The Ditch Finders | Automotive Podcast · The Ditch Finders

EP. 19 - Unveiling TDF 'Phase 2' Plans! & Talking the Future of ICE Engines

·55 min·2 clips

Synthetic fuel could make a 5.0 supercharged V8 carbon neutral.

1. The Ditch Finders episode is a “TDF 2.0” relaunch centered on the future of internal combustion engines. 2. Spence and his co-host present the episode as a fresh restart after “the best part of a year” learning filming, uploading, recording, and editing. 3. The core question is whether ICE cars can survive through hydrogen, synthetic fuels, or both. 4. They say the podcast will stay conversational but become “more serious” and “informative.” 5. They describe a new format with a catch-up, news, a feature topic, and a dream car segment. 6. The hosts say they want more video content and a “game show-esque” spin-off around car trivia and forfeits. 7. A Renault Megane RS Trophy R spot leads into a quick discussion of limited-run performance hatchbacks. 8. The new Honda Prelude appears as a hybrid with 184 horsepower and “Honda S plus shift.” 9. That Prelude discussion turns into a critique of simulated gears and a prediction that it may disappoint enthusiasts. 10. Ferrari comes up through the F 76 digital car and a question about whether the brand has reached peak Ferrari. 11. The Japan Mobility Show brings up the Subaru Performance B STI concept and the return of Century as a Toyota luxury brand. 12. Bentley’s new Super Sports is described as rear-wheel drive, sub-two-ton, twin-turbo V8, and limited to 500 units. 13. The Twingo return is presented as an electric city car starting below £20,000 with a 163-mile range. 14. A Cherry attempt at a step-climb challenge ends with the car losing traction and smashing into a sidewall. 15. On hydrogen, one host explains that Toyota has worked on both fuel-cell systems and combustion engines that burn hydrogen. 16. He says hydrogen combustion needs different injectors, a cylinder, and infrastructure, but can still produce water vapour. 17. The episode names Toyota Corolla H2, GR Yaris, Lexus, BMW, JCB, MAN, Volvo, and Hyundai as active hydrogen users or testers. 18. The synthetic fuel segment covers e-fuels, bio-synthetics, direct air capture, and hydrogen made with electrolysis. 19. They argue that F1 moving to 100% synthetic fuel next year points toward wider adoption for aviation, shipping, and hard-to-electrify engines. 20. Anyone interested in modern powertrain technology, BMW, Toyota, or fuel debates will get value, while listeners wanting short car-news only may skip it.

As heard by us

A scrappy relaunch that settles into a worthwhile hydrogen-and-engine conversation.

The relaunch sits at the centre here: The Ditch Finders use Phase 2 to point to where the show is going, note that the past year went into learning filming, uploading, recording and editing, and present the reset as a more organised second attempt.

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Why you'd press play

Press play when you want a sober Phase 2 relaunch that turns into a hydrogen-engine rabbit hole.

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