Car Chat

Latest Episodes:

Mike Fernie - Leaving DriveTribe and Going Solo Dec 25, 2025

Show notes

Mike Fernie spent 8+ years at DriveTribe, became Head of Video, and helped build some of the channel’s most-loved nerdy engine deep dives — now he’s gone solo on his own YouTube channel.
We talk Clarkson/Hammond/May behind-the-scenes, how YouTube actually rewards consistency, and what Mike’s building next (including a big-turbo XJS and the infamous V10 MX-5).

https://www.youtube.com/Mike_Fernie

Enjoy.

Show Notes:

00:00 Mike Fernie: the quick backstory (engineering → car media)
03:06 Leaving DriveTribe: why he went solo (and what changes)
06:05 Making videos people actually finish: workflow + production choices
08:56 What the audience really responds to: retention, comments, feedback loops
12:10 DriveTribe’s evolution: what worked, what got harder over time
14:58 From mech eng to car journalism: how Mike got in
18:02 Did DriveTribe change car YouTube / car journalism?
20:55 The next phase of content: personal brands vs “channels with presenters”
23:54 Favourite videos + experimenting creatively (what he’d do more of)
56:00 Icon cars: reliability, running costs, and what’s actually worth owning
1:00:48 Mike’s car taste: the stuff he’s drawn to (and why)
1:04:09 Project car plans: ambitions, budgets, and “bad ideas”
1:08:54 The business of YouTube: strategy, revenue, sustainability
1:12:19 Dream gig: building engines with an OEM / real R&D access
1:18:41 Engine design shifts: what’s changed (and what’s coming back)
1:25:14 High-speed records: what’s possible now, what’s myth
1:31:57 Five-car garage: the keeper list + standout car journeys

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Petrol Ped - Driving The 911 GTS Hybrid And The ICE Cayman / Boxster Are BACK! Oct 28, 2025

Show notes

Petrol Ped joins me to talk hybrids, from plug-ins to Porsche’s new 911 GTS-T Hybrid. We dig into whether a hybrid is better than the same car without. What makes a good PHEV, why real-world MPG figures are nonsense, and how Porsche is bringing back the ICE Boxster / Cayman.

Enjoy.
👉 https://www.youtube.com/@PetrolPed

Show Notes:

02:51 Plug-In Hybrids vs. Full EVs — The Real-World Trade-Off
06:03 How Modern Plug-In Hybrids Finally Got Good
09:00 Charging, Battery Health, and the Myths Around 3-Pin Leads
11:54 Living With a FEV — Real Use, Real Range
15:03 Why WLTP MPG Figures Mean Nothing
17:51 The Hidden Emissions Debate — Manufacturing vs. Use
21:09 What Actually Matters When Buying a Car
23:49 Are EVs Ready for Everyone Yet?
26:50 When Hybrid Tech Meets Performance Cars
30:04 Porsche 911 GTS-T Hybrid — Engineering a Future 911
32:49 EVs, FEVs and Finding the Right Balance
53:50 Porsche Ownership: When “Bulletproof” Isn’t
57:10 The 718 Spyder — Rediscovering What Driving Feels Like
01:02:22 Porsche’s Next Chapter: ICE, Hybrid, or Electric?
01:10:49 Hydrogen, eFuels and Other Future Powertrains
01:18:07 Have We Hit the Speed Limit for Combustion Cars?
01:34:35 Restomods, Soul and the Future of Car Culture

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Tiff Needell - Racer First, TV Second Sep 30, 2025

Show notes

I sit down with Tiff Needell — racer first, TV legend second — to talk F1 beginnings, Le Mans nights, and how the airfield days birthed that trademark opposite-lock testing style. We get honest about what makes a car feel alive, the quiet magic of cheap manuals, EV tradeoffs, and Tiff’s forever garage from McLaren F1 to Morris 1000.

Tiff's Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/1L311xIKsJMmXpyaF1jbbZ

Enjoy,

Show Notes:

00:00 Tiff Needell: End of an Era for Drivers
02:49 Racing Driver → TV: Car Control on Camera
05:35 Motorsport Then vs Now: Cost, Safety, Show
08:45 Tech in Racing: Data, Aero, Tyres, Workload
11:47 Driver Pathways: Karting Costs & Sim Time
15:04 Women in Motorsport: Pipeline & Opportunity
17:54 Why F1 & Group C Thrilled: Power, Noise, Risk
20:45 GT Racing Explained: BoP, Big Grids, Fan Access
23:49 Media’s Role: Storytelling & Authenticity
26:46 Drifting 101: Technique Meets Spectacle
29:42 McLaren F1 Legacy: Design, Feel, Numbers
51:46 Filmmaking x Car Dynamics: Shooting Real Speed
58:05 Hypercars Compared: Performance vs Usability
01:04:13 Auto Media 2.0: YouTube, Algorithms, Niches
01:08:12 Beyond Racing: Golf, Mindset, Longevity
01:17:53 Future of Driving: EVs, Weight, Feedback, Fun

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Al Clark - A Film Maker's Journey From Drift Videos to Bugatti Films Sep 23, 2025

Show notes

Al Clark is the founder of Outrun Films and one of the leading automotive directors working in the industry today. From Bugatti and McLaren to Aston Martin, Al’s career spans viral films, major commercials, and the evolution of CGI car production. We discuss his journey from grassroots filming to global campaigns, what goes into making hypercars look their best on screen, and how the industry is adapting to new platforms.

Enjoy,

https://www.outrun.tv/

00:00 – Intro & Al Clark’s path into car filmmaking
03:00 – How car marketing has evolved over the years
06:00 – Social media reshaping how we see cars
09:00 – From photography to video: the big industry shift
12:00 – Viral clips vs lasting storytelling
15:00 – Shooting for Instagram vs cinematic framing
18:00 – Moving from camera operator to director
21:00 – Why story matters in car films
24:00 – Breaking into the automotive film world
27:00 – Working with OEMs & the realities of brand projects
30:00 – Small crews vs 100-person productions
33:00 – Balancing creativity with logistics on set
36:00 – Where car filmmaking is heading next
39:00 – Why passion for cars shows on screen
42:00 – Shooting Bollywood action with supercars
45:00 – Keeping energy high on long shoots
48:00 – Why car enthusiasts make the best crew
54:00 – Second unit directors & filming car action
58:00 – The stunt drivers who make impossible shots possible
01:00 – Standout driving feats on set
01:02 – Behind the Bugatti Chiron 0–400–0 film
01:10 – First steps into CGI car filmmaking
01:22 – Unlocking creativity with full CGI
01:36 – Real cars vs CGI: where the future lies
01:42 – Why real stories and documentary-style films endure

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Miro Zrnčević | Bugatti Rimac Chief Test And Development Driver Aug 05, 2025

Show notes

Miro Zrnčević is the Chief Test and Development Driver at Bugatti Rimac. We talk about his journey from Croatian car journalist to driving the most powerful hypercars in the world, what makes a great test driver, and how you balance engineering, feel, and feedback at 400 km/h.
Enjoy.
https://www.rimac-automobili.com/
https://www.bugatti.com/

Show Notes:

00:00 The New Era of Hypercars

09:44 From Journalist to Test Driver

16:44 What Makes a Great Test Driver?

24:14 How to Talk to Engineers

30:08 Switching to EVs

40:00 Driving at the Limit

52:54 The Future with Bugatti and Rimac

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Rod Chong – Need for Speed, Speedhunters & The Art of Car Culture Jul 29, 2025

Show notes

Rod Chong is a creative director and automotive cultural icon whose career spans music videos, video games, and real-world car culture. In this episode, Sam explores Rod’s journey from directing rock music videos to co-founding Speedhunters, leading creative direction on Need for Speed and Project CARS, and building cutting-edge car experiences at Race Service with brands like Ferrari and Porsche. It’s a deep dive into racing games, car culture storytelling, and the art of blending virtual and real motorsport.

Enjoy

Show Notes:

00:00 – Why Loving the Creative Process Matters
02:12 – From Drawing Cars to Directing Culture
06:04 – Making Need for Speed and Project CARS
19:08 – Inside Roborace: Autonomous Racing at Speed
24:46 – The Hard Truth About Game Development
32:11 – Track Days, Sim Rigs, and Getting Serious
39:07 – How Speedhunters Changed Car Media
44:11 – Race Service, F1 Clients, and Global Collabs
49:25 – From Street Car to Hot Wheels Diecast
51:48 – Building a Street-Legal Porsche 935
56:42 – Running Canyons with a Built Cayman
01:01:38 – Best Drives, Future Builds, and Dream Garage

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George Williams | The Project Safari Elise And Get Lost Automotive Jul 22, 2025

Show notes

George Williams returns to talk about launching Get Lost Automotive and their first build, Project Safari — a lifted, reimagined Lotus Elise S1. We cover everything from road trip stories to suspension geometry, design philosophy, and how he’s applying his photographic eye to building cars.

Enjoy.

https://www.getlostautomotive.com/
https://www.gfwilliams.net/

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How Racing Pre-War Bentleys Changed My Life w. Katarina Kyvalova Jul 15, 2025

Show notes

Katarina Kyvalova races everything from pre-war Bentleys to Jaguar E-Types at places like Le Mans, Spa, and Monaco. We talk about her mad first race in a 1928 Bentley, how she handles gearboxes with no synchro, and what it’s really like driving five weeks across the world in the Beijing to Paris rally.

Enjoy.

https://www.instagram.com/kkyvalova/

Chapters:

00:00 – Why Racing Is Addictive

03:01 – From Classic Rally Co-Driver to Vintage Race Addict

05:57 – Baptism by Fire: Her First Race Was a 24-Hour in a 1928 Bentley

09:05 – Endurance Racing in Pre-War Machinery (No Seatbelts, No Syncros)

11:59 – Mastering Crash-Box Gearboxes and Central Throttle Pedals

15:12 – Jumping Between Pre-War Bentleys and GT4 Cars

18:02 – Adjusting Driving Style for Every Car – E-Type vs. Healey vs. LMP

21:02 – Beijing to Paris: A Five-Week Endurance Rally With No Team Support

24:09 – What Makes Historic Racing Totally Different From GT Racing

26:57 – Learning Teamwork at 100kph: Rallying With No Backup

30:07 – Brake Fade, Sticking Throttles & Other Historic Race Surprises

33:10 – Dream Garage, Future Races & the One That Got Away

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Why Charging Fast Is So Hard (And How Software Helps) w. Jingyi Chen | Breathe Battery Technologies Jun 24, 2025

Show notes

Jingyi Chen, Head of Battery at Breathe Battery Technologies, joins me to discuss how software is transforming the way EV batteries are charged, managed, and designed. We get into the science behind fast charging, battery degradation, and why Breathe’s tech is already being used by major OEMs like Volvo, Rimac and Cosworth.

Enjoy.

https://www.breathebatteries.com

Chapters:

00:00 - Intro: Smarter batteries, faster charging
02:48 - What makes lithium-ion batteries tick
05:44 - Battery management software: the brain of the pack
08:30 - Real-time monitoring, diagnostics & control systems
11:36 - Lithium plating, fast charging & what can go wrong
14:38 - Where charging tech is headed next
17:31 - What's coming in future EV battery tech
20:23 - How to treat your battery to make it last
22:27 - Wrapping up: challenges and breakthroughs ahead

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Matt Prior - The Joys Of Modern Cars And Falling For An Audi A2 Jun 17, 2025

Show notes

Matt Prior is back for a good rant about car tech gone wrong — from driver-monitoring nags to touchscreens where buttons should be. We cover the charm of the Ineos Grenadier, the Ariel Nomad, small luxury cars, and Matt’s latest purchase, plus behind-the-scenes stories from Autocar’s “My Week in Cars.”

Enjoy.

https://www.autocar.co.uk/

Show Notes:

00:00 – Why Cars Nag You: Attention Assist and Driver Monitoring
03:02 – How The Podcast Started (and Who’s Behind It)
05:55 – Weird Cars We Love: Niche Gems and Cult Favourites
09:05 – Why Car Companies Make Odd Decisions
11:37 – Luxury Cars: What Actually Sells and Why
14:44 – Can Small Car Makers Survive the EV Shift?
17:39 – How Car Design Has Evolved (and What Buyers Want Now)
20:31 – Speed Isn’t Everything: What Makes a Great Drive
23:49 – When Tech Helps vs When It Just Gets in the Way
26:34 – The Laws That Shape the Cars We Get
42:43 – Why Small Cars Got So Big
47:07 – Premium Feel in Pint-Sized Cars
49:06 – Real Quality vs Perceived Quality
51:18 – Why New Tech Can Be So Annoying
56:33 – Driver Aids: Helpful or Just a Hassle?
01:00:46 – Why Simple Cars Are So Hard to Make Now
01:09:43 – The UI Problem: Why Are Car Screens Still So Bad?
01:15:29 – The Sweet Spot Between Features and Frustration

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