“Car of the Year” is an award that’s given to a standout new car. They’re saying the result was unexpected, and that the car ended up being genuinely impressive.
The BMW 5 Series is a comfortable, everyday sedan that’s aimed at drivers who want a step up from a smaller car. It’s also the model line that can be turned into very high-performance versions. The podcast mentions it because the performance variants are considered top-tier.
In the UK, a “B road” is a smaller local road that’s usually narrower and more twisty than the main highways. They mention it because a big car can feel harder to use on those roads.
The BMW M5 CS is a special, more performance-oriented version of the BMW M5. In this segment they’re saying it feels more precise and fun to drive, especially because the steering is really good.
Term
first 100 yards
“First 100 yards” is a phrase for how a car feels immediately when you start driving—before you’ve even built up speed. The host is saying this car has a really special initial feel.
Short shifting means you change gears sooner than usual, before the engine is revving very high. The point here is that the car still feels strong and smooth even when you drive it gently.
This means the car’s different systems were designed to work together. Instead of tuning one part at a time, the whole car is set up to feel right as one package.
The Mercedes-Benz E500 is a higher-performance version of the Mercedes E-Class. It’s the kind of car that looks normal but can be quick when you drive it.
“C3” is mentioned in the podcast, but the transcript doesn’t say which exact car it means. Different cars can use the same short name, so I can’t be sure what you’re referring to. If you tell me the brand or full model name, I can explain it clearly.
The Lotus Carlton is a rare, performance-focused version of the Vauxhall/Opel Carlton, tuned by Lotus. It’s notable because it blends a big, executive-car body with Lotus-level chassis and powertrain development.
The Audi RS6 is a high-performance “super saloon” wagon/sedan family built around Audi’s RS performance division. It’s known for combining everyday usability with serious power and a chassis tuned for fast road and track-style driving.
GT3 racing is a type of race series using cars that are based on real production models. “Factory” means the brand itself is heavily involved, not just private teams.
Le Mans is one of the biggest endurance races in the world. It’s the kind of event where cars have to last a long time, not just be fast for a few laps.
The Morgan Aero 8 is a sports car designed for spirited driving and long-distance comfort. The podcast mentions it because it has a connection to racing and is known for its distinctive look. It’s brought up as a memorable enthusiast car.
Place
N24
N24 is a 24-hour endurance race at the Nürburgring. The idea here is that some cars might fit better in that kind of event than in Le Mans specifically.
HWA is a motorsport company best known for running and developing Mercedes-AMG racing programs. Here, the host contrasts HWA’s race-team background with brands that might enter endurance racing without the same depth of motorsport involvement.
The Toyota GT 86 is a small sports car that’s built to be fun to drive. It’s not just for weekend use—people also use it as a daily car. The podcast mentions it because the speaker wanted something enjoyable that could still work for everyday life.
The Skoda Octavia is a roomy everyday car. The VRS version is the more sporty version, meant to drive a bit more like a performance car. The podcast mentions it while talking about practical hot-hatch-style choices.
The Jaguar XE is a mid-size sedan from Jaguar. It’s meant to be a more stylish and sporty everyday car than a basic family saloon. The podcast brings it up when comparing different “sports saloon” options.
The BMW 4 Series is a BMW model that comes as a coupe or a similar fast-looking body style. It’s meant to feel more sporty than a basic family car. The podcast mentions it while comparing different types of performance cars.
Car
Octavia VRS
Škoda’s Octavia VRS is the sportier version of the normal Octavia. It’s meant to be more fun to drive, but still practical for everyday life—so it’s being weighed against other sporty family cars.
The Renault Megane E-Tech is an electric car based on the Megane model. It’s designed to be a more exciting option than a normal everyday car. The podcast brings it up as an alternative to traditional hot hatches.
The Focus ST is Ford’s sportier Focus. It’s designed to feel more exciting than a normal family car, and it’s being contrasted with a more practical kind of performance.
ISOFIX is a standard way to attach a child car seat using built-in points in the car. It’s meant to make installing the seat easier and more secure, so you’re not fighting with the seat every time.
Front-wheel drive (FWD) means the engine’s power is sent to the front wheels, which typically helps packaging and traction in slippery conditions. The host notes that FWD can be brilliant or terrible depending on the specific car’s setup and tuning.
Rear-wheel drive means the back wheels move the car. It can feel great in some cars, but it can also be disappointing if the car’s overall design isn’t right.
“Quadrifoglio/Quadrifolia” is Alfa Romeo’s badge for their sportier, higher-performance versions. It usually means the car is tuned and equipped for more excitement than the regular model.
An “estate” is basically a wagon version of a car with more room in the back for luggage. They’re saying you can get that practicality without losing too much of the driving experience.
The Volkswagen Golf is a common everyday hatchback. The Golf GTI is the sportier version, meant to be faster and more fun to drive. The podcast mentions it because it’s a popular “hot hatch” option people compare against other cars.
A hot hatch is a regular small hatchback, but tuned to feel faster and more fun to drive. It’s meant to be practical for everyday life while still being sporty.
The BMW M2 is a smaller BMW coupe that’s tuned for performance. It’s meant to feel sporty and exciting to drive, but in a more compact size than bigger M cars. The podcast mentions it because someone chose it instead of another option.
The Mercedes C 63 is the sporty, higher-powered version of the Mercedes C-Class. It’s meant to be a daily car that’s still fun and quick, not just comfortable.
This is a sporty version of the Renault Clio. The “182” is basically a clue to how strong the engine is, and it’s why people like it as a fun everyday car.
A “rubbish tyre” is basically a tire that isn’t gripping well. If one tire is worse than the rest, the car will feel different and less predictable when you drive hard.
Term
crossbattons
“Crossbattons” (as Henry describes it) is a rally-style setup where traction is intentionally mismatched across the car—studs on opposing corners. The idea is to create a predictable, repeatable grip pattern so the driver can anticipate how the car will behave.
The BMW M3 is BMW’s high-performance version of the 3 Series. People buy it because it’s fun to drive, not just because it’s comfortable. The host is basically saying you wouldn’t want something like that exposed to harsh weather.
The Land Rover Discovery Sport is a family-oriented SUV. In this conversation, they like it because it’s manageable in size but still has room for people and stuff, including extra seats for family trips.
Ingenium is the name Jaguar Land Rover uses for its engines. The host is saying their particular Ingenium-powered car uses a lot of oil, so they have to top it up frequently just to keep it running normally.
Coolant is the fluid that helps an engine stay at the right temperature. If there’s a problem with the coolant or the cooling system, the engine can overheat and get damaged.
An extended warranty is extra protection you buy after the original warranty ends. If something breaks later, the warranty may pay for the repair so it’s less costly for you.
“Mid-engined” means the engine is placed near the middle of the car, not at the front or the back. This can help the car feel more balanced and easier to steer through corners.
The Porsche 911 is a famous sports car from Porsche that’s built around a rear engine and a very recognizable shape. Here, they’re talking about which 911 generation feels best to drive, especially the 997 generation versus newer ones.
Metzger engines is Porsche-speak for a particular lineage of 911 flat-six engines. The point here is that the speaker thinks these versions are especially good and were paired with later refinements.
They mean the car tends to rotate its rear end more than the front. In normal terms, that’s oversteer, and they’re saying it feels fun and controllable.
The GT3 RS is Porsche’s more extreme, track-oriented version of the 911 GT3. It’s the kind of car that’s tuned to feel sharp and planted, not just comfortable for daily driving.
A “V8” is an engine with eight cylinders arranged in a V shape. It’s often associated with strong sound and smooth power delivery. Here, the speaker is grouping cars by engine type when talking about what they’d choose.
When someone says a car is “better balanced,” they mean it feels easier to control in corners. It tends to turn in smoothly and behave predictably instead of feeling twitchy or heavy at one end. The speaker is describing that kind of cornering feel.
“Turning in sharply” means the car starts turning quickly when you turn the wheel. A car that does this feels responsive and eager to rotate into a corner. The speaker is saying this saloon felt more exciting than you’d expect.
Frameless doors are doors where the window glass doesn’t sit inside a metal frame. They can make the car look sleeker, but they need good engineering so the windows seal properly.
A coupé is a car body style with a sleeker roofline than a sedan. In this segment, they’re saying the sporty “competition” choice was tied to the coupé, not the saloon.
Term
VA
“VA” here sounds like a shorthand the host used for something about the engine’s character or design. The transcript doesn’t make it clear what it stands for, so it’s hard to explain precisely from this snippet.
A V10 is an engine with 10 cylinders arranged in two rows shaped like a V. It’s usually associated with a special, high-revving feel—something you often see in performance cars and race-inspired engines.
DTM is a German racing series for touring cars. The point in this segment is that racing there helped inspire better engine tech that later showed up in road cars.
A dog-leg gearbox is a manual transmission shift pattern where the first few gears are arranged differently than in most cars. It makes shifting feel more like a race car.
A homologation car is a car that was made so it could be raced. The manufacturer had to build enough of them for the racing rules, so they often feel more like race cars.
It’s about how you use the gas while you’re still in the turn. The timing and amount of throttle can change how the car grips and whether it feels stable or wants to slide.
Torque is the engine’s twisting force that makes the car move. It’s what gives you that “pull” feeling, especially when you’re not at the very top of the rev range.
The “power band” is the part of the engine’s rev range where it feels strongest and most responsive. Keeping the engine there makes the car pull harder and more smoothly.
“CSL” is BMW’s classic lightweight coupe. People didn’t always love it at first, but it’s now considered special—partly because of how it drives and how it was built for racing.
Term
laminated piece of paper saying this is not in the rain
He’s talking about a warning note that basically said the car isn’t meant for wet weather. Some cars with race-focused parts don’t behave well in the rain.
A V8 is an engine with eight cylinders arranged in a V shape. People talk about it because it has a distinct sound and driving feel compared with other engine sizes.
The Ferrari 458 is a Ferrari supercar with the engine in the middle of the car. It’s famous for its V8 sound and feel, and the host is saying it’s the one he thinks of most for that kind of Ferrari.
The Ferrari 430 is a mid-engine Ferrari with a V8. They’re talking about preferring the manual gearbox because it makes the car more engaging to drive.
This is a type of automatic/manual-style gearbox that uses just one clutch. Because it only has one clutch working, the car may shift a little differently than a gearbox that uses two clutches.
Paddle shifters let you change gears using buttons on the steering wheel. You’re telling the car when to shift, instead of using a gear lever or clutch pedal.
A dual-clutch gearbox uses two clutches so the car can get the next gear ready ahead of time. That usually helps the shifts happen faster and feel smoother.
An “interim model” is basically an in-between version of a car. It’s released before the next full redesign, often to improve things or keep the model current.
Concept
oil car
“Oil car” sounds like a nickname for a car that feels like it belongs to an older, more traditional style. The speaker is saying you can trace that feeling back through earlier models.
The Lotus Exige is a small two-seat sports car made for sporty driving. It’s related to the Elise and is usually more focused on performance. The podcast mentions it as the next step after another Lotus purchase.
The Ford Capri is an older-style Ford sports car. People often keep them because they’re fun and have a strong enthusiast reputation. In the podcast, it’s mentioned because someone still owns one.
The Peugeot 205 CTI is an older small hatchback that was made to be more sporty than a normal family car. The podcast talks about one in a specific color and mentions an ownership moment. It’s brought up because it’s a memorable enthusiast car.
The Lotus Elite Series 3 is an older Lotus sports/grand touring car. The hosts are saying it can work as a daily driver—meaning you can actually live with it and drive it often.
They’re saying whether a car is a “daily” isn’t only about specs. It’s also about whether you’re the kind of person who’s willing to use that car every day and make it work for your life.
Term
roof being
They’re talking about a car roof that can be opened or removed. In the wet, that roof setup can let water in, so you end up getting soaked.
The Audi S3 is a faster, sportier version of the Audi A3 hatchback. It’s designed so you can use it every day, not just for special trips. The podcast mentions it because it’s a performance car you can live with.
BMW M cars are the high-performance versions of BMWs. They’re built to drive more aggressively—tighter handling and stronger power—than regular BMW models.
The BMW M Coupe (E36) is a sporty BMW coupe from the 1990s era. It’s a performance version of the E36 3 Series, made to feel more fun and driver-focused. The podcast mentions it as an example of a BMW M car someone might choose.
Car
Porsches
Porsche is a car brand famous for sporty, well-handling cars. Here it just means “Porsche models” as one of the options you might stick with.
LIVE
Yeah, I mean, apparently you can clean cars as well.
Well, yeah, yeah.
Well, hello, everyone, and welcome to Evo podcast.
I am joined on this special Q&A session with Sam Jenkins, Henry
Catchpole, Stuart Cattacre, Editor-in-Chief. Q&A questions.
I get his title. We're just we're just Sam Jenkins, Henry
Catchpole, he's Editor-in-Chief, he's going to be a star writer.
MBE, have you got one of those? Yeah, here we go, there you go.
Soon to be X contributing editor. Carry those on like that.
Please talk. Get on with it. Bloody hell.
You can have a job, Titan.
I'll give you one, you won't like it. I'll get complaints from your mum.
Right, questions. Yes.
This is from Frankie. We don't know where Frankie came from.
Girls lad. Yeah, might be.
We went to Hollywood, one of them.
Is the BMW M5 CS the greatest super saloon of all time?
It was an Evo Car of the Year winner.
Well, I was going to say, it's the only one that has won an Evo Car of the Year.
So it's definitely one of the best.
I think it is. It's always hard, isn't it?
Well done, you know. Excellent, that's.
Yeah, I saw explains the job title.
It's very hard comparing, generate different generations.
That's a tricky one.
I think the fact it won Car of the Year and was so unexpected, wasn't it?
And everyone was taken aback by how just how good it was.
Yeah. Yeah.
I suppose it's a case of what else, what else would it be up against?
What sort of, I mean, E39 and M5 have to be up there, I think,
as well as a sort of looking at the back catalogue.
Very different sort of car in many respects.
You drive one of those now and actually they're so, so comfortable
and kind of, you know, much less of the performance car in there compared to that.
But at the time, the step up was a, it felt like a more,
absolutely more of a, sort of a hammer to crack and up approach, wasn't it?
After the 34 that was now what an E39 feels, wasn't it?
It's quite smooth and sort of discreet and stuff and the E39 sort of.
It's hard to take that step up.
Yeah.
But the CS is a big car.
That is my only complaint with it.
You know, on a British B road, it is still big.
Like it's incredibly good for its size and its weight.
But compared to an E39, an E39 feels like a completely different prospect,
isn't it, really?
Yeah. Absolutely.
Yeah. I mean, I think, but then it's, it's so much more capable than E39.
Yeah.
That's sort of in the, and in a kind of, the steering is so good on that M5 CS.
I think it's, it's sort of, of all those cars actually, the fact that you jump into that car,
and I can still remember it, you know, driving it off and you have that sort of,
it's so rare that you have that first 100 yards thing.
And you have it with that car.
Absolutely.
And that is a very special thing to find in any car, let alone one that big.
And I think a lot of the others, you know, their charms are in there and kind of,
but it will probably, it's definitely going to take long.
You have to extract them, don't you?
To discover them.
Yeah. Pick that up from GW doing lockdown and that first for driving out their car park.
You're like, oh yeah.
Yeah.
And I think that's the thing.
If you're going to sort of, of all of them, it's the one that feels special the time as well.
Sort of, so many of them will either revert to being sort of more like their lesser,
if you want, brethren or sort of more comfortable.
Yeah.
Another time until you actually extend them and then they're brilliant.
And that sort of split, I suppose, is you could argue is what makes them brilliant
and is more desirable in some ways and to have that duality of character sort of thing.
But I think that that fact the M5 CS feels so special the whole time we were driving it.
You can just, you can just short shift in the CS and flow down a road and it feels like so far above a standard F90.
It's, yeah, I think that's with the CS as well.
It was such a step up from an M5 comp F90, wasn't it?
And that was I think was part of the wow factor of, oh my goodness, this is this is not just a badgering and marketing exercise.
This is a proper engineering exercise and it felt and every bit feels every pro every part of the car has been engineered in unison to get to an end result.
It's not, I would just play with the damping and geometry.
It's everything feels like it's been honed for that car.
So, yeah, it's tricky, isn't it?
Because, yeah, everyone's going to have fans of, well, the E500, totally subtle, ultimate Q car or, yeah.
Lotus Carlton or RS6s and EC3s and again, absolutely incredible things and have those drive trains,
which are special in a way that the M5 CS doesn't quite have that special drive train.
But, yeah, yeah, it's very special cars.
It's, I think if you get it comes out, if you had a selection lined up,
it would probably be the one most people would gravitate towards to go and have a drive in because unique to your point of within the first 20 meters,
it would feel special.
So you would always know, I haven't got to extract it, it's going to give me everything I want.
I can't think of another super saloon that does that.
So, why that measure?
I think, yes, is the answer, probably.
Sold!
Sam has spoken.
OK, next one from Michael.
Do you think Morgan will ever return to factory GT3 racing?
No.
No, I don't know.
That's a very big investment, isn't it?
Yeah, it is.
I can't see them being in a place at the moment.
It's sort of racing has moved on to such an extent since they last.
Did it and, you know, to build a GT3 level car is a massive investment.
I think from where they are at the moment, it would be something you'd have to ship out to a pro drive, for example,
and say, build us a GT3 car.
Yeah, if they took a super sport, there'd be very little apart from the name and a vague look of a super sport,
but it would need its own performance.
They need to do that.
I don't think they need to.
They sell cars absolutely fine.
Yeah, and that's a different, different market.
I don't think it's going to be lovely to see marks like that back at Le Mans.
And obviously, they did it with the Aero 8 and stuff, and they're great, great shapes.
But doesn't feel like a car that is leaning on in any racing history.
No, no.
I don't know, you know, obviously has some fantastic history in terms of competition,
but it doesn't feel like it's a car that you're looking at and they're not drawing on any F1 trickle down or sort of stuff like that.
You know, it's something else entirely that appeals.
So I don't see it as being something they'd need to do.
You can see someone entering one at the N24.
That's what I was thinking.
I was talking to James the other week about that, or a Garen 56 style Le Mans entry.
Well, the HWA, the Evo R's that they did, but that's obviously, that's coming from, they are a race team at all.
Quite a lot of backing there.
They've got a lot of...
Yeah, maybe a generous benefactor decides they want to go racing again, but yeah, because at the N24, I think couldn't you doubt that?
Can't be mega.
Huge amount of, be the equivalent of the M3 touring this year.
It would, it would be a very popular car like that.
It would be a car that would get a follow-up or a date your Logan, which is fantastic.
OK, so Michael, no, to part of your question, but potentially yes.
Something you didn't ask, but hopefully that clears it up.
Tom wants to know the best way to find driving routes in Europe when planning a trip with friends.
Doesn't say whether they're all going to be in the same car or in convoy.
You're a bit of a road trip meister Henry.
Yeah, I mean, Google Maps, sans kind of very obvious.
Look at the squiggly lines.
Yeah, it's just spending some time on that.
Obviously, there's all sorts of places that have, you know, find a destination perhaps that you want to go to.
And then if you've got an area, explore, that I think is kind of, you know, such a nice thing
to do, because you will stumble upon roads that you would otherwise not have.
Yeah, you know, if you stick to the various hits, they're probably going to be quite busy
certainly at certain times of year and stuff like that.
But there's so much out there, I mean, particularly sort of Spain.
For example, you could expect there's some amazing places that we've been,
but you drive through the middle of Spain.
It's just desert, so many good roads.
And I think the other thing is don't be beholden to the roads that you see in magazines and on YouTube.
Because, you know, certainly when I'm looking for a road for, you know, the test for this or to film on,
it has to have a bunch of criteria that have, you know, nothing to do with driving.
It's sort of I'm thinking about where is the photographer or videographer going to stand?
You know, are there two gateways that I can turn around in quickly to kind of make it so that we actually get a film shot in a day rather than three days?
You know, is there a fuel station nearby so that when I'm going up and down this piece of road, all these things that just don't apply to a road trip.
So yes, by all means pick somewhere that we've been and is spectacular.
And that's that's lovely.
But actually, yeah, don't don't just rely on what's in the magazines.
I have to go here because that must be the absolute place because there might be plenty of places.
The destination is important, isn't it?
But don't get fixated on where we may be filming and shooting, not to keep you away from those areas far.
To your point, we do.
We need somewhere with a big lay by where all the support cars can be parked and turn around points.
And is it quiet?
What's the traffic like?
Is there if you think we're backwards and forwards for half a day in a location, you don't want to annoy anyone.
Whereas on a road trip, you're driving through.
And I think sort of as well with doing road trips, actually finding
finding somewhere with a bit of history, I think is really nice because
there will hopefully be if you can obviously find roads around there,
they're going to be great to drive.
But but going somewhere where you know there has been a race in the past,
but it's going to go to Pescar or something in Italy.
Obviously, there's tug of war and stuff like that.
But sort of going somewhere like that, I think really adds to a trip.
Sort of, you know, we all talk about stopping at Reams on the way down.
But it's special. It's really special.
And it adds something over and above the the drive.
There's going to be lots of good bits of road to drive on.
But yeah, have a destination.
Yeah, I think that's important.
And then get a plug in for our partner, New Roads,
because otherwise, Steve and Henry will quite rightly be quite upset.
They've got an app, which the beauty of that is once you've chosen your destination,
it has mapped to actually tell you whether it's suitable for your car or not
in terms of road conditions and how wide it is.
Because the number of times a photographer goes, I want to go there.
And we're like, yeah, that's great.
But how are we going to get through a whole hole in the mountain?
So yeah, check out New Roads, their app and
website, I think is at the moment before it becomes an app.
Because that's that's the knowledge that you want
where people are feeding into it of this road is great,
but it runs out of the surface goes a bit rotten after X points.
So that's that's the insight you want as the planning of leaning on all those
groups and communities of, particularly now, isn't it, of road conditions,
speed limits, because if they're speed limits, that means they're normally busy roads.
And you know, what's the point of going on a road trip if it's just going to be busy?
And the key thing is avoiding certain times of the day where your friends get up early
and stay out late. That's because that's one of the things that's right.
It's a that's a real right.
So it feels like you unlock an awful lot by doing that.
It's the sort of the best times awfully on on shoots.
We often have to get up early or stay out late for the good light.
But it's the time when suddenly you feel like you've got the got the road to yourself.
You see you're seeing the place and it's quite literally best light.
Yeah, but it's also it's
you've got it's more of a venture, isn't it?
Yeah, it's rather than the middle of the day when the world is doing its stuff.
Yeah, that's when you just go and have a nice
so you always make sure the halfway along the route.
They're someone nice to have some light long lunch and have a wander around.
And yeah, enjoy the morning and evening light, isn't it?
That's that's when you get the best those best experiences.
And even if it's a case of you get up early and find you
your absolute destination road, you might not
think I have to get up at four o'clock in the morning to get there by six o'clock.
But if you get up at six o'clock, so you're you're there ahead of the rush,
kind of when you're the first to leave, rather than following everyone.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, unless with the photographer,
he wants to get up before you go to bed and then they get the weather forecast wrong.
Well, here's a long one.
So have you listening is on from Duncan.
Having sold my GT 86, I now need a fun do it all car
as a fun family car on a daily.
Would you go for a front wheel drive hot hatch
such as an Octavia VRS mark three focus mark for ST
Renault RS 280 or a real drive sports saloon
due to velocity Jaguar XE BMW G 23 series.
When I use the knowledge to compare these types of cars,
they all get around four to four and a half in their respective categories.
But it's hard to get an idea of how they would compare to each other.
Your advice would be greatly appreciated.
So now have a young family and no longer have time
to spend my Saturday afternoons test driving cars I might not buy.
Well, I mean, to be perfectly honest,
the fact that you've found an excuse to get away from the family
and go and test drive a lot of cars that you might not buy,
it seems like a really good excuse.
No.
Wow, that's quite a broad range.
It is from quite sort of sort of for.
The Renault is sort of the most extreme out of those.
Yep, it is.
And.
The focus is sort of I haven't marked for focus.
STs were great.
Strange, they are very sharp steering from very weirdy.
Yeah, and unless you're on it.
I don't think they're great family cars.
They're a bit harsh, quite harsh, quite a course powertrain.
Yeah, you seem to have
the delights at all at the very top of everything it can do.
And the rest of the time, you're kind of
in that sort of waiting period of putting up with something
because it will be very good for a very specific road or event.
So I'd maybe knock out the focus from that.
Octavia has obviously had more Octavia VRS's than
Dickie's Miss Deadlines.
I think that would be the most practical
of every car mentioned there, but it is more of a warm
yes performance car as opposed to a Focus ST or a Megane.
So. Hmm.
I think.
It is this is a very
sort of uneven way of coming at it, but it is that thing
of finding what's going to fit into your life first and foremost,
and is not going to annoy the family.
Yeah, what's going to have isofix
that doesn't make you want to tell your hair every time
you put a car seat and lose a finger.
These sort of things, which are kind of completely uneven
because you can have a great front wheel drive wheel.
There's from a drive, rear wheel drive.
Both can be brilliant.
Both can be pretty terrible, frankly, if you get the wrong one of each.
So kind of fixating on that, I think, is kind of
not the way to approach it in many respects.
You know, the front wheel drive versus rear wheel drive thing.
You can have great versions of of each.
Yeah, I mean, the Julia philosophy is always that the three saloons
I it's probably the most characterful to drive, but probably.
Now, it's the first quadrifolia.
I only had two rear seats, which I found out on my cost one.
I want to pick up three people.
But then if you're looking at G23 series, you could also be looking at 340i,
which is kind of the only car you ever need.
And is yeah, but then you may be want that as an estate, not saloon,
but you're not compromising much.
And look at the Alfa and think, well, actually, is that something that?
Fine, I've compromised and other things.
But wow, it's just going to make me happy every time I walk up.
Because it's such a good looking car
and it's got the lovely big paddles.
And so regardless of the, you know, it's a great chassis.
I think that's probably the one I'd be most drawn to something that.
Made me feel pretty good about life kind of and would fit in with life in general.
The sort of the hot hatch thing you can end up in something that you'll.
You sort of.
I think you don't want to be driving along in something where you're aware
of everybody else in the car sort of thinking this is you've chosen.
Yeah, you've chosen this car, which is something and I really would say.
I think of the hot hatches.
The one I would pick isn't on that list.
I'd actually just have a either depending on budget or mark six or mark seven
Golf GTI would be the hot hatch because that to your point of
when you want, when you're on your own, it's still a good hot hatch.
But when the families in it, they're not looking at you with daggers going,
why are we in this?
Yeah, I think that's a very.
It's a very good car that happens to drive nicely as opposed to the other.
Yeah, the saloons are tricky because those very last Jag XC's were lovely to drive.
Yeah, very.
The engines let them down very weak, weak engines, but they they look good.
I thought they look really good.
Those last car and beautiful to drive really good ride for a family car.
Probably not a huge amount of space for being practical,
but we very, very sit in the back of cars.
Yeah, I'd go golf or golf GTI or it's the lot to a or an M for that.
So basically that's three times.
The golf is the one I thought, but it wasn't on his list.
But it is the one, the one.
Yeah, it would work quite well.
Yeah.
So Dan, another.
Well, he he messaged in.
We asked his question last time, which he thanks us.
He was thinking about swapping his gold file for an M 140 I and he didn't.
Yeah.
He bought an F87.
What did you suggest?
Did you suggest he should?
I wasn't on that one.
I think we suggested he should do and he ignored it quite rightly
because he bought an M2 instead.
Excellent.
Yeah.
Well done, Dan.
We'd love to know what cars you guys own and if you have a daily.
Well, I will respectfully step back from this because I don't think an A1.
I don't even know what what A class it is that is currently sat on our drive
with all four corners square thanks to my good lady wife.
That's got my name on the V five, but you.
Well, we know that you've got Sam because yeah,
all the young sensible first time house buyers.
Yeah, my car is a Mercedes C 63.
And that was actually my first car.
It's the only car I've ever owned.
That's my daily.
My daily drivers are whatever we have in to test, to be honest.
So I don't have to drive that thousands of miles a year.
So your first car you've ever owned as a C 63.
Yeah, it's practical.
It's in the state.
Oh, you don't have to justify it.
Yes, we just come the best.
There's a family car.
Life choices.
It's very concrete.
We're just going to sort of pretty sure when we were both lost rights to me,
though, we weren't buying.
No, those sort of cars.
Well, there's 25 MPG.
So yeah, again, you're not not changing the sort of thought process here.
Yeah, it's.
Brings down to earth, Henry.
Well, I own a very shabby Renault Clio 182.
Shabby Sheik.
Oh, no, no, I'm not sure.
Sort of, you know, pop up Nicole Sheik.
No, I don't know.
Just shabby, which I love to bits and drive all the time.
It's kind of I don't actually have as many because I'm not in the office here.
So I don't have test cars coming in and out all the time.
So I actually drive the Clio an awful lot.
And I've had it for about and for nine years now, I think.
And yeah, it's great.
It's kind of I do think it's a bit small at times.
And kind of it's not great for long motorway journeys.
But equally, it's not that bad either.
So when it was new, you would have you had one
as a long term or probably and done every single motorway.
Well, I get to airports and stuff.
And it wouldn't have.
No, exactly.
It's I I have the press pack because if it was the first car,
I think Janet Mills actually booked it in probably.
But it was the first car that I ever ever had
as a sort of test car when I was a curse John Evo.
And so I've got the they sent out the press pack with them all the time.
And so the glossy photo says that could then be scanned
and put into the magazine if you needed.
So and I have that press back still at home.
And yeah, then bought the clear one, too.
So it's a great car.
And it's got a noisy exhaust on it, which when I bought it,
I thought I'll probably change that sensible.
Henry, I'll take that off.
Exactly. Never quite got round to doing doing that.
And it's got three different makes of tyre on it,
which is good job.
John's not here, isn't it?
Absolutely. Yeah.
But it's, you know, I think being a journalist is a bit like, you know,
being a parent, nobody ever listens to you when you send them.
And it's the case of you find yourself saying,
you know, do what I say, not what I do. Yeah.
I'm well aware that it's bad, but I'm also well aware that sort of,
you know, if I if I take a right hand a bit quickly, I know I know,
you know, what the left rear is sort of going to what pressure it's on,
because that's the really rubbish tyre.
So it's like running crossbattons on a
rally car, sort of, so you've got studs on opposing corners, so I'm fine
because I know what it's going to do and I know that it's not right.
But I also quite enjoy the challenge at times as well.
So that's kind of that's that's that's fine.
So I'm doing years 35, nearly 30 years of tyre testing advice.
Thanks, Henry. No, absolutely.
Yeah, I'm not exactly.
I'm not saying everyone else should do it, but kind of it's
yeah, and I probably should put some better ones on.
But yeah, apart from that, I mean, it gets all the switch gear
and the steering wheel sort of start disintegrating in with temperature
changes and stuff like that.
So you're you're the hot weather.
You know, it always is.
You just literally can't touch that because you'll kind of lose your hand
into the into the dash.
You can rub that stuff off.
Yeah, I mean, that there's a spray you can get.
Yeah, I mean, apparently you can clean cars as well.
Well, yeah, yeah.
Yeah, what we all need to do is lend our cars to Sam.
Let him take it home and we'll come back as if it were Richard Tipper.
Yeah. Well, unless it's your M3 and the desert rain ruined it immediately.
So yeah, that's that's my own and the escort.
And then there's family discovery sport as well,
which is another of those cars that you can't recommend to anybody
because they'll likely get a bad one.
You don't know which which whether the fuse has been lit on that
exactly. Yeah, but it fits our needs absolutely perfectly.
And it's it's I think I'm brilliant cars as a sort of in terms of the size.
They're not too big.
But equally, you seem to be able to fit an enormous amount into them.
It's got seven seats and has it.
Yeah. Yeah. Seven seats pull up from the boot.
So do school runs and it's cool.
Yeah. When it floods around us as well, you can go through it
and they're brilliant on a long journey and all that stuff.
So which engines are gone?
Oh, it's got the terrible ingenium.
So yeah, I basically pour oil into it on a weekly basis at the moment
and just keep my fingers crossed.
So it's a coolant like there's a bottle kind of yeah.
Yeah, all that stuff again, can't can't possibly say go out and buy one
because likely as you go get a bad one and it'll explode.
And they go and you catch a whole ton of them by this terrible car.
But if you can go into it with your eyes wide open, then terrible cars
with the long tires. Exactly.
Yeah, plus we bought an extended warranty on us.
So it makes it someone else's problem.
Zane beard.
What is peak year series in terms of pure drive
enjoyment for Porsche 911, BMW M3 and mid-engined Ferrari?
First of all, good name. Zane beard.
Yeah, excellent. Yeah.
Peak year model, I mean, 997 for.
Yeah, was that seven? Yeah.
Would be, I think, kind of across the board.
And I think every model in that 997 is what I mean.
It's sort of because when you come to Ferrari,
I think it gets a slightly trickier maybe even when you go to 991
or further up the 911 chain, it's asked to get watered down.
But 997 you're going to one or Gen two?
How do you further look of Gen two's?
I prefer the more robust engines.
Gen two, exactly.
Yeah, I was thinking, I mean, I'm thinking kind of, I suppose,
because the GT3s, Gen one was my preference for 997
And turbo, my preference would be.
Yeah, absolutely. Yeah, 997
Yeah, you see that across the board.
Because that 997 Gen, it was like Gen 1.5 turbo.
The last of the manuals, Metzger engines had the PCM update as well.
So it's kind of just that little bit more modern.
They just look right.
Oh, that was such a good car.
And right, yes, as you say, look right because they're proportions and stuff.
They weren't overblown, they weren't exaggerated,
but they still had clearly identified as a turbo.
Yeah, the last press car, I think they had of those, it was kind of a,
I'm not sure it was Polo Silver, it was a bit more bluey than that.
But and it had various upgrades on it, but it was still manual
and it was just so much fun.
And it was that properly oversterey, so fast, sounded great.
And that's sort of the same gearbox as the GT3's.
Yeah, let's go. Yeah, what a car.
What a car. Yeah, that's 997 is, I think.
Yeah, look for that year, it's
they just got it all sorted.
Dimensions as well, because they still feel relatively small.
Yeah, even the wider bodycars aren't by today's narrow body,
and then obviously you've got the RS and the GT3 RS as well.
Yeah, the .2 RS is just, yeah.
That's going to be the next car to be silly money, I think, sadly.
But yeah, yeah, so I think nine, yeah, 997 is.
Peak, peak 911 M3.
That's tricky, because I think it's easy to default to E46.
Yeah, but I'd say the, yeah, the V8s were kind of.
Because it's a special thing.
Yeah, it's probably what I would actually go for.
The Saloon and that was such a.
The Saloon, I think your brother's.
Yeah, and he has only nine to you.
Is when you see them, I think they
they're under-rated at the time, weren't they?
Yeah, I said, Saloon, you want to keep, keep.
But actually, the Saloon is.
The Saloon was better balanced.
It was kind of just, yeah,
handing-wise it was and it was one of the things I remember going on the launch
and sort of coming away.
It's one of those things that you never write the test before you go there
because it would be very easy to sort of think, well, it's like,
but it's got four doors or it's a little bit softer or something like that.
And you can't even drive in thinking, this is just the best.
Slightly, yeah, because the people was just turned in sharply and it was kind of,
but it was felt a little bit edgier.
Whereas the Saloon, I remember talking to engineers like, yeah, we all think it's.
We're not quite sure what it just feels.
And yeah, I think people just wanted the frameless doors and the.
Yeah, but also being a coupole.
A long-hand E36 had been offered as a Saloon,
but it was offered as a wood trim and considered a slightly softer.
And they didn't do it again with E46.
And they didn't do the E90 Saloon in competition form.
So if people wanted the competition, then they obviously had to go for the coupé.
I think that that brought numbers right down because they are, they are hard to find.
Yeah. But yeah, they're a really cool car.
And with that VA, there's nothing really like that car,
because it's almost like a Porsche engine, isn't it?
It's like a.
But it was one that peak F1.
Yeah. Well, it.
Period, wasn't it, with the V10 and the VA of let's build some proper motorsport
inspired engines for F1, DTM and.
And the road cars benefited hugely from it.
And the E60 M5 with the V10 is cool, but they are less reliable.
Much less reliable than the M3s even.
I mean, that surely be your perfect two car.
Yeah.
Is this government-sporting an engine engine and an M5 in a tent?
Yeah, but they're a scary car to own and the M3s aren't as bad.
You need to just you need to be careful with the front bearings, but you know,
good maintenance and you're fine.
The thing I, being an old fart, I'm just always drawn to an E30.
I just don't think anything beats the original.
They, I mean, they do look great.
I haven't driven one.
They're mega get the right, but again, they're 40 years old this year.
So you do need to drive a good one.
I've been very fortunate to drive BMW's heritage car, which is funny enough,
always on the button and absolutely perfect.
But yeah, that every 30 M3 has always been a special drive.
Yeah.
You sit on the wrong side of the road, dog leg gearbox, you feel.
Proper homologation car.
E46 as well.
This car, it is, yeah, I mean, spent time in one, not that long ago,
was a petrol one, which again, was a very good one.
Cause obviously it was fully restored.
But yeah, there's lots to, I guess it does definitely feel like an older car.
Sounds fairly obvious compared to the V8s, but sort of it does.
You just have to work it a bit more in the cornering shots of the
picture with the bag was hilarious.
Cause you just seem to have so much more to do and so much more time to
do it all in that makes sense.
Sort of this, the sort of, and it was, and you could be more, I mean,
kind of aggressive is the wrong word, but sort of you, you give it so much
more throttle mid corner.
More deliberate.
Because there's not the torque there and you're, you're working
towards that power band at the top, which is so nice rather than sort of,
you know, having to sort of bridge the top end of the throttle travel
cause you've got this huge amount of instant talk to in the modern cars.
But yes, that was really nice to be acquainted, but you probably want CS for
I was going to say, would you go Coupe CS or CSL?
I think, I mean, CS was always, I haven't driven a CS for so long,
but I've got to imagine that would be the sweet spot.
Yeah, absolutely.
Much like I love CSL.
CSL was a car that when it was new, it was panned and now everyone loves them.
Yeah, I think the tires were a bit of a problem on them.
It's more the gearbox and the, the fact that it came up with a laminated
piece of paper saying this is not in the rain, you know, but it was the gearbox.
I think was the more sort of a very Lamborghini and it's put a neck brace on
and the hands device and the experience.
But now you forgive it because you drive them in a slightly older cars
in a slightly different way, don't you?
So, yeah, so undecided on M3, then?
Yeah, definitely.
Kind of you could call it on the way for E46.
And I don't think so.
Yeah, the V8 is special, there's nothing about them, particularly as it's they did
it and then they went back to six cylinders.
Yeah, it's the only one.
Yeah, I did a test years, gave me all of the very
the most special ones from each generation of Vem3 and I came away from
it without the V8 GTS kind of thinking.
Yeah, I mean, the GTS is just that's an absolute magic.
Yeah, I don't have the better gearbox at that point.
Yes, stuff like that.
So the DCT.
So OK, well, maybe V8, V8, we're putting a line inside.
Yeah, V8, and then Ferrari, mid-engine Ferrari.
Didn't say whether V8 Ferrari or V12 mid-engine Ferrari.
Oh, yeah, good.
Just says mid-engine.
Good point.
I mean, 458 for me is is the car.
Yeah, with with the speciality, I think.
Yeah, yeah, speciality.
That's that's that. I mean, that is the one.
Yeah, there's no question about that.
But I think it was the.
It made to me, made much more sense as the speciality.
Speciality, yeah.
Compared to the standard one, which is still a lovely thing,
but the steering because we had that really sharp
steering for the first time with 458
And it kind of.
It only really jelled with once you added the chassis ones
for the speciality, I think, kind of in terms of making it feel
really cohesive.
That's when it clicked, you know, oh, OK, I get it now.
Why? That's that's right.
So maybe 430
Yeah, driving one of those again and sort of
and you can have that manual box, obviously,
which they got right by that point.
You know, it was really good, good manual.
It's a cool manual.
Yeah, because I think the the love of challenge to Dali,
but the box.
Yeah, and you'd rather have a I think I'd have a 430
but with a manual rather than a challenge to Dali.
But then a challenge to Dali is.
It looks great.
I think I think for that, I mean,
Skiderea was again such a good car.
And it sort of kind of gets lost to Skiderea, doesn't it?
Yeah, between the CS and the speciality.
Yeah, the bookends and then the such and that, you know,
that was the the last of the single clutch boxes, which.
But again, you forget how good those
you know, we just thought about the SMG sort of single clutch
paddle shift gearbox not being great.
But those the last of the Ferrari single clutch ones
were so exciting to use and really good.
Oh, they added so much.
It didn't have the shift on up and down.
You felt that you were on a in a challenge car.
Absolutely sequential.
And they did carried over into the, you know,
for fire and dual clutch boxes.
But yeah, that wasn't like a sort of a case of
yes, they were smoother and stuff.
But you still you drive on a single clutch ones
and they were very, very good, I think.
Yeah, interesting.
You still have a down at it down. No.
No, I mean, but then I'm going to put a vote in for F8 as well,
which is an interim mid-air.
It is the one no one remembers.
But no one's on the car of the year in 2020.
The blue one. Yeah.
And it's of the non-specials.
It was just a beautifully resolved.
Good, basically a piece to finish off.
Yes, essentially a piece.
But nice with a more refined interior and ride and better NVH.
Sounds good to me.
And it was the spec was lovely.
That always helps.
But when you see them, no one knows what they are.
No, they don't.
But it just those Ferrari do these sort of interim models
while they're kind of waiting down there.
And it just seemed to be had the best of a bit of everything.
Yeah, I was probably one of those ones.
Actually, when you look back now as well at the time,
I think there's an element to this is starting to feel like an oil car
because you're tracing it back.
How many years to certainly start with 458
Yeah.
But now that kind of was you dissipated.
Yeah, that's a good.
It's either one of the wrong, but it kind of is an interesting point.
So yeah, it's not just flowing in there.
It's like, I suppose,
like a technical and the Lamborghini kind of switch it around with that is.
But I think with the keep banging the drum for that car being just.
Yeah.
And everyone focuses on STO and yeah, some of actually the.
Yeah.
And getting Temerario sort of has run out.
Whatever, no, technical water thing.
So I think there's specialities.
The one it's probably four or 58
Probably has.
I mean, there's someone near us who's had a red with cream four or 58
since new and daily drives it everywhere.
And it.
It's not battered, but it's you can see it's used.
Yeah, it's just got a few
stoneships and marks and a bit of faded paint and stuff.
But yeah, uses it every day.
I keep being to stop until any miles is done.
But four or five, it was the purest of all those designs as well.
Yes, the design is great.
488 just became a bit.
Bit more bloated at the back.
Exactly.
Yeah, it's probably four or five out there.
Settled.
Go. Done.
Chris Hughes, please, please, please tell us what happened to the Evo project cars.
The Subway 36, the Veyrog TT, the world's lightest catering, et cetera.
Where are they now?
Who knows? I think someone owns.
Is that for easy?
He's got two or five GTI.
I think it could be.
I think Jeff Ray sold his project sub eight, didn't he?
Yes, not sure.
Funded a new kitchen or something.
Was it meant to fund the kitchen?
That was what Peter wrote in the magazine.
Yeah, it's meant to be a kitchen turned into something that.
It's something about an MFI with some maple work surface.
Just done a seven 30 round the ring.
Yes, I think Jeff Ray finally sold that product for something else.
Yeah, the pink 911, I imagine.
Probably.
Yeah.
Burgundy 911.
Project Veyrod, god knows what's happened to that.
Probably still want to lock up somewhere.
Or did Harry end up taking it?
Maybe.
Because that went sort of very extreme by the end.
So it was sort of to the point of almost.
Unusable.
Yeah, I don't think it blew up, but.
It must have done at one point.
And then it probably went extreme, didn't it?
Yeah, exactly.
And I feel that was that was right.
I feel like it almost got lost in the move.
You know, there's sort of things we sort of go, was it in that box over?
Was that real good?
Because it was between us moving from Tower Court down to here.
It was around that era.
And maybe it's still up there.
It wasn't.
It was a car.
Farmers barns up there and see if it's actually.
We didn't check the barns, did we?
Like, oh, did anyone go into the shed at the bottom of the garden?
Yeah, it's not a shed.
It's Bayroch.
Yeah, it could still be there.
But yeah, we don't know where that is.
The world's largest catering, that was Dickies, wasn't it?
Which I think went on to fund an exige.
Yeah, which then went on to fund a 964 RS.
Yes.
I think collective mileage in all of those cars.
I think he did.
Yeah, he's played the game quite well there.
John obviously still has his capri.
We finished one day.
It will.
Longer.
Keeps going through three different.
Well, that keeps sort of evolving, doesn't it?
Yes, it's been painted again.
I've never known a car to have more paint jobs
when it's done to a mild ratio, which is quite impressive.
All the challenge.
Thousand pound cars, Harry made sure they were sold.
Yeah, they're all got sold back.
Yeah, because I don't know what we sold there.
That Miami Blue Peugeot 205 that I dinged in them.
Oh, really?
Yeah.
But we sold that for next to nothing.
That's it always makes me cry now,
because it's how little we sell that for.
And yet now it'll be worth quite a bit of money.
But yeah, my escort, obviously, will one day.
It's still more one day.
Yeah, still be one day anyway.
So, yeah, yeah, well, it was a.
There's been various catering that we've built with catering,
which have gone back to catering.
So I think I met someone who's had our gray catering
that Mission Motorsport helped us build.
And then Evo 25 catering.
I believe someone who attended one of our track days.
Yeah, I think they did.
Is there is in the process of buying it or they have bought it.
I've had a few messages from people who've had X long term
and things like that, sort of the R26 SAR.
I think somebody's got all my golf.
Actually, the most recent one was one of the golf GTIs.
I think had them so they still exist.
And you get my my RS6.
Someone sent me a link to it the other day.
Thank you, Wayne.
It was to sell in Maystone.
I think he'd found it on the Audi used car.
It's gone up in valley since the end of term report
that we put in the mag.
But yeah, those other project cars are sort of, yeah,
kind of scattered there and everywhere.
I think Project Jethro's E36 M3,
because that was a M3 GT, wasn't it?
That he buggered about with.
Yeah, be worth more standard than it.
Oh, yeah, much more.
Although there were two versions.
I think it was the sort of,
if you got the proper left hand drive,
well, that was the proper one and so he wasn't one of those.
No, they're like his 996 Gen 3 GT3, not being quite proper.
So yeah, that's where they are.
Ben Johnson is a Lotus Elite Series 3 suitable as a daily.
Yes, absolutely.
Yeah, it's all a state of mind.
If he wants it to be, then yes, it is.
Those S3s were quite sort of usable and no problem.
Comfortable.
Yeah, that's gone.
Depends what your definition of a daily is, I suppose,
It's got tires and drivetrains, so to that extent,
it's absolutely fine and kind of,
yeah, I think it's one of those things
that you get stuck in.
It is a mindset.
It's somebody who's run a catering through winter
without a roof and drove a Morgan every day
for a while again without a roof,
because I got so annoyed with the roof being when it was on
and it would spit through the head of rail when it was wet.
So eventually I just took the roof off and got a tonneau.
So you covered over, so you just literally unzipped that
and if it was raining, well, you were wet from the start
and you just went at it with that.
And yeah, it's nothing worse than having the roof
on one of those cars and still getting wet.
Exactly, so you might as well just go all in.
Yeah, feel really sort of randomly heroic.
Yes, Ben, you can daily a S3, at least.
It will enrich your life doing so, I think.
Oh, yes, absolutely, yeah.
And just watch out for people in SUVs not looking,
not finding you because you're down there somewhere.
Just make sure you drive around with the lights on.
Yeah.
The engine's working.
Tom Fox, is there a better car for a mix
of short daily commutes and weekend fun
than my current 07 Megane R26?
Would the fact you're asking suggests
that you've got the itch to change it.
But you've changed it for the sake of it.
Yeah.
You'd have to change it for something very different,
wouldn't you?
Otherwise you could change it for the sake of change
and then be disappointed and which one ever sold it.
Coming back to the previous question about sort of
front-wheel drive, first rear-wheel drive,
you'd kind of almost want to say...
Same thing again.
Yeah, and again, it depends.
We have this question about daily,
well-assuming kind of presumably the S3
wasn't expecting to transport kind of large pieces
of furniture around your daily basis,
in which case it's not suitable,
but yeah, it could be all sorts of interesting things
to switch that forward.
Caimans and 911s and M-cars and stuff, couldn't you?
Yeah, and I'd be tempted to go rear-wheel drive,
like you say, sort of switch it up,
go for something different,
have a different way of doing something.
From a car like that, because it is a great car.
Yeah, and you'd be disappointed in anything
from a similar genre, wouldn't you?
Yeah, I love that.
I wouldn't sort of, yeah, don't go for the Golf
that we recommend somewhere else,
because then, no, you're kind of not really,
no, it's not better.
Just a soft-toed car, no.
Final question, we'll wrap it up with Rob's.
Love what you do with Evo,
and podcast and magazines, thank you very much.
Have you bought a new car, brand model,
that you have loved so much that you became hooked
and then bought subsequent models
from the same manufacturer for years to come?
I mean, that's hard, because we've done this.
Well, my barn full of kind of Pagani's
that I kind of just couldn't say.
Yeah, yeah.
Yeah, I mean, that's probably the wrong question
to ask journalists, you don't buy cars,
but to kind of tweak it slightly,
were we in that position to buy something?
Yeah.
Would we, is there something that we've driven
that you go, right, that's what I'm gonna stick with?
No.
No, I'd always thought I'd be of the sort of,
where I'm in that position,
I'd want all the different flavors and characters
of different cars, so that you,
because, and that's the massive refortunate position,
one of the things about the job you get
to try all the different things
and see how different they all are.
And I think I'd want that choice of walking in there
sort of to the imaginary garage and thinking,
yeah, I've got all these different things.
I suppose if you're saying, would it be,
would you go from just keep up grading and sticking,
if it was only one car that you could ever have,
would you just stick to one brand?
Yeah, would you stick with BMW M cars
or Porsches or mid-engine Ferraris and stuff?
But I think you would, but I'm like you,
being very fortunate that we get to sample everything,
we know what you're missing.
And it's similar to Tom's previous question on,
should I stick with my R26R or is there something better?
We know that there's not necessarily better,
but different.
Rars is always different on the R26R.
Yeah, and you wanna, yeah, that's it.
It's one of the greener, but it's...
Yeah, you'd want to have a Cayman GT4,
but then go into the Golf Club Sport S
or then go into an Elise or then go into,
because you know that there's all these great cars
and I think sort of tying your own hands,
I'm only going to stick with one mate model.
You start to get into potentially changing
for the sake of it.
That's our lies.
Is it still recording?
The answer to that question is no,
there isn't a brand that we would just stick with.
No, it was last.
Try everything.
Yeah, absolutely.
Including Ferraris, the spice of life.
Yes, and driving.
And power cups.
Thank you for staying with us for that rather rude ending.
The universe is telling us that we've answered enough questions.
So, thank you very much, Henry, Sam, thank you all,
and we will see you next time with power
and functioning cameras and lights.
Thank you very much.
About this episode
Evo Q&A EP3 bounces between Henry Catchpole’s daily-driver practicality and the “world’s best saloon” debate. The BMW M5 CS is framed as a standout super saloon—Evo Car of the Year winner—with steering praised and the drive feeling special even versus an F90 M5 Competition. The chat then widens to what makes cars feel cohesive, how to plan European routes and filming logistics, and how family needs (like ISOFIX) shape daily-car choices. It also covers GT3/Le Mans investment realities and tire/grip quirks.
In episode 53 of the evo podcast Stuart Gallagher and Sam Jenkins are joined by Henry Catchpole for our third Q&A. This week, we discuss the finest ever saloon car, the best way to find driving roads, our own daily drivers and a whole lot more.
To submit questions of your own, send us a line at [email protected]
