The Smoking Tire Podcast — “Driving a Special Lotus at Willow; EPA Changes; New Watch; &A”

Hosts: Matt Farah, Zack Klapman
Date: February 17, 2026

Overview

In this engaging episode, Matt and Zack recap Matt’s experience driving a freshly restored, high-dollar Lotus 111Rs at Willow Springs, dive into the implications of sweeping EPA rollbacks on emissions, geek out about Matt’s new custom watch, and tackle a lively &A from Patreon listeners. The conversation ranges from deep, technical car talk to broader discussions of regulatory changes, culture, and collecting. The mood is classic Smoking Tire: insightful, irreverent, and packed with both practical advice and hot takes.

Episode Highlights and Key Segments

1. Matt’s Custom “Hot Tub” Speedmaster Watch (02:00–10:10)

• Matt receives his custom Omega Speedmaster, “The Hot Tub Time Machine,” from UK dial artist Chris Alexander.
  • Matt describes how he saw hot tubs in his white Speedmaster’s subdials and sent the watch overseas for a one-off repaint.
  • Customs drama: “Shipping your own shit and then coming back… I was sweating buckets. Thought they were gonna fucking jam me up.” (Matt, 06:00)
  • Philosophical aside on the importance of word choice in official paperwork (for customs, local permits, etc.).
• Matt plugs micro-dial artistry as highly personal, affordable art for watches.
  • “Who else can do that? There’s no comps.” (Matt, 10:00)
• They compare novelty watches and discuss the value of personal creativity in watch collecting.
  • Zack: “For those people, that is their fountain pen.” (02:57)

2. Driving the Lotus 111Rs at Willow Springs — Track Impressions (10:10–31:40)

Member Day & Track Layout:

• Matt enjoys his first “member day” at the new Streets of Willow layout, noting exclusive privacy and improved track flow.
  • “It’s got tight corners and open corners… a fabulous place to test cars.” (Matt, 11:52)
• On the special cars available:
  • Rips the Lotus 4Rs Club Sport (does a 1:24 lap) and drives the Enokinetic 111Rs, a “restomodded” Lotus Elise/Xige.
    • “They had two Janettas… and like six or seven Club Sports on slicks. We could just take them. Could just rip them.” (Matt, 11:23)

The Enokinetic Lotus 111Rs:

• Deep dive on the car’s spec & $$:
  • “You give them an Elise or Exige and between $60k–$80k on top of the car… Goal is to make it drive like something you’d want today.”
  • Engine: ~275 hp from a built 2ZZ by Mountune, new lighter, more efficient blower, no intercooler.
  • Weight savings: Car weighs 2000 lbs (down ~400 lbs).
  • Chassis: Carbon buckets, open-linkage short shifter, nut-and-bolt restoration, sharpened steering geometry.
• On driving experience:
  • “It’s loud and buzzy, no fucking insulation. The weather stripping sucks. The seat is not comfortable… But because it’s so light, it actually rides well.” (Matt, 19:28)
  • Unexpectedly decent ride on the street due to light weight, soft(ish) suspension settings.
• Track & Canyon Use:
  • “In Angeles Forest, you’re having a really good time at seven-tenths, feels like you’re going 25 mph faster than you are.”
  • “If your goal is lap times, this isn’t the fastest 100GS you can spend, but to feel some fucking fizz for a couple hours a week… this is up there.” (Matt, 22:41)
• Ergonomics:
  • “I absolutely hated getting in and out of this car. It was fucking terrible.”
• On the roof and style:
  • “The Eddie Van Halen roof is a fun tribute… It’s got gold wheels. I do like these wheels a lot.” (Matt, 30:53)

Verdict

• “It’s a very distilled experience… too uncomfortable for me, I won’t be buying one. But if you’re 5'10" and thin, or limber, these are all right.” (Matt, 29:00)

Notable Quotes

• “If you want to feel some fizz, this is up there.” (Matt, 22:41)
• “Seat is like bare carbon with a piece of ham on it… padding is very thin suede.” (Zack, 30:05)

3. EPA Rollbacks & Environmental Policy Shift (31:42–35:13)

• The “end” of greenhouse gas regulation:
  • Trump administration throws out Obama-era greenhouse gas findings; EPA reoriented to deregulation.
  • “It is a crazy thing that we are… rolling back limits on air. Air!” (Matt, 32:34)
  • Current EPA head Lee Zeldin (an explicit Trump loyalist) tasked with gutting regulation.
  • Quotes from the press around “largest deregulatory announcement in US history,” repealing protections for wetlands, pollution, and the endangerment finding.
• Implications:
  • “Project 2025 is going really well…” (bitter sarcasm) (Matt, 34:08)
  • Zack notes impact extends beyond cars to factories, power plants, etc.

4. Laguna Seca Incident Response (35:13–41:42)

• Matt reads a statement from Laguna Seca about a controversial on-track accident from previous episode.
  • “An incident involving a track support vehicle and a race car occurred at the facility during a privately operated on-track event in December…” (Laguna Seca PR Statement, 37:12)
  • Hosts clarify: the track day was run by an outside organization, not Laguna Seca itself, though personnel seemingly overlap.
  • Analysis: Likely issue now about assigning liability for the accident; hosts expect a legal settlement.
  • “You cannot let this go to a jury.” (Matt, 40:39)
  • Consensus: optics are terrible, owner’s car is a unique, valuable R34.

5. Listener Q&A (44:00–end)

AI in the Workplace (44:40–49:00)

• Lively debate on whether hating on “AI job replacement” is productive.
  • MixmasterCylinder: “My highly paid skill writing code is heading towards zero value.”
  • Matt: “I do think hating on it is productive. … Pushing back is the only way to modulate this a bit.” (46:19–48:44)
  • Zack shares examples of local resistance to AI data centers due to electric bills and environmental impacts.

Car, Track, and Collecting Discussion (multiple Qs)

• Raw experiences and collector cars:
  • Countach: “It’s a Countach all the time. … It’s one of a very few overwhelming driving experiences.” (Matt, 50:09)
  • Lotus 111Rs: “You give them an Elise or Exige and between $60k–$80k… they return what’s essentially a new Lotus.” (17:00-19:00)
• Track day advice (53:09+):
  • Street driving skill doesn’t always predict track talent. Let the instructor be the judge.
• Car buying/ownership:
  • On affordable/fun convertibles, praise for the S2000, Miata, and an under-the-radar plug for E46 BMW 330ci (80:22).
  • On old McLarens: “That is a shitload of car for the money. 60,000 miles is a lot though… repair costs could be serious.” (75:45)

Notable Quotes

• “If your goal is lap times, this isn’t the fastest… but if your goal is to feel some fucking fizz… this is up there.” (22:41)
• “It’s a very distilled experience that’s super fizzy in short bursts.” (24:41)
• “Optics are bad. … Buy the guy’s car.” (on Laguna Seca case, 41:21)
• “Rolling coal— that’s visible, that’s owning the libs. It’s such loser shit.” (72:22)
• “If you’re talking about a race car versus a road car, the difference is immense.” (on turbo 86s vs. 911s, 57:48–58:52)

Memorable Moments

• Customs Snafu: Matt’s anxiety over his Speedmaster being held at customs: “This is an expensive watch… I was sweating fucking buckets.” (05:59)
• Lotus Ergos: Matt’s struggle with Lotus ergonomics — “Each section is just a bunch of mounts synced together because… I could not possibly get in and out of this car a hundred times.” (24:10)
• Horn Mishap: Accidentally honking the horn mid-corner thanks to odd steering wheel horn placement. “The guy in the nest at the exit of the bowl was like, why does this guy keep giving me the what’s up?” (25:46)
• EPA Rollback Sarcasm: Matt’s deadpan, “Project 2025 is going really well,” as EPA deregulates air quality. (34:08)
• Raw Take on AI: “The value created by AI for a very small number of people… who are more powerful than nations… that’s so bad.” (48:33)

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Segment | Timestamp | |-------------------------------------|---------------| | Matt’s custom watch story | 02:00–10:10 | | Willow Springs / Lotus 111Rs review | 10:10–31:40 | | EPA rollbacks discussion | 31:42–35:13 | | Laguna Seca incident statement | 35:13–41:42 | | Listener Q&A (AI, cars, etc.) | 44:00–end |

Tone & Style

The conversation is playful, smart, and honest. Matt and Zack balance deep car expertise with irreverent humor and cultural skepticism, making for a lively, accessible, and engaging listen for car nuts and industry watchers alike.

Useful for:

• Understanding high-end Lotus restomods and owner impressions
• Catching up on dramatic changes at EPA and their ripple effect on car culture
• Insight into watch collecting and customization
• Auto industry legal and policy news
• Enjoying car-nerd banter and practical & sometimes philosophical listener guidance

Next episode teasers:

• More on the Integra Type S
• More deep-dives on car mods and racing school experiences
• Further Q&A from Patreon listeners