Audi E-Tron GT Perf. Incar w/ Kyle Kinard; What's a "Real" Ferrari Experience?

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Smoking Tire Episode Title: Audi E-Tron GT Perf. Incar w/ Kyle Kinard; What's a "Real" Ferrari Experience? Release Date: April 22, 2025 Hosts: Zack Klapman & Matt Farah

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Introduction

In this episode of The Smoking Tire, hosts Matt Farah and Zack Klapman delve into a multifaceted automotive discussion. The episode features an in-depth exploration of Matt's newly modified Porsche Taycan, a comprehensive review of the Audi E-Tron GT Performance with Kyle Kinard from Motor1, and a lively Q&A session addressing listeners' questions about Ferrari experiences and the distinctions between the Porsche Macan and Cayenne.

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Segment 1: In-Studio Discussion on Porsche Taycan Modifications

The episode kicks off with Matt Farah sharing his recent modifications to his Porsche Taycan, specifically the installation of new HRE 522 wheels. Matt expresses excitement mixed with apprehension about how these changes affect the car's aesthetics and performance.

Notable Highlights:

• Brake Visibility: Matt reveals that the new wheels expose the car's steel calipers, which were previously concealed. He discusses the potential for painting the brakes gloss black but opts to clean them instead to maintain a natural look.
  Matt Farah [03:29]: "I could have, for two grand in the same amount of time painted the brakes gloss black. But I didn't."

• Wheel Width and Handling: The discussion shifts to the increased width of the new tires (265 front, 305 rear) compared to the stock setup (245 front, 285 rear). Matt notes that while the weight reduction from the new wheels is negligible in everyday driving, the wider stance likely contributes more to the altered handling dynamics.
  Zack Klapman [09:44]: "But you're curious, like, why haven't I felt the difference? It's such a small percentage of the vehicle."

• Aftermarket Modifications vs. Factory Settings: Matt touches on the debate between aftermarket hardware modifications and software tweaks, ultimately favoring solutions that preserve the vehicle's original ride quality.

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Segment 2: Audi E-Tron GT Performance Review with Kyle Kinard

The second major segment features an exclusive review of the Audi E-Tron GT Performance, co-hosted with Kyle Kinard of Motor1. This high-performance electric vehicle discussion centers on horsepower, acceleration, suspension systems, and overall driving experience.

Notable Highlights:

• Horsepower and Acceleration: The Audi E-Tron GT Performance boasts an impressive 912 horsepower and accelerates from 0 to 60 mph in just 2 seconds. Matt and Kyle compare this to the Porsche Taycan Turbo models, noting that while both are powerful, the Audi offers distinct performance characteristics.
  Matt Farah [25:30]: "It's a 912 horsepower, Audi's quickest and fast, not fastest accelerating, Accelerating."

• Suspension and Handling: The conversation delves into the car's hydraulic suspension system, adapted from the Taycan, which actively leans the body during cornering. While this enhances comfort and stability at high speeds, Kyle points out occasional issues at extreme velocities where the suspension feels unresponsive.
  Zack Klapman [30:12]: "It's gonna try to keep that car as flat as possible, not necessarily actively leaning into the corner."

• Regenerative Braking: Audi has enhanced the regenerative braking (regen) capability, allowing more braking force before the traditional calipers engage. This shift aims to provide a smoother transition between regen and mechanical braking.
  Matt Farah [33:01]: "They've increased the regen capability of the motors. So now even more of that braking is done by Regen before you even get to the caliper."

• Design and Features: Despite the high performance, Matt criticizes the Audi for its square steering wheel and plastic door handles, contrasting sharply with the more refined interiors of competitors like Porsche.
  Matt Farah [37:27]: "I hate square steering wheels so much. I just am so against them."

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Segment 3: Listener Q&A – Ferrari Experience & Porsche Macan vs. Cayenne

The episode transitions to a Q&A segment where Matt and Zack address questions from their patrons, providing expert opinions on various automotive topics.

Notable Highlights:

Q1: Is Driving a Rented Ferrari a "Real" Ferrari Experience?

A listener wonders whether driving a rented Ferrari California convertible equates to having a genuine Ferrari experience compared to driving a front-engine Corvette.

Hosts' Response:

• Matt Farah: Asserts that driving any Ferrari model, including rentals like the California, constitutes a real Ferrari experience, emphasizing the brand's legacy and the intrinsic qualities that define a Ferrari drive.
  Matt Farah [60:45]: "You absolutely had a fucking Ferrari experience. The very definition is having a drive in something that is called, that came out of Maranello is a Ferrari experience."

• Zack Klapman: Adds that while driving a Miata or similar cars could offer fun experiences, they do not replicate the sound, engine performance, and overall feel unique to Ferraris.
  Zack Klapman [61:05]: "Technically, you're driving a Ferrari. But it sounds like a Ferrari. It's got a good Ferrari engine."

Q2: Porsche Macan vs. Cayenne – Performance and Practicality

Another listener compares the Porsche Macan S with a Mark 8 Golf, questioning whether the Cayenne offers a substantial performance boost over the Macan.

Hosts' Response:

• Matt Farah: Suggests that higher trims of the Macan, like the GTS, provide a noticeable performance difference compared to the standard models, but the Cayenne, especially with V8 options, does offer significant power. However, he notes that Macans are lighter and more agile, making them more fun for spirited driving.
  Matt Farah [55:24]: "The Macan GTS or like the higher performance trim does feel significantly different. But the Cayennes with V8s and stuff... do."

• Zack Klapman: Prefers the Macan for its agility and driving enjoyment, especially for those who do not require the additional space and power of the Cayenne. He emphasizes that the Macan feels more nimble and engaging.
  Zack Klapman [55:55]: "I think they're more fun to drive quickly. So I would rather, if I was gonna have a fun car and I didn't need all the extra space... I would much rather drive a higher spec Macan than a medium spec Cayenne."

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Conclusion

In this episode, Matt and Zack provide a thorough examination of high-performance electric vehicles, specifically focusing on the Audi E-Tron GT Performance's capabilities and how it stacks up against the Porsche Taycan. Their candid discussions about vehicle modifications, performance enhancements, and listener inquiries offer valuable insights for automotive enthusiasts. The episode underscores the balance between performance, practicality, and brand-specific driving experiences, especially when comparing luxury brands like Audi and Porsche.

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Notable Quotes:

• Matt Farah [03:29]: "I could have... painted the brakes gloss black. But I didn't."
• Matt Farah [25:30]: "It's a 912 horsepower, Audi's quickest and fast, not fastest accelerating, Accelerating."
• Matt Farah [55:24]: "The Macan GTS or like the higher performance trim does feel significantly different."
• Matt Farah [60:45]: "You absolutely had a fucking Ferrari experience."
• Zack Klapman [55:55]: "I think they're more fun to drive quickly. So I would much rather drive a higher spec Macan than a medium spec Cayenne."

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Transcript

[Matt Farah]

What up, everybody? Today's episode of the Smoking Tire podcast is brought to you by off the Record. We love off the Record over here because they're looking out for you, the little guy. Maybe you're just trying to get to work. Maybe you're trying to pick up the kids at school, and maybe you're having a little bit of fun. You deserve quality representation. Don't plead guilty when you get tickets. That's what I'm getting at here, people. Don't plead guilty. Get off the record, go to offtherecord.com ticketstst or get the off the Record app and use code TST25 off the record. We'll set you up with a qualified attorney in the jurisdiction where you got that ticket. And they'll fight it. They'll negotiate with the prosecutor, whatever they have to do to get those points off your record. And if they don't, you don't pay again. All you have to do is go to offtherecord.com TST or use code TST25 in the off the Record app. We'll get you 10% off all legal services from off the Record. All right, guys, this is a little bit of a different episode because it's a bit segmented. We're going to start in the studio where I got some new wheels on my Taycan just in time for air Water, and they feel a little bit different from my stock wheels. We kind of debate why that is. Then we cut to the audi e tron GT performance with my friend Kyle Kennard of Motor1, and we review that car while driving that car in the Las Veg area. We then come back to the studio with some excellent Q and A from our patrons, including is a old, somewhat crappy rental Ferrari a real Ferrari experience. And what are the real differences dynamically and practically between the Porsche Macan and the Cayenne? It's the Smoking Tire podcast. Let's go. I'm proud of myself because I could have spent this morning alone. I could have spent $3,600 that I didn't spend. I got to Arling's. Are we recording?

[Zach Klapman]

Mm.

[Matt Farah]

Okay. So halfway through a conversation yesterday, I got the wheels on the Taycan. I'm so excited. But I had to drop it off immediately at our strada this morning because I cannot a Air water has to be done this. The rest of this takes time to be. I cannot drive a halfway modified car. My brain fucking short circuits needs to be done. And I take it. So only one day with a half modified Car anxiety. Relieved.

[Zach Klapman]

I know we're very different. I know.

[Matt Farah]

Relatable, but no. Maybe other people can relate at any. At any scale. At any scale. So I went to Aristrada this morning because he's going to do my white arches and the clear corners and the Euro mirrors. But what happened was we got the new wheels on the car and now I can see the brakes. And the brakes have been behind these sort of aero disc wheels for the car's entire life. So they're not that pretty to look at. They're not horrible, but they're not pretty. And they've never been cleaned. So I could have, for two grand in the same amount of time painted the brakes gloss black. But I didn't.

[Zach Klapman]

Wow.

[Matt Farah]

I resisted. Right. That's exactly.

[Zach Klapman]

Well, what color are they when they're clean?

[Matt Farah]

I haven't really cleaned.

[Zach Klapman]

Are they just steel brakes, like calipers?

[Matt Farah]

They're steel calipers. They were painted matte black, which has faded a little bit. And it does say Porsche in white, but it's a little faded also. So, like, at first glance, they're not bad. But behind a beautiful set of HRE 522s, there's an obvious contrast. Right, Right. And with one side. So. But I decided that was not for today. I decided that we would take a little more time and try to, like, clean them better. Like, we put a hose on them because I didn't have time yesterday to really try to clean them. So we put a hose on them. It's going to take more than a hose, but it's not like beyond hope. But I did not spend $2,000 painting the brakes.

[Zach Klapman]

I wonder how clean you could get. Like, you need a little brush. You need to do the layering.

[Matt Farah]

Yeah. No, we need, like brake cleaner and a brush and a fucking zoom call with Larry. Those three things together and it'll be fine.

[Zach Klapman]

Yeah.

[Matt Farah]

And hopefully we'll have time to do it before air water. Because I can't look at it right now. Even though most people. It probably wouldn't bother.

[Zach Klapman]

Yeah. Especially can you just blast it with compressed air. Is like. Are they just dusty?

[Matt Farah]

It's not. They're not. It's dingy. It's a. You know what I mean? It's a Accumulation of non cleaning.

[Zach Klapman]

I bet there's also salty residue from being in Detroit on this.

[Matt Farah]

Could be.

[Zach Klapman]

Which will look. Which will make a matte black finish look grayer.

[Matt Farah]

Yeah. So anyway, we're gonna try to clean them first. That's resist one and resist two is. I Could have in the same amount of time that the car is at our Strada. Done. The electronic show lowering module, which is a box that hacks the air suspension control so that you can like the lowest mode you can only do while in park, it's like load light height but it allows you to drive on the lower modes.

[Zach Klapman]

Why would you like. To me, that only makes sense for shooting like rolling three quarters.

[Matt Farah]

Yeah, I know it's literally four.

[Zach Klapman]

It might damage something or hurt suspension or whatever. And you know.

[Matt Farah]

Yeah, it's tempting because it's software. I mean it's in a computer. But it's not drop links, it's not lowering springs. And when you're actually driving it, it's normal. It's totally normal.

[Zach Klapman]

So you just want to be able to. As you're pulling into a car show.

[Matt Farah]

Yes.

[Zach Klapman]

You want to be at parking height.

[Matt Farah]

You want to. Yes, yes, that's what I want. But not for 16 Honda on a depreciating EV. That was. That was what. And Arling, who is the owner of our Strada and is a man of taste. I mean truly a man of taste. He has an E Tron GT which he also got very depreciated. Highly recommend. And that's how he told me about this. He's like, you know, they make this. You don't have to do the lowering kit, you can just do this thing. And I was like, you get it? And he was like, no, I didn't think it was worth it. He's like, it's easier to just press the low button when you're parked. Yeah, exactly.

[Zach Klapman]

Then you have to take the box out when you sell it or something or explain what it is that just doesn't seem worth it. Yeah.

[Matt Farah]

And the ways to lower it that are aftermarket hardware ways apparently just wreck the ride. So that's unacceptable.

[Zach Klapman]

You'd get it. I know you would get it. Because you'd have some 22 year old that you have shoot rolling three quarter shops.

[Matt Farah]

Well, I know if you care about Instagram more than you care about your luxury car being a fucking luxury car. Like that's what I'm saying.

[Zach Klapman]

That's what I'm saying.

[Matt Farah]

Yeah. I've been in luxury cars with ruined rides before. It's so stupid.

[Zach Klapman]

It takes away a huge part of what you spend the money on.

[Matt Farah]

So horrible.

[Zach Klapman]

Like we said on the last show about adding wide wheels and spacers, you're messing up the geometry that brilliant Porsche engineers designed.

[Matt Farah]

Yeah. So at least the wheels that are on the car, are they're Porsche sized and lighter. It is weird. I would think that the lightness of it would have changed the feel a little more than it has.

[Zach Klapman]

Ooh. I think. Well, the only person you told me that when you drove a car on old carbon wheels. This is old being like this was 15 years ago.

[Matt Farah]

Yeah. It was a GT3.

[Zach Klapman]

You could feel a big difference.

[Matt Farah]

But on the track you absolutely could.

[Zach Klapman]

You know, I mean, my wheels, my apex wheels are six pounds lighter per corner, just in wheels. And then the tires are probably lighter too. The Bridgestone R specs or R compounds. But like around town I can't feel the weight difference.

[Matt Farah]

Yeah. Maybe I need to like go on a windy road on the highway. I couldn't feel the difference.

[Zach Klapman]

I mean, your car's also like £4,500 or whatever.

[Matt Farah]

Yeah. And I also don't care if I feel the difference. It's. I wanted to. I weighed them out of curiosity, not because I sought lightness. I just wanted to look cool. Well, obviously.

[Zach Klapman]

But you're curious, like, why haven't I felt the difference? It's such a small percentage of the vehicle.

[Matt Farah]

They might be wider. Like I think they're the turbo sized, but I think that's wider than the ones the four have. I have to look. I didn't really pay attention to the what came off the car, to be honest with you. I was much more focused on what was going on the car. But the fact that they are wider or could be wider probably are wider changes the feel, I think more than the reduction in weight.

[Zach Klapman]

Is a Taycan 4. No.

[Matt Farah]

Yeah, it's a 4.

[Zach Klapman]

It's a 4.

[Matt Farah]

Yeah. And I had the 20 inch wheel. I think the rears were 295 before and I think now they're 305.

[Zach Klapman]

I mean, this is a quick [e-mail] but this says the 20 inch wheel is a 245 front. It's a 2022 car. 245 front, 285 rear.

[Matt Farah]

Yeah. So now I have wider tires. Mine are I think now 265, 305 or 275. 305. That's a substantial increase in width.

[Zach Klapman]

A 2022 Turbo S is a 265 front. 305 rear.

[Matt Farah]

That's what I have now. So the fact that they are wider far offsets whatever the fact that they're lighter. I mean, the car, I'm sure on the mountain, it'll handle much. Much. It'll probably handle great. Those elements are both very Good. But on the highway, you'll have heavier steering, and you won't notice the change in weight.

[Zach Klapman]

Yeah.

[Matt Farah]

So we'll just have to drive it up the mountain then.

[Zach Klapman]

My steering. See, my tire width's the same as it was before with my old wheels, but it does feel lighter tracking straight on the highway.

[Matt Farah]

Oh, it does.

[Zach Klapman]

Like, it doesn't dart around and feel like the steering doesn't feel as thick, which is interesting.

[Matt Farah]

Yeah, well, trying to turn that gyroscope. I mean, smaller gyroscope. When I did that thing with the carbon wheels, it changed everything. It stopped better. It went better. It turned in better. I mean, the steering was lighter, but no less precise. I mean, everything about it was awesome, which is like, kind of like why I totally get carbon wheels. It's just they're not as durable. I was at HRE yesterday, and they have a new carbon wheel that they're doing where the. It's actually. It's not, like, quote, as light as possible. It's lighter than the lightest metal wheel, but not as light as some other wheels because they want it to be the most durable carbon wheel. So. Okay, cool.

[Zach Klapman]

Carbon wheels.

[Matt Farah]

I was like, so can I have those?

[Zach Klapman]

And they're like, no carbon revolutions.

[Matt Farah]

Right.

[Zach Klapman]

That was the company that we met in 2009.

[Matt Farah]

Yeah. And that's at least up until the Shelby GT500. That was the supplier for Ford. Right.

[Zach Klapman]

And they have had some fragility issues. And I think it's because it's a complicated thing. And we thought just taking weight out of the wheel is a good idea, but we didn't realize, like, well, people knew. But wheels endure so much abuse, impact, small things, little curbs, whatever. And all of that can just, like, spider and cause a problem. I mean, we. We toasted a carbon wheel on a set of proving grounds dipping off a corner at Chuckwalla. And other cars with metal wheels had done that the same day, and they were fine.

[Matt Farah]

We toasted an E. Ray carbon wheel doing nothing out of the ordinary. I mean, it was on a racetrack, but it wasn't like a crash or an impact. It was just like a regular ass lap in which. And Alan and Patrick at HRE were like, yeah, like, we understand, like, their wheels aren't one piece carbon. It's a carbon barrel with a metal center. So he said, you really, you know, you don't really. You can make this center part, like, very light and, you know, whatever. The carbon barrel's thin, thicker than other companies. They're trying to say they have the Car. Do I have a way to prove or disprove this? Like fucking no, it's a baseball bat. No, I do not. But these folks very much care about making wheels that don't break too spec, all that stuff. Yeah. And we were laughing about how we met. We shot some video for them. They relaunched their YouTube channel, HRE. So I did an interview with them and they're like, do you remember how we met? And I was like, I remember when you came on our podcast, very early episode and I basically learned in real time why the wheels I had on my Corvette were total shit. And I was like, uh huh. Yeah. Oh. Oh shit.

[Zach Klapman]

That's a good pod video. With Alan way back in the day, he came on and was just like, here's how wheels work and why so many of them are actually dangerous. And granted, look, he had a vested interest because his company, I mean he owns the company. But if you look at how many companies are not allowed to put their wheels on the road in Germany. Yeah, that's pretty telling about the stress testing that goes on.

[Matt Farah]

Yeah. So anyway, that was fun. Folks, gotta take a quick break because today's show is sponsored by Kramo. Look, here's the thing about being a larger than average human. You're always a little self conscious about being sweaty and you're always a little self conscious about being smelly, even if you're really neither of those things. So just in case Kramo is here, it's designed to provide men with 48 hour odor protection. Whether it's the deodorant or the creams, it's got everything you need to stay moisturized, to stay antiperspirated and to stay odor free. Every Krameau product is barber grade and made with pride, professionalism and passion. To guarantee you quality without compromise, Cremo's got two new signature scents, the Italian bergamot, which is bright, fresh and robust, showcasing notes of bergamot narrowly blossom and fresh vet Vetiver. What's a vetiver? I'm gonna have to look up what a vetiver is. Hey, Siri, look up vetiver. Palo Santo is deep, smoky and refined, featuring notes of palo santo, bright cardamom and dry papyrus. Man, I've been using it for the last couple weeks and I am smelling nice. It's just that hint of freshness. It's sort of like you don't need cologne. And also you can sort of alternate showers with this stuff. And it is exceptional. Uses enhanced multi layered scent technology for a longer lasting experience. You can apply it once and enjoy how you smell all day. Krameau also offers a wide range of other grooming products for men, including the shave cream, beard oil and shampoo. So you can find your favorite scent and buy the whole body care line. I got the Palo Santo with the beard oil. That is a really good combo. Head over to Target physically like go to Target or from home go to target.com to find Cremo's new line of antiperse prints and deodorants in the Italian Bergamot and Palo Santos scents. Once again, go to Target or hit up target.com and thank you to Kraimo for sponsoring today's episode. Also, support Today Coming in hot from Deleteme who make it easy, quick and safe to remove your personal data at a time when surveillance and data breaches are common enough to make everyone vulnerable. Listen, there are people out there called data brokers. They buy and sell your private data. It's the commodity and anyone can buy it, right? It's easy. This can lead to identity theft, phishing attempts and harassment. Not to mention phone calls and scam texts, et cetera, et cetera. But now you can protect your privacy with Delete Me. This is so easy. All I had to do, they set me up. You go to the website, you type in some personal information that you would like deleted, such as and they prompt you. It's like your current address and previous addresses, your phone numbers, your email addresses, your parents and friends addresses. It takes a little while, but then they come back with all this information they found on data broker websites that connects back to you and then they delete it. And it's an ongoing thing. It's not one time every month they send me a new report that says what they found, what they deleted, and what I have to approve of for them to take the next steps. And you can get in this game too. Take control of your data and keep your private life private by signing up for Deleteme with a special discount for TST listeners. Get 20% off your Delete Me plan when you go to JoinDeleteMe.com Tire and use promo code tire at checkout. The only way to get 20% off is to go to JoinDeleteMe.com Tire and enter code Tire at checkout. That's JoinDeleteMe.com Tire code Tire and now back to the show. Thank you to everyone who sent me emails and DMs about iPad Pro versus laptops for traveling. It seems like the iPad Pro with keyboard does do a lot, but three different People made a very good point, which is that it's almost impossible to use one on your actual lap. And I was like, oh, great point, great point. And straight deal breaker, 100% deal breaker.

[Zach Klapman]

Plenty of times that tray is not in the right place. I'm on my left if you're not in the plane and. Oh, man.

[Matt Farah]

Right? That ain't so. Basically, we need to. I need to go. I need to either bite the bullet and get another 13 inch MacBook Pro and accept that a $3,000 laptop every six years is a totally acceptable business exp. Or see if the new MacBook Airs are fast enough for my needs.

[Zach Klapman]

And yeah, they probably are, to be honest. Probably.

[Matt Farah]

Yeah.

[Zach Klapman]

But like, if it's the M1 chip, like, look into this, dude.

[Matt Farah]

I'm running an intel.

[Zach Klapman]

The M1 changed my life with editing and processing footage. So if you have that, it'll be future proof.

[Matt Farah]

Well, thank you to everyone who helped. And since. Since we're now crowdsourcing things like this. Hannah. I talked to Hannah and she was like, oh, that's great. Can we crowdsource this problem? And I said, yeah, sure, let's crowdsource a problem. In my house, we have a hot water heater. There's two in my house because I have a one story house and bathrooms are like real far away. So we have to have two smaller water heaters instead of one big one. The one by my bedroom is a traditional one. And we have this loop thing. It's a circulator, so it circulates the water in a loop and the hot water heaters at one end and our showers at the other end, so it makes hot water come out faster. Okay. It's pretty cool. Except the change. Our water temperature goes up and down and up and down and up and down. And it's very inconsistent. And Hannah has kept a fucking log of days and times testing the water. Remember, she does research, right?

[Zach Klapman]

Yeah.

[Matt Farah]

She can't find a pattern. No patterns in this. And so we've had two plumbers come look at it, totally fucking stumped.

[Zach Klapman]

There's no pattern.

[Matt Farah]

There's no pattern in when the water is very hot. Now, it's never not hot, but it's pretty degrees. She hasn't done thermometer, but it's noticeable. Spreads between.

[Zach Klapman]

You feel the change. That's all you need to know.

[Matt Farah]

Yeah.

[Zach Klapman]

Wow.

[Matt Farah]

And it's not like change like, oh, you've used the water out and it's now running out. I'm talking about fresh hot water, full tank, different times of Day. Different days of the week.

[Zach Klapman]

I have a crazy question.

[Matt Farah]

Yeah.

[Zach Klapman]

And I'm not an electrician. I wonder if. Did you mark down if an EV was plugged into your house to charge or not at the time?

[Matt Farah]

My water heaters are gas.

[Zach Klapman]

Oh, they are.

[Matt Farah]

I can't imagine they're electric. Yeah, no, they're gas.

[Zach Klapman]

Never mind.

[Matt Farah]

Good thought.

[Zach Klapman]

Yeah, maybe. Or dumb thought.

[Matt Farah]

We'll see. What I'll say. Unlikely in general because we typically charge the EVs at night rather than during the day.

[Zach Klapman]

But like, you don't shower at night.

[Matt Farah]

Huh?

[Zach Klapman]

You don't shower at night.

[Matt Farah]

Afternoon, I mean, mostly afternoons. But Hannah was. Hannah's been testing it throughout the day. She said we can't if we were just testing it at 4 or 5pm yeah. Yeah. So if someone out there is a plumber and, and has experience with that, fucking send me a note. Got a crowdsource this one a little bit. Everybody's stumped with it.

[Zach Klapman]

You could ask. ChatGPT is basically, basically like crowdsourcing, but it's stolen.

[Matt Farah]

I know. And there's Hannah's on. Hannah uses Reddit. And so I was like, yo. Fucking our plumbing. Like, what's the deal?

[Zach Klapman]

I love Reddit.

[Matt Farah]

But like. Yeah, so we're. We're kind of stumped by this. Wow. Very weird. And. And the last plumber, you know, the hot water heater has like four settings and we, this is a two year old heater and we, we started with it on setting number one and then very quickly went to setting number two. And then the plumber, this most recent plumber, was like, oh, just like it'll fluctuate. Just turn it up to number three and then like use less on the dial. And I was like, I am just not comfortable with escalating the temperature of this water heater.

[Zach Klapman]

Right. Because if it kicks up to hot, like it's so frustrating when you set a shower at, let's just say 3/4 to the red thing and it's fine. And then there's a blast of hot that makes you feel like you're about to die or it drops to cold.

[Matt Farah]

Yeah. And I don't know shit about plumbing, just. But like apparently this is enough to stump professional plumbers.

[Zach Klapman]

That's fun.

[Matt Farah]

So. Yeah. So if anyone has any good thoughts, let me know. So this is going to be a little bit of a different show because when I was in Las Vegas two weeks ago, I went on the launch for the Audi E Tron GT performance. It's basically, it's not quite Audi's version of a Taycan Turbo gt. Because the Turbo GT is designed to be like pretty hardcore. It's more like their version of the Taycan Turbo S. So it's just a monster amount of horsepower, but it's a street tuned car so I got to drive it with Kyle Kennard, formerly of Road and Track, now at Motor One he actually used to write about. I took over his column writing about watches at Road and Track. A man of taste. And so we recorded a review podcast of this car from the car and we're going to give it to you right now in the show and then we're going to come back afterwards and we're going to do some Patreon Q and A. So I'm going to kick it to myself after these ads. Guys, one more break because support for the show comes today from True Work. They are hell bent on creating the most technical high performance workwear in the world. The TrueWerk story begins in the Colorado mountains where a trade worker knew there had to be a better solution than the wet heavy gear that was weighing him down. And True Work was born. Man, they sent me a couple of things. They sent me some pants, they sent me some shorts, they sent me a hoodie. And all of it fits perfectly. I'm dead on the money. I could be a XXL fit model for this company. The hoodie is so nice. It's lightweight, it's warm, the pockets are good, they zip up. My phone's not going to fall out of my pocket when I get in and out of cars. Minimal extra bulk, minimal extra weight, but a really nice fit and look. Denim and cotton and canvas haven't changed much for over 200 years and TrueWerk upgrades the traditional classics by using the same fabrics worn by elite outdoor athletes like soft, stretchy sweat, wicking soft shell work pants, wind and waterproof shells, and more. TrueWerk has over 50,000 5 star reviews and countless stories from trade pros in every state and every job across the country. Upgrade to TrueWerk for a major change in the way you work or live. I don't have like a manual labor job, but I really like the TrueWerk clothing. You can also just wear it in life. True Work helps you be at your best when your best matters most. Check out the full lineup and get 15% off your first order at truewerk.com tire that's 15% off at t r u e W-E-R-K.com tire that's t r u e w e r k.com tire and now back to the program. Welcome to a special segment of the Smoking Tire podcast called I Had to Share a Car on a press launch. And so we're gonna make podcasting instead of videos. With Kyle Kennard of Motor1, slumming it with Motor1 today, formerly of Road and Track, now of Motor One, along with a few other people. And we're in the Audi RS E Tron GT Performance.

[C]

Yeah, I forgot two letters.

[Matt Farah]

There's. It's a, it's a mouthful and it's frankly doesn't roll off the tongue, but it's 912 horsepower, Audi's quickest and fast, not fastest accelerating, Accelerating.

[C]

Yeah. Audi ever.

[Matt Farah]

Yeah. Now this extra power, 912 horsepower, new battery that's lighter, more efficient, more efficient, more energy dense, charges faster and has better range. In THEORY they say 278 miles, but that is not happening today. And it's 0 to 60 and 2.

[C]

They said they were seeing low tubes at the drag strip. Yeah, yeah.

[Matt Farah]

And so, I mean, look underneath. It's Taycan cleft. Right. So those are good bones. Did you drive the last car, Kyle?

[C]

I didn't drive the last car. So this is kind of my first impression of the, of the new. Well, I drove last Taycan, but I didn't drive last the first gen Audi.

[Matt Farah]

Okay.

[C]

Yeah.

[Matt Farah]

So I drove the first gen Audi and my impression of it was, you know, extremely competent but a little distant. You know, it's, it was very much driving a computer and it didn't have the wonderful steering that the Taycan got.

[C]

Yeah. How do you feel about. So that was the impression I got when I did the Taycan like development drive. However, that was like four or five years ago at this point, which was, you know, just massive capability. But it, I didn't find it as engaging, you know, in the in on a canyon road as maybe an equivalent 911 or something. I'm curious, from your frame of reference, like you own, you own a Taycan now. Yeah. How are you enjoying that though, as like enthusiast or are you using it more as like. This is a thing that goes fast in a straight line. Comfy. It's a Porsche.

[Matt Farah]

To me that car is an elevated appliance. Yeah, right. Which is what this car is too. Right. I have not, we've not reached the point yet today where I would actively choose an EV for canyon carving or anything like that. We may get there eventually, but that's not where I'm at now. But for my everyday driving, love an ev. So that's what that's where that. That car lives for me. It's elevated appliance.

[C]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Matt Farah]

This car, I mean, look, it feels tight. This interior is well made. There's all this forged carbon and stuff. I don't like the square steering wheel, though. Yeah, that's no bueno. But it, you know, it's. Here's the thing. Here's what I'm. I'm impressed with. 912 horsepower. I'm impressed with zero to 60 in two seconds. I know what they're doing. Right.

[C]

Does it feel like it has 900 horsepower to you? Like going in a straight line over a hundred.

[Matt Farah]

I don't think there's much difference between, you know, 22 and 26 in terms of your brain. But when you allegedly hit it at over 100 before.

[C]

Yeah.

[Matt Farah]

That. That's when. That's where you really notice the difference. Those cars, the Lucid, The Taycan Turbo GT, they just don't stop.

[C]

Yeah.

[Matt Farah]

The regular quick EVs, they kind of die around a 120.

[C]

Yeah. Yeah. I know this is like apples and, you know, steak knives, but, like driving the Revuelto.

[Matt Farah]

Yeah.

[C]

You know, which has similar horsepower. I can't remember exactly how many. Like, I remember the first time getting out onto the straight in that thing. Yeah. 1001. So fairly similar. And I just remember being like, it's. You're so overwhelmed by the power and the experience of it, and I think you're overwhelmed by the power because of the experience of the V12, because everything's so paired back because it's so loud. Whereas this, like, you. It irons out so much of that. It irons out so much of everything that I like, intellectually, I'm like, holy shit, I'm doing a buck 65 now. And I've been pressing the gas for, like four seconds or whatever it is, but it's like a different. It's different than just being in sheer awe of the speed. To me, it's like it's really smoothed out in a way that's kind of hard to describe unless you've like.

[Matt Farah]

Well, especially this car. Because now the other thing, which we haven't even brought up yet, is we get the hydraulic suspension, which is adapted from the Taycan also. Right. Obviously, Audi has their own programming, their own settings. There's no sway bars. It's four standalone hydraulic pumps, and it will actively lean the body where it needs to be.

[C]

Right.

[Matt Farah]

And when you talk about smoothing everything out. Yeah, that's what that does.

[C]

Yeah. And I mean, it does. It works Fabulously to that end, you know, and they've been. I think it's the same thing with the Porsche, like you were saying, where they're, they're really, they reiterate with the messaging like this is a comfort function, not a performance function. And it, it does exactly that. I was noticing when we were switching between the, the air suspension on and off, or, sorry, the active suspension on and off, because it is an air suspension, but the active suspension on and off. When we were above like 130, 140 with the active suspension on, it was actually allegedly here in Mexico to one outside of Tijuana here where we are. It actually kind of gets wallowy. Like the suspension can't figure out what it needs to be doing, how it needs to be responding, because there's not, you know, there's not like active amounts of pitch being generated by braking or, you know, cornering. And so it kind of starts floating in a weird, disconcerting way. Whereas when you have it turned off and it's that more conventional suspension response, then it, like, then it's really hunkered down up at those high speeds. But here, even here, where you're, you know, doing a six tenths or whatever at whatever miles an hour, it really. Yeah. The comfort's kind of incredible.

[Matt Farah]

There's. Because I'll tell you why I think they do that. I think it can't move the body fast enough.

[C]

Yeah.

[Matt Farah]

To be a sporty thing. Like you couldn't do like a slalom with it. Yeah. Right. But in comfort mode, presumably you're going slower.

[C]

Yeah.

[Matt Farah]

And so you're going into the corner at a pace that the car should be able to respond to. Whereas if you put it into, like if I just press the RS button now to bring up. To bring up something or this or drive mode button and we'll go into RS performance now, it's going to try to keep that car as flat as possible, not necessarily actively leaning into the corner.

[C]

Well, and it, yeah, it allows that. It allows that roll moment to happen progressively. Whereas that's what I was noticing with the active suspension, is it keeps it as flat as it can and then it kind of, it's like a. It's like you spilled some syrup on a table and it's just going toward the edge of the table and then it all of a sudden kind of falls off. And that's what's happening with that active suspension. So you. Eventually, it seems like the inertia overcomes the capability of the active suspension and it just kind of 8,000.

[Matt Farah]

8,000Ft.

[C]

Shit.

[Matt Farah]

Yeah.

[C]

And then it all of a sudden kind of reacts. So it just. It slows down everything to such a degree. Pretty incredible system, actually.

[Matt Farah]

This car is as. Through these open sweepers. This is a very nice, fluid experience. Like, it's hard to criticize because it is objectively doing all of these things really well. One thing they've done is they've increased the regen capability of the motors. So now even more of that braking is done by Regen before you even get to the caliper. And so that transition, which is awkward in some of the Porsches between regen and caliper happens deeper in the pedal now, and you really. What do they say? 0.45 G D cell. Yep. Is where the handoff happens. And so 0.45 GS for most road driving is you're gonna be using a hundred percent.

[C]

What was that? There was a study I saw that was like. It was going over crash data. Yeah, it was like, people would rather crash than break or corner above, like, 0.6g or something like that.

[Matt Farah]

Oh, they just don't turn the wheel hard enough.

[C]

Like, they will not turn the wheel. They will not ask more than, like, 0.6g of the car in braking or turning. They'll just hit something.

[Matt Farah]

Yeah, well, people. You know, when you find this, I'm going slower because I was told by our. The photographer back there, he said when it gets to the. To the straight bit at the bottom of the hill, he said there was cops hiding, so we're gonna be careful. But. But yes, absolutely. The wait, I just blanked.

[C]

So that's.

[Matt Farah]

Where were we?

[C]

Well, I was talking about. You were talking about the threshold of, like, 0.43.

[Matt Farah]

Oh, right. Where it switches.

[C]

And I was thinking, like, that's pretty. That's, like, pretty aggressive.

[Matt Farah]

Yeah.

[C]

Crossover.

[Matt Farah]

All right, hang on. I'm going to. I'm going to hit the brakes kind of hard. Okay. So hang on a second here. Oh, well, you still can feel when it happens. Right. So I can be in region there.

[C]

Yeah.

[Matt Farah]

So you can actually ride that? Yeah. Like, for most of this cornering here, this is going to be all on the regen. I never have to hit. That's Regen. Regen. Regen. Regen. Caliper. Well, you can feel it and you.

[C]

Can with the paddles now on these new Audis, that's how you adjust the brake regen.

[Matt Farah]

Right.

[C]

So they're not for, like, virtual shifting, like in the Ioniq 5N. That's how you Increase or decrease the regeneration.

[Matt Farah]

It doesn't have that much regen in terms of a one pedal driving system. It doesn't have that. I really like the ride. I mean this thing's expensive, right. This is 190k as tested. Base price 1 167. But they've done some actual like sort of nomenclature trickery. So there's Now S&Rs. There's no regular one anymore. The S replaces the regular and the RS just moves up. But the S is now as powerful as the old RS.

[C]

Yeah.

[Matt Farah]

And this gets 275 extra horsepower.

[C]

It seems like they, they basically figured out the volume model.

[Matt Farah]

Yeah.

[C]

What people were actually going to spring for and just streamlined it and they.

[Matt Farah]

Also styled they with the, with the, the update to the front and rear fascias. They've differentiated the difference between the S and the RS a little more because they really did look alike before. Very hard to tell. And if you're, if you're with us in audio you won't, you won't see it. But I'll. For the video I'll put, we'll have some, some photos and video B roll so you'll see what those differences are.

[C]

And it's, it's front and rear fascias.

[Matt Farah]

Wheels.

[C]

Wheels. Yeah.

[Matt Farah]

Dash interior trim.

[C]

Actually really, really cool wheel options too on that like performance package with six double spokes.

[Matt Farah]

I thought so.

[C]

Really nice.

[Matt Farah]

And the, so the, and the hydraulic suspension is sold as a pair. Excuse me. Paired with ceramic brakes. And it's 11k for both.

[C]

Yeah.

[Matt Farah]

That's actually a pretty good value.

[C]

That's like still cheaper than what Porsche charges. Porsche charges like PCCB.

[Matt Farah]

They charge 9500 for PCCBs and they charge 7 for the system suspension.

[C]

Yeah. So it's actually good, good value in the, you know, relative to 190 000.

[Matt Farah]

Well, the Audi's cheaper. Yeah, the Audi is cheaper. I hate this steering wheel so much. Dude. The square wheel with haptic buttons on it.

[C]

Yeah.

[Matt Farah]

Paddles that don't shift gears. I, I hate square steering wheels so much. I just am so against them. And my Porsche has a round wheel and I like it very, very much.

[C]

Do you think you could swap a Porsche wheel onto this one?

[Matt Farah]

I doubt it. Not with all this haptic stuff. I bet you none of that.

[C]

It's not a similar layout to your.

[Matt Farah]

It's different. I bet they do not talk to each other at all. But I do like the buttons for climate control, buttons for drive mode, real buttons there. Buttons for your boost and Your.

[C]

It does beg the question why, you know, why couldn't they just go all the way? Like, there's no, there's no reason for haptic buttons on any vehicle, especially on steering wheels. They stink.

[Matt Farah]

And also, and I just asked and they confirmed this. These door handles, which are beautifully styled, I like how they look, are plastic.

[C]

Yeah.

[Matt Farah]

And I just drove the S3 starting under 50k and they're almost the same unit and they're metal.

[C]

Yeah.

[Matt Farah]

That is weird. Fully weird.

[C]

So forged carbon. Forged carbon is plastic. Right. It's a, it's a matrix of plastic that they have.

[Matt Farah]

It's bio ceramic.

[C]

Yeah. Somebody read the marketing material. So what, you know, why don't they make a. Why don't they make the door handle out of the, you know, this cool material, not like actual plastic. Yeah, shitty plastic. Like make it look, at least make it look nice.

[Matt Farah]

It is, you know, Audi does interior as well. It's one of the things that they, they do.

[C]

Yeah.

[Matt Farah]

That is such a bizarre oversight in an otherwise lovely.

[C]

There's only two things you're guaranteed to touch inside a car with your hands on any drive, and it's the door handle.

[Matt Farah]

And this is, has a suede steering wheel, which I would not want.

[C]

And it's not like, it's not like it's half and half suede, you know, with some leather and then like the suede accents all full suede.

[Matt Farah]

I, the, you know, I said this on a previous show, but the only, I think I told said it to Seinfeld. The only regret. I made two bad decisions just getting my Spider. No, no, no. In life. Made two bad decisions this week. No getting my Spider. I shouldn't have gotten Alcantara steering wheel. I don't, I grip it differently because it's Alcantara and that's a problem. And I also, they didn't do a good job of explaining, explaining to me that if you don't get dual zone climate control, I'm like, it's a tiny car. What do I need, dual zone? Well, it's not automatic climate control unless you get dual zone. So it's like old ass levers, which will probably be worth more money because it's more analog.

[C]

That's right.

[Matt Farah]

But I, that's, it's. I have to fiddle with it constantly instead of just leaving it at 70.

[C]

You've got to start prepping now for writing about like lever feel, you know, so in like 20 years when you go to sell that thing.

[Matt Farah]

Yeah, yeah, that's what I wrote about the Pagani Utopia about Leatherfield. What else do we need to go over with this particular car? I have a nice straightaway here, so I can take the time to look at my notebook and see.

[C]

Don't use your cell phone while you drive, but reading.

[Matt Farah]

Use this huge tablet above board. Push the push to pass button. That gives you 94 horsepower on the button. Yeah. They changed the front axle steering ratio to make it more direct. Still not as good as Porsche, but it's pretty good. Okay. The battery capacity is 105 kilowatt hour and it can charge. Oh, the charge curve. If that charge is to be believed, the charge curve of this thing should be mighty rapid.

[C]

So that will be beyond your car then too.

[Matt Farah]

Yeah.

[C]

I mean, are you. Are you finding yourself in situations where you need to be charging from like 10 to 80% that much quicker than you do now? Is it one of those things where that would make. That would be a benefit to you or like, is it kind of. Doesn't matter to me.

[Matt Farah]

The limitation on that so far hasn't been the car.

[C]

Yeah.

[Matt Farah]

My car can charge up to 350, right?

[C]

Yeah.

[Matt Farah]

But I, I've never seen over 240 on any of these chargers. It's an infrastructure, I think. But. But I will say that when my, When I'm charging my car, there's a car on the left there when I'm charging my car. And there's other cars charging. Now granted there's charge curves, it's different state of charge, etc. Etc. But I'm always peeking.

[C]

Yep.

[Matt Farah]

The Taycan is always charging faster than the other cars. Always.

[C]

Yeah.

[Matt Farah]

Even if it's not as fast as it's quote, you know, supposed to be. Yeah.

[C]

Yeah.

[Matt Farah]

This is a cop. Just like a Chevy pickup truck. I know. It's a. It's a Tacoma. That's not a cop.

[C]

No cops.

[Matt Farah]

Cops don't drive tacos.

[C]

That's right.

[Matt Farah]

Unless that's. Unless like I'm about to get just hosed. If I do, we have. Off the record. It's not a problem. Yeah. No, so I, so I didn't necessarily. And in fact, the longer I go with electric cars, the more I start thinking about more stops for less time.

[C]

Yeah.

[Matt Farah]

Is actually not so bad.

[C]

Yeah.

[Matt Farah]

You know the five minutes it takes you to pee.

[C]

Yeah.

[Matt Farah]

That gets you like, you know, 20%. That gets you. It's significant.

[C]

Yeah. I was on the Q6 launch, like, I don't know, four months ago, something like that. And I had a conversation with one of the engineers about like you know, because that has, that has 300 miles of range roughly in most configurations. And that seems to be like kind of the sweet spot. And so I was like, how much, like, how much customer do you demand? Do you actually have beyond like 300 miles at this point, or is it just about optimizing, like, how quickly you can get that range in there and make about 300 miles? And he said, yeah, you know, for advertising, it's nice to have that big number, and people buy that number a lot of times, but they're finding out more and more that there's actually like a 300 mile kind of max that most people have zeroed in on. And really the quality of life improvements are, how quick can you charge?

[Matt Farah]

And that makes sense. I mean, look, maybe when I was 25, but my body cannot go more than 150, 160 miles without wanting to stretch my legs, pee, get a drink, get something to eat. So if, I mean, if I can charge, you know, 10 to 10 to 80.

[C]

Yeah.

[Matt Farah]

Pretty fast, which I usually can. I was just, I was just saying. And by the time everyone else hears this, I will have talked about it on the podcast with Zach already, but driving the Taycan to Vegas yesterday, it sort of was a little bit of a landmark for me because it was the first time I have never had I've done a road trip in an EV where I didn't have to wait for the car at all. Yeah, I. It was plugged in while I wanted to stop for other things.

[C]

Yeah.

[Matt Farah]

And that was all it needed to be plugged in. As soon as I was done peeing, eating, taking a phone call, I'm back in the car and we're gone.

[C]

And that's it. Right? Yeah, that's, that's the, that's the inflection point.

[Matt Farah]

I can truly and honestly say I didn't drive as fast. Right. Like, I set the Cruise control at 75, which is slower than the traffic tends to go on that drive. But aside from the fact that I did 75 instead of maybe 85, 90, the drive did not take one minute longer than if it was gas.

[C]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Matt Farah]

And that's fabulous. We're so close. We're getting so, like, the idea that these that are running things right now are just cutting this stuff. When we're like, there, we're so close to this being good.

[C]

Well, and it's like, it's exciting actually, to go to these press launches and see, you know, normally when the, when the tech, when the numbers start coming out I'm like, I'm not all that interested because it's like they have to come out with something like, oh, we improved the, you know, rear wheel steer by 1 1/2 degrees to give you a turning radius that's four feet tighter. But, like, now it's with. With these EVs, every iteration, every three or four years, they're making actually huge meaningful leaks.

[Matt Farah]

What's his name was saying at dinner last night. Yeah, Stefan.

[C]

Yeah.

[Matt Farah]

Who was the head of the program really, for this car. He said at dinner last night, because he had worked on gas cars before. And I said, you know, do you like working on battery vehicles rather than gas cars? And by the way, does it feel like we're going this speed right now?

[C]

It feels like we're doing 55 right now.

[Matt Farah]

This car hides speed. If you're watching this on video, like, and you're looking at that forward camera, I promise you we are going 30 miles an hour faster than it looks like we're going. But, yeah, he said, you know, that was. He said, you know, with a gasoline engine car, the improvements year to year are so incremental, whereas they're generational with cars like this.

[C]

Well, it was like the, the motors in this. In this car versus the last one.

[Matt Farah]

Yeah.

[C]

Like, everything. They're. They're more compact, they're more efficient, they're.

[Matt Farah]

More powerful, and they're lighter.

[C]

And they're lighter. And it's like we just keep doing that.

[Matt Farah]

Same with the battery.

[C]

Yeah. Yeah. And so it's. And so. And the leaps are. It's one of those things. Right. With, you know, you can't make huge leaps every single time. And with internal combustion, we're, like Stefan Ryle said, just making those little incremental things. We're not even close to the, like, point where we're just making. Making incremental gains with EVs.

[Matt Farah]

Like, we are, I think, with lithium ion chemistry. I don't think. I don't think the idea of the battery pack.

[C]

Yeah.

[Matt Farah]

Has reached its next big thing.

[C]

Yeah. But like, don't you think, like, solid state we're gonna be maybe.

[Matt Farah]

Yeah. Or one of those other, like, alternate chemistry kind of things. But I do think we're at a point where we're very close to. You could have an EV as your only car and really not have to give up too much.

[C]

Yeah.

[Matt Farah]

Yeah. Let's just see if I hit. If I hit the boost. Yeah. The pole. Yowza. Yeah. I mean, that was an enormous number right there.

[C]

Yeah.

[Matt Farah]

I mean, truly an Enormous number. The thing that's still. I mean, and, and I, I don't blame Audi or anyone who builds a fast EV for this, because unlike gas cars, high performance EV and a highly efficient EV are not mutually exclusive. Until you start talking about sticky tires.

[Zach Klapman]

Yeah.

[Matt Farah]

But in terms of the motor, because in the beginning I was like, why do a thousand horsepower for 300 miles? What if you could do 500 horsepower, 600 miles? Until Peter Rawlinson was like, hey, it.

[C]

Doesn'T work like that.

[Matt Farah]

The same thing that makes long range also makes speed.

[C]

Yeah.

[Matt Farah]

And, but, but I, there's, there's no reason for me to own a fast EV like this. It just, it doesn't make any sense.

[C]

Yeah, well, I think that's what I was getting at earlier was like, does this feel like a thousand horsepower thing? Like there's kind of diminishing returns in that, in that figure. And whether or not, whether or not you can. It's like, I don't really need more than 500 horsepower or 400 horsepower. Really?

[Matt Farah]

No. If you have an EV that's like more than 400 horsepower, it's really fast. Because it's not just, it's not the same as gas. That power is available instantly, all the time. It's not. You don't have to. You know, a 400 horsepower gas engine for most of its life is probably making 150 horsepower. You know, it's a totally different, different thing. People are like, I'm gonna buy my kid a Tesla Model 3. I'm like, you are out of your mind. Yeah, they're gonna send that thing into a ditch at 100 plus.

[Zach Klapman]

You know what I mean?

[Matt Farah]

But it's in, in general, like, I'm still. I do think if they focused a little less on these big numbers, Hyundai's got it right. And the, the word is others are copying. Right. They've already, I think, rolled out the gears to the. Whatever the Kia.

[C]

Yeah.

[Matt Farah]

One is. Right. And I mean, if you're Porsche, how are you not. I've said this so many goddamn times.

[C]

Yeah.

[Matt Farah]

How are you not having a downloadable pack?

[C]

Yes.

[Matt Farah]

Where today I'm in a 557Rs, dude. And they could do power to weight ratio, torque curves and match the gearing of the old cars.

[C]

Yeah.

[Matt Farah]

Wouldn't that be fun?

[C]

That would be fun.

[Matt Farah]

It would be a good ass time. Today it's behaving like a 930 Turbo, tomorrow a 550 Spider, now a 73 RS. And you could, you could pull torque or make, you could do all kinds of stuff.

[C]

Yeah.

[Matt Farah]

That you just pull the dynamics out of Forza.

[C]

Yep. Yeah. I mean, exactly. They've already got the sound recordings. Like, make a deal with them.

[Matt Farah]

Yeah. Anything else you want to say about this RS E Tron GT performance? It's not meant to compete with Tayon gt, even though they both have gt. It's supposed to compete with Taycan Turbo and Taycan Turbo S. Who's the customer.

[C]

For this car, then? Because they could clearly spring. Holy.

[Matt Farah]

Oh, it's just a garbage bag. That looked like a. It looked like a tow strap or something. Who's the customer for this? Yeah.

[C]

Like, who. Who buys this one instead of a Taycan?

[Matt Farah]

You know, it's funny because it's all.

[C]

It's 200 grand.

[Matt Farah]

It's mostly the same customer. I mean, it really is. I think if you prefer Audi's multimedia interface to Porsches, that could be one person. If you are a big Audi person, if you're in Audi's ecosystem and you already like it, I mean, I don't have a lot of real legitimate complaints about this car. It's super nice.

[C]

No, it's really nice.

[Matt Farah]

They depreciate like crazy.

[C]

Yeah. Maybe wait a couple years. I mean, it's.

[Matt Farah]

It's. It.

[C]

I think, like. Yeah, I guess I probably wouldn't spring for GT RS E Tron GT performance. I'd probably go a step down.

[Matt Farah]

Yeah.

[C]

It's. I don't know if I need the extra horsepower. I don't know if I need.

[Matt Farah]

Trust me, you don't. Coming from someone who owns. Owns the slow Taycan, you do not need the extra horsepower. If it's like I. It's. It's a fun thing to show off to your friends once in a while, but it has no practical purpose.

[C]

Yeah.

[Matt Farah]

But anyway, like, other than this square steering wheel, which is subjective.

[C]

Yeah.

[Matt Farah]

And these plastic door handles, which I think is a genuine oversight. Other than that, this is a lovely car.

[C]

It really is.

[Matt Farah]

Yeah. I wish they made the back into a hatchback in the face. That'd be cool.

[C]

Because, I mean, wagon.

[Matt Farah]

A wagon version of this would be sick.

[C]

The RS6, like, EV, essentially, would be.

[Matt Farah]

Yeah. Like RS E Tron. Wait, it's the A6. A6 Avant Neutron or Performance GT. Yeah. It's word sound. Yeah.

[C]

Figure out the naming.

[Matt Farah]

Yeah.

[C]

How about that?

[Matt Farah]

Oh, imagine Trump try to do a commercial for them in the rsc. Tron J.

[C]

Everything's computer.

[Matt Farah]

It's all. It's in the computer. All right, kids, back to the studio. Thank you, Kyle. Kennard Motor one. Go read his shit. It's good. He's good. And when it comes to sharing cars in a press launch, both of us are on the same page. We want to see the list ahead of time. And there's only certain people that you get in the car with.

[C]

Vera hasn't killed me yet. I haven't killed you yet.

[Matt Farah]

Correct. Correct. We did RS Spider.

[C]

That's right.

[Matt Farah]

In Germany. All right, bye. Right. Oh, we're back. And let's get to the Patreon. If you want to ask a question of the show, if you want to get in on the live stream, get the show early. Get the show extra. Get an extra show. Get access to merch collabs and the watches, etc. Patreon.com thesmogentirepodcast not to mention you can just support your favorite car podcast. Right? Right. And we have some good ones today. In fact, we have a lot. We have enough that this could have been an entire show of Q and A. Conveniently, I had 30 minutes of Audi E. Tron and Kyle Kennard to go to. Glad we got to use that. But we have some awesome one. Ooh, I need water first. Okay. Gabe Colston says, I toroed a Macan S last weekend and I was surprised to see that at 5, 6, 10, it did not feel significantly better than a Mark 8 Golf. Does the Cayenne provide a noticeable bump in performance over the Macan? I see where you're coming from. In lesser Macans, they do have a bit of like MQB ness to them, even though they're not. I mean, the four cylinder Macan, which the S is a six cylinder. The four cylinder does feel golfy a little bit.

[Zach Klapman]

Sounds golfy. Accelerates golfy, sure.

[Matt Farah]

The six cylinder, not so much. But like, I kind of know what you mean. It's not like even an S isn't really like that sport tuned. But the question is, does the Cayenne provide a noticeable bump in performance over the Macan? I mean, what I would really say is like the Macan GTS or like the higher performance. Trim does feel significantly different. But the Cayennes with V8s and stuff. Yeah, do. But I don't know if like the quote performance is that much better until you get to like a turbo gt. Macans are lighter, they feel more agile.

[Zach Klapman]

Actually, I think they're more fun to drive quickly. So I would rather, if I was gonna have a fun car and I didn't need all the extra space, you know, in the back seats and stuff, I would much rather drive a higher spec macan than a medium spec Cayenne. And even when I went to the Cayenne GTS launch, I mean, the thing sounds cool, it's fast, it handles great, the steering feels really good. But you are very aware that it's a big vehicle. I mean, it, quote, shrinks a bit, but it still felt larger in the hands than a Macan like gts.

[Matt Farah]

Well, it is. I noticed, you know, rear steer only gets you so far.

[Zach Klapman]

Right. They can't hide all of that. And so I think this person is kind of like it's a dragon you're going to keep chasing that you can't catch.

[Matt Farah]

Yeah. Here's the thing about Porsche crossovers and SUVs. If you've driven Porsche sports cars and you then want an suv, they feel enough. They feel familiar to Porsche sports cars. They don't actually drive like them. But the steering wheel is the same, the seats are, the controls are the same, and the build quality is on par. And so the vibe is the same. Much more than the handling dynamics are the same between the SUVs and the sports cars. Oh, of course.

[Zach Klapman]

I do think that the SUV's feel distinct enough among the competition. X3M stuff like that. The Porsche does feel like its own thing and has. But a lot of it is that vibe and just the touch points.

[Matt Farah]

But that thing. Yeah, it's it. Yeah. Right. A lot of it is how it. It feels in your hands and not how it feels, you know, tires to. To wheel.

[Zach Klapman]

We should do a blindfold test sometime. Like three.

[Matt Farah]

What, driving them blindfolded?

[Zach Klapman]

Yep. Yeah.

[Matt Farah]

Blindfold. Autocross. Yeah.

[Zach Klapman]

Good time, Big parking lot. Let's go to Spring Mountain or something and just see if we can take it.

[Matt Farah]

No, just sit in it and touch things.

[Zach Klapman]

I think. Yeah. I bet you we can drive too, and just be slightly dangerous. But, like, can you. I'm basically saying, can we actually sense the difference in steering feel and all these other things? If you don't look at the vibe, if you don't see the wheel, if you don't see the Alcantara, all that.

[Matt Farah]

Stuff, you know, it would be the way to do that, I think the Mythbusters way would be to like strip the cars, like take out almost everything you can touch.

[Zach Klapman]

Sure.

[Matt Farah]

Yeah. Right.

[Zach Klapman]

Yeah.

[Matt Farah]

And have the same steering wheel, Sparco steering wheel. Right. Cover anything that has to be left with like black bags. Right.

[Zach Klapman]

That'd be cool.

[Matt Farah]

And put like camo on all the hoods. Like take off the side view mirrors, like really make would be tough to totally strip a car of its identity, but make it so that you could drive it somewhat safely.

[Zach Klapman]

Yeah, Just all sensations, no visual cues.

[Matt Farah]

Oh, that would be tough. Scientists. If we have a scientist out there that sets up experiments, let me know how that experiment might work. I mean, you definitely would have to. You'd have to fuck up the car.

[Zach Klapman]

I think you could do it.

[Matt Farah]

You think you could do it without.

[Zach Klapman]

Disassembling the car, leaping off your idea? I think if you had a team take like cardboard and cover the dash and basically make your dash to face ratio the same in all the cars. Right. So everything you see is just a flat.

[Matt Farah]

Has anyone ever said that before?

[Zach Klapman]

No. Copyright David Tuehg listening. He's going, of course we have.

[Matt Farah]

I'll be expecting an email from you, David.

[Zach Klapman]

Dash to axle, dash to face. I'm sure that is a measurement that they use. But if you covered everything in flat and the macan or the cayenne center console is usually a little higher than an X3M so you have to make those heights the same in all the vehicles and you just remove the variables.

[Matt Farah]

You have to turn every car into a little tykes coaster.

[Zach Klapman]

Everything is minecraft. The whole interior gets minecrafted. Oh, let's do this. Sponsored by Minecraft, the movie coming out.

[Matt Farah]

All right.

[Zach Klapman]

And then, I mean, Jack Black get back at us.

[Matt Farah]

Yeah. Can you really feel. It's so hard to separate the literal feel of the steering wheel from what hap. From the vibrations, you know, it's like. Yeah, it's tough.

[Zach Klapman]

It'll be tough.

[Matt Farah]

Yeah. Good question though. Mezcali Metzger. Preferably in that order. A buddy of mine rented a 2010 Ferrari California convertible. Starting that sentence, there's a lot of directions this can go. Okay. A buddy of mine rented a 2010 Ferrari California convertible when we were in Vegas and let me have a go. It was fun and I liked the noises it made. My question is, did I have a real Ferrari experience or would I be most of the way to the same experience with a front engine Corvette? Very good question. Yes, you did have a real Ferrari experience. You can't say you drove a 2010 Ferrari California without saying you had a real Ferrari experience. That's like gaslighting. If someone tries to tell you if you were like, hey, I drove a Ferrari for the afternoon and they were like, well, you didn't have a real Ferrari experience and what you were driving was a California that is literally gaslighting. You absolutely had a fucking Ferrari experience. The very definition Is having a drive in something that is called, that came out of Maranello is a Ferrari experience. It may not be a great one, but it is an experience.

[Zach Klapman]

Yeah, technically. But I could see people, if you drove a macan. And that's your only Porsche and someone goes, you don't really have a Porsche experience. You have to drive a 911.

[Matt Farah]

Yeah, well, I'd be an asshole if I said that.

[Zach Klapman]

There are assholes out there.

[Matt Farah]

I would be an asshole if I said that.

[Zach Klapman]

Yes. Or like you could.

[Matt Farah]

We have to live in the same reality. People renting a California is having a Ferrari experience.

[Zach Klapman]

Technically, you're driving a Ferrari. But it like they made their name on mid engine cars.

[Matt Farah]

Horse shit. How many years was Ferrari building cars before their first fucking mid engine car? The answer is like 14. They were building cars from like the 40s.

[Zach Klapman]

Yeah.

[Matt Farah]

Until 1965.

[Zach Klapman]

Right.

[Matt Farah]

250 LM, I think his first mid engine race. First mid engine road car.

[Zach Klapman]

That's true.

[Matt Farah]

20 years they made their name on front engine cars. Enzo didn't even want to build mid engine cars. Although.

[Zach Klapman]

All right, they made their name on front engine cars for 20 years. And then how have they been building them since then?

[Matt Farah]

Respect. Respect the recent history. Again, recent. Respect the recent history.

[Zach Klapman]

But again, it starts in 1966.

[Matt Farah]

Again you said made their name. I'm just saying. Yes, you had a real Ferrari experience. The fucking 2010 California is a not a good Ferrari.

[Zach Klapman]

Correct.

[Matt Farah]

It's not. It's a bad Ferrari.

[Zach Klapman]

But it sounds like a Ferrari. It's got a good Ferrari engine.

[Matt Farah]

Right. And it does have the same gearbox as the 458. Like it isn't, like, it's just, it's not a great Ferrari. Now to the question, are you most of the way to the same experience with a front engine Corvette? No, I don't think so. Because it's, you know, the noises it makes. That. That's what you're, that's what you're saying. Yeah, Corvette don't do that.

[Zach Klapman]

But the question is, are you most of the way there if you drive a Maserati Granturismo?

[Matt Farah]

Better question and the answer is actually yes, you're most of the way there with a Gran Turismo. And the Gran Turismo might even be a better car than a Calvin.

[Zach Klapman]

It's a better looking car.

[Matt Farah]

Absolutely. Yeah. And it has a soft top instead of a retractable hardtop. It has a regular automatic gearbox, which is better. You know, for that particular application. It doesn't. California's a set of ceramic brakes for a Ferrari California is enough to almost total a Ferrari California. It's like $40,000 for brakes on that car and it's for that driving experience. Even with that engine is just a no fucking go for me.

[Zach Klapman]

And this California sold on cars Bids, this is 2022 for 109 grand. That is not.

[Matt Farah]

Yeah, no, no. If you wanted a front engine Ferrari experience For the low six figures, A599 is where it's at.

[Zach Klapman]

Yeah.

[Matt Farah]

Also insane amount of money to service, but at least It's a fucking V12 designed by Jason Castriota. You know, legend car, handles great.

[Zach Klapman]

Feels much better than this thing.

[Matt Farah]

With that opportunity for a manual swap for a further, you know, 25%. So game on.

[Zach Klapman]

Yes.

[Matt Farah]

Yeah, people be sleeping on 599s so front engine Corvette, I mean, is such a good car, but it does not give you the Ferrari fizz, unfortunately. Koji, Koji. Why should or shouldn't I get into a 996 Carrera Arrow kit car? Why shouldn't you? I don't have a good reason for that. Unless the particular car you're looking at is a piece of shit. Why should you? I actually think time has been kind to the 996 Aero kit. Particularly if you swap out the aero kit wing for the GT3 wing. I think maybe not with the wheels that you've pulled up, but with the right set of wheels, I think 996 Aero Kit would work today.

[Zach Klapman]

I do too. I think it looks pretty good. It's pretty subtle, it's nice. It works with the overall body for sure.

[Matt Farah]

Actually, the 992 Aero kit is not terrible.

[Zach Klapman]

I haven't seen it.

[Matt Farah]

Yeah, I saw it. I've seen one or two of them and I haven't seen a single press car that has one. I've never seen one reviewed, but it's actually a pretty decent looking vibe, especially in the right color. When I visited Stuttgart, they had a couple of them in the exclusive manufacturer center. And with the right paint. Wow, that looks. Have you ever been to my sister's house?

[Zach Klapman]

No, but fucking that. Knowing your sister, I can go.

[Matt Farah]

If you flip flop, this picture, 180 degrees horizontal, that looks like it's taken to my sister's driveway. To the point at which I just had an almost panic attack. She got buzz, I think. I think she got AI'd. But Yeah, then the 992 arrow kit is nice, isn't it?

[Zach Klapman]

Yeah. The wing looks good.

[Matt Farah]

It looks good. Yeah.

[Zach Klapman]

I really like the Shape of this, of this wing?

[Matt Farah]

Yeah, there's a good angle of it. Yeah, it's subtle. The wing is nice. It's not really good. Yeah.

[Zach Klapman]

Gts. Yeah, it's a little.

[Matt Farah]

Yeah. I can't think of a reason not to not get a 996 aero kit unless the one you're looking at is a piece of junk, which is totally possible because about a third of them are unviable trash keel and tow. We were just here. What gives a better $100 to $120,000 mid engine driving experience. Lotus Amira C8Z06 Ferrari 360 manual R8V10 manual.

[Zach Klapman]

We have to define better.

[Matt Farah]

Yeah, that's what.

[Zach Klapman]

Because these are not. There's some overlap between these, but not as much as you think. Like Z06 is going to be the fastest thing there. And it sounds, it sounds like the 360. It handles great, but it's super modern.

[Matt Farah]

Sounds like a 458.

[Zach Klapman]

It sounds like Ferrari basically. And it's got the fastest transmission. Like that is the closest thing to the highest performance race car out of the four.

[Matt Farah]

Right. The Amira is one of those kind of balanced, agile. It's a really nice thing you could use as a daily driver. In fact, I think if you were to buy one and keep it for special occasions and not use it as a daily driver, you'd be doing yourself a disservice. It's got a fucking Camry engine. Let it go. And all Amiras have, or all Lotuses, they depreciate fast, hit a floor and then stay there forever. So you might as well enjoy your miles. 360 manual is knocking on the door of vintage experience. Even the newest one is a 20 year old car. So we're not talking, you're talking about two cars that are brand new, showroom new or you know, very low mile, used under factory warranty. And then you're throwing in a 20 year old Ferrari. Yeah, by Ferrari standards, 360s are very reliable and dependable. But you're knocking on the door of classic Experience and R8s. Like same thing but like a little more modern. But the screen is gonna be like real old now. There might be updates for it, I don't know. But like you're, you're kind of. It's still, it's still going to be like almost a vintage car. Like the newest manual R8 is like 2015.

[Zach Klapman]

I feel like the manual R8 splits the difference between the 360 and the Z06.

[Matt Farah]

Sure.

[Zach Klapman]

And the Amira is kind of on its own and not as a negative. It's just a very different. It's a gentler experience than those things.

[Matt Farah]

That's a good one.

[Zach Klapman]

The ride's great. It's more comfortable. It's like a delicate thing that you need to.

[Matt Farah]

It's probably faster than the 360. Oh, maybe the 360 is louder and so would probably make you think it was faster. But I think if you lined them up. The Amiras walk in the 360.

[Zach Klapman]

Ooh, that'd be a good drag race.

[Matt Farah]

That would be fun. Yeah, yeah, that would be a fun one. Like world's most mid drag race.

[Zach Klapman]

Let's turo a360. Oh, wait, let's get Vin.

[Matt Farah]

Make fun of the fucking Motor Trend thing and do just like all these cars that run 14s, dude.

[Zach Klapman]

Let's get an Amira manual V6 again from Khan. And then let's have VIN and Otra show up with his 360. And let's do Engine Dragon.

[Matt Farah]

And then should I put the NSX up to it?

[Zach Klapman]

Yes.

[Matt Farah]

Okay. NSX or Spyder?

[Zach Klapman]

Nsx. Because the Spiders would win.

[Matt Farah]

Yeah, for sure.

[Zach Klapman]

That's cheating.

[Matt Farah]

That's true. We could find a.

[Zach Klapman]

But this is a good era.

[Matt Farah]

That is a good one. Yeah. Affordable 2000-2005 manual car drag race. Yeah, that'd be fun. It would be a long video. So 10 minutes?

[Zach Klapman]

Yeah, 10 minutes. Eight minutes, dude.

[Matt Farah]

Let's do that. Yeah. I mean, I think you have to answer if you want a classic or a new car first and then start there, like. Cause the Z06 is so fast. But it's like it's a new car. Like, it's. Whereas R8s and 360s are fucking. They're pretty much bottomed out, those things. They're in the collectible section. Greg Scott wants to add to the Karu garbage inventory. Have you ever bought. Bought a Dodge product and left the yellow bumper guards on? That's a good one. Did you ever, by the way? You have a doc somewhere of the Karu garbage Questions? Yeah, because I wrote it like on a legal pad.

[Zach Klapman]

Pretty sure I made it.

[Matt Farah]

Someone asked me for a doc. We'll have to share that with the champions. Alongside my book. Alongside my book recommendation.

[Zach Klapman]

Make sure the champions don't steal the idea and sell it somewhere.

[Matt Farah]

Yeah. Michael Cosgrove says, who would you recommend to upgrade the movement in my Seiko Diver to something that loses fewer seconds per day? I mean, two choices here. If you're just talking about taking out the movement that's in it and putting in a better Seiko movement. You could really go to almost any independent watch repair place, and they could just order a movement from Seiko. Or you could go to one of the many Seiko customizers on Instagram. The one in LA who we like. His name is Rain and he goes by Shadow Watchmaker on Instagram. I don't know where you're calling from, but yeah, that's not a tough thing to do. I mean, obviously they don't all fit, but yeah, in the indie shop, if there's a good one in your city. Otherwise, one of the many customizers is how we would do it. Okay, is that.

[Zach Klapman]

Wait, I made that note because there's no actual question.

[Matt Farah]

Oh.

[Zach Klapman]

So.

[Matt Farah]

Okay. Sorry. Tommy Hassell. A few months ago, Arctic trucks revealed their new Toyota Land Cruiser at 37, which looks awesome and has a lot of great upgrades. Two questions. Do you think the upgrades and changes they're making justify a $20,000 plus cost? And would the whole package be worth it on the resale end? Okay, let's see it. Arctic Trucks, if you don't know who they are, they're from Iceland. And their trucks are really designed to drive on snow and ice. So they have these very big, balloony tires that you can deflate to like 5 psi and drive over snow and ice very effectively. And so I've been asking for a long time, like, why, why they're not doing this in America? Because these things would probably kill here. So they finally are. And they've got a kit for the Land Cruiser.

[Zach Klapman]

Now, these tires, like, we're looking at the photos, but if you're listening, these look like maybe 37.

[Matt Farah]

They are. Hence at 37. Yeah.

[Zach Klapman]

I have good eyes. I'm patting myself on the back. These are smaller tires than what we saw on the Arctic trucks in Iceland.

[Matt Farah]

Oh, yeah.

[Zach Klapman]

The stance is narrower. It's not as aggressive.

[Matt Farah]

This is for driving on the road.

[Zach Klapman]

I just wanted to make sure. Because the Arctic trucks got famous on Top Gear and then. And we did a piece with them on drive on NBC Sports. I mean, the tires are insane. The cars are super wide. They take two parking spots.

[Matt Farah]

Yeah. I mean, they're no sillier than most lifted trucks we have here now.

[Zach Klapman]

That's true. The tire. Yeah. The sidewall is different. You see a lot more like small sidewall wheels here.

[Matt Farah]

It's like a different. It's a different style. It's a different intention.

[Zach Klapman]

This is true, because in Arctic truck land, it Was like normal people had cars. Had people had normal cars. And then arctic trucks there weren't like lifted 2500s driving around in comparison.

[Matt Farah]

Yeah. So, I mean, it's very effective for winter driving and literal glacier driving. So this is like a smaller one. Now, is it worth 20 grand? I mean, worth depends on, like, are you buying this as an investment, you know, or is this gonna be your car, you know, are you trying to like flip it? I will say this. Brand name tuner vehicles, whether it's off road or sports car, have much better resale than if you put a lift kit on 37s on it yourself.

[Zach Klapman]

Right.

[Matt Farah]

Ask John Hennessy. Ask fucking anybody who's got a brand name package. So you're gonna have. I mean, you're not. You're never gonna get all your money back if this becomes 90 grand out the door. It's not an investment car, it's a used car. But will you get a higher percentage of your money back because it's a brand name kit versus doing yourself? Yes. Asterisk. Is the kit more for the same product because it's a brand name kit? Yes. But you're paying for their expertise, their engineering, their maybe warranty, you know, and this is a globally known company that's good for being, you know, you're also paying for cool factor. You roll up to whatever your meat is with your. You know, if someone who's an enthusiast sees your car, that's an Arctic Trucks kit. That's something cool. If I see you with a fucking Arctic Trucks kit, I'm coming over to say hello, definitely. So that's, that's. Whereas if you just have big wheels on your Land Cruiser, because I don't.

[Zach Klapman]

Everyone saw the North Pole Top Gear video, like everyone in the planet pretty much saw that thing. So the name is seared in our brains.

[Matt Farah]

Yeah.

[Zach Klapman]

I think the question I have, you know, I don't want to be the. If you're going to buy this and you're hoping it's an investment or it will retain its value, that will also really depend on how they perform. And I haven't seen people test these yet, so I would wait till those tests come out. And if these things do really well now, you have quality parts and a name and they deliver. I'm not saying they're not gonna deliver. I'm just saying that you need all of that for that name to really stick and kind of carry forward with the reputation.

[Matt Farah]

My guess is the thing works.

[Zach Klapman]

I'm sure it works great.

[Matt Farah]

It probably works. Yeah. Okay. Below average nerd says I have two sets of wheels and tires for seasons. Aftermarket set has a wider stance and the factory set has a good quality spacer on it to match the aftermarket wheels. Usual online discourse says that spacers are hard on ball joints and wheel bearings can ruin the handling, are dangerous, etc. And the only real way to avoid this is with new wheels. Is there any difference in wear and stress between using spacers and wheel offset if the tire is ultimately sitting in the same position? Other performance handling characteristics when using wheel spacers on a car truck?

[Zach Klapman]

I don't know.

[Matt Farah]

That's a tough question because I don't know if using a spacer to achieve the wheel being in exactly the same place is the same thing as just using the different wheel. Right. In general, I don't like to use spacers and people who I know that do like racing stuff would never use spacers. But other people who are driving around in streetcars seem to feel okay about using spacers. I think if a it's like not a huge spacer, like it's just another point of failure, another point of, you know, your wheel might be further, you might not have as much lug nut.

[Zach Klapman]

That's why I go with a stud kit. I have my new wheels. The apex wheels are. The offset is different than the stock offset, I believe. And then I also have a spacer on it to move the stance outward and fill the fender better. But we wanted to put a stud kit on because you don't want to have fewer teeth or fewer cuts in that bolt adhering to the hub.

[Matt Farah]

Yeah, I would avoid it. But in general, if it's what you'd call a low stress vehicle, daily driver car, you're not taking it to the track or pushing the handling in dangerous situation. I wouldn't worry about it so much. If it's a car that's going to be stressed, I would say maybe try to get a set of wheels that would not require you to use the spacers. I'm not an engineer, but that's just sort of what I've seen really smart people do. Because Hannah asked, that's a good name. After these road and track events, could there be a way, even if it's paying for it, to get the full drive route? I don't think road and track. Well either Road and track would absolutely love to publish the drive route or they would be very mad if we publish the drive route. I'll ask somebody if we can or should publish the drive routes. I'm not sure. Just like I'll give you the drive route if you send me an email or a DM on Instagram or something. I'll give you the drive route. I have it and I'm happy to non published of course, but like, I don't know if you would get much use out of it. If you're not literally staying in the same hotels we were staying in, which our criteria for staying in those hotel might not be the same as yours and eating at those restaurants might not be the same as yours. There's good curvy roads and a lot of the roads that we drive that are like the feature roads on those events have nicknames like Twisted Sisters and things like that. But I'm happy to share if you have a specific need, I can just email you a Google Maps link. Stew Dog says real quick correction.

[Zach Klapman]

I looked at Grassroots Motorsports on spacers and they say that spacers are safe as long as the material the spacer is made from is very strong to handle the extra torque being put on them. And also if as long as you have enough bolt or stud to hold them on properly.

[Matt Farah]

Sure.

[Zach Klapman]

So they said there's a lot of Miata based Exocets running around with 30 millimeter spacers that don't problem.

[Matt Farah]

That's huge.

[Zach Klapman]

So like my spacers are 12 mil.

[Matt Farah]

Yeah.

[Zach Klapman]

In the back and the fronts are like five or something like that, 30 thick. Well, they're trying to widen that stance to win those races. So that's very big. That might be too aggressive. But basically what I'm seeing online real quick is like the material needs to be.

[Matt Farah]

It's also a very light, hard exercise.

[Zach Klapman]

That's true.

[Matt Farah]

£1,500.

[Zach Klapman]

That's true.

[Matt Farah]

Yeah. Okay. Yeah. All right, good. Grassroots Motorsports is a trusted source on that. Certainly more than me. Stewdog wants any more info on the final canyon model. The final canyon model is going to be the Tahitian black mother of pearl. I was wearing it on the last show, actually, the prototype. It may come sooner than the green one. We're only doing 50. Of course, patrons will have first crack. They're individually numbered and every dial looks a little bit different because it is natural black pearl. It's really fucking cool actually. I'm super, super stoked on it. It's a little more expensive.

[Zach Klapman]

Someone asked not because of the tariffs. Will tariffs affect it at all?

[Matt Farah]

They haven't said anything to me about that. I feel like if they would, if they were going to, then they'd probably have told me. I'm not sure if I have to talk to them. I think they're traveling. Wes and Colin have noticed have a lot going on. They're making so many watches. They got so many designs coming out. And they're going back and forth to their suppliers and seeing factories and quality control for the bracelets and stuff, which are made in Asia. And so I haven't talked to them in a few weeks since I got the prototype a couple weeks ago, and I was giving them some notes. We're just trying to finalize the color of the chapter ring, which is in all the other canyons, including the green, which is the last one. We're doing 100 of those, or the green and the pearl are the last two. And I don't know which is coming out first. The chapter ring is the same color as the dial, of course, in the pearl. That doesn't work. And we can't make a chapter ring out of mother of pearl. So the prototype has a black chapter ring, which actually I think is like, pretty dope. But I asked if they could send me images of ones with like, a few different tones. Like a gray one that was a little more like bronzy colored because it could bring out some of the tones in that mother of pearl. So once we finalize that chapter ring color, we're good to go. But, man, I'm super stoked on the prototype. It looks sick. But as always, if you're a patron, you will not miss a thing. We'll announce when the sale will go on, and then we'll announce. We'll give the link of. So you won't miss anything, I promise. I don't know. I can't imagine the tariffs are making those guys life any easier, but as far as I know, there won't be. I hope. As far as I know, there won't be additional costs passed on to the consumer at this time. Okay. Jackie Chiles is tired of getting flat tires in his 2020 Taycan Turbo. I understand winter's in Boston. Yikes. You can't get smaller rims because it's got huge brakes. Looking to replace it with a CPO Cayenne Hybrid. There's a 2024 Hybrid S or a 2022 Turbo Hybrid, both in the budget. What would you do? Any key options either way, I would get the newer hybrid s. Yeah, 2024 hybrid s is enough power. You're going to get the newest gen, the newer gen battery, so you're going to have like 45 miles of range instead of like 35 miles of EV range.

[Zach Klapman]

I also wonder they should look at if there's a difference in brake rotor size between the S and turbo, because if the turbo has larger brakes, you might end up in the same position with low profile tires, large wheels, et cetera. And then get some like, I don't know, efficient, off roady tires to stop popping your tires.

[Matt Farah]

I just, like, I just don't. My dad realized when going from a gas Cayenne turbo to a Cayenne hybrid, and with a six cylinder hybrid, not even a hybrid S, he realized how little he was using the horsepower of the turbo anyway. And that actually the power of the S was like more than. Or the power of the base hybrid was more than enough for him. And he barely even uses gas. So I would say go for the 2024 Hybrid S. I think it's got plenty of power. Is the 2024 S is a V8, right? I think it is. I think the base Hybrid is a 6, the Hybrid S is a V8, and the. The turbo. The hybrid S is what I'm getting for Pebble. Very excited.

[Zach Klapman]

Let's see, the Cayenne SE hybrid is a six cylinder.

[Matt Farah]

Oh, it is, yeah.

[Zach Klapman]

Three liter turbo. Oh, yep.

[Matt Farah]

Is there a base hybrid also, or is it all S hybrid?

[Zach Klapman]

No, the base is also a V6 Turbo.

[Matt Farah]

Okay. Just with less power.

[Zach Klapman]

Yeah.

[Matt Farah]

And then that's okay. I would still say get the S.

[Zach Klapman]

I mean, the base model.

[Matt Farah]

Oh.

[Zach Klapman]

So the base model has 463 horsepower. The S has 512.

[Matt Farah]

The Turbo.

[Zach Klapman]

Turbo goes back to 4 liter V8 with combined 729 horsepower.

[Matt Farah]

Dude, get the S. I mean, the S is. That's so much power. Like what? You know, I would rather have a car with. If we're talking about hybrid technology, I'd much rather have a car that was two years newer and had only 500 combined horsepower instead of 700. I mean, come on. There is literally nobody that could justify the need for those 200 horsepower to me in a fucking car. And I drive sports cars for a living.

[Zach Klapman]

What if they Runway race all the time?

[Matt Farah]

My face to your foot style. Explain that username.

[Zach Klapman]

My face to your foot style. Is that like kung fu style? What's your martial arts style?

[Matt Farah]

It's my face to your foot, maybe. Or they've just got a whole bunch of shoes with their own face on.

[Zach Klapman]

Them or they're in defeat. Is this Jim Norton?

[Matt Farah]

Oh, Quentin Tarantino.

[Zach Klapman]

You might be listening to it.

[Matt Farah]

We're going to need a follow up on that username. I think longtime Listener, first time caller bought my first car. A first sporty car. Excuse me. 2016 Mini Cooper S manual. Looking to do some autocross and track days. Outside of wheels and tires, should I focus on brakes or suspension chassis first? This is my daily. But want to know where to start? The slow continuous bloodletting of my bank account. I think you're on the right track. Wheels and tires, sure, that's an easy one. Brakes, absolutely. You're in the right order. Tires, then brakes, then suspension.

[Zach Klapman]

You might be able. I don't know enough about this specific car, but you might be able to get away with upgraded pads and fluid, but not buying calipers and rotors. And then you could take that money and go with suspension. It just depends on which system is lagging behind the others as you upgrade.

[Matt Farah]

Yeah, I mean a Mini is a pretty lightweight car.

[Zach Klapman]

Right.

[Matt Farah]

So it should have enough brakes. If you upgrade the heating capacity of those brakes with just pads and fluid, that should get you through the first couple years especially.

[Zach Klapman]

Autocross isn't a high speed thing. You're doing a lot of braking, but it's not a lot of long sustained braking. I think you'd probably get more value from sway bars and suspension because there's so much body motion and the momentum is being thrown left and right so quickly.

[Matt Farah]

Yeah. And if you're gonna just do the wheels and tires and the brake pads and fluid, go to a couple events and find other people with Minis and ask what works for them. Yeah, that's a good place to start. I'm sure there's like real specific things for that car probably that help that car. I don't know what they are but Mini's a great place to start though. The yacht formerly known as Tits, a plus level username there in the modern day is a Miata still the answer to the cheap fun car question. It seems like most people that say that don't actually own one. Valid, valid criticism but like. Well, I think the people who own them also think that. I mean I know a bunch of people who own Miatas and really like them. I see people at Good Vibes and modded Miatas all the time. NDS and shit. We're about to. Speaking of which, you know who emailed me yesterday. It was very nice to hear from Keith Tanner of Flyin. Miata has a carb legal turbo kit for the NC and asked if we wanted to have it for a couple of weeks. A thousand times sure, yeah.

[Zach Klapman]

Oh my God. Yeah.

[Matt Farah]

I said we would. That would be cool.

[Zach Klapman]

I wanted to stop by there on our cross country road trip. I was like, yeah, we don't have time, but it's coming to us.

[Matt Farah]

I think.

[Zach Klapman]

Hell yeah.

[Matt Farah]

But yeah, dude, I mean the Miatas are great. I mean, I, I don't, I don't. What is the argument that they aren't?

[Zach Klapman]

I think, I think the key point is fun. And anyone who's driven one or owns one, they are the most fun. But a lot of people don't buy them because they have a lot of compromises. You have to be okay with no back seat, very little space. The trunks are tiny. I mean, they're not an easy car to live with unless your lifestyle is very specific. Yeah, but are they the answer to the cheap fun car? Not the cheap fun practical or cheap practical car? Yes.

[Matt Farah]

Yeah. If you wanted like a fucking zero headaches weekend car, that's it.

[Zach Klapman]

Yep.

[Matt Farah]

I mean, you buy one, you drive it for 30 years. Just leave it alone, don't mess with it too much and it will not stop being fun. I think a lot of people who drive it go, yeah, that's the best dollars. But maybe their budget is above. It's got to be qualified. Where if your budget is $150,000, you're probably not going to buy a Miata. And like, okay, that makes sense because there's better versions of that experience that cost a lot more. But I do agree with the statement. And I wouldn't buy one because I'm a little too big for it. Just enough where it's like, I wouldn't commit to this for years, but I've loved racing them. They're fun as shit.

[Zach Klapman]

Oh, I think I told you about this book recommendation.

[Matt Farah]

Oh, okay, cool. By Colin Woodard. Is that the Colin Woodard that we know? That can't be right. The Colin we know. We know the car writer who's like young.

[Zach Klapman]

Let me see.

[Matt Farah]

That's got to be a different person.

[Zach Klapman]

There's probably because this was published when he, Colin Woodard was.

[Matt Farah]

Yeah, 2011. Yeah. That's not.

[Zach Klapman]

Yeah, Colin wrote for us.

[Matt Farah]

Yeah.

[Zach Klapman]

Different guy, right?

[Matt Farah]

Yeah, he's so. And he still writes about cars, but he's like not old enough to have written that type of book.

[Zach Klapman]

Right.

[Matt Farah]

Maybe it's his dad. Wonder if he's junior. I don't know. Okay, I'll check it out. Thank you for the recommendation. Uber driver, do you think. Oh, here we go. Do you think the 987.2 Cayman base is the six speed budget solution? What is an entry level enthusiast car for 30k or less with a six speed manual. That's funny.

[Zach Klapman]

Yeah.

[Matt Farah]

I wonder if there's a question we just talked about that could relate to this at all. The problem with the base Cayman is it's a lovely car but the costs to maintain it are very high. That is a Porsche and a lot of things are not accessible without taking off undertray or taking the engine out. So yeah, you can get into one cheap, but just be ready for maintenance to be a little more than you're ready for. Bad gardener says. Do I do any racing anymore? I haven't done any racing in a while. Not for any real reason. The team I was racing with sort of disbanded and I didn't have any other anyone else who asked me to race with them until recently. Our friend Sergio asked me to go racing with him and Johnny also. So the showdown that you've been waiting for, the M3 at Cota in November, endurance racing. And we won't just have a one lap. Is Johnny faster than Matt? We will have entire sessions of racing to analyze where. Where Johnny may or may not be faster than me. We'll see.

[Zach Klapman]

We will.

[Matt Farah]

I just had. I just ran 60 laps of code on a McLaren. I feel like I was fast. I probably wasn't, but I feel like I was fast.

[Zach Klapman]

Get you on the sim.

[Matt Farah]

We'll have to do a little more.

[Zach Klapman]

Sim, do some cx.

[Matt Farah]

I don't, I don't. I'm not sure.

[Zach Klapman]

Well, you know where it goes now.

[Matt Farah]

I know where the track goes, so I'm not really sure how much I would get out of the sim. But listen, considering my dignity against Johnny Lieberman is on the line, couldn't fucking hurt, right? And I could do some. I could also call Kevin. I could get some like coaching called Ross Bentley. I could call Ross Bentley. I could call Ross Bentley, couldn't I? I have to get Ross Bentley. Where does Ross live?

[Zach Klapman]

Canada.

[Matt Farah]

Shit.

[Zach Klapman]

He does a lot of online coaching with.

[Matt Farah]

Oh, he does stuff. Yeah. Okay.

[Zach Klapman]

So yeah, could.

[Matt Farah]

I would. I have to. I would go to CXC and he could dial in. Is that what would happen?

[Zach Klapman]

They, they could probably set that up. Yeah.

[Matt Farah]

I don't have my own sim where I go. What else?

[Zach Klapman]

Probably that. Yeah. Because I think he needs to see the telemetry which you don't get from our SIM here.

[Matt Farah]

But yeah, maybe we do not have a sim. We have an Xbox with a chair.

[Zach Klapman]

That's not so. Yeah, I bet if you went to CXC they could do that. Or Misha menstruates.

[Matt Farah]

Oh, Misha's house? Yeah, Yeah, I would just go to Misha's house. Yeah. That would be easier because he has cats.

[Zach Klapman]

That's true.

[Matt Farah]

Yeah. They don't have cats at cxc.

[Zach Klapman]

That's true.

[Matt Farah]

Yeah. They would sell more sims.

[Zach Klapman]

I'm racing lemons with Glucker at the end of May. What? I'm racing the Ranchero. Yeah. At Thunder Hill. They're doing a full 24 hour.

[Matt Farah]

Oh, really?

[Zach Klapman]

Yes. Like over.

[Matt Farah]

How optimistic you think the car will last 24, huh?

[Zach Klapman]

They've been running it for enough seasons.

[Matt Farah]

Okay.

[Zach Klapman]

That it? But you know, it is race.

[Matt Farah]

Have you driven it?

[Zach Klapman]

No.

[Matt Farah]

Is it. Is it supposed to be good? Is it like fast?

[Zach Klapman]

It's defined fast in lemons. If it works the whole time and feels halfway responsive, then it's a good time.

[Matt Farah]

When is the. When is the race?

[Zach Klapman]

May 31st. The weekend.

[Matt Farah]

Oh, damn. I'd love to go. I'm going to Italy. Can I take this?

[Zach Klapman]

Yes. Yeah. You do go to Italy, like the day after the race.

[Matt Farah]

Yeah. Damn. I'd love to do an endurance race at Thunder Hill. That'd be fun as fuck. I would like to do more racing. If anyone out there has an endurance racing team on the west coast with a fun car and is looking for some company that is known for not crashing cars, I'd love to come out and do a stint. That would be fun. And yeah, November at Coda is going to be a fucking good time. That's gonna be. That's gonna be excellent.

[Zach Klapman]

I'll be taking bets.

[Matt Farah]

We'll see if. We'll see if. Dude, maybe we get Tommy Buns to come out. Maybe if he's around. You think?

[Zach Klapman]

Oh, I was thinking Tommy Kendall.

[Matt Farah]

No. Oh, well, yeah, if we want to win.

[Zach Klapman]

Yeah. Segura. That'd be cool.

[Matt Farah]

Yeah.

[Zach Klapman]

I mean, he. He drives a lot.

[Matt Farah]

Yeah.

[Zach Klapman]

So he probably knows what's up.

[Matt Farah]

He would have a go. I forgot to look when I was at Petrol Lounge. If it's. Is. If the E46 was still there.

[Zach Klapman]

It's somewhere. What a good car.

[Matt Farah]

If it is, I'd give him like five grand for it and he'd probably take it.

[Zach Klapman]

I'd be so upset if you. That's all you had to spend to get a six figure.

[Matt Farah]

Yeah, but like, what a move that would be. It wasn't six figures. It wasn't no $48,000.

[Zach Klapman]

Oh, I thought. Okay.

[Matt Farah]

I mean, it's not cheap, but.

[Zach Klapman]

Yeah, I thought it was a hundred because it was like championship winning.

[Matt Farah]

No, no, it's A very nicely prepped car. But even the nicest spec, E46 is only so much.

[Zach Klapman]

That's true.

[Matt Farah]

Yeah. Unless Max Verstappen dropped a deuce in the seat, you know, it's not. Yeah, just another BMW.

[Zach Klapman]

I might have to go with you in November just to watch.

[Matt Farah]

Oh, we should go. Yeah, yeah, yeah. It should be a good time. Yeah. And I think those type of races usually come with a, you know, a practice day. So you can, you know, you test the car, but you can also. You can show up with. With other cars and tech those and use another car for practice.

[Zach Klapman]

Use Tommy Bunz's car.

[Matt Farah]

Oh, well, that would be fun. I was gonna say 750.

[Zach Klapman]

Yeah. But you should practice in a front engine product.

[Matt Farah]

Oh, I think. I think. No, no. I think practicing in a car with twice the horsepower is like a weighted bat.

[Zach Klapman]

It's like an F1 driver.

[Matt Farah]

Yeah, it's like swinging a weighted bat. I mean. Oh. I only have to break from half the speed. Okay. No problem.

[Zach Klapman]

That's true. Ooh, that's interesting. But you also have to brake.

[Matt Farah]

The braking distances would be different.

[Zach Klapman]

Yes.

[Matt Farah]

Yeah. Well, you take a stint in the race car.

[Zach Klapman]

Yeah.

[Matt Farah]

But, like, you have the whole day. You're not trying to wreck out and fucking wear out the car on the practice day. So you take one little, you know, quick go, 10 laps or so in the race car to figure out what the dynamics are, and then you drive the whole rest of the day in whatever you brought.

[Zach Klapman]

Which transmissions in the BMW?

[Matt Farah]

I have no idea. I know that when I drove that Turner E92 race car, I did not like the pedal box or the manual gearbox in it at all. It was really hard to drive.

[Zach Klapman]

Maybe it's dct.

[Matt Farah]

I don't know. I hope it's not that. But if it is, I'm gonna fucking grin and bear it.

[Zach Klapman]

Well, it might not be too bad, like, for racing. Racing, dct. Okay.

[Matt Farah]

I don't know. I have no idea. But I don't care. I'm excited to go racing. And in a car that's like, you know, pretty fast. Yeah, it's a fast track. You want a fast car racing a Miata at Cota would be fucking full.

[Zach Klapman]

Throttle the whole time.

[Matt Farah]

Oh, it suck. The hills are so big.

[Zach Klapman]

Yeah. Yeah, that's. You really gotta get it run up to get up that first hill.

[Matt Farah]

That's a good question, though. Okay. Oh, boy. Here we go. Here's one I can relate to. Balboa ferry enthusiast, are you? If this person is in Newport and By the Balboa island ferry. That's pretty g. It's a very cute area down there. If you ignore all the Trump flags, it's beautiful. Minus the Trump flags. The ferry is lovely. I put the Manx on it for the photo shoot for the road and track story.

[Zach Klapman]

Oh, cool.

[Matt Farah]

That was a great shot of it on the ferry. But Balboa ferry enthusiast put race car wheels and performance tires on my 2023 outback. Respect. I've been wanting to lower it. I think it would look 80% of a euro fast wagon if I did so. But I live in O.C. oh, he is there. He is from Balboa island. And I use its outbackness with frequent trips to the mountains and the desert, etc. Talk me out of lowering it 2 inches. Even if it might be better for 99% of my driving.

[Zach Klapman]

That's very funny.

[Matt Farah]

I don't think it would drive better. I think it would drive worse.

[Zach Klapman]

Yeah. The Outbacks that we've driven ride really nice. The suspension's really well dampened and soft, but responsive enough. And then when we took it out to rower flats on the dirt road, stuff like it ate it up. So I mean, granted you don't do a lot of that, but you live here. The highways are bad here.

[Matt Farah]

Yeah.

[Zach Klapman]

So you should keep that compliance. Yeah. And lowering it. I guess it'll look cooler. But to me that's not a. No offense. Like, that's not a great looking long roof. It doesn't have like a smooth shape. There's all this cladding and stuff.

[Matt Farah]

Yeah.

[Zach Klapman]

So I'm not gonna look at that and go, oh, look at this dropped euro wagon. It's gonna look like an Outback that had broken air springs or something like that.

[Matt Farah]

It's. I would, I wouldn't do it. It's not. But I like where your head is at. I can see your thought process. I just. I don't think it will drive well. Yeah. Okay. Last one.

[Zach Klapman]

No.

[Matt Farah]

Oh, okay. High hi subsiety. That's a good one. Looking to change up my cars. I'm driving a Grand Cherokee and an old. A mini 06 R53 mini JCW. Yes. That's fucking great. If that JCW is. Is worth anything. If it's a nice one, like, hang on to it. I think those are gonna be very collectible. Contemplating a 996.2 Carrera is a well maintained 996. Reliable enough to be a daily driver. I think for the most part it's reliable enough to be a Most of the time. Daily driver I think, I mean it will need things and so you can't, you know if you're gonna get fired if it's in the shop. I would, I would. Maybe not but like look, Jay Ryan.

[Zach Klapman]

Has put how many.

[Matt Farah]

But that is pretty much his only car. Yeah, they need.

[Zach Klapman]

They bought a Mini very like last year but they drove it a lot for everything. But it did need something every year or two.

[Matt Farah]

And would I need a Carrera F4S or would I be fine in the winter with a rear drive car and winter tires in Michigan, which is flat rear drive winter tires would be glorious. So fun glorious. You only need all wheel drive if you have snow and steep hills which you do not have in Michigan. Yeah, no, I mean look, you could do it. Absolutely. You could do it. Buy a great one, eat a major service and once over bill once get your snow tires situation for the winter. And yeah, I mean they're by the standard of all cars ever made. They're like really well made cars. You can drive them a lot. All right, last two and then my bladder is going to end this program and we'll keep all questions for the next show. Donnie's cellmate says oh, marry, fuck, kill. On project cars from your history of driving modified cars, what's a car you wanted to own? A car you would want another go in and one you wouldn't go anywhere near ever again. That's a good one.

[Zach Klapman]

That's a great question.

[Matt Farah]

Well, I offered to buy that motorcycle powered Honda N600. Sure. Which is one of the craziest, most delightful things I've ever driven. And that offer stands. The Hennessey Venom gt. You know he doesn't get enough credit for that thing being as awesome as it is. That was just a real ridiculous thing.

[Zach Klapman]

I feel like the Drift Hummer is something you wouldn't need to you drive again but not need to go near. Maybe like that could be.

[Matt Farah]

I thought the Drift Hummer was really fun. I would love that's see that one. If I had another go in a Venom gt I don't think I would. I would, it would be fun but like I would drive it around on the road or like whatever. Like if you gave me the Drift Hummer and a skid pad, I'd have a great fucking day. That thing was excellent. Mid engine front, mid rear drive, thousand pounds of torque, pretty low center of gravity relative to its width and height.

[Zach Klapman]

But would you rather have a fling in that or the Venom gt?

[Matt Farah]

Oh, I mean I don't Know, I might have had more fun in the drift Hummer than I had in the Venom gt. Honestly. Venom GT is so fast, but it's also like expensive. So you have to like take good care of it. A drift car, any drift car is a true. Yeah. But another go in dude, like the one of those cars in New Zealand, like either like the that awesome skyline, that R34 or that fucking truenot that I got to drift in the wet.

[Zach Klapman]

That was great.

[Matt Farah]

Oh God. All day in that. Other than the little crash. All day in that again. Yeah, that was epic. Nathan Reynolds in honor of the Bentley best orange shades in automotive history. Really liked the burnt orange trend of the early 2000s. Other good oranges.

[Zach Klapman]

C6 is a wood. That was a good orange. I think Lamborghini still has the best orange. Like whatever. There's a hurricane orange. Yeah, that flake in it, it looks like an expensive orange.

[Matt Farah]

Yeah. Started with the Diablo 6 liter. Was that orange? Yeah, all the way through. Yeah. That's a fabulous color. The Nissan 350Z Orange Gold if you remember that. That sort of copper.

[Zach Klapman]

Yeah, copper gold. That's a good one.

[Matt Farah]

The lady, her name is Brenda, she is in charge of styling at Meyers Manx. Now she was in charge of Nissan exterior colors. She was responsible for that gold and that. My Cobra kit car that we had, our superformance Cobra was that gold.

[Zach Klapman]

Oh, okay. This NB Miata orange is bad.

[Matt Farah]

That's not great, especially with those wheels. But search Google Images. NYMC Cobra. And there, there are images of it. Yeah, there it is. Jason Thorlson photo. So that was this car that me and Larry had.

[Zach Klapman]

Yeah.

[Matt Farah]

And oh, there's the, the license plate just below it. Make you poo.

[Zach Klapman]

I can't believe you guys got that approved.

[Matt Farah]

Yep. And. And it was a.

[Zach Klapman]

That's a good one.

[Matt Farah]

Superformance car. Yeah. So that's the Nissan color but with better like you know, applied by like a custom shop. Right.

[Zach Klapman]

And also this car has curve which you get this nice shadow. Whereas the Nissan 350Z is a fairly slab sided car.

[Matt Farah]

Yeah. So it had a 353 cubic inch X bill Elliot NASCAR engine in it and a four speed Jericho and you can see the fuel cell right below there. And, and there was our club logo right next to the license plate which I made. And sort of looked like a devil which was made of taking two Ferrari paddle shifter, spare parts, the outline, putting them together. Yeah.

[Zach Klapman]

It also looks like a motorcycle shift pedal.

[Matt Farah]

Yeah, kind of. Yeah. So that was a death trap that car. But it was a great orange color. Go back to the other photo that showed it, like from the in, from the, like the pretty angle. I mean, this thing was a goddamn death trap. But. But for like six drives, it was like really fun. VOD cars. Yeah. You should have fucking heard this thing. And look at the stance. I mean, is there. Have you ever seen, like better stance on a Cobra than that? It's like this car apparently, allegedly was owned by a guy named Dennis Olthoff, who was the Superformance distributor in Long Island. And he, He. They say, I'm sure you could look this up. And he apparently won the one lap of America with this car. Whoa. In like 2001.

[Zach Klapman]

That's impressive.

[Matt Farah]

Which is like insane.

[Zach Klapman]

So, I mean, because this has lower profile tires.

[Matt Farah]

Yeah. It has 17 inch Halibrand wheels on it.

[Zach Klapman]

So it's like the normal steering wheel, not the big wooden wheel like ours has.

[Matt Farah]

Yeah.

[Zach Klapman]

Where's the shifter? Was it a normal vertical shifter or was it like the weird angled thing?

[Matt Farah]

No, it was. Oh. Actually, you know what it was? It was. It had a double neck. So the part next to the steering wheel there was a little knob and about a 4 inches of vertical and then a sharp bend back and then a 90 degree bend down.

[Zach Klapman]

Got it.

[Matt Farah]

Yeah. And it would go. Because it was a fucking Jericho. And it was sketchy as hell. It was 2,300 pounds and it made 600 horsepower with an MSD rev limiter set to 6,200. But it came with chips up to nine and it could rev to nine because it was a NASCAR engine.

[Zach Klapman]

Jesus.

[Matt Farah]

Yeah. You had to put race gas in it to raise the rev limiter. But you could.

[Zach Klapman]

I like the. We have the.

[Matt Farah]

We never did.

[Zach Klapman]

We keep ours at 58 and it's like. That's fine, dude.

[Matt Farah]

If you are full throttle at 65, it'll spin the tires in all four gears. It was fucking nuts. I. I couldn't get rid of it fast enough. Last we heard, it was painted black. It lives at Spring Mountain in Vegas.

[Zach Klapman]

Cause this paint, this is great. It looks awesome. Flat black side pipes. It's just really tastefully done.

[Matt Farah]

Yeah.

[Zach Klapman]

Black and orange.

[Matt Farah]

Yeah. Death trap. But really, really, you want to make a fucking statement? You'll set off every car alarm. The pulses from those side pipes, they're great, dude. You'll set up car alarms for blocks. It was so obnoxious.

[Zach Klapman]

We have whatever side pipe, whatever the packing was that was in them when we bought the car is gone. And now it's basically straight pipes.

[Matt Farah]

Yeah. All right. We got any more? Is there one more? Was that the show?

[Zach Klapman]

I mean, there were many more.

[Matt Farah]

Oh, there were many more. Is that where I wanted to end? Okay.

[Zach Klapman]

Yeah, yeah.

[Matt Farah]

I think that's a good place to end. Yes. My bladder says Matt, you're right. It is a good place to end. So we will see you next time. We have many more. We have a show with Chip Foose next week is coming in. What a treat.

[Zach Klapman]

Yeah, super cool.

[Matt Farah]

If you're a fan of the Dollop and the Pastime, Zach and I will be on the Dollop tomorrow. Excuse me? On the Pastimes tomorrow. Can't wait to read a newspaper with Dave and Gareth. That'll be very fun. And you got anything else we need to promote? Go watch our career S992 video. It's on YouTube. We're going to have the Revuelto video on. Oh, I forgot to watch it. I'm sorry. Sorry, Zach. I've been busy. Watch Revuelto and yeah, we will see you guys very soon. Have a great day.