The Gassing Station

Welcome back to The Gassing Station. This week's episode opens with John being surprisingly upbeat about the Volvo XC90 and Cam thinks the new BMW iX3 Neue Klasse isn't quite as hideous as the car it replaces. On the subject of funny looking cars, the Yangwang U9X and its shiny new production speed record, which it's nabbed from the Bugatti Chiron Super Sport. But what's really caught Cam and John's eye is the massive moment test driver Marc Basseng had at 293mph while setting the proction EV record.For topic two, Cam and John help a PistonHeads user find a new toy for £22k, one that not only has to be practical but must also feel more special than their 400hp Mk3 Ford Focus RS. Tricky, that.To finish things off, the two disclose their guilty pleasure cars, partly inspired by John's love of the XC90, and partly so they can talk about their first cars. All that and more on this week's episode of The Gassing Station.

Welcome back to The Gassing Station! In this week's episode, John compares the Porsche Panamera to a Pendolino train and Cam finds yet more excuses as to why he's yet to buy that 335i he keeps banging on about. As for the actual topics, it all kicks off with (supposedly) the one and only UK-registered Polestar 1, which is for sale on PistonHeads.com at the time of recording. Cam remembers the 1 quite fondly, which John immediately takes issue with. Then it's on to some buying advice, this week taking the form of a £15k dog carrier challenge.And finally, it's on to our favourite engines (we've all got them, admit it) and some of the engineering behind what makes them good. All that and more on this week's episode of The Gassing Station!

Sustainable fuel is back in the spotlight as Formula 1 prepares for a season running on 100 per cent sustainable fuel, while The Gassing Station co-host Sam Sheehan has filled his Mazda MX-5 with eco-friendly petrol from Coryton’s Sustain project, produced using agricultural and organic waste.Attention also turns to BMW’s takeover of Alpina, including favourite pre-acquisition models like the Alpina V8 Roadster and rare Alpina B6 S 3.5.A £40k rally support-car challenge follows, featuring an Aston Martin V8 Vantage and Subaru Impreza WRX STI S206, before a look at motorway fuel prices versus local forecourts.🏎️ Sell your car on PistonHeads auctions: https://www.pistonheads.com/sell/auctions🎟️ Get your Annual Service 2026 tickets: https://www.pistonheads.com/events/annual-service Chapters:0:00 Intro0:15 What is sustainable fuel really like?20:22 Our favourite used Alpinas37:52 £40k supercar rally support car54:06 Why fill up at service stations?Topics: Sustainable fuels: https://www.pistonheads.com/news/general-pistonheads/whats-it-like-running-a-car-on-sustainable-fuel-/50924New Alpina badge: https://www.pistonheads.com/news/ph-germancars/check-out-bmws-redesigned-alpina-emblem/50869Why fill up at service stations?: https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&f=23&t=2115476 Cars:Sam's Aston Martin V8 Vantage: https://www.pistonheads.com/buy/listing/19895513Cam's Subaru S206: https://www.pistonheads.com/buy/listing/19314876Follow us on social media: 🗣 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pistonheads 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pistonheads 🐦 X: https://twitter.com/pistonheads

Of course the 2026 Audi RS5 is the star of this week's podcast. Yes, it’s heavier and arguably should be called an RS4, but with 639hp from a plug-in hybrid V6 and a much broader stance, it’s a seriously muscular answer to an ageing G80 BMW M3 and the departed Mercedes-AMG C 63.This week’s buying challenge is a £22k seven-seater, where a smart Mitsubishi Shogun battles a luxo-spec Toyota Alphard. Finally, we explore badge engineering oddities, from the Toyota GT86 trio to the many aliases of the Vauxhall Frontera.🏎️ Sell your car on PistonHeads auctions: https://www.pistonheads.com/sell/auctions🎟️ Get your Annual Service 2026 tickets: https://www.pistonheads.com/events/annual-serviceChapters: 0:00 Intro6:05 Audi RS5 - all the details36:23 £22k 7 seaters53:55 How many badges can one car wear? Topics: Audi RS5: https://www.pistonheads.com/news/ph-germancars/audi-replaces-rs4-with-new-plug-in-639hp-rs5/50893Seven seaters for £22k: https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&f=255&t=2136326Badge engineering: https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&f=23&t=2136225Cars:Sam's Mitsubishi Shogun: https://www.pistonheads.com/buy/listing/19622230Cam's Toyota Alphard: https://www.pistonheads.com/buy/listing/19508809pistonFollow us on social media: 🗣 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pistonheads 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pistonheads 🐦 X: https://twitter.com/pistonheads

This week's episode of The Gassing Station kicks off with Sam’s drive of Volkswagen’s Golf GTI Edition 50, the most powerful production GTI yet, and how it all went down on that Clubsport S-beating lap around the Nurburgring. The two then take a deep dive into the best used sports cars for 2026, spanning everything from a Lotus Esprit to Vipers, R8s and a 650S. Finally, there’s an £85k weekend car challenge, featuring a 718 Boxster Spyder and a tempting McLaren GT.🏎️ Sell your car on PistonHeads auctions: https://www.pistonheads.com/sell/auctions🎟️ Get your Annual Service 2026 tickets: https://www.pistonheads.com/events/annual-service Chapters:0:00 Intro0:57 VW Golf GTI Edition 50 9:58 Best used supercars47:47 £85k weekend carTopics: VW Golf GTI Edition 50 - https://www.pistonheads.com/news/ph-driven/2026-vw-golf-gti-edition-50--ph-review/50817Best used supercars - https://www.pistonheads.com/news/ph-features/the-best-used-supercars-to-buy-in-2026/50842Weekend car for £85k - https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&f=255&t=2130723Sam's Porsche 718 Boxster Spyder - https://www.pistonheads.com/buy/listing/19641655Cam's McLaren GT - https://www.pistonheads.com/buy/listing/19355697Follow us on social media: 🗣 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pistonheads 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pistonheads 🐦 X: https://twitter.com/pistonheads

A week on from Sam’s first drive of Jaguar’s electric GT, the debate is still raging, so we’re holding judgement until it hits real tarmac. This episode then turns to something far less contentious: the McLaren F1 GTR currently for sale on PH, including its Le Mans history and what it takes to own the ultimate supercar.There’s also a buying challenge for a first car on a £5,000 budget, plus a discussion on whether once you go automatic, you ever really go back to manual.🏎️ Sell your car on PistonHeads auctions: https://www.pistonheads.com/sell/auctions🎟️ Get your Annual Service 2026 tickets: https://www.pistonheads.com/events/annual-service Chapters: 0:00 Intro11:28 McLaren F1 GTR for sale31:14 £5k first cars49:01 Have you gone back to manual after an auto?Cars:Sam's Audi TT: https://www.pistonheads.com/buy/listing/19805287Cam's Fiesta ST: https://www.pistonheads.com/buy/listing/19669765 Topics: McLaren F1 GTR for sale: https://www.pistonheads.com/buy/listing/19783298First car choice: https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&f=255&t=2134145Once you go auto, you never go back?: https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&f=23&t=2134754 Follow us on social media: 🗣 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pistonheads 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pistonheads 🐦 X: https://twitter.com/pistonheads

Fresh from the frozen lakes of Sweden, this episode hands the mic to Sam for a deep dive into Jaguar’s all-new electric GT prototype. With production edging closer, he shares what it’s like to sample a 1,000hp Jaguar EV in Arctic conditions and why it’s a pivotal moment for the brand.There’s also a twist on the usual buying challenge, as we split £50k across three cars, serving up everything from Caymans and TVRs to a Bentley Turbo R and a supercharged XJR. No final topic this week, but plenty to keep you busy.Chapters:0:00 Intro11:38 Jaguar electric GT first drive41:55 Three car garage for £50kTopics: Jaguar XJR: https://www.pistonheads.com/buy/listing/19742279

First up is a list of the best used sports cars for 2026 according to PistonHeads, which has ruffled feathers to say the least. Then there’s a £25k buying challenge for a petrol, automatic coupe with some poke, featuring everything from BMW M cars to a tempting Jaguar XKR. Finally, we debate the merits (or not) of owning a left-hand-drive car in the UK.🏎️ Sell your car on PistonHeads auctions: https://www.pistonheads.com/sell/auctions🎟️ Get your Annual Service 2026 tickets: https://www.pistonheads.com/events/annual-service Cam's XKR: https://www.pistonheads.com/buy/auction/19731492Sam's BMW M2: https://www.pistonheads.com/buy/listing/19276774 Topics: Best used sports car: https://www.pistonheads.com/news/ph-features/the-best-used-sports-cars-to-buy-in-2026/50791 £25k coupes: https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&f=255&t=2130444Owning a left-hand drive car: https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&f=23&t=2134402

With most 2026 launches looking bleakly EV-heavy, today's episode cuts through the noise to highlight the cars that still matter to PHers. From rumours of flat-six Porsche Boxsters and Caymans, and potentially a V8 AMG CLE 63, to Ford’s long-teased supercar and the reborn Boreham Ford RS200, there’s still plenty to get excited about.Then, Cam and Sam tackle a £1,500 winter hack challenge, before finishing on a surprisingly divisive topic: whether reversing into parking spaces really is the superior move.🏎️ Sell your car on PistonHeads auctions: https://www.pistonheads.com/sell/auctions🎟️ Get your Annual Service 2026 tickets: https://www.pistonheads.com/events/annual-service Chapters:0:00 Intro7:55 New cars coming in 202628:23 £1.5k winter hacks46:09 Should you ever nose park?Topics: When is it ever right to nose park? - https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&f=23&t=2132726Follow us on social media: 🗣 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pistonheads 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pistonheads 🐦 X: https://twitter.com/pistonheads

A few weeks into the New Year feels like the perfect excuse to buy a car, so this episode tackles one of the big questions: how does finance work on used and auction cars? To find out, Cam and Sam are joined by Dean Clarke from Charles & Dean, a proper petrolhead with serious experience in performance and collectible car finance.There’s also a £40k buying challenge for the best performance family car, with picks including a Giulia, Focus RS and an FL5 Civic Type R. To wrap up, Dean reveals some of the wild machinery Charles & Dean has financed, from race cars to rare classics.Get a quote with Charles & Dean Finance: https://charlesanddean.com/partners/ph-partnership Charles & Dean Finance are a credit broker, not a lender. Authorised and Regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN 6533592) Credit subject to status, 18+, T&Cs apply🏎️ Sell your car on PistonHeads auctions: https://www.pistonheads.com/sell/auctions🎟️ Get your Annual Service 2026 tickets: https://www.pistonheads.com/events/annual-serviceChapters: 0:00 Intro15:36 How can you finance a used car?34:12 £40k fast family car challenge54:21 Weird and wonderful cars financed by Charles & DeanFollow us on social media: 🗣 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pistonheads 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pistonheads 🐦 X: https://twitter.com/pistonheads

Let's kick off 2026 with a dose of optimism, shall we? To open our first podcast of the year, Sam reveals Skoda could revive the Fabia vRS if demand for its new warm hatch is strong, which could do wonders for the (currently quite rubbish) hot hatch market.Before saying goodbye to 2025, Cam and Sam run through PH’s favourite cars from the last 12 months, from the Vanquish Volante to the M2 CS, C8 Corvette and Defender OCTA.There’s a £30k two-car garage challenge with everything from RX-8s to Panameras, before finishing on how much research is too much when buying a car.

Hooray! The EU has backtracked on banning combustion cars outright from 2035 onwards. To celebrate, today's episode of The Gassing Station begins with Sam's review of a new 640hp V8-engined Ferrari - the Amalfi. Cam and Sam then tackle a festive buying challenge: the best £10k performance estate, featuring a lovely E500 Estate and a tempting Audi S4 Avant. Finally, the two dive into the cars owners simply can’t sell, before signing off for the year. See you all in the New Year!

Good news – or rather, hark! This episode kicks off with more EVs potentially converting to combustion power. Sam’s learned Abarth has explored fitting engines to its EV platforms following the hybrid Fiat 500. An ICE Abarth 500, perhaps?We then cover the incredible tale of a DB5 Vantage bought for £900 in 1972 and lovingly restored by Aston Martin Works five decades later.There’s also a £10k buying challenge for the best manual gearchange, featuring a BMW Z4, Golf GTI Edition 30 and Honda S2000, before we finish with the most embarrassing cars we’ve ever owned.

Welcome back to The Gassing Station! The year may be winding down, but we’ve still got plenty of reviews and news to cover. Today's episode kick's off with Sam’s take on the Alpine A390 electric crossover and his chat with company CEO Philippe Krief, who hinted the next A110 could run a hybrid combustion engine despite its EV platform. Then there’s Toyota’s new GR GT: a Gazoo-built, twin-turbo V8 monster that has us wondering if Toyota is now the most exciting enthusiast brand, especially with the electric Lexus LFA Concept alongside it. We also help PHer Kingdom35 find a “classy” £20k upgrade, and dig into the cars people love to hate but are secretly great.

Welcome back to The Gassing Station! Sam's been driving the Vauxhall Mokka GSE this week, which, admittedly, probably won't get you all hot and bothered, but it might just prove to be an alluring alternative to the car in our first topic...... and that is the Ford Focus. Well, the death of it, because the company has officially swung the axe on one of its most popular models. Cam and Sam talk about why it was such a hit and how even the bog standard ones were great to drive (but the Focus ST and RS variants were the ones you really wanted). It also means that a massive void has been left where the Focus once sat, which could drive you towards a Mk8 Golf GTI or, perhaps, a Mokka GSE?On a lighter note, this week's buying challenge comes from a PHer who has seemingly found £50k down the back of the sofa and is looking to tick off their dream car. An enviable position to be in, and one which Cam and Sam try to solve with a selection of cars plucked from the PH classifieds and auctions. To round things off, the two go through the many cars that people of PH have struck up rivalries with. All that and more on this week's episode of The Gassing Station by PistonHeads.

Welcome to a slightly different episode of The Gassing Station! As you'll remember from the last week's news, we've been looking for a new co-host - and we've found one. PH contributor Sam Sheehan will now sit alongside Cam in the cramped, stuffy TGS recording studio going forwards. There's a juicy topic to jump straight into this week, as Porsche's long-awaited electric Cayenne has broken cover. In Turbo form it'll have nearly 1,200hp and can keep pace with a Bugatti Veyron from 0-124mph. But do we really need that in a many-tonne EV SUV? Or will it be better to buy a regular version and put the extra cash towards a fun car with an engine?This week's buying challenge requires Cam and Sam to find something with a V8 for £20k. The only rules are that it must be able to start after short periods of inactivity and be relatively reliable. Challenge accepted...Finally, the two go through the PHers unpopular car opinions with rage-inducing results. All that and more in today's episode of The Gassing Station.

Welcome back to The Gassing Station! And, for one last time, with John sat in the co-host chair. He's off to pasture's new, so decided to kick off today's episode by revealing how he nearly got TGS cancelled before it even started. Luckily, the pod's still going and there's a fresh batch of topics to discuss. To start with, Cam reveals that a new TVR showroom has opened in the US and explains why it's the perfect British car for Americans to enjoy - albiet 30 years late.Meanwhile, this week's buying challenge comes with a £40k budget to replace a BMW M135i. Fortunately, there's already a practical family car in the equation, leaving the full budget to be spent on something fun. And given it's John's last episode, he's handed the floor to go over some of his best moments while working for PistonHeads. We'll miss you John!

Welcome back to The Gassing Station! This week, John questions whether the new Hyundai Santa Fe could be considered a PH car and Cam's just can't get excited about the MG IM5. Onto the cars that really matter, Cam and John take a look at some 'manual misfits': cars fitted with an H-pattern box where, normally, there'd be a big ol' cobra head. For this week's buying challenge, a PHer is looking for a car that can contribute to a car scene with a budget of £30k. John finally lands on a Maserati Gransport after reeling off countless cars from the classifieds, while Cam's got an eye on the Audi RS6 Avant that's about to go under the hammer. To round things off, one PHer asks whether a four-pot engine can be more satisfying than motors with cylinders. All that and more in this week's episode of The Gassing Station.

Welcome back to The Gassing Station! On this week's episode, John joins Jeremy Clarkson and Harry Metcalfe by being the latest motoring journalist to own a farm, before mustering some kind words about the new Mercedes CLA. Cam, meanwhile, has been digging through the PistonHeads classifieds and discovered that there's a Toyota GR Corolla for sale in the UK. Not only that, but one's also available on PistonHeads auctions at the time of recording, which is remarkable given they aren't available to buy in Britain. It will, however, be manufactured in the UK from next year, which led to an argument between John and ChapGTP over cars that were produced in the UK but never sold here. For topic two, Cam finds a PHer in need of some help finding a new convertible for £5,000 to replace their two Saabs (good start). John smashes it out of the park with an Audi S4 (B6) Convertible, albeit going over budget by £500, while Cam puts forward a BMW 325i (E93) Convertible with a lovely straight six. Which would you take?Finally, in a world so sensitive to high mileage cars, Cam and John find out just how far some PHers have taken cars in their ownership. No surprise, they're all capable of going well over 100,000 miles... All that and more on this week's episode of The Gassing Station!

Welcome back to The Gassing Station! Two years after parting ways with it, Cam's (sort of) reuniting with the VW Golf GTI from the PH Project Car series while John reveals all on car review star ratings. For the first topic, the two discuss Lancia's return to the World Rally Championship with a WRC2 car and why it could open the door for a full title assault in 2027. Next up, the buying challenge, this week taking the form of a £35k conundrum: split the money between two all-rounders, or buy as many cars as you can in budget? To round things off, Cam and John read through how some community members came across PistonHeads and how they landed their jobs. All that and more on today's episode of The Gassing Station.