaker 1: in a little bit for a turn, and that you know, 252 00:17:33,236 --> 00:17:35,436 Speaker 1: you're not just driving it with the steering wheel. You're 253 00:17:35,516 --> 00:17:39,596 Speaker 1: driving it with the brakes, the throttle, and the car 254 00:17:39,756 --> 00:17:43,036 Speaker 1: is just moving and fluid and alive. That is so 255 00:17:43,996 --> 00:17:48,116 Speaker 1: so rare for Zedana. So the E thirty nine five 256 00:17:48,276 --> 00:17:52,196 Speaker 1: was pitch perfect meticulously tuned for the serious driver, the 257 00:17:52,276 --> 00:17:55,796 Speaker 1: person who appreciated how finally wrought it was. It was 258 00:17:55,836 --> 00:18:03,796 Speaker 1: the hatri Hanzo Sword of cars. Nowadays, though, the consensus 259 00:18:03,876 --> 00:18:07,636 Speaker 1: among serious drivers is that BMW as a whole isn't 260 00:18:07,676 --> 00:18:10,716 Speaker 1: quite what it was. That this one time maker of 261 00:18:10,756 --> 00:18:13,636 Speaker 1: the best sports at hands in the world, the ultimate 262 00:18:13,716 --> 00:18:16,876 Speaker 1: driving machines, if you will, is at parody or worse 263 00:18:16,956 --> 00:18:20,916 Speaker 1: with other carmakers, Which is why your producer Sam Dingman 264 00:18:21,076 --> 00:18:23,876 Speaker 1: asked me in Malcolm, what would you guys say changed 265 00:18:23,996 --> 00:18:28,796 Speaker 1: at BMW that makes them not as good anymore? They 266 00:18:28,916 --> 00:18:36,756 Speaker 1: wanted to sell cars to mainstream Americans? Basically, right, Yeah, 267 00:18:37,716 --> 00:18:43,756 Speaker 1: that's the short answer for sure. Beyond that, there is time. 268 00:18:45,116 --> 00:18:48,276 Speaker 1: Like Rich Brecas said at that dinner, time is the 269 00:18:48,356 --> 00:18:52,636 Speaker 1: secret ingredient. Time creates the handshake of trust you get 270 00:18:52,676 --> 00:18:55,036 Speaker 1: with a great car like the E thirty nine M five. 271 00:18:55,756 --> 00:18:58,836 Speaker 1: With all the cars BMW makes, now, how can they 272 00:18:58,916 --> 00:19:03,036 Speaker 1: possibly spend the time necessary to hone their edges? And 273 00:19:03,156 --> 00:19:07,876 Speaker 1: now they have you know, I x's and I fours 274 00:19:07,916 --> 00:19:10,716 Speaker 1: and four series and series and you know, all of 275 00:19:10,716 --> 00:19:14,156 Speaker 1: these cars. It's just a lot to manage and a 276 00:19:14,196 --> 00:19:16,596 Speaker 1: lot of cars to tune and Back when the E 277 00:19:16,756 --> 00:19:21,116 Speaker 1: thirty nine M five was around, BMW didn't make very 278 00:19:21,156 --> 00:19:25,236 Speaker 1: many cars. They didn't have this huge lineup of SUVs, 279 00:19:25,636 --> 00:19:28,676 Speaker 1: sedans and sports cars. You know, they weren't working on 280 00:19:29,036 --> 00:19:33,196 Speaker 1: electric vehicles and high performance sedans and all that stuff. 281 00:19:33,836 --> 00:19:37,596 Speaker 1: There's just so much time to go around, and the 282 00:19:37,716 --> 00:19:44,916 Speaker 1: E thirty nine M five was lavished with time. After 283 00:19:44,956 --> 00:19:47,356 Speaker 1: the break, we're going to drive the new BMW M 284 00:19:47,436 --> 00:19:50,676 Speaker 1: five and see how it measures up. This is just ducks. 285 00:19:53,916 --> 00:20:07,636 Speaker 1: I'm Eddie Altraman, and this is car Show Los Angeles, California, 286 00:20:08,196 --> 00:20:11,156 Speaker 1: not too far from the Cannibal run ended and Alex 287 00:20:11,276 --> 00:20:15,956 Speaker 1: Roy cracked that first cold one. Good morning. Wow, look 288 00:20:15,956 --> 00:20:18,076 Speaker 1: at this. Sam and I are at the wheel of 289 00:20:18,076 --> 00:20:22,316 Speaker 1: a metallic green two twenty two M five in competition trims. 290 00:20:22,596 --> 00:20:26,116 Speaker 1: Get out, okay, let me just get my recorder out again. 291 00:20:26,796 --> 00:20:30,196 Speaker 1: The real color is called Verdi Ermez. It has six 292 00:20:30,356 --> 00:20:33,596 Speaker 1: hundred and seventeen horsepower to Malcolm's cars three hundred and 293 00:20:33,676 --> 00:20:37,836 Speaker 1: ninety four. It costs one hundred and thirty eight thousand 294 00:20:37,876 --> 00:20:42,116 Speaker 1: dollars to Malcolm's seventy thousand, though Malcolm's car is three 295 00:20:42,116 --> 00:20:45,836 Speaker 1: thousand miles away and tucked back into winter storage. The 296 00:20:45,876 --> 00:20:49,476 Speaker 1: impression it left on me is vivid enough. Has all 297 00:20:49,476 --> 00:20:52,756 Speaker 1: this evolution led to a more engaging car, a better 298 00:20:52,756 --> 00:20:55,436 Speaker 1: sports dann a more fun ride? All right? So here 299 00:20:55,436 --> 00:20:59,796 Speaker 1: we are in this is the twenty twenty two and five. 300 00:21:00,156 --> 00:21:03,076 Speaker 1: There are tons of key differences, all of which I 301 00:21:03,196 --> 00:21:07,436 Speaker 1: describe as the difference between a digital car and an 302 00:21:07,476 --> 00:21:12,316 Speaker 1: analog car. But this car does not have a manual transmission. 303 00:21:12,916 --> 00:21:17,516 Speaker 1: It has a automatic transmission that's highly adaptive to your 304 00:21:17,596 --> 00:21:20,836 Speaker 1: driving style. And this car claims to get to know you. 305 00:21:21,476 --> 00:21:24,316 Speaker 1: It shifts intelligently, It knows if you're driving hard, and 306 00:21:24,396 --> 00:21:27,756 Speaker 1: it will hold gears for you. It will downshift for 307 00:21:27,796 --> 00:21:32,156 Speaker 1: you if you bend it into a corner really hard 308 00:21:32,636 --> 00:21:35,276 Speaker 1: and or set up for a corner, I should say, 309 00:21:36,716 --> 00:21:40,876 Speaker 1: So you know, all throughout this car you're going to 310 00:21:40,996 --> 00:21:47,876 Speaker 1: see the transition from an analog, very simple sort of 311 00:21:47,916 --> 00:21:53,876 Speaker 1: car to a much more complicated, much more software intensive machine. 312 00:21:54,796 --> 00:21:57,076 Speaker 1: The roads were driving are not like the ones in 313 00:21:57,156 --> 00:22:01,716 Speaker 1: upstate New York. The roads around here are impossibly smooth, 314 00:22:02,396 --> 00:22:07,796 Speaker 1: perfectly undulating vines crawling up the lush Palas Verdes hills. 315 00:22:08,396 --> 00:22:11,436 Speaker 1: They are the place tonic ideal of driving roads. The 316 00:22:11,636 --> 00:22:18,716 Speaker 1: video game version of reality. Same with the car. There's 317 00:22:18,716 --> 00:22:22,036 Speaker 1: a nagging video game like simulation to the whole thing. 318 00:22:24,276 --> 00:22:26,716 Speaker 1: Here's a list of what was mechanical in Malcolm's car 319 00:22:27,116 --> 00:22:33,116 Speaker 1: and is now electronically controlled. The shifter, the steering, the braking, 320 00:22:33,476 --> 00:22:37,796 Speaker 1: the suspension, the rear deferential And there's stuff in the 321 00:22:37,836 --> 00:22:40,796 Speaker 1: new M five that never even existed when Malcolm's car 322 00:22:40,836 --> 00:22:45,356 Speaker 1: was around. Stuff like electronically controlled all wheel drive, lane 323 00:22:45,436 --> 00:22:47,876 Speaker 1: keeping software that scans the road and sends a little 324 00:22:47,916 --> 00:22:49,756 Speaker 1: buzz to the steering wheel when you veer out of 325 00:22:49,796 --> 00:22:53,636 Speaker 1: your lane. Automatic emergency braking in case you don't react 326 00:22:53,716 --> 00:22:55,876 Speaker 1: quickly enough to the person slamming on their brakes in 327 00:22:55,916 --> 00:22:59,036 Speaker 1: front of you, blind spot warning which flashes a little 328 00:22:59,076 --> 00:23:03,196 Speaker 1: light in the side view mirror. Wi Fi, Apple car 329 00:23:03,276 --> 00:23:07,636 Speaker 1: Play in car apps like ways in Pandora, accessed via 330 00:23:07,716 --> 00:23:11,196 Speaker 1: Apple car Play, and as we'll see later in the episode, 331 00:23:11,676 --> 00:23:17,596 Speaker 1: something called just Your Control. The thing about great sports cars, 332 00:23:17,596 --> 00:23:19,556 Speaker 1: and I think this is also true of great sports 333 00:23:19,556 --> 00:23:23,276 Speaker 1: at ends, is that there's a level of simplicity there. 334 00:23:23,756 --> 00:23:27,316 Speaker 1: All of the efforts are transparent, all of the functioning 335 00:23:27,476 --> 00:23:30,836 Speaker 1: is transparent to the driver. But you know, the thing 336 00:23:30,876 --> 00:23:34,916 Speaker 1: about Malcolm's car the E thirty nine is that that 337 00:23:35,076 --> 00:23:38,636 Speaker 1: is a triumph of tuning, of honing and honing and honing. 338 00:23:38,956 --> 00:23:45,516 Speaker 1: It's very simple, analog stuff, no adaptive suspension, no software 339 00:23:45,516 --> 00:23:49,516 Speaker 1: and the suspension, no software in the transmission, no software 340 00:23:49,556 --> 00:23:52,996 Speaker 1: in the rear differential. It was just tuned by humans. 341 00:23:53,516 --> 00:23:56,196 Speaker 1: And you can really tell you you can really, I 342 00:23:56,236 --> 00:24:00,916 Speaker 1: mean you feel the artist's hand. Okay, I have to 343 00:24:00,956 --> 00:24:04,436 Speaker 1: digress here for a second. There's something I just can't 344 00:24:04,436 --> 00:24:06,716 Speaker 1: get out of my head when I'm driving this new 345 00:24:06,756 --> 00:24:10,916 Speaker 1: twenty twenty two M five. There's a record producer named 346 00:24:10,996 --> 00:24:15,196 Speaker 1: Rick Biatto with a popular YouTube channel. In one video, 347 00:24:15,396 --> 00:24:17,716 Speaker 1: he plays a clip of led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham 348 00:24:17,796 --> 00:24:21,476 Speaker 1: bashing away, an isolated track of him just jamming on 349 00:24:21,636 --> 00:24:25,316 Speaker 1: at your alle Let's hear what the unquantized version sounds like. 350 00:24:35,876 --> 00:24:39,476 Speaker 1: You can hear those dead. Then Biato plays a version 351 00:24:39,476 --> 00:24:41,516 Speaker 1: of the same bonhom beat that's been processed through the 352 00:24:41,556 --> 00:24:45,796 Speaker 1: computer and quantized. Quantizing is when you use digital technology 353 00:24:45,996 --> 00:24:48,876 Speaker 1: to perfect the timing and intervals between notes. Let's hear 354 00:24:48,916 --> 00:24:58,436 Speaker 1: the quantized one again, just for comparison. So stiff, it 355 00:24:58,556 --> 00:25:03,076 Speaker 1: just sounds dead. It sounds robotic sounds programmed. Bonhom is 356 00:25:03,116 --> 00:25:06,356 Speaker 1: widely regarded by drummers as the E thirty nine M 357 00:25:06,476 --> 00:25:11,836 Speaker 1: five of rock skinsman the His sound is crisp and ringy, 358 00:25:12,196 --> 00:25:14,436 Speaker 1: and he always seems to play right in the pocket. 359 00:25:15,116 --> 00:25:18,636 Speaker 1: But Biatto's exercise reveals that Bonhom's tempo is all over 360 00:25:18,676 --> 00:25:23,196 Speaker 1: the place. He's not perfect, far from it. His drumming 361 00:25:23,316 --> 00:25:25,996 Speaker 1: is sort of in conversation with Jimmy Page's guitar and 362 00:25:26,076 --> 00:25:30,276 Speaker 1: John Paul Jones's bass, reacting to them, moving the beat 363 00:25:30,316 --> 00:25:34,996 Speaker 1: around so it swings, so it grooves, so it feels alive. 364 00:25:35,636 --> 00:25:39,236 Speaker 1: The imperfections are what make the song work, what propels 365 00:25:39,236 --> 00:25:45,836 Speaker 1: it forward. The perfected beat Biatto made it feels lifeless. 366 00:25:45,916 --> 00:25:49,196 Speaker 1: So it is with the twenty twenty two BMWM five 367 00:25:50,236 --> 00:25:56,316 Speaker 1: perfect airbrushed, flawless. Also, to look at it, it's more 368 00:25:56,316 --> 00:26:01,116 Speaker 1: overtly sporty and aggressive. The sneak attack is gone. Nothing 369 00:26:01,156 --> 00:26:03,716 Speaker 1: under the radar about this thing. Our car was just 370 00:26:03,956 --> 00:26:08,436 Speaker 1: dragging green with yellow gold brake calipers, huge bronze wheels, 371 00:26:09,116 --> 00:26:12,756 Speaker 1: gigantic flared nostrils. You notice it. I mean, this is 372 00:26:12,756 --> 00:26:15,916 Speaker 1: an incredible card, don't get me wrong, But it doesn't 373 00:26:15,956 --> 00:26:17,916 Speaker 1: have the same level of feel and the same level 374 00:26:18,196 --> 00:26:21,196 Speaker 1: of engagement at every speed that the old M five 375 00:26:21,276 --> 00:26:25,836 Speaker 1: head is. I mean, listen to this. This is just nuts. 376 00:26:26,876 --> 00:26:31,476 Speaker 1: It's nus and it really livens up and it's it 377 00:26:31,516 --> 00:26:36,516 Speaker 1: feels tremendously sporty and fun. But the whole process is 378 00:26:36,556 --> 00:26:40,116 Speaker 1: being managed to buy electronics. Right, like triggering a line 379 00:26:40,116 --> 00:26:42,956 Speaker 1: of code, right, triggering a line of code. It's not 380 00:26:43,036 --> 00:26:47,476 Speaker 1: the real thing, Yeah, it's a it's a simulation of 381 00:26:47,516 --> 00:26:51,556 Speaker 1: the real thing. Yeah. In this new M five, you 382 00:26:51,596 --> 00:26:55,076 Speaker 1: can tailor the simulation through the central screen and console 383 00:26:55,156 --> 00:26:58,596 Speaker 1: mounted rotary dial. You can choose the engine response mode 384 00:26:58,636 --> 00:27:01,796 Speaker 1: you want, from laid back to face melting. You can 385 00:27:01,836 --> 00:27:05,996 Speaker 1: adjust the dampers from motel mattress soft to diamond tipped hard. 386 00:27:06,556 --> 00:27:09,476 Speaker 1: You can firm up the steering, hasten the shifts, speed 387 00:27:09,876 --> 00:27:13,076 Speaker 1: a portion torque around the car, all via the screen. 388 00:27:13,956 --> 00:27:17,356 Speaker 1: In the E thirty nine, there's none of that. There's 389 00:27:17,356 --> 00:27:21,076 Speaker 1: no customization beyond the sport mode, which, as we've established, 390 00:27:21,516 --> 00:27:25,956 Speaker 1: is superfluous. There are no settings to configure, no menus 391 00:27:25,996 --> 00:27:29,396 Speaker 1: to scroll through. It's the antithesis of the new M 392 00:27:29,436 --> 00:27:31,956 Speaker 1: five and this one. It's saying, look, we've created all 393 00:27:31,996 --> 00:27:36,076 Speaker 1: these customizations you can choose, just push a button and 394 00:27:37,156 --> 00:27:41,076 Speaker 1: will adapt to what you want. Whereas the old one, 395 00:27:41,076 --> 00:27:43,196 Speaker 1: it was like they were saying, this is what you want, yeah, 396 00:27:43,436 --> 00:27:48,196 Speaker 1: and we know it's best worthy chassis engineers, we know 397 00:27:48,276 --> 00:27:52,116 Speaker 1: what's good and this is our philosophy and we believe it, 398 00:27:52,156 --> 00:27:54,916 Speaker 1: and so should you. I mean there's an irony in 399 00:27:55,076 --> 00:27:58,956 Speaker 1: that choice, right you think, oh, well, you know, if 400 00:27:58,956 --> 00:28:03,316 Speaker 1: I can choose my chassis settings and my steering settings 401 00:28:03,316 --> 00:28:05,756 Speaker 1: and probably want to put it all together, I have 402 00:28:05,836 --> 00:28:09,516 Speaker 1: more choice. You know, I'm in more control. But you know, 403 00:28:10,116 --> 00:28:14,796 Speaker 1: the simple single setting approach of the old car ironically 404 00:28:15,276 --> 00:28:18,196 Speaker 1: gives you a greater feeling of control, not less this 405 00:28:18,756 --> 00:28:23,756 Speaker 1: car obviously, you know the ride is really supple. You 406 00:28:23,836 --> 00:28:27,636 Speaker 1: know it's a great car, there's no question about it. 407 00:28:27,676 --> 00:28:31,316 Speaker 1: But is it more fun to drive? It's certainly faster, right, 408 00:28:31,756 --> 00:28:34,836 Speaker 1: does it communicate with you more? I would say no. 409 00:28:34,996 --> 00:28:40,036 Speaker 1: I think there's a layer of mediation between this car 410 00:28:40,076 --> 00:28:46,076 Speaker 1: and its driver. It's bottom optimized. It's bottom without the swing, 411 00:28:46,596 --> 00:28:51,236 Speaker 1: the give, the tension, all this electronic virtual stuff, all 412 00:28:51,276 --> 00:28:55,156 Speaker 1: these non mechanical interfaces, they are a layer of mediation 413 00:28:55,236 --> 00:28:59,116 Speaker 1: between the human and the machine a thin film of artifice. 414 00:28:59,956 --> 00:29:01,716 Speaker 1: We might not be able to put words to it, 415 00:29:01,996 --> 00:29:04,796 Speaker 1: but we can feel it somewhere deep down in the 416 00:29:04,916 --> 00:29:09,716 Speaker 1: uncanny valley. We're talking about the old school versus the 417 00:29:09,796 --> 00:29:13,356 Speaker 1: new And you know, I don't want to sound like 418 00:29:13,836 --> 00:29:15,716 Speaker 1: a stick of the mud or that. You know, I 419 00:29:15,756 --> 00:29:19,716 Speaker 1: don't have an appreciation for what the new sort of 420 00:29:20,476 --> 00:29:25,716 Speaker 1: rules are and how incredible the performance of some of 421 00:29:25,796 --> 00:29:32,116 Speaker 1: these machines can be. But there's a difference between the 422 00:29:32,316 --> 00:29:41,036 Speaker 1: kind of on paper gains like in grip and shift speed, 423 00:29:41,676 --> 00:29:46,316 Speaker 1: in horsepower and torque. There's a there's a real gap 424 00:29:46,396 --> 00:29:49,836 Speaker 1: between that on paper stuff and how the car makes 425 00:29:49,836 --> 00:29:58,756 Speaker 1: you feel. Yeah. Yeah, it's like subtraction by addition almost. Yeah. 426 00:29:59,316 --> 00:30:01,076 Speaker 1: I am really not trying to dunk on the new 427 00:30:01,196 --> 00:30:05,516 Speaker 1: M five. It's not some outlier, a purely digital, cold 428 00:30:05,596 --> 00:30:10,476 Speaker 1: robotic machine in a sea of warm automotive dolphins. All 429 00:30:10,516 --> 00:30:13,316 Speaker 1: cars are like this. Now it takes us back to 430 00:30:13,356 --> 00:30:17,996 Speaker 1: the original question, buy is that old M five so memorable? 431 00:30:18,836 --> 00:30:22,676 Speaker 1: Why do we love it so because it's analog and 432 00:30:22,756 --> 00:30:26,316 Speaker 1: the new car is digital? Because they had time then 433 00:30:26,596 --> 00:30:30,276 Speaker 1: they don't have now. Truly, they don't make them like 434 00:30:30,316 --> 00:30:32,956 Speaker 1: they used to does it result in a car that 435 00:30:33,196 --> 00:30:42,996 Speaker 1: makes you happier? I would say no, yeah, yeah, it's 436 00:30:43,116 --> 00:30:47,516 Speaker 1: it's deep down, it's about agency, deep down, our kind 437 00:30:47,516 --> 00:30:50,076 Speaker 1: of Olympic system. Our lizard brain knows that we're not 438 00:30:50,156 --> 00:31:09,036 Speaker 1: in control and we don't love that. Yeah. Yeah, Hey, guys, 439 00:31:09,156 --> 00:31:13,156 Speaker 1: how's it going through the miracle of Bluetooth hands free calling? 440 00:31:13,676 --> 00:31:16,356 Speaker 1: We thought we'd check back in with Malcolm? So, what 441 00:31:17,196 --> 00:31:19,356 Speaker 1: are you in the Are you in the five right now? Yeah, 442 00:31:19,396 --> 00:31:22,116 Speaker 1: we're at the wheel of the M five. He wanted 443 00:31:22,156 --> 00:31:24,476 Speaker 1: to know what it was like. We wanted to let 444 00:31:24,556 --> 00:31:27,876 Speaker 1: him know to keep his old car six hundred and 445 00:31:28,036 --> 00:31:36,836 Speaker 1: seven teen um mostly unusable horsepower. We're talking about this idea, 446 00:31:37,276 --> 00:31:44,236 Speaker 1: we're circling this idea of like index of usability right, um? Yeah, 447 00:31:44,236 --> 00:31:48,596 Speaker 1: how much of the car can you use safely on 448 00:31:48,756 --> 00:31:54,356 Speaker 1: public roads within your level of ability and skill? So 449 00:31:54,396 --> 00:31:59,796 Speaker 1: that's fun and not completely dangerous and terrifying. And that's 450 00:31:59,836 --> 00:32:02,436 Speaker 1: where this car really falls down to me. It's so 451 00:32:02,636 --> 00:32:06,876 Speaker 1: incredibly competent and powerful and does so many great things, 452 00:32:06,916 --> 00:32:11,596 Speaker 1: and but where are you going to use it? Yeah? No, 453 00:32:11,756 --> 00:32:16,756 Speaker 1: it's like a total waste of time. I don't even understand, Like, 454 00:32:17,116 --> 00:32:20,836 Speaker 1: so you're gonna You're really gonna putter around town in 455 00:32:20,916 --> 00:32:23,636 Speaker 1: the in the Walmart parking line in a car with 456 00:32:23,756 --> 00:32:29,396 Speaker 1: seven hunt a horseball. Right, It's like, it's like the 457 00:32:29,436 --> 00:32:35,516 Speaker 1: whole thing ridiculous. We've gone past the reasonable peak of 458 00:32:35,556 --> 00:32:39,436 Speaker 1: these kinds of automobiles. There's all this incredible amount of 459 00:32:39,436 --> 00:32:44,076 Speaker 1: brain power that's being used to serve a very questionable 460 00:32:44,196 --> 00:32:47,836 Speaker 1: and marginal end. I want to liberate the engineers of 461 00:32:48,396 --> 00:32:51,836 Speaker 1: bmwho and like put them on a project that's worthy 462 00:32:51,876 --> 00:32:55,916 Speaker 1: of their intelligence and expertise. I once attended a lecture 463 00:32:55,956 --> 00:32:59,796 Speaker 1: by a guy who really building at engineer out of 464 00:32:59,796 --> 00:33:06,396 Speaker 1: Stanford who figured out how to make a compostible toilet. Yeah, 465 00:33:06,836 --> 00:33:12,716 Speaker 1: all you needed was sand, gravel, dirt, and a lot 466 00:33:12,716 --> 00:33:18,076 Speaker 1: of worms. And like, this is a guy who could have, 467 00:33:18,436 --> 00:33:22,236 Speaker 1: in a previous iteration, could have gone to work for 468 00:33:23,716 --> 00:33:28,916 Speaker 1: you know, BMW or General Electric or instead he decided, 469 00:33:29,876 --> 00:33:31,916 Speaker 1: is there a way to get worms to be the 470 00:33:32,836 --> 00:33:38,036 Speaker 1: active component in one of the world's most pressing problems? 471 00:33:38,436 --> 00:33:41,436 Speaker 1: And the answer is yes, Yes. The people didn't understand 472 00:33:41,436 --> 00:33:43,756 Speaker 1: that you had to aerate. So you just have a 473 00:33:43,756 --> 00:33:46,876 Speaker 1: hole and you poop in the hole and the worms 474 00:33:46,916 --> 00:33:50,556 Speaker 1: break it down. So quickly. It doesn't even smell wow. 475 00:33:52,236 --> 00:33:56,196 Speaker 1: But this is a smart dude who, instead of working 476 00:33:56,276 --> 00:34:00,516 Speaker 1: on the final tweet to the internal combustion engine or 477 00:34:00,556 --> 00:34:04,196 Speaker 1: adding twenty horsepower to a six hundred fifty horsepower car, 478 00:34:05,276 --> 00:34:09,836 Speaker 1: decided he would like he would fix toilets and do 479 00:34:09,956 --> 00:34:17,596 Speaker 1: something that's useful to the health of humanity. Exactly. That's 480 00:34:17,596 --> 00:34:22,396 Speaker 1: a worthy problem for the person who extracted an extra 481 00:34:22,516 --> 00:34:27,916 Speaker 1: hundred horsepower out of the PMW. Maybe one day Malcolm's 482 00:34:27,996 --> 00:34:30,556 Speaker 1: vision will come true and we'll get the world's best 483 00:34:30,596 --> 00:34:33,876 Speaker 1: engineers to focus on solving problems that actually make the 484 00:34:33,916 --> 00:34:37,996 Speaker 1: world a better place. Until then, the last thing I 485 00:34:38,036 --> 00:34:41,996 Speaker 1: want to show you is we're talking about audio and 486 00:34:42,076 --> 00:34:45,596 Speaker 1: digital stuff. Here's the convergence of it. I can control 487 00:34:45,716 --> 00:34:51,556 Speaker 1: the radio, I can control the radio vine with hindo finger. 488 00:34:52,116 --> 00:34:54,876 Speaker 1: I'm not even touching the knob. You're waving your finger 489 00:34:54,916 --> 00:34:57,956 Speaker 1: in a circle, and I'm waving and swiping at the 490 00:34:57,996 --> 00:35:04,076 Speaker 1: screen like Tom Cruise and Minority Report. I'm just making 491 00:35:04,076 --> 00:35:07,996 Speaker 1: a circular motion with my finger. That's just your control. 492 00:35:08,396 --> 00:35:31,996 Speaker 1: That's the action layer. Okay, I'm terrified. Right. Car Show 493 00:35:32,076 --> 00:35:35,756 Speaker 1: is written and hosted by me Eddie Alterman. It's produced 494 00:35:35,796 --> 00:35:40,276 Speaker 1: by Sam Dingman, Jacob Smith and Amy Gaines. Our editor 495 00:35:40,436 --> 00:35:45,076 Speaker 1: is Jen Guera. Original music and mastering by Ben Tomiday. 496 00:35:45,876 --> 00:35:50,276 Speaker 1: Our executive producer is Mia Lobell. Our show art was 497 00:35:50,316 --> 00:35:54,396 Speaker 1: designed by Sean Karney and airbrushed by Greg Lafeever. Our 498 00:35:54,436 --> 00:35:57,996 Speaker 1: patron Saints are the Tom Allad and Justine Lane. Big 499 00:35:58,076 --> 00:36:00,996 Speaker 1: thank you to my guest and BMW and five enthusiasts 500 00:36:01,116 --> 00:36:04,756 Speaker 1: Malcolm Gladwell. And thanks to the folks of BMW for 501 00:36:04,796 --> 00:36:08,036 Speaker 1: the ride in the twenty twenty two M five competition. 502 00:36:09,276 --> 00:36:12,316 Speaker 1: Car Show is a production of Pushkin Industries. If you 503 00:36:12,396 --> 00:36:16,116 Speaker 1: love this show and others from Pushkin Industries, consider subscribing 504 00:36:16,156 --> 00:36:19,836 Speaker 1: to Pushkin Plus. Pushkin Plus is a podcast subscription that 505 00:36:19,956 --> 00:36:23,956 Speaker 1: offers bonus content and uninterrupted listening for four ninety nine 506 00:36:23,956 --> 00:36:27,756 Speaker 1: a month. Look for Pushkin Plus on Apple podcast subscriptions. 507 00:36:28,236 --> 00:36:32,156 Speaker 1: To find more Pushkin podcasts, listen on the iHeartRadio app, 508 00:36:32,556 --> 00:36:35,996 Speaker 1: Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts.