Cold Start

It may not be the more glamorous side of the automotive industry, but it is the most important in regards to keeping our prides and joys on the road. The guys sit down with a special guest to talk about being a mechanic, what it takes, how to get into the career, and what it looks like in the motorsports space. Joining the podcast in this episode is Mike Whitcraft, a teacher and program developer at a mechanics training institution called Ranken University based in St. Louis, Missouri. He has years of experience working with OEMs and is a car enthusiast through and through.

Cold Start Hint: This one may need a little mechanical help (*they usually do*)

Answer to Episode 75 Cold Start: V10 TDI VW Phaeton 

For Americans, diesel powered vehicles usually only correlates to pickup trucks or heavy equipment. With curiosity about the "other" internal combustion powered vehicles, the guys dive deeper into the world of diesel powered cars, sharing their pros and cons, why they gained popularity in Europe, and even examples of their usage in motorsports. Take a listen and gain a new perspective on those vehicles that run off those green pumps at the fuel station. 

Cold Start Hint: Motorsport technology to haul the family

Answer to Episode 74 Cold Start: 2025 Dodge Charger EV

Another automotive enthusiast rant about how the electric vehicle is killing car culture as we know it. Well, maybe not exactly. Todd and Sylas dig into the interesting new automotive trend from manufacturers creating electric performance vehicles, a concept that seems to make no sense. They also make the shocking revelation that the introduction of EV's into the general market does not have to be at the detriment of the cars enthusiasts have grown to love and cherish. Using electric vehicles for general transportation may actually preserve the enthusiast internal combustions engine cars in the long run. EV may be a necessary evil to save gas for those true petrol heads.

Cold Start Hint: It killed its v8 counterpart

Answer to Episode 73 Cold Start: 1939 Lincoln Continental 

Have you ever been curious about where some automotive terminology comes from or what that obscure term even means? Well, the guys dive into the stories behind some common car terms and even go deeper into some of the more obscure and the interesting origins of them. It may be surprising how many things in the automotive realm we take for granted and not think about why they are called that and if there is even a reason behind the name. Strap in for an educational one this week.

Cold Start Hint: It has international styling but not an international sound 

Answer to Episode 72 Cold Start: Wacky Races theme song

In our Multiclass Racing discussion, we hinted that there are some wild and utterly wacky one-off or unique races around the world -- some of which are also multiclass! So now it's time to survey the landscape of odd, interesting, weird, and downright bizarre forms of road racing. Todd and Sylas share their favorite Wacky Races, learning from each other about this unusal corner of motorsports; and then, they speculate on what kind of one-off, specialty races they would like to see. How wacky can it get? Pretty wacky.

Cold Start Hint: Featuring Professor Pat Pending and his Convert-a-Car 

Answer to Episode 71 Cold Start: Oreca 07 LMP2, Ligier JS P3 LMP3, Porsche 911 GT3R.

What's better than one race happening on track? Well, two, or maybe three, or even four! This is the main appeal of Multiclass Racing, having multiple races happening simultaneously on track. This not only increases the entertainment level for the fans as they are able to watch more battles but it also increases the complexity for drivers as they need to manage their own race, while managing the out-of-class traffic around them. Todd and Sylas share some personal experiences of multiclass racing and why they enjoy the format so much. They also look at the world of motorsports and if other sanctioning bodies adopted multiclass racing. 

Cold Start Hint: Can you guess all three classes represented?

Answer to Episode 70 Cold Start: BMW G80 M3

What started out as an internet meme quickly turned into a sought after, must-have option to be able to properly flex your new BMW M3 to all your haters. "Tartufo Buckets" may not mean anything to the average person but to the BMW fan boys, it's the holy grail interior spec that once was thought to be impossible. The guys dive into the story of Tartufo Buckets and how rare and sought after options for BMW M3s have changed through the years. It's pretty funny how certain options can drastically change the resale value of enthusiast cars! Listen to find out the Do's and Do Not Do's in spec-ing out an enthusiast collectible car. 

Cold Start Hint: Can you tell it as Tartufo Buckets?

Answer to Episode 69 Cold Start: Dallara DW12 IndyCar

Who do you love? Who do you really despise? Who are our heroes and villains in motorsports -- and why? Is it completely irrational and arbitrary, or are these opinions rooted in something more substantial and fact-based? What happens when lots of fans start having similar opinions about a driver or team -- and then the prevailing sentiment becomes something else to root for, or against. Sylas and Todd talk about some of their favorite drivers, but mostly their least favorite and much disliked drivers from NASCAR and Indycar Formula Car racing, each explaining their well-reasoned rationale for why they feel the way they feel. And for some reason, Martinsville Speedway keeps coming up, across several unrelated stories. Yay, boo, or hiss, it's time to stand up for our opinions, and to argue why we think what we think! 

Cold Start Hint: Controversial hybrid system

Answer to Episode 68 Cold Start: "This is Cold Start" in Mandarin (according to Google, anyway)

They're coming, there are more of them than you thought, and they might surprise you with what they can already do: Chinese cars. And they're not just EVs, despite what it seems on first impression. There are serious performance-oriented hypercars coming from China, breaking records at the Nurburgring -- perhaps even coming soon to a motorsports series near you. The rest of the world (outside the US) has been beginning to see the influx of Chinese-manufactured cars on their roads, in a big way; and we are way behind in learning about their presence and impact on the automotive market overall. Todd and Sylas survey the landscape and make their forecasts for how the future of Chinese cars in racing might unfold with companies named BYD, Exeed, Yangwang, GWM, NIO, and more.

Cold Start Hint: It's a familiar phrase!

Answer to Episode 66 Cold Start: Porsche 914

With what seems like everyone having a new Porsche GT3RS at your local Cars & Coffee, and influencers over your Instagram feed, its hard to believe that Porsche as a company is in a terrible financial situation at the moment. The first sign was them cutting their motorsport program this season in WEC, the World Endurance Championship racing series -- and then, not participating at the GTP category level in the 2026 24 Hours of Le Mans. Further digging reveals that net profits were down over 90% from 2024 to 2025. Todd and Sylas dive into why Porsche finds themselves in this current situation, and look back through history to see if this isn't perhaps the first time Porsche has made some bad decisions.

Cold Start Hint: Not Porsche's best work

Answer to Episode 66 Cold Start: Nissan R34 GTR