The Smart Drive Podcast

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.

S1 E12: Audi Q6 EV Road Trip, 265kW Charging & Motorway Exit Stop Sign Danger – The Smart Drive Podcast

Simon’s voice is hanging on by a thread… so naturally he decides to do 700 miles of EV road trip admin and talk about it anyway. * Audi Q6 road trip reality: 300 miles, one 12-minute stop, and a 265kW charging flex (plus the “nothing to do but scroll” problem) * Spreadsheet terrorism: the true cost per mile of EV life, plus tyre maths that suggests the rears will last until 2038 * M6 Junction 37 drama: the notorious stop-sign slip road near Kendal, why it catches drivers out, and what “fixing it” might look like Subscribe, share, and send in your worst junction designs, charging faffs, or favourite 80's car show — we’ll happily judge them. ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.