Cars In Context

 

We’ve decided that Open Road Podcast has served its purpose as a learning tool, and it’s time to launch a more comprehensive site: Cars In Context.

Over the past year we have set up several blog sites for a range of clients, and have concluded blogging is a highly efficient platform for capturing thought and connecting with a broad audience. We also very much appreciate the flexibility of blogging: any one of us can logon at any time and post new material. There is no need to coordinate the schedules of three or four busy people to record a podcast over Skype. 

Another advantage we’ve found? The ability to build links inside the text of a blog post, allowing our viewers to efficiently explore the more arcane points we might bring up. For instance, if we reference Bauhaus, we can link to an explanation of the Bauhaus design philosophy. The viewer can quickly get up to speed, then click back to the main blog post. This method fully exploits the best information already existing on the web. 

Podcasting proved too labor-intensive, eating up time better spent with clients. We will produce podcasts only when the format perfectly suits the subject.

We are moving our most popular Open Road podcasts to Cars In Context, in particular the five-part interview with Freeman Thomas, boss of Ford Advanced Design. We will also bring along several of the more popular road tests, even if some of the cars are fading out of the market.

Here’s the link to www.carsincontext.us.

written by Dennis \\ tags: Cars In Context, CiC, Open Road Podcast, ORP

Episode #037, 2009 Audi R8 

Mr. White’s lucky streak continues unabated as he gets into an Audi R8. Unaccustomed as he is to such exotica, he proclaims the design superior to the F430, though Mr. Black and Mr. Blonde disagree. Discussion covers the engine, the lack of torque-vectoring, the fine exterior design and how it’s the best quote yet of the Auto Union GP cars of the Thirties, the Italo-Aryan interior dimensions, and the semi-auto gearbox that sure ain’t no DSG. 

Duration: 54:12
Size: 60.95 mb
Format: Enhanced AAC
Direct download: ORP-Episode037.m4a 

Duration: 54:12
Size: 74.47 mb
Format: MP3
Direct download: ORP-Episode037.mp3

written by Dennis \\ tags: Audi, Open Road Podcast, OpenRoadPodcast, Podcast, R8

Episode #036, 2009 Nissan GT-R 

When Mr. White gets a lucky run, he sure makes the most of it. In this segment, the boys discuss Mr. White’s time in a Nissan GT-R. Torque-vectoring, AWD, cast aluminum structural components, just how many tens of thousands of dollars Nissan is eating on each GT-R sold, and the need to race this box at Le Mans. 

Duration: 50:40
Size: 41.20 mb
Format: Enhanced AAC
Direct download: ORP-Episode036.m4a 

Duration: 50:40
Size: 46.42 mb
Format: MP3
Direct download: ORP-Episode036.mp3 

Tags: Nissan, GT-R

written by Dennis \\ tags: GT-R, Nissan, Skyline

written by Dennis \\ tags: American Sunroof Corp, ASC, Hyde Park, Panoz, Raptor, Saleen

Mr. Black left his product worries behind for a few days and drove from LA to the Bay area in Yellow Bird, including a shot across his favorite road in California. Final destination? Chevron’s research center in Richmond, CA, on the eastern shore of San Francisco Bay. Chevron had invited 15 online journalists to participate in a day of presentations and Q&A about Chevron’s fuel additive, Techron. Mr. Black has long been a Mobil man because a former Mobil CEO bought one of the race cars Mr. Black helped develop in the Nineties, one of those infamous R cars. But allegiance has changed. You can see the PDF posted to decide for yourself. Mr. Blue and Mr. Black both have their professional work scrutinized by corporate lawyers, so they know Chevron couldn’t make the claims if Techron were snake oil. Based on the research Mr. Black saw and you can see for yourself in the PDF, Chevron’s Techron additive is the real deal and can dramatically clean the injectors, valves and combustion chambers of a modern engine. Mr. Blonde was sold on it long ago, it turns out. 

Duration: 16:35
Size: 13.70 mb
Format: Enhanced AAC
Direct download: ORP-Episode034.m4a 

Duration: 16:35
Size: 15.20 mb
Format: MP3
Direct download: ORP-Episode034.mp3 

Support Documents
Here are the PDF files mentioned in the show: 

TECHRON Concentrate Plus (3.53MB) 

TECHRON Tech Tour: Chevron-Richmond Technology Center (1.83MB) 

To view these PDF files, you can download Adobe Acrobat Reader from Adobe.

written by Dennis \\ tags: Chevron, Fuel, Fuel Technology, Techron

Episode #033, Compact Trucks, Part 2 

More on little pickups. Perfect if you want to know what it’s like to sit in a marketing meeting with people who actually know what they’re talking about–as opposed to the MBAs who so often make poor decisions. 

Duration: 24:04
Size: 19.90 mb
Format: Enhanced AAC
Direct download: ORP-Episode033.m4a

Duration: 24:04
Size: 22.10 mb
Format: MP3
Direct download: ORP-Episode033.mp3

written by Dennis \\ tags: Chevrolet, Colorado, Compact Trucks, Ford, Frontier, Mahindra, Nissan, Tacoma, Toyota, Truck

Open Road Podcast

Episode #032, 2008 Compact Trucks, Part 1 

A new player enters, Stage Right. Mr Blue is a truck marketing geek. He and Mr Black discuss the potential market for a compact pickup. This is one for marketing people to listen to, or guys who know about trucks. 

Duration: 33:06
Size: 29.20 mb
Format: Enhanced AAC
Direct download: ORP-Episode032.m4a 

Duration: 33:06
Size: 30.34 mb
Format: MP3
Direct download: ORP-Episode032.mp3

written by Dennis \\ tags: Chevrolet, Colorado, Compact Trucks, Ford, Frontier, Mahindra, Nissan, Tacoma, Toyota, Truck

Episode #031, 2008 Mini Cooper S Clubman & Smart, Part 5 

OK, we didn’t know when to shut up, so we talked about MINI Clubman, the first-gen MINIs we once owned, and then the Smart car, that hedgehog from Stuttgart. 

Duration: 23:23
Size: 21.30 mb
Format: Enhanced AAC
Direct download: ORP-Episode031.m4a 

Duration: 23:23
Size: 21.50 mb
Format: MP3
Direct download: ORP-Episode031.mp3

written by Dennis \\ tags: Clubman, Cooper, Mini, Open Road Podcast, ORP, S, Smart

written by Dennis \\ tags: Calacanis, Jason Calacanis, Open Road Podcast, ORP, Roadster, Tesla

written by Dennis \\ tags: 135i, BMW, Coupe, Open Road Podcast, ORP