The Smoking Tire

Recorded just prior to Christmas Matt is back from a cross country drive with his girlfriend the proud owner of a Lexus LS400 nearing 900,000 miles. Zack in the mean-time has taken up quad-copter camera duty while Thad has resorted to filling his Fiesta with race gas to make obscene power and I didn't do a damned thing other than work and make cookies. This week we had a Mustang Ecoboost in and we...

This week Paul and Todd of Everyday Driver ( YouTube  |  Podcast ) drop by to talk about their new film Mid-Engines and Mountains . The new film highlights the fun and differences found in driving an Alfa 4C, Porsche Cayman and Lotus Elise through... well mountains. In addition the guys rolled in with a brand new Charger Hellcat and the new holy grail of track-rats the Camaro Z28. This week Matt h...

This week we're joined by John Spar founder of Replay XD Cameras as well as our good friend Mike Musto ( @MDMusto ). We knew that John was responsible for  developing some seriously impressive camera hardware at Replay what we didn't know was that his father was one of the founders of B&M and that he grew up at the height of drag racing in the San Fernando Valley. John shares his stories of racing...

This week Jonathan Ward founder of Icon joins us. Most people know Icon for the absolutely insane attention to detail in their signature FJs and Broncos.  We get the story behind Jonathan's move from life as a working actor into the automotive world. The Icon order backlog is deep and for good reason as Jonathan outlines the great lengths he his wife and their crew go to ultimately producing a pro...

This week TST contributor Jonathon Klein ( @Jonathon_Klein ) is in town for the LA Auto Show and he joins us for our pre-Thanksgiving episode. Fresh off testing a BMW 1M w/ a V8 we sit down for a discussion that encompasses, Coachella Gypsy Cabs, minivan crash testing, Honda's quality issues, IROC-Z track cars, the uniform mediocrity of most modern V6s, Passat W8s, Jonathon gives us his take on  t...

Fresh off the floor at the LA Auto Show Mike Spinelli ( @Mikespin ) and Roger Garbow ( @RogerGarbow ) join us. With the auto show in town we cover a lot of material including, the Mustang GT 350, Cadillac ATS-V, Mercedes AMG GT, Porsche 911 GTS, Jaguar F-Type,  we discuss the basics of flat-plan crank V8s, Kia plies journalists with beer, Mullne makes a sad showing, Matt attempts to by a Skyline G...

Once again we're joined by Mr. Aaron Gold ( @AboutCars ). This week Matt reviews the Polaris Slingshot,  Aaron tells his about his time working on Top Gear,  we talk diesel vs gas engines,  Zack and Thad drove Local Motors Drift Trikes  and we wrap up with some talk about flight simulators and aeronautics.     Want your question answered? Want to watch the live stream, get ad-free podcasts, or exc...

Once again the collective that is The Smoking Tire has reconvened after much traveling. Matt returns and regales us with his trip to Mexico, Zack and Thad made their way to northern California to film a Ford Falcon rally car and immediately thereafter Thad drove from Texas to California with Mike Musto in matching Charger and Challenger Hellcats with a brief stint in a Viper. Additionally we get a...

Our good friend and partner in podcasting Jeff Glucker ( @jglucker ) of Hooniverse  joins us this week. We talk all about Matt and Jeff's experiences in the Challenger Hellcat in Washington D.C. , Matt spent some time in the new Z4 road car immediately followed by track time BMW Z4 GT3 racecar, Matt spent some time with an obscure but great Autozam AZ-1, plus we discuss Jeff's project car "The Wom...

Our good friend Jonny Lieberman ( @mt_loverman ) has once again joined us in the TST studio. Jonny is fresh off the MotorTrend Truck of they Year and shares that experience with us. Additionally we review the 2015 BMW M4,  we discuss the real possibility of the C8 Corvette offering a mid-engine variant  named the Zora, we compare and contrast the 2015 Mustang GT vs. Camaro Z28 while talking GT350...

This week we're joined by Joshua Ovenshire ( @TheJovenshire ) and Matt Raub ( @MattRaub ) of Smosh Games . Matt met the Smosh crew while in Europe promoting Forza Horizon 2. Among many things we cover YouTube stalkers, video production, pecking order in geek culture, sheep familiarity, Kevin Pollack, building an online audience while Farah and Josh share their love of Magic the Gathering. Addition...

This Week AJ Gordon of the Peterson Automotive Museum  and the Car Stories podcast joins us in studio. We talk about the rennovation of the Peterson museum, gauche behavior at car shows, how jaded automotive media is, Ford GT pricing and whether or not the Hennessey Vemom GT is usable as a canyon carver.  Want your question answered? Want to watch the live stream, get ad-free podcasts, or exclusiv...

This week we're joined by comedian and tv host Alonzo Bodden ( @AlonzoBodden ).  You probably know Alonzo from Speed's 101 Cars You Must Drive or America's Worst driver along with a reoccuring role on the final season of Californication, but Alonzo didn't swing by to talk about David Duchovny.  We get into Alonzo's long list of cars he has owned over the years as well as his collection of motorcyc...

For the first time in a little while we sit down without guests and catch up on what we've been up to.  Matt and Thad both had an afternoon with the Alfa Romeo 4C and Challenger Hellcat, Zack bought a Crown Victoria detective car and I continued to produce way too many podcasts.  In addition Matt talks about his trip to Europe for the Forza Horizon 2 launch event along with his first impressions o...

This week Matt D'Andria ( @Motorator ) cohost of CarCast joins us in studio once again. Both Matts are building late-model fox body Mustangs and we compare the two cars. We talk about the upcoming Paul Newmann documentary (Winning: The Racing Life of Paul Newmann) that he has been working on alongside the rest of the Carolla crew. Additionally we cover the Celebrity Stock Car Race at Irwindale  th...

This week Alan & Patrick from HRE Wheels join us alongside our good friend Mike Musto ( @MDMusto ). With the HRE boys in house we of course dive deep into the world of aftermarket wheels but we also cover the Monterey Historics, the inflated 911 market, 550 Maranellos and John Frankenheimer's utterly batshit superchaged nitrous-fed Mercedes 560 SEC. Want your question answered? Want to watch the l...

This week Mr. Aaron Gold ( @AboutCars ) joins us to discuss the Lexus RC F launch.  In addition we spend an indordinate amount of time talking about mid-century busses, diesel abominations of the malaise era and why you should drive a 2015 Hyundai Genesis instead of a Dodge Viper. Want your question answered? Want to watch the live stream, get ad-free podcasts, or exclusive podcasts? Join our Patr...

This week we're joined in studio by fabricator, daredevil and television host Jessi Combs ( @TheJessiCombs ). You'll probably know Jessi best from Overhaulin', Mythbusters and All Girls Garage but she came in to school us on chasing speed records at Bonneville in turbine powered batshit fueled "cars" that are way faster than anything you've ever driven. In addition we talk a bit about fabrication,...

This week Gary and Chris from Creations n' Chrome join us. These guys know their Mustangs producing 200+ mph cars, mid-engine Mustangs and all manner of other custom creations.  Beyond Chris' obvious mechanical and engineering talents Gary brings some serious knowledge to the table in the world of body work and paint.  The n' Chrome part of the business refers to their highly sought after chrome p...

Legendary pro skater and Subaru pro driver Bucky Lasek ( @BuckyLasek ) joins us this week.  We of course talk about Bucky's impressive career as a pro skater with too many medal finishes to count but we really dig into his current focus in the rally world.  Bucky now drives for Subaru and has become a very accomplshed driver steadily climbing the ranks of the rally scene and even stealing the occa...

This week fellow automotive journalist, chairman of Beer and Beards quarterly, and host of Ignition  Jonny Lieberman ( @mt_loverman ) once again joins us at the podcast table.  Matt recounts tales of learning to drive a manual transmission, hot stereos and a teenage butchering of a Subaru Legacy.  Meanwhile Jonny bought a new Fiesta ST and shares with us his experience in the Nismo GTR and Challen...

Making our way through the Motortrend & Hot Road staff this week we welcome Elana Scherr ( @challengeher ) into the studio.  Both Elana and Matt had the good fortune to spend a bit of time with the new Dodge Challenger Wildcat and it's genrous helping of 707HP. Elana is a horder of classic vehicles and we discuss her Opel GT, 70 Challenger, 76 Dart and how to write them off as business expenses.  ...

Once again Carlos Lago joins us in studio, this time to share his thoughts on the Alfa Romeo 4C.  This week we also cover... Entertainment Tonight Mario Lopez Fiesta ST Nissan Murano CrossCabriolet Jetta Harlequin 240sx LS Swap Matt's Mustang Project Porsche 918 tech vs. Mclaren P1  Cheese truck theft. Fixies Scooters Restraining Orders Bro Magazine E36 Drivetrain Swaps Cold Brewed Coffee Flat Bot...

Fresh back from touring the US with Rally North America we squeeze in a podcast before Matt and Thad head back to New York for more filming.  This week we recap Rally North America, a trip up Pikes Peak, review the Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT, talk about the newly rumoured flat-plane crank Mustang GT 350, shark attacks on our home beaches while Blake Rong of Autoweek and Hooniverse sits in for the fir...

This week Matt, Thad and Zack check in from the road with Rally North America.  The guys meet up with Larry Kosilla in New York and try out his newly modified 964 at Monticello.  Comparisons are made between the seedier parts of New York, Philadelphia and Memphis. Racial epithets are used in Ohio, a 1963 Corvette Stringray with an LS1 swap is driven and a glory hole is discovered at a rural rest s...