Show Notes
Robin Shute is an engineer and 4x Pikes Peak Champion. He competes in the top class with his Wolf based racer. Robin joins me at home for a chat about Pikes Peak, racing, his engineering background and his upcoming car designed to smash records. A great chat with some real depth.
Enjoy,
Sam
https://www.instagram.com/robin.shute/?hl=en https://www.youtube.com/@thesendyclub
Show Notes:
Chapters
00:00 The Basics of Engineering and Racing 00:46 Robin Shute: A Racing Journey 04:00 Early Influences and Career Path 07:48 Tesla: The Early Days of Innovation 11:57 The Evolution of Electric Vehicles 16:11 The Importance of Team Size in Racing 18:06 The Birth of the Wolf Racing Team 21:54 Pikes Peak: The Challenge of the Mountain 26:10 The Technical Aspects of Racing Cars 30:02 The Development of the Wolf Car 33:52 Pushing the Limits of Speed 39:12 Engineering Innovations and Challenges 43:03 The Decision to Build a New Car 49:27 The Case Against Electric Vehicles 55:07 Exploring the Future of Race Cars 01:08:01 The Future of Autonomous Driving 01:10:27 Nitro Rallycross and the Evolution of Racing 01:12:52 Electric Vehicles in Motorsports 01:14:14 Innovations in Car Design and Engineering 01:19:02 The Simplicity of Effective Engineering 01:22:51 Driving Experience and Car Weight Dynamics 01:29:31 The Unlimited Class and Record-Breaking Aspirations 01:35:04 Memorable Journeys and Dream Cars Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
More from Car Chat
Mike Fernie spent 8+ years at DriveTribe, became Head of Video, and helped build some of the channel’s most-loved nerdy engine deep dives — now he’s gone solo on his own YouTube channel. We talk Clarkson/Hammond/May behind-the-scenes, how YouTube actually rewards consistency, and what Mike’s building next (including a big-turbo XJS and the infamous V10 MX-5).
Petrol Ped joins me to talk hybrids, from plug-ins to Porsche’s new 911 GTS-T Hybrid. We dig into whether a hybrid is better than the same car without. What makes a good PHEV, why real-world MPG figures are nonsense, and how Porsche is bringing back the ICE Boxster / Cayman.
I sit down with Tiff Needell — racer first, TV legend second — to talk F1 beginnings, Le Mans nights, and how the airfield days birthed that trademark opposite-lock testing style. We get honest about what makes a car feel alive, the quiet magic of cheap manuals, EV tradeoffs, and Tiff’s forever garage from McLaren F1 to Morris 1000.
Al Clark is the founder of Outrun Films and one of the leading automotive directors working in the industry today. From Bugatti and McLaren to Aston Martin, Al’s career spans viral films, major commercials, and the evolution of CGI car production. We discuss his journey from grassroots filming to global campaigns, what goes into making hypercars look their best on screen, and how the industry is adapting to new platforms.
Miro Zrnčević is the Chief Test and Development Driver at Bugatti Rimac. We talk about his journey from Croatian car journalist to driving the most powerful hypercars in the world, what makes a great test driver, and how you balance engineering, feel, and feedback at 400 km/h. Enjoy.https://www.rimac-automobili.com/https://www.bugatti.com/