S2 E3: Volvo Tailgating, Caterham Temptation & Confused UK Roads – The Smart Drive Podcast

S2 E3: Volvo Tailgating, Caterham Temptation & Confused UK Roads – The Smart Drive Podcast

Ashley’s Volvo appears determined to turn a driving instructor into a tailgater, while a Caterham offers a rather more expensive solution to his fading love of driving. * Why mild hybrids, regenerative braking and engine-off coasting can force drivers to relearn familiar habits, even when they have decades of experience. * Ashley considers a Caterham 360S, the Caterham Academy and the minor practical problem of having nowhere to put any of it. * Lane hogging, flashing headlights and pedestrian priority rules expose the widening gap between the Highway Code, driving-test decisions and what actually happens on UK roads. There is also roof-box engineering, supervising learner drivers, French motorway manners and a new rescue-animal channel. Subscribe, share and tell us whether Ashley needs a Caterham or simply fewer dogs in the Volvo. Get in touch: hello@thesmartdrivepodcast.co.uk Folow the new channel: @24RescuePaws ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

S2 E2: Oulton Park, Ginetta Juniors & the Return of the Racing Bug – The Smart Drive Podcast

A quiet coffee turned into Oulton Park, race cars, nostalgia and the faint sound of two grown men getting ideas. * Simon and Ashley watch 14-year-old Ginetta Junior driver Jacob Ashcroft in action, with paddock chat, McLaren support, podium updates and the sheer professionalism of junior racing. * Track driving leads into a proper discussion about car control, tyre feel, wheel sizes, CrossClimates and why learning balance on a circuit can still make you safer on the road. * There’s also contact lens drama, driving test booking chaos, first-car nostalgia, Max Power memories and Ashley wondering whether he’s too old to get a racing licence. Subscribe, share, and tell us whether Ashley should go racing or stick to the old man Volvo. Get in touch: hello@thesmartdrivepodcast.co.uk [hello@thesmartdrivepodcast.co.uk] ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

S2 E1: EV Regen, Driver Aids & the Lost Art of Heel-and-Toe – The Smart Drive Podcast

Modern cars are getting cleverer, but that does not always mean they are getting easier to understand. * Simon and Ashley look at EV regenerative braking, one-pedal driving, coasting, and why efficiency depends heavily on where and how you drive. * There is a nostalgic detour through heel-and-toe, double-declutching, cold-start rituals and one very slow-motion hedge incident with an old Land Rover. * The pair question whether driver aids, camera systems, software recalls and right-to-repair are making cars safer, or just more complicated. Plus: marathon recovery, safer roads education, 1991 motoring jokes and a Lotus Elan fact for the dinner-table bore in your life. Leave us a review, send your questions, and help keep the Smart Drive chaos vaguely road-legal. e-mail: hello@thesmartdrivepodcast.co.uk ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

S1 E14: Audi Q6 Software Fixes, Insurance Advice & IAM Commentary – The Smart Drive Podcast

An Audi software update that sort-of fixes things, insurance small print that actually matters, and the slightly humbling business of trying to get better at driving. • Simon talks through his push to sharpen up commentary driving ahead of a possible IAM Masters attempt, including the mental juggling act of limit points, positioning and saying the right thing at the right time. • There’s some proper consumer advice in the middle too: EV insurance, recovery to charge points, stolen charging cables, and why the cheapest policy isn’t always the cleverest. • And then there’s the Audi Q6, whose latest software update appears to have mastered the art of disguising a problem rather than actually solving it, particularly when faced with a national speed limit sign. If you enjoyed this one, leave us a review, share it with a fellow driver, and send in your own motoring stories for a future episode. Get in touch: hello@thesmartdrivepodcast.co.uk ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

S1 E13: London Marathon Charity Drive, First Car Raffle & Emergency Kit Tips – The Smart Drive Podcast

What’s harder — overtaking 15,000 runners or convincing drivers to carry a survival blanket? * Ashley’s Liverpool Half Marathon reality check and the six-week countdown to London for the James Bulger Memorial Trust * Turning an £1,800 first-car project into a £4,655 charity raffle success story * Mountain rescue tales, air ambulance support, and why every driver should pack emergency kit It’s a heartfelt special on giving back — with the usual pub-banter honesty and real-world driving wisdom. If you can help, donate, share the episode, and send us your charity driving stories. Support Ashley in running the London Marathon: https://www.justgiving.com/page/ashley-neal [https://www.justgiving.com/page/ashley-neal] In aid of The James Bulger Memorial Trust https://forjames.org/ [https://forjames.org/] Get in touch via your podcast platform or email us: hello@thesmartdrivepodcast.co.uk [hello@thesmartdrivepodcast.co.uk] 🎧🌍 Join the movement! We're proud to take part in Podcasthon, the world’s largest charity podcast event! 💪 We have dedicated this episode of our podcast to support a charity and a cause that truly matters to us. ❤️ Follow them on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/podcasthon_en [https://www.instagram.com/podcasthon_en] or find others like us at https://podcasthon.org/ [https://podcasthon.org/] ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.