The Smoking Tire - podcast cover

The Smoking Tire

Zack Klapman, Matt Farahwww.youtube.com
Matt Farah and Zack Klapman sit down with automotive icons, pro drivers, comedians and other friends to discuss automotive industry news, racing, projects and whatever else comes to mind. Watch our car reviews at www.youtube.com/thesmokingtire Follow us! T: @thesmokingtire @zackklapman IG: @thesmokingtire @fakezackklapman Rent or buy our movies!, where we find out if some bad CraigsList cars can cross an entire US State, off-road!https://vimeo.com/thesmokingtire
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Episodes

Aloisa Ruf

Aloisa Ruf is a mechanic, driver, and photographer and the daughter of Alois Ruf, the famous mind behind some of the fastest and most exciting Porsches ever made. She has become an integral part of the company and as you'll hear in this show, her knowledge and passion for the cars and brand is unquestionable. Recorded August 25, 2023 https://www.ruf-automobile.de/en/ https://www.instagram.com/aloisaruf/ https://www.aloisaruf.net/ Head to factormeals.com/tire50 and use code tire50 to get 50% off....

Sep 05, 20231 hr 22 minEp. 856

Car Week Stories; McLaren 720S and 750; the NSX Returns

Matt tells the stories from Monterey Car Week: leading McLarens North; telling adults how to be cool; shirts with Gordon Murray; oddball favorites of the show; what Quail has become; special supercar standouts; the NSX is back from Evasive; and more. Plus questions about: the best American super sedan ever; solar watches; why turbos are good; our favorite strange car; and what we think about re-badging. Recorded August 24, 2023 Tune in to the regular season finale at Daytona International Speedw...

Aug 31, 20231 hr 42 minEp. 854

Nicolas Brown - Pres. of McLaren Automotive North America

Nicolas Brown is the President of McLaren Automotive for the Americas. On this show Matt sits with him to discuss: How McLaren can survive making only sports cars How McLaren can survive forced electrification Nic's car history and how he got an awesome job What his personal dream 3 car garage would be How McLaren deals with their reputation for poor reliability Recorded August 20, 2023 Tune in to the regular season finale at Daytona International Speedway on Saturday, August 26th at 7:00PM East...

Aug 29, 20231 hr 10 minEp. 853

ICON Bronco Deep-dive; The BEST Mod

When Gas is Better then electricity; ICON Bronco Explained; which car we would re-body; the BEST Mod for your sports car (no matter who made it), and more! Recorded August 14, 2023 Tune in to the regular season finale at Daytona International Speedway on Saturday, August 26th at 7:00PM Eastern on NBC. Use Off The Record! and ALWAYS fight your tickets! Enter code TST10 for a 10% discount on your first case on the Off The Record app, or go to https://www.offtherecord.com/TST Want your question ans...

Aug 24, 20231 hr 29 minEp. 852

Real Tavarish & Arne Toman (Cannonball Garage)

How long would it take you to rebuild a McLaren engine? What if you wanted to upgrade from a 3.8L to a 4.0L? AND it needed to be ready for Jay Leno to safely drive? An easy process? Hardly. Freddy "Tavarish" Hernandez and Arne Toman share the stressful tale. Recorded August 14, 2023 https://www.instagram.com/therealtavarish/ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvAhDxNNUDhi78tMXVGBUaQ https://www.cannonballgarage.com/ It’s time to bring your wallet into the 21st century. Head to GrooveLife.com/TIRE ...

Aug 17, 20231 hr 37 minEp. 851

Betim Berisha of BBI Autosport

Betim Berisha owns BBI Autosport, one of the premier Porsche tuners in North America. From mild to truly wild, they do it all. On this episode we talk about building race cars; the changing oil change; tolerances; Hoonipigasus; and more. Recorded August 10, 2023 https://bbiautosport.com/ It’s time to bring your wallet into the 21st century. Head to GrooveLife.com/TIRE for 20% off ALL Groove Life products! Use Off The Record! and ALWAYS fight your tickets! Enter code TST10 for a 10% discount on y...

Aug 15, 20231 hr 22 minEp. 851

Emira Turbo Review; Spyder RS Deep-Dive; New Lambo Probs; Q&A

The Lamborghini has new problems; we explain the one problem with the Lotus Emira Turbo; and Matt goes deeper on the Spyder RS. Then we answer Patreon questions including: Rat rod vs Pao Press access that wowed us When it's time to buy a track car Sell, Fix, or Pray The definition of "light" these days Which practical SUV we'd buy for $50k And more Recorded August 9, 2023 Head to factormeals.com/tire50 and use code tire50 to get 50% off. Use Off The Record! and ALWAYS fight your tickets! Enter c...

Aug 10, 20231 hr 27 minEp. 850

Joey Lawrence is a True Car Enthusiast

Actor Joey Lawrence may be famous for his role in sitcom hit, "Blossom", or the Brotherly Love Podcast, but he a car enthusiast through and through. On this episode we learn about the first car he drove; the cool af first car he ever bought; his taste in turbocharged Japanese cars; what he changed about his Viper; the Mercedes-AMG he dreamt about as a kid; which ones he ended up buying; his Ferrari choices; the modifications he chose; what he thinks about EVs, BMW's current designs, and more. Re...

Aug 08, 20231 hr 23 minEp. 849

Nismo's Mistake; 911 ST; Cheap Ferraris; Fast Car License

We discuss our time with the Bentley Continental GT Speed; Nissan's odd choices with the new Z Nismo; Porsche reveals its newest version of the GT3, the 911 ST; Australia has a new license requirement for owners of fast cars; and some old classifieds to make you cry. Then we answer Patreon questions including: should I take the summer tires off my SUV; defining "motoring" vs "driving"; what watch to get if you're not that into watches; a better 4x4 than an overpriced 4Runner; what is Volvo's fut...

Aug 03, 20231 hr 52 minEp. 848

959 Autobahn; Interior Redemption; Pothole Problems

While Matt was in Germany to drive the new Spyder RS, Porsche brought out a bunch of their museum cars! A 959; 964 Clubsport Prototype Study (1 of 1), 1985 3.2 Clubsport Prototype (not built until 1987 and with significant changes) and a few more. Then we talk about why our roads get repaired as poorly as they do! Use Off The Record! and ALWAYS fight your tickets! Enter code TST10 for a 10% discount on your first case on the Off The Record app, or go to http://www.offtherecord.com/TST . Patreon ...

Aug 01, 20231 hr 49 minEp. 847

Throttle House' James and Thomas

It's James Engelsman and Thomas Holland of Throttle House! On this episode we talk about: Mercedes' new, flawed C63 AMG; their tire budget; how to treat a press car; the new Aston Martin DB12; conflicting opinions of the Aston Martin Valour; what Thomas did as a private detective; confusing gas stations; why having a fast car is sometimes a safety issue; and more! Recorded July 19, 2023 It’s time to bring your belt into the 21st century. Head to GrooveLife.com/TIRE for 20% off ALL Groove Life pr...

Jul 27, 20231 hr 49 minEp. 846

Road Tripping; Missed Shifts and Your Brain; Quick hands and Mustangs

On this episode Matt and I are driving TO the Lotus factory IN a Lotus Emira. We give our take on the cars, events, and cost of Goodwood. Then we discuss the pros and alarming cons of the hale bale safety system. Then, roundabouts versus stop signs, and a somewhat scientific breakdown of our personal difficulties driving from the right-hand seat. Lastly we answer Patreon questions regarding: which car we would drive up the Goodwood Hill, why “quick hands” won’t save Mustangs from Cars and Coffee...

Jul 25, 20231 hr 45 minEp. 845

Caffeine and Machine w/ Phil McGovern (LIVE show)

This show was recorded in front of a live audience at Caffeine and Machine, a permanent cars & coffee / pub / hotel located in Ettington, UK. Our guest was the founder of C&M, Phil McGovern. Topics include: car names that went extremely wrong; driving in the UK vs U.S.; how C&M started; conflicting feelings on the Singer Turbo DLS; the best era of car design; the maniacal McMurtry; why supercars don't work in the UK (in our opinion); roundabouts; how Goodwood compares to U.S. car sho...

Jul 20, 20231 hr 47 minEp. 844

Jenson Button (F1, NASCAR, Le Mans, Radford, and more)

Jenson Button on racing a NASCAR at Le Mans; driving old F1 cars; the Radford campaign at Pikes Peak (and why he didn't drive); his strange decision with seats; his old Jag; street circuits; bumps; and more. Recorded July 15, 2023 @jensonbutton Use Off The Record! and ALWAYS fight your tickets! Enter code TST10 for a 10% discount on your first case on the Off The Record app, or go to http://www.offtherecord.com/TST . Click on the DILLON banner, buy a pair of sunglasses, receive a FREE Smoking Ti...

Jul 18, 20231 hr 22 minEp. 843

Chris Harris at Goodwood

Chris Harris sat down with us in the Lotus booth! Topics include: why driving up the hill is a fool's errand; his thoughts on EVs with manual transmissions; the Rimac; how he feels about Lotus' new direction; and more. Recorded July 14, 2023 Note: The audio is a little odd because we were recording off of the stage PA system. We had a cable from the board into our gear but for some reason there's odd interference on it. We ran it through a few programs to improve it as much as possible. Head to ...

Jul 15, 202343 minEp. 842

Henry Grabar: How Parking changed cities, rent, and lives.

Henry Grabar is the author of the fascinating book, "Paved Paradise: How Parking Changed the World". He's going to fill us in on how building cities for cars has influenced the design of homes, buildings, and parking, and how all of it influences how we live. He also enlightens us on why free parking isn't always the best idea; one reason why rent is so high; how losing parking in front of restaurants can actually help; and what Chicago did very wrong. https://www.henrygrabar.com/ Recorded July ...

Jul 11, 20231 hr 25 minEp. 840

DB12 Review; Mercedes going for Yoke; Sporty Luxury or vice-versa - TST#839

Matt reviews the new Aston Martin DB12; Mercedes maybe getting rid of steering wheels; how we feel about drive-by-wire steering; clarifying the Audi Q8 e-tron's braking; and more. Patreon topics include: The best motorcycle-powered car Matt's driven; how to cheat on your 2-car garage; is it better to turn a luxury car into a sports car or vice versa?; military spending correction; and the future of nostalgia. Recorded July 5 Go to https://www.blackvue.com/TST to learn more about the BlackVue DR9...

Jul 06, 20231 hr 49 minEp. 839

NSX up; Ferrari Mystery Leak; Goodwood FOS; C6 Parts list

Twitter is broken; Matt's NSX suddenly increased in value; we discuss the problems and opportunities for the NCAS charging standard (and make some corrections); a mystery leak from the Ferrari; our upcoming Goodwood trip; and the C6 parts list. Questions we answer include: what irresponsible car to buy; our favorite-sounding cars from cylinders 4-12; why HREs cost more than VOLKS; cars that were good to drive but forgettable; what to do with a Miata; and more. Recorded July 2, 2023 Go to blackvu...

Jul 05, 20231 hr 24 minEp. 838

Q8 e-tron, Monaco, Tesla charges the world, inflation-ish, Q&A!

Matt is tells us about getting lost in Monaco; Zack describes the good and bad about his time in the brutally fast S63 AMG; the inflation of sports car prices (it's not what you think); the Audi Q8 e-tron; we talk about Tesla becoming the charging standard; Robert Downey Jr's new car show. Then we answer questions about exciting automatic cars; what to replace a Fiesta ST with; what to do when you get hit in your 992 C4S; a great sedan in which to learn stick; and more! Recorded June 30, 2023 Go...

Jul 01, 20231 hr 29 minEp. 837

Integra Type S review; Lambo Engine Removal; Weird 4x4; Q&A

Matt and Zack discuss the Acura Type S (and Civic Type R); the nervous tale of removing Matt's Lamborghini engine; a strange off-roader that left us nervous; and Patreon questions about watches, the best 2-car garage (is it Maserati?), and more. Recorded June 21, 2023 Get 20% OFF exclusively at calderalab.com/TIRE to unlock your youthful glow and be ready for summer with Caldera + Lab! #teamcaldera Make sure you get the grill ripping now that summer is officially here, invite the whole crew over...

Jun 22, 20231 hr 29 minEp. 836

Urus Performante; Audi S7; Secret Hypermiling; Q&A

Matt reviews the confusing Lamborghini Urus Performante; Zack talks about his time in the Audi S7; a secret hypermile activity that wasn't boring; comparing air suspensions. Then we answer Patreon questions about: improving Corvettes, whether it's better to buy a GT500 or Shelby Super Snake; how to keep an engine alive for 300,000 miles; high-mileage Lambos; and what it would take for us to choose a fast car with way too much exposure to the elements. Recorded June 19, 2023 Get 20% OFF exclusive...

Jun 20, 20231 hr 33 minEp. 835

Tony Quiroga - EIC of "Car and Driver"

Tony Quiroga is the Editor-in-Chief of Car and Driver Magazine. We talk about Tony's plan for help everyone got 200MPH; the kind of cars he's never owned; what the "weighted bat" theory is during track testing; why the Mille Miglia is the greatest car experience he's ever had; when it's OK to wear driving gloves, and more! https://www.caranddriver.com/ Recorded June 12, 2023 Go to https://www.blackvue.com/TST to learn more about the BlackVue DR970X series dash cams. Use the promo code TIRE to ge...

Jun 15, 20231 hr 35 minEp. 834

SpeedyCop Builds the Craziest Race Cars

Speedy Cop has built the weirdest and most creative race cars you've ever seen. There's the airplane, or the tipped-over hippy bus, an amphibious helicopter that can drive on a highway or on a pond, or maybe you remember seeing photos of an UPSIDE DOWN Camaro racing around a track. All of those were built by Speedy Cop. Today we find out why the world was gifted such weird and amazing racing machines, where he's driven them, what went right and VERY WRONG, and what's next. https://speedycop.com/...

Jun 13, 20231 hr 28 minEp. 833

Maserati Grecale; Where did Start Buttons Go?!

Matt Farah and Zack Klapman talk about driving the new Maserati Grecale Trofeo (and how it compares against the competition from BMW and Porsche); why some car companies have removed start/stop buttons; whether or not Rivian's stock price matters; why Washington got rid of emissions testing; how to buy an old Ferrari; whether or not writing a book is a good idea; and more! Recorded June 2, 2023 Head to https://www.factormeals.com/tire50 and use code tire50 to get 50% off your first box Get 20% O...

Jun 08, 20231 hr 56 minEp. 832

David Twohig (Chief Automotive Engineer of Alpine)

Want to understand cars better? This is the show. David Twohig is an automotive engineer, journalist, and author. He was an engineering lead for the Nissan Qashqai, Alpine A110, Renault Zoe, and BYTON. On this episode he explains why cars are so hard to build; why focusing on weight isn't the priority of most OEMs; how expensive it is to change a button; the rising popularity of '90s Japanese cars in Europe; and so much more. His book, "Inside the Machine: An Engineer’s Tale of the Modern Automo...

Jun 06, 20231 hr 47 minEp. 831

SEMA Pres. Mike Spagnola

Mike Spagnola is the president of SEMA. Naturally we'll be talking about the EPA, the rise of EVs, and what the future of modded cars looks like. He's also built some seriously fast toys of his own, raced in open wheel, the Mint 400, and tracks an Ariel Atom. He's one of us. This conversation was fascinating. We talk about modified car trends; over-fenders; the overlanding explosion; what the EPA is trying to do to the car hobby; how SEMA's two Garages help small businesses build and test new pa...

Jun 01, 20231 hr 28 minEp. 830

Bucky Lasek (X Games Gold Medalist, Rally Cross)

Bucky Lasek is a professional skateboarder and rally driver. As of 2016, Lasek has won 13 medals at the X Games, including ten gold medals, and is one of only two vert skateboarders to have won three X Games gold medals consecutively. Lasek is also one of only three athletes to compete at every X Games since the series' inception in 1995. In 2012 he joined Subaru's Rallycross team, competing against the likes of Sebastien Loeb, Rhys Millen, Tanner Foust, Ken Block, Travis Pastrana, Brian Deegan,...

May 30, 20231 hr 43 minEp. 829

Sasha Selipanov (Designer for Lamborghini, Bugatti, Koenigsegg!)

What a show! Our guest is automotive designer Sasha Selipanov. He has the job many of us dreamed of us as kids: supercar designer. He penned the Lamborghini Huracan, Bugatti Chiron, Koenigsegg's Gemera and CC850, and the Genesis concept. Strong resume. We learn about how Sasha got started; the unexpected company that helped with his Ferrari project at school; lessons from his first job at VW; making the leap to Lamborghini, Bugatti, and Koenigsegg; the constraints of working for a big OEM; what ...

May 25, 20231 hr 18 minEp. 828

Rutledge Wood (Hot Wheels: Ultimate Challenge, Top Gear USA, NASCAR)

Rutledge Wood is a stable in the car community. He is the host of "Hot Wheels: Ultimate Challenge", a new show on NBC where teams compete to make automotive dreams come true. But before that he was a host on Top Gear USA, and a NASCAR commentator for NBC Sports. He is as funny as he is kind (you'll see). On this show we talk about his crazy builds; trading a school bus; buying a tiny Japanese truck; taking out Petty's trash; the new Hot Wheels Show; getting scared by Drake; the Kentucky Derby's ...

May 23, 20231 hr 56 minEp. 827

Cayenne Turbo GT Review; Why Toyota Likes Hybrids; Fordlandia; Q&A

On today's show, Matt Farah and Zack Klapman discuss: the 2024 Porsche Cayenne GT Turbo they drove; why Toyota prefers to make hybrids over EVs; the insane story of Fordlandia, Henry Ford's attempt to build a community in Brazil; the best daily everything for the PNW; whether it's ok to low-ball your dad; the M3 is leaving; why you should C4 instead of 944; where objectivity and subjectivity intersect, and more! Recorded May 17, 2023 Go to blackvue.com/TST to learn more about the BlackVue DR770X...

May 18, 20231 hr 44 minEp. 826
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