The Smoking Tire Podcast — Episode Overview

Episode Title: New SIM; Kill Switch Law; Merc Project
Hosts: Matt Farah & Zack Klapman
Date: January 30, 2026

Brief Overview

In this episode, Matt and Zack dive into a packed show covering:

• Matt's adventures at the Barrett-Jackson auction, including everything from “garbagio” cars and blue-collar luxury to wild Americana art and the quirks of charity auctions.
• Behind-the-scenes impressions of a completely new racing simulator tech (XP1) and what it could mean for sim racing realism.
• The “Kill Switch” law working its way through Congress and its implications for drivers and car enthusiasts.
• Updates on the Mercedes E320 convertible “Merc Project” transformation into an E500-inspired cruiser.
• Listener Q&A on topics like tuner engines, risk-taking in automotive design, Porsche build quality, and more.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Barrett-Jackson Auction — A Circus of Metal and Merchandise

[02:00 – 39:03]

• Matt’s Nostalgia & Arrival: Reminiscing about years spent watching the auction on TV, Matt describes his experience walking the floor in Scottsdale, reconnecting with figures like Mike Musto and meeting rising star Soupy.
• The Barrett-Jackson ‘Experience’:
  • Diversity of Vehicles: Not just high-end exotics — everything from 7(!) new-gen Ford GTs to sub-$5000 “shitboxes” like the Aries K. For $25,000, you can score serious bargains like a 1993 Corvette ZR1 (black, <30k miles), mid-90s 2-door Tahoes, or Fox body Mustangs with crazy swaps.
    • “Barrett Jackson—$25k goes a long way. A long way.” —Matt [06:15]
  • Auction Economics: Cheapest cars sell early in the week (Monday, Tuesday), prices ramp up toward the Saturday peak. Many cars could be easily “flipped” after minor cosmetic fixes.
  • Buyer Incentives: Even basic bidder passes come with an “absurd” number of drink tickets — up to 10 a day.
    • “You can get fucking schwasted. And then you can buy...” —Matt [05:13]
  • The Sideshow: Beyond cars—Rolexes, cowboy boots, knickknacks, art, and even eVTOLs (personal air vehicles). The “sideshow tent” is a spectacle in itself.
    • “It’s like a craft fair, but for blue collar ballers.” —Matt [10:56]
  • Describing the Scene: Over-the-top conservative/“Americana” art, gold eagles, and more. Sometimes bordering on parody:
    • “This is like Americana threw up all over — you’re decorating a low-level ski lodge in 2002.” —Matt [26:06]
• Charity Auction Quirks:
  • The CHP 1199 Foundation's misspelled poster (“Foud Nation”) and its elaborate donor reward tiers, which are widely viewed as a pay-for-police-leniency system.
    • “I've never heard of anyone donating money for any other reason than what bit of shiny jewelry that says eleven ninety-nine do you get to show a cop if you get pulled over?” —Matt [20:34]
  • Wild prize: $100k gets you a “platinum level” badge, jacket, and a truly garish watch [23:16].

2. Weirdest & Funniest Finds at Barrett-Jackson

[26:00 – 39:03]

• Art, Pianos & Politics: Bizarre “Americana” sculpture and art, including AI-generated “Trump as Captain Jack Sparrow.”
  • “Even regardless of your politics, this is hilarious...” —Zack [33:27]
• Innovative Toys: Standout favorite—an artisanal coffee-table zen garden / “Etch-a-Sketch digger” with knobs, almost bought by Matt.
  • “Me and Musto sat there playing with this for 15 minutes. We really liked this.” —Matt [37:27]

3. The Wild World of Autonomous Driving: Waymo Adventures

[39:45 – 47:04]

• The First Bad Waymo Ride: After dozens of smooth Waymo (driverless) rides, Matt encounters a car making dangerous traffic decisions (trying to cross six lanes for a right turn, blocking traffic at an intersection).
  • “I had the first bad Waymo ride I’ve ever had... drove badly. Literally drove badly.” —Matt [40:04]
  • [41:22]: Describes sitting broadside in traffic, feeling exposed as a landscaping truck drives toward him.
  • Fails to move up at red lights, erratic blinker behavior—Matt documents it all, finding the app’s customer service unable to receive detailed feedback.
  • On the same day, another Waymo hit a child ("not 100% Waymo's fault"), sparking a critical discussion on the readiness and limitations of AVs.
  • “We’re all part of the beta...” —Zack [46:07]

4. All About the New SIM: XP1 — A Leap in Sim Racing Physics

[48:10 – 57:34]

• The Pitch: Developed by friends Mike Harley and Justin Bell, XP1 is a new sim racing software using an innovative force feedback and physics engine.
  • Claims to offer far greater realism than contemporary racing sims.
  • Not hardware-dependent: works with existing PC-based wheels and pedals.
    • “It’s software ... that learns based on how people are driving ... to deliver a much more car-like experience.” —Matt [49:03]
• Hands-On Impressions:
  • [51:00]: Zack praises the nuanced head-movement model, capturing physical sensations without the delay or “latency” common in VR or other systems.
    • “It communicated speed and G-load really, really well... felt really accurate... better than any other force feedback thing I’ve driven.” —Zack [51:47]
  • Matt notes unrecoverable oversteer in typical sims, while XP1 feels closer to real car dynamics.
  • Ultra-limited so far (one car, one track) since the in-house team had to build everything from scratch, including physics and vehicle models.
  • Excitement for future features, esp. drifting (often poorly replicated in sims).
    • “This is an actual game that … will definitely reward you if you’re good at driving in real life.” —Matt [55:24]

5. Willow Springs: The New Racetrack Chapter

[60:57 – 63:04]

• “Singer Club” Membership: Matt and Zack have joined as official racetrack members, opening the door for more drifting, filming, and even the potential purchase of a dedicated “dorifto” missile car.
  • “We have a racetrack membership, Zach! What are we gonna do with it?” —Matt [61:07]

6. Merc Project Update: Building the Ultimate E320 Cabrio

[63:04 – 70:21]

• Matt details plans to transform his E320 into an E500-inspired cruiser with a:
  • 1999–2002 E55 AMG engine swap (5.5L V8, 350 hp).
  • E500 suspension, SL600 brakes, OEM E500 bumpers/fenders, euro-style Recaros, custom cloth interior, HRE wheels modeled after Mercedes monoblocks.
  • Red respray, brushed aluminum interior, removal of all chrome.
    • “It’s going to be a really nice balance between, like, quick, you know... but with a five-speed auto and a convertible top.” —Matt [67:54]
  • Excited about the project’s potential as an “ultimate quick cruiser” and possible debut at Dream Cruise Detroit.

7. Kill Switch Bill: Doomsday Device or Sensible Safety?

[70:49 – 75:42]

• Legislative Hysteria: Public panic over government "kill switch" law allowing cars to be shut down. Kelly Blue Book (KBB) clarification:
  • Congress is requiring a system to passively detect intoxicated drivers and disable the vehicle—not an “external” remote shutoff.
  • Implementation details still undefined; likely to be clunky at first, especially distinguishing sleepiness or distraction from impairment.
    • “If people, especially if, if the kill switch term goes forward ... I mean, you can’t have that just happening when someone’s driving to work because their body position’s different.” —Zack [72:45]
  • Big privacy debate over future “remote” possibilities as cars connect to automaker servers.

8. Listener Q&A Highlights

[75:55 – End (~94:00)]

• Car Brand Legacy: Why only some carmakers (like Porsche with 911) preserve design DNA for generations. Factors: continual production, competitiveness, company philosophy.
  • “The 911’s engine being in the wrong place defines its shape and lineage…” —Matt [75:58]
• Favorite tuner engines:
  • 4-cylinder: High-rev Honda builds
  • 6-cylinder: Matt’s E46 M3 “demand engine”
  • 8: Dinan stroker S62s; 10: Supercharged Lambo V10
  • 12: Brabus Rocket
• Risk-Taking in New Cars: The era of wild, fun projects (Viper, SSR, Z8, Prowler) seems faded due to market demands, boomer nostalgia, profit focus on exclusive high-end projects instead of mass-market weirdness.
• Porsche Build Quality: “No change” in the last decade; 991 and 992 held as benchmarks.
• Best/Worst Press Launch Swag:
  • Worst: “A magazine about the car you’ve just driven.”
  • Best: Matt once returned an iPad, felt it was too expensive as a gift.
• Why the C7 ZR1 Appreciated but C8 Won’t: “Last-of” elements, manual transmissions, and old-school layout drove up C7 values, not present in the new mid-engine versions.
• Sim Racing Cafés: Not a direct threat to real track days—fun for social hangouts but still nowhere near the true 1:1 experience (“maybe 70% at best”).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “It’s like a craft fair, but for blue collar ballers.” —Matt [10:56]
• “I've never heard of anyone donating money for any other reason than what bit of shiny jewelry that says eleven ninety-nine do you get to show a cop if you get pulled over?” —Matt [20:34]
• “Me and Musto sat there playing with this for 15 minutes. We really liked this.” —Matt [37:27]
• “I had the first bad Waymo ride I’ve ever had... drove badly. Literally drove badly.” —Matt [40:04]
• “It communicated speed and G-load really, really well... better than any other force feedback thing I’ve driven.” —Zack [51:47]
• “We have a racetrack membership, Zach! What are we gonna do with it?” —Matt [61:07]
• “It’s going to be a really nice balance between, like, quick... but with a five-speed auto and a convertible top.” —Matt [67:54]
• “If people, especially if, if the kill switch term goes forward ... can’t have that just happening when someone’s driving to work...” —Zack [72:45]
• “The 911’s engine being in the wrong place defines its shape and lineage…” —Matt [75:58]

Timestamps for Must-Listen Segments

• Barrett-Jackson Auction Stories & Sideshow: 02:00 – 39:03
• Waymo Driverless Fails & AV Society: 39:45 – 47:04
• XP1 SIM Tech Deep Dive: 48:10 – 57:34
• Mercedes E320/E500 Project Details: 63:04 – 70:21
• Kill Switch Law Explained: 70:49 – 75:42
• Q&A Lightning Round: 75:55 – End

Tone & Vibe

The episode is true to the Smoking Tire’s signature blend of sarcasm, inside-industry knowledge, and irreverent affection for car culture. As always, Matt’s storytelling is lively, occasionally profane, and often rich with the kind of details only a true automotive lifer can provide, while Zack plays an incisive, curious (and funny) counterpoint.

Final Thoughts

Packed with hilarious, revealing, and sometimes sobering insights on American car culture—from the circus of the Barrett-Jackson auction to the potential pitfalls of autonomous cars and new “kill switch” laws—this episode is a must-listen for anyone interested in the ever-weirder overlap of cars, tech, law, and lifestyle. The new sim racing tech could mark a real turning point, too. And don't miss Matt’s Mercedes project: classic car restomod dreaming, done right.

For more, follow The Smoking Tire on social media and check out their car reviews on YouTube.