Explore Episodes

“Widowmaker” is introduced as a slang catch-all for cars with a reputation for being “a bit tricky, bit spiky,” often tied to specific Porsche 911 Turbo eras. The hosts trace the term to aviation, then dig into why certain 911s and other performance cars feel dangerous: tire grip changes, turbo lag, lift-off weight transfer, and wet-weather behavior. They broaden beyond Porsches into swing-axle quirks, traction-control limits, and even motorcycle instability—where sudden loss of grip can be unforgiving.

Celebrating Car Torque with Matty J hitting its 600th episode and a 10-year run, the hosts kick off with road-trip and “car talk race” memories—complete with live-stream mishaps and cars that didn’t cooperate. The conversation then swings through breakdown stories, rust and flood repairs, and comfort/tech details like air-con quirks. Between nostalgia debates (Falcon/Magna heritage) and community event planning, they also share Japan museum highlights and a few “what could go wrong” ownership anecdotes.

A brake job can turn into an all-day ordeal when seized hardware and neglected lubrication show up. The host frames the tutorial with a “five things” approach—what the component is, where it’s located, how it works, and how you broke it—then starts with a brake fluid check reminder. Real stories explain why calipers can fail and why wheel removal can take hours, plus how brake fluid absorbs moisture and can make pedals feel spongy.

Reliability for long-distance towing takes center stage, with the hosts framing it as “getting from A to B” and sharing real-world breakdown stories. One Cummins-oriented truck suffered a lifter tick, then a harsh downshift with an incorrect gear ratio, and even limp-mode trouble that required multiple transmission repairs—until a gauge pack helped them manage the situation. They also break down towing build priorities: intake/air-temp control, exhaust braking, staged tuning, and why “you don't want to over complicate the setup.”

The hosts kick off a flagship off-road showdown, weighing Toyota’s Land Cruiser against Land Rover’s Defender Akta, starting with MSRP and moving into what each SUV does best. They debate “full fat” vs smaller Cruiser variants, torque feel, and how cost-cutting and decontenting can sour the Land Cruiser name. Land Rover counters with active suspension tech, underbody protection, and real-world off-road hardware, while Toyota leans on reliability and resale value. The discussion also covers hybrid power, onboard outlets, and how driver-assistance controls can get confusing.

Alicia Marie joins Oil and Whiskey with Roadster Shop, and the talk swings from SEMA tickets and brand culture to the real nuts-and-bolts of making a truck “rowdy.” She explains why she ended up with a short block after piston slap and maxed-out boring, then details later upgrades like a roller cam, AFR 195cc street heads, and a Black Widow exhaust swap. The conversation also covers stance/sound priorities, transmission changes (TH-400 to 700R4), and how she stays honest when asked for specs.

Josh’s Subaru nickname “Subiraptor” anchors a wide-ranging chat about rally life, desert prep, and driveway wrenching. Listeners hear how the Rebell rally works—“an all-female navigation rally” with green/blue/black checkpoints, running sweep support, and map-and-compass navigation. The crew shares real mechanical stories (engine swaps, clutch chatter, timing-belt noise, and transmission failures) plus Subaru-specific service ease. Off-road build details include homemade lifts, repurposed Jeep parts, and cooling/traction plans for sand and Glamis heat.

Sand, Costco runs, and late-night car-meet logistics set the tone before the hosts dig into what really counts as a “car mod.” They debate reversible personalization versus true stock replacement, using aero parts, forced induction, and even window tint as examples. The conversation then swings to Elantra N ownership and installs (including JB Weld), plus California car culture—cars-and-coffee timing, underglow at night, and emissions/legal realities. Finally, they warn about negative equity and leasing/ownership tradeoffs.

Carbon Off-Road’s “lighter, faster, stronger” winch philosophy takes center stage, with talk of controlled winching, line speed, and why recovery gear should be chosen by working load limits. The hosts also share real-world wheeling maintenance headaches, dash-cam giveaway/group-buy details, and how video evidence can clarify fault. Between stories about New Zealand/Australia driving and travel, they cover off-road access realities, safer recovery hardware (soft shackles, kinetic rope), and what it takes to keep rigs and people safe on the trail.

Porsche Club Insider breaks down why Porsche Club of America driving tours have become so popular with members. The show highlights the national driving tour chair’s logistics, the push for “standards, not guidelines,” and the safety-first philosophy that keeps speed on the track. Tours feel social and welcoming—members arrive early, meet across regions, and even get curated destinations. Behind the scenes, organizers coordinate run groups, volunteers, insurance, routes, and contingencies like breakdowns, rain, and limited cell service.

Auction talk turns into a bigger rant about integrity: bids that look like they’re meant to prevent a real sale, dealer involvement, and how scandals can ripple through the used-car market. The hosts also cover a Roush-connected 2027 Ram 1500 described as “TRX without the supercharger,” plus EV “camping” that depends on charging access. Later, they debate whether to buy from Alibaba/Chinese EV brands, citing bricking, thin margins, and shaky after-sale communication.

Kimi Antonelli’s Belgian GP win is framed as a “very measured victory,” with strategy, track limits, and setup changes all playing their part. The hosts dig into how VSC timing, long-run pace, and details like toe and rear-wing adjustments shaped the Ferrari challenge. Elsewhere, George Russell’s Spa lap-one collision and the resulting penalty lead into a wider discussion about energy deployment, testing, and whether he needs a summer-break reset to stop overthinking. The show closes by looking ahead to Budapest.

Dealership spending gets judged by ROI, not popularity. The hosts walk through simple ways to connect capital to annual return, then push a leadership mindset: stop making emotional decisions and start using metrics and analytics. They suggest comparing expected results to actual outcomes, asking what’s producing the return, and breaking ROI measurement down into advertising, hiring, software systems, and other initiatives. AI is positioned as a helper to summarize reports, spot trends, and highlight opportunities.

Solar-car racing logistics take center stage as hosts talk with Gail Luck of the American Solar Car Challenge about collegiate events and the road route from Minneapolis to Amarillo. Teams face scrutineering and qualification, then compete in single-occupant (SOB) and multi-occupant (MOV) classes with practicality judging and scoring that can penalize external charging. The conversation also covers design tradeoffs—battery sizing, solar-array shaping, and the shift to lithium—and how weather, tracking, and wildfire smoke affect strategy.

AI tools and modern work habits kick things off, then the conversation swings into automotive details: why new tires feel slick at first, how winter tires need heat cycling, and a “Monkey” motorcycle that immediately calls for front suspension. After that, camera-based mirror systems and Polestar software updates come up, followed by Goodwood McLaren news (including 700-series rumors) and a broader Ferrari ownership debate about manual conversions and brand control. The hosts close with real-world ownership costs, classic truck talk, and event updates.

Edmunds CarCast walks through how its used-hybrid buying guide and long-term fleet testing work, from why “initial quality” can reflect up to 12 months of issues to how a one-year test can mean far more real-world wear. The hosts also share fleet lessons on value retention, depreciation, and even EV charging compatibility problems. Then the conversation pivots to used-car shopping tactics—especially certified pre-owned (CPO), warranty transferability, and what to verify with documentation like Carfax.

After a quick sponsor read and some personal catch-up, the hosts turn to Porsche investment “picks” and a playful bank-manager game: each person pitches up to three cars from the Namwax/9WERKS marketplace for the next five years, and the others approve or reject. The discussion ranges from 993 longing and 996/997 driving feel to underappreciated 996 C4S value, low-mileage GT4/GT3 spec, and paperwork/condition checks—plus a few specific picks like a Cayman R, a 986 outlier, and a 993 C2 cab priced at $82,995.

Joey Logano’s North Wilkesboro dominance is front and center, leading 323 of 450 laps to win the WINDOW World 450, with cautions and lead-lap attrition shaping the finish—“only six cars to finish on the lead lap.” The hosts also spotlight Shane van Gisbergen’s 49-lap run and a late-race pit/caution sequence that kept Todd Gill on the lead lap while Chase Elliott couldn’t recover. They close with playoff cut-line updates, Ross Chastain’s inspection woes, and a preview of Indianapolis’ Brick Yard 400 and the in-season challenge finale.

Car shows aren’t just two days of shiny cars—they’re a year-round, high-stakes business built on ticket targets, hand-selected entries, and expensive venue logistics. Creators can be quoted “North of 200 grand” for a two-day package that includes ad usage and promotion, while exhibition space at the NEC can run from £250 per square meter. Between crowd control, weather risk, and cash-flow gaps, organizers balance passion with profit—while keeping the culture focused on modified cars.

Horacio Pagani’s “spider” obsession becomes the episode’s through-line, as the hosts describe how Zondas are kept “perfect” and even claim “a hundred percent survival rate of Zondas.” Along the way, they bounce between supercar lore (Codalunga rarity, roof-off stiffness) and real-world car talk: prototype development at Jaguar with camouflage engineering, plus classic Toyota/JDM details like a 1984 Celica Supra and Mark III Supra digital dashes. The episode also includes EV noise humor, fuel-scare troubleshooting, and live-show promos.

Auto shopping convenience via AutoTrader leads into a deep dive on China’s EV rise with Michael Dunn of Dunn Insights. The conversation moves from early automotive lineage (like the Shanghai 760) to modern Shanghai impressions, then to the numbers: electrics jumping from about 6% to 50% of sales and exports scaling rapidly. They connect China’s momentum to scale, supply-chain control, government support, and even “flash charging,” while debating whether it’s truly unstoppable.

Phone calls in auto repair aren’t about answering questions—they’re about earning the appointment. Chris Cotton argues service advisors should treat the call like a guided process, not an information desk, and coach them by listening to recordings and scoring each call pass/fail based on one outcome: “Did we secure the appointment?” He also reframes appointment time as arrival/check-in, since “Auto repair is fluid,” and shares how Firestone of Durango redesigned arrival and key-tag flow to reduce confusion and wasted time.

Grandparents’ aging and mobility set the tone, with the host stressing the value of staying autonomous—whether that’s having trustworthy local help for an older home or being able to get into a robot taxi and keep living life. The show then pivots through EV policy and adoption: California rebate thresholds, Norway’s 2026 EV registration share, and Canada’s reduced tariff for Chinese-made cars. It also covers EV specs and charging expectations, plus Tesla headlight recalls and a full self-driving controversy tied to driver accelerator input.

Rare Metro variants, badge-engineering confusion, and provenance stories take center stage, from an Austin Metro HLS with a rare steel sunroof to a pre-production GJW press car and a VP500 built to celebrate the 500,000th Metro. The hosts decode trim labels like “HL/Highline,” compare manual vs automatic, and dig into export/re-import and RHD conversion. Between collector-value debates, exhaust and gearbox talk, and a “van that never was” build, the episode balances documentation, restoration economics, and what actually makes these cars fun.