The Intercooler

Dan Prosser and Andrew Frankel reveal what it's like to compete in a motor race for the very first time. From not knowing where to be and when, being unsure if you have the right safety gear or not, worrying you might line up in the wrong grid slot and more, your first race is a uniquely terrifying prospect. And that's before you've done your belts up. But how can you remove stress from what shoul...

Dan Prosser and Andrew Frankel are joined by McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown for episode 250 of The Intercooler podcast. Having orchestrated one of the most remarkable turnarounds F1 has ever seen, taking one of the slowest teams on the grid in early 2023 to the constructors' championship in 2024, Brown has his sights set on more title glory in 2025. He explains how he reorganised the team to lead it...

Dan Prosser and Andrew Frankel discuss the latest version of the Porsche 911 GT3, which Dan has driven on road and track in Spain. Though this latest model is as brilliant to drive as ever, it's been developed against a very different backdrop to earlier versions. In fact, might this be the last 911 GT3 as we know it...? Dan and Andrew also discuss the rapidly growing appreciation for modern class...

Dan Prosser and Andrew Frankel are joined by professional racing driver Darren Turner. A three-time Le Mans class winner with Aston Martin, Darren recently broke the production car lap record at Silverstone in a Valkyrie hypercar, lowering the bar by 10 whole seconds. Darren explains how the attempt compared to a GT3 qualifying lap, reveals how much quicker the track-only Valkyrie AMR Pro would be...

Dan Prosser and Andrew Frankel are joined in the studio by Porsche expert Mark Sumpter, founder of Paragon Porsche. In this episode Mark reveals where the value is in the used 911 market right now, which models he thinks will perform strongly in the coming years, how Porsche oversupplied 992 Turbos and what the effect on values was, and why GT3 and GT3 RS variants no longer command such high premi...

Dan Prosser and Andrew Frankel celebrate 50 years of arguably the greatest supercar bloodline of all time – Ferrari's two-seat, mid-engined V8. The first was the 308 GTB of 1975, the last the F8 Tributo that arrived in 2019. Dan and Andrew talk about the best and worst of the lot, the hardcore limited edition variants like the 458 Speciale, the convertible models and more. Use coupon code pod15 at...

Dan Prosser and Andrew Frankel discuss their favourite small French cars, from the Citroën 2CV to any number of sporty Renault Clios. Some are hot hatches but by no means all – in fact, some of these machines can be painfully slow. So why are little French hatchbacks so charming, such fun and so enduring? Use coupon code pod15 at checkout to get 15% off a subscription to The Intercooler's online c...

Dan Prosser and Andrew Frankel reflect on the year just gone by remembering the best and worst new cars. Highlights include the latest Aston Martin Vantage, Porsche 911 S/T and Renault 5, while the electric Mini Cooper SE and Mercedes-AMG C63 are among the notable low points. Dan and Andrew also look ahead to 2025 and share some updates on the excellent progress made at The Intercooler in 2024. Us...

Dan Prosser and Andrew Frankel are joined in the studio by Richard Porter. Richard, otherwise known as Sniff Petrol, is one half of the Smith & Sniff podcast, former script editor at Top Gear and The Grand Tour and contributor to various magazines and newspapers. Dan and Andrew ask Richard about his love of car magazines, how he fell into podcasting, his own cars and so much more. Christmas gi...

Dan Prosser and Andrew Frankel discuss the cars they've been living with in 2024, from a Volkswagen Up GTI to a McLaren Artura, via a basic Porsche 911 and an electric Audi. Does Andrew's bottom of the range Porsche 911 Carrera feel like the poor relation in the 911 line-up? Why did Dan sell the Up GTI that he so enjoyed driving? Dan and Andrew also look ahead to the cars they'll use in 2025. Chri...

Dan Prosser and Andrew Frankel discuss the 2024 Formula 1 season, which looked set to be a carbon copy of the tedious 2023 campaign until it suddenly turned into one of the most watchable seasons in years. Dan and Andrew talk about this season's heroes and zeroes and what F1 has in store for us in 2025. Will Max Verstappen win a fifth consecutive title? Is Lando Norris ready to mount a serious cha...

Dan Prosser and Andrew Frankel discuss the near 40-year history of the BMW M3. They talk about the cars that inspired the very first, the E30 of 1986, plus that model's extraordinary racing heritage. They then talk about all the models that followed, both good and bad, as well as the present day M3 that isn't offered for sale in the UK and what the future has in store for BMW's iconic performance...

Dan Prosser and Andrew Frankel are joined by Nick and Owen from Motor Addicts to discuss car tuning. In this episode they talk about the benefits of tuning, the potential pitfalls, the best (and worst) tuner cars they've come across and how to get started tuning your own car. This episode was made possible by HP Tuners. Find out more about HP Tuners, a leading ECU tuning and diagnostics company, r...

Dan Prosser and Andrew Frankel review the new Alpine A290 electric hot hatch. Is this the car that proves EVs can be fun to drive? And if not, what do car makers need to do make their electric vehicles as enjoyable as petrol-powered cars? Dan and Andrew also discuss what the election of Donald Trump in the US means for the car industry and Dan reveals his new car. Use coupon code pod15 at checkout...

Dan Prosser and Andrew Frankel consider why the McLaren W1 and Ferrari F80 haven't caused the same excitement among enthusiasts as hypercars from the past. Are we just bored with very low-volume, extremely high-performance machines that few of us will ever get to experience for ourselves? Is there something inherently wrong with this new batch of hypercar? Dan and Andrew also look back at the best...

Dan Prosser and Andrew Frankel are joined in the studio by Darren Langeveld, founder of Destination Nürburgring. Darren has been running Nürburgring track days for 20 years and knows more than just about anybody what it takes to organise a high quality event on the Nordschleife. He reveals the cost of hiring the circuit and how expensive barrier repairs can be, and he shares plenty of sage advice...

Dan Prosser and Andrew Frankel review the new hybrid BMW M5. With 717bhp it's easily the most powerful M5 yet, but at 2435kg it's the heaviest by a distance too. Has BMW M managed to overcome all that weight to make another great M5? Dan and Andrew also discuss Lando Norris's racing efforts in 2024 and talk to McLaren Automotive materials engineer Ella Podmore. Get 10% off Christmas gift subscript...

Dan Prosser and Andrew Frankel discuss perhaps their least favourite Porsche 911 variant, the Turbo. Now in its half-centenary year, the 911 Turbo has long been one of the fastest cars on the road. But among 911s, argue Dan and Andrew, it's also tended to be one of the least engaging to drive. Here's why. Use coupon code pod15 at checkout to get 15% off a subscription to The Intercooler's online c...

Dan Prosser and Andrew Frankel are joined by Richard Tuthill. When Tuthill unveiled the stunning GT One hypercar at Car Week this summer, this small British Porsche specialist became famous around the world overnight. Richard describes the hype around that car and talks about the equally sensation 911K, his company's background in rallying and racing, plus his own driving career. Use coupon code p...

Dan Prosser and Andrew Frankel review two of the year's most exciting new cars... and they could hardly be more different. The new Renault 5 EV is one of the best-looking small cars in years, while the Ferrari 12Cilindri is the latest in a long and vaunted line of front-engined Ferrari V12s. But are they everything we hoped for? Dan and Andrew also reflect on another wonderful Sunday Scramble at B...

Dan Prosser and Andrew Frankel trawl the classifieds for the best late 1990s performance cars available right now. From Italian coupés costing a few thousand pounds to a British brute that's worth more than a terraced house, these are some of the most tempting used performance cars out there today. Use coupon code pod15 at checkout to get 15% off a subscription to The Intercooler's online car maga...

Dan Prosser and Andrew Frankel explore the struggles at Jaguar, Maserati and Alfa Romeo. The similarities between the three car makers are striking – all have great racing heritage, all have produced some of the most beautiful performance and luxury cars ever produced, all have enviable brand power and, having all pursued the premium mass market game, each one has suffered dire financial troubles...

Dan Prosser and Andrew Frankel consider the 2024 F1 season run in. Can Lando Norris really beat Max Verstappen to the championship? They also discuss Adrian Newey's sensational move to Aston Martin, what the future holds for Jaguar and reflect on The Grand Tour coming to a close with the last ever episode, One For The Road, released last week. Use coupon code pod15 at checkout to get 15% off a sub...

Dan Prosser and Andrew Frankel tell the story of the Mazda MX-5, the world's favourite two-seat roadster. They look at the model's inception in the 1980s, the cars that inspired it and the few that have tried to dethrone it over the years, and analyse the reasons for its success with more than 1.2 million having been built over 35 years. They also explain in detail what an MX-5 is like to drive an...

Dan Prosser and Andrew Frankel trawl the classifieds for sports car bargains. They look at supercars like the Ferrari 296 GTB and 488 GTB, the Porsche 911 GT3 RS and Aston Martin Vantage, plus more affordable performance cars like the Alpine A110, Jaguar F-Type and VW Golf GTI and one or two left-field choices, to see how much car can be bought at various price points right now. This is the state...