Podcast Summary: The Smoking Tire – "Crazy Toyota Driving; Mercedes Engine Surprise; Lawsuit Update"

Hosts: Matt Farah & Zack Klapman
Date: October 9, 2025
Episode Focus: This episode covers a whirlwind of topics including Matt’s wife’s victory over Elon Musk in court, Zack’s wild drive of Toyota performance cars on both tarmac and dirt, surprising love for the new Mercedes inline-six, and in-depth discussions about racetrack closures, content strategy for YouTube, and listener questions about cars, mods, and more.

Episode Overview

Matt and Zack kick off the show with characteristic banter before diving into heavy industry and personal topics. The main points revolve around:

• The community’s fight to save a beloved racetrack and broader legal support for motorsport venues
• Matt’s wife’s recent legal victory after being laid off from Twitter by Elon Musk
• YouTube algorithm struggles and the harsh realities of content creation for car channels
• Zack’s hands-on, high-adrenaline experiences with the latest Toyota performance cars—on both racetrack and rally stage
• First impressions and critical praise for the new AMG inline-six Mercedes
• Lively listener Q&A with advice, automotive opinions, and car culture observations

Key Discussion Points & Memorable Moments

1. Racetrack Closures and Legal Protections

[Timestamps: 03:50–08:35]

• Pit Race Facility at Risk: Matt laments the potential closure of Pittsburgh’s only real motorsports facility, which is set to become a data center.

  • “It’s not like they’re putting housing or something there… they’re putting a data center. That’s the most insulting. Ugh.” — Matt [04:19]

• Fighting Back With Petitions: Hosts discuss grassroots efforts and successes elsewhere:

  • “Microsoft just bailed on building a data center in Minneapolis because the community pushback was so aggressive.” — Zack [05:19]
  • New laws in North Carolina/Iowa: If you move next to a racetrack, you can’t file complaints about the noise or nuisance.

• Importance of Supporting Motorsport Venues:

  • “That’s why it’s very important that Willow Springs is a success, so we don’t end up in a place where they have to sell it and build some fucking data center.” — Matt [07:56]

2. Matt’s Wife vs. Elon Musk: Lawsuit Victory

[Timestamps: 08:40–13:25]

• Background: Matt’s wife Hannah, a former Twitter employee, stood strong after mass layoffs, refused the initial settlement, and sued for wrongful termination.

  • “She sued, and it took two years…but she fucking won. She won essentially, you know, two years of salary, all her stock—and at 30% interest on all of it.” — Matt [09:54]

• Encouragement for Others:

  • “The percentage of people winning their trials—just in Hannah’s law firm—is high 80s. If you fight him, high 80s is your percentage of winning.” — Matt [10:39]
  • “Most importantly, you beat bullies by standing up to them.” — Matt [10:31]

• Infamous ‘Printer Story’: The hosts tease an untold, hilarious Twitter layoff anecdote.

  • “Google ‘print your code’ and add ‘Twitter’—you’ll find it.” — Matt [12:42]

3. YouTube Content Realities & Algorithm Games

[Timestamps: 17:50–24:48]

• What Gets Views: Matt reviews their top 10 viewed videos—three themes always win: drama (e.g., shitting on the Cybertruck), money topics, and Porsche 911 reviews.

  • “By a long shot… All seven of the remaining [top 10] are Porsche 911 videos. They’re a feverish audience.” — Zack [19:16]

• Algorithm vs. Passion: Frustration over YouTube rewarding content styles that the hosts don’t actually enjoy creating.

  • “The top three videos are literally the three things I don’t like doing.” — Matt [22:14]

• Channel Reboot Consideration:

  • Sharing MotoMan’s experience (rebranding/restarting his channel and suddenly getting better views).
  • Considering splitting or rebooting their own channel: “Do we fucking shitcan the whole channel and start a new… like TST Porsches or something?” — Matt [20:34]
  • “You could… make more money with fewer subscribers on a new channel because they’d be real and engaged people.” — Matt [20:50]

4. Toyota Performance Driving: GR Corolla, Supra, GR86

[Timestamps: 37:57–47:56]

• Toyota’s Big Track Day (Toyota-thon @ Sonoma):
  • Zack drives nearly every Toyota performance car currently on sale, on track and on a rally-style dirt course.
  • Highlights: 2026 GR Corolla, Supra (Final Edition), GR86 Yuzu Edition.

Dirt Rally Experience

• “We hit 106 miles per hour up in the hills above Sonoma. On dirt?” — Matt [40:46]
• “It was the greatest… I was sliding this car at 60 mph, left hand, third gear, handbrake turn at the bottom of a hill. So much room for error.” — Zack [41:14]

GR Corolla Progression

• Driving 2024, 2025, and 2026 models back-to-back reveals real improvements:
  • “The leap from 24 to 25 in the GR Corolla was so noticeable… the 24 car feels soft, steering just feels a little bit too squishy… 25, that was gone; 26, even more refined.” — Zack [44:21]
  • “They are changing the car every year and it is improving.” — Zack [44:48]

Supra vs. GR86

• Supra gets mostly software tweaks; GR86 remains the “better car in a lot of ways other than speed.”

• “Through the S’s, the GR86 obviously changes direction more quickly… it just feels lighter and more fun.” — Zack [46:29]

• General Praise for Toyota’s Fun Factor:

  • “It was a really fun day.” — Zack [47:25]

5. Mercedes CLE53 (AMG Inline-Six) Review

[Timestamps: 34:44–37:57]

• Matt test drove the new CLE53 Cabriolet, powered by AMG’s latest inline-six mild hybrid engine.

  • “This has this real nice, slick inline-six… like a BMW on a good day.” — Matt [34:38]
  • “This is way better than the four-cylinder… This is a luxury engine for sure. I’m into it.” — Matt [35:08, 36:50]

• Zack, the BMW enthusiast, wholeheartedly approves:

  • “I know I’m biased, but the inline-six is the lack of vibration, it’s a smooth, luxurious experience.” — Zack [37:29]

6. Listener Q&A: Rapid-Fire Insights

[Timestamps: 52:32–86:26]

Notable Questions & Advice

• Biggest Missed Opportunity Car:

  • Matt regrets not buying a Ford GT when it was (relatively) affordable.
  • Both discuss cars they considered but are now priced out of (Skylines, Testarossa, etc).

• Modifications Before Your First Track Day?

  • “Don’t fuck with your car. Just leave it alone, go to the track, see what happens… Take that money and spend it on tires, track days, instruction.” — Matt & Zack [83:56–84:42]

• Car Owner Stereotypes:

  • Volvo owners listen to NPR (and wear turtlenecks)
  • Tesla drivers: inattentive, equivalent to the “new BMW M drivers”
  • Porsche people obsessed with color codes and options
    • “It’s nice to kind of have a white Porsche because… nobody.” — Matt [86:21]

• Manual Swapping MB SLKs and SLs?

  • A resounding yes: “Manual swap, all day, every day. Let us know how it goes.” — Matt [75:23]

• Best $20,000 Convertible Challenge

  • C6 Corvette convertible, Miata (NC), and 370Z discussed as top value choices.
  • “Twenty K gets you a pretty nice Miata… not a shitty one.” — Matt [53:55]

• Watch vs. Car Value:

  • Under $10K: buy the watch. Over $10K, more case-by-case.
  • “A $10,000 watch is an unbelievable thing. That's it, you could tap out right there.” — Matt [62:10]

• Should Cars Have Instagram Handles?

  • For Matt, still lame—despite logical arguments about connecting at car meets.

• Future Contentment in Automotive Journalism:

  • Both see themselves evolving; miss the adventures and budget of TV, but value the creative freedom and periodic “living the dream” moments from magazine and YouTube work.

Notable Quotes

• “You beat bullies by standing up to them.” — Matt [10:31]
• “By a long shot… All seven of the remaining [top 10] are Porsche 911 videos.” — Zack [19:16]
• “The leap from 24 to 25 in the GR Corolla was so noticeable… 26, even more refined.” — Zack [44:21]
• “This is a luxury engine for sure. I’m into it.” — Matt [36:50]
• “Don’t fuck with your car. Just leave it alone, go to the track, see what happens.” — Matt [83:56]

Timeline of Major Segments

| Timestamp | Segment | |------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------| | 03:50–08:35| Racetrack closures, community pushback, legal protection for tracks | | 08:40–13:25| Matt’s wife’s lawsuit victory | | 17:50–24:48| YouTube content struggles and channel strategy discussions | | 37:57–47:56| Toyota driving event, GR Corolla, Supra, and GR86 analysis | | 34:44–37:57| Mercedes CLE53 (AMG Inline-Six) review | | 52:32–86:26| Wide-ranging, insightful listener Q&A |

Episode Tone & Delivery

The episode is classic Smoking Tire—irreverent, sharp, funny, but deeply knowledgeable. Matt and Zack move effortlessly between personal stories and hardcore automotive nerdery, laced with playful rants, inside jokes, and a few NSFW analogies (see: new Mini exhaust).

Bottom Line

This episode is a must-listen for:

• Fans of candid behind-the-scenes takes about YouTube and car journalism
• Listeners curious about the state of modern motorsport venues and legal efforts to protect them
• Enthusiasts hungry for up-to-the-minute impressions of Toyota’s most exciting new performance cars (and how they’re changing, year by year)
• Anyone who likes their car talk peppered with real-life victories, hard-won advice, and a healthy dose of skepticism about industry trends and social media

Don’t miss:

• Zack’s tale of sliding a GR Corolla at 100+ mph on dirt (41:14)
• Matt’s breakdown on algorithm hype vs. the joy of making “good car content” (22:14)
• The full-throated praise for the new AMG inline-six (36:50)

For the full experience, check the full episode on your favorite podcast app or at The Smoking Tire YouTube Channel.