CarStuff

What’s the deal with Formula 1 racing? Is it just a bunch of European adrenaline junkies with a death wish? And how does it differ from something like the American-based NASCAR or IndyCar series? In reality, there’s way more to it. F1 combines some of the world’s great engineering feats, drivers with the athleticism of Olympians, and a captivating billionaire's playground. But while there’s never a dull moment in this sport, how do you even get started as a viewer? Comedian Michael Kosta (The Daily Show) is here to do all of that heavy lifting for you. Each week, F1 expert-in-residence Lily Herman will take him — and you — on a different team’s journey, all in the hopes of figuring out who’s worthy of his — and your — support. From Sports Illustrated Studios and iHeart Media, this is Choosing Sides: F1. The new limited series, launches June 28th, with new episodes dropping every Tuesday. Available on the iHeart radio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy…

In this episode of CarStuff, Ben and Kurt discuss the amazing adaptations that car companies can make when called upon by circumstance.

Race cars often take on some outlandish designs and rule-bending technology in their never-ending quest to go fast. Meet some of the more notable characters in the ragtag gang of unlikely speed demons.

Imagine a mile of open pavement in front of you, and no fear of a speeding ticket or jail time. Seems like a dream, but it’s a reality for drivers at The Texas Mile. Listen in as Scott and Kurt describe why the Texas Mile is such a unique test of speed.

It’s 12.9 miles of test-track that the auto manufacturers love to use as a standard for performance. But why there? Scott and Kurt explore some of the more colorful characteristics of The 'Ring, and fill you in on some tips that you can employ to stay safe if you wish to test your mettle on "The Green Hell".

We’ve all seen the million-dollar garages that include vehicle turntables, elevators, museum-quality lighting and other fancy, expensive luxuries. Well, since none of us here at CarStuff can afford those extravagances, we’d like to share some inexpensive tips-and-tricks we’ve found to make your garage a more comfortable, and more functional, place to spend some quality time with your vehicle.

Ben has returned from his most-recent West Coast trip with plenty of stories from the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles, Calif. Learn all about the founders, Robert and Margie Petersen, the history of the building itself, the $100-million renovation, and, of course, the incredible collection of vehicles that spans over 120 years of automotive history.

Join Scott, Kurt and Ben as they recap their recent visit to the Atlanta Motor Speedway – a 1.54-mile, quad-oval track that has remained on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule since 1960. After a couple laps around the banked turns, the guys were able to get out and examine the track’s well-aged surface and learn from track president, Ed Clark, how it’s remained race-ready for the last 23 years – without a repave.

The allure of an ultralight aircraft is undeniable. Flying a small, hand-built aircraft off into the Wild Blue Yonder is a dream that many hobbyists have realized. Join Scott, Ben and Kurt as they talk about the good, the bad and the unusual aspects of ultralight flight.

Dashboard-mounted cameras, also known as dash cams, are relatively inexpensive to buy, easy to install and practical to own. Join Scott, Ben and Kurt as they discuss some of the more rational reasons to own a dash cam, like saving you from insurance scammers, hit-and-run drivers and parking lot vandals. And, as you might expect, they also have a bit of fun talking about some of those crazy dash cam videos out of Russia!

We all know about Jay Leno’s amazing car collection – he’s a well-known gearhead; but what about some of the other celebrities who are also into cars? They often have the time and money to amass impressive collections, too.

City governments know them as sharable, dockless mobility devices. The rest of us call them electric scooters. Whether you’re a fan of the micromobility movement or not, you have to admit they’ve made us all think differently about our urban transport options. Join Scott and Kurt as they examine the electric scooter craze, and consider making some quick cash as Bird Catchers or Lime Juicers.

A trip to the junkyard can be a lot of fun, but it can also end in frustration. Scattered parts, missing hardware and needlessly broken components can quickly turn your treasure hunt into a waste of time. Is there a proper way to conduct yourself in a junkyard? Are there tactics you can use that are courteous to other salvage-yard-seekers as they comb through the wrecks? Have a listen as Scott and Kurt discuss the current junkyard scene, and share a few tips regarding appropriate junkyard manners.

Are stunts perceived as even more dangerous and spectacular if they’re well-promoted and built-up ahead of time? Join Scott, Ben and Kurt as they ask: What happened to the attention-seekers; the daredevil showmen of the past? Is there a modern stunt performer with the flair and audacity of Evel Knievel? And, has anyone seen The Human Fly?

Also known as the C8 (8th generation), the 2020 Corvette is Chevrolet’s all-new mid-engine sports car – the one they’ve teased us with for more than 50 years. Is it the best Corvette GM has ever built? Find out what Scott, Ben and Kurt think of the redesigned icon. Plus, Ben announces his Escape.

If you’ve never witnessed a Bike Life Rideout…well, maybe now is a good time to do a quick search on YouTube. When dozens, or sometimes hundreds, of stunt performing dirt-bike and ATV riders take over the city streets of America’s largest and most-populated urban centers, there’s usually some fallout. Listen-in as Scott, Ben and Kurt discuss their thoughts on the Bike Life scene.

In this episode of CarStuff, Ben provides us with firsthand information of his recent trip to Japan, including his visit to the Toyota Automobile Museum in Nagakute, a neighboring city of Nagoya, Japan. Viewing an impressive collection of cars from around the world (not just Toyota-built vehicles) and spanning the entire 20th century (including a few years before, and a few years after), made it a day worth sharing.

In part 2 of the Iditarod conversation, join Scott, Ben and Kurt as they highlight some of the aspects of the race that set it apart from any other sled dog race on the planet.

Referred to as "The Last Great Race On Earth," the Iditarod hearkens back to a time before the automobile, airplane and railroad; when travel over the frozen, far reaches of Alaska had to be undertaken with precision. On well-traveled trails cut through mountainsides, woods and open expanses, mushers and their trusty teams of sled dogs would glide in order to transport necessities. Join the Carstuff crew as they discuss some of the history of the worlds most famous sled dog race.

In this episode of CarStuff, Ben and Kurt explore the wondrous world of RoRo shipping vessels, and Ben ponders traveling exclusively by sea.

Listen as the Carstuff crew give you a rundown of Tesla's Cybertruck unveiling event held on November 21, 2019.

What is a road stove? From car parts like tires, and headlight glass, to fluids such as oil and coolant, and yes, even household appliances, it all can become road debris. Listen in as the CarStuff crew discuss some memorable road debris stories, and just how our roadways keep from becoming landfills.

There is enough gridlock out there to drive even the coolest car-loving commuter over a cliff, and traffic costs us much more than our minds. Listen to find out just how much modern-day logjams actually cost.

It's a car! It's a truck! No! It's an El Camino! Listen as CarStuff crew discuss the venerable Chevy El Camino, and mull the future comeback of the light-utility pickup truck.

The CarStuff crew discuss some of the cars featured in AMC's acclaimed television series Breaking Bad.

What’s an orphan car? It’s a car whose parent company is defunct…out of business…no longer building cars. And while there is some confusion over the definition of what makes a car a “true” orphan car, the owners of those cars remain proud of their vehicles. In fact, there are even car shows that showcase these left-behind makes and models.

You might be surprised to learn that the first golf cart community in the U.S. was set-up in 1960 in Sun City, Arizona. A lot has changed since then, but golf cart communities are still popping-up all over the country – especially in the south – and more and more cities are allowing golf carts access to the city streets. Listen in to find out what it takes to make a golf cart street-legal and learn the differences between golf carts and low-speed vehicles (LSVs).

The Ford Ranger has been out of production (in the U.S., anyway) since 2011, and ever since it went away, Ford owners have wanted it to return. In 2019, they got their wish. But will the return of the Ford Ranger satisfy the needs of small pickup truck owners?

The Great Recession created a perfect storm for the RV industry. As the industry tries to emerge from the abyss of a systemic crisis, customers should be extra-vigilant in their quest to reside on the road. Listen as the Carstuff duo give you a snapshot of RVing in 2019.

A toilet as a driver's seat? A car built upon a 19th century funeral coach? The late 60's, and early 70's was a far-out era for custom hot rods. Listen as Scott welcomes a new voice to CarStuff, and join them on a wacky trip into a carscape that time forgot.

Some of the cars on this list have a redeeming quality or two. Most don’t. Listen in to see if you agree as Scott takes you through a list of some of the best of the worst cars ever to hit the showroom floor.

Sometimes called the “other” gullwing car, the Bricklin SV-1 was a Canadian-built sportscar with occupant safety as priority one. It was a short-lived experiment with production only lasting a couple of years. Of equal interest is the American businessman responsible for making the car a reality, Malcolm Bricklin.

In 1971, a successful race car from the mid-1960s was driven into a California storage unit, and then forgotten by almost everyone for the next 30 years. But that’s not the most interesting part of this car’s story, to say the least.

In crowded city streets, where people and cars share the same space, pedestrian-automobile accidents are simply unavoidable. But did you know those collisions, many of them fatal, have influenced the way your entire car is designed?

Nearly 100 years ago the crime of “jaywalking” was created. But do you want to know the most surprising part of the story? It’s the groups responsible for getting this law on the books in the first place.

We promise, this is not a rerun! Although similar to a topic we covered a few months ago, we’ve shifted our focus from driving a car to car-ownership for this latest ranking of the best and worst states and cities.

If you’re a car enthusiast, consider the countries mentioned in this episode as a list of places that you don’t ever want to live. Listen in as the CarStuff guys talk about some of the worst (and most expensive) places in the world to buy a car.

Did you know that you can buy, own and operate a private, antique rail car? It’s a great way to recapture some of the grace, sophistication and style that cross-country travel held decades ago.

It probably won’t surprise you that some of the rarest cars in the world are also some of the most expensive cars in the world – but there are a few exceptions.

The camouflage that automakers meticulously design to conceal new vehicles only seems to make them stand out from everything else on the road. Isn’t that the opposite of what camo is supposed to do? Why bother using camouflage at all?

Don’t feel bad if you’ve never heard of this sort of thing. At this point, car subscription services haven’t really haven’t been around all that long. Join Scott and Ben as they delve into this relatively new way for automakers to do business.

One Michigan museum is offering you the chance to get behind the wheel of an antique Model T for a driving lesson. Listen in as Scott and Ben tell you where it’s happening, and what you can expect from this unusual driver’s training course.

Don't blame the design engineers! They're just one of several groups that play a role in car design and production. Join Scott and Ben as they discuss some surprising (and not-so-surprising) reasons why a lot of cars are simply ... well, boring.

California wants to rid its roadways of all combustion engine-powered cars. But does the state really have the authority to ban the internal combustion engine? Listen in as Scott and Ben talk about California’s proposed plan to go all-electric.

When a car or truck is discontinued, those models don’t just magically disappear from dealer inventory. Sometimes it takes a long, long time to clear-out the old to make room for the new.

If you’re familiar with NASCAR, then you know the chaos sometimes associated with pit road. Listen in as Scott and Ben discuss how NASCAR’s Hawk-Eye camera system monitors the action.

Up to one million cars and trucks have been damaged in the flood waters left behind by hurricanes Harvey and Irma. Listen in as Scott and Ben tell you how to avoid buying a hurricane damaged car or truck.

Have you ever owned a car that continually made you feel anxious and unsure about the next mile due to its lack of reliability? Some cars seem to be trouble right from the start, while others become a burden later on.

Everyone knows that a dirty home or workplace can lead to allergic reactions, asthma attacks and other respiratory conditions -- but what about your auto?

If you’re familiar with CarStuff, then you’ll know that this is not going to be a typical minivan discussion. Join Scott and Ben as they reveal some little-known facts about the history and development of the minivan.