Car Chat

Mike Fernie spent 8+ years at DriveTribe, became Head of Video, and helped build some of the channel’s most-loved nerdy engine deep dives — now he’s gone solo on his own YouTube channel.
We talk Clarkson/Hammond/May behind-the-scenes, how YouTube actually rewards consistency, and what Mike’s building next (including a big-turbo XJS and the infamous V10 MX-5).

https://www.youtube.com/Mike_Fernie

Enjoy.

Show Notes:

00:00 Mike Fernie: the quick backstory (engineering → car media)03:06 Leaving DriveTribe: why he went solo (and what changes)06:05 Making videos people actually finish: workflow + production choices08:56 What the audience really responds to: retention, comments, feedback loops12:10 DriveTribe’s evolution: what worked, what got harder over time14:58 From mech eng to car journalism: how Mike got in18:02 Did DriveTribe change car YouTube / car journalism?20:55 The next phase of content: personal brands vs “channels with presenters”23:54 Favourite videos + experimenting creatively (what he’d do more of)56:00 Icon cars: reliability, running costs, and what’s actually worth owning1:00:48 Mike’s car taste: the stuff he’s drawn to (and why)1:04:09 Project car plans: ambitions, budgets, and “bad ideas”1:08:54 The business of YouTube: strategy, revenue, sustainability1:12:19 Dream gig: building engines with an OEM / real R&D access1:18:41 Engine design shifts: what’s changed (and what’s coming back)1:25:14 High-speed records: what’s possible now, what’s myth1:31:57 Five-car garage: the keeper list + standout car journeys

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Petrol Ped joins me to talk hybrids, from plug-ins to Porsche’s new 911 GTS-T Hybrid. We dig into whether a hybrid is better than the same car without. What makes a good PHEV, why real-world MPG figures are nonsense, and how Porsche is bringing back the ICE Boxster / Cayman.

Enjoy.
👉 https://www.youtube.com/@PetrolPed

Show Notes:

02:51 Plug-In Hybrids vs. Full EVs — The Real-World Trade-Off
06:03 How Modern Plug-In Hybrids Finally Got Good
09:00 Charging, Battery Health, and the Myths Around 3-Pin Leads
11:54 Living With a FEV — Real Use, Real Range
15:03 Why WLTP MPG Figures Mean Nothing
17:51 The Hidden Emissions Debate — Manufacturing vs. Use
21:09 What Actually Matters When Buying a Car
23:49 Are EVs Ready for Everyone Yet?
26:50 When Hybrid Tech Meets Performance Cars
30:04 Porsche 911 GTS-T Hybrid — Engineering a Future 911
32:49 EVs, FEVs and Finding the Right Balance
53:50 Porsche Ownership: When “Bulletproof” Isn’t
57:10 The 718 Spyder — Rediscovering What Driving Feels Like
01:02:22 Porsche’s Next Chapter: ICE, Hybrid, or Electric?
01:10:49 Hydrogen, eFuels and Other Future Powertrains
01:18:07 Have We Hit the Speed Limit for Combustion Cars?
01:34:35 Restomods, Soul and the Future of Car Culture
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I sit down with Tiff Needell — racer first, TV legend second — to talk F1 beginnings, Le Mans nights, and how the airfield days birthed that trademark opposite-lock testing style. We get honest about what makes a car feel alive, the quiet magic of cheap manuals, EV tradeoffs, and Tiff’s forever garage from McLaren F1 to Morris 1000.

Tiff's Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/1L311xIKsJMmXpyaF1jbbZ

Enjoy,

Show Notes:

00:00 Tiff Needell: End of an Era for Drivers
02:49 Racing Driver → TV: Car Control on Camera
05:35 Motorsport Then vs Now: Cost, Safety, Show
08:45 Tech in Racing: Data, Aero, Tyres, Workload
11:47 Driver Pathways: Karting Costs & Sim Time
15:04 Women in Motorsport: Pipeline & Opportunity
17:54 Why F1 & Group C Thrilled: Power, Noise, Risk
20:45 GT Racing Explained: BoP, Big Grids, Fan Access
23:49 Media’s Role: Storytelling & Authenticity
26:46 Drifting 101: Technique Meets Spectacle
29:42 McLaren F1 Legacy: Design, Feel, Numbers
51:46 Filmmaking x Car Dynamics: Shooting Real Speed
58:05 Hypercars Compared: Performance vs Usability
01:04:13 Auto Media 2.0: YouTube, Algorithms, Niches
01:08:12 Beyond Racing: Golf, Mindset, Longevity
01:17:53 Future of Driving: EVs, Weight, Feedback, Fun

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Al Clark is the founder of Outrun Films and one of the leading automotive directors working in the industry today. From Bugatti and McLaren to Aston Martin, Al’s career spans viral films, major commercials, and the evolution of CGI car production. We discuss his journey from grassroots filming to global campaigns, what goes into making hypercars look their best on screen, and how the industry is adapting to new platforms.

Enjoy,

https://www.outrun.tv/

00:00 – Intro & Al Clark’s path into car filmmaking
03:00 – How car marketing has evolved over the years
06:00 – Social media reshaping how we see cars
09:00 – From photography to video: the big industry shift
12:00 – Viral clips vs lasting storytelling
15:00 – Shooting for Instagram vs cinematic framing
18:00 – Moving from camera operator to director
21:00 – Why story matters in car films
24:00 – Breaking into the automotive film world
27:00 – Working with OEMs & the realities of brand projects
30:00 – Small crews vs 100-person productions
33:00 – Balancing creativity with logistics on set
36:00 – Where car filmmaking is heading next
39:00 – Why passion for cars shows on screen
42:00 – Shooting Bollywood action with supercars
45:00 – Keeping energy high on long shoots
48:00 – Why car enthusiasts make the best crew
54:00 – Second unit directors & filming car action
58:00 – The stunt drivers who make impossible shots possible
01:00 – Standout driving feats on set
01:02 – Behind the Bugatti Chiron 0–400–0 film
01:10 – First steps into CGI car filmmaking
01:22 – Unlocking creativity with full CGI
01:36 – Real cars vs CGI: where the future lies
01:42 – Why real stories and documentary-style films endure
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Miro Zrnčević is the Chief Test and Development Driver at Bugatti Rimac. We talk about his journey from Croatian car journalist to driving the most powerful hypercars in the world, what makes a great test driver, and how you balance engineering, feel, and feedback at 400 km/h.
Enjoy.https://www.rimac-automobili.com/https://www.bugatti.com/

Show Notes:

00:00 The New Era of Hypercars

09:44 From Journalist to Test Driver

16:44 What Makes a Great Test Driver?

24:14 How to Talk to Engineers

30:08 Switching to EVs

40:00 Driving at the Limit

52:54 The Future with Bugatti and Rimac

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