Speed Car retrospective

Retrospective Idea – Discover the factors that drive the team and slow them down.

What is the Speed Car retrospective?

The Speed Car retrospective uses the metaphor of a racing car to help agile teams review their last sprint. Participants define the elements that are driving the team forward (Engines), those that are slowing them down (Brakes), and the people who are supporting the team (Pit Crew).

The Speed Car retrospective is somewhat similar to an Anchors and Engines retrospective as it’s great to use in the middle of a project; especially when velocity is a concern. Where it differs, is its inclusion of the ‘Pit Crew’ dimension. This encourages team members to acknowledge the successes and support of others. In doing so an element of team building is included.

Speed Car retrospective format

Engines

What is driving us forward? What resources, processes and skills are supporting our momentum? What strategies are keeping us on track?

Brakes

What is slowing us down? What is hindering our performance? What’s impacting our time or the quality of our work?

Pit Crew

Who is supporting us? Who has helped us and will help us? What made a difference?

Suggested icebreaker questions for the Speed Car retrospective

  • Is car racing really a sport? Explain your answer.
  • What do you feel is more valuable – the engines or the brakes? Why?
  • Who do you consider your personal pit crew and why?

Retro Rehearsal

Apply the Speed Car retrospective to your weekend. What should you start and stop doing?

With the input in mind, will you change your habits?

Ideas and tips for your Speed Car retrospective

  • Timebox conversations with the help of a timer. This will keep conversations focused and the retrospective on track.
  • Rotate the Scrum Master. This will change the voices that are heard and give people a chance to contribute to the retrospective in a different way.
  • Use a Return on Time Invested (ROTI) tool to monitor the effectiveness of your meeting.
  • Looking for a way to disrupt groupthink or not let a good idea go to waste? Why not give an asynchronous retrospective a try! As well as offering your team a platform to focus on the project priorities, it allows team members space to contribute their own thoughts in their own time.
  • Keep your team agreements in view during your retrospective. Remember you can add to them at any time.
  • Make the most of your presentation mode and drill down into ideas at the brainstorming, grouping as well as discussion stages of your retrospective. This will let those who contributed the input the chance to explain and feel heard.

How to run a Speed Car retrospective in TeamRetro

Start Your Session in a Click

Log into TeamRetro and choose your template. Customise questions and the workflow to create your perfect retro for your team.

Create Your Team Easily – No Separate Accounts Needed

Invite your team in seconds via email, link, or Slack. Role based permissions and SSO options available.

Brainstorm Individually – Free From Bias

Encourage open and honest input with anonymous brainstorming. Set the mood with background music, give teams space to think independently, and keep the session flowing with built-in timers.
Grouping of ideas after brainstorming in a retrospective meeting

Smart Grouping for Faster Insights

Easily drag and drop similar ideas or let AI suggest groupings to save time. Choose between facilitator-led or participant-led grouping to match your team’s workflow.
Grouping of ideas after brainstorming in a retrospective meeting

Fair, Flexible, and Fast Voting

Keep votes private and unbiased with multiple voting options. Once voting is complete, TeamRetro automatically sorts results, helping your team focus on what matters most.
Grouping of ideas after brainstorming in a retrospective meeting

Engage, React, and Capture Key Insights

Walk your team through ideas one by one with Presentation Mode. Stay in sync, spark real-time discussions, and capture feedback with comments, live reactions, and polls—all in one place.

Grouping of ideas after brainstorming in a retrospective meeting

Turn Ideas Into Action

Propose next steps with team buy-in, get AI-powered action suggestions, and keep everything in one place. Committed actions sync to your personal dashboard and integrate with your workflow tools—keeping you on track.

Grouping of ideas after brainstorming in a retrospective meeting

Save, Share, and Stay on Track

Get quick AI-powered summaries, add facilitator notes, and store retrospectives in your library for easy access. Schedule your next session and track published actions to keep your team accountable at the next retro.

Grouping of ideas after brainstorming in a retrospective meeting

Turn Team Data into Actionable Insights

Uncover trends, common themes, and key engagement metrics at a glance. Track sentiment shifts, analyze conversations, and monitor completed actions to drive continuous improvement.