A Wheel Problem; Zack's Religious (Car) Experience; Taycan GTS

Tue Dec 23 2025

Matt Farah reviews the new 2025 Porsche Taycan GTS and compares to his older Taycan; Zack Klapman has his first religious experience in a fast, angry air-cooled 911; the NSX is up for sale; and we find something very, very odd on a wheel. Patreon questions include: The dumbest "performance" version of plain cars? What would we daily drive if it NEVER broke? Ineos Grenadier Game Viewer edition? Racing school vs 1-on-1 coaching Could Porsche ever build a NEW air-cooled car? M3 plans? Need a luxurious, reliable daily for a LONG commute F/M/K: FD RX7, 2003 SL500, 2006 997.1 Cars with short overhangs for bad garages. Will we drive the SCG SC004? Used Mercedes EQS prices are LOW; Buy? Used F-Pace vs used Velar Fun manual cars under $30k? Jaguar F-Pace SVR or Maserati Levante Trofeo? And more! Recorded December 19, 2025 DeleteMe Get 20% off your DeleteMe plan when you go to www.joindeleteme.com slash TIRE and use promo code TIRE at checkout. TrueWerk Get 15% ...

Transcript

Matt Farah (0:00)

We open with this really. It's really a hook, isn't it? I mean, should have put this at the end. You should have, yeah. And in conclusion, we still can. Is it hard? Can I talk about the Taycan GTS on this show? Now? That's how we're gonna do that. What up, everybody? Welcome to the Smoking Tire Podcast. Today's episode is brought to you as always by off the Record. We love off the Record here at the Smoking Tire Podcast because they are looking out for you 24 7, 365. If you get a ticket, any moving violation, big or small, what do you do? You get off the record, you don't plead guilty. You go to offtherecord.com TST input some basic information about what happened, where and why. They will fight that ticket for you all the way up and get those points off of your record. And if they don't, you don't pay again. Offtherecord.com TST don't let friends plead guilty. Make sure you and them get off the record. And if you. Man, every month, every month, every week, somebody hits me up and says off the record. Saved my backside. They've saved my backside a whole bunch. They're going to keep you out there on the road. Offtherecord.com TST. Let's get it going. On this episode of the podcast, my Acura NSX goes up for auction on cars and bids. Zach has his first real deep air cooled experience. And I compare the new Taycan GTS Sport Turismo to my 3 year old Taycan 4 Cross Turismo. Some things is a real different, other things is a real the same. It's the Smoking Tire Podcast. Let's go. What's up everybody? Welcome to the smoking tire podcast. 8:15am on a Friday. We were going to have Gordon Murray in today, but he's unfortunately not feeling well. And so instead I'm going to give you my review of the Taycan gts, which is totally the same thing. Stick around to the end of the show for a surprise.

Zach (2:10)

Got a good surprise. One of our Patreon members is going to help with this test, by the way.

Matt Farah (2:15)

What do you mean with this test?

Zach (2:17)

Well, listeners have to wait to the end to know what we're talking about. Oh, I'll tell you.

Matt Farah (2:23)

Okay. What does that mean?

Zach (2:24)

They have a drill and they have the thing we're going to talk about at the end of the show and they can spin the thing on their drill to look at it.

Matt Farah (2:33)

Science. Oh, they're gonna do science like now, like before the end of the show. Can we get it? If you're on the fucking livestream, they are. Listen, this is being recorded. Put it down and go put some AirPods in. Get that drill.

Summary

The Smoking Tire Podcast — Episode: "A Wheel Problem; Zack's Religious (Car) Experience; Taycan GTS"
Date: December 23, 2025
Hosts: Matt Farah & Zack Klapman

EPISODE OVERVIEW

In this episode, Matt and Zack deliver a fully-packed conversation about Matt’s Porsche Taycan GTS review and how it compares to his older Taycan 4 Cross Turismo, Zach’s transformative first real drive of a hot-rodded air-cooled 911 (which he describes as a religious car experience), updates on Matt’s NSX auction, and a crowd-sourced science experiment about Porsche’s spinning wheel crest. The show is peppered with automotive insights, price talk, and the usual banter—plus, audience interaction via Patreon.

KEY DISCUSSION POINTS & INSIGHTS

1. Matt’s NSX Auction and Vespa Upgrade Plans

[05:04 - 07:11]

Matt’s pristine Acura NSX is up for auction on Cars & Bids with an extended 11-day auction window to avoid ending on Christmas.
The car’s immaculate condition is highlighted, with special emphasis on its nearly untouched undercarriage ("Your control arms are like as clean as silverware." — Zach, [05:55]).
Matt is planning to use sale proceeds to consider new toys like a Vespa 310, noting the gap in quality and performance versus his older 300.
Discussion of luxury/collector Vespas—some costing over $100,000.

2. Porsche Taycan GTS vs. Taycan 4 Cross Turismo

Review & Comparison Segment: [08:28 - 29:30]

Exterior Updates:
The Taycan GTS facelift features minor visual tweaks, such as new headlights and a more aerodynamic nose, but is mostly similar to Matt’s 2022 Cross Turismo.
- “If you open the door and sit in it…the answer is zero [difference].” — Matt, [09:12]
Driving & Value:
Used Taycans provide significant value compared to the $196,000 GTS tester, with 80-90% of the experience retained in older models.
- “That’s a crazy thing…that I can get 80%, 90% of this current one for my car, at least when it’s used…” — Matt, [09:35]
Active Ride Suspension:
The showstopper is the Active Ride system—“the real game changer”—which provides exceptional body control and comfort, muting even unpredictable road imperfections.
- “Active ride can do both at the same time. Which is…game over for a daily driver type of car...” — Matt, [13:34]
- “It feels like an advancement similar to what Mag Ride felt like…just go, wow.” — Zack, [12:14]
Brakes & Charging:
The GTS brakes, especially with performance battery plus, stand out in pedal feel and stopping power, though Matt notes he doesn’t need ceramics for most driving.
- “My brakes kind of suck.” — Matt, [14:47]
Infotainment & Interior Differences:
Improvements include 100% reliable proximity sensors and a ‘hard’ CarPlay button, but climate touchscreen control still irks Matt.
- “The new one 100% of the time [unlocks with the key]…The screens infotainment a little bit faster…” — Matt, [23:53]
- “The touchscreen climate control vents I still fucking hate.” — Matt, [25:13]
Charging & Range:
Performance battery plus offers much higher capacity—up to 105kWh—meaning real world range of 280-300 miles, a considerable improvement.
- “My car if you’re chilling is like 220. That’s a big difference.” — Matt, [27:08]
Commuter Utopia:
The ultimate daily driver for handling city streets, adverse pavement, and long commutes.
- “There is no better commuter…” — Matt, [25:57] (re: a Greenwich-to-Manhattan drive)
Verdict:
“If I was gonna get another Taycan after this one…Active Ride and Performance Battery Plus.” — Matt, [21:34]

3. Zach’s Religious (Car) Experience: Air-cooled 911 Hot Rod

[30:10 - 48:44]

Background:
Zach, long inexperienced in air-cooled Porsches, is encouraged by Marco at TLG to sample a standout example: a '72 911T with RSR-style flares and a 3.8-liter 993 RS engine (making 305 whp).
Driving Impressions:
- Astoundingly connected steering, ultra-precise shifter (with a Wevo shifter mod), and manual brakes—all sharpened to a degree he’d never experienced before.
- “I totally understand why people spend all the money on this…everything’s so precise, the car talks to you really well.” — Zack, [35:11]
- “The steering…it was how good the brakes were, the shifting, all the things you talked to were so good.” — Zack, [37:58]
Technical Details:
- Shortened lower gears for lively accelaration, highway fifth for cruising, tractive adaptive shocks without sway bars.
- “It’s weird, but I could not tell. This car didn’t have sway bars.” — Zach, [34:00]
Cost Breakdown:
- On-air phone call with Marco: A build to this spec today would cost $250,000-300,000 ($60k of that for the engine).
- “What you had was the greatest $150,000 driving experience possible…but it actually cost 300.” — Matt, [41:07]
Reflections:
- Discussed opportunity cost, the pros and cons of building from scratch vs. buying done, and why these cars—despite the price—make sense for the experience junkie (if you can afford the “buy in”).
- “It didn’t cost you 200 grand, it actually cost you 12. But you had to park 200 grand.” — Matt, [46:12]
Verdict:
- Zach calls it “a great education,” and urges anyone bored with new cars to pursue making an old car feel this alive and connected.

4. Science Experiment: Does the Spinning Porsche Crest Resemble a Swastika?

[51:05 - 55:00, 93:03 - end]

A fan performed a drill-based experiment to see if the black-and-white Porsche center cap creates a swastika illusion when spinning.
Results: With the monochrome cap, it appears so (but not with the gold or colored versions).
Discussion veers into animation techniques (zoetrope vs. rotoscope), color contrast, and both hosts’ skepticism about the factory’s intentions.
Later in the episode, more historical detail: Porsche’s “Classic Hubcap” is available in monochrome, originally for models from 1965-73.
- “For real. The monochrome one looks like a swastika when it’s spinning.” — Matt, [101:20]

MEMORABLE MOMENT

“There's no way you don't know what your logo looks like.” — Matt Farah imitating bong podcast reaction, [96:11]

5. Car Market Talk & Audience Q&A Highlights

[Various, starting c.54:58 and especially after 56:12]

Dumbest Performance Models:
Matt roasts "street trucks" and “badge-only” AMGs, while Zack jokes about "Nismo Ariya" and performance-badged crossovers.
Cars They’d Daily If Reliability Was Guaranteed:
- Zack: Alfa Romeo Quadrifoglio
- Matt: “The answer is Ferrari 355 and will probably always be Ferrari 355.” — [59:47]
Manuals for Under $30k:
Extensive rundown includes S2000, Mustang GT, Boss 302, M2, 370Z, 230i, and more.
Porsche’s Expensive Air-cooled Builds:
Cost explosions; why buying a sorted car can make more sense; relative value proposition vs. “cheap thrills.”
- “Highly stressed, small displacement NA engine power is expensive. It’s just…this is why Ls’s are great.” — Zack, [43:55]

6. Bonus: Random Fun Bits

Discussion of entry-level luxury workhorses (ES350, Genesis).
General car-buying math: “dollars-per-mile” wisdom and depreciation.
Safari vehicles and the new INEOS Grenadier, complete with quail rig geekery.
Grumbling about early '90s airbag steering wheels and a PSA about Gen 1 airbags being more dangerous than helpful.
- “You probably should deactivate your Gen1 airbags if you have a car that has them. And maybe even change the steering wheel.” — Matt, [50:18]
Matt (colorblind) on logo contrast: “Nice, subtle swastika. No, like, I’m just saying, like, maybe…it’s way, way more subtle. The fact that like black and white, nice, subtle swastika.” [100:06]

NOTABLE QUOTES & MEMORABLE EXCHANGES

On Porsche Active Ride:
- “Active ride can do both at the same time. Which is…game over for a daily driver type of car…” — Matt Farah, [13:34]
On the Air-cooled 911 Experience:
- “I totally understand why people spend all the money on this…when it’s done well and the car is kind of restored.” — Zach, [35:11]
On Cost of Building Air-cooled 911 Hot Rods:
- “What you had was the greatest $150,000 driving experience possible…but it actually cost 300." — Matt Farah, [41:07]
On the Spinning Porsche Crest:
- “For real. The monochrome one looks like a swastika when it’s spinning.” — Matt Farah, [101:20]
On Opportunity Cost:
- “It didn’t cost you 200 grand, it actually cost you 12. But you had to park 200 grand.” — Matt Farah, [46:12]

TIMESTAMPS FOR IMPORTANT SEGMENTS

NSX Auction / Vespa Chat.....................................[05:04-07:11]
Taycan GTS Review (Active Ride, Value)...........[08:28-29:30]
Hot-rodded Air-cooled 911 Experience.................[30:10-48:44]
Cost of Porsche Hot Rod Builds..............................[38:41-41:07]
Porsche Crest Swastika Experiment....................[51:05-55:00, 93:03-101:20]
Q&A (Performance Cars, Daily Driver Dreams).......[57:05, 58:45, 85:46-87:27]
Random Car Nerd Debates / Market Talk...............[71:26, 84:43, 86:22]

CONCLUSION

This episode is classic "Smoking Tire": sharp and irreverent, yet deeply nerdy about driving, ownership math, and the joy of old and new cars. Whether you want insight into the latest Taycan GTS, need to hear the religious experience of a sorted air-cooled 911, or just enjoy mythology-busting (and meme-worthy) Porsche logo science, this show is for you.

Patreon shoutouts, sponsor reads, and some extensive listener Q&A omitted for focus on main content.