0:00 / 0:00
OTOSOT 92

OTOSOT 92

Smith and Sniff Mar 06, 2026 34 min
0:00
0:00

About this episode

Richard and Johnny share humorous and embarrassing stories about mishandling other people's cars, from slipping the clutch in a Mazda to crashing a Beetle in front of its owners. They also discuss quirky listener questions, including one about trading a white Chrysler LeBaron for an undercover police car in a 1989 Miami Vice scenario, blending automotive nostalgia with playful banter. The episode mixes personal anecdotes with lighthearted debates on car culture and music references, creating an engaging and relatable conversation for listeners.

Filter:
|
Technical Too Afraid to Ask
Term

slipping the clutch

"I'm going to just go straight out. I'm already slipping the clutch. I'm just going to dump it now."

Slipping the clutch means not fully pressing or releasing the clutch pedal, which lets the car's engine and wheels move a bit independently. This helps when starting the car or controlling speed.

Term

torque converter

"I have a torque converter auto Mazda CX-5. The other day, whilst having my foot on the brake at the lights to arrest the torque converter creep,"

A torque converter is a part in automatic cars that helps the engine power the wheels smoothly, even when the car is stopped but still in gear.

Car

Mazda Cx5

"I have a torque converter auto Mazda CX-5. The other day, whilst having my foot on the brake at the lights to arrest the torque converter creep,"

The Mazda CX-5 is a popular SUV that many people drive. It has an automatic transmission that uses a torque converter to help the car move smoothly.

Car

Porsche Boxster

"... friend to sell his Porsche 981 Tiptronic pre-PDK Boxster. As his friend had moved to the UK, he's never o..."

The Porsche Boxster is a sporty car with the engine placed in the middle, which helps it drive really well. The version mentioned has an automatic gearbox that came before Porsche made a faster-shifting one. People talk about it because it's a fun and somewhat affordable way to own a Porsche.

Car

Porsche 981 Boxster

"...'s relevant, was roped in by a friend to sell his Porsche 981 Tiptronic pre-PDK Boxster. As his friend had mov..."

The Porsche 911 is a famous fast car that has its engine in the back. People love it because it drives really well and looks great. It's one of the most well-known sports cars in the world.

Term

Tiptronic

"was roped in by a friend to sell his Porsche 981 Tiptronic pre-PDK Boxster."

Tiptronic is a type of automatic transmission that lets you change gears yourself if you want, but you don't need to use a clutch pedal.

Term

PDK

"Porsche 981 Tiptronic pre-PDK Boxster."

PDK is a special type of automatic transmission in Porsche cars that changes gears very quickly and smoothly.

Car

Volkswagen Beetle

"A long time ago, when I was in the Beetle scene, the air called Volkswagen scene, my girlfriend's sister and her partner, husband, I think, decided to also buy a Beetle as like a weekend car and they were London people so they didn't need a Beetle, a car to use every day."

The Volkswagen Beetle is a small, round car that lots of people like because it looks unique and is easy to drive. It was made a long time ago and still has fans today.

Term

handbrake turning

"It was a small impact because I was only going very slowly, but it was the humiliation of thought I was going to do some fantastic handbrake turning."

Handbrake turning is when a driver pulls the handbrake to make the back wheels stop spinning, which helps the car turn quickly by sliding the back end around. It's a trick used to make sharp turns or slides.

Car

BMW M3

"... that came to mind was just when I borrowed a BMW M3 convertible for an Evo story. I don't know why."

The BMW M3 is a fast and sporty car made by BMW. The convertible version lets you drive with the roof down, which many people enjoy. It's known for being fun to drive and good for both daily use and racing.

Term

sill crimp

"A sill crimp is a very sad impact. I don't like it. Least favourite bits of damage to see on a car, never mind do on a car. A sill crimp. The sill crimp, exactly."

The sill is the bottom edge of the car's body near the door. A sill crimp means this part got bent or damaged, which is bad because it's hard to fix and can make the car look worse.

Car

Buick Regal

"...barren. What about if the MG was something quite regal, like a magnet, that was ex-government usage and..."

The Buick Regal is a medium-sized car that is comfortable to drive. Sometimes, people buy used ones that were used by the government, which might mean they were driven a lot but also taken care of. It's talked about because it can be a good, affordable car.

Car

MG MGB

"So I'm going to say it was just an MGB. Rubba Bumper Midget. Rubba Bumper B. Rubba Bumper B with ridiculous ride height."

The MG MGB is a small British sports car that was popular in the 1960s and 70s. The 'Rubber Bumper' version has big black rubber bumpers that protect the car in minor crashes.

Car

Dodge Omni

"...I'd have a Dodge Omni. I'd be leaping."

The Dodge Omni is a small car made by Dodge a long time ago. It was simple and cheap, good for everyday driving but not very fancy.

Term

Pentastar

"I'd be reaching for the Pentastar keys. I'd be switching from my Chrysler Pentastar key"

Pentastar is a special star-shaped logo that represents the Chrysler car company. Sometimes people call Chrysler cars or engines by this name.

Car

Dodge Charger

"Hang on. They did an actual Shelby charger. That's not undercover, really, is it?"

The Dodge Charger is a big, strong car from America that has a very powerful engine. The Shelby version is a special, faster model that some people might think is secret or unofficial, but it really exists. People talk about it because it's a classic muscle car.

Car

Dodge Daytona

"Daytona thing, with a turbo four in it."

The Dodge Daytona is a type of sporty car made by Dodge that looks fast and is designed to go quickly.

Term

turbo four

"Daytona thing, with a turbo four in it."

This means the car has a small engine with four cylinders that uses a turbo to make it more powerful.

Car

Chrysler Voyager

"Yeah. So is the Chrysler Voyager and all of those cars. Oh."

The Chrysler Voyager is a big car that can carry lots of people and stuff, like a family car. It's comfortable and good for trips with many passengers. People talk about it because it's useful for families.

Car

Chrysler Town and Country

""Was it town and country, wasn't it? That's right. And did you have the Dodge Caravan as well?""

The Chrysler Town and Country is a type of van that many families used because it had lots of space for people and stuff. It was one of the first popular family vans.

Car

Dodge Caravan

""And did you have the Dodge Caravan as well? Yes.""

The Dodge Caravan is a family van that many people used because it was big inside and good for carrying lots of people or things. It helped make minivans popular.

Car

Plymouth Voyager

""Oh, Plymouth. Plymouth Voyager? Plymouth Voyager. Yeah. I think it was only the Chrysler Voyager over here.""

The Plymouth Voyager is a type of van that families used to buy for carrying lots of people or stuff. It was made by a company called Plymouth and was popular a while ago.

Term

high octane fuel

"But you'd only run it on very high octane fuel. So it was exceptionally responsive when it needed to be."

High octane fuel is special gas that helps some cars run better and faster without making knocking noises. It's like giving the engine better fuel to perform well.

Term

Battenburg

"Modern Battenburg or old school jam sandwich British police car."

Battenburg is a special pattern of bright colors on police cars in the UK that makes them easier to see and safer on the road.

Term

separate calibrated speedo

"My choice personally would be an SD1 launch year jam sandwich replete with its separate calibrated speedo ahead of the front seat passenger."

A separate calibrated speedo is a speedometer that is placed somewhere else in the car, like in front of the passenger, and it shows the car's speed correctly.

Car

Rover SD1

"Yeah, but then annoyingly, he's probably got my first choice of a proper old school SD1 jam sandwich"

The Rover SD1 is an older British car that was popular in the 1970s and 80s. It has a unique shape with a sloping back and was seen as a cool car back then.

Company

Neenor

"that's the light and a Neenor siren. Oh, Neenor, yeah. It's nice and old school."

Neenor is a company that makes loud sirens for police cars and other emergency vehicles, especially older ones in Britain.

Concept

British Leyland

"Are we or am I being arrested for being too interested in British Leyland and Austin Rover cars?"

British Leyland was a big British company that made lots of cars a long time ago. They made many famous British cars but had some problems that made their cars less reliable.

Brand

Austin Rover

"Are we or am I being arrested for being too interested in British Leyland and Austin Rover cars?"

Austin Rover was a British company that made cars many years ago. It was part of a bigger company called British Leyland and made some well-known cars.

Car

Ford GT40

"And then drive some other cars, including a GT40, of course."

The Ford GT40 is a very fast race car made by Ford in the 1960s. It won a big, famous race called Le Mans several times.

Car

Fiat Ritmo

"...mously slagged off. Oh, I bet you if he got in a Ritmo slash Strada now, I reckon he might see the ligh..."

The Fiat Ritmo is a small car from many years ago that some people didn't like at first because of how it looked or worked. But now, some people think it's interesting and fun to remember. It's talked about because it's a bit unusual.

Car

Mazda MX-5

"This poor little MX-5 still hasn't had the snow removed off its roof, and it's been a couple of days. There is an MX-5, which you can't really tell it's an MX-5. It has at least its height again of snow."

The Mazda MX-5 is a small, fun car with two seats that people like to drive because it's easy and sporty. It's very popular and known for being a good car to enjoy driving.

Car

Ford F150

"My Ford F-150 was amazing, but not really the answer I'm looking for."

The Ford F-150 is a big truck that many people use for work and daily driving. It's good at driving in snow because it has strong power and can handle tough roads.

Car

Mitsubishi Evo

"it was absolutely useless, which was the Mitsubishi Evo 10 that I had as a long-terma from Evo."

The Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution is a fast and sporty car that can drive well on all kinds of roads, even rough ones. The Evo 10 is one of the last and best versions. People like it because it's fun to drive and can be made even faster.

Term

tyres

"Now, caveat here, I think it's the tyres. Because, as we know, they can make a huge difference, and any car would be a lot better on the snow if it had the right tyres on it."

Tyres are the round rubber parts on a car's wheels that touch the road. The right tyres help the car drive safely and smoothly, especially when it's snowy or wet.

Term

four-wheel drive

""that's all right, I've got a four-wheel drive, I'll probably be able to clamber up the street.""

Four-wheel drive means the car sends power to all four wheels at the same time, which helps it grip the road better, especially in slippery conditions like snow.

Car

Toyota Land Cruiser

"...ou don't need a Land Rover or a Range Rover or a Land Cruiser or a Jimny or whatever to go places."

The Toyota Land Cruiser is a very strong and reliable big car that can go almost anywhere, even on rough roads. People talk about it when deciding if they really need such a tough car to get around. It's famous for lasting a long time and working well in hard conditions.

Car

Land Rover Range Rover

"...ind people that you don't need a Land Rover or a Range Rover or a Land Cruiser or a Jimny or whatever to go p..."

The Range Rover is a fancy and comfortable big car that can drive off-road very well. People sometimes wonder if you really need such a car to go to hard places or if it's just for looking good. It's known for being both tough and nice inside.

Car

Suzuki Jimny

"...nd Rover or a Range Rover or a Land Cruiser or a Jimny or whatever to go places. So, that would be my b..."

The Suzuki Jimny is a small, tough car that can drive on rough roads even though it's not very big. People like it because it's easy to use and doesn't cost a lot but still works well off-road. It's often compared to bigger, more expensive cars that do similar things.

21 cars featured

Request an Explanation

Heard something you'd like explained? We'll add it to this episode.

Sign in to request explanations for terms you heard.

Want to learn more?

Browse our glossary for plain-English explanations of automotive terms, jargon, and concepts.

Explore Terms

Help improve this episode

See something that's not quite right? Our annotations are AI-generated and can sometimes miss the mark. Click the flag icon on any annotation to suggest a correction.

Report incorrect info
Suggest better explanations
Flag missing cars