The Smoking Tire Podcast – Episode Overview

Date: September 18, 2025
Hosts: Matt Farah & Zack Klapman
Title: Mustang GTD Drive; Czinger Factory of WTF; Q&A

Episode Theme

Matt and Zack offer a deep-dive into cutting-edge automobile technology and performance, sharing firsthand experiences from their tour of the Czinger (Zinger) / Divergent 3D factory and a full day of track driving Ford’s latest high-performance Mustangs, including the road-going GTD and GT3 race car. An extended Q&A covers automotive culture, car buying, and more, maintaining the show's relaxed, expert, and candid tone.

Key Segments & Discussion Points

1. Correction: BMW R1290s Misstatement

[00:43-03:32]

Matt issues a correction regarding a previous statement on the BMW R1290s motorcycle engine, clarifying the generational differences between air- and water-cooled engines.
Emphasis on the value of accepting mistakes:

"It's very important that you acknowledge when you're wrong and make a correction." — Matt [01:09]
Discussion on the uncritical analysis of motorcycle cooling systems and the importance of recognizing distinctions in legacy technology.

2. Visiting the Czinger/Divergent 3D Factory

[03:34-29:15]

Factory Impressions [04:09-13:46]

Parent company: Divergent 3D; Czinger Cars is both a real carmaker and a technology showcase, with tech applications beyond autos (aviation, military, marine).
Divergent specializes in advanced 3D printing of structural components, achieving radical reductions in part count (e.g., turning 200 parts into four).
Control arms and components are being manufactured for brands like Bugatti, Ferrari, Aston Martin, and others.

Technical Marvels & 3D Printing

Fluid manifolds: 3D-printed structures that can replace multiple hoses with a single, intricate part.
Generative design:

"They have a software where you essentially put in what you need the part to do, and it figures out where metal needs to be and where it doesn’t." — Matt [07:44]
Organic forms: Asymmetrical, honeycomb internal structures, surprising shapes sometimes dictated by mechanical necessity alone.
Military applications: Production includes missile and drone parts—acknowledging a moral gray area in dual-use tech.

"You could say, oh, the tech is being used for good, but like, it's also being used for some bad... I wish I lived in a world that had less missiles, I guess." — Matt [26:14]

Efficiency, Sustainability & Future Impact

Current additive manufacturing cost is roughly $200-300/kg, aiming for $100/kg to make it viable for mainstream cars (vs. only exotic hypercars now).
Modular, regional mini-factories could reduce global shipping of heavy subframes and components, compounding environmental and economic benefits.

Factory Tour Highlights

The circle of robots in the assembly area is compared to Tony Stark’s lab.
Tiny, powerful battery packs and compact engine blocks noted.
Customization and finish options previewed, like tinted carbon fiber and anodized finishes.

On Czinger’s Design

Striking, alien aesthetics—design "gets better looking the more you look" [20:46].
Customer experience at the plant is itself a selling point.

"Literally from the atoms to the finished product, it feels and sounds different from anything else out there." — Zack [23:24]

3. Ford Mustang Track Day: Dark Horse, Dark Horse R, GTD, and GT3

[29:15–76:43]

Test Day Setup [29:15-34:46]

At Chuckwalla: full track rental, exclusive access to Ford’s four new high-performance Mustangs, and Multimatic team support.
Freedom to lap as much as desired, with generous resources:

"Our instructions were full tank of gas, full set of tires. So have fun." — Ford Team, relayed by Matt [31:25]

Dark Horse (Street Car)

Fun but exhausting on the highway—track alignment causes dartiness.
On track: balanced, sticky (on Trofeo RSs), brakes require upgrade for hard use.

Dark Horse R (Cup Car) [34:46–37:47]

Stripped, caged, surprisingly approachable.
"If I was joining a racetrack country club, this would be my first race car." — Matt [34:46]
Race car feel for $150k.
Experienced brake rotor crack; challenge of "fast laps with almost no braking" for the remainder of the session.

Mustang GT3 (Race Car) [37:49–47:58]

Pure race car, only three production parts remain (inner/outer door handles).
Engine: Based on production block, bored/stroked, with modified heads and sequential Xtrac gearbox.
Suspension, ratios, and cockpit: All optimized for endurance racing.
"This car has no bad habits. I mean, it does exactly what you tell it to." — Matt [42:39]
Telemetry-friendly; ABS and traction/stability control are adjustable (1 to 12).
Lapped Chuckwalla in 1:43.0 (CCW), approximately matching times for modern GT3 Cup and X-Bow GTX.

Mustang GTD (Road-Legal ‘Super Mustang’) [52:31–76:43]

815hp, Tremec 8-speed transaxle, rear-mount coolers, active aero.
"It’s the best Mustang I’ve ever driven. Sure, by a margin." — Matt [66:33]
Feels less tramline-y than the street-oriented Dark Horse, despite wider tires.
Brakes: “What the fuck, like huge. Just, just amazing braking performance. Really good.” — Matt [59:47]
Active aero, 50:50 weight balance, carbon fiber body.
Styling: Blue test car is a showstopper; interior feels standard Mustang, which doesn't match the exclusivity of the performance.
Size: It’s enormous—comparable to Aventador in width, larger than a standard Mustang.
Price: $460k — expensive for a Mustang but each will sell; ultimately different in vibe and ethos from a GT3 RS.
Lappable, livable, "imperfect in ways that compromised machines are," but thrilling.

4. Listener Q&A Highlights

[76:43–End]

Topics included:

Electric G-Wagon as a depreciated daily driver
Flat-towing Jeep Wranglers: practicality and design
E34 BMW build quality vs. later 3/5 Series
Next US car brand to die: speculation on Stellantis (Chrysler, Fiat) and Nissan
NC vs. NB Miata experience
Favorite/least favorite regional road designs (roundabouts win, NJ jug-handles lose)
Cheapest point at which complex used luxury cars (e.g. Mercedes S600) make sense
Porsche shopping: C2S vs. C4S, value in the 997 gen
Watch care basics: “I clean my watches with a very soft toothbrush and hand soap. That’s it.” — Matt [92:53]
Contradictory HPDE instruction, importance of using data/logging tools
Experiences with niche sports cars: Venturi, Panoz, Czinger, GH-PK center-seat Elise mod
Most beautiful Mustang ever: lively disagreement, love for 90s Saleen S351 and classic 67 GT350

Notable Quotes

On acknowledging mistakes:

“It’s very important that you acknowledge when you’re wrong and make a correction.” — Matt [01:09]
On Czinger's technology:

“You can take something that used to be 200 parts and turn it into like, four.” — Zack [07:12]
On design:

"Literally from the atoms to the finished product, like, you know… it feels and sounds different from anything else out there." — Zack [23:24]
On the GTD:

“It’s the best Mustang I’ve ever driven. Sure, by a margin.” — Matt [66:33]
On the GTD’s price:

“It’s amazing. Whatever it costs, it costs. Like, it’s a fuck ton.” — Matt [69:42]
On racing the GT3:

“The challenge of racing it wheel to wheel… might be a little further than my desires.” — Matt [50:06]
On moral ambiguity in tech:

“It’s hard for me to say this with a straight face because they also make missiles, but you could say the tech is being used for good, but, like, it’s also being used for some bad.” — Matt [26:14, paraphrased]

Memorable Moments & Fun Exchanges

Comparing Czinger’s organic, alien-looking parts to “cyborg skulls” and body parts—“Body part or suspension part: yikes!” — Zack [26:09]
GTD’s brakes described as “holy motherfucking shit” for their performance on hot laps [59:06]
On interior shared with basic Mustangs: “You can buy [the carbon dash trim] on eBay.” — Zack [72:11]
Drift attempt in GTD stymied by steering angle: “I very easily hit the lock stops on the steering. There is none.” — Matt [73:48]
Q&A features creative usernames and inside jokes throughout (e.g., “Clapman’s Freshman Dorm Bed” and “My Vanos is Bleeding”)
Playful banter about favorite Mustang aesthetics and obscure beach car resto-mods.
Practical advice: toothbrush as a watch-cleaning tool, wait for Porsche Turbo if that’s truly your dream, respect the limits of used luxury cars.

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Segment | Timestamp | |-----------------------------------------|----------------| | Correction: BMW R1290s | 00:43–03:32 | | Czinger Factory Tech & Tour | 03:34–29:15 | | Ford Mustang Track Day | 29:15–76:43 | | Notable GT3 Laptime Discussion | 44:34–48:06 | | Mustang GTD Deep-dive | 52:31–76:43 | | Listener Q&A (highlights) | 76:43–end | | Inside Baseball: Road Trip/Track Notes | 61:06–62:45 | | Memorable Mustang Design Chat | 90:31–91:53 | | Watch Care Tips | 92:53–94:19 |

Tone & Conclusion

Expert, friendly, and engaged, Matt and Zack blend critical review, technical discussion, and authentic personal impressions. They aren’t afraid to get candid about what works, what doesn’t, and the unexpected consequences (like a racing tech company making both supercars and missiles). The episode is full of both deep geekery on automotive construction and fun, accessible asides that make it approachable for enthusiasts and newcomers alike.

If you missed this episode, you're missing:

The future of manufacturing as seen in the Czinger lab
A genuine, in-depth breakdown of Ford’s current Mustang ecosystem from street car to Le Mans racer
The ethos behind automotive passion—warts, moral ambiguities, and all
A crowd-sourced grab bag of auto advice, stories, and laughs

Recommended Listening: For fans of performance cars, emerging tech, and garage-culture banter.

The Smoking Tire Podcast – Episode Overview

Date: September 18, 2025
Hosts: Matt Farah & Zack Klapman
Title: Mustang GTD Drive; Czinger Factory of WTF; Q&A

Episode Theme

Key Segments & Discussion Points

1. Correction: BMW R1290s Misstatement

[00:43-03:32]

Matt issues a correction regarding a previous statement on the BMW R1290s motorcycle engine, clarifying the generational differences between air- and water-cooled engines.
Emphasis on the value of accepting mistakes:

"It's very important that you acknowledge when you're wrong and make a correction." — Matt [01:09]
Discussion on the uncritical analysis of motorcycle cooling systems and the importance of recognizing distinctions in legacy technology.

2. Visiting the Czinger/Divergent 3D Factory

[03:34-29:15]

Factory Impressions [04:09-13:46]

Parent company: Divergent 3D; Czinger Cars is both a real carmaker and a technology showcase, with tech applications beyond autos (aviation, military, marine).
Divergent specializes in advanced 3D printing of structural components, achieving radical reductions in part count (e.g., turning 200 parts into four).
Control arms and components are being manufactured for brands like Bugatti, Ferrari, Aston Martin, and others.

Technical Marvels & 3D Printing

Fluid manifolds: 3D-printed structures that can replace multiple hoses with a single, intricate part.
Generative design:

"They have a software where you essentially put in what you need the part to do, and it figures out where metal needs to be and where it doesn’t." — Matt [07:44]
Organic forms: Asymmetrical, honeycomb internal structures, surprising shapes sometimes dictated by mechanical necessity alone.
Military applications: Production includes missile and drone parts—acknowledging a moral gray area in dual-use tech.

"You could say, oh, the tech is being used for good, but like, it's also being used for some bad... I wish I lived in a world that had less missiles, I guess." — Matt [26:14]

Efficiency, Sustainability & Future Impact

Current additive manufacturing cost is roughly $200-300/kg, aiming for $100/kg to make it viable for mainstream cars (vs. only exotic hypercars now).
Modular, regional mini-factories could reduce global shipping of heavy subframes and components, compounding environmental and economic benefits.

Factory Tour Highlights

The circle of robots in the assembly area is compared to Tony Stark’s lab.
Tiny, powerful battery packs and compact engine blocks noted.
Customization and finish options previewed, like tinted carbon fiber and anodized finishes.

On Czinger’s Design

Striking, alien aesthetics—design "gets better looking the more you look" [20:46].
Customer experience at the plant is itself a selling point.

"Literally from the atoms to the finished product, it feels and sounds different from anything else out there." — Zack [23:24]

3. Ford Mustang Track Day: Dark Horse, Dark Horse R, GTD, and GT3

[29:15–76:43]

Test Day Setup [29:15-34:46]

At Chuckwalla: full track rental, exclusive access to Ford’s four new high-performance Mustangs, and Multimatic team support.
Freedom to lap as much as desired, with generous resources:

"Our instructions were full tank of gas, full set of tires. So have fun." — Ford Team, relayed by Matt [31:25]

Dark Horse (Street Car)

Fun but exhausting on the highway—track alignment causes dartiness.
On track: balanced, sticky (on Trofeo RSs), brakes require upgrade for hard use.

Dark Horse R (Cup Car) [34:46–37:47]

Stripped, caged, surprisingly approachable.
"If I was joining a racetrack country club, this would be my first race car." — Matt [34:46]
Race car feel for $150k.
Experienced brake rotor crack; challenge of "fast laps with almost no braking" for the remainder of the session.

Mustang GT3 (Race Car) [37:49–47:58]

Pure race car, only three production parts remain (inner/outer door handles).
Engine: Based on production block, bored/stroked, with modified heads and sequential Xtrac gearbox.
Suspension, ratios, and cockpit: All optimized for endurance racing.
"This car has no bad habits. I mean, it does exactly what you tell it to." — Matt [42:39]
Telemetry-friendly; ABS and traction/stability control are adjustable (1 to 12).
Lapped Chuckwalla in 1:43.0 (CCW), approximately matching times for modern GT3 Cup and X-Bow GTX.

Mustang GTD (Road-Legal ‘Super Mustang’) [52:31–76:43]

815hp, Tremec 8-speed transaxle, rear-mount coolers, active aero.
"It’s the best Mustang I’ve ever driven. Sure, by a margin." — Matt [66:33]
Feels less tramline-y than the street-oriented Dark Horse, despite wider tires.
Brakes: “What the fuck, like huge. Just, just amazing braking performance. Really good.” — Matt [59:47]
Active aero, 50:50 weight balance, carbon fiber body.
Styling: Blue test car is a showstopper; interior feels standard Mustang, which doesn't match the exclusivity of the performance.
Size: It’s enormous—comparable to Aventador in width, larger than a standard Mustang.
Price: $460k — expensive for a Mustang but each will sell; ultimately different in vibe and ethos from a GT3 RS.
Lappable, livable, "imperfect in ways that compromised machines are," but thrilling.

4. Listener Q&A Highlights

[76:43–End]

Topics included:

Electric G-Wagon as a depreciated daily driver
Flat-towing Jeep Wranglers: practicality and design
E34 BMW build quality vs. later 3/5 Series
Next US car brand to die: speculation on Stellantis (Chrysler, Fiat) and Nissan
NC vs. NB Miata experience
Favorite/least favorite regional road designs (roundabouts win, NJ jug-handles lose)
Cheapest point at which complex used luxury cars (e.g. Mercedes S600) make sense
Porsche shopping: C2S vs. C4S, value in the 997 gen
Watch care basics: “I clean my watches with a very soft toothbrush and hand soap. That’s it.” — Matt [92:53]
Contradictory HPDE instruction, importance of using data/logging tools
Experiences with niche sports cars: Venturi, Panoz, Czinger, GH-PK center-seat Elise mod
Most beautiful Mustang ever: lively disagreement, love for 90s Saleen S351 and classic 67 GT350

Notable Quotes

On acknowledging mistakes:

“It’s very important that you acknowledge when you’re wrong and make a correction.” — Matt [01:09]
On Czinger's technology:

“You can take something that used to be 200 parts and turn it into like, four.” — Zack [07:12]
On design:

"Literally from the atoms to the finished product, like, you know… it feels and sounds different from anything else out there." — Zack [23:24]
On the GTD:

“It’s the best Mustang I’ve ever driven. Sure, by a margin.” — Matt [66:33]
On the GTD’s price:

“It’s amazing. Whatever it costs, it costs. Like, it’s a fuck ton.” — Matt [69:42]
On racing the GT3:

“The challenge of racing it wheel to wheel… might be a little further than my desires.” — Matt [50:06]
On moral ambiguity in tech:

“It’s hard for me to say this with a straight face because they also make missiles, but you could say the tech is being used for good, but, like, it’s also being used for some bad.” — Matt [26:14, paraphrased]

Memorable Moments & Fun Exchanges

Comparing Czinger’s organic, alien-looking parts to “cyborg skulls” and body parts—“Body part or suspension part: yikes!” — Zack [26:09]
GTD’s brakes described as “holy motherfucking shit” for their performance on hot laps [59:06]
On interior shared with basic Mustangs: “You can buy [the carbon dash trim] on eBay.” — Zack [72:11]
Drift attempt in GTD stymied by steering angle: “I very easily hit the lock stops on the steering. There is none.” — Matt [73:48]
Q&A features creative usernames and inside jokes throughout (e.g., “Clapman’s Freshman Dorm Bed” and “My Vanos is Bleeding”)
Playful banter about favorite Mustang aesthetics and obscure beach car resto-mods.
Practical advice: toothbrush as a watch-cleaning tool, wait for Porsche Turbo if that’s truly your dream, respect the limits of used luxury cars.

Timestamps for Key Segments

Tone & Conclusion

If you missed this episode, you're missing:

The future of manufacturing as seen in the Czinger lab
A genuine, in-depth breakdown of Ford’s current Mustang ecosystem from street car to Le Mans racer
The ethos behind automotive passion—warts, moral ambiguities, and all
A crowd-sourced grab bag of auto advice, stories, and laughs

Recommended Listening: For fans of performance cars, emerging tech, and garage-culture banter.

Mustang GTD Drive; Czinger Factory of WTF; Q&A

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Summary

The Smoking Tire Podcast – Episode Overview

Episode Theme

Key Segments & Discussion Points

1. Correction: BMW R1290s Misstatement

2. Visiting the Czinger/Divergent 3D Factory

Factory Impressions [04:09-13:46]

Technical Marvels & 3D Printing

Efficiency, Sustainability & Future Impact

Factory Tour Highlights

On Czinger’s Design

3. Ford Mustang Track Day: Dark Horse, Dark Horse R, GTD, and GT3

Test Day Setup [29:15-34:46]

Dark Horse (Street Car)

Dark Horse R (Cup Car) [34:46–37:47]

Mustang GT3 (Race Car) [37:49–47:58]

Mustang GTD (Road-Legal ‘Super Mustang’) [52:31–76:43]

4. Listener Q&A Highlights

Notable Quotes

Memorable Moments & Fun Exchanges

Timestamps for Key Segments

Tone & Conclusion

Summary

The Smoking Tire Podcast – Episode Overview

Episode Theme

Key Segments & Discussion Points

1. Correction: BMW R1290s Misstatement

2. Visiting the Czinger/Divergent 3D Factory

Factory Impressions [04:09-13:46]

Technical Marvels & 3D Printing

Efficiency, Sustainability & Future Impact

Factory Tour Highlights

On Czinger’s Design

3. Ford Mustang Track Day: Dark Horse, Dark Horse R, GTD, and GT3

Test Day Setup [29:15-34:46]

Dark Horse (Street Car)

Dark Horse R (Cup Car) [34:46–37:47]

Mustang GT3 (Race Car) [37:49–47:58]

Mustang GTD (Road-Legal ‘Super Mustang’) [52:31–76:43]

4. Listener Q&A Highlights

Notable Quotes

Memorable Moments & Fun Exchanges

Timestamps for Key Segments

Tone & Conclusion