Podcast 185 - Fast train to Mexico
Added 2023-11-12 18:00:03 +0000 UTCJonny and Richard discover something interesting about a beloved British icon. Also in this episode, London to Brighton, running machine mishaps, a very chodey shifter in a Prelude, the fate of Maureen’s Lada, SEAT Ibiza System Porsche, test driving cars, a Volvo EX30 recap, where to put shopping, where Tiff Needell puts shopping, opinions on head-up displays, the Honda Jazz Crosstar, trains on boats, Remy Julienne films for Fiat, the new Honda Motocompacto, and an amazing story from the Nardo test track.
Comments
Guys, guys, Jonny's King Julien impressions are not hitting the mark. Probably would be a hot with my 3yr old if I dare let him listen. I have got him pronouncing Ford as Faud which has not impressed the OH.
Maurice Barnes
2023-11-26 21:41:09 +0000 UTCIt’s in the next one!
Smith and Sniff
2023-11-14 17:46:27 +0000 UTCAs Keith Flint once shouted, IBIZA! SEAT were only allowed to put 'System Porsche' on the Rocker cover. Big decals on the bottom of the doors were fitted by dealers without permission. Porsche were not happy...
Simon Smyth
2023-11-14 09:34:42 +0000 UTCOf course the pendolino is pendulous - it's the famous tilting train!
David H
2023-11-13 23:20:56 +0000 UTCIdol!
David H
2023-11-13 22:35:18 +0000 UTCDigging around a bit, Porsche also did some fettling with the SEAT's 5spd manual gearbox.
Brendan McAleer
2023-11-13 20:17:23 +0000 UTCJonny, Still waiting for that Idle Chat with TV's Tiff...
david marden
2023-11-13 17:30:08 +0000 UTCWhen I first passed my test, most of us who had an interest in cars would sit around in retail parks for hours. One of our group had a Lada Samara as his first car. Obviously in a sea of Fiestas and Novas he stood out for this Eastern Bloc misery, but it was virtually unkillable. He thrashed the living daylights out of it and it just came back for more. One night whilst we were all parked in a line, he suddenly took off in an almighty wheelspin and circled all of us in a big oval of tyre smoke. It did eventually die and was replaced by a Mk2 Cavalier that was driven equally as hard.
John Hammond
2023-11-13 13:58:19 +0000 UTCWell, well, you live and learn. I suspect I might have known that if I had read the Boring Car Trivia books? 😉
Scott
2023-11-13 12:48:07 +0000 UTCPorsche also developed parts of the regular Samara. Seems one of their main contributions was a revised cylinder head, something they also contributed to the SEAT Ibiza. And since I assume Lada's engine, like SEAT's, was based on old Fiat tech, I wonder if there was some overlap in the work Porsche sold to both companies. Hmm. Richard
Smith and Sniff
2023-11-13 12:36:13 +0000 UTCI hate to say it but that's the official name of the car. I'm not sure why, but the original concept was badged Strato's and this was carried over to production. The UK owners' club did get an explanation from Bertone but, much like the name itself, it didn't make sense. Richard
Smith and Sniff
2023-11-13 12:24:37 +0000 UTCSpeaking of greengrocer’s apostrophe’s, I spotted this gem in the NEC Classic Motor Show’s programme at the weekend: “The Strato's Enthusiasts Club exists to cater for all Admirers of the legendary Lancia Strato's and its achievements, now in its ‘50th Anniversary’ year, and still an International Icon today.” 😬
Scott
2023-11-13 12:20:05 +0000 UTCIt appears that with regard to Bitter Sweet Symphony, it was the Rolling Stones manager Allen Klein who denied permission for the sample. I get the impression Mick and Keith weren’t particularly bothered. After he died Mick & Keith plus Klein’s son credited the rights back to Richard Ashcroft.
Matthew Bartlett
2023-11-13 11:26:44 +0000 UTCGermany made such trains as well and of course they came up with a special button for going faster : Geschwindigkeitsüberwachung Neigetechnik https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geschwindigkeitsüberwachung_Neigetechnik
Andy Pinchock
2023-11-13 04:10:23 +0000 UTCMaureen must have driven the Samara 1 as the Samara 2 came out in the early 2000s, the virtues of which my visiting relatives were exalting (see the Jame May’s Terrible Dinghy episode for more). Apparently they were somewhat right about its lack of airbags : See “modern safety standards” https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lada_Samara
Andy Pinchock
2023-11-13 03:55:53 +0000 UTCIn terms of musical royalties, I understand the rapper 'Lord Finesse' famously didn't bother to read the faxed agreement he signed to allow Fatboy Slim to sample the "right about now, funk soul brother" spoken lyrics on his track 'Rockerfella Skank'. As a result Lord Finesse received sod all. It's not that Fatboy Slim made anything from it either, that song has samples from so many artists that he payed pretty much every penny it made out in royalties to others.
John Hammond
2023-11-12 21:44:15 +0000 UTCGWR still have some truncated HST sets in the West Country too, although I gather they are on borrowed time now.
John Hammond
2023-11-12 21:24:20 +0000 UTCI believe Richard is thinking of the VAZ-Porsche 2103, which did not proceed past the prototype phase, but which did lead to the (much later) Lada Samara T3. This was raced at the Paris-Dakar by Jacky ikx, and had a 3.6L Porsche flat-six and the AWD out of a 959.
Brendan McAleer
2023-11-12 21:11:58 +0000 UTCOn the topic of trains being loaded onto boats - there is a ferry to Sardinia which has a rail track connection to land so the trains can just drive onto the ferry and off at the other end. Been on it once and its quite a sight to behold.
Sergey Baskakov
2023-11-12 20:25:04 +0000 UTCGreat podcast as always. ScotRail uses refurbed HST125s (Class 43) on longer routes, they were re-engined and upgraded about 5 or 6 years ago but the units themselves probably have close to 10 million miles on the clock. Talking of trains nice piece about Remy Julienne who doubtless chugged the Gauloise like Thomas the Tank Engine.
Graham Dallas
2023-11-12 19:55:34 +0000 UTCThe Pendalino is a specific type of train used on the West Coast Main Line between London and Glasgow. They get their name because they use a tilting system developed by Fiat to corner at higher speeds. This concept was initially developed by British Rail on the concept APT (Advanced Passenger Train) which ended up as the butt of many jokes due to a number of issues all ultimately linked to underfunded development. It was a last stab by hugely experienced British Rail engineers who had developed brilliant trains like the HST '125'. Pendalinos replaced electric locos, some dating back to the early 1960s but required phenomenal track alterations to overcome tilting issues. The UK imports most of its trains from overseas now, and the HST has been seen off by the Hitachi class 800 which are dual powered, allowing them to run AC overhead electric and on diesel power where overhead lines cannot be used.
John Hammond
2023-11-12 19:30:49 +0000 UTCTreadmills. One of the best things on TV was Leo Sayer on Vic and Bobs - Families at War. Wait till the end. Absolute gold. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xseu1RLlcOA
GuyMiddletons
2023-11-12 19:06:21 +0000 UTC
