Car Chat

Chris Tolman is the founder of Tolman Engineering. Chris has an extensive background in rallying and running race teams and has brought this knowledge into his Peugeot 205 Tolman Editions. From running the McLaren driver development cars to Bentley GT3s, there is a wealth of knowledge. In this episode, we sit down with Chris Tolman, the founder behind Tolman Engineering, to explore the thrilling world of motorsport engineering and team management. From the foundational connections in rally racing to the intricate details of running a race team, Chris shares his invaluable experiences and the skills required to excel in this high-octane environment.Dive into the heart of racing as we discuss the challenges and triumphs of managing the McLaren Driver Development Program, and what it takes to race a McLaren at the highest levels. Chris also sheds light on his diverse experience with racing Genettas, Bentleys, rally cars, and more, revealing the critical differences between road car and race car engineering.At the 28:39 mark, get an exclusive look into "The Tolman 205" project, followed by a discussion on keeping racing ventures economical without compromising on performance. Chris emphasizes the importance of the customer experience in motorsport and outlines the ambitious goals of the Evo project.Wrapping up the episode, we have the 5 questions.Enjoy, Samhttps://tolmanengineering.co.uk/Show Notes:0:00 - Intro4:32 - Connections in rally 6:05 - Skills building on a race team8:19 - Running the Mclaren Driver Development Program 17:33 - Challenges of racing a Mclaren19:26 - Running Genettas, Bentleys, rally cars etc26:21 - Difference between road car and race car engineering 28:39 - The 20542:55 - Keeping it economical48:14 - Customer experience52:55 - The goal of the Evo1:04:41 - 5 questions  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Mick Pacey has been in the business of special air cooled Porsches for 25 years. His knowledge of these cars is truly exceptional. I met up with Mick at Export 56 to have a look round their place, see some of the amazing cars they look after and have a chat about Mick's journey and Porsches. https://www.export56.com/Enjoy, Sam Show Notes:0:00 - Intro5:28 - Buying and restoring Porsches 22:17 - Finding the parts30:35 - Price range41:23 - Finding what the customer wants 48:29 - Building the history and databases 1:08:34 - Getting nerdy1:14:18 - Working with Shell1:22:23 - FIA certification1:31:25 - Racecar restoration journey 1:40:37 - 5 questions  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode Luke of "Cars With Luke" joins me for a catchup. Luke is a content creator based predominantly in the Swiss Alps creating content with a whole host of cool cars. We discuss Luke's creative journey, balancing photography and videography, the Rimac, Luke's cars, Manual vs PDK, GT3s and Porsches along with some of the creative challenges and copyright issues Luke has has to deal with.You can check out our previous episode here: https://podcasts.apple.com/sa/podcast/cars-with-luke-youtuber-and-photographer/id1432553826?i=1000522028416https://www.youtube.com/@carswithlukehttps://www.instagram.com/carswithluke/Enjoy,SamShow Notes:00:00 - Intro03:29 - Client work05:26 - Recent drives09:45 - Garage update18:13 - 991 vs 992 GT325:59 - Content creator downsides28:25 - 991RS mods30:55 - Cinematic shorts and copyright44:25 - Sam’s 91146:51 - 5 questions  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Tim Fenna is the founder of Frontline Cars, a specialist in MGBs.Frontline was founded by Tim in 1991, with a personal remit to enhance the driving experience of classic MG Cars. Tim followed his father’s footsteps as an engineer and used his inherent skill and interest in motorsport to design and develop new ground-breaking core components for the MGB, Midget and Sprite. Today, almost 150 restorations have been delivered under the Frontline name, with Tim’s upgrades at the heart of each and every commission. His constant pursuit of perfection enables each Frontline car to be better than the last.https://www.frontline-cars.co.uk/Enjoy, Sam Show Notes:00:00 - Intro01:52 - Frontline Cars07:03 - How to restomod an MGB13:54 - Typical customer18:27 - Service offering35:57 - EV MGB43:09 - Non - V8s44:17 - The full process49:40 - Connecting to cars53:25 - Australian partners55:27 - Attracting a younger audience57:57 - Adding value and resale1:08:02 - Custom features1:09:30 - Covid-191:14:11 - 5 questions  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this thrilling episode, we sit down with the renowned Max Girardo of Girardo & Co for an in-depth conversation covering the exciting world of racing, competition cars, and the latest developments in exotic automobiles. https://girardo.com/Enjoy,SamShow Notes: 00:00 - Intro/ what’s new?10:26 - Special editions14:13 - The future of values18:51 - Selling competition cars24:34 - The ticket to invitations30:29 - Max’s road cars32:47 - Target market44:54 - Racing the N2449:07 - 2.7 RS53:41 - The ultimate 4 seater57:42 - 5 questions  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode, we have a thrilling conversation with Tom Jaconelli of Romans International, one of the most prestigious names in the luxury car industry. Join us as we delve into the fascinating world of supercars and hypercars, exploring what's been happening and the current state of the market.https://www.romansinternational.com/Enjoy, SamShow Notes:00:00 - Intro02:08 - What’s new?05:04 - Buyer behaviour06:55 - Current market12:05 - Hot buys15:45 - Exporting to the US 17:39 - Importing and reliability 21:27 - GT3 movements27:40 - Ferrari’s33:16 - Value hunting39:49 - SUVs, hybrids, and EVs 43:52 - Future plans47:57 - 5 questions  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Merlin McCormack joins me on the podcast again from Duke Of London to talk about his amazing Testarossa, some ongoing fun project cars and the upcoming move (and spec out) of the next location for Duke Of London. It's always great to chat to Merlin and see what he's been up to. https://www.dukeoflondon.co.uk/Enjoy, Sam Show Notes:00:00 - Intro02:20 - New space08:29 - Merlin’s day-to-day11:50 - More plans16:30 - Challenges of fitting out a car park 20:34 - Expansion plans24:02 - Merlin’s garage36:45 - Market trends42:22 - Dream project car51:10 - 5 questions  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

I join David Lane (@osheautomotive) at the new workshop and base for Oshe Automotive and Workshop Seventy7 for a catchup. We discuss the last few years, picking project cars and some of the lovely builds David has done. Enjoy, Sam Show Notes:00:00 - Intro03:13 - How to pick project cars05:06 - The Oshe Difference10:33 - DIY vs Commercial builds 13:17 - The custom process17:53 - Defender mods28:11 - Engines and power for dailys 33:26 - Sustainable interiors41:13 - New building52:32 - 5 Questions  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matt Simmonite joins me for a deep dive into Synthetic and eFuels. Matt currently races at a club level using P1 Fuels carbon neutral synthetic fuels and has a great understanding of the topic. We coves some of the positives and negatives along with some common beliefs and misconceptions. Will we all be driving our cars with E Fuels in the future?http://www.p1fuels.com/Enjoy,SamShow Notes:00:00 - Intro03:04 - What’s the difference between all the fuels?10:13 - Synthetic fuels for mainstream use17:36 - Volume of production22:47 - ULES and urban air quality29:50 - Pushing EV tech forward38:22 - Synthetic fuel cost49:30 - Synthetic fuel use-cases1:04:15 - 5 Questions  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Philip Hoffman is the man behind the Reen 964 RSGT, a personal project that has gone pretty far. Reen take a different approach to creating an involving road car with some very interesting bespoke electronic solutions and one of my favourite engines, the 997 GT3 engine!https://reencars.com/Enjoy, Sam Show Notes:00:00 - Intro09:29 - Driving modes for classic cars 13:36 - Choosing the base car 21:48 - What’s the plan for the car? 26:05 - Adjustability51:35 - Engine and power mapping 57:29 - Tyre size59:46 - Future plans1:02:42 - Gauge cluster1:05:23 - 5 questions Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices