The Smoking Tire Podcast — "From S. Korea to S. Carolina"
Date: November 6, 2025
Hosts: Matt Farah & Zack Klapman
Episode Overview
In this remote episode, Matt dials in from South Carolina fresh from the Hilton Head Concours while Zack checks in from LA, recently returned from a whirlwind trip to South Korea with Hyundai. The episode dives into:
- Zack’s deep-dive into Hyundai’s hydrogen ambitions and his cultural experiences in Korea
- Matt’s test of the new Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid and observations from the Hilton Head Concours
- US and international car culture comparisons, the strengths and challenges of hydrogen infrastructure
- Audience Q&A covering everything from watches and electric vehicles to car features both hosts love and hate
Key Discussion Points
1. Hyundai’s Hydrogen Push & South Korea Travels
[03:35–12:32]
- Hyundai’s Dominance in Korea: Zack shares how Hyundai is everywhere—trains, elevators, buildings, and upwards of 70% of vehicles seen are Hyundai (“This company is always watching and they are everywhere.” – Zack, 05:16).
- Hydrogen Infrastructure Challenges: Hyundai invests massively in hydrogen production, capture, and distribution. Filling stations require massive real estate, with one hydrogen pump demo conducted in front of a building the size of a four-story car storage warehouse.
- “The mere existence of a second generation of a hydrogen car is kind of unique and interesting.” – Matt, 04:40
- Importance of industrial applications (ports, forklifts, airport tugs) being a more sensible use than passenger cars given current limitations.
- Zack’s Driving Impressions: Actual driving impressions are embargoed, but visually the new Nexo’s rear design evokes the Pontiac Aztek: “I walked around the back and I just went Aztek. You can't unsee it.” – Zack, 11:19
2. Life, Car Culture, and Safety in South Korea
[17:17–24:22]
- Unmatched Safety Culture: Zack describes constant speed cameras (~every two miles), hyper-awareness of safety, and the omnipresence of warnings and fake-out cop visages.
- “It is the safest place I think I’ve ever been. Meaning the culture’s attention to safety I’ve never seen before.” – Zack, 17:17
- Uniform Urban Architecture: City housing clusters—identical, tall, narrow apartment buildings—are grouped together, strikingly uniform.
- Limited Visible Car Culture: Enthusiast or special vehicles are rare day-to-day; fun cars are mostly kept for weekends. “I saw two interesting cars in two cities, a Boxster and a fake Shelby Mustang.” – Zack, 23:29
3. Comparing Car Cultures (US, Spain, Japan, Mexico)
[24:22–29:43]
- Matt notes that US major metros are the strongest for seeing enthusiast cars daily; Spain, despite affluence, has few; Mexico shows the highest level of daily modified cars.
- “The percentage of enthusiast cars is way, way, way, way, way above anywhere else in the world.” – Matt, 25:02
4. Train Travel & Hospitality in Korea
[29:44–32:31]
- Zack rides the high-speed train (150 mph), noting better value and comfort than flying, but laughs about unexpected non-air-conditioned seats. He praises impressive hospitality—like the Hyundai staff sprinting to 7-Eleven to buy a vegetarian colleague food.
5. Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid: The Ultimate All-Rounder
[33:17–40:06]
- Matt’s deep-dive on road-tripping the Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid: “Zero to 60 in 2.5 seconds, 10.3 in the quarter, 630-plus miles on a tank… the easiest car I have ever driven at that speed.”
- “I did 273 miles in under 4 hours and averaged 26 mpg while doing it, which is… amazing for a car like that.” – Matt, 35:18
- Discusses why used Panameras are a massive value: not positioned as a pure sports sedan, but delivers top-class performance and comfort (see discussion, 36:24–39:55).
- Notable Quote: “There's enormous value in used Panameras… they’re reasonably reliable, frequently full of great options, and they rip.” – Matt, 37:54
6. Hilton Head Concours Highlights
[40:06–45:55]
- Matt recaps the regional Hilton Head Concours: hypercars, 1930s French cars, boat tails, a remarkable motorcycle display.
- Funny moment: Discussing a Ferrari SP3 Daytona with a $42K paint job and $129K in options, complete with the window sticker displayed (43:27).
- “I feel like putting your window sticker with the prices of things… How much attention do you need to your wealth?” – Zack, 42:53
7. Patreon Questions Q&A Highlights
[47:14–101:43]
- Turbo S vs 750S (47:14):
- 750S is wild, can spin tires into fourth; Turbo S is ultra-competent and refined.
- Comparing Global EV Infrastructure (63:28):
- Matt and Zack discuss the promise of Ram’s new range-extended EVs, benefits and practicalities of hybrids vs full electrics; Mazda’s new rotary range-extender.
- “People have been talking about a gas range-extended EV for a long time…” – Matt, 63:28
- Favorite and Hated Features (71:48):
- “If you can snap your fingers and remove one car feature: Haptic buttons.” – Matt & Zack, 71:57
- Women’s Watches: Rolex vs Cartier (80:35):
- “All women love Cartier… but if you want a great watch you’ll wear for every activity for the next 40 years, get a Datejust.”
- Macan GTS vs X3M vs Ioniq 5N (83:01):
- Macan for analog feel and steering; Ioniq 5N for daily EV usability and fun.
- Affordable Car Upgrades (92:02):
- “I would want to take the John Cooper Works Mini and turn it back into what it was 20 years ago—smaller, lighter, manual.”
- “Put a turbocharger on the BRZ.” – Zack
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
-
Hyundai in Korea:
“This company is always watching and they are everywhere.”
— Zack, 05:16 -
Hydrogen’s Realistic Future:
“Ports… you could clean the ports globally, virtually overnight by running all this stuff on hydrogen.”
— Matt (relaying a local expert), 09:00 -
Cultural Safety:
“No one jaywalks there. All the crosswalks are super lit up… there’s just so much attention on safety, safety, safety.”
— Zack, 19:51 -
Panamera Praise:
“It could do anything. It can be an EV almost every day… then you gotta go city to city at night and you’ve got your own private freight train.”
— Matt, 38:52 -
On Luxury Car Window Stickers at Shows:
“Putting your window sticker with the prices… How much attention do you need to your wealth?”
— Zack, 42:53 -
Audience Humor:
“Up your ass in gasoline—back to the question…”
— Matt, 60:25 -
Analog Notes vs Digital:
“When I hand write stuff… I’ll remember what it looks like in the book, and when I flip to that page I will see it right away.”
— Matt, 89:45
Segment Timestamps (Selected Highlights)
- Intro & Hydrogen Tech Deep-Dive: 00:00–12:32
- South Korea Safety & Urban Culture: 17:17–24:22
- Car Culture Comparisons (US/Spain/Japan/Mexico): 24:22–29:43
- Hilton Head Concours Recap: 40:06–46:15
- Patreon Q&A Segment (selected):
- Turbo S vs 750S: 47:14
- Hyundai Santa Fe Design: 48:10
- Macan GTS vs X3M vs Ioniq 5N: 83:01
- EV Road Tripping Anxiety: 85:54–88:45
- Car Features to Eliminate: 71:48
- Women’s Watch Recommendations: 80:35
- Making Affordable Cars Greater: 92:02
Tone/Style
The episode is casual, witty, and free-flowing, with plenty of anecdotes, sarcasm, and direct audience interaction. Both hosts are candid, honest, and not afraid to critique cars, companies, or even cultural norms. The episode mixes deep automotive nerdery with relatable, often funny asides.
Summary
"From S. Korea to S. Carolina" offers a broad tour—from the technological ambitions of Hyundai and life in Korea, to the best (and worst) modern performance cars, all wrapped up with the duo’s unique blend of insight and humor. The Patreon Q&A section delivers real-world advice, gearhead debates, and signature banter, making this episode a strong snapshot of why The Smoking Tire Podcast continues to engage dedicated car enthusiasts and casual listeners alike.