From the April 2023 issue of Car and Driver.
We don’t suggest reading car magazines while driving (although we do recommend it at all other times). When you’re behind the wheel and need automotive content, your choices are listening to Jan & Dean’s “Drag City” on repeat or exploring the thousands of automotive-themed podcasts. Between famous offers, like Adam Carolla’s CarCast and Matt Farah’s The smoke tape, and shows with a specific collection, racing or history theme, there’s sure to be a pod to suit your driving style. We recently spent time in Hollywood in a BMW M5 with former C/D Editor-in-Chief Eddie Alterman talks about what makes podcasts such a great way to learn about cars. He should know—he houses one, Motor show! with Eddie Alterman.
Alterman’s interest in doing a podcast was based on the format itself. “It’s such an intimate storytelling medium,” he says. “You are right in the listener’s ear.” Civilization began when humans first learned how to share information through speech, so this may be the best way for us to learn. “We tend to absorb the nuance of a person’s voice and what it says a little better, remember more.”
Podcasting, with its friendly, memorable nature, seemed like the right way for Alterman to tell stories that connect with history. “I wanted to show the car at the intersection of all these interesting human activities,” he says. “The Corvair represents human accountability and responsibility. The Jeep, we’re still so in love with it because it’s our last connection to World War II. The minivan came about at a time of great parental uncertainty. That post can make the car interesting to people who think they don’t like cars.”
Not all hosts have the Gutenberg brackets in mind when they turn on the mic, but even if you’re just listening to make a workout or a commute go by faster, the right podcast can feel like having a friend along for the ride.
TO THE POINT WITH MARCUS AMICK
Industry analysis, technology deep dives and concept cars for when your auto focus is on the future. Amick is that rarest of interviewers, the kind who knows how to ask a question and then get out of the way to let the guest answer. If you’re tired of podcasts that have more interruptions than brunch with a toddler, tune in. As promised, Amick gets to the point.
DINNER WITH RACERS
Ever dreamed of getting drunk with Mario Andretti or sharing a sandwich with Geoff Bodine? Dinner with Racers hosts Ryan Eversley and Sean Heckman are living that dream. The duo meets retired and current racers at local eateries and sometimes in a driver’s home to wring out racing and personal (sometimes very personal) stories. DWR is casual, funny and often surprising.
CARS AND CULTURE WITH JASON STEIN
Great interviews, and not just with car industry people. You’ll learn about everything from Toto Wolff’s troubled childhood to who is a car geek in Hollywood and sports. Stein is as likely to talk to the bassist of Coldplay as he is the CEO of Dodge. The series covers design, technology, collecting, racing a nine-second C8 Corvette, and more.
CAR KRUSH IS HOT BOX
Hotboxing is like a road trip with a punk rock band. There are giggles, rude jokes and lots of cool project cars. Guests include mechanics, tattoo artists and stuntwomen. Some episodes are catch-ups about the hosts’ builds, while others quiz guests on their car interests or share advice for newbie keys. It’s a friendly, all-inclusive blast.
DORK-O-MOTIF PODCAST
Dork-o-Motive host Brian Lohnes has a voice we’d love to tell our whole lives. We’ll settle for his telling tales of vehicle history, from rocket-powered axles to steam engine demolition derbies. Lohnes digs up old newspaper stories and even records interviews about exploding headlights and convoy heroes of World War II. They’re so good, you’ll wish your commute was longer.
Senior Editor, Features
Like a sleeper agent activated late in the game, Elana Scherr didn’t know her calling at a young age. Like many girls, she planned to be a vet-astronaut-artist, and came closest to that last one by attending UCLA art school. She painted images of cars but did not own one. Reluctantly getting a driver’s license at age 21, Elana discovered that she not only loved cars and wanted to drive them, but that other people loved cars and wanted to read about them, which meant someone had to write about them. Since receiving activation codes, Elana has written for numerous car magazines and websites, covering classics, car culture, technology, motorsport and new car reviews.
