RoundAbout: Car Culture and Auto News with a Different Spin

It’s time for a taste of the Emerald Isle! That’s right, St. Patrick’s Day is just a few hours away, so raise a glass with the RoundAbout crew and toast everything green in this “magically delicious” episode. From a one-of-a-kind Chip Foose-customized farm implement to a South Korean road that’s green in a different way, we’ve got all of our Irish bases covered. Among a plethora of other topics, we also chat about Ford’s brand-new Paddy wagon and expound on the dangers of grooming yourself while driving. But there’s a whole lot more than that, so you’d better listen up. Where else will you find out what Michelle Naranjo loves about Riverdance and where Zach Bowman's hidden his pot-o-gold?

The Geneva Motor Show reminded us that just as "less is more," the inverse is just as, if not more true: more is definitely less. Aston Martin takes a tiny Toyota iQ and decks it out in full luxury garb and yet: somehow worse. Mansory adheres flashy pieces of golden chrome to a blue Rolls-Royce and creates a monstrosity. And the Sbarro Autobau is an abomination worse than Pontiac could have ever dreamed. Plus researchers come up with an ingenious solution to identifying potholes as asphalt disintegrates in our Blind Spot, and our Stupid Car Trick is a vomit-inducing exercise as a 15-year-old gets a brand new Camaro SS.

It's the moment you wait for every four years: the RoundAbout Winter Games in which news stories compete for the coveted RoAb Gold Medal. A GM worker takes the medal in Road Warriorism as he racks up more daily miles than any of the competition. Meanwhile, a driver of a Silverado takes the award in Near Misses as he narrowly averts an unorthodox vasectomy. In the highly-competitive Stupidity category, a Bugatti owner (well, former owner) once again takes the prize. Plus Zach, Jeffrey and even Joey all have cars (and planes) In the Garage, and we have an Alaska edition of Meet Your Roadmates!

So, you're a crook in Hoboken with designs on a couple Land Rovers that don't belong to you? You think you have the perfect getaway planned, but not so fast. Those SUVs you've just stolen are probably driving about as fast as the Deja Vu Strippermobile down a crowded boulevard in Florida. But if you think that's the only place you're going to see a booty shaking out the back of a car, then you haven't met the pink lady of NASCAR. All that and more in this 'Not So Fast' edition of RoundAbout. Plus we're back with America's favorite gameshow The Price is CORRECT, Miss MotorMouth has a doozy of a tale about when Malibu meets a train (standing still), and we'll actually provide some useful car advice (what?!?) in our Tip of the Week!

Is there more polarizing a holiday than Valentine's Day? If you're in a happy, stable relationship then you probably love it. On the other hand, you may be one of the legions who prefer to stay indoors with the windows shuttered, in which case you probably hate it. So, this week we bring you stories of automotive love and hate. Turns out that despite raising the ire of environmentalists everywhere, the Suburban is the GM vehicle most loved by the youngsters. And, over time there are those noises and creaks in your car that you come to both despise and adore. One clever group of artists have composed a veritable love song made entirely from the noises of a Jeep. Plus we've got another installment of Meet Your Roadmates, this week the Dodge Edition, and we'll get a Chicago Auto Show wrap-up from our guest Colin Bird!

There's this car company--you may have heard of it--but it's having a really bad week, heck, couple of weeks. No, it's not one of the automakers crawling from the wreckage that is the smoldering city of Detroit. Actually, it's that one that all the magazines tell you is the sure buy. First things went bad for them, but lo and behold, they have gotten worse and worse. So, in solidarity we're going to stand by their side and bring you, dear listener, the 'From Bad to Worse' episode. It was bad when the Pontiac Solstice was sent to the old folks home to retire, it's worse now that it's been bastardized as an ugly, ugly EV. And, when you attempt to right an overturned semi, remember to put the parking brake on. Speaking of out-of-control trucks, we smell a new anti-porn law coming to a state near you. Plus we've got another installment of In the Garage as Zach gets a turn behind the wheel of the Buick LaCrosse and it's everyone's favorite gameshow, The Price is CORRECT!

Every week like brand-new 21-year-olds we hit up the clubs and dive bars of the internet to celebrate our freedom. Before blacking out in a stranger’s rose bushes, we might find a few interesting things to talk about, or even a cohesive, Zen-like theme. On the road to incapacitation we’ll ride in a Sidecar through Manhattan to grab a Long Island Iced Tea. But we’ll have to watch out for Irish Car Bombs, relations between Black Russians and White Russians have been on the rocks. If we can dodge the hail of 9 mms and avoid ending up like JFK, we might be able to get some Old Fashioned advice from Three Wise Men. Thank GOD birthdays – and podcasts – only come once in a Blue Moon. What starts out like Sex on the Beach, ends like an apocalypse with Four Horsemen. It's like they say, you only turn 21 once, so join us as we celebrate with a bad decision or two. A New Hampshire woman racks up three DWIs in one week. Australian scientists come up with fabric technology that will resist vomit smell. And, we wake up next to an Iranian diesel and wonder what else we did last night. Plus we've got another installment of AutoGadget and Zach Bowman finally gets back into the press fleet with In the Garage.

This week, in the spirit of our theme, I'm taking an "alternative" approach and keeping the synopsis uncharacteristically brief. Toyota says that choosing electric over gas may crash the grid. When it comes to maintenance costs you can choose between a private jet or Bugatti Veyron. Plus we've got another installment of Psy-car-logy and we play our newest game, The Price is CORRECT.

Well, the North American International Auto Show--otherwise known as the Detroit Auto Show--has made all the news it's going to make for this year. It was a rocky year for the Motor City, and in a way, it really showed at Cobo Hall in Detroit. The digs might have been better than last year (Chrysler was a series of unadorned cars on beige carpet in 2009), but the product reveals were notably less exciting. With the patient on the slab, we called in the best team of doctors we know ... our ... selves. Well, anyway, we're here with the official RoAb postmortem of NAIAS. Is the new Cadillac XTS worthy of being the luxury brand's new flagship? Does the Volkswagen NCC bring anything new and exciting to the German marque? Will the Honda CR-Z finally be a hybrid that's fun to drive? We debate all these and more. Plus we've got another installment of our new Meet Your Roadmates segment, a Stupid Car Trick and the triumphant return of the long lost Psy-car-logy.

Things are not always what they seem. For instance, you might think this episode is nearly a week late. Wrong as usual, idiot. We were planning to do this episode a year from now, so technically it's early. Why are you so offended? Clearly you are unfamiliar with the word "idiot's" Greek roots. I was simply suggesting you were a private person unfamiliar with the vagaries of podcasting. Again, not what it seems. So there you go. Houston, we have a theme. This week we've got the coolest 4x4 you never expected, a bevy of protests as the Detroit Auto Show gets going and a wrecked Yaris that is more functional than you'd think. Plus we've got some new fun and games this week including our Mystery Words of the Week, a new segment where we get to stereotype drivers and a couple of burnouts gone terribly wrong.

Every year on New Year’s Day we wake up in a pool of what we hope is our own vomit. Staggering to our feet, we search for our pants, a shred of dignity and a cohesive, Zen-like theme. In the process we also uncover a host of stories and news bites to fit that theme, however hungover or dehydrated they may be. And whatever’s leftover, well, we talk about it anyway because it’s 2010! Besides the obvious, like more ridiculous airport security hoops to jump through and enviro-nazis wailing about carbon and polar bears, what’s in store for the New Year? Well, this week the RoundAbout crew plays prophet and tries to shed a little light on 2010. The group reaches consensus on some of their predictions, but the automotive oracles are divided on other points – like Chrysler. Even with imported new leadership, will the beleaguered automaker be able to pull through? Has the new century smell worn off already after just one decade? Find out on this week’s installment of RoundAbout!

Every week like grieving families cleaning out a grandparent’s house after their passing, we find all kinds of old canned goods, birc-a-brac and maybe even a cohesive, Zen-like theme. Sure, some of what we discover is worth keeping, but the rest of it we have no use for, so we’ll post it on Craigslist! After all, we’re too guilty to throw it away. How else are can you get rid of granddad’s clothes, his collection of VHS tapes and portable dialysis machine? And how else can you make money doing it? Now, if we could only wash the smell of old-people and shame from our souls. That's right, this is the Craigslist episode that our panel has been performing--albeit informally--before each recording for the last 15 episodes. We're so enamored with both the awful and wonderful finds that show up on the Internet's classified free-for-all that we decided to make an entire episode out of it. Among our many gems, you'll find a Fiat Abarth 850TC (replica), a '66 Thunderbird Convertible, and a Jeep Comanche that brings back memories for one Jeffrey Ross.

Every week we hit-up the discount travel sites in search of the cheapest airfare around. During the hunt, we find a wide range of ticket prices and airlines, and maybe even a cohesive, Zen-like theme. All we want is to make it home for the holidays, and find a few off-putting news bites to fit the theme, but our flight was canceled due to bad weather and we’re stuck in the Minneapolis airport eating stale Cinnabons and sleeping on the floor. Meanwhile, visions of Spykers and Audis dance in our heads. This week, with a few short buying days left in the holiday season, our esteemed panel assembles its holiday wishlist. Eric yearns for a Tag Heuer watch. Zach has a soft spot for an NSX. Craig asks that we donate to the Focus Fund. And Ben just wants a way to operate his iPhone's GPS without freezing his fingers off. Plus, our Blind Spot story, the Lincoln MKT is In the Garage and an atrociously styled G6 in this week's Highway Hearsay.

One man's fashionable and functional Russian, rabbit fur hat is another man's hideous, PETAian nightmare. It's all a matter of perspective, and of course the same is true in the automotive world. Dodge's chunky Challenger is named Consumer Reports' most satisfying vehicle. A Chinese truck driver's eye beholds the icy winds of the open road. Hofele melds the best of both worlds in the Audi family to create a truly hideous steed. Plus, our Blind Spot story, the Ford Transit Connect is In the Garage and the internet's coming to your car in this week's AutoGadget.

Every week like depression-era farmers we flee the Oklahoma panhandle and head west across the internet toward California, I mean, we set out to find the best news topics from the past week, and a cohesive, Zen-like theme to tie them all together. On the way, we uncover an array of different stories and news bites to fit that theme, however hopeless or worn out they may be. And whatever’s left over, well, we have a serious discussion about it anyway, because the Dust Bowl was no laughing matter. A sporty new version of the Cadillac CTS. Honda's weird take on an eco-friendly urban vehicle. The brand new brooding Audi. That's so LA ... Auto Show 2009. Plus, Eric has the new CTS wagon In the Garage and Michelle gets a look at the new more powerful Mustang V6.