The Smoking Tire Podcast: Paul and Todd of Everyday Driver!
Episode Date: November 25, 2025
Guests: Paul and Todd of Everyday Driver
Hosts: Matt Farah & Zack Klapman
Episode Overview
In this lively, wide-ranging episode, Matt and Zack welcome back Paul and Todd from Everyday Driver. Together, they dive into the recent growth of Everyday Driver’s activities—including their now-ownership of the track day company Hooked on Driving (HOD), eclectic driving adventures, additions to their personal car fleets, and the evolving landscape of the automotive world. The group swaps stories from events like the LA Auto Show, debates new versus old sports cars, shares road trip philosophies, and answers listener questions about cars, track days, and buying advice.
With sharp humor and seasoned perspective, they touch on everything from car modification culture to the weirdest automotive press launches, all while maintaining their signature candid and insightful banter.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Everyday Driver’s Expanding Universe
[06:46]
- Paul and Todd update the hosts on running Hooked on Driving (HOD), a national track day company.
- Transitioning from media creators to business owners was “a really cool uptick” but the first year was “hard…you have the crowd, ‘all change is bad.’”
Todd: “First year was hard. Second year has actually been a really cool uptick.” [07:14]
- Surprising new racetrack “gems” discovered: Hedge Hollow—a “wild private track outside Kansas City” built to ultralux standards with private condos but (hilariously) no public bathrooms.
Paul: “This owner owns a McLaren Solus and built F1 garages in the middle of a cornfield, but there’s no public bathroom.” [15:19]
2. Favorite Tracks & Press Event Tales
[17:35]
- The Ridge in Washington State lauded as “awesome”—site of previous Lemons races and famous for its “mini Laguna Seca corkscrew” (Matt: “That bit almost looks like a sex toy, it’s a corkscrew.” [18:22]).
- Recalling over-the-top launches: Jaguar hosting journalists with “no expense spared,” including seaplanes and $3,500/night resorts for the F-Type and Range Rover launches.
- Matt expresses nostalgia but questions the value of enormous press budgets versus the declining fortunes of brands like Jaguar.
3. New Car & Concept Car Opinions
[20:22]
- Discussion on the new Jaguar concept’s awkward looks—“part Cybertruck, part 8-bit fever dream.”
Todd: “Right now, it looks like it belongs in the same world as the Cybertruck...what weird 8-bit thing is going on here?” [22:02]
- Praise for Genesis’ bold recent concepts: “That’s a Korean Maserati MC20!” [25:20]
- Wagon appreciation: “The Genesis G90 shooting brake—why does the US hate wagons? This looks amazing.” [26:13]
4. Fleet Updates and Garage Philosophy
[47:02]
- Paul’s recent swaps:
- Said goodbye to the family Expedition; picked up a new Toyota Forerunner Offroad (“I like the Everest color, and it’s got bronze wheels—there’s no start/stop, which is weirdly cool.” [47:45]).
- Acquired a Cayman GT4 manual with buckets—for track work and personal joy:
Paul: “It’s a parts car—a bunch of GT3 parts stuffed into the Cayman chassis.” [91:07]
- Todd’s garage:
- Two Cayennes (lifted “RubicCayenne” and a 2017 hybrid), plus a Lotus Emira.
- “Company car math”: Kept a C8 Corvette for 2 years, lost just $2,000 after 11,000 miles: “Not terrible—about $0.75/mile with all the content it produced.” [50:45]
5. Debates: Sports Cars, Power, and Engagement vs. Numbers
[52:24]
- The ever-increasing arms race of power (1,000+ hp cars): Is it meaningful?
Matt: “I drove a thousand miles in a 918—number of times I could go flat? Maybe 9. These cars are so fast, you can’t use it anywhere.” [53:06]
- Alpine A110 love fest and comparison to Elise and Alfa 4C
- 4C criticized for only becoming “good” after heavy aftermarket modification; “the GTI problem” (spending so much to fix a car, you might as well buy a better factory car) [55:09].
- Weight is king: “2400 lbs just works.” [53:34]
6. Track Days & Driving Tour News (Everyday Driver / HOD)
[14:18, 60:13]
- 2026 plans:
- European tours at Spa, Nürburgring, Spain, and Portugal (Seville, Portimão).
- Domestic “greatest hits” trips: Utah, Beartooth Pass, Beartooth Pass, and seeking to combine road tours with HOD track days.
- Track day pricing transparency: A premium full day at Laguna Seca is about $550-600, with coaching included for novices.
Paul: “We try to be premium—the safety’s good, and the car count is low, so the prices are higher, but people appreciate that.” [73:51]
7. EVs, Reliability, and Home Charging
[39:23; 114:17]
- Porsche 918 battery longevity: “It’s aged the best out of the Holy Trinity—the worst thing is the Bluetooth.” [39:39]
- Porsche Taycan as a daily: Matt details his positive ownership except for one HVAC glitch.
Matt: “It’s been 100% reliable except a weird air conditioning valve, which they fixed. 34,000 miles now and still love it.” [113:14]
- Paul questions the need for wireless charging pads in EVs, especially with “live object detection” to avoid zapping pets:
Paul: “Apparently it shuts off if your cat walks between the pad and the car, so it doesn’t fry the cat, unfortunately.” [41:43]
8. Listener Q&A Lightning Round
[76:06 onward]
- Many practical and philosophical questions, including:
- The true cost and value of air-cooled Porsches (“You need to do all the math—longevity protects you if the value holds.” [106:59])
- Best “incognito” daily drivers for the wealthy: Volvo XC60, BMW M2, loaded Genesis or Taycan Sport Turismo.
- Picking Porsche as the “one brand for life” for both driving excitement and daily usability [98:38].
- Manual swaps: Dreaming of what might have been if Alfa Romeo made a manual Giulia Quadrifoglio [115:23].
- NC Miata vs. Solstice: “Parts, support, and tuning make the NC the right answer, though the Solstice is underappreciated.” [117:19]
- Tire choices for cold track days: Use summer tires and warm up carefully; “if it’s below freezing, what are you doing at a racetrack?” [109:05]
- Cleaning off winter salt: Underbody spray at car washes or use oscillating sprinklers [85:05].
Notable Quotes & Moments
-
On learning curves & community:
- Todd: “Year one was hard, but year two—cohesion all around the nation. We’ve got franchisees, and it feels normal.” [07:14]
-
Car modification wisdom:
- Paul: “We have a name for this: The GTI Problem. If you do this, this, and this, you spend $12,000—you could have just bought a better car.” [55:09]
-
On ultra-wealthy car culture:
- Matt: “Call it ‘Dubai-ing’: when you have that kind of worth, you just buy the ‘best version’ of whatever, everywhere.” [08:59]
-
Cynical new car assessment:
- Matt: “Adding a back seat to a car dynamically makes it so much worse. If you don’t need a back seat, don’t buy one.” [86:52]
-
Road trip philosophy:
- Todd: “Doing our road trip films is my favorite thing we do now. When I’m editing it after, I enjoy it 100%.” [79:03]
-
Track day economics:
- Paul: “A track day at Laguna Seca—probably $550, maybe $600, with coaching for novices. Expert class? Actually less.” [73:18]
-
Electric cars’ quirks:
- Paul: “The Cayenne EV will shut off the wireless charger if your cat walks between pad and car—so it won’t fry the cat. Unfortunately.” [41:43]
- Matt: “Inductive charging? I don’t see the need for something in my house that needs a f**ing force field for me to be around.”* [43:04]
-
Memory lane:
- Matt: “When Jaguar launched the F-Type, there was no expense spared...seaplanes, five-star resorts. Then, brand fortunes went down.” [19:00]
Timestamps for Key Segments
- Hooked on Driving expansion & the Hedge Hollow story: [06:46 – 16:10]
- Favorite US tracks & launch event shenanigans: [17:35 – 20:35]
- Jaguar/Genesis/EV Design Commentary: [20:22 – 27:00]
- Everyday Driver’s car fleet changes: [47:02 – 51:04]
- New cars: Too much power? A110 review: [52:24 – 55:20]
- Alpine A110 & the “GTI problem”: [53:34 – 55:18]
- Track day pricing/structure & future tours: [73:03 – 74:13, 60:13 – 63:14]
- Listener Q&A (practical advice, market talk, brand loyalty): [76:06 – close]
Memorable Moments
- Bathroom Absurdity:
The ultra-private Hedge Hollow racetrack “has no public bathroom structure—just condos with laundry and a bathroom each” ([15:19]), inspiring both awe and laughs. - The “dubai-ing” verb is coined:
When a track or car is “dubaied,” it becomes the most extravagant version thanks to endless resources ([08:59]). - “GTI problem” and modification culture:
“When the solution to make a car good is extensive mods, you might as well buy a better car off the shelf.” ([55:09]) - The air-cooled Porsche conundrum:
Not a $100k driving experience, but “people believe it’ll never go down, so the actual cost is much lower than it seems, or even a profit.” ([106:07]) - Altoids as weed tins:
Matt: “When you finish the Altoids and then you put your weed in there—it’s a multipurpose. You get a menthat vibe.” ([101:56]) - Road trip planning lesson:
Matt: “You cannot have people driving that have no idea where they’re going or how long until we get there. You can’t do that.” ([80:38])
Closing
The episode delivers a whirlwind tour of racing, car buying, garage philosophy, business growing pains, and road trip wisdom—with a uniquely funny, sometimes irreverent, always informed tone. Paul and Todd’s evolving journey with Everyday Driver and Hooked on Driving is as entertaining as any corner exited at full throttle, while Matt and Zack keep the conversation grounded in the delightful madness that is car enthusiasm.
Listen for: Great road trip stories, honest takes on car culture trends, practical ownership advice, and plenty of good-natured ribbing between all.
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