The Smoking Tire

What was Vaughn Gittin Jr's first car? How about his favorite Mustang ever? His thoughts on EVs? The answers will surprise you as much as they did us.   Vaughn Gittin Jr has climbed the automotive ranks to impressive heights. From humble beginnings, drifting for fun led to sponsors, wins, championships, and eventually partnering with one of the biggest OEMs on Earth: Ford.  On this episode we lear...

Matt Farah and Zack Klapman review the 2026 BMW M2 CS; Matt has updates on both of his exotic projects; there's a wrinkle with on an E500 Cabriolet build; and Patreon questions include: What BAD car changed the world? Lotus vs Supra vs Boxster vs GT350 Will Jaguar survive? Is this 4,000 trip a crazy idea in a BRZ? Perfect environment for each of our cars Do people buy "appliance watches" like they...

Matt Farah and Zack Klapman review the new Aston Martin Vantage S; would a rear collision avoidance system work; listing every hypercar Matt has driven; a special Ford GT just set a blistering Nurburgring record; why they're spending car week in Detroit this year; try to sort out the best car for the Woodward Dream Cruise; and answer Patreon questions including: Will a Golf R replace my Audi S4 sa...

Brett Berk might be the busiest freelance journalist we know. He has the incredible power to drive one car and extract 3 interesting, unique stories from the experience. That's why he's driven Jaguar's new EV, a very special Bentley, driven cars on boats (yes, that's a thing), and toured factories.   Patreon questions include: Best used AMG car for under $40k? Can we fix bad drivers? Will Aston ma...

  Matt Farah tells the tale of driving and drifting the incredible thing that is the Aston Martin Valhalla. 1,064HP of active aero-wearing carbon fiber; a big new step for the British company known for Grand Touring sports cars. Plus, why watching can be better than owning, and Patreon questions include: Am I garbage for this Amazon delivery situation? Was DUB magazine important? What's Top Gear f...

Matt Farah finds out if the Singer DLS is as perfect as they say; he and Zack Klapman trade opinions on the Volvo EX30 they drove; a "Demolition Man" prop slips through fingers; and Patreon questions include:   Why aren't there more Lotus engines? Maserati Gran Turismo vs Aston V8 Vantage Mansory's model lineup is INSANE Will high gas prices = higher EV sales? How to pick your enthusiast sports ca...

There's a new Corvette Grand Sport; Cadillac finally cancels its terrible naming scheme; Ferrari admits the real reason for those terrible controls; gas prices are yuge; and Patreon question include: Is a manual-swapped Ferrari F430 the key to happiness? WHEN is the right time to manual-swap anything? Can you enjoy a track day without being competitive? Why are b-pillars boring black? How do you t...

Journalists Matt Farah and Zack Klapman discuss a Rennlist posts accusing dealerships of colluding to pump the price of Porsche GT cars; a tariff bill for a cheap car part; weird cars seen in the BVI; which cities are using the Montana scam the most; and Patreon questions include: Integra Type S or Audi RS3? Have Radwood cars plateued in price forever? F/M/K: AMG, M, RS Are black watches cool? Why...

We're on a boat! What's it like? What did we get wrong? Would we still car if we lived here? What's happening with Montana car registry vs California? Why is Honda abandoning EVs? And Patreon questions include: This vs that: A/C that doesn't work or a car that runs out of gas? Track toy: Mustang Mach 1 or Boss 302? What second podcast would we make? Will boring cars that have manual transmissions...

Matt Farah drove the rare and fast Lotus Carlton; he and Zack Klapman have a surprising review of their 2025 Chevy Blazer rental; the perfect Ferrari might be on BaT right now; and Patreon questions include: What brand could become as cultish as Porsche? Best car for red light / green light Bad to mediocre with a few mods 4Runner vs Land Cruiser Best investment as a cat owner Watches for your wife...

Magnus Walker explains why he is selling a LOT of his cars, the other items he's letting go, how collecting gets out of hand, what's next for him, and so much more. When does collecting become more pain than joy? The sale price of his famous 277 car What makes an "outlaw" Porsche? Unpopular Porsche configurations he likes Did downtown L.A. ever "thrive"? The first factory car to outperform RUF's Y...

Matt Farah got a scary estimate for his Countach project; a new smog  law in CA might be a good thing;  an oil test comes back positive; Zack Klapman learns how to adjust something; and we answer Patreon questions including: How much stereo is too much? Which car will hipsters gentrify next? ZR1 or used McLaren ? Are new gears worth it? The right sports car for a flatter landscape is... Will "blob...

Matt Farah and Zack Klapman have returned from the frigid motorsport party that is F.A.T. ICE RACE 2026 held in Big Sky, MT and they have stories! Rare cars were slid (and in some cases, crashed), race cars went slowly, rev limiters were hit, rally cars rallied, and the beats banged.   We tell you who was there, what happened, the cars we want to bring for next year, and what it's like learning to...

Wes Siler is a journalist who spent 20 years writing about adventure, vehicles, gear, and the great outdoors, most notably being one of the most popular writers for Outside Magazine. On this episode Matt Farah talks to Wes about why tech isn't rewarding journalism, how both parties are effecting our public lands, towing, hunting, climate change, and so much more. Wes is a well of knowledge and wor...

Matt Farah and Zack Klapman find out if Maserati MC20 GT2 Stradale is the track car it looks to be; Matt goes deeper down the rabbit hole of a new collectible; we ponder why Buick still exists; and Patreon questions include: Our favorite Subaru ever Will the U.S. EV market shrink? Resurrected names that were better than the original. Is my watch tough? What would we drive in a 1000-mile vintage ra...

Matt Farah and Zack Klapman review the 2026 Acura Integra Type S; a new contestant to our towing vehicle list; can you "fix" a 20 year-old Subaru; why your project car needs an e-brake; and Patreon questions include: How to get CARB organization into car culture Did we ever steal our parents' cars? Favorite crazy modded cars we've driven RWD sedans with a Miatas ethos Has this CPO Lexus LC500 had...

Matt Farah modified his watch; the EPA will stop paying attention to cars (and a whole lot more); driving a special Inokinetic Lotus Exige at Willow; and....Patreon Questions include: HELP! My terrible-driving friend wants to go racing A programmer's opinion on the AI discussion Base 981 Cayman: Good intro track car? Is the GR86 a "mini 911"? Ferrari 812 GTS vs 12Cillindri Should EVs flash brake l...

Strap in. Jonny Lieberman brings whiskey and opinions. We talk about that new, controversial Ferrari interior; the secret design history of the Lamborghini Diablo; Matt Farah's Countach progress; and then get into a heated discussion about Jonny's new app that's designed to help you bid on cars smarter by using....AI. It's loud and friendly. Let's go.   Recorded February 11, 2026 SHOW NOTES Factor...

Matt Farah and Zack Klapman discuss whether tires "fixed" what they didn't like about the new Porsche GT3 RS; there's an update to a legal scuffle between Weathertech Raceway Laguna Seca and the owner of an amazing R34 GT-R; we get some ideas for tow vehicles; why Porsche won't build a "cheap" 911; and Patreon questions include: Weekend track car idea: NC Miata or BMW 135i? Why are early 2000s Min...

Patreon questions include: Will our next car be a depreciated classic or a lease? Thoughts on the Capricorn Zagato WHY do cars have screens if no one likes them? What's really behind auction prices? Sports cars for someone TALL Is a 997 911 S worth it over a 987 Cayman S? When we stole our parents' cars What car would we bring back to 1902? Should license plate covers be illegal? Why doesn't the C...

Matt Farah and Zack Klapman went off-roading in the new 2026 INEOS Grenadier Station Wagon Trialmaster and it almost went very wrong; a full review of the INEOS and its competitors; Tesla is ending production of the Model S and X, so we talk about why and what it means for the future; Washington D.C. is going to have an INDY street race apparently; and we answer 50 questions from our Patreon membe...

Matt Farah describes his first BAD ride in a  Waymo; he and Zack Klapman talk about the oddities for sale at Barrett-Jackson auctions; the truth about the "kill switch" law Congress passed; the Mercedes project begins; and Patreon questions include:   Why has the Porsche 911 maintained a consistent look while others can't?   Favorite tuner for engines with 4,6,8,10, and 12 cylinders?   Do automake...

Matt Farah has conclusions on the Corvette E-Ray; another amazing racetrack is for sale; Bugatti has reimagined...itself; how to choose the right tire; and we answer Patreon questions including: Was the Geo brand a player? What makes an engine sound "raw"? How can Chevy improve the ZR1? Perfect car for twisty road living

Matt Farah drove a 2026 Corvette E-Ray into the desert and lived to compare it to the Z06; Zack Klapman weighs in on what they should do with a free racing trailer; a new insurance that's ONLY for Teslas that use Full Self Driving; and Patreon questions include: How long until your car is warm? Is the VR6 engine actually cool? Cars we loved as kids but now think to be lame Why don't I love Boxster...

Matt Farah reviews the new 717HP Aston Martin DBX; he and Zack Klapman talk about their time in a modified Ferrari 458 and how it might reinvigorate interest in the aging legend; an auction of prancing horses makes no sense; an old Cadillac listing has some VERY strange pictures; and we answer Patreon questions including: Is the 2014-2018 Audi RS7 a good replacement for my Golf R? Is the GTS model...