The Smoking Tire Podcast

Episode: Brian Scotto tktkt
Date: December 18, 2025
Hosts: Matt Farah, Zack Klapman
Guest: Brian Scotto

Overview

In this lively, sprawling episode, Matt, Zack, and returning guest Brian Scotto (of Hoonigan, Gymkhana, and more) reunite for a candid, two-plus-hour exploration of automotive projects, media past and present, creative processes, the making of the new Gymkhana film, and ongoing debates about car culture's challenges and evolutions. With Scotto recently launched into his own podcasting ventures and fresh off directing the wild new Gymkhana installment, the conversation weaves through nostalgia, project car hell, industry insights, old street racing tales, and the growing pains of the current car media landscape.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Podcasting, Attention Spans, & Long-form Content

• Podcast Length Records:

  • Scotto unofficially holds the record for longest single-person guest episode on The Smoking Tire.
  • They joke about podcast length, with Matt noting that "going for longer isn't a goal—it's all about conversation quality." ([03:24])

• Modern Podcast Consumption:

  • Scotto and the hosts discuss listenership drop-off and the struggle to balance episodic structure with meandering, banter-driven formats.

• Episode Structure & Guest Selection:

  • Matt shares his insight: "The audience doesn't like meeting new people. They want someone familiar—or someone so famous you have to see what they say." ([10:24])
  • YouTube-famous guests often outperform even high-profile guests from more traditional media.

The Evolution of Automotive Media

• From Journalism to Hoonigan:

  • Scotto recounts his journey from serious automotive journalist to media innovator with Hoonigan, and how the shift informed his creative style and priorities.
  • He reflects: “I was taking my inspiration from Vanity Fair and Wired ... then I started making videos about burnouts. It changed, dude.” ([11:25])

• Drive Network & Early Paywalls:

  • Discussion of the now-legendary Drive Network as a cautionary tale of being "too early" with paywall content on YouTube.
  • “If we had launched Drive ten years later, fans would be used to Patreon. Back then, people wanted everything free.” ([13:48], Scotto)

Launching a Podcast and Embracing ADHD Creativity

• Scotto explains how his ADHD drives him to start projects but rarely finish them—hence his massive fleet of unfinished cars.
• He’s experimenting with a podcast format that combines multiple show ideas, describing his own channel as "a testing ground for other shows."

Social Media, Personal Branding, and “Posting Your Face”

• Scotto laments that, despite years pushing others to publish their own faces for engagement, now he has to do it himself to drive Instagram visibility.
• Memorable exchange:
  • Matt: “You literally co-invented the YouTuber face.” ([17:22])
  • Scotto: “It sucks that you have to do this now — poetic justice.” ([17:41])

Behind the Scenes: Gymkhana in Australia

• Bathurst Cameo:

  • The team give a detailed, behind-the-scenes account of the latest Gymkhana, focusing on the Bathurst sequence where Travis Pastrana slides into an actual V8 Supercar parade lap.
  • Matt: "That was a fucking closer of closers." ([25:15])
  • Brian: “Bathurst...is the only thing in the past couple years that feels really new to me...When it was happening, I was giddy laughing.” ([25:23])
  • The segment required real V8 Supercar drivers during race week, achieved with remarkable support from event organizers.

• Stunts & Surprises:

  • The “road train” jump and big jump stunts are discussed, as well as pushing the limits of what’s allowed outside the U.S.—leading to attempts at Puerto Rico, San Diego, and finally Australia.

• Filming Challenges:

  • The challenge of filming dangerous stunts within liability-laden U.S. cities due to the negative associations with “takeovers” and public side shows.

Takeovers, Street Racing, and Car Culture’s Shifting Landscape

• The crew reminisce on the “organized” days of New York street racing, contrasting today’s chaos and the way “takeovers” have affected public perception and access.

• They argue the modern takeover scene is largely disconnected from actual car enthusiasts and driven by a different set of social factors (including stolen cars and viral videos).

• Notable quote, Scotto:

  • "The culture has become—unfortunately—synonymous with other parts of car culture. Most of the cars are stock, many are stolen, and I don’t know anyone in our circles participating.” ([55:14])

Project Car Hell, Nostalgia & The New 'Muscle Car' Generation

• They discuss the endless pain of big personal car builds versus the joy and satisfaction of “paper builds”—the research, dreaming, and parts-hunting stage.
• Matt and Brian both identify with the “next generation of muscle car people,” chasing the nostalgia of their youth with VW Rabbits and Fox-body Mustangs.

Automotive Media: Then and Now

• The group unpacks the evolution—from traditional car reviews to massive YouTube business models, and how the current algorithm crushes creative variety in favor of formulaic, bite-sized content.

• They compare the “Wild West” era (Gymkhana, Drive, early Hoonigan) with the current saturated media landscape.

• Insightful quote, Scotto:

  • “YouTube wants the same formula, always. Seven days a week...You could make something great, but if it doesn’t fit the feed, it could fail.” ([131:36])

Film-Making: Realism vs. CGI in Car Movies

• Scotto details his recent work directing second unit/action for the new Sung Kang film “Drifter,” arguing for the importance of real stunts over CG—mirroring the Mission Impossible model.

• The group discusses recent F1 and other car films, the value of practical effects, and how modern audiences crave authenticity post-AI.

• Quote, Scotto:

  • “I feel like there is this want now where people want things to feel real again...The AI slop brought an audience to say: I want to know this actually happened.” ([118:23])

The Triumphs, Regrets, & Lessons of Hoonigan

• Patreon user asks if, with hindsight, Scotto would have done Hoonigan differently:
  • He would have moved toward a model supporting “a collective” of personalities who could also branch out independently, giving them equity and ownership in their projects ([145:35]).
  • “Part of what made Hoonigan great was these guys had their own minds...that became the challenge and the strength.”

Memorable Moments & Quotes

• Podcast Longevity:
  • Matt: “I’m the shortest tall person and the fittest fat person.” ([68:22])
• Scotto’s Project Car Irony:
  • “I built a really good statue. The RS2 is like missionary...not the most exciting, but it’s usable.” ([83:51])
• Racing Memories:
  • Matt on 2000s BMW 1 Series launches: “If 31-year-old me was there, I’d be doing absolute criminal things in a car like that.” ([48:25])
• On ADHD and Time Perception:
  • Scotto: “For people with ADHD there’s now and not now. My Quattro lives in not now.” ([144:50])

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Podcast Length & Format: [02:55 – 08:47]
• Evolution from Journalism to Hoonigan: [11:25 – 13:48]
• Launching a Podcast & ADHD: [07:48 – 08:47]; [144:10 – 145:01]
• Instagram, YouTube, and Social Media Woes: [15:45 – 17:41]
• Gymkhana Australia/Bathurst Segment: [24:16 – 42:49]
  • Bathurst scene breakdown: [24:40 – 28:38]
  • On-set chaos and production: [28:38 – 35:15]
• Car Culture Takeovers & Street Racing Stories: [50:23 – 61:37]
• Project Cars, Broken Builds, and Nostalgia: [61:37 – 92:33]
• Automotive Media and YouTube Evolution: [124:33 – 134:26]
• Film-Making: Real Cars vs. CGI: [108:58 – 123:26]
• Regrets & Lessons from Hoonigan: [145:35 – 147:49]
• Notable Patreon Q&A: [145:01 – 157:09]

Notable Quotes (with Timestamps)

• Matt Farah on podcasting and familiarity:

  “The audience doesn’t like meeting new people. They want someone familiar—or someone so famous you have to see what they say.” ([10:24])

• Brian Scotto on nostalgia and project cars:

  “We’re the new muscle car guys ... you build your car and it’s nostalgia. I drive around in my RS2 listening to Mobb Deep and I’m like, oh my God, I am my stepdad with the Volkswagen thing and the Beach Boys.” ([92:33])

• On ADHD and project cars:

  “For people with ADHD, there’s now and not now. My Coupe Quattro unfortunately lives in not now.” ([144:50])

• On the basics of the Bathurst Gymkhana moment:

  “The Bathurst sequence...was three times cooler than I thought it was going to be. ... As it was happening, I was giddy laughing.” ([25:26, 63:02])

• On wanting realism in car films:

  “I feel like there is this want now where people want things to feel real again...The AI slop has really brought an audience to say, I want to know this actually happened.” ([118:23])

• On Hoonigan’s organizational lessons:

  “If I did it over again, I think it would have been a collective. Everyone doing their own thing, but together as one.” ([145:35])

Tone & Character

The conversation is loose, irreverent, and totally authentic—equal parts inside baseball for true car culture nerds and accessible storytelling for anyone who’s experienced project car heartbreak or the struggle to keep up in the rapidly evolving media world. The friendships, respect, and competitive banter between Matt, Zack, and Brian are apparent throughout, blending car shop tall tales with real business candor and creative vulnerability.

Final Notes

Fans looking for a deep dive on Gymkhana, the future of car media, and the challenges of being “great at starting, bad at finishing” in both project cars and careers will find this episode insightful and relatable. Scotto, a natural storyteller, is as candid about his successes as his misfirings, and the episode is packed with stories, confessions, and advice for the next wave of creative car builders and media makers.

Brian Scotto’s new podcast “Very Vehicular” is out now – keep an eye out for his upcoming project directing car action in films and, of course, the continuing saga of his never-ending project car fleet.