When outsiders try, and fail, to build a car #317

“Outsiders create cars” is the episode’s core framing: companies or organizations not traditionally known for car-making trying to build four-wheel personal transport. The hosts use Ferrari Luce as the recent example and compare it to other attempts that were more talked-about than successful.

Ferrari Luce is a Ferrari-branded four-wheel personal transport concept/product that’s notable because it represents Ferrari trying to enter the broader “outsider” EV/tech-style design and branding conversation. The episode frames it as a high-profile collaboration, which is unusual for Ferrari’s traditional approach to model development.

Love From is a design agency brand associated with high-profile creative collaborations. In this episode, it’s mentioned as the design partner behind the Ferrari Luce project, which is why the hosts treat the car as a notable “outsider” style collaboration.

Johnny Ive (spelled “Johnny Ives” in the transcript) is a well-known design figure associated with major consumer-tech and design work. The hosts reference him because his design agency is tied to the Ferrari Luce collaboration, which is central to the episode’s theme of non-traditional entrants attempting car creation.

Homologation is the formal approval process that a vehicle must pass to be legally sold and used in a specific country or region. It typically requires proving compliance with safety standards, emissions rules, and other regulations before the car can be marketed.

Emissions legislation refers to government rules that limit what pollutants a vehicle can produce and how those limits are tested. Because the rules vary by country, a new car company has to engineer and certify the same basic product to meet multiple regulatory regimes.

INEOS is the company being cited as an example of how a new automaker can be built from scratch. The key idea in the segment is that INEOS outsourced major parts of the engineering and manufacturing ecosystem rather than doing everything internally.

Magna is referenced as a manufacturing/engineering partner that can develop and build a vehicle for another company. In this segment, the point is that INEOS would contract Magna (in Austria) to engineer and produce the car to market-ready, regulated standards.

Crash testing is the structured set of tests used to evaluate a vehicle’s safety performance in collisions. When a car is described as “fully crash tested,” it implies it has passed the relevant safety test protocols required for approval and sale.

Nissan is mentioned as the employer context for a contributor’s story. The segment uses Nissan as a real-world example of how big automakers think about competitive threats and market entry.

The Ineos Grenadier is a body-on-frame off-road SUV built around a traditional, rugged platform. It’s notable for using BMW engines and for being designed to feel more like an old-school, mechanically involving 4x4 than a modern “appliance” SUV.

“Body-on-chassis” means the vehicle’s body is mounted on a separate, ladder-style frame. That typically improves durability and off-road toughness, but it can also make ride quality and refinement worse than unibody construction.

Saying the Grenadier has “BMW engines” means it uses powertrains sourced from BMW rather than an in-house engine. For buyers, that can matter because engine tuning, parts availability, and known characteristics often track the donor manufacturer’s engineering.

Fuel consumption is how much fuel the vehicle uses over a given distance. In this context, the host is criticizing the Grenadier’s real-world efficiency, especially when compared to modern SUVs.

A diesel engine compresses air and then injects fuel, which typically gives strong low-end torque and different fuel-economy characteristics than petrol. The host contrasts diesel vs petrol availability for the Grenadier and ties it to fuel consumption complaints.

“Mobile white goods” is a dismissive analogy comparing modern cars to household appliances (like washing machines). The point is that many people feel today’s vehicles are designed to be convenient and uniform rather than engaging or characterful.

“Real world off-road” is the idea that the limiting factor on trails is often the driver’s skill rather than the vehicle’s theoretical capability. The host suggests that even if two off-road vehicles are similarly capable, the driver will run out of nerve or ability before the car’s performance becomes the deciding factor.

This refers to supply-chain risk: when a key supplier goes out of business or can’t deliver parts, production can halt. The host frames it as a major “nightmare” for startups, because they may not own critical components (like seats) and can’t easily replace them on short notice.

Recaro is a German seat manufacturer known for performance and racing seats, and it supplies seats to many automotive programs. In this segment, the host uses Recaro’s financial trouble as an example of how a new automaker can be forced to pause production if a key supplier fails.

“Range” is the distance an EV is expected to travel on a full charge, usually under a specific test cycle. A “600 mile range” claim is only meaningful if it’s tied to a realistic, standardized measurement and achievable efficiency in the real world.

Solid-state batteries are a type of EV battery that replaces the liquid electrolyte found in most lithium-ion packs with a solid material. That can potentially improve energy density and safety, but they’ve historically been hard to manufacture at scale and at automotive cost targets.

A 150 kilowatt-hour (kWh) battery is a measure of battery capacity—how much electrical energy the pack can store. Higher kWh generally supports longer range, but real-world range also depends heavily on vehicle efficiency and weight.

Wheel size (like 24-inch wheels) affects packaging and ride characteristics. Larger wheels can help with interior space packaging when paired with design choices, but they can also change ride comfort and tire behavior depending on the tire sidewall and setup.

The Aston Martin DB9 is a grand touring sports car built by Aston Martin, known for combining a stylish, luxury-focused interior with a powerful V12 engine. It’s often discussed because it represents a key era of Aston Martin’s modern performance lineup and is a common reference point when people talk about the brand’s past “big” GT models. In a podcast, it may come up as part of a comparison of different Aston Martin generations and their character.

The Aston Martin Vanquish is a high-performance grand tourer from Aston Martin, built to deliver serious speed with a more aggressive, driver-focused feel than many traditional GT cars. It’s frequently discussed alongside other Aston Martin models because it marks a distinct performance direction for the brand during its production years. In a podcast, it may be referenced when comparing how different Aston Martins balance power, handling, and everyday usability.

An electric autonomous car is a vehicle that uses an electric powertrain (battery-electric) and can drive itself using sensors and software. “Autonomous” implies it performs driving tasks without a human actively steering and accelerating in the moment.

Project Titan is Apple’s internal codename for its long-running effort to develop an electric, autonomous vehicle program. The episode frames it as a multi-year engineering project with prototypes and a large team before being canceled.

In this context, “canned” means the project was officially stopped and not continued. It’s a business/engineering term for canceling a program after spending time and money on it.

Tesla is referenced as one of the companies Apple reportedly looked at for partnerships related to driverless/automated-car technology. The point here is that Apple wasn’t working in isolation—it explored relationships with major EV and autonomy players.

Mercedes is mentioned as one of the “car industry heavyweights” Apple reportedly pursued for partnerships. In this context, it signals that Apple’s autonomy program was aimed at collaborating with mainstream automakers, not just tech firms.

BYD is referenced as another reported partnership target in Apple’s autonomous-car efforts. BYD is known for large-scale EV production, so its mention supports the idea that Apple looked to established EV manufacturers.

“Magneshtire” appears to be a stylized or mis-transcribed name for a tire-related supplier/partner mentioned in the episode. The context is that Apple reportedly partnered with it briefly as part of its broader driverless-car ecosystem.

Steve Jobs is mentioned as having plans to build a car as early as 2008. The episode uses this to suggest Apple’s interest in vehicles and autonomy predates the later Project Titan timeline.

Chris Porritt is named as a former engineering chief at Aston Martin and later Tesla, and the episode claims he was working on Apple’s project at one point. This is relevant because it ties Apple’s autonomy effort to experienced automotive leadership.

A fully autonomous car is designed to drive without any human input—no steering, braking, or monitoring required from the driver. The host contrasts this with partial automation by emphasizing “no driver involvement of any kind at all.”

London is referenced as a real-world city where fully autonomous cars have been observed driving around. The point is that autonomy can work in dense, mapped urban environments.

Waymo is the autonomy brand best known for deploying self-driving vehicles in public road environments. In this segment, it’s referenced alongside Jaguar I-Paces as evidence that fully autonomous driving is already happening.

The Jaguar I-Pace is an all-electric Jaguar crossover built around a battery-electric powertrain, making it a common platform for autonomy demos. In this segment it’s mentioned as a real-world example of fully autonomous driving tests in London and California.

This refers to taking a production electric vehicle and retrofitting it with autonomy hardware and software (sensors, compute, and control systems). The host argues it’s one approach, but that designing a dedicated vehicle from scratch is far more expensive.

Building an autonomy-focused vehicle from scratch means engineering the car’s chassis, electrical architecture, packaging, and control systems around self-driving requirements. The host frames this as extremely costly compared with retrofitting an existing EV.

Los Angeles is used as an example of a large city where autonomy can be more feasible than rural areas. The host’s argument is that complexity increases outside well-structured urban grids.

Ferruccio Lamborghini was the founder of Lamborghini and a tractor-industry entrepreneur who became dissatisfied with his Ferrari. His frustration is the famous origin story for Lamborghini building its own cars to compete with Ferrari.

A V12 engine is a gasoline engine with 12 cylinders arranged in two banks (typically forming a “V” shape). In Lamborghini’s case, the V12 is a key part of the brand’s early identity and is credited here with debuting in 1963.

The Lamborghini 350 GT is an early grand tourer from Lamborghini, built around the brand’s newly developed V12 engine. It’s historically important because it helped establish Lamborghini as a serious sports-car maker rather than just a tractor-industry outsider.

VW (Volkswagen) is referenced here as the original partner that Smart broke away from. The point is about corporate partnerships shaping which EV and small-car projects actually get built.

Geely is referenced as a co-owner/partner in Smart’s corporate structure. The hosts are highlighting that Smart is backed by large established automakers, not an independent startup.

The KTM Crossbow is a lightweight, open-top, two-seat extreme track-day car built by KTM, better known for motorcycles. It’s notable for its motorcycle-derived engineering approach and for being a niche, performance-focused alternative to conventional sports cars.

The KTM X-Bow is a lightweight, open-top two-seat sports car designed around a simple, track-oriented concept. It’s significant because it emphasizes low weight and direct driving feel rather than traditional luxury or comfort. In a podcast, it may be mentioned as an example of a niche performance machine that stands out from more conventional grand tourers.

In steering context, "unassisted" means the steering system provides little or no power help, so the driver must supply more effort through the wheel. That can make a car feel heavy at low speeds and more demanding in tight driving.

A joint venture is a business arrangement where two companies team up to create and run a project together. In car terms, it often means shared funding, engineering, and manufacturing responsibilities—yet it can still fail if the partners can’t align on execution.

The Yamaha OX 99-11 is a concept car built around bringing Formula 1 technology to the road. The speaker highlights its tandem two-seater layout, a detuned Yamaha V12 F1-derived engine, a six-speed manual gearbox, and a carbon fiber monocoque chassis.

In engine terms, detuned means the engine is adjusted to produce less power than its original racing specification. Manufacturers do this to improve drivability, durability, and emissions compliance for road use.

A carbon fiber monocoque is a lightweight structural shell where the body itself carries the loads, rather than relying on a separate frame. Carbon fiber is strong and stiff for its weight, which helps race cars achieve high rigidity and low mass.

The McLaren F1 is a landmark supercar known for its race-inspired engineering and unusual layout. The host mentions it as part of a group of ambitious outsider projects that were ultimately derailed by the same big-picture forces.

The Mercury Marauder is a performance-oriented model from Mercury, a brand associated with Ford’s lineup in the past. It’s often discussed because it’s tied to a specific era of American muscle-style performance, and it can come up in conversations about unusual or standout high-performance cars. In a podcast, it may be referenced when listing notable performance vehicles from different makers and time periods.