Overdrive

Hello and welcome to Overdrive a program that puts a magnifying glass to the role of cars and transport in our society and ends up burning a hole in it.

I’m David Brown

The times each story appears in the program are noted (mm:ss)

News

• Australia vehicle market suffers from lack of supply (1:28)

• 11th generation Honda Civic soon to be on sale (2:32)

• Hyundai I 30 hatch still comes in a manual (3:35)

• Alpha Romeo’s SUV – enough style to make a difference (4:34)

• Toyota GR Supra gets wireless Carplay – why that is important (5:44)

Feature Interview

We embrace the past present and future of manual transmissions (6:48)

Motoring Minute

• Nissan Pathfinder (14:14)

Road Test

• Hyundai i30 (15:22)

Motoring Minute

• Toyota C-HR GR

Quirky News

• And quirky news is, if you pardon the pun about never looking a gift horse in the mouth – it is the story about a free car that came with a surprise in the boot. (23:55)

You can find more information at Driven Media or previous programs are available as podcasts on

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0ah6JZN8LTYURIfNs1IIBs

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So, let’s start with the news

Originally broadcast 06 November 2021

Welcome to Overdrive, a motoring and transport program where facts are important but so is passion and opinion.

I’m David Brown

The times each story appears in the program are noted (mm:ss)

News

1. New Range Rover: some clever things to look forward to (1:20)

2. Ford sees track days flourish (2:17)

3. Haval H6 Hybrid to arrive in early 2022 (3:06)

4. Renault’s hydrogen-powered van delivers up to 500km range (4:11)

5. Pandemic leaves one-third of Aussies feeling 'more adventurous' (5:15)

Feature Interview

• We get the run down on the just announced Range Rover including a few nifty features (6:30)

Motoring Minute

• Jaguar F-Pace (14:33)

Feature Interview

• We get an update on Ford’s move to focus on hot hatches and the image setting Mustang Mach-e (15:44)

Motoring Minute

• Kia Carnival (22:58)

Quirky News

• Brian Smith ponders growing vegetables on the roofs of taxis. (24:05)

You can find more information at Driven Media or previous programs are available as podcasts on

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0ah6JZN8LTYURIfNs1IIBs

iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/overdrive-cars-transport-and-culture/id1001084679

We even list the times each item appears to you can go straight to it

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Originally broadcast 30 October 2021

Welcome to Overdrive, a program that pontificates on the issues of motoring and transport

I’m David Brown

The times each story appears in the program are noted (mm:ss)

News

211023 - News

1. Hyundai Nexo – a practical hydrogen powered car (1:25)

2. Volkswagen Golf Life (2:42)

3. Ford Focus ST – just one model, a hot hatch (4:02)

4. Nissan celebrates 20 years of X-TRAIL (5:04)

5. Polestar teams up with artist Thijs Bierstaker to bring climate crisis and the renewable energy transition to life (6:15)

Feature Interview

• I caught up with a colleague who, very early on, was pushing the need for alternate energy. He now has had personal experience in owning an electric car. (7:23)

Motoring Minute

• Land Rover Discover (17:41)

Feature Interview

• We have been testing Hyundai’s Hydrogen SUV the Nexo and we talk to the company about where hydrogen fits in with battery powered cars. It’s a case of horses for courses. (18:52)

Motoring Minute

• Jaguar XE sedan (27:59)

You can find more information at Driven Media or previous programs are available as podcasts on

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0ah6JZN8LTYURIfNs1IIBs

iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/overdrive-cars-transport-and-culture/id1001084679

We even list the times each item appears to you can go straight to it

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Originally broadcast 23 October 2021

Welcome to Overdrive, a program that ponders on the issues of motoring and transport

I’m David Brown

The times each story appears in the program are noted (mm:ss)

News

1. IONIQ 5 – New aspects of interior design (1:44)

2. All-New Subaru WRX includes a sports wagon (2:44)

3. Hyundai goes hard for hydrogen (3:42)

4. Peugeot's new vans are an important part of their mix (4:42)

5. MINI now has multi coloured roofs (5:51)

6. Honda will slowly implement a new surround view system (6:58)

Two Feature Interviews this week

Murray Hubbard has written a book: Car Wars Down Under – The untold Story of Australia’s first Land Speed Record. It is not just for rev heads it is a rollicking yarn about the life and times around the period of the first world war (8:01)

Just after the launch of their new Land Cruiser we spoke to Sean Hanley who is the Vice President of marketing and franchise operations for Toyota Australia. He reflected on the history of the vehicle in Australia as Toyota’s first export product from Japan. (19:20)

You can find more information at Driven Media or previous programs are available as podcasts on

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0ah6JZN8LTYURIfNs1IIBs

iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/overdrive-cars-transport-and-culture/id1001084679

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So, let’s start with the news

Originally broadcast 23 October 2021

Welcome to Overdrive, a program that probes deeply into the issues of motoring and transport

I’m David Brown

The times each story appears in the program are noted (mm:ss)

News

1. Cars sales September 2021 – Overall good – People movers booming (1:24)

2. New Toyota Land Cruiser 300 (2:24)

3. All-new Kia Sorento Plug-in Hybrid (3:29)

4. Kona electric – reducing costs with smaller batteries (4:32)

5. All-new RAM 3500: Ready for the biggest jobs (5:33)

Road test

The Hyundai IONIQ 5 is about to hit the market, we get their product manager to tell us why it is such an important car (6:39)

Motoring Minute

Audi Q7 (15:30)

Feature Interview

We get a run down on what to look out for if you are getting a dashcam (16:40)

Motoring Minute

Ineos 4x4 (22:31)

Quirky News

And in quirky news Brian Smith and I look at buses that traveled down train tracks in Australia that was not that long ago. (23:39)

You can find more information at Driven Media or previous programs are available as podcasts on

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0ah6JZN8LTYURIfNs1IIBs

iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/overdrive-cars-transport-and-culture/id1001084679

We even list the times each item appears to you can go straight to it

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So, let’s start with the news

Originally broadcast 9 October 2021

There’s a new book out: "Car Wars Down Under". The subtitle is “The untold story of Australia’s first land speed record”, written by Murray Hubbard.

I wondered if it was a story for the mechanically minded, car enthusiast: A lone back yard mechanic with an inventive approach involving carburettors and camshafts.

As it turns out it is a rollicking yarn involving hardcore business, invective marketing, ambition, a high-risk approach to communication, the occasional rouge character, and intense competition. Set around the time of the first world war which alone produced some unexpected situations.

Like a good biography is not just a list of the fine details of one person’s life. It’s about the life and the times of people and an event.

This should not surprise those who know Murray, who is a motoring journalist but, among other things, was a three-time finalist for investigative reporting in the Walkley Awards.

And he wrote the manuscript for the multi-award-winning “The Day of the Roses”, a Channel 10 miniseries and telemovie.

• Why a picture in front of a pyramid is significant (1:25)

• Many characters had a start in the bicycle industry – how di this help? (3:17)

• The limitations of the Ford Model T (5:49)

• Doctors and others benefited from the development of cars (7:20)

• Alec Fraser Jewel – a character and a rogue (9:11)

• The first world war brought animosity to the Germans but also the Americans! (11:10)

• Why one major player started a car magazine which could have become cheap advertising favouring his product but ended up being a great ambassador for improving conditions for vehicles (16:46)

• Car events and the Hamilton Hill Climb

• Fred Eager – Heir apparent to a big business but also becoming their top driver and why the opposition had to establish a race for the land speed record (32:47)

• The vehicles – great speeds across the sand where aerodynamics may have made the difference (37:12)

• A few other characters – Professor Starlight and Peter Jackson (45:37)

Hello and Welcome to Overdrive, a program where we wander through the world of motoring and transport. 30/09/2021

I’m David Brown

The times each story appears in the program are noted (mm:ss)

News

1. Hyundai Santa Fe with one particularly interesting feature (1:42)

2. Citroën refuses to give up hope – a New C4 (2:37)

3. Hyundai i30 Sedan – Another elegant Korean sedan (3:40)

4. CUPRA Born – silly name for a new electric vehicle (4:56)

5. In cabin warnings – are they really helpful for road safety (5:58)

Feature Interview

Christine Mulvihill has just presented a research paper to the Australasian Road Safety conference on the effectiveness or otherwise of in-vehicle warning systems. We chat to her about the results (7:24)

Motoring Minute

• Toyota Rugged X (15:33)

Road test

Paul Murrell is about to drive the new Aston Martin DBX. He goes through his preparation (16:42)

Motoring Minute

• Audi SQ2 (21:59)

Quirky News

Brian Smith and I looks at the impact of COVID on transport – including the insufferable impacts on road testers. (23:09)

You can find more information at Driven Media or previous programs are available as podcasts on

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0ah6JZN8LTYURIfNs1IIBs

iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/overdrive-cars-transport-and-culture/id1001084679

We even list the times each item appears to you can go straight to it

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Hello and welcome to Overdrive a program that panders to the world of cars and transport

I’m David Brown

The times each story appears in the program are noted (mm:ss)

News

1. Australian launch of the IONIQ 5 (1:27)

2. All-new Kluger – hybrid petrol is better thana diesel (2:38)

3. Picking between two cars where one costs twice as much (3:49)

4. Walmart autonomous vehicle delivery service in three US cities (4:57)

5. How people really behave with Tesla Autopilot (6:02)

Feature Interview

Rob Fraser ruminates on two large SUVs - one that is twice as expensive as the other (7:20)

Road test

Alan Zuvas fills in the details of the latest all-new Kluger (14:48)

Motoring Minute

Hyundai i30 Sedan N-Line (21:38)

•

Quirky News

Brian looks at whether abandoned rail stations are the best places for seeking the supernatural. (22:47)

Motoring Minute

Kia Sorento Platinum (28:02)

You can find more information at Driven Media or previous programs are available as podcasts on

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0ah6JZN8LTYURIfNs1IIBs

iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/overdrive-cars-transport-and-culture/id1001084679

We even list the times each item appears to you can go straight to it

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So, let’s start with the news

Originally broadcast 25 September 2021

Modern road safety systems are showcasing what is technically possible in warning drivers of dangerous situations and possibly intervening in the vehicle operation, if not to take complete control but at least to add an element of augmented reality.

But, as we reported the other day on some research from MIT, there can be a big difference between what is technically possible, which we then use to dictate how we want people to respond versus how people respond in real life situations.

We caught up with Christine Mulvihill who, with a background in psychology, is now a research fellow at Monash University’s Accident Research Centre, and who was about to deliver a paper to the Australian Road Safety Conference.

The title of the paper is “First-Stage Evaluation of a Prototype Driver Distraction Human-Machine-Interface Warning System”.

Subjects and the timing (in mm:ss) at which they appear in the interview are as follows:

• The significance of heavy vehicles in road fatalities (1:17)

• Trucks carry considerable weight that can aggravate a crash situation and it is not always the driver’s fault (1:53)

• The development of in-vehicle warning devices (2:38)

• Designing the help the drier not take over (3:33)

• Engaging with truck drivers not just once (4:44)

• Companies and drivers are interacting in many positive ways (7:31)

• With a background in psychology – how this helps with engagement (8:07)

• A multi-modal warning system (8:51)

• There research process with a truck simulator (12:18)

• The potential for individually tailored warnings – not just generic systems (14:01)

• Continuing the research including car drivers (16:43)

• The need to avoid false positives with the warning system (19:30)

• The value of longitudinal research (20:32)

Welcome to Overdrive, a program about the wonderful world of motoring and transport.

I’m David Brown

The times each story appears in the program are noted (mm:ss)

News

1. Car sales grow in a topsy turvy market (1:30)

2. It costs a lot just to have your car sitting in the driveway (2:28)

3. Australia’s Warrego hydrogen ute claims big pre-orders (3:31)

4. An Australian council approves trial of kerbside EV charging (4:33)

5. Electric Mustang claims Guinness records (5:30)

Feature Interview

• Subaru is teasing us about the facts and features of the newest BRZ sports car. We talk to their managing director. (6:39)

Motoring Minute

• Genesis QV80 (16:29)

Road test

• Toyota have launched a new big Landcruiser. Alan Zurvas gives us the latest (17:34)

Motoring Minute

• Kia Niro PHEV (22:47)

Quirky News

• Brian Smith and I discuss how a quest for more parking lead to the Florida apartment catastrophe (23:50)

You can find more information at Driven Media or previous programs are available as podcasts on

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0ah6JZN8LTYURIfNs1IIBs

iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/overdrive-cars-transport-and-culture/id1001084679

We even list the times each item appears to you can go straight to it

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So, let’s start with the news

Originally broadcast 11 September 2021