
Matt Farah and Zack Klapman review the 2025 Mazda CX-50 Meridian; talk about a journey to Seattle; recall the craziest thing they've seen a vehicle do; discuss the twin-turbo Porsche Cayman video; give our thoughts on the new 911 T 70th anniversary; Matt scratched his steering wheel; and we answer Patreon questions including: What's the best, fast, used SUV? Would the Renault 5 EV sell in the U.S.? Is a used SL55 AMG a good buy? How does driving at Spa and the 'Ring stack up to U.S. tracks? 1996 Evo vs 1994 Celica GT Four Where to park your car money for a few years And will OEMs embrace hybrid sports cars? BGB Cayman review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-AKCD9Jh-U Recorded July 9, 2025 Houston Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-smoking-tire-one-of-the-worlds-biggest-car-podcast-coming-to-houston-tickets-1439944967159?utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=listing&utm-source=cp&aff=ebdsshcopyurl D...
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Matt Farah
What up, everybody? Welcome to the Smoking Tire Podcast. Today's episode is brought to you by off the Record. We love off the Record because they make it easy to beat the system. If you get pulled over for a moving violation in any of the 50 states in the United States, you don't plead guilty. You get off the Record. You go to offtherecord.com TST there you fill out some basic information about what happened and you share a photo or scan of the ticket and then off the Record does the rest. They get to work connecting you to a qualified local attorney who will fight that ticket on your behalf. And most of the time they get er done. I have used off the Record successfully a bunch of times and so have a bunch of you guys based on the number of emails I get about it. So one more time. Offtherecord.com TST that's offtherecord.com TST get you 10% off all legal services that you book. Threw off the record. Do it. All right, folks. On this episode, Zach and I talk about the twin turbo swapped Cayman that we recently posted the video of. Zach gives us his review of the Mazda CX50 Meridian Edition. I grumble about the frustrations of scratching my steering wheel. I think I found the perfect backpack for cheating baggage regulations on planes. And I'm coming to Seattle for a car show. It's the Smoking Tire Podcast. Let's go.
Zach Klapman
Okay. We are live.
Matt Farah
We are. What?
Zach Klapman
Surprise.
Matt Farah
Why? What happened? Hello? Is anybody there? Maybe people will. It's an evening podcast without alcohol. How's that? What's gonna happen? That's a disappointment. If I didn't, like, just get a massage, I would definitely be drinking right now.
Zach Klapman
I made a tiny coffee downstairs, just so you know.
Matt Farah
I don't know if people out there get massages, but if you do, don't drink right after getting massage. It wastes your massage. Only if you get a massage. Only drink water for the rest of the evening and drink lots of it. Then you will feel great the next day. I love massages so much.
Zach Klapman
I'm gonna get one next week.
Matt Farah
There's a. Do you have. You have a part. You have a specialist?
Zach Klapman
I was gonna go to the place you told me about recently.
Matt Farah
Oh, okay. Down the place. The place that I go to and the person that I go to because there's more than the places I get. I only go to see one per. I don't care what place the person works at. It's just one dude. He's bigger than me and has like the kind of haircut I had when I graduated high school.
Zach Klapman
What was that?
Matt Farah
Shaved all the way up the sides with like a little bit of like mop hair on top of.
Zach Klapman
Okay.
Matt Farah
My mother hated it.
Zach Klapman
So you had the broccoli haircut long before it became a thing. That's like.
Matt Farah
It wasn't broccoli. It was like a mini butt cut on the top.
Zach Klapman
Like a bowl cut. But you took away most of the bowl.
Matt Farah
Like basically. Like it started with the. When the original bowl cut, which was like shaved to here. And then when that started, I didn't have the hair for that. I couldn't do that. But eventually I grew my top hair long past my ears and shaved up underneath it. That's what a lot of us did.
Zach Klapman
Oh, but you weren't the.
Matt Farah
That's like the Nine inch Nails. Eventually. Well, it started. I started shaving to here and growing and then I started higher and higher and higher and higher and eventually it did become the Mohawk, but not till much later.
Zach Klapman
Wow.
Matt Farah
Yeah. But when I graduated high school, it was shaved way up to here with like.
Zach Klapman
I think. I know I've never seen a picture of this. At your parents house.
Matt Farah
Oh my.
Zach Klapman
Because your mom hated it.
Matt Farah
Well.
Zach Klapman
Cause I've only. I've seen Subaru hair.
Matt Farah
Yeah.
Zach Klapman
Yeah.
Matt Farah
So my mother, My mother really, really hated it. And not only that, my. My aunt is the one that cut my hair that way. This, this story.
Zach Klapman
Is this your mom's sister or your aunt?
Matt Farah
Yeah. Do you. And do you know the story of that?
Zach Klapman
No.
Matt Farah
Well, it's about to take a dark turn because they literally never spoke again. When I tell you that my aunt did.
Zach Klapman
Come on.
Matt Farah
Never. And my, my aunt died like 10 years ago. They never spoke again.
Zach Klapman
You go home with a haircut, it's.
Matt Farah
Obviously a final straw. It was an accumulation of tensions between the two of them. But I don't remember if it was on that day or like, you know, shortly after. But like, yeah, that was it. And they were. They never talked again. Yeah. And the problem was like my aunt criticized my mom for something. My mom. They were both right. Problem was they were boat Right. Never was resolved.
Zach Klapman
And your aunt was like, I'll win this argument by cutting Matt's hair the way he asked.
Matt Farah
No, no, she was just doing. She was just like my cool aunt. Like, that wasn't. There was absolutely nothing weird to me or her about it. It's just that my mom hated it. Hated, hated, hated it. And there are, there are. First off, this was. This was Ascent. This was pre digital Camera, like digital cameras existed but people didn't have them. So there are photos of it somewhere. But like they're not framed on the.
Zach Klapman
They sure aren't. Tell you what. Wow.
Matt Farah
Man, I should fucking get one of those and put it up.
Zach Klapman
Yeah, you should.
Matt Farah
Well, I told. I mean, I've told. You've seen it. I've shown you the fictional portrait of myself in my parents house, right? No, there's a fictional portrait of me in my parents house. And like there was among my parents group of friends when I was maybe 15 or 16, high school age, whatever, there was this artist who would come to your house and take a photo portrait and then like pencil drawing portraits. So my mom wanted to do this. So me and my sister sat for these photo portraits. Okay. I had had a goatee, which I started when I was like 14. And my mom told the lady, like, listen, like this is a. This is a fad. This is gonna go. This is going away, it's not gonna last. So can just take the goatee out and literally at no point ever did I not have a beard. Starting from when I had a beard ever. Wow. So there is still hanging in my parents house a fictionalized, idealized version of me without a beard.
Zach Klapman
Like a parallel universe mat.
Matt Farah
Yeah, it's fucking crazy.
Zach Klapman
Your mom's like, he was this tall, but he had the hair of a child. And the facial hair.
Matt Farah
Dude, this is like when fucking Paulie put the general's outfit on Tony. Like a fictionalized version of this painting.
Zach Klapman
That's really funny. Yeah, she hated the facial hair. Oh my God.
Matt Farah
Still hanging. It's still there.
Zach Klapman
See, I like your mom. I was gonna say it'd be funny to make a portrait of you with the haircut and the goatee and mail it to her. But she'd hate. God, she would hate me if I.
Matt Farah
Got a portrait made. If I can get the photo from graduation.
Zach Klapman
You need to put the photo up of your real hair here. And then she'll come to your place of business, she'll see it and I know the face she'll make when she sees it. And then she'll wanna leave the room and she'll go, oh yeah.
Matt Farah
It was also dyed like blonde frosted tips.
Zach Klapman
Fantastic.
Matt Farah
I mean, look, I'm not saying it was a good haircut. My mom had been objectively right that I did not have a good haircut. But the point is also like, who gives a shit? You know? Like what is the difference?
Zach Klapman
Totally.
Matt Farah
Graduation day is not. That's not a serious day. Who fucking Cares about graduation day.
Zach Klapman
High school isn't serious, so go for it.
Matt Farah
Yeah.
Zach Klapman
Yeah, yeah. That's wild. So it was, like, shoulder length, but shaved to the top.
Matt Farah
Not shoulder length. It was probably, like ear length, but shaved up underneath. Yeah. Wow. It wasn't great. It was not a great look. I would not reproduce that look today. Although I. That look is now, like, cool again.
Zach Klapman
You had a double Skrillex.
Matt Farah
I looked like I could have been in Nine Inch Nails, basically. That was. That was actually the goal was to look like someone who could have been in Nine Inch Nails.
Zach Klapman
Sure, because you liked the band at the time.
Matt Farah
Well, I also liked, like, that. It wasn't like a goth look, but it was like a, you know, edgy. Yeah, it was like skater metal.
Zach Klapman
Yeah, yeah, I get it.
Matt Farah
Yeah.
Zach Klapman
I dye my hair black for the same reason.
Matt Farah
Yeah.
Zach Klapman
Because I thought I was that person.
Matt Farah
Listen, if you didn't have a little hair dye in your hair in high school, fucking. Who were you? Were you. Were you even anybody?
Zach Klapman
I actually did that in college. I didn't do it till college. Oh, really?
Matt Farah
Oh, I had. I had a few different colors. We. I had blue, like, blue hair for, like, a week. Like, why not? Fuck it. Who gives a shit?
Zach Klapman
I. My hair. I dyed it black for years in a row in college. And then at some point, I, like, changed the brand and didn't notice my hair was turning blue. It was like a dark, dark, dark blue. And if I, like, in certain light, I went, oh, wait. And then I realized the box I.
Matt Farah
Had bought, the box says, like, midnight blue.
Zach Klapman
And you're like, no, no, it was still black, but, like, it was a little off.
Matt Farah
The QC went. They were slipping.
Zach Klapman
It was that. Yeah. Yeah. You know, I went Vidal Sassoon. I should have gone the other way or whatever.
Matt Farah
Hannah. I wish she didn't, but Hannah now, like, kind of regrets her. Her entire 10, 12 years of purple hair.
Zach Klapman
Why? It's cool.
Matt Farah
I don't know. I thought. I thought it was great then. Think it's great now. I mean, it was like, totally. But now she, like, regrets it. Which is which. I don't know.
Zach Klapman
I just did a wedding. My friend Katie, her hair was bright blue for the wedding. She was the bride. And then our. Our coordinator, and her coordinator and best friend had, like, super rainbow hair that changes every week. Right.
Matt Farah
It's rad. Yeah.
Zach Klapman
Yeah.
Matt Farah
I mean, I'm jealous of any hair now, actually. That's not true. I think. I think my aerodynamic head serves me pretty well.
Zach Klapman
It's lower maintenance.
Matt Farah
Not really. I Have to shave my whole face and head every other day. I timed it yesterday for the first time in my entire life. It's about eight minutes, which I think is pretty fucking efficient. But, you know, the shower, it's like kind of a lot of water usage, but, like, that's really the best.
Zach Klapman
We're also taking a shower.
Matt Farah
You're also taking a shower? Yeah, yeah. It turns a three minute shower into an eight minute shower.
Zach Klapman
That's why. See, I also shower quickly, so I think it's okay that you occasionally take eight minutes for a shower, because the person I live with takes showers that are longer than three to four minutes long. Yeah. And I think that's.
Matt Farah
Look, I have a wife too, man.
Zach Klapman
Right.
Matt Farah
I know my shower is not the problem.
Zach Klapman
Exactly. And they have. They're doing a lot more in there, but sometimes I think they just enjoy being in there and I don't.
Matt Farah
Plus, on the off days, when I don't shave my head, the aerodynamic head, really like a Formula one car. It's like a front. It's like a front diffuser. Just really stress. Whereas Hannah's.
Zach Klapman
That's a good picture.
Matt Farah
Hannah's holds it all up.
Zach Klapman
Right.
Matt Farah
You know?
Zach Klapman
Yeah. You're just.
Matt Farah
Mine really directs it. Directs it down.
Zach Klapman
I feel like if a man is taking a long shower, something's gone wrong and he's sad about it. That's just a thing.
Matt Farah
My shower has a bench in it, but I have never once sat in it.
Zach Klapman
What are you gonna do when you sit there?
Matt Farah
Well, Hannah.
Zach Klapman
Get hit in the head.
Matt Farah
Women can shave their legs sitting if they like to.
Zach Klapman
Sure. And they're doing a thing.
Matt Farah
Yeah, it's a thing.
Zach Klapman
But I'm with you. I've been in hotels where I had a bench and I went, oh. And then I tried it and went, I just. I'm getting rained on.
Matt Farah
Is it for blowjobs?
Zach Klapman
Maybe. But still getting hit.
Matt Farah
It's probably for fucking. I think people. Someone at the other end of this goes, it's for fucking, you idiot. The bench is for fucking.
Zach Klapman
Maybe. What are these OEMs trying to do when they put us in these hotels?
Matt Farah
I don't know. I pull one in. My house, apparently. Didn't even.
Zach Klapman
There's hotels in Vegas. They're definitely trying to send that message, but sometimes they get away with too much, you know, You've been in a hotel where they have the glass wall for the bathroom.
Matt Farah
Hannah's. You haven't seen favorite picture of me. We're at the hotel in Nashville. It's called the One hotel. And we got like a regular room, but like a nice regular room. And Hannah was laying in bed. And just from laying in bed, turn to the right and there's the glass bathroom door. And like the full frosted shot of me pooping.
Zach Klapman
This is the worst idea. It's the worst.
Matt Farah
The best one was me at Tom Morningstar Washington. What's it called? The Standard Hotel, New York City. Back when we were sharing rooms, we got a double bed room, like two queen beds, and there was a glass wall to the shower from the bedroom.
Zach Klapman
Who is the clear glass clear Glass. Clear glass clear. Yeah.
Matt Farah
Who's the person that has two beds in a room and wants to see into the shower? Where is that crossover?
Zach Klapman
That is a great point. No one asked that when they were building it. Someone was like, so all the bathrooms get this thing. Uh huh. Tick.
Matt Farah
Yeah.
Zach Klapman
Never. You don't want to sleep in the same bed, but you want to watch.
Matt Farah
Yeah, yeah. Two adult straight men share rooms sometimes. Like, maybe this is a. I don't.
Zach Klapman
Care what the gender dynamic. If two people won't sleep in the same bed, they probably don't want to watch each other shower.
Matt Farah
Right? Sure. Okay. Yes. Doesn't have to be my specific scenario, but that's the most obvious one.
Zach Klapman
Like, hey, I'm traveling with my kids. Let's get two beds. No good.
Matt Farah
Yeah, no good. Anyway, cars.
Zach Klapman
Cars.
Matt Farah
Yeah. Guys, we gotta take a quick break for Rula. I go to therapy every week. Right? That's what Rula is. Rula's about therapy. This is gonna be an ad about therapy. And as you're gonna hear in this podcast later, I talk about having a panic attack while driving again. And so therapy over the last 20 years has been incredibly helpful for me. Right. And the problems with therapy still exist, particularly if you don't have a therapist and need to find a new one. And now there's all these online therapy places. The problem with them is that most won't take your insurance. And I know this because my in person therapist moved to remote and I now do it over zoom. And they stopped taking insurance because of it. But now there is Rula. Rula is here. They do things differently. They partner with over 100 insurance plans, making the average copay just 15 bucks per session. Real therapy from licensed professionals at a price that actually makes sense. Think about it. You use your insurance benefits to maintain your physical health. Why wouldn't you do the same for your mental health? And Rula isn't just affordable. The experience is tailored around you. Other online therapy platforms might match you with the first available provider. Whether or not they're the right fit, Rula considers your goals, preferences and background to provide you a curated list of licensed in network therapists who are actually aligned with what you need because they know that finding the right therapist can make all the difference. There's no waiting lists, no frustrating back and forth. Rula makes it easy to find a mental health provider who's accepting new patients and appointments are available as soon as tomorrow. Plus, Rula sticks with you throughout your journey, checking in to make sure that your care is helping you move forward. So go to rula.com tire to get started today. That's R U L A.com tire for quality therapy that's covered by insurance. Rula.com tire tire and support is also coming in hot today from Quince look at me. I don't chase trends. I'm about stuff that fits right, feels good and lasts. That's why my jeans were expensive. But I buy them every five years and you can tell by watching our podcast on video, as does my wardrobe. And that's why I am loving this quince. The lightweight layers and high quality staples have become everyday essentials. Quince just I just got it. It came in the other day, this corduroy jacket. I'm telling you, mark my words, it fits so nice you are going to be seeing me wearing it on repeat every episode this fall. They've got breathable flow knit polos, crisp cotton shirts and lightweight pants that somehow work for weekend hangs and dressed up dinners. And the best part is, everything about quints is half the cost of similar brands. By working directly with top artisans and cutting out the middlemen, Quince gives you luxury pieces without the markups. Quince only works with factories that use safe, ethical and responsible manufacturing practices and premium fabrics and finishes. And I'm telling you again, the corduroy jacket and the linen shirt they sent me both feel awesome. And if they were like twice the price on Abbot Kinney in Venice, I would not have been surprised. It's so comfortable, it's just too hot. I actually picked it up in my closet today and then I went yeah, you know what? It's going to be 80 degrees. I probably don't need to wear this jacket today. So stick to the staples that last with elevated essentials from quince. Go to quince.com tire for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns. That's Q U I N C E free shipping 365 day returns quince.com tire. And now back to the show. We were all like, what are we going to talk about today? Well, that. For 15 minutes.
Zach Klapman
Yep, exactly.
Matt Farah
See, I'm going on the road this weekend. I'm going to the Avant's magazine Classics on the green in Seattle. It's at like a winery outside of Seattle. I can't remember the name of the winery.
Zach Klapman
Saint Chateau Michel.
Matt Farah
That's it. Saint Chateau Michel. There it is. It looks like it's going to be a lovely event. The Avance people are great. They put on. They make a really nice magazine and they put on really nice events. They're having a party at pebble also. I think that is Thursday. The Avant's party at Pepe.
Zach Klapman
The tacos one, huh? The one with the tacos. I think it was Thursday.
Matt Farah
Yeah, I think it's. Yeah. Anyway, I'll be out there. They're giving away these posters that Zach has up on the screen that have the Ferrari Daytona SP3 on it. And I'll be. If you want me to sign one, whatever. Want to grab a selfie? Whatever, please. So here's the thing though. If you see me at events, if you want a picture, please ask. I won't be like, do you want to get a picture? Because I'm deathly afraid of offering someone a picture and them being like, no. Then me being like, ew. So just ask. I'm happy to take one, but I won't offer. And then someone will be like, I wish I ask. Please. So that's going on Sunday, July 13, from 1:00pm to 6:00pm and that's gonna be a good time. Looking forward to seeing my Seattle people. Love Seattle. Great fucking town. Great place to do car things. Honestly, despite the weather, Seattle is an excellent town to do car things. And also there's a shop club in Seattle. I unfortunately won't have time to visit it, but we're going to the shop clubs the following weekend in Dallas and Houston. Live podcast tickets are going quick, particularly Dallas. Shout out to fucking Dallas. Coming in hot. Dallas is like 2/3 sold right now, which is excellent. Houston is about half sold right now. So get your tickets, come see us, bring your car. Plus we're bringing Christian James handout, which is a treat for everybody, especially me. His show fucking rules.
Zach Klapman
But if you ever listen to music at all.
Matt Farah
Yeah, if you like any music.
Zach Klapman
If you like any music, you will get something out of this, I swear to God.
Matt Farah
Yeah, Christian rules. And that's gonna be so much fun. In Dallas on July 20th. Excuse me, wait. Dallas on July 24th and Houston on July 25th. Or am I getting that backwards? Help me, Zach. I can't remember what days that click. It's on that thing. Oh, July 24th, Houston. July 25th, Dallas. Okay, I did have it backwards. Tickets are on our Instagram bio, and I think. Zach, are you putting them in the show notes, too, please. The twin turbo Cayman video is up that thing. I'm glad that car looks as nuts on video and sounds as nuts. I think it does sort of live up to the driving experience of that car. It's hard to make a car look fast on video, but that car looks very fast on video.
Zach Klapman
We did speed up the footage. We weren't speeding, of course.
Matt Farah
Yeah, obviously, we speed up the footage.
Zach Klapman
300%, but it works really well. Yeah, that thing was a riot. It was wild.
Matt Farah
It worked. It worked really good. I was pretty impressed at the performance and, you know, just, like, you don't really have to give all that much up besides the trunk space, that thing.
Zach Klapman
It's true. I think for. For all of the plumbing that was in the very many compartments of the car, front and back trunk, it didn't feel like a tuner car. Like, it sounded like an exciting kind of tuner. Exotic, but everything worked inside.
Matt Farah
I would say it did feel like a tuner car, but, yeah, it felt like a tuner car bit. Yeah.
Zach Klapman
I think functionally, it felt like. It felt like it could have come from an oem.
Matt Farah
I think it was too gnarly to have come from. It didn't. It felt like a tuner car in that. I think it has more. It felt like, unstable under braking because it had, like, no wing and it was so fast. Like, it wasn't. It wasn't quite, like, developed enough for its own, like, performance, which is not a point. Like, this thing's like a prototype, and it's meant to be, you know, a road car. And they're in Florida. They're not driving, you know, canyons and stuff where there's all this heavy. They thought that. And they're lovely people, but they thought that the kind of driving that we do regularly was, like, pretty intense on the car. And we're like, oh, no, this is, like, regular stuff. And they're like, what? Oh, okay.
Zach Klapman
So we do this all the time.
Matt Farah
Yeah. So I think, you know, the car didn't necessarily have 5,000ft of elevation and, you know, 100 degree, whatever, 90 degree. It was canyon temps in mind. But I thought it held up pretty good. But I think I thought it felt like a Tuner car. But that's not a point against. It's just. I don't think Porsche would sell you something that has that much more engine than chassis right now.
Zach Klapman
They wouldn't, but McLaren, well, that's tough.
Matt Farah
McLaren would.
Zach Klapman
Eight years ago, I think my brain is going that the way it sounded and shifted and accelerated in the mapping of the throttle felt like it could have come McLaren 650R, whatever, you know, something like that. But it's like. So that's what I mean by not a tuner car. Transmission felt good. It wasn't like it's a Kong junk, but it put that on a regular Cayman chassis. And some of those limitations.
Matt Farah
It didn't feel like a race car. Yes, it did feel like, particularly with comfort seats and pdk, it felt like a. It felt like a road focused car, which is very nuts, I thought. Actually it felt really close to what you'd get out of a McLaren 570s or something. Right on down to the light rear end. Same thing in both cars, but yeah. So bgb, you know, they've got this one, they'll build you one, but it's kind of expensive. It's like 125 grand plus a caiman. Pretty sure you can use. Did he say you could use any caiman?
Zach Klapman
Yeah, I think you don't need the. You don't need the gts. You don't need one of those things. Right.
Matt Farah
I think you can use any 981 or 718 caiman. I think the higher end caiman that you use, the less that they have to do because it starts to come with some things already that you want. Yeah, but yeah, it's like, it's so much more work mechanically to fit the engine in. But like you said in the video, getting all the electronic stuff to like talk to each other and work like factory is like shockingly time consuming.
Zach Klapman
Yeah. It was pretty surprising to learn how long it took to do that. I mean, if you watch the video, I apologize, this is redundant. But like four weeks to get it to just go out of park. And that's just. There's so many systems in a car now. There's so many computers from MMI to shifting to engine to all that shit. To get it to all talk and go, okay, this computer is giving us the information we need. We can turn on now is wild.
Matt Farah
It makes. I mean, so often you hear about like people that have engine swapped cars and like they go, you know, all the functions work, which is always impressive, but I never gave it like that much thought as to like, I was like, well, all I took that was, is sort of like, oh, like Porsche, talk to Porsche. You know, like almost like it was not a coincidence, but almost like it just like it's the family of systems, so it just works that way. It never like really occurred to me before that it would have taken so long to do basic functions. When you're going from, you know, a Porsche gearbox to you're trying to control it with a Porsche gear lever.
Zach Klapman
Right.
Matt Farah
Like, what's the fucking problem?
Zach Klapman
Yeah. And you know, similar PDK system is attached to both engines in different cars.
Matt Farah
Yeah.
Zach Klapman
Right. You think this, by the way, is.
Matt Farah
Why every car has the fucking BMW space dildo shifter in it where it makes no sense in the Morgan, in the ineos, why can't you put a different shifter? That's fucking why.
Zach Klapman
Because it's part of the software.
Matt Farah
Yeah.
Zach Klapman
Who we talked to that explained that was it ineos, the shifter could not be reconfigured because you needed the circuits in the shifter. So like you needed something that roughly that big anyway.
Matt Farah
Yeah, it's crazy. And you know Revology, who does those Mustangs and they keep them here at wccs. They've been building Mustangs for like, I don't know, many years. I don't know exactly how many, but they've been around. It's only in the last two months that they finally have a Mustang with an automatic shifter that looks like the old automatic shifter and not Ford's fucking Hertz rent a car automatic shifter. That was always like. Because they're using in the automatic cars Ford's 10 speed gearbox. And they've been saying the same thing, you need to use Ford shifter to talk to this gearbox. But they finally figured out how to develop a different shifter that doesn't look exactly like the old shifter, but it's like, it's a vintage shifter.
Zach Klapman
So it's a lot more appropriate.
Matt Farah
Oh, it's so much, I mean, it's so much better for the aesthetic. And, and he was like, they're like, yeah, that's. We've been trying this since the very beginning. It's like only now that it works. So that is, that is very difficult stuff. And I'm not like, I'm not a total fucking moron. Like, I know it's not, it's not all plug and play, but it never really occurred to me before that it would be so difficult to make the car do very basic functions. Right.
Zach Klapman
So I think this is their new one.
Matt Farah
Yeah. Yeah, the new. I mean, the new one is way better, right? And then the one to the left of it is the old one. So, yeah, the old one is just, like, from the, you know, late model Mustang. And the new one is the T handle that looks, you know, more appropriate. Yeah.
Zach Klapman
Yeah, Cool.
Matt Farah
So go them.
Zach Klapman
Yay. Yeah, that's a good improvement.
Matt Farah
We're still waiting on the exact right car to film from them. They finally. That red one downstairs was finally the right car, and now it's like, sold. Now I don't want to film it, right? He's like, oh, no, you can. I was like, no, not the sold unit.
Zach Klapman
I think it's a good idea. Let's not do that unless the owner knows our work and goes, yeah, go have, like, Alpine. Yeah, like that owner.
Matt Farah
Oh, the Alpine is going bye, bye. Not that. I mean, I. The self control. Let us just say that Zach and I, we have not driven that car once since filming day. And it's been. It's not been here just in order to make it. I fucking shoved it in the back in South Bay, and I, like, won't go back there. I don't even want to look at it. So. But Camisa is coming down on Friday, and he's gonna do podcasts with us, and then he's gonna take it and drive it back to San Francisco. Francisco, where he lives. Excuse me. And then Ben C. The owner, is just gonna fly up in there and collect it to go to pebble, and so maybe we'll see him at car week. We should invite him over to the TST Slash range Energy Pebble. It's not a party house.
Zach Klapman
It's an incubator.
Matt Farah
It's not a party. It's an incubator.
Zach Klapman
We're thinking up a new business.
Matt Farah
Definitely. It's fully an incubator. Oh, man. Ali's car is gonna be sick too. He's replaced, like, half his car with carbon.
Zach Klapman
Which one?
Matt Farah
The 2002.
Zach Klapman
Oh, okay. Because he's driving the Evo around right now.
Matt Farah
No, no, he got carbon panels from that dude who makes the carbon panels.
Zach Klapman
For the son of Cobra.
Matt Farah
Yeah.
Zach Klapman
Oh, shit.
Matt Farah
Yeah, he got all of them. Whatever, the hood, the trunk, like some other shit on the side. Yeah, he got a bunch of fun. I think it was hood, trunk, and fenders. I think it was, like, most of it. Yeah. Get the weight down.
Zach Klapman
Yeah. This is really heavy to begin with.
Matt Farah
Fucking sick, dude. Would you. How much heavier than my car do you think it will be? My car is 1538 pounds. Do you think his car would be like 2200?
Zach Klapman
Yeah, I think it's probably that, like, let's see, what is the 2002 way?
Matt Farah
Probably. You probably could subtract.
Zach Klapman
Roughly. They're roughly 2000, 2100 to 2400. According to.
Matt Farah
I think you could subtract 2 to 300 pounds.
Zach Klapman
Yeah. For his car stereo. But he's got like extra bracing on it and stuff. But some of it's light. I don't know. I don't know what his alarms are. They're aluminum instead of steel.
Matt Farah
I wouldn't be surprised.
Zach Klapman
I'll go 21.
Matt Farah
I put on the light end.
Zach Klapman
I think 21. Bob.
Matt Farah
We'll get. We'll have a. We'll have a reading next show. Okay. Would you like to regale us with the Mazda CX50?
Zach Klapman
Yes.
Matt Farah
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Zach Klapman
The Meridian edition.
Matt Farah
It should be is that for stereo? Is it Meridian stereo?
Zach Klapman
It's strangely not. It has a Bose stereo.
Matt Farah
Do you think Meridian has a problem?
Zach Klapman
I don't know. I don't know. And I, to be honest, looked quickly but couldn't find an answer why is named that. Okay, but let me get my notice here.
Matt Farah
That's fine. They first brought it over to my house accidentally before bringing it here for you. And so I only saw it for like a minute and I. And I saw it and I was like, I'm a little confused by it. But also it looked comfortable.
Zach Klapman
Well, you are right about one of those things, in my opinion. Okay, so, you know, I don't want to jump to the end. What is it? So it's a 40. It's 40. $1,000 in this trim. It's not the highest. There is a premium trim, but that starts a little bit more and more like the mid-40s. Ours didn't have many options. Turbocharged, 2.5 liter.
Matt Farah
Is that the inline six or. It's a four cylinder.
Zach Klapman
Inline four.
Matt Farah
I think it's a four cylinder.
Zach Klapman
That's a. I should know that. I just assumed it was a four banger.
Matt Farah
Okay.
Zach Klapman
A tiny inline six.
Matt Farah
Okay. They have an inline six in one of their vehicles now. Smooth. Was it too smooth to be four?
Zach Klapman
Kind of.
Matt Farah
What have you done?
Zach Klapman
It's a four cylinder.
Matt Farah
Okay, cool. All right. Well, I didn't. I know they make one. I just didn't.
Zach Klapman
I think that one's like. Isn't like a prototype engine they're playing with?
Matt Farah
No. Oh, they have one of these.
Zach Klapman
You know how few Mazdas we get? This is like one per year. This and the Miata.
Matt Farah
Yeah, that's it.
Zach Klapman
Yeah.
Matt Farah
We just need to wait till the next Miata update.
Zach Klapman
Very true.
Matt Farah
We could probably get an RF if we want.
Zach Klapman
We wait for the ne.
Matt Farah
Around for the rf anyway. It's the Outback. It looks like a Mazda Subaru Outback or totally looks like a Mazda Forester.
Zach Klapman
Mazda Forester is a forester.
Matt Farah
Wilderness, maybe.
Zach Klapman
Yeah. It's got, like slightly chunky tires and it's got plastic cladding on it and this flat, black, wide stripe on the hood.
Matt Farah
Yeah, it's got linebacker fucking eye mascara.
Zach Klapman
You know, it's got that stuff. And ours was this. This color wasn't really for me, but it's sort of like a sand mud. It was slightly lighter color than the Forerunner was.
Matt Farah
Yeah, the Forerunner was, I think, called Mud Bath.
Zach Klapman
That was Mud Bath.
Matt Farah
Mud Bath.
Zach Klapman
This was something I pulled up to pick up Sarah to go somewhere and she just went, what is this? And we referenced a lot of baby food related.
Matt Farah
Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's definitely a puree.
Zach Klapman
It's just a tone. Yeah, it's a puree. So I would choose a different color if I was gonna choose it.
Matt Farah
If they named this color puree, that would be pretty.
Zach Klapman
Yeah. I mean, it's like old protein shake.
Matt Farah
Yeah, yeah.
Zach Klapman
I've left things in the blender overnight.
Matt Farah
Puree and pate.
Zach Klapman
If you make chimchurri sauce and you leave it out for four days, the vibrant green goes away.
Matt Farah
Sidebar. Got a truffle at Eataly. When Thad came over for dinner, I made Felix cacio e Pepe and I just shot him on the microplane and we had like, you know, 20 grams or so of truffles. And it was, it was really nice. But I had a little left. Saved it for the next morning to do on my eggs. Really didn't. The 12 hours was not kind to that truffle. Even though it was properly stored once. I. I don't know.
Zach Klapman
Oh, because it was already shaved.
Matt Farah
Yeah, maybe. I don't know.
Zach Klapman
But it did too much oxygen exposure.
Matt Farah
Maybe.
Zach Klapman
You got to keep it whole, I think.
Matt Farah
I guess. Yeah. Once you slice, you're done.
Zach Klapman
I don't like truffle that much.
Matt Farah
Like, I only like the right truffle. But on, on cacio or Pepe, it works. Believe you me.
Zach Klapman
I've had that. Like, it's cacho de pepe. It balances it out a little bit.
Matt Farah
Yeah.
Zach Klapman
If the truffle is too strong, real or not, then I go, in this.
Matt Farah
Case, the truffle was not strong. And the cracked pepper was. Was homage. It was, it was good. Yeah. All right, so.
Zach Klapman
All right, so this has 256 horsepower. That's 75 more than the non turbocharged CX50. That is significant. It doesn't feel fast, but it is. I, I drove it. I went. This doesn't feel that quick. It goes 0 to 60 a second quicker than our RAV4 hybrid. Even though that thing feels like it has more torque.
Matt Farah
Is that because the 0 to like 5 or 0 to 10 is so much better with the hybrid motor? And this is sluggish off the line. And then builds.
Zach Klapman
And then builds. Yeah. Because it's a turbocharged engine and it is really smooth for being a four banger. It is a very smooth powertrain. I really liked it. You know, just driving around town. I appreciate that aspect of. And it is comfortable. Mazda seats are fantastic. I think, like in the seat hierarchy of things we've driven like Mazda is at the cheap. At the cheap level. That's my favorite. Then it goes to Acura. Then we have to jump to something like Mercedes.
Matt Farah
Yeah.
Zach Klapman
You know, we've driven fifty sixty thousand dollar Acuras, including the nsx that had really good supportive seats.
Matt Farah
But that rdx, almost every Acura I've driven has really. I mean the one that we're a little spoiled because the ones we drive are the pretty optioned up ones. All of those seats though, those are good values for money. Even loaded. And the seats are really particularly good.
Zach Klapman
Yeah, I noticed it right away in this car and dashboard. Very minimal in these. But I think it works. It's very functional. The screen is small. It's like that wide kind of short screen.
Matt Farah
Sometimes you just want to drive. Yeah.
Zach Klapman
Now I still don't like their hockey puck controller. The screen is not a touchscreen.
Matt Farah
Oh, wow. Really?
Zach Klapman
And the screen, it's a new car.
Matt Farah
I know this was brand new last year and they have not. They didn't do it.
Zach Klapman
It's the same as. Yeah, we drive. The Miata was like that, wasn't it? Let me show you. Cx50.
Matt Farah
Well, they've been doing. I forgave them because they've been doing the ND since 2016 and I thought, I don't know. But this thing was like all new last year.
Zach Klapman
This is like our exact car and ours had the nice brown interior like it looked. Yeah, it's this. So.
Matt Farah
You know what if you just want to drive and you don't want a world full of screens and I think this would be great.
Zach Klapman
I totally appreciate it. I didn't care about the size of the screen. It's actually. This is last gen. The new one's better. Yeah. Steering wheel, real button. Great. And they look pretty nice, the gauges. Still a gauge.
Matt Farah
Lessons from that steering wheel and that gauge cluster.
Zach Klapman
I think no one does. I'm gonna call it smaller budget interiors like Mazda and I think in some ways they outdo people that charge a little more money.
Matt Farah
You know, I get the last stick shift Mazda 3 that they make like next week.
Zach Klapman
Really?
Matt Farah
Yeah. When I get back, I like those cars. We'll do a video with that.
Zach Klapman
Yeah, yeah. The last one we drove was the Touring, which is a while ago.
Matt Farah
Yeah.
Zach Klapman
And that was expensive. I think it was.
Matt Farah
I don't. I. They only have one left variant that comes in manual and I'm driving it.
Zach Klapman
All right.
Matt Farah
Kind of excited, but yeah. I actually like this interior. I bet if you did a Lot of driving at night, this would be absolutely ideal.
Zach Klapman
And if you don't, you know. So the wheel, the big wheel behind the shifter. Hockey puck. Yeah, that controls your screen. And I think you'd have to get really comfortable using voice commands and making sure they understand you. I'd have to work on my annunciation. Yep.
Matt Farah
With hockey puck.
Zach Klapman
Yep.
Matt Farah
Woof. That's shitty.
Zach Klapman
Well, if you're on the carplay and you don't need to deviate from it, you might be all right. So I think you get comfortable not jumping around a lot.
Matt Farah
Just use your phone and use the carplay as a screen. Really? That's what you do, right?
Zach Klapman
That's. Yeah, that's what you do. Or you talk to Siri or whatever. But when I wanted to change like the stereo settings, I had to use the hockey puck. And then, and then navigating within CarPlay, like unless you use your phone. But sometimes if you have Google Maps running on your phone, it just shows like the next direction. So if you want to zoom in or do any of that, you have to use the hockey puck, which maybe you'll get used to. But it was clunky. It was very clunky.
Matt Farah
To our last show where we said, yeah, someone will say, it's not so bad. I got used to it. But you can tell that's. That's non competitive.
Zach Klapman
Let's just say there, look, that. That was annoying. But the strangest thing that I don't understand is the suspension. It is too stiff on this car for LA city driving. And I know that LA has terrible roads, but when you look at the exterior of this vehicle, it's got knobby tires, it looks rugged. You know what's bumpy? Dirt roads. Because ground clearance and tire wise, you could take these.
Matt Farah
It's a five seat crossover. It shouldn't ride like shit.
Zach Klapman
It rode like it had V3s on it. I'm not trying to be disrespectful. Like KW, this thing rode like a sports car. And I hit, you know, the hard edges from concrete junctions and little potholes. And it was like, I'm moving around and someone DM me. And they said, hey, they saw my picture and they said, I own one of those. I've owned it for a year. Do you find that the suspension feels stiff on potholes and cracks around town? And I said, I sure do. And they said, so do I. So this person has owned it for a year and has the same kind of butt palate that I do.
Matt Farah
So go back to enjoy that Internet with butt palate. Do they make a version that. Did I just ask. Do we. Do we just ask for the wrong version? Do we need to like just get like. Cuz like you're asking if there's a.
Zach Klapman
Suspension option with the Meridian or.
Matt Farah
No, like, no, I don't really care about the Meridian per se. I was like, is there just like a regular one that's supposed to be driven on roads like rides normally you.
Zach Klapman
Well, you can get like the premium. I don't know what this is. I don't know if there's different suspension setups.
Matt Farah
Okay.
Zach Klapman
The Meridian one, basically for people it's.
Matt Farah
Like, wait, scroll to the right.
Zach Klapman
It comes with a couple of. How nice do they get it?
Matt Farah
The website? Okay. Wow. There's a bunch. Premium Plus.
Zach Klapman
All right.
Matt Farah
Most expensive one is a 2.5 Turbo Premium Plus. That one looks like it does not have knobbies on it.
Zach Klapman
It.
Matt Farah
Right, yeah.
Zach Klapman
And you know, so that I just got. I kept getting out of this car, being confused because it looks like a, you know, the little kid brother of the four Runner trd and it's getting ready to kind of go. It's in Boy Scouts. Yeah, yeah. You know, it's getting ready Cub Scouts, really. It's getting ready to go the outdoors, go camping a little bit. And then it rides like a firm sports car. And by the way, like when the ND Miata came out, I complained it was too soft. I thought it was really softly sprung. I figured that decision making would go into this. And this felt more like the upgraded suspension they put on the Miata.
Matt Farah
You know, I really. If you really wanted to go, I think on trail drives, like the outback wilderness is where it's at.
Zach Klapman
Right?
Matt Farah
That road really good.
Zach Klapman
Yes.
Matt Farah
That's what you want. Yeah, that was exactly the right tool for that kind of job.
Zach Klapman
Well, and when we drove it, we went like off roading in it. But when we took that bumpy, very kind of rutted fire road into the off road area, we both commented, holy like shit. This is really soaking up all this fucked up road. Really well, yeah, it had that kind of Baja ish compliance to it.
Matt Farah
Yeah, it was really good.
Zach Klapman
Like the event, not the Subaru.
Matt Farah
That car was a ton of car this month.
Zach Klapman
This would have been a bouncy castle on that stuff.
Matt Farah
Okay.
Zach Klapman
So I was, I was just confused. But Meridian comes with some extra like option things and packages that would cost you more money if you got the premium plus and stuff. But I. If you're shopping for one of these, just ask if this is or test drive like a Premium and a Meridian and see if one is softer than the other. I hope they have softer suspension on them because pretty nice car in many ways. But that would be a deal breaker for me.
Matt Farah
Yeah. All right. Well you will revisit Mazda with the the three stick next week. Thank you to Mazdas. There will be. Zach will have some witty Instagram right up for that too.
Zach Klapman
Sure. They're gonna love what I have to say.
Matt Farah
Yeah. Right. I got invited to a mystery Porsche launch in Spain in October.
Zach Klapman
I'm on that email chain.
Matt Farah
It's a high performance model but they don't say. What do you think? It's Turbo S 992.2 Turbo S. Seems like it's time they would do that before doing GT2.
Zach Klapman
And it's. And you went to GTS3. Yeah.
Matt Farah
This would be turbo S probably.
Zach Klapman
It's got to be it.
Matt Farah
Yeah. At a scar again. Yum. Yummy.
Zach Klapman
I'm hoping they bring both of us.
Matt Farah
It's the video wave.
Zach Klapman
If you're listening. I shouldn't.
Matt Farah
I'll ask. I'll ask. I don't know if they can. It is the video.
Zach Klapman
No. I'm literally on the email chain with you.
Matt Farah
Yeah, I know. You should.
Zach Klapman
So we.
Matt Farah
Oh, you could ask.
Zach Klapman
That's why.
Matt Farah
Yes. That'll be fun though. I was speaking of. Dude, have you ever like scratched your steering wheel leather?
Zach Klapman
Mine already looks like shit.
Matt Farah
Yeah.
Zach Klapman
So I wouldn't. Oh, and then it looks like where.
Matt Farah
There'S like a streak on.
Zach Klapman
Yeah.
Matt Farah
Like a ring. Is that you do it from a key or a ring or something and.
Zach Klapman
It looks like you have really dry skin.
Matt Farah
Yeah.
Zach Klapman
Yeah. Dude.
Matt Farah
That just happened in the Tycon. It's driving me. I know. Like over time it will just wear back like down.
Zach Klapman
You'll go away so fast.
Matt Farah
Yeah. Yeah. But today it's just. I saw this this morning.
Zach Klapman
I was like, what the fuck did it lift the edges? You know, like the scratch sometimes can lift it like a stegosaurus.
Matt Farah
Yes. Yeah.
Zach Klapman
You kind of cut into it like that, huh?
Matt Farah
Yeah, but it's like that long.
Zach Klapman
You might have to repair that, I think.
Matt Farah
Well, we'll see in a couple. We'll give it a couple days and see how it looks. But I don't know. I can't imagine my ring would have done it. Like my ring is one layer of carbon fiber. Does not seem I'd have to hit. And Hannah's like, no, no way. I was like, hannah, does your. You know your. Cause she doesn't Wear her wedding ring. She wears her engagement ring out, which is the diamond.
Zach Klapman
Right.
Matt Farah
I was like, does your. Does your. Does the stone ever spin to the inside? You know, that ever happened? Maybe when you're turning the wheel or grabbing it to get in and out and, you know, I sent it the pictures. Like, it's kind of nasty. It's not, like, cut through, but it's just like. Like, scaled. And I'm not sure it's gonna, like, it might have to be, like, you know, sanded a little bit.
Zach Klapman
There's a casilla fix for this. I feel like there's an ammo thing.
Matt Farah
Yeah, there's gonna be.
Zach Klapman
Okay. I thought you meant, you know, when the wheel. Steering wheel's dry and you drag your nail and then, like, you see that white streak, but you can just rub it and it goes way right away.
Matt Farah
Oh, yeah. No, this is like. It's like. Yeah. You'll see it after the show. I'll show you. Okay. It feels really rough on the. Otherwise, nice steering wheel. Kind of sucks.
Zach Klapman
You shouldn't have bought that ring. I was telling you. I was like, don't do it.
Matt Farah
Yeah.
Zach Klapman
Not don't get married. It's like, just don't get her this.
Matt Farah
I need to think of the Taycan more of, like. More like as a beater.
Zach Klapman
Yes. Because it.
Matt Farah
Yeah, because it has. I mean, it has, like, nice wheels on it. It looks good. I want to. You know, I can't, like, make it a beater.
Zach Klapman
Have you ever had a car that you treated like a beater?
Matt Farah
Just cars that were just all intended to be disposable. And I very much enjoyed it.
Zach Klapman
Right.
Matt Farah
Yeah.
Zach Klapman
But anything else that. Anything you intend to own for longer than a week.
Matt Farah
No, you know what? No. Leased cars. Leased cars. I don't, like, like, mechanically beat them up, but I don't have to think about things like little nicks and scratches and shit. I don't give a shit.
Zach Klapman
Okay. So if this same steering wheel scratch happened on a leased vehicle.
Matt Farah
Yeah, well, I wouldn't care.
Zach Klapman
Okay. It's because you guys own it.
Matt Farah
Yeah.
Zach Klapman
And the outside does look awesome, I guess. Yeah, I.
Matt Farah
Looks very dirty right now. Guys have to watch tomorrow. It's been. It's been outside for the whole time. That's driving me nuts, though.
Zach Klapman
I gotta call Larry or look up one of his.
Matt Farah
No, I can't call Larry until I look and make sure there isn't a video first. He would hate if I did that. He would drop nuts. Should we go to the people?
Zach Klapman
Is it that time yeah, let me see. I'm just seeing if there's a video for that Larry has on YouTube already how to remove scratches from interior trim.
Matt Farah
Yep, there we go. Send me the link. We'll see what we can do.
Zach Klapman
Well, actually, that's for center console, so you might have to call him.
Matt Farah
Worst case. Worst case, we'll have. We'll get it redone in fucking tartan.
Zach Klapman
Yeah, we got some extra for you.
Matt Farah
Tartan steering wheel. That might be a little. That's trash.
Zach Klapman
Yeah, And I don't think it would. I think it would start to fuzz, you know, every time you spin the wheel through. Yeah, it would. It would totally do that.
Matt Farah
You have to comb it maybe.
Zach Klapman
Yeah.
Matt Farah
The car in Malibu the other day, and I saw a red Ferrari F12 with a fully white interior, white seats, white dash, white steering wheel. And this is an F12. So you're talking about like a 2015, 2016. And man, did that white steering wheel look, man.
Zach Klapman
Yeah, you don't want to see.
Matt Farah
It looked the dirt gnarly.
Zach Klapman
Yeah, yeah.
Matt Farah
It was no good.
Zach Klapman
That's just cigar fingers. Just for years. Because that's who bought that car. That's.
Matt Farah
Yeah, yeah, it's really bad.
Zach Klapman
Wow. Gross.
Matt Farah
Oh, man. Oh, but you know what? With the Porsche launch today, you know what I found today? I found the perfect backpack for when I have to travel with the camera case and need to pack for like three days in a backpack. I found a backpack that. That's designed for that.
Zach Klapman
For cameras and stuff?
Matt Farah
No, no, the cameras go in the rolling camera case. But then that's my carry on. So I can only do a personal item, which is a backpack. So in the past I've used that really old camera bag, TAMRAC camera bag that we have.
Zach Klapman
That's not the right thing for clothes.
Matt Farah
Well, I took out all the dividers and it's just an open space, so actually it kind of works, but it's sub optimal. And so I found a backpack where it opens like a suitcase, like a clam. And then it has like zip divider pockets like a suitcase. That's what, like the Carl Friedrich suitcases.
Zach Klapman
Yeah.
Matt Farah
And I was like, oh, my God, this is a thing. Just bought it.
Zach Klapman
Very exciting. How much bigger is it than your current backpack?
Matt Farah
So it's not that much bigger because if you start to go bigger, then they might go, that's not a personal item. That's a carry.
Zach Klapman
Well, also then you have to put it under the front seat. The seat in front of you, and then that's annoying.
Matt Farah
Your Legs, diamond status. You put it overhead.
Zach Klapman
Oh, there's not.
Matt Farah
Yeah. When people see someone my size. And if you get on during the diamond medallion section, your backpack does not have to go under the seat in front of you.
Zach Klapman
That's true. Because there's also the ratio of seats to overhead.
Matt Farah
Yeah. When I get on the plane, the overhead bins are completely empty.
Zach Klapman
Oh, that's true. But I've done that where I've gone on and it's still empty. And they tried to. And they say, sir, that has to go in front of you.
Matt Farah
Oh, really? I think maybe when you're my size or maybe your status or your. Yeah. No one has ever tried to tell me to put my backpack under the seat. So maybe that's. Maybe I'm using my size. Maybe I'm using it's size to my advantage for once.
Zach Klapman
Yeah, you should. You should.
Matt Farah
Yeah.
Zach Klapman
Take advantage when you can.
Matt Farah
Damn fucking straight. But at the backpack store, I saw the 45 liter and I was like, oh, I could go for like, that's big, bro, yo. And the guy was like, sir, you will not be able to pass that off as your personal item. No. I was like, all right, what's the biggest. I probably could. And he's like, the 20. So that's what I have. That's the same size as. It's about the size of your bag, maybe a little bit wider. It's about as tall. A little bit wider.
Zach Klapman
Yeah, it's pretty good. Because when I was buying my backpacking backpack, I bought like the 70 liters. It was huge. And the guy that works there was like, whoa, For a week I only use 35 liter backpack. And I was like, well, good for you. I want to change my underwear.
Matt Farah
But also I get the advantage I get. I have is like. Like when I ride my Vespa, the 300 is like 15% bigger than the 150, the whole bike. But you wouldn't know that when I ride it because I fuck with your scale. Right. So if I wear a bigger backpack, it looks like a smaller person wearing a regular backpack.
Zach Klapman
Right.
Matt Farah
Which that is like a visual trickery. And it works.
Zach Klapman
Yeah. It makes you look smaller.
Matt Farah
Yeah.
Zach Klapman
Okay.
Matt Farah
Yeah, this is. This is my scam. But what? I can't check the camera case to Europe with a layover in Charles.
Zach Klapman
No, I'm not.
Matt Farah
No way.
Zach Klapman
I'm not judging you at all.
Matt Farah
No, you. I know you're not. I'm telling them, telling all you. Telling all you. I'm not checking the camera case through Charles De Gaulle.
Zach Klapman
Yeah, you need it with you. It's really risky.
Matt Farah
Yeah.
Zach Klapman
All the flight options and on the way back you still have to take all the batteries out. So like you throw in your backpack and then that gets you.
Matt Farah
If you're checking it right. Have to take all the batteries out.
Zach Klapman
Stinks at that point. It's not worth it. I've forgotten before, I'm sure a lot of people have, but I just.
Matt Farah
Pelican cases are pretty well insulated.
Zach Klapman
They're not lithium ion fireproof, I don't think.
Matt Farah
No, no, they're not. I mean but they're like pretty well with the divider set that I have and everything, it's like pretty well like temperature insulated.
Zach Klapman
Oh, okay. So the battery doesn't get really, really hot in a really or really, really cold.
Matt Farah
Really. Actually what I think they're more concerned about. Yeah. But yeah, I try not to check that camera case ever because obvious reasons.
Zach Klapman
Real quick, someone in the comments said that it's probably named Meridian edition because the. Where did it go? Meridian is a point on a line of longitude. So it's a navigate. That makes a lot of sense.
Matt Farah
Yeah, got it.
Zach Klapman
Yeah.
Matt Farah
All right. As in the prime Meridian. Yeah, got it. Also nice stereos, I have to say.
Zach Klapman
But this has a Bose and yes, Bose might be Meridian might be mad. Or Bose. Actually Bose is probably mad.
Matt Farah
Somebody might have something to say about that. Let's go to the people. Of course, our patrons. Yalls is the best. Get in the fucking game. Over here@patreon.com the Smoking Tire Podcast. Early access to everything we do. Live stream, ask questions, get extra show. If you're a pro driver, you get a ninth show every month. Early access to the notice, watches, collabs and any other collab we do ad free lit listening. Everything is going down over at that Patreon. Plus you get to support your favorite car podcast over here. And did I say we're coming to Texas? We're coming to Texas, people. June 24th, 25th. Hopefully if it goes well, we're going to start to go to more places. So if you're kind of near there, you should buy a ticket and come down and see us. And if it goes well, then we do more. And if it goes bad, we do less. All righty then. Right now. Now even if only the number of tickets that we've sold right now show up, then I would consider that a pretty good time. So let's get to those people. Nice cam says best fun fast mid size SUV X3M. Feels like the answer. But one of her main concerns is reliability. Looking at used 45-60k, I'm on Team Macan GTS. If you can get the post facelift Macan GTS, that's probably my choice.
Zach Klapman
Yeah, I think it rides a lot better than the X3M is very real fast, though. It is real fast.
Matt Farah
Very fast, but it is also very stiff. Whereas the Macan GTS is not. Not much out there actually. Jeep Trackhawk if you want three miles a gallon. Yeah, yeah. If you're very comfortable with horrific fuel economy. I wonder if you could get a grecale trofeo for 60k.
Zach Klapman
I bet you can get one.
Matt Farah
If you could get a Maserati Grecale Trofeo possibly brand new for 60K, that is your move because it's actually a really nice car and I see none of them and they're probably 85k sticker price. And I bet you can get out of one for. In. In the. I bet you can get into one in the 60s without. Oh, holy.
Zach Klapman
These are all new prices. That expensive in Santa Monica.
Matt Farah
These are new Maserati of Santa Monica. What are you doing?
Zach Klapman
There you go. The average used Maserati Grocali Trafalgar.
Matt Farah
All right, so find one of these with 7,000 miles on it for 50 grand. That's what you want to do. That's your. There's your sleeper in this category right there. Low mile Grecale is actually a very good and fun car.
Zach Klapman
It is a fun car and it looks pretty good too.
Matt Farah
Yeah, they rip, they're fast. Paint too simple. I like that. That's fun. What do you think of the new electric Renault 5 and the Alpine version? I don't think that car would do very well in the US for one simple reason. Americans don't take French cars seriously. They just don't. And I don't think there's a huge market for a French electric hatchback in the US Having said that, I do think it is a somewhat attractive vehicle. Did you see it, Zach?
Zach Klapman
Is it this one?
Matt Farah
The new electric Renault 5? Yeah.
Zach Klapman
Okay, that's it. Because there was the concept thing that came out six months ago and it was like.
Matt Farah
Well, that was like the R5.
Zach Klapman
Turbo.
Matt Farah
Turbo, right, right, yeah. So this is the R5 electric.
Zach Klapman
Yeah, it's pretty cool looking. I like the front, I like the headlight design. Reminds me a little bit of Taycan. But I agree, like, you have two problems. You're trying to crack into the United States market while EV incentives are gone or going away and bring a new brand that we haven't seen here in a long time that doesn't have a great reputation. Yeah, that's tough.
Matt Farah
Front wheel drive. And imagine if you were making it. Why would you choose to make an electric car front wheel drive?
Zach Klapman
Maybe just if they already have this unibody and it's front wheel drive. Yeah. And the crash standard is already met.
Matt Farah
148 horsepower. That is not fast.
Zach Klapman
No. But 250 miles of range.
Matt Farah
Yeah.
Zach Klapman
And I bet you know torque from zero, it might be about as quick as something with like 180 horsepower.
Matt Farah
Yeah, it probably is. I mean it's not ugly. It's okay. I can. You know, I can see. Can't you see it possibly coming to the US Re. Skinned as like a. As like a juke with bigger tires.
Zach Klapman
Yeah.
Matt Farah
This front a. This front three quarter angle looks awfully. It's not the juke anymore. Right. It's like the Kicks now. It's called the Kicks.
Zach Klapman
Yeah.
Matt Farah
I think this comes to the US as a Kicks variant.
Zach Klapman
Although right now with Nissan on the civil bus.
Matt Farah
Yeah, maybe not. The interior is relatively attractive.
Zach Klapman
So much screen.
Matt Farah
There's a lot of screen.
Zach Klapman
M2 screen.
Matt Farah
Yeah, the double. Everyone's doing the double screen now. But not terrible.
Zach Klapman
No.
Matt Farah
Renault even says it can tow 1100 pounds.
Zach Klapman
That's pretty good right there.
Matt Farah
Yeah. Okay.
Zach Klapman
For how long?
Matt Farah
Yeah, not bad. I mean I don't.
Zach Klapman
It weighs 3,300.
Matt Farah
Yeah. That's pretty light for. Pretty light for an EV. Yeah. Which is good. With 148 horsepower. Eddie Vedders Greddy headers. That's very good. I would gain. I would. Can you like. Here's your assignment for next show. Eddie Vedders Gretti headers. Fucking. Work that out into like a limerick. Play that the. Play the rest of that limerick for me, please. Will there be a recording of the live shows? Yes. Will you get to hear Christian's portion of the show? I would absolutely love to. And he has done his thing on other people's shows before and they have not gotten strikes for it.
Zach Klapman
Risky.
Matt Farah
Risky.
Zach Klapman
Yeah. Yeah, I'm gonna. My gut says no. Based on every discussion I've had with.
Matt Farah
Him about hearing anything Tuffode says is a couple year old used SL55AMG. A used buy for 75k. Oh, that's not the. That. Is that the new one? Oh, is that a. What is the 55? I've driven the 63 and the 43. The 43. You don't want. There's A. That is not a good car. I mean that's like. I might go so far as to say that that's like a kind of a bad car. So I'm not surprised that that's depreciated by 50% in one year. That makes sense. That is a car that people don't want.
Zach Klapman
Yeah, that's true.
Matt Farah
What is the 55? Is that just the in between one? I guess it is. It's probably okay. I mean, I don't love the current SL anyway. But if you want like a sort of 4 seat convertible or 2 plus 2 GT with a very small trunk, 75k is certainly better than like 150 or whatever it was a year ago. Is that what that is? It's like just like the middle one. Zach.
Zach Klapman
I'm trying to. Their MSRP was like 150 to 190.
Matt Farah
Yeah, well, I'll tell you what, it didn't feel like that when you were driving. When you were driving the SL63. I was not going. This is like a $200,000 car. That's like not. That's not how that car felt to me, unfortunately.
Zach Klapman
Well, 55, it's got. Oh, it's 4 liter V8. It's got 470 horsepower, 9 speed. This is from 2022.
Matt Farah
Oh, so it's just a 550 engine?
Zach Klapman
Yeah.
Matt Farah
Yeah. All right. Okay, that makes sense. It's a 550 engine with like some sporty shit. Okay, cool. Thank you for looking. That makes sense. 75K. Yeah. If it's like really low miles, it's probably not terrible, but like in two years it's gonna be 40, so.
Zach Klapman
And depending on what year this person talking about, I don't know, when they instituted the giant iPad in the center.
Matt Farah
All the 55s would have that. That's current gen. Yeah.
Zach Klapman
So that's. This whole interior of this car is just not my favorite out of so many GTs.
Matt Farah
Yeah, Dick Riemann.
Zach Klapman
Uh oh.
Matt Farah
What happened?
Zach Klapman
I went to the hot corner apparently.
Matt Farah
What happened? The television has a turned off. What's going wrong? There we go. Okay, I have an orient. Oh, an orient orange dial diver that I want to modify, Zach, to look like something, okay. Like a seamaster, Samaritan, blah, blah, blah. Where can I get inspiration? Okay, you can look on like on Instagram. There's so many Seiko modding communities. Like I follow like Jack Hypoxia, who does really cool builds. You can get inspiration from there. You can go on like Reddit watches or watch Crunch and see any number of modded Seikos and orients. Instagram is really unbeaten in that regard. But yeah, I would just. I would avoid changing too many things. You'd be surprised if you make one or two crucial changes. You can really make it look like a very different watch. You don't need to go too overboard. There is such a thing as over customizing. Lower little Tecumseh says in a recent podcast. I don't want to. I can't debate Kamisa. Kamisa's coming on our podcast.
Zach Klapman
We can debate him just better in person. Otherwise he'll show up with a legal brief.
Matt Farah
Yeah, yeah, we can table this one until he actually is here in two days. Granny shifting, not double clutching, says, have either of you driven Nurburgring or Spa? I have driven both multiple times and they are sick. I like Spa much better than I like the Nurburgring because it's. I think Spa has the best tarmac of any racetrack I've ever driven. Perfect tarmac, very fast, very flowing, not super hard on brakes, which I like. And the elevation change at Spa is enormous. Nurburgring is crazy. It's fun, it's scary, it's like thrilling. It's all those things. It's definitely an experience. But given one or the other, I would rather do a track day at Spa than the Nurburgring. Really? You know, the Nurburgring is a fun. It's like for me, it's like if I was actually doing an actual track day, that would be different, but like tourist driving is all I've done there. And that's like a. More like a carnival ride than it is. But are there. Oh, in the second part, are there tracks in America that are on the level of the ring or Spa?
Zach Klapman
Road America.
Matt Farah
Road America is pretty close to Spa.
Zach Klapman
Yeah, that's rad.
Matt Farah
Yeah, I would say that is. Watkins Glen is. Doesn't quite have the elevation. Yeah, it's cool, but it's really cool.
Zach Klapman
I would. Well, I'm biased. I'd say I would put Watkins above driving Laguna. Even though more people talk about Laguna, I just. And I think that's. Maybe I grew up around Laguna, like going to it, not driving it, but just seeing it. So for me, it's not as unique. And the, you know, the drop in eight, like, not really the corkscrews, it's over so quickly. I feel like Watkins had just good elevation, high speed stuff at the bus, like, it was just very exciting.
Matt Farah
Yeah, I think the wall. I think Watkins Glen is a more exciting drive. Than Laguna Seca. Laguna Seca is a better place to spectate.
Zach Klapman
Yeah.
Matt Farah
Laguna Seca is probably the best spectator road course anywhere. I mean, it's awesome. Mid Ohio is also really fun in its own way. God help you if it's wet. And, you know, Coda's a F1 track. It drives like a fucking F1 track, which is a totally unique experience. And it's also incredibly modern. Watkins Glen Road America. Their charm is in their, like, oldness. It's like golf courses. It's like courses that were built in, like, the early 1900s versus courses that are built now where there it's modeled out, you know, versus being built totally in the natural landscape. It's like a totally different.
Zach Klapman
That's why I also like Palmer, which is not a famous road racing circuit, but as a track to drive. Climbing that cliff coming down, that is a really fun place.
Matt Farah
That's a good time. That place. Spoolius Caesar.
Zach Klapman
That's a good one.
Matt Farah
Top rank has two cars for 30k, and I'm trying to decide a 1996 Mitsubishi Evo, which is a very early Evo. Right? Like an Evo 2 or something. Or a 1994 Toyota Celica GT4. Alltrack. I would rather have the Celica GT4 than a very early Evo. I wouldn't want any Evo that's older than, like, an 8 or a 9, even though I know they're collectible. That. That's a 99 Evo. That thing was pretty cool, that white one.
Zach Klapman
I guess I should do this.
Matt Farah
Yeah.
Zach Klapman
I've never driven this Elica GT4.
Matt Farah
They're fun.
Zach Klapman
They're cool.
Matt Farah
Yeah, they're fun.
Zach Klapman
And these are from almost the same year. Right. I feel like they might drive similarly.
Matt Farah
Dude, Evos are just so vibrate, y. It drives me insane. And the early ones are. The earlier they are, the more vibrate they are. Oh, I mean, that thing looks awesome.
Zach Klapman
I would rather. That's based on. Yeah, I think this is it, right?
Matt Farah
I mean, it looks. It does look pretty awesome. I get it. But. God, these things fucking vibrate. You rattle your teeth out, man.
Zach Klapman
Yeah, I've never driven this one, but I think they look sick. And I just think they have. Well, I mean, they both have rally history, but for some reason, I just like the Evos more than the. Yeah, Celica GT4.
Matt Farah
No, hate for either, but they're both rad. I love somebody else driving an Evo 4 much more than I like me driving an Evo, for.
Zach Klapman
Fair point.
Matt Farah
Yeah. Like Vipers. They're in the same category as Vipers. I want you to have a Viper.
Zach Klapman
You're good for you.
Matt Farah
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Zach Klapman
You want to take a drive?
Matt Farah
Nah, nah, nah. You have fun. I'll see you there. Luke's Skyhobbler. Critique the spec of the PCA club coupe with the tartan interior. You see that? This is a Porsche Limited Edition 911 for PCA members. It's a Carrera T. Has a special interior. It looks nice. I mean, I really like it. There it is. Yep. That's the story. I love the blue. No, no notes on the blue. I think it looks great. I think the wheels look really nice. It's a stick shift car.
Zach Klapman
It's tartan.
Matt Farah
It's got a tartan.
Zach Klapman
I like it.
Matt Farah
Yep. Yeah, it's great.
Zach Klapman
I would buy that.
Matt Farah
Yeah.
Zach Klapman
Because I like the tea wood.
Matt Farah
Fuck, yeah. Yes, sure.
Zach Klapman
Great. Yeah.
Matt Farah
Carrera tee in a fabulous color with tartan. There are. I have no notes. That is. Speaking of Carrera Ts, by the way, guess what's coming to dinner? A very special Carrera T. It's coming on Sunday. It's got like 700 horsepower.
Zach Klapman
Whoa.
Matt Farah
It's for us.
Zach Klapman
Really?
Matt Farah
For us to drive. Yes.
Zach Klapman
Oh.
Matt Farah
Oh. It will be very interesting.
Zach Klapman
Oh, boy.
Matt Farah
Yeah. I'll send you the build sheet. It's extensive.
Zach Klapman
Cool.
Matt Farah
Dean Del Rey is gonna lose his goddamn mind.
Zach Klapman
You just need to lift it for him.
Matt Farah
Yeah. Toby Keith Urban. Oh, that's good. I like that. Oh, wait. Okay. Getting my first automatic watch soon. Are there good tips, tricks or accessories needed?
Zach Klapman
I think it's like how to modify. Maybe like where you get a watch band to make it look well.
Matt Farah
Yeah. You know, different straps. Right. You need to know your strap measurements. That way you can order different straps. And then you need to get a spring bar tool. That way you can take the straps off and change them. Just start there. Everything else will come eventually. Okay. Okay, Great rear end. I need to replace my 03 CLK55. That has 160k miles on it. I hate depreciation. What are some enthusiast options to park money for the next two or three years? Well, then he gives three price points. We're gonna have 10k, 20k, 30k. So he has 30k. That's what we're doing. 30k. Okay. Good place to park. Money for 30k. And you could drive for the next two to three years.
Zach Klapman
You want to drive for free or do you want to have to spend a little money each year?
Matt Farah
Obviously, you have to maintain the car. You're Talking about it's depreciation. R129SLs are immune from depreciation. They are bottomed out.
Zach Klapman
Lotuses. I mean you can't get an exige for 30. Right. You get a lease. No, no.
Matt Farah
And Elise for 30 is going to be kind of a turd. But it won't be terrible. Let's see. I bet early Hellcats I think.
Zach Klapman
You don't think those will. You think they've already hit the floor because they've been out for so long.
Matt Farah
I mean I think, I think non wide body Hellcats are probably not appreciated in the same kind of way that the wide body Hellcats are. And you could probably find a good one for 30k that would, you know and with, with 700 horsepower they're only going to get so cheap.
Zach Klapman
You know there's a number of Caterhams on cars and bids that sold for just under 30 grand in the last few years. Five of them.
Matt Farah
I mean this person, this. It seems like we're talking about this person's only car.
Zach Klapman
I don't maybe if they're moving out of a CLK that's very much a daily driver.
Matt Farah
This is their only car.
Zach Klapman
Okay.
Matt Farah
Like you could just get the newer version of what you've got. Yeah, like 30k would get you like a. Let's see a clk that would be the E class coupe. Like you could get one of those E63 coupes, you know for 30K.
Zach Klapman
Yeah.
Matt Farah
You could get any number of cars that end in 63 for 30k.
Zach Klapman
That's true.
Matt Farah
Maintenance is a motherfucker though.
Zach Klapman
30K. Dude.
Matt Farah
You could get the absolute nicest Lexus LS430 on the planet for that. That's what I would get for 20k.
Zach Klapman
You could also probably get the GS 430 for maybe less.
Matt Farah
Like way less.
Zach Klapman
And that would. That will drive for you. Will cost you $0 to drive it other than gas which is kind of nice. Depends how much. I mean you. Do you Want to spend 30? Do you want to spend 20? You could get C5.06 for probably under 30 and probably just sell it for the same in a year.
Matt Farah
Yeah.
Zach Klapman
And that shouldn't break. I don't know the valve situation that was with the C6.
Matt Farah
Yeah. You can get a really good BMW 135 is the last year of the 135 with the better like everything. Those are really fast.
Zach Klapman
That car's rad.
Matt Farah
Yeah but.
Zach Klapman
But if they have 30 they don't have 32. And you're gonna need that two at least to fix that thing.
Matt Farah
You could get an Camaro SS1 LE30.
Zach Klapman
Although someone in our, in our question further down says that they have one of those. They've replaced the transmission and it needs another replacement. So I don't know if that's user situation or if the trans.
Matt Farah
Auto.
Zach Klapman
I don't know. Yeah, they didn't specify. Yeah, maybe auto.
Matt Farah
The manual is a Tremex. You gotta up to break one of those.
Zach Klapman
Yeah.
Matt Farah
Huh. Yeah, it was. SS1 Le would be very interesting. You could do that. Yeah.
Zach Klapman
You could also get, you know, Mustang GT30K.
Matt Farah
You could probably get an Audi, a really nice Audi S5, maybe even an 06.
Zach Klapman
I. I would not suggest yet. You're not wrong. You could get it.
Matt Farah
Yeah, you could.
Zach Klapman
But would it keep running?
Matt Farah
Yeah. 30k will get you a great Caiman or Boxster.
Zach Klapman
Yeah. And that's if it doesn't break, then it's not.
Matt Farah
It's cheap to run Piggly Wiggly Deluxe. Oh yeah. Okay. Suggesting, okay. Suggesting things to do in the live show. Sorry. Minnie Finney says, what do you think are the most fun around town cars? I mean small electric cars are the most fun. Like basically like the Tesla Model 3 my Taycan. You know, cars that scoot, but they're quiet and they're comfortable and you can see well. And they're practical, but they still steer and ride and handle nicely.
Zach Klapman
I bet a cappuccino be fun. Miata's fun. Anything that's small and the rest of the car populace isn't intimidated by. So you can kind of zip, zip, zip and no one gets mad. Yeah, that's what I like.
Matt Farah
Like, like a Honda Fit. Yeah, that kind of thing.
Zach Klapman
Yeah.
Matt Farah
Yeah. Let's see. Ryan Morris says, just got back from IndyCar and the speed at which they change direction is mind blowing. What would you rate as some of the craziest things you've seen a car do? I mean, craziest things you've seen a car do.
Zach Klapman
Like, well, seeing the electric Tesla sand truck. Seeing anything do a wheelie. I think seeing sand cars in general doing sustained wheelies for like a quarter to half mile.
Matt Farah
Yeah.
Zach Klapman
When I first saw that and even when I see it now, I go, holy shit.
Matt Farah
Yeah. When I saw a car already going 80 that then did a wheelie, you go, what have I just seen? How much power does it take to do that in a car?
Zach Klapman
And once the air gets under it, then it, you know, then they got a wheel stand it and they have to lift or they might Tip over. But that is something that's incredible.
Matt Farah
Yeah, like sustained car wheelieing. Yeah, the like mega jumps that they do in Dubai, you know, and in Saudi and shit. Those fucking. The guy's like putting like, you know, I mean, respect to IndyCar and Formula One. When like 100 engineers and $100 million make a car go, I go, yeah, all right, cool. But like, when fucking habibi over here in sandals is wheelieing a Nissan Patrol, I'm like, you know what? How about Hogwalla? Or the fucking guys driving down the highway on fucking two wheels, road skating shit like that.
Zach Klapman
Sand drags, which is not too dissimilar from the wheelie thing, but like the sand drags they do in the Middle east, the speed those cars go on a very loose surface and the wagging that happens is terrifying. Bravery.
Matt Farah
Yeah. All right. There's too many words there. Okay. Jerry was a pace car driver says. Do you think manufacturers will ever fully embrace the idea of hybrid performance cars? Or do you think with full EVs being the thing, they will skip over it and go straight to EVs? No, I think sports car drivers have spoken that they want internal combustion engines. And I think the companies that most seamlessly improve, integrate their hybrid systems will come out successful. I mean, the Lamborghini Revuelto, pretty good hybrid. I know that the E Ray is not selling that well, but functionally it works to do the thing it's supposed to do. The NSX, the 918, they do work and I think, well, eventually they'll be forced into doing it. But as we learned with the Alpine, you can have an incredibly efficient and fun car that's just really light and well designed. You don't actually need all that stuff.
Zach Klapman
Yeah.
Matt Farah
Let'S see. Okay, Agent 325, we've sort of already covered this. Thoughts on a McLaren 570s trading for around 150. Are reliability concerns overblown? And are the second gen cars more reliable? The best McLaren is the newest McLaren. The older you go, the worse they get. So post facelift cars, they usually get it kind of right. So you want a post facelift of whatever you're buying. McLaren, they're fun to drive, they're very, very fast and they're ragged. They have way more power than they have tire or aero or anything else, which makes them hairy as fuck. And some people really like that. The interior and the touchscreen will seem a little dated, but it'll still probably feel like $150,000 driving experience.
Zach Klapman
And I think they look like a more expensive car from an exotic company. You know, it's like a cheap Ferrari. Still says Ferrari on it.
Matt Farah
Yeah.
Zach Klapman
And there's a lot in that. Exciting. I just, I would refer to forums and owners and like, what are they. What are people who own a 2018 now that's a seven year old car. What are they dealing with in terms of problems and how long are those problems taking to solve?
Matt Farah
Yeah, I think the powertrains in the cars are very, very stout, but they have electrical gremlins and little things like switches can come off and stuff like that. Like little bits. But they definitely. We have two 570s here at Westside and a 600 LT and they all get driven a lot and other than going in for service, they don't seem to be broken very often. So that's good. Automobile. What would you buy for 50k that could replace the feel and sound of a Camaro SS1LE on the track and the road, looking at Alfa Giulia quads. I mean replace the sound and feel of a Camaro SS. You could get a Mustang GT Performance Pack.
Zach Klapman
Yep. Or a Mach 1.
Matt Farah
Yeah. Or a Mach 1.
Zach Klapman
That's a great car.
Matt Farah
Or even possibly a Shelby GG350.
Zach Klapman
Could you get a second gen CTS V for that? Mm. I mean that's pretty rad. That'll feel exactly like a Camaro.
Matt Farah
Yeah. 2009. It'll have cooler.
Zach Klapman
Yeah.
Matt Farah
You know, also it won't feel the same, but 50k gets you a ton of F80M3. Gets you a really nice F80M3.
Zach Klapman
That'll feel.
Matt Farah
Matter of fact, we're about to list Eric's on. On bring a trailer and it's. That's immaculate right there.
Zach Klapman
And gently.
Matt Farah
Yeah. You know, M2s and M2 for 50 grand will get you a nice M2.
Zach Klapman
Gets you a ton of M2.
Matt Farah
Yeah. And that will feel like a bit of a step up.
Zach Klapman
Yeah, that's a good way to go because that'll feel. It's still two door. You'll have better visibility than the Chevy, but it's still a coupe. Interior's way nicer than the Camaro. Way nicer. And both are very sharp cars.
Matt Farah
Yeah.
Zach Klapman
And I'm surprised you had. I hope your car is in auto and that's why it's braking.
Matt Farah
Yeah. Otherwise maybe some lessons. Yellow lead footer. Is that the last question?
Zach Klapman
No, there's more.
Matt Farah
All right, well, I think we need, we need to call it.
Zach Klapman
Yeah, let's do these two. The Nurburgring Thing. Okay.
Matt Farah
AMG Spot says, does the BMW from the Nurburgring wreck being right hand drive offer some additional insight as to why the crash happened?
Zach Klapman
So real quick, someone commented on our video, we discussed this on the last show and someone wrote, hey, I've done thousands of laps at the ring, pretty much live there. And in their opinion, it was the M2. M2's fault. It was doing like a double apex type of thing. And it's like, that's fine. But they should know that the Porsche was there. And they did specify this. This commenter said the M2 looks like right hand drive. So you know, they, they only would have seen them in the side mirror maybe. And it's not in their actual blind spot, it's only seen in the mirror. So maybe that contributed to it still.
Matt Farah
Yeah.
Zach Klapman
And look, you just have to be in the second part of their question is what kind of things should someone pay attention to if they're driving a right hand drive car around Left hand drive cars, the left hand driver. People are still going to see your vehicle, but you are probably going to have to be a lot more vigilant about using your side mirror, especially if you're not used to doing that.
Matt Farah
If you're driving or if you're driving on the wrong side of the car for the country that you're in, you will have to have heightened situational awareness. Very, I mean, much more, less so on the racetrack than on a road. Because on a road where you sit is in the car. Like if you're making a right on red, for instance, like your visibility is much better. Like if I'm driving Hannah's right hand drive cars, certain turns, it is literally more difficult to see. I mean, does it offer ins. I don't necessarily think we need that much more insight. I think it's pretty clear that BMW did not see the Porsche. Okay, so that, that there's your insight. He didn't see it. Like, did he not see it because he didn't look at the right time? Did he not see it because coincidentally his car was right hand drive? Did he not see it?
Zach Klapman
Well, if the Porsche was in the M2's blind spot and you know, because it's right hand drive, that blind spot isn't the same as if you're on the other side of the car. But either way, like the guy came, the Porsche came up from quite a ways back and I think M2 should have seen. You just have to. We, we've learned this when we go to racetracks on open days. Or lemon stuff like learning to watch your all of your mirrors is really important. And especially like, you know, when you're wearing a Hans device, if you don't do that a lot and you can't turn your head like you need to adjust the mirrors and train your eyes very quickly to be able to pay attention to everything because you can't do the same stuff you used to do and you can't go, oh, I can't turn my head. I'm wearing a helmet with a Hans device. All right, I'll just use the rear mirror. You can't rely on that unless it's one of those stretch across things.
Matt Farah
I'll do this one last one from Joel. Looking at getting a Taycan, what are some must have options? What should I get? What should I skip? Rather than talk about options, I think I just want to say the Taycan has a really big spread in terms of how the car drives versus which one you get. And I've said it a bunch. I'm just going to say it again real quick. The base rear wheel drive one drives very much like a Cayman. It steers like a Cayman, it feels light and agile and it's incredibly underrated because it's also the cheapest one. So if you can get a base one with some nice options and you live in a warm climate, especially the extended range battery with a base one, that's going to be pretty rad and it will drive a lot like a Cayman. You start adding all wheel drive, the steering gets Heavier, so the 4s gets more power, but the steering is heavier. And then the sedans will get faster and faster and faster and stiffer and stiffer and stiffer. And the newest ones have the, if you're talking about a new one, have the hydraulic suspension, which I would say if you're getting a brand new Taycan, is potentially a must have option because it's something that is very unique in the space and very, very cool. Other than that, cross Turismo 4s like I have is the most luxurious and softest one. It's not super fast, it rides really soft and in sport mode it feels sort of like an S feels. In normal mode. The Taycan Cross Turismo 4S is essentially the same, but it's just a little faster and a little firmer and yeah, I mean the turbos and all that stuff are really, really fast. The GTS is pretty stiff, pretty firm for bumpy roads, but there are different feels depending on which one you get. And my car is pretty cushy and soft and wafty and floaty. It's not a precision canyon carver but drive it around town so I don't need it to be. It handles good enough, it stops good enough. I mean but, but, but that and that's what I want. So if you want one that feels like a sports car consider the rear wheel drive car or you know maybe get a GTS or something. That's our show. We will be back on Friday with Camisa in studio. Don't know exactly what time it's going to be late morning pacific time. He's going to be driving in from Chuck Walla. He's filming out there so he said he's going to leave real early. I don't know exactly when he's going to get here but yeah. Thank you everybody especially our patrons. We appreciate you all. Thanks for asking such good questions. Please come see us in Texas and see you next time. Bye.
Podcast Summary: The Smoking Tire – "Mazda CX-50 Confusing Edition; BGB Cayman; THE Haircut"
Release Date: July 10, 2025
Hosts: Matt Farah and Zack Klapman
Podcast Description: Matt Farah and Zack Klapman engage with automotive icons, pro drivers, comedians, and friends to discuss industry news, racing, projects, and various automotive topics.
The episode opens with Matt and Zack sharing personal stories and casual conversations, establishing a friendly and relatable tone.
Haircut Memories:
Matt reminisces about his high school haircut, which led to a rift with his aunt.
Matt Farah [04:05]: "They literally never spoke again. When I tell you that my aunt did."
Shaving and Grooming:
Discussions about shaving routines and grooming habits reveal their personal preferences and humorous exchanges about maintaining an aerodynamic head.
Matt Farah [09:04]: "I have to shave my whole face and head every other day. I timed it yesterday for the first time in my entire life. It's about eight minutes, which I think is pretty fucking efficient."
Matt announces upcoming appearances and live shows, highlighting their engagement with the audience.
Seattle Car Show:
Matt discusses attending the Avant's Classics on the Green event at Saint Chateau Michel winery, encouraging listeners to join and interact.
Matt Farah [17:24]: "I'm coming to Seattle for a car show... It's at like a winery outside of Seattle."
Live Podcast Tickets:
They mention live podcast events in Dallas and Houston, emphasizing the growing demand and special guests like Christian James.
Matt Farah [18:05]: "Live podcast tickets are going quick, particularly Dallas. Shout out to fucking Dallas."
Several sponsor messages are integrated seamlessly into the conversation, providing listeners with valuable services and products.
Off the Record:
Matt promotes legal services for traffic violations, sharing personal success stories.
Matt Farah [00:00]: "Offtherecord.com TST get you 10% off all legal services that you book. Threw off the record. Do it."
Rula:
An advertisement for affordable online therapy services, emphasizing personalized care and insurance compatibility.
Matt Farah [13:01]: "Rula is here. They do things differently..."
Quince and Fitbod:
Matt endorses Quince for high-quality, affordable clothing and Fitbod for personalized workout plans, highlighting their benefits and unique selling points.
Matt Farah [32:47]: "Quince just I just got it... Go to quince.com/tire for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns."
A significant portion of the episode is dedicated to discussing a recently featured video on a twin-turbo swapped Porsche Cayman.
Performance and Aesthetics:
Matt and Zack delve into the car's performance, noting its impressive horsepower and sound. They discuss how the modifications affect the driving experience.
Matt Farah [20:53]: "The twin turbo Cayman that we recently posted the video of... it's hard to make a car look fast on video, but that car looks very fast on video."
Technical Challenges:
They highlight the complexities involved in engine swaps, particularly the integration of electronic systems.
Zack Klapman [24:58]: "If you watch the video, I apologize, this is redundant. But like four weeks to get it to just go out of park."
Functionality vs. Tuner Aesthetics:
The discussion contrasts the car's tuner appearance with its functional road-car capabilities, debating whether it maintains factory integrity.
Matt Farah [21:15]: "It didn't feel like a race car. Yes, it did feel like, particularly with comfort seats and pdk, it felt like a road focused car, which is very nuts."
Zack provides a comprehensive review of the Mazda CX-50 Meridian Edition, addressing both its strengths and areas of confusion.
Engine and Performance:
The CX-50 Meridian Edition boasts a turbocharged 2.5-liter engine with 256 horsepower, which Zack praises for its smooth powertrain.
Zach Klapman [36:30]: "This has 256 horsepower. That's 75 more than the non turbocharged CX50."
Interior and Comfort:
Matt and Zack commend the Mazda's comfortable seats and minimalistic dashboard, though they express some dissatisfaction with the touchless "hockey puck" controller.
Matt Farah [37:51]: "Mazda seats are fantastic... but I still don't like their hockey puck controller."
Zach Klapman [38:10]: "It's the same as... our exact car and ours had the nice brown interior like it looked."
Suspension and Ride Quality:
A major critique revolves around the CX-50's stiff suspension, which Matt and Zack find unsuitable for city driving, especially on uneven roads.
Zach Klapman [40:38]: "The Meridian comes with some extra like option things and packages that would cost you more money if you got the premium plus and stuff."
Matt Farah [43:19]: "The outback wilderness is where it's at... but the suspension feels stiff on potholes and cracks around town."
Naming Confusion:
The "Meridian Edition" name sparks confusion as the Meridian stereo system isn't present, leading to speculation and listener input.
Zach Klapman [53:41]: "Someone in the comments said that it's probably named Meridian edition because the Meridian is a point on a line of longitude."
Listeners submit questions regarding various automotive topics, which Matt and Zack address with practical advice and opinions.
Choosing Replacement Cars:
They discuss options for replacing a depreciating Camaro SS1LE, suggesting models like the Mustang GT Performance Pack, BMW 135i, and Porsche Macan GTS.
Matt Farah [75:05]: "You could get a really good BMW 135 that was the last year of the 135 with the better like everything."
Parking Money Strategies:
For enthusiasts looking to invest their automotive funds, recommendations include versatile and reliable choices like Maserati Grecale Trofeo and Porsche models.
Zach Klapman [75:18]: "And I think you know there's a number of Caterhams on cars and bids that sold for just under 30 grand in the last few years."
Fun Around Town Cars:
Suggestions include small electric cars like the Tesla Model 3 and Miata for their agility and practicality without intimidating other drivers.
Matt Farah [76:00]: "I mean small electric cars are the most fun. Like basically like the Tesla Model 3 my Taycan."
Zach Klapman [76:09]: "I bet a Miata's fun. Anything that's small and the rest of the car populace isn't intimidated by."
Track Preferences and Experiences:
Matt and Zack share their experiences driving on renowned tracks like Spa and the Nurburgring, debating their merits and personal preferences.
Matt Farah [65:44]: "Spa has the best tarmac of any racetrack I've ever driven."
Zach Klapman [65:45]: "I think this is their new one."
The hosts hint at upcoming collaborations and special features in future episodes, building anticipation among listeners.
Porsche Launch in Spain:
Matt reveals an invitation to a mysterious Porsche launch in Spain, teasing potential exclusive content.
Matt Farah [44:32]: "I got invited to a mystery Porsche launch in Spain in October."
Special Guests and Future Shows:
Announcements of special guests like Camisa and the return of Greg Levine ensure listeners look forward to subsequent episodes.
Matt Farah [83:00]: "We will be back on Friday with Camisa in studio."
In the conclusion, Matt and Zack encourage listeners to support their work through Patreon, highlighting the benefits of becoming patrons.
Matt Farah [54:04]: "Thank you everybody especially our patrons. Yalls is the best. Get in the fucking game. Over here@patreon.com the Smoking Tire Podcast."
Matt Farah on Marriage Rings and Steering Wheels:
Matt Farah [45:32]: "Oh, but it feels really rough on the... otherwise, nice steering wheel. Kind of sucks."
Zach Klapman on Suspension Issues:
Zach Klapman [44:18]: "This is very difficult stuff. And I'm not like, I'm not a total fucking moron."
Matt Farah on Therapy:
Matt Farah [13:01]: "Rula is here. They do things differently... Think about it. You use your insurance benefits to maintain your physical health. Why wouldn't you do the same for your mental health?"
This episode of The Smoking Tire seamlessly blends personal anecdotes, in-depth automotive reviews, expert advice, and audience engagement, all while maintaining a humorous and candid atmosphere. Matt and Zack's discussion on the Mazda CX-50 Meridian Edition and the twin-turbo Porsche Cayman offers valuable insights for car enthusiasts, while their interactions and upcoming event announcements keep the content dynamic and engaging. Sponsored segments are well-integrated, providing listeners with useful resources without disrupting the flow. Overall, the episode delivers a comprehensive and entertaining exploration of automotive topics for both regular listeners and newcomers alike.