Can the 2018 Hyundai Accent stay relevant in a world where people seem exclusively interested in crossovers and SUVs? Benjamin had the chance to drive the redesigned Accent in the Nevada desert and came back with some insights on the future of small cars in America. Sami stayed home for an in-depth comparison of the Toyota Camry versus the Hyundai Sonata, and was shocked by how the challenger has unseated the juggernaut of family sedan sales. Finally, Benjamin gets his first taste of the Honda C...
Nov 06, 2017•49 min
Have you ever wanted to drive your car on a race track? The Cadillac V Performance Academy. which comes free of charge with each V Series Cadillac, lets you do exactly that for 2 days at Spring Mountain Motorsports Ranch, and Benjamin talks about what it's like to spend a week there as a student. Sami discusses his own race driving experience at the AMG Performance Tour on Vancouver Island. Links: AMG Performance Tour: We Sample the Best the Brand has to Offer — Whether you want a hot hatch, hig...
Oct 28, 2017•48 min
Do you want to smell like a Mazda? The Japanese automaker is betting that you do with its latest perfume, which distills the essence of the Kodo design language into a wearble fragrance. Is this as silly, or more silly, than Toyota naming its upcoming concept car the 'Fine Comfort Ride?' We're not sure, but we also talk about the Polestar 1 electric super coupe, debate the merits of calling a car the 'Polestar 1,' and try to figure out if the next-generation Jeep Wrangler will life up to the sal...
Oct 21, 2017•50 min
Have you ever wanted a luxury car that can actually leap up into the air to protect you in a collision? Audi thinks the answer to that question is yes - and it also feels that you're so sick of driving that the new A8 should take care of most of that too, as Sami discovers during his time in Valencia with the redesigned 2019 model. As for Benjamin, he spends the week with the Mercedes-AMG E43, a confusingly-branded mid-range version of the comfort-minded mid-size sedan from Mercedes-Benz. We als...
Oct 16, 2017•59 min
Have you ever wanted a Land Rover SUV that could churn butter, make toast, and dispense olive oil at the touch of a windshield washer button? Apparently Jamie Oliver did, because Land Rover built him one, a comedic gift for which we are eternally thankful on this week's episode. We also talk about how poorly-executed the Fiat 124 Spider Abarth is - aka the Italian Miata - and have a deep philosophical discussion about whether a car that's so amazingly competent in every situation, like the Porsc...
Oct 09, 2017•52 min
Four seats and four driven wheels aren't what you'd expect from a Ferrari, but then again, the GTC4Lusso - an update of the FF - is like nothing else the Italian brand has ever built. Benjamin gets a chance to pilot the most unusual 12-cylinder modern Ferrari in the line-up, while Sami also reflects on his recent supercar experience in the McLaren MP4-12C, which has become a stellar bargain on the used car market. Then it's back to Challenger town as Benjamin drives the Challenger T/A and realiz...
Oct 02, 2017•54 min
Benjamin drives the 2018 Jaguar F-Type 400 Sport, Sami offers first impressions on the completely-redesigned 2018 Lexus LS luxury sedan, and both talk about the unicorn-like Mercedes-Benz C-Class wagon before diving deeping to the world of Audi's scary empathetic artificial intelligence car that will know how you feel even before you feel it! Links: First Drive of the 2018 Lexus LS at AutoGuide.com — Launched in 1989, it was the brand’s first vehicle and it showed the world that the Japanese aut...
Sep 26, 2017•56 min
Benjamin talks about driving the 2018 Mercedes-AMG GT R on the track at Bilster Berg in Germany, as well as his experience with the Mercedes-AMG Project One hypercar at the Frankfurt Auto Show. Sami discusses his strong feelings for the Mazda CX-3, and teases his drive of the redesigned Lexus LS. Links: 2018 Mercedes-AMG GT R - First Drive — I'm sitting in the driver seat of the GT R on Bilster Berg's pit row, listening to AMG Driving Academy chief instructor Reinhold Renger as he goes over the ...
Sep 18, 2017•44 min
Guest Chad Kirchner of the Future Motoring podcast joins us this week to discuss the Audi R8 Spyder, the Volvo V90, and the Woodward Dream Cruise. Sami and Chad also debate the finer points of comparing the Honda Civic Si to the Hyundai Elantra GT. Links: 2017 Audi R8 Spyder review for SlashGear — Asphalt-scraping, bone-jarring suspension setups, blind spots the size of a refrigerator, and the constant danger of reckless drivers zooming from two lanes over to snap a photo while hanging inches of...
Sep 04, 2017•1 hr 3 min
After a whirlwind August, Sami talks about attending Pebble Beach and Monterey Car Week, and driving the Lamborghini Aventador while Benjamin discusses his time on the race track behind the wheel of the 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk. Also, bears.
Aug 30, 2017•53 min
Sami goes in-depth on the redesigned 2018 Subaru Crosstrek, while Benjamin drives a Dodge SRT Viper ACR to the Roadkill Nights street drags. The pair also talk about what happens when Porsche loses a huge class-action lawsuit and has to buy sunglasses for thousands of its owners.
Aug 15, 2017•52 min
This week Sami drives the Civic Type R on a race track versus 3 of the hottests compact performance cars on the market, while Benjamin samples the Genesis G90 and the Audi TTS. We also talk Formula E and Energizing Comfort - exciting!
Aug 06, 2017•53 min
This week guest Brad Iger joins Benjamin and Sami to talk about driving the 840 horsepower Dodge Challenger SRT Demon on the drag strip, and to muse on what other vehicles would be improved by the Demon's supercharged V8 engine.
Jul 20, 2017•1 hr 2 min
This week Benjamin and Sami both drive brand-new versions of cars they happen to own - the Cadillac CTS-V and the Toyota 86 - and then spend way too much time talking about hidden car features both real, and imagined.
Jul 14, 2017•56 min
This week we complain about BMW's remote parking feature, talk about what ridiculous features we'd love to have in a new car, discuss how cars are not gadgets, and have a lot of fun with Audi's blindfolded A8L 'blind tasting.'
Jul 09, 2017•50 min
Guest Dan Heyman is in the studio to argue with and refute Benjamin's past assassination of the Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio and talk about his journey across France in the Infiniti Q60. Sami joins in to discuss the Rolls-Royce Dawn and the lunacy of a $90,000 BMW 5 Series.
Jun 30, 2017•50 min
Benjamin fights through Korean jet lag, Sami talks about Volvos, and both lament the slow dying of the sedan market in favor of nefarious SUVs.
Jun 25, 2017•50 min
Sami talks about the Volvo XC60, Benjamin discusses his trip to the Worthersee Treffen GTI festival, and everyone ponders the insanity of the Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio.
Jun 05, 2017•50 min
This week Sami and Benjamin record live from British Columbia as they both spend 500 miles behind the wheel of the 2018 Subaru WRX and WRX STI on a road trip to the Area 27 race track. Also, we talk about Ogopogo, the lake monster of the Okanagan valley, because of course we would.
May 20, 2017•43 min
This week Sami and Benjamin try to decide whether you can just make a smaller version of any SUV and call it the 'Sport,' and then delve deep into the weird world of badge-engineering. How many other podcasts are talking about the Cadillac Cimarron?
May 14, 2017•37 min
This week Sami and Benjamin explore the endless automotive tie-in possibilities offered by the upcoming Aquaman movie, ask the pressing question of 'what would Aquaman drive?' and take a look back at some of the weirdest movie tie-in cars every sold. Also, off-road trucks!
May 07, 2017•41 min
This week it's all about Bro Trucks, Raptors, the Stance craze, and Audi's lunar rover - and what it might mean for the safety and future of the entire human race.
May 01, 2017•40 min
This week Sami and Benjamin offer their opinion of the rationale behind holding a major autoshow in New York City, a metropolis that hates cars with a passion.
Apr 17, 2017•34 min
Benjamin and Sami team up with guest Bradley Iger to talk about what cars let you get away with anything out on the road, what their dream spec series would be if they could race ANY car or truck, and how far you could push squatter's rights in the automotive world.
Apr 08, 2017•46 min
This week Sami talks about his trip to Oman to drive the Audi RS3, Benjamin discusses his Chevrolet Bolt electric car road trip, and the pair argue about the best car you could use as a time machine.
Apr 02, 2017•57 min
This week Sami and Benjamin talk about the Honda Clarity FCV, the Hyundai Ioniq, And The Worst Car Your Parents Could Ever Pick You Up In.
Mar 20, 2017•54 min
After 2 weeks away Benjamin and Sami are back to talk about the Geneva Motor Show, the Honda Civic Type R, the Mint 400, the VW Atlas and Land Rover Discovery, and of course a special segment on how to most effectively rob a bank.
Mar 12, 2017•59 min
Benjamin discusses the new 2017 Jeep Compass, Sami opines on the 2017 Toyota 86, and both of us write a gentle letter of admiration for the surprising Hyundai Elantra Sport.
Feb 27, 2017•45 min
Benjamin describes driving the 2018 Lexus LC 500 on the sunny shore of Hawaii, while Sami relates his impressions of the Infiniti Q60 Red Sport 400 coupe, plus a general breakdown of our news and views on the automotive industry over the past week.
Feb 19, 2017•54 min
Sami and Benjamin get deep with extremely quick Ford Fusion Sport, the puzzling Toyota Corolla iM, and the pleasing Honda CR-V SUV. They also talk about - what else? - the newest SRT production on the block, the Dodge Durango SRT.
Feb 12, 2017•42 min