The Smoking Tire Podcast
Episode: Chris Harris, Sam Fane, Jason Fenske, Jack Holmes
Hosts: Matt Farah, Zack Klapman
Date: October 30, 2025
Episode Overview
In this episode, Matt Farah and Zack Klapman deliver a lively, wide-ranging show covering the latest auto industry news, EV pickup market woes, car modifications, and a unique "Lightning Round" segment with four leading automotive content creators—Chris Harris, Sam Fane, Jason Fenske, and Jack Holmes—from the Ascari circuit in Spain. The episode balances in-depth industry discussion with fun, quick-fire interviews focused on car preferences, best/worst drives of the year, and dream road trips—all peppered with their signature irreverent humor.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Automotive Gripes & Product Markup
- Overpriced Accessories: Matt and Zack open with a relatable rant about the insane markups on basic car and camera accessories.
- Wind-noise “foamies” for GoPros are cited as an example: "They must cost fractions of a penny to make and they cost multiple dollars to buy and they don't weigh anything." (Matt, 03:06)
- DIY & Modding Wins: Matt discusses his cupholder and shift knob upgrades for his Porsche, noting small quality differences and the satisfaction in customizing.
2. Tesla & Elon Musk’s Wild Claims (09:35+)
- Tesla Earnings Call Hot Takes: Matt reads a wild Elon Musk quote suggesting Tesla robots (Optimus) will become surgeons and eradicate poverty:
“...the mission is going beyond sustainable energy to say sustainable abundance... Optimus would be an incredible surgeon, for example. And imagine if everyone had access to an incredible surgeon.” (Matt quoting Elon, 09:35)
- Skepticism on Corporate Double-Speak: Zack and Matt mock Musk's Hail Mary business claims, and point out the contrast between his “solving poverty” rhetoric and his $1 trillion compensation demand.
- Tesla Recall Armageddon: Discussion of large-scale Tesla recalls—the Model 3, Model Y, and notably 63,000 Cybertrucks (11:01)—fuel skepticism about the company's reliability and direction.
3. Electric Pickup Truck Disillusionment (25:39+)
- Market Reality Check: Matt and Zack break down why electric pickups haven’t captured the anticipated mass market—citing Ford idling Lightning production, Rivian layoffs, and Cybertruck adoption rates (~0.03% of reservation holders).
- “Electric pickup trucks are not being mass adopted in a way that is really working out.” (Matt, 25:43)
- Use Case Limitations: They discuss the suitability of hybrid F-150s for tradespeople versus fully electric pickups, focusing on range, practicality, and affordability.
- Commercial and Geographic Skew: EV pickups are more common in city areas; rural and heavy-use buyers remain unconvinced.
4. DIY Garage Battles & Car Mod Stories
- Lighting Woes: Zack shares struggles with poor garage lighting and the search for better solutions—headlamps, magnet lights, and possible string lights.
- Intake Install Lessons: Zack details installing a Venturi hybrid airbox on his E46 M3, noting improved sound and minimal downsides (20:07).
- ChatGPT as a Diagnostic Tool: Zack amusingly admits to punching symptoms into ChatGPT and getting tips on fixable issues, showing the blending of traditional and tech-savvy wrenching.
5. Lightning Round: Guest Interviews from Ascari (34:38+)
a. Jack Holmes (Savage Geese)
- Best Cars: Mustang GTD, Corvette C8 ZR1
- Worst/Most Disappointing: New M5—expected more, misses M5C magic.
- Turbo S Impression: Iterative improvement, “does everything well,” lacks GT car drama (35:45).
- Perfect Sports Car: High-rev NA, RWD, engine in front or rear, “cars that make me laugh.”
- Dream Trip: 911ST through the Swiss Alps.
- Memorable Moment:
“We’re on the hamster wheel of doing this. So every week is a new adventure.” (Jack, 36:18)
b. Sam Fane (Seen Through Glass)
- Best: Audi RS6 GT—won him over with its outlandish looks and edge (39:41).
- Turbo S Impression: “I felt sick… Just better in every single area,” but really heavy on tight roads.
- Exciting Plans: 10-year anniversary UK YouTuber road trip to Monaco.
- Perfect Sports Car: NA V8, manual, front-engine, RWD—"I've literally just given you a GT."
- Dream Trip: 911 Dakar in Morocco—“I fell in love with that country.”
- Memorable Moment:
“It sucked to get here but I love it here. And all my friends are here.” (Matt, 39:07)
c. Jason Fenske (Engineering Explained)
- Best: Alpenglow Atemerario—torque vectoring, playful, happy tail, “so much fun.”
- Worst: His own Lucid Air for ongoing, disastrous software issues.
- Turbo S Impression:
“ETurbos are very new to production cars… you don’t have that ‘oh, I gotta wait now.’ It’s cool, it’s unique.” (45:05, 46:24)
- Perfect Sports Car: Cites the 911ST—response and immediacy are everything.
- Dream Trip: Wildlife safari in Africa, stadium-seat Land Cruiser, blending car with wildlife passion.
d. Chris Harris
- Best: Mustang GTD (“the car I most want to own”) and Turbo S for overall brilliance.
- Worst: DeLorean—"I don’t understand how that was ever allowed to be built."
- Turbo S Impression:
"Technology, fabulous leap in performance... I like the fact that the Turbo has always been the platform that's the window to future technology.” (51:01)
- Personal Projects: Restoring M5 wagon, Integrale, XJS (inline-six supercharged).
- Perfect Sports Car: Lotus Elise phase—praises simplicity, low power, aluminum chassis.
- Dream Trip: E34 M5 touring through Romania, bringing the car back (Top Gear throwback).
- Memorable Exchange:
Matt: “Would you have come [to my wedding]?”
Chris (deadpan): “No.” (55:41)
6. Patreon & Listener Q&A (After 55:50, interspersed with banter)
- YouTube Trends & Monetization: Discussion of YouTube’s content saturation, value of Patreon support—“You were like a thousand X more valuable as a fan by doing even the lowest.”
- EV Charging Challenges: Advice for listeners on charging EVs with only Level 1 at-home access (62:04)—feasible for local, low-mileage driving.
- Modding Under Warranty: Recommendations for safe modifications on newer cars (suspension/wheels/tires, not power).
- BMW 2002 Engine Swap Options: Comparing M20, S14, K-series, S2000/F20 swaps—M20 with upgrades recommended.
- Collectibility of C4 Corvette ZR1: If Chevy had made the C4 ZR1 more externally distinctive, would it be more collectible? Matt praises subtle “non-widebody” trick.
- Dream Top Gear-Style Co-Host Team: Matt likes the chemistry with Zack, Harris, Alex Roy, Fenske; muses about the need for different personalities.
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments (with timestamps)
- On Tesla’s Optimus Robots:
“This is one of the craziest fucking quotes I've heard out of Elon Musk since he left, quote, left the government...” (Matt, 09:35) - On the EV Pickup Market:
"Electric pickup trucks are not being mass adopted in a way that is really working out." (Matt, 25:43) - On YouTube Business:
“They were like, that’s when I signed up. Because, like, they were on, like, YouTube Premium or whatever. YouTube Premium kind of sucks.” (Matt, 60:18) - Chris Harris on Turbo S:
"Just when you think they've lost the plot, they surprise you… it's the first turbo I've really wanted for 10 years." (51:33) - Jack Holmes on Career Pace:
"We’re on the hamster wheel of doing this. So every week is a new adventure." (36:18) - Sam Fane’s Dream Trip:
“911. Dakar, Morocco. Because I did that in my 360 Modena… I fell in love with that country.” (42:42) - Jason Fenske on Innovation:
“I like novelty... E-turbos are very new to production cars.” (45:21) - L.A. Social Etiquette, Chris Harris-style:
Matt: “Would you have come [to my wedding]?”
Chris: “No.” (55:41)
Time-Stamped Breakdown of Key Segments
- 00:00-05:00 - Sponsor message, gear gripes, sleep/travel stories, cupholder and shift knob upgrades
- 09:35-17:01 - Tesla earnings call, Musk’s wild claims, EV truck recalls and market failures
- 20:07-25:00 - Garage lighting, DIY car mods, ChatGPT car diagnostics
- 25:39-31:21 - Electric truck adoption woes, Ford/Rivian/Cybertruck stats, hybrid F-150 praise
- 34:38-55:51 - Ascari Lightning Round Interviews: Jack Holmes, Sam Fane, Jason Fenske, Chris Harris—best/worst cars, Turbo S impressions, dream cars/trips
- 55:50-end - Patreon/listener deep-dive: YouTube, car mod advice, collectibles, dream Top Gear teams, continued Q&A and lighthearted banter
Tone & Style
True to The Smoking Tire’s established brand, the hosts maintain an irreverent, conversational style—blending deep auto expertise with humor, occasional profanities, and mutual ribbing. The guest interviews are quick but packed with opinion and insight, and the show's pacing oscillates naturally between technical analysis and off-the-cuff storytelling.
This summary provides a detailed, accurate, and engaging overview of the episode for listeners new and returning—capturing the core topics, best quotes, and most memorable exchanges from an episode that celebrated both auto industry skepticism and the giddy joy of driving.