Cool Cars with Chris: Car Talk, Driving Tips & Auto Life
by Chris Smith · 68 episodes
LeisureAutomotive
Real car talk without the hype. I’m Chris — a lifelong car enthusiast diving into car culture, driving tips, and the real auto life. Each week, we cover car buying, insurance hacks, crazy driving laws, financing, and ownership advice that actually helps you drive smarter. Whether you love JDM, muscle, or daily drivers, this show’s all about real stories, honest tips, and making the road a little cooler. Subscribe and join the ride!
Latest episodes
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50 min
062 | 5 Sports Cars Cooler Than a C8 Corvette? | Lotus, Porsche, Acura NSX
Are there sports cars cooler than a Chevy C8 Corvette? The C8 Corvette delivers incredible performance and exotic looks, but is it the most interesting sports car you can own for t…
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1 h 14
061 | GT350, AMG Wagon & the Lost Art of Driving — with Viraj
What makes a car truly special?Is it horsepower? Speed? The badge on the hood? Or is it the way a car makes you feel when you’re actually behind the wheel?On this episode of Cool C…
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47 min
060 | Cars & Coffee at a Winery: JDM Finds & Why Nissan Should Bring Back the 240SX
Cars & Coffee at a winery? That’s exactly where Courage from The Real Driven Dad spent the day, surrounded by everything from JDM favorites and tuned builds to exotics, convertible…
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37 min
059 | Can the Tesla Roadster Actually Fly?! The New Roadster, EV Supercars & Insane Performance
On this episode of Cool Cars with Chris, Chris is joined by Courage from The Real Driven Dad for a deep dive into the Tesla Roadster, the increasingly wild world of EV performance,…
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45 min
058 | A Datsun 510 Fell Into His Lap — Now What?
Courage may have just found the kind of project car you don’t go looking for — the kind that finds you.In this episode of Cool Cars with Chris, Chris sits down with Courage from Th…
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37 min
057 | What Makes a Car Special? Manuals, Rare Cars & the Cars We Actually Want
What makes a car truly special? Is it horsepower, rarity, a manual transmission, or simply the way it makes you feel behind the wheel?In this episode of Cool Cars with Chris, Chris…
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40 min
056 | 90s Car Interiors: Cool or Cringe?
Were car interiors from the 80s and 90s cool… or just plain cringe?Chris is joined once again by Courage from The Real Driven Dad to go down the rabbit hole of old-school automotiv…
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35 min
055 | Stock vs. Custom Wheels: What Actually Makes a Car Better?
On this episode of Cool Cars with Chris, Chris is joined by Courage from The Real Driven Dad for a conversation all about wheels, tires, fitment, performance, and the never-ending…
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56 min
054 | How to Shoot Cool Cars: Car Photography, Camera Gear & Sim Racing with Adrian
What does it take to make a car look incredible on camera?In this episode of Cool Cars with Chris, Chris and Courage sit down with automotive photographer and filmmaker Adrian from…
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17 min
Cool Cars with Chris: The Story Behind the Podcast + What’s Next
It’s almost been one full year of Cool Cars with Chris, and in this solo episode I’m sharing the story behind the podcast, why I started it, and what’s coming next.My podcasting jo…
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39 min
053 | Monterey Car Week: Hypercars, Auctions & Laguna Seca
Monterey Car Week isn’t just a car show — it’s an entire region turning into automotive Disneyland for a week.In this episode, Chris catches up with Courage from The Driven Dad, wh…
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39 min
052 | Weirdest Factory Edition Cars Ever: Levi’s Gremlin, VW Harlequin & Eddie Bauer Explorer
What happens when car manufacturers decide a normal trim package just isn’t enough?On this episode of Cool Cars with Chris, Chris and Courage take a trip through automotive history…
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35 min
051 | Monterey Car Week Explained: Pebble Beach, The Quail & Million-Dollar Cars
Is Monterey Car Week really the greatest automotive event on Earth?If you've ever dreamed of seeing Bugattis, Ferraris, Paganis, Koenigseggs, McLarens, Lamborghinis, and million-do…
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58 min
050 | Building One of Southern California's Biggest Car Communities | Justin Constant
What really goes into putting on a successful car show?In this episode of Cool Cars with Chris, Chris sits down with Justin Constant, founder of Local Car Scene, to pull back the c…
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1 h 10
049 | My Ford F-150 Transmission Almost Left Me Stranded in the Desert
What started as a simple family road trip to Las Vegas quickly turned into one of the most stressful drives I've ever experienced.While crossing the Mojave Desert in 110° heat, my…
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40 min
048 | He Drove My Manual Nissan 370Z for the First Time!
Courage drives Chris’s manual Nissan 370Z for the first time and shares his honest impressions of the Z’s weighted shifter, clutch feel, VQ engine, exhaust sound, handling and anal…
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1 h 14
047 | NASCAR San Diego at Coronado: Project Cars & a Jimmie Johnson Connection
NASCAR came to San Diego, and Courage was there to experience the action at Naval Base Coronado.In this episode of Cool Cars with Chris, Chris and Courage recap the NASCAR San Dieg…
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1 h 20
046 | Genesis Magma GT Explained: Hyundai’s Supercar, KDM Cars & the Future of N
Could the Genesis Magma GT become Hyundai’s first true supercar?In this episode of Cool Cars with Chris, Chris and Courage discuss the rise of KDM cars, the future of Hyundai N, an…
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1 h 18
045 | Are Manual Transmissions Dying? The Best Stick-Shift Cars to Buy
Are manual transmissions disappearing—or are they becoming more desirable than ever?Chris is joined by Courage from The Driven Dad for a full conversation about learning to drive s…
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1 h 13
044 | What Really Counts as a Car Mod? Elantra N Performance, Negative Equity & California Car Culture
In this episode of Cool Cars with Chris, Chris and Courage dive into Hyundai Elantra N modifications, Southern California Cars & Coffee culture, underrated performance cars, and th…