Explorez tous les épisodes du podcast Johnny's Garage - The Secrets of Cars

Opel Tigra of 1994, was a really good coupe car, based on Opel Corsa  standard model, but modified into design and all the body panels to  realize a small and affordable sport car, really nice to drive and anjoy  on the road.

Ford Puma of 1997, was a really smart coupe car, based on Ford Fiesta  standard model, but modified to realize a sport car, really nice to  drive and anjoy on the road.

The Euro 7 limit for pollution of vehicles have been cjanged in their  limits, in the last weeks, maybe the European Commission changed its  mind about Internal Combustion Engine or, probaly, just the Car Producer  asked higher limits because the Electric vehicle is too far to be real.

Alfa Romeo 75 deserve another Video to explain the meaning and the importance of this sedan car produced by Alfa Romeo Car Factory for the 75th anniversary of the brand. Based on the Alfetta mechanical Layout, took this scheme at final evolution inside the Italian brand.

Alfa Sud is an Italian brand of cars, born as branch of Alfa Romeo, to  produce small cars for economic use. They have really interesting  technical solution and good performance, even if the rust in body is  quite often. This video proceed in the discovering of this particular  cars.

Alfa Sud is an Italian brand of cars, born as branch of Alfa Romeo, to  produce small cars for economic use. They have really interesting  technical solution and good performance, even if the rust in body is  quite often. This video proceed in the discovering of this particular  cars.

Alfa Sud is an Italian brand of cars, born as branch of Alfa Romeo, to produce small cars for economic use. They have really interesting technical solution and good performance, even if the rust in body is quite often. This video proceed in the discovering of this particular cars.  I really hope you all enjoy the video and thanks so much for watching! Subscribe to my channel today, thumb up if you like, and make sure you hit the bell! Please write to me with your comments and request other videos!

Fiat needed to re-new the middle size sedan and Dante Giacosa began to test three different kind of mechanical layout: front engine and rear wheels-traction, front-engine and front wheels traction, rear engine and rear wheels traction. In the end, they decided on the more classical scheme and they produced the solution with front engine and rear wheels traction. The car was produced in Italy from 1966 till 1974, but in many foreign countries for many other years and with many different brands in more than 15 million pieces.

Alfa Romeo produced this interesting van between 1967 till 1983, with Alfa Romeo Giulia petrol engine of 1.3-liter with 52cv and with diesel engine, Perkins 1.8-liter, both 4-cylinder. Front-wheel traction and a manual gearbox with four-speed. Produced in Italy and in Spain. Nissan bought the license to produce it within 2004.

Jeep, an off-road vehicle born from Willys-Overland later became Jeep brand, is still a really hard and pure car with a steel frame with rigid suspension front and rear.

Visiting Middle East Countries I can see how different are the requests a vehicle needs to be able to answer. The many environmental factors that stress the cars, (temperature, dust, sand, dried air), are really different from Europe where I live. And here a lot of cars are japan-cars. Not only SUV or Off-Road but even sedan, wagon, sports cars.

Alfa Sud is an Italian brand of cars, born as branch of Alfa Romeo, to produce small cars for economic use. They have really interesting technical solution and good performance, even if the rust in body is quite often.

Ferrari 308 is one the most iconic Ferrari of the "modern age" of the  italian brand. The balance of the design perfectly match with the  balance of the frame, weigh distribution, feeling on driving, and  passion expressed even when parked.

Porsche 718 GTS is one of the best sports cars for its average performance in every single element of the car itself. Balance of weight, available with the manual transmission, brakes, suspensions, and so on.

The Fiat 131 was born as a middle size car in 1974, produced within 1985, during an economic crisis for car industries due to the oil crisis. The heritage of the previous Fiat 124 is evident in mechanical layout but,  it was even an occasion to try and developed new technology as a small engine with volumetric compressor, or hybrid system, or aluminum and fiberglass panels on the body and so on.

BMW E30 is the most iconic BMW for me and my generation. It was the model that we had in our mind when we were teenagers when we were dreaming about cars without license driving when we still had in our mind "what is the best car for oversteering corners" or "for drifting?". The design, the 6-cylinder engine, the cabriolet, and (overall) the M3, made us dream. Well done BMW!

BMW E21, is the Real Root of the BMW 3 Series that we love, the E30, the E36, E46. We can find in this car, the position, the layout, the stylistic-emblems of the 3 series. And overall, we can find the first 6-cylinder on a 3 series BMW.

Thanks, Matthew for your comment and your words.
Johnny's Garage

BMW 02 Series, what else? This is the origin of All BMW sport sedan cars. This is the Mummy of the BMW M3. BMW, please, don't destroy all of this with the new BMW 4 Series frontal Kidneys-Beaver-Teeth-shape.

Lotus needed an entry-level car and they decided to "dare" with a front-wheel-drive sports car, transversal engine, 1.6-liter (Isuzu) turbocharged IHI. 4 independent suspensions, 4 brake disks, 5-speed gearbox, the car was really fast even with only 160PS.

Toyota GT86, or Toyota FT86, or Subaru BRZ, was developed by these two big japan brands, on the base of Subaru Impreza chassis, but (luckily) only rear-wheels-drive, with atmospheric 2.0-liter 4cylinder boxer engine, with direct and indirect injection. 200hps at 7.200rpm. 6-speeds manual gearbox (automatic transmission available) and all electronic control removable. Center of gravity at 475mm from the floor, 1.180kg of weight, 53/47 weight distribution in the front-rear axle. The Learn-to drive-machine.

Ferrari 348 introduced many innovations compared to previous model 328 (derived from 308).
First of all a steel boxed frame and a removable rear sub-frame to speed up the removal of the engine for maintenance. Longitudinal rear-mid-engine with 5-speed manual gearbox (and with the first in low-left position).
With 300hps at 7.200 rpm, the naturally aspirated 3.4-liter version of the quad-cam, the four-valve-per-cylinder V8 engine was equipped with electronic injection and engine management systems.
The Design was perfectly balanced between Testarossa and 288 GTO. It was really fast and difficult to drive for non-expert drivers, and for this reason, many hated this car.
But I love the car with character.

Fiat 8V, "Otto-Vu". After WWII, in 1947, Fiat wanted to build a car (a sedan) for the US market.
They switched from the V6 engine to the V8 engine to meet clients' tastes.
But after some sketches, they stopped the project. In 1950 the idea of a new car for the brand came back on the "high floors" of the Company and they decided on a sports car, two doors, and a smaller body.
They called Dante Giacosa to develop the project and in 1952 was introduced al Geneva Motor Show. 2-liter, V-8 engine with 70°degree V configuration.
The Fiat 8V got its name because, at the time of its making, Fiat believed that Ford had a copyright on "V8".
This is, IMHO, the best car Fiat ever made.

Japan sports car with rotative engine, Wankel system.
Three generations across the 70s 80s 90s and beginning of 2000.
One of the best-balanced cars ever.

Alpine produced a genesis of sports cars.
A110 is the most representative of the philosophy and DNA of this brand.
Lightness.
Precision.
Power.
Style.

Volvo 480, is an original car made by Volvo for ten years, 1985 - 1995. The first front wheels drive of the brand, developed by Volvo, Renault, Lotus and Porsche, was pushed by a 1.7-liter 4-cylinders engine that was available even turbocharged.

Produced since 1976 within 2004 in 24 variations, this prolific cars is based on tubular central steel boxed beam. Four independent wheels suspensions, 4 disk brakes (first series with rear disks in central of the car to have a better center of gravity and "not suspended masses" lighter. In this way, the wheel, after bump, returns to its original position faster. The 4 cylinders inline engine, longitudinal, and in the center position starts with 157hp to rise (turbocharged) 350 hp. There was even a V8 3.5-liter turbocharged engine. What a good car!

This Maserati is really significant for more than the simple reason of its name. The exterior design made by Italdesing of Giugiaro, the interior designed by Lancia designer Enrico Fumia. It was the first car with LED tail-lights. And it was the last Maserati with Maserati engine before the Ferrari became the donor of the engines.

Lotus Carlton or Omega Vauxhall (in base on the market where it was sold) can be considered the first high-performance-sedan, that kind of car that new is represented by BMW M5, Audi RS6, Mercedes E 63 AMG and others of this kind. Born as a car for fighting in Tourisme Championship, it was the best of the series cars of this kind.
Bi-Turbocharged engine, 3.6-liter, 6-cylinder in-line, 24 valves for 377hp. Good job GM.

In the 70s, BMW needed a car to fight against Porsche in GT Championship.
So they established an agreement with Lamborghini to design and realize a sports car from white paper to race on tracks. After some years BMW decided to complete by themself the project of the car, that during its process of development had involved, Giampaolo Dallara, Italengineering, Giorgetto Giugiaro.
Top BMW-6-cylinder engine with 24 valves, dry-sump, and tubular steel space frame chassis, made one of the best cars ever made.

Alfa Romeo SZ born in 1989, with its astonishing design made a fixed mark in the minds of Alfa Romeo enthusiasts. Last development of Alfetta platform (born in 1972), with all the evolution of the last 17 years, with synthetic resin body panels (but the roof on aluminum), 6 headlights, was a race car for daily use.  
Yes, it deserved more power, the 210 hp was enough to enjoy the good drivability, but was clear or anyone that with 300-350 hp they could write new parameters.
The Beauty Monster.

During WWII, Lancia was thinking about the new car to substitute Lancia Aprilia.
They developed many different solutions on prototypes, as:
- middle V8 engine
- central drive steering
- V8 frontal engine
- V6 engine with different angles to avoid vibration, between 40° and 80°
In the end, they made a V6 60° frontal engine, transaxle rear gearbox, drum brakes close the differential to central weight, and to lower the not suspended masses of wheels.
All of this developed between 1942 and 1950.  
This car was produced from 1950 in 1958.

Subaru Impreza: Natural Born Rally Car. This is the "normal-production" car closest to what a Rally Car should be:  - Low center of Gravity - no vibration engine, so high rpm without any problem and a boxer engine gives you that - perfectly balanced car as weight distribution - All Wheels Drive with symmetrical torque distribution, so no delay on traction - powerful and reliable engine: one of the best engines ever made - do you need others?

Chevrolet needed a sports-car with simple but reliable mechanics and good performance.
After the first 6-line-cylinder engine version, not really impressive about hp, they put the for V-8-engine of Chevrolet after 40 years.
The success begins and is still alive today, with the C8 version with the middle engine. Here we talk about the C1 Corvette.

356 was the first step made by Ferdinand Porsche to make a sports car.
Starting from Volkswagen Beetle, the Team made a lot of changes to realize a legendary boxer, and during the 18 years of its life, the evolution was very deep.

W124 is an iconic model that represents very well Mercedes in its evolution from classic Mercedes of 60s and 70s to the modern and actual system and process that Mercedes uses to realize cars.
They introduced CAD in developing design, in developing chassis and engineered systems (suspensions, engines, gearbox, frames, and subframes) they developed safety for driver and occupants and even for the pedestrians in case of impact, they developed one of the best aerodynamic for the class of car, they introduced microprocessor in car's managing.
They developed this project in about 7 years before introducing the car to the folks. This car is not only one of the nicest of ever made by Mercedes (thanks Bruno Sacco for this design) but is even the exposition of the Mercedes process of developing and realize cars in the 80s.
Today, unfortunately, Mercedes not reserve this brand attention to all of its production.

TT is a coupe car made by Audi since 1998. Based on the platform used for Golf and A3, exprime an original and unique design that immediately made this car as a piece of art. The first series had a 1.8-liter 4-cylinder engine turbocharged and was front wheels drive or AWD.
Dynamically nervous, due to weight distribution (all in the front part) and suspension tuned for steering precision, was later got better for the average driver.
The first series is my favorite.

Lancia Fulvia was the last sedan project born and realized before Lancia was acquired by Fiat. Born in 1963 the production ended in 1972.
Classy, high-quality production and finishes, had the same mechanical layout of Fulvia coupe but longer wheelbase.
Elegance, reliability, and distinctive car for Italian drivers.

Chevrolet in 60s needed an entry-level car to win against Europe-small cars after WWII was imported in the US. Competitors were Volkswagen Beetle, Renault Dauphine, and other middle-size cars, with rear and air-cooled engines, with low fuel need, low maintenance, and fair performance. The result was a car with a 6-cylinder rear boxer air-cooled engine, with very nice design, better room inside, better performance, and beautiful sound. Yes, some adjustment for suspensions and brakes was needed, but nobody is perfect.

BMW i8, hybrid sports car stop production after 6 years and about 20 thousand pieces. What's the future of sports cars for BMW?

Lotus Elise in 1996 took on the heritage of Lotus 7 idea into modernity and usability. But the high tech chassis, the fine suspension tuning, the lightness avoid the driver feeling into a supercar with lateral G-force better than a Ferrari 360 Modena. Romano Artioli, the Italian owner at the time, dedicate this car to his granddaughter Elisa. Today, after 24 years, it still is a reference.

Honda NSX. One of the best car ever made on this planet, in 1990 Honda released a total aluminum and alloy frame, suspension, car.
Engine with titanium rods, with 8.000 rpm V6, 270hp, and 1382kg.
Usability, reliability, and performance were top of the category, and they would have been till 2005 when they decided to stop the production.
The best modern technology was used to develop this car but real "secret weapon" was Ayrton Senna that (as Formula 1 Honda driver) participates in tuning and developing steering, suspensions, and rigidity of chassis.
This was the katana of Honda for 15 years.

Honda for its 50th anniversary decided to realize one sports car that had to show all honda technology but with a reachable price and they made the S2000. With its 2.0-liter, 4-cylinder engine that runs at 9.000rpm, this car has 240hp, which means a specific power of 120hp/liter, that for an atmosphere engine is something that only competition engine was able to rise. Perfectly balanced 50:50 front and rear weight, front-engine, rear wheels traction, manual gearbox, this car is a perfect "killer" on-road and on track.
One of the best in its category.

Maserati needed a new entry-level model to change the Merak that was becoming quite old.
The moment was difficult for The Company just acquired by Alejandro De Tomaso, that had to face economic difficult and high-level competitors. The first series had some problems, but with the second and success e series the car became more and more affordable, more performance and more refined.
It can be considered of sure interest in the collection market.

XJ was the symbol-car of Jaguar for all 70s, 80s, and 90s. In my personal opinion today too.
The iconic design of the exterior, the driving behavior made that car be inimitable. And the X308 model with V8-engine supercharged is the apex of the evolution of that Project of elegant, sport, sophisticated, tasteful, distinguished kind of being driver.
This car is beautiful.

Saab 96 was produced for 20 years (1960 - 1980) and was equipped with two strokes (3 cylinders) and four strokes engines (V4 cylinder, Ford origin). This car won a lot of rally competition with Erik Carlsson and his wife Pat Moss (sister of Stirling Moss, yes He is).
This car has one of the most interesting Histories of all.

Porsche 996 was the most controversial 911 ever, but even the most revolutionary in the evolution of the car.
New water-cooled engine (and with 4 valves per cylinder) New chassis New interior design New exterior design This car took the 911 project form 60s original project (that with 993 at the top of its evolution) into the modernity of super-cars, with higher performance and better feeling in driving, on a base that since 1997 was developed till 2011 when 991 was born.

Saab 900 was the last model made completely by the Swedish Company.
Original in the exterior design, original in the mechanical layout, original in the interior design, original in the turbo engine development, this car is one of the last representatives of the prolific automotive interpretation of making cars.
This car is beautiful.

Volvo 240 was one of the safest cars of its period and was sold all around the world for its affordability, its cargo room, and usability from the ice of Scandinavia till the desert of Arizona. It was produced in sedan, estate and coupe body.

BMW 850 was an elegant and performance coupe made in Germany with the highest level of advanced in electronics for body and engine control at his time.  Its design is beautiful even today and its performance is still able to give emotions.