Car Talk and Friendship: The Redline Republic Story

This week we're debating replica cars and whether they're ever worth the same money as the genuine thing. We also attempt to put together our top 10 cars since 2000, with a bit of help needed from the listeners. Dan nearly swaps the Amarok for a C35 Laurel, Badger develops an interest in Ladas, and we chat about a few questionable car purchases along the way. Let us know what you think of replicas and what cars deserve a spot in our top 10!

This week we're talking VTEC Vs. 20 valve, the cars we'd use to turn someone into a car person, T22 Avensis, the Irish car scene and plenty of listener questions along the way.

+This week we somehow end up having a full debate over whether diesel cars can actually be classed as sports cars, with the GTD taking most of the abuse. We also talk about modern cars having far too much going on, loud exhausts apparently causing anxiety, what the first thing you do after buying a car is, and a few other completely unnecessary tangents along the way. As always, let us know who you agree with because one of us is definitely going to get told they’re wrong.

This week we get into whether EVs are actually the future, how much horsepower is too much for a road car and somehow end up talking our way through old Hondas and the cars we wish we could still buy for sensible money. Badger also tells the story of getting a bus across the country to buy a Golf when he was far too young to be doing it, only for the car to break down on the way home and the Gardaí to end up getting involved. We also talk about how far is too far to travel for a car, the madness of 1,000hp road cars and finish up with an idea that could see us finally starting a proper Redline Republic project car and YouTube series.

Episode 34 of the Redline Republic Podcast! Dan is straight off the plane from Warsaw, so we start with the Drift Masters final, including one of the worst judging calls we’ve seen, the drivers refusing to continue and the decision eventually being overturned. From there, we get into whether people are spending less on modifying cars, why budget lip kits are becoming more popular, and whether paying extra for the likes of Maxton is actually worth it. We also get onto the first modification every car needs, whether you should build a car bit by bit or do everything at once, and somehow end up agreeing on one thing: black wheels are usually a waste of a good wheel. We also go through some of your comments, talk about how the Irish car scene is viewed abroad, why nobody seems jealous of the English car scene, and the Redline Republic-liveried E10 Corolla idea gets dangerously close to becoming an actual winter project. As always, let us know what you think in the comments, especially if you’re about to defend black wheels. #RedlineRepublic #CarPodcast #IrishCarScene #DriftMasters #ModifiedCars