RoundAbout: Car Culture and Auto News with a Different Spin

Let’s face it, no matter how careful you are sometimes you end up with more than you bargained for. Whether you agreed to watch the neighbor’s kids and didn’t know they had a peanut allergy, or you found out that the 2000 Pontiac Bonneville you just picked up from craigslist has a transmission full of gravy, things don’t always go as planned. Join the RoundAbout gang for another lighthearted journey across the vast wilderness of the internet for show #55, the “More Than You Bargained For” episode. Up for discussion this week: a rented Chevy Corvette that takes a bath in the ocean, a would-be Koran-burning preacher that “won” a free set of wheels and 21st century take on the neighborhood crime-watch. All that and more, plus we discuss the Neiman Marcus Camaro convertible that sold out in three minutes and take a look at the impressive new engines in the 2011 Ford F-150. Don’t go anywhere, this is good, especially since Chris Sawyer from Cars in Context makes his second appearance and Zach Bowman (remember him?) is back from the dead! Only on RoundAbout, episode #55.

After flying up to the Mitten State to test-drive the new Chevy Volt, Jefferson Ross joins us LIVE in the RoundAbout studios to record this week’s show, our 54th installment, the “Huckster” episode. Also joining us, Mirko Reinhardt makes his second audio “appearance” on the program, Skyping-in from across the Atlantic in Germany. We’ve got an all-around conniving lineup of stories this week ranging from those confidence tricksters at BMW building engines with defective turbochargers to a group of parking-lot attendants that actually weren’t, and made off with loads of people’s cash. Fanning the flim-flam flames, that “builder” of luxury EVs, Fisker, launches its online vehicle configuator so you can pick all the options you want in your favorite car that will never be built. We cover all of these topics and many more including our first-ever “Autobahn Anecdote” as well as a specially themed edition of “The Price is Correct,” the cars that Jonathan Brown would hate. DON’T miss out on this week’s episode of RoundAbout, #54, the “Huckster” episode.

Automotive designer and author (Old School Viscom) Jason White makes a return appearance on RoundAbout, joining the crew for show #53, the “Hifalutin” episode. This week we take a look some hoity-toity news stories ranging from a ridiculous new marketing concept from Audi to a spiced-up Hyundai Tiburon to another “customized” Rolls-Royce clad in nothing less than rose gold. “In the Garage” we also take a look at the Lincoln MKZ Hybrid and the Ford Raptor F-150. Enjoy our unique perspective on these topics and many more only on this week’s installment of RoundAbout, #53, “Hifalutin” episode.

With dear leader Craig Cole unavailable this week, our very own Jefferson Ross of Autobytel Autotropolis grabs the helm to steer RoundAbout, #52, the “Distracted Episode,” through stormy seas. We’ve got a whole mess of inattentive news bites to share, ranging from a story about a hungry driver that plowed into a crowded bus stop to chatter about ANOTHER Volvo safety demonstration that went horribly awry. Later in the show we pick our favorite cars from the Paris Motor Show, take a couple of your calls and literally get in touch with nature in our “Highway Hearsay” segment. There’s at lot of meat on this one, so quickly hit the play button before you get distracted and update your Facebook status or start watching reruns of “Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman” on Hulu.

After one year on the internet airwaves you are cordially invited to join us for the season premiere of RoundAbout, #51, the “Second-Life” episode. Learn how owners of vintage Porsches can step up to the 21st century, find out what the “Numa-Numa Guy” is up to these days and take a look at the WORST idea in air travel, ever. Join us for a lively discussion about these riveting topics and a whole lot more, including an electrifying “Tip of the Week." Again, RoundAbout #51, the “Second Life” episode.

Guess what. It's actually been a year of RoundAbout. I know. Feels about like three doesn't it? Some time ago we had a conversation with one of our biggest fan, Mudmonster. He asked, nay, begged us to do a Best-of compilation. Could we turn him down? Uh, no. What our fan want we give them, er him. It? Anyway, what the "monster" hath wrought, we deliver to you this week as big episode 50. Order a pizza, because if you're in it for the long haul, you're going to need nourishment. This will be the longest episode of RoundAbout you've ever heard. Enjoy.

So we're back again--and apologies for any audio weirdness; our new studio set up still needs some work--and we're closing in on landmark episode 50. So, of course, loyal host that he is, Craig Cole has up and left us for some driving fun down South. No worries though, for Miss MotorMouth herself steps up to take a swing at the host's chair. Our tenuous theme this week is 'If You Can't Beat 'Em, Join 'Em' and so we have stories of people and companies making their way in an adverse world. RIM patents billboards that change their content to meet the speed of traffic, meanwhile Switzerland realizes it can't stop public fornication, but they can hide it. Also, some big rigs decide they're going to join the world of jetplanes and spew copious amounts of brightly-colored gas into the air. Plus we've got editions of BLIND SPOT, AUTOGADGET, PSY-CAR-LOGY and way, way more, so stay tuned for this rip-roaring edition of RoundAbout.

Join us again for another installment of RoundAbout, #48, the "One of These Things is Not Like the Others" episode. With our studio situation in flux -- not to mention our guest lineup -- things are, not surprisingly, a little off the rails (even by RoAb standards). Up for discussion this week, a fox-body Mustang styled like a BMW, a New Zealand woman with a questionable custom license plate and a road test of the venerable Mercury Grand Marquis. Our BLIND SPOT story of the week is aviation themed plus we discuss the Honda CR-Z, Kia Sportage and Chevrolet Corvette Z06 when we go IN THE GARAGE. All that and a crap-ton more on this week's awesome, amazing, stupendous episode of RoundAbout.

Jump feet-first – with your ears – into the wild and wacky auto news of the past week with another installment of RoundAbout, #47, the “Road Hazards” episode. Up for discussion, a story about an English woman who got caught driving with a goat in her trunk; a kinky yarn about a different woman caught driving with a “toy” on her lap; and an Ohio police helicopter that dropped its high-dollar infrared camera causing carnage on the ground. We also go IN THE GARAGE to chat about the BMW 535i and Ford F-250 Super Duty, among other vehicles. Enjoy all that and much, much more, plus we bid an emotional farewell to RoAb founding member Zach Bowman, who’s moving on to greener pastures in upstate New York where the sun always shines and the everything’s made of candy. You do not want to miss this week’s installment of RoundAbout, #47, the “Road Hazards” episode.

Life is full of mixed messages, including this week's episode of RoundAbout, #46. Making this show even better, the crème of the crop, the skin of the gravy, Zach Bowman's back in the house after a month-long vacation . . . from the show, plus we're visited by a very special guest, long-time fan and Auto-Bird blogger Mood Monster Mud Monster, aka William Maley. Per usual the panel delves into a variety of weird and unusual news topics including a look at some bizarre automotive iconography, a discussion about the bad luck of one Swede caught speeding in Switzerland and chat about Chrysler's latest advertising salvo and the controversy swirling around it. Enjoy all that and more, plus some of your favorite segments including MEET YOUR ROADMATES and a super-deluxe version of HIGHWAY HEARSAY. You do not want to miss this week's installment of RoundAbout, #46, the "Mixed Messages" episode.

Like building a personal jetpack by strapping two-dozen bottle rockets to your back this week’s installment of RoundAbout is “Not Going to End Well.” Besides the usual suspects (minus Zach Bowman) the cast is also joined by long-time RoAb fan, Mirko Reinhardt. Up for discussion is a varied lineup of bizarre and humorous new stories including a piece about a Chinese concept bus that can drive over cars, a feature about the dwindling number of Trabants in Germany and some tips for buying a $1,000 clunker from Craig’s List. All that and more, plus a STUPID CAR TRICK doubleheader on this week’s installment of RoundAbout, #45, the “Not Going to End Well” episode.

Join us for a very special, if brief, episode brought to you live-ish from Maker Faire 2010 Dearborn, Michigan. We talk about all of our transportation-related findings at the DIY fair as well as other gems like build-your-own 3D printers and iron smelters. So listen in to this special recap of the festivities and then check out our photo gallery at RoundAboutShow.com.

Sometimes you just want to walk, sometimes you’d rather pull-start the lawnmower and sometimes you feel like baking your own bread. Join us this week on RoundAbout as we salute doing things the hard way. Learn about a cool 1920s-editon GPS system that will blow your mind. Find out why running from the cops is a really bad idea. And leave it to the Japanese to come up with an absolutely absurd way of chilling and transporting a (yes, singular) watermelon. All that and more PLUS we discuss a series of brain exercises that can help older folks drive better and we learn an important lesson about moving in our STUPID CAR TRICK video segment. Check it all out on this week’s awe-inspiring episode of RoundAbout, #44, the “Hard Way” episode.

Well, this week's podcast is exactly what it sounds like. It's all about our much-hyped Great American RoAb Trip, in which we hit the highway and make our way to Yellowstone National Park and back. We in fact recorded this show from the highway as we were speeding home, so get ready for some "interesting" acoustics.

Celebrate with the RoundAbout crew as they prepare to head west next week for the “Great American RoAb Trip.” Join your favorite regulars plus some special guests including Steven Ewing from Autoblog AND our very own Michelle Naranjo, LIVE in studio for the first time. This week we take a look at an array of news stories from across this great land. Find out how Tennessee is commemorating the history of NASCAR by opening the “White-Lightning Trail.” A red-light camera in Iowa reveals that some area police offers are not playing by the rules. Learn about a four-car pileup in the parking lot of an Illinois Outback Steakhouse. All that and more, plus prepare to have your ears titillated as a very, VERY special guest, Dick DeBartolo of The Daily GizWiz podcast joins us for an extended-length edition of AutoGadget. You DO NOT want to miss this manifest-destiny edition of RoundAbout, #42, the 'Sea to Shining Sea' episode.