The Smoking Tire Podcast
Episode: Koenigsegg Record; RTR Spec 3 Review
Date: November 13, 2025
Hosts: Matt Farah & Zack Klapman
Overview
In this episode, recorded on the road from Barstow to Las Vegas, Matt and Zack dive deep into the review of the RTR Spec 3 Mustang, discuss Koenigsegg's reclaiming of the Laguna Seca lap record, field listener questions, and riff on car culture, press trips, and more. The tone is conversational, insightful, and peppered with their signature wit.
Key Discussion Points
1. RTR Spec 3 Mustang In-Depth Review
[02:45 – 28:26]
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Background:
- RTR is Vaughn Gitten Jr.'s Mustang tuning brand ("ready to rock"). Matt calls him “basically the Carol Shelby or Jack Roush of our generation.”
- Spec levels: Spec 1 (appearance/suspension); Spec 2 (more suspension, still no power); Spec 3 (full package, including significant horsepower bump).
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Powertrain & Specs:
- RTR Spec 3 uses a 3.0L Whipple supercharger (bigger than the GT500’s), making 810hp.
- Manual gearbox (Getrag, not Tremec). Improved feel vs. older GTs, likely due to general Ford updates, not RTR-specific.
- Unique shift knob—heavy, asymmetrical, and “looks like a hot air balloon.” Functionality and feel discussed in detail.
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Driving Experience:
- Zack: “I thought the shock tuning...was good, damping was good, response was nice. But on the highway...it actually still rode pretty well. I thought they found the balance perfectly...” [07:44]
- Matt: “It was a pretty good balance between ride and handling and body control...if the Dark Horse is the M5, then this is like the Alpina.” [08:25]
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Ergonomics & Comfort:
- Huge rear tire sidewalls; improved everyday ride.
- Subtle exterior styling—“if it didn’t say RTR across the windshield, I don’t think you’d know it wasn’t just a regular GT.” [09:35]
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Pricing & Value:
- Their test car: $107,000 (“which is crazy”).
- Critique: At this price, the car still had “bad” base seats, lacked significant visual distinction from the GT500, and was not as collectible.
- “To see a six figure price tag in a performance car with those seats is like brutally bad.” – Matt [10:55]
- Inflation and decreased dollar value partly responsible for the high price.
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Comparisons:
- GT500 vs. RTR—GT500 offered unique engine components, better seats, DCT, carbon wheels; RTR is more subtle and manual-only.
- Not as “track-y” as a Dark Horse, but “if I had to choose...I’d get an RTR over a Dark Horse.” [16:04]
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Performance & Character:
- “Front engine, rear drive, huge power, manual gearbox – you just can’t get that anymore.” – Matt [15:17]
- Cold start described as “seriously in the top few I’ve heard...right like snap and bark.” [15:18]
- RTR Spec 3 feels “wild” and drivable, more “characterful” than some exotics with similar horsepower.
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Criticisms:
- Expensive relative to perceived upgrades and competitors (e.g., Z06).
- Seats (“base” GT seats) are a glaring flaw.
- Too subtle; “If you know, you know” only.
2. Koenigsegg Laguna Seca Lap Record
[37:19 – 39:34]
- Koenigsegg Jesko Absolut (Jesko Attack SÖDERSPEED) ran a 1:24.16 at Laguna Seca—beating Czinger 21C’s record.
- The Jesko boasts ~1600hp, 9-speed gearbox, all to the rear wheels. Major downforce.
- Comparison with past lap times: hosts marvel at being 10 seconds slower (in fast road cars) at “their quickest.”
- Quote: “That’s so nuts. That’s so fast. My fastest...is like a 1:34.5...10 seconds off.” – Matt [39:02]
3. Manual Gearbox News: C8 Corvette Possibilities
[39:34 – 41:00]
- Tremec has built a manual gearbox with the same mounting points/dimensions as DCT unit in C8 Corvette.
- Raises prospects for manual C8 swaps; challenges include programming, interior changes.
- Other potential applications (kit cars, Gallardo, Ferrari, etc.). “Someone will do it for sure.” – Zack [40:44]
4. Listener Questions (Highlights & Memorable Moments)
Car Culture Behavior [89:21 – 91:51]
- Mount Rushmore of corny car culture:
- Instagram handle stickers.
- Fake upbadging and “cosplaying” special editions without tracking.
- Intentionally tuning “gunshot” pops and bangs.
- Montana registration for CA-legal cars (“just open tax evasion”).
- Porsche color obsessiveness: “does not bother me the way it bothers other people...I’m not gonna throw stones in a glass house.” – Matt [91:10]
- G-Wagen as “commercial vehicle” as a dodge.
Press Trips: Best & Worst [95:57 – 104:22]
- Best event, worst car & vice versa.
- Worst event with great car: “15 hours flying to Spain for six laps around a wet track, R8 GT, embargo on Thanksgiving – just punch in the face after punch in the face.” – Matt [96:43]
- Best event for a not-special car: Vegas, Mandarin Oriental, Spring Mountain, for the Genesis Coupe, Elantra, Sonata.
- The real value in press trips: “Seat time is the real luxury. Food, hotels – whatever. Give me the track time.” – Zack [97:43]
- Events with excellent hotels + little driving = worst for real journalists.
- Industry as a whole: Executives pick press trip venues for their own enjoyment; journalists just want seat time.
Advice & Miscellaneous
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Choosing between new 911 Carrera S and Carrera T manual:
- “I’d rather have a manual T than an automatic S; you can make the horsepower back easily.” – Matt [61:40]
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Selling a beloved car:
- “If I don’t want to drive it for months, I’m over it. Sell, take a photo, move on.” – Matt [86:07]
- Zack: “If you’ve done all the adventures, take a good poster photo and sell it – make new stories.” [87:07]
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Best Car Gifts by Budget ([58:03 – 60:20]):
- $10: Hot Wheels or model of their car, vintage poster, 10mm socket.
- $100: Quality tool, Fantic gadgets, AAA membership, emergency kit.
- $1,000: Driving school, track experience, ceramic tint, detailing, new tires.
- $10,000: Racing school, wheels, supercharger, Nurburgring trip, fun car.
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Shifters – Best & Worst ([77:26 – 79:59]):
- Loves: Ferrari gated shifters, S2000/Civic Type R, Ford GT, GT3 6-speed, classic Hurst shifters.
- Hates: Ford “hockey puck” rotary selector, PRNDL dash buttons, Subaru WRX’s new shifter.
5. Random Fun Quotes & Segments
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On the cold start of the RTR Mustang:
“It’s the right tone, right volume, right anger. Snap and bark. It’s really, really nice.” – Matt [15:18]
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On modern turbo cars losing “the surge”:
"I do love older turbo cars for that reason – waiting for the occasion..." – Zack [53:03]
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On price inflation:
“Our dollar has devalued, I think, 40% in like three years...” – Zack [11:49]
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On relationships with automakers:
“If I have a better relationship with the people getting us the cars, I’m more likely to bring something up...We want the cars to be better.” – Matt [33:47]
6. Other Notable Topics
- Upcoming cars/events: RTR Spec 5 coming—a more aggressive Mustang.
- Driving route: Recording while on a trip to Utah in a nicely spec’d 911.
- New gear: Discussion of camera equipment overheating, on-the-fly battery swaps—a reminder of car journalism’s logistical challenges.
Timestamps for Key Segments
| Topic | Timestamp Start | |-------------------------------------- |--------------------| | RTR Spec 3 Review Start | 02:45 | | Comparison to GT500/Dark Horse | 10:15 | | RTR Pricing & Value Discussion | 13:14 | | Koenigsegg Laguna Seca Record | 37:19 | | Tremec Manual for C8 Corvette | 39:34 | | Best Car-Related Gifts | 58:03 | | Best & Worst Press Launches | 95:57 | | Listener Q&A, Car Culture, Advice, etc| Throughout (44:50+)|
Memorable Moments & Quotes
"Vaughn Gittin Jr's basically the Carol Shelby or Jack Roush of our generation." – Matt [02:52]
"To see a six-figure price tag in a performance car with those seats is brutally bad." – Matt [10:55]
"If the Dark Horse is the M5, then this is the Alpina." – Matt [08:25]
"You want a stick shift Mustang to drive daily for the next couple years, I'd get an RTR over a Dark Horse." – Matt [16:04]
"That [Laguna Seca] lap time is so nuts. My fastest ever is like a 1:34.5...10 seconds off." – Matt [39:02]
"If I have a better relationship with the people getting us the cars, I'm more likely to bring something up...We want the cars to be better." – Matt [33:47]
Conclusion
This episode blends an in-depth, enthusiast-focused review of the RTR Mustang with broader industry conversation—on cars, culture, prices, the realities of automotive journalism, and what matters most as a car enthusiast today. For listeners, it's a comprehensive, honest, and highly entertaining look at where performance cars (and their creators) sit in the landscape of 2025.