Cheap Thrills

Send us Fan MailEveryone knows the Mazda MX-5. Small. Cute. “Hairdresser’s car.”But where did that reputation come from… and is it completely wrong?In this episode of Cheap Thrills, we dig into one of the most misunderstood cars ever made.From the Clarkson-era stigma to the reality of what it’s actually like to drive, and ultimately.. why if you haven’t driven one properly roof down, revved out and on a great road, then you might not fully understand what makes the car fun.🎙 Cheap cars. Big opinions. No snobbery.

Send us Fan MailWe thought we’d fixed it.After everything, the oil leak, the stress, the near disaster, the RCZ was finally right.So we took it to Dartmoor National Park to prove it. And for a while… it was perfect.Clean. Smooth. Effortless. The kind of drive that makes you believe you’ve turned a corner.So we stopped.A rainbow behind the car.One of those rare moments where everything just feels… right.Then it changed.Stranded again with a car that had just decided it wasn’t fixed after all.What followed was a roadside repair that shouldn’t have worked… but somehow did.And just when we thought we’d regained control…A Honda Jazz appeared out of nowhere, driven like it was qualifying for Le Mans—and completely stole the moment.The RCZ lives.For now.Next stop: the Nürburgring.

Send us Fan MailBUYER BEWARE is the series where we expose the scams, tricks and tactics nobody tells you about when buying or selling cars.This episode?They don’t message.They don’t email.👉 They turn up.In this episode of Cheap Thrills, I break down the in-person buyer scams that can cost you thousands  from coordinated callers, to groups arriving on your driveway, to the psychological tricks that make a perfectly good car suddenly sound broken.If you’re selling a car privately, this is the stuff that catches people out.👉 Multiple buyers, one agenda👉 The “inspection” designed to shake your confidence👉 Fake faults, real pressure👉 And how a £3,000 car becomes a £1,200 “deal”It’s funny… until it’s your car. Follow Cheap Thrills for:More Buyer Beware episodesMarketplace scams & survival tipsAnd the ongoing attempt to take a £1,600 Peugeot RCZ to the Nürburgring……which is either brave……or completely stupid.

Send us Fan MailEveryone says the Porsche Boxster is the poor man’s 911… but I think it might actually be better.In this episode of Car Park Confessions, we take a brutally honest (and slightly unhinged) look at one of the most underrated sports cars ever made.How you can buy a Porsche for the price of a FiestaWhat the Boxster actually shares with the Porsche 911Why it might be better to drive on real British B-roadsAnd whether it quietly embarrasses cars like the Mazda MX-5 and BMW Z4This isn’t about badge snobbery…It’s about whether the “cheap” Porsche is actually the smartest one.Because once you drive one properly…you start to realise…this might be the Porsche everyone got wrong.

Send us Fan MailThe £1,600 Peugeot RCZ Nürburgring project hits its first real crisis.What starts as a simple warning light quickly turns into a dashboard Christmas tree with faults ranging from turbo pressure issues and camshaft timing errors to a completely unrelated driver’s door control panel that has apparently decided it’s also involved.After clearing the codes and enjoying a few weeks of false confidence, the car suddenly throws itself into limp mode thanks to a front wheel speed sensor fault, taking ABS and traction control with it.But the real problem appears when the car goes on the lift.Fresh oil.And lots of it.The culprit looks like a rear main seal leak - one of the most awkward and expensive repairs on the engine, potentially costing half the value of the car.So now the Ring Run faces its first real dilemma.Do you spend £800 fixing a £1,600 car…or gamble and drive it across Europe anyway?Because the last thing anyone wants is to drive all the way to Germany…only to spill oil all over the Nürburgring.

Send us Fan MailIn this episode of Cheap Thrills, Rob breaks down the 10 biggest car scams happening in Britain right now- from Facebook Marketplace deposit traps to cloned cars and ghost traders.If you’ve ever seen a car that looks too cheap to be true… this episode might save you thousands of pounds.

Send us Fan MailThe Polite and the FuriousWe don’t shout.We don’t beep.We don’t confront.We just sit there… politely furious.This week on Carpark Confessions, we’re heading to the most emotionally unstable square of tarmac in Britain - the petrol station forecourt.Six pumps.One queue.Zero logic.We talk about the cars spilling into the road because nobody wants to “go round.”Fuel FOMO triggered by a Facebook post from someone’s uncle.The national fear of the long reach hose.And the quiet judgement inside the shop when someone just wants ten Lambert & Butler and a paper.It’s not road rage.It’s queue rage.This is about ego, etiquette, and the silent war of Pump 3.Because in Britain, we don’t lose our temper.We just grip the steering wheel a little tighter… and wait.

Send us Fan MailYou get an email from the DVLA saying you’re owed £47.81.It looks official. It feels boring. And that’s exactly why it works.In this Buyer Beware episode, we break down how the DVLA tax phishing scam works, who it really targets, and how to protect yourself in five simple steps.If you own a car in the UK, this one’s for you.

Send us Fan MailIt had zero miles of fuel.Four warning lights.A parking sensor that wouldn’t shut up.A clutch with anger issues.And, for reasons still unclear, a bulldog sticker on the back window.This episode is the real first test — not the Nürburgring… just getting it home.No cinematic reveal. No dramatic music.Just me, an empty fuel tank, a dashboard that looks like a Christmas tree, and the growing suspicion that I may have made a mistake.Cheap Thrills is about real cars, real money, and real risk.And this drive? This is where the story actually starts.Will it make it to Germany?At this point… I’m not even sure it’ll make it past Tesco.

Send us Fan MailEvery car meet has that guy.The one whose car is “nearly finished.”The wheels are temporary.The bumper’s coming off again.The map is booked.Always next week.In this episode of Cheap Thrills, we break down the unspoken rules of car meets, from anoraks who know more about your car than you do, to wannabe Clarksons, over-enthusiastic car bloggers, and the sudden appearance of the police that ends all fun.It’s a survival guide for talking to car people without becoming that guy yourself.Cheap cars. Free opinions. Absolutely nothing finished.

Send us Fan MailI bought a £1,600 Peugeot RCZ with the aim of driving it to the Nürburgring.In Episode 1 of our Cheap Thrills road trip to Germany , I explain why the RCZ beat the sensible option — a Mondeo ST220 — and why this felt like the right kind of bad idea.This isn’t about lap times or flexing. It’s about cheap fun, real money, and seeing how far an interesting car can actually go.Join me as I start prepping to cross some boarders. 

Send us Fan MailThis is a podcast about cars that are fun, affordable, and usually a bad idea in the best possible way. Not supercars, not finance deals but real cars, real money, and real decisions.In this short, I explain what Cheap Thrills is really about:Why cheap cars can still deliver big storiesWhy car culture doesn’t need to be snobby or expensiveAnd why the best fun often starts with a questionable marketplace listingThere are two sides to the show:Taking everyday, affordable cars and seeing how far they can be pushedSharing hard-earned advice on bargains, paperwork, and avoiding scams along the wayIf you like cars, hate posturing, and think fun matters more than monthly payments then this podcast is for you.

Send us Fan MailFacebook Marketplace is full of bargains, and full of scams.In this episode of Cheap Thrills, we expose one of the most common car scams online: private sellers asking for deposits on cheap cars, then disappearing. Learn how the scam works, why people fall for it, and the simple rules that will keep your money safe when buying cars online.Essential listening for anyone buying or selling cars on Facebook Marketplace.

Send us Fan MailJoin me as I take our chosen Nurburgring steed, the Peugeot RCZ 200 THP out for its first run. It kicked out a whole host of fault codes in the cold weather and has some suspect tyres, so we reset the codes, cleaned it up and tested that rubber. I don't really review cars, but this is a great little ride along if you're a lover of cheap and thrilling motoring. 

Send us Fan Mail“Good paperwork doesn’t impress you — it tells the truth.”In this episode of Cheap Thrills: Buyer Beware, we break down what good car paperwork actually looks like and why thick folders, confident sellers, and vague service stamps don’t always mean a well-looked-after car.We cover service history, receipts, MOT patterns, proof of major maintenance, and the red flags that should make you walk away or renegotiate. If you’re buying a used car, this episode will help you spot real care, avoid expensive mistakes, and buy with confidence.Cheap cars. Cheap stories. Buyer beware.

Send us Fan MailSelling a car on Facebook Marketplace? This episode could save you money.In this episode of Cheap Thrills, we expose one of the most common car-selling scams online — the Facebook Marketplace vehicle history check scam. You know the one: a “buyer” asks you to pay for a cheap history report from their own website, promises they’re ready to buy… and then disappears the moment you pay.We break down exactly how the scam works, the red flags every seller should know, what never to do when selling a car online, and the simple response that instantly filters out scammers.If you’re selling a used car — or planning to — this is essential listening.Cheap cars. Cheap stories. Zero tolerance for scams.

Send us Fan MailIs the Ford Mondeo actually a bargain hero, or just… boring?In this episode of Cheap Thrills, we take a no-nonsense look at the Ford Mondeo and work out if it's good for a lap of the ring.If you're an owner get in touch and help is answer the big question: is the Mondeo an underrated gem or a forgettable fleet car?