The Ultimate Road Trip Podcast

The Ultimate Road Trip Podcast asks one beautifully simple question to every guest: if you could take one road trip anywhere, what would it look like? Host James Whalley sits down with petrolheads, motorsport legends, musicians, and public figures and walks them through five specific prompts -- the car (make, model, color), why that car, the destination, the passenger, and the soundtrack. It sounds like a formula, but the answers reveal a surprising amount about each person. Now in its fifth season with 50 episodes under its belt, the show has featured Formula 1 drivers, automotive designers, and entertainment personalities. Episodes range from quick 10-minute chats to extended 90-minute conversations, though most land around 40 to 50 minutes. The tone is relaxed and enthusiastic without being overly technical -- you don't need to know your camshafts from your crankshafts to enjoy it. What makes the show genuinely engaging is how the format strips away the usual promotional interview energy. When someone explains why they'd pick a beaten-up 1972 Land Rover over a brand-new supercar, or why they'd drive to a specific stretch of Scottish coastline, you get real personality instead of rehearsed talking points. The soundtrack choices alone tell you more about a guest than most hour-long interviews manage. It's the kind of show that makes you want to start planning your own ultimate road trip before the episode even ends.