🎥 Tim Allen Gets Real: Teaching His Daughters to Drive, Why He Wants a Tank, Toy Story 5 Secrets & New Show Shifting Gears 🚗💥

Tim Allen stopped by to swap stories about fatherhood, fast machines, and his latest projects, delivering the blend of mischief and nostalgia that’s made him a fan favorite for decades. From food poisoning on show day to coaxing his daughters through the perils of driving, and from piloting an Abrams tank to teasing Toy Story 5, Allen’s conversation was a spirited cruise through the lanes of his life and career.

A rough night, a tougher customer
– The no-show that wasn’t meant to be: Allen recalled missing a scheduled appearance for the first time in decades after eating vegan pizza during a rehearsal. What started as an adventurous bite turned into a full-on gastrointestinal disaster. He joked he’d have needed “two buckets” on set.
– The show-must-go-on mindset: He shared a story about once performing with a concussion—after walking into a hidden glass door at a restaurant—relying on a prayer and adrenaline to carry him through.

Dad in the driver’s seat: teaching his daughters to drive
– High-horsepower parenting: Allen introduced his daughters to driving in serious machinery, from a three-quarter-ton GMC truck to a ZR1 Corvette and a Dodge 170. His philosophy: let them learn real vehicle dynamics, even if it means some nerve-racking rides.
– Two daughters, two styles: His older daughter, Kate, wasn’t thrilled with the high-speed lessons. The younger, Elizabeth, proved to be a natural—so comfortable that Allen found himself distracted by phone calls mid-lesson before catching himself: “Wait, who’s driving?”
– A mischievous past: Allen grew up in a family of gearheads and admitted to “borrowing” his mom’s and grandmother’s cars, mastering the art of sneaking them back into the driveway—and occasionally blowing out a muffler after a carburetor backfire.

A love for engines—on land, sea, and air
– The military machine bucket list: Allen has driven an Abrams tank, flown in an F/A-18 Hornet doing aileron rolls, and even helmed a Los Angeles-class attack submarine—peppering the submarine crew with questions about speed, depth, and propeller cavitation until the captain threatened to lock him up for pestering.
– Tank fever: He’s tried to buy a tank of his own, joining the ranks of Jay Leno and Arnold Schwarzenegger. Reality—and Burbank regulations—got in the way: rubber tracks required, unusual vehicle permitting, and one big spousal veto. As Allen put it, a tank would be a “divorce purchase.”

Shifting Gears and shifting roles
– New series: Allen’s ABC show, Shifting Gears, puts his automotive passion front and center, blending comedy with car culture, and reuniting him with familiar faces like Jenna Elfman in a Halloween-themed bit.
– Trick-or-treating in the hills: Allen joked he discourages trick-or-treaters from trekking to his steep Hollywood Hills home, preferring to take his family to neighborhoods like Toluca Lake for a more traditional Halloween experience.

Buzz Lightyear returns: Toy Story 5 teases
– Back to infinity and beyond: Allen is working on Toy Story 5, hinting at an ensemble adventure with a core storyline involving Jessie in trouble.
– The “B-story” he loves: He gleefully described a plane-crash subplot stranding a hundred Buzz Lightyear toys who must figure out who’s in charge and how to get home—imagining himself voicing the entire troop of confused Space Rangers.
– Respect for the legacy: He praised Toy Story 3 as a near-perfect close, noting that 4 stretched the saga emotionally, and suggesting 5 aims to recapture the humor and heart that defined the series.

Before the sitcoms: Tim the DJ and commercial man
– Club life at 24: Allen reminisced about his days as a nightclub DJ controlling lights, floors, walls, and a live drummer to keep the energy up—strategically dropping a slow track (“sorry, Joni Mitchell”) to get people to the bar.
– Vintage ad gold: Jimmy Kimmel dug up an old Elias Brothers Big Boy commercial featuring Allen extolling a discounted scallops dinner—after which Allen dryly vowed he would not eat scallops, ever.

Why Tim Allen still resonates
– The charm of contradictions: He’s a meticulous car guy who makes reckless-sounding teenage confessions. A family man who jokes about owning an armored vehicle. A comedic tough-guy whose soft spot for Toy Story’s found family keeps him coming back to the recording booth.
– Always game for a ride: Whether it’s teaching his daughter to master a V8, chasing a permit for a tank, or piloting a submarine under a skeptical captain’s eye, Allen’s restless curiosity keeps his stories—and his career—moving.

Where to catch him
– Shifting Gears airs Wednesday nights on ABC, with episodes streaming the following day on Hulu.
– Tim continues to tour stand-up, with upcoming dates noted during the segment.

Bottom line
Tim Allen remains a storyteller powered by equal parts octane and heart. He’s the dad who hands you the keys to something a little too fast, the comic who laughs at his own misadventures, and the voice who still makes “to infinity… and beyond” feel new. Whether he’s chasing a tank or a perfect punchline, Allen is, as ever, shifting gears—and inviting us along for the ride.