Behind the Wheel

It's a sad day - our last edition of the Behind the Wheel Podcast. After ten years we've decided to focus on other areas of the business and that means our beloved podcast has to come to an end. Catch this last edition to hear some highlights over the past decade, including a look back at the very first edition of the show! From all of us here at Behind the Wheel thank you to our loyal listeners, it has been a great ride.

Toyota won the 24 hour Le Mans race for the first time last weekend. That’s pretty good news. What’s better is they’ve committed to building a road going version of the car that won the race. It’ll be a hypercar capable of beating promised hypercars from Mercedes Benz and Aston Martin. James Lang from Toyota will join us with details.  BMW have launched a raft of new models recently. Lenore Fletcher will be on the phone with news on the new X5, an all new Z4 and a stunning new 8 Series. The Electric Vehicle council released their State of Electric Vehicle Report for Australia. It won’t surprise many of you that Australia is lagging behind the rest of the world. Behyad Jafari, CEO of the EV Council breaks it down for us. Joel Helmes has been driving a four-cylinder version of the Kia Stinger. Is it better then the twin turbo V6, or is there an even better Kia on the market? Simon Lai has had the keys to a funky new SUV - Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross. It kind of looks like him, so we expect he'll want to buy one. We'll find out if that's true. And, we give an in depth look at the supercharged V6 Jaguar F-Pace 35t - just wait till you hear that engine note!

Another enormous edition of Behind the Wheel… There’s been news from Porsche - their Mission E Electric Concept Car finally has been confirmed as a production car & it has a name. There's a new 911 Speedster concept too, Chris Jordan from Porsche will call in with all the details. Kia has unveiled an electric car called the Niro in Seoul. With a range of 400km +, wrapped in a body that looks like the current day Sportage, there's a lot to be excited about. Kevin Hepworth, Marketing Manager from Kia Australia has all the details for us. Joel Helmes has been driving an enormous van. More enormous than you could ever imagine. You'll need to tune in to find out how big. Simon has had the keys to the Alfa Romeo Guilia. It hasn't broken down once, and apparently its really nice. We'll find out why he thinks it's so good. Pete will really take you around the block in the latest Range Rover Evoque. It's genuine this week after all of last weeks promises! And Chris & Pete will debate the value of the 7 seat offering from NIssan - the latest Pathfinder. Rachel Franco wants to chat mobile phones & cars. She's stern, but still Rachel, so it makes for an interesting discussion. Belt up - it's on again for another week!

Behind the Wheel has lots on this week… An all new & rather angry Audi has just been launched here in Australia - the RS4. Shaun Cleary from Audi calls in with all the details on it. There’s also a new turbocharged version of the Mazda6. Alistair Doak, Marketing Director of Mazda Australia will let us know what to expect. Joel Helmes has been in the Peugeot 308 Wagon - Is it a good alternative to an SUV? Simon has the goss on the 2018 edition of the Jeep Compass. Pete & Chris will take you for a drive in the new flagship Lexus LS. And Rachel Franco wants to chat about how far safety systems in cars has come. It's a big show, so buckle up and hit play.

Anyone would think it was Bastille Day with the French flavour of this weeks edition of Behind the Wheel. Tyson Bowen from Peugeot & Citreon takes us through what is next on the agenda for the car marques here in Australia. Joel & Pete have a great yarn about the latest Citroen C3, and Pete takes us around the block for a drive in it. Chris is excited about a Korean Car, and no, it's not the Kia Stinger. It comes from Kia's sister brand, Hyundai. It's their first ever performance offering and Chris is confident they've nailed on the first attempt with the i30N. And just wait till you hear it! Rachel Franco returns, with a bit of extra attitude this week. It's so worth listening too, even though she's a bit shirty, she has good reason to be. Settle in, turn it up and enjoy another week of talking cars on Behind the Wheel.

Over 2 billion witnessed the first ever all-electric E-Type Jag last weekend during Harry & Meghan’s wedding. We’ll talk to James Scrimshaw from Jaguar to get all the details. Speaking of Jag’s, Pete will take us around the block in the all-new E-Pace. Chris will take you around the block in the new people mover from Peugeot - the 5008. Or is it an SUV? Volkswagen are laying on the performance upgrades for the GTi. Paul Pottinger from VW has all the details. Joel Helmes has been driving the updated version of the Nissan Navara . Simon has the goss on the 2018 edition of the Toyota Corolla. And Rachel Franco is just back from a road trip. She has some interesting rituals she goes through before heading off.

This week on the Behind the Wheel Podcast we find out all about Tesla's now famous tow-test. We get the details too on some spectacular cars going under the hammer at a big classic car auction on in Gosford NSW. Listen in for an update on some all-new models from BMW. Joel Helmes lets us know all about the Haval H2, the Chinese SUV brands small crossover SUV. Simon Lai with a review of the new-generation Toyota Camry Hybrid. While Rachel Franco tells us all about her road trip to Tamworth.

It's our 500th show! And we chat with Joel Helmes, the man who kicked-off Behind the Wheel nearly 11 years ago. Also on this milestone show we talk Kia Stinger, Chris and Peter take the Volkswagen Golf R Grid for a drive and Simon tells us about his time in the Toyota Yaris. We get the lowdown on the new-generation Porsche Cayenne from Porsche PR man, Chris Jordan. And the new XC40 small SUV from Volvo has just landed in Australia, the guys talk to David Pickett from Volvo about all the nuts and bolts behind the new offering. While Rachel Franco is along with a list of some of the most disappointing cars we've seen on the roads in recent years.

A really big show on the cards this week. We’re headed to China for the Beijing Motor Show. Joel Helmes was the guest of our mates at Haval and he brings news of lots of weird and wonderful cars, and he has a few surprises in store. Simon Lai has been racing around in an often overlooked sports car - the Nissan 370Z, we'll bring you all the details. We've got details on a few new Volkswagen's too, including the all-new and very svelte Arteon. The cheapest ever VW Golf GTi, the Original, and we've discovered a new bench mark in the small car class, the all-new VW Polo - even in base model form it's a cracker. Rachel Franco returns with more madness - she's keen to share stories on cars that have been given a name. For example, she had a Barina with a gender crisis called Barry. You can imagine how this will pan out! Kevin Hepworth, from Kia Australia, joins us with details on a refreshed version of Australia’s best selling people mover, the Carnival. We'll take you for a drive in the very beautiful new BMW 630GT, and have lots of laughs along the way. Join us for another week of Behind the Wheel.

On this week's edition of Behind the Wheel, we’ll give you the best advice available for getting out of a speeding ticket. Well, the absolute best advice is don’t speed, but apparently there are other ways and things you should consider if a fine arrives in the mail. Effie Zahos, from Money Magazine, will join us with the details. There’s an awesome car show in Melbourne next month. It’s Australia’s version of the world famous CEMA Show in LA. It’s called Motor Ex - we’ll get you all the info you need from the guy who is running it. It's shaping up to be utterly epic. Simon Lai is driving the 2018 version of the Subaru Outback. He’ll give us his thoughts on whether the perennial favourite is still a worthy contender . The lovely Rachel Franco is back with some ideas on home-made car accessories We’ll take you for a drive in the all electric and rather delicious BMW i3S. It's a load of fun with some interesting car facts thrown in - so go on, hit play on this week's Behind the Wheel.

It’s Ute o’clock this week on Behind the Wheel. We’ll take you live to the launch of some exciting new variants of the Toyota Hilux. We’ll hear how you can become 007 James Bond...well almost! James Scimshaw from Jaguar will bring us details on Jaguar's new Austrian lair. He also has details on the fastest ever F-Pace - Jaguar have shoehorned a massive V8 under the bonnet of one of the prettiest SUV’s on the market - the Jaguar F-Pace SVR. Lexus have revealed their most luxurious car ever - the all-new Lexus LS. Nick Raman has all the details on what to expect from the flagship saloon. Simon Lai has been driving a car that’s way too big for him - the Nissan Patrol. We’ll find out if he was able to see over the steering wheel. The always effervescent Rachel Franco is back with some insights into Jay Leno - or more specifically, his garage and whether she might ditch Pete in favour of the big chinned comedian. Don't miss a minute of this week's Behind the Wheel.

Peter Hitchener has been sequestered by his bosses at Channel Nine to make some news promos, so as we speak, he's doing his best Ron Burgundy impersonations. In the meantime, we thought it was a great opportunity to have a look back at the best bits of 2018 so far. You'll get a lap around the block in one of the best cars to come to this country in a long time - the Kia Stinger. Then, it'll be time to jump in to the award winning technical tour de force that is the Volvo XC60. The guys got a huge surprise after spending a week with a Haval H9. This full size, proper 4WD is high on standard equipment, high on build quality and jaw droopingly low on price. You'll get a crack around the block in it too. We'll look back on the launch of the BMW X2 - think of it as the coupe version of the very capable X1. Lenore Fletcher has all the details. Lots to sink your teeth in to, including some stupidity and a few laughs, in this special edition of Behind the Wheel.

It’s Commodore o’clock on Behind the Wheel this week! Big thanks to Joel Helmes who admirably filled in for the boys last week. This week, Pete and Chris drill down on what’s good and what’s not in the Holden Commodore. You’ll even get a drive round the block in the AWD V6 version of the Calais. Our mates at Haval have been spending up big. They’ve just opened an enormous new factory, and with electrification on the horizon for the world’s biggest SUV maker, there’s lots to catch up on. Andrew Ellis from Haval joins us with all the details. We also chat to Elisabeth Barry from Finder.com.au. They’ve compiled some fascinating data on the most dangerous things Australian drivers have done behind the wheel, and also the top hotspots for car theft around the country. Tune in to see if you're at risk. Simon Lai has been driving around Sydney like his hair is on fire - in the awesome new Honda Civic Type R. Hopefully we’ll be able to extract him from the driver’s seat for a chat. The always effervescent Rachel Franco is back with tips on how to get free money out of the NSW State Govt. What could be better - we just hope it's legal! Don’t miss a minute of it - it’s a huge edition of Behind the Wheel.

There's a whole lot going on this week on the Behind the Wheel Car Podcast with Joel Helmes filling in for Chris Miller and Peter Hitchener. Joel catches up with the head honcho of Toyota Australia to talk new Corolla, new RAV4 and the return of Supra! Alan Zurvas tells us all about his time in 'Godzilla', the famous Nissan GT-R, while Simon Lai gives us his review of the Renault Megane wagon. Speaking of wagons, Joel also reviews the Skoda Superb, and brings us the lowdown on the recently arrived Volkswagen Arteon. George Harrison, yep the former Beatle, is also along talking Formula One cars and we bring you the worrying results from a couple of driver studies out of the UK regarding kids in cars and disabled parking spots. All that and more on this week's edition of the Behind the Wheel Podcast...

Put your life jackets on - here we go, it another big edition of the Behind the Wheel Podcast. Pete takes you driving in 2018 Lexus RX L 450h. Will he actually get into the very back of the 7 seat SUV? Nick Raman from Lexus joins us to chat about a raft of new models on the way from Lexus - including the first ever Lexus Yacht! Joel has been driving the V6 version of the all-new Camry. We’ll find out if it’s any sportier than the 4-cylinder version. He’s also had a taste of the very stylish new VW Arteon. There’s a bloke called The Brickman. He’s built a full size Toyota Camry from Lego. We’ll chat to him to find out why, and to find out how many Lego blocks he stepped on in the process and whether he’s feet have sustained any injuries. Simon Lai has been driving an important car from Holden - their new mid-size SUV the Equinox. He’ll let us know whether it’s better than the old Captiva it replaces - which shouldn’t be hard? Rach, is back with another cars and clips segment that involves Powderfinger and a VC Commodore, so as usual, it all happening. Join us for another edition of Behind the Wheel!

Make sure you're close to a power socket for this episode of Behind the Wheel. There's a lot of electricity involved, thankfully not as much as mining for BitCoin. Pete will take you driving in 2018 Version of the Toyota Prado. A car that at first may be hard to wrap your head around in a city environment. Pete gives his verdict on if it makes sense. Joel has been at the launch of the all-new Volkswagen Polo. It’s grown considerably and is now the same size as a Golf from 10 years ago. Is the new Polo better than a Mazda2 or Toyota Yaris? Joel Helmes will give us the rub. The Greens this week started a push to have all combustion engine cars removed from sale here in Australia by 2030. Behyad Jafari, CEO of the Electric Vehicle Council calls in with all the reasons he thinks it’s a great idea. Will it result in benefits for us all? Rachel, inspired by a bloke who built a Toyota Camry out of Lego, wants to discuss her love affair with building things out of small plastic bricks - and is Pete into it too? Simon Lai is back from overseas and is keen to talk Malaysian Drivers. How does a considerably larger population deal with congestion? Are they as angry as Aussie drivers? Put your headphones in to block out that annoying co-worker... It's Behind the Wheel time.

Buckle up - loads to get through this week We’ll take you driving in the first fully imported Toyota Camry. It's the Ascent Sport version. We'll find out if actually lives up to its "Sport" moniker. We’ll also head out to hang with the folks from the Monash Car Club and hear about an old Mercedes-Benz SL and a Model A Ford Joel drives the 2018 Isuzu MU-X and D-Max. There’s a new car buying service in town focussed on helping ladies in to some super exotic machines. Jacquie Hayes from Madam Wheels calls in with the details. Rachel is back and wants to talk about her favourite TV car show. Her pick might surprise you. Don't miss a minute of the epic episode of Behind the Wheel…

Australia has had its first compulsory car recall due to the ongoing saga that is the Takata Airbag scandal. There are serious problems with these dangerous airbags. The ACCC are overseeing the recall that will involve anywhere up to one in five cars on Australian roads. Rod Simms, Chairman of the ACCC, joins us with details on what is wrong with the airbags, how many will be replaced, how to figure out if you're affected and what impact it might have on the Australian car market. Then after the serious stuff, we’ll take you driving at a frenetic pace in the Nürburgring conquering Honda Civic Type-R. Ford have been tweaking Australia’s most popular sports car - the Mustang. Damion Smy from Ford joins us with details on the what’s new for 2018. Joel has been at all over the country again this week at car launches - we’ll catch up with him live from the launch of the all new BMW X2 - he’ll also have news on the updated Nissan Navara. Rachel returns with a vintage spotlight this week and she’s keen to talk DeLorean.

Lots to get through on this week’s Behind the Wheel. We’ll take you driving in the highly-acclaimed Kia Stinger. Acclaimed for good reason, it truly is an epic car. Pete and Chris go round the block in a frenetic but totally legal fashion. We’ll also hit the road in the all new Volvo XC60, a car that has already picked up a raft of awards. Volvo really is hitting it's straps now with some truly beautiful new cars, the XC60 takes centre stage. We’ve got David Pickett, Technical Manager of Volvo Cars on the show to break down some of the more finer detail. HSV are in business big time. They're one of the most exciting things happening in the Australian market right now. With an influx of imported vehicles, HSV are weaving their magic and turning out some serious vehicles worthy of the iconic HSV badge. Joel Helmes has been flitting across the country attending car launches left and right. We’ll here about a 7 seat Lexus SUV and a special edition Mazda MX-5. Rach makes a welcome return and wants to talk about the stupidest car modifications on the road. Wait till you hear about the jacked up Commodore she spotted in Sydney! Press play, it's time to go on this week's Behind the Wheel...

Buckle up, the Behind the Wheel Car Podcast is about to hit the road for another week. It has arrived. The first ever fully-imported Holden Commodore. Joel Helmes was at the launch and brings a first drive report. Mark Flintoff from Holden joins us to tell us what Holden expect from the car, how many they think they'll sell and how much it costs. The new Commodore has some heavy lifting to do. A big surprise package in the Behind the Wheel garage this week out of China. The Haval H9. It’s a big seven-seat wagon that has genuine off-road ability. We’ll take you around the block in it (all tarmac roads), and we’ll hear from Tim at Haval with details on pricing and spec. Simon Lai is heading off on an undeserved holiday for weeks on end. So before he goes we going to make him work hard. He’ll compare the seven-seat Nissan X-Trail with the Honda CR-V. Rachel Franco is back and she’s been wasting lots of time on YouTube. She’ll share an awesome story of how cars and music sometime come together on film. Speaking of awesome, there’s an amazing competition being run in Brisbane this weekend. Titled “Build a self driving car in 72 hours” teams from around the globe have entered. We will get the man behind it all on to give us all the juicy details. Here we go again for another epic one, settle in for Behind the Wheel Podcast 488...

A big show on the cards this week. We’ll head back to the busy streets of Japan for a guided tour with Pete. We'll go car shopping in Ginza and take in the delights of Tokyo traffic. There’s a new Mercedes-Benz - the all-new A-Class which is likely to be one of the best sellers for the brand. David McCarthy from Mercedes-Benz calls in with the details. Another brand-new offering, a much bigger Volkswagen Polo is about to land here in Australia. Paul Pottinger from VW has all the Aussie specs that you’ll need to know about. We’re on the road in the latest edition of the BMW X3, while Joel Helmes has been at the launch of the very funky new SUV from Peugeot - the 5008. We'll hear how it drives on Aussie roads. Simon Lai has had his hands on the top of the line Honda Accord V6, we’ll get his thoughts. Rachel Franco is keen to highlight all the times our cars have made us look foolish. Be prepared for a very long segment! All that and heaps more this week on Behind the Wheel.

Another big show on the cards this week. We’re getting ready for the Bathurst 12 hour. Hot favourites, Porsche, are fielding a huge fleet this year. Chris Jordan from Porsche joins us on the show with details on the preparations - and he’s got a great story out of London that involves $10 million worth of gold bullion and three new Porsche Panamera Sport Turismo’s. Andrew Fraser - Nationals Member for Coffs Harbour, is pushing for driver education to be taught in schools for kids as young as twelve. It’s based on a model from CAMS. We’ll chat to Andrew and get the nuts and bolts of the plan. Joel Helmes has been at the Australian launch of the new Haval H9 – a seven-seat 4x4 that, on paper at least, shows a lot of promise. We’ll get all the details on how it drives and how much it costs. Victoria Police are in the process of renewing their fleet - starting with the Divy Vans. Their choice of vehicle is interesting and nowhere near as exciting as the car that will be replacing the Highway Patrol Commodores. Frank Melilli, Manager of the Victoria Police Transport Branch, has all the inside goss. The AAA (Automobile Association of Australia) is making a just call for the removal of tariffs on cars. Originally put in place to protect Australia's car manufacturing industry, obviously there's now no need to pay for an industry that doesn't exist. The AAA also think there could be another huge benefit other than the cost savings motorists would experience. Tune in the CEO Michael Bradley to hear their ideas. And Simon Lai & Rachel Franco are back to discuss the benefits of keeping your car stocked with food and drinks. Lots to take in on this week’s edition of Behind the Wheel.

We’re back for 2018 and it’s a show with a bit of international flair! Pete is going to take us on a tour of Japan & he’ll crash a Nissan Leaf live on air! We’ll go touring car factories and get a sense of Tokyo traffic. Meanwhile, back here in Australia, we’ll take you around the block in the BMW M4 Pure and try and figure out what you miss out on by buying the cut down version of the iconic BMW. We’ll also stack up the M3 against the M4… is there a lot of difference apart from a couple of doors? Speaking of BMW, they’ve unveiled a funky new SUV - the X2 and Lenore Fletcher joins us with all the pricing details and release dates. The Maserati Quattroporte has been around a while. It’s recently been back to the factories in Modena & Turin for a bit of a nip and tuck.  Glen Sealy, CEO of Maserati Australia, has all the details for us. Joel Helmes has been hanging with the new edition of Australia’s most popular mid-size car - the now fully imported Toyota Camry. Has the Japanese built Camry lifted the bar in comparison to the older Aussie version? We’ll find out. And Simon Lai & Rachel Franco make their return for 2018. Who know’s what will happen!

It's the last episode of Behind the Wheel's Summer Series before an action packed return to live action next week, so we've tried to squeeze in as many of the good bits of 2017 as we can. We revisit what was the huge task of choosing 2017's Car of the Year. Joel Helmes takes us through the process of coming up with a winner from a long list nominations. Some brilliant cars missed out on the gong and you'll hear the chat with the winning manufacturer. Effie Zahos, editor of Money Magazine had a bee in her bonnet about toll roads in 2017. She chatted with the boys and broke down what is now a considerable cost for a lot of Aussie motorists. Gary Linnell, contributor to The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, had been known to mock Elon Musk's ideas about the future. Seems he had a change of heart in 2017 and he chat's to Pete and Chris as to why. We also talk car buying trends for 2018, and Joel Helmes put us Behind the Wheel of the updated version of Toyota's epic little sports car, the 86. Behind the Wheel's Summer Series - It's your last chance to relive some of the best bits from 2017 - Don't miss it!

The weekly Behind the Wheel Radio Show is now going to be heard every Thursday night across Australia's major capital cities on EON Sports Radio. Ahead of the show's debut this week on the EON Sports Radio airwaves, Behind the Wheel co-host, Peter Hitchener, joined the guys on the EON Sports Radio brekky show to talk cars, footy, golf...and crumpets! Have a listen...

Iveco has launched the new 2017 Iveco Daily 4x4 into Australia and we got along for a drive. We also caught up with Iveco Australia Marketing Manager, Darren Swenson, for a chat about the new off-road model...

Marc “Elvis” Priestley is certainly no stranger to the inner working of a car, in fact, he was one of the top Formula One mechanics for a number of years. Today though he is the host of a new series which premieres tomorrow on Discovery Turbo, Gears, Grease and Glory. In the series “Elvis” travels to South Africa, Mexico, Britain, Sweden, Cuba and Thailand and gets his hands dirty working alongside grassroots experts in some of the most extraordinary and unique amateur motorsports. He creates, builds, and customises vehicles and puts them to the test in local motorsports competitions. Some of the motorsports he gets involved with include car spinning, hopping lowriders, drag racing and long-tail boat racing. Behind the Wheel’s Simon Lai caught up with “Elvis” for a chat…

We’ve had the opportunity to chat with NASCAR legend and host of AmeriCARna on Discovery Turbo, Ray Evernham. The two time Daytona 500 champion is now setting lap records on the television as the host of AmeriCARna, a great show that looks back at some of the most revolutionary moments in automotive culture. Behind the Wheel’s Simon Lai caught up with Ray to talk about the show, the interesting automobiles and people he's encountered and his own love of cars…

Will Castro started out parking cars, now he is the ‘go to’ man for car customization. His TV show, Unique Rides with Will Castro, features some of the biggest stars of today with famous names such as Pamela Anderson, Donald Trump and LeBron James all previously handing him the keys to their cars. Unique Rides shows how Will and his team transforms the celebrity-owned cars into rolling works of art. Set to debut in Australia on Discovery Turbo on the 1st of May, we caught up with Will to chat about the show, the cars, the stars and his roots in the car customisation world…

Lamborghini now have a new rear-while drive version of the Huracan available to Australian supercar buyers with the local arrival of the new Lamborghini Huracan LP 580-2. Launched today at an event in Sydney, the new offering is essentially the same as the AWD Huracan, though it is significantly cheaper and is designed to be a lot more fun, according to Lamborghini. With a different weight balance and all the 426kW and 530Nm going to the real wheels, it goes without saying that the Huracan LP 580-2 is clearly aimed at Lamborghini drivers who like oversteer and a little 'drifting'. Also boasting more aggressive front and rear bumpers and unique alloy wheel designs, prices on the road in NSW start from $415,000 for the 2WD Huracan, that's a significant $50,000 less than the traditional AWD variant. Behind the Wheel was at the Australian unveiling of the new Huracan LP 580-2 and caught up with the Australian boss of Lamborghini, Eginardo Bertoli...

Steve Richards has teamed up with BMW to tackle the keenly-anticipated 2016 GT3 season. BMW today took the covers off Steve's 2016 car, a BMW M6 powered by a twin-turbo V8 engine. We caught up with Steve for a chat to look at the BMW campaign and motorsport in general in 2016...

Peugeot has launched the new 308 GTi range into Australia with two variants available - 308 GTi 250 and the 308 GTi 270. Unashamedly taking on the Volkswagen Golf GTI and the Renault Megane RS 270, Behind the Wheel is on assignment at the Australian launch of the new Peugeot 308 GTi models and caught up with Peugeot Australia's, Tyson Bowen for a chat...

Iveco Trucks get set to reach more customers in 2016. Just give us a go, that’s the message from Iveco Australia Marketing Manager Darren Swenson. Speaking at the launch of Iveco’s 2016 Australian campaign, Mr Swenson, who started with Iveco last year, says no other truck brands caters as well to the needs of drivers than Iveco, he says truck buyers just need to take a test drive to find out why. With a number of new models and configurations coming to the Australian market in 2016, Behind the Wheel’s Joel Helmes caught up with Darren for a chat to look at how Iveco can gain more Australian truck market share in 2016 and beyond…

Bec and Rach talk about their experiences buying cars. It may not be as much of a ‘Man’s World’ as once it was, yet it seems that car dealerships remain a male-dominated environment. In this edition of Coffee and Cars, Bec and Rach talk about their previous experiences buying cars, how they have been treated and what they have hated about the experience. Just as importantly the girls also come up with some strategies to help make buying a new car easier, including when is the best time to head into a car dealership and the importance of being well-researched before you head out…

We chat to Screen Machines host Robert Moseley. Robert ‘Videobob’ Moseley is renowned for being the man to talk to if you want an as close to original as possible recreation of an iconic vehicle from television and films. Want a KITT from Knight Rider or a Batmobile? Robert Moseley is the man to talk to. In this chat with Behind the Wheel’s Simon Lai, Robert Moseley talks about his background and how he got into creating movie and TV replica cars, how he goes about building them and what we can expect from the upcoming season of Screen Machines. The coming season of Screen Machines premieres Thursday the 4th of February at 8.30pm on Discovery Turbo.

Bec gives Rach a driving lesson in a manual car. “It’s not 1926 anymore, the car needs to be changing its own gears!” We think Rach might not be going out and buying a manual car anytime soon! After years of driving auto’s and doing all she could to avoid learning how to drive a manual, Rach finally agreed to have a go in a manual under the expert tutelage of Bec. With the Mitsubishi ASX with a five-speed manual in the Behind the Wheel garage, the girls figured there was no time like the present to show her the manual “ropes”. Have a listen to hear how Rach went…

Australians paying thousands of dollars in toll fees and charges. If the rising cost of accessing tollways wasn’t already putting enough squeeze on Australian motorists, new reports say we are also paying thousands of dollars in extra fees and charges for late payments. The team over at The Big Smoke report that one motorist was even slapped with a $50,000 fine for late toll payments and extra fees, some motorists have even been threatened with prison sentences. Toll fines are getting out of control and its state governments that are reaping the benefits. We caught up with The Big Smoke founder, Alex Tselios, to find out more about the issue and how we are being stung by extra fees and charges every year by the tollway operators and state governments.

Bec and Rach talk about their dream machine - the Jaguar F-TYPE R. We sent the girls out to road test the 2015 Jaguar F-TYPE R and it appears the men of Sydney really had trouble containing themselves. We are still undecided whether it was the topless convertible Jaguar with the breathtaking V8 grumble, or Bec and Rach that attracted all the date offers and marriage proposals! Either way they had a memorable in a standout vehicle. To hear Bec and Rach go weak at the knees about the Jaguar F-TYPE R just hit play or download...

We chat to EROAD about their range of in-vehicle technologies. In the old days, when a truck or company owned vehicle left headquarters or a depot there was no real way of accurately tracking where and what that vehicle was doing. So in most cases it really was a situation of out of sight out of mind. But then technology came along that allowed for real time tracking of vehicles and from there the sky really is the limit in regards to creating efficiencies and safety improvement possibilities. EROAD is one of the leaders in In-Vehicle Hardware and offers a full range of vehicle tracking systems and software that allow vehicle owners to monitor a whole host of vehicle data and records. The software even allows drivers to compete against each other to achieve the best fuel economy and smoothest driving. Behind the Wheel’s Joel Helmes chatted with engineering manager at EROAD, Jarred Clayton…

Bec and Rach talk MINI’s most-powerful car yet. It’s a little pocket-rocket and carries a price tag to match, but is the MINI John Cooper Works worth the money? Bec and Rach have had the keys and talk interior space, the MINI cabin layout, parking and sports mode! Check out what the girls think of MINI’s most powerful model yet…

Engine Addict host Jimmy De Ville joins us for a chat. There’s a new season of Engine Addict with Jimmy De Ville coming to Australian television screens in 2016 and by the sound of it host, Jimmy De Ville, has earned his money filming it! With some amazing challenges and stunts to be seen (we won’t tell you too much), this is must-see TV if you love cars, engineering, engines and turning (almost) nothing into something. Behind the Wheel’s Joel Helmes caught up with Jimmy for a chat to look at how he became an ‘Engine Addict’ and how this addiction has lead him on some amazing journeys, including the battlefields of Iraq and Afghanistan. Engine Addict with Jimmy De Ville will premiere on the Discovery Channel on Thursday the 7th of January at 9.30pm.

Car customizing expert Dave Kindig joins us for a chat. Dave Kindig has been labelled a miracle worker and if you look at some of the amazing projects that have left the doors of his business, we reckon you would have to agree. Dave has been building custom cars for twenty years and is the owner and operator of Kindig-It Design, a business that turns out one-of-a-kind vehicles for a wide range of customers, some, even quite famous! He is also the host of the wildly popular Kindig Customs which airs on the Discovery Channel, with season two of the show about to start from next month. Some of the cars Dave works on this season include a 1959 Buick Invicta, 1970 Mustang, 1932 Roadster, 1940 Coupe, 1994 Impala and a 1968 Chevelle. Dave and his team also try their hand at modifying the hood of a 2013 "Mr. Norm's" Challenger. Behind the Wheel’s Joel Helmes caught up with Dave while he was in Australia promoting the new season of the TV show to talk customs and hot rods…

Chasing Classic Cars host talk’s car restoration on Behind the Wheel. With a lifetime of experience in automobile restoration under his belt, master car restorer Wayne Carini has a resume that includes work on rare car collections owned by the likes of David Letterman and Ivan Lendl. Wayne's passion for cars started when he was a child, working alongside his father on such classics as Duesenbergs, Lincolns, Packards and Ford Model As. Then, at just 9 years of age, he experienced a life altering event: he went for a ride in his first Ferrari. Wayne was instantly bitten by the Ferrari bug and hooked for life; automobiles have been Wayne's passion ever since. Wayne learned the art of Ferrari restoration from his mentor Francois Sicard, a former Ferrari racing mechanic and his good friend Luigi Chinetti Jr., whose father Luigi Chinetti Sr. won Le Mans in a Ferrari in 1949. Wayne is now the host of the popular Chasing Classic Cars television show ween in Australian on the Discovery Turbo channel. Ahead of a new season of the popular program airing in Australia from January, Wayne gave Behind the Wheel’s Joel Helmes some time to talk car restoration and how a car from a Tom Cruise film stole his heart…

We chat with Jaguar Australia PR man James Scrimshaw. Has Jaguar ever had a better line-up of vehicles? We don’t think so. From the popular Jaguar XF to excitement machines like the XJR and XFR-S, Jaguar dealerships just about have a vehicle for everyone. Then of course there’s an all-new Jaguar XE about to arrive, a new SUV in the works and how can we forget the recently updated Jaguar F-Type?! Behind the Wheel hosts Peter Hitchener and Chris Miller have been getting about in the new all-wheel drive F-Type and thought it was a good time to chat about the 2015 Jaguar line-up with Jaguar Land Rover Australia head of PR, James Scrimshaw…

Have you ever given your car a nickname? Motoring organization RACQ has had a look at the car nickname phenomenon and discovered that the most likely car owners to do it are aged 16-24. Spokesperson Lauren Ritchie has joined Behind the Wheel hosts Peter Hitchener and Chris Miller for a chat about the most popular car nicknames and how car owners determine what they call their car. For the record, Kermit was the most popular car nickname, though there were a few more that are obviously derived from the cars official name. Have a listen to find out more…

Australian’s absolutely love Mercedes-Benz vehicles. In May this year more than 2700 new Mercedes-Benz cars were delivered to Australian customers, 5.5% more than for the same month last year. And with a whopping total of 151 different model grades on offer we certainly can’t complain about not having plenty of choice when considering a Mercedes! Behind the Wheel hosts Chris Miller and Peter Hitchener caught up with David McCarthy, Senior Manager - Public Relations, Product and Corporate Communications at Mercedes-Benz Australia to find out more…

The RACQ has crunched the numbers and found that owning and running a car now is actually cheaper than it’s been for a number of years. The Queensland motoring club has released its annual Vehicle Running Costs survey which has revealed lower interest rates, cheaper fuel and more competitive insurance prices helped to reduce the upward push of costs in recent years. As reported at behindthewheel.com.au, the cheapest car to own and run in Queensland was a Suzuki Celerio, with the most expensive car a Nissan Patrol V8. Looking at all the expenses associated with normal car ownership, RACQ Executive Manager Technical and Safety Policy Steve Spalding joined Behind the Wheel hosts Chris Miller and Peter Hitchener to look at why the cost of owning some new vehicles has dropped by as much as $20 per week.

Spares Box online discounted auto parts now available. There’s a new online auto parts website in the market that is promising to help Australian motorists save dollars on the cost of their car maintenance. Founded by Leon Saliba, sparesbox.com.au is a one-stop car parts web store with a simple goal: enabling vehicle owners to source premium parts, at discounted prices, in just a few clicks. Leon has a background in parts procurement across a range of brands, including Toyota and Holden and launched the business after identifying the mark-ups being passed onto consumers. From this Leon saw an opportunity to help Australian car owners save on the upkeep of their vehicles. Behind the Wheel hosts Chris Miller and Peter Hitchener caught up with Leon to find out more…

It’s the undisputed king of the road in the United States and now Australian’s are lining up to get a Ford F-Series in their driveway. Harrison F-Truck is the leading importer and converter of the Ford F-Series and they have a range of different variants, including single cab, king cab and double cab, and short and long wheelbase models on offer to Australian customers. Whichever one you choose your big Ford F-Series truck will come with a 6.7 litre Power Stroke V8 turbo diesel engine that boasts 328kW and 1166Nm. Towing capacity is up to a mammoth 7,500kgs! The guys at Harrison F-Truck also offer customization options as well to ensure your F-Series truck is one of a kind. We caught up with Harrison F-Truck state manager for Victoria, Craig Payne to find out more…

New app helps people learn how to drive. Technology is changing our cars at a rapid pace, now a learning top drive revolution is underway as well as novice drivers begin their driving careers on their smartphones. A new app available in the US from Aceable is helping people learn how to drive and it appears the concept isn’t that far away from being a major part of getting a driver’s license in Australia. The Aceable app courses include classes for defensive driving, driver’s education, employee training, corporate compliance and other similar tasks which people are now allowed to take online. Dale Carr, founder and CEO of mobile advertising business LeadBolt, has joined Behind the Wheel’s Joel Helmes for a chat and says it’s only a matter of time before Australians will also be taking driver education courses online…

We catch up with the boss of BidMyCar to find out about their service. New car buyers are a pretty savvy bunch now-a-days. Where once upon a time whatever price your local dealership offered was essentially what you had to accept, now you can literally get the dealerships competing to get you the best price. All online, all anonymous and with a minimum of a fuss services like those offered by bidmycar.com.au are the future. Behind the Wheel’s Joel Helmes and Chris Miller caught up with BidMyCar General Manager Rob Madden to find out more.