The guys hit the road once again, bringing the newly acquired BMW E39 M5 on a short drive around Sonoma County. Listen as Todd and Sylas give their opinions on the driving experience as well as talking about the charm of early 2000's BMWs -- and how the brand has deviated since. Is the E39 M5 the pinnacle of M5's? How does the M5 really fit into the BMW M lineup? Find out the answers to these questions and more on this episode.

Cold Start Hint: Manual transmission was standard, no other option offered

Answer to Episode 28 Cold Start: 1989 Peugeot 205 GTI 1.9L

After their weekend in Monterey for the historics races at Laguna Seca, the Cold Start team goes on the road once again, visiting the Pacific Northwest to attend the Northwest Exotics car show -- and they bring the Toro Rosso F1 car with them! On this episode, Todd and Sylas bring Cold Start live to the event, where they walk around giving their thoughts of the show and sharing what cars caught their eyes. It's just like being there amidst this stellar collection of automotive history.

Cold Start Hint: Small and French

Answer to Episode 27 Cold Start: 1989 Mazda 767B prototype

After their trip to the 2025 Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion at Laguna Seca, Todd and Sylas give you their impressions of the sights and sounds of what is quite possibly one of the best vintage racing events in the world. From seeing all seven generations of IROC racing on the track at the same time to Zak Brown almost writing off an invaluable piece of motorsport history, Car Week in Monterey is always an unforgettable experience for any car enthusiast.

Cold Start Hint: Angry Dorito 

Answer to Episode 26 Cold Start: 2019 Toro Rosso STR14 Formula 1

This episode tells the incredible story of how a 2019 Formula 1 car found itself in private hands, and not just any F1, but the Toro Rosso STR14 that got Pierre Gasly his first podium at the Brazilian GP. The car was also driven by Alex Albon in the first half of the 2019 season, including to a 6th place finish at the German Grand Prix, before he was promoted to team Red Bull and Gasly demoted. On top of covering the racecar's incredible history, Todd and Sylas also cover the logistics of transporting an invaluable piece of history from Europe to America, as well as, the experience of owning the newest F1 in private hands.

Cold Start Hint: Well when it had an engine, it sounded like this...

Answer to Episode 25 Cold Start: Ferrari 488 Pista

"Up to Temp" is our newest segment on Cold Start, where we take you along on a drive in cars that are worthy of deeper exploration. In our premiere "Up to Temp" episode, Todd and Sylas get out on the road, offering their insight into the behind-the-wheel experience and road-going qualities of the 2019 Ferrari 488 Pista. The Pista is Ferrari's "track-oriented" version of the 488 platform, built to achieve a fine balance of Ferrari luxury and the sport dynamics of a track vehicle for the street. Did the ragazzi from Maranello, Italy, hit the mark? Or could it have been executed better? For a special bonus, we offer you a little Ferrari ASMR. Mamma mia!

Cold Start Hint: 2 turbos and sinuous lines... Che bella! 🤌 

Answer to Episode 24 Cold Start: 2003 BMW E39 M5

After a long search, Todd achieves off a longstanding dream acquisition: a 2003 BMW E39 M5 (as featured in our Todd's 2015 Dream Garage episode). Sylas, our resident BMW expert and enthusiast, couldn't be more pleased! This was a team effort -- a rollercoaster story of ups and downs and false starts, finally realized thanks to everyone's most talked about auction platform: Bring a Trailer. But did BaT help to deliver on extremely heightened expectations, or did it result in a regretted purchase? Learn about our journey, and what yours might look like if you ever thought about, or have experienced, buying a car online, sight unseen. 

Cold Start Hint: It's got 8 ITBs and an S62

Wouldn't you want to know who would be the best driver in the world out of all disciplines: F1, IndyCar, NASCAR, IMSA, WEC, etc? Well there used to be a series to find out just that. IROC, the International Race Of Champions, was a 4 race shoot out that would put the best of the best from all forms of motorsport against one another on equal footing, to determine who was the best driver in the world. Todd and Sylas talk about the history of the incredible series and its very colorful racecars. They also touch on the demise of the series, where the cars are now, and what a IROC 2025 could potentially look like if they were given the reins. 

Cold Start Hint: Three liters and a boxy air dam on this racing sports car

On this week's episode, Huffaker Motorsports Crew Chief, Gary Rubio, joins the show to share his journey in motorsports from being a racer in Indy Lights to becoming a crew chief for teams in IMSA, SRO, and vintage racing. He helps to answer the question of what makes motorsports such an addictive industry, and what it took to climb the ranks of open wheel racing in the late 1980's. What do motorsports legends Wally Parks, Chip Ganassi, Danny Sullivan, Roger Penske, Carl Haas, Jeff and Mario Andretti, Juan Fangio III, Paul Tracy, Tony George, Dale Coyne, and Johnny O'Connell all have in common? Gary Rubio!

Cold Start Hint: German racecar, 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-[this]-[and this]

Answer to Episode 21 Cold Start:  Super Comp dragster

After dropping repeated hints about an upcoming Drag Racing episode in prior installments of Cold Start, This Time... Drag Racing! Todd chats with Sylas about this different world of motorsports -- contrasting the approaches, cars, and mindset of driving fast in a straight line on the drag strip, versus our more familar grounds of road course and oval racing. It's an eye-opener for Sylas, highlighting Todd's own experience as an NHRA Sportsman racer in the SuperComp class, and getting deeper into the procedures and culture of what motivates drag racers to stomp that loud pedal. If you think it's all just "hit the gas and go", you might want to give this a closer look and listen too. 

Cold Start Hint: It's got 9+ liters / 598 cubic inches of displacement and more power than you need.

Answer to Episode 20 Cold Start: Ligier JSP320 LMP3 prototype racecar

After Todd had started winning Formula 3 races in the Simraceway series, he looked for a new challenge within motorsports. Wanting to take that next step, he set his eyes on prototype racing and specifically the LMP3 category. Listen to hear his struggles of transitioning into a new car and series, as well as some unforeseen circumstances that may have cut the dream short. Racing is truly never a boring sport.

Cold Start Hint: French chassis, Japanese power

Answer to Episode 19 Cold Start: 2007 Porsche GT3 (997.1)