The Ditch Finders | Automotive Podcast · The Ditch Finders

EP. 22 - There Is Hope... Reviewing 2026 New Cars

·43 min·3 clips

The Ford Mustang GTD lapped the Nürburgring in 6:52, faster than the GT3 RS Manti kit.

1. The Ditch Finders | Automotive Podcast episode “EP. 22 - There Is Hope... Reviewing 2026 New Cars” ranges across 2026 car launches and Formula 1 changes. 2. Tom and his co-host return as the two hosts, and their back-and-forth matters because they bounce between car news, road trips, and lap-time talk. 3. The episode asks whether 2026 offers enough new metal and racing change to feel genuinely hopeful. 4. They open with Formula 1’s off-season test days, the Monte Carlo Rally, and the idea that Bahrain testing is not far away. 5. They talk through 2026 F1 changes including Ford supplying Red Bull engines, Aston Martin moving to Honda, Cadillac using Ferrari engines, and Audi bringing its own engine. 6. They argue that 11 teams and two extra cars on the grid could make the season less predictable. 7. Their central F1 point is that the new specification should give drivers more influence at each track. 8. They say that more button-pushing and deployment choices should reward “race craft” again. 9. They connect that idea to Verstappen, saying the new rules may suit him. 10. They then move to Australia, where one host describes seeing Holden Utes, Rams, old Minis, M cars, Lamborghinis, and a Mark 4 Supra in the wild. 11. The Australia section also covers strict speed enforcement, with repeated roadside ticketing in Sydney and very high fines in Adelaide. 12. That trip review ends with a note that Melbourne and the Australian GP would be a better future combination. 13. The 2026 car list starts with the Alpine A110 successor, described as all-electric with twin motors and a 300-mile range. 14. They then mention the Aston Martin Valhalla, the new RS5 Avant, Bentley Supersports, and Bentley’s first EV SUV called the Urban SUV. 15. Other cars named in the rundown include the Ferrari Electrica, Ferrari 849 Testarossa, Jaguar Type 00, Lamborghini Fenomeno, McLaren W1, AMG GT 4-door, and Porsche 911 GT3 RS. 16. They also flag the new Range Rover Electric, new Renault Twingo, Rebel RB17, Toyota GR GT, Lotus Emira hybrid, and the new Boxster Cayman. 17. One memorable discussion is the contrast between electric and combustion futures, especially for Porsche, Ferrari, and Alpine. 18. Another notable stretch is the hosts comparing British brands like Aston Martin, Jaguar, McLaren, and Lotus to Italian supercars in how people react to them on the road. 19. The tone is chatty, opinion-led, and loosely structured, with long list-reading sections interrupted by jokes and personal driving references. 20. Car-news followers, F1 regulation watchers, and JDM or British-car fans will get the most from this episode.

As heard by us

A loose, lively return that turns early 2026 car news into a proper enthusiast debate.

The Ditch Finders are back after about a month away, and this first 2026 episode is mostly a catch-up on recent car talk, from the Monte Carlo Rally to the early shape of the year's performance news.

Read the full review in PlayNext →

Why you'd press play

You want a chatty catch-up on the first episode back for 2026, with cars, rally talk, and a bit of January reset energy.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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