Episodes
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As we polish off the 100th episode of our podcast, what better topic to land on than the 100th anniversary of the founding of "The Ultimate Driving Machine." BMW is the featured marque at this year's Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca and Tom Plucinsky, Department Head of BMW Corporate Communications, explains all the goings on surrounding the event including BMW's on display and on the track. From the prewar sports car, the 328, to the 3.0 CSL and the famous Art Cars in between—this was a true showcase of the maker's racing heritage and past accomplishments. Yet, in a world built for opulence and power, the direct opposite was on display at the 2016 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance as a green, 1961 BMW Isetta Police Car complete with its own uniformed German police officer stole the show. We speak to its owner, Steven, who shares the Isetta's background with us and how he managed to execute the look of this beloved microcar. Finally, we delve deeper into the difference between historic and vintage BMW cars and finding racing success with renowned BMW tuner, Bill Watson of Road Rockets in Sonoma, California.
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NASCAR rolls into Sonoma Raceway each spring for its one only round course. The seasonal heat and raceway combine for a wild card race where the winner is anyone's guess. We hear from several drivers including two Kyles—Busch and Larson—along with points leader, Jimmie Johnson, who discusses his approach on finishing the season strong. We also hear from Claire B. Lang, the host of "Dialed In" on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, as she weighs in on the intricacies of racing in the NASCAR circuit. Finally we're joined by Chip Ganassi, having just returned from a team victory at Lemans, who shares his thoughts on what it takes to develop a racing team.
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Episodes manquant?
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Stop us if you've heard this one: A nuclear scientist, an aerospace engineer and an IndyCar driver walk into the Stanford REVS Program. Wait, it's true! American race car driver J.R. Hildebrand is the professor and the other two are his pupils. All three join this episode's conversation about what Stanford has developed to educate those who will be creating the future of mobility. This is heavy! Executive Director of the REVS Program, Reilly Brennan also joins the podcast to talk abouthow seriously Stanford views the history of cars and a cool class any auto aficionado would want to take.
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The 2016 Best Driver's Car competition is one of Motor Trend's four signature events that rounds up this year's newest, sporty metal from manufacturers the world over. This is the competition that aims to find the car that enables any driver, regardless of their experience, to get the best out of it and the best out of themselves. The production value is high given the quality and the depth of data harvested for this accolade with bragging rights at stake. So how does a week like this come together? Who's in attendance? How does the Motor Trend team decide on the potential list of contenders? What does performance testing actually consist of? Lean in as we pull back the curtain to reveal the inner workings of this competition to find the most rewarding car to drive.
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This week, we talk about the reintroduction of the legendary Italian roadster—the Fiat 124 Spider. Fiat revealed the all new 124 at the 2015 LA Auto Show last year and Motor Trend's Senior Features Editor, Jonny Lieberman, was a bit underwhelmed with the its look at that time. Now Fiat has announced a new partnership with the Bondurant Racing School, Jonny has driven the car and everyone seems happy. Jason Bondurant, VP of the Bondurant Racing School, details the experience, which includes classroom instruction, team rally cross activities, slalom and hot laps in the Fiat 124 Spider Abarth. We also meet Dennis Holloway, Owner and President of Mothers, who briefs us on the history of the company name and offers up some car care advice for auto aficionados. Beyond polishes, waxes and cleaning products, Mothers has deep ties to the Barret-Jackson auctions and Hot Rod's Power Tour and are enthusiasts themselves, racing Mazda RX-8's in the Southern California Region of the National Auto Sport Association's (NASA) competitive racing series.
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The Motor Trend Audio team review all the goings on that comprise the wonderful week on the Monterey Peninsula ahead of the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance. Call it what you like—Pebble Beach Auto Week, Monterey Car Week or as one local labeled it, "that car thing that causes all the traffic"—it comprises many days of automotive wonderment. Charlie, Shawn and Alex go over all the different events that take place during the week, including auctions, car shows, forums, memorabilia, races and more. But it's the vehicles in attendance that steal the show, ranging from the opulent to the ordinary, olden to the modern, the powerful to powerless. We frequent this prestigious event for days every year and never get our fill of the passion, perfection and people that surround Pebble Beach.
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Vic Doolan is a successful automotive executive that contributed to the popularity of BMW in the USA. He talks about his experience starting in Africa with British Leyland, as well as his tenure at Volvo North America, paving strong sales foundations for each manufacturer along the way. Additionally, we're joined by famous car designer Henrik Fisker who also made his mark at BMW. Henrik started at BMW before moving on to Ford and Aston Martin and has had a hand in many modern automotive masterpieces including the BMW Z8, the Aston Martin V8 Vantage, and of course, the Fisker Karma. Now, as a founding partner of VLF Automotive, Henrik is yet again looking to set the bar when it comes to design, innovation and luxury standards.
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Every two years Mini takes the States! Mini organizes a drive across the United States and anyone who owns a Mini can participate. Thousands of Mini owners from around the country (and around the world) join all or part of the drive. For the past 10 years the 6 MTTSs have become the largest owner driving event created by a brand. This year's 15 day rally was 4373 miles long through 18 states and ended in sweltering desert heat. Two years ago Charlie and Shawn drove the first day and this time they drove the last. Along the way they share their impression of the event, the Mini Clubman and meet several Mini aficionados including Tom from Mini, Eric from Automobile, Fausto from Spain and our good friends Todd and Alex from White Roof Radio.
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Maurizio Sala wrote the book on Alfa Romeo…well, if not "the" book it was "a" book and there were lots of pictures. He is passionate about Alfa Romeo because it's been an integral part of his family for generations. Maurizio has an infectious accent and he's excited to share his family's history and advice for future car buyers. We also meet Dr. John "Tico" McNutt, Founder and Director of the Botswana Predator Conservation Trust. He shares his multi-decade experience operating a fleet of Land Rovers in the wilds of Africa. Every day, Tico puts Land Rover engineering and his own resourcefulness to the test as he depends on the marque's "reliability" in an incredibly hostile environment.
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Beepi and Shift are a couple of Bay Area startups for used car buyers and sellers. The two services have the same value proposition, utilizing technology to create an all new buying and selling experience. In the process, customer service is greatly improved and the hassle associated with these transactions is alleviated. Used cars are displayed with wonderful photos, complete details and pricing that benefits everyone involved. However, this is where the similarities end. We dig into both services to learn how they are each revolutionizing the car buying process to reduce angst and make it more efficient. Listen to find out which experience is right for you.
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Two of Europe's most historic rally races, the Mille Miglia and the 24 Hours of Le Mans, take center stage in this week's episode. Motor Trend's Senior Features Editor Jonny Lieberman and legendary racing driver and team owner Chip Ganassi leave their mark in Europe. We start with Jonny who relives the thrill of being behind the wheel of a $2 million dollar 1956 Mercedes-Benz 300SL in the Mille Miglia, the 1000-mile open-road endurance rally held in Italy. Over the course of 4 days, Jonny and his Gullwing travel from Brescia to Rome and back at breakneck speeds, ignoring speed limits and traffic lights in what Enzo Ferrari once called "the world's most beautiful road race." Jonny also comments on the 24 Hours of Le Mans, where the Ford Chip Ganassi Racing team won the GTE Pro class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans with the Ford GT. We asked Chip Ganassi to give his perspective on fielding the winning car and his renewed appreciation for the event.
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Delphi Automotive is a Tier 1 global supplier and innovator of vehicle technology to the automotive industry, whose parts are very likely found in your car today. In 2015, Delphi's team of engineers installed its self-driving hardware in a 2014 Audi SQ5 and completed a 3,400 mile cross-country trek, collecting data throughout the journey on how the vehicle behaved in real-world environments. However, as much as the company looks to gather information from such experiments and expand its knowledge base, it's also looking to acclimatize humans with the technology propelling the industry toward full autonomy. That's led to the development of what Delphi calls its "Vehicle-to-Everything" (V2E) tech, which allows vehicles to communicate with all types of objects-streets, traffic lights, other cars and even pedestrians-to enhance its situational awareness and eliminate vehicle accidents. Join us as we take Delphi's Audi outfitted with V2E for a spin, as well as talk to the team about what new displays and active safety features are on the way.
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Every year, over a hundred vintage cars gather for "The Great Race." "Race" is a misnomer as the event is organized as a rally and for some it's a survival challenge. The objective of The Great Race is not to see which racer finishes the race the fastest, but rather how "on time" each racer arrives to course checkpoints along the way according to the 200+ instructions provided per day—without the use of odometers or GPS. Any car up through model year 1972 is eligible to participate in the race and the route changes every year. This year, the race kicked off on the West coast in San Rafael, CA and ended 2,500 miles away in Moline, IL with participants stopping for an extended lunch and then overnighting in pre-selected communities each day. In that regard, The Great Race is a traveling vintage auto show. To commemorate 50 years of the Corolla, Toyota fielded a 1970 Corolla true to its original specifications and driven by a star studded crew that includes BMX rider Jamie Bestwick, Editor-in-Chief of RACER magazine Laurence Foster and off-road racing champ BJ Baldwin. You won't want to miss this one!
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This week, we chat with Michael Robinson at NVIDIA's 2016 GPU Technology Conference (GTC) in the Silicon Valley where programmers, researchers and creative types from the world over gather to understand the full power of the upcoming next-generation GPU architecture for gaming applications and beyond. Michael knows a thing or two about innovation as ED Group's Design Director, pushing the boundaries of industrial, automotive and transportation design. At a young age, Michael was drawn to the beauty and innovation of Italian car design. After earning his design degree stateside and a student internship at the Ford Design Center in the late 70's, Michael made the move to Europe to kickoff his career. After stops at several major European manufacturers including Volvo, Ghia, Fiat, and Lancia, he landed his dream job designing for Bertone before it closed it doors in 2013. A futurist, Michael elaborates on his background and paints a picture for us inclusive of the design trends and technological advancements here now and yet to come.
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Ferrari or Porsche? No matter your preference, both manufacturers performance and design pedigree is world-renown. Charlie's travels take him to Maranello, home of the Prancing Horse, where he shares his impressions of the Ferrari Factory Tour-an experience typically available only to Ferrari owners. Our man on the ground gets a rare look at the way Ferraris are assembled as well as a quick behind-the-scenes peak at F1 Team developments. Shawn took advice from our last episode and arranged to drive his dream car on his birthday via Fast Toys Club. With sporty gear changes, increased aerodynamic downforce and a chassis engineered for track use, the GT4 is a sports car just begging to be driven on the edge.
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Imagine having daily access to a fleet of exotic and classic cars, and the lifestyle to boot. Experience the world-class craftsmanship of a Rolls Royce interior. Feather the throttle of a Porsche 911 GT3. Feel the thrill of track day behind the wheel of a Formula One race car. Sure, ownership of a high-performance or luxury vehicle is within reach for some aficionados, but not all. Believe it or not, there is another way to drive that car you always dreamed of. Join a shared-ownership car club. This week we meet Zac Moseley, co-owner of one of the best known clubs in the U.S., the Classic Car Club of Manhattan. Zac shares his passion for the club and its activities, and elaborates on the cars available to club members. On the west coast, Frenchman Chris Carel founded the appropriately named Fast Toys Club and the genesis for how the club and its events came to be. Among Fast Toys' stable of exotic and collectable cars, are a few bona fide race cars like the Pescarolo Le Mans prototype and Mustang Boss 302S. Speaking of racing, you'll need a playground for burning rubber. Enter M1 Concourse. A private garage concept, Brad Oleshansky and Jason Haddad tell us all about this new car haven in the Motor City that allows you to store and work on your vehicles, provides access to an on-site performance track and a retail village all for like-minded enthusiasts.
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Autonomous features are being incorporated into vehicles at a rate that outpaces consumers' awareness of the feature's name and function. Studies have shown that incorporating brake override, adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning and adaptive headlights would save up to 10,000 lives a year. Mark Rechtin, the Cars Content Development Team Leader at Consumer Reports, extolls the virtues of brake override and how Consumer Reports ratings are now impacted by manufacturers who make advanced driver safety systems standard across a model line. Deborah Hersman, CEO of the National Safety Council, also joins us and informs us that 40% of consumers are unaware or confused by the features of their own car. As such, the National Safety Council has teamed up with the University of Iowa to create the website MyCarDoesWhat.org, to educate the public on the ever-changing world of car safety features.
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Bright lights, TV cameras, huge crowds, celebrities, music, food, attractions and "automobilia" on sale. This is the Barrett-Jackson auction. Renown for showcasing some of the world's greatest collector cars, Barrett-Jackson auctions are spectacles that most car lovers can only dream of. Celebrating it's 45th anniversary in 2016, Charlie and Alex decide to partake in the Barrett-Jackson festivities in Scottsdale, AZ. A newbie, Alex describes the carnival-like atmosphere first hand and recommends the best way for a buyer to participate. Throughout the day we encounter several participants, including Aaron Shelby, grandson of the late Carroll Shelby, who was in attendance to buy one of his grandfather's Series-1. We also chat with Mike Kennedy of "Airplane Repo" fame on the Discovery Channel, who flew Burt Reynolds out to the auction help sell the original 1977 "Smokey and the Bandit" Pontiac Firebird Trans Am. Finally, we meet up with Ken Block who's in attendance for the auctioning of a 2016 Ford Focus RS to benefit The Junvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and he talks about his work on the Gymkhana video series.
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Bob Lutz has had a rich and storied career in the automotive industry. His experience spans a 47-year career, that include leadership positions at GM of Europe, BMW, Ford, Chrysler, and back to GM where he retired as vice chairman in 2010. Since then, Bob has been involved with a number of projects including VLF Automotive with Gilbert Villarreal and Henrik Fisker. Bob is also an accomplished author and an active jet and helicopter pilot that shows no signs of slowing down. Through an extended interview, Bob shares his unique perspective on the auto industry—past and present.
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Co-host Shawn lives in San Francisco, can own one car and has a short but hilly commute to work. When he is choosing a car to own he needs to compromise his desire for a performance car with the consideration of driving and parking in the city. We discover and talk about new options for urban mobility that could handle a short commute. These mobility solutions could free Shawn up to own the car he dreams about for performance and track driving.
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