Podcast Summary: The Smoking Tire — “Bugatti Veyron 2.0?; Racetrack for Sale; E-Ray Conclusion; Q&A”

Air Date: January 27, 2026
Hosts: Matt Farah and Zack Klapman

Episode Overview

In this rich, wide-ranging episode, Matt Farah and Zack Klapman cover everything from emerging fascism and citizen resistance in Minnesota to in-depth impressions of the Corvette E-Ray after a 1,400-mile road trip. They dig into advances and pitfalls in automotive tech, the realities of insurance telematics, the “new” Bugatti Veyron homage, and the sale of Chuckwalla Valley Raceway. The show closes with a highly engaged Q&A touching on tire choices, ideal cars for famous roads, and even watches. As always, the hosts blend humor, deep knowledge, and an unfiltered conversational tone.

Main Topics & Key Discussion Points

1. Citizen Resistance and ICE Protests in Minneapolis (00:00–22:57)

• Matt gives a heartfelt shout-out to Minneapolis commuters and activists bravely organizing to document and resist ICE activities amid freezing temperatures.
  • Memorable quote:
    "They're helping their neighbors who don't look like them... non-violently opposing a violent invading force in their city. They're getting creative. They're incredibly organized. It's fucking cold there... These are some tough ass people." — Matt Farah (04:10)
• Discussion on decentralized, citizen-led efforts, observers documenting official abuses, and fears over government surveillance.
  • Notable quote:
    "There's a non-zero possibility that there could be a violent confrontation between federal and local law enforcement." — Matt Farah (08:21)
• Zack and Matt recommend journalism outlets for unbiased coverage (Channel 5 News, Chris Hedges), and reflect on law enforcement’s conflicting roles.
• Concerns over warrantless phone tracking and broader implications for privacy and civil liberties.
  • Quote:
    "This software which they can now use, government's now using without warrants... can just track phones, just where they're going. Oh, you're at a protest? Could track you right to your house." — Matt Farah (11:44)

2. Quick Automotive Updates & Rants (23:09–32:07)

• Follow-up on the insurance company Lemonade, which claims lower rates for Tesla FSD users. An industry insider’s letter debunks their approach and telematics in general.

  • Insightful summary:
    "The end game for all this is that every OEM will provide connected vehicle data to a centralized data exchange that will operate exactly like a credit bureau." — Anonymous insurance insider, read by Matt (25:23)

• Tesla FSD LA–NYC “zero interventions” trip: Matt and Zack analyze the technicality of Tesla's software updates, implying metrics like fewer disconnects may not necessarily mean real progress in safety.

  • "The way I described it is essentially how it works. It just makes further attempts to solve its own problems before actually disconnecting." — Matt Farah (30:52)
  • Zack on automaker strategy:
    "They always roll things out a little early, take them out of the oven before they're really done." (31:04)

3. Analysis: Autonomous Vehicle Tech, Trust, & Insurance (32:07–38:36)

• Debate on the limits of current autonomous systems: Matt trusts certain expert drivers with FSD, but distrusts its use by “regular” drivers or in full autonomy.

  • "I just can’t stress enough how redundancy of sensor suites is so important." — Matt Farah (33:59)

• Critique of misleading marketing, Tesla’s approach versus Waymo or Mercedes. The two discuss the gap between tech, regulation, and public trust.

• Matt recounts a telling quote on Elon Musk’s “genius” status being context-specific (38:36).

4. Detailed Review: 2024 Corvette E-Ray (40:56–56:44)

Matt’s 1,400-mile Road Trip Impressions:

• The E-Ray is not a plug-in hybrid, and its electric front-axle drive only activates under high throttle or slip.

  • "You don't plug it in. You'd have to convince somebody that this car is actually a hybrid." — Matt Farah (41:02)

• Under normal driving, it behaves like a regular Stingray. The hybrid system doesn't add the dramatic handling benefits (like torque-vectoring) of rivals (NSX, Artura, 918, etc.).

• Steering described as “darty” and heavy, presumably due to alignment and chassis setup.

  • "My ... armpit just from holding it straight for that long. This was a two hands on the wheel drive for all this was a lot." (42:43)

• Positives: Value (fully loaded at $133k), excellent straight-line speed (0-60 in the 2s), strong engine.

• Criticism: Heavier, less fun steering than Z06, name “E-Ray” and hybrid branding poorly targeted, little practicality improvement—couldn’t fit a rollerboard in the front trunk.

• Digital rearview mirror: Big field of view, but critical lack of detail — Matt notes he "couldn't see a cop car for shit" until too late (50:35).

  • "Because your eyes are just so much better than cameras, which is why like all this camera only AV shit, drives me crazy." (52:32)

• Tires matter more than AWD for winter driving—both hosts reinforce that point, lamenting how often the public misses it.

• For most buyers, a regular Stingray is a better road tripper unless you specifically need AWD for snow.

5. Chuckwalla Valley Raceway FOR SALE! (58:33–62:10)

• Chuckwalla Valley Raceway is on the market for $26 million.
• Matt and Zack discuss its features, location (“so far in the middle of nowhere”), quality of the facility, and why it's a beloved spot for driving and filming.
  • "It's a great place to do slides… Who designed that track did such a fantastic job." — Zack (60:27)
  • Sundown, stargazing, and “plenty of cabins”—fantasy scenarios ensue.

6. Q&A Segment: Listener Questions (63:07–110:54)

Bugatti Veyron “Homage” / Coachbuilt One-Offs (63:07–66:55)

• Bugatti's new “solitaire program” offers ultra-wealthy customers bespoke coachbuilt cars.
• Discussion centers on the just-revealed “FKP Homage,” a one-off based on the Chiron but styled to recall the Veyron.
  • "They've built this one-off car that is a Chiron, but looks like a Veyron. So now you... have a photo of it next to an actual Veyron, and you can see the differences." (64:41)
• Both agree it’s a better retro-modern homage than Ferrari or Lamborghini’s recent attempts, if somewhat absurd in purpose.

Quick-fire Topics & Notable Excerpts:

• Geo Brand & 90s Cheap Cars: A badge-engineering venture, mostly Isuzus and Suzukis sold under Chevy’s tent; not all bad, but defined by price (68:44).
• Corvette ZR1 Improvements: More sound, new interior (not “wall of buttons”), round steering wheel to replace current square one (71:13).
• Sticky Tires vs. PS4S for Canyon Driving: Most benefits are marginal; negatives include more wear, noisier, pick up more stones. Stick with PS4S for road use (72:25).
• Ideal Cars for Tail of the Dragon (under $100k): Short gearing & light weight matter more than raw power — “re-geared Boxster GTS” (74:11).
• Mustang GT Premium vs. Base Dark Horse: For driving enjoyment (manual transmission, better seats) the Dark Horse with Recaros is the pick, but otherwise GT Premium gives more options (76:05).
• Wagons “douche-proof”? Nothing is douche-proof, it depends on the owner culture and context; wagons are often bought for attitude, not just function (77:43).
• White-faced Tool Watch for ~$10k: Explorer II, Milgauss, or Speedmaster—cases depend on wrist size, personality (93:34).

7. Industry & Market Insights

• EV Pickup Trucks as Fleet Vehicles: Best suited for predictable municipal/fleet use; not ideal for unpredictable, long-term grid outages (105:44).
• Porsche 911 Line Future: Hosts disagree that splitting 911s into "GT" and "sport" lines is realistic; emissions and racing tech pressure dictate the current evolution (107:02).
• NA GT3’s Likely Turbocharged Future: Regulations may force the next GT3 and GT3 RS to adopt turbocharging (109:49); the current NA models may increase in value.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On Organizers in Minneapolis:
  "I hope there's someone right now... listening to this podcast and honking air horns at ICE. That would make me so happy. If someone sends me a video... dinner's on me, habibi. Let's fucking go." (09:14)
• On Telemetrics and Data Tracking:
  "Every OEM will provide connected vehicle data to a centralized data exchange that will operate exactly like a credit bureau." — Anonymous Letter (25:23)
• On AI, Self-Driving & Marketing:
  "Only Elon could get away with it. No other publicly traded company could have leadership that would lie to everybody like that and still be in place." — Matt Farah (37:45)
• On Bugatti One-offs:
  "Keep the billionaires happy. That's very important. Otherwise they're going to make the rest of our lives terrible." — Matt Farah (66:09)
• On Road Trip Eats:
  "I don't like eating in cars at all... I don't want to sound holier than thou, but... the grease of touching the car in your hand, to me, eating in the car is a pretty gross thing I don't do." — Matt Farah (88:28)
• On “Race Cars for the Road” Projects:
  "It takes a mature consumer to go: actually, my inner id wants a race car for the road, but in reality... I don't want that." — Matt Farah (100:29)

Timestamps — Key Segments

• 00:00–10:51 — Minneapolis activism & ICE protests, privacy/surveillance
• 23:09–32:07 — Insurance telematics, Tesla FSD “progress”
• 32:07–38:36 — Automated driving trust, Elon Musk critique
• 40:56–56:44 — Matt’s in-depth Corvette E-Ray review
• 58:33–62:10 — Chuckwalla Valley Raceway for sale, memories
• 63:07–66:55 — Bugatti Veyron “homage,” coachbuilt hypercars
• 67:00–94:30 — Listener Q&A (selected car advice, watch talk, industry observations)
• 105:44–110:54 — EV pickups as fleet vehicles, future 911/GT3 powertrains

Tone & Style

True to The Smoking Tire, the episode is candid, irreverent, and deeply knowledgeable. Matt’s rants are as thoughtful as they are passionate, and Zack’s straightman queries keep the show moving and clear to both enthusiasts and casual listeners. Their interplay is laced with dry humor, strong opinions, and a consistent focus on real-world automotive experiences.

Closing

The episode is a microcosm of the show’s strengths: unapologetically off-the-cuff, mixing in real-world advocacy, hard-earned car insights, healthy skepticism about tech and industry claims, and an engaging rapport with listeners. Whether you love cars, care about policy, or just want to hear what “the people on the ground” are really doing, this is an episode worth catching in full.