Motoring Podcast - News Show

Motoring Podcast
  • 4.9 (10)
  • Automotive
  • Updated Weekly

Motoring enthusiasts Alan and Andrew discuss their takes on the week's motoring news in this 45 to 60 minute audio podcast.

  1. 22h ago

    Angry men in rooms - 6 October 2026

    SEPTEMBER 2026 NEW CAR REGISTRATION FIGURESThe SMMT announced surprisingly impressive numbers for September 2026 registrations. Astonishingly surprising numbers. One third of registrations took place in the last three days of the month. BEVs were up to 99,201 and Private figures were up nearly 14% compared to 2025. For the Top 10 models, do remember it is coming up to an earnings call for one company you see in that table. Click this article link, from SMMT, to learn more. VW RIP UP WORKER’S CONTRACTSVolkswagen has cancelled several contracts with IG Metal union workers prompting a furious backlash. There is a current truce for strikes which runs out on 31 December 2026. The two sides will meet later this month. If you want to read more, click this article link here, from Reuters. VOLVO TO STOP SHARING SALES FORECASTS AND CASH FLOWVolvo has stated that they will miss their predicted sales and cash flow targets for this financial year, therefore will no longer report them. They have cited that their performance in China has been poor and surprised them, although at this point why? Other problems include a reduction in PHEV sales and new models not doing as well as hoped. To find out more, click this Autocar article link here. RENAULT TO INVEST OVER €10 BILLIONRenault has announced a new plan that involves investing over €10 billion mainly to develop electric and affordable models. However, there are conditions as the CEO, François Provost, explicitly said this relied on political and social ‘environments’ matching expectations. You can read more, by clicking this electrive article link here. CLASSIC CAR OWNERS WOULD WELCOME MOT TESTINGHagerty surveyed over 1200 classic car owners who said they would welcome a proportional MOT test for classic cars. However, they did warn that they should not be tested as if they were a modern car, which they didn’t feel was appropriate. For more on this, click the link here to a Hagerty article. INSTAVOLT WILL KEEP CHARGING CHADEMO CARSInstavolt has confirmed that their network will continue to charge cars with CHAdeMO connections, whilst others walk away from the technology. This will mean that second hand EVs can use some of the public network, thus prolonging their useful life. Click this EV Powered article link here, to read more. HUGE VW RECALL INCOMINGDue to a susceptible bolt in the steering rack of an expected four million vehicles world wide, Volkswagen are staring down the barrel of their biggest recall since dieselgate. Depending on the territory, it will affect VW, Audi, Skoda and Seat. Details are due for all the affected regions, with the US having started their process. To read more on this, click the Carscoops link here. If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST NEW NEW CAR NEWS -Dacia SpringDacia have a new Spring coming out. Developed in just 16 months the new car leans heavily on the same platform as that utilised by the Renault Twingo. Prices will start under £18k and it has a WLTP rated maximum range of 155 miles. The car is expected to receive the full Electric Car Grant amount too. Click this Autocar article link here, to see the improvements made over the original version. Audi A2Finally Audi has reached back into their catalogue to bring a new A2. Based on the same MEB platform as the VW ID.3, Skoda Elroq and Audi Q4 E-tron, the car in the right spec will have a maximum range of 401 miles. Prices are to start at £32,200 and rise to an expected mid £40,000s. THere is a myriad of battery packs and motor options. Click this Autocar article link here, to check how well they reinterpreted the original small Audi for the electric age. Kia PV7Following on from the success of the PV5, Kia are bringing out a bigger version. This will enable a maximum payload of 1200kg or to be able to hold up to 11 people. The Korean company has the Ford E-Transit Custom in it’s sights with this vehicle. The Long Range version will have a maximum WLTP range of 286 miles. Click this Autocar article link here. LUNCHTIME READ: SEVEN DAYS IN ITALY’S MOTOR VALLEYAs the nights draw in and the weather turns grim, thoughts go to sunnier locations and holidays next year. Hagerty has a lovely itinerary that combines cars, driving, good food and Italy. Click this link here and then get ready to start planning something to look forward to! LIST OF THE WEEK: SURPRISING CARS THAT ARE RELATED TO EACH OTHERWe all know about platform sharing and economies of scale, but still there are some related cars you may not be aware of. Check out this link here, to an Autocar slideshow highlighting some of the more bizarre links. AND FINALLY: WATCHING GRASS GROW CAN BE FUNA German YouTuber called Nils has taken the guts of an autonomous lawn mower and rehoused it so now it looks like a MkII VW Golf GTi, with working lights and BBS-style wheels! Click this Carscoops link here, to check out this fun project and how to see the video.

  2. Sep 30

    Tactical spork - 29 September 2026

    FOLLOW UP: BIG PUSH TO PROTECT UK AUTOMOTIVE RELEVANCEThe campaign to push both the UK Government and EU into a favourable deal connected to the ‘Made in Europe’ regulation is gaining momentum from within the industry. The SMMT has produced a report to claims the UK industry contributes €24 billion in ‘economic activity’ across the continent. This is to try and show that be excluding the UK would actually hurt the EU. Click this article link from Motor Trader, to read more. The EU, for its part, has some demands of the UK, if they are to be considered to be covered. First and foremost is to impose extra tariffs on Chinese imports. This comes off the back of the suggestion it should join the EU’s customs union, as that means aligning with the economic policies of the bloc. Click this EV Powered article link for more. Meanwhile, the ACEA (European equivalent to the SMMT), has called on a delay for the stricter rules of origin for the batteries of electric vehicles, between the UK and the EU. By pushing it back until 2029 that will save billions in extra costs. Click this electrive article link here, to learn more. MERCEDES IS THE LATEST TO TRY AND CUT WORKER COSTSMercedes-Benz is the latest company to be trying to reduce costs by cutting worker expenses in Germany. Reports state options being considered include asking employees to work longer without extra pay, changing holiday and Christmas bonuses as well as eliminating special payments. These options have been gift-wrapped in the not-at-all threatening statement that two German plants are at risk otherwise. If you want to read more, click this Reuters article link here. CONSUMERS AND FLEETS ENCOURAGED TO CLAIM FROM SHIIPING CARTELIn 2016 the EU found that several vehicle carriers had created a cartel to keep prices favourable to them at the cost to the buyers of those vehicles. In the UK the Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT) has announced the compensation due to those who bought or leased a new vehicle between 18 October 2006 and 6 September 2015. For the first effected vehicle it is expected that the person will receive £25, for multiple vehicle claims the second to sixth should get £5 per vehicle and those over six are presumed to be getting £2.50 per vehicle. Which seems pittance and won’t affect the companies who have been found guilty of breaking the law. Again. For more on this, including the link to sign up for potential compensation, click this FleetWorld article link here. MOTOR INDUSTRY WANTS HELP TO TRANSITION TO DEFENCEElements of the UK motor manufacturing industry have asked the UK Government for help in transitioning to serve the defence sector as geopolitical tensions rise and local car industry is under increased pressure. This follows moves in Europe where they are doing this. To find out more, click this Sky News article link here. MAJOR CHANGES FOR NIO AS IT CONTINUES TO STRUGGLENio has closed their hubs in Cologne and Weiterstadt, which is near Frankfurt at the end of this month, September 2026. The one at Munich will remain and is their last in Germany. Lots of corporate language was used, but essentially they’re in trouble and their European adventure seems almost over. Click this electrive article to read more. Meanwhile, Geely has announced that it will be integrating with the technology of Nio to enable battery swapping in it’s vehicles in the future and working closely with them to integrate their networks. The deal is quite complicated with each company owning shares in each other’s subsidiaries. If you want to find out more, click this electrive article link here. TWO-THIRDS OF UK DRIVERS CONFIRM THEY CAN’T DRIVE IN THE COUNTRYSIDEWe came across an interesting article on Motoring Research, which discussed a ‘survey’ by an insurance company. The headline from the research is two-thirds of UK drivers want a lower speed limit on country roads. The wonderfully deadpan way this was written exposes the nature and silliness of these ‘surveys’, which are generated for publicity. In reality it was demonstrating so many feel incompetent behind the wheel as well as then bringing in irrelevant stats about the number who exceed the national speed limit, like that would change with a reduction. Click this article link if you wish to see how daft so much of what goes for ‘safety discourse’ is today and how well that was laid out. BBC TO SHOW THE WORLD RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP FROM NEXT YEARGreat news, for those who love the World Rally Championship (WRC) and are based in the UK, as it has been announced that the BBC have a three year deal to show the championship on their platforms. For more, click this Motoring Research article link here. If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST NEW NEW CAR NEWS -Renault ScenicRenault is updating the Scenic with a new long range battery, giving a WLTP maximum range of 399 miles. There will also be an upgrade to the ADAS tech with the driver monitoring system being able to spot the difference between drivers, it is claimed. From this info the preferred settings of each driver will be enabled. No confirmation as to when the car will be coming to the UK yet from Renault. Click this Autocar article link here, to read more. Mazda CX-6eMazda are planning to bring their electric family-sized SUV to the UK, in the coming months. As with the 6e, their electric car, this is the result of collaborating with the Chinese company, Changang. Prices are to start from £42,990 and will come with a 78kW battery producing a maximum range of around 300 miles. Click this EV Powered article link here, for more. Mitsubishi PajeroMitsubishi are bringing back the Pajero/Shogun. Starting with the Thailand and then Australian markets, there is no clear indication that it will come to the UK. This is a proper off-roader, with a body-on-frame construction, with good ground clearance and a 2.4 litre diesel engine. The interior, on the press photos, looks quite luxurious and time will tell if the touch matches the vision. Click this Autocar article link here, for more. LUNCHTIME WATCHES: RUSTIVAL 5This week we are recommending several videos brining Rustival 5, which took place last weekend, alive to us who could not make the wonderful event. We have tried to spread the love a bit this time, with some channels that may not be as well known, we hope you give them some support. For IDriveAClassic and Steph’s coverage, click this YouTube link. To watch THT motoring’s view of the show, click this link here. Old Cars New Van has a nearly 51 minute long video which you can enjoy by clicking this link here. For PeugeotCitroën’s takeaways, click this link here. LIST OF THE WEEK: THE CARS WITH THE LARGEST ENGINES EVER MADEAs we hurtle towards fuel shortages, thanks to geopolitical idiocy, we thought now was the perfect time to check out some of the largest engined cars of all time. Do you agree with the choices made? Click this Autocar article link here, to view your...

  3. Sep 23

    Debbie downer - 22 September 2026

    SKODA LOSE A CEO AND VOLVO GAIN ONEKlaus Zellmer is leaving Skoda to head up Volvo. Håkan Samuelsson will hand over the reigns of the Swedish company no later than 1 October 2027 as per his contract. Zellmer had been in charge of Skoda since 2022 and with the VW Group for almost 30 years. If you wish to find out more, click this Autocar article link here. Not content with appointing a new CEO, Volvo have plans to launch 13 new models by 2030. Additionally, they will be developing model variant specifically for different regions. Reading between the lines of the announcement, there is hope that saloons or even estates may be making a comeback, as well as the expected SUVs. For more on this, click this link here, to an EV Powered article. EU ASKS CHINA WILL PINKY PROMISE ON EXPORTSAhead of the October deadline for the trade discussions between China and the EU, there have been calls for a self-imposed limit to exporting hybrid vehicles into Europe. Currently, special tariffs only apply to pure electric vehicles and the rate is calculated on a brand by brand basis. Chinese hybrid sales in Europe have jumped in recent months as they look to off-load their oversupply due to the Government edict on annual production numbers. China has rejected these calls. Click this electrive article to read more. MCLAREN OUTLINE THEIR FUTURE PLANSMcLaren has announced the outline of their plans for the next decade. This will include a second production facility, more models including a SUV line and the creation of thousands of jobs. All of this is thanks to a £500 million investment from their new owners, Abu Dhabi government’s L’imad investment entity. They are being tasked with increasing volume too. To read more on this, click this Autocar article link here. PORSCHE CAYENNE CAN USE WIRELESS CHARGINGPorsche has confirmed that the Cayenne Electric can now come with inductive, or wireless, charging. Maximum power is 11kW, but that is the same as many home, wall charging outputs that use AC. If the driver uses the assisted parking system of the car it will make sure the vehicle is perfectly aligned, apparently. But this will not be a cheap option, as the car mounted pad itself is €1,844.50, with the floor pad being €5,116,69, according to German configurator version. If you wish to learn more, click this electrive article link here. CROSS-PAVEMENT CHARGING MADE EASIERThe UK Government, via the Department for Transport, has announced that it is going to give permitted development rights for cross-pavement charging in England. Planning permission will not be required for homes who can only have on-street charging. Permission from the local highway authority will still be required, though. Click this electrive article link here, for more. If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST NEW NEW CAR NEWS -Lepas L6Chery is bringing their Fulwin T7 to the UK, using the Lepas badge. Utilising the same underpinnings as the Jaecoo 7 and Omoda 5, we get another cut and paste SUV from China, emphasising how they make vehicles so much cheaper than traditional manufacturers. Due to sharing platforms, there should be a maximum range of 279 miles, and a charge from 30-80% in 22 minutes at 120kW. Prices and full specifications are yet to be announced but the Omoda twins cost from £33,065. Click this Autocar article link, for more. Mercedes-Benz VLEOnce again we have an electric luxury MPV to discuss, this time the Mercedes option. A completely new platform, with a maximum WLTP range of 435 miles, dependent on battery and powertrain selected. Also 30-80% charging can add 226 miles in 25 minutes, if all conditions are perfect. The interior is vast and mind-bogglingly configurable, with a variety of seat types and positions. As with all Mercs these days you can get more screens than a multiplex cinema, if you so desire. Full UK specs and prices are yet to be announced. Click this Top Gear article link, for more. Genesis GV90Genesis has revealed their largest model to date, the GV90, a luxury electric SUV. Using the same platform as the Kia EV9 and Hyundai Ioniq 9, it is even longer at nearly 5.3 meters. There will be options for either seven seats or four, with the front two swivelling around. Additionally it will come with ‘barn doors’ enabling easier in and egress. There is a 123.5kW battery pack, enabling a maximum range around 311 miles. Due to 800v architecture 10-80% charging can take from as little as 22 minutes. There has been no confirmation of exactly when it is coming to the UK and prices are expected to be well above £100,000. LUNCHTIME READ: A BOXER, A JUMPER AND A FIST FULL OF COINSOnce again Driven to Write has a fascinating and fun couple of articles about the Stellantis light commercial vehicle range (sorry for any flashbacks, Phil). The first, linked here, is all about the older brands within the group and how to pick the van or even car you want when they take rebadging to an extreme. The second, which is linked here, takes a look at the new stable members. LIST OF THE WEEK: 20 VERY ANGRY-LOOKING CARSTo match the general mood of waves arms around dramatically we have a list of angry looking cars, from Autocar and Aysar Ghassan. Do you agree with Andrew’s choice? Click this link here to see your options. AND FINALLY: ALWAYS CHECK THE CAR PARKThe Autopian for the second week running rounds out the show, thanks to Annie Keller and how she stumbled across a one of two Bose suspension prototype Lexus. You’ll learn why this was a cool attempt at ‘doing suspension’ and how it ended up in the car park of a garage in the US. Click this link here for a fascinating story.

  4. Sep 15

    Two drinks - 15 September 2026

    FOLLOW UP: SALE OF BUGATTI COMPLETEDPorsche has completed the sale of its shares in Bugatti Rimac and the Rimac Group. This has netted them around €1 billion, destinations for portions of this have already been decided with €250 million going to the pension fund. The rest helps makes the company more financially stable. If you want to learn more, click this Autonext article link here. XPENG TAKES UK DESTINY INTO OWN HANDSXpeng has decided to open its own UK operations, instead of just relying on International Motors. They will begin this by opening a sales company, which will control the “strategic commercial development of the brand”, whilst Internation Motors will supply the “operational services”. This is all happening ahead of the launch of their new model, the L03 SUV. To read more, click this Auotcar article link here. LIDL INVESTS IN EV CHARGING INFRASTRUCTURELidl has cut the price of its rapid EV chargers, if customers use their Plus app. Additionally they are investing £10 million in the charging network. Prices drop from £0.62 to £0.59p per kWh when you use the Lidl Plus app. The £10 million investment will expand their charging network across the UK, as well as trying to install rapid chargers at all new sites. For more on this story, click this electrive article link here. UK BATTERY RECYCLING PATENT FOR ALTILIUMAltilium has been awarded their first patent for recycling batteries. This is tartgeting lithium-ion batteries. Most recycling produces intermediate materials that need to be shipped abroad to be processed further to end up with suitably high quality material that can be used in battery manufacture. Altilium hope to circumvent this step with the process in the patent. If you wish to find out more, click this electrive article link here. FORD IMPORTS CHINESE BUILT ELECTRIC VANS TO EUROPEFord has partnered with Jiangling Motors to built electric vans for them at a lower cost than the American company can manage. The Transit City will first be seen in Europe at the IAA Transportation event in Hannover. The Chinese built van will undercut the one made in Turkey by roughly £15,000. You can read more, by clicking this Autonext article link here. DRIVER MONITORING SYSTEMS IN THE SPOTLIGHTDriver Monitoring Systems have been painted as the cure all for driver inattention. However, as with all ADAS, the reality of what sounds like a great idea on paper compared to the execution is very different. Lexus is the latest to come under scrutiny, as claims online point out in-built flaws because their system uses eye-aspect-ratio and at least one Asian person has claimed it gives false positive warnings because of the shape of their eyes and eyelids. As this podcast has warned many, many times over the years, this leaves the industry open to potential lawsuits for racism. Additionally, these systems will never be able to get this right because they do not have a picture of everyone’s face, their head position when driving, how their eyelids are shaped and so much more. Click this Gadget Review article link here, to read more. If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST NEW NEW CAR NEWS -Mazda MX-5Mazda is ditching the range-topping 2.0 litre MX-5 from sale in the UK. But as we all wipe tears of sadness from our eyes, they also confirm that there will be some upgrades to the 1.5 litre version remaining. Power is ever so slightly upped to 134bhp and 114lb ft of the torques. New prices are yet to be announced and the car will be available from January 2027. Click this link from Autocar, for more. Range Rover ElectricThe Range Rover Electric details and pricing has been revealed, ahead of being in customer hands in 2027. Starting at £154,070 the car will come with an 120kWh battery pack and a WLTP range of 372 miles, which according to JLR is 330 miles in the real world. The car will weigh in at 2885kgs, therefore drivers either best not have many passengers and luggage or get an HGV license. Click this Autocar link, to find out more. Zeekr 9X Super HybridZeekr has announced that the 9X Super Hybrid, their large premium SUV, will be coming to Europe, although there is no news on the UK yet. It has a 2.0 litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine, with single electric motors up front and at the back linked to a 55.1 kWh battery pack all on 900V architecture. Full range is quoted as 458 miles with electric only being 111 miles. Weight is very similar to the above Range Rover at 2.9 tonnes. Click this Top Gear article link, for more. LUNCHTIME READ: WELCOME TO BINGO SPORTS JAPANLet Top Gear introduce you to possibly your new favourite dealer, BINGO Sports Japan. They work with buyers to find rare and specific cars that once found lead everyone involved to shout BINGO! This is a lovely article that tells all and has some fabulous pictures showing the sort of thing they find. Click here to read more. LIST OF THE WEEK: THE MAZDAS THAT MISSED OUTClassic and Sports Car bring this week’s list, all about Mazdas that didn’t make the cut and ended up not being made into production models for sale. Do you agree with the choices made? Click this link here to check out your options! AND FINALLY: DO CROCODILES DREAM OF TOYOTA LAND CRUISERSThe Autopian rounds out the show with the story of the safari tourist Land Cruiser, in Tanzania, which ended up in crocodile infested river following an error by the driver. No one was reported injured. Click this link to find out what happened.

  5. Sep 9

    Aspirational number - 8 September 2026

    FOLLOW UP: VW COST CUTTING MEASURES CONFIRMEDThe board of the Volkswagen Group has agreed to the restructuring plans that will include closing four plants, halving the number of models offered and an additional 50,000 roles to be culled. Additionally the Seat brand is to be retired in 2030. There is also a change in tactic with their Chinese operations, where they plan to build cars and export from the country to other markets. To find out more, click this Autocar article link here. FOLLOW UP: JLR COST CUTTING MEASURES INCLUDE JOBSCatching many by surprise, the cost-cutting measures will include around 4,000 roles going. The company hopes voluntary redundancy will do the trick. They are also leaning heavily on their suppliers to cut costs, but that is difficult for many to do. If you want to read more, click this Autocar article link here. AUGUST 2026 NEW CAR REGISTRATION FIGURESThe SMMT has released the August 2026 new car registration figures. Astonishingly, this is the best August on their chart going back to 2010. BEVs increased their market share again, as did HEVs and PHEVs. Surprisingly, there was a jump in private registrations. Once again Mikes Hawes, SMMT’s Chief Executive, reminded the Government of how unsustainable the industry’s efforts to meet the ZEV mandate are. Click this link here, to read more. STELLANTIS EUROPE MANAGEMENT CHANGESStellantis Europe, once again, is shuffling their senior management. This time starting with Olivier François ending his reign as the head of Fiat. He will be replaced by Arnaud Belloni who moves from the head of marketing for Renault. But Belloni will be also head up Abarth ad Lancia, as well as being the Chief Marketing Officer for Europe for Stellantis. Elsewhere, Xavier Chardon will lead DS Automobiles, as well as continue as CEO of Citroën. Xavier Peugeot will take the new role as Head of Jeep in Europe. There are many others too, which you can read all about by clicking this electrive article link here. GEELY SHUTS A VOLVO OFFICEGeely is shutting the satellite Volvo office in Stockholm, with the loss of an unspecified number of the 450 roles under that roof. The site was a key element of Volvo’s moves in software, AI and digital customer experiences. To read more, click this Auto Igloo article link here. HONDA AND NISSAN DO SHAKE HANDSEarlier in the year the news came out that Honda and Nissan were close to signing a partnership or even merger, however that fell apart after Honda’s valuation of their rival was significantly lower than was expected. But, both companies have now agreed to work together to standardise parts and software so they can share the economic benefits. The hope is that this can help them be more competitive with Chinese brands who are marching into their markets and taking an increasing share. Click this electrive article link here, for more. Additionally, Honda is leaning on its suppliers to reduce costs. There are three key areas, electrical parts, parts for software-defined cars as well as pressed and forged parts. The company is aiming for $9.4 billion in savings with 30% coming from the three areas mentioned, which sounds like a lot. Click this yahoo!finance article link here for more. If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST NEW NEW CAR NEWS -Suzuki e-SkySuzuki are poised to bring their second EV to UK shores, in the kei car form of the e-Sky. This is a small city car, expected to be priced below £20,000 and in Japan it has a max range of 193 miles. The car is due to go on sale in early spring 2027. Click this Autocar article link for more information. Hyundai Ioniq 3Hyundai has opened their order books for the Ioniq 3, a B-segment hatch with a starting price of £22,245 for the 42.2kWh battery pack version, with a maximum expected range around 213 miles. A 61kWh battery pack option is available from £25,745, which is expected to enable a max range of 308 miles. The final specifications and test results are yet to be confirmed. There are further trim levels which you can read about by clicking this electrive article link here. Mercedes GLAThe new GLA has been revealed, in electric guise, by Mercedes-Benz. Bigger than the previous model, it is now squarely aimed at the likes of the Audi Q4 and Volvo EX40. Whilst the electric model will be available from November, the hybrid will only arrive in 2027. There will be a variety of battery, including different chemical compositions, and motor options. This will translate to a variety of maximum ranges, with the longest being 408 miles. Click this Autocar article link here to read more. LUNCHTIME READ: LE ZOB REVOLUTIONAIRE!Driven to Write and Eóin Doyle are the originators of our recommendation for something longer form for your enjoyment. Eóin talks about how the Citroën AX came to be, what it replaced and how revolutionary this was for the company. To read more, click this link here. LIST OF THE WEEK: THE SUPERCARS YOU (PROBABLY) FORGOT EVER EXISTEDAutocar and Richard Dredge provide the slideshow of supercars you might have forgotten ever existed in the first place, if you knew about them at all. Some wonderfully mad options which go some way to explaining why they did not register in the mind more firmly. Click this link to see what your choices are. AND FINALLY: HOT WHEELS LEGENDS TOUR UK 2026 WINNERDuring the CarFest event, at the end of August, the Hot Wheels Legends Tour UK final was held. Three judges, Dwayne Vance (Hot Wheels designer), Nicola Hume (presenter) and Richard Hammond (classic car restoration company owner) all voted for the winner, a heavily modified 1972 VW Beetle. You have to check out this Motoring Research article link here, to see how epically insane the car is.

  6. Sep 2

    Sounds Like A Weight Loss Drug - 1 September 2026

    Lotus buys LotusLotus Tech has bought Lotus Advanced Technologies to become one singular Lotus once again. It’s all very complex, but thankfully there’s this story from Top Gear for reference. Hyundai and Genesis aim for massive Range ExpansionTha’s range of cars, not range of vehicles. The Korean manufacturing giant is planning 41 new cars in Europe by 2030 according to Autocar. EVs and SUVs May Or May Not Be To Blame For Potholes, Say ExpertsA report for the Institute of Civil Engineers says SUVs and EVs are being unfairly blamed for causing more wear and tear to Britain’s roads. Other experts disagree. This Autocar article looks at arguments from both sides. New Volvos Can Talk To Each OtherA new software update allows Volvo EX60, EX90 and ES90 to share notifications of large animals and pedestrians on the road among themselves, so they can warn drivers before they can see them. Autocar explains the boundaries and how the system works. Continental e-Cycles TyresContinental is developing a tyre that recycles used tyres into a fresh, low rolling resistance tyre. It’s still a concept, and there are hurdles. Electrive explains. NEW NEW CAR NEWS -Vauxhall Corsa GSEVauxhall has launched an electric hot hatch, and despite the electric powertrain the reviews sound like it’s a very traditional fast Vauxhall - Quick point-to-point, but not as refined as its rivals. It costs from £32,995 and you can find all the detail in this Evo article. Geely MonjaroGeely is bringing a new, larger PHEV SUV to the UK. The Monjaro is bigger than the Starray and about the size of a Skoda Kidiaq or Peugeot 5008. It has a predicted “engine off” range of 81 miles and is predicted to cost int he low £40ks. BYD Ti7Prices have been announced for BYD’s Defender and Land Cruiser-alike. It’s an AWD PHEV with a combined range of 441 miles, 74 of which are “engine off”. There are 7 seats, it’s available in some attractive, if expensive, colours, and it will cost from £47,995 when orders open in November for January delivery. LUNCHTIME READ: PetrospectAndreas Petros’ excellent blog is always worth a read, and this week he’s written about the new iteration of The Grand Tour and previous iterations of Top Gear and how the essence of the latter will be very difficult to ever recapture. LIST OF THE WEEK: Classic Cars With Memorable GraphicsIt appeared in my feed just as Friend of The Show Jim Magill sent me a photo of a near-naked Yaris GRMN, so I couldn’t not include this Classic & Sports Car list of 25 classic cars with memorable graphics. There’s no shortage of awesomeness, and yet I think I may have chosen it… AND FINALLY: Fisker Oceans of New YorkThe Fisker Ocean is dead, long live the Fisker Ocean. Listener Damien Scully (who’s behind the excellent Name That Car daily car identification game) sent us this story about the Fisker Ocean taxis in New York. I also mentioned the Ocenas of NYC website and BlueSky account trying to capture a sighting of every one.

  7. Aug 26

    I knew that - 24 August 2026

    FOLLOW UP: CHECK OUT THE AND FINALLYWe have, thanks to listener Farmer Jamie, both Follow Up and the And Finally all wrapped up into one. Wait till the end to find out more….. GEELY LOSES THEIR BOSSLi Shufu, the founder of Geely, has shocked many with his announcement that he is stepping down from his role as chairman of the automotive branch. An Conghui will take over the reigns of the company. Jerry Gan will become the new CEO, as the current, Gui Shengyue, is moving to vice chairman. If you want to read more, click this electrive article link here. GM CAUTIOUS ON UK CADILLAC RELAUNCHA year ago GM announced that they would relaunch the Cadillac brand in the UK. However, they have yet to reveal any details and are “actively reviewing our future Cadillac plans“. To find out more, click this Auotcar article link here. GEELY TO BUILD THEIR CARS IN EUROPEAN VOLVO PLANTSGeely will produce higher-priced cars in Volvo’s European plants. This would include models from the brands Zeekr and Lynk & Co. By being higher priced they can offset some of the disadvantages of building cars in Europe, ie. the costs. The plan is for this to start from 2028. Click this electrive article link here to read more. HORSE BUILDS ENGINE TO RUN ON METHANOLWhilst methanol is not a big fuel for road vehicles in the UK and Europe, it is in China. To tap into this market Horse, the joint-venture between Renault, Geely and Saudi Aramco, has built a 2.0 engine as part of a range extender system which will run on liquid methanol. Currently, methanol is not an e-fuel due to how it is produced but work is underway to try and make it so. If you want to learn more, click this Autocar article link here. JAECOO AND OMODA INCREASE WARRANTY COVERAGEFollowing a backlash after Warrantywise CEO Lawrence Wittaker highlighted how the warranty for Jaecoo and Omoda models had the headline of seven years, much was only covered for three, the brands have improved the number of components that will move from a 3 year or 40,000 miles coverage to 7 years and 100,000. To learn what has changed, click this Motoring Research article link here. DEFENDER EV DELAYEDJLR has delayed bringing out an electric version of the Defender, as the redesign of the model has been put back until 2030. Probable reason for this is the need to cut costs following the cyber security breach, tariffs and increased costs across supply chains. Money seems to be prioritised into the ‘baby Defender’ which is still expected on track and to be launched by the end of this year or early next. Click this electrive article link here, to read more. CHINA ISSUES THEIR BIGGEST RECALLChina has issued their biggest ever recall for motor vehicles, covering 4.3 million cars, with hidden door handles. Of that 2.98 million Teslas are required to add warning stickers and amend software to ensure if power is lost to the car, the doors can easily be opened or occupants escape, in the event of an emergency. China has banned them on new cars from 2027. To read more, click this Carscoops article link here. If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST NEW NEW CAR NEWS -Aion UTAion is bringing a supermini to the UK, in the form of the UT. Prices will start at £28,950 and the 60kWh battery will give a maximum range of 268 miles. The car has also, apparently, been engineered for our roads. Click this Motor Trader article link here, for more. Denza Bao 5Denza are brining a chunky looking hybrid SUV to the UK. The idea is to take on the likes of the Defender and Toyota Land Cruiser. Prices are not as affordable as we’ve come to expect from Chinese cars, with a starting price of £69,500 for Elegance trim, but if you plump for Ultimate that will cost from £78,880. There is a maximum electric only range of 62 miles. Click this Motor Trader article link, for more. SSCC SC-01The UK will get the SC-01 from the Small Sports Car Company (SSCC), which is ‘inspired’ by the Lancia Stratos and will be a ‘mid-engined’ EV sports car. Prices are expected to start at around £50,000. The car is already for sale in China. Click this Autocar article link, for more. LUNCHTIME READ: LAMBORGHINI MIURAEVO have an excellent article telling the story of how the Lamborghini Miura came to be and how it set the stage for future supercars. Click this article link here to read all about this fabulous car. LIST OF THE WEEK: THE BEST CARS EVER MADE IN AUSTRIAAl Suttie has compiled this week’s suggested slideshow from Autocar, all about the best cars made in Austria. There will be some surprises in here, for you to find. Do you agree with the choice? Click this link to see what your options are. AND FINALLY: WHERE THE LAMBORGHINI LM002 CAME FROMThank you to listener, Farmer Jamie, who sent us the link to this Classic Driver article explaining about the origin story of the Lamborghini LM002, which began as the Cheetah concept for the US military. Click this link here to read all about this fascinating story and the fate of the company. That time.

  8. Aug 19

    Toujours - 18 August 2026

    FOLLOW UP: TESLA SWEDISH STRIKE ENDSWe first mentioned how Swedish Tesla workers had gone on strike, back on 21 November 2023. The dispute has come to an end after Tesla paid off all the workers who remained on strike, with severance packages. That’s one way to ‘win’. To read more, click this electrive article link here. UK GOVERNMENT BEGINS ZEV MANDATE CONSULTATIONFollowing months of lobbying, the UK Government has finally started to review the Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) mandate. They have opened a consultation that will close on the 23 October 2026. This is a tricky matter for the Government because whilst the targets are only being hit by huge discounts, other parts of the ecosystem have made plans based on these same targets. If you wish to learn more, click this Motor Trader article link here. PORSCHE LEAVES VW GROUP EU CO2 POOLPorsche has left the Volkswagen Group’s CO2 pool, for the EU, and joined Xpeng’s in order to meet the annual requirements of 92g/km. The VW Group is currently sitting at 8% over the target set for it. Click this Autocar article link here to read more. CHINA’S BATTERY HEALTH RULES COME INTO FORCEIn December 2025 China announced new rules for batteries, specifically the health of them as they age. A key component is the State of Available Energy (SOCE), which is judged against that when new. Part of this is also the minimum requirements of what a battery must be at after set ages, for example after five years there must be at least 82% available energy. To read more, click this electrive article link here. WEVC TO BUILD EVS IN QATARWatt Electric Vehicle Company (WEVC), based in Cornwall, has reached an agreement with Qatar based investment company, to build EVs in the Middle East country. The first two models will be a passenger car and a medium sized van. The expectation is for production to begin in early 2028. If you want to find out more, click this Autocar article link here. FRANCE OFFERS FINANCIAL AID FOR USED EVSThe French Government will be introducing a grant for the purchase of used EVs from September 2026. The amount is quite low though, at €337, unless you are a health worker. Critics have complained that the amount is insufficient and needs to be increased. The money is coming from energy and fuel suppliers, thanks to ‘polluter-pays’ rules. Click this electrive article link here, to read more. WORLD RECORD FOR JCBJCB has smashed the world land speed record for a hydrogen powered vehicle as their vehicle, the Hydromax, averaged 406.320mph on the Bonneville Salt Flats. Andy Green was the driver, making that his third record. To read more, click this Autocar article link here. NATIONAL MOTOR MUSEUM IN FIGHT WITH LANDLORDThe National Motor Museum, which is currently housed at Beaulieu, has stated that it is actively looking for a new home as its lease comes to an end. Beaulieu Enterprises Limited, who run the site, issued a statement to state even if the museum does move they will have their own motor museum on site to replace it. According to reports, there is no new lease on offer and the gate receipts for the site only give a small fraction of the entry fee to the museum. If you want to learn more, click this Autocar article link here. If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST NEW NEW CAR NEWS -Leapmotor B03Leapmotor will be bringing the B03 to the UK in 2027. This car is aimed at the likes of the Renault 5 and is expected to cost somewhere in the low £20,000s. When launched the car will have a 53kWh battery which WLTP maximum range is expected to be 242 miles. Click this EV Powered article link, to read more. Denza D9Denza are the latest to bring a luxury MPV to the UK, following the likes of Xpeng and Lexus. Prices start at £75,000 which is nearly £23,000 less than the Lexus LM. Click this Autocar article link here, for more. Audi Q9Audi think the Q9 is now the range topping vehicle they make. It is large, very large at 5.3m long and 2.2m wide. Externally there are more than a few wiffs of the last generation Hyundai Santa Fe but inside they have followed the recent trend of making it look as cheap and tacky as possible. There are screens across the width of the dashboard, there is led lighting everywhere. Prices are yet to be announced but do expect them to be beyond £100,000 just for the ‘entry-level’ version. Click this Autocar article link here, to find out more. LUNCHTIME READs: BERLINGO BERLINGO (I’M IN LOVE)The Berlingo will hit 30 years old in October. Ahead of that Driven to Write has a lovely article which covers some of the history of the car plus bristowfuller’s path to owning one. Click this link here to enjoy this week’s read. LIST OF THE WEEK: THESE ARE THE 50 GREATEST ITALIAN CARS OF ALL TIMEWe bring you a Top Gear list, all about Italian cars which never gets old. Do you agree with the choices made? What would you pick? Click this link here to see what your options are. AND FINALLY: STATIONARY MUSEUM CAR GETS SPEEDING TICKETThe Volo Museum, near Chicago, received a speeding ticket and photographic evidence that the Pontiac Trans Am from the TV show Knight Rider was speeding in New York. Thing is, it hasn’t moved in years and quite how the police managed to track down the museum when they have not registered the car for the road, is another mystery. Click this Yahoo!News article link here to read more.

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About

Motoring enthusiasts Alan and Andrew discuss their takes on the week's motoring news in this 45 to 60 minute audio podcast.

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  • Creator
    Motoring Podcast
  • Years Active
    2015 - 2026
  • Episodes
    305
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2026 Motoring Podcast
  • Show Website
    Motoring Podcast - News Show

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