BMW’s iX3 gets a surprisingly glowing review: Joe praises its cabin quality, the “panoramic eye” HUD tech, strong real-world range (over 300 miles from a big 108.9 kWh usable battery), and smoother EV throttle calibration. The hosts then swap stories—factory filming for a new M3 Touring in Munich, Porsche GT3 Touring test impressions, and a Spider update—before launching a “summer car” budget battle: £5k, £15k, £30k, plus an unlimited dream. Choices range from left-field classics and oddball convertibles to sensible road-trip picks and Porsche daydreams.
"Summer is on its way, blue skies and sunshine outside. So, we're doing a summer car challenge."
They’re doing a fun challenge where they pick cars that would be great for summer. The twist is they have different money limits, so it’s about finding something fun without spending too much.
A “summer car challenge” is a themed buying/choosing game where the hosts pick cars suited to summer driving—usually focusing on fun, comfort, and practicality for warm-weather use. In this episode, it’s also tied to budget tiers, so the challenge is as much about value as it is about the car itself.
".... But I spent most of the day in BMW's brand new iX3, which is an electric car."
The BMW iX3 is an electric SUV made by BMW. Instead of using gasoline, it runs on a battery and an electric motor. The podcast mentions it because someone drove it for most of the day.
The BMW iX3 (G08) is BMW’s electric SUV, built to bring battery-electric power into a practical, everyday body style. It’s discussed because the speaker spent most of the day driving one, which makes it a firsthand ownership and usability topic rather than just specs. The mention signals interest in how an electric BMW SUV feels in real driving.
"because it's crazy that there's a driving embargo on it. But yeah, it's already car of the year, months ago."
Sometimes car makers don’t let reviewers drive a new car right away. They set a date when everyone is allowed to publish their thoughts.
A driving embargo is a media restriction that prevents journalists from driving or publishing impressions of a new car until a specific date/time. It’s common around major launches so manufacturers can control the rollout and messaging.
"But even I'd say even the optional 22 inch wheels, which are the non aero wheels look to me like full fat, like M wheels,"
“22 inch wheels” refers to wheel diameter, which usually means larger rims and typically lower-profile tires. Larger wheels can change the car’s look significantly and may affect ride comfort and tire cost.
"[367.0s] Like there's some really nice stuff in here and it all works really well.
[370.7s] Because like a head up display, when you're looking at it all,
[373.3s] your peripheral vision is still predominantly looking down the road."
A head-up display shows important info right in front of you, usually on the windshield. That way you don’t have to look down at the dashboard as much.
A head-up display (HUD) projects key information onto the windshield so you can read it without taking your eyes off the road. It’s often used for navigation, speed, and driver-assist cues.
"[403.8s] And the one I was in was the top spec 50 X drive M sport pro
[408.5s] with the optional 22 inch wheels."
xDrive is BMW’s all-wheel drive. It helps the car grip the road better, especially in slippery conditions.
xDrive is BMW’s all-wheel-drive system. It can improve traction and stability, but it may affect efficiency depending on how and when power is distributed.
"So actually, I reckon, and according to the people at BMW, and I don't think they would lie to me, but they did work at BMW."
BMW is the car company. Here, they’re being cited as the source of the battery/range testing info.
BMW is the automaker the speaker references regarding EV battery testing and cold-weather performance. The mention suggests BMW provided internal run-in or validation data used to frame the range results.
"[496.7s] He's talking positively about an EV.
[499.0s] Yeah, I think this is end of life."
An EV is an electric car. Instead of burning fuel, it uses an electric motor and a battery. They’re talking about how well it drives and how far it can go.
EV stands for electric vehicle, meaning the car is powered primarily by one or more electric motors and a battery pack. In this segment, the hosts are discussing how the EV’s range and driving feel compare to other cars in the “summer car battle.”
"Also, the McAnee V in terms of packaging like the Taycan,"
The Porsche Taycan is a performance-focused electric sedan that’s known for strong driving dynamics and packaging. The speaker mentions it in the context of packaging, suggesting they’re comparing how much space/shape you get versus other EVs.
"Like there's a way they've got a 520 litre of boot.
I was going to ask about boot space like is that a big."
In the UK, “boot” means the trunk/luggage space at the back of the car. They’re talking about how big it feels for carrying stuff.
“Boot” is the UK term for the rear cargo area you load luggage into. The discussion is about how much usable space the car provides, which matters for everyday practicality.
"It's so it's all so that the so the footwells in the rear, for instance,
a normal car footwells.
They're not the flat floor where your legs are up like this."
Rear footwells are the space on the floor where rear passengers put their feet. If the floor is flatter, it usually feels more comfortable and less cramped.
Rear footwells are the floor areas where passengers’ feet rest. EV packaging can change their shape—flat floors typically feel roomier and are easier for passengers to get comfortable in.
"But but this particular press car, there is a caveat.
This one had another nine and a half grand's worth of options.
Oh, lovely."
The speaker notes that the test car had “another nine and a half grand’s worth of options,” meaning the base price was increased significantly by add-on factory equipment. This is a key concept in UK car buying because the “as tested” price can be far above the advertised starting price.
"[786.3s] Like you can't I mean, still a truckload of cash,
[788.7s] but most people are on PCP anyway, isn't it?
[790.8s] Exactly. And and that architecture is going to be in the new three series"
PCP is a UK way to finance a car. You make monthly payments, and at the end you usually choose to return the car, buy it, or refinance—often with a bigger final payment if you want to keep it.
PCP (Personal Contract Purchase) is a UK car finance deal where you pay for the car over a fixed term and typically have an optional “balloon” payment at the end to keep the car. The speaker notes that many people are on PCP, which affects how they perceive affordability and pricing.
"[812.7s] I still don't.
[814.7s] If you use an EV a lot, I don't get the why you need more than 300 miles
[819.0s] because you need to have a break before then anyway, with rapid charging and stuff.
[822.5s] But that still doesn't stop the barrier for a lot of people"
Rapid charging is when you charge an electric car quickly at a fast charger. It can reduce how long you have to wait before driving again.
Rapid charging refers to high-power EV charging that can add significant range in a short time, typically using DC fast chargers. The speaker argues that even if you don’t have 300+ miles of range, you can still manage trips with charging stops.
"to have a bit of home charging on the road to get a home charger and I did actually half jokingly say to Martin yesterday, I would like to borrow one for a month or so and actually live with it."
Home charging is when you charge your electric car at home, usually overnight. It makes daily driving easier because the car starts the day with a full battery.
Home charging means plugging an EV into a charger at your house (or driveway) so you can top up overnight. It’s often the most convenient and cost-effective way to run an EV compared with relying only on public chargers.
"Before the week before that, I went out to Spain for a Trident, Triumph, Trident 660 launch, which was great."
The Triumph Trident 660 is a motorcycle model from Triumph. The speaker went to a launch event for it in Spain.
The Triumph Trident 660 is a modern 660cc parallel-twin motorcycle aimed at riders who want a sporty, practical bike. Here it’s mentioned because the speaker attended a launch event in Spain, tying into their travel and “summer car” discussion.
"to where I was sitting in a passenger seat, going into the dyno. But the whole everything, the sort of 10 and a half hours between the bare shell and the finished product, is that all it takes?"
A dyno is a machine that tests the car’s power by putting the engine under load. It helps confirm the car is performing as it should.
A dyno (dynamometer) is a test device used to measure engine output and behavior under controlled load. In production contexts, it’s often used to verify performance and consistency before the car is released.
"“Well, I'm looking forward to I've got I'm looking forward to maybe you should do like almost an ASMR like long form version.”"
ASMR is a video style where the focus is on relaxing sounds and close-up details. They’re suggesting doing a long, less-edited version so you can really hear everything that’s going on.
ASMR (Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response) is a style of video/audio that aims to trigger a calming, tingling sensation through close-up sounds and slow, detailed presentation. In car content, it often means filming and narrating mechanical or driving moments with minimal editing so viewers can “hear the process.”
"And we've we've all talked about this before is two things that normally grind people's gears about press cars is they're normally really lairy colors and they've normally got every option under the sun on them."
A press car is a car a company lends to reviewers. Because it’s meant for reviews and videos, it often comes with lots of options so the reviewer can show everything.
Press cars are vehicles provided to journalists and reviewers by manufacturers or PR teams. They’re often heavily optioned so reviewers can demonstrate as many features as possible during tests and videos.
"It had it had upgraded paintwork. Oak Green Neo, because you've got you've got the GT three touring, but you'll get the new one because that the one I drove is just about"
Oak Green Neo is the name of a specific Porsche paint color. It’s not just “green”—it’s a particular shade that can be an optional extra.
Oak Green Neo is a specific Porsche paint color name. Color names matter because special paints are often optional and can affect both price and how the car looks in different lighting.
"it's like getting carbon words, isn't it? You're entering that level of like, if you damage one of these, how do you fix a carbon roof and then you get the car foldable carbon buckets all in that."
“Carbon” usually means carbon-fiber parts. They’re light and strong, but if you damage them, fixing them often requires specialist repair work and can cost more than normal bodywork.
“Carbon” here refers to carbon-fiber components. Carbon fiber is valued for high strength-to-weight, but repairs can be specialized and expensive compared with conventional materials.
"But the a lot bit is like the last 10 percent. Yeah. So the first 90 percent is I mean, a T."
“Last 10 percent” means the final bit of improvement is usually the hardest and most expensive. You might get most of the fun first, but the top version costs a lot for smaller gains.
The “last 10 percent” is a common enthusiast way of describing diminishing returns: the biggest improvements come early, but the final performance/quality gains cost disproportionately more. Here, they’re applying it to the step from a 911 T to a GT3.
"Or, but you're going to tell me about depreciation at the end. They're probably both the same, wouldn't they? Like lost money on both cars."
Depreciation is how much the car’s value drops while you own it. If you buy a car and sell it later for less, that difference is depreciation.
Depreciation is the value a car loses over time. In a comparison like this, it’s often the biggest part of “lost money” after you account for running costs.
"You can ring its neck and and and have an amazing time. But the big you can't do, which is where the GT comes."
It means you’re driving the car really hard and revving it up. Basically, you’re using the engine’s top-end power.
“Ring its neck” is an idiom meaning to rev the engine hard and use the car’s performance. In car talk, it usually implies you’re pushing it near the top of the rev range.
"But really, if you I know you can't do a blind drive test, right? [1788.2s] Yeah, it's not a lot in it."
A “blind drive test” is when you drive cars without knowing which one is which, to reduce bias. The point here is that even if the newer 992 feels better, it’s hard to prove how much of that is objective versus expectation.
"It's not a wrap. It's a PPF. ... That's PPF, so you can't do that. So you have to kind of finish the the sheet of PPF at the edges."
PPF is a clear protective layer that helps stop small damage from things like stones and road grit. It’s different from a wrap because it’s meant to protect the paint rather than replace it.
PPF (paint protection film) is a protective film applied to the paint to help guard against stone chips, light scratches, and road debris. Unlike vinyl wraps, PPF is typically applied as a film that conforms to the body without being a full “cover the car” vinyl finish.
"...someone comment on one of my McCann videos saying your MOT is running out next week. Unless I didn't know. Yeah. So it would have ran out the week after and I'd have been driving around while it was in the garage, but I wouldn't have renewed the MOT."
In the UK, an MOT is a yearly safety check your car has to pass to stay legal to drive. If it runs out, you can’t drive it on public roads until it’s renewed.
In the UK, an MOT (Ministry of Transport) is the annual roadworthiness test for most vehicles. If it expires, the car is no longer legally allowed to be driven on public roads, which is why renewing it matters before the next trip.
"[2226.1s] But again, Audi did that a couple of years ago with the RS3
[2229.2s] when we went to the skid pan somewhere in Spain.
[2232.0s] What was the name of the skid pan?
[2233.2s] That's where it went wrong."
A skid pan is a controlled test surface designed to help drivers and engineers study traction loss. It’s used to evaluate how a car’s tires, brakes, and stability/traction systems respond when grip suddenly drops.
"For me, because I've got two convertibles, [2377.7s] like today, I drove here in the Mini, [2379.4s] and I woke up this morning and went, [2380.6s] this is great, sun's out, [2381.8s] I'm driving all the way there with the roof down."
A convertible is a car where you can open the roof. People like them in summer because you get fresh air and a more “open” driving experience.
A convertible is a car with a roof that can be lowered or removed, letting you drive with open-air airflow. In “summer car” debates, convertibles are often chosen for the experience—sun, sound, and scenery—more than raw performance.
Term
4D cut out job
"which was like a 4D cut out job, that the rest of the car is nailed. Oh hang on, granddad's got his laptop out."
They’re joking that the rear plate area looks like it’s been cut and shaped in a fancy way. It’s probably an aftermarket styling job, not the standard look.
“4D cut out job” sounds like slang for a custom plate surround or a shaped/3D-looking cutout (often done with vinyl, plastic, or trim) to create a more stylized rear plate area. Without more context, it’s likely describing an aftermarket aesthetic rather than a factory setup.
"It's got a 700 CC engine in it. Oh, the little chinko chin..."
“700 CC” means the engine is about 0.7 liters. Smaller engines usually cost less to run, but they may not feel as quick as bigger engines.
“700 CC” refers to engine displacement of about 0.7 liters. Smaller-displacement engines are usually cheaper to run and insure, but they can feel less powerful—so they’re often chosen for city driving and low running costs rather than outright performance.
"They go really well. The manual gearbox is lovely. It's 64,000 miles as well."
A manual gearbox is the one where you use a clutch pedal and a gear stick. It’s usually more involving to drive than an automatic.
A manual gearbox means the driver selects gears with a clutch and gear lever rather than relying on an automatic. Enthusiasts often prefer manuals because they can feel more engaging and give more direct control over engine speed.
"called Squire Editions and the owner up until very recently, had an armoured personnel carrier to take his mate to the pub. Did you see him driving through Chichester in an arm-trapped armoured personnel carrier with all his mates in the back?"
An armoured personnel carrier is a big military vehicle built to keep people safe in combat. Here, it’s mentioned as a fun but very impractical way to drive to the pub.
An armoured personnel carrier (APC) is a military vehicle designed to transport troops safely, typically with heavy armor and a protected cabin. In this segment it’s being used as a quirky “summer car”/pub-ride concept, which highlights how impractical and expensive civilian use would be.
"[3589.7s] Yeah, and you could do a few track days,
[3592.8s] like I said.
[3593.2s] You wouldn't do anything crazy in it,"
A track day is when you drive on a race track for fun and practice. It’s usually not a race, but it can be hard on tires and brakes because you’re going faster for longer.
A track day is an organized event where drivers can use a circuit for performance driving without racing. Cars are typically assessed by how they handle heat, brakes, tires, and stability at sustained speeds.
Select text to request an explanation
Hey guys, welcome back to the Drive Talk podcast.
Hey, we're back in podium place again.
Don't you think it's like bringing the podcast home?
I know, it feels like a natural location this for us,
doesn't it?
It does.
Yeah, it's wonderful being back.
And I think I've overdone it in the coffees.
I think we've had what sweet since we came out.
They're so good, you can't not have another one,
can you really, every time we stop and start.
Yeah, that's great to be back.
And the sun's out.
Sun's out, gun's out, and you came in the bike.
Yeah, yeah, hence my slightly, my knees aren't usually,
that's totally.
I thought you had an injury, but I thought you just had
swollen kneecaps.
There's just an age thing.
On the inside, just.
Is that in your jeans, or have you got like some?
In my jeans.
Right, get the jeans off and show us, come on.
Yay.
Yeah.
And yeah, I've got like my casual jeans and boots on,
but they are all protective stuff, so.
Yeah, I'm very good.
Well, I know you normally do shoes for me, Patrick.
They are.
Look at these.
Do you get them from Harrods?
They're PTS shoes, they actually are very Harrods kind,
aren't they?
No, these are PTS Sundewan shoes.
Wow.
Tan interior.
They're very special.
Yeah.
Oh, they match my jumper.
Yeah.
So, you know, color coordinate, your color coordinate,
look at that, you've got white t-shirt.
I know, I'm not.
No.
Oh, there's the bottle opener shoes.
They are.
Yeah, they've still got the stain of.
The cider on, from when you sprayed cider all over me at the.
No, you sprayed cider all over me.
Well, no, you gave me a shook up bowl.
It's your fault.
We've got lots to talk about.
So, in this episode, we are going to have a bit of a general
catch up, because we've all been doing some very cool,
exciting things.
And then we're going to do one of our challenges.
Yes, we like a challenge.
Summer is on its way, blue skies and sunshine outside.
So, we're doing a summer car challenge.
So, we've each been set the challenge.
We've got three budgets, because we know how you guys like,
when we do like normal budgets that you can afford
without selling kidney.
Things that we could afford, they could afford.
Yeah.
It's much better that way.
So, we've had to choose our ultimate summer car,
three different budgets.
Four.
Oh, well, yeah.
We have a caveated one, yeah.
Up to five grand, up to 15 grand and up to 30 grand.
And then one without a budget.
Yeah, essentially a dream.
I can't wait.
I just know what Patrick will have come with some really
off the walls.
There's one of them that I think, yeah,
you two would never guess in a million years.
One of them is slightly obvious, but yeah.
And also, whether or not we've actually hit the brief,
because it's not a brief that you can go wrong with, really.
Well, it defends how you define a summer car, right?
I mean, this is very true, actually, very true.
We'll come onto that.
So, where are we starting?
Have you got the agenda on your phone there?
Oh, well, I did have, yeah.
Thankfully, Patrick says.
Well, we can talk about what you two have been doing, right?
Joe, you've just come back from a drive of a car.
You can talk about that if you'd like.
Yeah, so yesterday, I mean, this is going to shock a lot of people,
and it's probably going to shock a lot of people in the video.
But I spent most of the day in BMW's brand new iX3,
which is an electric car.
Oh, well, hold on.
Isn't that car of the year?
Exactly, car of the year.
I brought up a little story yesterday saying,
because it's crazy that there's a driving embargo on it.
But yeah, it's already car of the year, months ago.
I mean, yeah.
Did it live up to expectations, really, as the first question?
Annoyingly, it did.
I mean, I was really impressed with everything about it.
I'd seen the car physically at very BMW and Corridon, actually.
They had a sort of a dealer launch there about a month ago.
And I thought it was quite aesthetically pleasing to look at.
It's still got some weird angles like the side of the car.
I think, as with many BMWs, it's almost like they've designed the front,
they've designed the rear, they've designed the interior,
and they've just gone, let's just let's just keep the side
flat and plain and do nothing with it.
Just got to join the front and the back.
Exactly. Just extrude the two sides
and they meet in the middle, in the middle of the doors.
Yeah, uses little material as possible.
But even I'd say even the optional 22 inch wheels,
which are the non aero wheels look to me like full fat, like M wheels,
which is really nice to refresh and see, because I think I saw on with aero wheels
and it looked quite bland.
The car, as we know, wheels make a massive difference.
So aesthetically good looking, interior wise, looks amazing.
The quality of everything pretty much feels like it's gone up
a step compared to the current X3, which is only about a year old.
But hadn't the X3 gone down a step?
Yeah. So are we back to where they were?
Or do you think they've stepped on again from from peak BMW that we talk about before?
I don't think they're at peak BMW, which is in my opinion, only three, four years ago.
I think there's still there's still some sketchier plastics in places,
but it's not offensive now.
Like I didn't go in there and I spent the day looking for some horrible plastics.
And apart from like the steering column surround,
which was a bit sort of like cheapish looking, the rest of it was lovely.
All the touch points were good.
Honestly, they're tech in it.
And this is not me being a BMW fanboy.
They've got this new eye.
They call it panoramic eye drive.
And it's it's it's like the next generation of head up display.
So although this car also had the optional head up display,
which was overkill, because at the front of the windscreen at the bottom,
you have all of the all of everything you need to see.
So your dashboard with all your normal stuff that you can sort of configure.
But then you've got six different widget widgets to the left
that you can so easily control and swap in and out with whatever you want.
So whether you want it to be like a weather widget or your
what you're playing on your podcast drive talk podcast widget,
all these different things that you can configure.
And obviously that all stays with the driver and the key.
So if you're driving it and your partner driving it and that's all.
But just the tech it in one way, it was a lot to take in in one day,
especially for my my slow brain.
But in another way, a lot of it was like, this is actually pretty cool.
Like there's some really nice stuff in here and it all works really well.
Because like a head up display, when you're looking at it all,
your peripheral vision is still predominantly looking down the road.
So so that was all really good.
But for me, it was all about how is it going to drive?
You know, range is the big thing that we all talk about with EVs.
What is the suggested range?
And what is the the EPA rated range?
Yes. So the WT WLTP combined predicted range or whatever was was about
five hundred, depending on the model.
And mine was the top spec 500 miles.
Yeah. And really?
And the one I was in was the top spec 50 X drive M sport pro
with the optional 22 inch wheels.
So the least efficient of all, and that was four hundred and sixty miles.
But when I got in it, it said four eight eight range with 98 percent battery.
How big is the battery?
One hundred and eight point nine kilowatt usable,
kilowatt hour usable.
Oh, wow. So massive.
And it's a new it's something about the way they they use the cells
in the battery or whatever.
It's like a generation six battery.
But I did about 100 miles in it and I used about 110 miles of range.
But that included probably four or five launch controls, some spirit of driving.
So actually, I reckon, and according to the people at BMW,
and I don't think they would lie to me, but they did work at BMW.
They said that then when they're running them in,
they were getting well over four hundred miles in the colder weather that we had,
you know, a month ago.
So so it's it's I mean, spending a day in a press car and handing it back
with over 300 miles, an electric press car and handing it back with over 300 miles
in it. I've never had that experience before.
So it was all, you know, it was quite refreshing.
I kept looking at the range and I was just like, actually,
I've stopped looking at the range.
I don't know. I'm just I'm just calling an ambulance.
Joe's Joe's talking.
Yeah. Hello. Yeah.
Ambulance please. Yes.
Yes. The name is Mr Achilles.
Yeah, it's finally happened.
He needs an instant, instant intensive care.
Fatal injection.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
He's talking positively about an EV.
Yeah, I think this is end of life.
Now, yeah.
So so the range was great and the way it drove.
So this one, there's only one time of launch in terms of power,
but it's a small motor on the front axle, large motor on the rear axle,
not 16. I timed it just over four and a half seconds.
Quick enough for your ex family bus.
And so funny, four and a half seconds.
That 10 years ago would have been like a super car.
Yeah, exactly.
And the thing is it would do it in any weather at any point,
you know, you know, anyone could get that achieved that sort of time.
Do we know how much it weighs?
2.35 tons.
It's not bad.
So yeah, it's sort of normal.
But also it's relative.
It was on passive suspension.
Now, I'd heard whispers that they're going to bring out an adaptive suspension,
but they haven't developed that properly yet.
So it was on passive springs and non adjustable.
And on the way down to our lunch location, I was like, OK, well, it rides really well.
So it's surely not going to feel great in the bends
because they've set the spring way up to be.
But actually, when I took it into the twisties, it handled really well.
So so that was good.
But I think one of the biggest standup points for me and I noticed it
the second I pulled out of BMW UK's headquarters was the calibration
on what they've done.
And I'm sure it's the same with a lot.
I don't drive that many EVs, but I think a lot of manufacturers
are really nailing the calibration of the throttle
and what we know as the throttle early EVs.
It was very not on or off, but it was very like, oh, we're in an electric car.
It was this one, the first 30 percent of the throttle pedal is just so especially in.
So there's a more natural torque curve to the power comes in like an engine.
But like you'd expect.
Yeah, it feels like you've got like a 180 horsepower normal SUV.
And it's like, OK, but then obviously then you you put your foot down.
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