Listen to High Speed Stuff on iTunes

Right now, you’re probably saying to yourself: “Self, what do you think Ben and Scott have been talking about on iTunes over the past several days?” Well, let’s just say that I think you’re going to be glad you asked yourself that question today. Here’s what we covered on this week’s High Speed Stuff podcast…

On Tuesday, Ben asked me about fuel economy. Specifically, he wanted to know how the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) calculates miles per gallon ratings (city and highway) for each and every new car. I thought that was a great question, and since it seems like fuel efficiency is on nearly everyone’s mind right now, you probably don’t want to miss this one. We talk about the ratings in detail and even explain exactly how the tests that the EPA uses to determine these figures underwent a major update in 2008. Near the end of the episode, we briefly mentioned a High Speed Stuff blog post entry about a (somewhat) sneaky ad that Volkswagen is running right now. The post stresses the importance of reading the fine print. Just in case you missed it, you can read all about it right here.

Thursday’s discussion was a lot of fun for both of us. We talked (at great length) about slot cars. You know what I’m talking about, right? Those miniature, electric, track-bound cars that most of us have so many fond memories of. If you ever had a slot car track, or if you simply want to learn a little bit more about this fantastic (and still popular, by the way) hobby, you may want to give this episode a shot. You’re apt to be surprised by some of the twists and turns that this conversation takes along the way. Ben and I cover everything from slot car components to the claim of the world’s longest slot car racetrack and we even get into the source of that distinctive (and wonderful, I should add) slot car track smell. I really do love the smell of a slot car track — lots of good memories associated with that scent. We’ll even tell you why some older racing enthusiasts may associate the smell of wintergreen with slot car competition. So, are you curious now? Yeah, I thought you might be.

Now, quit talking to yourself, click over to iTunes and give our podcast a listen. Why not? It’s free. Just don’t forget while you’re there to take the opportunity to browse through some of our older episodes and give us a little feedback. You can also let us know what you think in the comment section below, or if you’d rather send us an e-mail, you can do that, too. We always read the address at the end of each podcast.

Podcast-related stuff:
How the 2008 EPA Fuel Economy Ratings Work
How Slot Car Racing Works
How Podcasting Works