Car Chat

• Rod Chong – Need for Speed, Speedhunters & The Art of Car Culture

  Rod Chong is a creative director and automotive cultural icon whose career spans music videos, video games, and real-world car culture. In this episode, Sam explores Rod’s journey from directing rock music videos to co-founding Speedhunters, leading creative direction on Need for Speed and Project CARS, and building cutting-edge car experiences at Race Service with brands like Ferrari and Porsche. It’s a deep dive into racing games, car culture storytelling, and the art of blending virtual and real motorsport. Enjoy Show Notes: 00:00 – Why Loving the Creative Process Matters 02:12 – From Drawing Cars to Directing Culture 06:04 – Making Need for Speed and Project CARS 19:08 – Inside Roborace: Autonomous Racing at Speed 24:46 – The Hard Truth About Game Development 32:11 – Track Days, Sim Rigs, and Getting Serious 39:07 – How Speedhunters Changed Car Media 44:11 – Race Service, F1 Clients, and Global Collabs 49:25 – From Street Car to Hot Wheels Diecast 51:48 – Building a Street-Legal Porsche 935 56:42 – Running Canyons with a Built Cayman 01:01:38 – Best Drives, Future Builds, and Dream Garage Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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• George Williams | The Project Safari Elise And Get Lost Automotive

  George Williams returns to talk about launching Get Lost Automotive and their first build, Project Safari — a lifted, reimagined Lotus Elise S1. We cover everything from road trip stories to suspension geometry, design philosophy, and how he’s applying his photographic eye to building cars. Enjoy. https://www.getlostautomotive.com/https://www.gfwilliams.net/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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• How Racing Pre-War Bentleys Changed My Life w. Katarina Kyvalova

  Katarina Kyvalova races everything from pre-war Bentleys to Jaguar E-Types at places like Le Mans, Spa, and Monaco. We talk about her mad first race in a 1928 Bentley, how she handles gearboxes with no synchro, and what it’s really like driving five weeks across the world in the Beijing to Paris rally. Enjoy. https://www.instagram.com/kkyvalova/ Chapters: 00:00 – Why Racing Is Addictive 03:01 – From Classic Rally Co-Driver to Vintage Race Addict 05:57 – Baptism by Fire: Her First Race Was a 24-Hour in a 1928 Bentley 09:05 – Endurance Racing in Pre-War Machinery (No Seatbelts, No Syncros) 11:59 – Mastering Crash-Box Gearboxes and Central Throttle Pedals 15:12 – Jumping Between Pre-War Bentleys and GT4 Cars 18:02 – Adjusting Driving Style for Every Car – E-Type vs. Healey vs. LMP 21:02 – Beijing to Paris: A Five-Week Endurance Rally With No Team Support 24:09 – What Makes Historic Racing Totally Different From GT Racing 26:57 – Learning Teamwork at 100kph: Rallying With No Backup 30:07 – Brake Fade, Sticking Throttles & Other Historic Race Surprises 33:10 – Dream Garage, Future Races & the One That Got Away Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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• Why Charging Fast Is So Hard (And How Software Helps) w. Jingyi Chen | Breathe Battery Technologies

  Jingyi Chen, Head of Battery at Breathe Battery Technologies, joins me to discuss how software is transforming the way EV batteries are charged, managed, and designed. We get into the science behind fast charging, battery degradation, and why Breathe’s tech is already being used by major OEMs like Volvo, Rimac and Cosworth. Enjoy. https://www.breathebatteries.com Chapters: 00:00 - Intro: Smarter batteries, faster charging 02:48 - What makes lithium-ion batteries tick 05:44 - Battery management software: the brain of the pack 08:30 - Real-time monitoring, diagnostics & control systems 11:36 - Lithium plating, fast charging & what can go wrong 14:38 - Where charging tech is headed next 17:31 - What's coming in future EV battery tech 20:23 - How to treat your battery to make it last 22:27 - Wrapping up: challenges and breakthroughs ahead Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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• Matt Prior - The Joys Of Modern Cars And Falling For An Audi A2

  Matt Prior is back for a good rant about car tech gone wrong — from driver-monitoring nags to touchscreens where buttons should be. We cover the charm of the Ineos Grenadier, the Ariel Nomad, small luxury cars, and Matt’s latest purchase, plus behind-the-scenes stories from Autocar’s “My Week in Cars.” Enjoy. https://www.autocar.co.uk/ Show Notes: 00:00 – Why Cars Nag You: Attention Assist and Driver Monitoring03:02 – How The Podcast Started (and Who’s Behind It)05:55 – Weird Cars We Love: Niche Gems and Cult Favourites09:05 – Why Car Companies Make Odd Decisions11:37 – Luxury Cars: What Actually Sells and Why14:44 – Can Small Car Makers Survive the EV Shift?17:39 – How Car Design Has Evolved (and What Buyers Want Now)20:31 – Speed Isn’t Everything: What Makes a Great Drive23:49 – When Tech Helps vs When It Just Gets in the Way26:34 – The Laws That Shape the Cars We Get42:43 – Why Small Cars Got So Big47:07 – Premium Feel in Pint-Sized Cars49:06 – Real Quality vs Perceived Quality51:18 – Why New Tech Can Be So Annoying56:33 – Driver Aids: Helpful or Just a Hassle?01:00:46 – Why Simple Cars Are So Hard to Make Now01:09:43 – The UI Problem: Why Are Car Screens Still So Bad?01:15:29 – The Sweet Spot Between Features and Frustration Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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