The Mercedes Curse

To Boost or Not to Boost: the Death of NA Engines

The age old question of whether the better enthusiast engine is boosted or naturally aspirated may be coming to an end, as the NA engine is being phased out of sports cars and normal commuters. In an age of advanced engine technologies and endless pursuit for fuel efficiency, it's easy to see why big naturally aspirated engines are no longer the choice of manufacturers in creating their new cars. Is this something we should be up in arms about, or is it another hopeless battle like trying to save the manuals? Todd and Sylas dive into this topic to understand why the shift is occurring, and if we should be concerned as enthusiasts. Cold Start Hint: Boost Loading...   Answer to Episode 65 Cold Start: Corvette C8R GT3

Getting BoP'd on the Head

For modern endurance race fans, Balance of Performance (BoP) is a common topic of discussion -- usually how it's annoying, and ruining motorsports. But what really is BoP? and can it actually be attributed to the growing success of current endurance racing? With growing field numbers and entertaining battles this season in IMSA and WEC, the guys talk about how BoP may be a necessary evil in modern motorsport. But they also can't help to get annoyed by the over politicized nature of the format. Learn more about what stricter rules does to a racing series, and how trying too hard to be perfectly fair can ruin an already pretty good thing. Cold Start Hint:  It's a GT3 car   Answer to Episode 64 Cold Start: Mercedes-Benz SLR 300

The Mercedes Curse

Mercedes-Benz is no stranger to motorsports with their renowned success in DTM and Formula 1, creating some of the most iconic and dominant race cars of the modern era. However, there is one form of motorsport that the manufacturer seems to be cursed at: endurance racing – specifically the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The largest endurance race in the world has proven to be a place that the Silver Arrows of Mercedes only bring chaos. In their third participation of the race at the Circuit de la Sarthe, in 1955, a tragedy occurred that was so horrific, a country outright banned motor racing, and Mercedes didn't come back to the biggest stage of racing for over four decades. It didn't go much better from there when they returned [https://ThisIsColdStart.com/e/flying-cars-of-gt1-racing/] either. Come with us back in time, and learn more about the dark curse of Mercedes-Benz at Le Mans in today's episode. ☠️㉦☠️ Cold Start Hint:  The 722 car in all its glory. Answer to Episode 63 Cold Start: McLaren M8F 8.4L V8 Can-Am

Can-Am: Racing Without Rules

The Canadian-American Challenge Cup, or more commonly known as Can-Am, is a racing series that has firmly placed itself in the history books, being an era known for no rules – and cars faster than Formula 1 at the time. What's not to love about unlimited innovation and high horsepower/ light weight racecars? Todd and Sylas dive into the Can-Am era, breaking down the crazy cars, great racing, and ultimate demise of the series. As it always seems with motorsports, the greater the series, the shorter its flight path.  Cold Start Hint: 1971 Championship winning car Answer to Episode 62 Cold Start: R53 Mini Cooper S

Idling with Mini Enthusiast, Chucho Shoots

Diving into the passion of your average car enthusiast, the guys invited Chucho Shoots [http://instagram.com/chuchoshoots] onto the show to share his journey of becoming a car enthusiast, an automotive photographer, and to defend his love for Mini Coopers. From building his following by shooting photos of some of the premier cars and collections in the Bay Area to cultivating a community around a forgotten enthusiast car, Chucho has established himself as a hub within the community, looking to connect with others and experience cars to their fullest. His energy is infectious; just ask to check out his Mini! Cold Start Hint: Super charged but half the expected cylinders Answer to Episode 61 Cold Start: 2009 Ford GT1